Fractured Edges

I don't usually put trigger warnings, but be warned, adult themes ahead.

"Ginny, bring me some tea when I have my piano lesson. You know how I like to sip and play."

Ginny sighed and dipped her head. "Yes, Master Cutler."

The boy about her age smirked at her. "You've been here nearly five years, Ginny, and you still insist on calling me 'Master Cutler.' It isn't necessary."

Ginny ground her teeth together. "Your father wouldn't approve. Or do you not remember the last time I disobeyed his order to always show respect to my owners?"

Cutler waved her off. "I'll talk to him. He'll listen to me. Although, I do rather like your calling me master."

Ginny swallowed a retort. "Yes, Master Cutler. Do you require anything else?"

"Just my tea," said Cutler, "and your company when I play."

Ginny dipped her head. "Yes, Master Cutler. I will return shortly."

Cutler winked at her as she disappeared through the doorway. Ginny choked back a gag, shuddering at the thought of entertaining that prat. She poured him some tea and considered spitting in it, but refrained. She took a deep breath and reentered the drawing room, where she found Cutler at the piano, plinking away at the keys. Ginny's heart ached as she gazed at the piano. She set the tea tray down and watched Cutler's short fingers struggle to play. He turned to Ginny when he finished his song and smiled. He stood from his the piano bench and crossed over to Ginny. He toyed with a stray blonde hair that dangled from Ginny's low bun. Ginny flushed and Cutler smirked, mistaking her reddened cheeks for a delicate blush.

"You've been my maid for quite some time, Ginny. We've gotten to know each other quite well." Cutler murmured.

Ginny clenched her teeth. "Yes, Master Beckett."

Cutler tucked Ginny's hair behind her ear. "Cutler, Ginny. Please, call me Cutler."

Ginny swallowed. "Cutler."

Cutler's face fanned with a smile. Ginny's heart sank. Cutler was nice enough, but Ginny could not forget what his father did to her mother. She doubted Cutler knew, but she did. And that was enough to make her stomach roil in Cutler's flirtatious presence. "I think you're quite beautiful, Ginny. And I've come to care for you."

Ginny's heartbeat fluttered wildly. She widened her eyes and staggered back. "Cutler, this is inappropriate."

Cutler frowned. "Why? We're both nearly of marrying age."

Ginny's face drained of color. "Your father would never allow it."

"No," Cutler agreed, "and I wouldn't want him to. You think I would want to marry you? You're just a slave girl. No, I am merely stating that we don't have much time left to do as we will with our freedoms. And you are a convenient availability for me."

Ginny swallowed the bile rising in her throat. "What are you implying, Master Beckett?"

"I am a young man with a sexual appetite. You are my slave, and I want you to serve me." Cutler replied, raising his eyebrows at Ginny.

She resisted the overwhelming urge to vomit. "And if I say no?"

Cutler's smirk curled into a sneer. "Well, you have no power to say no. You're my property. You could be flogged, if you'd prefer. But it would be such a waste to scar your pretty skin."

Ginny trembled and tears stung her eyes. "As you wish, Master Beckett."

…

Jack gazed out the window of his bedroom, staring at the port far below. The tower of ships that made up Shipwreck Cove had seemed so incredible to him as a young child, before he had left with his parents and found the Enright farm by accident. Jack's heart flashed with a sharpness that nearly took his breath away. His stomach twisted and his eyes burned. He swallowed the lump in his throat and held back his tears, in case his father entered the room. He didn't want to hear another lecture. He heard someone enter his bedroom. He recognized his father by his heavy footsteps.

"Jacky," Teague grumbled. His tone caught Jack's attention, who turned to face his father with his eyebrows furrowed in askance. Teague's eyes seemed darker and the bags under them appeared deeper than usual. He looked as if he carried the mast of a ship upon his shoulders. "It's yer mum."

Jack stifled a gasp and rushed out of the room. He hurried down the sloping corridor to his mother's bedroom. He paused in the doorway, where Grandmama stood. She turned to Jack, her beady black eyes narrowed beneath the folds of skin on her face. "About time, boy. She ain't got much longer."

Jack suppressed a rude comment and pushed past Grandmama. His feet dragged as he drew closer to his mother's bedside. His heartbeat thumped in his ears and the room seemed to stretch on more than usual. He dropped to his knees by his mother's bed. "Mum?"

Jasmine turned her head toward him. Sweat covered her forehead. Her hair stuck to her fevered cheeks. She cracked a smile. She reeked of sick, but Jack leaned closer. He gripped his mother's hands in his. "Jacky," she breathed. "My boy…"

Jack's eyes stung. "Mum, you're gonna be all right. Tell me you're gonna be all right."

Jasmine sighed. "I can't do that, Jacky. They've… They've done all they can."

Jack allowed a few tears to escape his eyes. He felt them slide down his cheeks. Jasmine frowned at his tears but said nothing. Jack wiped her forehead with a damp cloth. "Mum…"

"Jacky, I-I want you to listen… very carefully… Listen, Jacky…" Jasmine's breath hastened into shallow pants as influenza seemed to consume her body right in front of Jack's eyes.

"I'm listening, Mum." Jack sniffled.

"Find… Find Ginny… When you're older… Look for her, Jacky…" Jasmine rasped.

"I… I don't know where to look." Jack frowned.

"You'll find her… I… I know you… will…" Jasmine whispered.

"Mum…" Jack whimpered, not caring that Teague and Grandmama watched him.

"I love you, Jacky…" Jasmine breathed.

"I love you, too, Mum." Jack choked. Teague crossed the room. He sat on Jasmine's other side.

"My boys…" Jasmine wheezed. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths that slowed, and Jack watched as sickness left his mother's face and surrendered to blankness. Jack coughed out a sobbed and buried his head on the bed. He clenched the sheets and wept. After several moments filled with Jack's blubbering, he felt his father place a large, gnarled hand on his back.

"She's gone, Jacky. Let's go." Teague murmured.

Jack released his grip and stood. He refused to meet his grandmother's gaze as he left the room, his chest echoing the love his mother used to have for him.

…

Ginny doubled over the chamber pot and wretched. She vomited up her lunch and dinner until her throat burned and her mouth tasted like acid. She coughed and spat before moving away from the chamber pot. She clutched her stomach and sank to the floor, trembling. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Her body shook with her cries. Her eyes and throat ached from weeping, but not as much as her body from Cutler's rough touch. She jumped when she felt hands on her. She looked up at a kindly maid who worked with her in the kitchen somedays.

"Ginny, is it?" the maid asked. Ginny nodded but scooted away from the maid. The older woman paused before crouching beside her. "I mustn't speak ill of Master Cutler, but I've seen those nasty looks he gives you and his behavior. I'm only going to ask once, do you understand?" Ginny stared at the darker skinned woman, her brow furrowing, but nodded. The maid's lips dropped gravely. "Were you raped?"

Ginny's face scrunched and she shook her head. "I-I let him, I didn't w-want to be flogged, but n-now I'm ruined…" she sobbed, hiding her face.

"Listen to me, dear. You're not ruined. And you're not the first girl he's done this to, and you certainly won't be the last. Now, I need you to get up and get to work. You are strong, stronger than you think you are. You need to get to work or you will be flogged." said the maid.

Ginny cowered further into the corner of the room. "I-I can't. I don't want to be this forever."

The older woman reached out her hand. "You won't. For now, you are going to smile, you are going to flirt, you are going to work hard and you are going to give him no reason to think that you will not be his forever. Understand?"

Ginny stared at the woman's hand for a moment. "What's your name?"

"I'm Lucille," said the woman. "Do you understand what I've told you?"

Ginny wiped her eyes and took Lucille's hand, who hauled Ginny to her feet. "I think so." Ginny muttered.

Lucille beamed. "Good. Now, there's cleaning to be done."

Ginny spent the next few days following through with what Lucille told her. She smiled, and flirted, and allowed Cutler to do things to her, and gave him no reason to think that anything was wrong. She went to his bed every night for a week and spent the morning after throwing up or crying. She never let Cutler suspect her disgust. During the day, during her chores, she examined the house. She tested which windows creaked when they opened. While cleaning Cutler's room, she dusted the window and unlocked it. It was large enough for her to crawl through, and Lucille had told her that the jump to the ground was not far. Ginny could drop to the ground, and race toward the trees. If she could make it past the border of the Beckett property before anyone could catch her, she would have enough time to make it to the nearest town. Ginny, while cleaning Cutler's room, had snagged some money. She ventured to his room on the eighth night, and allowed for Cutler to feed his sexual appetite. He fell asleep, as per usual, and Ginny snuck out of his bed. She opened the window and slipped into the night. She crawled to the edge of the roof and clambered over the side. She dangled there for a moment and dropped to the ground. Her feet stung from the impact, but Lucille had been right: the drop was not harmful. Ginny took off for the trees. Her boots slapped the ground, but she dared not look back. When she reached the trees, her pace slowed. She weaved in and out of the thick cluster, twigs scratching her face and catching her hair. She kept running until she reached a stream, which she jumped over. She hurried until she reached the fence. She climbed over it, her heart pounding in her throat. She laughed as she ran, her pace picking up once she left the cover of the trees and found a road leading to the nearest town. She said a prayer of thanks for Lucille, and prayed that her friend would be all right.

…

"Quit yer moping, boy! Be a man!" Grandmama snapped. She popped Jack in the mouth. He clenched his fists and staggered back. He rubbed his mouth, glaring at his grandmother.

"My mother died, you unsympathetic sack of wrinkled twats!" Jack yelled.

Grandmama merely looked amused. "Oh, the worm has teeth, does he? Careful Jacky, or I'll squash ye like the spineless leech ye are."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You'd be doing me a bloody favor." He stormed off. He marched up several corridors and into one of the inn rooms and slammed the door.

"How were your lessons?" called a voice from the bed. Jack took several deep breaths before storming over to the bed. He snatched the book from the young woman's hands and tossed it aside. He crashed his lips against hers, tasting her mouth with his tongue. When he pulled away for breath, Esmeralda stared up at him, her dark eyes glittering. "That bad, huh?"

Jack pulled her by the waist, closer to his body. "Shut it." He moved to kiss her again. She let him, but only for a few moments.

"I was reading that." Esmeralda protested.

"You can read it later." Jack groaned as Esmeralda squirmed out from underneath him to fetch her book.

"And your arousal can't be satisfied later?" Esmeralda challenged.

Jack scowled at her as he sat up. "Shut it."

Esmeralda chuckled as she placed the book on her nightstand. She turned to Jack and her smile faltered. "Was it about your mum again?"

Jack rubbed his face with one hand. "I don't want to talk about it, Esme."

"You tell me everything."

Jack sucked in a sharp breath as a certain blonde girl flew to his mind. His chest seized and he leaned over, propping his elbows on his knees. "She thinks I'm moping."

"Well, you are."

Jack's hands balled into fists as he grabbed his hair. "My mother died last year."

"Oh, come on, Jack. We both know that's not the full truth."

Jack jumped to his feet and hurled a pillow at the wall. "Bloody hell, Esme! Leave it alone!"

"No," retorted Esmeralda, unfazed. "Because you have become less and less yourself with every passing day, and I want to know how to get you back."

Jack turned to her, breathing heavily. "It's about my mum," he admitted, "but also about something my mum told me, all right?"

"What did your mum tell you?"

Jack sighed and turned away from Esmeralda. "She told me to find Virginia Enright."

"Who is Virginia Enright?" Esmeralda asked.

Jack gripped the back of a chair. "An old friend of mine. She… She was taken because her family protected mine. Pirates."

"Who took her?"

"Jonathon Beckett," Jack growled.

"And why are you moping about Virginia Enright, six years later?"

"Nearly seven," Jack corrected quietly. He turned to Esmeralda. "Because I watched Jonathon Beckett kill Virginia's mother. I watched as he grabbed Virginia and my father took me away. There's no way I'd be able to find her."

"No, something else is holding you back. What is it?"

"My father and grandmother told me not to," Jack admitted. "And a ship would be handy."

"I have a ship, Jack. We could find your friend."

Jack's heart lifted ever so slightly. "But what if she's dead?"

"What if she isn't, Jack?" Esmeralda insisted. "And even if she is, wouldn't you like the closure?"

Jack thought for a moment before nodding. His shoulders slumped. "But Dad and Grandmama…"

"Why do they even care?"

"Dad says it's too dangerous, Grandmama thinks it's a waste of time."

"To hell with that, Jack. Your dad's away. Your grandmother is too old to come after us. Let's go, Jack. Let's find her." Esmeralda bounced excitedly.

Jack softened and took her face in his hands. He met her gaze without flinching. "I love you."

"And I love you," Esmeralda returned, "Mí corazón."

...

Four Years Later

"Remember, Suzume. You are Ginny Stormmare. This will give you a fresh start."

Ginny turned to her friend, her heart weighing an extra ten pounds. "Thank you, Captain Chiyo."

The Asian woman smiled, her dark eyes softening as she took Ginny's hands in hers. "Don't thank me yet, my little storm. You have much ahead of you."

Ginny's eyes welled with tears as she embraced Chiyo. "I owe you my life."

"You owe me nothing, child. Survive. I know you can. And if you ever find your sparrow…" Chiyo cupped Ginny's face with one hand.

Ginny looked away, her eyes flaring. "I don't need to find Jack Teague. The girl who wanted to find him died years ago."

"You may think so, Suzume, but that little Enright girl is still within you. Now, go. My friend will meet you on the docks and take you by a Mr. Swann's house. They say his wife just passed, and his daughter needs a caretaker. You are young and kind. I'm sure you will find that job an easy task." said Chiyo.

Ginny hugged her friend one last time before debarking the Hidden Blade. She met Chiyo's friend on the docks as promised. She waved goodbye to Chiyo, her heart aching sharply. She turned away and followed Chiyo's friend, a peppy young woman named Aurora, onto the foggy streets of London.

…

Sorry, I know it's been a super long time. But I got little to no reception on the first chapter, and I have been paying more attention to my most successful fanfic and one that's growing more successful, and I've been neglecting this one. I have a lot of plans for this one, which will place everything together if any of you are confused. But now we're past a lot of the background story, and are heading into the first film of POTC. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review!