A somewhat angsty chapter for Audrina. It always shows that maybe Jack isn't that big of a bastard. Well, he is but still, he isn't that much of a bastard during these moments. I like this chapter actually. I think it progresses the story a little bit. It shows who Audrina and Lucas really are. And so it is not confusing, Audrina DID burned down the house. And the first memory came after the second memory. Enjoy!

Tortugan Beginnings

P for Pirate

8888

Flames. She could smell the soot and the ash, the light flickering on her pale face. The flames seemed to eat at the house, eating away at the wood, the brick, the stone. And the blood. Her mother's blood. Her mother's spirit and life and her love. Her love for them. It was disappearing before her eyes and Audrina wondered if this was her worst idea yet.

Looking over to Lucas' shaking body, she shook her head. No, their mother's blood. There was a different sadness in her, a type of guilt that she had never experienced before. It felt foreign in her body, that sadness. The crackle of the flames grew louder and she brought a shaking hand to her cheek.

Tears, blood and sweat. That's all she was now. Lifting her ragged, soot stained shirt, she gazed at the 'P' swell. P for Pirate. P for prosperity. P for plunder. P for pillage. Is that what she was now? A pirate?

"Audrina!" Came the voice of Reginald Hart. She shuddered at the sound of his angry voice reverberating around the town of Port Royal. "You disgusting tramp, show your face!" He commanded.

Audrina glared at him through the bushes, shushing Lucas to be quiet and to make his teeth stop chattering from the fear he instilled upon them. Was she really going to face the man that hated her? Who lied to her? Who pretended to be her father? But her father was a pirate. And he was not much better. Reginald Hart, woman murderer and spirit killer. That's who he was. That's who he will be for years to come. Audrina turned to her shaking brother. Her older brother by mere minutes.

"Promise me something, Lucas."

"What, my sweet Audrina?" He answered, his voice shaking.

"Promise me we will never come back here. And if we do, it will be to kill Reginald Hart."

Lucas' turquoise eyes searched her similar ones. He reached out and caressed the 'P' swell on her arm. He nodded, his eyes filled to the brim with tears. "I promise. I would promise you the world if I could."

The last thing she heard was the crackle of flames and the bang of a gun.

8888

Audrina woke with a start, her small body shaking intensely and the sweat a thin sheen on her tanned body. Lifting her eyelids wearily, she recognized the Captain's Quarters on the Pearl. Blinking, she remembered little of what happened and she didn't want to remember the rest at that moment. Her mind was still reeling from her dream. It seemed so long ago, it seemed like an eternity. Was she really only fifth-teen? She was no more then a child when her future was planned out for her. She was a mere child when she was branded a pirate. Unconsciously, she let her fingertips move over the swell of the 'P' on her arm, her breathing stopping in her throat.

She hardly recognized Lucas in the corner of the room, his eyes round like saucers in shock. He was by her side in a moment, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her hand tight. "You were dreaming about it, my sweet Audrina." He said quietly

"I know." She replied in a small, tight voice. "You never went back on your promise, Lucas. We never went back."

Lucas nodded and stroked her black hair lovingly, pulling the strands from her eyes. "I never go back on my promises, Audrina. There's only one reason to go back, dear sister. To kill him, he is still alive you know. Reginald Hart."

Audrina quivered by the sound of his name, shutting her eyes tight. "I know." She said in a tight voice. She looked at her brother's worried face. "How do you know I was dreaming of that day?"

He smiled softly and lifted her arm above the covers to finger the 'P' swell absentmindedly. "You said out loud, 'Promise me something, Lucas.' I remember those words as if it was yesterday."

"I don't deserve you, Lucas. It's my fault everything happened the way it did. If I hadn't stolen from him, I wouldn't have been branded a pirate and the house wouldn't have burned down. We wouldn't be here right now. You would be something respectable. You don't deserve this." She said in a tight voice, letting the tears move freely over her cheeks.

Lucas wiped them away quickly and frowned at her. "It was his fault. The moment he did that to Mother, our lives were planned out, Aud. Never blame yourself for that bastard's mistake. He'll pay one day."

"Promise me something, Lucas." The words sounded all too familiar to Lucas and he nodded, smiling at his little sister. "Promise me, he will be dead before we turn twenty eight."

"I promise, my sweet Audrina. I promise."

8888

Jack stood in awe at the door, his face contorted and he placed the basin of water on his dining table warily. Through the curtain, he heard everything. Commodore Reginald Hart was their father? He found it hard to believe, he cursed himself silently that he hadn't recognized the name, 'Hart' in the first place. The twins looked nothing like the eunuch and Commodore Reginald Hart was most definitely a eunuch, he was much more despicable then Governor Norrington. The curtain shifted and he met eye to eye with Lucas Hart, the scowl creeping on his face once more.

Something told Jack that Lucas knew that he had been listening to the conversation. What Jack didn't know is why Lucas hadn't said anything to him. It pestered Jack for a few moments, he never met a brother more loving and protective then Lucas was to Audrina. What didn't Lucas tell him off? To shove his curiosity about them up his arse? Something also told Jack that Lucas Hart wasn't as stupid or quiet as he looked. That he was in fact aware of Jack's incredible curiosity about them.

As he watched Lucas' figure retreat through the doorway and out on deck, he inhaled sharply and walked inside the side cabin to actually apologize to the she-devil. A wry grin erupted on his face; he sure was going to get it. Something drew Jack to Audrina; he felt a certain lust for her that he never had for another woman. It wasn't infatuation, he had felt that before and that wasn't it. Maybe it was the sole reason that she was an enigma to him? Many women had found him irresistible for that exact reason. Shrugging, he accepted that answer and walked into the side cabin.

"Hello, luv!" He grinned and placed the basin of water on the floor. "Cotton made me bring some hot water fer yer to bathe in."

Audrina nodded slowly, the memories still fresh in her mind. The wounds still fresh on her soul. She couldn't get the crackle of flames out of her ears and couldn't get the sound of the gunshot from her memory. It was like she was there again. She chewed on her lip and looked up at Jack's bemused face. "Thank you." She said quietly before drifting off again into her memories.

"Yer all right, darlin'?" Jack asked slowly. Why wasn't she hitting him? Pulling out a gun to shoot his testicles off? Why was she acting so damned calm? "Yer don't seem yerself."

"That's because I don't feel like myself." She retorted, narrowing her eyes on his form.

Jack tilted his head to the side and casually flipped open and closed his compass out of habit and not bothering to check where it pointed. "Why's that, luv?" He asked quietly.

"None of your business, Jack Sparrow!" She retorted sharply, the tips of her ears getting red with anger. "Leave me alone." She said a bit softly. And hardly above a whisper she added, "Please."

Jack blinked, surprised with her softness for a moment. He touched her identical 'P' swell on her arm and looked up at her with his inquisitive eyes. "Why do yer have that?"

"Stop pretendin' like you didn't hear me and Lucas talking. I know you did!"

"That doesn't answer my question, luv." He retorted.

Audrina averted her eyes and blew air through her slightly parted lips. "Don't you have a ship to captain?"

"You really love him don't you? Yer brother." Jack asked suddenly, taking his fingertips off the branding on his arm.

She turned to him with dry eyes, something that surprised Jack. Even though he hated woman's tears, he knew how to predict them. But he couldn't predict hers. "I love Lucas more then anything in the world. He was always there for me. He's my brother and more then that. He's my world. He saved my life, Jack."

Jack searched her face and realized that they had a love he would probably never experience in his life. And that didn't bother him. He didn't envy them or loathe them like other men did. He accepted that he and love didn't fit together like puzzle pieces. And he was alright with that. He cupped her chin in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. He let the moment linger, his lips mere centimeters from hers, breathing on her. Her breath had gone shallow but in those mere seconds he let it linger, she didn't stop him when she knew she should. Why wasn't she mad about this morning? All her thoughts stopped as he kissed her. He kissed her hard; her lips parted mere millimeters but he took the invitation. Their tongues twisted together and after what felt like ages, they pulled apart.

He grinned and pulled up his sleeve to show her his similar branding. He closed his eyes in satisfaction as her fingertips grazed the swell. Suddenly, her touch retreated like fire and she looked away. "It was him, you know. Reginald who gave it to me." She said after a few moments of silence.

"Commodore Hart did this ter you, luv? Bloody bastard." He murmured.

Audrina looked back at him and tilted her head. "He was going to marry me off. I couldn't do that. It's not my nature, Jack. I don't think I could be bound to anyone. That is like contradicting everything I believe in. I stole from him. Everything he had that I could sell. I ran, I ran away from that bloody bastard. He killed her."

"Who did he kill, luv?" Jack asked in a small voice but why did he think he knew the answer?

"My mother." Her voice cracked and she chewed on her lip. "Why am I telling you this? You take advantage of me and now I tell you? You? You of all people! Jesus!"

The tears rolled down her eyes and she lay back down, eagerly awaiting slumber. Jack sat there dumbfounded. Never had he been more curious with someone in his entire life. "Why me of all people?"

"Because Jack, you can't be trusted! You're a pirate for God's sakes! Why should I trust you? You took advantage of me. Or at least, tried. Then you come in here and kiss me! You are not a good man nor will you ever be. Stop pretending." Audrina spat, her face contorting with anger with a hard glower gracing her face.

Jack stared blankly at her. She was right but he couldn't admit that. "Yer a pirate too, luv. Yer forget that a lot."

Audrina swung her legs over the bed and rose to her feet, staring him straight into his dark, unfathomable eyes. "I never wanted to be a pirate! Do you think I would? I was forced into this life! I'm a pirate but I don't want to be."

"Yer don't seem to mind it." He stated rather dumbly.

It never struck Audrina how good looking he really was. With the bronze tinted skin and the near black eyes, he had a sort of enigma about him. His dark, long lashes brushing up against his skin and his high cheekbones still evident under pounds of dirt and grime. He really was handsome. She blushed and looked away. Jack smiled inwardly, he had noticed the way her eyes probed his face. "I'd rather be a pirate then a whore." She said suddenly and looked away from his curious eyes.

"What happened in Port Royal, luv?" He said quietly.

Her eyes snapped back to him and before she thought about it, she found her lips were already moving. "I stole from him. I ran…Reginald found me. He found me and made me apologize. I wouldn't. Not to him. Not to the man that killed my mother. That's what started it all..." Her eyes closed momentarily, letting the memories come to her.

"Go fuck yourself!" A fifth teen year old Audrina bellowed at him, her meager five foot three stance shaking with rage.

A slap rumbled through out her body and stung her cheek. Tears threatened to spill over. "Don't you dare talk to me like that Audrina Hart! You're a little tramp like Mother dearest, aren't you? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Miss Hart!"

"Take that back, you bastard! Mama was far from a tramp, a whore! I pity her for ever being with you!" She retorted.

Reginald's eyes narrowed on her and he grabbed her shoulder, his fingertips piercing into her skin. She stifled a cry as the pain grew. "Your Mama was a pirate's whore!" He roared.

"You should hang like the bastard you are! You should hang like you condemn the pirates to! You condemn them but they should really condemn you for being the filth you are! Any pirate I meet will have more honor then you ever will!"

Reginald was faintly surprised at her reaction to his words. She did have fire in her. If she was really his daughter, he might have been proud. But she was not so he was disgusted with the little slut. "Oh? So I suppose the apple really doesn't fall far at all, hm? I suppose you'd like to be a pirate just like them! Hmm? You got your wish, you little tramp!"

He spun around and motioned towards the henchmen of the East India Trading Company to hold her down. She screamed at them only to have a block of wood jammed in her mouth to bite on. As he turned, her eyes widened like saucers. The 'P' steel was flaming hot, red and she could hear it sizzling. As it lingered over her skin, she could feel the heat oozing off it. Her heart thumped in her chest and she barely contained the scream that came next.

The brand was pressed against her wrist; she could smell her own flesh burning. Tears stung her eyes and her screams were muffled into the piece of wood. Her small body was shaking with sobs, pain and fear now. Reginald grinned at her with the brand still in his hand, taking pleasure in her pain. And then it was black. Blackness and Darkness. And Audrina was officially a pirate.

8888

The story ended abruptly as Audrina would unconsciously rub her 'P' swell as she told it. Her own step-father did this to her? Jack gathered her in his arms, holding her head against his chest. He buried his face into her black hair, inhaling it. His arms snaked around her waist and he held her like that for mere minutes. Audrina felt her heart hammering against her chest. As they pulled away from their tight embrace, she managed a small smile.

"He branded yer." He stated dumbly. "He branded yer and yer were nothin' more then a child."

Audrina looked away and nodded. "It wasn't a bad childhood. Not really, anyway. We saw little of him and our nannies brought us up. He never liked me. He used to say I looked so much like her. And I suppose that's why..."

"Shush, Audrina. We're goin' ter forget these unfortunate memories, savvy? On deck, in about an hour, we're havin' a party of sorts ter celebrate a plunderin' of a ship we did while yer were unconscious. Yer gonna come and that's an order." He said, grinning.

"Aye, aye."