Chapter Fourteen: The Dutchmen

The crew was silent as Jack carried Addy to their cabin. She was still alive, but barely. Time was short. Jack had tunnel vision as he laid her carefully on the bed. He didn't notice Tommy and Gibbs fallow him into the cabin, and didn't care. His thoughts were decidedly dark at the moment, consumed mostly with what he was going to do without Addy.

Gibbs voice finally broke through his thoughts as he watched Tommy cry over Addy. He realized then, that he wasn't the only one that cared for her. "Jack the Dutchmen approaches." Gibbs mumbled.

Jack swallowed that news. Of course the Dutchmen approaches, someone was dieing at sea. Jack would be damned if it was Addy they carried away. " Gibbs, see that knife," Jack said pointing to the knife in Addy's stomach, "Find who it belongs too and see him tied to the main mast. If Captain Turner wishes to fairy someone to the other side, he will have that person in short order" Jack finished ushering Gibbs out the door and then seating himself on the bed beside Addy.

&&&&&

"Alright you sorry sops! The Mistress be taken her last breaths and her murderer need be found. Look alive search every part of this ship!" Gibbs bellowed from the quarter deck.

The search was short lived however when Pintel and Raghetti stepped forward with a man in their grips. "Here Here!" Raghetti shouted.

"His knife be missing Gibbs." Pentel exclaimed. "He be the one that was working for Barbossa in Tortuga.

"Tie him to the main mast to await the Captain." Gibbs shouted. Then with a second thought walked right to the man and slugged him in the jaw with all his might. The man spit blood on the deck and sneered at Gibbs. It took all Gibbs' control not to the kill the man. Dev that was his name, if Gibbs recalled right. "It be the Captain ye be have'n words with shortly Dev. It is not my place to kill ye. Perhaps Captain Turner over there will see fit to put ye in the locker." Gibbs finished with a smile of his own when Dev paled.

Marty called down then from the crows nest pointing to Barbossa's ship in the distance. It didn't appear that they were approaching at the time, probably because the Dutchmen was close at hand. But they would as soon as the Dutchmen left with it's load. Mothers love, the day couldn't get any worse, Gibbs decide as he headed back to the Captains quarters. What he wouldn't do for a barrel of Rum!

&&&&&

"Jack"

"Well if it isn't Captain Turner gracing me pearl. The one you want is tied to the mast young William. You can have him as soon as I kill him and then you may take your leave." Jack said without looking at him he was still contemplating how to kill Dev, but he would not miss his last moments with Addy, no matter the rage brewing inside him.

"Jack you know that he is not the one I came for.." Will started then stopped as Jack's cutlass appeared at his middle. Even though Jack couldn't kill him this way, it still turned his innards to watch it happen, and feel it. " Jack it is my duty.."

"Ever honorable Will Turner, heaven forbid you shirk your duties." Jack stood up then, still holding his cutlass to Will's middle and looked him in the eyes. Will saw the torment there and swallowed. What would he do if it was Elizabeth there? "I knew I would regret what I did that day. I just didn't think it would happen so soon." Jack said then dropped his sword when Addy moaned and choked a little. He was by her side again in and instant.

Will stood back and watched the scene unfold. The woman would be dead in a matter of moments and he really didn't want to be here when it happened, but he had no choice. She would be at peace then, having made her peace with Jack and it was his duty to carry her to the other side. She didn't even fear death, She loved and was loved in return. Somewhere in his mind he could even hear Calypso weeping for the helplessness of the situation. There was no help for it, she would be going to the other side and not even Calypso herself could prevent it.

&&&&&

The entire Crew stopped and held their breath when they heard Jack's sorrowful cry. They watched with bated breath as Tommy ran out of the captain's cabin, fallowed closely behind by Will carrying the now dead Addy. They all bowed their heads in respect and even the staunchest and bloodthirsty ones had to hold their tears in check.

Will stopped his precession in front of Dev. Looking down at the women in his arms he looked at Dev, "It will be the locker for you. For all eternity." Will said so only Dev would hear him. From the look on the mans face, however, everyone on the ship knew exactly what Will said. The man deserved even worse than that for what he did to Will's mind.

Jack was standing there in a flash with his cutlass drawn. Dev looked into his face and finally conceited that he might have made a slight error in his judgment of the Captain and his loyal crew. The thought of taking the Pearl for himself seemed so foolish now. Before he could beg for mercy however, Jack had run him through and seemed to take great pleasure in it.

The steel imbedded cleanly through the man that murdered Addy still didn't take away the pain of her death. Jack figured nothing would, not even the man suffering as she did. "If I were a lesser man I might let you suffer." Jack leaned in and whispered in the man's ear. Jack pulled out his sword quickly, then smiled a wicked smile at the man, "Instead you can go to the locker headless!" With one swift blow the man's head rolled across the deck.

&&&&&

Barbossa was on the deck of his ship watching the scene as it unfolded on the Pearl, when Will appeared next to him.

"Jack will stop at nothing to destroy this ship Barbossa." Will said calmly looking out to sea.

"I had no part in that Will." Barbossa said turning to face the captain of the Dutchmen. When the skirmish on the docks of Tortuga was over, Barbossa figured Dev had lost heart when he vanished. He had no idea that the man had snuck aboard the Pearl.

"I know that, however Jack is in a state that clouds his judgment. He will stop at nothing to sink this ship Barbossa, even at the cost of the Pearl." Will finished looking toward Barbossa. When Barbossa nodded in agreement, Will took his leave.

"To port you scurvy dogs, and live to fight another day!" Barbossa shouted as he took the helm to turn the ship about

A/N: The Final Chapter is next and I am desperate for Reviews. Please Review and let me know what you think. Also be kind and keep in mind that this IS a romance and NOT a tragedy! Let me know who wants the end and Review! Thank You to all of you who have and anyone who will.