----

After we left Tia Dalma's island, we decided to go to Port Royal and get more supplies. We pulled anchor in the open ocean and got out a row boat. Will and Elizabeth, stayed behind with the rest of the crew, while I took Barbossa, Gibbs and Mr. Cotton with me. We rowed up to the dock and tied up the row boat.

A solemn young gentleman waited for us.

"That will be twenty shillings to dock your boat and an extra 6 to dock your row boat."

I protested. "Sir, my ship is not in your harbor." I pointed. "It is still in open ocean."

He leaned over to look into my eyes. "Are you Amanda Sparrow?"

My hand immediately went to my saber. "Who wants to know?"

"I have orders to take you to my superior officer."

My hand relaxed. "And who might that be?"

"The president of the East India Trading Company."

----

The gentlemen led me to the headquarters of a place that I knew well. I walked into an office decorated with maps and such. A short man stood by the window. I could not see his face, but I knew who he was.

"Cutler Beckett," I said with confidence. He turned.

"Actually, it's Lord Beckett now, Mrs. Sparrow."

"I see. So, has the East India Trading Company grown a little since our last encounter?"

Lord Beckett smiled and walked to his desk where he patted a small wooden chest with no lock. "More than just a little. I have acquired a little something from a very dear friend of yours that will make us the largest company in the Carribean."

"My friend?"

Lord Beckett smiled. "You remember him. After you left Jack, you met him in Port Royal."

"I courted you, but you turned me down." I heard footsteps from behind me.

"Norrington," I said as he joined Lord Beckett. "You look well."

He inspected me. "You don't. You look like you lost your best friend." His eyes were sad.

"That's not far from true." I looked down. "Jack was killed by Davy Jones' Kraken."

Lord Beckett looked pleased, but Norrington was not amused.

"I've told you before, you should forget about him."

Lord Beckett stopped Norrington. "Now, now, Norrington. Don't blame the lady for who she loves and for who she does not." He turned back to me. "What are you doing in these waters again, Mrs. Sparrow?"

"I've been hired to find Jack."

"Hired by whom?" I didn't answer, but I had a feeling he already knew. He walked to his fireplace. Norrington joined him and they turned their backs to me. "You're working with enemies of the crown now, Mrs. Sparrow. You've decided to become a pirate after all. I knew that you would."

"Just because I sail with pirates, doesn't mean that I am one." While I spoke, I opened the small chest that Lord Beckett had touched and stuffed the small leather package it held into my boot leg. The last thing that I wanted was for them to expand the East India Trading Company.

Lord Beckett still hadn't turned around. "You do know what we do to pirates in the East India Trading Company." Yes, I knew. They brand them with a P so no one can mistake them.

"If I'm not mistaken, Jack left his own mark on you because of the P you branded him with."

Lord Beckett faced me again and smiled as he undid his collar to reveal a bullet hole on his collarbone. I smiled as he put his collar back.

"Mrs. Sparrow, if you promise to sail the seas as a citizen of the crown, Mr. Norrington and I will let you be on your way. But, if you are a pirate like your husband, we will have no other choice than to brand you with this P. Then you will be marked forever as a pirate and an enemy of the crown." I looked back at him and made my choice.

----

My three companions were waiting for me on the dock when I came back.

"What did they say?" Gibbs asked as I untied the row boat and got in.

They joined me in the boat as I answered. "They waived the fee." I said nothing else.

When we reached the ship, I put the leather package in my cabin. When I went back on deck, I took out my silver compass and opened it.

"What's our heading, Captain?" Barbossa shouted from the helm. The compass pointed south east.

I closed the compass and looked at Barbossa from my usual seat on the stairs. "South east. Go south east."

We stayed at that course for many, many days. The day we entered the unknown sea that would lead us to Jack, it took us all off guard.

I was at the helm while Barbossa took a break. I took my hands off the helm for a second to scratch my head. The second cost me. The helm spun wildly, but the ship stayed on its course.

"Whirlpool dead ahead!" Gibbs shouted. I checked my compass. It pointed to the whirlpool.

"Stay on course," I shouted. Everyone stopped to look at me. "You heard me!"

Gibbs' gaze was stone. "Aye, Captain."

The Pride Wynn went down into the whirlpool and resurfaced a second later into different waters. I gave the helm to Barbossa and walked to the side of the ship to look at the water. Sharks, squids and other creatures swam there. Kimmi pointed to the water.

"Look, Mummy! That squid is really big!" I took her in my arms to get her away from the side.

"The child's right," Gibbs said. "These creatures are bigger than normal."

I looked up at Barbossa, who had a big grin on his face. "Mr. Barbossa, I take it we're on course."

"Aye that we are, Captain." He pointed to an island on the horizon. "Jack is on that island."

I kissed Kimmi's head. "Well, this journey isn't as hard as everyone said it was." I stopped smiling as an island appeared beside us. Barbossa stuck wax in his ears as soon as he saw it, but I dismissed it as nothing. Beautiful mermaids sat on the island and smiled at us.

"Come with us, friends. We can give you anything you want. Gold, jewels, eternal life, love." My eyelids drooped as they spoke. They could give me Jack!

"Stop the ship, Barbossa!" We continued. "I said stop!" Barbossa didn't hear me. I cursed and began to race to the helm.

"Walk the plank," Mr. Cotton's parrot said. It broke the trance for a moment.

"Quick, everyone yell as loud as you can." They all began to yell. "Stay on our course, Barbossa," I said before I started to yell as well. The island disappeared. I breathed a sigh of relief. We had gotten through our first trial.

----

I just saw POTC 2 again, so I'm really happy. I love the little scene at the end of the credits. Lol It's funny! Anyways, I gotta go. I just spent two whole weeks at youth camp and I am BUSHED!