Chapter Twenty-seven

Jack looked around the table. Only a few latecomers were still nibbling at the food. He took his fork and clicked it on his mug to get attention. "We are mostly through eating, and I have to bring your attention to the meetings we are about to have." After he saw he had the attention of every one, he declared, "The first meeting is for all people in the house to attend. The second meeting is for all people who are in my family; Wolverine is calling some kind of family meeting. The third meeting, to be held after the family meeting, is for any one who wants to help work on our escape. Look around. If you see any one who is not here, please go and get them."

Lorne raised his hand. "Yes, Lorne?"

"There's another meeting needed to be had between the Sorceresses and Delvira. You can just adjourn to her room after the meetings." He figured she'd want to hold that one in private. Even he did not know exactly what she was wanting to do.

"That's going to be a little hard," Celina spoke up. "Our family is also having a meeting."

"Then have the meeting after your family meeting," Jack directed. "Any other announcements?" He looked around the room, but no one seemed to be inclined to making any announcements.

Crystal eventually rose a tentative hand. "I need to talk with Clark and Lex right before the meeting."

"Do whatever you need to do and be back in ten minutes at which time the meeting will get underway." Jack walked around to where Faith was seated and leaned down by her ear. "That means that you're in the family meeting. Don't know what the old man's trying to pull, but he's gonna be surprised to see you and he needs to meet his new daughter."

Faith had been taking a final sip of her drink when Jack whispered the information in her ear; she was so surprised that she nearly spat it back up. Her eyes darted immediately up at him. "Are you sure?"

"You're my sister, aren't you?" he asked in a little boy voice. He sounded almost as though he thought she was refusing to be his sister now.

"Yeah, I'm your sister," Faith assured him, the fact still surprising her, "but I thought that was just us?" Her mind was running quickly. "Think we need a minute alone," she told him.

"Okay. Walk with me. I need to walk a little bit after that meal. I'm quite full and don't relish sitting still for another hour or so for meetings."

She nodded. If Jack was her family, so were Dawson and Salem. Thus, this talk would certainly include them. "Hey, kid, Salem. You two done?" she asked, pushing her chair back and getting to her feet.

"Sure. It was good, though!" Dawson said. "Why? Do ya need me to do something?"

"Come outside with us for a minute," she told him. "Besides, it wouldn't hurt you to stretch your legs if we're gonna start your training today. Salem?"

"Right with you," Salem said as he almost wobbled out from under the table. "That was one delicious meal!"

Faith gave him a curious look. "I didn't give you that much."

"No," he admitted, "but when you start adding yours and Dawson's and my boys' . . . " His voice trailed off as he grinned up at her and licked his lips.

Faith nodded with a grin. "Gotcha." She turned to walk outside with Jack.

Once outside, Jack turned to look at Faith. "What did we need to come out here for?" he asked.

"Jack, you are my brother, a fact that still surprises me but something I'm glad for too. Thing is, when I adopted ya, I didn't know I was getting the rest of your family." She held up a hand to stop any complaints that might have came. "I'm not complaining, but you know, you weren't the only one I adopted, so what does that mean?"

"Good question. We're gonna really overpower the old man when he finds out how much his family has increased! So that means Lex and Clark and . . . the Alderberan group because Katrina adopted you? Or just Katrina? But I guess since they're kin to her, they're family too! Am I missing anybody?"

"Angel."

"Oh! Angel and Cordy. Well, get word to everybody and the first part of the family can meet the second part of the family. If you'll excuse me for a few, I gotta see a seadog about a wooden leg."

"Go ahead," Faith told him. "Nobody's looking. But there's two more to my family." She looked pointedly at Dawson and Salem.

Jack called back, "I already included them, but they know what's going on! You two tell the rest!" He was gone like a flash straight for the bathroom, leaving Faith to look at Dawson.

Dawson looked in the direction that Jack had disappeared. "How can that be, Faith? Am I really part of Jack's family now? Wow!" He was almost speechless. After all, Jack was his hero, and now Jack was part of his family? His day was just getting better and better!

Faith grinned. "Looks that way," she told him.

"This is turning out to be a rather large group," Salem commented.

"Do you think I need to make a list to be sure we get everybody to the meeting on time?"

"Might not be a bad idea. Let's go see if we can find you some parchment."

"Where do you think we should look?" Dawson queried.

Faith shrugged. "Start in the room? It looked pretty well-equipped."

"I'm surprised you noticed," Salem told her with a wink.

"You always have to notice your surroundings when you go in a new place," Faith explained. "Take note of the hiding places, that sorta thing."

Dawson was listening to Faith's words. "I think you're right, Faith. There was some parchment on our dresser, but I didn't see anything to write with."

"If there's parchment, there should be a quill. We just gotta look."

Dawson raced up the stairs, heading for their room with Faith and Salem hot on his heels. When Dawson picked up the parchment, there was a quill laying underneath. Also on the table was a small bottle of ink. "We should take this down to the dining table and make a list."

"We can't be too obvious," Faith warned him. "Jack wants to surprise Wolverine."

"Okay, so we'll make the list here. Now who did you tell me was on the list?" He prepared to write as Faith named names.


"Lex? Clark?" Crystal called as Elvira finished eating her last scrap. "Could I see you two in private please?"

Lex looked at Crys. "Sure. What can we do for you?" He smiled at her.

With the meeting looming ever closer, Crystal was too nervous to return his smile. "I have a question for you," she replied, standing. "I won't be gone long," she assured Angel and Cordelia who had accompanied her downstairs.

Lorne had already left the room, going for Delvira and missed Crystal telling Lex and Clark that she needed to see them outside. He had trusted Angel to keep a watch on Crys.

Angel thought a moment how he could get in on it. "Do you need me to accompany you?"

Crys shrugged. "You can if you want." She leaned closer to him. "I need to ask them about the kids," she explained.

"I hadn't thought about that," Angel told her. "They are quite young. It might not be a good idea for them to hear what we have to talk about, but every one needs to be there so how are we going to work that out?"

Crys nodded. "Precisely the problem." She started to lead the way to the living room.

Lex and Clark followed Angel, Crys, and her babies to the living room. Lex looked at Crys. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"The meeting is being called because of me," she told them.

"What?" Clark queried, concern instantly filling his blue eyes.

"That . . . " Crystal took a deep breath and felt Angel reassuringly touch her shoulder. "The Demon who caused the wreck and the storm? The one who destroyed Port Royal? He's after me."

"I figured as much," Lex admitted. "I'd been watching things for a while and listening out of concern. Whatever we can do to help, we will. What do you need us to do?"

"Well, the problem -- this one any way -- is that every one has a right to know about the danger they're in because of me. That's why the meeting's being called, but I don't know what to do about the children."

"Julian's old enough to understand, but Sarah's not," Clark said. "We can't exactly leave them alone while the meeting's going on, but we could move them away from the main group where we can see them but they can't hear what's going on. It might be a good idea that they don't know after all that they've been through. Lex and I will stay close enough that we can keep an eye on them and hear you too."

Crystal nodded. "Thank you."

"Yes, ma'am. If there's anything else we can do?" He eyed her, hoping she'd give him something to do and feeling at a lost as to what to offer.

She shook her head. "Not right now. The rest will be explained and, hum, discussed in the meeting."

"If you change your mind and need something," Lex told her, "be sure to let us know."

Crystal nodded and tried to smile. "Thank you."

"We'd best get the kids something to play with," Lex told Clark. "It'll keep their minds off of what the grown-ups are doing." He headed up to their room. "I'll get her doll."

"There's some parchment on the dresser," Clark commented as he followed Lex up the stairs. "Maybe they'd like to draw on that or something?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Lex told him. Once they reached the room, he walked over to the dresser and scooped up the parchment, the bottle of ink, and the quill. Clark fetched both Sarah's doll and the puppy from the bed. Then they headed back down to gather their kids before the meeting began.

Julian's face lit up when he saw the parchment. He loved to draw!

Lex took Julian by the hand and led him to the living room. "You've got to be very quiet, Julian. Captain Jack's going to have a meeting, and we don't want to disturb him. Why don't you settle down here and you can use the table for something to put your picture on and you can draw?"

Julian immediately fell to his knees, holding the quill. Lex shook up the bottle of ink, then set it down, and took the lid off. "Just use a little bit at a time," he told Julian. "Draw me something pretty." Julian set about drawing.

Lex waited until Clark had Sarah engrossed in playing with her doll. "Clark and I are going to wait over by the group, but if you need us for anything, call us. Don't go wandering off on your own." He hugged Julian and Sarah and then headed back toward the group with Clark.


Lorne reached Delvira's room and knocked on the door. "The meeting's about to start." He waited to see if she would open the door.

The door opened, but Delvira did not yet appear. "Stop right there!" she instructed. "None of you are going to the meeting!"

A Fiery's voice called back from where he hung on the doorknob. "But it sounds like a party!"

Delvira sighed. "It's a meeting, not a party, and you're not going to play with anybody's heads other than your own!"

"You never let us do anything fun!" the Fiery pouted at her.

"Fun smun!" she snapped back. "You're staying here or you're going to get roasted!"

Several rose in screeches, and many feet were heard skittering across the floor as the Goblins and Fieries dove into hiding places. Finally, Delvira herself appeared at the door. "Sorry about that," she told Lorne, offering him the best apologetic smile she could muster under the circumstances.

"Still haven't heard anything?" Lorne asked.

She shook her head as she stepped out into the hallway with him.

"I told the others that they were to have a meeting with you later in the morning. There's four meetings already planned, and they'll be with you after the fourth meeting."

"Thank you," Delvira told him. Although she did not for once think that they could help with her situation with Jareth, she hoped they could at least help Frederic.

They heard some one walking toward them. Lorne turned to look and saw that it was James Hook who walked up to the boy's room and looked around for the key. Lorne called to James, "It's on the floor. Wasn't anywhere to hang it."

"Thanks," James said. He unlocked the door and entered, closing it behind him.

Lorne could hear James telling the boy that he would have to go to the meeting as it would not be held without every one being present, but if it was up to him, Frederic would have to stay in the room. "You will behave yourself, Frederic, or you will find yourself back in here!"

Frederic looked at him in disdain. "I don't want to go to the meeting! I'll stay in the room now!"

"No, you will go to the meeting," James told him, "one way or the other, boi -- either under your own power or I'll drag you to it!"

"Okay, but I don't want to stay! Only 'til after what is said is said!"

"There is more than one meeting, and you only have to stay for the first one. Don't open your mouth, and for Gods' sakes, don't push your duty in there! There are enough Pirates present that they'll run you through and never think twice about it!" James opened the door and waited for Frederic to leave the room.

Due to their Supernaturally advanced hearing, Delvira and Lorne had been unable to miss the conversation. "Now you see why I asked you not to hold his duty against him," Delvira whispered to Lorne. "He can't help himself." Aloud, she told James, "James, I'm sure the answer would be able to be found in the Watcher's council, but as I'm unable to teleport from the island, I have another plan underway for the time being."

James nodded gravely. "Thank you for taking interest in my little family. Just don't know what I'm going to do with that boi." He offered his arm to Delvira. "May I escort you?"

She nodded and took his arm. "We'll find a way," she told him, "but . . . I may have to say something to the ones I'll be talking with -- eventually, if they think they can help."

"I understand. Do what you need to do. I only hope they can help."

"So do I. I'll be meeting with them right after the rest of these meetings."

"There's quite a few meetings today. I'm glad I'm only in the first one."

Lorne was following along behind the pair, trying not to listen but being unable not to hear due to his Demonic hearing. He kept a wary eye on Frederic who walked along nonchalantly with his hand on his sword. Frederic was waiting for a chance to get an unsuspecting Pirate. Lorne shook his head sadly. Nice-looking young man, he thought, totally screwed in the head. He found his seat next to Crys and sat down.


Dawson, Faith, and Salem had entered only seconds before Lorne, and even as he took his seat, they made their way to Jack. "I think every one's on the list," Dawson commented.

Jack took one glance at it and had to sit down. He thought that was a very long list, but he couldn't wait to see Wolverine's face at the second meeting and explain how his family had grown over night just as his old man's had!

Faith grinned at the look on Jack's face. "Should we let them know?"

"Yes. Slip around and tell them quickly, and as soon as you have a seat, we'll start the meeting."

Faith nodded. She spoke with the boys, and they quickly split up the list.


Faith had ended up with the Alderberan family, and she headed straight for Katrina. "Katrina?"

"Yes? How are you today, Faith?" Katrina asked.

Faith grinned. "Better than ever." She dropped her voice to a low whisper. "And we've got a family meeting to go to after this one."

Katrina looked at her. "What do you mean a family meeting? I've got one that I have to go to with my family."

Faith searched her eyes. "Remember yesterday?"

"Of course! But what does that have to do with a family meeting?"

Faith dropped down to a crouching position so that she was on Katrina's level. "I was stunned too, but Jack wants us in the meeting. He wanted me 'cause he adopted me as his sister yesterday, and you also adopted me . . . " She was beginning to wonder if she might have made an awful mistake.

Katrina reached out and squeezed her arm. "I'll be there, and I'll let the others know." She was wondering if she should include Faith in the discussion with the Alderberan cats and didn't know how to approach her with it. "We've got a new member in the family -- the daughter of my cousin -- and that's what we're having a meeting about. You want to come? You are a member now even if you can't change into a cat." She grinned.

Faith found Katrina's grin infectious. "Never thought I'd say this, but . . . If it's my family, I'm there."

"Good. See you in the second meeting." She knew that Faith would move back to sit by Dawson and they were sitting on the other side of the room, but she planned to sit a lot closer to Faith in the second meeting.


Salem was on the back of the couch right beside Angel's ear. "Second meeting, you need to be there."

"But that's for Jack's family," Angel told him in a whisper.

"That's also you. You're Faith's brother, aren't you?" His tail twitched. "Just like I am?"

"That's true. Count us in. It's going to be quite a meeting," Angel said. "Might be the last meeting, but we will be there for it."

"Good," Salem said as he jumped off the couch and raced back to be by Faith. "Did mine!" He grinned.


Dawson looked around for Lex and Clark and saw them as they were coming back from the children. "Guys, second meeting is for Jack's family. You're elected 'cause of Faith."

"Hey, we are related now!" Lex said with a grin. "We'll be there or should I say here?"

Clark shrugged. "We'll be at the meeting rather it's here, there, or everywhere."

They found a seat together and sat.

Dawson headed back to Faith and sat down.


Kurt kept his hood pulled up so that no one could see what he looked like and took up a position against the wall so that he could see everything that was going on and yet not draw attention to himself. He saw Kitty walk in with Wolverine and sit down. Kurt wondered what the meeting was about. He hadn't the foggiest clue. Maybe it was about the dinosaurs?


Jack rose to his feet and tapped his mug on the table to get attention. "The meeting will now start. Remember there are other meetings after this one. The first one being any one who is in my family, and as soon as that's over, we'll let the rest of you know when we're starting the meeting about our escape." He was about to turn the meeting over to Crys when he heard a noise and turned to look to see who was interrupting him. He saw Jasmine trying to leave the room. "Is there a problem, Jasmine?"

The blonde looked up from where she'd been trying to push through the throng of bodies to get out of the meeting. She blushed as the mighty Pirate Captain's gaze fell upon her. "Well . . . I . . . huh . . . I'm not in your family."

He smiled at her. "That's true enough so you won't be at the next meeting, but you need to be here for this one." He had not realized how fluff-brained the girl was. He would have to assign somebody to watch over her and make sure she didn't stub her toe and have a heart attack.

Confusion creased Jasmine's pretty face. "I . . . But I thought this was the meeting for your family?"

"No, this is the meeting for everybody, so would you please take a seat?"

Jasmine considered asking him if he was certain this was the meeting for everybody but managed to recall that he was the Captain and should therefore at least know which meeting this was. She frowned. At least, she hoped he did. She saw Dawn gesturing to her and took a seat beside her.

As soon as Jasmine sat down, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Women! He wondered how some of them managed to do the things that they could do and still be so stupid. Jasmine was a perfect example. He smiled at Crys. "The floor is yours, madam." He backed up and had a seat, waiting for the words of doom to hit the world that was now calm and knowing that, in a few seconds, all Hell was about to break loose. His hand inched toward his sword. He knew he had to be ready. There was no telling how the others would take to the news, but she was the reason Will still lived and he was determined to stand by her.

To Be Continued . . .