Usual disclaimers... blah!
Okay... this is the LAST Kitty tale and is not really a new story but a continuation of Part 4. Unfortunately once they get so long they get too cumbersome to manage and need to be split. When the tale is done I intend to go back to the beginning and give the whole tale a thorough edit. I have already partially done this, filling out parts such as when Jack proposed to Kitty in order to get her to leave with him and her initial time on the Black Pearl.
The title of this tale is what it really is... the tidying up of loose ends - therefore the "dotting the I's and crossing the T's".
Again I have to thank Mulberry for being my beta and struggling on to check this for me despite being poorly with the flu! And thanks as well for Ani for being my "Heeellllllpppp!" person when I get stumped and for kicking me in the right direction. And final thanks for Starlight for overcoming morning sickness to continue her tale - yippee!
Alright... are we sitting comfortably girls?
###
The week after Rose's revelation passed quickly for Jack, too quickly as he wondered how on earth he was to tell the crew that they had to go to London again. He had not even had the courage to tell Catherine, realising that he had upset her and not knowing how to make things right. At least her side seemed to be healing better now, scabbing over nicely. He was still worried about her going to New Orleans, but nothing would hold her back - the chance of vengeance on Mary too strong for her to resist.
Elizabeth had wanted to cook for them again, but Jack suggested a quieter party than before on the beach and she had helped Jean Claude, Ned and Catherine prepare the food. There would be less alcohol too since they were to sail with the tide in the morning. He smiled on seeing Oran return, but frowned on seeing him carefully hug his wife, peering at her side beneath her shirt at the healing wound.
"Oi!" Jack barked. "Keep yer hands off m' wife!"
Oran looked up, smiling on seeing Jack sitting on the sand in the shade. "Oh there you are Captain!" He wandered across the beach, his arm carelessly thrown across Catherine's shoulder. "Sanchia sent you a present..." He reached inside his waistcoat, pulling forth a small bottle of rum. "She said she had a few bottles of this come in on The Holly this week and said you can pay her later..." He handed the bottle over, watching as Jack uncorked it with his teeth.
"Aaaahhhhh!" Jack took an appreciative swig. "She's an angel that woman of yours!" Jack sighed. "Are yer th' last t' return? We sail with th' tide in th' morning!"
"I think so," Oran replied, releasing Catherine and sitting next to Jack in the sand. "Is there any plan for New Orleans yet?"
"We'll have a meetin' of those goin' t'night t' finalise things," Jack explained, wishing he was going with them, but Oran, Catherine, Jean Claude and Theodore were the only ones who spoke French and therefore the only ones that could attempt the abduction. Quietly he hoped that nothing would go wrong.
Oran smiled. "I'll take a few things back to my cabin and then I'll come back and help," he offered.
"Thanks Oran," Catherine smiled sweetly. "It's nice to have a man around who will help..." She glared at Jack. "Unlike some!"
"I'd help," he protested, "but yer told me t' get out yer way!" He looked for support from Oran, but his helmsman had wisely decided to beat a strategic retreat and was already half-way down the beach. He smiled hopefully up at his wife. "Come an' sit with me fer a moment... will yer... please Kitty?"
Catherine sighed and sat next to him. "What?" she asked.
Jack looked at her contritely. "I'm sorry about th' other day..." he apologised. "I wasn't thinkin'..."
She smiled at him affectionately. "You should trust me more Jack! I would never tell your secrets to others, even to my own brother!"
"I know yer wouldn't," he admitted. "But old habits die hard... even after six years of marriage..." He glanced back towards the house where his mother was resting from the afternoon heat. "We've also got a problem..."
"What?" she asked worriedly.
"Mother left a letter behind... hidden in her bible... we have t' fetch it," Jack said quietly, ensuring he could not be overheard.
"London!" Catherine gasped, realising his intention immediately. "Is that wise after last time?" She frowned, looking up at Jack. "What is so important about the letter?"
"She wrote t' m' real father when I was born... but never sent it," Jack explained. "If th' letter is found by George he'll waste no time ensuring her disgrace..."
Catherine sighed but nodded. "When are we leaving?" she asked.
"Yer agree?" Jack gasped in surprise - he had been expecting an argument.
"You have already decided Jack," she smiled, leaning across and kissing him. "You are my husband as well as my Captain... you should know that I'll follow you anywhere."
Jack exhaled in relief that she had accepted his decision so readily. "We have t' drop off James an' then go t' get Mary... after that we'll head t' London. We can anchor at Ostend an' take passage across anonymously..."
Catherine stroked his face, mourning the loss of his beard and moustache so soon again. "And it was only just regrowing properly," she sighed. "Do you want me to shave it for you?" she teased.
"Not until we reach Ostend," he pleaded, scowling as she started to giggle. "Evil woman!"
"Aw, Jack..." She placed her arms around his neck, kissing him. "Whoever you are, in whatever guise, I will always love you, you great oaf!"
"Oaf!" he protested between kisses, wrapping his arms carefully around her waist and pulling her to him. "Oaf..." His kisses gained intensity as his hands pulled the back of her shirt from her trousers.
"Jack!" Catherine protested. "This is hardly the place..." A number of the crew on the beach had noticed and their ribald calls and clapping drawing more attention as the noise spread. "Jack!"
Reluctantly he let her go. "Yer mine t'night Kitty," he smiled.
"As long as you are gentle..." she began.
"Yer wound isn't still hurtin' yer?" Jack looked up at her worriedly.
"It pulls occasionally... like when I'm being manhandled..." she sighed, wincing as she stood up.
"Sorry luv," Jack apologised, scrambling to his feet and slipping his arm about her waist. "What can I do t' help yer?"
"I don't think there is anything left to do," she smiled, looking up at him teasingly. "I was going to ask somebody to row me back to the Pearl for a rest..."
"A rest eh?" Jack mused, twirling her hair in his fingers. "Perhaps I should join yer?"
"Perhaps..." She let the suggestion linger as she walked slowly down the beach with him. "Will you row?"
"Fer yer luv, anything," he grinned. "Even rowin'!" He pushed the boat off slightly before helping her in and jumping aboard himself. He picked up the oars, setting off eagerly for his ship which sat at anchor in the bay. He grinned at some of the ribald comments that accompanied their departure, uncaring that the crew knew his destination... well, he was the Captain and he deserved some perks. He looked up at Catherine as he rowed - yes, she was surely a pleasant perk.
###
Okay... this is the LAST Kitty tale and is not really a new story but a continuation of Part 4. Unfortunately once they get so long they get too cumbersome to manage and need to be split. When the tale is done I intend to go back to the beginning and give the whole tale a thorough edit. I have already partially done this, filling out parts such as when Jack proposed to Kitty in order to get her to leave with him and her initial time on the Black Pearl.
The title of this tale is what it really is... the tidying up of loose ends - therefore the "dotting the I's and crossing the T's".
Again I have to thank Mulberry for being my beta and struggling on to check this for me despite being poorly with the flu! And thanks as well for Ani for being my "Heeellllllpppp!" person when I get stumped and for kicking me in the right direction. And final thanks for Starlight for overcoming morning sickness to continue her tale - yippee!
Alright... are we sitting comfortably girls?
###
The week after Rose's revelation passed quickly for Jack, too quickly as he wondered how on earth he was to tell the crew that they had to go to London again. He had not even had the courage to tell Catherine, realising that he had upset her and not knowing how to make things right. At least her side seemed to be healing better now, scabbing over nicely. He was still worried about her going to New Orleans, but nothing would hold her back - the chance of vengeance on Mary too strong for her to resist.
Elizabeth had wanted to cook for them again, but Jack suggested a quieter party than before on the beach and she had helped Jean Claude, Ned and Catherine prepare the food. There would be less alcohol too since they were to sail with the tide in the morning. He smiled on seeing Oran return, but frowned on seeing him carefully hug his wife, peering at her side beneath her shirt at the healing wound.
"Oi!" Jack barked. "Keep yer hands off m' wife!"
Oran looked up, smiling on seeing Jack sitting on the sand in the shade. "Oh there you are Captain!" He wandered across the beach, his arm carelessly thrown across Catherine's shoulder. "Sanchia sent you a present..." He reached inside his waistcoat, pulling forth a small bottle of rum. "She said she had a few bottles of this come in on The Holly this week and said you can pay her later..." He handed the bottle over, watching as Jack uncorked it with his teeth.
"Aaaahhhhh!" Jack took an appreciative swig. "She's an angel that woman of yours!" Jack sighed. "Are yer th' last t' return? We sail with th' tide in th' morning!"
"I think so," Oran replied, releasing Catherine and sitting next to Jack in the sand. "Is there any plan for New Orleans yet?"
"We'll have a meetin' of those goin' t'night t' finalise things," Jack explained, wishing he was going with them, but Oran, Catherine, Jean Claude and Theodore were the only ones who spoke French and therefore the only ones that could attempt the abduction. Quietly he hoped that nothing would go wrong.
Oran smiled. "I'll take a few things back to my cabin and then I'll come back and help," he offered.
"Thanks Oran," Catherine smiled sweetly. "It's nice to have a man around who will help..." She glared at Jack. "Unlike some!"
"I'd help," he protested, "but yer told me t' get out yer way!" He looked for support from Oran, but his helmsman had wisely decided to beat a strategic retreat and was already half-way down the beach. He smiled hopefully up at his wife. "Come an' sit with me fer a moment... will yer... please Kitty?"
Catherine sighed and sat next to him. "What?" she asked.
Jack looked at her contritely. "I'm sorry about th' other day..." he apologised. "I wasn't thinkin'..."
She smiled at him affectionately. "You should trust me more Jack! I would never tell your secrets to others, even to my own brother!"
"I know yer wouldn't," he admitted. "But old habits die hard... even after six years of marriage..." He glanced back towards the house where his mother was resting from the afternoon heat. "We've also got a problem..."
"What?" she asked worriedly.
"Mother left a letter behind... hidden in her bible... we have t' fetch it," Jack said quietly, ensuring he could not be overheard.
"London!" Catherine gasped, realising his intention immediately. "Is that wise after last time?" She frowned, looking up at Jack. "What is so important about the letter?"
"She wrote t' m' real father when I was born... but never sent it," Jack explained. "If th' letter is found by George he'll waste no time ensuring her disgrace..."
Catherine sighed but nodded. "When are we leaving?" she asked.
"Yer agree?" Jack gasped in surprise - he had been expecting an argument.
"You have already decided Jack," she smiled, leaning across and kissing him. "You are my husband as well as my Captain... you should know that I'll follow you anywhere."
Jack exhaled in relief that she had accepted his decision so readily. "We have t' drop off James an' then go t' get Mary... after that we'll head t' London. We can anchor at Ostend an' take passage across anonymously..."
Catherine stroked his face, mourning the loss of his beard and moustache so soon again. "And it was only just regrowing properly," she sighed. "Do you want me to shave it for you?" she teased.
"Not until we reach Ostend," he pleaded, scowling as she started to giggle. "Evil woman!"
"Aw, Jack..." She placed her arms around his neck, kissing him. "Whoever you are, in whatever guise, I will always love you, you great oaf!"
"Oaf!" he protested between kisses, wrapping his arms carefully around her waist and pulling her to him. "Oaf..." His kisses gained intensity as his hands pulled the back of her shirt from her trousers.
"Jack!" Catherine protested. "This is hardly the place..." A number of the crew on the beach had noticed and their ribald calls and clapping drawing more attention as the noise spread. "Jack!"
Reluctantly he let her go. "Yer mine t'night Kitty," he smiled.
"As long as you are gentle..." she began.
"Yer wound isn't still hurtin' yer?" Jack looked up at her worriedly.
"It pulls occasionally... like when I'm being manhandled..." she sighed, wincing as she stood up.
"Sorry luv," Jack apologised, scrambling to his feet and slipping his arm about her waist. "What can I do t' help yer?"
"I don't think there is anything left to do," she smiled, looking up at him teasingly. "I was going to ask somebody to row me back to the Pearl for a rest..."
"A rest eh?" Jack mused, twirling her hair in his fingers. "Perhaps I should join yer?"
"Perhaps..." She let the suggestion linger as she walked slowly down the beach with him. "Will you row?"
"Fer yer luv, anything," he grinned. "Even rowin'!" He pushed the boat off slightly before helping her in and jumping aboard himself. He picked up the oars, setting off eagerly for his ship which sat at anchor in the bay. He grinned at some of the ribald comments that accompanied their departure, uncaring that the crew knew his destination... well, he was the Captain and he deserved some perks. He looked up at Catherine as he rowed - yes, she was surely a pleasant perk.
###