Title: Love on the High Seas #1: "Bright Promises of Tomorrow"
Authors: Pirates Sparrow and Turner
Rating: NC-17
Feedback: Yes, please!! Seriously, we, like all other fan fic writers, thrive on
feedback. However, flames absolutely will not be tolerated.
Warnings: Abuse, Death, Lemon, Nudity, Religious Prejudice, Rape, Sex, Torture,
Violence
Fandoms/Characters/Pairings: (Angel/BtVS) Angel/Cordelia, Faith/Dawson Leery,
Lorne/Original Female, Wesley/Fred, Dawn; (Charmed) Cole/Piper, Prue/Brendan
Fraser-lookalike Werewolf, Phoebe/Joxer, Paige/Carl, Kit; (Dawson's Creek)
Dawson/Faith; (Disney) Jack Sparrow/Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann/Autolycus,
Salem Saberhagen; (Elvira) Elvira/Wolf, Gonk; (Labyrinth) Jareth/Delvira,
Didymus, Teak/Trely, Worm/Missus, Hoggle; (PotC) Jack/Will, Elizabeth/Autolycus;
(Sabrina) Salem; (Shrek) Donkey, Puss (of sorts); (Smallville) Clark/Lex;
(Special Unit 2) Carl; (10th Kingdom) Wolf/Elvira; (X-Men) Logan/Ororo and
Morph/Original Catwoman; (Xena) Aphrodite, Xena/Gabby, Joxer/Phoebe, and
Autolycus/Elizabeth. There are also several other original characters, including
a talking Himalayan cat who's an alien King; three alien catpeople, an Elemental
beauty with a dark past, and a blonde who's got as much intelligence as blondes
are rumored to have. Many more characters will be added in the future of the
series, and some characters will not make it all the way through. There are also
many guest shots.
Summary: Familiar and new faces come together as the Pirates of The Black Pearl
and The Sea Witch in this crossover series including Angel, BtVS, Charmed,
Dawson's Creek, Disney, Elvira, Labyrinth, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sabrina
(Salem only), Shrek, Smallville, Special Unit 2, 10th Kingdom, X-Men, Xena, and
cameos from many others. In the first book, Bright Promises of Tomorrow, the
crews arrive expecting to celebrate Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann's wedding
but discover that Governor Swann has stooped to new lows and will stop at
nothing, not even selling Will into the city's black market, to keep his
daughter from marrying a Pirate. Governor Swann has not, however, taken into
consideration Jack's love for Will and his unrelenting willingness to do
anything to save his beloved.
Meanwhile, Port Royal's townspeople have risen into an angry, prejudiced mob set
to burn the Witches. Will the Pirates be able to stop the townspeople in time,
or will the Witches, including a family by the last name of Halliwell, Ororo
Munroe, and Scientist Winifred Burkle, meet their deaths? Also, Faith falls,
Angel encounters Princess Cordelia, Lorne gets bitten in the rear and may well
lose his heart in the process, and snow heralds the arrival of even more danger!
Disclaimer: All established characters; all TV show, comic, and movie titles;
and the Black Pearl are © & TM their respective owners and are used without
permission. Crystal "Snowflake" Frost, Katrina "Firestar" Lewis, Celina
"Pantheria" Lewis, Tom Ballard, Meesy, Brendan Richards; and all other original
characters are © & TM Pirates Sparrow and Turner, are used with their
permission, and may not be used without permission. The Sea Witch and everything
else are also © & TM the authors. No copyright infringement is intended, and no
monetary profit is made from these tales.

Prologue
He stood alone in the room, his back turned to the open door that led to
the quiet town he had come to hate. A breeze flitted through the blacksmith
shop, and he turned his head to embrace it as it caressed his brown hair. His
eyes closed as he let the memories sweep over him. The breeze had brought with
it the smell of the sea, and now he could hear the waves slapping against the
side of the boat. He could feel the gentle rocking underneath his booted feet,
hear the gulls, and taste the air . . . and the life, the life he wanted, the
life he had found too late, the life he could never have. He ached for that
world -- the world of those he had always thought he despised until learning the
truth of their world and realizing that he, too, was one of them, a Pirate.

The yearning in his heart was an ache unlike any he had ever known
before returning to land for good, and it was almost the worst pain he had ever
known -- almost, because there was one ache that was even worse, one ache that
constantly held what remained of Will Turner's heart and soul in its savage,
merciless grip. An ache that he never could have imagined before. An ache that
he knew he should not have . . . but could not shake regardless of what he
tried. A blinding, numbing ache from the loss of him.

He'd never known any one else like him. At first, the other man had
infuriated him, but as he had come to know him, had learned to see past the
barricades that the mighty Pirate constantly kept in place, Will had fallen --
madly, senselessly, completely in love. But he knew none of that mattered for
his feelings were forbidden and would never be returned. Sure, Jack cared for
him, cared for him as a friend, perhaps even as a brother, but nothing more.
Even now, he made the occasional visit, but if Will were to ever hint that his
cares for the infamous Captain Sparrow lay any deeper, Jack would sail away out
of his life forever. Will would do anything to keep him in his life in any
matter for as long as he could . . . regardless of the way seeing him yet
knowing that he could never be with him in the way he longed, in the way he
dreamed of every time he shut his eyes, tore at his heart.

Besides, his head argued once more with his heart, what good did any of
it do him, even thinking of his true beloved, when he was to marry the girl he
had so foolishly thought he loved on the morrow? He turned the ring around its
place on his finger. What he wouldn't give to run from Elizabeth and sail away
into Jack's arms! But that could never be and he was a lucky man, or at least
that's what everybody else believed and he, too, would have believed once what
felt like a lifetime ago, to have won Miss Swann's coveted affections. He cared
for Elizabeth. He always had, and a part of him would always love her -- but she
meant nothing to him in the ways that mattered most. He could never love her the
way she desired, the way he should, the way a husband loves his wife. He should
not be marrying her, and yet he could not bring himself to break her heart for a
life that he knew was pointless rather he was wed or not. Jack would never want
him.

"You're not getting wedding jitters now, are you, son?"

The gruff voice startled Will out of his thoughts, and his eyes snapped
open to find an all-too familiar figure standing in front of him. Will shook his
head; he had allowed himself to become so lost in his thoughts that he had not
even heard the Governor's approach. "Of course not, Governor," he quickly
reassured the elder man with the fake smile that his lips had become so
accustomed to.

"Good, but you know," the Governor's arm began to reach behind Will, but
as the boy followed the man's movement, he quickly clasped his shoulder instead
and continued to speak as they started to walk, "you're going to be married to
my daughter soon enough. Don't you think it's past time you started calling me
father?"

Will's eyes widened, and he nearly choked on the words that leapt to his
tongue, words that he dared not speak. "What's the matter, son?" The governor
examined his face for a moment before a mixture of concern and embarrassment
washed over his own. "Oh, I'm sorry! How careless of me! I . . . I forgot . . .
Your father was a fine man, William; I'm sure although . . . You know, there is
a horrid rumor going around that your father was a Pirate, none other than
Bootstrap Bill himself!"

Will cut his eyes at Governor Swann, suspiciously watching the older
man's eyes. "That he was," he admitted. Despite everything, he would not deny
his heritage -- not now, not after all that he had learned.

The Governor froze in mid-stride. He lifted his arm from Will's shoulder
as if the young man had suddenly been coated in poison. "Your father was a
Pirate?" he repeated. Will nodded, turning to face the Governor. "And you admit
that willingly?" Again, Will nodded. "Do you know what marrying the son of a
Pirate will do to my daughter's reputation?"

He could not keep the flash of building anger from his eyes. "I assure
you, sir, that Elizabeth is fully aware of my heritage and is fine with it."

"Be that as it may, how could you wish such embarrassment and shame upon
her if you truly love her?"

Will had not liked the turn the conversation had taken, and already his
hand rested upon the hilt of the sword he had kept at his side since returning
from his adventure on the seas. His jaw was already set in a firm line when he
started to speak again. His words were lost before they could leave his mouth,
however, as he caught sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Will turned
swiftly and was just in time to block a stranger's sword. Now, he could see that
the Governor was not alone but accompanied by two large men who he had never
seen before. "Governor, what's going on?"

The Governor shook his head even as he picked up a board from a nearby
desk. "Too many questions," he murmured. Seeing what he was doing, Will prepared
to defend himself, but now both men swept their swords at him. He quickly met
their attacks, but even as he fended them off, the board met its mark with such
force that he went down immediately.

The Governor quickly dropped the board onto the dirt and dusted his
hands off. When he looked up, he was met with the surprised looks of his two
most secret guards. He shook his head. "She is my daughter, and I need not
explain my actions to you. Just take the boy to the meeting place."

"But, sir, are you sure . . . ?" one guard started to ask but fell
silent at the look that answered him.

"But what if Miss Swann finds out, sir?" asked the second.

"Leave my daughter to me, and do as I command you. I must keep her safe
from this . . . Pirate," he sneered disdainfully down at the boy. "He has had
his reward for saving her to have won my daughter's heart, but he shall not have
her hand. With time, Elizabeth will forget about him, and perhaps then she will
marry some one who is worthy of her and her station. Go now and take him, but do
be quiet about it. We can't have any one else finding out about this."


Chapter One
Jack had risen well before dawn and had been wishing for strong winds to
carry his ship even faster. He couldn't help the smile that transformed his
entire face, turning him from devil-may-care to even more stunningly handsome.
His heart was full with love, and his soul was singing. Today was the day when
he would see Will again! It had been a long six weeks away, but he had taken
many prizes from the Spanish galleons he and his crew had beaten and had kept
some great gifts for Will and Elizabeth. Today was their wedding day, and he let
out a soft sigh. Jack hoped Will would be very happy with Elizabeth. She was a
great girl, even though he hated her father, the Governor.

He loved both of them dearly, and if he didn't have a price on his head,
he would have stayed around them longer. He had found himself growing overly
fond of Will during their adventure but had shied away from true soul searching.
He knew he was attracted to Will but had never showed Will anything but
friendship. Jack was afraid of his true feelings and refused to admit them even
to himself. He knew that if Will had even an inkling as to his true feelings, he
would run away from him and hide. "Poor Will," Jack mused to himself. "Dear
sweet boy, how do I count thee, friend or -- ?"

He let his voice fade out even as he heard a voice coming from the
Pearl's sister ship. "Good morning, Jack!" a cheery voice called.

"Good morning, Xena!" Jack returned.

"It will be good to see them again, and tomorrow's the wedding!" she
reminded him gently.

"It will be fun for us all!" Jack yelled back, giving her a mock bow.
She laughed and returned into her chamber to wake her lover, Gabrielle.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In Port
Upon reaching port, Jack gathered his gifts and a change of clothes and
headed out for a nearby bathhouse. Along with him, he took his Quartermaster,
David Angel, and the ship's surgeon, Brendan Richards. The two men were very
fond of Will. They too took advantage of the bathhouse. They were deep in
conversation about their plans for the next day when they were suddenly
interrupted by two loud-mouthed, drunken soldiers who were quarreling about some
stupid thing the Governor was doing.

Jack and company wisely closed their mouths and opened their ears,
hoping to catch something worthwhile but the soldiers immediately shut up when
the one who seemed to be in charge reminded the others they were supposed to
keep it quiet. They looked suspiciously at Jack and his friends, who were about
to get out and go for their weapons, but Jack shook his head. He got out and
dressed quickly. "See you there!" He smiled and left the room.

Angel and Brendan stayed longer, trying to get themselves sweetly
perfumed. Angel hoped to meet up with some ladies, but that topic never even
crossed Brendan's mind. They knew Jack could take care of himself. They secretly
wished to be him, but Jack would not have believed it of them.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the bathhouse, Jack had to mentally slow his steps down to keep
from running the rest of the way, so eager was he to see Will. When he reached
Will's shop, he saw that the door was open. Something was not right. Will would
never go off and leave the door open that way. Jack watched the door swinging
gently to and fro in the slight breeze. He peeked inside the shop but saw no
one.

Walking inside, he saw that it was neat and orderly, just as Will liked
it to be, all except for one board that lay in the floor where no board should
be. He winced when he saw blood on one end of it. What had happened? he
wondered. "Will, are you here?" he called to the emptiness.

He walked into the next room and saw that it was neatly kept with the
bed made. His right hand reached out and softly stroked the pillow where Will
lay his head each night. He snatched it back as though it had burned him. He had
no right to think such thoughts!

He turned and ran all the way back to the Pearl to get one of his men,
Wolf. He could find Will for him. Wolf could find any one by smell alone. Jack
was scared all the way to his soul. He knew something was wrong. He must find
Will and quickly!


Chapter Two
It was with one of her rare smiles that Faith bounded down the
gangplank. As she left the ship, she heard Xena calling to her to make certain
she was back in time to go to Will and Elizabeth's wedding, but Faith ignored
her captain. She had no intention of spending her evening in a silly gown,
watching two fools sign their lives over to each other. No, unlike the others,
she'd anticipated this landing for an entirely different reason. She had an itch
that had desperately needed scratching for over two months now. She'd missed
having her fun the last time they had been in port for they had been too busy
with other missions and assignments for her to be able to work in even one of
her infamous quickies. But not this time. Oh, no, for this time, she was on the
prowl, and she would find her target as soon as she was in the town. "Want.
Take. Have," she whispered under her breath, her dark eyes gleaming dangerously,
for those three little words were her motto for all of life.

Faith had began to receive stares ever since coming into port, but she'd
ignored them all in her search for just the right bounty. She had just turned on
to the village's main street, however, when a stranger came up to her.
"Beautiful . . . day, that is," he greeted her with what she knew he thought to
be a dazzling smile.

She rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to groan aloud. What was it
with these idiots who actually thought that they could come on to her and stand
any chance of having their pathetic lines accepted? She sidestepped the man. He
started to turn after her, but she hit him with her elbow in his gut. Even as he
doubled over, his hands clutching his stomach, she muttered, "'Beautiful day'
that," and continued on.

Hearing hushed whispers behind the gloved hands of the ladies who
adorned the boardwalks, Faith glanced up with a snarl. She was mere seconds from
telling them off when a blonde head caught her attention. Her snarl turned to a
wicked smile as she examined the young man closer. He was kneeling on the
boardwalk, picking up a pan of dust that he'd just swept from in front of the
shop she assumed he worked at, and seemed oblivious to the gossip whispering all
around him. She watched him for a moment, and the nervous glances he shot up at
the other women told her that he was not oblivious, just shy and quiet. She
continued to watch him for a moment longer, and slowly his eyes lifted to hers.
She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively at him and almost burst out laughing when
she saw him gulp. She continued to watch him as he quickly finished his chore
and hurried back into the shop. Her eyes feasted on his rear end, that was only
hindered a bit by his apron strings, as he all but ran away. He closed the door
behind him, and she slowly ran her tongue over her lips. She'd just found what
she was looking for and couldn't wait to take that boy for what she fully
believed would be the wildest ride of his quiet, little life!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, in the seemingly quiet village, an odd woman, whose
completely pitch black clothes were a stark contrast against her pale white
skin, paced back and forth in a small cottage. Worried eyes watched every
flurried step of her black high heels. "Oh, Gonk," she cried, "I just don't know
what to do! Gods know if I was half the Sorceress my sister is I'd blast all
those prejudiced idiots to Hell, but I'm not! Even my smallest spells backfire;
you've seen that! And they're coming! I know they're coming! Delvira said she'd
be here by now, but she's not! I'll know the minute she comes in port! We always
do, but -- but if I keep waiting here, I'll -- !"

Just then, loud knocks rapped across her door, and both woman and dog
turned to look at the door as if it was the gateway to their very deaths. "Open
up, Witch! We know you're in there!"

"Open up or we'll knock down your door and drag you out of there!"

"No, we'll just burn you where you stand! And your little demon too!"

"Open up, daughter of Satan," came the preacher's voice, "and confess to
us your sins so that the Lord might have pity upon you and spare your soul!"

Elvira shook her head as she backed slowly away from the door. Gonk
stood before her, barking shrilly. There'd be no sparing of her soul, though
she'd done no wrong. They would torture her until she either confessed to the
insane things that their twisted minds wanted to hear or they'd burn her at the
sake; even if she did not make such a completely false confession, they'd still
burn her. They wanted her, and any one else who shared even a fraction of her
beliefs, dead. And Gonk . . . Poor Gonk! They'd drown him to start with -- if
they didn't crush him to death with rocks first!

She continued to back away, her eyes growing wider with each new
splinter of wood that fell away from her door. They had to run! But where could
they possibly go? It was just as her back pressed against her back door that a
new knocking came. She jumped away from the door as if she had just been
scalded, but the series of urgent, quiet knocks that followed the first brought
just a bit of relief to her, though the frantic tears remained in her black
eyes.

Elvira opened the door to find two of her oldest friends standing there.
"Patty! Ororo! Tell me you have a way out of this Hell!"

The women shook their heads sadly. It was the African American who spoke
first. "I am afraid not, my friend. It is . . . " Her blue eyes met Elvira's
black ones in silent conveyance of a dire message. " . . . to be Plan B
instead."

"What?!" Elvira asked in shock. "No, it can't -- !"

Patty shook her head, a movement that sent her brown hair shaking around
her slender shoulders. "Do you really think that I want to condemn my own mother
and children to death, Elvira? But they have the entire village surrounded, and
the other villages have already been struck!" She gestured with a hand toward a
crowd of women waiting only a few yards away. "Those who managed to escape kept
moving until they came to us! We're the last ones, Elvira, and there's no other
way out!"

"But . . . But the port?"

Patty shook her head. "Even if we could make it there, no ship would
give us passage. The Governor already has guards headed down there this morning,
guards who are going for no other purpose than to warn the boats about us. And
we can not wait any longer for your sister." She shook her head again, and tears
glistened in her eyes as she told her sincerely, "I'm sorry."

Elvira started to slowly shake her head. "No . . . It . . . It can't
be."

"We all wish that that were so, Elvira," Ororo spoke with the gentle
tone of a mother, "but wishes do us no more good than pleas for help on silent
breezes. Believe us," she continued, placing a comforting hand on Elvira's pale
shoulder. "You know if there was any other way, we would take it, but is it not
better, dear friend, to sacrifice our lives in standing for what we all believe
in, for our Lords and Ladies, than to allow them to beat us until we are subdued
and forced to give away the secrets of our people and beliefs and to let them
twist everything we say until nothing is truth but only what they wish to be
heard?"

"You . . . " Elvira hung her head and let out a breath she had not
realized she had been holding. "You are right, of course, Ororo." Her gaze, as
she lifted her head, encompassed both women so that they understood that though
she only spoke one's name, her answer was intended for both. Her front door was
cracking, and three of the four heads turned toward the sound of the wood
beginning to severely buckle underneath the weight of the men who beat at it.
Only Gonk did not turn toward it for he, instead, continued to look up with
begging eyes at his beloved mistress.

Elvira sighed as her gaze met her familiar's. She would not allow him to
meet the same fate as she had to. She knelt before him and quickly tore a piece
of her dress. She spoke in hurried whispers to her strange, little poodle as she
tied the piece of silky fabric around his collar. "Run to the docks, Gonk. Hide
there but keep a look-out for Delvira and Jareth. They might still make it in
time, but if they don't, they'll take good care of you." She could tell from the
look of his eyes that he was about to argue with her, but she sternly continued,
"No. We don't have time for that, Gonk. You have to trust me. You have to do
this for Mommy." To neither Ororo's nor Patty's surprise, the poodle submitted
in a nod. "Good boy," Elvira said as she lovingly stroked his wool one last
time. A lone tear ran down her pale cheek as she kissed him on the top of his
head; then she forced herself to stand. "Go, Gonk. Run, but don't be seen and
don't get caught!"

She turned back to her friends but did not speak to them. She only
nodded instead, but the simple movement of her head and the look in her
distraught eyes told them everything they really needed to know. Together, they
ran back to the group, and as one, the women took off running for the ocean. The
mob fell through the door on top of each other, and only a few barely caught a
glimpse of the big, black dog running from the open back door.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, Father! Father, something terrible has happened!" Elizabeth Swann
wailed as she burst into the conference room.

The Governor looked up, clearly startled, as his daughter had just
interrupted a very important meeting. He opened his mouth to yell at her, but
his words caught in his throat as he saw the tears streaming down his only
child's face and realized what had happened. "Elizabeth?! Elizabeth, dear,
what's wrong?" he asked, his face and voice wringed with worry even as she
collapsed, sobbing, into his open arms.

"It's Will!" she cried. "He's missing, Father!"

"Oh, nonsense!" he started to respond while reassuringly patting her
back. "He's probably just superstitious! You know it's bad luck for the bride to
see the groom before the wedding."

"I know, Father. That's why we planned to meet on either side of the
door to the day room this morning, but when he didn't come, I sent out one of
the guards to look for him. Robert said he found the shop open with no sign of
Will anywhere, and no one's seen Will all day, not even his boss! Oh, Father, I
just know something horrible's happened to him! You must send out a rescue
party!"

"Nonsense, Elizabeth. I'm sure the lad's fine, but if he has gotten cold
feet and ran off, then perhaps it's for the best. After all, you know the son of
a pirate is only suitable for a slave to our level of -- "

Elizabeth had pulled back now and was watching her father with suddenly
wary eyes. "What did you say?" she asked slowly, still sniffing as she tried to
stop her tears.

"I said I'm sure he's fine."

"No . . ." she spoke slowly with a shake of her head. Her skin had paled
and her emotions changed for a cold fear was steadily taking the place of her
worry over her beloved's disappearance. "After that . . . "

"I said, if he has ran off, then perhaps it's for the best." The
Governor spoke carefully, realizing that his slip of the tongue had made his
daughter begin to suspect that he had did something to her fiancé. "After all,
we all know you can do much better, Elizabeth."

"I can not do better than to follow my heart, Father," Elizabeth replied
icily, having now slipped beyond her father's immediate reach, "and William
Turner has my heart. However, that is still not what you said. Tell me that you
did not say what I thought you did, that you did not say that the man I love is
only suitable for a slave?!"

"I . . . Of course I did not!" the Governor, a bead of sweat already
broken out across his forehead, hurried to assure her. "I only said that the son
of a pirate is only suitable for a slave of people in our station, but William
is much more than a pirate's son. After all, as you said, he is the man you
love. I did not . . . "

Already, Elizabeth was shaking her head. As she looked at her own father
as if he were a monster instead, her lips parted in a quiet whisper filled with
both fear and despair, "You never could lie to me." He reached out to stop her,
but Elizabeth avoided her father's grasp as she ran from the room as if all the
Demons of Hell were nipping at her feet.

The Governor looked from his daughter's disappearing back to the other
men in the room. "Gentlemen, if I may be . . . ?"

"Of course, Governor Swann. After all, we have all had a taste of young
girls' teenaged flights of fancy before." The others nodded their heads in
unison, though some had a distinctly different look on their faces than was on
the faces of the fathers in the room.

"Thank you," the Governor hurriedly murmured as he swept out of the room
and began running toward his daughter's bed chamber, thinking that that was
where she had fled to. It never crossed the Governor's mind that his daughter
might already be out of the safety of her home and well on her way to a certain
pirate ship that she hoped with all her heart had already reached the harbor.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carl sighed as he continued to make his way through the village, his
hands shoved deep into his pockets. He had had such high hopes when he had left
the ship earlier that morning, and he was harshly reminded of the countless
times his parents had warned him that high hopes were for tall people only and
just got their race into trouble. He had met many women that morning and had
used all kinds of different lines. He had tried the basic "Hello, baby!" to the
more advanced line that was rumored to be the favorite of one of the world's
greatest lovers, Bucklin Wilmington, the classic, "Beautiful . . . day, that
is!" He had even tried his favorites, including accusing one particularly
stunning redhead's father of being a thief for he had stolen sapphires for her
hair and emeralds for her eyes.

Carl realized with only a bit of a shock that he had actually used every
line in his book already that day, but they had all brought the same response.
Every single woman, from the most beautiful he'd seen in a very long time to the
ugly ones who he had attempted a move on out of nothing more than sheer
desperation, had called him ugly, demanded to know just what he was, and slapped
him. His ears still rang with their shouts, and his cheeks stung from their
slaps. Of course, his constant, honest answers had not helped matters in the
slightest for they had either fainted, hit him again until he had suffered a
minor unconsciousness spell, or just picked up their skirts and ran as fast as
their fancy shoes could carry them.

The little fellow sighed a second time, but as he drove his hands even
deeper into his pockets, his fingers touched the coins that they held. He
couldn't help a small smile as he realized just how many pockets he'd collected
from. If it came to it, he could always hire a woman for the night yet again,
but this time he'd actually have money left over. He chuckled as he thought of
the reactions the women who had slapped him would have if they were to realize
just how much lighter he'd made every one of their purses.

The lifting of his mood shattered, however, as angry shouts cut through
the air. Another set of shouts rang out, but these were filled far more with
fear than anger. "Come on, Paige!"

"I can't run any more!" Carl's eyes followed the sound of the feminine
voices to an astonishingly large group of women. His heart cried out as he saw
the tears streaming down several of their cheeks, and then his eyes were met
with the face of the one called Paige. His heart stopped as his eyes feasted on
her beauty. Despite the tears that ran down her face, marring her ivory skin,
she was still surely the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen! "I just can't!"

"You have to!" another of the brunettes that surrounded her cried out.
The brunettes on either side of Paige grasped her arms as they drug her with
them, determined not to leave her behind.

"WITCHES!" Carl's heart sped back up and thundered so loudly that he
wondered why it did not deafen both the mob and those fleeing from them. His
eyes, and every other inch of his small body, were filled with fury as he stared
at the mob chasing after the women. Some held lit torches while others carried
pitchforks and long swords whose blades gleamed dangerously in the golden rays
of the morning sun.

"You can run from us, but you will never escape the power of the Lord!
He shall smite you all, wicked creatures of Satan!"

Carl's hands were so tightly balled into fists that his dull fingernails
left marks in the palms of his hands. They would not get away with this. They
would not hurt these women, let alone burn them, but he knew he could not save
them alone. Turning, Carl had just began to run when something barreled under
him. He fell forward but never reached the ground. Instead, he let out a yelp of
surprise as he found himself riding a black dog that was bigger than he was!

The dog let out a howl as he ran, and the Gnome understood. Though he
was glad for the understanding, he was filled with even more anger at the
knowledge. "Get us to the port! My shipmates will rescue them!" The only
response from Gonk was an extra burst of speed.



Chapter Three
Wolf had been checking over the supply list for the third time before
going ashore. He heard Carl yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs and
wondered what the little guy had got into trouble with this time. Bounding over
to the railing, he looked for him. He never would have expected the sight that
met his eyes -- Carl riding a huge black dog and carrying a black flag that
fluttered in the breeze.

As soon as he heard Carl's screams clearly, he called to the other men.
"We will go and rescue these fair women! Though they be Witches, they do not
deserve to be treated thus!" Dropping his list in a nearly empty bucket, he
jumped over the side, changing into his wolf form.

Among the heads that had snapped up at the sounds of both Carl's and
Wolf's shouts was a furry face with baby blue eyes that flashed at Wolf's words.
"What do you mean by that -- 'though they be Witches'?! Just because they are --
" She let her sentence hang in mid-air, however, as Wolf had either not heard
her or ignored her for he was already gone, changing into his lupine form and
racing towards Carl and the unknown dog he rode.

The familiar touch of a gentle hand on her shoulder decreased a bit of
her anger. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, love. If he was really
prejudiced, he wouldn't be in such a rush to save them."

Celina shook her head but had to relent nonetheless. "I'm sure you're
right, beloved. It's just . . . " With another shake of her head, she emitted a
soft sound that was an odd cross between a growl and a sigh. "Canines. They
never do bother to contemplate their word choices." Without another word, she
slipped out from underneath her husband's hand and raced after Wolf. She did not
need to look back to know that Morph was right behind her, and though she heard
a door open somewhere behind them and smelled their Captain as she approached,
she did not pause as she leaped over the side of the ship.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A barely dressed Xena was in the process of scrubbing her beloved
Gabrielle's back when they had been disturbed by loud noises. Grabbing her
sword, she ran out on deck just in time to see Wolf change. Xena had been
waiting for the trouble to hit for a while. Their voyage had been prosperous but
uneventful. She stood with the sunlight caressing her bare chest, hardly even
thinking about it.

Suddenly, she felt her crew's eyes on her. She heard her quartermaster,
a man known to all only as Wolverine, clear his throat in warning and did not
have to look at her cook to know that Autolycus was wondering if he dared
attempt to lay a hand on her. It was her weapon checker's widened eyes that her
gaze settled upon as she glanced around, however. "Arm the crew and go after
them!" she ordered even as she headed back to her cabin. Wesley hurried to obey
his Captain's orders, tossing swords and daggers to those who did not already
have their weapons on them. Most did, however, and had already left by the time
he grasped his own sword.

Wolf heard the others following him. Reaching Carl, he could see that he
was not in trouble from the huge animal but was riding him like a horse. "Lead
on," he yipped to the dog who changed his course, returning from whence he came.
Wolf slowed just enough to let the men keep him in sight. He prayed they would
be in time to save the women.

As they raced, Celina thought of the Black Pearl's crew and wondered if
they had heard Carl. She had just started to reach out telepathically to her
sister when she found her running next to her.

Gonk knew that the people and bizarre wolf following him were pirates
and that they did not belong to Jareth's ship. He could smell the abnormal, and
even Supernatural, differences in them; Werewolf, Werecat, and Demon blood all
drifted to him on the breeze. None of that mattered to the dog, however. All
that mattered to him was getting help to his mistress; he would do anything and
put up with anything, even this odd, small creature called a Gnome on his back,
if it meant his beloved Elvira would live.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reaching her armor, Xena quickly dressed, all the while telling
Gabrielle what little she had been able to see and how that the trouble they had
escaped from was now beginning to come after them. "Hurry, beloved; we must go
to their rescue!" She knew troubles always came in threes, just like bad luck,
and that it never seemed to stop coming. She was worried what the other two
troubles would be and hoped that it was nothing she and Jack couldn't handle.
She felt between them they could handle anything the Fates dished out and come
out on top. There was a time when she was all alone, about to die, and Jack had
saved her. He was like a brother to her now, and Gabby was her life and own true
love. They were her family, and together they could move mountains!

Gabrielle was already fastening the last laces of her bodice when Xena
finished telling her what she knew, and already the blonde's blood was boiling.
"I'm so sick of these prejudiced idiots," she hissed, her green eyes blazing.
"It just never ends, does it? Christians fight amongst themselves and kill each
other but call Witches Satan's children and burn us at the stake. Writers are
killed just because somebody in power doesn't like what they've wrote, even when
it's the truth." Realizing that her always-eager tongue was on the beginning of
a fiery rant that they had no time for, Gabrielle silenced herself with a shake
of her head.

She glanced at her staff leaning against one of the cabin's walls, but
it was her sais below it that she picked up. She flipped them around and smiled
at the way they felt in her grip. Even as she did, though, memories of the times
she'd came so close to being burnt and hung flashed through her mind. Only a
couple of those times had been for being a pirate; far more often they were
because of her love for Xena, another woman; her religious beliefs; or even just
the truths she'd written that infuriated the townspeople who had themselves done
the deeds she was to be killed for simply writing about. Turning back to her
lover, her sais still in her hands, a ghost of Xena's infamous dangerous smile
crossed her lips. "Let's go kick butt."

Xena grinned at her as she ran out of the cabin. "Let's get dangerous,
love." Reaching the railing, she jumped over the side and turned to watch as
Gabby jumped. Xena never grew tired of watching Gabrielle in motion. She was so
graceful. In dangerous moments, she was her best ally, and she knew danger lay
just before them. All around she could see the others running, and she knew that
time was of the very essence. She wondered where Jack was and hoped he was
having a better day than she was.

Gabrielle placed one hand on the railing and sprung over its side.
Landing beside her lover, she took off without another word. Though a storm
raged in her green eyes and her heart hammered furiously against her breast, she
remained calm. She had seen too many other lives lost due to prejudice; these
Christians would not take the Witches. She knew the others would fight to
protect them, but she did not stop to think about them as she ran next to Xena.
Instead, she thought only that Xena and she would make certain that the others
of their religious beliefs escaped alive.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No answer came to Jack's impatient ears so as soon as he reached the
ship, he climbed quickly up the rope and onto the deck of his beloved ship. He
was startled to see that no one was aboard. He called out again. It was a rule
that some one always remain aboard, alert for trouble, and ready to sail at a
moment's notice. He wondered what could have caused the complete desertion of
the Pearl. A worried frown creased his forehead and his eyes darkened. Was
treachery aboard? Had his men been arrested, despite the Governor's having
agreed to grant them amnesty for this day alone, his daughter's wedding day? He
hoped not! He decided to climb up to the crow's nest so he could get a better
view. Releasing one of the ropes, he sprung neatly into the nest.

Far out to the right of the harbor was a huge group of people chasing
another group of people. The chasers were carrying pitchforks and yelling nasty
things that Jack could not understand from the distance that separated them.
Jack didn't like the looks of things. He could see Wolf and his men running, and
he, too, wanted to be there to help. He climbed quickly back down only to land
in the midst of an angry mob who had come on the Pearl uninvited. He would not
have to go to the fighting -- he grinned impishly --; the fighting had come to
him!

Jack now stood alone amidst what appeared to be six burly guards. Jack
figured that they were not the same ones he had seen running. He was alone but
not afraid for himself but only for Will. These men were blocking him and
keeping him from going after Wolf; thus they were keeping him from getting to
Will. In a strong voice, Jack now demanded, "Who are you, and why are you on my
ship? You are trespassing, and I'll thank you to leave my ship as quickly as you
came! If you don't, I'll have to throw you off!" He was not jesting, and he put
all of his determination into his words and stance, believing he could follow up
on his words but hoping that he was right.

The guards already had their swords drawn, and now their leader pointed
his sword at the pirate's throat. "You do not order us, pirate. We take orders
from His Majesty alone and will leave this ship only when you have returned our
Princess to us."

Jack's mouth fell open in surprise. What the Hell were these idiots
babbling on about? A Princess aboard his ship? "I think you got the wrong ship,
mate. There's never been a Princess on here. The most exalted presence that's
ever been on this ship was the governor's daughter, and there's not any women
aboard now." He did not move as the sword was dangerously near his jugular. He
continued to glare angrily at the guard while hoping desperately that he could
find a way out of this mess.

The guard captain's sword pressed closer against the pirate's throat.
"You may be lying, or you may simply not be aware of her," he admitted.
"However, the Princess is here. We saw her sneak aboard." It was at that moment
that the guard's blue eyes caught sight of a flicker of movement in the shadows
on the opposite side of the ship. He looked up, though his blade remained at
Jack's throat. "Princess!" he called. "Bruce, Davis, take this pirate," he
instructed them. Two of the guards reached out to snatch Jack's arms, but
already their captain had moved away and was headed for the Princess who tried
desperately to shrink back into the shadows.

Jack had no ideal how the girl had got aboard the ship. What he did know
was that the idiot captain had just screwed up. He had let go of him before the
others had grabbed him. He danced quickly away from them, turning as he did so
and snatching his sword out. The other guards did not have theirs out. "Huh,
captain!" one of the guards managed to squeak out. "Captain, we got a
situation!" another one came up with. Jack grinned evilly at them. Thank the
Goddess he had been given a chance and that he was quick enough to take
advantage of it. Keeping his back against the ship, he waited for them to make
their next move.

"Handle it!" the captain snapped back at the lower guards without even
bothering to glance their way. His gaze remained focus on the Princess'
silhouette instead. "Oh, Princess, my love, why do you try to hide from me? You
know I will not hurt you." Instead of answering him, however, she began to try
to slip away from him. "Princess?"

Upon hearing that the captain did not care what happened to the pirate,
all five guards pulled their swords out. Jack immediately attacked the two that
were in the front, trying to keep his back against the ship's wall, but he soon
found that he was unable to do so. The minute he stepped away from the wall,
they surrounded him.

While Jack could easily have handled the two and put them out of
commission, the other three came at his back side, and he was soon forced to
drop his sword. He still stared glaringly at them. He had not been easy to take
down. He now feared for the worst -- that he would be killed and never get to
see Will again. His heart was breaking.

What could have happened to his precious friend? Who would save he
himself now? Would he be killed and no one even know that Will was missing? The
guards forced him to his knees, each of them pointing their swords at his
throat. He still held his head high. His dying thoughts would be of Will. He now
realized how deeply he loved Will, and Will would never even know.

He saw the captain of the guard closing in on the woman and knew that he
could not help her. It was at his darkest moment that he caught movement out of
the corner of his eye. Was it to be more attackers or could rescue possibly have
arrived?


To Be Continued . . .


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]