Chapter Thirty
Every one was asleep but Lex. He sat with his back against the wall and watched his small family sleeping. Julian and Sarah were under Clark's cot on a pallet that Lex had put under there. None of them were making a sound. That wasn't why Lex had been unable to take a nap. His mind kept flashing back to the fight that they had had that day and Clark's wild eyes shooting flames. It had scared the crap out of him.
Clark had been going through a lot of changes lately. They had been taking them in their stride together, but Lex really didn't know what to do to help him this time. Clark had told him that he had had no control over the fire which meant that it could happen again at any time. Lex dreaded the next time and prayed that they would not be aboard the ship. He could think of nothing more horrible than being caught in the middle of the ocean with their ships burning. Sweat broke out on his body even as he tried desperately to move his thoughts away from the horrid images that filled his mind.
What were they to do about the kids? They both seemed to have formed a bond with Clark immediately, and Lex had found himself being drawn to them, as well. He would have liked to be able to keep them. In fact, he was thinking about doing just that as he did not know anywhere that he could leave them that they would be safe. He didn't want them to think that Clark and he would abandon them, but he wasn't sure that they would make the best parents.
He needed to have time with Clark alone so that they could discuss the children. Did Clark want the kids as much as he did? he wondered. Julian reminded him so much of his little brother that the boy had been an instant tug on his heart. Clark had needed reassuring just as the two kids had. At that moment, Lex felt all alone in the world. He knew he had to be the strong one, because now not only did he have Clark to watch out for but he had the kids and wanted to make the best decision for all concerned.
His stomach rumbled, reminding him that none of them had had anything to eat. He rose to go to the galley as he could smell something delicious cooking and intended to get something for all of them to eat. He had almost made it to the door when a stink worse than anything he'd ever smelled before hit him. What the Hell was it! A Demon of some kind? If it was, Lex would have sworn that it had never bathed!
His hand groped blindly for his sword which hung by his side. The only time he ever took it off was when he went to bed with Clark; he even kept it by their bedside at night. If some one attacked, he had to be ready to take care of his beloved. He stepped outside only to be met with total darkness. Not even one light shone anywhere yet he could hear sounds of things falling all over the place. "WHAT IS IT?" he called out loud. "IS ANY ONE OUT THERE?"
Xena looked at Gabrielle even as Autolycus fled from their sight. "I can't believe you kept that from me."
"I didn't want you to kill him, and I knew you would have wanted to just as badly as I would have had he tried it with you."
"No more secrets, Gabrielle, of any kind, regardless of the outcome. Promise?"
"Xena," she started, stepping closer to her, "had I thought about it earlier, I would have told you then. I'm not keeping anything else from you, and I won't."
"When I think about his hands touching you, I want to cut both of them off. No one should ever touch you but me." She had stepped closer to Gabrielle when the ship had surged, throwing her against Gabrielle and almost knocking them both down. "What the Hell was that!" Xena wondered, hoping that they had not run over a rock or anything that had hurt the ship.
Still holding Gabrielle in her arms to keep them both from falling, she glanced warily around only to have her nose met with the most awful stench she had ever smelled and sudden darkness to descend on them. Seconds later, she heard Lex hollering and demanding to know if any one was out there. "I DON'T SEE ANYTHING, LEX," she called back, "BUT SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY HERE WITH US AND IT DAMN SURE STINKS!"
From somewhere in the darkness, a door swung open and two voices were heard chattering so busily away that only the two men could follow each other. They fell abruptly silent, however, as the stench hit their noses. "Morph," Tom started as the horrid smell seemed to sweep into his every pore, "get to the girls -- " He had been about to say more when he suddenly toppled over.
Morph moved to catch his friend but was not in time. Tom fell on top of him, knocking him to the deck. Morph's head hit the deck hard even as he, in turn, landed on Meesy. The three fell out in a tangled assortment of legs, arms, heads, and tails.
"MORPH?" Lex called to them. "TOM?" No answer met his ears. He realized that the stench must have gotten the better of the catman's superior senses, but what had happened to Morph? His eyes continued to probe the darkness for any sign of life. He had heard Xena, but hers was the only other voice to respond thus far. Where was everybody? He tried to stay calm as he waited for some sign of what was attacking them.
The small group that had gathered in concern over Lorne and Crys' near copulation had been right in the middle of trying to figure out what had happened and why when all light had suddenly gone out in the galley. At the same time, a terrible stench unlike anything any of them had ever smelled before had overpowered the wonderful smells that Piper had been creating. Angel was the first to fall out; he was quickly followed by Lorne and then Elvira and Cindy. The Lewises were next; they completed the circle of unconscious bodies around Crystal and Piper. Blue had started to go for Captain Xena but never made it out the door; he crashed to the deck instead, out cold.
Both Piper and Crys had gasped fearfully when Angel and Lorne had fallen out without any warning, but Crystal had screeched in terror when her girls had followed suit. She'd jumped up and had barely left her chair to run to check on them when Celina had fallen into her chair, followed by Katrina landing across her lap. Something else hit the deck, and the women whirled toward the sound. Crystal fought to keep the fear from her voice as she called out, "Blue?" When the dragon failed to answer, she knew that all three of her beloved familiars were out.
"What's going on?" Crys barely heard Piper's words as she knelt beside Cindy and Elvira, checking both of their vital signs. Their hearts were beating steadily, but they were definitely unconscious. She paid no notice to Piper or anything else in the galley as she rushed from them to Blue.
Piper had watched a shadow that she could only presume was Crys as the other woman raced about the room, checking on her babies. She had just gotten to her feet and began to approach the Lewis sisters when Cole shimmered in. She whirled to meet him, tears shining in her eyes. "Oh, Cole, thank Gods! Something terrible's happening!"
Before Cole could even answer, the stench overcame him to the point that he collapsed at Piper's feet, face down. She screamed at the sight and dropped to her knees. She held his chest to her body even while holding his wrist with two fingers and trying to calm her whirling mind enough to check his pulse.
Crystal, meanwhile, had moved from Blue to Angel. She knew that he would not have a pulse and was at a loss as to how to check on him. All she could do was to quickly run her hands over his body and affirm that no part of him that she dared to touch in the darkness had turned to dust. She did not even pause long enough to breath a sigh of relief that he appeared to be in tact but rushed on to Lorne.
The memory of their earlier discussion reminded Crys that Lorne's heart was not in a normal place. She did not know if she would even be able to read his pulse but grasped his wrist nonetheless. She was rewarded with a faint heartbeat but realized that she had no ideal how frequently his heart should be beating. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out in frustration and forced herself to think.
Blue's, Cindy's, and Elvira's pulses had all proved to be steady and normal for their species. Angel and Lorne appeared to be all right, as well, but were no more conscious than her trio. What could have done this? What could have caused them to all fall out so suddenly, without even so much as one forewarning sign that they did not feel well? The smell could have knocked her babies out. It might have even been able to do so to Angel and the Lewis sisters, but what about Lorne and Cole, who she had heard Piper talking to a mere heartbeat before he had joined the others?
Just what was causing the stench, any way? What had attacked them? Why were her beloved animals out? What force dared to endanger not only what little family she had left but Angel, who so stubbornly refused to release his persisting claim as her "big brother" despite the danger he knew she placed him in, and Lorne, whose remembered kisses still tasted so sweet on her lips? What had done this to them all?
Where fear had clouded Crystal's face was now left only anger. She turned to where she had last seen Piper, and her commanding voice was icy cold as she instructed her. "Stay here, and protect them with your life. I'll be back." Turning again, she raced from the galley without bothering to give Piper a chance to answer.
Fred had been walking around the Witch in search of Wesley ever since fleeing the shocking discussion that the Halliwells had gotten so deeply involved in. She still could not believe that they would carry on so openly about sex and orgies, and her face had still been burning in embarrassment when all light had suddenly gone out. She had screeched but remained rooted to the spot even as a stench had hit her nose. She had smelled some awful things in her father's laboratory as a child and later in the stalls she had mucked out in her desperate bid for survival, but never had she smelled anything that even began to come close to what was then assailing her crinkled nose.
She had barely began to be able to react to the horrid stink, however, when a sound like a gunshot had gone off just past the railing. She screamed, turned, and ran. She could not see where she was going for the absolute darkness that surrounded the ships, and it was not long before she tripped over something. She cried out as she fell forward, but two strong arms caught her reassuringly. She recognized their touch instantly.
"Fred," Wesley asked in deep concern, "are you all right?"
She nodded, though he could not see her. "Ah -- Ah -- Ah am now. Wes, what's goin' on? Are -- Are we bein' attacked? Ah -- Ah heard a gunshot, but that's all except for the darkness an' this awful stench."
Doctor Doom was never one to admit uncertainties when avoidable, but Wesley found that he could not lie to Fred. "I am not sure," he told her, "but stay with me and I will protect you." He had already steadied her, and he released her from one hand. Within the next second, she found him pressing something soft into her hand. "Here; cover your nose with this. I'm afraid it will not help much, but anything is better than nothing to defend against this smell."
She did as he instructed and discovered that he had given her his handkerchief. "Thank you." She pressed it gratefully to her nose but found that it did extremely little to block out the stench.
His other hand continued to hold to hers as he told her, "Stay with me." He grasped the railing with his free hand and began to slowly lead their way on through the darkness. He could see Xena and Gabrielle standing ahead by the light of a torch and headed for them.
Prue had heard the screams coming from the galley and was trying to make her way there in the dark. She had her hand on the wall to make sure that she was close to the ship and not near the railing. All she needed was to fall overboard in this madness; they'd never notice she was gone until it was too late! Where could Brendan be in this chaos? She hoped he was safe. She was about to touch the door to the galley when it swung out and almost hit her. "Who -- Who's there?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice from trembling as badly as her nerves were.
Crystal's firm voice answered Prue. She did not waste time with giving her name but told her instead, "Get in there. Stay with your sister and the others. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out." Despite herself, Crystal's voice was considerably softer as she added, "Protect them for me." Even then, her heart was thundering in her chest, but she focused on her anger rather than her fear.
"I will," Prue answered her as she pushed the galley door and continued feeling her way inside. "Piper?" she called out, hoping her sister would answer.
A sob called back to her from the floor. "Prue, I don't know what's going on, but Cole's out! He's out! Lorne's out! Angel -- the Lewises -- those animals!
"Keep talking to me, Piper; I'll find you by the sound of your voice," Prue's calm voice instructed her sister. "It must be a spell of some kind. I can't imagine what could cause such an awful stench unless whatever it is has been long dead and some one woke it and sent it after us! And what do you mean they're out?"
Piper's fluttering, terrified voice answered Prue in babbling. "I don't know what happened, but they just started falling out! Angel fell out at the table, then Lorne, Crystal's group, and the Lewises! Then Cole showed up," she cried, "and he fell out right at my feet!"
Prue followed the sound of Piper's voice and was soon at her sister's side. As she knelt down beside Piper, Prue realized that her sister was holding on to Cole as though the thought of letting go of him terrified her. "Is he breathing?" she asked.
"He's breathing," Piper affirmed, "and -- and I think his pulse is normal. I don't know, though. I mean, he's a Demon. What would his pulse even be like! And nobody else in here is normal either! At least, I don't think they are! Lorne's a Demon! The Lewises are . . . something! And I swear I saw Crys fix Angel a drink with blood!"
"She probably did, Piper," Prue replied. "He's a Vampire. We have a strange assortment of people aboard. There's at least two Werewolves, the catpeople, one Vampire, and Gods know what else! None of them probably have vital signs like we do. The best way to tell is to see if they're breathing. If they're actually breathing, then you know they'll be okay. Vampires don't breathe, so I don't know what to do for him. Did you check them to see if they were breathing?"
Piper shook her head. "I checked Cole, but Crystal checked the others except for the Lewises. I don't know how she checked Angel or even Lorne, but I saw her do something with them. Or at least I think I did. It's so hard to see anything in here!"
"Then they are simply unconscious," Prue insisted, still hoping that her calmness might relax Piper. "The stench probably overcame their senses. Don't worry. I'm sure the Captains will do something about our situation. I don't know why it didn't knock us out except that our senses are not elevated as much as the others. I heard things falling out all over outside. I'm not sure what it was. Probably people and animals. I hope they fix our problem soon." She sat beside Piper, reached out, and took her sister's hand. "Don't panic, love. Things will turn out all right."
Piper's mind was whirling. First, they had lost their Mother and Grandmother but had been rescued by such wonderful people. Were they to lose them, too, and so soon? She did not answer Prue, but silent tears streaked down her face.
"I saw Brendan a little while ago," Prue, who could not see Piper's tears in the darkness, finally spoke again. "I took him and Wes some food. Brendan didn't wolf out when he saw me. I hope that's a good sign."
"It sh-should be," Piper started, her voice trembling, "but . . . but Prue, what if it's not just their senses? What if whatever is causing all of this is something that -- that they can't fight or -- or whatever?"
"Don't fear, Piper. Cole's not going to die on you, not yet. I think they'll return to normal once the Captains get the stench gone. You'd better get a good grip on Cole so that you can at least get a kiss when he wakes up. You could kiss him now, you know. It's dark. I couldn't see you two, and you're never going to get a better chance. In fact, I'll move a little ways away."
"You could lay him down and snuggle up against him. The best thing we can do right now is rest. You rest. I'll keep my ears open in case they call us, and I'll stay alert to danger. You just spend a few moments with Cole. He might not consciously know it, but his subconscious will."
Even as she talked, Prue had moved a few spaces away and, finding a chair, had pulled herself up into it. She hoped Piper would take advantage of this short time but feared she would not. Time was a precious thing that they never seemed to have enough of. She was not too worried. She trusted both Captains to handle the situation, but just in case, she'd be ready to protect her group.
Piper had tried to protest at Prue's improper suggestions, but her sister had not given her a chance to do so. She had only continued talking and moved away before Piper had been able to stop her. She looked down at Cole and found that she could not even make out his face for the darkness that engulfed the room. She would love to be able to kiss him, to be able to do anything that Prue suggested, but she knew she could not. She was a lady and would never act in such a manner.
But, she thought, what would it hurt to hold him? She could put it down to her being worried over his unconsciousness, and she would love to feel him that close to her. Slowly, she inched further down until she lay on the floor next to him. She reached out, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him closer. She let his head rest on her bosom, and one of her hands somehow found his left breast. She could feel the beating of his heart underneath her palm, and she concentrated on that feeling.
She began to slowly relax as she focused on his heart's beating. She found herself slipping toward slumber and only then realized how exhausted she was from everything that had happened that day. They had known something terrible was coming for weeks, and thinking back, Piper realized that she could not even remember the last time she had rested well. Still, she refused to fall asleep. She didn't know what was happening, but she was determined to be there for Cole and the others whenever whatever it was came to a head.
Prue could feel her sister falling asleep and tried to keep her mouth closed so that she would sleep. She was curious as to what Piper had decided to do with Cole but couldn't see a thing except for the small glow given out by the oven. She wondered how close the food was to being done. Making her way carefully toward the oven, she felt around for a cloth and opened the oven door. She was relieved to see that the food was nowhere near ready. The pie crusts were still white.
She knew she'd have to keep watch on it as well as the others. She sat down in a chair she felt that was near to the oven but moved it away because it was a little too warm for her preference. She'd keep an eye on the food; that would give her something to do while she waited. She could hear Piper's gentle, easy breathing from across the room and realized that sleep had at last overtaken her little sister. Prue hoped that whatever had befallen them would pass quickly or she, too, might fall asleep.
The very moment that Prue had left, Crys had carefully gripped her crystal in two fingers. She did not know where the ships kept their torches but always knew where to find a light. For a moment, she closed her eyes, relaxed her breathing, and tried to still her racing heart as she concentrated. Jack? The crystal's light shone out, breaking through the darkness like a ray of blue sunlight, as it sent her thought spiraling through the world toward the one who it was intended for.
Cuz? Jack's worried voice sounded within Crystal's head only a heartbeat later. What's wrong?
Long story, she answered, her eyes snapping open, but right now I need the light. The crystal's light penetrated only a small amount of the darkness, but it was plenty for Crystal's trained eyes to see by. She began to run toward the deck even while forming an object of ice in her other hand.
I've got plenty of time, Jack told her. What's going on? I've felt something with you for hours today.
It's too long to go into now.
Crys . . .
Okay. Just give me a second. She had barely thought those words to him when Crystal dove over the Sea Witch's railing. As she fell, she tossed the object she had created below her feet. Her bare feet easily met the object's surface, and she began to glide through the air on the ice disc. She stayed low and swung her crystal so that its light would pass over what she was flying over. She immediately found what was causing the stench that filled her nose and had caused the others to pass out, but the discovery shocked her so much that she nearly released her crystal. Oh. My. GODS!
Crys, Jack questioned, his alarm clear in his mental voice, what is it!
You're never going to believe this . . .
Try me.
I'm flying over something that I swear, for all appearances, Jack, looks like a . . . like a sea of shitt! It was then that something bobbed up at her from the liquid substance; she grimaced even more at the sight of it. The mudhole, though it looked much more like a certain part of anatomy, farted, and with the fart came a spray of liquid dung. Crystal screeched in sickened horror as she barely managed to whip away from it in time.
Crys, are there . . . Are there little things farting up at you?
Jack, how in the -- !
He broke her off. I hate to tell you this, but . . .
Out with it! Whatever this is and whatever's behind it has caused Cindy, Blue, Elvira, Angel, and Lorne to all pass out! So just get it out already!
Her tone was far angrier than she ever took with him, but he did not call her on it for he knew her anger came from her concern. He answered instead, The Bog of Eternal Stench.
She stopped, frozen still in the air, as his words hit her. You mean from the legend about the Goblin King?
There's only one.
And there's only one who could . . .
Yep. He nodded though she could not see him.
Crap!
He could not help a small chuckle at that. Precisely. There was a pause as Crystal continued to contemplate what he had just told her and Jack remembered her earlier words. Crys . . . ?
Yes?
Who's Angel?
Faith had been trying to find a torch when a light had suddenly appeared not ten feet across from her. Her head whipped to look at it, and she could barely make out Lex's form by the torch's firelight. "I'm going over there," she announced, turning to Salem. "You want to come?"
Lex saw Faith and called out to her, "WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU DO," she called back, "BUT I'LL BE OVER THERE IN A MINUTE!" Turning her attention back to Salem, she asked, "Salem?"
Salem had gone almost white. He was one of the last cats not to have passed out, and the only thing that had managed to keep him awake so far had been his fear of Jareth. The last time he had seen Jareth, they had almost killed each other. Salem had barely managed to escape simply because he had been turned into a cat. "No," he gasped out. "I'll stay here." He fell face forward, out cold.
Faith gasped and dropped to her knees beside the cat. She quickly checked his vital signs and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his pulse. "No, you're not," she told his unconscious form. "I'm taking you with me, and I'm going to kill whatever's doing this to us." She gathered him with gentleness that would have surprised any who had known it and stood again.
Dawson had tied his bandana around his nose, trying to cut down some of the stench but to no avail. He didn't think it was safe for Faith to leave one ship to go to the other, but he couldn't do anything about it. He stayed quiet and continued to watch, hoping something would appear soon so that they could actually get to fighting it if need be.
Faith had to sheathe her sword in order to grab a rope with her free hand. As she sailed over to the Pearl, she glanced down and couldn't help screeching in alarm at what she saw. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" She could only describe the body of water beneath them as vast amounts of liquid dung that seemed to be farting even as she passed over it, holding tightly to both the rope and Salem.
Lex met her where the rope carried her on the deck. He caught a hold of her, realizing that she was carrying something. He wasn't surprised to see that it was a cat after having seen her earlier that day. He was glad to see that she had finally made a friend, even if the cat did seem to be totally out of it now. "Good to see you, Faith. Wish the circumstances could be different. I miss the little chats we used to have."
She released the rope and shifted Salem to one arm that wrapped securely around him. Her eyes peered into the darkness as she tried failingly to see if any one was near enough to them to overhear their conversation. "You know my going over to the Witch was for the best, Luthor."
"Well, maybe, if you like it better over there, but I still want you to know that I miss you. I never did get around to thanking you for all the help you've given me with Clark. You're wise beyond your years. Do you have any ideal what's going on?" He figured that, her being Faith, she knew more than she was letting on. They were both bad about keeping secrets. "Let's sit over here on a bench while we wait to see what's going to happen." There was a hook on the wall to hold torches, and Lex sat his in it. "Who's your friend?" he asked.
"Salem," she answered, hesitantly taking the seat beside him, "but he's not a friend. He's just an acquaintance. You know I don't have friends." They had argued about that point many times in the past.
"Why'd you bring him? Wouldn't he have been just as safe over there?"
"Maybe," she answered with a shrug that tried to appear careless, "but maybe not. At least I can watch over him if I keep him with me." She had not meant to let that slip and rushed on, hoping he wouldn't say anything about that. "Besides, I heard something gasp right before we were hit. I think I know who it was, but it probably wasn't." She glared down at Salem. "It also sure as Hell wasn't him, though."
"Got time for a little chat now?" Lex asked. He was not put off by her stand-offish ways. After all, she was Faith, and though she pretended indifference, she had always been there for him.
Jack had heard both Lex's and Xena's voices and had called out in response to them. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH TOTAL DARKNESS. IT'S LIKE WE'RE IN A VOID. SOME ONE POWERFUL IS CAUSING THIS." His voice broke off when his leg was suddenly grabbed by something that wouldn't let go. He shook his leg; then he reached down his hand to feel what had a hold of him. He was expecting to encounter Donkey or maybe one of the cats, but his hand connected with Carl's head. "Carl? What's wrong? Let go of me!"
"N-N-N-N-No!" the Gnome stuttered up at him. "I-I-I-I-I a-a-a-ain't l-l-l-l-letting g-go! I-If h-he g-g-gets m-m-m-m-me, h-h-he'll h-h-ha-have t-t-to g-g-get y-y-you f-f-f-fi-fir-first!"
"Carl, what do you know about this mess we're in, and who is this he you speak of?"
"J-J-J-J-Ja-Jar -- " Between his stuttering and trembling, Carl could not even get the name out.
"Jareth," a firm voice put in as Crystal jumped down onto the deck behind them.
Jack turned toward the sound of the voice and saw the blue glow of the crystal. "Crys, is some one hurt," he asked in concern, "and who's Jareth?"
"If they are, I haven't found them yet, but my babies, Angel, Lorne, even the Lewises . . . are all out." Her strong tone had already been icy but seemed to grow even fiercer as she answered his second question, "Jareth is the King of the Goblins. He owns the Bog of Eternal Stench, which is what we're in. Don't worry, though, Jack. When that asshole shows up, I'll take care of him."
Crys, her cousin's voice called inside her head, what's going on?
I found one of the Captains, she answered him, but I can't tell you about the rest right now.
I still don't believe you kissed him! Jack Frost exclaimed in reference to what she had told him about a certain green Demon. I mean, I'm glad you did -- Gods know you need a man in your life --; but I'm so surprised!
Jack, I can't talk right now. Her thoughts were interrupted by the Captain's voice.
"What's making all those farting sounds?" Jack Sparrow asked. "Is it a giant being of some kind?" His words were accented as another loud, stinking fart, even louder than the last one, erupted. "And why is your crystal glowing?"
"The Bog is both what you're smelling and hearing." She paused before answering his second question. "I . . . I opened a rapport with my cousin."
"What we need is some torches so that we can see what's going on." Jack called out in a loud voice, "WHEREVER YOU'RE AT ON THE SHIP, FEEL AROUND ON THE WALLS! THERE SHOULD BE SOME TORCHES. IF YOU FIND ONE, LIGHT IT AND TAKE YOURSELF TO WHERE OTHERS ARE. HELP EACH OTHER. WE'RE UNDER ATTACK AS YOU ALREADY KNOW. OUR ENEMY SHOULD SOON SHOW HIMSELF; BE PREPARED."
Captain Sparrow's loud, commanding voice carried over both ships and reached many ears, including two very frightened women who were nearly clinging to each other. "I . . . I don't suppose you know how to . . . ?" Elizabeth started to ask Cordelia.
"Actually, I do," the brunette answered, "but we have to find one first."
Only then did the two leave their hiding spot as they began to feel their way around the Pearl.
"JACK," Xena called out, "WHAT'S GLOWING OVER THERE? I CAN SEE SOME KIND OF A BLUE LIGHT."
"IT'S JUST CRYS' CRYSTAL; EVERYTHING IS OKAY. AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, WE ARE JUST BEING TREATED TO THIS AWFUL STENCH. NO ONE IS PHYSICALLY INJURED YET." He could see torches being lit in different places on the ship. "Carl," he said, reaching down and patting the Gnome gently on the head, "go to Will. He's right behind me. He'll help to keep you safe."
"Uh-uh!" Carl protested instantly. "H-H-H-He c-c-can't keep me safe l-l-like y-y-you c-c-ca-can, C-C-Cpt'n!"
Jack wondered how he was going to be able to fight with Carl attached to his leg. There was some kind of current carrying the ships along, but no wind seemed to be blowing. Where was Ororo? Could she be any help in this emergency? He called out again, "HAS ANY ONE SEEN ORORO?" Since Ororo was the only Sorceress not unconscious, she was even more important. He prayed she was not knocked out.
No answer came yet to Jack's call for Ororo but Crystal spoke again, this time addressing Carl. "Carl, you can go to Will. You will not need protection for much longer," she told him confidently, speaking through gritted teeth, "because when that bastard shows up, I'm going to ice him." She had never killed another being, but she swore that she would for what he had done to her babies, Angel, Lorne, and the others. Nobody harmed her "children" and got away with it nor would she stand idly by and let such good people as Angel and Lorne be harmed.
And, Jack, she added silently, SHUT UP! I can not be with them, and you know very well why I can't!
I know why you won't let yourself be, her cousin insisted, but I have to stand with that Angel fellow on this one, Crys. If those cats can mask you -- and it is possible to mask from him --, there's no reason why you can't stay with them.
There's every reason! I will not get them killed! Her ice blue eyes blazed, and she had to still her feet from pacing the deck in her frustration.
But, Crys, Jack argued, you stand just as much of a chance of doing that as Angel does. Can you really ask him to leave his home, his family? Especially after you had to?
Crystal bit her lip to silence the growl that rose in her throat. No, she admitted snappingly, but I don't have to hear this either! My Gods, Jack, I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand!
Crys, I do understand! he tried to tell her. I understand what it's like to be so afraid of him, to live every day of your life in fear that you're going to get some one else hurt or even killed, but I also know what it's like to yearn for something you can't have. I'd love to be able to settle down somewhere, fall in love, raise a family, all the wonderful things that normal people get to do . . . but my job keeps me from doing any of that. This is your chance!
Maybe you know all that, Jack, Crystal informed him, glad for the anger that kept the tears in her heart from her eyes, but he's never killed because of you. Your job keeps you from being able to live the life you want; he keeps me from being able to do the same. With that, before Jack could have a chance to say anything else, she dropped the crystal back into its hiding place inside her bodice. Its glowing ceased instantly, their rapport having been broken the very second she had stopped touching it.
Crystal turned her mind back to the conversation around her just as Will, who had finally managed to find a torch whose light now illuminated he and Jack, spoke up. "Carl, if you come over here, I'll even hold you up so that you can get a better look. That way you'll at least be able to see what's coming."
Carl continued to clutch at Jack's leg, his trembling growing with each passing second. He started to answer them but was broken off by a yell for help. His eyes shot even wider. "Th-Th-That's m-m-my c-c-co-cousin!" he exclaimed, recognizing the panicked voice instantly.
"Your cousin?" Jack asked in disbelief. "What's he doing out here?"
"H-H-H-He w-w-w-wo-works f-f-for J-J-J-J-Ja-Ja-Ja -- "
"Jareth," Crystal put in.
Carl nodded swiftly. "H-H-H-He's a-a-al-always g-g-getting m-m-ma-mad a-a-at h-h-h-hi-him a-a-an-and th-th-thr-throwing h-h-h-him i-i-i-"
Crystal usually had patience but never did when she was angry or frustrated. "In the Bog," she snapped, finishing the Gnome's statement for him.
"Can you tell where the voice is coming from?" Jack queried. Before they could answer, he called out, "AHOY! Where are ye?"
A gentle voice answered from behind Jack even as several pairs of feet could be heard landing on the deck. "I shall fetch him, Captain."
"There you are, Ororo! Right now you're the only Sorceress we have able to function. The Lewises are out cold. We've got people down all over both ships from this awful stink. Who'd you bring with you?"
"The chi -- " she started to answer but stopped herself. "Phoebe, Paige, and Joxer."
Oh my Gods! he thought. "Joxer! Somebody get a hold of him! Don't let him do anything stupid!"
"Don't worry, Captain," Phoebe's lustful voice answered. "I've got him." She giggled, and Joxer's laughter joined hers.
"And don't do any monkey business on deck! We're in danger; this is not a picnic!"
"How do you know -- !" Paige questioned, her surprise clear in her tone.
"What do you smell, Miss Halliwell? Whatever's putting that out is big, bad, and ugly, and probably likes to eat little girls like you for breakfast."
Ororo had just been lifting higher into the air to go in search of Carl's cousin when she heard Jack answer Paige. She had yet to speak to him in anything but a polite, official manner, but when she spoke this time, her tone was tightened with the underlining of fury. "Jack, do not threaten my goddaughter."
"I'm not threatening her, Ororo, but anything that big . . . We have no ideal what it likes. It could eat every one of us and then go wanting something else, like the ship."
"It's not a monster," Crys put in, "and it's not going to eat anything. It's only a Bog," she reminded him, barely managing to bite back her exasperation. "The worst bog ever in creation but only a bog nonetheless."
"I was referring to this Jareth. You said he was the King of the Goblins? I've seen a few goblins in my time, and they ate everything in their path until we put them down."
"He is human," she informed him, "and as I already told you, you don't need to worry about him. He's not going to have a chance to do anything once he shows his cowardly butt up."
"Phoebe, Paige," Ororo called back down, "stay with them and behave. Phoebe, if you can not keep your hands off of Joxer, I will separate the two of you." Thunder rumbled in warning as she added, "By force, if need be."
Jack was relieved that Ororo's attention was drawn off of him. He hoped Crys knew what she was talking about, but he doubted it. How could a human be able to control goblins and not just one goblin but actually be the King of them without becoming a goblin himself?
He remembered the goblins that had had to be hunted down and killed. They had been so powerful that he had still trembled inside when they lay on the ground, presumably dead. They had laid waste to an entire village and had eaten every one of the villagers, even down to the tiniest baby. There had only been two of them. If he was understanding things now, the King of the Goblins was there, and a King never traveled alone.
He wondered what he had done to draw the attention of such a being. He prayed that he would stay alive long enough that he could protect Will and the rest of his family, but even then he trembled inside. What if he couldn't? What could the King possibly want? And, after having made his demand, would Jack even be willing to part with whatever the King wanted? He would not willingly give up any of his people to be goblin food.
Clark jerked awake. Looking around, he was surprised to find that, even with his great eyes, he could barely make out anything. What had happened to the day? Had he slept that long?
He leaned over the side of the cot and looked under it. Both kids were sound asleep, snuggled up together, but Lex was not in the bed. Clark wondered where his lover was. He got up, padded softly to the door, and looked out. He saw Lex and Faith sitting side by side, deeply engrossed in a conversation.
He knew that if he stuck his head out there, Faith would fly away as she didn't want any one to see her and Lex together or have any clue that she was not the bitch she always made herself out to be. Clark had made the mistake once before of making his presence known when they were talking, and Faith had cussed both of them out and fled. She'd made it appear that she was storming off, but they had known better. Since then, if he saw her talking to Lex, he stayed away.
He could hear voices all over, talking, but even though he was curious, he would not walk away from the children. He went back in and closed the door silently behind him. He would have to speak to the Captain tomorrow to see about getting some private quarters made. He didn't want the kids exposed to some of the stuff that went on in the sleeping quarters. It was bad enough that he and Lex had no privacy, but he certainly did not want the children to see anything they shouldn't.
He laid back on the cot with his hands behind his head and listened to the sounds of the night. He wondered what kind of dead thing was causing all the stink and was surprised at how far he could hear. His surprise grew when he heard a few voices discussing a being called Jareth, who was evidently the King of the Goblins. He felt like he needed to be outside with the rest of the crew but couldn't leave the children.
Where was Carl? He then heard the Gnome's voice pipe up from what sounded like he was next to Jack. He continued to listen in on the other conversations, waiting for this Jareth to make his appearance. If Clark had to, he would leave the children alone long enough to throw Carl in with them so that he could fight.
Faith's eyes peered out at the darkness that surrounded them; she squinted as she tried to tell if any one else was nearby. "I guess I might have some time," she hesitantly answered Lex. "Doesn't look like whoever's doing this is available for being killed yet."
Lex watched her glance nervously around. "There's no one else here but us. I think most of them are on the other side of the ship, facing the Witch, where Jack is. They tend to sort of hunt the Captain when crap hits the fan."
"Yeah, I know," Faith agreed. "Some of them don't even think they can use the bathroom without him."
"Well, I can at least go to the bathroom without him," Lex said, "but if there's a fight, he's a great man to have at your back. Don't sound so jealous of him, Faith."
"I'm not," she snapped. "Hell, I wouldn't want everybody flocking around me! I'd have to kill some of them until they got the message if they tried that crap."
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe he doesn't either? Maybe he'd like some alone time, especially some alone time with Will since he hasn't had any? He hasn't even had time to let Will know how he feels."
"Like I care?" Faith shot back. "What is it you really want to talk about?"
"What are you so angry at Jack about?" Lex asked.
"Nothing in particular. I just don't have a lot of use for him."
"Since when?" Lex questioned.
"Since always. You should know me enough to know by now that I don't have a lot of use for anybody."
"That's true most of the time, but I've never heard you talk so about Jack."
"Maybe," she admitted, "but when was the last time we talked since I switched ships? I had to bite my tongue a little while I was on the Pearl just like I have to now around Xena."
"If you say so, Faith." He wondered what Jack had done to get on the bad side of Faith but never stopped to think that she might be biting into the Captain simply to have some one to direct her anger and frustration at. "I know you don't have a lot of time to spare, but . . . I just need a little advise."
"Shoot," she returned with an eyebrow quirked questioningly at him.
"Don't tell any one. Clark had another power kick in again today. It . . . was fire," he said in a strange voice. "He's got no control at all over it, and he was shooting fire everywhere. He engulfed that entire stinking auction with flames. I had to take him down and put my shirt over his eyes to make him stop." His voice trailed off.
Faith softened slightly as she listened to Lex. No one else was within hearing distance of them, so she knew she did not have to keep her defense up quite as much as she normally did. "I wondered who did it," she admitted, "but, Lex, you know Clark would never willingly kill any one."
"He never has," Lex interjected. "That's not what I'm afraid of. What if he can't control it? What if some night he gets woken up and the flames shoot out, causing the ship to catch on fire? We could all die out here only he wouldn't. You know he's indestructible. How do you think he'd take that?" he asked worriedly. "What do you think it would do to him?"
"We know how he is, Lex, and we both know that if he ever killed any one, especially some one he loved as much as he loves you, he'd want to kill himself. But what you have to remember is that that's just a chance. There's always a chance of death at any time. Hell, we don't even know if we're going to wake up in the morning."
She paused for a moment, thinking, then continued, "You're going to need to work with him. If he doesn't work on controlling it, the chance that he might get out of control'll only increase." She glanced around at the ship. "But I wouldn't advise working on it until we get to Tortuga."
"We've got another problem, as well."
Looking back to Lex, she tried to read his face. He was worried greatly, and she could think of only one thing that might have him worked up so much besides Clark's powers. "Lex, you know he loves you -- " she started.
"It's not that. There's no problem like what we were having the last time we talked. Those chains worked wonderfully for some new inspiration!" He paused, then blurted out, "We've got kids."
Faith's mouth fell open in shock. "What!" she finally managed to screech.
"Clark and I have a boy and a girl. I want to keep them, but I worry what kind of parents we would make. I haven't approached Clark with the ideal. I don't know if he'll even go for it, but I don't want to lose the kids. We got them from the auction, and no, we didn't buy them. We rescued them."
"I wouldn't have said anything if you had," Faith put in. "I bought something myself today."
"You did?" Lex asked in surprise, his brows quirked.
She nodded. "Yeah, I did, but he should be long gone now. Besides," she dismissed it in an odd tone of voice that Lex knew was her attempt to keep sadness out of her tone, "it doesn't matter now."
"Why doesn't it matter now?" he questioned.
"Like I said, he should be long gone . . . and . . . and I think . . . " She looked off into the darkness, unable to meet his gaze or even finish her statement.
"He's probably okay, Faith, wherever he's at. You could go look for him."
"No, I can't. I had Jack get rid of him," she explained.
"Oh. Sorry. What do you think about the kids?" he asked, trying to say something that would distract her from the sadness she was fighting. "Do you think Clark and I would make good parents, or do you think we should try to find some one else to take them? The little boy's name is Julian, and the girl's is Sarah. They're attached to Clark, and they're so cute together! I think Clark would make a great mother, but I'm not so sure about me. You know my past."
She turned back to look at him, her eyes shimmering with tears she refused to allow to come to the surface. "You're right about Clark. I know he loves children; I've seen him with them before. He's gotta be the gentlest of all of us, and he'd make a great mo -- a good parent."
Silently taking a deep breath, she turned closer to him so that her eyes could look directly into his. Although he had not fully admitted what he was afraid of, she knew what it was without his having to say it. "And so would you. You wouldn't turn out like your father, Lex, and I bet you'd do everything you could with them to make up for the way he was and the way you know others are. You'd be there for them when they needed you, and you'd never raise a hand to them in anger. You'd be the complete opposite of that asshole."
"Do you really think so?" he queried hopefully. "My anger gets out of hand sometimes."
"No, I don't think so." He started to say something, but she continued before he could. "I believe so." She could count the number of things she believed in on one hand, but Lex's being the complete opposite of his father was certainly on there. "I've seen you when you're pissed, Lex, and know what you're talking about, but I also know that you've never hurt Clark. You never would, and you wouldn't hurt them any more than you would him."
"But I hit Clark once in anger. It was before we became one. My anger and frustration got the worst of me. It haunts me, and though Clark never talks about it, I'm sure it's on his mind sometimes."
"I remember that, but I also remember when it happened. You were still fighting your feelings for him. You hadn't let yourself admit that you loved him yet, but now that you know you do, you'd never hurt him."
"I hate myself for that, Faith. What if, just once, I lost it again? I'd hate myself forever, and they'd all hate me. I'm not perfect, and I'm not good even though I try to be. You should have seen us fighting today, but I know you were busy fighting yourself. I enjoyed killing those bastards. I relished each and every one of them. That's the dark side of me. I could bathe in my enemy's blood and never have second thoughts about it."
"Clark almost killed some one, but I killed them for him. If he had killed even one person knowingly, it would have destroyed him. He's not a killer. He's the most gentle, loving, and kind person I've ever seen even though, with his powers, he could take over the world. He hasn't any inclination at all toward it, as you know. He's the best part of us, and he makes me want to be the best I can be. Thank you for helping me and him to get together." He reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "You know I'll always be here for you if you need me. He will too.""Lex, you know I don't need anybody," she retorted instantly. "But," she continued hesitantly, her voice softening again, "if I did, I'd know where to come." She sighed. "I could tell you a thousand times that you aren't your father and that you'd never hurt them, but that's something you're going to have to come to terms with yourself. I can't make you believe the truth about you, but your going after your enemies the way you do while Clark's so gentle that it's ridiculous has nothing to do with your being a bad person. It's good to want your enemies dead; if you didn't, they'd walk all over you and Clark the way Lionel used to do you."
"No one's ever going to hurt Clark or the kids, not if I can help it. I might have to talk to you again about this. You've always been good at encouraging me. I'm glad to have you in my corner."
"It's true about my Father. He killed my Mother, little brother, and lover and almost killed me. Every time I go after an enemy, I pretend it's him. One day, I'm going to kill him, and I don't think I'll ever be free until I do."
"When you do," Faith put in, grinning, in a failing attempt to lighten both their moods, "you can borrow my special sword." It was only then that she realized that she still wore it and that she would have to rely on her dagger in the coming battle.
A brief smile passed over Lex's face but vanished as quickly as it had come. He continued, "I know deep in my heart that I'm nothing like him, but I still know it's possible for it to be hiding in there. Something could make it come out. I have a Demon hiding in me, Faith, and I want to kill that Demon."
He looked at her, his eyes having more of a shine to them than before. His hangdog expression was gone. Just having talked to her, a friend who was not judgmental of his dark side though she would never have admitted to being such, had helped. "I'll talk to Clark about this tomorrow. I'm glad he's asleep."
"If you could have seen him earlier . . . He was so scared that he was trembling. He's scared of his own self, and that's not good. He doesn't know that I, too, fear his firepower. I'd never leave him for any reason, and I'll do the best I can to help him get it under control."
She nodded. "Clark's not like us, Lex, but it's not a strength. It's a weakness. I don't know if he could even kill anybody who hurt you, no matter how badly they did. There's strength in knowing when to kill and being able to do it without letting it haunt you. You need to remember that."
"I need to check on Clark and make sure he's still asleep. I can show you the kids." He looked at her questioningly.
She shook her head. "I need to stay here and be ready whenever whatever's screwing with us shows up."
"I'll be right back. I just need to be sure that they're safe." He got up, retrieved the torch, walked over to the door of the sleeping quarters, and glanced inside. All was as he had left it. Clark and the kids had remained asleep; Lex would have never dreamed that his lover was only faking it. He closed the door softly and returned to Faith.
"They're still asleep," he said. "It's the best thing for now. I hate all this waiting." He put the torch back in the holder and walked over to the railing, peering out into the night. "WHATEVER YOU ARE," he yelled into the night, "SHOW YOURSELF!"
"Thatta boy," Faith called jestingly after him with a grin that she did not feel. She did not rise to join him but stayed seated, stroking Salem absently. Even now, she could not forget Dawson, and she growled under her breath. What the Hell was wrong with her!
