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A/N: Thank you so much for the support! We are actually heading for the very last section of this story! Only a few parts left! :) Hope you will like this piece here!
Chapter XXI
Once Upon a Time
MARRIED
When Jack later returns that night, Angelica is fast asleep. Heavily but peacefully she breathes. Sleeping on her side of the bed. While Jack closes the door behind him and leans against it, he figures the maid must have come at last and helped Angelica out of the tie she had wrapped her hands into.
He wonders how that conversation went. Although the maid must have seen worse things. Unfortunately.
This is again, yet one of those moments where things changed. A moment he had no idea would twist his world around, however it would. The start of something new, all over again.
He had himself returned to Rothley and Monty to continue the late night. It had been a few joyful hours until his heavy eyelids forced him to call it a night after all. He never really felt the need of staying up to socialize with the others. But it was needed to avoid the bedroom, with Angelica in it. Having her worked up like that and just leave could mean his head chopped off as result.
And that is quite not an exaggeration.
Just as his mind every other second drifted to her, he would force it down alongside another ordered glass of Caribbean rum. He felt at home with the liquid against his lips. More familiar than the scent of her. And once thinking if her magnetic pull would win him over, he refused by pushing his thoughts to return to the conversation with the other men instead.
"Eres un cerdo," he can hear her mutter lowly partly into her pillow.
Ah, so perhaps not fully asleep after all. Question is if he now dares laying down beside her or just leave the bedroom at once.
He pauses his movements. Very careful with what displays in her as if he tries to read her intentions.
With one of her hands, she moves the cover away from the side he is supposed to sleep on. It is an inviting gesture that he should lay down. And that she has no intentions of killing him.
At least not right now.
Can she really just forgive him like that? It is not quite her alike.
She would get back at him. She always does. And then he would get back at her. That is how they work. Perhaps though he unfortunately tended to hit just slightly harder at his revenges than she ever did.
When he moves, cautiously, closer to the bed, she begins to sit up. It brings him to pause by the end of it and really not daring joining her. Her intent and watchful gaze seems to try to read him. And that is when she decides to talk.
"I need to talk to you."
The serious tone and careful approach bring him to listen intently to what she has on her heart. "Go on..?"
She grows uncomfortable, takes a deep breath and breaks her gaze from him. Her attention is now on her hands and she works on delaying her announcement.
"Hans spoke with me a while ago."
Jack peers to her.
It is not her. He just simply does not like where this seems to be going.
"It makes it quite hard for me, Jack," she speaks and looks up to meet his eye. "That I am supposed to be your fun, perfect wife in front of others. While I must be the precise opposite in Hans's views."
"Like ye were when we began this greasy matter?"
"He makes matters very complicated." She nods and shrugs at the same time. Probably. "He caught me in a room and-."
"He did what?" Jack suddenly grows serious. It is as if he startles Angelica because she just remains silent with her mouth frozen. So he demands again. "He did what, Angelica?"
"If we continue like this -."
"Did he touch you?" Jack goes on.
Again, Angelica is frozen in both words and actions. It can be too typical of her not wanting to start a scene at points. And her belief to avoid that, is mistakingly by remaining silent in situations where Jack will anyhow manage to read her expressions like an open book. This is one of those times.
By now, Jack is truly mad. "He hurt you."
It is a statement, because he already knows the answer.
"And you are afraid of him."
She shoots back at him. "So should you be!"
"He never should have touched ye..," and before he finishes fully, he is already marching towards the door.
Angelica has no opportunity to refrain him from so, even if she is out of her bed right at once. "Jack!" She is hurrying after him through the hallway. "Get back here! Jack!" While trying to be quiet enough to not raise any attention from nearby guestrooms or staff of the house.
He is already storming downstairs when she at last, down in the entrance room, manages to grab his wrist to pull him to her. The voices are heard muffled from nearby lounge rooms. Probably Monty, Rothley and some others that keep on partying.
"Don't do this," she hisses to him. "He'll behead Frances!"
Jack frowns, still angered. "He said that?"
A voice from a lounge room is heard. "Is anybody there?" clearly motioning to them in the darkness of the entrance room. "Who is there? Tell me your name!"
They both look in the direction of where the voice comes from.
Absolutely not.
They cannot give themselves away, running around in the house in the middle of the night. Angelica in a nightgown on top of that. It would not be proper and ruin the image of them right at once. What rumors would circulate if anybody found out. A risk they cannot take at all. Not when they are getting so close.
The approaching steps gets louder and reacting in pure instinct, Jack has pulled Angelica with him inside a nearby tight closet. The tightness of it forces them yet again to an even further close proximity. The searching manly voice is close outside and Jack can feel her finger at his lips, as if to hush him. He certainly does not need it, but who is complaining, aye? Having Angelica's finger at his lips he fights the urge, even under these circumstances, to not kiss it.
He covers her hand in his and brings it down from his lips, however he never lets go. It would probably had been priceless to see her face, but the darkness makes it absolutely impossible to as much as see their very own features.
"Tell me," he whispers. While it is pitch dark inside this closet, he still tries to search for her eyes. But knowing her like he does, he can tell she is considering pros and cons of this right now. Because the answer takes quite some time for her to spill.
"We cannot do this, Jack," she eventually whispers. "He'll hurt Frances. I cannot risk that. I..," she silences and seems to find it hard to continue.
"Love?"
She takes a deep breath. As if she reveals something Jack never really had acknowledged himself. Her hands, silkily move around his wrists. As if she tenderly holds his hands. It feels as if she smoothly runs something over his wrists.
"From being in this together, Jack... Hans really forbids me to be a distraction now."
A distraction?
Is that what she is? From him to regain The Black Pearl? From him to make Rothley sign a contract that will give Governor Milton fully access and ownership to the island he wants the most? Is that what she is?
It is not something Jack wants to answer. Neither does Angelica want to. But it does not matter, because apparently Hans already had.
"He sees ye as a threat, darlin'?" Meanwhile his words tingles at the line of sarcasm, he is in fact beyond rage for bloody Hans.
"Yes, he does," Angelica replies in the same low tone.
Since it is pure silence from outside, Jack dares sneakily opening the door. When he is about to, he feels something preventing him to. As if his hands are tied together in front of him.
What is that..?
Oh, she did not.
It brings him about a second to understand what has happened.
That sly woman. Using such a situation against him.
If he had only seen her smirk hiding in her tender eyes.
"Angelica?" he demands, a tone higher leveled than before. It earns a confused voice again appearing in the entrance room.
"I swear, Rothley, there ought to be someone here!"
It brings Angelica to close the door back smoothly as a cat. Bodily she now pushes Jack against any wall, which is not hard in such a small and tiny sort of cupboard-closet. The warmth against him brings Jack's breath to hitch.
He knew she was not done with him.
"Angelica?" he repeats. Now in a warning. Whatever she is up to, the idea is beyond bad. He knows precisely what she is about to do and this is not the best of times to choose getting back at him.
And Rothley's shouting voice is muffled from a nearby lounge room. "Get back here! You're just drunk!"
"Am not! I'm certain!"
By now Angelica's hands move teasingly over Jack's bristles, cupping his jawline to bring him down to her. He refuses but once she tiptoes to reach him, and him trying his best to avoid her, she brings her divine wet lips to kiss his neck. He could for all's sake try to make her stop driving him over the edge by pressing her against a wall. But that idea would probably just awaken even more parts in him and that he has no urge for.
She is trying to get back at him in the worst way possible. "This be not a good idea, aye," he tries to charm her but it only brings her hand to smoothly work its way past his belt, following his skin down, dangerously close to his longing for her. He inhales sharply by her touch and closes his eyes. He gets to in other words regret ever trying to make her stop right at once. He knows what she is after. But she is playing a dangerous game.
"Admit it, Jack," she whispers seductively into his ear. When her teeth teases his earlobe he cannot hinder his growing anymore and must hiss.
But no, he will not admit what she refers to.
"Don't do anything stupid," he warns in a whisper and has to swallow the groan at the end of it. "Untie me now, savvy?"
Deep down he knows she will not. He can only plead her to. But regarding how he treated her before, she will not surrender to having him just like she wants. Getting back at him for all she cares. With her hand clasping and caressing him teasingly, he knows for sure that while he fights with all he has, his body must still give in to his inner trembling. He has to swallow every moan of pleasure that wants to slip his lips and it is as if Angelica enjoys every bit of it.
Her words brush provocatively lowly in his ear as a whisper. "You must be quiet or they'll find us."
That the woman has the nerve. But no matter how much she drives him insane, she must know as much as he does that his body no longer minds regardless. It is a fight in his inner. To not give in, to stay sane.
But just as much as he knows her like the back of his hand, he clearly understands that so does she with him. He can feel her pushing the precise buttons to weaken him to his deepest. Having him cave in despair for more. Her softest touch is filled with firmness and she is, as always, the one to rule him. To have him right where she wants and Jack begins to now try with the rest of the strength he has left to try to get out of the silky ribbon tying his wrist together.
In a swift move, he has lifted his wrists to bring down his arms around her. Sort of caging her. Now working the tied position against her. Using the shortest moment of bafflement in her, Jack now has her in his embrace and has her against a wall in a blink of a second. His mouth down to meet hers and now she is the one moaning. At first her hands keep at his torso as if her will is to push him away from her. But it takes a mere second until they have moved to the back of his head and she keeps devouring him.
The tension is sharp and with her pulling desperately in the fabrics of his collar, it is apparent she needs release. And so does he.
Regaining some sanity, he at last pulls back and tries to catch his breath. He wants to feel every part of her. He is so drawn to her it physically pains him. Madness, is what it is.
Yet he cannot control it. Not even the slightest.
She seems to understand as she begins to open the door and carefully let her gaze wander through the entrance room and staircase. It is completely empty.
Gently he gestures for her to go and quietly he heads after her. Together they make their way upstairs and carefully they make their passage through hallways to their room. All the while Jack tries to work himself out of the tie. But my god, the woman has firm fingers with the knot.
In their hurry they are a few steps away from their bedroom when he at last hear the rasp of the ribbon splitting in half by his force. And there is a split second afterwards when his hands surprises her by from behind grab her bosom. Her yelp silences with his blocking hand covering her mouth to damper it. With a swift motion, he suddenly has her lifted and pushes them inside their bedroom, kicking the door shut with his heel and fast to have her down in bed.
With all tension built up for what seems like ages, intense intimate moments that knocked air out of them, weaknesses with folding knees in pure want and this sexual magnetism to each other, they for once just savor the night for what it is.
Tenderly, lovingly with caring movements to intently look into each other's eyes. Warmly kissing and make out with such seductiveness and tease Jack has to push his inner to let this love making remain so warily gentle.
After an overly loaded breakfast at the Rothley's, the Teagues cannot find it more irresistible than to head home. Whilst the ending of the night left them with nothing but peace flowing in their veins, all tension released, the events of a nightless long night handed them dreamy images of a continuation of a long relaxing day.
Which means that when the butler at last arrives with the carriage, ready to bring them home, they are more than eager to head home. With a dazzling act, they pretend being too sad of departure to the Rothley's, however as soon as being inside the carriage, Angelica's shoulder sink for the first time in quite some time.
It is something that will not however last for long. But she is unaware of that. At least for now.
Because while Jack sure got it all out last night, the words of what she told him still echoes in his mind. Hans never should have threatened her. He never should have treated her that way.
And Jack blames himself. It is all his fault she is in this. Gibbs's fault, literally. But in the end of the day, it is his fault. She never should have been here to begin with. And she never would have fallen for this child.
Let alone, the two of themselves would not have turned their lives upside down like this. Not knowing where they are heading, what is right and what is wrong. What they are supposed to do and what goes against themselves.
He should perhaps have spoken with her further about it. About the conversation she had with Hans. Give her an opportunity into calming him down, making him rethink. Just as she did the night before. But as he never utters anything about it, she never knows his intentions.
Because they barely speak at all on their way home.
Home.
Once the carriage has arrived, Jack must clear his throat as he walks down the folded stair to the gravel path below. His hand is up for her to grab and she does as he assists her down. All an act for the staff of the house. For Hans that proudly noticed them not talking for the glimpse he managed peeking through the window of the carriage. And for acting like a gentleman upon the sight of all others.
Just how he wants it.
But there is something bitter in Jack's expression. His clenched jaw and his disapproval of... something.
Angelica is fast to hurry to the nursemaid. She has Frances in her embrace at once and kisses her harder than ever. The tight embrace almost appears painful but it is clear she has no intentions of letting the child go.
Unfortunately this is where Jack will fail her. Fail Angelica, Frances and even maybe himself.
Once Hans at last notices Jack bitter tone upon speaking with him, they are again inside the dining room.
It is a moment when Jack is not acting rationally at all. A time when he has a sword pointing to Hans warningly.
"You spoke with her."
Hans's mouth forms to an 'ah'. He finally understands Jack's behavior. It is not what he hoped for. But he understands it nevertheless.
His fingertip moves to the sword and he aims to guide it aside. But Jack's outreached arm does not move at all. And as result, both men will peer to one another.
"Ye never do that again, savvy."
Hans clears his throat, as if he does not have a sword pointing at him at all. "I do not savvy, Jack." Using his very own word. "I do not take orders from a pirate. She needs to understand what she is here for. And so do you. I will not have anything risked because of an easy urge."
Jack lowers his sword. "We won't rethink."
Now Hans peers again. "That's the problem, Jack Sparrow," now using his real name. "Isn't it?"
Jack frowns, not understanding at all.
"We," Hans repeats. "There was nothing 'we' when we began this, was there? And now you are using you and her as a 'we'."
Jack speaks nothing but he never breaks his intense stare.
"Governor Milton will not have you postponing this more than what we have reached now. Our time is running out, Jack."
"I did come closer to the deal," Jack admits. "Last night."
"Very well," Hans comments. "But you need to never forget that I work for Governor Milton, and he is an impatient man."
While Jack may speak the truth, it is not always the wisest of choices. This one time is one of those.
"Ye need to stop threatening her," he points out again, his demand clear in his firm tone. But he does the mistake of challenging him. Challenging Hans. "You and Governor Milton depend on us. If the word gets out, ye be falling with us."
Frustration gets the best out of Hans. "This is exactly, Sparrow, what was not supposed to happen!"
"What do you mean?"
"You getting ideas on shifting the positions," Hans spits. "The positions are clear. The deal is equally clear. It has to get done, and soon. Or else."
Jack eyes him directly. "Ye cannot harm us."
Hans seems to think about this and then clasps his hands as if he at last has put two and two together himself. As if he has realized something. "You're right, Jack. I cannot harm you."
And that was his mistake. To not grasp what Hans actually meant. They are interrupted in their banter with Salazar entering the room, ready to have a course served. And this will add to the fact of Jack never noting the staff being sent to their homes.
Angelica on another matter never joins the men. She occupies herself inside her bedroom with Frances. Sitting in an armchair by the fireplace, she has a book unfolded in her lap with the toddler sitting tightly in her embrace. Her tiny and chubby baby-fingers move along the pages as she tries to speak. "Dat?"
"That," Angelica repeats, smiles and clasps her hand around Frances's lovingly. She kisses it and smiles warmly down to the girl. "Is a flower."
"Flowl," Frances repeats beamingly and Angelica's genuine smile grows warmer. The girl snuggles into her chest and she kisses the top of her head. The tiny Frances hugs Angelica around her neck and she lets go of the book to hug her back.
Never in a million years had she expected to fall this hard for a baby. For a child.
But she has. Oh she has indeed.
The words are so sincere she does not even reflect upon them. "I love you, Frances."
With Frances's heavy eyelids, Angelica instead reaches for a book she herself can read. The girl tucks herself into her lap and sleepily plays with the top of Angelica's curls as the adult reads. With her hand not holding the book, she has it around Frances who hugs Angelica's hand to her body as she sleeps.
Before deciding to call it an early night, Angelica moves her gaze to the window to see darkness fall upon the capitol London. She would in fact look forward to an early evening tonight. She needed rest after everything. And as her vision lands on the bed, she feels this thug in her as every memory of last night with Jack plays in her mind.
The warmth in her embarks as she lets her gaze travel down to Frances, sleeping against her body in her lap. Fondly she caresses her hair gently. The silky softness of Frances's hair. The apple of her eye. This child. This daughter.
Her daughter.
Carefully she stands up with the child brought into her arms. She whines sleepily but soon finds new comfort in Angelica's arms as she, like the mother she is, carries the toddler to her nursery. It is with utter love she puts her down into her crib for a night's sleep.
Again, she says goodnight and plants a kiss on her forehead. It is in the doorway that she slowly looks over her shoulder and pauses. "Te amo, mi hija."
This could have been quite a calm evening. With a mood that flowed peace among the Teagues.
But it does not take long for Angelica to rush right back to the nursery once realizing.
She is back inside her and Jack's bedroom. He has called it a night as well and sits in the armchair she just had been sitting in. On her passage through the room towards the closet, she grabs a brush to comb her hair.
"How was dinner?"
Jack looks up from a journal he reads. "Not pleasant. What 'bout yours?"
"Barely ate a thing," she calmly shouts from the closet. "But had an omelett served here as I read for Frances. I didn't want to be around Hans right now."
Now it is as if something clicks in Jack. His gaze moves from the journal and he looks up, vision frozen.
Angelica returns inside the room, still working with her hair. "I hope he stays in his quarters for days," she goes on.
Jack swallows. "In fact I... spoke with him, aye."
Some sort of numbness reaches her right at. once. But first she folds her arms. "What?"
"I cannot let him threaten ye, love."
She takes a deep breath in frustration. "Jack?" she demands. "What did you say?"
He speaks, but he also begins to understand the severe point in it as his words spill. "Just a talk, eh. The bloody governor be dependent on us, aye?"
Frustration bubbles in her. "You didn't tell him that?!"
"Well..."
"Jack, you didn't?!"
"'Course? They need us more than we need them."
"Jack!" Angelica bursts out. "Don't you understand?!" she requires. "He will not have us play house! He will never let us think we can have this. He would never risk us wanting this more than wanting to give him what he wants! He will never disobey the governor! He cannot think me and Frances are a distraction for you."
She breathes heavily and Jack has understood these facts for a very long while as well. But it as if it clicks for both of them at the same time.
Before anything is said, they are both inside Frances's nursery. Storming inside like something exploded past the door leading inside to it.
The emptiness of the crib makes a twist in them both.
There is a blend of emotions beginning to wash right through her. She would have been numb if not Jack had turned at once in the doorway to head downstairs. And Angelica is right after.
Hans is in the garden. Left the house as he marches towards a carriage that stands with an open door. A few armed guards they have never seen before wait for him at it.
And Frances crying in his grasp.
Once Jack and Angelica are outside, she reaches for her parents and Hans turns around.
With the one he holds Frances, he also holds a gun. And with the other one he motions them to stop.
"Don't come any closer," his apathetic tone settles.
It is as if something cracks in Angelica. Something she quite cannot put her finger on. But it does crack.
It more than cracks.
It breaks her.
"Please," she begs and approaches him. Jack has to grab her arm to refrain her. "Please, Hans," and her voice cracks. "I beg you."
Jack meets Hans's gaze. He can read the man's eyes. Or perhaps the scariest part, is that he still somehow cannot. They are too empty to be read fully.
"Don't come any closer, Mrs Teague," Hans warns and turns on his heels towards the carriage. Frances's crying grows deeper and she squirms in his lap for all she has to get out of there.
"Jack, let go!" and Angelica wrestles out of his grip. She almost reaches Hans when he spins around and Jack manages grabbing her back again.
"Mrs Teague," and Hans raises the gun. "Don't think I don't know how to use this."
"Hans, please. Give her back to me," she tries to convince him. Tears beginning to find their ways down her cheeks. "Jack and I will do whatever you want. Please, I beg you. Just give her back to me. Jack and I will never rethink being an item."
The desperation is so sincere in her. The willingness of a mother to do anything she can to get her child back.
The heartbreak of powerlessness. Of not being able to do the one thing she is supposed to.
To protect her child.
But Hans is never the emphatic one. He views her for a moment before lowering the gun. He is sarcastic. "I can see that."
"No, Hans..," she tries while trying to get free of Jack but he only holds on to her more. Seeing the need in it.
"Angelica, stop," Jack's hold grows firmer as he gently tries to hold her back. "Don't, love."
But by now she feels as if someone has taken a piece away from her. Her vision is all blurry but she can very well see Frances screaming and crying in the hold.
"Please..."
The helplessness of her not being able to do anything.
To just watch him take her.
Take her daughter away from her.
Away from them.
"Mommy!"
And now all air is knocked out of Angelica.
"Mommy!"
But she cannot do anything. With Jack holding her back, and with Hans disappearing with her in the carriage.
A/N:... :-(
(Not the end yet.) What did you think of this chapter? Or what do you think of the story so far?
- What do you think will happen? :)