The Fine Line Between Legends And Lies

Chapter 41:

A/N: Okay Jack and Elizabeth arrive in Ierapetra, Crete at his cousin Christopher Sparrow’s house only to be turned away. On the way out of port they are ambushed by the Hesperia under the command of Admiral Wesley Barry and things take a tragic turn for Jack and Elizabeth.

It had been weeks since they had sailed out of Port Royal to escape the hangman’s noose and it seemed like nothing but open ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. It was just past noon when Tobias shouted out from the crow’s nest.

“Land ho!”

Looking up from her place on the steps of the wheel deck Elizabeth shifted Jacob in her arms as she craned her neck to try and spot the land. Just in the distance she could make out the silouette of the island of Crete. Looking over her shoulder she smiled at Jack as he closed his spyglass and dropped it back into his pocket. He began turning the wheel to guide the Pearl into the port. Elizabeth stood and walked up the steps to join her husband at the helm.

“Jack?”

“Hmm?”

“What city is this?”

“Ierapetra, Crete love.”

“And who is it that lives here again?”

“Me cousin Christopher an’ his lovely wife Anne.”

“And just when was the last time you spoke to your cousin?”

Jack’s brow creased as he tried to recall the last time he had visited his cousin. Tugging on the braids of his beard he glanced down at her and flashed her a lopsided grin.

“Well…..let’s jus’ say it’s been a while eh?”

“So in other words we might not exactly be met with open arms?”

“Maybe.”

Jack steered the Pearl towards the pier and gave the order to drop anchor. Gibbs approached the wheel deck stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

“Orders sir?”

“Jus’ stay aboard the Pearl until Izzy an’ I test the waters savvy?”

“Aye captain.”

After docking Jack offered his arm to Elizabeth after she handed Jacob over to Ragetti to watch while they went ashore. They walked down the gangplank and stepped onto the pier. Jack quickly paid the harbormaster and they headed down the pier towards small seaside town. The streets were narrow and dusty and bustling with the townspeople. Jack strode quickly down the narrow streets making Elizabeth have to nearly jog to keep up with him. Soon they reached a quaint little villa with a red stucco roof and a black door with a bronze handle. Knocking on the door Jack stepped back and waited for someone to answer it. A short while later the door swung open to reveal a tall man with broad shoulders and the same dark brown hair as Jack’s only it was cut short and neatly kept. His eyes were the same coffee brown and he looked quite a bit like Jack just clean shaven. Once he noticed Jack his smile melted quickly.

“Jack Sparrow……I wondered when you might show up on our doorstep.”

“Hello dear cousin…how’s Anne?”

“She’s fine….what brings you to Ierapetra?”

“Jus’ in the neighborhood an’ figured we’d drop in.”

“The truth Jack.”

Sighing heavily Jack cleared his throat before speaking.

“Christopher, this is me wife Elizabeth.”

“Pleasure to meet you Miss….sorry you married my cousin and for any trouble he has most definitely caused you.”

Scowling Jack turned back to look at his cousin again.

“I resent that.”

“I’m sure you do Jack…nothing is ever your fault is it?”

“Anyway….the reason we’re here…..ye see we’re in a bit of trouble mate. An’ I was wondering…”

“You were wondering if you could hide out here? From the Royal Navy?”

“Aye…how did ye know?”

“There are wanted posters of you posted everywhere Jack…..and I’m afraid the answer is no.”

“But Christopher….”

“No Jack….Anne just found out that she’s pregnant and I’ll not have the Royal Navy busting down my door to apprehend you.”

“Anne’s pregnant eh?”

“Yes…..two months.”

“Fancy that….Izzy’s pregnant too.”

“My congratulations Jack….but you still have to leave. I can’t risk the safety of my wife and unborn child.”

“I understand Christopher.”

“I’m sorry Jack.”

“No apologies needed mate…jus’ doing what ye feel is right….can’t fault ye for that.”

“I wish you all the luck in getting away from the Royal Navy.”

“Thanks…..goodbye cousin.”

“Goodbye Jack….Elizabeth it was nice to meet you.”

“You as well.”

Jack gave Elizabeth a sad smile as Christopher shut the door in their faces. Turning away from the door Jack grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and they started walking back towards the ship. If there were wanted posters of him plastered everywhere on the island then they needed to get out of there as quickly as they could without attracting too much attention. Elizabeth tried hard to keep her eyes off of Jack as they walked back to the ship in silence. It wasn’t his fault that Christopher didn’t want them staying there to hide from the Royal Navy. But they had to find a place to hide and they had to do it quickly. Finally after what seemed like forever they had reached the pier again. Elizabeth’s tea colored eyes widened when they caught sight of a British naval ship docked in the harbor. Before she could open her mouth to warn Jack she heard the distinct sound of a pistol being cocked behind them. Grasping Elizabeth’s hand tightly Jack pulled her closer to him.

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot!”

He glanced ahead at the Pearl judging the distance to the gangplank and where they were standing on the pier. They could make it. Whispering in a low voice Jack squeezed her hand tighter.

“Run!”

Jack and Elizabeth made a run for the Pearl and just as they were about to step onto the gangplank shots rang out. He heard Elizabeth give a small cry and stumble forward against his back. Reaching into his waistband of his breeches he grabbed his pistol and cocked it. Turning halfway he fired behind him and pulled Elizabeth with him up onto the gangplank. Gibbs and the other crew members raced about the deck making ready to set sail. Jack, Noah and Marty held the naval officers at bay with their pistols. Holding Elizabeth to his side tightly he continued firing into the group of naval officers hitting one of them in the shoulder. The Pearl quickly began turning out of the harbor and heading for the open sea. In a few minutes which had seemed like hours they had cleared the harbor and were safely out in the open water.

Stuffing his pistol in his breeches he looked down at Elizabeth. She was pale…..more pale than she normally was. She looked up at him with pleading and tear filled tea colored eyes. She had been hit!

“Where does it hurt love?”

“My back….Jack what happened?”

“Shhh…jus’ let me get ye inside an’ take a looksy eh?”

Nodding she gave a small yelp when he picked her up and carried her into their cabin. He shut the door behind him with his foot and carried her over to the bed. Setting her down on the edge of it he knelt down on the floor in front of her.

“I need ye t’ sit up for me while I take yer shirt off darling. Can ye do that for me?”

“Yes.”

“Good girl.”

Jack began quickly pulling her shirt up over her head as quickly as he could. Looking down at it he could see a large reddish stain on the back of it on the lower right side near where her kidney would be. He tossed the shirt to the floor and loosened her breeches pushing them down past her hips a little.

“Now lay on yer stomach darling.”

Elizabeth gave a whimper as she scooted onto the bed on her stomach. Jack’s eyes widened when he saw the small wound on her lower back where the pistol shot had entered her body. She was bleeding quite a bit and would yelp when he touched around it. He had to get the bullet out of her.

“I have t’ get the bullet out love.”

Standing up Jack grabbed his small dagger from his desk drawer along with some clean linens and the small flask of whiskey he kept in the drawer for cleaning wounds. After cleaning his dagger with the whiskey Jack leaned over the bed and carefully began removing the bullet from Elizabeth’s back. After removing the bullet Jack yelled for Gibbs to come in and stitch her up. Gibbs quickly and carefully stitched up the small wound on Elizabeth’s back and cleaned around it once more with the whiskey. Once finished Jack eased her onto her side and began pulling her breeches off along with her boots. Once he had her undressed he grabbed a fresh shirt out of the trunk at the foot of their bed and helped her put it on. Jack pulled the blanket up over her and followed Gibbs out onto the deck.

“Do ye think she’ll be alright captain?”

“Can’t say for sure….there was a lot of blood on her shirt mate….an’ the bullet hit awfully close t’ her kidney.”

“An’ the baby?”

“Seems t’ be unharmed but it’s too soon t’ tell.”

No doubt the Hesperia had immediately began giving chase after them when they had left the harbor of Ierapetra so they would have to quickly find a place to hide. Especially now that Elizabeth was injured. Jack stood at the helm next to Gibbs until the sun began to sink below the horizon. Just as he was about to take a swig from his bottle of rum he heard a bloodcurdling scream ring out across the deck. Elizabeth! Shoving the bottle of rum into Gibb’s hand he ran into the cabin flinging the door aside to let it bang against the wall. Jack rushed to the bedside falling to his knees.

“Izzy what is it darling?”

She looked at him with wide tear filled eyes some tears already streaming down her cheeks. Lifting her hand up from where it had been underneath the blanket she held it up for him to see the blood that covered it.

“Did yer stitches come loose love?”

She shook her head as more tears slipped down her face. Jack looked down at her stomach before looking back up at her. The baby!

“Jack…help me! Make it stop!”

Elizabeth doubled over clutching her stomach smearing the blood from her hand onto it.

“Oh God!!! Nooooo!!”

Not knowing what else to do Jack grabbed onto Elizabeth and held her as tightly as he could. Tears stung his eyes as he felt her shaking from her sobs against his chest. She was bleeding down there….and that could only mean one thing. She had lost the baby because of being shot.

“Shhh love it’s alright”

“Jack….what’s happening to me?”

“Jus’ let me get ye cleaned up an’ get some fresh linens on the bed love.”

He picked her up and sat her down on the sofa that was across from their bed. Jack pulled off the soiled linens and replaced them with clean ones quickly before reaching into the trunk to get her another shirt. He eased the bloodstained shirt off her carefully and helped her to her feet. Walking her over to the desk where the basin and pitcher were he grabbed a washcloth. Dipping it into the water he reached down and gently wiped away the blood from between her thighs.

“There now love…ye’ve stopped bleeding.”

Jack slipped the clean shirt onto her and then picked her up to carry her back to bed. Placing her in bed he pulled the blanket up over her.

“Now get some rest darling.”

“Jack….is…..the baby…is”

“M’ sorry Izzy….m’ so sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Jack?”

“The baby….it’s…..”

“No! Don’t you dare say it!”

“The baby’s gone love….m’ sorry.”

“NO!! Oh….no….Jack!! Oh God….no!!! Not my baby….no please!!”

He reached out to touch her face but she shied away from his touch. Looking up at him with anger flashing in her tea colored eyes she scowled before yelling at him.

“This is all your fault! Don’t you touch me! Get out!”

“Izzy…love…”

“I said get out.”

“But….”

“OUT! GET OUT NOW JACK!!”

Elizabeth pointed towards the door angrily making him lower his head. If she wanted him to get out then he would do just that. He grabbed the bottle of rum off the table and placed it in her lap before leaving her alone in the cabin. Once she heard the door close she shut her eyes and tears started streaming down her face quickly. Uncorking the bottle of rum she brought it to her mouth to take a long drink from it. The harsh sting of it was almost soothing to her. She wanted to be numb…to not feel anything right now. Out on deck Jack strode over to the helm and took Gibbs’ place taking the bottle of rum from him as well. It would quite a long night and he imagined this was where he would be spending it. Taking a long drink from the rum Jack began to wonder if his relationship would be able to withstand the terrible blow that it had just been dealt. Or if maybe this would bring about the end to his happy life with Elizabeth and their son. He prayed to God that Elizabeth didn’t hate him and that she still wanted to be with him and that perhaps all she needed was just a little time to absorb the fact that she had lost the baby.

A/N: Okay sad I know…..but not to worry things will start looking brighter for them soon enough! Please read and review!