An: Spoilers for AWE are going to be creeping in soon, just be warned.
Chapter 5: Destiny's Touch
When the twins got up the next day they found there mother already up. She was sitting at the kitchen table sand she had been crying.
Her heart break was evident. Neither of them knew what had gone on, or what to say to her. Neither of them had ever seen her in such a state before. She had never cried in front of them before.
So they just moved around her quietly. She felt do isolated, she remembered the last day when she had seen Hector how she had been left stranded on the dock and she got a weird feeling of de ja vu.
"I am so sorry children." She said to them once they were sat down. "He is gone and I don't think he is ever going to come back." She said as another tear slide down her face.
"Who mama?" asked Jane.
"Your father – Hector…"
The twin's looked to each other with confusion and the slightest bit of hope despite there mother had said he was gone. She never spoke to them of him.
"How is he gone?" said Hector eager to hear news of the man who he had craved for so long.
"He is dead," she said to the two of them. There own hearts broke despite the fact they had never met him, that was clear. Jane begun to weep, and Hector just sat in a stunned silenced.
Helen moved to put her arms round her daughter and she accepted the embrace, needing her mother at that moment.
"Were those men who were here the other night, bringing you news of papa?" she asked, working it out for herself.
"Yes they did. I am sorry I did not tell you sooner children but a lot has gone on in your mothers head of late." She said as she kissed her daughters forehead.
"You will miss papa?" asked Hector.
"Very much son. He was a good man, and he was a pirate too." She said to them.
"He was a pirate?" asked Jane with a smiled. She had never been told that by her mother. She knew so little of the man who should have brought her up.
Hector gave a small grin. He had always known he thought. He had figured it out when he himself had been out in the dingy with Andrew, and when they had been speaking of the differences between good sailors and pirates.
"How do you know he is dead?" he asked.
"Call it a sixth sense if you will." She said to him and he nodded, knowing she would only tell them this news if she really believed it to be the truth.
"Will you two be ok if I go down to the beach for a moment or two? I need to get my head together." She said to them and both nodded.
"We will be ok mama won't we?" asked Jane.
"Of course we will. After all, what's really changed for the three of us?"
Both the kids shrugged. They guessed that was true. They had never had him and so they would never be able to miss him.
Their mother would though.
It wasn't long till Helen found herself sitting on the edge of the dock looking down at the water thinking over what Jack had said to her. She couldn't spend her life in fear of it.
If she had not been so scared, then she would have gone with him to where ever he was going to see Hector and she would have stopped it.
She had had a chance to save her love, but she had not taken it.
He could never now be with her; she had not gone to him. What sort of love was that? What sort of lover was she?
No wonder he had left her all those years ago she thought to herself.
Helen now knew of her fate though and for that part of her was grateful. There was to be no more dreaming. She was just doomed to be alone. One day she would have to watch the children go to sea. And just like there father, and grand father before him they would not return to her. Then she would end up a bitter old women cold and alone, loving no one, hating life, willing death to take her more every day.
How had this come to pass?
Now as she looked about herself, all she saw was her with her love. The ghost of Hector seemed to be every where for Helen. He was on the beach kissing her. They were walking hand in hand to the tavern. They were every where.
"I'll never be able to forget." She said to the wind.
"A pint please love," Helen heard a voice from behind her.
The slim women nodded, "just a minute." She said as she got another punters drink. It was another busy night in tavern and she had to say she was finding it hard to keep up.
She had only even been on this god forsaken island a few months.
Turning she saw a pirate. Well that was nothing new, not any more. She had had a right shock when she had seen her first real Caribbean pirate but if they were in Tortuga they were generally a friendly lot… unless they were punching each other.
She turned to see a man standing there. She had no idea it was Hector Barbossa at that moment. It was hard to think that when she had first seen him she had thought he was just another no body.
"A pint was it?" she checked and he nodded, his eyes following her all the way round the bar as she got the drink.
She had asked for the money and he had added some more. "Yer a fine thing," he had cockily told her. "Yer deserve somethin' pretty." She hadn't argued. She had simply thrown a smile his way, and enjoyed the compliment.
-
Giselle, Scarlett, Emily and the twins looked over at the dock. It was surprisingly clear of ships that night. All they saw was their friend and mother, her heart break showing in every way possible.
"Papas death has hit her hard." Said Jane.
"She has not seen him in years, I don't see how she can still be pining for him." said Emily.
"She never did open up to any about him though did she?" asked Giselle. "Never accepted she lost him the first time round I don't think."
"No, not really," said Emily. "When she was down she used to say random little comments about him but nothing solid. She missed him. She was always so self righteous though before that day," she mused.
"What day?" asked Hector.
"You will find out in time little one, but for now, I can say. I fear speaking of it and reminding her of it will only add to your poor mother's grief."
"Emily?" said Scarlett. "The man she used to love. Was he the first mate on the Black Pearl once, a long time ago?" she asked.
"I do believe he was" she nodded, sighing.
"Well that was why she got so upset when we spoke of what that first mate was doing now." Said she to Giselle who nodded.
"What does it matter now what he did in life?" said Jane. "Papa is dead. Mama will never get over it. She is beside herself."
"She has been shattered by her grief." She nodded "but she will recover, some day she will, I promise you. Helen is stronger than even she knows."
-
Jack had once again returned Tortuga. Again he needed a crew. A crew this time he would hand straight to Davy Jones in order to pay for his own soul. He needed a hundred to settle his debt.
He was in the tavern when he looked at the bar and he saw Helen. She was on her shift for the night.
All his life he had run from his duty. But there fates had been intertwined for a long time now. He owed it to her to be straight with her.
Going over to her slowly he observed her. The first thing that struck him was she had lost weight. Her clothes which had always been like rags since Hector had left her were hanging off her skeleton frame. It wasn't a pleasant sight when before when he had went to her for dinner she had been of a nice weight, not too slim, but by no means fat.
She must have kept herself out of the sun for shine had become as white as a ghost.
When she saw him her face confirmed all he had thought. She needed no confirmation. She knew he was gone.
"If you have cone to comfort me Captain Sparrow please don't waste your breathe or yoke time. You killed him." she said to him as yet more tears filled her eyes, all she ever seemed to do was cry, ever since Jack had come back in to her life. It was all she wanted to do.
"Helen it had to be done." He told her.
"No it didn't. I will always blame myself, don't you see. I should have got on that ship to save his life. But I didn't, because I was scared. And now I have to face my biggest fear. Life with out hope Jack. Don't you see its all gone." She whispered to him.
He couldn't have felt more guilty. Her eyes showed what she had said to be true. She felt she had nothing left since she had learnt of her lover's death. She had tried to tell her self that her children were enough for her, she would go on for them and she was sure in her soul she would find a way to do just that. But when she was really down and when her soul was in so much pain she felt it would break her body, she just wanted to die. To crawl up and for it all to be over. To be with him once more. Her passion had turned to love once, and in the same way her love had turned to obsession.
"Did he suffer?" she asked.
"No Helen, it was over quickly."
"Well I guess that's some thing." She said trying to fight back the tears on hearing he didn't suffer. Not really.
Seeing Jack again felt odd. On what hand he had murdered he whom she had adored for years on end. In one sense it gave her courage.
It was then that Emily came in to the room where they had been talking,
"Helen it is the children. They want you to go back and tuck them in tonight and they will not settle other wise." She said to her friend.
"I want too go back but I can not. We are strapped for money more than ever, you know that." she said depressed. Why did nothing go right for her?
"Go on get off," said Emily. "I can finish your shift and you can have the money. It is only an hours work left." She said to her friend.
"Would you? Oh Emily thank you so much." She said to her as she went to embrace her. The older they got, the more the two of them thought of the other as their sister.
Just as she was leaving the bar, Jack went up to her again.
"I want you to have this Helen," he said as he pushed a purse in to her hand. It had money in it; she could feel even from the out side.
"I don't need charity." She said to him seriously.
"I know you don't. You always said you needed no mans pity. Again I don't offer it. Let's just say this is a present from an old friend." He said to her.
She nodded. As much as she wanted to give it back to him, she knew she could not. She needed it too much.
"Thank you." She said to him and went to give him a kiss on the cheek in gratitude, before pulling back.
Seeing she probably needed the affection though thought Jack to himself, pulled her in to embrace her. But there was no warmth in it for her. To Helen, Jack would only ever be the man who had killed her Hector.
"Thank you." She said again before running off to be with her son and her daughter.
Getting back in to the house early, the kids were happy there plan had worked to get there mother home with them.
"What is all this I hear about the two of you playing up for Emily?" she asked playfully as she went in to there room.
"We wanted you to tuck us in mama. You have not in so long.," said Hector as he tried to get out of bed but with as single look Helen put a stop to that.
Pushing him gently under the covers, she smoothed out his hair gently and kissed him on the fore head.
"It is late my little one." She said to him, kissing his fore head. "You both need sleep," she said as she went over to Jane and kissed her too.
"Can we not have a story?" Jane asked her mother.
"Not tonight my dear. Maybe tomorrow. In fact definitely tomorrow," she said to her. "Though I think if a mother takes care of her babies as she should, a story every night is not so much to ask." She said to them with a smile. "Good night my dears, god bless. I love you both very much, sweet dreams."
Well, she thought as she left her children. She could be a lot worse off. If Hector had died, then so be it. She had not. The twins had not. Normal life had to be sought through all the pain and confusion. She had to go on.
Her one regret was she never truly got to say good bye.
The next ay Emily, Andrew and their son Peter came over to dinner. It was a nice meal which during Helen smiled and laughed with every one else. It was a relief for her children to see her so happy.
As they finished there was a knock on the door.
"Who can that be at this time?" she said to them, as she took a sip of wine. "Just excuse me a sec."
Going over to the door, she opened it to Giselle.
"Oh hello," said Helen.
"You ok Helen?" she asked and she nodded. "Good, but yer might not be in a minute. The boss up the tavern wants to see yer."
"Oh what does he want? Tonight's the first night off I have had in ages." She said, knowing she would have to go. "Well ok, I tell him I am non my way." She said and the blonde nodded before walking back up to the tavern.
"But mama you said we could have a story tonight!" said hector to her.
"And you will!" said Helen. "I am going to tell you one just as soon as I get back. Andrew, Emily can you just hang on here, I wont be more than twenty minutes."
"I think we can certainly do that after you gave us such a wonderful dinner!" said Andrew.
"Thank you. Children, get in your might clothes, be ready for bed when I get back," said Helen as she got ready, wrapping a tatty old brown shawl about herself. "I am not going to be long."
Going out in to the night she found it quite cold. A breeze had been blowing all day and it wasn't nice for the inhabitants of the island who were generally used to glorious sun shine that they enjoyed.
Walking along the old dusty road down to the village, Helen was unnerved by it for the first time in years. She had been nervous when she had first started living down at the house but she had over time got used to it. But that night she felt as if she was being followed…. Watched.
It was at that moment as her fear set in, some one grabbed her from behind.
-
The priestess walked in to the back bedroom of her home to see her guest wide awake, sitting by his side, his loyal monkey.
"Der two of yer were no doub' glad to be reunited." Said Tia to him.
"What me and Jack? Yer." Said Hector to her.
Death had a strange way of making you see what was really important, though. There was another reunion he was looking forward to even more.
He couldn't believe he had walked away from Helen all those years any more, though at the time it had been the right thing to do he knew and had stayed away through pride. That had been a mistake. What had happened to him when he had been killed had made him look inside of himself and hear what his heart was telling him.
She was all he wanted. She was every thing. Her and his children. His son and his daughter. They were the only three that mattered now, well apart from Jack.
"How long do yer suppose this journey will be taking?" asked Hector, eager to know when he could really go home.
"Dat depends on how successful we are, does it not?" she asked, her voice laced by her thick accent
"I suppose so." He nodded sighing heavily.
"Der is a wait on yer heart hector Ba'bossa. What is it?" asked Tia.
"I made a mistake ten years ago. I don't know if it is too late to put it right or not." He mourned.
"No mistake is unfixable, Captain." She said to him, giving him hope for his future.
It was that day, Hector vowed no matter what he had to do, where he had to go, he would find his Helen. And then he would win her back.
-
As much as she had fought them, it wasn't long till Helen had been how come by the muggers. She didn't see why they were attacking her though. She had nothing to give.
When the two boys looked down on her and saw who it was though, they both looked at each other with concern.
Though Tortuga was not run on any laws, and there was no hierarchy what so ever, the permanent residences had always looked out for each other.
Helen was well known in the community even if she had never allowed her to be friendly enough to be well loved by some people.
If they were caught having attacked her, they would be in huge trouble.
A defenceless mother of two. They'd be hung for it by some of the regular's at the tavern who got used to her serving them night after night.
And so they decided to his the evidence.
Together they took her body, put it in a dingy and sent her out to the sea. They would not kill her. The waves and current would.
When Helen awoke her head, she thought, had never ached so much. She tried to remember what had gone on but she couldn't. All she remembered was she had been jumped. One of them had called the other 'Jameson', but she hadn't got a look at them.
Where was she? Who was she with? The kids… she should be giving them a story.
"Hector… Jane … loves are you here?" she asked as she opened her eyes.
Where ever she was, the ground was rocking. She had never felt so ill since she had crossed the sea to get to Tortuga.
"Oh my god." She said as she realized where she was.
Looking about only confirmed her worse fear. She was at sea, totally alone.
She lay herself back down and lay in silence, hoping some how she would be ok.
-
Hector's eyes snapped open. He had been in a peaceful dream when it had become infected with images of Helen at sea. Alone, fearful.
They weren't just images. He knew they were realty. How he knew he didn't know, he just did.
He had to get to her. But the trouble was he was still weak. Being brought back from the dead was no easy thing.
He had barely got up, and as he struggled to his feet he feel from the bed alerted Tia. He had to recover properly from his ordeal… but he felt he could not when Helen's was just beginning.
"Ba'bossa yer should not be up yet, wat hav' I told yer, rest!" she said as he helped him back bed.
"But Helen. She's in danger. Calypso yer must help her." he said to her.
"I could, if I were not bound." She told him sadly. "I will do all I can fer yer women." She said to him.
He nodded slowly, feeling colder than ever. Why had he shut her out? They had been so good together, so close. All the old decisions had lost there meanings. The excuses he had used at the time were not reasons.
"Yer have not seen her in years have yer?" she asked seeing the sadness in his eyes.
"It has been to o long, that be true," he said. "I'm going to get back to her," he promised himself again.
But that night when he fell asleep again, he saw some thing that put deeper fear in to his soul than ever before. It was Helen. But this time it was so much worse.
She was under the water. No longer was she crying fear. Her face was peaceful now. There was no fear. She was under the water and she had stopped fighting the sea. She was dead.
The last thing he saw in that dream was the boat that she had been in capsized.