Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean or Little Mermaid. Well, except the movies, a Jack Sparrow poster, a magazine with his picture, and the Pirates soundtrack, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Yay, another update! I'm glad that people are having fun with this story. Thanks so much to everyone who is reading, and to those who are also reviewing. Thanks again, and enjoy!

Chapter 5: Compassion:

For several days, I slept well, and woke with the rising of the sun. Each day, when the sun was above the horizon, Anna-Maria brought me a morning meal that resembled discolored water, with little bits of odd things floating about in it.

On the first day, I had to read her thoughts about what it was, and discovered that it was called 'soup,' which was the meal that the doctor had suggested for me. There was also a strange metal object floating in it as well. My obvious examination of the soup yielded an explanation from Anna.

"It's chicken soup with some vegetables in it. I made sure that it tasted alright, since Lord knows the men can't cook to save their lives," she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

To my delight, I easily understood her, her words and their meaning (even in sarcasm) falling into my ears. I hadn't expected to understand her so well, but I suppose my mental abilities were to thank for that.

Looking at the soup, I was rather touched that she had made this meal for me, but as I had no idea what a 'chicken' was, I had to gently look into her mind for an explanation. Apparently humans ate chickens, which were fat, flightless birds, and plants, which were also called vegetables. I was fond of seaweed and kelp, but the plants on the surface seemed to be so numerous, it was mind-numbing!

"Can you handle the spoon alright on your own?" Anna asked me in concern "Do you need me to help you?"

A fleeting image in her mind told me what the metal object was, and how it worked. I used the shells of mussels and clams to scoop up krill and other things from pools left on land by retreating tides, just the same way as humans used this to eat their soup,. How interesting!

Carefully gripping the long handle with my fingers, I slowly lifted a bit of the soup in the spoon and brought it to my lips. I could sense it was hot, so I took only a small sip, the way I did from clam shells.

'Oh, goodness!' I thought, completely in shock.

There was salt in this, I could taste it, but the rich, hearty taste of the soup was unlike anything I had ever had before. The vegetables were soft enough to fall apart on my tongue, and were delicious, glorious! Did all human food taste like this? Oh, I hope so!

Anna-Maria was delighted to see me finish the whole thing, and when I pointed at it, indicating that I wanted more –since I was rather famished- she went to fetch it for me. I managed to eat another serving of soup, and was content when the last bit was safely in my belly.

This continued on for three days, with each day's meal being soup of a different kind. At first, it was lovely to lie in bed and do nothing, but it wasn't long before I began shifting around, impatient to leave the enclosing room.

Finally – finally! – I was allowed to have a day out. After I finished my morning meal, this one of a richer, thicker soup than before, Anna eyed me closely.

"Well, that's a good sign, if I ever saw one," Anna declared as she took away the spoon and the vessel that had held the soup. "Now, are you still exhausted, or would you like a walk around the deck, to stretch your legs?"

I had been thrilled before, but now my heart fell. I had legs, but no idea how to use them. How was I going to explain that when I could not walk like they expected me to?

"Now, don't worry if your legs are a bit shaky or don't seem to work right," Anna said, as though she were the one who could read minds, not me. "I'll fetch some clothes for you and we'll get you dressed so you can take a turn about the deck."

Before I could do anything, she vanished, leaving me wondering what my new legs looked like. I hadn't wanted to look at them yet, as my heart still clung to the image of my beautiful tail still somehow remaining where it should be.

I gently pulled back the blanket that covered me. Taking a good look at my legs, I was surprised to find them rather attractive. They were somewhat long, and slim, which made me nervous. How could humans stand on such things? Well, at least I would probably have a good height, which seemed promising.

Concentrating, I managed to move them a little, and smiled at the sight of my small toes moving back and forth. Well, perhaps this wouldn't be so bad…

At that moment, Anna-Maria returned, her arms loaded with the many different types of things that humans wore. "Here we are," she said, dropping them onto the bed as she started to frown at me. "You'd best not expose yourself like that ever again, young miss," she chided me. "You're lucky none of the men walked in here and caught you without much of a stitch on!"

Oh, goodness, I should have thought of that. Merfolk had no need of covering ourselves up, so I should have supposed that being seen without covering was something that wasn't done.

I looked at the light garment that covered my top half, which I had been wearing for days. Anna-Maria wore one just like mine, and it was apparently for modesty's sake –it seemed that humans did not go long without wearing something over their bodies. It also seemed that most humans didn't don hair ornaments, for the pearls in my hair had long been removed and stored away in my satchel.

'Actually, the only human I have seen with hair ornaments is Jack. Gracious, I have a great deal to learn about this sort of existence!'

"Now, you're probably not used to breeches and shirts, but they're the best thing to wear on a ship," she explained picking up one thing to show me. "Dresses and anything loose would only get tangled in the ropes, which could get you seriously injured, or even killed."

Anna gave me a close inspection with those very dark eyes of hers. "Now, let's see what fits you, hmm?"

For quite some time, I had to try on garments for my legs (or breeches), and shirts for my top half. There were also things called 'boots' that humans wore on their feet, and which I found rather uncomfortable and confining, but since they protected me from harm, I wore them, at Anna's insistence.

Unfortunately, all of this required me to stand up part of the time, and my unsteady legs caused me to clutch helplessly on any convenient object, which happened to be Anna-Maria or part of the structure known as the 'bed.' I eventually was able to stand on my own, but I knew that walking would be something else altogether.

In the end, much of what I tried on actually fit correctly –well, according to Anna. "The green suits you, as does the blue, which is good, since they aren't right for me anyway," she said, admiring me in my new garments. "I'll have the Captain send out for more things for you to wear, though, so you don't wear those out too quick."

She reached out to take my hands and pull me away from the bed, holding me steady as I tried to walk. "Now, what do you say to some fresh air? The men are on shore leave, so I can help you take a turn around the deck for a bit." Oh, that sounded interesting!

Firmly, but gently holding onto her, I focused on keeping myself balanced on two legs, and carefully moving my feet, one in front of the other. It was a sorry mimic of Anna-Maria's leg movements, but this only gave more to Anna's theory that I was simply 'weakened.'

With Anna's assistance, I was able to make my way outside, where I was able to see the place we were temporarily visiting.

I had guessed that humans lived in structures to keep safe during rough weather, but I hadn't thought that they would be this filthy, or ugly. Perhaps it was the sand, soil, and a number of other things that made the shelters look so horrible, but from the amount of equally dirty people walking about, I felt it had to be due to them merely being humans.

'Then again, my people don't really have to worry about staying clean underwater. Perhaps it is more difficult being human than I thought.'

The wind turned suddenly, and I caught a foul stench on it, causing me to feel ill. I'd had a decent sense of smell underwater – though not as good as a shark's – but my human nose caught things in the wind I had no names for, and honestly did not want to know about!

"That's Tortuga," Anna explained, taking me to lean against the side of the ship. "It's a pirate safe haven, which means it's dangerous for a young thing like you. Luckily, we'll be gone long before you're recovered enough to go out exploring."

The images that flashed through her head were terrifying. There was so much violence, and so many different ways to perish as a mortal! Merfolk could die from accidents, or be killed by humans or sea creatures, but to think that humans would hurt their own in a myriad of different ways was terrifying. Merfolk never harmed their own, not even if it were two mermen fighting over a mate. Humans, however, seemed to want to kill one another over anything or everything.

Even worse was the fact that my rescuers were pirates. Although I had not seen any until now, my kind had encountered them before, and had not fared well during those meetings. Pirates were said to be some of the worst that could be found on the seas –always violent, always killing and always stealing things from ships. I had always been taught to stay away from pirates, and from all humans, because they were creatures who would kill us as soon as soon as they saw us.

But something inside me argued against that. Anna-Maria was a pirate, as was Jack, and they had both done everything in their power to keep me safe, warm, and fed here on the ship. They had given me clothing, and boots to wear on my feet, and Jack had even said I could stay here, even though I was a stranger to him.

"Ah, there you are, Anna!" a voice called. I turned to see Jack walking towards us. "Should you be out of bed?" he asked, eying me critically.

Anna sighed. "She won't get her strength back by sitting around all day, Jack. The girl needs to move about, before cabin fever sets in and drives her mad from boredom."

He frowned, but nodded. "Aye, well, the lass and I need to have a talk. A private one, if you catch my drift, Anna."

The woman I now considered my ally and friend did not look pleased, but she grudgingly gave a nod of understanding. "Just don't keep her too long. She needs to get back to bed to rest."

And then I was there, alone with the Captain, who managed to somehow look rather uncomfortable, though I could not guess as to why. He took a bit of time clearing his throat and shifting from one foot to another, eyes not meeting mine as he appeared to be trying to gather his courage.

"Well, I suppose it's best to say things bluntly," he said, eyes finally looking me in the eye. "We've no notion as to what your name is, and as we can't call you 'Miss' for the rest of your days, I thought you might be able to write it out, if you can. Can you write?"

I gave him a sorrowful look. He meant those odd scribbling marks that humans made, marks that I had seen on the sides of ships, but had no idea what they meant. Perhaps someone would teach me, but now, I had no idea. I shook my head.

"Ah," Jack said, nodding his head back. "Well, then, I'm going to call you Marina. It means 'from the sea,' and since that's how I found you, that's what you'll be. What do you think?"

Oh, what a lovely name, and so fitting! Grinning, I threw myself at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek in thanks. 'Oh, his skin is so warm, and it smells of the sea! All signs of a true sailor.'

As I pulled away, I saw the pleased look on his face. It was the same look mermen got whenever a mermaid paid particular close attention to them, and I began to worry that I had done something I shouldn't have. Was it wrong and against human custom to kiss someone in thanks?

"Well, that was rather nice and unexpected," he said, grinning broadly at me. "So, Marina it is. And as you know, you'll be able to stay aboard the Pearl as long as you're able to earn your way by working."

Oh, yes, the Black Pearl, the name of the ship. I nodded, signaling that I understood, and that I would happily try to do what I could.

Jack seemed satisfied with my eagerness, and reached out to gently pat my shoulder. "Well, first of all, we need a way for you to get attention when you need help, so I got you this to wear around your neck."

He held out his hand, where a silver chain dangled with a pretty little bell at the end of it. "Now, I know you'll probably think me mad for giving you this, and the crew might try to strangle one of us during the first few weeks you're using it, but it's necessary. We need to know if you need help, and this is the only way I know how, other than a whistle."

That was when he produced another object, which was, in fact, a small metal whistle. "Use the bell when you need minor help, and the whistle only in emergencies. How does that suit you?"

"It suits me just fine, Captain," Anna said, coming up behind him, "But if I don't get her back to bed, she'll be exhausted later. What name did you two manage to come up with?"

"Marina," Jack said with a smile, as I nodded. "Seems to fit her, don't you think?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "It figures you'd pick a sea name for the lass. Well, Marina, it's back to bed with you. We can't have you overdoing it, understand?"

I nodded my agreement, and let her lead me away, though not before giving Jack a grateful smile.

There was something vaguely familiar about the girl, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. It seemed that he had seen her somewhere before, and it was now that his memory decided to conveniently fade on him.

'Well, I'm sure I'll remember later,' Jack shrugged to himself.

Right now, there was a lot to do before they left port, and he had yet to explain poor Marina's presence onboard the Pearl. Not that he was worried about her –the men had accepted Mr. Cotton, and he'd had his tongue cut out!

'Besides, she's far prettier that Cotton, and she won't have a blasted bird to mess on the ship!'

Aye, that was true enough, but a mute girl was helpless and useless in a raid. If Marina was in Anna's hands, however, his second mate might just be the right person to teach the poor girl a few survival tricks with weaponry. After all, who better to gouge a woman's weak points than another woman?

He smiled. Things were looking up a bit already.

Though I was tired, I could not sleep. My mind was too full, fuller than it had been in decades, and what brewed inside it was of grave concern to me.

Though he had not meant for me to, I had been able to hear Jack's thoughts, for they had been rather –ahem – loud and it was near impossible for me not to. His fears, his worries, and his uneasiness abounded inside his head, and I had a brief viewing of all of them.

It seemed that Jack was afraid, not of me, of course, but for me. I found it rather touching that he worried for my safety, and that he was doing everything in his power to make sure that I did not become hurt due to some sort of mishap on the ship.

'And he seems to think me pretty,' I thought, my face growing hot in embarrassment.

Well, from the other thoughts I had read in the uniqueness of his mind, it seemed that Jack felt many women in the world were pretty, but it was nice that he thought me so as well. Not that he would act on that –he feared the idea of taking advantage of someone who could not speak or defend herself from his advances.

'Though I'm quite sure that would not stop him, if he truly wanted to get my attention.' He certainly seemed like the sort of man who liked the admiration of women.

But in spite of that, Jack was a good man. He had given me a new name, and thus, a new identity to go with this new life of mine. In my heart, I would always be Coral, but as a human, I would be Marina, a worker on the Black Pearl. There could not be a more fitting place for me to live and to earn a life than this: the ship of a man who loved and respected the sea as much as any merman did.

Oh, yes, I knew it the moment he gave me my new name. It was clear that Jack was naming me for the sea he adored, and that touched me as much as his kindness did.

Wiggling around on the bed, my gaze came to rest on the small bell and whistle that he had given me. 'He really is a good man, for all that he acts as though he doesn't want me onboard.'

Finally giving in to my exhaustion, I closed my eyes, only to be overwhelmed by a sudden surge of guilt. It was an emotion not often felt by merfolk, but when we did, it was powerful.

Inside, my heart told me that it was wrong, listening to the thoughts of others without them knowing. My people were open with their thoughts, as it was our only means of speaking and expressing emotion, but there were things we liked to keep to ourselves, and those were locked away in the dark recesses of our minds. Sadly, very few humans possessed this ability, which meant it was quite simple for me to 'hear' what others were thinking, and to use their knowledge to better adjust to their world.

But I could not intrude on them this way, not anymore. Anna was my friend, and since I wanted to make more friends among those living and serving here on the Pearl, I would have to try and restrain myself from continuing this further.

'I will only do so if it is important,' I promised myself. 'I will not do it for the sake of evil, or with the intent to do harm. I will only call on the thoughts of others to learn, to understand their ways, their manners, and their speech, but no more than that.'

As I drifted off to sleep, I very much hoped to keep that oath, not only for the sake of others, but for my own as well.

AN: I know, not a lot of Jack in this chapter, but he'll appear later on, I promise! Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!