The Captain's Cabin Boy

A/N: Welcome back, loves! How are you all?
An enormous thank you to all my reviewers for encouraging me and a kiss of gratitude to all my readers. You are all amazing.

Chapter 32


“Mother’s love!” Gibbs who was standing next to Josette exclaimed as they all looked at the unconscious woman in Jack’s bloodied arms.
Josette let go of John who had been leaning on her and took a few steps forward as Jack walked over to Downer and glared down at him.
“In the brig? You had her in the brig?” his voice was low and quite but angry all the same.
“Security purposes.” Downer almost stammered as he stared with wide eyes at the broken form of Adele.
“Security purposes? She is a woman who is about to have a child for Christ sake’s! What could she possibly do to you?” Jack snapped as he brought Adele closer to his chest. Her head lolled to the side limply and Josette gulped at the sight of her ripped skirt and bloodied legs.
“Precaution, Mr. Sparrow.” Downer sneered and then sobered, “My physician will be here immediately. Is she alive?” he asked while gazing at Adele almost guiltily.
“Yes, she is. For now. Move.” Jack muttered as he stepped forward and looked at Dave, “I need help. Get the plank.” He said hoarsely before he gazed down. Adele’s face was almost unrecognizable. A purple cheek, a split lip and matted hair summarized the image of the woman and her breathing was shallow and labored.
Gibbs and Dave connected the two ships and Jack stepped onto the plank slowly, making small steps until he reached the Pearl. Dave took Adele from him and Josette gasped at the amount of blood on Jack’s clothes.
“Josh, get hot water. We need to clean her.” Jack told her and she nodded quickly before she hurried away to get the water.
“In my cabin, Dave. Gibbs, come.” Jack waved the older man over and Gibbs nodded quickly.
“John, rags.” Gibbs called on his way into Jack’s cabin and John nodded to himself before he went below deck.
Downer was left staring at the Pearl’s deck with wide eyes.
“Mr. Heathers.” Downer called for his first mate.
“Sir?”
“Find who did this and bring him to me.” Downer told him and Heathers nodded at him before he hurried away.
Downer looked around and spotted the physician walking towards him, “Ah, Doctor Stevens! Your assistance is needed on the other ship. Please inform me of the facts once you’re done.” Downer told him and the doctor inclined his head.
“Of course, sir.”

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Jack wiped his hands on the cloth and grimaced when the blood wouldn’t get off. Josette walked over to him and took the soiled cloth from his hands before she took both of them in hers. He looked down at her with intense eyes and she quickly kissed his rough cheek before she spoke in his ear.
“Maybe we should get out?” she asked him softly and Jack shot a glance at the doctor who was hard at work in cleaning Adele’s face at the moment.
“He doesn’t speak but I know what happened.” He said in a low rumble.
Josette sniffed and rubbed the wet cloth she held over his stained hand repeatedly until it was clean. She repeated the process to the other hand as well and then she spoke.
“He will speak when he’s done.” She said quietly as she looked up at him, “Who would do something like that?”
“Oh, a lot of people, love. A lot of people.” He replied just as the doctor moved away from the head of the bed and went to inspect the damage on Adele’s lower body.
Jack peered over Josette’s shoulder and his eyes gradually widened at all the blood that was covering her thighs and knees.
“Bloody hell.” He choked out and Josette turned to see what was making him look so horrified.
She froze and bile rose in her throat, “My God.”
“God had nothing to do with it, Miss.” The doctor spoke up, his lip curled in disgust as he beckoned her over, “Come and help me get this dress off of her.” He called and Josette gulped. She took a few steps closer but Jack’s iron grip around her wrist made her pause.
“I’ll do it.” He said as he walked ahead and approached the bunk. His fingers twitched anxiously before he leaned down and lifted Adele’s upper body towards him. Her head found the crook of his neck as he worked on the laces of the dress. Once he had it loosened he pushed it down her shoulders, letting his fingers gently caress the skin of her collarbone as he did so.
Josette watched them and she realized that she felt none of the envy she would have felt earlier at seeing him doing something so intimate. She was too worried about all that blood to think about anything else.
The doctor pulled the dress off, leaving her only in her shift and Jack lowered her down on the bed again, brushing her wet hair away from her face before he stepped back and shot a glance at her lower body.
“What-…”
“From what I can see, the woman was raped, Mr. Sparrow.” The physician cut him off and Josette inhaled sharply, wrapping her arms around her midsection in reflex.
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Jack almost growled as the physician grabbed a wet cloth and started cleaning Adele carefully. He paused after a moment.
“Well, it seems like…” the physician trailed off as he cleared his throat, “Could you wait outside, please? And bring me some more water.” He said and Jack opened his mouth to object but Josette reached forward and grabbed his hand.
“Jack. Let’s go.” She murmured and he looked at her before he nodded and let her lead him outside.
Once they were out Jack ignored the inquisitive expressions of Dave, John and Gibbs and pulled Josette towards the direction of the hold.
“Where are we going?” Josette said as she tried to catch up with him.
“I need to do something.” He muttered as he pulled her down the stairs aggressively.
He entered the hold and pulled her in after him before he backed up against the bulkhead and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped his head down to kiss her, slowly at first and then with increasing ferocity. He thrust a hand in her hair and gripped it tightly as he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him. Her hands went to rest on his chest but he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes, his breathing shallow and labored.
Josette kissed the edge of his jaw before she tucked her head under his neck and wrapped her arms around his torso, holding him close as he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply.
Neither spoke as they stood there, wrapped in each others arms.

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“Gibbs!” Jack yelled as he and Josette stepped onto the deck.
“Cap’n?” Gibbs stood up from the deck and approached.
“I need you to go and ask if they found out who did it. Now.” He said lowly and the older man nodded.
“Aye, Cap’n.” Gibbs waved Dave over and together they headed towards The Defense.
Jack turned to Josette who looked at him with a frown, “What is going to happen now?” she asked but her question went unanswered when Dr. Stevens opened the cabin door and walked out while wiping his hands.
“Mr. Sparrow, a word please.” He called and Jack walked over, his lips pressed into a thin line of dread.
“Aye?”
“I am afraid that the lady lost the child due to excessive internal damage.” He said quietly and Josette gasped a silent gasp while Jack lowered his eyes. He balled his fists and nodded.
“Anything else?” he asked as he eyed the physician with dark, intense eyes.
“I have cleaned her up but she will need stitches. I need supplies for that. I shall be back shortly. For the moment, wrap her up in a blanket because the bleeding has caused her fever to rise.”
“I am going.” Josette said softly as she rushed into the cabin.
Stevens headed for The Defense and Jack followed Josette inside the cabin, his footsteps slow and reluctant.
Josette found a blanket and wrapped it around Adele’s prone form before she reached for the water basin and soaked a cloth. She walked over to Adele and placed it over her forehead while Jack sat down next to her on the bed.
“You want to know a little secret, Josette?” he asked quietly as he smoothed the cold compress over Adele’s forehead, his tanned fingers tucking away locks of her hair.
“What?” she replied as she looked down at him.
“I never cared for the child.” He replied as he looked up at her, his hand falling on the mattress next to Adele’s limp fingers.
“Why?” Josette asked him softly.
“Because I didn’t want it.” He replied flatly.
“Oh.”
“If I didn’t want it…” he trailed off as he shook his head in incredulity, “If I didn’t want it, why do I feel like someone stole it from me?” he murmured and Josette smiled sadly as she kneeled in front of him and placed her hands on his knees.
“Because against general belief, you’re a good man. Every man dreams to be a father. Like almost every woman dreams to become a mother. It’s only natural.” She shrugged and he snorted.
“Is that so? That sounds so…conservative.” He grimaced and she nodded.
“But it’s not. We make our lives, Jack. It’s our life and we can include whatever we want in it just because it’s ours.”
His hands reached for hers on his knees as he rolled his eyes, “You sound like my mother.” His ringed fingers slipped through hers before he held them tightly.
“Is that a good thing?” Josette frowned and he smirked.
“For you yes, because she was always right. For me no, because I never listened anyway.” He said and Josette smiled.
“Cap’n.” Gibbs knocked on the door gently and Jack looked up, breaking his eye contact with Josette.
“Aye?”
“The man who did it escaped, sir. Apparently they had locked her up with a prisoner. A thief that they had caught at some port. He must have jumped off the ship after realizing what he did.” Gibbs said and Jack’s eyes narrowed.
“What?” he stood up sharply and headed for the door, “Bloody hell!” he stormed out of the cabin, almost colliding with the doctor on his way to Downer’s ship. He jumped down from the plank and headed towards Downer’s cabin.
“You can’t get in there-…”
“Out of my blood way, whelp!” Jack pushed the young lad away before he thrust the door open.
He paused and grimaced at the sight of Downer in his chair while a woman was kneeling in front of him.
“What is the meaning of this?” Downer barked and the woman scrambled to get away.
“That was a sight I never wished to see. Hello, love. I think I’ve seen you before. Bull’s Desire in Tortuga, am I right?” Jack smirked quickly at her before he glared at Downer who had the decency to flush.
“Captain Sparrow.” She smiled up at him, fixing her dress as she did so.
“Mira.” He looked at her briefly before he turned his gaze on Downer, “I see you’re very sad for your fiancee and the lass someone just raped in your ship.” Jack said as he walked over to the desk and leaned down, palms on top of the mahogany desk, “You put the lass in the same cell with a thief? How dimwitted are you, mate? I was right, you Navy men are all idiots. Who put you in charge in the first place? I need to know in order to congratulate him.” Jack cocked his head to the side and regarded Downer with distaste.
“You’re a thief.”
“Not a rapist.”
“I do not make that distinction.” Downer said as he raised his chin a little.
“It’s a good thing I do. If she asks why this happened, you’re the one who’s going to explain to her why she lost her child.” Jack snapped at him before he turned and headed for the door.
“When will I see you again, Jack?” Mira asked from the bed, a smirk on her lips, and Jack grimaced.
“Never.” He called loudly and firmly before he slammed the door, shaking it from its hinges.

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A day later…

Josette walked out of the cabin just as Jack was walking down the stairs from the helm.
“She is awake but in pain.” Josette told him and he grimaced.
“Bring her some rum and…I’d better bolt.” He turned to walk away but Josette grabbed his arm.
“Jack, be nice.” She told him and he rolled his eyes.
“Since when do I allow you to order me around?” he asked but she could see that his eyes were alight with amusement.
“Jack.” She murmured and he sighed.
“Fine.” He muttered as he reluctantly walked to the cabin.
Once inside he lingered in the doorway. Adele heard him and turned to look at him. She barely held his gaze before she looked away and towards the open window.
“Does it hurt, love?” he asked quietly as he stepped closer.
“A bit.”
“Who was it? If you saw him could-…”
“I have no interest in him, Jack. I don’t want to remember.” She cut him off, her accent more pronounced now that she was weak and tired.
“Alright, love. I am sorry about-…”
“No, you are not.” She interrupted him again, “You always believed I was a big lying wench. Why change the sentiment now? I just thought that…” she trailed off but she shook her head and smiled.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She muttered as she turned onto her side and sighed, “Nothing at all.”
Jack wiggled his hands nervously before he walked over to the bed and sat down. He looked at his ringed hands.
“You know,” he started slowly but she didn’t look at him, “I never thought that…But what happened…Perhaps it was for the best.”
She blinked, “Perhaps.”
Josette walked in a few moments later with the alcohol and Jack smiled at her.
“Good. Come on, lass. Drink it. It’ll help with the pain.” He placed a hand on Adele’s arm but she shrugged him off.
“Rum is not the answer to all your problems, Jack Sparrow. Remember my words.” She replied and Jack’s eyes widened while Josette stiffened at the animosity between them.
“But it-…”
“I want to go home.” She cut him off and Jack paused.
“Home?”
“Yes. As soon as possible.”
Jack looked up at Josette and she shrugged helplessly in reply. He gritted his teeth and stood up.
“Very well, love. I will take you home.” He muttered as he turned to go, “All I need is to convince bloody Downer. Oh, joy.” He grumbled as he shut the door behind him, leaving the two women alone.
Josette turned to the other woman and uncorked the bottle. She stepped closer cautiously.
“Um-…”
“Give me that.” Adele said as she reached up and took the bottle from Josette’s hands.
“But you just said that rum-…”
“I meant it for him. Not for me.” Adele said as she brought the bottle to her lips.
Josette was surprised to see the woman’s lips breaking into a small smile around the bottle.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked and Adele pulled the bottle away from her dry lips. She waited to swallow and then answered.
“Can you turn back time?” she asked shakily and Josette shook her head.
Adele’s eyes were swimming in moisture, “Then no.” she replied as she handed the rum bottle back and settled down, tucking her face into Jack’s pillow.

End of chapter 32

Author’s note: Thank you for reading. Please review before you go. Your comments feed the muse!!!

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Xxx Lina :)