A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I won't delay you any longer...

Chapter XVII

The only coherent string of thought that could make its way through my mind was this: I am going to be violated. I am going to be tortured. They will kill me eventually.

I fought against them viciously, but I was no match for three grown men. I was close – so close to the water, to my sanctuary, but I could not break free. I was a mere step away from salvation, yet I could not reach it.

Perhaps this was my punishment for defying Cecily; perhaps she and "mistress Nerthus" were one in the same. I would never know.

"You will pay for this!" I screamed with disturbing intensity. Had I not been in such a compromising position, I would have startled even myself with the forcefulness of my tone.

"Oh darling, you won't be saying that when we're finished with you. I thought you mermaids were supposed to love this sort of thing – what are you thinking, going around without any clothing? You're practically begging for this to happen, and when I'm done, you'll be begging for more."

My hands were still tied behind my back, and now someone was working furiously to straighten my legs. Eventually they succeeded, and I lay flat against the dusty sand. I bit and snarled and kicked and thrashed, but to no avail. I was reduced to simply shrieking, but soon a coarse palm came over my mouth and stifled even this pathetic mode of self-defense. I tried to sink my teeth into his hand, but could not.

I screwed my eyes shut so tightly that I began to see red; but no tears made their way down my face, for I was tough. I would not let this break me. Whatever was to come, I would triumph over it. I appeared much more delicate than I was, and it took much more than some simple act of physical dominance to draw a tear from a mermaid, that's for sure. I wouldn't give these men the satisfaction of knowing they'd hurt me.

The sound of buttons coming undone interrupted the silence of my terror. I'd shut out every other sound but this and my pitiful whimpers. I tried desperately to ready myself for what was to come, both mentally and physically. I built an iron wall around my sanity and did something remarkable: I removed myself from the situation. It was no longer I who lay on the sand, pinned under the grimy and irreverent hands of some lustful officer. I was somewhere else. I was somewhere safe.

Suddenly, a voice broke through: "Oi, what are you lot doing?"

It was such a simple question, and so out of place.

It was Jack.

"Stop there – don't come any closer!" the leader said in broken English. "This is none of your concern! We are members of the Trading Company – this affair is private!"

I finally opened my eyes and writhed even more frantically, trying to get him to realize who it was that was in peril.

I tried to call his name, but could not.

"I can see that," Jack responded, "But it doesn't look quite so… legitimate, as it were. Look, mate, there's a brothel up in town – can't ye just go there?"

"If you do not leave us, I will be forced to take measures."

Jack's hand, which had already been settled on the hilt of his cutlass, fluidly unsheathed his weapon. "Let me assure you, you don't want to be doin' that," he warned with his signature smirk.

"You are a fool to disobey me! This – this whore is not some virtuous maiden that is in need of your defense."

"Well, she's clearly in need of defense, mine or otherwise. And, as to whether she's virtuous or not, that's not really any of my concern. Let 'er go... Please? I really don't want any trouble…"

"Kill him," the leader instructed his two cronies.

They both tentatively withdrew their swords and moved to attack Jack. He easily deflected their blows. Had it been anyone else, I might have been worried – two against one wasn't a fair fight, after all. But this was Captain Jack Sparrow.

While the leader was watching his men fight, I seized the opportunity to clamp my jaws around his hand. My teeth went clear through his flesh.

He screamed out in shock and momentarily released me. I used my newly freed legs to kick him in the chest, sending him backwards. Into the water. Into my domain.

At this point, I didn't even care that Jack was there. My assailants already knew what I was, and Sparrow was distracted anyway.

The officer struggled as I dragged him into the sea, but soon my legs became a tail once again and I had the ultimate upper hand. I pulled the pathetic, screaming creature down to the bottom of the cove and grinned at him with my already bloodstained teeth. He was about to find out how truly dangerous mermaids could be.

When I was finished slaughtering the wretched monster, I resurfaced and saw that Jack had stabbed one of the officers; the other was escaping. As he watched him go, I tried to quietly exit the water without him noticing. I slunk back to where I had been sitting in the sand before and tried to conceal my indecency.

Jack re-sheathed his cutlass and began walking away. For a moment, I actually thought he was going to leave me; however, I then saw him bend over and realized that he was collecting my scattered clothing. He then started to walk towards me with the bundle of fabric in hand, his gaze averted. It seemed odd that he, a pirate, should be the one to care most about my modesty. Not only had he made many lewd and inappropriate comments before, but he as struck me as a bit of a Casanova. It was strange that he should avert his gaze, while the "respectable" Trading Company men had tried something so much more horrific.

"Here," he said bluntly, looking off to the right. He tossed me my clothes and I began pulling them on frantically.

"You can look now," I said finally. I felt awkward and grateful and confused and scared all at the same time; it was quite perplexing.

"Do I even want to know what that was about?"

"How did you know I was here?" I countered with a question of my own.

"I asked first."

"No, you don't want to know what it was about. Let's just forget it ever happened."

"One got away."

"He was more timid than the other two. He's not a threat."

"He'll tell his superiors."

"Tell his superiors what?"

"I don't know, is there anything to tell?" He knew there was something to tell. He was being evasive.

I bowed my head. "I – I don't know. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it…"

"What did you tell them, Cassiopeia?" His voice was more dire than normal. I was frightened, but not by him. I knew he wouldn't hurt me; I was instead afraid of his disappointment.

"I couldn't help it!" I tried desperately.

"What did you tell them?" he repeated, clearly annunciating each word.

"They asked me what I sought."

"And…?"

I brought my eyes up from the ground. "I told them, 'that which makes men most powerful.'"

"That's just bloody fantastic," he grit out sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, they didn't give me any other choice."

He didn't respond.

"Thank you for saving me," I tried.

"You didn't give me any other choice," he echoed.

A heavy silence descended upon us.

"Is he dead?" I asked, using my foot to point to the fallen officer. The sand around his body was caked with dark blood.

"I'm not entirely sure... But if he's not, he soon shall be judging by the looks o' things."

"I'm surprised you killed him," I commented.

"It was me or him. Honestly," he started with a flourish, "I ask one thing – one thing." He held his fingers up to emphasize the "one." "It wasn't even a difficult request – I asked to not draw attention to our delicate position. And now, two officers of the Dutch East India Trading Company are dead. Really, I shouldn't be surprised. In fact, I'm not surprised – nothing can surprise me anymore. No, no you tearing that man limb from limb doesn't even surprise me."

"I'm sorry," I said meekly, "But it's not as if I asked for this to happen."

"No need to be sorry. What's done is done. I make a point of never dwelling on the past. Really, though, do try not to get yourself into one of those predicaments again. It's not often that Captain Jack Sparrow uses his extraordinary wiles to rescue a damsel in distress, savvy? Wouldn't want word getting out – it might ruin me reputation. Plus, the last time I engaged in such a lamentable practice things didn't exactly turn out so well…"

"Consider it noted. So… what now?"

"Now? Well, now we make it our number one priority not to be noticed. I'm talking a 'don't-go-outdoors' type of not being noticed, is that clear? We're going to have to hold our breaths – excuse the expression – until the Jewel's repaired and then be on our way as swiftly as possible."

"Do you think that man recognized you?"

"How am I to know? Unfortunately, I don't have the most forgettable of faces… But if he does know who I am, he won't be coming after us without reinforcements, to be sure. And I imagine your little comment piqued his interest… Bugger, this really isn't the best state of affairs…"

"Won't reinforcements take a while to arrive?"

"Indeed. More than three days, I should expect. Perhaps there is salvation after all…"

I couldn't help but smile slightly at his scatterbrained demeanor. He hadn't even mentioned the fact that I was a mermaid, and he'd only casually commented on my murderous behavior. It was safe to say that he'd regained the respect I'd lost for him when I saw that barmaid on his lap.

"In all sincerity," I began earnestly, "thank you. Lord knows what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

"I think I could venture a guess…" he remarked. He was looking past me and I could tell that he was becoming uncomfortable under my admiration.

"It's a figure of speech. Of course I know what would have happened. Which is why," I continued, "I am thanking you."

"Don't mention it. But really, don't mention it. You're all right, though? All your appendages are still attached?"

"Yes, I'm all right." I smiled again under the cover of darkness. We started walking back towards the town, and I hung close to his side. This did not go unnoticed, though neither of us spoke of it.

"Right. Well. That's good, I suppose," he said choppily. He abruptly eased back into his more suave persona and said, "Y'know, love, there's a very simple way to escape situations like that." He put his arm around me, as if he were giving some invaluable advice.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"A kick, if swiftly delivered to the lower regions of the male anatomy, should do the trick."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind."

"You'd do well to. I know – believe me, I know – that this is most assuredly an effective method of self-defense."

"Thanks, Jack." It was the first time I'd called him by his first name. He seemed not to notice.

"No trouble at all, dearie. One more thing, seeing as we're nearing the tavern – it'd probably be best not to mention this to the rest o' the crew. 'specially not to Navy boy, aye? The lad seems as if he might be prone to… impulsiveness."

"Of course," I replied, "Before we go in, though, you never answered my question: how did you know I was there?"

I felt the pressure of his hand leave my shoulder. "Ye didn't really think I hadn't noticed you'd left? I thought maybe you'd gone out to be sick or somethin', but you never came back. Almost sent Wentworth out to look for ye, too… It's a good thing I didn't."

"Thank you again," I repeated.

"If you keep thankin' me, love, I might get the impression that you think I'm a good person. And we certainly wouldn't want that, would we? Now get in the tavern, ye probably need another drink after tonight…"

I was just about to cross the doorway, but my actions were cut short.

"Oh, and Cassie," I heard him say. I turned around to see him grinning at me with a very self-satisfied look on his face. "I saw nothing," he said with a wink.

I didn't know whether he was referring to my naked body or the fact that I was a mermaid, but surmised that perhaps it was a bit of both.

A/N: There you go, guys! Kind of Cassie/Jack! Neither of them are very affectionate, so I feel the most powerful way to convey a growing relationship is through dialogue as opposed to physical interaction. Neither Jack nor Cassie has any reservations when it comes to dealing with the other gender in the physical sense, so it kind of loses its meaning a bit. Does that make sense? I tend to ramble... Anyway, I hope you all liked it! Please review, guys, we can SO get to 100 :p