NEW CHAPTER! Thanks to iliveinmiddleearth and Johnny'shumiliatedgrape for reviewing! As always, I LOVE YOU GUYS!
Chapter 2: Disasters in Waiting
Jack and Celeste went down to the cargo hold to treat Jack's wounded head. Celeste got the things she would need to treat it and Jack sat down on a crate. Celeste removed Jack's bandana and started to clean the wound. They were both unusually quiet and prone to staring off into nothing. Celeste finished bandaging Jack's head and began to cry again. Jack put his arms around her and rested his head on her chest. She hugged him back.
"Oh, Jack, I hope he's alright!" she sobbed.
"Me too, Princess." Jack replied hoarsely, holding back tears. After a few minutes, Celeste overcame her tears and she and Jack went up on deck to wait for Commodore Valentine's arrival. A little while later, he did arrive, and they gave him a room. His men had started work on the rudder chain already and were working at top speed. They didn't finish until that evening.
Celeste and Jack went to bed early, stress was tiring them out. They had set sail and were going to sail as late as they could, but Jack couldn't take it Anamaria volunteered to take over helm-duty for him instead.
Celeste and Jack readied for bed and lied down tiredly. Just then, Jocelyn started crying.
"Oh, I know that cry." Celeste told Jack. "It's the 'I'm really bored, so pick me up' cry."
"Ah, I'll remember that." Jack said. "I'll get 'er." He went over to Jocelyn's crib and picked her up, moving Shakespeare, Celeste's old stuffed bear she'd passed on to Jocelyn, to the side. He went back to the bed and lied down, letting Jocelyn rest on his chest. Celeste moved closer to him and he put an arm around her. "My lovely girls…" he sighed. "Both stunningly beautiful an' I love them more than they know." Celeste smiled. Jocelyn grabbed a lock of Jack's hair as she always did. Celeste ran her finger along Jack's jaw to his braided beard which Jocelyn then grabbed onto with her other hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Celeste said, smiling, acting like she offended Jocelyn. "Daddy is all yours I wasn't aware of that." Celeste and Jack laughed, and although she had no idea what was going on, Jocelyn laughed as well. Celeste sighed. "I want Christopher back…"
"Me too, love." he replied sadly. "We'll get 'im back I promise. An' I'll skin Barbossa for what 'e's done."
"I'll help you keep that promise." Celeste told him. Jocelyn had lost interest in Jack's beard and let it go. Celeste stroked Jocelyn's cheek with her forefinger. She started to retrieve her hand, but Jocelyn grabbed onto it. Celeste smiled. "It's funny how cruel, demented, vicious pirates couldn't really irk us, but this little girl can weaken us so much…"
"Aye." Jack agreed. "Makes me wonder 'ow anyone could ever abandon their child."
"Like my mother?" Celeste asked. Jack nodded.
"Or your father. 'e jus' stopped carin' once that woman came into 'is life."
"Yes…" Celeste replied. "I don't understand how someone could do that to their child… I guess we just love ours too much."
"Well, it's good that we do." Jack told her. "I swear… if Barbossa leaves even a scratch to speak of on my son, I will rip 'is throat out before skinnin' 'im." Jocelyn sensed Jack's anger and whimpered. He looked down at her. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not angry at you." He kissed her cheek and smiled at her; she laughed.
Celeste smiled. "You know, it's obvious that we have the most adorable daughter in the world."
"O' course we do." Jack agreed. Celeste rested her head on Jack's shoulder, looking at Jocelyn. She sighed, her smile gone, worried about Christopher. Jocelyn, apparently trying to cheer Celeste up, poked her in the face and laughed. Celeste and Jack both laughed as well.
"She knows something is wrong…" Celeste said and patted Jocelyn's head. "You want your brother back, don't you? …Don't worry… Daddy is going to kill the bad man."
"You can bet Shakespeare I am." he added, smiling. "…Well, I suppose we better get to bed."
"I suppose so. Good night, Jocelyn." Celeste said, and kissed her on the cheek.
Jack stood up, carried Jocelyn to her crib, and placed her in it. He covered her with her blankets and set Shakespeare next to her.
"Nigh', love." he bid her and kissed her head. He climbed back into bed and put his arms around Celeste. She sighed, grief flooding her mind. "I 'ate this feelin'… feelin' like… I can't do anythin'… even for me own son…"
"I hate it, too, Jack… but there really is nothing we can do right now…" she replied.
"Kiss me, darling." he said; she looked at him. "Give me one of those kisses that makes me feel like everythin's goin' to be alrigh'."
"…I can't make everything alright, though."
"But you can sure make me feel like everythin' is for a few moments, anyway." he told her. "For a few moments… there's jus' nothin' else." He placed a hand on her cheek and he kissed her.
The next day, Jack and Celeste went up on deck and spoke with Commodore Valentine.
"Good morning." they greeted, Jack with an arm around Celeste.
"Good morning." Valentine greeted.
Celeste sighed. "Do you know how long until we'll be at the bearings we have to go to?" she asked wearily.
"Yes, Miss Anamaria said we would be there in… well, in five days…" Valentine replied.
"Five days!" Jack cried.
"Our poor baby!" Celeste exclaimed, throwing her arms around Jack.. "Oh, he must be terrified!" Jack put both of his arms around her.
"I'm terribly sorry for what happened I can only imagine what you must be going through." Valentine said. "I am sorry."
"Thank you." Jack replied sincerely, rubbing Celeste's back comfortingly.
"I didn't get the chance to ask do you know who the kidnapper is?" Valentine asked. "No one's told me."
Jack nodded. "Aye." he replied hesitantly. "It's… Barbossa."
"Barbossa?" Valentine asked confusedly. "I thought he was dead. I thought you killed him."
"I did." Jack replied. "He's come back, somehow. He mentioned a witchdoctor… maybe it 'as somethin' to do with Voodoo magic or somethin'… I don' know."
"Hmm…" Valentine mumbled. "That's something to think on… Well, we'll see what happens. We certainly don't have the means to arrest him. If I had brought my fleet, we wouldn't have gotten there for a long time we have much slower ships. This is the legendary Black Pearl, after all."
"Aye." Jack agreed.
The rest of the day was spent wasting time, trying to pass the days until they could get Christopher back. The next day, Jack spent the whole day in his room, while Celeste decided to stay up on deck with the crew. She kept Jocelyn with her for quite a while since she loved being up on deck so much. Celeste knew that this whole situation was absolutely killing Jack, but she felt it might be best if he were left alone. Celeste was in and out of the room all day she didn't want to be cooped up inside. Early that evening, she went up on deck again with Jocelyn and spent several hours there. It was nighttime before she went back to her room, carrying Jocelyn. Jack was sitting at his desk, drinking something, but Celeste didn't see it because she turned to close the door; he set the bottle on the floor.
"Oh, 'ey, love." he greeted uneasily.
"Jocelyn is tired she wants to go to sleep." Celeste said, carrying Jocelyn to her crib and placing her in it. "What are you up to?" she asked, nearing his desk.
"Nothin'." he replied innocently. She eyed him suspiciously.
"What is that smell…?" she asked, thinking. Her eyes widened. "You haven't been drinking, have you?"
"What? No."
"No, because you would never do that." Celeste stated, bottling her anger. "You would never drink because you promised me. You promised. And you've never broken a promise to me ever. And you would never drink around your children. Of course not you love them too much for that, don't you?"
"O'-o' course I do." he stuttered.
"Right, of course." she said. She walked around to his side of the desk. He was hiding something behind his leg. "And what is that?"
"What?" he asked innocently.
"That."
"What?"
"That!" she exclaimed, knelt down, and picked up a bottle of rum. Her lip curled in anger as she stared at it. She glared at him. "Why is this here?" she asked slowly, but venomously.
"N-now, darling, you you 'ave to let me explain…" he stuttered. She continued to glare. "I-I was jus' gettin'… really worried about Christopher an'… an'…"
"Jack, we decided that this is not the way to escape from your problems!" she cried.
"I know, I"
"You promised me, Jack!" she yelled. "I can't believe you broke a promise to me! You've never done that before! Never!" Jocelyn started crying because of all the noise.
"Darling"
"Save it." she said venomously. "Save it. I can't believe you would do this. I'm not letting my daughter be exposed to this." She couldn't listen to Jocelyn cry anymore the last thing she wanted was for her child to be distressed. She went over and picked Jocelyn up. "I'll be back in a minute." she said to Jack. "Don't you move." She left the room, patting Jocelyn on the back, and stood out in the hall, trying to calm her down. After a few minutes, she did so and went to Anamaria's room. "Anamaria, could you do me a favor?"
"Sure." Anamaria replied. "What is it?"
"Would you watch Jocelyn for a little while?" Celeste asked. "I have to yell at Jack and I don't want her to hear it."
"Erm, alright." Anamaria agreed.
"Thank you." Celeste told her, handing Jocelyn to her. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She left the room and went back to Jack. "Now, you let me talk. I've only seen you drunk once, but who knows what you could be like. Who knows? The thing is… if you're drunk, you're a threat to us. You're a threat to both me and my children and I won't let that go on."
"I would never 'urt you or our children, love." Jack stated staunchly.
"How would you know if you're as drunk as a dog?" she asked bitterly. "You promised me you would stop!"
"Darling, I'm sorry…" he apologized.
"You'd better be." she stated. "Honestly, if you don't give up alcohol for good and I know it's addicting I will take the steps I need to take."
"Steps?"
"Yes, once we get Christopher back, if you don't give it up for good, I will take him and Jocelyn, leave you, and raise them myself." she told him angrily.
His brow furrowed. "Y-you wouldn' do"
"Oh, wouldn't I?" she asked. "You know how much I hate alcohol, Jack, and if I find one trace of it ever again after tonight, I won't hesitate to take my children and leave." He was speechless he would never want that to happen… "You think about that for a while. One more drop, Jack Sparrow, and you'll never see me or your children again no matter how much we love you." She grabbed one end of Jocelyn's crib and pulled it out of the room. She shut the door and left Jack to his guilt and thoughts. She pushed the crib into a vacant room and went back to Anamaria's.
"What were you yelling at Jack about?" Anamaria asked curiously.
"Oh, he was drinking." Celeste replied, annoyed at his actions. She sighed. "Anyway, thank you for watching Jocelyn for me. We won't be sleeping in Jack's company tonight."
"Well, you're welcome." Anamaria said. "Such a darling girl." She handed Jocelyn to Celeste.
"Thank you again. Good night." Celeste bid.
"Good night." Anamaria replied and Celeste left the room and went into the vacant room she'd put Jocelyn's crib in. She sat down on the bed and leaned up against the headboard, letting Jocelyn rest on her shoulder. Jocelyn reached up and grabbed a piece of Celeste's hair, but let it go in disinterest.
"Dah!" Jocelyn exclaimed, apparently wanting Jack.
"No, you can't see Daddy now, Jocelyn." Celeste said and Jocelyn started whimpering. "No, Jocelyn, you can't see Daddy." Jocelyn started crying and then so did Celeste.
'Oh, what am I going to do?' she thought, crying, and trying to comfort Jocelyn. 'What if I have to raise them myself? …I'll be fine. I'll be fine.'
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Celeste asked, sniffling.
"Me." Jack replied.
"Dah!" Jocelyn exclaimed, recognizing Jack's voice and reached out to the door.
"I don't want to see you, Jack!" she yelled.
"Too bad!" Jack yelled back and barged in; he was carrying the rum bottle.
"Don't you bring that thing in here." she ordered. "Where did you get it, anyway? You haven't been keeping a stash, have you?"
"O' course not." Jack replied. "It was in the galley…"
"Just get out." Celeste ordered. "You haven't felt guilty long enough."
"Dah!" Jocelyn cried, reaching out to Jack.
"No, Jocelyn, Daddy is leaving." Celeste told her, and Jocelyn started crying. "Aren't you, Jack?"
"Celeste, what are you doing?" Jack asked wearily. "What on earth are you doing?" She glared at him.
"When you don't smell like alcohol, maybe you can come back and talk." Celeste replied angrily. "Get rid of that smell and I'll let you back in."
He sighed. "Fine." he said and left; Jocelyn continued crying.
A little while later, Jack reentered the room (Jocelyn was still crying). He was still carrying the bottle. Celeste was about to protest when he went over to the window, opened it, poured out the rum, and dropped the bottle into the ocean. He went to Celeste.
"Alcohol free." Jack stated and leaned over and kissed Celeste as proof. "Satisfied?"
"Just keep it that way and it'll be fine. …You taste like soap…" Celeste stated. She sighed and looked down at Jocelyn. "Anyway, she's been crying for you since we left our room here." she handed Jocelyn to Jack.
"'ey, sweetheart." Jack said, kissing Jocelyn's cheek and she grabbed onto a lock of Jack's hair as usual. "I was jus' worried, Celeste… I couldn' shake the feelin', alrigh'? I'm worried sick about Christopher."
"Don't deal with the worry that way, Jack." Celeste told him. "Haven't we talked about this before? No more drinking. Honestly, I will leave you and take our children with me."
"I-I 'eard you the first several times, love." Jack replied.
"Well, maybe it bears repeating." Celeste said.
Jack patted Jocelyn on the back comfortingly. She was still whimpering. "No more crying, Princess, savvy?" He kissed her cheek. Celeste watched him; she would never want to leave. Never. But if she had to, she would. He tickled Jocelyn and she laughed, her tears gone. Jack smiled and looked up at Celeste. "Come back to our room, don' stay 'ere."
Celeste thought for a moment. "Will you put Jocelyn to bed for me?" He nodded and got up and did so. He went back to her.
"Come on, sweetheart, don' leave me all cold an' alone." he coxed, taking her hand.
She slipped her hand from his grasp. "You know, I think a night alone might help drill this situation into your head." He sighed. "Good night, Jack."
He looked at her. "Good nigh', Celeste." he bid sadly and left the room.
The next day, Celeste moved everything back to her and Jack's room, only after Jack promised swore on the Pearl, actually that he wouldn't drink anymore. This day was spent just like the others, wasting time, trying to pass the days. Jack and Celeste had gone back to normality. They acted like they usually did, as if they didn't fight the night before, going on with daily routine and random public displays of affection (which the crew had long ago gotten used to, but Commodore Valentine wasn't so happy with it). Celeste noticed Valentine's displeasure and explained to him that it was only when they were on the ship, never in actual public, and she was sorry for her and Jack's improper behavior.
That night, Celeste and Jack had just laid down to go to sleep, when Jack started feeling sick…
"Ugh… sweetheart, I don' feel so well…" Jack groaned.
"What's wrong?" Celeste asked, worriedly.
"I-I think I'm goin' to be sick…" Jack replied sickly.
"Oh!" Celeste exclaimed, worried. "Can I get you something!"
"No it's alrigh'… … …No, it's not." he said, and rushed into their bathroom. Celeste looked worriedly after him, hoping nothing serious was wrong. After about ten minutes, she began to get worried. She got up and went to the bathroom door.
"Jack?" she asked gently, concerned, placing a hand on the door. "Jack, darling?" There was no response. "Baby, are you alright?"
Just then, Jack opened the door quickly, causing Celeste to jump in surprise. He looked fine. He didn't look pale or sick at all he looked healthier than he did before, actually. He didn't look tired or stressed like before…
"Oh, Jack, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.
"Aye I'm fine. Jus' a dizzy spell is all." he replied, not looking at her. Something was different. He spoke in a sharper tone and scanned the room as if he'd never seen it before. He looked down at her and did a sort of double take. "You look absolutely gorgeous!" he said as if he hadn't seen her that night at all, as if it wasn't the same way she looked every night.
"Er, thank you…?" she replied, wondering why he was acting so strange.
"Well, we shouldn' really waste any time, you know." he told her. "We should get to bed." Celeste nodded and went back to bed and lied down comfortably. Normally, she would've put her arms around him and fallen asleep that way, but… there was something odd about him… He was acting so strangely… Before she could even begin to contemplate the reason for his behavioral change, he leaned over and kissed her wasn't just a goodnight kiss either…
"Jack, no, I'm too worried about Christopher we can't do this now." Celeste said, pushing him away.
"'e'll be fine." Jack told her. "It seemed that Pintel an' Ragetti are watchin' over 'im. I think we can trust that they'll keep 'im out o' 'arm's way."
"And we can trust Barbossa… why?" she asked bitterly.
"I know Pintel an' Ragetti they aren' bad men ." Jack replied.
"I remember running into them back in Tortuga they didn't seem so good to me." Celeste said.
"Well, whatever, 'e'll be fine take my word." Jack told her.
What was going on with Jack? "Take my word?" He'd never said that before. Always "I promise." Why was he acting this way…?
"Anyway," Jack began, climbing on top of her, "you're my wife… isn' this what you're supposed to do for me?"
"Jack, you're acting strange; what's wrong with you?" she asked.
"I'm not myself as of late must be Barbossa's fault." he replied matter-of-factly. He kissed her neck.
"Stop it. I don't want to." she stated.
"Look, poppet, this is what you're 'ere to do, isn' it?" he asked. Poppet? Where did that come from?
"Jack, NO!" she yelled, struggling to get out of his grasp. He did not let her escape.
"You're my wife an' you'll act like one." Jack scolded angrily. "So shut up and like it."
A while later, Celeste decided that there was definitely something wrong. He wasn't being Jack he was hurting her.
"STOP!" she yelled finally, shoving him off her. She jumped up, grabbed her dressing gown off the chair by the bed, and put it on. "Look, I don't know what's wrong with you, but you're not… you!"
"What are you talkin' about?" he asked angrily.
"You wouldn't yell at me and you wouldn't hurt me!" she insisted. "And you'd be more worried about your son!"
"You'd think, wouldn't you?" he asked.
She stared at him for a moment, wondering what to do. Well, after Jack, the person she trusted most would be… Gibbs. She intended to run out of the room and find Gibbs maybe he'd know what to do. She started to run for the door, but Jack jumped up and caught her arm. He threw her back against the wall and grabbed his gun from his belt on the bedside table and aimed it at her. She froze, wincing on the floor. Just then, Jocelyn started crying. Celeste glanced over, but didn't move a muscle.
"Will you shut that up!" Jack yelled. Celeste made to get up, but, "Never mind!"
"Jack, you don't know what you're"
"Silence." he stated venomously; she stifled. He put the gun to her forehead and Jocelyn continued crying. Tears ran down Celeste's cheeks.
"Jack, stop…" she whispered, not able to speak any louder. He released the safety and pulled slightly on the trigger, but not enough to fire it. "I love you… You love our children… you love our life… you love me…" His expression faltered. "Love is what has kept us together… and love is more powerful than anything else… and I love you… so much…" He stood, shaking, and staring at her. She trembled and tears ran down her face, but she didn't break eye contact with him. She slowly raised up one of her hands and gently placed it on his forearm. Suddenly, he blinked and reset the safety on the pistol and dropped it. He stared at her as if he were fighting something inside himself. She stood up, placed her hands on his chest, and kissed him softly. He fell to his knees and fell over she caught him. She laid him on the floor and hurried to Jocelyn.
All Jocelyn apparently wanted was to be held the noise had woken her and scared her. Celeste calmed her down and laid her back in her crib. Jack was struggling to get up and she went to him. She knelt down next to him and he looked up at her.
"Darling…" he whispered. He hugged her. "Oh, Celeste, I could see you I could see you, but I couldn't do anythin'! It was like I was jus' watchin' through my eyes, but I couldn' do anythin'! It wasn' me! It was Barbossa!"
"I know, Jack." she said.
"It wasn' me!" he insisted. "Sweetheart, I'd never 'urt you I love you so much! It wasn' me!"
"I know, Jack, I know." she told him. "Whatever happened, you overcame it."
"It must've been what 'e was talkin' about that witchdoctor voodoo magic an' all!"
"Yes, it must've." she replied. He stood up and sat down on the bed; she sat next to him.
"Before… it's a little fuzzy…" he said, "wh-what exactly did I… well, he do to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it." she stated, lying back down.
"Darling, I want to know so I can know 'ow much to 'urt Barbossa before I kill 'im… again." he told her.
"No, I don't want to talk about it." she replied staunchly.
"Please, I need to know."
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" she yelled.
He paused. "That bad, huh?" he asked quietly.
"Well, it wasn't you, anyway." she dismissed.
He lied down next to her and put his arms around her. She lied rigid, returning no warmth or emotion at all. He kissed her on the cheek and she just stared blankly up at the ceiling.
"I'm sorry, love." he said sadly. "I'm sorry…"
"You know, don't all criminals try to steal your security and trust above all else?" Celeste asked. "I mean, that's what he was trying to do steal our security. Well, he succeeded." She didn't look at him. "He did exactly what Black tried to do before you showed up to stop him." Jack looked immensely guilty, but angry at the same time.
What a way to take someone's security. Invade their life, traumatize them, violate them while taking on the appearance of the one person they can trust most. How can she fully trust anyone ever again?
"Darling, it's me now, though." he reasoned.
She looked over at him. "Yes, they're your eyes now. But… still… Look, it's you Jack, I know it is." she told him softly. "This just… isn't going to pass easily…"
Jack knew there was nothing he could say that would make her feel any better, so he just let her be. He didn't keep his arms around her, merely took her hand instead, and fell asleep with guilt, sadness, and anger all boiling inside him.
The next day was a clone of the others. Almost. It was spent trying to pass the day quickly, but Celeste was distant. She didn't want to appear so, but she was. She would be unusually rigid when Jack would try to show her any affection at all, and avoided making eye contact with him. She would even be a little nervous whenever he would hold Jocelyn. She didn't want to feel this way, but if there was the risk of him being possessed by Barbossa again, she couldn't take the chance. Gibbs, an expert in superstition, had been informed of Jack's possession and assured Celeste that it couldn't happen again, and it was remarkable that Jack was able to come out of it on his own, but she couldn't help but be paranoid. That night, Celeste was still distant and so was Jack, but his distance was out of guilt, and he certainly didn't want Celeste to feel uncomfortable.
The next day was the one they had been awaiting so much. The day they could finally get their son back. They would meet with Barbossa and get Christopher back. Unfortunately, they all knew it wouldn't be so simple. They knew there was going to be a catch, but they didn't care. No matter what, they were going to save Christopher. No matter what.
That was a really depressing chapter to write. Made me sad. :weeps: Hope you enoyed it, though! PLEASE REVIEW!
