"Captain Jack Sparrow?" Alice asked, blinking with curiosity at this strange man who had saved her life.

"Aye that's the one, and you are?"

"Alice,"

Jack smiled then gave her a questioning look.

"So, what were you doing there in the first place?"

Alice averted her gaze, not wanting to meet the stranger in the eyes. Her emerald green eyes turned to look at over the water; the last of the crates had been loaded onto the boat and the pirates were starting to set sail. There was no sign of her family.

"I was escaping." She told him simply.

"They'd kidnapped you then? Do you want to go back to you're family?"

At his words, Alice could feel her eyes filling up, she wished more than anything that she could go back to her family, but she had no idea where they were. The first of the warm salty tears slipped down her olive-skinned cheek. Followed be another.

Jack started to panic at the sight of this woman's tears.

"What? What's wrong? Oh bugger what have I said?" He asked quickly.

Alice shook her head, smiling slightly behind her tears at his reaction.

"It's nothing you said; I mean you didn't know...my family were...taken,"

"By the pirates?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Jack slung his arm around her shoulders in what he hoped was a comforting way.

"I must be mad..." he muttered under his breath, then turned to the girl with a smile.

"Tell you what, why don't you come on board my ship, those pirates will probably be going off to Tortuga, we can catch up with them and find your family"

Alice looked up at him in amazement. Who was this man? First he saves her life, now he was offering to help her find her parents. She wasn't quite sure whether it was wise to trust this stranger, but thinking about it, what more did she have back here? An empty house and a ruined town.

"I would be so grateful if you could do that. I won't be any trouble! And I...I'll help you out, all clean and mend clothes, my Mother taught me to sew, and I can cook a little," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with gratitude.

Jack was quite taken aback.

"Well that would be...very useful. Just as long as you don't talk that fast all the time, I think you'll be a very welcome addition to the crew." He turned around on one heel and beckoned her to follow him as he made his way across the sand. A sudden, sickening thought occurred to Alice.

"Wait...Captain Jack...you're not...a pirate are you?"

"Is there something wrong with pirates missy?"

"Well, they burnt down my town, they kidnapped my family and they tried to kill me. So yes. There is something wrong with pirates,"

Captain Jack smiled slightly.

"In that case, no, I am most definitely not a pirate" he lied. He had no idea why he was lying; he had know idea what inspired his act of charity in the first place. He shrugged, the sooner he could find a good bottle of rum, the sooner he could stop thinking what his motives might be.


When they reached the Black Pearl Jack stopped turning around. He held out his hands to stop Alice going any further.

"Probably best if you wait here for a while. I'll go let the lads know you're coming," he told her. Before she got a chance to reply, he had already made his way onto the boat.

"Captain? Are you alright? You took your time," a man asked, running to Jack's side at once.

Jack turned to him, looked him over for a few seconds then turned back to observe his ship.

"I'm fine Gibbs; I just came across a young lady in need of some help." He said. Gibbs looked knowingly at Captain Jack.

"Oh I see Captain. You were quite quick then weren't you?"

Jack raised an eyebrow then walked to the edge. Looking over his boat to see Alice stood on the sand looking quite unsure of what to do.

"No you don't see Gibbs. That's the problem with you bloody lot. So assuming. The girl's family had been kidnapped by pirates, and she was about to get killed herself by the blood thirsty lot. I figured I'd help her out and offered to help her find her family on the Pearl."

Whatever Gibbs had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that.

"Are you sure Captain?" he spluttered, "What made you think to do that?"

Jack paused for a moment, looking up at the sky in thought.

"You know, I'm not all that sure. Is there any rum?"

One of his crew walked forward and provided him with a bottle, which he then swigged gratefully.

"Well alright. So is she coming onboard now?"

Jack wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Aye, but I just need to warn you first, she doesn't know we're pirates."

"Well...why don't we tell her we're pirates?" Gibbs asked

"Because she hates them."

"So why is she travelling with us of all people?"

"Don't you listen to a word I say Gibbs? We're helping her find her family."

"Aye aye captain."

"Good, so just make sure no one says or does anything, you know...pirate-y."

Gibbs nodded, and then walked off to tell the rest of the crew the orders.

Jack leant over the side of the boat and looked back down at Alice.

"Oi! Come on up, the lads are ready to meet you!"

Alice smiled and began to make her way up onto the deck. Unknowing that she was now in the company of pirates, who she now hated so much.