Chapter 14: Safe at Last; We Can't Keep On Like This

They all made it safely back to the ship, except Cleo. She had gone back to the inn to fetch Gibbs, but found the room deserted. She inquired with the receptionist who told her that he had left hours ago. Cleo sighed and went immediately to her ship. The crew stood crowded around something on the main deck. Cleo didn't like it one bit. She shoved through the crowd and found herself in the middle of a standoff. Barbossa pointed a pistol at an unarmed Gibbs. Cleo growled and stepped between them.

"Cleo, what are you doing?" Gibbs asked.

"He won't shoot me. He knows better than that."

"Then what are you doing?"

"If I'm in front of you he won't shoot…"

"Oh…"

Cleo rolled her eyes and smiled. She loved Gibbs, but sometimes he could be so clueless.

"What makes y think I won't shoot ye?"

"You'd do well to remember what happened to you last time you shot me on the deck of this ship."

Barbossa thought about it for a moment, then stowed his weapon. Cleo grinned and nodded at Gibbs.

"Roach, confiscate any weapons you find on him."

"Aye, Cap'n."

Roach stripped Barbossa of any and all weapons he found on him. When roach had finished and declared him safe, Cleo approached him.

"There is more appropriate clothing for you below decks."

Barbossa nodded and retreated to find the clothing of which she spoke. Cleo silently entered her quarters and shut the door behind her."

"What's wrong with Miss Cleo?" Reach asked.

"She and I had a disagreement earlier. She might not be feeling up to doing the things she would usually do."

"What happened?"

"She thinks that I don't trust her."

"Oh… Have you tried talking to her?"

"I think I'll let her calm down first…"

The two heard a glass object shatter inside the captain's quarters. No one dared approach the door. Barbossa eventually grew tired of hearing objects in the room breaking into and being thrown about and went back below decks. By this time, the Weeping Angel was making her way out to open sea. A day passed and Cleo had yet to make her appearance on the deck of her vessel. Gibbs had begun to realize how his mistrust had affected her. Cleo eventually allowed Barbossa the private meeting he had been requesting just to shut him up. Upon entering her quarters, he noted that every glass item in the room had been shattered into many innumerable tiny pieces. The crystal eyes that would have normally shone with mystery and mischief were dull and lifeless. Cleo's left hand had been cut badly by the shards of glass.

"Cleo, why are ye doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Look at yerself! I've never seen ye like this in all my days with ye."

"You wouldn't understand…"

"Wouldn't I?"

Cleo threw a nearby candlestick at Barbossa's head and refused to answer his question. She knew well that he would never be able to grasp what she felt. She may have been a pirate, but she still had feelings. Cleo was known for temporary loss of control of her anger and frustration. She was also known for throwing things.

"What makes you think that I would tell you anything after all you've put me thorough?"

"I be willing to do anything if it means that ye will consider me a trusted advisor, if nothing else."

"I don't think you could convince me to do that at all. You lost your power to influence my decisions when you decided to shoot Joshamee."

Barbossa wound his fingers into her hair angrily and dragged her from her perch on the bed. He forced her to her feet in front of him.

"I apologized for that long ago." He growled angrily.

"I said I'd never forgive you."

Barbossa glared at her, then dropped his hand from her hair. She bared her teeth and turned away from him. Cleo was used to him being violent, but he'd rarely laid a hand on her. She resisted the urge to throw something else at him and plopped into a chair. The two didn't speak for a few minutes.

"I still won't forgive you for what you did to Joshamee and I, but I will allow you to try and prove to me that you can be trusted."

Barbossa sighed and nodded. He approached her again and stroked the back of her head where he had pulled her hair. She turned to look at him. In his dark blue eyes she saw much pain. Cleo touched his scarred face and gently traced the scar under his eye. He sighed and took her hand in his, almost unable to resist her "innocent" face.

"Ye should speak with yer husband. He's been waitin' fer ye to calm down so that he may approach you without fear of ye throwing somethin' at him."

"Aye, I suppose that be true." She replied, mimicking his voice, "Send him in, will you?"

"Aye, Cap'n." he replied, mocking the tone of the crewmen when they spoke to their captain.

Cleo smiled and returned to her bed. For a while, it was quiet. No one entered or exited her cabin. She began to think that Gibbs wasn't coming. The truth was, Gibbs had been standing outside the door and had heard every word Barbossa and Cleo had exchanged. He realized then that Jack was right. Even though Cleo was upset with him she still stayed loyal to him. If he had seen the wordless exchange between the two, he would have thought differently. She loved Gibbs, but couldn't resist touching Barbossa one more time. The door opened with a loud creak and Gibbs entered in silence. When the door shut, Cleo sat upright.

"Cleo, I'm beginning to realize that I should trust you. I heard what you said to Barbossa; I know now that your days of loving him are over."

Cleo flashed a sly smile and stood. She didn't speak. She circled Gibbs once and quickly tied a blindfold on him. He was surprised, but went along with it. She led him to the bed and pushed him onto his back.

"What are you-"

She cut him off with a kiss.

"Shhh, Joshamee. You don't need to talk."

He didn't have many choices at this point, so he followed her directions. Each time he reached for the blindfold she swatted his hand away. Even though he couldn't see what she was doing, he felt every touch of her hands. His sense of touch was on high alert at the moment. She grinned; she knew perfectly what she was doing and it pleased her. Cleo undid his shirt and trousers slowly. She ran her tongue down his torso and laughed softly. Her hands slowly caressed the inside of his legs. She felt him trying to get at her clothes and rolled her eyes. Cleo took the irons she'd stolen years prior and chained his hands to the bed.

"Now, are you going to be good or do I have to chain something else down?"

"I'll do anything you want…"

Cleo grinned, satisfied. She kissed her way back down his torso and applied her tongue to every bit of skin between his legs, save for one. She listened to him groan and plead with her to stop teasing him. Eventually, she took pity on him and slipped the throbbing appendage into her mouth.

Jack swung the door open and saw the sight. He quickly withdrew and slammed the door behind him.

"I always have the WORST timing with those two!" he said, frustrated.

Jack sat a short distance away from the door, but could still hear everything. He cringed every time he heard Gibbs say her name. A short time later, Cleo unchained her husband and walked back onto the deck like nothing had happened.

"Cleo, I hope you know those walls aren't completely soundproof…"

"I know. If you don't like it don't just barge in and don't sit three feet from the door."

Jack had no comeback for that. She was right and he knew it.

"Well, I just thought you two would like to know that we're safe for now. They have no idea it was us."

"Good. To Tortuga?"

"To Tortuga."

In the two months it took to get back to Tortuga, Gibbs became more and more irritated by Cleo's antics. She would steal Barbossa's hat and let him chase her around to get it back. Other times, she would have mock fights with him on the lower deck. He became increasingly suspicious that she was having an affair with Barbossa. The two fought almost constantly.

"Cleo…"

"Yes?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what exactly?"

"You know damn well what."

"Joshamee, I've not done anything to warrant this kind of treatment."

"Oh, really? Then why are you fooling around with Barbossa?"

"What the hell are you talking about? You sound insane."

Gibbs jerked his hand back, as if to strike her. Cleo, being the expert fighter that she was, waited for him to make his move; He lowered his hand.

"When we arrive at Tortuga tomorrow, you will not leave the ship. I forbid it."

"YOU forbid ME? I'm the captain of this ship! I give the orders, and I forbid people from doing things."

"I'm your husband, and you will do as I dictate."

Cleo knew not what to say. She stared incredulously at her "caring" husband and shook her head. The next day when they arrived in Tortuga, Cleo watched the longboat the contained her husband row away. In most ways, she was glad that he was gone.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that…"

"I know, Hector. I thought he loved me, but I guess I was wrong. I guess we all were."

"I heard talk that he's going to see Scarlett and Giselle."

Cleo's blood began to boil and the fires of hell rose up into her eyes again. Barbossa touched her shoulder in an attempt to calm her, but was shoved off violently. Cleo took a longboat alone to try to find the three. She found Jack with no problem. He was drunk in the Faithful Bride. She searched the tavern and found him where she expected him to be, between Scarlett and Giselle. Cleo grit her teeth and approached them, her eyes still dark and burning. She violently dragged Scarlett from her place beside Gibbs and deposited her on the floor. Giselle suffered the same fate. A few men moved forward to stop her.

"Touch me and I will shoot you all like dogs." She threatened.

The men froze in their tracks; they were drunk, not stupid. Cleo turned her attention back to the prostitutes.

"If either of you even considers touching him again, I will see to it that the two of you suffer for all eternity."

Cleo felt a hand on her shoulder and pulled away from it. She left without looking back. She knew what he would say to her if she turned back, and she didn't want to hear it. Outside the tavern, Cleo found Barbossa waiting for her. She mustered up the energy to smile at him. He took her into his arms and just stood there with her. Even a ruthless pirate could show a bit of tenderness at times.

"What are ye going to do now?"

"There is nothing else I can do. If there is something to be done, he will be the one to do it."

"Ye be finished with him?"

"Not quite. I believe in second chances for some. He's jealous because we've been friendlier towards each other."

"I respect yer choice, Cleo. I may not have always, but whatever makes ye happy."

Cleo smiled up at Barbossa. He enjoyed seeing her smile more than he let her know. The door to the tavern opened and three people exited. Cleo recognized them immediately. She growled angrily and moved to block their path. Her face was shadowed by her hair and the surrounding darkness.

"Who are you?" Gibbs asked.

The light reflected her light blue eyes, making them the only thing the trio could see. Gibbs pulled back in shock.

"I am the Weeping Angel and your worst nightmare."

It had been a long time since any of those present had heard her call herself by her nickname; it scared even Barbossa. Now she only used that name when someone who angered her was going to die or be injured very badly.

"Miss Cleo, ye don't need to be so angry." Barbossa said, trying to calm her and keep her from doing something she'd regret later.

"I gave a clear warning and they disobeyed me. No doubt, that was due to something he told them."

"I've told ye once and I'll tell ye again, if ye keep on this way eventually ye'll do somethin' yer goin' ter regret later."

"Oh, just shut it, will you? I may call myself angel, but I can be the spawn of Satan himself when need be."

Barbossa fell silent, letting her deal with them her way.

"You came here with him?" Gibbs asked, getting angry.

"I came here alone. He followed me. Am I responsible for what he does now?"

"You left the ship when I forbade it."

"I became a pirate to escape from being controlled."

"Why did you think that you could scare off these two fine ladies? They have class, unlike you."

Cleo had been holding back, but she couldn't help herself any longer.

"Class, Joshamee? I have more class in one fingernail than they have in their bodies! The slanderous filth that spews from your facial orifice will cease or, so help me God, I will cut out your tongue."

"You will not speak to me that way! You will return to the ship and wait for me there so that I may deal with you."

"No, I don't think I will. My ship leaves at midnight, with or without you. Giselle, could you come here please?"

The blonde woman stepped forward cautiously and looked to Cleo.

"Giselle, I love the way your hair is done today." She said, an evil grin spreading across her face.

When Giselle began to speak Cleo ripped her backwards by her hair. She threw the prostitute to the ground and kicked her onto her back. Scarlett stepped forward slightly, catching Cleo's attention.

"Come any closer and you will end up just like her."

Scarlett hid behind Gibbs and peeked out every so often. Cleo eventually finished with Giselle, leaving her bruised and bleeding. She righted herself and began to walk back toward the dock. She stopped beside Barbossa.

"Come, Hector, the Angel leaves in two hours."

The two left, leaving Gibbs staring after them in complete and utter shock. He had never seen Cleo so angry and violent in his life, and wasn't sure he wanted to see her that way again. He left the two women to find Jack and get back to the ship as soon as he could.

Back at the ship, Cleo had locked herself in her quarters. She didn't allow anyone in. She rested on her bed, thinking of the day she first met Barbossa. It wasn't until someone knocked at the door that Cleo realized that she had started crying at some point.

Eventually she began to think: We can't keep on like this, Hector…

Author's Note:

For those of you who are wondering what happened the day she met Barbossa, I'm posting the flashback once I finish it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!