Chapter 20...

Gibbs sighed, watching Jack sit and drink more rum. He turned to Kaitlyn, who seemed just as worried about her brother.

"What should we do?" Gibbs asked. Kaitlyn shrugged. She had never seen her brother like this before, well, maybe once when a crate of rum was blown up, but never over a girl. Gibbs frowned as Jack began swaying violently.

"Do ye think we should help him?" He asked. Kaitlyn looked from Jack to Gibbs. She hated to see her brother in his current state but she still found it highly amusing.

"Will the rum kill him?" Kaitlyn asked. Gibbs turned to her, unsure of why she should wonder this now, but answered anyway.

"I doubt it. It never 'as before and what don't kill ye makes ye stronger. Now shall we help him?"

"Nah." Kaitlyn said, walking away to leave Gibbs cope with the very drunk Captain Jack. Jack, meanwhile, was swaying, looking at stars. Katrice loved stars. Well, she seemed to anyway; for all Jack could remember she hated them…rum was quickly dulling his memories. Yet he still drank it. Gibbs sighed, waddling over to Jack.

"Now, Jack, I know it's hard but…"

"No, Gibbs, you don't know. I loved that girl. And she is going to be hanged because of me…" Jack mumbled, in between hiccups. Gibbs frowned, sitting beside the drunken captain.

"But it weren't yer fault." Jack frowned, apparently unsure of how it couldn't be his fault. It was his fault. Everything was his fault. He was a pirate. A pirate for life, he thought bitterly, looking at his pirate brand. Gibbs put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"What was the final thing she said to ye, Jack?" Jack looked at Gibbs, racking his brain for those final words.

"It was…uh…something. About…love, I think. That's it… she said, 'I love ye, Jack…' That's it!" He said triumphantly.

"Exactly." Gibbs said. Jack, throwing aside Katrice's last words, then returned to his former drunken depressed state.

"She loved me…she cheated on me. I didn't cheat, she did." He said, swigging the rum. Gibbs frowned.

"We should talk tomorrow, Jack. Ye need to sleep." Jack looked at Gibbs, studying him. Then he looked up.

"Do ye think she's at Port Royal yet?" Jack asked, unexpectedly. Gibbs frowned, but answered honestly.

"I would imagine so, Jack, we haven't moved in three days." He said. Jack looked astounded.

"Three whole days? Why not?"

"Ye've been drunk."

"For three whole days?" Jack asked, looking at his rum bottle. It was empty.

"The rum is gone. Why is the rum always gone?" Gibbs frowned, pulling Jack to his feet. Jack stumbled, dropping his bottle.

"Oh, that's why…" He muttered, passing out. Gibbs scowled at his captain.

"Aye, that be it."

…888…

"You can't do that to her. She isn't even a proper pirate." Elizabeth protested. Norrington looked at her apologetically.

"But she is a pirate and a pirate needs to be recognised as a pirate." Elizabeth gaped at him. With a brand, Katrice would not even be allowed a fair trial, she would be hanged for no reason. She would be hanged for loving Jack. Will sighed, pulling Elizabeth away from the cells in Port Royal's prison. He had no wish for his love to smell burning flesh or watch some one's skin ripped off by a red hot brand. The previous night had been forgotten when both parties had come to the mutual agreement that they loved each other. And of course that they should be strong for Katrice, although she seemed to be doing fine after being told her hanging would be in a week, two at most. Elizabeth stared at the door helplessly, waiting for the scream. Norrington nodded at them, entering the cells.

…888…

"You know this can be avoided." Katrice looked at Norrington, her eyebrows raised. He had a nasty black eye from the punch she had delivered the previous day, causing her to smirk in satisfaction.

"And how would that be, Mr. Commodore?" Katrice asked, faking interest. She already knew the answer and was not going to succumb to Norrington's demands. He grinned at her as she shook her hands, trying to get the shackles off.

"Just hand Sparrow in." Katrice laughed humourlessly. She looked at Norrington with so much contempt he was sure he would burst into flames at any second.

"It's Captain Sparrow and no, I won't hand him in. I love him." Norrington scowled at Katrice, pulling her up off the ground and out into another room. Katrice looked around, frowning.

"I don't like the look of this…" She muttered as Norrington led her to a chair. She was shackled in, her right wrist pulled forward.

"A pirate brand is not something to joke about." A man said, holding a long metal brand. Katrice looked at him.

"I wasn't joking." She said, a small smile gracing her lips, although she had nothing to smile about. Norrington looked at Katrice, an unreadable emotion on his face. Katrice, however, was sure there was something along the lines of…admiration there. Maybe because she was doing all for the one she loved, he admired her...

"Are you sure about this? You wouldn't rather hand in Sparrow? A pirate brand is a life changing mark." He asked finally. Katrice shook her head.

"I shall wear mine with pride and it seems it won't matter as, after this, I won't have much of a life left. What, about a week?" Norrington nodded.

"Next Thursday, actually." He said before exiting, hastily. Katrice looked back to the fire, where her brand was being heated. Finally, it was removed revealing a red hot 'P' shape. Oil was wiped onto her skin to stop any flesh sticking before the brand was pressed and held to her wrist. Katrice gasped and bit down on her lip, hard, to stop herself screaming out. It was an immense pain, burning up the entire length of her arm and spreading through her body. The smell was almost enough to make Katrice sick. After what seemed like forever the brand was removed. Katrice shut her eyes tightly, wincing as she was unshackled from the chair and pulled back into her cell. Norrington, who had apparently been waiting for her, touched his lip. Katrice copied him, frowning at the warm blood that met her fingertip. She wiped the blood away, sitting down. Norrington approached the bars, handing a wet cloth through to Katrice.

"I wouldn't resign yourself to the gallows just yet." He said quietly, leaving the cell in silence. Katrice frowned. Had Norrington just been nice to her? And what was that supposed to mean? Slumping against the bars, she ignored the door opening until she was spoken to.

"They didn't…" Elizabeth said shakily, approaching the bars, Will following. Katrice held her wrist out, showing the raw brand. Elizabeth gasped but Katrice just breathed deeply before saying anything.

"Oh, they did." She said, pulling back her hand. Elizabeth frowned, letting Will put a protective arm around her.

"And I'm to be hung next Thursday, that's in six days." Katrice noted

"Jack will come for you, Katie. He loves you." Katrice sighed.

"I don't want him to. I am here so he doesn't need to be, so he doesn't get caught. I wouldn't have ever forgiven myself if he had been hung. I love him and that's why I don't want him to come back. It's because I love him. It's all because I love him." She sighed, pressing the cool cloth to the brand. It was soothing but did nothing to stop the overall pain of such a burn. A pirate brand. A pirate for life, she thought bitterly, looking at her pirate brand.

Ouchy! That must hurt, a pirate brand. Jack's drunk and Katie's still gonna be hanged, what will happen?

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