Season of the Tides (Pirates of the Caribbean)

19. Kaylee's Discovery

So, Captain Hook wasn't a monster, someone he'd loved had been taken from him.

Kaylee frowned, placing the cub on the ground as she watched from the quarter deck; no one had bothered to guard up here.

"That's absurd! Bootstrap Bill was a pirate but he never stole a child! Never-the-less killed one!" Jackson argued below.

Will's expression was made to looked shocked, but Kaylee could see that this was masking something else. Perhaps he'd known this.

"She was all I had," Hook snarled," I think I'd know how I lost everything."

Wait a minute, Kaylee's frowned deepened.

His eyes were familiar, a clear blue that she knew she'd seen.

"I searched for ten years!" Hook yelled," I scoured every port in the Caribbean! She's dead because of his father!"

He jabbed a finger at Will, whose eyes flashed to Marien for a mere second.

Kaylee arched an eyebrow, and caught a glimpse of gold around Marien's neck; it was similar to the locket she'd seen on Hook's ship. And her eyes were the exact color, just shaped differently.

"I don't think your daughter is dead," Kaylee said suddenly.

All eyes flashed to her as she walked down the railing, no one bothering to grab her.
Hook's eyes flashed, and he dropped his grip on Jackson and aimed his pistol at her.

"What do you know?" he demanded with a glimmer of sudden hope in his eyes.

"How old was the child when she was taken?" Kaylee asked.

Hook didn't move. "Six months," he replied stiffly.

"And her name?"

His eyes narrowed at her, but he answered.

"Marien."

Kaylee could here Gibb's sharp intake, and slowly turned to look at Marien; she'd broken the pirates grip and was shaking her head. Kaylee could see it now, the resemblance was astonishing.

"That's impossible!" she exclaimed, looking from Kaylee to Hook," I would've remembered!"

"At six months you wouldn't have," Kaylee told her.

"This is-no, this is not true!" Marien turned to face Will," This is not true, tell me this is not true!"

Will didn't look at her at first, his expression indescribable.

"Will?" Marien moved closer," this isn't true!"

He turned to face her, his expression giving it all away. "Yes, it is."

Marien's eyes widened and she stepped back, turned to disappear under the hatch.
No one was sure what exactly to do next, both their captains were frozen in shock.

"Er...back to work!" Gibbs shouted, "Leave the captains to their thoughts."

He glanced at Kaylee before walking off, and even Hook's crew followed his orders.

Jackson slowly got to his feet, staring at Will,

"I thought you were kidding," he said, a note of shock in his voice.

Will shook his head, looking as if he wasn't sure what to do.

Kaylee sighed, realizing that this was her fault. But shouldn't he have told Marien? She had a right to know.