I hated writing this chapter, it was fun in the beginning, but I didn't like writing... this chapter. Not a bit. But I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you for the reviews, they mean so much and I hope had/or are having a good spring holiday!

Review replies:

KRR: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter :) I hope you enjoy the new one!

Anon: You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. Seriously, I think that is the best compliment ever, it sucks for the other Jack/OC fictions, lol, and I feel bad ruining them all for you, but dang, that... that is just the most awesome thing I ever heard, so thank you so much :)! I'm doing the one shots for the series, don't worry ;) Hope you enjoy the new chapter


Chapter Twenty-nine: The Captain of the Flying Dutchman

Christopher stood up after he came onto the main deck, squinting his eyes as the sun blinded him. But he could see that they were about to go into this cave that wasn't too far off. And this cave was one he never had seen before sailing in the ocean. He thought to himself, That must be where Shipwreck Cove is, no wonder we could never find it. Chris heaved a sigh before his thoughts faded away when he heard Smithy's voice by Jack's cabin, "I don't care if she doesn't want to be disturbed, she has to get her bandages changed!"

"But... but the Captain, he said that she didn't want to be disturbed by people barging in." Chris raised his brow at the voice and turned around to see a chubby man and a skinny one guarding the cabin doors. Why were they doing that? And... why would Jack say Nicolette would not like to be disturbed? She wasn't even awake... unless...

Christopher made his way, he needed answers! "Hey, what's going on?" Christopher asked to them both as he approached them. Murtogg and Mullroy looked at him with their eyes suddenly widened. They knew him from the company! What was he doing there? On... on this pirate ship. They only met him once or twice and had seen him around, but... did they think that they would meet a fellow officer on this ship?

Murtogg went to speak, when Smithy interrupted him. Chris looked over to see him holding a wooden crutch and bandages in one hand, and a jar and locket in the other. Before Smithy spoke though, Chris took the crutch out of his hand and the jar to help him. "I'll tell ya what they said to me! Sparrow told them to tell anyone who comes by that Nic doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone—by knocking, barging in," he counted these off of his fingers, "arguing, and shoving. Oh, and that Nicolette is fine. But these blokes here do not understand that I be having to have to take a look at her wound and tell her some things, I do not give a rat's ass what she would say."

"Wait..." Christopher said holding his hand up. He looked over to Murtogg, "Nicolette is... alive?"

"Well, she's okay!" Mullroy exclaimed. Christopher snapped his head over to him and Chris didn't say anything while he observed this man. He looked familiar. Mullroy gotten small under Chris' scrutinizing stare, "We... were... told to guard these doors, in case someone wanted to disturb her."

"Even her brother?"

"Well... he didn't at all specify on who." Murtogg added to Christopher reluctantly. "But the order he gave us with was to stay here and make sure no one barges in, knocks, argues, and shoves." Christopher raised his eyebrow at the last part, how would shoves exactly disturb her? Murtogg said after, "And he didn't say that anyone was allowed in... he just said make sure no one—."

"Make sure no one passes." Mullroy added in next to him, cutting him off. Murtogg looked over at him with a glare.

Christopher stood there silent trying to register this. Who did bloody Sparrow think he is? Christopher shook his head and went to the door to barge in, but Murtogg and Mullroy stood in his way defiantly. Christopher's jaw clenched warningly and he was about to do something that he would regret doing after it is done, but he thought better of it. He asked them, "Don't you two have anything better to do other than guard a door?"

Murtogg and Mullroy only exchanged glances at each other before Murtogg looked back at Christopher, "Well, we were told to do this."

"Aye... you were told," Christopher repeated to himself, looking around himself. Once these men got something in their heads they weren't going to back off, huh? Christopher was thinking that he would think of something if he just took a look around, and that was when he saw Captain Barbossa standing at the helm. There were two Captains of the Black Pearl. Christopher backed up a few steps and cuffed his mouth to shout up to the helm, "Captain Barbossa! We need you down on the main deck, if you please!"


"So... this Esmeralda," Nicky started after a long moment of thought. Jack had finished his tale to her on how he had gotten the brand on him. It was impressive. She was shocked by how honest his tone was to her, and even how he gave her every little detail of what happened. Some of it was just so unbelievable, that Nicolette gave him a look like he was crazy. But... he was honest. No exaggerations, none of it, no matter how much some of it she wanted not to be true... like the women he included in it. Specifically this woman, Esmeralda... who gave him his piece of eight. Jack smirked hearing the jealousy leak into her voice as she said her name.

Nicolette continued to him, "She's not around any more, is she? This," she said in a fake Spanish accent, "this Latina beauty."

Jack chuckled and shook his head no, "Nope, last I hear, she settled down in Spain with this bloke she met in Trinidad, I forgot his name though... she has a family now."

"Ah, and this Ayisha... or Armen—."

"Amenirdis," Jack corrected her quickly. Far too quickly. Nicolette looked up at him with her eyebrow raised, but she didn't say anything. She didn't feel the need to say anything about it. From what he told her, this woman as well he would never see again, with what Beckett had done to prevent that from happening. Nicolette rested her head on his chest, putting her hand over the one Jack had on her waist.

She slowly continued after, trying to not sound like she was when she talked of Esmeralda, "Yes, her. You never got to see her again?"

"Nope."

"You never went back there after all you went through with her?" Nicolette asked him. She sounded slightly dismayed hearing that. Nicolette didn't stand the thought of Jack being with her, correct, but she did seem like a nice, brave woman. She wouldn't mind meeting her one day if it came to it. But she doubted that she could ever.

"Love, if it was possible, I would have," Jack started to her. Nicolette wanted to frown at that, but didn't. She picked up Jack's hand once more and played with the rings that were on his fingers before intertwining them with her own. "But, that fog with her help was excruciating, I don't think I experienced anything more worse than going through it. It was bloody torture for me, for my men and for that bloke's, Christophe's men, I have not an idea on what a toll it would took on them. They all left with their eyes so wide, I remember."

"It doesn't sound like anything that I want to experience."

"Nor should it be. Whoever wants to experience it has to be out of their bloody mind to even think that. Hearing all the men now that I've wronged wrongly, bloody hell, can't even imagine that."

"You said that you saw images, too, bad images." Jack nodded against her head. This made her shiver. She could name a lot of unkind things and sins she committed this past year that guilt her everyday. The pirate's life was hers, of course. She chose it, but Nicolette could never get past the battles she went through while in it. The only things she liked about being a pirate were the three things, the sea, the Black Pearl's crew, and... and Jack. If there weren't those three things, she would never imagine what she had done. "Can't imagine it at all. Remember when I first started pirating with you, when I fought with the crew taking that ship on here for the first time?"

"Aye... you had those nightmares for a week straight. Of course, I remember that." Jack hated that week. He hated comforting women when they were in need. But he said it before, and he would say it again, Nicky was different. The girl never needed to be comforted apart from that week straight. She stuck it out usually. But that did bother her, like it did with Jack for the first few times, to kill all those innocent people for the goodies they would plunder out of those ships. It was also the reason why Jack made her stay in the cabin the first few times so she wouldn't have to be exposed to it. But... she wanted to give it a go, feeling left out... and Jack had nothing else better to do other than let it happen. She didn't have a full night of sleep that week. She would always wake up sweating and someone like Anamaria would get Jack off the helm to go into the cabin, and hold her until she went back to sleep.

Jack could never forget that week. But why exactly did she have to bring that up now? He added to her after a moment, "Who would forget about that? You were the reason that I didn't do night duty for three months because I didn't trust ya by yourself any more at night. But... what of it?"

"Nothing..." Nicolette started. She thought about that. That was why he didn't do night duty any more, because of her nightmares? She only thought it was because it was tiring for him. "It's just that, I don't think I could live another night seeing those images again. It was just... horrible. It's shocking how I've gotten used to it so fast though."

"That's for certain. It's shocking how we all get used to it after a while."

"Aye..." Nicolette didn't like this subject. Her chest began to feel tight just speaking about it. She busied herself again with the ring on his finger, one in particular. Nicky found herself smiling when she said, "This one's pretty." Slowly she slipped it off of his finger, looking at the emerald green gem. It had a gold band. "I've never noticed it before."

Jack looked over at it curiously as she eyed it. He chuckled deeply, "You want it?"

"I think it would look good on my finger, yes."

"Too bad then," Nicky frowned as she looked over at Jack with disbelief. He was not phased, for he took the ring right out of her hand and took his hand back momentarily to place it back rightfully on his finger. He added for her, "I rather think it looks better on my finger. I rather like it there." He placed his hand back on her waist as Nicolette parted her mouth in surprise that he said no to her about it. That wasn't very nice to do. "That's why it's mine."

Nicolette shook her head, looking away from him. "Fine... if you want to look more feminine... I won't stop you." That comment slipped off of her tongue without any sort of control. But she thought that she was right. He did have so much more jewellery than what she had (she only having one thing that she would wear. She didn't even wear earrings any more like she used to). He did wear kohl on his eyes, but she knew that was to protect them from the sun, but he wore more than most pirates do wear. His attire was... colourful.

"Oi!" Jack exclaimed to her. Immediately sitting upright, no matter lounging behind her. Nicolette tried so hard to not laugh at him as he continued, "Feminine? Love, have you a clue of who I am?"

"Jack, you have more jewellery than me." She told him looking up at him.

"That... that doesn't mean a thing," Jack started to her before reclining back next to her. "I am far from feminine," Nicky chuckled next to him, shaking her head no to him. Jack looked down at her in disbelief, but he brought his forehead down to her own and cradling her jaw in one of his hands. Nicky brought her chin up to look up at him with a grin. He said to her huskily, "I can prove you not true, savvy?

"Really?" She asked him softly. "I don't think I believe you can."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Jack smirked down at her before lowering down his lips to her jawline, kissing along it softly. Nicolette closed her eyes as Jack continued to kiss her bottom lip, driving Nicolette in. Nicolette quickly covered her mouth with his and she moved both of her hands on his chest slowly taking his shirt out from under his breeches, never losing contact with Jack's mouth. She didn't bother taking it off, she brought her hands to Jack's neck while opening her mouth further so Jack could move his tongue inside.

They had forgotten the circumstances they were under. Nicolette moved to lay down on the bed while Jack began to slide out from under her. When Jack went to press himself down on her, Nicolette hissed in pain. "Jack..." she murmured softly as she looked down at herself, taking a good look at her chest bound with the gauze. Jack frowned taking note of this, he remembered all night worrying about her being alive, and now he was pressing down on her wanting more than what she could give... for now anyway.

Nicolette frowned up at him as he said with a nod, "I know." He moved away from her and went back to his original position next to her. Nicky slowly moved her head back on his chest. He placed his hand on her hip gently. She hated this already... she hated being fragile and she felt like this for a week all ready... fragile. "My apologies, Nicky, I should have—."

"Please don't say that. Don't apologize for anything. I'm just going to apologize for my own stupidity getting the stupid bullet in me in the first place."

"Love, it's not your bloody fault unless you shot yourself," Jack said to her with his brow furrowed toward her. Nicolette looked down at the bed, she really didn't remember who had shot her. The man she was fighting certainly did not. It was a stray... she suddenly believed. Then it was really her fault. She should have at least been more attentive in her surroundings. Though it was raining. And windy. The weather conditions were not exactly in her favour to pay attention. Nicolette was suddenly quiet as she went over the fight in her head. "You're fine now... that's all that matters to me anyhow."

Nicolette nodded against him as she held the hand on her hip again. Jack felt that this topic was too sensitive for her. So he changed it, "So... did I prove it for you?" A smirk tugged on the corner of his lips as he heard Nicolette humming satisfactorily. But she didn't answer him, only having a smile on her face. "I'm assuming that's a yes, then?"

"If you assume it..." she trailed off as she heard an argument break out outside of the cabin. "Jack?" She looked up at him as he groaned next to her. What did he tell those two? "Jack, what's going on?" She asked him confused. He obviously knew what was going on, but she had not a clue. Those idiots. Those bloody idiots couldn't do one thing for him. They couldn't tell people to go away or be more forceful? Of course not, they were both blubbering idiots... he wouldn't be surprised that they were in fact blubbering right now.

"Jack, why aren't you answering me?" Nicolette asked him frowning. What was happening that he knew was happening? She felt so out of the loop on what was happening on this ship.

"No reason," he said to her quickly, dismissing with a wave from what was happening, "It's nothing to worry your pretty little head about, Nic." From outside they could hear, 'The door is locked!' and someone turning the doorknob back and forth as if trying to turn it hard enough would open it.

"Nic? You never call me Nic." Nicolette said to him quickly. Out of all the months they spent together, he had never... ever called her Nic. Everyone else called her that. Not even when he was mad at her did he call her that. Only once and that was because they first met. Something was definitely going on that she didn't know about. "Jack," she said more carefully, looking him up and down, "what's goin—?"

She was interrupted by a gunshot and the door slamming open.

She yelped as Jack went out from under her and shouted, "What in the bloody—?" Nicolette laid in the bed as she watched what was happening in the main cabin from there. She groaned slightly as she moved herself to be sitting up more on the propped up pillows that were behind her. She watched as Smithy, Christopher, and Barbossa stormed in. Barbossa blew out his smoking pistol, but there was a grin on his face as he had done so, before putting it away. Nor Jack or Nic were grinning at this... they now needed a new lock! Christopher and Smithy however, they looked outraged, not about the fact that the lock to Jack's cabin was blown off, no, by the fact that they had to put through with his stupid order!

"Don't do that to us!" Christopher said to him, pointing his finger while cutting him off. He dropped the stuff in his hand on the nearby table as he looked to Jack, insulted. "You deserve every bit of that for telling Murtogg and Mullroy to guard the doors from us!"

"He knows who we are?" Murtogg said to Mullroy. Outside he might have figured it out. Well... hopefully there wasn't anyone else on this ship who would find them out. Mullroy answered the shrug as they kept out of sight outside of the cabin, not thinking it was worth seeing the Captain in there.

"Well, she didn't want to be disturbed! That doesn't mean you had to blow the bloody lock of me cabin off!"

"It's my cabin, too, Jack," Barbossa stated next to him with a smug grin on his face. Jack rolled his eyes annoyed at him. "So I have every right to blow the lock off of my cabin door when there is unwanted guests in it, just as much as you do."

"Captain?" Jack asked him incredulously. "What bloke would believe that coming out of your bloody mouth? Captain, my—."

"Who do you bloody think you are anyway?"Christopher asked him loudly. Smithy just stood there, not too keen on yelling at his Captain for this. Although, he was just as pissed off as the rest of them. "Who bloody told you that it was okay to lock us out of here with only word that she is fine? I'm her brother! The bloody least you could have done was send word to me the moment it happened instead of finding out in this sort of way."

Nic's hearing was becoming blurry as the argument continued between the four men there. Jack seemed outraged about what was going on, she could see it right there. He looked as though he would kill Barbossa again for what he done! She just about had it, laying down on the bed, being useless. And their argument, as it went on, was getting annoying.

Nicolette hated being left out. She shifted in the bed and swung her legs to the side carefully. Maybe it was too soon, she wasn't experienced when it came to being this injured. For when she sat up, she felt her chest immediately ache in protest and her mind whirled as she was about to take her first steps that morning. She gripped the night stand next to her to help her way up, but she didn't expect to feel the pain after that. Nicolette immediately felt her balance wobble as she hissed in pain, stumbling toward the door and holding onto it to support herself.

The slight noise of her made the attention go to her. "Nic!" Christopher quickly walked over to her as Jack stared at her baffled. Why was she bloody getting up now of all times? "You're okay!" Christopher hugged her around her neck and Nicolette was overcome by the sudden affection he gave her. The pressure on her chest came again and Nicolette hissed again, closing her eyes. "Oh... maybe you're not." He stated to her, moving away from her dismayed, but Nicolette managed a weak smile toward him.

"Well, she bloody won't be!" Smithy shouted from where he was. He walked over to her and Chris. Pushing him away, he pried Nic away from the door and brought her back to the bed roughly. "What do you think, Nic? Just getting shot square in the chest and you could walk on your two feet again? Are you daft?"

"Sometimes," Nicolette admitted to him sheepishly.

"Sometimes, try all the time." Jack stated to her while leaning on his door frame. He could fix the lock in Shipwreck, or... rather get a new one in Shipwreck, but Nicky he couldn't. She could have gotten hurt by the stunt she just did. He glared though behind his shoulder to see Barbossa standing there smugly.

"Well, I know dafter people." Nicolette countered, sending a glare over to Jack for his comment. "And I'm looking at him now."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked, why was she looking at him like that?

"I didn't tell you I wanted to not be disturbed," she simply said. Smithy gently made her lay down on the bed, propping the pillows up so she could lay back on those. "How could you even say that to them? Didn't it pass in your head that people would want to see me?"

"It did, but I didn't know you wanted them to see you in the condition you are, Nicky." That shut her up. He was right. She didn't know why she was trying to argue with him because... he was right. She didn't want to see anyone in how she was. It made her nervous to see Will and Elizabeth. She was actually surprised that they weren't in the crowd that fought their way to see her. Maybe they were still asleep... they did have a trying battle yesterday. Nicolette cast her eyes downward, she hoped Will would come up soon... she had to have a word with him. Their last exchange wasn't particularly kind.

Christopher looked down, his jaw tensing, he hated admitting that Sparrow was right, but he was. Christopher looked over at him apologetically, "I... I'm sorry about your door." Jack looked at him incredulously. Yeah, you're bloody sorry, thought Jack. Sorry, his ass. "If it helps, it was Barbossa's idea."

"That you agreed to," Barbossa added smugly, entering the bed chambers. Nicolette stared up at him as Barbossa eyed her from where he stood. The smirk on his face twitched a little, unsure how to take Miss Brown in this way. He knew she was a fighter, but was he one of the few that believed that she would survive? The smirk managed to stay, "And now, Miss Brown, how do ye feel right about now?"

"Like I've drowned twenty times over again." She stated her eyes narrowing. Jack remembered that and chuckled to himself from the frame. Nicolette forgot that Barbossa didn't even say that. "The shock of falling off the plank is just like the shock of getting a bullet in ya, eh?" she smirked back at Barbossa. Barbossa nodded over to her, remembering when he saw her fall off the plank and the laugh his crew shared after. He didn't know that she drowned however, assumed it, but know, he didn't.

"Well mutts aren't known to be good swimmers."

"That is true, and parrots don't know how to swim either, I'm guessing, eh?" Jack made a noise at the door as he tried to stop his laughter. Nicolette kept her smirk as she added in a high-pitched voice, "Polly want a cracker?" Barbossa's smirk quickly dropped into a sneer and he was debating to take out his pistol once more, but he didn't. He only narrowed his eyes at her and then moved them over to Jack who only grinned at him. But Barbossa grinned back at him, looking over at Nicolette, moving to the dresser, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Who's Polly?" Christopher asked them all. Smithy sat on the bed and took another pillow off of the top to put it where her feet should be.

He said to Chris though, "What's it matter to you who this Polly is?" Christopher shook his head, but he had to admit Smithy had a point, he didn't care who this Polly is.

Barbossa said to her bitingly, "I don't, but I'm sure your friend, Captain Turner, got several crackers from her already, aye?"

Nicolette's face fell, the confusion in her hazel eyes as she looked at Barbossa. Captain Turner? "Oh, Jack hasn't told his lass this yet?" He said coyly. Jack breathed in sharply as he dropped his own grin. Nicolette snapped her head over to him, now hurt and confusion took place.

"Jack, what does he mean?" She asked him boggled. Nicolette didn't know what to think. There was one Captain Turner that she knew of at that moment. And that was Elizabeth. Did something happen to her? Her mind immediately went to the worst thing that she could think of. No, she couldn't be... her and Will just got married. Her face grew more and more worried, her forehead wrinkling in genuine concern for her friend. But Chris pulled her away from her thoughts, and that was when the thought of Will made her mouth part in shock.

Christopher asked Jack, "You didn't tell her about Will yet, Jack?"

She breathed, "Will?" Nicolette suddenly felt her throat go dry. To think something happened to Will was absurd... he, out of all them, survived. After death itself, when he was always seemingly dead, he... he would survive. She hoped that this was a joke, he couldn't be dead, could he? After all they've been... oh no. Nicolette looked over at Jack, the very thought of Will on that ship made her heart break. That was... he took... no, he couldn't have done that. "Jack, what has happened to him?"

Jack frowned grimly to her, but looked over at Chris, ignoring her question. "I was getting to that, mate. If I wasn't interrupted, I would have told her by now."

"You should have told her right away," Christopher said. His eyebrows knitting together as he looked Jack up and down. Now his sister was going to be even more devastated about it. If she was already told then it was over with. But... now, Christopher didn't want to think about it.

Jack glanced over at Nicolette, his eyes were apologetic, but it seemed to her that he was also upset about what had happened. Like he was still coping through it. Jack glanced back at Christopher, "The moment hasn't presented itself yet."

"What do you mean by that? You still should have told her, now what is she going to think? She hasn't a clue!"

"Then why don't you tell her since you are so keen to argue with me?"

"Because I could have prevented it from happening if you hadn't stopped me!" Christopher shouted to Jack angrily. Jack's shoulders slumped as Christopher looked to Nicolette who was still in shock of hearing Will's name. "I'm sorry, Nic," said Christopher. He shook his head at himself, his own throat going dry before he muttered quickly, "I... I got to go." With that, Christopher abruptly left the room, leaving the room in silence. Nicolette closed her mouth and felt her tears brimming in her eyes as she stared distantly in front. She didn't want to hear it now. But she hated being ignored.

She looked to Jack, taking in a deep, trembling Jack. She didn't know how to feel right now. Hurt? For he didn't tell her before. Or confused? "Jack, I don't like being ignored. Just tell me," she said to him, trying hard to not let the tears come out of her eyes. Jack looked at her conflicted on whether or not to tell her there. He would rather... he would rather wait when Smithy and Barbossa were not here, looking at him as they were now.

Jack walked up to her, tucking his shirt quickly into his breeches and tightening his waistcoat over it. He put a hand on her shoulder and leaned to just kiss her forehead. Then he straightened his back, telling her, "Later, I will tell you." Nicolette looked up at him in disbelief as he turned to Smithy, "But for now, I think Smith has a couple of things right now to give to ya, am I correct?"

Smithy took a deep breath before nodding slowly to him. He let out a hoarse, "Aye."

"Aye, then," Jack looked down at Nicolette before he told her, "I'll be at the helm, if there is anyone else that is going to steer this ship to Devil's Throat, it's me." He didn't dare look at Barbossa as he moved past him into the main cabin and then into the Caribbean air, closing the door behind him and leaving Smithy, Barbossa, and Nicolette alone. Barbossa believed his work was finished. When he turned to leave the room to leave though, Nicolette's voice came to him coldly.

She said to him, trying not to choke on her words, "Why don't you tell me then?" Barbossa stopped in his place at the frame of the door, but didn't turn around to face her. "You were so quick to mention it to me before, why don't you tell me?" Barbossa furrowed his brow to the ground before putting on an emotionless face to face her.

"You are a smart girl," he started to her, facing her again. Nicolette pursed her lips as she looked him up and down. His face was cold, hard. No emotion. Not even that bit of mischief or intelligence in his own eyes looked back at her... that was usually there. It was scary for Nicolette to not see that. The Barbossa that she usually bantered with wasn't there. She was facing someone different. It bothered her greatly. He continued to her, "You should know it all ready. A man like me shouldn't need to tell you it, Miss Brown. You've figured it out all ready."

Nicolette gulped, faltering back a little. She spoke out after a moment, "You're... you're right I did." It was the only conclusion that she could come to. It was the worst that she could think of... and how everyone was acting now it was the only thing that could make sense. "But... that doesn't mean that you are off the hook, Barbossa. You're a coward for not telling me, like you've always been. You do not mention something to someone and then not continue. So... please," she added, her voice cracking as she ended, her feelings starting to overcome her.

Barbossa didn't know what to say. His cold expression toward her fell for a moment and Nicolette saw something that she really hadn't seen on him before again. Was it possible that he had feelings... that meant that he wasn't an enemy to her any more? This time... he was more of a friend to her? But it quickly went away when he looked away from her, "It's something that Sparrow has to tell ye. What happened on the Dutchman is not something that I know most about meself, and the tale isn't mine to be told."

Nicolette sat there as her and Smithy watched Captain Barbossa leave the room as well. The man that started the talk of Will... couldn't stay to tell her the rest, when no one else wanted to tell her. Both Nicolette and Smithy sat there in silence, there were no words that could explain how she was feeling. Aye, Nicolette figured it out easily.

Far too easy because it was the only possible thing to happen. Will... her best friend... her brother but not by blood... could no longer be by her. Could no longer comfort her. Could no longer help her through anything. For ten years... once every ten years. He was condemned now.

She had said horrible words to him before. Words that she couldn't take back. Their last exchange, their last real exchange was in the brig, the argument. That was the worst of it.

Nicolette looked to Smith, her walls coming down that blocked what she wanted to do before. Cry. "Smith..." immediately her head fell onto his shoulder as Smithy comforted her in a friendly embrace. He tried to say words to comfort her, but she couldn't hear them, her sobs were the loudest thing in the room for what she knew the fate of her best friend, the new Captain of the Flying Dutchman. The funny thing was, her and Smith were never this close before now. He was just the only one that stayed to comfort her shock.


:'( Like I said, I hated writing this ending... and I'm just going to hate writing the next chapter as well. I was actually almost crying writing it, too. But I hope you all enjoyed it :)