Season of the Tides (Pirates of the Caribbean)

20. Killian Jones

Her entire life had been a lie. Every single word.

As she stood over on the top deck, Marien's mind wondered. Her father was Captain Hook, a man she'd despised for so long; how had this happened?

"I don't need your blithering, Jackson," she growled, sensing someone there.

"I wouldn't blame you."

She stiffened, realizing it wasn't Jackson at all.

"What happened to me?" she asked, turning back.

Hook shook his head as he watched her, "I was a Naval Officer, working for the East India Trading Company. It was a simple trade route, but it was dangerous; crawling with pirates. Bootstrap came out of nowhere in the dead of night."

Memories flashed painfully across his face, but he continued.

"He took you after he raided the ship. I spent almost ten years looking for you, and when I never found you, I assumed you were dead. After that, I demanded my revenge."

Marien nodded slowly, it did sound reasonable. But there was still one question unanswered.

"What happened to my mother?" she asked.

She heard him catch his breath, and knew instantly it was not a happy story.

"Did Darlo kill her?" she asked harshly.

"No, all he did was take my hand, your mother...," he trailed off for a moment, "She was killed by Yellow Fever shortly after you were born."

Marien nodded, she knew many people had died during that period of time. She chuckled humorlessly, "And all this time, he knew and he never told me!"

She threw her hands up and sighed hardly," Will has lied to me my entire life."

She sat down on a crate, his gaze still on her. "I probably wasn't even born in July!"

"June."

She looked up, "What?"

"You were born on June 17th."

She frowned, and glanced down at the half-locket she'd always known. The letters etched in read: JU. She'd always thought the other half would read LY. After all, that's what her mother had told her. Or Will's mother, anyway.

"That locket," Hook said," You still have it."

"I don't remember getting it, but I've always had it, yes."

"It was your mother's."

That brought a tinge of a smile to Marien's lips,

"What was her name?" she asked.

"May," he smiled," Such an unusual name, but that's what I loved about her; she was no mere fair maiden. You look like her."

Marien nodded, taking this in; she picked up the locket and gazed at it.

"When she died, I split it so we'd each have a part of her," Hook continued.

Marien dropped the locket,

"So, you chased Will for four years because you wanted revenge?" she repeated.

He nodded solemnly, "I thought killing Bootstrap's son would ease my conscience."

"And what does your conscience tell you now?"

"That I was looking in the right place."

She stood, "What's your name? Your real name, I mean."