Kat sat up on the mast of the merchant ship, the Silver Maiden, which she had escaped Port Royal and her father on. It wasn't as grand as the Black Pearl, but what ship was? She looked out over the ocean watching the sunlight dance over the rolling waves. She wasn't able to watch the sunrise that morning, and wouldn't be able to on this ship since the captain had a strict curfew for the whole crew. It was a small price to pay in Kat's eyes since she got away from Port Royal and her father's oppressive hand. She was out on the sea, free to find Jack and see him again . . . if she could find him.
Jack . . . where was he?
When she planned to go out to sea to look for him, she never thought past getting on a ship. In her thoughts, she always pictured looking around a corner and there he would be, waiting for her. For that to happen she would have to be on dry land, and that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
Mr. Fresbsas, the captain of the Sliver Maiden, said that they wouldn't be reaching land for another week. Kat agreed to help with whatever she could to pay for her voyage on the ship. At first Fresbsas wouldn't hear of it, but after she got started, he didn't stop her. He was a very nice man and reminded Kat of Mr. Gibbs aboard the Black Pearl. She usually ate with the captain since she didn't know the rest of the crew very well. Kat knew that most of the time men first try their hand at merchant sailing if they are between pirate ships and didn't think that it would be too good of an idea to eat with the crew anyways. The captain was like an older brother, but because of his age, Kat saw him maybe even as a father figure. After all, he was at least her father's age.
The voyage on the Silver Maiden was not that bad and Kat had the same duties that she had on the Pearl. She often found herself helping in the ropes and sitting on the mast, looking out on the clear Caribbean waters for miles. She often had time to herself and sat up on the rigging catching sea animals jump out of the ocean. She thought of herself as one of those animals, because she was now free. She was at home on the sea. But at least the sea animals knew where they were going. Even when she could see everything, there was a down side . . . nearly everyone can watch her.
Pidus, one of the other mast hands, was intrigued by the woman ever since she boarded the ship. He too joined the crew at Port Royal. He had been a drifter for the past few years, getting jobs on sailing ship wherever he could find them. He was eighteen when the house he was staying at threw him out and that was near four years ago. With a height of near six feet, he stood out from the rest of the crew. His ragged brown hair covered most of his face and his eyes giving him a mysterious aura. His body wasn't that built, but his arms were strong enough to strangle anyone he pleased.
When Kat first came on the ship Pidus was the first one to volunteer to be Kat's guide to the ship and the ropes. The captain actually didn't want him to guide her around the ship, since Pidus just came aboard as well, and took care of that part himself. But since Pidus did seem to know how the mast and ropes worked he let Pidus supervise Kat as she worked. Most of the time she never needed help and he had to resort to sitting above her and watch her at work. He soon found himself attracted to young Kat and couldn't help but compliment her on everything he could think of. Unknown to him, Kat only saw it as kindness and spent a good amount of time with Pidus when she wasn't with the captain.
Kat tied the last of the rigging and wiped the sweat from her brow with her hand. She nodded at the job well done and sat on the side of the mast, swinging her legs back and forth. Pidus noticed Kat was done with her work and climbed down to her.
"So ye are done all ready, aye?" he said looking at the ropes swinging in the light wind.
"Yes, I do believe I am, Mr. Pidus," Kat put her hands behind her head and looked at the sky and at the clouds.
"Wha' ye thinkin' 'bout?" Pidus asked sitting across from her.
"My original captain," Kat said with a sigh, "I miss him."
"I though' ye came from a wealthy family in Port Royal," Pidus said with a questioning tone.
"I do, but I sailed on a pirate ship for months a little while ago, until my captain made the mistake of returning to Port Royal."
"Was 'e hanged?"
"No," Kat sighed and closed her eyes while her voice barely reached a whisper, "…he escaped."
"Then why ye be 'ere 'stead of on yer ship?"
"Because my captain thought that the only way to keep me safe was to leave me behind," Kat picked her head up and looked at the horizon, "But I can take care of myself and I will find the Black Pearl and her captain."
"Ye are talkin' 'bout Captain Jack Sparrow?" he asked amazed.
"Yes, why?"
"No wonder ye be missin' 'em so much. He was always good with the ladies, Sparrow was."
"Excuse me? What do you mean by that?" Kat asked standing against the center mast.
"Ye love a man tha' never loves back, I'm afraid," he said putting her hands behind him innocently.
"You take that back!" Kat began to advance.
"Katerina dear!" Captain Fresbsas shouted from below, "It's time for a break. Ye want to take a short walk 'round me ship?"
"Aye, aye sir!" Kat called down, then turned to Pidus, "Good day Mr. Pidus."
He squinted once hearing his name used in such a hateful manner. Kat clung to a rope and climbed down to meet the round captain by the mast. She smiled as he offered an arm and took it to start their walk.
"Aye Kat, ye deserve a man tha' will love ye back," he said to himself, "An' I be he."
***
Kat took her dinner to her small cabin below deck. Her cabin was separated from the rest of the crew seeing that she was the only female on board. The floor was covered with rags and pieces of wood. Apparently the room was used as a type of storeroom before she came along. Boxes and different items still cluttered the corners of the room, but Kat lived with it. It was the only place she had on the whole ship to call her own.
Kat put her plate of food on her makeshift bed, a hammock, and started to spruce up the room. Before she could get halfway through the room, her hunger overcame her urge for tidiness and she collapsed on the floor. She crawled over to her plate and began to eat straight off of it. She left her plate on the hammock and just felt for the food with her hand as she sat on the floor. She looked up at the small window that showed the night sky.
A sigh escaped her lips and she bit into a thick piece of meat. She felt a little bad for having the captain eat alone, especially since he had been so nice to her. But she needed some time to herself. For the past half week she has been in company with men, and not one of them really knew her. At least on the Black Pearl Kat had Anamaria to pour her heart to. Even Mr. Cotton was a good listener, but how much talking could his parrot do back?
She stuffed the other half of the piece of the meat in her mouth and started to chew with thought, 'How can I start to look for him when I'm not even on land? Where do I start? How can I tell that I'm on the right track?'
She lowered her eyes from the window and looked at the ground, "Where are you Jack? I miss you so much. Nothing seems to be the same...absolutely nothing."
Rolling down to the floor on her side she rested her head on one of her hands and began to play with some of the woodchips with the other. Time couldn't pass any slower than when she was in her room. Thinking . . . just immersing her mind in thought.
Kat was shaken out of her thoughts when someone knocked on the door. Kat got up and walked to the door, thinking it was the captain.
"I'm sorry captain, but I am in no mood for compa-"
She stopped short when she opened the door and saw Pidus standing with two cups of what looked like wine in each hand, "'Ello Kat. I just though' ye would like some of the wine."
"Hello Mr. Pidus," Kat said calmly looking at the wine glass then back at the man. She still was a little sore with him from earlier and wasn't in a very good mood to talk, "Thank you for the offer, but I already have what I need."
Pidus stopped her from closing the door on him, "I wan' te say I'm sorry, lass."
Kat paused and looked at him from behind the door, "For what?"
"Fer wha' I said 'bout Cap'n Sparrow. Yer righ' te say 'e be a good cap'n," he added with a pleading tone in his voice.
Kat sighed and opened the door to let him in, "Please come in."
Pidus smiled and handed her a goblet of the wine and sat on the box that hadn't been moved to another room. Kat looked into the goblet and put it on the old beau that was put in her room from the captain's quarters. She picked up her plate and sat down on her hammock. She spooned around the remaining meal with the knife and looked at her plate.
"Ye should try the wine. It be one 'o the best," Pidus spoke up, drinking a little from his goblet.
"I'm not in the mood for wine," she looked up at him, "I do accept your apology, but I am still quite upset with you."
"I only was sayin' wha' I 'eard 'bout Sparrow," he said defensively.
"That is the problem. People go by what they hear, not by what they know of a person."
"Wha' is there to know 'o a pirate?"
"Much more than any 'civilized' person would account," Kat said harshly, "You know, I consider myself a pirate."
"Ye do? How's tha'?" he asked with a chuckle.
"I sailed under a pirate flag, under a command of a pirate captain," she said happily kicking her legs a little from side to side, " and I was out on the sea, helping to raid settlements -peacefully may I add- and I was happy. I was so happy."
"Ye know, I could turn ye in to the guards at the next port with the thin's yer tellin' me."
"I bet my father would love you to do so," Kat nodded her head, "Yes, he would be so happy he would probably give you a good twenty pounds and give you a front row seat to my execution."
"Execution?" Pidus got up and walked over to the beau, grabbed her goblet of wine and walked back over to her, "Ye can't lead me to believe tha' yer own papa would wan' ye dead."
"Turn me in and see," Kat offered.
"No, I think I keep ye around," Pidus offered her the goblet again, "Now drink up. Ye don' know wha' ye be missin'."
Kat looked at the goblet in Pidus's hand and his smile. Her own smile began to fade and she stood up, putting the plate of food back on the hammock. She took the goblet from his hand and looked into it. She studied its color and caught a strange smell coming from the golden goblet. Her eyes began to squint in thought. Pidus looked at her as if he was scared of something.
"You sure this is of such fine quality?" Kat asked, trying to cover her suspensions of the wine.
"Aye, I'm sure," he pushed the cup to her lips and pulled up his drink to his own.
Kat put the cup to her lips, but did not allow any to enter her mouth or her gullet. She pretended to swallow the fake wine and smiled along with Pidus. He pulled down his cup from his lips and looked at Kat expectantly. She had a good idea of what he was up to now and knew what real wine and run smelt like from being around Jack as much as she was.
She smiled at his confused expression and walked over to the door of her cabin, "Well, I've had better. I think it is time you left."
Pidus walked slowly up to her and closed the door with one hand, "I don' think so."
Kat stared into his eyes and finally saw the danger shine through. She breathed in a deep breath and threw the cup of wine in his face. She tried to open the door, but Pidus grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground. She let out a gasp as she hit the floor and snapped her head in his direction as he walked briskly over to her. He leaned down and held her on the floor.
"Ye could 'ave forgotten 'em. Ye could 'ave loved me!" he yelled in her face, keeping a handful of her hair in his hand, "Sparrow would never treat ye like I would."
Kat struggled in his grip and tried to get a hold of the knife that was sitting on her plate in her hammock. Pidus tried to lean forward to kiss her when she finally got her hand around the handle of the knife and cut him across the cheek. He yelled and pulled back from her. Kat stumbled to get up and kept her eyes on his movements.
"Ye wrench!" he yelled at her holding his face and looking at the blood on his hand every so often.
"I am not your wrench!" she held the knife in front of her, "Now let me out!"
"Ye sure ain't me wrench! Yer Jack's!"
"You bastard!" she rushed forward and hit him in the chest. She pushed past him and made it out to the main deck. Pidus followed closely behind. Kat ran watching over her shoulder and ran into some one ahead of her. The person held her by the sides of the arms and she struggled and screamed.
"Let me go!"
"Kat! Lass, calm down," Captain Fresbsas looked at her.
Kat looked up at the chubby captain, "My God! Pidus… he, he…he tried to…" Kat struggled to tell him.
Fresbsas looked behind her to see Pidus and glared at him. His voice roared over the deck, "Pidus!"
Pidus's eyes grew huge and ran toward the cabins where the other crewmembers were absent at dinner.
"Ye all right, lass?" Fresbsas asked looking down at her.
"I want off at the next port, Captain," Kat said bluntly.
"Lass?" he asked surprised, "He'll be locked in the brig below. He won't harm ye anymore."
"It doesn't matter," Kat said, "I'm sorry captain. You are a wonderful person with a good heart, but I must leave and find what I have lost. I cannot do that while I am on one ship."
"I understand," he nodded, "I will miss ye, lass. You be a great member."
"Thank you."
"But I 'ave to warn ye. The next port is very harsh."
"I can handle it," Kat rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and turned toward her cabin, "I'm going to start to pack. See to it that you punish Pidus harshly."
"No problem there, Miss," he followed her toward the cabins to find Pidus.
***
Kat felt bad about leaving the Silver Maiden and her Captain behind, but she has seen some men get out of worse jams than the barracks on a merchant ship. She couldn't take another chance, especially with Pidus being as mad as he was. She was let off at a grungy looking at port that seemed oddly familiar. She said good-bye to the captain and walked down the bad streets of the first port they came to.
Pirates were on every corner, most with a woman at their side. Those who didn't have a woman on each arm called at her, and some even hounded her as she made her way through the streets. She looked down the dirty streets trying to find something familiar when a flash of bright red caught her attention in a tavern. She lifted one eyebrow and walked over to the tavern. As soon as she opened the door she knew where she was. And she knew what the bright red object that caught her attention was.
"I though' ye were gone!" Tula screeched at Kat when she saw her walk through the tavern's doors, "Or are ye back to ruin more 'o me business?"
"I'm here for nothing of the sort," Kat pushed past the gaudy dressed woman and took a seat by the far wall, "I'm here for something to eat and for some information."
Tula took a seat across from her and folded her arms over her chest, "Wha' information ye be needin'?"
"Jack's location primarily," Kat said leaning forward.
"Which Jack would tha' be- oh… he left ye behind did he? And now ye wish te find him?" Tula asked with a baby voice, trying to mock her, "It is to laugh!"
"Don't taunt me, Tula," Kat warned trying to get the woman to stop her wretched laughing, "I've grown much accustomed to picking fights."
"Tha' be a challenge?"
"If you take it as one, wretch!"
"Why ye-"
"Tula! Wha' ye be doin' fightin' with a customer. I think ye best go to ye corner," the waitress Darla came from the side of the tavern carrying yet another tray of rum in hand.
Tula glared, but then picked herself up and walked out of the tavern, her nose held high. As soon as she got outside she found a man to entertain and Kat knew she wouldn't need to worry about her for a while.
"Why, hello Darla. It's been a time since I've seen you," Kat said with a smile that caught the waitress's attention.
"'Ello there!" she sat down across from Kat, taking Tula's seat and sat her tray to the side, "Wha' ye be doin' in a place like this without Jack?"
"That's the problem. I'm trying to find him. Has he stopped by recently?"
"No, not tha' I've seen or 'eard. Last time I saw him he was with ye," Darla eyed the kitchen seeing her boss looking at her and warily got up, "Sorry lass."
"Do you know where I can find a ship to get passage to another port?"
"Wha' port ye be lookin' to go to?"
"Where ever Jack may be," Kat said looking at Darla.
"Tha' would be Tortuga, then," Darla started to think hard, "There may be a good ship tha' won' try to take advantage of a sweet girl like ye."
"They try and they lose at least a hand," Kat said, "Where is the captain?"
"Over at table five," Darla nodded her head over her shoulder at a half drunk gentleman sipping on rum, "He seems sweet."
Suddenly the man starts yelling profanities at a passing pirate and calmed down again. Kat raised her eyebrow and stood up. Darla looked surprised at the man and then looked at Kat for a response.
"Aye, but don' take me word fer it," she gave a nervous smile.
"I trust your judgment," Kat patted Darla on the back and lifted her bag on her shoulder. She smiled and made her way over to the man as Darla went to tell off the men fighting at the other end of the tavern.
Kat remembered the first time she came into the tavern and how disgusted she was by the men sitting at the tables. She now looked at them and understood where they were coming from. Even if they come from a drunken rage. The sea was harsh, and it was even worse when you didn't have any company.
Before she reached the man at table five, two men stepped in front of her, blocking the way.
"Excuse me," Kat said trying to step between them.
"Now wha' a purdy thin' we 'ave 'ere," one of them said.
"I said move aside," Kat placed her hands on her hips starting to get angry with the two pirates.
"Look at this, then! A woman be orderin' ye 'bout!" the other said, "Wha' are ye goin' to do love? Beat us?"
Kat's eyes went a flame and she punched the pirate with a good right hook and brought him to the ground with a knife held to his throat. She noticed that he was knocked unconscious and got off the man. She put her small dagger-like knife back into her boot and looked down at him.
"I'm not your love," Kat said with venom then looked at the other man, "Do you want to taste the blade for your friend here, or are you going to run?"
The man backed away and ran out the door. Kat smirked to herself and walked over to the man still whispering profanities and something about a dancing, rainbow monkey. Kat stepped by his side, dropping her bag to the side of her right leg.
"I would like passage to Tortuga on your ship," Kat started, looking down at the man.
"Ye 'ave it," the man hiccupped.
Kat stood there perplexed on the fact that he let her have passage so quickly and without a mention a price, "When do we ship out, Captain?"
"As soon as I sober up," he tilted in his seat.
Kat held him up in his seat and sat down next to him, "I'll wait with you then." Darla soon came by and gave her some free meat on the house and a piece of good luck.
***
Jack leaned on the railing of his ship, watching the waves below him rock the ship in a soothing fashion. At least, the waves would have been soothing if he wasn't in such a bad mood. A mood that took over as soon as he left Kat crying on the beach at Port Royal. The crew noticed it and didn't want to do anything to upset the Captain. Therefore they stuck to their duties and only bothered the captain when it was of the utmost importance.
The sun was near the surface of the water and Jack took a good, deep breath of the salt air. Nothing would help him to feel better than a good look at that far horizon and a new day approaching. Although, today- just like every other day since they left Port Royal- the rising sun gave no comfort. It gave no assurance of a new day and a new chance at life. All it brought were old memories and desires.
Jack hit the railing of the Pearl with a closed fist and looked at the red and orange sun, "It ain't the same anymore. It jus' ain't the same."
"Well, 'o course it ain't the same, Cap'n," Jack turned around to see Anamaria approaching with a brown blanket draped over her arms.
"Wha's tha' suppose to mean, Anamaria?" Jack asked turning his attention back to the sun and horizon.
"Ye know perfectly well wha' I be talking 'bout, Cap'n," Anamaria stood next to him, "It ain't the same because she ain't 'ere no more."
"She 'as nothin' to do with this," Jack said harshly turning his head to the side away from Anamaria.
"Ye miss 'er, jus' as everyone else does on this ship," she tried to get him to look at her, "Ye know I'm righ'."
"No, yer wrong," Jack looked at her, trying to keep a strong face, "It was better tha' she left. We can finally get back to business."
"Wha' business, Jack? We 'aven't been out on a good plunder since she was last with us. And ye know tha' she was a great distraction while we did the collectin'."
"She don't deserve to live like tha'. She deserves a house- a mansion. With a warm fire every night, and nice rockin' chair and time to raise her children."
"She deserves to live the life she chooses, Jack!" Anamaria shouted, "Everyone agrees with me."
"I don'," he dropped his head again.
"Well, tha's because ye wanted the best fer her. Now, where 'as tha' ended ye? Yer feeling hurt and sorry fer yerself, while she is probably endin' up marryin' some no good, two bit navy captain! How's tha' fair to 'er Jack?"
"She's safe," Jack turned around and began to retreat to his cabin.
"Oh no ye don'!" Anamaria stepped between him and his cabin.
"Out of the way Anamaria."
"Not until ye say ye are wrong and agree to go back fer 'er."
"Tha's an order," Jack growled and Anamaria had to step out of his way.
"Ye 'ave to be the most cowardice pirate cap'n I 'ave ever seen," she mumbled.
"Wha'?" Jack turned around and looked Anamaria in the eyes, "I left her to keep her safe, and now ye say tha' I am a coward."
"Exactly," Anamaria looked up at him, trying to stare him down, "Because ye won' admit tha' ye love 'er as much as we all know ye really do. Ain't tha' righ'?"
"Don' push me, Anamaria."
"Don' ye, Cap'n. Answer me question."
Jack struggled within himself and looked back at her after a few moments, "All righ'! Ye wan' to know the truth?"
"Tha's wha' I be tryin' to drag out from ye."
"I do luv 'er. I luv 'er more than anyone will ever know. But… it ain't right!"
"Wha' ain't righ?"
"Fer a pirate to luv! And to fall fer a civilized woman, no less!"
"'Ave ye taken' a look at Kat, recently?" Anamaria asked with a chuckle, "She chose her own path away from civilized ways. She be more of a pirate than I be at times. Ye can't tell yer heart who to love. It jus' 'appens out of no where."
"How do ye know?"
"I was in love once."
"Than ye fell out of it!"
"But ye and Kat… tha' can last," Anamaria looked at the sun, "As sure as tha' sun rises, Cap'n, she will love ye."
"How do ye know?" he challenged.
"She told me," Anamaria smiled and walked past him, "I jus' wan' ye two to be happy. And ye very well can't be happy if ye are apart!"
Jack looked at his feet and didn't say anything back. Anamaria looked at him from over her shoulder.
"So, where we be headin'?"
"I need to think," Jack said holding his head in his hand and looking over the ocean to a bit of land in the far distance, "I think a stop in Tortuga is called fer."
"Tortuga it be then, Cap'n," Anamaria went down the stairs near the deck and went down to her cabin to get ready for the day ahead.
Jack stayed out on the deck to watch the rest of the sunrise then made his way back to his cabin. He went over to his desk where he picked up an empty bottle of women's perfume. A small smile formed on his face as he looked at the dainty bottle.
"I 'ave a lot of thinkin' to do."
A/N: So, what do you guys think? Not bad? I'm sorry it took so long again. Over the next week I am to complete five projects for the same class! Talk about work. But I will get the next chapter up before I go back to school. I'm hoping maybe to finish the whole fic by that time, but don't give your hopes up! Sorry I messed the goal of making it on Christmas. But Happy Holidays anyway!
^.~ Ana