Astrid

Part One of the Astrid Series

Full Summary: Jack finds himself taking care of a baby girl after finding out that he's her biological father. But after five years, Jack realizes that he will never be able to take care of his daughter well, and he turns to his good friends, Elizabeth and Will, for help. It's only then when Jack realizes that he must make the hardest decision he'll ever make in his life; and that decision is saying good-bye to his daughter. Over time, the girl grows up with a mind of her own and a love for the sea, and her pirate roots will lead her back to where she came from. (Story is shown through the daughter's point of view)

Chapter One: Left Behind

Father woke me early that morning saying that we had a lot to do that day. I was obedient and got out of my hammock as soon as he spoke the orders, for I loved my father very much, and I would never want to disappoint him.

I dressed rather sloppily, for no one ever taught me properly how to dress myself. I brushed my hair as well as I could in my cabin aboard the Black Pearl and headed out.

"Astrid! Ye ready, love?" my father called out as I walked up the stairs to the deck.

"Aye, Daddy!" I yelled back.

I walked on deck surprised to see that the crew was hardly busy at all. Usually by that hour, they were hustling about the deck as my father gave them orders. Today though, not one person was given an order. My father walked up to me and picked me up and started carrying me to the helm. I felt a strong wind pass by and it undid my hair. I scowled, for I had worked hard to get it done, but my father chuckled at me.

"Why are you laughing?" I said.

"C'mon, Astrid. Lemme see what to do about your hair." He set me down on the ground again and fiddled around with my hair. "Oh, it's useless. Your hair is untamable, love," he laughed, and I gave him a frown.

"Where are we going today? Ye won't leave me 'ere with Ana Maria again, will you? I wanna go with you."

"Don't worry. Yer coming with me for sure this time." I grinned at him, and he picked me up yet again.

"Surprises me how I've managed to take care of you for five years, Astrid," he said.

Unaware was I to see that a hint of sadness and pain shone in my father's eyes. "C'mon. We have to get going. I have... a lot to do today." He set me gently on the wooden deck and walked up to captain the helm alone. I watched him, and I called out to him.

"Yer not gonna leave, are ya? You will let me come, aye?"

"Aye," he sighed. "In a way, ye have to come with me."

"Are ye sure? 'Cause before you always lef' me behind, and last time I went with you, ye got mad at me an' said—"

"Astrid, I promise you. You'll come. An' I won't get mad." I sensed the annoyance in his voice.

"Ye promise? No tricks?"

"No tricks."

"Good."

I walked up on the helm and stood beside him as he steered our ship. I was five years old, and I didn't know much about the world of regular people. I only remembered how to live as a pirate. I didn't even know pirates were bad, in a way, and that my father was one of the most ruthless pirates at sea in the Caribbean.

I tugged on his sleeve. "Where are we going?"

"To Port Royal. We're gonna see a couple of my mates, 'kay love?"

"Really? Who are they?"

"Will Turner and his wife, Elizabeth... and their son, Roland."

"Rolan'? What kinda name is Rolan'?"

"What kinda name is Astri'?" He mimicked my inability to pronounce the letter "d" in words.

"You said that you didn't gimme me name!" I laughed. "You told me me mum gave it to me!"

"And she did. If I gave ye a name, I'd name you..."

"Wot?"

"I'd name you Astrid. Wouldn't have it any other way. Now, we're wasting time with our little chat. We gotta get going."

"Can we eat first?"

"Why the hell would ya wanna do that?"

"'Cause I'm hungry. Why else?" I rubbed my belly and smiled.

My father reluctantly fulfilled my wishes, and he called over to a crewmember and ordered him to take over the ship while he went down with me to the captain quarters. But I was rather surprised at my father's response. He hardly ever ate breakfast with me.

By now, I could clearly see this Port Royal that my father had spoke of, but when we dropped anchor, I grew confused.

"Jack?" I asked. I either called him by his first name or called him 'Daddy.' I didn't like calling him 'Father.' Besides, I think he preferred it when I addressed him by 'Jack.'

"Daddy, why are ye stoppin'?" But he didn't hear me. He was busy ordering his crew around, but I managed to grab one of the pirates. "What are we doing?"

"Haven't you seen the signs, little Sparrow? Pirates'll be hanged if they see us."

"Am I a pirate?"

"Aye. You got it in your blood for God's sake." He left me and I stomped over to my father.

"What's going on?" I said, tugging on his sleeve. He shooed me away with his hand. "Daddy, what the bloody hell is going on?" That got his attention, and he looked at me.

"Never say 'bloody hell,' Astrid."

"But ye say it all the time."

"You're little." He squirmed a bit. "And you're a girl. Can't have a girl speak like a pirate. Plus, you need to behave when you meet Will and Elizabeth."

"Hmmph!" I crossed my arms and jutted my bottom lip out at him.

"Listen here, love." I could tell he was angry with me. "You act like a good little lady and we'll play a game before we leave, savvy?"

"For how long?"

"As long as you want."

I nodded subtly.

"There. That's a good lassie." He rumpled my hair and I giggled. He laughed back, but walked away before I could give him a 'thank you' hug.

A rowboat was set down from the ship, and my father and I went down with it. He gave his crew orders to keep watch, and with that, we rowed towards the docks. We reached them rather quickly, for my father seemed in a hurry. We walked on a dock, but men in red coats immediately came running to us. "Look, now, Sparrow," a guard said. "We won't send for the Commodore if you leave promptly."

Jack took a step back and grinned at the two gentlemen.

"Now who said that I was staying? I'm just here to visit some old friends."

The guards remained silent, and my father tapped my shoulder, signalling for me to go on walking. But before I knew it, a gun was pointed at my head: a gun held rather clumsily by a seeminly nervous soldier.

"Now, now, you wouldn't shoot an innocent little girl now would you?" my father said.

"She came with you, and that is her crime," a guard replied. His voice was shaking.

"All right. Go ahead. Shoot her." My father picked me up with one arm and snatched the nose of one of the guard's guns and pressed it against my forehead. "Shoot the little bonnie lass." I felt the gun nozzle tremble against my forehead and I closed my eyes tight. I heard the soldier sigh aggravatedly before moving the gun nozzle off my forehead. I breathed a little easier afterwards, as did the guard.

"C'mon, love. Let's get going." Before leaving, he turned back to the cowardly guards. "Oh, and let's keep this between us shall we? If not, then, I can just send my crew out here to—"

"W-we won't tell," they stammered.

"Good." My father lifted me up and he ran into town, not even minding the heads turning our way.

I soon found myself at a large door belonging to a very large house. It was beautiful. Unlike any house I had ever seen. Then again, I hadn't seen many buildings. I was always at sea for the most part.

"This is Elizabeth and Will's house, love," my father said, noticing me gawk at the house.

He knocked on the door, and it was answered by gray haired servant. The already mentioned Will Turner was then summoned. A tall young man came shortly after. His hair was dark and his eyes were brown, and behind him was a lady fair of face, with golden hair.

"Jack?" said the man.

"Aye, it's good ol' Jack here, mate!"

"What are you doing here?" The man's eyes scanned fervently around, almost as if he was expecting trouble.

"Oh, Will, can't I stop by to say 'hullo' to the most beautiful family in the world?" My father walked into the home and I followed him. It was then when I noticed the small, brown haired boy with hazel eyes standing behind the lady. "Is this your son?"

"Yes," said the lady. The boy cowered from my father and hid behind his mother's dress.

"Jack, your visit is rather unexpected. We're not entirely prepared for whatever adventure you bring to our doorstep. What brings you here?" she asked. He looked at me, and then looked back at the lady.

"It's for more than one reason, as you can see, Elizabeth." It was then when Will and Elizabeth looked at me, and their eyes showed amazement yet worry at the same time.

"Jack," Elizabeth said. "A child? You have a child?"

He shrugged, somewhat uncomfortable about the subject and I knew Jack was never much of an uncomfortable man. He was always quite at ease.

Elizabeth stared harder at me, and I grew uncomfortable.

"She looks... nothing like you. Maybe it was a mis—"

"It wasn't, Elizabeth. She's really my own. If you watch her, you'll see that she's a lot like me."

Elizabeth turned to me then, her pretty face smiling and she bent down and asked me what my name was. I told her and she then wanted to know if I was hungry or wanted anything to eat. I said I wasn't. I noticed that the boy hiding behind he dress was casting looks at me, and I was eager to ask him why. But I tired of introductions. I wanted Jack to hurry up so we could play the game that he promised.

After her small chat with me, Elizabeth then gave her attention back to my father and asked:

"Jack, why have you brought her here?"

I was led and then locked in what seemed like a playroom with the boy named Roland and a quiet maid as my father left to speak with his friends. I stared at the closed entryway, waiting for my father to come back and play with me.

"What's your name?" The sound of someone speaking drew me out of my daydream, and I turned to Roland.

"Me name's Astrid."

"What kind of a name is Astrid?" His nose scrunched up. "Doesn't sound very British."

Well, maybe I'm not British. Ever thought of that?

I snorted softly and sat my bum in a cushioned chair close to where the maid was sitting. I figured that she was there to mind us.

"You want to play?" asked Roland, picking up a little wooden sword and waving it in front of my nose.

"Ever play pirates?"

"Sure! Lots of times! I play it with my par—"

The door was unlocked and Roland didn't finish his sentence. I had hoped for Jack, but my father was not in the entrance. It was Elizabeth.

"Roland," she said, "Come, darling. Lisa wants you to help her cook dinner. Jack needs to talk to Astrid." Roland left me and went to his mother, and she gently took his hand and they left the room.

My father appeared shortly after.

"Ready to play, Astrid?" he said.

"Am I ever!" I jumped up and we walked out into the gardens of the mansion.

My father started off our game quickly and I was hooked from the first second. We played pirates, and I got to be captain while he was my first mate. We played as though we were in a storm on a search for treasure, and then he made me go overboard, and he played the shark that would eat me. I screamed and laughed as I ran from him. He chased me, and he caught me from behind.

"Ah! I've got you now!" he said.

"No, you haven't!" I drew my pretend sword and I made to "kill" him. He fell on the ground, acting as though he was dead. "C'mon, get up! You're not dead!" I kicked him playfully in the side and he grabbed my leg. I shrilled, and pulled my leg free as he chased me some more.

Our game went on for what seemed like hours until I became so tired that I wanted to game to stop. I fell onto the soft grass and closed my eyes, and before long, I was asleep.

I woke up and found myself on a couch. Jack was not even nearby. I looked out a window and saw that it was early evening. The sun was just setting. I didn't know that I had been asleep for so long, and I woke up confused. Where was my father?

"Daddy?" I called. The room was silent. I bit my lip. He promised me that I'd go on this adventure with him. He promised me that he wouldn't leave me behind.

"Daddy?" I said again, more urgently. I walked out of the room and called his name over and over again, but no one answered.

Then I accidentally ran into the living room where Elizabeth, Will and Roland were.

"Have you seen Jack?" I asked them. Elizabeth's head shot up, and she over looked at Will before turning back to me. "Where is he?"

"Astrid..." she said to me. "Come here and take a seat." She patted the cushion of the sofa she was at. I did as I was told and sat next to her. "Astrid, Jack's... gone away for a while."

I clenched my jaw and my fists. She couldn't have said that me. She couldn't have. I stared long and hard at her until my eyes stung, and I sniveled as I turned around so that my back faced her.

"No, he's not!" I shouted. "He told me he wouldn't leave me behind!"

"Astrid, he's just gone away for a little bit. He told us to tell you—" I stopped listening.

"He's not gone!" I screamed, standing up confused, flustered, and angry. "He promised me! He promised me!" I didn't know that I was now crying and sobbing like a baby.

"Astrid, Astrid," said Elizabeth evenly, she took my hand and patted it gently, but I pulled it away. "Calm down, Astrid. It's going to be all right."

"No! He promised me he wouldn't leave me! He said so! Why would he leave me if he loves me!"

I could not take it anymore. I fell against her, trembling as sobs wracked my tiny body. She rubbed my back soothingly, but I was not comforted.

"But he promised!" I wept. "He said he wouldn't leave me..." I felt bad that my snot and tears were falling onto her fine, frilly dress.

"He hasn't. He'll come back for you one day, Astrid. He'll come back."

But I didn't want him to come back ever. I wanted him to stay so that he wouldn't have left, and I wanted to run out into the street and find him there to prove to her that he didn't leave me: that he kept his promise to me. It wasn't right. I knew he loved me. I was his daughter. His own flesh and blood. He had to have loved me. He did love me, but despite it, I could not help but wonder why. If he loved me, then why did he leave me behind?

A/N: The first few chapters of this story will be rather simple and lacking detail. It is not because I'm a bad writer. Astrid is five when her story begins, and as you can tell, everything is in past tense. So she's probably looking back on this perhaps when she is 7 or 8. However, as the story progresses, you should note the significant change in description as Astrid gets older. Just thought I'd mention that. I didn't want to lose readers because the writing in the first few chapters was purposefully inadequate.