Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in Translation (Pirates of the Caribbean) ❯ Misunderstanding ( Chapter 24 )
[ 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: 01.26.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 296 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Pirates Of The Caribbean Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action / Romance / Supernatural | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.26.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 296 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Twenty Four:
Misunderstanding
* * *
Misunderstanding
* * *
Jack opened his eyes and then closed them again quickly. The room was growing brighter, which meant the sun had already risen. The air felt warm and he wondered briefly just how late in the morning it actually was. He attempted to sit up and was greeted with an annoyed whimpering, which made him pause and take in his surroundings. He was in his cabin, his boots and coat both lying on the floor beside the bed, his effects hastily placed on the hook near the door. Pepe was sprawled across his chest, something he had oddly begun to grow more accustomed to in recent weeks, however Kaitlyn was not in the room. He glanced down at Pepe again then moved him to the bed and sat up. As strangely as the monkey had been behaving whenever she was near, he doubted he would have slept in the bed had Kaitlyn been there; which meant that Kaitlyn had either gotten up quite early or she had never returned to the ship.
He began pulling on his boots, while thinking over the previous night. He had spoken with Nina about the curse and then he had left Kaitlyn in the tavern. He had assumed, at the time that she would want to speak to the woman more herself and would return to the ship once she had. He stood and shook his coat before slipping it on and grabbing his hat and effects. Pepe let out a cry causing Jack to turn back and look him over. The monkey was staring at him with big, pleading brown eyes and occasionally opening and closing his mouth.
“Oh, right...you probably want food or something,” Jack muttered in a tired voice and took a quick look around the cabin. Kaitlyn typically took care of her own pet or at the very least gave Jack food for him. He had no real idea where she kept his food, providing there was any left. It had been weeks since she had picked fresh fruit, and though the monkey wasn't overly particular about how fresh it actually was, it could only last so long on a ship.
“There's no food in here, mate,” Jack said. “Might check below deck, eh?” The monkey cocked his head to the side and continued to watch him as he headed out onto the deck of the ship. Ana Maria, Gibbs and a few other crewmen were on the ship, prepping it so that they could set sail later that day.
“Captain?” Gibbs said when he saw him emerge. Jack scanned the deck and then looked to his first mate.
“Aye?”
“Didn't realize you were on the ship. I thought you'd spent the night tryin' yer hand at cards, maybe winning some money,” Gibbs said hopefully.
“Unfortunately, I'm not that fortunate,” Jack muttered. “Where's the crew?”
“Got some below deck,” Gibbs answered. “Others haven't made it back yet.” Jack glanced around again and could easily see that Kaitlyn wasn't on the deck.
“Did the lass go back to the tavern?” Jack questioned. Gibbs glanced at the cabin door then at Jack obviously confused about why Jack would be sleeping in the cabin without Kaitlyn. She rarely went below deck, let alone slept there amongst the crew.
“I haven't seen her,” he said. Jack looked thoughtfully towards the small town, wondering where exactly Kaitlyn had gone, then turned back to Gibbs.
“Have the Pearl ready to set sail by mid day,” he ordered. “Got some things to take care of here before I go.”
“Aye, Cap'n,” Gibbs replied as Jack started walking away. Before he got more than ten feet he stopped and spun back towards his first mate.
“And find some food for the monkey...bloody thing thinks it's starving.”
* * *
Kaitlyn yawned and sat up. The room she was in looked even worse in the daylight than it had the night before. The smell of cheap perfume and whiskey still clung to every bit of furniture and fabric in the room, nearly making her nauseas. She had refused to sleep under the blankets and found herself wanting to bathe the stagnant smells off as soon as possible. When she realized that it was already morning she quickly threw her legs off the bed and let out a startled yelp when she stepped on Dallin, who had offered to sleep on the floor. The boy groaned and turned over before setting up.
“Thank you,” he said in a tired, yet slightly sarcastic voice as he rubbed his stiff neck.
“I'm sorry, I forgot you were there,” she apologized.
“I noticed,” he said dryly as he stood and stretched. Sleeping the entire night on a hard, wooden floor left him more irritable than he would normally be.
“You wouldn't have faired any better sleeping in a cell,” she pointed out.
“At least the guards wouldn't step on me,” he quipped.
“I said I was sorry.” Their squabbling was cut short when they heard a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Kaitlyn asked. She was hoping the guards had decided they weren't worth the effort and had stopped searching for them by now, or at the very least, they had been too inebriated to remember what they looked like.
“The bloody king of England; who do you think it is, lass?” Kaitlyn walked over and opened the door still not entirely sure she liked Lenny.
“I'm not just going to open a door without knowing who it is I'm opening it for,” she answered.
“Good plan, love, might even save your life; providing you sleep in a room that has a lock on the door.” She stared at him for a few seconds, trying to decide between continuing with verbal sparring or ignoring him. The latter won out and she turned back to Dallin.
“We should get back to the ship.”
“So you're not even going to offer a simple thank you?” Lenny asked. Kaitlyn turned and looked at him in astonishment.
“Thank you? All you've done is insult and torment me since we met!”
“But I did show you where to find the cells and I found you a safe place to sleep,” he reminded her. She took a steadying breath and then nodded.
“You're right. Thank you, Mr. Dunngal. We should find the crew,” she said as she turned back to Dallin.
“There is another way you could thank me,” he said. Kaitlyn turned and offered him a look that lingered somewhere between disgusted and offended. Lenny grinned at the assumption she was obviously making.
“Excuse me?” She said curtly.
“Not that, love. Well, not unless you're offering that is.” The less than amused look on her face told him that she wasn't, so he pointed at Dallin. “I could use a bit of help in the shop. I'm afraid I'm a just a bit behind in my work.”
“What is it that you do?” The boy questioned. Lenny had brought Kaitlyn to the jail to help him escape, so he thought offering to help for an hour or two would only be a fair trade.
“I'm a carpenter. Use to be a shipwright but I'm getting a bit old for that. I just do odd jobs now. I have a wagon that needs some repair down at my shop.” Dallin glanced at Kaitlyn and then nodded.
“Sounds fair,” he answered. “Do you think it's safe for us to go outside?”
“Whether you're goin' to my shop or to your ship, you got to go outside,” Lenny pointed out. “Less, of course, the two of you intend to take up working here that is.”
“Neither of us is going to be working in a brothel,” Kaitlyn said then turned to Dallin again. “If you intend to help him, we should probably go so we don't get left behind.”
“Well then, let's get going,” Lenny said enthusiastically and left the room. The other two quickly followed him out. Even during the day, the small hovel and the nearby buildings looked drab and run down. Everyone remained silent as they walked; each paying attention to their surroundings. The last thing they needed was to be surprised by guards that were searching for them. Kaitlyn sighed in relief when they neared the carpentry shop. It did appear as though they had been forgotten already. Surely, the guards had better things to worry over than someone that had been drinking and got out of jail.
Lenny led them both inside. There were old wood pieces, scrap wood and tools strewn about everywhere, making it obvious that Lenny was not the most organized worker in the world. He showed Dallin the wagon that he was repairing and then started explaining, in detail, what needed to be done. Kaitlyn had to admit that he sounded educated and intelligent, at least when he was working. For nearly an hour she watched the two of them work, occasionally she would ask a question or get a tool for them. She found Lenny more tolerable while he worked. It seemed that if enough of his attention was directed towards what he was doing, he didn't have time to come up with nearly the amount of obnoxious comments, and for that she was grateful.
* * *
Jack walked along the dock slowly, taking in the sight of the Pearl. He would never get tired of seeing her anchored and awaiting his return. Truly the Pearl was far more than a mere ship. It represented everything Jack had ever done and ever wanted to do in his life. He took his time crossing the gangway. Soon he would need to tell the crew their heading and for once, he wasn't entirely eager to be boarding his ship. The crew was still busy talking and working, though they seemed to be doing more of the former than the latter. Rather than stopping to speak to anyone, he went directly to the cabin. He was carrying a box of fruit that needed to be put away and he didn't fancy the idea of standing around chatting and giving orders while holding it.
Pepe was no longer in the cabin when he entered. It was quite possible that he had gone below deck in search of food. It certainly wouldn't be the first time the monkey was caught raiding their supplies. He left the crate in the corner of the cabin, assuming Kaitlyn would deal with it when she returned. He then reached inside and pulled out the books that he had managed to find. He wasn't entirely sure what Kaitlyn would enjoy reading in her spare time, but unlike everyone else, there was little she could do to keep her occupied. Even if she did know her way around the ship, many of the crewmen were uncomfortable having a cursed woman nearby and it was best if she simply steered clear of them.
He looked down at the books and then around the cabin. He had stopped at the tavern and learned that she had gone off shortly after he had and no one had seen her since. If she didn't find her way back to the ship by the time they were ready to set sail, Jack would go find her, himself. He realized he couldn't avoid the crew all day and he needed to be honest with them about the statue or risk having them mutiny, or worse, once they found out.
An aggravated sigh escaped his lips as he walked across the room and dropped the books onto the pillow so Kaitlyn would find them when she returned. The pale band on his finger caught his eye and made him smirk. He hadn't had enough money to pay for the books but managed to barter with one of his rings instead. Hardly a fair trade in his opinion but considering he had led her to a curse, he didn't think it was the time to be contemplating fairness.
He then returned to the deck and found Gibbs giving orders to a good number of crew members. Nearly everyone had returned to the ship, but there was still no sign of Kaitlyn. Regardless, he walked over near his first mate and stood silently watching the crew work before clearing his throat loudly. Several of the men looked up, which caused the others to do the same.
“Good morning, Gentlemen. Everyone slept well, I assume?” He said with a wicked smirk. There was a murmure of laughter as the men all agreed whole heartedly. Most of them, after all, hadn't spent the night sleeping at all. Jack glanced around the deck, sizing up the crewmen. There were some that he knew how to manipulate and others that he could have a rational discussion with, but there were also a few that would not appreciate what he was about to say.
“I have a rather unfortunate bit of bad news to pass on, I'm afraid,” he said. “It would seem that this curse is just a mite worse than I had originally anticipated. We need to set a course for Arigate Isle and return the Ángel de la Muerte.” The men all began protesting and talking unhappily amongst themselves and Gibbs turned to Jack questioningly.
“Captain, we've spent months searching for that statue. Do you really think we can find the kind of money you owe Ackhart without that treasure?” Jack knew it was improbable but he didn't really have a choice.
“It's the only way to break the curse,” he answered. “And the way I see it, curses aren't too particular about the company they keep, savvy? Every man-and woman-on this ship is responsible for removing that bit of swag from the island.” Gibbs' eyes widened slightly as he thought over Jack's words. He had witnessed what had happened to Kaitlyn, but was it possible that she was merely the first one that would experience the curse because she had been the one to retrieve the statue? As much as he wanted the money, he didn't want to deal with being a cursed man.
“What about the crew?” Gibbs questioned. Many of the men were pacing the deck, obviously trying to decide on a course of action.
“Anyone that wants off the ship is free to go,” Jack answered. Gibbs nodded in agreement and prepared to say more but Jack turned and left him to deal with the irate crew.
* * *
“I know it's not my business, lass, but I feel like I should ask,” Lenny said as he stood beside Kaitlyn and watched Dallin hammering away. He wasn't as young as he used to be and knew his limits and when he should take a break.
He began pulling on his boots, while thinking over the previous night. He had spoken with Nina about the curse and then he had left Kaitlyn in the tavern. He had assumed, at the time that she would want to speak to the woman more herself and would return to the ship once she had. He stood and shook his coat before slipping it on and grabbing his hat and effects. Pepe let out a cry causing Jack to turn back and look him over. The monkey was staring at him with big, pleading brown eyes and occasionally opening and closing his mouth.
“Oh, right...you probably want food or something,” Jack muttered in a tired voice and took a quick look around the cabin. Kaitlyn typically took care of her own pet or at the very least gave Jack food for him. He had no real idea where she kept his food, providing there was any left. It had been weeks since she had picked fresh fruit, and though the monkey wasn't overly particular about how fresh it actually was, it could only last so long on a ship.
“There's no food in here, mate,” Jack said. “Might check below deck, eh?” The monkey cocked his head to the side and continued to watch him as he headed out onto the deck of the ship. Ana Maria, Gibbs and a few other crewmen were on the ship, prepping it so that they could set sail later that day.
“Captain?” Gibbs said when he saw him emerge. Jack scanned the deck and then looked to his first mate.
“Aye?”
“Didn't realize you were on the ship. I thought you'd spent the night tryin' yer hand at cards, maybe winning some money,” Gibbs said hopefully.
“Unfortunately, I'm not that fortunate,” Jack muttered. “Where's the crew?”
“Got some below deck,” Gibbs answered. “Others haven't made it back yet.” Jack glanced around again and could easily see that Kaitlyn wasn't on the deck.
“Did the lass go back to the tavern?” Jack questioned. Gibbs glanced at the cabin door then at Jack obviously confused about why Jack would be sleeping in the cabin without Kaitlyn. She rarely went below deck, let alone slept there amongst the crew.
“I haven't seen her,” he said. Jack looked thoughtfully towards the small town, wondering where exactly Kaitlyn had gone, then turned back to Gibbs.
“Have the Pearl ready to set sail by mid day,” he ordered. “Got some things to take care of here before I go.”
“Aye, Cap'n,” Gibbs replied as Jack started walking away. Before he got more than ten feet he stopped and spun back towards his first mate.
“And find some food for the monkey...bloody thing thinks it's starving.”
* * *
Kaitlyn yawned and sat up. The room she was in looked even worse in the daylight than it had the night before. The smell of cheap perfume and whiskey still clung to every bit of furniture and fabric in the room, nearly making her nauseas. She had refused to sleep under the blankets and found herself wanting to bathe the stagnant smells off as soon as possible. When she realized that it was already morning she quickly threw her legs off the bed and let out a startled yelp when she stepped on Dallin, who had offered to sleep on the floor. The boy groaned and turned over before setting up.
“Thank you,” he said in a tired, yet slightly sarcastic voice as he rubbed his stiff neck.
“I'm sorry, I forgot you were there,” she apologized.
“I noticed,” he said dryly as he stood and stretched. Sleeping the entire night on a hard, wooden floor left him more irritable than he would normally be.
“You wouldn't have faired any better sleeping in a cell,” she pointed out.
“At least the guards wouldn't step on me,” he quipped.
“I said I was sorry.” Their squabbling was cut short when they heard a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Kaitlyn asked. She was hoping the guards had decided they weren't worth the effort and had stopped searching for them by now, or at the very least, they had been too inebriated to remember what they looked like.
“The bloody king of England; who do you think it is, lass?” Kaitlyn walked over and opened the door still not entirely sure she liked Lenny.
“I'm not just going to open a door without knowing who it is I'm opening it for,” she answered.
“Good plan, love, might even save your life; providing you sleep in a room that has a lock on the door.” She stared at him for a few seconds, trying to decide between continuing with verbal sparring or ignoring him. The latter won out and she turned back to Dallin.
“We should get back to the ship.”
“So you're not even going to offer a simple thank you?” Lenny asked. Kaitlyn turned and looked at him in astonishment.
“Thank you? All you've done is insult and torment me since we met!”
“But I did show you where to find the cells and I found you a safe place to sleep,” he reminded her. She took a steadying breath and then nodded.
“You're right. Thank you, Mr. Dunngal. We should find the crew,” she said as she turned back to Dallin.
“There is another way you could thank me,” he said. Kaitlyn turned and offered him a look that lingered somewhere between disgusted and offended. Lenny grinned at the assumption she was obviously making.
“Excuse me?” She said curtly.
“Not that, love. Well, not unless you're offering that is.” The less than amused look on her face told him that she wasn't, so he pointed at Dallin. “I could use a bit of help in the shop. I'm afraid I'm a just a bit behind in my work.”
“What is it that you do?” The boy questioned. Lenny had brought Kaitlyn to the jail to help him escape, so he thought offering to help for an hour or two would only be a fair trade.
“I'm a carpenter. Use to be a shipwright but I'm getting a bit old for that. I just do odd jobs now. I have a wagon that needs some repair down at my shop.” Dallin glanced at Kaitlyn and then nodded.
“Sounds fair,” he answered. “Do you think it's safe for us to go outside?”
“Whether you're goin' to my shop or to your ship, you got to go outside,” Lenny pointed out. “Less, of course, the two of you intend to take up working here that is.”
“Neither of us is going to be working in a brothel,” Kaitlyn said then turned to Dallin again. “If you intend to help him, we should probably go so we don't get left behind.”
“Well then, let's get going,” Lenny said enthusiastically and left the room. The other two quickly followed him out. Even during the day, the small hovel and the nearby buildings looked drab and run down. Everyone remained silent as they walked; each paying attention to their surroundings. The last thing they needed was to be surprised by guards that were searching for them. Kaitlyn sighed in relief when they neared the carpentry shop. It did appear as though they had been forgotten already. Surely, the guards had better things to worry over than someone that had been drinking and got out of jail.
Lenny led them both inside. There were old wood pieces, scrap wood and tools strewn about everywhere, making it obvious that Lenny was not the most organized worker in the world. He showed Dallin the wagon that he was repairing and then started explaining, in detail, what needed to be done. Kaitlyn had to admit that he sounded educated and intelligent, at least when he was working. For nearly an hour she watched the two of them work, occasionally she would ask a question or get a tool for them. She found Lenny more tolerable while he worked. It seemed that if enough of his attention was directed towards what he was doing, he didn't have time to come up with nearly the amount of obnoxious comments, and for that she was grateful.
* * *
Jack walked along the dock slowly, taking in the sight of the Pearl. He would never get tired of seeing her anchored and awaiting his return. Truly the Pearl was far more than a mere ship. It represented everything Jack had ever done and ever wanted to do in his life. He took his time crossing the gangway. Soon he would need to tell the crew their heading and for once, he wasn't entirely eager to be boarding his ship. The crew was still busy talking and working, though they seemed to be doing more of the former than the latter. Rather than stopping to speak to anyone, he went directly to the cabin. He was carrying a box of fruit that needed to be put away and he didn't fancy the idea of standing around chatting and giving orders while holding it.
Pepe was no longer in the cabin when he entered. It was quite possible that he had gone below deck in search of food. It certainly wouldn't be the first time the monkey was caught raiding their supplies. He left the crate in the corner of the cabin, assuming Kaitlyn would deal with it when she returned. He then reached inside and pulled out the books that he had managed to find. He wasn't entirely sure what Kaitlyn would enjoy reading in her spare time, but unlike everyone else, there was little she could do to keep her occupied. Even if she did know her way around the ship, many of the crewmen were uncomfortable having a cursed woman nearby and it was best if she simply steered clear of them.
He looked down at the books and then around the cabin. He had stopped at the tavern and learned that she had gone off shortly after he had and no one had seen her since. If she didn't find her way back to the ship by the time they were ready to set sail, Jack would go find her, himself. He realized he couldn't avoid the crew all day and he needed to be honest with them about the statue or risk having them mutiny, or worse, once they found out.
An aggravated sigh escaped his lips as he walked across the room and dropped the books onto the pillow so Kaitlyn would find them when she returned. The pale band on his finger caught his eye and made him smirk. He hadn't had enough money to pay for the books but managed to barter with one of his rings instead. Hardly a fair trade in his opinion but considering he had led her to a curse, he didn't think it was the time to be contemplating fairness.
He then returned to the deck and found Gibbs giving orders to a good number of crew members. Nearly everyone had returned to the ship, but there was still no sign of Kaitlyn. Regardless, he walked over near his first mate and stood silently watching the crew work before clearing his throat loudly. Several of the men looked up, which caused the others to do the same.
“Good morning, Gentlemen. Everyone slept well, I assume?” He said with a wicked smirk. There was a murmure of laughter as the men all agreed whole heartedly. Most of them, after all, hadn't spent the night sleeping at all. Jack glanced around the deck, sizing up the crewmen. There were some that he knew how to manipulate and others that he could have a rational discussion with, but there were also a few that would not appreciate what he was about to say.
“I have a rather unfortunate bit of bad news to pass on, I'm afraid,” he said. “It would seem that this curse is just a mite worse than I had originally anticipated. We need to set a course for Arigate Isle and return the Ángel de la Muerte.” The men all began protesting and talking unhappily amongst themselves and Gibbs turned to Jack questioningly.
“Captain, we've spent months searching for that statue. Do you really think we can find the kind of money you owe Ackhart without that treasure?” Jack knew it was improbable but he didn't really have a choice.
“It's the only way to break the curse,” he answered. “And the way I see it, curses aren't too particular about the company they keep, savvy? Every man-and woman-on this ship is responsible for removing that bit of swag from the island.” Gibbs' eyes widened slightly as he thought over Jack's words. He had witnessed what had happened to Kaitlyn, but was it possible that she was merely the first one that would experience the curse because she had been the one to retrieve the statue? As much as he wanted the money, he didn't want to deal with being a cursed man.
“What about the crew?” Gibbs questioned. Many of the men were pacing the deck, obviously trying to decide on a course of action.
“Anyone that wants off the ship is free to go,” Jack answered. Gibbs nodded in agreement and prepared to say more but Jack turned and left him to deal with the irate crew.
* * *
“I know it's not my business, lass, but I feel like I should ask,” Lenny said as he stood beside Kaitlyn and watched Dallin hammering away. He wasn't as young as he used to be and knew his limits and when he should take a break.
“Ask what?”
“You sure you want to get back onto a pirate ship? Can't be the safest life for a young lass.” Kaitlyn turned to look at the older man. He did sound as though his words were genuine.
“I'll be fine,” she answered. “I've been traveling with the crew for months.”
“Seems a might strange that you and the lad there consort with pirates.”
“It's not a typical pirate ship,” she said with a slight grin. “The captain is a little-eccentric-at times.”
“I could use a little help here,” Dallin said from under the wagon. Lenny looked down at the boy and then pointed to the wheel.
“The lining is off a bit, lad. Can't have shoddy craftsmanship.” Dallin stopped what he was doing and looked out at the old man.
“Maybe it wouldn't be shoddy if the carpenter was doing some of the work,” he replied.
“I'm working,” Lenny replied with a good natured grin. “Told ya what you were doing wrong, didn't I?”
“Bloody dosser,” Dallin muttered.
“You calling me lazy?” Lenny questioned. “It takes a hard working person to supervise this craft, I'll have you know.”
“A bloody monkey could do what your doing,” Dallin retorted. “Might as well bring Pepe out here.”
“Pepe?” Lenny asked in confusion.
“He's my monkey,” Kaitlyn told him and then looked at Dallin. “Do you need help with something?”
“You've got a monkey? You are an unusual one, Kate,” Lenny said before Dallin could answer. Kaitlyn turned her attention back to the older man.
“It's Kaitlyn,” she corrected.
“Kate suits you better, love,” he replied. “Could call you Miss Kate, if you prefer.” Dallin rolled his eyes while listening to their exchange.
“It's Kaitlyn,” she said again.
“Course it is, Kate love,” he said and offered a mischievous grin. He then returned to the the wagon to help Dallin before the boy decided to up and leave. Nearly another two hours passed before they finished up the work that had been left over on the wagon. When Lenny finally looked around, he was shocked to see that much of the shop had been straightened and organized.
“How am I supposed to find anything?”
“Try looking on your shelves and in your tool chests,” Kaitlyn suggested.
“Suppose the two of you had better get back down to your ship before the crew leaves you here.”
“Aye, we do need to be going,” Dallin agreed. Lenny smiled and stuck his hand out to Dallin and then shook his firmly when the boy returned the gesture.
“Thanks for the help, lad,” he said.
“The same to you,” Dallin said. Lenny then turned to Kaitlyn and grinned at her again.
“If you ever need a place to stay, love, you know where to find me.”
“Would that be the tavern or the jail?” She questioned light heartedly.
“All depends on how fast I can run, I suppose.” Kaitlyn smiled and nodded and then turned and followed Dallin out of the shop.
“You don't think the crew's left, do you?” Dallin asked.
“No, but we should hurry. I'm sure they're wondering where we are by now.”
“Are you going to tell everyone that I was arrested?” Questioned Dallin.
“Who would believe me?” She teased and then pushed him playfully. “But don't make it a habit. You're not like the rest of the crew. You're more than just a thief or pirate.” Dallin smiled at her and then continued to walk beside her through the quaint port, wondering just how long he would be living a life he just wasn't cut out for.
* * *
Kaitlyn stepped onto the ship and looked around the deck before glancing at Dallin. The people that were aboard were working but an uncomfortable silence hung heavily in the air. Jack stopped what he was doing when the two of them finally appeared. Neither seemed to be injured or overly concerned about returning to the Pearl. For a moment he watched them as they looked around the deck nervously, then he went back to work. Part of him was angry, simply because he had been concerned about her well being, while she had been fine. The fact that she had spent the night off of the ship, apparently with Dallin, also had him angry though he couldn't justify it. She owed him nothing and he had certainly never offered her any indication that she did.
He found himself wondering if Dallin had told her what had happened the day she had been thrown overboard or if it had merely been their age that had finally brought them closer together. Either way, Jack had no intention of groveling or making a scene, he had already dealt with enough for one day.
“Jack?” Her voice came hesitantly from behind him. Part of him didn't want to turn and look at her. True, he was angry at them both, but part of him was aching even though he knew it was foolish to feel betrayed by someone that had no obligation to remain loyal or faithful to him.
“Yeah?” He asked shortly as he continued to check over the ship.
“I wanted to talk to you about last night,” she said as she followed behind him.
“I lost a good part of the crew today, lass,” he informed her. “Perhaps we can have this discussion once I've gotten us underway?”
“Lost part of the crew?” Jack smirked at the question. Even now, she sounded more naïve than most people he knew.
“They were understandably-displeased-with the idea of returning the treasure, as it turns out.” Kaitlyn nodded and decided it would probably be best to leave Jack to the ship until they were on their way again.
“I'll be in the cabin,” she said. He nodded but didn't reply. Kaitlyn glanced at him again before turning and heading towards the cabin. She could tell he was upset but attributed it to the problems he'd had with the crew. The moment she opened the door, Pepe came running out and then across the deck to Jack.
Kaitlyn sighed and walked inside. It had been weeks since she had been able to cuddle or play with her pet and she missed having him around. The moment she closed the door, she was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh fruit. In the corner of the room sat a crate full of plantains, lychee nuts and other fruits, and realized that Jack must have gotten them for Pepe. She hoped they would last until they reached Arigate Isle again where she could pick more.
The stagnant smell from the brothel was still clinging to her clothes, so she pulled her dress off and then donned the rags that she had been given. She realized that going out onto the deck while they were working without a full crew was probably a bad idea so she decided she would lie down and try to get a bit of sleep. The night before had been a restless one and a nap would probably do her some good anyway.
However, when she approached the bed, she found three books lying on her pillow. She sat down and began flipping through the pages slowly. Though they were obviously worn and used, they were still in readable condition. They were written in both verse and prose and she couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since she had been able to relax and read something other than the story of Isidro Saez. She glanced up from the book she was holding and let her eyes settle on the fruit. She hadn't asked him to get fruit or books, yet he had on his own whim, and she was grateful to him.
She hoped that once they set sail, he would have some free time so that she could speak to him about what he had been told by Nina and so that she could thank him for the gifts. She immediately curled up on the bed and began reading until her eye lids became too heavy and she drifted off to sleep, hoping Jack would wake her when he had the chance.
“You sure you want to get back onto a pirate ship? Can't be the safest life for a young lass.” Kaitlyn turned to look at the older man. He did sound as though his words were genuine.
“I'll be fine,” she answered. “I've been traveling with the crew for months.”
“Seems a might strange that you and the lad there consort with pirates.”
“It's not a typical pirate ship,” she said with a slight grin. “The captain is a little-eccentric-at times.”
“I could use a little help here,” Dallin said from under the wagon. Lenny looked down at the boy and then pointed to the wheel.
“The lining is off a bit, lad. Can't have shoddy craftsmanship.” Dallin stopped what he was doing and looked out at the old man.
“Maybe it wouldn't be shoddy if the carpenter was doing some of the work,” he replied.
“I'm working,” Lenny replied with a good natured grin. “Told ya what you were doing wrong, didn't I?”
“Bloody dosser,” Dallin muttered.
“You calling me lazy?” Lenny questioned. “It takes a hard working person to supervise this craft, I'll have you know.”
“A bloody monkey could do what your doing,” Dallin retorted. “Might as well bring Pepe out here.”
“Pepe?” Lenny asked in confusion.
“He's my monkey,” Kaitlyn told him and then looked at Dallin. “Do you need help with something?”
“You've got a monkey? You are an unusual one, Kate,” Lenny said before Dallin could answer. Kaitlyn turned her attention back to the older man.
“It's Kaitlyn,” she corrected.
“Kate suits you better, love,” he replied. “Could call you Miss Kate, if you prefer.” Dallin rolled his eyes while listening to their exchange.
“It's Kaitlyn,” she said again.
“Course it is, Kate love,” he said and offered a mischievous grin. He then returned to the the wagon to help Dallin before the boy decided to up and leave. Nearly another two hours passed before they finished up the work that had been left over on the wagon. When Lenny finally looked around, he was shocked to see that much of the shop had been straightened and organized.
“How am I supposed to find anything?”
“Try looking on your shelves and in your tool chests,” Kaitlyn suggested.
“Suppose the two of you had better get back down to your ship before the crew leaves you here.”
“Aye, we do need to be going,” Dallin agreed. Lenny smiled and stuck his hand out to Dallin and then shook his firmly when the boy returned the gesture.
“Thanks for the help, lad,” he said.
“The same to you,” Dallin said. Lenny then turned to Kaitlyn and grinned at her again.
“If you ever need a place to stay, love, you know where to find me.”
“Would that be the tavern or the jail?” She questioned light heartedly.
“All depends on how fast I can run, I suppose.” Kaitlyn smiled and nodded and then turned and followed Dallin out of the shop.
“You don't think the crew's left, do you?” Dallin asked.
“No, but we should hurry. I'm sure they're wondering where we are by now.”
“Are you going to tell everyone that I was arrested?” Questioned Dallin.
“Who would believe me?” She teased and then pushed him playfully. “But don't make it a habit. You're not like the rest of the crew. You're more than just a thief or pirate.” Dallin smiled at her and then continued to walk beside her through the quaint port, wondering just how long he would be living a life he just wasn't cut out for.
* * *
Kaitlyn stepped onto the ship and looked around the deck before glancing at Dallin. The people that were aboard were working but an uncomfortable silence hung heavily in the air. Jack stopped what he was doing when the two of them finally appeared. Neither seemed to be injured or overly concerned about returning to the Pearl. For a moment he watched them as they looked around the deck nervously, then he went back to work. Part of him was angry, simply because he had been concerned about her well being, while she had been fine. The fact that she had spent the night off of the ship, apparently with Dallin, also had him angry though he couldn't justify it. She owed him nothing and he had certainly never offered her any indication that she did.
He found himself wondering if Dallin had told her what had happened the day she had been thrown overboard or if it had merely been their age that had finally brought them closer together. Either way, Jack had no intention of groveling or making a scene, he had already dealt with enough for one day.
“Jack?” Her voice came hesitantly from behind him. Part of him didn't want to turn and look at her. True, he was angry at them both, but part of him was aching even though he knew it was foolish to feel betrayed by someone that had no obligation to remain loyal or faithful to him.
“Yeah?” He asked shortly as he continued to check over the ship.
“I wanted to talk to you about last night,” she said as she followed behind him.
“I lost a good part of the crew today, lass,” he informed her. “Perhaps we can have this discussion once I've gotten us underway?”
“Lost part of the crew?” Jack smirked at the question. Even now, she sounded more naïve than most people he knew.
“They were understandably-displeased-with the idea of returning the treasure, as it turns out.” Kaitlyn nodded and decided it would probably be best to leave Jack to the ship until they were on their way again.
“I'll be in the cabin,” she said. He nodded but didn't reply. Kaitlyn glanced at him again before turning and heading towards the cabin. She could tell he was upset but attributed it to the problems he'd had with the crew. The moment she opened the door, Pepe came running out and then across the deck to Jack.
Kaitlyn sighed and walked inside. It had been weeks since she had been able to cuddle or play with her pet and she missed having him around. The moment she closed the door, she was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh fruit. In the corner of the room sat a crate full of plantains, lychee nuts and other fruits, and realized that Jack must have gotten them for Pepe. She hoped they would last until they reached Arigate Isle again where she could pick more.
The stagnant smell from the brothel was still clinging to her clothes, so she pulled her dress off and then donned the rags that she had been given. She realized that going out onto the deck while they were working without a full crew was probably a bad idea so she decided she would lie down and try to get a bit of sleep. The night before had been a restless one and a nap would probably do her some good anyway.
However, when she approached the bed, she found three books lying on her pillow. She sat down and began flipping through the pages slowly. Though they were obviously worn and used, they were still in readable condition. They were written in both verse and prose and she couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since she had been able to relax and read something other than the story of Isidro Saez. She glanced up from the book she was holding and let her eyes settle on the fruit. She hadn't asked him to get fruit or books, yet he had on his own whim, and she was grateful to him.
She hoped that once they set sail, he would have some free time so that she could speak to him about what he had been told by Nina and so that she could thank him for the gifts. She immediately curled up on the bed and began reading until her eye lids became too heavy and she drifted off to sleep, hoping Jack would wake her when he had the chance.