Chapter 52

She sighed heavily. "Our son. Us. A million things I guess."

"Thinking ye don't know me quite as well as ye thought?" he asked.

"No, that's not it Jack." She said not looking at him. "Ye forget that ye weren't very nice to me when we first met."

"I've not been very nice a lot lately, why is when we met so damn important?" Jack asked puzzled.

"Because ye pushed me on me arse when I tried to help you escape that fight in Kingston. Told me ye didn't need any help from a little girl." She said quietly.

"Once again, what is that so damn important now?" Jack asked.

"Because I pushed you. I pushed you into loving me. I pushed you into making love to me. And if I hadn't pushed you, then perhaps we wouldn't have let some maniac take our son." She turned to him. "I've never given much thought to your feelings about anything and I'm sorry Jack."

"Perhaps that is why I've been the way I've been since yer return, my way of pushing back." Jack offered.

"And I've deserved nothing less." She said looking back at the water. "Would ye have walked away from me back then Jack?" she asked. "Perhaps ye would be happier if ye would have." She turned towards him. "I think I'll go see if Mr. Gibbs needs any help."

Jack watched her go, he'd never thought about it. Would he be happier out of this situation? Part of him thought maybe but he wouldn't know his son. He kept watch on the horizon for the coast of Singapore and pondered her question.

Madeline made her way to the galley to see if Mr. Gibbs needed any help. He said he didn't and told her to get some rest. She headed towards Jack's cabin and crawled into his bed and not the bunk. She hugged his pillow to her. How different would her life had been if she had never met him? She turned on her side and cried herself to sleep once again.

Jack smiled when he saw the hills of Singapore in the early morning twilight. Gibbs looked relieved to have made it without any further problems. "Where's Maddy?" Jack asked.

"Sleep I think." Gibbs said.

"Good, I'll go ashore and ye and she can handle release of the prisoners, but keep her on the ship." Jack said firmly.

"Aye captain, I'll do me best," Gibbs replied.

Madeline woke when she saw the rays of sunlight through the porthole window. She washed her face and hurried to the deck. She saw Gibbs waving as he stood by the side of the Pearl. She hurried over to the side and scowled when she saw Jack in one of the rowboats. "Jack!" she yelled.

Jack waved at her and kept rowing.

"We have orders to make sure the prisoners get off the ship then we're to wait here for Jack." Gibbs told her.

She turned away in a huff. "Bloody damn pirate." she swore. She turned to Gibbs. "Aye Mr. Gibbs. We don't want the good Captain Sparrow to be upset when he returns." she said as she stomped off to the brig.

Gibbs sighed heavily and followed her to get on with getting the prisoner's off the ship.

Jack went on shore and asked the first local fisherman he saw if he knew Pang. The fisherman didn't really understand Jack but he knew the name. He nodded and pointed toward town. Jack bowed slightly as he thanked the man and slipped him a couple of shillings. He then went in search of Pang.

The midget unlocked the cell door and Madeline drew her sword. "Alrighty ye mangy pirates. Get yer arse's out of there and on the deck. Now." she barked.

Jack found the place he was almost positive Pang would be if he were here at all, the Red Dragon. This place was one of the roughest taverns in this part of the world but it was also a place where women were sold into slavery and sometimes children. This was the biggest reason Jack could not allow Maddy to come along with him. He went to the barkeep and asked if he'd seen Pang. A gentle hand touched his shoulder and he looked over his shoulder at the pretty Asian woman looking back at him. "Lonely sailor?" she asked.

"No love, just looking for a friend." Jack smiled.

"Come on honey, I've not eaten for the past two days." she purred.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Pang Lou Chen, know where I can find him?" he asked.

"Sure love, but that doesn't cost ye nothing." She purred.

Jack smiled, "Well I'd hate to see ye go hungry another day love." he said. Jack knew that her pimp was probably watching them and if he didn't go with her she might end up beaten or worse so he let her take him to a room

The prisoners headed up the stairs with Madeline keeping her sword drawn. They lined up on the deck. She pulled out five shillings for each of them out of a pouch and held them out to each of them. "Ye will be taken ashore and then ye are on yer own. What becomes of you is no matter to me." she told them. She glanced over at Gibbs who nodded to her. "Ye will have to make yer own way. Savvy?" she asked. They all nodded in agreement.

As the prisoners made their way down the rope ladder to the awaiting rowboat, the captain turned to her. "Thank you ma'am for not killing us."

Madeline looked at him. "Thank you for telling us what ye knew about our son." She handed him an extra ten shillings and stepped back from him. As he climbed into the boat, she turned and saw Gibbs looking at her.

"Jack would be pleased." Gibbs smiled. "Now what say we go get ourselves a drink," he asked.

"What can I do for ye honey?" the Asian woman asked Jack.

"What do ye do?" Jack asked.

"Anything ye want." she replied.

Jack thought about Maddy and knew if she ever found out about this she'd either kill him or hate him but he had to do this in order to get their son back. "Suck me off love." he told her.

The Asian woman went down on her knees in front of him, "Pang is three doors down on the left," she said as she unfastened his pants. She then took him in her mouth.