Hi! Thanks to everyone who's added this story to favorites or story alert! :D :D And, as always, to everyone who's reviewed - you are stars! Again, as always (since when did I become so repetitive?) please please do let me know what you think and what I can improve :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 20

"I'll come and get you!"

Thomas's words floated back to Lily through a cloud of confusion. He'd shouted after her when Samuel had dragged her away, he'd promised to come for her...

Now he had.

She couldn't make sense of the emotions crowding her head – was she happy? Scared? Sad? All of the above?

"Well lass?" Barked Barbossa, moving closer to her. "Who is it?"

"I..." Lily swallowed, her fear seeming to scrape down her throat as she desperately tried to think. "I..."

"I - I – I?" Barbossa mocked, sneering. "You'd better get your story straight."

"I don't know you bastard so leave me alone," Lily said in a voice that was nearly a growl, "straight enough?"

The two glared at each other fiercely, breathing heavily and both refusing to back down.

"I suggest you rethink that answer," he hissed, now so close to her that Lily became uncomfortable and began to shrink back in the chair. Seeing this the captain gave a sardonic grin and grabbed either arm of the chair, invading her personal space deliberately.

Lily turned her head away from him, suddenly feeling very young and extremely vulnerable. For all her talk and (as her mother termed it) 'sass' she had never had to deal with anything like this before, no serious threat had been thrown at her. Now, with this man looming over her, she was at a loss as to what to do.

So, naturally, she began to cry.

They were noiseless tears and she did her best to hide them but of course Barbossa saw and his laugh was far from noiseless.

"You think that'll make me feel sorry for ye?" he jeered, grabbing her chin roughly so she had to look at him as he pressed the flag into her hands.

"Who. Is. It?"

She said nothing, just stared at him with terrified eyes made luminous by tears.

"TELL ME," he shouted suddenly, tipping the chair back abruptly so she had to hang on or fall off.

Lily gripped the side of the chair, her fear turning to anger as she struggled to right herself.

"I don't know, I told you!" she screamed back at him, her cheeks flushed.

"Lie to me and I swear ye'll be the worse fer it," he threatened, shaking the chair and nearly tipping her off.

"I DON'T know! I don't," she retorted, her voice rising and in one swift movement he let go of the chair, sending her toppling hard onto the floor.

Lily gasped as she lay there, sprawled and shocked. She raised her head to see Barbossa standing next to her, still holding the flag.

"I won't tell you," she spat, her voice strained.

His kick came out of nowhere but connected solidly enough with her stomach to make her curl in on herself, groaning with this new pain.

"If ye haven't changed yer tune by the time I return, God help ye for no-one else will," he growled as he strode to the door and flung it open.

"Samuel, get in here," he bawled when he'd reached it and then stormed off into his own cabin.

Lily found herself unable to move; it was as if the pain had immobilized her and had glued her cheek to the floor. Tremors ran the length of her body and tears (though not as frequent as before) were still rolling down her cheeks.

She hated herself for her inability to get up and forged many attempts but her shaking limbs would not support her and she grew so frustrated that she slammed her hand on the floor, bursting into new tears.

She didn't notice Samuel when he came into the room, only when he closed the door behind him.

At the noise her breath caught in her throat and she buried her head in her hands, thinking it was Barbossa. As for Samuel, he just stood there looking at her.

She was visibly shaking and looked very small all curled up like that. He felt the instinctive urge to put his arms round her and protect her from whatever had made her so scared, but then he remembered everything that had happened over the last few days...the last time he'd seen her...

As the silence pushed itself into every space in the room and cushioned Lily's form she raised her head, making herself sit up with effort.

She saw Samuel and what little color was left in her face vanished.

"Did my father hurt you?" he asked in a huskier voice than usual. His face was set and he was determined not to let her see his anger but she saw it all too clearly in his eyes.

What was not clear, however, was the source of his anger. She assumed it was still directed at her, that he still hated her for what she'd tried to do but the truth (though she didn't know it) was that Samuel's anger was focused purely on his own father.

Shakily, she nodded, her eyes fixed on his.

Samuels fists curled in on themselves, he shrugged his shoulders jerkily as if ridding himself of a burden. Anger radiated from him – it was almost tangible.

"Why?" he snarled, cracking his neck. "Why did he?"
At the crack of his bones Lily startled, pressing a hand to her palpitating heart.

"He – he wanted to know who was following us. I wouldn't tell him," she replied carefully, schooling her expression so he wouldn't see her fear.

What he saw was probably worse though and she would have changed it if she'd known.

What he saw was impassivity, he thought her expression told him she didn't care.

The very thought of it tormented him further and his eyes seemed to flash with pent up emotions which scared Lily further. She straightened up, tilted her chin, removed her hand from her aching stomach.

They were at an impasse. Each misunderstanding the other, neither knowing it.

Already on edge, when Samuel moved towards her Lily flinched, covering her face with one hand. Just like that the situation became clear to him, with that one movement he understood what had happened and sighed.

The next thing Lily felt was not the assault she expected but two strong arms picking her up with a gentility that put her at ease. She was cradled to Samuel's chest like a precious jewel.

Slowly and carefully so as not to hurt her he moved to place her on the bed.

"You shouldn't be at anyone's feet, Lily," he murmured as he laid her slender form down, keeping hold of only her hand, pressing it to his lips.

At the tender kiss, so different from the others they'd shared, Lily gasped lightly, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked up at him with eyes like melted chocolate.

He was still bent over her hand, his dark satin hair falling into his eyes but he looked up at her gasp.

Their eyes locked.

Time juddered.

The space between them ebbed.

Their lips met.

Guided by instinct her arms moved to encircle his neck, drawing him closer, and he responded, moving so he was above her.

The space they shared was sacred and heated at the same time, their kiss sweet but full of desire and meaning.

To Samuel, she was a sliver of everything he wanted, a beautiful, breakable entity that he could hold and cherish. Each movement was slow and careful, each touch, each kiss tender and lingering.

It was strange in one so strong, the care he took over her.

And Lily? She had stopped thinking a while ago. Her heart had overflowed the minute he had pressed his lips to her hand and she'd been swept along in a wave of an emotion she couldn't name.

It was only when he pulled away slightly and looked down at her with a sweet, small smile that she was able to think. Only as air rushed between them and cooled the heat that had taken over her that she knew.

Of course it was love.

Before she could register her words she had spoken.
"I'm in love with you."

His smile broadened and his eyes (already beautiful) became breathtaking.

"Good, I'm in love with you."

Lily blinked and then laughed, depositing a small kiss to his jaw.

"When did you work this out?" she murmured into his skin and she felt his jaw shift as he smiled.

"A while ago, I think," he replied.

He was still supporting himself with his arms so he rolled to the side, bringing her with him, her back against his chest.

"You?"

"Yes, a while ago."

"You know, if you'd told me things would have been a whole lot easier," he said after a while and she reached round to hit him quite hard on the chest.

"You dog! You didn't tell me either," she retorted and then squealed as he pinned her arms behind his back, making her a sort of figurehead and effectively preventing any further violence.

"I thought you hated me," he said, grinning as she tried to get free and failed.

Eventually she just stopped trying, it wasn't like he was hurting her.

"I thought I did too. I would have been justified if I had," she said sweetly and it was her turn to laugh as he rolled his eyes. Though she couldn't see his expression as her back was to him she was fairly sure.

"Good thing there's no justice in the world, right?" he said with a smirk.

Before she could reply he ran a finger down her side and she squirmed away, giving him exactly the reaction he wanted.

His silence became ominous because she couldn't see his face and she tensed.

"...Don't!" she warned but it was too late. His fingers went from caressing her skin to tickling her mercilessly until the sheer force of her reaction had pulled her wrists from his grasp and she had grabbed his hands, lacing their finger together.

"Hah!" she celebrated her triumph, holding their entwined hands in the air.

"Well done," he acknowledged as she rose to kneeling.

Her hair hung in thick curls, just reaching his chest as she looked down at him with a softer look on her face than he'd ever seen.

Unable to help himself he reached out with their linked fingers to brush her cheek and she smiled.

Samuel sat up and she moved to sit just in front of him, still with clasped hands as he leaned forward, lightly kissing her dimple that sat in her left cheek.

Neither knew how much time passed as they sat there, looking at each other, and neither cared.

And, safe to say, Lily forgot all about Thomas.