Jack's Secret

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own any of the Pirates stuff. If I did, Will and Elizabeth would be together, Jack & Liz dearest would've never kissed, and most importantly there'd be another movie about a girl named Katarina Sparrow.

"How much of that conversation did you hear that first night you came on board?"

"Oh you mean the one between you and Gibbs?"

"Yeah," he said hesitantly.

"Well I heard you talking about a woman named Liliana and then I cut in."

"That woman named Liliana, do you remember anyone by that name?"

"No."

"The reason I asked is because that is the woman that first told you the stories of my adventures."

"No, I heard those stories on the movies."

"What's a movie?"

"Never mind, now Liliana?"

"The woman named Liliana is the first one who told you of me, and she is your mother." Katarina shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide in shock.

"What?! That's not possible because my parents are-"

"Adoptive, you were adopted."

"How? They live in another time zone entirely!"

"I know, I know but listen there's more."

"MORE?! How could there possibly be more?!"

"That locket that you have, I gave it to you when you were three years old. Your mom, Liliana, is my wife."

"Wait then that would make you my-" She sat there a minute before letting out a high-pitched, unpiratical scream. "OH MY GOD!"

"Yes," he smiled. "You see Liliana much like yourself wanted to join the crew, and your mother looking the way she did...well she was definitely welcome aboard. She was young, only thirty at the time and I was a year older. Well it wasn't long before the captain was preforming a marriage ceremony. Savvy? That was way before the mutiny, anyway when she was pregnant with you we decided the high seas was no place for a child so she settled in Port Royal. She was the most feared name in the Caribbean so she had to take a different name and a new life. Anyway the day she settled down almost all the adventure left her. Then you came and she just didn't want a life of piracy, didn't want it for you. But I'll be a monkey's butt if that woman didn't tell you tales of your pa until the day she died three years later! Tia Dalma was able to give me a huge favor, she opened all of time and space to send you forward in time. I gave you that locket so you would always have a part of me, even though we were never to meet again."

"Why send me so far away, so far forward in time?"

"I couldn't take care of you, and I didn't ever want you exposed to the life of piracy."

"But are you glad I joined the crew, are you...proud?"

"Couldn't have been happier in my life! Besides someone has to keep Sparrow the most feared name in the Caribbean. And Kat don't you ever doubt even for a second that I'm proud of you, I couldn't have a son that would do better than what you do on this ship." Suddenly Katarina realized the reason Jack's compass had been pointing to her. What Jack had wanted most in the world was to reveal to her that he was her father. Now Kat knew that everything would fall into place and that the attempts to kick her off the ship were done.

In the days following what Jack had said things did get easier, however she would soon find out her assumptions about Alexandria (or Alex as she insisted on being called) were 100 correct! The girl was snobby, arrogant, stuck up, rude, and completely self centered! Katarina found that to be true on her very first day out of bed. For two days Kat stayed bedridden quite against her will but eventually she was allowed up. Sawyer had been taking on Kat's work for two days but it was Kat and Alex that cleaned the deck when Kat could finally work.

"Alex," Kat said from her position scrubbing the deck. Sometimes she had to get down on her hands and knees to scrub at the grime on the Pearl. "You're going to have to check the riggings, I can't climb like this." Kat wasn't just being spiteful her side had been bugging her, the tiniest movement sent her reeling in pain.

"Excuse me," she said putting her hands on her hips. For the first time since the fight Kat actually got a look at Alex. She was a reasonably tall girl with curves Kat just wished she had. Her golden brown curls fell in ringlets over her shoulders and cascaded down her back. However the girl only had outer beauty.

"I can't climb, my side."

"Your side can deal with it." Now Katarina got hopping mad.

"No they can't, you can check the riggings!"

"Uh, I don't think so," she said sitting on the edge of the deck and examining her nails. Katarina couldn't fight in her condition so against her better judgment she climbed the ropes. She had made it quite a ways up when her side surged in pain. Katarina went to hold on but it was to late she had drawn back with such force that she fell from the ropes and landed with a sickening thud on her back.

"Alex get Sawyer!" Katarina writhed in pain, her side's wound had split wide open and was gushing torrents of blood.

"I don't think so."

"Look at me I need help!" They had just recently anchored, no one else was on deck or on board for that matter.

"Actually, I think I'll go spend some time with Sawyer dearest." Alex shot a malicious smile at Kat.

"I need help!"

"Yeah, too bad I don't feel like getting you any." With that she left the deck. Katarina was doubled over in pain and she found herself caught in a rope that had fallen with her. Kat screamed for help but all the men were down below or in the town and no one could hear her.

Meanwhile Alex saw this as the perfect opportunity to reunite with an old friend and she sought him out in the bunk room.

"Hi Alex, where's Kat?" Sawyer was still extremely unsure on whether or not Kat should even be up.

"She said that her side was hurting and went to talk to Jack," Alex lied. "You know I haven't really had a chance to talk with you, how've you been doing?" Sawyer was worried about Kat but he hadn't seen Alex in so long.

"Good, well as good as one can do on a pirate ship. You?"

"Not too bad."

"What were you doing on that ship that first day we picked you up?"

"Oh that. Mom and dad said they were looking for an old friend and needed his help, they were on a separate boat."

"You're forgetting how adventurous they once were."

"Right, so do they know where you are?" Alex simply shook her head and changed the subject.

"C'mon let's go somewhere, let's do something!"

"Where would we go?"

"Let's explore the ship!"

"You can't be serious."

"Yeah, c'mon I've never seen the lower levels." So that's how they spent the next two hours just looking and exploring. This was Alex's plan, if she could keep Sawyer to herself then maybe she could get his attention off Kat. So they went through the lower levels of the ship where they could be alone and as far away from Kat's cries as possible.

O.k. Guys, so what did you think? My sincerest apologies for the cliffhanger in the previous chapter, ask any of my friends you guys, I do those a lot. Thanks to all my reviewers and please review some more tell your friends I only put this story up to hear what others think. I've had a few people tell me this is a bit chick-flicky but I have to tell you it will get way better very soon! Good stuff, sword fights, battles, blood and gore! (yay my favorite part!) So stay tuned for the next chapter folks and thanks to all my loyal fans.