Chapter Fourteen
CLANG! went Jack's sword as it met Helvira's stroke for stroke. He was
surprised at the strength that was in her blows. Had he not killed her? Was this
not her ghost he was fighting? Could ghosts materialize to the point that they
were this strong? He knew that they could if they were cursed, as had been the
Pirates that had taken the Black Pearl. He would have loved to have put a curse
on Helvira if he had known how.

His sword met hers again, slicing through the air. Could this woman
actually be alive? The only way he could tell was to slice her and see if she
actually bled red blood, but to do that he had to get clear enough of her to get
a cut in. He danced around as though he had suddenly taken leave of his senses,
which caused her to pause just long enough that he slipped past her guard and
sliced her above the left bosom. He was rewarded with a thin ribbon of red blood
which her snake's forked tongue instantly flicked out and licked.

He didn't know how the bitch had done it, but she was alive! It made his
skin itch all over, and he renewed his efforts at striking at her. His sword was
a jewel and beautiful to handle. It made a singing noise as it fought, meeting
hers again and again. He would not give in to her, and he would not let her take
Will. His back was to Will, and that bothered him as he could not be sure that
Will was safe. He was oblivious to all those around him as he strove to kill the
bitch.

All around Jack, the people had broken into fighting. They had found
that their money was missing and thought that the person next to them had taken
it. Blows rained heavily upon every one, and there was plenty of action for all.



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Meanwhile, from his post in one of the alleys, Brendan had seen the
fighting break out. He started to rush forward but hesitated as he remembered
Dawson. Grabbing the knife from his boot, he turned and, handing it to Dawson,
told him, "Just try not to fall on it, and stay close." He hoped he had not made
the wrong decision by entrusting a weapon to the kid, but the boy had to have
some way of protection should they get seperated. Turning back, Brendan drew his
own sword and rushed into the heat of battle.

Dawson looked at the knife he held in his hand. It was sharp and very
wicked looking, and he wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. He thought, "Just
try not to fall on it", was very good advice. Trembling in excited anticipation
from the action that he was about to see, Dawson followed behind Brendan so
closely that if Brendan had stopped, his nose would have hit him in the rear. He
looked for Faith but did not see her.



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The minute they had arrived, Xena had started in fighting. She could see
Jack and knew who he was fighting. She could also see Will but could not reach
him. Knowing that Jack would need help with Helvira, Xena started fighting her
way to his side even as she thought, {Isn't that the same bitch he already
killed once? Damn, ain't life funny! Every time you think you kill somebody,
they come back.} She remembered all the ones who had come back to haunt her.



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Lex pulled his sword out and began trying to fight his way to where Will
was. He would rescue Will while Jack was handling whoever it was he was
fighting. She was a weird-looking woman with a snake wrapped around her, and by
damn, if she didn't look exactly like one of the Witches they had just rescued!
Could it be the same one? As he stood with his mouth agape looking at her, one
of the fighters jumped into his face with his sword outstretched and Lex set
into fighting him hard. "CLARK," he called over the roar of battle, "DO YOU SEE
THE WOMAN FIGHTING THE CAPTAIN?"

It seemed that the fighting had broken out all around them the very
second they had stepped into the crowd. Though Lex had stopped, staring at
something with a shocked look on his handsome face, Clark had not stopped
fighting for even a second. His lover had left himself open, but Clark protected
him as fiercely as a lion, his sword sending enemy after enemy falling though he
did not kill a single one of them. He had his back to Lex's, fighting off two at
one time, when he called to him about some woman the Captain was fighting. Even
as Clark wondered what could be so fascinating about the bitch that had drawn
his lover's attention, he called back to him, "I DON'T EXACTLY HAVE THE TIME TO
LOOK AT SOME WOMAN RIGHT NOW!"

"WELL, YOU BETTER MAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS ONE! YOU'VE SEEN HER
BEFORE!" Lex yelled even as he threw the guy he was fighting after having driven
his sword through his gut. The dead guy hit three others, knocking them all
down. Lex turned to see who Clark was fighting and lopped off the head of the
one on the left, sending blood spewing.

Despite his strong ethics, Clark had to smile at the way Lex so easily
handled the enemy. He wished he could be like that, but his blasted morals would
never allow him to be. Finally managing to knock the sword from his opponent's
hand, Clark delivered a quick blow to his head, then kicked him out of the way
even as he fell.

Turning his back to Lex, Clark turned to try to look for the Captain
only to find a blade poking him in the face. He smiled at the sword, innocence
shining on his face, until a wicked grin flashed over his lips and he drove his
knee up into the other man's groin. The man fell instantly, holding himself and
screaming out in pain, and Clark stole that moment to look for the Captain. His
blue eyes finally spotted Jack, and like Lex's before him, his mouth fell open
in shock at the sight of the woman. Finally recovering himself just in time to
meet another sword that had been headed for his neck, Clark yelled, "THAT CAN'T
BE ELVIRA! SHE WENT WITH WOLF!"

Lex yelled back even as he continued to slice away at two men who were
attacking him, "I THINK YOU'RE WRONG! I THINK IT IS HER! THERE CAN'T BE TWO
WOMEN LIKE HER, CAN THERE? AND THERE'S NO MISTAKING THE LACK OF CLOTHES!"

"MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING NEW IN WOMEN'S FASHION?" Clark asked. "OR, AT
LEAST," he added, his determined blows driving yet another opponent back, "IN
HARLOTS'?"

Lex shook his head even as he stabbed the one on the right and continued
to fight the one on the left. "IT HAS TO BE HER! I'D BE WILLING TO BET IT IS!
WE'VE GOT TO GET TO WILL AND GET HIM SAFELY OUT OF HERE! JACK WOULD WANT US TO!"

"BUT THAT CAN'T BE ELVIRA!" Clark protested again. "IF SHE'S HERE, AND
SHE'S EVIL, THAT WOULD MEAN WOLF -- " Fury filled him as he thought of their
friend laying dead somewhere, and before he knew what he was doing, he had not
only met another blade but had slipped past the wielder's guard, his sword going
for his gut. Lex, having finished his man off, had turned and was just in time
to see what Clark was about to unwittingly do. Knocking him out of the way, he
drove his own sword home instead.

Without a further word, they continued to make their way to Will's side,
fighting all the way but failing to realize that they were slowly drifting apart
in the sea of fighters.



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Carl did not have a sword, but he had brought the pole and was using its
hook as a weapon, jabbing here and there. Being little and super fast, he was
able to get in a stab, run, and be on the opposite side of the battlefield with
a new opponent before his last one even hit the ground. He was covering a lot of
ground and taking out men all over the place when he was suddenly surrounded by
three with drawn swords pointed down at him. Looking sheepishly up at the
towering brutes, he swallowed a gulp and said weakly, "Hi, guys?"

Suddenly, right behind the group that had Carl pinned down, Cole
appeared. He yelled at the three, "HOW ABOUT PICKING ON SOME ONE YOUR OWN SIZE?"
even as he lobbed three energy balls in quick succession right at the three men,
putting them out of Carl's misery. "Carl, you need to be somewhere safe." He
lifted Carl up and sat him on the top of one of the tents. "Stay up there till
it's over."

Carl wanted to argue, but he knew Cole was right. "Okay, but if you need
me . . . " his voice trailed off.

"If I need you, I'll call." {Not that that's going to happen,} he added
to himself. He was turning around to leave when he was suddenly surrounded by
buddies of the guys he had just offed.

"We saw what you did," one said. "We've gotta kill you now." They waved
their swords at him, loathe to strike a man who did not have a sword drawn. Cole
pulled his sword and began to lay to on the nearest one. He could have thrown
energy balls and been done with it, but then he would have missed out on some of
the action. Lobbing energy balls all the time wasn't a lot of fun, and that way
you never got any exercise except for your pitching arm.

The fighting between the four men became hot and heavy. Suddenly,
another one started sneaking up from behind Cole. Carl, who had been watching
the entire thing, jumped off of the tent and landed on the man's head. The man
started fighting like crazy, trying desperately to pull Carl off, even as Carl
pulled out his little dagger and began stabbing him. The man swung his sword
wildly in an attempt to knock Carl off but instead killed one of Cole's
attackers.

Cole soon took out the other two. Turning, he lobbed an energy ball at
the one that Carl was riding. He smoothly caught the Gnome in mid-air and put
him back on the tent. "Stay up there, Carl," he told him again but then
relented, "but thanks for the save." He bounded into the crowd and straight into
another fight.



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Even though Xena had not called Autolycus' name, he had followed behind
them at a safe distance. He knew she was angry at him at the present time,
because he had been moving first on her and then on Gabrielle every time he
caught one of them alone, not caring which one he got as long as he got one. He
winced, thinking back, at the remembered pain each had delivered him. Neither
the hilt of a sword nor a staff was a fun thing to have in one's groin.

Now he was just as busily scooting around and emptying out pockets while
everybody fought around him. He was never much of one for fighting if things
could be obtained in other ways, and he was always looking for things. He knew
exactly when Xena's eyes made contact with him, and he didn't look up, just
darted around and got another pocket.

He thought he was going undetected when a big, beefy guy reached out and
clasped a hand on him. "So you're the little runt who's been making his way
through the crowd, stealing from everybody and stirring up so much trouble?" The
guy's ham-sized fist wrapped around his neck, and he lifted him off of the
ground by his throat.

Autolycus swung wildly with his feet, trying to kick the guy, but he
couldn't quite reach him. His startled mind failed to register his sword. He had
given himself up for a dead man when the man suddenly released him with a
gurgled roar of pain. "Whoa there, big fella!" Autolycus cried for even as the
man's hand released his throat, he began to fall on top of him. Autolycus tried
to scurry out of the way, but still the man's lifeless body caught him, trapping
him underneath his weight.

Faith appeared where the man had stood, her boot resting momentarily on
his massive rear as she pulled her sword out from his back. Looking down at
Autolycus, she informed him casually, "You can give me some of your loot after
we get out of here, but you're digging your own way out."

"Don't leave me under here!" Autolycus cried out in protest. "I won't
ever get out of here! They'll kill me! This guy must weigh a ton! Don't just
leave me under here!"

Faith shrugged. "Should've thought about that before you let him pick
you up." Hearing the swing of a blade behind her, she whirled to meet the sword.
A swift upper swing blocked the blow, and she kicked the man back. Even as he
stumbled backwards, her sword sliced through his middle, separating his torso
from his legs.

Blood rained down around Autolycus. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! SETTING UP A
TRAP FOR BUZZARDS?!" he yelled up at her. "I DON'T WANT TO BE BUZZARD BAIT! GET
ME OUT OF HERE!" he yelled again at her retreating back as she delved deeper
into the crowd, the blood of her opponents following her everywhere.



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Brendan was well into making his way to his Captain when something white
fell across the blade of his sword. Startled, he looked down at it only to find
a snowflake shining up at him. "What the -- ?!" the wolf started to growl, but
no sooner had he spoken than a fist plowed into his face, knocking him back into
Dawson and sending them both to the ground that was already beginning to be
covered by snow.

Shaking his head fiercely to clear his senses, Brendan raised his sword
again just in time to block a fatal blow. As his sword met his opponent's, his
legs kicked up, slamming into the man's and sending him stumbling backwards.
Brendan quickly jumped to his feet and, with a quick blow from the hilt of his
sword, had delivered the fallen man unconscious. Without another thought to the
white stuff, the wolf delved back into the fighting.

Dawson lay on the ground where he had fallen with the wind knocked out
of him. Gods knew how long he would have lain there if not for the falling
snowflakes falling on his face, but they revived him. He got up, looking for
Brendan, only to see that his friend had disappeared on him. He could not see
him anywhere. He stood in the midst of the crowd, looking around, trying to see
who he could see.

Blood was flying through the air and mixing with the snow. He followed
the direction from whence the blood came and saw that Faith was generating it.
Snowflakes shimmered in her dark hair, and her body, clothes, and hair were all
smattered with blood. He prayed that none of it was hers even as he realized
that, even when bloodied, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever
seen. Should he go to be close to her?

He saw many others fighting but none that he recognized except for the
Captain. He did not want to get close to him as long as he was fighting the
strange woman with the snake. He had caught sight of the Captain just at the
time that the Captain had managed to slice the woman's left breast. Dawson
winced when the snake licked it, then sank its fangs in although the woman did
not even appear to notice. He trembled at the sight.

Just where the Hell had Brendan gotten to?! He finally decided just to
go where Faith was even if it did make her mad. He wanted to feel safer. He
began to make his way there.



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Jack could not believe that Helvira did not notice that the snake was
biting her, and the look of hatred that she kept shooting at Jack chilled his
spine. Then he felt something white, wet, and cold hit him on the face. He had
no ideal what it was. Some kind of weird rain, or maybe there was a bird up
there with a stomach problem?

{Why did it have to crap on me and not Helvira?!} he thought. Then he
saw a flake land on her face and had to smile. {Makes no difference to the bird
which one of us he gets. Must be a condor,} he mistakenly presumed as the flakes
continued to fall. He continued to fight Helvira, matching her strike for
strike, neither of them winning second blood.

As Helvira met Jack's sword yet again, her black lips parted to scream
out over the roar of battle, "MAXAMILLION, GET YOUR LOUSY BUTT TO WORK! DO IT
ALREADY!"

Her words puzzled Jack. What could she mean? Was she talking to her
snake? He watched carefully for her next move, but Helvira fell silent as she
continued to fight him, still trying to break past his guard. Fencing with Will
and daily life had hardened Jack's muscles and made him even more wary of his
opponent. He was stronger than he had been the last time he had fought her yet
he still had not been able to fight her to a standstill, let alone win.



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As the fighting had raged throughout the auction area, one man had kept
to the alleys, determined to finish his meal. When his boss' voice screamed out,
grating his ears, however, he knew he had best get to work. He took one last sip
of what little remained of the slave's blood before tossing her to the pavement.
Picking up one of the chains he'd broken off of her, Maxamillion, who had added
the "million" part to his name after killing his millionth victim, strode
purposefully from the alley. He kept the chain in one hand and his sword in the
other. Avoiding every pesky blow that came his way and running his blade through
the heart of each who ignorantly tried to fight him, he made his way to the
auction block.

The auctioneer was at a lost as to what to do. He knew the auction must
go on somehow, but he was not about to try to break up such a fight by himself.
Even the other traders had delved into the battle, and he had been left alone to
guard the last of the stock. Hearing approaching footsteps, the auctioneer
turned to meet the oncomer, but when he saw the mountain of man who approached,
he gulped. He glanced at the boy, looked back at the man, and took a sailing
leap off into the crowd, choosing to take his chances therein instead of against
such a monster.

Having seen the terrified look on the auctioneer's face, Will turned to
face the direction he had looked in. Maxamillion's lips parted in a slow smile,
his blood-stained teeth gleaming out at Will as he told him, "You're coming with
me, boy."

"Not if I can help it." Will moved quickly, swinging the chains that
bound his hands toward the man's head, but the man, who had sheathed his sword
upon the auctioneer's fleeing, grabbed the chains smoothly. His grin grew more
devilish as he yanked Will, sending him toppling face forward onto the block.
Before Will could even try to move, Max whipped the chains he held against the
boy's back. Will cried out as the chains ripped his shirt away and cut deep
gashes into his back. Then, as swift as lightning, the man whipped his sword out
and, standing over Will, swung downward. Will's cry turned into a roar of pain
as the man cut through the backs of his legs, slicing off his hamstrings.



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Jack's blood ran cold. Some one had hurt Will! He had to get to him! He
kept fighting and backing as quickly as he could, desperately trying to reach
him. As Will's roar of pain reached Jack's ears, Helvira threw the damn snake
right into his face. Jack blindly grabbed at the snake, trying to get a hold of
any part of it while still trying to fight with his sword against Helvira whose
laughter rattled his ears.

Her laughter broke Jack's heart for he knew Will was dead and that her
Maxamillion had killed him. The bitch was going down! He sliced the snake's head
off with one deft blow and became like a madman, not caring if he was hit or
not. He redoubled his efforts with his sword, making his advance so hot that
Helvira fell backwards a few steps. Little did Jack know that when he sliced the
head off of the snake, it had began flying around and around, its mouth and jaws
working as it tried to bite everything in its path.



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Xena's head jerked up at the pain-filled cry. It could only come from
one person -- Will! Her heart leaped in her chest as she looked at where she had
last seen him and saw that he was laying still on the auction block. Was he
dead? She prayed that wasn't so. She reached for her chakram and was about to
throw it when she almost stepped on some one whose mouth flew open. "Hey, Xena!
Be a pal! Get me out of here!"

She started to glance down to see who was down there even though she
recognized the voice when something flew by her head, making a smacking sound.
It did not come back past her way, but she could see that it was a snake head.
"Where the Hell did that come from?!" she asked.

"I don't know," Autolycus told her, "but get me out of here before it
gets me!" She kicked and dragged the dead body off of Autolycus just as the
snake circled back around again. She took a swing at it but missed.



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Brendan had looked up the instant Will had screamed. He was still
looking up, trying to determine the quickest path to the auction block and if
there was any way he could make it there despite the battling crowd all around,
when his acute ears picked up the strangest sound. Turning his head to the
right, Brendan let out a yelp as an all-too familiar head flew right at him. He
instinctively slashed out with his sword; his blade sliced right through the
middle of the snake's head. The two halves fell to the ground, and Brendan,
though scared the wolf was about to come out at any time, jumped onto the
halves, the heels of his boots stomping them into the pavement for extra
measure.



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Clark's heart had nearly stopped beating when the roar of pain had met
his ears. Though his mind told him that it was Will, his heart screamed out for
his beloved Lex. The fist that did not wield his sword shot out, avoiding the
blow of his opponent's sword as his fist hit him full-force into the chest and
sent the unexpecting man flying. "LEX!" Clark called, spinning on the heels of
his boots as his eyes tore frantically around the crowd.

He spotted his love looking up at the auction block and completely
failing to notice the sword that was mere heartbeats from slicing into his back.
Fear and fury filled Clark at once for he knew there was no way he could make it
to him in time. He barely had time to register the burning of his eyes before
fire shot forward from them, burning the man to soot in less time than it took
him to take a single, shocked gasp of air.



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Lex had been desperately fighting his way to the auction block to reach
Will when Will had been attacked. He had not meant to lose sight of Clark, and
he heard him call his name just as fire came out of nowhere and burnt an
attacker that he had not known of to mere soot. The man's sword clattered to the
ground, and the fire continued to rain through the sky. Lex fell to the ground
even as flames shot over his head.

He did not have a clue as to who was shooting the fire. He knew that if
Cole had been lobbing energy balls, they would have been better controlled.
Whoever was doing this was completely out of control as the flames hit not only
people but tents, causing everything it hit to immediately catch on fire. He
spotted Clark, and his mouth fell open. What the Hell was coming out of his
lovers' eyes?! Flames?! Again barely dodging the fire, Lex ran for Clark, hoping
to reach him before he had killed too many or, worse yet, one of their own.



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Faith had been fighting two when a pain-filled roar from a familiar
voice had met her ears. Her head had jerked up to look toward the auction block
and Will, giving her enemies an opportunity. She did not yell out when one of
their swords cut into her shoulder but instead stepped back, yanking her own
shoulder out of the blade and swinging her sword through their chests. She
sliced through the heart of one and continued her blow, passing through the
heart of the second in the same swing, but never did she realize that a sword
was about to meet her back.

Dawson saw the sword aimed straight for Faith and screamed out her name.
Hearing him, Faith turned but found the sword right at her heart. Dawson had
managed to come up behind Faith's attacker. He didn't know how to fight, but he
had an ideal what to do. Holding the knife in his hand, he plunged it deeply
into the back of her attacker and was rewarded with the blade landing in the
heart and killing the man instantly. He fell to the ground, dead, laying between
the two.

Dawson stood, looking at Faith. He saw that she was injured and was
wondering if she would allow him to help her even when his butt was suddenly
singed. He jumped straight for her, knocking her to the ground and landing on
top of her. He was surprised when she grabbed him and pressed her lips to his.

As Faith's lips took Dawson's from beneath, she rolled him onto his
back. The collision between his rear and the ground put out the flames even as
her tongue plunged downwards into his mouth. His arms snuck around her. His
tongue tried to dance with hers as his hands fondled her rear.

Faith did not try to pull away from his embrace but instead deepened
their kiss. Her hands reached downwards, caressing the sides of his legs. She
was just before sliding them between their bodies to his groin when she heard a
voice from above. "Well, well, well. Couldn't wait to taste the merchandise,
could you, girl?"

Faith's eyes rose up to see first a black high heel tapping up and down
on her fallen sword, and then as her gaze traveled higher, the sneering face of
Selene. "This is almost too easy," the woman spoke even as she drew her sword.



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Cole had managed to get free of fighting long enough to shimmer to where
Will was. He was the first one to reach him, but the minute he materialized, a
streak of flame headed straight for his face forced him to shimmer back out.
Where were they coming from? he wondered even as he heard a scream from the
auction block. Looking toward it, he saw Maxamillion, who had been scooped to
pick up Will, engulfed in fire. He was dancing around, madly beating at the
flames, when he exploded.

When Cole shimmered back, he was alone on the auction block with Will,
and he knelt down beside him. He could not tell where he had been stabbed
without turning him over, because there was so much blood pouring from the
younger man's body. Then he realized that it was coming mostly from his legs.
The skin was sliced off where the hamstrings should be, crippling Will should he
survive. Could it be that he was not dead, only extremely injured?

{My Gods!} he thought. {We must get him help immediately! Where's a
Lewis when you need one?} He was not really sure what to do to stop the
bleeding, but a thought came to his mind. {Must get Brendan. Where is he?}

Cole did not want to leave Will, but he had no choice. He had to get
Brendan. Zoning in on Brendan's scent, he shimmered to his side just in time to
see him stomping something into the earth. "Brendan, you've got to get to Will;
he'll bleed to death!" He laid his hand on his friend's arm and shimmered him to
Will's side.



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The explosion of Maxamillion drew Helvira's attention for one brief
second, and Jack made good on his attack. He drove his sword home, straight
through her heart. It was the same maneuver he had used the last time they had
fought, but this time he sliced her open and severed her heart from her chest.
He pulled off his coat, put the heart in it, and wrapped it up therein as though
his coat was a bag. He was then finally able to run to Will's side where Brendan
was already working on his friend.

The second Jack leapt onto the auction block, his eyes were met with
Will. His lungs nearly stopped breathing and his heart beating as he saw how
still Will's chest seemed to be and the blood that covered his body. Jack fell
to the floor beside Will with tears running down his face. His trembling hands
gently pulled Will's head into his lap. As Jack's body gently rocked Will's, the
snow fell even harder. If Will died now, it would kill Jack, because he knew he
did not want to live without his dearest friend . . . without the man he loved.



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Xena had seen the attack on Faith and had come up behind Selene. Poking
her in the back with her sword, Xena demanded, "Back off of her, bitch, and give
her a chance to get to her feet or I'll cut you in two." She held her sword and
made Selene back up. Then she flicked Faith's sword to her even as the girl
rolled to her feet. Faith caught it easily, and Xena's gaze turned back to
Selene. "The fight will be fair," she warned, glaring at Selene, "or you'll
answer to me."

"What concern is it of yours?" Selene hissed at her. Though she had
backed away as commanded, she had no intention of going through with the rest of
this woman's orders. {As if some little tramp could ever order me around!} she
thought seethingly.

"She's one of mine," Xena growled back at her. "She's able to fight her
own battles. That's why I'm giving her a chance at you instead of me just
running you through."

Xena reached down and lifted Dawson up. "Come on, kid; get out of the
way. There's woman's work to be done." She dragged Dawson out of the way and
settled back to watch Faith in action. Xena saw Faith bleeding but knew it would
not stop her and that the girl had to be allowed to fight her own battles as
much as she was able.

Out of the corner of one eye, Faith glanced appreciatively at Xena and
Dawson before returning her full attention to Selene. "I've been waiting for you
ever since I saw you in the tents, bitch."

"What?" Selene asked coldly. "Don't tell me that you thought I was for
sale."

Selene's laughter died in her throat as Faith snapped, "In your dreams,
bitch," and drove forward. Her blade was aimed to slice upwards between Selene's
legs for the way she had treated Dawson, but Selene blocked her just in time.

The fight was swift and furious. The two women danced in a circle around
each other, like a hawk and a snake, as they battled. Both took any opportunity
they were given. Faith drew first blood, her sword taking a deep cut from
Selene's hip, but Selene drew second, her sword biting into the wound in Faith's
shoulder that another had created before her. Faith bit back the cry of pain
that rose in her throat, and Selene smiled at the betraying emotion she saw
flicker, for just a brief second, in the girl's dark eyes. "What's wrong?" she
asked icily. "Did I hurt the little girl pretending to be a woman?" Faith saw
red at that comment, and before Selene even knew what had happened, she had
slipped past her guard and dove her sword into her heart. Instead of falling or
even crying out in pain, Selene smiled at her. "Nice try."

At that moment, Xena realized that this woman could not be killed in
ordinary matters. She had to be an Immortal, and one of the sure-fire ways of
dealing with them was to take their head. She knew Faith would not think of that
and wondered how to tell her, but when she saw that Faith was so surprised that
she had not yet taken her sword out of Selene's heart and Selene's blade was
whistling through the air as it headed straight for Faith's throat, Xena whipped
out her chakram, threw it at Selene, and cut her head off.

Selene fell to the earth, dead. Her head rolled to Faith's feet, and
Faith kicked it for extra measure. Her kick sent the head flying against the
wall next to Dawson where, upon impact, Selene's head burst open, blood, brains,
and tissue exploding everywhere. Dawson screeched and ran from the wall. He
thought he was going to be sick, and he had to fight to keep the bile down. He
didn't think he could ever get used to fighting like this.

Reaching Faith, he wanted to hug her again but wasn't sure if she'd let
him. Instead, he reached down, picked up her sword from where it had fallen out
of Selene's heart when she had fell, and handed it back to her. Her fingers
brushed his as she took it.

Xena, Dawson, and Faith quickly made their way to the auction block just
in time to see Jack reach Will. The tears rushing down his face touched them
deep in their hearts. Was Will dead, or could they save him?



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

Lex finally reached Clark, who seemed to have taken out the rest of the
crowd. With a flying leap, Lex landed on his lover's back, knocking him to the
ground beneath him. Ripping off his shirt, he covered Clark's eyes with it.
"Clark, are you all right?" he asked worriedly. He did not let go of him.

"Lex?" Clark's breath shook as he answered, and Lex could feel his
beloved trembling. "What . . . What just happened?"

Lex did not tell Clark how much damage he'd done. He just reassured him
that most of them were all right and that he had not attacked any of his
friends. "You took out some of the enemy, and you burnt down the tents." Knowing
that this would not be enough to assure him for Clark undoubtedly knew he had
killed in the process, Lex added gently, "And you saved my life again and
stopped the evil man that was trying to take Will." Lex had gently rolled Clark
over as he had been talking, and his breath brushed across Clark's lips as he
told him, "You're my hero, Clark." Then he kissed him gently. "But just for good
measure, keep my shirt on."

Clark did not speak again. He knew Lex was trying to keep him from
concentrating on the full effect of what he had done, but nothing, not even the
sweet nectar of his lover's lips as Lex kissed him, could keep him from knowing
that he had killed. He had to fight to keep his body from visibly shaking at the
thought. He had no intention of taking Lex's shirt off not only for fear of
those horrid flames shooting forth again from his eyes but also because he did
not want Lex to know that tears filled his eyes. They had too many other, more
important matters to attend to.

Lex stood, pulling Clark to his feet. "We've got to get to Will. I don't
know how bad he's hurt." His heart was as heavy as his beloved's as Lex served
as Clark's eyes, guiding him through the fallen bodies to the auction block.
Though he could not see his face, Lex still knew that Clark was crying but did
not know how else to reassure him. For now they would have to concentrate on the
other problems at hand, but once he got him alone, Lex would find a way to cheer
up his beloved and take his mind off of what had happened.

Most of the group had reached Jack's side by the time Lex and Clark
reached the auction block. Only Autolycus and Carl were missing. Autolycus was
out in the sea of dead bodies, lifting whatever he could from their corpses, but
Carl's voice met their ears. "HEY! SOMEBODY GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" He was still
on top of the only tent that had not been burnt.

Chapter Fifteen
Wolverine walked proudly beside Ororo. He would have liked to have
reached out and taken her hand in his but didn't know how she would take it.
After all, he was only a lowly Pirate while she was a beautiful Queen. She
probably did not even want to be seen with him, but he found himself wishing his
mates could see him now. He had seen a lot of women in his time, but she was the
most beautiful by far.

He wondered how long it was to her house. He hoped it was not far. He
knew they did not have a lot of time to get what she needed and back to the
wagon. "How far is it to your house, Ororo?" he asked.

As they rounded a corner in the circle of houses, she indicated the one
at the end with a nod of her head. It was only a small cottage, barely large
enough for one, but its perimeter was surrounded in a wide assortment of
flowers, each of which appeared lovelier than the last. A huge oak stood to one
side of the house, its branches sweeping upwards in a seemingly desperate
attempt to touch the heavens, and a weeping willow stood only a few feet in
front of an open window that led to her bedroom.

He waited for her to open the door, glancing nervously around. He felt
as though a vice grip was around his heart, squeezing ever more as the seconds
ticked by. He hoped they were not surprised by any of the townspeople for he
knew they had probably found the smoke and the bodies they had burned. He wanted
to have her back into the safety of the wagon and back to the ship before that
happened.

She could sense his tenseness and did not need to ask to know that it
was due to the danger that was all around them. The sky was growing increasingly
darker even as her hand slipped into her pocket. Surprise flickered over her
face as she found her pocket empty, however, and she realized that her key must
have fallen out in the ocean. Her voice was calm as she asked him, "Hum, do you
happen to have a pick on you, Logan?"

Her question surprised Wolverine. "Why, little darlin'? Where's yer
key?" he asked. "But no, I don't have a pick, nothin' but these," he said even
as he popped a claw out and used it to open the lock. Once it was unlocked, he
stepped back out of the way, knowing she was probably very well shocked seeing
his claws but knowing that he could not hide it from her. His eyes sought hers,
hoping not to see fear in them.

Her mouth had fallen open upon the sight of his claws, but she breathed
a silent sigh of relief as she believed she had managed to regain her calm
appearance before his attention turned back to her. Her blue eyes shimmered when
he looked at her, but it was not from fear but rather concern. Stepping closer
to him, she cupped his roughened hands in her gentle ones. "Does that not hurt?"

"It did once upon a time when they came out on me all o' a sudden. I
wasn't born with them, but apparently they were in me the whole time. I hated
them at first, but as I found more and more uses for them, I came to be happy I
had them. They've saved lives many times, includin' my own." He reached out and
opened the door for her, pushing it wide open. "We'd best hurry, little darlin'.
There's a lot o' space between us an' the ship an' not much time."

"Of course," she answered, nodding even as she withdrew her hands from
his. She swept through the doorway with a natural grace, calling back to him as
she did so. "You may come in with me, and thank you, Logan." Remembering his
earlier question, she finally answered it. "My key evidently fell out in the
water."

He smiled at her even as he entered her house. "Thank you for inviting
me in. When we get back with my mates, don't call me Logan. That's just for yer
ears. They call me Wolverine; they don't know my real name."

She listened to him even as she led the way through the front room and a
short hallway. "Do you normally make a habit of keeping such secrets from your
friends?" she asked curiously. She opened a door and walked into her bedroom.

"You are the only one who knows my name. I don't tell others, 'cause
when they know your name, they have power over you. I told you. I'm really not
sure why, but I trust you."

Glancing over at him, she graced him with a reassuring smile. "Your
secret is safe with me. We all have things we wish others not to know, and I
promise I will not tell a soul."

Moving to her bed, she knelt before a small trunk at the end of it and
opened it. She then moved to her closet where upon she pulled out only three of
the outfits held therein. Moving back to the trunk, she dropped them in before
walking over to her dresser. It held several drawers, but she only pulled out
one. She took that one out, carried it over to the trunk, and dropped its few
contents into it. Placing it on her bed, she turned and, without hesitation,
selected two of the books from her top shelf.

"You can take more o' those books if you want to, 'Ro. I can carry that
trunk with very little problem, an' even if you decide you don't want the books,
the crew will just about die to get 'em. We have a definite shortage of books,
an' believe it or not, there are those of us who actually read, including the
Captain."

"Very well then." She stepped back from the bookcase and held her hands
up. The wind in the room suddenly picked up as it circled around her, swept the
books off of the bookcase, and dropped them into the trunk. As her hands
dropped, so did the wind.

Wolverine knew that it would take him quite a while to get used to the
little things that she could do. He thought that being able to use the wind like
that was an amazing, useful trick. He hoped she never got mad at him, because he
would hate for the wind to get him the way that it had gotten the books. He knew
he'd never get away from it. "Is this all, little darlin'?" he asked.

"Almost," she told him. Walking back to her dresser, she lifted the lid
of what appeared to be a music box. It was, however, a hidden compartment that
sank into the first drawer, which was without a knob or any other way to open it
and appeared to be merely there for decoration. Reaching into the compartment,
she drew out two sheathed knives and a small, black case. Setting them onto the
dresser, she opened a second music box. This was actually a small box, just as
it appeared to be, and she pulled out a pair of earrings that had been crafted
into lightning bolts. Adding that to the trunk, she stepped over to the left
wall, which was completely bare.

He watched as she collected her knives and then stepped over to the
wall, wondering what she was going to do with it. The knives had surprised him,
because he had not thought she had any real weapons beside her powers. Why would
she need them, he wondered, and did she know how to use them? Again, hopefully,
not upon himself.

Ororo reached out and placed a clawed hand onto what appeared to be just
another brick. Blue flashes raced from her fingertips as lightning sank into the
brick, which she had long ago cast a spell upon. She stepped quickly to one side
as the brick shot out. Stepping back in front of the hole where the brick had
been, she withdrew a locket from within.

He tried not to show his surprise. Everything about this woman seemed to
be one long chain of surprises. "Are we ready now?" he asked.

Tightly grasping the locket in her hand, she walked back to the trunk
and slid it into a secret compartment. Shutting the trunk, she fastened the
latch. She moved slightly closer to the bed as she slid a key out from
underneath her mattress. After locking the trunk, she pocketed the key and
stood. She gestured at the trunk, and winds lifted it from the floor. Looking
back to Logan, she nodded.

"If ya have any food or other supplies, ya might want to bring them. The
ship hasn't been stocked, and I'm afraid it won't be stocked before we leave.
It's a long ways to Tortuga, an' there are no stops in between. We'll be eating
a lot o' fish, so anything you have will be good."

She thought for a moment before answering. "I have no food inside, but
there are a few fruit-baring trees out back."

Wolverine grinned at her. "I haven't clumb a tree in a long time. Sounds
like fun. Get us something to put 'em in?"

She nodded in response and then led the way to the kitchen. The single
cupboard that stood in the room was just as bare as she had indicated, but there
were gunny sacks piled on top of it. With a wave of her hands, breezes again
lifted, this time carrying the sacks down to them.

He grabbed an armload, planning to fill each of them. The crew would be
happy to get them; fresh fruit would sure beat the heck out of hard tack and
weevil flour biscuits that they'd probably encounter before they reached
Tortuga. He grimaced at the thought of the biscuits.

Gathering the remaining bags to her, Ororo walked around the table
before opening the door. Stepping out, she moved to one side so that Logan could
follow.

Logan stepped out into the sunshine, and his mind was instantly boggled
at the sight he was met with. She had said a few trees and he had expected one
or two, but the garden was full of fruit-baring trees and bushes. He could not
believe the vast array of fruits and wondered if she might have some vegetables,
as well. "Do you have any vegetables growin'?" he asked.

"Potatoes," she answered, her eyes looking up at the trees. Although she
had ended up staying for nearly half her life, she had never meant to stay here
for long. She had planted the trees solely to help the community, but she would
dearly miss the grove.

Logan set about collecting apples, oranges, peaches, and pears and
loaded the bags without a single thought as to how he would get them to the
ship. He was amazed at the booty and knew that, although the Captain personally
did not eat fruit, he would still be proud to see them. Logan then dug up
potatoes and filled another two bags. All in all, he had ten bags collected in a
blink of an eye before looking around for some kind of conveyance. "'Ro,
darlin', you got a wheelbarrow?"

"Of course," she replied. She had been working alongside him the entire
time and had collected the same amount of bags. "I shall return in just a
moment," she added, walking off in the direction of her gardening shed.

He did not wait but followed her and spied the wheelbarrow as soon as
she opened the door. Stepping forward, he grabbed it before she could and headed
back to where the bags were waiting. He loaded the potatoes first and then the
pears and apples on the bottom. Then he added the oranges and put the peaches on
top. It was quite a load, but it had one more thing to add. He was turning to
head into the house when he saw her returning with the trunk. Placing it on the
side of the wheelbarrow, where it would not crush the peaches, he lifted the
handles and began to head back in the direction where he knew the wagon would be
waiting.



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

Logan and Ororo were on their way to the wagon when they heard Wesley
excitedly marveling at all the sights and things he was finding in Fred's house.
He sat the barrow down. "Maybe we'd better check on them? At the rate he's
goin', they could be all day. Wesley?" he called out.

Ororo smiled gently. "He sounds as though he is amazed, but given
Winifred's laboratory, I can not say that I am surprised."

"I thought she was a Witch? What is she?" he asked.

"There are many kinds of Witches, Logan. Some of us have gifts from the
Gods in the forms of powers but not all. Winifred does follow the path, but she
is more of a scientist at heart."

Scientist was a new word to Wolverine. He did not have a clue as to what
it was. "What's a scientist?" he asked.

"Well, there are various types, but Winifred uses her knowledge and
tools to try to find answers as to why certain things are the way they are and,
mostly, for cures."

"You mean like a doctor? Brendan Richards is our ship doctor. He's a
very good one, but I've never seen him do any scientific stuff."

"Somewhat . . . " Ororo began to answer but stopped as Fred poked her
face through the door.

"Ororo! There you are! Ah was hopin' ya'd come by! Honestly, Ah wasn't
plannin' on bringin' everythin', but Wesley -- He's just -- " She shook her
head, at a loss for words, and finally admitted, "Ah just don't know what ta do
with him! Ah ain't evah seen any one go after mah beakers in such a manner!"

Wolverine looked at her with one eyebrow raised. He had heard them
called many things but never beakers. "You say Wesley's after your beakers? We
thought the boy . . . " His voice trailed off. Would wonders never cease?

Winifred nodded in all seriousness. "Mah beakers an' mah test tubes an'
-- an' -- "

Ororo placed a gentle hand on Logan's forearm and faced Fred with a
gentle smile. "It is perfectly all right, Winifred. He probably simply has never
seen such an array of tools," she emphasized the word in hopes that Logan might
understand.

Wolverine was grinning from ear to ear. The boy was not hopeless, after
all! "Better not go in there, 'Ro, not till he gets through. First time, you
know."

"Oh mah -- !" Fred's mouth flew open, a deep crimson staining her
cheeks.

"Lo -- Wolverine," Ororo gently chided, her own cheeks appearing darker
as well, "that is not it at all!" Releasing his arm, she started forward.

Meanwhile, Wesley was inside, ignoring everything being said and busily
packing test tubes, beakers, other equipment, and books. Outside, Wolverine
followed reluctantly behind 'Ro. "If you say so, ma'am, but it sure sounded fer
all the world like he was very busy, an' if I do say so myself, it's well past
time."

Despite the day's events and her unwillingness to embarrass Logan or
Fred any further, Ororo could not help herself as her lips parted in a gentle
tinkling of laughter. She met Winifred at the door. "Honestly, Ororo, Ah just
don't know what ta do! Ah don't even have enough crates!"

Ororo placed a reassuring hand on Winifred's shoulder and faced her
younger friend's frantic nervousness with a reassuring smile. "We will find a
way to handle the situation, Winifred. Besides, you should not have to leave any
of that behind. You never know when such might be needed, and your equipment is
more important to you than food." Fred started to speak, but Ororo shook her
head. "Do not try to deny it, child, for I know you and know that that is true."

At the mention of food, Logan asked, "Miss Fred, do you have any food in
the house? If so, ya might want to bring it. The ship's low in supplies." Women
were certainly strange creatures, and he wasn't exactly sure how to handle
either of these two. He just knew that wherever 'Ro went, he was going, and that
he liked both of them a lot. "Give me a minute, an' I'll get Wesley outta
there," he said as he walked into the room. Not paying attention to what Wesley
had in his hand, he patted him on the back. "Good goin', buddy."

"I know!" Wesley exclaimed, grinning like a kid in a candy shop. "I
simply can not believe this! Look, Wolverine! She has so much!"

"They both do, my friend," Wolverine agreed with a grin, "an' aren't we
the lucky ones?"

Wesley looked up at him in confusion, a bag in one hand and a beaker in
the other. "Ororo's a scientist, too?" he asked in disbelief. "I thought they
were Witches, not scientists!"

"No. 'Ro's a Weather Witch and a gardener. You oughta see the booty I
got -- fresh fruits and potatoes!" he almost whispered the latter. He dearly
loved potatoes.

"That's all fine and dandy, I suppose, but just look around you,
Wolverine! So many books, and such equipment! My Gods, a man could die happy
here!"

"Oh, you can say that again," Logan breathed softly. "I've just gotta
get in 'Ro's garden one more time."

Wesley looked questioningly back at his friend. "You left something?" he
asked.

"No, matey. I found something."

"Well then, why didn't you already get it?"

"It takes time, my friend; it takes time. Now let's get this stuff
packed up an' headed fer the wagon." Four pairs of hands made the work short and
easy, and they had soon finished the task.

The men had been so busily at work that the women had stood to one side.
Winifred was still shaking her head in amazement as she could not figure out how
they had managed to get everything packed, let alone so quickly. "Mistah Logan,"
she spoke up quietly, "'bout that food. Ah've got some vegetables Ah was workin'
with if that'll help."

"Sure will. Get 'em, and I'll add them to my barrow. How're we gonna
carry this stuff? Do you have a wagon or a wheelbarrow?"

Winifred shook her head. "No. Ah tried ta tell Wesley, but he just
wouldn't listen."

"That's all right," Ororo was quick to reassure both Fred and Logan. "I
can transport them."

"They won't fit on the wheelbarrow, 'Ro. I could take these to the wagon
an' return."

"I can carry them on the wind, Wolverine."

"Okay . . . " he said disbelievingly. He would wait and see, however,
because he had seen the wind do some mighty strange things at her instruction
already. If she said she could do it, he believed her. "But we'd better get a
move on."

Ororo nodded as she turned her attention back to Winifred. "Where are
you keeping the vegetables?"

"In the kitchen," Fred nodded to one of the two rooms that adjoined the
one they were in. "What's left o' 'em any way. Ah had more, but mah plans just
weren't workin' out. Ah didn't think it'd be so hard to combine carrots and
potatoes."

"Euuw," Wolverine said. "Carrots? Yuck! Those things'll rot your teeth
out! Now potatoes, that's a vegetable that'll fill your stomach!"

"They can both be quite filling," Wesley informed him, "and are both
good for your health."

"Thank you, Doctor Wesley, but if I've got any part o' carrots, I'll
give 'em to you."

Winifred looked up at Wesley, her eyes shining. "You're a doctor?" she
asked in amazement.

Wesley smiled at her, his chest puffing out in pride. "I am a scientist
like yourself, madam."

"Doctor Doom, ma'am. He forecasts comin' things by readin' it on paper.
He's usually right," Logan said, "but it's usually not stuff we really wanna
know till it happens. A very smart man," he said, tapping his forehead.

Winifred beamed at Wesley. "Oh, wow! Shucks, Ah bet we could come up
with some wonderful stuff together!" she exclaimed, never realizing how that
sounded.

"I bet you two could," Logan agreed as he headed outside. He had had
about all he could handle of Wesley and Fred. He had already gotten heated up
watching 'Ro in the garden, just being near her and not being able to do
anything about it, and now these two were all but doing it in front of him. If
this kept up, he'd soon be hunting some of that water the Captain liked to use
so much of. "Hurry up," he called out. "We've gotta get going!" He glanced
ominously at the darkening sky, his need for haste quickening his step.



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

"I shall fetch the vegetables," Ororo spoke, "but Winifred, you need to
fetch at least one change of clothes."

"Clothes?" Fred repeated, then blushed. "Ah hadn't even thought o'
that!"

Ororo smiled but did not say that she had thought as much. Instead, she
turned and walked into the kitchen.

Wesley began toting the boxes out of the door, and Logan took them from
him and sat them neatly on the ground in a row. They soon had the room cleaned
out and glanced expectantly at the door, waiting for the women to emerge. They
had barely began to wait, however, when Wesley glanced back down at the crates.
"What did she mean when she said she'd have the wind carry them?" he asked Logan
uneasily.

Wolverine said proudly, "'Ro is a Weather Witch, an' as such, she can
get the wind to do stuff. A while ago, in the garden, she told it to lift her.
It picked her up like she was a feather an' carried her up to one of the highest
branches so that she could get some apples down! Surprised me so much I almost
fell out! I didn't say anythin' 'bout it. She had that wind haulin' an' totin'
fer her like it was some kind o' fancy dandy wantin' attention. I can't wait to
see how she gets it to tote these boxes!"

Wesley shook his head slowly from side to side in amazement even as his
eyes returned to the door. "This day is just full of one surprise after
another."

"You can say that again! What were you an' Miss Fred handlin' inside
that took you so long before we got here? Looked like you had just barely began
to pack."

"We had," Wesley admitted, "but I couldn't help myself, Wolverine! Her
equipment is just so amazing! I haven't seen that much stuff in one place since
London!"

He looked at him in surprise. "You actually saw equipment like hers in
London? Well, it's true. They do come with the basic equipment, some bigger than
others."

"Not the size so much as the sheer amount," Wesley amended.

"And you had to discuss that?" Logan asked incredulously. "Well, it
probably made for an interesting conversation. Yer've talked more today than ya
usually talk in a whole week. It seems she brings out the best in you. What do
you make o' all this snow?"

"I wasn't sure what to make of it at first," Wesley admitted. "I didn't
have my scrolls or equipment available, after all, but Winifred has been
researching it for a while now. She says a great force of evil is coming to
obliterate the town, Wolverine, and I believe her. That's one of the things we
talked about in there. She showed me all her data, and I must say that it is
astounding! Her mind is astounding! I just can't believe it! Having another
scientist around, especially one of her intellect and beauty -- ! I just -- !"

"Well, ya better lay kinda heavily on the beauty part o' it, my friend.
Ya know we're goin' to the ship. There a lot o' single, unattached men lookin'
fer women on that ship, an' they ain't had time to get one in port. Ya better
put yer mark on her or they'll be tryin' to move in on uncharted waters."

"She doesn't deserve to have to tolerate that!" Wesley exclaimed
heatedly despite himself. "If -- If they touch her and she does not wish to be
bothered by them, I'll -- I'll cut their hand off!"

"Wesley, just mark her. I've been thinkin' 'bout it, an' I don't know
how to mark 'Ro until we get the other men alone, either, 'cept to growl if they
get too close, but I plan to tell 'em she's mine an' they better not lay a paw
on her. I advise you to do the same. They're basically good men, but they're
horny bastards an' we do have two beautiful women. Just don't let the women
know. They won't like us thinkin' that we own them."

"We do not own them, Wolverine!" Wesley sharply objected. "We should be
so lucky as to have them own us! And I shall not lay an unworthy claim upon
Winifred, but I will tell them what will become of them should they bother her!"

"Well, you do it your way, an' I'll do it my way just as long as they
know. I'd hate to have to kill one o' em fer layin' one of their grubby mitts on
my 'Ro."

Wesley nodded understandingly and opened his mouth to speak. His words
were forgotten and his mouth left opened, however, as Winifred, followed by
Ororo, stepped out. Winifred carried a single trunk, but what amazed Wesley were
the bags that floated in the air behind Ororo. Recovering himself, he rushed
forward just in time to meet Fred at the base of the steps and took the trunk
from her. Meanwhile, Ororo fastened her attention on the cases. Her left hand
gestured to them to lift, and breezes lifted the cases into the air.

Carrying the trunk, Wesley headed off in the direction of the wagon
followed by the ladies and the cases and bags that floated in the air. The rear
was brought up by Wolverine who kept sniffing the air as though something was
about to hit them as he pushed the wheelbarrow.

It did not take them long to reach the spot where the wagon had been but
was no longer. Wolverine sat the wheelbarrow down. If there had been tracks, the
snow on the ground had now covered them, and he had to use his nose to locate
the direction in which the wagon had been driven. "They went that way," he said
and pointed in the direction of the Halliwells'. It did not take long to cover
the space between where they were and the wagon, and he could see that it was
being filled with barrels of what he hoped was food. He was about to unload his
wheelbarrow when they were approached by one of the women from the house.

Hearing snow crunching under approaching footsteps, Ororo turned to look
in its direction and was surprised to see Paige rushing to them. Her face was
paled with fear, and Ororo knew instinctively that it was not just what they had
been through that day and losing her mother and grandmother that now had her so
afraid. She quickly gestured her hands in silent commandments to the wind,
sending the cases and bags sweeping by Logan as they appeared to load themselves
into the wagon. As soon as that was taken care of, Ororo rushed forward to meet
Paige. Clasping the youngest Halliwell's shoulders, she stilled her even as she
asked in deep concern, "Paige, child, what's wrong?"

"Prue!" Paige exclaimed, her voice trembling as she was on the verge of
tears. "Prue and Joxer are locked in the room!"

Ororo did not have to ask which room nor even how they had gotten locked
in there. "Goddess," she spoke with a quick intake of breath.



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

Seeing that 'Ro was taking care of the girl, Logan had quickly loaded
what he had been carrying and added the wheelbarrow. He didn't know if they'd
have a use for it aboard the ship or not, but he was not one to throw away
anything. He then walked over to stand beside 'Ro as the girl said "the room",
making it sound as though it was the voice of doom. Ororo's fearful reaction
only added to his concern. "What room?" he asked.

Ororo quickly explained. "The Halliwells have a very special item that
they keep in their mother's and grandmother's room. The room has a spell on it
so that it traps any one who enters it but is not of their blood. Only Patty and
Penelope knew how -- "

She was interrupted by Paige. "No! Don't tell me you don't know how to
get them out!" Tears welled in her eyes. "I can't lose Prue, too! I can't!"

"Easy, child," Ororo gently spoke to her. She wrapped her arms around
Paige and held the young woman reassuringly even as she looked, unshed tears
sparkling in her own eyes, to Logan for help.

"Show me the room?" Logan asked.

Ororo nodded before turning her attention back to Paige for a moment.
"Paige, dear . . . " she started but could feel Paige's tears wetting her shirt.

Ororo had not known when Winifred had came up, but Fred now reached out
and gently touched Paige's shoulder. "Paige, come here, sweetie," Fred started
but had barely gotten the words out when the girl turned into her embrace. The
women's eyes met, and Ororo knew that Winifred would handle the situation and
felt confidant in her ability to do so. Without another word, she turned and
headed directly into the house.

She did not stop until she stood in front of the room that held Prue and
Joxer trapped. "They are behind there," she said, nodding to the door, "but we
can not hear them nor can they hear us. The door can not be attacked, either."

Wolverine walked up to the door. He sniffed at it. It was giving off
some kind of a high-pitched sound that only his alert ears could pick up, and he
knew better than to reach out and touch it. "I'll be back," he said and raced
outside.

Walking slowly outside the front door, Wolverine began to make his way
around the house. He held his hands out toward the house, sensing the vibrations
that it was giving off. He was not surprised that the others could not hear it.
He went all the way around the house, sensing that the vibration ebbed and
flowed in some places and searching for the weak area. Everything had a weak
area. He knew that from experience. He reached out, tentatively touched the
house, and was not shocked.

He finally found the spot. It was the only spot that the vibration was
not coming from. Flicking out a claw, he stuck it in. He was surprised that he
was still not shocked. He began to drag his claw down, cutting a door into the
room. He tried to rip quickly at first, but it sealed itself. As he slowly cut
down, however, he noticed that it stayed open only for a few minutes longer than
it had when he had ripped it.

He had to find something to stick in it and hold it open. He found some
logs that had been cut for firewood and carried several of them back. As he tore
gently through the wall, he slipped a log in. He knew that it would have to be a
quick maneuver and that the house would seal itself again quickly. He could hear
the people inside now. "Be ready," he called and was answered by a shriek from
Joxer which he ignored. "It will only last a few seconds an' yer'll have to get
out, so if there's anythin' in that room that you want, ya'd better grab it and
be ready when it opens."

Prue glared angrily at Joxer. "Don't even move!" she said angrily with a
finger pointed at him. She flipped the rug back and pulled open a secret chamber
in the floor. Reaching inside, she pulled the Book out. It was wrapped in a
black, silk cloth, but she knew what it was and did not pull the cloth off.
Walking over to the hole that was slowly appearing in the wall, she turned back
to Joxer. "Get over here now!" she said, pointing to the floor just in front of
her. "You heard him say that it was going to be quick!"

"But -- But -- But the wall's talking!"

"Fool!" she said. "Get here now!" Prue had a lot of patience, but she
had very little with this man. He had jerked her last nerve.

"No way!" Joxer exclaimed, shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere
near a talking wall, especially not one that sounds like an angry Wolverine!"

Prue got in front of Joxer and started poking him on the chest. She
backed him up and had him at the wall just in the time that Wolverine hollered,
"NOW!" She poked him again, and his feet tripped her, causing her to fall into
his chest and knock them both out of the hole that Wolverine had made. Logs,
Book, Joxer, and Prue fell out even as the hole sealed itself again immediately.
She took deep gulps of the fresh air even as she looked at Wolverine. "Thank you
very much! Please do something with this!" she said as she pushed Joxer to him.

"Joxer," Wolverine growled at him. "Talking walls, are they? I have
never met a bigger idiot! Just wait until I tell Gabrielle what a fool you've
been! Get in the wagon, sit there until we get there, an' don't touch anything!"



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

Prue had already ran around to the front of the house. Upon entering the
house, she was met by both Paige and Phoebe, hugging and screaming so loudly
that their voices made Piper come out of the kitchen. "Prue, thank Gods!" she
exclaimed, rushing forward and joining in the group hug.

"That idiot!" Prue seethed. "I gave him to that short man out there; I
hope he eats him! Now we must get out of here and hurry! Have you got
everything?"

Lorne had followed Piper out of the kitchen and was very relieved to see
that Prue had been released. "The short man's name is Wolverine," he said, "and
he is a very good man to have around." His arms were loaded down with bags, and
he hurried out to the wagon. It took him several trips to get all of the bags
into the wagon. Phoebe had two bags full of clothes and a few romance novels
that no one knew she had, and she ran for the wagon.

"I think we almost are," Piper told Prue. She noticed Ororo slipping out
behind her sister but did not call to their godmother. She knew she was being
hit as hard as the rest of them, if not more so, and needed some time to
herself. "Oh," she added excitedly, "and guess who Lorne found?!"

"Who?" Prue exclaimed. At her exclamation, a meow was heard. "Kit!" She
scooped the cat up. "I guess we're ready now," she said with a smile and headed
out to the wagon.

Piper followed her sister, still talking. "You wouldn't believe the time
I had with Phoebe and Paige! They wouldn't believe me for anything when I told
them that Lorne was good, but at least they believed Kit!"

Prue didn't ask; she knew that if Lorne had truly been evil, Kit would
have attacked him. As the cat indicated it wanted down, she released it into the
wagon and it headed straight for Lorne's lap; she knew it had not attacked him.

Lorne looked over at Gonk. "Nice doggy. Stop looking at the cat like
that. You'd better be friends. Come; sit down." Gonk, who was very tired of
being ignored except to be scolded every time he happened to glance Meesy's way,
crawled over beside Lorne and laid down by his leg, trying his best to ignore
the cat. {Too many cats here,} he thought with a glance at the two catwomen who
were still sleeping and the catman who sat beside one of them.



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

Logan had followed Ororo when she had walked out of the Halliwells'
house. He knew she was upset. He finally caught up to her, but her back remained
to him. "'Ro," he asked, his deep voice full of concern, "are you okay, little
darlin'?"

His voice stopped her in her tracks, but she did not turn back around to
face him. Her arms were folded before her. Her hands rubbed her arms as though
to warm her although she was not cold. Her head was tilted to look up at the sky
that grew ever darker, and tears shimmered in her sad, blue eyes. "I am all
right, Logan," she answered him, her voice even quieter than usual. "I just . .
. " How could she tell him how much coming so close to losing Prue on top of
everybody else who had died that day had scared her? She could not, so she said
instead, "Thank you."

"Any time, little darlin'," he reassured her. "Nothin's ever gonna
happen again to those you love; ol' Logan won't let it." He scooped her up in a
bearhug before she knew what was happening. "What a woman! You can even summon
the wind with a twist of your little hand! Ol' Logan's very lucky to have you as
a friend! Now you want to tell me what's goin' on in yer mind?"

She sighed. He thought she was wonderful. His every word, his every
action, told her that, but only she knew just how dreadfully wrong he was. She
remained in his arms, thankful for the comforting embrace that she did not
deserve, but her tears continued to shimmer, coming ever closer to falling as
she thought over the day's events.

"I can not help thinking about them, Logan," she answered quietly, her
voice barely above a whisper as though she was afraid to make the admission
aloud. "And Prue . . . The thought of losing her too scared me. The Halliwells
are my godchildren. I've already taken their mother and grandmother from them,"
she did not realize the words as she opened up for the first time, a single tear
slipping from her eyes and dropping down onto his shoulder. "I could not bear
the thought of losing her, too, let alone of causing them even more pain."

"What makes you think that you took their mother, 'Ro, let alone their
grandmother? Did ya think that you could stand alone against the townspeople,
protectin' all those weaker than yerself? You're not to blame, so stop takin'
the blame of the world on your sweet shoulders. You haven't failed the girls. I
just met you today, and I know that you never just give up. You fight against
the Fates. You can't tell me it was your ideal to walk into the water, but why
you followed 'em, I don't understand that." He waited for her words, knowing
only that by talking it out would she be able to cope with it.

"That is just it, Logan. Perhaps it was not my ideal, but I nonetheless
supported it." She sighed again as she admitted something to him that she had
never even told Patty, who had been the best friend she had ever had. "When I
first came here, I never meant to stay, but Patty and I became fast friends. She
would have listened to me had I stood against the ideal of sacrificing ourselves
to do what we could to save the others." Thunder rumbled in the sky above their
heads as she stepped out of his embrace. "What you have seen me do today is only
a small fraction of what I am capable of doing, Logan. I could have done so much
more! I could have stood against the townspeople, and yes, I could have taken
them."

"Yeah, an' a lot more people would've died. The girls would've died,
because they would've stood by you. They would've caught a lot o' the
townspeople's anger. I don't know whose ideal it was to drown peacefully," he
spat that word out angrily, "but I understand the reason behind it. Patty would
want you to take care o' her girls. They need you." He almost added, 'I need
you', but kept that little bit of information to himself. "Time will help to
heal the wounds, 'Ro. You're gentle with others. Be gentle with yerself. Give
yourself a chance away from here. Jack will take you somewhere safe. He keeps
all his people safe. Give me a chance to help you with the girls." There, he'd
said it. He'd almost put his foot into it up to his neck as to letting her know
his feelings for her. Now he was expecting a let down.

"Goddess knows I . . . they can use all the help they can get, Logan,
but I do not know if anything will ever be enough. It . . . " She turned from
him, not wanting him to see her increased tears. "It almost killed me when I
lost my parents, and I was so little at the time that I barely even remember
them. They already lost their father. That was painful enough, and now to lose
their mother and grandmother at the same time . . . "

She shook her head even as tears that she had kept pent up for years
began to spill down her cheeks. "I should have done something, anything, but
when it mattered the most, out of the millions of things I could have done, I
did nothing! I let them die, Logan, not just Patty or Penny but all of them! You
say that I should be gentle on myself," her voice shook as thunder bellowed and
rain began to fall, mixing with the snow and becoming sleet before it hit the
ground, "but how can I when I am as much to blame as those . . . as those . . .
" She struggled to find the right word, but she had never cussed and could not
think of a word fit of describing one who would take another's life in the name
of a religion that they did not even hold by.

"You're wrong, 'Ro. You're not to blame. You thought you were doing what
was best fer all concerned, an' most importantly, you weren't their leader. From
what I understand, Patty an' Penny were. If there's any blame, it rests with
them. You didn't kill your parents, so stop blaming yourself for that. The girls
will need you. Ya have to pull yourself together. They're young, head-strong,
an' probably pretty foolish as most of the young are. They'll need you fer
guidance an' fer love. You have to be strong for them an' yerself." Logan hoped
what he was telling her would help. He knew he was not very good with words. All
he could speak was what he was feeling. He hoped it would be enough. He reached
out and attempted to pull 'Ro into his arms again. "They will not blame you. I
don't blame you. So you must stop blaming yourself."

She did not tell him that she did not know if she was even capable of
giving the girls the love they needed or, for that matter, any one, but she did
let him pull her back into his arms. His arms were strong and felt so comforting
and right around her, almost as if they had been waiting for her her entire
life, but she knew that that was a thought of pure absurdity.

He was relieved that she had not pushed him away. He vowed that he would
get a bath as soon as they got back to the ship. He imagined that he must be
smelling something fierce and didn't know how she could tolerate him yet she
allowed him to hold her gently. "I'll be there for you, 'Ro, any time you want
me to be. I don't know if I'm any good at takin' care o' girls, but I'll do what
I can. Right now I think we'd better get to the wagon before they leave without
us." He broke off the hug and, taking her by the hand, led her toward the wagon.

As they reached it, he put her in first and then climbed in beside her,
pulling her back into a hug. "It won't take long, but it'll be a little while
that you can rest." He looked around and noticed that the others had all
settled. He hoped it would be an uneventful, quick trip to the ship.

The others huddled together, hoping that the rain would not get worse.
They thought it was part of the snow storm that had been going on most of the
day. Prue looked at Ororo with a question in her eyes. Could she have been
responsible for the rain?

Ororo caught Prue's questioning look as she laid her head on Logan's
shoulder. Knowing that a storm would only make it harder to reach the ship, she
closed her eyes and fought to rein in her emotions. As she regained control
again, the wind, lightning, and sleet vanished, but the snow continued to fall.

Prue had watched Ororo and had seen the declination in the weather. She
knew she had been right, but though she nodded to herself, she didn't say
anything and turned her attention back to her sisters instead.

Meanwhile, Tom and Morph had transformed back into dragons. They had
been waiting for Logan and Ororo, who were the last to get on, and as soon as
they had gotten on, they almost flew to the ship. The wagon was jam-packed with
people and belongings, but although it was crowded, it was almost comfortable as
old and new friends huddled together. What would have taken them hours to reach
the ship took them only about fifteen minutes. Passing quickly through the town,
they noticed that part of it was on fire but did not stop to investigate,
knowing that they had to get to the ship and get ready to leave.

As they rode swiftly through the town, Gabrielle tensed, her hands
itching for her sais as she fully expected trouble. The shapeshifters could feel
her tenseness through the reins, but as Tom's telepathic voice met her mind, she
relaxed just a little. {{{It's all right,}}} he told her. {{{They don't see us
for us. They see Morph and me as horses, not dragons. They think you're just a
fat, old man,}}} he added teasingly, {{{and the others are just luggage.}}}
Reaching the ship, they began swiftly unloading and preparing the ships for
departure.

Chapter Sixteen
Tears continued to run down Jack's face as he held tightly to Will as
though that would save him. He was locked in his own world, and only Will and he
existed there.

Knowing that Jack was completely out of it, Xena took command. Looking
at Cole, she said, "Shimmer and take Will to Jack's cabin. Return and get
Brendan. Then return for Jack. Once you have them all there, look for the Lewis
sisters and get them in there to help Brendan."

Cole reached out to take Will only to be met with Jack's blade. Xena
reached out and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "It's just Cole, Jack," she
spoke soothingly to him. "He's not going to hurt Will; he's going to take him to
your cabin."

Locked in his own world of misery, Jack did not respond to Xena at
first. She thought she just might have to knock him out and was getting prepared
to do just that when she saw Brendan reach out and touch Jack. "Easy, Jack,"
Brendan told him in a smooth, gentle voice, speaking to him as though he was the
patient instead of Will. "You want Will to be okay -- we all do --, but that
can't happen here. We have to go to the ship so that I can get my supplies and
work on him. It's his only chance."

Jack shook his head and clutched at Will even more tightly. It was as
though the man had lost his fragile grip on sanity as he was blocking out his
friends' voices. Xena squatted, reached out, and brought Jack's face up to look
directly into hers. "Let go so that he can be taken and helped. You want to kill
him?"

"No," Jack spoke at last, "but I don't want to lose him either. If I let
go of him, he's going to die. As long as I hold on to him, he's not going
anywhere."

Xena could see the reasoning behind Jack's thinking that his touch was
keeping Will alive, but she also knew that Brendan had to reach his tools. She
didn't know anything else to do, so she hauled off and knocked the fire out of
Jack. Her punch stunned him so that he let go of Will for a brief second, just
long enough for Cole to grab Will and shimmer. Jack got to his feet, turned, and
knocked Xena. Her head snapped back from the blow, and she had to remind herself
that Jack was not completely himself as her hand itched for her sword.

"If Will dies . . . " Jack left his threat hanging in the air even as
Cole returned. Jack, feeling the shimmer, turned to leer angrily at him. Cole
looked at him, snatched Brendan, and shimmered out, leaving Jack's fist to meet
with empty air.



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

Cole had not even taken enough time when he had shimmered Will to Jack's
cabin to notice who was in the room. He had simply laid Will on the bed and
returned for Brendan. Now on his second trip to the cabin, he heard screams so
loud that they echoed in his ears. When he shimmered in to release Brendan, two
women were staring at him with their mouths wide open in screams.

Angel came seconds later, crashing into the door rather than taking the
time to open it as he believed the women were in danger. Seeing what was going
on, he told the women, "Be quiet, please, and come with me!" He did not know
what was wrong with Will, but he knew that he was in pretty bad shape for the
blood he could smell on him.

Cordelia looked at Angel in shock, her scream dieing in her still-open
mouth. Had he just ordered her, and what was with that tone? Why would he bark
at her so soon after kissing her, and just where had he been hiding any way?
Before she could say anything, she heard Elizabeth gasp beside her for the sight
before them had finally sank into the blonde's mind. "Will! What -- What
happened?!"

Cordelia's hazel eyes followed the other girl's attention to the body
that lay on the bed, and her heart nearly stopped beating. Oh Gods, was he --
was he dead? He certainly looked it! She shook her head, trying to clear her
thoughts and concentrate, but found that she could only continue to stare at the
man who must be Will Turner. She had never seen some one drenched with so much
blood.

Angel reached out and touched Cordelia's hand. "Please come with me.
They have to have room to work on him. He's not dead, just hurt really bad.
Elizabeth?" He looked at her to see if she heard him. "Now?"

Angel's voice and gentle touch had broken through to Cordelia. Looking
back at him, she nodded and stepped forward to follow him. Elizabeth, however,
continued to stare at Will, horror filling her blue eyes. "What . . . What
happened?"

"It's a long story," Brendan replied, ripping Will's shirt open so that
he could better assess the damage done to his back. His eyes never lifted to the
others as he added, "Miss Swann, you may return shortly, but for now, please,
for Will's sake . . . "

"Y-Yes . . . " Elizabeth whispered, her voice barely audible. Still, she
stood in the same spot, her feet seemingly glued to the floor. She wanted to
move. She knew she should. Yet all she could do was stand and stare at the man
she should have been married to by now.

Angel reached out and gently touched Elizabeth. He could tell she was
about to swoon. He gathered her into his arms just as she passed out. He carried
her out of the cabin and onto the deck before laying her out. "Could you stay
with her, please, Cordelia?" he asked the Princess who had followed him. "I
don't know what Brendan needs. I need to check and get stuff for him."

"Of course," she answered with a quick nod. There was so much she wanted
to ask him, but she knew that everything else would have to wait.



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

The screams had been the first the rest of the crew had known anything
was amiss. They had rushed in the direction of the screams only to glance in and
see that Will was in bad shape. Knowing that Brendan needed privacy to work on
the boy, the others had backed up, gotten out of the way, and continued about
their work.

Lorne was lugging the bag of books he had gotten from the Halliwells
when he spotted Piper. "I'll put these downstairs," he told her. "It's where our
sleeping quarters are. They'll be safe there. It won't take me long." He smiled
at her and headed downstairs with them.

When he got to his sleeping area, he saw some one was in his cot. He
could not yet tell who it was through the darkness but knew that it was some one
who was not supposed to be there for each crew member had his or her own cot
and, except for Lex and Clark, did not usually sleep in each other's cots.
"Hey," he called out. "What are you doing in my bed?"

When he did not get an answer, he stepped closer and was finally able to
make out the person enough to tell that it was a female he did not recognize. He
took another step closer, and his breath caught in his throat as he finally made
her out completely. A beautiful woman lay before him. Her silvery blonde hair
fell in soft circles around her body. Her skin was pale white, and he could tell
from the look of its texture that it would be as soft to touch as her long hair.
She wore a long, black dress. Though it was formal and made him think of a
grieving gown, its bodice had a small dip, and something blue twinkled up at him
from her bosom that rose and fell in her sleep.

"Miss?" he called but still did not receive an answer. He slowly reached
out one hand to touch her and shake her awake. His green fingers were but a
heartbeat from touching her when something suddenly clamped down onto his rear
with a huge bite. "OW!" he yelled even as he slapped behind him. No reaction
came from his biter, but a roar sounded in front of him.

Lorne's red eyes shot even wider as a blue dragon dropped down directly
in front of him. "WHAT THE HELL?!" he yelled, trying hard not to panic. Whatever
had a hold of his butt was in real danger of getting too close to his heart;
thank the Gods it had bit him in the right butt cheek and not the left! He kept
turning around and around, trying to swat it but not seeing anything. He
stumbled over something and looked down. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelled, jumping back
just in time to avoid the massive claw of a lioness.

From somewhere behind the dragon, a new voice sounded. It was confused
and feminine, and had the situation been any different, Lorne might have even
noted a bit of a musical lilt to it. "Blue? Elvira? Cindy? What -- ?" The voice
stopped as soon as it had started, and he could feel a new pair of eyes on him.
"Oh my!"

"Oh my?! GET THEM OFF," he yelled, "BEFORE THEY CHEW MY BUTT SLAM OFF!"

"Elvira," the woman scolded, "release him!" A whine came from around his
rear, and ice blue eyes flashed at whatever had his rear. "Yes, you have to! I'm
sure he did not mean any harm! We are to blame, not him! Now release him, young
lady!" At that, Lorne's rear was finally released, and none other than a wolf
padded around him.

With a yelp, Lorne ran like Hell to get out of there. He ran right into
a group of the crew members who were coming down to see what all the yelling was
about and did not slow down until he reached the deck. The others, seeing that
he was terrified, did not investigate but ran back to the deck, as well. They
didn't want any part of whatever was down there if not even a Demon could handle
it!



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

Lorne did not stop until he ran straight into Angel, almost knocking him
down. "There's a woman down there in my bed! She's got three of the worst
Demonic animals I've ever seen!" He was still shaking even as he turned around
to show his rear to Angel. "One of them took a bite out of my butt!"

Angel cocked an eyebrow as he inspected the damage. "Yup. I see
teethmarks all over it," he said. "What kind of woman caused all that trouble?"

"It wasn't the woman. It was her damn animals! There's a little, blue
monster of a dragon, a lioness, and a wolf! The wolf was trying to chow down on
me! Thank the Gods she missed my heart!"

"I'll go down and see," Angel said. "Stay up here. Jack should be here
any minute."



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

As Angel walked down the stairs into the sleeping area, he called out,
"Hello? Who are you, and can I help you?"

A frantic voice met Angel's ears, but its owner did not appear to be
talking to him. "Oh Gods!" she whispered nervously. "What are we going to do
now?! I knew we shouldn't have gotten on board! Blue, the things I let you talk
me into! And just why did you have to go take a bite out of that poor man's
rear, Elvira?! Yes, I know he touched me, but still I was probably in his bed or
something! He didn't mean any harm! We're the trespassers here!" It was then
that the three animals turned as one to face the newcomer. Their mistress ceased
talking instantly as her ice blue eyes followed them to see the man standing on
the steps.

Angel tried not to act nervous as he continued on into the room. "Who
are you?" he asked. "If you had identified yourself, we would have given you
sanctuary if you needed it. You hurt one of my crewmates, but you're not in
trouble about being on board. My name's Angel." He did not go all the way to the
woman but waited for her to answer him.

"Cr-Crys," she told him, "and I am sorry about that." She reached out a
hand to gently stroke the head of the wolf who stood next to her. "Elvira does
not usually act in such a manner. None of them do, really. It's just that they
thought he intended to harm me and were protecting me. It's my fault, really. I
should have never let Blue talk me into coming here, but we were -- we were
trying to get out of the snow. That's no excuse for my falling asleep, however.
It's just that I haven't slept in days, but still, I'm so sorry. We're sorry,
aren't we, guys?" she asked the animals. Elvira nodded slowly. The dragon
released a puff of smoke, but the lioness growled, kneading the floor beneath
her claws as she did so. "I-I could heal your friend's . . . hum . . . you know
. . . " she offered hesitantly, a deep shade of crimson staining her pale
cheeks.

Angel had began to pick up the books Lorne had tossed when he had been
bitten. He carried them over and sat them down by the bed, not taking his eyes
off of the woman and her animals. "You're a healer?" he asked.

"Not quite," she answered, "but I do have . . . something that can
heal."

"How strong is it?" Angel asked.

"Very," she replied. "It's brought m -- beings back from the brink of
death before."

Angel thought quickly. "You can show me on Lorne. Come upstairs," he
said, motioning toward the deck. He walked back toward the deck, hoping she was
following and that whatever she had would be strong enough not only to heal
Lorne but could also be used to help Will. He did not say anything but prepared
to watch.

"Stay on your best behavior now, you three," the woman who had given her
name only as Crys whispered to the three animals who remained next to her. As
she stood, so did the wolf and lioness. The four followed Angel together. Cindy
and Elvira strode beside their mistress, keeping perfect pace with her steps,
and Blue flew beside her head.



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

Cole had returned for Jack. He hoped he had returned to his normal state
of being. Jack's mind was never too good at the best of times, especially when
he was mad. Cole couldn't blame him now, but he had had to take Will.

Jack was fuming, swishing his sword back and forth as he paced up and
down. He was trying desperately to block his mind from the thought that Will
could die on him, without ever knowing how he felt for him, but was also failing
miserably. Jack was a man of few words, and he had no clue as to how to tell
Will what he felt. He had not before, and now it might be too late.

Jack saw Cole appear and sheathed his sword. Cole didn't say a word but
reached out a hand toward Jack; Jack took his hand. He shimmered Jack to the
ship.

Just as they arrived on the deck, Jack saw a strange assortment of
creatures coming out of the sleeping area. A beautiful woman was in the midst of
a lioness, a wolf, and a dragon. He had no ideal who she was. He did not say
anything but just glared angrily around, trying to see what was going on. The
crew seemed to be standing around, waiting in anticipation of something. "Well?"
he asked, looking around at them. "Get back to work!" he barked.

He looked at Lorne who was standing there and looked a paler shade of
green than he usually looked. "What happened?" Lorne didn't say anything but
just turned around. Jack's eyes were immediately drawn to the torn pants and the
bite marks on the butt. Putting two and two together, he realized that Lorne had
put his hand where he shouldn't have and somebody had tried to take his butt off
in retaliation. "The dragon?" he guessed aloud.

"Nope," Lorne answered. "The wolf."

"It figures," Jack said, nodding his head. They each waited as the woman
came forward.



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

Four sets of eyes flicked nervously around at the various people aboard
the ship, but the two beings they kept returning to were the green Demon, from
whom Elvira still toted a strip of fabric in her mouth, and the man who appeared
to be the Captain. "Stay behind me," Crys whispered to them, but none of the
three did as told.

The lioness' tail swished in silent protest and information to her
mistress that she would stand beside her, regardless of whatever came their way.
The dragon's tail also swished, but Elvira was the one who padded forward.
"Elvira," Crys called, but the wolf shook her head as she approached Lorne.
Fearing the worst reaction possible from the two men, Crys hurriedly swept
forward, but Elvira still reached the Demon before she could. "Please don't -- "
Crys started, holding out a hand in hopes of stilling any blades that might come
forward.

Jack and Lorne stood still and watched as Elvira approached. Jack
wondered, {Please don't what?} What was the woman afraid he was about to do?
"Ma'am?" he asked.

No sword had been drawn yet, but Crys' heart still hammered fearfully
within her chest. "Please don't hurt her," she said.

Jack had to laugh. Though his laughter did not foretell doom, he could
tell that it unnerved the woman and animals and stopped. "It's not the ideal
we're going to hurt her," he explained. "It's the ideal she's already hurt
Lorne's rear and something needs to be done about it, so I guess you're elected
to be the doctor in the situation."

"That's perfectly all right. I can heal him, but it was not her fault.
It's my own. I should never have fallen asleep. They thought he was going to
hurt me. That is the only reason why they attacked him."

"Ma'am, you're aboard The Black Pearl, and any who come here seeking
sanctuary are safe. That includes their pets. You had but to ask. It's between
Lorne and you what you work out about the pants and all, but if you can control
your pets, you're welcome to be aboard." He ached to be where Will was, but he
also wanted to see if this woman could truly heal.

"Thank you, sir," Crys answered, knowing what was expected of her. She
breathed a silent sigh of relief at the realization that they were not in danger
from him or, evidently, any of the rest of his crew but already knew they would
not linger long.

Reaching Elvira, she knelt beside the wolf, who was looking up at Lorne
and ignoring the Captain completely. She whined and lowered her head, the piece
of fabric hanging down from her mouth. "She says she's sorry," Crys explained,
"and wishes to give you back your fabric."

"She can keep the fabric," Lorne said. "I can't fix it back in my pants.
Just keep her mouth closed. I don't want any more bites. She came very close to
killing me. If she had bit the left side, I wouldn't be here now." He turned
around, revealing the open area of his pants.

Crys looked up at him as if the man had taken complete leave of his
senses. She almost asked him why he thought so and rather his brain was in his
rear but silenced herself just in time. Shaking her head, she dipped her fingers
into the bodice of her formal, black dress and slipped out the crystal on the
necklace she wore.

Hearing a growl from behind her, she spoke to the lioness without
looking at her. "Cindy, relax. They may be men, but they are not out to harm us.
Behave for me, please, sweetheart." The lioness' tail cut through the air, but
though she hushed and sat down, she fixed the Captain with a glare that warned
him that he would meet a fate far worse than his Demon's if he were to harm her
mistress.

Jack's eyes were drawn by Angel who was carrying a bucket of hot water
and had just made it to his cabin door. He wondered what was going on inside.
Was Brendan able to do anything? He knew better than to go in there right now,
because if he did and Will cried out from something Brendan did, he would again
have Brendan by the throat before he realized it, so he braced himself and stood
watching the woman, hoping that she did not lie and that the crystal, which he
now noted was intricately carved in an unusual shape, did heal.

Taking a deep breath, Crys leaned closer to the green rear in front of
her. Her fingers trembled around the blue crystal even as she pressed it to the
skin. Even as the crystal began to glow, the wound began to heal. Within mere
seconds, there was not even the first bitemark left, and Crys pulled back as the
crystal ceased glowing.

Jack stared at the unblemished skin of Lorne's rear. "Lorne, go change
your clothes," he ordered. "Ma'am, could I talk to you about that crystal? Can
it heal again?"

Crys stayed kneeling beside Elvira even as she slipped the crystal back
into its hiding place. Fear shone in her eyes as she looked up at the Captain.
"It can," she said, speaking slowly and choosing her words carefully, "but it is
not for sell."

"I don't wish to buy it though I will pay you anything you ask if you
will but heal my best friend. He means more to me than life itself, and I fear
that he will die. Will you help me?"

"Of course," she was quick to reassure him. As she stood, the three
animals, including the dragon who had settled onto the lioness' back, also
stood. "But I ask no payment save for you to keep your word and no harm befall
us."

"That's not payment," Jack said. "What do you want in exchange?" In
Jack's mind, everything had to be paid for and nothing freely given else the
receiver would always be in debt to the one who had given. "Anything I have
except for the Pearl is yours for the asking. Just save my friend."

"You have but to take us to your friend," she told him. She shook her
head, and her honest eyes met his as she repeated, "But I ask no payment."

"Come, madam. There must be something you want. Anything at all."

Again, she shook her head. "There is nothing that you or any other
person can give me that I want, sir. Please, for your friend's sake, do not
continue this for the answer shall remain the same."

"Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I am in your debt.
He's in here," Jack said and gestured toward the shattered door, again wondering
how it had become that way. "If something should go wrong, could your animals
stop me from destroying my other friend, Brendan, and yourself? I can be crazy
at times. If Will dies, I can not guarantee my sanity."

"Your friend will not die. The crystal will save him, but they will not
allow any harm to come to me or any one I ask their protection upon."

"Thank you," he said simply.

She nodded and followed Elvira into the room. Blue flew beside her head,
but Cindy hesitated, glowering up at Jack.

As Jack followed in behind her, he noticed that Elizabeth was laid out
on the deck with the Princess looking down on her and taking care of her. He
hoped she would be okay. He imagined seeing Will that way was a great shock for
her as it had been for him. The room was far too quite, and Brendan was sweating
and covered in Will's blood. "I have brought you help, Brendan. Thank you, my
friend, for what you have done for Will and myself."

"Any time," Brendan replied hesitantly, his eyes drawn to the woman and
her animals. The wolf's whine brought his attention to Elvira. His head cocked
to one side, and his eyes flickered on yellow for a second as he listened to
her. He whimpered back, and she again answered him in another whimper. "Must be
some crystal," he murmured under his breath even while stepping back out of the
way.

Although Brendan had looked at her in surprise, Crys had also looked at
him in surprise and had to smile despite herself. "It is always a pleasure to
meet one of a similar kindred, despite the circumstances," she told him, and the
wolf raised a brow at her. What was that unusual scent on her? he wondered. It
wasn't just the dragon, wolf, or lioness. What was that that smelled of such
cold that his hair bristled at the mere thought?

Jack watched the interchange between the two. He stood back out of the
way with his back against the wall and his eyes riveted on Will. He scarcely
breathed as he prayed that the crystal would work and heal Will. If Will died,
there would be no tomorrow for Jack. There would be no chance for him to tell
and show him how he felt. If he lived, Jack would find a way to tell him even if
it was thrown back in his face.

Elvira sat beside the wolfman, but Cindy placed herself directly in
front of the Captain. Her tail lashed out repeatedly against the floor as she
stared him down. One wrong move, and he was hers. Jack's mind was so lost on
Will that he paid very little attention to the lioness.

Blue hovered in the air above his mistress and the injured man. He
watched as her ice blue eyes traveled Will's body, and all heard her sharp
intake of breath as she realized what she would have to do. There was only one
way to heal damage of such an extension, and all three animals braced as if
expecting all Hell to break lose as she lifted the necklace from around her
neck. She placed it instead around Will's and stepped immediately back.

As the crystal began to glow and all eyes turned to it, Blue settled
onto her shoulder. He cooed quietly in worry. She reached up and stroked his
head gently even while whispering to him so quietly that not even the wolves
could overhear them, "It could not be helped."

The crystal's glow spread slowly down Will's body. As its light spread
further, encompassing more wounds, it lifted him from the bed. The scratch on
his cheek was the first to heal, and the skin sealed itself so perfectly that
there was no sign of the cut left. The bloody gashes the chain had cut into his
back were next. The blood vanished into thin air, and the wounds sealed
themselves as well. Finally, it reached the place where his hamstrings had been
sliced off, and they began to regrow.

Jack's mouth fell open in astonishment as he watched the crystal work.
It was amazing! It was a miracle! Best of all, it was healing Will quickly and
leaving no scars behind! He knew even though there were no scars on his body,
there would be scars on his heart and soul forever, but those could be lived
with and overcome. He would live! His heart sang. They would have a chance!

When the hamstrings were complete and all the blood, right to the last
drop, was gone, Will's body settled back onto the bed, and the crystal ceased
its glowing. Without a word, Crys stepped forward again, lifting the necklace
and returning it to her own neck. "He may wake in spurts, but it will be a while
before he is fully back to himself. He is, however, physically," she stressed
the word, knowing that whatever had caused such damage had left far greater
damage on his heart and spirit, "completely healed."

Jack rushed forward and grasped her in a hug, not thinking about how the
animals might react. He kissed her on both of her cheeks. "I owe you my life. If
you ever need anything, don't fail to call for me. My name is Jack Sparrow. You
are welcome to stay aboard the Pearl for as long as you want." He released her,
only then realizing that she was holding out a hand to still Cindy.

"I am only glad that I could help," she told him. "However, we must take
our leave now."

"I wish that you would stay. You'd be safe here," he told her even as he
rushed over to the bed. He gazed lovingly down at Will, who seemed to be resting
peacefully. He fell to his knees beside the bed and reached out, tenderly
touching Will's hand. His eyes never left Will.

Seeing that the Captain was otherwise detained, she breathed a sigh of
relief at the thought that they would be able to leave before she endangered
them any further. With a silent nod to her trio, she gestured to them. They rose
and joined her in walking over to the exit, but even as they reached it, a
muscular chest slid between them and the outside. Looking up, she found the
wolfman standing in their way. "He is healed now."

"I know."

"So why . . . ?"

"It is safer for you here."

Knowing that she could not tell him that it was not safe for them for
her to stay, she tried a different tactic instead. "Perhaps I do not wish to
stay but to return to my home."

Brendan shook his head. Nodding at her wolf, he tapped his own nose as
he told her, "I would have thought you would have known better than that."

"Oh." Her face fell. She had not even stopped to consider that a wolf
could smell a liar a mile away.

"Captain?" Brendan called to Jack, unsure as to rather or not he would
actually be able to tear his attention away from Will for even a moment.

"Yes, Brendan?" Jack called.

"Hum," the wolf responded nervously, "what do you wish me to do here?"

"The woman needs to stay for a while. It's for her own safety.
Something's not quite right here." Looking at the woman, he said, "You're
running from something. It's happened to us often enough that we can spot it a
mile away. You're safe here. We're about to leave port, and we'll drop you
anywhere you want outside of Port Royal. Port Royal's going down tonight. We
won't leave you here."

She looked at him as he spoke to her but could not think of what to say.
She had already known Port Royal was going down that night but knew it for a
completely different reason than whatever he was thinking. "I can not stay," she
said finally.

"Angel," Jack called, "take care of her and make sure she does not leave
the ship. Give her anything she wants, but do not let her leave. It's for her
own good."

Angel, who had been standing in the shadows the entire time, seeing
everything and not understanding a lot of it, said, "Yes, sir," to Jack. "I'll
see to it. If you'll come this way, ma'am? Brendan, I might need your help," he
said.

Brendan shook his head even as the blonde, sounding far more like her
animals than a human being, growled. "Actually, Angel, I think you could use
these three's help more than mine." He hated blackmail, especially when it came
to such a kind woman, but he knew when the situation called for it and used it
as it was needed. Kneeling before Elvira, he held out a hand to her and gently
scratched her underneath her chin. "Look. We don't know what's going on here,
but you guys do. Is she going to be safe there?" All three, even Cindy,
instantly shook their heads.

"She'll be safe here," Angel said. "We'll lock her in the room until we
get out of port, but we won't hurt her or let any harm come to her," he said,
talking to the animals. "You can go in with her if you want." He had a feeling
the animals had been trying to work with her and keep her safe for a long time
and that she had been working against them at the same time. "Sorry, ma'am, but
we just can't let you go."

Brendan could tell that they were already earning the trust of the wolf
and dragon, so he turned his attention to the lioness who growled at him. "Easy
there, pretty kitty," he told her. "Seems to me that you hate all guys, and I
don't even want to know what you think of wolves. But what if I told you that we
also have cats aboard? There are three Werecats of sorts aboard, and they'll be
looking out for your mistress, as well." He could see her beginning to relent
and continued. "Besides, does she stand even a chance of being safe on shore?"
That question was the first time that the lioness' tail had stilled, and Brendan
knew he had her.

"I don't believe this!" Crys spoke her thoughts aloud. "I should have
never healed him!" Yet, even as she spoke the words, she knew she would have
still healed the dying man had she known what was coming. Besides, they only
thought they could hold her. Regardless of whatever it might be meant for, she
knew that the room the Vampire spoke of could not hold her. She'd let them think
that it would and then, as soon as he left to deal with something else, she'd
take control and be out of there and off the ship before he even knew what had
happened. She'd deal with her betraying familiars later, though the pain of
their betrayal stung her heart deeply.

Jack did not even look up as the others left the room. He moved closer
to Will, who was laying on his back and breathing deeply, and kissed him on the
forehead. Will did not stir. Gathering his courage to himself, Jack stood,
leaned forward, kissed Will softly on the lips, and then ran out of the room as
though all the hounds of Hell were behind him.

He almost knocked Elizabeth down. She had just revived and had gotten to
her feet with Cordelia's help. "Go to him and take care of him," he said.
Without a backward glance, he took off again.

Elizabeth blinked, the confusion still clearing from her mind, as she
watched Jack's fleeing back. Looking to Cordelia, she asked, "Shouldn't you go
after him?"

"Me?" Cordelia asked, both her face and voice clearly showing her
surprise. "Why?"

"Isn't he yours?"

"My what?" Cordelia looked at the blonde as though she had lost all her
sense even as she waited for her answer.

"You know, your . . . Your lover?" Elizabeth finally responded, using
the last word in lack of a better one for she had no ideal just how deeply the
two were involved.

"The Captain?" Cordelia asked in disbelief. "I barely know the man!"

"But . . . But when I met you earlier, you looked as if . . . " It was
only then that Elizabeth recalled Angel's condition when she had first come
aboard the ship earlier. He had seemed in desperate need for air and had left
Cordelia behind him in the Captain's cabin. "Angel then?" she asked.

Although Cordelia almost said "yes" to that, she quickly silenced
herself and shook her head instead. "Look. Your betrothed needs you," she told
her, sounding harsher than she had intended. "You need to go tend to him instead
of being so curious about my romantic life."

Shock registered in Elizabeth's blue eyes that the brunette would take
such a tone with her, but then she agreed with a nod of her head. What was she
doing out here, talking to a girl she barely knew, when her beloved Will needed
her? "You're right." She did not bother to take the time to apologize but
hurried into Jack's cabin instead.



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

Jack, meanwhile, had not been able to find anywhere to hide. He felt as
though the whole world was looking at him. In fact, he had expected the Gods to
strike him down when he had kissed Will. The taste of Will's lips lingered upon
his, and he finally grew still, realizing that he had reached the wheel of the
ship. He grabbed it in both of his hands as though it were a lifeline and bowed
his head, touching the wheel with his forehead. "I don't know which of you Gods
were listening and which of you healed Will, but I want to thank you for sparing
him. If you want me to do something in return, show me."

"Jack," Gabrielle called as she approached him, "where's Xena?"

He jumped as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar
and looked up at Gabby with a wild look in his eyes. "She's back in Port Royal.
Won't be long before she comes. They had to look around and see if any one
needed help. You know we never leave an area unchecked." He breathed deeply,
trying to catch his breath.

She nodded and was about to walk off when she took another look at him.
She knew Will's condition was hitting him hard and realized that he could
probably use a distraction. "We need to talk."

Jack hated to hear those words. He was not in a mood for talking. In
fact, his heart was racing so hard that he could hardly hear her speaking to
him. No one had seen him kiss Will. No one knew he had done it except himself,
so what was he running from? he asked himself. He tried to slow his heart down.
"I think I need some rum badly," he gasped out. "Then we can talk."

She nodded. "If you don't now, you will."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. What kind of news could she be
wanting to talk to him about that would make her say that he needed rum? He'd
better make it a double. He turned around, looked in the cabinet that was just
behind the wheel, opened it, and took out a bottle. He offered it to her first,
but she declined with a shake of her head. He turned the bottle up and took a
great big drink out of it. "Now you wanted to talk?" he said, his voice becoming
slightly slurred.

She nodded. "Don't pull that crap with me. One sip doesn't make you
drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Gabby," he said with a shake of his head. "I've just
been through so much today. Will's going to be just fine. In fact, I sent
Elizabeth to be with him. It should not be long before he wakes up. Thank the
Gods that new woman healed him."

Gabrielle looked at him rather strangely, but she nodded in agreement,
resolving to ask him about the new woman later. "Thank the Gods for that," she
agreed, "and for something else too."

"I'll drink to the Gods," Jack said, lifting his bottle.

"I'm sure Bacchus'll love that, but look, Jack, in all seriousness,
we've got to talk. We just took on quite a load that you need to know about
before we pull out."

"Yes?" Jack said. The rum was beginning to go straight to his head. He
could not remember when he had last eaten. He looked at her. There seemed to be
two Gabrielles looking at him, but he kept a very serious face, not wanting her
to know that the rum was hitting him pretty hard. "We took on a big load of
what?" he asked.

"People," she answered. "Witches, to be more exact."

He hiccupped softly. "Witches? Where'd you get them at?"

"Rescued them."

"What do they want? Can't have my rum. I plan to get plenty drunk with
it."

Gabrielle shook her head. "You know," she said, referring to his comment
about his treasured rum, "this is why I always try not to waste my breath on
you."

"I did it, Gabby," he just could not keep it to himself. "I expected to
be hit with a lightning bolt or anything else out of the blue, knocking me out,
even killing me, but it didn't."

"Jack, what in Hades are you talking about?"

"Will."

"Will what?"

"I . . . " He looked everywhere but at her face. Then he mumbled his
words, "Ikissedhim."

"You what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I . . . kissed him. Then I ran like Hell. Thank Gods he didn't wake up!
How was I going to explain that?" He looked at her as if for explanation.

"Maybe with the truth?" she suggested though she knew he'd rather cut
his own tongue out than ever tell Will he loved him.

"If I tried that, I'd lose him forever. It's better to have him for a
friend and he never know than it would be to lose him. I couldn't live if I lost
him, Gabby."

Gabrielle shook her head. "You think that that's your only choice now,
Jack. I understand that -- I thought that once with Xena --, but you'll come to
the point where it's eating you up inside and you have to do something more than
just kiss him when he's not even awake and run like Hell."

"I'm fighting it really hard, Gabby. I don't want to lose or repulse
him. Hell, I'm a Pirate, and he's . . . " He thought for a moment, trying go
describe him. "A gentleman? He deserves to have a happy life with Elizabeth. He
doesn't need me in there causing trouble. Above all, I want him to be happy."

"I understand that, Jack, but the only way he's going to be happy is to
be with the person he loves." She knew that time was ticking steadily by and
that she had to inform him of the situation with the newcomers before they
pulled out of port and it caught him by surprise. "He'll tell you soon enough
who that person really is," she continued hopefully, "but in the meantime we
have to concentrate on the situation at hand."

"Split them up. Put part on your ship and part on my ship," Jack said.
"I don't need to know the particular details. Just give the order to get both
ships ready. I think I'm going to be sick," he said and headed for the rail.

Gabrielle shook her head as she watched him go and couldn't help
silently comparing him to a lovesick pup with his tail between his legs. Shaking
her head, she turned back to the business at hand.

Chapter Seventeen
Jack clung to the rail as though his life depended on it. He couldn't
remember ever feeling this bad. He had thought he was going to throw up, but he
hadn't. Suddenly, he heard a sound erupting from his stomach. Whatever was wrong
with him was now in his stomach, and he felt like the bottom had dropped out. He
dropped the bottle of rum as his hands flew to clutch at his gut, and he doubled
over in pain.

He screamed Brendan's name. Some one had poisoned him! He didn't know
who, but his pain was so great that he thought he was dying. {Not fair!} he
thought. {Not fair! I've got to get the bastard before I die!} Even as he
thought that, he wondered who had sneaked aboard the ship and poisoned him.
"BRENDAN!" he screamed again. He fell to the deck, still clutching at his gut.



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

As soon as Jack had disappeared, Xena had called the others to gather
around her. "We need to break off into pairs, go out, and check for survivors.
Save who and what you can, and do it quickly. Autolycus, you're with me," she
called to the man who had just found the strongbox and was dragging it away from
the dead man's hands.

"Yes?" he called back to her. "Are you finally needing my attention?
Look at what I got!" He held the box up.

"We'll start a collection of what we're taking back with us here," she
said as she placed her foot carefully amongst the fallen debris. "We'll start
with your box, Autolycus. Set it down right here."

"No way! It's mine!" he protested.

"No, it's ours," Xena said, "and we're not breaking up the spoils right
now. Put it here." She again tapped the spot with her booted foot, and he set it
reluctantly on the ground. "Now branch out and look for survivors but don't
wander off too far. I don't want to have to rescue you again," she added,
looking at Autolycus again.

Autolycus was about to answer her when he heard Faith mutter, "So that's
how he got out of there."

"Yeah," he shot back at her, "not with any help from you!"

She grinned at him. "Tell ya what. Next time, I'll just let the giant do
with ya what he wants."

Without another word, Autolycus ran out to search for more jewels. He
knew he could never win in a sparring match against Faith. Xena did not break
the others up into groups. She knew they'd form natural pairings any way, and in
fact, Clark and Lex had already gone off together. Xena headed off after
Autolycus, leaving Faith and Dawson alone with Carl still screaming and still
being ignored.



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

Brendan had returned to the Captain's cabin to check on Will, but he had
ran from there the instant he had heard Jack screaming his name. Now he leapt to
where his friend lay, concern etched clearly over his face. "Jack, what
happened?!"

"Some one's poisoned me!" Jack gasped out. "Rum! The rum!" He pointed to
where the bottle had fallen. "I think I'm dying!" He closed his eyes against the
pain.

Brendan's heart pounded fearfully as he snatched the bottle, and his
eyes shifted to yellow as he sniffed it. One sniff confirmed that there had been
a herb added to the rum, and the second told him not only what the herb was but
also who had slipped it in there. The first words of explanation he spoke
escaped him in a great rush of relief. "You're not dieing."

Jack opened his eyes in surprise. "Can't be hurting this bad, Brendan,
and not dieing," he almost whispered. "Not fair. I've gotta kill that bastard! I
can't even move! It seems like it's eating a hole in my gut! What is it?"

"Cat's claw," Brendan answered. "You might wish you were dead, my
friend, but it won't kill you."

"Will it pass? Who did it?" He knew Brendan could smell well enough to
know both what it was and who it was. As soon as Jack had recovered from the
pain, he was going to get the culprit. Nothing was going to stand between him
and the Governor! "Can you help me get to the privy?" He felt that he might get
to feeling better if he could just make it there.

Brendan nodded. Reaching a hand down and pulling Jack to his feet, he
told him, "We'd better get you there fast. That's mostly what it's going to do
to you. You'll have to take more of the herb, but it will pass."

They barely made it. Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door
and his world exploded almost immediately, relief being granted as it did so.
"Thank the Gods!" he breathed. Jack jumped as he heard something hit the door.
"Brendan," he called through the closed door, "are you all right?!"

A low growl answered him at first, and he could easily picture Brendan
shaking his head fiercely as he tried to fight against the stench that was
assailing his nostrils. Finally, Brendan's voice answered him, but even then it
was considerably weakened. "Yes, sir."

"Sorry," Jack called back with a sheepish grin, "but, Brendan, get me
the culprit!"

Brendan shook his head. He didn't want to have to deliver the culprit,
but he knew that he had no other choice. Brendan had a good ideal why the man
had done what he had done, and he knew he had never meant to make Jack think he
was dieing. He sighed but only called back, "Right away, Cap'n." Then sniffing
the air again, he headed reluctantly down to the sleeping quarters.



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

Cole had been searching for the Lewis sisters for a while. He had not
seen any of the cats and figured that they were holed up sleeping somewhere, so
he returned to the sleeping quarters to check there again. They had not been
there the first time and he did not know how he had missed them, but the couples
were now curled up, asleep, together.

The men's arms were wrapped around their wives, and the women were
nestled into their chests. Tom's and Katrina's tails lay entwined around each
other, and Celina's circled one of Morph's legs. They looked like the perfect
picture of matrimonial bliss. Cole hated to wake them, but he knew that Will was
in desperate need of them.

He had just been about to call out to them when he noticed Brendan
heading that way. Why was Brendan here and not up taking care of Will? "Brendan,
why are you here? Is Will okay?"

Brendan nodded, and his haunted eyes turned to look at Cole as he
answered him. "Will's fine, better than I ever could have hoped, actually.
There's another new woman aboard. She used a crystal to heal him." He did not
add that the Captain had then had her put into the room.

"The ship seems to be crawling with new women," Cole said. "I think it's
a good thing," he added, thinking on Piper. "We've been needing more crew
members. Women make great fighters, and the group we've got today all seem to be
gifted." Many Pirates were superstitious of having women on board, but the
additions of Xena, Gabrielle, the Lewis sisters, and Faith had already taught
the men of the Pearl and Sea Witch alike that women actually made wonderful
crewmates.

Brendan raised an eyebrow at his friend. Cole spoke as though there were
at least a dozen new women, but he only knew of three. "You make it sound like
there's a lot more, but I thought we only had three new additions?"

"Three? Where've you been? There's the Halliwells; that's four alone.
There's Ororo; she's a Weather Witch. There's . . . " he thought for a moment,
". . . a woman in a black dress; I'm not sure what her name was. There's a woman
with brown hair and a new kid."

"But that's a male," Brendan interjected. Where had all these other
women come from? "I knew about Cordelia, Elizabeth, and the blonde with the
animals, but those are the only new women I'd heard of."

"And those three you just mentioned," Cole concluded the list of new
arrivals. "The others came from rescue," he continued to explain. "We rescued a
lot of Witches today. The townspeople were trying to kill them. We spent the
bigger part of the day rescuing them, and the others just got back a little
while ago. Part of us are still not here. They were with Jack and have not
returned yet. So, all in all, I think we've got quite an addition."

"Yeah," Brendan said quietly in agreement. His eyes turned back to the
four sleepers as he added underneath his breath, "But we may be about to lose
four of our best."

"What makes you say that?" Cole asked in surprise. "Why do you think
they're going to leave us?" His eyes turned toward the cats again.

"Tom slipped cat's claw into Jack's rum."

"What's that?" Cole asked.

"A herb," Brendan answered. "It won't kill, but you just about wish you
were dead before it gets done with your stomach."

"Why would Tom do something stupid like that?" Cole questioned. "He
adores Jack! Why would he want to make him sick?"

Brendan's gaze turned back to Cole. There was no doubt in his mind to
the answer. "Jack's been laying even more heavily on the rum lately. You know I
had to rescue him in the last storm we went through; he was so drunk that he
didn't even realize the danger! Evidently Tom was the only one of us who cared
enough to dare to do something to make Jack think twice about the rum."

"Makes sense to me. I remember seeing Jack hanging out there, one hand
on the rail and the other hand clutching a bottle of rum, and singing at the top
of his lungs, 'A pirate life for me!', heedless of wind and storm. Didn't you
have to tie him down in the bed to keep him below deck?"

Brendan nodded. "Yup, and I made it to him just before he would have
been struck by lightning." His voice was as deep with sorrow and worry as his
heart.

"So what do we do now? We wake Tom and ask him? I can imagine Jack's
bellowing for the culprit."

"You know he is, and I know it's Tom. There's no mistaking his scent."

"And you don't want to deliver Tom to him? I can't blame you," Cole
admitted. "Let's wake him, get his side of the story, and then we can figure out
what to do."

"Of course I don't," Brendan answered, "but what choice do I have? Like
it or not, Jack's our Captain -- or, at least, he's mine --, and what he says
goes."

"What do you think Jack will do to him?" Cole asked.

Brendan shrugged. "I don't know," he replied honestly, "but he can't
kill him. Even if he were that angry, you know his wife would never allow it."
He didn't even want to think about Katrina when she was the angriest he'd ever
seen her, and he had the feeling that, where her family was concerned,
especially her husband, she could be even fiercer.

Cole reached out, touched Tom, and gently shook him. He was rewarded
when Tom's eyes blinked open rather sleepily. "Come here," Cole told him and
waited for Tom to follow him.

Tom's pupil

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