Usual disclaimers. blah!

Happy New Year to all you poppets - young and old.. although I doubt few poppets are older than my 70 year old mother!

***

"Paul Fearnan! Will you stop behaving like an old woman... sit still!" Catherine sighed, handing him a stout leather strap whilst one-handed digging deeper in search of the shot. He was still bleeding profusely and already Cotton was heating the cauterising irons. "Nearly... nearly... there!" At last the thin grips caught the shot firmly and she pulled it from his side. "Cotton! Now!"

Paul went white, biting hard onto the strap with a strangled cry before passing out, the stench of burning flesh filling the air. Concentrating, Catherine threaded the needle, sewing the wound shut. He would live, but he would have an interesting scar thanks to the Frenchman's pistol. She glanced across to the other ship where the crew were finishing taking what they wanted.

"Was Paul the worst?" she sighed, rubbing her hand across her face in exhaustion, a streak of blood marking its passage. Cotton nodded, gesturing to her to finish up. She smiled, turning to find herself face to face with Jack.

He kissed her bloody face. "How is everyone?"

"They'll all live, although Hawker won't be so handsome any more... Just a bit of stitching to do..."

"Captain! Sail ho!" Jack's head whirled to face Oran as he stood on the quarter deck. "Off port side Captain - looks like th' Gauntlet!"

Jack glanced at Catherine, running to his cabin and quickly grabbing his spy glass. He climbed the stairs three at a time to stand beside Oran, peering anxiously through it. "Aye, it's th' Gauntlet. But we'll ready th' port guns... just in case..." He'd learnt a long time ago not to trust to appearances and he'd rather be prepared. "Gibbs! Ready th' port guns!" Jack glanced back to the other ship, relieved to see that his crew had finished and were already swinging back aboard. "Get us away from here Oran... we don't want this business to concern our guest..." The Gauntlet was closing and Jack could see she was flying a truce flag. He called down to Catherine. "I wonder what Theo wants?"

They drew a short distance from their victim, watching as she quickly raised her sails and fled. A pirate and a British Naval vessel was just too much for the poor French captain to take in one day.

***

Captain Theodore Groves was relieved to find the Black Pearl. He had been searching for them unofficially for a week now whilst on regular patrol and had despaired of locating them. "Run up a truce flag," he ordered. "And go in slowly, keep the gun ports closed... we don't want to scare them before they realise who we are..."

He watched as the Black Pearl opened her port gun ports, an overt threat to stand off. "Order the sails furled Eccleston, we'll await their approach." He watched as the smaller French vessel fled, the Black Pearl cautiously approaching. Only when they were in easy sight of those on deck did the Black Pearl close her gun ports, furling her sails as she came along side. He shouted across the narrow gap. "Permission to come aboard Jack?"

A line was thrown and he swung between the two ships, shocked to find his sister on the main deck covered in blood tending an injured man. "Cat!"

She looked up, smiling. "Theo! Oh, it's okay, it isn't any of mine..." She turned her back to him, concentrating as she finished stitching. "I'm sure your mother will still think you're handsome Hawker," she laughed, standing and stretching before walking over to her brother. Scratching her nose left more blood on her face.

He smiled, shaking his head at her appearance. "I think you need to clean up..."

Jack peered over his shoulder, looking at her. "Definitely!" he agreed.

Catherine frowned, looking down at her shirt and then her hands. "So I guess neither of you want a hug then?"

"I'll always have one of yer hugs luv," Jack drawled, "but I think you'd only mess up yer brother's fancy uniform..."

"Could we speak privately?" Theodore nodded towards the cabin. "Cat can always clean up whilst we talk..."

"Sure." Jack frowned, unsure why Theodore was being so secretive. He nodded to Gibbs as they walked into the cabin. "Keep sharp," he warned, his survival instinct never letting him trust the Navy, his comment not missed by Theodore.

Catherine hauled a bucket of water from the sea before joining them in the cabin, turning to her brother whilst washing her hands and face free from blood. "Well Theo, what is the matter?"

"Why haven't you answered my letter?" Theodore asked.

"What letter?" she frowned, her confusion mirrored by Jack.

"Father's been ill... I sent you a letter asking you to come home.."

"Papa's ill?" she gasped. "What happened?"

"Father fell from a horse - he hurt his knee and broke his right arm. You didn't receive my letter? I asked Mary to write!" he puzzled.

"We received no letter mate, else we'd have been there!" Jack replied.

"Are you sure it was written?" Catherine asked sweetly. Jack looked at her sharply, the warning in his eyes unspoken, but luckily Theodore did not catch her tone.

"Well, perhaps it went astray? Who can tell with letters nowadays?" He shrugged. "But you will come, won't you Cat?" He stood there toying with his cuff button. "Father needs you..."

"And Mary?" Catherine's lips twitched in anticipation of another fight.

"Well, I'd rather you keep your temper Cat. I'd prefer not to have another fight in the house..." He continued to twirl his cuff button, uncomfortable in the memory of the last meeting.

"I'd best keep yer pistol then," Jack jokingly warned.

"Jack!" she protested.

"I mean it Kitty! This is fer yer father... I'll not have you attackin' Mary however much you feel provoked... savvy?" He whispered in her ear. "I know yer love th' brig..."

"But she's a money grabbing bitch!" Catherine hissed in protest. "She framed Kasia, didn't tell us about Papa... what's next?"

"Do I have to make it an order?" he threatened, keeping his voice low.

"No Captain," she sighed.

Theodore listened in confusion to their argument, hearing the name of Kasia but failing to catch the rest of their words. Had Catherine spoken with her? He hadn't seen her since the incident at the Governors Mansion and wondered how she was. He wished he could understand this enmity between his wife and his sister - it didn't make sense. So what if Mary did like fine clothes and enjoyed hosting parties, it wasn't as if he couldn't afford them and he liked to see her happy.

"We'll be there Theo," Jack assured him. "We've a few things to clear up an' crew are due shore time at Tortuga like..."

"There is no way you can come now?" Theodore pleaded.

"Theo, I've cargo t' offload like..."

"Couldn't Gibbs do that? Please, Father really needs Cat!" Theodore pressed, knowing how awkward it was in his household with nobody able to give his father the care he truly needed.

"Can't Mary care for him until we get there?" Jack asked.

"Mary, err, Mary doesn't' do nursing well..." Catherine snorted derisively, her retort silenced by a look from Jack. "I could take the two of you back now..." Theodore offered.

Jack looked closely at Theodore - he really was desperate for Catherine to return with him and there was no way that Jack was allowing her anywhere near Mary unless it was unarmed and in his presence. "Give us a while t' sort things then..." he agreed. "I'll need to make sure Gibbs knows when t' rescue us." He smiled at Catherine. "Make sure yer have all yer clothes an' anything yer might need in yer trunk..."

***

Jack sighed as he watched his ship sail away - ever since Barbossa and the mutiny it was a sight he would never be comfortable with. He slipped his arm around Catherine's waist, conscious of the curious stares of the Naval crew many of whom would always consider him a pirate.

"Lieutenant, you have command," Theodore ordered. "We will return to Port Royal." He turned to Jack and Catherine. "Would you join me in my cabin?" He held his arm out to Catherine, smiling as he led her through the doors and out of sight of the crew, Jack sauntered behind with his best bravado swagger.

***