Chapter 1

Martha Turner was a spirited child growing up. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Turner, formerly Swann, and Will Turner. She was not the couple's only child. Their first-born was a boy named Jack (named after Jack Sparrow). The children were ten years apart in age. The curse of the Flying Dutchman made it impossible for Will to set foot on land, aside from every 10 years. Will knew about his son, but he had no knowledge of his daughter Martha.

At the age of 9 Martha was sent to London to live will family. It was the same year that Jack Turner sailed away from the little island in search of his father. He knew that he would never find him, but he had the same desire to sail that his mother once had and that his younger sister had quickly developed.

Jack found himself sailing to Tortuga. From Tortuga he didn't know where to go to find his father. There were captains signing crews all over. One night he was in the tavern and a few men had far too much to drink. A small argument quickly became a duel in the middle of the tavern. The fighting escaladed and Jack ended among the dead that night. His family would never know what became of him.

Seven years later Martha was still in London. Occasionally she would sail to visit her mother, but a single journey would take months out of a year so it was a rare opportunity. Only two months after her sixteenth birthday Martha received word that her mother had passed away. Elizabeth had died of an illness that had gone untreated. Martha's immediate reaction was of sorrow, but soon she realized this gave her an opportunity to do something she'd dreamed of forever, to sail.

Martha immediately prepared to leave. Nothing was keeping her in London. In two days time she was on the docks preparing to jump on board of a ship. This, she found, was not an easy task.

Eventually, she found her way onto a boat. Luckily this boat was en route to Tortuga, just the place she desired to go first. Not only was it a dream of hers to sail, but she knew that if she did not find her father soon word of Elizabeth's death would travel to him. In his pain he would go on a rampage and attack many boats on the sea. Her only hope was to find the pirate that her mother spoke so fondly about, a Captain Jack Sparrow.

Upon exiting the boat at Tortuga Martha found herself wandering into a tavern (the tavern of which she would later learn her elder brother was killed in). In her dress the men's eyes were drawn to her. She was unlike the women who were regularly in the tavern. She was pretty, in fact beautiful. She was similar to her mother in appearance. The only noticeable difference was her hair. It was as dark as her father's, with just as many curls. She found the men swarmed to her like flies. She calmly continued into the tavern. There was a young man there, perhaps the age of her brother. She approached him in silence. If the man was her brother's age, perhaps he had once known him.

"Did you ever know a man by the name of Jack Turner?" she asked. The young man hadn't noticed her standing near him. Now seeing her, he hardly moved his eyes from her.

"Sure, he came through here years ago. Why do you want to know?" he replied with a questioning glance. The man had in fact, known Jack. He was with him the day he died.

Suddenly there was a loud noise at the doors. A tan skinned man with long dread locks marched in. He wore a three cornered hat on his head. On his belt he carried many things, including a sword, a gun, and a compass. Behind him stood an older man. This man had a ponytail of grey hair. The younger waved off the attention as if he was used to it. He paraded into the center of the room bringing even more eyes to him.

"I've got room for a few more men. Who would like to sail under the one and only, Captain Jack Sparrow?" he announced. No one made a sound.

"That's Jack Sparrow?" Martha asked the young man standing next to her. He only nodded. "I don't suppose you'll be sailing with him?"

"I'll sail, if ye'll have me," he volunteered. Jack's eyes fell on him. He looked him up and down and then took a few steps to lessen the gap between them. At this moment Martha took steps farther away from the two to avoid Sparrow's eye.

"Aye, and what gives you the qualifications to sail with me?" Jack asked.

"My father was a blacksmith. I've handled a sword since I was a child," he stated. The tone in his voice made it almost seem as if he feared the captain.

"What's your name boy?"

"James," was all he called himself. He gave no last name, only the one. James, a man who would haunt Martha's dreams for years to come.

"Welcome aboard, James," Jack said as he turned to leave. The older man followed him. As soon as he was outside of the tavern walls the commotion began again. James turned to look back at Martha but she was already following Captain Jack out the door. She quietly made her way behind him, being careful to stay out of eyesight. The pair led back to a boat easily recognizable as the Black Pearl. The two entered the ship only to exit again in a few moments. Martha hid while the captain and his mate walked back to the tavern. Swiftly she climbed aboard the Black Pearl and found herself an appropriate place to hide. In the morning the crew would board the Pearl and set sail for wherever their next journey would take them, and Martha would be sailing with them.