Tori woke up to find herself in her own cabin on the Black Pearl.
Her head was completely clear: rum hardly ever had much effect on Sparrows
the next morning. She got up, wondering what had happened and then she
remembered her dream. She sat back down on her bed her head in her hand.
She wished it could have lasted longer. Now that she was awake the pain
was even worse.
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Tori called.
Lyra entered and looked at her. "Feeling okay? You look awful. Rum doesn't normal affect you this much."
"It has nothin' to do with the rum," Tori muttered softly.
Lyra's frowned but didn't pursue the subject. "There's someone who would like to see you. You don't have a headache or anything like that?"
"I'm fine. I'd rather not talk right now but I'm physically fine."
"Oh, I think this is someone you'd probably like to talk to," she told Tori. "Come in," she called into the hallway.
As soon as he entered Tori's stomach plummeted. The golden brown hair framing a round face......
"It wasn't a dream...." she whispered faintly, sitting down.
"I told you I was real and you didn't seem to believe me."
She didn't answer. More tears came. She heard Lyra slip out of the room. He crossed the room in a few steps and sat down beside her. She buried her head in her hands. "What happened?" came a choked and muffled question.
"You're really not acting like yourself."
"I damn well 'ave the right not to."
Nick grinned. "Well after Barbossa knocked me overboard, I swam back to the Grey Hawk. the waters weren't exactly calm and I passed out once I managed to get into a cabin. My parents found me somewhat later, rather joyfully as everyone thought I had died. I asked where you were and someone managed to tell me that you'd gone to the tavern. I found you there: on your fifth....."
"Sixth."
"Aye. I seem to be mistaken."
The stream of tears finally stopped. Her eyes narrowed. "Ya made me think ya were dead?"
Nick looked at her. "I tried to tell you as soon as I could....."
She slapped him across the face although it was light and not really meant. Nick flinched anyway. "Well that was more like you....."
He didn't get any farther. He found her lips on his, kissing him passionately. For a moment he paused somewhat surprised, and then responded with his mouth, sliding his arms around her. They stayed this way for a minute and then Tori finally broke away. "Ya do love me, don't ya?"
The words were hard to say. She prayed she had not just done the wrong thing. He studied her face for a moment and finally replied. "More than you could possibly imagine."
"I can imagine a lot of things. That's not very hard."
She let herself fall back into his arms. "I never really apologized as I should 'ave fer mistrusting ya....."
He stopped her. "No apologies. That's what you said."
She grinned and kissed him again. Right at that moment, Reph burst into Tori's cabin. "WHAT THE BLOODY 'ELL IS THIS? YA'RE SUPPOSED TA BE DEAD!"
Tori pulled away from Nick again. "Don't come inta me cabin without knockin'. What do ya think it is?"
Reph's entire face went red with anger. "Bastard....."
He was across cabin in two strides and threw Nick off the bed. He landed on the floor with a rather loud crash, to find Reph's sword pointing at him. "Filthy landlubbing bastard......"
He stopped. Tori's pistol was at his head. "That's ya, Reph. All of those insults apply ta ya."
"DON'T TALK TO ME, TORI! ONE DAY YA'LL BLOODY LEARN NOT TA TRUST SCUM LIKE HIM!"
He swung around to face her. The pistol in her hand went somewhat loose. She swallowed. Her friend, almost her lifelong friend, stood before her and she held a pistol at him. Nick had gotten up. Reph paid no attention. "He got ya inta his arms. Ya don't know what he'll be doin' next."
Tori looked Reph straight in the eye. "But it doesn't matter because I love him."
Reph looked so angry it almost looked like he was going to gut her with his sword. "He's corrupted ya. Wait until yer father finds out."
"Well, you wouldn't want her father to find out about this either, would you?"
Both Tori and Reph looked at Nick. He was holding a leather book that Tori immediately recognized as the one she had seen the day she had gone to Reph to pull he splinter. Reph's face turned deadly white. "Where'd ya find that?"
"What is it?" Tori looked curiously from Nick to Reph who were both looking at each other: Nick holding a steady cool gaze and Reph looking livid.
"Well, this just happens to be Reph's diary," Nick explained, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Stop! That's not yers, landlubber," Reph demanded.
"Hmmm..... well I really think that Tori and especially Jack would be rather interested to see some of the things written in here," Nick continued.
"Let me see," Tori held out her hand.
Nick handed her the book. Tori glanced as Reph stood, helpless. Tori opened up to a random page and read aloud, "We stopped in Tortuga today. There was no chance of catchin' Tori unawares. I had ta contend myself with the whores near the Faithful Bride....."
Tori stopped, the look on her face turning to disgust. "Well, Reph, maybe we should show this ta my father."
Reph's face even whiter. He glared at Tori. "Well I still do 'ave somethin' I can tell 'im. I'll keep quite on.... that, if ya agree not ta show my book."
Tori shook her head and closed the book. "No. I think Capt' Jack Sparrow would find this rather entertainin'. More so if his daughter wasn't mentioned in it, but he'll be willin' ta read that anyway. Tell 'im anythin' ya like. I doubt he'll care."
With that, she turned and walked out of her cabin. Nick followed her, after smirking at Reph, who stood stock-still.
Once on deck, Tori found Jack. "Capt', Nick found this...."
She offered him the book. Jack looked at it. "Aye, Elizabeth and Will told me that their son was alive..... what's this?"
"Reph's....err.... journal."
"Journal?" Jack raised his eyes, "Why would I want ta read this?"
"Just read it," Tori's face took on Ana's stubborn look.
Jack sighed and took the book from her. He opened it and after reading a few lines, he grinned. "It's a journal of a pirate, alright, even if he is a bit young. Is it really necessary for me ta read this? I think I get the general idea, amusin' as it is."
"Read a little farther."
Jack's face suddenly changed from amusement to surprise. "WHAT THE BLOODY 'ELL IS THIS ABOUT YA?"
"Those are Reph's thought."
Jack slammed the book and looked at Tori. "Ya're not interested in him?"
"He won't bloody leave me alone!"
"REPH!"
Tori grinned as Reph came unto deck. "Capt', what a coincidence. I just wanted ta tell ya that I've seen yer daughter with her mouth glued on the Turner boy's."
"Aye. Good fer her. What say ya ta this?"
He opened the book and put it right in front of Reph's face. "It's.... er..... um.... "stammered Reph.
"Next harbor, and ya're off," Jack commanded, and went off to take the tiller from Gibbs.
"Tori....."
Tori turned around to see Nick. "We got interrupted, didn't we?" she asked.
She nodded and followed him back down to her cabin.
***
That was a pretty short chapter but the epilogue is coming soon....
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Tori called.
Lyra entered and looked at her. "Feeling okay? You look awful. Rum doesn't normal affect you this much."
"It has nothin' to do with the rum," Tori muttered softly.
Lyra's frowned but didn't pursue the subject. "There's someone who would like to see you. You don't have a headache or anything like that?"
"I'm fine. I'd rather not talk right now but I'm physically fine."
"Oh, I think this is someone you'd probably like to talk to," she told Tori. "Come in," she called into the hallway.
As soon as he entered Tori's stomach plummeted. The golden brown hair framing a round face......
"It wasn't a dream...." she whispered faintly, sitting down.
"I told you I was real and you didn't seem to believe me."
She didn't answer. More tears came. She heard Lyra slip out of the room. He crossed the room in a few steps and sat down beside her. She buried her head in her hands. "What happened?" came a choked and muffled question.
"You're really not acting like yourself."
"I damn well 'ave the right not to."
Nick grinned. "Well after Barbossa knocked me overboard, I swam back to the Grey Hawk. the waters weren't exactly calm and I passed out once I managed to get into a cabin. My parents found me somewhat later, rather joyfully as everyone thought I had died. I asked where you were and someone managed to tell me that you'd gone to the tavern. I found you there: on your fifth....."
"Sixth."
"Aye. I seem to be mistaken."
The stream of tears finally stopped. Her eyes narrowed. "Ya made me think ya were dead?"
Nick looked at her. "I tried to tell you as soon as I could....."
She slapped him across the face although it was light and not really meant. Nick flinched anyway. "Well that was more like you....."
He didn't get any farther. He found her lips on his, kissing him passionately. For a moment he paused somewhat surprised, and then responded with his mouth, sliding his arms around her. They stayed this way for a minute and then Tori finally broke away. "Ya do love me, don't ya?"
The words were hard to say. She prayed she had not just done the wrong thing. He studied her face for a moment and finally replied. "More than you could possibly imagine."
"I can imagine a lot of things. That's not very hard."
She let herself fall back into his arms. "I never really apologized as I should 'ave fer mistrusting ya....."
He stopped her. "No apologies. That's what you said."
She grinned and kissed him again. Right at that moment, Reph burst into Tori's cabin. "WHAT THE BLOODY 'ELL IS THIS? YA'RE SUPPOSED TA BE DEAD!"
Tori pulled away from Nick again. "Don't come inta me cabin without knockin'. What do ya think it is?"
Reph's entire face went red with anger. "Bastard....."
He was across cabin in two strides and threw Nick off the bed. He landed on the floor with a rather loud crash, to find Reph's sword pointing at him. "Filthy landlubbing bastard......"
He stopped. Tori's pistol was at his head. "That's ya, Reph. All of those insults apply ta ya."
"DON'T TALK TO ME, TORI! ONE DAY YA'LL BLOODY LEARN NOT TA TRUST SCUM LIKE HIM!"
He swung around to face her. The pistol in her hand went somewhat loose. She swallowed. Her friend, almost her lifelong friend, stood before her and she held a pistol at him. Nick had gotten up. Reph paid no attention. "He got ya inta his arms. Ya don't know what he'll be doin' next."
Tori looked Reph straight in the eye. "But it doesn't matter because I love him."
Reph looked so angry it almost looked like he was going to gut her with his sword. "He's corrupted ya. Wait until yer father finds out."
"Well, you wouldn't want her father to find out about this either, would you?"
Both Tori and Reph looked at Nick. He was holding a leather book that Tori immediately recognized as the one she had seen the day she had gone to Reph to pull he splinter. Reph's face turned deadly white. "Where'd ya find that?"
"What is it?" Tori looked curiously from Nick to Reph who were both looking at each other: Nick holding a steady cool gaze and Reph looking livid.
"Well, this just happens to be Reph's diary," Nick explained, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Stop! That's not yers, landlubber," Reph demanded.
"Hmmm..... well I really think that Tori and especially Jack would be rather interested to see some of the things written in here," Nick continued.
"Let me see," Tori held out her hand.
Nick handed her the book. Tori glanced as Reph stood, helpless. Tori opened up to a random page and read aloud, "We stopped in Tortuga today. There was no chance of catchin' Tori unawares. I had ta contend myself with the whores near the Faithful Bride....."
Tori stopped, the look on her face turning to disgust. "Well, Reph, maybe we should show this ta my father."
Reph's face even whiter. He glared at Tori. "Well I still do 'ave somethin' I can tell 'im. I'll keep quite on.... that, if ya agree not ta show my book."
Tori shook her head and closed the book. "No. I think Capt' Jack Sparrow would find this rather entertainin'. More so if his daughter wasn't mentioned in it, but he'll be willin' ta read that anyway. Tell 'im anythin' ya like. I doubt he'll care."
With that, she turned and walked out of her cabin. Nick followed her, after smirking at Reph, who stood stock-still.
Once on deck, Tori found Jack. "Capt', Nick found this...."
She offered him the book. Jack looked at it. "Aye, Elizabeth and Will told me that their son was alive..... what's this?"
"Reph's....err.... journal."
"Journal?" Jack raised his eyes, "Why would I want ta read this?"
"Just read it," Tori's face took on Ana's stubborn look.
Jack sighed and took the book from her. He opened it and after reading a few lines, he grinned. "It's a journal of a pirate, alright, even if he is a bit young. Is it really necessary for me ta read this? I think I get the general idea, amusin' as it is."
"Read a little farther."
Jack's face suddenly changed from amusement to surprise. "WHAT THE BLOODY 'ELL IS THIS ABOUT YA?"
"Those are Reph's thought."
Jack slammed the book and looked at Tori. "Ya're not interested in him?"
"He won't bloody leave me alone!"
"REPH!"
Tori grinned as Reph came unto deck. "Capt', what a coincidence. I just wanted ta tell ya that I've seen yer daughter with her mouth glued on the Turner boy's."
"Aye. Good fer her. What say ya ta this?"
He opened the book and put it right in front of Reph's face. "It's.... er..... um.... "stammered Reph.
"Next harbor, and ya're off," Jack commanded, and went off to take the tiller from Gibbs.
"Tori....."
Tori turned around to see Nick. "We got interrupted, didn't we?" she asked.
She nodded and followed him back down to her cabin.
***
That was a pretty short chapter but the epilogue is coming soon....