Hope you like this chapter - I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out (eventually!) As always I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback but in the meantime, enjoy :)

Chapter 16

"FIRE!" Silver yelled and Scarlett felt a tug at her heart.

"NO!" She shouted but in the thunderous gunfire her voice was lost. She saw the other group pull guns from their belts and fire back, running into the cabin.

"They've given up!" George announced and there was a cheer, a cheer that was broken by a second round of gunfire from inside the stockade – they'd taken position at the windows.

"Those buggers." Israel growled, running up the hill and aiming for the front window.

Scarlett's breaths came in gasps if at all – what if that window was Jim's post? Israel was the best shot she knew, had been the gunman for Flint and he never missed.

"No!" She cried but others had followed his lead and were running to shoot from closer quarters, bullets flew from both sides but that was not what concerned Scarlett. Her eyes were fixed on Israel.

Israel went to cock the pistol, his tongue between his teeth and his eyes narrowed, he was sure he could make the shot. Just one second more...his finger was poised on the trigger.

BANG

The man beside him fell, a bullet embedded in his chest, and his aim was thrown with shock. His bullet careened into the empty air and he cursed as he reloaded his pistol.

Scarlett closed her eyes, relief flooded over her even as she hated herself for feeling it.

"Pull yourself together. He's nothing." She whispered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. It was only when a bullet flew very close to her that she remembered she was standing in the middle of a battlefield and closing her eyes was not the best idea. Hiding seemed better. She cast around for somewhere to wait it out and saw a thick tree a few paces to her left. Taking a deep breath she dashed towards it but found her way barred by Silver.

"Where do ye think you're going?" He asked, pushing her backwards.

"To hide?" She said truthfully, trying to get around him but he again pushed her back.

"Not on my watch."

"What? I -"

"No." He snapped, grabbing her sleeve and pulling her towards the rest of his men. "Here's yer chance ter prove yerself. If ye don't well...then I'll just have to assume you ain't 'with me' after all." He said, pressing a loaded gun into her hand.

Jim reloaded guns frantically, trying not to let the gunshots distract him from the task at hand. Still, he was all too aware that a bullet could get to him all too easily – his life could be over any second. As their weapons ran out of bullets the men would dash to the table and grab a new gun from him and Jim would again force his shaking hands to do his bidding.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Squire Trelawney aim and fire his gun and Jim's fingers slipped on the bullet he was holding, sending it clattering to the floor. He found himself praying that the Squire missed, simply because there was a chance he could be aiming at Lottie.

Then all thoughts of her were rushed from his head as he heard a loud shot followed by a groan from his left. He looked round to see Redruth fall to the floor, his hand on a wound that was bleeding thickly just above his heart, the wounded man pushed himself to the wall and tried to pull himself up but the Captain stopped him with a look.

"Don't be silly man. Jim take his post. Wait it out Redruth, hang on in there." He ordered and Redruth nodded once then fainted.

Without stopping to think Jim grabbed a gun and ran to the window to see a pirate on the verge of climbing in – his heart in his mouth Jim fired the gun and turned away as the man crumpled to the floor. He raised his gun again despite the sick feeling that had taken hold but as he went to fire he was distracted by the sight of Silver and Scarlett standing not too far from him. Silver was at Scarlett's shoulder where he had stood so many times when teaching Jim a new skill, only with him it had been how to mop properly or climb the rigging safely – with Scarlett he was teaching her to kill. The gun looked foreign in her tiny hands, the back rested upon one of the sloping shoulders Jim had so often admired, she looked like a warped version of a porcelain doll.

"Jim snap out of it." The Captain growled and Jim jumped, tearing his eyes away from Scarlett with immense difficulty – she was easy game, stood in the center of the fight and right next to Silver...one of them would go for her to be sure.

Jim aimed and fired at a man dangerously close to their station (why didn't she get out?) and reloaded his gun as quickly as his nerves allowed (she couldn't die) the pirates forces were definitely depleted and they looked like they might be backing down (get out Scarlett you stupid girl) but the Captain was wounded and Redruth unconscious (I love you).

"JIM LOOK OUT!" The doctor yelled and Jim ducked just as a bullet flew past him that would have been fatal, he met the eyes of Israel Hands who still had his gun raised and was looking at Jim with a curled lip.

Silver was fully in the battle now, he had left Scarlett behind and she had lowered the gun (thank God), he was shouting something to his men that sounded very much like "Retreat!" but it could have been wishful thinking on Jim's part.

(For goodness's sake get out of here)

Sure enough Silver was beckoning, trying to get them to give up but a few of them weren't listening, Israel included.

"Last round of shots men – give it to them!" The Captain shouted and they fired with increased vigor. The man beside Israel went down and a few others behind him – Jim could hear them as they fell.

Then came a scream that was different to the rest, a female scream.

(Please God no)

The gun slipped from Jim's hand and he ran to the door, not caring who was firing at him, and scanned the pirates, searching for her desperately. Then his eyes found her lay out on the ground and he gave a rasping yell, mistaking her red dress for blood. She was hurt though, he could see it in the very way she lay, he hands clasped to that same delicate shoulder that had supported a gun not long ago.

"NO!" Jim tried to go to her but the doctor held him back. "Scarlett!" He thrashed against his hold but the squire held him also, both were trying to reason with him but Jim was inconsolable.

"LOTTIE?" He screamed and Silver looked at him for one brief moment and then back at Scarlett, sprawled in front of him.

The fight went out of Jim as suddenly as it had appeared and he slumped to his knees.

"No." He couldn't speak above a whisper.

At a word from Silver Israel picked Scarlett up and swung her over his shoulder, breaking into a run. Jim saw with horror that her eyes were closed at the same time he noticed the tears running down his cheeks, he did not wipe them away but merely sat in the doorway watching until he couldn't see her anymore.

(No)