The Little Sparrow's Tale

By Too Lazy & Datakenobi05 AKA LazyKenobi

Disclamer: If we owned, well, we would have tweaked things a bit and had Jack be covered in Chocolate!

Amberly sat on deck near the wheel of the Pearl enjoying the warm weather and breeze, she was currently sewing some pants for Marty out of old canvas. It was her one girly joy in life other then boys, which none of the crew here applied to.

Her father and she had begun talking again but only few words, she would not tell him what was bothering her and he would not ask so they were in a stalemate.

Stupid Ana-Maria Amberly thought sourly and with her sour thought she failed to pay attention to the needle and jammed it into her thumb.

"Ouch!" She yipped and stuck her thumb in her mouth. She pulled it out and examined the appendage; no blood.

"Losin' your touch there, my pirate lass?" Jack said as he stood on the top step of the helm. He approached her with swaggering steps a rum bottle in one hand. "Best be careful." He went to take a look at her hand but she scooted away from him and went back to her work.

"Alright then, you are mad about not having you brother," Jack did not finish his sentence because his daughter looked at him with something akin to anger but then, his Amberly never got mad at him.

Until now.

"Ace has nothing to do with the problem daddy, he's not even here!" She screeched throwing down her needle work and running to the cabin. Jack tried to protest that she should not go inside the cabin as he followed his daughter but he was too late. She stood there, doors wide open staring not in anger or indifference just staring as if it was something new and not understood.

Ana-Maria undressed, with only the sheet covering, her sleeping soundly and contented.

"Daddy." Amberly said not taking her eyes off the sleeping Ana-Maria, her voice was calm.

"Um, yes, my little pirate lass?" Jack said weakly, his daughter was the only one who could make him feel weak and confused and all and all out of ideas.

"I want to see Tia Dalma." She stated and after a beat tore her eyes from Ana-Maria's resting form and turned to her father.

"Tia Dalma is her name, a witch so powerful she can bring the dead back and see the future as if she lived it." Gibbs said his gruff voice adding to the affect of the story.

"She can tell you anything?" Ambrely asked as she sat at Gibbs' dirty boots listening to the tale with rapt attention.

"Aye she can, but she expects something in return and sometimes it might be the flesh or your heart." He nodded gravely and Amberly shivered as gooseflesh arouse on her skin.

"No." Jack said shuddering at the thought of Tia Dalma, and then remembering he was the adult and he had no need to explain himself.

"Daddy," She put her hands on her hips and looked at her father as if she was looking down on him instead of the other way around. "Take me to see Tia Dalma, and I will forget I ever saw her in bed and I won't be forced to burn her in a bathtub full of rum."

Jack normally would have said no but his daughter looked so much like her mother with her proud chin and confidant manner he had no trouble imagining his little girl making good on her promise or stealing his ship and going to see Tia Dalma herself.

"Ah Mr. Gibbs!" Jack called out shutting his cabin door and his daughter following him.

Sure enough Gibbs appeared hiding a rum bottle behind his back, "Aye Captain?"

"We have a need to go up river." Jack instructed and Gibbs paled.

"Say like a passing need or trifling fancy?" Gibbs asked hopefully a nervous smile gracing his lips.

"No, we have an unyielding need." Amberly said from behind her father then moved past the two pirates, than stopping and turning to them both. "Father I would be grateful if you'd set the hammock up for me and do you want anything from the galley?" She asked sweetly, almost like nothing had changed for her in the last few weeks.

"Not at the moment darlin'." Jack answered with a nervous smile and fluttering gestures. Amberly nodded and smiled before skipping off to the galley.

"Mr. Gibbs?"

"Aye Captain?"

"Do us all a favor and reframe from telling my pirate lass anymore stories that involve such trips to Tia Dalma or anywhere else that could be hazardous to my health and sanity." Jack said curtly before swaggering off to steer his ship in the direction of Petaluma River.

Amberly was nervous as she sat next to her father. Like her, he gazed around nervously at the surrounding swamp as the row boats made the way up river. The swamp was humid and the natives watch with calculating gazes and smiles, fireflies buzzed around and various animals made noise but did not show them selves. Finally they arrived at the tree house of Tia Dalma.

The wise witch had been waiting for them.

"Tia Dalma," She held up a hand at Jack, a silencing gesture which he acknowledged. Her gaze went to his daughter and Amberly found she could not move.

"You child, come wid' me." Tia Dalma held out her dingy hand, Amberly swallowed her nervousness and stood stepping on the platform and climbing the latter and took the witch's hand. Jack made to follow but Tia Dalma pushed Amberly inside and tuned to Jack, "You stay Jack, this be private." And she slammed the door in his face.

Amberly wanted her daddy.

The place was full of things that both intrigued and repulsed the young girl, snake skins, venoms from hundreds of animals, eyeballs and treasure that she wanted and so much more. The house was cooler then the swamp and lighted quite well, it was comfy yet disturbing. Tia Dalma led Amberly to a table and sat her down before sitting across from her.

"You wish to know if Jack in love wid Ana, chosen ruler of jewels" Tia Dalma stated as she took her seat in tall back chair, she looked like a heathen queen to Amberly.

"Yes," Amberly answered amazed, but not understanding the second part of the sentence. "That and if I will ever see my brother and mother again."

Tia Dalma nodded and picking up crab claws from the table's aged surface, then dropped them back on the table. It looked like a random pattern to Amberly but Tia looked knowingly to Amberly after a minute.

"No, Jack don't love Ana but she be wid him till ya make her go...but you lack the strength now." Tia Dalma said, "When you get to the rising sun stay a while and learn." Tia Dalma sat back in her tall chair watching the girl intently.

"My family?" Amberly questioned eagerly; her fear of the woman leaving her. The witch shook her head.

"Be a long time for ya see them again." And Amberly bowed her head to hide the tears. She heard Tia Dalma get up from her chair and felt as the woman hugged her. It was not her mom but she felt a bit safer anyway. "I'll tell ye though, your ma still have him heart, as he hers."

Amberly looked up; sadness forgotten. "They do?" Amberly asked and Tia Dalma wiped the girl's tears away with a gentle touch.

"Aye but, it be your one protector who make them see..." She led the girl to the door a few moments later letting the information sink in, "The next time ye come I expect payment."

"I know, thank you Tia Dalma." She hugged her and Tia Dalma could hardly wait for the girl to grow up.

When she got back in the row boat her dad was pacing back and forth but fell back as Amberly hugged him tightly. She kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" Jack asked a little confused.

"Being my daddy." She said brightly then smiled. Daddy I have a feeling that if we head north-east we might find a lot of shiny things."

"Oh goody." Jack said happily, whatever Tia Dalma told his daughter worked...the thing with Ana-Maria seemed like it never happen. Plus treasure was near as his daughter never led him a stray before.

They were legendary now. Soon they would be as legendary as the Black Pearl herself and her miscreant crew.

The crew of the Freedom had pilfered six Spanish ships in four days, no casualties on either side.

Ace chalked it up to his mother's hard planning. She was rather brilliant like that.

In his letters to his sister he told her about each raid in detail or at least the two he was able to attend despite his mother's protest. He also saved for his sister some trinkets from the raids; a blanket of rich silk, a pendent and some rings (like their father she loved rings).

"What's your writing there son?" David asked. He was a tall man with light hair and bright eyes a strong build; he was a decent enough chap, after all his mother had taken him for a lover.

They had just returned to Tortuga after returning from Singapore which had been almost a year voyage and had taken a room at the Faithful Bride

Ace had just picked up the mail he had asked his grandfather to forward to him and did the letters pile up. Four of the letters very thick in size had been addressed to his mother.

Running up to the rooms above, he forgets to knock at his mother's door and just walks right in.

"Mum...sorry." He shuts the door wishing he would have never walked in. She is in bed with another man. That is fine, but still the shock of it. He goes down stairs quickly not listening to his mother's calls.

He is sitting at a corner table reading his sister's letters trying to figure out if he should tell her about his mother's new bed mate. His mother drops into the seat next to him.

He looks at her but avoids her gaze. "Amberly sent you some letters..." he trailed off looking back to his own letter. His mother puts a hand on his.

"Sweetie I am sorry." Elizabeth says softly Ace looks up comfortingly.

"Mum it's your life you can do what you want." He holds her hand.

"You're not mad?" Elizabeth asked so thankful her son is so wise beyond his years.

"Mum, I can't be mad if he makes you happy, I mean he has been kind to you." Ace Said and his mother pulls him into a very un-pirate like hug. Ace ignores the pain of missing his father, his mother is all he has right then.

"Not your son David, so please don't call me that and I happen to be writing to my little sister." Ace said not looking up from his task at hand.

"Sorry Ace." He said then takes a seat near him. Ace does nothing. He is not fond of David but then David has never done anything for Ace to hate him so Ace just ignores him the best he can.

"You know I may not be your dad but I do love your mum." David said and Ace looks up giving a cold grin.

"You and several other menlove her, you are just lucky she chose you to grace her bed." Ace gets up from his position on the deck floor and head to the helm to write in peace. He could only hope to see his father and sister soon.

It would be seven years before he would see his family again.