A/N: I'm still getting into the groove of things; excuse the wait for this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from or related to Pirates of the Caribbean. I only own Anna Searles, Katy Searles, other original characters, and the idea of the plot.
Chapter Nine: Fear
Anna and Will returned to the Pearl just as Jack and Katy were. Katy perked up a little when she saw Anna, but still felt disappointed and angry at herself.
"Hi," Katy said as Anna and Will approached.
"Hi," Will and Anna said simultaneously.
Katy moved towards Anna. "Can I talk to you?" she asked lowering her voice, for once needing someone to talk to.
Anna nodded and looked up at Will. "Well, goodnight Will," she said smiling.
"Goodnight," he replied walking aboard the ship, glancing back at Anna and smiling a little to himself.
Jack stayed where he was.
"Go away," Katy said with her hands on her hips.
"Hey! I'm Captain here, ye can't order me around!" Jack said playfully.
"Go away," Katy repeated pushing Jack up the gangplank.
"Alright, I see how it is, luv. Just keep pushing me away, and one day ye'll wish you didn't!" Jack said swaggering away.
Katy shook her head and sat down on an old, decaying wood barrel.
"What's going on?" Anna asked, wondering what would put Katy in such a mood.
Katy sat in silence not sure exactly what to say or how to say it. She had never really been in a position to talk to someone else about personal problems. She always had to deal with them by herself or simply ignore them all.
"Katy…?" Anna said squatting down next to her sister, starting to get worried.
"I lost it," Katy said looking at her dirty, calloused hands in her lap.
Anna shook her head, not quite understanding. "Lost what?"
"The medallion, the treasure, hope, my temper…everything, I lost everything," Katy said trying to scrape some dirt from her palm.
Anna raised an eyebrow, not sure what to say, since she didn't know what Katy was talking about in the first place.
"The medallion? What medallion?" she asked hoping to God it had nothing whatsoever to do with the Aztec Gold problem she faced a year ago.
"It was what would show us how to find the treasure. I had someone here hold it for safe keeping. I paid him to do it, and he goes off and sells it to some bastard," Katy said through her gritted teeth.
Anna smiled a little in amusement, surprised that Katy would get so worked up over treasure.
"It's only treasure," she said, trying to console Katy.
"Yeah, that's what Jack said, but you don't understand. It's more than that. You were too young to understand," Katy said quietly.
"Wait, what?" Anna asked, now more confused than ever.
"This treasure is worth more than just treasure. It's our family. It's our past, Anna. It's my duty to find it, and protect it," Katy said, coming slowly to her senses so she could explain what she needed to Anna.
Anna listened intently to what Katy was saying and held her hand, to show support.
"The day our father died, right before we were attacked by the British Navy, he told me that if he didn't make it out alive, it was my job to finish his goal and find the treasure of his father, our grandfather. You see our grandfather was shipwrecked when our father was just a little boy. The only thing recovered was one medallion which was given to our father. It looked like a worthless medallion at first, but when Father went out to sea to start his search for his father, he found it was much more than that. Through a lot of work, he finally found what its purpose was, right before he died," Katy explained.
"What's its purpose?" Anna asked, surprised about how much of this one story she didn't know.
"It works like a compass. It has an inscription of Poseidon with his trident. I presume the trident points to the shipwreck, if not, it points to something that can get us closer to finding our grandfather," Katy explained.
"So if you lost it, someone else will find the treasure and shipwreck before us," Anna said, now understanding Katy's anger.
"Not necessarily," Katy said, "It only works 'in the hands of a Searles' meaning only you and I can use it."
Anna perked up a little, and became confused once again about Katy's anger. "Then why are you angry? No one else can find the treasure! This is a good thing."
"Yes, but a certain bastard, Captain Anderson, has this medallion. He'll use it against us. He's too manipulative to be totally powerless. He'll find a way to get the treasure. He wants it. He believes his father's death will be avenged by taking our treasure and destroying all the Searles left on this earth," Katy spat out with disgust.
Anna froze. "Y-you mean, Matthew Anderson?" Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.
"Yes, why?" Katy asked concerned by the look on Anna's face.
"He was my former fiancé," Anna managed to say between shuddering breaths.
"Fiancé? What do you mean, fiancé!" Katy shouted.
"Arranged marriage, I-I…oh god. Now he's after us?" Anna said, scared beyond all belief, "and he's a captain?"
"Oh, god, Anna, you need to look after yourself. Does he know you're a Searles, or does he still think you're 'Miss Wilson'?" Katy asked looking straight into Anna's eyes.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him in a little over a year," Anna said.
"You're Anna Wilson from now on. No one will ever speak that you're a Searles," Katy said standing up and pacing.
"But, if he finds me, he'll still be angry," Anna said.
"But he's more worried about treasure rather than your escape from him right now, most likely…" Katy said still pacing. "I need to talk to Jack."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Anna said, her heart still beating wildly in her chest out of fear. She let out a disheartened laugh, "So much for my good mood."
Katy turned from the gangplank. "Good mood?"
Anna nodded.
Katy raised an eyebrow and walked back over to Anna who was still crouched on the dock.
"How did you get in such a good mood?" Katy asked, thinking she knew what was making Anna look so dreamy when she came back to the Pearl.
Anna sighed, "I don't think it's a very good time to talk about it now."
"Nonsense, you'll tell me now, Miss Wilson," Katy said, a smile playing on her lips.
"Fine…I just was having a good evening with Will, that's all," Anna said feeling her cheeks grow hot from embarrassment.
"Ah! A good evening, eh? What did you do?" Katy interrogated.
"Nothing, we just talked," Anna said glaring at Katy.
"Don't glare at me! You're the one who brought this up!" Katy said crossing her arms. "Did you kiss him?"
"NO!" Anna yelled, trying to push past Katy and go onto the ship.
Katy blocked Anna. "Oh, don't run so fast. Why didn't you kiss him?"
"Because I'm not ready yet!" Anna said defensively.
"Uh huh, sure. You kissed him, don't hide it," Katy said smiling at Anna.
"No, I did not. You can even ask him, but don't, please? Please just don't talk to Will, at least not about this," Anna pleaded.
Katy turned and walked away from Anna, up the gangplank silently.
"Katy please!"
Katy still remained silent as she walked over to Jack to discuss what she had just learned from Anna.
Anna stood alone on the deck of the Black Pearl glaring in Katy's general direction. "I can't believe her," she said quietly to herself.
"Can't believe whom?" came a voice from behind her, startling her.
Anna jumped and turned around to see Will. "Oh, Will, hi," she said catching her breath.
"I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard what you said about Anderson. You're former fiancé?" He asked.
Anna nodded. "I assume you heard the whole story, so I don't have to explain it all, right?"
Will laughed a little, "Yeah I guess. I just want to know something."
Anna looked up at Will. "What?"
"Why are you so afraid of Anderson?" Will asked.
"I hate him. I didn't even know him all that long but his whole presence…I hated it, more than Barbossa even," Anna said.
"So he's never…" Will said, struggling to say what he wanted.
"What? Hurt me?" Anna asked trying to make eye contact with Will, who nodded. "No, he never hurt me, not intentionally really. If you count wanting to marry me as hurting me, then yeah, but nothing big."
Will nodded. "Alright…you were just, more scared than I've ever seen you before."
"Just because he makes me think of being locked up forever away from the sea, which is why I ran away, you know," Anna explained.
"Yeah, I know," Will said, "I was just…worried about you."
Anna smiled a little, but wasn't sure it was the right reaction. "I'm fine, Will, really. You don't have to worry about me."
Will nodded. He stood there silently, looking at Anna. When he looked into Anna's eyes, he could still see the fear of being locked away forever. He recognized that look. In a matter of seconds, Elizabeth's eyes replaced Anna's and he soon saw Elizabeth standing before him. He jerked away from Anna and blinked, finding that the mirage of Elizabeth was gone, replaced by Anna standing with a confused look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked, thinking she did something wrong.
"N-nothing…I'll see you tomorrow morning, goodnight," Will said running off, leaving Anna standing alone on the deck of the Black Pearl.
………………………
The Silent Blade sailed silently through the calm night waters around the island of St. Vincent. The crew planned to dock it in a bay just past the small port town. Captain Matthew Anderson had changed from his Naval Uniform into normal citizen clothes so as to blend in with the people. He stood at the helm to be sure everything went according to plan. He couldn't afford to mess up anything.
One thing goes wrong, I'm done for. Keep on the side of the Navy and I can have everything I want, as long as everything goes according to plan.
Anderson took a liking to talking to himself in his head ever since he left Port Royal and went on his search for the Black Pearl.
Katy's with them. I know it, the last remaining Searles in this world.
"Captain!" a sailor called, startling Anderson from his thoughts.
"Yes, sailor?" he said, acting as if nothing was wrong.
"How are we to dock? There's no harbor, it's all just rocks and a beach," the sailor said again, really starting to lose his trust in his captain, as was the rest of the crew.
"It's what anchors are for!" Anderson said, angry that his crew was really this stupid.
"Aye, Captain."
The Silent Blade anchored close enough to shore that it was easily accessed by a rowboat, but far enough away so as not to beach the ship. Captain Anderson was still at the helm, examining the island.
"Captain, what are we to do?" another sailor asked.
"Guard the ship while I go to shore to do some business," Anderson said, stepping away from the helm and over to the longboat.
"But sir, couldn't we just attack the Pearl? They'll never expect it! We could take them in an instant!" a brave sailor said, wanting to get the trip over with so he could get off the ship of a madman.
"Yes, but that would be too easy, now wouldn't it?" Anderson said simply and boarded the longboat and rowed to shore.
He pushed his way through the trees and other vegetation on his way into town, feeling very confident in his new plan.
It can't fail. I've got enough money to get a man out of this hell hole and to a nice port with a nice home. What more could anyone want when living in such a small poor port?
Anderson finally got into the little town and made his way towards any tavern still open.
If the poor soul is still awake at this hour, I'm sure he'd do anything for what I have to offer.
He finally found one, with only a couple of people inside. None jumped out to be useful, except for one sitting at a lonely table near the window.
I can even use someone who I've used before…
Anderson walked to the table and sat down in front of the man. The man looked up, and his eyes widening.
"A-Anderson? Uh…what brings you here on such a night?" the man asked innocently.
"Mr. Bailey, we won't make small talk. I have another task for you," Anderson said smiling evilly.
"Sir, I'm sorry but I can no longer do anything for you," Mr. Bailey replied, feeling guilty for selling the medallion he was ordered to guard.
"She's been here, hasn't she?" Anderson asked, knowing what was making a poor, lonely man like Albert Bailey turn down a job.
"Who? I don't know who you're talking about," Bailey said stubbornly.
"You know who I'm talking about! Don't play dumb. Katy Searles was here. I should be angry at you for this, and for failing to tell me the medallion only works for a Searles. For all you know, I could kill you now. But I won't," Anderson said eyeing Bailey suspiciously.
"Thank you, sir," Bailey said, fidgeting with his shirt and looking around nervously.
"Only if…" Anderson added.
Bailey began to sweat nervously, afraid of what he would be forced to do this time. "Aye?"
"Bring me Katy Searles. Kidnap her if you have to. I want her on my ship before tomorrow evening. If she's not, I kill you. If she is, well then…" Anderson dropped a small sack of coins on the table. "You will be greatly appreciated."
"Where do I bring her?" Bailey asked, his eyes glowing with greed from the sight of the money.
"To my cabin. The ship is just south of the port in the next deserted bay over. You know my ship, the Silent Blade. I assume you'll have no trouble finding it," Anderson said standing up. "Do we have a deal?"
Bailey nodded, still eyeing the money. He reached out to grab it but not before Anderson had it safely tucked in his pocket.
"Oh no no no, you don't get this until AFTER you've finished the job. What were you thinking?" Anderson said smiling. "Have a good hunt my good man. I'll be seeing you tomorrow evening, then."
"Good day, sir," Bailey said, frowning at the loss of the money he was hoping to use to buy more rum for the night.
Captain Anderson smiled to himself as he left the tavern and made his way back to the Silent Blade. The sun was just about to rise, though the sky was red.
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.
Anderson felt his superstitious sailor side take over his senses for a split second as he believed that something wouldn't go right.
What are you doing? Believing a stupid myth, what's wrong with me? Everything will go fine, as long as that good-for-nothing bum, Bailey, brings me Katy. I know she's on the Black Pearl. She can't hide from me forever.
………………………
Anna stood aboard the Black Pearl, never getting to sleep that night. Too many thoughts were running through her head.
What was bothering Will? Did I do something wrong? What's wrong with me? Maybe he really will never love me. What about Katy? Why is she suddenly so unsure? She just doesn't seem herself lately. Matthew…where is he? Who is he after? Is he after me too, or just the treasure. What if he finds us?
Anna looked out towards the sea. The sun was beginning to rise, turning the sky an ominous red color.
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Something won't go right. This is so superstitious of me. I can't believe I'm falling for this, but every time I've had to endure a red sky in the morning, something bad happened.
Anna shook her head, trying to stay positive. But the more she stood alone, thinking, the more she became worried.
A/N: Shorter chapter, but just another transition. Sorry for the long wait again. Please review!