A/N: Hey hey! I hope this new turn on the rescue is better then my last attempt.
Chapter 21: Sparrows ReuniteLia's POV:
Bloody satisfaction…
That was all that could describe the feeling that coursed through my veins at the site of Mateo's body lying in pool of his own blood. I planted my foot firmly on the sand as I pushed off my knees to stand. Off in the distance, the sounds of swords clanging following the screams of the dying filled the air. I longed to help seal our vengeance.
As I turned to walk away, back to the enduring battle, I was swiftly pulled back. I ended up falling forward on my stomach. Looking down my heart leapt to my throat as I saw it was Mateo, still alive, crawling up my body to finish me off. His hands reached for my throat to strangle me but I hastily flipped out my dagger and held it firmly as I quickly brought it up jabbing it into his ribs. He immediately rolled off me and went limp but I didn't stop there. As I continued to stab him over and over, I could feel a wave of unbelievable hatred wash over me. My body twitched in repulsion at the memory of his touch, his aggressive forcefulness, and the pain I endured. Cries of anger, hatred and disgust escaped from my lips as I kept bringing my dagger down on him.
Hot tears formed in my eyes and I just released them, letting them flow. Everything just exploded out of me. He was beyond dead but I couldn't stop. I knew I wouldn't stop.
I had lost control.
In seconds, I felt strong arms wrap around my body, seizing my wrists in a vice like grip. I thrashed about, swinging the dagger wildly.
"LIA STOP IT!"
In my subconscious mind, I knew right away it was Jack's voice screaming in my ear but the immense blindness of rage kept a hold of me as I kept twisting and jerking about to fend him off. His grip on me became stronger as he pried the dagger out of my hands and twisted me around to face him. His hands were holding my face so I couldn't turn my head away from him.
"Lia, you've got to get control. It's over. He is dead." Jack's voice was commanding and firm. I kept my gaze on him as I felt the rage slowly slip away. Jack brushed back my hair from my sweaty face. His fingers were entangled in my hair as he brushed away my tears with his thumbs. A glint of concerned shined in his eyes as he pulled me into his arms, continuously whispering for me to calm down. I did not return the embrace as I felt my heart pounding in my ears. My breathing was so heavy I thought I would pass out. I was still not in control. I couldn't feel Jack's attempted comfort.
I pushed him off as he sat there in a bit of a daze, not knowing what my next move would be. I walked over to my sword which laid abandoned on the sand. I picked it up, my finger coiled so tightly around the hilt that my knuckles were white. I trudged back to the fight with Jack following behind me. I stopped and turned back to face him.
"Bring him." I said, referring to Mateo.
Jack's eyebrows furrowed from the cold hoarseness that was my voice. Quickly noticing the horrific darkness in my eyes, he fumbled back to the body. I would have been surprised by Jack's immediate obedience if I hadn't been so crazed.
When I had emerged from the bushes, the battle had been reduced to a great extreme. Most of Mateo's crew was dead. Bodies were sprawled everywhere, either dead or horribly wounded. I watched as Jack's crew fought fiercely with such aggression. The white sand ran red with blood from both sides.
I heard a hard thud as Jack appeared beside me, dumping Mateo's body at our feet for all to see. The swords of the opposite side stopped at the sight of their dead captain. Without delay, Anamaria, Mr. Gibbs, Will and everyone else backed them up into a circle as I walked forward.
"Your captain is dead now!" I declared, "If you wish to leave with your wicked lives, I suggest you all surrender!"
About twenty or so arms were then held up in surrender. A few of the men softly requested the right of parlay which was not anything of importance considering the role it played merely as guidelines. In the group, I then noticed one of the pirates with his straggly black hair and crooked teeth. I cringed as my own screams echoed in my head along with his perverted laughter.
I pulled out my sword and went right for him. Before anyone could stop me, I swung my sword down and up across his front, slicing open his gut. A streak of blood gushed, hitting me right in the face as he went down. Finally it was then that I felt myself coming out of my crazed like state.
It was as if I was blind and could suddenly see. Everything came into focus, everything came crashing down around me as every possible emotion I had coursed through my body.
I dropped to my knees, letting the sword fall out of my hands as I began to cry. My breathing became rapid as I tried with all my might to force everything back in but it was no use. It was then that the internal bottle, which held all the emotional pain that I'd hidden away inside, began to crack
I covered my mouth with both hands to suppress the sobs which rose uncontrollably. It was then that the bottle had shattered. The pieces flew everywhere that would be glistening if there were a sun. I then felt a coat being draped over my shoulders as I was gently pulled to my feet. Jack rested my head against his shoulder and wrapped his arm around me as he lead me away, beckoning Will to follow.
"What of these men, Captain Sparrow?" Ladbroc spoke up causing Jack to look over his shoulder. He didn't have to think twice of what he was going to say.
"Kill them all." He said, "Including the wounded, then blow up the ship."
As we left, we could hear the screams rip through the air as steel met flesh. Jack and Will pushed past the trees as we got back to the boats. Will ran to the nearest boat and hopped in. He held out his hand which I took as he helped me into the boat. Jack came in last and sat beside me. I immediately grabbed on him in desperate need of security and comfort.
Soon we were in the water, rowing back to the Black Pearl. As I sobbed in Jack's arms, a horrible feeling loomed over me. I had been to hell and back. The kidnapping, being forced upon for sexual release, the beatings…
It was all playing back in my mind over and over. They had done all these things to me and I had lived. Living with the emotional scars, which were twisting inside me.
"Shh, its alright darlin." Jack placed his hand on my head. His fingers were buried in my mass of short hair, softly stroking my head. "Shh, I'm here now."
I buried my face in his chest, letting my tears soak the front of his shirt. He wouldn't let me go. He kissed the top of my head as he rocked me gently in his arms, whispering soft words of comfort. I could feel his warm breath against my hair.
"Don't cry, sweet. No one's going to hurt you anymore."
He continued to hold me as I felt my sobs steadily die down to quiet sniffling. I glanced over at Will who was witnessing the whole event as he rowed and I then began to feel a hint of embarrassment creep up on me. Crying was a matter I felt had to be dealt with on my own. A belief I strongly imposed on myself for six years.
As soon as we disembarked our boat and were aboard the Black Pearl, Jack led me into our cabin. It was then that I began to feel quite uneasy. A cold sweat had broken out on my brow and my vision began to haze. My brain felt as if it was swimming in water. My muscles ached horrifically as I attempted to fight the dizziness.
It was then that I felt my knees buckle as Will opened the door for Jack. His grip on me tightened as the exhaustion finally overwhelmed me and blackness clouded my vision as I fell against Jack's body.
Jack's POV:
"Whoa there!"
I stumbled a bit as Lia toppled forward, her head falling hard against my chest. I quickly scooped her in my arms before she could hit the floor Her head swung back lifelessly as I slipped my arm under her knees to pull her up.
Will, in his concern, quickly darted in front of me, "What happened?"
I could feel the worry eating away inside of me as I pushed Lia's damp hair away from her face, beads of sweat collected on her brow as she struggled for breath. I pulled her close as I pushed Will aside and went over to Lia's bed. Gently I lowered her down to the bed, my hand under her neck to support her head as I slowly laid it upon the pillow.
"Will," I said in a mix of an unusually calm but commanding tone, "Fetch me rum, a few cloths and a basin of cool water."
"I'll get to it." Will said unquestioningly with a brusque nod as he went off. Looking back to Lia, I placed the back of my hand on her forehead. Warm, a bit too warm for comfort, it was not surprising but still pressed a weight of urgency. I lightly pressed my palm to her forehead, knowing it would feel cool on her hot skin. I frowned as I noticed a long cut across her cheek.
I felt myself cursing Mateo over and over in my mind as I continued to examine her. I turned at the sound of a door opening. Will had a few rags draped over the crook of his arm as he held a basin with both hands. The sloshing of the water could be heard with each step he took.
He placed everything on the round mahogany table and ducked under it. He came up seconds later with a cracked, half filled bottle of rum. I stood up and went over to him, shrugging off my coat as I walked.
"This seems to be the only one not badly cracked." Will said apologetically as he handed me the bottle. I tossed my coat aside missing the chair as it fell onto the floor.
"This will do." I said with a nod. I pulled the cloth away from Will and went back to Lia. I kneeled down and began to pour the rum onto the white cloth, watching the brown liquid spread through it.
Lia's POV:
Being trapped in an unusual state of fatigue, I wasn't able to move or speak. A weird sort of heaviness swarmed through my body, limiting my movement to nothing. I could hear words being spoken but not in its entirely. Barely formed and hazed, they droned through my mind like a heavy water flow. As hard as I tried, I couldn't seem to call out to them.
I felt my body twitch in response to sudden stinging along with a bit of pressure on my cheek. A soft moan escaped from my lips and I realized I was slowly coming out of my fatigued state, unfortunately too slow for my patience.
As quickly as it came it went. I could feel Jack next to me as he cleaned my wounds. The smell of rum along with the warming comfort of being in my own bed came to my senses. I could feel Jack hovering over me, his hand cupping my cheek as he spoke.
"Lia, can you hear me? Come now, you have to wake up."
Pushing every bit of my mind, I tried to respond but nothing moved. Not a murmur or sound except for the sound of my own shallow breathing. I could hear everything going on around me but no responses from me. A powerful force had taken over, dragging me down the darkened state of confusion and fatigue. Once again, I wasn't in control.
I gasped as I felt Jack pulling up my shirt exposing my fresh wound from Mateo's blade on my stomach. A chill went through me as the cold air swept through my exposed flesh. Jack wasted no time. He knew what to expect.
"Will, I'm going to need to you hold her down for me."
I felt the left side of my bed dip as Will sat down next to my limp body, "I'm sorry, Lia." He whispered remorsefully as he gently took hold of my wrists and held them above my head, pinning them to the pillow. Seconds later I could feel an enormous outburst of pain shoot through my ribs. My back arched as every muscle tightened and twisted. I let out a growl as I tried my best not to scream. My hands balled into tight fists as I tried to move, wanting to flee.
I could feel Jack remove the cloth for a second as he pressed another one in its place. Will immediately tightened his grip on my wrists as my body writhed uncontrollably.
Jack's POV:
It was enough for me to curse Mateo to the deepest pits of hell. For a moment I almost felt angry that Lia was the one to deliver the final blow. I quickly removed the cloth and Lia's body went limp. Beads of cold sweat dripped from her forehead as she continued her harsh breathing. Will pushed off the bed and kept his attention to her.
"Will she be okay?" He asked. His voice dripped with concern. I managed a small smile as I nodded, "She will be fine. I suppose she just went into a bit of a shock."
Will's eyebrows rose, "I don't blame her. She's been through enough."
Shouts of glees and victory caught my attention, muffled by the closed cabin door as the uproar continued outside. "Patch her up." I ordered to Will as I went outside to see the commotion for myself.
A fleet had broken out across the water as the crew sailed on to the Mystic. I could hear Anamaria screaming orders to pick up the pace which caused me to smile for she was all for taking charge. I watched with joy as they raided the ship, pushing into every room, plundering everything for all it was worth. After loading the boats and dumping the bodies aboard to burn with the Mystic, they swiftly sailed to safety toward the Pearl.
I turned to Will who was standing at the cabin's doorway, "We should prepare for departure, Will!"
Will was already at the capstan, bringing up the anchor as I started to hoist the sails which progressed at a slow pace considering it was not a one-person job. Hearing the calls of the crew coming near, I left Will to deal with the sails as I tossed down a few ropes and a rope ladder for an easy climb.
I watched impressively as I watched the load of supplies being dumped upon the deck including sacks of food, bottles of wine, charts, money, ropes, weaponry, ammunition and even a few portraits which I recognized from Mateo's quarters.
I looked up at Tearlach with puzzlement as he dropped the portraits at my feet. "Thought we could make a profit on them, Cap'n'." He shrugged. As soon as everyone was on board, I ran to my place at the rudder and began steering. We sail off rather quickly but didn't stray too far for the air shook with eagerness from the crew wanting to witness The Mystic's end. I left my place at the rudder to join the crew who all waited at the helm.
There was nothing to do but wait.
"Any minute now." Anamaria whispered, mostly to herself.
We watched and waited. Then suddenly we heard it. Everyone jerked from the loud roar of the explosion. We watched as The Mystic was ripped open from the shock wave and giant clouds of thick black smoke billowed out from the wreckage. Fire whipped through the air like a flag in the wind. The water shook and loud slaps were heard as pieces of wood struck the water. Everyone began to hoot and holler at the sight of the burning inferno.
I looked around at the crew smiling marginally at the sight of everyone being so happy that this was finally over. Anamaria jumped in Mr. Gibbs arms and they danced in circles.
As I scanned the group, I noticed Will was gone. I looked toward the open door of the cabin and saw Will sitting next to Lia's bed. She was fast asleep and Will had one of her hands in his, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
A certain feeling of contentment came over me as I saw the look of loving concern from Will's eyes as he kept his attention on Lia's sleeping body. It was then that I knew, if Lia were to have any man in the world, I would surely see to it that she would have someone like Will Turner.
Later that Night:
"How is she doin?" I asked Anamaria as I walked into the cabin. She was standing over Lia wrapping a bandage around her wrist and over her palm.
"You just missed her." She said flatly. I felt my heart leap at her words, "She woke up?"
Anamaria nodded, "Managed to help her change her shirt. She protested a bit but I knew her wounds wouldn't heal in the state of her shirt."
I looked at Lia and quickly noticed that she was no longer wearing her ripped, bloodstained shirt but a fresh, clean white one. Anamaria placed her hand gently on her forehead as she sat by her side.
"She's got a bit of a fever and she's a bit dehydrated but I gave her some water before she dozed off." She said reassuringly, "She will probably be better by tomorrow."
I smiled in a thank you as I sat on the other side, putting my hand on Lia's arm. I quickly pulled it away as her body twitched along with a groan coming from her lips.
"Careful!" Anamaria whispered harshly, "She's got some nasty bruisin' on that arm."
I almost kicked myself as I put my hand on my lap, not meaning to cause her pain, "Sorry." We sat in silence. The room glowed with an orange tint from a single glowing candle on the windowsill, the sounds of the waves crashing against the ship echoed outside.
I gazed over at Anamaria, who was staring contently at me with a look of curiosity, "You really do love her, don't you?"
"She has grown on me. There's no denying that." I stated simply with a laugh. Anamaria's face fell, giving me a look letting me know she wasn't stupid. I sighed heavily, "Its complicated or at least it was. But when I was in that cell, it wasn't until that moment when I decided on death instead of life without her when everything came to me."
"Wow…" Anamaria said with such captivation over my words, "That's got to be the most noble thing I've ever heard from you, Cap'n."
She stood up and patted my shoulder as she began to walk out, "Make sure you let her know."
I didn't even congregate the nerve to look her in the eye out of shame. Not by my words but just the knowledge that they came from me. I was never one known to bear my soul or express affection except to my ship and my rum. Loving another person was a scary thought that I couldn't help and never thought could happen especially towards a young girl who held a part of me in her heart.
I knew right then that I did love her and I was going to see to it that that was the first thing she was going to hear when she woke up.
A/N: :sigh:
Well I hate to say it but this story is not far from coming to the conclusion. Only a good four (give or take a few) chapters and its all over. We only have a few more things to happen before the ending and I'll try not to disappoint you. Ta ta for now!