Title: Little White Crabs

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean

Pairings: Hints of Ragetti/Tia.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: A 'missing' scene in AWE as the crew head off to World's End. It happens just before it cuts off to them sailing in the cold to World's End. A scene between Ragetti and Tia Dalma that goes a bit more in depth of the relationship between the two of them.

Notes: Sorry if the pirate dialogue is off. I'm not used to it, plus, me and my grammar skills find it bloody annoying. I wrote this because I find it hard to believe that Ragetti didn't feel something for Calypso, which would be why it was so easy for him to free her and speak to her as a lover.

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It was starting to get colder and colder upon the ship. The farther they drifted through the open waters, the more the temperature dropped. For pirates who were not used to such cold were truly at a loss and shivered in their places.

Pintel and Ragetti were two pirates who were not used to the cold. Sure, they've been in cold places before, but not cold such as this. Most everyone had found it best to simply stay in place and bundle up, just like Elizabeth Swann had done. She could be seen bundled up near the wheel of the ship.

Ragetti was just walking up to the top deck and was about to walk over to where Pintel was sitting on a bench next to Jack the Monkey, when something caught his eye. He glanced down and could see what appeared to be a little white oval shaped stone sitting next to his foot. He blinked at it, his eyes wide. Certainly it had not been there a few moments ago? He would have seen it, wouldn't he? It was hard to say, seeing as how he had such limited vision as it was.

The tall lanky pirate took a hand and scratched the top of his head, his dark blonde hair greasy with grime. He took in a deep breath of cold air and immediately regretted it as the cold practically froze his lungs. He drew his arms about himself in an effort to keep warm, forgetting about the little white rock and heading over to Pintel.

The one-eyed pirate felt uncertainty shake through him and he was curious to look back to the stone. With a light squeak he found that the stone had moved. He had taken six or so steps away from it and yet the stone was only about two steps away from him now. It had moved. Glancing around him nervously, Ragetti was unsure of what to make of it. A part of him wanted to rush over to Pintel and see what he had to say about the matter, but the shorter, balding pirate would probably call him crazy and dismiss the idea immediately.

Fidgeting slightly, Ragetti decided just to pick the stone up. It was just a harmless stone, yes? He leaned down to pick up the stone, and shrieked when the rock moved a foot away from his outstretched hand. He snatched his hand back, standing back straight in fear. His mind had to be playing tricks on him. The cold was starting to mess with him. That had to be it.

He glanced around once more to see that his other crewmates seemed to be all in their own thoughts, too busy trying to stay warm as the air got colder and colder. Before too long they would all be covered in frost, he figured.

"Silly stone" he muttered. With a new determination he suddenly possessed, he quickly reached down again and snatched the stone before it could move on him again. He was able to grab it this time and he inspected it closely. It appeared to be just a normal rock, albeit more oval and smooth than just any old rock, but a rock just the same.

Holding the stone, he walked over to the edge of the ship and leaned against its wood. Ignoring the cold, he studied the object in his hand closely, wanting to know how it had moved. He knew it had.

"My lil' darlin's seem to like you…." Came the deep mysterious female voice of Tia Dalma.

Ragetti jumped at her sudden presence and closeness. She was now mere inches away from him. "O-Oh….Miss Dalma…" he gulped. He found the woman to be quite intimidating, especially since he had seen her jar of eyes back at her hut.

"Call me Tia" she cooed at him, brushing a hand over his cheek and making him shiver, only this time not from the cold.

"M-Miss Tia" he gulped again. He showed her the little rock still in the palm of his hand. "I's was jus' lookin' at tis here rock. I swears it was followin' me."

Tia nodded knowingly. "As I told ye, my lil' darlin's seem to have taken a likin' to ye." She turned her dark eyes from Ragetti's face and turned to look at the white stone. No sooner had she done so, did the rock seem to come to life. The rock gave a slight shake and little pinchers popped out from the front, along with two tiny little back eyes. Little crab legs pulled out from the bottom of it and before Ragetti could even blink he was staring at a small white crab rather than a stone.

"Oh!" he shouted in surprise. Tia reached over and petted the top of the crab affectionately. "I-it's been followin' me, ye says?" inquired Ragetti. "Why?"

"Why, indeed?"

Ragetti licked his chapped lips as he tried to figure out the answer. "I don't right know."

Tia retracted her hand from petting the crab, her gaze turning back to Ragetti's face and turning more serious. She stared hard at Ragetti for what seemed like an eternity to the poor pirate but was only a minute or so. "Dere is somethin' about you…Somethin' I'm not right sure of…." She eyes landed on Ragetti's prosthetic eye and immediately her eyes flashed. "You are a Piece Bearer!"

Ragetti nearly jumped out of his skin as her voice suddenly turned harsh. He almost dropped the little crab from his hand. "I-I-I is that, Miss Tia. Capt'n Barbosa gave me the job years ago. He said I's was loyal and that I's could use it for me eye. Says I's could keep it safe for 'im."

"You did not choose tis job?" she demanded.

Ragetti shook his head. "No, I's didn't. Though I's wasn't about to say no. Allowed me to 'ave an eye again in me socket. An I's considered it an honor to do such a thing for Capt'n Barbosa."

Tia continued to stare at the flustered Ragetti. There was truth in his words; and an innocence she was not expecting to come from any sort of pirate. This man before her was like nothing she had ever seen before. She did not trust any pirate, for obvious reasons. They had been the ones who had imprisoned her; trapped her in this single human form she was now trapped in. Though she despised all pirates, she knew she had to help this batch of pirates in order to gain her freedom back once more. There were few pirates she tolerated. Jack Sparrow was one she did not mind; nor did she mind Will Turner, who had a touch of destiny about him. Yet this pirate before her: he seemed different as well. A bit like the young Turner.

"I assures you, Masta Ragetti…" began Tia. She brought a hand to his cheek. This time he did not flinch as her dark toned hand brushed over his side burns and the scars and grime on his face. In a way he felt slightly calm. "All is well….I hold not against you….in fact…..I best be saying I like you…." She smiled fondly at him now.

Ragetti felt a smile tugging at his lips. "Thank yous, Miss Tia. I certainly likes you. Others may find you a bit scary….an' I admit, I sometimes do….'ith your voodoo an' all, but I feel bette' knowin' you're here…." As if in response to his words, the little crab in his hand started pinching its pinchers in a way that made it look as though it were happy. Ragetti smiled a bit more at the little crab's antics. Tia leaned in even closer to Ragetti, who was now a breath away from being able to kiss her on the cheek. There was a part of him that wanted to. When he had first met her months ago he never would have had the nerve to even think about such a thing, but now he felt strangely calm and safe by her.

As Tia petted the crab again, gazing at it lovingly, Ragetti gently pressed his lips against her cheek, giving her a kiss that felt as light and fragile as a feather. He leaned back, waiting for her response. Now that he had kissed her, his nerves and anxiety came wheeling its nasty head back into his stomach. He wasn't sure if she would be angry or not.

It was Tia's turn to flinch, her eyes wide with surprise. She stared at him dubiously, as though she didn't quite believe what had just taken place.

"Forgive me…. Calypso…." He whispered. He called her by her true name now; there was no longer any point in hiding it. Barbosa had already informed him of who she was seeing as how he was a Piece Bearer. The undead captain had done so just after they left for World's End and within the privacy of his captain's quarters. Pintel had not even been present. "Is just….I's never did quite believe it was right, what the Brethren Court did to ya. An' I's just want yous to know, I may be a Piece Bearer, but I's don't agrees with the Brethren Court. You're a beauti'ul an' powerful Goddess, who should never 'ave been imprisoned…"

Tia's shock turned to a soft affection. "I knew ye to be different…." She brushed her hand against his cheek once more. She gave him a sultry smile. "Per'aps one day we should get to know one another…"

Ragetti was not entirely sure what she meant by that, but he was happy to see that she was not angry with him. Wordlessly he smiled and handed her the little white crab. She took the crab and with one final stroke of the cheek, she turned to leave him.

Ragetti wasn't sure how long he had stood there watching after her, a goofy smile playing on his lips, before he heard Pintel's angry shout shatter his thoughts. "Rags! Get over 'ere!"

Ragetti swallowed thickly and turned to look where his friend was sitting and quickly went to go join him, the cold finally catching back up to him as he sat down and shivered in his seat.

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Author's Note: Just a little one-shot I thought up when I was watching AWE. I have always thought Calypso and Ragetti would make a cute couple. It's a bit of a crack pairing, considering everything, but had things been a bit different, I truly believe these two could have managed to work out. Plus, I found there to be something more in the scene where Ragetti whispers the words to release her. I believe it could be very possible it was so easy for him to speak to her like that for he really did think of her in that way. Sorry if they were OOC, this is the first time I've written/focused on these characters. Please review!