Disclaimer: I know, I know, I've no business starting ANOTHER story, but feh. I don't care. And just so you people know, one of my three OC's - Liana, dear William's sister - was found WITH Will when she was five, making her thirteen at the time this fic takes place. And I'm a devil, a black sheep, a really bad egg, drink up me hearties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, I don't own POTC!
Liana Turner anxiously shifted from foot to foot behind her elder half-brother, wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up due to a bad sunburn and a long purple skirt. Both garments were quite stained and worn from frequent use. She had known the governor and his daughter since she was five, ever since she and Will had been rescued from the sea the day their ship burned, and was still nervous every time they went to the Swann household.
"Are you all right, Liana?" asked Will. He held a case in one hand. William Turner had a face that would entrance any girl but his sister.
"Smashing," she replied. Will smiled fondly. He knew why Liana was jumpy.
The Turner siblings were in the parlor of the Swann household. Will was there to drop off a sword for the promotion ceremony of Captain Norrington, and Liana had tagged along for lack of anything better to do.
Will looked at once of the sconces with interest.
"I wouldn't touch it," cautioned thirteen-year-old Liana.
"What would happen, would it explode?" jested Will, ruffling his sister's short, dark brown hair. He began to fiddle around with it, and then it broke off.
"Told you so," taunted Liana. Will looked around warily and hid the sconce in the cane vase.
"Not a word," he warned. Liana only raised her eyebrows in response.
"Ah, Mr. Turner and young miss Liana," said the rather irksome Governor Swann, coming down the stairs. "Good to see you again." His eyes rested on Liana's bare, red arms.
"Good morning, sir," mumbled Liana, hastily rolling down her sleeves. She winced as the fabric brushed her sunburn.
"We've brought your order, Governor Swann," said Will, opening the case. He held out the sword, which Liana had always admired. She and her brother sometimes sparred as he taught her how to use a blade. Liana thought it was just in good fun, but Will wanted to become a master of the blade for a reason. Pirates had burned down the ship the two siblings had been on, and killed Will's father, he reasoned. Will sought revenge.
The governor - or the Goat, as Liana silently called him - unsheathed the sword. "Well," said the Goat, obviously impressed.
"The blade is folded steel," said Will, watching as the Goat examined the sword. "That's gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may?" The Goat handed Will the sword and Will balanced it on the flat side of the blade, close to the handle. "The tang is nearly the full width of the blade." He flipped it and handed it back to the governor, who looked slightly surprised.
The Goat took back the sword. "Impressive. Very impressive. Ah, now, Commodore Norrington is going to be very pleased with this. Do pass my compliments on to your Master. Hmm?"
"But I thought you m-" began Liana, but Will put his arm in front of her.
"I shall," said Will with a rather strained smile. "A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated." The governor looked slightly puzzled, but said nothing.
A girl came down the stairs, but it wasn't Elizabeth, as Liana had been expecting. This girl was younger - around Liana's own age - and had lighter hair and green eyes. She wore a green dress and green earrings, a silver necklace with a black stone hanging from her neck. Her hat was also green, with a black ribbon that came over the very wide brim. (It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauritania, Shannon!)
"Father, who is this?" asked the girl. Liana was confused. Hadn't Elizabeth been the Goat's only daughter?
"Amelia, you look lovely," said the governor. "This is Mr. William Turner, the blacksmith's apprentice, and his sister, young miss Liana."
"Good day," she said primly, though it looked like her heart wasn't in to being proper at that moment.
"This is my younger daughter," said the Goat. "Amelia has just got back from finishing school." Amelia grimaced as the last two words were said.
"Father, Elizabeth is having trouble with her corset," said Amelia. "It appears one of the strings is caught."
"Oh dear," said the Goat, shaking his head. "What are the maids doing?"
"Trying to un-catch the string," replied Amelia. Governor Swann walked back up the stairs, a flustered look on his long face.
"So, um, Miss Amelia," Liana said nervously. "What was finishing school like?"
Amelia made a face. "Please just call me Amelia."
"All right," said Liana, slightly surprised. "Will's told me it's proper manners to-"
"Not everything Will says is right, Liana," intoned Will, idly examining his fingernails. Amelia smiled.
"My elder brother," said Liana.
"Elizabeth speaks of him often."
"She does?" said Will. Liana giggled and Will lay a warning hand on her shoulder.
"Ow! Will, my sunburn!"
"Sorry, Li," apologized Will, removing his hand.
"Why don't you roll up your sleeves if you've got sunburn?" asked Amelia curiously.
"I did," muttered Liana. "So, how was finishing school, Mi... er... Amelia?"
Amelia made another face. "It was wretched. I couldn't wait to leave."
"Oh." Liana was dumfounded. "I've heard wonderful things about finishing schools. Was it really that terrible?"
"It was," groaned Amelia. "May you never have to go. Everything has to be absolutely perfect, or else it's rubbish. No, you're sewing the wrong stitch! You haven't set the table correctly!"
"That sounds horrible," said Liana sympathetically.
"I praise the Lord I've escaped," said Amelia. The two continued talking before the Goat and Elizabeth came down the stairs.
"Thank you for getting Father, Amelia," said Elizabeth, smiling at her sister. She then took notice of Will and I. "Liana, Will! It's so good to see you. I had a dream about you last night."
"About me?" asked Will blankly.
"I was in there too," said Liana, elbowing her brother. "She meant both of us."
Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, I did." She directed her next words at Will. "About the day we met, do you remember?"
"How could I forget, Miss Swann?"
The idiot, thought Liana fondly.
Elizabeth smiled yet again. "Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?"
"At least once more, Miss Swann, as always," replied Will. Liana shook her head. Will was never going to get his girl if he talked like that.
"There," said the Goat. "See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety. Now, we really must be going." He handed Elizabeth and Amelia a couple of parosols, which somehow matched their outfits. "There you are."
"Good day Mr. Turner," said Elizabeth. "Liana."
"I hope I see you again soon, Liana," said Amelia. The Swanns walked out the door.
"Good day," said Will rather late. "Elizabeth."
Liana smiled at him as the Swanns' carriage started down the path. "Will. Just tell her you fancy her."
"Wh- I don't know what you're talking about, Liana," said Will evasively as the siblings walked down the path after the carriage.
"Oh, come off it," ordered Liana, giving her brother a shove. "You fancy Elizabeth!"
"Don't tell her," said Will wearily.
"Of course I won't," Liana assured him. "Actually, I think I'm going to go swimming around the docked ships. It's so much fun, you should try it!"
"Liana," said Will in a warning tone. "You know that people disapprove of a thirteen-year-old girl swimming."
"I don't care," Liana said, folding her arms. "And neither should you."
At the Promotion Ceremony...
Amelia Swann tried to stifle the yawn that forced itself out, but she couldn't help it, so she hid it behind her green and black fan. The ceremony was so... so boring. She had tried to be interested for quite some time. And had failed. So now she was just trying to pretend to be interested.
"Elizabeth, why is the ceremony so long?" Amelia complained in a whisper. Elizabeth made a quick shrug, but appeared to be having breathing difficulties. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," Elizabeth gasped. Amelia raised a concerned eyebrow but said nothing.
At last the ceremony ended. Commodore Norrington approached Elizabeth.
"May I have a moment?" he asked. Elizabeth nodded, sweat pouring down her face and making her curls stick to her temples. As well as being concerned for Elizabeth's well-being, Amelia was also curious as to whether Norrington would propose or simply hint he was going to. She made no move to leave Elizabeth's elbow. Norrington looked pointedly at Amelia.
"Yes, Commodore?" asked Amelia sweetly.
"May I please have private word with your sister, young Amelia?"
"But of course!" Amelia pretended to walk away, but followed Norrington and Elizabeth anyway. She couldn't quite hear what was being said, so she subtly sidled up right a few feet away from them and looked out at the ocean.
"...throws into sharp relief that which I have not yet achieved," the Commodore was saying. "Uh… a marriage to a fine woman. You have become a fine woman, Elizabeth."
"I can't breathe," said Elizabeth breathlessly, frantically pumping the fan.
Norrington turned away. "Yes, I...I'm a bit nervous myself."
And with that, Elizabeth fainted and fell over the battlement.
"ELIZABETH!" screamed Amelia, hanging over the edge as her sister made contact with the water. "NO! MY GOD!"
The Commodore put a foot on the battlement and took off his jacket, but one of the soldiers - Gilette? - grabbed his shoulder.
"The rocks!" he exclaimed. "Sir, it's a miracle she missed them!"
"MY SISTER!" sobbed Amelia. Gilatte placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
"It'll be all right, young miss," he said. He and the Commodore, along with a few others, began to race down to the bottom of the fort, Amelia following frantically.
"FATHER, COME QUICK!" she all but screamed at the governor. "ELIZABETH FELL OVER THE BATTLEMENT!"
At the Ships...
Liana cartwheeled from the dock into the water, not caring that she was indecent in just her bodice. No one was looking at her. The three men sitting talking on the Interceptor weren't watching. Two of them were soldiers and the other was dressed in ratty clothes with a very neat hat. Liana knew the two soldiers. Together they didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup. She liked them, however, they were quite fun to be around. The ocean felt so good as it streamed through her hair and cooled off her sunburned arms, face and shoulders, legs slicing through the water. Liana wasn't an exceptional swimmer, but she enjoyed swimming.
Her head bobbed up, short brown hair plastered to her scalp, and expelled a spout of water, just in time to witness a woman falling into the ocean from the battlements of the fort.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. One of the men on the Interceptor was taking off his effects and his hat. He dove into the water, swimming towards the circle of white water. A giant ripple extended across the sea. "Wh-what on earth...?" The sky darkened before Liana's eyes and the wind picked up.
She pulled herself onto the dock and watched anxiously as the pirate swam back to the dock with the woman. "Oh my god, Miss Elizabeth!"
One of the soldiers, Murtogg, helped Jack lay Elizabeth on her back and Liana just watched with a stricken expression as he checked her pulse and nose. "Not breathing!" Worry laced through Liana's mind.
"Move!" snapped the strange man, and he cut her corset, handing it to Murtogg. Water spilled out of Elizabeth's mouth and she coughed and gasped for breath.
"Miss Swann!" Liana exclaimed from where she stood next to Murtogg. "You're all right!"
Murtogg started. "Well, fancy seeing you 'ere, Miss Liana. Forgotten your dress, 'ave ya?"
"Out for a swim, sir." Liana grinned weakly. Elizabeth was still breathing heavy.
"Never would've thought of that," said Mullroy with awe in his voice.
"Clearly you've never been to Singapore," replied Elizabeth's rescuer. He took hold of the skull medallion around Elizabeth's neck. "Where did you get that?"
Footsteps reached her ears and the next thing Liana knew, Captain Norrington, Amelia, the Goat and more soldiers had run up next to them. Liana looked down, stricken, as she realized she had nothing on but her bodice. Luckily no one was paying attention to her.
"On your feet," said Norrington, pointing his sword at the strange man.
"Elizabeth, are you all right?" asked the Goat, helping her up. Amelia was fighting to calm herself down, and indeed, she was succeeding.
"God in heaven, Elizabeth," she said shakily. "When I asked if you were all right, I really meant are you all right?"
Governor Swann's eyes rested on Murtogg, who was holding Elizabeth's corset. Murtogg hastily dropped it and pointed to the strange man.
"Shoot him!"
"Father!" protested Elizabeth.
"Uh, pardon me, Governor, Cap-Captain Norrington-" began Liana, but Amelia interrupted her softly.
"It's Commodore now, Liana," she whispered.
"O-oh. M-my apologies... erm..." Liana had become flustered now. "That man j-just, er, saved Miss Swann's... life..." She trailed off, cheeks burning with embarrassment, and looked at the wood of the dock.
The newly-appointed Commodore raised an eyebrow at Liana's bright-red face, but said nothing.
"I believe thanks are in order," said Commodore Norrington stiffly, holding out a hand. The stranger looked at it like a drunk man and took it, but before they could shake, Norrington grabbed the stranger's sleeve and pulled it up, revealing a P. "Had a brush with the East India trading company, did we, pirate?"
Liana gaped. A pirate had just saved Elizabeth's life?
"Hang him!" trilled the Goat.
"Keep your guns on him, men," said Norrington. "Gilette, fetch some irons." He pushed the pirate's sleeve up further, revealing a tattoo of a flying bird. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"
"The Jack Sparrow?" whispered Amelia and Liana at the same time. They met each other's eyes and grinned.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir, ladies," Sparrow said, nodding towards Amelia and Liana. Liana wasn't sure if she should be scared or excited that she was meeting the infamous Jack Sparrow.
"I don't see your ship..." Norrington paused, looking at Sparrow with disdain, "Captain."
"I'm in the market, as it were," said Sparrow smoothly with something rather close to a smirk.
"He said he'd come to commandeer one," said Murtogg.
"Told ya he was tellin' the truth," retorted Mullroy. "And these are his, sir!" He scooped Sparrow's hat and effects from the dock floor and handed them to the commodore. Norrington looked at them, now with pure disgust.
"No additional shots, nor powder..." he said, looking at the gun. "A compass that doesn't point north..." he unsheathed Sparrow's sword and smirked. "And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."
"Not so," said Liana under her breath.
"But you have heard of me," replied Sparrow. He was pulled away by Lieutenant Gilette. Without really knowing she was doing it, Liana walked a bit closer to Gilette and Sparrow.
"Commodore, I really must protest!" said Elizabeth, following Norrington.
"Carefully, Lieutenant," intoned Norrington.
"Pirate or not," said Elizabeth furiously, stepping right in front of the commodore, "this man saved my life."
Norrington looked as though he were trying to convince her not to jump off a building. "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."
"Though it seems enough to condemn him," put in Sparrow from where Gilette was clamping irons on his wrists.
"Indeed," said Norrington coldly. Gilette stepped away frm Sparrow.
"Finally," said the pirate. He took a quick step to the left and looped his irons around Liana's neck. Liana went rigid, wincing both in fear and pain as the chain bit into her sunburn.
"Don't shoot!" exclaimed Amelia, Elizabeth and the Goat at the same time.
"I knew you'd warm up to me," said Sparrow, backing away from the soldiers and Swanns. "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please! And my hat," he added. Norrington hesitated, debating whether one thirteen-year-old girl was worth the famed pirate escaping. Liana had a feeling Sparrow wouldn't really shoot her. He seemed like a reasonable pirate, if such a thing existed. "Commodore!" prompted Sparrow.
One of the soldiers out of Liana's range of vision handed Norrington Sparrow's effects and hat, which were then given to Liana.
"Now, Liana, is it?" said Sparrow from right next to my face. Damned, but he had horrible breath.
"That'd be Miss Turner to you," Liana snarled.
"Turner, you say?" said Sparrow, sounding interested. "Any older siblings, then, Miss Turner?"
"What's it to you, Captain?" spat Liana.
"Nothing at all, love, nothing at all. Now if you would be so kind..."
Liana turned around, meeting his eyes with a glare, and strapped on his sword. As much as she wanted to spit in his face as she put on his hat, she knew better. Sparrow turned her around again and continued backing up.
"Gentlemen. Ladies," he added, nodding towards Liana and then to the Swann sisters. "This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!"
He pulled the chain from Liana's neck and shoved her into the crowd of soldiers. Liana shrieked more in pain than fear as Elizabeth and Amelia grasped her sunburnt shoulders to steady her.
When Liana looked up, Sparrow was swinging on a rope as bullets flew, yelling for his life. It would have been comical. He managed to get onto a beam, and swung his chain over the rope leading to the ground, sliding down and running down the road, waving his arms.
"He's insane," said Amelia, watching Sparrow disappear. Norrington said something to the soldiers and they marched off in search of the pirate.
"Yes, but he's smart," Liana replied, still shaken. "I guess I'll see you around, Amelia. I've got to be heading home. Will worries about me whenever he sees soldiers and I'm not at his elbow." She deepened her voice to mock her brother's. "'You have a knack for being in the middle of trouble, you should just stay in the smithy until the soldiers leave in case there's something wrong.'"
Elizabeth and the Goat laughed politely, and Amelia giggled. "You sounded just like him," she said.
"Thank you," grinned Liana. "Good day, Governor, Miss Elizabeth, Amelia. Hopefully I'll make it home before anyone notices..." she gestured at her bodice and grinned, embarrassed. Curtsying, she ran in the direction of the smithy, flinging water everywhere as her wet bodice flapped against her feet.
At the Smithy...
Hoping that all the gossip had just been a rumor, and that Liana hadn't, in fact, been threatened by a pirate, Will walked into the smithy to see the donkey, Scruffle, spooked and walking around, powering the machine. He calmed her down, wondering what could have caused that. He then caught sight of Brown, the blacksmith and his master.
"Right where I left you," he said quietly. He turned and saw the hammer resting on an anvil and frowned. "Not where I left you." Will noticed a hat sitting on the machine and reached for it, and the flat of a blade smacked the top of his wrist. He met the eyes of a dirty man with dreadlocks and a sword, backing up slightly.
"You're the one they're hunting," Will said, deciding the rumor was true. "The pirate."
"You seem somewhat familiar," said the pirate casually. "Have I threatened you before?"
"I make it a point to avoid familiarity with pirates," said Will quietly, eyes narrowed in hate.
"Ah," said the pirate - Sparrow? "Well it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record, so if you'll excuse me-"
Will took a sword from its rack and pointed it at Sparrow, who slowly turned and scraped his blade against Will's.
"Do you think this wise, boy?" asked Sparrow quietly. "Crossing blades with a pirate?"
"You threatened my sister."
"So the girl was your sister," said Sparrow. "I might have guessed, you look alike. Anyway, I-"
"Will, I've got to tell you something!" exclaimed Liana, bursting into the smithy and stopping dead when she saw the pirate. "I suppose you've already found out, then."
"Liana," said Will calmly. "Go outside to the market, or something."
"No," she said stubbornly. Sparrow slashed at Will, who blocked it.
"Right, little miss Turner, how's about telling your lovely brother here I only threatened you a little?"
"You're unbelievable!"
Sparrow and Will parried, for neither could get a blow to the other. "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that. Excellent form," complimented Sparrow. "But how's your footwork? If I step here..."
Will stepped as well.
"Very good. Now I step again. Ta." Sparrow strode towards the door and Will lobbed his sword at it, the blade embedding itself in the wood inches away from Sparrow's nose. The pirate pulled at the blade, then grasped it tightly and jumped up and down. Will and Liana exchanged glances. This pirate was insane.
"That is a wonderful trick!" said Sparrow, swaggering away from the door. "Except once again, you are between me and my way out. And now-" he pointed his sword at Will. "-you have no weapon."
Will just looked at him for a moment, then picked up a sword that had been resting in the fire. Its tip was red-hot. Sparrow's grinning face didn't change for a moment, then it slowly melted into an almost scared look.
They began fighting again, sparks flying from Will's sword. Liana wanted to help, but knew she would only get in the way.
"Who makes all these?" demanded Sparrow after Will lost his weapon and simply grabbed another, looking pointedly at all the swords.
"That'd be Will," chirped Liana.
"And I practice with them..." Will swung himself around the pole. "...three hours a day!"
"You need to find yourself a girl, mate," advised Sparrow. "Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch, are you?"
At this, Liana burst into giggles. She couldn't help it. Will gave her a perplexed look, then rounded on Sparrow.
"I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!" Fervor burned in Will's eyes, and Liana winced. She knew Will was obsessed with pirates - she had first heard of Jack Sparrow through one of Will's books - but this?
They continued fighting, jumping onto a cart with only two wheels in the middle, so they swayed as if they were on a giant scale. Will got a knife tangled in Sparrow's chain and embedded it in the ceiling. He stood back and looked proud of himself as Sparrow kicked a loose board, knocking Will off the cart. As he clambered back on, Sparrow lifted his legs off the cart and pushed against the ceiling with his feet. He stopped for a moment and fell back onto the cart, propelling Will into the rafters.
"My god!" exclaimed Liana.
Will cut a heavy sack hanging from the ceiling, so it would fall on the cart where he had been, causing Sparrow to fly upwards as well. They kept fighting, jumping from rafter to rafter. Sparrow finally cut a bag of rust and sprayed Will with it, kicking the sword from Will's hand as the latter protected his eyes.
"You cheated," accused Will.
"Pirate," Sparrow reminded him, gun trained on Will. Liana stood with her hands over her mouth, ready to fling herself at the damned pirate if need be. A thud caught her ears. The soldiers were trying break into the smithy. Will stepped in front of the back door. "Move away."
"No."
"Please move?"
"No!" Will glared. "I cannot just step aside and let you escape."
Sparrow cocked the gun and was about to say something, but Liana threw herself at Will, standing in front of him, scared out of her mind. Sparrow shot her a glance. "This shot was not meant for either of you."
Liana was confused by this, and also by the way Sparrow fell forward without so much as closing his eyes. Brown stood in back of him, holding a shattered bottle of alcohol.
The soldiers finally broke down the door and ran inside, pointing their bayonets at Sparrow.
"Excellent work, Mr. Brown," said Norrington. "You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."
"Excuse m-?" began Liana angrily, but Will threw his arm in front of her.
"Just doing my civic duty, sir," slurred Brown. Will raised his eyebrows, and Liana looked up at him. Wouldn't he ever take credit for anything he did?
"Well, I trust you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away."