Disclaimer:  I think I've got Jack's concussion . . .or something . . .bloody world won't sit still . . .keeps tilting every time I stand up . . .not happy . . .

AN:  I'm answering reviews after the chapter.  I'm supposed to be working on writing a paper on social systems in Russia in the 1880's, but since I'm sick I think I shouldn't have to do it, so I locked everyone out of the computer room and have made it my home in my misery.  The pros of being sick are that I have a good reason to ignore my younger brother when he gets too annoying . . .and I can avoid my calc teacher in good conscious by staying home . . .

To Love and Protect

Part 8

Will slammed the door to the house, taking a grim satisfaction from the small release, before stalking into the bedroom and falling face-down on the bed, breathing heavily.

Elizabeth was at his side before five seconds had passed.  "Will?  Will, what's wrong?"

Will rolled over, gazing at her kindly, and he felt some of the anger and pain begin to drain away.  "Would you like a list?"

Elizabeth smiled slightly, sinking onto the bed so that she could reach over and touch him in need be.  "You have a list?"

"Oh, aye.  We'll start with my brother's dead, and I didn't do a single thing to save him—"

"Brother?"

Will blushed slightly.  "Jack.  When I claimed him as family . . .during the whole brotherhood nightmare . . .I told him, when he asked, that he was like an older brother."

Elizabeth nodded.  "Why are you so certain he's dead now?"

"I haven't 'felt' him in over a day, Elizabeth.  Do you have another explanation?"

"Maybe he was rescued.  That's what we were hoping for, wasn't it?"  Will just stared at her.  "Besides, we couldn't get near any of the ships, and you said yourself that you can't sail one alone, and even with Ana and I it would be dangerous."

"One, my brother's dead.  Two, one of my closest friends is becoming the center of a mutiny, and he isn't even here to know about it."

"Brian?  Someone's trying to form an uprising around Brian?  How do you know?"

"Andrew Jenkin came to talk to me today.  He's the captain of the Defender when Hallson isn't using her as a flagship.  He was very discreet, very political, but he wanted it to be understood in no uncertain terms that if Brian chose to step forward and claim control, he wouldn't stand in the way.  A man a good ten years older than me, at least fifteen years older than Brian, is trying to ensure that I know he won't stand in the way of an uprising that puts the younger captain in the position of power."

"What's happening at the garrison that they're talking about mutiny?"

"Whatever Hallson did to sink the Pearl, it isn't sitting right with his men, though they've been ordered to secrecy.  Jenkin dropped a few hints . . .said something about 'shooting men in the water' and 'hiring mercenaries to do soldier's work' and 'using traitorous means'.  Apparently one of the soldiers who was there had an 'accident' today.  He fell from the top of the fort.  From what Jenkin said, everyone knows it was a suicide, but they aren't ruling it that way, and he'll be buried in consecrated ground."  Will paused, running his hands through his hair.  "Hallson thought that bringing in the Pearl would make him famous, give him a firm grip on the garrison.  He feared Brian's popularity, thought that Brian was trying to take his position.  Bloody fool's going to have his trick backfire on him."

Elizabeth sat frozen, still trying to put together everything that Will was saying.  "They're planning a mutiny around Brian because of what Hallson did, and he did what he did to keep a mutiny from occurring in the first place."

"Brian isn't going to know what to do.  Norrington never trained him to handle anything like this, and the only thing he's learned from Jack about mutinies is going to have been looking from the other side.  The poor lad's going to get quite a homecoming."

"When are they going to approach him?  How do you approach someone with something like this?  Just go 'hello, sir, please come take power from the tyrant over there because we like you better than him'?"

"I don't know, Elizabeth.  If they approach him when the Intrepid makes port, our son could be caught in the crossfire.  Everything's falling apart."

"Not everything, Will.  We still have each other . . .we have our daughter . . .Brian's intelligent, he'll find a way to work this out."

"You don't just work out basically an entire garrison asking you to seize control!"

"The governor could order Hallson to stand down."

Will laughed softly, the tone bitter and weary.  "Do you think he actually would?"

Elizabeth didn't answer, stretching out beside her husband and pulling him close.

                                    *                                   *                                   *

"You ready, Jack?  This is going t' hurt like hell."

The pirate grimaced, cutting his eyes to the side without moving his head.  "I know it's goin' t' hurt like hell.  This isn't the first time I've 'ad this done, ye know."

"First time I know of it's been on your head, and I've heard that's the worst spot."

"Jus' do it, please?  Waitin' is jus' as hard as the actual process."

Ana-Maria nodded, unconsciously holding her breath as she skillfully thrust the needle and thread through one side of the injury and out the other, quickly and efficiently guiding the thread into a tight knot that pulled the two ends of the jagged wound together before cutting the rest of the thread off.

"Jack?  You all right?"  The pirate had closed his eyes and was breathing in quick, shallow gasps, but he hadn't moved at all while she worked.  She knew the liquor Brian had offered him would help dull the pain, but it would in no way erase it.

The pirate didn't open his eyes as he responded.  "How many more are ye goin' t' put in?"

Ana-Maria looked at the bloody gash, a good inch and a half of it visible below his hair, another inch visible through the part she had made in the tangled mass.

"Another four, at least, probably five."

"Oh, hell.  Keep goin', love."

Ana-Maria nodded, working as quickly as possible, not interrupting the silence again until she had placed the sixth stitch.  Jack's posture hadn't changed through the entire process, his eyes were still tightly closed, and his breathing was still quick and harsh.

"Worst part's over, Jack."  The pirate captain didn't move, and Ana-Maria wiped her bloody fingers off on a cloth before dabbing the fresh blood off the gash in the pirate's head.  Then she grabbed the bandage she had set out earlier and wrapped it as tightly as she dared around his head, trying to set his hair, still done up with the beads, trinkets, and bone, so that he didn't look too much more outlandish than normal.

"All done, captain."  The pirate still didn't respond, and Ana-Maria moved to sit in front of him, raising one hand to his cheek.  "Jack?  You all right?"

Jack slowly opened both eyes, shivering slightly.  "No."

Ana-Maria restrained her instinct to pull back at the unexpected comment, instead reaching around and pulling his unresisting body against hers.  If Jack was admitting that he wasn't well, then whatever was bothering him was bad.

She spoke softly and gently to him, tightening her hold in accordance with his own tight hold on her.  "What's wrong, Jack?"

His voice was muffled in her shirt.  "Hurts like hell . . .hard to focus . . .keep having to remind m'self where I am, what I'm doin' . . .'m starting t' scare m'self, love . . ."

"Hey, Jack, it's going to be fine.  You're doing better.  You've kept it together all day now."

"I shouldn't 'ave t' work at keeping it together, love.  I shouldn't have to constantly look around me and be surprised by where I am . . .who I'm with . . .when I am . . ."

Ana-Maria couldn't think of any argument for that, so she just hugged him closer to her.  "It's all going to be all right, Jack.  I promise."

The pirate gently disentangled himself from her hands.  "Don't make promises that are out of your control, love.  It's dangerous."

"More dangerous than telling Elizabeth that you'd find Will and bring him back?"

Jack grinned slightly.  "I did, didn't I?"

"Aye, you promised her, and you kept your promise, and I'll keep mine."

Ana-Maria gently placed her hand on the back of his neck, pulling his head forward and his lips against hers.  He had shaved his beard and mustache off, and the feel of smooth skin against her face was odd after four years of kissing him with them.  It took only a second for the pirate captain to respond, one hand moving under her shirt and caressing her back, his talented fingers causing shivers to run up and down her spine, his other hand moving to the back of her head and pulling her against him, deepening the embrace.

"If you're done, I'd like to . . .oh, shit . . ."

The two pirates broke apart, Jack turning towards the doorway with his trademark grin.

"Hello, lad.  Your timing needs some improving."

The blush on the young captain's face deepened even further, something that Jack hadn't thought was possible.  "I'm sorry."

"It is your cabin, lad.  Guess we should ask you before we start having fun, huh?"

"Oh, no, please don't.  Do you want me to . . .take a walk around the ship?"

"You're ship isn't that big.  You'd need to go around at least four or five times."

"Jack . . ."  Ana-Maria couldn't help but pity the young captain, who looked as though he might pass out simply from embarrassment.

Jack turned his grin towards her, the usual mirth back in his eyes.  "Six or seven times?"

The female pirate laughed softly as she punched him lightly in the left shoulder before turning back to the young captain.  "I'm assuming you had something you wanted to say to us, Brian?"

"Yes . . .When we make port tomorrow, you two are to stay here until I send young Jack.  He'll lead you through back streets to Will's house, and you'll avoid Hallson and the other soldiers.  You're well known, Jack . . .just about the last real pirate threat left in the Caribbean, and worth quite a bit to whoever brings you in.  Once you're at Will's, try to lie low and stay out of trouble until we can come up with some sort of plan to keep you alive.  Understand?"

Jack nodded.  "Sounds entertaining.  Anything else you wanted to say, Captain, before you go taking that long walk around your ship?"

Brian lifted one eyebrow and stepped aside.  "Just that your 'nephew' wished to speak to you, so I brought him along."

The young man stared at the two pirates, his eyes wide.  "What're you going to do that makes Godpapa have to walk around the ship all those times, Uncle Jack?"

The pirate captain stared at the boy for a few seconds before turning to Ana-Maria.  "Now, are you going to tell him, am I going to tell him, or do we still have to wait for Will to tell him, in which case we'll be the topic under discussion as he gets his education?"

The female pirate didn't answer.

                                    *                                   *                                   *

Will awoke with a small gasp, struggling to remember the impressions that had been so strong moments before.  It had been that 'feeling' again, the sense he had been clinging to that told him Jack was still alive.

Despair.  That had been the impression he received first, a deep, dark despair that had threatened to drag him down, a despair coupled with pain.  Just as quickly as the despair had come, though, it had gone, cloaked and filled and overridden by a sense of peace, a sense of friendship and love, and . . .and . . .

Oh, hell.  If that had really been what Jack was feeling, the pirate captain was either going to try to kill Will for seeing it . . .

Or die laughing at the look that Will knew would be on his own face if he told the pirate what he had sensed.  Maybe some things were better left unspoken.

Will tightened his hold on Elizabeth, kissing her neck gently, a soft murmur from her telling him that he had woken her.

"You can cross off number one on the list, love . . .I think he's alive . . .and if what I think he was thinking is right, he's not too badly hurt . . ."

Elizabeth muttered something unintelligible before drifting back off to sleep, and Will smiled at the night before willing himself back into the relatively safe arms of Morpheus.

Responses to Reviews:

Ginny-Star:  A dog with no nose is barely functional.  Jack can work without his trappings, he just doesn't like to, and Brian's just trying to protect him.  As to updating, I'm doing that as quickly as possible.

Rat:  According to my calc teacher, my math is earning me an F in the class.  Need more be said about that?  Also, a few reviews in AToM and TMS said they weren't sure about my Jack . . .I expected it in AToM, I knew with some of the latter parts I was setting myself up for it, but . . .Just an aside, I'm not attacking you or your review for AToM, it was exactly what I wanted and asked for, but please never ever ever accuse me of neutering characters, I'm mentoring with a vet and that just gives a really bad mental image.  Also, Will was still making swords, and carving doesn't neuter a person, a lot of sailors used to carve (good way to spend spare time and if they had any talent it got extra money), or so my grandpa always told me, and he was an ex-navy man.  He can curse in several different languages, though he won't translate most of what he says . . .my uncle is Air Force and does the same . . .Sorry, getting way, way off topic.  Thanks for the vote of confidence for this story and my characterization.  Jack at tea, though . . .that could be interesting . . .very interesting . . .

Aratfeniel:  Happy reviewers make happy authors.  Glad you like Jack T. and Brian, 'cause so do I, as they are really and truly mine.  Everyone's going to have a lot more time in this story . . .it isn't anywhere near done . . .

Hollow-Ambitions aka Liz:  It shall be, shan't it?  Next chapter, too . . .I thought I might tack it on to this chappie, but it isn't done yet, so oh well . . .

Nikara:  Another vote of confidence!  Yeah!  The reunion occurs next chapter, which should be up . . .um . . .sometime . . .

Rinkufan:  I hope I feel better soon, too, and thanks for the vote of confidence on my OC's.  Just random info, I love how you sign "Still Hooked and Hanging", it makes me smile every time . . .

Cassandra the Heart Nut:  Brian is a sweetie.  He has hard decisions coming up.

Erinya:  Thanks for the vote of confidence on Jack Sparrow, and I'm glad you like Jack Turner.  Glad you like my writing.  Don't have any vitamin C in the house.

Endril McMerlyn:  I didn't forget Jack's head wound . . .it still has a couple parts to play . . .Glad you like my characterization.

Starzangel:  I'm updating as quickly as possible.  I can't tell you how this story is going to end 'cause it has a couple possible right now, but thankfully the story seems to straightening out as I get to each part, so it should come out all right.  Plus, if I told you, why read the story?  Thanks for the kind words about my characterization, and I agree . . .*drool* . . .love Johnny Depp for making Jack unique.  This is the first movie I've ever seen him in, but he did wonders for the character, and I think I'll watch for more movies with him in it . . .POTC2 eventually . . .

Erin:  I'm hurrying.  Glad you like little JT.

Greenleaf-In-Bloom:  It's coming, as quickly as possible, I promise . . .

Snow-Angel222:  Sorry to scare you, though I guess that that's a compliment.  I'm writing as quickly as possible, and am glad that you like it.

Elf-Vulcan:  Saying I'd respond doesn't mean I'd change anything.  I have reasons for some of what I did that might be controversial, and if anyone had a problem with characterization I would see if it was purposeful or if it was just accidental straying, which I might have corrected, but everyone seems happy, so I'm happy.  Thanks for writing in.

JackFan2:  MY BLOODY NAME IS THERESA NOT ROBIN!  I killed Robin and stole her computer and 'net hookup and e-mail!  Well, actually, she upgraded to bigger and better and donated all this stuff to poor broke Theresa, who was very happy.  Yes.  Ahem.  Better now.  I'm writing more, and I'm glad that you like my Jack.  As I told Elf-Vulcan, some straying was purposeful, but if there was something I was doing that many people didn't like and that wasn't purposeful, I might have changed it.  Not that it matters due to the happy responses I'm getting.  Thanks for writing in, and I like the explanation of how you do reviews and choosing stories and I'm grateful that you like mine.  Also, ff.net didn't send me all the reviews for this chappie . . .I went to check to make sure 'cause I gave my word that I'd respond to everyone and I keep my word, and a few hadn't been forwarded.  Rather obnoxious, that.

Zinnith:  Glad you like Jack, and yes, they're rescued for the moment, but they aren't out of trouble yet.  The reunion is next chapter, too.  I just noticed I have a reunion in all three of these stories . . .I need to start one where they're together . . .As for getting your sore throat, that's a scary thought, that a human virus could be transmitted through a computer.  Epidemics would be awful.

Kayden Eidyak:  Thanks for the vote of confidence on Jack, and this is an update.  Don't worry, Jack'll get all his stuff back on . . .I think . . .