CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: As Long As You Both Shall Live

The inside of the church was cold and the air was still. Although it was a small building it was beautifully structured, with stained glass windows and depictions, tall marble columns and an ornate pulpit. Katie looked slowly upwards at the cross behind the altar and automatically crossed herself, though she was not sure why. Jack walked quietly along the aisle, looking around, peering into the shadows.

There were vases of flowers everywhere, and candles, though they weren't lit. Katie did not move from the end of the aisle even as Jack approached the lectern and turned as if to speak to a congregation. Before he could say anything, however, a door creaked open to his left and slightly behind, and a priest appeared.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely.

"Good afternoon, Father." Jack said as respectfully as he could, with a glance towards Katie. "We were wondering whether you would marry us."

"A wedding, what wonderful news." The priest smiled as Katie came to stand beside Jack. "Is it an elopement?"

"You might call it that." Katie replied. The priest was elderly, his hair fluffy and white and his skin wrinkled.

"Well, I would have to ask you some questions first. Perhaps we could arrange an appointment or…?"

"No, Father. You see, it has to be today. We cannot wait." The old man's mouth hung open for a moment as he considered Katie's words. She spoke with the crisp accent of the upper class and retained something of the aristocracy in her looks, though it was slightly eroded with a sort of wilderness, perhaps of travelling, judging by the clothes she wore. The man had dreadlocks and wore a sword and pistol. He was polite enough but his voice was rougher than hers and he stood with an unusual gait, as if the floor beneath him were in perpetual motion.

"It would be most unorthodox." The priest said finally. He was generally in favour of marriage for love and he saw the sincerity of said love in their frequent glances at each other. But there was a toughness about both of them that worried him a little. "Tell me, children, what do you believe?" The question was so vague that Katie and Jack simply stared for a moment.

"Well… I was raised Anglican, I suppose, but my mother was Catholic." Katie answered.

"No, no, you misunderstand me," The priest said calmly, "I ask not of church but of belief and faith in broader terms." Katie frowned, but Jack let out a huff of a breath.

"Mate, this is no time to wax on philosophy, savvy?" Katie grinned to herself; it'd been a while since Jack had used his old catchphrase. "All we want is to be married an' get off this island. We don't 'ave anythin' deep to tell ye about heaven and hell. We're simple lovers, is all."

"I understand." The priest said. "But you are in God's house." Jack made a move to open his mouth and protest again but Katie stopped him with a touch to his arm.

"Father, does the Bible not say 'do not judge by appearances but judge with right judgement'?" Her green eyes looked upon him beseechingly. "Father?" The priest sighed tiredly and raised a hand to rumple his already zany hair.

"You are right." He agreed.

"I love this man and all I wanted was to make this real. I plan to love and honour him until the day I die. Is that not what marriage means?" The priest turned his gaze to Jack when she said this.

"I can marry you today. But you must have two witnesses." Jack understood the double meaning here; witnesses of their union and of course witnesses to any crime Jack might commit against the priest, though none was intended. Jack nodded.

"We'll be one hour."

Outside in the sun again, Katie leapt happily into Jack's arms and he swung her around, beaming so that his gold teeth caught the light.

"It's happening, it's happening!" Katie said excitedly. Jack set her back on her feet and kissed her. They looked at each other for a long, happy moment that could have gone on forever.

"Did I ever tell you ye're beautiful?" Jack asked her. Katie's grin became even wider.

"Many times. Have I told you you're the most handsome man in the world?"

"Don't need to be told, love." Jack replied, and Katie laughed before grabbing his hand and pulling him back towards town. The day had heated up even more. Katie couldn't believe just a little while ago that she'd been worried how Jack would react when he knew the truth. He'd accepted her past and everything she had been, and she realised she should've known all along that he would.

They were in their happy bubble as they made their way back through the market. It was several minutes before Katie realised something was wrong; before they had been cheerfully greeted by locals and had wares shouted out to them. But now people were avoiding their gazes and even scurrying away. Not exactly fearfully, but apprehension was heavy in the air. And looking towards the dock, Katie spotted the problem. Several red coats were congregated there, just in front of where their boat was docked. Katie seized Jack's arm but he'd already spotted the problem. He swung her around and began marching calmly but purposely back in the direction they'd come. They continued round a corner to another road and began to run for the fishing huts ahead of them.

Jack knocked the door and after a few seconds where neither answer nor sound of movement within could be detected, kicked his way inside. Katie ducked in behind him and shut the door. It was dark inside and smelt strongly of fish. Katie wrinkled her nose against the smell.

"How did they know?" She asked.

"They might not." Jack replied, "Nobody in town tried to stop us, even if they avoided us." Katie leant against the door and shut her eyes, still trying to ignore the stench. "Oi," Jack said, lifting her chin. She opened her eyes to meet his, "It's gonna be alright, we're just gonna 'ave to take off sharp afterwards."

"This was never going to be ideal, was it?"

"We 'ave about forty-five minutes left to get some witnesses." He reminded her gently. "Just try not to panic, love." Katie nodded and opened the door to step outside of the hut, only to find herself face-to-face with the fisherman it belonged to. They stared each other down for a minute. His eyes moved from her face to Jack's behind her. If the latter had been alone, the man would've sounded the alarm, but seeing Katie there he stopped in his tracks.

"Who are you? What've you taken?" He demanded finally, in the hoarse voice of someone who spoke very little.

"Nothing!" Katie said quickly, soothingly. "We just, um…"

"They're lookin' for pirates in town." The man narrowed his eyes at the pair. "Keep an eye out for strangers, they said. I ain't never seen you two before."

"Pirates in town? Really?" Jack asked. It was immediately clear to him that this fisherman was not the most intelligent. "We 'ad no idea. We don't go to town much, we live on the hill."

"What're you doin' in my shack?" The man demanded.

"Listen," Katie said, with a stroke of inspiration, "We were looking for you. See, we are recluses ourselves and we need a witness for our wedding. We knew of you a little, we wanted you to come- a private affair, you understand. Someone such as yourself would be most trustworthy."

"When we didn't get an answer we worried you'd 'ad a fall or something." Jack added, cottoning on. The man's expression changed.

"Aye, normally I'd be in but I went to buy new bait in town."

"That's what we thought." Katie agreed, with half a glance at Jack. "So will you do it?"

The second witness was harder to come by, given that they were trying to keep a low profile and couldn't simply approach people if they didn't want to arouse suspicion. It was Katie's idea to try the tavern; unlike the well-kept looking inns towards the centre of town, this one appeared run down and slightly derelict. When she pushed open the door, she had a small glimpse of a very small and dirty room with only a few people inside, all drunk as far as she could see. But then Jack caught her arm and pulled her outside.

"Stay here, an' keep a sharp eye." He told her in a low voice, before entering the tavern alone. He returned some time later with a boy no older than thirteen. He had a grubby face with sharp features.

"Name's David, ma'am." He introduced himself. "'Appy to 'elp on this 'ere occasion." He spoke with the broad voice of a Londoner, and Katie wondered how he'd ended up in Barbados, though she didn't dwell on the thought for long. They now had about twenty minutes in which to get married and then flee, and so as a trio they raced back to the church. David took them through back ways and lesser used roads in order to avoid people. Jack had explained the situation to the boy hurriedly, and had promised him a place in his crew if he helped them with this and promised not to reveal the true purpose of his and Katie's visit to the island. He'd agreed readily.

The fisherman was waiting outside the church, and he eyeballed David suspiciously. They ignored this and re-entered the church. The priest was waiting by the altar, appearing to have hardly moved an inch since they'd left. David and the fisherman sat down on pews and Katie approached the priest. When she glanced back, she noticed that Jack was searching the church.

"'ad to check we didn't have any unwanted guests." He explained to Katie, then leant in closer to her ear, "This is it love." She smiled radiantly up at him at these last four words. The day she had worried about, even dreaded in the past- her wedding day. And here it was, and she had no fear at all, at least not of the marriage.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sign of God and in the face of his company-"

"Can we make it snappy, mate?" Jack interrupted. The priest's mouth twitched, but he obliged as Katie and Jack joined hands.

"Do you-" He looked enquiringly at Jack then.

"Jack Sparrow."

"Do you Jack take-"

"Kathryn Houlton." Katie supplied, causing a surprised smile to cross Jack's lips.

"-Kathryn in holy matrimony, to love, honour and keep her, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others for as long as you both shall live?"

Jack looked down into Katie's wide green eyes, her red hair hanging about porcelain skin that had never tanned nor burned, with her beautiful smile and tough interior, and something welled up inside him.

"I do." He said, slightly choked. Katie beamed.

"And do you Kathryn take Jack to be your husband, and in matrimony to love, honour and obey him for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?" Katie did not hesitate.

"I do." The priest paused however and looked at them enquiringly.

"Do you have rings?" They shook their heads, their eyes not leaving one another. In the pews, even the fisherman was smiling.

"May God bless your marriage, and wherever you go- may you return to each other, joined together in one unbroken circle." It was not the full, long marriage service but it did the job. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Grinning, Jack pulled Katie to him and kissed her fully on the mouth, careless of the fact they were in the house of God. Katie swayed from his intensity and gripped his arms, pushing herself away from him, laughing. Then she turned to the priest.

"Thank you, Father. You have been very kind." The priest smiled and nodded. Jack turned to David and the fisherman.

"Thanks so much, mates." He could barely say anything else. Katie took his hand.

"Go to the docks David- and thank you sir. Thank you." She added to the fisherman, a little speechless herself now. Their two guests left the church and the priest walked quietly away, allowing them a private moment. Katie and Jack gazed at each other for a moment. Jack was in shock; he was a married man, and what's more, he was happy to be! Katie just felt a strong sense of gratitude; she had married a man she actually loved. That was very rare where she came from. The now truly married couple hugged then on the spot, their grips tight.

"I love you." Jack mumbled in her ear, holding her as if hoping he would never have to let her go.

"I love you too." After standing with their arms wrapped around each other for so long both could have slept on their feet right there, they broke apart, hand-in-hand, and headed for the door of the church. They had forgotten their earlier problem, the fact the navy were looking for them. All either could think about was what a perfect beginning to an unconventional marriage that wedding had been. Katie smiled to herself as they neared the end of the aisle. Now she felt that she could tell him, tell Jack the other secret she had been keeping, just as soon as they got outside into the sunshine.

"I have to tell you something." She said, with a kind of quiet and intense happiness in her voice.

"What's that love?" Jack asked, pulling open the door.

"I-"

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!" Katie barely felt the warmth of the sun on her face when the words punctuated their blissful moment, her heart thudding. Before them were several redcoats, all with bayonets pointed at their throats.

A/N: I'm really sorry this has taken so long, I've been really busy! I really hope you enjoyed their wedding. Thanks to everybody who reviewed last time, you guys are too kind! Special thanks to FlightoftheStorm777, your story is great and I'm glad you like mine too. I thought I'd leave you all on a little bit of a cliffhanger here. Please let me know what you think!