A Pirates Passion

Chapter 24

Madeline didn't look at him as she continued to pull away the weeds. "I wanted you to see that she had a peaceful place to rest." She whispered. She wiped her falling tears away. "I haven't cried for her since the day I buried her." She slowly stood and moved away from the stone.

"I want to be alone," Jack said sternly.

Madeline raised her head to him. "Aye Jack." She whispered and made her way through the brush towards the path. She headed towards her hidden pool in the hills.

This is too real, before she'd just been what? A figment in his mind? Something that may or may not be real? Jack didn't know how to describe her but until now she was not real to him. He knelt down and touched the stone and the inscription. "Hello little one," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I wasn't there when ye needed me. I'm yer father whose name is on this stone. I'm sorry I never got the chance to hold ye in me arms. Angel, I'm sorry," he said as silent tears rolled down his face unchecked.

He just knelt there letting his tears fall as he stared at the stone that would blur in front of him till he blinked again. He took out a dagger and slit open his hand, "Ye'll always be with me, always be in me heart little one," he said scooping up some dirt in his cut hand. He mixed it with the blood and then sprinkled it over her grave. "A piece of me will always lie here with ye," he whispered then stood. He didn't turn, but backed away until he was too far away to read the inscription then he turned to go in search of Madeline.

Madeline sat next to the water, hugging her knees to her chest. She let all of her tears out. The last time she had cried was when she carried their daughter to where she was now. She dug the grave herself. She wouldn't let anyone help her. She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes and sobbed.

Jack walked the way he'd seen her go and pulled out a rag from his pocket and wrapped his hand as he went along. Where had she gone? He followed where the trail was opened and eventually came to the pool. She was sobbing. Jack went to her, "Maddy," he said simply.

Madeline looked up at him when he called her name. "Jack." She whispered.

"Don't ever let that trail or her grave get overgrown like that again, savvy," he said angrily. "It's like yer trying to forget her," he told her.

Madeline stared at him and nodded. "I'm not trying to forget her Jack. I'm trying to forget how she came to be there. She shouldn't be there, in the cold ground. Under the dirt, with no one to hold her..." Her breath caught short in her throat. "Oh Jack." She cried as her sobs continued.

Jack grabbed her and pulled her off the ground, "What do ye think Maddy? I expected her to be there because her bastard father is a fucking pirate," he growled. He let her go and turned his back on her. He was breathing hard trying not to let his tears begin again but the guilt was beginning to weigh down a little too hard. The tears came and he let them fall, too tired to keep them at bay.

Madeline came around to face him. She reached up to wipe his tears away. "Ye are not a bastard and ye are a pirate Jack. A pirate that I love more than my own life Jack. I don't blame you for her death. I blame that fucking bastard Jacquette. I'm glad I killed him. I'm glad he's dead." She looked up at him and saw more tears falling. She held on to his arms as he fell to his knees. Her own tears continued. "There is nothing we can do to change the past Jack." She whispered. "You asked me to let you in. I want you to come in Jack. Please." She pleaded.

Jack held her and cried for a moment, then his grief came crashing down and he released her. He stood up, turned around and walked away. He didn't know what to say. All he could think about was his little baby girl that would never grow up, never know him; he'd never know what she would have been. He went to the only place he knew he could go and feel at peace. His dark beauty stood tall and proud, waiting more faithfully then any lover or friend. He stood at her wheel and stared out at the horizon.

Madeline watched as he walked away from her. "Jack." She whispered but knew he didn't hear her. "I've failed you yet again." She slowly got to her feet and made her way back to her house. She thought about him as she made her way. She wouldn't force him to stay. That was never her intention.

She saw JJ and his friends running along the beach. He waved at her and she waved back. When she arrived at her house, she saw Gibbs sitting on her porch. "Mr. Gibbs." She said wiping her tears away.

"I wondered what had happened to ye and Jack, where be Jack anyway," Gibbs asked.

She sat down on the step. "I don't know." She said quietly.

"I thought the two of ye would have gone off to find a preacher or something. I know before we got here Jack was chomping at the bit to get back to ye, don't tell me ye done had another spat missy," Gibbs quipped.

Madeline sighed. "No. I took him to our daughter's grave this morning. And he's blaming himself for her death. I’m sure a part of him blames me as well." Madeline turned to look at him. "Chomping at the bit?" she questioned.

Gibbs held up his hands, "Wait a minute! Since when did ye two have a daughter," he asked.

Madeline looked at him. "He didn't tell you?"

"I've not hardly seen hide nor hair of Jack Sparrow since we got here," Gibbs told her.

Madeline stood and leaned against a pillar on the porch. "After you all left Port Royal, I discovered I was pregnant some four months later. I tried to get word to Jack in Tortuga, but Jacquette stole the letter." She turned to face him. "He came to Port Royal and attacked me. I lost the baby. She was born dead."

"That's terrible Maddy. Well that tells me where Jack is," Gibbs sighed.

"He's on the Pearl. The only love in his life." She whispered and turned away from him. "I've lost him forever Mr. Gibbs." She turned and walked down the beach towards the caves.

Gibbs shook his head, "No ye haven't," he quipped to himself and got up and headed for the ship.

Madeline picked up broken seashells as she walked. The caves were a dark cold place, but she didn't care. She knew in her heart that Jack would sail away. And she decided that it was going to be JJ’s decision if he wanted to go with his father.

Gibbs found Jack standing at the wheel, "What are ye thinking captain," he asked.

"How to make amends," Jack sighed.

"Maddy told me about the baby," Gibbs sighed regretfully.

"I should have been there," Jack sneered.

"Yer only one man, ye can only be at one place at a time, and right now yer not where ye need to be," Gibbs told him.

"I know, but I don't know what to say to her," Jack told him.

"She needs ye Jack, stop being such a stubborn fool," Gibbs grinned.

"I know yer right," Jack sighed.

"So go find her and tell her how ye feel," Gibbs exclaimed.

Jack once again sighed heavily and left the ship.

"She headed toward the caves," Gibbs called to him.

Madeline turned when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't know anyone had followed her. "Who's there?" She called out. She was scared. She shouldn't be, but she was. Her emotions were so high strung at the moment.

"Maddy," Jack called.

Madeline let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me Jack." She said coming out from the shadows. "So when will ye be leaving?" she asked.