Book One: Worlds Apart (Loki)

Chapter Seventeen

New Orleans, 1770: Katri leaves a room of the Abbatoir back in New Orleans, she takes a breath and then releases it. She's been back on dry land for 20 years now. Back with her family and the dresses and the corsets, those she has not missed. Her family on the other hand. She couldn't stay away any longer, the months and months at sea without them proved to be rather difficult for her. So here she is. Back home.

"Not as fetching on you as the old get up" she snaps her head to the side. Jack Sparrow steps out of the shadows and approaches her, a cage in hand and Jack the monkey inside. "You haven't aged a day" he comments. "Now how do you do that?" he asks.

"A girl's got to have her secrets, Jack" she answers coyly. "What are you doing here? And why do you have Jack?" she asks motioning to the monkey, Sparrow holds out the cage.

"He's yours now" Sparrow tells her.

"No, it was agreed that I would only get Jack...." she stops and looks to Sparrow. "When Barbossa died" she whispers, Sparrow holds out the cage.

"He's yours now" he repeats, Katri takes the cage and sets it down on the table next to her before opening it, Jack jumps out and up her arm. Undead drifting to the undead, she and Jack have always been on better standing then the monkey is with anyone else, Jack sits on her shoulder and plays with the necklace around her neck.

"Hello, Jack" she greets. "Welcome to New Orleans" The monkey makes a noise and bounces on her shoulder, pleased to see her too.

"Well....I should go" Sparrow offers and turns to leave.

"You could stay" she offers. "My brother is throwing a party" she turns to him. "Drinking" he perks up a little. "Lots of easy pockets to pick" he glances to her. "Food...."

"Oh alright you twisted my arm" he moves to her and pokes her nose.

...............

Downstairs: Kaja and Ark, both dressed to the nine, step through the door to the Abattoir. Ark fidgets slightly with his collar, Kaja slaps at his hand and he scowls at her.

"Belong here" she scolds. "We have to look like we belong here" she touches his chest. "Straighter" she instructs.

"How do you know all this?" he asks her.

"I was raised to be...." she stops herself. "My mother taught me" she finishes, she sets his hand right against her arm, Ark takes a breath and nods. Kaja looks around before smiling. "There" Kaja turns Ark's face towards Katri who stands beside Niklaus who is eyeing both Jack's with equal distaste.

"She's beautiful" Ark comments, Kaja nods and smiles. Can see Loki's draw to her. A classic beauty that would have made the women of Asgard green with envy. "And she has a monkey" Ark mumbles, Kaja nods.

"Go and talk to her" Kaja pushes, he shakes his head.

"Nope" he turns to leave, Kaja grabs his arm to stop him.

"Arkin" she scolds trying to pull him back.

"I can't do this, Ka" he whispers. "I thought I was ready but I'm not....not now I've actually seen her....I look nothing like her"

"No" Kaja agrees. "You look like your father" she admits, he looks to her.

"My father?" he asks.

"I saw him" she answers looking away. "In a vision" he raises an eyebrow at her. "Look...." she starts turning back to him. "We can stay in New Orleans and you can...not talk to your mother. Watching the family you long for from afar. We can do that" she offers sadly. "Trust me, Ark, family....." she pauses and touches his chest. "When you have it.....it is the greatest thing in the world. Nothing beats it. But family....will always break your heart" she admits. "It's what they do. Even when you love them with all that you have, make one mistake and that's it.....you need to be sure you are ready, I know that...so what do you want to do here?" he kisses her with a smile.

"I want to go home, with you" he whispers against her lips. "You are all the family I need, Ka" he admits. "For now...." she smiles and nods.

"For now" she repeats. "One day you will be ready" he nods.

..................

Katri walks through the dark streets of New Orleans with Jack on her shoulders, Sparrow at her side, they head towards the harbour.

"Where will you go now?" Katri asks him, Sparrow shrugs and turns to her.

"Where ever the wind takes me, darling" he answers. "Just little old Jack now" he teases, she looks to him sadly.

"You know what" She offers tuning to him. "You ever need someone to drink with...."

"I'll find you" he teases back tapping the compass on his belt. They reach the harbour and Katri's eyes widen.

"The Pearl" she whispers. "You got her back" he nods.

"I got her back" he agrees, she looks to him.

"Good luck" she teases slightly and then walks away. "You're gonna need it" she teases