Chapter Eight: The Seeress & the Aftermath


"Oh, good, you came back," the maid exclaimed as she opened the door. "Do come in. I'll tell Madame Sophia you're here."


"That won't be necessary, Mary," An elegant grey-haired woman stood in the doorway to the next room. She walked toward Rachel and took her hands. "Do come in, dear," she said. "You and I have many things to talk about."


Rachel looked at Jack with wide eyes. She followed Madame Sophia into the drawing room with Jack close behind her. The room was small but elegantly furnished. The lighting was dim but enough for most purposes. Madame Sophia led her to a small sofa and drew her down to sit beside her.


"You're an interesting one," she said. "It's as if you are two people. One of you belongs here. But the other one doesn't."


"Maybe you can help me," Rachel gasped in surprise.


"Of course, dear," the Madame replied. "But I can't pinpoint exactly what your problem is. I've never seen anyone like you before."


"Maybe this will help," Jack said, opening his purse.


"Put that away," Sophia replied. "If anyone should ever tell you that they need money to sharpen the sight, then they are a fraud. If anything, money clouds the sight. You will pay me when we have finished the reading, not before."


"Then maybe this . . . ," said Rachel. She held out the ball of shot that Gibbs had removed from her chest.


"Ah!" Madame Sophia gasped as she took it. "This cannot be. I feel death here. And yet, you sit before me. Unless . . . may I touch you, girl?"


"Of course, if it will help," Rachel replied.


The seeress began to gently run her hands over Rachel's hair and down her arms. "Oh, my, my," she said. "The old tales tell of this happening, but I never expected to see it with my own eyes."

"What do you see?" Jack asked.


"A girl divided," she replied. "This body is yours now, but it was not always so. You must understand. That part of us which gives us life, the soul, lives many lives. The tales of the Roma tell of cases like yours. The body you inhabit died when she was shot. When she was revived, the soul was summoned back. But it did not wish to return. Still, it was summoned. So . . . you responded. You were the same soul, living a different lifetime. You both must have been very unhappy with your lives. Otherwise, this never could have happened."


"Well, yes, I suppose I was unhappy," Rachel told her. "But I still need to know. What happened to my body? Can I ever go back to my own time? My life may have sucked but I did have a few things to hold me there."


"No, girl, you didn't," she responded sharply. "If you truly had anything to hold you there, you wouldn't be here." She stood and drew Rachel to her feet. "Come with me, girl. We'll look into the waters together to find the fate of your body." She led Rachel to a table set in the corner. On the table stood a large basin full of water. The basin was surrounded by white candles. She lit the candles and began to run her fingers through the water. "Come, girl," she said. "The waters need to read you before I can read them."


Rachel began to run her fingers through the water, as well. Madame Sophia reached out and grasped her hand. "The waters are clearing. I see a man and a woman. They mourn for their daughter, who is lost to them. But they do not despair. She was a good daughter who led a good life. They know they will see her again one day. They have lain her to rest in hallowed ground. That is all they can do . . . and that is all the waters have to tell me."


"Then I'm dead?" Rachel exclaimed.


"Your body is. Your soul has come here. Two girls have become one. She has flown. You are here to stay."


"I . . .I don't know what to say," Rachel replied. "What do you say when someone tells you of your own death?"


"They loved you, young woman," the seeress told her. "But they will go on without you. You have a second chance at happiness. Don't let it get away from you."


"I won't," Rachel said. "Thank you so much. At least now I know where I stand."


"Then I will bid you good night, for long seeing always tires me so. Mary, will you show our guests out, please?"


Jack lingered behind, laying a small purse on the table. Madame Sophia smiled and nodded at him. "She will need much care in the upcoming days," she told him. "She has much to digest. Stay by her. She will need you most of all, I think."


He joined Rachel in the front yard. "Ah," he said with a grin. "Nightfall. And I think you need a drink. I know just the place."


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The place turned out to be a raucous tavern on an equally raucous waterfront. The sign in front proclaimed it to be The Drunken Sailor. And the clientele seemed to bear out the name. They could see the Pearl from the door, which Rachel thought was probably a good thing, considering the condition they may be in by the time they left. She had never seen Jack drink but, by the twinkle in his eyes when he suggested the place, she had a feeling he just might put away a few. / / Hell, / / she though. / / I just might put away a few myself. / /


A few heads turned when they entered, followed by a few wolf whistles. "I'll have a piece of that, mate," someone called out.


"Yer bound t'hear some o'that 'round these parts, luv," Jack told her. "Try t'take it as the compliment it's intended t'be."


She smiled. "As long as he doesn't try to take a piece, we'll get along just fine."


"If he tries to take a piece, he'll have t'deal with Captain Jack Sparrow, darlin'. A fate I'm sure he'd prefer to avoid."


Jack ordered rum for two. They came in unmatched leather and wood mugs. Rachel sniffed hers, then took a sip. It was good. She had always liked rum, and this was dark and sweet. It did not occur to her that, where rum is concerned, dark and sweet usually means strong. And after the third one, she didn't care much.



"And really bad eggs," they sang as they wound their way down the docks. After the third fight broke out, and shots started being fired, Rachel started to become distinctly uncomfortable. She and Jack left the tavern to head back to the ship, and Jack decided to teach her a song he knew on the way. To the casual eye, it almost appeared as if they were dancing to the music as they walked along. The truth was, they were just trying to hold each other up.


"I can't remember when I've had so much fun!" Rachel shouted. "Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"


"Me neither, luv," Jack slurred. "You surprised me, ye did. Didn't think ye'd take t'the rum like tha'."


"I LOVE rum," she said. "It's yummy and sweet and burny all at the same time," she singsonged.


"Is this m'ship, luv?" he asked. "Aye, this is me Pearl. Up y'go."


They half walked, half dragged each other up the gangplank. "Shhh," Jack said loudly. "Don't wanna wake the crew. Bad example, 'n all that, savvy?"


"Silly!" she replied just as loudly. "They're prolly off drinkin themselves sick jess like we were."


"Where's my key?" he asked. "I know it's here some place."


She reached down and turned the knob and the door swung open.


"Perfect, luv," he trilled. "Oh, look, me bath's ready."


The tub still stood where they had left it, but it had been refilled and gave off slight tendrils of steam. Jack began to clumsily undress as Rachel swayed to a chair.


"Oh, my," she said. "It's gotten quite warm in here."


"Y'alright, luv?" Jack asked, turning toward her. He took one step and tripped over the pants around his ankles and went sprawling to the floor.


"Jack Sparrow!" she exclaimed. "You should know by now that the boots have to come off first!"



Jack somehow managed to get into the tub. He was still half clothed but he was in the tub. "Rachel, darlin'," he called, "why dontcha pour us a nightcap. There's a bottle of rum in the chest over there."


"Oh, no," she replied. "I'd spill it fer sure and I'm not gonna ruin this bootiful dress I'm wearin', so no dice!"


"Well, then," he said. "Take off the dress, and ye can't spill anythin' on't. Yer not gonna sleep in the thing, are ya?"


"Very good point," she replied. "But ya gotta close yer eyes."


"Yes, ma'am. Eyes closed."


She just managed to unbutton the top few buttons, by feats of contortionism that Jack would have found very interesting had he seen them. She slipped the gown down over her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. She removed the hat and placed it on the table, leaving the scarf that Jack had placed on her head earlier in the day. "Where did you say that rum was?" she asked.


"Hm? Wha? Oh, the rum!" he said. "C'n I open me eyes now, luv?"


"Oh," she giggled. "Yeah, I forgot."


"That's it!" He waved expansively. "It's in the trunk over there."


Rachel swayed over to the trunk indicated and opened it. "Here we go," she said as she pulled out a bottle. "But what t'put it in. No glasses."


"Pirates don't uses glasses, luv." he told her. "We drink right outta th'bottle."


"T'pirates, then," she said, upending the bottle and taking a long pull.


She staggered over to the tub and handed the bottle to Jack. He held it aloft. "To the Pearl, long may she sail, " he said. By the time he came up for breath, half of the bottle was gone. He looked up at Rachel, who was trying rather unsuccessfully to smother a giggle.


"Wha's so funny, luv," he asked.


"Yer not supposed to take a bath with yer clothes on," she said as the giggles burst forth.


"Oh, yeah," he growled as he reached for her. He grabbed her wrist and gave a tug. She toppled over and landed sitting on top of him in the tub. "Then why're you doin' it?"


She lay backward across the tub and let the giggles take her. Jack couldn't help but join in and before long they were both laughing uproariously.


"Yer all wet, luv," he said as the laughter finally subsided.


"Thanks to you," she replied with mock effrontery. "And I don't think I can get up."


"Me neither," he said. "Tell ye what. I'll help you up, then you can help me up, then we'll both be up."


"Ok, then," she told him. "Push!"


He pushed her upwards and she almost managed to stand. But, at the last moment she lost her balance and fell back in. On the third try, they managed to get her back on her feet. She turned to Jack.


"Now, give me your hand. But don't pull too hard. I don't wanna wind up back in there."


She took his hand and pulled and he managed to tip himself out onto the floor. "Thank ye, luv," he said, "Now, how do I get up from here?"


"You work on that a bit," she told him. I'm gonna go change into something dry. She opened her trunk and removed a silk nightgown. "Ooh, soft," she said. "I"ll be in the privy, changing." She walked into the other room and closed the door. "Damn!" she said. "How d'you get this thing off?"


"With help," Jack called as he managed to stand. "Y'need someone t' untie it for you. Come out here, and I'll help."


She came out and presented her back to Jack. He began to slowly unlace the corset. "Ye've got beautiful skin, luv," he said, nuzzling her hair with his nose. "So smooth."


"Well, it's not going t'be so smooth if it gets all pruney from bein' in a wet corset," she said.


"Ye take all the fun out of it, darlin'," he told her. He unlaced the corset and she slipped it off.


"Ahh," she sighed. "That feels sooo good. Whoever invented those things should be shot. Had to've been a man. No woman could have thought that one up."


She left the corset laying where she dropped it and pulled her petticoat over her head, oblivious of Jack standing behind her. He reached out and ran a finger down her spine. Her back stiffened and she gave forth a small moan.


"Rachel, luv," he said, stepping closer to her "I think I'm just about out of gentleman."


"Who says a gentleman is what I'm looking for," she replied, pressing herself backwards against him.



A/N: For those of you who are above the legal age for such things, Chapter Nine will be posted on AdultFanFiction.Net. For those of you who aren't above that age, use your imagination. I'll be skipping straight to Chapter Ten here.