Chapter Seven
She fled through the city as fast as her legs could carry her, the
skirts of her dress a bustle amongst her legs as she held them up over her
ankles to keep from falling over them. Though she ran through streets she'd
always thought were safe, her heart pounded in her chest so hard that its
beating rang in her ears and her chest ached as her lungs fought her fear to
take what breaths they managed to gasp.

Her terrified mind whirled. She could not believe what had just
happened. She had always known that her father had never approved of Will, but
she had never dreamed that he would sink so low as to even hurt her beloved, let
alone have those gruesome guards, the two she knew he only used for his
dirtiest, most secret missions and who she had seen talking with him the day
before, sell poor Will into slavery! Even now, she knew her own father's guards
were after her, and she fully believed that not only Will's but her own life as
well were in danger. If they were to catch her, she would never make it to Jack
and Will would never be saved. There was no telling what would happen to her.

Her thoughts blinded her to the ground ahead, and Elizabeth suddenly
found herself spiraling forward, having tripped over a rock. She reached out
and, groping desperately, managed to catch hold of a hard piece of wood. She
used it to regain her balance before she could fall the rest of the way but only
looked at it after she was standing full and erect once more. What she saw made
her gasp in shock and her blood run cold for before her stood a huge bonfire
with stakes in its center.

A voice answered her gasp, startling her even more. "It's a beaut, isn't
it? The men worked hard on that one."

Elizabeth looked over to the portly woman, and her fear and surprise
grew as she recognized her. She could scarcely believe that the woman who now
looked at this horrid construction with such awe was the same woman who taught
the church's children their Bible studies, the same woman who Elizabeth herself
had often gone to as a child for she had known she'd always have a plate of
cookies and a glass of milk waiting for any child who wondered into her shop.

"It's going to be lovely to see them fry."

Elizabeth struggled to find her voice but finally succeeded enough to
ask in a hushed whisper, "W-Who?"

"Why, the Witches, of course. Those daughters of Satan have been a
disgrace to our town ever since they started coming here, and it's long past
time they paid for their sins."

Elizabeth had studied the woman's eyes and face as she had been talking,
and she now felt faint at the realization that Mrs. Brown, who she'd always
thought was such a kind and gentle woman, was truly looking forward to seeing
human beings burned alive. "Don't you think so, Miss Swann?" Mrs. Brown asked,
but though her tone was gentle, her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. Elizabeth's
mind whirled as she tried to think of some response that would not place her
into even further danger, but a sudden shout made both women look up.

"There she is!" a guard called, pointing at Elizabeth whose hood had
fallen off when she'd fell forward moments before. Elizabeth did not look again
at Mrs. Brown; instead, she took off running with the guards in hot pursuit. It
was a long time before she managed to elude them again, but finally she did,
turning onto an empty street and ducking into a dark alley before they could
round the bend. She watched from where she had plastered herself to the wall,
not even daring to breathe, as they ran past.



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As Jack followed closely behind Brendan, his attention was drawn to the
bustling activity going on in the town square. For a moment, he wondered if
perhaps they were in response to the skirmish that had just taken place aboard
his ship, but upon noticing their clothes, he realized that they were part of
the Governor's soldiers and not the Royal Guard. What could be afoot? Then he
saw that they were building what appeared to be a huge framework for a gigantic
bonfire. Recalling what he had seen earlier, he figured that either the Governor
planned to barbecue Witches or Pirates. It didn't matter which for Jack had no
intention of letting either happen.

"Brendan," he whispered, "don't do anything to draw attention to us." He
had barely gotten the words out when somebody ran into him, and he began to
fall. Brendan had already been realizing the same thing that his Captain had
when a blur of black and white collided with Jack. Quickly reaching out,
Brendan's hand caught Jack's back, steadying him, even as a familiar voice
lashed out at them.

"Watch where the Hell yer -- " she started but stopped abruptly upon
seeing exactly who had been in her way. "Sparrow?" she asked, already wondering
what he and the Pearl's doctor were up to.

"Faith? Where? What?" With her, Jack knew it could be anything. She had
activities that he didn't want to know anything about. Recovering himself rather
quickly, he thanked Brendan for the swift rescue. "We are off to rescue Will who
is in danger of being sold in auction," he told Faith in a low, quiet voice.
"Whatever you do, do not draw attention to yourself. The Governor's planning a
huge barbecue," he said the latter with a tinge of anger. He hoped she'd pick up
on what he was trying to tell her.

"Why should you care?" she asked before feigning a look of shock. "Oh,
yeah. I forgot. You actually do care." She shook her head, then returned to the
business at hand. "As for your boy, I just had my victory, so I guess I can help
you there." She shrugged, but there was a dangerous glimmer in her eyes as she
added with a dark, mischievous grin, "I can always use a bit more action."

"Lead on, Brendan," Jack said. "I hope it will not take us much longer.
I don't want to linger here. There is danger all around, and I feel as though
it's closing a noose around my neck." His left index finger snuck up and
loosened his shirt around his neck as though to prevent him from choking.

Faith rolled her eyes at the Pearl's Captain. "There's always danger.
Long as you're living, there's shitt just waiting to hit the fan." She quirked a
brow at him as she added, "I'd think you'd be used to that by now, Captain."

Brendan just shook his head at the girl's attitude. He knew better than
to try to speak to her. Faith never seemed to get along with any one, and they
didn't have time to get into an argument over the ethics, manners, and respect
she lacked. Instead, he resumed the path that the guard had told Angel to take.

Jack was remembering when the noose had been tightened around his own
neck and Will had saved him. It still gave him nightmares. "I know we live in
danger constantly, Faith," he replied, "but I am never one to consciously seek
it out unless there is booty to be gained. There is no booty this time. Just
death, and a wise man knows when to walk away. If you don't want to go with us,
you can return to the ship. We will be sailing within a couple of hours. If you
want to come, we will welcome your assistance." He knew not what lay before
them, but there was no way he was going to walk away and leave Will. This time,
Will was coming home with him.

"Good thing I'm not a man then, ain't it, Cap?" she smirked up at him
even as she fell in step beside him. Despite the attitude she cocked even with
him, Jack Sparrow was the only man to ever have won her admiration. However,
that was just one more secret she kept to herself as she treated him the same as
every one else. The only one on either ship she actually showed respect to was
her own Captain, Xena. "You know I never turn down the chance to kick butt," she
added.

"You're one Hell of a woman, Faith, and I hope we never cross blades. I
admire you and would hate to have to kill you one day." They had been walking
the entire time they had been talking, and they had now gone outside the sight
of the guards.

She chuckled deep within her throat, a sound that made her enemies
cringe with fear of what this insane woman was going to do to them next. "Keep
telling yaself that, Sparrow, but you're right. I'd hate to have to kill you."

She had just glanced over at Jack to see the reaction her response took
from him when she saw a hand suddenly reach out from an alley they were passing.
The hand was headed for Jack, but before either man could move, Faith had not
only slapped the hand away but had dived into the alley, slammed the cloaked
stranger against the wall, and had the blade of her dagger already pressed
against a delicate, white throat.

"It's me!" the stranger cried out in a panicked voice that all three
instantly recognized.

"Oh, it's Little Miss Priss," Faith snarled, clearly disgusted, as she
released Elizabeth. "Better watch that. Next time you touch the Captain, you're
bound to lose your life."

"I already have," Elizabeth spoke quietly as she turned toward Jack. She
looked up at him with tears swimming in her blue eyes. "It's Will. Father . . .
" Her sentence hung unfinished as she was having trouble bringing herself to
admit the horrible thing that her own father had done to her beloved.

Jack had taken Faith's comment in stride. He knew deep down, she was
loyal to him, and he was glad of it. Elizabeth, however, had taken him by
surprise. He had not expected to find her out here, on her own, disguised as a
peasant. "I know what your father has done to Will. We're on our way to rescue
him now. Elizabeth, when I get him, I'm taking him away from here. He's not
going to want to go, but I'm taking him any way. It's not safe for him here any
longer. Your father seems to have become a raving lunatic. Have you noticed the
activity in the square?"

She nodded, choking down the emotions that welled in her throat as she
did so. "I will not try to talk you out of taking Will from here, though we were
to be wed today. I have only one request." She tilted her face so that her
begging eyes looked directly up into his. "I want to go too. Please, Jack! I can
not stay here!"

He took a deep breath. He didn't hate Elizabeth. In fact, he had to
admire her courage. He did resent her, however, for she was the one that had
Will's love, something he longed for but knew he'd never have. "I'll take you,
Elizabeth, under one condition. You leave here and go straight to my ship. Do
not follow us, and do not return home. Whatever you have there can be replaced.
If you go back, your father will capture you, and I will not endanger Will to
rescue you, savvy?"

She nodded slowly. She had had no intention of ever returning home, even
if Jack had not agreed to take her. She wanted to see Will, though. She wanted
to know that he would be okay. She wanted to be there with them so that she
would be certain they would not fail to rescue her beloved. As she looked into
Captain Sparrow's eyes, however, she remembered how deeply he cared for Will.
The two were closer than brothers, and she knew that he would stop at nothing to
rescue him. She took a deep breath before answering simply, "Agreed."

"Go swiftly, and let Angel know when you're there. Right now, he's the
only one aboard. He will keep you safe till we return." He caught her chin and
lifted it to look into her eyes. "I mean it, Elizabeth. Do not follow us in
there. You're not a fighter. You can endanger Will. I want your absolute promise
on this. No tricks." He knew she was fully capable of saying one thing and doing
the other. He didn't want her endangered, and he didn't want to have to tell
Will that she was dead because she followed him. "Do I have your promise?"

"Yes," she agreed a second time without hesitation. As much as she hated
to admit it, she knew he was right. She could not help them to fight, and her
presence would only distract them from rescuing Will. It might even place them
all in even greater danger. After all, what man would not want to bid on her
beauty?

Jack released her. "Go quickly." She did just as he said, taking her
skirts in her hands and rushing off. She did her best to keep to the shadows as
she headed swiftly for the dock.

As soon as Elizabeth was out of sight, Jack continued walking toward the
tent that he could now see. "This is it," he said. "Good luck to all of us."
Upon reaching the tent, he lifted the flap and walked through the tent into a
street crowded with filthy, stinky men commingling with clean men who appeared
to have some money. He glanced around, realizing that there truly were all kinds
of buyers on the street.



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Meanwhile, back at the ocean's edge, Xena was getting antsy. She knew
their time was running out. She knew that soon they would be overrun by the
townspeople looking for their friends who had not returned. She moved closer to
Gabrielle. "How long do you think it can be before we can move every one to
safety?" she asked.

Gabby sighed softly, a small breath of air that told Xena she shared her
feelings but was also still concerned about the survivors and those who had yet
to awaken. "They're not even all awake yet, but the ones who are, even if
they're still too weak to walk on their own yet, should still be able to be
carried."

"We have to do something to move them to the safety of the ships soon,
Gabby. You and I have both seen this kind of mess before. We did what we could
then, but we have never rescued so many at one time. I am going to look for
transportation. I will return as soon as I find something." She leaned forward
and kissed Gabby's lips gently. "Love you. See you soon."

"I love you, too, Xena, but be careful," Gabrielle told her as her green
eyes gazed into the baby blues of the woman she loved. "The townspeople are
probably already on the look-out. The group we took care of were just the ones
who were sent after them. They'll be getting the bonfires ready, and they'll be
just as happy to barbecue pirates as they are Witches."

She smiled one last time at Gabby even as she headed off in Wolf's
direction. She soon reached his side. Wolf came to attention in front of the
Captain; he knew she had something of importance to tell him. "I am going to
find something we can use to transport these people to the ships. Stay alert,
and don't take any chances. You know how the crew is. They've just had a fight.
Now they're ready for other things. Their minds are not as alert as ours." She
hated to leave Wolf alone, but she knew he was quite capable of handling it. He
nodded at her, and she turned and left, heading in the direction she thought she
had seen a farm earlier.

No sooner had she left than the strange poodle with the stranger haircut
appeared in Wolf's face. "What do you want?" Wolf asked in canine language.

"Elvira," Gonk yipped. "I can't talk to her, but you can and she has to
have some one who can tell her what's going on." His dark eyes shone with
determination as he looked up at the wolf who was much larger than he in his
poodle form. "I saw you. You have man form. You can talk to her."

"I am a man-wolf," Wolf said proudly. "I will be more than happy to talk
to your mistress." He had seen her earlier and was definitely attracted to her,
but one thing stood in the way. What if she was mated already? "Is she mated?"
he asked.

Gonk cocked his head to one side as he studied the wolf, unsure of why
he asked such a question. "No forever mate," he finally yipped in reply.

"Good," Wolf replied. He changed quickly into his man form and walked
over to where the woman was standing just in time to catch her as she fell.

Chapter Eight
Gonk had left her in such a rush that Elvira had no ideal what had
gotten into him. Her forehead was creased with worry as she called out to him,
but no answer came. Her black eyes shifted in every direction as she tried
desperately to catch sight of him, but all she could see were the other bodies
that lay all around her. Each was of a woman she had known, and though it pained
her to see their cold, lifeless forms, she was far more worried about Gonk.

Once she had tried calling to him some more but still had not received
any response, Elvira began to try to push herself to her feet. Her legs and
hands trembled from exhaustion as she forced herself first to a sitting position
and then to a standing one. As she placed her full weight on her feet, however,
a tremor of pain shot through her body, and she started to fall.

She became aware of a new scent, the heady, delicious scent of a man,
even as strong arms caught her and just barely kept her from falling. Instead,
she leaned back into a sturdy chest. "Ma'am, it's too soon for you to be up,
trying to move around. You've been through a bad ordeal."

His voice, despite the concern it held, was just as sensual as his scent
and the feel of his hard body against hers. Though she was tired and weak, her
body still responded as she leaned back into his chest. Trailing a hand across
his cheek, her fingertips thrilling at the feel of his slight stubble
underneath, she found her eyes looking up into the most mesmerizing pair of eyes
she had ever seen. "Who are you?" she whispered, her throat aching even as she
breathed the words.

"My name is Wolf. My people and I have rescued your people. We will
protect you and get you to safety, but for now, please rest." She did not
struggle as he laid her gently on to the ground, but her body remained tense
with worry.

"Gonk," she managed to get out. "My . . . " she started to clarify, but
he broke her off.

"Your friend will watch over you as will I. Can I get anything for you?"
Her voice was as beautiful as she was, and his ears thrilled to its sound.

At Wolf's words, Elvira finally managed to tear her eyes away from his,
and she found Gonk sitting beside him, looking at her with deep worry in his
eyes. She reached out and gently scratched the puff of wool on his forehead.
"We'll have to fix your moehawk again later," she told him, a small smile
playing over her black lips despite everything.

Gonk yipped, but the sound was not in response to Elvira's statement
though she thought it to be. Instead, it was his way of thanking Wolf even as he
licked his mistress' hand.

Elvira looked back up at Wolf though she continued to use what little
physical strength she had to stroke her poodle. "You . . . said your name was
Wolf?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, and, ma'am, I'm a Pirate, but you don't need to fear us. We
will not hurt you. In fact, we've already rescued you from your attackers.
Whatever did you do to earn their wrath?" he asked as he sat beside her on the
ground, his mind ever alert for danger.

"Well, for once, it wasn't just my being a bitch," she told him
impishly. "They were after us because of our religion." Thanks to the special
blood that ran through her veins, Elvira was already beginning to feel more like
herself. Her eyes met Wolf's again as she reached up and ran a hand slowly up
his chest. "I'd ask if you were a good wolf or a bad wolf," she tried to purr up
at him, "but since you and your crew saved us, the answer to that is already
pretty obvious."

"I've been known to be bad on occasion," Wolf returned in a low, sensual
voice. He did not move away from her hand. Her mere touch had sent him up in
flames. When was the last time he had actually mated? he wondered. He had been
in port a little over six weeks ago, and he had not mated then. He had not had a
chance to mate yet this time. He shook himself mentally. He did not want to miss
a second of this gorgeous woman. The wolf in him sensed that she was more than
she appeared to be. "I figured it was some kind of religious persecution, but
whose brilliant ideal was it to drown all of you? Why didn't you just stand and
beat the crap out of them?" He gazed searchingly into her black, limpid pools
and felt that he was drowning, and this time, he didn't want to be saved.

As Wolf had been pondering, Elvira's hand had worked further up his
chest. She almost drew it back, however, at the question that sobered her, but
his skin felt so good underneath her palm that she let her hand linger on his
shoulder instead. "It's . . . not always that easy," she told him quietly. "We
could have stood and fought. We might have stood a chance had help came in time,
but otherwise, we would have been surrounded and outnumbered and our fighting
would have made things worse for others of our kind. It would have given them an
actual reason to hate us, to fear us, to kill us. We were going to leave, but
they didn't make it here in time." Her eyes were sad as she explained, "We
decided to accept our fates and take our lives in the water rather than letting
them take us. Not only would they have tortured secrets out of us to use against
others of our kind, but, like I said, it would have made them go after our
sisters even harder."

Wolf had been about to make a remark when he heard a throat being
cleared. Looking up, he realized Wesley had snuck up on them. Wesley had been
walking around, hunting for Xena. "Where's Xena?" he asked Wolf.

"Gone for transportation."

"Who's guarding us?"

"I am."

Wesley gave him a most disbelieving look. "Really? From where you are?
Looks to me like you're guarding something else."

Wolf glared angrily up at him and almost growled at him. "I will return
again. If you need anything, miss, send Gonk for me. Wesley, you take up the
other perimeter." He got reluctantly to his feet, looked back down at her, and
winked. "I will return, sweet lady."

Elvira's black eyes had torn into the man who had interrupted them, but
none of that anger or frustration showed in her eyes as she gazed up at Wolf.
"My pumpkins and I will be waiting," she assured him in a seductive voice that
hovered somewhere between a purr and a lustful growl. "Just don't be too long. A
girl gets lonely, you know?" she added with a playful wink. She heard the sound
Wesley made in his throat, but she ignored the party pooper.

Taking her hand as he stood, he sniffed the back of it but maintained
eye contact. Then he turned it over and licked her right in the center of her
palm. "Think about me, sweet lady, while I'm gone. I shall return." He sprinted
off at a quick pace to resume his guard duty, all the while thinking of how
sweet she tasted and how he would like nothing better than to gobble her up.

Elvira sighed as she watched him go, her heart still fluttering and
delicious chills and thrills still shooting through her heated body from his
lick. "What a man . . . " she whispered, her breath heavy with the lust that
filled her prone body. She could feel eyes upon her and turned to find a shocked
Wesley still looking at her. "Can I help you?" she questioned him. He started to
shake his head, and her eyes and fangs flashed at him as she retorted, "Then get
on about what Wolf told you to do!"

Wesley gulped but nonetheless managed to squeak out, "Of course, madam."
He hurried off even as he wondered just what in the world they had rescued in
that strange, pale-skinned woman that Wolf was so clearly panting after.

Wesley was in such a hurry to escape the strange woman that he failed to
look where he was going and stumbled right onto Joxer, who still lay sprawled
out, face down, on the ground. Wesley's boots striding across Joxer's back woke
the other man. Wes jumped and looked down when Joxer yelled, but before he could
get off of him, Joxer had rolled, sending Wesley tumbling to the ground. He hit
Joxer with such force that the two rolled straight into Autolycus. Arms and legs
entangled, and angry, frustrated voices rose sharply into the air as the three
struggled against each other.

Wolf heard the racket and turned to look at the three of them. He could
not see what had caused the commotion as it was all over. "Look lively, mates!"
he called to them. "No time for squabbling amongst yerselves!"

The three in question looked sheepishly back up at Wolf before
separating and scampering off to their separate places. Wesley continued
checking on survivors, Joxer hunted Gabrielle quickly to see if he could be of
assistance, and Autolycus took off, still smelling around for a woman. Not a
word was spoken by either of them, but they continued to glance balefully at
each other. None but Wesley knew what caused the whole thing. Wes was terrified
of the strange woman and could not wait to tell Wolf of her reaction! Just
exactly what is she? he wondered and came to the conclusion that he really
didn't want to know.



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Katrina had been looking for her sister for a while but could not see
her anywhere. She ran across Morph and Tom, who were soaking wet, sitting with
tears streaming down their faces. Fear gripped her heart. Could something have
happened to her sister, Celina? "Morph? Tom? What's wrong?" she asked in a
trembling voice.

Tom looked up at his wife with deep sorrow writhing in his eyes. "Every
one . . . " he spoke slowly, his head shaking once from side to side. "Every one
. . . just . . . dead . . . "

"We couldn't do it, Katrina," Morph added, looking up at his
sister-in-law with brown eyes that were just as sad as Tom's green eyes. "We
didn't manage to save a single one."

"You did your best, boys, and that's all that any one expects of you.
Look around you. We saved a lot, and even though they were already dead, you
rescued their bodies for their families. Come here," she said, looking at both
of them, and when they had risen, she hugged them both. "Remember what you saw
here today. I know it's hard on both of you. I've seen it before, and it's just
as hard on me. Any time life is senselessly wasted, it breaks your heart." She
squeezed them gently, let them go, and then asked, "Have you seen Celina?"

Morph instantly came to alert at his wife's name. "No," he started,
worry creeping into his face and voice.

"We thought she was with you," Tom added.

"Why?" Morph asked.

"Haven't seen her in a while. I've been looking for her, but I can't
find her anywhere." It was then that her keen hearing picked up splashing in the
water, and she turned to look down into the ocean. Catching sight of her sister,
she called, "Celina! What are you doing in there?"

Morph knew the answer even before she called it back in return. "I know
they're heartless bastards, Katrina, but their families still deserve to know
what happened to them!" She had morphed an extra pair of arms and was currently
hauling out two Christians at once.

"Boys, there's your live one to rescue. Pull her up out of there.
Celina, we will get the bodies out or, at least, I hope the guys will," she
said, looking at them hopefully. "But you and I have other work to do. Guys,
will you take care of it? Get all the bodies out. Don't even leave the males,
because we don't know who were Witches and who were not."

As Katrina had been talking, Morph had ran down to the edge of the water
where he had not only taken the Christians from Celina and thrown them onto the
shore but had also helped her to get out of the water. He held her in his arms,
she resting her head on his shoulder and he burying his face in her long, ebony
hair, for just one moment stolen amongst all the heartache and tragedy that had
taken place already that day.

Tom still stood beside Katrina, and he placed a gentle, reassuring hand
on his wife's shoulder. Her words had dried his tears, though his heart remained
heavy and there was no sign of his typically jovial mood. "We'll handle it,
love," he told her before heading down to join Morph and Celina at the water's
edge.

Hearing Tom clearing his throat, Morph broke from his wife but kissed
her gently on her forehead before releasing her. Of the four of them, she was
the most compassionate, and though not a single word had been spoken between
them yet, he knew she was being hit the hardest. He also knew Katrina would look
after her, and he needn't fear for her as long as her sister was anywhere near.
"We'll be back," he promised her, "and I promise we won't leave a single body in
there, even if we know it's a Christian." She nodded, and he turned back to Tom.
The two dove into the water as one; their transformations into octopuses were
complete before they even hit the water.

Katrina pulled her baby sister close to her and hugged her. They had
seen stuff like this on their own planet. Though it had been a long time ago, it
stayed with them. They were the last of their kind except for their cousin,
Jenny, and her husband, Tom. They didn't even know if Jenny was still alive
since it had been years since they had heard from her. The Toad Wars had been
Hell and almost completley annihiliated an entire race. Even now, if their
leaders knew where they were, they'd hunt them down and kill them. "Celina, we
need to do a healing spell, and we need to do it quickly. Exposed as we are, we
are all in danger. Do you feel up to it?"

Celina had not left the water when the others had; instead she had
stayed to pull out the dead bodies. She was exhausted, but she would never pass
up a chance to do anything she could to help another living being. "Yes," she
answered her sister with a nod.

Still holding tightly to her sister, not only in support but in comfort
as well, she led her back toward the group of people. She could see that some of
them were beginning to wake up, but it didn't matter if they were awake or
asleep for the healing to take place. She began to chant the words older than
time itself, calling upon her Goddesses to bless and heal the people. She began
and then looked to her sister for the answering chant. Celina was ready when
Katrina looked to her and joined in the spell.



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Prue's eyes flashed open. She was instantly awake but could hardly move.
What happened? She wasn't supposed to be here! She gasped for air and sat up,
looking around.

Cole had been walking and carrying Piper, stopping every so often so
that she could get a good look at the people who were in the group, when he
heard a sharp gasp and quick intake of breath. He turned in the direction.

Her heart was heavy with depression, and her vision was still blurred
with the tears that remained in her eyes. She had not seen a single one of her
family yet, and the more dead bodies they saw, the more she doubted they'd be
alive when they did find them. It was then that she heard Prue's voice. Hope
jumped in her, but at the same time her mind warned her not to get too excited.
She may only be hearing things, after all, but when Cole turned them toward the
sound, it was indeed her beloved older sister that she saw. "Prue!" she cried
out her name instantly.

"Piper?!" Prue gasped out. She held her arms out to her sister. Cole
walked over and gently sat Piper on the ground beside Prue. Prue threw her arms
around Piper and hugged her close. "Thank the Goddess you live!" Prue was
already kicking her butt for being stupid and calmly walking into the water. At
the time, she had not seen another way out. Now she had to wonder why they had
all been so insane, throwing away their lives as though they meant nothing.
"Have you found the others yet?" she asked.

Cole stood nearby, looking away from the sisters as he tried to give
them a moment of privacy.

It felt so wonderful to be in her sister's arms again that tears of
relief and joy that at least one of her sisters still lived sped down her face
even as Piper returned Prue's embrace in a tight hug. She never wanted to let
her go again, but she nonetheless drew back a bit so that she could face Prue as
she answered her question. "Not yet. I'd . . . I'd almost given up hope that
we'd find even one of you still alive, but thank the Gods that you are, Prue!"

Cole knew there was no way he could carry both the sisters, so he
figured their searching would be over for a little while as he could not figure
out how to carry both of them around. "We have to go look for them," Prue said,
"but I don't know if I can hold up to looking right now."

"Ladies, if I may make a suggestion? I will continue to carry Miss
Piper, and I will get a friend to carry your sister." He had not been properly
introduced to her yet. He thought her name was Prue, but he wasn't sure.

Prue smiled up at him. "Thank you, kind sir, and my name is Prue. You
are . . . ?"

"Cole Turner at your service, ma'am," he said with a small bow, "and I
will return in a moment." Cole headed off in search of his friend, Lorne. He
knew he'd be very gentle with the lady but hoped his looks would not scare them
too much. He found his friend sitting on a rock and looking out over the water.
He knew his empathy was about to destory him and was glad that he had a small
job that he could handle and that would take his mind off of the sadness and
sorrow the place was steeped in. "Lorne," he called cheerfully, "have I got a
job for you!"

Lorne looked up. "Cole, where've you been?"

"Carrying a beautiful lady around to find her relatives, and we were
lucky. We found a live one."

"Wonderful!" Lorne said. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, since neither lady is able to walk under their own power, I
wondered if you would mind carrying one?"

"Now you know that's not the question," Lorne said. "The question is:
Would she mind me carrying her?"

"She said she would be very thankful for any one to help. Come, my
friend. Maybe for a change, a beautiful lady will smile on you." He knew Lorne
hated to get around women. Every time they saw him coming they screamed, but
Cole had never known a gentler person than Lorne in his life. Lorne was
green-skinned, red-eyed, and horned, and every woman that saw him started
screaming Satan. He would take his friend back to where the ladies were waiting,
and then he would make a slow introduction so as not to frighten them. He
clasped his friend's hand and gripped him gently. "Come, my friend, and we will
assist the ladies." He gently tugged him forward, then turned and headed back to
where he had left the girls. Lorne followed him slowly, hoping that for once he
would not be screamed at.



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

Piper had torn her eyes away from Prue to watch Cole as he departed. As
soon as she no longer saw him and knew that he was out of hearing range, she
leaned forward to Prue and whispered to her sister. "Prue, you've never going to
believe this! Cole is a Pirate! He and his crew mates are the ones who rescued
us!"

Prue's mouth fell open. "A Pirate? You're kidding! But I always heard
they were mean, evil, and nasty things, raping, plundering, and pillaging! He
doesn't strike me that way at all!"

"He's not," Piper told her, shaking her head quickly. Even though she
had only met the man within the last hour or so, she was already certain that he
was a true gentleman or, at least, as close to one as any Pirate could ever
come. "He would never harm a woman. He's been nothing but gentle with me.
Besides, you know most of that is the same stuff they say about us Witches
except for the raping, plundering, and pillaging part. According to those biased
fools, we're not into any of that; we just do the Devil's other work."

Cole could see the sisters talking animatedly and was almost afraid to
approach them lest he overhear something he shouldn't. "Stay here, Lorne, just a
minute, and I'll introduce you and make sure she's not going to scream at you."
He stepped up to where the sisters were seated. "Ladies, I've brought one of my
best friends who is more than willing to assist us in our endeavors. However, he
is afraid to approach as he does not wish to offend."

Prue thought the guy must have gas or be extremely ugly. She couldn't
think what else might be wrong with him. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"Well, he's not your usual, run-of-the-mill male. His coloring is not
the same as mine nor is his appearance. He's green and has red eyes and horns,
but a gentler person you'd never want to meet. He wanted me to describe him to
you so that you would not be frightened when he appeared."

Prue looked at Piper as though she thought it was a joke. The guy
sounded for all the world to look like a Demon, and although they had often been
accused of consorting with such, they had never seen one. Were there truly
Demons able to walk amongst men, and not just walk but actually live? She was
eager to meet this new guy. "I promise not to scream," she said.

Cole then looked at Piper. "And you?" he asked.

Piper tilted her chin so that she could look up into the dark fathoms
that were Cole's eyes. He appeared to be completely serious about this matter,
but she had known those who could deliver a joke with a completely straight face
before. In fact, her other two sisters had both been known to do so on multiple
occasions. She chose her words carefully as she spoke. "Even if he is as you say
he is, I am certain that he would do us no more harm than you have. We have
heard many things about Pirates, but we have also been told just as many lies
about our own kind. I hope you do not think me too bold, Mister Turner, but I
trust you and any who you would speak so highly of in turn."

Her words brought a smile to Cole's lips and a warmth to his heart.
"Lorne," he called, "the ladies are waiting."

Lorne walked to their sides, and at first glance all they could see was
that he was completely covered, including his head which had a hat with a large,
green feather in it. He swept his hat off his head and made a bow to the ladies.
"Miss Piper, Miss Prue, it is a pleasure to meet you." He then stood tall so
that they could see exactly what he did look like. He was relieved they did not
scream or faint.

Prue tried very hard not to show any emotion. "Thank you for agreeing to
help with us, Lorne. I believe you will be carrying me?" she said in a soft,
gentle voice.

He replaced his hat on his head, reached down, and gently lifted her up.
The first thing Prue had noticed about him was how gentle he was, and the second
thing was that he did not smell like brimstone. In fact, he smelled rather
pleasantly of something she did not know but yet seemed familiar. He waited
while Cole picked Piper up. "Shall we, ladies?" Cole said as he gathered Piper
into his arms and proceeded along the path they had already been heading in when
they had discovered Prue. Lorne and Prue followed closely behind.



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

Out of all the women Carl had fished out of the river, the one who had
caught his attention the most had been the redhead. He had looked for her and,
finally finding her, had settled down beside her. She had yet to wake, but he
remained vigilantly on guard beside her. The more he looked at her, the more he
found himself attracted to her.

Carl had never had good luck with women. They hated him almost as much
as they hated Lorne, and yet he and Lorne had a respect for each other. Lorne
treated him better than any one else except for Jack. Neither of them treated
him as though he was beneath them or less of a man because of his stature. He
wondered where Lorne was and hoped his friend was not too overcome by his
empathy.

The scent of death was heavy upon the place, and Carl did not want to
linger there much longer. He knew the townspeople would be coming. He wanted to
take his booty and run, his booty being the redhead, but he knew he could not
even pick her up and tote her because her body was too long. Her weight seemed
to be nothing, almost that of a bird, but she made almost twice of him in her
stature. He adoringly gazed into her face, willing her to wake up but knowing
that she would probably start screaming for him to get away the minute that she
did. He picked up her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently. Then
he sat, holding her hand.

From somewhere far away, Paige felt something touching her and moving a
part of her body. She came to gradually, her eyes slowly fluttering open. At
first everything was blurry, but as her vision cleared, she became aware of a
stranger's face peering down into her own. "Who . . . ? What . . . ?" she
managed to gasp out in whispers. Her voice ached with each syllable, and her
head pounded.

"Me? Carl. You?" he asked, surprised she had not screamed. "You're safe
now." He didn't know how to tell her what all had happened and hoped she knew
mostly what had happened. He smiled at her, still expecting screaming to come
and cringing inwardly at the thought.

Paige was about to tell him her name when his next words answered her
other question before she could ask it. She had wondered where her family was,
and then suddenly the memories rushed back to her. She had been holding her
mother's and Prue's hands when they had all walked out into the water together.
They had meant to let the ocean take them, yet here she was. She knew already
that this was neither Heaven nor Hell. She had lived, but the others . . . her
mother . . . her sisters . . . their grandmother . . . "Oh Gods!" she cried
aloud, jumping up to a sitting position. Her world whirled around her and pain
assaulted every inch of her at the sudden movement, but she ignored it all as
tears sped down her face and she sobbed openly. Her family! "Oh Gods, no!"

"Oh no, pretty one, do not cry!" Carl pleaded. "I am sure there are
others that you will know that made it. When you are feeling better, we will go
and look. I would offer to carry you to where you could look now as others are
doing, but I am not tall enough. I'm standing now."

Did he need to wave a red flag in her face? She still wasn't screaming.
Was she in shock? He wanted to yell "Go ahead; get it over with!", so that he
could stop cringing inside and they could get on with it. He could run away and
watch her from the shadows, because he knew something this beautiful would never
want him near her if she was in her right mind. Until she did scream, however,
he was happy to stay close, but if she screamed, he was obliged to run away.
"You?" he asked again, hoping she'd give him at least a name he could dream on.

She looked at him oddly for a moment before speaking again. "Paige," she
answered finally, wiping her tears from her face with the backs of her hands
though more fell in their place. "Paige Halliwell. And you're right, of course.
They're here. They have to be here somewhere." She started to push herself to
her feet, but her mind whirled at such a rate that she was sent crashing back
down onto her rear.

Carl pulled off his bandana and offered it to her. His hair fell down
into his eyes, and he swiped at it angrily. "It's not as clean as it could be
since it came from my head, but it's the only one I have," he said and offered
it to her. Even if he managed to get one tear on it, he could smell her on it
when it was returned to him, because she had touched it. It would never get
washed again. He would keep it always and cherish her smell on it.

Paige looked at Carl as she accepted the offered bandana. "Thank you,"
she spoke in reply. Her fingers brushed his as she took the bandana, but she was
too distraught to notice the spark that the accidental touch ignited. "I-I'm
sorry. You probably think I'm silly or . . . or something . . . but . . . my . .
. my family . . . " She could not bring herself to continue, to speak the awful
fact that they might well be dead, and covered her face in his bandana as her
tears increased. The cloth muffled her choking sob as she cried in fear and
grief.

Carl couldn't think of how he could get Paige around to see. He looked
frantically around for help. "I will be back in a minute, Miss Paige. Do not go
anywhere. I will get some one to carry you to look for your people." He
scampered off before she could answer in search of Lex and Clark.



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

Where had those boys gotten off to? Carl wondered as he looked around
for Clark and Lex. He noticed some bushes not too far away; he thought that
would be too obvious but went to look any way. He did not see them, but then he
heard them. They had gone behind a big rock, and he ran around the side. He had
interrupted them before and had every intention of doing it again.

Sure enough, when he rounded the corner, Carl found the young men locked
in a heated embrace, Lex pushing Clark against the rock while Clark's hands were
already under Lex's shirt. They were so deeply lost in each other's kisses that
they did not even notice Carl at first. Carl cleared his throat and then had to
speak as he noticed the sound had no effect on them. "I need your help. The lady
I rescued with the red hair needs to be carried so that she can find her
family."

The guys broke off what they were doing and looked at him in revulsion.
"You don't have to say it," Carl said. "She is not interested in you two. She's
mine, and I'll thank you to remember that. I just need your help in carrying
her. She went in the water with her family and is not able to walk. She won't
stop crying. Please, guys? I'll owe you big time."

"Sure. Why not?" Lex finally spoke. "I'll carry her. Clark doesn't want
anything to do with any women. Lead on." Carl hopped, skipped, and headed back
to where he had left Paige. Clark went next, and Lex slapped him on the rear
when he went by. "Later, baby."

"Sooner," Clark purred.

"Right after," Lex answered promisingly. "Can't wait," he added with an
impish grin and a sparkle in his mischievous blue eyes.

"Me neither," Clark agreed.

It did not take them long to reach the redheaded woman. She was sitting,
holding a large, red bandana in her hand. {So that's where Carl's bandana is. He
really has laid a claim on her.} Lex had to smile at that thought. Carl never
laid claims on women. Usually, he ran from them. Lex hoped Carl had at last
found somebody who would give him some attention. The little guy deserved some
loving, but Lex moreover just wanted Carl to have something to entertain him
besides distracting Clark and he always just when they were getting to the juicy
parts.

"M-Miss Paige," Carl said when he reached her side. "This is Lex and
Clark. Lex will carry you."

Lex smiled at her. "That is if you don't mind, ma'am?" Clark hung back;
he did not want to get close to the woman.

Paige looked from Carl to Lex. Her eyes traveled slowly up his body, and
despite everything, her gaze shimmered in appreciation of the view before her.
"Of course I don't mind."

From where he stood behind Lex, Clark saw the appreciative way the woman
looked at his beloved. He cleared his throat, stepped up, and laid a gentle hand
possessively on Lex's shoulder. His eyes stayed on Paige's, however, in a silent
warning that she keep any such thoughts of his man out of her mind. Paige
glanced at him questioningly, unsure what to make of his move and, had she not
known better or thought she did, warning, then returned her gaze to Lex.

Lex gently picked up Paige and they, too, began walking and looking at
the people. He hoped she would find her family alive. Carl stayed very close,
almost at Lex's butt. If Lex stopped, he would bump into him. He did not want to
lose contact with the beautiful woman, and he did not want her to get excited
over Lex. It seemed that every woman that saw Lex and Clark wanted them, and
Carl did not want to lose her before he even got her.

As they had been walking, Clark had moved silently up beside Lex so that
he could keep a closer eye on Paige. Out of the two, Clark was the shy one
except when somebody was messing with Lex. If he had to kick that little hussy's
ass, he would kick her butt with pleasure. Otherwise, he didn't want to touch
any woman. Lex was his all, and any who dared to lay a hand on his man would pay
the price. He got warm just thinking about what Lex would do to him later, and a
devilish smile played over his lips at the thought and imagings that followed.

Chapter Nine
Left alone with the beautiful Princess, Angel began to become
increasingly nervous even as his loins became more heated. He knew Jack was
right and that the Princess would only be safe once she was on the other side of
Jack's door. He smiled at her. "Would you like to rest for a while, Cordelia?
The Captain said you may use his quarters. I've never been in there, but I am
sure they are the best accommodations on the ship."

She was tired but did not want to sleep nor, she realized as her hazel
eyes turned from the water to look back up at the dashing Pirate who had rescued
her, did she wish to be parted from this man any time soon. It was strange, but
although they had just met, she already felt safer around him than she had since
her father had changed and began to look at her as a young adult instead of a
child. "Perhaps later," she answered softly. "Thank you."

"We should retire there. I won't leave you if you don't want me to," he
said as though he had read her thoughts, "but you could lay on the bed and
rest." He knew he might be getting into troubled waters over his head, but she
looked as though she was about to fall out and he couldn't bare the thought of
that. "It's this way," he said, walking over to a door that looked like all the
rest. He opened it and stepped back, allowing her to enter. He hoped Jack did
not get mad that he was about to be in his Captain's room, but he did say that
the Princess was to be there and since she did not want to leave him, he
couldn't see any other way to get her there.

Cordelia started to follow, but as she reached the door, a thought
occurred to her. Despite his heroicness, Angel was not the Captain and might
well get into trouble for accompanying her into chambers that he would not
normally be allowed in. She stopped beside him and, looking up, spoke softly,
"Please do not allow yourself to get into trouble on my account. Should the
Captain ask, tell him . . . " She paused, considering their choices. Knowing
that there were not many, she took the only one she truly saw. Although it would
hinder the reputation of any lady, she did not care. "Tell him I requested your
presence should he ask. That, I hope, will alleviate you of any possible
negative consequences."

He smiled down into her eyes. "Fair lady, the Captain told me to make
sure that you were comfortable and well taken care of, and I intend to do that."
He did not add 'only that'. "Although you do request my presence, there may come
a time when I have to leave you, but I will not be far. The Captain has never
forbade me entry. I just never wanted to encroach on his privacy. He is a very
private man," and he added almost as an afterthought, "and a very lonely man. He
is basically good at heart and will help you any way he can, but his mischievous
side gets him into trouble often. All in all, he is a great Captain and an even
greater friend. He will not mind." {As long as I behave myself,} he added to
himself.

"Good," Cordelia returned with a satisfied nod and smile. She passed
through the doorway and was surprised to find herself in what, at first glance,
appeared to be a normal bedroom. Indeed, had there not been swords hanging above
the bed and dresser and on one of the walls, she would never have thought she
was in a Pirate's cabin. A black curtain hung over what she presumed to be the
dresser's mirror, and she gave it a curious glance as she looked the room over.
A bookcase stood in one corner in a silent reminder to her that pirates were, as
far as she could tell thus far, nothing like so many people thought. It was
filled almost entirely with books save the top shelf that held several rolled-up
maps. She wondered what those maps looked like for she knew they must lead to
treasure and had never seen a real treasure map before. What surprised her most
about the room, however, was its neatness. Though he had impressed his kindness
upon her, she certainly would not have thought the Captain gave even one gold
coin to cleanliness yet the room seemed in near perfect condition. The bed
actually looked as if it had never been slept on, and everything else appeared
to be in its rightful place, as well.

Angel followed closely behind Cordelia, closing the door behind him. He
was in awe of the Captain's room. He had never known Captain Jack to be overly
concerned with neatness yet this room could have been in a rich man's house. It
was not only neat and orderly, but it was clean! Since when was the Captain so
concerned with cleanliness? he wondered. Then he remembered how many times a
week Jack insisted on bathing. {Must be preparing for something,} he thought to
himself. {Too many baths are not good for you.}

Although Jack insisted on his crew taking at least one bath a week, most
of them never took more than that. In fact, there had been times when the catman
had had to be picked up and bodily thrown into the water; most of those times,
his wife had been the one doing the throwing. Angel's keen sense of smell was
very appreciative of Jack's abilities to make sure that every one kept some
cleanliness to their bodies for he had found body odors to be extremely
offensive in the hottest summers. Indeed, if not for the weekly baths, he would
probably not have survived the stench.

He was surprised to see that the Captain had books for to hear the
Captain talk, he was not an overly educated man. He was beginning to wonder just
how much of the Captain was real and how much he did to affect his outward
appearance to the world. Did any of them really know the man behind Captain Jack
Sparrow? Angel didn't think so.

He walked over and stood by the bed. "This looks extremely comfortable,
Cordelia. Why don't you lay down on it? I'll take your shoes off."

Normally, she would have balked at any man's suggestion that she lay
down, but she knew Angel was only being a gentleman looking out for her best
interests. She smiled at him as she crossed the room and sat down on the bed.
She hoped having her shoes taken off was not too close to having the royal
treatment she was accustomed to, but just the thought of Angel's hands being so
close to her skin sent a secret thrill coursing through her. She had seen the
look upon his face when he had entered the cabin behind her and commented
softly, in a small attempt to change the subject, "I noticed you also seemed
surprised by your Captain's chambers."

"Captain Jack always puts an outward appearance -- well, the way you saw
him today before he changed into the fancy finery, just an ordinary man who can
be silly at times, but this looks like a gentleman's room. There's not too many
gentlemen aboard the Pearl. We have a code of ethics that Jack wrote up, and I
wondered about that at the time I signed up. Most Pirate ships don't have
ethics, but then most Pirates don't have ethics."

Cordelia started to tell Angel that the ethics of he and his friends she
had already met that day were clearly visible in both their heroic actions and
their mannerisms where a lady such as herself was involved. Indeed, she'd met
many of society's supposedly finer gentlemen who had not even had as much of a
thimble of the manners Angel, Brendan, and their Captain had. Angel continued
before she could speak, however.

"If Jack finds out that any of his men don't have ethics, they had
either better soon develop them or they will walk the plank. He tolerates no
bull when it comes to ladies yet I hardly ever see him with one." He said the
latter hoping Cordelia was not getting ideals about his Captain; he wanted her
all to himself. "Before today, I have never seen Jack in those fancy clothes. I
didn't even know he had them! He must have bought them for the wedding!"

Cordelia's gaze snapped to Angel's in surprise. "The wedding?" she
repeated questioningly.

"Of his best friend and the Governor's daughter. But then the Governor
turned out to be two-faced. You sure you want to hear all this? It's a long
story." Even as he talked, he was unlacing her boots and slipping them from her
feet.

His fingers brushing against her feet as he slipped her boots off sent
sparks racing through her. Had her curiosity not been so piqued, she would have
wondered what his hands would feel like on the rest of her body. "Yes, please. I
noticed the way he took off so hurriedly with the other gentleman. He seemed
quite upset, and I was concerned. You all have already been so nice to me that I
would hate to see anything happen to any of you." Realizing that she was being
what society would consider to be too bold, she blushed slightly and amended
with a jesting smile, "Besides, it is not as if we are going anywhere any time
soon."

Angel thought for a minute. Where should he begin to tell the tale? "On
our last journey to regain the Pearl that had been stolen from the Captain, the
Captain met Will. Will went on the journey with us in order to rescue the
Governor's daughter, who he was in love with. Jack ended up rescuing both of
them and returning them safely to Port Royal. Despite all the good deeds that
Jack did, the Governor was still going to hang Jack because he was a Pirate. He
would have succeeded if Will had not saved him."

"The Governor's daughter is beautiful. Will is handsome," Angel said,
nodding his head slightly. "They fit good together." He did not add that Jack
was in love with Will even though he knew it and that they would make a much
better pairing. "The Governor's daughter talked her father into giving amnesty
for one day so that we could sail into the harbor for their wedding. We came
only to find that the Governor was a lying, two-faced . . . " He didn't finish
the sentence.

"He betrayed his daughter's love and trust by having his soldiers beat
up Will on the morning of their wedding and sell him into slavery. Captain Jack
has rushed off to save Will. If things were going like they should, at least
half the crew would have went with him. As it is, Brendan and I returned to tell
Jack what had happened only to find that there was no one aboard the ship but
Jack, you, and your father's guards. I really hated for him to run off with just
Brendan. I should be there, but I need to be here worse. I have no clue as to
where the crew ran off to but trust that they will soon return."

His eyes kept getting drawn to the swords. He knew where they came from,
and he knew who made them. He also knew he'd better not touch a single one of
them or Jack would know it and would probably have his head for it, but his
hands itched to stroke even one of them. They were beautifully made with
excellent craftsmanship. Each one of them would be a prize to own, and yet he
knew that the maker had no clue as to where his swords had gone. {You sly fox,}
he thought, thinking of Jack.

Cordelia's gaze followed Angel's to the swords, and she wondered why he
was looking at them as if each was a willing, beautiful woman just waiting for
his caress. {It must be a Pirate thing,} she thought to herself with a shrug of
her slender shoulders. As she looked back down, her mind returned to all that
Angel had just told her. "I can not imagine how any father could be so heartless
as to sell his daughter's love into slavery," she admitted. "I know there are a
lot of awfully horrid things that go on in this world, but that . . . " Her
voice trailed off into a shudder. How could any father betray his daughter so
much, but then another part of her wondered as sadness flickered in her hazel
eyes, how could any father do to his daughter what hers had done to her?

"I never trusted the Governor," Angel said, "and neither did Jack. I
think that if the Governor had not given amnesty for this day, Jack would have
come alone. Will means that much to him. Elizabeth never said much about her
father, but I always thought they had a normal father-daughter relationship. Now
I think it could have been more." He didn't say what more, allowing her to think
what she would, but the emotions that flickered in her eyes surprised him,
telling him that she understood far more.

"Jack figured we might have to fight our way out of here, but everything
was peaceful when we came in. Our sister ship is not as well-known as we are,
and since we are both flying the English flag for this day, no undue attention
was drawn to her. She is berthed not far from us, and her Captain is one to
fear. Still, we were alert but never in a million years, would we have expected
what we found."

"The look on Jack's face when we told him was almost more than I could
bare. I think he flipped. He went ahead and dressed as though he was going to
the wedding, as you saw, and then he took the strangest sword I've ever seen."
He paced to and fro in the cabin nervously, trying to remember if he had seen
any crew members from the Witch in a while. Where could they be? What had drawn
all their members away? Did the Governor have them or, even worse, could they be
dead?

Cordelia watched Angel pacing in great concern. She knew he wanted to go
help his friend and also knew that the Captain would most likely need his aid.
She stood and was about to walk over to Angel when something white falling
outside the one window in the room caught her eye. She looked at it, and her
mouth opened in a round circle in surprise. "I did not realize it snowed in Port
Royal at this time of the year," she commented quietly.

"Snow?" Angel asked with disbelief on his face. "I've never known it to
snow in Port Royal. It's usually too hot. This is indeed a strange day!" He
looked out the window and could see the entire harbor and out to the ocean. He
longed to be out there. Even though it had its dangers, he still felt safer out
there than he did here.

It was then that his attention was drawn to a small box ornately
decorated that sat in the center of the table. He walked over, lifted the lid,
and looked inside. He gasped when music came from the little box. Looking
inside, he spied a key and a note. He lifted both the box and its treasure and
carried it to Cordelia. "Please," he begged with his eyes, "read to me what it
says."

Her hazel eyes widened as she looked up into Angel's begging eyes. This
man was constantly surprising her more and more. "Of course," she replied with a
reassuring smile. Her fingertips brushed over his hand as she reached for the
paper. She had meant to take the note from him to read it, but instead she found
her hand closing gently around his as she began to read the note. "For two of my
very best friends, I hope the happiness that you find on this day will be the
beginning of the happiness you will share in your life together. If you ever
need me, send word and I will come." Her eyes lifted back to Angel's as she
finished with a statement of the obvious, "It is signed by your Captain."

"Thank you," Angel said. "I often wish I could read, but unfortunately,
I can not read or write. It gets embarrassing sometimes. My Father was a vicar,
but the only thing he ever taught me was abuse. He worked me from sun up to sun
down and abused my Mother, my sister, and me. I hated him." He figured she'd
recoil from him when he admitted, "I killed him."

"I was out working in the field and cut my hand. I went home to get it
seen to. I found my Mother dead, my Father's knife embedded in her heart. I
recognized the knife. I pulled it out, closed her eyes gently, and kissed her.
The bastard would pay for that."

His eyes glazed over as he became lost to his memories, his mouth moving
as of its own accord. "It was then I heard my sister scream. I ran, but I was
too late. The bastard was deeply embedded in her and was pumping away. He didn't
know I was there. It was then I realized, as I stabbed him through his black
heart, that he had killed my sister by strangling her even while he was raping
her." He was wrapped in his memories, and his pain showed in his face, his hands
clenching by his side.

"I snatched him from her, and I stabbed him over and over and over
again. His blood was all over me, and still it wasn't enough. I carried my
Mother and sister to the field and buried them, and then I burnt him in the
house. Of course, the villagers all thought I had gone crazy and killed
everybody. After all, they would never expect a man of God to go berserk. Bloody
bastard!"

He had forgotten that Cordy was there. As he remembered being chased,
his words just tumbled out of his mouth. The villagers' screams that they would
kill him and feed him to the fishes echoed in his head. They had caught him, had
him at the stake, and were about to burn him alive when, like an avenging Angel,
Jack had appeared out of nowhere, cutting him free, saving him, and taking him
far away with the town in flames behind them. "I've been with him ever since."
He remembered the flames licking at his skin, and he groaned aloud.

He was scaring her, but though terror blanched her face, she did not
fear him. Rather she feared for him. She knew he'd forgotten that she was there
and that he did not remember anything save the memories of that time. She also
knew she needed to snap him out of his past, though he would be horrified when
he realized all that he had just revealed to her. Taking a deep breath, she laid
a gentle hand on his cheek. "Angel?" she called as though he were asleep.

"Oh my Gods! Beautiful lady, I did not mean to run off like that, but I
haven't been touched by such a gentle hand, not since my Mother! I am sorry if I
scared or sickened you." He breathed deeply but did not move from her touch.

"You did neither," she was quick to reassure him with a shake of her
head. "I am just . . . " Her words failed her, but she tried again. "I am
honored to remind you of your mother, Angel, but I am so sorry that you went
through what you did." His eyes and face were still filled with such emotion
that she only wanted to comfort him, and to her surprise, Cordelia found herself
stepping closer to him. Her hands dropped from his face and hand so that her
arms could circle his body as she dared to hug him gently. "No one should have
been put through such."

His arms slipped around her, and he held her gently. This woman was
driving him crazy, making him feel things he had never felt before, and making
him want things that he knew were impossible! The smell of her hair was so
heavenly that he just wanted to gobble her up. Before he could stop himself, he
nuzzled her neck gently.

What could he, a lowly Vampire Pirate, offer such a beautiful woman?
He'd had women before, many of them, but not in a while. He had had them in many
ways, but none of them stirred his blood like this dark-haired beauty. He
realized that he had best let her go before he followed his instincts and did
something that they both would regret.

"Thank you, beautiful lady, for your gentleness and understanding." He
regretfully began to let go of her when his eyes caught a mark on her neck. He
recognized it as what it was. "When?" he asked her. "Who?" He knew the mark had
been burnt on her. He would kill the bastard who did it. He did not let go of
her.

She froze in his arms when she heard his questions, and her heart
thundered so loudly that it seemed to her to fill the room. She had never meant
to reveal what her father had done, the real reason why she had ran away from
home. When she opened her mouth, she released a breath of air that she had not
even been aware of holding. "What?" she tried to ask innocently, but her voice
trembled. She bit her bottom lip, knowing already what the answer would be.

"Whatever bloody bastard put his mark on you, I will kill him! If he
hurt you more, I'll make him eat it! But I don't understand. I can see it's a
King's ring. Your father?" He was still holding her and not looking into her
face. Her heartbeat sounded as loud as thunder in his ears. "Why would your
father put his brand on you? Was it him?"

She knew she could not lie to him. "Yes," she forced herself to answer
in another deep breath. "I tried to fight him, but he would not have it. I'd
already hated him for trying to force me off on Prince after Prince, but when he
decided I was to marry the captain of his guards instead, I thought it couldn't
get any worse. Gods, was I ever wrong," she said dryly. "He wanted me to marry
Groo so that I would remain accessable to him and he could . . . he could take
me whenever he wanted."

"I tried to fight him, Angel. I tried," she repeated, whimperingly,
again as tears welled in her hazel eyes, "but he tied me to the bed so that I
could not move! That mark was meant to remind me that I was his daughter and, as
such, . . . his property to do with as he liked!" Her tears slipped from her
eyes, racing down her cheeks and falling onto his shoulder.

He squeezed her just a little tighter. "I will kill the bastard! You
need not ever fear him again. If any man ever touches you again and you don't
want to be touched, you have but to tell me. They will not live long enough to
see the next day. No one as beautiful and gentle as you are should ever have had
to undergo something like this! I am sorry." He tilted her chin upward and
swabbed gently at her tears with his thumbs. "I will protect you, my lady, if
you will allow me to. No one will ever hurt you again."

Before Angel even knew what was happening, his lips had plunged
downwards onto hers, but he did not defoul her mouth. He gently pledged his
undying loyalty to her. He felt a tremble go through her body, and he figured it
was because he had forgotten himself. Though her lips parted under his, he was
still about to release her when he heard some one calling. He didn't want to let
her go, but he had to take care of this business.

"I will be back. Some one's on the ship." He withdrew quickly, leaving
Cordelia holding the music box. {Gods, what a woman,} he thought, {and how lucky
I am to know her and to escape without getting slapped!} He almost had to laugh
at the times poor Jack had been slapped, and for most of the time, not even
knowing what he was being slapped for. At least, had it happened to him, he
would have known. He slipped out the cabin door, closing it softly behind him.

Behind him, Angel left a strong woman quivering like a leaf in a gale.
Cordelia trembled not from fear or the sadness that had threatened to engulf her
until Angel had touched her face to wipe her tears away and spoken so sweetly to
her. Rather, she shook from the intense passion that his kiss had sent coiling
through her body and shooting through her every core like a million fiery stars.

Princess Cordelia Chase had been kissed by many a Prince and even once
or twice, since leaving home, by men on the streets who had tried, and
thankfully failed, to take her without her permission. She had even been kissed
by a few members of royalty who were supposedly among the best kissers her part
of the world had to offer. Yet never had she been kissed like Angel had just
kissed her! Never had she felt such passion! It threatened to engulf her, and
her every fiber ached to allow it to do precisely that. Her lips parted in a
longing sigh even as she heard a stranger's voice speak to Angel outside the
cabin door.



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

Angel had thought he recognized the voice, and sure enough, it was
Elizabeth.

The instant she had heard a door open, Elizabeth had whirled in its
direction. She looked in surprise at Angel as he stepped out of Jack's cabin and
wondered what in the world he had been doing in there and why he looked as if he
were dying for oxygen. Her brow creased, but she did not bother to ask him.
Instead, she leapt right to the point. "The Captain and two of the other crew
have gone after Will. I am to go with you when you set sail, and he told me to
tell the rest of you to prepare and be ready to sail the minute he gets here."

"I have no ideal where the rest of the crew is, Elizabeth. Two of the
crew are with the Captain?" he asked, remembering what she had said. "Who?"

"The doctor, Brendan, and that Faith."

"Good," Angel said. "I can stop worrying so much about him; Faith won't
let anything happen to him." He thought for a minute and figured the safest
place for Elizabeth would be in the cabin with Cordelia. "I am guarding another
lady," he told her. "She's in Jack's cabin with Jack's permission. The safest
place for you will be with her. I will stay out here and guard you. Please be
nice to her. Her name is Cordelia, and she's had a hard time."

Elizabeth nodded. She knew her place and understood why they were
determined to keep her safe. Given her father's orders, if any of the guards
were to spot her on the ship, they would all be doomed. As she slipped past
Angel into Jack's cabin, she wondered about Cordelia. Had the Pirate Captain
finally found a woman, or was she the reason why Angel had seemed in such a need
for air?



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

Cordelia was just placing the box back onto the table where Angel had
taken it from when she heard the door open and shut again. "Angel . . . " she
started as she turned to face the person, but her voice died in her throat when
she found a blonde woman standing there instead.

"He's outside."

Cordelia's forehead creased, and her hazel eyes narrowed as she looked
in suspicion at the blonde. "Who are you?"

"My name is Elizabeth. I am . . . "

"I know," Cordelia spoke softly, "and I am sorry for your loss."

Elizabeth smiled sadly at the other woman. "Thank you." Cordelia nodded
but did not speak again as her eyes turned to the door behind Elizabeth. Why was
Angel still out there? He had said he would return, so why hadn't he? Was he
running from her?



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

Angel raked his brain, trying to think of some one he could send to find
the crew. It dawned on him that the only being that could carry this mission off
and was available was King Meesy. Rather or not King Meesy would do it for him,
he didn't know. He could only try.

Angel climbed up onto the top of Jack's cabin so that he could see over
to the other ship. Calling just loudly enough to be heard over at the Sea Witch,
he called, "King Meesy, please show yourself! I have a mission for you! I need
your help desperately!"

Angel was rewarded when a cat bounded onto the Sea Witch's railing. The
large cat's fur was already ruffled by the cold winds that were blowing, and
snow sparkled amongst his chocolate and cream fur. Deep blue eyes peered out
from a chocolate face as he looked expectantly at Angel, clearly waiting for an
explanation.

"I have two ladies whom I have to guard. There's no one else. Captain
Jack requests that all crew members return to the ship immediately and prepare
for sailing. The Governor has betrayed Will and Elizabeth. Jack has gone to
rescue Will, who the Governor had sold into slavery. We must be ready when they
return! Please help!" he begged the furry feline.

Meesy cocked his head to one side as he listened carefully to Angel, and
when the Pirate was done speaking, the cat nodded. He disappeared from sight
then, but it was only a few seconds before Angel saw a blur of cream and
chocolate streaking down the dock. He hoped it would not take King Meesy long to
locate the others. He admired the cat greatly for he had seen many things
seemingly impossible accomplished by the furry feline. In fact, there was no
other cat alive who could hold a candle to King Meesy, and if Angel only knew
half the things Meesy could do, he would never believe them. The Lewis sisters
had chosen well in their choice of a familiar. He knew the crew would be coming
soon and set about doing what he could to prepare the ship even as his mind
turned back to Jack and Will and he wondered what was happening.



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

Darkness continued to engulf his world as Will Turner slowly came to.
The first thing that he became aware of was that somebody was moving his face
and pushing and pulling his jaw and cheeks. He had never felt their touch before
and knew instantly that it was neither Jack nor Elizabeth for he would recognize
either's touch immediately. No, this person was some one who had no business
touching him. He tried to pull away from their touch, but something held him in
place.

He was still too groggy to fight whatever was restraining him, but the
rattling sounds his restraints made as he tried to move told him that they were
chains. He moved his wrists, and the same rattling sounds met his ears. Fear
began to encroach upon his heart. He was chained, his hands and feet shackled to
a wall, but who was touching him and where was he?

It was then that Will suddenly felt thumbs forcing his lips apart and
fingers poking into his mouth. His eyes flew open as he reacted with instinct,
biting down on the fingers so hard that he felt the copper taste of blood
trickle onto his tongue. "Hey!" a sharp voice commanded. "Nae bitin' the
customers!" Though Will had already released the stranger's fingers and was
about to spit out the blood in disgust, a fist plowed into his gut.

"Hey now!" exclaimed the first stranger. "I may like violence, but I
will not pay for injured merchandise!" The man wore a tophat, was dressed in a
fine suit, and carried a cane that he had no need for. To those who only passed
him on the streets, he appeared to be an astristocratic gentleman, but Will
already knew that a monster lurked behind that facade.

"Oh," the second quickly backpaddled as he stepped away from Will.
"Well, hum, in that case, nae free nips." He was a short man, but his stocky,
muscular build more than made up for what he lacked in height. His gray hair was
pulled back in a limp ponytail, and his clothes and skin were covered in so much
grime that one could easily tell he had not had a bath all year.

The first man ignored the second as he returned his attention to Will.
His dark eyes hungrily roved the younger man's body even as he licked the blood
that trickled from his wound. "Fine set of gnashers you have," he commented more
to himself than to Will, "but I wonder how you are when it comes to the sheets."
No sooner had he made the comment than his hand swiped out and grabbed Will in
between the legs.

Will's education failed him completely as he growled savagely at the man
while struggling desperately to break free of his chains and the stranger's
grip. His legs jerked toward him, but the stranger remained just out of his
reach and completely unfazed by Will's struggles. Instead, he squeezed the
blacksmith's sword. Will's yell echoed through the stalls, and his brown eyes
flashed on black. Still, however, he could not reach him.

"Oh, yes," the man purred aloud as he finally withdrew his hand. The
hand that had groped him was the same one that Will had bitten. Now the stranger
brought it to his face. He sniffed it first, then licked his fingers one by one.
Sounds of satisfaction emitted from the depths of his throat as he licked each
one that had groped Will through his clothes, and his eyes shone with eager
anticipation. "I'll enjoy breaking you," he continued lustfully, "very much."
His hand again grabbed the boy's member, and as he squeezed it hard, he
finished, his fingers playing over Will's sword as if it were a new instrument
meant only for him, "And very, very soon."

"I'll never -- " Will started to growl out, but the man cut him off.

"Oh, but you will -- for the right price, of course," he added with a
meaningful look at the other man in the stall. "And once you're mine, I'll do
with you exactly what I want." He squeezed Will again before releasing him and
turning to go.

Will spit, but the man did not even appear to notice the spittle that
struck the back of his head. "I'll never be yours, you bastard!" He cussed the
man in more words than he'd even known he knew, only then realizing that he must
have picked up even more than he'd thought from Jack, but the man only laughed.

As the laughter that made Will cringe faded into the distance, Will
turned back to the other man. He tried a different tactic with him. "You must
release me immediately! My name is William Turner, and I am to marry the
Governor's daughter this day!"

The laughter that met Will's ears this time was huge and shook both the
man's portly belly and the walls of the stall that surrounded them. "Right!
Don't you think I know that the Governor himself was the one who had you sent to
us? Good one, kid, but you're not getting out of here!" His laughter had stopped
now, and he shrugged as he added, "Just be glad you'll probably only be sold for
sex."

Will looked at him puzzledly. "You sell humans for another purpose?" Did
he even want to know? "Work?"

"Well, aye, there's that," the man admitted, "but I was talkin' more
about eatin'."

Lines of confusion drew together on Will's forehead. "Food? You mean to
say you sell chefs?" That couldn't be right.

"Of course not. Humans to eat." Will wanted to think the man was joking,
but he knew from his serious tone and surprised face that he was not. Will's own
face paled. There were human beings that ate humans? Or could the legends of
Vampires be true? Shivers raced through him as more fear than he'd ever felt for
his own self crashed through him. Indeed, he had only been more afraid than he
was now once in his life, and that had been when he had thought his beloved Jack
had been dealt a fatal blow.

"Damn," his seller commented, letting out a low whistle as he took in
his stock's paled face. "Ye are an innocent! I better gi tell the bosses that.
It'll bring ye a higher price."

Will did not realize when the man left. His terrified heart was pounding
so loudly in his ears that he could hear nothing else, and his surroundings
whirled around him at a blinding rate. Even if he could somehow manage to break
free of his chains and gain a weapon, there were bound to be far too many slave
holders and guards for him to ever make it out alive, but if he did not somehow
find a way out of this nightmare, he would meet a fate worse than death. Rather
it was at that sick man's hands or another's did not matter. It was hard enough
to pretend with Elizabeth, but at least she was gentle and truly cared about
him. These people were strangers, and he was but meat to any of them.

Jack! his heart cried. Jack would find him! He would save him! But no,
his brain argued, Jack did not even know where he was. No one except the
Governor and two of his guards knew. Besides, why would Jack risk his neck again
for him? Will knew he would not for as much as he loved him, Jack was still a
pirate. He would gain nothing from saving his undeserving hide this time, so he
would not risk his life.

Tears finally welled in the blacksmith's eyes as the source of his fear
changed. No longer was he terrified of what would happen to him if he was sold
or tried and failed to escape. The fear that filled his very core with ice was
the knowledge that he would never again see the man he loved. He would never
again have a chance to tell Jack the truth. Tears slipped down his face as Will
realized that he would not even know if he might have stood a chance, no matter
how slim, of somehow, some way gaining the pirate's love, of having his love
returned, of knowing what Jack's lips on his own truly felt like instead of only
what he imagined them to feel like. Will bit back a sob. He would never see Jack
again.


To Be Continued . . .


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