A/N: Ok I'd say that I'm spoiling you guys, considering the fact that I
said I wasn't sure if I'd continue in the first place. But I am. I'm just
saying that I might focus more attention on Storm on the High Seas (my
other fic) after this chapter cuz I have far more inspiration for that one
and I feel I should really update more often *blushes*. However, because so
many of you have reviewed and made me feel special I'm writing this
chappie. (You're lucky I don't have much schoolwork to do, besides study
for exams, otherwise it could be weeks before I updated again). I would
like to thank the following:
!: Short but sweet. Thanx.
Lola: Glad you enjoyed it. As to your comments, well I guess I haven't mentioned it yet but Nadie is around fifteen years old, she's not exactly in Jack's age group. Will has absolutely no place in the story as it takes place /before/ the movie. However if you really really need some romance you'll be happy to know that Jack has a semi-romantic interest that we meet later. But it's not Nadie. She's our angsty and depressing character, not a romantic character. Also you can't know about Nadie's past just yet, it would take the mystery away, but I'm sure you'll figure it out before the end cuz I'll kinda be giving clues in the next couple of chapters. Keep reviewing, I /love/ hearing your comments.
Pen D. Fox: Well thank you *bows*. I guess you were just swept away! *strikes dramatic pose then looks embarrased and goes back to typing*
Yeoflittlemind: Mwahahahahaha!! I love cliffies! Get used to them, they're kind of a habit of mine. Well when you think about it, it really keeps readers attention *grins* which is good...*thinks* until they start threatening you...Lol. Thanx for the encouragement. Hope to hear from you again.
Feudal eruption: Yikes! The pressure! Well I must say I feel very special now, I just hope I don't disappoint you. Anyway I'm glad you chose to review my fic, considering all the options you had. Thank you muchly!
Disclaimer: For the billionth time I don't own anything from PotC, except for the video and the soundtrack (which I hoard like gold). Don't sue me, it really wouldn't be worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack studied the girl in front of him. First he glanced at the more obvious, physical features. Her hair was tangled and matted but underneath the dirt he guessed that it might once have been auburn. Her build was small and it was quite clear that she'd suffered severe malnutrition in her short life. She was dressed in little more than rags, but Jack could tell when he looked closely, that the cloth may once have been expensive and luxurious when first it had been made.
Underneath the grime on her pallid face, her features were sharp and delicate and her intense green eyes-god those eyes!-were utterly captivating, though filled with old pain. Jack guessed that once Nadie might have been a lovely girl, sure to be a bewitching adult in her later life. She had had dreams once, perhaps, ambitions too. Maybe a family or friends. Parents, a younger sister...She could have had a brother that she'd playfought with. A long time ago, she might have laughed or played an instrument...or loved someone.
Jack wondered suddenly how she'd look if she smiled.
But now, judging from the way she seemed to withdraw into herself and how she flinched when Jack came too close, she was merely a shadow of her former self. Something terrible had happened to her, broken her.
A little like him and Barbossa. Jack wrestled with the flood of painful memories and emotions. The Black Pearl was gone. Gone. He was alone now..well not quite. Jack quickly returned to the matter at hand.
Nadie was staring at the walls, evidently trying to avoid answering him.
"Well," persisted the pirate, "tell me about yerself."
After another moment's silence, she snapped her gaze on him, "There's nothing to tell," replied Nadie tonelessly. She had a very husky voice.
"Oh there 'as to be something. Everybody has a past."
"I told you," Her lips twitched in a self-pitying smirk, "I'm nobody."
Jack snorted, "Don't give me that, love, everybody is somebody."
Nadie's troubled emerald eyes were downcast and she fiddled absently with a loose thread from her skirt, "Maybe when they start out..." she said sadly, "but not me, not anymore."
So Jack was right! Once she had been above the street life. Not a homeless waif. She might even have been happy back then.
He leaned forward, curious. "Wha' 'appened?"
She glanced up at him and pulled away slightly, averting her gaze, "I don't want to talk about it."
Jack sighed, he could understand, of course, but he still wanted to know. "Alright, let's start slowly, shall we? How about a name? Ye can't have been born 'Nadie'."
"I wasn't." Stated the girl shortly, "but I don't remember my name."
"Ye serious?"
"Yes," Nadie answered evasively, "Nor do I remember any family, homes or anything else of my past besides the past two years that I spent eating garbage and sleeping in the mud as I'm sure you can deduce from my appearance."
Jack tilted his head slightly, "Ye've the speech of an educated lass. Do ye know anythin' 'bout that?"
"No," her intense gaze pierced him, "In any case, why do you care?"
Jack paused, "Let's just say, it's a personal matter." He shrugged, "maybe I'd like to help."
It was Nadie's turn to snort, "Help me, eh? Personally I'm amazed you even bothered to return."
The pirate arched an eyebrow, "I...do...live..here. Why are you so amazed?"
Nadie's tone was bitter as she replied, "No one ever stays with me for very long."
"Why's that?"
She smiled wryly, "People find me...un-nerving. I make them uncomforatble to say the least. You think you are the only person to want to 'help me'? Others have said they would. But they never ever do. You know why? Because they have homes! They have families. And when they get home, and their families greet them and embrace them, when they crawl into their warm, comfy beds, they forget about me. After all who wants to think about nobody?" She continued, for the first time her voice truly betrayed her inner pain. "The entire populace of this town is convinced I'm crazy, they can't handle it and they all give up. Do you have any idea what it's like to be abandoned time after time???"
"More than you know," whispered Jack. Nadie didn't seem to hear.
She was pacing now, shaking slightly, "I understand, though. I am a constant reminder of what could befall someone. A fate worse than death; insanitly..and loneliness." Her voice cracked but she kept on, not crying though her face was filled with anguish. She turned to Jack, "No one wants to be reminded of that...of what could happen. I frighten people."
She collapsed on the cot once again and put her head in her hands.
After a moment Jack put his hand under her chin and lifted her head gently.
"You don't frighten me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Awwwwwwww. Sorry semi-sappy mood. It'll pass, don't worry. Lol. Well I hope you liked it and there will be more..later. I don't know when. If you want to read more of my stuff, try my other fic! (Ah shameless plugging *wink*). Remember to review. Thanx in advance. Ttyl, Peace.
!: Short but sweet. Thanx.
Lola: Glad you enjoyed it. As to your comments, well I guess I haven't mentioned it yet but Nadie is around fifteen years old, she's not exactly in Jack's age group. Will has absolutely no place in the story as it takes place /before/ the movie. However if you really really need some romance you'll be happy to know that Jack has a semi-romantic interest that we meet later. But it's not Nadie. She's our angsty and depressing character, not a romantic character. Also you can't know about Nadie's past just yet, it would take the mystery away, but I'm sure you'll figure it out before the end cuz I'll kinda be giving clues in the next couple of chapters. Keep reviewing, I /love/ hearing your comments.
Pen D. Fox: Well thank you *bows*. I guess you were just swept away! *strikes dramatic pose then looks embarrased and goes back to typing*
Yeoflittlemind: Mwahahahahaha!! I love cliffies! Get used to them, they're kind of a habit of mine. Well when you think about it, it really keeps readers attention *grins* which is good...*thinks* until they start threatening you...Lol. Thanx for the encouragement. Hope to hear from you again.
Feudal eruption: Yikes! The pressure! Well I must say I feel very special now, I just hope I don't disappoint you. Anyway I'm glad you chose to review my fic, considering all the options you had. Thank you muchly!
Disclaimer: For the billionth time I don't own anything from PotC, except for the video and the soundtrack (which I hoard like gold). Don't sue me, it really wouldn't be worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack studied the girl in front of him. First he glanced at the more obvious, physical features. Her hair was tangled and matted but underneath the dirt he guessed that it might once have been auburn. Her build was small and it was quite clear that she'd suffered severe malnutrition in her short life. She was dressed in little more than rags, but Jack could tell when he looked closely, that the cloth may once have been expensive and luxurious when first it had been made.
Underneath the grime on her pallid face, her features were sharp and delicate and her intense green eyes-god those eyes!-were utterly captivating, though filled with old pain. Jack guessed that once Nadie might have been a lovely girl, sure to be a bewitching adult in her later life. She had had dreams once, perhaps, ambitions too. Maybe a family or friends. Parents, a younger sister...She could have had a brother that she'd playfought with. A long time ago, she might have laughed or played an instrument...or loved someone.
Jack wondered suddenly how she'd look if she smiled.
But now, judging from the way she seemed to withdraw into herself and how she flinched when Jack came too close, she was merely a shadow of her former self. Something terrible had happened to her, broken her.
A little like him and Barbossa. Jack wrestled with the flood of painful memories and emotions. The Black Pearl was gone. Gone. He was alone now..well not quite. Jack quickly returned to the matter at hand.
Nadie was staring at the walls, evidently trying to avoid answering him.
"Well," persisted the pirate, "tell me about yerself."
After another moment's silence, she snapped her gaze on him, "There's nothing to tell," replied Nadie tonelessly. She had a very husky voice.
"Oh there 'as to be something. Everybody has a past."
"I told you," Her lips twitched in a self-pitying smirk, "I'm nobody."
Jack snorted, "Don't give me that, love, everybody is somebody."
Nadie's troubled emerald eyes were downcast and she fiddled absently with a loose thread from her skirt, "Maybe when they start out..." she said sadly, "but not me, not anymore."
So Jack was right! Once she had been above the street life. Not a homeless waif. She might even have been happy back then.
He leaned forward, curious. "Wha' 'appened?"
She glanced up at him and pulled away slightly, averting her gaze, "I don't want to talk about it."
Jack sighed, he could understand, of course, but he still wanted to know. "Alright, let's start slowly, shall we? How about a name? Ye can't have been born 'Nadie'."
"I wasn't." Stated the girl shortly, "but I don't remember my name."
"Ye serious?"
"Yes," Nadie answered evasively, "Nor do I remember any family, homes or anything else of my past besides the past two years that I spent eating garbage and sleeping in the mud as I'm sure you can deduce from my appearance."
Jack tilted his head slightly, "Ye've the speech of an educated lass. Do ye know anythin' 'bout that?"
"No," her intense gaze pierced him, "In any case, why do you care?"
Jack paused, "Let's just say, it's a personal matter." He shrugged, "maybe I'd like to help."
It was Nadie's turn to snort, "Help me, eh? Personally I'm amazed you even bothered to return."
The pirate arched an eyebrow, "I...do...live..here. Why are you so amazed?"
Nadie's tone was bitter as she replied, "No one ever stays with me for very long."
"Why's that?"
She smiled wryly, "People find me...un-nerving. I make them uncomforatble to say the least. You think you are the only person to want to 'help me'? Others have said they would. But they never ever do. You know why? Because they have homes! They have families. And when they get home, and their families greet them and embrace them, when they crawl into their warm, comfy beds, they forget about me. After all who wants to think about nobody?" She continued, for the first time her voice truly betrayed her inner pain. "The entire populace of this town is convinced I'm crazy, they can't handle it and they all give up. Do you have any idea what it's like to be abandoned time after time???"
"More than you know," whispered Jack. Nadie didn't seem to hear.
She was pacing now, shaking slightly, "I understand, though. I am a constant reminder of what could befall someone. A fate worse than death; insanitly..and loneliness." Her voice cracked but she kept on, not crying though her face was filled with anguish. She turned to Jack, "No one wants to be reminded of that...of what could happen. I frighten people."
She collapsed on the cot once again and put her head in her hands.
After a moment Jack put his hand under her chin and lifted her head gently.
"You don't frighten me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Awwwwwwww. Sorry semi-sappy mood. It'll pass, don't worry. Lol. Well I hope you liked it and there will be more..later. I don't know when. If you want to read more of my stuff, try my other fic! (Ah shameless plugging *wink*). Remember to review. Thanx in advance. Ttyl, Peace.