_Title:_ Love on the High Seas #1: "Bright Promises of Tomorrow"
_Authors:_ Pirates Sparrow and Turner
_E-mail:_ OrliDepp@...
_Rating:_ NC-17
_Feedback:_ Yes, please!! Seriously, we, like all other fan fic writers,
thrive on feedback. We also tend to only stick to the places where we know
we are being read and enjoyed from the reviews we receive. However, flames
absolutely will not be tolerated.
_Archive:_ Absolutely *ONLY* if you request permission and receive our
granting to do so. It'll probably be a yes, but it depends on the archive
and the person runnign it.
_Warnings:_ Abuse, Death, Lemon, Religious Prejudice, Rape, Sex, Torture,
Violence
_Fandoms/Characters/Pairings:_ (Angel/BtVS) A/C, Fresley, Faith, Lorne,
Dawn; (Charmed) C/Pi, Prue, Phoebe, Paige, Kit; (Dawson's Creek) Dawson;
(Disney) Jack Sparrow/Will Turner; (Elvira) Elvira, Gonk; (Labyrinth)
Jareth and company; (PotC) Jack/Will, Elizabeth; (Sabrina) Salem; (Shrek)
Donkey; (Smallville) Clex; (SU2) Carl; (10K) Wolf; (X-Men) RoLo and Morph;
(Xena) Aphrodite, Xena/Gabby, Joxer, and Autolycus. Sooner or later,
there's a pairing for every character, but if they're not listed it here,
the pairing will be with either a character from a different fandom or an
original character.
_Summary:_ Familiar and new faces come together as the Pirates of The
Black Pearl and The Sea Witch in this crossover series including Angel,
BtVS, Charmed, Dawson's Creek, Disney, Elvira, Labyrinth, Pirates of the
Caribbean, Sabrina (Salem only), Shrek, Smallville, Special Unit 2, 10th
Kingdom, X-Men, Xena, and cameos from many others. In the first book,
Bright Promises of Tomorrow, the crews arrive expecting to celebrate Will
Turner and Elizabeth Swann's wedding but discover that Governor Swann has
stooped to new lows and will stop at nothing, not even selling Will into
the city's newly-created black market, to keep his daughter from marrying
a Pirate. Governor Swann has not, however, taken into consideration Jack's
love for Will and his unrelenting willingness to do anything to save his
beloved.
Meanwhile, Port Royal's townspeople have risen into an angry, prejudiced
mob set to burn the Witches. Will the Pirates be able to stop the
townspeople in time, or will the Witches, including a family by the last
name of Halliwell, Ororo Munroe, and Scientist Winifred Burkle, meet their
deaths? Also, Faith falls, Angel has his first encounter with Princess
Cordelia, Lorne gets bitten in the rear and may well lose his heart in the
process, and snow heralds the arrival of even more danger!
_Disclaimer:_ All established characters; all TV show, comic, and movie
titles; and the Black Pearl are © & TM their respective owners and are
used without permission. Crystal "Snowflake" Frost, Katrina "Firestar"
Lewis, Celina "Pantheria" Lewis, Tom Ballard, Meesy, Brendan Richards; and
all other original characters are © & TM Pirates Sparrow and Turner, are
used with their permission, and may not be used without permission. The
Sea Witch and everything else are also © & TM the authors. No copyright
infringement is intended, and no monetary profit is made from these tales.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

"Good morning, Xena!" Jack returned.

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

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



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


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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"But . . . But the port?"

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


_Chapter Four_
Wolf's keen senses of smell and sight shown him that he was almost
to the area of the ocean that the Christians were chasing the
others. He could see that they were not going to be in time. The
hair stood up on his back, and he howled for already women were
drowning and he could not reach them. He could not believe his
eyes when they had simply held hands and walked out into the
ocean, singing and chanting, to meet what they knew would be their
deaths. How brave they were or, on the other paw, how stupid they
were!

Wolf had never believed in anything enough that he wanted to die
for it until he had met Jack. Now he knew he was willing to die
for his family yet he still did not have a cause to which he would
give his life. Jack had saved him on numerous occasions from the
hangman's noose, and he owed him big time but there was still
nothing that he believed in to the point that he would die for it
and yet, these women were walking out, almost cheerfully though
tears streamed down several of their faces, to meet certain doom.
{Gods, women!} he wanted to scream out in man's language but only
a howl came out.

Where was Jack in all this madness? Wolf believed Jack could do
anything, even stop this madness. He renewed his efforts to reach
the women, only to be blocked by the Christians. The stench of
hatred and prejudice that came off of them was enough to gag him.
It was overpowering. He glanced around, trying to find a place to
jump into the water, but the Christians were barring the water.

It was then that the men finally reached the confrontation. They
attacked the Christians with everything they were carrying --
axes, swords, daggers, claws. Some, like Xena, Gabrielle,
Wolverine, and Cole Turner, were flurries of action that nothing
seemed able to hold back while others, like Joxer, who was far
more apt in the kitchen than on the battlefield, and Carl, whose
shortness was constantly pitted against him, determinedly
continued their struggles against the mob, no matter how many
times they were knocked flat of their backside. The Lewis sisters
and their husbands fought side by side in a blinding daze of
silver blades, fur, and hair. Even those few among their number
who might have attempted to find another solution before fighting,
and moreover killing, did not hesitate to do their fullest in the
fray for they had all felt the sting of prejudice at some time or
another in their lives.

Their fighting gave Wolf enough of a chance to jump into the
ocean. The first person he encountered was definitely dead. She
lay floating with her eyes open skyward. The fear and grief in her
eyes had been dulled by death, but a peaceful smile remained on
her cold lips. It gave him the willies. He knew there'd be a lot
more dead this day. He heard a yell and barely managed to swim out
of the way just as a Christian was thrown in, blood spattering
everywhere. Bile rose in his throat and he almost lost it, but his
nose caught a scent of something barely breathing yet still alive.

Wolf started to swim toward the scent but had to take a quick
detour as two huge forms fell into the water on either side of
him. Upon glancing to the newcomers, surprise flickered in his
dark eyes, but as soon as he saw the giant octopuses beginning to
reach for women with their eight arms and caught their scents, he
realized that they were only the shapeshifters, Morph and Tom.
Immediately returning his attention to the scent of the live
woman, Wolf continued toward her.

Reaching her, Wolf got a good grip on her hair. Her clothes were
so heavy that they were pulling the body down, and he fought
valiantly to pull the raven-haired wench from the water. Pushing
her to shore, his eyes looked pleadingly for help. He was not
surprised to see that there was only a handful of Christians left,
and even as he watched, they were picked up, throats slit, and
thrown into the water. A pair of strong arms reached down and took
the woman out of the water. He did not let go until he could feel
her being pulled. She was carried over to a grassy area and laid
down. Gabrielle stood waiting at the designated spot, and as soon
as Wolf saw the surgeon bend down to care for his rescuee and
heard her calling commands to Joxer and Autolycus who had joined
her in helping to care for those few who were snatched from the
water while they still lived, he returned to his own rescue
efforts.



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

Upon reaching the water's edge, Carl had gotten off the huge dog
and was running back and forth, trying to braven himself enough to
jump in and try to save one of the lovely women. He was scared of
the water and could do nothing but whimper and run up and down. He
noticed that the dog was gone and looked up and around for his
companion, noticing that he had gone over to where a raven-haired
woman dressed in black was laying on the ground.

Carl finally spied what he was looking for. It was a pole with a
hook on it. He knew if he got in the water, his butt would be gone
for it would either suck him down or carry him out to sea. He
looked around for a buxom wench to rescue and finally spied some
one with red hair. He snaked the pole out and caught the clothes,
pulling the woman to him. Carl thought she was the prettiest fish
he'd ever seen.

A couple of the guys reached down and pulled her out of the water.
"Good going, little guy," one of them said and reached down and
patted Carl on the head. Carl growled. He hated to be treated like
a pet of some kind. He immediately began looking for another woman
to rescue.

He spied another one and snaked the pole quickly out to snag her
and pulled her up close only to find out that she was dead. The
pirates who had quickly gotten rid of the Christians were now just
as quickly pulling the women out of the water. Two of them, Lex
and Clark, stayed close by Carl and pulled out everything that he
snaked up. Unfortunately, the redhead had been the only one alive
thus far, and all the rest that were dead they had laid a little
ways away from them, grouping them together. It was a
gut-wrenching, heart-sickening affair for all involved.

Then Carl snagged one with black hair. He pulled her up and
breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. Even as Clark gathered
the woman into his arms and ran her over to Gabrielle, Carl
glanced around but did not see any other bodies floating nearby.
He did, however, see Cole trying to get to shore with a woman.
Carl waited in case he could help.



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

Cole had arrived and jumped straight into the ocean, hoping to
rescue a fair damsel, but every woman he came into contact with
save one was already dead and he didn't spend any time getting
their bodies out of the water. Cole was only in it for the live
ones, although he would help later after they got the last live
ones out and removed the dead women from the water. No one should
have had to have died in this manner, but he knew it happened far
too often. He felt powerless to do anything about it.

It was then that he spied another woman and swam over to her. He
sniffed her. She was breathing but just barely. His heart stirred
at the sight of her, but he didn't know why. She reminded him of
some one. He put his arm around her and began to swim with his
other arm toward the shore. She had been further out than the
others, and her clothes were very heavy. They almost pulled Cole
down. He was relieved to see Carl snaking his pole out, and he
grabbed it with his hand and was pulled rapidly toward the shore
where he and the woman were pulled out.

The woman was carried away toward the area where the live women
had been taken, and Cole lay on his back, breathing heavily,
looking at the sky. For such a miserable day of sadness and
sorrow, he could not believe that the sky was beautiful, not a
rain cloud in sight, no one to cry for the dead. He wondered about
the woman and hoped that she had not lost any loved ones in this
mess. He had lost both a mother and a sister to Christians, and he
hated them with a bloody passion.

He closed his eyes and thanked the Gods and Goddesses that he had
been in time and saved two women. He remembered back to another
little, petite woman he had hauled out when he had first got
there. The first woman he had rescued had made him think of his
sister. She was small and had long, black hair to her waist. He
figured her eyes were probably blue. He shook himself mentally,
got up, and went to find out how the women were doing.



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

Wolverine had been amongst some of the first to reach the
confrontation area and had grabbed three Christians at once,
banging their heads together and then tossing them into the water
to drown. He set about on a rampage, killing Christians with the
greatest of glee, until there were no more for him. Then he began
to jump into the water, bringing women out. He did not look to see
if they were living or dead. He just brought them out, dropped
them on the ground, and let some one else deal with them. When he
found a Christian, he wrinkled his nose and pushed them away.

He soon lost track of how many women he had brought up out of the
water. Glancing around, he did not see any more women and saw that
the other men had gotten out of the water, so he figured the
attempt was over. All he saw bobbing up and down was Christian
bodies that he was going to leave to rot for the buzzards.

Something white fluttered in the slight breeze that had suddenly
kicked up, and it seemed to be attached to a floating log. He swam
quickly over and saw that it was a woman, a woman of such beauty
that it simply blew him away. He clenched his fists and ground his
teeth. If this beauty was dead, there was going to be a Hell of a
lot more pain going on! He managed to get her to the water's edge,
and when others would have reached out to help him, he growled. No
one would get to help her but him! This one was personal!

He lay her on the ground, rolled her on her back, and began to
mash her stomach, gently at first. Water spewed out of her mouth,
and she started coughing. This one was his! If any one got near
her, they'd pay for it. He continued to work on her, making sure
that the water got out of her throat and mouth. He turned her head
sideways so that it could come out more easily. When no more water
seemed to be forthcoming, he sat and looked at her, hoping she'd
breathe clearly and not gaggingly, but she didn't seem to be
responding other than spitting the water out.

He positioned himself over her and began to breathe into her
mouth, holding her nose closed while he did so. He took several
deep breaths and blew them into her mouth again. He did not know
how long he was doing this. He was so frustrated that he screamed
out his rage and hit the ground beside her with his clenched fist.
She was going to die on him, and there was nothing he could do! He
picked her up, dragging her into his arms, not realizing that he
was crying. Several tears ran down his face and landed on hers. It
was then he felt her begin to breathe. "Thank the Goddess!" He
prayed she'd live.


_Chapter Five_
Gabrielle stood in the center of the grassy area where the living
women had been carried. Having returned her sais to her boots
quite some time ago, her hands were empty, and without her herbs
or even Brendan's tools, she felt powerless to do anything more to
help the women who had yet to waken. Her green eyes traveled over
the unconscious women to her helpers, who she could tell were as
exhausted from their efforts to breathe life into the women as
those who had done the actual rescuing and were now coming out of
the water were. Joxer had fallen face-first onto the ground and
had not even bothered to try to get back up yet, and Autolycus sat
on the ground next to her feet, his mouth unusually silent and his
eyes watching the women.

Gabrielle again began to walk around, checking on each of the
women. They were all still breathing, but there was nothing more
she could do for them. All any of them could do now was exactly
what the poodle who sat beside the pale-skinned, raven-haired
woman was doing -- sit, wait, and watch for any signs of
improvement or worsening. She did not know where the little dog
had come from but knew from the way his sad eyes intently watched
the woman that he belonged to her and would not be dragged away no
more than she would have been dragged away from Xena had her
beloved been in that position.

A sudden yell followed by the sounds of heavy sobbing broke the
stillness that had began to settle in the air. Gabrielle's gaze
instantly turned to the source of the sounds, and her eyes widened
with surprise, even as others' mouths dropped open, to see that
Wolverine, who had never shed a single tear while amongst them,
was crying openly and clutching a woman with ivory hair and
chocolate skin. Her forehead creased as she wondered why the
stranger had taken such a toll on him. Was she not a stranger to
him, as well? The healer pushed the thoughts from her mind as she
started toward him. She knew very little of Wolverine's past, but
that did not matter.

Gabrielle had barely started toward Wolverine when the woman
suddenly stirred. Seeing the movement as the woman finally began
to come to, Gabrielle did not go any further but stayed where she
stood with her eyes carefully watching the woman to make sure that
she would indeed be all right and her ears open to those around
her.



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

It was through a mental haze that Ororo Munroe slowly became aware
of her surroundings once more. She felt a weight pressing against
her, but as she grew more alert, she realized that it was not the
ocean she felt. She stilled herself. Had she been dragged from the
water as she feared they might be? If so, then let them do what
they would. She would cut out her own tongue before she would give
them anything that they could use against her fellow Witches.

She was putting off opening her eyes when she felt drops of liquid
fall onto her bare shoulders. The liquid came with sounds of
crying that finally brought her eyes to open. Who would be crying
for her? She had no one save those who she had walked into the
ocean with, and they would not have brought her out. As her eyes
opened, she found herself looking up into a rugged face who, even
then and though it was littered with scattered scars, she could
not deny the handsomeness of.

She tried to speak, but her mouth, where even now a strange taste
unlike any she'd ever experienced before lingered, did not seem
willing to cooperate. "W-Who? W-Wh-What?" she barely managed in a
choked whisper that her own ears could not even make out.

Wolverine was startled when the woman moved and made a moaning
sound. He smiled for the first time that day. She would make it!
Continuing to hold her with his left arm, he swiped gently at her
face, removing her hair from her face. "I am sorry, little one,
for everything that happened here today. You are safe now. No one
will dare to hurt you while I'm here." He picked her up and
carried her carefully to where the other survivors were.

He was not accustomed to showing so much of his feelings. If he
had realized that the others knew he had done it, he would be
extremely embarrassed. If any one had dared to say anything to
him, they would have gotten a claw for their efforts.

Once reaching there, he laid her gently on the ground and turned
to look for Gabrielle. Once spying her, he called to her, "Are
they breathing without too much effort or do they sound like
they're gurgling? If they are, we have to clear their air ways."
Wolverine had lead many lives in his lifetime and had a lot of
training in a lot of things. At one time, he had even been a medic
during the war. He had seen a lot of people die but none so
senselessly as the ones who had died this day. He waited for
Gabrielle to answer.

"They're breathing on their own, and they've already been cleared.
We've done all we can," came Gabrielle's gentle response from
where she stood, keeping a careful eye on all the patients. "All
we can do now . . . is wait," she admitted with a sigh.

Ororo was still struggling against the awful pain drowning had
left in every inch of her body, but she finally managed to reach
up and lay a gentle hand on the stranger's leg in an effort to get
her rescuer's attention. "I do not understand," she managed in a
weak whisper. "Who are you? Why . . . Why did you . . . do you
care?" She had never known another who had cared for Witches who
was not one herself, and in fact, she had never known a man with a
good heart.

"Rest, sweet, gentle lady," Logan said as he knelt down by her
again. "You're safe here. Logan will watch over you. Nothing will
get near you." He could not believe how beautiful she was, and he
imagined that she was not the only one. Maybe that was why the
Christians hated the Witches even more? Most of the Christians
tended to be ugly, and every Witch he had ever met was beautiful.

He sat down beside her and looked back up at Gabrielle. "Resting
is all we can do for them now, resting and protecting them, but as
soon as they start to revive, we need to move them to the safety
of the ships. It will not be long before the townsfolk find out
what's going on and start coming to investigate." Gabrielle nodded
in response but did not speak. Logan sat just close enough to the
woman that she could feel his presence yet not feel threatened.

Ororo knew that she should be getting to her feet and be seeing to
the others that she had heard Logan talking about, but she could
not seem to find the energy. Not only had drowning taken such an
exhaustive toll on her body, but she had also felt the water's
immense heartache for them as they had allowed it to take their
lives. Even as she tried and failed to move her lips and speak,
her eyes drifted shut again.



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

Xena had already made the rounds of their perimeters and had sat
guards in each of the directions. She knew it would not be long.
Either the townsfolk would come to find out why their friends had
not returned or thieves would show up, hoping to loot the bodies.
Either way, it was her nature to be prepared.

She had to laugh when she saw Joxer laying face-first in the
ground with his butt up in the air. Knowing him the way she did,
she knew he had worn himself out helping. She walked over to him
and gently pushed his butt down with a foot. He never stirred.

Autolycus looked up at the woman who he admired more than any
other he'd ever encountered, but he could not manage a smile or
words even for her. His gaze shifted from her to Joxer who let out
a snore that sounded much more like a bear's than a man's before
returning to the women.



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

From where she stood watching, Gabrielle released a sigh. At least
one would live. It seemed to her that one woman's return to life
was an opening for the others for it was at that same time that a
sharp yip of excitement brought her attention back to the poodle
and the woman who he guarded. She started to head toward the dog,
who was standing at alert with his paws on his mistress' chest,
and the woman, but even as she did so, she was stopped by the
sounds of other women starting to come to all around her.



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

The first thing Elvira became aware of was the gentle pressure of
familiar paws on her chest. "G-Gonk?" she whispered. "Wh-What
happened? Th-They didn't get -- ?" She was struggling to speak,
and Gonk quickly silenced her with two yips, a technique that they
had worked out long ago. She tried to open her eyes, but they
still hurt too much from the pressure of the water flooding
against them.

"D-Delvira?" she asked in a choked whisper. Her answer came again
in two yips, and her pale forehead creased in confusion. "T-Then
w-what?" Gonk set off barking then, trying to explain to her how
he had ran into Carl and how the Gnome, the strange wolf, and the
other Pirates had all joined together to come to her and the
others' rescues, but Elvira only shook her head weakly. "Gods, I
wish I could understand you better," she whispered, her voice so
faint that it could not be heard by human ears.



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

Wolf had been walking the perimeter in the opposite direction of
what Xena had been walking. He knew they would come and that it
was only a matter of time. He did not like being out in the open.
Wolves never liked to be out in the open.

He had heard the dog talking to its mistress. He listened but did
not hear anything that upset him, so he continued on his rounds.
One glimpse of the beautiful woman had got his blood excited. He
knew that if he had been in man form, he would have had to leap
over there and introduce himself, but for now he would keep his
distance. With Xena going one way and he going the other way, he
knew they had everything covered.



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

She had not known what to expect when she next returned to
consconiousness, but the buzzing of unfamiliar, human voices
around her had certainly not been it. Her first thoughts were of
her family. She had accepted her death while almost in the center
of her family's part of the line, but her hands, that had held to
Prue's and Phoebe's, were empty. She had to force her eyes to
open, and when they had, she instantly regretted it for the harsh
rays of the sun that cascaded down upon her. She shut her eyes
instinctively at first but forced herself to open them again. This
time, she did not shut them but looked around at her surroundings
as best she could.

She knew this ground. She had walked down it just a little while
ago, and she had picnicked on it with her family for years before.
She had not died, but she was, she realized with panicked glances
all around her, alone. Her family was nowhere in her sights. She
had lived . . . but they had died. Sobs broke instantly from her
aching throat, and though it burned, she continued to sob openly,
tears flooding her cheeks.

She should have died with them! She should not be here, should not
be alive! She should be with them, even if it were rotting at the
bottom of the ocean! She did not know what had gone wrong, but it
did not matter. Her family was gone from her forever, and she had
somehow failed them in their last breaths! In her desperation and
grief, she flailed a weak hand in an attempt to strike at what she
hated most then -- herself.



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

Cole had been on his way back to check the ladies he had rescued
when he saw one who seemed to be fighting the air. He went and
squatted down beside her. She was one of the ones he had rescued.
He caught both of her hands in one of his, successfully stilling
her struggles. Her hands were small and helpless, but she was very
angry. "Miss?" he asked. "What's wrong? Can I do something to help
you? You're safe here."

"I should not be," she responded to the stranger before she could
stop herself. "I should not be here. I should not be alive." It
was through dark eyes blurred with tears that she looked up at
him, and she was startled that the sight of his handsome face and
water still shimmering on his muscular chest made her heart skip a
beat. "I should be with them," she cried, "with my family." Who
was this man? Where had he come from? Was he to be trusted? None
of that mattered, however, her heart argued silently with her
brain. All that mattered was that her family was gone, that they
had died, but she had lived.

"You're not the only survivor. I don't know if your family's here
or not. We did the best that we could. Whatever in the world
possessed you women to drown yourselves? You should have stood and
fought against your enemy, not just walk blindly into the sea!
Death does no one any good!"

He did not mean to come across so roughly with her, but this day
had just served as a reminder of what had happened to his own
family. He still had not been able to figure out why they had not
fought. Why had they gone simply into the sea?

"I can help you to look for your family, if you'll allow me to
touch you." He figured she probably wouldn't trust him enough to
do it. After all, he didn't even have shoes on, and a lady such as
herself probably would frown down upon a man such as he was. "I am
but a simple pirate, ma'am, but I am here to do what I can to help
you." He lowered his hand to her to assist her to her feet.

Her mind was swimming, and her body throbbed from the weight of
the water that had pushed so violently against every inch of her
hair and skin. Her hazy mind whirled as she tried to grasp at what
he was saying. She had been about to answer him when he had
declared himself to be a simple pirate there to help her. "A
p-pirate?" she repeated in a small, weak voice as she looked up at
his offered hand through cloudy eyes. She had always been taught
to fear pirates and had never heard of a heroic one such as this
man who stood before her, the man who had rescued her . . . and
others? Was her family alive? Were they here somewhere? There was
only one way to find out, and she reached up to take his hand.

Cole gently pulled her up to him, but though he was gentle and her
movements slow, the world still whirled around Piper at a blinding
rate as she stood. She managed to make it to her feet but
instantly started to collapse against him. Cole's movements were
sure and swift as he picked her completely up. Her burning throat
ached too much for her to gasp her surprise. Realizing that this
was the only way she could move around to look for her family
until she had further recuperated, Piper settled into the pirate's
strong arms as he began to walk around so that she could look down
to see if she recognized any one.

Cole held her so close against his strong chest that Piper could
hear his heart beating beneath his muscles, and her own quickened
in response. She shook her head weakly, trying to ignore the sound
of his heart and the way his arms felt so close around her in such
a forbidden embrace, and concentrated instead on making out the
bodies that lay on the ground beneath them. Already she had
spotted Ororo, Elvira, and Winifred, but she had yet to see any of
her family. Silent tears continued to stream down her paled
cheeks, and fear that she would not find them shimmered vividly in
her brown eyes.


_Chapter Six_
Angel and Brendan lingered after Jack had left, observing the
soldiers. It seemed they had the day off and were wanting to brag
and enjoy every second of it. Two wenches came in, bearing trays
of food and whiskey, and began to wash the soldiers while the
soldiers nibbled on the food and drank the whiskey. The more they
drank, the more they bragged to the women, and Brendan and Angel
listened with rapt ears.

It seemed that the Governor had paid them a huge sum of money and
had given them the rest of the week off to enjoy it, and all
they'd had to do was to get rid of one pesky pirate. They did not
name names. They didn't need to. Angel immediately knew they were
talking about Will, and the fact did not take long to dawn on
Brendan either.

Angel congratulated the soldiers on their good fortune but then
asked, "I'm dying to know. Did you kill him, and how?"

"Nah."

"We done something even better!"

"If we'd have killed him, she'd have known and caused a stink."

"Instead, we sold him! Got even more money!"

"Want some whiskey?"

"Sure," Angel said with a grin. One of the half-naked wenches
rushed off to bring back some more whiskey for Angel and Brendan.

When the whiskey arrived, Angel toasted the soldiers. "Where do
you buy and sell people around here?" he asked. "Reckon I could
get a woman there?"

"Sure," came the reply, "but you could probably get one here too."

"I'd rather buy one that I can dispense with. I get a little
rough, and they don't always make it. I'd hate to get one of these
women here and get into trouble for it, but if I buy one, then
nobody gives a rat's ass what happens to them."

Though already his eyes were glowing, Brendan held his tongue and
let Angel do the talking. He hated the charade they were having to
pull but trusted his friend and knew he had a plan or, at least,
the beginnings of one.

One of the guards said, "They're having an auction this afternoon.
It gets hot and heavy, and you better inspect the merchandise
before you buy it. Some of them got disease that you can't tell
till you get 'em. It's at the back of the market, a tent, doesn't
have any markings on it. You go into the tent, out the back, and
you're on a street. It's blocked off. You can buy anything there!
Male, female, goats, sheep, whatever your sexual preference for a
hefty price, but you better not go alone. There's a lot of
desperate men there that'd just as soon slit your throat as they
had to look at you."

"Thanks," Angel said. "I'll do that." He continued to linger a
while longer as he did not want to make the guards suspicious, and
then, with a signal, scratching his left ear while making sure
Brendan was looking, they both got out of the tub and began to
dress. They had arranged the signal a long time ago for just such
tight times as this.

One of the guards looked at Brendan. "Cat got your tongue, son?"

Yellow eyes flicked up at the guard as Brendan suddenly realized
that his silence had made the guards suspicious. This was not the
first time that his quietness had brought suspicions, and he knew
just how to explain it. With a nervous glance at Angel, he made
quick motions at his throat.

Angel looked at the guards. "Can't talk. Mute. Ages ago. He was
taken by pirates and almost killed."

"Oh, sorry," came the reply. "Hope to see you guys again later.
We'll buy you drinks again."

"Sure thing," Angel said as he slipped his dagger into his boot
and headed for the door. Once there, he opened it, allowing
Brendan to go out first. "They've done something to Will," Angel
said. "We have to find Jack. At least he's alive. Hope to the
Goddess he's not hurt or Jack will tear this town apart." He
headed for Will's blacksmith shop at a run. When he reached it, he
saw the door was ajar. He started sniffing right away.

Brendan reached it almost at the same time. He, too, began to
smell out the shop. "Not here. Hasn't been for a while, but Jack
has been. To the ship, Brendan," Angel said and started running
for the ship.



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

It was with a heavy heart that the young man opened the door and
slipped into the back room of his family's store. As he shut it
behind him and leaned against its wooden frame, he wished that it
were as easy to shut out the rest of the world. His life had been
happy once, full of a loving family and friends, but then
everything had changed. Now his mother was always out somewhere,
and his father had taken to drinking. The store had fallen onto
Dawson's shoulders completely, but that was nowhere near the worst
of it. No, the worst of it had came just a few nights ago, and the
boy shuddered at the memory. "If you're cold, I can warm ya up."

The strange voice, laden with sultry, husky undertones, brought
his head snapping up. His blue eyes flew open only to find
themselves looking into a pair of the darkest, most bewitching
eyes he'd ever seen. "How'd you get in here?" he demanded.

A coy smile played across dark lips. "You didn't even have your
door locked. Not," she added in admission, "that that would've
stopped me." She slid off the box she had been sitting on and
started toward him.

The way she moved reminded him of a cougar on the prowl, and the
sexy way her body, which was barely clad in tight, black leather,
shifted as she slid smoothly toward him made his heart skip a beat
and then rage with all the loudness of thunder in his ears. "W-Who
are you?" he managed to gasp out.

"Name's not important," she purred in answer to his question even
as she reached him. She made as if to slam her fist next to his
head, but her palm fell silent on the wood. Still, he jumped, and
her smile grew at his reaction. "Call me Faith. Call me Dream
Weaver. Call me after the little, innocent town girl you've got
the hots for. I don't give a damn. I'm not here to play names."

She leaned forward, and he found his betraying eyes gazing down at
her arched bosom. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.
When he reopened them, he found that she had moved even closer to
him, so close indeed that her lips were mere inches from his. He
started to slide out from under her, but she blocked him,
effectively pinning him to the door with one arm on either side of
his quivering body. "Then what are you here for?!" he demanded,
his mind, blood, and heart all racing at once.

"To make your dreams come true," she growled seductively, her
breath brushing over his lips. "For this." Her hand found the
rising bulge in his pants. He jumped as she caressed him there,
but as his mouth started to open in a sharp exclamation, her lips
took his, silencing him.

Dawson Leery had never before met a woman like the one who now
stood before him, her body arching into his while her lips drank
deeply of his and her hand squeezed his member. Unlike most other
men his age, Dawson had never even dreamed of a woman like this.
Her first touch had scared him to his core and brought back
memories of the other night, but her first kiss made him ache for
more.

He still had no ideal what to do with or even about her, though.
Part of him wanted to throw all caution to the wind and take this
once in a lifetime chance that he, by some unthinkable twist of
fate, was being offered, but another part was still scared. What
if there was something more to this than she was showing him? What
if they were caught? What would happen to his pristine reputation,
to his engagement to Josephine? What if his father was the one to
walk in on them? He was still quivering as he pressed one hand
against her breast, and though he almost lost his nerve at the way
her hardened breast felt in his hand, he pushed her away with all
the strength he had.

She fell back only a few steps and did not even have to try hard
to maintain her balance. Her dark eyes were quickly filling with
anger as they looked up at him from underneath a shock of black
hair. "Don't tell me you didn't like that," she growled
challengingly.

Seeing no reason to lie but not daring to try to speak the truth,
either, Dawson gulped even as he shook his head. "Then what," she
demanded, "the Hell is your problem?!"

"Why?" he managed to ask.

"Why what?" she snapped.

"Why do you want me?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. None of her previous targets had
bothered to ask her such a question. She was sure they had
probably wondered what would attract a woman such as she to their
cowardly hides, but none had ever voiced it. Looking back at the
blonde, she lifted her muscular shoulders into a rolling, careless
shrug. "I want a ride, and you looked like the best horse this
damn port had to offer."

Dawson's mouth fell open at that, and for a moment, he could not
think of a response. Then finally, he found his voice again. "I'm
. . . not what you think. I'm a virgin."

"I know," she said with a shake of her head and a grin. "I like
'em just your style, boy."

"Don't you even want to know my name?"

She shook her head again while exclaiming, "Hell no!" He started
to speak again, but before he could, she had pulled off her shirt,
kicked off her boots, and shimmied out of her pants. He could not
even think as he stared at the amazing beauty before him, and he
was even only vaguely aware of the rising pain in his pants.
"Look," Faith told him, holding her arms open wide so that he
could get a good look at her. "This is what I'm offering you. A
ride of a lifetime with a woman unlike any you've ever known and
ever will know. I can teach you things in five minutes -- heck, in
a *minute* -- that you'll never get the chance to learn in the
rest of your life. I can make any of your fantasies come true. And
there's no strings attached. You'll never even see me again after
today."

Dawson was stunned speechless. This all seemed too good to be
true. He had to be dreaming, but as she closed the distance
between them again and caressed his sword once more, he realized
that her touch was too good not to be real. "So what do you say,
choir boy? Want some help with that or do you just wanna jack off
all by yourself in the corner again?"

No woman had ever invoked the feelings this stranger already had
in him. No other woman had ever even heated his blood. Despite his
fears, Dawson found himself nodding. Faith had him naked and on
the floor before he even knew what hit him.



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

They ran for the ship as fast as their feet could carry them,
their bodies a near blur to any one who looked up at the
passer-bys. Angel's mind was focused only on reaching Jack so that
they could find and rescue Will before he could be sold into Gods
only knew what, but Brendan remained more alert. The guards had
angered the wolf inside the man, and he had been struggling to
keep his beast in control ever since the bath house. The wench who
had brought their whiskey would realize later that his bottle had
gone completely untouched, but none of them would ever realize the
danger they had just been in not only from Brendan himself but
from his companion, a Vampire, as well.

His senses were already on full alert long before they reached the
ships, and a mixture of urgent scents hit his nose even as Angel
started to dart up the plank. Brendan quickly reached out and
grasped his arm. "Jack's here," he whispered, "but the others
aren't. Whatever happened, they left in a hurry. Jack's not alone,
either. There's a female I haven't smelled before. She's rich,
though, not a harlot or even one of our kind. And Jack's in
trouble." With a nod toward the Pearl, he added in explanation,
"There's six or seven different smells coming from there besides
theirs. Strong men. *Angry* men. And confusion," he added with a
creased brow.

"We should split up and come up at different parts of the ship.
Hide and see what's going on," Angel said. "Keep me in your smell
and your ears alert. I will send you a signal if we are to attack.
Whatever you do, do not endanger Jack." He didn't need to tell him
that. Jack was like a brother to both of them. "And don't endanger
yourself," he added. That he did need to tell him, because he knew
Brendan would take any chance he felt he needed to protect Jack
and did not feel his own life worthy of protecting.

He squeezed his arm gently. "We need you, and we do care about
you," he emphasized. He had to keep telling Brendan that, because
Brendan never felt he was worthy of any one caring. His past life
had been such a mess. "Good luck, buddy," Angel whispered. "Listen
for an owl." He slipped quietly aboard the Pearl. No one saw him,
but he saw them. He heard them. He saw Jack try to fight them and
be taken down to his knees, and he growled his frustration. He
wanted to attack all of them at one time, but then he saw Brendan
also sneaking aboard. Brendan had a better shot. Angel waited.
When Brendan attacked, he would attack. He just hoped Brendan had
a plan.

Jack had watched the shadows as they turned into two of his most
trusted men. He did not give them away, and he did not try to
rise. He knew if he did, his jugular would be cut.



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

Brendan had taken the hard way up the ship. Instead of just
slipping onto it as Angel had done, he had climbed up it while
holding his dagger at the ready in between clenched teeth. When he
had first reached the top of the side, he had peered over it, but
when he had seen Jack in trouble, he had known he had to do
something. He stayed with the shadows as he flipped silently over
the side of the ship and remained just as quiet as he closed in on
the guards.

By the time Brendan had reached nearly directly behind the guards,
he had a dagger in each hand, but the wolf was even closer to his
surface as he had watched the guards berating the first man who
had ever dared to take a chance on his lowly, worthless hide. His
yellow eyes were blazing and his fangs glistening when he let out
a growl that shook the entire deck of the ship. The guards jumped,
letting out screeches that sounded far more feminine than they
looked, and he plowed in, bringing the butts of his daggers hard
across two heads at once.



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

It started with a kiss as Faith again conquered his lips with her
own, her tongue plunging farther down into his mouth than he'd
thought could ever even be possible. Their tongues twisted and
rubbed against each other as they danced in a heated fencing
session, but all too soon for Dawson, Faith's mouth left his.
Though his red lips were bruised from the intensity of their kiss,
they ached for further attention from her. He started to call to
her, wondering what she was up to, but even as he remembered that
he did not know her name, his words froze in his throat as her
tongue ran over his neck.

She littered his tightened throat with kisses and licks that
scorched every inch of his lightly tanned skin that she touched.
She sucked the base of his neck for a moment before beginning a
series of kisses that ran further down his bare chest. The
sensations she invoked in his quivering body and the thrills she
sent coursing through his blood left him helpless to do anything
more than lay back and enjoy every second of this wild beauty's
attention.

When she reached his first nipple, she ran her tongue around its
outer edge before licking its center and bringing a shudder of
delight from her prey. She sucked his hardened nipple into her
teeth and nibbled on it. Though it hurt somewhat, he even found
the pain immensely enjoyable and gave a soft cry of dismay when
she released it. He sighed with pleasure as she then moved on to
using the same procedure on his other nipple.

Releasing his left nipple, Faith slid further down his body,
raining a series of scorching kisses down his stomach. As she
slowly slid over and past his rearing stallion, her taut breasts
caught his erected member between them and squeezed tightly. She
lowered her head, and her tongue darted out to lick the bit of
juice that poured over the edge. His sword quivered as her tongue
lapped the beginnings of his nectar not only from its tip but from
her own breast, as well.

Dawson was panting hard now, and his sword shook with such speed
that Faith knew it would not be much longer now. She slid further
down his body so that she was crouched just over his knees and
lowered her head. Her tongue tasted of his tender skin as she
kissed the inside of his calves, and he let out a yelp of surprise
as she suddenly nipped him. Her hands groped his testicles, and
she squeezed them slightly even as her mouth returned to his
sword.

She kissed its tip before running her tongue all around its
sheath. She finally began to lower her lips around his quivering
member again, and her teeth gently grazed him as she sucked his
tip. Her tongue wrapped around his sword and her teeth grazed his
delicate skin there as she lowered her mouth slowly but steadily
over his stallion. As she sucked harder, his moans grew louder.
Her hands had been caressing his balls, but as she squeezed his
testes once again, her liquid reward flooded her mouth.

Her teeth held to his member as his juice filled her mouth and
poured down her throat. His yells of delight far beyond anything
any of Port Royal's men had ever experienced before shook the
windows of the shop and spooked its customers. They dropped
whatever they had been holding and ran from the store as if it
were possessed by Demons from Hell, but though Faith heard and did
not care, the sounds went completely unnoticed by Dawson.



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

Angel had been about to jump into the fray when a woman's voice
reached his ears. He could see that Brendan had the situation well
in hand and that the minute Brendan had attacked, Jack had been
released and jumped to his feet, sword in hand, fighting the
guards. Angel figured the woman needed rescuing first. He didn't
see anything Jack couldn't handle with Brendan's help, but once he
had the woman, if they still needed him, he was more than willing
and able to kick their butts. "Stand and deliver!" he said to the
back of the burly guard who had the woman cornered.

The captain's blue eyes glanced over his muscular shoulder at the
stranger who stood behind him. "Stand down, peasant. This does not
concern you. This lady is the Princess and my betrothed, and her
father wishes her home. Do not attempt further intrusion unless
you wish to taste the steel of my blade in your final moments!"

Angel looked frantically around for a sword. The only weapon he
had was his dagger. He usually didn't carry a sword, but he knew
how to use one expertly and had often fenced with Brendan. He
didn't say anything but dodged frantically for the weapons' room
and, grabbing the first sword he saw, was back at the captain's
side in three shakes of a lamb's tail. He roared, "Turn and face
my steel and leave the woman alone! She doesn't seem to want your
attentions!" He had moved so quickly that he had been a blur and
the soldier had hardly known he was gone before he had returned.

The captain drew his own sword even as he turned to meet the
stranger. "I will tell you one final time. This does not concern
you."

"I'm making it my concern," Angel said. "You can not treat the
woman as though she was your own slave; rather she be a Princess
or not doesn't matter! She has a right to choose her own destiny,
and apparently she doesn't want you!" He raised his sword and met
the captain's sword in mid-air. He fought like a Demon possessed,
and in mere seconds later, he had disarmed the captain, throwing
his sword over the side of the ship and pressing his own sword
against the captain's jugular. "You should've left when you had
the chance, ya scurvy swine! Now you're going to meet your maker!"

Frantic hazel eyes had watched the two men's every movement as
they had fenced over her destiny, and though she did not wish the
man she had known all her life to be harmed, she had desperately
wanted the pirate to win for she knew what would happen if he did
not. When she saw that he had, her heart had leapt in hope, but
terror flooded her soul when she heard the pirate's words and
realized that he might not be the hero that she had thought but
merely a pirate out to rid his ship of intruders. Knowing that she
was putting her own self in danger, she still ran to his side,
holding out a hand and exclaiming as she ran, her other hand
picking up her dress' skirts so that she did not trip over them.
"No! Please, no!" Tears ran down her face even as she reached the
pirate and dared to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Please, do not
kill him! He would not have harmed me, only forced me to return to
my home and do what he thinks is best for me!"

"For you, I will spare him, but if he comes back aboard our ship,
he can expect to die." Angel dropped the sword, picked up the
captain, and threw him over the side of the ship. "And don't come
back!" he said as he brushed his hands together as though he had
filth on them.

"Now, my lady," he said as he gave her a rather stiff bow, "I know
you are supposed to be a Princess, but it doesn't matter. You have
the right to choose where you want to go. If you want to stay,
you'll have to see our captain, but if I can help you, I will." He
tried to keep himself separate from her as he did not want her to
know that he was very desirous of her. She was the most beautiful
thing he'd ever seen, and it had been a long time since he'd had a
woman.

"Now I have to help my captain. If you'll stay here, you'll be
safe." Angel picked up his sword and leaped downward where he had
last seen the fighting only to see Jack booting the last one over
the side of the ship.



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

Sweat glistened on their naked bodies as they lay together on the
hard, wood floor. Knowing the boy needed a bit of time to
recuperate, Faith had laid down beside him and had even allowed
him to wrap an arm around her body. She was already tiring of
waiting now and ran a hand over him, suggestively caressing his
lightly muscular chest.

Dawson was still panting hard and all his senses were still
whirling from the pleasure he had just experienced from this
strange vixen who lay next to him when she started rubbing his
chest. "Huh . . . Hum . . . " he started in between pants. "I . .
. I can't . . . Not . . . Not yet . . . "

Faith grinned at the words she had known were coming. "That's what
you think, lover," she purred to him as she flipped herself up to
where she straddled him once more. She ran a hand through his
thick mane of blonde hair as she gazed down at him. "Here," she
whispered seductively, her voice on the brink of a soft growl, as
she leaned back down over him. "Try this."

Dawson opened his mouth to ask her what she wanted him to try and
suddenly found one of her breasts in his mouth. He was so
surprised that he closed his lips around it without even thinking.
Her breast already tasted so sweet that he couldn't help giving it
a lick, and a sigh of pleasure broke from her dark lips as his
tongue ran over her nipple. Slowly, Dawson began to suck her
breast, and his staff instantly began to respond and rise back up.
As his suckling grew harder, Faith caressed his chest, her
fingernails playing across his skin like other women's fingers
might play a well-tuned instrument.



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

Jack was rewarded with a satisfying smack as the soldier hit the
dock. "That one won't be coming back any time soon. Thanks, my
friends, for the timely rescue."

The fighting had brought the wolf even more to Brendan's front,
and he was barely able to hold it back. As the others talked
around him, he stood, looking in horror at his hands that were
covered in blood that was not his own. During the midst of the
fight, Jack had had to take one of the guards from him and thrown
him into the water, and Brendan had nearly lashed out at his
captain when he had done so. His chest heaved, and already his
skin itched. He could feel the howl building in his throat even as
he hit his own head with all his strength. Brendan fell onto the
deck and slid against it until his head collided with the side of
the ship. The last thing he heard before unconsciousness took him
was a startled, feminine gasp from above.

Jack realized that Brendan had knocked himself out. He was not
afraid of the wolf. He was not afraid of the man. He cared about
the man, and he realized that the wolf was a valuable ally but
that sometimes he got out of control. This time, he had not killed
any one, but he had really torn them up. They would not be coming
back. He reached down and touched Brendan's head gently. He knew
Brendan could not hear him as he thanked him again. He'd thank him
when he woke up. He was thankful for Brendan, Angel, and most of
his crew. He had a few he didn't really appreciate yet. They were
still not completely family, but these two definitely were.

He turned startled eyes toward the female. He had known she was up
there and that Angel had gone to rescue her, but he had not
expected her to turn out so beautiful. Even though he could
recognize her beauty, she did not do anything for him, but he
could tell Angel was enamoured already. He wondered if Angel had
vamped and bit the captain even though he realized that Angel was
in better control of his Demon than Brendan was. Angel's clothes
were in tact, so Jack figured he had not.

Jack now looked at the woman. With a bow, he said, "Welcome
aboard, Your Majesty. Captain Jack Sparrow at your service. What
can we do to help you?"

Angel moved over to check on Brendan. He wondered if he should
carry him to the sleeping quarters but then realized he didn't
want to leave the woman alone with Jack. He knew Jack had quite
the reputation with the ladies, and he didn't want to take a
chance of losing his new charge to Jack. He could move Brendan
later if need be.

As she looked down at the two handsome men and the third who had,
for some bizarre reason, knocked himself out, she wondered a
million things. She wondered who they were and why they had
rescued her. She wondered if her rescuer's telling her bethrothed
not to return would do any good or if her begging for his life
would only assure that he would continue to come after her
instead. As she realized that she was looking down at the trio,
she also wondered how in the world she had managed to get herself
up as high as she had. "Th-Thank you," she called down to them.
"Y-You've already done so much. How can I ever possibly repay
you?" As she listened for their answers, she started to climb
down, never realizing the view her dress, with its low cut and
side slit, afforded them.

Jack did not watch as the woman descended but turned to check on
Brendan. Angel's eyes were glued to her shapely legs and ankles.
He found himself almost salivating. Assuring himself that Brendan
was only sleeping, Jack turned back to the Princess. "Do not worry
about repaying us, Your Majesty. You owe us nothing, but we do
have to do something about your would-be abducters. We didn't kill
any of them, but we did hurt the heck out of them. It won't keep
them for long. Your would-be intended will get another group and
come back again. We can't leave port right now, so it's only a
matter of time before they will return. Is there somewhere that we
can take you perhaps that you'll be safe?"

Hazel eyes looked down at the captain as he spoke to her, but the
simple act was her undoing for her foot slipped from its place
even as she was trying to make her way down. With a gasp, she
found herself falling.

Angel leaped toward her and caught her in mid-air, bringing her
back down with him to the ship's deck. He held her a moment longer
than necessary before allowing her to slide down his body to the
deck, never saying a word but gazing deeply into her eyes. Damn,
but she was beautiful! If he was anything more than a lowly
pirate, he would dare to make a move on her. As it was, he was
enjoying every second of being in her presence.

The strong arms that had suddenly wrapped around her and whisked
her to the deck's safety had caused her heartbeat to quicken and
stolen her breath. Though she knew she shouldn't, she relished the
feel of the stranger's arms around her and found his dark eyes and
handsome face even more bewitching. The feel of his hardened body
as she slid down him made her heart thunder at the speed of
lightning and filled her body with feelings unlike any she'd ever
known before. Her arms had somehow ended up around his neck, and
even now, though the fingers of one hand gently rested on his
cheek, she was hesitant to move them.



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

She could feel his rising sword from where she straddled him, and
as he grew stiff enough once more, she pulled back slightly from
him. A sound of wordless complaint broke from Dawson's lips as
Faith brought her breast out from his mouth. She silenced him with
a kiss before sliding back down his body. She lifted herself over
his member, and he gave a cry of mixed pleasure and pain as she
lowered herself down his staff. She did not stop until he
completely filled her and then began to rise up and down on his
sword.

Her smile grew with pleased approval as she found that he was not
as timid this time around as he had been when she had granted him
the blowjob. His hands reached up and, taking one of her arched
breasts in each hand, he began to caress her taut skin. He
squeezed her gently. His fingers and palms caressed her bosom, and
his thumb ran circles over her hard nipples.

He leaned forward to meet her, sending his sword plunging even
higher up into her sheath, and her lips were waiting for his when
he reached her. She let him do the leading of their kiss this time
as his lips touched down upon hers. His tongue quested permission
between her teeth, and she welcomed him into her contours. As
their tongues danced, his hands slid from her breasts to her back.
They caressed her skin as they slid down the small of her back
before cupping and squeezing her buttocks.

She had continued to slide herself up and down his staff, and as
his bucking grew and she continued to ride him, her arms wrapped
around his torso, bringing his body even tighter against hers. In
between their heated kisses, as their lips had to break apart for
gasps of oxygen, their cries of pleasure grew until they rattled
the very windows of the shop. She squeezed his staff, and as he
shot up into her and they cried out together, her figernails
scratched his back, marking him as hers. The mark would turn out
to last much longer than either had ever intended.



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

Jack, noticing the play between Angel and the Princess, spoke. "I
have a lot of things I have to take care of. Angel, I am putting
you in charge of the Princess." He heard a low moan and looked
down to see that Brendan was stirring. "I have to find Will. Some
one has taken him. If they've hurt him, I'll kill them!"

Brendan was only barely aware of Jack speaking from somewhere
above him as he began to come to, but the Captain's voice reminded
the Princess that she was not alone with this handsome, heroic
pirate who was also a stranger to her. Though he had saved her
life and rescued her twice now, she still did not even know his
name. Crimson flooded her cheeks as she forced herself to step
back from him.

Angel was lost in the scent of the woman. It was heavenly, and he
had not had a woman in a long time. Thanks to Jack, Angel was able
to go about in the daytime. He did not know how Jack had achieved
it, but Jack had gained an amulet that, once placed on Angel's
neck, gave him the ability to go out in the daylight. That had
been over a year ago, and Angel had not had a woman in all that
time. His loins let him know that now, but at Jack's words, he
sobered himself and released the woman. "We know what happened to
Will. He's alive, but he's been sold and is going to be auctioned.
We know where it's going to take place."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Will was alive. "Do
you know where he's being held?"

"Yes," Angel said. "Brendan and I will go with you."

"No," Jack said. "Brendan will go with me. You need to stay here
and take care of the Princess."

"Jack . . . " Angel said in a strange voice. "That might not be
such a good ideal."

"It's not a good ideal for you to bring the Princess to an auction
. . . " Jack started only to be interrupted by Brendan who was
finally sitting up.

As he had been breaking through to return to consciousness,
Brendan had listened to Jack's and Angel's voices above him. He
could smell the racing of Angel's heart and hormones, as well as
the Princess', but nonetheless had to agree with Jack. "And it's a
worse idea to leave her with a wolf."

"The others will not return for quite a while," Jack said. "They
had to go on a rescue mission. I could use their help, but until
they return, we are all there is. If you can't control yourself,
Angel, maybe you should let the Princess lock herself in my cabin?
Stay seperated from each other." He, too, could tell there was
something going on between them.

Women! They were always in heat, and men were always wanting to
enrage the beginning flames in hopes that the fire would consume
both of them! He had sought that himself, but no matter how many
women he had bedded, none of them had managed to put out his
flames. He shook himself mentally. He was having to come face to
face with something he had feared was happening to him for a long
time. He feared the only one who could put out his flames was
Will, and he knew that the chance of that was about as good as a
snowball in Hell surviving.

"Lock yourself in!" he said. He had once heard a doctor describe
to a woman a way of keeping her legs tied together but thought
better of telling the Princess. She might take him to be a very
crude man indeed, and Jack really wasn't when concerned with
women. "Just give me a moment," he ran into his quarters and
searched around in his dresser drawer until he came up with a
hefty sack of gold coins just in case he needed it to buy Will.
There was more than enough gold in there to outbid any one in this
Gods-forsaken town of Port Royal, including the Governor.

He had been about to take part of it, pay another old friend a
visit, and order another sword. He had been doing that for a long
time. Miles had been placing orders with Will, paying him in
Jack's gold, and giving the swords to Jack. He had quite a few of
them hanging on his walls. He was proud of each and every one of
them. Will was quite the craftsman, but he had no ideal that it
was Jack who was buying the swords. In fact, Will was becoming
rich making Jack's swords though never knowing that Jack was
getting them.

Jack had wanted to just give the gold to Will out right, but he
knew that Will would not accept it. He thought himself to be very
clever in getting the gold to Will. He put the gold into a pouch
and slung it over his shoulder. He picked up one of the swords and
replaced his every-day sword with it. This was a special sword; it
was extremely strong for longer duels and overly sharp. He would
take great pleasure in using it against any one who had touched
his Will.

Straightening his clothes and cleaning up his appearance, he
slipped his hat on his head and stepped back out. "Are you able to
travel yet, Brendan? And you may use my cabin now, Princess." He
figured when he got back, Angel and she would be wrapped up
together, but he was not overly concerned with it at the moment.

Brendan had nodded and started to answer Jack, but the Princess
had spoken more quickly than he. Though she wondered why the
captain was offering her his cabin for she had not eavesdropped on
the men's conversation out of the manners that had been trained
into her throughout her entire life, she did not ask him about
that but merely nodded. "Thank you, Captain, though, please,
sirs," she added in indication that she was speaking to all three,
"there is no crown on my head nor do I wish there to be. My royal
title is part of the life that I do not wish to have to return to.
Please call me Cordelia."

Jack nodded and lowered his hand to Brendan. "If you think about
somewhere that you want to go while we're gone, you can tell us
when we return. Angel will guard you and make sure no one disturbs
you. I would suggest you rest. Angel, when the others return, have
them get ready to leave. It is not safe for Will to be here, and I
want to get the Hell out of here. I'm taking him with us."

Angel said, "I will tell them, and we will be ready." He was
surprised Jack had managed to clean up so quickly and thought he
looked rather dashing.

Brendan accepted Jack's offered hand and the captain's assistance
in aiding him to return to his feet. He started to bow to the
Princess but stopped himself as he realized that that, too, would
be part of the life she was seeking to put behind her. Instead, he
tipped his head with a polite, "Madam," as he would have to any
other woman and turned to leave.

"Lead me quickly to Will," Jack said. "We will do what we must,
but we will not leave there without him." Without another word,
Brendan took off and Jack followed.



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

As they lay together afterwards in the glow of the glorious
love-making they had just experienced together, Dawson found
himself wishing that the moment could last forever. Though he
still did not have any inkling of her name, the woman he currently
held in his arms had filled him completely and had not only
already made him feel more pleasure than he'd ever dreamed
possible but had also made him happier than he'd ever been in his
entire life. He opened his mouth to ask her again for her name,
but it was at just that time that he heard his own called from
inside the shop. "Dawson?"

"Oh God," the words slipped out before he could stop them, and her
dark eyes slanted questioningly up at him. "It's my Father," he
explained. She saw the fear on his face and heard the terror in
his voice but did not bother to ask him why his father's voice
would bring such a reaction from him. Instead, she rolled out of
his arms and started for her clothes.

He reached up to her and managed to grab her hand. She looked down
at him, her glare demanding an explanation. "Please," he
whispered, "don't . . . " He was so shocked at the harsh emotions
that flashed in her eyes, telling him that what they had just
shared meant nowhere near as much to her as it did to him, that he
released her hand.

Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and Dawson's
mouth moved in a silent gasp as he realized that he had not even
bothered to lock the door. He rolled to a standing position and
nearly fell over his own feet as he rushed to snatch his clothes
back on. He was still struggling to button his pants with
trembling fingers as the door was opened with such force that its
slamming against the wall echoed through the store.

Dawson dared a glance at his father, and a wave of horror hit the
young man at the angry glower on his father's reddened face. He
glanced at where his wild beauty had been, but she was gone and
the back door hung open, still swinging in the breeze, from where
she had fled through it. "D-Dad," Dawson stuttered, looking back
up at his father. "I-I can explain!"

"No need to," Mitch Leery snapped as he strode purposefully into
the room. "It's pretty *damn* obvious, Dawson, and just what I
thought I'd find. You won't give your dear, old dad the *one*
thing he asks from you, so you go out, pick up some *whore*, bring
her back here, and _*fuck_* her in _*my store_*!" he roared. "It
wasn't even that *damn* Josephine that your *stupid bitch* of a
mother set you up with, *_was it_*?!" he demanded. Dawson shrank
back from his approaching father. He could smell the alcohol on
his breath even from that distance. "_*Answer me, boy!_*" Mitch
demanded, his eyes blazing.

"N-No," Dawson whimpered in response. He tried to back further
away, but his father reached out, grasped him by the shoulders so
hard that his grip would leave marks, and snatched him to him.

"You're _*mine*_, Dawson," Mitch hissed in his face, his foul
breath spraying spit across his son's face. "*All mine!* But if I
can't have you, I'll just *sell* your sorry butt!" With that, he
turned and threw his own flesh and blood so that the boy landed in
front of four other strong, burly men.

Dawson's terrified heart roared inside his chest as he looked up
at the four men who towered above him. He'd never seen any of them
before, but as he heard his father telling him that he was theirs
for the sum they'd agreed upon, he knew what was going to happen
to him. He also realized, or so he thought, that his life was
over. The one thing Dawson failed to realize was that he had hit
his head on the door at such an angle that blood was beginning to
trickle from the wound. His world suddenly grew dark, and the last
thing Dawson saw before he passed out was his father accepting
money from one of the traders who stood over him.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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