Disclaimer: We're looking for a giant cat. Anyone got one? We're trying to
exterminate a certain pest that goes by the name of Mickey. But alas, for
now, we have no cat, therefore we do not own POTC.
Chapter 13
The deck was quiet as the crew filed down the stairs to bed. Most all went down below, but Faith stayed up on deck, pacing frantically back and forth in front of Jack's cabin. When Jack finally emerged, Faith jogged up to him, still quite nervous. "Well? How is she?"
"She's going to be fine, but she need 'er rest."
"But Jack!"
"But nothin'! I know you want to talk to Abbi, but it's in her best interest to..."
"...to speak with Faith tonight!" Abbi yelled from Jack's cabin, obviously able to hear their conversation. Jack rolled his eyes in frustration and Faith put her hands on her hips, waiting for Jack's reply.
"All right, all right! I'll let you see 'er, but not for very long," he said, holding his finger in her face. She smiled and Jack did the same, even if it was a little lopsided. She cautiously opened the door to see Abbi lying peacefully on Jack's bed in a clean shirt and with her leg wrapped tightly in white gauze.
"Oh, Abbi! What happened?"
Abbi sighed deeply and recalled the whole story for Faith in great detail. Faith was a great audience: she gasped and relaxed in all the right places. Abbi finished by saying, "Jack says I'll be fine, as long as I get plenty of rest and it doesn't get infected."
Faith looked at the bandage, still afraid for her friend. Abbi, desperately wanting to change the subject, asked Faith, "So, how was your night?"
Faith's eyes widened as she looked at her feet. Abbi leaned on her elbows in the bed and asked, "Are you all right, Faith?"
Faith took a deep breath to calm herself. "Jack sent a new recruit to the ship, and... he tried to rape me."
Abbi shot up, her eyes wide in fury. "WHAT?" she screamed. "Oh I am going to kill him..."
"You're a little too late," Faith said before Abbi could get any more worked up.
Abbi looked up at her, very confused. "You didn't..."
"No! No, not me... Thomas."
Abbi looked up, recalling what she had said to Jack earlier. 'I feel as though Thomas was supposed to be here. I just have a feeling... like Faith needed him tonight. I could see it in her face... she wasn't just worried about me – she was shaken...'
"I knew it," she breathed. "I knew when I saw you that something was wrong – besides being worried about me."
Faith thought this was very odd. "Peculiar indeed..." was all she said.
"Yes, very..." Abbi commented. She looked up at Faith to see her eyes glistening with tears. "Faith? What's wrong?"
"I'm just worried, I guess," Faith replied as she ferociously wiped her eyes. 'I've done enough crying tonight,' she thought.
"Don't be worried," Abbi said consolingly. "Jack is not going to let me leave this bed until I am better, so don't you worry about me." Abbi watched Faith yawn widely. "I know you're exhausted and I am too, so why don't we both get some shut-eye? You can come see me tomorrow after breakfast if you like – I'd love the company," Abbi finished with a smile.
"All right," Faith said, smiling in return. With that Faith left Abbi to her rest. Abbi lay back down and before her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.
*
Faith left Jack's cabin slowly but soon sped up into what was almost a run. She ran into several crew members who were still awake for the night shift, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get to Abbi's cabin so that she could let it all out.
She felt herself bump into someone else and she tried to continue around him but felt him grasp he shoulder. She turned, tears brimming, to see Thomas. When he saw the tears standing in her eyes, he stepped behind her and led her in the opposite direction towards Abbi's cabin. Faith realized she had been going away from Abbi's cabin rather than toward it. Thomas' hand rested almost imperceptibly on the small of her back and they entered Abbi's cabin.
Faith turned to face Thomas, her eyes on the planks of the ship. Thomas could see her face was wet.
"Hey," he said softly, coming close and enveloping her in his arms. She cried for a long time as he held her, stroking her hair and whispering soothingly.
Faith cried herself out and put her hands on Thomas' shoulders, pushing away so she could look at him. He looked down at her, his brown eyes probing her green eyes. "What happened?" he asked, his voice as tender as his gaze.
"Abbi got hurt." Thomas' expression conveyed his confusion. "I mean really hurt. This man in Tortuga – he thought she was a wench... and he tried to pay her for the night but she said no and he got really mad... and he got some friends and they ripped her shirt and she was fighting and..." Faith was crying again. "And... and the man took his dagger and he... he..." She made a slashing motion as she tried not to choke on the words she hadn't yet said. "He cut her leg open from the knee to the ankle!"
Thomas realized the danger Abbi was in. He couldn't do anything without revealing the relationship between he and Faith, risking not only his own life, but also Faith's. A pirate's jealousy was a dangerous thing. He could only hope they'd bandaged the wound tightly and stopped the bleeding.
As it was, he pulled Faith close to him and kissed the top of her head, rocking her back and forth in an effort to calm both himself and Faith.
"I'm exhausted," sighed Faith a while later.
Thomas mouth quirked into a smile. "It's been a long night."
Faith looked up, her eyes red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep. "How long do you think I could sleep?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.
"Not long, I'm afraid. I would offer to cook and serve breakfast for you but I'm afraid that when they tasted my cooking, every last crewmember would fall down dead!" Thomas laughed as Faith took on a fearful expression.
"Oh, no you don't! You wake me up the second the crew gets hungry! Do you understand me, Thomas?"
He nodded, delighted at her protectiveness. "I will, I promise."
"And Thomas?"
"Yes?" he prompted when there was a long silence. He looked down to see that Faith had fallen asleep while still clinging to him. He smiled and scooped her up gently. He put her onto Abbi's bed and covered her with a blanket. He looked at her for a moment before going to start his chores.
*
Faith felt, as though from far away, someone shaking her. She realized that she needed to wake up, but her body was denying her. A deep struggle ensued: part of her told her to wake up and feed the crew while the other part told her to simply sleep. Eventually, the former won, and Faith opened her eyes to the dimly lit interior of Abbi's cabin. She sighed deeply, stretching. Then she spotted Thomas, who was standing above her bed, arms crossed and bright smile in place. She gasped in surprise and then laughed.
"Okay, okay! I'm up! I know you must be hungry!"
Thomas just smiled. Faith sat up, trying to clear the webs from her brain. She stood slowly and walked toward the door. Thomas didn't move. She looked back and crossed her arms, her eyes questioning. Thomas shook his head, walked over to her and started combing through her hair with his fingers.
Faith, somewhat taken aback, relaxed and laughed as she realized what she must look like. She stopped Thomas' fruitless attempts to tame her hair by taking his hand and squeezing it slightly in thanks. She ran through her hair with her own fingers before braiding it.
"How long have I been asleep?" she said, throwing the plait behind her back.
"Only an hour or so. Sorry, but I thought you might need some time to gather yourself."
"Thank you. The reason I was so upset is... well... Abbi's looking scared and vulnerable, and I've never seen her like that before! She's always been the strong one, and now I'm the one that has to take over!"
"Faith, you've only been here for a week!"
"I know, Thomas, but something tells me she's never been like this before."
"You're probably right, but you can't put any blame on yourself. You..."
"What do you know about it? You don't know what I said before she left! You don't know what she looked like when she came limping onto the ship with only Jack for a crutch! You don't know about this! You don't know how I feel!"
"You're probably right," Thomas admitted, his voice very soft and his eyes downcast.
Faith put a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I'm just so tired and shaken and... but that's no excuse. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you. You were just trying to help."
"No, I'm sorry. You've spent more time with Abbi this past week than I have in two and a half years. I had no right..."
"I was upset, and we're both tired. Let's just forget about it," Faith cut in.
Thomas smiled as Faith advanced and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. His arms went around her and he whispered, "I think we should fight more just so that we can make up."
"Ha, ha, very funny. Come on, you have chores and I have a meal to cook and serve."
"Chores? What are you talking about? I'm helping you."
"No you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"No, you're not! Don't you think that will give something away? I mean, we said it would be best for the both of us if we just didn't tell anyone. They'll probably kill you and use me if they find out! None of the others have been allowed to touch me, and if you and I are always around each other, somebody will find out – I don't care how thick they are."
Thomas stood still, letting all of her good sense sink in and smiling contritely down at the fiery beauty before him. She didn't smile, but her eyes were smiling as she turned swiftly and headed for the kitchen.
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Chappy 13 up!!! More Faith and Thomas action, just like we promised. Next chapter is a really good one. It's an Abbi chapter, but strictly Abbi. You think you know her, but you just wait...
LADYTIYE: I know, Jack and Abbi's relationship is pretty frustrating. (JOEY: Just think how bad it was for me- I had to write the characters!!!) Hope you liked this chapter!
emilie: Yes, Jack is the Best!!! Thank you for your compliment! It means a lot to us! Please review again- we would love to hear what you think about this chappy!
margo: JOEY: yes, Ary loves Aragorn!
ARY: do NOT!
JOEY: Oh, sorry, you're right. She doesn't just love Aragorn- she likes anything having to do with VIGGO!
ARY: Well, what about you and Johnny Depp?
JOEY: Oh please, everybody already knows how much I like him! You can kind of see that in Abbi- after all, she is the character that I came up with!... ANYWAYS, margo- you thank us for answering your reviews, so we thank you for giving them! Kudos for you!!!!
Pirate'sRedWinter: Rum really would hurt on a wound, wouldn't it? Glad you liked the last chappy! Hope you liked this one as well!
fadingimage: You know, to make this a Jack/You fic, just put yourself in Abbi's shoes. Then, Jack really can be your hero!! Lucky for you! Glad you are liking this story!!
~Here are replicas of Faith's uber cool dagger to all of our reviewers!! *passes out daggers*~
Hope you all enjoyed this chap! Please R&R some more if you haven't already!!!!!!
The REAL Pair of Piratesses (not to say that all of y'all out there aren't),
~Ary and Joey~
Chapter 13
The deck was quiet as the crew filed down the stairs to bed. Most all went down below, but Faith stayed up on deck, pacing frantically back and forth in front of Jack's cabin. When Jack finally emerged, Faith jogged up to him, still quite nervous. "Well? How is she?"
"She's going to be fine, but she need 'er rest."
"But Jack!"
"But nothin'! I know you want to talk to Abbi, but it's in her best interest to..."
"...to speak with Faith tonight!" Abbi yelled from Jack's cabin, obviously able to hear their conversation. Jack rolled his eyes in frustration and Faith put her hands on her hips, waiting for Jack's reply.
"All right, all right! I'll let you see 'er, but not for very long," he said, holding his finger in her face. She smiled and Jack did the same, even if it was a little lopsided. She cautiously opened the door to see Abbi lying peacefully on Jack's bed in a clean shirt and with her leg wrapped tightly in white gauze.
"Oh, Abbi! What happened?"
Abbi sighed deeply and recalled the whole story for Faith in great detail. Faith was a great audience: she gasped and relaxed in all the right places. Abbi finished by saying, "Jack says I'll be fine, as long as I get plenty of rest and it doesn't get infected."
Faith looked at the bandage, still afraid for her friend. Abbi, desperately wanting to change the subject, asked Faith, "So, how was your night?"
Faith's eyes widened as she looked at her feet. Abbi leaned on her elbows in the bed and asked, "Are you all right, Faith?"
Faith took a deep breath to calm herself. "Jack sent a new recruit to the ship, and... he tried to rape me."
Abbi shot up, her eyes wide in fury. "WHAT?" she screamed. "Oh I am going to kill him..."
"You're a little too late," Faith said before Abbi could get any more worked up.
Abbi looked up at her, very confused. "You didn't..."
"No! No, not me... Thomas."
Abbi looked up, recalling what she had said to Jack earlier. 'I feel as though Thomas was supposed to be here. I just have a feeling... like Faith needed him tonight. I could see it in her face... she wasn't just worried about me – she was shaken...'
"I knew it," she breathed. "I knew when I saw you that something was wrong – besides being worried about me."
Faith thought this was very odd. "Peculiar indeed..." was all she said.
"Yes, very..." Abbi commented. She looked up at Faith to see her eyes glistening with tears. "Faith? What's wrong?"
"I'm just worried, I guess," Faith replied as she ferociously wiped her eyes. 'I've done enough crying tonight,' she thought.
"Don't be worried," Abbi said consolingly. "Jack is not going to let me leave this bed until I am better, so don't you worry about me." Abbi watched Faith yawn widely. "I know you're exhausted and I am too, so why don't we both get some shut-eye? You can come see me tomorrow after breakfast if you like – I'd love the company," Abbi finished with a smile.
"All right," Faith said, smiling in return. With that Faith left Abbi to her rest. Abbi lay back down and before her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.
*
Faith left Jack's cabin slowly but soon sped up into what was almost a run. She ran into several crew members who were still awake for the night shift, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get to Abbi's cabin so that she could let it all out.
She felt herself bump into someone else and she tried to continue around him but felt him grasp he shoulder. She turned, tears brimming, to see Thomas. When he saw the tears standing in her eyes, he stepped behind her and led her in the opposite direction towards Abbi's cabin. Faith realized she had been going away from Abbi's cabin rather than toward it. Thomas' hand rested almost imperceptibly on the small of her back and they entered Abbi's cabin.
Faith turned to face Thomas, her eyes on the planks of the ship. Thomas could see her face was wet.
"Hey," he said softly, coming close and enveloping her in his arms. She cried for a long time as he held her, stroking her hair and whispering soothingly.
Faith cried herself out and put her hands on Thomas' shoulders, pushing away so she could look at him. He looked down at her, his brown eyes probing her green eyes. "What happened?" he asked, his voice as tender as his gaze.
"Abbi got hurt." Thomas' expression conveyed his confusion. "I mean really hurt. This man in Tortuga – he thought she was a wench... and he tried to pay her for the night but she said no and he got really mad... and he got some friends and they ripped her shirt and she was fighting and..." Faith was crying again. "And... and the man took his dagger and he... he..." She made a slashing motion as she tried not to choke on the words she hadn't yet said. "He cut her leg open from the knee to the ankle!"
Thomas realized the danger Abbi was in. He couldn't do anything without revealing the relationship between he and Faith, risking not only his own life, but also Faith's. A pirate's jealousy was a dangerous thing. He could only hope they'd bandaged the wound tightly and stopped the bleeding.
As it was, he pulled Faith close to him and kissed the top of her head, rocking her back and forth in an effort to calm both himself and Faith.
"I'm exhausted," sighed Faith a while later.
Thomas mouth quirked into a smile. "It's been a long night."
Faith looked up, her eyes red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep. "How long do you think I could sleep?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.
"Not long, I'm afraid. I would offer to cook and serve breakfast for you but I'm afraid that when they tasted my cooking, every last crewmember would fall down dead!" Thomas laughed as Faith took on a fearful expression.
"Oh, no you don't! You wake me up the second the crew gets hungry! Do you understand me, Thomas?"
He nodded, delighted at her protectiveness. "I will, I promise."
"And Thomas?"
"Yes?" he prompted when there was a long silence. He looked down to see that Faith had fallen asleep while still clinging to him. He smiled and scooped her up gently. He put her onto Abbi's bed and covered her with a blanket. He looked at her for a moment before going to start his chores.
*
Faith felt, as though from far away, someone shaking her. She realized that she needed to wake up, but her body was denying her. A deep struggle ensued: part of her told her to wake up and feed the crew while the other part told her to simply sleep. Eventually, the former won, and Faith opened her eyes to the dimly lit interior of Abbi's cabin. She sighed deeply, stretching. Then she spotted Thomas, who was standing above her bed, arms crossed and bright smile in place. She gasped in surprise and then laughed.
"Okay, okay! I'm up! I know you must be hungry!"
Thomas just smiled. Faith sat up, trying to clear the webs from her brain. She stood slowly and walked toward the door. Thomas didn't move. She looked back and crossed her arms, her eyes questioning. Thomas shook his head, walked over to her and started combing through her hair with his fingers.
Faith, somewhat taken aback, relaxed and laughed as she realized what she must look like. She stopped Thomas' fruitless attempts to tame her hair by taking his hand and squeezing it slightly in thanks. She ran through her hair with her own fingers before braiding it.
"How long have I been asleep?" she said, throwing the plait behind her back.
"Only an hour or so. Sorry, but I thought you might need some time to gather yourself."
"Thank you. The reason I was so upset is... well... Abbi's looking scared and vulnerable, and I've never seen her like that before! She's always been the strong one, and now I'm the one that has to take over!"
"Faith, you've only been here for a week!"
"I know, Thomas, but something tells me she's never been like this before."
"You're probably right, but you can't put any blame on yourself. You..."
"What do you know about it? You don't know what I said before she left! You don't know what she looked like when she came limping onto the ship with only Jack for a crutch! You don't know about this! You don't know how I feel!"
"You're probably right," Thomas admitted, his voice very soft and his eyes downcast.
Faith put a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I'm just so tired and shaken and... but that's no excuse. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you. You were just trying to help."
"No, I'm sorry. You've spent more time with Abbi this past week than I have in two and a half years. I had no right..."
"I was upset, and we're both tired. Let's just forget about it," Faith cut in.
Thomas smiled as Faith advanced and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. His arms went around her and he whispered, "I think we should fight more just so that we can make up."
"Ha, ha, very funny. Come on, you have chores and I have a meal to cook and serve."
"Chores? What are you talking about? I'm helping you."
"No you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"No, you're not! Don't you think that will give something away? I mean, we said it would be best for the both of us if we just didn't tell anyone. They'll probably kill you and use me if they find out! None of the others have been allowed to touch me, and if you and I are always around each other, somebody will find out – I don't care how thick they are."
Thomas stood still, letting all of her good sense sink in and smiling contritely down at the fiery beauty before him. She didn't smile, but her eyes were smiling as she turned swiftly and headed for the kitchen.
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Chappy 13 up!!! More Faith and Thomas action, just like we promised. Next chapter is a really good one. It's an Abbi chapter, but strictly Abbi. You think you know her, but you just wait...
LADYTIYE: I know, Jack and Abbi's relationship is pretty frustrating. (JOEY: Just think how bad it was for me- I had to write the characters!!!) Hope you liked this chapter!
emilie: Yes, Jack is the Best!!! Thank you for your compliment! It means a lot to us! Please review again- we would love to hear what you think about this chappy!
margo: JOEY: yes, Ary loves Aragorn!
ARY: do NOT!
JOEY: Oh, sorry, you're right. She doesn't just love Aragorn- she likes anything having to do with VIGGO!
ARY: Well, what about you and Johnny Depp?
JOEY: Oh please, everybody already knows how much I like him! You can kind of see that in Abbi- after all, she is the character that I came up with!... ANYWAYS, margo- you thank us for answering your reviews, so we thank you for giving them! Kudos for you!!!!
Pirate'sRedWinter: Rum really would hurt on a wound, wouldn't it? Glad you liked the last chappy! Hope you liked this one as well!
fadingimage: You know, to make this a Jack/You fic, just put yourself in Abbi's shoes. Then, Jack really can be your hero!! Lucky for you! Glad you are liking this story!!
~Here are replicas of Faith's uber cool dagger to all of our reviewers!! *passes out daggers*~
Hope you all enjoyed this chap! Please R&R some more if you haven't already!!!!!!
The REAL Pair of Piratesses (not to say that all of y'all out there aren't),
~Ary and Joey~