Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in Translation (Pirates of the Caribbean) ❯ El Ángel de la Muerte ( Chapter 16 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Kilala81 
Non Anime: Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action / Romance / Supernatural | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.23.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 290 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action / Romance / Supernatural | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.23.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 290 | Status: Completed
Chapter Sixteen:
El Ángel de la Muerte
* * *
Kaitlyn wandered onto the deck of the ship as they were laying anchor. She still wasn't much use with actual duties, just helping out here and there, so she she simply stayed out of the way when the crew was busy. Once the Pearl was floating in the calm waters she approached the helm where Jack was giving orders to the men that were staying behind. Again, she felt out of place and simply remained silent until he was finished and preparing to head ashore.
“There something you need, lass?” He asked as he walked past her. The aloof and almost abrupt tone in his voice nearly made her wince, not sure if she should bother him with her request or just leave him be at the moment. When she didn't respond he looked over at her. She looked ill at ease and uncomfortable, as though she had something she wanted to say but wasn't sure she should. Jack slowed himself for a moment and walked back over to her.
“Sorry, love, just trying to get the crew ready to go ashore,” he apologized. She nodded in understanding then looked at Pepe, who was sitting on her shoulder, playing with a bit of her hair.
“I was wondering if I could go ashore as well,” she began. “Pepe needs more fruit and I thought this would be a good time to pick some.” Jack looked to the monkey and then back to her. The previous night's dream was still fresh in his mind and, if it held any truth, this island held the cave where he had seen her lying dead before him. The idea of taking her to the island didn't exactly sit well with him but he couldn't really give her a logical reason for staying behind. Arigate Isle was small, remote and uninhabited, no real threat he could use as his reasoning.
“Aye, long as ya stay near the crew, love. Don't need to be wandering around some desolate isle for days trying to find you and yer pet,” he said then smirked. “Besides, never know when I'll find something ol' Saez left behind that needs translated, eh?” Kaitlyn nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” she said then turned and left him to finish up. Gibbs waited until he was free again and then walked up to him.
“So this is the Island, eh?” He questioned while looking out at the barren shore. Jack spun to face him and offered a confident smile.
“Course it is,” he replied in the most assured voice he could muster. Gibbs glanced out at the isolated island again then shook his head.
“How can ya know fer sure?” He asked. Not only did the place seem completely deserted but it seemed far too simple. If such a precious treasure where hidden here, why had no one else found it?
“I know because she knows,” Jack said and motioned towards Kaitlyn who was down on the deck with some of the crew.
“How can you be sure that she knows?” Gibbs asked skeptically.
“Well, you see, she knows that she knows, so I know that she knows. Which in turn, means that she knows that I know that she knows,” Jack said then grinned and waved his hands for emphasis. “Which, of course, also means that I know that she knows that I know that she knows.” Jack stared at Gibbs for a second then smirked and pointed at him. “So now you know.”
Gibbs stood in silence for a moment trying to mentally catch up with Jack's argument then just gave up altogether.
“Think I'll talk to the lass,” he said then stepped past Jack.
“Might ask if she knows how to translate that to Spanish for ya, mate,” Jack quipped with a grin, which abruptly faded when Gibbs turned and gave him a less than amused look. “Right then, all hands to the boats,” Jack ordered with a nervous smile and quickly sauntered down onto the deck. Gibbs just stood there for a moment before sighing and following him, hoping they had no trouble finding the treasure. Once they sold it, they could afford more rum and he'd need it if he had to listen to much more of Jack's logic.
* * *
Kaitlyn walked along the beach silently with Pepe looking for fruit. She knew there was relatively little danger here and it was actually a beautiful island. Perhaps it being uninhabited only made it much more so. The sun was warm, of course, and the water looked almost crystal blue and so incredibly inviting that she finally kicked her shoes off and walked over where the water was lapping gently at the beach. The sand squished under her feet but the every time the water washed over them she felt as though she were in heaven. She had been on the ship so long, she almost forgotten it was like to just enjoy a walk on solid land or look at the water from a beach rather than a deck.
After a moment she looked down the beach behind her. The crew had gone down towards the rocks and were looking for caves and crevies, the likely hood of them coming back her way for anytime soon was very slim. Pepe had run ahead and was now playing in the trees that lined the beach just inland. He was far too domesticated to run off and not come back, so she finally decided it would be a good time to get herself a much needed bath, even if it was in salt water. Again she looked to see that no one was coming for her and then began pulling off her clothes and leaving them neatly on the beach away from the water. The moment she was submerged in the water she felt as though she could simply melt into it. It had been far too long since she had felt clean and after simply basking in the cool liquid for a bit, she let down her hair and began running her fingers through it to remove the tangles before wetting it and doing her best to get it cleaned.
“Seems ya lost a bit more than a shoe.” The voice startled Kaitlyn out of her bathing bliss. She turned to see Jack standing on the beach smirking at her her, holding one of her shoes, Pepe sitting on his shoulder.
“What do you mean?” She asked. Jack grinned and set Pepe on the ground before dropping her shoe down with the other one.
“Yer monkey brought me yer shoe,” he said. “And as pulchritudinous as your shoes are, love, they're not quite what I'm lookin' for, I'm afraid.” Kaitlyn watched Pepe take off again then smiled at Jack.
“I'm sorry, I didn't see him run off,” she said. Jack stood watching her for a moment. He had been relieved when he saw her in the water bathing. When Pepe had come running to him carrying one of Kaitlyn's shoes he had immediately recalled the sight of her lying in the cave. He'd had no idea why her monkey would have gotten away from her and had part of her attire with him. His crew was still scouring the island in hopes of finding the statue, he had simply told Gibbs to take charge while he went to find Kaitlyn and return her pet to her.
“So tell me, love, what type of fruit is it you expect to find growing out in the shallows exactly?” He teased.
“I just thought I would enjoy a swim,” she answered. “The water's lovely.” Jack grinned while she went back to untangling her hair.
“Aye, does look a bit enticing,” he said. Kaitlyn looked back at him then down the beach. It seemed he was waiting for her to finish so she decided to rinse her hair again and then started moving back towards the beach but stopped when she felt an electric pain shoot through her ankle. She let out a pained cry then reached down to her leg. The feeling was almost overwhelming and she wasn't entirely sure she could walk even though she was in the shallower water. Jack watched her for a moment, not sure what was wrong but didn't take long to she was having trouble getting back to land. He quickly shrugged off his coat and dropped his hat and effects on it before wading into the water.
“Alright, love?” He asked when he neared her. She had tears in her eyes and she seemed almost incapable of talking. Rather than wait around to find out what had happened, he put his arm around her back and led her towards the beach. As soon as the water was shallow enough to walk out, he could tell she had absolutely no intention of using her foot, so he picked her up and carried her to the edge of the water. She whimpered in pain the minute he sat her down and he quickly saw why. There was part of a tentacle attached to the lower part of her leg..
“Gotta get that off,” he said. “Don't touch it.” She was fidgeting and whimpering, seeming to be physically restraining herself from touching her leg. Jack grabbed his things and came back, quickly taking out his blade and kneeling beside her. “Hold still.” She looked away as he ran the blade down her leg carefully, letting it slide under the small tentacle. Once it was off of her, he flung it aside and looked back at her skin which was red and irritated.
“Should rinse that off,” he instructed. She looked back down at the tender area and then scooted closer to the water and let it rush over it. Again she let out a short cry, as the water was doing nothing to ease the horrible stinging. As soon as she pulled her leg out of the water she reached for it but Jack grabbed her hand.
“Rubbing it will make it worse, love,” he said. “Been stung meself.” He glanced back out at the water then down at her wound. He had little doubt that it had been a jellyfish that had gotten her, though from the small size of the tentacle, he didn't imagine she would have a serious reaction to it.
“It hurts,” she almost sobbed. Jack nodded a little knowing there really wasn't anything that could be done besides wait for the pain to start going away, then reached into the water and began scooping hand fulls out and rinsing it off again.
After he finished, he looked back down the beach, doubting she would want to walk anywhere then looked back to her again. She was moving restlessly, trying to do whatever she could to get comfortable and ease the pain. He'd been in enough in his life time to sympathize. After she again tried to rub her leg it dawned on him that she was sitting there with nothing on and he reached over and grabbed his discarded coat and put it around her.
“Crew might come lookin' for me,” he explained. She pulled it around her tightly and sat holding her breath, hoping it might some how miraculously take away the nearly unbearable stinging. Jack sighed inwardly and stood to remove his boots. He couldn't carry her half away around the island while they scouted out the cave but he knew that he couldn't just leave her sitting there, at least not until the pain began to dull a bit and was more tolerable. He'd been just a lad the first time he'd been stung by a jelly and he could still recall the pain it had caused him. He again sat down beside her and looked out at the sea. His ship was anchored out a ways and seeing it there, awaiting his return, kept him from getting too restless. For well over an hour they sat there, neither particularly in the mood to talk though for different reasons. Occasionally, Jack would rinse her leg again and ask her how it felt.
“It's starting to feel better,” she finally said, a good hour and half after he had removed her from the water. Her leg still stung but the pain was no longer excruciating. Jack nodded and looked her wound over again. The skin was still red and a bit swollen, it would probably take a few more hours if not a few days for it to return to normal.
“It's all part of living on the sea,” he said. “Had me own share of injuries and...mishaps...if you will.” Kaitlyn looked over at him questioningly. She'd obviously seen his scars before but had never asked him about them.
“Most well to do people, think being a pirate means being a miscreant. True enough in most cases.” He admitted. “But what a real pirate is, what a real pirate does, is be a voice for the masses. A pirate Captain either keeps it square with his crew or they'll get rid of him. Most of the fine upstanding Navy officers are privileged, get where they are because of a name,” he said then looked at her. “Pirates do pillage but they keep a balance to things. They spend their plunder in places said, fine upstanding citizens won't. Keeps the strumpets from starving to death in the streets and the scallywags and thieves from resorting to killing and causing chaos.”
“Is that why you're a pirate?” She asked. He looked over at her then grinned a little.
“I'm a pirate because there's no better life, love. Just a ship, the horizon and unconditional freedom.”
She looked at him and smiled softly. She found him very interesting to listen to when he spoke of something he cared about. His appearance was definitely deceiving at best. She could tell that he was much more intelligent that he wanted to let on to people and was also capable of being quite passionate about things when they were important to him.
Jack glanced down at her leg again then back to her. Her hair had mostly dried and for the first time he noticed that it had nearly bleached to a white color, while her skin had darkened, though was no where near as dark as his own yet. He found her to be much more attractive than when he'd first met her. Pale skin and conservative clothes and hair just didn't appeal much to him.
More than anything, he found her sweet yet strong personality to his liking. He'd rarely gotten close to women in his time. Whores where only physical, they held no more interest in him than he did in them. The rare pirates didn't and would never trust someone like him and he knew it and the feeling was usually mutual. Women of class rarely came close enough to associate with him but when they did, they either appeared snotty and judgmental or overly innocent to a point of being obnoxious. Kaitlyn seemed to blend an innocent nature with an open mind and desire to look beyond stereotypes and social taboos. But truthfully, he found her to be an intellectual equal and someone he could speak to freely.
“Think you can walk yet, or do you plan on sitting out here in my coat all day?” He asked. She looked down at the coat then began getting to her feet slowly.
“It still stings a bit but I can walk,” she said as she tentatively took a couple of steps on her sore leg. Jack stood up then grinned at her.
“All that trouble getting bathed and dirtier than most of the crew,” he remarked. She sighed heavily at the sight of her legs that were caked in wet sand from all the time she had sat in it. Jack pulled off his shirt and dropped it with his effects and then walked a little ways out into the water.
“Should be fine for you to rinse off again, love, not many jellies around here.” Kaitlyn eyed up the water skeptically, not wanting to risk it.
“Are you sure?” She asked. Jack nodded and watched as she let her eyes slide across the water, probably trying to see if there were any visible, before sliding the coat off and walking towards him slowly. Once she was in the water, she began rinsing herself off again, taking care with her sore leg. Jack stayed near her, waiting as patiently as possible for her to finish and keeping his eye out for any more jelly fish that might be in the immediate water.
Kaitlyn smiled shyly at him and then looked down as she continued rinsing herself. "Thank you," she said, knowing he must have been quite bored waiting with her for the past two hours. Despite the fact that she'd been intimate with him on a few occasions she still couldn't help feeling nervous around him at at times. There was a difference between being physical and just being close to him. She knew that eventually they would part ways and Jack would continue on with his life as a pirate and she would end up married to another man, but despite herself she couldn't help caring. It ached a little knowing there would be a time when she couldn't see him again and both would have other people in their lives.
Jack watched her, still wondering just how in the hell he'd ended up having her in his life. He wasn't emotionally stoic, even if he was a pirate. He was reminded of his time in Port Royal. He had asked Will Turner how far he'd go to save Elizabeth. Without hesitation the boy had replied that he'd die for her. Would Jack die for someone, if the need arose? Truthfully, he couldn't say. He had jumped into the water to save Elizabeth himself. He was a good man as well as a pirate, and a good man wouldn't just stand by and let a woman drown when he could easily save her. But could he die for someone? If Kaitlyn was taken by a filthy, mutineer like Barbossa would he go after her?
Again she looked at him almost nervously and smiled a little. He almost smirked to himself when he realized the answer to his own question. He knew he couldn't allow someone to harm her while he did nothing. Could he ever fall in love? Jack wasn't even sure if people really did fall in love. Love seemed more likely something that happened over time when two people grew together. But for the first time in many years he realized that even he was capable of caring for more than just material things and the Pearl, even if he wasn't capable of being a fine upstanding citizen.
Kaitlyn glanced back towards the shore thinking they should probably get out before any crewmen came looking and then looked back at Jack. Before she could even suggest they head towards the beach she felt his lips on hers. It was very rare that he actually kissed her and it lasted long. For reasons she didn't understand his lips usually quickly moved to her neck but she'd never bothering asking him why. This time, however, his lips found hers and he kissed her softly. She returned the kiss slightly, expecting it to stop as it often did, but instead his hand moved up her back and found it's way into her hair while his lips began caressing her own more confidently.
Despite having shared so much of each other, this somehow felt more intimate than sharing his bed had. She was surprised when she felt his tongue slide gently across her parted lips and then tentatively touch her own. He seemed to be waiting to see if she would pull back or stop him and when she began to carefully return the gesture he deepened the kiss, though to her surprise, his hands didn't begin seeking out her body as she expected them too. The sound of rustling caught both of their attention and quickly ended the personal moment.
Kaitlyn held in her laughter when she saw Pepe trying to scurry across the beach with Jack's hat. Jack watched the small thing stop after about twenty feet then start playing with it.
“Gonna need to work on that,” he said. Kaitlyn glanced at Jack then back to Pepe who was now inspecting the hat closely.
“His thievery?” She questioned.
“Nah, monkey's a pirate,” he said then smirked. “Nothing wrong with a bit of thievery. Just need to teach him not to go stealing from Captain Jack Sparrow, is all.” Kaitlyn giggled when Pepe climbed under the hat then peeked his head out quickly before hiding inside of it again.
“I think he wants to be Captain Jack Sparrow,” she teased. Jack gave a cocky grin then shook his head.
“Can't say that I can blame him fer that, really” he said. Kaitlyn watched the shore for a moment then turned back to Jack.
"We should probably get out before I get stung again or the crew comes looking for you," she said. Jack nodded and started walking back with her to the shore. He stood watching Pepe for a minute, grateful the monkey had only taken his hat. The last thing he needed to do was chase down a monkey with a cutlass or pistol. Once Kaitlyn was dried she put her clothes back on and watched as Jack put his own things on again.
“Try to stay out of the water, love,” he kidded. She smirked then called to Pepe who looked at them then decided to drag Jack's hat back over to them. He picked it up and brushed the sand out then looked down at Pepe.
“Might have to get ya a hate of yer own, mate. Ever pirate should have one,” he said. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes at the thought of Jack dressing the monkey up but said nothing about it.
“We better go find some fruit before he gets too hungry,” she said instead.
“Be down the east side of the isle if you need me, love,” he answered. Kaitlyn nodded the picked Pepe up and started off again, leaving Jack to return to the crew and his search for his treasure.
* * *
“Pepe, get back here!” Kaitlyn ran across the sandy beach, trying to catch up with her mischievous pet that had gotten away from her, still feeling an occasional twinge of pain in her leg as she put pressure on it. She slowed after several moments while Pepe climbed along some more rocky terrain then disappeared inside an opening.
“Pepe! I don't have time for this,” she sighed and began crossing the slippery rocks herself. When she got to the opening she peeked inside. It was much larger than she originally thought, possibly even large enough for her to walk into, though upon closer inspection she realized she'd need to duck down a bit.
“Pepe,” she called and waited. “Blood monkey,” she muttered then realized that perhaps, she'd spent just a little too much time around pirates for her own good. “If I get stung, bit or attacked by anything, I'm turning you over to Mr. Gibbs,” she threatened half heartedly as she stepped down onto the soft sand and ducked into the opening. The cove was cool and moist, smelling faintly of sea water and mildew. It was shallow and only dimly lit but once her eyes began to adjust she could see Pepe wandering around the rear of the cave anxiously.
“There's nothing here,” she said. “Let's go get some fruit.” Her coercing did nothing to dissuade the small creature that began digging in a barren patch of sand where no moss, weeds or dirt lay. Kaitlyn walked over to gather him but stopped when he began squawking loudly, almost in a threatening manner. “Calm down,” she soothed. He quickly backed up to the wall, continuing with his anxious noise. Kaitlyn felt a sudden chill pass through the entire cove, or at least she thought she did. She shivered from it and thought Pepe's actions were merely getting on her nerves. She gazed down at the place he had been scratching at and then knelt down to see what it was that he wanted. He quickly began pacing anxiously and making more agitated sounds while keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. Kaitlyn released a slight gasp when her fingers brushed on something solid and cold. She quickly dug up the Earth and stared disbelievingly at the small statue that was there.
“The Ángel de la Muerte,” she whispered as she picked it up and looked at it. It was a pale gold color and not as large as she expected, though needed to hold it in both hands because of it's weight. The term angel had given her a vision of some elaborate, classic vision of an angel, when in fact, it was a small cherub.
Momentarily Pepe's voice was drowned out when she heard the sound of rushing water and her head began to pound. The feeling was almost strong enough to force her to sit down but it passed almost as quickly as it came and she stood, knowing she needed to take it to Jack. The second she turned around she let out a terrified scream as she came face to face with a complete stranger. His hair and eyes were both dark and he wore rags like most of Jack's crew. The sight startled her so, that she dropped the statue and her eyes followed it as it landed at her feet. She immediately looked back up, unsure if the man was going to harm her but was met with nothingness. There was no sign that there was or had been anyone in the cave with her.
Her heart and head where both pounding now and she quickly scooped up the statue. “Come on, Pepe,” she said in a shaky voice and took off out of the cave as quickly as possible. She stumbled her way back across the rocks and jogged a short ways from the cove entrance, and then looked down at her pet that had followed her. She realized that she was trembling violently and knew that she hadn't imagined seeing him there.
Finally, her gaze settled on the small cherub. It's face was round and innocent but it's eyes were vacant, almost malicious looking, though she knew it could simply be her imagination and nerves toying with her. However, she had an intense desire to be rid of it but knew Jack wouldn't leave the island without it. Hesitantly she began walking across the white sand towards the place they had docked the boat, hoping that whatever curse was supposed to be upon it, was as much of a myth as she had thought it was.
* * *
El Ángel de la Muerte
* * *
Kaitlyn wandered onto the deck of the ship as they were laying anchor. She still wasn't much use with actual duties, just helping out here and there, so she she simply stayed out of the way when the crew was busy. Once the Pearl was floating in the calm waters she approached the helm where Jack was giving orders to the men that were staying behind. Again, she felt out of place and simply remained silent until he was finished and preparing to head ashore.
“There something you need, lass?” He asked as he walked past her. The aloof and almost abrupt tone in his voice nearly made her wince, not sure if she should bother him with her request or just leave him be at the moment. When she didn't respond he looked over at her. She looked ill at ease and uncomfortable, as though she had something she wanted to say but wasn't sure she should. Jack slowed himself for a moment and walked back over to her.
“Sorry, love, just trying to get the crew ready to go ashore,” he apologized. She nodded in understanding then looked at Pepe, who was sitting on her shoulder, playing with a bit of her hair.
“I was wondering if I could go ashore as well,” she began. “Pepe needs more fruit and I thought this would be a good time to pick some.” Jack looked to the monkey and then back to her. The previous night's dream was still fresh in his mind and, if it held any truth, this island held the cave where he had seen her lying dead before him. The idea of taking her to the island didn't exactly sit well with him but he couldn't really give her a logical reason for staying behind. Arigate Isle was small, remote and uninhabited, no real threat he could use as his reasoning.
“Aye, long as ya stay near the crew, love. Don't need to be wandering around some desolate isle for days trying to find you and yer pet,” he said then smirked. “Besides, never know when I'll find something ol' Saez left behind that needs translated, eh?” Kaitlyn nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” she said then turned and left him to finish up. Gibbs waited until he was free again and then walked up to him.
“So this is the Island, eh?” He questioned while looking out at the barren shore. Jack spun to face him and offered a confident smile.
“Course it is,” he replied in the most assured voice he could muster. Gibbs glanced out at the isolated island again then shook his head.
“How can ya know fer sure?” He asked. Not only did the place seem completely deserted but it seemed far too simple. If such a precious treasure where hidden here, why had no one else found it?
“I know because she knows,” Jack said and motioned towards Kaitlyn who was down on the deck with some of the crew.
“How can you be sure that she knows?” Gibbs asked skeptically.
“Well, you see, she knows that she knows, so I know that she knows. Which in turn, means that she knows that I know that she knows,” Jack said then grinned and waved his hands for emphasis. “Which, of course, also means that I know that she knows that I know that she knows.” Jack stared at Gibbs for a second then smirked and pointed at him. “So now you know.”
Gibbs stood in silence for a moment trying to mentally catch up with Jack's argument then just gave up altogether.
“Think I'll talk to the lass,” he said then stepped past Jack.
“Might ask if she knows how to translate that to Spanish for ya, mate,” Jack quipped with a grin, which abruptly faded when Gibbs turned and gave him a less than amused look. “Right then, all hands to the boats,” Jack ordered with a nervous smile and quickly sauntered down onto the deck. Gibbs just stood there for a moment before sighing and following him, hoping they had no trouble finding the treasure. Once they sold it, they could afford more rum and he'd need it if he had to listen to much more of Jack's logic.
* * *
Kaitlyn walked along the beach silently with Pepe looking for fruit. She knew there was relatively little danger here and it was actually a beautiful island. Perhaps it being uninhabited only made it much more so. The sun was warm, of course, and the water looked almost crystal blue and so incredibly inviting that she finally kicked her shoes off and walked over where the water was lapping gently at the beach. The sand squished under her feet but the every time the water washed over them she felt as though she were in heaven. She had been on the ship so long, she almost forgotten it was like to just enjoy a walk on solid land or look at the water from a beach rather than a deck.
After a moment she looked down the beach behind her. The crew had gone down towards the rocks and were looking for caves and crevies, the likely hood of them coming back her way for anytime soon was very slim. Pepe had run ahead and was now playing in the trees that lined the beach just inland. He was far too domesticated to run off and not come back, so she finally decided it would be a good time to get herself a much needed bath, even if it was in salt water. Again she looked to see that no one was coming for her and then began pulling off her clothes and leaving them neatly on the beach away from the water. The moment she was submerged in the water she felt as though she could simply melt into it. It had been far too long since she had felt clean and after simply basking in the cool liquid for a bit, she let down her hair and began running her fingers through it to remove the tangles before wetting it and doing her best to get it cleaned.
“Seems ya lost a bit more than a shoe.” The voice startled Kaitlyn out of her bathing bliss. She turned to see Jack standing on the beach smirking at her her, holding one of her shoes, Pepe sitting on his shoulder.
“What do you mean?” She asked. Jack grinned and set Pepe on the ground before dropping her shoe down with the other one.
“Yer monkey brought me yer shoe,” he said. “And as pulchritudinous as your shoes are, love, they're not quite what I'm lookin' for, I'm afraid.” Kaitlyn watched Pepe take off again then smiled at Jack.
“I'm sorry, I didn't see him run off,” she said. Jack stood watching her for a moment. He had been relieved when he saw her in the water bathing. When Pepe had come running to him carrying one of Kaitlyn's shoes he had immediately recalled the sight of her lying in the cave. He'd had no idea why her monkey would have gotten away from her and had part of her attire with him. His crew was still scouring the island in hopes of finding the statue, he had simply told Gibbs to take charge while he went to find Kaitlyn and return her pet to her.
“So tell me, love, what type of fruit is it you expect to find growing out in the shallows exactly?” He teased.
“I just thought I would enjoy a swim,” she answered. “The water's lovely.” Jack grinned while she went back to untangling her hair.
“Aye, does look a bit enticing,” he said. Kaitlyn looked back at him then down the beach. It seemed he was waiting for her to finish so she decided to rinse her hair again and then started moving back towards the beach but stopped when she felt an electric pain shoot through her ankle. She let out a pained cry then reached down to her leg. The feeling was almost overwhelming and she wasn't entirely sure she could walk even though she was in the shallower water. Jack watched her for a moment, not sure what was wrong but didn't take long to she was having trouble getting back to land. He quickly shrugged off his coat and dropped his hat and effects on it before wading into the water.
“Alright, love?” He asked when he neared her. She had tears in her eyes and she seemed almost incapable of talking. Rather than wait around to find out what had happened, he put his arm around her back and led her towards the beach. As soon as the water was shallow enough to walk out, he could tell she had absolutely no intention of using her foot, so he picked her up and carried her to the edge of the water. She whimpered in pain the minute he sat her down and he quickly saw why. There was part of a tentacle attached to the lower part of her leg..
“Gotta get that off,” he said. “Don't touch it.” She was fidgeting and whimpering, seeming to be physically restraining herself from touching her leg. Jack grabbed his things and came back, quickly taking out his blade and kneeling beside her. “Hold still.” She looked away as he ran the blade down her leg carefully, letting it slide under the small tentacle. Once it was off of her, he flung it aside and looked back at her skin which was red and irritated.
“Should rinse that off,” he instructed. She looked back down at the tender area and then scooted closer to the water and let it rush over it. Again she let out a short cry, as the water was doing nothing to ease the horrible stinging. As soon as she pulled her leg out of the water she reached for it but Jack grabbed her hand.
“Rubbing it will make it worse, love,” he said. “Been stung meself.” He glanced back out at the water then down at her wound. He had little doubt that it had been a jellyfish that had gotten her, though from the small size of the tentacle, he didn't imagine she would have a serious reaction to it.
“It hurts,” she almost sobbed. Jack nodded a little knowing there really wasn't anything that could be done besides wait for the pain to start going away, then reached into the water and began scooping hand fulls out and rinsing it off again.
After he finished, he looked back down the beach, doubting she would want to walk anywhere then looked back to her again. She was moving restlessly, trying to do whatever she could to get comfortable and ease the pain. He'd been in enough in his life time to sympathize. After she again tried to rub her leg it dawned on him that she was sitting there with nothing on and he reached over and grabbed his discarded coat and put it around her.
“Crew might come lookin' for me,” he explained. She pulled it around her tightly and sat holding her breath, hoping it might some how miraculously take away the nearly unbearable stinging. Jack sighed inwardly and stood to remove his boots. He couldn't carry her half away around the island while they scouted out the cave but he knew that he couldn't just leave her sitting there, at least not until the pain began to dull a bit and was more tolerable. He'd been just a lad the first time he'd been stung by a jelly and he could still recall the pain it had caused him. He again sat down beside her and looked out at the sea. His ship was anchored out a ways and seeing it there, awaiting his return, kept him from getting too restless. For well over an hour they sat there, neither particularly in the mood to talk though for different reasons. Occasionally, Jack would rinse her leg again and ask her how it felt.
“It's starting to feel better,” she finally said, a good hour and half after he had removed her from the water. Her leg still stung but the pain was no longer excruciating. Jack nodded and looked her wound over again. The skin was still red and a bit swollen, it would probably take a few more hours if not a few days for it to return to normal.
“It's all part of living on the sea,” he said. “Had me own share of injuries and...mishaps...if you will.” Kaitlyn looked over at him questioningly. She'd obviously seen his scars before but had never asked him about them.
“Most well to do people, think being a pirate means being a miscreant. True enough in most cases.” He admitted. “But what a real pirate is, what a real pirate does, is be a voice for the masses. A pirate Captain either keeps it square with his crew or they'll get rid of him. Most of the fine upstanding Navy officers are privileged, get where they are because of a name,” he said then looked at her. “Pirates do pillage but they keep a balance to things. They spend their plunder in places said, fine upstanding citizens won't. Keeps the strumpets from starving to death in the streets and the scallywags and thieves from resorting to killing and causing chaos.”
“Is that why you're a pirate?” She asked. He looked over at her then grinned a little.
“I'm a pirate because there's no better life, love. Just a ship, the horizon and unconditional freedom.”
She looked at him and smiled softly. She found him very interesting to listen to when he spoke of something he cared about. His appearance was definitely deceiving at best. She could tell that he was much more intelligent that he wanted to let on to people and was also capable of being quite passionate about things when they were important to him.
Jack glanced down at her leg again then back to her. Her hair had mostly dried and for the first time he noticed that it had nearly bleached to a white color, while her skin had darkened, though was no where near as dark as his own yet. He found her to be much more attractive than when he'd first met her. Pale skin and conservative clothes and hair just didn't appeal much to him.
More than anything, he found her sweet yet strong personality to his liking. He'd rarely gotten close to women in his time. Whores where only physical, they held no more interest in him than he did in them. The rare pirates didn't and would never trust someone like him and he knew it and the feeling was usually mutual. Women of class rarely came close enough to associate with him but when they did, they either appeared snotty and judgmental or overly innocent to a point of being obnoxious. Kaitlyn seemed to blend an innocent nature with an open mind and desire to look beyond stereotypes and social taboos. But truthfully, he found her to be an intellectual equal and someone he could speak to freely.
“Think you can walk yet, or do you plan on sitting out here in my coat all day?” He asked. She looked down at the coat then began getting to her feet slowly.
“It still stings a bit but I can walk,” she said as she tentatively took a couple of steps on her sore leg. Jack stood up then grinned at her.
“All that trouble getting bathed and dirtier than most of the crew,” he remarked. She sighed heavily at the sight of her legs that were caked in wet sand from all the time she had sat in it. Jack pulled off his shirt and dropped it with his effects and then walked a little ways out into the water.
“Should be fine for you to rinse off again, love, not many jellies around here.” Kaitlyn eyed up the water skeptically, not wanting to risk it.
“Are you sure?” She asked. Jack nodded and watched as she let her eyes slide across the water, probably trying to see if there were any visible, before sliding the coat off and walking towards him slowly. Once she was in the water, she began rinsing herself off again, taking care with her sore leg. Jack stayed near her, waiting as patiently as possible for her to finish and keeping his eye out for any more jelly fish that might be in the immediate water.
Kaitlyn smiled shyly at him and then looked down as she continued rinsing herself. "Thank you," she said, knowing he must have been quite bored waiting with her for the past two hours. Despite the fact that she'd been intimate with him on a few occasions she still couldn't help feeling nervous around him at at times. There was a difference between being physical and just being close to him. She knew that eventually they would part ways and Jack would continue on with his life as a pirate and she would end up married to another man, but despite herself she couldn't help caring. It ached a little knowing there would be a time when she couldn't see him again and both would have other people in their lives.
Jack watched her, still wondering just how in the hell he'd ended up having her in his life. He wasn't emotionally stoic, even if he was a pirate. He was reminded of his time in Port Royal. He had asked Will Turner how far he'd go to save Elizabeth. Without hesitation the boy had replied that he'd die for her. Would Jack die for someone, if the need arose? Truthfully, he couldn't say. He had jumped into the water to save Elizabeth himself. He was a good man as well as a pirate, and a good man wouldn't just stand by and let a woman drown when he could easily save her. But could he die for someone? If Kaitlyn was taken by a filthy, mutineer like Barbossa would he go after her?
Again she looked at him almost nervously and smiled a little. He almost smirked to himself when he realized the answer to his own question. He knew he couldn't allow someone to harm her while he did nothing. Could he ever fall in love? Jack wasn't even sure if people really did fall in love. Love seemed more likely something that happened over time when two people grew together. But for the first time in many years he realized that even he was capable of caring for more than just material things and the Pearl, even if he wasn't capable of being a fine upstanding citizen.
Kaitlyn glanced back towards the shore thinking they should probably get out before any crewmen came looking and then looked back at Jack. Before she could even suggest they head towards the beach she felt his lips on hers. It was very rare that he actually kissed her and it lasted long. For reasons she didn't understand his lips usually quickly moved to her neck but she'd never bothering asking him why. This time, however, his lips found hers and he kissed her softly. She returned the kiss slightly, expecting it to stop as it often did, but instead his hand moved up her back and found it's way into her hair while his lips began caressing her own more confidently.
Despite having shared so much of each other, this somehow felt more intimate than sharing his bed had. She was surprised when she felt his tongue slide gently across her parted lips and then tentatively touch her own. He seemed to be waiting to see if she would pull back or stop him and when she began to carefully return the gesture he deepened the kiss, though to her surprise, his hands didn't begin seeking out her body as she expected them too. The sound of rustling caught both of their attention and quickly ended the personal moment.
Kaitlyn held in her laughter when she saw Pepe trying to scurry across the beach with Jack's hat. Jack watched the small thing stop after about twenty feet then start playing with it.
“Gonna need to work on that,” he said. Kaitlyn glanced at Jack then back to Pepe who was now inspecting the hat closely.
“His thievery?” She questioned.
“Nah, monkey's a pirate,” he said then smirked. “Nothing wrong with a bit of thievery. Just need to teach him not to go stealing from Captain Jack Sparrow, is all.” Kaitlyn giggled when Pepe climbed under the hat then peeked his head out quickly before hiding inside of it again.
“I think he wants to be Captain Jack Sparrow,” she teased. Jack gave a cocky grin then shook his head.
“Can't say that I can blame him fer that, really” he said. Kaitlyn watched the shore for a moment then turned back to Jack.
"We should probably get out before I get stung again or the crew comes looking for you," she said. Jack nodded and started walking back with her to the shore. He stood watching Pepe for a minute, grateful the monkey had only taken his hat. The last thing he needed to do was chase down a monkey with a cutlass or pistol. Once Kaitlyn was dried she put her clothes back on and watched as Jack put his own things on again.
“Try to stay out of the water, love,” he kidded. She smirked then called to Pepe who looked at them then decided to drag Jack's hat back over to them. He picked it up and brushed the sand out then looked down at Pepe.
“Might have to get ya a hate of yer own, mate. Ever pirate should have one,” he said. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes at the thought of Jack dressing the monkey up but said nothing about it.
“We better go find some fruit before he gets too hungry,” she said instead.
“Be down the east side of the isle if you need me, love,” he answered. Kaitlyn nodded the picked Pepe up and started off again, leaving Jack to return to the crew and his search for his treasure.
* * *
“Pepe, get back here!” Kaitlyn ran across the sandy beach, trying to catch up with her mischievous pet that had gotten away from her, still feeling an occasional twinge of pain in her leg as she put pressure on it. She slowed after several moments while Pepe climbed along some more rocky terrain then disappeared inside an opening.
“Pepe! I don't have time for this,” she sighed and began crossing the slippery rocks herself. When she got to the opening she peeked inside. It was much larger than she originally thought, possibly even large enough for her to walk into, though upon closer inspection she realized she'd need to duck down a bit.
“Pepe,” she called and waited. “Blood monkey,” she muttered then realized that perhaps, she'd spent just a little too much time around pirates for her own good. “If I get stung, bit or attacked by anything, I'm turning you over to Mr. Gibbs,” she threatened half heartedly as she stepped down onto the soft sand and ducked into the opening. The cove was cool and moist, smelling faintly of sea water and mildew. It was shallow and only dimly lit but once her eyes began to adjust she could see Pepe wandering around the rear of the cave anxiously.
“There's nothing here,” she said. “Let's go get some fruit.” Her coercing did nothing to dissuade the small creature that began digging in a barren patch of sand where no moss, weeds or dirt lay. Kaitlyn walked over to gather him but stopped when he began squawking loudly, almost in a threatening manner. “Calm down,” she soothed. He quickly backed up to the wall, continuing with his anxious noise. Kaitlyn felt a sudden chill pass through the entire cove, or at least she thought she did. She shivered from it and thought Pepe's actions were merely getting on her nerves. She gazed down at the place he had been scratching at and then knelt down to see what it was that he wanted. He quickly began pacing anxiously and making more agitated sounds while keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. Kaitlyn released a slight gasp when her fingers brushed on something solid and cold. She quickly dug up the Earth and stared disbelievingly at the small statue that was there.
“The Ángel de la Muerte,” she whispered as she picked it up and looked at it. It was a pale gold color and not as large as she expected, though needed to hold it in both hands because of it's weight. The term angel had given her a vision of some elaborate, classic vision of an angel, when in fact, it was a small cherub.
Momentarily Pepe's voice was drowned out when she heard the sound of rushing water and her head began to pound. The feeling was almost strong enough to force her to sit down but it passed almost as quickly as it came and she stood, knowing she needed to take it to Jack. The second she turned around she let out a terrified scream as she came face to face with a complete stranger. His hair and eyes were both dark and he wore rags like most of Jack's crew. The sight startled her so, that she dropped the statue and her eyes followed it as it landed at her feet. She immediately looked back up, unsure if the man was going to harm her but was met with nothingness. There was no sign that there was or had been anyone in the cave with her.
Her heart and head where both pounding now and she quickly scooped up the statue. “Come on, Pepe,” she said in a shaky voice and took off out of the cave as quickly as possible. She stumbled her way back across the rocks and jogged a short ways from the cove entrance, and then looked down at her pet that had followed her. She realized that she was trembling violently and knew that she hadn't imagined seeing him there.
Finally, her gaze settled on the small cherub. It's face was round and innocent but it's eyes were vacant, almost malicious looking, though she knew it could simply be her imagination and nerves toying with her. However, she had an intense desire to be rid of it but knew Jack wouldn't leave the island without it. Hesitantly she began walking across the white sand towards the place they had docked the boat, hoping that whatever curse was supposed to be upon it, was as much of a myth as she had thought it was.
* * *