Prologue

As Jack walked briskly onto the plank holding his precious gem in his arms he could not hold back the anger he felt towards Will. Muttering dark curses under his breath he was half inclined to out down Elizabeth where he stood and run back to kill William Turner. He fought to suppress his building anger and tried so very hard to concentrate on the woman he loved.

As they stepped onto The Black Pearl Jack felt at home already however not relaxed. He hurried over the deck and at two steps a time he leapt up the gleaming black wooden staircases that shone from water spray and finally managed to enter his cabin opposite the helm. He thought to himself 'This is NOT how I wanted to find her; how the blazes did he end up resorting to.. to.. that!'. Still cursing Jack strode over to his bed and pulled back the soft covers.

He dared a glance at his Lizzie to find her peaceful and asleep. His gaze turned to a look of pure horror as he realised the vivid red hand marks that now circled round her throat and as he had feared there were several ripe bruises starting to show on her arms and legs; and also the marks on her face where Will had slapped her now faded but left her with a ghostly complexion. He wanted to cry himself as he played all kinds of unwanted and horrible things that could have happened to Lizzie. On her soft cheeks there were stain marks where she couldn't of stopped her hysterical crying and screaming and pleading for help when Jack had found ...them, and every now and then she took in snuffling breaths almost as if she cried whilst unconscious.

Her eyes although closed were red and puffy and she had now started to take in shuddering breaths. Her breathing had now come to Jack's attention as he noticed that it had turned shallow which of course was never a good sign, so he pressed to fingers to her neck to check her pulse... it was just about ok.

He became increasingly anxious that she was going to slowly slip away and leave him, and the thought twisted in to a dark but grand oak tree in his mind which branched off with all possible and terrible thoughts. He began to panic and thought 'what if she does leave me?' 'I won't be able to cope' 'oh my dear god she IS going to go!' 'I DEFFANATELY WON'T COPE!' ...

He slowly and hesitantly leant down and kissed her forehead before he lay her on his bed gently, covered her with the red quilt and without taking his eyes off of her he closed the crimson silk curtains that encapsulated her.

Jack pulled a chair up beside the bed and drew his hands up to his face and silently sobbed. 'What could he do?' 'What would he do?'.

So many troubling thoughts played on his mind. First and foremost there was that fleabag Will. He wanted to turn back and shoot Will right where he stood or lay whether he was conscious or not. Jack replayed in his mind when he had punched Will at his hardest in the face after he had pulled him off Elizabeth and he half smiled to himself because it had felt good. He sighed with relief that he had found her just in time otherwise who knows what would have happened to her.

Jack thought, 'How the hell could someone do that?' 'If it were me I could never ever treat the woman I love, treat Elizabeth like that!' He became so angry that he got up and swept all his paperwork, maps and valuables off his desk and overturned it. It made such a noise that he thought the whole of bloody Tortuga would of heard, however no-one was in sight, which was probably a good thing as he felt like shooting anyone. Jack then went about his room turning things over and lobbing heavy items as far as possible. Jack then picked up a glass and squeezed it until it broke and tiny shards flew everywhere as well as into his hands. "Oh bloody hell!" he shouted and picked up another glass and when it had hit the opposite wall forcefully it also broke into tiny glass pieces. Finally he sat back down again having unleashed some but not all the pent up fury inside.

Jack reached for rum from under his bed and realising there wasn't any he said "Why is the rum always gone?"...

All of a sudden a small, timid and haggard voice sounded from behind closed curtains in front of Jack.

"Jack... ar... ar... are you o...k?"

Jack leapt up with a sigh of relief at the voice of someone who had difficulty breathing.

"Lizzie!" he exclaimed.

"Lizzie its ok, you're safe, you're safe, I won't let anyone harm you understand?" shouted Jack with an incredulous look on his face and realising he didn't need to shout anymore he pulled back the crimson curtain to find a gaunt ad worn Lizzie laid back fighting for breath...

Chapters will be coming in soon!