COMING SOON
Tired of the same old fluffy romance?
Sink your blade into the new addition of the Shinra Library
A darker side to the Pirates of the Caribbean
PROMISES FROM THE DEAD
You'll be dying to know the end
COMMENTS ON THE COMMENTORS
HeyKyra13 … No, not the chocolate! Fine! I retaliate! No more secrets for you! Not that I would tell you any … any more that is (tapes Kat's mouth shut) and don't be telling none of my secrets!
American Drama … Confusion is always the first impulse people get after reading my stories. The whole dead-Jack thing will be talked about again soon. Change the future? No, it wasn't them (big hint there). I'm glad you liked reading about Kat/Will. Why (cuz I'm curious)? We all want to smack imaginary people so don't feel bad!
Li'l Red Bandana … Yes, on both points. Yah, I have a smart fan! Glad to know that I still interest my old readers.
Victoria87 … You are most definitely forgiven for forgetting. I think it's probably worse if the author forgets more than the reader. Heh, betchya had a lot of catching up to do. Hope you like it still!
:ADD-ONS:
Chapters 22-26 are sort of all linked together (if that makes sense). Hope you people stay along for the crafty and crazy ride. Basically, the little plot is that there's this storm brewing and it's … let's just say, "causing" strange things to happen
IMAGINARY REALITY
Written By Celeste Shinra
Chapter 25: The Eye of the Storm
The rain finally had begun to let up and Will led the girls to the Pearl. When they got there, they threw themselves in the captain's cabin and locked the door. Turning around, Will checked on Kat.
"Are you alright?"
"Sure, just a little wet," Kat smiled, nodding.
"What in hell are you talking about?" Riley stormed over to them, hands on her hips. "I am completely drenched!"
"Actually, now that you mention it," Kat raised an eyebrow, reached her hand over and fingered the soft fabric. The fine silk on Riley's dress was almost see-through. "You are soaked. Where were you? The ocean?"
"It doesn't matter where I was!" Riley wrenched the dress from Kat's hand, blushing furiously. Kat raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Fine."
Will scratched the top of his head, a little embarrassed. "Um, should I leave? I mean, so that you two can properly dress yourselves?"
"Thanks, Will." Kat grinned. Stepping forward, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. He lowered his eyes but had a small smile on his face. Glancing back up at her, he took her hand and laid his own kiss.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning then." Will nodded to Riley and then walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind him.
"Now then," Kat went over to the bed and sat down. She patted the spot next to her. "Come over and tell me what you and Jack did!"
"There's nothing to tell." Riley snorted, crossing her arms.
"Then he didn't take you anywhere?"
"We went to this garden that was in town." Riley sighed. Even though she hadn't wanted to talk about it, she knew that Kat would find out sooner or later what had happened. Sitting down next to her friend, she began to tell her about what Jack had said and then how he had disappeared. How she had tried looking for him but had gotten lost. "For all I know, he probably went to a saloon or bar or whatever they call it here."
"Oh come on! The guy practically says that he loves you and that's not good enough?" Kat knocked Riley softly on the head. "Hello! Is this Riley here? Or am I speaking to some alien?"
"Quit the hitting! I'm me!"
"Yeah? The Riley I know wouldn't keep worrying about how Jack felt."
"But how can I be sure?" Riley grabbed a pillow and threw it to the floor. "I want to be 100 sure that he'll only love me and not go after any other girl. I need to know, Kat!" She shut her eyes, hating the way she felt. It wasn't like she didn't trust Jack, she just needed proof.
"Maybe if you explained to him what you were feeling then perhaps—"
"What about you and Will?" Riley interrupted.
"What about us?" Suddenly, Kat began to laugh. "Wow, I never thought I'd actually say that and have it be true."
"Okay, so how did you guys work it out?"
"There wasn't really anything to work out. We just knew that we felt something and we knew that we wanted to be together." Kat sighed. "I know it sounds simple but it actually was a lot harder to talk about when we were talking about it. Will kept on stumbling over all his words, it was so cute!"
"Well, I guess that if you can find a man to put up with you, then it should be a cinch for me!" Riley smiled as Kat blushed, followed by an angry retort. She was glad that Kat and Will had worked it out. They really did match up together perfectly. Will didn't have to compromise his piracy and Kat didn't have to worry about wearing dresses and corsets all the time.
"You're the one with the temper! Not me!" Kat shoved a pillow in Riley's face but was disappointed when Riley put up her own pillow in defense.
"Yah, and so what? That just makes me irresistible! Hey!"
"It's irresistible not to hit you!" Kat laughed as Riley fell backward.
"Hey, we better be careful in these dresses." Riley got up and quickly began taking her clothes off. "I don't want to mess these up. They could be worth thousands in our time."
"Um, sure. Whenever we get back to our time. Riley, do you need some help with that?" Kat watched as Riley tried to lift the dress above her head but was having difficulty along the way. "Do you know that you look like a mushroom with that dress on your head?"
"Just help me get it off! And stop laughing! This isn't funny! Ow! I think the zipper has some of my hair! Kat! I'm serious! Stop laughing!"
It was well past midnight when the girl's finally settled down. The candle's were blown out and there was a gentle sound of feet running across the floorboards. Then, a sleepy silence crept over the Pearl. Confident that all was quiet, Will crept past the cabin and down the plank toward the dock. It wouldn't be too long before he found Jack and when he did, he was about to give him a piece of his mind.
Jack ……
Riley? Is that you, luv?
Jaaaaack … …
I'm right here. No need to shout.
CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!
Now that's more like it! Try it again but with a little less anger.
"Jack, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Eh?
"Honestly, if you don't stop all this nonsense than you're going to end up more alone than you've ever been in your entire life!"
Jack cracked open his eyes and found a very pissed off Will in front of him. He slowly sat up, keeping an eye on Will. "You ain't going to give me a lecture, are ye?"
"Do you have any idea what's happening to you?"
"No, but I have a funny feeling that you do." Jack's knees gave way below him. He steadied himself against the tree.
"You have a beautiful woman right in front of you and if you don't start being a gentleman and respecting her, than you're going to lose her!"
Suddenly, Jack's arm whipped out and grabbed Will by the shirt. He pulled him close and shook him a bit. "It was you, wasn't it! You were the one who drugged me!" His grip loosened as another headache came pounding.
"What are you talking about? Let go of me!" Will pushed his fist into Jack's chest and stepped back.
"You might have looked like me and she might have fallen for it but I didn't! Impersonating a pirate is an unforgivable crime, especially when it involves that pirate's lass!" Jack sank against the tree, unable to keep his balance. Where were these headaches coming from? Hell?
Will shook his head. What kind of excuse was that? "You have to take some responsibility for your own mistakes, Jack." Will glared at him but was surprised when the great pirate captain fell to the ground with a loud thump. "Jack? Jack!"
Will bent down and turned Jack over. Feeling Jack's forehead, he frowned. He could see the sweat trickling down Jack's face. Something was very wrong and whatever it was, wasn't slowing down. Heaving Jack's arm around his neck, he started dragging him back to the Pearl.
Around four in the morning, there was a small knock on the cabin door. Kat, peeking an eye open, glared at it sleepily. Thinking that she had just imagined it, she closed her eyes and tried to sneak back into dreamland. A louder knock, more urgent, jolted her into a sitting position. She felt Riley stir next to her.
"Whoever is knocking is going to die," she murmured before turning on her side and falling back to sleep. Kat rolled her eyes.
"Kat? It's me. I need to talk to you. Now!"
"Will?" Kat grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. As soon as she opened the door, Will grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out. "Will, this isn't exactly the time. I'm really tired and I just want to warn you that I get cranky when I'm tired and … where are we going?"
Will didn't say anything as he led her down below the deck and into the small rooms where the crew usually slept. The whole thing was rather unnerving and the thought of being in a dark room with Will was making her very nervous. Was she really ready to go to the next level with him? Sure, they had kissed but it had never been on the lips. Or was it the other thing? She definitely wasn't ready for that yet!
"Um, Will? I think I should go back to bed. My bed, of course. Cuz I wouldn't want to sleep in your bed. Well, not really but—"
"Here."
"Here?" Kat could feel his grip on her tighten. He turned to look at her and the light from the candle cast a shadow over his face. If she wasn't so worried about what would happen after, she would have kissed him again because he was so darn cute! "Now may not be the time to 'that' here."
"It's Jack."
"Why are you bringing Jack into this?"
"There's something wrong with him and I don't know what to do."
"I've been thinking the same thing about Riley. But you know, Jack's just the way that Jack is gonna be."
"No, that's not what I meant." Will pointed to the bed in the corner. "I found him in a garden in the middle of town. Took me hours to find him." Kat followed Will's gaze and gasped. She rushed to Jack's side and lifted her hand to his forehead.
"He's burning up!"
"That's the way I found him. Before he passed out, he accused me of drugging him." Will turned around and grabbed a small bowl from the table. "Here are some wet cloths. They've helped keep the fever down."
"Thanks." She took the cloth that was on his head and replaced it, putting the other in the bowl. Jack's eyes fluttered open and then slowly closed again. "His breathing is slowing down. Either he's falling asleep or he's going into a coma. I don't know what happened to him so I can't be sure."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"Usually, I'd say that we need to take him to a doctor but the medicine in this time aren't good at all."
"In this time?" Will asked, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"
"Uh, well, you know." Kat realized her mistake and tried to cover it up. "I just meant that in this time and age, you just can't trust the doctors as much as you used to." She swallowed the huge lump in her throat. "Because you know, they use all those weird tools and stuff. Plus, I'm sure that there aren't a lot of doctors who would take a pirate in. Especially one wanted by the Commodore."
"You're right, as usual." Will placed his hand over Kat's and smiled. She tried not to look too smug but couldn't help smirk. Now, why couldn't Riley just agree with that?
Uh-oh.
"What are we going to tell Riley?"
"I don't think we should tell her yet." Will took his hand off Kat's. He looked around nervously. "He probably drank too much. We shouldn't worry her."
"But what if he doesn't get better?" Kat looked at Jack.
"We'll see how he is in a day. Then, if he's still not well, we can tell her then. There's not much we can do but wait."
"Wait for Jack to get better or for Riley to figure out what's going on?"
"Both."
My beloved and my despair
You can't keep her
My foolish desire
You're going to lose her
My Achilles Heel
She doesn't belong to you
My past and my future
The following morning, just around nine, Will came down to Jack's room. Kat had stayed with him through the night, trying to keep the fever down. Still, they didn't want Riley to know just yet. So the plan was simple. Will would switch places with Kat and watch Jack while Kat would go in the cabin and lay down next to Riley. Since she never woke up until eleven, it was a safe bet that she wouldn't figure out anything. Patting Kat on the shoulder, Will let her know he was there. She gave a small sigh and stretched out her arms.
"His fever has gone down a tiny bit so at least we know it isn't too serious." She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Plus, I've been thinking about what you said."
"About what?" Will asked as he set down a bag of food on the table. He hoped that Riley wouldn't notice any food was missing remembering the time Jack had eaten all sweets. Riley had tied him to the mast with a big sign over his head that read 'the idiot that ate my food'.
"About what Jack told you. About someone drugging him."
"He didn't say someone drugged him. He only accused me of drugging him." He reminded her. She gave him a weird look.
"Right, which basically insinuates that somebody drugged him." She rubbed her head. "If that's true, the fever is probably just a side-effect. It'll wear off."
"Even if it does, you better get upstairs. Keep Riley in a good mood and out of the kitchen." He heard Kat laugh. "Why is this so funny? This is serious. I don't want to be the one tied to the mast with a sign over my head."
"Don't worry. I'll keep her occupied." Kat got up and kissed Will briefly on the nose. "Have I told you lately how cute you are when you're worried?"
Will's head shot up. There was a look of unsurity and confusion but when that blush crossed his face, Kat was sure he had gotten the message. She wrapped her arms around him, loving his salty ocean smell. He pulled her closer to him.
"And you look lovely no matter what you do," he whispered teasingly in her ear. He felt her face heat up and smiled. It was hard to frown when he was around her. "Now you better get going."
"Alright, I'll see you later." Kat squeezed his hand before she walked out. As she walked up the stairs, she began to wish that Riley had the same benefit of the doubt that she had. If only she and Jack would stop beating around the bush and realize how much they cared for each other. She shook her head of the tiring thoughts as she entered the cabin.
"Riley? You up yet? I made blueberry pancakes!" When there was no answer, Kat was confident that her friend was asleep. She closed the door without so much as a squeak and then tip-toed her way to the bed.
Not that she had had any doubts. It was a rare occasion when Riley actually got up before ten. She settled down into the bed as quietly as possible. Even though she knew that she would have to watch Riley in only a few hours, it still wasn't her fault when her head hit the pillow and she fell instantly asleep.
End of Chapter 25
:AUTHOR'S NOTE: (CHAPTER 26: The Storm Rages On) I got bored the otherday and decided to look through all of my reviews. You people are all too funny! I practically laughed at every single one. Here are my full comments on my reviewers …(I think all of them are girls but if you're a guy that's okay and just correct me)
HeyKyra13 You're nuts and my biggest fan since you've read all of my other stuff. You're basically with me on all of my Riley/Kat adventures. I'll try and work on that LOTR one and HP. Do you want Draco, Ron, or Harry? You can't have Sirius. I already have someone planned on that one.
Latanya The name just rocks and screams 'mystery legend'. May I have permission to use your name in one of my stories?
Mizzy The fact that you said that updates were your friend was just too hilarious. It gave me a warm fuzzy!
CluelessPatty I luv how you used so many capitals. It was like 'hey, pay attention over here'. There should be more capitalization!
Jess Plain and such a sweet name! You mentioned that my story should be the sequel to POTC. Hmm, good idea. Only, I better be the one playing Riley! JACK'S MINE! Well, I guess I can share …
PuckEroyJoic Didn't get the name but that's cool. Some things aren't supposed to be understood. My lengthy commentor. I always luved reading yours cuz it was long and always something funny!
JackSparrow'sOnlyLove Short, sweet, and to the point! You gave me this award/poem and I thought it was like the coolest thing in the world. Everyone should read it. I can't remember what chapter it is though but go look for it! The award made me purrrrrrrrrrrr!
LoneGunGirl88 Your name totally gave me inspiration goose bumps! I wrote a poem about it. I'll post it a link to it so you can see if you like it.
BubbaAteMySocks At first, the name didn't make sense but when I figured it out, I couldn't stop laughing! OMG, I couldn't even say it without laughing! It was really cute!
Soccerchic91588 I luv playing soccer especially with the guys cuz they think you can't play since you're a girl and then when they find out that you're kicking their butts, it's too late! WORLD DOMINATION! Ahem, sorry about that … anyhow, I'm uber glad that you enjoyed all the twists and turns. I'll put some more in for you!
Completeopposites Here's a big fan of POTC. I always wondered why you chose that name. What kind of opposites were thinking of? Good name though, very clever!
Moralinde Your name sounds like it's from London, Europe, or somewhere like that. May I use your name in one of my fanfics? I think you're one of the few who liked the mind-games.
Anachanta Another awesome and cunning name! The whole PJ thing being in style was something I made up but ever since you made that comment, I've been wearing mine almost everywhere. Of course, within reason. Permission to use your name in fanfics?
BlackCat69 KITTIES KICK ASS! I mean, cat's rule! Your name was like all mysterious and alluring. My own black cat is laying on my arm so that it's difficult to type. It's her favorite resting place …
SparrowPheonix I think you wrote a fanfic that I liked and reviewed. It was really good, that's all I remember. I have to reread it again now. It took me awhile to figure that Sparrow was Jack.
Roberta You made the 'greatest' comment! Alright! Uber kudos for me! I'm glad that I have been deemed worthy of your comment! SWEET!
LadyNicholePotter I am still simply amazed that a Harry Potter fan would read my POTC fic. The name always made me stop and feel all regal.
Victoria87 Joined the force around the later parts. Glad you told not to stop writing. I almost gave up cuz I was so stuck about where to go! Now, I'm all pumped!
AmericanDrama A new recruit and is too cute for words. Well, I probably could put you into words … delightful, comical, and fascinating! Eh? Eh?
Aisha The anti-anticipation fan. I'll give you that. A lot of people don't like suspense (coughs 'kyra') and I don't really like it when I'm watching movies and I don't know what's happening. But still! The name sounds like an angelic sort of nature.
LilRedBandana You use 'uber' and you got me to use it. Hope that's okay! I instantly took a liking to your name since it gives me the image of a small little farm. I uber luv bandanas!
PheobeSparrow And yet another Jack luver! (honestly, how can you not?) The name really sounds good together. I think you wrote a fanfic that I liked. I'll have to check.
PugsMom This is my Grammy! I finally convinced her to get an account here. I already miss you and I hope that you read the rest of the chapters. I felt so bad. She read the 1st chapter and didn't know how to go to the other chapters so she thought that was it. Aww, I felt uber bad! Can't wait until she finally starts to write!
Well, that's everyone so far. All of my savvy commentors who make me laugh and smile every time they jot their two-cents in. Man, you guys need a reward for being so dedicated to my story. I drew some Jack and Will, Kat and Riley pics so if you want them, just email me, and I can send them to you. I'll try and personalize it for you so tell me what kind of stuff you want in the picture. Just let me know!
LUV YOU ALL!