Thicker Than Water – Chapter Seventeen – Thicker Than Water
Rebecca refused to talk about what had happened when she was on The Bounty, so Jack assumed the worst. The whole crew gave her nervous looks and kept their distance, making sure not to get in her way.
After she had gotten all cleaned up and put into fresh clothes, Jack allowed her to just sit, curled up in the front of the boat.
He felt ashamed. How could he let that happen? To his daughter! He had to have known. But he supposed, just like everything else, he had not allowed himself to believe it.
Jack walked slowly over to Rebecca and cautiously sat down beside her. "If you want to go back to school, or back to Tortuga, we can drop you off before we—"
"Do you really want to get rid of me that badly?" Rebecca asked him, hatred seeping from her every pore.
"Tell me, did you have this planned form the beginning? To bond with your daughter and then dump her on another ship to lead a man to treasure? Literally and figuratively."
Jack felt as though he'd just been punched. He couldn't think of anything to say. "Beck, I'm—"
Rebecca closed her eyes and turned her head away. "Oh, don't tell me that you're sorry." she said, disgusted.
Jack looked down at his boots. No one had ever made him feel this vulnerable before. "You're right. I'm a complete and utter bastard. Do your worst."
She stared at him. "Fine. I think you're a self-centered, ignorant, conniving git who's not worthy nor fit for raising a daughter."
Jack winced. "I deserved that."
"You bet you did."
"So would you like to go back to school or Tortuga?"
"I would like to find Captain Blackmore and kill him."
Jack looked at her, surprised. He wasn't expecting that. "What?"
"I'm not going to let him get away with what he did."
"But I thought you hated me."
"Well perhaps if you're willing to change a little, you would be easier to live with."
Jack smiled. "Anything for you, Beck."
And so they were off. Sailing into the horizon, father and daughter. They were so different, but one thing kept them together. It was thicker than water. It was blood.