To Catch a Thief
By DaydreamBeliever14
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, though I know we all wish we owned the sexy Captain. But Disney takes all the credit, but Mignonne is my creation.
Chapter 6
An hour later Jack had retrieved a bowl of cool water and strips of cloth to put on Min's burning forehead.
As she lay on the bed covered with blankets, Jack administrated all medical care for her.
"Come on Min, luv," Jack murmured as he switched cloths again. The cool one that had been on her forehead had heated quickly and he had needed to remove it.
Outside he could hear his crew still making sure the Black Pearl stayed on her course as the storm started dissipating as he sat by Min's side.
He couldn't figure out why he felt so compelled to stay with her. Must be the dream, he thought with a shake of his head, beads jingling with the movement.
Seriously, the strange dream was making Jack really rethink his life a bit. Not that he wanted to suddenly change and be a blacksmith/eunuch like Will, but in the way of having a lifelong companion.
Like Mignonne, for one. She was a beautiful woman, headstrong and full of spunk from what he'd seen of her so far. The time he'd known her wasn't enough to really know and understand her but for some odd reason Jack felt like he could read her pretty well if he had to.
He had always been good at reading people, not counting the bastard Barbossa. That had been a minor, well major misconception on his part. But, in the end it had worked out good enough. Jack had gotten his revenge and the Black Pearl back all in a good days work.
Sighing, Jack switched cloths again, watching for any change in Min's condition: nothing so far. She lay there with her face as pale as the white sheets she was covered with, and her midnight colored hair spread out like a halo round her head. Her rosy lips slightly parted, the rise and fall of her chest let him know she was alive at least. All in all, she looked like an exquisite porcelain doll.
He let his gaze run over her face once more, taking in every feature. At times it just wasn't enough to be with many different strumpets and be left with nothing after, sometimes it was nice just to have someone to talk to and enjoy being with. He was starting to think Min was really good at doing that with.
Min then shifted a bit in her sleep, murmuring, "Jewels...Jack...."
The mentioned man smiled pleasantly, if he didn't know it she was a woman after his heart. Jewels, him, and Min put together equaled a fun and interesting time.
Suddenly his patient sat up in bed, still asleep, and screamed bloody murder.
"Nooooooooo! Stop, please, it wasn't me. I didn't steal it, not this time. Let me go! Let me goooooo!" Min screeched, arms flailing around.
Alarmed Jack jumped up from the bed in surprise, but when he saw Min freaking out, he quickly wrapped his around her. At first she struggled, her breathing coming out in ragged pants, but then she calmed down and relaxed into his arms.
Sagging against him she leaned her head on his shoulder, making him realized she'd been asleep the whole time and had not realized what had happened. It was a nightmare she was having.
Feeling a nice streak run through him, Jack quietly held her and stroked her dark black hair soothingly. Feeling her forehead he found it to still be hot with fever. Setting her back down on the bed, he got up and went to find Gibbs who was steering the ship at the moment.
Outside the storm had settled down to just a few leftover streaks of lightening and thunder with some semi-large rolling waves. Water dripped from the sails around him as Jack made his way up to the helm where Gibbs was sailing the Black Pearl.
"Gibbs, how far are we out of Tortuga now?" Jack asked as he came to a stop next to his first mate.
Gibbs frowned, "Prob'ly bout a day. Why?"
"We need to turn around; head towards there, Min needs better help than what I'm giving her. Figure that we'll find some doctor in Tortuga," Jack shrugged.
"A doctor in Tortuga? Jack, tha'd be a fools errand, there are no good ones there. We'd have to go to Port Royal to get some real good help."
"Then make it Port Royal, perhaps Will and Elizabeth can find her a good one. They have savvy connections. Min'll have a better chance there," Jack nodded at his figuring. "Aye, turn the ship around and we make for Port Royal right away. Savvy?"
"Aye Cap'n," Gibbs saluted and turned the ship towards her new destination.
Jack stood his ground and waited till Gibbs had the ship heading in the right direction. All the while thinking of the delay this was causing in their retrieval of the jewels.
Oh well, there was no way he was getting those jewels with Min being sick, he needed her well. The delay was an okay one as long as no others happened if he could help it.
Shaking his head he patted Gibbs on the back, "Give Ana Maria the wheel in about an hour or so. You need the rest. When Port Royal is first sighted get me and I'll take over, savvy?"
"That I'll do Cap'n," Gibbs replied.
Jack nodded and headed back to his cabin to care for Min.
True to the request, ten hours later Jack was called up to the wheel to take over. Port Royal was in sight.
Still lying in Jack's bed was a feverish Mignonne who had not gotten much better along the way.
Taking over Jack guided the Black Pearl silently into a secluded bay not to far away from the town. When the ship was anchored he instructed the crew to make what repairs from the storm that needed to be done could be by using the forest around the bay. Anything else could be dealt with when he got back.
Gathering Min's blanketed figure in his arms, Jack climbed into a boat rowing to shore. He cradled her sleeping, unmoving body in his arms, her head once again against his shoulder. Her shallow breathes moving his chin braids, tickling him a bit.
When reaching dry land, he bundled her in his strong arms again as he, Gibbs, and Ana Maria made their way towards the town.
Thirty minutes later they reached the now married Will and Elizabeth Turner's house. Having moved out of the Govenor's mansion they now lived in a respectable cottage facing the harbor.
Knocking on the front door the three pirates and unconscious jewel thief waited for an answer. It was mid morning and not many were doing at the hour. Luckily, the door opened to a reveal a butler.
"Can I help you?"
"We need to see Will and Elizabeth immediately," Jack stated matter-of- factly.
The butler gave them a once over and scowled, "Both are busy at the moment, you will have to come back later." He began to close the door but Ana Maria's hand got in the way stopping him.
"You NEED to get them. She needs medical help that only they can provide," she gestured to Min's unconscious form in Jack's arms.
The butler sighed, exasperated, it seemed as if he was not going to win on this subject. "Very well, I shall inform them that you are here. Please come in and wait in the entry, I shall be back shortly."
With that he headed upstairs to inform the Turners of the visitors. Soon enough Elizabeth came rushing down the stairs with Will right behind her.
"Jack! What's wrong?" Will exclaimed as he reached the pirate waiting in the entry. His gazed running to Min and back to Jack in bewilderment and he frowned. Elizabeth did the same, wondering why Jack would bring one of his strumpets to their house.
"This is Mignonne, an associate of mine; she fell in the water and got a fever. She needs a doctor and I didn't know anywhere else to take her for that than here. Can you help?" Jack pleaded, his soulful brown eyes looking at them in earnest.
"Of course we'll help you, but what are you doing with a woman like her here? Doesn't she belong in Tortuga?" Elizabeth asked, somewhat worried.
"She's not a strumpet if tha's what ye mean. She happens to be a lady of the French court. So if ye'd be so kind, me arm's about te fall off, can I put 'er somewhere?" Jack gestured a bit with Min's foot, causing her to wake a bit. He ignored Elizabeth's assumption for now.
"Mmmm...Jack? Where are we? Why aren't we on the Black Pearl?" Min mumbled, running a hand through her tangled hair, only to find that it was actually Jack's hair, and not minding it one bit.
Jack smiled down at her, "Yer sick luv after fallin' in the water. Now we're here at Will an Elizabeth's to get you better. Savvy?"
"Savvy. Jack?" She murmured, looking up at him.
"Aye?"
"Don't leave me alone please, I've been alone to long," She said quietly and drifted off unconscious again. Her hand now fisted into his hair, as if holding on for dear life.
The Turners watched the exchange with interest. Jack seemed to have a soft side to him that had just been revealed to them. It was a very interesting new revelation to their pirate Captain friend's character.
"Will, darling, could you run to get the doctor?" Will nodded an affirmative 'yes', and went to do so.
"Let's get her to a bed now. Follow me," Elizabeth said as she led the way upstairs to one of the bedrooms. Going inside she pulled down the bed's covers. Waiting patiently as Jack untangled Min's hand from his hair and set her in the bed and pulled the covers up.
Moaning, Min shifted a bit, but still slept. Jack ran a hand over her hair in what Liz thought was an affectionate gesture. Will came back into the room, with the doctor, just in time to see what Liz saw and sent her a look of surprise.
"This is Doc Miller, Jack; he's going to check on Mignonne now."
Jack shook hands with the grandfatherly man named Doc Miller. He seemed like a kind chap who would know what he was doing; Min was in good hands.
"If you all will excuse me I will tend to my patient now," Doc said crouching next to Min and feeling her forehead.
The other's nodded and began emptying the room, but Jack stayed where he was.
"Jack, you must leave, Doc needs time to care for her," Will said pulling on Jack's coat to get him to leave.
"He'll take good care o' 'er right? She'll get better?" Jack asked, worriedly, standing his ground.
Doc Miller turned from the bed when hearing Jack's questions.
"From what I can see so far, she will need much rest and quiet. But if you do not leave I cannot examine her in order to know more. Don't worry sir I won't let anything happen to her while you're gone." He went back to his doctoring.
Jack nodded silently, not bothering to correct the doctor with his title, and followed Will down to the parlor where Elizabeth, Gibbs, and Ana Maria waiting with tea. Sitting on a sofa Jack took a cup of tea, but didn't drink it, just held it while staring into space.
The others chatted amicably as they waited and Jack still didn't join in. Ana Maria noticed this and sent a sidelong glance at him then to Gibbs whose eyebrows rose in fascination.
Ana looked at him knowingly and went back to her conversation with Elizabeth about knitting. Unknown to most, Ana Maria enjoyed the peacefulness that knitting brought her. Will and Gibbs were absorbed with their own talk of the weather.
Twenty minutes later Doctor Miller walked in the room and they all stood. Jack was the quickest to get up, going over to the man to hear his diagnosis.
"Wha' is it Doc? Is Min goin' te be savvy?" He asked anxious to hear what Doc had to say.
The doctor cleared his throat, "I have some bad news."
Oh! Bad, bad me! What a mean cliffhanger for all of you who have waited so patiently to read this story. I really am sorry that it's taken me so long to update this. When summer vacation came I thought I'd have a lot of time on my hands. It turned out that I don't have as much as I thought. Truly I am sorry, and I will try to update sooner next time.
Don't forget to R&R! Your reviews motivate me to write faster! Ta for now!
DaydreamBeliever14 aka Angie
By DaydreamBeliever14
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, though I know we all wish we owned the sexy Captain. But Disney takes all the credit, but Mignonne is my creation.
Chapter 6
An hour later Jack had retrieved a bowl of cool water and strips of cloth to put on Min's burning forehead.
As she lay on the bed covered with blankets, Jack administrated all medical care for her.
"Come on Min, luv," Jack murmured as he switched cloths again. The cool one that had been on her forehead had heated quickly and he had needed to remove it.
Outside he could hear his crew still making sure the Black Pearl stayed on her course as the storm started dissipating as he sat by Min's side.
He couldn't figure out why he felt so compelled to stay with her. Must be the dream, he thought with a shake of his head, beads jingling with the movement.
Seriously, the strange dream was making Jack really rethink his life a bit. Not that he wanted to suddenly change and be a blacksmith/eunuch like Will, but in the way of having a lifelong companion.
Like Mignonne, for one. She was a beautiful woman, headstrong and full of spunk from what he'd seen of her so far. The time he'd known her wasn't enough to really know and understand her but for some odd reason Jack felt like he could read her pretty well if he had to.
He had always been good at reading people, not counting the bastard Barbossa. That had been a minor, well major misconception on his part. But, in the end it had worked out good enough. Jack had gotten his revenge and the Black Pearl back all in a good days work.
Sighing, Jack switched cloths again, watching for any change in Min's condition: nothing so far. She lay there with her face as pale as the white sheets she was covered with, and her midnight colored hair spread out like a halo round her head. Her rosy lips slightly parted, the rise and fall of her chest let him know she was alive at least. All in all, she looked like an exquisite porcelain doll.
He let his gaze run over her face once more, taking in every feature. At times it just wasn't enough to be with many different strumpets and be left with nothing after, sometimes it was nice just to have someone to talk to and enjoy being with. He was starting to think Min was really good at doing that with.
Min then shifted a bit in her sleep, murmuring, "Jewels...Jack...."
The mentioned man smiled pleasantly, if he didn't know it she was a woman after his heart. Jewels, him, and Min put together equaled a fun and interesting time.
Suddenly his patient sat up in bed, still asleep, and screamed bloody murder.
"Nooooooooo! Stop, please, it wasn't me. I didn't steal it, not this time. Let me go! Let me goooooo!" Min screeched, arms flailing around.
Alarmed Jack jumped up from the bed in surprise, but when he saw Min freaking out, he quickly wrapped his around her. At first she struggled, her breathing coming out in ragged pants, but then she calmed down and relaxed into his arms.
Sagging against him she leaned her head on his shoulder, making him realized she'd been asleep the whole time and had not realized what had happened. It was a nightmare she was having.
Feeling a nice streak run through him, Jack quietly held her and stroked her dark black hair soothingly. Feeling her forehead he found it to still be hot with fever. Setting her back down on the bed, he got up and went to find Gibbs who was steering the ship at the moment.
Outside the storm had settled down to just a few leftover streaks of lightening and thunder with some semi-large rolling waves. Water dripped from the sails around him as Jack made his way up to the helm where Gibbs was sailing the Black Pearl.
"Gibbs, how far are we out of Tortuga now?" Jack asked as he came to a stop next to his first mate.
Gibbs frowned, "Prob'ly bout a day. Why?"
"We need to turn around; head towards there, Min needs better help than what I'm giving her. Figure that we'll find some doctor in Tortuga," Jack shrugged.
"A doctor in Tortuga? Jack, tha'd be a fools errand, there are no good ones there. We'd have to go to Port Royal to get some real good help."
"Then make it Port Royal, perhaps Will and Elizabeth can find her a good one. They have savvy connections. Min'll have a better chance there," Jack nodded at his figuring. "Aye, turn the ship around and we make for Port Royal right away. Savvy?"
"Aye Cap'n," Gibbs saluted and turned the ship towards her new destination.
Jack stood his ground and waited till Gibbs had the ship heading in the right direction. All the while thinking of the delay this was causing in their retrieval of the jewels.
Oh well, there was no way he was getting those jewels with Min being sick, he needed her well. The delay was an okay one as long as no others happened if he could help it.
Shaking his head he patted Gibbs on the back, "Give Ana Maria the wheel in about an hour or so. You need the rest. When Port Royal is first sighted get me and I'll take over, savvy?"
"That I'll do Cap'n," Gibbs replied.
Jack nodded and headed back to his cabin to care for Min.
True to the request, ten hours later Jack was called up to the wheel to take over. Port Royal was in sight.
Still lying in Jack's bed was a feverish Mignonne who had not gotten much better along the way.
Taking over Jack guided the Black Pearl silently into a secluded bay not to far away from the town. When the ship was anchored he instructed the crew to make what repairs from the storm that needed to be done could be by using the forest around the bay. Anything else could be dealt with when he got back.
Gathering Min's blanketed figure in his arms, Jack climbed into a boat rowing to shore. He cradled her sleeping, unmoving body in his arms, her head once again against his shoulder. Her shallow breathes moving his chin braids, tickling him a bit.
When reaching dry land, he bundled her in his strong arms again as he, Gibbs, and Ana Maria made their way towards the town.
Thirty minutes later they reached the now married Will and Elizabeth Turner's house. Having moved out of the Govenor's mansion they now lived in a respectable cottage facing the harbor.
Knocking on the front door the three pirates and unconscious jewel thief waited for an answer. It was mid morning and not many were doing at the hour. Luckily, the door opened to a reveal a butler.
"Can I help you?"
"We need to see Will and Elizabeth immediately," Jack stated matter-of- factly.
The butler gave them a once over and scowled, "Both are busy at the moment, you will have to come back later." He began to close the door but Ana Maria's hand got in the way stopping him.
"You NEED to get them. She needs medical help that only they can provide," she gestured to Min's unconscious form in Jack's arms.
The butler sighed, exasperated, it seemed as if he was not going to win on this subject. "Very well, I shall inform them that you are here. Please come in and wait in the entry, I shall be back shortly."
With that he headed upstairs to inform the Turners of the visitors. Soon enough Elizabeth came rushing down the stairs with Will right behind her.
"Jack! What's wrong?" Will exclaimed as he reached the pirate waiting in the entry. His gazed running to Min and back to Jack in bewilderment and he frowned. Elizabeth did the same, wondering why Jack would bring one of his strumpets to their house.
"This is Mignonne, an associate of mine; she fell in the water and got a fever. She needs a doctor and I didn't know anywhere else to take her for that than here. Can you help?" Jack pleaded, his soulful brown eyes looking at them in earnest.
"Of course we'll help you, but what are you doing with a woman like her here? Doesn't she belong in Tortuga?" Elizabeth asked, somewhat worried.
"She's not a strumpet if tha's what ye mean. She happens to be a lady of the French court. So if ye'd be so kind, me arm's about te fall off, can I put 'er somewhere?" Jack gestured a bit with Min's foot, causing her to wake a bit. He ignored Elizabeth's assumption for now.
"Mmmm...Jack? Where are we? Why aren't we on the Black Pearl?" Min mumbled, running a hand through her tangled hair, only to find that it was actually Jack's hair, and not minding it one bit.
Jack smiled down at her, "Yer sick luv after fallin' in the water. Now we're here at Will an Elizabeth's to get you better. Savvy?"
"Savvy. Jack?" She murmured, looking up at him.
"Aye?"
"Don't leave me alone please, I've been alone to long," She said quietly and drifted off unconscious again. Her hand now fisted into his hair, as if holding on for dear life.
The Turners watched the exchange with interest. Jack seemed to have a soft side to him that had just been revealed to them. It was a very interesting new revelation to their pirate Captain friend's character.
"Will, darling, could you run to get the doctor?" Will nodded an affirmative 'yes', and went to do so.
"Let's get her to a bed now. Follow me," Elizabeth said as she led the way upstairs to one of the bedrooms. Going inside she pulled down the bed's covers. Waiting patiently as Jack untangled Min's hand from his hair and set her in the bed and pulled the covers up.
Moaning, Min shifted a bit, but still slept. Jack ran a hand over her hair in what Liz thought was an affectionate gesture. Will came back into the room, with the doctor, just in time to see what Liz saw and sent her a look of surprise.
"This is Doc Miller, Jack; he's going to check on Mignonne now."
Jack shook hands with the grandfatherly man named Doc Miller. He seemed like a kind chap who would know what he was doing; Min was in good hands.
"If you all will excuse me I will tend to my patient now," Doc said crouching next to Min and feeling her forehead.
The other's nodded and began emptying the room, but Jack stayed where he was.
"Jack, you must leave, Doc needs time to care for her," Will said pulling on Jack's coat to get him to leave.
"He'll take good care o' 'er right? She'll get better?" Jack asked, worriedly, standing his ground.
Doc Miller turned from the bed when hearing Jack's questions.
"From what I can see so far, she will need much rest and quiet. But if you do not leave I cannot examine her in order to know more. Don't worry sir I won't let anything happen to her while you're gone." He went back to his doctoring.
Jack nodded silently, not bothering to correct the doctor with his title, and followed Will down to the parlor where Elizabeth, Gibbs, and Ana Maria waiting with tea. Sitting on a sofa Jack took a cup of tea, but didn't drink it, just held it while staring into space.
The others chatted amicably as they waited and Jack still didn't join in. Ana Maria noticed this and sent a sidelong glance at him then to Gibbs whose eyebrows rose in fascination.
Ana looked at him knowingly and went back to her conversation with Elizabeth about knitting. Unknown to most, Ana Maria enjoyed the peacefulness that knitting brought her. Will and Gibbs were absorbed with their own talk of the weather.
Twenty minutes later Doctor Miller walked in the room and they all stood. Jack was the quickest to get up, going over to the man to hear his diagnosis.
"Wha' is it Doc? Is Min goin' te be savvy?" He asked anxious to hear what Doc had to say.
The doctor cleared his throat, "I have some bad news."
Oh! Bad, bad me! What a mean cliffhanger for all of you who have waited so patiently to read this story. I really am sorry that it's taken me so long to update this. When summer vacation came I thought I'd have a lot of time on my hands. It turned out that I don't have as much as I thought. Truly I am sorry, and I will try to update sooner next time.
Don't forget to R&R! Your reviews motivate me to write faster! Ta for now!
DaydreamBeliever14 aka Angie