The Collector |Sequel to Collector of Odd|

II |Faithfully Returned|

What is freedom without a home?

          Laughter could be heard from inside the pub Mirela had been watching for some time now. Her eyes sparkled for a moment, the grains of sand within them momentarily visible. However, just like her presence, they were only fleeting. She stepped back into the shadows, her body twisting to narrowly avoid the sights of a drunken man. With a huff that was more impatient than bored, Mirela eyed the rough wall of the pub, the corner of her lips tilted skyward. The soft thump of her left boot hitting the wall was oddly soothing, however, the broken rock that dug into her hands was anything but. With only a little effort, the gypsy pulled her lithe body onto the roof. She rubbed her scared hands, her eyes shifting to look across the town.

          Mirela was more of a predator up here than in the shadows, her body seemed to hum in contentment with her new perch. Perhaps she missed the crow's nest more than she realized. Stormy hazel eyes flickered to a man in a hat she would always remember. Carefully, Mirela lowered her body to her stomach and crawled toward the front of the pub, her eyes still locked on the large hat of a certain pirate. Stopping just before her fingers dangled over the roofs edge, Mirela let out a whistle, a rather sparrow sounding call.

          Brown eyes met hers in an instant, the old face of Captain Teague was a rather warm welcoming to her lonely travels. Sure, Mirela had left Jack on her own desires, but that didn't mean she didn't miss the familiar faces of a few pirate crews. The ever aging Captain tipped his hat in the most casual way he could, before he was turning his attention toward his left and waving someone over. Mirela was half tempted to leave her perch to speak with Jack's father when Jack himself came striding toward the man she wished to speak with. Her body froze, her eyes blown wide at the strutting man.

          For a moment, the carefree women didn't know what to do, but as Teague's eyes landed on hers she only sent him her ever famous fox like grin and slunk farther out of sight. It had been nearly a year and a half since the gypsy had set her orbs on the younger Sparrow, and now, even though she had come all this way to search for him, she wasn't so sure what to do. Would things still be the same? Or would they have to start over? Teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, a flash of silver coming from her canine reflected the sun's rays. Things had changed since she last saw Jack, but their last words to one another still rang clear in her mind.

          "You knew this would happen, Jack. My soul is always yearning to be free, to dance with the unseen." The gypsy's back was to him, her eyes set across the waters. For a moment, Mirela didn't believe he would respond, but then she was facing him, her gray eyes startled as he gripped her shoulders with an urgency she hadn't felt before.

          "Aye, but if I recall, I don't like giving up what is mine." He was smirking at her, his gold teeth glittered in the setting sun. She loved that smirk, it meant everything and nothing at the same time, it meant adventure.

          "Ye aren't giving anything up, just letting me go. I'll come back... I always will." Her fingers wrapped around the black ring of her late husbands, she hesitated for only a moment, but then she was holding it out to him. "I'll always come back to you, Jack" His fingers were gentle as he took the ring from her, he stared at it for some time, wondering what the inscription meant on it, but not daring to ask right now.

          "I'll be waiting my love."

___

          "I heard where you're headed. The Fountain." Captain Teague eyed his son with a look that Jack hadn't seen in sometime. Interest? Concern? Or was it that hidden glint that he knew something he didn't that was setting Jack on edge. Either way, Jack wasn't about to put much thought on it, not at the moment anyway.

          "Have you been there?" His question was quick to come, slipping across his tongue without his brain fully understanding what he was spewing. Taking a moment to collect himself, Jack glanced across the pub, one brow raising as a plump woman fell drunkenly onto a man's lap.

          "Does this face look like it's been to the Fountain of Youth?" Jack turned back to his father, his face twisted into a questioning look before he shrugged, "Depends on the light." A chuckle left his father, his eyes glittered with that emotion Jack couldn't figure out. Jack's lips pursed, his hand came up to run across his jawline in thought. What exactly did his father know? As Jack shifted his narrowed orbs to look across the pub once again his body jumped to attention at the coyote tipped hair that danced into the shadows. He stared at the spot for some time, perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. That wouldn't be uncommon. As Jack turned his attention back toward his father, he was unaware of the gypsy playing within the shadows.

          "Two. Silver. From Ponce de Leon's ship. You'll need both." Teague had leaned forward, his brown eyes sparkled with mirth at Jack's obvious yearning for the predator hunting him. Jack was playing a dangerous game with the gypsy, and even though Teague wished to protect the gypsy like the daughter he never had, he knew very well it was Jack who needed the protecting.

          "For?" Jack's one-word question had Teague slapping his hand against the table. "The Ritual! Don't be a fool, Jackie! Find out every detail before you set sail." Teague paused, allowing his temper too smother out like a hot coal before he spoke up once more. "Those folk, over there. They have a ship. They're signing up sailors right now." With that, Teague watched as Jack turned his gaze toward the singing man and women and he himself slipped away.

          Some would say Teague was too soft on Jack, mostly pirates, but Teague knew Jack needed his family. Teague himself needed to see Jack now and again, he may have been known for his ruthlessness on the sea, but his heart was anything but stone. As Jack's father slipped through the pub and out the back, he wasn't at all surprised when a dainty hand slipped around his wrist. As his attacker pulled him deeper into the shadows it wasn't a second later the plumpness of a woman's figure was pushed up against his front. He didn't hesitate to curl his right arm around the woman's back.

          Slender arms draped around Teague's neck, the muscles that brushed either side of his neck told him Mirela hadn't been slacking off while on her own adventures. The gypsy stepped back after a moment, her lips pulling back and into a true smile, white and silver teeth were on full display. Teague instantly took note that all four of her canines weren't the pearly white he was used to. She had caped them in silver. Old eyes skimmed over her face, his brow creased as he noticed the jagged scar that damaged her left cheek bone Besides those few little things, Mirela looked relatively the same. He was nearly positive that wasn't the case, but he wasn't going to stay and chat.

          "Mirela, my girl." His greeting was short, something Mirela didn't mind. Those three words nearly had her purring like a content kitten. She had longed to hear the rasp from a sea parched throat. Hazel orbs flickered to take in the new wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, her head cocked allowing her ombre hair to fall over one shoulder. The new skin that was exposed caught Teague's eyes, dark chocolate orbs narrowed at the burn in the junction between her shoulder and neck. What had the little minx gotten into?

          "I'd love to stay, but-" Mirela's light laugh had him stopping mid-sentence, her orbs sparkled with hidden intent. "I wouldn't dare keep you, Teague, I know how busy you are." Her right eyelid dropped into a slow wink, her right hand came up to pat his tired face wearily. "A storm's a brewing, Teague... I can feel it.." The gypsy's eyes were cloudy as she spoke, her pupils dilating before she seemed to shake herself out of whatever stupor she was in and smile sadly up at the captain. "Be safe Captain, it's going to get nasty." Raising onto her toes, Mirela pressed a chaste kiss to the pirate's cheek before she slipped past him and into the pub once more.

          Captain Teague was left to ponder Mirela's entire being once again. He always had questioned the gypsy, but something was different this time. Sure, she had a few new scars and shiny objects added to her collection, but something had happened to her soul, something that set Teague on edge. With a rumbled sigh, Teague glanced in the direction of the sea, "Watch over her Calypso.. She'll need it."