Usual disclaimers
Sorry, yet another short-ish chapter. They will get longer again, promise....
Chapter 20
Maddy and Will had their backs against the ships side, Will pointing his pistols at some of the crew, Maddy pointing one of hers at Isabelle's head, the other in the direction of the captain. It was his first command, and he didn't want the governor of Barbados' wife being killed, he didn't want *anyone* killed. The ship slowly turned around in a wide arc, and headed back
Will and Maddy took it in turns to keep Isabelle captive in the captains' quarters, while the other one slept. As Will had predicted, one of the ships from the convoy did come back to them, but were sent away by the captain, saying they had a fever on board and wanted to keep their distance in case it spread to the other ships. With a strong following wind, they arrived back in the area two days quicker than they had sailed away from it. Will and Maddy poured over a map, working out where Jack might be coming from, and set sail westwards, hugging the coast of Haiti.
****************
'Where the bloody 'ell is he?' Jack was growing increasingly frustrated at not having seen sight or sound of The Chinaman. He had patrolled the waters for three days searching, carefully avoiding the Naval ships in the distance. 'Where is he Gibbs? What the hell is he playing at?'
'Buggered if I know Jack,' Joshamee Gibbs' eyes felt as if they would pop out from staring out to sea for hours on end.
'Ship ho!' Came the cry from above.
'About bloody time.' Jack took out his spyglass, and searched for the ship. 'It's a bloody naval frigate,' Jack felt despair surge through him.
'Jack, it's heading straight for us, and it's got a flag of truce flying.'
Jack took up his spyglass again, but the ship was still too far away for him to make anything out. He frowned, unsure as to whether to meet the ship or not.
****************
Maddy had a tight grip on Isabelle's' arm, the gun still at the girls head. She wasn't going to fall at the final hurdle. 'Don't worry, this'll soon be over, and we'll be out of your life forever.'
'Why did you do this?' Isabelle's voice barely audible.
'Because I needed to get back to my husband, just like you need to get to yours, savvy?' Maddy stole a glance at the shape of the Black Pearl getting bigger, not long now. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye.
Maddy dropped the pistol, and pulled the knife from her arm, pressing it hard against Isobelles' throat, drawing blood, making the young woman whimper in fear. Will pointed a pistol at the sailor who had tried to storm them.
'No, no, please don't hurt anyone!' The captain was getting panicky by the sight of the pirate ship bearing down on them.
Jack went to the starboard side of his ship and looked at the other vessel. 'Madalene?' he whispered, frowning. 'MADALENE!' He yelled, jumping up and down.
'Ello darlin,' Maddy called back, a big grin on her face.
Chapter 24
The crew of the Pearl stood at the side of the ship as they drew in next to the Bell, all weapons trained on the Naval crew, lest they try anything. Maddy let Isabelle go. 'I'm sorry I put you through this,' Maddy apologised, 'But I was desperate.' Maddy grabbed a rope and swung over to the Pearl alongside Will.
Jack was standing back from the crew, hands on hips, a crooked smile on his face. Maddy fought her way through the arms of her crewmates, until she found herself standing in front of Jack.
'Jack,' she whispered, taking his outstretched hand. Jack pulled her closer to him, taking in every inch of Maddys face. He wrapped his arms around his wife and held her tight, face pressed into her neck, drinking in her scent once more.
'I thought I was too late,' Jacks voice raw with emotion. 'I'm sorry luv, I'm sorry I let you down.'
'Jack Sparrow, you didn't let me down. You came for me didn't you?' Maddys eyes looked tenderly into her husbands, hands stroking his face.
'I should have come quicker, I should have let you stay aboard like you wanted to, I should have.......' Jack was interrupted by Maddys lips pressing against his, her sweet taste making him forget everything.
Maddy had been running on adrenaline for the past week or so, and now that the immediate danger was over, she suddenly felt very weak. Maddy leaned heavily against Jack, unable to bear her own weight.
'Madalene?' Jack frowned at her. 'Madalene luv, you alright?'
'No she's not Jack,' came Wills voice. 'She's been through hell.'
Jack picked his wife up and carried her to their cabin, laying her on the bunk. Maddy tried to protest, but Jack pushed her firmly back down. 'Don't make me strap yer in luv, 'cos you know I will.' Maddy lay her head down, eyes feeling very heavy.
'I love you Jack....' she murmured as she drifted off to sleep.
'I love you too,' he whispered gently as he bent to kiss her lips.
Jack strode across the deck to where Will was sitting. 'Right Mr Turner, you will now tell me all that's happened.' Jack sat in silence as Will told him everything that had happened since they parted at Tortuga months before. Wills voice dropped as he told Jack of Maddys treatment at the hands of Burns. The hatred that Jack had felt all the time his wife was held captive was nothing compared to how he felt now.
'Mr Gibbs, we find this bastard, and we find him soon, savvy?' Jack growled quietly to his first mate.
'Aye Cap'n, sooner the better.' Gibbs was equally determined to find Burns.
Jack went back to his cabin. Maddy was still fast asleep, looking peaceful. Jack felt a lump in his throat and tears well up in his eyes. 'Oh God, Madalene, I'm sorry,' his voice breaking. Jack climbed in carefully besides Maddy, and curled his body around hers, giving her the protection he couldn't before.
Maddy woke with a start, she felt a body curled around her, and for a second thought she was back on Burns' ship. 'S'alright luv, you're safe now,' came Jacks reassuring voice. Maddy turned to face Jack, her eyes still clouded with fear.
'I thought....'
'I know, luv, it's over now. He'll never hurt you again, I promise.' Jack traced his fingers around Maddys face. 'Will told me what happened. When I catch that bastard.....'
Maddy stopped him. 'I don't want to think about it Jack, I don't want him referred to.'
'Alright luv, I'm sorry.' Jack kissed his wife gently, fearing that she might pull away from him, but instead she pulled him closer, and then wriggled her body beneath his.
'Make me feel clean again Jack, make me feel like your wife.'
Jack made love to Maddy with a tenderness he never knew he could feel, cherishing her, wanting desperately to take away her pain. As Maddy reached her climax, she felt as if dark clouds had parted and bright sunshine flooded in to her life again.
Sorry, yet another short-ish chapter. They will get longer again, promise....
Chapter 20
Maddy and Will had their backs against the ships side, Will pointing his pistols at some of the crew, Maddy pointing one of hers at Isabelle's head, the other in the direction of the captain. It was his first command, and he didn't want the governor of Barbados' wife being killed, he didn't want *anyone* killed. The ship slowly turned around in a wide arc, and headed back
Will and Maddy took it in turns to keep Isabelle captive in the captains' quarters, while the other one slept. As Will had predicted, one of the ships from the convoy did come back to them, but were sent away by the captain, saying they had a fever on board and wanted to keep their distance in case it spread to the other ships. With a strong following wind, they arrived back in the area two days quicker than they had sailed away from it. Will and Maddy poured over a map, working out where Jack might be coming from, and set sail westwards, hugging the coast of Haiti.
****************
'Where the bloody 'ell is he?' Jack was growing increasingly frustrated at not having seen sight or sound of The Chinaman. He had patrolled the waters for three days searching, carefully avoiding the Naval ships in the distance. 'Where is he Gibbs? What the hell is he playing at?'
'Buggered if I know Jack,' Joshamee Gibbs' eyes felt as if they would pop out from staring out to sea for hours on end.
'Ship ho!' Came the cry from above.
'About bloody time.' Jack took out his spyglass, and searched for the ship. 'It's a bloody naval frigate,' Jack felt despair surge through him.
'Jack, it's heading straight for us, and it's got a flag of truce flying.'
Jack took up his spyglass again, but the ship was still too far away for him to make anything out. He frowned, unsure as to whether to meet the ship or not.
****************
Maddy had a tight grip on Isabelle's' arm, the gun still at the girls head. She wasn't going to fall at the final hurdle. 'Don't worry, this'll soon be over, and we'll be out of your life forever.'
'Why did you do this?' Isabelle's voice barely audible.
'Because I needed to get back to my husband, just like you need to get to yours, savvy?' Maddy stole a glance at the shape of the Black Pearl getting bigger, not long now. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye.
Maddy dropped the pistol, and pulled the knife from her arm, pressing it hard against Isobelles' throat, drawing blood, making the young woman whimper in fear. Will pointed a pistol at the sailor who had tried to storm them.
'No, no, please don't hurt anyone!' The captain was getting panicky by the sight of the pirate ship bearing down on them.
Jack went to the starboard side of his ship and looked at the other vessel. 'Madalene?' he whispered, frowning. 'MADALENE!' He yelled, jumping up and down.
'Ello darlin,' Maddy called back, a big grin on her face.
Chapter 24
The crew of the Pearl stood at the side of the ship as they drew in next to the Bell, all weapons trained on the Naval crew, lest they try anything. Maddy let Isabelle go. 'I'm sorry I put you through this,' Maddy apologised, 'But I was desperate.' Maddy grabbed a rope and swung over to the Pearl alongside Will.
Jack was standing back from the crew, hands on hips, a crooked smile on his face. Maddy fought her way through the arms of her crewmates, until she found herself standing in front of Jack.
'Jack,' she whispered, taking his outstretched hand. Jack pulled her closer to him, taking in every inch of Maddys face. He wrapped his arms around his wife and held her tight, face pressed into her neck, drinking in her scent once more.
'I thought I was too late,' Jacks voice raw with emotion. 'I'm sorry luv, I'm sorry I let you down.'
'Jack Sparrow, you didn't let me down. You came for me didn't you?' Maddys eyes looked tenderly into her husbands, hands stroking his face.
'I should have come quicker, I should have let you stay aboard like you wanted to, I should have.......' Jack was interrupted by Maddys lips pressing against his, her sweet taste making him forget everything.
Maddy had been running on adrenaline for the past week or so, and now that the immediate danger was over, she suddenly felt very weak. Maddy leaned heavily against Jack, unable to bear her own weight.
'Madalene?' Jack frowned at her. 'Madalene luv, you alright?'
'No she's not Jack,' came Wills voice. 'She's been through hell.'
Jack picked his wife up and carried her to their cabin, laying her on the bunk. Maddy tried to protest, but Jack pushed her firmly back down. 'Don't make me strap yer in luv, 'cos you know I will.' Maddy lay her head down, eyes feeling very heavy.
'I love you Jack....' she murmured as she drifted off to sleep.
'I love you too,' he whispered gently as he bent to kiss her lips.
Jack strode across the deck to where Will was sitting. 'Right Mr Turner, you will now tell me all that's happened.' Jack sat in silence as Will told him everything that had happened since they parted at Tortuga months before. Wills voice dropped as he told Jack of Maddys treatment at the hands of Burns. The hatred that Jack had felt all the time his wife was held captive was nothing compared to how he felt now.
'Mr Gibbs, we find this bastard, and we find him soon, savvy?' Jack growled quietly to his first mate.
'Aye Cap'n, sooner the better.' Gibbs was equally determined to find Burns.
Jack went back to his cabin. Maddy was still fast asleep, looking peaceful. Jack felt a lump in his throat and tears well up in his eyes. 'Oh God, Madalene, I'm sorry,' his voice breaking. Jack climbed in carefully besides Maddy, and curled his body around hers, giving her the protection he couldn't before.
Maddy woke with a start, she felt a body curled around her, and for a second thought she was back on Burns' ship. 'S'alright luv, you're safe now,' came Jacks reassuring voice. Maddy turned to face Jack, her eyes still clouded with fear.
'I thought....'
'I know, luv, it's over now. He'll never hurt you again, I promise.' Jack traced his fingers around Maddys face. 'Will told me what happened. When I catch that bastard.....'
Maddy stopped him. 'I don't want to think about it Jack, I don't want him referred to.'
'Alright luv, I'm sorry.' Jack kissed his wife gently, fearing that she might pull away from him, but instead she pulled him closer, and then wriggled her body beneath his.
'Make me feel clean again Jack, make me feel like your wife.'
Jack made love to Maddy with a tenderness he never knew he could feel, cherishing her, wanting desperately to take away her pain. As Maddy reached her climax, she felt as if dark clouds had parted and bright sunshine flooded in to her life again.