Oh snap, I'm so bad it's been like two weeks. ALRIGHT here are my undying thanks! Almathea727: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the change because I loved writing a different side to Jack. You know, they had hurt his wife earlier in the story and I wanted this to be different than just another ransack. And Daddy's girl is really something, you must update soon so I can read more! AJ Sparrow: glad you thought everything went well in this chapter! Alonefreehearted: thank you thank you! I like that word, ruddy! Lol! ANNDD tk421beth(y): OMG! Nice was beautiful, I couldn't have had more fun if I tried! Johnny and I owe you our gratitude for waiting for us, I know our flight was a little late. But the green chili was fantastic, I agree Emilio. I cannot wait to see you again in Lincoln, New Mexico! It shall be fabulous, I just know it and Johnny is already feverishly packing! Send my love to Emilio and kisses and hugs to you! ON WITH THE STORY, LOVES!
Jack made it back to her with a slight limp in his step, but only she saw his one weakness. He raised his hand up in the air, his fingers bent naturally from exhaustion. The crew of the Black Pearl swung back over to his ship and set sail, wanting to be as far away from the burning Prowler as they possibly could get. Isabelle held out her arms to Jack and he fell into her, wrapping his strong arms around her tightly, making sure she was okay. She and Jack slid into a sitting position and she let him rest his ebony head against her shoulder as he caught his breath and overcame the pain from his many cuts and bruises. Usually he would be holding her, but she was tired of that. She wanted to let him know that she was here too.
A short while later, she and Jack stood at the helm of the Black Pearl. Jack's strength was restored to him and he was able to stand on his own once again. They watched as the Prowler suddenly burst into a million pieces as the powder magazines caught fire. Cries of the dying men of the Prowler were suddenly cut short and replaced with an extravagant explosion. No mercy was to be given for what they had done. Jack squeezed Isabelle's hand tightly as she watched the little pieces of the Prowler float in the water, inching closer to the Black Pearl like it somehow knew that the dark ship was the reason for its demise. Jack leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. "It's all over." Jack peppered her neck with sweet kisses as she tore her eyes away from the broken wood, her lips curling into a pleasant smile.
"The treasure of the Amazon is yours, Jack," Isabelle said gently, turning around in his embrace. Jack smiled as the Pearl distanced itself from what was left of Stealth's ship. Jack picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him as he carried her to the railing, sitting her on it and holding onto her tightly. She held his shoulders and looked down at him. "Your face is nicked, Jack," she whispered as she noticed the red mark running through his eyebrow. Jack grunted.
"Your arms are diced, Isabelle," he whispered against her chest which, unsurprisingly was also cut up. He kissed each scratch, letting his lips linger on those that looked more terrible than the others. Isabelle cradled his head and lifted her own skyward, placing all her trust in Jack's hands. He wouldn't let her fall, she knew that. "What happened to ye, look at all these cuts," Jack whispered and removed his lips from her chest, holding her at arms length to get a better look at her. Jack looked into her dark brown eyes and shook his head, licking his sleeve and dabbing away the fresh line of blood trailing down her forearm. "Careful darling," he said and eyed her again. Isabelle smiled and shook her head.
"I'm sorry but when half your heart is too damn worried about an impulsive husband, you would be a little distracted too," she said and laughed at his face.
"Number one, I am not impulsive." There was a pause in which Jack thought about that statement, and raised his eyebrow at his own thought process. "Number two, I just happen to have an impulsive wife who goes around running in front of everyone's cutlasses." Isabelle furrowed her brow. She opened her mouth to say something. "Number three," Jack started and her mouth snapped back shut. "Nah, there was no number three I just wanted to be a pain, love," Jack said and smiled when her face broke out in laughter.
"Oh, Jack you do plenty of that," Isabelle said and Jack laughed, swooping her off the railing and back into his arms. Isabelle kissed his eyebrow. "You know, that hair is never going to grow back there properly," she said and traced his eyebrow with her finger. Jack laughed.
"It's nothin', it'll ass to me fierce pirate look. Whaddya think?" he asked and raised his eyebrow for her, soaking up the sound of her laughter when it came.
"Oh, you silly old pirate," she whispered and he kissed her lips. "But I love you," she said and he smiled, his golden teeth shimmering in the dimming light. Jack set the course to the Amazon with one hand, and carried Isabelle back to their cabin. He set her down on the bed and took off his things, leaving only his pants. Isabelle followed in suit, but she threw her things across the room instead of gently laying them on the table. They never talked about anything important, for there was nothing important to talk about. Like tonight, they both just sat with each other, curled up so no space was between them at all. But that's how the Sparrow's liked it. They liked it calm and relaxed because every other aspect of their lives was riddled with rush and chaos. They liked a little down time here and there.
Jack popped out of bed and left the room, leaving Isabelle sitting and wondering where the hell he ran off to so fast. She lay back against the pillows, but was disturbed again when he reentered carrying a bowl of water and a towel. He motioned her over and sat her down on the table while he sat between her legs on a chair. "What's this?" she asked and he smiled up at her as he rang the towel out over the bowl.
"This," he said, "Is for that," he finished and pointed at her arms and chest.
"Oh," she said and smiled when he dabbed her soar arms gently.
"Oh," he mimicked as a little cry of pain escaped her lips.
"That's not just water, Jack. What else is in there?" she asked and he chuckled.
"This is jasmine. I don't know what it's supposed to do, but Cotton said it's supposed to take the sting away later on," Jack said and smiled when she wrinkled her nose.
"It's not taking anything but the blood away right now. It stings like a…"
"Yea, love." Jack stopped her before she could say what she was going to say. He laughed on his last word, making him sound comfortably happy. Isabelle smiled and sat through the sting. After all, he was next.
Isabelle fell asleep in Jack arms before Jack had even finished washing her cuts. She hadn't had the strength or the will to stay awake and get her revenge on him tonight. He set the damp towel aside and cradled her in his lap, her head against his chest and her breath warm against his cold skin. He held her there, just holding her. He didn't get to hold her like this often; they were always running back and forth, doing things that needed to be done. He was glad to just sit and stoke her dark black hair and hiss her flushed cheeks. As he looked down at her calm face, he saw a little of Katherine flashing in her features, and yet, a little bit of William flitting across her sleeping mouth and nose. Their pronounced son and daughter. He sighed heavily, wondering if they would ever slow down long enough to have children of their own.
He rubbed her wrists gently and shook his head. They were still very raw from being tied up tightly. The Sparrows had the worst luck with ropes. He carried her over to the bed and sat with her on his lap there, thinking. She had put up with a lot the past week. She had been shot with a dart, tattooed, and hog tied to a pole. There was only so much he himself could take and he couldn't imagine a little woman like that controlling herself to the point of eerie self calm. It must've taken her a lot not to scream her lungs out at him. He smiled down at the tiny figure in his arms. It must be nice to be held, he thought, rocking her back and fort gently. Little did he know that she held him almost every night when he would have nightmares of what happened to him in the past. She would always stick with him, and he didn't know. She was his silent angel, his almighty guardian, making sure he always woke up with no recollection of what happened during the night.
She basked in his warm embrace and buried her head deeper into his chest. She loved his scent, she loved the way the ends of his black mane tickled her cheeks as she laid against him. She didn't know what she would do without him.
Before long, Jack fell asleep with her in his arms, comfortable curled up amongst the many pillows on their great bed.
The next morning, the crew was up and busy early, cleaning and mending the sails. It would be a long way to the Amazon and Jack wasn't thrilled with the wait. He wasn't a patient man and he would be the first to admit it. But then again neither was his short tempered wife, and after the whole tattoo incident, it was best to just avoid the travel subject all together.
Isabelle and Elizabeth came up to the deck late the next morning, both groaning and moaning about the numerous aches and pains their pig headed husbands had given them by the stupid battle with the Prowler. Isabelle walked up to the helm and found Jack standing casually behind the wheel, his eyes unfocused and his long, slender fingers gently resting on the wheel. He didn't ever need to do much steering; his ship would guide itself to where he wished it to go. Isabelle smiled, little did Jack know, Isabelle actually knew how much longer there littler journey to the Amazon would be. She had made the map after all.
From up at the helm, Isabelle could see all the crew below her. They worked slower today, tired from the hours of fighting they had done last night. Everything was in better condition today though. The sails were no longer ripped; instead, they were billowing proudly in the wind coming straight off the waves themselves. Jack had yet to notice her presence behind him. Or so she thought. She always thought she was being so sneaky with him when, in reality, he always knew because he was always one step ahead of her. The times where she caught him off guard were minimal to nonexistent.
The waves turned and splashed as the ship rocked within them and she caught a glimpse of her son's face hidden beneath them. She leaned farther over the edge, but not too far, she knew he wasn't real. But just the unexplainable resemblance put her at a strange unease and she narrowed her eyes at the ever changing water. It was her son's face, it had to be. She had seen no other boy who looked like him. She followed the special section of the water that seemed to bear her beloved, ghostly son's face around the railing slowly. "You know something?" Jack's deep voice startled her so much she gasped and yelped, turning around to face his stunned expression. Nothing ever scared her like that. "Darling, what's the matter?" Jack asked, abandoning his comfortable foothold behind the wheel to see to his startled wife.
"Nothing, Jack. You gave me a scare that's all," she whispered, still trying to get her bearings back. Jack stepped closer to her, running his hand over her cheek and looking at her deep eyes.
"Nothing ever makes you scream."
"I didn't scream," she defended snappishly but quickly corrected herself when Jack frowned. "I'm sorry. I just thought," she paused, looking over her shoulder into the dark waves of the ocean. "I just thought I saw something. Nothing more," she said, a little calmer. He furrowed his brow and looked behind her into the waves, but saw nothing. She gave him a weak smile when he looked back at her and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. She hugged him back willingly; thankful she was in his safe arms. One last time she shot her eyes to the unforgiving waves and saw nothing, just like Jack.
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Alright! That's that! I hope you ADORE it as much as I do! – Bethy, I wait for your review! Here's your quote-
I'll be there until the stars don't shine and the heavens burst. Till words no longer rhyme and ocean dries of thirst. But when I die you'll be on my mind and I'll remember you… always.
Enjoy
-Dessi(Kate)
