Chapter eight: Humble beginnings, and old flames never die

I was slowly walking around the length of the ship. It always did that to me. Make me feel trapped, when I didn't know where we are going. We were still in port. Doing nothing.

"How now, well met?" Sparrow asked, striding towards me, his smirk plastered on his face.

"Erm...what?" He raised his eyebrows, and did a sort of shoulder shrug.

"Comin' inta port with me?" He asked after a moment of wide eyed staring, causing me to touch my face self-consciously.

"No. I don't think so." I said screwing up my face. I was trying to think if I needed anything worth getting.

"What's wrong?" Sparrow was peering at me curiously. "Got a bit of a stick up your arse, do ya?" I rolled my eyes, and frowned at him, completely serious.

"No, Sparrow...I just really need to use the loo." He was quite a moment, then threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"Right'n then. Im heading off." He flounced away. I watched him go, a bewildered expression on my face. That man was something else.

Yet again, my emotions came to play. I tried pushing them down, but they reared their ugly heads double fold each time. It felt like a wave of anguish and ecstasy was washing over me, and I was slowly drowning in it.

I quickly hurried off the ship. But before I could catch up to Sparrow, a voice called out.

"Oi! Mackenzie?" I winced. Why couldn't people pronounce my damn name right? I turned around to retort sharply, but I cheeked the comment. James Smith stood there, gaping at me.

"Oh, God! Mack!" He rushed towards me, then checked himself before engulfing me in a hug. He looked a bit shabbier then the last time I saw him. His hair was a little longer and looked unwashed. His face full of stubble was a mixture of happiness and something bitter. It was amazing the comparison between him and Jack...I mean Sparrow. The perfect description came to my mind; Unwashed and slightly dazed.

"How long have you been here? When did those tossers...excuse me...I mean when did they let you free?" I blinked a few times. I saw that his hands were twitching, as if itching to lay upon me. I looked up into his eyes. There was definitely something there. Was it guilt?

"Oh, er. Yeah. Well, its sort of complicated, init? Er...what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you of course. I figured if you were free you would either be in Port Royal, or home. I just came back from your fathers place...Im sorry." I let that go in one ear and out the other. I had just found out myself, but I was used to Sparrow's brash way. His motto was; "Talk it out once till its dead, then its old history...when sorrow is asleep, don't wake it."

"Oh erm...Its ok. He had failing health...and what not..." I trailed off, looking around, and became suddenly interested in a beetle that was slowly crawling by our feet.

"So...who are you staying with?" I cleared my throat, and looked up at him again.

"Oh, you know..." I said airily. "A friend." He gave me a hard look. He hooked my elbow in the crook of his arm, and started walking towards the docks.

"I bought myself a ship." He said, practically in the same voice I used earlier.

"Oh? That's nice." I was feeling a bit of impending doom coming on for some reason.

No! This is James we are talking about! He would never hurt me...would he?

"Would you like to see inside?" He gestured to a ship that was of normal everyday size. Nothing grand, but nothing too small. I nodded and we went aboard. It wasn't until we were slowly making our way down below, that I noticed a LOT of the crew members had uniforms on. I went to bolt, but James caught me by the elbows and literally dragged me kicking and screaming into the large brig. He opened one of the cell gates.

"Im really really sorry." He said, and planted a big one. He then forced me into the brig. After he slammed shut the door, he walked out without another word.

"...DAMMIT! DAMMIT ALL TO BLOODY TOSSER HELL!" I screamed, kicking one of the iron bars, resulting in a stubbed toe.

"Holy Mack-rle." I looked around and saw Sparrow in the same cell. "I had absolutely no idea that you could curse like that..." He said with a tinge of pride in his voice. He smiled up at me, a reassuring smile. But all I did was frown back. He stood up and shrugged off his dark blue jacket.

"Here. Its cold." I practically snarled at it. For some reason, I was blaming Sparrow for this...probably because I still felt something for damn James.

"I don't need your pity." I spat.

"Then take it...for my sake." I rolled my eyes and accepted the damn jacket.

"So...lemme guess. The infamous Captain Sparrow got caught by– and Im just taking a stab in the dark here– trying to steal the GODDAMN BLOODY SHIP!" Sparrow sat down, stretched and crossed his legs. Looking bored.

"Yeah...so?" He picked at his fingernails a bit.

"Oh no." I said suddenly realizing something.

"Hmm?"

"Oh no."

"You keep saying that, but what do you mean by it?" He was still picking at his bloody fingernails.

"This is all a...whatchamacallit! A scapegoat! You are in your twisted and freaky mind gaining something from this...aren't you?" He smiled up at me, gold teeth flashing in the dim candle light.

"Guilty as charged. Couldn't have passed up an opportunity, mate. But I believe the word you are searching for is 'stool pigeon'."

"So...what happens next?"

"I hate you." I gasped, as I drug myself onto the white sand beach. It was a few weeks later. I collapsed on the beach, a little from the water. Sparrow followed and flopped down next to me.

"Why do we always end up on an island?" He mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing," He said quickly. He closed his eyes, and kicked off his wet boots. He settled his bottom into the sand, and pulled his hat over his head, muffling his voice.

"Rest. I shall tell you everything in a little–" But he was asleep before the words came out of his mouth. I let out a grunt of frustration, and pulled myself up. I refused to go to sleep at the moment.

The island was small. In fact, it only took me around twenty minutes to make my way around it. When I got back to were Sparrow was laying, I noticed he had a haversack with him.

"Probably filled with rum, no doubt." I said sourly. I took a few paces back, and sat down. However, I was exhausted. Its no mean feat escaping with perfect timing and marooning oneself on a damn island.

When Jack finally woke up, he actually seemed in a good mood. Alright, understatement...he was in a great mood.

"So...why are we here?" I asked, as we trekked around the island. He said there was something there that might interest me.

"You'll see." I glared at his back, but said nothing. It took all of five minutes to get to a large boulder.

"And this is special...how?" I asked. He gently felt along the large rock, and finding a minuscule ridge, gave a hard yank. And to my astonishment, a part of the rock came free, exposing a sort of split level room.

"Well...go in!" Sparrow said. He had the look on his face that read "I just gave a child a present, and now they are going to like the bearer."

Cautiously I stepped in. It was dusty and had cobwebs. The bottom had a thick layer of sand, and I was thankful I had left my boots on. I glanced around, waiting for my eyes to focus. When they did...my jaw dropped.

Inside this small store room– for lack of a better word– there were crates piled high. One corner held a number of large barrels. And there were about five trunks stacked on one another. The barrels interested me first. Glancing in the first few, I found it was water. Plain old water. Some had nails, and tools. There was lumber stacked in a large amount behind these barrels also. I then ambled over to the trunks. I fingered the lock, and saw there was a stamp on the top of the one I was looking at. It had the initials "V. M. S."...no...it couldn't be.

I swung around to see Sparrow leaning in the entrance, a smile playing his face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue.

"What...?" Was all I managed.

"I found out that your mother and father have been on this island. In fact, it was going to be their home...their refuge from those after your mum. Go ahead and take a look." He gestured to the trunk I was looking at.

With reverence, I slowly pulled up the lid. It was one of those fancy trunks that had a sort of shelf that appeared when you opened it. There was tissue paper wrapped around the contents, and I slowly pealed it back, as it was brittle with age. Inside were numerous pieces of jewelry, disguised. Some were simple buttons, just the like. And to my untrained eye I could tell it was all real.

"Why! These are like crown jewels!" I said, shutting the trunk carefully. I walked over to where Sparrow was lounging.

"Heirlooms, perhaps." Sparrow nodded. We looked at each other for a while. But I still didn't get why we were on the island. After a moment, something sprang into his eyes. A harsh sort of fierce look. It scared and enticed me at the same time. I didn't know whether to take a step back or forward. But he made up my mind for me.

Bending down, he slowly kissed me. For a moment, I did nothing. Then as his kiss deepened, I started to respond.

After a few moments, we parted. I felt weak, and slightly dazed. He always did that to me...

"Why did you really bring me here?" I asked, after a pause.

"Because...its still a secret. But, alas, there is a part I had not planned, so we will be here a while." I knew full well that he had every moment planned, from getting onto the beach, to finding this cave.

"Thank God we have supplies," I said sweetly.