Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in Translation (Pirates of the Caribbean) ❯ Catalina ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve:

Catalina

 

 

Kaitlyn groaned and pulled the blanket over her head as the merciless sun poured through the window of the cabin. Her body ached and she wasn't entirely sure why, which only added to the pain in her head. After a few minutes coherency began to slowly sneak in and she found herself blushing at what seemed to be a vivid dream of Jack being in the room with her. She had, had male suitors before, most hand picked by her father. They had always treated her like a proper lady, with an occasional kiss on the cheek or hand, but the memory of what she assumed was a dream was far from a kiss on the hand or cheek.

 

`I am never drinking rum again,' she thought silently as she sighed and sat up in bed. Something seemed out of place and it took her a moment to realize that her bodice was opened, though that could have been attributed to her simply being too drunk to fully unclothe. Then Jack's coat caught her eye, still lying on the floor where he had let it fall the night before. For a moment she sat there silently, thinking over what she could remember of the night before. Things began to fall into place slowly; the man that had refused to let her go, Jack stopping him then bringing her to the ship.

 

Why he would have done that when he could have simply gone back to the pub for a whore was beyond her. Surely someone like Jack wouldn't have any interest in more than a night of pleasure, which could have been easily gotten in the port.

 

She only vaguely remembered the knife and wasn't entirely sure why he had done that, then there was nothing else she could recall. She stood and waited until she had her bearings then buttoned her bodice and picked up his coat. For a moment, she wasn't sure what she should do. A lady would walk out and give him a good slap for what he'd done. But she couldn't deny that it had been just as much her fault as his, nor could she say she didn't enjoy it. And he had, in fact, not taken advantage of her as he surely could have in her state, most likely without her even knowing. Finally, she walked over and looked out the door. They were still docked and there was no one to be seen on the ship. She imagined many of the men had found themselves entertainment for the night and stayed on land.

 

“Was wonderin' when you'd get up,” Jack said. Kaitlyn turned to find him sitting on a crate not far from the door to the cabin, Pepe seated contentedly on his shoulder once again.

 

“Is it late?” She asked.

 

“Na…most of the crew hasn't even come out of their stupors yet,” he replied. “Found yer monkey below deck raiding our supplies. Have half a mind to lock `im in the brig.” He said semi-affectionately while looking at Pepe. Kaitlyn smiled a little to herself watching the two of them. How quickly they had bonded took her by surprise and the fact that Jack would grow attached to an animal at all was a little surprising to her in the first place.

 

“I was just bringing you your coat,” she said and held it out to him. Jack looked over then stood and took it from her.

 

“'Bout last night, love…” he began.

 

“It's fine, Jack. You don't have to explain anything to me,” she said. He watched her for a minute the sighed.

”I think I do, love. Think I owe you an apology.” Kaitlyn looked up at him questioningly.

 

“Apology for what? You didn't harm me or do anything against my will.”

 

“You weren't exactly thinkin' clearly as I recall, love. I don't want you thinkin' I'd treat you the same as the whores in the pub,” he said honestly. It had been a very long time since he'd been around someone whose opinion of him truly mattered. Sure, he liked everyone knowing who Captain Jack Sparrow was, and his reputation was his livelihood. But there was a difference between his reputation and him as a person. Over the weeks since she'd been on the ship, he'd grown to respect her, something that didn't come quickly to him.

 

“I'm glad,” she said then sighed and looked away. “It's ironic really, you're a pirate and you're apologizing to me. My father's supposed to be a gentleman and he was selling me off to some man as a wife, but essentially it's no different than being a whore, only I wouldn't be getting paid.” Jack looked over at her and nodded in agreement. It was true enough; many women in arranged marriages started off no better than whores to their husbands, though a few lucky ones might grow to love each other over time.

 

“I don't know what I've been thinking. I can't go to Port Summers,” she said.

 

“Plan on stayin' on the ship then, love?” He asked with a grin, though truthfully, if she said yes, he wouldn't make her leave.

 

“I have to go back home. If I go to Isabel, my father will find me and probably have her hanged. I can't do that to her. The same is true if my father should ever find me here,” she said. “I was so desperate to leave that I haven't given thought to the consequences.”

 

“Doesn't sound much like ya wanna go back,” he said. Kaitlyn looked over at him and sighed.

 

“The thought of going to England with a man that I didn't know frightened me,” she admitted.

 

“And now it doesn't, eh?” He asked.

 

“Not as badly as the thought of seeing someone that I care for be hanged,” she said. “I couldn't do that to Isabel…or to you.” Jack watched her for a moment then looked out towards the water. He wasn't accustomed to people speaking affectionately towards him, it wasn't something many pirates had the pleasure of hearing.

 

“No hangman'll have Captain Jack Sparrow's boots, love,” he said then grinned at her. “Slipped out of the noose on more than one occasion.”

 

“I would be found eventually and the more I prolong it, the more difficult it's going to make things,” she said reasonably. “Besides, at least I've had the chance to experience freedom. Most women in my position aren't so lucky.”

 

“Freedom's a hard thing to give up once you've experienced it, lass,” he said

 

“There are more difficult things to give up,” she said while watching him, then looked out at the water. “I think I'll go ashore for awhile.” Jack watched as she walked across the deck then pulled his coat on, not exactly sure why the idea of returning her home bothered him so much.

 

***

 

Kaitlyn wandered around the port silently, still trying to deal with what had happened between her and Jack. Finally, she found herself near the pub she'd been in the night before and decided to go inside. It was possible some of the crew were there, taking advantage of the stop before returning to the ship. However, there bar was nearly empty. A few men sat around drinking and playing cards but she didn't recognize any of them.

 

“You're crew hasn't been in yet today,” a voice said. Kaitlyn turned to see Louisa standing near the bar, looking bored.

 

“Oh, that's alright. I wasn't looking for anyone in particular,” she replied then looked around. “Don't they ever let you sleep?” Louisa laughed slightly then looked around the room.

 

“Rather this than sleeping with these louses,” she replied. Kaitlyn smiled then nodded in agreement. She could already tell that Louisa was a hard worker and probably tough enough to deal with the drunks that frequented the place.

 

“Louisa! Get your self back to w-,” a loud voice boomed then went suddenly silent as the sound of shattering glass was heard. Louis and Kaitlyn both looked over as an older woman with dark skin and eyes stood staring at Kaitlyn, several glasses broken at her feet.

 

“Mon Dieu,” she muttered then crossed herself three times. Kaitlyn glanced at Louisa who was also staring at the woman now.

 

“Nina,” Louisa said cautiously, then went to the older woman, who hadn't taken her eyes off of Kaitlyn. The old woman finally looked to Louisa who looked genuinely worried then, back to Kaitlyn.

 

“Come,” she said simply then headed towards a door at the back of the bar. Kaitlyn looked at Louisa questioningly then followed her to the back. The woman was digging into a small sachet when she entered the room. After a moment she turned to Kaitlyn and placed something small into her hand.

 

“Do not lose this,” she warned. Kaitlyn looked down to find a shapeless piece of ivory colored material in her hand.

 

“What is this?” She asked.

 

“It is a piece of a neck bone from a black cat that was killed at midnight,” she replied. “It is good gris-gris.” Kaitlyn nearly dropped the thing then looked to Louisa, who seemed equally perplexed.

 

“It's a bone?” Kaitlyn asked.

 

“You have a dark aura around you, child,” Nina said simply. “I fear my gris-gris will not be enough to save you.” Kaitlyn felt her heart quicken and could almost hear the sound of water rushing around her. Before she could reply Louisa broke the silence.

 

“Nina, you know the rules. You can practice anything you'd like, but not around the customers,” she said softly. The old woman shook her head then looked at Kaitlyn.

 

“Those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it, Catalina.” Kaitlyn stood in complete silence for a moment then glanced down at the bone.

 

“That's…not my name,” she finally said. Nina watched her intently then nodded.

 

“My apologies,” she said then began digging into her sachet again, now ignoring the other two. Louisa stood watching the old woman and then turned and led Kaitlyn out of the room.

 

“I'm so sorry. Nina is firm in her superstitions but she doesn't normally bother anyone else with them. Her grandmere, as she calls her, was an old voodoo mama.” Kaitlyn looked down at the bone in her hand then at Louisa.

 

“It's quite alright, I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it,” she said, trying not to let the ominous words play in her mind again. “I should probably get back to the ship, I'm sure the captain wants to set sail soon.” Louisa nodded and said a quick good bye then went to clean up the glass from the floor.

 

Kaitlyn started towards the door but turned to see Nina standing at the back of the bar. When their eyes met the old woman shook her head slightly before crossing herself again. The sight made Kaitlyn hurry out the door and down the street; the name Catalina still fresh in her mind. She was unsure why the woman had called her that, but the only Catalina that Kaitlyn was familiar with was Catalina Ynez Morales…Isidro Saez's fiancé and the reason the `Ángel de la muerte' held a curse in the first place.