Chapter Ten
As the sound of Will's scream pounded upon Jack's ears, despite the
raucousness of the market, he knew it was Will. His hands clenched at his side,
and with teeth gritted, he spat, "I'll kill the bastards! Whoever touches him,
I'll kill them, and they'll die painfully!"

The only good thing about Will's scream was that now they knew where he
was, and it was taking everything Jack could do to hold himself back. If the
scream had been repeated, nothing would have held him back, and his carefully
thought-out plan would have been for naught. He stood between Brendan and Faith
in his wedding finery, looking like a rich man with nothing better to do with
his day than shop for a new slave. The two in his attendance were not enough for
a man such as himself.

Occasionally he lifted his hanky to his nose and sniffed as though the
very air itself was rotten to his most perfect body. At least, that's what Jack
hoped he was putting out. Ordinarily, he would never have been caught dead in
clothes like these, but he had not wanted Will to be ashamed of his appearance
and had paid a tailor good money to make his clothes. It cost a pretty penny,
but it was worth it as they fit in perfectly and made him look the part he
hoped. Heads turned to look at him. Women oogled him, and he paid no attention
to any of them. When he finished with his hanky, he tucked it back into the cuff
of his shirt each time.

He continued to inch closer to where Will was being held, looking
nothing like himself but feeling even more piratish. He would kill any that
touched Will after he had rescued him. He marked the fine-looking gentleman who
left the stall where Will was being held. {I'll get ya later, bastard.}

He began to glance around, looking for escape exits in case they were
cut off from the tent flap. He saw several people that he knew were of
respectable society and had never expected to see there. He would not have been
surprised to see the Governor there, scum that he was. He was probably the prime
source behind the trafficking of this business. He would not have been surprised
to see it at Tortuga, but in a town such as Port Royal, he would have thought
the authorities would have been arresting the merchants and not petting them on
the back, looking for a hand-out. As it was, he saw several of the Governor's
guards in the crowd themselves. All were eyeing the merchandise, and many were
already testing various ones. It made him sick to his stomach to realize that
this kind of thing was not only going on but seemed to be prospering. He kept
his eyes riveted on the stall, watching the buyers walk in and out.

He even saw a couple of the Governor's guards come in and out and
noticed that each was checking their money after they left the stall. He knew
the competition was going to be hot and heavy for Will. He had not realized that
there were so many men who were interested in their own gender until he saw how
many went in to check on Will.

Then his heart stood still in his mouth. He saw her! {My Gods! The bitch
is here! If she recognizes me, there will be Hell to pay.} "Brendan," he
whispered, "look. It's -- " He didn't finish the sentence. He knew he didn't
have to for the flash of Brendan's eyes and the low growl that answered him told
him the wolf remembered her all too well.

Once upon a time, Helvira and Jack had come face to face in a duel to
the death, and Jack thought he had killed the bitch. In fact, he vividly
remembered the feel of his blade sinking deep into her black heart, but since
the incidents with the Pearl, he was not surprised to see ghosts walking. If
that bitch got whiff of him, either she'd get Will or she'd have her snake, that
was presently coiled around her shoulders, his head laying on one of her
breasts, get Will. He didn't know how she'd know that he was there after him,
but she would. She had seemed to know everything, even his every move when they
had been fighting, and trying to do her in had been one of the harder, most
difficult fights he had ever been in.

Like the evil incarnate she was, she was back to cause more crap in his
life. He prayed that she would not see either him or Brendan. The fight had been
over Brendan. She had owned him for his own family had sold the white sheep in
wolf's clothing to her. She had abused him, used him, and nearly killed him on
several occasions, and yet he had never raised a paw to her. Jack still had
difficulty understanding why Brendan had not fought against her. It was just one
of the things Brendan had to work out for himself.

Helvira paid no attention whatsoever to Jack but entered the stall where
Will was being held. Jack braced himself. "Hold me back, Brendan. She's going to
do something, and if I give us away, we'll never get Will."

Brendan stood by his Captain in silence, his eyes, which had already
changed to yellow, focused solely on the bitch in black. He put a hand on Jack's
shoulder but never spoke a word. He would hold him back if needed, but who,
Brendan wondered, would hold him back if the wolf got the better of him as it
was already threatening to do as memories ran rampant in his mind?

He had not tried to fight Helvira then for he had felt that he deserved
no better than the pain she gave him and even wanted her to kill him, but if she
touched Will, if she harmed the innocent lad who his Captain cared so much for,
it would be all he could do to rein the wolf in. He would not see another hurt
by her. He could not. He felt a gentle hand on his own shoulder and looked down
in surprise to see Faith looking up at him.

"Easy, boy. I don't know what the bitch did to ya, but you've gotta hold
it in. You can rip out her throat later."

Brendan sighed, but the sound never left his mouth. She had whispered so
quietly that only his advanced hearing could hear her, so her words did not
bring any attention from any one else near them. He cocked his head at her in
curiosity, but she just shook her head and did not speak again. The young woman
really was a paradox. Did she truly care, or was she only trying to make sure
they didn't fail the mission before it even got well under way? Brendan also
wished it were so easy for him to do what he knew both she and Jack would if
given a chance, but he could not kill for if he ever started, he knew he would
never stop.

Jack's attention had never wavered from Will. Faith was already looking
at the confrontation about to take place again, but Brendan turned back slowly,
fear clogging his throat at what he would see. Helvira stood before Will, her
black eyes slowly roving the boy's body as she took in his appearance. "What do
you think, snake?" she asked the pet that slithered over her pale white skin. He
hissed in response, and she nodded. "Yes, I thought this was the innocent we
were sensing."

Will's heart thundered in his chest, and Brendan could hear it easily
from where he stood. He knew from the look in the boy's eyes that he knew that
there was far more to Helvira than there even appeared, and he also knew what
was about to happen as Helvira raised a hand toward Will's face. Brendan gripped
Jack's shoulder harder in silent warning.

Jack tensed as though he were a panther ready to spring. His hand went
to his sword. Inwardly, he cringed, crying out, {Please don't hurt him!} Where
was the damn shopkeeper?! What was the bitch about to pull? If she got too wild
or if Will cried from whatever she was doing to him, he knew he'd lose it. He'd
jump across that street and into that stall so fast that that bitch would never
know what got her. Even if it wouldn't kill her, he sure as Hell could hurt her
to the point that she'd withdraw, but then their little game would be up and
Will would not be rescued. He held his breath to see what she was doing, feeling
every bit of what Will was feeling.

Will squirmed as the strange woman reached out to touch his cheek. She
did not slap him or even hit him, however. Instead, a single, long, black
fingernail tapped his temple as if checking for something. Her nail then pressed
down harder, tearing past the skin. Pain tore through Will, bringing another
yell from the blacksmith's mouth as she brought her fingernail down the side of
his face. A thin trail of blood was left in her wake, and she only stopped when
she reached the end of his cheek. He struggled, trying desperately yet again to
break from his chains, as she leaned in closer. Her taut breasts slammed against
his heaving chest as she put her body next to his. Her tongue then ran over the
cut as she sucked the blood that ran from her cut. Will was already trembling
with fear, but he trembled even more when her snake's forked tongue flicked out
and licked him on his very lips.

Tears filled Jack's eyes as he could only watch helplessly as the bitch
cut Will. {I'll get you for that, you black-hearted bitch, as soon as Will's
safe.} His hand gripped his sword tightly. {I'll take great pleasure in slicing
and dicing your black heart from your chest.} He had to turn his face away. He
could not watch so he missed the licking but saw it reflected in Brendan's eyes.
He cringed inwardly.

How much more did they have to endure? How much longer would it take him
to reach Will? He was sure that Will did not expect him and that he had given
himself up for lost. Jack might be lost, but he would never stop as long as
there was breath in his body to free Will, no matter who he had to fight or
kill. Even if he died himself, his ghost would come back and save Will.

Normally, Faith did not care even a fraction for others, but anger
flared through even her dark heart as she watched the bitch and her snake lick
Will. Revulsion filled her gut, but she ignored the sensation. She did not
ignore the crowd before them, however. Sounds of disgust rattled through men and
women alike. She even heard one ask angrily, "Who the Hell wants to touch
something a snake's had a hold to?!" She bit back a bitter laugh at that and
watched as the line before them dissipated until they were next in line.

Brendan, however, did not notice Faith's or even Jack's reactions for
the scene before them had brought back even more memories. Sickness filled him,
and he barely managed to keep the bile down. Helvira's actions had always been
bad enough, but what made him sick this time and brought him so close to
exploding was not memories of what she had done to him but rather the remembered
sensation of the snake slithering across his very sword. He shuddered and shook
even as he fought to force the bile down and the memories away.

"Ah, yes," Helvira purred in a dark voice that foretold of things she
planned to come, "you taste just as good as we thought you would." She smiled
devilishly at the look in Will's frantic eyes. "We'll see you again soon," she
added. She swiped at his cheek again, but this time it was with her finger. "For
later," she explained though she didn't need to. With that, she turned and
walked away. Her snake looked behind her as she left, grinning wickedly back at
the boy. Helvira held her head high as she slipped through the crowds,
slithering through the filth like the snake she was at heart.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. The bitch was gone, temporarily of
course, and she had not killed Will, thank the Gods. He pulled himself together
and walked into the stall. He walked until he stood directly in front of Will,
noticing that his eyes were on the ground as he braced himself for whatever Hell
would come next. He could sense Brendan and Faith standing behind him in the
doorway. He gently reached out his right hand and lifted Will's chin.

"Hmm," he said in the aristocratic voice he had adopted. "Strong
cheekbones. Muscular build." He continued discussing Will's merits so that the
crowd outside could hear, the whole while gently touching and stroking the cheek
that had not been injured.

Will's eyes were glazed over, and he knew there was no way he would
recognize the voice he was using. In a lower voice so that only Will and Brendan
could hear, he spoke his name, "Will, it's me. Don't fear. I'm sorry you've been
hurt. I'll save you." He couldn't help one tear sliding down his face, but no
one could see it but Will. If his eyes would only focus! If he would only answer
him! With no one to judge and no one to see but two of his trusted, he leaned
forward and kissed Will on the forehead. "Come back to me, Will," he pleaded.

From far away, Will heard some one calling to him. The voice thrilled
his aching ears for it was the voice that he had longed to hear but had thought
he never would again. Slowly, he followed it back from the place he had managed
to find, hidden deep within the recesses of his own frightened mind, to find
Jack, in the most outlandish outfit he'd ever seen, standing before him. As his
eyes began to refocus, he found himself looking directly into Jack's sad and
pleading eyes. Was it possible? Was Jack really here? Could he care that much
for him? "J-Jack . . . " he managed to gasp out in a hoarse voice that was so
low even he could barely hear himself.

Brendan smiled sadly in relief as he saw Jack manage to bring Will back.
Shouts sounded from another stall not too far from Will's. Faith steppedout to
take a look, and Brendan moved so that his own frame filled the doorway,
blocking any outsiders from looking in even while keeping one eye each on Jack
and Will and Faith.

Jack wanted desperately to cut Will down and take him to the safety of
the ship where he could tend to his wounds, but he couldn't do that. His only
hope was to buy Will. There were too many people in the marketplace interested
in this one transaction. "Whatever it takes, Will, I'll get you out of here. Do
not fear. That bitch will never get you, and they will all pay."

Despite the pain that filled his every part and the terror that had
flooded his soul, seeing Jack before him; feeling his gentle, reassuring touch;
and hearing the words he spoke sent not only relief but also happiness that Jack
cared so much about him coursing through Will's being. Will smiled sadly, and
for the first time, he let a tear drop down his cheek where somebody could see
him. The tear was not of sadness, however, but of joy, joy that Jack cared so
much for his lowly hide.

Jack reached up and caught Will's tear, his heart tearing because of it.
"Don't cry, Will. It hurts like Hell today, but it will get well and you will be
free. I have to leave you now. There will be others coming in. I can't help it.
Just know that whatever it takes, I will free you."

Will wanted to reassure Jack that he was not crying from the pain, fear,
or sadness but with joy, the joy that came with the knowledge that Jack actually
did care about him. He ached to beg him to stay and never leave him again.
However, he knew he could do neither and so remained silent as Jack slipped back
into his disguise.

Returning to his aristocratic voice, Jack said, "I can't wait to get you
in my bed after you take a bath." He sniffed his hanky delicately. He walked
out, shaking inwardly but continuing to play the fool for the crowd's benefit.
"Mmm! All that muscle!" he breathed out, sneaking a look around only to see that
Brendan and Faith were not to be seen. He wondered where they had gone and then
heard yelling. "He's going to make a great stallion! I can hardly wait for the
ride!" He walked over to where they had been standing before. He looked around,
hoping to see his friends.



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Faith had followed the yells of a familiar voice to a stall only two
away from Will's, but she had not truly expected to find there what she did. She
stood back in the crowd, her blazing eyes watching the boy from earlier. There
was another bitch dressed in another slinky, black dress that did little to
cover her body standing in front of him. She was accompanied by a muscular goon
whose hand was even now pinning the boy to the wall. "Bruiser, you will have to
move in order for me to measure the boy," the woman told him in a cold voice.

"But, ma'am," the man with big muscles but little brain responded, "if I
do that, he's going to knee you again."

"Then use our little method, Bruiser. Really, where is that thing you
call a brain today?"

"Oh. Oh. 'Course, ma'am," Bruiser answered as he released the boy and
then made his way to a small fire that lit the stall. He reached down and picked
up a piece of hot coal with a pair of tongs that lay waiting nearby. He then
moved back to the boy his mistress was currently interested in. Faith growled as
she watched Bruiser stick the piece of coal right at Dawson's throat. "One
move," the man warned the boy, "and I'll burn you."

"One move, and I'll rip your dick off," Faith muttered under her breath.
It wasn't that the boy meant anything to her, or so she told herself at least,
but seeing this done to some one she knew filled her with fury. She watched as
the woman unbuttoned the boy's pants, and as she brought out his sword for any
one looking to see, Faith started forward. She had not taken more than two
steps, however, when she suddenly felt strong hands clamp down on her shoulders.
"Move 'em if ya wanna keep 'em," she spat without bothering to look to see who
was holding her back.

It was Brendan's voice that met her ears. "Faith, you know you can't.
Not yet, at least," he whispered urgently so that only she could hear him. Even
as he held her back, Brendan knew he couldn't hold her for long. He could
practically feel the fury seething off of her and knew she'd have no qualms
against turning on him if she was mad enough. Looking around, he spied Jack.
"Boss," he called in a voice completely unlike his true, eloquent voice, hoping
that the Captain would nonetheless recognize him, "think this one's gonna blow."

Jack had to agree. He could see the steam rising off of Faith. What
about this particular boy was bothering her? he wondered. He knew for certain
that it was not the kid's innocence for nothing like that ever drew Faith after
one time. In fact, he knew of nothing that had ever managed to attract her a
second time. Walking over to stand beside his friends, he asked Faith, "What is
it with the kid?"

"He was just a good piece," she spat out, her blazing eyes never moving
from the scene before them, "but he doesn't deserve to be treated like an
animal! Just look at that, Jack! The bitch is fondling him for all to see, and
the thing's only even been touched once!"

Jack blushed slightly at her response. Gods, the girl had a way with
words! "Okay, so we have two for the rescue. What you do with him after the
rescue is up to you."

"Set him free," she answered instantly. "I already had him. I don't want
him again. He just doesn't deserve this."

Jack was worried. He had only brought the one bag of gold, and even
though it was enough to buy most of Port Royal -- this he didn't realize --, he
was afraid it might not be enough to buy Will. "Do you have any gold with you?"
he asked.

"Give me five minutes," Faith responded. "Hell, give me one minute, and
my pockets'll be overflowing."

Jack looked uneasily around the crowd. He knew Faith was good, but he
desperately did not want attention drawn. "Be careful," he said. "Move quickly
and return. The auction will begin in about . . . " He looked up at the sun.
Noon was not far away, and the auction was to be then. "You might have fifteen
minutes at the most."

He looked at Brendan to see if he had any comments even as Faith slipped
away. The look on his face almost said it all, but it was as though he had
something he wanted to spit out but wasn't sure how it would be taken. "Well?"
Jack asked, looking at him even closer. "Out with it!"

"I know she's good, Captain," Brendan spoke in a soft voice that only
Jack could hear, "but that woman looks like she has endless funds . . . "

"Go for it, Brendan, but be careful." Jack had to smile to himself. His
friend never ceased to amaze him. For himself, Brendan would barely lift a
finger, but for his friends, even a mountain would not be too much to move to
help. Jack, too, was pretty good at lifting pockets, but he just could not do it
today. He was too emotionally overwrought.

His fury at not being able to do anything yet to get Will free was
causing his hands to shake. They itched to throttle something, and he knew just
who it was going to be as soon as he was able to move against them. He was
standing there, waiting for the auction to begin or for his friends to return
and having daydreams about what he was going to do to the Governor that very
night. The whole damned town was going to pay, but at this time, Jack was only
concerned with the Governor and what he was going to do to that bald-headed
son-of-a-bitch. No amount of begging was going to save his unworthy hide.

Chapter Eleven
The furry streak that raced throughout the streets of Port Royal caused
immense havoc in its wake, people screaming and varied items flying everywhere
as they fell to the ground. The feline never turned back nor even considered
glancing back to see the destruction that lay in his wake. Instead, he continued
to run as if his own life depended on it, his nose in the air as he followed the
crew's scents. He did not even pause when a pair of woman's underwear from a
clothes basket that had been thrown up into the air as he had ran between the
surprised carrier's legs and sent them tumbling landed on his head. Instead, he
just shook it off and kept running.

Hands tried to grab him, but he continued weaving in and out of the
annoying humans until a pair of strong hands finally managed to grasp him.
"UNHAND THE ROYAL PERSONAGE, YOU FILTHY PEASANT!" The man screamed and released
him instantly, but the King still gave him a few scratches before continuing to
race off, leaving the surprised man with just enough bloody gashes to remind him
not to catch just any cat he happened across.

He had torn out of the town and was well on his way to the others when
another scent caught his nose from a different direction. The cat stopped so
suddenly that he was sent sliding on snow, which he wondered where in the world
it had come from, until he almost hit a tree. Regaining his balance barely in
the nick of time, he used the tree as a look-out perch and was just in time to
see a wagon rushing his way.



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Xena had finally found the farm she was looking for. Locating a wagon
and horses to pull it proved to be a little more time consuming, but she at last
located them as well. The wagon was full of hay and would make a comfortable
conveyance for all. She walked out of the barn, leading the horses pulling the
wagon, and got hit in the head with something wet.

She put her hand up and caught the next snowflake. "What the Hell?!
Snowing here?!" She had been in colder countries when it had been snowing so she
knew what it was, but what was it doing here in a hot, tropical atmosphere? It
never snowed here, or if by some freak of nature, it did, it would melt as soon
as it hit the ground. Yet this snow was actually sticking to the ground and
forming a slippery surface!

She didn't know what was going on, but more of the crap was now hitting
the fan. She got behind the reins and stood up, clacking the reins in the air
and hollering at the horses to get a move on. They took off flying like bats out
of Hell, heading back to where the group waited. The snow grew thicker all the
time yet she still passed from snowy area to plain area. It was as if the Earth
itself could not make up its mind rather it wanted snow. She then realized that
if she continued to drive the horses so quickly they would be worn out and
unable to help any one, so she slowed them down to a steady trot.

As they passed under another of the many trees that lined the dirt road,
a body suddenly dropped out of the tree. Xena started to reach for her sword but
relaxed as soon as she realized who it was. Blue eyes looked up at her as Meesy
asked, "How fast can this thing go?"

Xena looked down at King Meesy. "Faster than you want to go, Your
Majesty. Why? What has caused the urgency?"

"Will was sold into slavery," Meesy said, knowing that she would need no
further explanation. Without another word, Xena clacked the reins and yelled at
the horses who took off flying again. As they raced, Meesy had to dig his claws
into the wooden seat to keep from falling over, but never did the cat speak one
word of complaint. He only wanted to reach the others and get them back to the
ship. The faster they could do so, the better, regardless of the condition the
speed put his luxurious fur in.

"Damn!" was all she could mutter. "Damn! Damn! Damn! Jack will go crazy
and wipe out the entire damn town if they hurt one hair on Will's head!" Amongst
all the other Pirates, Xena was the only one, or thought she was the only one,
who truly knew how Jack felt for Will. Every one else just thought that they
were the best friends they'd ever seen. She knew Jack was in love but afraid to
admit his love to Will. Heck, he'd only just recently admitted it to himself!

They passed one of the trees that dumped a whole bunch of snow on her,
and Xena shook it off angrily. Why was it that when everything looked like it
was going to go good, shitt always happened?! If she had had even a clue, she
would now be standing beside Jack, ready to take on the entire town, but
instead, here she was, tied down with a group of survivors that she knew had to
move as soon as she got to them. There was no more time. Whatever Jack did in
the town, the ships had to go. They had to be outside the harbor before the
guards closed it. What they did after that was another whole story. As she
neared the camp, she smelled fire and knew that more shitt had hit the fan.



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They had looked at so many bodies. Prue had breathed a sigh of relief
after each, knowing that they were not their family, but she had lost count of
how many they had actually seen. Still, her family had not shown up. As they
rounded a huge boulder, they found yet another group of women laid out. The
woman laying in the center caused Prue to start crying and screaming. Lorne
helped her to stand on her shaking legs as they approached. He knew they had
found one of the women.

The second they reached the group, Prue fell on her knees beside her
mother, and her long hair covered her face. She was lost in tears, wailing like
a lost soul. Her heart was breaking. Thank Gods her sister lived, but she had no
hope that her grandmother would be alive, either, or even her other sisters, not
after having found her mother dead.

Prue had been one of the ones who had wanted to fight and had not simply
given up but had gone along with her family, because that's what her mother had
said would be right. She loved her mother and did not know how she would go on
without her. She felt Cole stop beside them and Piper being let down.

Tears were already streaming down Piper's cheeks so much that she could
not see past them. She could barely even make out Prue's form, but she reached
out and hugged her sister tightly. She knew Prue needed her now more than ever
and hated herself for crying instead of comforting her sister, but this was
their mother. Their mother was dead! Nothing else mattered!



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

Lex heard women crying. "I will take you over there so that you can see
if that's part of your group," he said to Paige, secretly hoping that it wasn't
because he was not very good with crying women.

"It is," Paige answered softly, struggling to get the words out through
the tears that choked her throat. She could tell Prue's and Piper's voices, but
who had they found? Phoebe? Their mother? Their grandmother? Who?! She wanted to
hide her face away in Lex's shoulder and not face whatever she was about to
find, but she knew she could not.

When Lex reached the small group, he noticed Cole and Lorne both looking
as lost as though they wanted the Earth to open and swallow them. It seemed that
he was not the only one helpless around crying women. He sat Paige down beside
her sisters and then stepped away, the others following behind him. Carl was so
close that his face hit Lex's butt when he went to back. "Hey, that's my
territory!" Clark quippingly exclaimed in a hushed whisper, hoping but failing
to lighten the other guys' moods.

When the men had retreated a little ways from the ladies, Cole told the
others, "That's just one of them. There are two more here somewhere. I have no
clue as to what they look like, but carrying them around to look at all the
other bodies is just not going to work. It's breaking their hearts even more.
We've got to find some one who knows every one."

Carl piped up. "Gabrielle will know what to do."

"Carl, you stay on guard with the ladies. If anything comes up, get us
immediately. We're going for Gabrielle."



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Reaching Gabrielle, the men all talked at once. Finally, Clark waited
for the others to hush before saying, "We need some one who knows every one to
identify the dead ones. That way they can tell if any of the live ones can match
up with any of the dead ones." The others nodded in agreement.

Gabrielle looked at Clark with a partially questioning and partially
bemused expression in her green eyes. His wording was rather unique, but she
nonetheless understood what he meant. She had been keeping watch over every one
but had only met a few of them briefly. "We need to find out if their leader
made it. She would know everybody in the group, but any one else might not know
all the others. I don't know which of them to ask, though." Looking around, she
saw Wolf. Whistling to him, she waved her hands urgently in the air. She'd seen
him having a rather lengthy talk with the woman in black and hoped he might know
something she didn't.

Wolf reached her side almost immediately. "Yes, Gabrielle? Can I help?"

"We need to find out who the group's leader is," she explained. "We need
some one who knows the rest of them so that they can identify family members and
the like."

Wolf had been about to answer when he got hit with something in the
head. He reached up and swiped at it with one hand, bringing his hand away to
reveal snow. "Just what the Hell?! Snow?! Huff puff! That shouldn't be here!" He
looked at Gabrielle puzzledly before answering her question. "The lady I was
talking to earlier and taking care of knows them. I don't know if she's a
leader, but she can identify them. I'll ask."

Wolf immediately sprinted over to Elvira, leaving Gabrielle to turn
questioningly to the rest of the men standing around her. "Do any of you know
any reason at all that it would be snowing in Port Royal, of all places?"

"Wesley might know, but I haven't got a clue," Lex answered. "Professor
Doom is always looking into things."

"It might be an omen or something," Clark thought aloud.

"Well, if it is," Gabrielle replied, "we'll hear about it as soon as his
lungs open."

Cole shook his head. "I haven't seen snow in years. Isn't this the wrong
climate for it?"

"It sure is," Lorne agreed. "Wrong climate and wrong season. I would
have expected snow to happen in Pylea before it would have happened here, and
it's never happened in Pylea. Where is Wesley?"

"I don't know," Cole said, "but let's go look for him." Lorne nodded,
and the two parted from the group to go in search of Wesley, hoping against hope
that he would know what was going on.



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

Meanwhile, Wolf had reached Elvira. "Dear lady, I hate to bother you,
but they are in need of some one to identify bodies. Are you able to help?"

Elvira had stood to meet him as she had seen Wolf approaching and had
ran her tongue over her black lips as she watched him. He certainly was quite
the magnificent feast and surely had to be as good in the bed as he was on the
eyes! When he spoke, however, and his question reminded her of all those who had
died that day, she quickly sombered. "I can try, but I don't know everybody,"
she admitted. "I was still pretty new. Patty or Ororo would be better . . . if,"
she added sadly in an afterthought, "they made it."

"What do they look like?" Wolf asked.

"Ororo would be the easiest to tell. She's dark-skinned with white hair
and blue eyes."

"I've seen her already. She's beautiful, and she's with a friend of
mine. Do you want to come with me?" He got hit with another snowflake and looked
around. The landscape was beginning to get snowed under. "Do you have any ideal
why it might be snowing?" he asked her.

"No," Elvira answered his second question first with a shake of her
head. "You can try asking Miss -- " She bit her own tongue to keep from letting
the word 'Beautiful' slip. Why was she suddenly so jealous? Ororo was beautiful,
and Wolf was a man with no claims on him. If he wanted to look at Ororo or
another woman, that was his right. They had only flirted, after all. There was
nothing serious between them, so she had no reason or right to be jealous. "Miss
Munroe," she concluded after a second's hesitation. "She's a Weather Witch."

He could not for the life of him figure out why she was suddenly sort of
hostile, but he could see the tenseness and smell the jealousy that had suddenly
gripped her. "It would be nice if you'd come with me," he said hopefully. "She
doesn't know me from Adam, but she does know you." Then it dawned on him. He had
said she was beautiful, because she was and he was never one to keep his mouth
closed when it came to admiring beautiful ladies. He leaned forward next to her
ear, "She's beautiful but not as beautiful as you are." He stood back in case
she slapped him.

Her black eyes sparkled at his words. Part of her hoped that he was not
just telling her what she wanted to hear, but as she watched him pull back, his
eyes on guard as he expected to be slapped, she realized that that was not it at
all. She started to smile, but she stopped herself just in time, deciding
instead to surprise him. Her face went suddenly stoic, and she managed to keep
the lust from her voice as she spoke. "Why, sir," she exclaimed, stepping closer
to him, closing the distance he'd put between them, and raising a hand toward
his face, "I -- "

She switched instantly, however. Her voice transformed from a sharp
exclamation to a lustful purr as her body leaned into his, her taut breasts
pressing against his muscular chest through the thin fabric of her dress. Her
hand fell gently across his face, her palm caressing his cheek, as she whispered
against his lips, "Flattery will get you everywhere."

"The only place I want to be is next to you," he whispered back. "Soon,"
he purred back into her ear. "Just being this close to you burns me up." He
growled more intensely than he had planned, conveying to her that he was
definitely in heat and wanted her badly. "Huff puff," he moaned as he pulled
himself away from her. "We have to get this business taken care of and our
living company back to safety. Gods know why, but it's even snowing now! Will
you come with me?"

Though he was trying to put distance between them again, Elvira reached
out and caressed his chest through his shirt. "I'll come with you anywhere," she
told him seductively, her voice on the verge of a responding growl.

His gaze locked with hers as he lifted her hand and kissed her in the
center of her palm. Then, holding her hand, he pulled her with him where he had
last seen Wolverine with the woman. As they approached, he could see that
Wolverine was nestled close to the lady, holding her torso in his lap and
encircling her with his arms. Wolf didn't know if she was asleep or had just not
woken up. When he reached them, he spoke, "Wolverine, is she . . . ?"

Wolverine looked up at Wolf. "Sleeping," he replied. "Thank Gods she
lives."

Wolf definitely could see that Wolverine had lost it. Was it destined
that each of them should find their true mates today? Gods knew he had found his
and could hardly wait to claim her as his own. Did Wolverine feel the same about
Ororo? It seemed that he did as he held her protectively, and Wolf had to smile.
He had never seen Wolverine with any woman before. Rumors had abounded that he
had killed a couple of them, but he had never seen him get romantically inclined
toward any one. "We were hoping that she would be able to identify the
survivors."

Wolverine looked up at the sky. "I'm gonna have to wake my little
darlin' up any way. The snow is beginnin' to pile up. She'll catch her death o'
cold here, an' I won't have that. Little darlin'," he whispered, "wake up. We've
gotta get a move on."

Ororo stirred slowly in response to Logan's voice, but the first thing
she felt was confusion. The next was the cold of the naturally heated earth that
did not understand why it was being snowed upon. Her eyes were not yet open when
she groggily spoke, "It's cold. Why is it cold? What is this white stuff? It
does not belong here."

Elvira released Wolf's hand to kneel before the man called Wolverine and
Ororo. She knew that her friend's strange comments were probably worrying both
men but understood what was happening. Ororo was not fully awake yet, but
already she was picking up on Mother Nature's confusion. "'Ro, wake up. It's
just snowing," she said as if snow was an every-day occurrence in their lives.

"Snow?" Ororo repeated tiredly. "But it should not be. I did not tell it
to."

Wolf looked at the brown-skinned woman who was mumbling about snow. What
was it Elvira had said about her? Oh, yes, that she was a Weather Witch. "Well,
if you can do something about it and make it stop, it might be a good ideal. It
could really cause some trouble. I've heard about the snow, but I've never seen
it, not till today. You're right. It shouldn't be here."

Wolverine had been around strange women all his life and many Witches.
Therefore, her words really did not bother him but her tiredness did. He was
still afraid of losing her. "'Ro, are you able to stand? I'll hold on to you. We
need to identify yer people. Match up the living with their dead; get the dead
seen to; an' then we need to get the Hell outta here, because rather it's snow
or townspeople, we are in for a lot o' rough road to hoe and the sooner we get
to safety, the better."

Their words had brought Ororo the rest of the way awake, but she was
still looking around in confusion. "You are both right. It should not be
snowing. This can not be good, but I should be able to stop it." She was
emotionally exhausted and mentally tired, but her physical well being was
surprisingly fine and showed no signs of having gone through what she and her
people had been through that day.

She pushed herself to her full height of six feet. Standing tall, she
stretched out her arms and opened her hands, her fingers reaching toward the
heavens. "By the Goddess, that which belongs in the cold regions . . . " Cold
winds blew back her long, white hair, and her baby blue eyes turned to white
with no sign of her pupils. "That which should never fall here, the stuff of
snow, ice, and sleet, be gone."

Elvira looked around, knowing that the snow should disappear with
Ororo's words. When nothing happened, worry dawned on her face.

"I said . . . " Ororo began to try again but stopped suddenly as her
spirit seemed to run straight into a brick wall of fury. Her forehead creased
and her eyes shut in determined concentration, but the unknown power source was
far stronger than her own. With a cry of pain, she fell back, toppling downwards
into Logan's waiting arms.

He held her close to him. He was amazed at all the power he had just
seen flowing out of her, and yet it had all been thrown back at her. It scared
him, but he didn't let on like it did. "She's not in any shape to help you to
identify the people. If ya have any way at all o' doin' it, miss, please? We've
got to get them outta here to safety. Out in the open, like this, we're
exposed."

"It's too dangerous," Wolf said. "Can you do it, Elvira?"

"Wolf, I told you I was new to the group. I still don't know everybody.
I could identify some but not all, and they all deserve . . . "

Ororo's gentle voice interrupted the conversation that flowed around
her. Elvira's black eyes looked down into her baby blues. "Find Patty, Elvira,
any of her children, or even the Halliwells' grandmother. They will all know,
but we must do this swiftly." She started to continue but stopped, confusion
creasing her brow. Looking to Wolverine, she asked, "Are any of your people
capable of healing others? Until I ran into what I just encountered, my body was
surprisingly fine and felt as though nothing had happened."

"The Lewis sisters are our ships' Sorceresses. They did a healing
spell," Wolf said. "They are resting now. I don't know what they are thinking
about what is going on right now; I haven't seen them in a while."

"Please introduce me to them later, then, as I must thank them. What I
was about to say, however, is that time is even more of the essence here than it
would be otherwise. The force that is causing this snow is quickly approaching
our way, and it is capable of a great deal more disaster. We must be out of here
before it reaches the town or we will go with it."

"Is it that powerful?" Elvira asked her, looking at her in fearful
surprise. Outside of her sisters and her brother-in-law, Ororo was the most
powerful being she'd ever met. If this force was so powerful that it scared
Ororo, let alone tossed her back as if she were nothing but a child's ball . . .
Elvira refused to dwell on the thought as she shuddered silently and, already
standing again, moved closer to Wolf.

"Yes," Ororo affirmed. "More, in fact."

"Then we'd best get going," Wolf said as he grasped Elvira's hand and
pulled her with him again. "We've got to find any of the Halliwells."



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

Cole and Lorne had at last found Wesley. He was with one of the women
that Cole had rescued earlier. They noticed that he kept looking worriedly at
the sky. "Wesley, you want to explain what's going on?" Cole asked hopefully.

"Can't," Wesley replied nervously. "The scrolls are at the ship, and I
don't remember reading anything about this. It shouldn't be snowing here!"

"Something's comin'! Somethin' big an' bad an' awful!" the woman, who
was so petite that she looked more like a girl at first glance, gasped out.
"It's goin' ta eat all o' us or, at least, kill us! We have ta get outta here!"

"Easy, Fred," Wesley said.

"Fred?!" Lorne exclaimed.

Cole laughed. "Why're you calling her Fred? You call a girl by a girl's
name, Wesley." He figured Wesley had just stuck a name on her. He was bad about
doing that, and he was very nervous around women.

"'Cause that's her name, Cole, or at least she said it was!" Wesley
exclaimed, heatedly defending himself.

"Sorry, ma'am," Cole said, "but I never heard of a woman with a guy's
name before."

"What kind of parent lays a boy's name on a daughter?" Lorne asked. "Not
that I'm one to say anything. After all, who calls their child Krevlornswath?"

Fred laughed, a musical sound that caressed Wesley's ears and stopped
far too soon. "Mah real name's Winifred Burkle . . . " she started to explain.

"That's okay," Lorne quickly said. "We'll just call you Fred. You can
call me Lorne."

"And I'm Cole," Cole said.

"It's nice to meet y'all. It'd be nicer if we were in a bettah
situation. But we've gotta get outta here. Ah'm not kiddin' when Ah tell y'all
somethin's comin' that's gonna devour this entire place!"

"I believe you, ma'am," Cole said. "It's a Demonic power of some kind,
stronger than I've ever felt. We've got to get these people out of here." He
wondered what had happened to Xena and why she had not returned yet.

Fred shook her head. "Not a Demon or, at least, not technically. An
Elemental."

"Mister Big, Bad, Bold, and Ugly," Cole said. "Doesn't matter if he's
Demonic or an Elemental, he's not some one we need to tamper with. Let's go
where the others are." He would have to tell Gabrielle as soon as he got there.

Wesley was amazed at how much Fred seemed to know. He couldn't wait to
get better acquainted with her and delve deeper into her mind. They could
compare notes and probably even swap tales. He took her by the hand, helping her
to her feet, and they headed off in the direction of Gabrielle.



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

Still holding on to Elvira's hand, Wolf headed off to where he had last
seen Gabrielle. Reaching her at last, he said, "We need some one with the name
of Halliwell."

"Patty, Penny, Prue, Paige, Piper, or Phoebe," Elvira inserted. "Damn,"
she muttered, "my tongue just about stuck on that one."

Cole reached Gabrielle just about the time Elvira was letting go with
the list of names. "I've got one of those," he told them.

"So do I," Lorne said.

"Me too," Lex added in.

"Lucky us," Clark interjected dryly. "We've all got a Halliwell." As far
as he was concerned, the sooner they got rid of the Halliwell, the better. No
way was that Halliwell laying a hand on his Lex!

"Get one of them and get them to identify the bodies," Gabrielle told
the others. "Actually, if you can get them to split up and identify, it will be
faster."

"Sure thing," Cole said and headed off to where he had left Piper. He
hated to ask her, but he knew the sooner they got it taken care of, the sooner
they could get the Hell out of there. He felt time was quickly running out. Lex,
Clark, and Lorne followed Cole, but Wesley and Fred remained behind to warn
Gabrielle of the danger behind the snow.



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

The others soon reached the place where they had left the sisters crying
over their mother. Carl looked like he was about to break down into a fit of
tears, and Lorne silently placed a reassuring hand on the little guy's shoulder.
The Gnome looked up at the Demon, but neither spoke.

"Piper?" Cole was the first to speak, putting out his hand and touching
her gently on the shoulder as he gently called her name. "Can you help to
identify the others?" He knew the healing spell should have taken effect now.
She wouldn't need carrying. He'd miss that, but he'd be close to her in case she
needed him.

Tears were still running down her cheeks when she looked up at Cole, but
she nodded as she swiped at them. "Sisters," Piper said, looking to both Prue
and Paige, "I know we do not want to leave her, but Mother would want us to do
everything we can for the others."

Paige nodded, biting back a sob as she did so. "Besides," she added
dejectedly, "we still haven't found Phebs."

"Or Grams," Prue said, wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands. "With
the three of us working together, we'll find them sooner."

They went in three different directions, each with at least one man to
carry the dead body to its relative if its relative was alive, but none of their
relatives lived. Entire families had been wiped out, and the tears continued to
flow not only down the sisters' faces but, when the women were not looking, down
the men's as well.

They were collecting the bodies into one group when Paige suddenly cried
out, "I found them!" Every one stopped what they were doing and raced to where
Paige was cradling Phoebe as her sister cried. Grams lay still on the ground.
Her sisters gathered around Phoebe, and Prue and Piper held both of their
younger sisters tightly.

Cole did not say a word but picked up their grandmother and added her to
the group beside Patty. He then looked around for something to start a fire but
could find nothing. He was amazed when he was suddenly joined by Morph and Tom,
who had came seemingly out of nowhere, and Tom transformed into a dragon,
breathing fire over the bodies.

It was this smelling that Xena picked up as she entered the camp. A slow
chanting had began among the survivors, helping to carry the souls of the dearly
departed to the Rainbow Bridge. They stood in a circle, their hands entwined,
and she was even more surprised to see that they were not alone but were also
leading the men, even little Carl and Joxer, in the ritual. Only Katrina and
Celina were missing, and Gabrielle stood out, as well, waiting and keeping guard
with tears shimmering and the fire reflecting in her sad eyes.

It would take a while for the fires to burn down, a time that the people
could not wait for. Xena hopped down from the wagon and opened the gate. "Come!
We must quickly be away from here! The snow heralds danger!" She looked down at
King Meesy, whose every hair stood straight out.

At Captain Xena's words, most of the men, those who were not already
familiar with rituals, tried to leave the circle, but the women latched onto
them even tighter. "We must close the circle," the whisper rang among them,
passed from one to another as an explanation to those who did not know.

The snow continued to fall, wrapping them in a blanket of whiteness,
even as the ritual ended and Ororo opened the circle. The group began to make
their way to the wagon. Their heads were bowed in respect for the dead, and
tears still flowed down several faces.

Xena was getting worried. If the snow piled up too much, they would
never get through. To take a precaution against that happening, Xena, who had
seen Tom demorph back into his own body after being the dragon, approached him
and Morph after they had helped their exhausted wives into the wagon. "If you
would help me get through," she indicated how the snow was piling up about the
wheels of the wagon, "it would be greatly appreciated."

They both grinned sheepishly at her and immediately turned into dragons.
The horses spooked and broke the traces, fleeing from the dragons. Xena could
not believe the disasters, one following the other, but the dragons merely drew
the traces together and stepped into them. Pulling the wagon behind them, the
shapeshifters began blazing a trail to the safety of their ships.


Chapter Twelve
Once the Captain had given him leave, Brendan had slipped into the
crowd. Moving with lupine stealth, he had gone as unnoticed as a shadow while
emptying many pockets. He'd heard the yells later as his prey had discovered
their money gone, but no one knew it was him. Throughout the entire time, he'd
also been careful to keep an even lower profile any time Helvira or the woman
who had been after Faith's boy happened to be around. Now, it was almost noon,
and he quickly made his way back to Jack.

Reaching his Captain, Brendan stood behind him as he whispered so that
only Jack could hear, "We can't risk my being noticed by Helvira, so I'm going
to give you the money and make myself scarce." Jack had kept his eyes ahead of
them, and though he had not even acknowledged Brendan, the wolf still mistakenly
thought that Jack had heard him. Pressing himself against Jack's back, Brendan
stole a look around before sliding the sack he'd filled with gold from his
pocket into Jack's. His hand was still in Jack's pocket when somebody plowed
into him from behind.

Jack had been standing, lost deep in his thoughts of what he was going
to do to the Governor, when he was roughly jostled by some one who had a hand in
his pocket. He flipped around, grabbing the guy by the throat with a savage
growl, before he realized that it was Brendan. "What the Hell were you doing
with your hand in my pocket?!" he demanded.

Brendan had been startled when some one who had not been looking where
they were going had plowed into his back, but he was so shocked when Jack, who
he had trusted with his very life for years, suddenly grabbed his throat that
Brendan's face paled and his eyes flashed on yellow. "Exactly what I told you I
was!" he hissed through the fangs of the startled wolf that was trying to come
out.

"Sorry, Brendan. I didn't hear you come up nor did I hear you tell me
that you were getting in my pocket." He let go of his throat. "Forgive me, but
my mind was on the Governor and the pleasures of the coming night."

At first, Brendan's only response was a nod as he fought to rein the
wolf in. Once he had regained control of the beast within, he spoke again,
keeping his voice casual should any one happen to overhear them while also
tenderly rubbing his throat. "I understand, but you need to focus on the bidding
that's about to start, sir." He dropped his voice so that only Jack could hear
him as he added meaningfully, "The addition to your pocket should help in that
other case, but I should make myself scarce."

"Again, I want to apologize, Brendan. You know I'd never purposefully
hurt you. Forgive me. You're right. I need to concentrate on this, but you don't
know how badly I want him. Be careful, and for Gods' sakes, don't let the
bitches see you."

Brendan nodded, but when he spoke, his words seemed to fumble over
themselves as he tried to assure Jack. "I will. I mean, I won't. I mean . . . "

"Fleas bothering you again?" Faith quipped at Brendan as she slid up to
join the men.

Brendan just looked at her, shook his head, and turned his attention
back to his Captain. Unlike Brendan, Jack, who looked at Faith as though she had
taken leave of her senses, was not as willing to let her comment slip. "Leave
Brendan alone, Faith," he commanded. "The bidding's about to start. Pay
attention."

Faith looked at Jack with a faked pout on her lips. "Can I help it that
Virgin Boy's just too much fun to play with?"

"You . . . " Jack shook his head. "You're incorrigible, Faith."

"Thank ya, Cap," Faith returned with an impish grin.

"You're not welcome," Jack quipped in return. He turned back to Brendan
and gently squeezed his arm. "Be careful, my friend." He hoped Brendan knew how
sorry he was that the occurrence had happened. He'd try to find a way to make it
up to him later. He released him.

Brendan's brown eyes met Jack's as he told him softly, "Don't worry
yourself with what happened -- " he started to say only to be cut off by Faith
once more.

"What's wrong?" she asked him with a tease tugging at the corners of her
lips. "You couldn't get it up again?"

"You wish," Jack said to Faith. "I've never had that problem."

"Not you," she answered. "I know you're constantly swinging, Cap." She
inclined her head toward Brendan as she clarified, "I was talking about Virgin
Boy again."

Brendan's yellow eyes cut through Faith, and a low growl of warning
issued from his lips. "Faith, I explained that to you that night -- " he started
but then just fell silent, shaking his head.

"Yeah, right," Faith snorted in return. "And if ya think I'm buying into
that, ya'd better think again."

Brendan shook his head once more even as his hands clenched into tight
fists. Why was it that this annoying girl, who lacked all manners and ethics,
always knew just how to punch his buttons? Looking back to Jack, he repeated,
"Don't worry about it," and faded off into the crowd.

Jack watched him go, wondering about the exchange of words between the
two. What had or had not happened? He figured from the Virgin Boy comment that
nothing had actually taken place except maybe the foreplay and it had been
disappointing for both of them. He gathered that, because every time they got
together, they tied into each other even though Brendan was usually a sweetheart
and never picked a quarrel. He probably thought he was only defending himself
from Faith, and Jack figured the only reason why Faith was still picking on
Brendan was because she had not gotten what she had set out to get.

That was one reason why he was getting so many slaps lately. Every time
he turned around, another woman was slapping the crap out of him, and he was
tired of it. He didn't think he deserved any of it. Just because a man couldn't
. . . {Don't even go there, Jack,} he said to himself. Unwilling to face his
little problem, he immediately turned his mind back to the auction.

The auctioneer walked out followed by a man dragging a small, black goat
behind him. "First on the auction block today is this young kid. What am I bid
for him?" Jack didn't even want to watch that. He would have liked to have
bought the goat and taken him home, but what would a goat do on a ship? He knew
where the poor little fellow was probably bound and tried to block his mind from
thinking about it.

When the auctioneer had first brought out the goat, a bitter bark of
laughter had escaped Faith's dark lips for she could not for the life of her
understand why any one would want to start a sex slave auction with a goat.
After all, why bother with an animal when there were humans for the taking? When
bidding nearly instantly exploded, however, all traces of her smile vanished.
"Damn," she muttered under her breath but did not move her gaze from the auction
block as she waited for the boy whose name she still did not even know.



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


Logan had waited until the very last person was in the wagon. 'Ro had
stayed with him, and they were the last two in the wagon. He was sitting and
holding her, cuddled up against his side, where he could look down into her
eyes. He could see tears shimmering there as she kept glancing away, and he felt
as though there was something missing but wasn't sure what. "What's wrong, 'Ro?"
he asked her with deep concern in his voice.

"It . . . It is nothing of any real importance, Logan," she answered him
in a hushed whisper. The sadness in her voice matched the grief in her heart,
however, even as her eyes turned back in the direction she had been glancing in
throughout the entire ride. "It should not hinder the others' safety."

"It concerns me, little darlin'. Is it somethin' I can do fer ya,
somethin' I can get fer ya?" Whatever it was, he would not mind doing it.
Anything to make the light come back in her eyes and a smile come on her face.
He had yet to see her smile, not that she had had much that day to smile about,
but she had survived. "Tell me, an' I'll do it."

"It is . . ." She sighed as she laid her face against his chest, tearing
her teary eyes from the horizon she'd been looking in. "I did not plan to live
this day and did not wish my most prized possession to become tarnished. I am
not . . . a possessive person," she tried to explain, a pang of guilt shooting
through her, "but this . . . It was the only thing I had left from my parents."

"What is it, little darlin'?" he wondered what could be causing such
deep grief but understood that if it was the only thing left to her by her
parents, it was important.

"Just a locket," she answered softly, "but it had a picture of the three
of us." She did not say that it was the only picture that she had of her
parents, let alone that that picture was the only way she could remember what
they looked like.

Without another word, Logan got up from her and made his way up to where
he could talk to Xena. "Xena, we're takin' these people away from their homes. I
realize they're not safe here, but they're all leavin' everything they own.
Couldn't we go by their homes for a few minutes an' let 'em collect at least a
change o' clothes?"

Xena was extremely surprised that Wolverine was bothering to care about
what others might be needing. "Hadn't thought of it," she said, "but you have a
point there." She then called to the dragons, "Hold it, boys!" They stopped so
swiftly, digging their mighty claws into the ground, that Meesy was nearly sent
hurtling through the air. In fact, he would have been had Gabrielle, who sat
beside Xena, not quickly reached out and grabbed him in mid-air. As soon as the
dragons had stopped, Gabrielle had Meesy's ruffles settled.

"We have a dilemma," Xena called back to the rest of the group. "The
people need to get some of their belongings, and some of us have to get to Jack.
Knowing him, he's probably turned the town on its ear by now. Wolverine, you
coming with us?"

"Me?"

"Yes. I'll need your nose to pick up Jack's scent."

"Xena, I've never refused to go before, but I need to stay here this
time. Take Wolf, Carl, Cole, anybody but me!" She looked at him in surprise as
he was usually the first one, when Faith wasn't around, to want to fight. "I'm
leaving you here for backup for Gabrielle. Do not spend more than a few minutes
at your homes! Every minute is a costly delay, and we will leave without you!
Get to the ship as soon as you can, and get it ready to go." She would never
leave Gabrielle, but the others did not need to know that.

Xena looked around at the men. "Lex. Clark. Carl," she called, talking
down to him as she saw he was jumping up and down in his eagerness to go.
"Cole." She wished Angel and Brendan were there, but she had no ideal where
either was. "Wolf, take the men and head toward the town."

Wolf did not want to go. He was shaking his head and looking at Xena,
but before he could speak, he heard the gentle but firm voice of the
white-haired woman. "He will be needed for protection for Elvira. She lived in
the heart of our little city while the rest of us lived away. It will be
dangerous for her to return there, far more than for any of the rest of us, but
there is something that she absolutely must retrieve."

"Whatever!" Xena snapped angrily and jumped off of the wagon seat. "Do
what you must, but get to the ship as soon as you can!" She pulled herself back
up to the wagon long enough to pull Gabrielle to her and kiss her gently. "See
you soon, my love."

No sooner had Xena's lips left hers than Gabrielle's mouth was open to
begin talking. She wanted to tell her beloved so much. She wanted to tell her to
be careful and to return to her soon, but she also wanted to tell her not to be
too hard on the others. After all, that day was probably the worst day of their
lives, and they could not help having to return to their homes to retrieve their
belongings nor needing protection for the trip. Xena had jumped down and taken
off running before Gabrielle had managed to get even one word out, however, and
the bard sighed even as she watched the men following closely behind their
Captain. "Be careful," she whispered under her breath before turning her
attention to the group she had been left in charge of.



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


Realizing that they would have to walk to Port Royal, Wolf had gotten
down and lifted Elvira down beside him. Gonk jumped down right behind them, but
Wolf did not want him to go. It would be too dangerous for the little dog.
"Gabrielle, we will meet you at the ship."

Elvira scooped down and picked up Gonk. Looking into his eyes, she told
him, "You can't come with us, Gonk." He whimpered pleadingly, but she shook her
head. "Not this time, sweetheart." She had heard both Xena and Wolf talking to
the blonde and knew that the woman was now in charge of what remained of their
group. "See that nice, blonde lady sitting there?" she asked Gonk, pointing the
dog to where he had no choice but to look at Gabrielle. "If you're a good boy,
she might let you stay with her." Elvira's eyes lifted from her poodle to face
the blonde. "Could you, please?" she asked her pleadingly. "I don't want
anything to happen to him, but he can't come with us."

"I understand that," Gabrielle replied. She glanced to Meesy who now sat
beside her as she asked, "But how does he get along with cats?"

Gonk had chased a few cats in his time, but Elvira was quick to not let
on to that fact. "He'll be a perfect little angel," she quickly assured
Gabrielle with an innocent smile.

"And he'll obey?" Elvira nodded even as Gonk's and Meesy's eyes met.
Gabrielle sighed. She already had a feeling she would regret it, but nonetheless
she relented, "Okay. He can stay, but he'd best behave. We can't have any bull
off of him."

Elvira nodded again. "We understand, don't we, Gonk?" She gently wrapped
her fingers around the poodle's snout as she moved his head in a nod. "And we
thank her, too, don't we?" Again, she made Gonk nod.

Gabrielle stifled a sigh and shook her head. She had never been able to
understand what it was about some women and their dogs. "Okay. Wolverine, take
him for now. You two should get along," she added hopefully. {And if you don't,}
she thought to herself, {I'm sure you can at least make him settle down and
behave.}

"Thank you." Elvira breathed a sigh of relief as she handed Gonk up to
Wolverine. "You behave now," she warned the poodle.

Wolverine growled under his breath. Why was he the one picked to handle
the crap all the time? Just because he was a little bit taller than Carl but
shorter than everybody else, they always picked on him to get the crap details.
"Dog, stay," he said, pointing into the wagon and putting the dog on the floor.

"Thank you," Elvira repeated, speaking to both Wolverine and Gabrielle.
"And, Gonk," she warned, "I mean it. You do as they say or you get whatever they
give you." The poodle looked at his mistress in shock, but she turned away and
started to walk off, heading toward the town. She could hear him whimpering
behind her but knew she had to ignore it.

As they walked, Wolf noticed that there was not much pile-up of snow in
the area they passed through. A single flake floated down every now and then,
but it grew deeper under their feet as Wolf and Elvira headed toward the town.
Behind them, Wolf could barely make out Gabrielle's voice as she asked for a
volunteer amongst the survivors to give her directions. An answer came from
Ororo followed immediately by the clacking of the reins and Gabrielle calling to
the shapeshifters as the group took off again.



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


Meanwhile, the auction had proceeded at a fast pace and escalated from
animals to children, another practice that soured Jack's stomach and made him
even more determined to put an end to the evil place. He would have liked to
have rescued each and every one of them but was forced to stand, acting
oblivious to anything that was brought out. He figured they'd keep Will for last
or at least one of the last ones, and it seemed that it was true as they kept
passing over him and getting everything else.

His musings were interrupted by a sharp intake of breath at his elbow.
Glancing down at her, Jack saw that Faith seemed to be choking and gasping for
air. It was then he heard the auctioneer saying, "A rare find, ladies and
gentlemen! Blue eyes, blonde hair, strong muscles, male -- and a virgin!" One
look back up at the auction block affirmed what Jack had already known for the
boy who Faith was so surprisingly concerned over stood there with his head
lowered. "What am I bid for this fine specimen?" the auctioneer called out.

The crowd went wild with bidding, but every time a bid was made, Selene
made a higher one. She was determined that that particular boy was hers. Faith
remained silent for the time being, biding her time as she waited for the crowd
to reach what they would think would be a final price. She knew the sooner she
spoke, the sooner eyes would be drawn to Jack and her and they would risk being
discovered.

Jack slipped the bag out of his pocket and fumbled through its contents.
Brendan had made quite the haul. The bag not only held gold pieces but also
jewelry; Jack knew he could not pull the jewelry out there, however. He wondered
how high the price would go on the boy and if they had enough. How much had
Faith managed to get? He looked at her questioningly just as the loud-mouthed
bitch, who had finally grown impatient of the bidding war, yelled out. "ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND!" Her cold voice cut through the crowd like icicles and brought
gasps from many in the crowd.

Faith nearly choked on that amount, and Jack could tell from the sound
she made and her paled face that she did not have enough. He handed her the bag.
"There's at least another seventy-five thousand in there," he whispered urgently
to her. "Use it, and buy the boy."

Shock flashed in Faith's shining, dark eyes as she looked up at Jack.
She grabbed the bag as if it were a lifeline for her instead of the kid even as
the auctioneer announced, "Going twice!"

"ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND ONE!" she yelled out, her voice thundering out
over the crowd.



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


Having neither the stomach nor the heart to look out at those who had
come to bid on him, Dawson had kept his head down the entire time. His heart and
soul were broken. He was full of despair, and he dreaded what would come next.
He figured the awful, raven-haired woman had bought him and knew he'd rather be
dead than be owned by her.

Just as Dawson heard the auctioneer say "Going twice!" to her, he heard
another voice, one he thought he'd never hear again, bid one hundred thousand
and one. He could hardly breathe but dared to look up. His scared eyes met the
girl's even as he heard the raven-haired woman telling the auctioneer that she
had plenty more at home but that was all that she had brought with her and she
absolutely must have that boy. "Look, lady," the auctioneer answered. "Either
pay it up now or you lost!"

"But I don't have it with me!" she snapped at him. "I'll have your
head!"

"I doubt that, ma'am. The Governor put me in this job," the auctioneer
coolly informed her amongst a chorus of shocked gasps from the crowd. "He might
have your head, but my honey won't have mine."

"Well, I never!" she exclaimed in sharp protest.

He grinned at her. "Maybe you should've!" He then returned to his crowd
and said, "Going once! Going twice! Sold to the little lady in the crowd! Step
up here and pay; then he's all yours."

Faith had been busily pulling out the coins she needed from the other
bag and dumping them into her own. Once she had only what she needed, she shoved
the bag back at Jack even while muttering under her breath, "Little lady, my
ass."

They snatched Dawson roughly off the stage and took him over to the
table where the money collector was. He tried not to be overly eager, but inside
his heart was singing. The strange girl had cared enough for him that she had
rescued him! He was in love for the first time in his life, and he didn't even
know her name!



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


Meanwhile, it had not taken long for Gabrielle's group to reach the
little cropping of houses where the Witches had lived. As soon as they had
stopped, Wolverine had helped each of the ladies out of the wagon. Wesley rushed
off after Fred, and Lorne and Joxer looked at each other as the four sisters
scampered off in the same direction. "Joxer, go with them," Gabrielle was quick
to say as she did not relish the thought of being left alone with him. As an
after-thought, she added, "Lorne, you probably should go with him so that he
doesn't destroy their house before they can even get their stuff out." She knew
she did not need to tell Wolverine to go with Ororo.

Lorne nodded and headed off after Joxer. It did not take him long to
reach the small house that the Halliwells lived in. He could hear their voices
chattering about what they needed to get. One word in particular kept getting
repeated -- The Book. He didn't know what the Book was, but he hoped when they
got through with it, he'd get a chance to read it. There were not many books on
the Pearl except the Captain's books, and he had already read those. About the
only new reading he ever got was Gabrielle's scrolls, Celina's poetry, and the
songs he wrote himself.



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


The crowd did not bother to make way for Faith as she worked her way
toward the money collector. Everybody else was already focused on the next stock
up for grabs, but Selene, the woman who had been so determined to win Dawson but
had failed, spat words of fury from where stood in the audience. When she caught
sight of Faith, she hissed at her, "He won't be yours for long, bitch!"

"Just try to take him," Faith threatened. Her voice was low and
dangerous, and her eyes met Selene's with a calmness that surprised the older
woman.

Selene hissed in response. She wanted to run the girl through there and
then but knew she could not yet make her move as long as there were so many
witnesses. Faith tossed her head in dismissal at the other woman and, ignoring
the growl, continued forward to the collector's table. Finally reaching it, she
set the bag down on the table with a clunk. "Here ya go." Glancing at Dawson,
she added, "I trust the boy's legit?"

"As far as we can tell, ma'am, and healthy too. No sores of any kind."
He began to count the money and made out a bill of sale to her. "I'd keep the
chains on him if I were you. New slaves tend to want to run away." He tossed the
end of the chain to her. "Have fun."

Faith caught the chain smoothly even as she smirked at the collector.
"Chasing 'em down and breaking 'em in's half the fun."

"If you get tired of him, you can always pass him around amongst us.
We'll pay you for the pleasure of his company."

Dawson hung his head, not saying a word. He was so scared that he was
dreaming and that she wasn't there that he was afraid to say anything at all.

"I'm sure ya would," Faith retorted to the collector, "but I like to use
my men till there's not a drop left." She walked away with a proud sway to her
hips and kept her cover as she called back to Dawson, "Step lively, boy. I can't
wait to get you home and deflower you. You just looked too damn good up there,"
she growled lustfully, running her tongue over her lips.

Dawson gulped. If deflowering him was anything like she'd already done
to him, he couldn't wait either! He followed close behind her, trying hard not
to fall over the chains.

Chapter Thirteen
As soon as the Halliwell sisters had reached their home, Prue, being the
oldest, had taken charge. She sent Phoebe for the clothes and was about to tell
Piper what to get when she noticed that both Piper and Paige were missing.
Before she could speak, Joxer asked, "Hey, where'd they go?"

Prue smiled as she thought of her sisters' favorite past times. "Piper
probably went for the kitchen things, and Paige went for her artwork. I need to
get something from my Mother's room. I'll only be gone a moment. Wait here," she
instructed, but as soon as she moved, Joxer followed. "What part of wait here
don't you understand?" she asked him.

"Gabrielle told me to come with you," he answered.

"She didn't mean right on top of me, just to come to my house. Wait
here," Prue repeated. She ran into her mother's room only to be followed closely
by Joxer. She turned swiftly, her mouth open to warn him, but before she could
get as much as one syllable out, he had pushed the door. Joxer thought the door
shut because of his push, but Prue knew that it had slammed shut of its own
accord. "You shouldn't have done that," she said. "We can't get out of here."

"What do you mean? All I have to do is open the door," Joxer said. The
first thing he noticed was that there was no handle on the door. "Where's the
handle?" he asked, glancing nervously around.

"There isn't one. I told you not to follow me. We keep a very special
Book here, and one of the protections is that any one who is not a Halliwell who
comes into this room will be trapped. So guess what? You just trapped us in
here!" Her eyes blazed at him. "Why can't you follow a simple order?!"

"Why couldn't you just tell me why you didn't want me to follow you
instead of telling me not to follow you? Gabrielle said to follow you."

"Well, Gabrielle can't get us out of here!" Prue said. "I think . . . My
family doesn't even know we're in here, and they won't be able to get me out
either!"



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

Elsewhere in the house, Prue's sisters had gathered up what they needed
and were looking for Prue. They couldn't find her. "The Book," Piper finally
said. "She must have gone for the Book."

Only then did Phoebe notice the door to their mother's and grandmother's
room was shut. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers as she stared at it. "Uh-oh!"

"Uh-oh what?" Paige's arms were full of her art and supplies, and they
made a great bustling sound as she turned to look in the direction Piper and
Phoebe were already looking in. Seeing that the door was shut, she spoke for all
of them. "Crap!"



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

Meanwhile, back at the auction, Brendan had been watching everything
from the shadows of an alley he had chosen to hide in. He had never been too far
from Jack and Faith and could have easily ran to their aid at any time. He had
continued to keep checking on Jack as they both waited for Will to be released
to the block even while watching Faith retrieve Dawson. She was about to walk
past his alley when he stepped just out of the shadows and whispered her name,
"Faith." He jerked his head urgently toward the alley.

Faith had actually been scanning the alleys for Brendan, knowing that
they needed to be together when the fight started and also realizing that she
could use his help to free the boy from his chains, when Brendan had shown
himself. She nodded and began to follow him into the alley even as he ducked
quickly back into the shadows.

Despite the chains, Dawson smiled. He finally had a name for his
beloved! {Faith! It's such a beautiful name!} he thought. {Faith Leery sounds
good to me. I hope she likes it.} He almost stumbled over the chains which were
way too big for his small body in his efforts to keep up with her. He was glad
for a chance to sit down in the alley. He had been standing forever as they had
had him tied up against the wall so that every one could see him. He was
exhausted but still smiling as he kept thinking to himself, {Faith, a beautiful
name for a beautiful woman, and she's all mine!}

Faith still had not spoken to the boy, and even now, as she released his
chain and let him sit, she turned her attention to Brendan instead. "Want the
hands or the feet, Wolfboy?" she asked him as one hand slipped between the
tight, black leather of her bodice and her breasts.

The sound Brendan made in the depths of his throat was akin to a wounded
pup, and Faith looked at him in questioning surprise. Seeing the look in his
eyes, she was quick to reassure him. "Hell no, not that!" It was then that she
slipped out a pick from between her breasts. She twirled it in her fingers, and
he breathed a sigh of relief.

Shaking his head, Brendan told her, "You could have said that to begin
with."

"How was I supposed to know you were gonna jump to eatin' the kid?"

"WHAT?!" Dawson screeched out loud. "You're gonna eat me?! Please don't!
I'm bony! I don't have any meat! I won't be any trouble! I promise!" he said in
a high-pitched voice, almost screaming his words. He had never expected the girl
of his dreams to eat humans! What was she -- a Vampire?! He prayed that she
wasn't and that she wouldn't eat him, not that way any way. To be eaten while
still alive would be a horrid way to go! He struggled to rise to his feet, but
he couldn't get up for the chains.

When Dawson had first began screeching so fearfully, Faith had thrown
back her head in laughter. Brendan had looked at her, stunned and loudly
clearing his throat until she'd finally looked again. Only then did she see the
true fear shining in the boy's panicked blue eyes. "Easy, kid," she told him,
placing her hands on his shoulders and gently pushing him back down. "We're not
going to eat any one. Wolfboy could," she said with a toss of her head in
Brendan's direction, "but never does, and I'm just a bitch, not a Vamp, Were, or
anything like that."

Dawson almost collapsed upon himself as he sat back down. Today had been
the most horrible day of his life yet the most exciting at the same time. Had it
really only been earlier that morning that he had been laid for the first time
by the same beautiful woman who now owned him? He couldn't get over it. He sat
quietly, waiting for her to get the chains off. His arms ached to hold her, and
his body craved her touch. He desperately wanted her to ride him again but not
in front of the Wolfboy. He would have to bide his time. They'd be alone soon
enough, and maybe he'd be recovered enough that he could interest her again. At
least, he hoped so.

"Didn't mean to make ya wet yourself," Faith told him as he seemed to
relax again under her touch. She could feel his muscles under her fingertips and
found that she could not resist slowly running her hands down his arms. She
decided she'd deal with the chains that bound his hands.

The touch of her hands sent thrills racing up and down his body, but her
words angered him. "I didn't wet myself, Faith," he spat out, "and my name is
Dawson, not kid. But you did scare the Hell out of me. Too much has happened
today. I can't believe today started out so wonderfully only to end up turning
into my worst nightmare and then turning up good again because you saved me.
Thank you, Faith." He tried to smile at her, but he was so exhausted that he
barely managed it.

"Don't thank me," she was quick to tell him. "I only did it 'cause I
couldn't stand the way that bitch was measuring you. An animal doesn't even
deserve that kinda treatment, but once we get outta here, you're on yer own
again, kid."

Brendan shook his head on that note. "I don't think you can do that,
Faith. The Captain's got a share on this, and I don't think he's going to be so
quick to turn the kid a loose. He likes to get his money's worth."

"Jack's after Will, Virgin Boy," she snapped up at Brendan, her dark
eyes cutting through him, "not after Daw -- " She stopped herself quickly,
realizing she'd almost spoken his name. "Not after the boy here," she quickly
amended, "an' he already knew I was gonna set him free."

"Yes, but wasn't that before he gave you money? Who knows? He might want
him to take care of Will, so you can't just let him go till you talk to him."

"He doesn't need the kid for Will. He wants Will himself, if ya haven't
figured that out yet, and he's got the Lewis's for the healing."

"Yes. He doesn't have a servant for Will, though, and I'm sure he will
want Will to have one." Brendan continued, desperately scratching at any ideal
that might keep Faith from releasing Dawson before the kid was in a safe place.
"If you turn the kid a loose, he's going to be mad."

"I'm shaking," Faith bit back, sarcasm dripping heavily on her tongue,
"but I'll tell ya what, Wolfie. Much as I hate it and as much as I don't give a
damn, you've got a point. So here." She tossed the chain's lead at him. "Have a
field day, but if I find out he's bein' used for slavery or that any of you
bastards have hurt him, there's gonna be some throat cutting," she promised. "I
don't care if it is the Captain's ass I have to kill; I'm not lettin' anybody
hurt that kid as long as I'm around him."

She had just finished opening the lock on the chains that bound Dawson's
hands. Letting them drop, Faith stood again and slipped the pick back into its
hiding place. She looked from Brendan to Dawson before turning back to Brendan.
"And don't get him killed." With that said, she turned to walk out of the alley.

"Where are you going, Faith?" Brendan called after her.

"To kill something," she snapped, her brown eyes blazing black, "but
don't worry. I'll be around if you get that mangy fur of yours in a wrangle."
With that, she left the alley, leaving the two alone.



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

Meanwhile, Prue was pacing the floor and glaring angrily at Joxer. "You
know they're going to leave us! We'll never get out of here!"

"Sure we will," Joxer said. "Gabrielle wouldn't leave me." He looked
around for a window or another door but saw that there were neither. "Did you
say your mother did a spell on this? Well, why don't you just undo it?"

"I can't. I -- I don't know how to do spells!"

"But you're a Witch!" he yelped.

"Yes, but I don't have any powers. Mother didn't want us knowing. She
thought it would protect us."

"Your mother and your grandmother were Witches yet they never told you
anything. Gee, some women you can never get to shut up, and some women never say
anything! HELP!!!!!!!!!" he screamed, hoping some one would hear him.

"SHUT UP!" Prue screamed back at him. "Nobody can hear you, and that
means NOBODY!"

"You can!" Joxer retorted instantly. Prue pushed him. She had had too
much of the little man. Would somebody please come and rescue her?!



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

Brendan shook his head as he watched Faith go. "You're going to have to
learn to overlook her, Dawson," he told the kid as he knelt beside him to free
his feet. "Believe me, that's the only way any of us get through the day without
battling her."

"She's beautiful," Dawson sighed. "Why's she so angry?" he asked the
wolfman.

"Who knows?" Brendan asked with a roll of his shoulders. He'd often
tried to figure Faith out but never gotten anywhere close to doing so. "Believe
it or not, she actually prides herself on that bit -- attitude of hers."

Dawson didn't know how to answer that, so instead he said, "Thanks for
helping me and for not eating me. It was such a relief when she bought me, but
she doesn't want me. Why?"

Brendan could smell the kid's emotions and knew he had it bad. "I hate
to be the one to break it to you, Dawson, but she's never wanted any one twice."

"But I intend to marry her!" It slipped out of his mouth before Dawson
could stop himself. "I'll make her happier than she's ever been! Then she won't
be so bitchy! She won't need that attitude any more."

Brendan reached a hand up to pat Dawson's shoulder reassuringly. "Keep
telling yourself that."

"You'll see. It might take a long time, but I'll win her heart. No
matter how long it takes, I won't stop until I do."

Brendan didn't want to be the one to tell the kid that Hell would
permanently freeze over before any one managed to melt Faith's ice, so instead
he changed the subject. "Tell me," he spoke quietly. "Have you ever been in a
fight?"

"No. Not really. My Father beat the Hell out of me, but that's not
really a fight. I tried to fight back against him, but I'm just not any good at
it and he was my Father. Why?"

Brendan breathed a silent sigh of relief that Dawson had not seen him
wince when he'd spoken of the beatings he endured at his father's hands.
"Because by the time that auction's over," he answered, "all Hell's going to
break loose. You'd best stick close to me and the others. We'll protect you, but
don't trust any one unless you can tell they're with us." He still hoped more of
the crew would come for he knew that there was no way that Jack, Faith, and he
could take on every one in the place and live through the battle. Although his
own life was not important to him, Jack's and even Faith's lives were. He
straightened and pocketed his pick as the rest of the chains fell away from
Dawson. "Can you stand?" he asked him, knowing he was exhausted but would have
to force himself at least a little further.

After a moment's struggling, Dawson managed to get to his feet. "Thank
you, mister. I'll stay close to you."

"My name's Brendan," he replied. Remembering Faith's constant taunts, he
added, "Not Wolfboy."

"Well, she calls me kid. My name's Dawson." He extended his hand to
Brendan.

Brendan took the boy's outstretched hand and shook it in his own, much
larger hand. He was careful not to use too much strength. Releasing him, he
walked to the mouth of the alley. "Come here, Dawson, and look out. Do you see
Faith?"

Dawson walked to the edge of the alley and looked out but shook his head
when he could not spot Faith. Brendan did see Faith, but as she was already
picking a fight, he decided it would be best not to point her out to the kid
after all. "What about that man with the parrot on his shoulder?" he tried
again.

Dawson could see a man with a parrot on his shoulder. "I see him."

"Now look a couple places to his right. See the man dressed in all the
lace?"

"Yes, I see him. He's a dandy, isn't he?"

Laughter broke from Brendan's throat at first, but he quickly hid it in
coughing. "Not highly likely," he told the boy after clearing his throat.
"That's only a disguise," he whispered to him. "That man's our Captain, Jack
Sparrow."

"That's Jack Sparrow?" Dawson whispered in awe. "I heard he was the
meanest, baddest Pirate that ever walked the Earth!" he said eagerly. "That
means you're a Pirate?!" His voice got a little bit higher as he turned to look
at Brendan.

Quickly placing a hand over the boy's mouth, Brendan ducked back into
the alley with Dawson trapped in one arm. "We're Pirates," he whispered to him,
"but not the kind you've always heard about. Some of those tales you've heard
about Jack are true, but most are spread by his own tellings. He's not as bad as
he makes himself out to be. He saved my life." He looked down at Dawson but
could see nothing of the boy's face except for his blonde hair. "You're not
going to go squealing at the top of your lungs now, are you?" he asked rather
nervously.

A muffled sound came from behind Brendan's hand, and Dawson shook his
head, his eyes shining. When Brendan lifted his hand, Dawson answered, "No way!
Wow! A real live Pirate, especially Captain Jack Sparrow! I can't believe my
luck! I always wanted to run away to sea; now I'll be a Pirate too!" He grinned
from ear to ear.

Brendan released Dawson but touched a hand to his forehead as he shook
his head. Faith was not going to like this, and he wasn't sure at all how Jack
would take to the boy's case of hero worship. "You have to be quiet," Brendan
warned Dawson, "and I have to keep a watch on the Captain for when Will comes
out and he signals us."

Dawson's eyes were glued on Jack. There was no way he was going to take
his eyes away! He was looking forward to the adventure to come.



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

Lorne did not know how long he had stood outside the Halliwells' house,
waiting for them to return. He knew they were losing precious time that they
could not afford to lose, so he opened the door and walked in after knocking. He
was just in time to hear Paige's sharp exclamation of, "Crap!"

"Crap what?" Lorne asked, his red eyes taking in the looks on three of
the sisters' faces. He wondered why they were all staring at a closed door with
such fear on their faces.

The instant Phoebe and Paige saw Lorne, they started screaming. "DEMON!
DEMON! DEMON!"

"Yeah," Lorne said, "I am. What's the problem?"

"CALM DOWN, THE BOTH OF YOU!" Piper had to yell to be heard over her
sisters' terrified shouts. "Yes, he's a Demon, but he's a good man! His name is
Lorne, and he's one of those who helped to rescue us!"

Both girls appeared to calm down. "Crap, Prue's locked in the room,"
Paige explained. She did not apologize for her screaming, however. She thought
Piper had taken leave of her senses but didn't say so.

Phoebe got close enough to Lorne that she could reach out and poke him
with one finger. As she did so, Piper exclaimed scoldingly, "Phoebe!"

"Well, I had to see if he was real! Wow! A real Demon! Don't we need to
do something with him?"

"Like what, Phoebe? Feed him?"

"No! You know, get rid of him? A spell or something?"

"Phoebe, you know we're not allowed to use spells! We don't know what
they'll do! Mother would be very upset!" Paige protested.

"Well, Mother isn't here any more, and we have to do something about
him!"

"That is ENOUGH!" Piper thundered, her brown eyes blazing angrily at her
sisters. She continued to exclaim as she stalked across the room to where Phoebe
stood with Lorne. "We are not vanquishing anybody!"

"Vanquishing?" Phoebe asked innocently.

"That's how you get rid of evil things?" Paige added.

"He's not evil!" Piper snapped. Looking apologetically at Lorne, she
shook her head as she told him sincerely, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I get it all the time," Lorne reassured her. "What can we do
to get your sister out of the room? And don't tell me Joxer's in there with
her."

"Huh . . . Yes? And we don't know," Phoebe answered quickly.

"I don't know any magic spells that open doors. At least," Lorne
amended, "not any doors that we want to get into. Would your mother have told
any one else about this room?"

"Our Grandmother knew," Paige answered.

"Anybody still living?" Lorne asked.

"There's only one that might," Piper told him, relieved that her sisters
finally appeared to be calming down again. "Ororo and our mother were very
close; she might know."

"Well, I'll watch for her. As soon as I see her coming, I'll get her to
come in," Lorne said. He stepped outside the door just in time to see a cat
looking directly at him. The cat stared, then spit and hissed at him. "Nice
kitty," Lorne spoke to the cat. "Here, kitty." He knelt down and held his hand
out. "Kitty, kitty? Kitty, kitty?" With a loud meow, the cat came to him and
began to rub against his hand. "Nice kitty. Do you belong here?" Lorne asked. "I
bet you're hungry." With very little effort, Lorne picked the cat up.



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

Lorne had no sooner gone outside than the three sisters heard a
familiar, feline voice spitting and hissing just outside their door. Phoebe and
Paige, jumping up and down, exclaimed, "See, Piper? We told you he was evil! Kit
wants him!"

Piper sighed and shook her head. Had her little sisters always been this
aggravating to their mother? "You two, stay here," she commanded them, "and for
the record, I'm telling you again, Lorne is good. Skin color does not make a
man." Walking across the room, she opened the door and had to smile at what she
saw as Lorne stood, cuddling Kit.

"Look what I found!" Lorne said, beaming like a little boy who had just
discovered the greatest treasure imaginable. "I think he's very hungry. Is he
yours?"

"Ours," Piper said in reference to her entire family, "but keep him a
minute at least." Though her heart was still heavy with grief, the scene had
brought a smile to her lips. Turning back inside the room, she called to her
sisters, "You two get over here."

Phoebe and Paige raced over to the door and looked out. They could not
believe that Kit was letting the Demon hold him! "But -- But -- But -- " Paige
stuttered. "Kit never lets anything evil hold him!"

"That's because Lorne's not evil!" Piper repeated yet again.

"Sorry, Mister Lorne," Phoebe apologized sheepishly. "Thank you for
finding Kit."

"No problem, Phoebe. Do you have something Kit can eat? I think he's
hungry."

"We sure do," Phoebe answered. "Come inside, Mister Lorne, and we'll
feed Kit."

"No, I need to stay out here and wait for Ororo, so you feed Kit," he
said with a smile and handed her the cat. Kit seemed reluctant to leave his arms
but was still glad to get something to eat. Piper, standing beside Lorne,
breathed a sigh of relief. "Hang in there, Piper; it gets better," Lorne assured
her with a smile. "Have you got everything you need except for your sister?"

Piper nodded but added, "And what she went in to get." Her arms were
still loaded with a couple of pots and books.

Lorne glanced eagerly at the books. "Do you think, when you're finished
with them, that maybe I could read them? We never have enough books aboard
ship."

"I'm not sure you'd want to," Piper replied honestly, looking up at him
in surprise. "They're cookbooks."

"Cookbooks? Do they teach you how to cook? I'd like that. At least,
enough to make Jack a surprise cake for his birthday. The cook never gets it
right. It always comes out lumpy. Jack never complains, but none of us want to
eat it."

Piper made a face. "Doesn't your cook know how to cook?" she asked him.

"Not really. He just sort of got put into the job. We don't have a real
cook. The one who complains gets to cook, so none of us complain, but I wouldn't
mind if I knew how." He smiled at her.

"We have a lot of other cookbooks," Piper told him, "but none of them
really teach you how to cook -- we didn't need that sort of thing --, but I
could teach you."

"That would be great! We can run Joxer out of the kitchen! He's the cook
right now. Do you have a barrel or anything that we can pack this in?"

"Every barrel we have is already full. Flour, sugar, you name it."

"Then we'll take them all with us. It might come in handy. We haven't
been able to take on supplies yet."

"We'd planned to donate what we could and throw away the rest but didn't
have enough warning this morning to do so, so we have plenty left. Are you sure
there's room on the ship for all the books, though?" she asked him.

"How many do you have?" he asked.

"Let me put it this way," she answered with a grin. "My Grandmother
loved to cook; my Mother loved to cook; and I love to cook. That give you any
ideal?"

His mouth fell open. He could not imagine having so many books to read!
"If you put them in a bag or something, I can start carrying them to the wagon.
It should not be long before Ororo returns."

Piper nodded. "I'll do so," she told him, slipping back inside. "You
know," she called back, "I could put Paige on guard duty instead if you'd like
to come look."

"Okay," Lorne replied.

"Paige?" Piper spoke her sister's name meaningfully.

"Yes?" Paige asked.

"You heard me," Piper told her.

"What? Are we ready to go?"

Piper rolled her eyes. It was just like her sister to pretend she hadn't
been eavesdropping, even when Piper knew she had. {Anything to get out of work,}
she thought.

"I'm going," Paige said, "but I don't want to miss anything. Be sure you
tell me everything!"

Piper raised a single eyebrow as she looked questioningly at her
youngest sister. "And just what do you think there will be to tell?"

"You know, whatever you and Mister Green are up to . . . " Paige trailed
off with a mischievous look.

Piper blushed as red as Lorne was green. "Paige Halliwell!" she
exclaimed. "You know very well that ladies do not consort in such a manner!"

"Yeah, right."

"Paige . . . " Piper ground out."

"Going, going, gone!" she exclaimed as she rushed out the door. "But,"
Piper could hear her calling back, "I still expect full details!"

Piper shut her eyes and shook her head. "This is not my life," she
muttered under her breath. "This is not my life." Though her eyes were closed,
her feet still carried her to the kitchen.

Lorne followed her into the kitchen but stopped in his tracks when he
saw their kitchen cupboard. He could not believe how many books were on the top
shelf, and he made a mad grab for each of them. "We're taking all of these!" he
said excitedly. "Captain Jack won't mind. He likes books. He has quite a few,
and I've read all of them, some of them even twice."

Piper opened her eyes and had to smile at the eagerness on Lorne's face.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to any of our books, Mister
Lorne, except for one."

"Thank you, Miss Piper, and please call me Lorne."

"Only if you call me Piper," she returned with a gentle smile.

He nodded and then said, "I shall enjoy them and take care of them." He
gathered them up as though they were the best treasures in the world. "Do you
have a sack for them?"

Piper walked over to a pile of gunny sacks that lay next to the
fireplace. Picking them up, she turned to him, "If you don't mind cat hairs?"

"Cat hairs have never been known to bother me, ma'am."

"Good, because we've got plenty and we're not leaving Kit. We didn't
want to, but we thought he was gone," she explained. "We sort of had to throw
him out of the house to protect him."

As Piper began filling the bags and Lorne started carrying them out to
the waiting wagon, he wondered how Jack was coping. Had he managed to rescue
Will? Had he even found him yet? As soon as he reached the wagon, he told
Gabrielle about the supplies and that he would start to bring them out.

"Wait," she told him, "and I'll move the wagon over closer and help
you." Lorne jumped up to the seat and sat down beside her as she drove just a
little space past the front door. "Hold it there, guys!" she called to the
dragons. Dropping the reins, she jumped down and was about to head in with Lorne
when she noticed Morph and Tom demorphing. "No," she told them, shaking her
head. "We can handle it, and you two need to rest up for the trip back to the
ship."

"Are you sure?" Morph asked as his mouth was the first to return to
normal. His head was now human with brown hair and eyes, but the rest of his
body was still the dragon's.

"Yes. Besides, you can spend this time with your wives, but keep an eye
on Meesy and Gonk too. We don't need those two tieing up." Seeing Tom nod,
Gabrielle turned and headed inside with Lorne.



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

Jack had watched the entire scene as Faith had paid for Dawson and
walked away with him. He had smiled with satisfaction, knowing that Faith had
the boy. He had yet to think of a way to convince her to keep him but knew that
she was not stupid enough to turn him a loose here. Just before turning back
around to the block, Jack caught sight of Faith alone near to the back of the
crowd. He saw a man reach out and touch her, and just as swiftly, he saw her
slash his hand off with her knife and knock him out before he could even get one
yell out. Jack smiled to himself, knowing that Faith could take care of herself,
but wondered where she had dumped the kid.

He turned back just as he heard the auctioneer begin to do a sales-pitch
on the latest stock. "You've seen him in the blacksmith shop; now you can play
with him in your own bedroom! What am I bid for this bulging specimen of male?"

Again, the crowd went wild, both men and women bidding. Jack did not say
anything but simply bided his time and kept his eyes on Will. The price kept
going higher and higher, but he knew he had more than enough to cover it. When
the crowd began to lose their steam, the price had gone up to five hundred
thousand.

Will stood on the auction block, his head lowered and his face paled.
His heart thundered so loudly in his ears that he had to struggle to hear the
bidders as they called out prices on his very life. He trembled inside but kept
his body still on the outside. Where was Jack?! Why had he not heard his
beloved's voice?! Had something happened to him? Had he came to his senses and
decided that he would not waste his life by endangering it to save him? His
heart cried out, and he had to fight to keep the tears from his tightly closed
eyes.

It grew quiet, and the auctioneer looked around the crowd. "Come on now.
I know you've got more money out there! He's worth every bit of that, and then
some! Am I bid anything else?"

Jack sniffed his handkerchief before calling out in his aristocratic
voice, "Seven hundred and fifty thousand."

Though the voice that called out was not the one that Will was
accustomed to hearing come from Jack's lips, his heart still told him that it
was indeed the man he loved. Jack was there, and that meant everything was going
to be okay. His heart leapt, soaring skyward despite the chains that bound him
to the block. His eyes, longing to look at Jack, flew open, but Will knew better
than to raise his head. He knew he could not let the others know that Jack was
not there to buy him but to save him, and one glance at Jack at that time, when
such emotion filled his heart, would surely give them away. Therefore, Will kept
his head down even as he prayed that Jack would be able to buy him.

No sooner had Jack called out his bid than he heard an echoing voice
full of icy bitchiness that grated on his every nerve respond. "Eight hundred
thousand."

The auctioneer looked at Jack. "Eight hundred and fifty thousand."

No sooner had he spoken than Helvira bid again. "Nine hundred thousand."

"One million!" Jack called out loud enough that every one in the crowd
could hear him. Shocked gasps rang amongst the rest of the audience as they
parted before him, making a circle around him and clearing the path straight to
the auction block. Jack had actually started forward, holding the bag in his
hand, when none other than Helvira stepped before him. Her snake looked directly
into his eyes, and Jack realized that she knew it was him. His hand went
instantly to his sword, but he did not make a move yet. "Out of my way, wench."

Helvira kept one eye on him as she shot a look back at the auction
block. She smiled icily at Jack even while calling out, "One million . . ." Her
eyes moved back to the man in front of her as she teased, " . . . and one."

Jack, remembering the other bag, did not move but stared her straight in
the eyes. "One million and two."

"And three."

"Four."

"Five!"

Jack forced a calm smile over his lips as he called out, "One million,
seventy-four thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine."

Helvira and her snake hissed as one. Her black fingernails gleamed as
she laid a casual hand on the hilt of her sword. "To the best bidder go the
spoils," she responded smoothly, stepping out of his way.

Jack thought he was keeping an eye on her, but as he stepped eagerly
forward to go to the collecting table, even as the auctioneer was hollering
"Going, going, gone!", the bitch jumped toward him. From somewhere in the crowd,
he heard Faith yell his name and whirled, whipping his sword out, just in time
to meet her blade . . .



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

It had not taken Xena's group long to reach the skirts of Port Royal,
but she didn't have a clue where Jack was. "Carl, do your thing."

"Which one?" the Gnome asked.

"Sniff. Find Jack."

Carl knew Jack's scent almost as well as he did his own. He followed it
closely, almost stepping where Jack had stepped before him. "He went in here,"
Carl said and lifted the tent flap. It barely made a rustle as he went in but
was opened wide when the others followed him. They passed through and found
themselves in an open marketplace just in time to see Jack buying Will. In a
blur, they saw a strange woman in a slinky, black outfit attack Jack, and then
all Hell broke loose. They had made it just in time for the big fight!


To Be Continued . . .


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