Title: Siren's Song - Chapter 2
Author: CaliScrapnMom AKA Nancy
Rating: PG-13...for now
Pairing: Katherine/Jack
Feedback: Good, Bad or otherwise
Disclaimer: all the PotC belong to the Mouse, Katherine is mine...all mine!
Notes: Second chapter of this story, still pre-movie here. Some changes in perspective here, noted with /
Summary: Jack and Katherine get to know each other a bit more.
While I slept soundly, Jack lay awake, trying to figure a way out of this new predicament. Saving his hide, while keeping others from getting hurt just complicated things. After many hours he sat up and looked around the cabin. It wasn't totally dark, a low burning lamp shone near the door. I was asleep on the floor and then he saw the journal had slid off the table and was close to where he was lying. He took it as an opportunity to see what I was about. "Just a little peek" he thought to himself as he opened the worn leather cover,
"12th of June
I'm looking forward to seeing Lizzie again; I've missed her so much. I've heard much about the people there, she kept telling me about the handsome Lieutenant James Norrington. She seems to think I would be well matched with him. It's the last thing I need, some man used to ordering people around. I'm sure Father will put together a fine party for her; I find them so boring. Being laced up, primped, and prodded will be worth it to see her happy.
I'm anxious to be done with this voyage. I hope Lizzie is up for a little exploration around town and the island. Lizzie has said they are very friendly there and the music is very unique. In her last letter she said she missed hearing me play and sing. I'll have to teach Lizzie some of the songs I've learned from the crew. They tried to teach me to dance but I can barely walk without falling down every time the ship lurches."
He chuckled a bit, flipping back several pages he came upon another entry,
" 20th of February
Another day of rain, it's so depressing and dark here. At least Mother is feeling better, but she is so lonely here without Father. I've explained over and over why he left but she doesn't remember from one day to the next. Josephine, Maire, and I do our best but it's hard to talk about the same things over and over again. If not for Maire's friendship I'd have gone mad myself. She does remember bits and pieces before she fell ill. Mostly it's the shopping, teas, and parties that Lizzie loved going to with her…"
I'd woken when I heard him moving about but decided to leave him be until I heard his chuckle and I realized he was reading my journal. Silently I slipped out from under the covers and gently took the journal from his hands.
"If you don't mind" I said quietly and placed it on the shelf. Jack reading my private thoughts unsettled me a bit.
"Sorry" he looked a bit sheepish "I couldn't sleep and I'm not exactly dressed to go for a walk on the deck."
"I'll see about some clean clothes and food." I said quietly and walked out of the cabin.
The sun was shining and it felt good to stand out and bask in it. Tiny rainbows shimmered in the water from where the spray splashed up. Leaning over a bit I could see the dolphins racing through the bow wave. This morning was so different from the one before and I relished the feeling of the wind and salty spray. Soon the breeze had undone my hair, not surprisingly as I always struggled with doing it myself. Lizzie always enjoyed helping with my hair and trying to powder my face. I was adept at other things but keeping up my appearance according to fashion was not one of them. Growing up, I stuck out as the tall, dark, gangly one compared to Lizzie. Josephine would always cheer me up by saying, "Is minic a rinne bromach gioblach capall cumasach" meaning 'an awkward colt often becomes a beautiful horse'. Her sayings had a way of cheering me up, even when I could barely understand her.
Heading down to the galley, Maire greeted me at the hatch. "Mornin' Miss" She grinned slyly
"Something on your mind Maire?" I cocked an eyebrow at her.
She laughed a bit, "Its just that you spent the night with a pirate in your cabin."
"I stayed on my side of the cabin. I do have my limits." I wasn't totally surprised by her assumption. We'd gotten into our fair share of mischief in England. "I came down to get some breakfast for Jack and myself and to get his clothes."
"He will be better off with some fresh ones, his were too threadbare to survive a proper washing. If you like I'll also get some warm water ready for him, he really needs it." She wrinkled her nose and I laughed in agreement.
I managed to find some clothes that looked like they might fit; hopefully none of the crew would miss them. Walking back into the cabin, Jack was nowhere to be found. A moment later he walked in the door behind me wrapped up in a sheet, it was giving him problems as he walked. Trying not to laugh I handed him the shirt and breeches.
"Infinitely better than trying to manage this sheet." he smiled showing a few gold teeth.
"I hope they fit, yours were too far gone to even bother cleaning. But, before you put those on Maire has some hot water ready for you." I wrinkled my nose a bit, "You ah, have an 'air' about you."
"What?" Jack said looking innocent, "You don't like the smell of sea salt."
From the other side of the cabin Maire giggled, apparently she found Jack quite charming, I thought dryly. It certainly wasn't customary for men aboard to bathe, one of the reasons I stayed up on the deck or in my cabin. After months at sea, descending below decks was enough to make my stomach turn.
"It will make you a little more tolerable. Close quarters are almost more than I can stand without having to smell you as well." I handed him a towel and gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the curtain Maire had strung in the corner.
To give him some privacy I took my journal and headed out to sit near the bow. I'd been writing for a while when a voice came from behind, startling me,
"All good things?"
"Bloody hell Jack!" I slammed the journal shut. Furious that he'd surprised me, interrupted me yet again. I hurriedly got up to storm off but wound up in an ungainly heap when the ship heaved beneath my feet. Jack simply sat down next to me with an all too innocent expression.
For several moments we sat there, I was angry and embarrassed.
"Your mother, what happened to her?" He asked softly, breaking the silence.
Looking out the horizon I shrugged, "We don't know, she was fine one day and couldn't speak or walk the next. More than likely Apoplexy. Now she is almost normal but her memory is lacking. She knows bits and pieces but they don't make any sense when she talks about them. More than likely she won't remember this trip. She will be happy to see Father and Elizabeth."
"What of you, what waits for you there?"
"Other than the rest of my family, I'm really not sure." I pulled my knees up and rested my arms and chin on them. "This is a bit of a fresh start for me."
"Ah, I know a little somethin' about those." Jack smiled but it faded when I didn't respond.
We sat in silence for a long while. "Must be nice to be a man." I said a bit louder than I meant.
"Pardon? You want to be a man?" Jack looked a bit confused but then it occurred to him, "I see, you want to do what your heart desires. And what precisely is that?"
"At the moment, some peace and quiet." I clenched my jaw; I was close to tears and didn't want him to see. Standing up a bit slower this time I turned away. Then I decided that if he asked I might as well tell him, at least he was partly interested. Turning back and looking down at him"I just want to be a daughter, sister, and midwife without judgment."
"Why would they be judgin' you? Those sound like fine things to aspire to."
"England is an odd place. They want their midwives to be well trained in uses of herbs and techniques. However, its been implied that a lady such as myself should not be involved in that line of work. At times a woman's touch is needed to ease the pain of the heart and body. When all goes well there is nothing that surpasses the feeling of success. In those moments it doesn't matter who I am, just that I was a part of it. It reminds me how alive I am." I stopped, as I wasn't sure how much of an answer he really wanted.
"Good to have passion for it. You should find the environment in the Caribbean more to your liking." Then Jack yawned, his lack of sleep catching up with him.
I offered him my hand and the promise of warm cup of tea. He made a face when he remembered what I'd given him the day before.
"I'd rather some rum, if you please." He asked imploringly, "The brew you gave me yesterday tasted like poison."
"I don't make a habit of poisoning people, Jack. Doesn't make for good business." I said dryly.
The Chamomile had its desired effect and before he was snoring away. I stood for a bit and just looked at him, he was an odd sort, polite yet roguish. Reminded me of a little boy trapped in a man's body. 'Well' I thought, 'best let him be for the afternoon' and I went to go find Mother.
I spent the better part of the afternoon with her; as usual most of our conversation was about Father and Elizabeth. She was anxious and eager to see both of them. She wanted to see how much Elizabeth had grown and worried that Father wasn't being fed properly. She had many plans for the mansion and looked forward to running a proper household again.
Mr. Norton stopped by briefly to let us know we were dropping anchor for the night. The captain wanted to do the next stretch of travel during the day and found a relatively calm location to spend the evening. He also informed me that the lieutenant had stationed a marine at my cabin to ensure my safety. This bothered me a bit although I understood the reasoning behind it. The poor man would hear no end of it from my father had he not done something to ensure my safety. However, getting Jack off the ship would be a bit more of a challenge.
Mother interrupted my thoughts by fretting with my hair. "You look like a wild thing, Katherine. I know appearance is hard to keep up here, but could you at least try?" she frowned a bit looking at my dress with its stained hem.
" Mother, we've been aboard a few months, I hardly think anyone really cares much about my appearance. When we get to Port Royal I will make more of an effort, I promise." I smiled gently at her. "At least I haven't resorted to wearing breeches, yet" I teased.
"You'd look more a boy than a young lady, your father would be mortified." She laughed, all to familiar my liking for practicality and comfort over the layers of cloth and lace. On several occasions at home I'd resorted to wearing breeches when I went riding and left my skirts behind in a pile.
"I suppose your right." I said a bit absently, her comment had given me an idea. It was going to require Jack's cooperation and a bit of help from Maire. "If you'll excuse me I need to go find Maire. Do you need anything?"
Mother shook her head, "I'll just read for a while and then retire for the evening."
I kissed the top of her head and smiled. At times it felt as though our roles were reversed, but her quiet demeanor belied the strength within. A weaker person would not have fought so hard to recover and see her family come together again. As much as she exasperated me, I admired her more than I could ever say.
TBC