Tara walked out on deck. The ship was making it's way to Tortuga slowly. Ben had given Tara some clean clothes- an old shirt and baggy trousers, and helped her dress the wound on her leg and clean her face. Now he was standing by the wheel, looking up at the midnight sky.
"Thank you," she said, walking over to him.
He flashed her a smile. "You look lovely dressed as a pirate. Like you're meant to be one."
She smiled grimly. "I tried that. It didn't work out. So, tell me, how did you get into this business?"
He laughed. "It's simple, really. My parents ran an inn in Tortuga. When they were murdered, the pirates on the island took me in and brought me up. I've lived on the sea since I was six."
She couldn't think of anything to say. She walked up next to him, and touched his arm tenderly. He stroked her cheek.
"What happened with you and Jack Sparrow?" he asked.
She turned away. "It was... a while ago. I was kidnapped by Captain Muse, and he saved me. And I fell for him. We were... were engaged for a while. Then I found out he killed my mother. So I left him."
Her voice was blunt, cold. It hurt her to talk about Jack. Ben sighed.
"Did he kill her deliberately?"
"No," she said grudgingly.
"We all make mistakes," he said simply.
Tears welled up in Tara's eyes. They began to fall before she could stop them. Ben slipped an arm around her shoulders.
"You still love him, don't you?"
She nodded. "Yes," she whispered. It was the first time she had admitted it out loud for a long time.
For a long time Ben held her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Then she stepped back.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes. Is there anyone special for you?"
He sighed. "Yes. And no. It's... it's complicated."
"Who is she?"
"It isn't a she."
"Then it's a-?"
"He, yes," Ben said.
"Oh. I see what you mean by complicated. So are you together?" she asked.
He shook his head sadly. "No. His name is Richard. He runs an inn in Tortuga. I always go and see him, and he's admitted more than once that he loves me. But he says he can't have a relationship with a man."
Tara sighed. "Poor you."
He shrugged. "I'm alive. What more can I ask for?"
His words played in Tara's head. She was alive, but it seemed like only half a life without Jack Sparrow.
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I still haven't really settled into writing this. But hey, its coming along.
"Thank you," she said, walking over to him.
He flashed her a smile. "You look lovely dressed as a pirate. Like you're meant to be one."
She smiled grimly. "I tried that. It didn't work out. So, tell me, how did you get into this business?"
He laughed. "It's simple, really. My parents ran an inn in Tortuga. When they were murdered, the pirates on the island took me in and brought me up. I've lived on the sea since I was six."
She couldn't think of anything to say. She walked up next to him, and touched his arm tenderly. He stroked her cheek.
"What happened with you and Jack Sparrow?" he asked.
She turned away. "It was... a while ago. I was kidnapped by Captain Muse, and he saved me. And I fell for him. We were... were engaged for a while. Then I found out he killed my mother. So I left him."
Her voice was blunt, cold. It hurt her to talk about Jack. Ben sighed.
"Did he kill her deliberately?"
"No," she said grudgingly.
"We all make mistakes," he said simply.
Tears welled up in Tara's eyes. They began to fall before she could stop them. Ben slipped an arm around her shoulders.
"You still love him, don't you?"
She nodded. "Yes," she whispered. It was the first time she had admitted it out loud for a long time.
For a long time Ben held her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Then she stepped back.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes. Is there anyone special for you?"
He sighed. "Yes. And no. It's... it's complicated."
"Who is she?"
"It isn't a she."
"Then it's a-?"
"He, yes," Ben said.
"Oh. I see what you mean by complicated. So are you together?" she asked.
He shook his head sadly. "No. His name is Richard. He runs an inn in Tortuga. I always go and see him, and he's admitted more than once that he loves me. But he says he can't have a relationship with a man."
Tara sighed. "Poor you."
He shrugged. "I'm alive. What more can I ask for?"
His words played in Tara's head. She was alive, but it seemed like only half a life without Jack Sparrow.
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I still haven't really settled into writing this. But hey, its coming along.