Curiosity

IMPORTANT NOTE: The plot of this fanfic starts after 'Dead men tell no tales' but with a slightly modified ending. In this fanfic Hector Barbossa does not die, but his daughter Carina.  Y/N joins the crew shortly after her death.

Category: Fanfiction, fantasy
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Relationships: Captain Barbossa/reader
Characters: Hector Barbossa, Y/N (stands for your/name aka reader), Pintel and Ragetti

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You opened the next page in your old, ripped diary. It was already late but there was still some candle wax left so you decided to write as long as you had time. You didn't rush it. It all came natural to you.

"Today, I had another sword fight with Pintel. I remember the first day of our training, when I couldn't even fight back. I could've barely defend myself. But today was different. Pintel lost. I couldn't stop laughing at his confused face when he dropped the sword. He said he was proud of my progress and that maybe in few weeks I'm going to be able to fight with captain. I'm not sure if that would be good idea. Hector is still not quite alright. I can see it in his eyes. He misses her so much but doesn't care to admit it. Carina was his treasure indeed. Trip to that island changed him. I hope that one day, I'll see the old Hector, from the Pintel's stories. The one that would look trouble in the eye. The one that--"

At that point, the candle burned down. You signed and closed the diary, putting in back under the old plank. Under that plank was a small space where you kept that diary hidden from the rest of the crew. If it wasn't for that diary you wouldn't knew the date or day. To the rest of the crew, the time wasn't important and they didn't care. But you did.
Today was precisely 60 days since you joined the crew. It was just a bit after Carina died. You didn't meet the girl but from the stories that crew told you, she was amazingly brave and smart.
At the beginning, Hector wasn't treating you well. You couldn't stand him and his arrogance. But you didn't have much choice but to stay at The Black Pearl. All the other ships and captains didn't want you on their decks simply because you are a woman. To them it didn't matter. They treated you equally.
After your first fight, Hector's attitude changed a bit. You saved his precious Pearl from theft while you were at Tortuga. The rest of the crew left the ship to find themselves some easy girls, rum and food. Probably in that exact order, you thought. While they were out enjoying themselves, you stayed at the ship. By your own free will. And if it wasn't for your own free will, Hector and the rest of the crew would lose their Pearl.
While you were resting bellow the deck, you heard steps above your head. Frowning, you grabbed your sword and slowly started walking towards the stairs. Those voices didn't sound familiar. And they weren't.
Long story short, Hector was more than surprised to see four dead bodies over the Pearl's deck when he came back.
That night he invited you to his cabin. That was the night when you saw the real Hector. The one that his crew never saw and probably never will.
At first it looked like that meeting is going to be formal and short. But you couldn't be quiet anymore. You had to know more about Carina.
In first few minutes it seemed like you made a huge mistake.
"It's not your place to ask such thing, missy." He said, avoiding your look, pretending to look at the charts on his desk.
But you didn't give up just yet.
"I know but...I just want to know the whole story. If I'm going to be the part of this crew, I deserve to know about the woman who's probably the reason why I'm allowed on this ship." You demanded. He frowned.
"Stay out of it, Y/N."
You were speechless. His voice was so cold. This wasn't his usual leave-me-alone voice. This was something different.
Maybe this was all mistake.
You ran out of his cabin and went to quarterdeck. The night was cold and you forgot your coat in Hector's cabin. Damn it, I can't even be dramatic properly, you thought. But you didn't go back. You decided to stargaze.
You didn't know how much time passed after your eyes got lost into the clean night sky but in one moment, you heard steps behind you.
It was your captain.
"Y/N, I'm--"
"Don't. It's alright. I'm not going to ask anymore." You said, trying to sound reasonable and calm.
But Hector was stubborn as hell. He ignored your words. Most of the time, it would annoy the living hell out of you, but this time, you were happy he did. When he started talking, the time stand still. He told you about Carina. Her mother. His life. Everything you'd never thought to hear from this man. You could've listened to him all night long. And you did. You were both sitting on a timber fence, close to one another. There was no discomfort. There was no captain nor a sailor. At that point you were two people who finally decided to open a soul to someone and tell what life has done to them.
You told him about your father. The one you never truly had. The one that decided to give you a chance to survive far away from sea. He didn't abandon you because he wanted to but because he had to. And that's what hurt the most. You couldn't hate him for that.
The only thing you had from your father was a ring with big green jasper stone which you decided to keep on chain around your neck. It was the only legacy you had from him. You weren't even sure if your last name was his. So that ring had more meaning than one would think.
"I haven't seen it until now. Why are you hiding it under the blouse all this time?" Hector was curious. He took the ring in his hand and observed it carefully after you took it off.
"I'm on ship full of curious pirates." You responded with decent dose of sass. Hector chuckled a bit and put your improvised necklace back around your neck.
After that night, nothing was the same.
Even the crew noticed the change in the way that captain treated you.
Only few days were enough for rumors to spread around the deck.
You were under the deck, making a meal for crew when you heard whispers above your head. Pintel and Ragetti. They really live for good gossip, you chuckled softly.
"I'm telling ya, mate. There is something off with those two. They couldn't stand to look at each other a few days ago and look at them now, talking like mates from good old days. What happened to them?" Pintel asked, throwing a rope to Ragetti, who dropped it on the floor. Pintel signed and picked it up.
"You think that maybe they--"
"Are you insane?" Pintel yelled at him, this time throwing the rope directly at him. "Do you really think that's the reason why she was in his cabin that night? To share a bed with the captain?! And besides, she probably reminds him of Carina." He whispered so quietly you thought you didn't hear him well.
You gasped. This couldn't be true.
Ragetti let out a strange noise and started to jump in place.
"Idiot, be quiet someone might hear us!" Pintel pushed him gently then walked away.
"Oh my..." Ragetti whispered then walked after Pintel.
You went back to preparing meals again but your thoughts were in different place.
What if Pintel was right? Or was he?
Goddammit, Y/N don't let the pirates mess with your head.