Chapter Thirteen: A Storm
"Jack what is wrong? I mean I know the ship is in bad repair, but you have been different the last few days." Addy said stepping between him and the helm and wrapping her arms around his waist.
Jack smiled lightly and looked up to the sky. "Cotton!" Jack said looking for the man and his parrot. Signaling him to take the helm. Jack walked Addy to their cabin. When did he start think of it as their cabin? He purposely set her in a chair and began to pace.
"Jack what is wrong?" Addy said laughing at the man. "Jack?" She said a little more seriously when he continued to pace.
"Addy We are sailing to the fountain of youth. Before you say anything let me finish. The women there gave me the task to find you and make you love me. Only then would she grant me immortality. We have to return there and be judged by her…"
"Wait. What? You had to make me love you? Jack did I hear that right. This was a game? I was a task so you could be immortal? Am I understanding this right?" Addy started yelling.
"Addy please you are missing…" Jack started as she hurled a lamp at him, thankfully it wasn't lit and he dodged it.
"You bastard, how could you play someone like that! What did I expect, you are a pirate after all." she continued to rage.
Finally Jack walked up to her and stilled her in his embrace. He felt her tears through his shirt and started cursing himself. Amazing how he could talk himself out of any situation and turn a conversation in his favor. Anything, except this one with her,
"Jack tell me you love me anyway. Tell me Jack." Addy cried holding on to him as if it was the last embrace they would ever share. "Be honest Jack." she whispered.
Jack knew he should tell her yes, but he didn't know what love was and was so unsure of himself and his feelings in that moment. He was honest with her when he replied, "I don't know Addy, I don't know what this is I feel."
Addy abruptly let go of him and walked for the door. "To think I gave you my heart without condition. I am a fool." The last Jack heard was the door slamming shut. Bloody hell at least she loves him, or did.
&&&&&&
Addy paced the floors of the galley, out of the wind and rain that seemed to be a faint echo to her mood. Well, she thought, at least he was honest with her. As honest as a pirated could be she supposed. Still how could a man be that self centered. Immortal. Why would someone want to be immortal. She could think of a few reasons herself, but at the expense of someone else. She thought he loved her.
Even as angry as Addy was she knew deep down that she loved Jack with all of her being and would until the day she died and maybe even longer. How one man could make her feel that way in such a short amount of time was beyond her. Maybe it was fate or some such thing.
The ship was taking a serious beating now in the storm and Addy was knocked off her feet with it. Suddenly she realized that she had to tell Jack that it didn't matter, she loved him anyway. What if something happened and she lost him in the storm. She had to tell him.
Addy started climbing the steps to the main deck when someone grabbed her roughly from behind and covered her mouth as she was ready to scream. The man reeked of, God only knew what that smell was, and he would not let her move or even see his face.
"See if the good captain will gain immortality now." He whispered in her ear right before she felt a searing pain in her stomach. Addy looked down when he let go of her to see a knife sticking out of her stomach and her vision blurred. "Be a while 'fore ye die, but die ye will." The man said as he stepped over her and headed up the stairs. Addy's last thought was that she didn't get to tell Jack how much she loved him.
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Tommy was hurrying to keep up with all the captains orders during the midst of the storm. He thought the Captain had a bit of crazed look in his eye but wisely didn't comment.
"Good job boy, we are through the worst of it." Jack said absently from the quarter deck.
"I will tell Addy!" Tommy yelled back and received a sad nod from Jack. He wondered what had happened between them. Last he saw of Addy she looked ready to murder as she ordered everyone on deck to give her peace as she raced for the galley. Tommy didn't get three feet inside the Galley when he heard someone moaning in pain. When he finally saw that it was Addy and she had a knife in her he rushed to her side.
Addy opened her eyes hoping to see Jack and smiled sadly when it was Tommy. She wanted to tell him that she loved him and to tell Jack the same, but all that came out was a mumbled "Jack."
Tommy went racing off to find the captain.
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The storm was finally loosing it's strength but still a little rough when Jack saw Tommy running up the main deck like an army of demons were chasing after him. When he saw the expression on his face Jack knew there was something wrong with Addy and let go of the wheel to run to her.
The wind took the ship then and it was only Gibbs quick thinking that saved them from disaster, but Jack didn't care. He needed to get to Addy. He didn't hear what Tommy said to him as he ran passed, but knew from the tears that it was bad. He would never forgive himself. Never.
Jack found her with a knife in her stomach and wasn't sure how to proceed. He knelt down beside her and wondered if h eshould pull it out.
" Don't" Addy said before he touched the knife. "Will bleed more."
Jack looked down into her pale face and saw the tears in her eyes. "I am so sorry Adrianna.. This is my fault." She touched his lips to stop him.
"You didn't stab me Jack." Addy said trying to pull him close to her. "Hold me"
As carefully as Jack could he tried to fill her request without hurting her. He knew he couldn't move her without causing more damage so he held her head in his lap.
"You can't die Addy I won't let you." Jack whispered more to himself than her.
"Jack know that I love you and always will." Addy said trying to keep her breath. She wasn't feeling any pain now, but she was trying to keep her eyes open.
Jack felt her breathing shallow and saw her eyes drift closed. He began to panic, "Addy! Damnit women open your eyes. I love you! I love you! Do you hear me. Don't" It was then that the mighty Captain Jack Sparrow cried for the first time in his life.
