"Jack, if this is a dream, you can keep your boots and sword on. If it's not..."

"It's a dream!"

To his surprise, Angelica's eyelids fluttered back closed. To an even greater level of his astonishment, she turned over, resting her head on his chest, her arm across his waist.

"I've missed you," she murmured sleepily, burying her face into his chest, breathing him in.

After weeks on the sea, he couldn't imagine his scent being pleasant.

Nevertheless, she raised her head and pressed a lazy kiss to his lips. Although he would never admit it to her, he had missed her terribly as well. Not even the most rowdy of whores on Tortuga could match her fire.

He returned the kiss eagerly, even going as far to roll her over, so he was hovering over her. He awaited a sharp slap to the face, in the event that her half-slumber was disturbed by the action, but she only pulled him closer, her thin fingers quickly going to the buttons on his yellowing shirt.

He doesn't stop her.

"Wait! I'm with child... yours."

Jack, turning back towards her, raises a brow. "The only time we did... that was...what? A week ago?"

"No! Before... you were drunk!" Angelica pleads, lying through her teeth, her tone sickly sweet.

"I've actually never been that drunk."

Angelica watches as Jack staggers across the sand, towards his small rowboat.

"Wait! Jack, there's something I need to tell you! I love you, I always have! I love you, Jack," she moans, her voice filled with emotion. It was times like these that Jack found himself losing his resolve.

"As do I," he murmurs, his eyes focused on her lips. "Always have, always will." Despite himself, he was drawn forward, leaning closer and closer, intoxicated by her very scent.

If he didn't stop now, he wouldn't be able to.

"I gotta go."

He dashed across the sandy beach, putting as much distance between them as he could.

"Jack! This isn't over!"

He dove into the tiny rowboat, shoving it away from the shore.

"Jack!"

Eighteen Years Later...

Her thin fingers quickly tied the laces of her leather boots, securing the knot just below her knee.

It was the day of spring, and she wasn't going to waste it.

For the first time in months, the sun was up early in the morning. Very early in the morning, when game would be easy to find.

She always kept her knife safely tucked into her pocket, but her weapon on choice would always be her bow and arrow.

Sure, her mother had taught her how to wield a sword, but there weren't many wild animals one could hunt with a sword.

So she would stay loyal to her bow and arrow.

At seventeen years old, Lucia was just as strong as her mother was, and a force to be reckoned with.

Although she had her Mother's deep eyes, beautiful face, and stubborn mind, she was a spitting image of... well, she didn't know who.

Her father, she supposed.

She was animated, always moving her hands while she spoke, something her mother never did. She also could wield a smoldering gaze, one that would make any threat retreat from the fight. Her mother, although in possession of her own glare, never quite mastered the look.

And lastly, her smile. Whenever Lucia was plotting, a mischievious, crooked smirk would make it's way onto her lips. Angelica had a flawless grin, one of seduction and beauty.

There were so many qualities that Lucia contained that seemed to appear from nowhere, and it only worsened when she grew older.

Throwing her bow over her shoulder, she crept out of her still household and into the early morning air.

The small cottage was inhabited by only her and her mother, and it was starting to fall into disrepair. With the two of them, the income was extremely low, it was often hard to find work.

So, Lucia had learned to hunt from an early age. Meat was expensive, but she was able to cut down on costs by bringing home small game like hares or birds.

Winter had been hard, but with the mornings getter lighter, she was able to hunt once more.

The cottage sat on the top of a grassy hill, so it was a long walk to the forest.

She trudged down the hill, weapons in hand. She drew the bow from her shoulder, stringing the arrow, her senses instantly heightening. She needed a kill today, they couldn't afford to eat otherwise.

It was getting harder and harder to survive.

Lucia knew they needed money, desperately. Work was nearly impossible to find, and her mother had been running herself ragged - up in the early hours of the morning, and not getting home until long after the sun had gone down. And even then, they didn't have enough.

But her condition didn't appear to be improving. She didn't see a trace of any wildlife, and it was beginning to get too late in the morning for hunting. She would have to go home empty handed. She gave up, and began heading for the beach, and decided to try her hand at fishing.

They didn't own a boat, so all she could do was roll up her pant legs and wade into the clear waters, hoping to catch something of a decent size.

But when grass dissolved into sand, and she broke through the trees onto the sandy shores, she met a sight that she hadn't expected to see.

A ship, with dark, knotted wood and ragged black sails.

I don't own anything but the plotline, and Lucia.

Well, I know this chapter is short, but they will get longer. The plot hasn't even begun, yet.

Please, tell me what you think, constructive critism is defintely welcome. No, in this fanfic, Angelica didn't know that she was pregnant, she thought she was lying to Jack.

Thank you so much for reading!

-PRG