Chapter 14

SPLASH!

The water closed over my head and I released Jack's hand. When I reached the surface, Will and Gibbs were already half-way to the ship, which I realized was moving towards us. I began swimming frantically and then I looked to my left and saw Jack matching my speed easily. I looked to my right and saw Anamaria a few feet ahead of me. Behind me, I heard guns still firing and the shots hitting the water behind me. Thank God the Navy are all such horrible shots. Otherwise, Jack and I would've been killed. The Pearl came right up beside Jack and a rope was tossed down.

"Get up there! Hurry!" I yelled to Jack. The Navy was fast approaching in rowboats and I was still treading water. He looked at me for a moment, not sure if he should go or if he should let me go first.

"GO!" Without another thought, he grabbed the rope and climbed hand over hand up the side of the ship. Once he was up and over the railing, the rope was cast back down to me. I swam the few feet to it, grabbed it, and began climbing. Shots were being fired, these coming closer to hitting me, but still missing. I had pieces of wood from the Pearl's hull hitting me as the shots splintered the side of the ship. The sun was setting as I scrambled for the railing now inches above my head. Suddenly, the rope slipped from my grasp and I fell a foot or two before I managed to grab the rope again. The Navy was nearly on top of us and I had to get up the side of the ship still. I was near to the railing when a hand was shoved in front of my face. I grabbed it without hesitation and I was hoisted on to the ship. When I looked up to see who my rescuer was, I saw Alexandra standing before me, panting. I couldn't believe she'd just saved me. All I could manage was a weak 'thank you'. I heard Jack screaming to the crew to get us moving to open water. I had a few scraped on my arms from the wood that had hit me, and my hands had cuts in them from the rope after my fall. Painful as they were, I ignored it and ran for Jack. He saw me racing to him and opened his arms to me. I fell into them, crying.

"Angel, it's alright," Jack's voice said somewhere above my head. My face was buried in his shoulder. "I'm here, love." His fingers moved through my hair which he'd taken from its ponytail. The ship was moving quickly away from Port Royal and I was sobbing in Jack's arms. When I finally got control of myself, I released Jack and wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands, revealing what the rope had done to the palms.

"Oh my God, Angel. How'd this happen," Jack asked, taking my hands in his and examining them. He looked over my arms as well, seeing the cuts from the wood. I explained all of it. He took me below to his cabin and began wrapping my hands in bandages while I told him everything that had happened since he had been taken. He tied off the bandage on my left hand and looked up into my eyes. I looked deep into his dark brown eyes. With a smile, he took me up in his arms again. This time, I didn't start crying, but I lay my head on his chest, listening to his breathing. We sat there in silence for about 5 minutes, then Jack broke the silence.

"Let's go up to the quarterdeck. The sunset should be beautiful." I stood with him, but before we went, I realized that I had to tell him something.

"Jack?" He turned to face me, allowing me to continue. "Remember how when you told me that I was your daughter, you said I didn't have to stay if I didn't want to?"

"Yes," he replied, his expression not changing.

"Well, I've decided," I walked up and stood at his side, looking up into his dark chocolate brown eyes. "Now that I've spent so much time with you, I don't want to leave. I've decided to stay here, where I belong." He smiled, pulling me into him once again. I wrapped my arms around his waist.

After a few moments, we left his cabin and headed for the deck. We walked up to the helm and Jack took it from Anamaria. Everything was as it should be, everyone was working. I took my place next to Jack, my arm around his waist, his arm around mine. And with my head resting on his shoulder, we sailed together into the sunset, ready for whatever awaited us.

Fin!

Author's Note:
Wow, that was so fun to write! I'm sad now that it's over! I hope you enjoyed it! Until next time, "yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me!" – Artemis