The Storm

As the sun descended below the waves, the sea began to unleash her fury. As the storm passed over the Dutchman, rain fell in buckets, the waves easily towering over the ship. The crew held on as best they could, but it was apparent they would have to seek shelter soon. Will sped across the deck, nearly slipping on the drenched wood. Virtually blind in the sheets of rain, he could hardly see where anyone was. The only thing he went by was his embedded knowledge of the ship and the constant bolts of lightning that illuminated the pitch-black night. The wind howled in his ear, the rain hitting his back like little shards of glass. Eventually he made it to the helm, only to find Alanna cowering by the wheel. Her hair was matted to her body, her eyes wide with fright. She strained against the rhythm of the angry waves, struggling to stand upright. Will stretched his hand out and guided her towards him.

"We have to go below!" he shouted over the storm. "There's nothing more we can do but wait it out."

"I know!" she shouted back. "That's what I've been trying to do!"

Despite the situation, Will smiled. Even in the darkest of times, she always managed to keep things light. He loosened her grip on the wheel and grabbed her wrist. As they made their way down the stairs, a wave crashed over the deck, knocking them off their feet. Upon landing, two things became clear. One, the storm was getting worse. Two, they weren't the only ones braving it. With a jolt of horror, Will stood, looking upon a vessel he thought he'd never see again. The Black Raven loomed in front of them, the shouts of the men equaling the sound of the shattering thunder. In the middle of the cluster stood Erebus, brandishing a sword and grinning wickedly.

"Thought you got rid of me, didn't you William?"

Will took his eyes off his rival for one moment, helping Alanna to her feet. Trying desperately not to fall again, she steadied herself, finally facing the new threat.

Will continued to glare at his opponent, while placing Alanna protectively behind him. Erebus smirked. "So it's true," he said, his velvet voice carrying on the wind. "You have adopted a new member. And what's more, I do believe you have feelings for her."

"That's none of your concern," Will growled, placing his hand on his sword hilt. He glanced over his shoulder, his face tense. "Warn the men," he said quickly. When she made no move, he spoke more firmly.

"Go!"

As Erebus's crew made ready to board, Alanna skidded across the deck and down into the hull. Will drew his sword, pointing it in Erebus's direction. Now faced with the inevitable, he showed no fear, but trusted that he and his crew would prevail.

As the storm raged on, the crew of the Dutchman were rudely awakened and now scampered to join the fight, with Alanna following close behind. This was the real deal, and she would be damned if she wasn't in the thick of it. Rather than hide below decks and let the men handle it, she gathered her courage and drew her sword. If there were any better time to prove her worth, it was now. With the mightiest battle cry she could muster, she raced toward the deck

The battle she entered was unlike anything Hollywood could come up with. Through the blinding rain, she saw her friends fighting hard against a group of pirates too gruesome to be real. When one fell, there would be another right there to take his place. Before she knew it, she was faced with her first attacker. He was a head taller than she and twice her size. If she had learned anything from Will, it was that size was no match for skill and timing. By the looks of him, he had neither. She rose up to full height and faced him directly. He held his sword high above his head, intending to overpower her. Seeing this, she ducked and rolled, using the movement of the ship to her advantage. In one motion, she was behind him, thrusting her sword through his torso. With a gasp, he fell, dead.

Alanna had no time to consider she had just killed someone. There was still a battle going on, and it was too late to back down. The next man she encountered was far leaner than the first one, and she knew it would take extra work to fend him off.

Meanwhile, toward the back of the ship, Will was dealing with a predicament of his own. Years apart had not rusted Erebus's ability, and this duel proved that. He moved light and fast, keeping Will guessing. He struggled to gain his footing, and Erebus saw this. Using a cheap trick, he tripped him, attempting to knock the sword from his hand. Will slid to the floor, but made an effort to keep his weapon within his grasp. He looked up at him, obviously winded.

"No honor whatsoever," he gasped.

"Of course not," Erebus sneered. "I thought you'd learned that by now. Hadn't dear old Jack told you that? Or did you betray him too."

The mockery was enough to renew Will's strength. He shot to his feet, his eyes snapping with fury.

"Make no mistake," he snarled. "Jack is my ally, as you were once. But there is a line between what a man can and can't do. When you attempted to murder an innocent woman, you crossed that line."

Erebus cried and made another pass at him, but Will's stance held.

"I had every right!" he barked. "She wronged me, so I wanted to return the favor! If it weren't for your petty band of soldiers, I would have succeeded!"

Out of anger, Erebus swung madly, missing Will's head by inches. Will struggled to match him, but he slipped again. Erebus saw the momentary weakness and took his chance. He brought the blade cleanly around, landing a deep cut on Will's forearm. He grimaced, but dared not give his opponent the satisfaction. Yelling with fury, he stood, now determined to end the fight, one way or the other.

"Are we having fun yet?" Alanna cried as she struck yet another man to the ground. By this time she had killed or wounded twenty, but she was hardly keeping track. She and Christopher were side by side now, defending each other when they could.

"It's difficult to say," he said through gritted teeth. "But I will tell you this much. For your first fight, you're doing well."

For a brief moment, she cocked her head at him before another attacker challenged her. He was difficult to fight considering he had both size and skill in his favor. During the course of their duel, he had forced her up the steps to the helm. The storm still wasn't helping, tossing the ship to and fro. The rain continued to fall in sheets, making it hard to see, let alone fight. Now having a bit of breathing room, she gripped the wheel, attempting to keep the Dutchman somewhat level. With the other hand, she kept her sword at the ready, keeping her opponent at bay. The task was nearly impossible, but she managed. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw a flash of red hair bounding up the stairs. As Arthur took over the wheel, Alanna focused her energies on killing (or at least disarming) her attacker. She made her way towards the rudder, the single step giving her a slight advantage. As she parried, struck, and dodged, she noticed a key weakness. He fought well, but was easily distracted. It was on one such distraction that she found her chance. She thrust her sword between his ribs, catching him as he crumpled to the floor. Only then did she notice that Arthur was no longer at the wheel, but caught in a battle of his own. Using all her strength, she heaved the dead weight out of her way and rushed to his aid. Too late did she see Arthur's opponent fall backward, catching the wheel as he fell. Too late did see the beam swing across the short platform. It smacked her hard, knocking the breath from her lungs. She shot into the air and, with a blood-curdling scream, landed in storm-tossed sea.

The scream was enough to bring both Will and Erebus out of their fight. The sound was distinctly female, and Will's eyes widened with horror. Alanna! his mind screamed. He made to run to where she had fallen, but Erebus blocked his path.

"Oh no," he said, grinning. "Don't think I'm going to let you save your dearest sweetheart. Oh well. An eye for an eye, I suppose."

Will growled and strode forward until he was face to face with him. "You bastard," he snarled. "I'd kill you right now if I had the chance."

With that, he brought his free hand back and balled it into a fist. With all his strength, he shot his arm toward him. Erebus had little time to react. In the next instant he was on the ground, out cold.

Satisfied, Will sped to the helm, with Arthur awaiting him.

"Where is she?" he yelled.

Arthur brought him to the side, pointing. In the next flash of lightning, he found her. She was only a few feet away, but gained distance with each second. When she disappeared, Will grabbed a rope that happened to be lying at his feet.

"Make sure this line is secure," he said quickly. "Or we'll both be lost."

Arthur simply nodded and watched as his captain jumped head first into the water, determined to rescue Alanna once more.

Down below, Alanna struggled hard against the waves, but could barely keep her head above the water. As she slipped below the surface, the clasp of her locket came loose, causing the locket to slip off the chain and sink to the depths, never to be seen again.

The salt water stung on Will's open wound, but he hardly cared. He fought hard against the current, but made headway nonetheless. He reached her just as she went under, grabbing her firmly by the waist. While one arm held her, the other held tightly onto the rope, never letting go of either.

Aboard the ship, the battle was winding down. Erebus's crew apparently saw their captain was unconscious, therefore began to retreat. The Black Raven had sustained extreme damage and could no longer stand the fight. The crew hopped aboard, much to the relief of the Dutchman's crew. The Raven began to shrink back, and was soon lost again in the cover of night. The crewmembers that remained on the Dutchman cheered enthusiastically but immediately noticed there was still something wrong. Neither Alanna nor Will was among them. Arthur's voice from the helm broke the confusion.

"Up here, lads!" he yelled. "Those two are still in the thick of it. I could use a few hands!"

Within moments, the crew grabbed the rope, using all their remaining energy to pull them up. When they were within their reach, Arthur and Christopher hoisted Will and a barely conscious Alanna up to the deck. The group sagged collectively, taking a breather for the first time that evening. Will looked down at her, concern clearly etched on his face. He would have to worry about Erebus later. For now, his top priority was to look after Alanna. Nothing else mattered. Lifting her into his arms, he strode toward his cabin, his men clearing a path for him. In his wake, they stared bleakly at one another, all of them thinking the same thing. The battle was over, but the war had just begun.

Although the storm outside began to die down, the drama inside was just beginning. Still dripping wet, Will flew into his cabin, with Alanna still huddled in his arms. Behind him, a tall, middle-aged man followed closely. His name was Myles Covington, also known as the ship's physician. From the look on his captain's face, the situation was far more severe than he first thought. Within moments, the room was rearranged and the stacks of candles lit. Will knelt by the bed, setting her down as gently as he could. Through the short span of time, he felt her body quiver as it tried to adapt to the rapid change in temperature. Trying to keep his own panic at bay, he attempted to soothe her.

"Shh, Alanna…it's alright…you're alright."

She had regained consciousness by now, but was still dazed. Her vision was blurred, causing her to see a watery haze around the candles. She struggled to think coherently.

"What happened?" she murmured.

Will looked at her, apparently not realizing she was alert. Confused himself, he continued to stare at her, taking in every inch. Arthur, who was just now walking into the cabin, was the one who responded.

"You were tossed overboard, lass," he explained. "I had just finished taking care of one of Erebus's brutes. Apparently his collision with the wheel caused that beam to swing across. It caught ye and threw you over."

Vaguely, Alanna's memory began to return. She remembered the sheets of rain, the men she battled…and a sudden force knocking her into the air. Next thing she knew she was in Will's arms, with drops of salt water splashing onto her lips.

"I see," she replied slowly. At that moment, Myles came forward. Will stepped onto the bed, holding Alanna up from behind. Though his hands were rough and callused, Myles ran them over her body with care, looking for any signs of injury. He didn't have to look any farther than her waist. A long, thin gash stretched across her side, easily bleeding through the shirt. As he examined the cut, Alanna gasped in surprise. Someone had wounded her without her even realizing it. His hands traveled upward, feeling her neck and forehead. Myles's eyes shot to Will.

"She's burning up," he confirmed urgently. "And fast. We've got to get dressing on that wound before it festers."

Myles began to reach for her shirt, but Will stopped him.

"I'll do it," he said firmly. "I need you to tend to the rest of the crew. Arthur, I place you in charge for the time being."

Myles was about to protest, but one look at the captain told him to hold his tongue. He walked from the cabin, but made a note to check in on Alanna before the night was over. Before disappearing, Arthur walked over and touched Alanna's shoulder.

"You fought bravely, lass," he told her softly. "We'll not be teasing you any more."

Even in her dazed state, Alanna nodded, offering a weak smile. Arthur nodded to his superior, rounded the corner, and was out of sight.

With a hand still holding her up, Will climbed off the bed before kneeling in front of her. Against his will, guilty thoughts began to worm into his mind, threatening to take over. You were supposed to protect her it chided. But you were too busy with your own issues. She may die because of you. If so, you may be the one to blame.

Overwhelmed, he lowered his head, not daring to look up at her. Eventually, his shoulders began to tremble.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Confused by his sudden emotion, she reached out to comfort him. He shrugged her away.

Despite her predicament, she was determined to bring him out of his self-guilt.

"Don't blame yourself," she said comfortingly. "You couldn't do anything."

"But I should've!" he snapped, finally facing her. Sighing, he hung his head again. "I'm sorry. But I should've been there to protect you. Instead I was supplying my lust for revenge. I thought of nothing else…even when you were in danger."

Alanna shook her head, the effort bringing on a wave of nausea. She fought the desire to forfeit the argument, determined to get the point across. It was then she happened to graze her eyes over the cut on his arm.

Will," she gasped. "You're hurt!"

Will barely noticed his own wound. He shrugged.

"It's nothing," he assured her, still not looking at her. "You should just be concerned about yourself right now."

Scoffing lightly, she lifted his chin. "You need to take care of that," she said firmly. "If not for you, then do it for me."

He tried to look away, but her sapphire orbs held his gaze. After a moment, he sighed in defeat, shedding his rain-soaked shirt. The wound was clean, but bled easily. He grabbed a strip of linen and began to wrap it around his arm. Alanna stopped him.

"Let me," she offered.

Seeing there was no point in arguing, he offered her his arm. Though her body shook visibly, her hands remained steady, her fingers caressing his skin whenever they could.

"You taught me well," she said as she wrapped the linen and tied it securely around his wound. "I was getting along fine. What happened was just bad luck. It was no one's fault."

Her efforts were in vain. Will shook his head solemnly, looking everywhere but in her eyes. Another shiver racked her body, and Will was reminded of the situation. He jerked his head sharply and groaned.

"We should get you out of those clothes," he said. "I'll leave you to change."

He began to stand, but Alanna reached out to grab him, her eyes swimming.

"No," she gasped. "Stay…please. I need you…. I need you here."

At that moment, something within him changed. She was the lighthouse again, shinning her light into his dark world. He seemed to come out of his trance, kneeling again and embracing her tightly, but being careful of her own injury.

"Oh Alanna," he whispered into her hair. "Forgive me. I shouldn't be so selfish. I'm so very sorry."

Seeing that she had finally broken through, she fell into his arms, letting her circumstances take their toll. Soon the pain from her gash as well as her increasing fever became apparent and she cried helplessly into his chest.

After a moment, he began to loosen his grip and faced her once more. "We've got to take care of that wound," he said with a sigh. "And get you into some dry clothes." This last was said with a hint of the old lightness. Making sure she was ok, he stepped quickly to the chest in the corner, grabbing nothing but a clean shirt. He then moved back to his previous position and proceeded to take off her boots. Instead of being swift, he removed them slowly, one by one, dramatizing each movement. Then came her leggings, which were slipped off with the utmost care. All the while, he kept his hands at a close distance in case she fell. Lastly, and perhaps the most critical move of all, he began to lift her shirt. She winced when the wet cloth slid over the wound, but her breathing quickened nonetheless. As her torso became exposed to the candlelight, Will sucked in a breath, his eyes glittering. Even in her flushed state, she was every bit as breathtaking as she was every other night. Despite the predicament, there were still sparks between them, and they couldn't deny the attraction. Agonizingly he crawled to his knees, landing a sweet, gentle kiss on her awaiting lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, whether from passion or support she knew not. If this be the last moment between them, she wanted to make it last.

As it was, the injuries and fever she now bore could not be ignored. She gasped and broke away, fighting against the increasing haze. Coming back to the task at hand, he grabbed the linen Myles had left him. Gently, he wrapped it around her waist, keeping it snug but tight enough so that it wouldn't come loose. With that, he slipped the shirt over her head. She was swaying now, struggling to keep him in focus. As he leaned down to pick her up, he comforted her once more.

"It's all right, love. You're going to be all right."

She said nothing, but allowed him to lift her effortlessly. Now at the head of the bed, he laid her down between the covers, keeping her as warm as possible. Within seconds, she was stirring restlessly, trying to release the heat that was now becoming close to unbearable. Now the panic was beginning to rise, and Will knew he needed help.

"Myles!" he bellowed.

In truth, Myles was closer than Will thought, standing just outside the cabin doors, ready to come to Alanna's aid. He was in the room in moments, placing a hand on her brow.

"Her fever's rising," he said bleakly. "She needs more help than I can give, I'm afraid."

Will tore his eyes from Alanna for a moment, looking at his comrade with frustrated eyes.

"Where do you propose we start?" he asked tersely. " We are a good day and a half away from land and…I don't know if…. if," he couldn't say it. He couldn't face the possibility that Alanna may not make it till then. He knew one thing. If the wound didn't heal, the fever from the infection would overpower her. No he scolded himself. It won't happen like that. She's going to live. She has to.

"Look, William," Myles said, addressing him directly. "Were are running low on supplies and you know it. Also, if we're to beat Erebus once and for all, we've got to repair the ship. Otherwise we're in trouble."

Myles's words held true, but Will didn't want to acknowledge it. Alanna filled his vision, and he saw nothing else. As it was, Myles was right. They had to seek a safe harbor to repair and re-supply…and, God-willing, save Alanna before it was too late.

He sighed and moved slowly toward his desk. The map before him displayed the Caribbean and, consequently, the closest ports. To the east was Tortuga, the main safe haven for pirates. That option was immediately thrown to the winds. He couldn't take her there…especially when risking exposure to such a vile environment. To the west was San Juan, a more prestigious port than Tortuga, but was still safe from the hands of the royal navy.

Satisfied with his decision, he slapped the desk and straightened. "We have our heading," he said decidedly. "We're going to head for San Juan. It's secluded, which gives us the advantage if Erebus decides to look for us. Also, we can guarantee safety from any regal trouble."

Myles leaned over the map, confirming the solidity of his plan. "Very good, captain," he said. "I'll go inform the men."

As he walked out, Will rubbed his forehead and looked again at the map. No matter how good this plan was, it all came down to one thing in Will's mind. That very thing coughed into the candle-lit room, snapping him back into focus.

"Will?"

He turned abruptly around, striding to the bed and grasping her hand.

"I'm here, love…I'm right here."

She smiled, trying to fight the darkness. "Stay, Will…stay with me."

With that, her voice trailed off as she dipped back into senselessness.

Will sucked in a breath and bowed his head. This scared him. He had seen many gruesome things through his years of piracy, but nothing had shaken him to the core like this. Alanna meant more than the world to him…and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was all right. He proceeded to caress her burning forehead, praying to every god who would listen that she would survive the night.