Chapter 4

Wheezing through the sudden burst of speed Catherine pulled the pirate into the opening of the cove. As far as she knew this was as safe as they could possibly be for now. "I think… we lost… them…" She hadn't felt so alive in such a long time. Smiling at the pirate she held out her hand to have it kissed and introduced herself using the Admirals second name.

"My names… Catherine Coral…" he shook her outstretched hand in thanks. "I would introduce myself but I don't see as I've got time. I have to get back to my ship before the tide comes in. Do you know of any way to get to the other side of the beach without being caught?" He began to leave the cave. Catherine looked at him in horror, she knew he was a pirate but surly he had some manners. She had just saved his life!

"How dare you! I just saved you life!" She screeched running up behind him.

"Yes I know, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Now if you could point me in the right direction…" She could see that she wouldn't get what she wanted so just pointed him to where it was he wanted to go. "Thanks love" with that he patted her roughly on her behind and walked in the direction of her finger. In outrage she ran up and stopped him in his path, he was laughing at her. She had never felt so… so… well she didn't know the right word for it but she knew it was bad… in all her life. She had to wipe that stupid, smug grin of his incredibly annoying face.

"OW" he bellowed as she slapped his face as hard as she could possibly manage. "What was that for?" He shouted grabbing her hand as she bought her hand down towards his face to give him another.

"You impugned my honor." Catherine said not knowing why she had hit him. He pulled her face towards his and before she could escape from his grasp kissed her hard on her lips. "Now I've impugned your honor."

Ranching herself from his grasp she stormed away as he laughed. "Come now Catherine… It was just a joke!"

"Well I don't see how it was funny!"

"Well the expression on your face that's what!" He couldn't stop laughing. To be honest he didn't know what had made him kiss her? Yes she was in her own way very pretty but she was also far too spirited and stubborn. Yet as his lips had left hers he knew there was something different about her. Something in that kiss.

Storming away from the pirate Catherine wasn't looking where she was going and walked right into the stationary figure of her cousin James.

"There you are!" taking her arm in his and pressing down he wrenched her towards him. He didn't know what he was doing. All he knew was that as he saw her come round the corner of that cave with her hair all disheveled and falling out of her up-do he wanted her. More than anything, he had to have her. He had to know what those beautiful lips had in store. In a moment of complete madness he pulled her towards his torso and forced his lips onto hers. She began struggling but he didn't care. In the heat of his want for her he pushed her to the floor. His lips left her mouth and he began kissing her neck and caressing her body.

Catherine didn't understand. What was he doing? Well she knew what he was doing but how could he? She was only eleven years old. Yes she looked older but he knew. He was supposed to be her family. He was supposed to take care of her. She couldn't move. He was far too strong for her. No matter how much she struggled she knew she couldn't escape his craving. She had no chance she knew that but that didn't mean she would give up fighting.

In that moment as she was about to give up to him she heard a voice calling her name. "Catherine!" The pirate was following her tracks. He knew he had to apologise. He'd just thought it would be funny. "Catheri…" It was then he saw her. The anger boiled u in him. He just knew he had to help her. How could someone do that? He thought pirates were supposed to be disgusting. Yet here was this man who, judging from his garb, was considered a gentleman. He ran towards her and threw the young 'gentleman' off her. Picking him up of the ground he punched him and gave him a split lip. The young man crawled away from him with terror in his eyes

James crawled away from where the pirate stood. Bending down towards Catherine the cutthroat took her hand in his and lifted her shivering, disheveled, tiny body from the ground. How dare he touch her? How dare that piece of shit touch Catherine? His Catherine! In a moment of passionate rage James ran at the criminal. He took him by surprise and was on top of his grabbing a stone James was about to bring it crashing into the pirates face when he heard a shout from behind him and then nothing.

Catherine stood above him. That sweet innocent little girl who had already saved his life twice in less than one day. In tears she fell to the floor as her feet collapsed from beneath her. The steady flow of tears from her beautiful green eyes became stronger and her small body shook with the sheer force of her sobs. Moving towards her He took her into his arms and let her cry. She was so small. Compared to his almost six foot stature she could only be about four foot seven. Her pretty dress that had been so clean when he had first seen her had been ripped and was covered in wet sand. For almost an hour he rocked he back and forth trying to calm her and stop her sobbing. Why did he feel this way? He knew why he couldn't let that cunt do anything to her. She was just a child. She couldn't protect herself. But why did he feel the need to stay with her? Why did he hate seeing he cry?

"Thank you…" her quick intake of breath after each word made it take a long time for her to say everything she had to. "So… much… You…saved… my life…" The boy smiled down at her and stroked a curl from her face moving it behind her ear. Smiling down at her with his strong arms encapsulating and protecting her Catherine knew he wouldn't let any harm come to her.

"Hey you save my life now I save yours… were square. Although I suppose after battering that bastard with the rock I'm now in your debt again." He laughed as he said this but knew then he had done something wrong. The smile that had been on her face as she looked up at me suddenly became a look of pure horror.

"Oh my God! What have I done? Is he dead?" Her face was wracked with guilt and she crawled out of his arms to examine the body. Opening his stiff collar she searched for a pulse. Finding it she let out the breath she had been holding. There was a pulse. He was a live.

"Why should you care whether he lives or dies? After what he did to you he deserves everything he gets."

"He's my cousin. The Admirals grandson. How am I going to explain this when I go home?" Catherine looked into the pirate's eyes as if searching for all the answers to her problems. As he was about to answer her, the Admirals grandson began to stir.

Opening his eyes to find himself on the beach James knew immediately what he had done. What was he going to do? What he had done was unforgivable. What would she tell the Admiral? Lifting himself slowly from the floor he saw the man who had saved her from him. It was the pirate that everyone in Port Royal was searching for. He then saw a way out of his predicament.

"Catherine. I suggest we keep this to ourselves." She looked at him in disgust. "If you tell no one of what occurred today I will tell no one that you tried to kill me by smashing a rock on my head, and will not mention the fact that you were fraternizing with a pirate." All hint of defiance left her eyes and she looked to the ground. She knew he had won. Looking to the pirate James put on his most patronising voice. "I suggest you leave. The naval officers will find you sooner or later."

The pirate looked towards Catherine. Did she want him to leave? She nodded to him. How could she agree? How could she let this monster win? Pulling him towards her and taking her bruised and battered face into his hands he looked into her hardened eyes. He knew then that the spirited girl that he met just ten minutes ago was dead. This was another girl entirely. She had resigned herself to her fate. "Why? Why are you agreeing? Look what he just did to you!" He didn't know why he was so angry. He just knew he was.

Catherine looked down towards the ground as if ashamed to look at the pirate. In a defeated voice she whispered "He leaves for Oxford University in England in a weeks time. There is little he can do to me in that time. I will be stay with the rest of the family at all times until he leaves." She then took his face in her hands and kissed his cheek in thanks. "Thank you. You should leave now though."

He didn't understand. He didn't want to leave her, but he had to. If he weren't back safely on the ship before the tide came in his father would come looking for him. He put his hands round behind his neck. Pulling the necklace from over his head he put it in Catherine's hand. "I owe you my life. If we should ever meet again I will do all I can to help you." With that he turned from her and made his way back to his home.

"Wait!" She ran towards the pirate and shouted at him. "What is your name?" but it was too late. He had already left her sight.

Catherine moved as far as possible away from James and resigned herself to wait until they were found. Opening her hand she looked down at the medallion. It was nothing special. Just a dirty, half destroyed silver coin with what looked like two swords crossing on the back. Catherine didn't care that all the writing had rubbed off or that the coin seemed to be bent out of shape somehow. To her it was the most precious thing she had and she would never take it from around her neck.

Jack climber the ladder and was finally home. He had at last made it back to the ship. As he swung his leg over the side of the ship he bumped into something. The something happened to be none other than his father. Captain Jack Sparrow.