Beyond Boundaries

[Jacky]

When she turns to move from her spot though, I'm standing right there in front of her so we end up toe-to-toe. I smirk slightly, for I realize she had not heard my approach.
"Wha' are ye readin'?" I ask matter of factly, my eyes wandering down to the book in her hands.

[Lana]

True enough, Jack's steps were too soft and quiet and I didn't expect him to show up right behind me, so I am quite startled when, standing up, I almost bump into him - it makes me take a hurried step backwards.

"Umm... Bocaccio - Decameron", - I tell him exactly as matter-of-factly. I'm sure that for any other pirate these words would sound like something in a foreign language, but Jack... he's a totally different case.

And suddenly I remember the church.
The graveyard. The house. And the vicar.
This memory strikes me so unexpectedly.

Once we ventured to the town of Jack's past, to the place where he wasn't Jack Sparrow and had a totally different name... I was pregnant already, we were searching for the Pearl, and it was one of the most difficult periods in our life-together, because the pregnancy was to be stopped, the Pearl couldn't be found anywhere, and Jack's past wasn't quite happy either.

I take a breath and pay attention to the reality. Damn it, it WAS in the PAST, silly.

[Jacky]

I smirk slightly, "Ten tales each, for the next ten days." I conclude, "I think our journey'll last longer than that, luv."

Her step back hasn't given us much distance, and I observe her quietly. I see the change in her eyes suddenly, but am unable to guess what's on her mind. It's hard to tell whether what she's thinking of is happy or sad, so it's certainly impossible to assume the particular musing in her mind.
There was a time that it was easier.
Pretty damn long ago now.

Ten years went by fast. I realize at that. Sometimes it seemed to be eternity, but.. what's another year? Both in hard times and in good times, another year seemed insignificant. When times were good a year meant easy living, when times were hard...
Well.. what's another year for someone who's getting used to having lost everything that he owns?
It is only now that the true significance of this decade seems apparant for me. The world didn't stop from turning, lives kept being lived, people kept changing. Scarlett did.

[Lana]

"I-... I have", - suddenly, for no reason at all, I glance away from him, at the ocean, at the mast - anywhere, to get distracted, - and then back at his face, - "... a few more books", - I say slightly hoarsely, - "I hope it'll be enough".

My back is leaned against the railing and we're standing close - I notice Jack's serious, almost piercing eyes as he's looking at me, through me. Somehow I guess that we both notice the smallest changes in the eyes just like we used to, but, unlike we used to, we can't guess what they mean. Anymore.
Ten years is a damn long time.

When I was planning everything, sitting in my room in the mansion, I made a promise. I swore to myself that I would be strong enough to resist these memories, these ghosts from the past. But they keep flooding at me, all the details of my previous life with Sparrow, all the details that are stirring something inside.

Regret.
No, I don't regret. What happened - happened, it can't be undone.
I regret that everything is over.

I take a breath and shift uncomfortably.
"Umm... Dinner?"

[Jacky]

Somehow, the fact that she seems to feel uneasy, makes things a little less complicated for me. I suppose I don't like having the feeling that someone else has the upperhand in any sort of conversation.
At her short question, I grin slightly, "So, you and I, we're on speakin' terms now... but only concerning the two-word-sentences?" I tease.

I step back then, giving her a little more room to breath. "Before we have any dinner, I want t' show ye somethin'. C'mon luv." I gesture her to follow, and soon head to my quarters.

[Lana]

I chuckle softly and form a reply in my mind, that's supposed to sound like: "Okay, then, would you please, Captain Sparrow, consider having dinner tonight?" - to make the phrase consist of more than two words, but I know that he doesn't mean the quantity of the words, but their quality, meaning. So, I say nothing and hesitate: whether I should go with him or not.

Okay, after all, why not? What do I lose?
I nod and follow him to his Quarters.

[Jacky]

Once in my cabin I close the door behind us. The sound of it falling shut seems harder than usual, due to the silence that's otherwise between the two of us.
I don't save much time to contemplate though, but after closing the door I cross the length of the room, heading straight for the dark wooden desk that's in front of the windows. I pull open one of the drawers, rummage through papers and mess, close it and try another. The third one is finally the right one, and I take something out of it. After a short hesitation, I turn and walk over to Scarlett.

I flip the small dagger in my hand so I'm holding the blade and she can take the handle. It's a peculiar blade. The steel is more white than usual, shining unnaturally but beautifully, almost crystal-like. The handle is just as odd to match it, for it is made of some sort of ivory stone, but with a dark green shade of esmarald. The whole things seems ancient, but forever unused.

"I'm not gonna bother t' try and keep ye out of trouble, luv." I say, looking at Scarlett's face as she is looking at the dagger. "But if ye do stir some, you're oughta be able t' protect yerselves."

[Lana]

I am standing by the door, watching Jack rummage in the shelves, silently and patiently. The silence is thick and heavy, as if it could be touched. When I see the dagger, my eyes widen: it looks different from anything I've ever seen, from any dagger I've ever held in my hands - white shining steel, emerald ivory handle... I can't take it.

It looks ancient, as if it could have belonged to someone before, someone... not an ordinary pirate, that's for sure. Or, at least, it could be an expensive gift, still new and unused. My fingers touch the cold stone of the blade, and I look at the weapon as if it were a necklace or a bracelet - as if it were treasure.

Finally I look up at Jack, still hesitating and leaving the dagger in his outstretched hand. "I believe... thanks are in order", - I say distantly, with a smirk, - "but..." - my eyes are attracted to this piece of armory, I want to touch it, I want to check whether the blade is sharp enough... It looks like a gift. Too expensive, perhaps.

"But... maybe you..."
have a normal, ordinary dagger? a usual one?
I hesitate. I want it. And I don't want to accept it as a gift, because... it'll make me think about him.

"Damn", - I mutter and feel that my head is aching, all these worries and changes have given me a headache. - "Why are you giving it to me?" - I say finally and blame myself for the words immediately - what if he changes his mind? What do I lose, once again? I want to have that goddamn beautiful dagger!

I snatch it from Jack's hand, holding the blade in mine firmly yet curiously: "Why not a simple one?"

[Jacky]

When she takes it so suddenly I grin slightly. I knew she'd take it the moment she laid eyes on it, because it looked like she liked what she saw. Once can claim a lot about Scarlett, but if she has her eyes on something she'll bloody well get it no matter what the cost. I admire that in her - and during her long hesitation on whether to accept the weapon or not I was almost afraid she had lost that quality. Now that it turns out she didn't, I'm glad about it.

But the grin on my face fades slightly again, as I show her why I gave her this particular dagger. I turn it over in her hands, so the other side of the handle comes in view. There's an inscription in it, dark letters in the esmarald green; 'Abyssus abyssum invocat'.
Hell calls hell.
"Use it wisely, luv." I warn her. "Only use it if your intention is to kill. There's more to this blade than meets the eye, and one stab is enough to send any man to hell."

Why do I give it to her?
Because a dagger alone wouldn't help her. If any of my crewmembers decides to try and touch her, or rape her, even kill her.. she could wave a dagger all she'd want, they're armed as well and she'd lose any battle for sure.
Only this blade might prevent such a thing from happening.

So.. death is for a crewmember rather than her, eh mate? I ignore my own thoughts systematically.

[Lana]

As I feel the pressure of the handle on my skin, my heart starts beating faster, as I am observing the dagger attentively, surprised at how beautiful a weapon can be. Though, when I read the inscription, my eyes widen slightly: "Hell calls hell" - not a very optimistic engraving, is it?

One stab is enough to send a man to hell... - so, this blade is... cursed? For a long time this fire in my eyes used to be extinguished, but now it sparkles up again, as I am looking at the dagger with obvious curiosity, with the fire in my eyes - I have my own weapon again. It means much for me, much more than an ordinary knife.

I look up, at Jack, and narrow my eyes slightly. Thoughts are rushing through my mind and I come to the same conclusion that Jack comes to: if his crewmember attacks me, one stab will be enough to protect me from him. Forever. The man once stabbed with this sharp blade will be dead, momentarily. Then... I mean more than... SHUT UP, - I block these thoughts out, because there can be nothing worse than self-induced dreams and beliefs that have no basics beneath them. However, I look into Jack's eyes, serious and slightly questioning, wondering why he is giving this dagger to me.

Damn, then... it's a gift from him?..

"T-thanks", - I say, this time absolutely sincerily, glancing at the cold steel and stone on my palm every now and then. - "Where did you get it?" - I ask, but it's more of a subconscious desire to talk to him, like we used to. I planned on being much more reserved, but hell, I am curious! I want to know where he got this dagger. And why I am meaningful enough to him for being given this dagger...

"But Jack..." - I say suddenly, quieter than before. No, shut up.
"Um, no, nothing", - I changed my mind.