Usual disclaimers... drat!

Mulberry was feeling a bit better today, so you've four chapters to read. Now, repeat after me... Thank you Mulberry!

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Chapter 15 - The Morning After The Night Before

Jack and Bessie shared breakfast quietly together, the early dawn light slowly brightening the room. "I still don't think yer should be out of bed," Jack frowned.

"I'm fine," Bessie assured him as she took the dirty plates to the kitchen area, washing them clean and putting them away in the cupboard next to the sink. Although she was less bulky through giving birth, her stomach still had a definite bulge, a reminder of what she had lost, what they had both lost. Jack hovered protectively, his hand never far from her or his pistol.

"Leave that a minute," he said quietly. "We need t' talk..." He crossed to the bed, patting a space beside him. He was still bare chested, the scars on his chest clearly visible in the light whereas Bessie had wrapped a sheet about her. Her dress, undershift and undergarments were soiled from the day before and would need washing, but it would not be the first time she had gone without.

She padded across the floor, her bare feet making no sound. "What?" she asked, sitting next to him, frowning briefly as he took her hands in his.

"We have t' decide what t' do with m' sons... our sons..." He looked at her sadly. "Yer know th' Church will not bury them, with yer being unmarried an' all." She nodded tearfully and Jack took a deep breath, unsure how she would respond to his suggestion. "Come with me to m' Pearl this evenin' an' we'll bury them at sea where they belong..."

"No!" she gasped, looking at him in fear, pulling her hands from his and trying to stand.

"They are sons of a pirate, grandsons of a pirate... they belong at sea!" he explained gently, his hand on her thigh keeping her next to him.

"But I..." she began.

Jack realised incredulously that she was actually frightened of going on his ship. "I'll tell th' crew yer are m' woman," he assured her. "Nobody will touch yer! I said I'd protect yer Bessie... an' that means from m' crew as well as from Hughes!" Jack argued. "On m' word yer'll be safe..." He took her hands again in his. "An' after this, I think yer are m' woman... aren't yer?"

"I guess so..." she said quietly, looking at him thoughtfully. It was a large step for her considering she had fled from pirates for all of her life but she realised that she needed his protection, that she could not run any further. "If that is what you want me to be..." she added uncertainly.

"I do," Jack smiled reassuringly at her. "At least if we bury our sons at sea they will have some kind of ceremony... some respect fer what they could have been..." He could see she was wavering. "Trust me Bessie - I promise yer'll be safe..."

"You promise?" She looked up at him tearfully, searching for deceit in his chocolate-brown eyes, relieved to find none.

"I promise," he smiled, kissing her gently on the forehead as he held her to him. He paused suddenly, reaching for his pistol as he heard footsteps on the stairs. A soft knock rapped at the door.

"Jack?" It was Elizabeth.

Cautiously Jack opened the door, checking she was alone before making his pistol safe. "Mornin'" he nodded.

"Bessie!" Elizabeth gasped, looking past him at Bessie sitting on the bed wrapped in a sheet. "You should be abed!"

"That's what I keep tellin' her." Jack complained. "But she won't listen t' me so I doubt she'll listen t' you!"

"I need to wash out my clothes," Bessie explained, "and then I will go and lie down when they dry. I need to have them clean for this evening..."

"This evening?" Elizabeth puzzled. "Why?"

"We're gonna bury th' boys at sea," Jack explained. "Yer know th' Church won't bury them..."

Elizabeth realised the sense of this. "The townsfolk won't care either," she nodded sadly. "Not one of them moved to help Bessie yesterday and one man even claimed it was God's judgement!" Jack's eyes darkened at this news. "Do you want Will to walk Bessie out to the cove?"

"I'll meet 'em along th' way," Jack offered. "There's no need fer Will t' walk th' whole distance..." He glanced out of the window. "I'll take th' boys an' sneak out of town this mornin'," he suggested. "Hopefully Norrington won't spot me this time!" He looked across to Daffodil who had found a warm spot on the windowsill to bask in the sun. "Will yer feed th' cat?"

"Of course," Elizabeth smiled. "Just give Will the key before you go and we'll keep an eye on the place."

Jack grinned. "Thanks Elizabeth," he said as he put on his shirt and waistcoat. Tying on his sash he strapped on his sword belt, readying himself to leave. "I'll go across th' rooftops," he winked, kissing Bessie softly on the cheek. "I'll see yer t'night."

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