Author's Note -

::CCGIT throws hands up and looks abashed:: Okay, I know that it is WAY past the day that I said I would update but things have been a bit crazy since I got back from vacation and then I've been sick with an evil cold that settled in my glands (according to the doc this morning). I won't go into detail but life is spinning at the moment for me and I needed some extra time to gather my head (and thoughts) before I wrote. Otherwise, me and my bad mood might have just done something crazy that would have you all ready to kill me. So, I hope that you all enjoy the chapter, I think you will ... its extra long as an apology.

-A-

Author Thanks -

Anaknusan - I hope that you haven't hurt your head collapsing and will be conscious enough to read the chapter! Enjoy!

Jinxd n cursed - Thanks, mate! Enjoy!

lady lorethei - Thanks! I can't answer ... you'll understand by the end of the chapter, I think. If not, then email me and I'll explain it that way. Enjoy!

Lil Bit - Thanks, poppet. Don't break your computer by trying to jump into it ... it won't work. Enjoy!

The lady of the shadows - Thanks! I'm glad that you like the story even better now, its very good to know. Enjoy!

Captain Tish - Thanks! I can't tell you. You'll see, trust me. Enjoy!

Dimonah Tralon - Thanks! I can't tell you what you asked. Sorry. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

jisAtsU siLENcE - Thanks! I can't answer your questions, either. Sorry. Just wait and see ... all will be revealed in time. I swear. Enjoy!

RMB - Thanks! Don't worry about it, things are crazy for me too. Glad you liked the dream sequences ... they are always fun to write. Enjoy!

Autumn Sunlight - Thanks! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Moulin-Rouge-Pirate - Thanks! Yeah, I know Rion is evil ... ::shudder: You'll have to wait and see, trust me, though. It'll work out. Enjoy!

TriGemini - Thanks! Yeah, if I had a dream like that, I'd wake up terrified ... anywho, enjoy!

S.S.I. - Thanks! I went to Florida, btw. It was great! Enjoy!

Last Time -

"You are. You're right here, in my arms. I've got you. Just come on."

I looked over at him, he was beside me now, an arm around my shoulders protectively. "Jack?"

Everything was starting to swirl in a dazzle of colour. The few images I had seen blurred together and faded in and out before finally disappearing. Now all that was left was darkness.

-A-

Beyond the Horizon

Chapter 16 - Moi Sans Mon Amour

"I'm right here, Christina. Right here," I heard a familiar voice say from nearby as a hand ran over my cheek.

I opened my eyes slowly. "Jack ... what happened? The room. I thought ... but ... where are we?"

Jack smiled slightly. "We're in the captain's cabin, love. How I got here is a long story. I'll explain later. But you need to rest."

I glanced around the room still feeling confused. "But ... you're not here. You were ... you were there and so was He. But now where did He go?"

"Who?"

"The other voice," I said, my voice raspy.

"No one else has said anything. Its just me, you, the captain and the captain's wife. No one else was talking, love."

I gazed around again, wishing for something to tell me I wasn't crazy but then I remembered. 'I'm not looking right. That's why I can't see.' "I thought that you were..." I whispered to Jack, clutching his arm.

"Esperanza can explain that for you, love. I'm not sure of what happened entirely. All I know is that you've been falling in and out of consciousness and fever for two days now and finally Esperanza came to get me because you were calling out for me in your sleep."

My fevered mind struggled to comprehend this. "But ... why?"

Jack ran his thumbs gently over my cheekbones and along the sides of my face. "We weren't sure if..."

"Am I dying?" I whispered, terrified.

Jack moved closer and lifted me up. Gently he took me up in his arms, keeping my head against his chest. "You're going to be fine, love."

Though he said reassuring words I saw him glance over to where Esperanza was standing and I knew that I wasn't getting the entire story. My lip quivered as involuntary tears fell down my cheeks. "Jack, I'm scared."

Anyone who knew anything about pirates would think that sympathy and understanding are completely beyond the realm of possibility but this proved all beliefs wrong. He slowly rocked me back and forth in the same manner he had done in Madagascar. There were no words to speak between us and but in our own way, we were speaking volumes. Not all that is felt needs speaking and in that moment, I was closer to him than ever before. We sat together until I drifted to sleep but this time my dreams were untroubled. His arms around me comforted me more than all the doctors and medicine in the Caribbean could ever had.

When I woke, he was gone and I was alone again with Esperanza. She came over to me, whispering words that I couldn't understand though I saw her mouth move and heard the words floating around the room. It was as if the part of me that could understand what was being said had been turned off. She pressed a cup to my lips and I drank slowly, knowing that if I drank too much, I would only be sick. When I had drained the cup, I grabbed her wrist. "Cinchona," I rasped my voice strangely hoarse and foreign sounding.

"What?"

"Cinchona bark. Its the only treatment."

Esperanza's dark eyes widened and I knew she understood what I had said.

"Make it into a tea. I have to drink it."

She nodded and left quickly.

I glanced around the cabin in silence now wondering how everything had changed so fast. I sat up and drew my legs up to my chest, hugging them tightly to me, wondering where Jack was. I really wanted him back by my side, my heart ached now that he wasn't there. He was my comfort in this. Esperanza was helping me true enough but I knew as much about her as I knew about the stars. She was an acquaintance and even an ally but not a comfort like Jack was. Shivering violently suddenly, I lay back down and pulled the covers up around me. As I lay there, I wished fervently for all I didn't have: my daughter, Jack, my family, warmth and my cozy home in Port Royale.

I fell back into fevered sleep before Esperanza returned and it was a long time before I woke again.

TWO DAYS EARLIER

IN THE GUEST CABIN

The crewmember that had 'assisted' Jack out of his cabin and onto the Spanish ship pushed him roughly into the room before leaving and slamming the door behind him. The lock clicked into place and all was silent.

Jack looked around the new surroundings and muttered, "Honestly, didn't 'ave to shove me. Bloody nice escort. They just don't make minions like they used to these days."

In spite of his bravado, Jack was obviously worried about Christy. He knew the progression of malaria all to well and if he wasn't mistaken, the next few days she would be alternating between fever and chills. Not fun. And now, he couldn't even check up on her. He couldn't get her through this ... mostly because he didn't even know where she was. Of course she was on the ship but he didn't know where exactly. Jack was completely outside his element, he knew it. He had no control over the situation and he always hated lacking control.

However, Jack did not have long to contemplate his lack of control. There were steps outside the door and as he heard the latch straighten, he assumed a pose of the characteristic Caribbean nonchalance. "Nice room, mate," he drawled as the door opened and the captain accompanied by three crewmembers strode in. "Although it could do with more light."

"Better?" the captain asked as one other crewmember came in with two lamps. "I am Diego Iyalla, captain of this ship and high in the favour of my master, Juaquiem Santos El Viendo. I hope you will answer my questions so this will be easier for both of us. You understand what I am saying, do you not?"

Jack smirked and nodded.

"You are English, correct?" the captain asked as his men took positions at the door.

Jack nodded again. "Aye but I speak Spanish."

"I won't trouble myself with your mispronunciations of my language," the captain replied loftily. He snapped his fingers and almost instantly two of the men who had been near the door moved to Jack's side and pulled him back to his feet.

"And now comes the beating, am I right, mate?" Jack asked wryly, bracing himself for the coming abuse. Mentally he coached himself not to give away any details concerning Christy. Even if someone had a grudge against him and wanted him dead, Christy had to get out of this unscathed.

"Captain Sparrow, simply answer my questions and no harm will come to you from me. Now, these two men had another brother on the ship you sacked who was killed in the crossfire. They, if anyone, will be the ones doing the beating."

Jack glanced at the men on either side of him. In spite of the tension, he flashed some semblance of his typically winning smile.

"You are the same man who raided the ship La Guardianas, are you not?"

Jack nodded proudly. "Aye, and a fine ship it was."

A slightly injured look appeared in Diego's eyes as he apparently reflected on the magnificent ship. Jack had spoken the truth, it was a fine ship. Nothing to his Pearl of course but still, a good ship. "You are the same man wanted on multiple charges by the British, are you not?"

"Aye. Though why that concerns a Spaniard, I know not," Jack said smartly.

"Normally a man would be smacked for such lip, Captain Sparrow, but under the circumstances, you are right. In future, though, give me an answer, not commentary."

Jack nodded, his eyes crinkling with mirth at the realization that he was getting under the man's skin already.

"Not that my master was expecting you to have a hostage under any circumstances but I will ask you who the girl is?" Diego asked in a tone that said this matter was of special interest to him.

"No one."

"Captain Sparrow, do not make this harder on yourself. I only ask you who she is. A name, perhaps? Or just a bit more information as to how she came into your unfortunate presence."

Jack shook his head, all semblance of mirth gone from his eyes. "She's no one. Just a girl." If Jack knew anything about the Spanish, it was that they were very keen on a system of honor codes and wouldn't harm a woman unless forced to. He would not give any information about Christy that could be used against her. If there was one thing he could do in the current situation it was lie.

"Who was the girl?" the captain inquired in a voice just below a yell.

"She's no one."

"WHO?" he demanded louder.

The first punch hit Jack hard in the stomach, almost knocking the wind out of him. When he straightened, he repeated. "She's no one."

"A captive? Or perhaps a lover? Someone you would protect, yes?"

Jack kept a blank look on his face as he repeated for a third time, "She's just a girl. No one of importance."

Another fist collided with Jack's stomach and succeeded in knocking the wind from him. He gasped for breath slightly before pushing himself up.

"I don't know anything about her. Picked her up off of a burning boat. Very accidental. Had I known she was ill, I wouldn't have taken her."

The captain strode closer to Jack and motioned for his men to leave which they did, however grudgingly. Jack saw, through the glass plate to the side of the door, that they had taken to standing in the hallway outside the door. "Captain Sparrow, I have eyes. I saw the way the girl was panicking. She knows you. Now tell me WHO SHE IS."

Jack shook his head firmly but then he heard, drifting through the walls of the cabin, the sound of Christy screaming. All the muscles in his body tensed as he listened to what she was saying. "TELL ME DAMNIT! TELL ME WHERE HE IS! WHERE IS JACK? TELL ME!"

The captain looked Jack over up and down, no doubt noticing the tensing of his muscles and how tight his jaw had gotten. "No one, Captain Sparrow? Are you so certain of that? It certainly sounds like she -" he stopped mid-sentence because someone was knocking at the door. Well, not so much knocking, more or less pounding.

"Diego! Diego!" a woman's voice called frantically through the door. "Its the girl. Come quickly."

Diego hurried to the door and opened it. Jack watched as a young woman came in and hurriedly whispered rapid Spanish to her husband. Diego swore and snapped his fingers at which two of his men came back into the room. "Watch him," he said before hurrying after his wife.

Jack sighed, very worried now that something had happened to Christy. Although, now he had bigger things on his mind, mainly the two men with the grudge. They approached him slowly, their smiles glinting fiercely in the lamplight. "Now, now, mates. I don't think violence should be an option."

His two aggressors evidently spoke no English or did not listen for they did not miss a beat. Hard and skilled fists hit him but he did not betray himself by making a sound other than the occasional grunt from the pain.

Once more, he heard Christy's screams and started to really worry. "JACK!!!!! JACK!!!!!" From the sounds of it, Christy was being tortured or something and he couldn't get to her. He was going to fail her if he didn't do anything now while he had the chance. But he was outnumbered four to one. Even if he could get past the two in the cabin, there was still the two in the hall.

The sound of her screaming reverberated in his head as, once more, every fiber in his body tensed and prepared to spring.

When the next punch was thrown, Jack was ready and ducked. The punch which should have hit him, collided with the jaw of Jack's other attacker. It was a good, clean uppercut that rendered the second man unconscious. He swayed momentarily before falling to the ground. Jack looked at the other man to see a look of shock evidently at how hard he could punch and Jack, taking advantage of the other man's moment of weakness, threw the hardest punch he ever had in his life. He hit his mark exactly, the man's right temple. It was fortunate for Jack that he too was knocked unconscious by this blow because Jack wasn't sure how many similar punches his knuckles could have withstood ... the man had a very hard head.

Now with two unconscious minions at his feet, Jack took a moment to wonder why the other two men, presumably in the hall, hadn't come rushing in at the first noise. But, one quick glance told Jack all that he needed to know - the captain had brought them with him, thinking Jack would be occupied well enough with the two men.

'Wrongo, mate,' Jack thought as he stealthily opened the door. He stepped into the hall and slowly, carefully walked up the hall to where the sound of Christy's screaming had emanated from. The next door on the right from where he had been held was open but there were no voices coming from it. No sound of Christy. Jack crept towards the door, hoping that she was not in there dead as punishment for making so much noise. But if she wasn't in there, Jack wasn't sure where else she could be.

He neared the door and saw that it was open. Silent as a cat, he peered around the frame and saw Christy lying on a bed either asleep or unconscious, he couldn't tell. The woman that had ran to her husband moments before was now bustling around the cabin. Jack stayed, his eyes glued on Christy, taking in the sweat glistening her brow and the pallor of her skin. As he watched, the woman lay a cloth over Christy's forehead. Making his decision as to what to do at the spur of the moment, Jack disobeyed his general rule of waiting for the opportune moment and stepped into the room. Speaking in quiet Spanish, he said, "Senora Iyalla, how is she? Is she dying?"

The woman whirled around, fear blazing in her eyes. "What?" she gasped, terrified.

Jack took a step towards Christy's bed. "Is she dying? What happened?"

Senora Iyalla looked at him warily. "She asked about you. She told me about you, before she fainted. I won't get my husband if you don't harm me. He is otherwise occupied now and won't be back for a while. But do not do me any harm."

Jack raised his hands in front of him. "I mean you no harm. All I want is to know that Christy's all right. I need to see her. I needed to check on her. I heard her screaming," he said, using the softness of his voice to implore his innocent reasons for being her. He knew that he was risking much but he HAD to check on her. And if she was dying (as he feared she was) then he could do her no further harm and wanted to be with her if something would happen.

"She's unconscious. The fever. She fainted after Rion was pulled from the room," she said calmly switching to English.

"Did Rion harm her?" Jack asked, his fist balling inadvertently.

"No. But he might have. He was evidently the reason she screamed. I'm sure you heard her."

Jack nodded. "Can I come any closer, Senora?"

She studied him again, her dark eyes boring into his and slowly nodded. "I won't tell my husband."

Jack looked at her quizzically.

"Now is not the time. A time may well come but it is not now. But to tell him now would be foolish. He only needs find out if her condition worsens. But as for now, he can be blissfully unaware."

He nodded his appreciation, his hands together before him in a grateful gesture.

"I will go check on the two men my husband left guarding you. They are unconscious, no?"

"How did you know?" Jack asked, stopping completely in his tracks.

"Captain Sparrow, the way she spoke of her love for you ... it is a wonder that you didn't tear through the walls to get her. A woman can tell these things," Senora Iyalla said as she strode to a cabinet and withdrew a bottle of rum. "After I wake the men, I will give them this and ask them to drink with me. They will drink the entire thing, of course ... these two are fonder of rum than anything else. By the time they wake up later, they will have forgotten the whole thing happened and will think their bruises are from falls."

Jack gazed at the woman in disbelief. It was rare that he be shocked by anyone but ... he was definitely not expecting anything that had just occurred to happen in his wildest dreams. He bowed his head again in thanks and let her pass by him before walking to Christy's bedside. He sat down beside her and smoothed her hair gently with his hand. Placing a hand on her forehead, he could feel a fever in her skin. He rewet the towel from the basin of water nearby and dabbed it gently on her fevered skin. "You have to make it, Christy. You have to pull through this. I know you can, love. You're stronger than this. You can make it," he whispered gently.

Christy moaned slightly in her sleep and shifted on the bed. Jack gently cupped her face with his hand as he had done so many times before. "Ssh, its okay, darlin'. I'm right here."

As if she had heard him, she stilled.

Jack lost track of time as he sat with her but it didn't matter to him. He would have sat for days without leaving her side if he could. Mentally he was scolding himself. It was his own weakness that put her into this situation. His own selfishness. Had he not taken her back to the Pearl she would not be lying her, hovering. Had he not taken her in the first place, not attacked the ship she was on, he would not have known love. It was an unfair trade, Jack thought as he sat by her side stroking her brow. He had had dalliances with women countless times before Christy, he was a famous, dashing pirate, if he did say so himself. But none of them had meant anything. A tumble, some coins, and promises that were forgotten at the next port. That was what his love life had consisted of. There were a few lasses who he had brought back to the Pearl for a month maybe two but he tired of them quickly and set them down in port. And then there was Christy. When he had stolen her from the ship, she grated on his nerves and he was harsh with her. Too harsh. To this day, Jack wondered why he had been so. His behaviour had been completely outside his character. But slowly, she had him warming up to her. She was a ticket to treasure at first but he found himself caring greatly for her safety, not just the gold. She was afraid of him, it had been obvious but after that accursed concussion, the fear he saw in her eyes had begun to wane. Physical attraction grew between them and Jack began to truly care for the girl. The encounter with the Frenchmen turned caring into loving and now they were here. Jack, still hopelessly and accidentally in love for the first real time, tending the woman that he cared about more than anything in the world.

"Captain Sparrow, my husband will be returning soon. I believe that you should return to the guest cabin with me. I'll lock you in," Senora Iyalla said from the doorway.

Jack looked over to see her, startled that time had flown by so quickly. He nodded, leaned down to brush a kiss on Christy's cheek, and followed her away. "Gracias, Senora."

Senora Iyalla nodded and said quickly, "If her condition changes, I will find a way of letting you know. She's in good hands with me, I swear."

Jack nodded his thanks and walked into the guest cabin. He listened to the lock click into place behind him and sat down in one of the chairs, his mind still on Christy. He knew that Senora Iyalla had given him a great gift ... but the pirate side of him (and the loving side of him) wanted more. There was nothing to do now but wait.

-A-

Author Notes -

Okay, so, I hope that is sufficient. The next chapter should be up by next Friday. That's the 28th ... the day before my 18th B-day! Yay!

Moving on, I hope that you all have a good week and remember if you murder the writer for not updating, there will NEVER be any updates for that story. So, no killing me, s'il vous plait.

And for all of you not taking French, the title of the chapter means 'Me Without My Love.' I thought it was fitting.

Sorry about the lack of Spanish translations this chapter. When I'm feeling better, I'm going to get translations and repost but I figure most people just read the English so you won't kill me.

So, now my head is spinning and I need to go back to bed, I'm not supposed to be up now but sssh, don't tell my mommy. LOL.

That's all for now.

Mange Klemmar

-CrazyCanoeingGIT