ATTENTION!!! Please note the fact that this chapter has been slightly re-done and edited. After receiving mixed reviews I decided to go back over it and change a few things. For those of you who told me it was a bit rushed, I thank you for your honesty. I completely agree with you. I knew the chapter was rushed when I posted it, but I was just so determined to get a chapter posted that I didn't care. A few days after doing so, however, it began to bug me beyond reason and I just HAD to redo it. I had originally planned to do the whole chapter over but decided against it, choosing to simply go back and smooth things over, slightly changing the emotions. If you wish to read the entire chapter again go right ahead, or you can simply skip down to the part where Scarlett remembers everything. The changes have been made from that point onward. Thank you and enjoy!
Secrets of the Caribbean
Written By: Riley Barton
[Chapter Twenty-Seven]
For months he had searched for them. For months he had been blinded to their whereabouts, worrying over them. Scarlett he had assumed dead, Carver… he had only hoped he was alive, too. Now, standing in the parlour of his old home where he and Scarlett had spent countless days, he stared at her, waiting. She looked so desperately confused, and it hurt. She hated to be confused, always wanting to be on top of things. It had been a trait he had found annoying some years ago, but now he thought differently.
Jack looked to the other man standing nearby, quickly looking the guy over to see how he fit into this. The man had sandy blonde hair and a stocky build. He looked like a tough guy at a first glance, but a more careful look revealed his soft hands and humble, tidy clothing. As if feeling his stare, the man looked at him and Jack was taken aback by the startling baby blues eyes the man had. A deep intensity burned inside them, a look that he knew could either warm the heart of a child or warn someone away with their hell-like fury. The latter was the look Jack was currently receiving.
Scarlett's eyes flickered between Jack and Fredrick as her mind raced. So many memories flashed past her mind but she couldn't seem to catch them. Flashes of the ocean, laughter, crying, Jack, swords, a woman pirate with dark hair, a ship, jail cells, and a pirate with soft brown eyes all slipped past her, frustrating her to the very edge of her insanity. She knew she could remember them, but they just wouldn't stick. Something had to trigger them. The appearance of the pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, hadn't triggered much of anything although she did know he was a part of her past. He was the young man who had sat with her up in that crow's nest and the one she had argued with in… She blinked. The one she had fought with in this very manor. She reached up to her forehead and closed her eyes as her mind was jolted back into the past.
---
"Now curtsy, Scarlett. Yes, perfectly done."
Scarlett smiled at the older woman in her mid-thirties. "Aubri, do you think I'll ever go to a ball?" she asked dreamily.
Aubri smiled kindly and shrugged. "Who knows, dear? You just might."
Jack humphed grumpily from a chair in the corner. "Who cares?" He slid off the chair to his feet and grabbed Scarlett's hand. "Can we leave now? You've been doing all this girlish stuff for the past hour."
Scarlett jerked her hand back. "Go and find Rafe. Maybe he'll sword-fight with you, but I want to stay here."
Jack gave her an incredulous look. "Scar, you know I'll beat him every time. You're ten times better than he is."
Scarlett frowned, caught between wanting to be with Jack and wanting to learn the ways of a lady. She sighed, turning to Aubri. "Can we do some more of this tomorrow, Aubri?"
Aubri nodded with a twinkle in her eye. "Of course. You go change while Jack gets those wooden swords." She watched the two friends scurry out of the room, shaking her head in amusement.
---
Scarlett shimmied up the rope hanging from the balcony above, gritting her teeth as her arm muscles began to burn. She reached the top and Jack held down a hand to help her up. She tumbled over the balcony and the two of them rolled into Jack's bedroom beyond. Scarlett burst out laughing, but Jack clamped a hand over her mouth.
"You want my Mum and Dad to wake up? They'd hang me from the gallows if they found out I was letting a girl into my bedroom at night."
Scarlett shrugged, getting to her feet. "But I'm not an ordinary girl, Jack. I practically live here. Besides," she added in a softer tone, "even if Aubri did find out, she wouldn't make me go back to that hell-hole with my dad."
Jack straightened, growing angry. "He didn't hurt you again, did he?"
Scarlett gave him a defiant look. "I can take care of myself, you know. I don't need you rescuing me every chance you get."
"What did he do?"
"What's it matter to you?" She dropped onto his bed and kicked her ragged shoes off. "You don't have to put up with him."
Jack joined her on the bed. "You're my best friend, Scar. That's enough reason for it to matter."
Scarlett closed her eyes, her father's words echoing in her mind: 'You weak mutt! All you ever do is run to that pathetic rich friend of yours. Does he soothe your pain like the whores in town do for me?' She took a shaky breath and shook her head. "Just forget it, Jack. There's nothing you can do."
---
Scarlett staggered to the left, bumping into a window seat that had once been adorned by velvet pillows. She dropped onto it, vaguely surprised it held her weight. Her memories were so jumbled! One second Jack was a kind, considering friend, and then in other memories the two of them were fighting out of pure anger. Which was she to believe? She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Fredrick.
"Come on, Pearl, let's get you home," Fredrick said.
"Hold the bucket, mate," Jack said, striding over to them purposefully. "Scarlett's home is on the Black Pearl, not in some thatched-roof house with you."
Fredrick glared at him. "Her name is Pearl, and she is not taking one step out of this place with you. Go find some other woman who will gladly keep your bed warm."
Jack's fist connected with Fredrick's jaw, sending the young physician stumbling backward. "Don't you ever think for one second," Jack growled angrily, "that I would ever do that to her. You have no idea what she's gone through, boy, not like I do, and I won't stand by and let you drag her back to the hell-hole life I took her away from."
Scarlett winced and made to help Fredrick off of the floor, but as if she herself had been punched, she dropped back onto the bench as her mind began to buzz with memories. Where her mind had once been a deep, black abyss in a heavy slumber, it was now filled with so many memories it was almost overwhelming. So many flashed by her mind, running them all together like a filmstrip. This time, however, they stuck, and what had set them off she couldn't contemplate. She could remember the time when her son Carver took his first step, she could remember visiting Jack in his prison cell at Port Royal, she could remember the times when she had been very young and her father had treated she and her mother with love and respect… She could remember all of it, and the wave of different emotions crashed over her like a storm-tossed ocean wave, drowning her in them. She gasped and lurched to her feet. She walked unsteadily across the room, waving away the helping hands Fredrick and Jack were offering her. Damn bastards, she thought. I have legs, ya know. She stopped and turned around as the wave receded, and she was left standing there like a whale tossed out of the raging ocean. She blinked three times, clearing away the vague fog that still plagued her mind, and looked up at Jack and Fredrick. She remembered. The one thought made her want to laugh in joy. A smile spread across her face and a laugh welled up inside her throat. She tried to hold it down but it erupted from inside her like a cauldron about to over-flow. Never, in the past few weeks she had been with Bernie and Fredrick, had she felt so happy. Being able to remember had never felt so good. It was like looking down into a well bathed in darkness only to find that a pile of gold coins lay at the well's bottom. The laughter emitting from her was one of pure delight and happiness, coming up from the pit of her very being.
Jack's brow furrowed and he shook his head as he watched his childhood friend double-over in an insane-like laughter. She really must have knocked her head hard for her to be acting like that. He glanced at Fredrick out of the corner of his eye. The physician looked just as surprised and concerned as he felt.
"Pearl?" Fredrick was the first to say something. Blood was dripping from his nose and it hurt for him to talk, but he felt like he had to do something. He placed a hand on her back and stared down at her with his eyebrows drawn together into a straight line. "Are you all right?" His words were slurring.
Scarlett straightened, still chuckling to herself, and wiped away the tears that had been riding down her cheeks. She took a deep breath, but laughter overcame her again. The expressions on the two men's faces were absolutely hilarious to her for some reason. That, or she was going crazy. After a few more moments she calmed down and was able to look Jack and Fredrick in the eye without laughing. She looked to Fredrick. "I'm fine," she replied, a smile quirking her lips; Jack feared she was about to have a giggling fit again. "Better than I have been in awhile, really. Aw, come on; don't give me that look, Fredrick. Seriously, I'm fine."
Fredrick flickered a glance in Jack's direction. "I think you should sit down."
Scarlett felt as if she was floating on air. She remembered! No longer was she the girl that had been washed up on shore. She was Scarlett Bane, the daughter of Marshall and Julia Bane, sibling to none, and mother of Carver. She was a real person with a past, and she felt good. She slapped Fredrick on the back in a pirate-like friendly slap and beamed at him. "I remember," she stated simply. "I remember every damn, stupid, joyful, and painful little memory, and you know what? I feel great." She paused then, realizing how stupid she sounded. She almost laughed aloud again as she realized she was acting like Jack would after a couple rounds of rum. She chuckled, but managed to restrain herself. She looked at Jack, doubting she had ever seen the pirate captain look so worried or confused.
"Scarlett, love, I really think you should listen to the whelp," Jack said. "You're acting like some crazed man whose had one too many drinks." He was moving his finger in a circular motion next to his head with his eyebrows raised. "Honestly."
Scarlett waved a hand dismissively. "I don't need to sit down, Jack. Neither of you can possibly understand how I feel right now. You haven't forgotten everything about yourself and had to live for days without knowing. So you see? You can't begin to imagine how relieved I feel. I'm a bird let loose from a gilded cage. Before I couldn't even remember by name. Now I can tell you not only my name but also my parents' names, my son's name, and-" Scarlett paused as she felt the happiness start to drain. The elated feeling she had felt moments before was fading away into the endless oblivion she had left as one memory stuck out above the rest.
Scarlett stood side-bye side with Will, Jack, and Elizabeth, staring across the lawn to the pirate captain holding a young boy in his arms. A sword was placed at the boy's neck, threatening to slice Carver's head off if any of them moved a muscle.
"You'll give me anything I want, Miss Scarlett?" the pirate taunted. "What if I told you the one thing I want is somethin' ye couldn't give me? What then? I guess yer pathetic wager attempt is dry, and that means you 'ave nothing to barter with fer the life of your son."
They had bartered on, she remembered, but nothing had seemed to satisfy Ansgar. He had taken Carver to his ship, leaving his crew to take care of them and gave him time to get there. She closed her eyes, remembering how she had fought to get to him only to be hindered by two brutes. She had been knocked into the water in a dead faint, only to be later washed up on shore and saved by an old man and his young friend. She shook her head, the happiness gone. How could she be happy when her son had to be surely dead? What purpose was there for Ansgar to keep him alive? She opened her eyes and looked at Jack, more painful memories being brought forward. He had betrayed her all those years ago, leaving her to save her own skin when it all seemed hopeless. He had deserted her, not once looking back. The familiar emotion of anger, both for the loss of her son and the betrayal of Jack Sparrow, kindled into a small fire in her heart. The happiness of remembering was gone, replaced with sorrow and anger. "He's dead, isn't he?" she asked. A dead look had come into her eyes, laced around the edges with the burning fire of anger. She felt angry tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them away.
Jack hesitated, knowing of whom Scarlett spoke. "I don't rightfully know. I've been chasin' him across the seven seas but I always just miss him. The last port he stopped in was Tortuga, and a man I know there said that he saw Ansgar with a tyke, a young boy. That was almost four weeks ago."
Scarlett sighed and ran a hand through her hair, desperately trying to restrain the impulse to slap him. She couldn't slap him for something he was trying to do but unable to do. The fact he was making an effort to get Carver back caused the anger she felt against him to soften its fury, but the old hurt was still there; she doubted that would ever go away.
Fredrick ran the back of his hand underneath his nose, wiping away the trickles of blood continuing to seep from his nostrils. This wasn't happening. Yes, he had known deep down Pearl had been a pirate. The brand from the East India Trading Company signified that, but he had always hoped that maybe it was a mistake. This had just been the clincher, proving the fact that she had been. How else would she be a friend of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow? He took a deep breath, knowing he would have to face it. He looked to Jack, studying the man's face. It was a mosaic of emotions, a complicated man to understand, apparently. Pearl was easier to read. She seemed angry, hurt somehow, and this person they spoke of… a man with a young boy that meant something to her. His heart dropped. She was too old to have a brother that young as they described, leaving one simple fact he didn't want the answer to. He felt his heart clench as he looked at her, knowing he assumed correctly. "This boy," he whispered, "he is your son, isn't he?"
Scarlett's head jerked up and she stared at him in mild surprise, as if she had forgotten he was even there. She blinked and slowly nodded. "Yes, his name is Carver. He was captured by pirates over three months ago."
Fredrick's eyes widened and he looked to Jack. "You've been looking for him?"
"Aye," Jack replied, his eyes scanning him again as if contemplating whether or not to give any more information. He looked away, the motion showing an act of dismissal.
Scarlett shook her head and clenched her hands into fists. They were shaking in anger and she didn't want either man to notice. She took in Fredrick's face and winced, annoyed with herself for not thinking of his injuries. "Let me get some bandages and ointment," she said. She hesitated. "Aubri used to keep some upstairs. I'll be back in a few minutes." She walked around them and past the debris that littered the flooring.
The upstairs hall was in a worse state than the rest of the house. Three months of neglect had taken a toll on it, and Scarlett had to watch her step to keep from falling through a weak section of floorboard. She came upon her old room and gently pushed the door open. It swung back on creaking hinges, admitting her inside. The balcony doors hung loosely in the frames, her bed sheets were withered with mothballs and covered in moss, and the tapestries and paintings that had adorned the walls were shattered and crumpled on the floor. She went to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open. Moths flew out and she reached up instinctively to protect her face. When the dust settled and the moths flew away, she looked inside, frowning at the state of her old clothes. She bent down to the drawers at the bottom and pulled one out. Nestled inside was the gown Aubrianna had made especially for her. She smiled, remembering when it had been given to her. 'It's for the ball I know you'll go to someday', Aubrianna had said. That dear woman had never forgotten the one wish Scarlett had kept close to her heart for most of her young childhood. The dream had faded over time, but Aubrianna hadn't forgotten.
Now, Scarlett removed the gown from the drawer, finding herself relieved to see it was still in good shape. The drawer had always been a snug fit, and that fact alone had kept the mold and mothballs away from it. Cradling it against her chest, she stood and left the room. She found an old bag that was in fairly good condition in Aubrianna's bedroom, shook out the dust, and placed the gown, tightly folded, inside.
Gazing around she set the bag against the wall near the door and began to walk around the length of the floorboards. She stopped before the old vanity and picked up a brush, the bristles broken off and covered in dust. Her hand clenched around the handle, shaking in anger for what had happened to her dear friend. With an angry, muffled shout, she threw the brush across the room, closing her eyes just before it hit the wall nearest the window. She took a shaky breath, determined to be calm when she returned downstairs. It would do no good for Fredrick to see her this angry; Jack was accustomed to it. She lingered a few moments longer, calming herself. She brushed the past memories aside, focusing instead on the good points of Aubrianna's life. The woman had led a good life, always loving others. She would hate to see her goddaughter, as she had often lovingly called her, in such a state.
Scarlett then quickly found the bandages and some ointment that had managed to escape the onslaught and took them downstairs.
"This was all I could find," she said, returning to the parlour. She passed them to Fredrick, who sat on a rotting stool. "We can stop by your place on the way to the Pearl and pick up some of your supplies."
"Thank you." Fredrick took them and quickly used one of the bandages as a rag to dam the flow of blood.
Scarlett smiled. She lingered to make certain he would be all right before going off in search of Jack, who had seemingly disappeared. It didn't take long. She found him in the far sections of the back courtyard kneeling before a simple tombstone. She paused, knowing whose grave the stone would be marking. She could still feel the hurt and anger she had felt that night when she had walked into Aubrianna's bedroom and had found her dead. She had been like family, and it had hurt.
She forced herself forward, stopping to kneel down beside Jack. She didn't say anything, just simply knelt there with him. She read the inscription upon the tombstone, noticing the intricately carved vine of roses that went around the stone's edge. She smiled remembering how much Aubri liked roses. Aubrianna Christina Anderton was carved into the stone, followed by her birth date and year of death, and then the words: Loving wife and mother. 'The winds may change, but you shall remain forever strong'.
Scarlett looked at Jack out of the corner of her eye, the familiar pang of deception and the tiny angry fire returning to life. She looked away, trying to figure out why she was kneeling there with him. It was then that she looked down, surprised to find a fresh bouquet of roses resting on the grave. Someone had been putting roses on Aubrianna's grave, but who? She shook her head, happy not to know.
She felt a raindrop fall onto her arm and smiled. It was the tear of an angel, Aubri's guardian angel, weeping for her. She felt a tear fall from her own eyes and she wiped it away. You're trying to tell me something, aren't you? She could almost see Aubrianna standing before her in her mind's eye, staring at her with an expression of love and pleading. Aubri had always hoped the anger Scarlett had kept alive against Jack would fade. She knew that the old woman had prayed for that every night. Just after Carver had been born Scarlett had walked into Aubri's bedroom while the woman had been kneeling by her bed praying. Her words had haunted Scarlett for some time afterward. She had asked God to bring her goddaughter peace and understanding, that the hurts of the past might heal and be forgotten. But the burning fire had never been staunched, simply living inside her until it ate away at all reason. Finding herself face to face with him again all those months ago had made it worse. She had planned to ruin his life, only to find that she couldn't. The anger had dwindled into a small flame that neither died nor grew. It just remained there, a flickering shadow on the wall.
Now, as another raindrop fell onto her arm, Scarlett knew she had to forget the past. The anger she felt against him was still there, the pain would always be there, but she had to give him one last chance. Okay, Aubrianna, she thought, imagining herself standing face to face with the older woman. I'll give him one last shot, but that's it. That's all you can ask of me. Two more raindrops fell onto her arm, followed shortly after by a light rainfall that fell softly but determined. The rain was like Aubrianna, soft to the touch but as hard and steady as a rock. She'll always be here, even if it's just in spirit. Her clenched fist loosened and she placed her hand on Jack's shoulder.
"Let's go home, Jack," she whispered. "Let's go home."
Second A/N: There's the redone chapter. Hope it wasn't as rushed as before and that the emotions make more sense. Please tell me your new comments on it. Your opinions on the changes would be most appreciated. Merry Christmas to everyone! (The reviews would be a nice Christmas gift, ya know. wink)