Chapter 7

The Island, present...

She moved away from him when she woke, and sat across their little clearing on a stump. She watched him warily, unsure as to what exactly he would say or do. "Where is the crew?" She asked suddenly. "Is the Pearl nearby?"

"Floating off the coast somewhere," he gestured in the general direction of his ship. "And the crew I imagine is half there, and half on the other island looking for you. It was where we were headed you see, me compass seemed a bit undecided about that. Decided instead of searching one at a time I'd hop off and make haste at this'un, then join them across the way if I hadn't found you. I'm sure they'll be back soonish."

"How...did you even know to look for me?"

Jack shrugged and leaned back against the tree he'd claimed in the night. With the approach of daylight his confidence in her reaction had waned – now he watched her as cautiously as she watched him. "Your husband told me," his voice was laced with bitterness. "Showed up 'longside the Pearl, demanded I take my daughter," she took in a sharp breath and her stare turned wide-eyed. "And he ran off, taking your son to England, he said."

Elizabeth's breaths grew shallow. "Oh Jack – I – I'm –" he cut her off with a graceful wave of his hand.

"No need for that love," he shrugged. "I doubt there are many women in the world who would want the likes of me hangin' about their children. Can't say as I blame you, I wouldn't want me hangin' about. Were I not me of course. As it is I intend to hang about no matter what you say."

"It – it wasn't that," she shook her head and leaned forward a bit. "I know you would be good for her but – you were already starting to hate me and I couldn't -" her voice cracked a little. "You would have been bound to land, and...I needed to be in England where Liam could get a good education, you couldn't have been happy there. You're a pirate Jack!"

He stared at her, his eyes unblinking and level. "'S that what you told yourself at night?" He demanded after a few minutes. "Told yourself you did it for me, that leaving like that – that was a good move?"

"Jack there was so much more to it than that!" Elizabeth's cry fell on deaf ears. He stood up and stalked over to her, towering over her. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't break the intense gaze he focused on her.

Suddenly he had jerked her to her feet and had pulled her to him. He pulled her into his arms and she screamed. He dropped her like she was on fire and jumped away, as frightened by her terror as she was.

Elizabeth lay on the ground, her breath coming in short gasps. She understood what Jack had been doing, he wasn't intending to hurt her – but the images that had flooded her mind at his roughness had nothing to do with the many tender memories she had of the man in front of her. "I'm sorry," she whispered brokenly. "I'm sorry Jack – I didn't mean to." They both knew she meant more than her scream.

Jack was on his knees a moment later, pulling her into his arms again – gently this time, with tenderness. "Bess," he breathed against her hair. "I'm sorry you were pulled into this, hurt because of me."

She shook her head and allowed herself to be petted. She could fight down the bile in her throat when he was gentle. "It's my fault Jack," she whispered. "I was stupid, I thought my title and connections would protect me in the pirate world, I guess I forgot about...well, pirates."

He didn't laugh. He tilted her chin up and forced her to meet his gaze. She held the stare and slowly felt her defenses slipping away. He'd always had that power over her...the power to make her feel completely vulnerable and completely protected, in one stare. "Stay with me," he demanded softly. "You, me and Peg, on the Pearl."

She blinked. "Peg?" Her voice took on a funny tone.

He nodded. "Small girl, 'bout five, doesn't talk much." She pushed herself up and frowned at him.

"Peg?!" Her voice hit an even stranger note. "Jack Sparrow what have you been calling my child?"

"Her pirate name lass," Jack grinned at her. "Abigail is not so fine a handle for a young piratess."

"Well good because she'll not be one! Lord in heaven Jack! She's five!" Elizabeth mad to stand up but Jack's arms pulled her back down. "And no child of mine shall be called Peg!"

"Well love, you call her what you want and I'll call her what I want," Jack reasoned agreeably. His voice turned serious again and he once again held her face in his hand. "But you will stay Lizzie-beth. I won't live without you again."

She felt her breath catch in her throat. "I'm on my way back to meet Will," she whispered. "It's been more than nine years, I can't have him not find me."

"He brought Peg to me," Jack reminded her, letting his thumb trace her jawline. "None too happily I'll admit...but he knew love. He's known all along when you were with me on the Pearl, and I don't imagine he thinks we were having a tea party."

"Oh god," Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. "I never wanted to hurt him Jack," she brought her hands to her face. "I've broken our wedding vows!"

"You did that more than half a decade ago pet," he looked at her with some bemusement. "Or was it alright as long as dear William was unaware of this fact?"

"No!" She sat up and pulled away, shaking her head. "It was never alright Jack! I became the worst sort of woman! Loose, not caring about society, having no morals, being -"

"Happy?" He ran his fingers over her thinly-clothed arms. "You made a mistake marrying the boy Lizzie," he said quietly. "It was always you and me darling, you knew it then and you know it now."

She gasped a little at the contact. She closed her eyes and leaned back into him. "I've missed you so much Jack."

"You'll stay with me," it was not a request. She opened her eyes and met his. "We'll find a way, it will work."

She nodded, hesitantly then. He watched her. He waited. She couldn't, and found herself presently lying atop him, her fingers attempting to re-learn the tangles of his hair and lines of his body, while her mouth became reacquainted with his. His hands reached under her shift, gliding over her torso with concentrated heat and she gasped against him. They slid to the back, caressing there all the skin he had not touched in so long. She jerked away, her back arching. "Not there!" She gasped again, for less pleasurable reasons, eyes now screwed shut with pain. "Please!"

He was quiet. He hadn't been oblivious to the bruises on her face, but he hadn't questioned her on it or undressed her in the night. He had maintained a bit of decency at least...but now he wanted to assess the damage. "Let me see," he asked softly, reaching to remove her shift. She backed away, shaking her head. "Lizzie," he spoke again, still gentle. "I will have to bandage whatever is wrong, I'll see eventually."

She let out a breath and nodded, turning away and pulling her shift over her head.

Jack, to his credit, didn't let loose a gasp or the many screaming curses he wanted to shout at Richter. He simply let his fingers lightly brush one of the better healed marks and let a soft "Bess," cross his lips. Her back was crisscrossed with ugly red lashes, some still oozing blood and others only lightly healing. The burns on her upper arms made his blood boil – this had all been done from pure cruelty, more than anything he could imagine a human wanting to do. "This is everything?" he asked after a moment, forcing his voice even. "Is there anything else?"

She stared resolutely at her feet, her chin resting on her collar. She refused to look at him, even as he moved in front of her.

"Lizzie?" he asked. "I have to know, to help."

"He..." she shook her head. "He – in – he..." She saw by the way Jack stiffened that he understood and screwed her eyes shut.

Jack touched her cheek gently then turned an about face. He moved to the edge of the beach and stared in the general direction he expected Richter's ship to be. The obscenities that were in his mind would never begin to cover his emotions, so he simply planned out his attack. Richter would die by his hand, he decided at that moment. He would see the man gasp and rattle his last breath. He took a few deep breaths to calm the fury he felt. He had the vague idea that if he didn't control it, it would swallow him up.

He returned to Elizabeth and helped her replace the shift, promising to bandage it all when they returned to the ship.

When they arrived at the ship a few hours later, their party was immediately doused in fear. Mr. Gibbs informed them that Abigail was not to be found, and one of their young crewmen was missing...as was the spare longboat.

Elizabeth had to be carried to Jack's cabin, while he made immediate plans to turn and chase them. 'Hector said I always run from a fight eh?' he thought to himself. 'Well Matthias, this time I'm bringing the fight to you mate.'

When they would tell the story in later years, they always blurred over the time between the revelation and their subsequent arrival, of a very sneaky nature, aboard die Süsse Liebe late the following night, and if pressed would claim forgetfulness, or in Elizabeth's case, unconsciousness – and in Jack's case, mutter something about stubborn women who should have been recuperating, along with vague references to a long-past stay in Vienna. Elizabeth usually just smiled knowingly at this juncture and moved on with her part of the tale.

And regardless of the circumstances, sneak aboard ship they most certainly did – and if Jack spent most of the intervening time shooting dark looks at Elizabeth, neither of them mentioned it. They in fact managed to not only sneak aboard the ship, but also arrive – via what was to Elizabeth a very familiar ledge and window – in the captain's quarters.

The room was absolutely dark, and silent. Elizabeth's fingers slipped into Jack's hand and he squeezed them gently.

"I am glad you came so quickly," the voice made them both jump, and they shielded their eyes from the suddenly burning lamp. Richter sat at his desk, his feet propped up calmly. Their eyes were drawn to the blade he held in one hand. It gleamed in the lamplight, from its position, pressed at the base of the bound and gagged Abigail's throat. "Now we negotiate, ja?"

AN: And now nothing new until after the weekend, 'cause I won't have my computer and thus will be unable to write until I get back. Enjoy!