Authors' Note: Well, we're back. After an exceptionally long break, we're
back. We haven't fallen off the face of the earth...yet and we haven't
gotten lost in the wilderness and gotten eaten by bears. So, terribly
sorry for the long wait but...its not easy to write on a cross continental
basis... So, anywho, hope you enjoy this chapter. Its a nice long
one...*a little distraction so that you all don't come after us with
torches and pitchforks* Hey look a long chapter! *The Quidditch Gals
point down and while everyone is looking, run away.* Enjoy!
Disclaimer: We only own Katie and Kate along with other characters not appearing in the movie.
Last Time:
Jack reached out and grabbed her arm and gave her one last brief kiss and then pushed her gently towards the door. Kate, caught unaware, wasn't expecting the kiss and she stumbled slightly after Jack pushed her towards the door.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Chapter 12: Emotions
~*~
Feeling as though she was walking on air, Kate left the room. She wasn't very sure where to go but she wanted to go somewhere. Her heart was feeling all fluttery and she had an extra bounce to her step. So, she mused in her head, I guess records were made to be broken. Not sure of what to do, she decided to climb the mast. It seemed the only place to go. Katie and Will were busy, to say the least and she just left Jack so she didn't exactly want to go right back to him. So, she decided that staring into the horizon might be the best way to mull over her thoughts.
After quickly climbing up the mast, Kate settled herself in her usual place and gazed into the horizon. This wasn't bad at all. She wouldn't even want to go home, if she had the chance, any more. Or at least it would take some serious thought. This whole sailing thing was better than she had ever expected. Although, she had to admit that it had taken her a fairly long time to become even slightly adjusted to this and when she did, then she was ripped away from the familiarity and thrust into a new and more dangerous setting. And despite what she had faced, she wasn't feeling cold inside. She was feeling more alive than she ever had been...curious how things worked.
Deciding that she needed to go talk to Katie, she made her way down the mast and walked to the room that she and Katie shared.
She walked in without knocking and found Katie and Will a bit 'occupied' with each other. Covering her eyes, Kate shouted, "Will, get out!"
Will jerked his head away from Katie and looked over at Kate. Slowly, grudgingly, he got up and quickly left the cabin, partially hastened by the evil glare he was receiving from Kate.
"What?" Katie asked annoyedly.
"I have a confession," Kate stated bluntly.
"What?"
"I think that I'm falling in love with Jack."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Kate said, sinking down onto the bed. "I don't know how or why or when but I think its happening."
Katie stared at Kate in shock for a moment and then started to laugh loudly.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Kate said, though smiling herself.
"Yes, yes it is," Katie said, clutching at her sides.
"No it's not!"
Katie eventually stopped laughing and asked, "Okay. What do ya mean, yer falling in love with Jack?"
Kate started to pace around the cabin. After a moment she said, "What does it mean when anyone says they're falling in love with someone? I mean that I think that I love Captain Jack Sparrow."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
Kate stopped pacing for a minute and looked at Katie with a confused expression on her face. "What am I supposed to do about it?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Katie asked.
"I don't know! I don't even know what I think about it. Let alone what he would say. I just...gah! How am I supposed to figure anything out around here?"
"Don't get riled. This isn't a big deal."
"Isn't a big DEAL?" Kate asked in shock. "What do you mean, isn't a big deal. I'm falling in love with a man who . . . who kidnapped me and and saved me and . . . and . . ."
"And loves you," Katie finished for her.
Kate stopped fishing for words at this pronouncement. In a less frazzled voice she asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean Jack loves you. How blunt do I have to be? Honestly. Jack loves you. Do you need me to spell it out for you to understand?"
"Well," Kate started.
"Well, I won't. I can't spell. Never learned."
Kate resumed her pacing around the cabin. "So, let me get this straight. I think that I'm falling in love with Jack and you're telling me that Jack loves me, right?"
"Right."
"How long have you known this?"
"Known what?"
"That Jack loves me?"
"Oh, since you got here."
"You mean just recently, right?" Kate asked.
"No, I mean when you first got here."
"How is that possible? He didn't even know me. How can you love someone whose name and entire personality is a mystery?"
"Ye just can. That's how," a new voice said from the doorway.
Kate stopped pacing abruptly and whirled around. Jack was standing in the doorway, grinning maliciously. Kate's eyes grew very big and she jumped slightly.
"Now, Jack, can't ye knock next time. Me and Kate here were having an important conversation," Katie said grinning.
Kate seemed temporarily speechless. She just stared wide-eyed around the cabin, wishing whole-heartedly that she had shut the door. "Okay. Now what?"
"Huh?" Katie and Jack both said.
"Now what?" Kate repeated.
"I think you've been here too long, love. You're not making any sense," Jack said.
"I don't know what I'm saying," Kate said slowly, sinking down to the bed.
"That's obvious," Katie said wisely. "Anyone could see that." Kate nodded slowly and Katie added, "Now, Jack, can't ye leave. Me and Kate were having an important conversation."
"I heard," Jack said, still not moving from the doorway.
"Yeah, well go run along then. And Kate will come find ye when we're done talking, savvy?" Katie said.
Jack rolled his eyes and walked away.
"So," Katie began. "What was it that you were saying?"
"I asked how you could love someone that you haven't even talked to except once and even then it was when the person was upset," Kate said.
"I don't know. You never can tell with Jack. 'E's a hard one to place, he is."
"Yeah, I know. I'm learning that more and more of late."
"Well, don't just sit here. Do something."
"What?" Kate asked.
"I dunno. Anything. Preferably, take off these bloody bandages from me shoulder and then go up and talk to Jack."
"But I just talked to him a few minutes ago, before I came down here. How much talking does a girl have to do?"
"So, if you were just talking to Jack, why did he come down here?"
Kate huffed annoyedly. "How am I supposed to know? We were talking and then kissing and then talking because Jack wanted to go farther and I can't. Not now. So we talked a lot. I told him what happened and everything. And he understood. Just held me to him, he did. Really great about everything."
"Yeah, well, Jack can be like that from time to time. Occasionally pulls one off where he's the good guy," Katie said, knowing full well that she was baiting Kate.
"Jack is a good man! He hasn't tried anything on me and he would do anything that he could to protect me. He didn't even try to make me go faster than I want to go with all this stuff. He's only been kind to me and he risked his life for me and we love each other!" Kate said in an angry voice while rising from the bed in an instant.
"Well, there you go then. That's you're answer," Katie said.
Kate looked at her, not understanding. "What?"
Katie sighed and said, "That's how you feel about Jack. You just told me. So now that you know how you feel, do something about it."
Kate looked at her in shock and murmured a quiet, "Oh," before walking over to Katie and starting to fix her arm.
Katie smiled and moved slightly so that Kate could remove the bandages on her shoulder. After they were gone, Katie moved her arm slowly up and down and side to side. "Feels good to move again," she said quietly.
"I can imagine. You can go ahead and get up tonight, if you want," Kate said.
"Finally," Katie said gleefully. After a moment, Katie looked at Kate and said, "What are you still doing here? Go talk to Jack!"
Kate paused and asked timidly, "What do I say?"
"Whatever you feel like saying!"
"Oh," Kate said. After a moment's pause she turned and walked out of the room and went up on deck to find Jack.
~*~
Alone once again, Katie sat up straighter on the bed. Wincing slightly, she stood up, unaccustomed to the feel of her feet against the wood floor, after so long of being in bed. Tentatively, she walked around the cabin, keeping herself within arm's reach of the wall just in case her legs decided to fail her.
Feeling rather shaky but confident, Katie made her way slowly towards Will's cabin. Her legs had forgotten the feel of the ship moving beneath her and when the ship gave a particularly violent jolt, she fell.
Swearing under her breath, Katie dug her fingernails into the wall and tried to pull herself up. After regaining her balance, Katie slowly made progress towards Will's cabin. Very slow progress. When she finally got there, she knocked on the door and then leaned up against the door, resting while waiting for Will to open the door.
She didn't have long to wait. Once Will had opened the door, Katie walked in and sat down on his bed. Will looked at her questioningly and joined her on the bed.
"So," Will asked, "Did Kate let you come here or did you just get bored?"
Katie gave Will a mock-scandalized look and said, "I'm shocked." She smiled and added, "She said I could get up. I didn't ask where I could go. I shouldn't have to. I'm a pirate and I'm older than her!"
"Aye," Will said he started stroking her arm, near her shoulder. "Feel good to move?"
"You have no idea," Katie agreed. "I was about to loose me mind. I don't think that I could have stayed in that bloody cabin for another day, it was unbelievably dull."
"Well, Jack will be glad to have you moving around again. Kate's been doing some of your duties and then the rest of the crew makes up for what she doesn't know how to do. Although, that is getting to be less and less every day."
"We've got a new pirate then, eh?" Katie asked.
Will pondered this for a moment and said, "Well, not quite. I don't think that she'd break the law or drink or do anything like what we do but we do have a new sailor at least."
Katie smiled and replied, "She might have to keep doing some of my stuff. I don't know how much I can do. This bloody arm put me behind. I had trouble walking. I fell over on the way to your cabin. I don't know if I'll be able to make it back."
Will's smile broadened and he said, "Well, you could just stay here tonight."
Katie's heart skipped a beat. Snapping out of it, she asked, "Yeah, but what about Kate?"
"What about her? She's 18 years old. She'll be fine."
"What was I thinking? Of course Kate'll be fine."
"So, will you stay?"
Katie didn't answer but leaned in and kissed Will passionately. In her head Katie thought, 'He LOVES me!' and then fell under the spell of love.
~*~
Doing as Katie had said, Kate left their cabin and went to find Jack. Unsure of where he was, Kate went up on deck. She found him quickly at the helm, steering the ship.
Upon walking up to him, she asked, "What was it you wanted, Captain?"
"Come 'ere," Jack said, gesturing to an empty space between himself and the wheel.
Kate raised a questioning eyebrow but did as she was told. Jack put his arms around her, grasped her hands, and moved them into the correct position on the wheel. He kept his arms around her as he showed her hands as to what do.
Still unsure as to what the point of this was, Kate asked, "What's this about?"
For a moment Jack didn't say anything, then he responded with, "Do you realize that right now, you could send this ship anywhere you want?"
"Yeah. That's what the wheel is for. Steering the ship," Kate responded.
"No, I don't mean just steering the ship. I mean that you can send the ship anywhere you want right now and I won't protest."
"What do you mean?" Kate asked, plainly confused.
"Where do you want to go, Kate?" Jack asked softly.
"I don't know."
"Well, you decide where the ship goes. If you want to go home then tell me and I'll let you take us back home. If you have somewhere else in mind, just say so and we could go there. But right now, you have freedom in your grasp."
Kate stood stunned for a moment. "No, I don't have freedom. If I go home, I'll be enslaved to live the life that I lived for nearly 18 years. If I stay here, I'll be a hostage."
"Not if you don't want to be, love. A ship, this ship is freedom. You could stay and have that."
"What are you asking me to do?" Kate asked.
"Nothing that you don't want to do. I want you to be able to choose your fortunes now. Its up to you what happens now with your life, Kathryn Black. No one else will make this decision for you."
Kate was taken aback by his use of her full name. Regaining her self- composure, she gently removed her hands from the wheel and turned around. She put her arms around Jack's neck and whispered into his ear, "I'll go where you go, Jack Sparrow."
Jack smiled and kissed her deeply, full of all the love that Kate ever thought a person could have. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and wished that they could stay in this spot forever. When they finally broke apart, Kate looked up at Jack with stardust filled eyes. She seemed so full of wonder, so happy, that he couldn't believe it. Never before had she looked this beautiful, this full of love, and now, now the look in her eyes, on her face drove Jack to love her more than he had ever.
Kate stared up at Jack, her heart full of love and light and happiness. This was where she belonged. Right here, in this spot. No matter what had happened before and no matter what would happen in the future, this was where she was meant to be. "I'll go where you go, Jack Sparrow," she repeated.
Jack laid a finger softly on her lips, kissed her briefly and gently pushed her off towards her cabin. "Go sleep," he whispered in her ear.
Obediently Kate made her way back to her cabin. It was a long time before she could get to sleep but when she did, she dreamt, not of home, but of Jack and the Pearl. Kate woke the next morning very early. Unsure what time it was, she made her way on deck and found Jack, as always, steering the ship. He seemed to be back to himself again. Kate walked over to the rail and stood and watched the horizon.
"Sleep well, love?" Jack asked in her ear.
"Very," she muttered intent on not playing along and getting upset.
"Well, then, what are you doing up?"
"Is it possible for me to do anything without being questioned?"
"Dunno. Is it?"
Kate sighed in mock annoyance and turned to face Jack. She was met by his kohl-lined eyes practically laughing at her and a mischievous smile on his face. At one look onto his face, Kate started laughing.
"What?" Jack asked confusedly.
Kate couldn't answer very well but kept laughing.
Jack kept asking what was wrong but Kate couldn't answer. Feeling rather confused, Jack walked back to the helm.
When Kate got her laughter under control, she turned and said, "You should have seen the look on your face. Priceless!"
Jack looked at her and then grinned mischievously again. "You definitely have been here too long, love. I don't think that you know what you're saying any more."
Kate smiled evilly and said, "Perhaps, but look at all I've learned. I can even best CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow at a fencing match."
"Oh really? You can best me, eh? I dunno about that, love? If you're going to make claims like that, we'll just have to see."
"Fine, then. Let's go," Kate said as she walked over to where Will and Katie kept the swords.
Jack looked at her quizzically but caught the sword that she threw him. "Are you drunk, love?"
"I don't get drunk, Captain."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I've never gotten drunk before in my life.
"I think me memory would argue that."
Kate blushed scarlet. "That wasn't my fault," she said stubbornly.
Jack rolled his eyes heavenward and attacked.
~*~
Will and Katie woke late the next morning. By the time they stumbled out of the cabin, the sun had risen to be directly above them.
"So there is life down there, eh?" Jack called from the helm.
Will nodded and went to help Kati e walk around the deck. Kate was helping the crew with some things on the deck but left what she was doing to check on Katie.
"How are you feeling?" Kate asked Katie when she walked over.
"Okay," Katie said, then she gave Kate a little gesture to Will, who had his hand firmly, clasped around her upper arm and winked.
Kate smiled and said, "Hey, Will, Jack wants you."
Will looked over at her, he hadn't really noticed that she was there. "Huh? Oh. Will you--"
Before Will could finish, Katie cut him off, "I'll be fine. Go, I swear, I won't die in the next couple minutes."
Kate laughed as Will walked off.
"I swear, he thinks I'm a bloody doll," Katie murmured under her breath.
"He cares about you. What did you think he was gonna do when you got yourself shot? He was half hysterical."
"Eh," Katie answered nonchalantly. "What are you so bloody cheery about today?"
"Oh, nothing," Kate said evasively.
"You lie," Katie responded without a moments hesitation.
Kate merely shrugged, continued to keep her stride even with Katie, so as to help her if she lost her balance, and kept her face blank.
'This would not do,' Katie thought. 'Well, I'll just have to worm it out of her, then. This could be fun.'
~*~
Will walked over to Jack, not quite understanding what this was about. "So," he said upon approaching Jack, "What do you need?"
Jack looked up and said, "What the bloody hell do you mean?"
"Kate said you needed me," Will responded.
Jack looked at Will and smiled broadly. "You've been tricked, mate."
"Come again."
"You've been had mate. I didn't need ya for anything. Looks like Miss Black tricked ye."
Will still didn't understand what Jack meant but kept it to himself. Instead, he turned and watched Katie watch the horizon.
Jack noticed that Will wasn't responding and said, "Eh, there, eunuch! Snap out of it."
Will whirled around, walked right up to Jack and bellowed, "I AM NOT A EUNUCH!"
Jack laughed maliciously and said, "Are you quite sure?"
"YES, I AM SURE!" Will shouted.
"Then stop acting like one."
"I'm not acting like a bloody eunuch."
"Then do something about defending your honour other than shouting at me like a woman . . . or a eunuch," Jack replied.
Will strode over to where the swords were kept and tossed one to Jack. Jack caught it and stood poised for Will's attack. When he did attack, Will fought with a strength that he had never shown before. Katie and Kate by this time had made their way over and watched this battle of egos that was occurring before them. Every time that either of the men gained even a slight advantage, the other took it away. Neither one would give up and they were equally matched for strength.
"Give up already," Jack hissed.
"Never," Will retorted. "You give up!"
"I don't give up."
"Why not?" Kate asked from the side.
"Because I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack responded.
"Ah...and because you're stubborn."
"Aye."
"How about you two both give it a rest," Katie suggested.
"No," Will and Jack replied together.
"Fine. We'll just leave then," Kate said.
Almost instantly, Will and Jack dropped their swords.
Katie laughed and said, "Boys with toys."
And with that, Katie and Kate walked away laughing, leaving Jack and Will looking confused.
~*~
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Kate now had a room to herself, Katie had moved in with Will. It seemed odd to her to have a room to herself, after sharing with Katie for so long. She felt a little isolated.
Sleep didn't seem to want to come tonight. Try as she might, she couldn't get to sleep.
Sighing in frustration, Kate rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. There were 117 knots in the wood, she had counted them about an hour ago. About on the verge of nervous collapse, Kate decided to do something that she hadn't done for a long time, tell herself a story. It had always worked when she was younger. She clamped her eyes shut and mentally began to spin her tale. Slowly sleep overtook her.
*Dream*
Kate was back home. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and Kate could see her brother and sister playing happily not far away. The sun was setting and it was nearly time for them to go to bed.
"David! Eliza! Come here," Kate heard the nurse shout.
Grudingly, the two made their way up to Kate and their nurse. An unhappier pair of eight-year-olds could not be seen.
"Do we have to Kate?" Eliza moaned. "I don't wanna go to bed."
Kate smiled down at her younger sister, ruffled her hair and said, "Yeah, you do. Papa wants you two to be in a good mood tomorrow."
"But we're not tired, Kate," David complained.
"I know, I know. But if you get dressed for bed and do everything that nurse asks, I'll come in and tell you a story," Kate said, playing with David's hair.
"Really Kate?" David asked. "Your stories are soooo good."
Kate smiled and very soon, she was sitting on Eliza's bed telling them a story about Captain Jack Sparrow, the dreaded pirate. "And he said, 'Barbossa, you'll---'" but Kate was cut off by the sound of an explosion rocketing the house. Eliza and David both screamed but Kate quickly hushed them and hid them under the bed. Screams could be heard from other parts of the house and Kate left the twins to investigate.
The air was thick with gun smoke and Kate could smell the metallic smell of blood. Upon walking out the door of the bedroom, Kate first saw her father lying the floor, staring unblinkingly up at her, a bullet hole in his chest. She stumbled down to the parlor and saw her mother trying to defend herself from the pirate who was approaching. Two shrill, childish screams split the din and Kate whirled around and ran back up to the twins' room. She entered and saw David lying dead on the bed, a bullet in his head. She couldn't find Eliza. Running into the next room, Kate saw Eliza lying in a puddle of her own blood, her throat had been slit. Kate screamed and collapsed to the ground. From a corner she heard soft menacing laughter. She whirled around and saw a pirate advancing on her, with hands outstretched. Kate tried to fight him off. She kicked and punched and clawed but the pirate forced her up against a wall and ---
*End Dream*
Screams split the atmosphere of the Black Pearl. It woke Jack from his deep sleep and in an instant, the voice registered as Kate's. Not bothering to pull a shirt or boots on, Jack lept out of bed and ran to Kate's room. There he found Kate thrashing around. She was screaming as though someone was trying to kill her and was scratching wildly at her body.
Jack grabbed her hands and shouted her name, once, twice and still she didn't wake. He sat down on the bed and shook her hard. She didn't wake. He pulled her into his arms and tried to hold her still and stop her from hurting herself. But still the girl wouldn't wake. At his wit's end, Jack slapped her.
Kate's eyes fluttered open. Jack could feel her heart beating like a caged animal against his bare chest. She was hyperventilating and shaking, still. Jack pulled her closer to his own chest, trying to get her to feel his own breathing, to match it. Eventually, it worked. Kate's body was wet with sweat and tears.
"Dead," Kate whispered hoarsely.
"What?" Jack asked.
"They're dead," Kate repeated before starting to cry once more.
"Whose dead, love?" Jack asked.
"My family," Kate said quietly. "They died in the attack. My father, just outside of the twins' room. My mother in the parlor. David, in his bedroom. Eliza, in the adjacent room. I saw them. I saw them with my own eyes."
"Kate, your family didn't die. You were alone in that house when I found you. I went into every room looting. No one was there."
"You didn't see them! It was horrible. The twins . . . my fault . . . didn't hide well . . . were found . . . only eight . . . my God . . . you didn't see them . . . so . . . still . . . only eight . . . oh my God . . . oh my God, it wasn't . . . fair," Kate buried her face into Jack's chest. "I should have died with them."
Jack started rocking back and forth, trying to soothe Kate. "It was a dream, Kate. It didn't happen. They didn't die."
Kate kept shaking, she couldn't stop it, as hard as she tried. "I didn't . . . couldn't help them . . . my fault."
"It didn't happen. They got out of your house. You were alone when I got there. They got out," Jack whispered in her ear. When Kate's shaking subsided, he moved her onto the bed. He lay down beside her, facing her and put his arm around her. Kate curled herself into a ball nestled into his chest. One of her hands holding onto his side. She stared at him, her fear showing in her eyes. Slowly, her tears started to slow as Kate's heart slowed, too. Eventually, the tears were only an occasional one here and there and then only a hiccup. Jack kept his arm around her and drew circles on her back, trying to be as soothing as he knew how (not that he had much practice at this, he was a pirate, after all). Kate kept her one hand clutched at Jack's side. She had a surprisingly tight grip, it was almost as if she was afraid that he would slip away. But eventually, Kate started to relax and was nearly asleep.
"It wasn't real?" she asked.
"No, love, it wasn't real."
"Mmmm....it felt so real, Jack."
"It was a dream, love."
"Love you, Jack," Kate whispered before falling asleep.
"I love you, too, love," Jack whispered. After a while, he fell asleep as well.
The next morning came all too quickly for Kate. She woke feeling safe and warm and comfortable. Memories of what had happened the night before came pouring into her mind along with the memory of the nightmare. It had been so real, so vivid, that she didn't wonder why she thought it was real. What had happened to her family? She had never really given it much thought, but now that she had seen them again, although in a dream, she wondered. And why, why hadn't she wondered about them before? She never even thought about how big Eliza and David would be...they were nine by now, she thought. And Colleen was pregnant when she left...what was the baby like or God forbid, had Colleen survived the childbirth? And Matthew, who joined the army, what had become of him? Or her parents? Or of her friends?
Feeling very low indeed, Kate pried herself out of Jack's arms and got dressed. That was a weird feeling, being in Jack's arms, she felt safe and secure, but that tiny rebellious part of her, which often got her into trouble, told her to push him off of her bed and start yelling at him. But for once, she wasn't going to do what that rebellious voice said, not today.
~*~
Final Note: So, was this enough to stave off any angry mobs?? If not, maybe this will help, we are going to try to update sometime before Easter...so, hopefully that will inspire you to review!
Disclaimer: We only own Katie and Kate along with other characters not appearing in the movie.
Last Time:
Jack reached out and grabbed her arm and gave her one last brief kiss and then pushed her gently towards the door. Kate, caught unaware, wasn't expecting the kiss and she stumbled slightly after Jack pushed her towards the door.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Chapter 12: Emotions
~*~
Feeling as though she was walking on air, Kate left the room. She wasn't very sure where to go but she wanted to go somewhere. Her heart was feeling all fluttery and she had an extra bounce to her step. So, she mused in her head, I guess records were made to be broken. Not sure of what to do, she decided to climb the mast. It seemed the only place to go. Katie and Will were busy, to say the least and she just left Jack so she didn't exactly want to go right back to him. So, she decided that staring into the horizon might be the best way to mull over her thoughts.
After quickly climbing up the mast, Kate settled herself in her usual place and gazed into the horizon. This wasn't bad at all. She wouldn't even want to go home, if she had the chance, any more. Or at least it would take some serious thought. This whole sailing thing was better than she had ever expected. Although, she had to admit that it had taken her a fairly long time to become even slightly adjusted to this and when she did, then she was ripped away from the familiarity and thrust into a new and more dangerous setting. And despite what she had faced, she wasn't feeling cold inside. She was feeling more alive than she ever had been...curious how things worked.
Deciding that she needed to go talk to Katie, she made her way down the mast and walked to the room that she and Katie shared.
She walked in without knocking and found Katie and Will a bit 'occupied' with each other. Covering her eyes, Kate shouted, "Will, get out!"
Will jerked his head away from Katie and looked over at Kate. Slowly, grudgingly, he got up and quickly left the cabin, partially hastened by the evil glare he was receiving from Kate.
"What?" Katie asked annoyedly.
"I have a confession," Kate stated bluntly.
"What?"
"I think that I'm falling in love with Jack."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Kate said, sinking down onto the bed. "I don't know how or why or when but I think its happening."
Katie stared at Kate in shock for a moment and then started to laugh loudly.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Kate said, though smiling herself.
"Yes, yes it is," Katie said, clutching at her sides.
"No it's not!"
Katie eventually stopped laughing and asked, "Okay. What do ya mean, yer falling in love with Jack?"
Kate started to pace around the cabin. After a moment she said, "What does it mean when anyone says they're falling in love with someone? I mean that I think that I love Captain Jack Sparrow."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
Kate stopped pacing for a minute and looked at Katie with a confused expression on her face. "What am I supposed to do about it?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Katie asked.
"I don't know! I don't even know what I think about it. Let alone what he would say. I just...gah! How am I supposed to figure anything out around here?"
"Don't get riled. This isn't a big deal."
"Isn't a big DEAL?" Kate asked in shock. "What do you mean, isn't a big deal. I'm falling in love with a man who . . . who kidnapped me and and saved me and . . . and . . ."
"And loves you," Katie finished for her.
Kate stopped fishing for words at this pronouncement. In a less frazzled voice she asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean Jack loves you. How blunt do I have to be? Honestly. Jack loves you. Do you need me to spell it out for you to understand?"
"Well," Kate started.
"Well, I won't. I can't spell. Never learned."
Kate resumed her pacing around the cabin. "So, let me get this straight. I think that I'm falling in love with Jack and you're telling me that Jack loves me, right?"
"Right."
"How long have you known this?"
"Known what?"
"That Jack loves me?"
"Oh, since you got here."
"You mean just recently, right?" Kate asked.
"No, I mean when you first got here."
"How is that possible? He didn't even know me. How can you love someone whose name and entire personality is a mystery?"
"Ye just can. That's how," a new voice said from the doorway.
Kate stopped pacing abruptly and whirled around. Jack was standing in the doorway, grinning maliciously. Kate's eyes grew very big and she jumped slightly.
"Now, Jack, can't ye knock next time. Me and Kate here were having an important conversation," Katie said grinning.
Kate seemed temporarily speechless. She just stared wide-eyed around the cabin, wishing whole-heartedly that she had shut the door. "Okay. Now what?"
"Huh?" Katie and Jack both said.
"Now what?" Kate repeated.
"I think you've been here too long, love. You're not making any sense," Jack said.
"I don't know what I'm saying," Kate said slowly, sinking down to the bed.
"That's obvious," Katie said wisely. "Anyone could see that." Kate nodded slowly and Katie added, "Now, Jack, can't ye leave. Me and Kate were having an important conversation."
"I heard," Jack said, still not moving from the doorway.
"Yeah, well go run along then. And Kate will come find ye when we're done talking, savvy?" Katie said.
Jack rolled his eyes and walked away.
"So," Katie began. "What was it that you were saying?"
"I asked how you could love someone that you haven't even talked to except once and even then it was when the person was upset," Kate said.
"I don't know. You never can tell with Jack. 'E's a hard one to place, he is."
"Yeah, I know. I'm learning that more and more of late."
"Well, don't just sit here. Do something."
"What?" Kate asked.
"I dunno. Anything. Preferably, take off these bloody bandages from me shoulder and then go up and talk to Jack."
"But I just talked to him a few minutes ago, before I came down here. How much talking does a girl have to do?"
"So, if you were just talking to Jack, why did he come down here?"
Kate huffed annoyedly. "How am I supposed to know? We were talking and then kissing and then talking because Jack wanted to go farther and I can't. Not now. So we talked a lot. I told him what happened and everything. And he understood. Just held me to him, he did. Really great about everything."
"Yeah, well, Jack can be like that from time to time. Occasionally pulls one off where he's the good guy," Katie said, knowing full well that she was baiting Kate.
"Jack is a good man! He hasn't tried anything on me and he would do anything that he could to protect me. He didn't even try to make me go faster than I want to go with all this stuff. He's only been kind to me and he risked his life for me and we love each other!" Kate said in an angry voice while rising from the bed in an instant.
"Well, there you go then. That's you're answer," Katie said.
Kate looked at her, not understanding. "What?"
Katie sighed and said, "That's how you feel about Jack. You just told me. So now that you know how you feel, do something about it."
Kate looked at her in shock and murmured a quiet, "Oh," before walking over to Katie and starting to fix her arm.
Katie smiled and moved slightly so that Kate could remove the bandages on her shoulder. After they were gone, Katie moved her arm slowly up and down and side to side. "Feels good to move again," she said quietly.
"I can imagine. You can go ahead and get up tonight, if you want," Kate said.
"Finally," Katie said gleefully. After a moment, Katie looked at Kate and said, "What are you still doing here? Go talk to Jack!"
Kate paused and asked timidly, "What do I say?"
"Whatever you feel like saying!"
"Oh," Kate said. After a moment's pause she turned and walked out of the room and went up on deck to find Jack.
~*~
Alone once again, Katie sat up straighter on the bed. Wincing slightly, she stood up, unaccustomed to the feel of her feet against the wood floor, after so long of being in bed. Tentatively, she walked around the cabin, keeping herself within arm's reach of the wall just in case her legs decided to fail her.
Feeling rather shaky but confident, Katie made her way slowly towards Will's cabin. Her legs had forgotten the feel of the ship moving beneath her and when the ship gave a particularly violent jolt, she fell.
Swearing under her breath, Katie dug her fingernails into the wall and tried to pull herself up. After regaining her balance, Katie slowly made progress towards Will's cabin. Very slow progress. When she finally got there, she knocked on the door and then leaned up against the door, resting while waiting for Will to open the door.
She didn't have long to wait. Once Will had opened the door, Katie walked in and sat down on his bed. Will looked at her questioningly and joined her on the bed.
"So," Will asked, "Did Kate let you come here or did you just get bored?"
Katie gave Will a mock-scandalized look and said, "I'm shocked." She smiled and added, "She said I could get up. I didn't ask where I could go. I shouldn't have to. I'm a pirate and I'm older than her!"
"Aye," Will said he started stroking her arm, near her shoulder. "Feel good to move?"
"You have no idea," Katie agreed. "I was about to loose me mind. I don't think that I could have stayed in that bloody cabin for another day, it was unbelievably dull."
"Well, Jack will be glad to have you moving around again. Kate's been doing some of your duties and then the rest of the crew makes up for what she doesn't know how to do. Although, that is getting to be less and less every day."
"We've got a new pirate then, eh?" Katie asked.
Will pondered this for a moment and said, "Well, not quite. I don't think that she'd break the law or drink or do anything like what we do but we do have a new sailor at least."
Katie smiled and replied, "She might have to keep doing some of my stuff. I don't know how much I can do. This bloody arm put me behind. I had trouble walking. I fell over on the way to your cabin. I don't know if I'll be able to make it back."
Will's smile broadened and he said, "Well, you could just stay here tonight."
Katie's heart skipped a beat. Snapping out of it, she asked, "Yeah, but what about Kate?"
"What about her? She's 18 years old. She'll be fine."
"What was I thinking? Of course Kate'll be fine."
"So, will you stay?"
Katie didn't answer but leaned in and kissed Will passionately. In her head Katie thought, 'He LOVES me!' and then fell under the spell of love.
~*~
Doing as Katie had said, Kate left their cabin and went to find Jack. Unsure of where he was, Kate went up on deck. She found him quickly at the helm, steering the ship.
Upon walking up to him, she asked, "What was it you wanted, Captain?"
"Come 'ere," Jack said, gesturing to an empty space between himself and the wheel.
Kate raised a questioning eyebrow but did as she was told. Jack put his arms around her, grasped her hands, and moved them into the correct position on the wheel. He kept his arms around her as he showed her hands as to what do.
Still unsure as to what the point of this was, Kate asked, "What's this about?"
For a moment Jack didn't say anything, then he responded with, "Do you realize that right now, you could send this ship anywhere you want?"
"Yeah. That's what the wheel is for. Steering the ship," Kate responded.
"No, I don't mean just steering the ship. I mean that you can send the ship anywhere you want right now and I won't protest."
"What do you mean?" Kate asked, plainly confused.
"Where do you want to go, Kate?" Jack asked softly.
"I don't know."
"Well, you decide where the ship goes. If you want to go home then tell me and I'll let you take us back home. If you have somewhere else in mind, just say so and we could go there. But right now, you have freedom in your grasp."
Kate stood stunned for a moment. "No, I don't have freedom. If I go home, I'll be enslaved to live the life that I lived for nearly 18 years. If I stay here, I'll be a hostage."
"Not if you don't want to be, love. A ship, this ship is freedom. You could stay and have that."
"What are you asking me to do?" Kate asked.
"Nothing that you don't want to do. I want you to be able to choose your fortunes now. Its up to you what happens now with your life, Kathryn Black. No one else will make this decision for you."
Kate was taken aback by his use of her full name. Regaining her self- composure, she gently removed her hands from the wheel and turned around. She put her arms around Jack's neck and whispered into his ear, "I'll go where you go, Jack Sparrow."
Jack smiled and kissed her deeply, full of all the love that Kate ever thought a person could have. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and wished that they could stay in this spot forever. When they finally broke apart, Kate looked up at Jack with stardust filled eyes. She seemed so full of wonder, so happy, that he couldn't believe it. Never before had she looked this beautiful, this full of love, and now, now the look in her eyes, on her face drove Jack to love her more than he had ever.
Kate stared up at Jack, her heart full of love and light and happiness. This was where she belonged. Right here, in this spot. No matter what had happened before and no matter what would happen in the future, this was where she was meant to be. "I'll go where you go, Jack Sparrow," she repeated.
Jack laid a finger softly on her lips, kissed her briefly and gently pushed her off towards her cabin. "Go sleep," he whispered in her ear.
Obediently Kate made her way back to her cabin. It was a long time before she could get to sleep but when she did, she dreamt, not of home, but of Jack and the Pearl. Kate woke the next morning very early. Unsure what time it was, she made her way on deck and found Jack, as always, steering the ship. He seemed to be back to himself again. Kate walked over to the rail and stood and watched the horizon.
"Sleep well, love?" Jack asked in her ear.
"Very," she muttered intent on not playing along and getting upset.
"Well, then, what are you doing up?"
"Is it possible for me to do anything without being questioned?"
"Dunno. Is it?"
Kate sighed in mock annoyance and turned to face Jack. She was met by his kohl-lined eyes practically laughing at her and a mischievous smile on his face. At one look onto his face, Kate started laughing.
"What?" Jack asked confusedly.
Kate couldn't answer very well but kept laughing.
Jack kept asking what was wrong but Kate couldn't answer. Feeling rather confused, Jack walked back to the helm.
When Kate got her laughter under control, she turned and said, "You should have seen the look on your face. Priceless!"
Jack looked at her and then grinned mischievously again. "You definitely have been here too long, love. I don't think that you know what you're saying any more."
Kate smiled evilly and said, "Perhaps, but look at all I've learned. I can even best CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow at a fencing match."
"Oh really? You can best me, eh? I dunno about that, love? If you're going to make claims like that, we'll just have to see."
"Fine, then. Let's go," Kate said as she walked over to where Will and Katie kept the swords.
Jack looked at her quizzically but caught the sword that she threw him. "Are you drunk, love?"
"I don't get drunk, Captain."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I've never gotten drunk before in my life.
"I think me memory would argue that."
Kate blushed scarlet. "That wasn't my fault," she said stubbornly.
Jack rolled his eyes heavenward and attacked.
~*~
Will and Katie woke late the next morning. By the time they stumbled out of the cabin, the sun had risen to be directly above them.
"So there is life down there, eh?" Jack called from the helm.
Will nodded and went to help Kati e walk around the deck. Kate was helping the crew with some things on the deck but left what she was doing to check on Katie.
"How are you feeling?" Kate asked Katie when she walked over.
"Okay," Katie said, then she gave Kate a little gesture to Will, who had his hand firmly, clasped around her upper arm and winked.
Kate smiled and said, "Hey, Will, Jack wants you."
Will looked over at her, he hadn't really noticed that she was there. "Huh? Oh. Will you--"
Before Will could finish, Katie cut him off, "I'll be fine. Go, I swear, I won't die in the next couple minutes."
Kate laughed as Will walked off.
"I swear, he thinks I'm a bloody doll," Katie murmured under her breath.
"He cares about you. What did you think he was gonna do when you got yourself shot? He was half hysterical."
"Eh," Katie answered nonchalantly. "What are you so bloody cheery about today?"
"Oh, nothing," Kate said evasively.
"You lie," Katie responded without a moments hesitation.
Kate merely shrugged, continued to keep her stride even with Katie, so as to help her if she lost her balance, and kept her face blank.
'This would not do,' Katie thought. 'Well, I'll just have to worm it out of her, then. This could be fun.'
~*~
Will walked over to Jack, not quite understanding what this was about. "So," he said upon approaching Jack, "What do you need?"
Jack looked up and said, "What the bloody hell do you mean?"
"Kate said you needed me," Will responded.
Jack looked at Will and smiled broadly. "You've been tricked, mate."
"Come again."
"You've been had mate. I didn't need ya for anything. Looks like Miss Black tricked ye."
Will still didn't understand what Jack meant but kept it to himself. Instead, he turned and watched Katie watch the horizon.
Jack noticed that Will wasn't responding and said, "Eh, there, eunuch! Snap out of it."
Will whirled around, walked right up to Jack and bellowed, "I AM NOT A EUNUCH!"
Jack laughed maliciously and said, "Are you quite sure?"
"YES, I AM SURE!" Will shouted.
"Then stop acting like one."
"I'm not acting like a bloody eunuch."
"Then do something about defending your honour other than shouting at me like a woman . . . or a eunuch," Jack replied.
Will strode over to where the swords were kept and tossed one to Jack. Jack caught it and stood poised for Will's attack. When he did attack, Will fought with a strength that he had never shown before. Katie and Kate by this time had made their way over and watched this battle of egos that was occurring before them. Every time that either of the men gained even a slight advantage, the other took it away. Neither one would give up and they were equally matched for strength.
"Give up already," Jack hissed.
"Never," Will retorted. "You give up!"
"I don't give up."
"Why not?" Kate asked from the side.
"Because I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack responded.
"Ah...and because you're stubborn."
"Aye."
"How about you two both give it a rest," Katie suggested.
"No," Will and Jack replied together.
"Fine. We'll just leave then," Kate said.
Almost instantly, Will and Jack dropped their swords.
Katie laughed and said, "Boys with toys."
And with that, Katie and Kate walked away laughing, leaving Jack and Will looking confused.
~*~
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Kate now had a room to herself, Katie had moved in with Will. It seemed odd to her to have a room to herself, after sharing with Katie for so long. She felt a little isolated.
Sleep didn't seem to want to come tonight. Try as she might, she couldn't get to sleep.
Sighing in frustration, Kate rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. There were 117 knots in the wood, she had counted them about an hour ago. About on the verge of nervous collapse, Kate decided to do something that she hadn't done for a long time, tell herself a story. It had always worked when she was younger. She clamped her eyes shut and mentally began to spin her tale. Slowly sleep overtook her.
*Dream*
Kate was back home. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and Kate could see her brother and sister playing happily not far away. The sun was setting and it was nearly time for them to go to bed.
"David! Eliza! Come here," Kate heard the nurse shout.
Grudingly, the two made their way up to Kate and their nurse. An unhappier pair of eight-year-olds could not be seen.
"Do we have to Kate?" Eliza moaned. "I don't wanna go to bed."
Kate smiled down at her younger sister, ruffled her hair and said, "Yeah, you do. Papa wants you two to be in a good mood tomorrow."
"But we're not tired, Kate," David complained.
"I know, I know. But if you get dressed for bed and do everything that nurse asks, I'll come in and tell you a story," Kate said, playing with David's hair.
"Really Kate?" David asked. "Your stories are soooo good."
Kate smiled and very soon, she was sitting on Eliza's bed telling them a story about Captain Jack Sparrow, the dreaded pirate. "And he said, 'Barbossa, you'll---'" but Kate was cut off by the sound of an explosion rocketing the house. Eliza and David both screamed but Kate quickly hushed them and hid them under the bed. Screams could be heard from other parts of the house and Kate left the twins to investigate.
The air was thick with gun smoke and Kate could smell the metallic smell of blood. Upon walking out the door of the bedroom, Kate first saw her father lying the floor, staring unblinkingly up at her, a bullet hole in his chest. She stumbled down to the parlor and saw her mother trying to defend herself from the pirate who was approaching. Two shrill, childish screams split the din and Kate whirled around and ran back up to the twins' room. She entered and saw David lying dead on the bed, a bullet in his head. She couldn't find Eliza. Running into the next room, Kate saw Eliza lying in a puddle of her own blood, her throat had been slit. Kate screamed and collapsed to the ground. From a corner she heard soft menacing laughter. She whirled around and saw a pirate advancing on her, with hands outstretched. Kate tried to fight him off. She kicked and punched and clawed but the pirate forced her up against a wall and ---
*End Dream*
Screams split the atmosphere of the Black Pearl. It woke Jack from his deep sleep and in an instant, the voice registered as Kate's. Not bothering to pull a shirt or boots on, Jack lept out of bed and ran to Kate's room. There he found Kate thrashing around. She was screaming as though someone was trying to kill her and was scratching wildly at her body.
Jack grabbed her hands and shouted her name, once, twice and still she didn't wake. He sat down on the bed and shook her hard. She didn't wake. He pulled her into his arms and tried to hold her still and stop her from hurting herself. But still the girl wouldn't wake. At his wit's end, Jack slapped her.
Kate's eyes fluttered open. Jack could feel her heart beating like a caged animal against his bare chest. She was hyperventilating and shaking, still. Jack pulled her closer to his own chest, trying to get her to feel his own breathing, to match it. Eventually, it worked. Kate's body was wet with sweat and tears.
"Dead," Kate whispered hoarsely.
"What?" Jack asked.
"They're dead," Kate repeated before starting to cry once more.
"Whose dead, love?" Jack asked.
"My family," Kate said quietly. "They died in the attack. My father, just outside of the twins' room. My mother in the parlor. David, in his bedroom. Eliza, in the adjacent room. I saw them. I saw them with my own eyes."
"Kate, your family didn't die. You were alone in that house when I found you. I went into every room looting. No one was there."
"You didn't see them! It was horrible. The twins . . . my fault . . . didn't hide well . . . were found . . . only eight . . . my God . . . you didn't see them . . . so . . . still . . . only eight . . . oh my God . . . oh my God, it wasn't . . . fair," Kate buried her face into Jack's chest. "I should have died with them."
Jack started rocking back and forth, trying to soothe Kate. "It was a dream, Kate. It didn't happen. They didn't die."
Kate kept shaking, she couldn't stop it, as hard as she tried. "I didn't . . . couldn't help them . . . my fault."
"It didn't happen. They got out of your house. You were alone when I got there. They got out," Jack whispered in her ear. When Kate's shaking subsided, he moved her onto the bed. He lay down beside her, facing her and put his arm around her. Kate curled herself into a ball nestled into his chest. One of her hands holding onto his side. She stared at him, her fear showing in her eyes. Slowly, her tears started to slow as Kate's heart slowed, too. Eventually, the tears were only an occasional one here and there and then only a hiccup. Jack kept his arm around her and drew circles on her back, trying to be as soothing as he knew how (not that he had much practice at this, he was a pirate, after all). Kate kept her one hand clutched at Jack's side. She had a surprisingly tight grip, it was almost as if she was afraid that he would slip away. But eventually, Kate started to relax and was nearly asleep.
"It wasn't real?" she asked.
"No, love, it wasn't real."
"Mmmm....it felt so real, Jack."
"It was a dream, love."
"Love you, Jack," Kate whispered before falling asleep.
"I love you, too, love," Jack whispered. After a while, he fell asleep as well.
The next morning came all too quickly for Kate. She woke feeling safe and warm and comfortable. Memories of what had happened the night before came pouring into her mind along with the memory of the nightmare. It had been so real, so vivid, that she didn't wonder why she thought it was real. What had happened to her family? She had never really given it much thought, but now that she had seen them again, although in a dream, she wondered. And why, why hadn't she wondered about them before? She never even thought about how big Eliza and David would be...they were nine by now, she thought. And Colleen was pregnant when she left...what was the baby like or God forbid, had Colleen survived the childbirth? And Matthew, who joined the army, what had become of him? Or her parents? Or of her friends?
Feeling very low indeed, Kate pried herself out of Jack's arms and got dressed. That was a weird feeling, being in Jack's arms, she felt safe and secure, but that tiny rebellious part of her, which often got her into trouble, told her to push him off of her bed and start yelling at him. But for once, she wasn't going to do what that rebellious voice said, not today.
~*~
Final Note: So, was this enough to stave off any angry mobs?? If not, maybe this will help, we are going to try to update sometime before Easter...so, hopefully that will inspire you to review!