Baby Swan

Baby Swan

Mischievous...

A/N: This was written for a challenge in the forums on fanfiction.net, where Elizabeth's little sister is written in and has to be 10 years old or less. If you're impatient and want to read the whole thing, it's posted there. If you are patient, I'll post a chapter or two a day, or as I can. Thanks and happy reading! ;)

Elizabeth, being a light sleeper, was woken by the sound of scurrying in her room. She lay motionless, pretending to be asleep. No good. She felt little ten-year-old feet jumping up and down on her bed, somewhere near her calves. She moaned and stuffed her head under the pillows.

"Get up! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and your darling captain awaits your arrival."

"I don't want to and you can't make me!" came Elizabeth's muffled voice from beneath the pillows.

"But Lizzie! The poor Captain-excuse me, Commodore- would be so disappointed if you didn't go to his coronation-y thingy!"

"A coronation is when a new monarch is crowned, Rebecca." She pulled her head out from under the pillows and put her feet on the floor. "And if you're so intent on it, why don't you go?" She crossed over to her desk.

"Because one: it would bore me to tears, and two: I'm not the one being proposed to, am I?"

"How do you know he'll propose today?" She shuffled around some papers in the drawer.

"It's called an opportune moment, Liz. He'll be all promoted and stuffy, then he'll get Father's permission to take you on a stroll. Then he'll take your hands, look deep into your limpid blue-"

"Brown."

"Brown eyes and say 'Miss Swan...Elizabeth...will you marry me?'" She put a hand on her forehead and swooned dramatically backwards onto the bed. She looked up to see Elizabeth's reaction. Elizabeth brushed some of the dust off of the pirate medallion she'd found on Will all those years ago. She put it around her neck. Rebecca sat up and cocked her head to one side. "What's that?"

"Nothing. Just an old bit of jewelry." There was a knock on the door.

"Elizabeth? Are you decent?" Elizabeth stuffed the medallion down her nightgown and got a dressing robe on.

"Yes. Yes!" Her father walked in.

Will waited patiently downstairs in the foyer. He'd heard childish yells of "get up!" upstairs and smiled, knowing it was Rebecca. He looked up at the (rather hideous) antique coat rack mounted next to the door. He ran his hand along one crook to get some of the dust off. Something barreled into his stomach and the entire coat rack came off in his hand. He looked around wildly, and there Rebecca stood, smiling up at him, arms still around his middle. He looked at her, at the wall, at the coat rack in his hand, then back at Rebecca in wide-eyed, silent panic. She let go of his waist. She took his wrist gently and guided his hand slowly down into the umbrella stand and pried his fingers from the coat rack. It fell a short distance with a small thunk. Rebecca locked her lips with an invisible key and threw it over her shoulder.

"Nobody will notice it's missing. We never use it, anyways." He smiled at her.

"Now the question is, how did you get down here without my hearing you?" Rebecca stuck out one of her bare feet. "Ah."

"Rebecca! Why aren't you ready?" She turned around and her father and sister were standing at the top of the landing looking down at her.

"I thought I didn't have to go." The other two descended.

"Well, seeing as you're old enough, I thought that it seemed right." Elizabeth stuck her tongue out while no one was looking.

"But Father," she whined, "I wanted to go with Will!" Rebecca thought for a moment. "Besides, there will be sharp, pointy objects, guns, and fire. I believe you remember the last time that I was around sharp objects, guns, and fire, don't you?"

"Sir, if I may?" Will asked. The governor nodded his permission. "With all due respect, Sir, I'm not sure if allowing young Miss Swan around guns would be the soundest judgment. Also, I don't think she's...emotionally mature enough to attend such an event as Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. She's likely to be...mischievous." He gave a small wink to Rebecca when her father wasn't looking. Elizabeth stood there, looking dumbfounded at the unfairness of it all and that Will had taken her sister's side.

"Mischievous?" Will led Rebecca through the streets of Port Royale. "You think I'm mischievous?"

"Quite frankly, yes. And would you rather be called mischievous, or attend the promotion ceremony?"

"Tough choice..."

"I could take you back right now. Tell your father that you convinced me you were mature enough."

"Mischief is my middle name!"

"That's what I thought."

"...Threatened Miss Swan." Will and Rebecca stopped dead in their tracks.

"A pirate, you say?"

"Oh, yes. Lark or Sparrow or some bird like that, I think his name was."