Based a year after the movie left off, you will find old characters and new characters, humor and drama, love and loathing... and Jack.

As you may or may not be aware, I do Not own the Pirates of the Caribbean. Unfortunate but true. I do Not own Captain Jack Sparrow nor any item affiliated with such and I do not own the Black Pearl nor a thing that rests on her decks. Unfortunate again. Still true. I am simply ... well, I have a strong like for the movie. AND Johnny Depp. That's all I have in my favor for writing this story. So, if you would be so obliged, please read the tale. If not... whatever does it fer ye, mate.

Marry Norrington. Marry Norrington. Christina rolled the statement over and over in her head as she stood on the wooden planks of the docks in the early morning chill. Marry Norrington. He was at least thirty-five at very best. She was twenty-two. Marry Norrington. Was this how she was supposed to live? To marry Norrington?

In her dilemma, she almost didn't notice the red coated soldiers bustling busily around her in anticipation for the arrival of the Black Pearl. For the arrival of Elizabeth Turner, her best friend and cousin and more importantly to them, the Governor's daughter. And for the arrival of Will Turner, her husband, blacksmith turned not so terrible pirate.

A frown creased Christina's pretty youthful features. And the arrival of this Jack Sparrow bloke whom everyone seemed so nervous about. Apparently he was some famous pirate who outsmarted everyone he crossed, outsmarted everyone who crossed him and bewildered everyone else. All she knew was that he was the one who had nicked off with Will and Elizabeth for the past year. That was enough for him to deserve her disdain.

Marry Norrington. The thought voiced it's unwelcome self once again as Christina lifted her hand before her face to regard it. The hand that was seemingly overpowered by the large and beautiful ring on the finger attached to it. She sighed. Marrying Norrington was she.

The black sails that had been creeping closer as she mulled sullenly she now finally noticed and a surprisingly exquisite smile found her face, crinkling her emerald eyes. She laughed as she spotted Elizabeth waving frantically at her and lifted her hand further now to wave back. The red coats bustled busier and busier still as the ship approached, looking strangely out of place with it's dark sails and savage looking crew. Christina easily sighted the infamous, and disdained in her books, Captain Jack Sparrow, standing casually at the helm and identifiable by the floppy, overly large hat on his head.

As ropes were tied and a gangplank was lifted, the thoughts of marrying Norrington banished themselves from Christina's mind and she gave into the joy at seeing her cousin for the first time in a year. A long and eventful year for the both of them. Elizabeth waited eagerly as the gangplank was set safely in place and was the first one off the Pearl, running for Christina at full speed with a grin a mile wide on her face. Pushing past the red coats she finally reached Christina and pulled her into a deathly tight embrace, showing no sign of letting go anytime soon. Finally, a little short of breath, Christina pulled back, still grinning.

"Oh, Chris, you look beautiful," Elizabeth gushed, her honey eyes shining with happy tears.

"And I see a year married to a pirate hasn't done you too badly," Christina smiled, seeing Will approach from behind his wife.

"Good to see you, Chris. Despite the occasion," he greeted, pulling her into another tight embrace.

Christina bit back a laugh when she saw Elizabeth clench her teeth and shoot a warning glare at Will for mentioning the reason for their returning to Port Royal. Her marriage to Norrington had obviously been discussed.

"It won't be that bad. He's a good man. Really," Elizabeth encouraged, squeezing Christina's arm affectionately.

And this would have worked to calm her nerves had Elizabeth not sounded like she was trying to convince herself on the matter. Christina offered a weak smile and turned her attention to the dreaded haired, long coated captain swaggering their way, taking the rare opportunity to shake each stunned soldier's hand he passed without being arrested for it.

She was not suprised that as he approached, he also took the opportunity to take in the sight of her, feet to hips to chest to head. Not suprised in the least when he slung his arms drunkenly around Will and Elizabeth's shoulders, seemingly needing support to stand in his intoxicated state.

"And 'o would this bonnie lass be?"

Christina resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Elizabeth sent her an apologetic look.

"This is Christina Lacimore. It's her wedding we're here for. Remember, Jack?" Will prompted, forever amused by the pirate's unusual nature.

"Oh, yes. The Commodore's woman. Pleased to make ye acquaintance, luv," Jack offered his hand, releasing Elizabeth from his embrace.

"It's Christina. Not 'luv'," Christina corrected unemotionally, eyeing his hand in apparent disgust.

Noticing this, Jack lifted his hand before his face to study his numerously ringed and cotton wound hand, turning it this way and that to regard it from all angles. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he lowered his brows and let it return to his side. Strange woman, this one. Nothing what he had expected. He inspected her openly. Pretty girl. Beautiful, really. Long, copper hair and stunningly green eyes. Curved to perfection and he was sure that if she did smile, highly unlikely at this stage, it would be a perfect one. He frowned again. Why would she marry a sod like Norrington?

"Terribly sorry, m'lady. It's not that often a lowly pirate such as meself is graced with such a beautiful woman's presence. Seems I wasn't thinkin' straight."

He gave her what he knew to be one of his most charming crooked smiles, resisting the urge to lower his eyes below her neck again.

Christina narrowed her eyes accusingly.

"Mr Sparrow, do you really think it suitable to be talking to a lady who is to be married tomorrow in such a flirtatious manner?" she inquired coldly.

Jack raised his brows in suprise. This he had not expected. The wench already had disdain for him when he had had no chance to invite nor provoke it. This had been the Commodore's work, he had not a doubt.

"It would appear that you have misjudged me intentions, Miss. I was only stating the obvious and if such be a crime, I plead guilty," he gave another dashing grin, hoping to disarm the attack early in it's blows.

"Crime, no. But I was raised to believe that a woman should be able to walk down the street without being victim to some ignorant fool's drunken slur about her appearance. Do you not agree, Mr Sparrow?"

Nay, this had not been expected at all. Caught off guard with no witty response to cover himself, Jack could only shrug. Oh, but it was a manly, careless shrug, he tried to tell himself. Much to his secret relief, Will and Elizabeth finally intervened.

"So, the wedding's tomorrow, right?" Will asked pleasantly as the four of them started to head for the Governor's house. Christina nodded. As her parents were living in America, she was living with the Governor, her uncle, while in Port Royal and had been for the past year.

The awkward catching up continued, lasting all the way to the destination. Christina couldn't help but to notice that Jack's silence, which she already knew to be highly uncharacteristic, also lasted all the way to the destination. Save for when he asked if and where he could get rum in Port Royal and also if there would be any rum at her wedding. She answered both briskly and detachedly, finding it intriguing that this had seemed to offend the unoffendable Captain.

"Elizabeth!" Governor Swan greeted upon seeing his daughter once inside the house. After giving her a warm hug, he shook hands with Will heartily. Then turned his attention to Jack.

"Mr Sparrow...," he recognized instantly. It had been rather unfortunate that the only way Will and Elizabeth could (or would, he thought) come to the wedding was on the Black Pearl with this fellow. He had had to have numerous conversations with Norrington to be sure that the pirate would not be arrested nor hung and would be treated as a normal citizen upon his arrival as such were the terms stated by his daughter and son in law.

"Governor! It's a pleasure to see you again," Jack greeted joyfully, even throwing his arms around the shaken wigged man. Governor Swan awkwardly returned the embrace, grimacing.

"Ahem, the same to you," he offered unconvincingly.

"Well done, mate. Ye almost pulled that off," Jack congratulated encouragingly, punching the Governor playfully in the shoulder.

"Will, show Jack around. We'll be upstairs," Elizabeth pronounced as she grabbed Christina's arm and pulled her up the stairs toward her room/ Christina's room.

Laying on their stomachs on the bed, the women talked, gossiped and shared stories about their year apart until their voices were hoarse and the sky was the dusty pink of dusk.

"We have to go out tonight, Chris," Elizabeth told her eagerly, an excited glow in her eyes.

Christina gave her a disapproving glance and shook her head.

"It's the night before my wedding, Liz. I can't go gallivanting about town with you and Will and a pirate getting drunk."

"You? Drunk? We both know how highly unlikely that is. Besides, think, it'll be your last blow to the face of society before you're tied down to a life of rules, regulations and childbirth," Elizabeth protested, flinging her arms in dramatic gestures as she eased herself up from the bed.

"Thanks for reminding me what I have to look forward to. Really. It's much appreciated."

"Sorry. But please? It will be fun I promise... And I won't let you get drunk."

"Aye, luv, ye should definitely join us."

This was Jack voicing his expert opinion on the matter as he watched from the doorway.

Christina rolled her eyes, not bothering to turn and face him.

"Thankyou for your input. And it's-"

"Christina. Yes, I know. How shall ye ever forgive me?" he grinned in reply.

"I shan't forgive you," she sniffed.

He narrowed his eyes with mock all knowing, "Actually, I believe ye shall. After I buy ye a rum."

"Jack, if you can get Chris to touch a drop of rum, you will have truly out done yourself," Elizabeth sighed sadly, a smile twitching at her lips as Christina glared at her. Although she could not care in the least what this pirate thought of her, Christina did not want to appear as... frigid.

"Always up to a challenge. Especially one involving in any means rum," Jack informed her matter of factly.

"So it's set. We leave in an hour. I'll go tell Will," Elizabeth confirmed with no affirmative from Christina needed as she left. Christina's jaw dropped in protest but, realizing it was too late, she snapped it shut again. She tensed, realizing she was alone in the room with... that pirate. She felt his eyes roaming her back as she laid facing away and rolled her eyes.

"Hasn't anyone told you it's cowardly to attack someone from behind?" she asked as she too stood from the bed.

"Well, last time I did it while ye were facing me and that didn't go down all that well, I seem to recall," Jack replied unphased, "So, this would be your room then?"

"Not for much longer," Christina answered, suddenly and without explaination, nervous as his booted footsteps echoed further into the room and his chocolate eyes roamed the space before coming to rest on her own.

"Aye, ye'll be moving into dearest Norrington's house after the wedding, I suppose," he mused. She narrowed her eyes at his ability to sound offensive without in fact being offensive and simply nodded.

Jack nodded back in response, his gaze refusing to lift from her heated face. This was rather amusing. The lass was embarrassed. By what, he wondered. Aye, marrying the Commodore would be an incredibly degrading experience to be sure. But it was something different that bothered her. He narrowed his eyes in thought. He already knew what it was.

"Ye don't love him, d'ye?"

The question was more of a statement. And like his 'attacking' her while she was facing him, it didn't go down all that well.

"Where do you get off saying what you please to who you please! You have no right to say such a thing, Mr Sparrow! There's this new technological advancement everyone's raving about. It's called decency. You should try it on for size!"

Christina gulped, short for breath. The speech had been intended to sound as an intelligent and controlled murmur of truths. It instead came out a defensive squeak with over the top gestures to match. She was incredibly frustrated that she had to avert her eyes for fear that they would betray the truth.

"As you wish, me lady. Ye shall not find such words nor anything of the likes escape me lips for the rest of me days."

Jack was instantly all mischievous smiles once again and put his hat to his chest solemnly, playfully mocking as Christina's eyes found his once more. She smirked in reply, a little flustered over her uncalled for outburst.

"Are we ready to leave?" Elizabeth called down the hallway eagerly.

Chris looked down at her dress, creased from laying on the bed and paced across to her double doored wardrobe, "Give me a minute."

She shuffled frantically through the dresses that hung within the wardrobe, frustrated at not finding a single one she thought suitable for a night out on the town. Not that she would know for better or worse. She had never had a night out on the town. Reaching the end of the dresses, she pulled them all back and started the procedure again from the other end.

"Well, I vote the blue one, luv."

Christina involuntarily jumped, having forgotten that the pirate was still in her room. She turned slowly to look at him, trying to look as uninviting and cold as possible.

"I'm sorry?"

"The blue one," Jack repeated, striding towards the wardrobe to point it out. The dress was a stunning midnight blue, boasting a sleeveless and low cut design. Black lace traced it?s curves and pink ribbon flirted it?s edges. It was beautiful, Christina had to admit as she ran her fingers over the lace up front.

"It was a gift from the Commodore," she mused softly both to herself and Jack.

"Pretty dress fer a pretty girl, eh?"

"Something along the lines of that I believe his words were."

"Aye, pulled that one before meself. Works like a charm."

Christina glared at Jack and his eyes widened innocently.

"But I'm sure the Commodore's intentions differed from mine dramatically," he assured her nervously.

"If you would be so kind, Mr Sparrow," Christina spat, motioning sharply for the door.

"Aye... But only ?cause ye insist, luv," he added suggestively before he disappeared into the hall so as not to hear her harsh retort.

"That bloody pirate," she muttered as she dressed. Although not thoroughly being able to mean it, much to her disgrace. Bloody pirate.

A couple of moments later, Christina emerged down the staircase, newly dressed and refreshed to meet a waiting Elizabeth, Will and Jack at the door.

She grinned as Elizabeth's breath visibly caught when she saw her.

"You look beautiful! Where on earth did you find that dress? It?s truly gorgeous," Elizabeth gushed, turning Christina around so she could see the back of the midnight number.

"The Commodore," Christina and Jack answered in unison. Christina stared at Jack and he flashed her a grin.

"Let?s get going, shall we?" Will asked pleasantly, offering his arm to Elizabeth. She smiled, emitting a glow that only was seen in happy wives and accepted and they headed outside.

Jack and Christina watched the practice with a mix of sentiment and discomfort.

Then, unexpectedly to both of them, Jack offered his own arm to her. Christina blinked in suprise at him before numbly accepting. Jack chuckled at her response.

"Rather disappointin' display of decency from a pirate, aye?" he asked as they walked through the front door after Will and Elizabeth.

"Indeed," Christina grinned with mock disapproval.

If you like the tale thus far, please do not hesitate to give us a holler. And if you didn't, still feel free to do the same. Being unperfect, I cannot promise that I shall be as responsive to such but I shall try my very best. Cheers!