As man hath caused a blemish...

A/N : - thanks to everyone who reviewed

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She smiled at me again, as if I was a child saying my alphabet for the first time. I hated that but didn’t dare lash out verbally. That little flick of her wrist had caused Jones to freeze…what else could it do?

“Davy Jones thinks I’m a person of some importance” She said softly, her voice holding a hypnotic kind of rhythm. Much as I disliked her I could have listened to her speak for an eternity. She pronounced Davy Jones as ‘Dey-vee Jow-ans’…wonderful,

“So who are you?” I asked, starting to get irritated amongst the fear,

“De love of his life” She replied, jerking her head towards the Captain. I hated that she was so pretty when she smiled. Jealous? Me?...er…lemme think about that one… “ya gwan keep quiet now, cap-tin?” She asked him, waving a hand to release him once more. He snarled, slamming the silver goblet onto the table top and ignoring it when the rum spilt everywhere,

“You know I can’t love any more, Calypso” He growled, irritated and blue gaze darting between the two of us. I wanted to study him, his gaze wasn’t half as heavy as usual…if I didn’t know better I would have said he was afraid…did I react to what he said? Outwardly. No. Inwardly I was curling into a whimpering little ball and alternating between wanting to despair and yelling at myself for my girlish notions of Romance. I didn’t understand yet,

“Ya wanna watch what ya say, Davy Jones” She said sharply, “ya words can cut deeper than ya think” She looked at me pointedly but he waved his crab claw dismissively, reaching for the pipe tucked into the pocket on the inside of his jacket with his other hand, “ya know of de stories?” She asked,

“What stories?” I asked, playing the ‘stupid-deck-hand’ card for all I was worth. Yeah, I’d heard dark little whispers amongst the rest of the crew, it was kind of hard not too,

“Tia Dalma-” Jones said as he turned round,

“Ya never called me dat before, Davy, yet ya callin’ me it now” She said sharply, speaking over him and looking at him with an odd expression,

“You never gave me cause to before” He snapped back, “you want to act like some land-witch then do it on your own time. The woman’s smile froze a little and they stared at each other, cold smile against a deep scowl before she turned back to me,

“Ya know de Cap-tin’s heartless, doncha?” She asked,

“That’s a lie. He’s not heartless he’s just strict” I defended without thinking. She almost sneered, shaking her head sadly,

“Don’t. She doesn’t know” Davy said firmly, yeah, I think, no...I'm not sure but I think there was a frightened note to his voice in that,

“Ya sin de scar on his chest, girl? De one right above where his heart should be?” The woman asked, leaning towards me slightly as she reached out, dragging me forward to sit on the edge of the table,

“How do you know-”

“Have ya sin de scar?” She asked, slower, firmer, her eyes flashing dangerously. I nodded shortly, hating not knowing anything, “ya ever wondered where it come from?”

“A battle I presumed” I replied, hating my clipped, cold accent against the warmth of her own,

“De Cap-tin-“

“Calypso-“

“Doesn’t have a heart” She said slowly, reaching out and taking my hand in her own, her eyes never leaving mine. I gasped, trying to pull away, as a flood of memories that weren’t my own washed over me, crashing through my minds eye –

--There was a man, it was Davy, standing over a chest without a shirt, his hands were his own, unmarked, human. One hand clenched a dagger and he looked up at me, no he looked up at Tia Dalma

“Is this the only way?” He growled softly. I – Tia Dalma reached out, wrapping our fingers around his own,

“Ya know it’s not Davy…ya could keep it”

“No. It’s not worth what small fleeting joy life brings” He smiled at Tia Dalma. There was such grief in side the smile I felt my heart break,

“Davy don’t do dis-”

“Ssh woman” He said, but not cruelly, "it's for the best" I screamed, strange words I didn’t know, as the knife plunged into his chest, dark crimson spurting forth and -

I pulled my hand away with a startled yell, falling back against someone, looking up into Davys eyes. I hissed, turning round to face him, the memory of crimson so fresh in my mind that I reached out, placing my hand over his heart, just to make sure – only to have the crab claw close over my wrist, pulling my hand away almost gently,

“How? How did you survive that?” I asked him. His eyes held almost the same sort of grief as the memory as he looked down at me,

“It was her conditions” He shrugged as if those four cryptic little words explained everything, looking over my shoulder to where the woman sat,

“What are you?” I asked her, not daring to step closer again. Her touch, every gesture, her smile, the sparkle in her eyes, she was dangerous…

“I am…unique” She smiled at me, sitting back, pouring out more rum into the goblets…I hadn’t seen her yet drink from her own. I scowled, watching the deliberate grace of her movements and trying to ignore the jealousy running around in my head – its no wonder the Captain loves her, she’s gorgeous, it’s not fair, why couldn’t I have looked like that? – and so on,

“How does it work?” I demanded,

“De heart he already has is beatin’ in every part of dis ship, keepin’ it alive. So. Wit’out a heart he can’t return de love of a woman an’ so de...lets call it a spell will never end” She said, looking quite pleased with herself, “at least, until he is ready for him an’ his crew to die”

“So basically what your saying, Miss Dalma or Calypso or…whatever. Look the deal is that if he gets a heart this…this ship, a hundred years before the mast, the captain, the crew it’s all…over, right?” I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose, my old friend migraine was coming along at a vast rate of knots. The woman in front of me looked pleased, dark eyes narrowing to slits as she smiled at me gently. She had the same twinkle in her eyes as Davy, “so all we need to do is toddle off onto shore, find a heart donor and-”

“No. Davy Jones can’t step foot on land but once every ten years” She said firmly,

“Why?”

“It was de way it was arranged at de beginning” Davy shoved past me, slamming his hands into the table as he snapped at her,

“And who was supposed to meet me when I was there? Who swore an oath that if I did this she would be there for me?” He snarled, temper and grief making his accent harder. Tia Dalma merely looked at him sadly and I could see Jones struggling with himself not to shake her,

“Lemme get this straight-" Yes, I know I was repeating myself but I really didn't get it...I never said I was clever, "The ship needs a heart to...er...do what it does and the Captain needs a heart to love? If the Captain loves then everyone lives happily ever after?” I asked – my stupid big mouth asked – in the tense silence that followed. Jesus, really, if the air got any thicker I’d have to slice my way through it. Jones snorted angrily, turning away to limp back past me, not even bothering to look at me as the woman spoke,

“No, he must have a heart to return de love of a woman, de ship needs a heart to live…which one is more important, little girl?” That, that right there was really annoying,

“Spyce” I corrected sharply, “My name is Ellen Spyce, Lenny for short or just Spyce as everyone seems to call me” She gave me a close lipped smile and turned to look at the Captain with an amused smile. Davy just shrugged, “so the deal is go home or…?” She laughed again, soft and seductive, reaching out to stroke my cheek, her smile widening as I flinched back. Unaware of how close I was to the wall, I cracked my head off it before her fingers came in contact with my skin,

“I don’t wanna have ta kill ya” She said softly, practically purring it at me. She turned away, facing Jones, their gazes locking and unreadable for a few long moments before she started to pace towards the wall,

“Why weren’t you there?” I burst out curiously, unaware that I was frowning. Jones turned away with a laughing growl, turning his back on the woman. I could see the tension strung out through his entire frame as she replied, speaking to me over her shoulder,

“It’s not my way. I’m a wanderer, wild an’ free an’-“

“That’s a bullshit answer” I replied, matter of fact, cutting her off. Yes I was frightened, yes my mouth had taken over. She looked at me with something approaching surprise, turning slightly. I’d started so I figured I might as well see my suicidal run-away-train of thought to the end, “you were supposed to have been in love with him. You don’t do that sort of thing to people you love” I said firmly. Jones was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t classify but I – for once – ignored him,

“I can see whit ya see in dis girl, she got enough spirit to be handlin’ de likes of you Davy Jones…” Tia Dalma said slowly, her expression not at all pleased,

“Why are ya-“ I winced a little, having unconsciously copied her accent, “why are you telling me all this?” She simply smiled at me before looking at Jones with a raised eyebrow and a lot of amusement,

“She wants you off my ship, Spyce” Davy Jones said,

“Imagine it” Tia Dalma said, pushing herself from her chair, “ya can go home, lookin’ de way you used too…better dan de way ya used to” She said her tone seductive as she walked around me in tight circles. My first thought was – a bath! A long hot bath! My second thought was – Chocolate! But my third thought was -

“Why the hell do you want me off the ship so bad?” I asked her with narrowed eyes. She drew away, or rather, she moved to stand in front of me, shoulders hunched forward threateningly. I would have backed up if I could, my hand darting into my pocket. Yep. Lil’ knife was still in there. She glanced at Davy before her shoulders dropped and she was all grace once again,

“Ya got t’ree days to make ya choice…Spyce” She nodded her head a little, not much more before turning and walking through the wall. I gasped, a loud sound in the suddenly silent cabin. Jones didn’t seem concerned by that, turning away to stand in front of the pipe organ,

“Sir?” I asked softly, before what he had said earlier came back to me, “the love of your life?” I asked, hearing the ice in my voice. He turned with a scowl already in place,

“You’ve got no call to be talking to me that way” He caught my wrist as I reached out to take hold of is jacket, wanting to shake him for not telling me before,

“What was that ‘can’t love anymore’ stuff?” I snapped back,

“The truth” He said simply and I growled, trying to tug my wrist free of the crab claw only for him to tug forward and for me to fall into his waiting arms. I struggled, shoving at his chest as hard as I could. He didn’t move, “just because I can’t love doesn’t mean I can’t…I had to say it. She’d have ripped you to shreds otherwise. She’s three days from doing that anyway” He explained in firm tones. I settled in his grip, still glaring at his chest though I felt myself relax a little, “she’s almost as jealous as you” I looked up to see the amusement dancing across his face,

“I’m not jealous!” I was utterly amazed that the heavens didn’t open and the universe stop in surprise at such a colossal lie,

“Hah, no you’re a pain in the backside” He growled before kissing me. I fought him for all of five seconds – managing to land a punch on his shoulder with the kind of strength that wouldn’t squash a butterfly- before my traitorous body gave in and I sighed, arms wrapping round him as I kissed him back. He pulled away with a triumphant grin, his crab claw resting in the small of my back, the fingers of his other hand stroking lightly over my cheek,

“I hate you when you do that” I lied, making him chuckle, that low, dark sound. I let my head rest against his shoulder with a heavy sigh, just enjoying this for however long it lasted…three days…jesus…only three days…