𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐄 the fog settling around the coastline. she stared out her bedroom window, wondering why it felt so eerie. 

when a maid knocked on the door and came in, bella turned away from the window. "ghastly weather, isn't it, miss?" the maid commented, fluffing her pillows. "suppose you're grateful it wasn't you who fell off fort charles."

she was sure she had misheard the maid. "what?"

"you haven't heard? miss elizabeth swann fell and nearly drowned! a man did save her, but he was a pirate," as soon as the maid said 'pirate', bella was interested. "when the marines tried to arrest him, he threatened elizabeth and almost escaped!"

bella pretended to be shocked instead of curious. "how absolutely alarming!"

"yes, miss, but don't you worry," she said. "he's locked in a cell down at the fort now. you can sleep soundly."

"that's relieving," sighed bella, already planning how she could get to the jail and talk to this pirate.

"i agree, miss," the maid replied. "now, your bed's all made."

"thank you," bella said as the maid left her room. right away, she placed some pillows in her bed to make it look like she was asleep under the covers. bella quietly changed out of her bed clothes to something more suitable and edged her door open.

it sounded like her mother was talking to someone in the living room.

instead of creaking down the stairs, bella slid down the banister and lightly hopped to the ground.

"maybe the commodore would've asked for mirabella's hand if she wasn't so chaotic," she overheard her mother talking about her.

bella almost laughed in agreement. she was chaotic, wasn't she?

it sounded like their butler agreed, then left the room. thankfully, he didn't come in bella's direction.

bella heard her mother sigh. the house was quite echoey, and she caught very faintly: "she really is her father's daughter."

sensing that her mother would come her way soon, bella hurried to the back door. it had been left unlocked, and she easily slipped outside.

the air was only a bit chilly, and the sky was eerily clear. bella stayed under the shadows of the trees on their property before emerging out onto the main road in the direction of the fort. it was about a mile away.

she made sure to avoid being seen by the few marines stationed here and there. thankfully, the marine who should've been stationed at the jail was doing a horrible job, and was nowhere to be seen.

bella hurried down the narrow staircase. there were a few prisoners in one of the cells, then another on his own in the other cell.

for some reason, her instincts told her that the man sitting alone was the pirate she was looking for.

"excuse me?"

captain jack sparrow lifted his hat slightly above his eyes.

"are you the man who saved elizabeth?"

he looked up from under his hat. when he spotted the beautiful young woman, he removed his hat completely, and stood up, facing her. "aye."

even from behind the bars, the moonlight was bright enough that he could see her. she was extraordinary. her long, golden hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders in tussled, unbothered waves. with porcelain skin and a lightly tanned complexion, she was clearly the recipient of great genetics. but her eyes — piercing, bright, deep blue eyes, suggested that she was much more than just a pretty face.

"well . . . seeing as you're a pirate, i was wondering if i might speak to you," bella stated.

now it was her turn to look at him. he had captivating brown eyes full of wisdom, a bewitching half-smile, and well-formed features. he was undoubtedly handsome, in a golden, gentle, and strong kind of way. not to mention, he wasn't wearing a wig. he had only said one word, but already, this man seemed like more of a human than all those marines combined.

jack gazed at her, twinkle in his eye. "what would you want with a pirate, love?"

"you'd be surprised," bella said, soft smile on her lips. "i wanted to see if you knew anything about the wicked wench."

"the wicked wench?" jack repeated.

"my father was her captain."

jack's expression morphed into a face of knowing. immediately, bella could tell he knew something of her father's story. he raised his eyebrows and turned away from the bars, looking out the cell window.

"michael stevens? first captain of the wicked wench. it was the last pirate ship in the caribbean," jack turned back around and his eyes met hers. "yeah, i know about it."

"sorry, he died when i was nine," bella explained, recalling what she could about him.

"mum doesn't tell you much?"

"no," said bella matter-of-factly.

"what's your name?" jack asked after a pause.

"mirabella stevens, but don't ever call me that, call me bella."

jack stuck his hand through the bars, grinning toothily. "captain jack sparrow. call me jack." bella shook his hand, smiling in spite of herself.

"the jack sparrow?" she inquired. she had heard countless stories of his escapades.

this man was a pirating legend.

"captain jack sparrow, love," jack corrected instantly. "the one and only. your father took me into his crew when i was young. great pirate."

bella nodded slowly. "how'd he die?"

"cannon fire in battle against the silent mary."

"hmm." bella nodded again, taking this in. hadn't the silent mary been a pirate-catching ship?

"you ever thought of following in his footsteps?" asked jack, eyeing her thoughtfully.

"yeah," bella said honestly. "i want to get out of this port right away."

"what's stopping you?"

"norrington isn't really set on hiring me, even though i could beat his entire crew in a swordfight blindfolded," she admitted.

"no, no, no. i mean turning pirate, love," jack had a sort of glow in his eyes as he suggested this.

"well . . . if the time comes, i won't argue," bella replied, realizing that this was actually true.

"it's in your blood," he remarked.

"and thank god," bella said, laughing slightly. "it explains why i'm in love with sailing, sword fighting, negotiating, and doing whatever i want."

"ah, nobody knows you're out, do they?" jack smiled.

bella smirked. "no."

suddenly, a large explosion was audible. bella gasped quietly in shock.

"i know those guns," jack rushed over to the cell window. "it's the pearl."

"the pearl? the black pearl?" bella questioned. she had heard tales about the ship, but she had always viewed them as legends only.

"that's the one," jack gazed out at the ship in the bay.

"i've heard stories," another prisoner broke in. "she's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years. never leaves any survivors."

bella raised her eyebrows. she hardly believed any ship could accomplish this feat without fail every time.

"no survivors? then where do the stories come from, i wonder?" jack responded.

he turned back, looking at bella with a sort of protectiveness. "it's best you leave now, love. don't tell anyone you spoke to me."

"sure," bella nodded skeptically. "thank you." she turned around and started to exit the jail.

"bella?"

"jack?"

"you really should follow in your father's footsteps," he said. "i think you'd be a fair pirate."

bella smiled. "me too."

walking away, she realized that had been one of the first conversations she ever had with a man whom she didn't immediately hate.

no, in fact, he had been charming, respectful, kind . . . wait a minute . . . she realized. do i have a crush? 

but no, it couldn't be — crushes give you butterflies.

and there were no butterflies between them. just fire.