NIGHT FEVER

Disclaimer. As Chapter 1.

NIGHT FEVER

Chapter Nine

Early the very next day, Jack went, with trepidation, to seek out Juliette and explain to her what had happened. Elizabeth made him promise that he wouldn't tire himself out, and warned him that he would receive an icy reception. It was imperative to his recovery that he did nothing to diminish his strength. She didn't know how long he would be, knowing Jack, she suspected that he would stay with Juliette until she was composed.

While he was gone, the cottage felt empty and desolate, as if the heart had been torn from it. No matter what task she set herself, Elizabeth found that she was glancing out of the window every few minutes to see if Jack was returning to her. Although she knew that for all of their sakes the whole sorry mess had to be finalised and laid to rest between them, it unsettled her to realise that Jack had relationships in his past. Why she felt this way she wasn't sure. He was a strikingly handsome man, a Captain and, she admitted, in a certain way, a scoundrel. Of course he hadn't lived like a monk all of his life. She just didn't want to think about it. It hurt. And so, she spent the rest of the day agitated and restless, desperate for his return.

It was evening before he arrived back. By this time she had wound herself into bundle of nerves. In fact, she had been ready to go out and look for him. She was dismayed to see that he looked shattered.

She had earlier managed to prepare a meal which she quickly set to reheat and then busied herself to making sure that he was settled. Jack seemed unaware of her frantic activity. He sat by the fire, gazing into the flames, speculative, quiet and withdrawn.

Elizabeth worried that she should have let him regain more strength before telling him. It had quite obviously been a shock and, although he looked so much better, his body had taken a beating and he was still in the process of recovering. She placed his meal at the table and watched, discreetly, as he pushed the food around his plate.

Finally, as if he could contain his thoughts no longer, he looked at her and murmured huskily, "Oh, Lizzie. It were a boy. I lost a son an' knew nothin' about it till t'day…"

"Oh…Jack!"

For the second time in 24 hours, she was there to pick up the pieces. Jack, her hardened pirate captain, who cut men down in battle and made life and death decisions at sea without a second's emotion, broke down and sobbed.

She held him, murmuring words of comfort, until he grew quiet, then silently led him to the bed and lay with him, his head against her breast until he slept.

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Elizabeth was up early the next day. She had hardly slept, thoughts whirling in her head until she had thought she would explode. Jack's close proximity hadn't helped. She had kept a close eye on him throughout the night in case of any relapse. Thankfully, his exhaustion had kept him asleep, probably, she thought, the best thing for him at present. She went to the kitchen and took the opportunity to sponge herself down. She was hot and sticky and quickly prepared some water, pulled the curtain across the room and stripped off.

She had just finished when she glanced up and saw Mr Gibbs heading for the cottage. She reached for her dress and pulled it on so that she was covered and decent, opened the door and went outside.

"Mornin', Miss Elizabeth." Gibbs said, "We docked late last night. I pick'd up a letter fer ye at t' Tavern. Thought it might be important like, so brought it as soon as I could."

"Thank you, Mr Gibbs. Jack's inside asleep but I'm sure a heavy footstep will wake him. Please go in. He'll be so pleased to see you. He had a tiring day yesterday, very emotional…but he'll tell you all about it I'm sure."

Elizabeth knew that Jack would recount the tale to the older man, and that in each telling the pain would lessen. She glanced at her letter. It was from Will.

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It was several hours before Elizabeth returned to the cottage. She had walked for miles, her mind spinning. Relief and guilt mixed in equal measures. She had her freedom…but at what cost? Will had told her that he would always love her but understood her reasons for asking to be released, and had agreed to it. She knew that she would love him until the day she died, but not in the way he wished. Being separated for 10 years at a time could not work for her, and dear, sweet William had slowly become an anchor around her life, stopping her from achieving the things she held dear…a man by her side who loved her and a family of her own. None of this could ever happen with him and it had destroyed her love. She loved Will as if he were her Brother, someone to whom she could tell her secrets and deepest fears, someone who would always look out for her and keep her safe. She and he could never be man and wife. She knew that and, now, so did he.

Elizabeth quietly entered the cottage to find Jack alone, pacing up and down, his face tight with fatigue and worry.

"Where the hell have you been, Lizzie? I've been worried sick. I didn't know where yer'd gone – if yer'd fallen and gone over the cliff or if yer were hurt s'where." His eyes devoured her.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I needed some time alone to think but I couldn't stay away any longer."

Jack looked puzzled. "Why did ye go then?"

"I needed to sort myself out. Work out my thoughts and come to terms with how I'm feeling. I'm in love with you, Jack."

Jack's head snapped up as if an unseen puppeteer had pulled an invisible string. His eyes sought hers and she actually saw all of his pain clear from them. "Say that again, luv." he managed to say.

"I love you, Jack. I realised that I've loved you almost from the first moment we met. I didn't realise it until I lost both you and Will. I missed you a thousand times more."

"But…William?"

"I'm free, Jack. I wrote to Will and explained everything to him. He's let me go. He's a good man."

"Ye told me that, once."

"Yes. You two have rather taken each other's place."

"And yer've lived to regret it, no doubt?"

"Is that what you think?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes." He whispered, his voice sounding tortured.

"Then you don't know me at all, Captain Sparrow." She whispered and walked up to Jack, taking his hands in hers and saying, "I've been waiting a very long time for this!"

She placed his hands on the pulse point at the base of her throat, then stood on tip toe and kissed him fully on the mouth.

THAT'S IT FOR NOW. MORE ASAP. REVIEWS PLEASE. MORE REVIEWS EQUAL FASTER CHAPTERS…TRUST ME…IT GETS HOTTER FROM HERE ON IN!