AN: Can I say that you guys are freaking amazing? All the reviews have been phenomenal. They mean so much!

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, perhaps because it explores more of Jack and Kate's feelings. So I hope you all enjoy it too!

Chapter Fourteen: New Beginnings

Kate had hoped that sleep would make the night before just disappear, but as the sunlight streaming through the window wakened her fitful sleep, she knew that it wouldn't simply just go away. She knew that Bigs would be waiting for her in the galley to help him with breakfast, but she didn't think she had the will to even get out of her bed.

So she laid there until she could see from her vantage point that the sun was high in the sky. No one had come knocking to check on her, and she was thankful. She slowly kicked her covers off. Her face felt flush and her palms were sweating.

In the hours she had spent lying in bed, she had made up her mind on her next course of action. She hadn't thought it through entirely, but at the moment, it was the only thing she knew to do.

Her footsteps were loud as she walked down the hallway, echoing the drum of her heart. She climbed the stairs to the main deck, hesitating before taking the final step. Kate breathed in the air, but it didn't taste like the normal welcoming salt and sun; it tasted off, wrong.

Kate's eyes grazed the horizon, and stopped on the land mass that lay before her, shocked that they were already making port. Kate's mind raced, and the plan that she had formed beforehand vanished, replaced by a newer and rasher plan. Two could play at this game, Jack Sparrow.

Kate marched to the helm and planted herself in front of the captain. His mouth started to form into a smile until she spoke.

"I want off the ship."

Jack blanched. "What?"

"I don't want to be part of the crew anymore." Kate's voice was even, calm.

"You can't just leave!" Jack said incredulously.

"Why not? I was never even truly a part of this crew! I was just merely a captive, buying my time aboard here!" Kate's voice lost its calm now and began to rise.

"You'll be caught! The navy will find you!"

"They won't recognize me! It's not like I'll be flaunting down the street exclaiming 'Here I am!'"

"How could they not recognize you, Kate? You're wanted just as much as I am!" Jack was drawing his hand over his face in exasperation. The crew that was above deck had stopped their work now, watching the two quarrel.

"You're just scared that I'm going to reveal your plan, turn to the navy!" Kate narrowed her eyes, trying to mask her fury.

"What! Well—yes, but Kate, you're a part of the cr—"

"You can't stop me." Kate's voice was low and even.

"If this has anything to do with last night—"

"This has to do with my life. Ya know, the one thing you stole from me!" Kate was beyond angry now. She was absolutely livid.

"I saved your life! Multiple times!" Jack began to yell in return.

"And I saved yours when you didn't even deserve it!" She was almost to the point of hysterics.

"Deserved it? After all this crew did for you? It would've been treacherous for you to give away the plan!" Jack was shouting back now equally as loud as her.

"You can murder and kill all you want, but you can't keep me aboard forever! I'm not a pirate Jack! I can't kill and steal like the rest of you!" She argued back.

"Kill and murder? Who do you take us as? After all this time—"

"I have morals and standards! I can't do this anymore! Pretend to be something I'm not!" Kate seemed to have struck a nerve. She was almost fearful for a moment as Jack lurched forward, but Brandon and Nate were there holding him back. What he was planning on doing, Kate didn't know, nor did she care. She whirled around and strode towards the gangplank.

"I can't stay here." She turned on her heel and stormed down the gangplank, ignoring the stares from the sailors that were working the docks. Kate kept going, fuelled by her anger to push her way through the crowds and deeper into the port. She didn't stop until she was five blocks in and completely disoriented, not knowing which way was back and which way was forward.

It was then that she had not thought to say goodbye to Brandon or to Nate or to Bigs or to Gibbs, or even, hell, to Conrad. As her emotions ebbed away, Kate took in her surroundings. She didn't know where she was in this port, or what this port was called.

She asked an older lady that had been passing and was informed, after a puzzled look, that she was in Port Augustine.

Kate looked up at the sky as the sun disappeared behind dark, billowing clouds. She knew that she could not go back to the Black Pearl. No, not after that. The only thing she could do now was to move on and at least find somewhere to stay.

She managed to find an inn in an area of the town that wasn't too nice, but not too seedy, and booked a room.

At first, she just remained huddled on her bed, her mind recovering the recent events that had changed everything. The kiss. The fight. The fight? What was that even about? Her preconceptions and overanalyzations had caused her to jump to conclusions. Now that she thought about it, Jack has smiled upon seeing her. He wasn't angry about the night before. He wasn't angry.

Tears sprang to Kate's eyes as she ran to the window. She knew that hours had passed since she had left the Pearl and that it would have left the port by now. Kate sank down to the floor. After everything had seemed to be righting themselves again—she had miraculously managed to escape her own hanging and had returned to the Pearl—she had ruined everything. She tried to hold back the tears.

And what was she? A scared little girl running from the first appearance of emotion? Who was she that she couldn't face rejection? She knew that even if Jack had rushed towards her and kissed her until she melted, she would have reacted the same stupid way. She would run, scared of what might be. Her own stupidity made her cry even harder.

Eventually, she realized that it was too late for her to do anything about what had happened. The Black Pearl was gone. Jack was gone. There would be no apologies. There would be only moving on.

And moving on meant starting her life here in this strange port. She would have to do what she knew how to do, what she had done her whole life. It would hurt, she knew—she had the taste of adventure and she clung to it, but she had no choice now but to simply let it go.

It was closing in on evening, so she knew she had a limited amount of time to search around for a tavern that she could hopefully work at.

The first tavern she found was nearly dead. There were only a few customers, two barmaids, and a whore who stood behind the counter with an older man. Kate felt that this would be an immediate turn down, but she tried anyways. The man simply shook his head, they were not hiring, and the three women eyed her warily. Kate walked out as quickly as she had walked in.

The next three taverns she had tried were also unsuccessful attempts. Kate sighed, sitting down on a bench and running her fingers through her hair. What would she do if she could not find somewhere to work? Would she end up like the beggars and homeless that dug through the trash at The Trader's Flask?

What had surprised her most was everyone's apathy towards her. They seemed reluctant to speak to her and gave her no advice as to where she could look. They all seemed interested in just getting her out of their tavern. She knew that some ports were friendlier than others, but these people seemed almost hostile.

Kate then realized what she was wearing. She still donned a brown pair of pants and a flowing white long sleeved shirt. No wonder nobody seemed willing to help. It was uncommon for women to wear such clothing, let alone barmaids.

Kate pulled out a small coin purse and dumped the contents into her hand. She did not have much left after paying for the room at the inn. She could probably stretch it for the next few days, but after that, she would be completely out. Buying a dress would take almost all of it, save a few coins.

She stood, making her decision as she walked the streets, trying to find a dress shop. She could risk it and have a higher chance of getting a job, or she could wait until something came to her, which wouldn't happen.

Kate found a small shop owned by a little old lady. She smiled when Kate entered. "How may I help you?" She asked kindly, looking over Kate's apparel and tear-stained face.

"I'm looking for a simple dress. I don't have much money…" Kate trailed off.

The old lady's kind eyes looked back at her and she stood from her stool. "I can help you there," She grinned at her, walking towards the back of the shop and disappearing.

Kate waited patiently until the lady reappeared with an armful of dresses. She held them up, one by one, until Kate decided on a reasonable one that she liked.

"Say, you're new around here." The old lady commented as Kate held the dress up to see if it would fit.

"Yes, I am." Kate replied, pulling out her coin purse to pay for the dress.

"My name is Edith," the old lady continued, slowly turning and walking back to sit down at her stool.

"Katherine," Kate replied, offering her own name. She trailed behind the old lady, ready to make her payment and move on.

"Katherine…" Edith gave a sigh as she sat down on the stool. "I had a niece named Katherine."

Kate simply nodded, not sure how to respond. Instead, she held out the coins for the old lady to take, but Edith simply stared at them and shook her head.

"No, I don't need any more money at the moment." She commented, shooing away Kate's hand.

"But the dress!" Kate held out the dress. "I insist that I pay," Kate was about to shove the coins into Edith's old wrinkly hands.

"You said you're new, right?" Edith seemed to change the subject.

"Yes," Kate didn't understand why she kept reverting back to that subject.

"I've been getting older, and my body has been giving me more trouble than it seems like it's worth." Edith picked up a needle and tried to poke a piece of thread through the eye. After failing, she set it down on her lap and looked back up at Kate. "You have a job? Place to stay?"

Kate hesitantly shook her head. "No, I just arrived, though I've been looking for a place to work." She admitted.

"I've got a spare bedroom up top. It used to be my son's until he married and moved out. It's been hard, doing the daily things by myself." Edith ran a hand down the front of her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. "I like you Katherine. You could give me a hand in the shop and room here. I won't pay you the first couple days for the dress if that makes you feel better." She winked at Kate's stunned face.

"Well, I, I would love to!" Kate couldn't believe her luck. "Though, I don't have much experience with sewing or…dresses." Kate looked around the shop hesitantly.

Edith chuckled. "There will be time to teach you all of that." She slowly stood from her chair. "Now, let's show you that new room of yours. Give me a hand, dear."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

After Kate had stormed off of the Black Pearl, Jack did not hesitate to direct the crew to leave port immediately. Bigs countered that command, arguing that they were running low on supplies and needed to stock up.

"Who is captain of this ship?" Jack asked darkly.

"You, captain." Bigs mumbled, quickly retreating back to the galley.

After that, there were no more complaints or arguments. Many of them would miss Kate, but they knew better than to remark about it now. The crew recognized Jack's anger and stayed well out of his way. What they couldn't sense was the aching that Jack felt inside after realizing he would probably never see Kate again.

A bit of a depressing chapter with Kate leaving. :( Is Jack really going to leave her there? Reviews make my day!

-Becca