"Will, what is it that you're hiding from me?" Will looked up at his wife. It was the third night in a row that Will came home from work in the middle of the night. He walked over to Elizabeth, kissed her and then smiled.
"You'll see." Then he started to take off his clothes.
"Why are you working so late? What are you doing?" Will sat down on the bed.
"Come here." Elizabeth sat down next to him, he pulled his fingers through her hair.
"Trust me Elizabeth, you'll see soon." He kissed her and then pulled her with him into the bed.
"What? Are you serious?" Angela looked at Stephen. He had shown up early that day, Angela was on the lawn with Jack as usual when he just showed up.
"Well, I have told her about you and she is curious, and it's just lunch."
"But why does your mother want to have lunch with me? Oh, Jack no! Put that down!" Jack turned around he had picked up a branch. Immediately he dropped it on the ground and walked over to Angela.
"Like I said, I've told her about you and she is curious. It's just lunch, and besides…" he leered at Jack, "you could need a break from this."
"It's tempting." Angela grabbed Jacks shirt, he was on his way to pick up the branch again.
"But I can't leave Jack." She took Jacks hand and he smiled happily.
"Oh miss Angela, I can look after him for a while." Angela turned around, Anne, the maid, had stuck out her head through the window.
"Please Angela." Angela sighed, she doubted that this was a good idea. But both Anne and Stephen was pleading, and they had no intentions to give up.
"Ok then." Angela gave in.
"Good, I'll go home and tell her, I'll send someone for you." Angela was just going to protest and tell him that she could walk if he just would tell her where he lived when Stephen interrupted her.
"Oh, and change clothes. My mother doesn't like pirates and such, so if you came to our house dressed like that, she probably wouldn't let you in." Angela looked at her shirt and trousers.
"She has heard the rumours Angela, about why you care so much for Mr Sparrow, that it's more than guilt. I don't believe that of course…"
"It is more than guilt Stephen, he is my friend. And if your mother is so interested in seeing me, why should I dress like something I'm not?"
"Precisely!" Angela opened her mouth but closed it again, it was no use. Stephen was so sure that she was wealthy and that the clothes she was wearing now was just because of Jack or something.
"See you in a little while then." He took her hand and kissed it before leaving the Governors mansion.
"There miss, you look lovely." Angela smiled and then gasped for air, she really hated wearing a corset. She looked into the mirror, the dress was in the coldest blue she had ever seen with small white flowers on it, it hade laces around the cleavage that was itching something terrible. Her hair was itching too; the way it was tied back was not comfortable at all. She walked down the stairs slowly; if she walked too fast she knew she would fall.
A carriage was waiting outside the mansion; Angela stepped inside and felt more uncomfortable for every second. At least Anne was with her. When the maid had realised that Angela was going without a chaperon she had quickly arranged it so that two stable boys looked after Jack and she came with Angela.
The lunch was awkward; Stephens's mother was a thin woman with her grey hair tied back in a tight knot. She was a bit stiff, but seemed to accept Angela as a noble girl from a small town in England. They didn't talk very much, Stephens's mother asked Angela questions about her family, so Angela had to lie. But the more time that went, the more Angela started to wonder what Stephen had said about her, and their relationship.
When it was time for Angela to leave Stephen and his mother walked her and Anne to the door. Stephens's mother thanked Angela for her company and Stephen kissed her hand.
Angela and Anne walked home in silence, for every step Angela took it felt like she was sinking further and further down, what had she gotten her self into?
Angela nearly screamed when she opened the door to her room, on her bed was Jack sitting. He tilted his head to the right when he saw her.
"Hi Jack…" If I get a hold of those two boys I swear I'll kill them!
Jack just kept staring at her.
"I know, the dress is awful…I can't breathe in it." Angela turned around and looked into the mirror that was hanging on the wall next to her closet. She started to take out her hair when she suddenly felt something on her back. She turned around and the pressure over her chest suddenly disappeared, the dress and corset fell to the floor and Angela was standing in nothing but her slip. Jack had snuck up behind her and fast, very fast, untied the laces on her dress and corset. He looked rather pleased with himself. Angela smiled, she didn't feel too embarrassed, Jack had seen her wear a lot less then a slip, he had seen Elizabeth in her slip.
"Oh, so you remember how to do that don't you?" She stepped out of the dress and grabbed Jacks arm.
"On the bed pervert, and don't move until I'm dressed again!" She gave a pat on his shoulder and then went behind the screen and started to change into a shirt and trousers.
"Ah, a lot better." She walked over to the bed and sat down.
"Thank you Jack. We look out for each other huh?" She kissed his forehead. But she was wondering if Jack took off her corset so she could breathe, because he was Jack, or both?
"He did what?" Will looked sceptical at Angela, Elizabeth was laughing and Governor Swann looked as if he wanted to hang Jack immediately.
"Isn't that amazing?" The Governor cleared his throat.
"Angela, which part of Jack taking your clothes of is amazing?"
"The fact that he is starting to come around. I mean, he got it off me so fast, a part of him remembers who is was, who he is! A swashbuckling, self-centred, drunken Casanova for a pirate! A pirate Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow! He is coming around, you'll see."
But the days past and nothing happened. Jack showed no sign of any improvement, Angela got more and more frustrated. The Pearl could be back any day, and what would happen to Jack if he wasn't fine by then?
Angela didn't understand, sometimes he seemed to be on his way back. But then nothing. Angela was sitting on the bedside, watching Jack sleep. She placed her hand above his while doing her best not to burst out in tears. She felt the fear growing inside her as she watched her sleeping friend. The man that she had admired, feared, loved and dreamt of for the passed six years was nothing but a shadow of his former self.
Damn that Squalor! Damn that Barbossa! If hadn't been for them…then Jack wouldn't be like this.
"Oh Jack." She leaned forward, and gently placed her cheek against his chest. She listened to his hearbeats and felt the warmth from him. A single tear ran down her cheek, Angela closed her eyes. She had suddenly got so very tired. She tried to fight it, but the sleep came, without giving her any chance to resist.
The room was small and dark. She couldn't see anything, not anyone. But she could hear someone breathing. She started to walk backwards but almost immediately hit a rough stone surface, she was trapped. She heard the person get closer and closer. Then suddenly pain! A blade as cold as ice, as burning as hells fire. He had pierced her heart and nailed her to the wall . Angela screamed…
Angela sat up, gasping for air. She stood up, but the pain in her chest wouldn't go away. Angela kept gasping, she couldn't breathe, she stumbled backwards with her hands pressed to her chest. She could feel her heartbeats slowing down, the pain kept getting worse. She fell to the floor, inside her head she heard voices, calling. Suddenly, someone grabbed her. Angela gasped, the cold hand around her heart eased it's grip and she could breathe again. Angela opened her eyes and looked straight into Jacks worried face.
"Jack…" Angela whispered his name. Then, with a little help from Jack was she able to get up on her feet. She walked over to the bed with Jack who got into it at once, exhausted from what he just had done. Angela fell into the chair next to the window. She looked at Jack.
"It calls to me Jack…the curse…it wants me to come back. It calls to me…" Then Angela fell asleep….
When Angela woke up that morning she first didn't know where she was. She was lying in a bed, in her own room she realised when she looked around. Angela got out of the bed and hurried into Jacks room. She smiled when saw who was sitting in the chair.
James, he was asleep. Jack was sitting on the bedside and watched him. Then he leaned forward and pointed James's nose roughly.
"Good morning James." A very confused and tired Commodore looked up.
"Ah, good morning Angela. And Jack…" He stood up and stretched out his arms. Jack did the same.
"Would you mind explaining this?" James looked at her and smiled.
"I heard noices from your room last night. Came in and found you sleeping in the chair. Figured you could use some sleep in a bed for once."
"So what, you just carried me into my own bed and decided to look after Jack."
"Pretty much yes." Angela stared shocked at him.
"What were you doing here in the middle of the night then?"
"I never left." Angela knew James and the Governor had some sort of meeting that evening.
"Thank you James."
"Your welcome." They both smiled. Jack smiled too and then he picked up James's hat from the table and put it on his own head.
Angela looked at Jack and suddenly she remembered the dream, the curse and how Jack had come to her rescue. She knew that it was his love for her that had saved her from the curse, that his warmth had melted the ice in her heart. She also remembered the strength in his eyes and arms. But where was it now? Angela sighed. Then she walked over to Jack and wrapped her arms around him, and whispered in his ear.
"Thank you…"