A/N: I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who reviewed. It's really encouraging, and helps me finish this darned thing. xD It's taking sooooo long, but I cut out some stuff from the original, so if anyone DID read the original, DON"T HATE ME!! Have a cookie. ;) Please continue reviewing! And yes, I know Clanker's being an idiot/jerk, but it'll get better soon! I think...

Chapter 34

Jones had scarce actually known what to say when Clanker had stormed into his cabin, seeming more like a vicious animal than anything else, and announced that Caylie was awake again. His initial reaction was still to throw Clanker out of the cabin and toss him overboard for inventing such an idea. Caylie wasn't going to wake up for a long time. But then the truth of it set in, and his next reaction was to throw Clanker out of the cabin and toss him overboard for being the one there when it happened. He stood up, and said gruffly, "Well I'm sure it's not because o' ye. One look at ye would've sent 'er back into sleep for years…" He knew, just as Clanker did, that this was not true, and that at most, Jones was annoyed with him. Clanker resisted the urge to retaliate(or at least punch the grumpy sea devil) and followed him out. Jones went straight to the Dawning, and stormed into the cabin, surveying the scene before him he'd so long wished he would see. Caylie was sitting up now, her hair frazzled, and her skin was still a little pale, but she was alive, and getting better. If Clanker had not been there, he would have gone and hugged the poor girl to death, but as it was…

"Ye're awake," he told Caylie.

He could tell, by the way her eyes darkened, like a star falling from the sky, that she was disappointed by how he'd reacted. He would have felt guilty, but he was unable to. He knew she was also confused. He had hugged her before, he'd shown her he cared before. Many times. Too many. He was beginning to fear the amount of care he showed her in front of others. He couldn't lose face again. Not with Calypso looming so close to him. He had to keep things together. She had to know, by now, surely, how he did things on his ship. She would have been the same, in front of her crew. And to be wholly honest, Jones wasn't going to go and weaken himself in front of Clanker again. Not after all that had happened. He was the captain. He was the better one.

"So I am," she replied, fiddling with the blanket.

"Good thing too," Jones nodded. He knew that at some point, they'd come to a satisfied point, where he'd be able to say something as blunt and unfeeling as 'good thing too' and she'd understand what he really meant to say was 'I missed you to world's end'. But until that point, he knew he'd have to handle how annoyed she looked with him.

"Well I wasn't goin' to just die, ye know," Caylie snapped matter-of-factly. "I ain't…" she trailed off.

Dawn. She wasn't Dawn. He knew that. Everyone knew that. She was Caylie. She reminded them of it daily. It was her prerogative, to be herself, and not be her mother. Jones was proud of her for that. "There's a lot ye missed," he said, leaning against the doorframe.

Caylie was staring at him in furious confusion and more than a little bit of annoyance. She was not a patient person. To Jones, it was endearing. But she wouldn't know that for years. "I can only imagine," she rolled her eyes. "What did ye do, burn the Dutchman?"

Clanker looked mortified. Jones smirked. "No. Not exactly."

"Then nothing can faze me," Caylie sighed, a smile playing her lips. She was annoyed with him, surely, but she still loved him, even if he refused to at least tell her how he missed her. All men on the Dutchman were the same. They were afraid of their own feelings.



Jones shot a taunting look at Clanker before Caylie could notice, a look that clearly said I'll tell her, if you ever come near her, and hurt her, again. Jones looked back at Caylie. She considered telling him about her 'dream' of her mother, but she couldn't. She would sound senile. They'd keep her locked up forever.

"Ye ought ter rest," Jones said, nodding curtly. "I want ye up and well again."

Caylie nodded. "I want me up and well again, uncle."

Jones gave her a small smile, meant only for her, and then turned to Clanker. "Come Clanker. We're leaving. Caylie needs rest."

Clanker looked at Caylie wantingly, pleadingly, and despite her sympathetic pained looks, Jones grabbed Clanker's shoulder. He wasn't having any of it. "Come. Clanker. Now."

Clanker grudgingly followed Jones, and Caylie sighed, falling back into the pillow, closing her eyes. Her head was pounding again, her heart racing. Too many things had changed, in too short a time. I just need to take it all in. It'll be all right.

"Caylie I'm so glad you're all right!"

Caylie grimaced, and forced her eyes open again, seeing Barbossa standing in the doorway. She forced a pained smile. "Hullo Barbossa…been a while, hasn't it?" she asked, her voice unmistakably falsely cheery.

Barbossa nodded, and sat on the edge of her bed. "How do you feel?"

"Better," she said slowly, pursing her lips. "It still hurts a bit but…I'm getting around it. Surviving."

"That's the pirate way," he grinned, reaching over and ruffling her hair adoringly. Caylie couldn't help but smile mildly.

"How's everyone been since I…"

"Surviving, as you say," Barbossa laughed, but Caylie could tell he was exhausted; his eyes were dark and his face was drawn out horribly. He looked like he'd not slept in weeks. Is it my fault?

"I'm sorry about all this," Caylie mumbled, the horribly heart wrenching feeling of guilt overwhelming her.

Barbossa was serious again, and he took her hands in his. "It ain't your fault, Caylie. It isn't. You did a good thing. You did. We were glad to be worrying about you, rather than having you dead, and not having to worry at all."

Caylie didn't really listen to what he said. She shrugged, hoping it would shrug him off. I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget it. I know I was an idiot, and I know I shouldn't have even gone out there alone, but what can I say? I'm not the smartest chip off the block. If I was, I'd be somewhere at a nice school or anywhere, except where I am now…



Barbossa got up abruptly, suddenly looking very uneasy. He rubbed his eyes and was all smiles again. "I should go tell Bree. She'll love to hear this! She's been more anxious than the lot o' us sometimes."

Anxious here having the meaning of yelling at uncle, being completely unsociable and frustrated. All my fault. She probably got flogged more than usual because of me. Good going, Carolyn. Lovely. Caylie decided to humor Barbossa, however, and keep her thoughts to herself, and she matched his face, a ridiculous grin on her face. "I can't wait to see Bree! I've missed her." She wasn't lying. She really did miss Bree, although she had to admit her dreams still frightened her. She was still afraid at some point Bree would spring out of the closet in a tutu and rush her to the nearest church, giggling like some mad species of hyena(it was hyenas that giggled, wasn't it? She didn't know anymore, honestly. She hadn't read a book in ages).

Barbossa nodded fervently and walked out of the cabin, mumbling about getting her. Caylie closed her eyes again, cursing herself for being so useless. This wasn't her. She wasn't ever this pessimistic, or this useless. Something's wrong with me.

Bree had entered the cabin quicker than Caylie would have expected, considering how long it would usually take to get Jones to let her break from work. Unless they'd miraculously parlayed and were finally getting along.

She doubted it.

Bree did look undoubtedly better than before, however. Her eyes were shining brightly, her hair fierce but somehow softer, and her whole countenance had a feminine quality it didn't have when Caylie last remembered seeing her. She began to feel the horrible dread that things had somehow gotten out of control

Bree, like Barbossa, came straight to her, and crushed her in a gigantic hug. "Oh Caylie! Thank the heavens ye're all right! We were so…so worried. Cap'n was ready ter murder Turner…Clanker almost did…I almost did! I'm so glad, ye have no idea."

I wish people would stop making me feel worst about causing all this trouble. She smiled at Bree. "I'm glad too, Bree. I didn't think…I didn't know…"

"Well it don't matter now," Bree said, grinning ear to ear. "Now ye're back, and we can get the Dutchman back on track, and the Dawning can move again. It's been dead here, Caylie. Absolutely dead."

It's not the only one. NO. Stop it. Be optimistic. They missed you. You matter. Clanker cared enough to want to kill Will. Be happy. What is wrong with you? Caylie didn't know what to say. She didn't want to end up saying something she'd regret(especially not to Bree, the only real woman she knew and almost a sister to her) but she didn't want to sit and say nothing. So in the end, she settled on: "Aye. Sounds mighty fine, Bree. Mighty fine…"

Bree nodded. "Aye…" she looked like she wanted to add something, but didn't know how to, and so she didn't. She squeezed Caylie's hand lightly, still grinning. "I'm glad ye're back, mate. Life's not the same without ye, but, I better get back. Jones…ye know…"

Caylie nodded sympathetically. "Oh yes. Wouldn't want ye to get in trouble because o' me. I wish I could come an' help ye!" No you don't. Who'd miss that work? Oh Medusa! Stop talking, evil Carolyn. Now.



Bree rolled her eyes. "The Dutchman…it's a long road, mate."

Caylie nodded sadly. So sorry my uncle is a devil who happens to enjoy watching you swear at him and work for him. "Aye it is." I'm even sorrier that he let me go and run my own ship while the rest of you slave away for him. "It's an even longer one without friends."

Bree nodded again and with a last hug, left the cabin. Definitely not the way Caylie would have wished to greet her best friend, but what could she do? Her head was pounding, and the annoying voice that had taken over her conscious thinking was driving her insane. She would have cursed it to the deepest hellfire if she could.

Clanker saw Caylie up in the bed, just as she had when he had left her, only her hair was tied up now, and she looked much healthier. A healthy pink glow had spread into her cheeks and her eyes sparkled with life once more. How he'd missed her eyes…

"Clanker," she nodded to him slowly, her eyes downcast. She didn't like him looking at her. She didn't like having him there, but she didn't want him to go. She was sure if Jones knew how confused she really was in her mind, he'd be furious with Clanker.

Clanker snapped out of his trance and sat next to her, in the chair. How many times had he sat there, just praying and hoping she'd open her eyes and be well again? How many times had he flagellated himself mentally, blaming himself for her pain? And yet here she was, healthy and well again. He could barely believe it. He was tempted to go and touch her, and make sure she was real. But then she'd think he was mad. If she didn't already.

"What are ye thinkin' 'bout?" she asked him, trying to think of a way to break the silence.

"I'm thinkin' o' how it was that so many times we've all sat in this chair, hopin' that one day ye'd wake up. An' now ye are," Clanker said truthfully.

Caylie looked down. "I wish I hadn't worried everyone so much," what a horrid thing of him to say. Didn't he know how awful she felt already?

Clanker shrugged. "Would've worried anyways. Seems we're condemned to it."

She knew she ought to have found this romantic and sweet, but she didn't have the heart for it. She instead found it ridiculous and grudged. Perhaps he still hated her. She sighed, closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry Caylie," he said, looking at her softly. "I never wanted ye to suffer so much."

Of course he didn't. But she had. She'd suffered a lot. And he hadn't the mind to even try and console her. She shook her head. "I know ye didn't," she looked at him. "But I did. And nothing can take that away, not even ye, or yer words…"

"I want to be yer friend, Caylie! I do!" he leaned over the bed, staring at her with worry. She wasn't forgiving him. She didn't want to forgive him! He'd tried so hard, to come here, and she wouldn't forgive him! "Ye must let me be your friend!"

Caylie looked at him with wide, furious eyes. She shook her head. "Must?! MUST? I MUST do nothing, Clanker! All I must do is stay here, and wait to die, or wait to live, I'm not sure 

which, and I must stay away from ye, because ye always end up hurting me! Before ye even knew who I was ye hurt me! I am exhausted of all this. I can't talk to you anymore," she turned, her back to him.

She was being overly dramatic. She really was. He'd already begged forgiveness of her so many times. Didn't she see that? No, of course not, because Caylie couldn't see anything other than her own two feet. Then this was it? They were to be separated, now, forever? This was ridiculous. But there it was. He was about to talk when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't turn. He didn't need to.

"Cap'n."

"I think ye ought to leave now, Clanker," Jones said firmly, not really angry, but not happy either. He was just as exhausted of all this as Caylie. And he was annoyed Clanker had bothered coming at all.

"Cap'n, I was just-"

"I don't want to hear it, I want ye to leave," Jones said, his tone louder. He looked to Caylie and shook his head. "And if ye come back…"

Clanker swallowed and nodded, his jaw clenched tightly. He looked at Caylie, knowing he'd probably not see her again for a long while. When she was well, she'd go away, and not come back.

He was a horrible man, for thinking he could ever have won her to him. He was even more horrible, for even hoping to try for her.

Tia was very satisfied now. Caylie was awake, and Jones had paid her justly. She saw no need to stay aboard the Dawning now. Tia stood on the deck of the vessel, debating whether to wait or not. Deciding against it, she walked over to Barbossa, who was sleeping near the main mast with the portrait of Dawn tight in his grasp. She shook him and he woke up.

"What?" he asked her groggily.

"I'm leavin', Barbossa, I need ya to pull the ship down far me," Tia said.

Barbossa got up, a bit grumpily. As if he wanted to help her. She'd brought hell to him again. He walked over to the rowboat and lowered it single-handedly, much to Tia's pleasure.

"You know," he said suddenly, "About Caylie's mother. She…she seems familiar to me. I can't find why, though. It's like I know her, but I could not have. Jones lived so long ago. I would not have even been a babe when she died."

"Perhaps ya ought tah ask Jones…" Tia mused. "He 'as memories enough far ya both."

Barbossa knew she'd say that, but in truth, he refused to tell Davy Jones he was in love with a picture of his sister. It was too odd. He knew he couldn't ask Jones anything too. "I tried," he said firmly. "He won't tell me anything. And I sort o' agree with him. It was so long ago. Why bring it back?"

Tia looked at him, shrugging. "Dawn Jones is a dead thing, but she fancies haunting ya, Barbossa. She knows ya like her. And there's somethin' else," she said, handing him a small, red journal, blood red, embroidered with gold, beautiful shimmering gold. The pages were adorned in gold too. It was beautiful.

He took it slowly, examining it. "What is it?"

"It's hers," Tia said firmly, pacing in front of the deck. "She gave it ta Davy, and when I sent him ta World's End, he didn't trust I'd bring him back. He gave it ta me. Told me ta keep it safe far him," she sighed. "Things didn't go right, and I never saw him again. So now, I give it to ya."

"But it's his by right. Give it to him-"

"I won't talk to him. Do what ya will with it!" she climbed down the ship to the small rowboat and disappeared into the nightly mist, satisfied with what she'd done.

Barbossa grabbed a bottle of rum and looked at the journal again, taking a sip. Jack the monkey ran up to him and began to squeal. He knew he ought to give it to Jones. Really. But Jones had said he hadn't wanted any memories. Barbossa would have to respect that, which meant he had to keep it. Or throw it into the sea. No. He couldn't do that.

Jack made a sad sound and his little furry arms fell to his sides. He climbed on Barbossa's shoulder and fell asleep. Barbossa did not sleep again. He had had more snippets of memories, and he did not want them. They hurt him. He could remember them, he felt them. Rubbing his chin, he sighed. How am I goin' ter tell Jones? His eyes drooped, he was tired and soon, though against his will, sleep came to claim him.

Jones was not surprised upon hearing Tia had fled during the night. In fact, he was pleased with this unfolding. He did not want her on his ship or Caylie's longer than he needed her there. But he was not so bothered by it anymore. After his talk with Bree yesterday, he realized at what point how distant Calypso had become to him. He did not need her. He had Bree and he now knew Bree did not hate him. He'd even be so bold as to say she liked him. And Caylie was getting better, albeit a bit grouchier than she used to be. But he was sure it was Tia Dalma's fault. Everything was. Caylie didn't want to see Clanker anymore though, for which he was very glad. She had not asked about him since their last…conversation. That pleased Jones too.

Bree wasn't satisfied though. She was determined to make Caylie and Clanker reconcile. It had been a long-standing argument between her and Jones, and neither could come to a decent ultimatum. It wasn't so much Bree wanted to play a matchmaker, it was just that she was frustrated that two of her friends weren't talking. They really weren't. Clanker didn't even glance towards Caylie's cabin once, and Caylie made absolutely no enquiries to Clanker. She was herself too preoccupied trying to fight all the negativity that threatened to take over her. Everyone seemed negative to her now. Even Bree. She wished she could get rid of it, but she couldn't. Barbossa helped, but there was only so much he could do. He was bothered himself.

Caylie was better, but she still had a long way to go. Even longer, because she didn't have Clanker to help her.

Stupid. That's what he is.