Hi!!!!! God, it's been a while. Well, say good bye to writer's block!!!!! For now, at least. I either dramatically improved the story with this chapter, or ruined it entirely. As always, tell me which, and if I did go wrong, where. Thank you, people of the world!!! CYA!!!!!!!!!

Chapter Eight: Finally Gone!

When I finally woke up, I noticed two things immediately. One, I was completely alone. The second, was that, judging by the position of the moon, which was nearly full, it was hardly past midnight.

I slid out from between the sheets, and found my slippers underneath the bed. Silent as a mouse, I crept into the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat.

My first tip off should have been the bottle of rum sitting on the countertop. But maybe I was just dazed, because I certainly didn't see it.

After a thorough and unsuccessful search of the kitchen, I started back upstairs. That was when I first noticed something.

I had reached the landing, and was about to move up the second staircase when I saw a flicker of light from underneath the closed door of my father's study. I listened closely, and heard the faint rumble of voices.

I crept towards the door, my ears straining to hear the voices. I could hear my father's distinct articulation, but that was all I recognized.

After a few minutes, I decided it was only two men, my father and a stranger. They seemed to be debating something. I opened the door a crack, thanking all that was holy that one of Dad's major pet peeves was squeaky hinges. Perfect.

"I'm worried about Caroline, Jack." My father murmured. "I'm not leaving her here with Elizabeth. But I don't think she could handle life on the Pearl."

"Will, ye worry too much." Now that I could hear properly, I recognized Jack's slurred voice. "She'll be fine aboard the Pearl; she's your daughter, isn't she?"

I could visualize the look on Dad's face, torn between what he felt would be the most fun and what was the safest. "I think your right, Jack. She can handle it. She isn't a child any more." He sighed. "Elizabeth isn't going to be happy with our leaving."

That's when it hit me. Dad was leaving Mother. I had never really loved my mother, mainly because she was such a total opposite from me, but the fact that after fourteen years of putting up with her as his wife, Dad found out that he couldn't stand the woman, that surprised me. The fact that I managed thirteen years of dealing with her surprised me, but hearing from his lips that he was truly leaving, well, it felt like the first sign that the sky might just start falling down from above us.

It wasn't until I heard the words "Wake up Caroline." That I decided I should head back to my room. I made my way there, kicked off my slippers and buried myself under the sheets before my father even reached the stairs.

I was 'sound asleep' by the time he got up the stairs. He strode over to my bed, and lightly tapped me on the shoulder. My eyes snapped open. "Dad?" I murmured, in a wonderful, half asleep voice. He was right. I should be an actress.

"Caroline, you know that your mother and I... well, we haven't been very happy with each other." He hesitantly whispered.

I smiled. "It's kind of obvious in the way you both yell at each other for hours at a time."

"Well, I've decided that you mother needs some time alone, to think about... things." He appeared to not want to tell me much. "But I want to ask you, if you would rather stay here, or come wi-"

"So you're leaving Mother?" I asked point-blank.

Dad hesitated for a second, and then said, "Yes. For the time being, I'm leaving your mother. She has become too much to handle."

I raised my eyebrows. "And you were going to leave me here with her?"

He grinned mischievously. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I think I now know why Emily has always said that my mother had no idea what sort of a man she had managed to hook.

"Well, if you're willing to live on a pirate ship for the next couple of months-"

"I'm coming." I cut him off again. "I'm not staying with Mother when I can be on the sea."

"Well, if you're so eager, start packing." Dad said, standing up. "We might be able to leave before dawn."

By noon the next day, we were headed... well, somewhere. We had been aboard the Black Pearl by dawn, and finally, we were free. The odd, thing, though, was that I hadn't seen hide or hair of David or his slightly drunken father all day. I had explored most of the ship pretty haphazardly before I finally found David.

I was leaning against the stern-side railing, gazing out at the ocean, when I felt an arm go around my waist. I spun around, ready to kill whoever it was. When I saw it was David, I relaxed.

"You have a bad habit of scaring the living daylight out of me." I said huffily. "You really ought to stop that."

He laughed. "And miss all the fun?"

I smiled, fingering the sword hilt at my waist. "You want some real fun?"

His eyes went to my right hand. "Oh no." He muttered, backing away. "I know what damage you can do. Thanks but no thanks, I like my limbs."

"I'll go easy on you." I sighed. "I know by now how sensitive the male ego can be."

And I did. I also knew that after a verbal stab like that, there was no way he was going to back down.

"Fine." He said, unsheathing his sword. "That's how you want to play, we'll play."

Let's just say, I'm still undefeated.