I want him – but he ain't mine!

With thanks to dramaced, Pendragginink, Ginny 3000, jackslittlefriend, RandomGal, sassafras, Nikki, Mrs. Sparrow, horseluver and Hilary for editing and everything!

Sorry – it's not Jack… but I have to say, you lot seem to anticipate my next moves – it's un-nerving! :-o ;)

…

Chapter eleven: 'It's all right, Jack's got ya now.'

'I'm a friend,' came a strange accent and Jenny found herself being dragged along the passage until they reached a wall at the end of it. 'Up ye go,' he urged, pushing her backside as she struggled to climb it with her injured hands. They ran through the garden of a house, then over another, smaller wall, finding themselves in a dark street. The man grabbed her wrist and pulled her along until they reached a dilapidated house, that was evidently no longer lived in.

'In there, an' please stay there,' he ordered before running back out of the building to lay a false trail for the pursuers to follow through the snow.

Jenny sat huddled in a dark corner, for how long she wasn't sure, trying to decide whether to trust this stranger or not. 'He got you away, didn't he?' she argued, nodding to herself and deciding to stay put.

'Are ye still there?' came a voice in the dark after a while, making her jump.

'Y-yes… who are you?'

'A friend of Jack's.'

'Jack's?! Jack is here?' she asked, breathlessly, glad to be still sitting on the floor or else she feared she would collapse.

'Yes, but we'll have ter sit tight fer now. There are too many folk abroad lookin' fer ye.'

'How do we escape? How do you know Jack?' Jenny sat against the wall feeling lightheaded and a little sick.

'Hush now, best not talk in case they hear, all right?'

They sat in silence until the voices outside all but died away and Shay risked having a look outside before going back and fetching Jenny. 'We're booked into an inn, I'll take ye there and find Jack.' She looked at the man and nodded mutely, following his lead, keeping to the shadows and alleyways until they came to a tatty inn.

'Ye'll have ter climb up, I'm afraid. Don't think they'll take too kindly to being knocked up at this time o'night.' Shay led the way up the building, grateful for the many footholds that the crumbling building provided and pushed open the window to his and Jack's room, shrugging ruefully to himself as he found it empty. He had hoped Jack would have returned here.

…

Jack swore at the altercation then realised with a lurch that it came from the house. He crept forward, in two minds whether to investigate further but shrunk back when the lamp in the kitchen sprung to life and figures went to and fro. The voices from the front of the house faded as they went further away from the building and, with a last glance up at the barred window where the light was still blazing, Jack climbed back over the wall and made his way along the gardens until he was some distance away from the house. He looked cautiously about as he approached the street then walked back towards it, hoping to look as innocent as one could when walking the streets in the early hours.

'Sir!'

He panicked at the shout, wondering if it might be Hall or Boothe but a glance behind him saw a man he did not recognise hurrying to him. 'Can I help you?' he enquired, slipping into a cultured accent.

'There has been a murder!'

Jack froze and tried hard to keep control. 'Really? How terrible. Who?'

'Mr. Roger Crompton, his wife killed him. I don't suppose you've seen a woman around, have you?'

'Crompton…? Wife…?' His head reeled at the information but self-preservation slapped a small rueful smile on his face and shook his head for him. 'No, I'm sorry. The only woman I've seen tonight, is my, ahem, acquaintance.'

'Ah. Yes, I understand,' the man nodded, knowingly. 'Well, thank you for your help, Sir.'

'I'm sorry I could not do more,' Jack apologised, carrying on his way and letting his mind whir. 'Wife? Why th'hell would she have married him? Unless she didn't have any choice. She murdered him… what th'hell did he do to her? '

…

Shay turned up the lamp and looked at Jenny, wincing as he saw the welt standing out from her cheek, the other bruises on her face and her cut hands.

Jenny, in turn, looked at this stranger who had come to her rescue, taking in his piercing blue eyes and long, wavy coal black hair. 'W-who are you…?'

'Me name's Shay Connelly. I told ye, I'm a friend of Jack's. We met on th'way to Droitwich.'

'Droitwich? He went up to Droitwich?'

'That he did cailin. Thought' ye'd be there an' turned tail an' came down here like all th'hounds of Hell were after him when he discovered where ye truly were. Why don't ye get some rest while I go an' look for him, eh?'

'Be careful,' she whispered as he made his way back out of the window.

Shay searched for Jack and Jack searched for Jenny until the first colourless light of dawn appeared and both men turned from their respective positions and headed back for the tavern, reaching it from opposite ends of the street at more or less the same time.

'Jack, be God! Where th'hell have ye been man?'

'Lookin' fer Jenny. She killed Crompton but I can't find her.' His voice was dull with worry and fatigue.

'Ah, ye stupid bloody eejit. She's here, or at least she was when I left ter try an' find ye.'

'Here?' Jack's mouth hung open for a second before he burst through the doors, sending a startled hostelier flying and leapt up the rickety stairs, two at a time.

Jenny heard the racket and backed away from the door, fearing the worst, then gasping as a different looking Jack came bounding into the room, stopping dead and staring at her in disbelief.

'Jen?'

'Jack…? I-I…' Jenny flung herself in his arms and burst into tears, burying her face in his neck.

'Shh, c'mon luv. It's all right, Jack's got ya now.' He rocked her in his arms, blinking away tears himself as he drank in her scent once more.

'I killed him,' she whispered hoarsely, not breaking away from his embrace. 'I was forced…'

'I know darlin' but that can wait, eh? Oh God luv, it's good ter have ya in me arms again.' He pulled away and looked at her, frowning inwardly at the bruises on her face, but hiding his anger well and smiling as he bent and brushed his lips against hers.

'I'm sorry Jack,' her voice barely rose an octave. 'You hadn't returned and I left the ship to try and find you, but they found me first.'

'Shh. I know, I know' he soothed, stroking her hair.

'Ah. I'll go an' see if th'landlord has another room ter spare,' came Shay's voice from the door and they both turned and looked at him, forgetting he had been there.

'Here,' Jack dug into his pocket and threw a small pouch at his friend. 'See if that won't sweeten him a little. An' Shay,' he called as the younger man turned to leave the room. 'Thank you. I owe you more than you'll ever know.'

'Ah, give over. What are friends for, eh?' he winked before closing the door behind himself.

Jack turned to Jenny once more and stroked her battered face tenderly. 'I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner,' he apologised, kissing her hesitantly, as if he were afraid she would disappear in a puff of smoke at any moment, deepening the kiss when he realised she wasn't.

'Oh… Jack…' she gasped breathlessly, pulling him down on to the bed. 'I've missed you so much.'

He shrugged his heavy coat from his shoulders and lay on top of her, running his hands along the lines of her body. 'I've missed you too Jen. God, I've missed ya.' His fingers started working on the buttons down the front of her drab brown dress, gasping in surprise when he saw the necklace and its contents.

'Ya've still got it?'

'Of course I have. This little heart is the only thing that has kept me sane,' she smiled, the smile being lost in a deep kiss.

'Ya'll have ter tell me th'whole story later, eh?'

'I will, but not yet.'

'Nah luv, not yet.' He started undoing her buttons again, kissing and licking as her skin became more exposed and deviating when he reached breast level and taking a dusky pink nipple into his mouth, savouring the feel of her hard bud as he flitted his tongue across it. He moved to the other breast, frowning as he saw a recent vicious bite mark there and bilious anger boiled up in his belly. Jack forced himself to push the rage down and carried on with his ministrations, soon losing himself to the feeling and all anger forgotten. He undid more buttons and slowly worked his way down to her belly button and twirled the tip of his tongue around inside, making her squirm and writhe and gasp his name.

'Jack, will you please hurry,' Jenny begged, desperate for him.

'Ah, ah. Patience is a virtue, or at least it was when I was a Clergyman,' he chuckled, lifting her up and tugging the garment from her shoulders. He stood and carried on pulling it and her undergarments down her legs until Jenny lay naked on the bed.

Jack held her gaze as he undressed himself then worked his way from her feet upwards, kissing, licking, caressing. Cherishing every shudder, every gasp and sigh of bliss eliciting from her lips. He looked tenderly at her battered face, wishing that a man could die more than once, for Roger Crompton would die many times over if he had his way, and kissed each eyelid, then the bridge of her nose and down to the tip, then sucked on her top lip, running his tongue across it before releasing it and doing the same to her lower lip. His fingers probed gently between her legs then thrust inside, making Jenny arch her back and let out a low moan.

'Not yet Jack, I want to touch you now,' she asked, running her fingers along the backs of his thighs, smiling as he shuddered violently.

'All right luv,' he gasped, rolling off her and grinning wolfishly as she straddled him.

Jenny sat there for a moment, taking in his beautiful, scarred body before leaning down and licking the shot scars, almost crying for joy as she tasted his skin once more. She worked her way to his clean shaven face, smiling as she remembered once wondering what he would look like with no beard and moustache and tamed hair. Now she knew and she was not sure if she did not prefer the wild look. She ran her tongue along his jaw until she reached his chin then moved upwards to his full lips, ravaging them in her passion and quivering as her taut nipples fluttered across his chest as she moved. Her fingers traced a line down to his groin and fluttered along the length of his manhood, a beguiling smile on her lips as she felt it jerk in response to her touch.

'Missed him, eh Jen?' he laughed, running his calloused fingers up and down her back.

'Hmm, almost as much as I missed you,' she teased, squealing as he rolled them both over so he was back on top. 'I have missed you,' she murmured, pulling his head down for a long and passionate kiss, only breaking it to gasp as he eased gently in to her.

'I've missed you luv,' Jack whispered, thrusting slowly, not wanting to rush it, not wanting to hurt her. 'Don't ever leave me again,' he begged.

'Never. If they send you to the gallows, I'll be there besides you,' she promised, wrapping her arms across his shoulders and legs across his back, anchoring him to her. 'You don't know how many nights I've dreamed of this,' she crooned softly, sucking on his earlobe. 'You don't know how I've ached for you. I never thought I'd see you again.'

'Ya didn't think I wouldn't come fer ya, did ya?'

'In my worst times, yes,' she admitted, choking back a sob and burying her face in his neck.

'Oh Jen…' Jack pressed his face into her neck and they lay there entwined in each other, their bodies doing the age old dance of passion, never pausing even as Jenny's body convulsed with a climax

'Jenny… Jen… Oh God, Jen,' he rasped, his soul soaring at the feel of her juices engulfing his manhood and he thrust harder, deeper until his face contorted in a mixture of pain and ecstasy as he shot his seed into his lover, holding his breath as the feeling overwhelmed him until he emptied all too soon and sagged down on top of her, panting hard.

They lay together, limbs entangled until Jenny winced as Jack's weight pressed against her bruised ribs and she tried to shift without making it look obvious but he felt her move and carefully got off, looking at her quizzically. 'You've got heavier,' she joked, still trying to hide it.

'Did he hurt ya all th'time?' he asked gently, lying on his side and stroking her face.

'Yes,' came the barely audible reply and she buried her face in his neck, sobs wracking her body.

'Shhh. It's all right luv, yer Jack's got ya now, eh? I'm never lettin' yer out of me sight,' he promised, turning onto his back and pulling Jenny on top of him, cradling her in his arms. 'Tell me what happened from th'beginning,' he asked when her sobs receded and he lay there holding her as she recounted her story, adding his own tale here and there until they each knew what had happened to the other and eventually fell into a deep sleep, still wrapped around one another.

…

cailin is a term of endearment, meaning girl, or love/dear.