Chapter 15: If You're Lucky…

The Weeping Angel had left Tortuga without Gibbs. The ship sailed for days without any sign of black sails following them. Cleo remained locked in her cabin for two days after they left port. On the third day she emerged and smiled at her crew. Barbossa was down in the galley when Cleo appeared on deck, and no one thought to fetch him. Cleo stood at the bow and watched the water ahead of her ship. It had been a while since she'd seen anything besides the room in which she slept and looked over her charts. A hand came to rest on her exposed shoulder, but she didn't flinch as she would have before. Cleo recognized the feel of this hand.

"How long have ye been up here?"

"Eh, not long. Where've you been?"

"Below with the crew. Are ye doin' well?"

"Better than I was, yes. I've made the decision that should he treat me like that when we next meet, I will do more than what I did to those two 'ladies'" she replied.

Barbossa looked down and saw that her hand bore no ring. He smiled coyly and touched her cheek. She looked up at him and took his hand from her face. It wasn't that she didn't want him touching her; she just didn't want him touching her in front of the crew. A small furry object leapt onto Barbossa's shoulder and made little chattering noises at him.

"Jack! Where've ye been?" Barbossa said to the little monkey. He held out an apple to his master, who took it gratefully.

Jack leapt from him to Cleo. She smiled and snuggled the little guy in her arms.

"I don't know how he keeps getting on board, but I'm glad he does."

"He be a crafty little animal."

"So I'm beginning to see. He got mad at me when I left you behind."

"I imagine he did. Jack isn't the disloyal type. Cleo, I Forgot to thank ye for saving me from the gallows. Yer visits to me helped me realize somethin'"

"What would that be, Hector?"

He bit into his apple and said, "I never really stopped caring for ye…"

"I could tell. The way you touched my face and the way we spoke to each other brought back so many memories."

"Aye, for me as well. Ye didn't deserve to be treated like he treated ye. I wish I had done somethin' besides stand there."

"What could you have done? It was not your fight."

"Why do ye think I followed ye? I wanted to do what I could for ye and keep ye safe."

"You're the same as you always were, Hector. You never wanted any harm to come to me."

"Ye be right. I never changed, but ye did, Cleo. Ye became more like meself."

Barbossa ate the rest of his apple in silence; he threw the core overboard when he was done with it. Jack leapt onto the deck to explore other parts of the ship. Cleo and Barbossa looked into each other's eyes for a while, as if searching for something. Finally, Cleo spoke:

"Maybe it would have been better if we had stayed the way we were before."

"Enemies?"

"No, Hector. Don't you remember when we stood by each other no matter what?"

"How could I forget? Do ye think ye can trust me a bit more now that he's done ye so wrong?"

"There was never a time that I didn't trust you…"

"Why did ye act the way ye did?"

"I was hurt. Did you expect me to act like I wasn't your enemy?"

"Not exactly that. I thought ye would have at least given me a second chance before runnin' off to marry Gibbs."

"I'm starting to think that my marriage to him was a mistake. After the way I've been treated recently…"

Barbossa touched his hand to her cheek once more and didn't allow her to move it. She had once told him that she saw much pain and sadness in his eyes; he now understood why it had affected her so. Seeing so much pain in her eyes affected him greatly, though he would never admit it. He brought his face level with hers and kissed her forcefully. She stumbled backwards, caught off guard by the force of his kiss. After regaining her balance she matched his forcefulness. Once they released each other, the two took a deep breath. Neither had been kissed like that in a long time. Cleo touched the scar under his eye. Barbossa ran his hand down the lacing of her dress. She knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing, but they both would have to wait.

"I've lost her, Jack…"

"I'm not entirely surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your behavior in Tortuga was atrocious, mate. I'm not shocked that she left."

The Black Pearl had been sailing for days in search of the Weeping Angel, but to no avail. Gibbs knew that the disappearance of his wife and her ship was his fault. He regretted not trusting her at the way he had pushed her away. Most of all, he regretted the way he had spoken to her. The night she found him in the Faithful Bride he had been unable to do anything with Scarlett and Giselle without it reminding him of Cleo.

"Mate, there may not be a second chance for you anymore. You'll be lucky to even see her again after the little stunt you pulled."

"I just want to make things right, Jack."

Reah, Roach, and Leech sat around a small table playing a game of Liar's Dice. Mostly, they only ever spoke of things that pertained to the game, but tonight the topic was different…

"What do ye think 'e's tryin' ter pull?"

"'E already drove out cap'n o'er the edge once. Who's ter say 'e won' do it again?" Roach commented, irritated.

Leech kept his silence. He knew better than to debate his captain's decisions. He could tell that his two friends were planning something, and he didn't want to be involved.

The night turned the ocean pitch black. There was no moon. Cleo was alone on the deck, save for the helmsman. She had given Barbossa her bed for the night. She needed time to think. Her love for Barbossa was beginning to drive her crazy. She loved her husband, but she had given her heart to Barbossa a long time ago. The little monkey, Jack, leapt down onto her shoulder and made little chattering noises in her ear. Cleo reached up and petted the little creature. Jack seemed to recognize that something was wrong. The animal stayed there with her until he heard a cry of 'ship ahead.' Cleo doused the ship's lamps and waited. The ship's sails were white, telling Cleo that this particular ship was not going to cause them any problem. She was paranoid; she did not want the Black Pearl to catch up to them any time soon. She needed more time.

Cleo did not know it, but she was being watched. Leech stood a few feet away, wonder how he should tell her that two of her most trusted crew members could be forming some sort of plan to bring harm to Barbossa. He knew that if something happened and his captain found out that he had known about it and didn't tell her she would have his head. It took him a while to decide that he would think it over and request to meet with her privately. As Leech went below, Jack made an angry screeching noise at him. Leech laughed at the little creature and went to bed.

Cleo had heard the noise; it made her laugh. She loved the little monkey and his antics. Cleo left the deck and entered her quarters, doing her best not to disturb the sleeping Barbossa. She opened a small cupboard and took out a bottle of wine and a small cup. She took up a place at a small table and poured herself a glass of wine. It had been years since she had been able to watch Barbossa sleep. She still quite enjoyed it. After about an hour, only half of the bottle was finished. Cleo would have already downed the bottle by now, but the calm face of the sleeping man distracted. The more she watched him the less she drank. Eventually, the bottle of wine was long forgotten. Cleo had moved to kneel beside the bed; she played with Barbossa's tangled auburn hair. It wasn't often that she saw him without the hat covering most of it. Once, when she touched his hand he curled it around hers gently. She had no idea what he was dreaming about, but it seemed unlike him.

After a while of sitting by the bed holding his hand, Cleo stood and poured herself another glass of wine. The room was only partially lit by the lantern hanging by the bed. The door to her quarters swung open. Cleo hid in the shadows and picked up the pistol that rested near Barbossa's coat and hat. Two men entered with their swords in hand. As they approached the bed where Barbossa slept, Cleo lit a lamp near her.

"What do the two of you think you're doing?"

The two jumped and turned to her, the light revealing their faces. Cleo was shocked to see Reah and Roach standing there; she began to shake as her shock turned to unbridled fury. She brushed past them to ring the bell that hung outside her door. Stumbling could be heard below as the crew scrambled out of bed.

"All hands to the captain's cabin!" she called.

Cleo retreated back into her cabin and held the two intruders at gunpoint. All members of the crew filed in and stood in a line. The boatswain brought out the cat-o-nine tails in case she ordered punishment.

"Bo'sun, ten lashes for each of them."

"Aye, Cap'n."

"When that's done, they are to be locked in the brig and given no food."

The bo'sun nodded and took the prisoners onto the deck for the first half of their punishment.

"What was that about?" Barbossa asked, woken by the alarm that had been raised.

"Two of my crew members came to murder you in your sleep. There is no tolerance for insubordinates on my ship."

Barbossa nodded and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I wish ye'd forgive me…"

"I do, Hector. I wanted to stay mad at you forever, but my heart still belongs to you."

"Does it?"

"Aye, it does. It always has."

"Yer words be sweet for a woman who be married."

Cleo held up the hand that had once been adorned with her wedding ring.

"The ring no longer rests upon my hand. I will not be married to a jealous, spiteful man who thinks that he can control me. I am as wild and changing as the wind, and I will not be made to serve or obey anyone's rules but my own. There is only one person who can tell me what to do." She said, looking to Barbossa on her last sentence.

A smile spread across his face; a genuine smile. It wasn't often that Cleo saw him with a genuine smile that conveyed happiness.

"Will you stay with me?" he asked.

"What?"

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will."

Barbossa grinned and took out the small ornate ring that he had given her a year after they met. He slipped it back onto her finger gingerly. Cleo flexed her fingers and smiled. She kissed his cheek and pulled another glass from the small cupboard. She poured Barbossa and herself a glass of wine. The two entwined their arms and drank. It was an odd way to drink, but it was a custom of theirs. She put her glass back on the table and put the pistol she still held back with Barbossa's effects. Cleo climbed into bed and invited Barbossa to join her.

The next morning, Cleo woke before Barbossa. She exited the cabin to find Jack the monkey sitting on the steps that lead to the bridge. He was looking at something ahead. She followed his gaze and saw black sails. She had known that she would have to confront Gibbs eventually. She allowed her ship to keep its course. The Pearl steadily came closer and closer until it was close enough for Jack and his first mate to come aboard. Cleo nodded to them and welcomed them onto the bridge.

"Jack, go into my cabin and help yourself to the rum."

"Thank you, luv." He said as he hurried off to find the drink.

"Cleo, please forgive me."

"I have forgiven you, but I can no longer be your wife."

"Please don't do this…I love you."

"Joshamee, you know without a doubt that I love you, but I gave my heart to Hector a long time ago. You will always be in my heart."

"I feel angry, but I still understand. You loved him before you even met me. Cleo, I feel terrible about the way I treated you. For that, I am sorry. I will miss you…"

"I will miss you as well, Joshamee." She replied, kissing his cheek for the last time.

She wrapped her arms around him in a hug and smiled at him when he released her.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"If you're lucky. I'll not give a definite yes or no, but it is likely that we will meet again."

Gibbs nodded and smiled. He left the bridge to fetch his captain. When Jack was brought to her he held a bottle of rum in his hand. The two exchanged greetings and goodbyes. Jack and Gibbs then returned to the Pearl.

The Angel and the Pearl would continue to sail together for some months.

After Jack and Gibbs had returned to their ship, Cleo went to question the prisoners in the brig." She found them nursing their wounds made by the bo'sun's whip. The looked up at her nervously, almost cowering in the corners; she glowered at them through the bars.

"Why would either of you dare to think that you could just walk into my cabin and attempt to harm someone? I could understand if there was a good reason, but there was not one."

"We didn' want 'im to hurt you again, Cap'n."

"That was no reason to attempt to harm him."

"Aye." They both said, flinching at the harshness in her voice.

"The two of you will be kept here for four days with no food. On the fourth day you will be given five more lashes, and you will return to your duties. You will never attempt this again. Do you understand?"

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Be grateful that I am in a merciful mood."

The two nodded; Cleo left and went back to her cabin to consult the charts with Barbossa.