Upon A Painted Ocean

chapter 18
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Elizabeth was avoiding him, and so was Jack.

He lay alone on the bed. The window and door were both shut, not even an ounce of light penetrated the confinement of the cabin. The darkness was his sanctuary and he welcomed it with open arms.

Elizabeth had not revisited him since their early disastrous reunion. The look of pure horror on her face was still stubbornly refusing to depart from his mind. He thought her absence was for the best right now, because he wasn't exactly ready to see her either.

He needed time to think and to sort out the jumbled mess that was his feelings. The last thing he wanted was to hurt the people he cared about involuntarily in the process, although that scenario was beginning to appear inevitable.

How he wished that this was all just a nightmare, that when he opened his eyes again, everything would have gone back to the way it was. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he wasn't so naive and ignorant as to believe that harmony can be restored and memory erased so easily. If there was indeed some natural or supernatural force that could accomplish this feat, he would gladly sell his soul for it.

As for Jack. Jack. Just the thought of the man would often push him to a state of coma like stupor, where his focus narrowed onto only the rogue pirate. He ran his finger tips, with painstaking conscientiousness, over the human shaped dent on the other side of the bed.

//I am sure it wasn't a dream//

Jack had held him and whispered comforting words in his ears until sleep claimed him. For the first time, he gave a name to the desperate craving inside him. It was hunger, hunger for the other man's touch. The pirate's embrace was like a safe harbor, some place that he could return to and would always belong.

When he woke up this morning, Jack was already gone. The only things that indicated the presence of the other from the previous night was the dent on the bed sheet, the lingering scent of rum and a few strands of black hair on the pillow. For some irrational reasons, he had felt like the female protagonist in a romance novel, abandoned after a one night stand.

Zeke had come in twice to bring him breakfast and lunch. He had faked sleep both times, although he didn't think the cook bought his acts.

The redhead had blithely chatted to the empty air above him, explained how they were headed for Isle de Aves, how the fish girl was still chasing after the Pearl, and how the younger man had cleverly caught an octopus, which the cook would secretly stuff into the pies for dinner. He had made a mental note that if he should go down to dinner, he should probably stay as far away from the pies as possible.

He sighed into stagnate air, and decided that this was about all the sulking he could endure. He sat up slowly and scanned his surrounding. From the little he could see, the room was a mess. A promiscuous heap of clothes was in one corner and a shattered lamp in the other.

He took off his nightshirt, kneeled down in front of his trunk and dug through the content. Luckily, there was a few clean shirts and trousers in it. He pulled one out, and stared at the small rip in the sleeve. It was the same shirt he wore when he went to the governor's house to deliver the sword and when he fought Jack for the first time.

The shirt was made of thick cotton and was one of the best he owned. The small imperfection on the sleeve was the result of a very fast swing of sword on Jack's part, which he had failed to dodge properly. Although the pirate did not manage to draw any blood, it had sped up his heart rate.

He nuzzled his face into the soft fabric and inhaled deeply until the coldness made him aware of his current state of under dress.

//Damn it. I have to stop doing that.//

He slide the shirt on top of his head and let the cloth fall onto his body. Then tugged his necklace inside his collar, averted gazing upon the ring. The friction between bare skin and smooth fabric was like a soft twinkling, like a gentle teasing, like Jack's touch.

His brain screamed at his hormones.

//Enough!//

He took a deep breath to compose himself and pushed open the door. Light poured into his cabin, something flashed silver on his night stand. He blinked and walked back towards his bed.

It was the dagger Zeke gave him when they were both captured and held on board of the Grey Owl. He had almost forgotten about it. His own sword was long gone, lost to God knows where. He picked it up gingerly, the metal was cool against the callous skin on his hand.

The dagger had offered him some comfort, small but nonetheless reassuring, when he was imprisoned on the enemy ship. He mused, perhaps it would help calming down his raging heart. He unfastened the straps around the leather hoist, and tied them around his left wrist. The hard blade pressed closely against the inside of his wrist through the thin layer of leather. He tightened the straps to secured it further and rolled down his sleeve to cover it.

//I hope Zeke doesn't mind if I hold on to it for a little while longer.//

He turned back toward the exit. A couple of large strides brought him out of the blackness of his cabin.

The hustling of the outside world invaded all his senses at the same time. It was the first time he had left his cabin since his return to the Black Pearl. A passing crew member chanted his name cheerfully in greeting. He waved back meekly.

The later afternoon sun was still shining brightly. The cries of dolphins and the ing ing of wind intertwined to generate a glissando of timbre, shivered up and down the scale. The melody was like the notes of a violin, undermined with sadness.

~~~*~~~

He balanced the dagger with two fingers. Sunlight glided across the body of the blade, and sharpened the silvery metal with a coating of frostily white. He ran his finger tip gingerly across the edge of the dagger, careful not to cut himself.

"Beautiful." He breathed out.

The ingenious piece of craftsmanship was simply stunning. Both sides of the blade started out perfectly parallel, followed the path of a small arc at half way until they reached the point of interception. Exotic design and drawing were carved from the tip, stayed mostly within the center line and diffused fluidly into the chamfering connected the blade to the hilt.

By closer inspection, he discovered that the drawings were actually scribbling fashioned in the forms of thorny vines. The miniature text blend sleekly into the flowing curvature and conferred the illusion of writhing plants.

His men had cleaned and polished the dagger before presented it to him. It was found embedded in the forehead of one of the guards on the Grey Owl. The wound was very shallow, barely scrapped the bones of the skull, yet the guard had been stunned into shock on the spot and bleed to death shortly afterward.

The metal appeared to be silver at first glance, but it has the hardness and weight of folded steel. He reckoned it to be made of some mixture of the two, or perhaps an unknown alloy. With a flick of wrist, he dropped the dagger, brought his hand around and gripped the hilt at the next instant.

"You might want to be careful with it." A bored voice rolled lazily from behind him.

He turned around to face the woman, as she tossed waves of blonde manes behind her shoulder casually and winked surreptitiously at him.

"The wound it inflected will never heal."

"Fascinating." His expressionless face said otherwise.

"One of Ezekiel's better ideas."

Her voice clanged softly like silver bells, the magnetic seductiveness in them could bring any ordinary man to his knees. But Edward Hensel Vann was no ordinary man. He ignored her warning and continued to fiddle with the dagger.

Pale arms sneaked around his neck like snakes, she purred beside his ear.

"Does nothing interest you?"

The motion of his hand did not pause. He shifted his head slightly, away from her intruding presence. The smell of limestone and spice clenched around her body like some kind of soured perfume.

"You know what interest me, or else you wouldn't be here."

"True."

She giggled. He found that the woman tended to giggle at everything, as if the world around her was one big joke. He wondered if the other one was as warped as she was.

"I don't care what you think, as long as you keep your end of the bargain."

"Of course, don't I always keep my words."

Vann wrinkled his shoulders out of her embrace. Her higher body temperature was blazing like summsummer heat. Every time the woman came within five feet, he felt like he was being drained of all emotion until there was nothing left but a hollowed shell. She was almost unnaturally beautiful, yet she had always given him the impression of a vampiric slug.

"I just want you to be happy."

She pressed her petty body against his back, he could register every curve and roundness through thin fabric. It repulsed him further.

"I highly doubt that."

He quickly stepped away and she laughed out aloud. He pounded down the urge to reach for his pistol as her eyes glowed gold for one instant.

"That is wise. But I did keep my promise this time. The Black Pearl ... and her captain are on their way here as we speak."

She cycled around to face him. Her chin held high and amusement danced in large almond shaped violet eyes.

"Don't I deserve some praise? It's what you've been *wishing* for, isn't it?"

He did not raise to the bait. Over twenty years of anticipation and painfully biding for his time had taught him the virtue of patience and the delinquency of rashness. Not even love and passion could justify the miscalculation and reckless action he committed all those years ago. A true predator laid the trap and wait for its prey to come.

He had learned from his mistakes. This time, he won't let the boy get away. No, he corrected himself, the boy would be a man by now. A man who had made a name for himself, among everyone, the thieves, robbers, scum and especially the respectful citizens of the Caribbean.

"You will finally have you wanted."

"So will you."

His words were brisk and to the point. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ezekiel would have eventually come to his senses. He might not be the brightest, but he is not clueless neither. It just ... take him a while to process some things."

There was hurried footsteps down the hall way.

A few moments later, the door opened and brought a shaggily dressed man to their range of sight. The thin pirate ran the last couple of steps and kneeled down in front of Vann.

"Captain, we hav' a problem wit' th' priest. He's..."

A second voice cut off the pirate's report. Vann watched impassively as the door flung open again and Cane stampeded toward them.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!!"

He turned his head slight towards the woman and droned into her ear. "Control your pet, or I will remove him."

"Now, now, is this any way to address your partner in crime." She chided without any real menace.

Cane stopped in front of them and bowed slightly to the woman first.

"My lady."

The priest then redirected his gaze towards him with poisonous intensity. In a voice baffled by anger and the long hike to the top of the compound, Cane accused him hotly.

"Where are my medicines?"

"I sold them." He answered evenly.

"What! How DARE you!"

Cane was breathing heavily and his cheeks had redden to the color of boiled lobster. He contemplate how upset the woman would be if he just put the moron out of his misery. His hand was almost to the hilt of his cutlass when she stepped into the argument.

"Waste energy arguing won't solve anything." She said in a soothing tone, like trying to calm down a child.

"But, but, my lady. The medicine are essential to my research." The priest pleaded in a pitiful tone.

"I understand that, but you need not trouble yourself with such trivial matter."

He watched the display impartially as she played the priest like a harp. Cane wobbled slightly on his feet as the woman caressed one cheek and ranked her fingers across the white hair.

"Do you not trust me?" She breathed into Cane's face.

"I...I do, my lady, implicitly."

Cane was trembling with repressed excitement. The priest sucked in a breath as she smiled at him. The small lift of rose-painted lips was like a ray of light, parted the clouds of gloom. Her face was suddenly transformed by an almost divine splendor. The priest shuddered at the dawning of new light in the woman's angelic face while Vann simply stared on.

"Good. You must be tired from your journey, go rest in your quarter."

"But.."

"No but, I will call for you when it is time."

"Y...yes."

"Do not worry. I will take care of everything."

"Thank you, thank you so much, my lady."

The priest was rooted to the ground and stared at her adorably. He glanced at the other pirate and motioned him to escort Cane away. The skinny man immediately obeyed and pulled the priest away rather forcibly towards the exit.

Vann turned to the woman and clapped mockingly a few times.

"Very well performed."

"Thank you." She smiled at him with false coziness.

"For a moment there, the word 'angel' crossed my mind."

Her shoulder shook with laughter and she upturned her face toward the sky. "Did you hear that, father." There was bitterness and something very keen to devious pride in her taunting voice.

A few moments later, he went back to examining the dagger, clearly dismissing her.

She chuckled and fixed the ribbons on her dress, then began walking toward the door. With one feet already out of the room, she looked back at him.

"A word of advice. If you see Ezekiel first, either kill him on sight or leave him alone and get out of his way completely."

He cocked one eyebrow at her, other than that his expression was unchanged. Confidence reeked from the arrogant stance of his body.

"You are threading on dangerous territory. It would not be wise to anger a wish master, no matter how powerless he might appear in his current form."

The door clicked softly behind her.

He looked down on the dagger. He had no doubt that the one who forged it would be as deadly as the weapon itself. But he really did not care much about the demon.

The sole focus of his thoughts was the other one onboard the Black Pearl. He had difficulty imagining the scrawny little boy as a grown man. The other man would definitely be as beautiful and fierce as the ship he commanded. The grilling expectancy was simply killing him.

//Come back to me, my little sparrow.//

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chapter 19
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Isle de Aves was a very small piece of land, that was half immersed in the temperamental and often unpredictable waves of the Caribbean. The water that surrounded it was as clear as the sky above and palm trees decorated the coast lines.

The island hadn't changed that much from his memory, at least not from a distance. What laid inside the caves and scattered around the white beaches were a completely different matter.

The late afternoon sun shone brightly into his eyes, and he looked down to avert the resulting stings. The boy beside him coughed softly, and immediately he sat back down beside the trembling form.

"Will? Ye all right there, mate?"

Will nodded between large gulps of air. The boy had insisted on coming with the rest of them. He had tried to persuade the stubborn lad without much success.

Will didn't have to say much, other than turn those soulful chocolate eyes at him. He was appalled at himself for the fact that his weakness was discovered and exploited so thoroughly, but had yielded under the probing gaze nonetheless.

The blacksmith was unwell, and getting increasingly so. He was somewhat relieved of the sense of helplessness when the small patch of land came within sight of the Black Pearl. It represented a solution to Will's illness, and if facing his demons could save the youth, he would gladly weather against the turbulence of his past.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, whelp?"

Will pouted indignantly and mumbled some feeble protest. He found the blush that tinted the alabaster cheeks eringringly cute. He swallowed down the snickers, since the youth would no doubt mistake them as insults.

"The Pearl will be all right?"

"Of course."

"It's just that, we haven't seen any ships around the island. I mean, they might be lurking around somewhere."

"She's made of stern stuff, a little surprise won't daunt her."

".... I am... worried, with Elizabeth left behind and..."

"She's made of stern stuff also."

"Yes, she is...."

The quite voice was ful,ful, he told himself to investigate the matter further in a later time. Elizabeth was actually easier to impel. She had simply accepted his decision without a word and went back to her brooding. Whether her meekness was resulted from the reluctance to be engaged in open polemic, or some other mood swing, Jack did not know.

He reckoned that whatever troubled the relationship between Will and the lass must had not been resolved. She had worn a grim look from the night she returned to the Pearl and often stole glances at him with an unreadable expression.

//I think she suspect something.//

He didn't think he was being obvious, but then again he hadn't exactly been subtle neither. Aside from Elizabeth, he had been on the receiving ends of several weird looks from both Anamarie and the cook.

//As long as Will doesn't find out.//

He knew it probably hadn't been a good idea to shadow the youth's every steps. But Will was sick, and he just wanted to be close in case the boy needed anything.

//Keep on telling yerself that.//

Fine. So he just wanted to be close to Will, period. It wasn't a crime. Wasn't he allowed to care for his friend?

He turned his head slightly, the new position gave him a clear view of the incoming island and allowed him occasional glimpses of the blacksmith. His heart dropped at the paleness of the youth, augmented by the bleaching sunlight. Will had lost a lot of weight in just a few days. The skin on the boy's face stretched and bounded over high cheek bones.

"Will, when we are on the island.... stay away from me."

Will froze at the request, some indescribable emotion flashed across his face. Then the boy's eyes glittered with moistures. His heart skipped and he reached out with one hand. Will flinched back like he was slapped, Jack could almost see the red marks left behind by his hand.

He cursed loudly inward. He hadn't meant to hurt the other, again. Will sniffed once, but the tears did not fall. He praised the lord silently, he didn't think he could take that heartbroken expression again. Once was more than enough.

"What I meant was... that ye should keep yer distance from me."

Shit. That one was not any better.

"I understand."

"Ye do?"

Will's face was down cast. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and wave his hands a little, attempting to get the youth's attention. Will didn't look up, nor did he moved a muscle.

"n't n't get in your way."

"That's not what I.... Listen, the big badie knew me.... from way back, and the closer ye are to me, the more danger ye will be in."

"....I can hold my own."

"I didn't say ye can't. I just didn't want ye to get hurt again. I...."

"Yes?" There was a strange light in Will's eyes, and an unfathomable eagerness in the youth's question.

"I...."

Whatever he was trying to say was stuck inside his throat, and he soon lost his chance. Gibbs shouted at him from the other boat, informed him that no guards were spotted, and asked whether they should just march in.

He nodded in affirmation. The boats squeaked slightly as their bottoms connected with the sand.

They were ambushed before Jack even set foot on the island. At least thirty men, all very well armed, sprinted from their hiding places behind the rocks and the holes under the sand.

The fight followed was short and with little bloodshed. Jack had raised his hands as soon as their enemy brought out the heavier arsenals.

He knew that Vann was expecting them. They were out numbered and Jack didn't believe in wasting lives in order to make a strong impression. He didn't struggle as the other pirate took away their weapons. Vann would have the answers he wanted, and getting captured was the fastest way to get to the man.

Vann's men obviously did not foresee their quick surrender, because the black-clad pirates paused briefly and looked at each other with gawky uneasiness. Unfortunately, no one appreciated his flirtatious smile and cocky attitude. The pistols and cutlasses were refusing to sway from their appointed destinations of his vital organs.

The stand off lasted a good ten minutes before both parties grew weary of it. Luckily for the Brotherhood pirates, a tall, one armed man arrived shortly after and carried further orders from the leader of the gang.

"Bind their hands." The man had yelled.

They were to be escorted to some cave deeper into the island. Jack went first willing and by way of example, since both Will and Anamarie were groaning with irritation. He smiled back at the two most fierce people among his crew, both to smother and reassure them.

Anamarie was swearing colorfully behind him, while Gibbs stayed cool, yet nervously alerted. A flash of red caught his eyes. To his left, Zeke was wrinkling his nose and falling behind slightly, like he was evading some offensive odor.

Will was quiet to his right. The one armed man was staring at the boy with a half curious, half demented gaze. He walked a little faster, stepped to the right and put himself neatly between Will and the bulky man. The man's grin widened at that, and he ignored it.

After a fifteen minute trek, they crossed to the other side of the beach, in front of a tall cave. Once inside the cave, the one armed man turned and gave all of them a once over.

"I believed that we have some business to settle, boy."

Will took a step back as the man approached him with open maliciousness. Jack's eyes narrowed. He snarled as the man grabbed the front of Will's shirt and raised one fist. He threw the chains around his wrists over the other man's head, and twisted.

A loud snap, and the man fell down bonelessly.

He blinked rapidly, surprised at the rashness of his action and the protectiveness that encouraged his thoughtless strike. Their guards roared furiously, then quiet down abruptly as the body on the ground twitched. The sudden movement of the dead man was followed by a bright flash of flame, and the body began to burn.

The crowd all jumped and receded back.

Roused gracefully from the spiral swirling of fire and ashes, was the most beautiful woman that Jack had ever seen. Straight golden hair pooled behind her back, and large purple eyes adored her delicate face. She was wearing a violet dress with a white scarf around her neck. The wind caught the end of her dress and flailed it around like ocean tides.

"Feisty, aren't we?" She smirked at Jack, "and very protective."

Jack was memorized by both the sight and her voice before a sharp gasp shook him out of his stupor. He turned. Zeke was fuming and pointing one finger accusingly at the woman.

"Ursella!"

~~~*~~~

"Zekie. It's been a while."

"It's only been six months... and I told you NOT to call me that."

Her eyes upturned into the shapes of new moon. In Zeke's opinion, she looked way too smug and proud of herself. He grinned back, the stretch of lips came out more like a sneer than a smile. Inside he was swearing profusely at his own carelessness.

//The sulfur I smelled. It wasn't Cane, it was Ursella.//

The others were watching their exchanges with gaping mouths. All except Jack, who regard the two of them back and forth with his usual languish expression, tainted with mild interest.

"Zeke. Aren't ye going to introduce th' pretty lady." The pirate captain demanded with a leer in Ursella's direction.

He rolled his eyes mentally and ignored the order. His gaze did not wave from Ursella. He was no oracle nor did he have any foresight ability, but he was beginning to have a really bad feeling about this. Zeke always trusted his instinct.

"Why are you here?"

"Assignment... and to fetch you home."

"I am not done."

"You are *now*. Ezekiel, you are ill."

"What?"

"...and you are making the same mistake."

"What mistake?!"

It was pointless to argue with Ursella, Zeke mused unpleasantly, she always won. He stared, nonplused, at the pirates from the Brotherhood as they pointed their weapons at them. He quickly calculated the chances that he and the rest of the crews from the Black Pearl could get out of this one relatively unscratched, and decided that he should try intimidation first.

"Get out of my way, Ursella. You know what I can do." He warned in a low hiss.

She grinned and he caught the flash of sharp fans. "Of course. No one would be foolish enough to challenge you head on.... which is why I have those."

He realized too late the implication of that statement. Before he could put up any defenses, a rush of air pushed him backward and into the smaller cave behind him. A few of his crew mates yelled and attempted to rush to his aid. Vann's men had to whacked a couple of the captives hard on the head.

He steadied himself and the first thing he saw was the glittering of the rubies.

"Oh, no."

She stalked toward him. "I had to enlisted a little help, but I managed to acquire most of them, all except that one." She motioned toward Will.

Ursella stepped closer and cupped his face with both palms. He wanted to slap those hands away, but he was having difficulty just standing.

"That one and the one Rue has.... his lordship sent his greetings."

He snorted and shoved her away with all the strength he could gather. She applied no more effort on her grip and simply let go calmly.

"I am doing this for your own good."

"Yeah, Right! You've tried to kill me for how many times now!?"

"I just wanted you to go home."

He gave her the finger. His retreating steps brought him deeper into the cave until his back hit cold stone. There was nowhere else to go.

The black pupils inside smoky grey eyes slimmed down to thin lines.

Zeke wasn't going to just lie down and roll over. He supposed that he could always restore back his usual tactic and blast his way out, but the big bosses down under wouldn't take so kindly to the rule breaking. Furthermore, if he utilized his power, he would overload this body and burn it up in a few seconds, like what Ursella did with her disguise as Algol. Come to think of it, how could she possibly stay on the mortal plane since her human body was gone?... unless she was summoned.

//But all the known scriptures were destroyed a long time ago.//

When he found whoever did this, he was going to chop the moron up, grind the remains into micro metric pieces and use them to roast the idiot's soul in hell.

"You can't keep me here!" He shouted.

"I am doing it right now."

"I'll grow immune to them sooner or later."

"Yes, in a century or two."

He was starting to understand why the fish girl was always so pissed off at him. It must have been a family thing.

Zeke compressed all his thoughts to a central point and sparks ignited between his fingers. He pressed his left palm against the stone wall behind him. In one instant, he located the pulse of Isle de Aves; it was situated at the spring which rested in the center of the island.

Energy soaked into his every pore. His mind reached towards the veins which surrounded the pulse of the island, and began tuning them like the strings of a harp. The ground start to shake and Ursella's eyes widened in alarm.

//Earth beneath me, bend to my will.//

Before he could finished the silent chanting, an invisible force rammed him hard into the wall. His concentration broke as Ursella swayed her index finger in a 'no, no' gesture.

The rocky walls of the cave blurred in front of his eyes. He gritted his teeth as the sharp bolt of pain screeched through his head. The ruby pieces were glowing to the point of flaring white now.

The setting around him switched with lightening speed. In his mind, the shallow water beneath his feet changed to boiling limestone, and then reformed themselves into desert sand. The echoes of the past were drumming into his ears from all directions.

***

A loud metallic clank.

I take it that you don't like the blood.

Amber eyes narrowed at the casualness of that statement.

You killed them. All those people....WHY?!

A small hand raised and the sword stopped dead in its track.

You wanted to see wonders.

A barely conceived hitch of breathing, but the hands around the sword did not falter.

And....my sister? What you did to her.....

One eyebrow raised elegantly.

She asked me to.

The other dropped the sword and lunged.

LIAR!

A flick of wrist and the other flew towards the wall.

I am a demon, what did you expect? I did warn you, but you refused to listen.

Sob wrecked through the prone form lying on the ground.

I... I know... and now I must pay the price for my presumption and ignorance.

Lithe form bent over the other.

I don't understand. Why are you angry? Nothing I've done had upset you before. What do you really want?

Dry laughter replaced the quite weeping.

Ruby eyes blinked at the hysteria of the young ruler, then pain shot through his heart.

I don't care any more.

Red head dipped down and stared at the dagger sticking out of his chest, then cocked to one side.

I don't care if you don't understand.

Blood, as black as obsidian, was retracing back to the wound, as the skin around it knit itself together.

I expect more creativity from you, Ramirez. That's not going to kill me.

Tear streaked face smiled and raised to meet his own.

His feet slipped from the sudden wave of dizziness. He half kneeled on the ground and watched as everything around him began to glow red.

What the...? How?

The other crawled toward him.

I don't care if you never understand.

One finger tip traced down his cheek gently.

What I wanted.... what I wished for....

The next sentence was whispered just above his lips.

What I wanted was for you to remember me.

Remember me.

.....and think of me....

Always.

***

He couldn't breath. He was not going to get out of this one, so he might as well ask. He stared up at Ursella shakily and had to forced the words out of his mouth.

"Are you going to let me go?"

"Yes.... when you are well."

The last thing he registered, before all light went out around him, were the distant cries of the others and the velvet heat that cushioned his fall.

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chapter 20
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Ursella's scarf flew upward like tendrils of willow, as Zeke's body grew slack and fell backward. The semitransparent textile twisted around the slender waist, upheld the redhead for one moment before lowed him gently onto the ground.

Jack's eyes had harden with shredding sharpness, although his facial expression remained unchanged. He might not be the most caring captain in the world, but he really did not take kindly to people who beat on his crew. Besides, if there was one person here who was going to stir up confusion and wreck some havoc, he would prefer the person to be himself.

"What did ye do to the boy?" He asked casually, trying not to show his concern.

"Nothing." She glanced at him briefly before turning her attention back to the unmoving redhead.

He took a calculated step forward and met no interference from Vann's men. His crews were astonished, and disturbed at the same time by the event. His own appreciation for her beauty was overruled by the looming foreshadow emanating in his guts.

Slowly, she rested her knees beside the fallen form, and tenderly pulled the boy's head onto her lap. Zeke stayed motionless as she swept away a few wayward fringes from his eyes leisurely. Jack's eyebrows drew together at the visible display of affection.

"Ezekiel is allergic to... certain rubies." She said softly, almost to herself.

"Care to clarify?"

"You should have listened to me." She paid him no mind and continued to breathed down the pale cheeks, "you don't belong here."

Jack frowned. Her manner was unsettling to say the least, and he did not like to be ignored.

"The ninth ring is your home, and always will be.... our most precious treasure." She pressed a small kiss on one of the boy's eye lids. The gesture was surprisingly chaste and devoid of any lecherous undercurrents.

Still her perplexing behavior was seriously creeping him out, and dispelled the last shed of her sirenly allurement. His patience had long grown past the point of tolerance, and straight towards the boiling temperature. He wanted some answers, even if he had to throttle some necks and squeeze them like lemons.

Full of concern, he shot a look at Will, who was leaning against the stone wall for support. He had no time to neither unfold or follow some melodramatic and no doubt devious plot in the other's scheme. If Will's face got any paler, he was going to start hurting people.

He breached the distance between himself and the entrance of the cave with small increments. The stream of scarlet light washed over his body, and painted his tanned skin with a layer of amber.

The air in front of him quivered with an anguish and stifling trumpeting. He looked around, but no one else had detected the shift of atmosphere. He inched a little closer. The sound amplified and the shrilling air lashed against his face.

The empty space before him moved in the rhythm of heartbeat at his closeness. Suddenly the air materialized to the shade and texture of mercury before burst toward him. He jumped back just in time to avoid the sharp whips. A small sting emerged on his right cheek. He smoothed over the area with two fingers, they came back red.

"Interesting. That's very interesting."

He took a few more cautious steps back, which put him back to the relative safety with his own people. Soft murmuring and gasps surrounded him, genuine and poorly concealed. The distortion of the ventilation beside her at last grabbed Ursella's attention. She stood up and turned to look at the entrance and then at Jack.

"You can sense it?" She grimaced, yet her body language was laden with obvious interest.

He pretended not to hear her question, and went on glaring openly at the cave and in her general direction. She smirked at the silent, yet spiky retort and started approaching them with a graceful sway of hips.

He watched solemnly as the mercury substance guarding the entrance first engulfed her from head to toe. Then with a inaudible popping sound, the swirl of silver flowed outward like water ripples, allowed her to pass and faded to a colorless void behind her back.

She stopped in front of him, "You are full of surprises, nothing like what I imagined."

"I must say that I bear no regret in disappointing ye."

"On the contrary, captain. You have exceeded all my expectations."

Jack forced the corner of his mouth to twitched up in his customary smirk. The air around him was saturated with an almost metallic coppery taste, and transfused with a nameless sour smell. Her shoulder shook slightly with repressed laughter.

"Ezekiel was most determined about you." She pressed on, and he edged backrespresponse. "And so was he. They were certainly after different things, but I must admit I can see your... appeal."

She was getting uncomfortably close, and he desperately wanted to redirect her attention. Or else, he might took after Will and do something rash, like wipe that insufferable grin off her face with a left hook.

He had always taken great care not to harm women, who were physically weaker by nature, and in his opinion, should be showered with love, not fists. But for this particular one, he might just make an exception. However, that action would most certainly help nothing, other than worsen his already grim situation.

"Who are ye?"

"Ursella." She crooned with a small bow.

She was provoking him, and playing with him like a cat to a mouse. He did not relish the idea of being looked down upon as some inferior being, but decided that he should take advantage of this opportunity and collect as much information as possible.

"And what are ye?"

"Couldn't you tell?"

"Not human obviously."

"Obviously. ....I am a cousin of Ezekiel over there, a very _very_ distanced cousin. Did... Zekie ever mention me?"

"If he did, I don't remember it."

She was still urging him backward. The crowd around them parted voluntarily without instruction as he was steered towards the beach outside.

His frantically searching gaze connected tentative with Will's for a few seconds. An almost invigorating heat passed between them. The youth's expressive eyes were overflowed with intensity and desolation. His heart sprinted, and pounded uncontrollably against his ribcage at the quite determination.

//Will. Please, please don't do anything stupid.//

He tried to communicate through the pleading in his eyes. A twinge of pain brought him back to Userlla's displeased face. She was gripping his bottom jaw firmly.

"Witch." He spited out.

"Wrong guess. You judged too harshly on those poor, poor participant of the black craft, I don't believe that they have succumbed to my level."

"Demon then."

"Wrong again, but very close. Ezekiel is a demon though, did you know that? He is a wish master, one of the most ancient races of the underworld."

She giggled again and he failed to find any humor in their discussion. He was busy assimilating the knowledge of Zeke's true heritage. The truth did not anger him with its brutality, and he could find no sense of betrayal anywhere. It was very strange indeed, as if he'd already known in some deep down subconscious level.

Then again, he mused, the boy had always been weird. Zeke was wicked in a clueless, boyish and harmless as long as you-don't-pick-on-me-first kind of way, if that actually made any sense.

He stared back toward Ursella, who had seized advancing on him. Her head ducked slightly, and she was recounting softly to herself again.

"He is one of the few pure breeds left, the only one escaped intact because of his imprisonment. Unlike the rest of us, he was born. Do you know what that means? Do you have any idea what that signifies?!"

Her head snapped up, and the indigo gaze immobilized him with the whirlpool of emotion in them, joyous and hateful at the same time. His right hand went automatically to his sword, and remembered at the last moment that it was confiscated earlier.

"BORN! Not created from the abyss and through *his* will. But born. Born with the power to rival the strongest of us, and the free will that *he* only bestowed upon the humans. ....our most prized treasure and the subject to all our envy."

Her eyes were beginning to glow, but unlike Zeke, the pupils remained as rounded dots. He swallowed uneasily and she continued on.

"...one of the few original inhabitants from the land of our exile. He has always been what he is, thus never punished, never discarded, and never tasted the acidic unfairness which was forced upon the fallen."

With each words, he kept on backing away from her. A bump on the ground caught the back of his heel, and he stumbled out onto the beach.

A pair of muscular arms intercepted his fall and twisted themselves around his mid section. He froze as they pulled him back against a hard chest. Ursella paused in her fierce raving, and instantly composed herself. She raised one eyebrow at the new comer.

"You are late. I had to entertain *your* guest all by myself." She said with a pout.

"A very fine job you did." An emotionless voice said above his head, "but I arrived precisely on time."

He recognized that voice.

"Jack."

His face bleached.

~~~*~~~

His heart was heavy and his body worn down by fatigue. His steps teetered and he had to lean against the rock wall for support. Jack's gaze wheeled around towards him with concern. He bit the inside of his mouth at the sudden spasm of desire traveled through his spine.

His hormone had halted momentary from the constant demand to jump the other, yet the rest of his body still felt the undeniable attraction between them. The craving was no longer consuming, and was slowly settling down to a more subtle anticipation, sank into the very cores of his bones.

Ursella moved a little closer, and neatly plastered herself against Jack. Her advances went unnoticed as Jack was still locking gaze with him, but he saw red. A deep down rage was revoked within him at her flirtatious antic.

//DON'T touch him!//

Jack's gaze turned apprehensive and warned him off from any reckless attempts at retribution. He nodded once, curtly albeit reluctantly.

Ursella continued to whisper feverishly, but Will could not make out anything other than a few hushed sentences. Jack was listg atg attentively while in the process of discretely backing away from her. His fist unclenched and he kept his sight trailed on the pirate captain.

//If Jack isn't worried, it can't be anything too bad.//

Jack tripped and stumbled backward. His heart leaped and he pushed against the masses around him in order to get to the other. He observed what happened next through the anxious vexation covered his mind.

A man appeared from some unseeing corner and caught Jack's unsteady form. The man exchanged a few words with Ursella, and she chuckled mirthlessly. With a flourish wave of hand, she vanished in a bright flash.

He watched Jack's face first froze with some intangible emotion. Then the hard lines around that bow shaped mouth rearranged themselves into a haphazard slop. The relaxed expression was forced and the fury behind them poorly concealed.

The other man was of indeterminable age and was very handsome in a cold, cruel kind of way. Medium length auburn locks fell freely below the ears, forest green eyes focused sorely on the trapped pirate captain.

Jack stood straight and rigid within the iron cage of those arms. His heartbeat sped up with palpitation, caused by some unknown fear and forewarning. The other man brought his face lower and sniffed the air beside Jack's ear. Jack visibly shrank back. His hands itched. He had the most insane urge to charge the man and hack those trespassing arms off.

//Don't touch him!//

Jack must had sensed his skittish discomfort because the pirate cast a furtive glance at him. He deciphered the messages inside the ebony eyes with ease.

Don't do anything stupid.

He answered Jack's silent request with a wan smile. He was still of the mind set that he must offer some kind of amends for the offenses he committed against the other. In order to redeem himself in the pirate captain's eyes, he had to first regain the man's trust. He wanted Jack to be able to count on him again.

//I am cool. I am calm. I can do whatever Jack wants.//

With a firm set of jaws, Jack turned to face his captor. The simple change of pose had put the two inteveneven more compromising position. The rogue pirate had probably miscalculate the closeness between the two. At least that was what Will hoped, he refused to think that any deliberation was involved.

"Vann."

Jack's voice was plain, yet washed with an open loathing at the same time. Will was taken back by the maliciousness in that normally light hearted voice. He had never heard the pirate used that particular tone, not even when addressing Barbossa.

"Jack."

Will shuddered from the possessiveness in that single word. He was hauntingly reminded of his own selfish declaration a few days ago. The startling similarity in Vann's demeanor and his own in the pivot of madness was most distressful and disarming.

A short silence followed before Vann raised one hand and ran his thumb gingerly across Jack's cheek. Jack stiffened further.

"You have changed so much."

"....ye are still the same."

"Alive, you mean." Vann's eyes were twinkled with amusement, "Are you disappointed?"

"Very."

"Do you wish to remedy the situation?"

"At the first opportune moment."

"I am glad you haven't lost your spunk. You have made quite a name for yourself. I am... very proud."

"I haven't archived the status of mass murderer yet. Would ye like to contribute?"

Vann laughed, the sound was crystal clear and echoed across the sudden hushness that befell the cave. Jack's choice of language and the unusual show of sobriety, no matter how obviously and forcefully induced, was perilously daunting.

"I will have to pass on any personal involvement, but I am more than willing to help... in other aspects."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"Are you sure?"

Vann moved both arms from Jack's back to just below the pirate's waist. Jack twisted within that grip to no avail and fell back on glaring defiantly up at the other.

"Ursella had informed me that one of your companion is deathly ill."

The man spit out the word 'companion' like it was a disease, and the word 'deathly' succeeded the former like a promise. Will steeled himself against the piercing glare tcamecame next to the question.

"You wouldn't want him to get worse, would you?"

"What do ye what?" Jack asked sternly and quickly, as if the pirate already knew the answer.

"What I have always wanted."

Will did not like the direction this confrontation was going. It was as if the two of them were having one conversation on the surface, and another underneath the layers of false courtesy. One that was unfathomed by those surrounded them, and impossible to interrupt.

"Yer terms?"

Jack's replies were getting shorter, as if the rogue pirate did not want to waste any more breath on the man before him. Vann leveled his face and whispered something beside Jack's ear.

To emphasis whatever point he was making, Vann motioned his men to redirect some of their weapons and aimed them at Will. He could feel the jabbing of hard steel against his back, precisely where his heart was. The corner of Jack's mouth twitched and the paling in the cheeks was perceptible even under the tan.

"Will ye keep yer words?"

The dawning of despair in that voice contrasted against the pirate's cunning personality and that did not sit well with Will. Faint warning danced elusively on the outskirts of Will's consciousness, like the foreshadowing of doom. It was cloaked with the illusion istaistance, yet unmistakably approaching. Will's anxiety was magnified by the nervousness of those around him.

"To you, always."

"...very well."

No. Will wanted to shout, but he could not get the word pass his suddenly dry throat. Those tenacious arms loosened, and Jack shook off the embrace. The pirate captain walked towards them, his posture serious without any of the usual swaggering.

"Captain?"

"Jack?"

Gibbs and Anamarie asked in unison.

"Go back to the Pearl, and... follow the code."

Will knew he was not the only one wearing the incredulous expression. He stepped forward but Anamarie beat him to the protest.

"What about you!"

"Vann and I have some... unfinished business."

"But..."

"That's enough." Jack cut her off, "Gibbs, ye are in charge."

The order was final and irrefutable. Gibbs and Anamarie both stared hard at Jack, then sighed with submission.

"Aye, captain." Gibbs obeyed resignedly.

Jack turned and looked straight at him. His chest constricted sharply at the muted pain in those guileless eyes.

"I know it's difficult, whelp. But go with them, and try not to do anything... stupid."

"No." He didn't even need to think before answering it.

"No?"

"No, I am not leaving you."

"...listen to me, Will. For once, just this once. Do as I say... please."

He would not allow that single 'please' to undo him. He would not. Unyielding determination shone through his plaintively tone.

"I am not leaving you."

"...I swear that I'll knocked ye unconscious."

"You can. But I will fight back."

"I'll tie ye to the boat!"

"Then I will just have to bite through the ropes."

"Ye... ye stubborn brat!"

"Yes. Yes I am."

The tremor inside him was eating him alive. He would not leave Jack alone to face whatever danger or torture the enemy had designed.

//I will not be cool. I will not be calm. I will not allow Jack to do this!//

He would especially not leave Jack alone with... that man. His resolve was set and nothing, but death could break it now.

"Damm ye."

Jack cursed before grabbed the back of his head and brought his face upward. He braced himself against any possible assault, not that he thought that Jack would ever really hurt him. He was, however, prepared and no sudden move from Jack was going to unbalance him.

A velvet heat crushed against his lips. He stilled and blinked rapidly, as long black lashes laid softly with in such close sight.

//Oh, my god.//

Jack was kissing him with a desperate urgency. His lips parted without any guidance. A scorching wetness thrust inside, cycled the roof of his mouth once, and retreated just as quickly. Jack pulled his mouth away before he could completely grasp the situation.

"Wha..? Jack?"

His voice was hoarse and raw. They were both breathing heavily as Jack gently brought their foreheads together. The pirate peeked at him through half hooded eyes, and breathed out against his trembling lips.

"I love ye."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


chapter 21
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He lowered the telescope as the Black Pearl floated peacefully in the distance. This was not good, he assessed the situation grimily.

The Dauntless was in a relatively bad shape compared to the other ship, having just returned from the rather nasty battle with the Grey Owl. If the Black Pearl decided to engage, there was little chance that the Dauntless would come out victorious.

He had followed on the trail of the Black Pearl with the Dauntless alone, and left the two smaller battle cruisers in Tortuga. It was a decision which he regretted candidly. That blasted pirate ship had somehow dodged the patrolling ship cycling these water and slipped into the perimeter of Isle de Aves undetected.

Consequentially that left the pursuing navy to deal with the Brotherhood of the Hawks. He had sank the pirate ship as fast as he could, aware that any elongation could bring the enemy reinforcement running.

The Grey Owl was surprisingly undermanned, and thus presented little challenge. Unusual for a pirate ship, even more unusual if the pirates were expecting an attack. It was as if someone had set the Grey Owl up not to be an actual defense, but rather some sort of means to delay any approaching enemies.

But to say the battle had been won effortless would be a gross understatement. The pirates had fought back fearlessly, and managed to get a couple of good shots at the Dauntless. It was probably due to the fact that there were no ways of retreating for the pirates. It was either fight to the death or be arrested and then executed. Not a lot of options left to explore, he admitted silently. He would have done the same thing if he was in their shoes.

"Commodore, what should we do?" His first officer asked beside him.

"Prepare to fire." He said concisely.

His first intuition was to blow the other ship out of the water. If he was going down, he would at least take that accursed ship down with him.

"But, what about Miss. Swann?"

He'd almost forgotten about Elizabeth. There was a great probability that she was rescued and transferred back to the Black Pearl. Elizabeth could be very resilient and resourceful for one who was so well sheltered for most of her life. That was one of the character traits that Norrington had always admired and approved about her.

"Sir! They just raised the white flag!" Gillette shouted.

"What!?"

He hastily extended his telescope and peeked through the glass hole. It was true. The Black Pearl's flashy trademark of the skull and cutlasses had been replaced by a simple white flag.

A trick, was his conclusion.

He gritted his teeth with frustration. Just what kind of fool did Jack Sparrow take him for. He twisted the metal rim, which controlled the range of the telescope, with more force than required. The thin metal squeaked beneath his squashing fingers. With a longer view, he scanned the Black Pearl more thoroughly. He could see no movement on the top deck, nor any activities on board.

A flash of ivory caught his eyes, he swayed the telescope towards it. With her arms flailing around wildly, was Elizabeth.

"Lieutenant!" He called out, "Sail closer and prepare to board the Black Pearl."

"Sir?"

"I want all cannons trailed on her at all time. If this is an ambush, you may fire at will."

"Yes, sir."

He wouldn't put it pass Sparrow to use Elizabeth as a bait. He had more than enough reprimands from underestimating pirates.

He smoothed down hard on the bandages around his throat, the ensuring sting was followed by a warm stickiness. The pain grounded him against his warring emotions between his obligation to duty and the concern for Elizabeth.

The wounds, which he had sustained from that ill-fated raid in Tortuga, had stop oozing blood long before. But after three days, the cuts were still open, even with stitches and as fresh as if they were made mere moments ago. The injuries would burn at the slightest pressure, and the constant discomfort often accompanied him into the sleepless nights.

He really hated pirates.

When he first joined the navy, his annoyance started as a matter of loyalty. As a respected officer of the Royal Navy, it was his sworn duty to slave the evils that infested the Caribbean. His naive reveries quickly faded with age and experience. Now it was simply the principle of things, pirates are the enemy of all vessels that sailed under his majesty's blessing, and more importantly, his enemy. It was the single pillar of truth, which he had build his career and his life around without query or doubt.

He had always generalized the pirates to be without conscious, scheming, and greedy. His opinions had changed somewhat after his most unfortunate acquaintance with a certain pirate captain. Jack Sparrow was, of course, without conscious, scheming, greedy and much more. But the man was also deviously charming and a puzzling enigma. But damned if he was ever going to go easy on any of them just because of a shift of view.

He walked down the stair and toward the side of the ship. They were sailing cautiously toward the Black Pearl, and all soldiers on board had came on guard swiftly.

He frowned as his minded drifted momentarily, toward a pair of mocking grey eyes, and the supercilious curve of lips. The implacable resentment within him wired around with some other indescribable itching, grew slowly with each step. He vowed inwardly; he would personally tighten the noose around that scrawny neck, if it was the last thing he would do.

~~~*~~~

The boy was even more pigheaded than his father. His voice was nearly frayed with desperation and pain. Still Will countered each threats and arguments with childish retorts. Why wouldn't the boy just listen? Was stubbornness some kind of essential heirloom in the Turner family?

He felt as if their roles were reversed. Since when had he become the mature one? Damn it all, he didn't wanted to listen to logic. He wanted to go back to being crazy, or eccentric enough so that nothing mattered to him, but his beloved ship. Where was a nice jag of rum when he needed it?

"Ye...ye stubborn brat!"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Why, the little....the boy even had the galls to admit it! Will obviously had learned nothing from all the time they had spent together. All those times he had drilled into that pretty little head about 'the opportune moment' must had been in vain. Why couldn't Will understand that nothing could be accomplished by recklessness and blind pertinacity?

Maybe it was because he has been learning from you, his subconscious spoke back sarcastically, sounded eerily like Elizabeth.

He promptly told that part of his brain to shove it and die. So he was being hypocritical. But he was a pirate, and everybody knew that pirates didn't have any common sense. And he was older, which therefore made him wiser.

He stepped closer, and almost brought their bodies into contact. Will's sorrowful brown eyes stared imploring into his, silently beseeching.

Will wasn't going to leave, he realized with heartrending calmness.

There was something emerging from the pit of his stomach; a sweet rapture, expanding and filling his chest with warmth and tranquillity. The sudden surge of happiness almost overwhelmed him. He sucked in a mouthful of air.

This was ridiculous. There was nothing happy about this stalemate, this butchery of reasons, that could and would get them all killed. If Will wasn't going to leave, he would just have to make the boy go, he made up his mind.

His hand moved by its own accord and grabbed the back of the Will's head, tangled his fingers between the soft, dark trusses. Surprise flickered through the hazel eyes, that were quickly came on guard and veiled with determination.

//I am sorry, Will.//

With a shallow dive of his head, he claimed those pouting lips roughly. The body inside his arms stilled and the mouth against his slacked from the sudden pressure. He closed his eyes and plunged his tongue into the warm cavern.

If this was the closest that he could get to heaven, then he would take as much as he could. The memory of those sensual lips would have to last him till the end of his days. He devoured that unresisting mouth, swiped his tongue across the back of those pearly teeth and drank in every taste.

He felt the boy yielded under his persistent attacks, and pulled away quickly before that beautiful submission could drown him. Will's eyes were clouded, the pupils dilated and slipping in and out of focus. He applied a little more force with the hand still holding on Will's head, and brought their foreheads together.

He couldn't stare at the other after that sneaky practice, and for what he was about to do next. Instead he pried his eyelids open slightly and peeked at the boy under dark lashes.

"I love ye."

There, he had said it. Admitted it. Blurted out the secret of his heart tactlessly, and as he foresaw, at the worst place and time. Will was still frozen by shock. He let go of the boy and his hands fell beside him with tired resignation.

Will's breathing hitched. He braced himself against the inevitable outcome; the disgust and disappointment, which would replace the admiration and affection in those youthful features. He was no stranger to pain and heartaches. As long as Will leaves, he prayed inwardly. He would let the searing rejection incinerate its mark on his heart, and fret a irreparable channel through their friendship. As long as Will remained safe, he would endure any hardship.

"Jack."

Will's eyes were bright with unshed tears. His tightened his fists and held them rigidly at his sides; the nails dug into his palms. A few sharp stings, and something warm and sticky streamed between his fingers. He deserved it. He deserved all the scorns, revolts and sufferings.

Let him bleed. If he cut himself open wild enough, perhaps this agony would bleed out of him.

Didn't some long dead wise guy once said that, it was better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all. He gritted his teeth with impediment. Just what sort of bullshit was that! He was gravely mistaken to underrate this unbearable turmoil. He was deluded by his own desire and fooled by the most astute escapee from Pandora's box.

Hope.

He was fooled by hope, or was he a fool with only a fool's hope.

"Jack." Will called again.

There was a different tone in the husky voice. An ardent emotion blended with depthless yearning, and tickled mildly like some well-aged wine. He steadied himself in case the boy decided to lash out, or yell, or cry, or.... something.

Will lunged, winded both arms around his neck and kissed him.

The angle was wrong and their noses smashed awkwardly against one another. But his heart still jumped so high, that he thought it might juggle out of his chest. The boy's boldness and enthusiasm made up for his lack of skills. Will groaned at his lack of reaction, nipped his bottom lip lightly and pried his mouth open.

He moaned when that mouth clamped down on his own eagerly. He shuddered when that damp flesh burned a path down his mouth and all the way to his throat. The last grip of control was ripped away from him without much protest. He felt lightheaded, drunk, drugged, only hotter and without the nauseating side effects.

A voice growled angrily behind them.

The severity of their situation cut through the web of desire which bind them. He cursed inwardly and pulled away with great effort. Will followed him and showered his face with butterfly kisses between breathless murmuring.

"I love you, too."

He choked and almost bit his own tongue. He felt suddenly.... weak and couldn't get any air pass through the large knot that had formed in his throat.

"I love you." Will said again, louder and clearer.

His brain was still on strike, and all of his bodily functions nonexistent. He couldn't stopped the uncontrollable trembling that was wrecking through his body. Mouth opened and closed soundlessly, he continued to gap at the boy.

"Did you hear me?" Will inquired and sniffed. "I love you."

"No." He finally managed to blurt out.

"No? ....you don't believe me?" Will's eyes saddened, then sharpened with renewed determination, "I love you. I won't hide any more. I'll say it for as many times as needed. I'll say it until you believe me."

He shook his head slightly, but inside he was melting.

"I love you." Will chanted softly against his lips, "I love you. I...."

A muscular arm cycled him from behind, and pushed him backward, while a sharp backhand sent Will flying.

"Will!"

He struggled furiously against the strong hold and shouted desperately. Fear clawed its way into his heart with the coldness of sleet. The boy pushed himself back to his feet, and turned to glare behind him challengingly.

"Kill him." Vann order curtly.

"NO!"

Vann ignored him. His eyes widened at the clanking of weapons in response. Will snarled, expression darkening and lowered his pose like a giant cat ready to strike.

"Ye gave me yer word!" He reminded his captor as a last resort.

The body behind him tensed and hardened like a brick wall. He ceased the struggling, and poured as much pleading into his voice as possible, without actually getting down on his knees and beg.

"Ye gave me yer word. Will's life for mine."

Will's head swirled toward him. The boy looked incredulously at him before took a step forward. Anamarie and Gibbs rushed forward and restrained the boy in a hurry. Will winced slightly against the foreign touches, even under a layer of cloth. The discomfort did not dull the boy's resolve, as Will kicked, growled and bite out a string of curses.

Their grips were unyielding. He send a weary grin toward the two in gratitude.

He took a deep breath and spoke to the man behind him slowly. "Ye promised me the cure. Cure Will, let my crew go, and I'll stay with ye.... like ye wanted. I'll stay by yer side... always."

"And I can trust *your* words?" Vann laughed humorlessly.

"I swear it."

"Will you really?"

"....I swear on... everything that I held dear so long ago... on their graves.... on *her* grave."

Vann kept silent for a few more seconds before shouted towards one of his men. "Fetch the priest!"

The