Facing Ghosts

Sleep evaded Ginny again for the third night in a row. She longed to reach Tortuga, hoping time off the sea would distract her exhausted mind from her nightmares. They all started the same: she kissed Jack, only for Beckett to appear and stab him. However, within the past few nights, the nightmare evolved. Ginny would kneel beside Jack, blood on her hands. She sunk into a pool of blood until she drowned in it. She always woke up gasping and choking. Ginny tried to sleep, but the nightmares kept her from obtaining more than three hours each night. Either she needed to get blackout drunk, or she needed to see a physician.

Still, Ginny forced herself to use every ounce of energy she possessed. She cracked jokes with Anamaria (Jack had yet to stop their game, though Ginny was positive he was merely ignoring them) and chatted with Mr. Gibbs. Ginny knew Gibbs liked to tell stories, so each evening at twilight, she'd sit on deck with him and listen to one of his stories about his adventures at sea.

Ginny examined one of the sails at Jack's request. There was a rather large hole in it that needed repairing. So, Ginny worked on patching it with the materials Jack provided. She sewed as Gibbs recalled an instance where he faced pirates while he worked for the Navy. Anamaria sat nearby, handing Ginny scraps of canvas when needed.

"Why'd you leave the Navy, Mr. Gibbs?" Ginny queried.

"Oh," said Gibbs, his face darkening, "personal matter. Short of it is that I stopped goin' to work."

"My apologies," said Ginny, "it was a personal question."

"You never apologize to me for asking personal questions," muttered Anamaria.

"Or me," added Jack as he sauntered over to them.

"Because I don't like either of you," Ginny snapped.

Anamaria and Jack rolled their eyes. Ginny resumed her sewing, her brow puckering as she reached a corner of the hole. "Do any of you mind helping me turn the sail?"

Anamaria, Gibbs and Jack lifted the sail and shifted it so that Ginny could resume sewing. Anamaria sat on the deck with her back against the bannister. "What's our estimated time of arrival?"

"No later than tomorrow at dusk," replied Jack.

Ginny's sewing slowed, and her heart shriveled a little. That meant one more sleepless night and a full day of duties. She suppressed a sigh as Gibbs grinned at Anamaria. "Got plans at shore, Ana?"

Anamaria's face warmed. "As a matter of fact, I do. I'm going to visit my father."

Ginny's heart shrank even more. Now, she lacked a companion for shore leave. She would consider spending time with Jack but knew he would rather have Gisele than her for company. There were some things Ginny wasn't willing to provide that Gisele was.

"And you, Ginny? Got plans for when we reach Tortuga?" Gibbs asked kindly.

Ginny's smile was wry. "Oh, drink myself into a stupor."

Gibbs and Anamaria chuckled. Jack snorted, but his eyebrows twitched. He tipped his hat to them. "Carry on, mates. I've a need to check on the rest of the crew."

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Queen Sparrow," Ginny managed.

Jack stopped in his tracks and looked at her. He frowned. "What?"

Gibbs and Anamaria hid their snickering poorly, but Ginny maintained a straight face. "I mean that with the utmost respect. 'Queen' is a higher rank than 'captain,' after all."

"Touché," replied Jack. He turned on his heel and left them while Anamaria erupted into laughter.

"Now what in God's name was that about?" Gibbs chuckled.

Anamaria explained the game to Gibbs, who shook his head and chortled. Ginny smiled at him. "You could join in, if you want."

"Nay, lass," said Gibbs, "both of you have a might prettier face to look at than I do."

"Oh, Stormmare, I've got to top 'queen,' now," sighed Anamaria with a shake of her head.

Ginny grinned. "Good luck with that."

…

"I dare you to kiss me."

Jack leaned toward Ginny to kiss her, but she turned and ran, disappearing between the trees. Jack laughed and chased after her. A scream stopped him in his tracks. The trees around him disappeared, leaving Jack alone in a dark, empty space. Before him, two figures appeared. Jack neared them, walking along the surface of what appeared to be dark water. He stopped when he saw Ginny kneeling at a woman's side. He recognized the woman as Evelyn Enright. Ginny looked at her hands, her fingers splayed and shaking. Blood covered her hands.

"You left us."

"Gin, I…" He wanted to say he had no choice.

"You never tried to find me."

"I did! I went searching for you. I tracked you to Cutler Beckett. I even worked for him, trying to find you!"

"You promised you'd always be by my side. You said you'd always be right here." Ginny looked up at him, tears giving her eyes an ethereal glow.

Jack's heart stuttered in his chest. "Gin, I… I'm sorry."

Ginny looked like a little girl, but Jack's voice came out as a man's. Ginny hung her head. When she looked up, she was the woman Jack knew. She stood. Jack swallowed, noticed the blood stains on her dress. Ginny held Jack's gaze. "I cannot awaken from these nightmares. I'm a living ghost, Jack."

Jack jerked awake. Details of his dream slithered away as he readied himself for the day, until the only things he remembered were Evelyn Enright's body, Ginny covered in blood and the paralyzing fear that gripped him when he looked at the bloodstains on Ginny's dress. Another detail surfaced, one that he was sure had not come from the dream: Evelyn's sapphire pendant. When he had searched for Ginny after leaving Shipwreck Cove as a teenager, he returned to the site of the Enright farm first. He had searched the abandoned house for any clues of Ginny's whereabouts. He found a sapphire pendant in Evelyn's jewelry box. She had rarely taken it off, as it had been a family heirloom. Jack had pocketed it and kept it with him until Barbossa mutinied against him. Jack made a mental note to search the cabin later. He doubted that the pendant was still there. Barbossa had probably found it and sold it.

Shaking his head, Jack grabbed his hat and coat and stepped onto the main deck. Dawn kissed the sky with lavender, casting a soft light onto the deck. The only other souls awake were Cotton and Gibbs and… Ginny? Jack frowned, seeing Ginny sitting by the starboard bannister. Jack frowned and approached her. "You're up early."

Ginny jumped slightly. When she turned to look at him, Jack's heart panged. Shadows circled her eyes. "I… I couldn't sleep."

"Last night or all week?" Jack joked weakly. "You look like hell."

Ginny looked away. "Thanks."

Jack frowned. "Love, when was the last time you slept?"

"I got an hour or so last night," said Ginny.

"Nightmares?" Jack guessed.

Ginny looked up sharply. "Ana insists that I don't talk in my sleep, but she could be lying to spare my feelings."

"I didn't hear anything. I just know what someone suffering from nightmares looks like," Jack averted Ginny's gaze. He knew that haunted look in her eyes; he'd seen it in his own too many times to count.

Ginny's shoulders slumped. "I keep having this recurring nightmare. I see Beckett, and my mother, and I'm covered in blood, and you."

Jack blinked. "Me? I'm nightmarish to you, am I?"

Ginny scowled at him. "The events surrounding you are nightmarish, yes."

Jack's brow furrowed. "That why you want drink yourself into a stupor, love? To sleep?"

Ginny's lips twitched. "You know me so well."

Jack grunted in response. He glanced toward Mr. Cotton, who had handed the steering over to Gibbs. "Mr. Cotton!"

The mute man hobbled over. Jack was sure if the man could grumble to himself, he would. Cotton stopped before Jack and Ginny, eyebrows raised expectantly. Jack turned to Mr. Cotton, who acted as the ship's physician. Jack made a mental note to hire a more efficient physician. "Miss Stormmare is ill, and it has kept her awake the past several nights."

"Jack…"

Jack continued, ignoring Ginny's protest, "I need you to give her something to help her sleep. She is excused from her duties today. Poppy and rum should do the trick, but I'm no physician."

Cotton nodded and hobbled off. Ginny turned to Jack, her expression a mix between exasperated and grateful. "I don't need special treatment."

"No special treatment, love," Jack assured her, patting her on the arm. "You're no use if you're dead on your feet. Get some rest. That's an order."

"I…" Ginny tried, but Jack gave her a stern look. She shut her mouth and nodded.

Jack smirked and looked toward the stairs that descended below deck. Cotton stood at them, waving Ginny over. "I think Mr. Cotton expected you to follow him."

"Right," said Ginny, taking a few steps in that direction. She paused and turned to look at Jack. "Thank you, Jack."

"Standard protocol, love," Jack assured her. Ginny nodded and followed Cotton below deck. Jack's chest tightened. That wasn't standard protocol.

…

Ginny awoke to someone shaking her. She pried her eyes open and rubbed the sleep from them before focusing on Anamaria.

"We're docking at Tortuga in a few hours."

"I slept all day?"

"And most of the night," said Anamaria, her smile oddly soft. "Jack said you needed it."

Ginny wiped the drool off her cheek, the back of her neck heating. She dressed quickly and tied her hair back into a braid. "Did he say anything else?"

Anamaria shrugged. "Jack isn't one to share information that isn't his. But I know you're having nightmares, Storm."

Ginny stilled. "You said I don't talk in my sleep."

"I lied. Well, I didn't know before you asked if you did. Then I listened for it."

"Oh."

"What're you having nightmares about?"

Ginny lowered her gaze. "I forget the details, but I know they're about my mother, Jack and Cutler Beckett."

"Who?"

"His father was responsible for my mother's death."

"Ah. You said you served in a household… Was it theirs?"

"Yes."

Anamaria shook her head, her nose wrinkled. "Beckett's the prat who blackmailed you into sex, right?"

"That's the one."

"What a piece of shit," Anamaria spat. Her gaze softened as she looked at Ginny. "If you ever want to find him and give him what he deserves, I'd like to go to give him a nice punch to the face."

Ginny smiled wryly. "If I'm lucky, I'll never see him again. Does Jack want me on deck?"

"He didn't say," said Anamaria, "he just told me to wake you."

"Then I assume he had a reason," Ginny replied. She and Anamaria left their cabin and arrived on deck. Jack stood at the helm, the early morning darkness stark behind him. Ginny was aware of Anamaria following her to the helm. Jack glanced toward Ginny before turning his attention ahead.

"You seem rested."

"Whatever Cotton gave me, it worked. Thank you."

"I expect you to be ready to work after our leave on Tortuga."

"I will be."

"Good," said Jack, puffing his chest. He relaxed after a few seconds and met Ginny's gaze. "Glad you're feeling better, love. I need my best sailors functional."

Ginny pursed her lips and nodded awkwardly. She exchanged a glance with Anamaria, who smirked. Jack was either oblivious to Anamaria's smugness or ignored it. He looked at her. "Ready to take the helm?"

"Aye, Mrs. Sparrow," said Anamaria.

Ginny barely swallowed her laughter. Jack blinked at them, an eyebrow raised. "All right, what is going on?"

Ginny and Anamaria released their laughter before answering. Ginny explained the game between giggles. Anamaria's laughter subsided first. "It was Storm's idea!"

Jack looked at Ginny, his expression deadpan. "And to think I gave you time off work."

"I suppose you won," Ginny grinned at Anamaria. "'Mrs.' Definitely topped 'queen.'"

"Of course it did," snickered Anamaria.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You're lucky I like you both, otherwise I'd throw your sorry butts into the ocean. You can swim the rest of the way to Tortuga."

"You can't say you weren't entertained, Captain," said Anamaria.

Jack merely snorted. Ginny folded her arms. "Come on, Jack. You were onto us from the very beginning."

Jack smirked and met her gaze. "Aye, I was," he admitted. "Your doing two in one evening got me suspicious. Stormmare, I'd like a word with you."

He let Anamaria take the wheel. Ginny exchanged a glance with her friend, who shrugged. Ginny followed Jack to his cabin. He strode toward the bookshelves. Ginny followed but stopped a few paces behind him, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Jack pulled a few texts from the shelf nearest to the door and carried them over to Ginny.

"Next time you have nightmares, fill your time learning to navigate properly." He held out the books to Ginny, who took the books from him.

"I… I don't know what to say."

"A simple 'thank you' will suffice."

Ginny looked up at him. She didn't know if it was the lack of sleep or the fact that Jack had thought of her like this, but tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "Thank you, Jack."

Jack shifted and looked away. "Don't mention it, love." He brightened suddenly. "I'll see you on deck to prepare for docking, shall I?"

"I'll be there," Ginny assured him. She left his cabin and placed the books in her cabin by her cot. Then, she headed on deck to join the rest of the crew.

…

Jack loved Tortuga. He loved the sea, and most of all his ship, but Tortuga held a special place in his heart as well. He sat with Gibbs at a table with a tankard of rum in one hand and a lucky hand of cards in the other. Gisele sat on his knee, giggling and nibbling on his ear. Jack shivered as Gisele's teeth scraped his earlobe. She whispered dirty nothings into his ear that made him want to end the card game.

Gibbs looked past Jack. "Ginny! Want to join us?"

Jack glanced behind him at Ginny, who stood next to a rather attractive sailor. Ginny grinned at the man. "Thanks, but Emmett and I are off to drink."

"Good luck," said Gibbs with a grin.

Ginny winked and strode off with Emmett. Jack scowled after him. The man was tall with broad shoulders. He wore his light brown hair in a low ponytail. Jack supposed the man resembled young Will Turner a bit, but less eunuch-y. Lips dropping, Jack swiveled in his seat to face Gibbs again. He gulped from his rum, allowing the alcohol to burn away his feelings. He lost the next few rounds in their card game.

Jack tried to ignore Ginny laughing with Emmett for the next several hours. Emmett was rather handsy with her, though Ginny didn't seem to mind. Her cheeks were pink from too much wine and laughter. Jack lowered his gaze as Emmett kissed Ginny's jawline. When Emmett and Ginny finally left the tavern, Jack wasn't sure if he felt relieved or worse. He also wasn't sure why he cared in the first place. Ginny was perfectly capable to spend her time with anyone she liked. Yet, he couldn't forget her telling him that she wanted sex to be special. He had scoffed at her then, but after learning about what Cutler Beckett had done to her, he understood. So why did it seem like she was fine with Emmett? She'd known the man for a few hours.

Jack shooed Gisele away, no longer in the mood. Gibbs lifted a brow as Jack laid down his cards. "Your mood has gone sour."

"Just want to be alone," Jack replied, standing.

Gibbs furrowed his brow. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Jack answered gruffly. He left the tavern without another look at Gibbs. He wandered to the beach and trekked away from the populated portions. He climbed onto a large rock and sat upon it, overlooking the sea as it glittered in the setting sun. As it was often wont to do when he gazed at the sea, Jack's mind drifted.

His dreams were not particularly terrifying as of late, but they held a peculiarity to them that haunted him during the day. He dreamed of Ginny frequently. Sometimes she was the main focus, and other times she was just a ghost flitting in the background of his dreams. Sometimes he dreamt of her as a woman, while other times he dreamt of her as a child with blood on her hands, asking him why. Why didn't you stay?

Jack shivered. They would never be those children again. They'd been naïve to think that they would grow up together and sail the seas as captain and first mate. Jack could forgive the child in him for thinking that. Naivety was a trait of innocence, and those promises had been made before they had entered the world. Some part of Jack still craved that innocence, that simplicity. He wished they could be those children again, best friends sailing the seas and adventuring forever. Jack snorted at himself. The life of piracy had no place for romanticism and naivety. Innocence didn't live in Jack's world.

Well, it didn't live in Ginny's, either. Jack felt like every time she shared something about her past, he was still only seeing the surface. She was the moon. She let the sun shine on part of her, but there was still a whole side to her shrouded in darkness. Jack hadn't decided if that scared him or not.

Jack's thoughts drifted from Ginny's elusiveness to her smile while she was with Emmett. He wasn't sure why he cared so much. Ginny was perfectly able to pursue the affections of anyone she liked. Yet the burning sensation in Jack's chest persisted. He clenched his teeth until it hurt. Jack glowered. "I hope he's a fucking eunuch."

…

Their second day at port, Ginny changed out of her usual pirate garb into something a little nicer. And cleaner. The navy of her skirt brushed the ground, but Ginny wasn't about to gather up her skirts and wander about Tortuga. Anamaria had told Ginny to meet at the Faithful Bride for breakfast, and to "not look like a pirate." Ginny hadn't questioned the request, so she put on her skirt, a clean blouse and a belt. She felt she still looked a bit like a pirate –certainly not a lady of the governor's mansion anymore –but she did look less like a pirate.

She entered the tavern and found Anamaria sitting by herself at a table. Ginny walked over and took a seat. Two mugs of coffee sat on the table already.

Anamaria grinned at Ginny's attire. "Well, don't you look lovely, madame."

"Oh, shut it," Ginny replied. "You told me to wear it."

"And I thank you," said Anamaria, dipping her head. She was also out of her usual garb, wearing a dusty rose skirt. "My father isn't too fond of my being a pirate, but the tavern doesn't pay shit, and Jack does."

"How is your father?" Ginny queried.

Anamaria's face darkened. "Not so well, actually."

"I'm sorry, Ana."

"I asked you to come to talk about it," Anamaria pressed on, ignoring Ginny's sympathy. "Me dad's ill."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah, you can shut your hole," barked Anamaria. Her lips twitched slightly. Ginny closed her mouth and let her friend continue. "I have to leave the crew."

"To take care of your father?"

"Aye."

"But… You said working the tavern doesn't pay shit."

"I won't be working the tavern," muttered Anamaria.

Ginny frowned. "Don't tell me…"

"If you ask if I'm going to whore myself out, I swear I will punch you in your pretty mouth, Storm."

"Then what will you do for work?"

"I'm taking over my father's fishing business. I've made enough money from working Jack's crew, and he said he'd give me emergency funds. I'll work the tavern too, I suppose. I can't leave my father alone in the state he's in."

"Ana, I'm really sorry."

"Me too," Anamaria said, her eyebrows gathering in. Her voice was oddly hoarse. "I was just beginning to like you and the crew."

"Hm," Ginny hummed, rolling her eyes. Her heart sank. "I finally get the cabin to myself, though."

"But now you have to deal with Jack on your own," said Anamaria, smirking.

Ginny snorted. "I can handle him."

"I'm sure he wants you to," muttered Anamaria over the brim of her mug.

Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse you?"

"Forget it," said Anamaria. Ginny let it slide, though she shot her friend a scowl. Anamaria ignored it. "How'd things go with that guy, what's-his-face? Emily?"

"Emmett," Ginny corrected, "and it went well. We had fun."

"Did you… dirty the sheets?"

"Did I… No, Ana, I didn't."

"Why not? Emory was quite the specimen to gaze upon. An Adonis of the new age."

"You know very well that his name is Emmett," said Ginny, "and attractiveness is not all there is."

"Bloody hell, don't tell me you go for personality?"

"No," said Ginny, "I want it to mean something."

"Ah," said Anamaria. "So, you're waiting to pull your head out of your arse, then."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I did, I just don't know what you mean."

"You and Jack?"

"What about Jack and me?" Ginny muttered, drinking from her coffee.

"That's exactly my point!" Anamaria cried. "You both are walking around with your heads so far up your own asses that your heads are coming back out through your throats!"

"That's a terrifying image," Ginny replied. "Thank you for putting that in my head."

"Storm," Anamaria snapped, "you can't deny that there's something there."

"Jack and I are just friends, Ana. There's no desire there, except for when I desire to throw Jack overboard because he's being an arse."

"Just friends?" Anamaria scoffed. "Mr. Gibbs and I are just friends. You and I are just friends. You don't see me looking at Gibbs the way you look at Jack."

Ginny avoided her friend's pointed stare. She focused on the coffee in her mug, which rippled every time someone walked past. She thought of Jack's behavior the night before and this morning. He had gone to great lengths –comically so –to avoid Ginny. When she had tried to say good morning, Jack looked toward the helm and said, "Yes Gibbs? Be right there!" He had hurried to his cabin instead, and no one was even standing at the helm. Ginny relayed the story to Anamaria, who cackled.

"You two just need to fuck already," she said.

Ginny's cheeks reddened. "I… How… Jack? No… I… Fuck? How dare you!"

"Come off it, Storm. You've felt any sort of attraction to him?" Anamaria eyed Ginny so intently that she felt the need to look away.

"I… I mean, yes, I have," Ginny admitted.

Anamaria leaned back with a triumphant "Ha!"

Ginny looked up sharply. "But good grief, he's so infuriating. Sometimes, I don't know if I want to kiss him or throw him off a bloody cliff!"

Anamaria's laughter subsided. She grinned and took a sip of coffee. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual for him."

…

On the fifth day of shore leave, Jack searched the cabinets and drawers of his cabin, but it seemed as though he'd been correct in assuming that Barbossa had sold Evelyn Enright's pendant. Jack sighed and decided to check his desk. He opened the drawers on the left side, but it wasn't there. Jack frowned as he opened the top right drawer. He knew that Barbossa knew of the secret compartment in the drawer, so Jack would be shocked if the pendant were there, but he checked it anyway.

The breath slammed out of Jack's lungs. It was there. Jack picked up the pendant, his eyes wide. How? Why hadn't Barbossa sold it? Why had Barbossa protected it? Jack ran his thumb over the blue jewel. It was clean, which meant that Barbossa had cared for the pendant. Why?

He shrugged. He couldn't ask Barbossa, and it was unlikely that Ginny knew, anyway. The thought of Ginny caused Jack to freeze. He'd been avoiding her. It was childish, he knew that. But Ginny had spent every evening of shore leave with Anamaria and Emmett, and try as he might to ignore it, it bothered him. Seeing her eyes dance as she looked at Emmett, hearing her laugh, watching her bite her lip… Jack closed his eyes and shook his head. He wanted Ginny to look at him like that.

"Damn that woman," Jack muttered, dropping the pendant into his pocket. He stepped out of his cabin. The very woman stood on deck, looking rather pretty with half her hair pulled out of her face. The rest of danced into playful waves. She looked cleaner, too, as if she had taken a trip to the Tortugan bathhouses. The thought of her there with Emmett churned Jack's stomach.

Ginny seemed to have been waiting for him. She folded her arms as she eyed him. "You've been avoiding me."

Jack considered running away, but that would only prove her point. He straightened and lifted his chin. "You wanted equal treatment, you're getting it." His tone was sharper than he'd intended. He turned to stride away, but Ginny blocked his path.

"This is not equal treatment, Jack! Lately, you're nicer to Cotton than you are to me!"

"Give me a bloody break, woman." Jack grumbled, pushing past her.

"Can't you just admit that you're attracted to me too?" Ginny called after him.

Jack froze. A rush tingled through his body. He turned, slowly. Ginny widened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand. Jack stared at her, for once at a loss for words. He wanted to say, Too? Did that mean the feeling flowed both ways? He parted his lips to respond, but no sound came out.

Ginny's hand dropped to her side. "I…" She backed away slightly. "Perhaps it's best if I leave the crew, too." She turned on her heel and left the Pearl. Jack let her go.

…

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. I got really busy with travel and such. I hope this chapter was worth it! It was getting really long, so I divided it into two. Let's see if Jack and Ginny can resolve this, shall we?

As always, thank you for the support. Please continue to do so!