Um…I realized after I posted the original chapter eight that I wasn't happy with it. So I took it down, fixed it up and this is what we have now. The things that happened in to original chapter eight are now non-existent. Meaning Jack and his inner turmoil never happened, there was no hugging, and no sleeping on the floor. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE, DAMMIT!! I never intended it to be and it never will. Cari's feelings are a side-plot, and not the focus of the story. (Note: Cari's feelings. Meaning Jack does not have the same feelings about her as she has about him) Nothing will ever happen between those two. Zip, zilch, zero, nada, nothing. Sorry to if I've caused any disappointment, and you all may flame me if you wish.
On with the chapter!
What do you do when you have no one to talk to? When you feel like you'll explode if you don't say something, but you can't speak? When you want to reach out for help, but no one's there? When you want to talk, but no one will listen? Cari was confined to her cabin, and she began to pace. She wanted to scream. Thoughts circled her mind like vultures. She sat down at her table and put her head in her hands. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" If you were in this situation, you would probably find a trustworthy person and then tell them everything. Cari, however, fell asleep, and landed in a dream.
She was sitting on a chair in a white room. And the only other person there, was herself. She stared at the woman who was her.
"Alright, let's get one thing settled before we begin." The other Cari said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you, or do you not, love Captain Jack Sparrow?"
Cari felt the blush creep up her cheeks. She stared at the ground. In an inaudible whisper, she said, "I do."
The other Cari sighed. "I thought you were over these fantasies. You haven't had one in a few years. Still, no one is immune to the opposite sex." She leaned in close. "You know what to do. Say it."
Still in the inaudible whisper, she stated, "Men are scum."
"Louder." The other Cari taunted.
"Men are scum." Her voice rose to it's normal volume.
But that wasn't enough. "Louder!"
"MEN ARE SCUM!!!" Cari screamed, the words tearing into her heart. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she recited the rest. "They hurt you. They hurt you and don't give a damn about you the next morning. You might as well be dead if you go near them. Their only desire is to break you. You're a worthless piece of filth and garbage to them. Give your heart to a man-" She choked back a sob. "-and you'll regret it for the rest of you days. Men are scum."
The other Cari stared coldly at her while she cried. After she finished, the other Cari spoke. "Just keep telling yourself that. Look at you. You're a pathetic little orphan with no future. You're ruined."
Cari glanced down at her clothes, and realized she was in her sixteen-year-old body. Her hair was cut jaggedly, as if chopped off with a knife. It had been, Cari remembered, she'd cut it herself. Her shirt was blood-stained and had the sleeves cut off, showing her scar to them all. Her pants were also cut. She wore no shoes. You could run better without shoes. She realized this was the look of a hurt woman. You could take one look at her and her sad face, and know something terrible had happened. That was the look she'd wanted then, but now, she wanted her own body back.
"Cari, you realize I only make you say these things every time you decide to fall in love because I don't want us to get hurt, right? I don't want our hearts broken, and whatever shattered bits of hope we have left taken." The other Cari suddenly looked, well, frightened. "It would never have worked anyway." She continued gently. "He's not the sort that can be tied to one woman. And you've got a ship to run. A no-men ship. You just can't fall in love."
"I know." She murmured.
"Good." The other Cari sighed. "Well, I'll be going. Let's not have to have this conversation again." And she was gone.
Cari felt the tears well up again. She couldn't even confide in herself. Rocking back and forth in her chair, she shakily started to sing. "No pain could be deeper, no life could be cheaper, no point anymore, if he can't love me. No hope he would do so, no dream to pursue, so-" She blindly groped for something on her belt as tears blurred her vision. "I look to myself, despise all the things I see." She found what she wanted and pulled it out from it's place on her belt. "For I know that he cannot set me free." The dagger gleamed in the light. She held out her arm. "Let the world be done with-" she pressed it to her skin, slitting her wrist. The blood tricked down her arm, making pools on the spotless floor. "-me…"
"Cap'n?"
Cari jolted awake. Ignoring Sara, who stood in the doorway, she pulled up her sleeve and examined her wrist. There was nothing. No cut, no blood, no scar. She checked herself. She was twenty-one again, no longer the hurt child. But the words echoed in her mind. 'Men are scum.'
"Cap'n?" Sara repeated.
"I-I think I need some air." Cari stood, her gaze focused on something far away.
"Are ye alright?" Sara asked.
"A bad dream." Cari shook herself. "That's all." She turned to Sara and gave her a shaky smile. "Let's go."
They went out. Cari felt a dull ache as she caught sight of Jack. This was turning out to be a terrible day.
And then it got worse.
Without a warning, hands were snaking up her sides. They grabbed the bottom of her shirt and began to pull it over her head. Fear etched into her heart. She had not said no the first time, rum had thickened her tongue. She had not said no the second time, fear had frozen her limbs. But this time. This time she would say no.
Her shirt was off. And it welled up inside her, all the hurt and the hate and the hope. And then-
The resounding scream echoed, as well as the punch. But Cari had not touched the bastard who dared touch her. She had been screaming to the sky, not looking at him behind her. She turned around, her legs shaking. Smalls had materialized between her and Allen, and her fist was raised.
"Bitch!" he stumbled away, holding his nose.
"Ye deserved it. And if ye lay another hand on her, ye'll regret it." Smalls spat at him.
Things were spinning out of control. Cari sank to her knees, watching the storm break. She vaguely remembered she had no shirt on, then grabbed it and covered herself.
There was a thud from across the deck. Jesabel stood beside the mast, anger in her eyes. She pointed at Smalls, as if accusing her of crime. "Ye don't touch my brother."
And then he was there, beside Smalls. He had a plan. He whispered something to Smalls, nodding his head at Jesabel. Smalls nodded, and took off. She ran to Jesabel and grabbed her in a headlock. Cari briefly turned her eyes to the two women, but then her gaze wandered back to Jack. In one swift, fluid movement he had Allen by the collar and a gun to the man's neck.
"Ye are the reason for this ship. Ye raped Cari before. Then, ye come on this ship that is meant to keep men like ye out, and ye rape her again. And now, she's carryin' yer child." He said, hate lacing his words. "So, I'm sendin' ye to Hell."
He was going to kill him. Jack was going to kill Allen. Cari knew she should do something, anything, but she sat behind Jack, her shirt clutched to her chest.
The bastard had the nerve to laugh at Jack's threat. "Ye can't kill me. Ye've only got one shot, and yer not gonna use it for me."
Cari glanced over at Smalls and Jesabel. Smalls now had Jesabel's hands behind her back, but Jesabel had stopped struggling and was pale.
Smalls snickered. "That's right. An auntie."
So she knew now. Knew about the child. Cari heard Jack chuckle and looked up.
"Aye, me gun only has one shot. But this is Smalls' gun, and she has plenty bullets." Jack smirked, a grim smile on his face. So he was enjoying this, then. "And the first one has your name on it." He cocked the gun.
Allen's face became as pale as his sister's. He realized he really was going to die. Let him wriggle. Cari was beginning to enjoy this as well. She realized again that she had no shirt on, and pulled it over her head.
"Any last words?" Jack raised his eyebrows.
Allen's face contorted into a snarl. "Ye son of a bitch!"
The ever-witty Jack replied with, "Lad, me mother ain't no bitch."
And he pulled the trigger.
A snippet of song reached Cari's mind. As Allen's body fell to the deck, she sang, barely audible, "And it didn't take them long to decide, that Earl had to die." She stared coldly at the dead man before her. "Good-bye Earl…"
"NOOOOOOOO!" Jesabel's anguished cry snapped Cari back into the harsh reality of what had just happened.
She was aware of them talking above her, of Smalls and Jack exchanging guns, of Roseline having an ounce of sense and herding the crew into the galley. Smalls and Jack had tried to make her stand, but someone, maybe Lauren, told them to 'leave the Cap'n alone, she's bloody fine without ye two hoverin' over her!'. Cari, Jesabel, and a shape in a corner that was most likely Bramble were the only ones above deck. She continued to stare at the body, and at Jesabel beside it. Jesabel turned to her, her eyes raging infernos.
"It's all your fault." Jesabel said slowly.
"My fault?" Cari whispered.
"Your fault. You were hurt by my brother. So what? That doesn't give you any right to kill him!" Jesabel shouted.
Cari stood up shakily. "I didn't kill him."
"Sure." Jesabel stood too. "Of course you didn't plan that all out with them. Playing innocent behind your heroes." Jesabel advanced on her, her eyes never leaving Cari's face. "And being with child! Ha! Just another lie. A lie to make everyone pity you and feel sorry for you. Well, the rest of us already feel sorry for ourselves, we don't need to worry about you!"
"Jes-" Cari choked out. She didn't like this. She wanted to be in her cabin, curled beneath the covers. Anywhere but here.
"Good-bye Cari." Jesabel growled. She ran towards her. "I'll see you in Hell!"
Jesabel shoved Cari to the ground. Cari groaned. A hand grabbed her neck. She kicked blindly. She struck Jesabel's knee, and the hold on her neck disappeared. Cari stood, and ran. Jesabel chased her, she reached the side of the deck, then turned to fight Jesabel. Jesabel punched her in the face, hard. She fell, and threw an arm out to stop herself. Her head banged against the railing. Collapsing to the ground, she heard a sickening crunch as she landed on her arm. Blood trickled down her face and the back of her neck. Through half-closed eyes she stared up at Jesabel. Jesabel was not Jesabel. Jesabel was a madwoman, laughing maniacally at the pain of her former friend. Someone ran across the deck and into the galley, then boots thundered up and onto the deck. The horrible laughter rang in Cari's ears as they lifted her up, trying not to jostle her arm or head. And that was all she could remember.
Being in the middle of the ocean and having no doctor was not a good thing. Lauren was the closest they had to one, and even then, there still wasn't much they could do for her except bandage her up and send her to bed. Seeing how she was pretty much asleep already, the sleeping part wasn't hard at all. She slept on and off for two days, until she finally awoke.
Cari stirred. Her eyes slowly opened.
"Mornin', Sleepin' Beauty." Smalls grinned down at her. "Had a nice rest?"
She sat up. "What happened?" She rubbed her head, finding a bandage on her forehead. Her fingers traced it around the back of her head. Dried blood met her fingertips. Smalls stared at her, a sad look playing upon her face.
"Ye remember nothin'?" she asked.
"I remember that Jack killed him. And then Jesabel…" Cari stopped. "That's all I know."
"She tried to kill ye." Smalls whispered, staring at her feet. "And she nearly did."
"Not true." Cari said, trying to get out of her hammock. It was then she realized her arm was in a sling. "It's not true."
"Cari, I wouldn't lie. It's true. Jesabel came close to mutiny." Smalls replied, putting an arm on Cari's good shoulder. With a gentle shove, she pushed her back down.
"Where is Jesabel? I want to talk to her!" Cari struggled to get up, but Smalls held her down. "Tell me where she is!"
"She's in the brig." Smalls told her, her face turning to stone. "And she'll stay there until we decide her punishment."
"'We'? Who's 'we'? I'm the Captain." Cari pointed out.
"But yer in no condition-" Smalls was cut off.
"Shut yer trap!" Cari screamed. "I am not a doll all of ye need ta spend every damn moment fussin' over! I am Captain, and I say what happens ta the girls on this ship! So don think that ye can take over just because of a few minor injuries! I am bloody fine!"
Smalls stood there, unsure of what to say next. Cari put her hand to her head, now she had a headache. Smalls sighed, then exited the cabin. Cari closed her eyes. Sleep didn't sound so bad.
"Excuse me, Cap'n?" Sara's voice was tiny.
She cracked one eye open. "Aye?"
Sara entered cautiously, a map in hand, as if afraid Cari would bite her head off. "We were just wonderin' what to do about Sparrow."
"What about 'im?" Cari asked.
"Well, he can't stay on this ship forever." Sara reasoned.
"Oh. Right." Cari's heart sank, despite having told herself before she would stop loving him.
"And ye see-" Sara unrolled the map and held it up. "-we're right here-" she pointed to a spot in the middle of the ocean. "-and Tortuga is a two-day sail away." She pointed to the island town. "And we thought we could drop him off there, and ye can see a doctor."
Cari nodded. "Alright. But I'm not sure they have doctors in Tortuga."
"With all the tavern brawls, there has ta be at least one." Sara said with a small laugh.
"Well, then, set our course for Tortuga." Cari wavered her hand, a fake smile on her face.
"Aye, Cap'n." Sara left, sighing in relief.
And now that that matter was taken care of…She lay back in her hammock, and five minutes later was asleep.
Songs Used:
'If I Can't Love Her (Reprise)' from 'Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway Musical'
'Good-bye Earl' by the Dixie Chicks