Author Notes: Yes, yes, yes, I realise that I had planned on updating
sooner but...I've been exceptionally busy and I got an idea for a new fic
that I'm trying to work on a bit and am debating on putting it up on ff.net
after this one is finished. But its all logistics...So don't murder me for
the long wait but, I swear, you will at least feel better by the end of the
chapter.
Author Thanks:
movielvr - Thanks for the review! You'll have to wait and see who it was...I can't give it away yet. Hope you like the chapter!
bobattheweekends - Melted butter on a haddock...never had that before, I'll assume its good...Thanks for the review. Hope you like the chappie.
Jinxd n cursed - You did make a really really good assumption/guess, whatever. Congrats! I don't know how you knew she was pregnant, but nonetheless, bravo. Hope you like the chapter!
Dimonah Tralon - Thanks for the review. Yeah, I'm not to fond of writing so much angsty stuff, but if I made the story all fluff, I think I would shoot myself. Hope you like the chapter!
TriGemini - Thanks for the review! I realise that it all was very intense but I wanted it to seem as realistic as possible, hence the note at the bottom. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what she saw...you'll see very soon. Hope you like the chapter!
Jeeves Swineford - Thanks, mate!
Zubachickqt4u - Wait and see. I know its really shocking...and disgusting, in my opinion...Hope you like the chapter!
Trinity144 - Thanks for the review! You'll soon see who she saw...that seems like a tongue twister, lol. Anywho, enjoy this chapter!
Peppermint Moose - Thanks! I'm glad you like my story! Hope you like the chapter!
ortain - Thanks for the review, mate! Hope you like the chapter!
Piratey Elf - Okay...I updated! Happy? lol. Hope you like the chapter, mate!
Mirja - Thanks for the review! I realise that it doesn't make sense that he (the fat man) wouldn't try to sell the information...but he was exceptionally dumb...and I was just trying to make it clear that he was so...Jeg kommer fra amerika, egentlig. Jeg har snakker norsk for åtte ar. Minn bestemor lært meg. Jeg snakker norsk godt, men jeg er lærn. Hvor kommer du fra?
I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.
Then there was nothing. I had blacked out.
~*~
What's in a Name?
Chapter 21: Waking Up
I woke up some time later. Opening my eyes just a sliver, I saw something dark moving near my feet, I lashed out, kicking and clawing at the person at every inch of them that I could reach. They groaned and I was soon on my back, the person straddling me and pinning my arms above my head.
"I'm dead. I'm dead. I have to be dead," I murmured. My hands were released and I clutched them tightly over my face. I didn't want to see his face...Bano's face...I knew he was going to kill me...I could feel it.
"Love, I don't know what you're thinking but you certainly look alive to me," a voice said mischievously. "And if you're finished attacking me, I'll get off o' ye."
I knew that voice. It wasn't Bano's. It was a friendly sounding voice. But I couldn't place it for some reason. I nodded feebly.
Slowly, I edged my hands down from my face.
But it wasn't the angry face of Bano, no, it was another.
Could it be?
Was it possible?
"Jack?"
"In the flesh."
"Jack? What are you doing here?" I asked a bit more strongly as I stared at Jack who was squatting near me.
"Well, ain't that the welcome?" Jack said, laughter in his eyes.
I pushed myself up and noticed the body of Bano lying on the floor, not too far away. I pushed myself away frantically. All I wanted to do at that moment was to hurt Bano. To make him suffer as I suffered. But you can't hurt a corpse.
"What?" I asked. "What happened?"
"You're a hard little bird to follow, love. You made it nearly impossible for me to find you. We should go. Before anyone knows I'm here."
I straightened up and fiddled with the chain on my ankle. But Inai had taken the key. "Jack?" I said. "What about this?"
A veiled look crossed Jack's face, one that I recognized to be a look of fury. "What was that for?" He asked jerkily.
"Because I tried to escape...can you get it off?" I asked.
Jack fiddled with the chain, but it wouldn't budge. "Where's the key?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. Inai has it. But she left. Bano sent her away."
"All right, love. This is what we're going to do. First we're gonna hide that-" Jack said, gesturing to the lifeless body of Bano. "Then you're going to go about your business and when the lady comes in, I'll ambush her, get the key, get that chain off of you and then we make for the Pearl as soon as possible. Savvy?"
I grinned in wild delight.
Jack stood and pulled me to my feet. Then he drug Bano's body out of the room and stuffed it under one of the long couches.
My thoughts stopped and I pounced on Bano's body, kicking, scratching, and clawing at him. I forgot he was dead. I just wanted to make him suffer.
Jack grabbed me under my arms and pulled me away, still struggling. "You can't do anything to him, now, love. He can't hurt you any more. He's dead."
The words filtered into my half-crazed mind and I stilled. Something inside of me deflated and I sunk to the floor, tears streaming freely from my eyes.
Jack sat beside me and pulled me into his lap. He rocked me slowly as I cried out my soul onto his shoulder and he wiped the tears from my eyes gently. His warm rough hands had a healing touch to them. His hands siphoned away some of my grief...or at least temporarily drained it so that I could stand up and help with the plan...which is exactly what I did.
"She'll see that," I whispered, gesturing to the body.
~*~
I showed Jack where to stuff the body, ironically enough, it was the tiny room in the kitchen where I'd been locked in every night. Then, I set to doing dishes in the kitchen while I waited for Inai to return.
Probably an hour after Jack's arrival, I heard the door shut and footsteps coming towards me. Jack was in the corner of the room nearest the door, waiting.
Inai came in the room, her arms burdened with food and necessities that she had bought with her friend at the market. "Christy, help unload these," she said crossly.
I didn't move, I just stared at her.
"Christy, please, just unload these," she said again.
Still, I stayed where I was.
She sighed deeply. "Don't make me tell Bano," she threatened.
Jack struck.
In a flash, the bags full of shopping had dropped, their contents spilling onto the floor. Jack had Inai face-first to the wall, her arms pinned above her head.
"Where's the key?" Jack asked in a low hiss.
Inai shuddered and said, "I'll call out. I'll get my husband."
Jack snorted. "Call all ye want, he can't come. Now where's the key and we'll just be on our way."
Realizing what that meant, Inai jerked her head in my direction. "You're in on this?" she asked wildly.
I nodded slightly. "I told you he'd come and rescue me."
Inai didn't speak.
"Give over the key, Inai and we'll leave," I said as calmly as I could manage without screaming.
Inai reached into a deep pocket of her dress and withdrew the key. She threw it onto the floor as if it burned and said, "There."
"Thank you," I whispered, picking up the key and undid the manacle binding me, it fell to the floor in a satisfactorily loud thunk.
Jack stepped away from Inai slightly and allowed her to turn around. "Now, madam, we'll thank ye kindly for not running to the authorities as soon as we leave. And if ye keep yer mouth shut, I swear on pain o' death that ye shall not die at my hands."
Inai's eyes flickered over to me. I could see the anger glistening behind them, more detectable than ever as she spat, "I'll run to get help before your ship is even out of the dock and I'll laugh as I watch you hang in the gallows like the dogs you all are."
"Suspected as much," Jack said lightly. Grabbing her arm, Jack spun her around and hit her on the back of the neck. Inai crumpled and fell to the ground, Jack turned to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me gently from the room.
We sped out of the home and down to the Pearl. Bad memories flashed in my eyes as we went and I couldn't be happier to be back on board.
Jack released my hand only when we were back. He took the helm and guided the Pearl out of the harbour and off to sea again.
I stood behind him, relishing the sway of the ship beneath my feet.
Mr. Gibbs approached me and smiled kindly. "Welcome back, missy. The crew's been pinin' afore ye. And that ruddy lemur o' yers won't leave anyone be. Its good yer back."
That was the kindest thing Gibbs had ever said to me. I smiled and patted him on the arm. "Its good to be back, Mr. Gibbs."
More of the crew came to say hello as we got further from port. Colin came up to me not ten minutes after I was back, smile fixed in place. He lifted me easily into his arms and spun me around, "Well, Miss Christy, we thought we lost ye for a while there." He gently set me back down on the deck and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "If word gets me right, cap'n 'ere's been right pinin' for ye. Wouldn't sleep if 'e could 'elp it. Jes wanted ta get ye back right proper."
I shot a quick glance over at Jack, who was deep in conversation with Gibbs. I smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "Thank you, Colin." Then I added to the crew in general, "You have no idea how good it is to see you all again."
Once the crew had dispersed, I went up to Jack and whispered in his ear, "Especially you, pirate captain mine." Then I sauntered off to the Captain's Cabin to change into something other than the old rag I was wearing, Jack nipping at my heels as I went.
He sat down on the bed as I pulled out a pair of trousers and a shirt to wear. He just stared at me, as though seeing a mirage.
"I...I knew you would come and get me. Thank you," I said quietly. "Although, for a time, I started believing what they told me...that I was nothing, that no one cared for me and that I was going to die in slavery...alone," I added, while peeling off my shirt. I didn't bother making Jack turn, forgetting about the bruises and...my newly rounded belly, after all, its not like he hadn't seen that before.
Before I could don a new shirt, Jack had pushed himself off the bed and strode over to me, an unreadable expression marred his usually grinning face. "What happened?" he asked in a low voice, his hands gesturing to the newly acquired bruises on my upper body.
I bit my lip, not wanting to tell him the truth. Rather than answer his question, I stared down at the floor, which seemed much more interesting than actually answering my rescuer.
Jack grabbed my chin deftly and forced me to meet his eyes. "What happened?" he asked in a calm, steady voice.
"Bano," I whispered.
Jack pounded a fist into his leg and swore loudly. "I hadn't intended this to happen to ye Christy," he said apologetically.
I pulled on the shirt and said, "Its not your fault," before turning my back to him, not wanting him to see the tears in my eyes.
Jack caught me and pulled me so that my back was against his chest. His hands rested on my arms lightly. "It's not your's either, Christy."
I nodded and blinked back the tears and turned to face Jack. "You don't know how much my thinking of you helped. You kept me sane. If I hadn't been thinking about you, I would have lost my mind...I wouldn't have made it."
Jack released me and strode across the room. "Did he..." Jack asked, probably already knowing the answer.
Tears slowly broke through my eyes and try as I might to avoid it, as I nodded the flood of tears came crashing down upon me. I sunk down to the floor and waited for Jack to come over to me before I whispered what happened to me during my time in captivity. His strong arms encircled me as I spilled out my story. We sat for a long time until I fell asleep against his shoulder...feeling...finally....safe.
~*~
Author's Note:
Well? Was it a bit more satisfying than the last chapter? No more angry mobs of people wanting to kill me? Hope not. Hope that you all enjoyed the chapter! Please review! Its always appreciated, even if you have criticisms for me...Anywho, I'll try and update fairly soon...I have to take evil tests this week...seriously the person who invented the ACT should be tortured for all eternity...so, look for a new chapter probably next weekend, maybe sooner, it depends on what happens with everything going on right now.
Check out Pirates of the Caribbean: The Aftermath...it needs love.
Mange klemmar fra meg! ~CrazyCanoeingGIT
Author Thanks:
movielvr - Thanks for the review! You'll have to wait and see who it was...I can't give it away yet. Hope you like the chapter!
bobattheweekends - Melted butter on a haddock...never had that before, I'll assume its good...Thanks for the review. Hope you like the chappie.
Jinxd n cursed - You did make a really really good assumption/guess, whatever. Congrats! I don't know how you knew she was pregnant, but nonetheless, bravo. Hope you like the chapter!
Dimonah Tralon - Thanks for the review. Yeah, I'm not to fond of writing so much angsty stuff, but if I made the story all fluff, I think I would shoot myself. Hope you like the chapter!
TriGemini - Thanks for the review! I realise that it all was very intense but I wanted it to seem as realistic as possible, hence the note at the bottom. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what she saw...you'll see very soon. Hope you like the chapter!
Jeeves Swineford - Thanks, mate!
Zubachickqt4u - Wait and see. I know its really shocking...and disgusting, in my opinion...Hope you like the chapter!
Trinity144 - Thanks for the review! You'll soon see who she saw...that seems like a tongue twister, lol. Anywho, enjoy this chapter!
Peppermint Moose - Thanks! I'm glad you like my story! Hope you like the chapter!
ortain - Thanks for the review, mate! Hope you like the chapter!
Piratey Elf - Okay...I updated! Happy? lol. Hope you like the chapter, mate!
Mirja - Thanks for the review! I realise that it doesn't make sense that he (the fat man) wouldn't try to sell the information...but he was exceptionally dumb...and I was just trying to make it clear that he was so...Jeg kommer fra amerika, egentlig. Jeg har snakker norsk for åtte ar. Minn bestemor lært meg. Jeg snakker norsk godt, men jeg er lærn. Hvor kommer du fra?
I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.
Then there was nothing. I had blacked out.
~*~
What's in a Name?
Chapter 21: Waking Up
I woke up some time later. Opening my eyes just a sliver, I saw something dark moving near my feet, I lashed out, kicking and clawing at the person at every inch of them that I could reach. They groaned and I was soon on my back, the person straddling me and pinning my arms above my head.
"I'm dead. I'm dead. I have to be dead," I murmured. My hands were released and I clutched them tightly over my face. I didn't want to see his face...Bano's face...I knew he was going to kill me...I could feel it.
"Love, I don't know what you're thinking but you certainly look alive to me," a voice said mischievously. "And if you're finished attacking me, I'll get off o' ye."
I knew that voice. It wasn't Bano's. It was a friendly sounding voice. But I couldn't place it for some reason. I nodded feebly.
Slowly, I edged my hands down from my face.
But it wasn't the angry face of Bano, no, it was another.
Could it be?
Was it possible?
"Jack?"
"In the flesh."
"Jack? What are you doing here?" I asked a bit more strongly as I stared at Jack who was squatting near me.
"Well, ain't that the welcome?" Jack said, laughter in his eyes.
I pushed myself up and noticed the body of Bano lying on the floor, not too far away. I pushed myself away frantically. All I wanted to do at that moment was to hurt Bano. To make him suffer as I suffered. But you can't hurt a corpse.
"What?" I asked. "What happened?"
"You're a hard little bird to follow, love. You made it nearly impossible for me to find you. We should go. Before anyone knows I'm here."
I straightened up and fiddled with the chain on my ankle. But Inai had taken the key. "Jack?" I said. "What about this?"
A veiled look crossed Jack's face, one that I recognized to be a look of fury. "What was that for?" He asked jerkily.
"Because I tried to escape...can you get it off?" I asked.
Jack fiddled with the chain, but it wouldn't budge. "Where's the key?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. Inai has it. But she left. Bano sent her away."
"All right, love. This is what we're going to do. First we're gonna hide that-" Jack said, gesturing to the lifeless body of Bano. "Then you're going to go about your business and when the lady comes in, I'll ambush her, get the key, get that chain off of you and then we make for the Pearl as soon as possible. Savvy?"
I grinned in wild delight.
Jack stood and pulled me to my feet. Then he drug Bano's body out of the room and stuffed it under one of the long couches.
My thoughts stopped and I pounced on Bano's body, kicking, scratching, and clawing at him. I forgot he was dead. I just wanted to make him suffer.
Jack grabbed me under my arms and pulled me away, still struggling. "You can't do anything to him, now, love. He can't hurt you any more. He's dead."
The words filtered into my half-crazed mind and I stilled. Something inside of me deflated and I sunk to the floor, tears streaming freely from my eyes.
Jack sat beside me and pulled me into his lap. He rocked me slowly as I cried out my soul onto his shoulder and he wiped the tears from my eyes gently. His warm rough hands had a healing touch to them. His hands siphoned away some of my grief...or at least temporarily drained it so that I could stand up and help with the plan...which is exactly what I did.
"She'll see that," I whispered, gesturing to the body.
~*~
I showed Jack where to stuff the body, ironically enough, it was the tiny room in the kitchen where I'd been locked in every night. Then, I set to doing dishes in the kitchen while I waited for Inai to return.
Probably an hour after Jack's arrival, I heard the door shut and footsteps coming towards me. Jack was in the corner of the room nearest the door, waiting.
Inai came in the room, her arms burdened with food and necessities that she had bought with her friend at the market. "Christy, help unload these," she said crossly.
I didn't move, I just stared at her.
"Christy, please, just unload these," she said again.
Still, I stayed where I was.
She sighed deeply. "Don't make me tell Bano," she threatened.
Jack struck.
In a flash, the bags full of shopping had dropped, their contents spilling onto the floor. Jack had Inai face-first to the wall, her arms pinned above her head.
"Where's the key?" Jack asked in a low hiss.
Inai shuddered and said, "I'll call out. I'll get my husband."
Jack snorted. "Call all ye want, he can't come. Now where's the key and we'll just be on our way."
Realizing what that meant, Inai jerked her head in my direction. "You're in on this?" she asked wildly.
I nodded slightly. "I told you he'd come and rescue me."
Inai didn't speak.
"Give over the key, Inai and we'll leave," I said as calmly as I could manage without screaming.
Inai reached into a deep pocket of her dress and withdrew the key. She threw it onto the floor as if it burned and said, "There."
"Thank you," I whispered, picking up the key and undid the manacle binding me, it fell to the floor in a satisfactorily loud thunk.
Jack stepped away from Inai slightly and allowed her to turn around. "Now, madam, we'll thank ye kindly for not running to the authorities as soon as we leave. And if ye keep yer mouth shut, I swear on pain o' death that ye shall not die at my hands."
Inai's eyes flickered over to me. I could see the anger glistening behind them, more detectable than ever as she spat, "I'll run to get help before your ship is even out of the dock and I'll laugh as I watch you hang in the gallows like the dogs you all are."
"Suspected as much," Jack said lightly. Grabbing her arm, Jack spun her around and hit her on the back of the neck. Inai crumpled and fell to the ground, Jack turned to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me gently from the room.
We sped out of the home and down to the Pearl. Bad memories flashed in my eyes as we went and I couldn't be happier to be back on board.
Jack released my hand only when we were back. He took the helm and guided the Pearl out of the harbour and off to sea again.
I stood behind him, relishing the sway of the ship beneath my feet.
Mr. Gibbs approached me and smiled kindly. "Welcome back, missy. The crew's been pinin' afore ye. And that ruddy lemur o' yers won't leave anyone be. Its good yer back."
That was the kindest thing Gibbs had ever said to me. I smiled and patted him on the arm. "Its good to be back, Mr. Gibbs."
More of the crew came to say hello as we got further from port. Colin came up to me not ten minutes after I was back, smile fixed in place. He lifted me easily into his arms and spun me around, "Well, Miss Christy, we thought we lost ye for a while there." He gently set me back down on the deck and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "If word gets me right, cap'n 'ere's been right pinin' for ye. Wouldn't sleep if 'e could 'elp it. Jes wanted ta get ye back right proper."
I shot a quick glance over at Jack, who was deep in conversation with Gibbs. I smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "Thank you, Colin." Then I added to the crew in general, "You have no idea how good it is to see you all again."
Once the crew had dispersed, I went up to Jack and whispered in his ear, "Especially you, pirate captain mine." Then I sauntered off to the Captain's Cabin to change into something other than the old rag I was wearing, Jack nipping at my heels as I went.
He sat down on the bed as I pulled out a pair of trousers and a shirt to wear. He just stared at me, as though seeing a mirage.
"I...I knew you would come and get me. Thank you," I said quietly. "Although, for a time, I started believing what they told me...that I was nothing, that no one cared for me and that I was going to die in slavery...alone," I added, while peeling off my shirt. I didn't bother making Jack turn, forgetting about the bruises and...my newly rounded belly, after all, its not like he hadn't seen that before.
Before I could don a new shirt, Jack had pushed himself off the bed and strode over to me, an unreadable expression marred his usually grinning face. "What happened?" he asked in a low voice, his hands gesturing to the newly acquired bruises on my upper body.
I bit my lip, not wanting to tell him the truth. Rather than answer his question, I stared down at the floor, which seemed much more interesting than actually answering my rescuer.
Jack grabbed my chin deftly and forced me to meet his eyes. "What happened?" he asked in a calm, steady voice.
"Bano," I whispered.
Jack pounded a fist into his leg and swore loudly. "I hadn't intended this to happen to ye Christy," he said apologetically.
I pulled on the shirt and said, "Its not your fault," before turning my back to him, not wanting him to see the tears in my eyes.
Jack caught me and pulled me so that my back was against his chest. His hands rested on my arms lightly. "It's not your's either, Christy."
I nodded and blinked back the tears and turned to face Jack. "You don't know how much my thinking of you helped. You kept me sane. If I hadn't been thinking about you, I would have lost my mind...I wouldn't have made it."
Jack released me and strode across the room. "Did he..." Jack asked, probably already knowing the answer.
Tears slowly broke through my eyes and try as I might to avoid it, as I nodded the flood of tears came crashing down upon me. I sunk down to the floor and waited for Jack to come over to me before I whispered what happened to me during my time in captivity. His strong arms encircled me as I spilled out my story. We sat for a long time until I fell asleep against his shoulder...feeling...finally....safe.
~*~
Author's Note:
Well? Was it a bit more satisfying than the last chapter? No more angry mobs of people wanting to kill me? Hope not. Hope that you all enjoyed the chapter! Please review! Its always appreciated, even if you have criticisms for me...Anywho, I'll try and update fairly soon...I have to take evil tests this week...seriously the person who invented the ACT should be tortured for all eternity...so, look for a new chapter probably next weekend, maybe sooner, it depends on what happens with everything going on right now.
Check out Pirates of the Caribbean: The Aftermath...it needs love.
Mange klemmar fra meg! ~CrazyCanoeingGIT