Chapter 7

Kelly was walking down the steps when she heard a joyous shout.

"Ladies an' gentlepirates, we're goin' shoppin'!"

Kelly whirled around and hurried up to the bow of the ship where Jack, Will, and Daniel had just swung to on various ropes of the ship.

"What are ye bloody goin' on about 'ere, Jack?" she demanded.

"Take a look fer yerself, me girl," Jack invited, a wide grin on his face.

Kelly glanced at him oddly before jumping up onto the rail and looking out at the sea. She grabbed a nearby rope to hold for balance as her eyes scanned the horizon. After a moment, she spotted a large ship in the distance. Her mouth curved into a smirk quite like that of her father's. She looked behind her at the crew and saw them staring eagerly back at her. Her smirk widened into a grin.

"Lady and gentlemen, it's time t' go a-pillagin' an' a-plunderin'!" Kelly shouted at the crew. She turned back to stare thoughtfully at the oblivious ship as the crew hollered with excitement. "I need a new pair of earrins'," she added so only Daniel could hear her. She glanced down at him and saw him glaring at her disparagingly. She winked at him before she turned her gaze back to the approaching ship.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kelly pulled free the rope she was holding and swung across the gap between the two ships. She released her hold on the rope when she was four or five feet above the deck and dropped, landing, cat-like, on her hands and feet. She stood up slowly, looking warily around. The ship was deserted.

"Jack, I'm getting' a bad feelin' about this ship," Kelly called over her shoulder.

"Daniel's comin' over," Jack replied. "'e wants t'see 'ow 'e does as a pirate."

Kelly mumbled her agreement while she looked around still. Her instinct told her to watch out behind her and she glanced over her shoulder. She dove out of the way just in time as Daniel swung across and landed on the deck.

"Are ye tryin' t' kill me, 'avin' the lad swing over right over where I be standing?" Kelly demanded, picking herself up as she glared at Jack.

"Not at all, me dear. If we was tryin' t' kill ye, trust me, we'd be doin' an 'ole bloody lot better," Jack called over, his trademark, lopsided grin sliding into place.

Kelly scowled and went to stand next to Daniel. The two teens stood there listening, their ears straining for the tiniest sound. The ship was as silent as a grave. Kelly thought she heard the squeak of a stair and turned in the direction of the sound. As she did, she pulled her sword out of its sheath. She whirled around, her sword out in front of her, a clever smirk on her face. Kelly's threat, however, died in her lips at the figure standing in front of her.

"'ello, poppet."

Kelly sucked in a sharp breath, as she and Daniel were grabbed. Their swords were knocked to the ground as their hands were tied behind their backs.

"Kelly!" Jack shouted, alarmed.

"Daniel!" Will yelled frantically. His body jerked forward as if he was going to leap to his son's rescue.

"Let me go, ye bloody arse!" Kelly demanded, struggling violently against her capturer. She heard her shirt rip as her hair flew about her face. Suddenly, a tall, black pirate with dotted scars decorating his face stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Jack and Will.

"Ye better stop strugglin' or ye'll 'ave me t' deal with," the man threatened. Kelly grinned dryly despite her bleak situation.

"Ah, but see, that'll give me some time t' get t' know ye," Kelly countered. "An' I know fer a fact that I ain't never insulted ye before, so once I get t' know ye, I can insult ye properly an' not just about yer brainlessness in threatenin' people."

Kelly had barely finished when the man sharply back-handed her across the mouth. The blow landed so hard she dropped her cool façade and cried out. Her attacker behind released his hold on her and she fell to the deck, striking her head on the wooden planks. She heard a scuffle on deck and glanced up. Daniel was being held by three more men and was putting up a healthy fight to escape his restraints.

"Relax, lad, I'll be fine," Kelly assured the impetuous teen. She was beginning to sit up when a heavy foot came down on her back and she was shoved to the deck. She saw Daniel renew his fight to free himself from his restraints. Out of the corner of her eye, the pirate girl spotted a man with a nose ring and a long, dreadlocked beard approach Daniel. He unsheathed his cutlass and raised it. Kelly's eyes widened as she watched, unable to warn the son of her father's friend. The man brought down the handle of the sword with a thud onto Daniel's head. The boy's eyes rolled for a moment before his head dropped to his chest and he slumped in the grips of those holding him. Kelly made a noise of outrage in the back of her throat.

" 'ey, leave the lad alone!" she cried. " 'e ain't done nothin' that's 'urt any of ye in any way! There ain't no reason fer 'im t' be all roughed up an' such."

Quick as lightening, Kelly was rolled onto her back and the gleaming sharp point of a sword was quivering at her throat.

"You ain't to make any noise unless spoken to, girl!" the man that had slapped her earlier shouted, glaring at her. He straightened and Kelly relaxed a bit. Then, as thoughit was an afterthought, the man kicked her sharply in the side, causing her once again to yelp in pain. Making this noise earned her a hard hit in the face, the force of the blow knocking her head to the deck. The man grabbed her now cut and bleeding face and brought it close to his own.

"Now, girl, you won't be yellin' like you was or you'll be gettin'somethin' much worse than a few kicks, savvy?" he growled. Kelly merely glared unblinkingly back at him. After a moment, he let go of Kelly's face and stood up. Kelly looked around the deck and saw Daniel had been taken away. Suddenly, there was the tap of a boot and Kelly twisted her head in the direction of the sound. A boot was standing directly in font of her nose. She went corss-eyed when she looked at it. Kelly was pulled to her feet and to her left stood a man that looked like death had chewed him up and spat him out -- twice.

"Barbossa, you bastard, what have you done with my son?" Will was shouting, among other oaths and obscenities that made even the most rough-and-tumble of Jack's crew blanch when they heard him. It looked as though Will was just barely being held back from jumping the distance between the two ships.

"Why, me boy, I've no idea what ye might be talkin' about," Barbossa replied amiably. Will snatched up a rope only to have it taken away by Gibbs. Barbossa's pet monkey resided on his shoulder, chewing on and apple and staring at Kelly in an unnerving sort of way.

"You liar!" Will exploded, his rage echoing over the sea, Jacks and Gibbs barely able to keep him from leaping onto Barbossa's ship. "Where is my son?!"

"Boy, I seem t' remember another time when ye impugned me honor an' I did warn ye," Barbossa reminded Will. "Just be glad we're on seperate ships."

"Barbossa, ye don' really want me daughter an' the Turner lad's son," Jack interrupted, sending a warning look to Will. "It's me an' Turner 'imself that ye want."

"No, it's yer dear children," Barbossa corrected, turning and running a clawed finger up Kelly's jawline, leering at her. Kelly jerked away from the pirate's touch and spat in his face. Barbossa scowled at her and motioned at the man holding Kelly upright. He nodded and began dragging Kelly away. Barbossa made another gesture and the clink of an anchor being raised was heard. Barbossa said nothing more to Jack and Will, who were standing helplessly on the Pearl, as he sauntered off to his quarters.

Kelly was dragged to a tiny room with one cot, where laid one Daniel Turner. Her bonds were cut and she was thrown down to the floor. She scrambled to get up as the door was slammed shut and locked from the outside. She pounded on the door with her fists angrily.

"Damn it!" Kelly growled, slumping against the door. There was a moan behind her and she half-turned. Daniel was groggily sitting up, holding his head.

"Where are we?" he asked, wincing as his fingers lightly brushed the large bump that had formed on his head.

"We've been captured by Barbossa an' 'is crew of miscreants an' mutineers," Kelly replied sourly, sank to the floor next to Daniel's cot. The boy groaned and leaned back against the wall.

"What?"

"Barbossa's kidnapped us an' sailed off, leavin' Will an' Jack be'ind," Kelly told him. Daniel was silent for a moment before he leaned forward, frowning.

"What?" Kelly demanded when he bean staring at her disconcertedly.

"You're bleeding," Daniel remarked, reaching out a hand and lightly touching Kelly's cheek. He held his hand out so the piratess could see the glistening drop of blood on his finger.

"That's the least of our troubles now, lad," Kelly murmured, glancing around. " 'ow in the 'ell is we goin' t' escape from 'ere?" she thought aloud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Will and Jack sat numbly on the deck of the Pearl.

"They're gone," Will said disbelievingly for the sixth time in ten minutes. "With my son and your daughter. They're gone."

"They're back," Jack responded, alarmed. Will whipped his head around, searching for the obviously commandeered ship, before looking sharply at Jack.

"What are you talking about, Jack?"

Jack looked at Will in amazement.

"Will, we killed Barbossa way back when you was still chasin' yer bonnie lass -- no offense t'er mem'ry, of course," Jack hastily apologized. Will waved it off. "Ye was there. Ye saw me shoot that bloody pirate -- no offense t' me an' the rest of me crew."

Will swore.

"How is he back, though?" Will asked. Jack shook his head.

"I don' know . . ."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kelly paced the tiny room irritably as Daniel stared morosely out the porthole window. Kelly sighed impatiently and paused for a moment. Her stomach protested loudly to lack of food and she placed a hand on her abdomen. Daniel turned away from the window and looked at her with a bemused smile.

"I'm bloody starvin'!" Kelly exclaimed. "Is they goin' t' feed us at all or jus' let us waste away from 'unger?"

"I think you're being a bit melodramatic," Daniel suggested, looking at her crookedly.

"Melodramatic?! I ain't bein' melodramatic! An' don' use that word! I don' even know what melodramatic means, so 'ow in the 'ell is I goin' t' be able t' defend myself, eh?!"

Daniel held up his hands in a show of defeat, although a smile still lurked about his mouth.

"Oh, stop yer smirkin', " Kelly grumbled, moodily going back to her pacing.