The Call of the sea.

By Latanya

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the Pirates of the Caribbean or NUMA but I do own Pearl, her yacht "The Black Pearl II" and anything else that I made up.

Chapter One: The family heirlooms.

            "Right, that just leaves me to phone in the orders." She glanced at her PDA thoughtfully before turning her eyes back to her yacht. "That is of course, unless I've forgotten something important…."

            Walking over to the gangplank, her eyes were trained on the deck while she thought. If she'd been using a lead pencil to write down her list on a notepad, the end would have been well chewed by the time she reached the locker where she kept her dive gear. Opening the door, she checked all the tanks to see how much oxygen was in them before making sure there was nothing in there that needed to be repaired or replaced. Once that was done, she continued to go around the deck of the yacht, checking all of her expensive equipment that she used when searching for sunken wrecks. These included all the various pieces of technology which were lowered into the water and dragged along to drop signals down to the seabed.

            Heading inside, the woman went through the same process of checking everything especially the computers and special screens that were linked to the equipment outside. Stopping in the kitchen, she shook her head and busied herself going through the cupboards to see what she should stock up on. Adding anything she needed to get or to do to her list on the PDA, she noticed the time and growled.

            "I should better go back up to the house and phone Mychael at NUMA in Australia." She muttered, remembering that she had promised to return his phone call from the day before. "Wonder what they want me for this time?"

            Dragging open the door into her house, she sat down at the kitchen bench and pulled the phone over to her. Noticing that there was a message on the answering machine, she pressed play, fully expecting it to be from Mychael.

            "Pearl, it's your sister Elizabeth. Henry and I are coming over to you today to give you something that father wanted you to have after he died. We're just leaving now and should be at your beach house by three in the afternoon. You had better be there."

            "Crap! You have got to be kidding me!" Pearl cursed, slamming her hand down on the counter, "Elizabeth is coming here with something for me?"

            She frowned and looked over at the clock. It read two-thirty. That left her with half an hour in which to phone Mychael and to calm herself for the arrival of her "beloved" sister. Pearl felt like choking and wondered why Elizabeth was coming as well instead of just sending Henry.

            "The poor chook, I should have warned him what he was marrying when he proposed to Elizabeth." She found Mychael's number and called him.

            It was hard to get through to NUMA in Australia and Pearl soon found herself on call waiting. Listening to some kind of music, which was meant to sound like whales calling to each other, she yawned and was glad to hear the click of the phone being picked up.

            "Pearl, darling, how good of you to return my call so soon." Mychael's voice could be heard on the other end of the phone-line.

            She cringed at the loudness of his voice, "Hey Mychael, how are you? And your wife and kids, how are they?"

            "They're great Pearl. How have you been? Not getting into to much trouble with the authorities over who owns what you recover from various ship wrecks?"

            "Me? In trouble? With the authorities? Never!" She snorted, "So what's up Mychael? NUMA doesn't normally phone me for any old reason so you must have something in mind."

            "NUMA values the intelligence and resourcefulness of the infamous Pearl Turner. Now, the thing is, the wreck we're after you to come to is not exactly sunken ships. Rather, it's sunken planes from World War Two."

            "Planes? Well they're not quite my area of expertise but I can deal with that. Where exactly are they and why does NUMA want me on board this time?"

            Pearl could hear the talking in the background of Mychael's office before he answered her questions. "They're near Broome Pearl and… well… NUMA wants you in on this site because of how dangerous it is. There is only something like three to six days a year when you can safely access most of the planes. Everyone knows what you are like when it comes to dangerous sites. Hell, you've dived in below freezing conditions in Antarctica and in the middle of storms when everyone else was panicking about getting everything secured."

            Pursing her lips, she thought about it. "So you're saying that the only reason NUMA wants me involved is because I'll disregard all warnings and precede without to much of a worry? Geez Mychael, you guys really know how to make a girl feel wanted."

            "You're welcome Pearl. So, are you interested? It won't be for another three months before it's in the safe period to dive. I hope you'll come because when you're around, one never knows what's going to happen. You make every site fun."

            "Are you trying to sweet talk me into coming to your sunken plane site Mychael McClelland? You know I hate being flattered."

            There was laughter in the background and a woman's voice answered for Mychael. "Darling, he's not flattering you. Everyone knows that you're the best to have around on a difficult site and that you make it all seem so easy."

            "Claire, you obviously wasn't around when I went down to the Titanic a few years ago. I think the guy operating the submarine probably wanted to strangle me and it's likely that he still does."

            "I heard about that." Mychael muttered, "Apparently you suffered from anxiety and wouldn't shut up for the entire trip down."

            She glanced up at the clock and cursed, "God damn it! My sister is going to be here soon."

            Clair asked her, "So are you going to come join the site? We're hoping to uncover the few planes that haven't been found yet. Some of them are visible during parts of the year when the tide's low enough but there are quite a few which rest in watery graves unknown."

            "She'll come Clair," McClelland spoke, "The Red Pearl never refuses the chance to dive on a complicated and dangerous site."

            Pearl smiled when he referred to her by her nickname Red Pearl. She was called that because of her red hair and fiery temper. "Well, if you put it that way Mr McClelland, I might come and have a look. Will it be safe for me to bring the Black Pearl II into the bay?"

            "Should be fine. By the way, how is your lovely catamaran yacht going? Last time I saw her, you were sailing into a storm off the coast of Papua New Guinea." Clair asked curiously.

            "The Pearl's fine though that storm did do some damage." She cringed when she heard her sister's voice and a knocking on the door. "I'm going to have to hang up on you guys over in Australia but you can be assured that there is a possibility I'll be in Broome in two and a half months. Should see you then I guess."

            "Good bye Pearl." Clair and Mychael spoke at the same time.

            "Ciao belle, sir. Stay safe will you."  

            Putting the phone down, Pearl got up and walked through the beach house to the front door. Upon opening the door, she was met by her angry sister and her poor husband. Without even saying hello, Elizabeth told Henry to carry the chest he was struggling with into the house.

            Watching them go past her, she rolled her eyes, "Hello to you to Elizabeth. How are you Elizabeth? Me? Oh, I'm fine. How's your work been?"

            "Pearl, where do you want me to put this down?" Henry called out though his wife soon scolded him and told him just to dump it.

            Standing in the doorway, Pearl stared at her sister in shock. "Elizabeth, how nice to see you. I hope you have a good reason for dragging yourself away from your important work to visit your poor little sister on the coast. I mean, I wouldn't want you to be wasting your time by coming to see me."

            Elizabeth sneered, "No matter what's happening Pearl, coming to see you is always a pleasurable waste of my precious time. Now, to the point of why I am here. Well, father left you this strange chest when he died but we didn't know about it."

            "I was going through the attic at the manor and found it there with a letter for you taped securely to the top. See, it's still there." Henry glanced at his wife cautiously in case she hadn't wanted him to say anything.

            "That's not the point Henry." She snapped at him, "I thought it would be a good idea to deliver it to you as soon as possible so I wouldn't have to worry about it. Now, are you going to offer us a drink since we drove all this way to bring you some dusty old chest."

            Kneeling down beside the chest, Pearl studied the lock before pulling the letter off the top. Opening it up, she started to read it silently to herself.

            "Dearest Pearl, I am sorry I did not pass this to you before I died but I thought it would be better if you received it after I died. Youngest daughter of mine, you were always more like your mother though a true Turner you are. The call of the sea is strong in your blood and I know our ancestors Will and Elizabeth Turner would be proud of you. In you, the Turner line continues on and will continue on into time. This chest goes with the diaries of Elizabeth and Will that I left you in my will but this is something that few Turner's have known about. This chest is our true family heirloom as passed down since Will and Elizabeth. No one knows what is inside it but I believe you'll not hesitate to go against caution and open it. Be careful sweet Pearl because this chest goes with the story passed down about Captain Jack Sparrow and his ship, the Black Pearl – the one for which you were named and for which you named your beautiful yacht. Pearl; know that I loved you even when I allowed Elizabeth to put you down. You were my daughter more than she but you to often turned to your mother because she defended you against your sister. I am sorry I did not follow her example more often my daughter but you know how rarely I was at home because of my job. Live a wonderful life Pearl because you deserve it and live knowing that I loved you Pearl, even when you believed that I didn't. Your loving and devoted father, André Turner."

            A tear rolled down her cheek and Pearl sniffled before folding the letter and putting it in her pocket. "Thank you Henry for bringing the chest in here, I owe you a couple of beers. However, Elizabeth, I think you can leave now. It's about time I stood up for myself when dealing with you. And you know what Henry, it's about time you stood up for yourself against her."

            Elizabeth gasped, "Pearl! How dare you speak to me like that! I am your older sister and you must respect me. As for you Henry, don't you dare listen to her or else."

            He bowed his head but not before he had a chance to smile to Pearl, "Yes Elizabeth, what ever you say Elizabeth."

            Shaking her head, Pearl stalked past her sister and down the hall to the front door, "Goodbye Elizabeth. Fare you well Henry." She kissed her brother-in-law's cheek as he passed her. "Don't let that bitch get you down Henry. You're too good a man for her."

            "How many times have you told me that Pearl?" He whispered back to her. "I'll talk to you another day when she's at work. Be good."

            "Ciao Henry." She waved to him. "Good riddance Elizabeth and please don't come back any time soon."

            Watching them drive off, Pearl was stuck by a pang of guilt. Would her behavior make things worse for Henry? She hoped not. Returning to the chest, Pearl pulled out a pair of hairpins from her hair and shook the length of her long red curls out. Sitting down beside the chest, she set to work on the lock with the two pins and laughed joyfully when the lock fell open.

            "James Bond, eat your heart out!" She chuckled, lifting the lid up to see what was inside.

            At the site of glittering gold coins, Pearl's mouth fell open in shock. She couldn't think clearly and tentatively reached out to pick up one of the coins. They were French Doubloons from the 1700's and would fetch a pretty price if she sold them to a museum. Shaking her head again, Pearl noticed a strange old compass and leather bound book. Lifting the book from its bed of gold, she wiped the dust off the cover and opened it. The elegance of the writing struck her as strange when she read what was written there.

            Flicking through the pages and reading parts of the book, Pearl came to the conclusion that it was another diary for her to read through though she was not too sure of who had written it. For all intensive purposes, she would have easily believed what the person who had written it called himself but years of being told that Captain Jack Sparrow didn't exist were drilled into her brain.

            "Oh come now Pearl, my dear. You know Captain Jack Sparrow existed even if they told you he didn't." She muttered to herself, "You hold in your hands the proof if it can be called as such."

            Flipping to the last page of writing, she read carefully what was written there. "This be the last here thing I'll put down on these pages 'cause time has passed though I've not changed since I got my beloved Pearl back. Must be that damn curse. Well I'll leave a chest of Spanish gold for Will and his children to be passed down their family until such a time as I am forgotten. Don't know how long that will be but I'll leave in the chest my compass to find the island where I will take the Pearl and myself to rest for eternity. If anyone ever reads this again, I hope that I have long since passed on to whatever after life there might be. It is strange how I have watched everyone grow old while I have not changed at all. Well, I hope the Turner family lives on for a long time and that better fortunes come to them in the future for they are an honorable family and I don't know what I would have done without them sometimes. Old Will saved me too many times to count. Good-bye to the world and to life I hope, the Pearl and I will go and rest. May no one ever disturb the resting place of The Black Pearl or her captain, Jack Sparrow. I hope also, that no Turner ever comes after us because their blood would lift the curse and I have no desire to live any longer. Farewell to the world, to my friends and to the beloved Turner family."

            "My god, it cannot be true." She muttered, reading the passage again.

            It became clear in her mind what she must do and what her plans for the time she had before going to Broome would be. She would try and find the Island where the Black Pearl hid her treasure though she knew that there was no Isla de Muerta in the Caribbean or anywhere that she could think of.

            "Well Captain Jack Sparrow, I'll find your beloved ship the Black Pearl and I'll bring her forth into the world so that people can add another famous pirate to their lists. You'd like that wouldn't you? Fame renowned."

            Getting up, she went back to the kitchen and found her PDA to add a few items to her list. Then, sitting down beside the phone, Pearl phoned in her orders and arranged for most of them to be delivered the next day. When that was done, she went down to the yacht and started to tidy her up.

            If everything went well, they would set off for the Caribbean in three or four days. Hopefully, the weather would be kind to her and Pearl wouldn't encounter any storms as she so often did.

            Later on, Pearl changed out of her clothes and into a swimsuit before diving off the side of her yacht into the clear blue waters of the small bay. Enjoying her swim, she couldn't help but wonder why things had turned her way as they had. If she could find the resting place of the Black Pearl, then she would be happy for the entire of her life. However, if she could not, it would not matter because no one would ever know except her.

            Everything did go well and within five days of Elizabeth bringing the chest to her, Pearl set sail for the Caribbean on her beloved yacht, the Black Pearl II. The only thing that went against her was the storm that set in two days from shore and stayed around for a while.