Chapter 15. Ooh, finally, you'll see if Elizabeth is okay.

Boy, did I EVER get some angry mails.

Chapter 15

-On the Seastorm-

It was Jack who noticed that Elizabeth's stomach was not bleeding. Nor was there ay blood on the sword. "What the bloody hell? 'Ave ye got no blood, girl?"

Elizabeth gasped, and did not reply, but Barrin turned her so her back was facing the crews. There was the blood, and the telltale stain on Barrin's dagger.

"You stabbed a lady!" This astonished cry went around the ship, for truly this was a shocking action. It was, after all, against the pirates code to harm a lady so.

Barrin shrugged, but pointed the dagger at Will. "Now step back, lad, or ye'll be sharing more than kisses with yer sweetheart. Ye'll be gutted on the same blade!" Will's expression gave everything away, and he knew the battle was lost. Despite Elizabeth shaking her head at him, he stepped away from his fallen sword.

"Bloody pirate," Elizabeth hissed through clenched teeth.

"It's seems you're the bloody one," Barrin responded wittingly, but not even his own crew could appreciate the joke.

Elizabeth's eyes clouded. She was tired, very tired. To just lie down would be blissful... Barrin caught the slumping form. "It seems the lass has passed out." He chuckled. "Bloody pirate indeed." He slung her over his shoulder roughly, leaning forward to stare into Will's haunted eyes. "Seems the best pirate 'ere won."

"But ye ferget, mate, y'aren't the best pirate 'ere." Jack's fist shot out, embedding itself in Barrin's supple stomach. He withdrew his fist, grinning cockily, and drew his sword. It slid from it's sheathwith an inevitable hiss.

"No, Jack. Let me. You watch over Elizabeth. She'll not be a shield for him this time." Barrin had been distracted long enough for Will to repossess his sword. "And now, Captain Barrin, we will duel, and follow the rules of the game. Savvy?" He half smiled at the shocked pirate captain.

Barrin recovered rather quickly. "Aye, then, lad, by the rules, by all means. I;ll still kill ye, only this time, with honor." He leapt forth, but Will parried his stroke.

"You've no honor in your body," Will retorted, neatly twisting away as Barrin's blade locked with his own.

"True, boy, true. I am a pirate." He bared his golden and silver teeth.

Will stepped neatly, his force driving Barrin back. The power of fury truly is a great motivator, for Will's strength was tripled.

Barrin's insane mind had hatched another plan, and he grinned maliciously. "What's the use, boy? Ye kill me, but what does that matter to the girl? She'll still die. A wound like that does not close so easily."

Will did not falter in his steps. Swords crossed together, both struggling to acheive greater power and to drive the other back. Will leaned forward, his face inches from Barrin's, and his deep eyes glittered in wrath. "Then if she dies, she'll be laughing from Heaven with my father as you're taken into the bloody gates of Hell," he hissed, and weaved his sword skillfully away from Barrin's, escaping the trap.

Barrin screamed like a child as he felt Will's sword enter his stomach and protrude from his back. He fell to his knees, his own blade useless in his quaking hands. His eyes stared up at Will. No, no, he was looking at Bootstrap. Then the pirate captain shut his eyes, shuddered deeply, and passed on, through the gates of Hell, as Will had predicted.

The son of Bootstrap Bill was silent, head bowed solemnly. "Is she all right, Jack?"

"Aye, mate, yer lass is alive. Out like a bloody drunk, aye, but alive. Nothin' a little bit o' rum couldn't fix." Jack beamed at his friend. "Best take 'er t'rest so she can heal, savvy?" Will lifted Elizabeth carefully into his arms, blanching at the red stain spreading across her back. He slowly carried her to the captains cabin, as all three very different crews watched.

"Well, I believe this vessel is ours," Norrington began, speaking to the huddled crew of the Seastorm, but Ana Maria interupted.

"Shut th' bloody 'ell up, man! Ye did absolutely nothin', don't go talkin' fancy now!" the female pirate fumed. Norrington flinched at her harsh tone, then slunk away, grumbling.

The Seastorm's crew were led to the brig, to be guarded by a few redcoats. Jack, of course, was the one who broke out the rum that Barrin had stashed on board. Soon the Pearl's crew were all quite drunk, laughing and singing, victorious, and leaving it up to the recoats to sail the ship.

"What are ye doin' brooding o'er 'ere, Jack?" Gibbs asked his friend, who was moping aside. "Ye've barely touched yer rum."

"Jus' thinkin', is all. I suppose this'll be me vessel, now that me Pearl is gone," Jack replied mournfully.

"Ah, yes, fergot t'tell ye, didn't I? The Pearl, mate, she's fine. I got 'er t'port in time." Gibbs smiled, somewhat shamefully, having forgotten to tell his captain earlier.

"The Pearl? Pearl! She's safe? Safe! Bless ye, Gibbs, bless ye. Rum for all, oh, good sweet rum, me Pearl, she's safe!" Jack leapt up, and flung his arms in the air, shouting maniacally. Then he sat back down and slung an arm around Gibb's shoulders. "Then, mate, this ship'll be yers." Gibbs eyes went wide at the prospect of his very own ship, as Jack added. "Cap'n Gibbs. S'pose I'm a commodore now..."

They reached Port Royale the next day. Jack, of course, along with his crew, forced the redcoats into smaller boats, knowing better than to dock there himself. Will and Elizabeth were deposited along with them, but not before speaking to Will. Elizabeth had yet to wake up.

"Take care o' the girl, Will. Lord knows she's worth it after comin' back t'find ye." Jack grinned. "Not many'd do that. Then again, ye've saved her life twice now."

"That is if she wakes up, Jack," Will replied seriously.

"She will, lad, she will. These sorts of adventures just don't end that way, y'know?" Jack cast his friend a sloppy salute, then marched aboard the Seastorm. "All right, make yerselves lively! We're off t'see me Pearl!"

Will spent the remainder of the day at Elizabeth's side, his large hands clasping one of her small, fragile ones. He didn't sleep, nor touch his food while she was out. Then, just before the sun had disappeared over the horizon, her eyes flicked open. For a moment, her gaze was blank, then she focused. Mainly on Will, of course.

"Elizabeth. You're awake!"



One more chappie to go. The next, as you can probably guess, will be complete and total mush. Don't worry, it will be "clean" and thus appropriate for those under thirteen.

Review! And I apologize for all those evil cliffies.