When Gwen closed her eyes and spread out her arms, she loved to dream that she could fly. She loved to pretend that she was angel and could fly in the air through clouds and the blue sky. She dreamt that she looked over the city that she lived in from the sky and waved to all the people looking up at her and she would say hello to everyone. At other times whenever Gwen was particularly sad or bored, she closed her eyes and daydreamed that she was, in fact, a princess. Her father was the king, and her mother was the queen, and she had been born one lovely summer night. And everyone loved her, but she was cruelly taken away and given to the orphanages by some evil fellow. Someday her parents would find her and take her away to live in a palace with all her brothers and sisters. She would wear pretty dresses and eat wonderful foods and go to wonderful balls where all the courtiers would see how pretty she was and agree that there was never such a prettier nicer her princess in the world.

Gwen certainly didn't daydream about actually being the daughter of an infamous and colorful pirate known as Jack Sparrow. If she had, then maybe the day she found out that she in fact was the daughter of an infamous and colorful pirate would have been more jubilant for her. But, since life never really turns out the way we plan it, (and this is a story about pirates) maybe we should not be so surprised. Well, Gwen was surprised anyway, but we haven't got to that part yet.

All Gwen knew about her parents was that her mother had died giving birth to her, and hadn't given any clues or hints about who Gwen's father was, much to Gwen's chagrin. Her mother had claimed that her husband had perished at sea, or at least he had if he knew what was good for him. That sadly was the last thing her mother had said before she died. So Gwen had been raised in an orphanage run by the Catholic Church, and despite many stereotypes or stories you have been told, she was not mistreated or abused in any way by the nuns or other orphans. In fact, despite her fantasies of being a member of the royal family (which many eight-year-olds have anyway) Gwen grew up perfectly happy. Maybe she would have liked to grown up with a proper Mummy and Daddy, but she had learned even at that young age that it was much better to count her blessings, and that she did. Gwen was happy; she knew her catechism and was even considering becoming a nun when she grew up. (She wouldn't though, but it might be observed that no matter how this story turns out, any children she might have are going to be raised strict Catholics, much to their grandfather's vexation.)

One day during Mass, Gwen listened while the priest spoke about counting our blessings (a common theme in Gwen's life up until now) and during prayer, for the first time in Gwen's young life she did not pray that her father, whoever he may be (though preferably a king) would come to take her away and live in a happy family. She thanked God for giving her a happy family within his church and heart and many other things grateful Catholic children pray about during Mass. The irony of this moment is that just as Gwen had decided that she in fact did not want a father was the very moment that a ship carrying none other than Jack Sparrow came into port less than a mile away from the church.

The story, as plot goes, began on a Monday night. Exactly 9:02 Monday night according to the very church Gwen prayed in yesterday morning. For, you see, it was at that moment when a slightly drunk Captain Jack Sparrow asked a bartender if he ever knew whatever happened to a certain woman who lived nearby whose name was Nelly Blythe. The Bartender, who did happen to know what had happened to Nelly Blythe, sadly told the customer that Nelly had died exactly eight years ago in childbirth. This bothered Jack Sparrow, since the last time he had been in the city of Portsmouth was exactly eight years and nine months ago. To make matters worse, his relationship with Nelly Blythe was one in which the fact that she had died in childbirth was pretty much his fault.

Now, Captain Jack Sparrow may be many things (in fact he is many things that cannot be told lest the ears, or eyes, of any listening children should turn red and they begin crying immediately), but one of the many things he is not is a bad father. Well, in truth, he's been a terrible father already, since his only child has been living in an orphanage in the past eight years and this is the only moment he's heard of it. But Jack Sparrow was not so terrible a mathematician that he could not figure out our back-story and know that he is in fact a father and feel an overwhelming desire to make up for it. (Though in fact the gin he has been drinking heavily of may be part of it.) He asked the bartender whatever happened to the baby Nelly Blythe died giving birth to, what happened to the child, would the bartender happen to have any available sisters that Jack could escort home and that could he please top off that last drink, thanks.

It was the next night that Sparrow knocked on the orphanage door, since he was in no condition to go an orphanage the night before and had been getting over the subsequent hangover during the day. The only person awake at that hour, besides except some of the older orphan girls who were up sneaking a wine that was not holy, was Sister Mary Francis.

Now, I know several of you, dear readers, have stereotypes in your heads about what nuns are like and how they act, so let me be the first to break them when this character opens the door. Sister Mary Francis did take an oath to devote herself to the worship of God and his wonderful Word forsaking any evils and temptations, but it doesn't mean that Sister Mary Francis was an idiot. Before she realized her calling, she lived as a serving girl in a pub known for its nightly brawls and its spiked ale, and before that she was the niece of a former privateer, and he loved to tell stories. Sister Mary Francis was no stranger to the likes of Jack Sparrow. This was not even the first time a pirate knocked on the orphanage door; in fact many sailors are away when their wives give birth and due to circumstances their children are raised in orphanages until the father returns. However, most return before the child has grown to the age where she knows her catechism better than some of the nuns. Sister Mary Francis certainly was not expecting this dark, dirty stranger with hair in dreadlocks (which were very uncommon in those days) to be the father of any of the girls in her care. Then again, Sister Mary Francis knew better than to expect anything.

"Ah, good evening sister" said stranger, "Allow me to introduce myself." He took off his hat, although from the sight of his hair, Sister Mary Francis really wished he hadn't. "I, am Captain Jack Sparrow."

"How may I help you…Mr. Sparrow?" asked the nun.

Sparrow quickly put aside any disappointment at not be recognized. "I've come to ask if Nelly Blythe's daughter is being raised here?"

"No my child, I do not know. Father Emil might know, but he won't be here until the next morning. Perhaps if you were to come then, he would know."

"Ah," said Sparrow, "That…will do. Thank you sister," and that, much to Sister Mary Francis' relief, was the end of it and he walked away (very oddly, she noticed). Sister Mary Francis closed and locked the door. She really did not expect that the strange-looking man would return. Then, using the intuition that only a nun who gone by the name "Jumping Jenny" in her youth could have, she walked up to the top floor where she would find several fifteen-year-old girls drinking bottles of wine stolen from the rectory.

The next day, much to Sister Mary Francis' surprise, the man who called himself Jack Sparrow did return, but at least this time Father Emil was nearby. When the pirate asked the same question he did the night before, she was very much surprised when a white-faced Father Emil said that yes, Nelly Blythe's daughter did live here. However, he informed Sparrow that he could not see her. Sparrow pleaded with the priest, explaining that he was the girl's father and had not known about her existence until two nights prior. He would be leaving on his ship the next morning and only asked to be able to see her.

Father Emil and Sister Mary Francis went to the corner of the room and discussed whether or they should let this stranger (who happened to smell quite a bit like gin) speak to Gwen. Finally, Father Emil decided that if they let him see her then maybe he'd just go away, and Sister Mary Francis reluctantly went and got the girl.

Father Emil watched Jack Sparrow as he sauntered around Father Emil's office. Father Emil watched carefully, making sure that this stranger wasn't stealing any relics from the shelves. (He was, but Father's Emil's eye was much slower than Sparrow's hand.) Finally, Sister Mary Francis returned with the young and confused girl.

If you expected Jack Sparrow to hold out his arms and yell "Hello daughter, I'm your long lost father here to take you on pirating adventures!" then, in this case, you'd be wrong. It was in fact, the first time in Jack Sparrow's life when he could remember being happy and sad at the same moment. His daughter, you see, looked strikingly like Sparrow's late mother, something she did not know. He did know, however, and this struck him very hard and for the first time, he knew for sure that Gwen was his direct descendent by one generation.

The first time Gwen saw Sparrow on the other hand, was more of a feeling of distaste and disgust. She was quite shocked at the appearance of this stranger. He had dark olive skin with a wide sash covering his forehead. His hair was in dirty dreadlocks and his clothes…were…well, Gwen wasn't quite sure how to describe them. The man was certainly drunk in her opinion (She didn't yet know that Jack Sparrow was in fact not drunk, he just always acted like it). He was dressed like a sailor and was wearing a muddied sailor's coat but nothing about him seemed to fit any standard she was used to seeing. It was a port city and Gwen knew how sailors dressed, but he was simply…weird.

Sparrow, seemingly to remember his reason to be here and said finally, "Hello."

A simple statement, but meaningful enough.

If you expected Gwen to look at the stranger and yell "Yes Daddy, I am your daughter and cannot wait to go with you on your many pirating adventures!" you would sadly be wrong. If you had expected Gwen to simply say "hello" back, you would be still be wrong. However if you had expected Gwen to grab rosary our of her pocket and begin praying "Our Father," then for once, you'd be right.

Sparrow must have realized that this was not good sign for then he explained, "My name…is Captain Jack Sparrow," he smiled at the girl, "You've heard of me?"

"No." the girl said, staring at the strange man.

"What?" Sparrow said in a raised voice. "Don't they teach you anything as school?" He paused, "They are teaching you, right?"

Gwen merely went back to reciting Hail Mary.

The suspense was just too much for Father Emil and Sister Mary Francis, for then she ushered Gwen out of the room, and Father Emil thanked Sparrow for coming. Sparrow, however delved into this pocket and took out a small silver medallion and threw it towards the girl who was now leaving at the door. Instinctively, she picked it up before Sister Mary Francis took her back to the gardens. Later she would look at it and see that it was a medal with a picture of a woman with a sword in one hand and shield in another.

Sparrow left the orphanage, saddened and depressed at the fact his daughter gave little interest in him. Five minutes later, an angry mob of guards would chase him through the streets of Portsmouth and he would manage a marvelous and terrific escape. But since that is not part of our story, we will simply leave it out.

At that, Gwen was quite happy that the strange man had left. She knew, or at least as far as she knew, that hers was to be a simple and Christian life, Gwen would never, ever meet that man again and would never in her life set eyes on him again.

At least for another six years, anyway.

To Be Continued...