Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean

At Fort Charles, a small band was playing a cheerful but entirely military tune. Although it had to be only around eleven, the sun was already hot in the sky. In stand next to me, Elizabeth fanned herself frantically while gasping for air. While everyone else was fixated on the arch, waiting for the arrival of Norrington, I murmured, "Corset?"

She nodded, swallowing another gust of air.

I patted her shoulder sympathetically and vowed to stand by her for the rest of the ceremony to make sure she didn't faint. Luckily, my adopted father knew better than to ever attempt to make me wear one, knowing that I would wear breeches as protest for a week.

Soldiers in red marched in two lines towards the stand until they were in position. I watched in interest as they, in sync, got into formation. How could they stand to wear those suffocating uniforms in this heat? Would one of them faint and break formation?

I grimaced when I saw Norrington proudly walking down through the raised bayonets. A small hope kindled inside of me... Would his hat get caught on one of the rifles? When he emerged unscathed, I looked down in disappointment.

In the stands across from the one my sister and I were in, I watched in interest as a lord – what was his surname? Lavall? Lewsley? - picked his nose. I stifled a giggle and turned away long enough to see Father present the sword Will had made to Norrington. As he showed off a bit with the sword, I watched Elizabeth try to loosen the straps of her corset, clearly in pain from it.

At long last, the ceremony was over and we were supposed to 'mingle'. A string quartet was playing a lively tune, and a couple brave souls had started to waltz. I stayed with Elizabeth underneath the stone ceiling, hoping that a bit of shade would help her. It seemed to help a little.

"Do you think he will propose today?" I whispered to her, seeing Norrington greeting the lord that had picked his nose earlier, and I took a small satisfaction that Norrington shook the same hand that the lord had used.

Elizabeth followed my gaze and nodded a bit. "He might."

I looked at her. "And what would you say?" Although she had never told me, I had an inkling that she may actually return my cousin's affections, but was probably too stubborn to admit it.

She was saved from answering by a soldier in blue walking up to us. I looked up to see the familiar smiling face of Matthew Larke. I beamed at him. "Hello, Matthew!"

He grinned. "Hello, Miss Myra, Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth could only nod at him, still fanning herself. Matthew returned his attention to me. "I have a letter from an old friend of ours to you."

"Davey?" I asked incredulously. When Matthew's grin widened I clasped a hand over my mouth. "I heard he was sailing somewhere in the Colonies about a month ago. Where is he now?"

"He should have just left the Colonies a week ago," Matthew said, handing an envelope over to me. "In the letter to me, he said he's coming back to Port Royal, but I'm sure that he explained it all in his letter to you."

I grabbed the envelope and fought the urge to tear it open. "Can you believe it's been ten years since I've met the two of you?"

"It's been seven years since you've met me," Matthew corrected. "Ten years since you've met Davey. I moved from England when I was eleven."

"And here we are now," I murmured, staring at the envelope in my hands. "You, a soldier for the King, and he, a sailor in the Royal Navy."

"Is your father still husband hunting for you?" Matthew asked curiously.

"Trying to," I said. "Last I heard, he was talking to a man from the East India Trading Company called Cutler Beckett, who seemed to be interested." I rolled my eyes. "I don't want to get married, though. I want to see the world. But because I'm female, I'm stuck here." I scowled at the ground.

"Don't worry," Matthew said comfortingly. "I'm sure that you will see the world. Knowing you, the first chance you get at adventure, you'll be halfway out the door in a flash."

I chuckled. "Yes, probably."

Norrington walked up to us, eyes on my beautiful sister, but they flickered to me. "Miss Turner." He looked back at my sister. "May I have a moment?"

I watched as he led my sister away, disgust on my face. "If she accepts his proposal, then I'm running away to sea. There's no way that I'll be able to stay and pretend to be courteous to him if he becomes my brother-in-law, adopted though she may be."

"Who can say?" Matthew said. "She might not yet." He glanced behind me. "My commanding officer is calling for me. Excuse me, Myra. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

I watched him walk away for a moment before turning back to watch Norrington and Elizabeth, who were by the edge. Only... where was Elizabeth?

Norrington turned around, as though confused, then glanced over the edge. I saw him lurch forward, shouting, "ELIZABETH!"

Shock flowed through me. She fell over the edge! Without a second's hesitation, I tore through the crowds and through the door that would lead me out of Fort Charles. I ran, kicking off the ridiculous shoes and ran down the path towards the docks barefoot.

I came upon Murtogg and Mullroy as the skies darkened, and as they layed my sister down on the deck. "She's not breathing!" Mullroy said in panic as I ran up next to them, breathing hard.

"Move!" a man ordered, pushing past them. I watched as he picked up a knife and slit my sister's corset open. Immediately her eyes shot open and turned onto her side, coughing up water and gasping for air. The man tossed the damaged corset at Murtogg, who fumbled to catch it.

"Never would have thought of that," Murtogg said, glancing down at the corset.

"Happens all the time in Singapore," I said at the same time the man said, "Clearly you've never been to Singapore." The man, who had black dreads covered by a red bandana with little chains of jewelry hanging off of it, regarded me in surprise, glancing at me up and down.

I looked down at my sister, who seemed to be regaining consciousness. "You've been to Singapore, love?" the man asked in curiosity.

I glanced up again to see him looking at me. "Unfortunately, no. I haven't been off this island in ten years."

As Elizabeth turned her head to look up at us, I smiled in relief. She was fine. Norrington's idiocy hadn't killed her this time. I watched as the man picked up something gold she wore around her neck. As his calloused hands held it up to the light, it was revealed to be a medallion with a skull on it, a medallion I recognized all too well. "Elizabeth... That's..."

"Where did you get that?" the man interrupted, staring at my adopted sister. I was still in shock and didn't hear the pounding of soldiered feet, staring at the medallion that my cousin thought he lost ten years previous. The medallion that was his only link to his father and my uncle...

"On your feet," Norrington commanded, his sword at the man's throat. The man stood up slowly, allowing Father to sweep in and help me pull Elizabeth to her feet. Father began to fuss over Elizabeth, but stopped at the sight of her corset in Murtogg's hands. Murtogg immediately dropped it and pointed it to the man who had saved my sister.

"Shoot him," Father ordered, pulling the coat more securely around my sister's shoulders.

"Father!" Elizabeth and I said at the same time.

Elizabeth looked past me to Norrington. "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"

By the look on his face, I knew that he was contemplating it. He was probably angry that he didn't get to play 'knight in shining armor' to my sister. Grudgingly he nodded, and the soldiers lowered their weapons. The man made a thank you motion to my sister.

Norrington sheathed his sword, but his face still had an ugly look on it. "I believe thanks are in order," he said, holding out his hand to the man. The man hesitantly took it, and Norrington immediately pulled him forward and ripped up his shirt sleeve, releaving a brand in the shape of P. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate?" Norrington said.

I looked at him in renewed interest. A pirate? Is that why he was interested in the medallion?

"Hang him," my father squeaked.

"Keep your guns on him, men," Norrington ordered. "Gillette, fetch some irons." He pulled the sleeve up higher, and I leaned in closer to see a bird – a sparrow – flying in front of the morning dawn. "Well, well," Norrington said, surprised as the pirate yanked his arm back. "Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

He grimaced. "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir."

Norrington looked around the dock in mock confusion. "Well, I don't see your ship, Captain."

"I'm in the market, as it were," Jack said, a touch of resent in his words.

"He said he came to commandeer one," Murtogg said in realization. I rolled my eyes at those two. Jack had told them he was a pirate and here to steal a ship, and they didn't believe him.

"Told you he was telling the truth," Mullroy hissed at his partner. "These are his, sir," he added, bending down to pick up equipment at his feet.

Norrington grabbed a flint-lock pistol from the top of the pile and examined it. "No additional shot nor powder." He set it down and picked up a black compass and opened it. "A compass that doesn't point north." He closed it and gave Jack a mocking smile before half unsheathing a dagger. "And I half expected it to be made of wood," he said sweetly. He resheathed it, staring at Jack. "You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

Jack held up his fingers. "But you have heard of me," he said charmingly.

"He has a point," I added from beside my sister, causing Jack to wink at me and Norrington to send me a glare.

The commodore grabbed Jack and yanked him forward, making him walk to Gillette who was holding manacles. Elizabeth slipped out of Father's grasp and followed after them, calling, "Commodore, I really must protest!"

"Is she daft?" I hissed, hurrying after her. I stood warily beside her as she stood in front of Gillette and Jack.

"Pirate or not, this man saved my life," Elizabeth said, glaring at Norrington.

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," Norrington responded, sending a hard glare at the pirate behind us.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack muttered. I snorted.

"Indeed," Norrington said through gritted teeth as Gillette finished clapping the pirate in irons. I watched Jack's eyes flicker to my sister, who was standing right in front of him, close enough so when Gillette moved away, he could grab her...

"Finally," I heard Jack mutter as I lurched forward and shoved Elizabeth out of harm's way, feeling the chains wrap around my neck instead. Elizabeth let out a small scream and everyone started to jump forward, the soldiers putting their guns down.

"No!" Father cried. "No! Don't shoot!"

I stood still, the iron of the chains cool against my throat. I heard Jack chuckle slightly from behind me. "Looks like you've warmed up to me already," he said before raising his voice. "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please, and my hat."

Norrington didn't move, staring at the pirate behind me. Father looked at him in disbelief, holding my sister, who also stared at him. Looks like his hatred of pirates and probably his dislike of me was warring with common sense.

"Commodore!" Jack said warningly.

Norrington grudgingly took Jack's things from Mullroy, and held them out to me. "You look rather familiar, but I don't think I caught your name, love," Jack said in my ear.

"Myra," I said.

"Myra, if you'd be so kind."

Norrington's eyes caught mine, and yes, he was definitely angry, but it didn't seem that he was angry at me, which was a change. "Come, come, dear. We don't have all day," Jack said as Norrington put Jack's things slowly into my grip.

I felt myself being whirled around to face Jack. Seeing him close up for the first time, I could see that his dark eyes were lined in kohl, and he had a handsome smirk on his face. "Now if you'll be very kind," he said.

I grabbed the hat off of the pile and arranged it on his head, trying to ignore the way that his eyes flickered up and down over my figure. As I picked up his belt, I had to wrap my arms around him to put it on him, my face uncomfortably resting a bit on his shoulder. I accidentally pulled a little too tightly as I buckled it, prompting him to say, "Easy on the goods, darling."

I finished and tilted my head up to face him. "This is just another adventure to you?"

He grinned at me, revealing a gold tooth. "What isn't?" He flipped me around again, his hand on my neck, holding me to him, pointing a gun at my temple, and began backing us up. "Gentlemen, ladies, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow." I felt myself being pushed forward, falling into Norrington and my father. When we all found our footing and looked up, I saw Jack flying around on a piece of rope with all the soldiers shooting at him.

"On his heels!" Norrington yelled, and the soldiers raced after him, leavng me behind with Elizabeth and Father.

"Myra!" Elizabeth gasped, grabbing me. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I assured them, craning my neck to see over Elizabeth to where the soldiers were in formation, shooting at the fleeing pirate. Amazingly, they all missed, and Jack disappeared out of sight.

"We must get back to the house," Father ordered, and started ushering us off the docks.

Where would he go? I wondered, staring at where Jack had disappeared. He still has those manacles on, so where would he- I stopped, my eyes widening.

"I have to go see my cousin," I said suddenly, whirling to face Father. "I just need to see my cousin right now, and then I'll be home."

Father was appalled. "With that pirate still on the loose?"

"Norrington probably just caught him. I'll be fine. The smithy is in the middle of town." Before he could respond I kissed his cheek. "I'll be back later tonight!" I called, sprinting away.

What could be more of an adventure than helping a dangerous pirate to escape?

A/N

I'm so sorry about the late update! I have a couple more chapters written out, but I've completely forgotten to update (thanks, college). Thank you to my reviewers so far!

I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I edit it.

Please review!

~SirAvery