Everyone breathed a deep sigh of tremendous relief as the enemies had faded into the distance behind the Black Pearl. "Good work, lad." Will praised Thomas for his joint effort.

"It was really Elizabeth." Thomas said. Will looked at her proudly and grabbed her hand. "Well, uh...ahem! If you'll excuse me. I'll just...uhh..." Thomas awkwardly but politely tried to step out of their way when he saw the looks they were giving each other.

"Have I ever told you, that you're the most wonderful woman in the world?" Will whispered to Elizabeth.

"Not this week." Elizabeth chuckled, creeping her arms up around his neck and they locked lips.

"You looked so brave, and gallant, Father." Kate commented.

"Was just trying to help." Captain Summers said in a low tone. He didn't seem proud of what he'd done.

"Father?" Kate furrowed her brows. He shook himself from his daze and smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her.

"You're safe. That's all that matters to me." He said in a deep, husky voice.

3 Days Later

The previous day had been bright with a full sun, but today was overcast. One of the men said they could expect rain, as he saw clouds gathering on the horizon, coming from the West. Everyone had noticed that Gibbs had seemed to take Thomas in under his wing as a mentor. The crew teased them about it, but it gave both men a sense of belonging and being needed, different from their pirate life. Kate made her way to Jack's cabin, hoping he wasn't in there to gripe at her for disturbing him. "Father?" Kate called as she knocked.

"In a moment, darling. I'm just drying up from my bath." Captain Summers replied from the other side.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kate shook her head. But then she heard a crash inside and she threw the door open. "Dad! Is everything all right?!" She blurted out.

"Yes, Katie." Captain Summers muttered sarcastically. "I just accidentally knocked over one of Jack's navigating trinkets. Thankfully, it doesn't appear to be broken."

"He'll be glad to know that!" Kate teased.

Her father turned with his back to her, attempting again to put his shirt on. That's when she saw them. Kate froze as she studied her father's back. It...it was...it was horribly marred! Multiple dark and red large streaks painted up most of his spine. They were cuts, many old, some not as old, long stretches of cuts that sank deeply into his flesh! Kate gasped when she realized that they were lashes! Flog marks. Her father's back looked like a lousily plowed field with the awful indents in his skin. She gazed blankly with horror. He turned and noticed she was still there. Now she saw his front. A sizable, speckled scar marked his right rib cage: a branding. And the same lashes from his other side equally laced his abdomen, and the upper left side of his chest showed another branding: an ST symbol. Kate stumbled back till her back touched the wall. She didn't realize she let out a small cry.

Her father glanced at her. "Sweetheart?" He addressed her.

"W-what?" Kate stammered.

"Everything all right, darling?" He prodded gently. Kate blinked, her widened eyes locked on his battered torso.

"Dad, what are those?!" Kate cried.

"What are what?"

"Dad, your...your body...those...those wounds..." Kate's lip trembled. Captain Summers gaped, then noticed he was still shirtless. He quickly threw on his shirt to cover his scars.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Sweetheart." He said calmly. Too calmly.

"Nothing!?" Kate was taken aback. "You call those divots all over your body nothing?! Those are wounds, Dad! What happened to you?" She sniffled. Captain Summers frowned, looking conflicted.

"Kate, it's over. So you don't have to worry about it." He said firmly.

"Father, you..." Kate couldn't find the words to say and fled the cabin. She nearly ran Thomas over. He smiled to greet her but that faltered when she brushed past him in a hurry. He thought maybe she was throwing up from seasickness. Kate raced to the end of the bow where the men were working nearby, but she had some space to herself. She grasped the railing and just tried to breathe. She could not rid her vision of those horrible marks she'd seen.

Where did these barbaric marks come from, slashing up my father's back? She thought to herself. What the h- did they do to him? And why? WHY? She dropped down onto a crate.

Kate just sat there, completely blanked out, with a petrified look on her face. "Kate? Kate?" Elizabeth tapped her shoulder.

"W-what?" Kate gaped at her.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I think so."

"You look disturbed." Elizabeth noted.

"Elizabeth?" Kate tried to speak, not sure where to begin. "Do you know what happens to slaves? What kind of lives they have?" She gulped.

"No, I truly do not." Elizabeth sighed regretfully. "But I do know from the ones we've encountered on this trip, that they are the most unfortunate souls I've ever laid eyes on."

"That goes without speaking." Kate said, more to herself.

"What made you ask that? Were you thinking of you father, Captain Summers?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes!" Kate sputtered. "Elizabeth, that man has been through hell ten times over! I accidentally saw him a while ago when he had not yet put his shirt on for the day. Elizabeth, he...his...he's been tortured in the past, several times over the years! His body...it...it looks like...I can't even describe it!" Kate shuddered.

"I'm so sorry, Kate, to hear that." Elizabeth said kindly. "He's a fine man. He didn't deserve what happened to him." She squeezed Kate's hand. "He's lucky to have you. And we owe him a debt of gratitude for what he did when we were attacked. He's very brave."

"Yes..." Kate could barely say the word. Brave didn't even come close to describing her dad's newfound courage she'd discovered. Elizabeth patted her arm then left her alone.

Will was down in the hold near the live animals with Thomas. "It's a fine piece." Will approved. "But why this?"

"I was ordered to." Thomas sighed. "Besides, out here on the ocean...well, you never know. Will, do you believe in sea monsters?"

"A year ago, I would've told you no. But, I've unpleasantly encountered the supernatural before. So, I'm more open to impossible possibilities than I ever thought I would be before." Will said.

"Because I know I saw one...once!" Thomas exclaimed. "I was sailing on the Cartwheel, and we'd just made trade with another ship, the Bishop's Wife. We were a good ten leagues out, when we thought we heard a loud snap. You won't believe what we saw!" Thomas shuddered. "Something like, huge, ugly, slime-covered arms-tentacled arms!-that were enormous had cradled the entire ship like a giant snake! It grabbed men and slapped them against the ship and the water. They were screaming helplessly in terror, but nothing could be done to save them. And then the terrifying beast squeezed the ship like a python, crunching it till it snapped to pieces! We were so afraid! Thank God it didn't come after us! But I'll never forget it. It was the most frightening thing I'd ever seen. And I'm not making this up. I was there, I saw it!"

"I cannot explain such a beast." Will confessed. "But terrible and mysterious things have been rumored to happen at sea." Thomas nodded.

"Do you believe me?"

"I'm having difficulty understanding what exactly it was that you saw," Will told him quietly, "but I believe you." They heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Kate appeared with a candle. "Excuse me." Will smiled naughtily and winked at Kate then trumped up the stairs. "Remember, it's not just me you'll have to answer to anymore!" He teased before disappearing.

"Hey." Thomas smiled at her. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Hmm?" Kate furrowed her brows.

"Earlier, I thought that...oh, never mind." Thomas shrugged.

"What are you working on?" Kate asked curiously, stepping closer.

"This." Thomas straightened up with his hands on his hips. Kate frowned grimly.

"Is that...what I think it is?" She asked slowly. "Isn't that a..."

"Coffin. Yes." Thomas nodded. Kate was blown away. Why would he be working away on something so dramatic? Though she had to admit, she was impressed by his skills.

"It's...I'd say it's beautiful, but..." She cleared her throat, "Isn't that a rather morbid activity?"

"It was one of the first orders I got from Jack. And...when I was on the Cartwheel, dead slaves were treated like animal hides and thrown away. Of course, the soldiers were not. Look, I know it's a dark matter to dwell on, but it's made me feel useful, like I can do some good in this world."

"A way to do for other people, what no one did for those prisoners." Kate stated.

"Something along those lines, yes." Thomas nodded. Kate slowly gripped his wrist. He looked down at it in surprise. But he smiled and clasped her fingers.

"Thomas, you do perform good for others. You tried to help those prisoners. And..." Kate bit her lip hard, recoiling as she pictured those scars on her father's body. "My father, used to be one of them. I hated the Cartwheel ship after Jack told me about it! But...to know someone like you, someone who actually cares, did exist on it, it's restored my ideal not to give up on all people involved in disgrace."

Thomas smiled widely. He breathed then, slowly began to lean his face in toward hers. She watched him in surprise, but didn't resist. He breathed again, then nearly reached her cheek when…"Ahem!" Captain Summers deep voice cut in. Kate froze and Thomas gulped and backed away from her. "Sorry to spoil this little puppy love moment," Captain Summers grunted sarcastically, "but I would like a word with my daughter. That is, if you're done kissing her!"

"Aye, Sir." Thomas chuckled. Kate shook her head and breathing deeply, she turned and came to the steps where her father was.

"We weren't kissing, Dad. We never have." Kate forced a grin.

"A likely story." Captain Summers narrowed his eyes at her.

"No, it's true." Kate said solemnly.

"Darling, I'd like to speak to you some place private." He said. Kate nodded and followed him to the kitchen. No one was in there at the moment. Kate slightly closed the door. "Katie," Captain Summers began slowly, "What you saw..."

"You were tortured." Kate said angrily.

"Aye. Punished."

"But, why? Why, Father? What did you do?" Kate cried.

"A slave has no life, baby girl." Captain Summers said in a flat tone. "You're property, a thing, not a person. At least, that's what they tell you. And it's not long before you start believing it yourself. At first, when I was imprisoned on that spit of 'civilization', I tried to escape, to find a way back to you and your mother. More than once. Every time, I was thrashed worst than the one before. I was branded the first time. But if escaping meant seeing the both of you again, I was d- bound to do it! Until...they seared my side.

'Eventually, I was sold to the mayor of Bermuda. After hearing about my failed attempts even after the punishments, he said I had initiative. So he appointed me as a guard for the stockyards. It was...'" Captain Summers clammed up for about five minutes. Kate waited tensely. Her dad grimaced hard, as if he'd been slugged. "It was my job to insure that no one, not one slave would be able to escape. And...it was my job to order severe punishment if anyone so much as tried. At first, I protested. I tried to protect those in my command. That's when this started..." He ran his hands across his back. Kate's eyes filled with tears. "Katie, I was called to serve justice, to protect cities. But when you're treated like an animal, soon you begin to lose faith in that higher calling. Gradually, I couldn't take the beatings anymore. So, I did what I was told. I became the chief advocate in that town for sending people to hell, or as close to it as you could possibly get. When my shift was over, I attempted to sneak food, bandages, just some token of penitence to those helpless souls I'd wronged. I finally gave up the dream that I'd ever get out of that place. I finally accepted that I'd be there for the rest of my monstrous life."

"No, Dad. Don't say that, please!" Kate wept. "You are not a monster!"

"I appreciate your sentiment, Sweetie. But a man's conscience...is a powerful thing. And what I did, the things I was forced to do, are some things so horrible, you would never be able to live with it, if you were me." Captain Summers said sorrowfully.

"This wasn't you're doing." Kate mumbled. "He did this to you. A mockery of your good deeds. He insured you'd suffer from the inside out."

"What?"

"Father," Kate spoke seriously, "I know about Briggs." Captain Summers glanced at her, confusion mingled with worry on his face.

"Briggs..." He started.

"Who he really is." Kate looked up at him sadly. "He was your son." Captain Summers sucked in a hard breath and rubbed his face.

"Sweetheart…" He moaned terribly, shaking his head in disbelief. "No. No...I don't want to believe that."

"It's all right, Dad. I know." Kate said calmly.

"No. You couldn't possibly..." Captain Summers trembled, grasping his head. He rushed out of the kitchen. Kate was alarmed at his response. She leaned against the wall, crying softly into her hand.

Jack and Anamaria had been avoiding each other since Captain Summers' insinuation of their relationship. Jack was leaning against the rail at the helm with a bottle of rum. Anamaria coldly stood to his side, also with a bottle of rum. She took a most belligerent swig. "Still think I'm the plague, Jack?" She asked in an accusing tone.

"Hmm?" Jack furrowed his brows.

"So, you don't think I have the capability to become the makings of a fine wife?" Anamaria retorted stiffly.

"Oh, on the contrary. You'd make some lucky fellow a fine wife, luv. Whoever he is." Jack shrugged, taking another drink. Anamaria licked her lips smugly.

"Well, as for you, Captain Sparrow, speaking for meself," she said slyly, "if any woman in the world were to ask me my personal opinion, should she claim that she had landed you..."

"What a hideous notion!" Jack grunted in exaggeration.

"To pay my heartfelt congratulations to the lucky lady..." Anamaria continued.

"Yes?" Jack squinted hungrily, scooting closer to her. Anamaria crossed her arms and let him sidle close behind her. "What would you tell her, luv? That she is getting an impeccable deal too good to pass up?"

"I'd tell her to jump overboard, for her own good." Anamaria declared with finality.

"Such is the life of the jealous female." Jack sighed with admiration.

"What do you mean jealous?" Anamaria hissed, facing him with a heated face. "I'd be saving her from years of heartbreak, and one crazy scrape after another...and ultimate stupidity at its finest!" Jack puffed out his lip.

"No wonder the belittled, unfortunate, woeful male of the species races to rum for comfort." Jack groaned. Anamaria shoved her bottle into his other hand.

"Like I said, ultimate stupidity." She glared and stomped off.

"Much obliged, luv." Jack raised the bottles to the air and took a drink from each. Then he heard angry steps approaching him. He glanced sideways to find a very ticked Captain Summers. "I've heard that raising children can drive a man to insanity." Jack teased. "But you are the first I've ever seen to bring that fable to life, mate. Little drink? Might cool you down."

"Don't play games with me, Sparrow." Captain Summers snarled, his lip trembling. "Why'd you do it?"

"You mean save your life?" Jack asked lightly. "You're welcome, and feel free to say thank you any time."

"I'm not talking about the rescue!" Captain Summers blurted out impatiently. "Briggs. Kate knows who he is, that he's my son. Why, Jack? Why did you go and tell her an awful piece of news like that? Hadn't it been enough that I was never there for her?"

"I see." Jack sighed. "You can rest assured, mate, that it was not I who spilled the ugly truth to the girl. It was the bloody leech himself. Revealed it to her, clear and painful, he did. I tried to keep her from it, but through an unfortunate and unforeseeable amount of circumstances, which I did not orchestrate, your daughter met her estranged flesh and blood in the most brutal way. And she has scars of her own to prove it."

Captain Summers froze. He couldn't think clearly. He hated every word he was hearing. "What are you talking about?" He finally choked.

"I think you should ask your daughter." Jack said solemnly. Captain Summers turned on his heel and marched away in a vexed state.

Kate was again at the bow of the ship, gazing out into the endless sea. Captain Summers felt his heart melt when he saw her. He approached and made her face him. "I don't hate you, Father." She said pleadingly.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about you." Captain Summers said. "Katie, how in the world do you know about Briggs? How'd you find out about him?" Kate frowned and slowly rolled up her left arm sleeve, revealing the ugly cuts on her shoulder. Captain Summers gasped and breathed heavily. "Ohh, baby..." He clutched her hard. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry!"

"I saw him wearing your necklace." Kate sniffled.

"Katie..." Captain Summers couldn't keep his tears at bay any longer. "Sweetheart, I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

"I'm sorry, Dad." Kate hung her head, feeling like she'd stabbed him in the heart, showing him those cuts.

"I'm here now, Katie. I'm here." Captain Summers held her face. "And no one is ever going to hurt you like that again!" He kissed her head hard. Kate relished in his affection. She'd been without it for so long.

"I don't blame you, Father. None of this is your fault." She reassured him. He looked away, looking as if the devil was poking him with a pitchfork inside his mind. Kate hugged his arm. "Father, you've seen the worst side of people in your lifetime. That's got to be a terribly heavy burden to bear! How have you not lost your mind, or succumbed to those things after all you've been put through?"

He wrapped his arm around her. "One thing your mother always never failed to remind me, when she knew I was feeling the weight of the world:

'If you don't have something in you that's above you, you soon give in to the things around you.'"

"Aye." Kate leaned her chin on his bicep.

"You're wrong, Katie. I did deserve this. It is my fault!" Captain Summers groaned.

"What?" Kate gaped at him.

Quote by Louis L'Amour