Chapter 1: A Pirate's Life for Me

When there's quotation marks ("") around italics, it means they're signing instead of speaking (by they're I mean mostly Jacqueline and Jack)

The girl panted, moaning as she was hit with pain, holding on to her husbands' shirt. He held a cool cloth to her head, and she leaned into him, nestling her head into his chest. There was something comforting about breathing in the scent of rye soap and rum, and as she was hit with another pain, she heard a cry and lifted her head back up to see the midwife holding a little girl, so small and pink, being wrapped in a white blanket and being handed to her.

"She's so small," Elizabeth breathed, holding the little girl close to her. Her husband leaned in beside her, looking down at his daughter.

"But so beautiful, like you."

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked, so tired, so weak.

"Of course, Bethie," he said, using his pet name for his wife. "What are we going to name her?"

She took a ragged breath, before answering, "Jacqueline Sparrow," before passing out.

"Beth?" Jack asked, shaking his wife's arm. "Bethie? Elizabeth?"

The doctor walked in, then, having been fetched by the midwife earlier to examine the baby's health, came in and checked Elizabeth's breathing.

Feeling her pulse.

The pulse that was not there.

Why was it not there?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sparrow. She must've died from the strain."

His wife, dead.

His beautiful, loving wife.

Why had she gone?

"Mr. Sparrow? I need to make sure your daughter is healthy, also."

"Yes, of course," he answered, handing him the only thing that kept him from dying right there, the only sliver of hope.

God, he hoped she looked like Elizabeth.

He tuned out the doctor; until he heard the words that made his heart shatter even more beyond repair.

"Mr. Sparrow? Jacqueline…failed a hearing test. I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Sparrow."

His world was shattered.

He lost his wife.

Jacqueline was his only living family left, he was hers. She was his beautiful, small, wonderful, deaf child.

They were both alone now.

Jack Sparrow stood on the mast of his...dinghy? He got weird looks as he sailed by, as would anyone pretending to be standing on the mast of a gigantic vessel, not a lifeboat-with-a-mast. No one really noticed the girl who sat at the bottom of the boat, looking at the land looming closer and closer.

"Jackie!" he signed. She didn't even acknowledge him. Sighing, he waved his arms, trying to get his daughter's attention: "Jacqueline Camilla Elizabeth Sparrow! Start bailing the boat!" Jack signed, finally pulling his daughter out of her daydream and back into the real world

Upon seeing her full name, she turned around and stared at her father before starting to bail with the bucket.

After a few minutes, she turned, got his attention and signed, "Why is my name so long?"

"Because, Jackie," Sparrow huffed, "A Sparrow needs a long name. And, besides, your mother named you Jacqueline, after me. Also, Camilla means free-born."

"Why Elizabeth? We're not particularly religious."

"Because I liked it. Stop asking questions! We have a ship to commandeer!" he signed excitedly, jumping down and grabbing the bucket. Jack suddenly felt the ship jolt and noticed that Jacqueline had fallen in!

"Jackie!" he exclaimed, leaning over the side. She surfaced and smiled at him, holding up his small cloth bag filled with money.

"Jackie, come back now!"

"Why?"

"Because I said so!" Jack signed furiously, wishing his daughter would obey him, just for once.

"I'll be fine," she signed, rolling her eyes. "I will meet you on the beach beneath the dock tonight!"

Swimming away, Jack signed and continued trying to bail out the boat. Scoop, dump. Scoop, dump. Scoop, dump. Resting for a moment, Jack sat down and tryed to keep from crying at the memory.

Jack exited the house, holding his daughter in his arms. Master Gibbs stood outside, a bottle of rum in his hand and the other running his hands through his hair, looking just as agitated as Jack probably would've felt if Elizabeth was still alive. At the sight of Jack, Gibbs stood, smiling, before noticing the distraught look on his face, clutching his daughter to his chest.

"Jack?"

"She's gone," Jack said, not looking at Gibbs.

"Gone?" Gibbs asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Elizabeth died," Sparrow stated bluntly, looking down at his daughter.

"What about...?" Gibbs trailed off, not knowing his daughter's name yet.

"Jacqueline. Jacqueline Sparrow."

"Does she have a middle name, Cap'n?"

"No. I don't know. Hold her, will you, Gibbs?"

"Aye, sir, but may I ask why?"

"Why you're holding her or why she doesn't have a middle name yet?"

"Uh, both, Cap'n," Gibbs said, looking more than a little confused.

"She doesn't have a middle name yet because I haven't thought of one yet, you scabrous dog! And anyway, I want you to hold Jackie here while I go say goodbye to my wife, and figure out how the hell I'm going to communicate with a deaf daughter," Jack ranted, throwing his hands up in the air and going back into the house, mumbling, "Bethie...my sweet Bethie..." before he turned around and said, "Name her what you want. Just make sure her third name is Elizabeth."

"Deaf, Cap'n?"

"Yes, Gibbs! Deaf! She can't hear!" he bellowed before disappearing back into his house, slamming the door and saying goodbye to his wife.

Gibbs looked down at the small child and started, "Alright, young babe, what to name you..." before taking another sip of rum.

Jack Sparrow was twenty-one years old.

Jacqueline raced through town, tucking her long, black hair into her tricorn hat that so closely resembled her fathers. Finding a friendly-looking shop, Jacqueline stepped inside; grabbing the first few dresses she saw and went to the mirror, trying to judge what would look best on her. Finding the dress she liked the most, she paid for it and walked away with a confident smirk on her face, ready for yet another one of her father's schemes.

Jack stepped off the boat, looking around while walking down the dock.

He had just gotten past the Harbormaster when he heard, "What? Hey! Hold up there, you!"

Silently cursing himself, Jack turned and walked back to the Harbormaster and his apprentice.

"It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock!" the harbormaster exclaimed, he and Jack both giving his dingy a look that suggested it didn't need to be tied up. "And I shall need to know your name."

"What do you say to three shillings," Jack suggested, digging in his pocket and placing the money on the logbook. "And we forget the name?"

From the look on the harbormaster's face, Jack knew he was considering the offer. Bloody old pig, lettin' someone in for just a couple shillings, he thought. His apprentice raised his eyebrows, suspicious of his bosses' behavior.

After another moment, he said, "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith," before letting Jack leave. Picking up the money pouch, Jack reminded himself to pick something nice up for Jacqueline's birthday.

Jacqueline stood in the crowd of women at the fort, having stood very close to the Governor and his entourage, sneaking into the sea-side fort. When she saw the soldiers marching to a mid-tempo, though, she realized that she probably shouldn't have snuck inside the highly guarded walls.

"Excuse me, Miss Swann, do forgive me, my mind is in a flutter, I think from the humidity here, I'm not quite used to it. Anyway, do tell me, for whom is this ceremony for?" Jacqueline wrote on a slip of paper and passed it to the woman beside her, Elizabeth Swann, the Governors' daughter, as Jackie had seen from earlier that day.

"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. What is your name?" Elizabeth wrote on the paper in an elegant script that was very rehearsed in calligraphy, much like Jackie's own.

"Camilla du Bois," Jacqueline answered, using the identity her father had given her in case she was in situations like this.

"Miss du Bois, Captain Norrington is being promoted to Commodore," Elizabeth wrote, when she stopped for a moment, before adding, "May I ask why you don't speak?"

Jacqueline reached for the paper just as Elizabeth shook her head, indicating that Jacqueline shouldn't answer, just as Norrington walked through the row of soldiers. Jacqueline tapped her ears and shook her head, telling the fellow girl that she was deaf. Elizabeth and Jacqueline both fanned themselves, both stressing in corsets under the noonday sun.

Jack stood on a bridge and looked around, hearing the music coming from the fort high up on the hill, his eyes set on a ship. Walking down the dock, he was stopped by two very comical-looking men dressed in Royal Navy uniforms.

"This dock is off limits to civilians," said the smaller one, having to raise his head a bit to look Jack in the eye.

Thinking of a quick response, Jack waved his arms a bit and said, "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately," before trying to get by. When the soldiers, again, blocked his way, he decided to change the subject.

"Apparently, there's some high-toned fancy to-do up at the fort there, eh? How is it that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" Jack asked, hiding a thinly-veiled insult in the question.

Again, the small one answered. "Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians."

"It's a fine goal, to be sure, but it seems to me that a..." Jack continued, trying to move past, but continually getting blocked by the two guards, "A ship like that, makes this one here a bit superfluous, really," he said, gesturing to the gigantic ship in the bay and the some-what smaller one in front of him.

"The Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough. But there's no ship as can match the Interceptor for speed," the small guard boasted, the bigger one having yet to say anything.

Thinking for a moment, Jack then answered "I've 'eard of one. It's supposed to be very fast. Nigh, uncatchable."

Pausing for a moment of suspense, Jack then named his ship, the one he'd lost. "The Black Pearl."

Finally, the bigger guard said something, though, of course, it was a laugh. Then, he stated, "Well, there's no REAL ship, as can match the Interceptor."

His partner turned to him and said, "Black Pearl is a real ship."

"No. No it's not."

"Yes it is. I've seen it." The small one argued.

"You've seen it?" the large one asked, unbelieving of his friends' claims.

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it!"

"Yes, I have!" The small one argued. Neither of them noticed Jack over there, getting very bored at listening to the two morons assigned to "keeping the dock off limits to civilians."

"You've seen a ship with black sails that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man SO EVIL that Hell itself spat him back out?"

Taken aback, the small one answered "No."

Proven right, the big one echoed, "No."

"But I have seen a ship with black sails," the small one persisted.

"Oh," the big one said sarcastically. "No ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails, therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl, is that what you're saying?" he ranted, not realized that Jack had already snuck off.

"No," the small one sputtered as Jack stood at the helm of the Interceptor, daydreaming about sailing on the open ocean with it.

"Like I said there's no REAL ship, as can match the Intercept..." he said, but stopped halfway when he saw Jack on the ship.

"Hey! You!" He exclaimed, running after Jack. "Get away from there!"

"You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate!"

"I'm sorry," Jack flustered. "It's just...It's such a pretty boat. Ship!" Jack immediately corrected.

"What's your name?"

"Smith. Or, Smithy, if you like."

"What's your purpose here in Port Royal, Mr. Smith?"

"Yeah, and no lies!" the small one added.

"Well, then. I confess. It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my daughter and I's weasly black guts out."

"I said no lies!" the small one exclaimed, clearly stupider than he looked.

"I think he's telling the truth," the big one said slowly.

"If he was tellin' the truth, he would not have told us."

"Unless he knew you wouldn't believe the truth, even if he told it to you," Jack said, confusing the men even more.

Jacqueline stood at the fort, sipping tea with the Swanns and examining the high society that was Port Royal as Captain-now-Commodore Norrington walked up.

"Commodore Norrington! This Camilla du Bois, she's from Marseille, she's here on business!" Elizabeth introduced Jacqueline, who looked very nervous.

"James Norrington," Norrington said, bowing as he kissed her hand. "Enchanté, mademoiselle. What kind of business are you here on?"

"Her father is very ill, Commodore, and her mother just passed away, so she's here in Port Royal, attending to her mother's estate," Elizabeth said for her, and Jacqueline sent her a look of gratitude.

"Well, my condolences, Miss du Bois. Do forgive me for leaving, but may Elizabeth and I have a moment?"

Jacqueline nodded her head and decided to leave, wanting to go find her father.

Jack was telling stories to the guards, who he learned were named Murtogg and Mullroy, and had just finished a story with "And then they made me their chief," when he heard a splash near the cliff.

Oh, god. That's not Jackie, is it? Jack thought before asking, "Will you be saving her, then?"

"I can't swim!" Mullroy said, and Murtogg shrugged.

"Pride of the King's Navy, you are. Do NOT lose these!" Jack said, stripping of his effects. Jack then dived into the water, praying to any God at all that it wasn't Jackie. Swimming toward the woman, though, he was relieved to see someone, anyone, who wasn't his daughter.

Jackie stood near the dock as she saw her dad climb out of the water, Elizabeth on his shoulder.

Setting her on the dock, Mullroy exclaimed, "She's not breathing!"

"Move!" Jack exclaimed, cutting her corset open. Elizabeth coughed, getting all of the water out of her lungs.

"I never would've thought of that."

"Clearly, you've never been to Singapore." Seeing the medallion around her neck, two questions came to mind. Out of both of them, though, he decided to ask the easier of the two, "Where did you get that?"

Before she could answer, Commodore Norrington held a sword to his neck. "On your feet."

"Elizabeth!" the Governor exclaimed, helping her up and wrapping a coat around her. At seeing the mangled corset, he ordered, "Shoot him!"

"Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"

Sheathing his sword, Norrington held out his hand and said, "I believe thanks are in order."

Jack hesitated before (stupidly) taking his hand. Norrington pulled him forward and shoved his sleeve up, revealing the letter 'P' branded into his arm.

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, Pirate?"

Governor Swanns voice, getting an octave higher with nervousness, said, "Hang him."

"Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." Pushing his sleeve higher, Norrington continued, "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, is it?"

"Captain, Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir."

"Well, I don't see your ship, Captain."

"I'm in the market, as it were."

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Murtogg cut in. Mullroy then joined in with "These are his, sir!" and handed over Jack's effects.

Jack watched as they went through his effects, making fun of his compass and gun, before stating, "You are the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me," Jack answered. Jacqueline, standing feet away, put her head in her hand at her father's antics. Realizing that standing around wouldn't help him, she ran off to find the nearest smithy and get her own clothes back on.

Jacqueline walked into Brown's, who she had learned from the townspeople that Mr. Brown had hired Will Turner a couple years before to help him in his sword-making business.

Walking inside and taking a quick survey, she realized that only Mr. Brown was present, and he was currently unconscious from the large bottle of Brandy in his hand.

She quickly changed in a corner before going through the shop, picking up swords and seeing if she liked one for herself, petting the donkey. Finding a sword she liked, she had just placed it in her sheath when she saw the door open. She kept moving around, knowing that she could fake being un-communicative if it was anyone except her father. Or Master Gibbs, he knew that she could understand him. But last Jacqueline had heard he was in Tortuga, happily drinking Rum and gambling away his money.

Jack entered, seeing Jackie, but he left her to herself as she messed with swords while he went to get his shackles off. At one point, she watched, silently laughing, as her father tried to whack the irons off him with a pickaxe and an anvil.

Finally she got his attention and pointed to the cogs near the ceiling that rotated as swords were made. Poking the donkey with a sword that had been left in the fireplace, the donkey started moving, and the cogs started spinning.

Jumping up, he hooked the chains onto the cogs and they broke, just as Will Turner was coming back.

Jack hid as Jackie turned away from the swords, facing Will.

He first rushed to the donkey, stopping her endless turning in circles before focusing his attention on Jacqueline.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Who are you?"

Jacqueline just shrugged and tapped her ears while shaking her head.

Will sighed and went through the shop, looking for paper, before noticing that the pickaxe was out of place.

"Not where I left you..."