Author's Note -

I'm BAAAAAACK! Okay, so, please don't kill me, I know I'm very, very, very, very late. But, I have reasons. I won't go into them in detail but I've had some family issues, school stuff, personal matters and one big guy problem that made me contemplate destroying all things male in this world for a while. But, its all good now and I am back to treat you all to a chapter. It isn't too long but I do believe it will definitely whet your appetites for more. Seeing as I'm so overdue, I'm going to do thanks for last chapter and this chapter with the next chapter. Savvy?

A-

Last Time -

"Oh, I guess that the captain is very lucky then ... because I'm think I remember him in the room. He IS a lucky man, isn't he, Jack?" Christy said, smiling broadly.

Jack was so glad that she had her humour back that he could have kissed her. In fact, that's just what he did. And when he pulled back, he said, "Glad to have you back, darling."

A-

Beyond the Horizon

Chapter 19 - For Better, For Worse

She leaned back against the pillows, still smiling. "Glad to be back. I'm not ready to die."

Jack took her hand in his. "I'm not ready for that either. But you'll be fine."

"Jack, what are we going to do? The Pearl is somewhere, we can't do anything and even if we could escape, I'm in no condition. There's nothing that we can do," she said quietly, the tone in her voice revealing the desperation that Jack himself had felt earlier.

He ran his hand along the side of her face smoothly. "Don't worry about it. I just need you to focus on you right now. Get yourself better and let me do the worrying for once." He leaned down and kissed her softly, cherishing the fact that she was kissable ... well, kissable and alive. He supposed that one could kiss a corpse but that would be highly less than enjoyable.

Neither one of them said anything for a long time and just sat, staring into each other's eyes and holding hands. Christy yawned, apparently she still wasn't as good as she was letting on. "You should probably sleep," he suggested.

"Don't wanna. I don't want to wake up and have you gone," she said, pouting.

"Go to sleep, love. I'm not going anywhere."

After that, it didn't take much persuading. "Okay ... I guess."

Jack nodded reassuringly. "You should."

"Jack?" she asked, sounding very young.

"Aye?"

"Lay with me."

He smiled, got up and walked to the other side of the bed. He lay down behind her as she stretched out and wrapped an arm around her. Gently, he kissed the crook of her neck. "Love you, Christy."

She yawned. "I love you too, Jack."

A-

:CHRISTY'S POV:

"Love you, Christy," Jack said, lying behind me.

I yawned … maybe I should sleep. "I love you too, Jack." That was a phrase I hadn't meant more in a long time ... Jack was still wonderful, even after all these years. Of course there was still dirt on the outside but all in all, he was amazing. Thinking these thoughts, with the arm of the man that I loved wrapped around me, I drifted slowly off to sleep.

It's funny how when one falls asleep, they feel like the world is spinning around them, like the more you lie there, the faster you go. As I was spinning around, not seeing anything as no one does when their eyes are closed, I felt like I was speeding up then slowing down. Finally, I slowed down enough that I was able to open my eyes.

I felt wide-awake now, fully refreshed. The funny thing was that Jack wasn't there. He said that he would be there still when I woke up. But, I wasn't too worried, he must be back wherever he was being kept. I sat up, I was feeling so much better now, and it was amazing. I felt like a new woman.

Esperanza walked into the room. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

I nodded. "Much."

"That's wonderful. It's amazing what a man can do for you, isn't it?"

I giggled like a schoolgirl. "We didn't do anything. He just laid with me while I slept."

Esperanza rolled her eyes. "That's what they all say."

"Honestly. We didn't. We'd like to, of course but we didn't. You weren't gone long enough and it's completely rude to do that in someone else's bed," I said, laughing quietly between sentences. "Where is Jack, anyway?"

"Would you like to try to walk some? It won't be easy ... you've been in bed for so long that you'll be quite weak," Esperanza said, changing the subject so smoothly that I barely noticed. Barely.

"Where's Jack?" I persisted, thinking that she hadn't heard me. I sat the rest of the way up and scooted over towards the edge of the bed. "Is he well?"

"You should go slow, you shouldn't wear yourself out," Esperanza said gently as she took my arm.

I gripped her arm tightly, wanting all the extra balance I could get. "Esperanza, where is he?"

"He's busy. He said to tell you to use your head and not push yourself too hard," she said but her voice sounded distant.

"Oh," I murmured, defeated.

"Would you like to go on deck? Surely you miss the sunlight."

"I do, actually," I said, following her slow lead out of the cabin.

We took a few turns around the deck before I noticed how sparse the crew was. Surely a group this small had not overpowered the Pearl. It wasn't possible. Jack kept his men well fed, well paid and well trained. They were the some of the best pirates in the Caribbean and weren't easily beaten. "Where is everyone else?" I asked after the thought came to me.

"I don't know ... the galley perhaps."

"Esperanza? Could I maybe have something to eat? I'm famished."

Esperanza glanced around nervously. "Could you wait a bit? Maybe you aren't as hungry as you think you are. Let's give it a bit."

'What was it in her tone that made me so upset?' I didn't understand it ... the sun was shining, the dolphins were playing in the surf, the crew was cheering from somewhere below ... wait, the crew was cheering? WHY was the crew cheering? What was going on? "What's happening?"

"Someone must have just won at dice."

With surprising strength for someone who had been lying in bed for days on end, I pulled free of Esperanza and hurried to the source of the noise. I made certain that I went quietly and for extra precaution, because I didn't trust my balance, kept my hand on the wall at all times. I followed the source of the noise until I reached the crew cabins.

What I saw astonished me.

The men were huddled around in a circle, cheering.

Now, this would not have surprised me if there was a game of some sort going on but there was no table in the centre with people clustered about, instead, there was only a dark figure lying on the ground.

"What's going on?" I asked loudly.

To my not so great surprise, I was ignored.

"Excuse me," I cried. "What's happening?"

A muscular arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me away. I struggled against whoever had a hold of me to no avail. When I twisted my head around to see who it was, I saw that it was Diego and relaxed.

"Senorita Delcot, you should be resting. Imagine how upset everyone will be to have you brought back to good health by my wife only to die from exhaustion hours later."

"I know that I should be resting but I need to find Jack. Please tell me where he is," I said, beginning to wonder what all was going on.

"Senorita, go. Please. Just go."

I shook my head. "No. Let me go!" I said loudly as I pulled against the grip.

Diego started pulling me away but as he did, there was a break in the circle and I saw Jack lying on the floor. His clothes were torn, his face was bloody and right behind him stood Rion, looking menacing as ever.

"NO!" I screamed as I struggled to break Diego. "LET ME GO! LET ME SEE HIM! LET ME GO!" I pulled hard against the grip but still it wouldn't break.

Diego's arm wrapped around my waist again and lifted me back against him. "Calm down, Senorita. You are still sick. Calm down," he said as he carried me away.

I kicked back hard and hit a very personal area. Finally the grip was broken and Diego doubled over, clasping the injured area ... he wouldn't be running fast for a long time. I pushed through the mass of pirates who let me through with little fuss, something I should have seen as odd. After what seemed an eternity, I made it to Jack and sat down on the floor beside him. I took a mental inventory of his injuries and saw that, thankfully, none looked life threatening.

"You should have stayed in bed, Senorita," a dark, menacing voice said from behind me.

I knew the owner of that voice before I even turned to see Rion crouching behind me. "I seldom do as I'm told," I replied, smiling sarcastically.

"Well, you will wish you had today," he said before snapping his fingers. Almost instantly hands grabbed my arms and pulled me up to my feet and away from Jack. "But now, you will watch and maybe you will learn that next time you should listen."

"Watch what?" I asked, a note of panic in my voice.

"Watch what happens when you don't listen," he said darkly.

There was a definite foreboding tone in his voice and I shuddered in spite of myself. "Leave us alone," I whispered.

Rion laughed, a deep, dark booming laugh and stood before walking over to me. He was so close now that I could feel his breath on my face. "That won't be happening, Senorita."

I shuddered again ... I didn't like him so close to me.

"You never should have interfered," he whispered, his lips now close to my ear. Lazily, he lifted grabbed a lock of my hair and raised it to his lips to kiss before walking back over to Jack. "Say goodbye to Captain Jack Sparrow."

"NO," I whispered, my voice hoarse and hard to find.

Rion put the muzzle of the gun against Jack's temple and cocked the hammer back. He looked over at me and smiled dangerously.

"NOOOO!" I screamed, fighting against the arms of those holding me. "NOOOO!"

I fought as hard as I could, kicking, screaming, biting at anything I could sink my teeth into.

Rion saluted me mockingly as his finger toyed with the trigger before slowly pulling it back...

A-

Author's Note -

MWHAHAHAHAHA! I told you I was back. I just didn't say that cliffies were.

Bit hugs out to everyone who has checked up on me lately to make sure that I'm not dead. Its appreciated.

Next chapter should be up around next Friday becauase my spring break starts Wednesday.

Until we meet again.

Mange Klemmar

CrazyCanoeingGIT