Title: Love's Blood

Author: Kali T'hara

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance

Rating: R

Summary: Set after the movie…Jack finds a woman…but she not what she seems…and her friendship with Will jeopardizes his relationship with Elizabeth (boo-hoo)…how will things turn out? J/OC, W/E (beginning) maybe some of W/OC too. Vampire fic! (yeah!)

Disclaimer: Disney owns 'em…damn that mouse…I own Kira, but I wouldn't mind owning Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom…grrrrr…

AN: I really like this chapter…

CH 11…

     The three inhabitants of the cabin had seemed to forget that their crew and ship were currently in the middle of a battle with the merchants until there was a knock on the door.

     "Cap'n?" Gibbs' voice called through the wood door, "Jack, what happened?" he continued.

     Jack walked to the door and opened it only part way, keeping Will and Kira in the shadows, "What's the news?" he asked, ignoring his pervious question.

     "We're out, but we couldn't salvage the ship; too much damage," Gibbs explained.

     "And the crew?"

     "We've about half a dozen prisoners, all the rest dead. As for our men, only minor injuries,"

     "Very well, mate," Jack said and began to close the door again.

     "Cap'n, wait," Gibbs called, "Kira…she all right? I saw her in your arms,"

     "She's fine. She just needs some rest; she's a strong woman. Now please, leave us," Jack answered quickly.

     The older pirate nodded, "Very well, cap'n," and walked away.

     Jack closed the door again and went back to Kira and Will, who were sitting on the edge of his bed, "Can you keep this from the crew? Who knows how many of them saw you being stabbed," Jack said, as he too sat down next to Kira.

     "That is up to you, Captain. I can reveal myself to them, but will they trust me? They know me as a mortal, not a vampire," Kira explained, "I swear on everything sacred that I will never harm any of them,"

     "But when they find out what you are," Jack began, "what will they do? Will they become frightened? Will they riot?"

     Will shrugged, "Your crew will follow you to the gates of hell if they had to," Will assured, "I'm sure that they will stay loyal,"

     Jack nodded as he turned back to Kira, "So…you drink people's blood?" he asked casually.

     Kira remained emotionless as she nodded.

     "How did it happen?" Will asked.

     "What?" Kira asked back.

     "Becoming a vampire?"

     Kira sighed, she really didn't want to relive that moment in her life, especially when it haunted her every step, "I was turned over a sixty years ago," she stated.

      "Sixty years ago?" Will questioned, "You're sixty?"

     "Chronologically, I'm around eighty. Vampires are immortal; we stay as we are for eternity. Physically I'm about twenty-five," she said with a shrug.

     Will and Jack nodded, taking in the new information.

     Kira continued, "I was the daughter to a wealthy nobleman in England. He owned land on a few of the islands out skirting the Caribbean, and would often visit them on one of his many ships. I went with him countless times; I've always loved the sea. I spent more of my time on a ship and playing with swords than associating with gentlemen and playing the role of a woman. I was always chastised by my mother for that reason, but my father never seemed to care. He told me to follow my heart, and do what I wished to do. I was twenty, I believe, when I sailed off with my father from England for the last time. Any other normal girl would have been married and with children by that age, but I was never a normal girl," Kira smiled as she spoke, "I found myself associating with merchants and other sailors; that's when I finally found my place. I told my father that I wanted to be a sailor and travel across the world. He told me that it was very hard for a woman to become a crewmember; most saw it as bad luck…but there were a few that didn't mind at all. I had heard all the tales of the pirates of the Caribbean and was fascinated with them. I bid my father farewell and told him that I was joining a merchant crew, and promised him that I would visit England as much as possible,"

     "But you joined a pirate crew, eh?" Jack interjected.

     "How'd you guess?" she asked with a grin.

     "That's amazing," Will said, "You went from a rich lady with a secure future to a nameless pirate just like that,"

     Kira nodded, "I had finally found myself a home. And I was beyond content; however, I did miss my father. Unfortunately, I was never able to sail back to England," she said sadly, but continued, "I did, in fact, make my way up through the crew and was a trusted first mate to my captain. I sailed on the Desolator for five years— "

     "The Desolator!" Jack exclaimed with surprise, "The stories I heard about that ship when I was younger were what convinced me to becomin' a pirate,"

     Kira nodded, "We were pretty ruthless. But I'm sure the amount of stories you've heard about the Desolator are nothing compared to the Pearl's"

     Jack gave a smug look, "That may havta do with the irresistible charm of its infamous captain, luv,"

     Kira smiled, "Sure they did, Jack,"

     "So what happened?" Will asked, wanting her to continue, "How did you go from practically running the Caribbean to living alone in Tortuga?"

     The smile upon Kira's face instantly disappeared, "I was bitten," she stated, eyes lowered.

     Jack and Will said nothing, allowing her to continue at her own pace.

     "We were docked at a harbor in Anguilla and had been on land for only a day. It was well past midnight and I was leaving a random tavern by myself. The inn most of the crew members, including myself, were staying in was only a short distance around the next corner," Kira paused as she took a deep breath, "I was grabbed from behind. I immediately went for my sword, but my attacker was too strong. He pinned my arms down at my sides and held his hand over my mouth. I struggled to break free, but his superhuman grip kept me from releasing myself. He dragged me down a dark side alley and pinned me against a wall,"

     Jack saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes and watched as her trembling hands gripped her knees, "You don't have to continued, luv," Jack voiced.

     "No," she said, "It's better for me to tell you this; I've kept it inside for sixty years,"

     Jack and Will both nodded and prepared themselves for the rest.

     Kira continued through her held back tears, "I remember his hands all over me. I was mentally begging for him to just kill me, nothing more. His mouth was on my face; I fought against it as much as I could. He slapped me and pulled my hair back. I felt his tongue on my neck, I cried out in terror, but that only caused him to hit me again," she paused, "And that's when it happened. He slammed my head back and sunk his teeth into my neck," Kira's hand automatically went to her neck, "I felt a sudden rush of red hot pain, then it dissipated. I felt nothing…I couldn't even think anymore. I could see streams of blood pouring down my shoulder and arm, until my vision went blurry and I begged for the darkness of death. My body became cold and my breath came too short. The one thing I could feel was my heart, slowly fading with every attempted breath. I knew I was dying,"

     Jack and Will couldn't even say anything if they wanted to. Kira's story had struck them hard, filling their own minds with her horror story.

     "My body fell to the ground, but I was still alive. I could feel his presence as he hovered over me," she paused again, "Then he asked me if I wanted to live. I heard the question, but I don't remember answering it. The next thing I knew, I felt warm liquid on my lips…then my mouth. I felt my body once again; it was like being reborn. I could feel my heart beating in my chest as I continued to drink. I finally opened my eyes and looked out into a new world. But the sight I saw was horrifying. My lifesaving drink was blood – his blood," she emphasized, "I pushed his arm away from my mouth in disgust and spat out the reaming blood. He laughed cruelly at me and pulled me up by my arm. All he said was, 'You'd better learn to like it, because it's your new life now.' And then he left. That was it. My pervious life was taken from me and I had no idea what I was or how to survive. I had to learn how to cope with my ever-growing thirst for blood and the urge to kill. But deep down I still knew who I was, and that's what kept me sane. But I couldn't go back to the Desolator now that I was this bloodthirsty monster. There was no way I could survive on a ship for months at a time without killing the entire crew. And that's why I didn't want to join your crew at first. But you made me realize how much I missed the sea," she said with a look to Jack, "I didn't want to leave you either. I figured that I could survive on the rats below deck; I didn't know that the lack of human blood would make me weak," 

     A thought in Jack's brain clicked, "That's where you went every night,"

     Kira nodded, "I went to feed. What better a place than Tortuga to find victims that would never be missed?"

     Jack nodded, "Well, that explains that," he said simply.
 

     "You're okay with this?" she asked them both.

     "Why would we not be? You're still the same person," Will said.

     Kira smiled. At last her so-called 'life' was looking better.