Chapter Seven: A Pirate's Blood

Will's arms tightened their hold around Juliet. She turned around so she was facing him and he hugged her tightly.

"But if I'm his…his…daughter, then why would he want to kill me?" Juliet asked Jack.

"Isn't it obvious? He didn't want it to be known that the famous Cap'n Barbossa had a daughter. Melody made him weak. She loved him… and he loved her back. Then one night he went away, and didn't come back for—"

"About nine years," Juliet broke in.

"Exactly. But one day, he realized he'd have to make a commitment. It was either her an' ye or the sea. He'd have to give up one, and obviously, he chose the sea. But when he went back on his ship, all he could think of was ye an' Melody. His crew started to turn on him, so 'e came back and shot her. But when he got to ye, he couldn't kill ye. He just couldn't. But why… that's a mystery."

"Then why did he slice my arm?" she asked, still unable to believe what she was hearing.

"To remind ye that ye have the blood of a pirate. And he does that to everyone he hurts as if to serve as a reminder that ye should never cross his path. He did that with me eleven years ago." Jack rolled up both sleeves of his shirt, long scars protruding from his forearms.

"The only reason he didn't do that to me," said Will, "was because he needed my blood to lift the curse…"

"Exactly," said Jack. "Jules, there's also the reason he's out to kill ye now. A few years ago, while you were still in Tortuga, he found out about the fortune Melody left behind when she was murdered. Will, do ye remember seeing a place up on a hill by a cliff near the ocean?"

"In seclusion? With it's own private dock?" It was the dock he and Elizabeth used to use as their own secret place. People stayed away from it normally, so that's why they used it.

"That's the one. You know why no one's ever gone in there before?"

"Yes, folk say it's haunted."

"Well, folk are wrong. It was where the Blackstones lived."

"You mean that's my inheritance?" asked Juliet.

"Yes, but that's not all. There's also a ton of gold in there."

"And if Juliet gets killed—" began Will.

"Barbossa gets everything—" said Juliet.

"Because he's the biological father," ended Jack. "Which is why we've got to get ye out of here. As soon as possible. Barbossa knows yer somewhere… either Tortuga or here. Ye were smack dab in the middle of those towns when Gibbs rescued ye, but the reason he told ye to come here was because of Will. He thought ye'd be safe with him—"

"And he was right," said Will.

He looked Juliet in the eyes. "If anything happens to you, I swear on my father's watery grave that I'll stab Barbossa a thousand times and watch him bleed."

"Right behind ye, Will," said Jack.

"When do we leave?" asked Juliet.

"Tomorrow night," Jack replied. "We're going to lie low until then, however. We want to make it look like no one's here. No one opens any curtains, windows, or doors. No hammering, which means, Will, this shop is closed. For how long, I don't know."

"Anything," said Will.

"All right, now a few other things, no loud noises, and where's yer stash of rum?" asked Jack with a grin.

Will smiled. He hadn't changed one bit.

"All right, ye two. Get some sleep. It's going to be one heck of a day tomorrow."

Juliet yawned.

"What about you?" asked Will.

"Oh, I'm fine. I'll just sleep on the sofa."

"Are you sure…?"

"Yes, really! It's no problem. Besides, I'm sure ye two want the bed," he said with a wink.

The couple blushed.

"Really, I'll be okay. Ye two go on."

Will turned to go in, but Juliet stayed for a minute.

"Coming?" Will asked.

"I'll be right in, I just want to talk to Jack for a moment."

Will nodded, then walked inside the room and shut the door.

"How do you know all this?" she asked him. "You're not on Barbossa's side, are you?"

"No!" said Jack immediately. "Gibbs told me everythin'. I would never betray ye, Jules." He wrapped his arms around her.

"But you have," she said softly.

"Scarlett is long gone. But… ol' feelins are startin' to come back… for ye…"

"What we had between us happened a long time ago. I don't think I can develop anything for you. Besides, I'm in love with Will."

"If I could go back in time, I would have gotten rid of Scarlett and been with you."

Juliet didn't know what to say.

He kissed her on the cheek.

"Go run off, I'll keep a lookout for anythin' suspicious. Get some sleep, Jules. It's already pretty late."

"Good night," she said as she walked off.

"G' night, love."

She opened the door, walked in, and shut it.

"Jack is on our side, right?" asked Will from his position in the bed. "I mean, he's not Barbossa's right hand man, is he?"

"No, he's still the same old Jack," she replied as she pulled her nightgown out. "Gibbs told him everything."

She began to undo the buttons of her dress, and Will watched her in fascination.

"Do you really have to wear that? I mean, can't we have some fun?" he asked, a smile playing at his lips.

"Will! We have company!" said Juliet.

"Yeah… Jack…"

"I don't care, I don't think he'd like to be kept awake—"

"Simple. Just give him a couple bottles of rum—"

"You already got your chance."

"One last time, please?"

Juliet rolled her eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow…"

"I'll take that as a yes then."

"No…"

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I'm going to sleep out there…"

"All right! You win!" said Will, looking disappointed. Juliet smiled.

"Come here," he said, pushing back the covers on her side. She climbed in, facing Will, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you," they said together.

Will kissed her, and Juliet fell asleep a few minutes later.

She was standing in a room she did not know, and Jack came in.

"Get out," he said to her. "Run, and don't look back—HE'S coming—"

She moved to the door, but a sword flew through the air, and went through Jack. He fell to the ground, dead.

She screamed and started to run. Will came to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Jack's been killed!" she replied, scared.

"Get out," he said to her. "I'll take care of Barbossa."

"He's here?!" she asked, her eyes widening.

"GO!" Will yelled, but it was too late. Barbossa was at the doorway, and he pulled out his gun as Will pulled out his sword.

As if in slow motion, Will turned around and Barbossa fired his gun, and it hit Will in the stomach.

Juliet screamed, and Will fell to the ground. "I love you…" she heard him whisper.

Barbossa laughed. Juliet stepped toward him, full of rage, but a pain shot through her arm. It was bleeding again. She took another step, but more pain entered and more blood left her. The same happened with the next step. Barbossa kept laughing.

She was falling… through darkness… she could still hear him laughing…

She opened her eyes and gasped, breathing heavily. Her body was covered in cold sweat.

"Juliet?" asked Will.

She turned around, facing him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up, revealing his bare, tanned chest.

The tears started to flow. "Jack got stabbed, you got shot… my arm bled… too much blood loss… he was laughing…

He pulled her close to him, and she cried into his chest.

"Sssh, I'm here," he said softly.

"I'm just so scared," she whispered.

"I'll follow you to the ends of the earth," his hands stroked her arms. "I'll love you forever, Juliet Blackstone."

She tightened her grip on him, and kissed him. "I love you, William Turner."

He leaned back onto the pillows and sighed, Juliet using his chest as a pillow. The beating of his heart, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and the sound of his soft breathing became a lullaby and she never felt more safe and secure. She kissed him again, and Will hugged her to him.

When they pulled away, he kissed her eyelids and whispered, "Get some sleep, love, and have a sweet dream about the things we could be doing if Jack wasn't here… if we were… alone."

Juliet smiled, and she did indeed dream about that.

TORTURE. Definition: THE SWIM TEAM.

Yeah, I just got back from it, and I think I forgot just how much I despise it. Eh, for my sake… REVIEW and make my aching cramped muscles feel better!