A Pirate Calling

Chapter Sixteen: Breathe

An arm moving across her belly woke Fay from a dreamless sleep. A nose nuzzling the back of her neck caused her to tilt her head. Jack's sleeping face met her gaze. A slow smile curled across her lips as flashes from the night before filtered through her thoughts.

Jack's fingers draped lax over the curve of her hip like it was routine morning between long term lovers. Fay laced her fingers through his; noticing the long, thin fingers and the feel of the rough, callused palm against her skin. She turned in his hold, keeping their fingers locked, and lifted her other hand to his cheek. Fay reached out with an urge to touch him, to brush against his skin, to caress his lips, but stopped.

She shouldn't touch him.

She shouldn't want to risk waking him.

A part of her wanted to stay exactly where she was. She felt safe in his arms. And that bothered her. Fay eased from his grasp, his fingers slipping across her skin. Her eyes closed as she remembered the feel of his fingers on her, touching her, caressing her.

She looked at him from her spot on the floor, her chin resting on the mattress. A roughly healed scar marked the palm of his left hand. Fay reached out and trailed her fingers over the next scar she found. It looked like a lightning bolt; jagged and forked at the crook in his elbow, racing down two sides of his arm.

Fay couldn't fathom where he could've gotten it. Her fingers flickered over the raised skin as her free hand moved to her shoulder. Even though she'd never been able to look at it straight on, only ever catching glimpses of it in the mirror, the scar on her back was just as rough, just as ugly.

She finally pulled her eyes away from the torn skin. A thin line trailed across the front of his left shoulder, starting at the top of his bicep and coursing up to his collarbone. Little dots marred both sides of the blemish in unequal measures as if it had been sewn together with an unpracticed hand.

Jack huffed in his sleep and rolled over onto his back. Two dark marks caught her eyes. Bullet wounds, from what she could tell, but wounds that were so roughly healed they couldn't have been from this century. Fay had seen them the night before, touched them, even traced them with her lips, but she hadn't fully taken them in. She wondered, for a moment, what position he could have been in that would have gotten him shot. He didn't seem to live that dangerous a life.

Another scar caught her eyes. This one zigzagged down his side, starting at the middle of his ribcage and ending in a hooked shape at his hip. Fay ghosted her fingers over the length of the raised skin. She sighed. This man was a riddle she couldn't figure out.

Fay tilted her head to rest her cheek on the mattress. With one last sigh, and one last touch to his bare skin, she moved back.

She picked up the closest piece of clothing and pulled it on. It still smelled like him. Buttoning the shirt she stepped over the fallen photos and left the room.

Pre-dawn light filtered through the windows in the living room as she walked through. The storm had passed leaving torn branches in the yard. Fay stopped at the window and assessed the view outside.

Every yard down the block was in various states of disarray. There was a tree down in the yard next to hers; a mailbox was blown over across the street. Luckily there had been no damage to the houses. As far as anyone was aware a sudden tropical storm had blown in; bad enough to keep everyone inside, but not bad enough to do major damage.

Fay turned from the window and made her way into the kitchen. She could see the Lords sleeping in the family room outside of the kitchen. Jocard was propped against the wall next to the glass door. Bella was curled up in an overstuffed chair and Fatima was sleeping in her mother's recliner. A young man and woman Fay didn't recognize were on the couch with another older man in the corner of the room.

Fay jumped when the coffee maker started to gurgle. A small note was propped up against the coffee maker. She read it and a smile forced its way across her lips. I think you will need this. Cream and four sugars. ~Fatima. She chuckled. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful for this or a little disturbed. Fatima had known she would need the coffee in the morning.

Jack woke when the smell of coffee infiltrated his nose. His eyes opened a crack as the coffee mug was set down on the night table. He grinned as he took in Fay's form, sitting on the chair across from the bed, her bare legs pulled up to her chest and crossed at the ankles.

She was sipping a cup of coffee and staring over at him. Jack sat up, rubbing his face and grabbed the coffee. He took a sip and then smiled over the rim. "Fatima?"

Fay nodded, holding the cup with both hands. "She-ah. She left a note."

Jack chuckled. "Not much gets by her."

Fay snorted. "I noticed."

"Listen-"

Fay gave a single shake of her head. "No."

Jack sat up straight, puzzled. "No, what?"

"Don't talk about last night."

"I wasn't aware that we needed to."

Fay watched him. Flashes from the night before hit her. Hands trailing on smooth hips. Lips brushing scars. A puff of air left her lips. "You never explained what you are."

"A man."

Fay scowled and placed her cup on the nightstand. "Who just happens to have lived for four hundred years."

Jack scratched the side of his neck. "Ah. Let's just say that x marked the spot."

Fay unfolded from her seat and stalked over to him. She stood in front of him, one hand on her hip, the other pointing a finger at him. "I'm tired of these non answers. I'm tired of everything you've put me through! My life has gone to shit since I met you, Galvin."

"It's Sparrow."

"I don't give a fuck what you call yourself! You have no right-"

Jack grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her to him, pressing her against his chest, her face right in front of his. He twisted on the bed, rolling them over, the sheets wrapping around his waist. His lips were on hers as soon as she hit the mattress, taking advantage of the way her lips parted in surprise.

Fay tensed against him and struggled to pull her wrist from his hold. Jack tightened his grip and moved her wrist above her head, pushing it into the blankets. She jerked as his other hand slid beneath her borrowed shirt. His thumb brushed the inside of her thigh, rubbing circles on the tender skin.

Fay relaxed her free hand and trailed it around his shoulders, tightening her arm around his neck. She was angry at him. It was a common occurrence between the two and yet every time he kissed her she couldn't put up a fight. He just had a way of causing her brain to stop.

Fay arched into his touch, her back lifting off of the bed. Jack moved his hand around to her back. His fingers grazed her buttock and then trailed to the small of her back, the shirt riding up as he moved his arm up. He let go of her hand, his fingers fitting around the back of her neck, tilting her head to give him better access to her throat.

Fay groaned as his tongue flicked over her pulse. She moved her hands to grip his shoulders and pushed him over. She straddled his legs and leaned over, pressing her lips back to his. Jack moved his hands around her back, bracing her as he sat up. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight against him.

Jack's lips trailed across her cheek to her ear, peppering kisses over her skin. "I want you out of that shirt," he whispered.

Fay's hands scraped down his chest and moved to the sheet wrapped around his waist. "And I want this gone."

"As you wish," he said with a grin.

His fingers moved over the shirt, popping the first few buttons. His lips pressed against the skin that was revealed as he hooked his finger through another button. Fay leaned back to give him more access to her chest.

Jack pulled her back up, catching her lips with his. Jack swept his tongue across her lips and she opened for him willingly. Fay's hands moved to his face, brushing the stubble on his cheeks, touching a scar on his chin and running her fingers through the hair at his temples.

A knock on the door pulled them apart. Fay rested her forehead against his, her fingers still playing in his hair.

"Jack, you need to come downstairs."

Jack looked up into Fay's eyes, his lips only an inch from hers. He could see the walls building back up behind her eyes. Finally, he responded, "Can it wait?"

He could hear Bella sigh. "No. it cannot."

"Alright. We'll be down in a moment."

Light footsteps walking away sounded Bella's retreat.

"Sounded important," Fay said, her lips brushing his.

"I'm sure it is."

"Then maybe you should-"

"I will." He tilted his head as his eyes grazed the length of her face. "I just have other . . . pressing matters to attend to." He rocked his hips as proof.

His hands trailed up to cup her cheeks, his fingers lacing through her hair. He brushed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. Jack pulled back as quickly as he leaned in. Fay's nails scraped against skin as she moved them across Jack's chest. She hesitated for a moment at the scars on the left side. She moved them up, brushing his lip with the pad of her thumb.

Fay laced her fingers at his crown. She brushed her lips against his. Once. Twice. Her eyes never left his.

"Okay," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "We should-"

Jack closed the distance, capturing her lips in a bruising kiss. His hands moved down to the small of her back. Fay's arms wrapped round his neck, her fingers gripping the back of his neck.

A knock on the door stopped them. "Jack," Jocard's rich timbre spoke through the door. "You are needed downstairs. I am not sure how much longer we can distract them."

Jack's brows furrowed. "Them?"

"Please do not make me come in that room and separate you two."

Fay smirked against Jack's lips. She moved to stand, pulling her legs from around his waist. "Come on. We can pick this up later."

"You promise?"

"Okay, what's the emergency?"

"Captain."

Jack stopped in his tracks. Three men turned to look at him, the six Lords standing behind them.

"Gentlemen."

A grin lit the lips of one of the men as he stared at the two newcomers. Fay shifted next to him, pulling at the ends of her shirt. "Sorry ta interrupt."

There was a time when Jack would have responded to the other man's comment. There was a time Jack would have probably made the same remark. Now, though, especially with the circumstances that they were, he couldn't even pull a smile.

"It can't bode well if you're here."

"Cap'n wants to see you," the man said. His eyes flicked to Fay. "An' her."

"About what?" Fay asked, drawing up straight.

"Technically," a second man cut in, sending a glare to the first, "Captain Turner wants to meet with all of you. All of the Lords."

"Go on the Flying Dutchman?" Wes asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Let's go. I'm all for it."

Jack held up a hand. "First we find out why. Going aboard the Dutchman isn't something to do lightly. Especially for you two."

"It's safe Jack," Jordan cut in. "We wouldn't bring it with us."

Jack wagged a finger between them. "Bloodline," was all he said.

"All we know," the second man said, "is that Captain Turner wants to speak of protection."

"We are safe 'ere," Jocard replied.

The man shrugged. "For now. Calypso grows stronger every day. Twice now she has almost succeeded in killing Miss Nolan. How long do you think you can keep her safe? Would it hurt to have a little help?"

"Fay and I will go," Jack interrupted. "I'll talk with the whelp and we'll go from there."

"I'm sorry. Why do I have to go with you?" Fay snapped.

"Because after last night I don't want you out of my sight."

"Don't think what happened lets you tell me what to do."

A small smirk crossed Jack's lips. "I was talking about Calypso's attack. But if you'd like to go there-"

"I don't."

His grin widened before he turned back to the Dutchman's crew. "As I said, Fay and I will come aboard. If need be, I'll send for the rest. Is that okay Fatima?"

Fatima nodded. "As far as I can see. After that . . . I don't know."

Jack nodded and gestured to the glass door. "Right. Gentleman if you'd be so kind."

Will watched from the helm as his men started back for the Dutchman, Jack and Fay in tow. A smile crossed his lips. He should've known Jack wouldn't have just blindly followed what Will suggested.

"Always so untrusting," he muttered.

He moved from his spot as the boat bumped the side of the ship. He supposed it would be proper to meet his guests as soon as they arrived. Jack was trying to hide the longing in his eyes as he stared up at the Dutchman. Fay, for her part, looked terrified. It was understandable given the circumstances of the last time she had seen his ship.

Will could see the leery look in Fay's eyes as he reached to help her up. Her hand shook as he took hold. He grabbed her other arm to steady her as her toe caught just the edge of the opening.

"Easy Miss Nolan."

Fay nodded, her fingers gripping his forearms to catch her balance. Her eyes met his and for a brief moment, Will could see fear slash in her eyes. He had a sudden image of her father many years before as he left his daughter behind.

Fay's eyes turned blue as a smirk formed. "Life is cruel," she spat, her teeth bared.

Her expression calmed a moment later as her eyes returned to grey.

Fay pulled away, drawing her hands from his arms. She jumped as a hand settled on the small of her back. Will turned his gaze to Jack. He nodded silently at him and then jerked his head to the right.

Jack moved his hand to her waist as he steered her in the direction Will was headed. She swatted at his hand but he only smirked and pulled her closer. It wasn't lost on him that she fit perfectly against him.

It'd been a long time since he's felt someone like that.

"After you, Miss Nolan," Will said, opening the door to his cabin.

Will watched Fay as she glanced around the room, purposely not looking in Will's direction. He could tell she was nervous; her arms were crossed over her chest, her hands balled into fists. Her eyes never settled on any one thing.

Jack, on the other hand, had already slunk down into the chair, his feet propped up on the edge of Will's desk. Will chuckled and shook his head. "Make yourself at home."

Jack grinned and raised his eyebrows. "To what do we owe this meeting?"

"You asked for my help."

Jack nodded. "I did."

"Then my suggestion to you would be to head to Shipwreck Island."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "And why would we do that?"

"Because it's impregnable, Jack. You've said so yourself."

"It's not exactly a plane ride."

"I can take you," Will countered. "Where better for the living to hide then among the dead?"

"And on the open seas which just happen to be Calypso's domain."

"Between your people and mine, Jack, she'll be safe."

"But Shipwreck Island?"

Will sighed. "Everything is there jack. Documents. Spells. The Code. Everything."

"And not a lot of things either of us would like to remember," Jack responded, flicking a finger between himself and Will.

Will gave a sad smile. "Things we can never forget."

"But things we will always try to."

"What on earth are you two talking about?"

Jack craned his neck, looking at Fay from the tops of his eyes. "What's that, love?"

"You two are talking about crap that doesn't make sense. What's Shipwreck Island? The Code? What spells?"

"Shipwreck Island," Will answered, "is where everything started. It's where Davy Jones convinced the first Brethren to bind Calypso."

"The Code is what all pirates live by. They're the rules basically." Jack seconded.

Will chuckled. "Rules that you constantly broke."

"Except when they served my purpose."

"Like at the Isla de Muerta?"

Jack laughed. "Parley works when it's needed."

"And spells?" Fay prodded.

Jack flicked his hand at her. "Just what you'd think. We need a way to bind Calypso."

Fay's hands clenched. "Only bind her? She tried to kill me. She killed my father."

Jack's eyes met Will's for a moment. Finally, he stood and made his way to Fay. He cupped her cheeks, brushing his thumbs over her cheekbones. "I know what you're feeling, love. I know you want revenge, but trust me when I say it won't end well. We don't know what would happen if we killed a god."

"She has more than just control of the seas, Miss Nolan."

"She killed my father," Fay repeated. "She pretended to be my friend for half my life. She tried to kill me the other night."

Jack's thumb moved to trace the outline of her lips. Her breath hitched. "I know, love. But she didn't. You're still here and we will do everything in our power to keep it that way."

Fay bit her bottom lip. He was so close. . .

Will cleared his throat. "Where do we stand on Shipwreck Island?"

Jack pushed away, dropping his hands to his sides. "I'll have to discuss it with the Brethren."

"You know they'll do whatever you suggest, but if you must."

Jack turned to the door of the cabin, Fay moving to follow. He stopped before he made it to the door, turning to face her, bringing them almost nose to nose. "You stay here, love."

"I don't think so."

"The whelp's right. This'll be the safest place for you. If the Brethren decide against it, I'll come back for you. Turner'll make sure nothing happens to you, won't you?"

"Of course."

Fay jumped to find Will right behind Jack, standing with his hand on the doorknob. He'd been at his desk only a moment before.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise nothing will happen while I'm gone."

"No," Fay repeated. "I don't want-"

Jack's lips met hers, effectively stopping what she was about to say. One arm moved around her waist, molding her form to his, the other hand tangling in her hair. He broke away moments later, smiling against her lips. "Stay here. You'll be safe."

Fay bit back the argument that was building. Instead she just nodded.

Will opened the door, allowing Jack to leave first. He hesitated before he turned to leave. "I'll only be a moment."

"Are you sure this is wise, Jack?"

"You asked me, lad."

Will shook his head. "No. I'm talking about your feelings for Miss Nolan. And don't tell me it's nothing. This is not your normal flirtation. Getting serious about her will only cause her pain."

Jack stopped at the railing, placing both hands on the sleek wood. "You think I don't know that?" he asked, his head down. "But it's different with her. She's different. There's just . . ." he waved his hands in the air, searching for the right words.

"A touch of destiny?" Will supplied.

"Don't turn those words on me whelp."

"It does not help that she is the reincarnation of Davy Jones. I can see him in her. He's just under the surface. If he breaks out without her in control . . ." Will sighed. "He's dangerous Jack. You know this just as well as I do. Calypso would drown the world to rid it of him."

"Then we better find a way to keep Fay in control. Between all of us I'm sure we can figure something out."

And with that he was gone, lowering himself onto the small boat.

Will sighed again. He shook his head and turned back toward his cabin. He didn't think Jack fully understood what could go wrong.

Fay stared at the door for a while after Jack and Will left, her lips pursed. How did she always get left behind a closed door? She reached up, fingering the pendant to her father's necklace through her shirt.

She swiveled on her feet, turning her back on the door. The room was dark, lit only by candles built into the walls and on the desk. A large bed fit against one wall, the deep red sheets unrumpled as if they hadn't been slept in for ages. The desk was on the opposite side of the room, a small table-for dining perhaps- was only a short distance away.

But the object built into the wall between the desk and bed was what caught her attention. A giant pipe organ encompassed the entire wall; the pipes jutted up from the console, arching up along the wall. It was beautiful. Fay had never seen an organ quite like it.

And yet . . .

Her fingers played over the keys, not quite touching them. She remembered . . . something. Some vague memory pushed at the back of her mind. She pushed against it at first, refusing the memory to take over her thoughts. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, rested her fingers just on top of the keys, and gave into the images pushing through her mind.

The music swelled around her as she played. Anguish tore through her. She squeezed her eyes tighter, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. It wasn't hers. This wasn't her sorrow.

A simple melody curled through her mind, stilling her fingers. Anger tightened her muscles, clenching her hands into fists. She wanted to break the organ; wanted to tear the instrument to pieces. It had no right to still be here when she wasn't. It had no right to exist.

Warm fingers wrapped around her fist. Fay's eyes shot open. She turned to see Will standing next to her. His gaze was soft, kind. "Calm, Miss Nolan."

She stared at him, confused, until she caught sight of herself in a mirror behind him. Her eyes were a raging blue, her lips curved into a snarl. Fay took a deep breath, battling against the foreign emotions coursing through her.

"He hated her, didn't he?" she asked, her eyes locked on her reflection, watching as her eyes slowly turned.

Will sighed, releasing her hand and stepping away. "On the contrary. He loved her."

"Then why do I feel all this anger?"

"He believed she betrayed him. He did as she asked and she did not hold up her end," he paused, watching her closely. "She claimed him in the end when Jack stabbed his heart."

"But-"

Will gave a sad smile. "He used my hand, Miss Nolan. He saved my life."

Fay crossed her arms, attempting to hide her shaking hands. "Doesn't look like that to me."

"If I had had the strength I would have chosen the same. This way I at least still had time with my wife, no matter how short it was. I did not leave her a widow on our wedding day."

Fay wasn't sure how to respond. It seemed cruel to her to rip someone's life away without giving them a choice. It should not have been Jack's choice.

"He chose right," Will said as if reading her thoughts. "Jack is a good man no matter what he wants people to believe. He is doing everything he can to protect you, I hope you see that."

"By lying to me."

"Jack does things as he sees fit. He knows the world for what it is. If he believed you could have handled the truth before now he would have told you."

"Why doesn't he want to go to whatever this island is?"

"Shipwreck Island." Will shrugged. "I am sure it brings back memories that he would rather forget. It is his father's resting place, if I recall."

"His father?"

Will nodded. "He was a good man."

"He doesn't talk about him."

"He wouldn't. Jack does not like to dwell on the past; not since he has so much of it."

"And you?"

Will hesitated. "I find it helps to remember why I'm doing this, to remember what I have lost. This," he waved his hand, encompassing everything around him, "serves as my reminder. And, no, I do not hate Jack for this as I tell him every time I see him and see the same look on his face that is on yours."

Will turned from her and moved to his desk, pouring himself a glass of rum. He turned to her, holding up a glass in offering. Fay nodded after a moment. She took a sip of the liquid after she accepted it and coughed as it burned her throat on the way down. Will chuckled at her reaction.

"It takes a bit of getting used to."

Fay nodded as her coughing slowed. She took another sip, glancing around the room. "Can you promise I'll be safe?"

The glass paused half way to Will's lips. His eyes met her searching ones. "No."

AN: I don't have time to write a bio of one of the Lords so I'll have to skip it this time. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think!