Yet again, usual disclaimers apply throughout this tale. If you recognise it, it probably belongs to the Mouse – else it is mine!

Chapter 5 – The Naming of Kitty

Ned Cotton's broth, although bland to taste, did wonders for the health of their two guests. The boy, James, recovered more quickly than the woman and was soon following the pirates around as they performed their daily chores. He was fascinated with all they did and was constantly underfoot, but the pirates tolerated him good-naturedly.

Jack rigged a hammock in his cabin and slept wrapped in blankets. He refused to leave his cabin, it was his after all, but Catherine and James continued to share the bunk. He was determined to discover what had happened to her even if he could guess most. He wanted names but he knew she would not talk with the boy in the cabin. Although basically a dishonest man, he did not approve of hurting women, well, unless for a very good reason, and whichever pirate had done this to her had crossed a very important line.

Ned entered carrying his pot of salve and relatively clean bandages. "I'll do that tonight, Cotton," Jack offered. "I'm sure young Jimmy here would like to try sleeping in a hammock…" he suggested.

James' eyes lit up excitedly, looking to Catherine for permission. "Can I... please!" She nodded reluctantly and let him go.

Jack waited until James and Ned had left before he approached her carefully. She paled as he approached, biting her lip, but did not flinch. "So are yer gonna tell me what happened?" he asked. Gently he undid the bandages on her hands and rubbed more salve into the sores, pleased to see that they were healing. It was a pleasant feeling, he mused, noticing she did not pull her hands away when he had finished.

"Why, Captain? What is my story to you?" She seemed genuinely confused, searching for some meaning behind the words in his kohl-rimmed, chocolate-brown eyes.

"I may be a pirate, Missy, but I'm cursed by a conscience – an' I don't like men that hurt women. Did he… I can see he did. Who... what ship?" Jack pressed.

He could see she was struggling to talk, biting her lip harder as she tried to name him. "The men called him Bailie," she eventually managed to say, shuddering as she spoke.

Catherine gasped in pain as he gripped her hand hard. "Francis Bailie!" Realising he had hurt her, Jack released her hand apologetically. "Sorry luv. The Blessed Mae? Where?"

Catherine could see that he was concerned by the news. The name was clearly known to him, and it was obviously hated. He looked earnestly into her eyes. "The crew…" She turned away, unable to meet his eyes. "Bloody 'ell, Missy!" Jack found it was his turn to shudder. On instinct, he hugged her, ignoring her flinch. Only when he realised she held her breath did he break away, continuing to re-bandage her hands – slowly, carefully, and tactilely. He looked up at her, surprised to see her crying silently.

She struggled to talk through her tears. "We were a day out of Nassau when the pirates attacked. They killed all the crew, everyone, and then set us adrift before firing the ship." She turned, sniffing as she looked him in the eye. "I'll see him hang one day, Captain, I swear."

"Swearing is fine round 'ere, but we don't talk 'bout hanging, Missy… gives us all goosebumps yer see?" She smiled at the thought of rough pirates so afflicted. "See, knew I could make yer smile!" he grinned.

"Thank you, Captain," she said quietly as she pulled her hands from his. "For everything."

"S'all right, luv," he slurred. He never told anybody what she told him that day and swore to keep that confidence forever.

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Jack continued to sleep in the hammock, but James insisted on sleeping below with the pirates in the crew quarters. He was beginning to forget the horror of their journey as only a small child could, and it was becoming a great adventure for him, especially becoming friends with Ned's macaw, which he loved.

It was, however, another three days before Catherine was strong enough to be able to follow him from the cabin. Blinking, she left the dim candlelight of the cabin and was supported by Ned Cotton through the brief ceremony performed by the ship's quartermaster, Joshamee Gibbs. Watching Sarah's small body sink beneath the waves, Catherine allowed her tears to flow freely down her face without thought or care what the pirates might think. If she had looked, however, she would have been surprised to see tears in a number of eyes, and expressions of deep sadness on the faces of the remainder.

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"Captain..." Jack Sparrow watched as his guest made her way carefully up the steps to the quarterdeck to stand next to him at the wheel. Her hand, now free of bandages, gripped the railing firmly for she was still unsteady on her feet. "Will we be making port any time soon? I realise you cannot take me to Port Royal, so I must somehow barter passage for myself and James from elsewhere."

"We're stopping in Tortuga tomorrow fer a week or so fer th' crew are due shore leave, but yer'll get no passage from there. Best we drop you somewhere neutral, Missy – Santo Domingo or the like..." Jack suggested.

"I told you my name is Catherine, Captain. Or Mistress Reyes. I am not a Missy!" she protested.

"Right you are then, luv!" Jack slurred, baiting her and trying to get her to smile again. She was pretty when she smiled he thought as he watched Ned playing with James, getting the macaw to sit on his shoulder. The boy laughed, causing the bird to fly up to the rigging in alarm. He ran towards them.

"Mistress Cat! Mistress Cat! Did you see!" James squealed in excitement.

Catherine smiled but it did not reach her eyes. "Yes James, well done. Perhaps your uncle will let you keep a parrot when you reach Port Royal?" The boy whooped delightedly and returned to try to coax the bird down from his precarious perch.

"Mistress Cat?" Jack arched one eyebrow as he looked at her. "Perhaps I should just call you Kitty instead?" He laughed, amused at his own cleverness, chocolate-brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

Catherine realised she was not going to win. "I suppose it is better than Missy at least," she sighed.

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So began her renaming, with the rest of the crew soon following their captain's lead and calling her Kitty. She remained on board whilst most of the crew spent time ashore in Tortuga, for Jack warned her that it would not be safe for her in the pirate town. He even found some feminine items for her – a much needed comb and some pretty lace ribbon. He managed to get her to smile occasionally, but she still blanched when anyone came too close to her.

As she regained her strength, she began helping on board, mainly in the galley, and the crew ate well aided by the fresh supplies purchased in Tortuga. It was a strange sight in the galley as she and Zeke Jones worked together – he was tall, six foot two inches and dark as the blackest night whilst she was short, barely five feet and pale, with long auburn hair. She was a good cook though, Jack mused as the evening meal was served, with a clever hand to make the often tasteless fish stew seem edible. He sat, munching, studying her as she spoke quietly with Zeke at the other end of the table, laughing softly at something he could not catch. He was beginning to regret his promise to help her make Port Royal, thinking to himself that he would much rather be keeping her both on board and in his bunk.

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