The Map

A/N: Many, many thanks to the great and indeed patient AniSparrow. She made this chapter readable, any errors still remaining are all mine. Nothing too graphic ahead, mentions of torture but nothing anyone over 13 should have problems with.
Hope you enjoy it….

Chapter 20

We are pirates, Sparrow.


“Wake up!” a gentle hand on Nell’s shoulder was shaking her insistently. “Wake up Nell.” She cracked open sleepy eyes and saw Jack’s face level with hers. He was crouched with his head close to hers.

“G’way,” she mumbled and closed her eyes.

“You need to eat and then we can be moving on our way, Nell.” Jack shook her gently again, resisting the urge to kiss her nose. His men were watching and he didn’t think they needed to see that, this early in the day.

His words penetrated her sleep addled brain and with them the events of last night came hurtling back to her. Her eyes flew open and she sat up so fast she head butted Jack, catching his chin and making him fall backwards with a yelp of pain.

Nell gripped her forehead, frowning against the pain as she looked around her in fear.
It was daylight and the crew were sitting, eating some of the rations they had brought with them. Every one of them was watching her and it sent shivers down her back.
She looked down at herself to see if she was indecent, not understanding why they stared so.

She rubbed her head and looked at Jack. He was sitting back, one hand on his chin, the other holding out an apple. She looked around her again, Hock winked at her, and she blushed before grinning at him.

“Morning, Miss,” he grinned.

“Is it?” Nell looked towards the entrance, the coats had been removed, and the early sunlight poured through the gap, showing the specks of dust that danced in the light.

“It is!” she looked back at Jack, the crew forgotten. She took the apple with a grin.

“Thank you. I take it we survived last night?”

“Indeed,” Jack replied and looked back at De Mornay. “Thanks to your quick thinking.”

“Never thought I’d need it again,” Nell said quietly, looking down at the cross in her hand.

“Some things are meant to stay with a person,” he slurred nodding his head in agreement with himself. Jack got to his feet and stood there swaying slightly as he looked down at her. “Eat up, lass.” he smiled as she began to munch on her apple staring down at the beads in her fingers.


Jack clapped his hands, turned on his heel, and swayed his way over to Beaumont and De Mornay. He was surprised to see De Mornay was looking his normal self. The blank wild-eyed look he had last night was gone and he was now looking up at Jack with hatred on his face.

“Which way do we go, up or down?” Jack asked them, his voice blank of emotion but with a trace of the perpetual slur.

Beaumont arched an eyebrow at De Mornay before looking up at Jack.

“Which way do we leave the cave?” Jack repeated himself, a dangerous edge to the slur now.

“No need,” replied Beaumont.

Jack arched one eyebrow at him and moved forwards towards him, bending sideways at the waist slightly as he eyed Beaumont. He opened his mouth to say something but before he could speak, Norrington had approached.

“Explain,” Norrington demanded, his voice low and dark.

Jack sighed as he turned to Norrington; he circled one wrist and indicated himself with his other hand.

“Excuse me. I’m the Captain here; and as such I do the asking of any questions that require answering.” He rolled his eyes before looking once more at Beaumont.

“Answer the Commodore!” Jack slurred making Norrington roll his eyes.

“We can go through the back of this cave into another inner cave; the side of this mountain is riddle with caves all interlocking,” Beaumont said quietly.

“What?” Jack frowned at him, his eyes looking up at the back of the cave, but it looked like sheer rock to him.

“There’s an entrance – tight, but manageable.” Beaumont’s tone was resigned but Jack wasn’t fooled at all.

“And where does this entrance lead us?” Jack inquired softly, one hand circled slowly while the other move to rest on the handle of his pistol.

“To the treasure,” Beaumont smiled, and for one moment Nell thought he was joking.

“It’s here?” she asked in surprise, stepping forward, the apple forgotten in her hand.

An excited murmur went up through the cave. Several of the crew began talking loudly at once.

Jack lifted his hand and yelled for silence. The crew stopped, shuffling their feet and glaring at the bound men on the floor.

“You knew this last night?” Jack spoke quietly, his voice low and dark with suppressed anger. “If we’d made it into the inner cave we wouldn’t have seen or heard any of that, would we?”

“I didn’t know anything of the sort,” Beaumont said, his eyes slid to Nell who was looking shocked. “You’d have seen both your dead crew members. Besides we couldn’t have gone through without light - we need to light torches and we couldn’t do that till morning. You’ll need to collect branches and…”

“We could have brought it up with us.” Hock growled.

“You knew what we’d see and hear and you were waiting to see how many of us it would pick off, weren’t you?” Jack drew his dagger out from his waistband and Nell took a step back.

Beaumont shrugged noncommittally and gave a howl of pain when Knowles rapped his injured hand with the blade of his sword.

“Captain asked you a question. Now answer it, politely.”

Norrington looked at Knowles in surprised annoyance. “Mister Knowles!”

Knowles had the grace to acknowledge his commanding officer and shrugged in apology.

“We are pirates, Sparrow,” Beaumont said quietly, but every man heard him. “You may think you can frighten us into helping you, but you’re misled. We’ve waited years for this treasure and it’s ours. If you think we’re going to let you walk away with it…” he snorted softly, the pain in his hand making his temper mean. “So; were we waiting to see if your crew jumped from the edge? Yes we were. Did we know about the quicksand? Yes we did. Did we know about the flies?” He looked at Nell briefly before looking back at Jack. “Yes we did. We know everything about this place. Do we know about anything ahead of us? Yes we do,” he said simply. “Will we tell you? No, we won’t.” Beaumont snarled the last words at Jack.

“There are certain things that’ll make a man reveal anything,” Jack hissed, leaning forwards and pressing the dagger to his throat.

“Kill us and you’ll never know!” De Mornay added coldly.

Hock advanced quickly, bringing his dagger down point first into the wound on his shoulder. De Mornay cried out, sweat running down his face as he instantly began to shake with the pain radiating from his shoulder downwards.

“Who said anything about killing?” hissed Hock, and he turned the point of the blade very slowly, opening the wound and causing the blood to re-flow.

Nell covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes flying to Jack. But he stood there and watched De Mornay, his face closed of any emotion.

Beaumont looked at De Mornay and his face hardened before they both shook their heads at Jack in silent refusal.

“What else lies before us?” Jack demanded as he folded his arms, tapping the dagger against his upper arm.

Nell swallowed a wave of nausea as Hock continued to press the dagger into De Mornay’s wound. She looked across at Norrington who was staring resolutely at the floor, his hands behind his back. She knew then that he would stand by and not try to stop anything Jack or his crew did. She looked at the sweat running down De Mornay’s face and was surprised when he merely laughed up at Jack.

“Is that the best you can do?” he gasped when Hock pressed harder. “You should listen to Nell, she’ll tell you a few stories on how to treat prisoners, won’t you Nell?” He looked across at her and she shook her head taking a step back.

Jack looked at her ashen face and indicated to Hock to lift the dagger.

“Not man enough?” De Mornay taunted Jack as he slumped forward.

“Dwent, organise a few men to gather enough branches for torches and remember to stay close to the water at all times. Keep your eyes peeled, any doubt and return here immediately.” Jack watched as Dwent took three others with him and slipped out of the entrance. “Commodore, Mister Bryant; perhaps you’d be good enough to take Nell out for some air.” Jack looked directly at Norrington and Nell saw a silent message pass between the two.

“I’m fine in here,” Nell offered quickly, not wanting to head out there unless it was absolutely necessary. The image of Jones climbing the rocks would be forever burned in her mind.

“No Nell, you aren’t,” Jack said quietly, and her eyes flicked back to where Hock was holding the dagger stood beside De Mornay. She made the mistake of looking into Beaumont’s eyes.

“They are pirates Helen, or have you truly forgotten that?” he spoke softly but she heard every word he said.

Nell took the arm Norrington offered, her eyes still on Beaumont’s face. “No. I haven’t forgotten, but….” she faltered before adding quietly. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Your past has caught up with you.” Nell turned away from him and followed Bryant out on to the ledge; faltering slightly her eyes darting around nervously for signs of abnormal presence. She looked back at Norrington as he came after her.

“They’re going to use pain to get the information they need, aren’t they?” she asked him.

He urged her forwards towards where Bryant was waiting, holding his hand out for her.

“Yes. They are,” Norrington replied quietly when she had inched sideways till she caught Bryant’s hand. “We can’t stop them.” He indicated for Bryant to climb slightly lower than the ledge, till they could find a rock wide enough to sit down on. “And I’m not certain that I would even if I could,” he said softly, as he perched beside her, one leg drawn up as he rested his arm across his knee.

“They killed three quarters of our men. They almost drowned us, they shot Stewart in cold blood and they know everything that’s lethal on this island.” Bryant looked at her as he spoke, his dark eyes kind. “They’ll kill every one of us if they could. They took you not once but twice. Sometimes...” he paused “Some men can’t be treated with anything except the way they treat others.”

“We don’t condone torture, Nell, but in this case it’s the only language they understand,” Norrington frowned, his eye watchful for signs of danger as they sat there.

“And does that make it right?” Nell asked quietly, her own eyes staring at Norrington’s boots. A tiny ant was making its way across the toe, reddish brown against the scuffed black.

“What do you think?” Bryant asked her before Norrington could reply.

She watched the ant circle round and round, another joined it, and they began some kind of primal dance.

“I don’t know anymore,” she shrugged; her eyes watched the ants scurry off Norrington’s boot and down into a crack in the rocks. “Jack told me that there is no black and white. That sometimes things are grey.”

Norrington nodded in agreement. “As much as it pains me to say this, he’s quite correct. I was like you though; I believed that things were either right or wrong, that there wasn’t an area that could be described as both right and wrong at the same time. Funnily enough it was our last escapade with Sparrow that taught me differently. There’s something about that man that is highly annoying when’s he’s right,” he added testily.

“He’s highly annoying. Full stop,” Bryant replied firmly; making Nell laugh and for the first time it wasn’t strained.

Norrington grinned at her, his eyes showing his pleasure at hearing her laugh.

Nell looked down; a few ants had found their way onto her boots. She watched them, her thoughts on inside the cave. “But is it enough to justify hurting another human being in order to save ourselves?” she asked and heard Bryant sigh.

“Ordinarily I’d say no,” he said and looked across at Norrington who lifted his eyebrows in response. “But this time it’s different,” Bryant continued. “Don’t let this eat away at you, Nell. It’s something that’s beyond your, or our, control.”

“I hate them,” she whispered. “I’ve hated them for years. I don’t feel anything at the thought of what will happen to them in there. I don’t think I could watch it, but I don’t care about it either.”

“And that’s what really worries you isn’t it?” Norrington said quietly. “You think you’re like them.”

Nell didn’t reply she didn’t have to; Norrington had hit upon it first shot.

“Jack will use all and every means he has to get what he wants. And fortunately for us, he wants the treasure and to get us off safely. He won’t sacrifice his crew or my men in doing so though, and in order not to sacrifice any more men he’ll do what’s needed with Beaumont and De Mornay. Beaumont has withheld information that has cost lives; he’ll continue to withhold information that could cost all our lives unless he’s made to give that information up. Sparrow is reduced to the only option open to him. I can’t fault him on that because if the positions were reversed I’d do that same.” Norrington spoke firmly and clearly.

“Except the positions wouldn’t be reversed because you wouldn’t be after the treasure.” Nell pointed out reasonably as she watched the ants on her boot. She frowned slightly as she realised that as before there had been two ants, she could now count five.

“No. But what I’m saying is that Jack is not like them and neither are you. You’d have to be a saint to be able to view them objectively after everything they’ve done to you, and while you are a good person, Nell, I don’t think the Pope will be making a saint of you just yet…” Norrington lips quirked as he spoke.

“The difference between you and them and Sparrow and them boils down to one thing really,” Bryant added quietly. “Neither you nor Sparrow would use pain indiscriminately, nor enjoy using it. Beaumont and De Mornay enjoy inflicting pain; they would torture a man just for the sheer fun of it.”

“It was like a game to them, a sport,” Nell said frowning down at her boots. “They told me some horrible things that pirates would do. I now know that it was what they used to do… Jack is different, his crew, on the whole, are different.”

“Don’t be fooled by Sparrow,” Norrington said suddenly. “He’s in a class all of his own. Any other pirate on these waters would do pretty much what you were told. There are a few who respect women but not many. It would have been better had you not been boarded at all, of course; but in so far as it was the Pearl, you were very fortunate. But they are still pirates.”

Nell screwed her face up; his words made sense, but it did nothing to relieve the lump that seemed to have formed in her chest.

“What will you do when we do arrive at Port Royal?” asked Bryant trying to take her mind of it. He was watching as the crew returned with branches and sticks, his eyes squinted against the early morning sun.

“That’s… I don’t really know. Jack was right when he said that I hadn’t even thought past the convent walls. It wasn’t very wise of me I know…”

“Sparrow told me that you were born in Port Royal; is that correct?” Norrington asked.

“Yes. My parents died when I was seven and Beaumont became my guardian.”

“How did your parents know Beaumont?” Norrington’s eyes were watching the crew climb past them, but he was reluctant to lead Nell back in there untill he knew what state Beaumont and De Mornay would be in.

“I have no idea. I have little memory of Port Royal.”

“Did they work in the port itself?”

Nell shrugged, trying to dig into her long forgotten memories.

“I remember so little. I remember it was always sunny, no rain except for the storms. Palms… I can remember a little courtyard, with white stone floors and palm trees...” Nell frowned as she struggled with the memory. “I think I used to have a doll that I would play with by water… a pond or something.” She shrugged again looking down at the ants. Her eyes followed one of the tiny ants as it climbed off her boot and ran across the rocks, completely missing the look Norrington sent Bryant as she watched its progress till it disappeared down a small crevice in the rocks. She looked back at her boots and frowned.

“I think I must smell or something,” she muttered.

“Pardon?” Norrington looked down at her, frowning.

“I’ve attracted more ants than you.” Nell pointed to her boot, where more ants were running across her boot from one side to the other looking as if they were trying to find the way off.

Bryant looked down and reached forward to brush them off. One climbed onto his hand and he let out a grunt as it bit him. He swatted it and flicked it off the ledge. “Bloody thing bit me!” he said and stood up, careful not to overbalance. “If they bite, I suggest we move somewhere else… looks like there could be a nest here.” He pointed at the crack in the rock were more ants were beginning to climb up through. They were following the path of the other ants towards where they sat.

“Bugger!” Bryant exclaimed, as the few ants seemed to be multiplying into hundreds as they kept swarming through the crack.

“Get inside!” Norrington urged, swatting and brushing at the few ants that had reached him.

Nell climbed towards the ledge above her as quickly as she could, scrambling up with Bryant and Norrington close behind her until she reached the ledge and began inching across it. She could see the ants gathering around her feet and climbing onto her boots and all but fell into the cave brushing and flicking at her legs, trying frantically to get the ants off her before they reached too high. Norrington and Bryant were not far behind her, trying to get the ants off themselves as well.

“What the…?” Jack and the others turned to see them doing what looked like a strange dance.

“Bloody get them off!” Bryant suddenly yelped as ants found their way inside his shirt and began biting his chest. He ripped his shirt off and flung it to the ground and Jack suddenly spotted the dark creatures running over him.

“Get under the water.” He moved forwards, pushing at Nell till he held her under the water, almost dangling her over the edge to keep her under it. She was soaking wet and gasping for breath, but the water washed most of the ants off. Hock caught hold of Norrington and held him under the water, while Knowles helped Bryant.

Jack dragged Nell back into the cave, as she spluttered and coughed up the water she’d swallowed.

“We need to strip.” Norrington gasped as he began to rip his shirt off. The ants while dead, where still covering his skin.

Jack looked at Nell closely and saw some ants still squirming on her shirt. He frowned, unwilling to strip her in front of all the men. He drew her back out onto the ledge and promptly came back in when he saw the ants swarming around the ledge towards the entrance. “Gentlemen, we need to be leaving this cave before the ants get in!” he urged and pushed Nell towards the water again. “Dwent, get that fire lit. Burn the buggers.”

Hock moved to the entrance seeing where the dark shapes were forming on the ledge and turned back to where Dwent and Cooper had begun a small fire with their tinderbox. Using some branches they laid them across the entrance and lit them. Holding some of the bigger branches they stopped them coming in over the walls.
Nell looked at where Norrington was using his shirt to wipe the dead ants from him. It suddenly dawned on her he was naked. She turned sharply blushing to the roots of her hair.

“I can’t do that!” she said to Jack in a harsh whisper.

“You won’t have to if you keep perfectly still,” he slurred, and began flicking at the few remaining ants on her. “Being as you climbed up first, the ants were preoccupied with acquainting themselves with the good Commodore and his man. Most of the ones that found you were washed off.” Jack explained cheerfully as he flicked a dead ant from her shoulder.

“Thank you,” Nell breathed unable to resist the urge to scratch at herself. It felt as if they were crawling all over her. Jack swatted at her hands, holding them out to her sides as he raked his eyes over her, peering intently to make sure all of them were gone. He turned her around and didn’t even bother trying to resist a quick brush over her bottom.

“I can’t see anymore...” He stopped as he turned her back around to face him; he frowned at her soaking wet clothes. Once again her shirt was clinging to her. “My coat is still wet,” he said, and rolling his eyes, he shrugged out of his waistcoat and slid it over her. “You’ll have me wandering round naked if you keep this up,” he grinned at her, revealing gold teeth. Nell blushed at the thought and pulled the waistcoat together. Half the buttons had gone, but the few that remained where enough to keep her modest.

“You really need not be going to such lengths to have me naked, Nell.” Jack leaned towards her grinning wickedly as his fingers found one of the buttons she’d missed. He slowly did it up letting his fingertips brush against her, sending pin pricks of fire racing across her skin. She sucked in her breath, caught by the liquid black depths of his eyes as he watched her. “All you have to do is ask,” he whispered, his breath hot on her face. All his earlier humour had gone to be replaced by a look so intent it set Nell’s blood on fire. His eyes dropped to her lips as she unconsciously licked them. He drew in a breath and stepped back suddenly, almost over balancing but he righted himself by turning on his heel away from her. He looked over at Norrington and Bryant who were once again dressed in their wet clothes and strapping their swords back into place. Norrington looked up and came across to him doing up the buckle that hung low on his hips.

Nell looked down at her feet, taking several deep breaths trying to stop the pounding in her heart. She looked up and stepped away from the dead ants around her feet and crossed closer to the rear of the cave. Her gaze went to Beaumont and De Mornay. At first she was reluctant to really look at them, there was a trickle of blood running down Beaumont’s face and De Mornay was kneeling with his head falling forwards; but other than that there were no signs as to what had been done to them. She turned back to where Norrington was talking to Jack and stepped closer to listen to Jack who had his back to her. She could still feel where his fingers had been and it left her feeling unsettled.

“Well, I know how to read the map now,” Jack was saying quietly. “Tis quite ingenious really. It is half a map, well more like a third of a map to be sure, the beads are one third, the map on Nell’s back another third, and the last third is what’s not there.”

“Pardon?” Norrington was clearly at a loss. “I don’t follow.”

“It’s more than what’s on the map… it’s more like what’s not. Nell found the island’s name by using the islands that were missing. Beaumont and De Mornay have left off the relevant parts of the map, but as you move further inland it becomes clearer what is missing.”

Norrington sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly before he looked at Jack again. “I’ll take your word for it. Explain it to me again when we’re back aboard the Pearl.”

“It’ll be my pleasure, Commodore.” Jack grinned slyly.

“What else are we to expect?” Norrington asked as he shifted slightly, extremely uncomfortable in his wet clothes.

“Well…” Jack drew out the word on a long breath, his wrists circling once more as he stared at a spot somewhere over Norrington’s left shoulder; his face had a slightly vacant look to it, as if he were daydreaming. “Seems as if the caves are extensive and can be easily confusing if lost in.” He sighed. “We didn’t get a lot more than that to be sure; the man was about to pass out and Beaumont was…” Jack frowned, his expression cleared and the vacant expression was replaced with a closed expression.

“Beaumont was…?” Norrington urged him to continue, he coughed as a waft of the acrid smoke from the branches caught in his throat.

“Unwilling to part with any information at first until the first cry of pain from De Mornay, then he spilled about the map like a drunk loosing his ale. Between you and me Commodore…” Jack looked back and saw Nell watching and listening; he lowered his voice and arched his eyebrows as he looked back at Norrington. “They be more than friends if you get my drift…”

Norrington obviously did get his drift because the expression on his face was surprised. Nell frowned as she listened, did that mean they were related. Were they brothers, cousins even? She didn’t understand why Norrington was so taken aback, why would it make any difference anyway? She listened carefully as Norrington began talking again.

“And how did you extract this ‘first cry of pain’ exactly?” Norrington inquired softly but Nell heard him all the same.

Jack shrugged and circled one wrist vaguely as he stuck his other hand on his pistol handle, his hip jutting out at an angle.

“They weren’t overly keen on Mister Hock’s tattooing skills with a dagger,” Jack said quietly.

“Tattoos?” Norrington arched an eyebrow.

“Well seemed only fair that we’d go with the “eye for an eye” theory. They both crumbled before he’d even managed to put half the map on De Mornay’s back.” Jack cocked his head to one side, the beads in his hair dangled down. “Did makes us all wonder how the young miss survived the whole nasty business. She must have had the fever with it; given the extent of the map on her back.”

Nell turned back to De Mornay, morbidly interested to see what they had done; but his shirt was still on and his back was facing away from her. She moved slightly to the left and caught a glimpse of red staining the material on the back. He lifted his head almost as he knew she was watching him. His face was etched in pain, his eyes dull as he half knelt, half sat on the dirt.

Emotions raced through her as she stared at him. He was in a lot of pain that was clear to see. “An eye for an eye,” Jack had said; it took her back with sharp clarity to when it had been her enduring the pain on her back. Nell could almost feel the hard table under her, her head had been turned to one side, wrists tied, and unknown hands holding her legs as the surgeon had worked on her back. Except now she knew he’d been no surgeon. She’d been almost eight and they’d fooled her. She remembered crying for her mama as fire licked across her back. She’d seen both of them stood around her, watching. A memory that had been lost came back to her. Her eyes widened as she looked at De Mornay, the memory clear in her mind. She walked towards him, unaware that Jack had turned and called her name. She stopped in front of De Mornay, looking down at him, but it wasn’t the pain filled man she saw, it was a younger version, one who’d stood over her, his hand on her head. Fingers caressing her hair as the pain had spread through her. He’d murmured soft words to her, telling her it was for the best, that she’d be fine. He’d make sure she was fine.

She reached out slowly and traced her fingers over his hair in much the same manner he had her. Her eyes glazed as she remembered the pain, the sense of loneliness, the fear and the abject misery she’d been in. She’d wanted to die, had begged him to let her die and join her parents in heaven. He’d knelt beside her, his eyes level with hers; he’d whispered words that she couldn’t now recall. Even then it hadn’t been the words so much but the tone of his voice that she had held on to. He’d undone the ties holding her wrists to the table and had held her hands gently. Letting her squeeze him tightly as the pain had increased. She had remembered her guardian saying something to him angrily but the words hadn’t penetrated her numb mind. But she remembered he hadn’t let go, he stayed with her. Not just that time but every time.

Nell let his hair slide through her fingers as she traced across his forehead. “You held my hand,” she said quietly, her eyes focused as she came back to the present. “You seemed to care. I thought you cared.”

“Nell, luv, I really don’t think you should be doing this now.” Jack’s words went unheeded as she continued to look down at De Mornay. He looked up at her trying to laugh but it ended as a wince. She felt Jack’s hand on her but she didn’t look round.

“You were a little bit of a thing,” De Mornay said quietly but Nell heard him. She shrugged Jack’s hand of her arm, not looking away from De Mornay. “I didn’t think you’d survive it,” he whispered, his voice level with no hint of the madness that lay beneath the surface.

“I wanted to die.” Nell sank to her knees in front of him.

Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and leant forward his mouth close to her ear. “Nell. Not now,” he slurred. “We need to be moving on and I’m really thinking that you don’t want to be digging up the past just now. We’ll be overcome by the smoke unless we move along quickly.”

“I couldn’t let you die,” De Mornay said and cried out as Dwent and Coales dragged him to his feet. Nell looked up at him, completely ignoring Jack behind her who was glancing back at where the burning branches were belching copious amounts of hot acrid smoke; it was beginning to fill the cave and he could feel his eyes smarting already. Nell’s soft voice behind him had him rolling his eyes as he turned back to her ready to knock her cold again and carry her if needed.

“Why not?” Nell held her breath; ignoring Jack’s sigh of exasperation.

“Because you were our map!” Beaumont spat as he too was dragged to his feet. “If you’d died it would have been a bloody waste of time and effort in planning it all. We didn’t bring you all the way back from Port Royal to have you die on us.”

Nell frowned as she looked at Beaumont, uncertain of his meaning. “But… you… I thought…” She stopped as Jack hauled her to her feet.

”Nell. This really isn’t the time!” he said firmly with only a hint of a slur. “We need to be moving along; NOW!”

“Come on, Nell. We need to leave to leave the cave while the torches are still burning.” She registered Norrington’s words and nodded, looking back at where De Mornay was having his hands tied in front of him. He looked at her and something flickered in his eyes that looked like regret. But she couldn’t believe that. The man was insane and evil. He’d shown no compassion to her at all, only how evil he truly was. So why now did he look as if he regretted something?

“I never wanted you to die, not then. You were such a cute thing, all ringlets and big eyes and you looked just like her…” De Mornay stopped abruptly but Nell had heard.

”Tristan!” Beaumont snapped his name, but Knowles back handed him, growling for him to shut up.

“Can we all just kindly move along now?” Jack cried out, making shushing movements with his hands he looked at Hock; indicating the back of the cave urgently. He moved in front of Nell blocking her view of De Mornay.

“Nell, darlin’, please, I’m begging you. I don’t fancy choking to death in here; tis not the way I envisage my death occurring.” Jack placed his palms together touching his chin. “Not now. When we’re back aboard the Pearl, you may learn all you want to know. But for now…” he arched his eyebrows at her hopefully. “I really don’t want to be making you, Nell - but I will if I have to.” His last words were delivered with no hint of slur or humour. She blinked trying to shake the mood that had settled over her at his words. She had reminded De Mornay of someone he’d known, someone who he had obviously cared for at some point in his life. Did she remind him of her mother? Had he loved her at some point? She needed to know. She’d been kept in the dark for most of her life and she would be damned if she continued in the same way.

She nodded at Jack who sighed in relief before half turning from her, careful to keep her view of De Mornay still blocked; but Nell sidestepped him neatly and gripped De Mornay’s arm tightly. She looked up at him intently. “Who was she?” she demanded.

“My sister; your mother,” came the soft reply.

“NELL!”

Nell heard Jack’s exasperated voice as Timms dragged De Mornay away from her, yanking him around forcefully making him shout in pain.

Nell blinked as Norrington came into view directly in front of her; the shock showing clearly in her face.

“Nell? Are you alright?” his tone was concerned and his dark eyebrows were drawn together in a frown.

She blinked again and forced a smile onto her face, she refused to think about what she had just learned. She refused to think that her own flesh and blood would do this to her… She would think about it later - much later.

“Perfectly, thank you.” She slid her hands into her still very damp pockets, her fingers curled around her prayer beads and with a false smile painted firmly on her face she prayed silently to keep her sanity.

“Nell. I’m…” Jack touched her arm from behind her, but she lifted her shoulders and gripping her beads tightly, she moved around both men and headed towards where Hock was examining the gap in the back of the rocks.

“Tis going to be a very tight squeeze for some of us,” he called out, and taking one of the torches and drawing his sword in the other, he began to inch his way sideways.

It looked most odd to Nell; as if he was slowly being cut in half and half of him disappearing as he moved between the two rocks. She stepped forward again and saw the tight channel that Hock was moving along.

One by one the crew followed, pushing and shoving at De Mornay and Beuamont. Nell held back not certain she wanted to push her way through.

“Come on.” Jack took her arm and led her forwards. She stopped at the rock and looked closely at the gap. It couldn’t have been more than a foot wide.

“Back to the wall, Nell, and move sideways carefully.” Jack’s words came quietly in her ear and she moved forwards turning to press against the rock inching sideways until she was completely between the two rocks. She had one very frightening moment when she honestly thought she was stuck fast in the gap; it was pitch black between the two rocks and it seemed to go on forever.

“Keep moving, Nell,” came a voice from beside her and although she had no room to turn her head and look back, she knew Norrington was right there alongside her, inching sideways; the only light coming from the torch that Jack was holding up at the end of the line.

“I’m trying,” she snapped, annoyance barely covering the fear in the voice.

A low snigger from her right told her that Watts was moving slowly on her other side.

“Tis kinda comforting,” he cackled from beside her. “Almost like being born again. Forcin’ yer way through yer mother’s…”

“WATTS!” Jack shout from her left covered his next words and Nell was sure she was glad she didn’t catch the last of his statement. “I really don’t think we be needing those kind of visuals at the moment.”

“Sorry, Capt’n,” Watts laughed, not sounding in the least sorry. “T’was just tryin’ to cheer the young miss up.”

“Yes, well, just remember the young miss isn’t from Tortuga, Mister Watts,” said Norrington from behind her. “Miss Nell is a lady.”

Nell couldn’t help the loud snort that left her nose at that statement.

“Are you disagreeing, Watts?” Jack’s indignant voice echoed eerily through the dimly lit passage.

“Not at all…” Watts started to argue with a wounded voice.

“No. Sorry it wasn’t Mister Watts - it was me….” Nell let out a low yelp as the torch suddenly went out plunging them into total darkness.

“Jack?” Norrington’s voice from beside her eased her nerves and when she felt Watts slip his hand into hers, it eased her even more.

“Draft caught the flame…” came Jack’s disgusted voice. “Keep going… I can’t see past your great hulk though, Norrington, you’re just too darned tall.”

“I can see light ahead,” Watts called and Nell frowned, for his voice certainly seemed further down the passage than right beside her. She squeezed his hand feeling a ring dig into her palm; but she was relieved to feel him squeeze back.

“Tis alright young missy. It widens out here…” Watts called back to her and Nell shrugged, the closeness of the passage obviously distorted the sound.

She inched her way down, clinging to his hand now until he pulled away and she nearly fell as she inched into the cave the others were all waiting in. It was bigger, about twice the size of Jack’s cabin. The walls glistened reflecting the light from the burning torches; the ground beneath her boots was sandy. There was a black hole on the back wall that Nell assumed was the way they would be going. She didn’t relish going into any more dark places but for now she breathed more easily thankful for leaving the narrow passage behind her. At least this one looked wider and more passable.

She watched as Norrington came stumbling out followed by Bryant and finally Jack, still holding the torch. He crossed to Hock to relight it and Nell took the opportunity to cross to where Watts was standing with Dwent.

“Thank you, Mister Watts,” she said clearly and was surprised by how loud her voice sounded in the cave.

He looked at her and frowned, scratching at his bald head. “What fer?” he asked, puzzled.

“For holding my hand after the torch went out,” Nell smiled.

“What?” he gawked at her, his mouth open revealing several missing teeth. “I didn’t ‘old yer ‘and missy.”

Nell’s face froze; the smile disappeared instantly as she looked at him. “Yes. Yes you did, you took my hand… I felt your ring,” she insisted, aware of Bryant coming up behind her.

Watts pulled a face and looked over her shoulder at Jack who had crossed to see what the commotion was. “I ain’t got no ring miss,” he said and held out both hands palm up for her to see.

Nell looked down and felt black fear slide through her veins like ice; he wore no ring. “Then whose hand…?” she looked down at her own hand before rubbing it anxiously down her thigh. She lifted her head, looking at Jack but he was frowning back at the passage they had come through. “Jack…?” The thought of someone or something holding her hand was getting too much for Nell to handle. She looked back at the passage, her body shaking with reaction.

“Now Mister Watts…” Jack’s tone was reproachful. “Tis not nice to tease a lady.”

She whipped her head around as Hock stepped back sharply from Watts. She frowned at Watts as he opened and shut his mouth a few times much like a goldfish before he gave her a lopsided grin.

“Sorry, miss… I did hold yer ‘and, was a bit embarrassed like.” He gave her a toothy grin and held out his right hand, a ring sat on his third finger.

Nell half smiled at him and then ran a hand over her face taking a deep breath. “I appreciate your efforts,” she said quietly. “But I think Mister Hock may miss his ring.” She smiled shakily at him and looked at where Hock shrugged.

Jack swayed over to her and she turned to him, placing her hand on his chest, her fingers resting against the edge of the shirt. She looked up at him and shrugged. “It’s alright. I know something held…” she shivered and shook her head, fighting the feelings down. “I won’t fall apart, Jack, I promise. Not yet anyway - once we’re back aboard the Pearl, I can’t promise not to. But I won’t here.”

“I know you won’t.” Jack placed his own hand over hers and squeezed gently before stepping away from her, breaking contact.

“We need to keep moving.” He addressed everyone and Nell looked over at the tunnel anxiously.

Jack took the lead holding his sword aloft in one hand and his re-lit torch in the other. De Monay was behind him with Beaumont sandwiched between Hock and Watts. Nell was further back with Norrington, Bryant, Decker, and Spencer behind her.
Nell took several deep breaths, her fingers unconsciously running over her beads although no prayers were on her mind now. There were so many things happening that she couldn’t afford to let herself think about. Not now, maybe not ever if she wanted to retain her level of sanity. She had to ruthlessly shove them to the back of her mind, cover them with a level of denial, and plough onwards pretending that everything was fine. She hadn’t seen a dead person climbing the rocks, she hadn’t seen some ethereal woman/hideous thing hanging on nothing, and she most definitely hadn’t felt someone/thing holding her hand in the dark. No, nothing like that had happened in her waking hours on this island. It was all some horrendously long nightmare that she’d wake up from very soon now.

She looked forwards, the lights from the torches illuminating the way, the flames casting shadows over the walls. To Nell it seemed as if they walked for hours, but it was more like twenty minutes. But the result at the end of the twenty minutes would be something Nell never forgot.

A/N: Another chapter! Well I hope you enjoyed it. I know I’ve enjoyed reading all your reviews. Thank you very much for leaving such great reviews. It really makes my day.

Thanks for reading whether you review or not. I just hope it was worth the wait.

This was another chapter I liked writing. Suspense and Mystery is not my forte, not enough imagination for it really, but I do admit that the hand in the dark left me with shivers, especially as I wrote that section when everyone else was in bed and I was downstairs on my own.

Anyway, I hope you have a really great day where ever you are.