AN: Sorry I haven't updated in forever! I had a fantastic chapter all
written out, then my comp's drive lost it. Grrr, so I'm going to have to
humbly over this chapter in hopes it's up to snuff. Thanks go out to
Pineapple1 and Vibe for their support throughout this rather short endeavor
so far. Please review, it helps motivate me to write more!
Disclaimer: See previous chapters- I don't own Pirates!
Chapter 5: Seeing Red
Katherine was laying on the floor, purple bruises blooming all over her body. Her arm was bent at an odd angle, and she was huddled in a corner as if trying to protect herself from an unseen enemy. Her hair was matted with blood and her dress torn to shreds. When she saw Jack, Kat started breaking into sobs. "I'm s-s-sorry Jack, God I'm s-s-so sorry!"
"It's alright luv, Jack's 'ere, don' worry." The pirate soothed. Will stood in shock at the door, trying valiantly to calm Joshua down, who started crying once he saw his mother.
Kat continued, "H-H-He w-wouldn't leave Jack. He w-w-wouldn't stop hurting me. I-I-I locked the d-d-door, I swear, but he k-k-knocked it down. I-I'm sorry Jack."
"No luv, it's al'right, he won' get away with 'his. Come on, let me carry ye back t'the Pearl." Jack said softly, gently picking up his sobbing friend.
Jack nodded to Will, who picked up Joshua and made his way out of the small house. People on the streets looked on curiously but hurried along their way when they saw the murderous look on Jack's face. When they reached the Pearl, Anamaria and Elizabeth were waiting for them. The women gasped in shock when they saw Katherine's state.
"Bring 'er in 'ere Cap'n." Anamaria said quickly as she pushed her way past the crew and into her small cabin. Jack followed, ignoring the other pirates and placed his friend gently on Anamaria's bed. Will and Elizabeth rushed in after them, Elizabeth pale with fear and Will still holding Joshua. When Anamaria looked over her shoulder and saw the people crowding the room, she scowled and said, "Out with the lot of ye. What do ye think will come of the lad watchin' his mother be patched up. All of ye, out on 'he deck so I can work on 'er without bein' crowded."
The group reluctantly shuffled out of the room, each one of the them looking back at the pale woman on the bed. Anamaria shut the door firmly behind them, after saying gently, "Now she won' be goin' without a fight, savvy?"
*~*~*
Later on, Jack was pacing impatiently while Will sat on a bench with Elizabeth, trying to soothe his friend and tell her that Katherine would be all right. When Anamaria slipped out of the room, Jack was in front of her in a flash, Will right behind him. "How is she?" the captain demanded.
"She was banged up awful Cap'n." the female pirate answered. "'Er recovery won' be short, but she'll live."
"How bad was it?" Will asked, worry evident in his voice.
Anamaria hesitated and Jack said, "Wha' happened t'her Anamaria?"
"'Er left arm is broken, along with half her ribs and right arm. She hit 'er 'ead on somethin', so she'll 'ave a nasty bump there. She's bruised everywhere." Anamaria swallowed tightly. "An'.an' I think tha' 'e.'urt 'er." Jack and Will frowned in confusion. Elizabeth's eyes, however, widened in shock once she interpreted the other woman's pained expression.
"Oh dear God, he didn't." the blonde whispered. Jack looked from Elizabeth to Anamaria, then comprehension dawned on him at the same time it did Will.
"Ye think yer up to it Turner?" Jack asked as he walked back towards dock. Will nodded, fury blazing in his brown eyes as he followed the pirate. Anamaria called out, "Where ye be goin' Cap'n?"
"To deliver a message." Was the reply.
*~*~*
Will and Jack walked into the Faithful Bride and began methodically searching all the faces that turned towards them. It didn't take much time for them to locate their intended victim.
Richard was sitting at the bar, his back turned to them, laughing uproariously at some raunchy joke told by the man sitting next to him. He was drunk, eyes glassy and cheeks ruddy. Jack walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder with Will right next to him.
Richard turned around and was promptly punched in the face. As he swore, Jack knocked him over the bar, grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the nearest wall. The other customers all stopped talking and watched with rapt attention at the brawl taking place right before their eyes.
Jack punched him in the gut and said, "Now Richard, I went down t' Kat's this afternoon." The pirate scowled angrily at the other man as realization swept across his face. "Now me son is runnin' down the alley yellin' tha' his mother had unwanted company. I jus' wanted to clarify with ye that it twas ye that was there."
Richard smirked. "Aye, I went down and gave the bitch a what-for. She be my woman Sparrow, an' she been getting some thoughts in 'er head tha' she ain't mine."
The pirate's face darkened but before he could raise his fist again, Will had grabbed the man and threw him against a table. Richard stumbled to the floor, and Will kicked him viciously before pulling the man back up and against the wall.
"You will not speak of her that way." Will growled, holding Richard by the collar. "And you will beg for mercy the next time you do."
Will then threw the man back to Jack, who pinned him to a table. "Now ye have a few rules t' follow. Ye won't touch Katherine, ye won't speak to her, ye won't look at her. Ye will stay a far distance from 'er at all times. She walks down the street, ye cross the street an' walk in the opposite direction. If ye so much as look at 'er the wrong way, I will be hearin' of it and I will send the lad over here to finish the job we started 'ere. Savvy?" the pirate snarled.
Richard nodded tightly, his eye turning purple. Jack threw him against the wall once again, dropped him and headed to the door. Will kicked him one last time, glared and followed his friend.
*~*~*
Jack and Will returned to the Pearl and found Elizabeth and Anamaria waiting for them on the deck. "How did it go?" Anamaria asked.
"The message was received loud and clear." Will replied. Jack smirked, adding. "Aye, and Turner had a jolly good time beatin' the message into the man's rather thick 'ead."
"She's awake Cap'n." Anamaria said. "Ye can go an' see 'er."
"Will, go an' see 'er." Jack said. "I'll see Kat in the mornin'. Tell 'er that Lizzie and I are puttin' the lad to bed."
Will nodded, and headed over to Katherine's room. He knocked lightly on the door, waited for her to invite him in, and walked in. Kat was propped up against some pillows on her bed. Her torso was wrapped up and her arm in a sling. Anamaria had put her leg into a splint and covered the cut on her forehead. Her left eye was swollen.
Katherine smiled weakly and said, "Oh Will, it's good to see you. Where's Joshua?"
"Jack's putting him to bed with Elizabeth. He said for you not to worry about him, he's being taken care of." Will replied. He took her hand gently into his own. "How are you? Is there anything you need?"
"No, thank you. I would like to know though..where am I staying now?" the redhead asked.
"Jack wants you and Joshua to stay aboard the Pearl." Will answered. As Katherine opened her mouth to protest, he put a hand up. "Kat, Richard attacked you. Tortuga isn't safe for you or Joshua anymore. Let Jack do this for you. He wants you and his son safe."
Katherine closed her eyes briefly and nodded. "All right. Joshua needs to be safe, and my house is obviously not anymore." She said.
If you need to rest, I can go-" Will said. Before he could get up from his chair, Kat clung to his hand. "Can you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" she asked.
Will hesitated, then nodded. Katherine smiled at her friend, then indicated for him to sit on the bed next to her. Will crawled in, and put his arm gently around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder and her body curled up next to his. Soon they were both blissfully asleep, their hands still together.
*~*~*
Jack tucked Joshua into a small bunk. "Will Mama be all better tomorrow?" the boy asked.
"Aye, but she'll be tired. Now to sleep with ye." Jack said softly, blowing out the candle next to Joshua. As the boy fell asleep, the pirate signalled to Elizabeth to follow him out of the room. The couple closed the door quietly and sighed.
Jack walked over to the rail, and Elizabeth came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Are you all right sweetheart?" she asked softly.
The pirate sighed and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. "I can't believe I let that happen to 'er." He said.
"Jack, it wasn't your fault." Elizabeth comforted.
"Aye, it tis. I knew tha' Richard was causin' 'er trouble. I should've made 'er come aboard the Pearl as soon as I 'eard of it." He argued.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, you couldn't have done anything more than you did. Don't beat yourself up over something that wasn't your doing."
Jack didn't reply, but tightened his arms around her. Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him. He kissed her back, pulling her close to him. When their makeout session ended, Elizabeth asked, "Do you want to check on Katherine before we go to bed?"
"Aye love, let's do that." He replied, wrapping his arm around her waist and walking towards his friend's cabin. When they reached it, Jack saw Will and Katherine asleep on the bed and said, "That idiot, why is 'e sleepin' with 'er, after what's happened?"
Jack made a move to pull Will out of the room but his lover put a calming hand on his shoulder and said, "She probably asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep and he just fell asleep with her. Let's go to bed love."
The couple closed the door quietly and made their way towards their own room, as the stars twinkled softly in the dark sky.
A.N. Review and let me know what you think! Once again, sorry for the long wait!
Disclaimer: See previous chapters- I don't own Pirates!
Chapter 5: Seeing Red
Katherine was laying on the floor, purple bruises blooming all over her body. Her arm was bent at an odd angle, and she was huddled in a corner as if trying to protect herself from an unseen enemy. Her hair was matted with blood and her dress torn to shreds. When she saw Jack, Kat started breaking into sobs. "I'm s-s-sorry Jack, God I'm s-s-so sorry!"
"It's alright luv, Jack's 'ere, don' worry." The pirate soothed. Will stood in shock at the door, trying valiantly to calm Joshua down, who started crying once he saw his mother.
Kat continued, "H-H-He w-wouldn't leave Jack. He w-w-wouldn't stop hurting me. I-I-I locked the d-d-door, I swear, but he k-k-knocked it down. I-I'm sorry Jack."
"No luv, it's al'right, he won' get away with 'his. Come on, let me carry ye back t'the Pearl." Jack said softly, gently picking up his sobbing friend.
Jack nodded to Will, who picked up Joshua and made his way out of the small house. People on the streets looked on curiously but hurried along their way when they saw the murderous look on Jack's face. When they reached the Pearl, Anamaria and Elizabeth were waiting for them. The women gasped in shock when they saw Katherine's state.
"Bring 'er in 'ere Cap'n." Anamaria said quickly as she pushed her way past the crew and into her small cabin. Jack followed, ignoring the other pirates and placed his friend gently on Anamaria's bed. Will and Elizabeth rushed in after them, Elizabeth pale with fear and Will still holding Joshua. When Anamaria looked over her shoulder and saw the people crowding the room, she scowled and said, "Out with the lot of ye. What do ye think will come of the lad watchin' his mother be patched up. All of ye, out on 'he deck so I can work on 'er without bein' crowded."
The group reluctantly shuffled out of the room, each one of the them looking back at the pale woman on the bed. Anamaria shut the door firmly behind them, after saying gently, "Now she won' be goin' without a fight, savvy?"
*~*~*
Later on, Jack was pacing impatiently while Will sat on a bench with Elizabeth, trying to soothe his friend and tell her that Katherine would be all right. When Anamaria slipped out of the room, Jack was in front of her in a flash, Will right behind him. "How is she?" the captain demanded.
"She was banged up awful Cap'n." the female pirate answered. "'Er recovery won' be short, but she'll live."
"How bad was it?" Will asked, worry evident in his voice.
Anamaria hesitated and Jack said, "Wha' happened t'her Anamaria?"
"'Er left arm is broken, along with half her ribs and right arm. She hit 'er 'ead on somethin', so she'll 'ave a nasty bump there. She's bruised everywhere." Anamaria swallowed tightly. "An'.an' I think tha' 'e.'urt 'er." Jack and Will frowned in confusion. Elizabeth's eyes, however, widened in shock once she interpreted the other woman's pained expression.
"Oh dear God, he didn't." the blonde whispered. Jack looked from Elizabeth to Anamaria, then comprehension dawned on him at the same time it did Will.
"Ye think yer up to it Turner?" Jack asked as he walked back towards dock. Will nodded, fury blazing in his brown eyes as he followed the pirate. Anamaria called out, "Where ye be goin' Cap'n?"
"To deliver a message." Was the reply.
*~*~*
Will and Jack walked into the Faithful Bride and began methodically searching all the faces that turned towards them. It didn't take much time for them to locate their intended victim.
Richard was sitting at the bar, his back turned to them, laughing uproariously at some raunchy joke told by the man sitting next to him. He was drunk, eyes glassy and cheeks ruddy. Jack walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder with Will right next to him.
Richard turned around and was promptly punched in the face. As he swore, Jack knocked him over the bar, grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the nearest wall. The other customers all stopped talking and watched with rapt attention at the brawl taking place right before their eyes.
Jack punched him in the gut and said, "Now Richard, I went down t' Kat's this afternoon." The pirate scowled angrily at the other man as realization swept across his face. "Now me son is runnin' down the alley yellin' tha' his mother had unwanted company. I jus' wanted to clarify with ye that it twas ye that was there."
Richard smirked. "Aye, I went down and gave the bitch a what-for. She be my woman Sparrow, an' she been getting some thoughts in 'er head tha' she ain't mine."
The pirate's face darkened but before he could raise his fist again, Will had grabbed the man and threw him against a table. Richard stumbled to the floor, and Will kicked him viciously before pulling the man back up and against the wall.
"You will not speak of her that way." Will growled, holding Richard by the collar. "And you will beg for mercy the next time you do."
Will then threw the man back to Jack, who pinned him to a table. "Now ye have a few rules t' follow. Ye won't touch Katherine, ye won't speak to her, ye won't look at her. Ye will stay a far distance from 'er at all times. She walks down the street, ye cross the street an' walk in the opposite direction. If ye so much as look at 'er the wrong way, I will be hearin' of it and I will send the lad over here to finish the job we started 'ere. Savvy?" the pirate snarled.
Richard nodded tightly, his eye turning purple. Jack threw him against the wall once again, dropped him and headed to the door. Will kicked him one last time, glared and followed his friend.
*~*~*
Jack and Will returned to the Pearl and found Elizabeth and Anamaria waiting for them on the deck. "How did it go?" Anamaria asked.
"The message was received loud and clear." Will replied. Jack smirked, adding. "Aye, and Turner had a jolly good time beatin' the message into the man's rather thick 'ead."
"She's awake Cap'n." Anamaria said. "Ye can go an' see 'er."
"Will, go an' see 'er." Jack said. "I'll see Kat in the mornin'. Tell 'er that Lizzie and I are puttin' the lad to bed."
Will nodded, and headed over to Katherine's room. He knocked lightly on the door, waited for her to invite him in, and walked in. Kat was propped up against some pillows on her bed. Her torso was wrapped up and her arm in a sling. Anamaria had put her leg into a splint and covered the cut on her forehead. Her left eye was swollen.
Katherine smiled weakly and said, "Oh Will, it's good to see you. Where's Joshua?"
"Jack's putting him to bed with Elizabeth. He said for you not to worry about him, he's being taken care of." Will replied. He took her hand gently into his own. "How are you? Is there anything you need?"
"No, thank you. I would like to know though..where am I staying now?" the redhead asked.
"Jack wants you and Joshua to stay aboard the Pearl." Will answered. As Katherine opened her mouth to protest, he put a hand up. "Kat, Richard attacked you. Tortuga isn't safe for you or Joshua anymore. Let Jack do this for you. He wants you and his son safe."
Katherine closed her eyes briefly and nodded. "All right. Joshua needs to be safe, and my house is obviously not anymore." She said.
If you need to rest, I can go-" Will said. Before he could get up from his chair, Kat clung to his hand. "Can you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" she asked.
Will hesitated, then nodded. Katherine smiled at her friend, then indicated for him to sit on the bed next to her. Will crawled in, and put his arm gently around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder and her body curled up next to his. Soon they were both blissfully asleep, their hands still together.
*~*~*
Jack tucked Joshua into a small bunk. "Will Mama be all better tomorrow?" the boy asked.
"Aye, but she'll be tired. Now to sleep with ye." Jack said softly, blowing out the candle next to Joshua. As the boy fell asleep, the pirate signalled to Elizabeth to follow him out of the room. The couple closed the door quietly and sighed.
Jack walked over to the rail, and Elizabeth came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Are you all right sweetheart?" she asked softly.
The pirate sighed and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. "I can't believe I let that happen to 'er." He said.
"Jack, it wasn't your fault." Elizabeth comforted.
"Aye, it tis. I knew tha' Richard was causin' 'er trouble. I should've made 'er come aboard the Pearl as soon as I 'eard of it." He argued.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, you couldn't have done anything more than you did. Don't beat yourself up over something that wasn't your doing."
Jack didn't reply, but tightened his arms around her. Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him. He kissed her back, pulling her close to him. When their makeout session ended, Elizabeth asked, "Do you want to check on Katherine before we go to bed?"
"Aye love, let's do that." He replied, wrapping his arm around her waist and walking towards his friend's cabin. When they reached it, Jack saw Will and Katherine asleep on the bed and said, "That idiot, why is 'e sleepin' with 'er, after what's happened?"
Jack made a move to pull Will out of the room but his lover put a calming hand on his shoulder and said, "She probably asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep and he just fell asleep with her. Let's go to bed love."
The couple closed the door quietly and made their way towards their own room, as the stars twinkled softly in the dark sky.
A.N. Review and let me know what you think! Once again, sorry for the long wait!