A Pirate in Time (Completed)

33

"Oh my God, Jay!" I ran to him once I saw what had happened. He was on the floor of the narrow hallway with his knees drawn to his chest. The bucket of soapy water he'd been holding, along with a crate of assorted tools, was now scattered across the floor while he clutched his head in pain.

I crouched in front of him and placed my hand over one of his.

"Jay, look at me. What's wrong?" I questioned worriedly. I got no reply. He only grimaced more.

He was shaking badly and a thin gleam of sweat was forming on his forehead.

"Jay," I tried again, my voice growing louder with panic. I put my other hand over his and pulled his face up to look at me. "Jay! You're scaring me. Please, say something!"

His eyes opened. I could see that they were hazy, unfocused, but as I continued to speak to him, I could almost feel him returning. He was calming down.

The shaking gradually slowed to a stop, and once it did, I could see the clarity return to his sea green eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, my eyes shifting slightly as I tried to look into both of his. He looked shaken. He looked like he was drowning. He looked terrified.

A small bit of water pooled in his eyes as he looked at me. He moved his hands to the outside of mine and held them in place. Slowly and hesitantly, he shook his head from side to side.

I looked down either end of the hall before deciding to move him somewhere less open. You never knew who would use this kind of vulnerability against him. A ruthless pirate captain having a panic attack below decks was definitely something to keep hidden from prying eyes.

"Come on," I coaxed in a gentle voice as I rubbed my thumb soothingly against his cheekbone. "Can you stand?"

He blinked a bit and nodded. I helped him to his feet as best as I could and brought him the short distance to the navigation room.

"Here, sit down," I said as I lead him to one of the chairs after closing the door behind us. He did as he was told. I knelt on the floor beside him and took hold of one of his hands. He needed the reassurance. I kept my voice calm as I looked up at him. "What happened?"

"I-" he sucked in a sharp breath and stared intently at the wall. I had a feeling he wasn't actually seeing it, though. His next words were barely a whisper. "There's something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Jay," I soothed, rubbing circles on the back of his hand.

He looked at me then and shook his head in denial, "No. I hear things- I feel things that should be impossible."

He searches for an artifact he thinks can heal him. Something to stop the voices in his head.

Poor boy thinks he's going crazy.

"What kinds of things?" I found myself asking in only a whisper.

"Everything," he choked out. "I can feel the ocean swells like they're trying to force themselves into my lungs. I can feel the distant storms like ice engulfing my bones. I can feel the creatures beneath me like they're wriggling through my veins. I can hear their hearts beating. I can hear them communicating. All of them."

I squeezed his hand, trying to give him the strength to continue.

"I can feel you, too," he whispered quietly, "It was faint before the siren attack, but now, I can tell where you are without turning my head. That's how I knew you were in the water after the mutiny, and how I found you on the island."

"It's okay," I told him as I rubbed his forearm with my other hand. "You don't have to tell me all of this."

He looked at me again, his eyes wavering slightly. "I trust you."

"And I believe you," I gave him a faint but genuine smile.

"You don't think I'm crazy?"

His father is dead, though.

No, my dear. I am his father.

"No," I told him honestly, "Like I said before, there is nothing wrong with you. This is just a part of who you are- who you are meant to be. Maybe it's not so much as a curse, but a blessing. Maybe you just need to figure out how to control it. Maybe it's not a bad thing. It's a piece of you, after all. Maybe you should embrace it."

Jay closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He squeezed my hand before standing, but even still, he did not release it. Instead, he pulled me into a tight hug, and he didn't let go for a long time. I just closed my eyes and listened to his breathing. He seemed better now, calmer, more at peace.

"Thank you," he breathed into my hair. He pulled back slightly, his hands resting just above my elbows. As I looked up into his eyes, I was overcome by the sudden urge to kiss him.

I glanced down at his lips, my heart beating a little harder at the thought, but I ended up over thinking it. I was afraid, afraid of rejection, and because of that I pulled away.

"No problem," I said, looking anywhere but him out of embarrassment. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, I'll be here."

It was then that I heard my name being called by none other than Finn, who had probably gotten bored in my absence and come to look for me. It sounded like he was only a short distance down the hallway. I saw Jay's eyes flick to the doorway, some emotion I couldn't quite read flashing through them.

"So, you're okay now?" I asked. His eyes swiveled back to me and he nodded. I found myself nodding as well. "Okay. Uh, well, I should probably go."

"Yeah," he scratched his jaw a bit awkwardly, "You probably should."

And with one last glance at Jeremiah Jackson, I pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway.

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A/N

Don't kill me!

Let me know your thoughts.

Are you team Jay or team Finn?

Do you think Elizabeth is going to be the one to tell Jay about his father?

What do you think is going to happen next?

-Megan