Is this getting too long I wonder?. I'm only about half way so I just want
to make sure no one is getting bored cause I know it's hard to read a many
chaptered story.
**************************************************************************** ************
"I was havin' a thought Jules", Jack began from where he sat in a chair when Julianne entered her cabin. "Once we get to Isla de Muerta and we find the Pratt root those bastards want, we might as well just go on and take it back to em. I mean, what do we care what they do with their lives. And it won't be a total waste for us o course. Rubina said we'd be paid handsomely for our services. Besides, I'm sure there'd be enough that we could keep a bit for ourselves too. You know, for fun, like it was in the good ol days."
"I think that's an excellent idea Jack", Julianne responded mechanically, rooting around the cabin for something. This was not the first time they had had this conversation over the course of the past few days, and now that they were only a few hours from their destination, Jack was becoming increasingly more persistent.
"See, that's what I've been tryin to tell you all along", he continued to rant. "Then they get what they want, and we get our money plus a little fun, everybody wins."
"You're absolutely right, I don't know why I didn't see it before", she lied as she continued searching. Since they had left Passions Cove, Juli had dealt with Jack fairly well. She had made sure he ate and drink, mostly by force, and even got him to sleep a bit by tiring him out. For the most part, the difficulties of getting past the physical part of quitting were being steadily faced, and now it was only the mental that presented a real problem. It was in the later stages of deprivation that the mind started to go, and it was this stage that Jack was experiencing right now, causing him to spend most of his time trying to think up ways to convince Julianne that destroying the drug was not in their best interest. For the most part she agreed with him to keep him content. She had dealt with the situation well enough before to know better than to trust anything he said, but found that agreeing was always much easier along the way. Besides, at the present moment, she had much more pressing things weighing on her mind to be arguing with him. What was bothering Julianne was the actual finding of the Pratt root. Growing only in certain climatic conditions, her guess was that it was more likely that Barbossa actually had a stock of it hidden on the island rather than that it grew there. Being if that were true, there was only one person who knew the caves of the island, and that was Jack. This meant that if she wanted to find it and destroy it, she was going to have to take him onto the island with her to navigate, which she particularly did not want to do. It was bad enough that he was already scheming up ideas to keep the drug, she definitely did not want him getting any ideas about taking the treasure of Cortez while he was there. The very thought plagued her every waking moment since they had pulled out of the little harbor those 4 days ago, and now more than ever. Struggling to focus, and still unable to find what she was looking for, Julianne began tearing her quarters to pieces. Overturning things and throwing others, the cabin was becoming quite a mess as things began littering the floor. Growing angrier with each passing second, her frustration became quite apparent to Jack when she threw an empty bottle from its place on the table and watched it shatter onto the floor.
"What's with you?" he asked as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?" she screamed at him, on the verge of cracking from all the stress she'd been under because of him. "THE COMPASS", she began to explain and then suddenly a wave of realization came over her and she marched over to Jack, grabbed him by his long hair and seethed, "YOU 'AVE IT, DON'T YOU? WHERE IS IT?"
An evil grin spread across his face. "You mean this compass", he asked wickedly, pulling the compass out of his pocket and holding it tight.
"GIVE IT TO ME", Julianne demanded.
"You know, I don't think I will. Ya see I'm on to you. You thought ye 'ad me fooled but I know what's going on 'ere. You took it from me, pretended you just wanted to get there to destroy the root and move me loot, but I know. I know its all a lie. I know what you really want. To steal me treasure, and then leave me stranded somewhere while you make off with it. But you won't now, now that I've got what you need to get there. Now I'm in charge, and we're going to do what I want."
"ARGGG!", Julianne screamed, letting go of his hair and pulling out her sword. Holding the point to his neck, rage burning in her eyes, Julianne had had just about enough of Jack Sparrow for one lifetime.
"GIVE IT TO ME NOW JACK", she demanded again, struggling to control herself.
"No", he replied firmly but calmly. After a minute, "Go on then, do it if you want to. Ah, but you lack the courage of your conviction my dear Julianne."
That was it, the straw that broke the camel's back. Without thinking and with one quick flick of her wrist much the same as she used on Cordei in the Faithful Bride, Julianne withdrew her sword from Jack's neck, leaving a nice clean slice down the front of his chest. As he collapsed forward clutching the wound, she grabbed the compass from his hand, walked out of the cabin, and left him sitting there bleeding. Stalking out onto the deck, her entire crew turned and stared as she sheathed her bloody sword. "Elizabeth", she called to the young woman who had been talking to some of the sailors on the main deck.
"Yes", she answered approaching the frazzled captain.
"Captain Sparrow has 'ad a bit of an accident. Please see to it that e's taken care of", Julianne instructed then turned and headed for the helm.
Julianne did not go below to check on Jack once the rest of the way to Isla de Muerta, nor did she move from her place at the helm of the ship. Watching the compass, she carefully and nervously navigated the Renegade and the Pearl through the dangerous waters and brought them to a stop when they had come as close as they could. Pulling both ships side by side, she stood on the railing of the Renegade's main deck and gave both crews their orders.
"Let's not make a day of it alright", she yelled. "Get in there, get the loot on the Pearl, and get out. And if any of you so much as thinks about touchin that chest, it'll be the last thing you ever do."
"Aye, aye Cap'n."
Calling Dipst and Ana to her, she thrust her and Jack's pistols into their hands. "Anyone goes near it, shoot them." Both first mates nodded, took the pistols, and made to leave with the crews.
Jumping down from where she stood, Julianne headed back to her cabin, threw open the door and walked in. She found Elizabeth sitting at her desk reading one of her books.
"Where is he?"
"In bed."
"'Ow is he?"
"Fine, it wasn't deep."
"I know", Juli replied going for the door between the two rooms.
"You did that to him?" she heard Elizabeth ask, more as a statement of disbelief. Julianne stopped, turned around and looked at her. She did not answer, but her silence and hard gaze spoke volumes. Proceeding back to Jack, she found him laying in bed on his back, and staring blankly at the ceiling. Still angry from before, she showed no mercy grabbing him but the shirt and pulling him up and out of bed. Dragging him from the cabin, neither spoke to one another the entire way from the Renegade on the row boat to the cave. Julianne rowed the entire way, Jack continued to stare. Once landing, she again pulled up him but this time much gentler than before.
"Come on Jack", she said softly into his ear, stepping up close to him and putting a hand to the back of his neck. "Let's find what we need to make you feel betta."
Jack did not answer, but after looking into her eyes for a moment he took the torch she held in her hand and began leading her into the dark and twisted tunnels. They searched for just around 20 minutes when they finally stumbled into a small cavern contained a few crudely made chests. Kicking one open, Julianne saw that they had found what they were looking for. Seeing what he had been longing for, for so long, Jack's eyes lit up and after sticking the torch into the ground he scurried to one of the chests and began sifting through all the plants that lay inside.
"Alright", Julianne began, "you stay 'ere while I go and get a couple o the crew to help move this stuff onto the ship."
Jack nodded, refusing to take his eyes off their find.
"Oh and Jack", she continued raising the thin plank of wood that she now held in her hand. He turned towards her just as she swung the board in a wide arc to connect with the side of his head. "I'm sorry", she finished, as he fell unconscious to the ground. A pang of guilt washed over her as she stood there looking at him lying on the ground, but then Julianne remembered why she was doing it and quickly let the guilt subside. Being a pirate, Julianne was strong, much stronger than any other woman her size or stature. None the less though, carrying the dead weight of Jack proved to be even too much for her. Dragging him by his arms from the little cavern, she set him up propped against the wall and then walked back in. Kicking open the remaining chests, she removed the torch from the dirt and threw it into the closest one. She stood there for a minute, watching it burn feeling a mix of both slight regret and deep satisfaction. Turning back around, she walked back out and grabbed Jack. She had not hit him very hard, so it was only a matter of time until he regained consciousness. Again dragging him by the arms, she pulled him across the rocky ground back through the caves and into the large cavern where both crews were still hard at work moving the Pearl's hoard. Propping him up against another wall, Julianne walked to the middle of the cavern to check the progress of the operation.
"What are we gonna do with this?" Dipst inquired from where he stood with Ana next to the large gold chest that held the cursed treasure.
"Nothing, when we're done, we're just going to leave it." She stood there and talked with the two of them for a bit longer while the rest of the men were finishing up with their work.
Across the cavern, consciousness slowly began returning to Jack stimulated by the senses. All around him he could hear the clinking of metals and could smell the scent of smoke. At once everything came flooding back to him and he remembered where he was. Opening his eyes, he looked up and saw Julianne standing by the chest with Ana and Dipst. Still crazed with the Devil's Blood, and now further fueled by anger, he quickly stood himself up, tore the sword from a nearby sailor and strode angrily toward Julianne.
"YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH!", he yelled, quickly approaching her with his sword outstretched and ready to strike. All around him, crewmen stopped what they were doing and watched in wonder. From where she was standing, Juli took a few steps down and drew her sword as well. Behind her, she heard the cocking of two triggers and two swords being unsheathed by Will and Gibbs.
"No", she ordered over her shoulder. "This is between me and Jack."
"You're damned right it's between us", he sneered maliciously, now within striking range. "I was right about you, you fuckin little whore. I was right all along."
A hush fell over everyone except for Anamaria who chastised Jack angrily.
"Jack, you're talking crazy", she interjected.
"Ana", Julianne silenced her.
"You just stay out of this wench", Jack also yelled at her. "I know the two o you've been corroborating this whole thing together. Bloody women. What's was that you used to say Gibbs?"
"I don't know Captain."
"Well I do. Bad luck to 'ave a woman on board, that's what it was. And a captain and a first mate, thems the worst kind", he spat at Julianne, who still had not said a word to him.
"You know, I've just about 'ad it with you", he continued to her. "You've been nothin but a damned pain in me ass from the get go. Always tellin me what to do, trying to control me. WELL I'M DONE WITH IT! What I mean to say is, I'M DONE WITH YOU!" With that, he began to swing his blade violently in her direction. Fortunately, Julianne was prepared. When it came to sword fighting, the two were pretty evenly matched, Jack slightly besting her most of the time, but at a serious disadvantage in his current state.
They crossed blades with each other for several minutes there in the cave in front of their crews. For her part, Julianne remained cool and collected, blocking his vicious attacks but not throwing many of her own. She knew that the crazed fiend in front of her was not Jack, not her Jack. Hoping that eventually he would just tire out, she kept up her game plan until it became apparent that Jack or not, he was out for blood and would not be satisfied with any less. Realizing this, Juli stepped up her efforts a bit, now just wanting to end the confrontation and get off the wretched island on which they stood. She thrust her sword at him with control and accuracy. A lesser swordsman would have been undone, but Jack possessed a dexterity that allowed him to block the unexpected attack and counter. But overwhelmed by anger, he had abandoned reason and fairness and did not counter with his weapon. As Juli finished executing her move and spun gracefully around him, he turned aside and swung his fist which connected with her right cheekbone with crushing force. The blow would have been enough to send even the largest man crashing to the ground, but Julianne finished her turn to come back around. Around her she could hear the hissing of disapproving sailors, both her's and Jack's, who were disgusted at the other captain's obvious disregard for the rules of engagement.
Stopping to face him again, her face starting to swell and bleed, Julianne saw that Jack had taken a slice to Ana's hand and was now holding his pistol in his own, aiming it directly at her head. Juli froze, her sword held out but down to her side, and stared at Jack. She could feel the trails of blood beginning to run their course down the length of her face.
"15 years of my life were spent on you", Jack seethed through clenched teeth. "Wasted on you. The things I could'ave been doin, the places I could'ave seen, the women I could'ave been with. But no, I got stuck with you instead. WELL NOT ANYMORE!" he yelled cocking the trigger.
For that split second, time seemed to stand still there in the cavern. They say that when you're about to die your entire life flashes before your eyes, but this was not so for Julianne. All she could see was Jack, pistol in hand, almost hoping he would pull the trigger just so it would take away the pain of having her heart stabbed and the knife turned. Silence filled the cave, so quiet that the sound of the condensation dripping was over powering. Julianne could make out the sound of her own blood hitting the ground, until she realized that what had fallen had actually been tears. In front of her Jack still stood, eyes burning, pistol aimed and ready to fire a bullet straight between her eyes.
"I always knew you'd be the end of me somehow", she whispered, raising her chin and dropping her sword which clanged loudly on the ground. Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes and waited for the shot. It never came. When she opened them again moments later, Jack was still standing there in the same position. As if being woken from some kind of daze, he shook his head, then un-cocked the trigger and let the pistol slip from his hand. Jack now looked around him as though he had no idea how he had even gotten into the cave in the first place. Aware that the confrontation was over, the crew silently went back to their work and carried out the last of the Pearl's loot. For a few minutes, Julianne stood where she was staring at the ground. Looking up and seeing that most everyone had gone out, she picked up her sword, and Jack's pistol, and walked over to the chest. Motioning to Ana, Dipst, and Will, the four of them pushed against its weight and succeeded in toppling it into the water, spilling its contents to the bottom. Satisfied that everything was complete, she pulled out Jack's compass, laid it on the ground, and smashed it to bits with the handle of her sword.
"Let's go", she ordered the few that remained in the cavern. Walking the perimeter of the cavern, she began knocking over each of the torches one by one, then walked to the center, took the still dazed Jack by the arm, and led him out without a word. Behind her, the two first mates along with Will and Gibbs, stared in shock at her actions. All silently agreed that if she had thrown him in the fire and left him to die, it would have been what he deserved.
***
Julianne stopped her rowboat in front of the Pearl. Looking up, she found that Jack had made no motion to get out or that he was even aware of what was going on.
"Your ship Captain", she stated.
Now he looked up at her, then at the Pearl. Understanding what she was implying, he slowly pulled himself up and grabbed hold of the rigging which would carry him up and onto his ship. Waiting until he was safely on board, Julianne rowed to her own ship and boarded. Going directly for the helm, she gave the command to get them moving and the Renegade began to glide out and away from Isla de Muerta forever, followed by the Pearl. She sailed straight on for about an hour and then brought the ship to a halt.
"We're not going any further tonight", she called to the crew. "Lower the anchor, we sit 'ere til morning."
They obeyed. On the Pearl, Jack had spent the hour standing at the helm, staring at Julianne's silhouette on the back deck of the Renegade. When the other ship began to slow and eventually stopped, Jack followed suit and pulled the Pearl up beside it.
As the crew batted down the ship, Julianne walked to her cabin and slammed the door purposefully. She sat there for a few minutes, head in her hands, and for the first time that she could remember since her father died, Julianne broke down and bawled. The tears stung the open wound on her cheek, but she continued to cry until she heard a knocking on her door. Eventually, once she figured Juli had had enough time to cool down, Ana crossed from the Pearl to the Renegade and knocked lightly on the door of the captain's quarters.
"Go away", Juli yelled at the knocking.
"Jules it's me", came Ana's calm response. "Come on, let me in, someone's got to look at that cheek."
Knowing the other woman was right, Julianne conceded and told her to come in. Ana was well prepared, she had brought everything she would need. Getting out a cotton swab and a bit of alcohol, she set to work cleaning it without saying so much as a word.
"'Ow bad does it hurt?" she finally asked when it was looking as good as possible.
"Pretty bad. It's prolly broken, or at least cracked."
Ana nodded and now set to cutting off the extra skin that hung from the scrape.
"He wants to see you, ye know."
"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE WANTS" Juli slammed her fist down on the desk. "IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS. I SHOULD'AVE LEFT HIM TO BURN."
"No one would 'ave blamed ye if ye did. But that's beside the point, you know that's not 'ow you really feel."
"Ana, I've put up with this for too long."
"I know you 'ave."
"I don't want to do this anymore."
"But you're goin to. You need 'im just as much as he needs you."
"I think he made if perfectly clear tonight that he doesn't need me. And I'm really not so sure I need him either."
"Och, listen to you. You of all people should know that wasn't Jack talking down in that cave. Come on, you've been through this before, this can't be any worse than the last time."
"Yes, but last time there wasn't so much extra baggage, ye know. Besides, it might have been the pratt that brought it out, but those feelings come from somewhere deep down."
"I think you should talk to him."
"What's the use? He's not even sober yet. And anyway, won't change anything. We're pirates remember. It'll just go back to the same old thing."
"You say we're pirates as though that makes us inhuman. You've said it yourself, to your cousin in fact, just cause we're pirates don't mean we don't know what love is."
Julianne turned Ana's words over in her head. "Not tonight", she finally answered, receiving a skeptical look. "I promise I'll talk to him Ana, just not tonight. I need some time. For his sake too, I need some time."
Anamaria nodded, gave the bruise one last wipe, then gathered up her things. Crossing behind the desk, she gave her friend a hug and kissed her forehead, before walking to the door.
"Ana", Julianne stopped her right before she was gone.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks", the captain said, and the door closed with a click.
When Anamaria stepped back on the Pearl, Jack stood up from where he was leaning on the railing and looked at her for an answer.
"Not tonight Jack", she told him.
"When?"
"I don't know."
"Ana."
"I said I don't know. Look, you've been a real jerk alright. If that had been me in Juli's place, I don't think I could ever forgive you for it. In fact, I'dave prolly left you there. Lucky for you however, all you managed to do to me was give me a bit o a paper cut, and that I think I can overlook", she added with a reassuring smile.
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"I was havin' a thought Jules", Jack began from where he sat in a chair when Julianne entered her cabin. "Once we get to Isla de Muerta and we find the Pratt root those bastards want, we might as well just go on and take it back to em. I mean, what do we care what they do with their lives. And it won't be a total waste for us o course. Rubina said we'd be paid handsomely for our services. Besides, I'm sure there'd be enough that we could keep a bit for ourselves too. You know, for fun, like it was in the good ol days."
"I think that's an excellent idea Jack", Julianne responded mechanically, rooting around the cabin for something. This was not the first time they had had this conversation over the course of the past few days, and now that they were only a few hours from their destination, Jack was becoming increasingly more persistent.
"See, that's what I've been tryin to tell you all along", he continued to rant. "Then they get what they want, and we get our money plus a little fun, everybody wins."
"You're absolutely right, I don't know why I didn't see it before", she lied as she continued searching. Since they had left Passions Cove, Juli had dealt with Jack fairly well. She had made sure he ate and drink, mostly by force, and even got him to sleep a bit by tiring him out. For the most part, the difficulties of getting past the physical part of quitting were being steadily faced, and now it was only the mental that presented a real problem. It was in the later stages of deprivation that the mind started to go, and it was this stage that Jack was experiencing right now, causing him to spend most of his time trying to think up ways to convince Julianne that destroying the drug was not in their best interest. For the most part she agreed with him to keep him content. She had dealt with the situation well enough before to know better than to trust anything he said, but found that agreeing was always much easier along the way. Besides, at the present moment, she had much more pressing things weighing on her mind to be arguing with him. What was bothering Julianne was the actual finding of the Pratt root. Growing only in certain climatic conditions, her guess was that it was more likely that Barbossa actually had a stock of it hidden on the island rather than that it grew there. Being if that were true, there was only one person who knew the caves of the island, and that was Jack. This meant that if she wanted to find it and destroy it, she was going to have to take him onto the island with her to navigate, which she particularly did not want to do. It was bad enough that he was already scheming up ideas to keep the drug, she definitely did not want him getting any ideas about taking the treasure of Cortez while he was there. The very thought plagued her every waking moment since they had pulled out of the little harbor those 4 days ago, and now more than ever. Struggling to focus, and still unable to find what she was looking for, Julianne began tearing her quarters to pieces. Overturning things and throwing others, the cabin was becoming quite a mess as things began littering the floor. Growing angrier with each passing second, her frustration became quite apparent to Jack when she threw an empty bottle from its place on the table and watched it shatter onto the floor.
"What's with you?" he asked as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?" she screamed at him, on the verge of cracking from all the stress she'd been under because of him. "THE COMPASS", she began to explain and then suddenly a wave of realization came over her and she marched over to Jack, grabbed him by his long hair and seethed, "YOU 'AVE IT, DON'T YOU? WHERE IS IT?"
An evil grin spread across his face. "You mean this compass", he asked wickedly, pulling the compass out of his pocket and holding it tight.
"GIVE IT TO ME", Julianne demanded.
"You know, I don't think I will. Ya see I'm on to you. You thought ye 'ad me fooled but I know what's going on 'ere. You took it from me, pretended you just wanted to get there to destroy the root and move me loot, but I know. I know its all a lie. I know what you really want. To steal me treasure, and then leave me stranded somewhere while you make off with it. But you won't now, now that I've got what you need to get there. Now I'm in charge, and we're going to do what I want."
"ARGGG!", Julianne screamed, letting go of his hair and pulling out her sword. Holding the point to his neck, rage burning in her eyes, Julianne had had just about enough of Jack Sparrow for one lifetime.
"GIVE IT TO ME NOW JACK", she demanded again, struggling to control herself.
"No", he replied firmly but calmly. After a minute, "Go on then, do it if you want to. Ah, but you lack the courage of your conviction my dear Julianne."
That was it, the straw that broke the camel's back. Without thinking and with one quick flick of her wrist much the same as she used on Cordei in the Faithful Bride, Julianne withdrew her sword from Jack's neck, leaving a nice clean slice down the front of his chest. As he collapsed forward clutching the wound, she grabbed the compass from his hand, walked out of the cabin, and left him sitting there bleeding. Stalking out onto the deck, her entire crew turned and stared as she sheathed her bloody sword. "Elizabeth", she called to the young woman who had been talking to some of the sailors on the main deck.
"Yes", she answered approaching the frazzled captain.
"Captain Sparrow has 'ad a bit of an accident. Please see to it that e's taken care of", Julianne instructed then turned and headed for the helm.
Julianne did not go below to check on Jack once the rest of the way to Isla de Muerta, nor did she move from her place at the helm of the ship. Watching the compass, she carefully and nervously navigated the Renegade and the Pearl through the dangerous waters and brought them to a stop when they had come as close as they could. Pulling both ships side by side, she stood on the railing of the Renegade's main deck and gave both crews their orders.
"Let's not make a day of it alright", she yelled. "Get in there, get the loot on the Pearl, and get out. And if any of you so much as thinks about touchin that chest, it'll be the last thing you ever do."
"Aye, aye Cap'n."
Calling Dipst and Ana to her, she thrust her and Jack's pistols into their hands. "Anyone goes near it, shoot them." Both first mates nodded, took the pistols, and made to leave with the crews.
Jumping down from where she stood, Julianne headed back to her cabin, threw open the door and walked in. She found Elizabeth sitting at her desk reading one of her books.
"Where is he?"
"In bed."
"'Ow is he?"
"Fine, it wasn't deep."
"I know", Juli replied going for the door between the two rooms.
"You did that to him?" she heard Elizabeth ask, more as a statement of disbelief. Julianne stopped, turned around and looked at her. She did not answer, but her silence and hard gaze spoke volumes. Proceeding back to Jack, she found him laying in bed on his back, and staring blankly at the ceiling. Still angry from before, she showed no mercy grabbing him but the shirt and pulling him up and out of bed. Dragging him from the cabin, neither spoke to one another the entire way from the Renegade on the row boat to the cave. Julianne rowed the entire way, Jack continued to stare. Once landing, she again pulled up him but this time much gentler than before.
"Come on Jack", she said softly into his ear, stepping up close to him and putting a hand to the back of his neck. "Let's find what we need to make you feel betta."
Jack did not answer, but after looking into her eyes for a moment he took the torch she held in her hand and began leading her into the dark and twisted tunnels. They searched for just around 20 minutes when they finally stumbled into a small cavern contained a few crudely made chests. Kicking one open, Julianne saw that they had found what they were looking for. Seeing what he had been longing for, for so long, Jack's eyes lit up and after sticking the torch into the ground he scurried to one of the chests and began sifting through all the plants that lay inside.
"Alright", Julianne began, "you stay 'ere while I go and get a couple o the crew to help move this stuff onto the ship."
Jack nodded, refusing to take his eyes off their find.
"Oh and Jack", she continued raising the thin plank of wood that she now held in her hand. He turned towards her just as she swung the board in a wide arc to connect with the side of his head. "I'm sorry", she finished, as he fell unconscious to the ground. A pang of guilt washed over her as she stood there looking at him lying on the ground, but then Julianne remembered why she was doing it and quickly let the guilt subside. Being a pirate, Julianne was strong, much stronger than any other woman her size or stature. None the less though, carrying the dead weight of Jack proved to be even too much for her. Dragging him by his arms from the little cavern, she set him up propped against the wall and then walked back in. Kicking open the remaining chests, she removed the torch from the dirt and threw it into the closest one. She stood there for a minute, watching it burn feeling a mix of both slight regret and deep satisfaction. Turning back around, she walked back out and grabbed Jack. She had not hit him very hard, so it was only a matter of time until he regained consciousness. Again dragging him by the arms, she pulled him across the rocky ground back through the caves and into the large cavern where both crews were still hard at work moving the Pearl's hoard. Propping him up against another wall, Julianne walked to the middle of the cavern to check the progress of the operation.
"What are we gonna do with this?" Dipst inquired from where he stood with Ana next to the large gold chest that held the cursed treasure.
"Nothing, when we're done, we're just going to leave it." She stood there and talked with the two of them for a bit longer while the rest of the men were finishing up with their work.
Across the cavern, consciousness slowly began returning to Jack stimulated by the senses. All around him he could hear the clinking of metals and could smell the scent of smoke. At once everything came flooding back to him and he remembered where he was. Opening his eyes, he looked up and saw Julianne standing by the chest with Ana and Dipst. Still crazed with the Devil's Blood, and now further fueled by anger, he quickly stood himself up, tore the sword from a nearby sailor and strode angrily toward Julianne.
"YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH!", he yelled, quickly approaching her with his sword outstretched and ready to strike. All around him, crewmen stopped what they were doing and watched in wonder. From where she was standing, Juli took a few steps down and drew her sword as well. Behind her, she heard the cocking of two triggers and two swords being unsheathed by Will and Gibbs.
"No", she ordered over her shoulder. "This is between me and Jack."
"You're damned right it's between us", he sneered maliciously, now within striking range. "I was right about you, you fuckin little whore. I was right all along."
A hush fell over everyone except for Anamaria who chastised Jack angrily.
"Jack, you're talking crazy", she interjected.
"Ana", Julianne silenced her.
"You just stay out of this wench", Jack also yelled at her. "I know the two o you've been corroborating this whole thing together. Bloody women. What's was that you used to say Gibbs?"
"I don't know Captain."
"Well I do. Bad luck to 'ave a woman on board, that's what it was. And a captain and a first mate, thems the worst kind", he spat at Julianne, who still had not said a word to him.
"You know, I've just about 'ad it with you", he continued to her. "You've been nothin but a damned pain in me ass from the get go. Always tellin me what to do, trying to control me. WELL I'M DONE WITH IT! What I mean to say is, I'M DONE WITH YOU!" With that, he began to swing his blade violently in her direction. Fortunately, Julianne was prepared. When it came to sword fighting, the two were pretty evenly matched, Jack slightly besting her most of the time, but at a serious disadvantage in his current state.
They crossed blades with each other for several minutes there in the cave in front of their crews. For her part, Julianne remained cool and collected, blocking his vicious attacks but not throwing many of her own. She knew that the crazed fiend in front of her was not Jack, not her Jack. Hoping that eventually he would just tire out, she kept up her game plan until it became apparent that Jack or not, he was out for blood and would not be satisfied with any less. Realizing this, Juli stepped up her efforts a bit, now just wanting to end the confrontation and get off the wretched island on which they stood. She thrust her sword at him with control and accuracy. A lesser swordsman would have been undone, but Jack possessed a dexterity that allowed him to block the unexpected attack and counter. But overwhelmed by anger, he had abandoned reason and fairness and did not counter with his weapon. As Juli finished executing her move and spun gracefully around him, he turned aside and swung his fist which connected with her right cheekbone with crushing force. The blow would have been enough to send even the largest man crashing to the ground, but Julianne finished her turn to come back around. Around her she could hear the hissing of disapproving sailors, both her's and Jack's, who were disgusted at the other captain's obvious disregard for the rules of engagement.
Stopping to face him again, her face starting to swell and bleed, Julianne saw that Jack had taken a slice to Ana's hand and was now holding his pistol in his own, aiming it directly at her head. Juli froze, her sword held out but down to her side, and stared at Jack. She could feel the trails of blood beginning to run their course down the length of her face.
"15 years of my life were spent on you", Jack seethed through clenched teeth. "Wasted on you. The things I could'ave been doin, the places I could'ave seen, the women I could'ave been with. But no, I got stuck with you instead. WELL NOT ANYMORE!" he yelled cocking the trigger.
For that split second, time seemed to stand still there in the cavern. They say that when you're about to die your entire life flashes before your eyes, but this was not so for Julianne. All she could see was Jack, pistol in hand, almost hoping he would pull the trigger just so it would take away the pain of having her heart stabbed and the knife turned. Silence filled the cave, so quiet that the sound of the condensation dripping was over powering. Julianne could make out the sound of her own blood hitting the ground, until she realized that what had fallen had actually been tears. In front of her Jack still stood, eyes burning, pistol aimed and ready to fire a bullet straight between her eyes.
"I always knew you'd be the end of me somehow", she whispered, raising her chin and dropping her sword which clanged loudly on the ground. Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes and waited for the shot. It never came. When she opened them again moments later, Jack was still standing there in the same position. As if being woken from some kind of daze, he shook his head, then un-cocked the trigger and let the pistol slip from his hand. Jack now looked around him as though he had no idea how he had even gotten into the cave in the first place. Aware that the confrontation was over, the crew silently went back to their work and carried out the last of the Pearl's loot. For a few minutes, Julianne stood where she was staring at the ground. Looking up and seeing that most everyone had gone out, she picked up her sword, and Jack's pistol, and walked over to the chest. Motioning to Ana, Dipst, and Will, the four of them pushed against its weight and succeeded in toppling it into the water, spilling its contents to the bottom. Satisfied that everything was complete, she pulled out Jack's compass, laid it on the ground, and smashed it to bits with the handle of her sword.
"Let's go", she ordered the few that remained in the cavern. Walking the perimeter of the cavern, she began knocking over each of the torches one by one, then walked to the center, took the still dazed Jack by the arm, and led him out without a word. Behind her, the two first mates along with Will and Gibbs, stared in shock at her actions. All silently agreed that if she had thrown him in the fire and left him to die, it would have been what he deserved.
***
Julianne stopped her rowboat in front of the Pearl. Looking up, she found that Jack had made no motion to get out or that he was even aware of what was going on.
"Your ship Captain", she stated.
Now he looked up at her, then at the Pearl. Understanding what she was implying, he slowly pulled himself up and grabbed hold of the rigging which would carry him up and onto his ship. Waiting until he was safely on board, Julianne rowed to her own ship and boarded. Going directly for the helm, she gave the command to get them moving and the Renegade began to glide out and away from Isla de Muerta forever, followed by the Pearl. She sailed straight on for about an hour and then brought the ship to a halt.
"We're not going any further tonight", she called to the crew. "Lower the anchor, we sit 'ere til morning."
They obeyed. On the Pearl, Jack had spent the hour standing at the helm, staring at Julianne's silhouette on the back deck of the Renegade. When the other ship began to slow and eventually stopped, Jack followed suit and pulled the Pearl up beside it.
As the crew batted down the ship, Julianne walked to her cabin and slammed the door purposefully. She sat there for a few minutes, head in her hands, and for the first time that she could remember since her father died, Julianne broke down and bawled. The tears stung the open wound on her cheek, but she continued to cry until she heard a knocking on her door. Eventually, once she figured Juli had had enough time to cool down, Ana crossed from the Pearl to the Renegade and knocked lightly on the door of the captain's quarters.
"Go away", Juli yelled at the knocking.
"Jules it's me", came Ana's calm response. "Come on, let me in, someone's got to look at that cheek."
Knowing the other woman was right, Julianne conceded and told her to come in. Ana was well prepared, she had brought everything she would need. Getting out a cotton swab and a bit of alcohol, she set to work cleaning it without saying so much as a word.
"'Ow bad does it hurt?" she finally asked when it was looking as good as possible.
"Pretty bad. It's prolly broken, or at least cracked."
Ana nodded and now set to cutting off the extra skin that hung from the scrape.
"He wants to see you, ye know."
"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE WANTS" Juli slammed her fist down on the desk. "IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS. I SHOULD'AVE LEFT HIM TO BURN."
"No one would 'ave blamed ye if ye did. But that's beside the point, you know that's not 'ow you really feel."
"Ana, I've put up with this for too long."
"I know you 'ave."
"I don't want to do this anymore."
"But you're goin to. You need 'im just as much as he needs you."
"I think he made if perfectly clear tonight that he doesn't need me. And I'm really not so sure I need him either."
"Och, listen to you. You of all people should know that wasn't Jack talking down in that cave. Come on, you've been through this before, this can't be any worse than the last time."
"Yes, but last time there wasn't so much extra baggage, ye know. Besides, it might have been the pratt that brought it out, but those feelings come from somewhere deep down."
"I think you should talk to him."
"What's the use? He's not even sober yet. And anyway, won't change anything. We're pirates remember. It'll just go back to the same old thing."
"You say we're pirates as though that makes us inhuman. You've said it yourself, to your cousin in fact, just cause we're pirates don't mean we don't know what love is."
Julianne turned Ana's words over in her head. "Not tonight", she finally answered, receiving a skeptical look. "I promise I'll talk to him Ana, just not tonight. I need some time. For his sake too, I need some time."
Anamaria nodded, gave the bruise one last wipe, then gathered up her things. Crossing behind the desk, she gave her friend a hug and kissed her forehead, before walking to the door.
"Ana", Julianne stopped her right before she was gone.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks", the captain said, and the door closed with a click.
When Anamaria stepped back on the Pearl, Jack stood up from where he was leaning on the railing and looked at her for an answer.
"Not tonight Jack", she told him.
"When?"
"I don't know."
"Ana."
"I said I don't know. Look, you've been a real jerk alright. If that had been me in Juli's place, I don't think I could ever forgive you for it. In fact, I'dave prolly left you there. Lucky for you however, all you managed to do to me was give me a bit o a paper cut, and that I think I can overlook", she added with a reassuring smile.