Chapter Eleven
Guess who we see this chapter! *squeal* And sorry for the wait!
***
I used to have nightmares.
They stopped a few years ago, when Eric became my friend. He was like a counselor.
But I can remember the dreams -- they were terrifying and real. And sometimes they reoccur. Like that night when I was seventeen.
I was aware, the entire time. I was screaming for my eight-year old self to stop -- stop moving, Jackie -- don't go in there -- don't
I thought it was odd Jack hadn't come in and threw something at me to wake me up yet. He usually did that, whether it was a shoe or a rag, and I'd get mad and then mom would pop in and laugh her head off.
Stay in bed, Jackie don't move stop
But no one had come to throw anything at me today. I sat in bed an extra ten minutes before sitting up and padding to the door, peeking outside. The majority of the crew was still asleep, likely counting it as a blessing -- Adeena hadn't came storming down and yelling at them yet.
You too -- sleep in -- don't
I jogged upstairs, curious. Maybe mom and dad were still snoring away. They didn't do that often, but sometimes mom convinced Jack to lay there with her.
Go back to bed -- Jackie, don't open that damn door
I knocked, pressing an ear to the door. There wasn't a sound.
Jackie, stop -- I don't want to see --
Were they gonna scare me when I opened the door? I cautiously pushed it open, peering inside. It was dark and silent. No quiet snores or breathing.
It's because -- no, stop -- wake up WAKE UP
I stepped inside. "Mom? Jack?" Jack didn't like when I called him dad. It made him sound old.
I don't want -- WAKE UP
"I'm coming in," I sang, giggling. I walked forward and squealed as I slipped on the wet floor.
No no no no
Water? It was sticky. I furrowed my brow and touched it to my tongue.
STOP
It was metallic.
NO
I knew what it was -- oh god -- what --
Jackie, GO TO BED
I ran for the window, letting the curtains fly aside and the light streamed in, revealed a room drenched in red, red so much red everywhere it covered the floor and soaked the sheets
I screamed. I screamed and screamed and screamed and realized the window was shattered and Jack and Adeena were missing -- the glass was bloody -- they were gone -- someone took them -- and I was crying and waiting for it to become a joke but it never did because
Someone TOOK THEM
"Jacqueline?"
I was seeing it again -- it was starting over. I didn't want it, go away
"Jacqueline!"
I woke with a sob, latching on to the hand Eric had extended and pulling him into the bed with me. He held me silently as I sobbed into his chest, mumbling incoherent wishes, telling him -- telling him how I had to watch. Every night for years I'd had to watch myself find that red scene. Find it over and over again.
"I'm here," He whispered.
"Stay," I cried, holding his hand.
He hesitated.
"Don't go..." I whispered.
He nodded. "I'll be here. I'll never leave, unless you want me to. Never."
I cried myself to sleep again.
When I was in Eric's arms, I didn't have nightmares.
I blinked.
I'd just remembered something -- what was it? I pushed it aside. Memories weren't important right now.
I closed my fingers over the crystal balls. They were cool and smooth. "How do we...I want him to come with me, by the way." I jerked a thumb at Eric over my shoulder.
Shima tapped his chin thoughtfully, eyes on my closed fist. "I believe you shatter them, throw them on the ground, maybe? I've never actually watched someone before."
"Watched them?" I asked curiously.
"Yeah." He quirked a brow. "They're made of memories, Jackie."
I waved a hand. "Whatever that means. So I just...break them? How will Eric join me, then?"
Shima's face was carefully blank as he searched his mind for answers. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.
I shifted, uneasy. "Shima, love?"
He smirked and grabbed Eric's hand, jerking him forward to stand beside me. His eyes were filled with laughter. "Break it together!" He placed Eric's hand over mine.
I shivered at the contact between us. "Good idea, Shima." I glanced timidly at Eric, aware of our close proximity. I looked away once I realized he was also shooting me a shy glance.
Shima looked incredibly pleased with himself. "I ship it!" He squealed.
I blinked. "Wha --?"
"It's a modern thing," Shima smirked, returning to the cool and cynical Shima we had been introduced to. "And you two should get to it, no? Hayaku!"
Hayaku. It's Japanese. 'Quickly' in English, easily translated to 'hurry' instead. "Hai," I whispered, staring at my hands.
"Ready?" Eric asked me. His thumb brushed over the back of my palm.
I was too nervous to even shiver at his soft touch. "No," I said, shaking my head. "What if -- I don't --"
Eric squeezed my fingers. "You're strong. You're good with words and you'll be able to explain."
I blinked back tears. "But what if...they're not proud of me?"
Shima waved a hand. "They don't know shit, Jackie. They can't watch over you or any of that Christian crap." Eric, who I knew firmly believed in God, stiffened. I quietly wished Shima wouldn't have said that. Everyone deserves their own opinion. "Once you explain they'll understand. Especially your mom. She knows about this, remember?"
I swallowed. "Yeah." I glanced up at Eric.
He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, I raised my hands and smashed the two glass balls on the floor.
Shards flew everywhere, and I shielded my eyes, wincing as a piece of crystal grazed my cheek.
Several things happened in that single second.
Shima disappeared. Eric grabbed my hand. The glass disappeared. And the blue mist surrounded us, closing us in, wrapping us in a veil of complete blindness save for the bright mixture of navy blue and teal that swirled and unfurled into images before my eyes.
It was mom. I watched a young girl with long, tangled locks the color of rusted copper and acidic eyes hug someone so alike me I almost thought it was me; then I noticed the green eyes and I realized it was my grandmother. Adeena's mom.
Next was Adeena hiding in a place I did not recognize. But judging by the tools lying about it was a smithy.
She opened her mouth to speak, looking at a boy standing above her, holding a sword to her chin. "I'm Adeena," She said, words echoing in and around me, "...Cole."
He paused before speaking. "Will Turner."
Then the scene shifted, and Adeena was older. She was screaming in Swedish, hands tied to a post, as some stranger took a whip to her back. They were on a ship I didn't recognize. Interceptor, the side read.
Again it changed, and now I watched Adeena and Jack lock eyes for the first time. I heard Jack's thought's, first. Green, he echoed. He sounded mildly surprised.
Then mom's. Handsome. I almost smiled.
It shifted once more, the smoke twisting so that I could watch from Adeena's eyes as she watched the Pearl go down, Jack with her.
She didn't have anything to share. Her thoughts were so confused and dismayed that they were hardly coherent.
Then I was watching her again, third person view, standing in front of Adeena. She appeared to be staring at me, spellbound, but then I realized she was looking at whatever was behind me when she ran forward and through me, like I was air.
I spun around. She was embracing Jack. Davy Jones' Locker, I realized.
The story shifted.
"So you're my sister?" Adeena asked, gazing suspiciously at a beautiful woman I didn't recognize. Her hair was brown, like Adeena's, and her eyes were just as dark as her frizzy locks.
"Half sister," She said, with a Spanish accent. "And Blackbeard is your father, like he is mine."
Adeena's jaw tightened, but she nodded, sticking out a hand for her to shake. "Pleasure to meet you. Sorry Jack is a dick."
Angelica smiled, amused. "I should be apologizing to you."
Adeena smirked, shrugging. When she spoke it was a tad smug, and the other woman visibly stiffened. "I married him."
Again it switched -- and I saw me. Young me.
"Dad," I called, scrambling across the deck, dragging a cutlass. "Teach me!"
Adeena watched this from a distance. Watched as Jack sort of flushed, and knelt down to take the weapon from me with amusement in her eyes.
"Her name is ridiculous," Pintel scoffed from behind her.
She glared, and that shut him up.
The seemingly endless memories came to a sudden halt and I had to blink as a bright flash of red, then white, stained the scene I had been watching.
Adeena's final words echoed all around me. Jacqueline better survive this shit.
I was struck with the urge to cry but I didn't, startled as the mist shimmered and condensed, and Eric's hand materialized back in mine again.
We watched, amazed, as the smoke swirled, and suddenly, before us, stood Jack and Adeena Sparrow.
Eric's hand tightened around mine. I thought I might collapse.
They weren't exactly as I remembered them. They looked younger. Mom's hair was short, though, like she had just cut it; it was uneven and fell around her shoulders. Her bright eyes found mine and she looked just as shocked, shifting closer to Jack as he did the same. Their hands were intertwined.
He was looking at Eric, his chocolaty eyes wary. His hair was just as frazzled as I had remembered, though the blue bead was notably missing. That was in my pocket.
Jack was the first to speak. "Who're you?" He asked in a rude fashion.
Adeena spoke next, drawing his attention. "...mom?" She was peering at me, eyes wide. Then she relaxed, looking away. "No. Your eyes are different."
I cleared my throat before Jack could say something stupid. "I'm Jacqueline."
Their gazes flew back to me again, although they were silent.
"Jacqueline. Sometimes my parents called me Jackie." I swallowed thickly, voice strained. "I have a lot of names. Jacqueline is my first, then it's Angelica. Angelica Mari Elizabeth." I paused to take a shaky breath. "Sparrow. Sparrow is my last name."
You could've cut the silence with how thick it was.
Adeena dropped Jack's hand so she could clap them over her mouth and walk forward. I was vaguely aware of Eric letting my hand free and moving away as Adeena drew closer.
"I'm dead?" Adeena asked, gaze flickering about our surroundings. We were on the Pearl. It was late, and the setting sun cast a fiery orange glow over the world beneath it.
"Yeah." I whispered. "Sorry."
"It's my fault," She shook her head, and stopped in front of me. She was slightly taller -- not by much. "You...you're..."
"I'm eighteen." I said.
"I see." She lifted a hand and tilted my chin up, then to the side, studying my face. "You look like my mom."
"I know." I said quietly.
She bit her lip. "I'm so sorry."
I frowned as she took my hand, turning it this way and that, holding it to her chest. "Why? You don't need..."
"It's my fault." She replied in a surprisingly steady voice, as tears were now dripping from her eyes and landing on the deck. "It's all my fault -- you were eight -- Jackie, I'm so sorry --"
"Mom," I whispered, as she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into an almost painful embrace. "Mom, it's fine --"
"I'm so sorry," She said, her voice choked.
I bit my lip but the sobs came out anyway, shaking my figure and making my hands tremble. "Mom, I missed you."
"I know," She sounded like she was trying to comfort me, but her voice cracked.
We stood like that for a long moment, just clutching at each other, before Adeena pulled away, wiping at her eyes. She wasn't wearing the typical kohl, I noticed.
She turned on her heel to face Jack. "You're unusually quiet."
He rolled his eyes. "I have a reason to be speechless, love." His gaze flickered to me and he waved slightly. "Hi."
I gave a watery laugh, sniffling. "Hey. Dad."
"That makes me sound old..." He muttered, though I could tell he didn't mind much.
"You don't have to stand over there, you know." I said, raising my eyebrows. "You could, I dunno, come give me a hug. Or something."
He sighed but walked forward, jerking me into a rough embrace. It was brief, but when he pulled away he held my shoulders and looked me over, then ruffled my hair. "You look exactly like Adeena."
I grinned. "Do you even understand what's going on?"
"No." He answered honestly. Then he cocked an eyebrow. "Who's your friend?"
Eric! I'd forgotten about him.
"Oh, um," I groped behind me for Eric's hand, which he gladly gave me. "This is Eric Kendrick, my darling first mate! Say hi, love," I grinned and pulled him to my side.
"Pleasure," Eric said calmly, shaking Jack's hand.
"So you're still the Black Pearl's captain?" Adeena quizzed as Eric and Jack sized each other up. Men.
"Yeah," I said, squeezing Eric's fingers to remind him that there was more to the situation than proving himself to my father. "But that might change if I fuck up again."
That drew Jack's attention. "What?" He asked, a hint of dismay hidden in his casual tone.
I swallowed. "They guy that killed you guys. You know, mom, that Sutcliffe guy?"
Her eyes narrowed. "That bástardos. I know, yes. I was at that stupid trial; Jack and I both were." She added something foul in Chinese, sniffing.
"Then you know he's wherever humans are." I said evenly. "He's like all pissed at me because you guys got him kicked out of 'Shinigami Land'." I made air quotes. "So he's kinda holding the crew hostage. And the Pearl." I met Jack's eyes. "He'll probably end up burning her, in the end, if I don't fix this."
"Then...why are you here?" He waved his hands. "You should be down there chopping off his head, not bothering with us, love."
I felt my face warm. "I..."
Eric spoke. "Shinigami are immortal, and Sutcliffe sent us here."
"That seems counter productive, if he wants you dead." Adeena pointed out.
"He wants to come back here." I corrected. "And he can't do that unless First is dead."
"That idiot?" Jack made a face.
"Like you have room to talk," Mom shot back. "I enjoyed his presence, to be completely honest."
"He wrote Jacqueline's name in his Death Note." Eric put in.
"Eric!" I exclaimed, glaring.
"What?" Adeena and Jack chorused, outraged.
I scrambled to reassure them. "I have time left, plenty of it." Well, that was a lie. "Don't worry about that, we can't change what's happened."
"But you can!" Mom exclaimed. "You can kill him, and then the act will be canceled!"
Eric's fingers tightened around mine.
"But I can't kill him!" I retorted, frustrated. "He's immortal, and I have no idea where that damned Death Note is! We need his own Note to kill him, dunno if you knew!"
"That's not the only way!" She bit out, looking about to lose her patience. Her eyes flashed a florescent green.
"Then what?" I snapped back.
She took a deep breath. I doubted she wanted to lose her temper with her brat of a daughter. "You can do as Jack said." She said, glancing at him. "Cut off his head. Their heads."
I blinked. "That's it, really?"
"Really?" Jack echoed, surprised he was for once speaking logic.
"They're also dead, the Shinigami." Mom explained. "It's how they can't be killed, really -- you can't kill what isn't alive. But their heads, their brains, are where they store their memories. They are also made up of their past, like...us." Regret flashed across her face and the look Jack gave her was borderline sympathetic.
"So it isn't really...killing them?" I tried.
"No. You can't kill them. But you can...stop them. Stop their movement, I guess?" She wracked her brain for the right words. "I don't know, quit staring at me." She snapped.
Hope blossomed in my chest. "So...we can do it." A smile spread across my face and I turned to Eric. "Eric, we can do it! I was all worried, and shit...and..." My smile fell and I looked back to Adeena and Jack.
If I left here, I would never see my parents again.
I was seeing them again after ten years and now I had to leave. Had to forget all over again. Had to lose them. Again.
Eric's words echoed in my head and I suddenly realized he was right.
"I'm afraid you'll want to stay, wherever they are."
I gave mom and dad as serious a stare as I was capable, throat tightening. "I can't stay."
Mom nodded, looking away. "I know."
Jack was silent.
"I have to go back." I whispered.
Eric's presence was quiet and commanding as usual, but his silent screams rang in my ears. This is what I was afraid of, Jacqueline. You have to come back, with me. Where you belong.
Where I belong? I wondered briefly. With Eric?
Yes. My place is with Eric.
"I belong...not here." I said, steel edging its way into my usually light tone. "Back with the Pearl. With Eric -- and the crew." I nodded, meeting their eyes again.
"We're not keeping you here," Mom rolled her eyes and pulled me into another hug. I breathed in her scent, somehow still familiar. "I would've kicked you out anyway."
"Thank you." I said, breathing out a reluctant sigh. "Jack, get over here."
He looked uncomfortable but joined our little group-hug-thing.
We soon broke up and I grinned at them. "I'll make you guys proud."
"Try to live up to my name, love," Jack winked.
I rolled my eyes. "It's mom's name I'll be living up to, Jack."
"Yeah, yeah," He waved a hand.
She grabbed my hand, holding it between hers. "I'm already proud." She grinned, eyes shining again. "Jackie, I am so proud of you."
My words were caught in my throat, so I just nodded.
"You." Jack said sharply. I thought he was talking to me, but I realized he was looking at Eric. "You better take good care of her."
Mom laughed behind her hand. I merely smiled, watching fondly as Eric's eyes widened and he responded with an 'of course'.
Adeena pulled me close again.
"You're in love, it's so cute!" She giggled -- actually giggled -- into my ear. "We both like older men, ha."
"M-mom!" I exclaimed, reddening, as she pushed me away.
"Go save the Pearl. Kill a Death God." She grinned through her tears -- I was crying too, I realized -- "Love you, Jackie."
"Love you, too --" I choked out -- the blue was shimmering and the world was lifting around us, swirling and all I could see was a blurred splotch of color that I assumed was Jack and Adeena -- "I'm sorry -- see you! --"
No! I panicked as Eric's hand slipped from mine. Where did he go --
It all over in a fraction of a second. I was opening my eyes and falling to the floor, exhausted and sobbing. Eric's hand was back in mine, and he was quietly sitting beside me as I held my knees to my chest and rocked back and forth, wailing very unattractively into my knees.
Blindly I reached for him. "Eric --"
He guided me into his chest, holding me and curling my hair around his fingers. "I'm here."
"Thanks," I laughed weakly, breathing him in. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Jack didn't like me very much."
I snorted, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. My kohl rubbed off. "It's because you're a handsome male accompanying his daughter."
"...handsome?"
I froze. "Um. Yeah. I can appreciate that. You're nice to look at."
The silence was very heavy.
"You're nice to look at as well." He said after a while.
More silence, interrupted only by my uneven breaths.
"Thanks." I said, pushing myself upwards so we could face one another, meaning to tell him we should get going.
It was a mistake -- I was distracted by the blueness of his eyes. The way they were the color of the sky on a clear day, bright and opaque, reflecting my own. The color of the ocean when the sun hit it just right. Shining and glittering in the most whimsical way possible.
"Jacqueline --" He said, voice rising slightly, betraying his slight panic as we drew closer to one another, but he didn't stop when our lips brushed.
He didn't push me away when I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer.
And I didn't push him away when his hands found the small of my back.
I'm kissing Eric Kendrick.
***
I was legit making so many 'that's what she said' and balls jokes this chapter, cuz she kept talking about the little snow globe things, you know? I was doing that last chapter too, and well...
I'm a terrible human.
But omg! They finally kissed!
I was like pissed at myself once I went over the chapter. Who makes the main character make out with another main character after a scene like that takes place? Especially after this shit chapter which I will probably edit later?
Clearly, me. Wow.
Did I do a good job? Like I know it probably could've been better. Like Jack could've talked more, and he could've reacted differently, but I was really thinking about his relationship with Jacqueline and his character in general and -- I'm babbling. Tell me what you think?
Was it nice seeing Adeena? I enjoyed writing her briefly like that. I missed her.
Btw, I went and edited the first few chapters of COTBP if you wanna check that out. See my improved crap. I realized while editing it that Adeena was a brat most of the time so I'm trying to fix that.
Does someone maybe wanna go through the books and be my editor? Just like tell me about my spelling/grammar/punctuation errors, make suggestions. And help me fix Adeena's brattiness.
Whatever, I'll let ya'll go. See ya next time <3
(PS: Did anyone cry? I almost did, but maybe that's because their my characters)