44A/N : Okay, everybody. Here is the scoop, and bear with me as the beginning may not seem very relevant since the story is placed in the PotC section :
I have the DVD of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I've loved the movie since I was little. One day, I hear of a new movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that was going to come out in theatres. First of all, I did not know that the original title for the book (let alone that there was a book) was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I thought it was a sequel. Later, watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I see the credit that says it was based on the book. Okay. Got that cleared up. Having seen the promotional poster, I knew a guy named Johnny Depp had the part of Willy Wonka. Later, watching a video I rented (can't remember what it was, but not Depp related), I saw the trailer to Pirates of the Caribbean. THEN I'm thinking "they got the guy who played this Sparrow person to play Willy Wonka? Oh, no." Basically, moans at the thought it would be nothing but Hollywood Hype. While waiting for the movie to come in theatres, I read the book. Man, had they ever changed a lot in the first movie. And the screenplay was written by the same author! Weird. Still, I really liked the first movie, and I was worried about this new one. So, while visiting in Bathurst for the summer, it came. I went to the theatre to either alleviate or confirm my fears. I am happy to say that then former of the two took place. At the same time, I discovered a wonderful actor whose looks are just as captivating as his talent.
Fast forward to two weeks after school started, I'm back in Fredericton and happen to see Finding Neverland at my local Irving/Mainway pit stop. I rent it. I love it. I already love Fairy Tales and stuff, and Peter Pan was one of my favourite childhood stories, so it was great. Sometime in the before-last week of September, I discover the deppdaily community on Livejournal. The post of that day was one that included a music video someone had made using footage from Edward Scissorhands and the full version of Understanding by Evanescence. Well, it was love all over again and I rented the movie a few days later. I now own it. Okay, to stop boring you all with things NOT PotC related:
In the back of my mind during all this was the definite intention to see PotC.
Thursday of last week, meaning October 27th, 2005, I finally rented it, and was able to watch it (because my parents did not want to see it) Saturday, October 29th, 2005.
INSTANT LOVE! SQUEE Captain Jack Sparrow!
And now, I wrote this A/N after I finished this first chapter on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2005. Enjoy my first Pirates of the Caribbean fic!
A little setting help: The fic starts out as a bit of the reason Jack seems rather detached to most people. You know, sleeping with all these girls who then slap him next time they see him. One can only wonder why they slap… And, of course, getting drunk all the time. Well, the fic starts as to why Jack became like that. I figure he's gotta have a reason. Hey, I don't like the idea of him being a drunkard player by nature (although I do find him very funny when he asks why the rum is gone). I'd like him to have been a possible family man (though he'd have them on his ship while he hunts after treasure. He's gotta be a pirate!), if certain things hadn't happened in his life.
14 years pre-Curse of the Black Pearl…
The woman managed to hold down the screams as what was supposed to be a tiny life was finally removed from her body. It certainly hadn't felt tiny as it had gone through it's passage.
"Congratulations ma'am!" exclaimed the midwife "It's a girl!"
The woman, Jessica, laughed in triumph.
Jack may not be happy about that!
"Any word if my husband has come into port yet?"
"No one's spotted his ship yet, ma'am." Said the midwife, as she set to clean the baby.
They were in room at the local inn. Jessica had known that a ship wasn't the place for a baby to be born, though Jack had always sworn that he had been born and raised at sea.
He had also been boasting that Jessica would bear a son. One that would be just like him. Jessica had her doubts. Sometimes a mother just knows what the baby will be. She tried to tell Jack not to automatically expect a boy, but he always insisted that it would be.
There was no arguing with him. He never gave up.
Jessica gratefully took the baby, who was now cleaned up and wrapped in blankets, in her arms. She looked so pretty, full of life, and innocent. Not what a child of Jack's ought to look like. She tried to imagine what the reaction of the crew would be. Barbossa's was the first that came to mind. She knew he didn't like her. A baby on board would make him even more unhappy.
Bill she could count on. She knew he had a son himself. He didn't get to see him often, but he would visit whenever possible. He was probably giving Jack fatherly advice as of this moment.
Jessica's brown hair was damp with sweat, strands of it sticking to her forehead.
"Have you got a name for her, ma'am?" the midwife asked.
"Katarina." She replied. "It's Italian. I heard it once, and I loved it immediately." She explained.
The midwife smiled.
The baby started crying suddenly, and Jessica began trying to soothe her. Suddenly, she could hear screams and explosions coming from outside.
"What's happening?"
The midwife rushed to the window.
"It's an attack, ma'am! There's a ship attacking!"
Jessica felt a feeling of foreboding. She tried to picture Jack's face, but couldn't.
She somehow knew that he wouldn't be coming to the rescue in time.
Then she remembered that the inn wasn't very far from the port. She had just given birth. There was no way she could escape on her own two feet. Anyone helping her would be slowed down.
"Melissa," she said, addressing the midwife "I won't be able to run very well. You know why." Melissa acknowledged with a nod.
"I want you to take Katarina and bring her somewhere safe. If ever you can get word to my husband, tell him what happened. I'll try and follow, but don't wait for me if I fall behind."
Melissa's aged features creased further in worry, but she said:
"Yes, ma'am."
Jessica handed the baby to Melissa and got up only after she saw Melissa safely out of the room.
She started following the same route that led to the back of the inn, away from the port. Jessica felt faint, exhausted from the labours of childbirth.
But she resolved to go on.
She had just reached the door, seeing Melissa far ahead and away from the inn. Jessica stopped for a moment, when she noticed another sound besides her heart pounding in her head.
She just had time to realise that it was the tell-a-tale whistling of something sailing speedily through the air when a loud explosion reached her ears, and she felt her entire body being crushed under pressure from flying debris.
Jessica knew nothing from that moment on, and would never know anything again.
Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the nose of the Black Pearl smiling wide as a crocodile. They were due to arrive at the port in a few minutes.
I'm gonna see my bonnie lass again. I'm going to be a father.
''Drink up me hearties, yo-ho.'' he muttered under his breath.
Jack saw that they were approaching a fog, but, as they got closer, the sharp smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils.
''Stay sharp, boys!'' he called out ''We may have some fighting to do!''
Jessica, please be safe. Jack silently prayed.
Bill came up behind him. He could sense the captain's worry.
''She'll be alright.'' he said, laying a hand on his captain's shoulder. ''She's come through some pretty tight spots before.''
Jack turned to his friend.
Bootstrap Bill Turner, he was called. Jack had been planning lately to promote him to be his first mate. He had been trusting Barbossa a lot less, lately. Barbossa was constantly questioning his decisions. He also didn't think too highly of Jessica. Fortunately, Bill was the only one who knew Jessica had left due to, hem, maternity leave, so to speak. Barbossa was going to have a fit when he'd find out about the baby.
The ship moved in, and they could see the town.
Jack felt a cold fear clutch his heart.
The town was in smoking ruins.
Jessica… please. No.
''No!'' he shouted.
Whatever had caused it didn't seem to be in view. They were the only ship. The only sea-worthy ship, that is.
''Step lively! Make to disembark! Hurry!''
Bill laid a hand on his friend's shoulder again.
''Jack, if she's alive, we'll find her.''
''She has to be alive.'' Jack said, more to himself than to his friend.
She has to be.
''What do you want us to, sir?'' a voice with a sneery drawl had spoken.
Jack turned and saw Barbossa.
"We go through the town. Look for survivors and interrogate them. I wanna know what happened here."
"With all due respect, sir: we ain't a salvage team working for His Majesty's army."
"The captain gave you an order, Barbossa." said Bill.
Jack saw that Barbossa had no intention of moving.
"Alright," Jack started "The crew goes through the town getting whatever booty they can find, and the man who finds a soul still breathing gets extra on his plate tonight, savvy?"
"I guess that's alright, then. Captain."
Barbossa shouted the orders to the crew, and they began walking into port as soon as they were docked. There was only one dock which hadn't been damaged or destroyed.
As Jack stood on the dock looking at the damaged laid in front of him, he prayed over again in his mind.
Please be alive, Jessica. Please be alive.
The town looked even worse up close. There were charred corpses everywhere, and the air stank of burnt flesh and hair.
Jack, Bill and Barbossa were together, making their way towards the inn.
It was nothing but a smoking heap of charred wood and brick.
At the entrance, there was the charred corpse of a child who couldn't have been more than six or seven. It was impossible to tell if it was a boy or a girl.
There was the sound of brick scraping, and the trio turned around.
There was a well, just a few paces from them, and someone was trying to climb out.
The trio rushed forward to help the person out.
It was a man, whose features were deformed and bloody.
He was either attacked or scraped his face falling down the well. Jack thought.
"What happened?" he asked.
The man tried to say something and started coughing violently. Jack helped him to lay on the ground.
"We were attacked. A… a ship… a ship with dark blue sails… and a flag with the face of the devil."
"Ye mean a jackal?" asked Barbossa.
"Ye" the man went into another coughing fit. "Yes. A jackal. They shot… fire balls… at the town."
"Did you know many people at the inn?" asked Bill.
"I… I knew 'em all. I'm… I'm the innkeeper."
Jack felt his heart leap.
"Do you know of Jessica Sparrow? Do you know if she escaped?"
The man took a raspy breath, but said nothing.
"Do you know if she escaped?" Jack asked, more urgently, shaking the man with desperation.
Then he noticed that the man was no longer breathing.
The men seemed to be very happy that night. They had managed a pretty impressive haul, considering what state the town was in. No one else had found a survivor. To avoid argument, Jack allowed both Bill and Barbossa extra food.
Jack ate nothing. He wasn't even in the mess hall with the rest of them. He was in his cabin, clutching a half-empty bottle of rum.
When they arrived in Tortuga a few days later for supplies, Jack had made for the bar immediately. He had himself a pint of rum, nearly empty, and was considering whether or not he should get up to order another one.
Suddenly, he felt arms around him, and he noticed they belonged to a woman.
"Ye look mighty lonely, sir." She said into his ear "Want some company?"
Jack pointed to the chair opposite, and the woman sat down.
"Ye look like you could use some warming up, luv." She said, bending forward just enough to show some cleavage.
Jack considered this for a moment.
"Sure." He said, finishing off his pint. "You got a room, somewhere?"
And off they went. From then on, Jack Sparrow never shied himself from drink or pleasure company.
A/N: Don't worry, it's gonna get better. This is just to lay out the plot, savvy?