I am back from my adventures abroad and ready to provide the next installment for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

When the rising sun woke me from my slumber the next day, I replayed the scene from the previous night over and over again in my head. My courtship with James had truly ended – and I ended it. My heart ached slightly, but my head told me I had chosen correctly after all. Whether or not I ended up with my pirate captain and our happily ever after (which, in all honesty, the latter part seemed way too far-fetched for my luck), James and I were never fated to last. A lie that vast was too deceitful for me to trust him – ever, perhaps.

Rising carefully, I dressed slowly, drowning in my thoughts and replacing them with a soft tune I'd heard from one of the maids in the Swann household. At last, I emerged from the cabin and sought out Elizabeth in the mess hall to confide in her what I had finally done.

"I did it, Lizzie. It's done." I croaked, still not believing I had.

Confused, she looked up at me from her plate. "What?"

I took a breath and sat in the chair across from her. "I spoke with James." She nodded in sudden recognition and I continued, "Father will not see the two of us wed after all. These lies were too much to bear and the strain it caused between us… we both knew it was time."

"I'm so sorry, Rachelle," my sister sympathized. "I know that was difficult."

"Any sign of Will?" I queried suddenly, wishing to change the subject. When she shook her head no, I added, "That's probably for the best, for now anyway. At least until we have a way to free him from Davy Jones." I had told Lizzie a few days after waking up that I'd found Will on the Dutchman and she told me how he had been captured, according to Jack.

We fell into a silence as all around us the crew scarfed down their meals and returned to their stations to work. At last, Elizabeth rose with the compass in hand and ventured to her place near the helm. Alone, I ate my meal slowly, finally putting the fork down and placing my face in my hands. Inhale, exhale.

I struggled, stifling my emotions as the battle between love and logic still waged within me. "Enough," I berated myself aloud. "What's done is done and you chose correctly. Calm down and move on."

A shuffling noise from the kitchen caught my attention. "Who's there?" I barked, my turmoil shutting down instantly in the face of a welcome distraction.

"Ah, it's just me, Miss." a weathered voice answered smoothly; the figure stepped fully into the room, revealing Jack's trusted first mate.

My shoulders relaxed as I recognized him. "Mister Gibbs," I nodded. "Find all you need back there?"

"Aye, that I did. And a bit more, Miss Jones."

Cocking an eyebrow, I allowed my lips to be pulled into a small smile. "Pray tell, how long ago did you find such a rare commodity as my identity?"

He chortled softly. "Miss Elizabeth confided in me a short while ago, and soon enough, I began to spot you beneath that tricolored mask of yours. Besides that, some rumors are spreading through the ranks."

"It's about bloody time, too." I scoffed. "And you've not told anyone?"

Gibbs approached my table slowly and sat down. "Nay, Rachelle. I've known you long enough to trust you had your own reasons for not announcing yourself to us." A silence filled the air between us and he added, "I've also known you long enough to sense your mind's turmoil. Is it anything I can help with?"

I sucked in my breath, releasing it slowly. "I think not, Mister Gibbs. Thank you for your offer. Mostly, it is only a small war within head and heart."

"And I wager that this sort of battle shall become most familiar as time goes on." he chuckled. "Peace shall come, too. Never forget that."

"Peace," I laughed softly. "Never has peace come easily nor remained long. Not while in the company of pirates. Especially not now that Cutler Beckett has gotten involved and ruined it all."

"What do you mean, lass?"

"Lord Beckett issued the arrests for Will, Elizabeth, and James. He started this whole flurry of chaos that ruined the life I had in Port Royal." I spat resentfully. "I could have been married, Gibbs! Living happily with a family, spending my days with Will and Elizabeth Turner! No more violence and lies and cunning. No more shipwrecks and pain. Just happiness. Just life. Now, I'm gallivanting around with a man I thought had bloody died, but he doesn't recognize me, yet for some reason, I'm not wanting to tell him. And to top it all off, my now former fiancée is a member of the crew and my best friend is trapped aboard the Flying Dutchman."

That old silence settled again like dust as we each pondered my outburst. I wasn't sure where the bitterness has erupted, but I certainly didn't regret my words. Gibbs stared at me, unafraid to meet my eyes. I glanced over, meeting his gaze, and he nodded a reassuring smile. "I understand, Rachelle."

I dropped my head as a tear fell into my lap. "I'm sorry to burden you with my frustration, Master Gibbs. But thank you for listening."

The first mate placed a comforting hand on my shoulder before rising silently to return to his work. "It's my pleasure to be of service, miss."

I just nodded as he exited the galley, no longer trusting myself to speak. I choked down my tears and wiped the remnants away as a sudden fury filled me. There was no longer time to be weak and weepy. Standing abruptly, I retreated further belowdecks to relieve my stress and frustration in the best way I knew – swordplay.

Having picked up a blade from the make-shift armory/smithy, I tested the weight in my hands before settling back on the balls of my feet to fight my invisible foe. All thoughts withdrew to the furthest recesses of my mind as instinct assumed control and I danced across the cabin, blocking and slicing invisible blows.

It didn't take long – at least, no longer than usual – for my mind to transport me to the memory of a real-life fight. Having learned to accept it long ago, I slid easily into the conjured fray, closing my eyes to merge into the scene. It was almost maddening to be surrounded by the undead former crew of the Pearl once more, and virtually more so to see Barbossa again. In my mind, I fought alongside Will and Elizabeth again as the two pirate captains dueled for control in the background.

Suddenly, steel clashed against steel and I knew I was no longer dueling alone in my own mind. Knowing I'd be hard pressed to see my opponent anyway, I allowed instinct to continue to control my movements. Our swords clashed, the sound ringing throughout the hold; I focused, however, on the breath of my opponent and the shifting boards beneath his feet. We danced for a long while, time carrying no weight on either of us as we enjoyed the light sparring combat. Finally, I sensed an opening and landed a well-placed kick to his chest. My eyes snapped open as he stumbled backwards, tumbling over a crate, and crashed to the floor.

"Are you alright?" I called with a smile, leaping atop the wooden boards to see how he was faring.

In the shadows, I recognized a familiar tricorned hat and my sword clattered to the floor beside me. "Captain." I uttered in surprise, stepping down from the crate.

Instead of reacting coldly and unfamiliarly, my opponent pushed himself up with his elbows. "Rachelle," he answered with a grin.

My breath hitched, catching in my throat as his name passed through his lips. "Jack," I breathed, almost believing my ears to be fooling me.

He nodded, dropping his sword carelessly as he stood. Carefully, he brought a hand up to my face and brushed away my hair. "I missed ye, love," he spoke again.

Suddenly enraged, I brought my hand up and slapped him across the face. "Jack Sparrow, I thought you were dead." I snapped harshly. "Since the day of your execution, I've grieved you. And then I wake up on your bloody ship and see you right before my eyes! Do you know what pain you've caused me?"

The pirate captain looked somber and answered, "If the heartache I felt is any indication, then yes." My rage quelled, settling in my chest as he continued, "When you didn't show up at the hanging, I thought…" He sighed. "I just wanted you to be the last person I saw, Rachelle. And you weren't there."

Tears brimming in my eyes, I murmured in a watery voice, "I missed you, too."

"I know, love." he answered softly.

Stillness settled in the space around us as I watched him soaking in my appearance. I returned the action, noticing for the first time a new set of feathers in his hair. "You know, underneath all those colors, I bet that beautiful pirate lass is still under there. What do you think?"

"Aye," I smiled softly. "Maybe so."

In a sudden step closer, he took my hand and pulled me against him. I leaned against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath, and laid my head on his shoulder as he hugged me. "I'm sorry," he said at last, adding, "It took until last night for me to recognize you. It took overhearing you and Mr. Norrington for me to realize that you'd been right here on my ship for weeks."

"You heard?" I queried, pulling away slightly in alarm.

"Every word." he admitted. "And that's okay."

Nodding resolutely, I accepted the answer, for now.