Look at the Stars, Look How They Shine for You

Will's POV

We had tried over and over to move her body, but something was keeping it anchored to the deck of the Pearl. Scarlett refused to leave her side, staying with her all night. The sea was wild, churning the Pearl wildly like nothing more than a toy. The clouds were dark, and thunder rang every few minutes. There was no rain though. Whatever Cat was going through was being bottled within her.

When we got to Tia Dalma's I stayed with Scarlett, sending Pintel and Ragetti to go get the only woman capable of explaining the current situation. It was scary, seeing Cat like this. She'd been involuntarily twitching since she collapsed. Her eyes were completely blue; no white sclera; no black pupil. The entire eye was swirling blue. No sound escaped her lips; they were clenched shut. As far as we could see she wasn't breathing, but her heart still beat. Scarlett made sure of that.

Tia finally arrived, and I anxiously awaited for her to explain all of this. She looked sadly at Catalina, as if she knew this would happen. But there was a proud feel emanating off of her. I watched her carefully as she approached Cat. She knelt beside Scarlett, touching her shoulder and signaling her to step back.

Scarlett came over to me, and I wrapped an arm around her as she continued to cry. I hoped terribly that Tia could help. No one wanted to see Cat like this. But we were all worried about what would happen when the trembles ceased. Tia touched her hand to Catalina's cheek, leaning close until she was at her ear. She whispered a few sentences to her, placing her other hand over Cat's heart. She held it there for what felt like an eternity, continuing her whispers of unknown words. When she finally got up, Cat hadn't changed.

"Give her time." She explained when I gave her a questioning glance.

Cat's POV

The images never ceased. It felt like I'd been here for a lifetime. My own mind was breaking me down. I was shown picture after picture, scene after scene. Most of what I saw were things I'd never experienced. Things that were just wild concoctions in my head. I was sure that I was crying, I had to be.

I had seen Jack die three different ways; and hundreds of times. On the Pearl, in the forest, on land. He was shot in the chest, shot in the stomach, hung. He always made a joke, and promised me it wasn't my fault. This wasn't fair, being forced to endure this in my own mind. I should have some say in what I imagine and what I don't imagine.

I was numb, numb from the different emotions all trying to pull me in different directions. I gave up fighting long ago, letting the feelings rip me apart. What was the point in fighting? I was immortal. Jack was dead. William, Scarlett, they would die one day. I would be alone.

Suddenly I felt the need to wake up. Right away, this instant. I tried to find the way back to reality. For a fleeting minute I thought I was stuck here, but eventually I found the exit.

I gasped in a breath and shot up straight, my chest heaving as my lungs burned with a dire need of oxygen. My eyes fluttered as a headache shot into play. I felt small and weak. It was dark out. But it wasn't night. What had I made of the sea? It was dangerous out...I was aware of the three people standing to my right. Will, Scar, Tia. I was still on the deck of the Pearl.

"What...What's happening?" I whispered, looking directly at Tia. She smiled sadly at me, holding out her hand for me to take. I wearily did and she helped me to stand up. I saw the blood on the floor and reality hit me with a sledgehammer. It made me stumble backwards a step, remembering everything.

"Come, child." Tia said, forcing me to tear my eyes from the sight. I felt lightheaded, blinking back the tears that were threatening to start again.

"Why? Why did this happen?" I asked, my voice quivering. Will nodded at Mr. Gibbs and he brought a barrel for me to sit on. I had a feeling that I would need it.

"You have to let him go, Catalina." She said quietly. My eyebrows furrowed, and I felt a spark of anger.

"Why? What if I don't want to let him go?" I breathed.

"If you let him go, him will come back to you." She replied calmly. I rolled my eyes, knowing that phrase quite well. I loved him, and he felt the same. But all the love in the world couldn't bring him back from the dead. I did have to let him go. Sighing, I closed my eyes for a moment. He would be in a better place, away from bad weather, sickness, starvation, war, everything bad. He would want me to let him go. Be free. One breath in, exhaled, I released.

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?" I asked quietly.

"Cat..." Will called, and I lazily raised my eyes to his. "He's not gone."

My heart skipped a beat, and I fell back onto the barrel behind me.

"That...That's impossible. I...I saw him die, I felt him die!" I cried in confusion. He smiled weakly. Scarlett came over, holding my hand, but my eyes stayed focused on Will.

"After you passed out...You started gasping like you couldn't breath. We all thought you were having a breakdown, and tried to help. But we couldn't touch you. Something pushed us away whenever we tried. And then the clouds came, and the thunder. Your eyes turned...blue." He said, looking out at the sea while he recalled the events.

"Then your back arched and you lifted off the ground, and something silver came out of your bracelet. Lightning struck and..." Will broke off, and Scarlett finished for him.

"It was magical, Cat." She smiled. "The lightning blinded everyone. But when it was done, the silver orb was gone, and Jack was breathing."

"Where is he?" I breathed.

"Well, that's the thing." She continued. "He was breathing, and his heart was beating...But he wasn't speaking. He looked like he was just asleep, but we couldn't wake him. You stopped gasping, but you were shaking like mad. We couldn't touch you or move you. So they carried Jack to his room, and we stayed here with you."

"He'll be awake soon, child." Tia said before I could insist on seeing him. I turned to face her.

"How? How is this possible?" I asked, totally dumbfounded by everything I was hearing. I had so many questions.

"You were tied to him long ago, Catalina." She smiled. I squished my eyebrows together, completely and utterly confused.

"What do you mean?"

"This was not the first time you watched him die." She said, and my head spun back to the images I had seen.

"Please tell me what the hell is happening." I begged.

"You were born in 1429. When I said dat you the last in my family to have powers, I meant dat we are sisters, Catalina."

"What?" I breathed.

"We knew that Beckett would come one day. You wanted to get rid of him. So we came to this time. But when you fell in love wit Jack, him knew how to get to you. Him hung Jack on land where you could not go."

"And then shot him in the forest..." I whispered, remembering the slide show. "How many times have I done this?"

"This is your third time. The first two times we brought you from de past, so we tried sending you to the future. An it worked." She smiled faintly.

"Third time's a charm..." I mumbled. "So that's why I had random flashbacks of people and things I didn't remember?"

"Yes." She nodded. "But first we made sure dat you had a safe place to keep part of yourself, in case anyteeng bad happen."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I found it weird that I was so willing to believe all of this. I mean, it sounded absolutely ludicrous. Part of me still believed I was still some girl from the future with unexplainable abilities. But the better part of me felt that this was right, true. It explained why I got used to my powers so easily, why I fell for Jack so fast, why I just knew things.

"You made de Fountain of Youth. You set up de hiding spot, you made de traps." She said. That was how I knew about everything that would happen inside of the cave. "The bracelet, that was yours long before it was put into dat box."

"I made that?"

"You put part of yourself into it." She explained. "You took a bit of your life, and kept it locked in da bracelet, an hide it from de world."

"Is...Is that what saved Jack?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Your attachment to him forced out what you hid inside. It went to him, jus like you would have wantad." She smiled. I took a deep breath in, and released it. At least I was getting answers.

"So...What will happen to him?" I asked.

"Him is like you now." She replied. "Immortal."

"Can he control water?" I asked, laughing inside at the slight bit of jealousy that rose within me. I quickly buried it.

"Not like you. But him can do a few tricks." She smiled. "When you passed out of human consciousness, you held onto yourself so tightly dat it kept him cut off from de world. Only when you let go could him be awake again. But him should be up soon now. It takes time to come out from inside yourself."

"Isn't that the truth..." I muttered. I took a minute and mused at what was reality. Jack...he was alive. He was immortal. We would be together.

"She said the she had been feeling distant before yesterday. What was that about?" Scarlett asked, her hand still gripping mine. I was so lucky to have her and Will in my life.

"When did you put on de bracelet, Catalina?" Tia asked.

"Well...About when the feelings came." I replied, feeling ridiculous for not catching on myself.

"The bracelet only added to de power you have. It was a shock to your body." She explained. Her head twitched in the direction of Jack's cabin. I stood up abruptly, my eyes burning on her. "Him will be here soon." She said. I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her a little ways away to ask her a few more questions.

"What will happen to my mother?" I asked.

"You will reach de time dat you left dat world, and tings will be as if dey never changed. Whatever has changed will fit into tings perfectly." She promised. A smile took over my face, and my eyes began to water.

"So I'll be able to see her again?" I asked.

"You do have to wait a few years." She pointed out, a crooked smile painted on her face.

"Can I die?"

"Only on land. De powers only protect you as far as de water goes." She explained. I nodded.

"How come I don't remember anything?" I said, asking my final question. "From my...other lives?"

"Each time we sent you tru time there was a price to be paid. You had to forget."

"Didn't want to make things too easy, I guess." I joked, causing her to smile.

"Him is waiting." She replied. I looked over at the door. Looking back at Tia I pulled her into a hug, thanking her for everything. Taking one steady step, and another, I quickly closed the distance and found it in myself to be calm. I didn't know if he was hurt (I highly doubted it. I didn't think immortals could get hurt.) and I didn't want to startle him. I quietly opened the door, and saw him looking at his hands as though they weren't his.

"Welcome back." I said lightly, closing the door behind me. He looked at me as if I weren't real, causing me to smile.

"I was dead." He said sternly, as if it was a fact that couldn't be undone.

"I know. I was there when your heart stopped beating." I said quietly, as he approached me carefully.

"You saved me." He said, but was still worried that I'd disappear.

"I kinda like having you around." I offered, laughing lightly as tears fell down my face. My entire body sighed in relief. He was here, he was here, he was here. I never had to worry about losing him ever again.

"What...happened?" He asked cautiously. He reached a hand out and trailed it down my shoulder. He was satisfied that I was real.

"Long story short, you're immortal now." I said, watching him for his response. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in the information. I had never seen him so unsure of things. He was quiet for a minute.

"Well then I suppose I've got quite a bit of time, eh?"