Chapter 17: Never Forget

Barbossa awoke and became aware of the petite body nestled in his arms. He took great care not to wake her as he got out of the bed and redressed himself. The crew was already up and attempting to repair a ripped sail. Barbossa wondered when that had happened. If it had happened last night, he had been too wrapped up in his own world with Cleo to pay attention to any outside noises. It had taken him until last night to realize how long it had been since they had shared a bed. The sea on this day was choppy and violent. Barbossa, having experienced rough seas many times before, took the helm from a crew member named Hoyt. His little pet, Jack, jumped down onto his shoulder and made little chattering noises in his ear. Barbossa reached up and scratched the little animal's head briefly.

An hour or two later, a sharp click was heard and the captain stepped out onto the deck. She approached the helm, eyeing Barbossa hungrily. After last night's short-lived episode, Cleo wanted more, but she wanted to be the one doing the teasing. Cleo always had a thing for being in control, and this situation was no different. She imagined him begging her for more and begging her to stop teasing him. The thought was almost enough to drive her wild. If the thought had that effect on her, what would the sight and sound of it do to her?

"Good morning, Hector. I see that you are doing wonderfully after last night."

"Aye, lass, that be true. Ye tired this old pirate out."

"Perhaps you need another night like that…"

Barbossa chuckled and nodded.

"Perhaps I do."

Cleo grinned and stood before the helm, the wind blowing her raven hair out behind her. The sun shone down on the two ships as morning turned into midday. A sound like something hard hitting metal rang out; a splash followed. The crew of the Pearl was crowded around the far side of the deck. Someone had apparently fallen overboard. No one made a move to dive in after this person. Cleo crossed to the far side of her ship, got a running start and leapt onto the deck of the Pearl. She crossed the ship and dove into the cold water. She swam downward until her hand came into contact with something solid and human-like. She grabbed onto it and hauled it to the surface. Cleo grabbed onto the ladder that was lowered and the crew hauled her up. She laid the body on the deck and sat up to look at who it was.

"Jack… None of you were going to rescue your captain?" she yelled at the crew.

Cleo was angry and wanted to slap all of them, but focused on saving Jack. She didn't take pleasure in it, but she opened his mouth wide enough and placed her mouth over his, exhaling into his mouth. After a few minutes, Cleo was ready to say that Captain Jack Sparrow was gone forever, but one final breath of air pushed into his lungs got him to start coughing and spitting out water. Cleo rubbed Jack's back and got him to lean on her a bit.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"As far as I know, Jack, your head hit something, you fell overboard, and none of these bilge rats made an attempt to retrieve you from the water. Be silent, Jack, I'll take care of you. Gibbs, the crew is in your hands. I'm going to take Jack into his cabin."

Cleo caught a glimpse of Barbossa staring at the scene from the deck of the Angel. She lifted Jack into a standing position and helped him to his cabin. She sat him up in a chair and kneeled in front of him.

"Is there something you need?"

"Rum." Was his answer.

Cleo rolled her eyes.

"I think you've had enough fluids for one day, Jack. Will you be okay if I go back to my ship?"

"I'll be fine, love. The Angel needs you more than I do."

"Very well, Jack. I trust you."

Her fingers lightly brushed his face and she left. Gibbs helped her back to her ship, assuring her that he would take care of Jack. Barbossa wrapped his large coat around her and took her into their cabin. He tossed a rag at her to dry her hair off with. Cleo rolled her eyes and began to roughly dry her hair with it. The now soaking wet rag was thrown at Barbossa's head playfully.

"Now, lass, that isn't very nice."

"You threw it at me first."

"Aye. I did, didn't I? Perhaps we should get you out of those wet clothes…"

"Hector, I'll be just fine. What I really want to do is figure out where and when the next attack will be."

"If we head to Devil's Anvil there won't be anything to worry about. They wouldn' think to look there."

"Devil's Anvil?"

"I lived there for a short while after my resurrection. It's between Port Royal and Tortuga."

"I suppose we could go there. What of the Pearl?"

"They could split off from us. We be harder to track when we aren't sailing on top of each other. They be looking for two ships sailing side by side."

"You're right, Hector. We must decide where we will rejoin each other."

"Do ye really think that we can continue to travel like this? I be ready to be rid of Sparrow and his crew! What of us? We are not his babysitters!"

"Calm yourself. You do not have to get so angry to convey your point." She said irritably.

Barbossa and Cleo didn't speak for some minutes. The sudden tension between them was strange and unusual. The crew of the Angel did not dare approach them.

"Hector, you have to remember that, even though you will come before him, I made him a promise."

"Why do ye always have a way of makin' me feel regretful?"

"Why do you always have a way of being an insufferable ass?"

"What's got ye so angry all the sudden?"

Cleo realized that she there was no reason for her to be angry with him. He had only been telling her how he felt. No reason to be angry.

"Hector, forgive me. Something must be wrong with me to have that level of reaction to something that is hardly significant. I will speak with Jack soon and tell him the plan."

She left the bridge and disappeared into her cabin. The plan she had formulated was not the plan Barbossa had suggested. Well, part of it was. Her plan was to capture a ship that resembled hers and murder the crew, take their cargo, and sail the ship into the rocky shore around Devil's Anvil. She would cut the rope that operated the rudder and leave it stranded there, a ghost ship.

It took a few days, but they eventually ran across a ship that closely resembled the Angel. Cleo had her crew storm the ship and kill everyone they could find. All of this took place while Barbossa slept peacefully in the cabin. Half of the Angel's crew helped Cleo man the captured vessel while the other half stayed behind to pilot the Angel. When Barbossa woke and discovered what had happened he was less than pleased by it. Even though it did not please him, he knew that Cleo was going to do what she was going to do whether he liked it or not. So, just like he had had to deal with Jack's antics, he dealt with hers.

It took another day to arrive at Devil's Anvil. Cleo crashed the captured ship into the rocks and cut the ropes that would let the wheel control the rudder. She rowed back to her ship with the crew members that had been aboard the decoy ship. Barbossa was still irritated with her about the change of plans. For a while, he refused to speak to her, but his heart softened eventually. Jack was brought aboard the Angel to speak with Cleo and Barbossa about parting ways for a while. They agreed that the Angel would sail back to Tortuga and the Pearl would sail until they found what Jack dubbed a suitable place to make port. Cleo pulled Jack aside before he returned to his ship and slipped something into his hand.

"Never forget, Jack. Never forget the promise I made to you all those years ago. I will always be there should you need me. Promise me that you won't hesitate to call me back if you need me."

"I promise, Cleo. You know I'll never forget that."

So, the Pearl and the Angel parted ways. The Angel made it back to Tortuga in a week and a half. Once there, Cleo and Hector got word that the Pearl had been attacked by the East India Company, but they had gotten away. Cleo wondered what the next move was; how she could keep Barbossa safe.