Chapter Fourteen

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

An hour later, I was stuck in the brig of my own ship, with no weapons or anything dangerous in the least possible way.

"Well, here I am," I called out into the darkness. "Locked up in my own ship. Killed an innocent man. Why, I don't have anything left, do I? Not even a bit of dried pineapple. How ironic. How very, very ironic."

I waited for a reply. None came. I sighed, sat down, and slumped against the hard, cold wall, closing my eyes as images flooded my mind.

Jack grabbing my arm and hoisting me out of the cabin. Karissa trying to save me, but falling back, looking horrified as Jack explained himself. Barbossa glancing up from the side of the ship, having overheard Jack's explanation, and bowing his head grimly. Gibbs, staring. Just staring.

Then came the worst image. Jack throwing me into the brig, giving me a quick look with so many mixed emotions there's no earthly way to describe it, and hearing my own voice call hoarsely to him, begging to let me out, begging to have that sword again so that I could finish the job that should have been completed in the first place.

I opened my eyes again and took in reality. No one had come down yet to visit their beloved Captain Sade River, who probably wasn't so beloved anymore. I had killed an innocent man.

When the door creaked open a few minutes later, I jumped and turned around to find Barbossa.

"Hector, let me out!" I screamed at him. "I am your captain! You must obey me! Set me free!"

He ignored my shouts and strode up in that way he always did- somewhat graceful, going slower than most people would.

"Have you forgotten your duties, Sade?" he inquired.

Oh. I completely had. I had to defeat Davy Jones. Right.

"You do know I was born on Friday the thirteenth?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, Barbossa," I sighed. "But I killed an innocent man. You don't know what that feels like."

"The hell I don't," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Darling, I am a pirate. Have you forgotten the story Jack told you?"

Yet another thing I had forgotten.

"I was horrid back then," he continued. "Absolutely horrid. I'm a better man. And I can't blame Jack for rescuing any of the people he did. Now, lass, you listen up. Remind me why you killed him."

"Because he was about to kill Karissa."

"So, what you're admitting, love," came Jack's voice from the door, as he stepped in. "Is that the correct phrase is not 'killing an innocent man' but rather, 'taking any necessary measures to save a friend.'"

I paused, contemplating this.

Jack paraded over to me, smirking in that way he always did- it was so achingly familiar. "You, Sade River…"

"Captain," I corrected him quickly.

Jack grinned, then swiftly went back to his smirk. "You, Captain Sade River, are therefore cleared of all charges. Any objections?"

He raised his eyebrows at Barbossa, who rolled his eyes and returned to watching the view out the window.

"Jack here was practically crying after he took you down," he told me. "Locked himself in the cabin, drained about half a bottle of rum."

Jack smiled. "Not crying so much as… how shall I put this…"

"Crying," supplied Barbossa, and I couldn't help it; I laughed a little.

Jack's smirk widened. "Was that a smile I saw, love?"

Barbossa glanced at me hopefully.

I grinned and tried to hug Jack… then I remembered we were talking through bars.

"Here, love," Jack said, and Barbossa tossed him the keys, which he used to unlock my cage. "Now next time," said my savior just before he opened the door. "Turn to ol' Jack for a solution. Don't consult a sword."

I flew into his arms and he caressed my hair, Barbossa looking on, satisfied. Jack stroked his arms up and down my back- and then toward my stomach and further upward. Oh, well. You can't trust a pirate for too long. I slapped his hand away and raced out the door, to see my crew fully functioning. Yes, there they all were. And there was Karissa, running toward me… I smiled as she pulled me into a hug.

"Sade, I can't believe you almost committed suicide!" she exclaimed. "I'm sad, too, but when you think about it, he was quite gruesome! Killing pirates just because they're pirates. What is this world coming too?"

I gave her another quick hug and hurried to the captain's cabin. Night was beginning to fall, and I had a feeling that Jack and I needed to hurry up if we wanted the cabin clean by tomorrow.

Hello, everyone! Thanks for reading! Remember, please R and R! I want to know how to make my story better and how I'm doing. SketchBookBitch, thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so much!