Scratched Glass

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Pirates doesn't belong to me, I swear. All I've got are Karyane, Zenakabee, the plot, and my wardrobe.

Karyane woke up to a pounding in her head. It was earlymorning. The sunlight that poured into her room was testimony to that.

But then a muddled thought formed in her brain, But this isn't my room.

Her bed had suddenly grown in size and instead of a blanket, she had a warmer comforter surrounding her. Where was she? Putting her hands to her head, she closed her eyes to block out the harsh glaring sunlight.

Oh yes, Tortuga. They had arrived here two nights ago. Or was it three? No, she was pretty sure that it was two. Tonight would be the third night. Slowly, she tried thinking her way through her confusion, despite the aching in her head. She felt as if though her skull would crack open.

Yes, she shared a room with Zenakabee. They had gone outside of the inn and had visited various places the day before. She had reconciled with Zenakabee. Getting up slowly, her movements sluggish, she looked for the bed across from hers. But instead of finding one, she found two. And instead of Zenakabee, she saw Anamaria and Gibbs. What am I doing here? This isn't my room and this definitely isn't where I had slept last night.

But for some reason, some small part of her brain – a part thatwas obviouslypain free and still functional – told her that this was indeed where she had slept last night.

Slowly, more thoughts started filtering in. A man, a tricorner hat, and gleaming teeth. He was attractive, she remembered that much, but she didn't remember his face or name. She had drank too much alcohol. Way too much.

That explained for the thudding in her head.

And she had kissed him. Oh yes, now she remembered she remembered that too. And she was pretty sure that they had done more than just kiss. Not that much more, but still more.

The man was interesting, if she wanted to be vague. His every movement was graceful, fluid-like. His words were slurred, but what he had to say was thought-provoking. She was enchanted by his every word and sentence, even some of the fragmented ones that didn't make any sense.

But who was he?

Karyane groaned. Her head hurt from all of this thinking. That was when she noticed the slight breeze touching her back. My back? But I'm wearing a dress.

Her small hands traveled to her back, only to find that not all of the strings were tied. And the strings that were tied were loose, as if though they had been doen up carelessly. No, she didn't tie them that way. She tied them tight. She always tied them tight.

And thenanother thing. God, I'm remembering one too many things during this godforsaken hour. If only my brain would shut its trap. There was a lump lying a foot away from her, the warm comforter covering it from view.

She poked it and it groaned. This wasn't a lump,it was another person. And a man, by the sound of it.

Oh good Lord, who is this man? And why is he intruding in my bed?

Karyane stifled the urge to do something irrational, like maybe hit the person over the head with an object; it didn't have to be a brick, although one would be appreciated at this moment, but just an object. Deciding to calm herself down, she opted to pulling away the comforter just enough so she could see the man's back. Leaning over, she got a look at the man's face.

And she let out a scream. It was Jack Sparrow.

Suddenly, everything made sense. The mysterious man, the strings to her dress not fully tied, everything. She had kissed Jack Sparrow. Then she remembered what she had said to Zenakabee.

"I'd rather be caught dead than seen kissing him."

"God, I'm not dead. That means...Urgh!" she let out another scream, this one out of pure frustration.

II – II – II

Anamaria heard a bloodcurdling scream. For a second, she thought she was having a nightmare. But when she quickly got up and bumped her head against the ceiling (she was sleeping on the upper bunk bed) and felt pain, she knew that the scream was real. Turning her head around, she saw that their captive was leaning over a snoring lump, presumably Jack. "What the..." she mumbled to herself.

There was Karyane, the weak, innocent little girl that they had found in Port Royal, screaming her lungs off. Anamaria still wasn't sure why the girl, or her step sister, were aboard the Pearl, but she was fairly sure that it had something to do with Jack's revenge for William's murderers.

Wait, what is she doing in Jack's bed?

The thought struck Anamaria out of nowhere and then she remembered a deliriously drunk Karyane plastering herself against Jack. Apparently, Jack had furthered the kiss into something other than just a kiss and even though Karyane was wearing clothes, Anamaria was sure that the captain and his captive had done more than just kiss each other.

So that's what she's doing in Jack's bed.

"Psst. Gibbs," Anamaria hissed at her crewmate, the man who was sleeping on the bed below hers.

The large, scruffy man turned over and mumbled something when Anamaria called his name again. Karyane mumbled something to herself then let out another scream, this time for no apparent reason, and it hastened to wake Gibbs up.

"What!" he yelled, getting up too quickly and bumping his head against the bed above his, just like Anamaria had bumped hers against the ceiling. Looking towards the general direction of the scream, Gibbs saw the absolutely horrified expression on Karyane's face as she looked into Jack's sleeping face. His eyes locked with Anamaria's, only to see that she was smirking down at him.

"Guess the two couldn't keep their hands to themselves," Anamaria told him with a laugh. Gibbs smiled.

"Take back that comment! Nothing happened between the two of us!" Karyane shouted from her position on the bed, having decided to join the conversation. The two other crew members just smiled at her knowingly. Infuriated, she got out of bed and stomped out of the room, her heavy footfalls accentuating her fury.

II – II – II

Zenakabee had had too much to drink. And now her head was paying the price. She groaned as she sat up and moved aside her blankets. When was the last timeI drank that much?

Moving like a sloth, she slowly got out of bed and headed for the small mirror that hung on the wall. Pulling up a chair, she grabbed the comb that she and Karyane shared and started dragging it through her medium-length auburn hair.

Speaking of Karyane, where is she?

But the thought of her step-sister was soon forgotten since it was linked with last night. And last night reminded her of James, the very interesting bartender that she had met.

She could tell that at first he was talking to her just to get rid of her. Maybe he had hoped that if he answered her questions, she would leave him alone. He obviously hadn't met Zenakabee. Answering one question meant answering a dozen more. And at first, Zenakabee hadn't been too interested either; she just needed someone to talk to.

But soon, a few words had turned into a few more and a few more had turned into an entire conversation and then that had turned into something deep and meaningful. She had gone up to bed at around three in the morning; they had talked the whole night away. She knew that she had told him far too much than a stranger could be trusted with. She had told him that they hadn't really asked the crew for help, that they were kidnapped, and that the two sisters had actually grown fond of the dysfunctional crew.

And then she had started telling him about herself, her life, Karyane, her vicious step-mother Adelaide, and her love for Charles. Indeed, she had told him far too much than she should have told a complete stranger.

And yet, for some unknown reason, she trusted him, even though all of her logical thinking told her not to.

Sighing, Zenakabee looked into the mirror. Staring back at her was a simple looking girl with an ego to match the king's.

Maybe if I was pretty enough, he'd notice me. Maybe if I was more like Karyane.

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. Karyane was pretty, there was no denying that. But Zenakabee, even though she didn't want to admit it, knew that her sister had flaws. Small ones, but they were still there. Yes, at times Karyane would seem so perfect, too perfect even. But then, pieces of her shell would start coming off and a glimpse of the real Karyane could be seen. Like a baby chick that is struggling to release itself from its protective shell, Karyane always wanted to break free of her bothersome shell.

It's funny. She really is like a baby chick.

And then Zenakabee thought some more, even though her head hurt from all the alcohol that she had drank from the previous night. A baby chick was protected by its shell. Its shell was what shielded the vulnerable creature from the hazards of the outside world. And yet, if the chick didn't break free, it wouldn't be able to breathe. It would suffocate from the confines of the shell if it stayed in for too long.. And even though the chick knew with every ounce of certainty that it might die if it went outside, it tried to break free. It tried its bloody hardest. So it was really a matter of living in that shell - fairly comfortable and having all the amenities in the world - and seeing how long it would survive or breaking free and risking its safety for freedom. It was safety versus danger, confinement versus freedom

And just like the chick, Karyane was trying her bloody hardest to break free from the lap of luxury, from her parents, from society, from her shell so that maybe she could risk everything just to be killed out there in the real world.

She doesn't show it, but I know that she'd much rather have an instant of freedom and die than live comfortably with everything that a girl could want and feel like a prisoner.

Zenakabee smiled. I guess the kiss that she shared with Jack last night was just the beginning of her fight for freedom.

II – II – II

The wet mop in James's hand swept back and forth across the inn's dirty floors. Last night had been hectic and in more ways than just one.

For the past two weeks, the inn had been relatively quiet. Not much rum had been purchased, not too many strumpets had entered, and not a single fight. Last night took care of all three and another problem, an extra guest. James had sold innumerable amounts of alcohol, had started confusing his inn for a whore-house, had witnessed various brawls escalade, and had a very interesting (not to mention long) conversation with a very interesting woman.

She had come out of nowhere and sat down on a stool. Didn't rush him, didn't yell at him for not coming to her sooner; she just sat there. Just sat there and watched his every intent like a hawk watches its prey. Whether she knew that James was aware of her gaze was irrelevant; she had been boring holes through him. So naturally, by the time he got to her, he was intimidated.

And she didn't want a drink either. No, she had wanted him. At first, he was taken aback and then he realized that she wanted him not for purposes of love-making, but rather conversation. He had barely agreed to talk to her, when her questions bombarded him one after another, not even allowing him a second to think. After almost half an hour, her interrogation ended. Then she just sat there, her supposedly normal brown eyes just looking at him.

But her normal brown eyes were that only until James had taken a closer look. They were pools of dark brown, their purpose to probe into the affairs of others, no matter how minor, and their effect enchanting. He had thought of preventing a fight, of which the beginnings were now forming, when her hand was atop his and her stare was locked dead-on with his, as intense as ever."Ignore them," she told him, her voice like the soothing calm of a mother's. But you weren't supposed to be drawn to your mother, James knew that for sure.

He pulled up a stool behind the counter and started probing into her life. Slowly, tentatively, she told all. He discovered that she didn't even have a brother, so how could she be looking for him, that she was a captive but oddly enough didn't mind that so much, had a step-sister that she had envied up until the previous night, a cruel step-mother, and a man by the name of Charles who had her heart.

Zenakabee Ruele. That was her name. Pride had been branded onto her forehead and wit on her tongue. She was average-looking, boisterous, argumentative, haughty, and everything that would repel a man.

She had succeeded in doing quite the opposite.

II – II – II

Zenakabee had barely finished combing her hair when her step-sister barreled into the room like an enraged bull. She was muttering curses; her hair was flying behind her, and her eyes revealed rage and not an emotion less.

"What happened?" Zenakabee asked as Karyane slammed the door behind her. Zenakabee winced; slammed doors were never a good sign.

And neither was the look that Karyane gave her.

"You," she whispered, her voice deathlike, the expression on her face making Zenakabee wonder if she should pray for her soul before asking another question.

Zenakabee gulped. "Me?"

Karyane's voice was low, slow from the force that she was using to control herself. "You're the reason I even thought of drinking. You're the reason I started drinking more. You're the reason I started talking to that despicable woman and then Jack. You're the reason that I kissed Jack Sparrow, the man that I'm supposed to hate with my every fiber. You're the reason I went upstairs to his room." Her speech was gaining momentum as her voice was gaining volume and her self-control was starting to deteriorate. "You're the reason I did God knows what with that vile pirate. You're the reason I woke up with the world's worst headache this morning. And you're the reason I woke up next to none other than Jack Sparrow!" Her last sentence was yelled, hurled at her step-sister with contempt that should've been saved for an enemy, not a sister.

"Me?" Zenakabee asked meekly. Involuntarily, she had shrunk back in fear.

"Yes you!" Karyane spat. And then more curses. Except this time, she didn't keep them to herself. She decided to share them with the entire inn.

"Calm…calm down Karyane. Really, it's no big deal," Zenakabee stuttered, walking towards her sister slowly, a comb in hand in case she needed it for a shield.

"No big deal! Are you out of your mind! I slept with the godforsaken bastard and you know what? My dress wasn't even tied! I don't even know if that low-life raped me or not!" Zenakabee shrunk back again as the onslaught of words continued.

Suddenly, she felt like she'd rather face the headache that she had jut a few minutes ago than her supposedly calm, peaceful sister.

II – II – II

Jack turned over on his other side. Hearing the chatter of the city, and the crashing of tumultuous waves as they collided against one another, Jack awoke. The sun's rays glared harshly into his eyes as he squinted in order to see. Yawning, he stretched his arms and legs and rubbed his still sleepy eyes. Guessing by the level of noise, it was probably an hour past noon.

He lay there for a while, looking up at the ceiling and scratching his chest. The warm comforter surrounded him and despite the fact that he had probably slept for over twelve hours, slumber was still imminent. But just one thing was stopping sleep from washing over him once again and it was a voice that was nagging him to no end.

Something had happened, something that Jack should've remembered. Yawning, he tried to remember what his brain was trying to tell him. Bloody hell, he had probably drank too much rum.

And at the mention of the sweet, intoxicating liquid, the events of the previous night returned to him.

/Flashback/

Suddenly, Karyane's lips were upon his.

Taken aback, he just sat there but he soon learned, as the girl got up from her chair and placed herself comfortably in his lap, that this was against Karyane's wishes. His tongue, after some persuasion, crossed over her lips and she opened her mouth willingly.

It was just a kiss.

It was just a kiss.

That was what he reminded himself but the girl whose lips were against his had other ideas.

Soon, Jack found himself being raised out of his chair by her hands and the two stumbled across the inn, not bothering to break apartjust to stop from stumbling. They bumped into random people, found their way amidst a fight unknowingly, and she almost fell once, but his grip around her waist was firm and all he did was lean down and pick her up again.

She pulled away and for a moment, just that one, Jack thought she would slap him as he saw something close to recognition in her eyes. But all she did was smirk and tease him up the stairs.

They fell down upon his bed, his flimsy shirt fluttering to the floor as it left Karyane's hands. The strings at the back of her dress were undone and soon her neck and chest were littered with fiery kisses. Bringing his lips back to hers, Jack was about to kiss her when he realized something.

She had fallen asleep.

For a second, he was in denial. He started trailing fingers along her stomach and whispered words to her to see if she was awake. A smirk found its way onto his face. Here was a sleeping girl who had seemed more than willing to give herself up to him just seconds ago and was only partially clothed. It wouldn't be too hard to...she probably wouldn't even notice.

But he just shook his head and slipped her dress back on, doing his best to tie the strings with his fumbling fingers, his fuzzy thoughts not alert enough to tell his hands just exactly what they needed to do. If he had been someone else or if she had been a woman that he had paid, Karyane would not be asleep right now.

But he wasn't and neither was she. True, he was a pirate, but he'd much rather have a woman scream his name than rape a sleeping girl who he hadn't even paid. Muttering light-hearted curses, meaning no real insult, he picked her up and placed her in a more comfortable position, her head on his soft pillows. He pulled the comforter around her and then got in next to her.

"Good night," he whispered to no one in particular. And that was when sleep had come calling to him, its voice soft and alluring.

/Flashback/

Getting up, he realized that no one else was in his room. Sighing, Jack shook his head, murmuring to himself, as he looked for his shirt, "That girl really isn't worth all the trouble that she puts me through."

Having found his shirt, he put it on and tightened the signature red bandana around his head as he went down the stairs on his tip-toes, his descent anything but quiet as he staggered against the wall for a second. The effects of the rum from last night hadn't washed away yet.

As he reached the bottom landing, he saw that the inn-keeper had apparently cleaned up after last night's mess.

How do these men clean up so fast? Whelps, all of 'em.

Eh, figures as much.

Jack had reached the door, about to step out into the streets to find himself something to do, when he heard his name. "Jack Sparrow, you conniving bastard, get over here!" Jack turned around, mid-step, swiveling on one heel as he turned to face whoever had called him. It was that girl, Karyane or what's her name's sister. She was smiling dangerously at him as she sipped from a steel mug.

"Aye love?" he called back, his voice flirtatious, his smirk in place. Haphazardly, as he always was, Jack walked over to the table that she was seated at. "What can I do for you?" he asked, placing himself between her and the man that she was sitting next to.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" Jack asked the other man suddenly, for that was when he had realized that it was he was next to the inn-keeper of this very place. The other man just quirked an eyebrow at him. "Never mind."

"He's here because I was talking to him. Jack, this is James, James this is Jack," Zenakabee introduced.

James extended his hand but Jack just looked at it as if though it was some bizarre thing and flinched. The young man looked at Jack, his expression a mix of befuddlement and ill-treatment. Eyeing the other man's expression, Jack leaned in conspiratorially, as if though he had a secret to share, and whispered just loud enough so that everyone could hear, "I heard all you whelps are eunuchs." Jack looked down pointedly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Zenakabee told him, but there was a smile on her face, just like the one on James's.

"Anyway Jack, you were asking what you could do for me? Tell me if you remember something funny happening last night." Her smirk was identical to his.

Jack looked at Karyane, only to see that she was staring at him. Quickly, she returned her eyes to the table, ignoring his gaze. He looked back to Zenakabee and could only grin like an idiot.

"I don't know. Tell me Karyane what's-it, do you remember if something funny happened last night?" he asked her as he slowly got up from between Zenakabee and the bartender and went over to squat next to Karyane. She was forced to look into his eyes. "Did anything funny happen?" he asked again, grinning wider as he saw her doing her best to ignore him.

Realizing that she probably wasn't going to answer, Jack said to no one in particular, "Nope. Not a single lil' ol' thing happened last night."

With that, he got up and was about to leave again, but not before he looked over his shoulder, locked eyes with Karyane's, and called, "Just thought I'd remind a certain someone of how intrigued she was by me last night."

Zenakabee laughed and Karyane blushed. My job here is done, he thought to himself with a satisfied smirk.

A/N: There it is, Chapter 12. This one was longer too, almost the size of Chapter 11, but that one was a bit long so I decided to carry some of the parts from this chapter over to the next one. Tell me what you guys think.