Author's Note: Seems as though the last chapter threw everyone through a loop!  I didn't know you guys were going to think those things.  Thinking Brenda and Trevor were over…You should know better!  Ah well, all is good in this chapter…and then I posted the Epilogue…and, well, the end.  Of the Story.  –Sigh-

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Feeling weak?"

        Gwyneth turned her head towards the voice, all too used to hearing it, no matter how wrong that was.  She opened her eyes and took a deep breath.  She was outside in Port Royal, but it was clear and sunny outside.  She could even smell the sea, it was so close.

        She looked at Nathan, "No."

        He paused, "I took your baby.  You must be feeling something."

        "I am.  I'm feeling alive…" And she really did.  She was still mourning the loss of the child, but since she had never met the child, it made the process a little easier, but not a lot.  "You did take my child, but I have two more that I love more than anything.  And you can't take them away from me."

        Nathan sneered, "And why not?"

        "Because they have more determination than I.  You'll have a hard time bringing them down.  And you definitely won't get me or Jack."

        Nathan's eyes started to turn yellow as he walked towards her, "You can't do this.  I had you!  You were going to be mine!"

        She smiled smugly, "I belong to Jack and no one else."

        Filled with anger and hate, Nathan screamed a terrible, heart wrenching scream that seemed to echo through Gwyneth's entire body.  Smoke began to form around him and he began to disappear, but in his scream Gwyneth heard, "Your time will come Gwyneth Johnson…"

        She sighed and closed her eyes, "That's Gwyneth Sparrow."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

        Breathless, Trevor closed the door behind him, leaning on it to try to catch his breath.  He had lost Brenda for five minutes at the most, but he was sure she was headed here.

        After a few minutes Trevor's breath paced and he started to walk toward the stairs, thinking she was in her room.  But as he made his way up the stairs, he saw someone he wasn't expecting at all.

        "Mom?"

        Faith looked up and almost dropped the dish she was carrying.  So she carefully set it down and ran to her son, hugging him tightly.  "You aren't supposed to be here!"

        Trevor smiled, "Why didn't you come and tell me you were here?"

        They pulled apart, "We just got here last night."

        "We?"

        "Your father and I."

        Trevor nodded, "Taking care of Gwyneth I assume?"

        "She needs it.  She lost the baby early this morning."

        Trevor frowned, "Seriously?"  Faith nodded.  Whatever Trevor was feeling before for his aunt's health just plummeted. "Is she okay?"

        "Seeing your father has seemed to lift her spirits a little, but she's still wavering.  But Jack, Edward and I are all taking good care of her.  I'm sure she'll be okay…in time."

        Trevor sighed and nodded, trusting his mother.  She now had six children, five at home, and knew enough to take care of them all for different illnesses.  He got back to his original reason for being here. "Mom, I'm here actually…to look for Brenda…has she come in the past ten minutes?"

        Faith paused, "No…she was a little distressed this morning though.  And I'm sure it was over you and Katrina…but Jack went and persuaded her to come see you…have you seen her?"

        Trevor moaned, "No…not really.

        "Well check the places were she would be, dear."

        "She's here most of the time!  And if she's not she's…"  He snapped his fingers, "Mom, you're a genius!"  He kissed her cheek and ran out the door.  Faith laughed to herself and shook her head, mumbling, "Boys…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We should've called for you sooner…"

        The sight that Jack was looking at almost brought him to tears.  Gwyneth was sitting up, eating broth, with her brother and sister-in-law.  She looked healthier already.

        Faith smiled, "A bath can do miracles."

        "Did it bring her temperature down?" Jack asked, walking to her.

        Faith nodded, "And baths also bring up emotional…conditions."

        Jack nodded, staring at his wife.  She gave a weak smile and said, "He got my baby, but didn't get me."

        "Who? Jack asked, a little concerned.

        "Death…" she whispered.

        He paused, had heard her right?  He exchanged glances with Faith and Edward and then looked back at his wife.  She pushed Faith away gently so she could talk to Jack fully.  "He wanted you.  And Nathan was representing him.  He told me that he had been trying to get you for years…and to get you he had to kill me.  He said that…that…you wouldn't be able to go on without me…"

        Faith and Edward looked at each other and then quickly excused themselves from the room.  Jack slipped in behind Gwyneth so she could sit upright by leaning against him.  She sighed and then asked, "Do you believe me?"

        He paused, "I believe that…Death has been trying to get me…I've been out runnin' her too."

        Gwyneth smiled when Jack referred to Death as a woman.  Jack went on though, "And I believe that to get to me, she would have to get you…but I didn't think Death was that…cunning."

        Gwyneth turned around so she could put her arms around him, "So I suppose we're…bound to each other in a sense."

        Jack wrapped his arms around her as well, "I think it's more than that…we're bound to each other physically, emotionally, and…somewhat by spirit."

        Gwyneth smiled and nestled her head under his chin, "I agree completely."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

         I knew I shouldn't have gone.  This whole thing has been nothin' but trouble!  "AHHH!" Brenda screamed out her cabin door.  She grabbed a pistol from her side and fired a shot into the water. 

        I love you.

          "If you loved me, you bloody snake, then you'd show it!" Brenda yelled, going into her cabin and slamming the door.  She flopped onto her bed and sighed.  This wasn't turning out how she thought it would be.  She tried being tough and independent - that didn't work.  She tried being semi-emotional and dependent but that didn't work either.  What was going to work?

        She rolled on to her shoulder and grabbed her pillow.  She needed to leave.  That would work.

        And have the same thing happen again?

        It'd be better than hurting.  Leaving has always worked.  I do things that work- not things that don't work.

        "An' bein' in love doesn't work." She mumbled. 

        I love you.

          I wonder if he's said that to Katrina…I wonder if he's said it to anyone else?  Has there been other women besides Katrina?

        She turned angrily on her other side, I don't care.

        Brenda's heart stopped as she heard steps on the deck.  She paused and slowly got down from her cot and put her ear to the floor.  The steps were too heavy to belong to a female.  The man stopped and turned slightly on his heel and then she heard something, "Brenda?"

        With one ear to the wood, the voice was barely recognizable, but once her heart did a flip in her chest she knew who it was.  She lifted herself off the floor and grabbed a loaded pistol from the table.  She slowly moved across the cabin, trying to not make any noise which was somewhat easy considering her boots were off and she was barefoot. 

        She slowly opened the door and quickly pointed the gun at the man.  He turned slowly to face her, only to reveal he had a gun of his own.  Standoff.

        Brenda raised a brow, surprised he would do such a thing, "You have spunk."

        He shrugged, "You're surprised?"

        She didn't move a muscle, "What are you doin' here?  You don't belong here."

        "Neither do you!"

        Brenda almost choked on her spit, "And where exactly do I belong?"

        "With me."

        She paused, almost on the verge of lowering her gun and her defenses.  "Katrina belongs with you."

        Trevor sighed, "If Katrina belongs with me, then why am I here?"

        "Good question."

        "Brenda, you know how I feel."

        "Yes, but that doesn't stop you from doing something you've always done."

        He paused, "What?!"

        "Trevor, just leave!"

        "Oh no…we're not doing that again.  I'm staying right here."

        "Fine!" Brenda yelled, "I don't care what the blast you do!  Go marry Katrina, go kill yourself, I don't care!  I just don't want you in my life!"

        "Is that so?"

        "Yes!"

        "Then you would've shot me by now."

        Brenda paused, "No I wouldn't have.  That would've been stupid."

        Trevor smiled, "You don't really want me to leave, do you?"

        Don't smile at me like that…Brenda thought to herself.  "Yes I do!"

        "Why?  Honestly…"

        "Honestly?" Brenda questioned, I never tried being honest. Can I even be honest?  "Well…I don't want you…well I don't want to…t' get bloody hurt!"  She said, her voice lowering.  But while her eyes were darting around, Trevor took two small steps toward her. 

        "Brenda, I don't want to hurt you."

        "Well then why were you with Katrina?" She said, looking at him, her eyes piercing him.

        He paused, "I'm not going to marry her…I told her I couldn't."

        "What?  Why?"

        Trevor smiled slightly, "Why do you think?  Why would I follow you to Spain?  Why did I jump down that shaft into that underground torture chamber?  Why did I risk my neck to break you out of a wedding?" Trevor asked, slowly taking two more steps.  Brenda's gun began to lower, as well as Trevor's.

        She sighed.  She knew the answer but didn't want to say it.  So Trevor did for her.  "I did it for you…and I'd do more, even if it meant I would be able to see you smile."

        She shook her head, So poetic…I guess that's because of his upbringing…  Brenda turned her gray eyes to him, "You really know how to treat a girl, you know that?"

        He smiled, "I know how to treat you."

        She lowered her pistol and said, "You think you can put up with me?"

        Trevor smiled wider, "I can manage…"

        Brenda shook her head again, dropping her pistol and walking towards him.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tippy-toes and he in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist.  In his ear she whispered, "I s'pose I love you too."

        Trevor smiled to himself, thankful that she at least admitted it.  "So now what?" he whispered through her hair.  She pulled apart and looked at him, "You like the ocean, right?"

        He smiled wider and used one hand to pull something out of his coat pocket.  He then took one of her hands and slid on a silver band with a round, topaz jewel in the middle.  She smiled and remembered her dream.  Peculiar…  She looked up at him and he slowly put his hand under her chin to tilt it towards his lips.  In one swift move they came together and shared their first kiss since they were reunited.