A/N: I would suggest you view this chapter from a humorous standpoint. Most of this is "filler" stuff. Also, to clarify, glue wasn't invented until 1750; I just needed it for this chapter.

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Chapter 4

Elsewhere, on the beach of Port Royal that was located on the outskirts of the town, the rain had slightly subsided. A rather large brick house was situated on higher land above the shoreline; the house was two storeys high and made for a magnificent sight in just the right amount of sunshine. Crystal-clear windows were carved in properly spaced-out locations all around the brick walls. The top of a chimney protruded from the triangular rooftop, and a wispy line of smoke was currently billowing out of its opening. The house looked as though it had rested upon this spot for many years, but in actuality, it had been built only six years ago, which could be considered a short amount of time. This house had been created by workers hired by Governor Swann himself as a gift for his daughter Elizabeth, wife of town blacksmith William Turner for eight years now.

The Turners had insisted upon paying the necessary fees for the establishment, as they had been saving up for the occasion for quite some time. Will and Elizabeth were now the proud parents of a six-year-old boy whom they had named Michael. Michael was a truly spirited young man who had, on more than one occasion, landed himself in trouble due to his mischievous streak that sprang up whenever he became too bored. At times, Michael could be quite the little prankster, his victims ranging from unsuspecting adults in Port Royal, to intolerable babysitters, and on some very rare and infinitesimal occasions, his parents. There was especially one memorable prank involving his mother that had landed him in the deepest trouble, but which Michael was still very proud of.

It happened a few months ago, when Michael's father was away on business with Grandfather Bill Turner. It had just been him and his sometimes overbearing mother (Michael knew that all his parents did came from love, but that still got on his nerves from time to time). After dinner one night, Elizabeth had caught Michael playing around with Will's pirate sword and had severely told him off, claiming that he could have seriously injured himself. When Michael had asked his mom where his dad had gotten the sword, Elizabeth had replied in a somewhat condescending tone,

"There are certain aspects of your father's and I's lives that a boy your age isn't prepared to know yet."

Elizabeth had then replaced the sword in its proper resting place and sent Michael to his room; this because he had violated his parents' secrecy. His mother's words had made Michael both frustrated and angry at her, and whenever those moods swept over Michael, the manufacturer of those emotions always paid a price, no matter who they were. Michael had waited until Elizabeth had gone to bed and became wrapped in deep slumber until he made his move. He stealthily snuck outside to a warehouse that contained tools and equipment for housework, i.e. paint, paintbrushes, and a newly patented sticky substance named "glue" that was used to replace broken-off window shutters, doorknobs, etc. Michael had grabbed a large enough paintbrush and the container of glue and snuck back inside.

Once back inside, Michael slowly crept upstairs and eased the door to his parents' bedroom open without much noise. Elizabeth was sound asleep on her and Will's bed, obviously very unsuspecting of anything. Michael tiptoed over to the bed, setting his weapons on the floor. Next, he poked Elizabeth many times to ensure that she wouldn't wake; thankfully, she hardly responded to the tests. Carefully, Michael rolled Elizabeth onto her front, making sure her head turned as well. He then opened the can of glue silently, dipped the brush into it, and began to gingerly lather it over every inch of Elizabeth's butt, coating it two times for effect, but placed another layer on the exact spot where Elizabeth's backside had been before. Grinning madly, he slid both the can and brush underneath the bed and rolled his mom onto her back again.

The next morning, Michael had awoken especially giddy and after having checked to see that Elizabeth was still asleep, quietly dashed to where his father kept his sword, retrieved it, and rushed into his parents' bedroom. Michael had burst in loud, making sure to wake Elizabeth up rather suddenly.

"I'm a pirate! I'm a pirate!" he had crowed, making Elizabeth angry.

When she made to get up and stop him, Elizabeth gasped at not being able to move. When she inspected the problem, she let out a groan of disgust upon discovering her entire backside bathed in glue.

"MICHAEL JACOB TURNER!!!" Elizabeth screamed.

Michael had burst out laughing uncontrollably. He then got a sudden epiphany to further mine the situation and raced into the bathroom where he filled a jug with water and used that jug to pour the ice-cold liquid down his mother's front.

"Consider us even, Mummy!"

After a few minutes of struggling, Elizabeth finally managed to pull herself free, but found herself lying in a wet, gooey mixture of water and moist glue. Elizabeth had severely punished her son for that prank, but Michael couldn't help but feel pleased with himself.

And even as Michael Turner sat before the window in his room, reminiscing about that funny memory, he still couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He stared out into the cloudy day with glazed over eyes, bored out of his mind at the moment. His line of vision was especially focused on the sea in all its majesty, even during a gloomy day. But it was not just the sea that fascinated Michael so much, but what went on in it. In this most recent year, Michael Turner had come to harbor a secret love for piracy. He had heard all the stories, myths and legends that would entrance anyone with its farfetched but vastly entertaining details.

Of course, Michael had heard about the numerous adventures of the infamous pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. This was a man who had vanished from under the eyes of six agents of the East India Company, attacked Nassal Port without even firing a single shot, escaped the clutches of Davy Jones, and made it out of the Bermuda Triangle alive. The only parts of these stories Michael had not heard, however, were the parts involving his parents Will and Elizabeth Turner. Michael had no idea that he was the son of two adventurous pirates, which explained his spirit that got him into so much trouble.

And as young Michael continued to gaze absently out of his window, he began to daydream about sailing on a pirate ship and taking part in a rousing high-seas adventure with someone like Captain Jack Sparrow.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Will and Elizabeth were lying snuggled up against each other on their cozy couch in front of a nice warm fire. Will was tenderly stroking Elizabeth's soft, wavy hair while Elizabeth had her head upon Will's chest, contentedly listening to her loving husband's heartbeats.

Elizabeth was dressed in a navy-blue house dress that accentuated her features rather nicely. Will was attired in a white shirt and brown vest with black pants and boots. Both were immensely enjoying each other's company and could have probably stayed that way forever. Finally, Will spoke up.

"I have to go work at the shop for a few hours."

Elizabeth let out a playful groan of disappointment. "Must you? Can't you just stay home today?"

"I wish I could," Will sighed. "But we've been getting rather busy lately with making all the swords needed for the soldiers who go out to patrol the seas. The sooner piracy comes to an end, the better. For us, at least." He planted a soft kiss on Elizabeth's lips.

"I suppose you're right." After a few minutes, a question suddenly popped into Elizabeth's head. "Do you miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Sailing the seas, swordfighting with pirates, hunting for something of importance alongside Jack, do you miss it?"

Will contemplated the question silently for a while before he gave his answer. "Probably. On some level. I mean, pirating has come to feel like a part of me after all those escapades with Jack. And even though I've enjoyed these past six pirate-free years with you and Michael, I think there's still a small part of me that desires to go on another adventure. I mean willingly, of course, not coerced. How about you?"

Elizabeth considered it and finally nodded as well. "There's always been something inside of me that has craved a good adventure, and it has yet to be extinguished."

They sat in silence again for a few more minutes before Will lifted his body, which caused Elizabeth to sit upright as well. Will and Elizabeth stared into each other's eyes before passionately kissing. They did not get far, however, before a disgusted little voice filled their ears.

"Yuck! Mum! Dad! Stop snogging like that! It's disgusting!"

Will broke off the kiss, grinning slyly at his son. "It's called being in love, Mikey. One day when you've grown and feel the way I feel about a woman like I do about your mother, you'll understand."

"Call it whatever you want, Dad. I still say it's disgusting." Michael made his way over to the couch and plopped himself down in between his parents.

"Oh, c'mon, sweetie," Elizabeth teased her son, taking him into her arms and kissing his cheek, "I'm sure you sometimes feel funny whenever you're playing with Jacquelyn."

Jacquelyn was Michael's closest friend, and also a girl. The two children spent most of their time each day with each other, and both shared that mischievous sense of fun.

"Honestly, Mum! Jacquelyn and I are just friends! And I don't think six-year-olds really care about romance." For his age, Michael was extremely bright and possessed a rather sharp sense of sarcasm. This came from receiving the best education possible in Port Royal.

"Still," Elizabeth persisted, "there will come a day where you feel a certain way about a young woman and find yourself driven mad by trying to impress her." Elizabeth glanced up at Will. "Much like your father." She smiled.

"Yes, but when we met, we both knew that it was our destiny to end up with each other."

"How did you meet?"

"Well, you see, your father was a victim of a rather nasty attack, and our ship hauled him aboard when we saw him floating in the ocean."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And...how is it that you became married and had me?"

Will and Elizabeth shot nervous glances at each other. They had never told Michael about their dealings with Jack Sparrow. The moment Michael had been born, they both decided that it was best to keep that information secret until he was ready to know such things. With their eyes. Will and Elizabeth decided to change the topic.

"So, um, sweetheart, you'd better get down to the shop in case the ordering demands are piling up," Elizabeth said to Will hastily.

Will nodded his head and jumped up from the couch. "Yes, I should get going. Dad will need me."

"Is Jacquelyn still coming over today?" Michael asked his father.

"Of course. But since it'll be you two with just your mum, I highly implore you to keep any activities you may take part in calm."

"No problem."

Will ruffled his son's hair before kissing Elizabeth deeply once more and went outside to take the reins of their carriage.

Half an hour later, another carriage came to a halt in front of the Turner household, allowing two people to exit. One was a middle-aged woman wearing a plain white dress and a bonnet over her head and the other was a short, young girl with flowing raven hair and a beautiful little face. The girl wore a dark red dress and kept in stride with her mother. The two females dashed for the protection of the small roof in the front of the house and stopped in front of the main door and the parent knocked three times.

The door opened to reveal Elizabeth smiling brightly. She immediately bent down to greet the child.

"Hello, Jacquelyn. As always it's a pleasure to have you with us." Elizabeth straightened herself back up and faced Jacquelyn's mother. "Hello, Mary."

The two friends quickly pecked each other on the cheek.

"I'll be back in, say, four hours. Will this rain ever stop?"

Elizabeth glanced past Mary, towards the relentless downpour. "Can't say for sure. But yes, we'll expect you in a few hours."

Mary bent down to kiss her daughter goodbye. "See you soon, popkin."

"Bye, Mummy."

Jacquelyn watched her mother race back into the carriage before turning and entering into the house, ushered by Elizabeth.

Michael and Jacquelyn sat upon Michael's bed inside his room, each bored and trying desperately to come up with away to enjoy their time.

"What I would love to do right now would be to climb aboard a pirate ship!"

"I agree," Jacquelyn concurred, "but there's just one tiny problem with that idea. How would you sail in the rain?"

"You honestly think rain would stop a real pirate? No! Jack Sparrow would face this type of weather head-on!"

"How d'you know that?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Because he's Captain Jack Sparrow! He escaped the British Royal Navy by sailing around a hurricane! He's a clever man!"

"Yes, he is. What I wouldn't give to have a dad as fun as him. Or just a dad, for that matter."

Michael nodded. He remembered Jacquelyn telling him that her dad had abandoned her mother even before Jacquelyn was born. Her mother had told her that her father wasn't much of an honest man, anyway; she wasn't surprised that he had sailed away.

Michael glanced outside his window and was delightedly surprised to discover that the had abruptly ceased, with rays of sunshine beginning to peek through the slowly subsiding clouds. His face broadened into a wide smile.

"Look! The sun's out! We should go outside!"

"Do you think your mother would let us?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, wouldn't she fear us catching cold or something like that?"

Michael's face fell. "You're right. I bet it's still pretty chilly out there and that's exactly what she would say."

Jacquelyn pondered the situation for a minute before a devilish grin spread across her face. "Well, what if we could do something about your mother?"

Seeing her grin, Michael caught on to what she was thinking. "Oh, no. I don't feel like getting into trouble today, Jackie." "Jackie" was Michael's nickname for Jacquelyn.

"Fine. I'll do everything, so all the blame can be put on me."

"Wait, what exactly do you plan on doing?"

"You know I really like your mum, Mike. But in times like these where a parent's strictness can be an issue, you have to go far."

"How far?"

Jacquelyn shrugged. "I'll just do something that'll cause your mum to go somewhere in the house, I'll lock her in that room, and we're free to play outside."

"Being the prankster that I am, and having stuck my mum's butt to her bedsheets once, be warned of the trouble that follows."

Just then, Elizabeth's voice came up from downstairs. "Michael! Jacquelyn! Feel up for a snack?"

Jacquelyn smiled. "And so it begins."

Downstairs, the two children were seated at the small kitchen table enjoying an afternoon snack whilst Elizabeth was busying herself with tidying up around the kitchen. Jacquelyn suddenly got Michael's attention and motioned at a container of molasses that she had inconspicuously snuck from the pantry earlier. She then pointed at the container and Elizabeth after that, making her plan clear. Michael gave a helpless gesture.

"I'm finished," he announced. Michael then got up and placed his dish into the wash basin.

"Thanks, dear." Elizabeth graciously kissed her son's head before he walked out, saying "See you upstairs," to Jacquelyn as he passed.

As silent minutes passed in anticipation, Jacquelyn finally decided to act. She deliberately slid her plate onto the floor, causing it to shatter.

"Sorry, Ms. Turner!" she squeaked.

"That's okay. I'll just clean it up." Elizabeth went to retrieve tools with which to clean up broken silverware, providing Jacquelyn with just the opportunity she needed. She hurriedly placed a chair beside the entrance through which Elizabeth had disappeared, climbing up on it with the molasses jug i her hands; she was out of sight to anybody who came into the room. She readied herself by getting into a good position.

Seconds later, Elizabeth came back into view and Jacquelyn doused her victim with the sticky substance. Elizabeth was covered from head to toe in molasses and she was still in shock. As she made to grab at Jacquelyn, the child became agile and dashed over to another cabinet, where she whipped out a bag of flour, ripped it open, and tossed it on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth stood rooted to the floor, now both sticky and white, fury blazing in her eyes. She only managed to form five cohesive words.

"I'll deal with you later!"

Elizabeth then stormed upstairs and into the bathroom, just as Jacquelyn had hoped. She waited a few moments before following.

Jacquelyn discovered Elizabeth's messy dress thrown aside in front of the closed door and heard splashes inside. Next, Jacquelyn headed for the dressing drawers and removed Elizabeth's clothes and hid them well under her bed.

After that, she re-entered Michael's room, beaming.

"Let's go outside!"

A couple of minutes later, Elizabeth came out of the bathroom, draped in a drying cloth. She went to find a new dress, but to her horror, discovered they were all gone. Furious, she ran into Michael's room, only to run straight into awaiting cords that were in the doorway. As Elizabeth twisted and turned, she became tied up, and fell, tightly bound, onto Michael's bed.

"JACQUELYN...!"

"...HERE I COME!" Michael shouted.

Jacquelyn and him were currently in a game of hide-and-seek, with Jacquelyn hiding. He began to search for his best friend when his eyes suddenly fell upon something on the horizon.

It was a ship. A pirate ship! And it was currently coming to dock at his parents' private docks.