Brenda ended up coming in late that night and then staying in her room later than she had planned. She heard the boys' door open pretty early, and if she was asleep she wouldn't have heard it. But the fact of the matter was, she had only got about five hours of sleep during the night. Mixed thoughts of her father, Trevor and Gwyneth were in her head and wouldn't leave her alone. She even had dreams about them.
I thought you said you were going to talk to Trevor, whether he wanted to or not.
I avoided him last night because he didn't seem ready.
What happened to the whether he wanted to or not part?
I don't want dad talking to me when I'm not ready…so shouldn't I give Trevor that same courtesy?
No.
Oh be quiet.
Speaking of her father, she needed to talk to him. Badly. And she figured she should approach him since he probably didn't know when she would be ready to talk. She frowned. The bed was warm and comfortable, and she desperately needed to get some sleep, but it looked as though she wasn't going to get anymore today. She quickly got ready and went down stairs.
Sitting at the table was Jonathan. Waiting for breakfast, reading a book. She smiled. "What's Jacque bringin' you?"
He looked up, pushed up he glasses and said, "Eggs, Bacon and toast. Do you want the same thing?"
"Sure." She said shrugging. He nodded once and got up, going into the kitchen and telling cook to get the same thing for Brenda. He came back out and sat in his spot, which Brenda had sat across from. "Pleasant walk?"
She eyed him, "Kinda…why?"
"I heard you come in late last night. One of the downsides of being a light sleeper. Got something…big on your mind?"
She stretched and yawned, "I still need to talk to my dad about something pretty important…and your brother in fact…" she looked around, "He still here?"
Jonathan shook his head, "No, he left early, early this morning…might've went to work, not sure though." He paused before he said, "Why do you need to talk to him…not to pry or anything."
She smiled, "Course not. I wouldn't think of you doin' such a thing…"
He raised an eyebrow, "But you're not going to tell me, are you?"
"I have a gut feelin' you already know what's wrong with your brother…"
"That's what you want to talk to him about?"
"What else?! That boy as been acting weird since yesterday mornin'! I want to know what the blast is wrong with him!"
He eyed her, crossing his arms, "Why are you so interested in him?"
She paused, leaning back in her chair, Johnny's more coy than I thought… "I don't think I'm gunna answer that."
"Figures."
"Figures! What's that s'posed to mean?!"
"It means whenever a woman gets asked about her feelings she never comes right out and talks about them…she either hides them from everyone until her all her emotions explode on her 'crush' or she slowly releases them, but doesn't ever tell him the truth."
Brenda's mouth dropped, if that wasn't a biased opinion on women in general, then she didn't know what was. "Are you trying to tell me that men don't do the same thing?"
He paused, seemingly considering the question, "Not sure…men always have to make the first move so naturally a woman knows how a man feels."
"Do think that will always be the case? That men will always court women instead of the other way around? That they will always ask the women to be their wives instead of the women asking first?"
Jonathan paused again, knowing his answer but also knowing how Brenda's temper rose quickly. "Yes…" he said slowly, "I think that will always be the case."
She frowned, considering her own question, not like it has anything to do with the subject, but at least it got him off the subject of my feelin's toward Trevor. Let's hope he doesn't have the memory of an elephant.
The food quickly came and Jonathan and Brenda had a fun time talking together and laughing with each other about society's flaws and the perks, and also the flaws and perks of being a pirate. Never again considering Trevor and how Brenda felt about him.
Gwyneth soon got up and Brenda told her that she was going to go to the Turners, hoping to find Jack. Gwyneth asked if she wanted to take a carriage, but Brenda refused, saying the Caribbean always had nice weather, so why not enjoy it?
Brenda passed through the market place, trying to remember exactly where the Turner household was. She had told Gwyneth she didn't need directions because she remembered from when they went there before, but now as she stood in the middle of the market place she thought to herself, maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere…
"Brenda?"
She turned upon hearing her name. There stood the Commodore and his wife, Beverly. Brenda's blood immediately ran cold, remembering Jack talking to this woman about her. "You look lost…" the Commodore started, "You need help?"
"I-I…I'm lookin' for…the-the Turners." She stuttered out. She mentally smacked herself for acting so stupidly but she couldn't move any part of her body from shock.
Beverly looked around and then looked at Brenda, "It's over in that direction dear." She said pointing towards the water. She gave Brenda directions but she didn't hear them, all she noticed was Beverly's eyes. They were the exact color of her own.
Finally she couldn't take it; she couldn't not say something, "So when did you leave?"
Beverly stopped short, "Excuse me dear? Leave where?"
"Leave us. Leave the Pearl. Leave me."
Beverly's mouth immediately dropped and Brenda felt like crying while the Commodore looked from his wife to the girl standing in front of him. She quickly shook her head, looking at the ground, "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that…I'm sorry…" She shook her head again, looked at the Commodore and then at Beverly and then ran off, in the direction that Beverly had told her to go.
*****
Jack numbly sat down in the chair a man servant was holding out. He almost laid his head on the table but remembered his manners. He wasn't even sure how he got out of bed and down the stairs without falling. Breakfast went smoothly enough, Will and Rick left with Sheldon and Jeffery, saying they need a man's day. Jack declined to going, hoping he might make it over to Gwyneth's to talk to his daughter.
Suzanna, Cassandra and Daphne started planning their mother's surprise party (which was tomorrow) in another room while Elizabeth said she needed to buy some food so she was going to the market, trusting Jack to take the girls with him if he left if Will wasn't home yet.
He sighed, so while they're planning your party, the males are gone and you're gone…what am I supposed to do? And then why take them with me? She's just hoping the nephews and nieces of Gwen would be home to keep them company.
He got himself dressed and back downstairs when he popped his head in the room were the little female Turners were giggling uncontrollably. He smiled, remembering when Brenda was like that. Yea, except she grew out of that around thirteen… He sighed and started slowly walking around the house when suddenly, the door flew open and there stood a flushed Brenda with wet streaks down her cheeks.
"Bean! What are you doin' here? I was just about to-"
"She walked in, slamming the door behind her, and grabbed something and threw it on the floor. Jack looked at the sharks tooth and then back at his daughter, waiting for her to say something, "I just ran into the bloody Commodore and his wife! Or my mom! Whatever! Let's just say that they both took me buy bloody surprise and I'm pretty bloody sure I got the blasted message across that I know!"
Jack stood staring at his daughter for a minute, processing everything and then slowly a look of shock made it's way across his face. His face grew white, his pupils shrank and eyes got large and his mouth dropped. The Commodore is going to kill me with his own two hands…
"Why did you lie to me in the first place?!" she yelled, tears threatening to come down.
"Are you sure yer ready to talk?" he asked, getting over his shock, trying to focus his attention on his daughter.
She cursed, "Yes! Just bloody tell me!"
He paused, wondering if he should ask about the tooth and why she threw it down, Oh yea, I gave that too her on her seventeenth birthday. He sighed, picked it up and then held on to it while he looked at her, "I didn't want you to hate your mother."
"So what, did you think I would never find out?"
"Why do you think I told my crew never to come to Port Royal?! I didn't want to risk you finding out! I didn't want you finding Gwen or the Turner's who were the only people who knew! I didn't want to you remember anything!"
"Why forget Gwen, Will and Elizabeth? They're great people and never once mentioned Beverly! You could've at least told me about them!" She paused, remembering when they all came to see her in the jail, "Dad, you should've seen the look on Gwyneth's face when she realized I didn't remember her. I felt like I was breakin' her heart."
Oh, I've gotten that look before… "I'm sorry bean, I don't know what to tell you…"
"How 'bout the truth. Like how you two met and what happened that made her leave."
Jack looked down at the tooth in his hand and then looked at his daughter. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead, drawing her near him, "I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
****
The walk back to their home was deathly quiet, at least between the two of them. All sorts of possible explanations were coming and going through his mind while she fought back the urge to cry. Finally he asked, "What did she mean?"
Beverly closed her eyes, she had been hoping he wouldn't ask that question, she was hoping he would trust her, But I guess there's a limit for trust. She swallowed hard and opened her tear-filled eyes, "You want to hear it straight out?" He nodded, not sure he did, but it was what she was offering. "I'm her mother."
That hit the Commodore like an arrow to the heart. He gasped quietly but kept a normal pace with her, and didn't latch on to her arm or grab his own heart. If Beverly is Brenda's mother…and Brenda is Jack's daughter… He now understood the needing to talk to Jack and the hesitation for seeing him at the picnic last week. They were either lovers or husband and wife. "Then what about Antonio? Is that Jack's son also?"
Beverly quickly turned around upon reaching the house and put her hands on his chest, looking up at him with big, tear-filled gray eyes. "James, what I tell you now…I never told you before because I though you would love me less. And I couldn't deal with that…I couldn't…" she paused, "You're my everything James, and I love you."
He looked down at her, "Just tell me the truth Beverly. Thirteen years of marriage, you should be able to do that."
She paused, hearing the hurt in that comment. She nodded, tried to take his hand, which he refused and then went into the house and into the parlor. She sat across from him and tried to collect herself, but wasn't succeeding very well. She started anyways, "James…I know it's been a long time, but do I look at all familiar to you?"
He paused, looking at her as if she was insane, "What are you talking about?"
She sighed, "I met Jack here, on Port Royal. I was picking his pocket and he found me. We made a bit of a scene and both ended up in jail…" she paused, thinking that would spark a memory, but nothing. She continued. "He had stuck me as a pirate when I first saw him and when he told me who he was, I knew I had to get on his ship. The stories you hear about Captain Jack Sparrow…are…well, infamous. So he soon invited me on his ship, we quickly broke out of your jail and left.
"Needless to say…I ended up pregnant a couple months later…I can't remember exactly, but it was a short time after I joined his crew. I had Brenda in a port and then a week or so later went back on the Pearl. But it occurred to me that I didn't want to be on a pirate ship with a baby. I didn't really want the baby in the first place. So I left." She paused, remembering the terrible memory it left on her. Many of my memories are like that… "She had to be only a year old when I did leave…I think I ended up in Trinidad. I met another pirate there and we got married."
She took in a deep breath, looking at her husband; he had no expression on his face. She decided to leave out the part about Antonio and Elizabeth's mother, "Well to say the least, Antonio got into some…strange treasure. It effected me greatly though. I was eight months pregnant and went gallivanting around the Caribbean kidnapping and threatening Gwen, Brenda, Jack, Will and Elizabeth…" she shook her head, "It's a miracle the Turner's let me stay with them when I arrived here…anyways…that's it. I've had a shady and rough past, but I don't want that to affect my future."
James Norrington stared at his wife, wanting so badly to believe her, but this whole story was new and shocking to him. He quickly got up, wanting to offer an explanation to his wife but not thinking of one. He shook his head and motioned for her to stay there and then left the house. She paused a minute before totally breaking down and crying.
****
After an hour or so, Jack and Brenda had completely gotten out in the open everything Brenda wanted to know about Beverly. She had confessed a lot of feelings she had when she was a girl but didn't open up about the feelings she was feeling presently.
Jack admitted he made a mistake of not going after Beverly and talking everything through with her when she first left. He told Brenda that she had apologized a couple days ago and they both made the decision that they should go over to the Commodore's house to talk to both of them.
No doubt Norrington already talked to her…knowing him. There was a pause before she said, "So dad…that's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about…"
He nodded, "I wanted to talk to you about the same thing. But you pretty much know the basics, so why don't you start this one?"
She sighed and got up, starting to pace, "Dad, it was like…well…" she tried to find the right words, but nothing was coming. She needed something that expressed her father perfectly before this change in him started. "You used to be self-righteous!"
He frowned, "hey…"
"That's not really an insult dad, it's the truth. But when Gibbs died, you seemed to die along with him. You locked yourself in your cabin when you knew well and good that your crew was feeling the same way! Gibbs was a vital member of your crew and had been there before I was even born…so it's understandable the…hurt you felt, because we all felt it!" She paused, looking at her dad, he seemed ashamed, but he was still listening to her, something she knew he would always do.
"And when Ana Maria left you practically forced me to be the Captain of the Pearl, granted I was excited but disappointed that the only reason you did that was 'cause you were mopin' around.
"That was a perfectly ration decision! I wasn't fit to be captain so I passed it on to you."
"No it wasn't dad! You lost the capacity to make rational choices long before that!"
She crossed his arms, wishing he had gone first. Brenda always did make a point of bringing up what actually happened, rather than what he thought happened. "Your point?"
"Dad, you left the ship in the middle of the night, do you still think that was a rational choice?"
He paused, "Yes…maybe."
"We went two weeks without raidin' any ships 'cause we wanted to make sure we wasted no time lookin' for our blasted daft captain! Soon enough we ran out of money and then we ran out of food. We didn't know what to do, and then low and behold, the bloody Royal Navy was on our tails. I surrendered myself, thinkin' once I was gone the crew might raid something but keep lookin' for you."
"Well they're not lookin' now…Right? They're finding a good time to get you…" he said, thinking it was a no form the look on Brenda's face.
"They dropped my bloody trunk off with a note, tellin' me they would come back once they found you."
Jack cursed, Ana Maria needs to be on that bloody ship, she was the only common sense on the crew full of men… "Well, now what?"
"Tell me what was goin' on!" she yelled, throwing her hands up, "What else!?"
He sighed, biting his lip and quickly stopped, knowing Gwyneth did that. "Look Bean…" he said, motioning for her to sit down, she did and he started again, "When Gibbs died, my life pretty much past before my eyes. I'm not young anymore…evident by the gray in my hair…" he said pointing to his hair. She shook her head, grimacing, wanting his old hair back.
"Why did you ever cut your hair? Why did you change, dad? That still doesn't explain it."
"Because I wanted to get as far away from piracy as I could. I was going to get a letter to you sooner or later…"
"Dad, yer not young, that's a given, but yer also not old! Getting older, true, but not old. You still act as immature as anyone I know and you have the spirit as a teenage boy. Though your bones may not agree with you…your mind does." She sighed, "Dad, you are the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Don't you want to live that to the fullest?"
"Yes, but I don't want to die in the process, Brenda."
"Would you rather die while yer livin' or live while yer dead."
He paused, narrowing his eyes, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means would you rather die when yer doin' something you love and wouldn't trade for anything in the world, or would you stay here on land where you hate it?"
He started to object to hating land, but she held up her hand, "It's nothin' like bein' on the sea and you know it."
He nodded. He did like the land, but he wouldn't want to have to live the rest of his days here. He looked at his daughter, smiling and kissed her forehead, "You bring out the good in me, bean. Thank you for stickin' by me…"
She rolled her eyes thinking, he's getting' emotional… "Don't cry on me dad…" she said wrapping her arms around him and nestling her head on his shoulder, glad that he was going to be okay. That she knew this talk would stick with him and slowly transform him.
He laughed, "I don't cry."
****
Later that afternoon there was a knock on Trevor's door. He turned away from his wood temporarily and grunted. Usually if his door was closed people knew not to bother him. At times when the door was closed was when he was distressed or carving. This time it was both.
He got off his bed and walked to the door and opened it. There was Brenda holding on to something and looking around. When the door opened her head snapped to the person who opened it. Trevor sighed, he was hoping he could avoid talking to her, but she was stubborn. "What?"
She raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice, "I need help."
"I thought you were independent and didn't need help from the likes of me."
"Nonsense! I said that when I didn't know how valuable you really are…" she paused, hoping he didn't take that in a romantic way, "I broke something."
"Of mine or my parents?"
She sighed, "My mine devil boy!" She held up her tooth and the leather she had broken.
He raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to tell me you don't know how to tie leather?"
"Well…the thing is… my hair is long and…well…it's hard for me to tie it around my neck. And I'm not the best at makin' knots anyways."
"How long have you been on a pirate ship?"
She put her hand on her hips, "Are you gunna criticize me or help me?"
"I would most like to do the former, but since you asked so nicely…" he said sarcastically. She nodded and gave the necklace to him and turned around. He tried to get the first knot out while she got all her hair and pulled it to the side. Jeez my hair is long…I should trim it. Considering I have been growing it for about ten years… She suddenly felt his hand brush against her skin and him say, "Lift up your mane, would you?"
She did as she was told and tried to fight off the feelings she was having. She could feel his breath go down her neck, feeling shivers going down her spine. He quickly tied it and then when he was finished she let go of her hair and turned back around, "So, want to go ride Pearl?"
"No thanks…I'm working on something."
She tried peering over his shoulders, but he blocked her vision. "Like what?"
"Something…"
She stared at him, "What's with you? You haven't talked to me since yesterday afternoon and now yer refusin' to even see inside your room!"
He sighed, "I'm carving something, okay?"
"Yes, but that still doesn't explain anything to me! Are you mad, what?"
"No, Brenda, it's nothing like that…just leave it alone, would you?"
Her mouth dropped and her eyes narrowed, "Are you trying to tell me when you pick me up screaming and biting its okay even though I told you not to touch me and to leave me alone, but when I try to even talk to you, you tell me to leave?"
He didn't say anything but just looked at her, not wanting to think about what his parents said and not to prove them right. Just leave…I'm trying to distance myself from you! Don't you see that?! "I'm fine. I just want some alone time, can't you understand that?"
She narrowed her eyes, "I'm not leaving until you tell me."
"Fine," He said, "Stay here, see if I care," and then slammed the door in her face.
Her mouth dropped. Fine you bloody devil. If askin' nicely doesn't work…then I'm usin' force. She opened the door, drew her cutlass and stuck it in the lock, keeping the door shut unless you removed the cutlass. He turned around, "What do you want?!"
"You know what I want, just bloody tell me!"
"Why is it important to you!"
She paused, "It's not important why it's important to me!"
"I'm not telling you until you tell me why." He said crossing his arms, and don't think I'm not as stubborn as you."
She straightened her body, trying to make herself look taller, "Look Trevor…we've…gotten to know each other better…and I just thought…" she paused, no, she was going at this the wrong way. "I just thought you could trust me…" she said, swallowing her pride, hoping this fake could work.
"I would rather have the truth Sparrow."
Her mouth dropped, "That is the bloody truth Johnson!"
"You know, I really don't think so…"
"Hey! I'm the one askin' the questions here! Don't try turnin' the tables on me, when you know well and good that this is about you!"
"You talk to your father yet?"
She paused, "What in the bloody…! What does that have to do with anything?!"
He shrugged, "I think that it's important."
"Well I think this is important!"
"But you also think your father is important…"
"My father is bloody fool."
"If your father was a fool, I have a feeling he would've been killed on the first raid he ever went on."
"Yea well, the surprising thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools."
He nodded, wondering if she had noticed yet that he had gotten her off topic. "Trevor!" she said stomping her foot. She realized it.
"What?" he asked.
"Stop changing the blasted subject! Why aren't you talking to me?!"
He sighed, "The problem isn't you…"
"Oh?"
"That's all I'm going to tell you…but just know that this has nothing to do with you."
"I think it does when you stop talkin' to me."
He paused, "I'm sorry."
"Are you really?" she said, eyeing him.
He nodded, walking close to her. She started to panic, "Well that's good…thanks for the explanation…"
He stared at her, "Why so jumpy all of the sudden?" He asked, still advancing.
"Uh…what do you mean? I'm not jumpy…"
"Really."
She smiled weakly, "Really, really."
She had finally backed up against a wall and Trevor was only a foot away, knowing what he wanted to do, knowing he had a chance to do it, but not sure why he decided now of all times. "What are you doing Trevor…" she asked quietly.
He sighed, "I'm not sure." He backed up, "just leave, would you?"
She stood there, staring at him, noticing her heart was beating faster than it ever had. Could she still deny what she was feeling? He obviously feels the same way…maybe I should leave.
Just bloody kiss him, her inner voice told her. She ran her tongue across the inside of her teeth and thought this was the most awkward times for such a thing. "Brenda…" Trevor said, his blue eyes boring into her gray eyes, "Just…"
He didn't finish his sentence before Brenda did something neither of them ever would've expected.
------------
A/N: I know…I'm evil. Tell me what you think she did.
Author Thanks:
Dawnie-7: Yes, ah the Trevor/ Brenda thing is developing nicely. This chapter really hit it off. And the Jack thing, I thought I needed Brenda's view on the whole thing…but that's what I was thinking- that it was simple…I thought it was so simple that no one would buy it. But I suppose it worked, I didn't get any flames.
Vicki Turner: Yes, Trevor and Brenda seem to be the favorites for everyone now…
Emma436: Well, my little Psychic, were you expecting this? Of course no one knows what Brenda actually did. You'll prolly lean more toward the 'love fest' idea though. Ha ha, you crack me up girl. No…the drinking is going to happen AFTER something bad. You were close though. You might figure it out. I think I'm going to have the 'grand unveiling' next chapter…but that means not a whole lot of chapters left…I dunno what I'm going to do. Maybe, maybe not. Sorry…rambling. Okay! Oh, did you get the thing from Piper8188?
ThePinkPanther: Another psychic? Something big happened in this chapter! WOAH! And I didn't even remember what you reviewed until now…woah…that's like creepy.
Albe-Chan: Things working out in the end…what a strange idea…hmm…JUST KIDDING! But you'll have to see what happens in the end…
Piper8188: You think that was a big response? Cool! I…was unsure about that. But I guess it turned out okay. Wow…Brenda and Trevor…I guess this chapter leaves questions for everyone…or maybe everyone is going to get excited. Who knows!
DragonFlygirl: I hope you read the other chapters and liked them!
