(Emory's POV)
It had irritated me how precise Henry needed to be with everything! Every blade had to have just the right end and grip! I guess I had no room to complain, though. His preciseness could just be the thing that saves us some point during this voyage.
"Emory, do you think this will be enough?"
"Yes, it's perfect!"
"You're just saying that, aren't you?"
"No! Of course not! It looks perfect!"
"If you say so," Henry muttered, checking out.
Agnes must've been getting so bored just waiting for us.
"Cmon," Henry called, making his way out of the shoppe, holding the door open for me.
Except, once I had gotten out, Henry was wide-eyed. That couldn't be good!
"What's wrong?!" I stammered.
"Agnes! She's gone! She told us she'd stay exactly where we left her! Perhaps she's just taking a walk? Getting a drink?!" Henry panicked, desperate for an answer.
"No, Agnes listens! She doesn't go against anybody! We shouldn't have left her out here alone!"
"Do you suppose it's her mother, Angelica?!"
"I hope not! We have to get back to Jack and inform him that she's missing!"
"Yes, and quick! Where would this Faithful Bride be?"
"Follow me!"
_
(Agnes' POV)
"Let her go! I shall take her with me."
My mother was about to grab me by my arm until I catapulted myself back, damned if I would want her help. Instead, I was able to hoist myself up off the blackened slate floor.
"Follow me." She ordered.
"Why would I do that!"
"My dear, please."
I hesitantly followed, making sure I could feel my knife at the bottom of my boot. I was led to a darker room, only one lantern cascading the room.
"Word is you've been sailing on the Pearl."
"Who wants to know?" I muttered, making sure my eyes didn't meet hers.
"I do."
"And why, mom? Just so you can screw me over like you did when you left me! I had nothing after you left! I was eight!"
"I know, and I am sorry, but know my dear that I left for a reason."
"Treasure? Gold? Whatever it was, it was far more important than me."
"No. It was so I could build a better life for me—for us."
I scoffed, knowing there was no truth to my mother's words.
"Us?! You never came back to me! Never! I stayed in Tortuga all my damn life till a month ago! So how could you even say us!"
"Agnes, my pollito, I also left because I knew I wasn't a good enough mother. I left to change!"
"Don't call me that! Then why did it take so long?! It took you seven years to become a good mother?! Let's face it, mamá, you're only here because I boarded the ship, and you want to know what papá is after!"
"That couldn't be farther from the truth! Agnes dear, I want you to join me. Let us be mother and daughter once more! I know I've let you down. But now, there is nothing we can't do together."
"That's beyond cliché! How do you even expect me to believe you!"
"Stay with me, daughter of mine. See what we can do together! And if you don't like it, you may go."
"Then let me go now! I'm finishing this voyage with Jack and my friends."
"Your father, we've been over this. He's not a good man! He steals, he cheats!"
"Mom, you were wrong. What you told me my whole childhood were lies! Jack, dad, h—he's a good man! He's a pirate, of course! He's a bit selfish, he wants treasure! But that's every pirate, including you! At least Jack has a heart! He may not be good at showing it, but, he does.
"He's treated me better than you ever have."
"Come, I would like to show you something."
I reluctantly followed my mother, not knowing where she would lead me. But, where she did was nothing but breathtaking! It was a map of quite possibly the biggest island in existence! It looked so scrupulous; so tranquil!
"If you come with me, we can live on this island. This, mi querido is where I've been these past several years. We can live in peace, the both of us together!"
"M-Mom...." I choked, truly looking into her eyes for the first time since I was eight years old, tears welling up.
Why was I so convinced she was telling the truth?
"What about us? W-What about you?! Mom, are you going to throw away your pirate ways if you truly want to be with me again?"
"Of course, cariño. I've missed you so much! Let us please start over again." She beamed.
Perhaps everything clicked in place when I saw tears in my mother's eyes. I've never, ever seen her cry once in my life!
"Mom! I've missed you so much," I cried, hugging her with all my might.
"I've missed you so, my hermosa Agnes. You've grown into such the young lady." She chuckled, wrapping her arms around me.
My mom, she actually cares about me! I couldn't believe it...we could actually be a family again. I didn't know I'd ever be okay with my mother again.
"I'm so sorry I let you down, my dear Agnes. I promise, we can start over."
"I know, mom. You came back for me, that's all that matters."
_
(Emory's POV)
"JACK! JAACK!" We yelled, bursting through the bar doors.
Everyone looked at us like we were the craziest men alive. Merely seconds later, however, everyone returned to laughing, singing, and drinking. Jack gave us a glare, waiting for us to come over.
"Jack! My god we need help!" I slurred, not being able to pronounce my words at such a fast rate.
"Whoah Mr. Sackleson calm down and get yourself together! Yew both look like you've seen death itself!"
"Agnes! It's Agnes." Henry spoke, exasperated.
Jack's eyes looked mildly concerned.
"What about her?"
"S-She's gone! Me and Emory, we went into the shoppe to get some supplies...Agnes told us she'd stay right there! When we were done she was no where to be found! Jack, you've gotta help us!"
"Why weren't you watching over her!"
"She told us she'd be fine! Plus, she's not a little girl!" Henry stammered.
"Angelica....did you see her!"
"Jack, we have no idea what she looks like!" Henry spoke, incensed.
"Cmon!" Jack commanded, walking out of the bar, taking the lead.
"You wouldn't happen to know where Gibbs is, would you." Jack spoke in an angered tone.
"No..." I replied, feeling Jack's anger radiate off of him.
"Just lovely! Since you two knuckle heads cannot watch over one girl, we have to find her."
"Jack! We get it, but she's fifteen for god's sakes! She had to have been kidnapped..." Henry spoke.
"Stop stating the bloody obvious! We find Gibbs, and be on the look out for anyone who may look suspicious."
We followed Jack's lead, trying to find Gibbs while looking for any evidence that may lead us to Agnes. After a little bit more walking a tad more complaining, we found Gibbs roaming the streets, confused as could be the moment he saw us.
"Ah! Joshamee, so good to see you!" Jack retorted.
"What are ya doin' here Jack? Thought you were goin' to the bar!"
"Aye, and I was there! But these two here have lost Agnes."
"Lost? Miss Agnes!"
"Aye."
"How did that happen!"
"No time to explain Gibbs! We were at the shoppe, she said she'd stay right where she was outside, we go out, she's gone!" Henry voiced for what felt like the hundredth time.
"What part of don't leave her alone didn't ya get!" Gibbs exclaimed.
"Exactly! So now that these two dull-witted boys in our presence have let her be kidnapped, we must help retrieve her."
"Well, we best be gettin' started now, shall we?" Gibbs sighed.
"Aye! Henry, go with Gibbs. Emory, you shall stay with me."
"Aye, captain." I mumbled, knowing that Jack would rip me a new one.
I couldn't believe this was happening! I was such a fool! Me and Jack walked east, as Gibbs and Henry walked west.
"Where were you?" Jack questioned, eyes glancing from me to the streets ahead.
"We were at the Daniel Vallance Weaponry, just north of here!"
"We start there, and look for any tracks, mementos, anything you can find."
"Aye!"
_
(Agnes's POV)
"So, when do we go!" I asked excitedly, ready to start anew with my mother.
"We won't go until a couple of days. There is still some business I have to take care of. For now, you should get some rest." Mother sweetly spoke, leading me to a lavish bedroom.
"The least I could do is go tell my friends I'm okay! Perhaps Jack, if they've reached him by now!"
"No." Mom scowled, shaking her head at the mere thought of it.
"Why not?"
"If you want to leave with me, you must not tell your friends; especially not Jack."
"Again, why not?"
"Jack....there is something about him I've never told you." Mother exhaled, taking a seat next to me.
"What?" I asked, curious to know more about Jack.
I was full of concern. Jack...he couldn't have done anything bad, could he? My mom couldn't just be lying to me right after she tells me she wants to be with me again!
"Jack...he knew. He found out I was pregnant with you. I hadn't told you because he abandoned us again! He told me he didn't want you."
My heart must've broke into ten million pieces. It couldn't be!
"Dad told me just yesterday that if he knew about me, h—he would've helped raise me!"
"Jack lies. I'm sorry my dear, Jack was lying to you. He doesn't care. I know, it's cruel, but whatever he told you? It was only so you would stay on his crew to help him get his treasure. Trust me, I know Jack."
"D—Dad couldn't mom! He had to have been telling the truth! I could see he was telling the truth!"
"And that's a pirate. They're good liars in order to get something they want."
"But dad was nice! H—He cared!" I choked, in complete disbelief that Jack would even do such a thing.
"He was acting. I'm so sorry, Agnes."
My mom wrapped my arms around her waist, my head resting against her chest.
"Forget Jack. We'll be fine on our own."
"My friends, I know they're part of the crew, but can't I tell them?! I can't just leave them!"
"If you want to live in paradise, you have to let go of them."
"Mom, I—I can't do that."
"Fine. You can see your friends tomorrow briefly. As soon as they're off Jack's ship, you can see them again at any time you please. I know they're probably nice and wouldn't say a word, but anyone could say anything accidentally. You understand, don't you?"
"Yes, I understand mom."
"Get some rest, you'll need it." My mom whispered, kissing the top of my head before leaving the room to let me rest.
The bed was beyond comfortable. It had all happened so very fast, but I trusted her. She's my mom; perhaps I was too harsh on her. She didn't just leave me because of selfishness, she thought she wasn't a good mother! I was beginning to think that this could be the start of something great.
I couldn't even fathom how upset I was that Jack had lied to me. I didn't know whether to believe my mom for certain things she'd told me, but, I could see through my mom's face. She had to be telling me the truth. Jack was an amazing liar. It just made it that more painful.
I still prayed it wasn't true.
_
(Henry's POV)
"This is a lost cause, Agnes probably isn't even on Tortuga anymore!" I sighed, running my hand through my hair.
"Wouldn't say so. When we came, there was only one other boat. If Miss Agnes was taken by two men somewhere, there must be a whole crew. That boat can't be big enough to house a whole crew."
"Maybe we just missed something."
"Well I'd be damned! Look, a ship's leaving right now!" Gibbs pointed, the both of us running to it.
"HAULT!" I yelled, everyone aboard the ship staring at me.
"What in god's name are you doing!" A woman yelled, looking down at us.
Only then I recognized who it was. My heart raced, I thought my eyes were deceiving me!
"Henry?!"
"Carina!"
Carina jumped ship, running to the shore to meet me.
"My god you had no idea how much I missed you darling!" I smiled, kissing her passionately.
"I bet I missed you more! We were stuck here longer than anticipated due to ship trouble."
"I don't think your ship's coming back for you," I spoke, watching the ship she jumped from sailing off.
"Who cares! What are you doing here?! I thought you were training still back home!"
"I was, until Jack and his daughter showed up."
"Wait, Jack? Daughter?!"
"I know, nearly impossible to believe, but, it's true! Someone kidnapped her and we're looking for her! Me and her friend, my friend now too, were in a shoppe. Agnes, that's Jack's daughter's name, she said she'd be fine waiting outside, but when we came out she was gone! Someone took her and we're trying to find her!"
"Well consider me in!"
"Thank you so much darling!" I exclaimed, kissing her once more.
"Would ya two just get off each other so we can finally find Miss Agnes!" Gibbs spoke, irritated with the both of us.
"Good to see you again, Mr. Gibbs!"
"Aye, as well as yourself, Mrs. Carina."
I grabbed Carina's hand as we continued to stroll through the island.
"Alright! Where did you tell Agnes to wait?" Carina asked.
"Right outside the blacksmith shoppe. I believe it started with Daniel..."
"Daniel Vallance Weaponry?"
"That's it! You're brilliant my love!"
"Not that brilliant! Doesn't take a genius to know that if you're here for nearly a month! Cmon, I think I know exactly where it is."
_
(Emory's POV)
Me and Jack had been examining everything we could near the weaponry, but, hadn't found anything. The only thing we examined was voices talking and quickly approaching us. We both stayed on the corner wall of the weaponry, ready to draw our blades. As soon as we saw the figures, we drew them out and stuck them right in their faces.
"Whoah! Emory! It's just us!" Henry exclaimed.
"Henry! Sorry!" I stammered, immediately yielding my blade.
"No problem."
"Who's this?" I asked, referring to the young lady with black curls in front of me.
"I'm Carina, lovely to meet you!"
"Carina, your fiancée, the astronomer Carina?" I asked.
"That's me!"
"How lovely to meet you!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, too! Jack," she smirked.
"What a surprise to see you again, Carina love."
"It's been a long time! Hasn't it?"
"Actually, not quite long enough."
"I'll take that as a compliment. So, the infamous Jack Sparrow has a daughter!" Carina smirked.
"Aye, the rumors are true."
"And a vengeful mother! How interesting! So, you guys find anything yet?" Carina asked, referring to me and Jack.
"Not yet," I sighed.
"Tracks. You find any boot or foot prints yet?"
I hadn't even thought of it! And by the looks of it, neither had Jack.
"You two seriously didn't check for footprints?! You are a bunch of knuckle heads," Carina sighed.
"I'm not the knuckle head! Your bloody fiancé here and her boyfriend were the ones that couldn't keep track of her!" Jack stammered.
"I'm not her boyfriend!" I exclaimed, walking hastily behind Carina.
"You keep telling yourself that, mate."
"Alright stop it! This is what I jumped ship for?!" Carina sighed, examining the ground closely.
"Here. Right here, a boot print! Judging by the pattern, doesn't look like a red coats nor guards. Has to be a pirates! Cmon!" She called.
"You're fiancée, she's very-" I started.
"Smart? I know," Henry beamed.
"Aye."
We had followed Carina intently for about thirty minutes.
"Oh no..." Carina vocalized.
"Why 'oh no'?" Jack asked.
"The tracks, they're gone. At least we were able to track them this far."
"It's getting pretty late, perhaps we should call it a night..." Henry suggested.
"No! Agnes needs our help!"
"Emory, lad, Henry here is right. We can't go on. If she's still on the island, which I'm positive she is, then I'm positive she'll still be here tomorrow." Gibbs suggested.
"You guys go ahead, then."
"Emory, mate, cmon." Jack spoke.
"No. I know my way back to the ship. You guys just go."
They all sighed, but did go off without me. It amazed me how quick they were to give up on Agnes! No matter how tired I was, I had to find her. By tomorrow she'd probably already be off the island. I searched four hours, hours on end, but to avail of where Agnes was.
I just hoped, prayed she was okay.
_
(Jack's POV)
We all went back to the ship besides Emory to get some rest. One thing I could say, was that the boy cared for her a lot, quite possibly a little too much. I went up to my cabin to think, not to sleep. Angelica couldn't have just wanted her for my plans. She would want her to join her and do something inexplicable in order to do so.
There's no telling what Angelica may have told her, if she is the one that ordered to kidnap her. The only thing I hoped was that she didn't say anything to Agnes that wasn't true to make her turn against me. Pirates, are excellent liars. Angelica however, she's different, an entirely different breed of pirate.
The only reason I know so is because of the time I shared with her when we were younger. When we were both teenagers, we dated off and on. She's quite possibly the first woman I've ever actually loved, probably the only one, truly. I've never been keen on dating, but, she was different.
And she had cheated me so many times. She especially cheated me when I found out that our relationship was entirely built on her motive to get the locked treasure on the ship I was aboard. But then, fifteen years ago, we crossed paths again. We set out to find the Fountain of Youth together. Except for once, I was the one to betray her. But, I did save her from dying, she could've been so much more grateful.
Blackbeard didn't even care about her though, he was selfish. And that's when I made connections. Sure I can be difficult, wanting the best for me, alright, I'm selfish. I can be selfish. I am by no means a good man, but I wouldn't let my selfishness affect or do anything to Agnes. And that's the reason why I agreed to save her from the island.
It was essentially my wrong doing, the girl didn't mean to get involved in it. I would be selfish if I didn't go back for her. But, during that brief time on the Queen Anne's Revenge, me and Angelica may have been drinking, and then came Agnes. The whole time at the fountain, the fighting, during it all she was pregnant and she hadn't bothered to tell me!
I never would've marooned her at that island if I had known she was pregnant, no matter how much I loathed her. When Miss Agnes came on the ship, well, when I found out she was a girl and my daughter, I couldn't exactly say I felt happy. The girl had a bit of a mouth to her. However, as time went on, I came to find out she was okay. It was neutral, she knew nothing was going to happen, and so did I.
Except, that night we got her off the island, I was amazed at how long we talked, held a conversation together! She had quite the personality and sense of humor. That's when everything clicked in place for me. I knew she had no bad intentions, all she wanted was to know me, and I denied her that chance.
Later that night, I had found her singing in the basement of the ship. And then, it all spilled. Instead, I found an exceptionally broken girl who has ached for nothing but a parent in her life. For the first time in years, I felt sympathy. I felt sorry for her! I hadn't even known my arms had lifted until I saw it with my own eyes.
After what happened that night, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel something towards the girl. I didn't quite know what would happen in the future, but, now I knew it was certain that it wouldn't be a simple goodbye and handshake, as it usually was. As much as I thought Henry and Emory were the most incomprehensible idiots at that moment, I couldn't let them search for her themselves.
And it wasn't because I just should be. I wanted too. I just hoped we'd reach her in time before she left the island. I didn't know if I could crack the code on this one.
"Stay safe, darling." I whispered, blowing out the lantern by my desk.
Maybe Emory will be able to find her.