"Don't I know you?" Lady Katherine Pierce asks as she approaches Damon.
"A lady should know her own property."
"My property?" She looks at him curiously.
"Let me refresh your memory, Miss Pierce. My name is Damon Salvatore and I'm worth precisely 10."
"Forgive me for not recognizing you, Dr. Salvatore. You're so changed for the better."
"The Governor tells me I have you to thank for that. Suggesting me to treat his gout."
"You don't sound very grateful, Dr. Salvatore."
"Do you think I'd be grateful for a slightly easier life when my friends are treated like animals?"
Katherine stares at his audacity.
"Good afternoon, Miss Pierce." Damon tips his hat and takes his leave.
Having worked in the Sulphur mines for close to two years now, the time is close at hand for their escape. They've been planning it for many months, working through the logistics and every scenario to make it successful.
"I've seen the boat. Courage, my friends. I'll join you at midnight," Damon tells his tight group of friends.
"Caution above everything. He who goes slowly, goes safely. Remember, Enzo, you're the only navigator among us. Without you, there's no escape."
"We could use more food, but there's no money left."
Damon grips his shoulder as he locks eyes with his friend. "Enzo, we must not fail tonight."
"What the devil have you been up to?" Captain Whitmore demands of Damon as approaches him at the bay.
"I've been at my work, attending to the Governor."
"You lie!" Whitmore spews angrily.
"Do I?" Damon taunts as he stares unblinkingly at him.
"The Governor's had another attack of gout. He's been screaming for you like a wounded horse all the afternoon."
"Then it appears I was not with the Governor."
"Then where have you been?" Captain Whitmore snaps as he narrows his eyes at Damon.
"Why, I've been at..."
"He was with me, Captain." Lady Katherine steps out from behind a row of bushes.
"What?" Whitmore asks incredulously.
"Thank you for protecting my reputation, Dr. Salvatore, but it is a useless gallantry. My uncle knows that I spend my time with whomever I please," Lady Katherine explains as she fans herself.
"You might choose your company with better taste," Captain Whitmore remarks in reproach.
"My uncle will say the same... now if you'll excuse us," she slides her arm through Damon's and leads him away. "His Excellency is waiting for you."
"lt seems that you're continually doing me favors," Damon remarks when they're a good distance away from the Captain.
"lt's because you're so very grateful and always thank me so prettily," Lady Katherine retorts with the hint of a smile.
"Surely, you don't blame me for resenting you and your favors," Damon counters as they sit down in the courtyard of the governor's mansion.
"This is interesting. I've had men tell me they had reasons for admiring me and some have even laid claims to reasons for loving me...but for a man to store up reasons for resenting me, how refreshing. You must tell me a few of them."
"The first is reason enough. You bought me. I was in no mood to thank my purchaser," Damon reveals truthfully.
"That I can understand. Go on."
I've resented you because your name is Pierce. My thoughts have lumped you with your uncle. How was I to know that a devil could have... That a devil could have an angel for a niece?"
"From a resentful man, that is a pretty fair compliment. Have you any more reasons for resenting me like that one?" Lady Katherine urges him to continue.
"I have, indeed. The strongest of all...I've resented you because you're beautiful, and I'm a slave. Do you understand that?"
"Perhaps if you were to explain further, I..."
"Why did you lie to Captain Whitmore?"
"Because, Dr. Salvatore, you're a physician and should know. ls it not considered healthy for a slave to be seen near a boat..."
"And why is that?" Damon shifts to face her.
"Boats put out to sea. Slaves may not."
"You're jumping to conclusions, aren't you?"
"Am I?" Lady Katherine replies. "You should go. The Governor is waiting for you."
Damon nods. "Miss Pierce, it's difficult for a slave to apologize. But I hope you can forgive me for having thought badly of you."
"I will if you tell me how you think of me now."
"How I think of you now? I think of you as the woman who owns me. Her slave. But I think the man is lucky who can count you as his friend."
"I think you know you can," Lady Katherine confirms.
Damon rises to his feet. "Your slave is grateful for all marks of favor," he remarks flippantly as he leaves her to take care of the Governor.
"Who goes there?"
"Damon Salvatore," he calls out and enters the slave area. Seeing Enzo chained up and hanging from the wood frame, he hurries over to him.
"Enzo, what happened?" Damon asks as fury erupts in him at the sight of the welts on his friend's back.
"Water."
Damon fetches a ladle and lifts it to his lips. "Easy there."
"I didn't tell him. I didn't."
"Tell him what, Enzo?"
"About our plans," Enzo states in barely a whisper.
"My back. Help me, Damon."
"Who did this?"
"Pierce had that swine Captain Whitmore do it. I didn't tell him. I didn't. ls our boat still standing in at the bay?"
"Yes, Enzo."
"I wondered if I was still out of my mind. I've been seeing boats sailing in and out in and out, but ours will never sail."
"This is not the place, Enzo," Damon cautions him.
"Or if it does, you'll sail without me."
"What? And get lost at sea without our navigator? Nonsense."
"What are you doing here?" Captain Whitmore appears.
"I'm abiding by my Hippocratic Oath," Damon defends himself.
"I said he was to have no food nor drink till I ordered it," Whitmore barks at him.
"I wasn't aware," Damon snaps at him.
"How could you? You weren't here."
"Then how do you expect me to know what orders you've given?"
"You dare take that tone with me?" Whitmore seethes as he glares at Damon.
"Yes, I do!" Damon steels his spine as he holds his stare until Whitmore looks away.
"I've been too soft with you... but that shall be mended. Maxfield, tie him up! You've had it easy here up to now. Get up there. Now I'll take this rod to you... until there's not an inch of hide left on your dirty carcass."
"And what becomes of His Excellency, the Governor's gouty foot?" Damon queries scathingly.
"You'll not save yourself with that device this time. Nothing will save you..."
Suddenly, bells ring and shots fire repeatedly. "Pirates! Spanish pirates!" is yelled aloud and quickly followed by a clanging of alarm bells.
Captain Whitmore summons his soldiers to the harbor. "This is what I call a timely interruption, but fear not, Dr. Salvatore, this is only a temporary reprieve," he mocks Damon as he pulls his pistol and leaves to join his men.
"We can stay here waiting for them to catch sight of us or we can make our escape now. Come on, men." Damon gesticulates with his arm for them to follow. When they reach the harbor, their excitement quickly turns to despair when they see only the mizenmast sticking out of the water.
Mason looks at the ship crestfallenly. "Sunk to the briny bottom, she has."
"And it sunk our hopes with it," Enzo replies wistfully.
"Perhaps not," Damon smirks as he looks at the horizon.
"What do you mean, Damon?"
"Since the Spaniards have been thoughtless enough to sink our craft, it's only fair to commandeer one of their ships." Damon points to an empty-looking vessel. "To the water, men," he calls aloud as if it's a battle cry and dives into the water...
After dispatching the few crew members remaining on board with fisticuffs, Damon takes to the helm.
"Lockwood, man the guns!"
"Aye, aye, captain," he salutes Damon and quickly instructs the men to load the cannons.
"All ready, Lockwood?"
"Aye, Damon, ready."
"Alright, let's give them a taste of their own iron!" He commands and it's quickly followed by bursts of cannon fire.
"You've done it, Lockwood!"
"Didn't I tell you I was a gunner, sir?" Tyler Lockwood states proudly with a salute.
"You did that, it's a gunner you are! Hoist the anchor and man the sweeps," Damon commands with authority.
"Aye, sir."
"There's another boat approaching," Enzo points. "lt looks like Captain Whitmore."
"The fool would come blundering in just now," Damon curses, watching as the smaller boat closes the distance between them.
"He's a sitting duck. I can pick him off right now," Enzo aims a muscat at him.
"Hold your fire," Damon remarks as the man steps onto the ship. "Welcome aboard the Flying Dragon, Captain Whitmore."
"Salvatore, it's you," he remarks scathingly as two of Damon's crew come to either side of him.
"Since you're so fond of punishment, Captain, as your physician, I'd prescribe a bit of neck-stretching." Damon circles him as if preparing to attack his prey.
"We shouldn't hang him. Let's tie him over the end of a cannon. I'll scatter his innards all over the deep blue sea," Tyler remarks, holding a blade to the Captain's throat.
"Can you swim, Captain Whitmore?"
"Why?" he asks as he stares icily at Damon.
"I'm going to show mercy that you're incapable of. I'm giving you the chance to cool off some of that excessive heat of yours."
"What do you mean?" Whitmore shoots daggers at Damon.
"Over the side with him, men!"
"Damon Salvatore, I'll make you pay for this if I have to spend the rest of my life doing it!"
"And then the whale came, and the whale swallowed Jonah. I hope. Goodbye, Jonah. Don't forget to write," Damon mocks as his men toss Captain Whitmore over the side of the ship.
He and his men watch in amusement as Whitmore raises his fist and shakes it at them.
"Bye, bye," Damon smirks as he waves with his hand before turning to his crew. "Get ready to make way. Taylor, get the sails aloft. Thomas, get those men over here. Can you handle it, Enzo?"
"Aye, aye, Damon." Enzo salutes him.
"We sail. Hard to starboard. Up that rigging, aloft! There are no chains to hold you now! Break out those sails and watch them fill with the wind that's carrying us all to freedom. We, the undersigned... are men without a country. Outlaws in our own land, and homeless outcasts in any other. Desperate men, we go to seek a desperate fortune. Therefore, we do here and now band ourselves... into a brotherhood of buccaneers to practice the trade of piracy on the high seas. We, the hunted, will now hunt! To that end, we enter into the following articles of agreement.
First, we pledge ourselves to be bound together as brothers in a life-and-death friendship sharing alike in fortune and in trouble. In the second article, all money, and valuables that may come into our possession shall be lumped together into a common fund and from this fund shall first be taken the money to fit, rig, and provision the ship.
After that, the recompense for each will receive who is wounded is as follows: For the loss of a right arm, 600 pieces of eight. Left arm, 500. For the loss of a right leg, 500. Left leg, 400. A fellow can get rich if he's lucky. Greedy. lf a man conceals any treasure captured or fails to place it in the general fund, he shall be marooned. Set ashore on a deserted isle and there left with a bottle of water, a loaf of bread, and a pistol with one load.
lf a man shall be drunk on duty; he shall receive the same fate. And if a man shall molest a woman captive against her will... He, too, shall receive the same punishment. These articles entered into, this 16th day of June, in the year 1681. Now, men, you've heard the agreement, it's the world against us and us against the world.
Those of you in favor of these articles, raise your right hands and say aye!"
"Aye!" the crew all yells in unison with their arms raised in celebration.
"I never knew, Damon." Elena snuggles against him even tighter as she sits on his lap in Enzo's room. She knows he's worried about his friend. "Enzo was a prisoner with you. Where did you pick up Ric?"
"A year or so later, he came on board when we were docked at Tortuga."
"Do you think Enzo will be okay?"
"I've done everything I can. It's up to him now."
"What about Katherine? Did you ever see her again?" Elena lays her head on his shoulder as she stares at him.
Damon turns his head and kisses her cheek. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Picking up his bottle, Damon takes a swallow as his mind again drifts to the past.
"Well, if it isn't the niece of our old friend, Lord Pierce," Damon remarks as he circles the woman.
"Hello, Captain Salvatore," Lady Katherine greets him dryly with her head held high.
"And how is it that you're with this scoundrel?" Damon asks, gesturing at the other ship's captain.
"Our ship was sunk by these pirates," Lady Katherine spits out as she glares at Captain Donovan.
"Captain Salvatore, these are big fortunes. A nobleman and the niece of Lord Pierce of Jamaica," Donovan mentions as he flashes his yellow teeth at Katherine.
"Obviously, these two prisoners, and particularly the young lady must be kept in someone's hands for, shall we say, safekeeping," Damon remarks as he winks at Katherine. "Or do you prefer to keep her for yourself?"
"What price do you ask for us?" The nobleman, Lord Cook looks at Captain Donovan.
"20,000 pieces of eight. The ransom is to be paid by Lord Pierce," Donovan replies haughtily.
"But if the Governor should refuse to pay the ransom, what then?" Lord Cook counters.
"So, he's the governor now? Interesting, very interesting..." Damon remarks softly.
"I have 20,000 pieces of eight. I will pay for her release," Lord Cook offers.
"And who will pay for yours?" Damon smirks. "I bid 25,000 pieces of eight. Can you improve on that, Cook?"
"I don't wish to be bought by you," Lady Katherine interjects, staring at Damon with fire in her eyes.
"As a lady once said to a slave you are hardly in a position to have anything to say about it."
Donovan picks up a strand of Lady Katherine's hair and brings it to his nose.
"You want the girl?" Donovan looks at Damon curiously.
"Why not? And I'm willing to pay for what I want... Captain Donovan, you boast a knowledge of pearls. At what do you value each of those?" Damon pours several out of his leather pouch into Donovan's hands.
"1,000 pieces each," Donovan appraises them.
"They're worth rather more, but very well. Here are 12. The three-fifths the value of the prize is due to your ship for having made the capture. Now, Enzo, will you be so kind as to take my property aboard ship?"
Enzo nods. He and a few others surround Lady Katherine and Lord Cook and urge them toward the water.
"And that settles that, my captain partner."
"No, you don't! Stop, Captain Salvatore! Wait! You'll not take her while I live!" Donovan shouts and signals his men to stop Damon's.
"Then I'll take her when you're dead!" Damon pulls his sword from its sheath.
The two men stand in one place, trading feints, thrusts, and parries with lightning speed, almost impossible to follow.
Damon and Donovan duel, causing their blades to flash and ring.
Donovan kicks a rack and attacks Damon, both blades flashing and manages to knock his opponent down.
With Damon lying on the ground, Donovan teases, "Do you know any prayers, my friend?"
"I'll say one for you!" Damon's next swing - as he's lying flat on his back - is so ferocious that it catches Donovan unaware and knocks the blade from his hand.
Sweeping his legs, Matt kicks at Damon, giving him enough room to retrieve his sword, and follows him up a winding stone staircase as they continue their duel.
Donovan strikes out, deftly slicing off a candle with a flick of his wrist.
Damon counters, doing the same, seeming to miss because the candle is still sitting in place. With a smirk on his face, he reaches out with the tip of his sword and lifts the sliced top off of the remaining bottom, and smiles innocently at his opponent.
Captain Donovan strikes out again. Damon parries with his sword and rushes him, trapping him against a large boulder.
"What now, Captain Salvatore? Are we to be two men, locked in an epic battle until the trumpets sound on judgment day?"
"Or you could surrender!" Damon shoves him away, his mouth twisting into a roguish grin.
Captain Donovan charges. Damon twists the sword from his grip, reverses it - presses the tip of the sword into Matt's neck. His face contorts in shock and his eyes roll just before he crashes dead to the ground.
Damon stares at the dead man. "And that, my friend, ends a partnership."
"All these things I've gathered in my journeys. I've gone far since I was a slave on your uncle's plantation thousands of restless, hectic miles. But somehow tonight, I've got a strange feeling that my journey's almost over," He muses as he shows Katherine some of their spoils.
"You see these ankle rings? They came from a ship that was out from Persia. And these pearls they're the choice from a fleet we captured off the Azores. Have you ever seen such pearls?" he asks as he sets one in her hand.
"Yes, I have. They're like the pearls you sometimes use for making purchases, are they not?"
"Yes, they are," Damon admits as he drops it back into the pouch.
"How many lives did they cost?" Lady Katherine counters as her eyes scan the treasures of gold and jewelry.
"As few as possible. lt wasn't lives I was after."
"What, then?"
"Some urge that drove me on. Revenge, I suppose. But I've had my fill of revenge. I often wondered why I bothered to save all these things. Tonight, I know it's because one day you'd be here in this cabin to wear them."
"I'll never wear them, never! Those nor any other plunder gotten by a thief and pirate," Lady Katherine fumes unabashedly. "I've seen your pirate ways. I've seen myself bargained for and fought over. Combat between jackals."
"But I thought you understood."
"You mean you thought you'd bought me. I suppose I should have regarded that as a compliment. You, pirates, are used to taking without the formality of purchase. I advise you to go back to your ladies at Tortuga who are thrilled by your bold, lawless ways. I only hate you and despise you." Katherine rebukes him.
"I might have expected your thanks for what I've done this day but very well, let it be so. I'm a thief and pirate and I'll show you how a thief and a pirate can deal. Once, you bought me for a miserable 10. Now I've bought you for considerably more. The amount is of no matter. What matters is now I own you as you once owned me. You're mine to do with as I please. Do you understand?" Damon rebuffs her.
"As you wish, Captain Salvatore." Lady Katherine curtsies and walks away.
"Set the course for Port Royal, Enzo."
"Port Royal? But the English fleet is at Port Royal. Governor Pierce."
"To your halyards! Tacks and braces. We head for Port Royal. Make speed there! That's the order!"
Enzo looks at Damon as if he's lost his mind. "The gallows are waiting for each of us at Port Royal..."
"And no man should be late to his own hanging..."
A flash of lightning and the cracks of thunder fill the air. The canvas of every sail is stretched taut. The ship rocks as it drops into the valley of huge swell, climbs up the other side.
On board, the new crew members scurry about with their tasks, pulling lines and trimming sails. Excellent sailors, it takes everything they have to keep the ship afloat.
Damon is at the helm, a roaring wind blows back his hair, eyes intent on their course. Enzo climbs the tilted deck toward him.
"We'd best drop canvas, sir!"
"She can hold a bit longer," Damon yells over the howling wind.
"What's in your head to put you in such a fine mood?"
Clearly enjoying himself, Damon smiles and turns back to the sea.
"You'll be put ashore with these men," Enzo tells Lady Katherine as he helps her into the smaller boat.
"I want to talk to him," she protests as she stares anxiously into his eyes.
"I'm sorry. The captain's busy."
"Please tell him to get your ship away from here. My uncle has just returned from England."
"Are you worried about me, Lady Pierce?" Damon comments as he approaches her.
"Damon, he's sworn he'll hang you."
"I've always been bad luck for your uncle."
"You can't know the threats he's made. The dreadful threats he's made. Since you escaped, he's spent all of his time searching for you."
"Now he's found me."
"But you can still save yourself. Please, for my sake," Katherine pleads.
"For your sake? What do you mean for your sake? Isn't it true that you hate me?"
"Hate you?"
"Or is it that you love me?" Damon counters with a lazy grin.
"I'll hide you. And tonight, after dark, I'll find some way..."
"You love me, don't you?"
"Whom else would I love? Now will you get out of here!" An anxious Katherine prods him.
"We'll hide together. I know just the place." Damon winks at her.
"You've gone mad."
"Maybe I have. Enzo, take us to shore."
"I didn't know you were in love with another woman," Elena remarks somberly.
"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Elena. Loving you isn't one of them. And yes, I did love Katherine once..." Damon pulls her into his arms and kisses the top of her head. "What I felt for her pales in comparison to what I feel for you in every way possible. On that day, Enzo and I took her back to Port Royal. I spent two days and nights with her, kissed her goodbye, and that's the last time I saw her."
"Do you know what happened to her?"
"I heard she married a nobleman, moved back to England, and popped out a couple of babies. I hope she got what she wanted because I unquestionably got everything I've ever wanted and so much more with you, Elena."
And then without a moment of hesitation, his mouth is on hers, and Elena stops breathing. He shudders and there is a sound from the back of his throat, half growl, half moan. Little shivers of pleasure shoot through her as he deepens the kiss, parting her lips.
Elena stops thinking. She seals the tiny space between them, pressing against him, digging her fingers into his hair. It's soft and silky. Nothing else about him feels that way. Her heart swells to the point of near bursting as a rush of sensations explodes in her body.
Elena throws her legs across his, angling her body toward him. Her hands grip his shoulders and slide up to cup his neck, her thumbs tracing the firm line of his jaw. And still, he kisses her, never getting his fill of her perfect mouth.
His tongue strokes hers, teases it, coaxes it into his own mouth. Elena moans and tightens her grip around his neck.
Damon slides his hand to her hip through the layers of satin and petticoat. He pulls her body in tighter against him, against the swell of his crotch, seeking the pressure of her. They break apart to gasp for air and his mouth moves down, to the curve of her throat, to the elegant shape of her shoulder. Elena closes her eyes and tips her head to the side.
He reaches the hollow at the base of her neck and doesn't stop. The hand on her hip falls to the hem of her dress, brushing past layers of satin and cotton to tease her with his fingers.
Elena shifts on him, against him, and he groans at the friction of their bodies rubbing against each other. His tongue darts out to taste the swell of olive skin just above the edge of her bodice.
Damon feels hot and stretched taut with her body weighing him down, holding him to the earth.
Her fingertips trace down from his temple, across his cheekbone, dips into the hollow underneath, runs along the hard ridge of his jaw, and trails across his lips, wet from her kisses.
Damon thrusts upward and into her and he watches enthralled as she rides him furiously. Her inner muscles quiver around him and saturate his flesh with intense warmth.
Elena digs her nails into his shoulders as her body launches into the deepest recesses of passion. Intent on watching her, Damon tries to hold back but when he feels her rippling around him, there is no resisting the pull of release. Her name escapes through clenched teeth as he pours himself inside of her.
They fall backward onto the bed as Elena collapses against Damon's chest...
Sometime later, he carefully extracts himself from her embrace and gets out of bed. Bending over, Damon kisses her cheek before slipping out of their room to check on Enzo.
Damon is sitting in a chair across the room when Enzo's eyes open. "You gave us a good scare."
"I'm sorry, mate. I didn't intend to get skewered," Enzo manages with a hint of sarcasm.
"You scared Ric even more. But no worries, he shot Whitmore dead. We'll never cross paths with him ever again," Damon gives his shoulder a squeeze.
"How long was I out?"
"Two days," Damon moves to stand over him.
"I've been out for almost two days?" Enzo's eyes widen in disbelief.
"You've been in and out, talking in your sleep and opening your eyes every now and then, but that's it."
"Am I okay?" Enzo grimaces in pain as he attempts to sit up.
"Relax." Damon gently pushes him back down. "Barring any infection, you should be but you're going to have to take it easy for the next few weeks. You can't be getting that wound full of dirt and grime."
"So, I'm going to be stuck on this bed."
"You'll survive," Elena says with a laugh as she walks into the room carrying a bottle of rum.
"Be a doll and help a mate out, would you?" Enzo looks at her.
With Damon's help, she adjusts his pillow so he's upright enough to take a long swill from the bottle.
"Thanks, I needed that," Enzo says with a yawn as he leans back against the pillows and gingerly rubs his abdomen.
"Get some rest, I'll check on you later and bring you something to eat." Damon shares a look with him as he and Elena leave the room.
"Good morning." Elena smiles as she approaches Damon at the wheel. She rises up slightly to give him a kiss before placing her arm through his.
"Good morning, my love," Damon steps back to allow her to stand in front of him at the helm.
Elena leans her head back and whispers in his ear. "You wore me out last night."
Damon cradles the back of her neck with his hand and lowers his mouth to hers in an ardent kiss.
"Where are we off to?"
"We'll let the ocean decide." Damon winks at her as he runs a hand lovingly along the rail and takes the wheel. It feels good in his hands...He shifts to Captain mode.
"Ric, trim the mainsail!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
"Enzo, organize a cleaning detail. I want every inch of the Dragon spic-and span and ship-shape!
Enzo stomps the deck and executes a salute.
Damon and Elena stand at the wheel, and all is right with the world. He begins to unconsciously hum.
"Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me ..."
Damon realizes what he's doing and smirks at Elena as the Flying Dragon sails for uncharted waters...
Thank you all for reading. This was a fun little jaunt to the past; one I enjoyed revisiting. Again, thank you, CosmicAdventurer for giving me the nudge I needed to revisit this version of Damon and Elena.
TQR and UPI will resume posting this week.
I almost forgot; I did borrow a couple of lines from POTC.
I also want to send Happy Birthday wishes to my oldest daughter, Brittany.
Have a truly wonderful day. Thank you all again.