A Pirates Passion

Chapter 23

Madeline kneeled down and tried to regain her normal breathing. It took more than a few minutes. She ran her hand through her hair and fought back tears. Should she stop loving Jack? Could she? Did he want her to? If he did, then why did he ask her to let him back in? She walked off the porch and walked down the beach. The moon was full. She quickly stripped off her long shirt and headed towards the water.

Jack watched her then noticed something that made him quickly run after her. He caught her by the arm"Maddy don't" he said pulling her away from the water.

Madeline jumped nearly a foot in the air when she felt Jack's arms on her. "Jack! Bloody hell, are ye trying to give me a heart attack? I was only going for a swim."

"Look see the dorsal fin, that's a tiger shark. They feed at night and don't think for a moment he'd not think twice about making a meal out of ye" Jack growled as he pointed to what he was looking at.

Madeline looked at the water and saw the fin. Jack was right. She could've been gone like that. "Thank you Jack." She whispered as she looked at him. She glanced down and realized she was naked and tried to turn to retrieve her shirt as a chill went through her body.

Jack refused to let her go, he just looked at her for a moment before he turned away as if ashamed for looking at her that way. He quickly walked to where she'd left her shirt and held it behind him for her to take from him"Yer welcome" he muttered.

"May I have my shirt please Jack" She asked as she tried to reach for it. She saw the look in his eyes. He didn't like the way she looked any longer. "Since I can tell ye don't want to look at me."

Jack turned sharply"Ye haven't changed a bit. Ye always want to believe the worst about me. I didn't want ye thinking I was thinking of taking advantage of ye" he growled and pushed past her and headed back to the waters edge. He sat on the sand; you're a pirate Jack, that's why she'll always think the worst about ye, he thought angrily. He stared out at the water and watched as the tiger shark hunted back and forth lazily and patiently waiting. If only his life could be so simple he thought.

Madeline stared at him in disbelief. She slowly approached him. She dropped her shirt and sat behind him. She placed her legs on either side of his and wrapped her arms around his middle. She gently laid her head on his back. "I'm sorry Jack." She whispered and kissed his back. "I wasn't thinking that. I was thinking that ye thought my body had changed in a bad way and that I appeared ugly to you."

"And if I had kissed you, tried to get close ye'd accuse me of taking advantage of ye, no matter what I do ye'll always find fault in me" he muttered but he didn't move. He relished the feel of her arms around him.

Madeline hugged him tighter. "No Jack, I would not have thought that." She whispered against his back. "I don't find fault in anyone but myself Jack. No one is to blame for my actions but me. I'm sorry." She said and rested her head down on his back again. She inhaled his scent deeply and closed her eyes.

"Sometimes I think ye think of me the same way JJ thought about being a pirate. He loves the fairy tales but he when he was faced with the reality he learned quick that what he fantasized about and what it really was about are not the same. Ye look at me and see the fantasy, ye don't want the reality, so when I don't live up to the vision in yer head ye pull yer love back and I'm left wondering if I can ever make ye happy" Jack said defeated.

Madeline slowly stood. "You want reality Jack Sparrow? I'll give you reality." She said looking at him. "Reality is realizing that the man you love more than anything in the world doesn't trust you. Can't trust you for what you've done. Reality is when a monster steals your child and you go through hell with the man you love to get him back. Reality is when that same monster comes to your home, and threatens to cut your child out of you and then kill you." She reached down and picked up her shirt and shoved it over her head. "Reality is when you hold your dead child in your arms. Knowing that you cannot give the man you love his child. I know the dangers of this world Jack. I’ve faced them head on. But the biggest danger to me in this world is not being given another chance to love you. Of not knowing if I could ever make you happy again."

Jack reached up, grabbed her wrist and pulled her down so fast and so violently that Maddy found herself on her back in the sand and Jack's mouth on hers. He then got up"Yer not going to be happy until you've molded me into what you want." he growled and walked away before he hurt her. He would not let her make him loose control as she'd done before. He muttered under his breath curses that if heard would have frightened most people until they realized the one he was cursing was himself.

Madeline slowly stood and watched him walk away from her. "The only thing I want you to be is who you are Jack." She said as she ran past him.

"Leave me be" he snapped and disappeared into the house. He retreated into his room and locked himself in. Jack knew if he didn't get his act together he would loose her forever. He cursed himself again.

Madeline didn't sleep all night. She heard the lock click on Jack's door and knew to leave him be. She awoke the next morning to catch JJ as he was ready to run out of the house. "Where are ye going" she asked

"To explore with Timothy." JJ said smiling. He kissed her quickly and hurried to the door. "Are you and Da still fighting? I heard you last night."

Madeline sighed. "I don't want to talk about it JJ. I'll see you later." She walked to a closet and went in search of her machete. She found it and when she turned around, Jack was right behind her.

Jack tilted his head back and crossed his arms"And just what would ye be doing with that" he asked.

"Remember I told you I needed to show you something today." She said. "Well, I need this to get us there." She said and turned to move away from him.

"I'm not so sure I want to go anywhere with you alone while you're holding such a deadly weapon, I might not return" Jack quipped.

Madeline snorted. "I’m not that mean Jack." She said and moved to set the machete down. She walked over to a mirror and began to pull up her hair. She caught Jack's hard gaze and stopped what she was doing, leaving her hair down. "Please wear your boots Jack. If ye decide you'll be safe with me."

"Like I'd wear anything else" Jack muttered. "I'll be bringing me pistol along too... not that mean me arse" he muttered as he pulled on his boots. "All right ye bloody woman where in the hell are ye taking me now" he growled.

"Do ye want some coffee before we leave" She asked.

"Let's just get this over with shall we" Jack said with a heavy sigh.

Madeline didn't say anything more and headed out of the house. She walked down the beach before turning and heading towards the hills. She didn't turn around to see if Jack was following her. This was the second hardest walk she had ever taken. As they reached higher ground, she used the machete to clear away large branches that blocked their way. She hadn't been this way in almost a year. She turned to glance at Jack who eyed her suspiciously. She didn't say anything as the last branch fell away, opening to a small clearing. She threw the machete on the ground and moved towards a small heart shaped gravestone. It had overgrown brush all over it. She knelt down and started to pull away the overgrowth. She ran her hand over the inscription.

Angel Hope Beloved daughter of Captain Jack Sparrow Madeline Skye
Jack looked at the stone and didn't say a word.