The waves hit against the rocks with dulling force as the splash of sea spray littered the young boy's face. The docks were quiet as the two ships, getting ready to set sail, waited for their crew. In new four hours both those ships would leave. Taking with them most of the villagers. Having an island with a small community of British people was a good idea. Starting up new colonies in the uninhabited islands was a good idea. Making a village full of people live on an island with a volcano as the centre of the island was not a good idea. And so, as black smog littered the air, and ash fell from the sky like snow, people packed up and left home. Being sent to another island, another British colony.

It was estimated that there was another two days before the volcano would truly erupt. After having several scares and false alarms the people of the small village were more than happy to leave.

"JACK!" The small boy turned his head at the call of his name. "Jack, come on. We're leaving soon." Standing up, the five-year-old shook the water off his feet and dried his face with his sleeve. He loved the salt water of the sea, so he was more than excited about his first voyage on a Merchant vessel. The small boy ran towards his mother, his infant legs carrying him as fast as they possibly could. She smiled at him in an affectionate yet disapproving manner when he arrived, kneeling down to him to place a light coat over his shoulders and handed him a pair of shoes.

"Thanks mum!" He called, running into the house and picking up his toy boat. The woman shook her head, heading inside after her son. Jack sat in front of the fire to dry his feet while his mother packed up what little belongings she was taking with them.

"Right Jack, are you ready?" The dark hair boy nodded his head, smiling from ear to ear. "Say goodbye then. We're going for a new life." Jack watched one tear slip from his mother's eyes as she looked around the small house. He didn't know why people cried when they said goodbye. It wasn't like that was everything over. Saying goodbye to one thing meant saying hello to another. Why was that so bad to grown-ups?

"Don't cry mother. I'll make our next home much better than this one. I promise." The woman smiled, wiping away her tears.

"Oh Jack, what would I do without you?" He shrugged, grabbing his mother's hand and dragging her out to the street with him. There were lots more people out in the street now, bundles under their arms as they tried to control excited children. Jack raised an eyebrow at the screaming boys, fighting with wooden swords. Was he usually like that? Did he usually look that stupid? Jack decided then that on this voyage he would be very well behaved. He was not going to act like them!

"Look Jack, that's our ship there." Jack looked at where his mother had pointed. Smiling at the great ship. The Reverence. "That ship will take us to our new home." Jack began to pull his mother faster, the woman laughing at his eagerness. "Hold on a moment Jack, I want to see where Mrs Alder is going." Jack stopped, waiting for the elderly woman who was walking slowly down the street. The poor woman was a widow, like his mother, but Jack had never really liked her, she kept calling him John. That wasn't his name.

"Oh, Charlotte, I just hope this Willow place hasn't got too many hills. I can't manage anymore of these." Mrs Alder said with a small laugh. "What ship is taking you my dear?" She asked.

"Jack and I are on the Reverence. What ship are you on?" Jack watched his mother take Mrs Alder by the arm and help her towards the dock. Jack took the bundle his mother was carrying and offered to take Mrs Alder's, getting a smile of pride from his mother and a ruffle of the hair in gratitude from the old lady.

"Oh, some hunk of wood called the Decadence. I can tell you, there's no way that thing is going to be decadent." She turned to Jack. "You think these ships are something?" He nodded his head, wondering where she was going. "Wait until you see the pirate ships out there. Now those ships, they are something." Jack's eyes widened. No one here mentioned pirates, it was always frowned on. Mrs Alder leaned down to whisper in Jack's ear, "My Harry was a pirate, god rest his soul. He was a good pirate too, and a good man." She winked at him and started talking to his mother about something. Jack was too confused to listen.

Harry Alder was a pirate? Jack couldn't remember much of the man; he had died when Jack was just a year and a half old. Although he had helped to support Jack's mother in the time she had been pregnant since her husband had died of some illness just after she had been expecting Jack. But how could a pirate be a good man? Weren't they all scoundrels? Didn't they kill innocent people and hurt women? All the women in the village, the ones who stood by the bakers and talked about everything had always said that pirates were evil men, that they were riddled with disease and that they had no morals. So, how could a pirate be a good man?

"Here you are Mrs Alder," Jack noticed that they had reached the dock and his mother had stopped to help Mrs Alder get on her ship. "We'll see you at the Willow." The woman waved, taking her bundle from Jack and getting on her ship. "Come on Jack, we're over there." Jack walked with his mother to the other merchant ship, registering their name and being taken down to the kitchen where all passengers were to eat before heading to the crews quarters where they would stay for the rest of the journey. They had been the last two aboard; the kitchen was empty save for the ships cook. Jack sat on the bench and ate his soup and bread, listening to the cook tell his mother everything about the voyage.

After only an hour or so sailing the ship dropped anchor, Jack frowned; he was told it would take a good day to get to where they were to live now. Why were they stopping now? There was the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, before Jack saw several men with large cutlasses and pistols appear. Pirates!

"'Ere, look what we've got." One of them smiled lewdly at Jack's mother, causing jack to cling to her arm. He wouldn't let them hurt his mother. "Ye 'hink the Captain would like this yen?" The other male laughed, nodding. Jack, his mother and the cook were all pulled up to the deck. All the merchant sailors were stood at one side of the ship, pirates pointing pistols at them.

"Captain! Look at this. They've got this lass 'ere." Jack was held back as his mother was given to the Captain. He was a tall man, with dark brown hair and dull green eyes. He didn't look like Jack thought a pirate would look like, not like the two who had taken him and his mum up to the deck. He looked clean, and in other circumstances Jack would have thought him to be a respectable man.

"What's your name?" He asked, his voice rather husky, but he would still seem like a proper gentleman. "Come on, luv. What's your name?"

"Charlotte Collins." She answered; Jack struggled against the pirate holding him. Biting down on an arm around his shoulders and jumping on a foot. He ran to stand in front of his mother, scowling at the pirate Captain. The man laughed, smiling down at the angry child.

"Your son?" He questioned, getting a nod out of the frightened woman, her arms wrapping around the boy's shoulders. "I'll tell you what, you and this boy come to my ship, and I shall not harm anyone of these men." He said, a surprisingly pleasant smile on his lips. Jack could sense his mother hesitance; her hold on him had tightened slightly.

"You're not going to hurt my mum." Jack said, his tone surprisingly resolute. It wasn't a question, he was telling them.

"No, sprite. I'm not going to cause the young lady here any harm at all." He told the boy, small brown eyes slanted more, the scowl becoming more pronounced. His mothers hold slackened and he looked up at her, wondering what she was thinking.
"Very well," she told the pirate, her head held high. "You cause no harm to these people and I shall join you on your ship. With my son." The Captain smiled, nodding his head and ordering his men back to their ship. Jack was led across the gangplank to the pirate ship while the Merchant sailors watched the woman and child be taken away to what they thought would be a life of slavery.

"Welcome, Charlotte Collins, to the Black Pearl." Jack looked around at the ship. It had black sails, the wood was a stained dark cherry, it was a demonic ship, but it was absolutely breathtaking. Mrs Alder was right, the pirate ship was more magnificent than any merchant vessel he had seen. "I am Captain Taylor Sparrow." The Captain signalled for a crewmember to come over. "Mr Wilson, set up a room for Miss Collins and her son. Preferably on the upper level." The crewman nodded, walking away hurriedly.

"So, are we to be your men's slaves?" Jack's mother asked in a clipped tone.

"No, my dear, you are to be the lady of the ship." Captain Sparrow answered with a glint in his eyes.

"If you expect me to whore myself to these…men, you are sorely mistaken Captain." A small laugh escaped the Captain's throat and Jack watched him in a curious manner. This pirate was very strange, very strange indeed.

"My dear, if one of these men touches you without consent, I pray that you would inform me instantly." Charlotte Collins was taken back at this.

"So what am I to do here then?" She was led down to the kitchens where a plump woman stood, peeling potatoes and singing to herself.

"Marlene is our cook, unfortunately she is having trouble with her joints and will need assistance. Would you be able to help?" He made it seem like a request, like if she didn't want to she could turn him down. But Jack watched his mother nod her head a few times, looking over at the plump smiling woman. "And your son," the Captain looked down at him and smiled, "I think he would make for a good cabin boy." Jack frowned at the name. A cabin boy? What on earth did a cabin boy do?

"Excuse me, sir." Jack said, his voice strangely quiet. Captain Sparrow looked at him, clearly stunned at being call 'sir'. "What does a cabin boy do?" Sparrow smiled.

"Come with me and I'll tell you." Jack looked at his mother, getting a nod in encouragement before following the pirate Captain above deck.

After just a few weeks on the Black Pearl, it began to feel like home for Jack, and Charlotte found herself enjoying being on the ship just as much. Jack was told of pirate stories by the crewmen and the Captain, he was already on his way to being a pirate himself. He had found out what Mrs Alder meant when she said a pirate could be a good man. Taylor Sparrow was a pirate, and he was a good man. And Jack had noticed the growing admiration he had towards the Captain of the ship; he had also noticed the time his mother spent with the Captain.

Jack woke late one night, almost two months after being taken aboard the ship. His mother was not in her bed; Jack was confused and just a little worried. He left his own bed and walked up to the deck, hearing the Captain he figured he could ask him if he had seen Charlotte.

"Have you made up you mind yet?" Jack frowned, the Captain was talking with someone, maybe he should wait until they were finished.

"Yes." That was his mother's voice! Jack stopped, hiding under the stairs to listen to their conversation. "Jack is happy here, and as strange as it is, I too am happy here." Is that what they were discussing? Whether or not they were going to stay on the ship?

"And what about my other proposition?" Sparrow asked, Jack frowned as the Captain caressed his mother's cheek lovingly, the woman leaning into the touch.

"I…" Charlotte hesitated, looking at the deck before looking back at the Captain, "I would very much like to be with you, Taylor." Jack's jaw hit the deck. They were…together? That's what the gossiping women called it. When a woman took up with man. Were they going to be like his father had been to his mother? Were they going to get married? This was just too much. Jack turned and went back to his bed, not really wanting to witness his mother kissing the Captain. Well, at least she was happy, he thought. It had taken a while for her to get used to being at sea. Now maybe Jack would be able to see her smile again.