The Sun and The Moon (Jack Sparrow)

30

Catherine's eyes opened.

Being in her bed felt out of sorts.

After being on a ship, sleeping in a hammock for over a month, being back in her own soft bed felt wrong. There was no sway, no creaking of a ship, no ocean, and no smell of dirty pirates.

Maybe the smell was the only good thing.

Sunshine gleamed into her bedroom, warming up the feel of the room. It was early morning, from what she could tell. Sleep was the last thing on her mind as she stared out her window, glancing at the curtains she had forgotten to close.

From the moment she closed her eyes, she dreamed of Jack. He was standing on the beach, waiting for her with that signature smirk of his. Beauty was not enough to described his appearance. His frock coat and boots had gone, leaving him standing in his loose-fitted shirt and trousers, adorn in his accessories.

Catherine's outfit had changed too. The dress she wore was not a dress itself, but rather a large, black shirt similar to Jack's. Her feet were bare, hair unbound and flowing through the wind. Gold coated her fingers, wrists, and ears, treasures she couldn't recall ever owning or seeing.

The pirate's hand was outstretched to her, silently beckoning her to come to him. It caused her to smile, lulling her in step like answering a siren's beautiful song. Her feet carried across the soft, pillowy sand, and before she knew it, her hand was in his.

Jack's signature expression grew, his dark eyes sparkling. He pulled her to his chest, attaching his hands to her waist, her hands placed on the exposed bits of his chest. Warmth radiated from his body, comforting her entirely. The sensation only grew when Jack lowered his face to her, pressing his lips against hers, the taste of rum and love now coating her tongue.

It was perfect.

It was her happiness.

It felt so real.

Jack's hands, his lips, his warmth, everything.

It was all real, until it wasn't.

Only cold replaced Catherine when she had woken, regardless of the sunshine in her bedroom.

Rolling away from the window, she came face-to-face with a sleeping Elizabeth, looking just a perfect and beautiful in sleep as she did awake. Catherine was pretty sure that when she slept, she looked like a disheveled animal, hair, drool, and snores everywhere.

As she slept, she couldn't help but stare at her, admiring her cousin. She finally allowed herself to be filled with gratitude for the safety for Elizabeth. Luck or fate had to have been the reasoning how they all made it out alive, she was sure of it. There was no way Catherine and Will could have pulled it off any other way. Whatever the reasoning was, she was forever grateful to have her cousin back in her life. She couldn't help but feel closer to Elizabeth than ever before. Both young women faced death, men, and battle, no proper lady in their society could ever manage to handle all three just as well as they did.

Proper lady.

Catherine wondered if she still was a proper lady, if she had ever been one before. Something about being free from the restraints of the world she had known had felt so intoxicating, tasting so delicious. Free to love, free to run, free to chase, free to...be.

Eyes stared into hers now, the eyes of her now waking cousin. She stared at her for a moment, processing being awake. Confusion blinked into her dark eyes the longer Elizabeth held her cousin's gaze. "Have you been staring at me?" Her voice sound slurred and soft.

A snort came from Catherine's throat. "All night long," She smirked.

This made her cousin playfully roll her eyes, giving a fake "ha ha." Rolling over, Elizabeth sat up, pulling her covered knees to her chest, laying her cheek to her shoulder. "Did you get any sleep?" She asked, knowing very well what the answer may be.

The small bit of humor in Catherine faded from her chest. "No," She said, looking away from Elizabeth, back out her sunshine-filled window. "I had a difficult time falling asleep. When I finally did, I didn't stay asleep long. I woke up awhile ago. Maybe not that long ago, I don't know."

Elizabeth frowned at this. Letting her knees drop, she twist to face her cousin, reaching out to hold her hand. "I figured as much. I'm sorry I slept while you suffered so," She said, her brows dropping.

Catherine finally looked at her, furrowing her brows. "Don't be. You needed to sleep, Lizzy. After being held hostage by pirates for over a month, you needed the sleep." She squeezed her hand tightly, showing her she was more than okay. "I'll be okay, I promise. I have you, and Will, and my parents. I'll be okay." Whether she was saying that to Elizabeth or to herself, she wasn't sure. "I-I'll find love again...maybe...maybe I can take up Theodore on his proposal. He seems to care about me, respects me for who I am." Liquid began to fill her eyes the more she spoke.

"Don't marry him, Catherine," Elizabeth whispered, her voice almost pleading. "I don't want you to end up in a love-less marriage. You will find love again. If it is not with Jack, then it will be with someone better than him, I promise you."

And she couldn't help but believe her words more than her own. She knew her cousin was right, she always was when it came to matters she knew best. It finally dawned on Catherine how unlike herself she was feeling. Had one man become to have this much of an affect on her? It almost made her angry how willing she gave herself to someone, but at the same time, she felt she would give herself to him again and again.

Shaking her head, she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she let out that final breath of thought. "You are right, cousin," She said, opening her eyes once more. Pushing herself to sit right up, she faced her cousin, feeling a small amount of the weight she felt begin to lift. "I need to accept this fate and move on. I can't let this happen anymore. I will most likely find my own love again, one day, and until then, I must learn to accept and move on from it, immediately."

If she could manage this within those few days before Jack is gone, the better for her.

So she thought in that moment.

Hands touched her shoulder and wrist. Concern was drawn up in Elizabeth's eyes and brows when she finally decided to look at her cousin. "Catherine...that's not what I'm saying. This is your first love, your first heartbreak. Allow yourself to feel this pain," She practically begged.

Catherine's eyes grew glossy as she gently shook her head. There, a small and forceful smile grew on her beautiful feature. "I don't want to be in pain anymore," She whispered.

At this, Elizabeth softened. She brushed Catherine's fiery hair out of her face, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her head to rest on her shoulder where they stayed for most of the morning.

Hi everyone! Apologies for the short chapter. It was suppose to be longer, but I decided to break it up into two chapters. I'm so proud of myself, I was able to get this chapter done today! I've been working really hard in my classes and have been struggling to find the time to sit down to focus on writing. I almost didn't make it for Monday Update!

Also, side note, I may be doing a small bit of writing with Evelyn and Will for anyone who is from my Young Love series! Stay tuned...

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the little chapter and thank you as always for this love and support. Have a great week!