The Pirate's Daughter

Rebecca Montgomery is running through the streets of Port Royal, dodging raindrops on her way back to her home: The Montgomery Mercantile. Strange looks are shot her way by the “ladies” as she runs in her dress, water and mud soaking it to the waist. Her wet hair plasters itself to her face, making it hard to see as she attempts to avoid the other pedestrians who are trying to stay out of the storm.

She reaches her front door and pauses to catch her breath. Looking down at her dress, she grimaces seeing the mud and water inching up the dress, nearly to her thighs. //Mom’s going to strangle me.// Her wet hands fumble with the latch as she tries to enter her home while making as little noise as possible. The door finally opens with a loud wooden creak. //So much for that idea.// She grins to herself.

Avoiding the apprentices eyes, she makes her way up the old, worn staircase and to her room. She pulls aside curtain that she put up to allow herself some privacy to change. When she turns back around, her eyes meet the very sight that she had been trying to avoid: Her mother.

“Where in God’s name have you been? You should have been back from that delivery well before now. Did it ever occur to you that I just may need you help around here?” Rebecca rolls her eyes, irritated. What did her mother think she was doing, delivering the clothes for fun?

“I went down to the docks to watch the ships.” She knew her mom was going to make a big deal out of it, but what’s the point of lying to her.

“How many times have I to--. Why can’t you just be normal, like all the other girls? Why can’t you wear a dress without destroying it?” Judith yells at her daughter. //Curse you father and his free spirit.//

“Mother, you know I’m not like the other women. If I was, I’d be beautiful and have a hundred suitors. I’m sorry if I’m not as pretty as Miss Elizabeth Swann. She has men, young and old, falling at her feet. Besides, I quite enjoy not worrying about my appearance. The only people I have to impress are you and the few customers that we have.” Rebecca pauses before she loses her temper. She always seems to when her mother mentions other females, or how she should try to find a man to call on her so she can be happy.

“I’m sorry, Becca. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want you to be happy.”

“You don’t understand. I am happy. I don’t need a man in my life to tie down my freedom. Married women don’t have their own lives, they have the lives that their husbands want them to have. Cooking, cleaning, children: that’s not for me. I want to experience more while I still have the chance, and by being who I am now, I can. I want to see the world before I become a man’s slave.” Her voice is distressed and sincere.

“I want to have the kind of life that I read about. The adventure! Oh, it would be wonderful!”

Judith pales and stares at her daughter. //My daughter wants to be a pirate?!// The idea sinks into her head, and she chuckles. The sight of her daughter climbing the riggings in skirts is actually quite humorous.

“You think you can make it on a pirate’s ship? I don’t mean to doubt you as a person, or sound pessimistic, but a pirate’s ship is no cruise.” As if to confirm her last thought, a cannon fires three shots into Port Royal.

“I know those guns.” Judith says as she slowly makes her way to the window. “It’s the P…your father.”

Rebecca runs to the window. On the horizon, she sees a ship with holes in the sails, black as night, guns blazing at the Fort.

“The Black Pearl.” She says breathlessly. Oh. The stories she’s head about this ship! She peeks her head out the window farther, but the view from the second floor wasn’t appealing. Pulling her head back in the window, she notices that the rain has stopped. Rebecca bolts downstairs and toward the back of the house to get a better view as her mother latches all the windows and barricades the doors. Opening the shutters slowly, she peers toward the docks. Chaos was evident even from this distance. She could very faintly hear screaming of the other townsfolk in that area. //Why am I so excited? I should be terrified. Pirates are thieves and kidnappers.// Her thoughts drift to her father. Even though she’s never met him, she knows in her heart that he’s a good man. She watches the Fort as it begins to return fire on the Pearl.

The guns are loud, and shake the ground. Plates rattle, and threaten to fall off the shelf. Clanking swords can be heard just around the corner of the very window Rebecca is looking out of. Pistols are fired throughout the town. And, yet, she’s still not afraid. Sometimes she worries herself. A voice frightens her.

“Have you seen any scallywags come this way miss?” A member of the Navy asks. It’s hard to find her voice after being scared so thoroughly.

“No, sir.” After a long pause, her voice finally cooperates.

“Good. Close the window. It’s not safe out here for a woman.” The lieutenant continues.

“It doesn’t seem safe out for anyone. Man or Woman.” She rebuts and closes the shutters before he was able to respond. The fading of his footsteps alerts her to his leaving. She opens the shutters once again, slowly enough to make very little or no noise a pokes her head out once more. A movement to her right catches her eye. //Hm. Nothing there.//

“Hello, luv.”

Rebecca gasps and looks to her left. //A pirate! A real live Pirate!// Terror soon replaces her excitement as he pulls his pistol and points it to her temple. She backs away from the window slowly.

“Step aside, woman. I wish to take advantage of your hospitality.” The pirate smiles, gold glinting on his surprisingly white teeth.

“No.” //What am I doing? He’s going to kill me!//

“Look, I mean you no harm. I swear on pain of death that I will not harm your family or belongings. Just let me in.”

“No.” //That’s it, I’m dead.// The gun at her temple is cocked.

“ Move, luv. I don’t want a woman’s blood on my hands, but if that’s what it takes, I will shoot you and think no more of it.” The tone of his voice sends goose bumps running down her spine. Rebecca wisely steps aside to allow the man in through the window. The gun remains cocked as he climbs through the window. Not two seconds after his feet hit the floor and he shuts the window, the Royal Navy marches past outside.

“Rebecca! Is everything all right?” Her mother’s voice sounds frantic coming from the store. She thinks about screaming, but the pirates eyes change her mind.

“Yes mother. I’m fine.” She begins walking toward the store, but the pistol cocking stops her.

“Go on, luv. But I’m coming with you.”

She continues into the store, the shadows behind her hiding the visitor from her mother’s view as she steps into the light. The fear in her daughter’s eyes tell Judith that someone is behind her.

“You can step out, pirate. I know you’re there.” The man pushes the gun into Rebecca’s back and steps forward with her. He recognizes the woman standing, ready to defend her daughter’s life with her own. A flash of recognition in the woman’s eyes tells him he’s right.

“Jack Sparrow?” Judith asks, tentatively.


End chp.


“Miss Judith? Have you found yourself a husband yet?” Jack smiles at the way Judith looks at the ground, guiltily.

“No. Jack. I haven’t found anyone that will treat me as I feel I should be treated.” Jack smiles again.

Rebecca clears her throat.

“Sorry to interrupt, but has anyone noticed that the gun is still at my back?”

A look of realization hit Jack and he slowly lowers the gun and un-cocks it. He leans forward and whispers in her ear

“But I liked having you at my mercy.” Rebecca flushes and kicks herself for letting a man, pirate no less, that she hardly knows get to her.

Judith looks at the exchange and grins. //Same ol’ Jack. Hasn’t changed a bit.//

“Jack, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Rebecca.” Jack’s face goes ghostly white.

“D-Daughter?” For one of the few times in his life, Jack is actually speechless.

Rebecca notices the look on Jack’s face, and pales slightly herself. // Is he my…He’s awfully young to be…but…//

“When exactly were you going to mention a daughter?” Jack inquires, still slightly pale.

“When someone decided to return to Port Royal.” Judith smiles slightly at the shocked look on her daughter’s face.

“Oh…of course.” Jack says sheepishly.

Deciding to change the subject, Rebecca looks between her mother and this pirate, Jack.

“This is probably a stupid question…but how long, exactly, have you known each other?” //And why wasn’t his name ever mentioned to me?// She adds to herself. Her mother had talked numerous times about her father, but she had never mentioned a name.

Jack smiles slightly as he looks at the women. //She looks so much like her mother.//

“Near 20 years, luv.” //That’s what I was afraid of…That’s the right age to make him my father…but…//

“Is that so…” Rebecca looks to her mother for an explanation. Judith smiles at the annoyed interest in Rebecca’s tone.

“Jack and I met in Tortuga while I was living under Madam Kara’s roof. She ran a brothel, and I helped make her women’s dresses, and I was there trying to learn to be a woman…Now that I think of it; maybe I shouldn’t have gone to Tortuga… I was 17 at the time. I remember the first moment that I saw the crew of the Black Pearl: They came blundering in as if they owned the place, giving orders and picking their women for the night. I was in the back corner, practicing my sewing, and they disturbed me so. I eventually got fed up with the commotion and headed to the stairs to continue my sewing in peace…

::Flashback::

“Hey Cap’n. Look at her. She looks new.” One of the crew, a young Jack Sparrow, no older than 15, points to the brunette that is hastily making her way to the front of the brothel carrying a large swatch of fabric.

“Hmm…fresh, warm, body.” The captain pushes the whore off of his lap and follows the woman to find out her name. His first mate, Barbossa, looks up as the captain moves. //He looks determined in something.// As his eyes follow his captain he spies a woman who looks more than slightly uncomfortable. //Ah…//

“Hello, luv. You’re new here, aren’t you?”

Irritated at the pirate, she attempts to brush past him, but he only blocks her attempt.

“Sir, If you would please move, I have work to do.” She glances at the intimidating man, and tries again to pass.”

“Sir!” He scoffs. “If you knew anything of me, you would think twice about calling me that.” Then he grins and in a suggestive tone asks: “Would you like to get to know me?”

Appalled, Judith calmly tries to pass again, deciding his comment warranted no answer. But again, he blocks her way.

“I ask again. Please, move.” She looks at him, letting him see the annoyance in her eyes.

The first mate notices his captain’s dilemma and decides to ease the embarrassment a little…at least for the captain.

“ ‘Ey, Cap’n! Looks like you found one with spunk!”

Judith glares at the pirate who yelled. //How dare he! I oughta rip his he…wait…Cap’n? Hmm…I think I’ll have some fun with this. Show those pirates that not all women can be played with as easily.// A devilish grin crosses her face, and the first mate catches it before she looks back at the captain.

The first mate only shakes his head and lets the scene play out. //I hope you know who you’re playing with, little girl.//

“Captain? You’re honestly the captain?” She asks with fake enthusiasm.

“Yeh, luv, I am.”

“Oh! I am sorry that I was rude. If I had known you were the captain,” she touches his chest suggestively, “I would have been much nicer.”

The captain grins from ear to ear. He’d won. He’d get the new flesh.

“Would you care to join me captain?” She starts walking up the stairs and the captain follows her, very willingly.

Once upstairs and in her quarters, she turned to the captain, smiling. She seductively walks toward him and then brushes past him to go to her dressing table. She rifles through her drawers looking for her…//Aha!// She turns around, making sure to keep the object behind her, and out of sight. Very quietly, she sets the item on the top of the table and smiles at the pirate in her room. She gives him the “come hither” look and he wastes no time to comply. She leans back as he approaches and bats her lashes, completely playing the part of wench. As soon as he was close enough, she wraps her leg around his waist to prevent a quick escape, grabs the item behind her and places it to his temple. As soon as he hears the gun cock, he realizes that she had won this round, but not the game.

“I assure you, Captain, I am no wench, and will never become a wench, especially for a vile creature such as yourself! I suggest you return to your crew while you still have your dignity intact.”

“Good job, luv. You really had me convinced…but don’t worry, I will have my way with you, and you’ll be begging for more.”

“I highly doubt that, Captain. Now, if you please, I would appreciate the loss of your presence in my room.” She points the gun at his groin. “Unless, you would rather that I have my way with you.”

The captain risks no further argument and retreats, with some of his pride still intact. He trudges downstairs, back to his crew. When he reaches the bar, he buys a bottle of rum. Taking a seat at the table with his first mate, he finally lets a scowl reach his face.

“Told you she had spunk.” The first mate is beyond amused at this woman.

::End flashback::

…I went back to my sewing, and he back to his crew. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to give up easily, and he bugged me for nearly 6 months, every time he and his crew were back in Tortuga, until I finally…gave in.” Judith smiles at Jack, and he returns it. She walks toward Jack and smiles again. A recognizing look passes across both of their faces.

“So, how is her father?” Jack’s smile falter slightly. He looks down and cringes slightly. He knew this day would come eventually, but why today? He raises his head and looks into her eyes, trying to tell her, without actually saying anything.

Judith notices the stricken look on his face. //Wha…no…// “Jack?”

“He’s…We got run up by the East Indies Trading Company. It seems they didn’t like us stealing their gold…It was a brutal battle. We lost a lot of men, including the Cap’n. He tried to hold on, and he made me promise to tell you that he was sorry for all the pain he caused by not returning…He’s dead, I’m so sorry.” He pulled Judith into the circle of his arms and held her while she processed the information and tears ran down her face.. The man she fell in love with, the father of her child, and the one she has been waiting for, for years, is dead. That’s a lot of memories to process within the short amount of time.

“So…my father’s dead?” Rebecca asked, slightly panicky. Her entire plan to get away from this Port, away from all the people that annoyed her so, was gone, within a matter of seconds. She knows that she’s being selfish. She lost a man she never met, but her mother lost her soul mate…but she just couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped, of falling and not being able to find a foothold.

“Excuse me…” she runs up to her room and collapses onto the floor.

“Rebecca. I need to go to her.” Jack nods and releases her. Judith makes it to the bottom of the stairs when there is a large pounding at the door.

“Royal Navy, Ms. Montgomery. We need to search your shop.”