Captain Jack manages to land a date with a nobleman's wife, who could be the key to him getting access to her husband's safe. However he has to cancel his prior commitment to take Maggie trick-or-treating, in order to do it. Maggie revolts by sending a little birdie to teach him a lesson...

🎃Featured Song: Bump In The Night By Allstars 🎃

Little girls are a breed with many different hobbies and interests. Some girls are obsessed with boys... but Maggie saw boys as nothing more then jail-cover dummies that she could manipulate into taking the heat for her. One of her many skills that made Captain Jack justly proud of her.

Some girls were obsessed with makeup... but Maggie was already too beautiful, if she were to wear makeup, she would probably shock the boys to death!

And some girls were obsessed with horses... Maggie saw horses as nothing more but big, galloping poop machines. She already had to scoop Jack the Monkey's litter box, she didn't even want to think about the size of a pile a horse would leave behind!

But one thing Maggie was obsessed with... was stabbing!

...It concerned her father greatly.

Maggie unfurled her knife roll case, the one that she sewed blood red sequins on. She picked out one of her knifes and unsheathed it from the case, gently running her fingertip over the edge of the blade, to check if it's sharp. Then she plunged her it into her victim with a grin of maniacally glee. Her eyes widened with excitement at the feeling of her blade hitting new flesh!

Captain Jack watched in shock as she ran the knife around the top of her victim's head, pulling it off. Maggie then proceeded to reach in and rip out her victim's brains... and seeds.

Alright! So Maggie's victim was actually a pumpkin! But gourds grow like people, so it still technically counts as a victim.

"Isn't carving pumpkins fun, Daddy?" Maggie asked.

"I need to sit down, I'm feeling a little faint..." Jack muttered, sitting at the galley's table.

Maggie giggled, wiping the pumpkin guts off her hands with a rag. "After this, can we start working on my costume?" She asked.

"Ah!" Jack sat up in his seat. "I'm actually glad you brought that up, cause I wanted to talk to you about..."

"I'm gonna be a raven this year!" Maggie exclaimed in excitement. "I always liked ravens, they're such cute little omens of death! Like me!"

"Yes..." Jack nodded in agreement. "Now Maggie... I've had to make a hard decision."

"And guess what I heard?" Maggie interrupted.

"...What?" Jack asked.

"There's gonna be a Halloween party at the Faithful Bride Tavern for all the trick-or-treaters!" Maggie told him. "So at the end of the night, I can party and get candy drunk! And you can get... regular drunk."

Captain Jack's glance shifted downward. "The thing is, Luv..."

"And there's gonna be a costume contest for kids and grown-ups!" Maggie informed him. "First prize is a barrel full of candy! I figure we'd have a better chance of winning if we both dress up. So we're gonna have to find you a costume!"

"Maggie..." Jack was cut off by Maggie placing her finished jack-o-lantern on his head.

"There you go!" Maggie giggled. "You can be Captain Jack-o-lantern Sparrow!"

"Maggie, I have something I need to tell you!" Jack snapped. Although he couldn't look as stern as he wanted to with a pumpkin on his head and a big smiley face craved on it.

"What is it?" Maggie asked.

Jack took a deep breath. "Do you remember that merchant captain I was researching? Mr. Bainbridge?"

"The fancy man who's chin looked like a set of bum cheeks?" Maggie asked.

"Yes..." Jack nodded his pumpkin head absent-mindedly. "Do you remember his wife? Tatiana Bainbridge?"

"The lady who wears her white pomeranian on her head?"

"That wasn't a pomeranian! That was just how she styled her hair!" Jack told her, biting back a smile.

"Oh" Maggie nodded. "And...?"

Jack stared at her through the pumpkins eye holes. "And...?"

"What about them?" She asked.

"Right! Uh... Bainbridge is the son of a captain I used to work under... the family is wealthy and--"

"You told me all this already..." Maggie rested her chin in one hand.

"Mr. Bainbridge is out of town and Tatiana is going to be alone at their estate on the other side of the island" Jack explained. "I know for a fact that there's a family safe within that estate. Inside is more than enough to fund our escapades for the next six or seven months... and I can finally get you that new broadsword you wanted?"

"But...?" Maggie asked, knowing there had to be a catch.

Captain Jack's pumpkin head drooped forward as he looked down at the table. "The thing is, Mags... Tatiana is only going to be in town for one night. She'll arrive back from England, make port in Tortuga for one night and then leave the next morning. If I'm going to get to the safe, I'll have to get to her on that night and charm her into letting me into it."

"So?" Maggie asked.

"She's only going to be in Tortuga for Halloween night" Jack explained.

Maggie looked at him. "But trick-or-treating... you said--"

"I know what I said, but that was before I got the information about Tatiana's current whereabouts. This might be my only chance."

Maggie pouted and turned her head away, not wanting to look at him.

"Look, once Daddy cleans out the safe, I'll buy you more sweets than you can ever get trick-or-treating" Jack assured her. "That'll make up for it, won't it?" He rubbed her shoulder, comforting her.

Maggie shrugged him off and got up from her seat. "Just give me my pumpkin and let me go to my cabin" Maggie muttered.

Jack sighed and tried to yank the pumpkin off his head. Only it didn't budge. He jerked the pumpkin harder but it still didn't come off.

"It's stuck!" He exclaimed.

Maggie faked a cough "Karma..."

"Maggie!"

☠️🎃☠️

The crew of the Black Pearl gathered around Jack, each trying their hardest to yank the jack-o-lantern off of him. Mind you, they didn't try to help until after they were done laughing at their Captain's situation.

"Ow! Ow! Bugger!" Jack yelled. "Stop it, Pintel! You're gonna rip my bloody ears off with it!"

Pintel let go the pumpkin and sighed. "That gourds got you good, Cap'n..."

Jack sighed. "Why did you have to stick this pumpkin on my head?" He asked Maggie.

"Why'd you have to get your fat head stuck in my pumpkin?" Maggie retorted, planting her hands on her hips.

"Me next!" Scrum rolled up his sleeves.

"Pulling isn't working!" Maggie told him.

"She's right. We're gonna have to find a more creative solution..." Mr. Gibbs told the crew.

"I have an idea!" Scrum cried out. He whipped out his pistol and pointing it at his captain's pumpkin head.

Jack screamed.

The rest of the crew waved their hands, shaking their heads vigorously. "No! No! No! No! No! No!"

"Ye moron!" Maggie scolded him simultaneously.

"Well, do you want the pumpkin off?" Scrum asked obliviously.

"Yes, but I'd also like to keep my head in tact!" Jack snapped.

Maggie left and went to her cabin.

Jack watched her go through the jack-o-lantern's eye holes. "Where do you think you're going, little Missy?" He called after her. "I'm not through talking with you!"

Maggie returned seconds after, holding a club. "I got your solution right here..." She said, preparing to swing it at her father's head.

Jack screamed again. He tried to leap out of range from Maggie's club and fell backwards out of his chair. The back of his head smacked the deck, causing the pumpkin to smash into pieces.

"Maggie!" Jack snapped, sitting up. "Did you seriously just try to cave your own father's skull in with a club?!"

"Dad, quit being such a whiney welp!" Maggie told him. "It worked, didn't it?"

"You better check that attitude, little lady!" Jack snapped. "Just because your Halloween plans got upended, doesn't mean you have the right to act this way!"

Maggie growled and tossed the club on the deck before storming into her cabin.

"Get back here, young lady!" Jack snapped. "Don't walk away from your father when he's talking to you!"

The only response was the sound of Maggie slamming her cabin door.

☠️🎃☠️

Later that evening, the crew was feasting on a dinner of buttered pumpkin. Jack couldn't enjoy his pumpkin, and not just because it was the very same one that was smashed off his head hours earlier. No, Jack's mind was preoccupied as ever, with Maggie. He found himself staring at her spot at the dinner table frequently. She hadn't bothered to come down for dinner.

He felt guilty for letting her down like that. But he didn't have a choice, it was his work. But he still felt like a hypocrite using that excuse. One of the pitfalls of piracy was that even when you did have to work, it really meant pillaging or plundering or just breaking the law. It's not as if he had a real job or real deadlines. Putting an honest job before your children to provide for them, was justifiable. But putting your crimes before your children didn't seem the same.

He left the galley and went towards Maggie's cabin door. Before going in, he grabbed a mask from his desk drawer. A handmade mask Maggie got from their last trip to Port Mombasa in Africa.

Jack slipped it on and hid out of the doorway. Then he slowly pushed the door open.

Maggie layed on her bed, reading. She didn't look up when the door creaked open.

"BAA-HA-HA-HAAA!" Jack jumped into the room with the mask.

Maggie glanced up at him, completely unphased. "Hey Daddy" she said, before her eyes went back to her book.

Jack sighed, slipping the mask off him. "I was sure I would scare you with that" he sat down on the bed with her. "Or at least a smile...?"

"I've seen your face and bedhead when you're hungover in the morning" Maggie said in a humorless tone. "That's about as scary as you get."

Jack looked at her. She was more than disappointed. She was hurting. He knew Maggie wouldn't openly admit that his choice was the cause of it. She didn't want him to feel bad about it. Either that or she wanted to let him marinate in his guilty conscience. It was always a one thing or another with Maggie. She was unpredictable... she took after him, that way.

"You know I love you more than anything right?" Jack asked her.

"Still?" Maggie whispered.

Jack was taken back by that. "Yes... always" He replied.

"As long as you're sure" Maggie shrugged.

"Listen to me, I made some arrangements" Jack explained to her. "Mr. Gibbs has agreed to take you trick-or-treating and take you to the Halloween party at the Faithful Bride. You'll still be able to go."

"Fine" Maggie said, putting her book on her nightstand and getting under the covers.

"Are you mad at me, Maggie?" Jack asked her.

"No" she responded.

"Then what is it?" Jack asked.

Maggie glanced up at him. "Can you read me a story?" She asked instead of answering.

Jack glanced at the clock on the wall above her desk. "It's a little late for a story" he told her.

"It's not really a whole story" she said. "Just a poem."

"A poem?" Jack asked. "What kind of poem?"

Maggie opened her nightstand drawer and picked up the book inside. Jack took it and read the title aloud:

"The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe..." he said. "Never heard of him before. Is he any good?"

"He's very cutting-edge by today's standards" Maggie nodded.

"Is he?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "Alright then. Which poem do you want to hear?"

"The Raven" Maggie decided instantly. "That's my favorite. I have it bookmarked there."

"The inspiration for your costume?" Jack asked, turning to the page.

"Yeah" she nodded.

"Hmm..." Jack nodded. "Shall I start?"

"Have at it" Maggie shrugged.

Jack began to read the poem aloud:

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door-
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.

"You were right, Maggie" Jack admitted. "This Poo fellow is cutting edge."

"Poe! Not Poo!" Maggie corrected.

"Poe! Poe!" Jack repeated before continuing.

"And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;-"

"What do you think it is?" Jack asked Maggie.

"I don't know" she shrugged. "It could be anything. The ghost of Lenore, maybe! Something scary!"

"Like a cask of rum, but you open it and it's empty!" Jack's eyes widened, picturing it.

Maggie shook her head. "Just read on, Dad..."

"Darkness there and nothing more."

"Ugh! Seriously?!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more!"

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

"I can't decide if I think this bird is rude or relatable" Maggie commented.

"Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered-not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never-nevermore.'"

But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite-respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!-prophet still, if bird or devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by Horror haunted-tell me truly, I implore-
Is there-is there balm in Gilead?-tell me-tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil-prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us-by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!-quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted-nevermore!

Jack closed the book. "Well, that was... creepy" he shuddered slightly. "And I'm not even sure I understood the point of it."

"It's really quite obvious when you think about it" Maggie told him. "The Raven is really just the manifestation of storytellers grief over this Lenore lady. It's warning people about how grief can demolish a person's happiness and take over their lives if they let it. And that's one of the scariest things there is, being trapped in your emotions and letting an invisible force run your life."

"I suppose that's true" Jack nodded. "Speaking of sadness, I hope you won't let my absence ruin your Halloween."

Maggie's face fell. "I'm tired, Daddy" she said softly. "Can I go to sleep now?"

Jack nodded, disappointed he couldn't get her to talk to him. "Alright" he kissed her forehead. "Good night. I love you."

"Love you too" Maggie murmured, closing her eyes.

Jack sat there and watched her for a minute longer, before getting up and leaving the room.

Jack sighed, preparing himself for bed. He knew Maggie was upset about him ditching her for Halloween. But she wouldn't open up to him about it. She was like a little clam withholding a shiny pearl within her, not letting anyone pry her open her shell... or feelings, in this case.

As he laid down to sleep, Jack found himself staring up at the ceiling of his cabin. He knew sleep would elude him, it always did when there was a problem with Maggie. Once she had the croup as an infant and Jack remained next to her cradle day and night. He didn't allow himself to sleep for nine days. She was cured after seven, but he had to be sure.

Jack sighed. When did she become so complicated? He thought.

☠️🎃☠️

The next evening, Maggie came out of her cabin decked out in bright yellow stockings on her legs, a black feather dress with long sleeve wings and a yellow paper beak strapped to her face. Her dark hair was coiffed to make it look like unfurled raven's feathers.

"Caw! Caw!" Captain Jack grinned when her saw her. "You look adorable, Luv."

Maggie sighed through her beak.

"C'mon... don't be so sad" Jack told her. "Sad raven's get less sweets than chipper raven's... that's just facts!"

"Alright..." Maggie said softly. "C'mon Gibbs, we better get a move on."

"Wait for me" Jack walked along with her. "I figured I'd walk with you till we get to Bainbridge Manor."

"Alright" Maggie said.

"Are you going to say more than one word to me?" Jack asked her.

"Nevermore..." Maggie said ominously before walking  down the gang plank.

"Nevermore. Is that one or two words?" He asked Mr. Gibbs as they walked along behind her.

"Not sure" Mr. Gibbs muttered, looking at something in his hands.

"What's that?" Jack asked him.

"A book" Gibbs answered. "Miss Maggie was reading it when I helped her with her costume. I'm a little concerned by it..."

Captain Jack looked at the book's cover. It's title read: Birds & Bewitchment: 101 Spells & Transformations of Nature's Omens.

Jack chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about this" he told his first mate. "Maggie's always reading those black magic books. She fascinated by them, but it never leads to anything bad. She knows better than to go poking around in black magic. After all, we see enough of beasties and curses around this ship as it is."

Mr. Gibbs shook his head. "I still don't like the idea of little Maggie being influenced by witchcraft" he admitted. "She's at that age where it's monkey see monkey do."

"Maggie's smarter than that" Jack shrugged off his first mate's concern. "I'll have a talk with her tonight when I get back."

Once they made it across town, Jack led them up a hillside, until they came to a large iron gate. From behind those gate was a long winding walkway that let to a large, white Manor. The only way you'd know a house was there was by the soft glow of multiple lanterns against the house's white brick exterior.

"This is a nice place" Jack nodded nonchalantly.

"It ain't so nice..." Maggie said. "You spill a little kerosene, toss a lit lantern on it, the whole place would go up just as quick as a shack."

"Well, look who decided to give the silent treatment a break" Jack smirked at her.

"Whatever..." Maggie muttered.

"Maggie, what's wrong?" Jack asked her.

"Nothing" Maggie kept her tone still. "Just go waste your night with Titty-Nana."

"Tatiana!" Jack corrected. "Wait, are you jealous that I'm spending the evening with her and not you? Is that it?" He rubbed her shoulder.

Maggie shrugged him off. "If you can't figure it out, maybe it'll be better if I just stay silent around you forever" she told him. "You clearly don't pay attention to me enough."

Her eyes were wide, but not with excitement or humor like they usually are. They were wide, expecting but devoid of humor or joy. It broke Jack's heart and he didn't know what to say to her to make it better.

"Well, I'm not a bloody mind reader" Jack retorted. "What do you want me to do?"

Maggie stared at him. "Nevermore..." she answered, walking back down the hill.

"Maggie!" Jack called after her. He sighed and turned to Gibbs. "Can you try and see if you can get her talking?"

"I'll see what I can do" Mr. Gibbs said, following Maggie down the hill.

With that said Mr. Gibbs and Maggie left for trick-or-treating, leaving Captain Jack to mentally kick himself. He wanted to say something more comforting or maybe positive to Maggie. But nothing came to mind. Jack wasn't used to being at a lost for words, especially not when talking to his own daughter.

Once they left, Captain Jack took a deep breath trying to regain his focus on the matter at hand. He straightened his tricorn and began to climb the Manor's iron gate.

☠️🎃☠️

Captain Jack had managed to sneak onto the Manor's property and climb up the ivy-covered trellis to Mrs. Bainbridge's bedroom.

As Tatiana Bainbridge walked in to the room, she turned up the kerosene lamp and gasped upon seeing Jack sitting on the love seat across the room.

"Who are you?" She asked, startled.

"Most women refer to me as the Captain of their dreams" Jack smiled at her.

The noblewoman stared at him skeptically with her icy blue eyes. But the rest of her face expressed interest and maybe something else. That's the great thing about these high society women, they marry for money and men who make money are often gone, tending to their multiple businesses. Leaving their little women home alone and hungry. And Captain Jack could be a luscious slice of rum cake for these desperate housewives...

"I will have you know I'm a married woman" Tatiana told him, displaying the wedding ring on her left hand.

"But are you happily married?" Jack inquired.

"That's a rather bold question..." Tatiana avoided eye contact with him.

"Rest assured, it was rhetorical" Jack explained. "I already know you're not happy in your marriage."

"And how could you possibly know that?" Tatiana asked him, a forcibly annoyed tone in her voice.

"Because your bedroom is only set up for one person" Jack replied. "The only luggage in here belongs to a women. There's no shaving set on the vanity, nor any suits or men's shoes in the closet. You're either here alone or your husband is not as masculine as you originally thought..."

"Mr. Bainbridge is away on business, I'll be heading home to him tomorrow" Tatiana explained, her tone was stiff and recited.

Jack walked over to her, staring at her as if he knew what she looked like without her corset. When he was finally close enough, he looked deep into her eyes.

"You know how I really know your unhappy in your marriage, Mrs. Bainbridge?" He asked her, sincerely.

She stared up at him with badly hidden curiosity.

"Because when you found a strange man sitting in your bedroom, you didn't scream for help..." he gave her a charming smile.

Finally Tatiana couldn't help smiling back. "I think I'll have some champagne and strawberries brought to my room" she said. "That is, if you'll join me...?"

"It does seem like the perfect night for indulgence..." he shrugged nonchalantly.

☠️🎃☠️

Not half an hour later, Jack was lounging in Tatiana's bed with her. They fed each other strawberries and sipped champagne. Jack was getting closer to the elegant noblewoman, he could tell by the way she was opening up to him.

"I don't think that David ever loved me" Tatiana spoke of her husband. "I mean, he married me because I looked right. It made a big impression on his business partners, that his wife looked the way I look. And he has given me things, I'm not complaining about that. But... he never loved me."

Captain Jack's heart went out to her... but only partially. Was her story plausible? Yes. Did her saddened tone sound genuine? Not at all. Tatiana was like most high society women. She was trapped in a loveless marriage, but at the same time she didn't really try make the best out of the bad situation that was her marriage. Instead she would rather flirt with the first man who breaks into her house. She would take the sacrity of her marriage vows and throw them out the window.

It was times like this Captain Jack took pride in how he was raising Maggie. True, Maggie didn't have a spacious bedroom or live in a manison. She didn't have servents, or jewelry or dozens of dresses at her disposal. But Maggie did have a ship at her disposal that could take her anywhere in the world. She had a loyal crew and countless adventures in distant parts of the world. She had seen and done things that other kids her age could only dream of. Maggie had freedom. She would never let a man nor marriage clip her wings, leading her to desperately throw her morals out the window for a bit of fun.

Unless of course... you count her father, who stood her up for trick-or-treating. Upon this thought, Jack was overcome with guilt, a feeling he didn't get too often. But when he did, it hit him like a sack of bricks to the gut!

"What's wrong?" Tatiana noticed his shift in tone.

"Nothing" Jack forced himself to perk up.

"Then why do you look so--" Tatiana was cut off by a knock at the door. "What is it?!" She screeched.

The house butler spoke through the door. "My apologies, Madam" he said. "But there's a group of youth's requesting treats, in exchange they not trick us."

"Ugh!" Tatiana growled, sliding off the bed. "Turn them away, Wilson! And don't be kind about it!" She snapped at the butler through the door.

Jack watched as Tatiana grabbed a basket from her vanity and opened flung open her bedroom window.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

Tatiana shrugged. "Just a little tradition I occupy myself with this time of year" she explained.

Captain Jack watched from the window, as a group of children began to walk away from the Manor, looking disheartened.

"Perfect..." Tatiana grinned. She then reached into the basket and pulled out an egg. She whipped it out the window, hitting one of the kids with it.

Jack watched in shock as the noblewoman laughed and continued to pelt the poor children with eggs. Some of them getting injured and cut when the egg shells hit their faces. Their costumes were now ruined and their hair sticky with yolk! They fled the Manor's premise in tears!

Tatiana, on the other hand found it hilarious! "And stay out!" She shouted after them. She turned to Jack "Trick-or-treaters! Nasty little urchins! Where do they come off, walking onto someone's property and threatening them for treats? Stupidest holiday I've ever heard of! Now where were we...?"

The more time Captain Jack spent with this broad, the more he was beginning to hate her! Maybe he should move this along?

"You never told me... what is it Mr. Bainbridge does to keep you living in such splendor?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't want to talk about him!" Tatiana sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Tonight, I just want to savor us..."

"Of course, but I've always had a burning curiosity about what businesses are on the up and up..." Jack replied. "Please Tatiana, we agreed this was a night of indulgence. So won't you indulge your favorite Captain's interests?"

Tatiana blushed as he softly touched her cheekbone with the back of his fingers. "Oh alright!" She giggled. "But only because you asked nicely!"

☠️🎃☠️

A short walk down the hallway later and Captain Jack found himself in Mr. Bainbridge's private study. But the size of the place was anything but private. It was huge! It was more like a whole library than an office!

"My husband perfers to shut himself up in here rather than be with me" Tatiana explained. "Why he would choose to sit in here, rather than spend time with his wife, is a mystery to me."

Maybe because you pelt kids with eggs...? Jack thought bitterly.

"Well, it is a well furnished office, I must admit" Jack said. "I've heard of offices like this. And how the businessmen who occupy them often have their own safes hidden within them..."

"Yes..." Tatiana drawled uninterested. "Shall we head back to my bedroom now?"

Jack rolled his eyes. Apparently Tatiana was terrible with children and taking hints. What was she even good for?

"You know, I've never actually seen a safe before?" Jack told her.

"Well, you ought to get one" Tatiana nodded. "They're wonderful. My husband always said, you can't entrust the banks with everything!"

Jack sighed under his breath, his charming smile become more forced as his frustration grew.

"Yes..." he agreed. "Safe are wonderful for keeping things... safe." An idea popped into his head. The same tatic he used in Saint Martin. "Including secrets..."

"Mmm..." Tatiana nodded obliviously.

"Secret affairs..." Jack specified.

"Quite" Tatiana agreed.

Jack sighed. "Tatiana, let's go into your husband's safe to consummate our love" he said flat out.

"Oh!" Tatiana gasped. "My, you sailor's do have creative ways to woe a woman!"

"Oh, we've barely scratched the surface of my creative ways..." Jack grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Tatiana closed her eyes and shuddered with pleasure. "I will need a moment to prepare myself..." she told him.

She reluctantly pulled away from his embrace and walled over behind her husband's oak desk. She opened the drawer and took out a large set of iron keys.

"Here's the keys to the safe, it's behind that painting over there" she pointed to the oversized portrait of her husband behind his desk."Let yourself in and make yourself comfortable... I'll be with you in a moment."

Captain Jack watched her walk out of the room with visible giddiness in her step. He couldn't help but share that sentiment as he stared down at the keys to the Bainbridge fortune in his hands!

He walked over to and pushed the portrait open aside like a door, to reveal the safe's door. The large steel door was ten feet tall and six feet wide. Captain Jack placed the key in it and with a definite cluck, the door opened.

Jack's eyes widened. The room was about as big as a parlor. Their was sacks of gold coins in one corner, sacks of silver in another, not to mention the bricks of gold and silver opposite them! The walls were lined with fine silk tapestries with metallic embroidery. Paintings and vases were carefully tucked away in wooden crates. Upon looking into a nearby chests of parchments, Jack found they were all stocks, bonds and deeds to luxury properties!

"I knew the Bainbridge's were rich, but I didn't know they were this rich!" Jack muttered to himself. "How am I supposed to get all this loot out of here? I don't even know what to grab first?"

Suddenly there came a tapping... someone had knocked at the office door. Jack reluctantly left the safe and went to investigate. He wanted to make sure it was Tatiana and not one of the servents, who would rat him out to Mr. Bainbridge.

"Is that you Tatiana?" He called softly through the door.

The only answer was a second knock from the person on the other side of the door.

Jack wasn't sure what to make of that. It was either Tatiana playing around with him or someone else, which if so, could spell trouble. But besides all that, Jack had an uneasy feeling about this. It was as if an air of sinisterness had come over this whole evening.

Slowly Captain Jack's hand reached for the door handle. His breathing became uneasy and his heart began beating a little faster. Finally, before he could lose his nerve, he swung open the door...

There was darkness there... nothing else.

Jack softly shut the door and went back to the safe, wondering what was coming over him? He never had pre-heist jitters before? Why now?

Suddenly the knocking sound returned, only this time it was coming from outside the office window! Jack jumped and slowly walked toward the window, peering into the darkness. What was it? A tree branch? A squirrel? A--

Out of nowhere, the window flew open and crashed onto the wall beside it. Jack hurried to shut it, praying no one had heard it come flying open. Once it was shut, he inspected the window panes for cracks.

Then he heard the knocking again. This time it was coming from inside the office with him!

Jack turned and saw... a little raven. Like in the poem he read to Maggie...

"Apparently karma and comedy go hand in hand tonight" Jack rolled his eyes.

The little raven strutted around on Mr. Bainbridge's desk and didn't show much fear in Jack's presence. It stared directly at him with it's innocent black eyes. At one point Jack swore he saw the bird gave him a teasing smile.

"Alright, birdie" Jack told it. "You can't stay in here!" He opened the window back up. "Go on! Outcha get!"

The raven remained where it was, paying him no mind.

Captain Jack walked over to it on the desk, bent down and blew at it. "Go! Scat! Get out of here!" He told it.

Instead the raven just flew onto his head, pecking at some of his dreadlocks.

Jack waved his arms, causing the bird to fly off his head and towards the window.

"Yes!" Jack cheered watching it go.

The Raven landed on the carpet and decided to walk around the office a little more.

"No!" Jack groaned, face-palming. He stared at the little ebony raven as it walked about the room like it owned the place. Paying Jack no mind, as if he was no one of interest. This bird reminded him of someone...

"You listen about as well as my daughter..." Jack trailed off. The thought only occurred to him just as the words left his mouth.

"I'm gonna be a raven this year!" Maggie had exclaimed the day prior. "I always liked ravens, they're such cute little omens of death! Like me..."

Captain Jack remembered the book Gibbs had found Maggie reading: Birds & Bewitchment: 101 Spells & Transformations of Nature's Omens.

"Miss Maggie was reading it when I helped her with her costume. I'm a little concerned by it..." his first mate had said. "I don't like the idea of little Maggie being influenced by witchcraft! She's at that age where it's monkey see monkey do..."

"I'm not a bloody mind reader!" Jack had argued with her outside. "What do you want me to do?"

"Nevermore..." Maggie had answered ominously.

Captain Jack's eyes widened in realization. That was no raven!

He walked over to the bird and kneeled down beside it, staring at it the whole time. "Birdie?" He asked it.

The Raven ignored him, pecking at it's feathers.

"Birdie?" Jack said again.

The Raven scratched at the carpet, as if to look for worms in it.

Jack tried once more. "Maggie?" He asked it.

The bird turned and looked up at him.

Jack gasped. "It is you!" He reached out and petted his daughters silky black feathers. "Maggie! Look at you... What were thinking? You know better than to go fooling about with black magic! There's so many conditions and rules to those spells! What if we can't change you back after this? What if you're stuck as a bird forever?"

Maggie shook his fingers off her back and walked across the carpet, away from him.

"Don't you turn your back on me, little Madam!" Jack told her. "I'm your father! You will listen to me!"

"Caw!" Maggie squawked at him.

"Don't give me that!" Jack shot her a stern glare.

"Jacky..." Tatiana came calling from down the hall.

Jack jumped and turned towards the door. Maggie then took flight, soaring above his head and landing above the office door.

"Maggie! What are you doing?" Jack hissed. "Get down from there!"

Raven Maggie didn't listen, she seemed rather proud that she had found the best seat in the house. She perched herself comfortably on the marble bust above the door.

"Maggie!" Jack hissed.

"What was that?" Tatiana asked from the doorway.

"Nothing!" Jack tore his eyes away from the top of the doorframe to her. His eyes widened, Tatiana was in nothing but a very sheer, very short shift. Usually Jack would consider a woman dressed in next to nothing, to be a very fortunate and tantalizing turn of events. But not when his underage daughter was watching from above!

"I wore this nightgown on my honeymoon" Tatiana explained to him. "I thought, just because the marriage isn't working, doesn't mean I should let it go to waste. How do you think it looks?"

"It needs this!" Jack whipped off his coat and placed it over Tatiana's frame. "I wouldn't want you catching your death of cold!"

Jack glanced up at the Raven Maggie, who was staring down at them, curiosity in her black eyes.

"Oh, I won't get cold" Tatiana shrugged his coat off her shoulders. Not as long as I have you to keep me warm..." she took his hands and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

The Raven Maggie seemed to be squinting her eyes angrily at them.

Jack pulled away from Tatiana. "You know..." he cleared his throat, uncomfortably. "I've always found that a... deep, emotional conversation can be just as gratifying as intercourse!"

Tatiana stared at him like he had tentacles coming out of his ears. "A conversation...?" She asked confused.

"Yes..." Jack nodded, putting a friendly arm around her. "Tatiana dear, you strike me as an intelligent young woman. A woman who would never destroy the sanctity of her marriage, without first thinking it through."

"I have thought of it!" Tatiana nodded. "I want you!" She lept foreward and wrapped her legs around Jack's hips, causing them both to go tumbling to the office floor.

Before Jack could do anything, Tatiana had attacked his mouth with hers. Jack's eyes remained open until Tatiana stuck her tongue in his mouth, then his eyes fluttered shut. Upon opening them again, he noticed the Raven Maggie had flown down from the doorframe and onto the desk, about a yard away from them.

Jack yelped and scrambled out from under Tatiana. Raven Maggie walked off the desk and onto the office chair behind it.

"What's wrong?" Tatiana asked, looking around.

"The-- uh-- I-I..." Jack stuttered "I'm hungry! Are you hungry? I'm ravenous! Is there anyway you could have some food sent up here?"

Tatiana's face twisted in confusion and disappointment. But she shrugged "I suppose I could have Wilson make us some sandwiches?"

"Sandwiches! Excellent! You go tell Wilson to make us some! Right now!" Jack ushered her out the door. "Take your time! You can't rush a perfect sandwich, as they say!"

"Who says tha--" Tatiana asked.

"Light mustard on mine! Thank you!" Jack shut the door behind her.

As soon as the noblewoman was gone, Jack huffed in relief and ran behind the desk. He pulled out the chair, looking for the Raven Maggie. But he found the chair was empty!

"Maggie! Where did you go now?" Jack called out softly.

Suddenly a black blur flew up from behind him and swooped down about half an inch from his face.

Jack let out an unmanly shriek of surprise. "Don't do that!" He told his girl-turned-bird daughter, as she landed on the desk.

The bird appeared to be grinning at him.

"Wipe that smug look off your beak!" Jack told her sternly. "I've had just about enough of you, lass! I don't know what you're doing or what you're trying to prove, but I'm sick of it! I don't know if you're doing this as revenge for me not trick-or-treating with you! I don't know if it's because you don't like me being alone with a lady! I don't know! I don't know because you won't tell me!"

The bird stared up at him with sadness in it's eyes.

"Maggie, if something feels wrong between us, you have to tell me!" Jack said, softly. "Daddy isn't as quick to pick up on things as you think he is. You just--"

A knock at the door cut him off. Jack went to go open it, waiting until Raven Maggie hid atop the door frame. Jack opened door to find Tatiana holding a silver platter of finger sandwiches.

"Will these do, sire?" She said sarcastically.

"Huh...? Oh! Yes!" Jack nodded. "Those look lovely!"

"The sandwiches look lovely, but I didn't" Tatiana muttered, shaking her head. "Men..."

Jack sat down at the desk and began taking one of the sandwiches. Tatiana slapped his hand away.

"Why don't you let me feed you?" She asked, pouting. She walked over and sat in his lap.

Jack glanced up and noticed the Raven. It turned around on the bust and lifted it's tail feather up over the tray of sandwiches. Jack watched in disgust as dribbles of white bird excrement poured down onto the sandwiches. Jack shot the Raven a glare, the Raven seemed to smirk back at him.

And of course, Tatiana's hand moved towards the sandwich that was hit with the most bird poo. She held it up to Jack's mouth.

"Open wide..." she whispered seductively.

Jack stared at the sandwich with badly hidden disgust. "Ladies first..." he gulped.

"Such a gentleman" Tatiana smiled before popping the finger sandwich in her mouth. "Mmm..." she furrowed her brow. "A bit salty... and I thought I told Wilson to go easy on the dressing!"

Jack had to look away to keep from gagging.

"Well nevertheless" Tatiana sighed. "How about another kiss?"

Knowing what had been the last thing in Tatiana's mouth, Jack's stomach turned at the thought of kissing her afterwards.

"Tatiana!" Jack placed his fingers on her lips, gently pushing her away. "Are you sure you want to commit adultery? It is one of the seven deadliest sins? You could go to hell!"

Tatiana scoffed. "As if you care!" She snapped, climbing off his lap. "You're a pirate! You probably commit all sorts of sins everyday! And you sit there, judging me?!"

"I wasn't judging anyone!" Jack shook his head. "I just--"

"You charlatan!" Tatiana shouted. "All this evening you've been giving out signals! And now you refuse to make good on them?!"

"I'm sorry I just--" Jack saw Tatiana raise her palm. He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing what was coming.

"CAW!"

Jack opened his eyes just in time to see Raven Maggie swoop down from the bust over the doorway and towards the back of Tatiana's head.

Tatiana turned and screamed as the raven landed directly in her hair. She began pitching a fit, shrieking and waving her arms above her head to try and knock the bird off.

Raven Maggie was holding on for dear life. She pecked and clawed at Tatiana's scalp, causing the noblewoman to shout in pain. All the while Maggie was cawing loudly, as if she was protesting and berating Tatiana for trying to harm her father.

Finally Tatiana grabbed ahold of the little bird tossed it against the nearest wall! Jack yelped in shock as he watched his feathered little girl get slammed against a wall and fall flat onto the floor.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked the Raven.

"I will be, once I do this..." Tatiana raised a paper weight from the desk over the defenseless bird.

"NO!" Jack wrestled the object away from her. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"It's a wretched little beast! It attacked me!" Tatiana cried. "It's probably swarming with disease! Kill it!"

"I can't kill it!" Jack snapped, tossing the paper weight aside. "It's my daughter!"

"Your what?!" Tatiana cried. "Are you mad?! First you don't want to make love to me, and now you think that flying rat is your offspring?! We're you dropped on your head as an infant?!"

"Yes, multiple times! But that's beside the point!" Jack retorted.

He gingerly picked up Raven Maggie and held her to his chest. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder, making a low croaking sound.

"It's alright, Luv" Jack petted her silky black head. "Daddy's here..."

"I want you out of my house!" Tatiana shouted. "And take that horrid little beast with you!"

"CAW!" Maggie squawked at her as Jack walked out.

Tatiana jumped back, holding her hands in front of her.

"Good one, Mags" Jack whispered to the Raven.

Raven Maggie let out a cawing chortle.

☠️🎃☠️

Still holding his little raven daughter, Captain Jack walked down the hill from Bainbridge Manor and into town. Upon entering the town, he noticed all the trick-or-treating children running around. Some were running around excited, some were seated and discussing which treats to trade with each other. But most of them were with their parents... running down the street hand in hand with their mothers, their fathers carrying the littlest one's home after they'd walked all night or came down off a sugar high.

Jack couldn't help but look down at Raven Maggie. He didn't want to admit it to her, but he had no idea how to change her back into a human. Maggie couldn't communicate with him in her bird form, so there was no way for him to know what spell she used! Or if there was an antidote for it. For all he knew, Maggie might stay this way forever.

And if that's the case, that means this was their last Halloween together... and he didn't even spend it with her!

Jack sat down at bench outside a local pub, he placed Maggie down beside him.

"How are you feeling now, Luv?" He asked her.

Raven Maggie shook off her feathers and cooed.

Jack sighed, looking down at her. "I'm sorry, Maggie" He told her. "I know it's too late, but I finally understand why you were upset about me not coming with you tonight..." Tears welled in his eyes.

Seeing this, Raven Maggie crawled up his arm and perched herself on his shoulder.

"I should have known better... you're growing up so fast" Jack rubbed his cheek softly against her feathers. "You don't have many Halloween's left. Some day soon, you'll be the one too busy for me and I'll be wanting to spend time with you... I'll be a nuisance to you."

"Not half as much as you are now..." Came a familiar voice behind him.

Jack turned and saw Maggie in her raven costume, standing in the doorway of the pub!

"MAGGIE?!" He cried. "What are you doing there?"

"I told you I was going to the Halloween party at the pub after trick-or-treating" Maggie shrugged.

"Well, if you've been out trick-or-treating all night then..." he stared at the Raven on his shoulder. "Who is this?!"

"I assumed your date for the evening" Maggie joked.

Captain Jack was stunned. This whole time he thought it was Maggie, when in reality he was just spent the whole evening talking to a regular, garden variety old bird!

The Raven stared at him sheepishly before taking flight off into the night sky. Jack watched it go, both forlorn and confused.

"Chased away another one, have you Daddy?" Maggie asked.

"Shut up and hug me, ye cute little omen of death" Jack wrapped his arms around her, picking her up. "I'm sorry..." he told her.

"It's alright" Maggie said. "I've already found a way for you to make it up to me..."

"How's that?" Jack asked, dread in his tone.

"Next Halloween, we're going to go as little red riding hood and the big bad wolf!" Maggie told him.

Jack thought about it. "Yeah... yes, that sounds fun. I suppose we could try that!" He nodded.

"But I'm going to be the wolf!" Maggie pointed to herself.

Jack stared at her. "I can't be little red riding hood!"

"Sure, you can! Believe in yourself!" Maggie told him. "And shave your legs before putting on the stockings... otherwise it won't look right."

"Let's just enjoy the Halloween party, shall we?" Jack asked her.

"Sure" Maggie smiled. For Jack, it felt great to see her smile again.

Captain Jack and Maggie began walking into the pub, when Jack stopped.

"One more thing..." he said. He bent down and picked up and jack-o-lantern off the pub's front step, placing it on his head. "There, now I'm ready!"

Maggie heaved a sigh. "Remind me to get the club again when we get home..."

☠️🎃☠️

By the time Maggie and Jack got back to the Pearl, it was around one o'clock in the morning. Maggie had tuckered herself out at the Halloween party. But not before eating half her weight in candy and dancing on top of the pub's tables.

Jack carried her home and put her to bed, kissing her forehead and admiring her sleeping form before shutting the door behind him.

As soon as he left, Maggie's eyes opened and she ran to the port hole window of her room.

"Caw-Caw! Caw-Caw!" She called softly into the night.

The Raven from earlier came fluttering into her room, landing on the edge of her bed.

"Alright, hold still" Maggie told it as she pulled out her spell book from under her mattress. She read the antidote spell aloud:

"Birds of a feather, flock together
Fowl to primate, come hither..."

With those words said the Raven transformed to it's original form, Jack the Monkey!

"Great job, boy" Maggie praised him, giving him a bowl of mashed bananas as a reward. "Can you believe Daddy thought I'd change myself into a raven? Much too risky! What if I got caught?" She petted the Monkey Jack's fur as he munched on bananas. "Well, I guess as long as everyone had a Happy Halloween."

AN: And a Happy Halloween to all of you! Special shout out to the immortal Edgar Allen Poe for inspiring this story! Please comment and tell me what you thought! Your kind comments make me write the next one's faster!