*Trigger warning for various hurt/comfort themes (depression, talk of death). If any of these topics upset you, feel free to take a break or skip to other chapters (or the next chapter once that's up and running). I'll be sure to mention the critical points in later chapters, but the most important thing is to look after yourselves first.
Chapter 18: A Broken Bond
Rat-tat-tat!
"Mom! We're here!"
Peggy yawned, arms stretched behind her head as young Jimmy Labelle led her into the captain's quarters of the Painted Lady.
It was not too dissimilar in layout from Jack's cabin on the Black Pearl, though a bit larger and filled with a lot more personal trinkets from many adventures across so many oceans. Though Peggy's favourite ship was the Pearl, the Painted Lady came at a close second.
She smiled as she caught sight of a few notches embedded one on top of the other in the doorframe she had just entered. Each notch was accompanied by the word "Jimmy" in ink followed by a number, as the boy's height and age were noted down in a loving hand.
"Ah, Jimmy love, you are just in time. Mister Turner was starting to get anxious." Jacqueline Labelle smirked from where she sat at the head of the long dining table nailed to the cabin floor. On either side of her, seated opposite one another, were Will and Sloane. "Ah, Peggy, I'm glad to see the clothes fit."
Will sat with folded arms, not touching the hearty breakfast before him. His eyes narrowed as he kept a close eye on Sloane, who had taken off his jacket and vest and was reclining with his feet up on the table, utterly at ease.
When they heard Peggy and Jimmy come in, they both straightened up at once, Will's eyes brightening with relief as his friend said:
"Thanks, Captain Labelle. It is good to be wearing pants again." Peggy grinned as she looked down on herself. She wore black pants and a white shirt with brown boots, her blue sash from Tortuga around her waist, and her silver abalone necklace around her neck. She had tied her thick copper curls in a long braid that draped over her shoulder and had tied a black scarf like a headband over the top of her head, reaching up with hands wrapped in greying linen to tuck a stray curl beneath the material even as she made her way over to Will who stood to his feet and pulled out her chair for her.
"Thanks, Will." She sighed as she melted into her seat, eyes glazed at the spread before her. "Gods, that smells good."
"Then dig in, dear. You know we don't stand on ceremony here." Labelle grinned, gesturing to her three guests. Jimmy took a spot by Sloane's side and pushed his legs off the table.
"Oy! Easy, lad! Easy! I've been on my feet all morning." Sloane rolled his eyes, chuckling as the younger lad poked his tongue out at him childishly.
They ate in relative silence, with only Labelle and Sloane talking as the latter informed the former of Beckett's movements.
Will listened intently to the conversation.
King George had ordered Beckett to enforce martial law on Port Royal and start a brutal anti-piracy campaign throughout the Caribbean. The campaign was to begin with eradicating the organisation known as the Brethren Court, the main governing body of pirates worldwide and the keepers and protectors of the mysterious Pirate's Code.
Though Peggy seemed unsurprised by the information, and young Jimmy got so bored that he left to do his chores with the crew, Will could not help but listen in wonder to all he heard.
He had never dreamed that lawless pirates would ever have a form of government, let alone a court of Lords that upheld the Pirate Code. It was a strange contradiction. Lawless men have laws. Then again, they were only human; even pirates needed some semblance of order to survive.
"The fact that Beckett wants Jackie Boy to work as a privateer is a ballsy move. I'll give him that," Labelle grunted as she sipped at her light ale. "Having one of the Nine Pirate Lords bend the knee to the Crown would be enough to sow dissent within the Court."
Will nearly spat out his drink.
Jack Sparrow? A pirate lord? HIM?
He looked at Peggy. She seemed amused at his surprise but was otherwise unbothered by the information.
Of course, she would know, wouldn't she? Being Jack's cabin girl meant she would know more things about the man than most…save Labelle.
Will glanced at the older female pirate. It was still difficult believing Jack had a sibling, a nephew for that matter or any family. "Jack Sparrow" and "family" were two things that did not feel right in the same sentence.
"All the more reason to find him before Lord Beckett." Sloane turned to quirk a brow at Will as he munched on some toast. "So, Turner, what's our plan of action?"
"Our plan?" Will paused mid-sip into his ale. "I don't know about our plan. My plan was that Peggy and I would start with Tortuga." His voice was casual, but Peggy rolled her eyes as she caught sight of the familiar coldness in the blacksmith's face.
Oh no. It was going to be one of those days. It had been bad enough dealing with Will's petty competition with Jack, but he seemed to hate Sloane.
Granted, she was not too fond of the man herself, given everything that had happened in the last three days, but if Labelle trusted him, there had to be something redeeming to him…right?
"Tortuga is a good place to start; I will give you that." Sloane nodded professionally, not rising to the bait despite Will's bristling. "Though it leaves a lot up to chance and circumstance. Sparrow barely spent a night in Tortuga last time. And all he did when he was there was enjoy a quiet drink and meal in the back of the Twelve Daggers. He did not even spend the night at a brothel, so hardly anyone saw him."
"That doesn't mean he hasn't been back recently." Peggy bit into a scone. "Jack and I always said that if we were ever separated at sea, I would find my way back to Tortuga and wait for him there. I don't know how long he'll take at that place you sent him to," She added with a pointed glance at Labelle, "but so long as it's within the Caribbean, it will only take us a couple of weeks for him to get back at most."
"We may not have a couple of weeks to spare." Will muttered bitterly, "I don't trust Beckett to hold to our deal for that long since you're now missing."
"You need not worry, Turner," Sloane smirked. "I already took care of that little problem."
"And pray to tell how you achieved this miracle when you hauled me out of bed at dawn?" Peggy scowled. "I may not have spent much time with my…with that man-"
"Your father." Labelle quirked a brow as Peggy stared aghast at her. "Sloane filled me in while we waited for you to change. Don't worry." As Will opened his mouth to defend Peggy, she added, "I don't judge people by their parents. And I don't think my brother will either. Indeed, I think he'll be rather happy."
"Happy?" Peggy frowned.
"Well, it is rather funny, is it not?" Labelle grinned as she took another sip of ale. "The devious captain Jack Sparrow takes the daughter of the Director of the EITC and turns her into the very pirate he despises. The story almost writes itself."
"Jack did not take me in because I was Beckett's daughter." Peggy scowled.
"I know he did not." Labelle countered gently but firmly, "But the blow to Beckett's pride is a boon for any pirate; even you cannot deny that."
And Peggy did not, though she felt weirdly guilty about it all. She remembered how upset her father had been at her not recognising him when they reunited on the HMS Endeavour. It had only been a split second, but he had looked entirely crushed, though he did his best to hide it behind a cold mask. Then, in those moments at that dinner when she had spoken with her sister and offered to stay with her, he seemed genuinely happy.
Deep down, she supposed he did love her in his way, though his pride would never let him admit it out loud.
Still, she chose to stay silent about the matter.
Ugh…gods, why did things have to be so complicated nowadays?
"We're getting off-topic," Sloane grunted as he drained the last of his drink. "Yes, Lord Beckett might be a little miffed at me for a while for taking you out of his hands, but after he reads my note, he'll calm down.
"What did you say?" Will asked stiffly, not liking the sparkle in those green eyes as they swivelled to Peggy's red curls.
"I said; I felt impatient waiting to court his daughter, so I took her with me on our voyage. I said that in addition to us being able to spend more time getting to know one another, her knowledge of Sparrow might be of great value to our mission and that when all was done and dusted, I would return you to him so we could be wed with his blessing."
"And you think that after a few pretty lies like that, he'll just let you waltz out with me just like that?" Peggy raised her eyebrows.
"I've bent the rules to get the job done for Lord Beckett a few times, and he's usually been pretty understanding. Especially since my methods get him the desired results." Sloane shrugged before adding with a sly smirk, "Though whoever said I was lying?"
"Excuse me?!" Will nearly spat out his ale, and Labelle's eyebrows rose high on her brow as Sloane's smile widened upon a stunned Peggy.
"What Turner? Did you think my efforts to court your friend were only an act?"
"But-" Will spluttered, nostrils flaring and cheeks burning with both hot rage and embarrassment as he noticed Labelle smirking from her seat as if watching her favourite play onstage.
"Even you have stated that she is a fine woman. Loyal, beautiful, fierce. Is it so surprising that other men see the same qualities that you see in her?" He turned to address Peggy, whose cheeks were bright pink despite her annoyance at the situation. "Besides, us Selkies must stick together-"
"WHAT?!" Peggy's eyes bulged, and Will's nostrils flared in shock.
"Oh…you didn't figure it out?" Now Sloane did look surprised at the pair of them. "But surely you must have guessed from my scent, Miss Blake?"
"Your what?" Peggy snapped, horrified.
"What I only meant-" Sloane began only to be quickly shushed by Labelle, who had stood to her feet, hands raised in token of peace.
"Alright-alright settle down! We all came here for a nice, easy breakfast." She gave Will such a stern, withering glance before he could open his mouth to snarl at her that he abruptly sat in his chair like a scolded child. Then she turned to Sloane with a sigh. "I did tell you, Sloane. Dear Peggy has been the only Selkie in the Caribbean for fifteen years. The only other one of your shared kind she has met has been her mother, and she barely had that much time with her at all. You couldn't expect her to have guessed your true nature with so little experience."
"What?" Sloane looked at Peggy in shock. "Is this true? But surely you must have met at least one of our kind? We're always passing through the Caribbean when we travel south."
"No! And if any Selkie has passed through the Caribbean, I've never met them!" Peggy admitted bitterly, grabbing Will's hand to silence him before his strained temper worsened. "Besides I…I stayed in Port Royal for ten years, and if a selkie had passed through, they sure did not cross my path. And none of them ever approached me while I've been sailing with Jack."
Sloane slumped back in his chair, dumbfounded.
"Unbelievable." He ran a hand over his face. "Bloody hell. You have been all alone out here, haven't you?"
"She's not been alone; she's been with me!" Will grunted mulishly, only to get waved off dismissively by the other man.
"I'm not counting humans here, Turner." He stared at Peggy's face as she quickly avoided his eye, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "But…but if you're alone, who's guarding your pelt? I haven't seen it on you."
"It's safe," Peggy muttered.
"With Sparrow?"
"Where my pelt is hidden is none of your business." Peggy glowered at Sloane, eyes flashing silver as her fangs extended slightly.
To Will's surprise and irritation, the man rolled his eyes and tutted:
"By Poseidon. Females, always so touchy."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Peggy snapped, and he snorted.
"Exactly what I said. Female Selkies are notoriously temperamental, even on the best of days. I tip my hat off to you, Turner," he tipped an imaginary hat at Will with an exhausted sigh. "For a human, you have done well to survive the last ten years."
Will bristled but kept his mouth shut. It was one thing for either he or Jack to comment about Peggy's temper. They knew her, had lived with her long enough and had the right to complain.
Sloane had not yet earned that right.
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" he asked Sloane coldly. "You say you're a selkie, but can you prove it to us?"
"You believe I'd lie to you about something so massive?" Sloane eyed him wearily.
"Well, as you said, neither Peggy nor I have much experience with Selkies. You can't expect us to take your word that you are one given such a fact, can you?"
"The lad has a point, Sloane." Labelle nodded with an amused smirk. "Just show them and be done with it. The sooner we can get this over with, the sooner we can move on to more important matters."
"Fine! Fine! I'll show them!" Sloane sighed and suddenly leapt to his feet, turning his back on the table.
Will and Peggy watched him suspiciously as he reached down and quickly stripped off his white cotton shirt.
Despite her ire, Peggy could not help but flush a little at the sight of his powerfully muscled shoulders and the v-shape of his torso covered in a pelt of dark grey seal fur with dappled lighter grey spots.
She stiffened at the sight of the garment. She could almost smell the magic rolling off it, even from where she sat.
But still, she was not convinced.
"Transform." She barked, and Sloane glowered at her as he turned to face her.
"What?"
"Transform into your seal form." She growled, and Will could see her hackles raised. "Any man can wear a selkie pelt and claim to be one. You really want to put your money where your mouth is then you'll show us the whole casket or not at all."
"I'd do as the lady says," Will grunted. He would have almost felt sorry for Sloane being on the receiving end of his friend's glower had it not been for the petty pleasure he took in watching the man flinch at her tone.
" …fine." Sloane sighed.
Will watched closely, fascinated as the man's features smoothly slid from human to seal, his clothes seeming to melt away to nothingness as his body sank into blubber and fat, his arms and legs shrunk and became fins, and his colouring turned to grey-like the pelt he had once worn.
It was far smoother and faster than Peggy's painful transformation, that was for certain. Will had not even heard the tiniest crack of bone or a sound of pain from the man.
Was this the power of the Selkie pelt? If so, why did Peggy keep hers so far away when transforming without it was so painful?
Peggy stared at the large male great seal selkie before her as it waddled and bounced around in a circle, showing its massive form. It would have been funny had it not been so shocking to see.
Even more surprising was the voice she suddenly heard in her head.
"Now, do you believe me, Miss Blake?" Sloane sounded exasperated.
"How are you-"
"Telepathic connection." There was a pause as Sloane smoothly shifted back into his human form, seated on the ground and fully clothed once more. "Since we cannot make noise below the waves, we selkies have found ways to communicate through telepathy. It won't work on humans…not unless you are fully bonded to them."
"Bonded?" Peggy frowned, and Sloane ran a hand through his hair as he stood.
"Aye-yai-yai! You really were completely cut off? You poor thing." He shook his head in dismay and pity. "Lord Beckett, you utter bastard." He muttered, more to himself than to anyone. "I guess I should explain a few of the basics to you while we finish breakfast."
"That…that would be helpful," Peggy admitted, sitting down by Will's side slowly, her entire body numb.
Though she still did not trust Sloane, seeing another of her kind was a surreal experience.
"What do you mean when you say that she can only communicate with her mind if she is 'fully bonded' to a human?" Will frowned, and Sloane sighed.
"First thing you must understand, Turner, we selkies are a very hot-blooded, passionate race compared to the other children of the ocean." Sloane sat back down in his chair. "Most of us are free spirits, and unlike humans, we are not so restrictive when it comes to sexual relations. Many of our kind, male and female, are only too happy to enjoy a romp in the shallows outside the bounds of holy matrimony. However," He added, raising his voice to stop Will before he could open his shocked mouth. "When it comes to love and the matters of the heart, that is a completely different matter. You see, while a selkie might have multiple sexual partners in their lifetime, they can only ever truly fall in love once."
"W-what?" Peggy blinked, her heart sinking in her chest. "Only once?"
"Aye. Once." Sloane looked her pointedly in the eye, his gaze softening sympathetically as if he could already sense the dread building in her "Of course, they can be married multiple times, as is the case when humans steal their pelts. But as for love…we can only form a true bond of love once in our lifetimes. I suppose a human might liken it to finding your soulmate. Except we choose ourselves and do not leave it to fate." He added for Will's sake. "Most of the time, we bond with other selkies, but there are rare cases where a selkie might decide to bond with a human, in which case, the human in question will be able to gain a sort of…sixth sense regarding their selkie partner."
"A sixth sense?" Will frowned in confusion.
"Aye, they'll be able to sense their moods without seeing them, feel their presence or the presence of their pelt if it is nearby, and dream about where they are. Though that last one is a bit iffy." Sloane shrugged, "Many bonded couples have said they dream about one another, but no one's ever proven it."
"What happens if the bond is only one-sided?" Peggy gulped, though she already knew what her answer might be.
"One-sided?" Sloane frowned at her.
"I mean…can a selkie bond, but the partner does not reciprocate their feelings. Unrequited love? Or what if the partner betrays you and breaks your heart or your partner dies-"
"Then the selkie dies." Sloane stated bluntly.
"What?" Will's eyes widened in horror.
"They die," Sloane repeated softly. "Of a broken heart. The process is very long and gruesome. Not in the physical way," He added quickly. "It's more like the soul and the mind wither away, leaving an empty shell behind. Some selkies even go mad with the grief."
Peggy sank into her chair, tears welling in her eyes.
So Barbossa had been right. You could lose a selkie to a broken heart. Had he known this all along, or was he just guessing?
And her mother…her poor mother…was that what had happened to her? Was that why she…?
"I take it you saw it happen to your mother?" Sloane guessed, his voice soft and his gaze compassionate on Peggy's troubled face as she nodded.
"It can't be reversed?"
"They say it can be," Sloane murmured. "Whoever broke the selkie's heart must be able to make amends and help the heart heal, but that rarely happens, especially when you involve humans. They tend to be rather careless and stupid in handling our hearts. They can barely handle our pelts." He added with a small glower towards Will, who frowned in confusion.
"Yes…that's true." Peggy half snorted, half sobbed.
Will tried wrapping a bracing arm around her shoulders, only to get it thrown off roughly as Peggy leapt to her feet.
"I need…I need air." She gulped and stormed out of the room. Will was about to follow, but Labelle stopped him with a hand on his sleeve.
"Let her go, Turner." She warned gently. "The girl needs space."
"With all due respect, Captain, think I know what my friend needs more than you." Will clipped, yanking his arm and following Peggy out of the room.
As soon as he was gone, Sloane sighed:
"That clod. That stupid, stupid clod."
"I know." Labelle shook her head wearily.
"That stupid, selfish- he has no clue about the damage he has done? What he's still doing-" Sloane swore loudly. "I should have just let those officers kill him."
"Then you would have killed Peggy. And then where would we be?" Labelle muttered, and Sloane grimaced.
"One of my kind, the last of the true Caribbean Selkies…the last hope for her clan. Dead because of that stupid, selfish blacksmith!"
"She's not dead yet," Labelle tried, but Sloane waved her off. He leapt back to his feet and paced the room like an angry tiger pacing around its cage.
"She is dead, Labelle!" He snapped. "She's already bonded herself to him, and he's killing her every time he opens his stupid mouth. I can smell death on her from here! And what is she thinking? Keeping her pelt locked up so far away and damaging herself without it?"
"She doesn't know any better-"
"I know!" Sloane cried out in anguish. "I…I know…It's not her fault. Aghh! This is so messed up! Elder Magrat will be so devastated by this. We hoped the last Caribbean Selkie might be safe with our clan, but…I guess it doesn't matter how you slice it. We've lost her. We've lost her. All because of that stupid-AGH!" he groaned in dismay.
Labelle sighed wearily, her brown eyes downcast and sombre.
"Sometimes, Sloane, you can't save everyone." She muttered, leaning back in her chair. "Sometimes…things die, and you can do nothing about it. That is the way of life."
"But why her?" Sloane pinched his nose. "She's…she's so young…she's not even had a chance to-"
"I know," Labelle murmured sadly. "But it's her choice. Her life. All we can do is respect it."
Lord Cutler Beckett stared at the note his clerk had left for him on his desk on top of a brown leather journal.
"Sloane, you fool." He growled through gritted teeth, thanking his lucky stars no one but Mercer was there to see his anger boil to the surface.
He had always known Ronan Sloane was a wildcard. His unorthodox and unconventional thinking was one reason Beckett valued him as an employee.
But this…this was so out there it was almost insane.
Leaving with Turner at dawn without their assigned EITC escort was one thing, but to go with his eldest daughter too?
That bordered on betrayal.
Then again, Sloane explained that taking Margaret along was the only way to ensure Turner's and Sparrow's complete cooperation.
Beckett glanced at the journal on his desk, which lay open on the most recent pages. On one side, opposite a few excellent drawings of sword hilts and metalwork designs, was a sketch of a young woman with long curly hair.
Though the blacksmith's handwriting was crude and simplistic, he was a good artist and had captured her likeness very well, right down to all her freckles that spread down her neck and shoulders. He had drawn her smiling softly, her eyes gentle and filled with fondness—a peaceful expression Beckett had hardly seen his eldest daughter bear since being reunited with her. The closest he had seen her was when she had been talking with her sister Katrina at dinner.
What held his attention were the words 'My Peggy' scribbled in a corner of the page.
Beckett's lip curled with distaste.
Little rat. He has the hand of a Lord's daughter, and yet he draws this?
Yes…as much as this betrayal of trust stung, Beckett could see why Sloane would use his daughter to get the most out of Turner.
He just hoped this decision would not come back to bite him in the arse.
But more than that, he hoped Sloane would bring his eldest daughter home soon.
He had just gotten her back, and there would be hell to pay for any that took her away.
Peggy sighed and shut her eyes as she felt herself soaked to the bone by the splashes of the waves below and the pelting rain from above.
She was standing at the stern of the ship on the poop deck, staring out to sea while the helmsman behind her steered them through the rainfall. It was not a full-blown storm. Indeed, this was a light sprinkle by Caribbean standards.
Still, she stood there, letting the rain wash over her as she listened to falling droplets and the men behind her rushing about their tasks.
Even in the rain, they were not deterred, though there was some grumbling about the cold chill in the air.
"You'll catch a chill if you stay out here." a familiar voice said as a wall of heat and damp cloth suddenly pressed into her side.
"So will you." She grunted as she turned her back and strode away from the helm. She staunchly ignored Will's worried face, even as he dashed after her like a lost duckling.
Ever since that awful breakfast with Sloane, he had been like that all day. She had snarled at him to let her process things on her own, and he had done his best to give her the space she needed. However, he always stayed within eyesight, his face perking whenever she passed him by, hoping she would speak to him.
But she didn't. She barely even looked at him and only gave brief, curt answers whenever he spoke to her.
She could not believe that mere days ago, she wanted nothing more than to see his face and be in his arms again.
Yet now…now it hurt too much to even look into his warm brown eyes.
Ten years had passed since she had formed a bond with Will, ten years in which she had accidentally given her literal heart to him.
And he had tossed it to the gutter without a thought.
Never in all her years had she ever felt so angry at him. They had had their fair share of massive fights when they lived together, as any friends or housemates would. But this…
The ugly resentment that had curdled within made her heart feel raw and mangled, as if a dog had chewed on it and spit it back out.
She knew it was unfair of her to put the blame solely on him. She had never told Will of her feelings, so how could he be aware that he had broken her heart and destroyed her so badly?
And yet…She was not sure she could ever forgive him for this.
How could he not be aware of her feelings? Everyone else could see them as clear as daylight. Jack, Gibbs, even Barbossa and her bloody birth father had seen it from a mile off.
So why hadn't he? Even if he did not return her feelings, he could not have been that blind to the fact she was suffering because of him…could he?
But of course, he could. After all, he's Will Turner. He'd never hurt you. Hurting you is something someone else does, but not good, honest Will Turner. Oh no. He could never hurt a fly because he's such a 'good' man. A snide voice that sounded just like Jack wafted through her mind.
And yet…he had hurt her.
He had pulled her back into a life of piracy against her will without a thought as to whether she would face the hangman's noose. He had dragged her into betraying Jack, putting her in a dangerous position with a pirate crew that could have killed her or worse. Because of him, she had been forced to reveal her selkie nature to so many strangers, which put her in danger of the EITC and her father!
Worst of all, he had used her to get what he wanted out of life, then tossed her aside for someone who barely acknowledged his existence for years until he did something heroic.
He had hurt her. He had hurt her time and time again, and every time, SHE paid the price for it! Not him!
And now she was paying the ultimate price with her very life.
Her LIFE!
Even if being a prisoner for the Devil did prolong the inevitable wait for a physical death, her mind and soul would be long gone by the time her two-hundred-year sentence was done. Meanwhile, Will would return to Elizabeth and start a family, grow old with children and grandchildren, and die happily of old age with all the love and warmth life could give him.
Peggy knew logically that he was entitled to love whoever he pleased. He was a free man; it was his choice, and she would never take that away from him.
But it did not stop her heart from screaming in anger and frustration.
IT WASN'T FAIR!
Why did he get off scot-free from the hurt and pain, and why did SHE have to be the one to deal with it?
Why was she the butt of the bad joke?
Why?
WHY?
She had tried to squash it down for the past six months, to push all those angry thoughts down, but now…
Now, she wanted to hit and scream at him. She wanted him to feel her pain and for it to be tenfold of all she had felt these last few months.
She wanted to know why Elizabeth, who had never gotten off her cushy arse to even visit him during those ten long years, was worthy of being his wife when she, Peggy, had supported him through thick and thin, day in, day out like a real wife would have done?
Why was Elizabeth, the woman who barely acknowledged he existed in public until he played the dashing hero, the one he always rushed to save or dote upon?
Why was Elizabeth, a woman who was callous and selfish enough to toss a very doting and loyal fiancé to the side when it suited her, worthy of being bound in holy matrimony when Peggy had risked the hangman's noose and the devil's anger to help chase and fight cursed bloodthirsty pirates?
Why wasn't she good enough?
WHY?
WHY?!
Jack was right. She thought bleakly, barely even hearing Will's cries for her to slow down as she descended below deck and into the warm and dry. He was right about this whole mess. And so was Hector. And I did not listen…why did I not listen? Oh yeah, that's right? Because you're a stupid idiot who let herself bond to a human that couldn't give two rats asses about her unless it suits him!
"Peg! Wait-just wait-" Will panted as he almost fell down the steps below deck, his hand quickly grabbing at hers to stop her.
Big mistake.
Before he could even open his mouth to speak, a fist slammed straight into his jaw.
He fell backwards, the force of the punch forcing him onto his rear on the floor with such a hard thud he almost had the wind knocked out of him.
"Ahgh", he cried out in pain as he felt his back bruise from the impact, thanking his lucky stars that he had not heard any bone crack in either his spine or his jaw.
When he looked up, he saw a sight that made his stomach jolt in fear.
Peggy was glaring down at him, but it could not be Peggy.
Her eyes were hard as swords, and the pupils within were cold and dilated so much that the iris had turned into a ring of shining silver as her nostrils flared. Her damp copper curls flew around her face like wildfire. Her mouth was twisted into a feral snarl, which exposed her four fang-like canines, which had grown and sharpened to nearly a deadly point. By her sides, he saw her uncurl her fists, deep splashes of red now coating the inside of her palm where the claw-like nails had dug into her flesh.
For the first time, Will felt frightened at the sight of the young selkie.
He had seen Peggy get mad before, but none of those moments held a candle to the incandescent wrath that loomed down upon him with the ferocity of a beast.
Hearing she was a selkie and a child of the ocean was one thing. But right now, she had never looked less human.
He remembered how Barbossa's cursed crew had been terrified of her during their fight in the caves of Isla de Muerta. If this was the fury they beheld, then Will could not blame them for wanting to scream and run at the sight of the young selkie. It took everything he had to squash down the primal urge to run and hide.
Something of his fear must have shown on his face, he knew, because her pupils shrank a little, and her brow softened.
It was as if a switch had been turned off. Suddenly, the horrifying creature that had attacked him was gone, and Peggy stood in its place, angry, confused and sad…so very sad.
"Peggy-" He started to say, but she was already running. "Peggy, wait! Please wait."
But Peggy could no longer hear him; she had vanished down into the bowels of the ship far away from everyone in the darkest corner she could find and-
"Woah woah!" A man's voice shouted, and Peggy squeaked as she almost collided with a broad-shouldered form.
"Miss Blake? What the- what's going on?" Sloane looked down at her, reaching to steady her by the arms. Then he saw the tears well in her eyes.
"N-no! Don't! Don't touch me!" She bleated, cringing away from the male selkie as he dragged her behind a stack of crates in a dark corner.
But Sloane did not back down. Peggy slapped against his chest and pushed and shoved, but his arms still found their way around her and held her tight into him like a vice, her hands trapped against his chest as she wept and cursed every single name under the sun into his shirt and vest.
Her words dissolved into sobs as he buried his nose into her curls, and one of his hands started rubbing soothing circles into her back.
He could hear the footsteps of someone passing their hiding spot but did not heed them, nor did he attempt to move. If he did, she would use it to push him away. And there was no way in hell that he was letting go of her in this state.
He did not know how long he stood there with her weeping in his arms, but it was a while before her sobs began to lessen. Yet this was only because she was growing tired. He could feel it in the way she sagged against him.
"Miss Blake-" He started to say, but she shook her head.
"Don't!" She moaned into his chest. "Don't tell me it's going to be alright. Don't tell me things are going to get better. I don't need any more lies."
"I won't lie. I won't, I promise." He whispered, his voice hoarse as he choked down the lump in his throat. "Just tell me what's wrong?"
"No." She mumbled, and he sighed.
"Miss Blake-"
"No-"
"Blake!"
"I-I can't!"
"Can't or won't."
"Both." She admitted with an exhausted sigh.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Turner is one of the reasons you are in this sorry state?" Sloane grunted and sighed as she stayed silent in response.
"I should have guessed you two had bonded from the start, " he whispered lowly so that only she could hear him. "The way you two were all over one another in Lord Beckett's office…" he shook his head. Does he know?"
"No…" Peggy shook her head against him. "I've never told him. Even if I did, what difference would it make? He never would have chosen me, and I'd still end up like this."
Sloane's green eyes shut sadly, his own heart sinking with grief.
"You poor thing." He exhaled shakily. "You shouldn't have been left on your own for so long. If we had been more vigilant in looking for you, we could have taken you away from that lout before you chose him and taught you how to control your magic."
"We?" Peggy mumbled.
"My Clan. When the purge occurred, many different Selkie clans offered sanctuary to Caribbean Selkies fleeing the EITC. And even after the purge, we kept searching for the last of our brethren, hoping to keep them safe from extinction. Even though many other clans had given up, Elder Magrat had heard two selkies remained in the hands of the EITC and so sent me to find them."
"Me and my mother." Peggy groaned, and Sloane nodded.
"You and your mother."
"And that's why you work for my father." Peggy chuckled hollowly into his shirt.
"Yes," Sloane admitted grimly. "That's why I work for Lord Beckett. You know how it is. You want to catch a thief and all that junk. I had almost lost hope until that Mister Twigg bloke started spouting all that guff about you six months ago."
"So that's how you found me." She carefully pulled herself back, still keeping her eyes downward cast towards his booted feet.
"That's how I found you," Sloane repeated, frowning as he looked down at the blood coating his hands from where he gripped her palm. "Shit, what did you do?"
"I…my claws…" Peggy felt her cheeks flush with red-hot shame as the tears burned in her eyes again. "I…I lost my temper…I hit Will…I…"
She bent over as she tried to swallow down the sob.
"Can't say I blame you," Sloane muttered bitterly as he examined the injuries on both palms. "I've barely known the man for two days, and already I want to beat the snot out of his pretty face."
Despite herself, Peggy found herself snorting with a watery chuckle.
"Ah, good a smile. We have progress." Sloane sighed in relief, one hand holding both her wounded ones in his while his other one wrapped around her shoulders and hauled her back straight once more. "Come on. Over here. Let's get these patched up."
He quickly brought her to a few crates where some medical equipment had been stored in a small chest.
"The ship's doctor is looking after Avery upstairs," Sloane grunted as he settled the kit and Peggy on a nearby rum barrel. "Poor Bloke slipped and rolled his ankle on deck earlier. So I'm afraid you'll have to deal with my handiwork. Ahh, good, here we go!" He pulled a bottle from the chest and poured its contents into a small bucket.
"You keep seawater in a bottle?" Ariel frowned in confusion.
"Just in case we're too busy to grab a bucket. Now, come on, put your hands inside. It'll sting, but it'll help."
Peggy nodded meekly and put her hands into the water, her teeth gritting as she did her best to swallow the yelp of pain as the salt stung against the open wounds.
"You'll have to wait ten minutes to see any results." Sloane lectured as he began to rummage through the chest for clean linens. "The skin may barely heal, so you must bind and take it easy. Sea water might help kickstart the healing process, but it's not a magic potion."
"I guess I've got a lot to learn before I kick the bucket, huh?" She grumbled, and Sloane paused, his shoulders slumping even as he pulled out some clean bandages and a jar of ointment.
"Better late than never." He muttered softly, patting one hand companionably on her shoulder. "I hope you can find it in you to forgive me for my earlier behaviour. I should never have forced a courtship upon you when you did not want it."
"Are you being kind to me now because you acknowledge your mistake or because you pity me for being a dead woman walking?" Peggy asked bluntly.
"Both," Sloane admitted bleakly. "But that being said, even if I will no longer pursue your hand in marriage or courtship, I would still very much like to be your friend. I did mean what I said when I said I found you agreeable company…and between you and me…you look like you could use a friend right now. One that you aren't in love with."
"I look like a right mess, don't I?" Peggy shook her head with a hollow laugh.
"No more than the rest of us," Sloane patted her cheek gently, his thumb stroking away a tear from her face just as heavy footfalls approached them.
"Peg! Peg, where are you?! Peg, please come out! Whatever it is that's upsetting you, I'm sure we could-"
Peggy and Sloane looked up in time to see Will's pale face appear in the gap between barrels.
His brown eyes were wide as he observed the scene before him.
Peggy was sitting on a barrel unusually close to Sloane, her hands and one of his in a bucket of water while his other stroked a stray red curl from her tear-stained cheek.
For some reason, the sight made his insides broil and curl in on themselves very disgustingly, as if live eels were writhing in his guts and mangling his intestines as they crawled through his body and up into his chest.
"What is going on here?" He said, the ice in his veins creeping into his voice as he turned his eyes suspiciously on Sloane.
What was HE doing here? Why was HE close to Peggy all of a sudden? Why was she letting that knave touch her so tenderly like that when, barely a few hours ago, she had been only too keen to scalp him alive?
"He's helping me." Peggy muttered, "My hands…my claws cut them when I…" Her voice trailed off as she turned away from Will's flashing brown eyes. He turned them to Sloane, who barely batted an eye at his doubt.
"Seawater helps Selkies heal Turner." The selkie man sighed as he carefully raised one of Peggy's hands from the water to show Will the wound, only to smile in surprise. "Oh, would you look at that? Already sealing over. Perhaps it wasn't too deep after all."
Despite his ire, Will did look at the injured limb and was surprised to see that the deep cut on the palm had almost started to scab.
"So I shouldn't bind it?" Peggy asked, and Sloane shrugged.
"Up to you. Personally, I would bind it to be on the safe side. The last thing you want is splinters or dirt getting in if it reopens."
He reached for some bandages and beckoned to see her other hand, the motion oddly making something in Will's gut snap painfully. The idea that this man could touch her with such familiarity did not sit right with him. What was he hoping to achieve with this stunt? Pretend to be helpful and friendly and then steal her away back to her father and force her to be his dutiful little wife?
No. There was no way Will was letting that happen. Not to Peggy.
"I can do that." Will clipped, stepping forward only to have Peggy shake her head.
"It's fine, Will. He's already got the bandages."
"He probably has his duties to complete for Captain Labelle."
"Not at present." Sloane shook his head, a small smug smirk gracing his lips as Will bristled waspishly. "Captain has ordered me to watch you two and find her dear little brother. She wants to ensure he pays for his end of the deal with her as promised."
"Deal?" Peggy frowned, and Sloane grinned.
"Yes, Sparrow promised her two bottles of his best rum if she would grant you safe passage to find Turner. She wants to make sure he pays up."
"Two bottles of rum? That's all I'm worth? Jack, you rotten bastard. He told me I was worth an entire keg!" Peggy rolled her eyes, and Sloane laughed.
Will, however, did not laugh. He may have chuckled if this was any other man she was joking with, but not HIM.
He may have been another selkie or a spy for the pirates, but Will did not trust him. He was too friendly…too charming…, and too conveniently pirate after playing the dutiful stooge to one of the most corrupt men in the British Empire.
It was not right.
"I can bind her hands." He said stiffly, holding out his hand expectantly for Sloane to put the bandages in, only to seethe as Sloane blatantly ignored the gesture and began wrapping Peggy's injured limb.
"Not too tight, is it?" He asked, and Peggy shook her head.
"No, it's fine." She gulped, horribly aware of how Will's nostrils flared and his usually warm eyes hardened like ice. "Will, what are you doing down here?"
"What am I-?" Will blinked in surprise "What do you mean what am I doing here? You ran off, so I came to look for you."
"I told you I wanted to be alone."
"And yet you're sitting with him!" Will's lip curled as he glowered at Sloane.
"I merely found her injured and offered to help, Turner. If Blake wants me to leave her alone, all she has to do is ask." The light green eyes in the selkie's face glinted wickedly. "Or maybe it's only YOU that she doesn't want to see."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Will growled, fists clenching.
"Will stop it!" Peggy snapped before Sloane could open his mouth. "You too, Sloane. Please, stop."
"Sorry, Blake." Sloane apologised at once, much to Will's annoyance, as he mumbled his apology.
"Will…I'll…I'll talk to you later, alright? Just…just not now. Please." Peggy murmured, heart clenching as Will spared Sloane one last contemptuous look and sighed.
"Fine. We will talk later. But we will talk." And with that, he stomped off out of sight.
"I'm so sorry about that," Peggy whispered as she heard his footsteps fade away up the stairs to the deck above.
"Don't be." Sloane shook his head as he began bandaging her other hand. "He's a grown man. If he acts stupidly, then it's his responsibility to apologise for himself."
"I know." She felt her eyes well with tears. "Half the time, he doesn't mean to act like this." Peggy sighed as she dabbed her eyes with her sleeve. "He just acts rashly when he's stressed."
"And that's only because you take responsibility for him when he should do it himself." Sloane snorted "I know you want to defend him because you love him, but take it from me. You're only doing him more harm. You've just made him believe he can dump any liability on you by not letting him take accountability for his actions. That's why he feels no shame in using your affection for his gain. Woah-whoa! Don't get me wrong," he raised his hand to soothe her as she glared at him. "I don't doubt he cares about you a lot. But as you told your father, just because someone cares about you doesn't mean they won't hurt you to get what they want."
"So you were listening in on our conversation," Peggy grumbled mulishly. She barely had any strength to be angry at the man anymore. She was just so tired.
"What can I say? I'm a nosy bastard." Sloane admitted with a small joking smirk. "That's what happens when you grow up in a family with six siblings who are always up in each other's business."
"You have six siblings?" Peggy's eyebrows rose in astonishment, and he sighed.
"Four sisters and two brothers, to be exact. All Selkies." He added in response to her awe. "I know it seems fun, but it can get too noisy sometimes, y'know? So often, I found myself trying to find a quiet spot to think in silence."
"A little noise is not so bad," Peggy murmured with a fond smile as she remembered the crew of the Black Pearl. "It was always so quiet in my father's house. So empty and cold. When I first found Jack, listening to the crew at work was nice. The whole ship felt so alive."
"You sound like your sister." Sloane's smile softened. "Little Katrina does enjoy the hustle and bustle of the town or having her friends over for tea. Your father, on the other hand, prefers silence."
"I know," Peggy muttered bitterly, eyes clouding over. "He always used to scold me whenever I tried to visit him in his office outside the time he set aside for me. I know he had appointments with others or was busy with work, but he was so...so rigid. Even Commodore Norrington was not so strict with his time, and he was a naval officer!"
"Lord Beckett is a very particular man," Sloane grunted as he tied Peggy's hand and gently put it back in her lap. "It has kept him so powerful a figure all this time. You cannot run as many operations as he does without being on top of it all."
"Sounds like a miserable existence," Peggy muttered, and Sloane nodded. He took the bucket of seawater from her and examined it critically.
"It is. I do not think I ever saw him even remotely close to happy in all my years of serving him…not until he found you." He added, carefully looking at Peggy. "I know he is an oppressive man, but he does love you and your sister. That is one thing I will credit him for. Regarding the two of you, he will move heaven and earth to make you happy…or at least do anything to ensure you are happy the way he believes is best."
Peggy did not say anything to that. How could she? Sloane was right, after all. Though it hardly made her feel any better about the situation. After all, he was still the reason her mother had gone mad and died of heartbreak.
"I do not blame you for being angry at Turner," Sloane muttered. "After everything you've been through together, it must have hurt to see him choose someone else in front of everyone."
"It hurt," Peggy admitted, rubbing her chest. "As if someone had taken a frozen axe to my heart."
"That would have been the bond breaking." Sloane's voice shook slightly, though he was quick to cough. "My mother went through something similar when my father died. She described it as an ice-cold stabbing feeling. Though I must say, you've lasted much longer than she did."
"How long did she-"
"Two months." Sloane grimaced. "Then again, she had always been in frail health for as long as I could remember. You are far younger and more robust than she was…or maybe you're just stubborn."
"Perhaps." Peggy sighed. "There isn't…there isn't any way to tell-"
But Sloane shook his head sadly.
"From what few records our kind keeps, the time it takes for a selkie to die of a broken heart varies from case to case. Some have died within a few hours, while the longest on record lasted nearly two years."
"Two years?"
"She tried holding on for her child," Sloane's eyes turned to the floor as he quickly scrubbed at his eyes. "But even then, she could not hold out against the inevitable."
Peggy gulped down hard on the lump in her throat as she wondered how long her mother had been suffering.
From what little she could remember of her old life, she had been separated from her mother and raised by a rotation of nannies and maids. She only got to see her mother in the evenings after they'd shared dinner or occasionally on some afternoons when she was lucid and normal.
She wondered now what had happened in those hours when she and her mother were separated. Peggy remembered having free run of the house and the grounds so long as she had one of her minders watching her, but she had hardly seen her mother anywhere unless it was their designated time.
Were their schedules conflicting, or had her father Beckett treated Peggy's mother like he had her upon her return to Port Royal? Had he kept her locked in her room and made pretty for guests, like a doll or trophy to display when needed? The very thought of it almost made Peggy want to throw up.
And poor Katrina…If Peggy had not been so doomed, she might have considered whisking her half-sister out of their father's clutches. She might have been the daughter of the woman who tried to kill her, but Katrina was innocent. She did not deserve to be groomed and sold as a nobleman's broodmare because she had the misfortune of being that man's legitimate child.
Monster. He may love us, but that doesn't stop him from being a monster.
"Are there…are there any other signs I should look out for? Signs of it getting worse? When I'll get to the…the end…" She mumbled, almost too terrified to hear the answer.
"A few." Sloane nodded, though he looked reluctant. "The problem is they're hard to spot in the early stages, and once you have noticed, the selkie is too far gone to be saved."
"What are they?"
"Some get headaches. Most have become very withdrawn and shut themselves away or have erratic mood swings. Though that might be hard to tell with you since you're so temperamental already."
"And?" Peggy was too worried even to register the attempted playful jibe.
Sloane sighed heavily.
"Some Selkies just become vegetative and sit and waste away till they die, though this doesn't happen to all Selkies. You might experience pain in your chest. It will start sporadically, with a sting here and there, and as time passes, it will become a constant ache that will be crippling. And in the more extreme cases, some selkies can have very vivid hallucinations or nightmares. That tends to happen when the Selkie in question is well and truly close to meeting the ferryman."
"I already have nightmares," Peggy muttered, and Sloane shook his head.
"They'll be different from normal ones. You'll be disoriented for hours afterwards, and sometimes, the hallucination might continue even though you are aware you are awake. Worse still, after it's over, you may faint or won't remember what happened at all during the episode. My poor mother used to keep walking in a waking dream long after she had awoken, and she'd suddenly snap out of it without knowing how or why she was standing in the middle of the beach at midday when she last remembered going to bed the night before." He shivered. "Like the heart pain, these episodes start as sporadic, but it quickly becomes a near-constant state of existence. Ultimately, it becomes more of finding out when you are lucid."
"So basically…I'll just become a raging ball of hallucinations and pain." Peggy blubbered, and Sloane nodded. "how do you know all this stuff? Did your mother go through all of it?"
"Some of it," Sloane admitted quietly. She mostly became very withdrawn, sorrowful, and hallucinated a lot. The rest of the symptoms I learned about from our clan's matriarch, Granny Magrat. That's her job. She is our leader, keeps our history and knowledge, and passes them on to the next generation. That's why we were so set on finding the last selkies of the Caribbean—so that we could preserve the knowledge they held for future generations."
"And instead, you got me." Peggy muttered, "And I don't know anything about being a selkie."
"It's not an ideal situation, no." Sloane admitted, "But that's not your fault. Granny Magrat would have been just as happy bringing a young selkie like you under her flipper if only to teach you our ways so you could help resettle new selkies into the Caribbean. But alas, that does not seem to be on the cards anymore, thanks to Turner." Sloane added bitterly.
Will's not the only one to blame. Peggy wiped her eyes sadly. I'm the fool who has given my soul to the Devil and my heart to a man who doesn't love me back. I'm to blame as much for this mess…and now I'm paying the ultimate price. She shook herself and stood, fists clenching as she kept her teary eyes facing her boots.
"Thank you, Sloane…for what you did…I…thanks."
"Anytime, Blake." Sloane nodded, yet even as the last syllable left his mouth, she had already dipped around a few crates and slipped into the darkness of the ship.
Will stood outside the door to the small cabin, hand raised to knock. However, he found it difficult to put his knuckles on the door.
It was the dead of night. The Painted Lady was a bigger ship than the Black Pearl or the Interceptor and, as such, would not reach Tortuga till just after dawn the following day. Yet, despite having more time to rest till starting the search for Jack, Will could not find rest.
The day's events were still running through his mind, and his cheek still stung from the force of Peggy's punch.
He always knew her mother had always been a sore spot for her, and he understood that learning about her death must have been upsetting, especially after all she had discovered in the past few days. He did not blame her for wanting to lash out in her anger, nor did he hold it against her to use him as a target for her rage.
If she needed that, he'd give it to her gladly, as long as it helped her get through the pain to the other side.
But then Sloane's words came back to haunt his brain.
"Or maybe it's only YOU that she doesn't want to see."
Lashing out and using him as a punching bag was one thing. Peggy would never have hit him like if she had been in her right mind. But despite her promise to talk to him later, she avoided him for the rest of the day. He knew it was purposeful because every time she saw him, she would vanish in the blink of an eye.
Why was Peggy avoiding him? What had he done in the last few hours to make her so upset with him when she had been glad to see him that morning?
Unbidden, memories of their last time in Mister Brown's apartments washed over the blacksmith's mind.
Despite being happy to see him, she had been reticent to let him hug her and hold her like he usually did. She had seemed surprised that he would keep her things and not toss her away.
But why was she so surprised? She was the only family he had had for ten years. Why shouldn't he treasure what she left behind when he had missed her?
Maybe the sketch he had done of her had been rather a lot, but why shouldn't he draw her? He had drawn many illustrations of her before, and none had bothered her before. And since when had she been so worried about what others would think of their relationship? So long as they and those close to them knew what they were, who cared what others thought?
This is ridiculous. I should just get this over and done with. We have a mission to accomplish, and we need to clear the air if we're going to work together.
He quietly tapped on the door.
"Peg?" he called softly, sure to use his most gentle voice. Heaven forbid she had a gun or a dagger on her. "Peggy? Are you there?"
There was silence on the other side.
"Peg?" he called slightly louder.
He frowned as he heard a soft groan on the other side.
Sucking in a deep breath, he gingerly opened the door to the cabin.
It was a small hole in the wall, barely bigger than a closet. It was not too dissimilar in size to her nook aboard the Interceptor, though it lacked a window. The only light in the room came from a small lantern hanging near the bed.
There, illuminated in the dim yellow glow, Peggy lay on the bed, her body curling in on itself as she cringed away from the sound of his footsteps.
"Peg?" Will cautiously strode to sit on the edge of her bed. "Peggy, what's wrong?"
"Go way!" Peggy snapped, whimpering pathetically into her thin pillow.
Will, however, did not move from her side as he reached out to wipe her hair away from her face. She was clammy and sweaty; her brow scrunched in agony as she cringed away from his touch.
"Is it cramps?" He asked softly. "Did your…uh…monthly visitor come by?"
She shook her head, eyes still screwed tightly shut.
"Then what is it? Is it your hands? Do you need the doctor to take a look at them?"
"No! Go away!" she cried out. "Go! Please! Please, sir! I swear I won't escape again! I swear! I swear!"
"Oh, Peg" Will felt his heart sink. He had heard this talking before, long ago. He had thought she had gotten over such nightmares. Unless she had gotten better at hiding them from him?
The thought almost broke his heart as he swiftly shed his coat, vest and shoes and tossed them into the corner of the room without a care.
Screw propriety! Screw it all! He thought savagely as he crawled into the tiny bed with her, scooping her up in his arms so he sat with his back against the headboard and her nestled between his legs with her head tucked against his shoulder.
"No-no-no!" She tried to squirm away, but he held her tight and fast, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Peg, it's okay. It's me. It's Will. It's William. You're safe. You're safe." He whispered, his hands running through her curls, savouring each ringlet. "You're safe. I'm with you. They can't hurt you. They're far away, and they can't hurt you."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she sniffed into his chest, "I'm sorry. I know I'm not good enough…I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"What are you talking about? Of course, you're good enough," Will whispered fiercely, his eyes burning as he felt her cling tight. She sounded so broken, like a small girl rather than a grown woman. "You hear me, Peg! You are more than good enough. You are so sweet, so kind, so smart…You're all these things and much, much more. Whatever they're telling you, they're wrong. They're wrong. So please don't talk like that."
He nuzzled his nose against the bridge of hers as he desperately tried to get her to look him in the eye. But it was no use. She had scrunched her eyes shut so tightly as if she were trying not to look at a blinding light.
"Yo-ho, yo-ho a pirate's life for me." Will hummed under his breath as he began to gently rock back and forth and sing in a slow, soft voice:
"We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
We burn up the city, we're really a fright,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
Now that he thought about it, it was such a silly song choice. However, he could not think of anything else. Besides, it was a happy tune, and so many sea chanties and folk songs were about sad topics like star-crossed lovers or death. Still, it did the job. Her sobs lessened in intensity,y though she still clung to him desperately, her body shivering as she buried her face into his neck even as he continued to sing softly.
"We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
Will heard her start to gasp for breath against his skin and felt the tickle of her eyelashes as her eyes finally opened. However, he did not look down. Instead, he continued to sing the last verse.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We're beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads…"
He paused to kiss her hairline, his hands cupping her freckled cheeks as he pressed his forehead against hers and murmured:
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
"William I…" She whined, and Will sighed in relief as he caught sight of her eyes. They were finally open, and though they were full of tears, she was awake. "Will…what are you doing? How are you-"
"You had a nightmare." He whispered, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "You were thrashing like a fish."
There was silence as he basked in the feel of her warm body nestled into his.
As awful as the situation was, he had missed this so much.
Suddenly, all the crushing aches he had felt on those lonely evenings in Mister Brown's apartments were hitting him hard like a charging bull.
He held onto everything he had cherished about her, including the feel of her in his arms, the softness of her hair…the sound of her voice…, and everything else.
Not even fretting about her being taken captive by Barbossa had made his heart ache so much.
He leaned in to nuzzle her nose against his, inhaling her scent greedily like a bee at a flower. Spices, soap and the salt of the sea…
It was almost enough to push away all thoughts of Elizabeth, Beckett, or Jack from his mind.
How he had missed it. How he missed her.
Even now, as he wrapped his arms around her, he could only think about dragging her back home to the forge, where they would wake up and start another day of laundry and blacksmithing.
Home…how funny.
For six months, he had been a tenant of Mister Brown.
But the second she was back, that apartment had felt like his home again.
"Peggy." He breathed, only to feel her push back against him.
Frowning, he pulled away and looked down to see her face turned to her lap, unable to meet his eye.
"You shouldn't be here," she mumbled.
"I couldn't let you suffer like that on your own." Will stroked a stray curl from her face. "Pegs-"
"Don't!" She cringed away from his touch as if burned. Will felt his chest sting horribly as she sighed and crawled back out of his arms.
"I'm sorry for hitting you today." She murmured as she crawled into the shadows away from him. "And I'm sorry for disturbing you just now. But I…I think it's best if we keep our distance from now on."
"Peg-"
"I'll help you find Jack and free Elizabeth. But after that, we are done." She steamrolled over the top of him.
"Peggy…what are you saying?" Will could not believe what he was hearing. Why was she talking like this? What had brought this on? "What's going on? Did something happen?"
"No-"
"Then why are you speaking like this?" Will's eyes were wide as he carefully tried crawling closer to her across the bed. "Peggy, please, look at me. You're really starting to worry me."
"No!" Peggy tried pushing him blindly away, only for Will to grab her hands in his.
"Then, please talk to me! We could always talk things out."
"I…I don't think we can this time." She wept. "I'm sorry, Will, but…after we finish with Jack, I need to go for good."
"Go? Go where?" Will frowned in confusion. "You're free now. That's the whole reason you left with Jack, right? To be free?"
"This is different-"
"Are you in trouble?" he asked suddenly. "Is that why you and Jack split? Did he dump you to save his hide?"
"No, it's not-"
"Then what? Is someone hunting him?"
"Will?"
"Or are they after you both?" Will asked sharply, gripping her hands tighter in his as she tried to yank them away.
"Let go of me, Will-"
"Who is it, Peg? Who is it that's hurt you so badly?"
"No one!"
"You're lying." Will shook his head. "Who is it? Is it Sloane? Your father?"
"No." She bleated.
"Then who?"
"Will, I can't-"
"Can't or won't?" Will scowled, clapping a hand over her mouth to muffle her yelp as he pulled in closer to whisper. "Peg, who is after you?"
But she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.
"I can't, William…" She murmured against his hand.
Will gently moved his hand from her mouth, carefully and slowly crawling before her as if moving towards an injured animal.
"Look, Peggy-" he reached out to touch her cheek only to get his hand slapped away and his body pushed back on the bed.
"Don't touch me!"
Will stared as she curled even further into the shadows, a black shape amidst darkness with only her eyes glimmering in the dark like an animal's.
"Peg…"
"I'm sorry, William," She gulped down on the sob threatening to well up in her throat. "It's not you-I just…I can't do this anymore. For the sake of all our years of friendship, I'll help you. But after that…I think it's best if we part ways for good."
"But why?" Will paused as a horrible thought crept over him. "Is it me? Have I done something wrong?"
"Will, please go-"
"Not until you tell me what I've done! Please, Peggy," Will was now on his knees before her. "Please, Peg, tell me what I've done to you so I can fix it-"
"I…I don't think you can…" She murmured, and Will felt his heart clench at how hollow her voice sounded in her despair.
"You can't know that," he whispered in frustration, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to look her in the eye. "How can you know that? Look, if it is me who's the problem, then maybe I can help put it right."
"You can't."
"Why?"
"Because…It's too late…it's…it's too late…" Her head fell into his chest, and she wept.
Will opened his mouth to ask her what she meant when the door to the room creaked loudly open.
"Who's making that racket?" Sloane grumbled, poking his head through a crack in the door.
His fair head of hair was unusually unkempt, and his chin had already darkened with a five-o-clock shadow.
He must have gotten out of bed. Will reasoned as the man stepped through the door in just a shirt, pants and breeches.
Upon catching sight of Will and Peggy on the bed, his green eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"What's going on here? What are you doing in Blake's room, Turner?"
"It's all fine!" Will snapped, his gut broiling at the accusing tone in the other man's voice. "She's just had a nightmare, that's all."
"What sort of nightmare?" Sloane stiffened, and Will snarled.
"None of your business."
"It is my business when it risks waking up half the crew." Sloane sighed wearily. "The Captain put me in charge of the two of you while you were her guests. Ergo, it falls on my head if something happens to either of you. Now tell me, what's going on?"
Will grimaced as he turned back to Peggy's sobbing form against his chest. She hadn't even reacted to the man entering the room. Usually, she'd have been embarrassed and would have apologised. Instead, she was just so upset she continued sobbing softly.
"It's just a nightmare, " he answered Sloane tersely, doing his best to keep his temper in check for Peggy's sake. "She gets them sometimes, but I have it under control. I know what I'm doing, " he added, his eyes flashing.
Sloane shook his head but said nothing as he ran a hand through his blonde locks, too tired to rise to the blacksmith's temper.
"Fine. If you say so." He glanced anxiously at Peggy's red head of hair. "Blake? Do you need anything?"
But Peggy did not answer, her sobs had lessened but her face was weirdly broken, dazed.
"Turner, do you need me to fetch you anything for her? Water? A bucket?"
"No," Will said bluntly.
Stupid brat. Sloane sighed. But no. He could not lose his temper. Not when the situation was so dire. If this was what he feared, then…then there was not much he could do.
"Very well. I'll leave you to it. Just try to be a little more discreet. The men have been antsy all day, and sleep-deprived pirates are not ones to be crossed." He added warningly.
Will nodded, and though it peeved him to be cautioned like a child by Sloane of all people, he also knew it was best not to argue on that point. Labelle might have been Jack's sister, but she was still a pirate, and Will did not know if she or her crew could be trusted.
He kept his eyes on Sloane as the man quietly stepped outside and shut the door to Peggy's room, leaving them alone once more.
"Sorry, Peg," Will whispered soothingly, only to blink in surprise as he felt a weight settle on his chest. "Peg-guH!"
He fell back as Peggy slumped into him, pushing them both down into the thin mattress of the cot. Yet, as Will rolled them onto their sides, he realised she was no longer sobbing.
Instead, she breathed evenly into the skin revealed by his now-open collar.
Asleep. He sighed, relieved, as he settled them both under the covers, careful not to move or disturb her lest her peace be ruined. As he did so, he noticed that she only wore an oversized man's shirt to sleep in, with no pants.
Will shook his head and groaned. She had been so underdressed, and the door had such a flimsy lock that he could break into it with one good shove.
"You're going to be the death of me." He muttered darkly as he wrapped his arms around Peggy's sleeping form again, keeping her close.
However, though his body was exhausted, his mind could hardly rest as her words echoed in his brain.
"It's too late…it's…it's too late…"
Too late for what? He frowned as he shut his eyes. What is it that has you in such a state as this?
He was vividly reminded of how scared she had been when he had discovered her pirate roots months ago.
Was it something from her past that was haunting her? If so, why not come out and say it? Hadn't he proved he could handle what she threw at him?
Then, he remembered the terror in her tear-filled eyes.
"I can't William…"
She wanted to tell him, but she believed she couldn't.
Is someone blackmailing her? Threatening her? Will's hand wrapped around her back, gripping the shirt she wore tight. But no. Jack would never have let anything happen to Peggy.
Will shivered as he remembered the blank look in the pirate's eyes as he shot Barbossa in cold blood. Jack might be a conniving, tricky backstabber sometimes, but when it came to Peggy, he'd never let anyone threaten her, not even his oldest friend.
Unless she had not told Jack…
Will grimaced, eyes still shut.
Peggy had a proud streak. She may not have told Jack for fear of him coddling her or out of a desire to prove herself.
I'll have to get answers tomorrow morning. He sighed into her hair, letting the smell lull him into a doze, aided by the familiar sway of the ship and the soft thuds of booted feet overhead.
Had he listened carefully, Will might have noticed that two worried, hushed whispers accompanied the feet above him.
"So…she's started having those nightmares?"
"It would seem that way, Captain."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure. She did not even notice me entering the room. Even in that state, I might have expected her to scold Turner for his behaviour or get upset about it, but we got nothing. And the way she talked before that…it sounded erratic even for her."
"Shit! Then that means…"
"Yes, Captain. It means it's nearly time."
"…How long does she have?"
"I don't know. A few weeks, maybe? Maybe a month at best."
"Hmmm…"
"Captain?"
"Yes?"
"Should we tell Captain Sparrow?"
"I…I don't know…Jackie has always been fond of the girl. Losing her once really did a number on him. To lose her a second time and in such a permanent manner…"
"You think he'd fall off the deep end?"
"I don't know. And honestly, I don't know if I want to know what would happen. But not telling him and letting him find out after would probably be even worse. Jackie's not one to be trifled with when he's pushed like that."
"What about Turner?"
"What about him?"
"If we tell Sparrow about his part in all this, he might kill him."
"What's this? Fondness for the whelp, Ronan?"
"Tch! Hardly. If it weren't for the fact that killing him would probably kill Blake, I would have shot him as soon as we boarded."
"True. Very true."
"So that's it. I'm telling Sparrow what's going on?"
"Yes. You will."
"And then what?"
"I…I don't know. Stay by her side, support her, and give her as much kindness as she deserves in what little time she has. That's all we can do. Because unless that whelp manages to make a miracle happen, there's no saving the last Selkie of the Caribbean."
And there we have it. It's a very heavy chapter, but it's got important information for later. However, as my disclaimer said, most of the important points will be reiterated in later chapters when needed, so if you feel this topic is too serious or depressing, feel free to skip it as you see fit. I have recently been looking into more things about mental health for personal reasons, and I hope you all take time to look after yourselves because there's nothing wrong with showing a little love and care to yourself, even if things are going okay.
Anyway, things should be getting lighter and more fun in the next couple of chapters as they get closer and closer to Jack. Depending on my schedule, I might have to wait a while because of life, but fingers crossed, I can nut out those chapters soon. So yeah, Sloane is a selkie but is he truly friend or foe? Who knows? In the POTC universe, it's any man's game. Will is finally getting a bit of comeuppance from Peggy, and she is finally coming to terms with the extent of her hurt feelings. I can't wait to figure out what to do with Jack when he gets involved in all this mess (cackles evilly and twiddles fingers together like Mister Burns) ooh-hoho! Yes. Boy, will that be fun?
And now I've said enough on my part. Hope you enjoyed and keep reading, reviewing, faving and following for more :)
Adieu
FuzzyBeta