Chapter Seventeen
"Wow. Dramatic," Annamaria sighed, still watching Jack as he grinned
stupidly at the birds flying along side of the ship as it cut through the
water on it's way to Tortuga.
"S'wat Katie told Jack. S'wat Jack told his father, his father told
Bootstrap, Bootstrap told me." Gibbs replied. "Well, before he died
anyway."
"Well I can imagine it would be quite difficult to communicate with the
dead!" Annamaria replied, rolling her eyes. "Capt'n!"
Jack spun around, facing her.
"We're almost to Tortuga!"
--- --- --- ---
"Do you think they'll like me, mummy?" Annie asked, squeezing her
mother's hand as they set their luggage down on the front doorstep of her
great Aunt Beatrice and great Uncle Fred's house.
"They will be CRAZY about you, sweet-pea," Katie assured her, trying not
to think about Jack. But his face refused to evaporate from her mind. She
took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door, waiting for someone
to answer.
"Hold on a minute!" she heard Aunt Bea call from inside, her accent thick
and merry. Suddenly, the door opened and she was standing there, wiping
her hands on her apron. She gasped at the sight of her long lost niece, a
smile soon going onto her face. "Katrina Emily! It's been so long!"
Katie smiled and hugged the woman, kissing her cheek and glad to see her.
"Katie, Katie, Katie......... what brings ye back, luvie?"
"A few things," Katie replied, not really knowing the best way to
respond. Aunt Bea smiled warmly at her before looking down and seeing
Annie.
"My goodness," she pressed her hand to her chest. "Is this little one
yours, Katie?"
"Yes. Aunt Beatrice, this is Annie. Say hello, sweetie."
"Hi," Annie said shyly, swaying back and forth gently.
"She IS adorable. Katie, she has your nose!" Aunt Bea crouched down onto
her knees and held out her arms, waiting for Annie to hug her. She
finally did, making Aunt Bea smile even wider. "It is a pleasure to meet
you, dearie." She stood up so she was level with Katie again. "Dear,
dear, where's Jack?"
Katie's smile faded. She knew he would be brought into conversation
sooner or later. "He, um........." she glanced down at her daughter, a tear
trickling down her cheek, seeing so much of Jack in Annie's face. "He,
um........." she tried again.
"Oh no. Another girl?" Aunt Bea asked sympathetically.
"No," Katie drew in a sharp breath as more tears started to fall. "No, he
um........."
"Left?"
"No, he's uh........."
"Oh," Aunt Beatrice said quietly. "Oh, baby doll, I'm so sorry! Please,
here, come inside where it's nice and warm." She ushered Katie and Annie
into the house. "Fred! FRED! Come downstairs and see who just got home!!"
--- --- --- ---
"What do ye mean 'she's gone'??" Jack asked, a mild panic in his voice as
he stood in the tavern. Annamaria and Gibbs stood behind him, the rest of
the crew back on the ship to keep it safe. The tavern was a quiet hub of
activity that evening. Mary and Sarah stood in front of Jack, trying to
explain what had happened.
"She left, Jack," Mary said quietly. "She and Annie left for Greenfield
several days ago."
"Good god," Jack moaned, realizing he still had several days before he
could see Katrina and their daughter.
"Jack, you have to go find her!" Sarah stepped forward and took his
hands, squeezing them tightly. "She NEEDS you, Jack! She needs you so
badly, she was a nervous wreck when they left! And poor Annie, she's just
more confused than ever. First you're not here, then you are here, then
you're not again—what's she supposed to think?"
"Then Greenfield is where we will go!" Jack proposed, spinning around and
facing Annamaria and Gibbs. "Come on now! Hop to it, let's get movin'!"
He quickly ushered them out the door, following them.
Within seconds, he reappeared and pecked both ladies on the cheek. "Thank
ye kindly!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared again.
"Oh! Mary, they're going to be so happy!" Sarah squealed as a tear of joy
rolled down her cheek.
"You're such a sap," Mary muttered under her breath as she turned and
went back to serving drinks.
"Wow. Dramatic," Annamaria sighed, still watching Jack as he grinned
stupidly at the birds flying along side of the ship as it cut through the
water on it's way to Tortuga.
"S'wat Katie told Jack. S'wat Jack told his father, his father told
Bootstrap, Bootstrap told me." Gibbs replied. "Well, before he died
anyway."
"Well I can imagine it would be quite difficult to communicate with the
dead!" Annamaria replied, rolling her eyes. "Capt'n!"
Jack spun around, facing her.
"We're almost to Tortuga!"
--- --- --- ---
"Do you think they'll like me, mummy?" Annie asked, squeezing her
mother's hand as they set their luggage down on the front doorstep of her
great Aunt Beatrice and great Uncle Fred's house.
"They will be CRAZY about you, sweet-pea," Katie assured her, trying not
to think about Jack. But his face refused to evaporate from her mind. She
took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door, waiting for someone
to answer.
"Hold on a minute!" she heard Aunt Bea call from inside, her accent thick
and merry. Suddenly, the door opened and she was standing there, wiping
her hands on her apron. She gasped at the sight of her long lost niece, a
smile soon going onto her face. "Katrina Emily! It's been so long!"
Katie smiled and hugged the woman, kissing her cheek and glad to see her.
"Katie, Katie, Katie......... what brings ye back, luvie?"
"A few things," Katie replied, not really knowing the best way to
respond. Aunt Bea smiled warmly at her before looking down and seeing
Annie.
"My goodness," she pressed her hand to her chest. "Is this little one
yours, Katie?"
"Yes. Aunt Beatrice, this is Annie. Say hello, sweetie."
"Hi," Annie said shyly, swaying back and forth gently.
"She IS adorable. Katie, she has your nose!" Aunt Bea crouched down onto
her knees and held out her arms, waiting for Annie to hug her. She
finally did, making Aunt Bea smile even wider. "It is a pleasure to meet
you, dearie." She stood up so she was level with Katie again. "Dear,
dear, where's Jack?"
Katie's smile faded. She knew he would be brought into conversation
sooner or later. "He, um........." she glanced down at her daughter, a tear
trickling down her cheek, seeing so much of Jack in Annie's face. "He,
um........." she tried again.
"Oh no. Another girl?" Aunt Bea asked sympathetically.
"No," Katie drew in a sharp breath as more tears started to fall. "No, he
um........."
"Left?"
"No, he's uh........."
"Oh," Aunt Beatrice said quietly. "Oh, baby doll, I'm so sorry! Please,
here, come inside where it's nice and warm." She ushered Katie and Annie
into the house. "Fred! FRED! Come downstairs and see who just got home!!"
--- --- --- ---
"What do ye mean 'she's gone'??" Jack asked, a mild panic in his voice as
he stood in the tavern. Annamaria and Gibbs stood behind him, the rest of
the crew back on the ship to keep it safe. The tavern was a quiet hub of
activity that evening. Mary and Sarah stood in front of Jack, trying to
explain what had happened.
"She left, Jack," Mary said quietly. "She and Annie left for Greenfield
several days ago."
"Good god," Jack moaned, realizing he still had several days before he
could see Katrina and their daughter.
"Jack, you have to go find her!" Sarah stepped forward and took his
hands, squeezing them tightly. "She NEEDS you, Jack! She needs you so
badly, she was a nervous wreck when they left! And poor Annie, she's just
more confused than ever. First you're not here, then you are here, then
you're not again—what's she supposed to think?"
"Then Greenfield is where we will go!" Jack proposed, spinning around and
facing Annamaria and Gibbs. "Come on now! Hop to it, let's get movin'!"
He quickly ushered them out the door, following them.
Within seconds, he reappeared and pecked both ladies on the cheek. "Thank
ye kindly!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared again.
"Oh! Mary, they're going to be so happy!" Sarah squealed as a tear of joy
rolled down her cheek.
"You're such a sap," Mary muttered under her breath as she turned and
went back to serving drinks.