'P' IS FOR PIRATE
By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala


CHAPTER 2

Fifteen years later ... Lively, Jamaica

"Roberts, will you give me a hand over here?" Called a dark featured, lean man from somewhere at the rear of one of his many lined up ships.

"Aye aye, captain." Charity teased her good friend and boss Ethan Montgomery.

Finishing tying a rope off on the sail of another smaller boat, she went to help him load the Drifter with barrels filled to their rims with ale, rum and wine to be taken to another town or island.

Jumping off the bowsprit onto the docks, she looked out over the harbor. Shading her eyes, she caught the first glimpses of a bright sunrise over the water, everywhere sparkling a brilliant silver and blue. "Another beautiful day." She commented to herself, though Ethan had heard and had to agree with her verbally.

Soon high over them, the rays of the hot sun beat down on the two figures as they loaded two more boats. As it hit mid morning, they were finally finished and stood silently, enjoying their break and breathing deeply in the fresh warm breeze that was always passing through.

A few moments later, they were heading toward Ethan's office to retrieve the assignment sheets for each ship's cargo and destination. This is what it was like all the time, a normal day for this job. But today as they walked, Ethan was telling his employee a new joke he'd recently picked up.

Charity was laughing heartily at the joke's conclusion, until someone else's conversation carried over on the salty air. She stopped abruptly and turned back from where they had just come, eyes widening and not believing a word her ears had just caught.

"Charity?"

"I, uh...excuse me for a minute."

He nodded, though confused; watching her jog down the docks to where a group of gossiping men always stood at this time of day. Usually she paid them no heed. What could they have said to get her attention now?

As she grew closer, the name became clearer as the subject increased the men's interest and she knew she'd heard them right the first time. She was almost speechless at the news they spoke of. "Sparrow...you're saying he's alive?"

All eyes turned on her and the circle of men nodded. "He was here in town. We just saw him the other day, but he's left by now." Piped up a much younger lanky boy.

"Do any of you know where he's headed?" She asked anxiously.

They looked at her a bit strangely, wondering why such a man was obviously important to her. "He was in a small one-masted boat," The boy recalled, while some of the others snickered. "I think he said somethin' about Port Royal." And before he could ask why, she'd said her thanks and had taken off in the opposite direction.

She arrived at her previous spot to actually be asked a question, which she then deliberately lied to.

"What was all that about?"

"Sorry. Nothing important."

Ethan made a face, shaking his head. He had to remind himself a lot these days to just stay out of this girl's business. Even if it had been eating at him for the last six years about her mysterious past. For she had just shown up one day dressed in the attire of a male, which he soon learned was always her appearance and she wondered if she could have a job with his company.

Obviously she had no family, at least none that she talked about or that anyone saw. It might not have been so odd if she had been a little older, but she had only been fifteen then and even now was only twenty-one.

"Well, I need to find Thompson before it gets any later. The shipment on the Drifter needs to be in Port Royal by tomorrow."

By the mention of the town's name, Charity did a double take at his retreating back. "Ethan, wait!" She ran after him and nearly into him when he turned and halted. "Can I do it? I've...always wanted to see Port Royal." She lied again, remembering full well that she had stopped there a few years before, though rather briefly. She had been trying to locate someone then too, but at that time it hadn't been Jack Sparrow.

Giving in easily, he replied. "If you really want to, but I advise a small crew to..."

"I can handle myself and a ship by myself better than you think." She interrupted. "Please?"

"Suit yourself. The job's yours then. Just...don't get my goods stolen." He smiled, then motioned with his head toward town; toward her small home within it. "Go get ready."

"Thanks. One question though; can I stay there a few days? Work's goin' a bit slow now, so you really don't need me here. And you could spare a ship a while, eh?"

"I guess. Just be back by next week sometime; we've got a new load comin' in that needs to be taken to Black River before the month is up, I'll need your help."

"Sure thing!" She backed away, preparing to leave. "I'll be ready within the hour. See ya!"

Eight years later ... Port Royal, Jamaica

The next eight years for Jenny were heartbreaking, terrifying, and altogether boring as hell. The loss of her father kept her crying herself to sleep at night for the first year and a half, along with the discontent of doing maid work that she was severely unaccustomed to. She had never cleaned so much as a piece of woodwork among the ship she sailed upon with her father, how could she clean an entire house that contained brass, rare wood, and several trinkets that broke at the slightest touch?

By the fifth year, Jenny was as close to the 'Head Maid' as she could manage, but it was not altogether on her own.

"Please, Bonnie, would you mind making Ms. Swann's bed this morning? I have some other things that need doing," Jenny connived. In truth, she had absolutely nothing that needed done, she just didn't like making that huge bed of Elizabeth's and then going back to her own room and seeing the small and modest pallet they allotted her. Though hidden away beneath that pallet were many things that could result in her position being terminated if ever found.

TBC ...

mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Sorry that was so short...I promise the next chapter will be longer! And thank you much, Sarah, for your review! You're the only one so far...but it's cool, I'm sure everyone is busy with school like Thala is.
Black River is a real place in Jamaica, and Morant Bay is too (the place Charity lives in the first chapter) but I couldn't find another port town where I liked the name, and as far as I know there is no place anywhere in the world called Lively. However, for all I know there could be and probably is somewhere! LOL But I just ran across that name from something in the TV Guide, and at that time I was still trying to think of a name to call Charity's new home, and I just thought it sounded cool. :)
Also, of course this chapter is now set at the time the movie happened, so I hope it didn't confuse anyone when it said it was '15 years later' for Charity, cuz' it's from the time she was 6 years old in chapter one, so now she'd be 21. And it says '8 years later' for Jenny, cuz' her whole shipwreck thing was set in a different year from Charity's ordeal, and she was 15 then, which would make her 23 now. So she's only 2 years older than Charity...hmmm, for some reason Thala's characters always end up older than mine.
Oh and here's the summary for my Lord of the Rings sequel! Enjoy! ;)

Sequel to A Conspiracy Unmasked ...

A KNIFE IN THE DARK

The current year in Middle-earth rests at 45 of the Fourth Age.
A long and much needed visit with old friends, leads to a long and detoured journey from Minas Tirith back to Mirkwood, when a stop in Ithilien to see how kinsmen fare gives Legolas, Landailyn and their son a run-in with an enemy, who everyone thought they were suppose to be at peace with.
Weeks go by, and it becomes past due for the royal family to have returned home, so when neither the White City nor Elven realm hears from the three, search parties are immediately sent out to recover them. But will those from both places be able to help their friends together? Or will they die at least trying to?