Anyone know when the last time was I put a disclaimer on here? No? Well, all righty then. Here goes nuffink:
I own nothing of Pirates of the Caribbean. It all belongs to whoever the dudes are that wrote it and produced it and directed it and acted it. I'm just borrowing it for a while. I hope that isn't a problem?
Oh, but I do own Laleira. That island is mine, savvy?
Forfirith Vebriclya: She will tell him EVENTUALLY, and I know he's perfect, but he does do something to her. Sorry! Wouldn't you be mad too, if you were in his position? The girl he's falling for is a spy for the British Navy! That would make me pretty upset.
"Land ho!"
The words didn't fully register in Kendra's mind until she was out on deck and staring at the mass of land before them. It was a large, coastal city, packed together with buildings and streets and houses. Beyond the docks and the city was a forest, which no doubt led to yet another city.
Oh, no. It's time. I have to do this. I have to tell Charlie's men where Jack is headed…wait. Where is Jack headed?
Using every acting skill she'd ever picked up, she nonchalantly walked to the helm of the ship to stand with the still-injured but exceedingly stubborn captain. He refused to let Anna Maria and Gibbs run his ship for longer than a day. He'd been shot two days ago, and now he was steering the ship into port. Kendra was still amazed he was able to move that much.
"So where are we, Jack?" She asked and came to stand beside him, staring at the coast before them.
"Place called Laleira. We'll only be a day, two days tops. All we 'ave to do is pick up a few supplies, and then it's back to the deep blue, luv."
"Where do you think we'll be headed after we leave here?"
He shrugged. "It depends on who we meet along the way, I suppose." He glanced at her. "Why the sudden interest?"
She shrugged. "Am I still welcome to stay on the ship after we leave Laleira?"
He nodded without hesitation. Wrong answer, Jack. "Of course."
Can I really do this to these people? They treat me like family.
"I'll be back in about an hour, all right, Jack?" Kendra called over her shoulder as she walked down the plank.
"All right! Be careful!" He yelled back as he helped the crew with the task of taking down the sails. Or rather, he was supervising while they worked their tails off.
Be careful? Why does he care if I'm careful? She wondered idly as she strolled down the streets of Laleira.
She wandered absently for about thirty minutes before coming across a dark alley off to her right. She didn't heed it at first, until a strong hand suddenly covered her mouth. An arm wrapped around her waist, and the next thing she knew she was being dragged unwillingly into the alley.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" She asked as the dark-skinned man, easily a head taller than she was, set her down before him. Another man, this one pale, appeared out of the shadows behind him.
"We're here on behalf of Charlie." The pale one stepped forward and offered her his hand, which she declined sourly.
"You couldn't have gotten my attention some other way?" She asked bitterly.
He shrugged. "We didn't want one of the pirates to risk seeing you with us of your free will. It was strictly for your safety."
She sneered, "Yes, well if I have a heart attack then you wouldn't be doing your job very well, not would you?"
He sighed. "To the point, Kendra. Where is Jack headed?"
The big moment. Could she bear to tell them what she knew? She didn't know. But suddenly the prospect of running for the rest of her life had a very bleak outlook, and she found herself saying almost against her will, "He doesn't know where he's going. He said it depends on who he runs into out on the ocean." Damn it. Why does this feel so wrong?
To her disgust, the two men grinned evilly, and the black man revealed a gold-capped tooth. "We can use that to our advantage and decide where he goes."
"No!" She shouted, and they stared at her with surprise displayed in their eyes. "I mean…don't attack his ship while I'm on board. If something happens to me, you won't have your source anymore, right? Just lay low for a while and let me do all the work."
Their expressions told her they didn't fully believe her excuse for them not attacking the ship. She suspected Charlie had a back-up plan for if she betrayed him. They were probably looking out for the signs. But, to her surprise, they just shrugged.
"It's up to the Boss. You know that. I'll send him word that we spoke with you, and we'll see what he wants to from there. Be careful though. He may still want to try attacking the ship every now and then, so you'd best stay prepared."
Kendra nodded. "Can I go now?"
They nodded, and she left without another word to either of them. Immediately, she went back to the ship. She wanted to be alone and think for a while. On the ship, she decided being alone was the last thing she needed. She sought out the captain, and when she found him he was instantly at her side.
"What's wrong, luv?" He asked, and at first she didn't understand until she realized she was crying.
"Nothing." She muttered and wiped the tears away.
He gently reached up and caught one of the tears on the side of his forefinger. "Tha's not nothin', luv. Come with me."
He made her sit down on the bed while he retrieved a dry cloth for her to wipe her eyes on. When he returned, he handed the cloth to her and sat down beside her.
"Talk to me, Kendra. Please?" He pleaded as futilely tried wiping away the tears that—now started—refused to stop no matter how hard she ground her teeth together.
She shook her head.
"Please?"
She shook her head again.
"Pplleeaassee!" He wrapped his arms around her neck, buried his head onto her shoulder, and pushed on her until she fell over. When she started laughing, he lifted his head and stared at her. "Somehow I knew I could make ye laugh, Kender. Now, why can't ye tell me wha's been botherin' ye?" He asked and propped his head up on one elbow.
"A few reasons. Number one being: I'm deathly scared of what you'll say. Number two being: I'm deathly scared of what you'll do to me. Number three: I'm deathly scared of what could happen to me—not including what you'll do—if I tell you. That enough?"
"Sounds ta me like yer deathly scared. But ye don't have to be that scared of me, luv. I pr—."
She clapped her hand over his mouth to keep him from finishing. "Don't say that, because it'll wind up being a lie."
He gently pulled her hand away from his mouth. "And how do ye know that?"
"Because I know what I would do if I was in your position, and what I would do is probably mild compared to what you would do to me."
"And what would you do to you?" He asked, staring at her fondly and brushing her hair away from her face.
"I'd tie a rope around my neck and hang myself up in the sails if I were you and I found out what I'm refusing to say to you." She replied matter-of-factly. "And I really shouldn't have told you that because you'll probably do that now."
He frowned. "I would never do something like that to you, Kender."
In a whisper, she replied, "How can you make promises like that when you don't know?"
"Then tell me." He protested, and she squirmed out from under him and stood up. She straightened her shirt and shook her head.
"You don't know what you're asking. If I tell you, things would never be the same between us, Jack. Ever." She frowned and her lower lip stuck out slightly in an unassuming pout when she saw him smiling. "What are you grinning about, Captain Sparrow?"
He shook his head and rolled onto his back. His white shirt was very low-cut in the front, and Kendra couldn't help but remember when they'd kissed. She had to force herself back to the present when she heard him speak.
"Ye worry too much, Kender." He patted the bed beside him, and she sat down reluctantly. She sat down with her back to him and her hands in her lap. This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong. But why doesn't it feel as wrong as it's supposed to? She wondered.
She didn't even flinch when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her down to rest her head on his stomach so that her legs were hanging off the bed.
"Now, tell me if ye honestly think I'd ever hurt ye." Jack said once she was comfortable.
She paused to imagine what he would probably do to her if she told him her little secret, and slowly she began nodding.
"What!" He exploded and sat up. "How can you—? Why do you think—? Why can't you just…?"
She sat up as well. "I'm telling you, you'd be angry."
"No, I bloody wouldn't!" He stood up and paced back and forth and bit his thumb.
She stood up as well, all but spitting in his face. "Yes you would!"
"No, I wouldn't!"
"You're angry now! Look at yourself."
"I'm not angry!" He shouted. They were both shouting now, and she had no doubt that they were probably getting eavesdroppers outside their door.
"Yes you are!"
"No, I am not!"
"Well, God, if you're not angry now then I'd hate to see what you'd be like if you were angry!" She yelled as he turned his back on her to pace again briefly.
"Why do you think I'd—?"
"Because you would!"
"You don't know that!" He pointed a finger at her, and this time she was the one to storm away, over to his cabinet of rum.
"Ye know what?" Jack asked as Kendra ran her fingers through her hair. She could feel heat emanating off of her in shockwaves. Anger was an interesting thing. "I think you're being an idiot."
"Oh, am I?" She hissed.
"Yes! Because if ye trusted me at all then ye would be able ta tell me what was on yer mind and know that I'd try to understand, not taunting me about it and keeping it a secret from me!"
"Well maybe it isn't your secret to hear! Ever think of that you selfish little—." Her curses were drowned out by his.
"Selfish? Me? You're one to talk, missy. I should've thrown you overboard as soon as we found you in the cargo hold. You are nothing but a stupid, petty little…woman!"
Surged with anger and hurt, she picked up one of his bottles of rum and threw it at him, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. He ducked, and the bottle shattered against the wall behind him.
Staring at him, she shouldered past him and threw the doors open. The crew fluttered away from the door like bats when you shine a light on them, each one going in a different direction. She didn't care. She didn't stop walking until she was down in her own room, and only when she slammed the door and locked it behind her did she allow herself to burst into tears.
He just doesn't understand. That's all this is.
Oh goodness! Wonder who will apologize first and plead and grovel for forgiveness first? How intriguing.
Okay, there's the next chapter. I'm gonna start on the next one right now, cuz I'm really into this story. I like where I'm headed with this one. Just don't forget to review, ok guys? I got a review today and that was what inspired me to keep going! So don't forget, or I may start slacking. I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it.
