Chapter Sixteen

Tears continued to run down Jack's face as he held tightly to Will as though that would save him. He was locked in his own world, and only Will and he existed there.

Knowing that Jack was completely out of it, Xena took command. Looking at Cole, she said, "Shimmer and take Will to Jack's cabin. Return and get Brendan. Then return for Jack. Once you have them all there, look for the Lewis sisters and get them in there to help Brendan."

Cole reached out to take Will only to be met with Jack's blade. Xena reached out and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "It's just Cole, Jack," she spoke soothingly to him. "He's not going to hurt Will; he's going to take him to your cabin."

Locked in his own world of misery, Jack did not respond to Xena at first. She thought she just might have to knock him out and was getting prepared to do just that when she saw Brendan reach out and touch Jack. "Easy, Jack," Brendan told him in a smooth, gentle voice, speaking to him as though he was the patient instead of Will. "You want Will to be okay -- we all do --, but that can't happen here. We have to go to the ship so that I can get my supplies and work on him. It's his only chance."

Jack shook his head and clutched at Will even more tightly. It was as though the man had lost his fragile grip on sanity as he was blocking out his friends' voices. Xena squatted, reached out, and brought Jack's face up to look directly into hers. "Let go so that he can be taken and helped. You want to kill him?"

"No," Jack spoke at last, "but I don't want to lose him either. If I let go of him, he's going to die. As long as I hold on to him, he's not going anywhere."

Xena could see the reasoning behind Jack's thinking that his touch was keeping Will alive, but she also knew that Brendan had to reach his tools. She didn't know anything else to do, so she hauled off and knocked the fire out of Jack. Her punch stunned him so that he let go of Will for a brief second, just long enough for Cole to grab Will and shimmer. Jack got to his feet, turned, and knocked Xena. Her head snapped back from the blow, and she had to remind herself that Jack was not completely himself as her hand itched for her sword.

"If Will dies . . . " Jack left his threat hanging in the air even as Cole returned. Jack, feeling the shimmer, turned to leer angrily at him. Cole looked at him, snatched Brendan, and shimmered out, leaving Jack's fist to meet with empty air.


Cole had not even taken enough time when he had shimmered Will to Jack's cabin to notice who was in the room. He had simply laid Will on the bed and returned for Brendan. Now on his second trip to the cabin, he heard screams so loud that they echoed in his ears. When he shimmered in to release Brendan, two women were staring at him with their mouths wide open in screams.

Angel came seconds later, crashing into the door rather than taking the time to open it as he believed the women were in danger. Seeing what was going on, he told the women, "Be quiet, please, and come with me!" He did not know what was wrong with Will, but he knew that he was in pretty bad shape for the blood he could smell on him.

Cordelia looked at Angel in shock, her scream dieing in her still-open mouth. Had he just ordered her, and what was with that tone? Why would he bark at her so soon after kissing her, and just where had he been hiding any way? Before she could say anything, she heard Elizabeth gasp beside her for the sight before them had finally sank into the blonde's mind. "Will! What -- What happened!"

Cordelia's hazel eyes followed the other girl's attention to the body that lay on the bed, and her heart nearly stopped beating. Oh Gods, was he -- was he dead? He certainly looked it! She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and concentrate, but found that she could only continue to stare at the man who must be Will Turner. She had never seen some one drenched with so much blood.

Angel reached out and touched Cordelia's hand. "Please come with me. They have to have room to work on him. He's not dead, just hurt really bad. Elizabeth?" He looked at her to see if she heard him. "Now?"

Angel's voice and gentle touch had broken through to Cordelia. Looking back at him, she nodded and stepped forward to follow him. Elizabeth, however, continued to stare at Will, horror filling her blue eyes. "What . . . What happened?"

"It's a long story," Brendan replied, ripping Will's shirt open so that he could better assess the damage done to his back. His eyes never lifted to the others as he added, "Miss Swann, you may return shortly, but for now, please, for Will's sake . . . "

"Y-Yes . . . " Elizabeth whispered, her voice barely audible. Still, she stood in the same spot, her feet seemingly glued to the floor. She wanted to move. She knew she should. Yet all she could do was stand and stare at the man she should have been married to by now.

Angel reached out and gently touched Elizabeth. He could tell she was about to swoon. He gathered her into his arms just as she passed out. He carried her out of the cabin and onto the deck before laying her out. "Could you stay with her, please, Cordelia?" he asked the Princess who had followed him. "I don't know what Brendan needs. I need to check and get stuff for him."

"Of course," she answered with a quick nod. There was so much she wanted to ask him, but she knew that everything else would have to wait.


The screams had been the first the rest of the crew had known anything was amiss. They had rushed in the direction of the screams only to glance in and see that Will was in bad shape. Knowing that Brendan needed privacy to work on the boy, the others had backed up, gotten out of the way, and continued about their work.

Lorne was lugging the bag of books he had gotten from the Halliwells when he spotted Piper. "I'll put these downstairs," he told her. "It's where our sleeping quarters are. They'll be safe there. It won't take me long." He smiled at her and headed downstairs with them.

When he got to his sleeping area, he saw some one was in his cot. He could not yet tell who it was through the darkness but knew that it was some one who was not supposed to be there for each crew member had his or her own cot and, except for Lex and Clark, did not usually sleep in each other's cots. "Hey," he called out. "What are you doing in my bed?"

When he did not get an answer, he stepped closer and was finally able to make out the person enough to tell that it was a female he did not recognize. He took another step closer, and his breath caught in his throat as he finally made her out completely. A beautiful woman lay before him. Her silvery blonde hair fell in soft circles around her body. Her skin was pale white, and he could tell from the look of its texture that it would be as soft to touch as her long hair. She wore a long, black dress. Though it was formal and made him think of a grieving gown, its bodice had a small dip, and something blue twinkled up at him from her bosom that rose and fell in her sleep.

"Miss?" he called but still did not receive an answer. He slowly reached out one hand to touch her and shake her awake. His green fingers were but a heartbeat from touching her when something suddenly clamped down onto his rear with a huge bite. "OW!" he yelled even as he slapped behind him. No reaction came from his biter, but a roar sounded in front of him.

Lorne's red eyes shot even wider as a blue dragon dropped down directly in front of him. "WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled, trying hard not to panic. Whatever had a hold of his butt was in real danger of getting too close to his heart; thank the Gods it had bit him in the right butt cheek and not the left! He kept turning around and around, trying to swat it but not seeing anything. He stumbled over something and looked down. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelled, jumping back just in time to avoid the massive claw of a lioness.

From somewhere behind the dragon, a new voice sounded. It was confused and feminine, and had the situation been any different, Lorne might have even noted a bit of a musical lilt to it. "Blue? Elvira? Cindy? What -- ?" The voice stopped as soon as it had started, and he could feel a new pair of eyes on him. "Oh my!"

"Oh my! GET THEM OFF," he yelled, "BEFORE THEY CHEW MY BUTT SLAM OFF!"

"Elvira," the woman scolded, "release him!" A whine came from around his rear, and ice blue eyes flashed at whatever had his rear. "Yes, you have to! I'm sure he did not mean any harm! We are to blame, not him! Now release him, young lady!" At that, Lorne's rear was finally released, and none other than a wolf padded around him.

With a yelp, Lorne ran like Hell to get out of there. He ran right into a group of the crew members who were coming down to see what all the yelling was about and did not slow down until he reached the deck. The others, seeing that he was terrified, did not investigate but ran back to the deck, as well. They didn't want any part of whatever was down there if not even a Demon could handle it!


Lorne did not stop until he ran straight into Angel, almost knocking him down. "There's a woman down there in my bed! She's got three of the worst Demonic animals I've ever seen!" He was still shaking even as he turned around to show his rear to Angel. "One of them took a bite out of my butt!"

Angel cocked an eyebrow as he inspected the damage. "Yup. I see teethmarks all over it," he said. "What kind of woman caused all that trouble?"

"It wasn't the woman. It was her damn animals! There's a little, blue monster of a dragon, a lioness, and a wolf! The wolf was trying to chow down on me! Thank the Gods she missed my heart!"

"I'll go down and see," Angel said. "Stay up here. Jack should be here any minute."


As Angel walked down the stairs into the sleeping area, he called out, "Hello? Who are you, and can I help you?"

A frantic voice met Angel's ears, but its owner did not appear to be talking to him. "Oh Gods!" she whispered nervously. "What are we going to do now! I knew we shouldn't have gotten on board! Blue, the things I let you talk me into! And just why did you have to go take a bite out of that poor man's rear, Elvira! Yes, I know he touched me, but still I was probably in his bed or something! He didn't mean any harm! We're the trespassers here!" It was then that the three animals turned as one to face the newcomer. Their mistress ceased talking instantly as her ice blue eyes followed them to see the man standing on the steps.

Angel tried not to act nervous as he continued on into the room. "Who are you?" he asked. "If you had identified yourself, we would have given you sanctuary if you needed it. You hurt one of my crewmates, but you're not in trouble about being on board. My name's Angel." He did not go all the way to the woman but waited for her to answer him.

"Cr-Crys," she told him, "and I am sorry about that." She reached out a hand to gently stroke the head of the wolf who stood next to her. "Elvira does not usually act in such a manner. None of them do, really. It's just that they thought he intended to harm me and were protecting me. It's my fault, really. I should have never let Blue talk me into coming here, but we were -- we were trying to get out of the snow. That's no excuse for my falling asleep, however. It's just that I haven't slept in days, but still, I'm so sorry. We're sorry, aren't we, guys?" she asked the animals. Elvira nodded slowly. The dragon released a puff of smoke, but the lioness growled, kneading the floor beneath her claws as she did so. "I-I could heal your friend's . . . hum . . . you know . . . " she offered hesitantly, a deep shade of crimson staining her pale cheeks.

Angel had began to pick up the books Lorne had tossed when he had been bitten. He carried them over and sat them down by the bed, not taking his eyes off of the woman and her animals. "You're a healer?" he asked.

"Not quite," she answered, "but I do have . . . something that can heal."

"How strong is it?" Angel asked.

"Very," she replied. "It's brought m -- beings back from the brink of death before."

Angel thought quickly. "You can show me on Lorne. Come upstairs," he said, motioning toward the deck. He walked back toward the deck, hoping she was following and that whatever she had would be strong enough not only to heal Lorne but could also be used to help Will. He did not say anything but prepared to watch.

"Stay on your best behavior now, you three," the woman who had given her name only as Crys whispered to the three animals who remained next to her. As she stood, so did the wolf and lioness. The four followed Angel together. Cindy and Elvira strode beside their mistress, keeping perfect pace with her steps, and Blue flew beside her head.


Cole had returned for Jack. He hoped he had returned to his normal state of being. Jack's mind was never too good at the best of times, especially when he was mad. Cole couldn't blame him now, but he had had to take Will.

Jack was fuming, swishing his sword back and forth as he paced up and down. He was trying desperately to block his mind from the thought that Will could die on him, without ever knowing how he felt for him, but was also failing miserably. Jack was a man of few words, and he had no clue as to how to tell Will what he felt. He had not before, and now it might be too late.

Jack saw Cole appear and sheathed his sword. Cole didn't say a word but reached out a hand toward Jack; Jack took his hand. He shimmered Jack to the ship.

Just as they arrived on the deck, Jack saw a strange assortment of creatures coming out of the sleeping area. A beautiful woman was in the midst of a lioness, a wolf, and a dragon. He had no ideal who she was. He did not say anything but just glared angrily around, trying to see what was going on. The crew seemed to be standing around, waiting in anticipation of something. "Well?" he asked, looking around at them. "Get back to work!" he barked.

He looked at Lorne who was standing there and looked a paler shade of green than he usually looked. "What happened?" Lorne didn't say anything but just turned around. Jack's eyes were immediately drawn to the torn pants and the bite marks on the butt. Putting two and two together, he realized that Lorne had put his hand where he shouldn't have and somebody had tried to take his butt off in retaliation. "The dragon?" he guessed aloud.

"Nope," Lorne answered. "The wolf."

"It figures," Jack said, nodding his head. They each waited as the woman came forward.


Four sets of eyes flicked nervously around at the various people aboard the ship, but the two beings they kept returning to were the green Demon, from whom Elvira still toted a strip of fabric in her mouth, and the man who appeared to be the Captain. "Stay behind me," Crys whispered to them, but none of the three did as told.

The lioness' tail swished in silent protest and information to her mistress that she would stand beside her, regardless of whatever came their way. The dragon's tail also swished, but Elvira was the one who padded forward. "Elvira," Crys called, but the wolf shook her head as she approached Lorne. Fearing the worst reaction possible from the two men, Crys hurriedly swept forward, but Elvira still reached the Demon before she could. "Please don't -- " Crys started, holding out a hand in hopes of stilling any blades that might come forward.

Jack and Lorne stood still and watched as Elvira approached. Jack wondered, Please don't what? What was the woman afraid he was about to do? "Ma'am?" he asked.

No sword had been drawn yet, but Crys' heart still hammered fearfully within her chest. "Please don't hurt her," she said.

Jack had to laugh. Though his laughter did not foretell doom, he could tell that it unnerved the woman and animals and stopped. "It's not the ideal we're going to hurt her," he explained. "It's the ideal she's already hurt Lorne's rear and something needs to be done about it, so I guess you're elected to be the doctor in the situation."

"That's perfectly all right. I can heal him, but it was not her fault. It's my own. I should never have fallen asleep. They thought he was going to hurt me. That is the only reason why they attacked him."

"Ma'am, you're aboard The Black Pearl, and any who come here seeking sanctuary are safe. That includes their pets. You had but to ask. It's between Lorne and you what you work out about the pants and all, but if you can control your pets, you're welcome to be aboard." He ached to be where Will was, but he also wanted to see if this woman could truly heal.

"Thank you, sir," Crys answered, knowing what was expected of her. She breathed a silent sigh of relief at the realization that they were not in danger from him or, evidently, any of the rest of his crew but already knew they would not linger long.

Reaching Elvira, she knelt beside the wolf, who was looking up at Lorne and ignoring the Captain completely. She whined and lowered her head, the piece of fabric hanging down from her mouth. "She says she's sorry," Crys explained, "and wishes to give you back your fabric."

"She can keep the fabric," Lorne said. "I can't fix it back in my pants. Just keep her mouth closed. I don't want any more bites. She came very close to killing me. If she had bit the left side, I wouldn't be here now." He turned around, revealing the open area of his pants.

Crys looked up at him as if the man had taken complete leave of his senses. She almost asked him why he thought so and rather his brain was in his rear but silenced herself just in time. Shaking her head, she dipped her fingers into the bodice of her formal, black dress and slipped out the crystal on the necklace she wore.

Hearing a growl from behind her, she spoke to the lioness without looking at her. "Cindy, relax. They may be men, but they are not out to harm us. Behave for me, please, sweetheart." The lioness' tail cut through the air, but though she hushed and sat down, she fixed the Captain with a glare that warned him that he would meet a fate far worse than his Demon's if he were to harm her mistress.

Jack's eyes were drawn by Angel who was carrying a bucket of hot water and had just made it to his cabin door. He wondered what was going on inside. Was Brendan able to do anything? He knew better than to go in there right now, because if he did and Will cried out from something Brendan did, he would again have Brendan by the throat before he realized it, so he braced himself and stood watching the woman, hoping that she did not lie and that the crystal, which he now noted was intricately carved in an unusual shape, did heal.

Taking a deep breath, Crys leaned closer to the green rear in front of her. Her fingers trembled around the blue crystal even as she pressed it to the skin. Even as the crystal began to glow, the wound began to heal. Within mere seconds, there was not even the first bitemark left, and Crys pulled back as the crystal ceased glowing.

Jack stared at the unblemished skin of Lorne's rear. "Lorne, go change your clothes," he ordered. "Ma'am, could I talk to you about that crystal? Can it heal again?"

Crys stayed kneeling beside Elvira even as she slipped the crystal back into its hiding place. Fear shone in her eyes as she looked up at the Captain. "It can," she said, speaking slowly and choosing her words carefully, "but it is not for sell."

"I don't wish to buy it though I will pay you anything you ask if you will but heal my best friend. He means more to me than life itself, and I fear that he will die. Will you help me?"

"Of course," she was quick to reassure him. As she stood, the three animals, including the dragon who had settled onto the lioness' back, also stood. "But I ask no payment save for you to keep your word and no harm befall us."

"That's not payment," Jack said. "What do you want in exchange?" In Jack's mind, everything had to be paid for and nothing freely given else the receiver would always be in debt to the one who had given. "Anything I have except for the Pearl is yours for the asking. Just save my friend."

"You have but to take us to your friend," she told him. She shook her head, and her honest eyes met his as she repeated, "But I ask no payment."

"Come, madam. There must be something you want. Anything at all."

Again, she shook her head. "There is nothing that you or any other person can give me that I want, sir. Please, for your friend's sake, do not continue this for the answer shall remain the same."

"Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I am in your debt. He's in here," Jack said and gestured toward the shattered door, again wondering how it had become that way. "If something should go wrong, could your animals stop me from destroying my other friend, Brendan, and yourself? I can be crazy at times. If Will dies, I can not guarantee my sanity."

"Your friend will not die. The crystal will save him, but they will not allow any harm to come to me or any one I ask their protection upon."

"Thank you," he said simply.

She nodded and followed Elvira into the room. Blue flew beside her head, but Cindy hesitated, glowering up at Jack.

As Jack followed in behind her, he noticed that Elizabeth was laid out on the deck with the Princess looking down on her and taking care of her. He hoped she would be okay. He imagined seeing Will that way was a great shock for her as it had been for him. The room was far too quite, and Brendan was sweating and covered in Will's blood. "I have brought you help, Brendan. Thank you, my friend, for what you have done for Will and myself."

"Any time," Brendan replied hesitantly, his eyes drawn to the woman and her animals. The wolf's whine brought his attention to Elvira. His head cocked to one side, and his eyes flickered on yellow for a second as he listened to her. He whimpered back, and she again answered him in another whimper. "Must be some crystal," he murmured under his breath even while stepping back out of the way.

Although Brendan had looked at her in surprise, Crys had also looked at him in surprise and had to smile despite herself. "It is always a pleasure to meet one of a similar kindred, despite the circumstances," she told him, and the wolf raised a brow at her. What was that unusual scent on her? he wondered. It wasn't just the dragon, wolf, or lioness. What was that that smelled of such cold that his hair bristled at the mere thought?

Jack watched the interchange between the two. He stood back out of the way with his back against the wall and his eyes riveted on Will. He scarcely breathed as he prayed that the crystal would work and heal Will. If Will died, there would be no tomorrow for Jack. There would be no chance for him to tell and show him how he felt. If he lived, Jack would find a way to tell him even if it was thrown back in his face.

Elvira sat beside the wolfman, but Cindy placed herself directly in front of the Captain. Her tail lashed out repeatedly against the floor as she stared him down. One wrong move, and he was hers. Jack's mind was so lost on Will that he paid very little attention to the lioness.

Blue hovered in the air above his mistress and the injured man. He watched as her ice blue eyes traveled Will's body, and all heard her sharp intake of breath as she realized what she would have to do. There was only one way to heal damage of such an extension, and all three animals braced as if expecting all Hell to break lose as she lifted the necklace from around her neck. She placed it instead around Will's and stepped immediately back.

As the crystal began to glow and all eyes turned to it, Blue settled onto her shoulder. He cooed quietly in worry. She reached up and stroked his head gently even while whispering to him so quietly that not even the wolves could overhear them, "It could not be helped."

The crystal's glow spread slowly down Will's body. As its light spread further, encompassing more wounds, it lifted him from the bed. The scratch on his cheek was the first to heal, and the skin sealed itself so perfectly that there was no sign of the cut left. The bloody gashes the chain had cut into his back were next. The blood vanished into thin air, and the wounds sealed themselves as well. Finally, it reached the place where his hamstrings had been sliced off, and they began to regrow.

Jack's mouth fell open in astonishment as he watched the crystal work. It was amazing! It was a miracle! Best of all, it was healing Will quickly and leaving no scars behind! He knew even though there were no scars on his body, there would be scars on his heart and soul forever, but those could be lived with and overcome. He would live! His heart sang. They would have a chance!

When the hamstrings were complete and all the blood, right to the last drop, was gone, Will's body settled back onto the bed, and the crystal ceased its glowing. Without a word, Crys stepped forward again, lifting the necklace and returning it to her own neck. "He may wake in spurts, but it will be a while before he is fully back to himself. He is, however, physically," she stressed the word, knowing that whatever had caused such damage had left far greater damage on his heart and spirit, "completely healed."

Jack rushed forward and grasped her in a hug, not thinking about how the animals might react. He kissed her on both of her cheeks. "I owe you my life. If you ever need anything, don't fail to call for me. My name is Jack Sparrow. You are welcome to stay aboard the Pearl for as long as you want." He released her, only then realizing that she was holding out a hand to still Cindy.

"I am only glad that I could help," she told him. "However, we must take our leave now."

"I wish that you would stay. You'd be safe here," he told her even as he rushed over to the bed. He gazed lovingly down at Will, who seemed to be resting peacefully. He fell to his knees beside the bed and reached out, tenderly touching Will's hand. His eyes never left Will.

Seeing that the Captain was otherwise detained, she breathed a sigh of relief at the thought that they would be able to leave before she endangered them any further. With a silent nod to her trio, she gestured to them. They rose and joined her in walking over to the exit, but even as they reached it, a muscular chest slid between them and the outside. Looking up, she found the wolfman standing in their way. "He is healed now."

"I know."

"So why . . . ?"

"It is safer for you here."

Knowing that she could not tell him that it was not safe for them for her to stay, she tried a different tactic instead. "Perhaps I do not wish to stay but to return to my home."

Brendan shook his head. Nodding at her wolf, he tapped his own nose as he told her, "I would have thought you would have known better than that."

"Oh." Her face fell. She had not even stopped to consider that a wolf could smell a liar a mile away.

"Captain?" Brendan called to Jack, unsure as to rather or not he would actually be able to tear his attention away from Will for even a moment.

"Yes, Brendan?" Jack called.

"Hum," the wolf responded nervously, "what do you wish me to do here?"

"The woman needs to stay for a while. It's for her own safety. Something's not quite right here." Looking at the woman, he said, "You're running from something. It's happened to us often enough that we can spot it a mile away. You're safe here. We're about to leave port, and we'll drop you anywhere you want outside of Port Royal. Port Royal's going down tonight. We won't leave you here."

She looked at him as he spoke to her but could not think of what to say. She had already known Port Royal was going down that night but knew it for a completely different reason than whatever he was thinking. "I can not stay," she said finally.

"Angel," Jack called, "take care of her and make sure she does not leave the ship. Give her anything she wants, but do not let her leave. It's for her own good."

Angel, who had been standing in the shadows the entire time, seeing everything and not understanding a lot of it, said, "Yes, sir," to Jack. "I'll see to it. If you'll come this way, ma'am? Brendan, I might need your help," he said.

Brendan shook his head even as the blonde, sounding far more like her animals than a human being, growled. "Actually, Angel, I think you could use these three's help more than mine." He hated blackmail, especially when it came to such a kind woman, but he knew when the situation called for it and used it as it was needed. Kneeling before Elvira, he held out a hand to her and gently scratched her underneath her chin. "Look. We don't know what's going on here, but you guys do. Is she going to be safe there?" All three, even Cindy, instantly shook their heads.

"She'll be safe here," Angel said. "We'll lock her in the room until we get out of port, but we won't hurt her or let any harm come to her," he said, talking to the animals. "You can go in with her if you want." He had a feeling the animals had been trying to work with her and keep her safe for a long time and that she had been working against them at the same time. "Sorry, ma'am, but we just can't let you go."

Brendan could tell that they were already earning the trust of the wolf and dragon, so he turned his attention to the lioness who growled at him. "Easy there, pretty kitty," he told her. "Seems to me that you hate all guys, and I don't even want to know what you think of wolves. But what if I told you that we also have cats aboard? There are three Werecats of sorts aboard, and they'll be looking out for your mistress, as well." He could see her beginning to relent and continued. "Besides, does she stand even a chance of being safe on shore?" That question was the first time that the lioness' tail had stilled, and Brendan knew he had her.

"I don't believe this!" Crys spoke her thoughts aloud. "I should have never healed him!" Yet, even as she spoke the words, she knew she would have still healed the dying man had she known what was coming. Besides, they only thought they could hold her. Regardless of whatever it might be meant for, she knew that the room the Vampire spoke of could not hold her. She'd let them think that it would and then, as soon as he left to deal with something else, she'd take control and be out of there and off the ship before he even knew what had happened. She'd deal with her betraying familiars later, though the pain of their betrayal stung her heart deeply.

Jack did not even look up as the others left the room. He moved closer to Will, who was laying on his back and breathing deeply, and kissed him on the forehead. Will did not stir. Gathering his courage to himself, Jack stood, leaned forward, kissed Will softly on the lips, and then ran out of the room as though all the hounds of Hell were behind him.

He almost knocked Elizabeth down. She had just revived and had gotten to her feet with Cordelia's help. "Go to him and take care of him," he said. Without a backward glance, he took off again.

Elizabeth blinked, the confusion still clearing from her mind, as she watched Jack's fleeing back. Looking to Cordelia, she asked, "Shouldn't you go after him?"

"Me?" Cordelia asked, both her face and voice clearly showing her surprise. "Why?"

"Isn't he yours?"

"My what?" Cordelia looked at the blonde as though she had lost all her sense even as she waited for her answer.

"You know, your . . . Your lover?" Elizabeth finally responded, using the last word in lack of a better one for she had no ideal just how deeply the two were involved.

"The Captain?" Cordelia asked in disbelief. "I barely know the man!"

"But . . . But when I met you earlier, you looked as if . . . " It was only then that Elizabeth recalled Angel's condition when she had first come aboard the ship earlier. He had seemed in desperate need for air and had left Cordelia behind him in the Captain's cabin. "Angel then?" she asked.

Although Cordelia almost said "yes" to that, she quickly silenced herself and shook her head instead. "Look. Your betrothed needs you," she told her, sounding harsher than she had intended. "You need to go tend to him instead of being so curious about my romantic life."

Shock registered in Elizabeth's blue eyes that the brunette would take such a tone with her, but then she agreed with a nod of her head. What was she doing out here, talking to a girl she barely knew, when her beloved Will needed her? "You're right." She did not bother to take the time to apologize but hurried into Jack's cabin instead.


Jack, meanwhile, had not been able to find anywhere to hide. He felt as though the whole world was looking at him. In fact, he had expected the Gods to strike him down when he had kissed Will. The taste of Will's lips lingered upon his, and he finally grew still, realizing that he had reached the wheel of the ship. He grabbed it in both of his hands as though it were a lifeline and bowed his head, touching the wheel with his forehead. "I don't know which of you Gods were listening and which of you healed Will, but I want to thank you for sparing him. If you want me to do something in return, show me."

"Jack," Gabrielle called as she approached him, "where's Xena?"

He jumped as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and looked up at Gabby with a wild look in his eyes. "She's back in Port Royal. Won't be long before she comes. They had to look around and see if any one needed help. You know we never leave an area unchecked." He breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath.

She nodded and was about to walk off when she took another look at him. She knew Will's condition was hitting him hard and realized that he could probably use a distraction. "We need to talk."

Jack hated to hear those words. He was not in a mood for talking. In fact, his heart was racing so hard that he could hardly hear her speaking to him. No one had seen him kiss Will. No one knew he had done it except himself, so what was he running from? he asked himself. He tried to slow his heart down. "I think I need some rum badly," he gasped out. "Then we can talk."

She nodded. "If you don't now, you will."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. What kind of news could she be wanting to talk to him about that would make her say that he needed rum? He'd better make it a double. He turned around, looked in the cabinet that was just behind the wheel, opened it, and took out a bottle. He offered it to her first, but she declined with a shake of her head. He turned the bottle up and took a great big drink out of it. "Now you wanted to talk?" he said, his voice becoming slightly slurred.

She nodded. "Don't pull that crap with me. One sip doesn't make you drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Gabby," he said with a shake of his head. "I've just been through so much today. Will's going to be just fine. In fact, I sent Elizabeth to be with him. It should not be long before he wakes up. Thank the Gods that new woman healed him."

Gabrielle looked at him rather strangely, but she nodded in agreement, resolving to ask him about the new woman later. "Thank the Gods for that," she agreed, "and for something else too."

"I'll drink to the Gods," Jack said, lifting his bottle.

"I'm sure Bacchus'll love that, but look, Jack, in all seriousness, we've got to talk. We just took on quite a load that you need to know about before we pull out."

"Yes?" Jack said. The rum was beginning to go straight to his head. He could not remember when he had last eaten. He looked at her. There seemed to be two Gabrielles looking at him, but he kept a very serious face, not wanting her to know that the rum was hitting him pretty hard. "We took on a big load of what?" he asked.

"People," she answered. "Witches, to be more exact."

He hiccupped softly. "Witches? Where'd you get them at?"

"Rescued them."

"What do they want? Can't have my rum. I plan to get plenty drunk with it."

Gabrielle shook her head. "You know," she said, referring to his comment about his treasured rum, "this is why I always try not to waste my breath on you."

"I did it, Gabby," he just could not keep it to himself. "I expected to be hit with a lightning bolt or anything else out of the blue, knocking me out, even killing me, but it didn't."

"Jack, what in Hades are you talking about?"

"Will."

"Will what?"

"I . . . " He looked everywhere but at her face. Then he mumbled his words, "Ikissedhim."

"You what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I . . . kissed him. Then I ran like Hell. Thank Gods he didn't wake up! How was I going to explain that?" He looked at her as if for explanation.

"Maybe with the truth?" she suggested though she knew he'd rather cut his own tongue out than ever tell Will he loved him.

"If I tried that, I'd lose him forever. It's better to have him for a friend and he never know than it would be to lose him. I couldn't live if I lost him, Gabby."

Gabrielle shook her head. "You think that that's your only choice now, Jack. I understand that -- I thought that once with Xena --, but you'll come to the point where it's eating you up inside and you have to do something more than just kiss him when he's not even awake and run like Hell."

"I'm fighting it really hard, Gabby. I don't want to lose or repulse him. Hell, I'm a Pirate, and he's . . . " He thought for a moment, trying go describe him. "A gentleman? He deserves to have a happy life with Elizabeth. He doesn't need me in there causing trouble. Above all, I want him to be happy."

"I understand that, Jack, but the only way he's going to be happy is to be with the person he loves." She knew that time was ticking steadily by and that she had to inform him of the situation with the newcomers before they pulled out of port and it caught him by surprise. "He'll tell you soon enough who that person really is," she continued hopefully, "but in the meantime we have to concentrate on the situation at hand."

"Split them up. Put part on your ship and part on my ship," Jack said. "I don't need to know the particular details. Just give the order to get both ships ready. I think I'm going to be sick," he said and headed for the rail.

Gabrielle shook her head as she watched him go and couldn't help silently comparing him to a lovesick pup with his tail between his legs. Shaking her head, she turned back to the business at hand.

To Be Continued . . .