Jim looked up from his mug to see his mother walk in. "Uh oh." Silver heard his exclamation and looked where Jim was gazing. "Yer mom looks pissed." "I guess Jack must have told her where we were." Vixey caught sight of them and stomped her way through the crowd to stand in front of them. "James Francis Hawkins what in the world do you think you are doing?" "Um, sitting at the bar talking with Dad." "Don't you get smart with me young man, you know what I mean." Jim sighed, he knew he was in for it now. "I was going stir crazy on the boat and Dad went with me so I wouldn't be alone." Vixey's heart melted as he called Silver 'dad' so casually. But she couldn't loose focus. "You're in danger here. Becket is coming for you and if I loose you," her voice faltered as she tried not to think of what would happen. "I know he's coming. I'm going to kill him so he never causes you any more trouble. You deserve to be happy Mom." It was at that moment that everything went to hell in a basket.
The door was kicked open as Becket's men flooded in the small pub. Vixey could see Mercer and Becket stroll in through the middle of all the carnage and fighting as she kept Jim at her back. "If something happens to me, get Jim out of here," She yelled to Silver. "No way Mom, we're not leaving you this time." Vixey knew it was hopeless to try to argue with fate but she had to try. "I mean it Jim, he cant kill me but he can kill you." Her next words of warning was drowned out over the clanging of swords as she blocked Mercer from slitting her throat. "I see Becket's little lap dog has made his appearance. Why don't you go hump someone else's leg for a awhile." "You won't be so cocky when Becket has control over you."
Silver watched As Vixey and Mercer fought, trying to keep his eye on Jim. But he noticed Mercer seemed to be herding Jim somewhere. In horror he realized Jim was being led to Becket. With his mind, he tried to warn Vixey but she was concentrating too much on Mercer to hear him. He fought his way through hundreds of soldiers until he got to Vixey. "I'll hold Mercer off, you go help Jim. They're herding him like cattle right to Becket." Vixey dropped her human disguise and unfurled her wings as she flipped over the crowd to land if from of Jim. "You might want to look where you're going instead of what's in front of you," Vixey yelled as she crossed swords with Jim. Jim smiled at the traditional gesture. They had been doing it as long as he could remember. "Well excuse me, I don't have eyes in the back of my head like you do," Jim yelled back.
The next few moments crawled as if in slow motion and Becket caught her off guard and stabbed through her body to go through Jim. Vixey only felt a slight pressure as her senses registered Jim falling and a pool of blood blossomed beneath him. It was Vixey's worst nightmare come to life as she gathered Jim up in her arms and yelled to Silver to follow her. With one punch, Silver knocked Mercer unconscious and hefted him over his shoulder as he high tailed it out of there.
Davy was beside himself as he paced the deck. He couldn't lose her now, not after what he'd been through. As he looked toward the docks, he could barely make out a small figure heading this way. As he squinted he realized that it was the longboat.
Vixey cradled Jim's head in her lap as she used the wind to push them towards the boat. "M-mom?," Jim weakly croaked. "Shh, its ok. Save your strength," she whispered as she wiped a trickle of blood from his cheek. She fought the tears that were threatening to fall as she raced towards the Dutchman in hopes that Davy could save him. "D-dad, where's Dad?" "I'm right here lad," Silver said as he brushed the hair out of Jim's eyes. "I'm sorry Dad." "Fer what?" "For being so stupid, I thought that I could take care of Mom's problem but I was just being stupid." "Nay Lad, you were just trying to help yer Mum and no matter what, I'm proud of ye." "I love you Dad." Silver choked as he heard the words he'd been waiting to hear for a long time. "I love you too Jim, now save your strength."
After what seemed like an eternity, they made it on board the Dutchman. Davy's head swam as he saw Jim with a deep wound in his chest. He was barely breathing. Davy knew the boy was done for, but the look Vixey gave him made him wish otherwise. "What happened?" Then he caught sigh of Vixey's shirt, stained with blood. "Not all of that is his,' Vixey said catching where his gaze rested. "That filthy bastard Becket went through Vixey to get to Jim," Silver spat. "Is there anything you can do for him," Vixey said in a whisper. "Lo-Lass, the only thing I can do is make him one of us." "That wouldn't help, he'd still be dead, undead, whatever. He wouldn't be alive," Vixey said not catching what Davy almost called her. "No, you're right. The only thing we can do is make him comfortable. What about you?" "If Jim dies it wont matter anymore,' Vixey sighed. "Of course it does Love," Davy whispered. But even as he spoke, Vixey could feel Jim's life slipping away. "Can't ye heal him Love, Silver said. "It doesn't work on family, remember. I can try though." As she concentrated on the wound, she could feel her power leaving her body to absorb into his. But it wasn't working. That was proved as her power bounced back and threw her into the mast.
Davy cringed at the sickening crack the echoed as Vixey was slammed into the mast. At the same time, Jack and Jayde were climbing onto the Dutchman's deck but all they could do is stare in horror at the scene before them.
Shakily Vixey claimed to her feet, assisted by Clanker and Bill. Davy ached with wanting to push them out of the way and take her in his arms but now was not the time. As she knelt down beside Jim, she knew her time was limited. Her senses registered someone standing behind her and she didn't need to look up to see who. "I don't have a lot of time here so listen carefully. The Elemental was right. You can save me, but to do it, you need to get your heart back," she said quietly so Jim couldn't hear. "What do I need to do?" Before she could answer, Jim gasped and then went still. Vixey could feel the blood still draining from the wound in her chest and her heart pounding in her head as she felt the change begin.
Everything seemed to go into slow motion as Davy heard the cracking of bones and tearing of ligaments and tissue as Vixey's body was transformed. Her wings grew longer and thicker, almost 8 feet across. Her once beautiful face elongated into a dragon's snout as her body grew bigger and taller. A layer of black scales now covered her body and long, wicked looking talons appeared on her finger and toes as she dropped to all fours. When the transformation was finished, a large black dragon with green eyes stood in front of them. Her eyes wore an expression of hurt as she looked from Jim's body to Davy. Then her eyes settled on Mercer, who was just coming to. His eyes went wide when he saw her. "So he wasn't lying. Too bad for your son, the whelp would have made a fine soldier. You'll make a fine addition to the crew. " Her voice was the last thing to change as she listened to Mercer's taunting. "Too bad it be a crew you'll not be seeing again in this world," she growled, her voice taking a gravelly tone. Vixey leapt over her son's body to tackle Mercer to the deck. Before anyone knew what had happened, Vixey ripped across his belly with her claws. Her battle cry was more of a roar now but Davy could hear the mournful tones mixed with it. Finally bored with clawing Mercer into a bloody hunk of meat, she ripped out his spine through his throat.
Jack watched the events unfold in horror before attempting to approach Vixey. "Luv, you got to snap out of this." Vixey whipped around and growled at him, her tail lashing back and forth. "Go tell the Swamp Witch not to tell Becket or anyone else about the rest of the curse, and also tell her we have a score to settle." "Alright Luv, what else?" She cast a sorrowful look at Jim before turning back to Jack. "Bury him on the island he was born on, at the top of the hill with everyone else." "Of course Luv." "And Jack," she lowered her voice so only he could hear, "Help Davy get his heart back. It's the only thing that will save me." As she finished the last word, she could feel her voice disappear. All she could do now is roar or growl. She found that her mental link with Jayde was still active as well as a new one.
Jack gulped when she mentioned the heart. She now knew what he knew about the heart. But how did she find out? As Jack pondered this, none of them noticed the ship that sailed up beside them. "Well isn't this touching," a familiar voice rang out. Everyone looked to see Becket smiling triumphantly. "I see the witch was right. Come Dragon." Vixey couldn't stop herself from obeying him as she jumped over to his ship.
Davy felt his heart sank as he watched Vixey grab Mercer's body before uttering her sorrowful roar as she boarded Becket's ship. He watched Becket's ship sail further and further away until it disappeared. He knew it was useless to go after them without his heart. It was strange how many feelings were still there even though his heart wasn't. But he never felt them until she came into his life.
Vixey was also feeling the loss, several in fact. Jim's death was the hardest by far but leaving Davy came in close second. As she watched the Dutchman get smaller and smaller, she realized that there was no more hiding from it. She could finally totally admit to herself that she loved Davy Jones.
Vixey was given free roam of the ship but was ordered not to leave it. She realized that she had a mental link with Becket, a thought that made her sick. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Vixey found that it blurred together. Time meant nothing to her as Becket made her destroy ship after ship. Many a pirate fell to her mighty strength as well as her ice breath, an ability she discovered by accident. She had hoped she wouldn't be capable of it but luck was not on her side.
Meanwhile, life on the Dutchman and the Pearl was almost at a standstill. The only thing they had done so far was to bury Jim via Vixey's wishes. Davy still couldn't set foot on land for a few months so he settled with standing on a water jet at the top of the cliff. His mind swam with possibilities on how his heart could help her.
Jack's mind was also swimming. He couldn't figure out a way to tell everyone that he knew where the heart was all along. Jayde knew something was up but she was so busy with the baby she didn't have time to ask him. He knew Davy would be inclined to run him through but with his attachment to Vixey he might be spared. He hated doing anything to help Davy Jones but if it would help save Vixey he would do anything. With heavy heart, he made his way to the captain's quarters and knocked on the door.
Davy was not happy to see Jack Sparrow, that much was sure but he was more curious as to why Jack would come to him. "Jack Sparrow, what be yer purpose in me cabin?" "I know who has yer heart."
Davy saw red. Jack knew where his heart was all along and didn't say anything. "Where be it then?" "Becket has it. I don't know how he got his hands on it but if we can figure out where he keeps it, we can get it back, attack his ship and kidnap Vixey." "Why kidnap her? She'll want to leave Becket." "Aye, but he's ordered her to stay on board and she'll fight us tooth and claw whether she wants to or not." Davy thought about this for a moment. "How do ye know he ordered her to stay onboard.?" "Jayde said her mental link is still intact. Vixey tells her everything they do and where they are. Becket has a mental link with her too but he doesn't know about the one she has with Jayde." "Aye, and let's hope it stays that way. If Becket decides to use me heart against me he really will rule the world; land, sea and air." "There's something else Jayde said but she didn't make much sense. She said that Vixey told her she has another mental link and its not with Becket." "Maybe it be with you then," Davy muttered. He didn't dare hope the link was with him, that would be wonderful. "No, it's not with me. I tried. It's not Silver either. I gather it be you. Has she tried to contact you?" "No. Has he hurt her yet?" "I don't think so. But I don't think he would have to unless he just wanted the sheer thrill of it." Davy said nothing at that, he knew Jack was right. With Vixey under his control, there was no need to hurt her unless he just wanted to torture her. "We must find out where Becket keeps the heart. Only then can we plan for a rescue." "What if he has Vixey guarding it?" Davy knew Jack could be right. Could he hurt her to help her? He knew she'd forgive him but would he be able to forgive himself if he had to fight her? "Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Ask Jayde to see if she can get Vixey to tell her." "I was just going to suggest that," Jack grinned as he headed off to find Jayde.