The Captain's Heart

Chapter 4 - Father

Her heart thumped as she hid behind a stack of boxes again, and she listened with baited breath. The person coming down the stairs was breathing quite heavily, and Ngaio heard Celeste speak.

"What happened to you?"

"I was punished for a mistake." It was Will's voice.

"Are you sure you're alright? I know how much it hurts. Especially when it's Maccus - he prides himself on how much pain he is able to inflict, "

"It was my father, "

"Your father?"

"Bootstrap Bill."

"He was always the nice one and I'm sure he wasn't given much choice in the matter of hurting you. If anything you're lucky it was him and not someone else trust me," Celeste reasoned. "Now sit down and let me see what I can -"

"Will, what happened to you?" Ngaio emerged from behind the boxes, and could hardly hold back her shock when she saw his back.

"Nothing don't worry I'm fine, "

Ngaio and Celeste looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Also how do you two know each other?" Celeste asked, sitting Will down on a crate so she could check his wounds. She seemed to think they weren't too bad, but they looked bad - and painful. Will winced, and Ngaio sat down next to him, facing Celeste.

"We met before you came aboard, " she explained.

"Makes sense, " her sister shrugged.

"So what's the plan?" she asked, trying not to look at Will's chest.

"Bold of you to assume I came over with a plan, " Celeste smirked.

"Well if we're anything alike then I really shouldn't expect you to have a plan," Ngaio replied with a smirk.

"I may have one, " Will said.

"Care to share?" Ngaio asked, glad that at least Will had an idea for a next step. Will explained a game all the crew play to pass the time. It was very new to Ngaio, but she found she picked up the basic rules from his description quite fast. He also explained that he planned to use it to find out where some key was. It seemed quite crucial to whatever it was they were here for in the first place, and decided to ask later, rather than slow them down now.

"That sounds good but what are you going to offer him, Will?" Celeste asked.

"It doesn't matter. Now, Ngaio you need to stay here. Celeste, you come with me," Will replied.

"I'm not staying here, " Ngaio began, but she was cut off by her sister.

"Yes, you are Ngaio. Dad doesn't know you're here and I'd like to keep it that way. " Ngaio agreed reluctantly and went back to her hiding place. She listened as hard as she could, but heard hardly anything once they'd left. Jeering, maybe? She really hoped that Will's plan was working - he seemed to know what he was doing. After a while, the excitement seemed to die down, and everything seemed to go back to normal. There was still no word from the others, but Ngaio hoped they were on their way to getting the key they were after. It's not as if they were going to abandon her... no. She shook her head. They wouldn't, so there was no point in thinking like that. She drummed her fingers on her knees, wishing for something to happen. Hours passed, though it could have been days or weeks for all Ngaio knew - there was nothing to do except sit and wait. She drew a knife out of her boot and began scratching on the floor. She scratched Davy Jones, and then Celeste's face. She'd almost finished Will when she heard footsteps again. She almost leapt out in joy, but then she noticed that the footsteps were heavier than Celeste and Will's. They were also talking, so she tried to hear what they were saying, hoping it would give her a clue as to what was going on. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on your point of view - she tuned in on the words, "Jones' stupid daughter", and she clenched her fists. Her knife was stored away in her boot again, in the hope that this would stop her doing anything rash. She took a deep breath, staying silent and hidden. "Not to mention that idiot Turner boy..." that was it. Ngaio couldn't hold herself back anymore. She toppled the stack of crates next to her, burying one of the crew members. She dove at the other, ready to bury her fist in his face but was caught midair by... Davy Jones. His claw tightened around her neck, and she kicked to try to free herself, but in vain.