Chapter 9

Caylie tried to be cheerful and go about her life like she did before but every time she remembered how she looked, she became miserable. And though Clanker and Bootstrap were kind with her, the other crewmembers weren't so nice. They ridiculed her all the time now, more than ever. For a period of time they had at least let her go her own way, not liking her but not nagging her either. But now they were constantly laughing at her, mocking her appearance. She tried to snap at them and put them back in their place, reminding them they looked just as ugly if not more but she didn't find the strength. She was at a low. Bootstrap tried to keep the others away from her but there was only so much he could do. Clanker was debating whether to help Caylie or not. He didn't want to lose face in front of the other crewmembers, but he didn't think it seemed fair to leave Caylie like that. It tore him in two. But Clanker wasn't the only one fighting an inner battle. Jones couldn't take watching Caylie depress herself. She'll bounce back. I'll make her, he tried to convince himself, but he knew better. He didn't have an effect on Caylie like he wished he did. He couldn't make her do a thing. Once again the Dutchman was cloaked in dark despair. The light that once shined had dimmed and Jones did not know how to bring it back. He looked at the crew. They were working, as they had before Caylie had arrived. No one smiled. Everyone was miserable. It was as though Caylie wasn't there. She hid in the hold when she didn't have to work and when she did, she worked in the shadows or up on the mast mending the sails to avoid any social contact. This was not the Caylie from some days ago who was talking with everyone and putting smiles on their faces. The Caylie who fought fiercely against another ship and who learnt to fight from Clanker. This was a broken Caylie and Jones was infuriated he couldn't fix her because even if he tried to deny it, he missed her old self.

Caylie sat on the bow of the Dutchman, looking out at the stars. They were so beautiful. It was late out, but she couldn't sleep. A single tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't want to feel sorry for herself. She hated herself for feeling this way. She wondered what her mother was thinking, seeing her like this. Caylie closed her eyes and tried to control the tears building up in her but with no one else there, there was no reason for her not to cry so she let down her barrier and the tears fell at full force. She lay on her side and continued to sob. Clanker and some of the other crewmembers were in the hold, playing Liar's Dice.

"Pity what happened to Miss Caylie," Maccus mocked, taking a swig of rum.

Jimmylegs laughed. "Aye, she was fairly fine ye know before. Now she just looks like some mutilated plant!"

Bootstrap glared at them from his corner. "Ye two shut up now. Caylie never asked fer any o' this. I bet ye were the same way when ye first transformed."

Maccus and Jimmylegs revealed their dice and then re-shook the cups.

"Naw, she's just a bloody whiny whelp," Maccus snapped.

"Or maybe ye're jealous she's tougher then ye were when ye first got 'ere and she's a girl," Clanker said suddenly then bowed his hat over his face in shame.

Bootstrap leaned over and looked at him in surprised. Maccus looked at him hard.

"Ye goin' soft on 'er Clanker ol' boy?" he growled menacingly.

Clanker got up and left the hold and made his way up to the deck. He suddenly didn't want to play anymore. When he got up there his attention was drawn by the clear sound of sobs. He looked to the bow and saw Caylie. Making sure no one else was there, he made his way to her. He didn't know why he was afraid of being seen with her. There was something about her that unsettled him, unnerved him.

"Ye alrigh' Caylie?" he asked her slowly, calling her by her name for once.

Caylie flipped her head around and wiped her eyes with her rough arms. She nodded. "Yes."

"Aye ye sure?" he asked, "cause ye bloody well don't look like it."
Caylie sighed, looking up at the stars again. "All I wanted was to still be me. I promised myself I wasn't going to let Jones get to me and that I would be me when I walked out of here in fifty years. Now, now I'm like everyone else on this floating prison! I could end up like Whyvern! I don't want to be like Whyvern!" she cried, for once opening up to him.

Clanker chuckled. "Well I've been 'ere more than fifty years and I still ain't like Whyvern. Ye definitely won't become like that. And ye still can be different. Ye are different from the rest of us really. Firstly, ye're a girl!"

Caylie stifled a giggle. "That's true, I guess."

"And ye're not afraid o' the cap'n. That's somethin' none of us could manage," Clanker continued.

"Also true," Caylie sighed. "But it's just hard Clanker! The other crewmembers, they've undergone all this before, but they're so mean about it! As if they were just waiting for a reason to laugh in my face!"

Clanker made a face. "Truthfully they were. They're men and they're frustrated. Ye're not scared, ye're unique and ye're a girl. See where I'm goin'?"

Caylie nodded. "Never thought ye could be so insightful Clanker," she remarked, giving him a small smile.

Clanker scratched his head. "Me neither."

Claylie sniffled. "Well, I guess I'll go to bed then. I don't want to wake up with Jones or Jimmylegs draggin' me out of bed with the whip."

"Aye," Clanker nodded, then had an afterthought. He knew Caylie was still hurting and she probably wouldn't find any peaceful rest, not with the rest of the crew playing Liar's Dice down there, "Caylie, would ye like to learn a game?"

Caylie frowned in confusion but shrugged. "Why not?"

Jones had gotten into the uncontrollable habit of spying on Caylie when he thought he could get away with it. Especially now, when she was in such a fragile state, he felt the excessive need to. He stood in the shadows again, watching as she sat on the bow crying to herself. He knew the crew was not being the friendliest with her so when Clanker came to find her on deck; Jones was very shocked, almost defensive. It was the second time Clanker had been alone with Caylie and Jones was beginning to wonder…He shook his head of these thoughts and concentrated on the scene in front of him. He was sure it was just coincidental. Clanker soon got Caylie to talk to him, to Jones' grand surprise. He was sure she hated Clanker. Maybe he didn't know his crew as well as he thought after all. Jones was very good at lip-reading and he could tell they were discussing the crew's treatment of Caylie. He could even read his name come up a few times. It seemed beyond him Caylie would turn to Clanker for comfort. Bootstrap maybe but not Clanker. Jones knew by then for certain he would be forever perplexed in the mystery of teenaged girls.

Caylie followed Clanker to the hold and saw the rest of the crew sitting around a small table. She held back and shook her head fervently. "I don't…want…to…" she stuttered, seeing Jimmylegs and Maccus.

"Ye're not afraid o' the cap'n but ye're afraid o' the crew. I don't bloody well get ye," Clanker said, pushing her forward lightly.

Caylie rolled her eyes and moved forward, trying to put on a brave face.

"Well look here," Jimmylegs said maliciously. "It's Miss Caylie."

"And?" Caylie snapped. "I have a right to be here same as you."

Clanker was impressed. She was a good actress.

"Back to play, Clankie the softie?" Maccus cooed mockingly, making the crew roar with laughter.

Caylie looked at him curiously but when Clanker ignored her she knew it wasn't her business and retreated to the corner next to Bootstrap.

"I am," Clanker said, fixing his hat. "And I'm goin' ter win."

Jimmylegs snorted. "Good luck w' that."

They all took their cups and their dice. Caylie watched as the game progressed on, and she soon caught on to the rules.

"What are they bettin'?" she asked Bootstrap.

"The only thing we have," he said, "the time on the ship."

Caylie made a small 'oh' sound. Finally the game finished and Clanker did not end up winning, much to his disappointment.

"Anymore takers?" Maccus asked, a grin on his face.

"Me," Caylie called up, walking to the table. She would play him. She wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

"Ye sure?" Bootstrap asked her, holding her back.

Caylie nodded. "After watching them play for an hour or so, I think I got the gist of it."

Maccus grinned evilly and handed her the cup and dice. They shook and flipped over their cups, looking at the dice.

"Three fours," Maccus began.

"Four fours," Caylie said.

"Five fours," Maccus said back.

"Six fours," Caylie said. She was lying at this point but hid it well.

"Seven fours," Maccus continued, not catching Caylie's lie.

"Liar," Caylie challenged him.

They revealed the dice. Maccus had not been lying. He had seven dice. The crew made all sorts of animal sounds and Caylie growled.

"Another round," she told Maccus.

"Suit yerself," Maccus shrugged smugly, taking his dice again.

"Two twos," Caylie began shakily. She couldn't lose again.

"Three twos," Maccus said dully.

"Four twos," Caylie said.

"Five twos," Maccus said.

Caylie knew he wasn't lying. It was in his sickly blue eyes. "Six twos," she said.

"Seven twos," Maccus snapped automatically.

Caylie's heart pounded. "Liar."

They revealed their dice again and Caylie's stomach fluttered. She had won. Maccus had lied.

"I win," she smiled.

"Don't get too smug whelp, it's only one game," Maccus snapped.

Caylie shrugged and headed for her hammock, feeling a little better then before.

Caylie soon found rest and fell asleep, falling into her dream-realm…

Caylie could see the same man as last time, clutching the baby close. He was holding her swan pendant above the baby's head and the baby's small fingers tried to grab at it.

"It'll be yers," the man said in a heavy Scottish accent. "And ye'll keep it always. I don't want ye to go dyin' on me too."

The baby made a gurgle sound.

"Ye'll be happy here," the man said. "They'll take care o' ye. Maybe one day I'll come and find ye. I think ye'd make a fine pirate lass. A perfect Piratesse."

The baby clapped in his arms, laughing. The man laughed a bit too.

"Ye'd like that then?" he asked the baby, swaying it back and forth in his arms.

Then he walked up some steps and Caylie saw two people she recognized as her grandparents.

"Hello," her grandmother said softly. "Our condolences to you, Mr. Jones."

"Thank ye," the man said. "Raise 'er well. Like Dawn would 'ave wanted. One day I may come back fer her."

Caylie's grandfather nodded. "We will. Dawn was very special to us, the minute we met her. Wonderful girl. Lit up a room with that smile."

The man's face saddened. He handed the baby to Caylie's grandparents.

"Well I 'ave ter go. Good bye Mr. and Mrs. Adams, and thank ye. Good bye Carolyn," the man said softly, and walked away.

Caylie woke up with beads of sweat running down her forehead. She knew who the man was now. Why hadn't she thought of it before? Of course it was Davy Jones! Her first reaction was to believe she was just imagining the dreams, that they weren't memories. But she knew that made no sense. She was seeing things that had already happened. She knew Jones had given her the necklace, so the man had to be him. Caylie couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe her horrible captain had looked like that so long ago. It was almost enough to make her laugh. And Tia Dalma had been right after all. Jones had cared about his sister. The proof was there, in Caylie's mind. She wondered if he remembered all that. Caylie saw the other crewmembers begin to stir and she awoke ready to work.

Caylie worked hard that day, trying to forget the truths of her dream. Jones was walking around the deck when he saw her straining to roll up a pile of rope.

"Stay up late lass?" he asked her, already knowing about the Liar's Dice game.

Caylie looked up at him, the hot sun making her sweat and dizzy. "Yes cap'n."

Then she remembered her dream and looked down quickly, continuing to roll the rope. "Playing Liar's Dice with the others I imagine," Jones continued calmly.

Caylie rolled her eyes. Did he know everything? "Yes, yes I was."

Jones nodded, his tentacles twisting. "Did ye find it amusin'?"

Caylie looked up again. "I did."

"I heard ye won against Maccus," Jones said casually.

So he did know everything. "I did."

"Fine job then," Jones said, walking away.

Caylie then knew she would never understand Jones or the way his mind worked.