Hello all! This is my first fanfiction story, and I am really excited to share with you all! Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter One: Admitting Defeat

Emma narrowed her eyes at her newest opponent. She circled him with precise footwork and looked him over for a moment before she swiftly blocked the attack he had just thrown at her; this guy looked half drunk!

Her sword clashed with his as she easily blocked his attempts with ease, over and over. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes before lunging forwards, her sword stopping in front of his neck. "Admit your defeat." She said flatly.

The drunkard looked at Emma's sword fearfully and gulped. "I am defeated." He said hoarsely.

Emma grinned at the effect she had on the man. She didn't really understand the looks that people gave her sometimes. The wealthy elite looked down their noses at her. While she knew she shouldn't care what their rich arses thought of her, it still made her feel like scum. Others gave her looks of sympathy, which wasn't altogether very welcome either. And even others gave her looks of hate and distrust.

"Good fight." She tried to say enthusiastically as she cleared her mind of her thoughts. The fight had been anything but good, but she extended her hand out anyways, shaking it with the man. The man dropped a couple coins in her hand and nodded to her before stepping back into the crowd, grumbling under his breath at his loss of money.

Emma looked up at the sky and then at the crowd that was watching her. This is what she did. She would fight people, men and occasionally women, in a nonviolent match, and whoever won, won. It was always a bet – she had to make money somehow. She has yet to be defeated.

She originally learned how to sword fight from her father. He had been an expert swordsman and she always found it exciting and fun to play with the dangerous weapons. While her father had been happy at her keen interest in swords, she always suspected that he wanted her to learn to be able to defend herself as well.

The brunette's dark brown eyes scanned the meager crowd and she sheathed her sword for the moment. "Anyone else care to try and defeat me?" She asked, her voice carrying cockily over the crowd. When there was no reply, she took a deep breath and turned around, collecting the small amount of coins that she had made for the day. She slipped them in a pocket in her dirty brown pants. Her once-white shirt was slightly big and her medium length brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. It became rather cumbersome during fights to leave it down.

She was just about to make her way through the crowd and head home when a husky voice stopped her.

"How 'bout one more match?"

Emma turned around and couldn't help but just stare at the figure before her. He wasn't your normal Port Bain citizen. Yes, she had fought people from other ports and towns, but none as odd as this. He wore a worn tri-cornered hat and his hair had trinkets, beads, and bones woven through it, a braided kind of look. He wore a black captain's coat over a dirty white shirt, as well as a belt with a pistol, compass, sword, and other effects. He could be none other than a pirate, a pirate captain.

Emma raised an eyebrow at his bizarre appearance and took out her sword. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by another man, breaking through the few people that remained to watch and out of breath.

"Jack! Do you really think that now is the time to stop and meddle with the citizens when the navy is a—" He was cut short as Jack turned around and gave him a look that stopped him midsentence. Gibbs merely nodded at his captain before giving a second glance at Emma and disappearing. She turned her gaze back to Jack and watched as he fixed his hat on his head.

"So, Jack is it?" She weighed her sword in her hand. "Think you can beat me?" She asked arrogantly.

Jack looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "No doubt about it, love." He paused grinning, "But one more thing before we begin. Do you have a name?"

Emma narrowed her eyes slightly. Why did he need to know her name? "Emma. Emma Sharp." She answered finally.

Jack waited hardly a moment after she had answered before swinging his sword towards her. Despite being caught off guard, Emma's sword quickly parried his. "Nice try." She said, grunting as she pushed his sword away from hers.

Jack raised his sword again and Emma's met his with equal speed, blocking it once again. This time, Emma did not wait for Jack to attack. She moved offensively and her sword struck out with such speed that it was merely a flash of silver to the onlookers.

Jack's grin grew as he easily blocked her sword, again and again. He could tell that he was frustrating the girl and he decided it was time to end this fight quickly.

He powerfully swung his sword around, and as Emma moved to block it, she was caught off guard by the amount of force he had exerted behind it. Emma's sword flew out of her hand and landed on the ground a coupled feet away from her. Her eyes widened as she realized in dismay that she wouldn't be able to reach her sword in time. She looked back at Jack who had his sword pointed at her neck. "Still think ye can beat me?" He asked in a mocking, arrogant tone.

Emma narrowed her eyes and, thinking quickly, dropped to the ground, swinging one leg around and sweeping the pirate captain's feet out from beneath him. Jack fell on his back and gave a shout of surprise. Emma lunged for her sword and jumped to her feet. Jack had just as quickly stood back to his feet.

They circled each other for a moment before Emma made the first move, thrusting her sword forward at him. He parried it easily. Their swords continued to clash, thrusting, blocking, parrying. Emma's frustration grew as the fight prolonged; she had never been in a fight as well matched and long as this one.

With these thoughts and her frustrations, her attention wavered and she felt cold metal hit her arm. She bit back the pain and the cry that threatened to escape. She jerked back her arm and gripped her sword tighter. She angrily raised her sword for another attack, but he blocked it easily again. She could feel blood seeping out of the cut on her arm, soaking into her shirt. Emma was beyond just angry now, and her sword lashed out again and again. The pirate captain, caught off guard, missed one of the blows and her sword collided into his forearm. She smiled at the contact but her pleasure was short lived as she was unaware of Jack's sword already digging into her side until it was too late.

Emma released a small groan of pain as her free hand instinctively flew to her side. She narrowed her eyes and flung her sword back at the man. "You stupid, good for nothing pirate!" She muttered as her sword clashed with his once more.

She raised her knee up, hitting him in the groin and he took in a sharp breath. He quickly turned on his heel and somehow, Emma wasn't sure how he did it, managed to appear behind her, pressing his sword into her neck. "That was not a smart thing to do, love, and especially not to me." He said in a low voice, the pressure of the sword against her neck increasing.

"Aye, now what is it ye say when you have just beaten someone?" He asked, for he had watched a couple of her matches before challenging her himself.

Emma remained silent, the rest of the people that had gathered to watch the fight stood in amazement. Could Emma Sharp have just been beaten?

"Oh yes, yes I remember now. You say, admit your defeat." He said, almost gleefully.

Never! She screamed inside of her. She knew that if she lost to this pirate, this would be the end of her sword fights. Emma had never been defeated. That created all the hype and excitement. Everyone wanted to try and be the first to beat her. It only emphasized the fact that she was a woman. Who would lose to a woman? If she lost now, all of that would be gone. She couldn't lose. She wouldn't lose. She would have no way of survival after this.

She tried to jab the captain in the ribs with her elbow, but his free hand grabbed her arm before she could try. "There is no way outta this." His sword slightly pressed harder into her neck.

Emma took in a breath before quietly speaking the words she thought she would never say. "I admit defeat." She said in a voice that was barely audible.

"What was that?"

"I admit defeat." She said slightly louder.

Jack's sword slowly moved away from her neck and Emma took in a shaky breath, feeling the onlooker's eyes burn into her. She spun around on her heal and before she could stop herself, her fist collided with his cheekbone.

She didn't wait to see the effect that this had on the pirate. She grabbed her coins and pushed her way through the bystanders, away from the pirate who threatened to change life as she knew it, and away to safety.

I hope you liked it! Tell me what you thought of the chapter in a review. Constructive criticism is welcome as well. :)

Aaaand reviews make my day!

-Becca