Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Blah Blah Blah. Nor to I own any of the characters within said movie. That joy belongs to Disney and Disney alone. (Why should the Mouse have all the fun? Humph!) So, please don't sue me. Blah Blah Blah.

Review please! This is my first attempt at a fanfic and I would love to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. This first chapter is not completed yet. Single Mom/Full Time Job, but bear with me. I'm a fast writer. Thanks!

The sea is calm tonight/The tide is full/The moon lies fair. -- Matthew Arnold "Dover Beach"

Carr's Bay, Montserrat

You've never seen the moon rise until you've seen it rise over open water. Without anything on the horizon to alter your perception, it comes up huge and daunting. Tonight, the beast sat on the horizon, bleeding. Evangeline Bryan turned to her nanny and whispered her name until the woman stirred.

"Sarah!"

"Yes, mum?" she answered sleepily.

"What would make the moon red like that?"

Sarah left her bed in the corner and came to the window. The moon was indeed red, it tinted the waters that lapped the beach an ominous blood-like hue. She cleared her throat and turned back to her mistress.

"Now, Miss Eva, 'tis nothing to worry your head over. Back to bed with you."

"No," Evangeline replied "If you know, tell me. Besides, I haven't yet been to sleep."

Sarah smiled ruefully at her charge. The only child of her good parents and she could be meet and obedient like a lady should. She had lost track of how many times, as a child Evangeline had been reprimanded for sneaking off and playing with the native children. As young as five she was sneaking off, or so Sarah had been told. It was at this tender age that she brought home lice and Mistress Amy was fit to be tied. Had told Master Paul exactly what she thought of this "miserable outpost" and his position here. It had been then that they had send for Sarah from Belfast so the child could have a proper upbringing. Lot of good it did them. Thirteen years Sarah had been here and Evangeline had gone from a spoiled, rebellious youth to a spoiled rebellious woman. Instead of being allowed to retire in her doddery like any good old nanny, she was forced to stay in this damned nursery still, making sure her charge didn't run off in the night like the true heathen she was. The girl needed married to a strong-handed husband and soon. Too bad most of the eligible young men on the island had been on the wrong end of the girl's scathing temper. Sarah cursed silently to herself, she had been on the wrong end of that temper as well. Lucky for her, she had one as well.

"I'm not to tell ye. Now, to sleep!"

"Does it have anything to do with where father ran off to, today?

Sarah sighed, realizing an answer, any answer would be the quickest way to sleep tonight.

"Yes, duckie. There's been a pirate ship plundering outside the harbor walls for the better part of a month. Comes and goes with no pattern. Last night it took two merchant ships. Fifty men and more gold besides lost. And silk. All that silk."

Sarah absently plucked at her plain cotton nightdress and sighed.

"Your father was asked to leave his desk post and take two ships to lie in wait. Looks like they got lucky. Filthy pirates deserve what they get."

Evangeline shivered at word pirate. Though this was the King's port and it was fortified, it was hardly well protected. Pirates were more feared than the hurricanes than tore through the island every summer.

"W-why would the moon be red then?"

"Fire I imagine. Your father must have sent those dogs to their maker"

"But what if-"

"Don't even think it. Your father can't be bested by wretches like that. 'Tis why they asked him to leave his post. He was the best captain at this port. He'll be home in time to tie the ribbon 'round your pretty neck in the morning.

Sarah jumped as cannon fire became audible in the distance. Rolling through the till then silent bay like thunder.

"Why wasn't I to be told?" Evangeline asked stiffly.

"Last time your father went off to battle you locked him in his study. You nearly cost him his captainship. That he rose in ranks after that is a miracle. And I'll remind you that he did it to appease you. He would have happily stayed Captain Bryan, but you wanted him behind a desk and away from cannon's fire. Dotes on you, he does. You'll be the death of him quicker than any weapon, mark my words."

Evangeline bristled and looked nervously out at the crimson moon.

"Don't you dare talk of death to me. Not this night."

"I'll talk to you of what I like this night and any other night I please, child. I wiped your mother's nose before I wiped yours and I'll take no more cheek from you than I did from her. I'd box your ears were I not a lady, but as it stands I think I'll tell your mother you were sassing me again.

"No," Evangeline said distractedly "There will be no need for that."

"I thought not. Now! Bed!"

Evangeline pulled the covers up to her neck and after a quick glare in Sarah's direction, closed her eyes. When sleep came, though, it was not peaceful. Dreams of fire and blood dominated the night, with cannon fire for a lullaby.

Evangeline woke to hear her father's booming voice echoing through the halls. He was singing some bawdy sea tune and she could hear her mother laughing and trying to be appalled at the same time. She looked over to see Sarah sitting by the window, darning stockings, and looking only appalled.

"Why did you not wake me!" Evangeline demanded as she got out of bed and started to get dressed. "Here, help me with these laces."

Sarah put down her darning and went to help Evangeline into her dress, pulling at the laces to her bodice perhaps a bit too hard.

"You did not ask me to wake you."

"I would think you would assume I'd want to be woken when my father comes home from a battle," Evangeline said as she tossed her red waves over her shoulder.

"Don't ye be tossing that heathen's hair at me. Honestly! Such a shade!"

Evangeline narrowed her eyes and began to brush the tangles out of her hair. She secured it up with a myriad of combs and raised her eyebrows in regards to the previous question.

"Well," Sarah said, unfazed "He only just arrived a short time ago and I had hoped a little extra sleep might improve yer disposition. Though I see now how misled I was. Sleep ne'er did turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, no matter how many silk ribbons you affix to it."

Evangeline's eyes widened in shock and she sat speechless for the briefest of moments. Color rose in her cheeks and she slammed her hairbrush onto the surface of her vanity.

"Who's calling who a sow, you old maid!" she shrieked "When my parent's finally let you retire, I'll gladly throw you and your things in the street and good riddance to you!"

"Hopefully not before I have a chance to apply my foot firmly to your spoiled little -"

"Ahem."

They both turned to see Evangeline's mother standing in the doorway, one of her raven eyebrows cocked in amusement.

"Mistress Amy-" Sarah started, but Amy waved her hand in dismissal.

" I swear, the way you two carry on, you'd think you actually loved one another."

"Hardly," Evangeline scoffed, sotto voce.

"Evangeline, your father wishes to see you in his study. Run along."

Evangeline made it as far as the door when Amy turned to Sarah with a wink.

"And, Evangeline, do stop pestering Sarah."

Evangeline gaped at her mother all the way out the door. Sarah waited until her footsteps had faded down the hall and then laughed.

"I do love to see that look upon her haughty face every now and again."

Amy laughed and gave Sarah a mock scolding look.

"Careful, Sarah. That's my daughter you're talking about."

"Now, the wee one isn't spoiled a bit." Sarah said, chuckling.

"Talk to her father. Even now he's in his study with a trophy of war for her."

Sarah shook her head and looked sympathetically at Amy.

"She'll make a good wife one day, though." Amy said "Should she ever learn to cull her temper. Took me long enough, as you well remember."

"Aye, I do. Though I don't remember you being as wild."

Amy laughed and put her arm through Sarah's.

"I have a dress that needs mending. Would you take a look at it for me, please?"

"Certainly," Sarah said, still smiling and let Amy lead her out of the room.

Her father was standing with his back to her, looking out into the harbor through the great window that dominated his study. She could see the two ships that were used in the previous night's ambush at dock. One had a large hole in its side and was listing aft. Evangeline studied him in silence. His fair hair was nearly black with soot, as was his uniform. His posture, though, proud, was obviously battle weary. She gave a start when she saw his left pants leg below the knee was covered with blood.

"Father?"

Paul made no move to turn, but waved at her from over his shoulder.

"Is that the ringing of my little bell?"

"Fa-ther!"

He turned with a smile and quickly crossed the room to put his arm around Evangeline. She noticed he was favoring his left leg and looked pointedly at it. He caught the meaning of her stare, looked down at his leg and cleared his throat.

"Not my blood?" he stated sheepishly.

"Hmm."

"Alright! Fine! I was nicked , tis just a nick, your Highness. Should I call a gravedigger now, for surely I will perish from such a terrible wound?"

Evangeline smacked his arm and then laid her head on his shoulder, not minding the soot that immediately transferred to her cheek.

"No need to be rude," she said "I worry is all."

"Worry?" he scoffed "Aye, I remember when your worry cost me a study door. Were I made of sterner stuff, the cost should have come out of your backside. Mothers worry, daughters obey."

"Dogs obey."

"Fine," he ceded "Daughters behave."

"I do behave," Evangeline replied "Only on my own terms."

Paul smiled.

"Would you like to see your present?"

He reached into his breast pocked and pressed a heavy coin into her hand. She studied the markings on both sides and tested its heft in her palm.

"What is it?"

"Spanish piece of eight," he said proudly "Liberated from Bartholomew Tanner myself."

"Tanner!" she asked, shocked.

"The same. He's locked up in the fort waiting to have his neck stretched. The sum I'll get for bringing him to justice will keep you in ribbons and lace until long after I'm dead, bonny one."

She tucked the coin into a pocked cleverly sewn into the skirt of her dress.

"I don't care about those things so long as you're safe. And how can I keep you safe, tidy sum or no, if you're off chasing pirates?"

Evangeline stood there tapping her foot even after her father kissed her on the top of the head.

"You won't be so critical once your new wardrobe arrives. I should imaging you'll be wanting to discuss cut and cost with your mother. Why don't you find her and tomorrow we'll go to port and see if you find any material you like."

Evangeline smiled eagerly and kissed her father on the cheek.

"If you ever fail to tell me you've gone off to fight again," she said sweetly "Being locked in your study will be the least of your worries."

Paul maneuvered her towards the door.

"Behave," he said as he gently pushed her out and closed the door behind her.

The next day, Evangeline was ensconced in a carriage with her parents and Sarah on their way down to the docks. She greedily took in the sights of the town life wishing, not for the first time, that she didn't have to be so proper. Her eyes widened when she was the newly constructed gallows. The smell of sawdust was carried on the breeze and even though there had only been four hangings at the fort since she could remember, that smell never made her think of new beginnings, but an ending.

"When will Tanner stand trial, father?" she asked.

"He'll be tried and hanged on the morrow along with four of his crewmen."

"Only four?" Amy inquired.

"He was running a light ship to be able to carry more plunder in the hold, but you're right that four isn't enough. A longboat was missing from his ship and we suspected at least four more men missing, but after a sweep of the waters we found nothing. It was assumed they drowned."

Evangeline looked out at the harbor and tried unsuccessfully to image such turmoil in such calm waters. It was like the island's volcano. The mountain was beautiful and lush with life, but the villagers spoke of it as a harbringer of death and refused to settle on that side of the island. The children that she had snuck away to play with as a girl said there was the remains of a village on the other side of the mountain between the forests and the sea. In the time of their grandparents' grandparents, the mountain erupted sending white hot ash over the village and turning all the people there to stone. They had dared each other to go there, but never made it farther that the life the villagers instinctively knew not to cross before remembering ailments and responsibilities that would keep them from trekking the rough terrain.

Paul left the carriage first and was in the process of helping Evangeline down, when a soldier ran up and turned him around, making Evangeline lose her footing and tumble from the carriage. She was about to berate the man within an inch of his life when she looked up and saw that his head was bloodied and he was very agitated.

"Sir," he cried "Tanner escaped this last hour. Some of his men must have survived the sea. They just ambushed the fort and released him."

"Well, find him, man!" Paul bellowed as he helped Evangeline to her feet.

"We're combing the island, sir. We don't think he has left yet."

"And why is that?"

"He said to give you this, sir."

The soldier handed Paul a piece of uniform that had been scrawled upon. Paul unfolded it and dropped it to the ground. Evangeline looked at her feet and read the words:

"Yours for mine."

Paul deposited Evangeline back in the carriage and spoke with the driver.

"Take them back to the house, immediately."

He then put his head in the window of the carriage and looked fiercely at Evangeline.

"If I hear you've left the house today because curiosity your aching backside will be the least of your worries. Goes for you too, Amy. This man is dangerous and I don't know what he wants. I will send soldiers up to the house to guard the doors. Stay. Inside."

With that he followed the injured soldier back to the fort, bellowing orders the whole way.

Night had fallen and her father still hadn't returned. Evangeline paced her room back and forth unable to sleep. Sarah snored in the corner. Typical. After a moment's thought, she pulled a robe over her nightdress and crept down the hall. A quick peek into her parents' room confirmed that her father had not arrived without her knowing. Her only consolation was that the night had been silent. No gunfire had broken the night. Sneaking down the stairs, she intended to see if her father was in his study. She turned the corner into the hallway that led to this room when a hand pressed itself against her mouth. Another arm snaked around her waist and pulled her backwards to an unyielding chest.

"Looks like I've found my plunder," said the man behind you "Scream and I'll cut yer throat now, understand?"

Evangeline nodded quickly, tears pooling in her eyes. The man slipped his hand off her mouth and turned her around.

"Tanner," she whispered, recognizing his face from news drawings.

"The one," he said with a sneer.

He was a head taller than her and had at least 60 pounds on her. All muscle and sinew. He was as formidable a man as she had ever seen. A purple scar ran the length of his red cheek and pulsed in the dark. Every inch of her trembled.

"Ye'll be leaving with me, missy."

Suddenly Evangeline was no longer afraid. She was angry. Very. She kept her voice low, but made sure there was a commanding tone in it.

"And what makes you think I'll leave with the likes of you, you filthy dog? You're not fit to lick my riding boots! I'll have you hanged for even setting foot in this house!"

Tanner chuckled and reached his hands into his belt, pulling out a pistol. He cocked it and aimed it at Evangeline's chest.

"I guess I'll be going with you, then." she said, voice trembling again.

He nodded his agreement and brought the pistol butt down hard on her head. It was the last Evangeline saw of her home.