We have posted at least one of the books from our Love on the High Seas
series to each of these lists recently.  However, we've not heard a word from
those of you on here since we posted.  This is just a reminder to let you know
that if you've read and enjoyed LotHS, you'd best speak up as we will be
unsubbing from any list we do not hear from in about a week or so, two weeks
exactly from the date we posted to each particular list.  This will be the last
E-mail each list receives from us unless we hear from some one on the particular
list.
     For any of you who may have missed the postings, Love on the High Seas is a
Pirate series that crosses over many fandoms, characters, and couplings, such as
(Ace Ventura) Ace; (Angel/BtVS) A/C, Fresley, Faith, Lorne, Dawn, Connor, Spike,
Darla/Dru, Lilah, Willow/Kennedy, Doyle, Groo; (Charmed) C/Pi, Prue, Phoebe,
Paige, Kit, Sam Wilder; (Dawson's Creek) Dawson; (Disney) Jack Sparrow/Will
Turner, Hook/Smee, Sebastian; (Elvira) Elvira, Gonk; (Excalibur) Kurtty, Rachel;
(Generation X) Sean/Emma; (Happy Days) Fonzie; (Harry Potter) Albus Dumbledore,
Snape; (Labyrinth) Jareth and company; (Marvel) Elektra; (Peter Pan) Hook/Smee;
(The Pirate Movie) Frederic; (PotC) Jack/Will, Elizabeth, Anamaria; (ReBoot)
Matrix/AndrAla, Ray/Mouse, Bob, Phong, Frisket; (Sabrina) Salem; (Shrek) Donkey;
(Smallville) Clex; (Sons of Thunder) Trent, Carlos; (Starsky & Hutch)
Starsky/Hutch; (SU2) Carl; (10K) Wolf; (Touched By An Angel) Andrew; (X-Men)
RoLo, Morph, Sean/Emma, Kurtty, Professor X, Rachel, Callisto, Joseph/Rogue,
Bishop, Beast, Gambit; (Xena) Aphrodite/Ares, Xena/Gabby, Joxer, Autolycus,
Discord, Callisto, Strife; and (Zoolander) Derek/Hansel.  As for genres, the
series includes pretty much everything.  The rating is NC-17.  If any one's
interested but missed the posts, please let us know *offlist* at
OrliDepp@....
     Thank you for your time.
                                                                 Pirates Sparrow
& Turner

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

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
running it.
Warnings: Abuse, Death, Lemon, Nudity, 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.

Chapter Thirty-six
         Lorne finished eating and thought that he would go for pie. He looked at
Elizabeth's plate, Cordy's plate, and then Crystal's plate. She was still
playing with her fork in her food and not eating it. "Crys?" he asked her
gently.

         "Hmm?" Crystal replied without taking any real notice of Lorne. Her gaze
remained focused on her plate even as she murmured, "I'm fine." Elvira's whimper
from behind her told them otherwise.

         "Sweetie, you going to eat some of that? Any of it? Please?" He leaned
over and kissed her on the cheek. "Eat some of it for me?"

         Lorne's lips on her cheek surprised Crystal so much that she sat up bolt
straight, and it was only then that Cordelia and Elizabeth, who had also been
watching her in concern, saw the sadness that haunted her face. "Lorne," Crys
told him, failing to recall the others' presence, "you know that's not safe."

         "Not safe?" Elizabeth repeated in confusion. "The food's not only safe;
it's delicious! Look. We've both eaten everything on our plates. No one's trying
to poison you."

         Lorne looked at Elizabeth. "It's not the food. Why don't you two ladies
get some pie? Bring me back an interesting piece, please."

         Elizabeth started to protest in her desire to help, but Cordelia's
gentle yet firm hand on her own stopped her. "We will," Cordy told Lorne even as
she got to her feet. "Elizabeth?" The blonde started to protest again, but
before she get one sound out, Cordelia pulled her away from the table. As they
walked away, Cordy leaned closer to Elizabeth and whispered to her. "Think about
it. We barely know Crystal. Do you honestly think she'll tell him anything with
us there?"

         "I just want to help," Elizabeth whispered.

         Cordelia's sad eyes matched her friend's. "I know," she agreed. "So do
I, but we would only be a hindrance right now. Look at it this way. You're the
daughter of a Governor, right?" The blonde nodded. "If Will had broken up with
you there and one of the servants had tried to ask you what was wrong, would
they have gotten anywhere?"

         "I'm not a -- "

         "No, you're not a servant, but we're no closer to her than they were to
you."

         Elizabeth quieted as she realized Cordelia's point. She glanced back at
Lorne and Crystal over her shoulder, "I wonder what's wrong with her."

         Cordelia did not answer.



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

         Lorne lifted Crys' chin so that she had to look into his eyes. "Beyond
all the obvious, Crys, tell me what's wrong. Don't you trust Angel and me? Don't
you want my green to touch you, or is that what is so repulsive that you don't
even want to look at me?"

         She could see the truth of his concern in his eyes, and it pained her to
know that her actions had made him think that that might be the case. She
reached a hand up and cupped it gently around his hand. "Lorne, it's not that.
It doesn't matter to me that you're green. I've never looked at skin color, and
besides, I . . . I think it looks good on you." She blushed.

         "Then what is it, baby? I know about the bad stuff. We're protecting you
as best we can. I won't let him touch you."

         Crys shook her head. "You don't understand," she told him. "None of you
do. He isn't a being who can be stopped."

         "He hasn't met Angel and me yet. Is Port Royal bothering you? It's not
your fault. It's his fault. It's not your fault for living, breathing, and
deserving a chance at life. Their sins caught them, and their sentence was
carried out swiftly by an asshole Demon." He was whispering so that only she
could hear him. "You're not to blame, so stop blaming yourself. We'll get him,
but he won't get you."

         "You won't get him. If I can't find a way to get away from you, he'll
get you."

         "Crys, do you know what being this close to you, touching you, does to
me? It makes me have evil thoughts. It makes me want to throw you down on the
table and have my evil way with you," he said, growling playfully next to her
ear. "And we haven't even done the act a single time yet. I have never felt this
way about any one before! You want me to just throw it all away without fighting
for the chance of becoming a part of you?" He pulled back so that he could see
her eyes.

         Though his growl, touch, and words sent delicious thrills shooting
through her, she knew the danger he was in and forced herself to answer, "Yes."

         "I'm not going to. I want you too much. I need you, and, most of all, I
love you!"

         "Do you?" she had to force herself to counter him. "We were under
Aphrodite's spell, Lorne. How do you know it's not the spell?"

         "The spell made me want to take you then and there, regardless of our
surroundings, but it did not make me love you. I fell in love with you before
you ever opened your mouth. I saw you laying in my bed like a perfect Angel and
me, the bad Demon that I am, wanted to take you. I still want you. I don't think
that, if we made love one time or a hundred times, I'd want you any less, and
this coming from a guy who usually likes to hang around guys!"

         Surprise flickered in her eyes at his admission. "You'd be safer if you
were gay."

         "I thought I was until I met you, or at least bisexual. I have never had
any one before you. I've been attracted to many, male and female, but when you
opened your eyes and looked at me, it blew me away! I will never want any one
the way I want you. You are the other part of me. What happens to you will
happen to me." He kissed each of her fingers as his eyes kept hers locked. "You
can drive me away, but I won't go far. You are what makes me breathe. You are my
very breath." His voice trailed off. Not only was he fighting his emotions which
were to take her here and now, but he was trying to keep a clear brain so that
he could fight what she was feeling. "I'll die if you leave me, Crys."

         "You'll die if I don't. I couldn't bare to see that, Lorne. I don't want
you -- any of you -- dead because of me, and I know that that'll happen. You . .
. You don't know what I've been through, what I've seen him do! You don't know
what he's capable of! I do, and I know that if I stay, I'll get you, Angel . . .
all of you killed. You won't even stand a chance!"

         "I don't stand a chance of living if you leave me, Crys. You know about
Angel. He feels the same way, only differently. Thank Gods he feels differently!
I thought I was going to have to kill him!"

         Crystal's stunned reaction was clear on her face as she stared at Lorne
in shock. Kill Angel? Over her? Before she had a chance to ask him, she heard
Cordelia speak. "Kill who over what?"

         Lorne looked up at her. "Kill a backstabbing bloke trying to steal my
woman. I'd kill any one who tried to harm her or take her away from me." He was
still holding on to Crys' hand.

         Cordelia and Elizabeth exchanged a surprised look before looking back at
Lorne. Cordy knew she had heard Angel's name mentioned as they had approached
the table, trying to slow their footsteps to give Lorne and Crystal a chance to
finish their conversation but not succeeding in doing so. "We thought that to."

         Lorne looked at them in confusion. "What made you think that I was
talking about Angel?"

         "We heard you mention his name," Cordelia replied as she and Elizabeth
took their seats, "and we saw them together earlier."

         "We didn't know Crystal was his sister," Elizabeth explained. "That's
why I . . . " Instead of finishing her thought, she looked down at the table
with a blush.

         "That's why you what?" Crystal asked, growing more puzzled with each
passing second.

         "That's why I slapped him," Elizabeth blurted.

         "Gods, you women explode over everything!" Lorne exclaimed.

         "She was only protecting me!" Cordelia protested.

         "Angel's got two women on his mind," Lorne explained. "One is you,
Cordelia. He's so mad about you he can hardly control himself! The other one is
you, Crys. He wants to help, and he doesn't know what to do. We all want to
help."

         Crystal looked away. How could she answer him with Elizabeth and
Cordelia so close within hearing distance?

         Cordelia glanced between Lorne and Crystal before looking back to Lorne.
"That part we understood, but we didn't when we first caught him with her.
There's something else we haven't been able to figure out, too . . . "

         Elizabeth looked at her in surprise and started to question her, but
Cordelia's sudden setting of her foot upon Elizabeth's instantly quieted the
blonde.

         "What's that?" Lorne asked.

         "That howling thing that chased us earlier. You know, the one in the sky
that turned Port Royal to ice and everything? What the heck was that?"

         "That," Lorne said, "is a Demon, and we're all trying to get away from
him."

         "He's more than a Demon," Crystal whispered.

         "He is?" Cordy asked, looking at her in apparent surprise.

         Elvira whimpered, but Crys placed a gentle hand on the wolf's head.
"Yes, I do, Elvira. I have to tell them all . . . somehow." She turned toward
Cordelia and Elizabeth. "He's my uncle."

         "Oh my Gods!" Cordelia cried. "I thought my Father was bad enough! At
least he wasn't a Demon!"

         Elizabeth, too, stared at Crystal in shock but finally managed to speak,
"So that's what the problem is. That's what you're hiding."

         Crystal did not respond.

         Cordelia glanced at Crystal, Elizabeth, and Lorne, her mind working
quickly as she tried to come up with a way to get through to Angel's sister.
Finally, she lowered her voice to a quiet whisper that she believed no one else
would be able to overhear. "I know it's horrible knowing every one's in danger,
but you're not the only one putting them in danger."

         "What?" Lorne asked, his voice raised in concern.

         Crystal's eyes finally met Cordelia's. Her surprise was clear therein.
Even Elizabeth turned to Cordy, her mouth open in surprise but no sound coming
out.

         Cordelia drew in a deep breath even as she nodded. "My Father is a
King."

         "So . . . ?" Lorne asked.

         "He wants me," Cordelia explained, forcing the words to come out as she
made the revelation to them in hopes that it might help Crystal to be more
forthcoming. "Captain Sparrow, Angel, and -- I believe, Dr. Richards rescued me
today. They defeated the group my Father had sent after me, but when he finds
out where I am . . . " She paled slightly as she breathed, "He might well send
his entire army!"

         "Looks like there's going to be plenty of fighting," Lorne said,
nodding. "Let's put that behind us for tonight, and do our best to enjoy the
festivities." He could hear a couple of instruments tuning up. "I will have to
go soon. I am one of the singers." He smiled. "Crys, please hurry and eat your
food. I'd like for you to hear me, and you can't leave the galley until you're
finished eating and you can't give it to Elvira."

         Crys gazed at Lorne in surprise. She might actually get to hear him
sing? With that thought in mind, she turned back to her food and finally started
eating. One bite was enough to cause her to begin nearly devouring her plate in
her starvation.

         Lorne looked at her and smiled. She must care about him as she wanted to
hear him sing and was almost swallowing her food whole in her haste! "Usually
after we have a feast, we all sit around and share our music with each other, so
if you ladies have anything that you'd like to contribute, feel free to do so."

         Elvira whimpered softly to her mistress, and Crys paused just long
enough to shake her head at the wolf. Elvira pouted up at her in disappointment
even as Crys continued eating.

         Cordelia, who had been grinning triumphantly, heard the wolf. Her eyes
turned to a piece of chicken that she had saved on her napkin. She'd planned to
give it to Blue but changed her mind. Scooping to one side, she held the chicken
out to Elvira. "Elvira?" she called.

         The wolf padded over and gently took the chicken from Cordy's trembling
fingers, but even as she ate the delicious meat with a grin of gratitude, her
disappointment did not ease. She'd already eaten her food; that was not what had
disappointed her.

         Lorne wondered why Elvira was trying to push Crys into doing whatever
Crys was good at. It was a phrase that Elvira kept repeating; he wondered if his
beloved could sing or if it was something else.



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

         Cole shimmered to one of his favorite places aboard ship. It was a
quiet, secluded area that had a small table and chairs and was located next to
the forecastle deck. It was sometimes used for counting of the booty. He sat the
plates down and then turned to gaze into Piper's eyes. "Your table awaits,
milady." He knew she was exhausted. It had been a forever-long day. He pulled
her chair out and seated her.

         "Oops! I forgot the drinks!" he said. "I'll be right back." He shimmered
before she could say anything. Once in the galley, he saw that every one was
going for pie. He got two pieces of coconut pie, placed them on a tray, and then
got four cups of drink and returned to Piper. He placed those on the table, as
well. He sat down across from her and smiled at her.

         Cole had so swiftly whirled Piper away that her mind was still twirling
from the shimmering when he had shimmered out again. She had found herself
tired, however, and nearly fallen asleep before he'd returned. She smiled up at
him, her eyes revealing how dazzled she was by him. "You're full of surprises."

         "Why, thank you, Miss Halliwell. I delight in surprising you. You
surprise me, as well. I've never tasted anything as good as your cooking!"

         "Do you . . . really like it that much?" She knew the Pirates had all
gone for her fare but realized that, given what they were used to, that really
might not say that much at all.

         "Oh, yes! I've eaten at fancy restaurants and at little holes in the
wall, but even though a lot of them had excellent food, none could compare to
yours. Take a bite." He could tell she was about to fall flat on her face. He
stabbed at a piece of chicken on her plate and lifted it to her lips. "I'll feed
you if I need to."

         She could not help but to smile. "That's very tempting," she admitted
even as a slight blush tinged her cheeks. How dare she be so forward!

         "It would be a great pleasure to do so," he said as he slid his chair
closer to hers. "A woman like you should be pampered and not have to work so
hard." He brought the bite closer to her lips, wishing that his own lips were
touching hers and not just his fork.

         Her eyes continued to gaze into his even as her lips slowly drew the
piece of meat into her mouth. Even she had to admit that it was delicious, but
she wondered how much of that was the actual food and the thought that such an
incredible man as Cole was feeding her. "Thank you."

         He continued to feed her one bite and himself the next. He was about to
lift another bite for himself when Piper beat him to the piece he had selected
and raised it to his lips, her own lips pressed together.

         He ate it slowly from the fork and then moved the fork out of the way,
bringing his own lips to hers and kissing her gently. Piper's lips parted under
his, welcoming his touch, even as she returned his kiss.

         "You, Miss Piper, need to get some rest, and we both need to fight what
we're feeling for if we give in to it, you might regret it in the morning. I
would never regret it. I would treasure it always, but I don't want it to happen
when you're exhausted." He pushed his chair back from hers and then bent to her
feet, unlacing her boots and pulling them off. He gently began to massage her
feet.

         She sighed at the pleasure his touch evoked even as her mind whirled
over his words. Could one kiss really lead to that? She did not know but did
realize that he was right. She was exhausted but did not want to sleep. The mere
thought of closing her eyes scared her, and she straightened suddenly as a
horrible thought came to her. What if, when she opened her eyes again, Cole and
the others were no longer there? What if this were all a mirage, a hallucination
that only seemed to have lasted for a day? What if she were, in truth, still
drowning in the lake with her mother, grandmother, sisters, and all their
friends? Her face paled.

         "What's wrong, darling? Did I hurt you?" He paused in rubbing her feet
and gazed at her with a concerned look.

         "No," she whispered, trying to shake away the tears that threatened to
come to her eyes. "I . . . I just don't want to get that rest quite yet."

         "Oh. I don't want you to go, not yet. Just relax. Let me make you feel
better." Even as he talked to her, he continued to run his hands gently over her
legs up to the knee, massaging the backs of her legs. His hands were skilled,
and yet he was gentle in his touch. He hoped she was getting pleasure from his
stroke. He was getting pleasure just touching her. It was then that he heard the
strains of a song and realized that the musicians were beginning to get their
songs going. "May I have this dance, Miss Halliwell?" he asked.

         She gazed down into his eyes and found herself smiling again, the
terrible memory forgotten momentarily once more. "On one condition."

         "Anything, sweetheart."

         "I know society considers it rather improper, but . . . Do you think you
could stop calling me by Miss Halliwell and call me by my name instead? I hate
being so formal with you, Mister Turner." She wriggled her nose at him.

         "Sorry, Piper. I just . . . I want things to go right for us, and I
don't want you to feel like I'm crowding you or rushing things. I plan to be
with you for the rest of my life, my darling Piper."

         Her eyes shimmered as she smiled at him. "Cole, I never knew what I
wanted to do with my life before," she admitted. "I always just revolved my
world around my family, but you're part of that family now and so much more. I
still don't know exactly what to expect, but I do know one thing and that's that
I want to be with you," she told him, reaching down and taking his hand in hers,
"regardless of what comes or what any one thinks."

         He lifted her gently up into his arms and began to dance with her around
the floor in time to the music, not allowing her poor, tired feet to touch the
floor. Her head touched just under his chin. He knew that she was more woman
than he had ever known in his entire life, and he still could not believe that
she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He began to sing a soft love song
to Piper, a song that promised her many tomorrows full of everything that he
could give her but most of all full of the love he held for her deep in his
heart.

         Piper had already felt as though she were flying as Cole danced with her
and yet never allowed her feet to touch the deck, but now she knew her heart was
soaring through the clouds at the words he sang to her. She held to him, resting
her head on his chest and listening to the sounds of his deep, sexy voice and
his heartbeat that seemed to drum in time to his song and their dancesteps. She
would have liked to have kissed him but did not dare after his earlier words;
besides, she did not wish to give him any reason to stop his wonderful singing.
She'd never heard a voice like his before, and it thrilled her ears as well as
her heart and very soul.

         He wanted to kiss her but knew he'd have to stop dancing with her in
order to do so. He could dance with her forever, holding her close to his heart.
As his song came to an end, he sat her gently back on the floor, gazed into her
eyes, and kissed her, his body almost melting into hers. Piper returned his kiss
in full, her own body pressing into his.



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

         The musicians had scattered around the deck, each lost to his own music
but blending together and making perfect harmony. Joxer was sitting, his back
against the ship and Phoebe at his side, gently stroking his lyre. Whereas he
could not cook for anything and could hardly even fight a mouse, he did play
wonderfully. He glanced around, looking for Lorne who had not gotten up yet to
sing but was still sitting beside Crys, lost in her eyes. "Hey, Lorne!" he
called. "What do you want?"

         "Not now, Joxer," he called back. "I can't do that now!"

         "Aw, come on, Lorne! Sure you can! I think they'll get a kick out of
it!"

         "Joxer, if you think they'll get a kick out of that, I've got -- "

         Crystal looked at Lorne curiously. "What's he talking about?"

         "It's a song and dance routine that we do sometimes. It's embarrassing."

         "How can that be embarrassing?" she asked. "I love to sing and dance!"

         Lorne shook his head. "That's part of the song. If you promise not to
laugh, I'll do it."

         She looked into his eyes as she told him sincerely, "I promise, and,
Lorne, I wouldn't laugh at you."

         "Okay. I'll do it," he said, slowly getting to his feet.

         Joxer stood to join him. "You're the twit," he said, looking at Lorne,
"and I'm the Captain. The rest of you crew know what to do when we hit the right
spots."

         Phoebe looked up at him in surprise. From around Joxer, she glanced
questioningly at the blonde, wondering if she had any further clue. Crystal met
the brunette's gaze and gave her head a slight shake even as she grinned. She
had no ideal what the guys were about to pull but was certainly looking forward
to it.

         "We do?" Tom asked innocently from where he sat with his arm wrapped
around Katrina's shoulders.

         The rest of the crew stared balefully at Tom. "Of course you do, twit,"
Morph told him. "You got to be the twit last time."

         "What's a twit?" The crew groaned, and he laughed as his eyes turned
back to the night's stars. "Well, boys," he called, "show us what you have. Just
try not to hit anybody, Cap'n."

         Joxer grinned ruefully. "Not going to guarantee that," he called back,
"but I'll try!"

         Joxer stood boldly forth with his chest puffed out slightly, a sight
that caused Phoebe to joyously clasp her hands in eager anticipation. "Avast
there mates, ye're sailin' with Long John Black Beard, Peg-Leg, Patch-Eye Hook,
scourge of the bounding main. Bloodthirstiest, black-heartiest Pirate captain
ever sailed the seven seas, ha, ha, ha! What say ye we hoist the Jolly Roger,
heel over the yonder Spanish galleon. Lay a few broadsides again' her timbers,
swing over on these here lanyards with our cutlasses in our teeth, cut 'em to
ribbons, and split the booty. What say ye to that, me hearties? Heh! Ha, ha, ha,
ha!"

         Lorne stood right beside Joxer. Confusion showed on his face even as his
words came out, "I don't like it...."

         The rest of the Pirates groaned.

         "You don't like it?" Joxer questioned, turning his gaze to glower down
upon Lorne.

         Lorne boldly met Joxer's gaze even as he told him, "I don't like it, and
I don't wanna do it. It's tacky . . . tacky . . . tacky . . . and don't look at
me that way."

         Joxer asked him, "Well, if you don't like it, what do you want?"

         Lorne answered him, "I want to sing and dance; I want to sing and dance.
I want to be a Pirate from France. Wear me silver-buckled slippers and me tight
shiny pants. I want to sing and dance."

         That already had several of the crew beginning to chuckle, and even Crys
struggled to keep a straight face at the look Joxer gave Lorne. "You want to
sing and dance, heh! You don't like plundering, aye? Well, shiver me timbers 'ow
'bout treasuring, huh? Rubies, emeralds and pearls, gold doubloons and British
sovereigns. Silver chalices encrusted with diamonds and jewels, necklaces and
bracelets of every shape and size, fit for the crown heads of Europe, aye? And
all buried in a Pirate's chest, and I just happen to know where. How about that,
me bloodthirsty buckos, heh? Ha, ha, ha!"

         The crew roared their approval even as Lorne said, "I don't like
it....."

         Joxer looked at him as though he could eat him as he countered, "You
don't like it?"

         "I don't like it, and I don't want it...." Lorne insisted.

         Joxer looked disbelievingly at the rest of the crew. "He don't want it!"

         "And I won't do it... I'm an artiste," Lorne announced with flair.

         "An artiste? Well, Mister Artiste," Joxer sneered, "what do you want?"

         "I want to sing and dance; I want to sing and dance. I want to be a
Pirate from France. Wear me silver-buckled slippers and me tight shiny pants. I
want to sing and dance."

         "Now, listen hear!" Joxer demanded. "This ain't no floating musical show
made for some little flittin' tinkerbell. This here be a black-hearted Pirate
ship, and I would have you keel-hauled if you weren't me own flesh and blood,
you little twit! So you don't like plunderin' aye?"

         "I don't like it....." Lorne persisted yet again.

         "And you don't want no treasurin' ah?" Joxer asked again in clear
confusion.

         "I don't want it....."

         "And you probably don't want no groggin' and revelin' and wrenchin' and
rummin' either I suppose?"

         "Well, deep down. . . . You want to know the truth? It's not me; I don't
want it....."

         "Well, what do you want? As if I didn't already bleein know?"

         "I want to sing and dance and....."

         "I know, I know . . . and wear your tight little shiny pants. Huh! Okay
. . . We'll all sing and dance." The crew members grumbled faked complaints. "I
said we'll all sing and dance . . . " The others continued to grumble, and Joxer
shouted at them, "Or you'll walk the plank!" That instantly changed their
attitudes. "One - two - three!"

         The crew joined in the singing of the chorus, and Joxer's grin grew,
almost giving away his act completely as he heard Phoebe's voice join them. "I
want to sing and dance; I want to sing and dance! I want to be a Pirate from
France! Wear me silver-buckled slippers and me tight shiny pants! I want to sing
and dance!"

         "I like it . . . . I like it!" Lorne exclaimed.

         Joxer grinned as he admitted, "I kinda like it me own self."

         "Thought you would," Lorne smiled. He stole a glance at Crystal as he
hoped that she also liked it.

         As the chorus came to conclusion, the other Pirates broke down into
laughter. Crystal was still trying desperately not to laugh. Not only did she
have a hand clasped over her mouth, but Blue's tail entangled with her hand, as
well. It was then that she was met with Lorne's gaze, and her breath caught in
her throat. Gods, he was magnificent! She sombered suddenly as the remembered
belief that she would only get him killed hit her full-force. She waited until
he turned his back toward her and his attention back to Joxer, then got up
quietly and fled on silent, booted feet.

         "Sixteen men on a dead man's chest . . . Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"
the crew shouted.

         "I don't like rum..." Lorne started.

         "You don't like rum?" Joxer asked in disbelief.

         "Well no, actually . . . Well, I might like a little champagne," Lorne
admitted.

         "A little champagne?"

         "With a lime in it..."

         "A lime in it? He wants a lime in it....."

         "Well, do you have any Escargot?"

         "Escar . . What?"

         "What's the soup today?"

         "Soup!?"

         "Might have a bit of a salad too!"

         "Well, how about a bleeding fingerbowl?"

         "Maybe a croissant! Is that right? Those French make everything so hard!
Why didn't they just call it a bun?"

         Their voices trailed off, and the crew exploded into applause. Joxer was
grinning from ear to ear as he clasped Lorne's shoulders. "See? I told you -- "
His voice broke off in mid-sentence as he realized that Crystal was no longer
sitting behind Lorne, let alone not struggling to keep from laughing. His face
fell. "Uh-oh."

         "What's wrong?" Lorne asked. "We did good."

         "Yes, we did," Joxer replied, "but she's gone."

         "Oh crap!" Lorne said. "She didn't like it at all! I've got to find her
and apologize for being such an idiot!"

         "No!" Phoebe told him, the word bursting from her more swiftly than
anything else she could have a chance to say. She quickly joined them. "Lorne, I
-- I don't know how to tell you this . . ."

         "Well, spit it out. What is it?"

         "She enjoyed the song right up until the last chorus, but then . . .
Well, she got this really sad look on her face. I think I even saw some tears.
And she ran."

         "Which direction?" Lorne asked.

         Phoebe pointed in the direction Crystal, followed by her animals, had
taken off in. Lorne raced madly in that direction, leaving Phoebe to turn to
Joxer. "Should we go after them?"

         "Only if he calls for help," Joxer said. "It's something they've got to
work out for themselves. How was I?" he asked.

         "Wonderful!" Phoebe exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and
pressing her lips to his.

         He broke off the kiss long enough to grin down at her and tell her, "I'm
glad you liked it." He then turned back to kissing her.



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

         Still inside the galley, Brendan continued to gaze into Prue's eyes.
Neither had even noticed when the others had left, though they had heard Lorne's
and Joxer's act. When the music stopped and did not start again, Brendan looked
toward the door with a worried frown.

         "What's wrong, Brendan?" Prue asked.

         "Lorne usually goes right into another song. Something must be wrong."

         "Maybe we should go out and check on them?" Prue suggested.

         Brendan nodded but then paused himself. "Actually, milady, as great as
your company has been, if you would excuse me, I believe there is something I
need to do."

         She looked at him sadly. "I hate our time has come to an end, but I
understand. See you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

         He smiled down at her. "Where would I go?" He saw the dismay in her
eyes, and it cut him to his core. For just a brief moment, he considered taking
her with him, but no, he couldn't do that. It would place her in far too much
danger, and just where had Jack gotten to with the cane? Reaching out, he dared
to take her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze. "I look forward to seeing
you again, Miss Halliwell."

         She smiled wistfully at him. "Good night, Brendan," she managed to say,
"and call me Prue. Miss Halliwell makes me sound like I'm ancient."

         "As you wish . . . Prue." He liked the sound of her name on his tongue.
He took a few steps backwards but still did not relinquish her hand. He knew he
had to, however, and also dared not kiss it for her sweet taste would surely
bring the wolf back. He bowed over her hand instead. "Sweet dreams, milady," he
whispered before turning with a sad face and forcing his boots to carry him away
from her.

         She watched him go, one lone tear trailing down her face.


Chapter Thirty-seven
         Fury radiated through her and rolled off of her in waves, sending
everything that saw her, even a Fiery who'd been about to ask to play with her
head, scurrying off in the opposite direction as she stormed toward the sleeping
quarters. Her hands clenched so tightly that her nails bit into her palms, and
her eyes flashed darker than a storm-tossed night sky. How dare they! How dare
they pretend to care for her just because they foolishly felt it their duties to
keep her from hurting herself! No one would keep her from her goal that night!
No one!

         Reaching the sleeping quarters, she threw open the door. The sound of
its slamming against the wall echoed in the empty room. Faith strode straight
toward her cot and flipped it over. She traded the sword she still wore for her
regular blade and quickly reattached the first to the underside of her cot. That
done, she knelt and removed a board from the deck.

         She grabbed another knife and slipped it into her boot's hidden sheath.
She'd wait until the light of day, when she might give at least a half an inch
of a damn, to find the one she'd lost. Now, however, she just wanted to get
drunk and forget . . . Forget Salem. Forget her past. Forget him, that stupid,
ignorant kid who just thought he loved her because she was his first fuck and
whose love she would never need nor want; forget his hands on her skin, his lips
on her body . . . She just wanted to forget everything, she told herself before
her mind could linger on Dawson and the remembered feel of his body in hers.

         Reaching back into her secret hold, she drew out a bottle of tequila.
Lifting it to her lips, she threw her head back and downed nearly the entire
bottle in one swallow. As she lowered the bottle, her gaze fell on a bag in the
hold. It was round with personal loot she'd saved for a while. Her mind turned
to the fact that she was now in debt.

         Katrina had saved Salem as she had asked her to do. If questioned, Faith
knew the other woman would say she'd done it out of the goodness of her heart,
because she wanted to be her friend, or some such similar shitt. Snatching the
bag up, Faith turned and scanned the room for Katrina's belongings. Even as she
tossed the bag to the pile, Faith's mind refused to stop playing over memories
of what she had done to Salem and to another cat many years before.

         Turning back, she swallowed the remainder of the bottle and, as the
wriggling worm slid down her throat, threw the bottle against the wall. It
shattered into a million pieces, and she reached over and picked up one of the
shards. She looked at the glass for a second, a slow, grim smile forming on her
dark lips. Physical pain always helped to silence other, unwanted emotions.
Curling her fingers around the shard, she gripped the glass with increasing
strength until blood seeped through her closed fingers.

         Focusing on the pain that seared through her many self-inflicted cuts
rather than the memories that had already been racing through her mind, Faith
uncurled her fingers and gazed at her own blood. Her stomach flopped as she
realized that her blood intermingled with Salem's, and the shard slipped from
her fingertips as her mind was taken back to another time and a young girl's
sobs filled her ears to the point that her present mind throbbed with the cries
of her yesterdays. With a growled oath, Faith grabbed a second bottle of
tequila. More than half the bottle poured down her throat in one quick gush.
Then gathering an armload of it and more bottles, Faith rushed from the
quarters, neither realizing nor caring that her cot lay on another's.

         This time, she did not stop until she reached the riggings. Putting the
bottles on the deck, she finished her second and let it drop and shatter. A
piece cut the back of her hand; she didn't even blink. Without bothering to
think, she stripped, freeing herself of the burdening restraints of clothes. She
only allowed herself to think once she was completely naked. She would need her
knife, and it would never do for a friendless bitch to be caught weaponless.
However, she was also determined to take a bottle with her.

         Pulling her boots back on, Faith snatched a third bottle and launched
herself at the riggings. She focused on the burning of her injured hand and
stinging of the blood that ran from her face and hands as she climbed and fought
to ignore the memories that tormented her.



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

         Cordelia and Elizabeth had lingered behind most of the others and had
stayed in the galley to secretly get another plate each. They had not wished the
others to know for both feared what the men might think, but neither could
disagree that they were ravenous and that one plate and slice of pie simply was
not enough to satisfy their starvation. Both had been quiet as they had finished
their meal. Cordelia's silence was due to her mind whirling over the day's
events, most especially her feelings for Angel, his for her, and their
now-mutual concern over his sister; her mind had also gone more than once to
poor, little Dawn and how her horrid family had sold her into sex slavery.
Elizabeth's quietness was for a different reason, however, as she could not stop
remembering Cordelia's earlier admission and fearing for her friend.

         They had left the galley just in time to become absorbed in Joxer and
Lorne's routine, but as it finished, Lorne rushed off, and there seemed to be no
other forthcoming music, Cordelia's mind went instantly back to Angel. Where was
he? She had not seen him since he had left the galley. "I'm going to go find
Angel," she told Elizabeth, but as she started to walk off, the blonde grasped
her wrist.

         Frantic eyes peered up into hazel. "Cordelia, was what you said earlier
true?" Cordelia raised her eyebrows, leading Elizabeth to explain, "About your
father?"

         Cordelia sighed softly even as she gently shook Elizabeth's hand off of
her wrist. She had known questions would be forthcoming but had been unable to
think of another way to help her grow closer to Crystal. "Yes," she told her,
choosing her words carefully. "I am a Princess, but I do not wish the life my
Father does for me."

         "I understand," Elizabeth started, but Cordy knew instantly that she did
not really. "My Father also wanted another life for me. He did not want me to
marry Will so desperately that he sold him into slavery."

         Cordelia looked out into the darkness, not wishing Elizabeth to see the
tears that shimmered in her eyes. "My Father wanted me to marry the Captain of
his guard, but he also wanted me under his thumb for the rest of my life. I . .
. I wanted adventure, a life of my own . . . "

         "So you came out to sea?"

         Cordelia shook her head. "I ran away. I've stowed away on a few ships
but only for traveling purposes."

         "Then how did you come to be . . . ?"

         "Here?" Cordelia finished for her. "When I ran away, my Father wanted me
back so desperately that he sent some of his guards after me. I tried to hide on
the Pearl today in order to escape them, but my plan failed. Thank Gods for
Captain Sparrow, Angel, and Brendan," she said, feeling more confident that the
other man who had helped to rescue her had indeed been the doctor. "They saved
me from them."

         "But they'll be back?"

         "Oh, of course, they'll be back," Cordelia answered without hesitation.
She did not even need to think to know the answer. "I am the King's daughter,
and my Father wants me." Elizabeth would have never even began to think of the
way that Cordelia's father truly wanted her, and the brunette was glad for that.
"He will do whatever he can to bring me back."

         "So you do believe he'll send his army?"

         "I doubt that, honestly," Cordelia replied, her face lifting but only
slightly. "He's always too busy fighting various wars to waste his army on me."
A chill went through her, but she stayed strong. She was right . . . Wasn't she?
With a quick shake of her head to clear her scary thoughts, Cordelia turned her
mind back to the conversation at hand. "I only said that," she whispered to
Elizabeth, hoping that no one would overhear them and believing that no one
could, "so that Crystal will not think that she is the only one putting every
one in grave danger."

         "I still can not believe that that horrid creature is her uncle!"
Elizabeth exclaimed with a shudder.

         "I know," Cordelia admitted with a nod, "but she can no more help what
her uncle does than we can what our fathers do." With that, Cordelia walked off,
leaving Elizabeth to ponder her words and the realization that the murderer of
almost every one she had known growing up was a family member of some one aboard
the very ship she was on.



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

         Prue pulled herself together with a mental shake. Although her encounter
with Brendan had not turned out as well as she had hoped for, she was happy with
the fact that he had not wolfed and that she had actually been able to sit
beside him at his invitation nonetheless.

         The galley was a mess. It looked as though a tornado had whipped
through. She did not want Piper to come back from wherever Cole had whisked her
off to and think that she had to clean up the mess, so although she wanted to go
outside and see what the musicians were doing, she began to set the room to
rights. She dragged a couple of trashcans around with her. Picking up discarded
napkins and silverware, she dropped them into one. Into the other one, she put
various articles the crew had thrown away. She was deserted except for a large
amount of cats, and every time she found a piece of food, she threw it to one of
them.

         When she reached the front of the room, she looked back to see that
everything had been picked up except for the plates. She then began to gather
the used plates, hating the fact that she'd have to wash them before she could
go to bed. Where were her sisters? They were supposed to be helping her. She
knew Autolycus had been thrown into the hold, but Joxer also was supposed to be
helping. She had heard Joxer singing, so she knew he was on deck with the other
musicians. She did not want to drag him away from his music, so she intended to
search for her sisters instead.

         She walked out onto the deck and immediately spied her sisters. Phoebe
had a hold of Joxer as though she would never let go, and Paige was sitting
still with a weird look on her face. As Prue looked closer at Paige, she noticed
two little feet hanging out from under her skirt, and her mouth nearly dropped
open in shock. Damn, the audacity of the girl! If Ororo was to notice, there'd
be Hell to pay! She quickly scanned the deck for Ororo and breathed a sigh of
relief when she saw her dancing with Wolverine. Quietly making her way over to
Paige, she faced her sister. "What do you think you're doing?"

         Paige grinned innocently up at Prue. "What's it look like? I'm enjoying
the music! Aren't they great?" She sighed, but her fluttering sigh was full of
more pleasure than any music could ever invoke.

         "Paige, I know what you're doing. If Piper or Auntie Ororo sees you,
you're in for it! I need your help in the galley. Come in there and bring your
-- huh -- friend with you. He can wash dishes or dry them. It doesn't matter;
we've got a lot of work in there."

         While waiting for Paige's acknowledgment, Prue glanced warily around,
hoping to catch a sight of Brendan. He did not seem to be on deck, and no one
was singing. It was then that she began to hear the slow beating of a drum
picking up rhythm. It sounded as though it was shouting for joy as it started to
set the pace for the musicians who began to play with it.

         "Who is that?" Paige asked, looking around but not seeing any one with
drums.

         "That is the mysterious drummer," Prue answered in a quiet voice. "Some
say he's a ghost."

         Carl darted out from under Paige's skirts, his eyes wild. "A ghost?!
Where?!"

         "In the galley with you, mister," Prue commanded, "and stay out from
under my sister's skirts!"

         Carl glared at her. "She invited me!" He still could not believe his
luck but would never have dared to decline the beautiful redhead's offer.

         "She would!" Prue muttered. "I don't want to know what you were doing
under there."

         Paige's mouth flew open, but Joxer's mouth interrupted her. He had heard
Prue from across the deck. "We're allowed to enjoy the music time before we have
to wash the dishes," he told Prue. "Why don't you relax a little?" he suggested
gently in hopes that he and Phoebe would be allowed to stay.

         "Okay," Prue relented, "but right after music time, I need my helpers in
the galley. We don't want Piper to have to clean the mess up after she cooked us
such a delicious feast!"

         A look of confusion crossed Joxer's face. "Why . . . " he started to ask
but was quickly silenced by Phoebe's lips.

         Prue settled down to watch the musicians, her eyes still glancing around
in search of Brendan. She could find no sign of Brendan but was surprised when
Jareth suddenly stood and began to sing. She was astonished at the quality of
his voice, and a smile lit her face. It grew even more as his wife joined him in
the song. Sitting and listening to their music was a real pleasure! She wondered
if the crews did it every night and hoped that they would.

         When Jareth and Delvira had finished their song, another Pirate stood
and began to sing. Prue didn't like his song near as much as she had Jareth's.
She got up and made her way slowly over to Brendan's cabin, remembering that she
had seen drums in there earlier. Could it be Brendan playing? she wondered. She
recalled Wesley saying that they now knew Brendan's secret. It had to be the
drums. She crept closer and closer still until she could peek in the window.
There she saw Brendan sitting on the floor with his drums in front of him, a big
smile on his face, and his eyes closed, lost completely in his drumming. She did
not make a sound but continued to watch him.



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

         Crystal had wasted no time in running as far from Lorne as she could.
She wanted to put the entire world between them but could only flee to the
furthest deck of the Pearl. It was there that she collapsed on the railing, her
intense emotions causing her to tremble. She gazed up at the night sky with its
beautiful sprinkling of brilliant stars as memories from all points in her life
flew through her mind. She knew she had to do something to calm herself if she
was going to have any chance of thinking of a way to save Lorne, Angel, and the
others, and so, in her desperation, began to sing:


"I remember the tales of old.
I recall the lies they fed me in the cold:
The lies of family, love, and trust,
All turned to dust
In the face of reality.
None of them understood.
No one ever will.
They see what they want to see,
Each and every one of them,
But none accept the reality.

I wish it weren't so.
I wish things were different,
That I could go back in time
And somehow stop my life
From becoming what it has."

         Elvira whimpered at that, and Crystal looked down into the sad eyes of
the three beings she loved most in the world. She reassuringly stroked Elvira
with one hand while her other hand divided its pets between Cindy and Blue. She
wanted to tell them, "Not you, my sweet babies," but knew she could not for they
would have all been better off if they had never known her.


"It's not that I don't want to live --
That I don't want a real chance
At the world around us all,
At family, friendship, and love --
For Gods know I do
But that I can't.
I don't know why they have to be so stubborn.
I always wanted to be believed before,
But never like this,
Never by such wonderful people
So determinedly placing their lives in danger
For me, a lowly being who's never deserved such.

Why can't they see
The other side of the truth?
Why can't they accept
That he is not the only evil?
That if I'd only not lived that day,
None would ever have died
Because of me."

         Blue cooed to her, but Crys shook her head and explained her reasoning
to him in song.


"Perhaps they would have,
In some form or another,
At his power, at his strength,
But not for simply knowing me
And not for being my friend.
As it is,
Millions have died because of me.
Some were foolish enough
To befriend me while
Never knowing the danger
My selfish, worthless hide
Put them in.
Others had never even met me."

         She looked at her familiars through eyes blurred by tears.


"You all remember that day,
The day we woke to find it snowing
And knew he was coming.
The day we ran so desperately
To get away
While the entire city
Was iced all around us.
Adults, children, babies;
Humans, Vampires, Demons, animals;
None of them mattered to him.
If they moved, he shattered them.
If they breathed that day,
They breathed their last.
All because of me.

They tell me I'm safe;
I know they believe it.
They tell me they can take him,
And I know they believe that, too.
But I also know they're wrong."

         Her choked voice was becoming but a whisper now as tears poured down her
cheeks.


"They tell me it's not my fault,
But they don't know.
They don't know what it's like
To see so many killed,
Strangers and friends alike,
And know it's all your fault.
They don't know what it's like
To be thrown out of your home,
Forbidden to ever come back,
Because your family believes
A monster over you.
They don't know what it's like
To have a monster force you
To be just as evil as he is.

They would say I'm wrong,
But I know I'm not.
All I had to do to save
All those who he's killed
Because of me
Was to let him do what he wanted
Or simply never go with him
That day to begin with.

But because of me,
Because of my stupidity,
My ignorance,
My stupid belief in humanity,
In family,
Millions are dead.

And if I can't find a way to get out of this,
Others will die.
I can't let that happen.
I can't let him take
Lorne . . .
Angel . . .
Any of them . . .

I can't let him kill them.
I can't.
I can't."

         She was shaking like a leaf caught in a hurricane now, and her last
words were murmured into Blue's wings as they folded around her face in a
gentle, loving hug. She fell to her knees, lost in her emotions for the sad
beauty of her song had failed her completely. Cindy and Elvira joined Blue in
hugging her, and she clung to them while simultaneously hating herself more than
she ever had before and knowing that she had to find a way to save not only
Lorne and Angel but them, as well. She had to find a way to leave them.



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

         From deep within the music, Brendan started to come back to reality. He
was led there by Prue's scent, and his nose started to twitch as he inhaled it.
He stilled suddenly, his hands freezing in mid-air, and his eyes snapped open.
"Prue?" He could not see her but knew she was there.

         She heard him call her name. Part of her wanted to reveal herself, but
part of her was scared. What if he was mad because she had caught him? She held
herself very still, hoping for once that he'd lose interest in her.

         "Prue," Brendan called again, "I know you're here." Pushing his drums
away, he slowly got to his feet.

         Her heart beating ninety miles a minute, she thought fleetingly that she
should run. Her feet felt like lead, however, and wouldn't do what her mind told
them to do. She was frozen in place as she could hear him coming closer.

         It did not take Brendan long to spot Prue for her scent led him straight
to the window. Opening it, he peered out and found himself gazing at her
fear-filled face. He sighed, knowing that she should be just as afraid of him as
she appeared to be. Though his fingers ached to reach out, caress her beautiful
face, and chase her fears away, he started to pull himself back instead.

         It was then that Prue's brain reminded her that Brendan would take her
fear the wrong way. She might lose the little bit of ground that she had gained
with him, because he'd think that she feared him and didn't want to be near him.
"Brendan?" she called out to him. "Don't go. I didn't mean to snoop. I just
couldn't help myself. I saw them earlier, and I knew it had to be you! I didn't
want you to be angry at me because I found out."

         Though he had pulled out of the window and was standing erect again, he
could not help but to hear her. "I could never be angry with you," he spoke
softly, "but it is best that you fear me."

         "I don't fear you, Brendan," she said with a small shake of her head
even though he couldn't see it. "I just feared your anger. I don't want you
angry at me. I promise I won't tell any one. Won't you open the door?"

         At her request, Brendan started to head for the door but stopped when he
caught sight of the painting that hung on his wall. He fell silent for a long
moment as he stared at its dark colorings, remembering why he could not let her
in . . . neither to his cabin nor into his heart.

         "Brendan?" Prue called when she had not heard from him for what seemed
like forever. She had gotten to her feet. "I'm not leaving. I know it's too
soon. The Captain told me not to even bother you today, but one thing has just
led to another and we seem to be closer. I'm going to sit on the bench outside
your window so I can at least be near you. You don't have to come out. Your
music is beautiful!" She sat on the bench.

         Her words coupled with the sweet aroma of her natural scent tore at his
heart. He ached to be near her and longed to be able to hold her but knew that
they could never be. "It's my fault," he found himself whispering aloud, his
eyes still glued to the painting.

         "No, it's not. Just think. We have managed to be around each other for a
couple of hours and you haven't wolfed. That's a good sign. Don't blame yourself
because I snuck up on you."

         "That was one thing," he managed, "but I should have stayed away. I know
better. I don't want you in danger."

         "It's a little too late for that," she replied with a small bit of
laughter in her voice. "You're not the danger I was in today. I've been around
danger all my life. Your people saved me. You did not endanger me. It's nice
sitting like this, although it would be nicer if you were out here with me.
Still, being able to be this close to you helps a lot."

         "But it's not wise," he protested gently, "for either of us."

         "Who's to say what is or isn't wise?" she answered him. "We have but one
life to live, and we should listen to our hearts more often. Our brains tell us
it's dangerous and to stay away, but my heart says I love you and I'm not going
to stay away although I will allow a distance between us for your comfort." Her
voice trailed off. She didn't expect him to say that his heart was attracted to
hers or anything romantic, but he wasn't hiding or running away and, for now,
that was enough. She leaned back against the window casing, listening for any
movement he might make.

         "Our hearts only endanger our lives," Brendan told her sadly. "It's
always better to listen to our brains, because they know the truth. They know
what can and can not be if we are to live." {Without hurting others,} he
concluded his thought silently.

         "What are we doing now, Brendan? My heart's singing out to yours. Don't
you hear it? My brain is telling me to forget it, but my heart won't let me. I
have to be patient, and I will be even though it's the hardest thing I've ever
done. You are well worth it."

         He paused. He needed to convince her that she was better off without him
even though to lose what little they were able to have between them would make
him want to shrivel away and die. "Prue . . . " he spoke slowly, his voice
sounding strange as he fought through the emotions that clogged his throat, " .
. . I'd like you to come in. I want to show you something."

         She got eagerly to her feet. She had no clue what would happen in the
next few minutes, but she didn't, for even one moment, consider that Brendan
might attack her. She believed in him, whether he believed in himself or not.
She watched as the door slowly opened and stepped inside as soon as it was wide
enough. She heard it close behind her.

         Brendan paced the room nervously as he walked to stand back before the
painting. "I want you to look at this."

         "I saw it earlier; I couldn't help but to stare at it. Wesley told me
that you had painted it. Those are your nightmares and worst fears." She turned
to look at him, not realizing until she did so how close he was to her. "Those
are the things that you fear will come out of you; I don't believe that they
will."

         He shook his head slowly, trying desperately to ignore the closeness of
their bodies. "They are not merely my nightmares or fears, Prue," he told her in
a soft, quiet voice, his eyes focused on the painting as he fought to keep his
gaze away from her luscious body. "That is reality. The blackness," he held his
hand up so that his fingers pointed toward the spots he indicated, "are my kind.
The red is the blood of yours. That is reality."

         "But not our reality, Brendan." Her voice was soft as she moved even
closer to him. "Not even the reality that you know any more. That is your past.
Together, we can overcome it." Her eyes were locked on his, and with every sense
of her being, she was willing him to want her and to give their love a chance.
"Don't be fearful, my love. I'm not afraid of you. I may be afraid of your
Demons, but I won't run from you."

         "Prue, my Demons are me. I am the wolf. What you see before you is only
a charade, and Gods only know how long or short it might last at any given time.
That is my past, but it is also my future and the only one I will ever have." He
wanted to look at her but did not wish her to see the sadness that he could feel
in his eyes. He was also afraid that one direct look would be too much and that
he might reach out toward her, thus taking her closer to her death.

         She moved even closer to him. "I am yours, Brendan. You have but to
reach out and touch me. I will not leave you. I do not fear you. Give me the
wolf. I can talk to him. I did not know it, but I have the gift. I talked to
Elvira today."

         His eyes finally fell to hers in surprise. Surely she knew better than
the nonsense she was now sprouting? "Elvira is not a Werewolf. Her lover is, but
she is not."

         "Not her. Elvira, the wolf! Crys' pet."

         His mouth fell open as he stared at her. She had actually talked to a
wolf? "And . . . " he finally managed to get out. "And she understood you?"

         "Oh, yes! She and I had a regular conversation! Crys says it's because
I'm in love with a Werewolf which is you," she stated with a little half-smile.
"So if I can talk to her, I should be able to talk to your wolf."

         Brendan shook his head, refusing to believe. "Crystal's wolf is not
wild, and she certainly is no Werewolf. She's gentle; that may well be why she
understood. You'd barely manage to get a word out before the Werewolf . . . " He
could not bring himself to finish his thought aloud but knew that the beast
would kill, and probably eat, the wonderful woman before him, the only woman who
had ever touched him as she did with but a breath from her tender lips.

         "What if we're not alone when I talk to the wolf? Would you be willing
to try it then?"

         Brendan was already shaking his head as he stumbled back a step. "I will
not endanger you!" He would never willingly let her near his wolf, not for
talking or for Wolf's insane suggestion that he allow her to make love to the
beast!

         She faced him, anger showing in her eyes. "So you just want to throw our
love away, or maybe you don't love me after all? I mean, I can understand it if
it's just me and I'm putting my attentions on you when you don't want them. Tell
me that honestly. Look me in my eyes, and tell me that you don't want me. If you
can do that without looking away, I'll go away."

         If he could get her to leave, that would save her from him. He gazed at
Prue for a long time, willing his mouth to force the words out though knowing
the entire time that he could not. Finally shaking his head in frustration, he
growled as he turned from her. "I will not lie to you."

         "Then anything that will help us is worth a shot! We have to do this
thing, Brendan, or we'll die without each other!" She reached out and gently
touched him on the back. "Don't turn away from me, love. I am just as frustrated
as you are, if not more, but I'm willing to do anything. Are you willing to try
this? Jack can be with you to knock you out if you get out of control, and I'll
get Elvira and Wolf as well."

         Gods knew he wanted to be able to be with her and to have a chance with
her, but he knew that that would never be possible. "No," he told her. "I will
not place you into danger, Prue! One of these days or nights, when Jack tries to
knock me out, I'll probably end up killing even him! It's bad enough that I'm a
constant danger to every one around me! I won't endanger you!"

         She threw herself at him, her arms going around his back and hugging him
gently. "I can't force you, Brendan, and I promise not to bother you any more
until you come seeking me, but know that I'll pray for you every day and I'll be
waiting for the chance, any chance, to be with you, my love!" She released him,
turned, and ran from the cabin.

         Brendan turned after her, his hands reaching out toward her fleeing
form. He wanted to stop her and call her back to him but knew that if he did,
he'd end up killing her. Sadness engulfed him. As he sank to his knees on the
deck, his head threw back in a long, anguished howl. Tears ran down his cheeks.



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

         Jack lay very still. He had hopes that Will had gone to sleep as he had
not moved in a long time. It felt good just to hold him, and he snuggled into
him, breathing in his scent. Still Will did not move. It was then that his ears
caught a howl, and he recognized it at once as Brendan! He had no ideal what was
wrong with his friend. The full moon still was two days away, so he knew he was
not changing unless Prue had gotten to him. He had watched her during dinner and
had not seen anything about to get out of hand, but he also had not seen them
separate later as he and Will had gone to their cabin. "Will," he murmured,
"I've gotta go."

         Will had not fallen asleep but was simply enjoying being held by Jack.
"Go?" he repeated, his confusion clear in his voice. "Go where, love?"

         "See a seadog about a wooden leg."

         Will's eyes shot open at that. "Huh?!"

         "Bathroom," Jack clarified.

         "Oh." Reluctantly, Will rolled off of him. "Hurry back." The bed already
felt cold without Jack's arms around him.

         "I won't be gone long. Miss me while I'm gone?" he asked hopefully while
gazing at Will.

         Turning to face his beloved, Will reached a hand up and brushed Jack's
cheek. "I already do."

         Jack smiled but moved back out of Will's reach. Jack pulled his boots on
and hoped that Will would not notice as he reached for the cane that stood
beside them. He knew that he could not alert Will to the danger he was about to
go into for he would surely be just as stubborn as he had been with Faith. Jack
held the cane close to his body and walked stiff-legged toward the door. He
turned around, slipping the cane behind his back as he did so. Smiling at Will
one last time, he eased out and shut the door. He then ran like crazy to
Brendan's cabin.

         When Jack reached Brendan's cabin, he immediately noted that the door
was open and the window unlatched; both things warned Jack at once that Brendan
was having a moment. Jack entered carefully, holding the cane at ready, only to
be confronted with Brendan on the floor, crying so hard that his muscular
shoulders shook. "Brendan?" Jack called.

         Brendan looked up at Jack and could barely make his dearest friend's
form out for the tears that ran in his eyes. The question of why he must live
such a miserable, wretched life rose in his throat, but he knew he could not ask
him that.

         "Come; sit down over here," Jack directed him, pulling out a chair. "I
haven't seen you this distraught in a long while. What happened? I knew I
shouldn't have let Prue sit with you at the dinner table!"

         "I asked her to," Brendan admitted, hauling himself up off of the deck
and stumbling as he walked toward the chair Jack offered. "Blame me, Jack, not
her. It's my fault. I'm the idiot that invited her; I'm the one who should be
tanned!"

         "Don't talk like that, Brendan! If I had some rum, I'd share it with
you. It'd help things." Brendan opened his mouth to deny the fact that Jack
believed in, but Jack hurried on, "You and Prue belong together, but you've got
some mighty big hills to climb. You seemed happy enough at dinner. What
happened?" he asked him again.

         "She found me." Brendan's eyes suddenly shot wide as he realized that
his drums had been left out in the open and that Jack would surely see them.

         "So you're the unknown drummer?" Jack observed as his eyes followed
Brendan's. "You bring a lot of good music out of those drums. Don't worry; I
won't tell any one it's you. You say Prue found you? What were you doing?"

         Brendan inclined his head toward the drums. "It gets worse too." He
shook his head. "I'm such an idiot!"

         "Come on, Brendan. Tell me what happened. How could it get worse? You
didn't eat her. You're not wolfed out. Where is she?"

         "We talked, and I . . . I invited her in, Jack!"

         Jack almost said "oh no". Instead, he remained quiet, not wanting to
upset Brendan even more. "What happened then?"

         "I showed her the painting," Brendan gestured toward the painting that
stood as a constant reminder to him.

         "Don't tell me. She freaked out when she saw it."

         Brendan shook his head. "No. That's what I was trying to get her to do.
I hoped that might make her realize that I'm too dangerous for her and that she
doesn't really want a monster." He shook his head again. "But it didn't work. It
backfired! She still wants me, Jack, but Gods know I can't have her! I can't
even let her near the wolf! And would you believe that she wants to talk to
it?!"

         "Brendan, did you ever talk to Wolf and find out how he fixed his
problem?"

         Brendan nodded. "But I can't do that! I'd kill her!"

         "What? What was it?"

         Brendan's stormy eyes peered into Jack's. "The way he gained control was
to have a Gypsy . . . hum . . . do that," he said, hoping that Jack would
understand his intention, "to his wolf!"

         "Wolf mated with a Gypsy? Was he in love with her?"

         Brendan nodded.

         "Well, Prue's not a Gypsy, but it might work any way. Don't tell me,
Brendan," Jack said, gazing at his friend. "You're not willing to try it."

         "Of course I'm not! What are you thinking, Jack?! I'd kill her!"

         "How? You're not that big, even in wolf form!"

         "It would eat her!"

         "I think it could work," Jack persisted, "under the right conditions.
You would have to be heavily guarded. I'd be there, of course, with my cane." He
showed Brendan that he indeed had it in tow even as he folded it up and put it
in his pocket. "Wolf could be there. So could Elvira and any one else of your
choosing. Some one would need to talk to Prue about it, of course. I know you're
not going to say anything," he said almost as an after-thought. "I can talk to
her, explain it to her, and see what she has to say about it."

         Brendan was staring at Jack as though he had taken complete leave of his
senses. "Are you insane?!" he growled, his eyes flashing. "Don't you dare talk
to her about that! I will never put her in that kind of danger!"

         "With all of us around, she wouldn't be in that much danger. I can even
get silver chains and wrap you in them, which renders your wolf harmless."

         "Nothing renders that monster harmless. I won't let her be hurt, Jack!"

         "So you're going to spend the rest of your life wanting the woman and
not doing anything about it? Brendan, that's not like you! You've always been a
bit quiet but very courageous. Are you telling me that you're now going to just
give up without a fight?"

         Brendan stared at Jack for a long moment before finally asking him,
"Jack, why do you think Helvira managed to hold me for so long? I never tried to
fight her."

         "This is different, Brendan. You're not fighting a woman; you're
fighting for a woman! Would it be such an insult to your manhood if your woman
did it with your wolf first?"

         Brendan stared at Jack for a long while, his eyes cutting daggers
through the man he'd thought he could trust. Was every one insane?! Did they not
understand that he was fighting for a woman, fighting to protect a woman who he
deeply cared for, more indeed than he ever had for any other living being? Did
no one, not even the man who called him "brother", understand? Finally, he
looked away. "I think it best you leave, Captain."

         "Brendan, I am not leaving until we get this settled. I will not do
anything about what I am suggesting to you without your permission. I am just
trying to give you something to think about. I am willing to stand with you and
fight your monster to give you a chance with this woman. If she loves you
enough, she will do anything to be with you. Has she not told you that?"

         "She did," he responded, "and I told her the same thing I'm telling you
now. I won't do it. I won't put her in that danger!"

         "You won't put her in that danger, Brendan, or you won't put yourself in
danger of letting go for the first time in your life and allowing yourself to
love? I love you, Brendan, like a brother, and it hurts me to see you going
through this! If I could take it away from you, I would. If I could make it
happen by some miracle, I would. But I can't. I can only be there for you, but
you have to let me be." He reached out and gripped Brendan's shoulder. "And you
alone are the only one that will know when you're ready."

         "Jack, what part of impossible don't you understand?"

         "Anything's possible, Brendan. Up until today, I would have thought that
there were many things that were impossible, but with Will by my side, anything
is possible. We are together at last, and although we have a lot of obstacles to
overcome, we are together, and that's what counts. I believe you and your lady
will be together one day. I believe in you."

         "You shouldn't," Brendan told him quietly. "Jack, I know you mean well,
that you, Wolf, Angel, even Prue . . . All of you mean well, but you don't know
what it's like to have a monster inside you. I won't let her be hurt by that.
Every time I wolf out, I even put you in danger. If we were trying that and I
got out of control, she wouldn't be the only one I'd kill. I'd kill you all, and
I won't let that happen! I'd rather tear myself limb from limb first!"

         "Brendan, you are very frustrating," Jack informed him. "I can't deny
any of your words, but when your friends are all willing to take a chance, can
you do any less?"

         Brendan finally looked back at him. He had stopped crying now, and his
eyes blazed with fierce determination instead. "When that would be willingly
endangering you all? Yes, Jack. Yes a million times over."

         "Very well, Brendan, but I want you to think about it. Don't throw this
opportunity away, because I won't approach you with it again. Just know that we
will all be ready when you are." He got up and walked out the door. He figured
that Brendan would probably throw something against it when he shut it but did
not look back. He had to be tough on Brendan or he knew he'd never overcome his
fears.

         Left alone, Brendan's sigh echoed in the still room. He turned his head
to look back at the painting. "I really hate you sometimes," he whispered to
himself.



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

         Lorne had run quickly in the direction that he had smelled Crys. He
slowed as he got nearer and could tell that she was singing. Her words made
tears run from his eyes. He wanted to go to her and hold her. His hands clenched
helplessly at his side. He didn't know what to do. He had never been really good
with words with women, and he knew words of love would not do anything to help
her at this time. He felt that her singing might help ease the pain in her
heart.

         If he could just get his hands on Frostbite, he would tear him into a
million shreds and then drop them, one by one, in front of Crys so that she
could see that her enemy was dead. Unfortunately, however, he knew he was not a
match for her uncle. He could only hope that between Angel and himself, they
could find a way to end Crys' nightmare.

         He saw Blue enfold her in a hug and wished that he could come closer so
that he, too, could hug her, but for now, he had to stay in the shadows and
watch helplessly. If she made a move to hurt herself, he was close enough to
stop her. He didn't know why he had fallen in love with Crystal when he had
first seen her, but he knew that it was not because of Aphrodite's meddlings.

         He was searching rapidly through his mind for a song he could sing to
her but waited for her to finish hers. Then he saw her break into tears, and he
eased gently forward. "Crys?" his voice spoke her name caressingly. Her babies
moved just slightly enough away from her so that he could reach down for her. He
pulled her into his arms.

         Though she knew she had to leave him, Crystal did not struggle. Instead,
she clung to Lorne, her tears soaking his jacket's shoulder. She was relieved
that he did not try again to talk her into believing what she knew could never
be, but her tears increased even more as she knew she had to leave him.

         He might not be able to do anything else at this time but provide
comfort, but that Lorne was more than willing to do. He held her while the night
breeze whispered a tune of love just for the two of them.


Chapter Thirty-eight
         Jack walked slowly along the deck, looking out to sea and feeling the
night breezes caress his face. Heedless to how much time had passed between his
supposed trip to the bathroom and his not returning to the cabin, his mind did
not dwell on what Will might do when he didn't return. He could hear the music
coming from the Witch yet it did not cheer his heart. What was he to do? He had
a half crazy Werewolf in love, an insane girl hell-bent on hurting herself, and
a man who he loved more than anything else in life yet who he was failing
miserably! He knew he probably should go and hunt Lex up. That man would be sure
to hold the answers to some of the questions tormenting Jack's mind.

         He had been just about to go in search of Lex when something fell out of
the night sky, barely missing hitting him on the head, and then took off again.
It was a bird startled from its resting place. He peered anxiously upward at the
rigging, wondering who could be up there. "Ahoy! Who's there?" he called.

         He swung over to the Witch and almost fell over Faith's clothes where
she'd left them in a puddle. They were surrounded by glittering, smashed glass.
He figured the "who" was Faith, but why he had no clue. "Faith, what are you
doing up there?" he called anxiously.

         "Why the Hell should you care?" the answer came from far above his head.

         "You know I do. Why I haven't a clue," Jack admitted, speaking almost to
himself. "Why are you up there naked, and what is this smashed all around? A
person could get cut terribly."

         "Tell me about it," Faith muttered, "and as for why I'm up here, I'm up
here because I want to be."

         "But naked? You usually don't run naked everywhere!"

         "I do what the fuck I want to!" she retorted, climbing still higher.

         "What did you smash down here?"

         "A bottle."

         "Rum?" he asked hopefully. "Do you have rum up there?"

         "Hell no! I wouldn't bother with that weak stuff! Try some tequila. It
might do ya good. Actually, screw that. You don't deserve any!"

         "Now, Faith, I couldn't exactly put the boy off to be killed. I have
every intention of having him get off in Tortuga. Would you have had him killed,
and really, when did I have the time to get totally rid of him? Things have been
happening much too fast."

         "Don't worry," she called, which only made Jack's brow crease in worry.
"I'll make it easy on ya! We hit Tortuga, I'm outta here!"

         "Faith, why do you want to leave us in Tortuga? Have we not been getting
along really well together despite our differences?"

         "Can't trust a Captain who doesn't make sure his damn orders are
followed," she called back to him. "We had a deal, Jack! You told me you'd get
rid of the kid; I told you I'd help you with the Governor. I did my part, but
you failed me."

         "I HAVEN'T HAD TIME!" he yelled back at her. "I'M NOT GOD! I CAN'T BE IN
TWO PLACES AT ONCE!"

         "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! BUT DID YOU? NO! ACTUALLY, I BET YOU
WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN TOLD ME IF YOU'D KNOWN!"

         "Faith, if I had found the boy, I still would have put him off in
Tortuga, not Port Royal. I am not in the habit of killing innocents!"

         "You could've shipped him off on another ship!"

         "Tell me when I had the chance! He would have only been on the Pearl! I
didn't have time to get him on anybody else's ship! That bloody bastard was
after us!"

         "I don't care if you had it or not! It doesn't change the fact! When we
hit land, I'm gone!"

         "I APOLOGIZE FOR SCREWING UP!" Jack yelled back up at her. "I CAN'T BE
ALL THINGS TO EVERYBODY! I'M ONLY A MAN!"

         "Correction," Faith called. "You're only a bastard!"

         "And that too!" Jack answered her. "All I can do is try, and a lot of
the time I screw up! Don't you have anything left to drink down here?"

         "tequila," Faith answered him with a burp.

         "Damn! I want some rum! I need some rum! I deserve some rum!"

         "You wanna know what you deserve?"

         "Probably not, Faith, but I'm sure I'm gonna hear it any way!" He began
to search around on the deck for a bottle of tequila, being careful not to get
in the glass.

         "A good, swift kick in the ass!"

         "Come down here, and give me one! It can't hurt any worse than what I'm
feeling now!" His searching hand had finally found the bottle of tequila, and he
popped the top off of it, brought it swiftly to his lips, and took a swig.
"Damn! How do you drink this stuff?! It's strong enough to take the bark off a
tree!"

         "Yup!" Faith called back. "That's exactly why I drink it, and I'll give
you the kick when I come down which'll be when I'm damn good and ready!"

         "You do that," Jack told her, lifting the tequila bottle in a salute
toward her. Then he took another swig.

         "I will," Faith promised him, "but what the fuck's your problem? Not
that I care," she quickly added.

         "I'm lost! I'm doomed! I don't have the foggiest clue!" His voice
trailed off as he took another swig.

         Her eyes rolled heavenward. "Tell me something new?"

         "I've tried to do everything I can to help those I care about," his
voice came floating up to Faith. "I failed Brendan, you, and Prue," he
hiccupped, "but, most importantly, Will!"

         "You didn't fail me," Faith told him. "I never asked you to try whatever
you think you failed! In fact, I would've kicked your ass for doing it!"

         "Couldn't even get rid of that kid for you. Not much of a man." He sat
on the deck and drained the bottle.

         "You can say that again!"

         "You got another one of these?" Jack asked.

         "Sure," she called. "There's a shittload down there. Help yourself."

         Jack's groping hand located another bottle. "I just don't know what to
do any more," his voice was thickened with the drink. "I can hold him. I can
kiss him. But I don't know what the Hell to do after that!"

         "What do you mean you don't know?" Faith called in disbelief. "You don't
know how to fuck him?"

         "Right! I mean, with a woman, you're different, but a man's the same.
Where does it go?" He took another swig, laying back against the wall of the
ship.

         "Well, I don't know how two men do it," Faith admitted. "You'd have to
ask that damn Luthor about that. But there's always a blowjob."



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

         Unbeknownst to Jack and Faith, Dawson had been laying in the shadows and
listening. When he heard "blowjob", his mouth fell open. What the Hell was
that?! He hadn't had one of those yet, or at least, he thought he hadn't. Would
it be fun, or would Faith bite him? That could be fun, too! he thought.



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

         Lex had been walking around searching for Faith and had only now heard
shouts and come upon the scene. He couldn't help but to stare at Jack who was
sprawled against the wall, drunker than Lex had ever seen him. "Captain?" he
asked worriedly even as he drew closer to Jack. "Can I do something to help
you?"

         Jack looked up with a silly grin on his face. "Well, I'll be damned!
Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear! Hello, Lex!"

         Lex, not sure how to respond, said, "Hello, Captain. Can I help you to
your cabin?"

         "HELL NO! I'M NOT GOING IN THERE! YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME DO SOMETHING
ELSE!"

         "YEAH," Faith called, "YOU'RE GONNA HELP HIM FUCK WILL!"

         Lex's head jerked upward at the garbled sound of Faith's voice that he
could barely make out, and he kept looking higher and higher until he located
Faith by the moonlight shining on her naked rear. "FAITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP
THERE?!" Lex called worriedly up to her. "DON'T YOU THINK IT'S TIME TO COME DOWN
AND PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON?"

         "DOWN, YEAH, MAYBE. I DID REACH THE TOP, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GET ANY
FURTHER WITH YOU DORKS SCREWING AROUND DOWN THERE. BUT FUCK THE CLOTHES."



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

         Wolverine had been walking around, checking out the ship and making sure
that they were safe for the night, when he had heard voices and found three
people he would never have expected to see gathered together in the dark. He had
been just in time to hear Faith tell Lex he was going to fuck Jack. It had come
out in garble, and that was the only thing he could make out of what she was
saying. This would never do! He looked at Jack, who was sprawled against the
floor and wall. "What the Hell hit you?"

         Jack grinned up at him. "tequila. Want some?" He waved the bottle at
him.

         "Don't mind if I do," Wolverine replied. "All of you are out here
getting drunk; I might as well help myself. Where's another bottle?" He looked
at the almost empty bottle Jack was holding out to him. "How many of those have
you had, Jack?"

         "Two, I think. I'm not sure!"

         "TWO?" Faith repeated. "THEN YOU'RE WELL ON YOUR WAY, CAPT'N," she
called tauntingly. "ONE tequila, TWO tequila, THREE tequila, FLOOR, YOU KNOW?
I'M ON MY THIRD, AND I'M COMING DOWN!" With that said, she simply released the
rigging and let herself drop. "WATCH OUT BELOW!"

         Dawson could not believe it when Faith simply let go and fell out of the
rigging. She landed right on top of Wolverine, knocking him to the floor. Dawson
still did not reveal himself although he wanted to crawl out of there and pull
her off of him.

         Lex had not had a single chance to do anything as everything had
happened too fast, not even respond to Faith accusing him of doing it with Jack.
He was about to speak when another voice was heard calling, "JACK? JACK, WHERE
ARE YOU?"

         "Don't tell him," Jack whispered. "I don't want him drunk, and I don't
want him to see me drunk!"

         "WE'RE OVER HERE!" Wolverine hollered, laying on his back on the floor
and pushing at Faith in hopes that she was going to get off of him.

         Faith lay where she landed but called quickly back to Will, "DON'T BRING
YOUR DAMN ASS OVER HERE! I'M NAKED!"

         "BUT WOLVERINE SAID 'WE'," Will called back in confusion.

         "YEAH, ME NAKED AND HIM DRUNK! YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING?"

         Lex stood quietly in the dark, shaking his head. He could not believe
the fiasco before him!

         "NO, NO!" Will quickly returned. "HAVE YOU SEEN JACK?"

         "AIN'T SEEN HIM," Faith told him, "AND HE BETTER BE DAMN GLAD I HVAEN'T
'CAUSE I'D RUN HIM THROUGH! FUCKING BASTARD BETRAYED ME!"

         "DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM THAT WAY!"

         "YOU WANNA COME TRY AND STOP ME?"

         "Faith," Jack whispered to her, "you'd best not hurt Will!"

         In the darkness, Faith winked down at Jack from her perch on Wolverine.
"Not my plan, birdie." Aloud, she called back to Will, "ALL RIGHT! BRING IT ON!
I'LL JUST HAVE TO KICK YOUR BUTT NAKED!"

         There was a pause before Will finally asked, "YOU WON'T PUT YOUR CLOTHES
ON?"

         "IF YOU'RE MAN ENOUGH TO FIGHT ME, YOU'RE MAN ENOUGH TO FIGHT A NAKED
BITCH!"

         "I WON'T FACE YOU NAKED, FAITH."

         "THEN KEEP MOVING, MOUSE BOY!" There was a long pause that was finally
interrupted by Will's footsteps as he walked away.

         Jack looked balefully up at Lex. "Well, Luthor, teach me."

         "Not when you're drunk, Jack! I will not! You will not touch Will when
you're drunk! It's not right for the first time you two do it, it should be
perfect. There should be no liquor in you." He stared disdainfully down at Jack.
"You might be a friend and my Captain, but right now, I'm ashamed of you."

         "Come on; we're going to get some coffee into you." He reached down,
picked Jack up as though he didn't weigh anything, and carried him straight to
the Witch's galley. It was empty. Setting Jack down at one of the tables, he
went about making coffee. "Now, my friend, you're going to sober up and tell me
what your problems are. I don't know if I can help them go away, but I can help
you to face them."

         Jack looked disdainfully down at the coffee. "Do I have to drink that?"

         "Yes," Lex told him firmly, "to the last drop."



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

         Lex and Jack had left Faith alone with Wolverine, or so she thought. She
reached down and poked at Wolverine's chest. "You know, for a short guy, you're
kind of comfy."

         "Get off of me, bit! What do you think 'Ro would think if she caught you
sitting on me?! As much as I like ya, Faith, I don't wanna lose my woman over
ya!"

         "Please," Faith returned. "Like I'd ever screw you! You're not my type!"

         "What is your type?"

         "Figured you knew. I'm Faith: Virgin Slayer," she proudly made her
introduction.

         "So that's why you never give second rides? What happens if the first
ride ain't a virgin?"

         "I can tell a virgin a mile away."

         "And what would cause you to give a second ride?"

         "I don't," she told him, looking away into the very shadows Dawson was
hiding though never realizing he was there. "It's against my rules." She
hiccupped. Finally getting off of Wolverine, she finished her bottle, tossed it
away, and set to searching for a fourth. "One more, and I'm out."

         "What if they owed you a debt they couldn't pay? How would you take it
out of their hide?"

         She set back on the heels of her boots and turned her bloody face to
face Wolverine. "Depends. What are you talking about?"

         "Well, I think there's a certain man aboard that you sent a bag of
clothes to. He can't pay you for 'em. Don't you expect payment of some kind?"

         Faith shrugged. "Wan't thinking about that when I grabbed them." She
cocked her head to one side, a thoughtful look suddenly falling over her face.
"But that might help."

         "What might help?"

         She eyed Wolverine warily. "You ever catch a virus that you just
couldn't shake?"

         "Yeah, it's called 'Ro. I don't wanna shake it."

         "Well, I want to shake mine."

         "Then do something about it."

         "I've been trying." She gestured to her face. "Why the Hell do you think
I look like this? But a second ride might get him out of my system."

         "Think about it, Faith; see ya tomorrow." Wolverine walked off into the
darkness, knowing that if Faith thought about it, it was only one step away from
her acting on it. Now he had to go check on Jack, the idiot. Why had he gotten
drunk? Removing the rum had not done any good, but he was thankful to whoever
had done it. Now if he could just find the rest of that damn tequila and get rid
of it.

         Faith watched Wolverine go, then stretched out on the deck. Her mind
pondered his suggestion even as her hand groped around in the darkness for the
fourth bottle she needed, yet while she was still contemplating rather a second
ride would get Dawson out of her system or make matters even worse, her mind
turned back to the memories that were insistent upon haunting her that night. It
was at just that time that her hand closed on the fourth bottle, but she
realized suddenly that it would do her no good. "Not even the damn tequila
works," she muttered, picking the bottle up and throwing it against the wall.

         Dawson cringed at the sound the bottle made as it crashed against the
wall. What was the matter with Faith now? Had the bottle been empty? He watched
to see what Faith would do next.

         She rolled over onto her back and gazed up through vision clouded by
both tears that she fought against and her drunken state. "You're having a
fucking good laugh, aren't you, bitch?" She reached out and let her good hand
run over the glass that was scattered across the deck. "I'll see you in Hell one
of these days."

         Dawson wanted to run out and pull her out of the glass. Instead, he
crept out, hoping to get closer to her and find a way to get her out of the
glass. She lay in it. It seemed to be everywhere, and he knew she was getting
cut from its sharp edges. "Faith?" he called to her.

         She had heard a sound and had been about to warn Carl that she would gut
him like a fish when Dawson called to her instead. She bristled at the sound of
his voice. Dare she face him now? "Kid," she returned nonchalantly.

         "Whatcha doing? You wanting to cut the rest of your body, rolling around
in that glass?"

         She shrugged, part of her shoulder moving right into a shard. "Don't
care," she replied, "and don't try to tell me you do."

         He had been about to do just that but decided to try a different tactic.
"Nnno, it's up to you what you do. Just wanted you to know you were laying in
glass in case you didn't know."

         "I'm not an idiot," she told him. "I know about the glass; hell, I'm the
one who put it there."

         "I figured that much, but I thought you might like to get up and come
over here. I've got another bottle." He had almost kicked the bottle, not
realizing what it was. He now reached down and held it up. "It's full."

         She glanced over at him through watery eyes. "Even that's fucking me
over tonight. It won't do me any good. Hell, the fourth one'd probably bring it
even closer to mind instead of taking me to the floor -- "

         "You're already in the floor," he reminded her.

         She glanced around. "Guess I am." She shrugged again, pain slicing
through her left shoulder. "But I'm not out."

         "No, but this one'll do the job," he told her. "Come over here, and I'll
give it to you." If he could just get her out of the glass and get the glass out
of her, maybe things could get better, he hoped. He wagged the bottle at her.

         She watched him for a moment. "Hell, it can't hurt anything. I'm leaving
when we hit land any fucking way." Had she said that aloud? She didn't know and
told herself she didn't care even as she rolled to a standing position and began
to stumble toward him.

         "Why do you want to leave?"

         "It's been coming for a while," she told him. "Best thing for all
involved." She reached him, held a hand out for the bottle, but missed. Her hand
found a resting place on his chest instead.

         He stood still, waiting for her to make another move. "If you want the
bottle, Faith, sit down here," he indicated a low bench that ran against the
wall, "and I'll give it to you." He held it out enticingly toward her.

         She cocked an eyebrow at him. Was he trying to tell her what to do? Yet
that was not the comment that escaped her mouth. "You know you owe me?"

         "I do?" Dawson asked innocently. "I don't have any money. I guess you'll
have to take it out in trade." He handed her the bottle.

         She pressed the bottle back toward him. "Yeah," she replied, her bleary
eyes peering at him, "ya do. What? Did you think Birdboy stole all those clothes
and everything?"

         "No, he told me they were from you. I figured you'd be around to collect
the debt sooner or later."

         She managed to keep from telling him that she had never intended to
place him in her debt. "You figured right for once," she fingered his shirt,
"and I'm here to do just that, kid."

         "Well, I'm willing. What do you want me to do?" he queried.

         She looked at him through narrowed eyes as if truly taking the question
into consideration. "You don't have much," she told him, "but there is one thing
I might be interested in." Without warning, her hand moved lower until her
fingers brushed against his sword through his pants.

         He closed his eyes and sighed. How he had longed for her to touch him!
He stood very still, waiting for her next move. "Not here," he finally spoke.
"Too much glass and I don't want to get cut, but anywhere else."

         "Good boy," Faith whispered against his lips as she leaned in closer.
She stopped suddenly and frowned as she looked down at him. "I'm doing it
again," she observed, more to herself than him.

         "Doing what again?" he questioned.

         "Getting blood all over you," she answered with a shake of her head.

         "If you'll let me take care of your wounds, then you won't be getting
blood all over us."

         "Why would I want you to take care of them? I did it on purpose."

         "You cut yourself on purpose? Why?" Dawson could not believe that she
had done it on purpose and thought it was the drink making her talk that way.

         The drink was indeed having a strong effect on Faith, but it was making
her reveal more truth to him than she ever would have knowingly. She nodded and
teetered on her feet. "Helps to forget."

         "There are other ways to forget, Faith," he reminded her gently. "What
do you want to forget so badly?"

         "Everything." She hiccupped. "You, Salem, them . . . Everything."

         "Let me take care of your wounds, and we'll see if we can find another
way that you can forget."

         She held up a finger as she swayed. Looking at it cross-eyed, she
wondered if it was truly three or the one she'd meant to hold up. "One ride,
kid. That's it. Just one more."

         "Okay," he agreed, "but not here. Name the place." He had to get her out
of the glass before she cut herself more badly. "Where?"

         She shrugged and simultaneously hiccupped again. "Don't matter."

         Dawson remembered the place he had just come from. It was quiet,
sheltered, and plenty of room for two. "Come this way, Faith. You'll like it
there." He reached out for her hand and, once getting it, looked at it. It was
covered in blood. "Faith, I really need to take care of your hand and your other
wounds before we have this encounter. Will you let me take care of them?"

         She eyed him. "The last time I was stupid enough to say 'yes' to that,
kid, I got fucked over again."

         "I didn't do it. You can trust me to help you."

         "I can't trust any one, and you got a kick out of it."

         "When?" Dawson queried in confusion.

         "When that do-goody bitch, Katrina, tricked me and healed me."

         "She cares about you, Faith. She just wants you to be well."

         Faith barked a hoarse laugh. "You really are innocent."

         "Maybe, but I still believe in people. Katrina really does care about
you."

         "No, she doesn't, and any one who would is an idiot."

         "Then I guess we're all idiots," Dawson replied honestly, "because we
really do care about you."

         She glared at him. "I don't need any more lies."

         "No lies, Faith. Just truth. We really care about you, but of course,
you don't believe that. Who would ever care about Faith? you ask yourself while
trying to push every one away, but you know what? We still care about you."

         She had stopped walking now and started to pull away from him. "And you
can damn well keep that bunch of shit."

         "Okay, but I won't change my mind. Come in here; you'll like it in
here," he told her as they had already reached the spot.

         She eyed him warily. "I don't wanna hear any more of that crap, kid."

         Dawson looked at her but didn't say anything. In the condition she was
in, there would be no way to reason with her. Once inside the sheltered area, he
turned to look at her. "Okay, Faith; here I am, waiting for you."

         She continued to eye him, wondering if she was doing the smart thing.
Shaking her head and shoving the doubts away as best she could, Faith entered
after him. Turning to him, she cupped a hand around his cheek and pressed her
lips to his . . . yet she found that she had to stop nearly as soon as she had
began. She wiped at the blood that was on his cheek. "I can't let my blood get
on you."

         "Then let me take care of you," he requested reasonably. "It won't take
long. I'm not going anywhere."

         "To keep it off of you, not because you think you care about me?"

         "Yes, to keep it off of me. I don't want to get dirty." He twisted his
face into a disgusted expression.

         "About time the truth came out," she replied with a nod. "All right."

         "Stay here; I'll get some bandages."

         "Watch out for Wolfboy," she warned teasingly. "He might be hungry."

         Dawson laughed. Brendan had been nothing but kind to him, and he knew
Brendan would never hurt him. He raced to the sleeping quarters and walked
inside where he saw a brown bottle and some bandages sitting on a shelf. He took
them back to where he had left Faith. "This is gonna hurt, Faith. Brace
yourself." He reached up, forced himself to pull the shard of glass out of her
shoulder, and then began to pour the brown liquid into her wounds.

         "Kid," Faith growled to him through gritted teeth, "this ain't nothing.
This kind of pain, I like. It's the other that needs blocking."

         He was very serious in doctoring her and didn't reply. He wasn't really
sure what she was talking about. Pain was pain; it didn't matter if it was in
the body or heart. Dawson knew it could do you in. When he had finished, he sat
back on his heels. "Faith, I'm through. What's next?"

         Instead of responding to him, Faith was staring at the wall with a
mixture of anguish and sadness etched across her face. Her eyes were open but
did not observe anything.

         "Faith?" Dawson reached out, shook her arm, and was rewarded with a
snore. "Damn! It figures!" he muttered even as he pulled her around to lay down.
"I'll be back soon," he told her. He went back to the sleeping quarters where he
left the medicine and threw away the gauze that he had cleaned her with. Then he
went, fetched her clothes, and cleaned up the glass. He shook the clothes extra
hard to make sure all the glass came out and then lay them beside her where she
continued to sleep. She was murmuring in her sleep, but all he could make out
was the occasional curse. He lay down beside her and pulled her close. It seemed
that the only time he could hold her was when she was asleep; he was thankful
for even that time.



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

         Clark looked at the sleeping children and wondered what was taking Lex
so long to return. He missed him terribly. He got up and walked outside the
sleeping quarters just in time to hear Will calling for Jack. "I haven't seen
Jack in a while," Clark told him. "Have you seen Lex?"

         Will paused in his search long enough to glance at Clark and shake his
head. His brow was creased with worry as he admitted, "In fact, the only ones
I've even heard from were a drunk Wolverine and a naked Faith, and I've been out
here a while."

         "I can't just walk off and leave the children. Why don't you come and
visit for a while? We can talk, get to know each other better. Maybe Lex will
show up by then."

         Will scanned the dark night as he considered Clark's offer. Finally,
with a shrug, he accepted, "Well, it doesn't look like Jack even wants to show
up."

         "Jack's probably scared of you, Will," Clark said. "This is extremely
new for both of you. He'll show up in a bit. I'm surprised Lex wasn't with
Faith. He usually tries to help her when she's having one of her spells. You say
she's naked?"

         Will nodded. "It was the strangest thing," he admitted. "I was calling
for Jack when Wolverine answered." He paused, thinking that he heard footsteps,
but when he looked up, he didn't see any one and returned his attention to
Clark. "He told me that Jack was with him, but when I started to go over there,
I was warned off by Faith telling me that he was drunk, she was naked, and that
if I didn't want to see what they were doing, I'd best not go any nearer." He
looked up at Clark in puzzlement and was about to say something more when
thunder suddenly split the night sky. His attention was drawn to it instead, and
he missed the woman flying off.

         "Looks like a storm's coming," Clark said, looking worriedly at the sky.
"I wouldn't have gone any nearer to a naked Faith either. I don't like to see
women naked. They're so gross! I guess it's all in what you're used to. I've
never wanted any one but Lex."

         Will nodded even as he slipped into the door that Clark was still
holding open for him. "I can relate," he whispered. "I always thought I wanted
Elizabeth, but when I met Jack, I realized just how foolish I'd been being."

         "Lex had some one before me, so he had experience. I was glad of that as
I didn't have a clue where to start. You're Jack's first, and I know he's
totally lost. I hope he talks to Lex. Lex knows everything and is an expert at
most things."

         Will had to smile at the way Clark's face shone as he talked about his
beloved, yet still he could not help worrying. "How do you do it? With a man, I
mean. I don't know about a woman, but I'm not interested in any woman. The only
person I want is Jack."

         "Well, there are several ways to do it. Sit on the bed. We don't want to
be very loud; we might wake the children up." He leaned over and glanced at both
of the sleeping children. "Lex always leads, and I always follow, but there's
the oral method, frontal method, and the rear. They're all exciting. You might
have to lead with Jack. You might have to take it away from him." He paused to
see Will's reaction.

         Will stared at Clark in astonishment. "I couldn't do that! I will not
betray him like that!"

         "Betray him? What do you mean by that? You have to grow up, Will. Making
love to the one you love is not betrayal. He's lost and doesn't know where to
move next. If you have an ideal, move on him. Teach it to him. Lex and I try out
different things and ways. If we both like it, we stay with it; if we don't, we
throw it out. Which one do you want to learn first?" His blue eyes sought out
his friend's.

         Will was still staring at Clark in disbelief of what he was hearing. "To
lead wouldn't be betraying him," he tried to explain, "but to take it from him
without -- when he's not ready would be. I couldn't do that to him."

         "He's ready," Clark said with a knowing nod. "He's willing, and he's
able. He just doesn't know how to do it."

         "You think that's why he's hiding from me?" Will asked. "Seeing a seadog
about a wooden leg couldn't take this long!"

         "Haven't heard that one before," Clark had to admit with a chuckle, "but
he probably ran into some difficulty. I don't believe Jack would hide. When we
finish talking, we'll go look for him again. Lex should be here by then. So we
will start with the . . . frontal, mayhap?"

         Will stole a glance at the children to make certain that they were still
fast asleep, then turned his full attention to Clark and the promising
conversation to come. He leaned so close to the younger man that his head nearly
bumped Clark's.

         Clark lowered his voice as he began to whisper so that only Will could
hear. "It all begins with a kiss . . . "


Chapter Thirty-nine
         Ororo had been searching for Logan who had slipped away from her while
she had gone to check on her godchildren. She had only found Phoebe and Paige at
the time, but they had assured her that Piper and Prue were both faring well and
indeed, by some miracle, seemed to be rather happy. Pleased with the news, she
had returned to hunting for Logan at the same time as her mind had wondered over
the feelings that he continued to spark in her. She had never felt something as
strong as the emotions one touch from him sent sweeping through her, but she
also knew that it was far too soon for such, that she should not allow her heart
to follow down that weary trail again, and that she should be in grieving for
her friends. She had still been searching for Logan when she had nearly stumbled
across Clark and Will in the darkness. She had heard the boys' whispered
conversation, and their words of Logan's actions with Faith had filled her with
anger and sent her to the sky.

         She was still flying amongst the lightning bolts sparked by her anger
and scanning the decks for Wolverine when she caught sight of Prue instead. Her
concern for her goddaughter instantly overpowered her anger, and she dropped
lightly to the deck. "Prue?" she called.

         Prue looked up at her Aunt 'Ro with tears in her eyes. She had swiped
angrily at them, but they refused to stop falling. "Oh, it's just so useless!"
she said to 'Ro. "Why do we always fall in love with those that don't really
want us, don't want to fight for us? That Brendan is such a jerk!" she spat the
words out. "I'm willing to do anything because I love him! He won't deny that he
loves me, but he's not willing to do anything about it! He keeps saying he's
going to wolf out and eat me. It's just that we are at cross-threads with each
other! I'll do anything, Auntie 'Ro! I just want to be with him so badly! And
how can this be? We just met today, and yet I feel like I've known him forever!"
She gazed into her aunt's eyes, hoping she would have the answer.

         As always, Ororo chose her words carefully. "I wish I could answer all
your questions, my child, but the truth is that I, too, have wondered about
that. I know of you and Brendan and have seen even Piper falling head over
heels. I do not think they have weaved a spell over us," she said with a shake
of her head, "but I can not explain it. Even I have been having . . . similar .
. . problems . . . with that . . . that . . . " A blast of thunder drowned out
her next word, and a sheepish look of apology passed over her face as she faced
her goddaughter. "But Brendan is not like the others. He is a Werewolf, and
being such while also being good must come with its worries. He truly fears that
he will hurt you. Neither of us know why he clings to that belief, but he does.
Perhaps . . . You can speak lupine. Perhaps you should try speaking with Wolf or
Elvira, see what they think, if they can shed some light on just why he is so
fearful?"

         Prue dried her eyes. "I'll go look for Wolf now. See if he minds talking
to me." She gave her aunt a hug. "I hope you'll find your Wolverine soon, and
please don't kill him, Auntie 'Ro. Give him a chance to answer. He might be
innocent of whatever you think he's done."

         Ororo stroked Prue's long hair lovingly as she returned the young
woman's hug. "I wish that might be so, Prue, but I see no reason for those boys
to have lied. They did not even know I was there . . . "

         "Boys? Who?" Prue asked.

         "I believe their names are Clark and Will. Will was in search of one of
the Captains when he ran into Wolverine . . . with Faith . . . "

         "Still, he might not have understood what he thought he saw. I liked
what I saw of Wolverine today. Give him a chance to explain himself." She hoped
her aunt would listen and that things would work out all right. Her aunt had
been without a man for a very long time, and Prue knew that she was very lonely.
She thought that 'Ro and Wolverine had made a good match.

         Ororo had paused and was gazing up at the sky. Her talk with Prue had
calmed her emotions enough so that she had been able to rein in the lightning
and thunder, but she had also felt a different change in the current, one that
she could not quite pinpoint. "Prue, I . . . I do not wish to scare you, my
child, but we do not yet quite know what is going on here. Besides that, with
Pirates, you never know what danger might loom its head when." She gently
caressed the side of Prue's face as she looked into her eyes. "If anything
should happen, always remember to protect your sisters, but you must also
protect the Book." She knew Patty had never really talked about the Book with
her children and that she would have to sooner or later but also felt, for some
reason, that the warning would soon be needed.

         Prue nodded. She wished she knew more about the Book, but her mother and
grandmother had kept it hidden from them. She had only caught glimpses of it but
never seen the inside. "I will protect the Book, but what's so important about
it, Auntie 'Ro? What's actually in it?"

         "Nearly every Witch -- indeed, every one who takes the time to do so --
has a Book of Shadows. Some are only for one Witch while others may be for a
coven or a family. In your family's case, Prue, that Book dates back to the very
first of your ancestors. It holds every spell the Halliwell Witches who came
before you and your sisters used, and . . . There is another something very
special in that Book. There are," she said, choosing her words with extra care,
"very special Witches who will come into their power sometime during your
family's line."

         "What do you mean special Witches, Auntie?"

         Ororo's eyes met Prue's. "The most powerful Witches of all time."

         "Wow! What will they do -- fight Demons and other evil things?"

         Her answer was a mere, mute nod.

         "Gosh! I wonder when they'll happen."

         Ororo fought a smile but still did not speak. She knew the girls had to
find their way into their powers on their own and that she must not reveal any
more of the Charmed Ones' identity to Prue or her sisters.

         "I've already hidden it. It's safe, and I promise I won't let anything
happen to it, so stop worrying about it and go check up on your Wolverine. I'm
going to talk to Wolf and see if he can tell me anything." She gave 'Ro another
quick hug.

         Ororo returned the hug even as she could not help thinking that Patty
would be proud of her eldest daughter for even with everything that had happened
that day, Prue was still trying to take care of those around her, even her! "I
will, sweet child, but remember when you face Brendan again, he truly believes
what he is saying. You think he does not want to fight for you, but it may well
be that he believes he already is, in a way that only he can to protect you from
himself."

         "I'll try to remember, but it's hard. He's so stubborn! I'll see you
later. Do you know where Wolf is?"

         Ororo shook her head. "If I see him, though, I'll tell him that you're
looking for him. He should be able to find you rather simply."

         Prue headed off in search of Wolf, hoping that 'Ro would keep her head
and not blow Wolverine to smithereens.

         Ororo watched Prue go before lifting herself back into the air.
Lightning bolts illuminated the decks as she continued in search of Wolverine
while also keeping her eyes open for Wolf or Elvira, who she knew could easily
lead her to the Werewolf.



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

         Lex's blue eyes were focused on his Captain and the mug he grasped as
though it were a live snake, waiting to bite him. "You have to drink it," he
repeated.

         Jack made an awful face even as he took another sip of the foul liquid.
"Swamp water probably tastes better than this," he muttered. He felt as though
he had ten snakes aloose in his gut as the liquid made its slithering way down
his throat and into his stomach.

         "I wouldn't doubt that," Lex admitted, "but it works wonders. Brendan
made me drink it once, a long time ago." A coy smile played over his lips.
"Actually, I saw him drink it once himself, and he wasn't even in our
situation." He shrugged. "I think he just thought he needed the energy. Surely
he couldn't have liked the taste? But you should have seen him!"

         When Jack had drank the last sip, he turned the mug upside down and
glared balefully at Lex. "What now?" he demanded. "You promised to tell me what
to do with Will. I'm listening."

         Lex nodded, "And I will, but first I think you'd best get to the
railing, Captain."

         Jack's stomach grumbled, and he held it even as he ran out of the galley
and to the rail. Twice that day, everything had come out of him, and this one
smelled worse than the first. It showed no sign of stopping, and he wretched
until he thought he would explode. Then he hung limply on to the railing, his
head resting on it.

         "I know that felt like everything you've probably ever eaten in your
entire life," Lex's voice came from behind him, "but that was the alcohol you've
consumed tonight. You needed to get it out of your system in order to be able to
deal with Will."

         Jack sat down with his back against the railing. "Somebody's gotta deal
with me now," he said. "I don't think I can even walk, but I can tell you one
thing: I don't ever want any more of that tequila! Did you know that there's a
worm in the bottle and Faith was enjoying eating it? The very thought makes me
sick!"

         Lex nodded. "That's all part of Faith," he calmly observed. "Basic rule
of thumb I've found, Captain: If you see Faith eating or drinking something,
unless some one else is already partaking of the same, you generally don't want
it."

         Jack nodded sagely. "I believe you're right, Lex. I know I don't want
any more. So sit down here and tell me what my next step is."

         Lex obediently swung down and sat beside Jack. "First of all, you've got
to stop running." He held up a finger to silence him. "Don't try to deny it. I
know you have; I was there once before myself. You don't know what you're doing.
You don't want to disappoint or scare him, and the thought of doing so and not
knowing what to do scares you in return."

         "That's true," Jack slowly admitted, "but I wasn't running. I went out
to knock Brendan in the head. I thought he had attacked Prue, but it turned out
that Brendan and Prue had had a fuss and Brendan was kicking his own butt. Tried
to talk some reasoning into him. Just like pissing into the wind. He won't
listen, and he won't do anything to help himself."

         "Sounds like trying to talk to Faith."

         "Yup. They've got a lot in common. I guess Will thinks I ran away, but I
just haven't gotten back there yet. I wanted some rum, Lex, but it's all gone.
Do you have any ideal who took it or where they hid it? That tequila will kill
you."

         "It will indeed," Lex admitted. "A couple of more bottles, if even that
many, and we wouldn't have even seen you again until this time tomorrow night."

         "If then," Jack admitted. "There's just times that I am so weak, Lex,
and I just can't fight what I am. I have to admit it: I have trouble with
alcohol, but if you tell anybody I said that, I'll deny it."

         Lex couldn't help thinking that at least that secret admission didn't
come with the usual warning that he'd get his throat slit.

         "Well, come on, Lex. Tell me what to do, man. Will will think I've left
the ship and am not coming back."

         "He'd never think that. He knows the Pearl means too much to you for you
to ever abandon her. But he might think you're hiding from him and have no
intention of ever coming back out."

         "I wouldn't do that," Jack said. "I might not be able to do anything to
give him pleasure yet, but I damn sure wouldn't hide! It just sort of happened.
I was trying to sort things out with Faith about Dawson. She's determined to
leave us in Tortuga."

         Lex looked at Jack in shock. "What?!"

         "She says it's all my fault and it's because Dawson's aboard, but I
don't think that's the true matter of it. I think Dawson got under her skin and
she wants him really badly, but in order for her to ever admit she wants anybody
. . . Well, that would probably take a miracle. Faith wants the world to think
that she's Big, Bad, Tough Faith and that nobody tells her what to do. That's
probably true some of the time, but definitely not where Salem and Dawson are
concerned."

         Lex knew that Salem and Dawson were not the only ones that could reach
Faith and also realized that Jack and Dawson were not the only reasons why she
was desperate to separate herself from the rest of them. He also knew, however,
that he could not tell Jack that, and in his nervousness, reached for a necklace
that Clark had once given him and that he never took off. As he slid the amulet
between his fingers, he spoke quietly but determinedly, "That's a miracle we are
going to have to find a way to make happen before we arrive in Tortuga, but the
first problem we need to work on is yours with Will, Captain. You think you
can't give him pleasure, but you're wrong. Even one kiss, just one touch, gives
him pleasure, but I know you want to do more. There's several ways to do so. A
-- hum -- blowjob is the first I learned."

         "You mean, with one of those tubes? How do you use that on them?"

         Lex shook his head. "Not darts," he corrected, looking incredulously at
Jack. "A blowjob. It involves, hum, your mouth on his sword."

         "Interesting," Jack said. "What do you do to get there? You go straight
to the goal?"

         "You could try that," Lex admitted, "but wouldn't you rather give him as
much pleasure as possible?"

         "Yes, I would. So what do I do?"

         Hearing footsteps somewhere on deck, Lex leaned in even closer to Jack
as he whispered so that only he should have been able to hear him. "It all
begins with a kiss . . . "



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

         Upon approaching the galley, Wolverine's sharp hearing picked up the
conversation between Jack and Lex. There was no way he was going to go in there
and interrupt that! He began to make his way back to the area 'Ro and he shared,
wondering where his little darlin' had gotten off to when the sky was suddenly
split with a lightning bolt and the booming sound of thunder. The lightning had
barely missed where he was standing. He jumped quickly away from the spot before
turning and gazing upward. "'Ro?" he called up. "I know it's you. What's wrong?"

         She appeared from the shadows, illuminated by her own lightning bolts as
she towered before him, six feet of deadly, angry Weather Witch. She gazed at
him for a moment from firm blue eyes before finally and simply stating the
truth, "I heard about Faith."

         Wolverine asked, his eyes gazing intently into hers, "What did ya hear
about Faith?"

         "I heard what she told Will while she was naked . . . with you."

         "She fell out of the rigging and landed on me, knocking me to the deck.
Jack and she were getting drunk on tequila, but I wasn't involved until she fell
out on top of me. If you heard that part, I am sure that you heard me answer
Will and say Jack was there. Honestly, Little Darlin', I wasn't lookin' at her
or doin' anything with her except tryin' ta climb out from under her." He was
pleased to see that 'Ro was jealous of him but hoped that she would believe him
and not hit him with a lightning bolt.

         Ororo watched Logan's face and eyes intently. "I said that I heard what
she told Will. I did not say that the words came from her lips." She would not,
however, reveal that Clark had been the one she had heard it from. "You say that
she was with Jack, but he wants Will, does he not?"

         "Yes, but they were both getting drunk. Some one ran off with Jack's
rum, and he was trying to reason with Faith who wasn't having any of it. She
gave him tequila, and . . . sorry to say, Jack climbed in the bottle. Jack wants
Will, and until he actually manages to do something with Will, there's no
telling what he'll do. I would have told Will again that Jack was over there
with us, but Faith knocked the air out o' my lungs."

         "So the two were getting drunk together and involving in . . . such
activities when you happened innocently across the scene?" Her eyes were still
narrowed and full of suspicion, but the bad weather had relented.

         "Little Darlin', the only woman I'm interested in is your beautiful
self. Jack wasn't really doin' much with Faith 'cept tryin' to talk to her and
put her clothes on, but she's all worked up about Dawson bein' aboard an' there
was no reasonin' with her." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently,
his eyes never leaving hers.

         She smiled, the last of her anger ebbing away. She knew it was not safe
to trust people so easily, but somehow she could not seem to help it with Logan.
"So what are you going to do about your boy?" she asked him softly.

         "Leave him alone for now. Lex is workin' on him, an' believe it or not,
Clark found Will an' he's talkin' to him, as well. Hopefully somethin' will come
from it." He was relieved that she let him stand so close to her. "Ready fer
bed?" he asked her.

         She had found herself gazing into his eyes and wondering why it was so
hard for so many of them to let others get close when he spoke again. She
quickly nodded and attempted to put her thoughts aside. She had to watch him.
She did not want to be hurt again and still could not understand why he so
easily evoked such emotions in her. Yet, despite herself, she could not help
reaching a hand up and gently caressing his roughened face.

         Holding to her hand, he led her to their little nook and allowed her to
enter first.

         Ororo stood, gazing down at the area that he had fixed for them in
pleased surprise. She had been worried about sleeping so close to him, but he
had placed two separate cots with a short but reasonable distance between them.
She knew she could not sleep on the one inside, however. She smiled at him.
"Thank you, and . . . I . . . am sorry for doubting you." How could she explain
that it came from years of experience, experience that seemed useless when it
came to him?

         "Don't worry about it, 'Ro. I am only glad that you believe me at last.
I make you a promise: I'll be here for you. If you need me, you have but to call
me. But I will not make another move on you unless you desire it." He took his
shirt off and moved over to lay down on the cot. Normally, he would strip all
the way down, but in deference to also being 'Ro's room, he kept his pants on.

         She laid down on the cot closest to the outside, then turned to her side
to gaze at him from underneath her eyelids. For once, her words failed her, but
as she finally started to speak again, she was interrupted by a snore that she
did not realize was faked. "Goddess," she whispered, "what blessing have you
slipped into my life this time, and do I dare trust it?"

         Wolverine continued to hold his body as still as he could, letting an
occasional snore erupt. He could hear the wind picking up outside and realized
that 'Ro was not having anything to do with it. It would probably rain before
morning. For a night two days before the full moon, it was awful dark, and he
could smell rain and cold. He shivered at the thought even as he turned on to
his left side.

         He tensed, waiting for 'Ro to fall asleep. He knew she was not asleep
yet. He wondered how he had been so lucky for her to fall into his life and
hoped that he would not do anything at all to bugger it up. He thought back over
the women he had known in his life and realized he had not been with any of them
for very long. Something had always come along to mess it up. He prayed that
this time this wonderful woman would stay in his life until his time on Earth
was done. That being the last thought on his mind, he passed into sleep.

         Beside him, Ororo lay awake for a while longer, her mind dwelling on not
only the day's events but events that had led her to be so loathe in trusting.
Her thoughts also continuously turned to the four young women who had been left
in her care, and she prayed to her Bright Lady that she would be able to care
for them where Patty and Penelope were no longer able to.



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

         The last time Prue had seen Wolf, he had been heading for the crow's
nest with Elvira in tow. She knew she had to see him and get to the bottom of
things, and she figured one time was as good as any other as he always seemed to
be with Elvira. When she reached the crow's nest, she called up pleadingly,
"WOLF, I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE BUSY, BUT YOU'RE ALWAYS BUSY! THIS
IS VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE TALK TO ME!"

         Wolf, who had actually been resting in between times, stuck his head
above the crow's nest and looked down where Prue was standing. He glanced back
at Elvira. He figured she would have fallen asleep, but her eyes were wide open
and gazing at him tenderly. "YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME OR ELVIRA?" Wolf called
down.

         "EITHER OR BOTH OF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THE ANSWER."

         "WHAT IS THIS, A RIDDLE?" Wolf called down.

         "OF SORTS," Prue called back up.

         "OKAY. GIVE US A MINUTE, AND WE'LL BE DOWN."

         Prue stood and waited, wringing her hands constantly so great was her
agitation. True to his word, Wolf was down on the deck within two minutes.
Elvira had popped his pants again, and they would not hold together so he had
taken her skirt and wrapped it around himself. Prue tried not to look at the
skirt. "What can I help you with, Miss Halliwell?" Wolf asked.

         "I need to know the answer, Wolf, and I know you know it."

         "The answer to what?" Elvira asked as she hopped down behind Wolf. Even
then, despite Prue's serious look and her concern for the girl, she could not
help reaching out a hand, gently grabbing a few of Wolf's tail hairs, and
shaking them.

         Wolf growled playfully at Elvira even as he made a grab for her hand.

         "I need to know how to conquer Brendan's wolf."

         Wolf cleared his throat but looked away. "He doesn't want you to know,
and I can't be the one to tell you. I have his trust, and it's very important to
us wolves that we can believe and trust in one another."

         "I love him, Wolf, and I want to be with him. He knows what the answer
is, but he won't even attempt it. He says he loves me and he wants to be with
me, but he can't because his wolf will kill me."

         "Honey," Elvira interrupted, "you're not that inexperienced!"

         "What do you mean?" Prue asked, looking at her.

         "The whole thing with his wolf will kill you," Elvira replied with a
roll of her black eyes. "Sure, they're huge, bigger than anything you've ever
saw or imagined before, but you can handle it. Besides, when a man and a woman
are meant to be together, they fit together like a . . . like a hand in a
glove." She paused, realizing what she had just admitted despite herself. She
had always believed that, though she'd never found any one until that day who
fit her so well. Wolf filled her completely, like no other ever had or could.
Did that truly mean that they were meant for each other, that she need not fear
letting him in, allowing him to love her?

         Wolf had turned away from Prue and was still not looking at her. Had
Elvira known all along or was she simply guessing?

         Prue's mouth fell open in shock. "You mean . . . I've got to do it with
his wolf?" She could not fathom the thought!

         Elvira stopped, surprise etched over her face. "Did I say that?" Before
either could answer her, she babbled on, "Well, probably, yeah. I mean, the
wolf's a virgin, the man's a virgin, but in order to get to one, you have to go
through the other, and it's not as if you can get to the wolf from the man so
you're gonna have to calm the beast first. Yeah, that does make perfect sense!"

         After hearing that, Prue now realized why Brendan had run like crazy
from her. He would think that she would be shocked and definitely not wanting
his wolf. She wondered if it could be something that simple, and although the
thought of sleeping with the wolf did not excite her, the thought of reaching
the man underneath did. "How . . . can that happen when he can not control the
wolf?" Prue asked. "That is what he meant when he said the wolf would kill me:
His wolf would get out of control and eat me."

         "Girl, the way that boy is, if he could control the wolf, you wouldn't
get anywhere! Heck, I haven't seen anybody that scared since the last time I was
at a blacksmith shop, and you know the kind of trouble I cause at those places!
They won't shoe my horse, they can get the shoe up their -- " She stopped,
realizing from the look on Prue's face that she was getting far off the beaten
path. "Any way, to get back to your problem, chains should calm the wolf and
could probably be a bit fun for ya too. Have you ever tried them before? Of
course you haven't," she answered before Prue could. "You're still too
virginal."

         Prue had a shocked look on her face. Chains? How was she supposed to get
chains on Brendan? "What kind of chains, and how do I get them on him? You can't
just walk up to him and say, 'Hey, can I put these on you?'"

         Wolf had not said a word but had been listening intently. "You've got to
have silver chains, and they won't feel good. They're very painful, but they're
the only kind that will hold a Werewolf. Wesley has some. He's used them on me
in the past and on Brendan once or twice. They burn. They anger the beast." He
finally turned around, facing Prue. "You'd best think about this long and hard,
Miss Halliwell. If we help you, Brendan's going to look at it as though I
betrayed him. He won't like me any more. I don't want to lose his friendship.
I'm going to stay in the background and let you and Elvira handle it, but if
things get out of hand, I'll stick my nose in it."

         Wolf's words sank Elvira's heart. She'd not thought of the harm chains
could cause to a wolf, only of the fun that could be had with such. She turned
to step before her lover and gently cupped her hands around his face.
"Sweetheart," she spoke, gazing into his eyes, "if that damn Brendan doesn't
have enough brains to know that you're true and loyal to your friends and to a
woman if she'd only let you be, then I'll make him realize you are." Before
either Prue or Wolf could protest at the thought that she might attempt to harm
the boy, she clarified herself, "I'll tell him that I was the one who told Prue
what she had to do, even if I didn't realize what the heck I was really talking
about when I started, and I know," she pressed a finger to the tip of his nose,
"that he'll smell the truth."

         Wolf nodded. "If we're going to do it, we need to do it tomorrow. The
day after is a full moon. There will be no controlling him at all. It'd be much
safer to wait until after the full moon has come and gone. It's up to you,
Prue."

         Prue thought about it, and she knew she'd have to do a lot more thinking
about it. It was a huge step to take. Wolf might be right: Brendan might not
only hate Wolf, but he might hate her, as well, for attempting it. "After the
full moon," she said. "We'll try it then. I don't want any one to get hurt, so
we'll wait. Thank you for helping me, and I, too, will tell Brendan that it was
not you who told." She reached out and gripped Elvira's hand. "And thank you,
Elvira, for telling me what no one else would tell me."

         "Hey, you know me, girlfriend," Elvira replied in an attempt to lighten
the mood, winking at Prue. "I can't keep anything quiet."

         "I'll see you two later," Prue said as she turned and began to make her
way back to the galley. She hoped that the others had actually managed to get it
clean and that she wouldn't have to do it all by herself. She finally reached
the galley even as she felt the wind whip up all around her. She knew she'd have
to retire soon.

         Her mouth fell open in surprise when she saw that the galley was
spotless and that no one remained in it. She guessed they had made their way to
bed. She headed that way. She'd thank everybody the next day, but now, she was
exhausted and just wanted to lay down. It didn't take her long to reach her
sleeping cot, and she fell into it, her last thoughts being of Brendan.


Chapter Forty
         Donkey had been the last one eating the leftover scraps. He had no clue
as to where the other animals had gone, but when he had eaten the last bite, he
headed off along the deck. He hoped there would be other entertainment, because
he wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet and had missed the singing. He had not
walked far when he heard two grumbling voices. "Hey, that's mine! Get your furry
lips off of it!"

         "It's better to share," came the other voice, "and it's my turn for a
sip!"

         Donkey thought he recognized Salem's and Meesy's voices. He almost
stepped in glass without realizing it. He skirted around it and almost stepped
on another cat. Squinting downward, he recognized it as a female called Kit. He
stared at her for a moment as her tail flicked lazily in the air. Perhaps it was
because she was a cat, he thought, that she was laying on her back, her
everything exposed for all the world to see. "Pardon me, madam," Donkey said,
"but are you all right?"

         Her purr did not seem to be quite right, and she did not seem to be
moving. He lowered his head so that he could get a better look, and her eyes
squinted open. The first thing he noticed as she looked at him was that her
pupils were dilated in a strange manner. It was her words, however, that took
him by shock. "You want some of it, too, huh? Come and get it."

         "Hey!" Salem thundered. "We agreed to share, but not with some filthy
donkey!"

         "He's not filthy," Meesy corrected his friend with a hiccup, "but he
wasn't part of the deal."

         "What are y'all drinking?" Donkey asked, looking at the two males and
then back to the female. There was a strong smell in the air. He was afraid sex
had been going on and he had just missed it. Thank the Goddess! He didn't want
to see it, not between cats at least! He sighed with relief.

         "Tequila," Salem burped out the word. "Figured since Dawson managed to
get Faith out of it, we might as well have a go."

         "Hey, give me some of it!" Donkey begged. "I like liquor! Wish I could
get a hold of some of the rum Jack keeps fussing about! I bet it tastes awfully
good!"

         Meesy swatted at a bottle, sending it rolling straight to Donkey's
hooves. "I've had it before. Horrid stuff. This isn't exactly what I like, but
it's not too bad for that delicious buzz. 'Course the Queen would have had my
hide back then," he murmured the last bit to himself, "but she's long gone."

         "Are you sure she's gone?" Donkey asked. "People have a way of turning
up here."

         "Yes," Meesy told him quietly, a sad, far-away look settling in his
hazy, blue eyes. "I saw her ship be destroyed. I should have been on it."

         "No, you shouldn't have been," Salem told him firmly, pushing the bottle
they were sharing at him. "What you should be doing is getting drunk with the
rest of us and don't give me any more of that crap. I already had too much of it
out of Faith!"

         "Regrets, not to have been by her side, but not regrets of living. I
much prefer the latter! She was the grandmother to Katrina and Celina, and at
least, I am still able to watch over them and any little ones should we be lucky
enough to have them."

         Kit's eyes flew open. "Don't you even go there!"

         Salem had to hide a smile. The three of them had had so much fun that
Kit was barely still conscious but, just like any other woman, always came
around at the wrong time. "Not yours!"

         "Better not be!"

         The boys rolled their eyes even as Kit shut hers again.

         Donkey took a sip and spit it out. "That stuff's nasty! How can y'all
drink that?!" He took another sip. That one seemed to stay down a little better.
He glanced at the two of them but noticed that they, too, were falling down to
the deck with their eyes closed. He had to chuckle at the way that Meesy's
chocolate plume of a tail fluttered in the air; it was the only part of him left
sticking up.

         Donkey grasped the bottle firmly in his lips and took another sip. He
continued to sip along until he had the bottle empty. With a loud burp, he
picked up the bottle again and tossed it over the side of the ship. Just because
he was lit didn't mean he had to be untidy. He took a couple of more steps and
then sank down to his knees and to the deck of the ship. He started snoring
right by the cats.



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

         Jack's face turned red as Lex whispered words to him about what to do to
Will. He had heard about such, but he had never thought himself capable of doing
it. "It all begins with a kiss, aye?" He couldn't wait to try that line on Will
and see how far he got.

         Lex nodded solemnly. "I've found that with Clark, as I am sure you will
with Will, that anything worthwhile is always started with a kiss."

         "Can't wait to try that line on Will and see where it will lead. Thanks,
Lex, for everything. See you tomorrow."

         Lex smiled, an expression that reached all the way to even the dark
corners that had been haunting his mind that night. "Any time, Captain."

         Jack began to make his way back to his cabin. He opened the door, walked
in, and looked around for Will but did not see him. He laid down on the bed and
watched the door hopefully for Will's return.



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

         Lex waited in the darkness until he heard the Captain's door shut. It
was only then that he moved, rolling to his feet and heading off in search of
Clark. Somehow, he had a feeling that his beloved had been working his tongue
just as hard as he had just been. He hoped Clark had had the gall to tell Will
what the boy needed to know but doubted it. As much as he loved the man, he
could still be too timid. He found them huddled together by the railing and
whispering urgently back and forth, just as he had suspected he would, but
waited for Clark to acknowledge him.

         Clark had known exactly when Lex had walked up. His heart skipped
several beats, as it always did when his beloved came near, but he did not rush
Will. He wanted things to be right with Jack and Will. "You have any more
questions, Will?"

         Will's face was still rather paled with the shock of all that Clark had
just told him. "Just the same one. One last time. I'm sorry," he apologized with
a shake of his head, "but I just find it so hard to believe! You're sure that's
where it goes?"

         "One of the places, my friend, but only when you're ready. Don't rush
it. Take it slow, and remember nothing you do that makes the other feel pleasure
and doesn't hurt yourself is wrong. I learned that from Lex. Now go and have
fun."

         "I just hope he's ready for me," Will spoke quietly, but Lex still heard
him.

         Lex moved closer at Will's words and smiled reassuringly at the boy. "He
is."

         Will looked at him in surprise. "How do you know?"

         "Let's just say Cupid's had a little help tonight," Lex replied with a
grin.

         Will wanted to run off after Jack but stilled himself just long enough
to look at both men with immense gratitude shining in his eyes and on his face.
"Thank you, both, for . . . for so much . . . for everything!"

         "Why do I feel like somebody's Fairy Godmother?" Clark asked. He smiled
at Will. "You're welcome, my friend. Any time I can help you, let me know."

         "That goes for us both," Lex amended even as Will rushed off for Jack's
cabin.



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

         Angel continued his watch, walking around the ship and making sure that
all were protected. He had heard the music but had not joined in. He now longed
to talk to Cordelia and clear the path between them if indeed that were
possible. He was afraid when he told her the truth about himself, that she would
run screaming and hide from him. If this happened, he would have to release her
and never let her know his true deepest feelings. How could one small woman
affect him so badly to the point he felt he could not live without her? Her
scent filled the air, and he followed it to her. He stood quietly watching her
as she approached him.

         "Angel," Cordelia called as soon as she spotted the object of her
thoughts, "I've been looking for you." She had been for some time now and had
even began to wonder if he was avoiding her. She also hated that they had missed
the music.

         "Come walk with me. I must continue my watch, but we need to talk as
well." He smiled at her even as he held out his hand.

         She took his hand but could not help gazing with worried suspicion into
his eyes. Why did tension seem to fill the air? What was wrong?

         "I have told you already part of my life, but there's a lot more that
you don't know. I don't know any other way except to just come out and tell you,
but I don't want to frighten you. I am not what I appear to be . . . " his voice
trailed off, searching for the right words.

         Her eyes searched his for any kind of a hint as to just what he was
getting at. "Angel, you can't frighten me. You're a good man. I know you have a
. . . hard past, but you are a good man," she repeated. "You saved me today, and
when you did . . . That was the first time I began to realize that there are
good men still left in this world."

         The wind had picked up and began to blow Angel's hair as he turned to
face her. It whipped into his face, and he dashed it out of the way. "Cordelia,
I am glad I was able to rescue you today and I would do it again as many times
as need be. I know that if I tell you what I am, I stand a very good chance of
losing you but I don't want us to go on without you knowing the truth. I am a .
. . Vamp." His eyes looked pleadingly into hers, begging for understanding.

         Cordelia's brow creased in confusion even as she shivered. The
temperature seemed to be dropping steadily, but she tried to ignore the cold and
focus on whatever was bothering Angel so badly. "A Vamp?" she repeated, clearly
not understanding.

         "A Vampire," he told her, his eyes not leaving hers.

         "A Vampire?" She looked at him disbelievingly, confusion and worry
growing in her round eyes. What was he playing about? "Angel, what are you
talking about? That's just . . . just a legend . . . I mean, sure it might be
interesting if those things did exist, but they're just stories."

         Angel shook his head. "No, darling, Vampires are real. There are really
quite a lot of us around, and there are evil ones just as well as there are good
ones. In fact, on these ships alone, there are three of us. We're good. There
are also Werewolves and other creatures that go bump in the night." He paused,
waiting to see what kind of reaction she was having. Would she believe him?

         The icy winds were now whipping Cordelia's long hair, as well. She
reached out a trembling hand to gently pat Angel's shoulder. "Right, sweetheart.
Why don't you say we go . . . huh, somewhere warmer, and you can tell me all
about these creatures of yours?"

         "I don't mind taking you somewhere warmer, Cordelia, and I'm not making
this up. I am telling you the truth. You can ask either of the Captains, and
they will acknowledge it. We even have Werecats aboard. Have you not noticed the
Lewis sisters?"

         She paused, looking at him in even more surprise. She had noticed the
catwomen and the catman and had indeed nearly fainted when she'd seen the first.
Could there be something to his tall tale, after all? "I thought they were just
. . . I don't know . . . I didn't really want to think about it, I guess."

         He nodded in understanding. "It's important for you to know, Cordelia,
that no one aboard either of these ships will ever hurt you but that when the
full moon comes, strange things will happen. It will be best for you to stay in
the sleeping quarters those nights."

         "And what are you going to be doing?" she countered. "Howling at the
moon?" She just couldn't believe what she was hearing!

         "No. Brendan will be, though. And Wolf. They're Werewolves. Me, I'll
just be running amuck. Very few are brave enough to be on deck when the moon is
full. Not even Jack likes to be out there then." He was surprised she was taking
it so calmly and was beginning to think that she was still thinking he was
telling a tall tale. "Come and I'll walk you to the sleeping quarters. It is
time to be turning in."

         Though she felt as though she were freezing to the bone, she did not
want to go anywhere with this crazed conversation hanging in the air. "So all
Vampires look like you? Just like normal humans?"

         "Yes, unless they're Vamped out. You won't want to see me when I'm
Vamped out."

         There! There was her chance to prove him wrong and convince him to see a
doctor when they came to shore! "Actually," she challenged, folding her arms
even more tightly against her chest and tilting her chin so that her determined
eyes slanted directly upwards into his, "I do. You say I need to believe in all
this, Angel, then show me. Give me a reason to believe this insanity."

         He let go of her hand and backed away from her. "I will show you this
once while I am in complete control. The night of the full moon, I will not be
in control." Still keeping his eyes on hers, he Vamped, expecting screams to
burst forth from her lips at any second.

         Her body went weak in shock as she saw his handsome face change and
convert. His eyes flashed, sending a tremble through her. His teeth were
enlarging when something flickering in the sky caught her gaze. She looked up,
and that was when her face went an even deeper shade of pale.
"A-A-A-An-Ang-Angel -- " she stuttered out, her eyes frozen on the object in the
air even as she stumbled backwards.

         Angel quickly reverted to his human self. "Cordelia, are you okay?" he
asked, expecting her to burst out screaming.

         Her breath was coming in gasps, and she found that she could not form
words. Instead, she raised a trembling finger to point not at him but at the sky
instead.

         Angel's eyes followed her finger, and his dead heart skipped a beat.
That awful nightmare had returned and was now hovering above two people he knew
in an instant were Lorne and Crys! Crys was trying to climb the ship's railing,
reaching toward the creature, and Lorne seemed to be fighting her, trying to
hold her down! Angel raced for the pair, calling desperately to Crys. "DON'T DO
IT!" He barely managed to reach her and grab her ankles, pulling her back down.
He did not let go.


Chapter Forty-one
         She ached to stay in the safe, warm confines of his arms but knew that
she could not. Knowing that the longer she allowed herself to linger, the harder
it would be to push him away, Crys finally pushed far enough back from Lorne
that she could look into his eyes. "I can't stay," she whispered to him. "It's
not that I don't want to. It's that I can't."

         He pulled her back to him. Knowing that words were useless, he decided
to let his lips do his talking. He sought hers and then pledged his undying love
to her with a very gentle butterfly kiss.

         His kiss made her knees go weak, but her mind knew she had to remain
strong for his sake . . . for all their sakes. She slid a hand between their
bodies and forced herself to push him away. Tears sparkled in her ice blue eyes
as she whispered, "I'm sorry."

         "You're not going anywhere, Crys! I won't let you, and if you're
determined to just throw your life away to him, he's going to have to take me
too! I'll call him! I don't have to know his name! All I have to do is call out
to him, get his attention! I'm not going to live without you! It took me a
lifetime to find you! You say you love me; prove it! Stay with me!"

         "I can't do that, Lorne. If I didn't care about you so much, then I
could, but I can't," she repeated, shaking her head. She lowered her eyes from
his for a moment but then raised them, blazing determinedly, to meet his again.
"And if you call him, I'll find out, and when I do, I will give myself to him. I
promise you that."

         It was then that the wind had began to whip up around them, and he clung
to her. He had been sensing a storm building all night. He knew it would not be
long. "I won't let you go, Crys, and neither will Angel. He's nearby. All I have
to do is call him, and he'll be here and together we'll stop you. Neither one of
us want to lose you." His eyes were drawn upward by a flickering light, and he
realized that it was the nightmare coming again.

         "Lorne, you can't stop me. I could have left already if I'd only made
myself." As he did not look back down to her, she thought he might be crying.
That thought saddened her even more, but she knew she did not have a choice.
"It's not safe for any of you to be around me! I trust you and Angel. I do! I
just can't stay, but if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be able to leave so
easily!"

         "What do you mean, Crys? If you didn't trust us, you couldn't leave so
easily?"

         Her children were stirring worriedly around them, and Crys closed her
eyes against the tears that welled therein and the knowledge of their coming
reaction to her next words. "I'm going to leave them with you. I trust you two
to take care of them, no one else."

         "You're not going anywhere, Crys! I'm not taking my arms from around
you! If I have to keep them there 24/7, I'm holding on to you!"

         Blue and Elvira had almost opened their mouths in roars of protest, but
Cindy had hushed them just in time. Like Lorne, she had seen the being in the
air and knew the Hell that would ensue if they allowed him to know that they
were there.

         "Lorne, you don't have a choice! I'm going! You can't stop me! I . . . "
A snowflake landed against her cheek at just that time, and Crystal's eyes flew
open to find snow beginning to drift down around them. Her mouth snapped open,
but no sound came out. He was there! She had but seconds to give herself over to
him if the others would stand any chance of living! "I'm sorry," she told Lorne
again in a rush of breath that was his only warning to her next maneuver. In one
swift turn, she flew out of his arms and leapt toward the railing. Already, ice
was growing underneath her boots.

         Blue flew into his mistress' face. Lorne, Cindy, and Elvira all sprang
for her, but it was not their dead weight against her legs that brought her
down. Lorne sighed a sigh of relief as he saw Angel fly through the air,
grabbing her and bringing her back down to the deck. "You're not doing it, Crys!
He doesn't know you're down here! He's just looking for you! Don't give him a
reason to see you!"

         It was then that Angel felt the mask slipping from the ship, and he knew
they were in trouble. The Lewises must have dozed off, feeling that they were
safe! Their sleeping had caused the mask to fail!

         "Angel, you don't understand! You don't know how he is! He'll destroy
the ships and every one on them just because they're here! The only chance for
you and the others to survive is for me to give myself to him!"



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

         Jack had been waiting for Will with great anticipation. The minute Will
had returned and closed the door softly behind him, Jack was out of the bed and
across the room. "I missed you," he said as he put his arms around Will. Lex's
words returned to him: It all begins with a kiss.

         "I missed you too," Will returned, his words brushing softly across
Jack's face. "I looked for you, but I couldn't find you. Where were you?" Jack's
arms around his body felt wonderful, and he ached to melt into him. As Jack
recalled Lex's words of advise, Will remembered Clark's.

         "I was in the galley with Lex, who gave me something to settle my
stomach." He did not go into details of how he was drunk and hoped that Will
could not tell. Before Will could get a single word out, Jack's mouth sought his
in a gentle kiss. He was nervous as to how Will would react, but Will's lips
instantly parted under his. As Jack deepened the kiss, Will's tongue pressed
gently against his lips, seeking permission that Jack hungrily granted. Their
tongues swept across each other as they delved into one another's mouth and
feasted in the treasure that they offered.

         Jack's lips left Will's and began to trail slowly down Will's body,
biting buttons off as he went and bringing sighs of pleasure along with each
button and newly kissed spot. Even as pleasure swept through every inch of
Will's being, he knew he did not want their first time together to be on the
floor and gently started to push Jack backward towards the bed. Jack felt the
bed nudge the backs of his knees and quickly turned around, pushing Will onto
the bed. He did not stop his onslaught of kisses, and soon he had Will's shirt
off. Just the very sight of Will's naked muscles set Jack's blood even more
afire. His hands slipped caressingly over Will's naked chest and then his
muscles, massaging gently. The sheer pleasure of touching him made his whole
body tingle.

         Jack's every touch brought Will higher toward the stars that seemed
ready to engulf him. He had never even dreamed he could feel as wonderful as
Jack was making him, but even then bits of Clark's advise floated back to him.
He paused as he considered one of Clark's suggestions. He had never been one to
admire any of his own attributes, as Clark had admitted that he himself also had
not, but as he remembered how Clark had told him that Lex grew excited when he
used the maneuver, Will flexed his muscles for Jack.

         Will took Jack's breath away, and he found it extremely difficult to
breathe even as he felt himself grow harder and thought he would explode. "Do it
again," he said, and Will obliged with an even bigger smile. "Damn, you're so .
. . handsome you steal my breath away!"

         "As you do every time I gaze upon you, my love," Will breathed up to
Jack before using his beloved's startled excitement on him. Quickly, he rolled
him over so that he now straddled Jack instead. Lowering his head, he began to
nuzzle Jack's neck before slowly working his way down to his first button. Clark
had only told him about how to do it and had not shown him. Will prayed he would
not make a fool of himself and destroy their delicious mood even as he took
Jack's button in his teeth.

         Jack trembled. He could hardly wait for Will's mouth to be on him! He
only hoped he would not explode before the right time had come! He did not think
he could get much harder and hold back!

         Will worked slowly and carefully and breathed a silent sigh of relief
when he managed to bite off Jack's button. Spitting the button across the room,
he turned his mouth back to Jack's flesh. His lips trailed kisses down to Jack's
next button. The second button came more quickly and revealed even more of
Jack's chest. With the third, he freed the exposed, tender skin that Clark had
told him was equally as sensual regardless of gender. Trailing kisses across
Jack's chest, Will paused at his nipple. He admired its beauty for a moment
before flicking his tongue out and licking it.

         Jack almost shot off the bed, such was the intense ecastcy that rolled
through his body! He trembled and waited for Will to do it again, but it was at
that moment that something crashed through the roof, knocking a hole straight
through the floor! "What the Hell!?!" Jack asked.

         Will had not even noticed. Instead, he frowned. "You didn't like it?" he
whispered in disappointment.

         "Oh, I loved it! But I think I blew a hole through the floor!" He clung
to Will and gazed toward the floor.

         Will rose up off of Jack enough so that he could look between their
bodies. "Holy . . . !" Just what the Hell was that thing!?! Ice!?!



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

         A lone figure had been walking across the Sea Witch's empty deck when
the icy winds had picked up, but it was only when something that sounded like an
explosion came from the Pearl, that the woman looked up. The first thing she
noticed was what appeared to be a gigantic ice shard having split the Captain's
cabin in two; the next was something shining in the sky. When she looked up, her
heart nearly stopped, and Linda fell back against something that began to ring.
Among the heads that turned to look at the bell was the monster's. Frostbite's
eyes narrowed on the girl, and she took her last breath in that heartbeat. The
only thing she knew from that point on was an immense cold beyond anything else
she'd ever felt.

         Across the ship, Blue pressed his wings against Crystal's mouth to keep
her from screaming for he knew what was about to come. The little dragon
scrunched his eyes tightly closed as, in that same second, Linda was turned
instantly to ice and exploded. Shards of what had been her body flew everywhere.

         Lorne gasped and continued to hold on to Crys, knowing that she would
try desperately to go for Frostbite now. Angel did not let go either but looked
up to find Cordelia. "Come quickly, darling! It's safer to be here than out in
the open!" He held tightly to Crys even as he heard Frostbite call out.

         "Gee, and here I thought you cared about people. I know you're here, my
little Popsicle, and if you don't come out, the rest will share that bitch's
fate! I know you care, and you know what you have to do to save them!" With
that, he opened his arms wide and rained ice shards among the ships.

         It was only Blue's tightly pressed wings against Crystal's mouth that
managed to silence her scream, but she managed to shake her mouth away from him.
"See!" she demanded from the men. "That's what's going to happen! That's what's
going to happen to every one here if you don't let me go!" Tears were running
freely down her face. She knew she should just let him have her and would if
only she could get away from them. She could not, however, call him with them
anywhere near her. That knowledge renewed her struggle, and Cindy and Elvira
threw themselves across her back and legs, penning her down with even more
weight.

         Cordelia, meanwhile, had already been trying to catch up to Angel when
he called out to her. She ran toward him even as Frostbite slung an ice shard
twice her size straight at her. She had been near the railing when the shard
blasted into the ship, taking a chunk of the railing with it. Its impact threw
her off balance, but another landing in the direction she was sent stumbling
blasted her backwards into the water. "Damn it! I'll get you yet!" Another flew
at her as she fell into the water.

         Angel heard the splash and knew he had to let go of Crys or Cordelia
would drown. "Crys, stop fighting, stay here! I'll be back!" He dove over the
side and down into the icy water. He could sense that Cordelia was near to him.
His hand groped blindly until he found her. He fought his way back upward,
carrying her with him, only to see that she was unconscious when he reached the
surface. Holding tightly to her, he pulled himself up on the ship. Laying her on
her back and her head to her side, he pushed gently on her stomach to make the
water come out. He figured she had swallowed quite a bit but knew she was still
breathing.

         Lorne held even tighter to Crys. He had heard the splash and had known
that Angel had had to go after Cordelia. He breathed a sigh of relief when he
saw him return.

         Still, Crystal tried desperately to talk sense into those around her.
"Lorne, listen to me," she pleaded desperately. "You saw what happened to Linda.
He'll do that to every one of you unless I go to him. How can you just stand by
and let that happen to your friends?!"

         "If you go to him, Crys, it will only increase his power and it will not
take him away from here. He is hell-bent on destroying us! I won't let you go!"
He did not know where the Lewises were, but he hoped that they would get the
mask back in place quickly.

         "He's hell-bent on destroying you only because I'm with you! If I go to
him, I can get him to leave you alone! But if you don't let me go, we're all
going to die!"

         As Lorne and Crystal each argued their points vehemently and Angel
continued desperately trying to revive Cordelia, Frostbite continued to reign
terror on the ships.



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

         In the midst of chaos, Ororo's blue eyes flashed open. Cold winds rushed
over her and nearly sent her toppling back onto her cot when she flew to her
feet. The sky was so darkened with storm clouds and snow that she could barely
see, but the one vivid light in the sky fueled her fury and strength. Without a
word to Logan, who she did not even know was awake, she sped upwards into the
sky. "By the Goddess," she cried aloud though the wind snatched her words away
as quickly as she summoned her powers, "you shall not have these people as you
did the others!"

         Glowing red eyes met determined baby blues a mere split second before
Ororo's hands clasped together and she shot a multitude of lightning bolts at
Frostbite. His bitter laughter chilled her blood, and his eyes froze her to the
spot so that she could not even move as the lightning bounced off of him and
sizzled through her body. She dropped like a rock.

         Wolverine had been watching helplessly from the deck and raced forward
to catch her as she fell. He wished he had some power that he could fell the
Demon with, but even though his claws ached to tear through him, he knew he
could never reach him. He carried her into her cot and laid her down. She was
not breathing; he began to breathe into her mouth, giving her his air and
praying that she would revive quickly.

         He would not leave her even though he knew that others were probably
needing his help. He knew Jack could take care of himself most times, but the
storm had now arrived and he feared for him. He hoped Will could handle him.
Some one had to get to the ship's wheel and steer them out of Frostbite's path.
He hoped that the Halliwells were okay and that the Lewises would soon come to
their rescue. He continued to breathe into 'Ro's mouth, urging her to awaken.



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

         Cole had been sleeping lightly so that he would be there if Piper should
awaken. He had carried her to her cot after their dinner and dance. She was
exhausted, though she would not fully admit to it, and as he had been about to
go, she had begged him to stay. His heart had nearly broken when she'd explained
that she was afraid that she would wake to find him but a dream. He had stayed
close to her, listening to her breathe, until he knew she was asleep, and he had
only just fallen asleep when it seemed all Hell had broken loose. As he was
getting groggily to his feet, a sudden shift in the ship threw Piper on top of
him.

         Piper had been in the midst of twisting nightmares when loud sounds had
began to splinter her dream state and she had suddenly felt herself falling. It
seemed to her to be a long fall, though in reality, it was mere inches. Cole
caught her to him and called her name. "Piper?"

         Cole's voice instantly brought Piper the rest of the way back to
consciousness. "Cole?" she asked, her eyes flying open in concern. "What's going
on?"

         "We are under attack, darling, but I'm not sure from whom. I need to
check this out, but I don't want to leave you here. We must proceed with
caution." He carried her over to the door before letting her slide to her feet.
"Stay behind me and close enough that I can grab you if I need to." He opened
the door cautiously and looked outside. The deck seemed to have knives made of
ice sticking all over into it except for where there were great big holes that
had gone all the way through and he could see that water was coming into the
ship from them. Where was Xena, he wondered, in the midst of all the chaos? Did
she know that the ship was sinking?

         Piper knew Cole was eager to get out of the sleeping quarters and join
the battle to protect the ship, but she also knew that she could not leave her
sisters unprotected. She touched his shoulder gently. "Cole, I have to wake
Prue. Some one must be here to protect Phoebe and Paige!"

         Prue's eyes opened, and she got to her feet. "What's happening?!" she
cried only to be answered by Carl.

         Carl said, "We're under some kind of attack, and it's tearing the ship
up. I ain't going out there! I'll protect your sisters! You better come over
here, too! It's safer over here!"

         Prue looked and saw that Carl was under the cot with Paige. "What are
you doing in here, Carl?" she asked.

         "We spent the night," Joxer said.

         Prue looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. "Why'd you spend the
night?"

         "We have to protect our women!"

         "Well, shut up about it! You don't want Piper to know, and get out of
here before Piper finds out!"

         "Piper already knows," Piper announced, no longer bothering to keep her
voice quiet, "and this is no time for discussion! We are under attack! Prue, I'm
going with Cole, but some one has to protect Phoebe and Paige and those two are
nowhere near capable!"

         "Yes, we are!" Joxer told her. "I can take care of Phoebe!"

         Prue shook her head. "You can't take care of yourself, Joxer! Now stay
put until you're called for. Where's the Captain?" she called to Piper.

         "Piper," Cole said, "stay here with your sisters. I didn't know they
would need such protection. You should stay with them. I'm going to look for the
Captain."

         "Well, if everybody's staying," Joxer said, "maybe I should go look for
Xena!"

         "I don't need your help, Joxer!" Cole retorted.

         "I'm going any way!"

         "No, you're not, Joxxy," Phoebe interrupted as she pulled him back down.

         "I guess I'm not," Joxer relented in a still, quiet voice, surprised
that Phoebe had dared to pull him back down in front of her sister.

         Piper resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Phoebe and turned her
attention fully on Cole, who apparently thought he might stand a chance of
leaving her there. She had just started to speak, however, when Paige spoke.
"We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We don't need
babysitters!"

         Piper glanced at Paige, who persisted, "Besides, Piper, you're stuck to
Cole's butt, and somebody's gotta go for the Book!"

         "I'm going for the Book!" Prue said. "You stay here!"

         "And I am not stuck to Cole's . . . . . . but I am going with him!" With
those last words, Piper's defiant eyes turned upwards into Cole's.

         Taking her by the hand, he pulled her out of the sleeping quarters.
"We've got to find the Captain first." The waves had turned angry and were
slamming the ship on nearby boulders. Cole knew the ship would not last long,
but he had no ideal where they were. He tried yelling for Xena, but it did no
good as the wind snatched the words out of his mouth. Holding tightly to Piper,
he headed for the direction he knew the wheel was in.



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

         Brendan had been on his way to the Witch when the attack had started. He
had quickly lost grip of the paper he had clutched, but before he could do
anything to retaliate against the enemy or warn the others, he had seen an ice
shard split the Captain's cabin in two. Fear filled him. "JACK!" he howled out
the name of his adopted brother, the only man who had ever dared to believe
fully in him, as he ran flat out for the cabin. The winds pushed against him,
but he pushed back with growls and flashing eyes.

         Jack had been trying desperately to reach the cabin door when more ice
shards had slammed into the cabin, the last one bursting it apart. They were
trapped inside the cabin with the ice shard between them and the outdoors. Jack
could feel the Pearl being ripped apart as though it was made of paper. He could
hear screams in his head, and there was nothing he could do. He could not reach
the outdoors!

         Some one had to get to the wheel! The shard was too big to break with
his bare hands, and he had no weapon to use on it for his weapons lay on the
other side. He heard Brendan howl his name. "BRENDAN," he yelled, "WE'RE TRAPPED
IN HERE! GET US OUT OF HERE!" He reached out and pulled Will close to him. If
another shard was to come through, he didn't want them getting separated.

         Standing in the doorway, Brendan could see that there was no way to get
past the ice shard. Instead, he dashed outside and ran around the cabin. The
only thought in his mind was rescuing his brother and keeping Jack from being
killed. That thought so filled him that he did not even realize that he was
tearing at the wall with his claws, though he was still a man. He had partially
wolfed and did not even know it.

         Jack heard the wood splintering and turned to look behind him. His mouth
fell open when he saw claws. Brendan had wolfed! He prayed he was not out of
control. "BRENDAN?" he yelled through the now-opening hole.

         "I'M HERE, JACK; I'M HERE!" His claws tore more savagely at the hole.

         Will's gaze followed Jack's, and he trembled at the sight of the claws.
"Jack, what the Hell is that?"

         "That, Will, is Brendan! He's wolfed!"

         "He's what?"

         "But he's able to talk to me, so he must be in control for the first
time in his wolf form!"

         "Wolf form?!"

         "My brother's a Werewolf!"

         "Brendan's a . . . a Werewolf!?!"

         "Yes, and he usually can't control himself. As soon as he gets the hole
open, I'm going out first just in case he loses it."

         "The Hell you are!" Will exclaimed, jumping to his feet and beginning to
search madly for anything that might be able to be used for a weapon.

         "I got all he needs right here. If he's out of control and I hit him
with this, it'll knock him out." He walked over to the bed and picked up the
cane where it had fallen to the floor. He walked back to the now-open hole and
began to make his way out of it. He froze as soon as he saw Brendan. "Brendan?
How did you get your claws and not the full wolf?"

         "Huh?" Brendan looked at Jack in confusion, and his blood ran cold when
he looked down at his hands and discovered that Jack was right. It was at that
time that Prue's scent met his nose. He could smell her fear, and it ripped at
his heart. "Protect each other!" He was gone before Jack or Will, who had walked
right into him when Jack had frozen so suddenly, could say anything more.

         "We've got to get to the wheel, Will! The ship is out of control, and if
we don't do something to control her, she's going to crash!" Jack raced off with
Will right behind him.


Chapter Forty-two
         As the Hell of ice, snow, and wind raged around their small spot on the
Sea Witch, Faith slept on. She was murmuring in her sleep and continued to twist
and turn, trying to pull herself up into a small, tight ball. She whimpered in
her sleep from time to time. Sometimes those whimpers were words, but at others,
they were far more akin to the sounds of a wounded animal. "Please . . . Don't .
. . Don't . . . Don't hurt her . . . " Her hands flailed out suddenly, striking
at Dawson in her sleep. "I won't let you . . . "

         Dawson didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but it seemed like only
seconds when he was suddenly hit by Faith. He moved away from her so that she
could no longer reach him. He caught the words she was whimpering. He did not
know what nightmare had her locked and wouldn't let go. "Faith? Faith, honey,
you need to wake up."

         She trembled in her sleep, drawing into an even tighter ball. She was so
locked in the nightmare of memories that she could not hear Dawson nor the
sounds of the outside battle. "Don't . . . " she repeated, and then, "I won't .
. . " She struck out again, flailing at the air. "You can't make me . . . "

         Dawson knew nobody could make Faith do anything. He didn't know what she
was dreaming, but he knew he had to wake her. They were in danger. Creeping in
closer to her side, he caught her hands just as one almost struck him again.
"Faith," he kissed her hand before reaching out and shaking her. "Faith, wake
up."

         Even as Dawson's voice began to slowly break through to her, the
memories persisted, and her face shifted from one of anger and determination to
a scared, sad look that could have belonged to a child. Her voice then came out
in a soft, shaking breath as tears filled her face. "Mommy . . . "

         "Faith, baby, wake up! It's me -- Dawson! We're in danger; we've got to
go from here! Wake up!" He shook her again and was finally rewarded with her
eyes opening.

         Faith looked up through eyes blurred with tears. Her confusion grew as
she slowly made out Dawson. "Dawson?" she whispered. Then, barely catching
herself, "Kid?"

         "Yeah, it's me! We're under attack! We're in danger of drowning!" As if
to accentuate, a huge wave crashed over them. If they had been standing, it
would have knocked them down.

         "Of course we are," Faith muttered. "There's always crap hitting the
damn fan." She rolled to her feet, ignoring the pain that splintered through
her. "And I don't know what you think you just saw or heard, but whatever it
was, forget it." She knew she had been having the nightmare again and hated
herself even more for letting her guard drop so far around him. Just how had she
gone from being about to get a second ride to sleeping instead? She growled; it
didn't matter. Without a further word to Dawson and without a thought for her
clothes, Faith rushed off after her cannon.

         Dawson followed as close as he could, holding tightly to Faith's
clothes. He could not believe it when his startled eyes made contact with two
drunk cats sitting on the railing, singing, amongst all the chaos. "Salem?" he
asked.

         "Oh, yeah, man! Give me that old bottle of tequila!"

         "No, man," Meesy argued, "give it to me!"

         "I'm not giving it to either one of you, and I don't even have one so
get down from there before the water gets you!"

         "What water, man? Are you hallucinating?" Salem asked even as a wave
crashed over both Salem and Meesy, knocking them to the deck.

         "Hell no, he's not hallucinating!" Faith snapped, not realizing that she
appeared to be coming to Dawson's defense. "It's you two who are drunk out of
your damn gourds!"

         "Meow? Meow? Meow? Meow!" came another high-pitched voice.

         Dawson looked down. Kit was struggling to get to her feet. He reached
down and scooped her up. She had been into something, because she stunk, but he
would not put her back down for fear that the next wave would wash her out to
sea.

         He watched as Faith lined the cannon up and shot it skyward, trying to
knock the Demon out of the sky. None of the group could believe their eyes when
the cannonball suddenly turned to ice and headed back in their direction. They
scattered to keep from getting hit, but though they managed to avoid the
cannonball, the ice shard that followed it made a hole in the ship. It landed so
close to Meesy and Salem that the impact sent them flying.

         "SALEM!" Faith screamed as she dove after him.

         Meesy had managed to find some wood to cling to, but Salem was
skittering over the deck, heading straight for the railing. Seconds later, he
had gone overboard with one little splash and Faith jumping right behind him.
Dawson scooped Meesy up and ran for the sleeping quarters. He threw the two cats
into the sleeping quarters, raced back to the railing, and jumped overboard
behind Faith, hoping he could reach both her and Salem in the nick of time. He
could barely make them out in the water and swam desperately toward them when
the current knocked him for a loop. It was surging swiftly along and grabbed
him, starting to take him far away. He fought back, but he was not a match for
it.

         Faith had barely managed to grab Salem's unconscious body when she
turned back to see Dawson being pulled away by the current. She turned her eyes
away for just a moment, urging herself to get away from the damn kid while she
could, but instead she turned back to him and began to swim even faster.

         Dawson saw Faith coming and thought for one brief moment that they'd
make it out of the water and back to the ship. Then suddenly, the water was
split by an ice shard that knocked Dawson out cold.

         Faith's heart nearly froze when she saw the ice shard barely miss
Dawson, but she continued forward, swimming with renewed energy that she should
have been too tired to have. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when she
managed to grab Dawson's arm, but the shadow of another ice shard fell across
the trio. She knew what the shadow was and tried desperately to swim out of its
way. Dawson's and Salem's weight slowed her too much, however, and she would not
relinquish them. As the shard closed down on her, Faith's last thought was that
she had tried and failed . . . just as she always did when it came to the
important things.



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

         Katrina had finally gained the deck. She knew that her family was close
behind her and the ship was tilting. She tried desperately to stop it from going
under. Clinging to the railing, she began a chant to put the blocking spells up.
She was instantly joined by her sister on one side and her husband on the other.
She felt them come up just as a wave slammed over the top of them, taking the
railing out that she was clinging to and sweeping them over the side of the
ship.

         Morph, who had been nearby and about to attempt to distract the Demon,
saw his family go overboard and followed suit. As he did so, he transformed into
an octopus so that his arms could reach out to each. His tentacles had barely
managed to grab them when he heard an icy voice far above them, "I always did
like squid." Morph felt something cold blast through his side but clung to his
family even as the world around him went dark.

         Frostbite was about to send another shard after the Sorceresses when a
cannonball blasted through him. He screamed in pain and anguish and whirled to
face his attacker. He could hardly believe that a naked man was having his
cannons loaded by goblins and other strange creatures and racing down the line,
shooting them off in a rapid succession.

         As the cannonballs shot up towards him, however, Frostbite sent them
back. They exploded into the Delvira's Delight, and one nearly slammed into the
King. It was only the naked woman and the forcefield that moved with her that
stopped the cannonball dead at their feet. Frostbite was busily mending the hole
in his body when Delvira, having completed spreading the forcefield around
Jareth and herself, began to summon a fireball.

         The Fieries, seeing the steadily-expanding fire, screamed and let
themselves off of the ship, taking their fates in the water rather than against
the Queen who was not even studying them. Instead, she lobbed the fireball at
Frostbite. It spun swiftly toward him. He turned toward it just in time to see
it blast through the same hole he had been trying to mend. He howled in anguish,
and his light vanished.

         Jareth could tell Frostbite was still up there, but he did not know
where. He could not pinpoint his location. He looked around his ship and saw
that it was empty except for him, Delvira, and his pet whose howls sent chills
through him. "LUDO," he demanded, "DO NOT CALL THE ROCKS!"

         Ludo opened his eyes to look at Jareth in surprise. "But . . . rocks
friends!"

         "Rocks put big holes in ship!" Jareth said, looking at him. "Don't call
them!"

         "Rocks friends!" Ludo repeated. "Rocks save!"

         "NO!" Jareth yelled even as rocks came out of nowhere and began to pelt
the ship, hammering holes through its decks.

         Ludo was still persisting in calling the rocks when a certain Knight
leapt onto him from out of nowhere. "Never fear, my King! I shall conquer this
mountain!" He began to hit Ludo with his cane.

         Jareth groaned and rubbed his temples. As usual, he was surrounded by
idiots.

         A really huge rock landed square in the middle of the ship, busting a
hole all the way to the ocean. Delvira's Delight began to swiftly take on water,
and Jareth knew he had to get Delvira and the rest of his family out of there
quickly.



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

         Wolf and Elvira had been watching the battle from the Pearl's crow's
nest and desperately trying to figure out what to do to help when Elvira's
comment surprised Wolf. "Damn, that dog's insane!"

         "Dog?" Wolf asked.

         "Ludo," Elvira, who had been watching her family's ship, explained while
pointing the big, shaggy beast out. "He's kind of Jareth's pet. And he's calling
the damn rocks!"

         "What's that little thing on him, beating at him with a stick?" Wolf had
missed Didymus' arrival earlier in the evening.

         "Another dog," Elvira told him, "but this one's a Knight. Kinda cute,
actually, but completely insane. Y'know that thing Jareth threw you guys in
earlier? The Bog of Eternal Stench? He thinks it smells like a bed of roses!"

         "My Gods, your family's crazy, but I'm glad I'm in it! We'd better get
down there and help them, darling!"

         Elvira had turned to Wolf when he had admitted that he was glad to be in
her crazy family. She had realized something earlier, while talking to Prue, and
was seconds from telling him that when an ice shard tore the crow's nest from
the riggings. Wolf held on to her even as they fell toward the deck. He grabbed
at sails and everything else that came in their path, trying to slow their
descent. He feared that if they landed on the deck, it would smash them, but
even as they reached the deck, he realized there was a hole and that they were
falling into the hole and straight into the water. He held to her tightly,
praying that they would not drown.



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

         Autolycus could hear and see the damages being afflicted on the ship. He
had no ideal where they were coming from, but he figured he was now about to
drown and would never have a chance to find the really big one or make amends.
No one would come to rescue him for they felt he did not deserve rescuing. He
could not blame them, but that also did not stop him from hollering out for
help. He had a skeleton key, but he couldn't reach it as he had been chained and
was hanging from the ceiling by his arms.

         Autolycus thought his desperate screams would reach no one for the wind
that raged above, but they did manage to find their way to one set of ears.
Elizabeth, who had been racing around the ship and desperately trying to find a
way to either hide in safety or help defeat the enemy, whichever came first,
came to a stop when she heard him. She knew his voice to belong to the jerk from
earlier but could not help following it and peering down into what remained of
the hold. "H-Hello?"

         "Hello yourself! Get me down from here! PLEASE!" he yelled back up at
her.

         She knew he deserved to be hanging, but she also knew that he did not
deserve to die and would if he was left there. "How am I supposed to do that?"

         "Climb down here, go in my pants pocket, and get the key!"

         "If you already have the key, why are you still hanging there?"

         "I can't reach it! It's in my pants' pocket! PLEASE HELP ME! I don't
want to drown!"

         "You don't deserve to be helped," Elizabeth chided him even as she began
to carefully climb downwards. "How could you use those poor girls? Did you
really want to . . . to get in their skirts so desperately that you would do
that to them?!"

         "I rescued them this morning! I wasn't trying to get in their skirts! I
was trying to steal the treasure," he admitted, not looking at her.

         "Oh, poppycock!" Elizabeth snapped back at him. "You were trying to do
both!" It was then that she lost her footing and fell into the water. The water
was almost at Autolycus' waist, and Elizabeth swam the rest of the way to him.

         "A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, ma'am. A Pirate's life is not
easy, and you can't ever find a woman who actually wants to sleep with you
unless you have a coin in your pocket. The key is in my left pants' pocket."

         "No one's life is easy," Elizabeth returned, "and is that really all you
think about -- money and women? There's so much more to life than that!" She was
breathing hard from the swim and did not realize the way that her soaked bodice
clung to her breasts. Knowing that she had to reach the key and unable to really
see what she was doing, Elizabeth reached out a hand to touch Autolycus' waist.
She forced her fingers to travel down him until she could find his pocket, then
thrust her hand inside.

         The closeness of the woman, despite the situation, made Autolycus' blood
race. She was a fine-looking woman, and as far as he knew, she no longer
belonged to any one. "Take it easy there, ma'am. I wouldn't want to go missing
anything."

         Elizabeth could not believe his audacity and quickly returned, "Do you
want to get out of this, sir, or would you rather I go away and leave you here
to drown?" It was at that time that her fingers were met with something hard.
Thinking it was the key, she tried to lift it from the pocket and was forced to
realize that it was definitely something else! Her eyes shot wide. "Oh my!"

         "Oh my . . . !" he moaned as he looked at her. {Wasn't expecting that!}
"Just a little more to the left," he managed to finally get out.

         Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously from a reddened face. "A little
more to the left what?" she managed to breathe, her fingers frozen inches away
from his relinquished stallion. She was afraid of the answer he would give her.

         "The key is a little more to the left!" he clarified slowly. He tried
not to move even though he was longing to taste just one sample of the perky
bosom that was thrust almost into his face.

         At that information, Elizabeth quickly retrieved the key and yanked her
hand out of his pocket. She was forced to press her body tightly against his in
order to stretch high above to reach his chains. With trembling hands, she
unlocked them one at a time.

         "Thank you ever so much, Elizabeth! Now we've got to get out of here."
He looked around their prison, realizing that the only way out was up the steps
and that the ship was sinking quickly even as his blood was racing hotter. He
headed for the stairs and began to climb out, turning back to make sure that she
was following him. Once gaining the deck, he looked around to get his bearings.
He saw Xena fighting the wheel valiantly even as Gabrielle was swept overboard.

         Xena looked at Gabrielle, then back at the ship. She was desperate but
yet did not want to relinquish her duty as Captain. "GO!" Autolycus yelled as he
raced for the wheel. Xena dived immediately overboard, going after Gabrielle.



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

         As soon as the light disappeared, Lorne relaxed his hold a little on
Crys. "His light is gone, Crys. I don't see him anywhere."

         The very second she felt Lorne's hold let up, Crystal renewed her
struggle with even more vigor. "He's still there!" she told him. "He's not that
easily defeated!"

         "Neither am I, my love," Lorne said as he again put pressure back on her
to hold her down. "Angel? Do you see anything?"

         "Afraid not," came the instant reply, "but I can sense he's still up
there. We've got to get the women to safety, Lorne; the ship's falling apart."

         Crystal could not believe her ears. "To safety!?!" she spat out. "What
is wrong with you?! Don't you see it yet?! With him around, there is no safety!"

         "There is safety from drowning, Crys, and that is what we are in the
most danger of at the present time. We'll have to deal with him later. Some one
has injured him enough that he's not attacking right now. It's our best chance
of escape." He was about to get to his feet and pull Cordelia up when he heard a
whistling sound and looked upward. He barely managed to grab Cordelia and roll
out of the way as a huge ice shard came crashing down, splintering the deck and
throwing both he and Cordelia away from Lorne and Crys. He felt himself slipping
and reached out desperately to grab anything, never letting go of Cordelia at a
single instant.

         "Lorne, you have to listen to me! My ice could keep them from drowning,
but that wouldn't do any good as long as he's still there! I know you don't want
them to die, and that's what's going to happen to every one here if you don't
let me go!"

         "We're doomed any way. It wasn't your fault, but if we let you go and he
takes your powers, it will be. Help me to fight against him, Crys. We can beat
him."

         She hated to trick him but knew that she had to. "I can't fight him with
you all laying on top of me! I wouldn't necessarily have to give myself into
him, Lorne, but I could lead him away. That would give you and the others enough
time to save everybody."

         "I'm not letting you go, Crys! You might could fool others, but you
can't fool me." He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Angel's hand finally
catch and hold on to a piece of the ship's railing. He saw Angel pulling himself
back up piece by piece.

         Crystal was also watching Angel, and she knew that once the two men were
reunited, there would again be no way in Hell for her to break free. "Lorne,"
she breathed, "I can feel him. I know what he's thinking, and I know the worst
has yet to come. It's about . . . to get . . . very . . . cold . . . " Her eyes
were closed, and her breathing grew even more shallow as a thin sheet of ice
began to spread between their bodies.

         Angel looked at Cordelia's eyes and was relieved to find them partially
open. "Stay with me, Cordy. Do not go to sleep. Talk to me."

         "A-Angel?" Her voice was weak, and she trembled from the cold.
"W-Wh-What's g-going o-on? T-Th-The o-o-others . . . A-Are t-th-they -- ?"

         "We're under attack, darling. Don't know who's with us and who's passed.
Just don't let go of me, because I don't want to lose you. Crys is here, and
so's Lorne. We'll take care of you." He had almost reached Lorne and Crys again
when the ship heaved upward and blew part of the deck outward, tossing all of
them into the water. Lorne did not let go of Crys even when they were in the
water but began to swim as hard as he could, hoping that somewhere in this
madness would be a piece of land or a big rock that they could get on and
somehow be saved. They began to be buffeted about by huge icy waves, and they
tried desperately to stay afloat. A huge wave washed over their heads, forcing
them further under where they could not breathe.



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

         Jack could see the wheel but feared that he would never reach it. The
Pearl was coming apart all around him. It brought back memories of a storm of
another time where he had almost died. In fact, the rest of the crew had
perished. That had been the same night that he had seen his father killed with
his own eyes. He had only been four, and their ship had been attacked by vicious
militia. Though his father, the Captain, had led his men in a brave defense,
they were defeated completely and slaughtered just as the storm had grown into a
full-blown hurricane. He had been found but not killed; instead, they had held
him and forced him to watch the others.

         As the icy winds whipped through him, Jack could still hear the evil
Captain's last words to his beloved father, telling him that his son was theirs
and would live to know all the horrors they had to offer. Jack had tried to
fight back against his captors until one of them had finally knocked him
unconscious. In present time, Jack raised a hand to feel the spot on his face
where the man's fist had crashed into.

         Will had continued toward the wheel, not realizing at first that Jack
was no longer with him. When he did, he dug his heels into the ship and twirled
back to look at Jack. He seemed to be simply standing there, but the look on his
face chilled Will's very heart. "JACK?!" he called to him over the roar of the
wind.

         Jack heard Will and gave himself a mental shake. He began to head toward
where Will and the wheel were. As he almost made it, the huge main mast broke
apart and came falling downward toward him. It caught across the top of the
ship, but the cracking sound snapped into Jack's mind as though it was a whip
laid across his back. He started an uncontrollable trembling and then began to
whimper. Though his body remained there in the present, his mind was caught back
in his past, and he felt the blows of yesteryears as though they then rained
upon him again. The strong winds blew him until he fell against Will, who was
frantically trying to get to him.

         Will was so afraid for his beloved and the change that had come over him
that his own heart pounded in his ears louder than any sound from the storm. He
had desperately been trying to get to Jack but had been being blown back when
the wind actually blew Jack straight into him. Will caught him instantly and
held on to him tightly. "Jack? Jack, what's wrong?!"

         Jack did not hear Will but fought against the barrier he presented. Will
did not know what was wrong and did not want to let Jack go, but Jack finally
managed to free himself. Once free, he fell to the deck. Will started to descend
after him but was stopped when Jack threw his arms around his legs, holding on
as though he was drowning and Will was his one anchor and chance to survive.
Jack continued to make moaning, whimpering sounds.

         Will was at a lost. He ached to be able to help Jack but knew neither
what had happened to him nor how to help him. He tried to reach down to Jack,
but his weight on his legs sent him stumbling back. His back collided with the
wheel, and Will leaned against it as he again tried to reach out to Jack. This
time, he managed to touch his shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly. "Jack?
Sweetheart, what's wrong?!"

         Locked in a world of nightmares, the only answer that came was a
whimper.

         Will continued to try to get some kind of answer from Jack while the
ship continued going down around them. As he was finally forced to realize that
Jack was too far gone and he could not help him at that time, he also realized
that he could at least aid the vessel that Jack cared so deeply about. No, he
had to remind himself, that Jack loved. He thought the ship was his family and
freedom, and it was going to pieces all around them. Could that be what had
overtaken his love's senses? Will did not know but turned from Jack to face the
wheel instead. Taking it in his hands, he began to do his best to steer the ship
through the storm. It was a good thing that he had watched Jack with it so many
times as that was the only reason why he had any idea whatsoever how to handle
it.

         Though Jack clung to Will's leg so tightly that the circulation had cut
off, Will continued desperately trying to steer the Pearl through the
ever-raging storm. He heard a tearing, ripping sound and looked up just in time
to find the main mast falling over them. He never had a chance to save Jack or
himself . . .



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

         Prue had managed to reach the galley and was holding tightly to the Book
as she made her way back to the sleeping quarters. The ship was moving,
trembling, and she feared that it was going to open and swallow her at any
moment. When it had pitched upward and then came back down again, she had almost
fallen backward off of it, but as it had settled back down, she had been thrown
forward and had fallen into a huge hole made by an ice shard.

         She screamed and was hanging on desperately with one hand. She could not
let go of the Book and knew that she could not hold on for very long. She prayed
that help would come, and it was at that moment that a howl met her ears.
"Brendan?" her trembling voice called out to her love. Was he in danger? Was he
dying? She knew she'd never know. "I love you, Brendan!" she called out,
thinking those would be her last words as she felt her hand slipping.



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

         Brendan had barely reached the deck of the Sea Witch when the ship had
surged upwards. He had seen Prue but then lost sight of her in his mad scramble
to stay aboard. As the ship settled again, it took him a moment to find her.
When he did, he could only see one hand trying frantically to maintain its grip
on the side of a huge hole. He started forward even as her words met his ears
and he saw her fingers lose their grip. Without a single thought more, he burst
into full speed, wolfing as he ran and, for the first time, not feeling the
pain.

         She felt herself falling. Clutching the Book against her chest, she
closed her eyes and waited for her fate.

         Brendan did not slow as he reached the hole. Instead, he leapt into it
and caught Prue against him as he fell. Reaching out to the tattered deck that
hung around them, he dug his claws in to slow their descent.

         The screech of his claws as he dug desperately in at the wood, trying to
get a hold, hurt Prue's ears. She threw her arms around him, trapping the Book
between their bodies. "We have to keep it safe," she told him even as she
realized that he was in full wolf form and would probably not understand what
she was telling him. She opened her eyes and tried to talk to him in the lupine
language.

         A piercing gaze from yellow eyes met Prue's look. "{We have to keep you
safe}," he growled at her even as he began to climb upwards. As she was now
hanging onto his neck, his hands were free so that he could use both sets of
claws.

         Prue knew that the Book was safe and would not fall out. Happiness
glowed in her eyes a moment as she realized that Brendan knew what she was
saying. She could talk to him! Best of all, he was managing to climb out and she
felt that they would make it! "{We have to keep this Book safe, Brendan. It's
full of magic. It belongs to my family. We have to save them! Thank you for
coming after me.}" She could not help the feeling of sensualness that flowed
through her veins at his mere touch even while in wolf form.

         The wolf grunted. He could make out just enough of what she was saying
to know that she was overly concerned with the thick Book thrust between them
and her pack. He couldn't care less about any wad of papers; all he cared about
was protecting her. The wolf never stopped to wonder why he felt so strongly for
this human even as he continued climbing upward.

         When they had reached the top, Prue lay on her side, still holding on to
Brendan. She was breathing deeply and was both relieved and very thankful that
they had made it out alive. She reached up and brushed the fur on his face. "{I
love you, Brendan,}" she said in the lupine language. "{I need to get to my
family. Can you take me there?}"

         Brendan blinked upward at the woman even as he grunted again. What was
it about her touch that set him on fire, and what was this "love" thing she
talked about? The wolf grunted again, choosing not to speak, as he rolled them
together to their feet. Slinging her around, he put her on his back and was
about to take off in search of scents that he knew should smell similar to hers.

         Prue reminded him, "{The Book! We must have the Book}!"

         The wolf grunted and bristled. Why was she so damned concerned about
some stupid Book? Then he stopped himself with another question: And why did he
care what she was concerned over? He didn't know the answer to either question
even as he started to turn around for the Book. His paw closed around the Book,
but before he could straighten again, a huge wave washed over them, throwing
them both overboard. Prue clung to Brendan, and he kept one hand on her much
smaller hands and the other on the Book.



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

         The ice that had been forming between Lorne and Crystal simply vanished
as she felt his grip loosen and the water begin to pull him away from her. Her
eyes opened, and she turned her face so that she could see him. She could see
nothing in the dark waters and reached for the crystal. As her fingers closed
around its surface, she concentrated, sending a simple message out to her
cousin. {{{Jack,}}} she thought, {{{you're so full of it.}}}

         She could hear the teasing grin in his mental tone. {{{Needed the
crystal, huh, cuz?}}}

         {{{Just talk to me.}}}

         As he obliged her, Crystal's horror grew at the bodies she saw floating
in the water. Her heart nearly stopped beating as Lorne, Angel, and even her
babies were all pulled more swiftly away from her. Even in their unconscious
state, Angel still clung to Cordelia and Lorne was still reaching for her. She
knew she needed to let them go if they were to ever again have a chance of
living, but she also knew that she could not let them drown. She could not even
bare the thought of any harm befalling them, let alone their deaths.

         Crystal's ice blue eyes narrowed even more as she concentrated again.
Jack continued to babble in her mind, and she tried to focus on his words as
well in a desperate attempt to keep herself from giving in to the urge to close
her eyes, fall asleep, and just let the whole world go away. Her lungs ached for
air, but still she concentrated, watching the sheets of ice form underneath the
bodies and praying to any God or Goddess that might listen that it would not be
too late.



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

         Angel watched Crys without giving himself away, wondering what she would
do. Now would be her chance to get away. If she didn't truly care about them,
she would do just that, leaving them to drown. He willed himself to lay
completely still and was glad for once to be a Vampire since he didn't have to
breathe. He knew he would have to get them out of there quickly, but he also
knew that she could get them out even faster than he could. He felt a sheet of
ice forming underneath them and knew that it would rise them swiftly to the
surface. How long it would last once they reached there, he didn't know, but he
hoped it would be enough time that he could get Cordelia somewhere safe.

         Lorne had been fighting to get himself back to himself so that he could
get out of the water, but his body had not been responding very well. He was
relieved to feel the sheet of ice forming underneath him, but he realized that
Crys, who was just out of his reach, wasn't on a sheet of ice. Was she
sacrificing herself for them? She was the first woman he had ever met who was so
totally Hellbent on sacrificing herself for the good of others, and he just
didn't know how to handle it. The sheet of ice drifted slightly toward Crys, and
when it dipped, it allowed Lorne to grasp her wrist and pull her aboard. He
clung tightly to her, feeling her slipping away and not knowing how to stop her.

         The ice under the animals was shooting skyward, and he knew his would go
quickly too. "Crys, hang on. Do not leave me," he spoke softly even as he
stroked her wrist gently where he held her.

         Crystal was still concentrating on the ice to save the others but knew
that the water was getting the better of her. She could barely hear Lorne's
words, and they seemed to come from miles away. Her lips parted in an attempt to
answer him, but she inhaled water instead.

         As soon as the ice they were riding on broke the surface, Lorne breathed
a sigh of relief and returned his body to normal activity. He had had to suspend
himself in order to handle being underwater. He now heard sounds of popping and
looked around, seeing other blocks of ice coming to the surface, bearing people
and animals. He had no ideal how many were out there floating on ice blocks, but
he knew Crys was responsible. "Thank you, Crys. Rest now." He stroked her
forehead. He did not know how long it would take them to reach shore or even if
they would, but he knew that Crys had done her very best for every one.



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

         Angel looked around at all the blocks of ice. He had known Crys was
powerful but not how powerful. This was very impressive, he thought. He glanced
over at her where she lay still and hoped that she would be all right. His
sister was turning out to be quite the remarkable woman, and a warm spot glowed
in his heart for her. He cuddled Cordelia closer to him, wishing he had body
heat to give her and hoping that they would soon reach land of any sort.



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

         Autolycus fought bravely at the Sea Witch's wheel, but he knew it was a
losing battle. His heart had grown heavy when he had witnessed the loss of the
other two ships, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the Sea
Witch went down. It seemed that the only crew still aboard was himself and
Elizabeth wherever she had gotten to. He hoped that the others had not perished
and that Xena had managed to reach Gabrielle in time.

         The Sea Witch pitched forward and then stood up on end, the gale winds
never letting her rest. Everything left on the ship slid straight toward
Autolycus. He yelped and hung even tighter on the wheel. He saw Piper Halliwell
and Cole Turner sliding down straight toward him. He made a mad grab at Piper
but missed her, and Cole was too far away for him to even make an attempt to
save him. Just before they fell off the Witch, he saw Cole reach out to Piper,
she grab his hand, and then he shimmer them. He wished them the best of luck
that they would make it somewhere safe.

         He heard screams and then saw Elizabeth sliding straight toward him. At
the same time, a chest that he recognized from Xena's chambers came sliding even
faster toward him. Should he grab the treasure or the woman? he asked himself.
He let go of the wheel and made a mad grab for both. He actually had both in
hand when he realized that he didn't have a free hand to grab onto anything to
save them.

         With a deep sigh of regret, he relinquished the treasure and managed to
grab part of the railing even as the ship began to descend and splinter as it
came down, falling all around the bodies that had just been washed up. As the
ship fell and more bodies, having fallen through the sleeping quarters' doors
came spilling past them, the railing broke in Autolycus' hand, casting both he
and Elizabeth into the abyss below. Screams split the night sky . . .


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

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
running it.
Warnings: Abuse, Death, Lemon, Nudity, 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.

Chapter Thirty
         Every one was asleep but Lex. He sat with his back against the wall and
watched his small family sleeping. Julian and Sarah were under Clark's cot on a
pallet that Lex had put under there. None of them were making a sound. That
wasn't why Lex had been unable to take a nap. His mind kept flashing back to the
fight that they had had that day and Clark's wild eyes shooting flames. It had
scared the crap out of him.

         Clark had been going through a lot of changes lately. They had been
taking them in their stride together, but Lex really didn't know what to do to
help him this time. Clark had told him that he had had no control over the fire
which meant that it could happen again at any time. Lex dreaded the next time
and prayed that they would not be aboard the ship. He could think of nothing
more horrible than being caught in the middle of the ocean with their ships
burning. Sweat broke out on his body even as he tried desperately to move his
thoughts away from the horrid images that filled his mind.

         What were they to do about the kids? They both seemed to have formed a
bond with Clark immediately, and Lex had found himself being drawn to them, as
well. He would have liked to be able to keep them. In fact, he was thinking
about doing just that as he did not know anywhere that he could leave them that
they would be safe. He didn't want them to think that Clark and he would abandon
them, but he wasn't sure that they would make the best parents.

         He needed to have time with Clark alone so that they could discuss the
children. Did Clark want the kids as much as he did? he wondered. Julian
reminded him so much of his little brother that the boy had been an instant tug
on his heart. Clark had needed reassuring just as the two kids had. At that
moment, Lex felt all alone in the world. He knew he had to be the strong one,
because now not only did he have Clark to watch out for but he had the kids and
wanted to make the best decision for all concerned.

         His stomach rumbled, reminding him that none of them had had anything to
eat. He rose to go to the galley as he could smell something delicious cooking
and intended to get something for all of them to eat. He had almost made it to
the door when a stink worse than anything he'd ever smelled before hit him. What
the Hell was it?! A Demon of some kind? If it was, Lex would have sworn that it
had never bathed!

         His hand groped blindly for his sword which hung by his side. The only
time he ever took it off was when he went to bed with Clark; he even kept it by
their bedside at night. If some one attacked, he had to be ready to take care of
his beloved. He stepped outside only to be met with total darkness. Not even one
light shone anywhere yet he could hear sounds of things falling all over the
place. "WHAT IS IT?" he called out loud. "IS ANY ONE OUT THERE?"



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

         Xena looked at Gabrielle even as Autolycus fled from their sight. "I
can't believe you kept that from me."

         "I didn't want you to kill him, and I knew you would have wanted to just
as badly as I would have had he tried it with you."

         "No more secrets, Gabrielle, of any kind, regardless of the outcome.
Promise?"

         "Xena," she started, stepping closer to her, "had I thought about it
earlier, I would have told you then. I'm not keeping anything else from you, and
I won't."

         "When I think about his hands touching you, I want to cut both of them
off. No one should ever touch you but me." She had stepped closer to Gabrielle
when the ship had surged, throwing her against Gabrielle and almost knocking
them both down. "What the Hell was that?!" Xena wondered, hoping that they had
not run over a rock or anything that had hurt the ship.

         Still holding Gabrielle in her arms to keep them both from falling, she
glanced warily around only to have her nose met with the most awful stench she
had ever smelled and sudden darkness to descend on them. Seconds later, she
heard Lex hollering and demanding to know if any one was out there. "I DON'T SEE
ANYTHING, LEX," she called back, "BUT SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY HERE WITH US AND IT
DAMN SURE STINKS!"



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

         From somewhere in the darkness, a door swung open and two voices were
heard chattering so busily away that only the two men could follow each other.
They fell abruptly silent, however, as the stench hit their noses. "Morph," Tom
started as the horrid smell seemed to sweep into his every pore, "get to the
girls -- " He had been about to say more when he suddenly toppled over.

         Morph moved to catch his friend but was not in time. Tom fell on top of
him, knocking him to the deck. Morph's head hit the deck hard even as he, in
turn, landed on Meesy. The three fell out in a tangled assortment of legs, arms,
heads, and tails.

         "MORPH?" Lex called to them. "TOM?" No answer met his ears. He realized
that the stench must have gotten the better of the catman's superior senses, but
what had happened to Morph? His eyes continued to probe the darkness for any
sign of life. He had heard Xena, but hers was the only other voice to respond
thus far. Where was everybody? He tried to stay calm as he waited for some sign
of what was attacking them.



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

         The small group that had gathered in concern over Lorne and Crys' near
copulation had been right in the middle of trying to figure out what had
happened and why when all light had suddenly gone out in the galley. At the same
time, a terrible stench unlike anything any of them had ever smelled before had
overpowered the wonderful smells that Piper had been creating. Angel was the
first to fall out; he was quickly followed by Lorne and then Elvira and Cindy.
The Lewises were next; they completed the circle of unconscious bodies around
Crystal and Piper. Blue had started to go for Captain Xena but never made it out
the door; he crashed to the deck instead, out cold.

         Both Piper and Crys had gasped fearfully when Angel and Lorne had fallen
out without any warning, but Crystal had screeched in terror when her girls had
followed suit. She'd jumped up and had barely left her chair to run to check on
them when Celina had fallen into her chair, followed by Katrina landing across
her lap. Something else hit the deck, and the women whirled toward the sound.
Crystal fought to keep the fear from her voice as she called out, "Blue?" When
the dragon failed to answer, she knew that all three of her beloved familiars
were out.

         "What's going on?" Crys barely heard Piper's words as she knelt beside
Cindy and Elvira, checking both of their vital signs. Their hearts were beating
steadily, but they were definitely unconscious. She paid no notice to Piper or
anything else in the galley as she rushed from them to Blue.

         Piper had watched a shadow that she could only presume was Crys as the
other woman raced about the room, checking on her babies. She had just gotten to
her feet and began to approach the Lewis sisters when Cole shimmered in. She
whirled to meet him, tears shining in her eyes. "Oh, Cole, thank Gods! Something
terrible's happening!"

         Before Cole could even answer, the stench overcame him to the point that
he collapsed at Piper's feet, face down. She screamed at the sight and dropped
to her knees. She held his chest to her body even while holding his wrist with
two fingers and trying to calm her whirling mind enough to check his pulse.

         Crystal, meanwhile, had moved from Blue to Angel. She knew that he would
not have a pulse and was at a loss as to how to check on him. All she could do
was to quickly run her hands over his body and affirm that no part of him that
she dared to touch in the darkness had turned to dust. She did not even pause
long enough to breath a sigh of relief that he appeared to be in tact but rushed
on to Lorne.

         The memory of their earlier discussion reminded Crys that Lorne's heart
was not in a normal place. She did not know if she would even be able to read
his pulse but grasped his wrist nonetheless. She was rewarded with a faint
heartbeat but realized that she had no ideal how frequently his heart should be
beating. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out in frustration and
forced herself to think.

         Blue's, Cindy's, and Elvira's pulses had all proved to be steady and
normal for their species. Angel and Lorne appeared to be all right, as well, but
were no more conscious than her trio. What could have done this? What could have
caused them to all fall out so suddenly, without even so much as one forewarning
sign that they did not feel well? The smell could have knocked her babies out.
It might have even been able to do so to Angel and the Lewis sisters, but what
about Lorne and Cole, who she had heard Piper talking to a mere heartbeat before
he had joined the others?

         Just what was causing the stench, any way? What had attacked them? Why
were her beloved animals out? What force dared to endanger not only what little
family she had left but Angel, who so stubbornly refused to release his
persisting claim as her "big brother" despite the danger he knew she placed him
in, and Lorne, whose remembered kisses still tasted so sweet on her lips? What
had done this to them all?

         Where fear had clouded Crystal's face was now left only anger. She
turned to where she had last seen Piper, and her commanding voice was icy cold
as she instructed her. "Stay here, and protect them with your life. I'll be
back." Turning again, she raced from the galley without bothering to give Piper
a chance to answer.



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

         Fred had been walking around the Witch in search of Wesley ever since
fleeing the shocking discussion that the Halliwells had gotten so deeply
involved in. She still could not believe that they would carry on so openly
about sex and orgies, and her face had still been burning in embarrassment when
all light had suddenly gone out. She had screeched but remained rooted to the
spot even as a stench had hit her nose. She had smelled some awful things in her
father's laboratory as a child and later in the stalls she had mucked out in her
desperate bid for survival, but never had she smelled anything that even began
to come close to what was then assailing her crinkled nose.

         She had barely began to be able to react to the horrid stink, however,
when a sound like a gunshot had gone off just past the railing. She screamed,
turned, and ran. She could not see where she was going for the absolute darkness
that surrounded the ships, and it was not long before she tripped over
something. She cried out as she fell forward, but two strong arms caught her
reassuringly. She recognized their touch instantly.

         "Fred," Wesley asked in deep concern, "are you all right?"

         She nodded, though he could not see her. "Ah -- Ah -- Ah am now. Wes,
what's goin' on? Are -- Are we bein' attacked? Ah -- Ah heard a gunshot, but
that's all except for the darkness an' this awful stench."

         Doctor Doom was never one to admit uncertainties when avoidable, but
Wesley found that he could not lie to Fred. "I am not sure," he told her, "but
stay with me and I will protect you." He had already steadied her, and he
released her from one hand. Within the next second, she found him pressing
something soft into her hand. "Here; cover your nose with this. I'm afraid it
will not help much, but anything is better than nothing to defend against this
smell."

         She did as he instructed and discovered that he had given her his
handkerchief. "Thank you." She pressed it gratefully to her nose but found that
it did extremely little to block out the stench.

         His other hand continued to hold to hers as he told her, "Stay with me."
He grasped the railing with his free hand and began to slowly lead their way on
through the darkness. He could see Xena and Gabrielle standing ahead by the
light of a torch and headed for them.



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

         Prue had heard the screams coming from the galley and was trying to make
her way there in the dark. She had her hand on the wall to make sure that she
was close to the ship and not near the railing. All she needed was to fall
overboard in this madness; they'd never notice she was gone until it was too
late! Where could Brendan be in this chaos? She hoped he was safe. She was about
to touch the door to the galley when it swung out and almost hit her. "Who --
Who's there?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice from trembling as badly as
her nerves were.

         Crystal's firm voice answered Prue. She did not waste time with giving
her name but told her instead, "Get in there. Stay with your sister and the
others. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out." Despite
herself, Crystal's voice was considerably softer as she added, "Protect them for
me." Even then, her heart was thundering in her chest, but she focused on her
anger rather than her fear.

         "I will," Prue answered her as she pushed the galley door and continued
feeling her way inside. "Piper?" she called out, hoping her sister would answer.

         A sob called back to her from the floor. "Prue, I don't know what's
going on, but Cole's out! He's out! Lorne's out! Angel -- the Lewises -- those
animals!

         "Keep talking to me, Piper; I'll find you by the sound of your voice,"
Prue's calm voice instructed her sister. "It must be a spell of some kind. I
can't imagine what could cause such an awful stench unless whatever it is has
been long dead and some one woke it and sent it after us! And what do you mean
they're out?"

         Piper's fluttering, terrified voice answered Prue in babbling. "I don't
know what happened, but they just started falling out! Angel fell out at the
table, then Lorne, Crystal's group, and the Lewises! Then Cole showed up," she
cried, "and he fell out right at my feet!"

         Prue followed the sound of Piper's voice and was soon at her sister's
side. As she knelt down beside Piper, Prue realized that her sister was holding
on to Cole as though the thought of letting go of him terrified her. "Is he
breathing?" she asked.

         "He's breathing," Piper affirmed, "and -- and I think his pulse is
normal. I don't know, though. I mean, he's a Demon. What would his pulse even be
like?! And nobody else in here is normal either! At least, I don't think they
are! Lorne's a Demon! The Lewises are . . . something! And I swear I saw Crys
fix Angel a drink with blood!"

         "She probably did, Piper," Prue replied. "He's a Vampire. We have a
strange assortment of people aboard. There's at least two Werewolves, the
catpeople, one Vampire, and Gods know what else! None of them probably have
vital signs like we do. The best way to tell is to see if they're breathing. If
they're actually breathing, then you know they'll be okay. Vampires don't
breathe, so I don't know what to do for him. Did you check them to see if they
were breathing?"

         Piper shook her head. "I checked Cole, but Crystal checked the others
except for the Lewises. I don't know how she checked Angel or even Lorne, but I
saw her do something with them. Or at least I think I did. It's so hard to see
anything in here!"

         "Then they are simply unconscious," Prue insisted, still hoping that her
calmness might relax Piper. "The stench probably overcame their senses. Don't
worry. I'm sure the Captains will do something about our situation. I don't know
why it didn't knock us out except that our senses are not elevated as much as
the others. I heard things falling out all over outside. I'm not sure what it
was. Probably people and animals. I hope they fix our problem soon." She sat
beside Piper, reached out, and took her sister's hand. "Don't panic, love.
Things will turn out all right."

         Piper's mind was whirling. First, they had lost their Mother and
Grandmother but had been rescued by such wonderful people. Were they to lose
them, too, and so soon? She did not answer Prue, but silent tears streaked down
her face.

         "I saw Brendan a little while ago," Prue, who could not see Piper's
tears in the darkness, finally spoke again. "I took him and Wes some food.
Brendan didn't wolf out when he saw me. I hope that's a good sign."

         "It sh-should be," Piper started, her voice trembling, "but . . . but
Prue, what if it's not just their senses? What if whatever is causing all of
this is something that -- that they can't fight or -- or whatever?"

         "Don't fear, Piper. Cole's not going to die on you, not yet. I think
they'll return to normal once the Captains get the stench gone. You'd better get
a good grip on Cole so that you can at least get a kiss when he wakes up. You
could kiss him now, you know. It's dark. I couldn't see you two, and you're
never going to get a better chance. In fact, I'll move a little ways away."

         "You could lay him down and snuggle up against him. The best thing we
can do right now is rest. You rest. I'll keep my ears open in case they call us,
and I'll stay alert to danger. You just spend a few moments with Cole. He might
not consciously know it, but his subconscious will."

         Even as she talked, Prue had moved a few spaces away and, finding a
chair, had pulled herself up into it. She hoped Piper would take advantage of
this short time but feared she would not. Time was a precious thing that they
never seemed to have enough of. She was not too worried. She trusted both
Captains to handle the situation, but just in case, she'd be ready to protect
her group.

         Piper had tried to protest at Prue's improper suggestions, but her
sister had not given her a chance to do so. She had only continued talking and
moved away before Piper had been able to stop her. She looked down at Cole and
found that she could not even make out his face for the darkness that engulfed
the room. She would love to be able to kiss him, to be able to do anything that
Prue suggested, but she knew she could not. She was a lady and would never act
in such a manner.

         {But,} she thought, {what would it hurt to hold him?} She could put it
down to her being worried over his unconsciousness, and she would love to feel
him that close to her. Slowly, she inched further down until she lay on the
floor next to him. She reached out, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him
closer. She let his head rest on her bosom, and one of her hands somehow found
his left breast. She could feel the beating of his heart underneath her palm,
and she concentrated on that feeling.

         She began to slowly relax as she focused on his heart's beating. She
found herself slipping toward slumber and only then realized how exhausted she
was from everything that had happened that day. They had known something
terrible was coming for weeks, and thinking back, Piper realized that she could
not even remember the last time she had rested well. Still, she refused to fall
asleep. She didn't know what was happening, but she was determined to be there
for Cole and the others whenever whatever it was came to a head.

         Prue could feel her sister falling asleep and tried to keep her mouth
closed so that she would sleep. She was curious as to what Piper had decided to
do with Cole but couldn't see a thing except for the small glow given out by the
oven. She wondered how close the food was to being done. Making her way
carefully toward the oven, she felt around for a cloth and opened the oven door.
She was relieved to see that the food was nowhere near ready. The pie crusts
were still white.

         She knew she'd have to keep watch on it as well as the others. She sat
down in a chair she felt that was near to the oven but moved it away because it
was a little too warm for her preference. She'd keep an eye on the food; that
would give her something to do while she waited. She could hear Piper's gentle,
easy breathing from across the room and realized that sleep had at last
overtaken her little sister. Prue hoped that whatever had befallen them would
pass quickly or she, too, might fall asleep.



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

         The very moment that Prue had left, Crys had carefully gripped her
crystal in two fingers. She did not know where the ships kept their torches but
always knew where to find a light. For a moment, she closed her eyes, relaxed
her breathing, and tried to still her racing heart as she concentrated.
{{{Jack?}}} The crystal's light shone out, breaking through the darkness like a
ray of blue sunlight, as it sent her thought spiraling through the world toward
the one who it was intended for.

         {{{Cuz?}}} Jack's worried voice sounded within Crystal's head only a
heartbeat later. {{{What's wrong?}}}

         {{{Long story,}}} she answered, her eyes snapping open, {{{but right now
I need the light.}}} The crystal's light penetrated only a small amount of the
darkness, but it was plenty for Crystal's trained eyes to see by. She began to
run toward the deck even while forming an object of ice in her other hand.

         {{{I've got plenty of time,}}} Jack told her. {{{What's going on? I've
felt something with you for hours today.}}}

         {{{It's too long to go into now.}}}

         {{{Crys . . . }}}

         {{{Okay. Just give me a second.}}} She had barely thought those words to
him when Crystal dove over the Sea Witch's railing. As she fell, she tossed the
object she had created below her feet. Her bare feet easily met the object's
surface, and she began to glide through the air on the ice disc. She stayed low
and swung her crystal so that its light would pass over what she was flying
over. She immediately found what was causing the stench that filled her nose and
had caused the others to pass out, but the discovery shocked her so much that
she nearly released her crystal. {{{Oh. My. GODS!}}}

         {{{Crys,}}} Jack questioned, his alarm clear in his mental voice,
{{{what is it?!}}}

         {{{You're never going to believe this . . . }}}

         {{{Try me.}}}

         {{{I'm flying over something that I swear, for all appearances, Jack,
looks like a . . . like a sea of shitt!}}} It was then that something bobbed up
at her from the liquid substance; she grimaced even more at the sight of it. The
mudhole, though it looked much more like a certain part of anatomy, farted, and
with the fart came a spray of liquid dung. Crystal screeched in sickened horror
as she barely managed to whip away from it in time.

         {{{Crys, are there . . . Are there little things farting up at you?}}}

         {{{Jack, how in the -- ?!}}}

         He broke her off. {{{I hate to tell you this, but . . . }}}

         {{{Out with it! Whatever this is and whatever's behind it has caused
Cindy, Blue, Elvira, Angel, and Lorne to all pass out! So just get it out
already!}}}

         Her tone was far angrier than she ever took with him, but he did not
call her on it for he knew her anger came from her concern. He answered instead,
{{{The Bog of Eternal Stench.}}}

         She stopped, frozen still in the air, as his words hit her. {{{You mean
from the legend about the Goblin King?}}}

         {{{There's only one.}}}

         {{{And there's only one who could . . . }}}

         {{{Yep.}}} He nodded though she could not see him.

         {{{Crap!}}}

         He could not help a small chuckle at that. {{{Precisely.}}} There was a
pause as Crystal continued to contemplate what he had just told her and Jack
remembered her earlier words. {{{Crys . . . ?}}}

         {{{Yes?}}}

         {{{Who's Angel?}}}



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

         Faith had been trying to find a torch when a light had suddenly appeared
not ten feet across from her. Her head whipped to look at it, and she could
barely make out Lex's form by the torch's firelight. "I'm going over there," she
announced, turning to Salem. "You want to come?"

         Lex saw Faith and called out to her, "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

         "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU DO," she called back, "BUT I'LL BE
OVER THERE IN A MINUTE!" Turning her attention back to Salem, she asked,
"Salem?"

         Salem had gone almost white. He was one of the last cats not to have
passed out, and the only thing that had managed to keep him awake so far had
been his fear of Jareth. The last time he had seen Jareth, they had almost
killed each other. Salem had barely managed to escape simply because he had been
turned into a cat. "No," he gasped out. "I'll stay here." He fell face forward,
out cold.

         Faith gasped and dropped to her knees beside the cat. She quickly
checked his vital signs and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his pulse.
"No, you're not," she told his unconscious form. "I'm taking you with me, and
I'm going to kill whatever's doing this to us." She gathered him with gentleness
that would have surprised any who had known it and stood again.

         Dawson had tied his bandana around his nose, trying to cut down some of
the stench but to no avail. He didn't think it was safe for Faith to leave one
ship to go to the other, but he couldn't do anything about it. He stayed quiet
and continued to watch, hoping something would appear soon so that they could
actually get to fighting it if need be.

         Faith had to sheathe her sword in order to grab a rope with her free
hand. As she sailed over to the Pearl, she glanced down and couldn't help
screeching in alarm at what she saw. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" She could only
describe the body of water beneath them as vast amounts of liquid dung that
seemed to be farting even as she passed over it, holding tightly to both the
rope and Salem.

         Lex met her where the rope carried her on the deck. He caught a hold of
her, realizing that she was carrying something. He wasn't surprised to see that
it was a cat after having seen her earlier that day. He was glad to see that she
had finally made a friend, even if the cat did seem to be totally out of it now.
"Good to see you, Faith. Wish the circumstances could be different. I miss the
little chats we used to have."

         She released the rope and shifted Salem to one arm that wrapped securely
around him. Her eyes peered into the darkness as she tried failingly to see if
any one was near enough to them to overhear their conversation. "You know my
going over to the Witch was for the best, Luthor."

         "Well, maybe, if you like it better over there, but I still want you to
know that I miss you. I never did get around to thanking you for all the help
you've given me with Clark. You're wise beyond your years. Do you have any ideal
what's going on?" He figured that, her being Faith, she knew more than she was
letting on. They were both bad about keeping secrets. "Let's sit over here on a
bench while we wait to see what's going to happen." There was a hook on the wall
to hold torches, and Lex sat his in it. "Who's your friend?" he asked.

         "Salem," she answered, hesitantly taking the seat beside him, "but he's
not a friend. He's just an acquaintance. You know I don't have friends." They
had argued about that point many times in the past.

         "Why'd you bring him? Wouldn't he have been just as safe over there?"

         "Maybe," she answered with a shrug that tried to appear careless, "but
maybe not. At least I can watch over him if I keep him with me." She had not
meant to let that slip and rushed on, hoping he wouldn't say anything about
that. "Besides, I heard something gasp right before we were hit. I think I know
who it was, but it probably wasn't." She glared down at Salem. "It also sure as
Hell wasn't him, though."

         "Got time for a little chat now?" Lex asked. He was not put off by her
stand-offish ways. After all, she was Faith, and though she pretended
indifference, she had always been there for him.



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

         Jack had heard both Lex's and Xena's voices and had called out in
response to them. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH
TOTAL DARKNESS. IT'S LIKE WE'RE IN A VOID. SOME ONE POWERFUL IS CAUSING THIS."
His voice broke off when his leg was suddenly grabbed by something that wouldn't
let go. He shook his leg; then he reached down his hand to feel what had a hold
of him. He was expecting to encounter Donkey or maybe one of the cats, but his
hand connected with Carl's head. "Carl? What's wrong? Let go of me!"

         "N-N-N-N-No!" the Gnome stuttered up at him. "I-I-I-I-I a-a-a-ain't
l-l-l-l-letting g-go! I-If h-he g-g-gets m-m-m-m-me, h-h-he'll h-h-ha-have
t-t-to g-g-get y-y-you f-f-f-fi-fir-first!"

         "Carl, what do you know about this mess we're in, and who is this he you
speak of?"

         "J-J-J-J-Ja-Jar -- " Between his stuttering and trembling, Carl could
not even get the name out.

         "Jareth," a firm voice put in as Crystal jumped down onto the deck
behind them.

         Jack turned toward the sound of the voice and saw the blue glow of the
crystal. "Crys, is some one hurt," he asked in concern, "and who's Jareth?"

         "If they are, I haven't found them yet, but my babies, Angel, Lorne,
even the Lewises . . . are all out." Her strong tone had already been icy but
seemed to grow even fiercer as she answered his second question, "Jareth is the
King of the Goblins. He owns the Bog of Eternal Stench, which is what we're in.
Don't worry, though, Jack. When that asshole shows up, I'll take care of him."

         {{{Crys,}}} her cousin's voice called inside her head, {{{what's going
on?}}}

         {{{I found one of the Captains,}}} she answered him, {{{but I can't tell
you about the rest right now.}}}

         {{{I still don't believe you kissed him!}}} Jack Frost exclaimed in
reference to what she had told him about a certain green Demon. {{{I mean, I'm
glad you did -- Gods know you need a man in your life --; but I'm so
surprised!}}}

         {{{Jack, I can't talk right now.}}} Her thoughts were interrupted by the
Captain's voice.

         "What's making all those farting sounds?" Jack Sparrow asked. "Is it a
giant being of some kind?" His words were accented as another loud, stinking
fart, even louder than the last one, erupted. "And why is your crystal glowing?"

         "The Bog is both what you're smelling and hearing." She paused before
answering his second question. "I . . . I opened a rapport with my cousin."

         "What we need is some torches so that we can see what's going on." Jack
called out in a loud voice, "WHEREVER YOU'RE AT ON THE SHIP, FEEL AROUND ON THE
WALLS! THERE SHOULD BE SOME TORCHES. IF YOU FIND ONE, LIGHT IT AND TAKE YOURSELF
TO WHERE OTHERS ARE. HELP EACH OTHER. WE'RE UNDER ATTACK AS YOU ALREADY KNOW.
OUR ENEMY SHOULD SOON SHOW HIMSELF; BE PREPARED."



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

         Captain Sparrow's loud, commanding voice carried over both ships and
reached many ears, including two very frightened women who were nearly clinging
to each other. "I . . . I don't suppose you know how to . . . ?" Elizabeth
started to ask Cordelia.

         "Actually, I do," the brunette answered, "but we have to find one
first."

         Only then did the two leave their hiding spot as they began to feel
their way around the Pearl.



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

         "JACK," Xena called out, "WHAT'S GLOWING OVER THERE? I CAN SEE SOME KIND
OF A BLUE LIGHT."

         "IT'S JUST CRYS' CRYSTAL; EVERYTHING IS OKAY. AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, WE
ARE JUST BEING TREATED TO THIS AWFUL STENCH. NO ONE IS PHYSICALLY INJURED YET."
He could see torches being lit in different places on the ship. "Carl," he said,
reaching down and patting the Gnome gently on the head, "go to Will. He's right
behind me. He'll help to keep you safe."

         "Uh-uh!" Carl protested instantly. "H-H-H-He c-c-can't keep me safe
l-l-like y-y-you c-c-ca-can, C-C-Cpt'n!"

         Jack wondered how he was going to be able to fight with Carl attached to
his leg. There was some kind of current carrying the ships along, but no wind
seemed to be blowing. Where was Ororo? Could she be any help in this emergency?
He called out again, "HAS ANY ONE SEEN ORORO?" Since Ororo was the only
Sorceress not unconscious, she was even more important. He prayed she was not
knocked out.

         No answer came yet to Jack's call for Ororo but Crystal spoke again,
this time addressing Carl. "Carl, you can go to Will. You will not need
protection for much longer," she told him confidently, speaking through gritted
teeth, "because when that bastard shows up, I'm going to ice him." She had never
killed another being, but she swore that she would for what he had done to her
babies, Angel, Lorne, and the others. Nobody harmed her "children" and got away
with it nor would she stand idly by and let such good people as Angel and Lorne
be harmed.

         {{{And, Jack,}}} she added silently, {{{SHUT UP! I can not be with them,
and you know very well why I can't!}}}

         {{{I know why you won't let yourself be,}}} her cousin insisted, {{{but
I have to stand with that Angel fellow on this one, Crys. If those cats can mask
you -- and it is possible to mask from him --, there's no reason why you can't
stay with them.}}}

         {{{There's every reason! I will not get them killed!}}} Her ice blue
eyes blazed, and she had to still her feet from pacing the deck in her
frustration.

         {{{But, Crys,}}} Jack argued, {{{you stand just as much of a chance of
doing that as Angel does. Can you really ask him to leave his home, his family?
Especially after you had to?}}}

         Crystal bit her lip to silence the growl that rose in her throat.
{{{No,}}} she admitted snappingly, {{{but I don't have to hear this either! My
Gods, Jack, I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand!}}}

         {{{Crys, I do understand!}}} he tried to tell her. {{{I understand what
it's like to be so afraid of him, to live every day of your life in fear that
you're going to get some one else hurt or even killed, but I also know what it's
like to yearn for something you can't have. I'd love to be able to settle down
somewhere, fall in love, raise a family, all the wonderful things that normal
people get to do . . . but my job keeps me from doing any of that. This is your
chance!}}}

         {{{Maybe you know all that, Jack,}}} Crystal informed him, glad for the
anger that kept the tears in her heart from her eyes, {{{but he's never killed
because of you. Your job keeps you from being able to live the life you want; he
keeps me from being able to do the same.}}} With that, before Jack could have a
chance to say anything else, she dropped the crystal back into its hiding place
inside her bodice. Its glowing ceased instantly, their rapport having been
broken the very second she had stopped touching it.

         Crystal turned her mind back to the conversation around her just as
Will, who had finally managed to find a torch whose light now illuminated he and
Jack, spoke up. "Carl, if you come over here, I'll even hold you up so that you
can get a better look. That way you'll at least be able to see what's coming."

         Carl continued to clutch at Jack's leg, his trembling growing with each
passing second. He started to answer them but was broken off by a yell for help.
His eyes shot even wider. "Th-Th-That's m-m-my c-c-co-cousin!" he exclaimed,
recognizing the panicked voice instantly.

         "Your cousin?" Jack asked in disbelief. "What's he doing out here?"

         "H-H-H-He w-w-w-wo-works f-f-for J-J-J-J-Ja-Ja-Ja -- "

         "Jareth," Crystal put in.

         Carl nodded swiftly. "H-H-H-He's a-a-al-always g-g-getting m-m-ma-mad
a-a-at h-h-h-hi-him a-a-an-and th-th-thr-throwing h-h-h-him i-i-i-"

         Crystal usually had patience but never did when she was angry or
frustrated. "In the Bog," she snapped, finishing the Gnome's statement for him.

         "Can you tell where the voice is coming from?" Jack queried. Before they
could answer, he called out, "AHOY! Where are ye?"

         A gentle voice answered from behind Jack even as several pairs of feet
could be heard landing on the deck. "I shall fetch him, Captain."

         "There you are, Ororo! Right now you're the only Sorceress we have able
to function. The Lewises are out cold. We've got people down all over both ships
from this awful stink. Who'd you bring with you?"

         "The chi -- " she started to answer but stopped herself. "Phoebe, Paige,
and Joxer."

         {Oh my Gods!} he thought. "Joxer?! Somebody get a hold of him! Don't let
him do anything stupid!"

         "Don't worry, Captain," Phoebe's lustful voice answered. "I've got him."
She giggled, and Joxer's laughter joined hers.

         "And don't do any monkey business on deck! We're in danger; this is not
a picnic!"

         "How do you know -- ?!" Paige questioned, her surprise clear in her
tone.

         "What do you smell, Miss Halliwell? Whatever's putting that out is big,
bad, and ugly, and probably likes to eat little girls like you for breakfast."

         Ororo had just been lifting higher into the air to go in search of
Carl's cousin when she heard Jack answer Paige. She had yet to speak to him in
anything but a polite, official manner, but when she spoke this time, her tone
was tightened with the underlining of fury. "Jack, do not threaten my
goddaughter."

         "I'm not threatening her, Ororo, but anything that big . . . We have no
ideal what it likes. It could eat every one of us and then go wanting something
else, like the ship."

         "It's not a monster," Crys put in, "and it's not going to eat anything.
It's only a Bog," she reminded him, barely managing to bite back her
exasperation. "The worst bog ever in creation but only a bog nonetheless."

         "I was referring to this Jareth. You said he was the King of the
Goblins? I've seen a few goblins in my time, and they ate everything in their
path until we put them down."

         "He is human," she informed him, "and as I already told you, you don't
need to worry about him. He's not going to have a chance to do anything once he
shows his cowardly butt up."

         "Phoebe, Paige," Ororo called back down, "stay with them and behave.
Phoebe, if you can not keep your hands off of Joxer, I will separate the two of
you." Thunder rumbled in warning as she added, "By force, if need be."

         Jack was relieved that Ororo's attention was drawn off of him. He hoped
Crys knew what she was talking about, but he doubted it. How could a human be
able to control goblins and not just one goblin but actually be the King of them
without becoming a goblin himself?

         He remembered the goblins that had had to be hunted down and killed.
They had been so powerful that he had still trembled inside when they lay on the
ground, presumably dead. They had laid waste to an entire village and had eaten
every one of the villagers, even down to the tiniest baby. There had only been
two of them. If he was understanding things now, the King of the Goblins was
there, and a King never traveled alone.

         He wondered what he had done to draw the attention of such a being. He
prayed that he would stay alive long enough that he could protect Will and the
rest of his family, but even then he trembled inside. What if he couldn't? What
could the King possibly want? And, after having made his demand, would Jack even
be willing to part with whatever the King wanted? He would not willingly give up
any of his people to be goblin food.



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

         Clark jerked awake. Looking around, he was surprised to find that, even
with his great eyes, he could barely make out anything. What had happened to the
day? Had he slept that long?

         He leaned over the side of the cot and looked under it. Both kids were
sound asleep, snuggled up together, but Lex was not in the bed. Clark wondered
where his lover was. He got up, padded softly to the door, and looked out. He
saw Lex and Faith sitting side by side, deeply engrossed in a conversation.

         He knew that if he stuck his head out there, Faith would fly away as she
didn't want any one to see her and Lex together or have any clue that she was
not the bitch she always made herself out to be. Clark had made the mistake once
before of making his presence known when they were talking, and Faith had cussed
both of them out and fled. She'd made it appear that she was storming off, but
they had known better. Since then, if he saw her talking to Lex, he stayed away.

         He could hear voices all over, talking, but even though he was curious,
he would not walk away from the children. He went back in and closed the door
silently behind him. He would have to speak to the Captain tomorrow to see about
getting some private quarters made. He didn't want the kids exposed to some of
the stuff that went on in the sleeping quarters. It was bad enough that he and
Lex had no privacy, but he certainly did not want the children to see anything
they shouldn't.

         He laid back on the cot with his hands behind his head and listened to
the sounds of the night. He wondered what kind of dead thing was causing all the
stink and was surprised at how far he could hear. His surprise grew when he
heard a few voices discussing a being called Jareth, who was evidently the King
of the Goblins. He felt like he needed to be outside with the rest of the crew
but couldn't leave the children.

         Where was Carl? He then heard the Gnome's voice pipe up from what
sounded like he was next to Jack. He continued to listen in on the other
conversations, waiting for this Jareth to make his appearance. If Clark had to,
he would leave the children alone long enough to throw Carl in with them so that
he could fight.



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

         Faith's eyes peered out at the darkness that surrounded them; she
squinted as she tried to tell if any one else was nearby. "I guess I might have
some time," she hesitantly answered Lex. "Doesn't look like whoever's doing this
is available for being killed yet."

         Lex watched her glance nervously around. "There's no one else here but
us. I think most of them are on the other side of the ship, facing the Witch,
where Jack is. They tend to sort of hunt the Captain when crap hits the fan."

         "Yeah, I know," Faith agreed. "Some of them don't even think they can
use the bathroom without him."

         "Well, I can at least go to the bathroom without him," Lex said, "but if
there's a fight, he's a great man to have at your back. Don't sound so jealous
of him, Faith."

         "I'm not," she snapped. "Hell, I wouldn't want everybody flocking around
me! I'd have to kill some of them until they got the message if they tried that
crap."

         "Did you ever stop to think that maybe he doesn't either? Maybe he'd
like some alone time, especially some alone time with Will since he hasn't had
any? He hasn't even had time to let Will know how he feels."

         "Like I care?" Faith shot back. "What is it you really want to talk
about?"

         "What are you so angry at Jack about?" Lex asked.

         "Nothing in particular. I just don't have a lot of use for him."

         "Since when?" Lex questioned.

         "Since always. You should know me enough to know by now that I don't
have a lot of use for anybody."

         "That's true most of the time, but I've never heard you talk so about
Jack."

         "Maybe," she admitted, "but when was the last time we talked since I
switched ships? I had to bite my tongue a little while I was on the Pearl just
like I have to now around Xena."

         "If you say so, Faith." He wondered what Jack had done to get on the bad
side of Faith but never stopped to think that she might be biting into the
Captain simply to have some one to direct her anger and frustration at. "I know
you don't have a lot of time to spare, but . . . I just need a little advise."

         "Shoot," she returned with an eyebrow quirked questioningly at him.

         "Don't tell any one. Clark had another power kick in again today. It . .
. was fire," he said in a strange voice. "He's got no control at all over it,
and he was shooting fire everywhere. He engulfed that entire stinking auction
with flames. I had to take him down and put my shirt over his eyes to make him
stop." His voice trailed off.

         Faith softened slightly as she listened to Lex. No one else was within
hearing distance of them, so she knew she did not have to keep her defense up
quite as much as she normally did. "I wondered who did it," she admitted, "but,
Lex, you know Clark would never willingly kill any one."

         "He never has," Lex interjected. "That's not what I'm afraid of. What if
he can't control it? What if some night he gets woken up and the flames shoot
out, causing the ship to catch on fire? We could all die out here only he
wouldn't. You know he's indestructible. How do you think he'd take that?" he
asked worriedly. "What do you think it would do to him?"

         "We know how he is, Lex, and we both know that if he ever killed any
one, especially some one he loved as much as he loves you, he'd want to kill
himself. But what you have to remember is that that's just a chance. There's
always a chance of death at any time. Hell, we don't even know if we're going to
wake up in the morning."

         She paused for a moment, thinking, then continued, "You're going to need
to work with him. If he doesn't work on controlling it, the chance that he might
get out of control'll only increase." She glanced around at the ship. "But I
wouldn't advise working on it until we get to Tortuga."

         "We've got another problem, as well."

         Looking back to Lex, she tried to read his face. He was worried greatly,
and she could think of only one thing that might have him worked up so much
besides Clark's powers. "Lex, you know he loves you -- " she started.

         "It's not that. There's no problem like what we were having the last
time we talked. Those chains worked wonderfully for some new inspiration!" He
paused, then blurted out, "We've got kids."

         Faith's mouth fell open in shock. "What?!" she finally managed to
screech.

         "Clark and I have a boy and a girl. I want to keep them, but I worry
what kind of parents we would make. I haven't approached Clark with the ideal. I
don't know if he'll even go for it, but I don't want to lose the kids. We got
them from the auction, and no, we didn't buy them. We rescued them."

         "I wouldn't have said anything if you had," Faith put in. "I bought
something myself today."

         "You did?" Lex asked in surprise, his brows quirked.

         She nodded. "Yeah, I did, but he should be long gone now. Besides," she
dismissed it in an odd tone of voice that Lex knew was her attempt to keep
sadness out of her tone, "it doesn't matter now."

         "Why doesn't it matter now?" he questioned.

         "Like I said, he should be long gone . . . and . . . and I think . . . "
She looked off into the darkness, unable to meet his gaze or even finish her
statement.

         "He's probably okay, Faith, wherever he's at. You could go look for
him."

         "No, I can't. I had Jack get rid of him," she explained.

         "Oh. Sorry. What do you think about the kids?" he asked, trying to say
something that would distract her from the sadness she was fighting. "Do you
think Clark and I would make good parents, or do you think we should try to find
some one else to take them? The little boy's name is Julian, and the girl's is
Sarah. They're attached to Clark, and they're so cute together! I think Clark
would make a great mother, but I'm not so sure about me. You know my past."

         She turned back to look at him, her eyes shimmering with tears she
refused to allow to come to the surface. "You're right about Clark. I know he
loves children; I've seen him with them before. He's gotta be the gentlest of
all of us, and he'd make a great mo -- a good parent."

         Silently taking a deep breath, she turned closer to him so that her eyes
could look directly into his. Although he had not fully admitted what he was
afraid of, she knew what it was without his having to say it. "And so would you.
You wouldn't turn out like your father, Lex, and I bet you'd do everything you
could with them to make up for the way he was and the way you know others are.
You'd be there for them when they needed you, and you'd never raise a hand to
them in anger. You'd be the complete opposite of that asshole."

         "Do you really think so?" he queried hopefully. "My anger gets out of
hand sometimes."

         "No, I don't think so." He started to say something, but she continued
before he could. "I believe so." She could count the number of things she
believed in on one hand, but Lex's being the complete opposite of his father was
certainly on there. "I've seen you when you're pissed, Lex, and know what you're
talking about, but I also know that you've never hurt Clark. You never would,
and you wouldn't hurt them any more than you would him."

         "But I hit Clark once in anger. It was before we became one. My anger
and frustration got the worst of me. It haunts me, and though Clark never talks
about it, I'm sure it's on his mind sometimes."

         "I remember that, but I also remember when it happened. You were still
fighting your feelings for him. You hadn't let yourself admit that you loved him
yet, but now that you know you do, you'd never hurt him."

         "I hate myself for that, Faith. What if, just once, I lost it again? I'd
hate myself forever, and they'd all hate me. I'm not perfect, and I'm not good
even though I try to be. You should have seen us fighting today, but I know you
were busy fighting yourself. I enjoyed killing those bastards. I relished each
and every one of them. That's the dark side of me. I could bathe in my enemy's
blood and never have second thoughts about it."

         "Clark almost killed some one, but I killed them for him. If he had
killed even one person knowingly, it would have destroyed him. He's not a
killer. He's the most gentle, loving, and kind person I've ever seen even
though, with his powers, he could take over the world. He hasn't any inclination
at all toward it, as you know. He's the best part of us, and he makes me want to
be the best I can be. Thank you for helping me and him to get together." He
reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "You know I'll always be here for you
if you need me. He will too."

         "Lex, you know I don't need anybody," she retorted instantly. "But," she
continued hesitantly, her voice softening again, "if I did, I'd know where to
come." She sighed. "I could tell you a thousand times that you aren't your
father and that you'd never hurt them, but that's something you're going to have
to come to terms with yourself. I can't make you believe the truth about you,
but your going after your enemies the way you do while Clark's so gentle that
it's ridiculous has nothing to do with your being a bad person. It's good to
want your enemies dead; if you didn't, they'd walk all over you and Clark the
way Lionel used to do you."

         "No one's ever going to hurt Clark or the kids, not if I can help it. I
might have to talk to you again about this. You've always been good at
encouraging me. I'm glad to have you in my corner."

         "It's true about my Father. He killed my Mother, little brother, and
lover and almost killed me. Every time I go after an enemy, I pretend it's him.
One day, I'm going to kill him, and I don't think I'll ever be free until I do."

         "When you do," Faith put in, grinning, in a failing attempt to lighten
both their moods, "you can borrow my special sword." It was only then that she
realized that she still wore it and that she would have to rely on her dagger in
the coming battle.

         A brief smile passed over Lex's face but vanished as quickly as it had
come. He continued, "I know deep in my heart that I'm nothing like him, but I
still know it's possible for it to be hiding in there. Something could make it
come out. I have a Demon hiding in me, Faith, and I want to kill that Demon."

         He looked at her, his eyes having more of a shine to them than before.
His hangdog expression was gone. Just having talked to her, a friend who was not
judgmental of his dark side though she would never have admitted to being such,
had helped. "I'll talk to Clark about this tomorrow. I'm glad he's asleep."

         "If you could have seen him earlier . . . He was so scared that he was
trembling. He's scared of his own self, and that's not good. He doesn't know
that I, too, fear his firepower. I'd never leave him for any reason, and I'll do
the best I can to help him get it under control."

         She nodded. "Clark's not like us, Lex, but it's not a strength. It's a
weakness. I don't know if he could even kill anybody who hurt you, no matter how
badly they did. There's strength in knowing when to kill and being able to do it
without letting it haunt you. You need to remember that."

         "I need to check on Clark and make sure he's still asleep. I can show
you the kids." He looked at her questioningly.

         She shook her head. "I need to stay here and be ready whenever
whatever's screwing with us shows up."

         "I'll be right back. I just need to be sure that they're safe." He got
up, retrieved the torch, walked over to the door of the sleeping quarters, and
glanced inside. All was as he had left it. Clark and the kids had remained
asleep; Lex would have never dreamed that his lover was only faking it. He
closed the door softly and returned to Faith.

         "They're still asleep," he said. "It's the best thing for now. I hate
all this waiting." He put the torch back in the holder and walked over to the
railing, peering out into the night. "WHATEVER YOU ARE," he yelled into the
night, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

         "Thatta boy," Faith called jestingly after him with a grin that she did
not feel. She did not rise to join him but stayed seated, stroking Salem
absently. Even now, she could not forget Dawson, and she growled under her
breath. What the Hell was wrong with her?!


Chapter Thirty-one
         Ororo tried not to let the stench get to her as she flew over the bog,
her blue eyes unable to believe what her lightning bolts illuminated. She had
never seen anything like this bog before and had trouble believing that it was
only that. After all, what bog was filled with dung that farted constantly up at
her?

         Hoggle tried to see anything but lightning bolts, but he couldn't. Some
one was coming to rescue him! At last, he would get out of there! Jareth had put
him in there so long ago that Hoggle could no longer remember exactly when it
had happened, and he had simply forgotten about him except for the daily buzzard
dropping of food. Hoggle wanted out of the Bog more than he had ever wanted
anything else! He yearned for the daylight!

         He had been unable to help the deceit that had gotten him thrown into
the Bog. He had been caught between a rock and a hard place and had had to
either work with Helvira or be eaten. He had tried to explain that to Jareth,
who had refused to listen and had instead just tossed him in. Hoggle had clung
to the tree he had managed to land on; he had sat on the limb the entire time,
never getting down to the point that the Bog could get on him. Yet, after all
that time, the Bog was still the only thing he could smell. He had not even been
able to sleep well for fear that he would fall off of the limb.

         He had given up calling Jareth a long time ago. Jareth didn't care; he
never had. Hoggle knew that Jareth would leave him dangling there until he had
need of him again. He had done it before in the past but never for such a long
time. It would have done him no good to call Delvira, either, for she simply
would have lobbed fireballs at him until he had fallen out of the tree. But
rescue, at last, was at hand! Some other unhappy travelers had fallen into
Jareth's trap, and even though he could not get out of the Bog, it would feel
great to get other people around him and a steadier surface under his feet.

         He was surprised to see a flying woman coming at him. "Who are you?" he
asked. "And thanks for saving me!"

         Ororo turned toward the voice that called to her and was relieved to see
the little man who had been screaming for help. "Thank Goddess I finally found
you!" she exclaimed. "I had begun to fear that thing had swallowed you. My name
is Ororo Munroe. You are quite welcome, but I must warn you. We will not return
to the ship by a normal manner." She hovered in front of him as she explained,
"The winds will carry us." She reached a hand out toward the strange, little man
as she added, "You may hold to my hand if you wish."

         "Will that make me fly too?" he questioned. The first smile that he had
worn in years spread over his face as he thought of being able to fly. "Cool!"
He eagerly lifted his hand toward her.

         She took his hand gently in her own, then gestured at him with her free
hand. Breezes slowly lifted him into the air. She gave him a chance to show any
fear, but when he did not, she increased their speed on the journey back to the
ship. They were nearly to the Pearl when she saw it begin to shimmer. "Goddess!
What now?!"

         Hoggle screeched, "WE HAVE TO GET ON THE SHIP OR WE'LL BE LEFT BEHIND!"

         "HOLD TIGHTLY!" Ororo called to him in warning. The winds whipped around
them and shot them onto the ship. For a change, her landing was not graceful as
they fell together in a tumbling heap. No sooner had they fallen onto the deck
than the stench vanished.



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

         The ship surged, and Jack almost lost his footing. If it had not been
for Carl's unconscious weight on his foot, he would have lost it completely. He
looked around and found that they appeared to be back in their own world. He
didn't know if it was later than they had left or earlier; time was of no
consequence. The being who had done this to them still had not put in an
appearance. He breathed deeply of the fresh air and glanced back at Will. "Are
you okay?"

         Will nodded though his worried eyes continued to flick around. He would
have asked Jack but knew that, even if he was not, he would have still told him
he was fine as long as they were not alone. "I wonder what's next?"

         "I wonder where the scoundrel is," Jack replied. "I want to know why he
did it to us in the first place. As far as I am aware, I have never crossed
paths with him nor have I done anything to anger him."

         As Will listened to Jack, he put out the torch he held but remained at
the ready, the Governor's sword still held tightly in his grip.



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

         Lex put out the torch. "We'd best see if Jack's got any clue as to
what's going on." He looked worriedly back at the door where his family slept.
{I won't be gone long,} he promised silently. He began walking toward Jack.

         Faith had nodded when Lex had called to her and swiftly caught up with
him. "Just remember, Luthor," she whispered to him, her voice and eyes hard and
angry again as they neared the others, "if you tell any one -- "

         "I know; I know," Lex put in. "You'll cut my throat. Just you remember
not to tell any one yourself." He pretended to be hard on the outside again,
too. It wouldn't do for them to think that a Luthor ever got soft.

         She gave him a quick, curt nod. "You know I don't talk to anybody."
{Except you.} Glancing down at Salem, she realized that she had to add, {And
him.}



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

         All around both ships, the sleepers were beginning to wake up as the
gentle ocean breeze brushed over them, assailing their nostrils with the sweet
aroma of the sea. Cole stirred slightly. Realizing he had a soft, cushiony
pillow for his head, he didn't move at first. Some one's arms were around him,
and it felt good. He recognized Piper's scent. He heard some one move and turned
to watch as Prue took the food out of the oven. He hoped it didn't smell like
where they had just come from.

         He moved his head slightly so that he could watch Piper. She had fallen
asleep. He thought she had never looked more beautiful and moved his head just
enough that he could kiss her at the base of her throat. "Wake up, beautiful,"
he whispered. "I think our nightmare is over."

         Piper stirred to slowly and was surprised to hear Cole calling to her.
Her worried eyes flew open at the realization that he was conscious again.
"C-Cole? Are you okay?"

         "No," he breathed in response. "I'm even better than okay; I'm in
Heaven! What a wonderful place to wake up!" He gazed adoringly at her beauty; a
brilliant smile sparkled on his face. "Thanks for holding me." He couldn't
remember a time when he had ever been held like that; waking up that way had
been very peaceful.

         She could not help the blush that tinged her cheeks any more than she
could stop her hand from lifting to gently cup his handsome face. "I was
worried," she admitted, gazing up at him in deep concern. "You just showed up
and fell out. I didn't know what had happened, and I was so scared that
something had . . . hurt you . . . "

         "I don't know what happened. I just know that I woke up in Heaven." He
caressed her cheek, his hand moving slowly down her throat. He wished that he
could replace his hand with his lips but didn't dare.

         Shivers of delight shot through her at his touch. They grew as his hand
moved slowly down her throat, shooting from his fingertips all the way
throughout her body. She had never felt such and reveled in the emotions he
evoked. "I'm just thankful you're okay," she whispered, her own hand caressing
his cheek.

         He looked intently down into her eyes. "May a frog have permission to
kiss a Princess?" he asked.

         She looked at him in confusion as it took her a moment to realize what
he was meaning. "Cole, you're not a -- " The realization of the Princess'
identity froze her words in her throat. A slow, gentle smile spread over her
face as she found herself whispering, "Yes."

         His lips sought hers gently at first, and he held her even closer to
him. He forgot about the world around them as the only thing that meant anything
to him was the kiss. He did not give her everything he had, because he did not
want to frighten her. He pledged himself to her with that kiss, as gentle as a
butterfly's wings with a promise of heat to come.

         She returned his kiss in full even as his touch and the passion that
engulfed them both melted her very bones. Her hand slid up his face, caressing
his tanned skin, and her fingers gently curled into his dark hair. Her lips
parted under his, requesting and welcoming more.

         Part of him wanted to take her and shimmer to a secluded spot so that
they could have more time together. The other part of him felt eyes looking at
them; they made him come back to his senses. He lifted his head only to see that
their audience was Prue, who was standing and staring at them with a huge grin
on her face. His attention returned to Piper. "Later, sweetheart; I promise to
return. I'm going to court you, Piper Halliwell, before we burn the ship down."
He shimmered out with an even bigger smile on his face.

         Piper's breath released in a fluttering sigh full of love, lust, and
longing. She wished he had not left but understood why he had to. She had not
seen Prue and had completely forgotten about the others but knew that, if he had
stayed, they would have became involved in a very scandalous activity indeed.

         Prue walked over, leaned down, and gave her hand to her sister. "How was
it, sweetheart?" she asked.

         Piper looked up at her older sister in a daze. She lifted a hand to take
Prue's but missed it at first. She tried again, and Prue's hand caught her own.
"Oh. My. Gods!" Piper breathed. "I've never felt anything . . . never . . .
never even dreamed anything could be that . . . that wonderful . . . !"

         Prue smiled at her sister as she pulled her to her feet. "I felt the
same way when I touched Brendan and again when I kissed him. Aren't we the lucky
ones?" Although Prue had had experience in the past, nothing had ever prepared
her for what she had felt when Brendan had touched her. They simply had to be
off the ship when they went through with the action or there would be nothing
left of it but cinders!

         Piper was still so dazed that she could only sigh in response. It was
then that the memory of the food hit her. "Oh no!"

         "What's wrong?" Prue asked.

         "The food!" Piper exclaimed, turning from her sister and starting to
rush to the oven. She stopped in her tracks, however, as she saw that it was
already sitting out on the nearby counters. "Thanks," she told Prue with a
relieved grin as she looked back at her sister.

         "Couldn't let all that scrumptious stuff go to waste even if I couldn't
smell it while it was cooking," Prue said. "It smelled wonderful when I took it
out; I just hope it doesn't have a stinky taste to it! I have never smelled
anything so awful!"

         "It shouldn't," Piper started. "I wouldn't think the smell would effect
the taste, but then again, with that stuff, who knows? I wonder what that thing
was any way."

         "I don't know, but I think the Captains took care of it."

         "Thank Gods!"



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

         Meanwhile, bubbles began to appear out of nowhere. They drifted around
the Pearl, hovering above every conceivable exposed surface. It was then that
Wolverine woke up and looked around. "Where the heck did all these fairy bubbles
come from?" he asked. He reached out to help Donkey get to his hooves.

         Donkey stood with his head held low, not daring to move as his wide eyes
stared at the bubbles. "Huh?" he asked.

         Before any one could move, react, or even answer Wolverine, a screech
was heard, and a magnificent white owl swooped in to land on the quarter deck. A
glimmering light surrounded him, and as blackness whirled around the owl, Hoggle
and Carl, who had just awoken, screamed. Carl took a flying leap behind Jack and
Will even as his cousin dodged behind Ororo.

         Where the black swirl ceased, a man with spiky, blonde hair dressed in
tight, black leather appeared. He seemed to glitter as he peered down at them.
He had barely began to gaze imperiously at the crew before him when he felt some
one trying to break past his defenses. His stern eyes moved to a blonde woman.
"You shall not try your little ice tricks on me," he informed her even as he
flicked his hand toward Crystal. She vanished instantly.

         Jack stepped forward. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?" He
felt some one move beside him and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Faith. She
had slipped her dagger from her boot. His eyes quickly returned to the man, and
he let no sign of what he had seen appear on his face.

         Faith had moved Salem to one arm again, and she swiftly threw her dagger
with perfect aim straight for the blonde man's heart. He flicked his wrist
toward the dagger, and it flew backwards. Faith tried to move but felt as though
she had been paralyzed as the dagger closed in on her throat. She expected her
blade to meet her own neck, but at the last moment, the dagger transformed into
a snake. She finally found herself able to move again as it wrapped around her
throat. She dropped Salem to the deck and tried to tear the snake from her, but
its strength was greater than her own. Its coils tightened around her throat,
cutting off her air. The only sign of her fear was her wild eyes as she
continued trying to free herself.

         Seeing that Faith was having no luck with the snake, Lex leapt forward
and began to tear at the thing that was choking Faith. Finally managing to get
it a loose, he threw it away from them only to have it become all fluff and
feathers and let go with a string of unintelligible words. A goblin scurried
away and back toward Jareth.

         Faith had nearly passed out and started to sway, but Lex caught her
quickly. She shook her head, forcing herself back, but dizziness still clouded
her thoughts. Lex's coat hid his hand tightening on her arm. He knew she did not
want to rely on him but also knew that she would hit the deck if he released
her. Faith gave him a brief second as she was still struggling to catch her
breath but then ripped away from him.

         It was at that moment that the bubbles descended to the ship, each one
releasing a goblin. Every crew member stood frozen to the deck, staring at
Jareth. What would be the next move? Who would live, and who would die?

         Jareth's lips curled upwards into a slow, sly smile, but there was no
warmth in his expression. His hard gaze returned to Jack. "My name is Jareth,
and I am their King. You will stand and listen without any further attack or I
will release them."

         "What do you want?" Jack repeated. He did not take his eyes off of the
man.

         "I already have what I want."

         Jack's mind immediately went to: He had the ships! What he wanted them
for he hadn't a clue. He also didn't have a clue as to how to fight him. "And
what is that?" Jack asked aloud.

         Like the others around her, Ororo, too, stood rooted to the spot. Unlike
them, however, she knew that she was not defenseless. She watched Jareth with
calm eyes that showed no hint of her thoughts even as her mind reached out to
the elements. A lightning bolt shot at Jareth, but he waved it away as though it
was nothing but a pesky fly. He then waved his hand at her, and she felt herself
picked up and thrown back into Wolverine.

         Hoggle had been hiding behind her. The very moment that his cover was
lifted, he screamed in fear and ran around until he was able to join his cousin
behind Jack and Will.

         Jareth looked at Jack. "Call your people down," he instructed him. "I
will not give you another warning."

         Jack called back to his crew. "Do not fight! We must see what he wants!
We do not want to fight goblins!" He hated to tell them not to fight for his
every instinct cried out for attack. However, he would not do something stupid
to get the others killed.

         Jareth's intent gaze swept the ship as he made certain that every one of
them was going to obey their Captain. He watched a short man with wild hair
helping the Weather Witch to get to her feet and saw the raven-haired girl who
had attempted to throw her dagger into his heart stoop beside a black cat who
was stirring slowly to consciousness. The others stood as still as statues, and
Jareth's eyes finally returned to Jack.

         "There seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding," he began. His
voice trailed off momentarily as he was suddenly joined by two women flanking
him on either side. They wore the same dress and appeared exactly alike. Both
had pale skin; long, ebony hair; and black eyes that peered down at the crew.
One clung to Jareth with an arm linked over his shoulders and a leg hiked
against him. The other worriedly scanned the group.

         Jack almost passed out right on the spot! Not only had Helvira taken
over the ship with no fight, but she had cloned herself! His mind flashed back
to a few minutes before they had been returned to their own world; it had been
then that he had gone to the storage cabinet behind the steering wheel,
retrieved his jacket that still contained Helvira's heart, and thrown both
overboard into the Bog of Eternal Stench. He was thankful that he had done that
for at least she would not regain her heart easily.



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

         Wolf's eyes flashed open, and it was only then that he found out that he
had fallen on Brendan, knocking him out. He helped his friend to his feet.
"Wolf!" He heard Elvira call his name and turned to look in the direction that
her voice came from even as relief that she lived flooded him. He gazed in
puzzlement at all the crew members standing frozen in spot, but one look at
Jack's face told him that, whereas the others were only scared, Jack was
petrified.

         It then dawned on him why: Jack thought Elvira was Helvira. It was his
own fault. He should have introduced Jack to his woman and told him that she had
a sister. It had not dawned on him at the time that her sister might be and had
turned out to be Helvira. He ran toward Elvira without a second thought.

         "Stop, Wolf!" Jack called out urgently. "He will think you are attacking
and unleash his minions!"

         Wolf stared at the goblins in puzzlement. What kind of trick was this?
He knew that it was Elvira. Why would she bring goblins to attack his people?
Then his eyes were drawn to the man on the quarterdeck and the woman draped all
over him. {Oh my Gods!} he thought. {It's Helvira!} Why hadn't Elvira told him
that her sister was identical and that, worst of all, she was Helvira? He
stopped beside Jack. "It's a good day to die," he whispered.

         "Don't want to," Jack answered, "but if I have to, I will. Protect
Will."

         Brendan had nearly had to drag himself to Jack's side. He could not tear
his eyes away from the two Helviras, and fear clouded his thoughts and nearly
choked him. He heard Jack but could not even find his voice to reassure his
dearest friend. Instead, he only continued to stare at the women and man and let
out a frightened yelp when one of the women jumped down at them.

         Jareth's hand was still pointed at Wolf when Elvira leapt off of the
quarterdeck. "Jareth, if you hurt him, I'll kill you!" She raced to Wolf's side
and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

         Wolf had not realized that he was still naked, but despite the danger,
he felt his sword come to life and poke at her through her dress. This was
definitely his Elvira, but her sister was Helvira! They were all going to die!
"H-How could you not tell me?" he asked her. "She's Jack's deadliest enemy! He
fought her today! He took her heart!" His voice was breaking. "She's going to
kill us now!"

         Jack stared at Wolf in astonishment. How could he be playing with
Helvira? Had he betrayed his Captain? Wolf would never do that, Jack decided.
She had cast a spell on him. His hand eased to his sword, ready for the fight,
but he snatched his hand back with an oath when what he thought was his sword
bit him. He looked downward and shook the thing off of his hand. Damn goblins!
Where was his sword?! He had to protect Will!

         "Looking for this?" Jareth's calm voice asked him as he twirled Jack's
sword in the air.

         Jack knew the fight was over before it had ever began. There was no way
to fight the goblins, let alone their King! "What do you want?" he asked him
again.

         "I told you," Jareth reminded him, "I already have what I want."

         It was then that the other Helvira leaned closer to him and whispered
something in his ear. He looked at her. "Not now, Delvira. I'm trying to . . . "
At her stern look, he sighed, shrugged, and handed her the sword. Taking off his
cape, he tossed it down at Wolf. "Cover yourself."

         Wolf snatched the cape out of the air and wrapped it around him, tying
it in the front. {What does it matter,} he thought, {if I'm covered when I'm
going to die? We can't even fight the things when they change our very swords to
themselves!} His mind searched for a way that he could protect not just Will but
the Captain, as well.

         Xena had been staring the whole time at Jareth. Her eyes were angry, but
she did not make a move for she knew their people would die if she did. How had
this happened? How had they snuck up on them and defeated them without a single
blow? She glanced at Elvira and knew that they had just rescued her that day.
She was draped all over Wolf now and seemed oblivious to the danger. How could
it be possible? Was the girl daft? She had led the enemy into their midst and
caused this! If Xena lived through the battle, she would take Elvira on one to
one. If the girl was innocent, she'd live; if she wasn't, she was so dead!

         "Now," Jareth's voice carried over them, "if you will all calm
yourselves, I might have a chance to explain our misunderstanding." He stared at
each of them and, finding them all silent and still, was about to speak again
when a familiar voice reached his ears.

         "Jareth, you sly son-of-a-bitch! You caused all of this?" Faith gasped
and tried to cover Salem's mouth but was not in time.

         Jareth looked at the two, and his smile shifted slightly. "Well, I never
would have thought you'd deign such a meager vessel with your presence, Salem!"

         Jack looked from Salem to Jareth. Did they know each other? Just what
was going on here? He didn't say anything but continued looking for an
opportunity.

         "What are you doing picking on them, any way?" Salem questioned him.
"Were you after me?" He prayed that that was not the case.

         "After you?" Jareth repeated puzzledly. "Why on Earth would you think
that, old friend?"

         "Old friend?!" Salem spat, biting at Faith's fingers when she again
attempted to cover his mouth. "You tried to kill me the last time we were
together!"

         "I did no such thing," Jareth thundered, "and I only sent your little
group to the Bog because we mistakenly thought Elvira was on here without her
consent!"

         "You always were full of it!"

         "Watch that tongue of yours, Salem," Jareth warned. "I do not want to
have to return you to the Bog, but I will if I must!"

         Salem hushed instantly, and Faith breathed a silent sigh of relief. She
had thought that he had finally came to his senses but had to bite her own
tongue to keep from screaming in frustration when he spoke again. "Did you or
did you not try to kill me immediately following the trial?"

         "What are you talking about?" Jareth questioned him. "I was thrown into
the labyrinth as soon as I was sentenced! This is the first time I've seen you
since my own trial!" Salem's questioning eyes met Jareth's. "I swear on our
code."

         Before Faith could even react, Salem raced from her arms where she had
finally managed to still him and took a flying leap onto the quarterdeck. He sat
beside Jareth and lifted a paw up to him. Jareth raised a hand, and Salem lifted
into the air. Only when they were eye to eye did Jareth accept Salem's paw and
give it a tiny shake.

         Faith could stay silent no more. "Just what the fuck is going on here?!"

         "As I told Salem," Jareth explained to the others, cuddling Salem in one
arm, "this entire situation has been a misunderstanding. We tried to reach Port
Royal in time but did not succeed in doing so. When we realized that Elvira was
on your ship, we thought it was against her will." Delvira elbowed him, and he
turned to look at her even as he muttered, "There is no way . . ."

         "Jareth," she whispered to him, "sweetheart, a good King knows when to
swallow his pride and apologize."

         His furious glare cut through her. "I am not about to -- "

         "Fine, then," she shot back with a knowing grin tugging at her black
lips, "you just won't get your pants popped again any time soon -- or what comes
afterward."

         A low growl ushered forth from him at her, but he silenced himself,
sighed deeply, and turned his attention back to the crew. "I must . . .
ap-apo-apo-apolo-"

         "Apologize," Delvira put in for him.

         He nodded. "That and thank you for saving my sister-in-law."

         Jack's hands itched for his sword. He wasn't sure what was going on, but
he needed the comforting feeling of it. He could feel Will at his side but yet
he had not said anything. Did he have his sword? Jack wanted it. He needed a
weapon. Any kind would do!

         He was surprised when his own weapon came floating back to hover in the
air just before him. This could not be happening! It was just another strange
event in an even stranger day! he told himself even as his hands sneaked out and
grabbed the weapon. "We accept your apology, Your Majesty, but I want to know
why you have brought Helvira aboard my ship."

         "Helvira?!" Jareth, Delvira, and Elvira all cried in unison. "Where?!"
Their eyes roamed their surroundings frantically for any sign of the bitch.

         "Is your woman not Helvira?"

         Jareth looked questioningly at Delvira. "You didn't change on me, did
you?" he whispered to her.

         "If I had, would we be standing here?" she shot back.

         Jack sheathed his sword. "How can there be three of them?" he asked
Jareth. "Your woman's not her. Wolf's woman's not her. Where is she?!" His eyes
glanced around. If there were two, there could be three!

         "Gods, I pray she isn't anywhere near here!" Jareth exclaimed truthfully
before he could stop himself.

         Delvira patted his arm reassuringly. "My name is Delvira," she began to
explain to Jack and the others, "and I am Jareth's wife. My sister," she nodded
to Elvira who was still snuggled securely in Wolf's arms, "is Elvira. We hate
Helvira as much as you appear to."

         Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods she's not here! I
thought she had found us!"

         Jareth had noticed Jack sheathe his sword and breathed a silent sigh of
relief at the realization that he would not have to do any further harm to his
sister-in-law's new friends. He waved his hands in the air, and his goblins
scurried away, vanishing from sight and returning to their own ship that now
appeared in front of the Pearl. With Delvira in one arm and Salem in the other,
he hopped down to stand before Jack. "There are three of them," he told them,
"and each appears and smells exactly identical to the others. They can even act
so closely together that no one can tell them apart."

         Jack looked at him. "I did not know your sister-in-law was identical to
Helvira. I fought with Helvira earlier today, and I took her heart. If," he
looked angrily at Wolf, "some one had bothered to tell me, some of this could
have been avoided!"

         Wolf looked everywhere but at Jack. "Sorry, Captain," he finally
muttered. "I didn't think."

         Elvira jumped to his defense. "I didn't tell him. How was he supposed to
know?!"

         Jack's gaze turned to Elvira. "It would have been nice if you had told
us. Your sister and I are great enemies. She would like nothing better than to
kill the members of my crew, make me watch, and then destroy me." He had not
said "kill me", because he figured she'd keep him alive and torture him.

         Elvira's mouth flew open, but before she could say anything, Delvira,
who was eyeing Brendan questioningly, interrupted her. "You look familiar," she
told him.

         "I was . . . I was held captive by Helvira for a -- "

         "You were the boy, weren't you?" Delvira's eyes moistened. "I saw you
when I fought her once, but I never had the chance to get near you. I would have
saved you had I been able to, but I barely escaped with my life. In fact, I
wouldn't have even managed that had she not let me."

         "Let you?" Jack repeated in surprise.

         Delvira nodded. "Helvira has been a constant threat to us for nearly our
entire lives. She enjoys playing with us and lets us live so that she can do so
again later."

         "That's why I didn't say anything," Elvira put in. "She has this nasty
habit of popping into our lives just when they start getting better and screwing
everything up." Her sad eyes would not meet any one's gaze, not even Wolf's
concerned expression. "Besides," she argued, "how the Hell was I supposed to
know that you guys even knew the bitch?"

         "I have fought her twice," Jack said. "Both times I thought I killed
her. I took her heart this time. I hope she died, but I doubt it. I fear that
she will come after it."

         "She will," Jareth put in warningly.

         "She won't find it aboard either ship. I left it in the Bog."

         "A good place for it," Jareth agreed thoughtfully, "but she will
retrieve it sooner or later. At least, though, we should be able to smell her
coming from then on."

         Jack looked questioningly at him. "What can we do about getting that
stench off of our ships? Will it wash off?"

         "Well, normally, it stays on its victims for the rest of eternity."
Delvira elbowed him. "But, in this case, I can make an exception. Tell your
crews to grab hold to something," he warned Jack.

         Jack called out, "Every one, grab on to something! It's going to be a
bumpy ride!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he felt four small
hands grab him. He looked down to see the Gnome and Dwarf holding on tightly to
him. He grabbed the railing just as the ships were lifted.

         Jareth raised his hands, and the ships lifted into the sky. "Hold
tightly!" Delvira called to them in warning. "You've never gotten a bumpy ride
quite like this one!" She clung to her husband, and even he reached out a gloved
hand to grip the railing. He was already muttering strange words underneath his
breath, and it was at that time that the ships began to glow with a sparkling
light and spin as fast as lightning.



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

         Lorne had barely been waking when Crys had fallen out of thin air on top
of him. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked. "Where did you come from?"

         "That bastard!" she fumed. "He won't get away with this!"

         "Huh?" Angel asked. "Who?"

         "Jareth! He's the one who knocked you and my babies and Lorne . . . "
Her babbling stopped suddenly as she found herself gazing down into Lorne's
eyes.

         "Let me up, darling. Let's go check on the others and see just how bad
this Jareth has harmed us." He had been about to get to his feet when he felt
the ship come out from under him and laid quickly back down.

         Angel felt like he was pinned to the floor as he felt the ship begin to
spin madly around. "What the Hell?!" he asked. He watched, unable to reach to
Prue to help her, as she fell to the floor, her feet knocked out from under her.

         Growls echoed in the room as Cindy and Elvira found themselves being
slid from one part of the galley to another. Of the three animals only Blue
managed to still himself by digging his talons into the door. Piper was barely
managing to grip the table hard enough to keep from falling when something
knocked her feet out from under her. She fell with a surprised squeal and found
herself suddenly on top of the lioness. She stared at her but did not dare to
move.

         Prue lay on the floor where she had been thrown, trying to catch her
breath. What the Hell was going on?! she wondered. It felt for all the world
like they were in a tornado!

         Piper's eyes tore away from Cindy's as she heard the dishes rattling.
"No!" she cried out as she saw the meal they had worked so hard on begin to
slide off the counter.

         Piper's cry tore Crystal's eyes away from Lorne's. She shot her hands
out, and a wall of ice encased the food. The dishes hit the ice but did not
break it. Piper breathed a sigh of relief.

         When the ship finally quieted and settled back down, Angel got shakily
to his feet. He turned around to Lorne and offered his hand to Crys.

         Crystal had not wanted to be thrown back to the galley, but Lorne's body
felt so nice against her own that she did not want to get up. His mere touch
burned her more badly than anything she'd ever encountered before, and as she
looked back down at him, she realized that her lips craved his again. At that
realization, she nearly snatched a hold to Angel's hand in desperation and
jumped to her feet.

         Lorne got groggily up and helped Prue to stand, then turned to Piper and
helped her. They glanced worriedly over at the Lewises. Their chair had fallen
over, pinning them. Startled eyes had flashed open, but both sisters had laid
still on the floor. Angel walked over and helped them to their feet.

         "Wow," Katrina breathed. "Don't know what caused that, but it sure was a
rush!"

         "Jareth," Crystal remembered aloud, "and he's going to get his!" Her ice
blue eyes flashed furiously as she began to march angrily toward the door.

         "Who's Jareth?" Katrina asked.

         "He's the King of the Goblins," Crys answered, "but he's also who
knocked you all out. I'm going to ice him if he doesn't find a way to toss me
back in here again!" she ground out.

         "Then you'll need our help," Katrina said. "We'll go with you."

         "We'll all go," Angel put in. "We need to see what's going on."

         "But the food -- " Piper started to protest, worried that the animals
would get into it.

         "It'll be fine. I'll melt the ice when we return." Without another word,
Crys started off again. Blue flew beside her, cooing worriedly. "I know," she
growled at him, "but I'm going to this time! The nerve of him! How dare he hurt
you and the others!" Cindy and Elvira padded alongside her, both trying to talk
sense into her.

         Hearing Cindy, Celina spoke up. "Perhaps we should first find out
exactly what is happening before you kill him, Crystal."

         "Crys, calm down," Angel told her. "You're not going to kill anybody
yet. There doesn't seem to be anything going on. Every one's just standing
around in groups and listening. The fight's over, and I heard the man you call
Jareth talking to Jack in friendly tones."

         "Angel, I don't care what he's doing now!" She raised her hands, and ice
shot out again, this time forming a bridge between the two ships. "It's bad
enough that I'm endangering you all! I'm not going to stand by and let some jerk
hurt you, my babies, Lorne, or any of the others!"

         "Crys," Lorne called to her, "we weren't actually hurt. Just put to
sleep for a while. I don't think Jareth did it himself. It was the smell."

         It was only then that Crystal paused. She glanced questioningly at the
others, and agreeing nods met her gaze. She breathed an audible sigh of relief.
Blue cooed from her shoulder, informing her that she had yet to kill any one
herself and he wasn't about to let her begin.

         "He didn't hurt you either when he threw you back into the galley, did
he? Just your ego?" Angel asked quietly.

         Crys whirled on him. "My ego?!"

         "Yes, your feelings. I didn't see a scratch on you."

         "He didn't hurt me," she admitted, "but he didn't hurt my feelings
either! He just pi -- made me angry!"

         "Okay. So let's give him a chance and, if he gets out of line, I'll let
you clobber him but not kill him. In fact, I'll help you. Agreed?"

         She nodded.



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

         Clark had not been asleep when Lex had looked in on him but had
pretended to be so that he could have a little time with Faith. He felt left out
because Faith would not talk to him. He still hadn't a clue why she would talk
to Lex, but he knew they had been good for each other. In fact, she had been the
one who had helped Lex and he to get together. He had blocked out their
conversation, because he did not want to eavesdrop. He always allowed them that
bit of privacy even though he could hear very easily.

         He had had no warning when they were attacked, but he did not rush out
to confront the attacker. Instead, he stayed back to take care of the children.
He knew very well what the others thought of his attack ability. He wasn't proud
of it. He knew he should have been more blood-thirsty since he was a Pirate, but
he just couldn't bring himself to kill.

         He had been surprised when he was thrown from the bed but had crawled
under it to hold on to the two children who had woken up, frightened and crying.
It proved to be a good thing he had as he was able to hold them still when the
ship unexpectedly began to spin around. He was suddenly covered when Sarah
erupted. She looked even more frightened, as though she expected him to slap her
for throwing up. "It's all right, baby," he consoled her. "I'm sorry you're
sick." He stroked her hair gently back out of her face.

         "We've got to get you cleaned up." His mind went away from the attack
and concentrated on what he could do to clean her. "First thing," he said,
talking to her reassuringly, "is that we have to take off your clothes. We'll
have to use one of Lex's shirts; mine are all dirty." He looked in the trunk
that had turned upside down at the foot of their bed and finally found a shirt.
It would drag the ground, because Sarah was so small.

         He wiped gently at her mouth with a towel he found and did his best to
clean her up. "We really need some water, but this will have to do for now. You
take your dress off and then put this on." He closed his eyes even as he pulled
his own shirt off, using the inside part of the shirt to wipe off the vomit. He
reached and got another shirt. Although it was dirty, it was cleaner than the
one he had just pulled off. They all needed baths, but it would have to wait
until later, after he had found Lex and was sure that he was all right.

         Sarah had been expecting him to strip her. She glanced at him in
puzzlement but took the dress off. With shaking hands, she tried to put the
shirt on. Julian had closed his eyes, too, but he sensed something was wrong.
"What's wrong, Sarah?" He felt his sister's small hand touch his arm. He opened
his eyes. "She can't figure out where to stick her head," he told Clark
matter-of-factly.

         Clark could not help but grin. He imagined Lex's shirt was so big that
she had never seen anything like it. He reached out, took it from her, and,
still not opening his eyes, felt for the holes. Finding the big one, he slipped
it over her head. "Put your arms in the two smaller holes."

         Sarah still had not said a single word, and that puzzled Clark. True,
Julian didn't talk much, but Sarah had not made a single sound since they had
found her. He opened his eyes and saw that she was standing before him, looking
at him with big, blue eyes that melted his heart even more.

         "Let's brush your hair, Sarah," he said, reaching back into the trunk
and bringing out his hairbrush. He gently brushed her hair, doing his best to
ease the many tangles out. "We need something to tie it up with," he announced
when he was, at last, finished. He looked around but could not see any ribbons.
"Guess my bandana will have to do," he said. He slipped it out of his pocket and
used it to tie her hair back.

         "You two stay close to me now," he warned while getting to his feet.
"We're going to look for Lex. If I tell you to hide, hide and don't come out
until I tell you to." Holding to one of both of their hands, he guided the
children out. He used his foot to close the door behind them. He had to know
what was going on, but he would never willingly leave the children alone. He
only hoped he could keep them safe and that Lex was all right, wherever his
beloved had gotten to.


Chapter Thirty-two
         Crystal was the first to reach the railing. She jumped onto it without
hesitation. Ice shot from her hands, forming a bridge across the ships that she
began to walk over even as it was being made. Cindy and Elvira joined her, and
Blue swooped in toward her shoulder. When she did not attempt to shoo him away,
the relieved dragon settled in on her shoulder.

         Angel followed hot on Crystal's heels. He did not trust the ice, but he
knew it would be the quickest way over. Behind him came Lorne, then the Lewises,
and finally Prue dragging Piper along. Piper seemed to be wary of the bridge,
but Prue had no such reservations. She knew she didn't weigh anywhere near what
Angel weighed, and if it would hold him, she knew it would hold her.

         Angel found Jack's face and saw that he was no longer nervous. He
breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the battle had been adverted but wondering
why. Although they could see what had been going on, the only times that he had
had a clear understanding of what was happening was when the others had yelled
out their words. He had missed a lot of the encounter by being in the galley and
was eager to find out what was going on.

         Lorne did not like the ideal that Angel was between him and Crys but
knew better than to encroach on the territory. He'd just move as close as he
could to her after they got on the other side.

         The group was nearly across to the Pearl when two voices called to them
from the Witch. "Hey, wait for us!"

         Crys glanced over her shoulder and could barely make out the forms of
the orange catman she'd met earlier and a brunette stranger hopping onto the
bridge. "Looks like your husbands are coming for the ride," she called to the
catwomen before turning her attention back to the bridge. Reaching the Pearl,
she jumped down and immediately turned angry eyes to look for Jareth. It did not
take her long to find him.

         Jack was still talking to Jareth about the ship. He was very relieved
that the stench was gone and thanked Jareth for removing it. "I still don't
understand why you thought Elvira was being held against her will?" he asked.

         "You are Pirates, are you not?" Jareth coldly returned with a single,
cocked eyebrow.

         "Lighten up, Hot Pants," Delvira whispered to him mischievously, "or I
might just have to go ahead and pop those pants." She ignored the surprised look
he shot her and turned her attention to Jack. "We knew about the troubles with
Port Royal but didn't know things were going to come to a head so soon. We found
it destroyed when we got there and thought, at first, that Elvira was dead. If I
hadn't managed to think to check the crystal ball, we would have never known she
had lived, let alone was on your ship."

         "Unbeknownst to me, your sister was amongst a group of Witches that were
attacked this morning by the sanctified citizens of Port Royal. They had one
objective on their minds, and that was to burn the Witches. The Witches
attempted to sacrifice themselves. We lost some of them, but some were saved. We
couldn't leave them there, and so they were brought to our ships."

         "I didn't get to meet any of them, because I was away," Jack continued
to explain. "When I returned, we were still under attack. We fought our way
clear of that. It destroyed Port Royal and almost got us too. At that point, I
still had not met your sister, and her rescuer did not take the time to
introduce us." He glanced angrily over at Wolf. "He was too busy entertaining
her. I'm not going to go into detail there; you can take that up with him."

         "No need," Delvira started. It was Jareth's turn to interrupt her,
however.

         "If Elvira's sex drive is anything like Delvira's, I can assure you that
he most likely did not have a chance." He glanced questioningly over at Wolf. "I
only hope, for his sake, that he has more than one pair of pants."

         "Pants?" Jack questioned. "I keep hearing references to your pants. I
don't exactly want to know what happens to them, but most of us don't have extra
clothes." He looked at Wolf again. "I suggest you better get some while we're in
Tortuga."

         "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir, for not telling you." Wolf hoped Jack would
not stay mad too long.



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

         Xena had watched as the other group had passed over the ice bridge and
hoped it would stay strong long enough for Gabrielle and her to pass over. She
wanted to make a dignified entrance, so she didn't reach for one of the ropes.
Besides, that was one of the secret ways Jack had of getting from ship to ship
quickly that every crew member knew but did not want revealed to their enemies.
She didn't know if this man was enemy or friend yet, but what she had seen so
far made her definitely dislike him.

         Jack looked up as Xena and Gabrielle came across the bridge. "Your
Majesties, I'd like you to meet Captain Xena and her First Mate, Gabrielle.
Xena, Gabrielle, this is the King and Queen of the Goblins, King Jareth and
Queen Delvira."

         Xena immediately stared into Jareth's eyes. She'd always believed that
one could read a person by looking into their eyes, and against her will, she
liked what she saw in Jareth's. The man could either be a great ally or a major
pain in the butt. She hoped he would be an ally. "Pleased to meet you, Your
Majesties," she said. "That stench was awful. Thank you for removing it from our
ships."

         "It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain," Jareth responded with a polite
tilt of his head to acknowledge the two women. Glancing at Jack, he added
approvingly, "I always have found that it is best to be backed up by strong
women."

         "At least you did after you met me," Delvira teasingly corrected her
husband. Looking back to Xena, she continued, "We really do have to apologize
for that. It was all a misunderstanding."

         "Misunderstandings happen sometimes," Xena accepted with a nod of her
head. "I hope that, in the future, we will check it out before having hot
tempers. We should trust each other."

         Delvira had never been one to investigate a situation before jumping
full-force into it. Even as her mouth flew open, however, Jareth calmed her with
a gentle hand on her shoulder. He spoke before she could, his eyes returning to
Xena's, "Trust is a rare commodity and one that can only be earned, not given
freely."

         "True," Xena agreed. "We're Pirates. You're Goblins."

         Delvira's black eyes flashed, but Jareth gently increased his hand's
weight on her shoulder, successfully stilling her tongue just in time. "We are
not Goblins," he corrected Xena. "We are . . . well, not really human but
neither are we Goblins. We simply rule them."

         Xena corrected herself. "You're the keepers of the Goblins. Our people
have not trusted each other in the past. In the future, I hope to correct that.
We could make strong allies."

         Jack had hoped for that but had not been about to say it for he still
did not feel easy around Jareth. He found he liked Delvira very much and could
easily see why Wolf had been caught up with Elvira. Both women were not only
strong but carried themselves well. They reminded him of Xena.

         "That sounds like a very good ideal," Jack said, his voice trying to
rise an octave on him. "I don't know what's wrong with my voice today. I believe
I need something to drink, but we are all out of rum."

         Jareth raised a gloved hand into the air and snapped urgently.
"Hogwart," he called.

         "Hoggle," the Dwarf mumbled.

         Jareth ignored him. "Fetch a case of rum and be quick about it, Hogit."



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

         Cole had shimmered into the shadows on the Pearl. He heard the order
given for rum and wondered if he could get on the ship and get rid of it before
Hoggle got there. He attempted to shimmer aboard Jareth's ship but ran into a
force field that knocked him into the water.

         He hoped no one had noticed a glimmer of light hitting the water or
heard the splash. {Damn!} he thought. {How am I going to get that rum out of
here?! I'll have to watch when it comes aboard the ships and sneak it out from
under their noses.}



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

         Jack smiled. Was it going to be this easy to get some rum at long last?
He couldn't believe it! He felt like it had been the longest day of his life,
and he'd just about give his right arm to get one swig of rum! "Thank you, Your
Majesty. I can pay you for it if you wish. How much would you like for it?"

         Jareth was about to answer Jack when Hoggle returned, pushing a crate
that was nearly as big as he was in front of him. Jareth blatantly ignored the
Dwarf's sweating and grunting as he stooped and pried free a bottle. Standing
again, he turned his attention back to Jack as he opened the bottle. "Not
everything can be bought by money, Captain Sparrow," he informed him. "What I
require instead is a tour of your ship so that I may ascertain that your
accommodations for my sister-in-law meet my specifications."

         "I'll be glad to give you one," Jack replied, his mouth watering for a
taste of the rum. He wondered if Jareth was going to stand there and drink it or
give it to him.

         With his lips curled upwards into one of his trademark smiles, Jareth
passed the bottle to Jack. "Hogwart," he called down to the Dwarf, "pass the
bottles out amongst any who want them. Any," he added sternly, looking down at
Hoggle with a quirked brow even as Delvira retrieved two bottles, "from Captain
Sparrow's and Xena's ships." His attention returned to Jack as the Dwarf raced
about following his order.

         "Thank you very much, Jareth. May I call you Jareth?"

         The King inclined his head into a nod. "For now, at least," he began. "I
must warn you, however, that should I not like what I find . . . " He had been
raising one of the bottles to his own lips and stopped suddenly, staring at
something that was glittering on his glove.

         Jack saw the glitter even as he was about to lift a bottle to his lips.
"What's that?" He wondered what the heck had been left on the boat this time and
hoped it wasn't from the Bog.

         Gabrielle leaned close enough into Xena that she could whisper to her
lover without being overheard by normal ears. "Is it just me or does that look
like pink . . . "

         Before Gabrielle could even finish her thought, Delvira, who was peering
closely at her husband's black glove, exclaimed, "I swear that looks like tiny,
pink hearts!"

         "It looks like it is," Xena whispered back to Gabrielle. "It's been so
long! I had thought She might have forgotten about us."

         Jack peered anxiously at the dust. "So it seems to be, Jareth, and you
can call me Jack." He continued raising the bottle to his lips and took a swig.
What was wrong with it? It didn't taste like his regular rum. It must be
imported. He pointed the bottle towards Will, offering it to him.

         Will was about to accept the bottle when the memory of Wolverine's
announcement that Jack had a problem with rum stilled his hand. "Actually, I
think I'll pass," he told Jack, his eyes gazing questioningly into his
beloved's. "That stuff really isn't good for you."

         "It might not be good for you, but it does good things for you," Jack
said even as he took another swig. He wasn't about to give his bottle up to
anybody else. If Will didn't want it, it was his loss! The rum seemed to taste
better with the second sip. "Well, Jareth, I don't know what we have aboard.
I've heard rumors of a Fairy."

         Jareth shook his head. "I know Faeries," his gaze lifted to meet Jack's,
"and believe me, what left this is no Fairy. You either have or had a Goddess
aboard."

         Jack had just taken another sip and almost choked on it. "A Goddess?!
Why my ship?"

         Jareth paused, considering the question, but Delvira answered Jack
instead. "Besides Wolf and my sister, have you had any other sudden couplings?"

         Jack didn't rush into an explanation except to say, "Yes, ma'am, we
have. Some strange ones at that." He added the last at the memory of Phoebe and
Joxer's earlier antics.

         "Well, it would appear . . . " Delvira started.

         "That the Lady Aphrodite must have thought that you needed a little aid
in the romance department," Jareth finished for his wife.

         Angel, overhearing the conversation, informed them that he had just sent
Blue to fetch Captain Xena as there had been an incident in the galley
immediately before they had been sent into the Bog.

         Xena looked at him. "What kind of incident?"

         "Well . . . We had a couple attempting." He let his voice trail off.
"These two would not normally have attempted it. One or both may have even been
virgins," he whispered the last part.

         Lorne overheard Angel's statement about the virgin and blushed red.
"That's right, Angel!" he whispered to him so that only he should have been able
to hear him. "Tell the whole damn ship!"

         Elvira whimpered at that, and Crystal's gaze finally moved from Jareth.
She looked first at the wolf, and then her surprised gaze narrowed in on her
unsuspecting brother. "Angel!"

         "I didn't!" Angel protested. "I just told the King, Queen, and the
Captains."

         "Gotta remember," Elvira spoke up from where she was still encircled by
Wolf's arms. "I don't know how many of us do, but some can hear pretty damn
well." Her black lips twitched as she struggled to keep from laughing. "I know I
heard you loud and clear."

         "Sorry, Lorne, but I didn't name names. You gave yourself away. They
have to know. It was highly unusual. Then we all got knocked out. So if we have
a Goddess aboard, that would mean . . . " He turned to look at Xena and
Gabrielle. "You might know Her?"

         "We might," Xena admitted. "Then we might not."

         "Well, do you or don't you?" Jack asked.

         "Depends," Gabrielle put in. "Exactly which Goddess are we talking about
here?" Though she had heard Jareth name Aphrodite, she was still hoping to throw
them off. "I mean, there's Discord, Athena, Hera . . ." She was really beginning
to get started naming every Goddess other than Aphrodite when Jack broke her
off.

         "Well, we suspect Aphrodite. Isn't she the Goddess of Love?" Jack asked.

         "Yes," Xena said. "We do know her, but it's been a long time. I thought
She'd forgotten about us."

         It was Jareth's words and true smile that surprised the lot then. "Trust
me, madam; that Lady never forgets any lonely soul."

         "That's true," Xena admitted, "and She did come aboard both ships. If
you promise to be gentlemen, I will call Her and see if She answers."

         Jack nodded. "I promise to behave. I'd like to see a Goddess. She must
be something to behold!"

         Xena looked at Jareth. "And you?"

         "I would never do anything to offend Her. I . . . " he paused, glancing
at Delvira whose hand he took in the hand that had been freed when he'd placed
Salem back on the deck. "I thank Her every day of my life."

         Xena called out in a loud, clear voice, "APHRODITE, IF YOU'RE ABOARD,
PLEASE SHOW YOURSELF?"

         An expected hush fell over the crowd that was exploded into by a
scantily-clad, gorgeous blonde dressed all in pink and bubbling over with
laughter. Some of the Pirates fell on the ground and covered their faces for
they were too afraid to look upon Her. Jack stood, his feet planted firmly but
his mouth hanging open. He had really expected nothing to happen and that some
one had been playing a trick. Now that the beautiful Goddess had actually
appeared, he was so stunned that he could think of nothing to say.

         Xena rushed forward and hugged Aphrodite. "It's been so long, Ditey! Why
didn't you come before now?"

         "Well, you know how things are, Xena. I've been so busy! There's so many
wars going on and so many people killing each other; there's just not enough
love to go around!" She reached out, hugged Xena, and pulled Gabrielle to Her,
as well. "I really got to missing you girls, so I tracked you. I haven't seen
you since I helped you two to get together! There have been so many couples
after you, but you were always my favorite!"

         Jack finally got his mouth to working. "But why my ship? I can see
Xena's with your old friends, but why mine?"

         "Where do you want Me to start?" Aphrodite questioned him. "My seeing My
old friends, wanting to drop by for a visit, then realizing that their
anniversary is coming up next week, and I just couldn't let it go by without
doing a little something for them? Or maybe with a certain two men who are too
stubborn for their own good?" Her eyes met Jack's evenly as She said the last, a
teasing smile lighting up her face even more.

         Jack looked at Her again. This time, he dared to look straight in Her
eyes and had to look away. He didn't ask who the two men were. He figured She'd
tell him any way. "But what about the others?"

         "Well, Little Mister Chicken," she said, referring to Will who was
rather hiding behind Jack at the moment and was still far too shocked to do or
say anything, "and you aren't the only ones who are too stubborn for your own
good. I mean, really, there's Wolverine who doesn't trust any one, Angel and
Brendan who think they don't deserve any one -- oh, and those delicious hunks of
Demons too -- and that blonde who thinks every else is better off without her
and -- "

         Feeling that the babbling Goddess could carry on well into the night,
Jack knew he had to interrupt. "I'm sure the world's full of other humans who
are just as deserving as we are," he put in, "but why us?"

         "Because to be quite frank," Aphrodite returned, one hand on Her hip,
"out of the whole world, there's no other place with as many messed-up lives as
aboard these two ships." She shrugged and winked as She added, "And, besides,
none of the others would have mattered to My ladies here." She hugged Xena and
Gabby again.

         Xena returned Aphrodite's hug, as did Gabrielle. It was Xena who spoke
for the both of them, however. "It's good to see You! We've missed You! Come
over to our ship, and we can talk about old times."

         Jack didn't know what to say. Aphrodite had pinpointed them, and he had
to admit that She was right. "One more question. Does it wear off?"

         "Now you see that one's a bit tricky," Ditey started with a wrinkle of
Her nose. "Sometimes, yes; sometimes, no. But not this time. The pairings I've
helped to set up here would have happened with time regardless. I only sped
things up. After all, if it'd been left up to you boys, Will would have ended up
married to a woman and you would have wound up in Davy Jones' locker. And, yes,"
she added, feeling the surprise of those around her, "I do know some Pirate
talk, thank you very much!"

         "No, ma'am; thank You very much," Jack spoke reverently. "Without that
added push, I would never have had the courage to gain the one thing I wanted
more than anything else in life. I would have lost Will. Without him, life isn't
worth living." He reached around and pulled Will to stand beside him. "And I
won't have You thinking him a chicken. He's not. He's a very brave man. It's
just very hard to let the one you love know how you feel." He breathed a sigh.
"Thank you again. We won't let you down."

         "Oh, you better not," Aphrodite informed him with a grin, "because if
you do, I'll be back."

         He pulled Will closer to his side and kissed him in front of the Gods
and the world. His crew cheered, realizing that, at last, the two were together.
When he looked up again, Aphrodite was gone, taking Xena and Gabrielle with Her,
and Will had his eyes closed. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

         A sigh fluttered from Will's lips as he slowly opened his eyes and gazed
back up at Jack. "Oh, I'm much better than okay," he reassured him with a dazed
smile for his air had still not completely returned from Jack's kiss. "I should
have thanked Her, though."

         "You already did," Aphrodite's voice returned to them though She Herself
did not, "and Jack's right about another thing. You may act like a chicken at
times, but You're braver than even You know."

         "Oh, and I've a message for the little brunette who thinks She doesn't
need anybody." Faith's eyes whipped around her. She'd barely silenced herself in
time to keep the others from realizing that she, too, had cheered at the
realization that Jack and Will were finally together. She knew nobody except Lex
had heard her, so just what did this pesky Goddess want? "You do need them. You
say there's strength in killing, but there's more in love. One way or another,
you're going to find that out." Aphrodite's voice silenced as unexpectedly as it
had began, leaving Faith to glare around at the others.



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

         "Jareth, Delvira, I want you to meet my better half: Will Turner."
Before they went any further together, he wanted to know how they would react to
his love. That would greatly affect rather or not they would be friends and
allies in the future. If they did not accept Will, Jack wanted no part of them.

         Delvira smiled and started to speak, but Jareth beat her to it. With a
smile, he extended his hand to Will. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister
Turner." As he shook Will's hand, he added, "I only hope that the two of you
will find as much bliss in your union as I have with my Delvira."

         Jack grinned. This looked very promising for all of their futures!
"Shall we take that tour now?" he proposed.

         "In just a moment," Jareth replied. Without looking behind him, he
pointed a finger at Hoggle who had just opened a bottle of rum for no one other
than himself. "Hogwart, do you want to return to the Bog?"

         "NO, SIR!" the Dwarf screeched, releasing the bottle so that it rolled
across the deck.

         It stopped at Donkey's hooves. "Jackpot!" The excited word slipped from
Donkey's mouth even as he grabbed the bottle with his mouth and started to
drink.

         "Now you may spend some time with your cousin," Jareth informed Hoggle,
"but should I have any reason to complain over you, you will be returned to the
Bog posthaste, savvy?"

         "Yes, sir!" With that, Hoggle ran and Jareth turned his attention back
to Jack. He started to speak but stopped as he realized that he was being stared
at. He turned his head, and this time, his eyes met with a pair of angry, ice
blue eyes. "Am I going to have to send you back there again?"

         "Try it," Crystal seethed.

         Angel reached out and touched Crys' arm. "Crys, don't," he asked her
pleadingly. Everything had been going so well, and he couldn't bare the fact
that she was about to get thrown back to the galley again. "He apologized
already to the Captains."

         "I know," she returned. "To the Captains. I haven't heard one word -- "

         Jareth stopped her short. He had already taken in the men standing to
either side of her as well as the three animals that surrounded her. He did not
know their names so called to them instead by their species, "To the dragon, the
wolf -- Not you," he glanced at Wolf. "Hers," he added, looking back at the
lupine Elvira. "The cat -- er, lioness," he corrected, remembering the
catpeople. "And the two to either side of you. You each have my deep apo -- apo
-- apol -- Damn it, not again!"

         "He's trying to say he's sorry," Delvira explained for her husband.

         Crystal eyed him questioningly. "Precisely," Jareth agreed. Crys
hesitated, considering his words, then looked to those who were gathered around
her. If they accepted his apology, she would let it slide . . . this time.

         "Thank you, Your Majesty," Angel said followed quickly by Lorne's
thanks. Blue cooed, and Elvira nodded her head in acceptance. Cindy remained
silent, however.

         "Coo coo coo coo!" Blue quickly informed them.

         Delvira cocked her head to one side as she listened to the dragon. She
thought she understood what he was trying to tell them but was not certain.
Looking at the lioness, she asked, "Do you hate men?" Cindy nodded. "Then would
you please accept my apology," Delvira humbly requested, "from one woman who has
to keep her man straight to another woman who has to keep the men in her life in
line?" A catish smile spread over the lioness' face at that, and an audible sigh
of relief could be heard generating from more than one pair of lips.

         That was the first time Angel found out that Cindy hated men. He knew
he'd have to watch her in the future.

         Lorne thought, {If Cindy hates men, why was it Elvira that bit me in the
butt?} He'd keep his eye on that cat just in case. One never knew about cats.

         Jareth's eyes met Crystal's. "And, most of all, madam, I ap -- apo --
apol -- " He sighed. "You-know for having caused any harm to your family
whatsoever."

         She watched him warily, the denial that all were her family on the tip
of her tongue, but did not speak. Instead, she only nodded her acceptance.

         "Shall we continue on our tour?" Jack asked Jareth, hoping there
wouldn't be any more outbursts. He clung to Will's hand to make sure that Will
went with him.

         Will could feel Jack's nervousness but was not sure where it steamed
from. He entwined his fingers with Jack's in silent reassurance that he was not
going anywhere.

         Jareth turned his attention back to the Captain and his lover, his own
arm sneaking out to wrap around Delvira's slender waist and pull her closer.
"Yes, let's begin," he quietly corrected Jack. He hoped he would find the ship
to his liking as he already had its crew.

         "Before today, we were mostly males aboard the ship, and we had an open
sleeping quarters. As soon as we get to Tortuga, I am going to have my carpenter
get lumber and separate the quarters. If nothing else, the females will all be
together in one section. He's a very smart young man; I'll have to put it to
him. I am sure that there will be those who wish to share their sleeping
quarters with their partner, such as your sister-in-law, but hers will be the
first built. We have a group of four sisters who will be next on the list; they
definitely need to be protected." His voice trailed off, and the crew returned
to work.



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

         As the others left, Wolf released Elvira and moved to face her instead.
"We need to talk, but I must get my clothes first so that I can return Jareth's
cloak. Stay here, and I'll be back." Without another word, he headed off for the
crow's nest. He hoped that his clothes were still in tact.

         Elvira's words stuck in her throat as Wolf left her. She turned,
watching his departing back with sad eyes. She knew he was furious with her. She
shouldn't care, she told herself. After all, wasn't he just a good screw, even
if he was the best she'd ever had? Yet she did care, and her heart felt as
though there was a knife in it.

         Yipping met her ears, and she turned toward it to find Gonk racing at
her. She knelt and gathered him in her arms. "Hey, baby. Where've you been?" He
licked her face, but no smile crossed her black lips.

         "Mommy's screwed up again." Wolf had told her to stay, but even then she
was walking away from the spot he'd left her at, her eyes drawn to Jareth's
ship. "Maybe that's all this was: a screw-up." She looked questioningly down at
Gonk. "What do you think?" The poodle only stared at her in response, and she
sighed.



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

         Clark finally spotted Lex, and a smile came to his lips. Still holding
tightly to the children's hands, he walked toward him. "Lex, I missed you. What
in the world has been going on while we were napping?"

         Faith had still been standing next to Lex when Clark had called out to
him. She glanced at him as he approached with the kids, then turned her
attention to Lex. "I'll catch ya, Luthor," she coldly spoke. She was gone before
he could say one word. With the danger passed, her thoughts were already
returning to Dawson, and she had no intention of hanging around any one, let
alone children, until she could stop the annoying thoughts that seemed to be
eating away at all her common sense.

         Lex stifled a sigh. He wished there was something that he could do to
help Faith but knew from past experience that there really was not, at least not
yet. Turning his attention back to his lover and the children, he smiled. "Crazy
story," he answered with a grin. "Not really long but definitely crazy."

         "We had a bit of an accident when the spin happened," Clark told him.
"Sarah got sick, and I realized we haven't washed clothes in ages. I couldn't
find a single clean shirt! The kids only have the clothes they were wearing when
we rescued them, so I borrowed one of your shirts. I hope it was okay."

         "You should know it was," Lex reassured him with a gentle smile. He
knelt down and opened his arms to Sarah; she flew into them. "Are you feeling
better now, Sarah?" he asked her. She nodded. Lex was getting worried, because
no matter what he asked Sarah, she never said a word. He wanted to get Brendan
to check her out, but things had been happening too fast.

         He reached out and tousled Julian's hair. "Looks like you two need a
bath, as well. Actually, make that all of us," Lex said. He dared not smell his
pit for he couldn't remember when he'd had a bath last. Was that only yesterday?
It seemed like a million light-years ago!

         "I don't know anything about bathing kids," Lex admitted as he stood
back up, holding Sarah. "Maybe we can get one of the women to help us?" He knew
better than to ask Faith. She'd take them out and drown them. He glanced around
at the ladies who were still on deck. "Katrina, could I ask a great big favor?"

         "Sure, Lex." She liked the young man and would do what she could to help
him.

         "Could you teach Clark and me how to wash kids? We all need a bath, but
the kids need it really bad. Sarah was sick."

         "Tell you what, Lex. Let us take the kids for a while. You and Clark go
get a bath. I hate to tell you, Clark, but you really smell," she informed him,
her nose wrinkling in his direction. "We'll take the kids, and you can come get
them later." She figured that would give the boys a little time alone together,
something they both desperately needed.

         Clark nodded. He thought that would be a great thing to happen. "We
still need to learn how to wash them."

         "Tomorrow," Katrina assured him, hoping that Celina would have some
ideal, more than she did, about how to wash kids. Her sister had kittensitted a
few times, but she did not even have that much exposure to children. After all,
she had been a Starship Captain, and there had never been any kids on her
starship.

         Julian looked at the catwoman. "Pretty," he said as he reached out
toward her. She leaned down and picked him up.

         "Thank you, Julian. Let's go have some fun and get a bath." She thought
that sounded inane to even her own ears. Fun? Bath? There was no way that that
could be! She didn't like baths either.

         Celina smiled at Lex and held her arms out for Sarah. "We'll take good
care of them, Lex. Come and get them after you two are done. We'll have them all
nice and clean for you."

         "Thank you so much," Lex and Clark said together, "for everything." They
were both excited because, at last, they would get a chance to be alone.

         Katrina looked around for Tom and noticed that both he and Morph were
missing. "Figures," she said. "Neither one of our guys are anywhere around."

         "It would have been nice if they had at least got us some water!" Celina
complained to the air. The sisters headed off for the sleeping quarters. When
they got there, they were surprised to find two tubs of water and lit lanterns
waiting, yet there was still no sign of their husbands. They shook their heads
but turned their attention back to the children.



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

         It only took Wolf seconds to reach the top of the crow's nest, and he
picked his clothes up. Thankfully, the pants were in tact, but the shirt looked
as though it had blown apart from the inside out. Had he wolfed? He couldn't
remember. Elvira and he had had so many wonderful encounters that he didn't even
remember how many times they had actually done it. In fact, they would still be
up there doing it if Jareth had never appeared on the scene.

         Why did she not tell him that her sister was Helvira? Did she really
think he would not know who she was? He couldn't get over how close Delvira and
Elvira resembled each other. They were identical, even down to their scent, for
he had sniffed Delvira as he waited in front of Jareth. If those two smelled the
same, then he had to believe what Jareth said was true. Helvira was just as
identical to them as they were to each other.

         He wondered if Elvira had not told him simply because she was afraid
that he wouldn't want her any more. That certainly wasn't the case! Wolf thought
even as the mere ideal of her caused him to get hard once again. He angrily
tried to shake his feelings down. What if, in truth, she had turned out to be
Helvira instead of Elvira? She was a woman. Didn't she have to have sex, too?
Being the triplet of the other two, she would have an equally deep sexual
appetite.

         His voice had been scathing when he had talked to Elvira minutes before,
and it worried him. He hoped he had not hurt her so much that she wouldn't speak
to him, but he had to know why she had not told him. He had come very close to
betraying his Captain, something he would have rather died than to ever do. He
didn't want to lose Elvira.

         Gods, women were so complicated! Even when they burnt you up and put you
in Heaven one second, they burned you up and put you in Hell the next! He
wrapped the cloak around himself once again and dropped the shirt out of the
crow's nest to the deck. He began to descend.

         "Hey!" a voice called up to him in protest. "Watch where you throw those
things!" Brendan snatched Wolf's shirt off of his head, and his nose wrinkled as
it passed by his face. "When was the last time you had a bath, any way?"

         "Yesterday, I think. Sorry about falling on you earlier." He stepped
onto the deck, took his shirt, balled it up, and threw it into one of the
rubbish bins.

         "Wolf, I . . . " Brendan's nervous eyes skirted around the ship, looking
at anything but Wolf. "I need to talk to you . . ."

         "This sounds serious, Brendan. What can I help you with?" He looked at
Brendan. "I'll do anything I can." He wondered if something had turned up bad on
the tests Brendan had given him.

         "I need to know something, but I'm afraid it's very personal." He raked
a nervous hand through his thick hair before daring to look questioningly at
Wolf. "How . . . How do you do it?"

         Wolf thought for a minute. "How do I do what, Brendan? You seem very
upset. What's wrong? There's no one around that can hear, including Carl,
because I saw him heading off with his cousin a while ago. I don't smell anybody
besides us."

         "Well, it's sort of a long story or maybe . . . maybe not really . . . "
Brendan's words stumbled over themselves as he tried to explain his situation to
Wolf. "I . . . There's a . . . One of the new women aboard . . . She kissed me
today . . . "

         "I heard about that," Wolf interrupted, "and you wolfed. Jack had to
knock you out. I'm not surprised. You are a virgin, aren't you?" He looked
straight into Brendan's eyes, wondering if the kid would deny it or not.

         Brendan nodded. "I am. I never . . . I never thought I could . . .
you-know . . . without . . . without killing . . . eating . . . the woman . . .
but . . . you manage it."

         "Well, as you say, it's a long story. I, too, could not control myself
in the beginning, not until I met a very special woman. She was a very beautiful
Gypsy. I followed her everywhere in my man form, but my wolf form was drawn to
her, as well. On full moons, I lingered outside her tent, just smelling and
wanting her. I thought I would die of the want, but I dared not touch her. I
knew I'd eat her. That's what our kind are best known for. I didn't want to eat
her, not in that way."

         "She was aware of me, although I thought she was not, and she approached
the man part of me. She told me that the only way we could do it would be if I
got myself under control. Well, I had no clue as to how to do that, but she knew
everything."

         "She was my first lover. We had to be very careful and work on it
together. She chained me securely, and when I turned . . . " he paused for a
minute, " . . . she made love to me. Not the man part. The wolf part. Now you
would have thought that I would have ripped those chains apart and torn her limb
from limb, but I didn't. Even as we made it a second time, I changed from the
wolf into the man. We made love the rest of the night."

         "From that moment to this, I have had control." He looked at Brendan.
"It's what worked for me, kid. It will work for you, too, but the woman has to
be willing. She has to take charge without fear in her heart. There has to be
love."

         Brendan's skin was paled at the realization of what Wolf had just told
him, and his eyes displayed his fear clearly. He managed to keep his voice firm
when he spoke, however. "Thank you." He hoped that Wolf would not sense his
emotions but could not help them for now he knew the truth beyond any further
shadow of a doubt. Jack had been wrong, and he had been right. He could not ask
Prue to make love to his wolf; he could never allow it even if she would want
to. He could never place her in that kind of danger. He was going to be a wolf
forever, would never be able to be with Prue, and would die a virgin.

         Wolf looked at Brendan's head hanging down. "You don't think she loves
you enough to want to do your wolf, or do you not love her enough to ask?
Brendan, you can't just hang it up, and yes, I know what you're thinking for I
thought the same thing. She got me drunk, chained me, and took care of it all in
one night. We spent three days making love after that. I'd be with her now, but
I can't. If Prue loves you, she will gladly do it. You need to talk to her. Or
do you just want to throw everything away?"

         Brendan shook his head. "It is not that I want to throw everything away,
my friend," he explained, slowly raising his eyes to look into Wolf's, "but I
can not ask her to do that. Even if she would, I could not allow it. I will not
put her in harm's way, but . . . I do thank you for telling me."

         "There will come a time, Brendan, that you will not want to be anywhere
near her. And don't tell me it's there now. I'm a wolf just like you are. I know
what you're feeling. At that time, your desire for her will overpower you. I'll
know when it is for wolves can feel it in each other. I'll come and be with
you."

         "Any time you want to talk, you have but to approach me. We'll go
somewhere so that nobody can hear, but I want you to think this over. If you are
chained, you can't possibly hurt her, and although wolves are bigger than
humans, we're not anything that certain women can't handle. She might just be
one of those. Elvira certainly is." He clasped Brendan to him in a bear hug.
"Any time, day or night, Brendan, you need me, let me know. I've got to get back
to Elvira now. I said some angry words to her earlier. I'm looking forward to
making up with her."

         Brendan nodded in understanding though he already knew that he could
never allow Prue to make love to his wolf, not even with chains for there was
always a chance that they might break. Yet when Wolf spoke to him of Elvira, he
looked at him with questions in his eyes. "I'm confused," he admitted. "If you
want to be with the Gypsy, why are you with Elvira?"

         "My Gypsy was killed a long time ago by evil humans. I killed them. I
ran away and was being hunted by the townsfolk. They didn't care that Melinda
was killed. They thought nothing of her life, but the three that killed her were
leading townsmen. They wanted my head on a platter. Jack saved my unworthy hide
and brought me to the Pearl."

         Brendan smiled sadly at Wolf's words about Jack's rescue of Wolf's
"unworthy hide". He could not even begin to count the number of times he had
thought the same, but he knew that Wolf was worthy though he himself was not and
Jack would argue that they both were. "He's good at that," he agreed. He then
sobered. "I am sorry that you lost her, but thank you, Wolf." He again hugged
him.

         "I am sorry for the loss of her, as well, my friend, but I am very
thankful for her. She was one Hell of a woman. I have observed your Prue. I
think she is, too. Remember, if you need me . . . "

         Brendan nodded. "I'll howl."

         "And I'll run like the wind," Wolf said. He smiled at Brendan even as he
left him to seek for Elvira.



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

         Upon reaching their sleeping quarters, Lex looked around at the
disarray. Clothes were scattered everywhere. He picked up one shirt and smelled
it. Holding his nose, he said, "Phew! It has been a while since we've washed.
We'd better do that first as we may not even have a clean pair of pants to put
on."

         Clark nodded. Since leaving the others, he had fallen quiet. While they
had been with the kids, he had had to fight to keep in control of his emotions
and had managed to concentrate on them rather than what had happened, but now
all he could think of was the auction and the lives he had taken.

         Lex gathered the clothes up together into a pile and stuffed them into a
bag. Then he pushed Clark down on the bed. "We'd best talk here. The other
places might have people, and we have things that have to be said. Do you want
to talk first, or do you want me to start?" He turned Clark around slightly and
began to massage his back. He couldn't believe how tense he was.

         Silence reigned for a long moment before Clark finally admitted softly,
"I can't get it out of my head, Lex. I can't stop thinking about them, stop
hearing the screams . . . " He struggled to keep the tears in his eyes from
falling.

         "Don't take credit for all those screams," Lex softly chided him. "In
truth, you hit very few people. The rest of us were having a really good time
taking care of the jerks. The only one I actually saw you hit was the one that
was about to kill Will. Julian said you killed the ones that were trying to rape
Sarah. So you did nothing wrong, my love, but in fact, saved three very
wonderful people, none of whom would be alive now if you had not killed their
attackers." He continued to massage Clark's back. He felt his shoulders shake
and knew that he was fighting tears. He gently kissed him on the back of the
neck.

         "It's not right," Clark protested quietly. "I didn't want them to die,
Lex, but I didn't want to kill any one either. There had to have been another
way, but we didn't even get the chance to see if there was. And just what the
heck caused fire to come out of my eyes, any way?! What if it happens again?"

         Lex stopped massaging Clark and pulled his back up against his chest,
encircling him with his arms. "You know you have strange powers, Clark. When
they started kicking in, they weren't scary, just amazing. Each of them has been
a gift in what it can enable you to do. We don't know how many powers you may
have laying dormant in there, and we don't know when they're going to kick in.
This one caught us unawares, but it was needed just the same. There was no way
we could have reached any of those attackers in time to save Will and the kids.
Your speed might have enabled you to save one of them, but all three of them? I
don't think so."

         "You were never able to control any of the powers when they first kicked
in. Some of them were fun while learning how to use them, but this one is scary
as Hell. Don't let it make you think that I'm going to run out on you. I'm
always going to be here for you, Clark." Lex kissed the back of his head and
then turned Clark around to face him. "No matter what you do or even if you try
to make me leave you, I'm never going to leave you, and together we can face
anything, even your fire power."

         Clark's brain knew that Lex was right and that they could not have saved
the others if not for his fire, but his heart still refused to stop feeling
guilty for the deaths that he had caused. His teary eyes slowly raised to Lex's,
and he could see both his love and the truth of his words in his beloved's gaze.
He could also see his fear, however, and knew that he was just as scared as he
was. He raised a hand to gently cup his face even as he spoke. "Lex, fire isn't
something that can be played with. We both know that, and by Gods, I don't . . .
I don't want to cause what Lionel almost did. I never would willingly, but I
can't control it."

         He gently stroked Clark's face. It was a face he loved waking up to
every morning and hoped to for the rest of his life. "Clark, you're not going to
hurt the ones you love. I know that, and deep down, you know that. What my
Father did bothers me greatly. You know I lost my brother in that fire. You
would never do anything like that. I know it, but you have to know it in here."
He gently touched him on his heart. "Believe in yourself, Clark, as I believe in
you. Trust yourself as I trust you."

         "We will watch for the fire power together. It is something to be leery
of, but that doesn't mean that you can't get it under control. When we get to
Tortuga, we'll practice it away from others so that no one can get hurt. You
have to get to where you'll be comfortable with it and not fear it. Gods only
know what great miracles you might pull off with it." He brushed his hair back
out of his face. He kissed him gently on his forehead, then the tip of his nose,
and finally his lips.

         Even as Clark returned Lex's kiss in full, his lips parting under his so
that their tongues could spark a duet, he could not keep the fear from his mind
or heart. He knew that Lex believed in him just as much as he believed in Lex,
but to believe in himself was another thing entirely. He knew he would never
willingly hurt Lex or any of the others, for that matter, but he also knew that
he could not control his fire power. What if it kicked in, without warning,
while they were out here at sea? It could only spell their doom if it did.

         Lex had read many books in the past, and now, suddenly, in the midst of
kissing Clark, he broke off. "You remember that book I got in port last time?
The one about the blind guy who had the strange vision caused by heat and the
glasses that he had especially made for himself that shielded his eyes? Just a
thought, but Doctor Doom might be able to make you a pair. When I put the shirt
on you, your eyes quit shooting fire. The glasses might have the same effect.
It's worth a shot, don't you think?"

         Clark nodded. "I'll try anything." He had wanted some time alone with
Lex so desperately that his body ached for his lover's, but they also needed to
figure out something to do about the fire. It was then that another thought
occurred to him: What if his latest power kicked in during the midst of making
love to Lex? He paled at that thought and barely managed to keep his voice from
shaking as he asked, "Why don't we go find him and see what he thinks?"

         Lex, whose own body had been throbbing excessively from the lack of
Clark, whispered, "Later," and pushed Clark back on the cot. The cot was just
big enough to hold the both of them. He kissed Clark on both of his closed eyes
and then worked his way down to the first button on his shirt which he opened
with his teeth. He then kissed the newly exposed area.

         "Lex, maybe . . . maybe this isn't exactly . . . exactly the best time .
. . "

         "Any time's the best time, darling," Lex said as he worked the next
button loose. He couldn't tell yet if Clark's sword was rising to the occasion,
but his was so stiff that it was threatening to burst his pants. This time when
the shirt opened, he licked him.

         Lex's every touch was boiling Clark's blood ever more, but still his
fear persisted. He kept his eyes tightly shut even as his hands reached out,
groping blindly for any kind of cloth that he could tie around his eyes.

         Lex, realizing what Clark was trying to do, came back up to his lips. He
kissed Clark's eyelids again. "Open your eyes, beloved. I want you to look at
me. Believe what I am telling you. You're not going to hurt me. You're
exhausted; your power will not kick in now. Maybe when you've rested, and don't
think I believe you were napping this afternoon. You caught me talking to Faith,
and you backed up, didn't you, thinking I didn't see you? But I felt you. You
can't get near me, Clark, without my feeling you. You're in my blood. Your blood
calls to me, and mine calls to you. Don't you feel it?"

         Though Clark still refused to open his eyes, his right hand found Lex's
face, and he caressed him. "Of course I do! I love you, Lex, but I don't want to
risk hurting you!" A smile toyed with his lips, however, as he admitted, "And
you're right. I wasn't sleeping, but you needed time with her. If I'd made
myself known, she would have cussed us out and ran like the wind."

         He laid down beside Clark, pulling him into his arms. "I don't know why
she is like she is, Clark. She's her own worst enemy, but she cares about both
of us. She's helped us a lot in the past. She just doesn't want credit for it. I
don't know what to do to make you open your eyes, but you can't go around with
them closed all the time. You had them open on deck. Why won't you open them
now?"

         "Lex, when I . . . When the fire kicked in, it was because I saw that
guy about to kill you. I was desperate to reach you, and the fire came with the
emotions. What if . . . What if that's what triggers it?"

         "I think it's triggered by intense anger, so unless you're angry with me
about something, Clark, why would you fire at me? Are you mad at me?"

         His arm wrapped around Lex, squeezing him in a gentle hug to his side.
"I'm not mad at you, love," he reassured him.

         "Then open your eyes. I want to look into them when I make love to you."
He pushed Clark back onto his back and rose above him, still looking at his
closed eyes.

         "But what if it's not anger? What if it's any intense emotion?"

         "Trust me, Clark." He leaned down and kissed him. "If that was the case,
then it would have probably kicked in sooner. How many times have we touched and
the emotion not been so strong that it threatened to melt us? And how many times
have you been so angry that you felt like you were about to explode and yet felt
helpless at the same time?" He lay half on Clark and half on the cot, looking at
his eyes and willing them to open.

         Lex's words made sense, Clark realized. Every time Lex so much as
touched him, heat unlike any other shot through him, but although he'd also been
furious before, he had never felt both as angry and helpless as he had when he
had seen his beloved about to be killed that day. Could it be? Could Lex be
right and that was what caused it? He dared to lift his eyes slowly, sensing for
the heat that had rushed into them earlier that day. No sign of the hot feeling
that had encased his eyes when the fire had shot from them came, and eventually,
Clark found himself gazing back into Lex's beautiful eyes. A smile lit up his
face.

         Lex wanted to crow in triumph! Clark had opened his eyes! "Your eyes are
so beautiful, Clark; I get lost in them every time I look into them. The love in
them overwhelms me, especially knowing that it's all for me! It makes me feel
blessed every day; you make me feel blessed every day!" He leaned down,
reverently took Clark's lips gently at first, and then deepened the kiss as he
felt the heat rush over him.



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

         Elvira stood at the Pearl's railing, her haunted black eyes focused on
Jareth's ship, Delvira's Delight. Perhaps the best thing she could do was to
just go across? They could always drop her off at the next port.

         "Hey, baby!" a voice called to her. "Come on over!"

         "Yeah," another added, "we can play a game!"

         She glanced at the creatures that called to her in time to see a head
bobbing up and down in the air and grinning at her. "Come on, hot stuff!"

         She glared at them. "Go to Hell!"

         "Aw! Come on! That ain't the way to play!"

         Elvira growled at them, then tore her eyes away. Perhaps if she ignored
them, they'd go away. They continued to call to her, and Gonk began to bark at
them.



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

         The first thing Wolf heard was Gonk barking madly at something orange
bouncing up and down. The creatures weren't actually touching the ship, but they
were very close to it. They began to call to him. "Hey, man! Take off your head!
We can play!"

         "Take off your head," Wolf growled as he reached out, snatched one of
their heads, and threw it as far as he could. The rest of them raced madly after
it, trying to catch it. Turning back in the direction he had been headed, he saw
Elvira standing with her back to him and leaning on the railing. "Hey,
beautiful," he called to her. He kept walking toward her, hoping she'd turn
around.

         "Hello." Her tone was formal and tight, and she kept her eyes focused on
the other ship and her back turned to him. Gods, she should have just went ahead
while she'd had the chance! Playing with the Fieries would have been easier than
facing Wolf at the moment. She gathered Gonk more tightly to her bosom.

         He walked up behind her, slipped his arms around her, and nuzzled her
neck. "Forgive me, sweetheart, for being so grouchy earlier. I was puzzled why
you didn't tell me about your sister, and I felt that I almost betrayed Jack. I
don't want to lose you, Elvira!" There was a cry in his voice. "I love you!" He
nuzzled her neck again.

         Those three words caused her to jump away from him. She whirled so that
her back pressed against the railing, and her eyes looked at him in alarm.
"Whoa! Hold on right there, lover boy!"

         "Now what did I say wrong?" Wolf asked, reluctantly letting her go.

         She wielded Gonk between them as though the poodle was a shield. "Wolf,
I thought . . . I thought we were just, you know, bed mates . . . "

         "If that's what you want. I'll take you any way that you'll give
yourself to me, but I can't help what's in my heart." He looked at her
pleadingly like a lost little puppy.

         His gaze melted her, forcing the tenseness in her body to relax to the
point that she nearly dropped Gonk. How could he love her? she wondered. "You
barely know me," she choked out. "What makes you think you love me?"

         "Put the dog down. Come here," he directed.

         She looked at him suspiciously. She lowered Gonk gently to the deck but
did not step any closer.

         He stepped closer to her instead, reached out, took her hand, and placed
it on his heart. "Do you feel that? It hasn't beat that well for a long time. In
fact, I thought I might even be dying until I met you. You make every part of me
alive. Every part of me wants you." He lowered her hand so that she could feel
his sword. "How could I not love you? You make me want to live and love again."
His eyes connected with hers, and he tried to send the love he was feeling for
her through his gaze.

         Her hand felt the bulge of his mighty sword through his pants. Perhaps
she could distract him? she wondered. Take his mind away from all this insane
talk about love? She started to caress him, but her fingers froze as he gazed at
her with such adoration in his eyes. No man had ever looked at her that way
before, and his gaze shot straight to her heart. "Wolf, I . . . I don't . . .
know what to say . . ."

         He lifted her hand and kissed it. "Why are you so afraid of some one
loving you? You're very easy to love. I never get enough of you." He could not
believe the heat surging through his body nor that his sword still wanted
Elvira. They had been doing it all day, and yet it was ready, willing, and able
to go again!

         "Wolf, I've never . . . never really had a steady man in my life.
Actually, I've never had any one steady in my life except for Delvira and Gonk.
Look at me," she told him. "Yes, I'm beautiful, but I'm also a ghoul. They get
or take what they want, and then, when they no longer want me, they run like
Hell or . . . or . . . " Her voice trailed off, and her eyes dropped from his,
turning instead to the deck.

         "Or what?" he asked, his eyes still locked on her luscious body. "What
happens to them?"

         "There was one once. We'd been at it for a while, but I didn't realize
that he was . . . that he had it as bad for me as he did. He . . . He asked me
to marry him, and I told him I didn't know, that I had to think about it. When I
got home the next morning, he was . . . he was in my bed. He was . . . He was
dead, Wolf." Tears clouded both her vision and words. "And that's when I first
met Helvira."

         "She killed him?" he questioned. "I've met her before on several
occasions, and none of them were very pleasant. I was with Jack when he took
Brendan away from her. She almost killed Jack, but I managed to divert her
weapon. I got this for my efforts." He pointed to the scar that was on his right
breast. "It was an awful wound, but Jack stayed right with me and doctored me.
He had his hands full, because he had Brendan and myself and we were both out of
our heads. I'm not scared of the bitch for myself. I'm scared of her hurting
Jack or Brendan again. I was kind of . . . startled to find out that she was
your sister. Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I'd turn against you?" He
held on to her, knowing that she would run from him if she could.

         "Wolf . . . " Slowly, her eyes raised to met his again, and questions
shone past her tears that did not fall. "Wolf, if you met her before, why didn't
you think I was her? We look exactly alike. We smell exactly alike. She's
tricked many into thinking that she was us. Mack thought that she was me; she
screwed him before killing him. She even tricked Jareth and almost succeeded in
not only killing him but taking over his Kingdom, as well."

         "Maybe because of Gonk -- no four-leggers will get anywhere near her --
and maybe because the wolf in me could tell that you were not her? The spark in
you wasn't the same. All the others she's messed with are basically human to
begin with. Only Brendan and I were different. If he had met you with Gonk, he
would have known that you were not her, but Gonk was nowhere to be seen at his
first sighting of you."

         Wolf looked around for Gonk and noticed that he was sitting by Elvira's
feet. "Thank you, Gonk, for bringing my lady to me."

         "Now how I will tell you apart in the future, if Gonk's not around, I
don't know. Maybe we need some kind of special message for each other, and when
we meet, we whisper it to each other so that no one else knows what it is? What
do you think, love?"

         She was still puzzled. "That's sort of what Jareth and Delvira use now,
so it'd probably work. But didn't you even think about her when you saw me? You
keep wondering why I didn't tell you, but how was I supposed to know that you
knew her? You could have mentioned her just as easily as I could have."

         "I pretended that you didn't look like her, that you were just you. I
didn't think that you had anything to do with her nor that it was possible that
she could track you down. She's always hunting for Jack, so I would not have
been surprised if she had appeared behind or near him. If I had let my brain
take over, I would have probably ran away from you just in case you were her,
but I knew that Gonk would not be hanging with her and he seemed to be glued to
you when I found you. I also knew that she would not be amongst the Witches
needing rescuing. In fact, she was at the auction; Jack fought with her again
and took her heart."

         She nodded. "I heard him telling Jareth about that. Wolf, I swear, if I
had known you knew her, I would have said something, but I didn't! I had no way
of knowing, and really, what am I supposed to do, go running around and telling
everybody I meet that hey, knowing me could get them killed?"

         "Let's put it behind us, darling. I have no intention of you running
around telling anybody anything about that bitch. I do want to introduce you
properly to Jack, though. I don't want him to be drunk one night, spot you, and
think that you're Helvira. He'd kill you before I had the chance to defend you!
Gods, you're beautiful!" He breathed in her scent. "How could something so awful
as your sister be so like you? Was it a spell or perhaps a curse? What did your
parents tell you?"

         "Nothing," she said with a shake of her head. "Wolf, Delvira, Helvira,
and I are the only ones left of our family or, at least, we are as far as we
know. We didn't even know . . . Well, Delvira and I didn't even know about each
other growing up. I don't know when Helvira learned of us."

         "You're orphans?" he asked. "You're all Sorceresses. Perhaps your
parents were in danger and broke the three of you apart to protect you. Whoever
got a hold of Helvira must have been evil and raised her to be evil." He held
her close to him, so close that he could feel her heartbeat against his. It was
much slower than his. He didn't know if that was because he was a wolf and his
heartbeat was faster than humans or because she was half-Vamp, but he did know
that her heartbeat reassured his own heart.

         "Now, sweetheart, we're going to put your sister into the past. I'm
going to put you and what you're feeling now in the present. I need to know how
you feel about me. You reacted so strangely when I said I love you that you must
not feel that way about me, so I want you to tell me what our relationship is to
be."

         There was a long pause before she finally spoke again. "Wolf, I . . . I
don't think I can do that, because I don't know myself. Like I told you before,
I've never had any one steady in my life except for Delvira and Gonk. I'm not
saying I'm a virgin, because I'm not. Gods know I've been around, but it's never
been as good as it is with you and I've never really felt anything deeper than
just the basic Hey-I-like-you-let's-screw-each-other's-brains-out before. But
with you . . . " She raised her eyes to gaze into his. "There's something
different, something I've never felt before, and I don't know what it is."

         "Do you want me to go away?" His words stumbled out.

         "No!" The exclamation slipped from her lips before he had even finished
his last word. "It'd probably be safer for you, but no. I just . . . I don't
know what's going on here." Her pale forehead creased with confusion. "Just the
thought of you burns me, but I feel for you too."

         "Just the thought of you burns me, as well, my love. I'm not going
anywhere, not unless you tell me to. Then it won't be far. I was not a virgin
when we met today. I was in love once, but she was killed. I have not actively
pursued females. I never felt comfortable with it until we had what we had
today. We fit perfectly, as though our bodies were made for each other. I feel
very uncomfortable and my skin itches when I'm away from you, but the closer I
get to you, the more it centralizes into one big itch that only you can scratch.
In fact, I'm itching for you now, but I don't want to rush you. I feel as though
I should be satiated and worn out, but I just can't seem to get enough. Yet
we've cum together every time. You fulfill my every need. You fill me with more
heat and passion than I've ever felt before. I fear that if I lose you, I will
shrivel up and die for after having lived with you in my arms, only death would
await me should I lose you." He nibbled her ear.

         Elvira had never been good at talking about feelings or even considering
them for that matter, but now, for Wolf, she tried. "Wolf, when you were angry
with me earlier, I -- I thought I'd screwed up. I do a lot of that, and I don't
usually care. I'm a woman who tells the world to go to Hell unless I want
something from it at the moment. But . . . A while ago, when I thought
whatever's building between us had been lost, it hurt like a . . . like a knife
driven deep in my heart. I don't know what's going on here. I don't know what
these feelings are, but I know I don't want to lose you."

         "Shall we go to the crow's nest, darling? I don't want to share you with
the world, but I do want to swim within you again. I want to dive so deeply into
you that we are totally one!"

         She smiled at him even as she slid closer, her hips cradling and sliding
against his sword. "Then you'd better hurry, lover," she whispered against his
lips before taking them with her own. Her black nails dragged warningly against
his pants.

         "Wrap your legs around me; I'll carry you up," he murmured against her
lips.

         Without wasting a single word more, she jumped up, her long legs
entwining around his waist. Her lips left his to begin a trail of heated kisses
down his neck.

         He leaped toward the rigging and began pulling them towards the crow's
nest. Each time he moved upward, his sword surged against her and grew even
larger.

         As they tumbled into the crow's nest together, Elvira's fingernails
again found his pants. This time, there was a popping sound. Freed from the
fabric, Wolf's sword sprang home.


Chapter Thirty-three
         Piper stood in front of the shorter table that stood before two long
tables in the galley, her hands on her hips as she thoughtfully surveyed what
was set out before her. The plates, silverware, and napkins, which she had had
an extremely hard time indeed in locating, waited at the beginning of the table
while the bourbon chicken started the actual meal. Next in line were the strips
of fried potatoes followed by the baked beans, biscuits, and cornbread. An
assortment of pies finished the line-up. Everything looked appropriately
delicious, and she could still see the steam rising off of the food. She shook
her head in silent amazement at the remembrance of how Crystal's ice had kept
the food safe and her dragon had then heated it back up. She glanced over at
Lorne and Crys where they were busily fixing drinks on one of the counters. "How
are we coming?"

         Lorne counted the drinks. "We're almost there, Miss Piper. In fact, you
could go ahead and ring the bell. It's over by the door."

         Piper nodded and was about to walk over to the bell when Joxer rang it.
He grinned at her. "You don't know how long it's been since I got to do that!"

         "I thought you were one of the cooks before?"

         "I was, but they never came when I rang so I gave up on the bell and
figured they'd show up when they finally got hungry enough."

         Piper did not speak again, but her gaze turned silently to focus on the
door. She hoped they would come this time and, more importantly, that they would
like the dinner she and the others had created.



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

         Autolycus had ran as far and fast as he could after getting away from
Xena. He felt lucky to be alive. He reached the place where he had hidden the
girls and pulled the canvas back. Still scared, they were huddled under it
together. "The Captain wants to see you ladies," he informed them. "Did you keep
my money safe?"

         The blonde nodded, but the brunette told him, "Yes. We haven't left from
under here." She was watching him with an odd expression, but Autolycus
dismissed it as fear.

         "We didn't think you were ever coming back," the redhead cried.

         "Well, I had a lot to do," he admitted, "and I got into trouble several
times. Since I didn't reveal your whereabouts, the Captain demanded that I fetch
you." He gathered up the bundles that contained coins and other loot and told
the girls to come with him. He was leading them to where he knew Xena had waited
when he heard the bells. He looked around in puzzlement. The bells never went
off unless there was a fight. At least, they had not in a long time. Were they
under attack? He looked around but didn't see anything. The girls huddled so
close to him that he could hardly move without bumping into one of them.



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

         Jack was in the midst of a discussion about his plans for redoing the
sleeping quarters when the Witch's bells went off and he snapped to attention.
What in the world?! Were they under attack? His hand reached immediately for his
sword, but a quick surveyance showed him that there were no other ships around.
It could only be one thing: the dinner bell. It had been such a long time since
he'd heard it that he had not recognized it. "I believe dinner is served, Your
Majesties."

         Jareth nodded. "Perhaps we can continue the tour later tonight after
you've eaten?"

         "You are welcome to stay to dinner. We have a new cook, and Gods know I
hope she's great! I can't remember the last time I ate anything that was good!"

         Jareth's eyes widened in surprise, and he interrupted Will without
realizing it. "Are . . . Are you sure?" he asked softly. The thought of being
allowed to sit down to a meal prepared by human hands astonished him.

         "But of course, Your Majesty," Jack replied with a smile. "You are more
than welcome to stay. It would be a pleasure to have you."

         Jareth's smile lit up his face, and he squeezed Delvira with an
eagerness that she knew, for a change, had nothing to do with their cabin. "That
would be wonderful! Even if she can not cook as well as you are used to, I know
it will undoubtedly be far better than anything I am used to! You have no ideal
what having to eat goblin food is like!"

         "You have no ideal what it's like to eat food cooked by Joxer and
Autolycus, either. It's not fit for human consumption, so anything Miss Piper
can cook should be fine."

         Will spoke up at that time. "I saw her appetizers, and if the rest of
her food tastes even half as good as they looked, we're in for a treat." He
smiled.

         "Why didn't you eat some of them?" Jack asked him.

         "I saved two, one for each of us," Will explained rather sheepishly,
"but . . . well . . . you know what happened when I went to wake you up . . . "

         "Oh," Jack said with a solemn look on his face.

         Delvira's black eyes passed from one to the other as she wondered if
they were having trouble in the bedroom. "Anything we can help with?"

         "Huh . . . No," Jack answered. "We . . . just sort of discovered each
other and didn't get around to anything before the Bog, food or otherwise. We'd
better hurry. The crew are starving; they'll be like pigs to a trough!"

         Will shook his head, remembering the lady he'd met earlier that day.
"She certainly won't know how to deal with that."

         Jack led the way as he almost ran to the galley. He had seen his men in
a hurry before when it came to something good to eat and knew that they would
not be thinking of anything but putting food in their stomachs. He hoped they
didn't panic Miss Piper.



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

         Shadows filled the sleeping quarters of the Sea Witch. The only light
came from the flickering wicks of the lanterns that circled the tubs at safe
distances. Four hands reached out from the shadows. Winks were exchanged as
fingertips came closer to two pairs of slender shoulders. They could practically
feel the women already, but it was then that the bells shattered the quietness.
Tom released an alien curse before he could stop himself, and Morph's fist hit
the air instead of grabbing his wife. "Not again!"

         The Lewis sisters quickly dried the children and slipped them into clean
shirts. Katrina had been surprised when she heard Tom almost on top of her; it
was the first time he had managed to get that close without her total awareness
of his presence. "Thanks, guys, for helping get the water. Maybe you should go
and check out what we're fighting now? We've got to find somewhere to hide the
kids so they'll be safe. We'll join you as soon as we can."

         Tom glanced at Morph, knowing that his friend was barely keeping from
bursting out from irritation, and quickly returned his attention to Katrina and
Celina. He nodded. "See you above, love." Grabbing Morph's wrist, he pulled him
with him towards the deck.

         The very moment the men burst out above, Morph nearly exploded. "Damn
it! We're never going to get them to ourselves today!"

         Tom glanced at him. "I'm just as frustrated as you are, but they
wouldn't like it."

         "Just what the heck is going on?" Morph demanded, glaring out at their
surroundings. The realization that the day was practically gone and they had yet
to get any quality time alone with their wives did nothing to help his mood. "I
don't see anything!"

         Tom's keen eyes could not produce any sign of danger, either. He shook
his head in confusion. "There isn't anything." It was then that he caught sight
of Brendan flipping over onto the Witch. "Where's the emergency?" he called.

         "Food!" the hungry Werewolf shouted back at him.

         Tom shot the thought to Katrina even as he and Morph sped after Brendan.



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

         Carrying the children, the Lewis sisters raced for the galley. Even if
they didn't get something to eat, the children needed to be fed. Katrina noticed
that the rest of the Pirates were also running for the galley.



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

         Lex was lying, just holding Clark as his lover's head rested on his
chest, when they heard the bells going off. "Damn! We're under attack!" he
muttered.

         Clark tensed. "The children -- " he started but stopped as quickly as he
had began. His muscles relaxed as his ears caught Brendan's shout to Tom and
Morph, and he couldn't help laughing.

         "Baby, what's wrong?" Lex cried, worry sounding in his voice. Had Clark
finally flipped? "Please tell me what's wrong! What's so funny?"

         Clark turned his head so that he could look up into Lex's worried eyes.
His own shone with merriment. "It's just the dinner bell!"

         "Thank Gods!" Lex said, breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Let's go
get something to eat. I can't remember when I ate last, and if you and I are
going to have some more time together, I need something for energy."

         Clark's eyes sparkled at that. "Then we'd better get moving . . . even
if I would rather dine on your lips." He whispered the last part of his sentence
against Lex's lips before taking his beloved's sweet mouth with his own.

         Lex reluctantly broke off the kiss, pulling Clark out of bed. "We'd best
go, or there won't be anything left to eat when we get there." He kissed Clark
one more time before quickly pulling him along toward the galley.



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

         Piper had still been gazing worriedly at the door when it suddenly flew
open with such force that Joxer was thrown into the wall. "Sweetheart!" Phoebe
screeched, trying to rush to his side but being unable to make it there for the
Pirates that poured through the door. "Get out of my way!" she told them as she
pushed against the sea of bodies.

         "Watch it, bitch!" Faith snapped as she felt a hand push against her.
"Touch me again, and you'll lose it!"

         Phoebe ignored her as best she could as she finally broke through.
"Joxer, are you okay?!"

         "I am . . . now that you're here . . . What happened?" He was still
having trouble breathing from being knocked into the wall. "I've never seen
anything like it!" he declared, shaking his head.

         "That." Phoebe pointed to the Pirates that were converging on the table
of food like vultures to carrion. Then turning back to Joxer, she reached out,
took him into her arms, and cradled him.

         Piper could not believe her eyes. She tried to back away, but at just
that moment, an elbow collided with her breast. "Sorry," some one called to her
even as Faith's mouth again flew open.

         "Who the Hell left these here?" she demanded, picking up a pair of boots
that she had tripped over, sending her sprawling into the man who had knocked
Piper in turn.

         "Huh . . . Me?" Crys quietly spoke up. "Sor -- "

         "Well, watch where you strip next time, bitch!" Faith's eyes blazed at
her even as she tossed the boots toward the blonde.

         Piper had just been recovering her balance when a footless boot
connected with her knee. She fell back a second time, but this time, she found
herself unable to catch her balance.

         Cole had barely shimmered in to a world gone mad when he saw Piper come
hurtling back toward him. He managed to catch her. He yelled at the top of his
lungs, "STOP THIS MADNESS! STOP BEHAVING LIKE PIGS!" His voice went unheeded. He
was about to get on the table and yell again when Wolverine did just that.

         Wolverine jumped onto the one of the eating tables and yelled, "YA
SCURVY BILGE RATS, STOP ACTIN' LIKE ASSHOLES! THERE'S ENOUGH FOOD TO GO AROUND
FOR EVERYBODY, AN' YOU'VE DONE HURT THE COOK!" He was even more furious with
them than he would have normally been for he had heard Ororo's gasp and seen the
emotions in her eyes when her goddaughter had been injured. "STOP IT AND BEHAVE
OR YOU AIN'T GETTIN' ANYTHIN' TO EAT!"

         Brendan looked up at Wolverine's yell. A surprised whimper came from
around the chunk of cornbread in his mouth. Just what had happened? He hadn't
noticed anything, only the food.

         It was at that moment that Jack entered the galley. He was surprised at
the chaos, never expecting his crew to act like animals. "WHAT'S GOING ON
HERE?!" he demanded. "THE NEXT ONE OF YOU THAT CHARGES THAT TABLE LIKE A MANIAC
ISN'T GETTING ANYTHING TO EAT! THERE'S PLENTY OF FOOD FOR EVERY ONE, AND THERE
WILL BE ORDER IN HERE OR YE SHALL WALK THE PLANK, SAVVY?!" He glared around at
all of them, embarrassed that Jareth should see this display of idiots.

         To both Jack and Will's utter surprise, Jareth, having taken in the
scene, threw his head back in deep laughter. He quieted when he caught their
looks but explained, "I always thought goblins were the only beings to act like
that around food."

         "Apparently not, Jareth. Pirates do the same thing, too. You owe the
cook an apology!" he said to the crowd. "The rest of you, get in line." He felt
like a father having to scold children. "And, Wolverine, get off the table!"
What in the Hell was wrong with them?! Was everybody starving to death as badly
as he was? Still, that was no reason for poor manners! He watched as the crew
slowly got into line and turned baleful eyes on Piper, who was still huddled
against Cole. Cole held on to her, not just because he liked the feel of her in
his arms but also because he wanted her to feel safe.

         Like the others, Faith had fallen into line, but unlike them, she had no
intention of apologizing to any one. As it was, her anger had risen to such a
point that she gripped the plate she held with whitened knuckles.

         "Sorry, Miss Piper," the rest of the crew spoke as one. "We didn't mean
to act so . . . "

         "Churlish," Wesley interjected.

         Piper was about to answer them, though she was still glad for the safety
of Cole's arms around her, when a massive roar sounded, echoing in the still
galley. "What the Hell?!" Faith screeched, having found a lioness a mere inch
away from her side. Her hand itched for her knife, but she knew the big cat
would be able to lunge before she could. Besides, she didn't want to kill a cat.
"Who brought this thing?!" Cindy roared again and stepped closer to Faith.

         "Faith, apologize," Angel told her. "The cat belongs to Crys, who you
insulted."

         "Like Hell!" Faith snapped, bringing yet another angry growl from Cindy.
The lioness quickly closed the distance between the girl and herself, licking
her lips as she did so. "Fine! I'm sorry!" Now even more furious, Faith turned.
Slamming the plate down and elbowing past Jack, she stormed out.

         Cindy started to follow, but Crystal's quiet voice stopped the lioness
in her tracks. "Cindy."

         As the lioness padded silently back over to her mistress and the crew
breathed a collective sigh of relief, Piper turned her attention back to them.
She was nervous about addressing them, but the reassurance of Cole's arms around
her gave her the courage. "Thank you for the apology, gentlemen and ladies." She
wanted to say more but held her tongue even as she wondered if they would like
the food and hoped they would.

         Jack picked up a plate and began to help himself slowly from the table.
It all smelled and looked delicious. He walked over to the end of the empty
table and sat down, waiting for the others to join him. He looked up at the line
to see what was holding the others. Jareth and Delvira were headed toward him,
but Will was at the end of the line. Jack did not like that. He thought he
should have grabbed him and would the next time. He'd have to speak to Will.
Will would have to be more assertive if he was going to take his place beside
Jack in the men's eyes.



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

         Prue had stationed herself beside the desserts to make sure that no one
got into them before every one had a chance to have something to eat. She smiled
at the men but continued to hold her wooden spoon. If any of them got after the
pies, she'd hit them.

         Brendan reached the end of the table only to find himself faced with
pies that looked so delicious that they made his mouth water and the very woman
who he had been trying to avoid and who now wielded a spoon as if it were a
weapon. His eyes widened as he looked at her in innocent surprise.

         "Doctor Richards," Prue addressed him, "you can't have pie until you've
eaten everything on your plate. Pie is a reward for cleaning your plate." She
smiled at him.

         Her smile brought a faint smile to Brendan's own lips. "I assure you,
madam, that will not be a problem."

         It was then that a voice piped up from somewhere behind Brendan's knees.
"That ain't fair!" Carl complained.

         "It might not be fair, Carl," Prue returned, looking at him, "but
there's enough pie to go around and unless I see a clean plate, you're not
getting any." Secretly she planned to find out which pie Brendan picked; she was
going to hide a whole pie just for him. "Now go eat your food like a good
Gnome."

         Carl glared up at her. "It better be better than Joxer's!"

         "Don't look at me like that; I didn't cook it," Prue told him. "Piper
did, and everything Piper cooks is a feast."

         Brendan watched Prue quietly. "Did you not cook a single thing here,
milady?"

         "Yes," she admitted, her eyes turning back to his, "the cornbread. It's
the only thing I know how to cook."

         His smile dared to grow even as his eyes met hers. "I thought I smelled
your scent on it, and it is quite delicious." His thumb brushed over what
remained of his first piece of cornbread. The innocent motion sent shivers down
Prue's back as she imagined his hand on her skin instead.

         Behind Brendan, Carl rolled his eyes and, with a muttered oath, walked
off. Werewolves in love! What was next?! It was then that he caught sight of the
redhead and nearly dropped his plate.

         Paige was trying very hard to be a lady and not look at the Pirates as
they trooped slowly by the table, but when her eyes finally caught sight of the
little fellow, she knew any hope of maintaining her act was lost. She'd already
had a Leprechaun and wondered how different a Gnome would be. There was one
thing Paige would never go for, and that was an ordinary man. There had to be
something mystical about them, or they simply weren't exciting enough to rise
her blood!

         Carl stared at Paige. Was she actually looking at him? He glanced behind
him but didn't see any one.

         Paige continued gazing at him, touched her tongue to her top lip, and
licked it.

         Carl barely managed to silence his groan even as he shot up. He started
to hurry towards her but was stopped by a quiet voice. "Do you think she'd
mind?"

         "Huh?" Carl turned his head to find Hoggle looking at him with questions
in his eyes. "She's not looking at you! She's looking at me!"

         "Who's looking at you?"

         "Paige!"

         Hoggle shook his head. "Carl, I've told you before. If you can actually
get them in the bed, go for it. But I was talking about the food."

         "Oh." Carl glanced at Piper. "Well, you could go ask her."

         Prue had overheard their conversation and told Hoggle to get a plate and
that the food was for everybody. Her eyes glanced over toward the table where
Jack sat with the King and Queen. "Maybe you'd better hide under the table with
it," she suggested, "to save the fireworks display?"

         Hoggle nodded. "That's a good ideal, ma'am. If he knows I'm getting to
eat as well as he is, he'll send me right back to that awful Bog!"

         "I should hope not," Prue whispered back to him. "Come on the back side
of the table; he won't see you there."

         The cousins were grinning as Hoggle eagerly trotted after Prue and Carl
continued on toward Paige.



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

         Jack closed his eyes as he savored the first bite of his bourbon
chicken. He had had it once before and thought it heavenly, but this was even
better than that time in France. He chewed quietly and only opened his eyes when
he felt some one standing beside him. Had Will finally got there? He glanced up
to see Crys smiling down at him and holding a tray. "Ma'am?" he asked.

         "You forgot your drinks, Captain," Crystal told him politely. "Would you
prefer coconut or vanilla?"

         "Gods, that's a hard decision! Can I have one of each? Maybe you could
leave one of each for Will, too, if it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

         She nodded and was setting the drinks down even as Will's name tickled a
memory in the back of her mind. "That wouldn't be the gentleman with the donkey,
would it?"

         "Yes, ma'am, he does own a donkey. In fact, it's the only donkey aboard,
and that's him," he said, pointing at him with his fork. "The man at the end of
the line. I'm going to talk to him about that," he reminded himself.

         Her gaze followed his gesture, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise
at the realization that he had been the one she had used the crystal to heal
earlier that day. "Thank you, Captain," she managed to speak, returning her
attention to Jack but not without a silent reminder to herself that she'd have
to have a word with the lad later. "I hope you'll enjoy your drinks. I realize
they're a bit . . . unusual, but the rest of the crew seems to like them." She
could not help smiling at the memory of how her treats had been taken to.

         Jack took a sip first of the coconut and then the vanilla. The tastes
seemed to agree with each other, and he looked up and smiled at Crys. "Maybe you
could mix the two? They taste great separately, but I think they'd taste even
better together."

         "I'll try that next time, sir."

         "Thank you, Miss Crys."

         She nodded and turned her attention to Jareth and Delvira. Blue's wings
shifted warningly from where he sat on her shoulder, reminding her of her
manners. "Your Majesty," she spoke, first addressing Jareth, "which would you
prefer?"

         "Could I perhaps have two, one of each?" Jareth asked. He had been
fighting desperately not to swallow his food whole. It was better than anything
he'd ever eaten, and he wanted it to last for he was afraid there wouldn't be
seconds.

         "Of course, Your Majesty." She set two in front of him before turning
her attention to his wife. She studied her pale skin and the signatures she
picked up from her before asking quietly, "You need something a bit . . . more
special, don't you?"

         Delvira returned the blonde's intent gaze. How did she know? she
wondered even as she nodded. "If it would bother you, however, I can have Hoglet
fetch me some."

         Crys shook her head. "Not at all, Your Majesty. I'll return shortly."
With that, she stepped backwards away from the table and, keeping her back as
much pointed towards the wall as she could, headed back to the counter where
Lorne and Angel awaited her. Looking first to Lorne, she told him, "We're going
to need about three more."

         "Sure. No problem," said Lorne.

         "Sis," Angel called to her, "I'm about to go up and watch the deck for a
while. I wish I could partake of this feast, but you know I can't and it bothers
me to watch the others eat it. Besides, somebody needs to keep watch. If you
need me, just call up."

         She nodded in understanding, wishing simultaneously that there was some
way that he could enjoy human food. "Would you mind sharing a bit of your
blood?" she whispered to him. When both men looked at her as though questioning
her sanity, she quickly explained, "It's not for me but for the Queen and her
sister."

         "No problem," Angel replied. "I'll show you where it is. I brought it
over so that it would be closer for you to make me some treats. I didn't tell
Miss Piper, though. You might want to break it to her. It's in the cooler."

         "I'll fetch it, and thanks." Turning back to the drinks that sat on the
counter, she lifted the only red one and handed it to him.

         Angel downed it in one gulp. "Thanks," he told her with a grin.
"Remember, if you need me, call." He was gone like a flash.



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

         Walking above deck, he noticed that no one had stayed. The others were
all in the galley. He wondered where Cordelia had hidden herself this time as
she had not been in the galley. He glanced toward the sky, and the sunset took
his breath away. There had been a time when he had not been able to even see a
sunset, but now he could walk in the full light of day. He was thankful for
that. He stood and watched as the sun faded away and then continued to walk
around the deck, checking everywhere that he could think of where Cordelia might
have hidden.

         It was then that screams met his ears. "GET OFF OF ME!" "WHAT ARE THESE
THINGS?!" "I DON'T KNOW, BUT," there were sounds of something being hit,
"THEY'RE NOT GETTING MY HEAD OR YOURS!"

         {What the Hell?!} he thought even as he flew to where he heard
Cordelia's and Elizabeth's voices coming from. In the darkness, his eyes could
still make out something bouncing around the two girls and making grabs at them.
There seemed to be a lot of them. He grabbed the nearest one and threw it into
the others. "What the Hell are those things?!" he asked.

         "I don't know." Elizabeth shook her head, but where she answered him,
Cordelia did not even look at him. She slipped behind the blonde instead but did
not dare to run yet as one of the creatures launched itself straight at Angel's
head.

         "Yo, man! Take off your head!"

         "Yeah!" another chimed in. "Let's play a game!"

         "You play a game and get back to your ship before I call for Jareth! Do
you really want to see him right now? And leave the women on this ship alone!
What's wrong? You don't have any of your own?"

         "Aw, come on, dude!" one of the flying heads called, its ears flapping
wildly to stay in the air. "We just want to play!"

         "Then go play with yourselves! None of our heads come off, and none of
us want to play with you! I'm counting to three, and then I'm calling Jareth.
One . . ."

         The creatures did not yet scurry, but they stilled considerably,
huddling together instead. "You know he's liable to throw us in the Bog for this
one," one whispered.

         "Two . . . "

         "If he doesn't, his crazy bitch of a wife will barbecue us instead,"
another put in.

         "Do I need to say it?" Angel asked, his narrowed eyes intently gazing at
them.

         "You're no fun!" one pouted.

         "No, he's not," another agreed, "but I'm not sticking around here!" His
departure led the others, but the last one could not leave without first giving
Angel a raspberry.

         As soon as they were gone, Angel turned back to the ladies. "Sorry about
that. Jareth does what he can to make them stay on board. I heard him threaten
them. I knew all I had to do was mention him to them and they'd take off." He
didn't admit to them that he was extremely relieved that they had because he had
no clue how to destroy them. He didn't think that biting their necks would do
anything to them, and when he had grabbed one and threw it, it had seemed to be
nothing but feathers and a beak.

         Neither woman answered him. Instead, Elizabeth looked to Cordelia who,
without a word, turned and walked away as swiftly as her legs could carry her.
Having sensed her new friend's tears, however, Elizabeth turned back and
promptly slapped Angel.

         "Hey, what's that for?" Angel demanded. "What did I do to injure you?"

         "Me, nothing!" Elizabeth snapped, her eyes blazing up at him. "Do you
really need to ask, though? Don't you think we saw you with your little blonde,
you . . . you . . . ?" She ground her teeth together, unable to think of an
insult that would actually fit.

         "That's my sister!" Angel exclaimed in disbelief that being with Crys
had caused Cordelia to think he was doing something else. "Wait, Cordy!" he
called after her. "It's not what you think it is! I've been looking for you all
day," he called out to her, "but I can't just shirk my duties! I am the First
Mate. Whatever Jack gets into, I have to accompany him. If he has a busy day,
then I have an even busier day, and this has been one Hell of a day! Please come
back!" He continued walking in the direction she had ran, following her scent.

         The last thing Cordelia wanted at that moment was to face Angel. So what
if he was the First Mate? That still didn't explain his closeness to the blonde.
He claimed she was his sister, but he had also told her that his family was
dead. Suddenly, she found herself in front of the railing. She whirled back,
hearing his voice coming even closer, and turned to run in another direction
only to be met with a wall.

         {Good,} Angel thought to himself. {She's boxed in. Maybe now she'll
listen to me.} "The lady you saw me with today is my adopted sister. She's in
love, even though she won't admit it, with Lorne. He's the green Demon that
Crys' wolf bit in the butt today. Honest, I swear, she's my sister! I know you
don't believe me, but I really did want to be with you some today. Circumstances
just wouldn't let me be. It's been an awfully long day, and it feels like
forever since I kissed you. Believe me, I wanted to come back and do more of
that if you wanted it. I didn't know how you'd take it. After all, we had just
met." As he came up to her, his voice softened, "And I also didn't know how you
were going to take what I told you earlier. The people on this ship are my
family. We've adopted each other, some of us even more than others." He let his
voice trail off, hoping she'd talk to him.

         Cordelia kept her back to Angel even as he came so close that she could
nearly feel him. Silent tears shimmered in her eyes. Was what he was telling her
the truth? Had she so completely misread what she had seen earlier? If the woman
was his sister, that would explain their closeness. Brothers could kiss their
sisters on the forehead, couldn't they, she reasoned silently, especially when
they were as distraught as Crys had been? His duties would have kept him away.
That was true enough, and she certainly knew about busy, duty-filled lives.
After all, wasn't that what had kept her mother from ever realizing what her
father was doing to her? But what if this was a new pack of lies? Could she
really trust him? Was there any man alive who could be trusted?

         Her silence bothered him. He could tell she was crying, and he was never
very good with crying women. He reached out and gently touched her hand, pulling
her around to face him. "If you want to slap me, go ahead," he said, "but please
at least talk to me." He lifted her hand up to his lips but kissed her wrist
instead. "I am sorry for making you think all these bad thoughts, but honestly,
I did not intend them. If we are together, there will be many days when I will
not be able to see you except for brief seconds. It doesn't mean that I don't
want to be with you."

         Though a feather of pleasure splintered her insides, racing through her
with all the swiftness of the wind, she still hesitated. Slowly, she lifted her
eyes to his and studied what she saw in his mesmerizing depths. They seemed to
shine with truth, but did she dare believe him? "If . . . If this Crys is your
sister, what was she so upset over?"

         "She wants to run away and hide, because she fears that Demon we fought
earlier today. He is seeking her out, and she fears that all who she cares about
will be killed by him. You must keep this to yourself, Cordelia. She is really
scared. That's why she tries to keep Lorne and me both away from her, but it's
not going to happen. I want you to meet her, but don't say anything about what I
told you. Please?" He pulled her closer to him, hoping she wouldn't resist. He
longed to seek the nectar of her lips.

         Cordelia shook her head but did not resist him. "I won't," she promised.
"So your blood family is . . . as you told me, but the crews are your adopted
family?"

         "Yes. My blood family. It happened just like I told you. Jack will tell
you the same. He is the only one aboard that really knows my entire story, but
if I ask him to, he will tell you if you don't believe me. There's not a member
on this ship except maybe Autolycus that I haven't claimed as family, but now
there's you. I don't want you to be my adopted family. I want you to be more."

         Gods knew she wanted to be and that she ached to melt against him yet
still the nagging questions of her mind persisted. "But why?" she asked him, her
voice a breath of a whisper. "Why do you trust me when we just met today? Why .
. . Why do you want me? We barely know each other." Why did she want him? Why
had she let him kiss her and already ached so much to taste him again?

         "I don't know the answers, my darling. I just know that when I met you,
it was as though my soul was complete for the first time. You filled an aching
loneliness that had driven me crazy for so long with just one little touch of
your sweet lips. It is as though we were together before, yet I have never met
you. I want you to be with me." He sniffed her hair and nuzzled her neck.

         Cordelia could not help but to smile and sigh in pleasure for not only
did she feel the same but his touch was driving her wild with desire. Still, she
tried to hold on to her senses. She had not been taught to behave like this. She
had been taught that a lady would never allow a man to take such liberties with
her, let alone be so close to him when she barely knew him . . . Yet she felt
like she'd known him her entire life, and hadn't the ones who had taught her
such also been the ones to completely destroy the life she had known? Perhaps it
was time she stopped listening to society and just listened to her own heart?

         From somewhere in the darkness behind Angel, a certain being unseen by
both smiled. "That's right," She whispered to Cordelia. "Listen to your heart.
Brains are only pesky things that get in the way."

         Angel knew that if he did not take Cordelia to the galley, things could
easily get out of hand. He would not fight both her and himself. He could easily
fight himself, but if Cordelia began to melt into him, there would be no
stopping until they were one. He stopped nuzzling her hair. "I want to take you
to meet Crys now and get you something to eat. You have not eaten all day," he
gently chided her.

         Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food and she blushed lightly,
hoping that he had not heard it. "Not yet," she whispered to him, her hand
gently touching his cheek. She pulled her head back so that she could look into
his eyes again. "I'm sorry, Angel."

         "Don't be, my sweet darling," he said even as he gazed down into her
eyes, feeling himself lost more by the minute. He lowered his head and gently
took her lips. One taste went straight to his head and loins. He pulled her
closer to him, feeling the heat from her body surging through him.

         Even as desire swept through her, causing her body to melt into his,
Cordelia returned Angel's kiss. Her lips parted under his as she dared to deepen
their kiss. Her fingertips ran up into his hair.

         Watching the two, Aphrodite smiled. "It's about time . . . "

         Light clapping suddenly sounded, causing all three to whirl toward the
sound only to find Elizabeth smiling at the couple. "I'm glad there's at least
one man still left in the world who isn't a jerk and that you have him,
Cordelia."

         Angel was glad for the reprieve. He had been about to pull Cordelia up
into his arms and do a naughty, naughty thing as all thoughts of fighting his
urges had left him and only one thing remained in his mind -- taking Cordelia to
his bed. Thank the Gods, he thought, for if he had done that, she would have
hated him in the morning! He knew he had to woo her slowly.

         Cordelia smiled at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. She did not
appreciate her interruption but knew it was for the best. Angel had melted her
completely with just one kiss, and had they not been interrupted . . . She shook
her head. She had to be a lady; she would not allow her mind to wander down such
paths.

         Aphrodite glared at Elizabeth. "I'm going to have to do something about
you." She then blinked out.

         Angel scooped Cordelia up and carried her high against his chest. "We
are just on our way to the galley," Angel told Elizabeth. "Our new cook has
prepared a feast, and I want both of you ladies to be able to enjoy." He strode
off toward the Witch. As he reached the railing and took a rope, he told
Cordelia, "I can't hold you and swing over, so I want you to put your arms
around my neck and hold on tight. Don't let go for anything. Wrap your legs
around me."

         Cordelia could not help shooting Angel a look of shock at his last
statement, but Elizabeth quietly assured her. "He's right. I know it's rather .
. . scandalous behavior, but it's the only way."

         "I'll come back for you in a minute, Elizabeth. Don't try to go over by
yourself; it's dangerous unless you've been doing it a long time, and believe
me, it's a long way down to the water. There's no telling what's down there in
the dark," he stressed that part.

         Elizabeth shuddered but nodded her agreeance even as she watched
Cordelia carefully move to Angel's back. Cordy's hands slid over Angel's
muscles, and the feel of them shot thrills through her. She inhaled deeply even
as she wrapped her legs around him. Gods, how the feel of his body went straight
to her core!

         He quickly swung over, dropped lightly to the deck, and waited for
Cordelia to slide down his back. The heat from her was driving him crazy, and he
almost lost his control as he felt her bosom press against his back. What he
wanted to do most was to turn around and dive deeply into her, but he knew he
could not. "Back in a minute, sweets," he told her even as he felt her slide the
rest of the way down his back. He did not dare to even kiss her but swung
immediately back over to Elizabeth. "Hang on tight, Elizabeth, and don't let go.
You can close your eyes if you need to."

         "In . . . In a moment, Angel. I . . . want to apologize first. The
blonde's new. I haven't seen her before, and after seeing you so close with her,
even hugging her and kissing her forehead, and Cordelia telling me that you had
kissed her earlier today . . . " She looked helplessly up at him. "What else was
I to think?"

         "It's okay, Elizabeth; I forgive you." He lifted her hand and kissed the
back of it. "I can't tell you all of what I'm feeling, but what I do feel is
scaring the Hell out of me. I can fight an entire army and not be even as near
as scared as I am now. Cordelia burns me with her mere look, and I want her so
badly that I'm burning inside. No woman's ever done that to me before, and I
have had plenty of women in the past."

         Elizabeth nodded. Though she was not about to touch the latter part of
his admission, the rest of his words about the feelings between Cordelia and he
reminded her of Will. She fiddled with the engagement ring she had yet to give
back to him even as she told him softly, "I understand at least some of what you
are feeling. I . . . I felt the same with Will. I only hope that the two of you
will find and keep happiness."

         "Thank you, Elizabeth, and thank you for being her friend. You'll find
the right man one day. I know about the secrets with Will. I know you two broke
up, and I know why. Neither one of them were aware of each other's feelings.
Will tried desperately to love you, because he thought it was the right thing to
do. We can not always dictate what our hearts feel, and it's not right to be
with the one we don't really love. Most often, we don't even find the one we
really love. It scares me that I have found such a jewel as Cordelia. I hope and
pray she feels the same way about me. Thanks again." He broke off, not wanting
to be so open. He didn't know rather or not to trust Elizabeth, but he didn't
want her sad. "Grab a hold. Here we go," he said as he felt her climb onto his
back. Seconds later, they were on the Witch, and he began to escort both of the
ladies to the galley.


Chapter Thirty-four
         Jack sat, watching Will slowly making his way up the line, and played
with his food. He wanted to march up to the table and break line with Will
getting a plate. He did not want to eat the delicious food and not have some to
eat while Will was eating. He gazed longingly at Will, and his mind went back to
earlier when they had almost had a few stolen moments in his cabin. He felt
Jareth's eyes on him, and he looked at him. "Just waiting," he explained why he
wasn't eating his food.

         "I understand," Jareth acknowledged. "What I was wondering is if there
will be seconds?" Jack gazed down at Jareth's plate and saw that there was not a
crumb on it. The King lifted his shoulders into a shrug. "I can not tell you how
long it has been since I have had good food. Actually, I can't even remember it
myself."

         Jack asked him, "Doesn't the Queen cook? You said you ate goblin food.
Doesn't any of your goblins actually cook well?"

         Jareth shook his head. "Trely cooks as well as she can but is hindered
by her own tastes." He glanced at Delvira to make certain that she was not
eavesdropping, then leaned over the table to whisper to Jack. "Delvira cooks
wonderfully in the bedroom, but that is all. She has attempted it, but that is
one thing that even her sister, Elvira, can do better . . . And that's even
taking into consideration that the last thing Elvira cooked attempted to eat her
instead."

         "What?!" Jack nearly shouted. Lowering his voice back to a whisper and
ignoring the curious glances that shot his way, he repeated, "It tried to eat
her?! What was it?"

         Jareth leaned back in his seat, his mischievous gaze meeting Jack's
calmly. "A casserole."

         "Oh my Gods! What is that?" Jack asked. Even the name sounded awful!

         "Normally, it's just a dish, but this thing had hands and a mouth."

         "What did you do with it?" Jack was sure that even though he had not
said so, Jareth had had to deal with it.

         Jareth glanced at Elvira, who was making her way through the line
alongside Wolf, before looking back to Jack and whispering his response. "She
still thinks that she managed to handle it, but it was a good thing that I was
checking in on her at that moment. I saw the . . . situation through my crystal
ball and sent two of my goblins into the drain where she was pushing it." He
grimaced. "Only one returned."

         "Where is the thing now?" Jack questioned.

         "Long dead," Jareth quietly assured Jack.

         It was then that Elvira's voice broke in. "What are we talking about,
boys?"

         Jareth looked up in surprise, but Delvira quickly covered for them.
Looking at Wolf's pants, she noted aloud, "I see you're wearing a different pair
already."

         "Yes, ma'am," Wolf said and smiled at her. "Your sister has a penchant
for popping pants." He sat his plate on the table and then turned to pull a
chair out for Elvira. He slipped it under the table as she sat.

         Delvira winked at Elvira. "She's not the only one."

         As the two women burst into a fit of giggles, Jareth warned Wolf,
"Remember to buy yourself as many new pairs as you can afford." His free hand
reached out to gently caress Delvira's. "We went through twenty just last week."

         Wolf shook his head. "I don't have that much money. If she puts too many
holes in them, I'll have to wear them anyway or she'll have to sew them up for
me."

         "If she's as . . . talented as her sister, there won't be much to sew."

         Will, having just taken the seat beside Jack, thought it best to
interrupt the conversation before more innocent ears overheard them. Looking to
Jack's nearly-full plate, he asked him, "Why aren't you eating, love?" The word
felt wonderful on his tongue, and he smiled at his beloved.

         "I was waiting for you, sweetheart," Jack said, liking the sound of that
word. "Why didn't you just come where I was? I didn't realize until I was
through the line that you had gone all the way to the end. You were with me; you
could have stayed there." He looked questioningly at Will. "The Captain and any
of his company have first rights on the food."

         Will cocked an eyebrow at Jack. "Any of his company?"

         "But of course, darling. You're not only my company; you're my life.
Next time, let me know. Never go to the end." He looked at Will as though he
could eat him if given the chance.

         "I didn't know," Will defended himself, "and besides, I'm used to going
last."

         "Never again, beloved," Jack reassured him. "You'll always be first." He
wanted to reach out, kiss Will, and go to wherever that led them but knew he'd
have to sit there and finish his meal. Although it tasted wonderful, it was just
one more hindrance between him and Will. He tried to send all the love he was
feeling in his look to Will even while his hands longed to caress him.

         Will's pressed lips silenced his sigh. Gods, how he wanted to reach out,
touch Jack, and take his lips with his own!

         "Boys," Delvira told them, "you can't do that at the table."

         "But," her sister slightly disagreed, "if you want to kiss, go ahead."

         Even Jareth couldn't help smiling. "No one's going to eat you."

         Crystal silently placed Delvira's, Elvira's, and Wolf's drinks onto the
table. She did not speak for she did not want to interrupt the moment and wished
Jack and Will the best even as she slipped just as quietly away. She hoped Wolf
would like what she had chosen for him as she had not been able to ask his
preference.

         His eyes still locked with Will's, Jack used a fork and picked up a
piece of the bourbon chicken. Taking the fork to Will's mouth, he held it
temptingly in front of his lips. Will's eyes never moved from Jack's as his lips
slowly took the piece of chicken from his fork. He chewed it quietly and
swallowed quickly but then leaned over to Jack. "I'm not afraid of being seen
with you," he whispered so that the only normal ears that should have been able
to hear him were Jack's.

         Jack whispered back, "I just didn't want to embarrass you, love. I
didn't know how you'd take it."

         In answer, Will brushed his lips softly across Jack's. Jack pulled Will
to him in a gentle embrace and deepened the kiss. After several minutes, they
released each other reluctantly and forced their attentions to turn back to
their plates though both burned desperately for each other.



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

         Autolycus had been relieved to find that Xena was no longer waiting for
him. Turning to the frightened girls, he declared, "Ladies, we must get off this
awful ship at once! Why, your very lives are in danger, not to speak of your
virtue!"

         Where the blonde gasped, the redhead asked, "What virtue?"

         "You are aboard The Sea Witch, and a most terrible, awful Captain wishes
your presence at once! Why, she might even feed you to the sharks or she might
just let her crew have their way with you! I can't remember the last time we
were at port!" He gave the redhead one of his most charming smiles even as the
blonde screeched in fear. His mustache hid the grinning corners of his lips as
the latter clung to him.

         "Wait a minute," the brunette spoke up slowly, looking at him. "The Sea
Witch? Isn't that . . . the sister ship to . . . to the . . . the . . . Black
Pearl?"

         "You bet it is!" Autolycus said with a shake of his head. "And what her
crew doesn't do to you, the fearsome Captain Sparrow will!"

         "You are so full of dung!" the brunette exclaimed, causing Autolycus'
mouth to drop open in surprise. Turning to the blonde and redhead, she told
them, "He's the one after your virtues! There's no safer ship out here than the
Pearl!"

         "What's a . . . virtue?" the blonde gasped out, her pretty forehead
creased with confusion.

         Autolycus was taken aback at the brunette's words and then the blonde's
question but quickly recovered himself and shut his mouth. He was not expecting
the question, so he chose to ignore it. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow at the
brunette. "What do you mean -- the safest ship? Haven't you heard? The Black
Pearl is a Pirate ship! It rapes, pillages, and plunders in every port or as the
occasion may occur!"

         The brunette was now staring at the mustached man, her hands defiantly
placed on her hips. "It may be a Pirate ship, but -- "

         Before she could continue, the redhead put in, "Do you really expect us
to believe all that? You guys are the ones who rescued us!"

         "So that they could have their way with you!"

         "And what about you and your way with us?" the redhead countered. She
glanced at the blonde who was still upset over the virtue issue, "And, honey,
you ain't had any virtue in so long that you wouldn't recognize it if it stared
you in the face! It's nothing to worry about. But, you," she glared back at
Autolycus, "you're a Pirate!" She pushed angrily at him. "You just want to steal
the money and run!"

         "And us too!" the brunette chimed in. "Not all Pirates are bad, but you
know what?" she asked the other girls. "I thought I knew this idiot!"

         "How do you know me?" Autolycus asked. "You know of my reputation?" He
twirled his mustache.

         "Save it," the brunette snapped, knowing that he believed his mustache
to be one of his many attributes. "I know that you're one of the scurviest
members of these crews! You're the one that'll steal anything from anybody, and
you're the one who can't cook to save any one's life!"

         "That hurts me to the heart, ladies!" he cried, clasping a hand to his
heart in mock pain. "If you want to stay here and be pillaged and plundered,
I'll leave you here."

         "You're not going anywhere," the brunette told him, "and neither are
we!" She then called out at the top of her lungs: "ANGEL!"

         Autolycus' mouth fell open again. How in the Hell did she know Angel?!
He had to get away! If Angel caught him, one glance would tell him that he was
trying to run away with the women and loot, and he'd deliver him straight to
Xena!

         "ANGEL!" the brunette repeated even as the redhead attempted to grasp
Autolycus' hands and still his retreat.

         The blonde just stood and gazed at him, not knowing what to believe. The
brunette, seeing the look on the blonde, paused a moment to explain, "I know
these ships. Angel's one of the best men I've ever met. He'll keep us safe, but
we can't trust him," she jerked her head toward Autolycus, "with anything!"



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

         Angel's feet had barely touched down on the Witch with Elizabeth when he
heard his name frantically called. What in the Hell was Dawn Summers doing
there?! She should have been safe and at home on Tortuga! How could she have
gotten aboard the Witch? "Excuse me, ladies; I'll be right back," he told them
as he reached out and gently caressed Cordelia's chin.

         Elizabeth and Cordelia exchanged a glance, then followed right behind
Angel. Cordelia had no intention of letting him get out of her sight again, and
Elizabeth was simply curious.

         Upon reaching the group, Angel gazed at Dawn's face. He could tell she
was upset but did not expect her to run into his arms. "Dawn, what are you doing
here?" He could not believe that the trembling girl had grown so much since he
had last seen her and was now no longer a child but a beautiful young woman.

         As Angel's arms went around Dawn in a reassuring hug, she knew she was
truly safe at last. Her tears instantly began to wet his shirt. "Oh, Angel, I'm
so glad you're here! They -- They sold me -- and then -- then he wanted us to
run away with him!"

         Angel's eyes went immediately to the only other male in their group.
"Autolycus, what are you trying to pull? I thought you were told to report to
Captain Xena?"

         "I did. Now I'm leaving."

         Angel placed Dawn behind him, who was immediately surrounded by the
redhead's arms. Angel faced Autolycus. "I don't care if you leave, but you're
not taking the women or the loot," he added, noticing the bags. "I would suggest
that if you leave, you hide yourself, because Xena's going to find you and when
she does, you know what she'll do."

         When Autolycus made no move to give Angel the bags, Angel reached out
and snatched them from him. He handed them to Cordelia. "Keep them for me while
I deal with him." Even though Autolycus struggled, Angel picked him up as though
he didn't weigh anything and carried him to where he last saw Xena, the women
following behind them.

         Reaching the galley and kicking the door open, Angel continued until he
dropped Autolycus in front of Xena's table. "I caught him attempting to steal
both the women and the loot." He placed his boot on Autolycus to hold him down.
"May I suggest that he be made to walk the plank?" He looked hopefully toward
Xena.

         She sat in stunned silence for a moment, scarcely believing that
Autolycus had dared to defy her, but also knowing that she could not kill him
for old times' sake. She didn't know what had happened to him, because he had,
at one time, been a good friend. However, he now operated as though he were a
couple of screws short of a load. She glanced at Gabrielle, hoping that she
would have an ideal.

         Gabby's understanding gaze met Xena's worried eyes. "He deserves worse.
He wants to leave. Walking the plank would let him do just that, and knowing his
scurvy butt, he'd sneak aboard Jareth's ship instead of drowning. I suggest the
hold. We could keep him shackled there until we hit land."

         "So be it," Xena announced, glad that Gabrielle had so quickly came to
her aid, and motioned to a couple of her crew members who rushed forward and
snatched Autolycus off the floor.

         They wasted no time in dragging him out the door and down to the brig.
Although Autolycus tried to worm his way out of their clutches, he soon found
himself in the chains and all alone in the dark where he could hear the sounds
of several somethings gnawing and claws skittering across the wood. He prayed
the rats wouldn't eat him and that they were just rats and not some other kind
of monster that had found its way onto the ship. Could it be goblins instead, he
fretted, having came from Delvira's Delight just to devour him?



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

         The girls stood trembling before Xena, the redhead's arms still not
leaving the youngest girl's shoulders. Xena took in their appearance and gasped
when she recognized the young girl. "Dawn? What are you doing here?" Xena asked.

         Dawn glanced at Angel. At his nod, she turned her shy gaze on to the
Captain. "They . . . they sold me," she whispered in a near whimper.

         "Well, you're not a slave here, and neither are the other two. I'd like
to know your names, and then you can get a plate and get something to eat.
You're now members of my crew as long as you want to be."

         With an understanding nod, the redhead spoke. "My name is Linda, and
thank you, Captain."

         "J-Jasmine," the blonde spoke up, her voice quivering.

         "It's nice to finally meet you ladies, and, Dawn, even under the
circumstances, it's good to see you again." She looked around for a moment and
finally spotted the one she was looking for. "Simon, I want you to be in charge
of taking care of the ladies. Make sure they get food and somewhere to sleep. If
you need anything, let Simon know. You can trust him. He'll take care of you."

         The old man smiled at the ladies. "Come this way, ladies," he spoke
softly to them as he ushered them toward the table. Linda and Jasmine followed
without hesitation, but Dawn lingered behind.

         "D-Does that mean I don't have to go back home?" she queried, her voice
quivering as she looked hopefully but frightfully at Xena. "Ever?"

         "Only if you want to, Dawn. You're more than welcome to stay on the Sea
Witch."

         "Then I want to stay," she told her with a quick, decisive nod. "Mom and
Buffy . . . They're . . . They're the ones who . . . who sold me . . . "

         Xena and Angel were not surprised though the others next to them --
Gabrielle, Cordelia, and Elizabeth -- all were. "I'll take care of them when we
get to Tortuga. They won't bother you again." She smiled at her. "Now go get
some food."

         Angel reached out and took Dawn's hand. "If you need anything, Dawn, be
sure to let me know. I want you to meet two ladies -- one's a friend and . . .
the other one holds the key to my heart," he finally managed to get out.

         Dawn couldn't help a small grin at that. "I always knew you could do
better than Buffy."

         "Even a frog may kiss a Princess," Angel replied as he reached out and
placed his hands over Cordelia's hands. "Cordelia, this is a kid who's now grown
up into a woman, and I hardly know her anymore. She's always been like a little
sister to me. Dawn, Cordelia. And this is Elizabeth." He gestured respectfully
with his head to the blonde who stood next to Cordelia.

         Dawn could tell from the way Cordelia and Angel looked at each other
that it was definitely love, and she was happy for them.

         Cordelia had to tear her eyes away from Angel's to look at the girl. She
could hardly believe that her own mother and sister had sold her, and her eyes
were saddened by that thought as she looked down at her. "Dawn, I hope we can be
very good friends in the future, and . . . I'll be here if you ever want to
talk." Her eyes shone with sympathy as she gazed down into Dawn's watery eyes.

         "As will I," Elizabeth chimed in. She, too, was saddened by the thought
of what such a young girl had been put through.

         Dawn nodded. "Thank you . . . " She glanced back at Xena so that the
Captain would know she included her, as well. " . . . all." She struggled
against the tears that came to her eyes. She was finally safe!

         Xena smiled at her before turning her attention to what Cordelia held.
"Are those for me?" she asked.

         "Yes, those are the bags Autolycus took," Angel answered her.

         Cordelia had been about to glance at Angel for affirmation when he
answered the Captain. She quickly handed the bags over to Xena.

         "We should be reaching the chapel by day's break. Keep one of them and
send it at dawn's light to Father Wagner." She handed one of the bags to Angel.
"One day we're going to have to dock and meet him personally. He does such good
work to help all of us. I'd truly like to meet him. Thanks, Angel."

         There was a smaller bag that fell from Xena's hand. "This one belongs to
Captain Jack; I'll give it to him. Have fun," she said with a smile at the
group. She got up and headed toward Jack's table.



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

         Jack had not been paying attention to the commotion at Xena's table. His
eyes had been locked on Will's, and they had been watching each other eat and
wishing that they were eating something else. Jareth and Delvira had been
watching them and were still grinning from ear to ear when the other Captain
approached.

         Xena dropped the bag beside Jack's plate. "This belongs to you. I gave
Angel one of the other two bags for the Father."

         "Good," Jack said, never taking his eyes off of Will.

         Jareth looked up, clearly surprised. "You donate to a Priest?"

         "Every time we make a haul, we give the good Father a percentage. He's
one of our charities. He does a lot of good work to help all of our people."

         "Like what?" Elvira, who had exchanged a curiously worried glance with
Delvira, spoke up. "I mean, really, how many Christian Priests are you going to
find who wouldn't condemn this entire lot?"

         "He's not Christian, but he is a Priest, one of ours in hiding. We
haven't actually met him. Awareness of him came from a friendship, but he's
always helped, in every way that he can, Pirates, Vampires, Werewolves, Lesbians
. . . They're all the same to him. If they need help, regardless of who or what
they are, he helps them."

         "A wonderful man," Jack had to agree, still not taking his eyes off of
Will.

         "Oh, for Gods' sakes, Jack, get up and take the boy to your cabin!
You'll have all of us wanting each other!"

         Jack shook himself and looked up at Xena, a rueful grin on his face.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to upset the rest of you."

         "You didn't, Captain," Elvira told Jack even as she crept a hand
underneath the table. Hidden from the others' sights, she reached out and
squeezed Wolf's sword through his pants even as she winked at him.

         Wolf almost jumped out of his hide at the unexpected touch and his quick
reaction.

         Xena looked at Jack. "That's what I mean, Jack. You've got the whole
crew worked up, and some of them don't have anybody. Go to your cabin!" She
turned and walked stiffly back toward Gabrielle. "Gabby?" she called when she
got there. "Cabin."

         Gabrielle, who had been watching Xena's every move, nodded. She stood to
join her, and the two left without a further word.



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

         Jareth, meanwhile, was grinning. "I must say that your people definitely
know how to put downtime to good use!" As Wolf had done seconds before at
Elvira's touch, Jareth now jumped as he felt Delvira's sharp fingernails graze
his tight pants. "Not in front of everybody, sweetheart!" he gently scolded his
wife despite his increased grin.

         "Why not, Hot Stuff?" Delvira returned with a lustful growl. Her
fingernails carefully kneaded Jareth's pants, and he had to reach a hand
underneath the table to still his wife's.

         Will glanced at the couple, then quickly looked back down at his plate.
A deep crimson still stained his cheeks.

         Jack was not embarrassed, but he felt for Will. He had not meant to
embarrass him. He realized Will was a virgin, never having known a woman or a
man, and that what would ensue if they did go to the cabin would probably
embarrass him further. He wasn't sure how to proceed. He reached down, gently
caressed Will's hand, and smiled at him.

         At Jack's touch, Will again lifted his eyes. This time, he gazed back
into his beloved's. "I'm not embarrassed by us," he told him even as his fingers
entwined with Jack's. "I'm just not used to . . . everything else." He tried to
grin sheepishly.

         "You will be in time, but don't feel sorry about being embarrassed."
Jack continued to hold Will's hand. "Some people are more sexual than others.
I've been around it all my life; that's why I'm not embarrassed. You don't want
to know some of the places and things I've seen. When I was your age, I had seen
and done most of it, even things I didn't want to see or do, but that's in the
past and this night starts our lives anew. We'll find love together," he
whispered next to his ear.

         To any one looking, it would have seemed that Jack was nibbling Will's
ear, but instead their whole conversation had stayed so that only Will and very
sharp ears could hear it. There was no way to keep secrets from ears as sharp as
some of the crew members'. "I find your innocence to be very refreshing. I am
glad that you're not jaded. Maybe we should go to the cabin so that we can talk
more in private, or we can stay for the festivities?"

         "Festivities?"



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

         Prue had heaped food upon Hoggle's plate. She had thought that it was
probably more than the little guy could handle, but he had cleaned it up
promptly and was now looking up at her. "We're not ready for seconds yet. I'm
not sure if every one's eaten or not, but if they have, we will have some
seconds."

         Hoggle shook his head, and his politeness as he spoke surprised Prue.
She had never thought such a creature as he could be so polite. "Madam, as
delicious as the food is and as much as I would love seconds, I was actually
thinking about some one else. This food is the best I've ever had; in fact," he
admitted, "it's the only good food I've had my entire life!"

         Prue looked at him in disbelief. "You've never had food this good? Piper
will love to hear that!" she said, looking toward her sister.

         "Madam, the things I've had to eat in my life are not worthy of being
talked about in lady's presence."

         "I don't want to know," Prue said with a shake of her head. She looked
back at Hoggle. "You had a question?"

         He nodded. "I was hoping to invite another friend to eat? He's still
over on Jareth's ship. I don't understand the guy. I think guarding the Bog his
entire life has made him go nuts, but he's a good fellow, a Knight, and I think
he'd love the food."

         "Ask him, but do it quietly so as not to draw the King's attention." She
was thinking to herself, {He's a Knight! Surely he must be normal!} Was he cute?
He might suit Paige far better than that Gnome. She was happy that Phebs had
already found what she thought was her true love, even if it was Joxer. Piper
had Cole, and she hoped to have Brendan. So that only left poor Paige out. A
Knight would suit her youngest sister perfectly!

         With a quick nod and a, "Thank you," to Prue, Hoggle snuck out. Standing
on deck, he gazed toward Delivra's Delight. "Sir Didymus!" he whispered in a
loud whisper, knowing fully well that Didymus could hear him. "Come quietly!" He
grimaced, realizing that there was no way in Hell that Didymus would be quiet.
The Knight simply didn't know the meaning of the word. He didn't know which one
could bark the loudest -- Didymus when he was angry or Ambrosius when he was
scared.

         It took him several minutes, but Didymus finally managed to get his
steed to make the jump from one ship to the other. After landing, he gazed
intently at Hoggle. "What do you want, Hoggle?" he questioned.

         "Great food for you! In there!" He pointed to the galley. "But you have
to be quiet about it! Jareth's in there!"

         Sir Didymus looked down his nose at Hoggle. "I am always quiet as a
mouse," he informed him in contempt, "unlike some that I know." He referred to
the countless times that Hoggle had made loud noises. "It's Ambrosius that
doesn't want to be quiet. He wants the whole world to know that a glorious
Knight has arrived and that he is his mighty steed!"

         "Yeah, sure," Hoggle grunted as he waved his hands dismissively at him.
"The fact remains that you'd better be quiet or Jareth will send you back to the
ship without food -- if that's all he does!"

         "Ambrosius," Didymus was already having trouble with him as he would not
go forward but steadily backed up, "go forward!"

         "Right through this door!" Hoggle called over his shoulder as he
disappeared into the door and quickly hid himself behind Prue's long skirts.

         "Ambrosius, I said go forward!" The sheepdog whimpered. Didymus thrust
his cane into the air. "Go forward or there shall be no supper for you tonight!"



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

         Cole looked anxiously around the room, noticing that many of the Pirates
were still sitting in place and wanting seconds. "How many plates do I need to
make for us?" he asked Piper.

         Piper scanned the galley, considering. She saw Prue still guarding the
pies and noticed that something seemed to be clinging to the back of her skirts;
she also saw Lorne and Crystal still finishing the drinks for the girls. Her
eyes even fell upon a young man hiding in the shadows. She looked at him in
surprise, not having noticed him before during the bustle. "Six. No, wait, best
make that seven. There's also that rude girl from earlier."

         Cole went immediately and began to make their plates. As the first one
was finished, Piper picked it up and headed for the boy. He was about to slip
further into the shadows when she reached out and grasped his wrist.

         Dawson gasped. He had not realized that any one had seen him, but he had
not been able to fight the delicious smells of the food any longer! He had not
eaten all day and was starving. His frightened eyes met hers. "Please don't
reveal me," he begged. "Don't let her know I'm here."

         "Who?" Piper queried, her brow creasing.

         "Faith," he simply stated, his eyes imploring her for the food even as
his stomach rumbled.

         "If she's the dark-haired girl with the filthy mouth, you have nothing
to worry about; she already stormed out. Regardless, you need to eat." She had
just started to hand the boy the plate she had brought him and Prue had been
about to ask Hoggle what his problem was when the doors burst open.

         Didymus finally had Ambrosius going full sped straight into the galley!
He aimed for the wall behind the table and was flung over Ambrosius' head when
his steed came to a skidding stop. Food, glorious food, sat out all around them,
and Didymus, forgetting himself in his hunger, sat up barking.

         Hoggle clutched his forehead and groaned behind Prue, but Prue handed a
plate to Didymus. "Sh!" she reminded him, but it was too late.

         "Didymus," Jareth called, "what are you doing here?"

         Prue spoke up before any one else could. "I invited him, Your Majesty. I
hope it was okay," she flashed him one of her best smiles.

         Piper quickly thrust the plate at Dawson as she looked over at Prue and
the scared -- dogman? -- and then back over at Jareth, who appeared to be
glowering at her sister and the fellow she had invited. "What's wrong, Your
Majesty?" Piper questioned, her voice tight. "Do you not think my food worthy of
your crew members?"

         "No, ma'am, I think my crew's not worthy of your food. I can't take them
anywhere and expect them to behave. I did not want to bring their unworthy hides
aboard and have them do something to disgrace me and appall you. They're here;
they can stay if they behave themselves. Your food is the best I've ever eaten!
I salute you, madam. In fact, I would like to ask a favor of you. I have an
unworthy, lowly female who is one of our closest servants and needs training. I
will pay you handsomely if you will train her to cook."

         Piper stared at Jareth in surprise, unsure of what to say. Normally, she
would not ask to be paid for cooking lessons, but she had heard Hoggle talking
to Prue, though neither knew it, and wished to leave an open invitation to the
lot of them. However, at the same time, she could not help remembering that,
though she was the cook, the galley was part of a ship that did not belong to
her. She glanced around the room but could not find Captain Xena anywhere.

         Dawson had heard the entire conversation, as had the rest of the galley.
"Ask Captain Sparrow," he whispered to Piper. "He owns both ships. Captain Xena
is just the Captain, not the owner of the Witch."

         "Thanks," Piper whispered out of the corner of her mouth. She did not
know if the others had spotted the boy yet but did not wish to bring their
attention to him if they had not. Her questing eyes turned toward Captain
Sparrow who sat across from Jareth. "Captain?"

         Jack was totally lost in Will and did not hear any of the conversation
that was going on. He failed to hear Piper call him, so engrossed was he upon
Will's eyes and the daydream that he was living in the moment.

         {{{Captain?}}} Tom's voice inside Jack's head interrupted the other
man's thoughts. {{{We have a situation here.}}}

         "What?" Jack said, snapping his head around to look at Tom
questioningly.

         Tom pointed a finger toward Piper and another at Jareth.

         "Did I miss something?" Jack asked, concern on his face. "Sorry," he
apologized sheepishly. "My mind was not here."

         Tom could tell from the look in Piper's eyes that she was still quite
upset and at a complete lost as what to do. {{{Madam,}}} he thought to her. The
surprise of his voice in her head made her jump; wild eyes flashed around the
galley in search of the speaker. {{{I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, but I
can tell you're in quite a fix. If you'll allow it, I can open a link between
your mind and the Captain's. That will allow you to ask him whatever it is
you're thinking.}}}

         {{{I -- I am hearing you, aren't I? I -- I haven't finally lost it?}}}

         Tom couldn't help a grin and a twitch of the tip of his tail at that.
{{{No. Look at me; I'm the catman. I'll wink my right eye three times.}}} Piper
nodded slowly as her baleful eyes turned to look at the orange catman. Tom's
right eye winked once . . . twice . . . . three times.

         {At least I'm not insane,} she thought to herself, not realizing that
Tom, too, could hear her.

         {{{May I, madam?}}}

         {{{May you what?}}} she asked, still confused.

         {{{Link your mind with the Captain's so that you might have a word with
him in private? Although if I were you, I'd make it a bit quick; Jareth looks
like he's getting ready to explode.}}}

         She gulped and nodded once, granting him her permission.

         Tom quickly turned his mind to Jack's. {{{Captain Sparrow, Miss Piper
needs you, but I don't think Jareth's going to want to hear whatever it is she
has to say. If you'll grant me permission, I can link you two so that you can
talk as we are now.}}}

         {{{Go ahead, Tom, and thanks,}}} Jack answered him with a mere thought.
No matter how many times Tom had spoken telepathically to him before, he could
never get quite used to it. He saw Katrina looking at her husband with a curious
look on her face.

         Katrina wondered what the heck Tom was up to now. What kind of trick was
he playing? Then she realized that he was not tricking but being very serious as
she watched the reaction of Jack's face. She made eye contact with the Captain
once and then returned her attention to her food. Whatever it was, Jack was not
mad at Tom, and that was all she was concerned over.

         Cole finished fixing the last plate and looked worriedly at Piper who
stood as though she was in a trance. He was concerned that she had not answered
the King yet and was prepared to do battle if necessary to keep her safe. He set
the plate on the working table.

         {{{It's done,}}} Jack and Piper heard Tom's voice announce
simultaneously within their minds.

         {{{You needed me, Miss Piper?}}} Jack queried.

         Piper's thoughts came to him in a rush. {{{Didymus' entrance angered his
King. Prue invited him, and there's another in here that he wouldn't want, I
believe. Any one's welcome to partake of my food, Captain, and poor Hoggle! I
heard him say he's never had good food before, never in all his life! Jareth
wants me to teach one of his goblins how to cook! I don't mind that and don't
usually ask for payment though he's offered! And I'd like for them to be able to
eat when they can. Not the Goblins or those other things. I know that would be
asking for trouble, but what's wrong with Didymus and Hoggle? Don't they deserve
good food?}}}

         {{{Now, Miss Piper,}}} Jack thought to her, hiding a smile, {{{calm
yourself. I'll speak with the King. Hold on. Let's see what his reaction is.}}}

         Jareth, who had stood and was now staring holes into Piper who looked
quite like a trapped rat, heard Jack speak his name. "Sit down, Jareth. You make
me nervous. I'm already nervous enough. I can't find any more rum."

         "Miss Piper has two conditions for teaching your servant. One, that any
members of your crew who can behave themselves might be allowed to come for
meals freely, and two, she wishes to keep the payment open for now. She does not
know how much to charge and might would like a future boon of something else.
She is more than willing to teach any one who wants to learn to cook."

         Jareth sat and looked at Jack. "How did you get all that from her with
one look?"

         "She and I can read each other's thoughts." Jack did not elaborate.

         "Delvira and I can do that," Jareth said with a knowing nod, "but not
until we were one. Shouldn't you have that with Will?" A look of confusion
crossed his face.

         Jack finally came up with, "She's my sister. Will and I have not had
that pleasure yet, although I hope it will be soon." He smiled at Will before
looking back at Jareth.

         "Thank you, Miss Piper." Jareth again got to his feet, but this time,
not in anger. "Any that you wish from my crew may attend freely and partake of
your food. I only have one I wish you to train, and I will gladly grant your
request later."

         Piper nodded, fighting to keep her quivering to her insides only. "You
are quite welcome, Your Majesty, and thank you." {{{And you, Captain,}}} she
thought to Jack. {{{And you too, Mister Ballard, if you can still hear us.}}}

         {{{Of course I can,}}} the catman grinned, {{{and it's Tom.}}}

         "Why are you grinning so sheepishly, Tom?" Katrina asked him. "What did
you just do? Are you making Jack angry again?"

         {{{Thank you, Tom,}}} Jack's voice whispered in his mind. {{{I'm not
angry any more about the rum; I understand. Are you happy aboard the Witch?}}}

         Tom's grin grew as he answered Katrina. "Why, milady wife, I've done
nothing but save a damsel in distress."

         "What damsel?" Katrina demanded.

         "Miss Halliwell -- er, Piper," he clarified, remembering that there were
four of the women. He reached over and lovingly cupped her cheek. "But you will
always be the only woman in my heart." He brushed his lips adoringly over hers
even as he thought back to Jack, {{{It is not the same, Captain, but it does
allow my wife to be with her sister.}}} Then including Piper in his thoughts, he
continued, {{{You are both welcome; I'm only glad I was able to keep us from
having to deal with a pissed-off Jareth. I don't think that's a sight that any
of us want to see.}}}

         {{{I agree with you, my friend, and you thought I had a hot temper! I've
never seen one with a hotter one than he has except Faith!}}}

         {{{Maybe we should lock those two up together sometime?}}}

         {{{Tom!}}} Piper admonished. {{{They'd kill each other!}}}

         {{{Yep,}}} Jack agreed. {{{Kill each other and destroy the ships.}}}

         Tom rolled his shoulders in a shrug. {{{It was just a thought.}}} He
paused before asking, {{{Shall I break the link now?}}}

         {{{Yeah, you better,}}} Jack said. {{{My mind's on Will again. It might
shock you.}}}

         {{{Me? Impossible!}}} Tom thought back. {{{But there is a lady
present.}}} With that, he ended their three-way link.



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

         Lex looked over to Tom. He had realized there was something going on but
had no ideal what. Perhaps Tom had been playing with Katrina under the table as
he wanted to do with Clark but had not been able to as the children were sitting
between them. Julian and Sarah had both fallen asleep, and he had barely managed
to snatch the plates out from under them. Clark looked as though he could eat
two more plates, but he knew that Faith had not had a single thing. He had not
even seen her. He looked over at Tom and Katrina again. "Thanks, Katrina, for
taking care of the children."

         "It was my pleasure, but there's something wrong with Sarah's voice. I
didn't know what it was, but I tried to heal her and it didn't work. You need to
get Doctor Richards to check her out."

         "I had noticed that," Lex told her, "but I thought perhaps it might be
shock. We don't know everything that happened to the children. I hope that
there's not anything seriously wrong. Thank you for trying. Have you seen Faith
tonight?"

         Tom nodded. "Yeah. She's just as bitchy as ever. She almost tangoed with
the lioness."

         "Over what?" Lex asked. "Didn't she want to eat supper?"

         "She tripped over Crystal's boots. Don't ask me what they were doing in
the middle of the galley floor; I don't know. What I do know is that she threw
them at her, accidentally hit Piper, didn't apologize, warned Crystal to --
well, I believe her exact words were 'Watch where you strip, bitch'."

         "Oh no! I know that didn't set well," Lex said. "What happened then?"

         "Well, everything was going nuts, and Jack demanded an apology from the
crew because of the way most were acting in trying to get to the food. You know
we haven't eaten anything decent in Gods only know when."

         Lex shook his head. "I imagine she took that pretty well, didn't she?"
His sarcasm was obvious.

         Tom grinned. "You know Faith." He paused, then added solemnly, "And it
gets worse."

         "How much worse can it get?" Lex queried.

         "Well, as I said, she almost tangoed with the big cat, Cindy I believe.
Right after the rest of us apologized, Cindy roared a warning at Faith. She
wanted an apology and was going to attack her if she didn't get it."

         "Who gave up first -- Faith or the cat?"

         "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

         "Faith actually gave up and left? I'll never understand her," Lex
admitted.

         "She actually apologized," Tom informed him, "but we all know she didn't
mean it."

         "Faith never apologizes," Lex commented.

         "She did that time," Morph put in from where he sat on Tom's other side.

         "So things calmed down? Faith ate and left?" Both men were shaking their
heads, and Lex stifled a sigh.

         "She stormed out," Tom explained.

         "Didn't eat a bite," Morph added.

         "Thanks, guys; I'll take her a plate."

         "Watch yourself when you do." Morph grimaced. "I still remember the time
I pissed her off." He shifted in his seat. "And the pain."

         "Yeah, so do I. You couldn't walk for a week," Lex remembered.

         "My butt was totally done in," Morph agreed.

         "One day, that wild temper of hers is going to get her into trouble, and
I only hope that I'm there to bale her out," Lex said. He looked over at Clark.
"I'm going to get a plate and take it to her; then I'll be back to get the kids
to bed. If they go for seconds, get me some."

         "Of course, love, but like the guys said, watch yourself. She already
wasn't in a good mood. Who knows what she's doing now?"

         "Looking for a fight," Tom and Lex spoke as one.

         Lex walked over to Piper. "Can I have a plate of food for Faith? I heard
she showed out earlier and didn't get anything to eat. I'm sorry."

         "There's no reason for you to apologize for her antics," Piper assured
him. "Though, if I may ask, what is wrong with that girl? I've never known any
one to behave like she does!"

         "Her life hasn't been easy. She's been hurt so many times it's not
funny, and she won't let anybody get close to her. She's all full of hate and
anger, but yet she still has a softer side. She just won't let any one see it.
Her motto is 'Get them before they get you'."

         "Even with those who'd like to be her friends?" Piper asked, her eyes
searching Lex's.

         "Even with those. She keeps me away and only sometimes lets me near but
never close. I think the cats are trying to get close to her too, and she fights
them harder than she does even me. It would be so good for her if she'd just let
one of us in!"

         As she talked with Lex, Piper's mind went back to the boy. Could he be
another who was trying to help her? She'd find a way to catch him later and talk
to him. Leading the way over to the working table, Piper picked up a plate and
turned to hand it to Lex. "Good luck with her."

         "I'll need that, Miss Piper, and thanks for the food. I'm not going to
give up on her. There, but for Gods' grace, go I except that Clark saved me.
Clark loved me enough to fight my evil side and to chase it away. I could be
Faith. Thank the Gods for Clark." He glanced back over at Clark who sat
patiently waiting for Lex's return. "I know I don't deserve him, but I am so
thankful for him!"

         "I . . . I am glad Clark and you found each other," Piper told Lex,
somewhat unsure of what to say, "and I do hope that some one can reach Faith."
She wondered silently if there might be anything that she could do.



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

         Lex headed out the door in search of Faith. He had not gone very far
when he heard a voice and recognized it as belonging to Salem. "There! Finally
there's some one else out here! Have you seen Faith, Luthor?"

         "No, I've been looking for her, Salem. Have you seen her, and have you
eaten?"

         The black cat shook his head. "I've been trying to find her ever since
she stormed out, but her smell's all over the ship. It's not exactly easy to
find her with this breeze screwing with everybody's smells and those goblins'
stinking."

         Lex glanced over at Delvira's Delight and could see bobbing lights
jumping up and down. "Don't they ever slow down?" he asked.

         "Not that I've seen, but a word of advice?" Salem quirked his eyebrow up
at Lex as he padded beside the man. "If you see something orange and it asks to
play with your head, run the other way."

         "I have not had the displeasure of meeting any of those yet," Lex
replied. "I take it you have?"

         Salem nodded. "A long time ago."

         "What are those things?"

         "Fieries."

         "You mean Faeries?"

         "No," Salem shook his head. "I mean Fieries."

         "What exactly are they? Some type of goblin?"

         "I think they're some type of Goblin, Fire Elemental, and Demon
crossed." Salem made a face. "Not a good mix. They love fire, taking off body
parts, and playing games with them. Theirs can come off, so they figure any one
else's can too. They're not exactly the world's smartest creatures." He sniffed
disdainfully. "Actually, a post probably has more brains."

         "I was surprised to find you out here. I figured you'd be with Jareth.
Aren't you two buddies or something?" Lex asked.

         "Remember when I told you that I was cursed to be a cat because of
trying to take over the world?"

         "Yes."

         "Jareth was my right-hand man."

         "Good Gods! He was cursed too?"

         "Yup." Salem's tail swished.

         "So what's his story? He's the King of the Goblins? How's that a curse?"

         "He was trapped in the labyrinth for years and, I'm sure, still has to
spend most of his time there. He's got to deal with the Goblins, the Fieries,
the Bog, and Gods only know what all else. Plus he has to deal with the
stupidest bits you'll ever come across."

         "Sure wouldn't want that job! I don't like bits . . . much. They want to
run their hands all over you, and you can't get away from them. So what kind of
dealings does he have with them? He's married, isn't he? Doesn't his wife have
something to say about that?"

         "He doesn't have a choice," Salem explained. "Acting the part's all part
of his curse."

         "Acting what part? Come on, Salem. Be truthful; quit beating around the
bush. What does he do -- sleep with them?"

         Salem shook his head. "They're made to think he's in love with them.
Every one has some kind of kid sibling that they're wanting to get rid of. They
call him. He has to whisk the baby away to his castle at the center of the
labyrinth and tell them that everything he's doing is because they've asked for
it. They have to find their way through the labyrinth and always end up finding
out exactly what they're made of and saving the baby." He shook his head. "It's
a shame, really. If he could just manage to keep one of those kids, he could
make him the next King and be free!"

         "Damn!"

         "Yeah."

         "That would be a nightmare in itself!" Lex exclaimed. "I'm thankful I'm
not in his shoes. All those bits! How long has he been doing it?"

         "About two hundred years."

         "Good Gods! How many more of those working with you got caught?"

         "Most of them, and all but one was cursed." Salem's green eyes glowed in
the dark of the night as he glared over at Lex. "All because some stupid
newcomer turned us over to Drek."

         "Who was that?"

         Salem paused in mid-stride. "Lionel Luthor. Your great-great-great
grandfather or some such."

         "I always knew my family wanted to take over the world and cause total
annihilation to every one who stood between them and their goal, but I never
knew this story. You would have thought Lionel, my Father, would have gloated
over it! He was a jerk, if there ever was one!"

         Salem shook his head. "He doesn't know. They wiped that Lionel's mind
clean."

         "There have been crumbs that long ago in my family! Then I guess I
really am the only good one! I owe that all to Clark," he mused, deep in
thought. "Shall we be friends, Salem?" he asked as he leaned down and offered
his hand to the cat. "Can you ever forgive me for my ancestor's screw-ups?"

         "Son," Salem purred, "you're not your ancestors, and besides, everybody
screws up. Take it from the original screw-upper." Nonetheless, he placed a paw
in Lex's outstretched hand.

         "We shall band together and save Faith even against herself," Lex
declared, glad to have an ally. "She's one tough cookie to crack."

         "You can say that again . . . " Salem had been about to continue when
his voice abruptly trailed off. He sniffed the air.

         "What is it?" Lex asked even as he heard soft sobs that were barely
audible. That couldn't be Faith . . . could it?

         "Blood," Salem stated. "Faith's blood." He darted off with Lex right
behind him. Their hearts pounded in their chests as they ran as if their own
lives depended upon their reaching her.


Chapter Thirty-five
         Salem lead the way to where Faith stood in a secluded area of the ship,
her back to them. The moonlight gleamed on something silver that she clutched in
her hand.

         "Damn!" Lex muttered so that only Salem could hear. "She's got a knife;
be careful. Faith, are you out here?" Lex called aloud.

         "Go away, Luthor," a growl came in response.

         "Are you going to tell that to me too?" Salem asked, leaping up onto the
railing.

         "What the Hell do you two want?"

         "I just brought you some food, Faith. I thought you might be hungry, and
I didn't see you at the galley."

         "I'm not hungry," she muttered.

         "Gee, that's a shame," Lex called back to her. "The food's great! I'd
hate for it to go to waste."

         "Eat it."

         "Why can't you eat it? I did bring it all the way out here, especially
for you. The least you can do is eat some of it."

         Faith did not answer Lex at first, but Salem, sneaking his way along the
railing as the shadows clung to his ebony fur, could see her face. Its sight
almost stopped his heart. Tears streaked down her cheeks, intermingling with
blood. She pressed the knife's blade harder against her cheek. "I didn't ask you
to."

         "What are you doing with the knife, Faith?" Lex asked. He could see that
Salem had gotten into a good position.

         "Why does it matter?"

         "It matters to me. You're my friend."

         "I told you. I don't need any fucking -- "

         "Yes, you do, kid," Salem whispered, launching himself for the knife.
He'd meant to take it from her hand, but she struggled.

         "What the Hell's your problem?! So what if I want to cut myself?! It's
working, so leave me the fuck alone!" Salem's claws dug into her skin, and his
mouth went for the handle of the knife. She tried to shake him off again, but as
he started to lose his grip, the knife's blade sank into the side of his body.
Simultaneously, she tossed him behind her and whirled to face them, tears and
blood running down her face.

         "Stop her . . ." Salem managed to whisper, but his voice gurgled. It was
only then that Faith saw the cat's blood.

         "OH MY GODS!" Lex hollered, dropping the plate of food and rushing to
Salem's side. He could see the blood come gushing out, and he tried desperately
to stem the tide. "Don't just stand there, Faith! Get help!"

         Faith was shaking, her mind caught up in memories and the sight of the
dying cat before her. "NO! NOT AGAIN!" She did not even realize she was yelling
or that her tears had increased tenfold as the knife slid from her hand and
dropped to the deck. She rushed forward to join Lex and tried, with her bare
hands, to stop Salem's bleeding. She had cut a huge gash in his side, and even
then, by the light of the moon, she could see blood trickling from his mouth.
"GODS, NO! NOT AGAIN! KATRINA! ANY LEWIS! DAMN IT, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!
KATRINA!" She did not have the first clue as to what she was screaming. She only
knew that Salem was dying because he had tried to stop her from hurting herself
to forget the pain in her heart, that another cat was about to die . . . all
because of her again . . .

         Katrina's head snapped up, and her eyes left her husband's. "Faith is
screaming my name; I must go to her." Jumping to her feet, her hand was clasped
by Cole's who shimmered her immediately to Faith's side. His startled eyes were
met with blood that seemed to be coming from everywhere. He backed up, allowing
Katrina room to do her magic. Katrina's hands went into the cat's fur, searching
for the wound, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on the healing.



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

         Celina saw Morph and Tom jump up to run after Katrina and Cole, but her
reasoning voice made them pause. "I'm not sure that would be a good ideal. She's
calling for Katrina, and you know how Faith is -- " Her voice broke off as she
saw every one else racing from the galley, the food completely forgotten. "To
Hades with it!" She flew from her seat, and the boys followed just as swiftly.

         Dawson led the group without even realizing what he was doing. All he
could think was that Faith was in trouble and she needed him. He almost flew to
be by Faith before warning bells started ringing in his head. Jack had told him
to hide. If he came out now, all would be over, but he desperately wanted to be
with Faith. She needed him! The Hell with it! He'd hold her even if she killed
him afterward!

         Blood seemed to be everywhere. Faith was bleeding; Salem was bleeding.
The only ones kneeling there not bleeding were Lex and Katrina. He knelt down
behind Faith and touched her gently. He knew she could not see him and was
surprised to find her shaking. He heard some one else ask what happened. Lex
said, "It was an accident. Salem fell on the knife." Lex saw the boy kneeling
behind her and touching Faith; he recognized him at once but did not say
anything.

         Jack heard the words "the knife" and did not ask, because he knew what
Faith had been up to. He had caught her at it before, and they had had a really
big blow-out. What surprised the heck out of him was Dawson kneeling behind
Faith. She had but to turn and look and then she'd know it was him. Had he lost
his mind?

         Will reached out and grasped Jack's arm, stilling his beloved before he
could go after Dawson. "Look at his eyes, Jack," he whispered to him. "He's in
love with the girl. You wouldn't want any one to make me leave your side; don't
do it to them."

         Katrina continued to rock, words coming from her lips in a language that
no one but her sister and husband could understand. She could feel the healing
begin, and a blue white light leaped from her very being and engulfed Salem.

         Faith, shocked at the display, pulled back. She could feel comforting
arms around her and, for once, did not fight them. Instead, her tear-filled eyes
remained glued to Salem. She was still shaking as her words tumbled out over
themselves in a quiet mantra that only those closest to her and with advanced
hearing could hear. "Not again. Not again. Not again." She continued to repeat
the phrase.

         Salem was totally unconscious and would have been surprised at how many
people cared enough to hover close by him. Even Jareth knelt just outside of
Katrina and Lex, his eyes focused on his old friend. Delvira kept a gentle,
staying hand on her husband and felt his pain as if it were her own.

         Questions kept tumbling out of people's mouths, and every one was
looking around for a suspected knife. Those who knew Faith and her penchant for
trying to destroy herself kept their mouths closed as to what could possibly
have occurred but still kept their eyes open for the knife. Wolverine found it
first. He dragged it back with his foot slowly so as not to cause any attention.
As soon as he could reach it, he picked it up with his fingers and slipped it
into his pocket. He had been down that road and knew what would happen if one of
the others, not aware of what was going on with Faith, had discovered the knife.
Faith was many things, but Wolverine knew she was not a monster. He knew she had
not intentionally hurt Salem. He would keep the knife and give it to her later,
maybe having a chance to talk to her.

         The blue light disappeared after having lifted Salem, turned him every
which way but loose, and then gently deposited him back on his feet. A loud
voice interrupted the group. "WOW! I'll have whatever he was drinking!" Donkey,
having finally found a way aboard the Witch, chimed in. He had been both
surprised and relieved to find the ice bridge still standing although it had
melted as he had walked across it, and he had barely managed to make it to the
Witch. Relief flooded the crowd as they slowly began to make their way back to
the galley. Just what had occurred in the dark, most of them would never know,
but a few remained.

         Jack stood, looking down at Faith, who still had not raised her head.
Dawson continued to hold her, surprised that she did not try to break his arms
off of her. Jareth had moved closer to Salem; he reached out and stroked his
head.

         "Whew! What a ride!" Salem quipped as he came back to. "Man, do I have a
headache!"

         "It's a good thing you only have a headache, my friend," Jareth said. "I
believe you have lost one of your nine lives and would have lost the other eight
if not for this woman."

         Salem's eyes traveled up Katrina until they met hers. Green eyes met
green eyes, and Salem found his voice, thanking her. Katrina smiled at him. "Any
time, Salem, but please try not to fall on things again."

         "I . . . will not fall again," his voice falteringly spoke. He would not
reveal what had happened.

         Faith had not dared to lift her eyes to meet any one's until that moment
as she slowly raised her haunted eyes to Katrina's gaze. "Thank you," she
whispered, and for once, she whole-heartedly meant the words.

         "You're welcome, little one. Any time you need me, just call." She
smiled at her and then backed up, turning and walking quickly back to the galley
followed by Celina, Tom, and Morph who had not said a word.

         As Katrina walked away, Faith found herself looking at Lex. Lex looked
steadily back at her. "You want that food now? You'll have to come to the galley
and get it." He looked sadly over at the plate whose fallen food had been walked
all over.

         Faith continued to stare at Lex for a moment before murmuring softly,
"If you're there . . . "

         "Yes?" Lex asked.

         Slowly, Faith reached up a hand to touch her still-trembling fingers to
Dawson's hand. She turned even more slowly to see who was brave enough to hold
her and whose arms she had not fought when she should have, and her mouth
dropped open in shock.

         "Hi, Faith," Dawson said in a quiet voice. He didn't know what else to
say. He was expecting her to lash out at him, both with her mouth and her hands.

         "Dawson." His name was but a breath from her quivering lips. "You're
supposed to be dead."

         "No, I'm not," he said. "Just not here. The Captain told me to get, but
I didn't get. I don't give up that easily, Faith. I love you, and one day,
you're going to believe me. In the mean time, I'm only going to stay as far away
as you make me stay. I want to be there for you when you need me."

         "I don't need any one." Even she could hear the blatancy of the lie she
spat as she snatched away from him. Whirling to her feet, she turned to look at
Jack. "You told me you took care of him!"

         "I did! I told him to leave. I thought he was gone." He had his fingers
crossed behind his back the whole time, hoping he would not get struck by
lightning for his lies.

         "You're a smarter Captain than that!" she hissed at him. "You know damn
well to make sure to follow orders instead of just telling some idiot boy who
thinks he's in love because he finally got between some bitch's legs -- "

         Dawson looked intently at her. "Faith, aren't you glad to see me? Even a
little bit?"

         Faith snatched around to glare at him. "Why the Hell would I care if
you're here or on the moon?"

         "You must have," Will spoke up quietly.

         Jack thought, {Oh my Gods! Now she's going to attack Will! Poor boy!
He'll never know what bit him!}

         "And just what the fuck makes you think that?!" Faith demanded, her eyes
nearly cutting Will in two.

         He smiled calmly. "Because otherwise, you wouldn't be so angry or so
adamant to keep him -- "

         "Go to Hell!"

         Jack reached out and took Will by the hand. Moving his mouth close to
Will's ear, he whispered, "Go back to the galley and wait for me. All Hell's
about to break loose. Hurricane Faith is about to unleash."

         Will's eyes solemnly met Jack's. "I belong with you. Call it mutiny if
you want, but I'm not following that order."

         "Figures," Jack said, nodding his head. "You mutiny, and I can't do a
damn thing about it."

         "Faith?" Another voice spoke up.

         "What the fuck do you want, Virgin Boy?!"

         "You're bleeding . . ." Brendan started.

         "Hell yes, I'm bleeding, and everything would've been just fine if those
two idiots," she seethed at Lex and Salem, "hadn't tried to stop me!"

         "From what?"

         "From forgetting the pain! Like it's any of your damn business! Now get
the Hell out of my way, or I swear I'll send you to fuck Davy Jones!"

         All eyes turned to watch as she stomped away, and a collective sigh of
relief broke out. Jack looked at Will again. "I don't believe you just did that.
The woman is a nutcake! She could have torn you limb from limb! Leave it to you
to spit in the eye of a hurricane!"

         "As if you were not going to try to talk to her?" Will countered,
looking Jack directly in his eyes. "You have to learn, Jack. I love you, and no
matter the danger, I'm going to stand beside you or die trying."

         "I love you, too, Will, but if I ask you to go, please go or at least
give me enough room so that I can defend us. I can't fight if that would put you
in danger, savvy?" he asked, gazing into Will's eyes.

         "Funny," Will replied. "I thought I had the upper-hand in our fight?"

         The rest of them laughed at Will's words. "Sorry, Will, but none of us
have ever been able to beat Faith and until some one does, she'll never change."

         Will's eyes turned in the direction the girl had stormed off in. "That's
not what she needs," he spoke softly. "What she needs is love."

         "But as long as she spits in the face of love, she'll never get it,"
Jack spoke sadly. He knew that that was what she needed, too, but he had also
come to realize that she'd never stop fighting it. He was relieved that she had
not cut him into little pieces and was expecting to hear more on the situation
later.

         Dawson looked at Jack. "I'm sorry, Captain. I just couldn't stay hidden.
I heard her scream, and I had to go to her."

         "I know, Dawson. I understand," Jack said as he gripped the boy's
shoulder in a gentle squeeze, "but it's not over yet. Watch yourself."

         "I will, and I won't sleep in the sleeping quarters where she's at but I
will be close."

         Salem and Jareth were sharing a close moment and renewing their
friendship. Faith's words about her bleeding had made Jareth realize what had
truly happened, but Salem's quick thinking and talking had persuaded his friend
to stay. They, too, began to make their way back to the galley where seconds
were being passed out. Quickly grabbing their plates, the returning group also
got refills.



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

         Upon returning to the galley, Angel smiled at Cordelia. "Time to meet my
sister, sweets. Are you ready?"

         Cordelia gazed up at him even as she wondered about the blonde she had
seen him with earlier. Was she still having such an emotional fit? She glanced
at where she stood with Lorne and breathed a silent sigh of relief as the other
woman appeared to be calm again. She nodded to Angel.

         Taking Cordelia's hand in his, he led her across the room. He smiled
rather sheepishly at Crys. "Sis, I want you to meet Cordelia. Cordelia, I want
you to meet Crys. I hope the two most important women in my life can become
friends?" he asked hopefully.

         Lorne looked at Angel in disbelief. Was Angel only wanting Crys as a
sister? He breathed a sigh of relief; he wouldn't have to fight him after all!
"Don't forget me," he said.

         "Sorry," Angel apologized. "This is one of my best friends, Lorne, and,
Lorne, this is Cordelia." He looked around for Elizabeth so that he could
introduce her, as well, but she seemed to have disappeared. He had no clue as to
where she had gone, but as his eyes swept the room, he finally spied her sitting
and eating alone.

         The men's continued talking was barely registering on the women's ears
as they stared at each other. Crystal's eyes were wide and frightened as she
gazed at Cordelia, knowing that the last thing she needed was another "friend".
Cordelia's eyes had been drawn away from Crystal to the dragon that sat perched
on her shoulder. Hearing a low growl and not realizing that it was simply a word
of assurance to Crys, Cordelia jumped as her eyes flew to the wolf and lioness
that stood beside Angel's sister.

         Angel reached out and stroked each of the animals on the head.
"Cordelia, this is Elvira," he said, introducing the wolf. "This is Cindy," he
continued, indicating the lioness. "She hates men." Yet even as he said those
words, he wondered why she allowed him to pet her but was relieved that all his
fingers came away intact. "And this little fellow," he concluded, moving his
hand to Blue, "is Blue. Spoiled rotten, he is." He waited for Blue to get onto
his hand.

         Blue looked up at Angel in innocent surprise. "Coo?" he asked, meaning
Who, me?, even as he hopped over to Angel's hand.

         Despite her instant fear at the sight of the dangerous animals, Cordelia
could not help a light laugh at Blue's response to Angel.

         Angel brought Blue slowly toward Cordelia. "You can pet him, if you
want. He likes to be scratched on his head. Elvira is gentle and may allow you
to pet her, if you ask her. They are very smart and understand everything you
say. They are Crys' babies and protectors."

         Though she was now smiling, Cordelia's movements were still hesitant as
she reached a hand out toward Blue. The dragon's eyes looked calmly into hers.
Still, she inhaled deeply and did not dare to breathe as she touched his scales
and slowly began to move her hand in a gentle scratching against the top of his
head. Blue cooed at her touch, and the next sound that came out of him surprised
her even more for had she not known better, she would have sworn he was a
purring cat!

         "Shall we join Elizabeth?" Angel asked. "I believe you three have not
eaten."

         Crystal blushed as the memory of what she and Lorne had gotten into
earlier came to her mind. For the first time since Angel and Cordelia had joined
them, she spoke. "Lorne did manage to get me to eat a little earlier."

         Elvira looked up at her mistress and growled softly, informing her that
that little bit was not nearly enough sustenance.

         Crys' eyes turned toward the ceiling. "Don't start," she told the wolf
to which the lioness growled.

         Cordelia, watching the three, could scarcely believe what she was
seeing. Though she could not understand them, she still had a good idea of what
they were up to. Her eyes shimmered as she looked to Angel for affirmation.
"They're taking care of her, aren't they?"

         "Trying to," Angel agreed with a smile.

         Lorne had disappeared but now returned with a tray that had three plates
on it. "I think joining Elizabeth is a good ideal," he said even as he carried
the tray toward the table, confident that they'd follow him.

         Cordelia's eyes turned after Lorne. Though he was the strangest being
she had ever seen, she did not feel threatened by him and could sense that she
could trust him. She shook her head in slow amazement. "You really do know some
fascinating beings."

         "They're my family," Angel said simply. "Ladies?" he indicated that they
should follow Lorne.

         Lorne had now sat each of the plates down and had returned for the
drinks. He hoped Angel would join them but feared that he would not be able to
watch them eat and would leave. In any case, it would be a good chance for
Cordelia and Crys to get to know each other and one more ally in helping them to
keep Crys there.

         Cordelia stood, looking down at the plates in a mixture of worry and
confusion. "There's only three."

         Crystal had already been taking a seat, but her eyes lifted in concern
to Angel as she heard Cordelia's stated observation. Obviously, the girl still
didn't know what Angel was.

         Angel was quick to reassure her. "I've already eaten, sweets. I'm
actually on guard duty, but since it seems to be a quiet night, I can remain a
few minutes." He pulled the chair out for her.

         As Cordelia sat, she looked up at Angel. "Did you get enough?"

         "I believe I did." He smiled. "I hate I have to return above deck, but
when you finish eating, you could always come up and join me."

         She nodded. She wanted to be able to go with him but knew she would not
be able to finish eating in time. The thought of taking her plate above deck
never occurred to her.

         "Elizabeth," Angel spoke, "I'd like for you to meet my sister, Crys.
Crys, this is Elizabeth."

         Lorne smiled at Elizabeth. "It's nice to see you again, Elizabeth." He
slipped into his chair beside Crys.

         Elizabeth had been too lost in her thoughts to realize when the others
had come up. She now looked up at them, surprise registering in her gaze. A slow
smile spread over her face as she realized that she was still cared about. After
all, they could have easily chosen anywhere else to eat. "It's nice to meet you
. . . " she told Crystal, realizing that she must be the one Angel referred to
as she was the only one she did not know. Her gaze moved to Lorne as she
continued, " . . . and it's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Lorne."

         "Just Lorne," he told her. "It's been a long time. It's good to have you
amongst us. Will you be staying or leaving when we reach Tortuga?" Somehow he
just could not see Elizabeth as a Pirate even though he had known she had a
penchant for wanting to be one. Being the Governor's daughter, he knew she was
used to luxuries and there were definitely no luxuries aboard a Pirate ship.

         His question caught Elizabeth by surprise. Though she had lost Will, she
did not want to lose him completely. Besides, where would she go? She had no
home to return to, no family left . . . Her saddened gaze dropped back to her
plate for a minute, and she poked at a piece of chicken with her fork. "I . . .
I hope to be allowed to stay."

         "Jack would love to have you aboard. I was just thinking that life might
be too hard on you, seeing as to how you're used to luxuries and there are none
here."

         Cordelia was watching Elizabeth and could feel her new friend's sadness.
She knew she must be thinking about how she had no one and nothing left after
her home had been destroyed. Lorne's comment about luxuries also made her think
of her old life. Thus, she was the one to answer him rather than Elizabeth.
"Luxuries are not everything, and besides, they can often be more of a hindrance
than what they appear to be."

         "It will be good to have both of you aboard ship. Should you need
anything, do not hesitate to ask Angel, Crys, or myself." He was volunteering
Crys, but he hoped that she would not be upset by it. "A Pirate's life is hard
but well worth it, and though we have no luxuries, we have each other as family
and friends and that more than makes up for not having luxuries. I had them once
upon a time," his eyes glanced toward Angel, "and so did Angel. We both threw
them over to be Pirates."

         Angel did not dispute what Lorne was saying, because the luxuries had
been there due to the fact that his father had been a parson. His father had
kept the luxuries for himself, and not even his wife had been able to enjoy
them. He had not thrown anything over, and he knew Lorne had not given up as
much as he was putting out. He had come from a wealthy clan, but he had been the
outcast and had not had the life he wanted. He still did not disagree with him,
because he knew what he was trying to do with the ladies. Life was hard enough
on the men, but ladies who were used to such as Elizabeth and Cordelia were were
always seeking better things. "I will do whatever I can to help you," he
promised both of them. He sought Crys' eyes but found that she was not eating
anything though staring at her plate. "Crys?" he asked softly.

         She shook her head, her long, blonde hair shimmering down her back. "I'm
fine, Angel."

         "Remember what I told you earlier. It will always be true."

         Cordelia's eyes flitted between Angel's concerned face and Crystal, who
was determinedly not looking at any one else and did not even answer him. She
wondered just what he had told her earlier but reminded herself that it must
have been something concerning the Demon that was after her.

         Elizabeth looked up, as well. Her gaze took in Lorne's face and the
interaction between Angel and Crystal. The woman was not fine; she could tell
that with but a glance. Yet she still refused to admit to the truth. Her brow
creased as she wondered what was going on.

         Angel sat down beside Cordelia, reached out, and took her hand. "I must
go above, dear heart. Join me when you finish." He was getting sick to his
stomach as he smelled the food and watched the others eating. He wished, for
once, that he could eat as they were doing. "We have much to talk about, dear
heart." He squeezed her hand one more time even as he stood up.

         Cordelia nodded, her eyes gazing into Angel's. She wished she could join
him, but her hunger had not yet began to be appeased. Plus, both Crystal and
Elizabeth needed some one. She did not know if she could get anywhere with
either but knew she had to try. "I will, love," she told him, still hesitant to
let him go but knowing that he had to fulfill his duties.

         "Crys, can I take Blue up for a while?" He was still holding Blue on his
hand.

         She nodded but still did not look up. It was then that the memory of
Blue's betrayal hit her, and her head snapped up, her sad, ice blue eyes
flashing up at the two. "But don't you dare do anything like you did earlier!"

         "I promise," Angel said, looking down into her blue eyes and wishing
that there was something more that he could do to help her. Blue cooed as though
he, too, promised to behave.

         The others wondered what had happened between Angel, Blue, and Crystal
earlier but dared not ask. Crys nodded, but as they started to go out, she
whispered to Cindy. "Cindy, follow them, and don't let your brother do anything
stupid." The lioness growled softly, and she answered her, "Because you will do
whatever needs to be done to stop them where Elvira won't."

         As the lioness padded away, Cordelia and Elizabeth exchanged a look.
Cordy wondered if the big cat might try to hurt Angel but assured herself that
she wouldn't attempt to do anything to her uncle.

         Lorne was mystified. What could Angel have done to Crys with Blue in
attendance? He'd have to ask him about it later. He returned his attention to
his food.



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

         Once on deck, Angel held Blue up so that he could fly around and get
some exercise. He walked slowly around the deck, wondering just how he was going
to break to Cordelia what he truly was and how she would take it. She had to
know, and the sooner, the better. He wondered for a minute just how many normal
people there were on the ships and how many Supernatural beings there were. He
knew Cordelia would keep her mouth shut, not that she really had anybody to talk
to about it except Elizabeth. He just hoped she wouldn't run screaming off into
the night, fall off the ship, and kill herself. He truly wanted to spend the
rest of his life with her.

         He stood quietly at the railing, listening to the ship settling down for
the night and feeling Cindy's eyes on him. "You might as well come closer," he
told her. "I knew you were there from the beginning. I know you don't like me
much, but I'm not going anywhere."

         Cindy growled, informing him that she was not concerned over where he
might or might not go but over what he might do to Crystal. She knew he wanted
to help her but hated to see her beloved mistress so sad.

         "Maybe you can tell me what to do about Crys?" he said to her hopefully,
speaking as though he were talking to another two-legger.

         Cindy growled ferociously at that; the sound echoed through the deck.
There was no way she would betray her mistress!

         "I'm not trying to betray her, Cindy, just help her. I care about her."

         Cindy flexed a paw, watching her claws sheathe and unsheathe, but
finally relented enough to speak to him again. She told him that she knew he
wanted to help Crystal but that he would get no help from her for Crys would
feel it to be a betrayal.

         "Whenever you feel like telling me anything, Cindy, to help her, feel
free to do so. I won't ask again. I don't want her thinking anybody else
betrayed her. Don't be angry at Blue; he did what he had to do to stop her."

         Angel's response was another angry growl as the big cat commanded that
he not try to tell her what to do.

         "Females!"

         Cindy growled again, her tail cutting through the air as if to return,
'Damn straight!'



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

         Prue watched as the men finished their second plates. "We have pies for
dessert, guys." Some of the men were patting their tummies and acting like they
didn't have any more room. She looked at Brendan. "What kind do you want, Dr.
Richards?"

         Brendan could not help smiling at Prue. Her beauty seemed even more
refreshing after the ordeal with Faith. "What kind do you recommend, Miss
Halliwell?"

         She hated being so formal with him when all she wanted to do was throw
herself at him and whisper that she loved him, but she was going to do what
Captain Jack told her to do and the first step of that was being very formal.
"Dr. Richards, we have apple, pear, peach, blueberry, coconut, and pecan."

         Brendan rose, feeling eyes upon him but not daring to look at the other
Pirates, and started across the room to Prue. "But what kind do you prefer, Miss
Halliwell?" He was not very experienced with sweets but knew that whatever she
enjoyed must be scrumptious.

         "My favorite's pecan, but they're all quite good. I just don't like
fruits much." She smiled at him. "So which will it be or perhaps you'd like a
small piece of each?"

         He would not put her to the extra trouble though the idea was tempting.
"I believe I would prefer to try the pecan, madam."

         "Come now, Dr. Richards, are you going to tell me you haven't ever eaten
pie before?"

         Brendan's eyes fell away from her face. "You can not exactly call
Autolycus' or Joxer's real pies," he murmured.

         "Then you shall have a small piece of each." She quickly whipped out a
clean plate and cut him a small piece of each one. "Tell me which one you like
the best."

         Brendan had tried to assure her that she needn't go to the extra trouble
for him, but she had acted as though she had not even heard him. He looked at
her in surprise but smiled. "Thank you. Hum . . . Perhaps . . . " He paused,
glanced at Jack, and quickly noted that he still had the cane with him. His shy
eyes slowly rose back to Prue's. "Perhaps you would care to accompany me while
we enjoy the remainder of your sister's delicious cooking?"

         Prue looked helplessly at Jack. He had overheard the entire conversation
and nodded his head at Prue, meaning that she should go ahead as long as Brendan
initiated it. She smiled gratefully at him and went to sit beside Brendan at the
table, forgetting all about her plate.

         Several eyes had been watching the exchange between the two, and as Prue
sat down without her plate, Piper noted that both Phoebe and Paige were about to
rise. She shook her head at them, put her own plate down, and hurried to fix
Prue a slice of pecan pie.

         Cole picked up the plate he had fixed for Prue and carried it over. He
smiled at her. "Remember, Miss Halliwell, you have to clean your plate before
you get the pie."

         "Why, thank you, Mister Turner, it was nice of you to fix me a plate,
and thank you, Piper, for the pie and such a wonderful meal. I can't remember
when I've ever been so hungry!" The entire time she was talking, her eyes were
still glued to Brendan.

         Piper smiled as she placed the plate she carried next to Prue's meal
plate. "Just remember to eat the rest of your food," she lowered her mouth
closer to Prue's ear and whispered so that she prayed only her sister could hear
her, "and don't do anything Phebs wouldn't do."

         Prue smiled back at her even as she saw Cole reach out to Piper and tell
her that it was time for her to eat her own food. Though she had had her plate,
she'd yet to take a single bite. He shimmered out, holding two plates and Piper.

         "Well, drat!" Jack said. "I was going to toast the cook. I just wanted
to try the pie first." He had a piece of pie in each hand. "I'll do it first
thing tomorrow. Will, you have to try a piece of this pecan pie," he said even
as he stuffed his piece in his mouth. It was the best thing he had ever tasted!

         Will enjoyed the piece of pecan and nodded as he finally swallowed.
"That is delicious," he admitted, "but you've got to try the coconut."

         "That is what I've got right here," Jack said and stuffed it in too,
being careful to swallow and not choke on his food. "Bring one of them, and
let's go to our cabin."

         Will looked at Jack in a mixture of eagerness and surprise. "But what
about the festivities?"

         "Oh. I forgot about those."

         "Go ahead," Jareth told him.

         "We'll have those later," Jack said. He did not want to disappoint Will,
but he really did want to get him to the cabin alone. He had to step around
Donkey on the way out who had found the scrap pan and was in the midst of
several cats, who were all stuffing themselves silly. Donkey paused only long
enough to burp, and Jack looked at him questioningly. "I thought you only ate
oats?"

         "What's that?" Donkey asked.

         "Really, Captain," a smooth, cultured voice made Jack's jaw drop as none
other than King Meesy looked up at him. "What being in their right mind would
pass up any part of such a delicious feast?"

         "I quite agree with you, King Meesy. If only I had more room, but alas,
I'm almost full! I've got just a little hole, just enough for half the slice."

         Salem looked up from where he was busy eating next to Meesy. "Just
think, though, that babe can cook every day and night of the week!"

         Donkey grinned. "And we all get to eat it!" He then let out another burp
that rattled the walls of the galley.

         "Excuse yourself, Donkey," Will sternly told the animal as he joined
Jack, a plate of pie in hand.

         Donkey blinked.

         "Donkey, there are ladies present . . . " Will started.

         Donkey looked from one side of the galley to another. "Where? All I see
is Pirates!"

         It was at just that moment that both Meesy and Salem glared at him and a
Siamese cat struck Donkey. "Hey!"

         Will shook his head. "I tried to warn you!"

         "That little minx!"

         "She certainly is," Salem and Meesy breathed as one, watching Kit as she
stalked off, a piece of chicken carried high in her mouth. They sighed
simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

         Jack laughed as he walked out the door, heading for the cabin. He could
hardly wait to get there and get a moment alone with Will! He wished again for a
bottle of rum; it would sure make things easier. He had no clue as to how to
approach this coming battle, but he eagerly anticipated it. He opened the cabin
door and closed it softly behind them. "Come and rest for a while, Will," he
called and patted the bed. He pulled off his boots and laid down on the other
side of the bed, allowing Will to have the side closest to the door. He did not
feel comfortable on the bed and longed for his pallet instead. He lay stiffly on
the bed, waiting for Will to make the next move.

         Will placed the plate on the table and joined Jack at the bed. He sat on
its edge while pulling off his boots and dropping them to the floor. As he
turned back to Jack, however, he noticed that he appeared as tense as a board
and frowned at him. "What's wrong, love?"

         "Not used to this bed. I miss my pallet," he mumbled.

         "What do you mean you miss your pallet?" Will queried. "You sleep there
on a regular basis?"

         "Every night."

         Will stared at him in shock. "Why?"

         "I feel safe there. I feel exposed up here, as though some big monster's
going to come out of the closet, jump on the bed, and eat me all up, but under
there, I can see what's going on and nobody can see me. I've never been in the
bed before now. I bought it for you."

         "For me?" Will repeated questioningly, his surprise and concern growing
steadily. "Why?"

         "You know, for when you and Elizabeth got married . . . I was planning
on taking you on a honeymoon cruise and to the present I bought for you. I never
sleep in a bed, but I knew that you did or at least, I thought that you did
until Donkey showed me where you slept. Mister Brown was a real horse's ass. If
I had known how he treated you, I would have come sooner."

         "And done what?" Will asked. "Whipped me away with a woman that I never
wanted to be with?"

         "Beat the crap out of Mister Brown and stole you away with me. I thought
you were happy. At least, you always seemed to be. How was I to know? Come down
with me, and I'll show you how it is under there."

         "But what makes you so afraid of sleeping on the bed? You don't trust
your crew?"

         "Of course I do. I just feel safer under there."

         "But from what? And don't tell me the Boogeyman again; you know that's
just a kid's tale."

         "Oh, the Boogeyman's for real, Will. He just doesn't come out of the
closet. He's hiding in each and every one of us just waiting to come out. I
don't know what else to call him but the Boogeyman. He's evil, and he makes us
do evil things." He warily glanced out of the corner of his eye at the mirror
that he kept covered with a long, dark cloth. Turning his attention back to
Will, he asked, "Are you coming down with me or not?" Jack was really not
wanting to get into a discussion of evil things. He looked hopefully at Will.
"You don't have to stay down there if you don't like it."

         Will's eyes searched Jack's, and he gently cupped his handsome face.
Just what had his beloved been through in the past that had scared him so? He
wished he knew so that he might help him to overcome it but also did not want to
bring up any bad memories. At long last, he nodded. "I'll go down there with
you, Jack, but if you want to talk . . . "

         Without another word, Jack slipped under the bed and waited for Will to
come down.

         Will nodded to himself, then rolled under the bed after Jack.

         Jack lay on his side, breathing heavily as though he had run a marathon
race. "See it's not too bad under here. I've been having trouble the last couple
of days trying to force myself to sleep in that bed, but I sat on it and I
immediately got off of it. I told myself it was your bed. I pretended I could
smell your scent, and even that couldn't keep me up there."

         "But what if I hold you?" Will proposed, his eyes gazing adoringly into
Jack's.

         "Can you hold me down here?"

         "I can," Will replied, "but if you could get yourself to give the bed a
real chance, I believe you'd like it. Spend one night with me on the bed, Jack,
and if you don't find that you prefer its comfort to this hard cot, I'll sleep
with you every night from then on down here."

         "Okay," Jack gave in, "but you better not leave me."

         Will reached out and stroked Jack's cheek even as he slid closer to him.
"I promise I won't," he whispered against Jack's lips before touching his own to
them.

         Jack melted at his touch. He pushed Will on his back and kissed him
deeply. He wasn't uncomfortable with the kissing part; he just wasn't sure what
to do next. Knowing that Will was a virgin, he felt sure that Will would not
know what to do either. He had to ask somebody and soon, because he knew there
was more to it than kissing. For now all he could do was kiss Will, which he
did, pouring every drop of his love for him into their lips' embrace.


To Be Concluded . . .


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

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
running it.
Warnings: Abuse, Death, Lemon, Nudity, 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.

Chapter Twenty-three
         Jack had barely taken one step onto the plank leading up to the Witch
when he realized that he wasn't ready to go yet. He had not gone back to Will's
and collected anything he could find for him. He walked the rest of the way up
the plank and looked around for some one he knew he could trust. Spying Wesley,
he called out to him, "Wes, I have to return to town, and I need you to watch
these things for me."

         Wes eyed them suspiciously, wondering what Jack had managed to steal
this time, but nodded gravely. "I'll put them in my lab. They'll be safe there."

         "Thanks," Jack said. "I'll return for them shortly. You also need to get
Cole to pay the merchants for what they're delivering now."

         "Don't be long, Jack," Wes warned. "We've got to get a move on. I've
been looking at my scrolls, and Fred is right. Immense evil is coming. It will
destroy the entire town and any one or thing in its path. It's unlike anything
I've ever seen before and will be here soon!"

         "Thank you for telling me," Jack answered. "I won't be gone long. Faith
will probably get here before I will. Make sure every one's aboard and ready to
sail."

         "Aye aye, Captain," Wes replied obediently, hoping that for once Jack
had actually listened to him and would pay heed to it. He watched as Jack turned
and ran back toward the town.



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         Jack did not slow until he reached the smithy's. He opened the door to
find it completely dark, the fire having gone out. He did not see the shop owner
anywhere but figured that he was out, drunk and unconscious, somewhere. He moved
further into the shop, glancing around in hopes of seeing anything of Will's but
having not a clue as to where to find anything of value that might belong to
him.

         He did not see the donkey until he felt the air move past him as the
donkey kicked backwards, his hooves barely missing Jack. "What the Hell?!" Jack
exclaimed as he spun around, grabbing his sword, to find that he was only facing
a tied donkey. He reached out, untied the donkey, and swatted him on the butt.
He had hoped that the donkey would go out the back door that was open, but he
merely continued to chew on bits of hay and stare at Jack.

         Seconds later, the donkey moved closer to Jack and looked him straight
in the face. He swallowed the hay, then exclaimed with a grin, "Hey, I remember
you!" Jack fell backward onto his butt, and the donkey brayed in laughter.

         "Did you just talk?!" Jack asked, so shocked that he was barely able to
get the words out.

         "Well, didn't you?" the donkey asked.

         "Yes, but I'm human!"

         "Oh, yeah," the donkey replied sarcastically. "Sure humans can talk, but
animals? No way! They're just dumb, stupid things! Well, guess what, pal! This
one talks!"

         Jack swallowed hard and wondered why Will had not told him that the
donkey could talk. Slowly getting to his feet and making sure that he kept a
good distance from the donkey, he asked, "If you're so smart and able to talk,
why are you hanging around this place?"

         "I've got nowhere better to go, and the kid's not bad. First human I've
met that didn't need to be kicked."

         Jack made sure there was a few extra inches between them. "Since you
know so much, where did Will keep his stuff?"

         "His stall. Where else?"

         "His stall?" Jack asked. "Show me."

         "Why?" the donkey questioned, eyeing the pirate suspiciously.

         "I want to get his stuff and take it to him. He's on my ship and he's
not coming back, so you might want to find a new place to go," Jack told him,
still watching the donkey's hooves.

         At Jack's words, the donkey leapt into the air, joy spreading over every
inch of his face. "Well, hot dang, if the kid didn't manage to get away from
those bozos!"

         "No, he got hurt by those bozos," Jack said, "but I managed to get to
him in time."

         At his words, the donkey stilled and faced Jack with as somber and
concerned expression on his face as could have been on any human's. "How is he?"

         "He's sleeping now and is healed, but he almost died. I killed the
bastard that was behind it. Don't you go telling anybody." Jack was still
surprised that he was actually carrying on an intelligent conversation with a
donkey. "We need to get Will's stuff, and we both need to get out of here. You
deserve better than this."

         "I know that, but I don't have anywhere to go," the donkey admitted.
"Hey, wait a minute!" he exclaimed, grinning once more. "Maybe I can go with
you? Huh? Huh? Can I? Can I pleeeeeeeeeease?"

         "Donkey, do you realize that I am on a ship and that we're going to be
out at sea? It's not really a good place for a donkey."

         "Oh, pleeeeeeeeease," the donkey pleaded persistently. "It's gotta be
better than this dump!"

         "Okay," Jack relented, still unable to believe what he was doing, "but
don't forget that I warned you. Now help me get Will's stuff."

         "Oh, yeah!" the donkey exclaimed, strutting as he pranced in a little
dance around Jack. "We're bad! We're bad! We're Pirates, huh huh!"

         Jack could not help but to laugh. He had never met a more unusual
animal. He couldn't see why the donkey would want to be on the ship since he was
a land animal and figured he might regret it, but there was no way that he could
tell him no. The donkey seemed to have formed such an attachment for Will that
he figured Will had one for him, as well. Jack looked around, spied a cart, and
began loading it with the forge and other equipment he saw laying around.

         The donkey had continued to prance around, still dancing giddily, when
Jack finished collecting the equipment that was laying around. Donkey was
standing by a door by that time and called out to him, "It's over here! You
know, I always deserved better than this place, and so did that kid. That old
fart even made his room out of a stall!"

         Jack walked over and looked inside the stall. It was neat and orderly,
and Will had tried his best to make it look like a home. Jack could not believe
how small it was. {Poor Will!} he thought. {Bad times are over for you, my
love,} he promised. He took a blanket and began to put Will's few clothes and
other things he saw in the room in it. Then he tied a knot in it.

         Will hardly had anything. Where had the money that he had given him for
the swords gone? "Donkey," he asked, "did Will hide his money somewhere?"

         "Sure did," Donkey said with a nod. "Come on, and I'll show you."
Glancing over his shoulder a few times to make certain that the pirate was
indeed following, Donkey walked back over to where he had been chained to the
equipment. He tapped his hoof down on a spot on the floor. "Below that board."

         Jack walked over, grabbed the board, and pulled it upward. There were
three sacks under it. He did not open them but slipped them inside his shirt.
Whatever was in there was Will's, and he had no business knowing what it was
unless Will wanted him to know. He looked at Donkey. "Have we got everything
now?"

         Donkey paused, thinking, for a change, before he answered. His gaze
traveled slowly around the shop as he ascertained that the pirate had gotten all
of the tools. He knew most of them belonged to the drunkard who owned the
smithy, but the man didn't even deserve the clothes he wore. Finally, looking
back at the pirate, he asked, "We've got all of Will's, but can I pleeeeease
have a bag of food?"

         "To the store, then?" Jack asked. "We'd best get you several bags for we
are going on a long journey and there's not much food for donkeys aboard."
Donkey was looking at him as if he were about to cry, and Jack paused, looking
at him. "What?" he asked uneasily, wondering if he was about to be kicked.

         "The store? For me? Really?" the donkey asked in a small, quiet voice.

         "Of course! Where else would we get oats?"

         "Oh, man!" Donkey exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear yet again. "I
think I love you, man!"

         "Don't get any ideals!" Jack nearly screeched, raising his hands out
toward Donkey who stopped just at his hands, his tongue hanging slightly out of
his mouth. "Now you get to pull the cart, and we'd best get going."

         Donkey nodded and pranced around, ready and happy to accept the cart.
"Oh, man! Bags of oats for me! I don't believe it!" Jack looked at the harness,
holding it in his hand and wondering how to connect Donkey to the cart. Donkey
told him step by step, and soon they were out the door and heading for the
store.



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         It was much too quiet in the holding cell area. Angel returned only to
find Joxer and Carl asleep on the floor and the cell empty. Something crunched
under his boots, and he looked down to find shards of ice littering every inch
of the floor he walked upon. Looking back up, he saw that the cell was broken
and two bars were completely gone.

         "Holy Hell!" he exclaimed. "Where could she have gotten to?!" He began
to sniff the air, following her trail. How had she gotten past him? He'd only
taken his eyes off of the door for bare seconds when he had looked to see if he
could spot where Cordelia had gotten to. Jack would kill him if the woman got
away!

         In truth, the four beings who had escaped from the cell were still
lurking in the shadows of the ship not too far away. They had just made it to
the railing and the blonde had began to look around when the dragon on her
shoulder cooed urgently. She understood his message instantly and dived over the
railing and into the water before Angel could return to the deck. The wolf and
lioness immediately followed their mistress.



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         Upon reaching the store, Jack saw that it was quiet. Had the man closed
for the day? He had been about to reach for the handle of the door when it
opened and he saw Faith. She did not even see him at first as she took a bite of
the apple she carried and started to walk off. She found her way blocked and
only then did she look up to find Jack with a donkey with the stupidest
expression she'd ever seen on his face. "What are you doing here?" she asked in
surprise.

         "I'm here to get oats and whatever else donkeys like to eat." He looked
questioningly at Donkey.

         Faith quirked an eyebrow at him. "We're taking that with us?"

         "Yes," Jack said. Upon seeing that Donkey was not going to talk to him,
he walked into the store and back to the sacks that he saw resting against the
back wall. {Corn, oats . . . } He wondered what else donkeys would like to eat
even as he grabbed a bag of each and headed for the door. "Faith," he called as
he got there, "would you get a bag and fill it with apples? I think donkeys
might eat apples. I've got to get several more bags of feed."

         "Sure," Faith answered with a shrug from where she was perched on top of
the counter. Taking the last bite of her own apple, she tossed its core to the
floor, then leaned back and grabbed one of the bags that was behind the counter.

         "Thanks," he called even as he returned to the back wall.

         "You've still gotta tell me what the Hell's up with this donkey,
though!" she called after him.

         "He's Will's pet," Jack answered her. "I wasn't planning on taking him,
but when I got there to get Will's stuff, I couldn't leave him." Jack returned
for two more bags even as he was talking. He collected three bags each of corn
and oats. He hoped Donkey wouldn't need more than that. The apples would be a
treat. He headed out to the cart and loaded the bags, noticing that Faith had
several bags collected as well.

         Faith returned at that moment with the bag of apples. She saw Jack
looking at the bags she'd collected and took the opportunity to inform him,
"There's a few clothes in there for that kid. I don't know what you did with
him, and I don't wanna know as long as you keep your word. I trust you got rid
of him, but knowing you, you know where he is and can get it to him."

         Jack did not answer her at first. Why did she think he could have gotten
rid of the kid already? He hadn't had a chance yet. "I'll give them to him," he
said. "He's safe and out of the way. We'd better get a move on. Wes said it was
coming soon. I don't know what it is, but it can't be good."

         "Is it ever?" Faith asked though she was not worried in the least.

         Jack shook his head in answer even as he loaded the last bag onto the
cart. Looking at Donkey, he said, "Head for the dock, and move fast."



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

         Angel's keen hearing picked up the splashes, and he raced to the
railing. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" he yelled at Crys. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
DOING! WE'RE ONLY TRYING TO HELP YOU!"

         She started to call back to him but stopped, realizing that it would do
her no good. She had already tried to talk sense into him, but he listened no
more than those she had left behind at her homeland. Instead, she only swam
faster, her swift and sure strokes carrying her ever further from the ship.
Cindy and Elvira flanked their mistress, and the dragon flew just over their
heads.

         "WHAT WOULD IT GET TO TAKE YOU TO TURN BACK, CRYS? IT'S NOT SAFE FOR YOU
OUT THERE!"

         "I CAN'T TURN BACK!" she yelled back at him, her voice revealing her
exasperation. Why did so few actually listen when she tried to protect them?!



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

         It was quiet all around them, and Jack did not like the feel of the
tension he was picking up. Both Faith and the Donkey were feeling the same
pressure and shared his thoughts, but only Donkey glanced at Jack. He reached
over and nudged his hand with his snout. "You're welcome, Donkey. Now we'd
better get to the ship."

         Donkey nodded and picked up speed for a moment before stopping suddenly
in his tracks. "Whoa," he whispered to Jack. "The babe's not with us."

         Jack looked back to see that Faith was staring at something in the sky,
her face blanched white with terror. "What is it, Faith?" he asked, urgency in
his voice. He walked back toward her, his eyes drawn skyward. What he saw
stopped him in his tracks, as well. "DAMNATION," he thundered, "WHAT THE HELL IS
THAT?!"

         The only thing that he had ever seen before that came close to
resembling what he was now looking at was a hurricane, but this was no
hurricane. It was at least twice the size of the massive one he had been caught
in before and was pure white. Snow and ice spun around at blinding rates in its
winds, but what was perhaps the scariest thing about it of all was the face that
peered angrily out from deep within its bowels. Glowing blood-red eyes swept the
landscape, and what looked like fangs glistened from a mouth that was open in a
piercing howl that only then reached his ears.

         Donkey had also turned to look in the direction the humans were looking
in, and he was the first to break free from staring at it. "RUN!" he hollered at
the top of his lungs. "IT'S COMING THIS WAY!" He then transformed into a brown
and gray streak as he took off, hoping that one of the pirates would get ahead
of him and lead the way as he did not know where the dock was but never daring
to slow down.

         Jack's heart had almost stopped beating until he heard Donkey yell. He
reached out and grabbed Faith. "Hurry, Faith! We must get to the ship!" She
stood as still as a statue and continued to stare at it. He shook her. "Faith?!"

         His shaking stirred her back to her senses. She had not seen eyes that
red and full of evil since she had been a child, and the sight of the creature
had taken her back to another time in her life. Her memories shattered, and she
found Jack standing before her, his face full of panic, fear, and concern. She
did not answer him but only took off running for the dock.

         Jack ran, too, hoping that Donkey would slow so that he could catch him.
He finally caught up to him and looked at him even while continuing to run as
fast as his legs could carry him. "Do you even know where you're going?!" he
asked.

         "Yeah!" Donkey answered without hesitation. "Away from whatever the Hell
that thing is!"

         They turned onto the street that led to the dock and stopped again in
their tracks as their eyes fell upon what appeared to be statues. Jack realized
that it was humans but humans unlike any he'd ever seen. They were made of ice!
What the Hell was going on?! he wondered frantically. Doctor Doom had finally
hit upon a tragedy and hit it dead on the head.

         "Fuck!" the sharp exclamation spilled forth from Faith's lips as she,
too, stood, looking at the people. "They were real!" she told Jack. "I saw that
bitch," she pointed to one of the ice statues, "in the store just a little while
ago!"

         "Wh-What happened?!" Jack stammered out. "Only the Gods know!" he
answered his own question, shaking his head as he forced himself to calm and
fought to maintain control of their situation. "We've got to get out of here!
Run like you've never run before, Faith! Get on the Witch!"

         "I'm not leaving you, Jack," she told him, not even realizing the words
that spilled from her mouth, "so you'd better haul your butt, too!"

         "I plan to!" Jack said even as he joined her in running again. He yelled
back at Donkey, "THIRD SHIP ON THE RIGHT!"

         Donkey sped past them instantly. He did not even pause as he flew up the
ship's plank, dragging the cart right behind him. They hit the deck with a thud
and Donkey yelled right in the face of a stunned man who stood before him. "GET
US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

         Everybody froze in their steps, and all eyes turned at him. The meek
brunette who stood beside the stunned man even screamed. "Yeah, I'm a talking
donkey!" Donkey snapped. "Get over it, and GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

         Jack and Faith hit the plank together. "MOVE IT, WES!" Jack yelled at
Wesley, who stood, stunned and still staring at the donkey in front of him.
"It's coming after us! Hope to Gods it didn't see us!"

         It was at that time that the blood-curdling howls met their ears, and
the group turned toward the sound only to see the thing at the mouth of the
dock. The crew sprang into action without another word spoken, all hands doing
everything they could to ensure their escape. The plank was quickly pulled in,
and the ship set sail.



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

         Angel had jumped over board and had swam quickly after Crys. He didn't
know how to stop her. The woman would not listen to reason, and he didn't want
to have to knock her out and drag her back. Finally reaching her, he grabbed her
arm and pulled her back around to face him. He was about to try arguing with her
again when he heard a high-pitched, whistling sound. Looking up, he spied what
appeared to be a Demon of some kind inside of a blizzard. The Demon's blood-red
eyes were furiously scanning the area, and Angel realized that it was looking
for some one or something. "Is that him?" he whispered to Crys.

         She didn't have to turn around to know what Angel was looking at. She
could tell from the sounds that met her ears, and the terrified look on her
paled face told him more than her words could. "Yes! Damn it, I told you I had
to get away if you and the others were to stay safe!"

         "He doesn't see us down here, probably because he is not expecting any
one to be swimming. We are in the ocean," he said as though that made perfect
sense. "We need to get back to the ship. If you'll give us a chance, you'll find
that we can hide you very easily from him. If you stay here, you'll die. Is that
what you want? Do you want to die and leave your babies behind with no one to
take care of them?" He looked into her terrified face. "Give us a chance. We're
Pirates! We can fight anything!" he said with a bravado he really didn't feel at
the moment.

         "Angel, you don't understand! You don't know what he's capable of!" She
sighed, her mind whirling as she tried to think of how to make him understand.

         "Come back to the ship with me where we'll be safe and you can tell me
your story. If I think, at the end of it, you'll make us unsafe, I won't try to
stop you again."

         For the first time, she looked behind her. She watched, her heart
pounding frantically, as his blood-red eyes roamed the area, passing right over
them. "We don't have that kind of time! He'll spot us at any second now, and
when he does, he'll turn us to ice!"

         "He will if we're out in the open and he actually sees us. He doesn't
appear to be looking down here or it could simply be that we are protected by
the Lewises. They are Sorceresses of a high order. They're cloaking the ships so
that he can't see them. Come back to the ship, and he won't be able to see you."
He tried again to reason with her, speaking as though she was a child.

         "They may be powerful, but they're not more powerful than him! No one
is!" she exclaimed, her voice and the frantic beating of her heart telling him
that she truly believed her words. It was then that she saw his eyes narrow as
he looked down at something. It was not them, however, and she followed his gaze
only to see him turn a boat of innocent sailors to ice. "No!" she cried. "Not
again!" Her animals cried out, as well, and they pressed more tightly around
both their mistress and Angel.



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

         All around the Witch, other sea-faring vessels were taking off, as well,
but already they could hear screams. They looked back just as the screams
stopped in mid-pronunciation and the screamers and their boat were turned to
ice. Nearing the mouth of the harbor, they were joined in immediate
accompaniment by the Pearl. The ships' escape was aided by Celina and Katrina
working a spell to cloak both ships and excess winds that seemed to sweep
mysteriously down from the sky, pushing each vessel that had not already been
turned to ice ten times faster than its normal speed.

         Jack looked up to see what was causing the winds and smiled at Ororo.
She flew high above them in the darkened sky, and he could tell from the
gestures of her hands, that she was controlling the winds. It was going to be
really good indeed to have a Weather Witch. He had only heard about them in the
past, but now he was lucky enough to have one on his own ship. She was already
earning her keep.



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

         Memories filled Crys' mind, and she had to fight to stay with the
present even as tears raced down her cheeks. "Is that what you want to happen?!"
she asked Angel, turning back to face him as she could not bare to see the
monster destroy more when all he was truly after was her. "All he wants is me!
If you let me go, everybody else will be safe!"

         "Wouldn't you like to be free of him once and for all, Crys? Nothing is
all powerful. Everything has a flaw somewhere, a weakness. Just because you
don't know what his is doesn't mean he doesn't have one. If you come back with
me, the Lewises will keep you safe and perhaps, between all three of you, you
will be able to find what his weakness is. Then you could destroy him and you
would be free. You and your babies would be safe for all time." He didn't know
what else to tell her. He believed they could defeat him if she'd only give them
the chance.

         "Don't you think I've tried to defeat him?! I've tried again and again,
Angel! Blue's engulfed him in fire! We've even seen him fall into a volcano, and
still he came back! He always comes back, and even what you're seeing now is
only a small fraction of what he's capable of! If I was to let him take me,
you'd be safe! The others would be safe! And yes, I love my babies, but they'd
be safe too!"

         It was at that moment that Blue let out a low roar. He circled around
her, then perched on Angel's shoulder. Looking directly into her eyes, he began
to coo in a rapid series.

         Angel listened in rapt attention as Blue scolded his mistress. "Listen
to what he's saying, Crys. He speaks the truth. The Demon only wants you because
he wants your power and he doesn't want you revealing who and what he is. Do you
really want to give him your power? If he was not already the most powerful,
wouldn't that make him the most powerful?"

         "He already is," she told him. "I'm nothing compared to him." She looked
at him with questioning eyes, however, upon realization that he actually
understood what Blue was saying. Outside of herself, Elvira, and Cindy, there
were only two other living beings who knew Blue and understood every sound the
little dragon made.

         It was then that Blue set off again, reminding her that she knew that
Frostbite wanted any one who knew the truth about him. How could they ever have
a chance at safety without her? Of course, there was Jack, but they couldn't
stay with him as he was always flitting around the world.

         Angel wondered who Jack was but figured out that the Demon was
Frostbite. "Who's Jack?" he asked.

         "Jack Frost," she told him, looking him dead in the eyes. "That's
right," she added, seeing the flicker of surprise therein. "That Jack Frost."

         "What are y'all -- Elementals or something?" He reached up and scratched
the little dragon on the head. Angel did not like water and was hoping that Crys
would soon make up her mind to return to the ship so that he could get the
filthy stuff off of him and dry off.

         "Precisely. Ice Elementals. Cold Elementals. Whichever you want to call
us. You've heard about Jack. You know how powerful he is. That thing," she
jerked her head toward the blizzard, "tried to kill us both when we were four
years-old. We both barely escaped."

         Angel stared at her in astonishment. Just how old was this beautiful
woman? Had he found some one, finally, as ageless as he himself was? He hoped to
find that out later. "Crys, you do see that he's not seeing you now?" he asked.

         She looked back up at the blizzard. He did not appear to be seeing them.
That much was true enough. "He just hasn't spotted us yet."

         Blue spit at that. He was able to mask, as well, and could tell very
easily when he was being masked. Before any one could stop him and ignoring his
beloved mistress' frantic call, he flew straight up and let out a huge roar.
Frostbite did not even blink. Indeed, he made no reaction whatsoever.

         Crys had been about to throw up a shield of ice to stop Blue, but the
dragon had proved to be faster than she. When he roared, she went completely
still, as though she had been frozen herself, with fear, but when Frostbite
ignored him, her mouth fell open in pure shock.

         "See what I mean?" Angel asked gently. "Come back to the ship. You will
be safe there. We are masked. The Sorceresses are very strong, so strong that
not even your Fro -- "

         Before Angel even knew what she was doing, Crys had whirled around and
covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't!" she told him, her tone as frantic and
urgent as her eyes. "Don't say his name! If you do, he'll hear you even if we
are cloaked!"

         He nodded, and she dropped her hand. "Not even he can penetrate their
cloaking."

         "For now," she had to admit even as Blue returned to them, "but we don't
know how long it can last." She took a deep breath, thinking over everything
both Angel and Blue had finally made her understand. Could it be possible? Could
she have a chance at a real life? Could her babies, the familiars she loved so
much and who were her dearest friends in all the world?



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

         Things had happened so quickly aboard the Witch that Jack had almost not
had time to slip away and find Dawson, but he did finally manage to look for
him. He found him in the sleeping quarters and shook him to wake him up. Dawson
opened his eyes and rubbed them. "Huh?" he asked and then quickly sat up when he
realized that it was Captain Jack. "Yes, sir?" he said, jumping to his feet.

         "Calm down, Dawson, and be easy," Jack told him. "I want you to stay
with us, but Faith wants you gone far away. What do you want to do?"

         Dawson answered without even a second's hesitation, "I want to stay as
close as I can to her in case she needs me. She'll never admit it, but I still
want to be where I can help. I love her, Captain Jack!"

         "Figured as much," Jack said with a nod. "I want you to stay hidden as
much as possible. Do not let her see you under any circumstances. Find another
place to sleep, and take all of your stuff with you."

         "I don't have much," Dawson told him.

         He handed Dawson the bag. "You do now. If you need anything, get word to
me by Cole. I'll tell him to keep an eye out for you. Just whatever you do,
don't let Faith know you're still on board."

         "Yes, sir, I won't," Dawson vowed, "but I will still be close to her.
She just won't see me."

         "Good," Jack said. "Best hide now. She is aboard." He turned away from
Dawson and headed back up the stairs. When he turned around to look at Dawson
one last time, he was gone. He hoped Faith did not realize that the boy was
aboard or there would be Hell to pay.

         He then returned to the deck in time to hear Donkey fussing. It seemed
that Donkey just could not be quiet, and he was beginning to give Jack a
headache. He laid a finger on his nose. "Sh!" he said to Donkey. "Quiet down
now! You could have a heart attack! Wouldn't want that to happen."

         "A heart attack?!" Donkey repeated, looking at Jack as though he had
taken leave of his senses. "Yeah, right!" he added, prancing around and shaking
his head. (He had been released from his harness shortly after arriving aboard
the ship.) "Like I'm really going to have a -- " His voice cut off abruptly, and
he suddenly began to choke. His tongue flapped wildly around, tossing spit
toward Jack but not actually hitting him. He rose up on his hind hooves and
stumbled around before toppling over backwards. His hoof landed on his chest,
his head hit the dock, and his eyes shut. His tongue lolled out at an odd angle
from his mouth, and he lay completely still.

         Jack went over and pushed him. "Get up from there, Donkey! You're the
worst clown I have ever seen, and you don't scare me any at all! Why, if you do
kick off, I'll just push you off the side of the ship and let the fishes eat
you!"

         Donkey jumped up at that . . . and right into Jack's arms. "NO!" he
screamed, pawing at Jack as he tried to climb even further up him. "You wouldn't
do that! You wouldn't let them get me!"

         Laughter came from behind them, and a tiny horn blew from a button. "You
know, I was going to say that I resented your saying that he was the worst clown
you'd ever seen, but I have to admit," came Morph's voice, "that I think he's
even got Tom and me beat!"

         Jack shook his head even as he pushed Donkey down. "Morph, get out of
the clown suit," he commanded, referring to the clown that Morph had transformed
into. "Gods, I swear! All of you are going to drive me crazy with your
foolishness, and if I hear 'I'm bad' one more time, Donkey, no oats tonight."

         "Can I have some corn?" he asked hopefully.

         "Only if you're good." He looked around for Tom but did not see him; he
was relieved that at least one of the comedians was not bounding around him.



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

         Though her tears had stopped falling, her ice blue eyes still shimmered
as she again looked up into Angel's soulful eyes. "All right," she said at last.
"I'll come back, but you have to let me tell you. Even if you don't know, he'll
still kill you if he finds out that I've had anything at all to do with you. The
others have to know, as well, because everybody on both of the ships is put in
danger by my presence and was even the first moment I sat foot on the Pearl."

         "Okay," Angel agreed, relieved and glad that she had finally decided to
give them a chance, "but first thing, let's get back to the ship and get the
Hell out of here. Once we outdistance him, I'll tell Jack that you need to tell
every one what's going on."

         She nodded. "But Angel," she added, "if even one person or animal
doesn't want me on there after they know what I have to tell you all, I'm not
going to stay."

         A loud crashing noise caused Angel to turn around and look behind him at
the city of Port Royal even as it shattered into a million pieces. The sound
started tears flowing back down Crys' face instantly; she did not need to look
to know what it was made from. "Well, I'll be damned!" Angel said. "Jack was
right! Its evil has destroyed it!"

         She shook her head. "No. He did that."

         "Yes, but that town deserved to die," Angel said, wishing that he could
somehow stop her tears but knowing that he could not. She did not mean anywhere
near as much to him as Cordelia did, wherever she had gotten off to, but he
already cared deeply for her. "It was full of bigoted, self-righteous people who
crippled, killed, and maimed both animals and humans all in the name of their
religion, rather it was greed, money, or God. They deserved to go." He turned
back to swimming toward the ship, hoping that Jack would realize that he was not
on the ship and that they would wait for them.

         Crys' heart remained heavy as she followed after Angel. He might be
right about the humans, but she knew that animals and children had perished, as
well. Surely, there had to have been some innocence in that town, and she bore
that cost heavily upon her shoulders and heart. It was then that she suddenly
felt herself plucked from the water, and a scream broke from her lips. Roars
surrounded her as her animals were also snatched up, and ahead of them, she
could see Angel being lifted from the water, as well. Yet she could see nothing
and only felt wind.

         "Thanks for the lift, 'Ro!" Angel called. "I was afraid Jack was going
to leave us!"

         Crys looked in the direction Angel called to and was surprised to find a
black woman with long, white hair streaming out around her and a gentle smile
looking down at them from high in the sky. "He would not intentionally do so,"
she told the man whose name she thought was Angel but was not certain.

         "Never in a million years," Angel agreed, "but he doesn't know we aren't
on board."

         Ororo nodded. "That shall be remedied soon enough," she assured him,
"but would you rather me set you on the Pearl or the Witch?"

         "Where Jack is."

         At his answer, Ororo looked around, her blue eyes scanning the ships
until they finally fell on Jack who seemed to be rather surrounded at the
moment. Her eyes widened slightly. Was it her imagination, or was that donkey
talking?! His mouth certainly appeared to be moving in the sounds of human
language, but surely she must be mistaken. She gently lowered Angel, the blonde,
and the three animals to the Witch's deck.

         Crys had been startled out of her wits by the Weather Witch, but the
talking donkey did not phase her at all. After all, she had grown up around
talking reindeer. "Hey!" Donkey yelled. "It's raining people! Don't get it on
me!" He moved closer to Jack.

         Jack was surprised to see Angel flying through the air along with the
rest of his company. They were all dripping wet. He wondered just what had
happened, how the woman had gotten out of the cell, and why they were all wet.
"Long story?" he asked, looking at both of them.

         "Sort of," Angel replied.

         "Then let it wait 'til we reach the Pearl," Jack said. "We keep our
laundry on our ship." He turned to watch as they came closer to the Pearl.

         Crys shook her head. "Sir?" she spoke quietly.

         "Yes?" Jack asked, turning to look at her.

         "The story is one that both ships must be made aware of in the utmost
speed but must also wait until we can escape . . . " She glanced back at the
blizzard that was howling madly around the port. " . . . my uncle," she
finished, having to brace herself as she made the admission to a nearly complete
stranger but knowing that those two words would tell him a great deal more than
a long stream would have.

         Angel stared at her in surprise. He would never have expected that they
were kin to each other.

         Jack simply nodded, knowing that they must escape and that they were
coming very close to doing just that. "It can wait, miss," he told her in a
gentle voice, almost as surprised to realize that he still did not know her name
as he was to learn that the monster that was chasing after them was the uncle of
the woman who had so kindly healed his beloved Will, "for a little while." He
then turned back to watching and waiting for the Pearl for even though he owned
the Witch as well, he did not feel as comfortable on her decks and longed to be
on his own beloved mistress.



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

         As she rose back into the sky whose clouds of snow and storm were almost
as dark as night, Ororo's attention immediately returned to the howling, Demonic
blizzard. She was just in time to see its blood-red eyes narrowing down at
another boat. She had seen him turn another boat and all it carried to ice and
knew that the boat he now looked at was about to share the other's fate. She had
not been in time the first time, but now that she had a warning, she would not
willingly allow it to take place again. "NO!" Thunder roared in unison with her
cry, and lightning shot from her hands.

         The effects of Ororo's good intentions all happened at once and in the
space of just a few heartbeats. The lightning bolts she had thrown hit the
blizzard but bounced back; she barely had time to register their return before
she was struck by her own lightning. Screams and yells shouted from both the
Pearl's and Witch's decks as they saw her fall from the sky.

         Tom, who had never strayed from Katrina and Celina, realized their and,
more importantly to him, his own mistake. They had cloaked their own ships but
either had not thought or had not had the power left to cloak the other vessels.
He dashed forward but did not speak a word to either of them. He placed one
gentle hand on each catwoman's shoulder instead and joined them in the chant.
The spell grew as it derived power from three now instead of just two who were
already tired, and they extended it together to include all the fleeing ships.

         Crys had been one of the ones who had screamed at the sight of Ororo
being struck, and before any of the men around her could react, she had flown
into action. Ice had suddenly appeared under her feet and swiftly built a
makeshift bridge that carried her to Ororo.



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

         Logan had been standing next to the rail, gripping it tightly with his
hands, ever since they'd left port. His eyes had never left 'Ro. He hated that
she was out there, a target almost, against whatever Demonic being was coming
against him. His claws slipped in and out; he did not even notice.

         He was proud of what she was doing even as he was terrified at her
exposure. He saw her lift Angel, the blonde, and the animals back to the Witch.

         For a brief instant, his mind slipped back to thoughts of what had
happened between him and Gabrielle. He had been expecting it for a long time and
was secretly relieved that, at last, it had happened and he was allowed to go
home to the Pearl at long last. He had had to put up a big fuss with Gabrielle
even though he had not wanted to. Xena and he had discussed it in the past, and
he knew she was glad that the truth was out at last. He hoped the ladies were
making up just fine. He loved both of them as a brother.

         He was jerked back to the present as he saw something bounce back and
hit 'Ro. His mouth opened in a silent scream even as his body set into action.
Racing toward his beloved, he ignored everything in his path, jumping over
things that didn't move and pushing aside things, and bodies, that did. He flew
up to the crow's nest and then leaped skyward, his arms outstretched to catch
her, never thinking of how he was going to keep from crashing back to the ship.
He only hoped he could make it to the water.



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

         Jack watched as a blur of yellow and black passed through the air. He
never could figure out why Wolverine liked those colors, but he was often to be
seen with them and could be spotted a mile away. He opened his mouth to yell at
him even as he saw him leap skyward. He did not want to lose him, because not
only was he a great fighter but he was a good friend. He gripped the rail and
closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer that something would save him.

         Angel's mouth opened in surprise when he saw ice shoot from underneath
Crys, forming an ice bridge. He nudged Jack in the ribs. "Captain?" he said in a
voice of awe.

         Jack opened his eyes. Had a miracle occurred? Had Wolverine managed to
survive? "Where did that come from?" he asked Angel.

         "Crys," Angel said. "She made it. She's an Ice Elemental." They stood
side by side, watching, as the rescue occurred.

         Donkey seemed to be surprisingly quiet as he watched the scene unveil
before them with eyes rounded by shock. He was standing beside Jack, his mouth
next to the Captain's ear, when he suddenly smacked his lips.

         Jack smiled as Wolverine's feet landed on the ice, making a hard
thudding sound, and he was relieved to see that the ice was strong enough to
hold both of them up. It was then that Donkey smacked in his ear. Jack's fist
clenched; even as he turned, his fist gently met with Donkey's nose. "Don't. Do.
That!" he ground out. "Next time, it won't be gentle! What do you call that any
way?!"

         Donkey looked at Jack with wide, innocent eyes. "What?" he asked, his
tone just as innocent.

         "That Gods-awful sound you just made!"

         Donkey cocked his head to one side, his face adopting a look of
confusion. He shook his head. "Don't know what you're talking about, Captain."

         "Do it again, and you'll know," Jack threatened him. "Why don't you go
see if you can find Will?"

         Donkey brightened at that suggestion. "Okay!" he exclaimed and pranced
off joyously despite the danger that surrounded them.

         Jack hated to have deceived the donkey, but he just couldn't take any
more of his Gods-awful noises at that moment. He wondered if Donkey was ever
quiet or if he talked even in his sleep. His eyes returned to Wolverine and the
women.



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

         Crys had almost reached Ororo when a blur passed by her. She barely had
time to register it as being a short, rough-looking man before he and Ororo, who
he had caught in his arms, fell onto the ice bridge.

         Wolverine stepped carefully, not sure what he was standing on, but glad
that some one had thought to throw something out there for him to land on. It
felt very slippery, and he prayed that he would keep his footing. He did not
want to drop 'Ro. She was unconscious, and although she didn't weigh that much,
she was at least twice his height and he was having trouble keeping her off the
ground until a pair of hands slipped under his to assist him. "Thanks," he
muttered around a lot of hair. "Can't see where I'm goin'. Don't want to drop
'er."

         "If you stand still," a voice that he had not heard before told him, "I
can heal her." Though he could not see her, she still looked at him with tears
shimmering in her ice blue eyes. "And I'm sorry."

         "Sorry? Ya didn't have anythin' to do with this, but 'preciate it. Did
ya throw out whatever I'm standing on?" he asked. "What am I standing on? It
feels very slippery."

         "Actually," she told him quietly, "I did . . . on both accounts." She
paused a moment, then told him further, "It's ice."

         "Ice?!" he asked. "Where'd it come from? Normally I'd say it couldn't
exist here, this being the Tropics an' usually hot as Hell although today, it's
definitely not been hot. O' all things, snow and now ice! Will wonders never
cease?!"

         "No," she told him gently. "Trouble never ceases."

         "That's definitely true," he replied, "but when there's trouble, there's
always some one to help ya. Thanks again for the save. Now I've got to get 'Ro
down to the ship." He would not give her up, and he would not let go until his
feet were on the ship and he could lay her down. "Ya say somethin' about
healin'?" he asked even as he continued walking.

         "Yes," she agreed. "If you could hold still for a moment, I could heal
her now even."

         "Nope. Not till I get on the ship. I 'preciate the ice bridge, but I
don't trust it. I want my feet on the Pearl."

         She shook her head, knowing fully well that the ice bridge was perfectly
safe, but then relented as she remembered that she had caused the bridge just as
much as she had caused Ororo to be hit. "I'll take us down then. You might want
to hold still for a moment."

         "What do ya mean yer'll take us down? What are ya -- a giant?" He wished
he could see who was talking to him, but there was no way he could see around
'Ro.

         "Not highly likely," she answered. Had the situation been any different,
she might have even laughed, but her voice remained as somber as her face. "I
control the ice."

         "Wonderful! Is that anythin' like Weather Witchin'? I swear, you Witches
are somethin' else! We're lucky to have found ya!"

         "No one's ever lucky to find me," she told him gently, "and I'm not
whoever you think I am." She began to slowly melt the bridge, and as it melted,
it took them closer to the deck.



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

         Jack watched in amazement as the bridge began to withdraw on itself even
as it melted. Angel stepped forward to help but then realized that Wolverine
would not let go easily. "Jack," he nudged his friend, "maybe you could . . . "

         "Thanks, Angel. Another second, and I would've thought of it. I'm just
totally amazed at this ice bridge! You said the woman made it? What is an Ice
Elemental? Is it anything like a Weather Witch?" Even as he was asking Angel, he
moved forward to meet Wolverine and the women. They landed, and Jack cleared his
throat. "Wolverine, may I help?"

         If any other man would have asked if he could help, Wolverine would have
growled, but this was Jack and Wolverine would no more think of growling at him
than he would have growled at 'Ro. "'Preciate it, Captain. I could use a little
help." It took a lot for him to admit that.

         Jack reached out and picked up 'Ro's legs. He felt Wolverine's hands
move down to her shoulders. "We'll lay her right here and give Crys a chance to
work on her. She's a healer," Jack said, talking reassuringly to Wolverine and
hoping he wasn't going to go berserk on them.

         He had once seen Wolverine in a beserker rage, and the guy was
absolutely relentless. He had been butt-naked with only his boots on and had
almost wiped out an entire pirate ship on his own. They'd never said anything
about it to each other, but Jack was still grateful to him and would be to his
dying day. Wolverine had rescued Jack from that pirate ship. No one else knew
about their past, because neither one of them talked much about their pasts.
Jack relived his nightmares from time to time, and if Wolverine ever talked
about anything of the past, it was not about the times that he had pulled off
rescues.

         The very moment that Crys had stepped off of the remainder of the puddle
that had been the bridge, she was surrounded by her animals. Cindy and Elvira
flanked her, and Blue settled in on her shoulder. They stood silently to the
side of the men, waiting for Crys' chance to heal Ororo but not making a single
sound.

         Jack and Wolverine laid 'Ro gently on the deck, and Jack stepped back.
It was the first chance that Wolverine had had of seeing the strange woman and
her pets up close. "Thank ya fer the rescue, lady. I'd 'preciate it if ya'd heal
my 'Ro. Is there anythin' I need ta do?" He thought the lady was pretty, but he
couldn't even begin to imagine where she had gotten three such strange companion
animals.

         She shook her head, her long, blonde hair shimmering down her back as
she did so. "Please do not thank me," she told him gently, "for it is my fault
that she was hit." She moved forward to kneel before Ororo, Cindy and Elvira
making every step she did.

         Wolverine could not figure out why the woman kept blaming herself. After
all, she was not that Demonic being that he could still see up there, floating
around like some kind of a bleeding fairy. He had seen many things in his time
but none of them as weird as the things he had seen this day. "If ya say so,
ma'am," he finally got out. He knelt beside 'Ro, taking one of her hands in his.
"If I can ever do anythin' fer ya, just ask."

         "I would never ask anything for helping where I can," she told him, even
as she withdrew her necklace from where she kept it hidden in the bodice of her
black grieving gown, "especially when it is my fault that they need healing."
She had seen him glance up at Frostbite who was still flying around in the sky,
constantly trying to find some sign of where the ships had disappeared to but
being unable to attack what he could not see. "He is after me," she told him.

         Returning her attention to Ororo, she leaned forward and pressed the
crystal gently to the woman's forehead. It began to glow instantly and quickly
engulfed Ororo's body in a shining, blue light.

         Wolverine could feel 'Ro's shallow breathing begin to quicken and
normalize. He was so relieved that he wanted to scream for joy, but he said
nothing because he did not want to disturb the healing the woman was doing. His
mind had caught onto the fact that the Demonic being was looking for the woman
and trying to wipe out everything in its path. He vowed it would not get her if
he had anything to say about it.

         When the blue light ceased, Crys withdrew her necklace and tucked it
back into its hiding place. Standing, she backed up a couple of paces; both the
lioness and wolf continued to keep their steps with their mistress'. Elvira
bumped into something and glanced up only to see that it was Angel's leg.

         "Nice girl," Angel spoke softly to the wolf.

         Elvira's eyes shone up at him, and the Vampire could almost swear that
the wolf had smiled before she turned her attention back to Ororo who was slowly
coming to.

         Ororo's blue eyes fluttered open, and she found Logan gazing down into
her face with deep concern. "Wolverine?"

         "Yes, darlin', 'Ro?" he asked in a gentle voice.

         She was slowly remembering what had happened and thought, from the way
her body felt despite being struck by her own lightning, that the Lewises must
have healed her again. She really must thank those women as soon as she had a
chance to do so. "Is it still here?" she asked quietly, referring to the Demon
within the blizzard.

         "Unfortunately so, love, but it's not safe fer ya to go back out there.
We've caught a good wind, an' we're makin' good time. Rest a little while so
that if you're needed again, yer'll be able to take on the world," he said with
a grin. "Only you, 'Ro, would attack the worst bleeding fairy I've ever seen!"

         Crys opened her mouth to correct the man called Wolverine but thought
better of interrupting the two and hushed herself. Ororo, however, nearly spoke
Crys' very thought. "Whatever that creature is," she gently informed Logan, "he
is no fairy. However, if he's still up there, are you sure that the normal wind
will be enough?"

         "It should be, darlin'. Rest until you feel a little stronger, an' if we
haven't gotten away, you can conjure those winds again."

         "I feel fine actually, Wolverine," she told him, getting to her feet
with no problem. "I really must thank the Lewises. Where are they?"

         "It wasn't the Lewises this time, darlin'. It was this nice woman. I
still don't know her name." He looked inquiringly at Crys.

         "You may call me Crys," she told them, "but please do not thank me. I am
only sorry that he hit you."

         Ororo's blue eyes widened at that. "Why, child, you had nothing -- !"

         Crys cut her off with a shake of her head. "As I have told the gentlemen
here, I have everything to do with it. He is after me."

         "My name's Wolverine," he stated, "an' he won't have ya, at least not
while I'm alive an' then if he does me in, there'll be others to step in. We'll
overcome him. Just gotta get the Witches on it or maybe Doctor Doom might come
in handy. He's always spoutin' off about one thing or another; maybe he's got
the answer. This beautiful lady," he said, turning to look at 'Ro, "is Ororo. I
call her 'Ro."

         Crys nodded, taking in all that he said. The moment he stopped speaking
and gave her a chance to say something again, however, she quickly told him, "I
appreciate your offer, Wolverine, and know you have the best of intentions.
However, please do not make such calls until you know exactly what it is you so
freely and kindly offer to involve yourself in."

         "You healed 'Ro, an' that's all I need to know. I'm in yer debt, an'
Wolverine pays his debts."

         Crys glanced at Jack as Wolverine spoke those words. What was it with
these men? Why couldn't they just take a healing and be happy for it? Looking
back to Wolverine, she told him, "Had I intended to place you in debt to me, I
would not have healed her. I do not do such."

         "I didn't say ya asked fer anythin'; I'm givin' it freely," Wolverine
said. "We take care o' our own here. 'Ro's mine." He smiled at her, hoping she
wasn't going to throw a lightning bolt at him for making such a claim.

         Crys bit back a sigh of frustrated aggravation. "Like I said, I
appreciate the offer. I do, but please do not make such when you do not truly
know what it is that you are offering."

         "I know this much. I like ya, an' I don't like him. That's all I need to
know fer him to be my enemy."

         Crys took a step closer to the considerably shorter man, her ice blue
eyes glaring with frustration. Why was it so hard to make these people
understand that they did not have the first real clue as to what they were
trying to take on?! "That is not all you need to know! You know nothing of him!
You think that you have an ideal of what he can do! You might even believe that
you've seen the worst that he is capable of, but you have not even seen an
inkling of what he can do!"

         "An' he ain't seen an inkling o' what I can do either, darlin'."
Wolverine was never one to blow his own horn, but he was proud of his abilities.
He felt capable of taking on anything and coming out a winner.

         "It doesn't matter what you can do," she told him. "All he has to do is
take one look at you, and you can be ice instantly!"

         "Better get me some protection shields," Wolverine said, "soon as the
Lewises're recovered."

         Crys stepped closer still, her second stride placing her directly in
front of him. "You are not taking him on!"

         "Not right now. I haven't had my lunch yet, but if he messes with 'Ro
again, he's messin' with me, an' ya don't mess with me an' live ta tell about
it."

         Jack, overhearing the conversation, nodded glumly, remembering all the
battles that he had been in with Wolverine and how many buttholes had bit it,
many of them taken care of personally by the little man he thought of as a
giant. He didn't want anything to happen to him and hoped that they could soon
come up with something that they could fight with against the Demon.

         "You wouldn't even have the chance to lay one hand on him! One of his
thoughts would turn you to ice, and the second would shatter you!"

         He looked at her, knowing that this conversation was not going anywhere
and knowing that there was no way that he could walk away from the battle that
was coming. If there was any way possible, he would find a way to destroy that
Ice Demon. He had family and friends aboard both ships, and he'd never stand
idly by, waiting for something to happen to them. He looked at 'Ro and kissed
her. "Guess ya better be about yer job, baby?" he asked.

         She could tell that she would get nowhere with Wolverine and turned her
attention to Ororo before she could answer him. "You're not going back up there
. . . " she started but the woman was already shaking her head.

         "We appreciate your concern," Ororo told her with the gentle voice of a
mother, "but we must do what must be done. You need not fear, though, for he can
not see me." She gave Logan's hand a gentle squeeze even as Crys' eyes narrowed.
She didn't know what the blonde was thinking to do, but a gust of wind lifted
her from the ship and well out of Crys' reach before she could do anything.

         Crys whirled around to face Angel, throwing her hands up in despair and
letting out an exclaiming shout of frustration. "I'm sorry, Angel, but if the
rest of them are as blindly stubborn as those two, this is never going to work!"
Shaking her head, she continued before he could say anything, "If I tell you
what happened, it will only increase the danger I've already placed you in! I'm
out of here as soon as we hit the next port!" She stalked off, ignoring Blue's
gentle coos from where he was still perched on her shoulder. Cindy followed
beside her mistress, but Elvira trailed behind considerably more reluctantly.

         All three men watched as Crys and the animals walked away, each one of
them wondering what they could do to help her and vowing to find a way. It was
then that they felt huge gusts pushing the ship and were soon carried out far
past where the Demon still circled, howling like a mad banshee.


Chapter Twenty-four
         Angel was concerned and followed Crys. He knew she was worked up again
and thinking about leaving. He should have warned her that he knew his crewmates
would stand by her, no matter what she thought she had done or caused to happen.
He had known that they would. Now he had to convince her that they knew what
they were doing. "Crys," he called, "wait up."

         "For what, Angel?" she asked, glancing at him from an imploring face
with ice blue eyes where new tears shimmered. "For another talk? For another
request for me to allow your friends and family to be killed, to be
slaughtered?!"

         "What did you expect them to do, Crys -- turn on you and tell you to get
lost? We don't do things like that. Each and every one of us, at one time or
another, has had to be rescued, whether it was from Demons or even from
ourselves. Maybe I should have warned you that they would all be supportive.
You'll be allowed to tell your story, but I can tell you already what their
reactions will be. They will all be willing to help you in any way that they
can. Do you not want them to help you? Do you not want to be free, once and for
all? Don't say a thing can not be done if everything has not been tried. Have
you ever once had help other than yourself and your babies? Give us a chance to
help you."

         "Angel, how can I?" she questioned him. Reaching the railing, she draped
her arms over it with a sigh. "I thought for sure that there must be at least
one of you with a brain bigger than your or their hearts, but I think now --
after that, after Jack, after everything that's already happened -- that the
best thing I can do for every one involved is to just get out. I know you want
to help, and I appreciate that. I do," she insisted truthfully, "but how can I
let you or the others when it will only result in more death?" She shook her
head. "Call me selfish if you want to, but I can't stand the thought of having
any more on my conscious."

         Blue looked at his mistress. He could see the memories flickering in her
eyes and knew all that she was remembering for he had been through almost
everything with her. He also knew that, if left to her own devices, Crys would
never give in. He lowered his head for a moment, sighing. He knew what he had to
do. He hated it but realized that he was the only one with the sense to make her
have to stay.

         He glanced up at Angel with tears shimmering in his blue eyes. He knew
he was about to place his life in danger, but Angel was more than willing to put
himself in danger for them. Blue could already sense that, even if Crys left,
neither Angel nor those who had learned about Frostbite would stop trying to
find a way to defeat him. They'd go after him on their own with or without his
family.

         Blue's wings unfolded. Lifting into the air, he flew to Angel's shoulder
and perched again on it. His scales gently brushed Angel's cheek as he leaned
closer in and cooed softly.

         Angel was relieved. At last he had something to use on Crys to make her
stay! "Crys, I tell you now. If you leave, we still will fight against that evil
thing. It does not deserve to live and cause more heartaches. I now have what I
need to call him to me. If you leave, I'll call him." He looked at her,
wondering what she'd do now.

         She turned slowly, dreading what she would see. Her tear-filled eyes
lifted to his solemn face, and she could not help seeing her dragon's face
poking out from behind Angel's head. Her own face paled, going ten times a
lighter shade than it normally was. Her eyes zeroed in on Blue. "You didn't --
!"

         "Yes, he did," Angel said, reaching up and stroking the little dragon's
head, "but he did it out of love for you. He knows you don't need to be out
there on your own, not when you've got people who are willing to help you. Thank
you, Blue."

         Although the dragon leaned his head into Angel's touch, he dared not
make a single sound. His heart broke at the fury and terror he saw in his
mistress' eyes. Had he just lost his best friend, the woman who'd been the only
mother he'd known since a baby?

         "Don't blame Blue. If he had not helped me, you would have gone out and
gotten yourself killed. We don't want you dead, Crys. You're no good to any one
that way."

         She was still standing as still as a statue, staring at them in horrid
disbelief. Her heart pounded so loudly that it thundered in his ears. "What . .
. " she managed to gasp out slowly. "What . . . exactly . . . did he . . . tell
you?"

         "Only the name I need to call to bring your enemy to me. The name is
David, and he has the same last name as your Jack."

         "Gods, Blue, you didn't!" she wailed, tears now streaming down her face.
Her knees gave way underneath her, but Cindy and Elvira caught her together. She
stared at the males in horror. "You just condemned him!"

         Angel reached out and scooped Crys up into his arms. "You need to rest
and get some food. When's the last time you ate, Crys? When's the last time any
of you ate?"

         She was quiet for a moment before answering in a meek voice, "We've been
living on snow."

         "Good Gods, woman! These are meat eaters, and you've been feeding them
snow! Well, I'm going to take all of you to the galley, and we'll see if the new
cook has managed to get anything edible yet! After you've eaten, I want you to
rest for a while. We've got to get back to the Pearl after that. She's my home,"
he said by way of explanation, "and she would be yours if you would just let
her."

         He walked, carrying her high on his chest, to the galley only to see
that all kinds of crap was going on in there. There were four women, brandishing
any kind of weapon imaginable from fingers to wooden spoons, and they had
cornered Autolycus up against a wall. He wondered just what Autolycus had done
this time. He sat Crys on a nearby chair and looked around at the bedlam.
"What's going on here?!" he demanded.

         "Angel," Autolycus was the first one to cry out, "get me out of here!
They're trying to make me into an eunuch!"

         "Actually," Phoebe snapped, "we were just thinking about killing you,
but that sounds even better!" She thrust the fork she wielded closer at him.
Autolycus recoiled in fear, pressing himself as tightly against the wall as he
could get.

         Angel asked, "What caused this commotion? What did you do this time?"

         "Nothing much," he mumbled out. "Just managed to see a little ankle."

         "That's not what you told us!" Piper exclaimed hotly. "To think you
would stoop as low as to look under children's dresses!"

         "WE'RE NOT CHILDREN!" Paige and Phoebe yelled in unison.

         Angel looked at the women in their dresses before asking, "How is it
possible that he could see under your dresses? They're all long, even touching
the ground. Were any of you undressed at the time?"

         "No," Piper was the first to answer hesitantly, "but he said he did."

         "And he was cowering underneath the table!" Paige added.

         Prue looked angrily at Autolycus. "He's a thief and good at getting in
and out of places, so yes, he probably did it with very little problem!"

         "Autolycus, did you or did you not look under the dresses?"

         "No, but I wanted to so I just imagined what they had."

         "You've been told to stop bothering the ladies. You need to report to
Xena right away, and I'll be along shortly. If you haven't reported, I'm going
to tell her."

         "But I'm innocent, I tell ya!" Autolycus protested, hoping the ladies
would let him through.

         Prue moved back away from him. "You report yourself to the Captain right
away," she demanded, "or I'll tell the Captain what you were doing!" She
brandished a rolling pin she was holding in her hand. "I'll hit you with this
too! Now get out of here!"

         As soon as he saw a clear path, Autolycus ran for the door. Just as he
ran out, he called back, "Paige has on flowery underwear!"

         Paige's eyes almost popped out of her head at that comment. "He did!"

         Piper heard her youngest sister's cry of dismay and reacted before she
could even think. She grabbed a knife from the nearby counter and threw it
straight for Autolycus' retreating form. The door swung shut just before it
could hit him, and the knife embedded in the wood instead. Piper's eyes widened
as she looked at the knife's quivering handle. "Did I do that?" she whispered
hoarsely in surprised shock.

         "Yes, ma'am, you did," Angel affirmed quietly. Then speaking at a normal
tone again, he continued, "I think I'd better go after him and make sure he
reports to the Captain. Miss Piper, do you have any food ready yet? Miss Crys is
extremely hungry; in fact, the poor dear hasn't eaten in several days and
neither have her pets."

         Piper shook her head, an apologetic expression covering her shock at her
own reaction to Autolycus. "I'm afraid not. I've been waiting for Lorne to get
back," she explained. "However, there are some apples, other fruits, and
vegetables."

         "Crys, eat something please. I've got to go after him, but I will return
as quickly as I can." He looked at her, hoping that she would agree, but her
gaze only shifted away from him. He shook his head and looked at Piper again.
"Her pets eat meat. You won't have to cook it. Just give them some. I know we
have plenty of it in there. She won't eat until they eat something, and I'll
make sure that your kitchen help gets to you right away."

         Piper nodded and started to answer him only to be cut off by a shriek
from Paige. "WHAT IS THAT?!" Piper's questioning eyes turned to look at her
sister only to find her standing in a chair and staring at something in absolute
horror. Slowly, her heart pounding in her chest, Piper's gaze followed her
sister's. Seeing the animals for the first time, she gasped and backed straight
up into Prue. Prue stood there, gazing intently at the animals, even as Phoebe
joined Paige in the chair.

         "They won't hurt you," Angel said. "They're just hungry. Give them
something to eat, and they'll leave you alone. I'm not sure what Blue eats, but
try him on the fruit and then some meat. I won't be long. I promise," he said,
looking at Crys again, and then rushed out the door.

         Angel was lucky in that he found Joxer within five minutes of leaving
the galley. His eyes were red, and he was wobbling around. "What's the matter
with you, Joxer?"

         "I'm just waking up, and I feel like I've been kicked in the head by a
mule. In fact, I saw one not too long ago. He was walking around, looking into
the rooms, and I swear he was talking to himself!"

         "Get yourself to the galley and help Miss Piper. She hasn't gotten
dinner going yet, and there are a lot of hungry mouths aboard."

         "Yes, sir," Joxer said and gave him a half-hearted salute.

         "I know you don't feel up to it, but you've still gotta help, Joxer.
There aren't enough people around."

         "But, Angel," Joxer told him, "the woman escaped!"

         "I know that, Joxer. I have her back now. She's in the kitchen. Be nice
to her."

         "Why?" he demanded. "She wasn't nice to me, and I don't want to become
dragon food!"

         "Just get in there and do what you can to help Miss Piper. I'll be back
soon." He continued to follow Autolycus, who was not going anywhere near Xena
but was making a steady beeline for the crow's nest. "AUTOLYCUS!" he yelled.

         "Oh cripes!" Autolycus muttered under his breath. "He's going to get me
before I can get away!" Autolycus sped up and changed his destination. He kept
moving as fast as he could, and since he had already had a headstart on Angel,
managed to escape.

         Angel decided he'd take care of Autolycus later as he had to find Lorne.
Angel figured Lorne was still on the Pearl. Grabbing one of the ropes that Jack
kept hanging all around the ships, he swung out toward the Pearl, let go when he
was close, and landed on the deck. "Lorne?" he called.



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

         Jack had been alone on the deck of the Witch, staring skyward and
watching the Demon. He finally realized that the ships had outdistanced him, and
that since he knew not which direction they had gone, he was not following them.
After a while, Jack could not see him any more. He decided to head to the galley
and see what was cooking as his stomach had made a rumbling sound and he
realized that he had not eaten in a long time. He had to hold on to things to
keep from being blown off the deck. 'Ro sure had powerful lungs, he thought, if
she was doing all this blowing. He glanced upward but did not see her. He
wondered where she was.



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

         Howling winds were whipping so viciously around Faith that she had to
fight her way to the railing at the back of the ship. She had nearly reached it
when a panicked voice screaming for help caught her ears. She stopped, her dark
eyes flitting around in search of any sign of the troubled being before finally
coming to rest on black paws frantically scrambling for the railing. She smiled
even as she folded her arms over her chest. "Well, well, Lewis, it seems your
conniving ways got you after all!"

         "I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO," the voice thundered
back, "BUT I'M NOT LEWIS!"

         Faith stilled. The voice was male, not feminine as its screeches for
help had originally sounded. She raced forward, the smile completely gone from
her face, and was just in time to grab the paws as they slipped completely from
the railing. The wind knocked her, tossing her hair in her face and almost
blowing her overboard, but she dug in the heels of her boots even as she pulled
the cat up. He pawed the air in his desperate attempt to grab hold to her, and
though his claws sank into her flesh when he finally reached her, she did not
say a word. Instead, she dipped with him, rolling to a sitting position on the
deck, the railing at their backs.

         The black cat breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you . . . " he
started to say only to be interrupted.

         She nodded in response to his gratitude but then asked, "Who are you?
Actually, screw that," she continued on second thought. "If you're not a Lewis,
what are you?"

         "A man."

         She scoffed, and her dark eyes slanted disbelievingly down at him.
"Yeah, right."

         "No really," he insisted with a twitch of his tail. "My name is Salem
Saberhagan. I was trapped in this body."

         She shook her head, looking at him, and for a moment, he thought she
might actually feel sorry for him. Then, with another shake of her head, she
told him, "Riiight. Look, Salem, if that is your name, you should be happy to be
what you are."

         "A cat?!"

         "Yeah," she retorted, "a cat. You've got more natural agility and grace
than most beings will ever have, and if you get the right person and not an
idiotic bitch, you can even be taken care of for the rest of your life."

         He blew out a sigh as her words made him remember the women he had left
behind in Port Royal, the insane trio who he had run from at long last and
should have escaped many years ago. "Well, I didn't. I got stuck with three
bitches who tried to sell me."

         "Sell ya?"

         He nodded.

         Her blood ran cold. "Don't tell me they tried to sell you for food. Who
are they? I'll cut their damn throats."

         He cringed slightly at the ferocity in her tone and eyes. "That's okay.
They were taken care of with the rest of the city." He paused then hesitantly
added in a quiet voice, "Besides, that's not what they were going to sell me for
even if that is where I ended up."

         "Then what . . . ?" Faith asked, her head shaking and her brow creasing
in confusion.

         "Formyservices."

         "What?" she asked. "I couldn't hear you for the wind." Even then, it was
whipping her hair every which way, and she pulled a thick strand of it out of
her face.

         "For my services," Salem repeated, his voice rising. When she still
looked at him in confusion, he clarified though his eyes could not meet hers,
"For my stud services." He paused for a heartbeat of a second before concluding,
"To humans."

         "TO HUMANS?!" Faith thundered. "I'LL KILL THEM!" Her angry eyes flashed
on black.

         "They're already dead."

         "Maybe," she admitted, remembering what had happened to the city as it
had been turned to ice and crashed down upon itself, "but evil has a way of
coming back. If they're not dead and you run into them, all ya have to do is let
me know. I'll be glad to rip their throats out." She growled the last between
clenched teeth.

         He studied her in surprise. "Are you always that protective of
strangers?"

         "Hell no!"

         "Then what?" he asked. "Just cats?" She ignored him and glanced up at
the sky instead. "Come on," he purred to her. "I know you're a bitch, but you
like cats. We hit a chord with you. Why? I told you my story; you can tell me
yours."



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

         Lorne had been watching Brendan and hoping that he would wake up soon as
he needed to get back to the galley and help with the cooking. He did not know
how hard Jack had hit him but figured it must have been a good hit as he was
still out. He got up to move over to check Brendan out and tried to shake him
awake when the winds hit him so hard that it blew him against the railing.
Fighting his way back to Brendan, he saw his friend rise from the floor, and he
panicked. The winds were going to snatch Brendan away if he didn't do something
quickly. He flung his body full-length on Brendan, trying to hold him down with
his own weight.

         Brown eyes opened slowly only to meet with a red horn nearly sticking
him in the eye. "What the blazes?!" he demanded. It was only then that he
realized that Lorne's body was pressing down against his. "Well," he spoke
hesitantly, "this isn't exactly what I thought I'd be waking up to."

         "Sorry," Lorne said. "I know it's kinda awkward, but we have hurricane
winds and they were about to blow you overboard! The only thing I could think of
was to lay on you and hope my weight would be enough to hold you down."

         "Thanks, but you can get up now. What's going on?" Brendan then asked.
He could practically smell danger.

         "We have been tracked by a Demon ever since leaving Port Royal. You do
know how you got here, right?"

         Brendan sighed at the memory; the sound was one of lust and awe but also
of heavy disappointment. "No man could ever forget that."

         "The woman's safe; Jack knocked you out. We left the harbor, and we're
out at sea. She's with her sister. I know the story, Brendan. It kind of
surprised me. Whatever did you do to make her want you so much? She's from a
really nice family, and that's probably the first time she's ever did anything
like that. She is head over heels for you!"

         Brendan sighed. He could think of only one thing to tell his friend as
Lorne got off of him and looked down at him imploringly. He grinned up at him,
but his twinkling eyes remained darkened by the knowledge of what he could never
have. "Just lucky, I guess," he answered at first. He then sighed and shook his
head as he rolled to his feet. "I just don't know whether to call it good luck
or bad."

         "Well, she thinks it's good luck, and if you could have seen her
reaction when she got to her sister . . . ! She's not scared of your wolf; she
still wants you! Are you sure you didn't do anything to get her excited?"

         "Lorne, I hadn't even noticed her until she came up to me, and then all
I tried to do was ask her if I could help her! The next thing I knew, she was
kissing me!" He had been shaking his head at that, but as the memory replayed
itself and his lips again burned, he stopped shaking and only sighed in awe at
the remembered feelings.

         He shook himself again, trying failingly to force the thoughts from his
mind. "I've got to talk to Jack about her. She can't do that again. She can't be
around me! I'd -- I'd -- " He looked at Lorne, unable to complete the sentence
but hoping he would understand what he meant.

         "Jack knocked you out, and he'll stop you next time if things get out of
hand again. You know you can count on him. I don't think he knows quite what to
make of the Halliwells either, but you're not going to be able to get rid of her
easily."

         Brendan raked a nervous hand through his thick, shaggy mane of brown
hair. "There has to be a way. I can not continue to endanger her!"

         "Where there's a will, there's a way, but she is just as determined as
you are. She wants you, man!" he said with a wink of his eyes. "She wants ya
bad!"

         Brendan shook his head in disbelief. "She's crazy!"

         "Jack's on the Witch and hasn't returned yet. I've got to get back to
the galley. I'm supposed to be helping to cook dinner, but I'll get you some
clothes before I head back. Just stay here."



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

         Faith continued to ignore Salem. When she finally spoke again, her
statement had nothing to do with cats. "Looks like the wind's dying down."
Releasing him, she rolled to her feet and turned back to the railing. She was
just in time to see the other vessels taking off. Almost every one headed in a
different direction.

         Her sigh met Salem's ears as he leapt up onto the railing beside her. He
turned to look up into her eyes, and he jerked his head back slightly in
surprise at the sadness that shimmered therein. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

         "Nothing."

         He shook his head, then stood and began to rub against her arm, purring
deeply. "I wouldn't tell anybody." She didn't respond, and he tried again.
"Look. Something's bothering you. That's clear. You saved my life; I'd like to
be able to help you."

         "I don't need anybody's help."

         He nodded. "I usually don't, but I did today . . . " He placed a gentle
paw on her hand and was finally rewarded with her casting a glance at him; his
dark eyes caught and managed to keep her gaze. " . . . for the first time," he
lied smoothly.

         She laughed, but the sound was dull as her heart was not in it. She
scratched his head even while telling him, "You're such a liar!"

         "Maybe I am," he said, enjoying her gentle scratch and rubbing his head
into her hand, "but so are you. Something's bothering you. Why can't you tell
me? I'm a cat, and I know you like cats. Don't you trust us?"

         She continued to gaze down at him for a moment but then forced herself
to tear her gaze away. "I don't trust anybody."

         "Best way to be," he agreed, "but I'm not asking you to trust me
completely, just to trust me with this."

         She sighed. "There's nothing that can be done about it any way. It's
done, and it was for the best."

         Salem's intent gaze followed hers back to the departing vessels. "You
sent somebody away, didn't you?" She didn't answer, and he knew he was right.
"Somebody started getting under your skin, so you sent them off before they
could make you realize that you do have a heart. Nasty things, those are," he
added with a grimace and a shake of his head. "It doesn't matter if you're cat
or human. If you let yourself have a heart, it'll get you into trouble every
time."

         She snorted. "Got that right."

         "And I've got the other right too, don't I?"

         She sighed but slowly looked back down at him. "If you tell anybody,
I'll cut your throat."

         He smiled up at her, and the look almost brought a laugh from her. "I
bet you say that to all the guys."

         "Nope," she said with a shake of her head. "Just the annoying ones." She
couldn't resist scratching his head again, however.

         "So there was somebody?" he asked.

         "Maybe," she relented slightly.

         "And you're scared?" he added, his eyes searching hers for the truth.

         She could feel him reading her and snapped her head away. "I'm not
scared of anything."

         "But you are," he insisted gently. "You're scared he didn't get on one
of those ships."

         "He was just a fuck who got in over his head and I had to bail him out!
Why the Hell should I care whether he's living or not?"

         Salem's head cocked to one side as he looked thoughtfully up at her. His
tail swished silently from side to side. "Because you have a conscience?"

         "Hell no!"

         "A heart?"

         "No more than the conscience."

         "But he got under your skin."

         "Cat," she ground out, one hand now gripping the railing so hard that
her knuckles had turned white, "I think you'd better get the Hell out of here."



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

         Dawson had been listening the entire time. He was close enough that he
could almost reach out and touch Faith, but he did not make his presence known.
He was not surprised at the talking cat although he had, at first, thought it to
be one of the Lewises in trouble. He had recognized Salem as soon as Faith had
rescued him, however, for he'd met him earlier at the auction. He was surprised
at the truths that he was hearing coming out of both of them, and for the fact
that he heard Faith actually admit that he had had an effect upon her. He
continued to listen quietly.



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

         Salem started to speak again but changed his mind upon seeing the
darkness that had fallen over Faith's face. He had long ago learned how to tell
when he pushed some one, especially a woman, too far. "All right," he told her,
"but I'll be around if you want to change your mind." A growl was his response,
and Salem bolted, leaping from the railing. Her teary eyes cut back after him,
and she watched as he scampered out of her sight.

         "Fuck it," she muttered, turning back around. She continued to talk to
herself as she stepped away from the railing, took off her scabbard and boots,
and dropped them to the deck. "If the kid's dead, he's dead. If he's not," she
shrugged even as she pulled her shirt off, "good as long as he never shows up
again." She dropped her shirt to the deck, shimmied out of her pants, and added
them to the pile of her clothes.

         Faith turned, bent, and picked up her scabbard. She withdrew her sword
from it and glanced at the blood that covered its blade. The scabbard made a
clanging sound as it hit the deck again. She turned back around, grabbed one of
the ropes that was hanging down nearby, and hung it over the railing where she
could reach it later. She then dived into the water, still holding the sword.

         Faith quickly washed the sword clean of the blood that covered it. Had
it been merely her regular sword, she would not have bothered, but she scrubbed
every spot of blood off of it before tossing it back upwards. She listened, her
head cocked to one side, until she heard it embed perfectly into the deck beside
her scabbard, then set to washing herself.

         She had to fight the entire time, however, to keep from thinking of
Dawson. What had happened to him? Had he escaped alive, or had she condemned him
to death? She told herself she shouldn't care and cussed herself aloud
underneath her breath for doing just that.



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

         Lorne was headed for the sleeping quarters when he heard his name called
by Angel. "Yes, Angel, I'm coming," he answered. As soon as he reached Angel, he
told him that Brendan had to have some clothes.

         "I'll take care of that," Angel said. "You need to get over there and
assist Miss Piper or we're not going to eat today!"

         "Sure thing," Lorne replied, "but you take care of Brendan." He left for
the Witch even as Angel went into the sleeping quarters and got some clothes for
Brendan.

         Lorne continued to rush on his way to the galley. He knew he was late,
but he would never have left Brendan. He increased his footsteps, hoping Miss
Piper would not think he didn't want to learn because he really did want to.



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

         Angel returned to where he had last smelled Brendan, but when he got
there, he did not see him anywhere. Just as he was about to call out, he saw a
hand stick out of a barrel and heard Brendan said, "Over here!"

         As he held the clothes out to Brendan, Angel couldn't help teasing him.
"I don't know what was going on over here, but you were into more action than we
were over there, and believe me, there's been plenty going on today!"

         "She kissed me!" Brendan exclaimed in shocked disbelief even as his hand
reached out, grabbed the clothes, and snaked them back into the barrel. "I never
did anything to her, Angel, I swear! She kissed me!"

         "Did you like it?" Angel asked, remembering how much he had enjoyed when
he had kissed Cordelia earlier.

         Brendan sighed even as he shrugged into his shirt, only his arms
sticking out of the barrel as he did so. "Too much."

         Angel shrugged. "Then don't fight it, man; work with it. Wolf controls
his. You should be able to. Get with Wolf and find out what he does. Then go
court your woman."

         Though Angel could not see him, Brendan still shook his head. "Courting
is not open to me, Angel." He paused in speaking as he flipped upwards. He
exited the barrel for just a brief second, then fell back in, his legs sticking
out this time as he struggled to pull on his pants. "Even if I could control it,
which I can not, have never been able to, and will never be able to, I do not
deserve such."

         Angel was having a hard time not laughing out loud. Brendan was too
serious, and yet his actions were funny at the same time! "You have to work it
out, Brendan, or just let the woman go. Do you really want to do that?"

         "What I might want doesn't really matter, Angel; I don't deserve it.
What does matter is her safety, and that can not be accomplished if she is
anywhere near me." He flipped out of the barrel again, but this time, he landed
on bare feet on the dock.

         Angel shook his head in disbelief. Only Brendan could get dressed in a
barrel with barely enough room to turn around, have every button buttoned in the
right place, and look as though nothing had occurred. "Your past is not your
present, Brendan. With the right woman, you could work things out, but you, my
friend, have got to be willing to try."

         "Trying would mean endangering her in order to do so, Angel," Brendan
answered, looking his friend directly in the eyes, "and that is something that I
will never willingly do."

         "Well, she's not going to give you up. You have excited her, and she
wants you bad. I heard her say that."

         "So Lorne has also told me," Brendan admitted, "but it makes no
difference. It can not."

         "So the woman doesn't excite you?" Angel asked. "You don't mind if
another guy gets her? You don't want her? Hmm . . . " His voice trailed off.
"There's a lot of guys on this ship -- lonely guys."

         Brendan reacted before his human mind could make one thought. Before
Angel even knew what was happening, he had picked him up by his collar and
slammed him into the railing. "If you touch her . . . " he growled out, but the
threat and angry face were suddenly replaced by a look of confusion and sorrow.
Brendan dropped Angel instantly. Backing up and muttering an apology, he turned
and fled.



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

         Dawson heard splashing as Faith bathed and watched as her sword flew
back up onto the deck to land by the scabbard. She really didn't want him in her
life, or at least, she thought she didn't. He knew that, but he also knew he
would never leave, not willingly. He stood up and was about to leave his hiding
place when he came face to face with Salem.

         Salem peered up at him through knowing green eyes. "You're him, aren't
you?" he asked. "You're the kid she's got it so bad for?" He kept his voice to a
low whisper so that Faith would not overhear him.

         "I'm the one she's wondering about, but she hasn't got it bad for me,"
Dawson said. "I've got it bad for her. She doesn't want me. I can't blame her,
not when she has all these others to choose from. They've done so much, and I've
done nothing. She's not getting rid of me, though, and don't you dare go telling
her I'm here!"

         "As long as you keep my secret, I'll keep yours. She actually thinks I'm
just a normal cat!" he said, shaking his head. "Otherwise I never would have
been able to get anything out of her. I know her kind, kid, and I have to tell
you -- You're both wrong."

         "Why do you think we're both wrong?" he asked.

         "Simple," Salem answered knowingly. "You think she doesn't have it bad
for you, that she really doesn't want you. She thinks she shouldn't want you,
that she's better off alone. That's why she tried to send you away. She wants
you gone so that you can't continue getting under her skin."

         "I'm not going anywhere," Dawson said with a shake of his head, "but I
don't want her to ever find out I'm here. Why, she'd probably kill Captain Jack
and me both in our sleep!"

         He shook his head. "She'd threaten you. She might even physically attack
you both. But she wouldn't kill you. I've met her kind before," Salem reminded
him. {Hell,} he added silently to himself, {I've been her kind before.} "She
tries to make her own survival, wants, and needs her topmost and only priority,
but there are a few who give her trouble. You're number one on that list. She
doesn't know why, but she's got it bad for you."

         "So you keep saying, Salem, but I don't see that. I wish she did. Well,
I'd better go before she gets out of that water, but I'll be around so I can
keep an eye on her just in case she needs me."

         Salem shook his head. "I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't know
it." He paused. Faith would kill him if she ever found out he admitted this. "I
saw the tears in her eyes when she was thinking about you."

         "Probably just gas," Dawson dismissed it immediately. "She really has
very little use for me, but I'll love her till I die," he said with a sigh.
"Help me keep an eye on her, Salem. If she needs me, you can find me. I'd
appreciate it."

         Salem stifled a sigh even as he nodded. He knew he was not going to get
any further with either of them at the moment, but they would see with time. He
wondered if he had ever been that young, in love, and foolishly blind.

         Dawson took off to find another hiding place before Faith got back on,
remembering for one brief second how beautiful she was naked. As soon as he
found another hiding place, he laid down and waited.



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

         Angel rubbed his throat gingerly and shrugged his shoulders to
straighten his shirt. He called after him. "WAIT UP, BRENDAN! I WASN'T TALKING
ABOUT ME! I'VE GOT OTHER PROBLEMS! COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT THROUGH TALKING TO
YOU," he knew that Brendan could hear him, "AND I'M NOT MAD AT YOU FOR ATTACKING
ME!"

         Brendan paused. "Angel," he said, not bothering to yell for he knew the
Vampire would hear him, "I can't stand around. I need to get below deck before
something else happens." He shook his head, sorrow clouding his brown eyes.
"Gods, I don't know what's wrong with me today!"

         Angel finally caught up to him. "Hormones, my friend. Her hormones
triggered your hormones, and low and behold, the wolf came out! I wish mine was
that simple, and you can't get in the cage. It's broken."

         "What?!" Brendan almost screeched, whirling around to face Angel with a
shocked expression and wild eyes.

         "Yeah. It wasn't me. A woman did it."

         Brendan's mouth fell open and hung there for a brief moment before he
managed to close it and ask, "What woman?"

         "The one whose wolf bit Lorne in the butt. Her name is Crys. Jack locked
her in there, so she wouldn't run off for her own safety. Things got out of
hand. I sent Joxer and Carl down to watch her -- "

         "You didn't!" Brendan exclaimed, cutting him off. "Angel, you should
have known better than to send those two! I don't know what that woman is, but
she's definitely something!"

         "I figured it was a job that even they couldn't mess up and they were
the only ones available. Lo and behold, she knocked them both out, and then she
broke the cage by freezing it!"

         "Well, at least that explains one thing. I smelled the cold on her
earlier but didn't know what to make of it. She must be an Elemental."

         "An Ice Elemental, to be exact, but since none of us have ever dealt
with one before, we didn't have a clue what she was capable of. She's at the
galley too. Well, what do you want to do, Brendan? Do you want to come with me
to the galley or find Doctor Doom so that he can work on the cage?" Angel asked.

         "I'll find Wesley and get him to work. That cage has got to get fixed,
so that I can get in it!"

         "If you say so, but wouldn't you rather go to the galley?"

         "NO!"

         "Prue's there!"

         "I know Prue's there! Why do you think I'm not about to go anywhere near
it?!"

         "Okay. Then we'll find Doctor Doom and get him on the cage, although if
we can get him to work on an empty stomach, we'll be doing something. That man
loves his food!"

         "We all do," Brendan replied, both he and Angel hearing the rumbling of
his gut, "but I'm not going anywhere near that galley. You couldn't even drag my
coat to it if you killed me."

         "Brendan, I can't believe you're scared of a woman," Angel stressed.
"You're going to have to face her sooner or later. Why not do it now when you're
with me?"

         Brendan shook his head. "Angel, you're not getting me anywhere near her.
I refuse to endanger her any further! I'm going with you to Wesley only to make
sure he fixes that cage so that I can get in it before I go crazy again!"

         "Okay, my friend; let's go find Wesley." The two headed off together.
Brendan was relieved that Angel appeared to have given up the argument, but
Angel knew that he was only letting it rest momentarily.


Chapter Twenty-five
         "Phoebe," Piper called, "could you go see if you can find Lorne? We
really need to get started, but we should wait for him." He had been so eager to
begin his learning, and she would hate to have to start without him.

         "Sure," Phoebe answered. She wondered why Piper had not assigned the
duty to Prue but was not surprised that she had chosen her over her younger
sister. Just what was with Prue any way? She seemed especially distracted, and
Phoebe knew it wasn't entirely because of what had happened to their family
earlier that day.

         Piper watched Phoebe go before turning back to the blonde with the
strange animals. "What kind of fruits would you like, ma'am?" she queried, but
the woman did not even look at her. She glanced at Prue with a shrug, then set
about fetching some raw meat for the wolf and lioness.

         Prue wondered over to where the fruit rested in the bag. She looked
inside and selected an apple, a pear, an orange, and a peach. She carried all of
them over to the table and set them out in front of Crys. "Piper's an excellent
cook. It won't take long for her to get some real food, but maybe these will
tide you over?" she asked hopefully. She smiled at her. "What will the dragon
eat?"

         Crys only sat there. Fury and horror were still etched over her face.
She stared ahead, unseeing, her mind caught in the never-ending circle of what
would happen to Angel now that Blue had so ignorantly told him her uncle's real
name. There was no way he would ever be safe from Frostbite now. She did not
even blink as Prue moved in front of her, setting the fruits down on the table
and talking to her.

         Blue, who had been trying with no success to get Crys to allow him to
sit on her shoulder again -- in fact, the one movement she had been making from
time to time was shooing him away --, sighed and shook his head. He then hopped
down from the back of the chair to the table. He looked up at the lady called
Prue and cooed softly to her before taking a bite out of the apple.

         Prue reached out and gently touched Crys. She didn't know what was wrong
with her, but she appeared to be in shock of some kind. "Angel said your name
was Crys. Is that right?" she questioned as she sat down across from her. She
reached out and took the apple from Blue. Slipping a knife out of her skirt
pocket, she began to carve pieces off and feed it to him.

         "You have some very interesting friends," she said, indicating each of
the animals. "I have a cat; her name's Kit." She talked on to the pretty lady,
hoping that something she said would penetrate her consciousness. She had
finished slicing up an apple, got up, retrieved another one, and returned. She
was sitting down when she came up with an ideal. Slicing a slightly larger piece
of the apple, she offered it to Crys.

         Realizing that the woman was not going to leave her to herself, Crys
shook her head. "No thank you. I'm not hungry," she told her, her appetite
having been destroyed by the grief in her heart, "but I . . . I do appreciate
your giving them food." She gestured with her head to Cindy and Elvira who were
busily munching on the meat that Piper's booted foot had cautiously slid over to
them and then to Blue.

         Blue looked up at his mistress as she nodded to him and cooed softly,
but Crys quickly looked away. He sighed and waved the piece of apple he held at
her. He considered hitting her with it for a moment but then swallowed it
instead with another frustrated sigh. His tail whacked the table gently, causing
Paige, who Piper was beginning to work around as she was still standing in the
chair, to jump.

         Prue looked at Paige. "Paige, get out of that chair and help Piper!
We've got a lot of hungry people, and we've really got to get busy and cook some
food!" Then she turned her attention back to Crys. "I don't know why you're
angry at your little friend, but whatever he did, I'm sure it was to help you."

         "Please try to eat a little bit. Angel says you haven't eaten in days.
After all that time, you probably don't have an appetite, but one bite might
help you to regain it." She reached out, took one of Crys' hands, and laid the
piece of apple in it.

         Prue had soon finished cutting the rest of the apple up and dividing it
in between Crys and Blue. "Humph," she sighed. "I've really got to get up and
get on the cornbread. Piper has a lot of trouble with cornbread, but it's about
the only thing that I can cook and get right. She's tried to teach me other
things, but it just doesn't sink in. If you need anything, Crys, I'll be close."
She hesitated a moment, hoping that Crys would say something.

         Knowing that Prue was waiting for some kind of word from her before she
would get about her business and leave her to her own miserable thoughts and
memories, Crys finally spoke again. "I appreciate it." Prue smiled before
standing and running to get a bowl. She began fixing the cornbread.

         As soon as Prue had turned her back, however, Crys had slid the
fragments of apple over to Blue. The dragon looked at her. He wanted her to eat
but knew that he could not force her. He started to turn back to the apple when
he noticed that the redhead was still standing in the same chair, continuing to
stare at them. With a soft growl of frustration, he flexed his wings before
taking to the air. Maybe he couldn't do anything about his mistress, but surely
he could do something about the redhead?

         The dragon flew to her, and Paige tried to back away but found her back
pressed against the wall. Her face was pale as Blue came closer. Her mouth
opened to scream for her sisters, but her voice fell silent in her throat as she
felt the beast's breath brush over her face. She started to stumble, one foot
beginning to slip from the chair, but then froze as the dragon placed his face
against her cheek.

         Blue rubbed her gently, cooing softly, and a slow smile spread over
Paige's face. Just as slowly, unable to believe what she was doing, she raised a
hand and stroked Blue's forehead. The dragon cooed even louder, and her smile
grew as his cooing reminded her of Kit's purring. "Guess you're not going to eat
me after all, little guy?" she asked him, and the sound he made in response told
her that he wouldn't even consider eating a human. She giggled. "I would be
pretty much bones. Not a lot of fun, eh?"

         Prue continued stirring the cornbread, watching the scene. She had never
stopped to think of why she wasn't afraid of the animals, but a stray thought
crossed her mind. The man she was in love with was also part animal. She had
always had a way with them. Could she tame him? How she wished that she could!

         Even now, stirring the cornbread, her thoughts were filled with him and
the one brief second she had had with him when their heated lips had met and
burned her to her very soul. She had to do something, but what? She prayed the
Goddess would guide her footsteps. She just had to have him or she knew she'd
simply die because there would never be another man to fit her better!

         Piper had to laugh as she looked up at her youngest sister and the
dragon. "Looks like you've made a new friend."

         Paige nodded, still grinning. "Yes, I have."

         "That's great, but now you can get down from there and help me with the
biscuits."

         Paige groaned, her eyes rolling toward the ceiling. "That's all you ever
study."

         "Maybe so, but we need to get to work."

         "Like I said . . . " Paige started.

         "Just get down and come over here," Piper told her. She'd let her think
what she would. It didn't bother Piper that Paige thought that cooking and
working were the only things she ever paid any attention to. Actually, it was
probably better that Paige didn't have even the faintest clue that her mind kept
turning back to a tall, handsome man. Piper sighed in the back of her throat as
she wondered where Cole had gotten to.



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

         Angel was lost deep in thought as he walked beside Brendan. His mind
refused to stop thinking about Cordelia. He wondered where she was at and if she
was angry at him for having ran off after kissing her. He really had not had a
chance to get back to her. Too much had been happening. He hoped she would allow
him to explain as best he could, any way; even he did not have explanation for
everything that had happened.

         Brendan walked slowly along the pathway to Doctor Doom's lab, his every
sense at full alert for any sign of Prue. Although his lips still burned and his
betraying mind refused to cease playing over the memory of their kiss, he had to
stay as far away from her as possible. He shoved his trembling hands deeper into
his pockets. Just how was he going to get away from her? He knew he had to, but
he also realized that they could not abandon her or her sisters and did not want
to have to leave the Pearl. After all, his crewmates and their few allies in
Tortuga were the only good people he'd ever known.

         They arrived only to hear Wesley murmuring something that they could not
make out. Angel reached out and tapped lightly on the door. "Wes, we've got
problems."

         Wesley snatched the door open. "Don't we always? What is it this time?"
He glanced at Brendan, hoping that it was not something to do with the Werewolf
but realizing that it was as soon as Brendan's gaze dropped from his. It
couldn't be time for the full moon already, Wes thought even as he gazed
skyward, searching for a sign of the moon.

         Brendan shook his head. "It's not that." He sighed deeply. "I wish it
were that simple."

         "Then what is it?" Wesley asked with worry in his voice. "What has
happened now?"

         "The cage has been broken," Angel informed him, watching intently to see
Wes' reaction. The cage was Wesley's creation. It was catproof, Vampireproof,
and Werewolfproof. Nothing was supposed to be able to get out of the cage, and
yet it was still broken!

         "HOW IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?!" Wesley screeched. Who or, more
accurately, what could have hurt his baby?!

         "A newcomer to the ship," Angel replied. "An Ice Elemental."

         "What? Down here?"

         "Yes," Angel affirmed. "She's a beautiful woman and just appeared today
on the ship. There's been a great fuss about that. How did you manage to miss
all of it?"

         Wesley glanced away even as he murmured, "I've sort of been busy with my
own problems."

         It was at that time that a voice chimed into the conversation from
somewhere behind Wesley. "Wes?" Fred asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

         Angel glanced at Brendan and then back at Wes. Was the doctor holding
out on them? He could not remember a time of ever seeing Wesley with a woman,
and in fact, they had been beginning to think that Doctor Doom had no sex drive
whatsoever. Yet he had a woman in his lab?! "You aren't . . . conducting
experiments on her?" Angel asked. Was this some kind of new creature Doctor Doom
had discovered?

         "Well, we have kind of been experimenting a little on each other," Wes
sheepishly admitted, keeping his voice low enough so that only Angel's and
Brendan's superior hearing could hear him, "but mostly we've been unpacking and
putting away her things."

         "Oh." Angel looked at Brendan with a twinkle in his eye.

         "Don't," Brendan started sheepishly, fearing that Angel was about to
spill the beans on his own problem. He then shook his head with a sigh.
"Actually, we'd might as well." Looking at Wesley, he told him, "You have to get
the cage back up -- immediately."

         "Why? It's not a full moon tonight." Wes turned his full gaze upon
Brendan, realizing how distraught the Werewolf was. "Do you feel an attack
coming on?"

         Brendan's gaze shifted away from Wesley's again. "I already changed
once," he whispered.

         "What happened?" Wes questioned with deep concern in his voice. He had
been studying Brendan and his different reactions to things for a while in an
effort to help him overcome his problems. What could possibly have triggered a
Werewolf reaction without a full moon?

         Hearing Fred approach, Wesley glanced back into the lab and straight at
her. "I'll be back shortly," he assured her. "I need to talk to the men." He
stepped out, closing the door softly behind him. Looking back at Brendan, he
repeated, "What happened?"

         Brendan sighed, his lips twitching even as he tried to come up with the
right words. Finally, he admitted with a lustful sigh, "The most wonderful thing
I've ever felt."

         Wes reached out and touched Brendan's forehead to check for a fever,
then automatically checked his pulse. He did not have a fever, but his heart was
racing. "You aren't going to wolf right now, are you?" Wesley asked, his concern
clear in his voice. "Have you been feeling sick, unable to sleep? Hormone
problem?" He kept shooting questions at Brendan while he continued to check his
vital signs.

         "Wesley, you're not going to find anything that way," Brendan finally
told him with yet another sigh. "It's . . . " he paused for a moment before
finally admitting, " . . . a woman."

         "DAMN!" Wesley's mouth flew open. "YOU'RE IN HEAT?!" This was a whole
new game -- Werewolf in heat --, and he had nothing at all to compare it
against. He couldn't compare Brendan to Wolf, the only other Werewolf that he
knew, because Wolf stayed in heat all the time and did not have a problem with
his wolf. "Which lucky woman is it?" Wesley managed to choke out.

         "She's not lucky," Brendan corrected him instantly. "At least, not in a
good way." He shook his head sadly. "She has no idea what she's doing, and I've
got to stay away from her." He paused again before forcing himself to admit, "I
came very close to attacking over her already, as well. You have to get that
cage up, Wes. Yesterday."

         "Yesterday you what, Brendan?" Wes felt as though he was pulling teeth
out of a hen.

         Brendan shook his head. "I mean, that if you had gotten it back up
yesterday, it still wouldn't be soon enough."

         "Who's the woman, Brendan?" he asked him a second time even as he
glanced imploringly at Angel.

         Angel shook his head. He would not reveal the woman's identity unless
Brendan did.

         Brendan, too, shook his head. "Her name is not important, Wesley. What
is important is that she is a beautiful, innocent lady whose very life is put
into danger by my lowly hide being anywhere near her."

         "Give me a minute, and I'll get my tools," Wes said. He stepped back
inside and came face to face with Fred. "I've got to leave you for a little
while. I have to work on a cage and get it back up and working."

         Fred's eyes widened in surprise. "A cage?"

         "Yes. We have some Pirates that have to be locked away sometimes for
their own protection and the good of others, and some one broke the cage. I hope
it only takes a little while as one of the men is badly in need of its
services." He lifted her hand to his lips even as he kissed the back of it.
"Until we meet again, Fred. Stay safe." He backed out the door and almost bumped
into Angel, who was standing, staring at Brendan, and fussing.

         "Tell him the whole thing, Brendan! He is your doctor."

         "Angel," Brendan retorted, "he knows what he needs to know and that is
all! Neither her identity nor any of the other has anything to do with it!"

         "As your doctor, Brendan, I must protest. I do need to know your
reaction -- how and why your attention was drawn to her and any other pertinent
things that you can think of. You're a doctor; you know I need to know these
things."

         "This is entirely different!"

         "Brendan . . . " Angel and Wesley started at the same time.

         Yellow eyes flashed, a predatorial glare cutting through both even as he
finally roared out, his angry voice carrying over most of the ship. "SHE KISSED
ME, ALL RIGHT?!"

         "Oh. Is that all?" Wes said. "I thought maybe she had . . . physically
attacked you with her luscious body or something?"

         Brendan growled in response, and Wesley decided it would be best not to
push him any further at the moment. Falling silent, the three men turned and
headed together in the cell's direction.



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

         Brendan's angry roar reached Jack's ears, and he grasped his silver cane
tightly in his right hand. {Not again!} he despaired silently. He looked quickly
inside the galley, making sure that the woman was still in there. What could
possibly be aggravating his friend again? Shaking his head in disbelief, he
rushed off in the direction the roar had come from, but upon seeing that Brendan
had not wolfed out, he did not go any closer to them.

         He felt filthy and had been thinking about going for a swim before he
had heard Brendan but now realized he'd better hang around, unseen but watching,
in case his cane was needed. He was standing directly under the crow's nest when
some feathers fell down and landed in front of him. He picked up one of them and
looked towards the crow's nest. "Who's up there?" he called. He heard bird
sounds and knew that they were coming from Gnome lips. "Carl, what are you doing
hiding up there?"

         A little head and two eyes poked over the top and gazed down at him. "Is
Angel around?"

         "Nearby," Jack called back up, "but he's not interested in you right
now."

         "Oh, yes he is!" Carl whispered down. "He put Joxer and me on guard, and
the woman got away! I don't know how she did it, but she knocked us both out
without ever touching us and she broke the cage!"

         "Oh, I see," Jack said even though he clearly did not. "You think Angel
wants to eat you because you allowed the cage to get broke? He probably doesn't
blame you, so why don't you come down and we'll go watch Wes fix it? If Angel
tries to eat you, I'll stop him."

         Carl shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere near that Vampire until
he's cooled down and had some blood! He may not blame me for the cage, but he
will for the woman!"

         "Why will he blame you for the woman? Were you not unconscious? Angel is
a reasonable man. He won't hold you to blame for that."

         "He may be reasonable, but he'll expect an explanation! What am I
supposed to say -- that she knocked me out without ever laying a finger on me?!"

         "Yes, if that's what happened," Jack returned. "That would be a neat
trick to use against our enemies in a fight. Maybe you can find out what she
does?"

         "How? She's long gone!"

         "No, she's not. She's somewhere aboard the ship. It hasn't been too long
since I saw her."

         Carl looked down at him disbelievingly. "She knocked us out and broke
the cage but stayed on board? That doesn't make any sense!"

         "She didn't want to be in the cage. I shouldn't have put her in there,
but I was thinking about her safety and had too much other stuff on my mind.
Things are beginning to settle down now. I've got to try to have another talk
with her, so when you find her, let her know I'd like to speak with her again."

         Carl shook his head. "No way! I'm not going anywhere near that woman as
long as she's got her dragon! I am not getting ate, Captain, not for you or
anybody else!"

         "That dragon's not going to eat you, Carl! First of all, even if he did
like to eat Gnome, you're bigger than he is, and second, he's not violent. He
might not even eat meat."

         "But -- But she told us he would!"

         "Think about it, Carl. She was trying to scare you to death and get your
mind off of the job at hand so that she could work her magic on you, and she did
just that. You were so scared of the dragon that you never noticed when she
worked her spell on you."

         Carl paused, thinking over the Captain's words. Finally, a light dawned
over his face. "You know what, Cap? I bet you're right! If that dragon wanted to
be eating us, you never would've gotten her in the cage!"

         "Let me know where she's at when you see her, Carl." Jack knew Carl's
curiosity would not keep him away from her very long.

         Carl was still muttering oaths under his breath as he began to make his
way down. His eyes blazed, and his tiny fists shook. How dare she! How dare she
make them think that that silly dragon would eat them! Why, he'd give them both
a piece of his mind!

         Jack walked calmly off to place himself within hearing distance in case
a speeded rescue from Brendan was needed.



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

         Phoebe rushed out of the galley, not paying attention to where she was
running while trying desperately to spot anything green. Mister Green had to be
around there somewhere! He must have just forgotten that he was supposed to be
cooking in the galley. She knew that if it was possible, she'd like to forget it
as well.

         From another direction of the ship, Joxer was running full steam ahead,
one thought on his mind -- get to the galley before Angel got to him! Angel was
already mad at him. He didn't know why Angel blamed him for letting the woman
out. It wasn't as though he could do anything about it. He still wasn't sure
what she had done to him except knock him out without ever touching him. Why
couldn't he be mad at Carl? After all, weren't Gnomes supposed to be tougher?
How had she managed to knock Carl out, again without touching him? Those nagging
questions filled his mind, and he paid scarce attention to the crew members he
passed.

         He was almost there. In fact, he could smell something cooking. They had
started without him! He was in trouble, and he knew it. He increased his speed,
and it was at that moment that something ran smack dab into him. His eyes closed
as he collided with the other object. He grabbed wildly for something to hold
himself up, but his hands did not find anything.

         He fell forward, flaying his arms madly and taking down whatever had hit
him. It was soft, and its sweet scent filled his nose. He opened his eyes and
found himself gazing down into the startled eyes of the most beautiful woman he
had ever seen. She was looking at him with a doelike expression.

         Phoebe had barely caught sight of Joxer running towards her and had
started to try to move out of his way when he had hit her. His body had crashed
into hers, and the impact threw them both instantly to the deck. She had
exclaimed, but no words had came as the air was knocked out of her. The moment
she felt able to speak again, her mouth flew open to yell at him, but she
remained silent when she found herself looking up into his eyes. She had never
seen eyes like his before. They were so handsome, so . . . bewitching . . .

         Before Joxer knew what had hit him, he found himself leaning down and
kissing the startled woman. Her lips tasted of honey and thrilled him beyond
anything he'd ever felt before. {Get off of her, you big oaf!} he mentally
chastised himself. {You're probably killing her, and you know fully well that
she's going to slap you for kissing her! What are you thinking?!}

         Her lips had parted in a breath of a sigh when they were suddenly taken
by his. The sensations that swept through her burned her, but before she could
even react, he started to pull away. She raised a hand and cupped his neck. Her
fingers curled around the ends of his hair even as she stilled his retreat. She
recaptured his mouth with her own.



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

         Angel looked at the cage as they walked up to it. It wasn't totally
destroyed. Just two bars were missing, and the floor was covered with water that
he knew must be the melted ice. He thought she must have frozen the bars, then
shattered them and slipped through as the area created was just big enough for
her slim body.

         Wesley checked the cage and was surprised to find that it was not
overall weakened. "This should be easily remedied," he said even as he walked
over to a round tube hanging on the wall. "All I need to do is replace the two
bars that she transformed and shattered. Quite a remarkable trick, actually. I
never would have considered the possibility of that escape method, but then I
still can not fathom what on Earth an Ice Elemental would be doing in this part
of the world."

         Wesley removed one bar from the tube and walked over, placing it into
its normal position on the cell. He returned for another, fitting it in as well.
He then began to mutter words in a sing-song voice that Angel had never heard
before. Angel watched in amazement as the cage first shimmered and then began to
solidify, the two bars wielding themselves into firm placement. As soon as Wes
had finished, Angel got the key off of the wall and unlocked it, allowing
Brendan a chance to get in it. "Tell me what you want in there, and I'll get it
for you."

         Jack had heard enough. Why was Brendan locking himself away two days
early? He knew Brendan tortured himself a lot. Jack was tired of it but knew no
way to get him to stop. He could stop this, however. Walking inside the holding
area, he called a greeting. "Brendan, it's two days before the full moon, and
there's a lot of work to be done. Weren't you giving the men physicals? How are
you going to do that in here?"

         Angel knew what Jack was doing and didn't make a single sound, because
he knew that if any one could stop Brendan from locking himself away, it would
be Jack. He also knew that Brendan was never one to quit work in the middle of
anything. He hoped it would work but doubted it. Even Jack's abilities sometimes
failed.

         Brendan was already starting to walk into the cage when Jack called out
to him. His friend's voice did not surprise him, nor did his comments, as he had
smelled him and knew that he would attempt to intervene in the mistaken belief
that he deserved to be free. "Jack, the physicals can wait for now. If I don't
do this, I'm bound to kill her or some one else."

         "Brendan, you've never killed any one! I suggest that you lock yourself
in your cabin and not let any one come near you that you don't want to see. It's
two days before the full moon. If you lock yourself up now, in the cage, you
will be absolutely crazy by moon time."

         "I'm already crazy," Brendan said, turning from where he stood in the
cage to look back at Jack with sad, haunted eyes. "You know what happened. If
you hadn't been there when she kissed me, I would have killed her. I've came
close to wolfing since then, as well, and that was only over some one," his
betraying eyes glanced at Angel before looking quickly back at Jack, "pretending
interest in her."

         "Oh, so you are interested!" Jack exclaimed before he could stop
himself. "That's a good sign, Brendan," he added as he reached his friend,
grasping his shoulder. "It's a sign in the right direction."

         "No, it's a sign in the wrong direction! Jack, you know I've never been
able to control it! If she touches me again, I might wolf just from the memory
of the last time!"

         "I'll lock you in your room, and I'll put a guard on the door so she
can't get in."

         Brendan eyed him. "Who?"

         "Me," Jack replied. "You know I will not be far from you."

         Brendan thought a moment. Finally, he sighed, his head dropping in
relentment. "All right," he spoke at last, "but if I should start to wolf again,
I'm coming in here and I'm not coming out until we can figure out what to do
about her."

         Jack sighed. "I will first go and tell Miss Halliwell to stay away from
you unless you seek her out. Then I will return. I will not be very far from
your door. I will lock you in first before I go, and Angel will stand guard
until I return." He glanced inquiringly at Brendan, hoping that his friend would
agree.

         Brendan nodded. "I . . . I am only sorry to have to be such a nuisance.
I know you both have so many other things to take care of already, but I can not
be free at this moment."

         "You are not a nuisance, Brendan," Jack assured him. "You've never been
a nuisance. I care about you a lot. I only wish I had the answer. She is a
beautiful woman, and I fear she has it for you very badly. She's not going to
take the information easily."

         "Perhaps not," Brendan admitted, "but she can not be allowed to continue
to place herself in danger. I . . . Something has to be done, Jack, because I .
. . " He raised his head to look up into his dearest friend's face, tears
shining in his eyes. "I don't want to have to leave, but I can not endanger her
life."

         "You're not going anywhere, Brendan!" Jack's voice raised in alarm.
"Don't even think it! You're my family, and I want you where I am! I want you to
do something for me, though. I want you to search your feelings for this woman.
I know you just met her, but I want to know. Do you feel anything for her? I'm
not talking about fear that you're going to kill her. Is there something there?
Perhaps we could work on it and get you a real chance with her? Gods, I hope she
doesn't go to pieces on me! I hate crying women!"

         Brendan was already shaking his head. "I do not want to make her cry,
Jack, but you know very well that anything of that nature is completely out of
the question. You know my background. You know I have never been able to control
the wolf and that I never will."

         "But if you could, Brendan, would you want her?"

         Brendan sighed, his gaze traveling from Jack to Angel to Wesley and then
back to Jack. He knew he could trust all three of them more than he could ever
trust himself. "If things were different?" he asked him. "If we lived in another
world where I could? Because it will never happen in this lifetime."

         "Yes, Brendan, if all those things were different, would you . . . " he
searched for the words, " . . . think you could love her and would want to be
with her?"

         Brendan sighed deeply. "All too easily."

         "Then we are going to work on it," Jack said. "You and I have overcome
many obstacles together, and I think that this is one obstacle it might take a
team to get over."

         "Jack, no!" Brendan exclaimed, grabbing his friend's hand. "We can not
even think about that!"

         "Yes, we can, and the first person that we need to see is Wolf. He, too,
is a Werewolf who had trouble controlling himself and dreamed of blood. I'm not
going further into his past; it's for him to tell. I will alert him to your
situation, however, and knowing him, he will definitely take a paw in it. Come,
Brendan; let's go to your room."

         "Jack, I'm not Wolf! What he can have I can never have, and I will not
work on it because to test it would be to endanger her! I will not do that
again!"

         "I hate to do this, Brendan," Jack said, "but if we work with you and we
get to the point that you want to see her and you wolf, I promise you I will
knock you out with greatest pleasure. I will not let harm come to her, but I
will also not stand idly by and watch you throw your chance away."

         "But what if the cane doesn't work the next time? We've been lucky that
it has so far, but . . . but if something should happen so that she turns me on
so badly that it does not . . . "

         "It's never failed yet," Jack replied, "and how many times have I
knocked you out? I've lost track."

         "As have I," Brendan admitted, "but it may yet fail. We don't know. Will
you . . . " He took a deep breath. He'd tried to broach this subject before in
the past, and Jack always managed to get away from it. He turned suddenly,
placing both hands on Jack's shoulders and looking him straight in his eyes. "If
it should fail, if there should be no other way to save her, to save yourself,
to save any one else, will you . . . ?"

         Jack sighed but continued to hold Brendan's gaze. "I will do what I need
to do, Brendan, to stop you. I give you my word on that. I will not willingly
let you hurt any one, and though it will kill me, if I have to put you down, I
will."

         Angel and Wesley had been following behind the two, their attention
intent on their conversation though they had not spoken. "And should you put the
Captain in danger," Wesley spoke up, "we will stop you . . . regardless of the
consequences."

         Angel added, "I solemnly vow that if the Captain fails in his attempt to
stop you, Brendan, I will stop you."

         Brendan's gaze traveled again over his three friends before resting once
more on Jack. Finally, he nodded. "Then we can try, . . . and thank you, all."
He had to fight to keep the tears from his voice.



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

         Lorne rounded the corner to the galley only to see a sight that made his
mouth fall open and his eyes bug out. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelled. He could not
believe what his eyes were trying to tell him: Joxer and the girl were about to
couple on the ground! "JOXER, GET OFF OF HER!" he commanded as soon as he was
able to find his voice.

         "Oh my Gods!" he fluttered, his shock and fright growing when Joxer did
not respond. Lorne reached out, his hands shaking, and snatched Joxer off. "Man,
do you realize it's a child?! GET OFF OF HER BEFORE THE CAPTAIN SEES!"

         "I AM NOT A CHILD," Phoebe bellowed, glaring up at Lorne as though her
eyes could cut straight through him. She rose to her feet, then twirled to face
him with her hands on her hips. "AND MAYBE I WANTED HIM ON ME!"

         "Whatever, miss, but if the Captain sees one of the men on a child, he
goes crazy. I won't even go where Captain Xena goes! She's already after
Autolycus. Joxer, get in the galley now! Thank the Gods Jack didn't see!
Whatever you two want to do later, it's between you, but make it in private, not
out here where the whole ship can see!"

         Joxer stood still. He had never in his wildest dreams thought that a
beautiful woman would kiss him back for as many women as he had attempted to pay
court to, every one of them but Meg had slapped him. Meg had taken his money and
always given him whatever he wanted in return, but he knew that even she would
never have so much as glanced twice at him if he had not paid her. He looked at
Phoebe as his mind began to clear. He could not see the child any longer,
because it had not been a child that had kissed him but a woman. {And, man, what
a woman!} he thought.

         He wished for the thousandth time that he was suave, debonair, and a
true man of the world. Maybe then he could have really impressed her, but he
knew his shortcomings and realized that once she got back with her sisters, it
would all be over. He would never get a chance to be alone with her again.
Looking deep into her eyes, he spoke, "I would like to apologize, Miss
Halliwell, but I can't. It was the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to
me!" He could not take his eyes off of her even as he felt Lorne pushing him.

         Phoebe's angry eyes turned from Lorne to Joxer, but her expression
melted completely as she looked again at him and he spoke to her. "You'd better
not apologize," she told him. "There's nothing to apologize for, and that would
only ruin it." She cast another glare at Lorne before continuing, "I don't care
what anybody says. I'm not a child. I'm a woman. I know what I want," she took a
step closer to Joxer, her eyes returning to his, "and what I want is you."

         Lorne did not give Joxer a chance to reply but instead pushed him even
harder until they were all the way into the galley and safely inside the door.
Joxer's arms reached longingly back for Phoebe. "Maybe later?" he called
hopefully.

         Phoebe grinned. "Whenever we can ditch Mister Green."

         Prue looked up as Joxer was pushed into the galley. "What's the matter,
Joxer -- you don't want to help in the galley? Isn't that your job?"

         "Huh?" he asked.

         "Whatever!" Prue snapped. "Get to cutting those potatoes and getting
them ready to cook!" She pointed at a huge mound of potatoes. Joxer headed over
to the pile and sat down on a small stool. He whistled a little tune to himself
even as he picked up the first potato and began to carve it into the shape of
Phoebe Halliwell.

         It was taking Joxer some time to do it. Prue glanced back over at him as
she had not heard even one single potato land in the pot. "Joxer, what are you
doing?" She walked over and looked down at what he held in his hand. She blushed
red. "OH MY GODS!" she yelled.

         Several heads turned in the direction of Prue's shocked exclamation.
Piper started to ask her what was wrong when Phoebe spoke before she could.
"What?" she demanded, hurriedly making her way over. If somebody else was going
to start in on her Joxer --

         "Joxer, I said peel the potatoes, not carve the potatoes! Give me that!"

         "No, it's mine," Joxer protested, "and I am going to give it to who I
made it for!" He lifted it up toward Phoebe.

         Phoebe stared at the potato in shock for a moment before realizing that
he had taken the time and effort to so carefully carve it into her likeness.
"Aw!" She beamed at him. "You did that for me?"

         "I'm glad you like it," Joxer said with a grin and started peeling the
potatoes. He had not been able to help himself. He had had to give her
something, but he didn't want the others to get even an inkling of an ideal of
what was going on between them. He hoped she really did like it. He continued to
whistle his tune.

         Phoebe held the potato in her hands as though it was the best treasure
in the world. She wanted to kiss him but knew she couldn't with her older
sisters both watching.

         Prue's mind was whirling. Why would Joxer carve a potato in Phoebe's
likeness? She'd talk to the girl later. Had she done something she shouldn't
have? She returned to her cornbread, pouring it up into a huge skillet and
putting it into the oven to cook.

         "Do you need any more help, Piper?" she asked hopefully. She hoped Piper
was going to say "no" so that she could find out where Brendan had gotten off
to. Maybe they could have that little talk? She knew she had promised Piper not
to hunt for him again that day, but she just had to see him to make sure that he
was all right. The last time she had seen him, Captain Jack had knocked the crap
out of him, and she just knew Brendan hated her now.

         Piper looked at her sister. She was about to release her when she
noticed the look in her eyes. "Prue, you're not going anywhere. Beans or dishes.
Take your pick."

         "Darn!" Prue said. "Not beans! You know I can't cook beans! I'll take
the dishes. I don't want them, but I'll take them."

         "You're not getting what you want," Piper told her with a shake of her
head. "You promised me you'd wait until tomorrow!"

         Just how the heck did her sister know what she was thinking? Prue
wondered. It was not fair of Piper to read her mind! She stomped over to the
cabinets and began to look for dishes. They didn't seem to have any. She looked
in every cabinet, but no dishes appeared. "Where are the dishes?" she asked
Joxer.

         "Huh . . . Broken? Gone? Thrown overboard? We've been eating out of
cups."

         Prue looked again but did not see very many cups. "What do you do, take
turns eating behind each other? MEN!"

         "Well, yeah, when they eat. We haven't eaten much around here for a
while. I'm not a very good cook, and Autolycus can't cook either."

         Prue sighed. They were going to starve to death for lack of food! What
to do? "Piper? There's not any dishes. They've been eating out of cups, and
there's not very many of those. What should I do?"

         "Cups?!" Piper exclaimed, glancing at Lorne for affirmation that Joxer
was telling the truth. Lorne shrugged, then nodded, and Piper shook her head in
disbelief. "It's a good thing we brought ours with us then!" She pointed to one
of the bags that stood in a corner, its contents not yet having been put up.
"You can check them out, Prue. Some of them might need to be washed."

         Prue went over to the bag, opened it up, and began to remove plates. She
was surprised at how many they had and even more so that none of them matched.
She carried them over to one of the tables and set about getting a dishpan of
water and soap.

         Autolycus finally stuck his head in. "I'm hiding," he said, "so I'm not
cooking."

         "Thank Gods for that!" Lorne exclaimed.

         "Maybe not," Prue told Autolycus, "but you're going to help with the
dishes."

         Autolycus had started to tell Prue that they didn't have any dishes when
he realized that there seemed to be stack after stack at the table where she was
setting to work. He grinned at her, twirling his mustache with a twinkle in his
eyes. "Why don't you tell the truth?" he asked her, striding into the galley.
"You just can't stand being away from me, can you, beautiful?"

         Prue slapped him upside the head with the dishtowel. "Stop telling lies!
I could live a lifetime and never see you again, but you've got a job and you're
darn well going to do it! We need your help."

         "Aw, come on," he teased her gently, still grinning. "You know that's
not all you want from me." He started to reach a hand out toward her waist.

         "Touch me and lose it, buster! There's only one man I want, and he isn't
you!" She glared furiously at him. "Now get to drying!"

         "Mmm. I love a woman who knows how to boss a man around!"

         She ignored him as best she could and continued washing the dishes. He
finally quieted and began to dry the dishes. He wondered who she had the hots
for. After all, if it truly wasn't him, who could it be? Did the bloke even know
that she wanted him? There might be some money to be made, he realized, and his
mind set off on a course of how he would take bets with the other Pirates on who
this woman wanted. He would know the answer the whole time, so of course, he'd
get the money. He grinned as he imagined the riches rolling in.



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

         They reached Brendan's room, and Jack watched as Brendan walked in. "I
won't be gone any longer than necessary to talk to Miss Halliwell."

         Wes was about to move off back to his lab when Jack called to him.
"Wesley, if you'll look in the two bags that I gave you earlier, you'll see one
is full of weapons. Those are to go to Will. The second is full of women's stuff
and is for Elizabeth. Would you please see that they both get them? Check on
Will for me." His voice held longing in it, because he was not able to go
himself to check on Will and he had not seen him for a while.

         "As soon as I get to my room, Captain, I'll take care of it. I'll come
back and let you know how Will is."

         "Thanks, Wes."

         "You're welcome, Captain, and I'll spare you later if Brendan will allow
it." He looked inquiringly at Brendan.

         Brendan nodded before stepping backwards into his room. He waited for
the door to be shut.

         "You can do the physicals later, Brendan," Jack called to him as he
closed the door. "I'm sure the crew will be thankful of that." He locked the
door, pocketing the key.

         Angel took up a position with his back against the door and sat on the
deck. He whipped out a knife and a little piece of wood and began to whittle.

         Jack glanced at it and was surprised to see that a small bird was
forming out of it. He had not known Angel was so artistic. He didn't say
anything but hurried off to the galley.


Chapter Twenty-six
         Fred had watched through a tiny crack in the door as Wesley had gone off
with two other men. The very second they had left her sight, she had rushed out
of the door and quickly found her way to the galley. As she burst through its
door, she began exclaiming before any one even had a chance to acknowledge her.
"Prue, we have ta talk! Ya're nevah gonna believe this! The things they're doin'
are awful! They -- They're lockin' up men!" Her frantic nerves were easily told
from her trembling hands, shaking voice, and thickening accent.

         Lorne looked up from where he was mixing the meat that Piper had told
him step by step how to put together. "Who are they locking up, Miss Fred, and
who are they?"

         Prue had reached out and caught Fred's hands in her own. She was
worried. Had something happened to Brendan?

         Joxer said, "Nothing to worry about. They do it all the time when the
moon's full."

         "But it's not full yet!" Autolycus protested. "That's not for two more
days!" He listened eagerly to find out who was in trouble now.

         "Ah -- Ah don't know!" Fred babbled. "W-W-Wes said somethin' about a
cage where they lock 'em up when they're bad an' him havin' ta go fix it!" She
could feel the others' eyes on her as all but the blonde had turned to look at
her.

         "That explains everything," Lorne calmly announced, glancing over at
Crys. He didn't know for certain, but he thought that she might have had
something to do with breaking the cage. He thought she was the most beautiful
woman he had ever seen. She simply stole his breath away, and he had not gotten
up the courage to speak to her again yet. "We have special beings aboard the
ship," he finally came up with a way to explain the situation to the women, "and
the Captain had Wesley build a cage on both ships to hold the beings when they
are having problems."

         "What -- What kind o' beings?" Fred asked, her voice quivering, as she
looked at Lorne with eyes as round as saucers.

         "Oh, nothing much!" Joxer called from where he was peeling potatoes.
"Just the usual! You know, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and anything else that
goes bump in the night!"

         Fred's hands fluttered inside Prue's. "Wh-What?" She knew Lorne was a
Demon, but he was clearly good. "Are -- Are th-they," she stuttered out, her
eyes flying back to Lorne, "li-like y-you o-or a-ar-are th-they e-e-evil?"

         "There's no one evil aboard either ship, Miss Fred," Lorne was quick to
reassure her, "but there are a lot of us who have trouble controlling our
powers, especially when the moon is full. The cages are to protect all of us."

         "Bu-But th-they're good then, right?"

         "Yes, they're good, but through no fault of their own, they're not able
to help themselves. Most of us know how to handle it. We've been trained in case
they get out."

         "In-in c-ca-case they get out?!" Her voice rose with each word until she
was nearly squeaking. "Bu-But th-the c-ca-cage! D-D-Doesn't th-that -- "

         She was broken off by a smooth voice next to her. "Well, yes, it's meant
to contain them, but they don't always make it there."

         "WHAT?!" Her head whirled to look at the speaker, and she found herself
face to face with a mustached man with twinkling eyes. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY
DON'T ALWAYS GET IN THERE?!"

         He shrugged nonchalantly. "They sometimes change before they can reach
the cage or have a little temper tantrum that can turn deadly."

         "D-D-D-D-De-Dea -- ?!"

         He nodded but raised a hand to caress her cheek. "Why, of course, but
don't worry. I'll keep you safe." He drew his thumb gently across her lips, and
she trembled underneath his touch, too scared and shocked to tell him to get his
hand off of her. "I'll protect you, beautiful."

         "AUTOLYCUS!" Prue yelled right in his face. "GET OFF OF HER RIGHT NOW!"

         A voice came from the doorway. "I've been looking for you, Autolycus."

         Autolycus' eyes closed at that particular voice. "No . . . " he
whispered. "Not her." His eyes opened, and he glanced at the table, wondering if
he might make it under there before she could reach him.

         "You're not hiding under there this time!" His eyes darted to Paige, who
had made the call. She was sitting next to Piper, and his eyes widened as he
realized that Piper again had a knife in her hand.

         Xena stood in the doorway, taking in the scene. She was happy that some
one was attempting to get dinner going for every one, but she knew her
confrontation with Autolycus was long past due. Her happy encounter with
Gabrielle had made her starving to death, and her stomach rumbled. She looked
around, hoping to spy something to eat, even as Joxer threw something at her. It
was an apple. She caught it and bit it before turning and handing the rest of it
to Gabrielle, who was standing right behind her. "Do you want him, or do you
want me to handle him?"

         Gabrielle tossed the apple, catching it repeatedly in the palm of her
hand. Her solemn green eyes narrowed in on Autolycus' back, and he could feel
her gaze burning into him. "Why don't we handle him together?" As she spoke the
last word, her gaze turned back to Xena with a flicker of a smile and a single,
raised brow.

         "Sounds like a good deal to me," Xena agreed. She reached out and,
grabbing him at the back of his shirt, jerked him straight up. She proceeded to
make him walk out the door on the tips of his toes. "Sorry, folks, for this
inconsiderate jerk! We'll take care of him!" She marched Autolycus quickly out
the door. Gabrielle shut the door behind them as she followed suit.

         Joxer immediately breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone. "I
guess he means well," he said with a grimace, "but he can't be trusted around
women or booty."

         Paige quirked a brow at Joxer. "Isn't that the same thing?"

         "PAIGE!" Piper scolded.

         "Well," she insisted with a shrug, "isn't it?"

         "No, ma'am, it isn't," Joxer answered in a still, quiet voice, his eyes
locked on Phoebe. "Women are the most beautiful treasures on Earth, and booty .
. . Well, it's just money. It's kind of hard to live without it, but you won't
die without it. But a beautiful woman . . . " He sighed longingly, his eyes
never leaving Phoebe. "They can make a pauper a King and a King a pauper!"

         His words thrilled Phoebe. She glanced at her sisters. She knew they
suspected something, but by Gods, she was sick of having to behave all the time!
She missed their Mother, but it wasn't as if she or their Grandmother were still
there to make her behave. Her gaze returned to Joxer, and she began to walk
closer to him, her hips moving one at a time. She walked around him and slid a
hand over his shoulders. "Why don't you tell me more about that?" she requested
in a low whisper.

         "I-I can't right now, M-Miss Phoebe. I don't want to anger your sisters
or make them think that I am no better than Autolycus. I might be a pauper, but
you make me feel like a King. I like feeling like a King instead of a bumbling
idiot although I'm thankful I'm a bumbling idiot because otherwise I would never
have met you." He grinned up at her.

         Prue caught the reaction between the two but didn't say anything. She
could see the love shining out of Joxer's eyes, and although she would have
picked some one a lot different for her sister, she could tell he loved her a
lot already. She only hoped that she would one day see as much love shining out
of Brendan's eyes for her as was now coming out of Joxer's for Phoebe.

         Prue knew fully well that Brendan was one of the ones who had to spend
time in the cage. Would they let her get near him during that time? Maybe she
could take him something to eat? Nah. They probably wouldn't. She shook her head
sadly. He wouldn't know her any way if he was wolfed out.

         It wasn't fair! Phoebe managed to get a guy who was only a bumbling
idiot; he didn't wolf out when she touched him. She, being the oldest, should
have had such good luck, but she was still happy with Brendan's looks, charm,
and sexiness. That was one thing Joxer did not have. He might be good with words
and be able to smile at Phoebe and touch her without wolfing out, but he still
didn't have the sex appeal that her Brendan did! Why, he had merely to look at
her, and she just melted all over! She wanted to be chocolate just so he could
eat her up! {Naughty, naughty!} she thought to herself. Did he even like
chocolate? She glanced at Piper and wondered if she was thinking the same kind
of thoughts.

         Piper was staring at Phoebe in shock, her hands frozen in place where
she had been working on the biscuits. Surely her mind was playing tricks on
her?! That couldn't be her little sister, who was still just a child, moving on
a man?! Not just any man at that, but Joxer! Phoebe wouldn't want him even if
she were old enough to be interested in such.

         Feeling eyes on her, Piper turned to look at Prue, and her mouth fell
open in growing shock at the dazed look on her older sister's face. She heard a
sigh next to her elbow, and her attention moved to her other sister. "Yep,"
Paige said with a nod. "They've both got it bad."

         "I don't understand," Piper whispered to her, shaking her head.

         Paige quirked an eyebrow at her. "Come on. You do, too! I saw you
looking at Cole!"

         "I did not!"

         "Did too!"

         "Well, perhaps I did," Piper relented reluctantly, "but that's another
matter! Phoebe's not old enough!"

         "We're older than you think, Piper. You're still looking at us as kids,"
Paige gently told her, "but we're not any more." She reminded her of their age
and watched the surprise register in her older sister's eyes.

         "But -- "

         She nodded. "Yes, we're your little sisters. We always will be, but
we're just as much into it as Prue and you are. More so actually," Paige
admitted.

         "More so?" Piper repeated worriedly, her brows lifting slightly.

         Paige nodded. Looking back at Phoebe, she told her, hoping she wouldn't
kill them, "He won't be the first one."

         "WHAT?!?!" Piper thundered out in shock before she could stop herself.

         Lorne was gazing intently at Piper, waiting for her to tell him what to
do next. He was not really paying much attention to what was going on in the
room, although he knew there was too much going on in there. The vibrations were
killing him! "Miss Piper, what do I do next?"

         "Wh-What?" Piper asked. Her ears heard him, but her shocked mind did not
register his words. Lorne started to open his mouth to repeat his question, but
she continued on, never truly noticing him. "Paige, you can't be serious!"

         Paige nodded insistently. "Yes, I am, and she's not the only one." She
gestured with her head to Lorne. "Mister Green wants you."

         "Mister Green can do something else right now! Paige Halliwell, you can
not be telling me that -- that you are -- are not -- are -- ! PRUE!"

         Prue's mouth had fallen open at Paige's admission, and she had been
staring at Phoebe and Paige in shock. She finally found her voice when Piper
called to her in desperation. "When?! Mom and Grams were always watching you
two! How?!"

         "Remember that little school picnic for the younger grades?" Paige
asked.

         Piper nodded mutely.

         "Then."

         "Oh my Gods!" Prue gasped out. "You had a group orgy?!"

         Fred was sitting at one of the tables. She was so startled by the
sisters' conversation that she did even realize that she was sitting next to a
lioness. Her paled face was turned to the sisters, and her disbelieving eyes
kept darting between them.

         Crystal had been ignoring everything else, but Prue's last word demanded
her attention. She blinked, coming to awareness of the situation around her.
"Wh-What?" she asked quietly. Blue cooed, but she again ignored him as her eyes
swept the room. The first person they fell on was Lorne, and her gaze seemed to
become stuck on him. Why had she not noticed how handsome he looked in green
before?

         Lorne's startled eyes were drawn immediately to Crys, and his tongue
grew dry in his throat. Gods, she was beautiful! He knew she'd never look at him
yet she was doing precisely that! This was one Hell of a conversation going on
around them and he felt as though he really shouldn't be eavesdropping, so he
blocked them out, moving slowly over to stand by Crys.

         He stuttered, at a loss for the first time as to what to say. He wanted
to make a good impression, but he didn't know how to go about it. He'd never
been very good with women but felt that this one really mattered, so he said the
first thing that actually managed to come out of his mouth. "Beautiful day,
ain't it?" he asked, realizing even as the words came out how inane they would
sound.

         "Day?" Crys repeated, her surprise registering on her face. Why, they
could not see so much as one ray of sunlight! It was then that she heard the
redhead's voice again.

         "Of course it wasn't an orgy, Prue! What would make you think that?"
Paige gasped. "Did you -- ?!"

         Crys blushed at the girl's words, and it was then that she thought she
realized Lorne's problem. "Perhaps we should give them the galley for a bit?"

         "Please!" Lorne gasped out. "A breath of fresh air might help." He felt
as though his collar was choking him, and he reached up a finger to loosen it.

         She nodded and slipped from the chair, relieved to be out of the galley
for more reasons than just the sisters' shocking debate. Her gaze was still on
Lorne, and she realized that he must be supposed to be on kitchen duty. She
smiled reassuringly at him as Blue settled on her shoulder. "You can tell Angel
you were working on getting me calmed down enough to eat should you be caught."
She started to step toward the door.

         It was at just that moment that Cole shimmered in. It had taken him a
while to take care of Jack's rum and go undetected while doing so. He was just
in time to hear none other than Piper Halliwell's sweet mouth open in the most
surprising words he could imagine coming from her. "Of course she didn't have an
orgy, Paige!" His mouth fell open, but he closed it quickly and shimmered out of
the galley, hoping he had gone undetected.



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

         Lorne had followed Crys outside, opening the door for her. He was
surprised as to how late it had gotten. He looked around but did not spy a chair
for her to sit on. "I hope they're not like that all the time," Lorne said.
"Miss Piper's supposed to be teaching me how to cook, but I don't think I can
handle all that . . . talking."

         "By the way, we had a rough introduction, and I would like to
reintroduce myself." His eyes locked with hers as he made a little bow. "My name
is Krevlornswath of the Deathswok clan. You can call me Lorne, and I am very
pleased to meet you and your friends." He smiled at her. Was it his imagination
or did she grow more beautiful by the minute?

         Her breath caught in her throat at his dazzling smile. "I am Crystal
Frost," she told him in a gentle voice, "but my friends call me Crys." She
stepped closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. She would have never thought
that red eyes could be so enchanting, but she could not tear her gaze away from
his.

         Blue cooed softly from where he sat, perched on her shoulder. "Blue,
don't be silly," she told him, barely giving the dragon any notice at all. "Pink
dust, really! You've already done so much damage! Can't you at least behave
while Lorne's around?"

         His frustration with her was steadily increasing, and she gave a soft
cry as he jumped up and down on her shoulder. "Blue!" she scolded, reaching up a
hand to swat him. He sailed off of her shoulder to confront empty air. His wings
beat frantically, and he cooed loudly in a rapid succession.

         "Blue, that is enough!" Crystal snapped at him, but her gaze turned
immediately away from him and back to Lorne. "I am sorry," she told him. "I just
don't know what's wrong with him today. He's acting so crazy . . . " She shook
her head, and her long, blonde hair shimmered around her in a golden cascade.

         Never did they see the Goddess dressed in pink that the three animals
were staring at nor the pink dust that she had sprinkled over them. Cindy and
Elvira were watching the Golden Goddess, their tails twitching, but neither made
a sound as she pressed her finger to her lips, made a shushing noise, and
vanished.

         Blue cocked his head to one side, clearly stunned. "Coo?" he questioned
the suddenly empty air. Could that truly have been Aphrodite?

         Lorne moved until he was an air's breath away from Crys. "Are you okay?"
he asked in deep concern, worried because she had cried out.

         She nodded but couldn't help glancing at her shoulder. "I'm just . . .
surprised," she answered quietly, eyeing the little holes Blue's talons had made
in her dress. "He's never behaved this way before. He's always so careful to be
gentle, but . . ." She shook her head, her voice trailing off.

         Lorne couldn't seem to help himself as he reached out and stroked her
hair back from her shoulder. There appeared to be a few tiny droplets of blood
on her shoulder. "Maybe we should get you some medical care? It could be that
he's filling the effects of the full moon coming; you get a bigger dose when
you're out at sea. What was he saying about pink dust? I couldn't quite make it
out."

         She released a soft breath of air as his gentle touch sent sparks
shooting all the way through her body. "I'm not sure either. He claimed that
some one was throwing dust at us, but I certainly didn't see anything. Did you?"
Her eyes searched his.

         "I didn't see any one," Lorne replied, "but there are beings that one
can't normally see. I haven't heard of any of them sprinkling pink dust, though
. . . unless . . . I wonder if it could be from that fairy?"

         She quirked a questioning brow at him. "Fairy?"

         "Yes. Jack has a friend, another Captain, who claims to be always
bothered by fairies throwing dust at him."

         "It couldn't be a fairy," she told him, confusion creasing her brow.

         "We wouldn't have seen them if it was. They're so tiny that you'll miss
them unless you know what to look for and are paying very close attention."

         "I grew up exposed to such, though," she explained. "I would have been
sure to see her."

         He listened to her words in amazement. "You grew up around Faeries?
Where? I've never actually seen one myself, although I know they're there."

         "Up North," she answered.

         "There are a lot of faeries up North? Where up at North?"

         "At the North Pole." She stopped, her eyes widening at the admission
she'd just made.

         "The North Pole?!" Lorne exclaimed. He knew she was an Ice Elemental and
that she would have had to have come from somewhere cold but the North Pole?!
"Is there -- ?" he almost asked, his voice trailing off at first and then
finally coming out a little stronger. "Are there really reindeers that can fly?"

         She nodded but misinterpreted the expression in his eyes. Her gaze fell
from his, her head turning to look down at the deck below their feet. "You
probably think I'm rather insane now."

         "Why? Do you think I'm insane?" Lorne questioned. "I'm a Demon. I think
it's great that you've actually been to the North Pole and saw the reindeer! Is
there a Santa Claus?" he finally asked the question that was driving him crazy.
He hoped she wouldn't laugh at him.

         Her eyes rose cautiously back up to his. She smiled slowly, realizing
that he was serious and truly did not think her crazy. "I've more than just been
there," she told him. "I grew up there, and yes, the legends are true."

         "You've actually seen Santa Claus?!"

         Though her smile stayed in place, sadness touched her eyes. "He was like
a grandfather to me."

         "I know you must miss your home. I wish I had some place like that that
I could return to. They must miss you terribly."

         She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "No," she spoke quietly,
her voice barely audible. "They probably never even think about me, and you're
wrong on the other, as well. I can never return there." Why was she telling him
this? She shouldn't have even admitted coming from the North Pole, and yet, she
just couldn't shut up!

         "But why, Crys? I could take you there. Jack would, too."

         "I . . . " her gaze shifted again from his, " . . . am not allowed."

         "You're banned from your country? How horrible!" He paused before
admitting, "So am I. I could never go home again, even if I wanted to. My Mother
hates me."

         "What?!" Crys queried, her widened, ice blue eyes snapping back to his
in surprise. "How could your mother hate you?"

         "She hates me so much that the last time she saw me, she had my head cut
off."

         Crys gave a sharp gasp but could not think of a single word to say. Her
eyes flew frantically over his neck, looking for any sign of where his head had
been sewn back on. "But -- But you seem to be fine!"

         "Angel found me and got my body and head reunited. That old bitch had
paid some one to destroy my body, but they hadn't gotten around to it. Thank the
Gods for small favors! If they had destroyed my body, I'd be dead now. I know
you don't believe me, but it's true. You could ask Angel."

         "I don't think you would lie, Lorne, let alone make something up like
that. I've just . . . never heard of such before, and believe me, with a
background like mine, that's saying a lot." She hesitated a moment before
raising a hand up to gently touch his neck. "How did you survive?" she asked,
concern shining in her eyes.

         "I'm not really sure. What Angel said it was was that as long as my body
was intact, my head would exist, but how they rejoined, I have no ideal! Even
Doctor Doom couldn't explain it! See, in the place I come from, things are not
beautiful and beings are not kind. They are evil to each other, and they hate
music. I love music, and I've always been inclined to be good and kind. My
Mother always told me that I was weak like my Father who she ate. She was
planning on eating my head." He shuddered at the thought.

         "My Gods!" Crys couldn't help exclaiming. "I thought nobody could be
worse than my uncle, but at least he's never eaten his family! Killed, yes, but
eaten -- !" She stopped, realizing what she had said, and her hand flew to her
mouth. Why did she keep doing this, telling him so much?! If she kept going,
she'd place his life in even more danger than Blue had put Angel's!

         Lorne reached for her hand and held it gently. "There are a few other
things you need to know about me. One is that Elvira almost killed me today. My
heart's not where human hearts are. It's in my left buttcheek." He waited for
that to sink in.

         Crys was shaking her head in disbelief. "You undoubtedly have the
strangest physiology I have ever heard of!" she finally managed to get out. "But
she didn't mean you any harm. I-I'm sure she didn't know . . . "

         "It's okay, Crys; I understand," he assured her with a small smile. "She
didn't know, but now you all know," he said, looking at the others to make sure
that they were listening. "The second thing is that I am an empath. Do you know
what that is?"

         She started to nod, but her head froze in the stride of the gesture. Her
eyes widened slightly. Had he been reading her?

         "I didn't purposefully read any one in the room," he spoke as though in
answer to her unspoken question, "but the emotions were getting so out of hand
in there that I couldn't help picking up on them. I wasn't able to get a clear
reading, but they were about to overpower me." He gently caressed her cheek.
"Why are you so frightened?" he asked. "I won't let anything hurt you." He gazed
at her with such intense love that she couldn't help but to feel it.

         His gentle caress set her very soul to quivering, and the way he looked
at her, with such love shining in every inch of his face and eyes, made her lips
ache with the strangest feeling. She wanted to kiss him, she realized, but she
knew better. "Lorne," she told him, speaking both softly and slowly and having
to fight her emotions to be able to choose her words, "I can't . . . "

         "You can't . . . or you're afraid to tell me?" he asked, continuing to
stroke her cheek.

         She raised a hand to cup his, stilling it in mid-stroke. She hated to
stop his touch but knew she had to if she were to keep what little control she
had left. "It would put you in danger." She paused for a brief second, then
added, "You're already in danger just by standing here with me."

         "Then may my life be forever in danger, because I want to be near you
and I . . . " His voice trailed off even as his lips reached for hers. He could
no more stop himself from kissing this beautiful creature than he could have
stopped a hurricane. The emotions that her delicious taste sent spiraling
through him were so intense that, once again, he felt as though he was drowning.
This time, however, he didn't care, because he wanted to drown in her.

         She stood as still as a statue as his lips touched hers, but as emotions
unlike any she'd ever felt before swept from his kiss throughout her entire
being, setting her very core on fire for him, she began kissing him back. Her
lips parted under his, her tongue gently probing for permission. Her hand moved
from his to go to his face even as her other hand caressed his chest.

         They blended together, the world around them completely forgotten as
molten lava claimed their very souls.



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

         Jack made his way to the galley, and as he turned to walk down the side
of the ship where it was located, his startled eyes encountered Lorne locked
deeply in an embrace with Crys. He breathed a deep sigh. He knew he'd never feel
the pleasure that they were now experiencing, and he did everything he could to
be quiet and not disturb them. Reaching out, he turned the door to the galley
and heard a cacophony of women's raised voices discussing sex and orgies. They
grew suddenly quiet at his appearance, none of them daring to meet his gaze.

         "How's the food coming, Miss Piper?" he asked to break the air.

         Piper glared at Paige before turning to the Captain. "We will have the
appetizers shortly, sir. We just seem to be enduring one . . . " she glanced
meaningfully at her younger sisters, " . . . interruption after another."

         His voice came reassuringly. "Well, carry on then, and may I see you for
a few minutes, Miss Prue, alone?" He stressed the word even as he heard Piper
ask in confusion about where Lorne had gone.

         "Yes, sir," Prue replied and prepared to follow him outside.

         Before exiting, Jack turned to look at Piper. "I would give him just a
few more minutes, Miss Piper. He's . . . busy at the moment." In fact, he
thought to himself, he had never seen Lorne so busy before, and he was happy to
see him that busy. He followed Prue out and walked over to the railing where she
was standing, looking out to sea.

         "As Brendan's closest relative, I have had to take it upon myself to
come and talk with you, Miss Halliwell," he said in his deep, calm voice. "What
are your intentions toward Brendan? I need to know. Brendan has a lot of
problems; I won't stand by and see him hurt."

         Prue looked at the Captain. "I . . . love him," she answered. "I don't
know how it happened so quickly. I wasn't expecting it or looking for it, but
that one brief moment we had before he wolfed felt so right." She turned around
and looked accusingly at him as though it was his fault.

         Jack thought that she was a lovely young woman and he was happy she was
in love with Brendan. "It's not my right to tell you all of Brendan's story, but
I will tell you enough so that you can understand what's going on. A long time
ago, and yet not so long ago for it feels like only yesterday when I found him,
he was a prisoner of a really wicked woman. She abused him and did all manner of
unspeakable things to him, trying to make him wolf out and kill for her. No
matter what she did to him, he fought back against her by refusing to do what
she was trying to force him to do, yet he still did not attack her savagely. He
fears that he is a very weak person when, in fact, I think he's one of the
strongest I've ever known."

         Prue gazed intently at Jack, listening to every word. Jack continued, "I
think that Brendan will love deeply when he finally lets himself go, but he
holds such a tight hold on himself that it's as though the boy's trying to
explode." Prue nodded; she had noticed what a tight grip Brendan seemed to have
on himself. She said nothing, however, but merely stood and listened.

         "He had no indication that you were excited by him before your encounter
which caught him quite by surprise. He can not control his wolf, and he fears
that it will hurt you. He spoke of going away, and I simply can not allow that,
Miss Halliwell. He means too much to me, so I will have to ask you to stay away
from him."

         Prue could not stand the thought that Brendan would go away from his
family and friends simply to avoid her! "Captain, I love him. I don't want to
cause him any harm or anguish, but I don't want to lose him either!"

         Jack gazed into her eyes that were now filling with tears and knew that
she spoke the truth. "It is going to be a long, hard process, but Brendan does
care for you or at least he would if he'd allow himself. I got him to admit
that. There is one that might be able to help him to control himself. In the
meantime, I want your word that you will stay away from him."

         "When the time is right, or he feels that it might be right, you will be
allowed to see him under a heavily armed escort but not alone. I want your word
that you will not sneak around and try to see him. It is for his own good as
well as yours. Your mere presence makes the wolf want to come out which, in some
ways, I see as a good sign. Brendan's a virgin, even though that bitch had him
for a long time. She could not draw as much power from a non-virgin as she could
from a virgin, and like I already told you, she's pure evil."

         "I will protect him against anything, Captain Jack," Prue vowed, "even
from my unwanted attentions."

         "Oh, they're wanted," Jack assured her. "He just can't handle them. It's
the first time I have ever actually been able to get Brendan to change his mind
even a little bit. What he feels for you is strong enough that he is willing to
work on getting the wolf under control. What you've got to figure out, Miss
Prue, is if you want to wait for him and rather you want to do what you can when
you can for him."

         Prue glanced at her feet first. She wanted to yell out to the world that
she wanted Brendan in the worst kind of way, but she knew that she would have to
have something that she was not very long on. That was patience. She was willing
to work on it, though. "I will do anything I can for him," she promised, gazing
into Jack's eyes. "I want to be with him as soon as you feel it's safe, and I
don't care if the whole world looks on! I just want to feel his arms around me,
his lips on mine! I love him! Just please don't make it too long!"

         Jack had to look away, because he couldn't stand to see a woman crying
as Prue was. He very awkwardly slipped his arms around her and patted her back.
"Dry your tears, Miss Halliwell. I have a very good feeling that between all of
us, we are going to beat that wolf, but we all have to be strong and patient."

         He did not tell her what would happen should the consequences get out of
hand, because he did not want to think about it. The very thought of hitting
Brendan hurt him, but he did what he had to do. He would talk to Brendan again
and see if perhaps he could control himself enough to talk through a window or
something to Prue. It would do them both good to have time together. "I won't
pressure him into anything, but know that I will do whatever I can to help you
two be happy together."

         "Thank you, Captain Jack," she whispered as she swiped her tears away.

         "Call me Jack, Miss Prue. I'm only a man. I'm not the Captain; he's just
my title. I'm merely doing what I can to take care of my family, and now you're
one of them too." He slipped off before she could say anything else, leaving her
to mull over what they had just talked about. He headed straight back for
Brendan's office.



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

         Wesley returned to his lab. Looking at both bags, he wondered whether he
should see Will or Elizabeth first. Maybe Will? he thought. If he could get Will
up and going, perhaps it would lift Jack's spirits? It had been a rough day on
all concerned, and he could tell that Jack was getting depressed. Once he slowed
down, it would be a quick descent, and there was no rum to help him fight it.
Will would be just the medicine Jack needed, so Wesley picked up the bag that
was intended for Will and headed for the Pearl.

         At the railing, he grabbed a rope and almost flew across. He really
loved the ropes that Jack had installed all around both ships. It gave one a
feeling of flying, and if there was one thing Wes wanted to do desperately, it
was to fly. He knew he'd never get off the ground other than by way of the
ropes, so he always enjoyed the trip over. He reached the Captain's door and
knocked on it. "Will?"



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

         As Jack neared Brendan's office, he called to Angel. "Thanks, Angel, for
watching Brendan for me. Now I need you to do something else. I know you're
dying to get back to the Princess, but I've got one more little favor. Could you
please tell Wolf that I need to see him immediately?"

         "Just as soon as I can find him, Jack," Angel replied, "and you're
welcome." He slipped away even as he heard Jack knock on the door.

         "Brendan, it's me. Do you need anything?"

         "How did she take it?" came the soft reply through the door.

         "She says she's willing to wait for you no matter how long it takes and
that she wants to be with you as soon as she can be. I told her I didn't know
when that would be, but maybe . . . Do you think you could handle talking
through the window to her? You couldn't see each other, but at least you could
hear her voice and she could hear yours."

         "Not yet," Brendan told him. "Jack, I almost choked Angel not too long
ago simply for appearing interested in her. There's no telling what I'd do if I
were confronted with her right now -- in any manner."

         "Okay, but when you're ready, let me know." Jack sat down on the deck,
his back pressed against Brendan's door.

         "I will," Brendan called back, "and thanks."

         "You're welcome, Brendan. If you need anything, just tell me."

         "I will," Brendan assured him. The sound of his rumbling stomach filled
the room, but knowing that there was still not any food to be had for Jack would
have brought him some if there was, he did not speak again.



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

         Will had already been up and had been about to leave the cabin in search
of Jack when a knock and voice sounded at the door. It took him a moment to
recognize the voice of Doctor Doom as it had been so long since he'd last heard
it, but the second he did, he strode quickly over to the door and opened it.

         Wes' mouth fell open as he took in Will's appearance. How had the boy
even been able to get to the door to open it? He knew he had been at death's
door earlier that day, but now he could not even see a spot of blood on him
although his clothes were still ragged. "Will?" He walked inside and turned
around to look at him. "I thought you were almost dead? What happened?"

         Will spread his hands apart even as he shrugged. "Evidently I live."

         "Jack didn't say anything about your getting healed. He just told me to
bring these things to you."

         Will glanced questioningly at the bag. He knew it couldn't be food and
ignored the growling of his stomach. "Where is Jack?" he asked instead, looking
back up at Wesley.

         "He's guarding Brendan at the moment. He's had one of his spells. Jack
said these things belong to you." He ignored Will's rumbling stomach and his
own, as well. "The new cooks are attempting to get some food. If you're able to
travel, I'll wait for you and we'll go back over to the Witch together." He was
eager to see what was in the bag and wondered why Will was not looking into it.

         "I guess you could leave it there until I can find out from Jack where
I'm staying at," Will told Wes, gesturing to the bag he still held. He didn't
know what was in it, and though he was curious, his longing to be near Jack
again, to talk to him now that he was conscious and could let him know that he
was, far eclipsed his need or want for anything else.

         "You're not going to look in the bag?" Wes questioned. "Whatever's in
there must be pretty important. Jack stole it for you."

         "He did what?!" Will nearly screeched, his eyes widening in shock.

         "At least, I think he stole it. He didn't say if he bought or stole it,
but we're Pirates so I figured that he stole it."

         Will shook his head. If there was any chance that Jack had stolen it, he
didn't need to get into it and should make him take it back. He stopped for a
moment, surprise slowly dawning over his face. Then again, he was the son of a
Pirate and was determined to live a Pirate's life from that day on, so why
should it matter if it was stolen? "Why, heck, it doesn't!" he answered his own
question aloud. He strode over to Wes. "Give me that bag, matey."

         It was so unusual for Will to talk piratical talk that Wes couldn't help
laughing. He handed the bag to him, curiosity causing him to watch Will's every
movement.

         Will opened the bag, peered into its depth, and almost stopped breathing
at what he saw. Slowly, he withdrew one sword while letting the rest of the bag
fall, completely forgotten, to the deck. The sword he held was one that he had
made himself but had never belonged to him. It was the Governor's sword. Letting
an oath slip from his lips, he looked back up at Wesley with dire urgency in his
eyes. "You said Jack's guarding Brendan?"

         "Yes, and he won't leave his side for a while yet."

         "In the cage or somewhere else?"

         "He's at the med-room."

         Without another word, Will tossed the Governor's sword to the bag and
raced from the room, barely even taking the time to open the door. Wes followed
in his wake, wondering what was going through the young man's mind. He figured,
from seeing the sword, that the stuff in the bag had belonged to the Governor.
He knew what Jack had done just as Angel and Brendan had known, but he would
never have knowingly told a living soul. The Governor's murder was something
that had needed doing. It was a long time overdue, and only Jack had been able
to do it. Jack had done like he usually did and done what had to be did. Wesley
followed right on Will's heels. He prayed that Will was not about to attack Jack
over what he had done to the Governor.


Chapter Twenty-seven
         Jack had not had sleep for several days and was completely exhausted
from all his exertions of the day. He had not meant to fall asleep, but his head
had fallen back against the door and, seconds later, he had slipped into
slumber.

         Will's heart was pounding as his footsteps thudded across the deck. He
dove around people and objects alike, taking notice of nothing as he swiftly
made his way to Brendan's office. He came to a halt so suddenly that Wesley
almost collided with his back. Jack sat in front of Brendan's door, his clothes
covered with blood, and Will's heart fell. Jack had done exactly what he had
feared.

         Dropping beside Jack, Will shook him. "Jack! Jack, wake up!"

         "Huh?" Jack responded groggily. "Brendan?" He was not expecting Will to
be in his face, let alone to be angry. "Will?" he asked, a look of confusion on
his face. "What's wrong?"

         "Jack, tell me you didn't do what I think you did!" Will pleaded. "Tell
me the blood all over you doesn't belong to who I think it does!"

         Jack looked down at his clothes. He had forgotten he was covered in
blood. {Oops,} he thought. {That's a Hell of a way for Will to see me!} He had
wanted to look so nice and fine for his beloved. He had started out looking that
way in the outfit he had bought for Will's wedding, but the rest of the day had
gone to Hell in a handbasket. The clothes he had on now were a far cry from what
he had started out with, and even they were ruined.

         He was still more asleep than he was awake. Why was Will angry? he
wondered. "Will, are you okay?" he queried in a concerned voice. "I can't tell
you what I don't know. You haven't accused me of anything yet." His voice rose
as he woke up more. "Who do you think I've got on me?"

         "Jack, tell me you didn't kill the Governor!"

         Jack looked at him with a bemused smile on his face. "Can't tell you
that, Will. I have the blood of a swine on me, and I must stink to the high
heavens! Me thinks I need a bath!" He got shakily to his feet and backed up
against the ship railing.

         "Why are you so angry, Will? I thought you'd be glad to see me." His
voice sounded as though he had been drinking a lot of rum when in truth he had
not had a drop but longed for one desperately. He looked down at himself in
disgust and, being not fully awake, he stumbled and fell backwards over the
ship's railing.

         For the second time that day, Will reacted before his thoughts could
catch up to him. He saw Jack fall and sprang into action, running across the
deck to the railing and taking a sailing leap into the air. His boots did not
even brush the railing as he dove right over it and into the water after Jack.

         Jack came up gasping for air, the water having cleared his brain, and
looked at Will again. "Damn! I really do need a bath!" he muttered. "Now you
want to run that past me again? Why are you so mad at me?" He looked at Will in
bewilderment. What bloke had been stupid enough to tell Will that he had killed
the Governor?

         "Jack, please," Will spoke, struggling to keep from begging though he
was relieved that he appeared to be coming back to his senses now, "tell me the
truth. You said it was a swine, and I suppose if it is him, that is the truth.
But regardless, I'm sure the swine had a name."

         "Most of the scum of the Earth does have a name, Will," Jack said in all
seriousness, "and I can not tell you a lie. After what he did to you, I paid him
back. You can hate me for it, but I did it and I'm glad I killed him. He had to
pay for all the people he's hurt, Will. He's been getting away with it for a
long time, but when he touched you, something went crazy in me. When I saw what
had happened to you because of him, it was more than I could bare. I killed the
bastard, and I'm glad I did it!"

         "DAMN IT, JACK!" Will hit the water in his anger, but it only splashed
against both of them, soaking them even more. "The entire city's going to be
after you now!"

         "It doesn't matter any more, Will; Port Royal's gone. So much has
happened today, but evil destroyed its own. Some of us almost didn't make it out
of there. I knew the town was corrupt. I just didn't know how bad it was."

         Will looked at him in surprise. "What happened," he asked, "and did
everybody make it out?"

         "I don't know where to begin, Will, but I think it needs to wait until
we get out of this water. I could use a good bath. I feel so dirty, and I'm so
tired all of a sudden! It's been such a long day!" His mind was rambling even as
a rope was thrown down to them and Wes' concerned face hung over the railing.

         "Jack, you want to be getting out of there now?"

         "Might be a good ideal, Wes. Oh, I almost forgot, Will. A friend of
yours is here." He grabbed a hold of the rope and held it out to Will. "You go
first."

         Wolverine had managed to come out and leave 'Ro for a few minutes to
smoke. She had finally given up corralling the winds and was resting. The poor
woman was plumb tuckered out. He had come out just in time to hear Wes trying to
coax Jack to come out of the water. He threw another rope down. "Grab a hold of
that, Jack, and I'll pull you out."

         "Not till Will gets out," Jack protested.

         "You'll both get pulled out at the same time if you'll grab a hold of
that, Jack." Wolverine gazed at the man that he loved as a son and could not
believe how crappy he had come to look in one day. The poor boy had been through
Hell. He looked at Will. "Grab a hold of the other one, Will. Show him you're
coming out or he'll never get out of there."

         Will nodded, grabbing Wesley's rope with one hand. He was glad that
Wolverine had shown up with another rope, because there was no way that he would
have gone ahead of Jack in the condition his love was in. "I'm not leaving you
down here, Jack. You're too tired. You take Wolverine's, and I'll go up
Wesley's."

         "Go ahead, Wolverine; pull me up," Jack called without even making an
effort to get out. He just held onto the rope. Wolverine pulled him so hard that
he was all but thrown onto the deck like a landed fish. Jack lay where he fell.

         Wesley pulled Will up, but he also climbed up the rope, making the
process faster and keeping from putting quite as much strain on Wes. Will's head
poked over the railing to see Jack continuing to lay on the deck. He wanted to
rush immediately to him but knew that he could not. Looking at the other men, he
asked, "What's wrong with him?"

         "Well, let me see," Wolverine started. "It might be easier to say what
ain't wrong with him. I would say that he is totally exhausted and has had one
Hell of a day. He probably just needs a couple hours' o' shut-eye which he's not
going to let himself get." A snore answered him in denial, and all three men
turned to look at Jack in surprise.

         Will shook his head and started forward at the same time as Wolverine.
He beat Wolverine to Jack, however, and picked him up. Toting him carefully
though he appeared to be slung precariously over his shoulder, Will carried Jack
to the cabin. He was about to lay him down when Wolverine, who he had not
realized had accompanied him, commanded, "Don't put him on the bed with his wet
clothes on; strip him."

         "Huh?!" Will's head jerked up at him as he looked at the older man in
shock.

         "Oh for Gods' sakes!" Wolverine growled. He began to strip Jack even
while Will was still holding him; he noticed with an amused grin that the boy
shut his eyes. "Now put him in the bed."

         Will reached out a hand and patted the bed blindly to ascertain that it
was indeed the right place before finally relinquishing Jack. He straightened
and turned back to Wolverine; only then, with his back facing Jack's naked body,
did Will reopen his eyes. He prayed that Wolverine wouldn't say anything.

         "Ya know he wouldn't have bit ya, Will, an' he would have done the same
for you."

         "I know he would have, but he deserves his privacy."

         "Well, he just didn't get it, son," Wolverine growled. "It's more
important that he doesn't catch his death o' cold. We'd better get outta here
and let him rest for a little while." Wolverine reached out and pulled a blanket
over Jack's lower part. He didn't figure it would stay on long as Jack was one
who hardly ever covered even on the coldest nights.

         An anguished snore followed their retreating forms. It sounded for all
the world like Jack was trying to gobble something up, and it took everything
Wolverine could do to keep from laughing out loud. He picked Jack's discarded
clothes up with his claws. "These are fit for nothing but the trashpile," he
explained to Will as he tossed them into a nearby barrel. The men then walked
out together, leaving Jack to his slumber.



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

         They paid no heed to anything around them for they were completely lost
in the world of sensations they had created in each other. Their hands roamed
each other's bodies freely as their kiss grew steadily hotter.

         Suddenly, Lorne felt his pants being tugged. One of his hands reached
around to see what it was only to connect with Elvira's nose. For the first
time, his other senses kicked in, and he quickly released Crys as he heard the
growling of her animals. "What in the Hell's wrong with you animals?! You must
not approve of me, but Crys seems to." He still held her in his arms but did not
continue with the kiss.

         She blinked up at him as the daze of her thoughts slowly cleared. Her
heart was still hammering in her chest as she began to hear her trio's voices
raised in warnings and complaints. She continued to gaze up at Lorne even as
Cindy let out an especially ferocious growl, reminding her how foolish she was
being. It was only then that the full realization of what she had just done hit
her. She had kissed Lorne, and though her body was still thrilling from it and
her lips longed to drink of him again with a need as desperate as though she was
dying of thirst, she knew it had been a mistake . . . a dreadful mistake that
would ensure his death. Tears filled her eyes at that thought. "Oh Gods!" She
started to pull away from him.

         Lorne felt her pushing away at him, and he released her. {Oh my Gods!}
he thought. {She's finally come to her senses and doesn't want me touching her!}
"Crys?" he asked her worriedly, refusing to completely let go. "What's wrong?"

         "I -- I shouldn't have!" The words tumbled from her mouth. Elvira,
hearing her mistress' panicked exclamation and knowing that Crys had finally
returned to her senses, released Lorne's pants. "Oh Gods! He'll -- He'll -- "
Crystal couldn't bring herself to say the words. Tears streaked down her cheeks.
"Oh Gods!" Forcing herself to snatch away from him, she turned and fled.

         His anguished cry of "CRYS, PLEASE DON'T GO!" carried behind her even as
his hands clutched at the empty air where she had been only moments before.
Crystal's animals followed her as swiftly as she had fled from him. Lorne's mind
reeled at the sensations that still tingled his body. He breathed a deep sigh,
turned, and headed back toward the galley. He wasn't sure what had just happened
but was very thankful nonetheless. For the first time in his life, he had been
kissed by a beautiful woman even if she had finally come to her senses and ran
like Hell from him. He held the memory of her kiss to his heart where he would
treasure it forever.

         He put his hand on the galley door but hated to open it for fear that
the Halliwells would still be discussing rather loudly the subject he had fled
from. He would have liked to have followed Crys, but he knew better for when he
caught her, she would only slap him or, worse yet, yell and scream at him to
keep his green filth away from her. He went into the galley to see that, in his
absence, Ororo had arrived and succeeded in quieting the sisters. He gave them a
small smile and returned to where he had left his bowl only to find it gone. He
looked at Piper questioningly.

         "You did fine," Piper answered him as soon as she caught his questioning
look. "The appetizers are cooking now." She paused, then added considerably
sheepishly, "And I must apologize for earlier. Paige's announcement just came as
such a . . . such a shock . . . " She tried to explain, shaking her head even as
her embarrassed gaze fell to the meat she was currently working on.

         "Don't worry about it, Miss Piper. I've heard worst conversations." He
sniffed the air, and a delicious aroma filled his nostrils. "If they taste half
as good as they smell, I can hardly wait to eat one!" He wondered what the final
product would look like.

         "Oh, they do!" Paige, who still stood nearby Piper and seemed to be in a
much better mood, quickly assured him.

         "What do we do next?" Lorne asked, hoping that it was something that
would keep his hands busy and his mind occupied and off of a certain blonde.

         Piper had walked over and picked up a small bottle. Turning back to
Lorne, she told him, "You can help me with the chicken. We need to get it torn
up and add a few ingredients."

         He looked in a pan that was sitting next to Piper. He saw about twenty
birds in there. They were all plucked and looked as if they had already been
cooked. "What do we pull off of there, and how do we tear it up?" he questioned.

         Piper set the vial down next to the bowl before picking up one of the
chickens. "You use your fingers to tear it up," she began to explain, "but you
only want the good meat." She tore off a piece and held it up to him so that he
could get a good look at it. "That's fat," she told him, "but it's still all
right for the animals, just not for hu -- for two-leggers like us."

         He watched in rapt attention as Piper continued to pull the chicken
apart, tearing the good parts into even smaller bite-size pieces but dropping
the fat into another container. He grimaced at the fat. He did not relish
touching it but did want to cook, so he grabbed another bird and began to copy
what she was doing. He quickly discovered that it wasn't really as bad as it
looked. He could hardly wait to taste the appetizer. Its mouth-watering aroma
was driving him crazy, and his stomach rumbled hungrily.



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

         Crystal's tears would not stop falling as she ran, sobbing quietly. Her
mind whirled even as her feet pounded the deck. Oh Gods, what had she done?! How
could she have been so foolish as to endanger the life of such a remarkable
gentleman?! That one kiss would burn her forever, but it would also spell his
doom.

         Her animals called after her as they chased behind her, wanting to catch
her so that they could calm her down and perhaps even cheer her up. She ignored
them as she continued to run, racing over an ice bridge she'd quickly made and
melting it just as swiftly so that Lorne could not follow her. She had not dared
to look behind her and did not know if he was attempting to or not. She never
saw where she was going for the tears that blurred her vision.



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

         Cordelia was on her third trip around the ship in search of Angel when
the sounds of quiet sobbing caught her ears. She turned in the direction of the
sound only to find Elizabeth crying by the railing, her face hidden by a
handkerchief. She barely knew the woman and desperately wanted to find Angel,
corner him, and find out precisely why he had been running from her ever since
the wondrous kiss they'd shared earlier that day, but though she tried to turn
away from Elizabeth, she found that she could not. With a soft sigh, she turned
and approached the blonde. "Elizabeth," she asked, concern etched in her voice,
"what's wrong?"

         Elizabeth glanced at her through the tears that filled her eyes. Her
mouth opened, but what Cordelia thought was to be her answer turned out to be
another sob instead. Her heart stilled as she looked deeper into the other
woman's eyes and saw the pain that was almost hidden by the sadness. "Something
. . . Nothing happened . . . " She could think of the right way to ask her so
she spoke instead, "Will's okay, isn't he?"

         "Oh, yes," Elizabeth responded. Cordelia's head jerked back in surprise
by the sarcasm that dripped in the blonde's tone. "Actually," she continued, her
voice gentling, "he's miraculously healed."

         "Then what . . . ?" Cordelia's voice trailed off, and she shook her head
slightly. Why was the woman so upset if her betrothed was healed? It was then
that she remembered Port Royal. "Oh," she spoke softly, realizing that Elizabeth
must have lost family there, "I'm so sorry."

         Elizabeth looked at her questioningly. "For what?"

         "For . . . For your family."

         Elizabeth glanced away at that. She knew she should be in grieving for
her father. A part of her did ache terribly at the knowledge that he was gone
forever, but she was more relieved by far that she would never again have to be
faced with the thing that her beloved father had become. "It's . . . It's not
that . . . "

         "Then what on Earth is it?" Cordelia was at a lost. If her fiancé was
fine and she did not care for her family, what in the world was wrong with the
woman?

         "I . . . " Elizabeth's voice trailed off as she turned her gaze back to
Cordelia's. She could see the true concern in the brunette's eyes, and it
touched her heart. Her mother's early death and her own status as an only child
had left Elizabeth to never know what it was like to have another female care
for her. Oh, her maids had cared and one or two had even tried to befriend her.
They had all been paid to care, however, and those who had tried harder had only
tried in hopes that they would be able to somehow use friendship with some one
of her social status to their advantage. Yet Cordelia barely knew her and
already cared. "He broke off our engagement," she found herself blurting out to
the other woman.

         "What?!" Cordelia exclaimed, surprise registering both in her face and
her widened eyes. "But -- But I thought you were to be married this very day!"

         "We were," Elizabeth shook her head sadly, "but he never wanted to marry
me."

         "Then why . . . ?"

         She sighed and shook her head again. "Believe me, I've wondered myself.
I just can't understand it, not all of it any way, but he never loved me. He
said he only thought he did before he went off to rescue me and found himself at
sea."

         "How would finding himself make him fall out of love with you?"

         "He did not only find himself," Elizabeth explained, unable to meet her
gaze and looking past her shoulder instead, "but the one he truly loves."

         "But I thought the only women on here before today were either married
or had partners of . . . of another sort?" Cordelia shook her head in confusion.

         "Well, there's also that Faith," Elizabeth told her, "but that doesn't
matter. It's . . . " She chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

         "It's all right," Cordelia told her, her gaze catching Elizabeth's and
bringing the blonde's eyes to look back into her own. "You can tell me, and it
will not go any further. It would probably do you good to talk about it."

         Elizabeth shook her head. She knew better for her talk with Jack had not
helped her in the slightest. She started to speak again, but her words froze on
her tongue as she saw the strangest procession she had ever seen crossing what
her eyes told her was a bridge of ice.

         Cordelia turned to see what she was staring at. Unlike Elizabeth, who
had been too upset over Will at the time, she had seen the blonde with the
animals before, but the ice bridge brought a gasp from her. They watched
together as the blonde and her animals raced over the bridge and it melted
behind them, but what made Cordelia gasp in even greater shock was the man whose
arms the blonde ran right into and who held her far closer than was to
Cordelia's liking. "So that's what he's been up to!" she fumed aloud, her hazel
eyes burning at the sight.



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

         Angel had been walking along, checking the different rooms of the ship
and hoping for a sight of Cordelia. He knew where Wolf was but wasn't going to
interrupt him at the moment. He had no ideal where the Princess had gone,
however. He had not even been able to spot Elizabeth or any of the other ladies.
It was like the Earth had opened up and swallowed them.

         He had finished checking the rooms on one side of the ship and gone
around the corner to start checking on the other rooms when something hit him
flat in the chest. His hands instinctively caught whatever it was, and he
realized by the scent that it was Crys in a distraught manner. "Crys, what's
wrong? Has some one done something to upset you?"

         He could hear Blue cooing and telling her to calm down, so he figured
she had merely gotten into a fight with somebody. His life seemed to be full of
distraught women. He knew the first thing he had to do was to get her to quit
crying for tears were always a man's undoing. He lifted her chin, swiped her
hair out of her face, reached for his handkerchief, and began to dry her tears
gently while giving her time to calm enough to respond to him.

         She was too upset to pull away from him, and her self-loathing and
sadness shone in her tear-filled eyes. "Gods, Angel," she asked him in sheer
desperation, "why did I ever listen to you? I was such an idiot!"

         "Which time are you referring to, Crys?"

         "Every time!" she exclaimed with a shake of her head. "First I
endangered you all by coming aboard, and it only keeps getting worse! My Gods,
Blue's condemned you and then I -- Dear Gods, I was such a fool! I knew he'd put
your death into motion, and then I had to go and do the same to Lorne!"

         "Lorne?!" he asked. "What did you do to Lorne?" He wondered if Elvira
had bit him in the butt again, this time too near his heart. "Is he okay?"

         "He is for now, but he won't be as soon as that bastard knows what I
did! Gods, I should never have kissed him! What's wrong with me?!"

         Angel was confused. There seemed to be an awful lot of women kissing men
on the ship. Usually the same men had trouble getting a woman to even talk to
them when they paid for it, let alone getting kissed, but now suddenly the most
beautiful women Angel had ever seen were kissing them! He looked in her eyes.
"Stop crying, Crys. The world is not worth even one single tear from your
beautiful eyes. I imagine Lorne thinks he's in Heaven right now. It's not the
end of the world because you kissed him. In fact, Lorne is probably cherishing
every second you gave him."

         "You just don't know what it's like for us guys. We spend our entire
lives working hard -- and yes, piracy is hard work -- but we never get a chance
with a real woman to pay us more than a passing glance! For some reason, though,
we have been rewarded today! Angels have been kissing us lowly males, and I
thank the Gods for it!" He paused, searching for the right words. "Even I was
kissed, and believe me, I enjoyed every second of it!"

         "But, Angel, whoever kissed you did not endanger you by doing so! That's
what you don't understand! If he has any idea what I did to Lorne -- and he will
find out; he always does -- he'll kill him! One thought! That's all it takes! I
might as well have killed him by kissing him!"

         "Remember, dear lady, I told you he can't track you. The ships are still
masked, and we're moving. He has to see you to be able to read your thoughts
even. You did not endanger Lorne. You might have gotten him really excited," he
said with a grin, "but he's not in danger."

         "Angel, you don't know him the way I do! I don't know how he does it,
but he always finds out!"

         Angel put his finger on her lips. "It's because he tracks you, sees
you," he tapped her forehead gently, "and then he reads what's up here. You
carry the guilt of the world on your shoulders, Crys. For once, try to relax
just a little. You are safer now than you have ever been."

         "I've heard that before," she told him. "The place that I grew up at is
supposed to be safe. They always said it was, but it never was." She shook her
head. "And that's not how he does it. You saw the crystal. It protects me unless
I take it off. That's why I've been able to keep hidden as much as I have."

         "But you took it off in port. That's why he was looking for you there.
Don't take it off again for anything. Then he won't be able to find you."

         "It's not that simple, and you know it. You saw what it's capable of
doing, but it can only heal beings who are that close to death's door by being
put around their necks."

         "Where did you get the crystal? Is it possible that we could get more of
them?"

         She shook her head. "There's only one other like it. Jack gave it to me,
and he wears the other one."

         "But you don't know where he got it from?"

         "No," she answered, "but he told me there were only two in the whole
world. Believe me, with the way that boy travels, he'd know."

         "He probably knows a lot of things, Crys, but there are places that not
even he can go. Usually he can not come here. The tropics are too hot for him,
so he wouldn't know everything that was here." He thought for a minute. "We can
search for one here. If we find one, we might even get lucky enough to find
others. I know some one who can be of help. I will consult with them and find
out if they know anything."

         "In the meantime, try to have patience and to relax just a little," he
repeated pleadingly. "If you would like, you can tell me more about your
encounter with Lorne, but if not, I'll understand." He was glad to see that she
had finally stopped crying.

         "Angel, you keep telling me to relax, but how can I? How can I even
think about relaxing when I know he's out there and will always be there, just
waiting for a chance to kill more because of me?!"

         "I know it's easily said, Crys, but very hard to do. I'm asking you to
trust me to do everything I can to help you. I promise I won't let you down and
we will find a way to defeat him. You can come and talk to me any time you get
depressed or upset. I know I'm not the best-looking thing to talk to, but I
promise not to make a move on you or do anything to upset you and what you tell
me will not go any further. I just want to be your friend."

         She nodded, taking in everything that he told her. She knew that he
meant well, but she still believed that he would never be able to keep his
promise. Her gaze had fallen from his face to the deck beneath their feet, and
her mind was still whirling with a myriad of thoughts when Blue cooed at her
from Angel's shoulder. She looked up at him, and he cooed again. She cocked her
head to one side, listening to him finally, before nodding. "You're right,
although you still shouldn't have done it," she told the little dragon, unable
to keep the scolding from her tone.

         Looking back at Angel, she spoke again. "We've already told you, so
he'll want you regardless of what happens. You need to know what already has
happened, though, Angel. I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell any of the
others, but you need and deserve to know."

         "You'll get a chance tonight after dinner to tell your tale, Crys. We
always have a little song after we've eaten a really good meal. We haven't done
that in a while. I know Autolycus and Joxer mean well, but they can't cook. It's
a time that we all share what is on our minds, anything that's bothering us.
It's a time of darkness where you don't feel like eyes are staring holes in you.
I miss it; I like it. I'll stand by you tonight, and you can tell the others."

         "I don't know if I can," she admitted, "or even if I should. They're
already in danger by my being here, but if they actually know the full details .
. . " She shook her head, tears misting over her eyes. "You saw what he can do.
He'd do the same to them."

         He lifted her chin. "Stop that crying now, Crys. It accomplishes nothing
but only gives you a headache." He leaned forward and kissed her on the
forehead. "If you don't feel like talking to them, you don't have to. Jack will
never ask questions. He just knows you're in trouble and that's enough for him.
He will stand by you till the end as I will do. Think about it, and you can tell
me later if you want to talk and tell them the story."

         She nodded but did not know how to respond to the latter part of what he
had told her. "I don't usually cry so much," she told him instead, "but I've
kept it in so long and it just seems determined to come out today."

         "It's one of those times," he said. "We all feel it and have been in
your shoes. Our stories were different, but we've all been in trouble. That's
why we don't judge each other but we do the very best we can to help each other,
all of us. We're family, and now you're part of our family. All I ask is that
you don't put yourself away from us and allow us to be part of your family."

         She was silent for a moment before daring to admit, "I would love to be
able to do that, Angel, but I'm scared. No," she corrected herself, "I'm
terrified that he might still find out! He's killed so many because of me! Port
Royal was only the latest town he's done in. There was another, and he killed
Blue's mother, my best friend when I was a child, Elvira's and Cindy's entire
families . . . " Her voice trailed off.

         "Well, consider me to be your big brother," Angel gently told her. "Let
me worry about him just for tonight. Do your best to enjoy being free for a
little while. I promise I'll be there for you."

         She nodded. She wanted desperately to be able to let them all in, but
she could not bare the thought that doing so might get them killed. It was then
that Blue cooed again, telling Angel for the second time that day something that
she had no intention of his knowing. He had let the Halliwells think that she
had eaten the apple, but he had done so instead after she'd refused and given it
to him. He did not let Angel think that she had eaten, however, and told him
just what had happened even as Crys' eyes snapped to him. "Blue!"

         "Crys, I want you to eat. I'm taking you to the galley now. I smell food
cooking, and I want you to eat something for me. Please?"

         She hesitated. She was hungry, and she could not remember the last time
she'd been lucky enough to eat anything besides the snow she created. She had
occasionally managed to sneak some extra food for her babies but had never
bothered to do so for herself. Her stomach rumbled in protest, reminding her
that it had been more than a day since she'd even eaten snow. "All right," she
relented. "I was just . . . I was too frustrated earlier, and don't you dare
tote me like a sack of potatoes again!" Her eyes cut a glare at him, but the
corners of her mouth trembled as if they were fighting to keep from turning up
into the beginnings of a smile.

         "Don't threaten me, Crys. I kind of liked doing that." He grinned down
at her. "But if you don't want to eat, I am going to feed you." He reached out,
pulled her to him, and hugged her. "You need a lot of that, little sister, and I
know just the guy to give it to you if you'd only let him: Lorne."

         She sighed. "He is incredible," she breathed in admission before she
could stop herself. "I never thought green could look so fantastic on any one
before." Though she was managing to talk, her heart had almost stopped and then
escalated in sheer joy when he'd hugged her. She had not been hugged by another
two-legger in months, not since the last time Jack had dropped in for a visit.
She hugged him tightly in return, ignoring her mind's warning that she shouldn't
be doing such.

         Releasing her, Angel reached in a pocket and lifted a cookie out to
Blue. "I don't have treats for you girls," he said apologetically, "but I'll get
some. Now let's take your mommy to the galley and find out what great foods Miss
Halliwell's cooking." He held to Crys' hand, refusing to release her, even as
Blue, still perched on Angel's shoulder, nibbled eagerly on the cookie.

         Elvira started to pad off after Angel and Crystal, but Cindy paused, a
soft growl ushering forth from her lips. She turned to look in the direction of
the eyes she'd sensed but that the others, in their concern for Crys, had
missed. She was not surprised to find a blonde and a brunette staring after
Angel and Crys. She growled at them, and the two quickly gasped and flung
themselves back into the shadows. Shaking her head at the ignorance of humans,
the lioness turned and padded off after the rest of her suddenly-growing family,
her tail twitching.



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

         Continuing on their way to the galley, Angel walked proudly beside Crys.
He relished the feeling that he had at least accomplished some small part in
helping her to feel better. Delicious smells were coming from the galley, and he
wished that he liked regular food and could live on something besides blood.
Blood got old after a while, but he couldn't keep regular food down.

         They had just about reached the door when he saw Carl running, hopping
up and down, and hollering. He wondered what had the little guy so upset, and
then he heard him. "THERE YOU ARE," Carl yelled, pointing at the group that
surrounded Angel, "YOU LITTLE, GNOME-EATING DRAGON! JACK TOLD ME THE TRUTH! YOU
AREN'T GOING TO EAT ME," he leered at Blue before adding in a false threat, "BUT
I MIGHT JUST EAT YOU!"

         The Gnome's threat brought first a sharp gasp and then a furious glare
from Crys, a worried coo from Blue, and growls from Cindy and Elvira who flanked
them. Angel looked down at Carl. "Carl, what is your problem? Calm down and quit
making threats! You're not going to eat anybody! You're quite a little guy to be
making so much noise!"

         "I might be little," Carl retorted angrily, "but I can still take on
that dragon!"

         "Nobody's taking on the dragon," Angel told him. "Why are you after him
any way?"

         "That woman told me he'd eat me! She said they hadn't eaten in so long
and tried to get Joxer and me to go over there so that they could eat us! It's
not happening! I'll eat him first!" It was at just that time that a huge roar
sounded from right behind Carl's rear. Carl screamed and automatically jumped
right up onto Angel. Cindy's teeth closed on the air where he had just been.

         "Cindy!" Angel reproved her. "Leave Carl alone!" He had barely managed
to catch Carl. "Carl, calm down. We'll get to the bottom of this and reach a
happy solution for everybody. Crys said some things while she was in the cage,
because she wanted out so badly. None of her babies are going to eat you. Think
about it. If that had been you in there and you had had some friends who might
could have gotten you out, wouldn't you have made some threats too?"

         "Well, yeah, but I wouldn't have said they'd eat them!"

         "He won't eat you, Carl, isn't it?" Crys spoke up. The Gnome's head
trembled even as he nodded. "I'm sorry I told you he would," she continued.
Honesty shone in her ice blue eyes as she looked apologetically at him. "It was
a complete and utter lie, but Angel's right. I just wanted out and needed to
distract you for a moment."

         "But you knocked me out without ever touching me!"

         She nodded. "Yes, I did, but again, it was because I had to in order to
escape. I never wanted to hurt you; that's why I did what I did."

         "Angel, she never touched me, but she froze me!" Carl complained.

         Crys shook her head. "I didn't freeze you. Had I frozen you, you
wouldn't be here now unless your ice had not yet melted. What I did was to
simply lower your body temperature enough to render you unconscious."

         "That too!" Carl exclaimed, clinging to Angel like a monkey.

         "Carl, I want you to make friends with Crys and her babies. Stop trying
to pick a fight, and put our your hand in friendship. This is Blue," Angel spoke
to his other shoulder and Carl's eyes shot as big as saucers.

         "I-I-I-It-It-It's right there! It's gonna eat me!"

         "Coo," Blue said as a matter-of-fact statement.

         "Not always, Blue," Angel told him. Blue had made mention that Carl
seemed to be a mighty small powerhouse looking for trouble where there wasn't
any. "Carl is usually nice, friendly, and very helpful, and Blue is the same,
Carl, so you should be able to get along with him very well."

         Blue cooed again and held out part of his cookie to Carl.

         Carl continued to tremble as he looked at the dragon's out-stretched
claw offering him a bit of cookie. He shook even more. "He's trying to poison
me!"

         "COO!" Blue threw the cookie at him, and Carl, despite himself, caught
it.

         "It's not poison, Carl. I gave it to him as a treat."

         "You did?" Carl asked. "You're sure it's the same one?"

         "Yes, Carl, it's the same one. Now make friends."

         As soon as Angel affirmed that it was indeed the same cookie, Carl
popped it without any further hesitation into his mouth. Even as he chewed, he
continued to gaze fearfully at Blue. Was it true? Did dragons not eat Gnomes?
He'd always heard otherwise, but then again, he was being held by a friendly
Vampire who didn't eat humans. Who'd ever heard of that?

         "Some dragons do eat Gnomes, but only the big dragons and the meat
eaters. Blue is not a meat eater. He much prefers fruits."

         Carl continued looking apprehensively at Blue, but when the dragon again
tentatively stretched out his hand toward the Gnome, he took it. Blue squeezed
his trembling hand but was careful not to hurt him or let his claws do so much
as brush against his skin. Carl finally began to relax. Looking down at Crys, he
told her, "You still didn't have to say he'd eat me!"

         She nodded. "You're right, Carl," she admitted, "and as I said, I'm
sorry I did. I thought I didn't really have a choice, though, and was trying to
escape to keep the others and you safe."

         His eyes widened at that. "Safe? From what?"

         Angel dropped Carl gently back down to the deck. "Carl, there are things
that are evil out there. You know that. You've seen some of them. That thing you
saw in the sky today, he is totally evil and he wants Crys."

         "That thing wants her?!" Carl repeated in disbelief, looking up at Angel
and Crys. The woman seemed so beautiful, and he knew now that she really wasn't
the evil bitch he'd thought at first.

         "Yes," Crys told him softly. "That's why I did what I did. That's why I
was so bent -- "

         Her words broke off as Carl interrupted her. "Well, missy, you can just
tell him to put his dukes up!" He swung at the air even as he hopped up and
down, acting as though he were trying to fight an invisible opponent. "I'll take
him!"

         Crys couldn't help herself. Angel's hug had lifted her spirits already,
and the sight of the small Gnome attempting to fight was just too hilarious. Her
lips parted, and her voice broke into a tinkling of laughter.

         Angel smiled at Crys' laughter. He didn't imagine she'd done much of
that in her life, and he hoped that he'd hear more of it in the future. "Would
you like to carry Blue for a while, Carl? We're on the way to the galley." He
refused to give him credit for the fight, because he knew he'd have to bail him
out if he got into one.

         Carl stilled himself, grinning from ear to ear as he had succeeded in
making the woman laugh, but looked with a mixture of hope and doubt up at Angel
and Blue. "Do you think I could?" he asked hesitantly.

         "Blue?" Angel questioned.

         "Coo," the dragon answered with a grin as he took to the air and sailed
down to Carl's shoulder. Carl's anxious face split into a huge smile as the
dragon perched on top of his shoulder.

         "He especially likes his head to be scratched," Crys advised quietly,
seeing the Gnome's eyes light up as Blue settled in to his new perch.

         Carl hesitantly reached up and scratched Blue's head. His grin grew even
larger at the gentle rumbling he was rewarded with in turn.


Chapter Twenty-eight
         "They're gone," Elizabeth announced. She had taken a few steps from the
shadows they had ducked in upon first seeing Angel with the blonde and had
watched as they had crossed another ice bridge back to the ship. The second had
disappeared as quickly as the first, and she was still amazed by both the
unusual animals and the ice that she had seen coming from the woman's hands.

         When Cordelia failed to respond, she turned back to the shadows with a
concerned frown. "Cordelia?" When the brunette still did not answer her, she
stepped closer, returning to the shadows and only then seeing the sadness
written all over her face. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

         "He . . . He kissed me."

         Elizabeth's brow creased in confusion. "Who kissed you?"

         "Angel," Cordelia explained, her tear-filled eyes refusing to meet the
blonde's. Her gaze dropped instead to her feet, but Elizabeth still saw the lone
tear that ran down her cheek.

         She was concerned over Cordelia's sadness, but her confusion was growing
by the minute. "I thought you were new to the ship?"

         "I . . . I am, and I . . . I know I should have known better, but one
thing led to another and . . . "

         Elizabeth shook her head even as she placed a gentle hand on the other
woman's shoulder. "It's all right," she assured her quietly. "You don't have to
explain to me. I'm just . . . I'm sorry you saw that."

         "I'm not," Cordelia said with a shake of her head that surprised
Elizabeth. "I'm sorry he's another jerk, but I'm glad that I at least know it."

         Elizabeth nodded in understanding. She started to speak but Cordelia's
voice broke her off. "How could I have been so foolish? I should have known
better than to kiss a man I'd just met today, not to mention letting him get
that close to me!"

         "It wasn't foolishness," Elizabeth assured her, shaking her head
slightly from side to side. "You had no way to know, and besides, I've began to
think that we may all be making mistakes whenever we allow a man to get under
our skin." She paused, contemplating what she was about to say. She hoped that
the knowledge that she had not been the only one hurt so by a man might help
Cordelia to feel at least a little better about herself. "Cordelia, my Father
was a jerk," she admitted to her, "and my fiancé just told me today that he
never loved me and, in fact, loves a man instead."

         Cordelia's eyes rose to hers in shock. "What? You can't be serious!"

         "I'm afraid I am." Elizabeth sighed.

         "What's wrong with us? Don't we know any better?"

         "I didn't," she replied honestly, "but I do now. I believe you are the
same."

         Cordelia nodded even as she sniffled again. "True, but . . . It just
hurts so much. I know it's crazy since we only met today, but I truly felt
something for him. I was already falling hard for him and thought he felt the
same, but to see him with that blonde . . . "

         "I know it hurts," Elizabeth agreed quietly, "but it's best we both
found out now before it could get any further." She could tell Cordelia was
still upset as was she, and she stepped forward and embraced the other woman in
a gentle, reassuring hug. "I don't know how, but we'll get through this."

         Cordelia nodded as she returned Elizabeth's hug. She prayed she was
right, but her heart had never felt such pain as it did watching Angel with
another woman. How could he? How could he have played her as he had? Her
whirling mind turned back to their encounter earlier that day, and she
remembered his story. Had that even been the truth? She had wondered why he
would have trusted her as much as she'd believed he'd had to in order to reveal
such a dark secret from his past. Had it all been merely an act on his part, a
ploy to lure her into his arms, his bed? She vowed it would not happen and that,
as soon as she had her emotions contained well enough, she would face him with
the knowledge of what he had done to her. She only hoped that she could keep
from crying when she did so.



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

         The first thing Angel noticed when he pushed the door to the galley open
was that it was filled with great smells; the second was that every one seemed
to be busy. "Hi, everybody," he called out and looked immediately to see how
Lorne was taking it.

         Lorne had a frown on his face. He would not look straight at Angel. {It
figures. She doesn't want me because I'm green, but she's all over Glamour Boy.}

         "Lorne?" Angel asked.

         "Yes, sir?"

         "Having a good day?"

         "I was."

         "Anything you want to talk about?"

         "Not now."

         "Okay. Then I'll just be about my duties, but Crys is here to help after
she gets some food," he said, looking at Piper.

         "I thought she ate an apple?" Prue questioned helpfully. She looked at
Crys in confusion.

         Crystal's eyes were glued to the deck. She wished that she could hide
behind Angel but knew better.

         Blue spoke up, cooing loudly for all to hear, from his perch on Carl's
shoulder. He told Prue that Crys had given him the apple instead and refused to
eat a single bite but frowned when he realized that the woman could not
understand him.

         Elvira had been making her way over to Lorne but stopped when she heard
Blue. Looking at Prue, she wondered if she might stand a better chance and
repeated what her brother had just said.

         Prue looked in confusion from Blue to Elvira. She had not been able to
understand a single word the little dragon had said, but she heard Elvira's
voice. It wasn't the sound she was making that Prue heard; it was as though she
was talking straight to her brain, person to person, instead! Prue responded in
a voice that only Elvira could understand. "I can hear and understand you! Why?"

         Hearing their older sister speak in a canine language, all three of the
other Halliwells screeched. Phoebe found herself dropping onto Joxer's lap, the
support of her legs completely gone. Paige nearly fainted but grabbed hold to
the table just in time, and the bowl Piper had been holding slipped from her
frozen hands.

         Lorne caught the bowl and turned to look to see what was causing the
disturbance. Returning the bowl to a safe place on the table, he asked, "What?
Can't a human talk to an animal?" He had missed the conversation between the
woman and wolf due to the fact that he was griped at both Angel and Crys and had
not been paying attention to anything but them. Crys had a glow, and Angel was
his usual gorgeous self. Fury burned within Lorne at the thought of what they
had been doing.

         "Well, yes, of course . . . " Ororo answered slowly. "I-I've heard it
before but never like this. Prue, do you realize that you are speaking in a . .
. well, a lupine tongue?"

         Prue looked at her family, her surprise clear on her face. "No. I just
know that I can understand Elvira. I thought I was talking English." Four heads
shook back at her, slowly moving from side to side.

         Prue turned her attention back to Elvira and again went to talk to her.
"What's going on, Elvira?" Her words came out in the lupine language for the
second time. A grin split her face, and she broke out in English again. "If I
can do this, I can talk to Brendan when he's in wolf form!"

         "That must be why," Crystal spoke up at last. Looking at Prue, she
asked, "Are you in love with a Werewolf?"

         "Oh, yes," Prue breathed, "but he wolfs out every time I'm near him!"

         "There is probably a part of you, then, that will be able to communicate
with him regardless of what form he is in at the time. Elvira can understand
English perfectly well, but perhaps . . . " She paused, frowning slightly, then
asked, "Have you ever spoken, or attempted to, to a wolf before?"

         "I've talked to Brendan when he was in wolf form, but I don't think he
understood me," she replied with a small shake of her head. "He just got
angrier. He wanted to eat me. The Captain knocked him out."

         "Elvira must have somehow triggered that part of you, and if he was
wanting to eat you, he may have simply been too angry to understand you at the
moment."

         A thrill shot up Prue's spine. If she could talk to Brendan when he
wolfed, would it help him to control himself? She couldn't wait to get a chance
to try it! All conversation was disrupted when the food was ready, and every one
hurried around, putting the hot treasures on plates.



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

         Wolverine had just closed the door to Jack's cabin when he sniffed the
air. The scent of something cooking made his stomach rumble. "Think I'd better
go get some o' that for 'Ro and me. Why don't you come along and get you some?
By the way, Jack brought back a whole bunch o' stuff in a wagon, includin' a
scruffy-lookin' donkey pullin' it. I think it's the stuff from your forge."

         "I didn't have that much," Will admitted, confusion creasing his brow.
"It was nowhere near a wagon full!" He also wondered why Jack would have brought
the donkey but did not speak on that matter.

         "Well, it looked like a wagonload to me. We can go check it out after we
get somethin' to eat." Wolverine could see a line already forming outside the
door to the galley. He grabbed a rope and swung over to the Witch.

         Will glanced back at the closed door to Jack's room before following. He
arrived just in time to hear Wolverine growl and see the crowd part, allowing
him and Will to be the first ones in the door.

         Wolverine looked at each of the other Pirates. "Ya scurvy lot, stay out
here, an' we'll see when the food's gonna be done." They grumbled but did as
ordered.

         Wolverine and Will had barely made it inside the galley when Will froze
in his tracks. His eyes, widened by surprise, had fallen onto the donkey. It was
indeed the donkey from the smithy's, but what surprised Will even more was that
the mischievous beast was sneaking a bottle of a dark liquid off of the table.

         Piper turned from the oven, her hands full with two more trays that she
was about to pass to Lorne, when her eyes fell on the donkey. He was throwing
his head back and taking a long gulp of the bourbon when she screeched. "Drop
that immediately!"

         The donkey looked at her from around the brim of the vial, shook his
head, and started to trot off. He froze in his tracks, however, as he caught
sight of Will. His mouth opened instantly, the bottle falling to the deck and
rolling. "Hey! There you are, man! I've been looking -- "

         He was interrupted by Will's shocked yell. "You talk!?!"

         Donkey rolled his eyes. "Yes, I talk! What is it with you people?!
Donkeys can talk; get over it already!" He chased after the bottle and reached
it at the same time as Wolverine.

         Wolverine had barely grasped the bottle when Donkey's mouth made a
grabbing bite for it only to be met with Wolverine's fist. Donkey staggered
back. "Hey! You hit me, man!" He immediately turned around, pointed his hooves
back at Wolverine, and kicked him before Wolverine could react. His hooves
struck Wolverine's gut, knocking him to the floor and sending the bottle flying.
Wolverine moaned as his hands grabbed his gut.

         Blue sailed off of Carl's shoulder so swiftly that the Gnome staggered
back in surprise. His talons caught the bottle in mid-air. He started to take it
to Piper but stopped at Lorne's side instead.

         Lorne reached out and took the bottle. "Thank you, Blue." At least the
dragon appeared to still like him.

         While Blue had been rescuing the bottle, Will had raced over to
Wolverine and Donkey. "Donkey!" he scolded. "You shouldn't have kicked him!"

         "He hit me first!"

         "That may be so, but that's because you were misbehaving and trying to
steal that bottle!"

         "I know," Donkey admitted, "but man, it tasted so good!"

         "Which is precisely why you don't need it," Piper told him. "Why,
there's no telling what alcohol would do to a donkey!"

         "Alcohol?" Wolverine's head snatched up immediately. "What kind o'
alcohol?"

         "bourbon."

         "That's sissy stuff," he dismissed it, "but I'd still keep it hid. Jack
ain't been able to find any rum. He might take to drinkin' that instead. That's
all we need."

         Will looked questioningly at Wolverine and spoke before Piper could.
"What do you mean?"

         "The rum's disappeared, an' the Captain does love his rum," Wolverine
replied. There were a lot of them aboard the ship who knew about Jack's problem,
but they had managed to keep it quiet amongst them. For a brief moment, he had
forgotten Will was there and that the boy would not have an ideal that the
captain had a drinking problem. He was not going to tell him. Hopefully by the
time Jack managed to find some rum, he would be dried out and wouldn't want it
quite so badly.

         He staggerdly got to his feet. "Hide that stuff, Miss Piper. Could I
possibly have one of those good-smellin' things?" They looked like little
biscuits filled with some kind of meat and topped with melted cheese, but he had
never seen anything like them before and did not know what to call them.

         "Of course," Piper told Wolverine with a gentle smile despite her
worried eyes, "but you might want to let them cool a little bit longer. They're
only the appetizers, however. The main meal's still cooking but will be done
shortly." She could not help frowning then. "I do hope it's all right. I thought
you'd probably all love bourbon chicken." She would never have thought that a
Pirate wouldn't want alcohol and had chosen the meal for precisely that reason.
Had she made an awful mistake?

         "Gods, I can hardly wait for it! I had bourbon chicken one time before
at Derek & Hansel's. I found Carl cleaning the pot out afterward. It was so
good! Jack's gonna love it!"

         Piper couldn't help beaming at that, but Paige's question brought
another frown. "What do we have to drink?" she asked her. "I can fix them if you
know where it is."

         "Drink?" Wolverine repeated. It was the first time he'd thought about
the missing rum causing a problem for everybody else besides just Jack.

         "Water and blood," Angel answered. "That's about all we have."

         "Water and blood?!" Crys repeated, still standing next to him. "Surely
you have to have something else?"

         "Nope," Carl spoke up from where his eyes were glued to the luscious
redhead. "We pretty much lived on that rum."

         "Well, I simply can not see wasting such a delightful meal on nothing
but water!" Crys exclaimed. "I could help on that, but I don't know . . . " She
frowned, her voice trailing off.

         "What is it, Crys?" Angel queried.

         "Well, I could make something, but I don't know if any of you would want
to eat it since I would literally be making it."

         Angel was full of curiosity. What could Crys possibly make out of thin
air that they could drink? "What is it?"

         She shrugged. "I've never really bothered to name it. It's just a snow
drink of sorts, but they love it," she said, gesturing with her gaze to Cindy,
Blue, and Elvira.

         Lorne's ears perked up. Could this be a chance that he could get more of
Crys' attention? Angel couldn't drink it. He could only handle the blood, but
Lorne could. "Crys," he called, "make it. I'll sample it."

         She was not certain if she could trust herself near Lorne again but told
herself that nothing could happen since there were, after all, so many others in
the room with them. She nodded to him even as she forced her feet to carry her
away from Angel's protective side and over to the table. "I'll need a mug to put
it in," she paused, glancing at Piper, "and do you have any flavoring?"

         "A few," she answered. "What would you like?"

         Crys thought for a second, but Blue's coo made up her mind. "Vanilla?"

         Piper nodded and moved off to retrieve the bottle, leaving Crys to look
back at Lorne though her eyes would not meet his.

         Lorne handed Crys a mug. His eyes desperately tried to connect with
hers, but she would not look at him. Damn Angel! He could have any woman on the
ship! Why did he have to pick his?

         "Thank you," Crys spoke softly to him. She took the mug, but her fingers
brushed across his as she did so, shooting sparks through them. She tried to
ignore the feelings both his touch and presence invoked in her as she turned,
set the mug onto the table, and cupped her hands over its mouth. Her fingers
pointed down, and her ice blue eyes narrowed at the mug as she concentrated.
Snow began to fall from her fingertips, drifting down into the mug and quickly
piling up.

         All eyes were glued on her, and Wolverine had to ask. "Doesn't that
hurt, little one? It looks like it could be awful painful."

         She shook her head, but her eyes did not raise from the mug. "Not at
all." She rose one hand but still did not look up. "The vanilla, please?" She
felt Piper place a bottle in her hand and began to add the vanilla, moving her
other hand in circles so that the snow and vanilla swirled together.

         Every one in the room's mouth watered for a taste as they watched the
drink being made. Lorne reached out a hand and lifted it to his lips, his eyes
never leaving Crys. He took a sip; then he took another one. "What is this?" he
asked. "It's good!"

         "I want some!" Carl cried. He reached up and tugged at Lorne's hand
until he could get his hand on the mug. He took a swallow and had the mug
snatched out of his hand by Wolverine. "Hey, I want some more of that! That's
mine!" Carl complained.

         "No, it's not! It's mine!" Lorne protested.

         "No," Wolverine growled at them, "it's mine now!" He emptied the mug.

         "Not fair!" some voices called. "I wanted some!" others said.

         Angel had a sad look on his face. He wished he could taste it but knew
that those days were behind him. In fact, he had never had those days, because
his mother had never made him anything special to drink.

         Crys had watched Lorne take the first sip while holding her breath, and
she'd scarcely began to smile as he was enjoying it when Carl had reached out.
As the mug began to be passed swiftly around and she found herself surrounded by
others wanting more, she couldn't help laughing or the smile that burst out over
her face.

         Will had been watching the scene with great confusion on his face. Just
what was the problem with Jack and rum? He could not get past that thought even
as he watched the others converge on the blonde, all thrusting mugs out at her,
and heard her laughter grow. Shaking his head, he finally moved forward. He
collected two mugs and then began trying to figure out where the line was.

         Lorne knew he had to get some kind of order, because not only did every
one inside want some but the ones outside would, as well. "Back up. Give her
room to breathe," he commanded as he sat several trays with mugs on them in
front of her. Just as quickly as they were set before her, she filled the cups,
mixing the snow and vanilla at a nearly blinding rate.

         Even while she was busy filling the mugs, Crys managed to steal a glance
at Angel who lingered behind all the others. Her joy started to fade when she
saw the sad look on his face, but then she realized what his problem must
undoubtedly be. He was a Vampire and, as such, could only drink blood. "Blue?"
she called up.

         The little dragon quickly flew down to his mistress and perched on her
shoulder. She whispered so that only he could hear her, and he took off for
Angel as she handed two freshly-filled mugs to Will. Blue headed swiftly for
Angel and cooed to him as soon as he reached him.

         Angel grinned. "Back in a minute," he replied eagerly and headed for his
quarters. He was not gone long and returned with a small bag. He handed it to
Blue. The dragon took the bag in his talons and very carefully carried it over
to Crys.

         Angel waited in expectation. Would she really make a drink just for him,
and would it taste good? He was so tired of the same old taste of blood, but it
was the only thing that stayed in his system.

         "Piper," Crys called, catching sight of Blue on his return trip to her,
"do you have any cinnamon?"

         "Of course," she told her, walking off but quickly returning with a
canister. She handed it to Crys as the blonde passed a mug to yet another
Pirate.

         Lorne had been carrying trays of mugs outside and had not seen her send
Blue to Angel. As fast as he took one tray out, another empty tray came back as
the Pirates were making short work of the drinks.

         The little meatpies were also swiftly disappearing. Prue barely managed
to grab two of them and two mugs and headed out of the room, carrying them to
Brendan and Wes. When she got there, Wesley was nowhere to be seen. She called
out, "Brendan?", but there was no answer.



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

         "Piper, I'm going to need a little bit of help with this one."

         "Certainly. What do you need me to do?"

         "While I'm adding the other liquid," Crys gestured with her head to the
bag Blue held even as she took it from him, "I need you to add the cinnamon. Not
a lot, just enough to add its flavoring to the drink."

         Piper nodded, understanding what she meant but also wondering what in
the world was in the bag. It looked like blood, but surely it couldn't be?

         Crys opened the bag as though it contained nothing unusual. She was not
bothered by the blood in the slightest and added it to the snow with no more
thought than if it had been the vanilla flavoring she was putting in the others'
drinks. Piper added the cinnamon, and soon the drink was done. "Angel?" Crys
called out.

         Angel stepped forward and gratefully accepted the mug. "Thank you," he
whispered to her with a smile and backed up out of the way so that others could
get close to her. With his back against the wall, he took the first sip. It was
the first time in ages that he could remember blood actually tasting good to
him, and he downed the mug in a hurried gulp. He'd thank her again later when he
had the chance. Right now he wanted her to be the center for he knew she needed
that.

         He had noticed Prue leaving and, setting his cup down, decided he'd
better go out and check to make sure that everything was all right. He was
startled to see Wesley pass right by him. "Wes?!" Angel exclaimed, grabbing his
shoulder to stop him. "Why aren't you guarding Brendan?"

         Wesley grinned at him. "He decided he'd come out."

         "He's out here somewhere?"

         "Not yet," Wesley replied, "but he said he'd be here soon and sent me
off. And yes, Angel," he added before the other man could ask, "it was the man,
not the wolf."

         "Oh crap!" Angel exclaimed worriedly. "Prue just headed that way! She'll
be there before either of us can get there!"

         "Oh no!" Wes cried. "I never thought -- " He turned to race back the way
he had come but nonetheless called out over his shoulder, "Save some for two,
please!" He ran out, Angel hot on his heels.



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

         Brendan was sitting cross-legged on the floor, examining two of his most
precious belongings, when an all-too familiar scent met his nose. His head
jerked up; then he heard a knock accompanied by Prue's voice. "Brendan?" Panic
flashed over his face and eyes, and he swiftly rolled into the one hiding place
that came to mind.

         "Brendan?" she called again. "Are you in there? Wes is not out here."
She stepped closer to the door and knocked on it a second time. "Brendan, can
you hear me?" When no answer came, she tried the handle and found that it was
unlocked.

         Balancing the tray carefully, she managed to open the door and step
inside. The room appeared to be completely deserted. She walked over to the
table and carefully set the tray down on it. Where could they have gone? she
wondered. She sincerely hoped Brendan was all right and had not had to be put in
the cage.

         She had been about to step away from the table when her eyes were caught
by a painting that hung on the wall. It was gruesome in blacks and blood red,
and it not only intrigued her but scared her at the same time. What could its
meaning be? More engrossed in the painting than in what she was about, she
stepped backward only to fall over something in the floor. She gave out a
frightened squeal. She tried to catch herself but to no avail as she continued
to fall toward the floor.

         Brendan had watched Prue's every movement as she had carried the tray of
delicious-smelling food to his table. He had watched her attention become
fastened on his painting, but his breath had caught when he'd seen her foot
catch on part of one of his drums. As she started to fall, he released a
muttered oath and sprang out from under the bed, catching her just before she
could hit the floor.

         She had thought she was about to hit the floor when her fall was
suddenly stopped by a pair of strong arms. She knew instantly that it was
Brendan, and her heart fluttered. "Brendan?" she whispered. "Thank you for
saving me." She made no move on him whatsoever but lay still within the circle
of his arms.

         "I brought you some food. Actually, it's just an appetizer; there'll be
more later. I thought you were gone, though, and I was just going to leave it
for you to get when you returned. I prayed you weren't in the cage; I was going
there next. I fell over something."

         She had momentarily forgotten why she had fallen but looked up into his
face. She didn't know why she loved him so much. She felt like she had known him
forever and that he was a missing part of her that she had at last found. "I
promised Jack I wouldn't upset you. I hope I haven't." She finally hushed,
allowing him a chance to talk.

         Brendan had barely been aware of Prue's words for her scent, the
pounding of her heart, and the feeling of her body inside his arms had enwrapped
his every sense. His own heart pounded not only from the feelings that she sent
sweeping through him but also from his fear. He thought for certain that he was
a goner when her beautiful eyes gazed up into his panicky face but managed to
keep the presence of mind to set her carefully back to her feet.

         He heard her last words and assured her in a quick rush of words, "I am
not upset but would have been had I been unable to catch you and keep you from
falling. I have to leave, though." Without giving her a chance to reply, he ran
from the room as if he were being chased by the worst kinds of Demons
imaginable.

         The first thing Angel and Wesley saw when they crashed upon the scene
was the door was open and gently swinging in the breeze. {Oh no!} Angel thought.
{He's done her in!} He didn't say anything but was about to race into the room
when something came flying out, knocking both him and Wesley to the deck. "What
the Hell?!" he heard Wesley mutter even as the blur kept going.

         "I think that was Brendan," Angel said, "not the wolf." His voice
sounded puzzled. "But he's running. He must have done something."

         They cautiously entered the room only to find Prue standing in the
center of it, looking at the picture once more. "I'll go after him," Angel told
Wesley. "You stay with her." Angel raced back out and headed in the direction he
could smell Brendan. He kept thinking, {He didn't wolf!} What kind of a miracle
was this?

         He could see Brendan just ahead. He held on to the railing as though his
life depended on it before he suddenly sailed over the top of the railing and
straight into the water. {Not again!} Angel complained silently. {I'm not going
in there if I can help it!} He looked down into the water. "Brendan? Are you
down there?" He was about to jump into the water behind Brendan when he saw his
friend's shaggy head come to the surface.

         "Angel, it's coming!"

         "It didn't come, Brendan. Don't you understand? It didn't come! For the
first time, you didn't wolf!"

         "But I will," Brendan's frantic voice called up to him, "if I don't get
calmed down! My Gods, I had her in my arms, Angel!"

         "Yes, Brendan, but you didn't wolf and you're not wolfing now! Look at
you! What did you do?"

         Brendan dipped again in the water, then bobbed back up, shaking his head
like a dog and slinging off water in all directions. "I didn't think! She was
falling, and I had to stop her!"

         "You saved her, Brendan. It wouldn't have killed her, but it would have
hurt her like heck. You're causing your own wolfing! Your nervousness, your
anxieties . . . Prue's not doing it! You held her in your arms, and you did . .
. not . . . wolf!" he stressed it to him again. "At long last, my friend, we've
actually got something to work with!"

         "You're right," Brendan admitted softly. "I didn't wolf, but it's only
one time, Angel. I don't know why I didn't change and kill her on the spot; I
only thank the Gods I didn't."

         Angel looked down at him. "That's because that's not what's in your
heart, Brendan. You want her. You don't want to eat her. You want her safe and
in your arms, where she belongs." He wanted to sing to the Heavens. His friend
had a chance to overcome his worst enemy -- himself! "Wait till Jack hears
this!" Angel knew that Jack had expected it all along but would be thrilled to
know that he was right. "Come; I'll help you get out." He threw a rope down.



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

         Wesley stood quietly, watching Prue. He wasn't sure how to approach her.
Finally, he spoke. "Miss Halliwell, are you okay?"

         She turned around and looked at Wes. Her face shone, and she was
surrounded by a glow. "He didn't wolf!" she cried joyously. "He didn't wolf! He
held me, Wes, so gently, and he didn't wolf!"

         Wesley couldn't believe what was going on. Jack had been saying for a
long time that he thought that Brendan could control his wolfing, but he really
had not known how to go about helping his friend nor had Wes known what to do.
Now, for the first time, he realized that Jack was right, and yet he still did
not know what to do. "Come, Miss Halliwell; we'd best get you back to your
family. Brendan might be returning at any moment, and you really shouldn't be
here."

         She was reluctant to leave. Her hands reached out and gently stroked
different items that lay on the table before her, finally coming to rest upon
his hairbrush. She lifted and sniffed it, reveled in his scent on it, and then
laid it back down. "Tell me, Wes, about the picture? I've never seen anything
like it. Where did he get it from?"

         "Frightening, isn't it?" Wes replied. "Brendan painted it. You really
don't know what you're messing with, Miss Halliwell. He's a Werewolf, and that's
something from his darker side. He painted it after one of his really bad
spells. You'll have to ask him about it. I don't think it's my right to reveal
that side of him. He may or may not answer you. Come away, Miss Halliwell; I'll
take you back now," he repeated. He really wanted her out of there just in case
Brendan did come back. "Thank you for bringing the food."

         "I'll bring another tray when the rest gets done. This is just an
appetizer," she repeated her earlier words to Brendan. She wondered just where
he had ran off to. She wanted to see him one last time, but understanding where
Wes was coming from, she knew she didn't need to be there when he came back.

         "I don't know what I tripped over that caused me to fall. It was over
here." She looked down at the spot on the floor where a set of drums sat. "Could
that have been it?"

         "Well, I'll be damned!" Wesley exclaimed. "I wondered who was doing the
drumming!"

         "Huh?" Prue asked, clearly confused over his reaction.

         "When we have music, we have had a mysterious drummer," Wesley
explained. "No one knew who it was. Now we know, and we'll keep Brendan's
secret. If he had wanted us to know, he would have told us."

         Prue walked out the door with a small smile on her face. She felt
hopeful at last! Brendan had held her and had not wolfed, even though he had ran
afterward. Her heart was so happy at that moment that she wanted to sing!
Brendan had held her! It had felt so wonderful, and, miracle of miracles, he had
not wolfed! She almost raced back to the galley, so eager was she to tell Piper,
and nearly collided with Will who was on his way out.



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

         Will carried the tray of food and mugs to the railing before stopping
and looking across at the Pearl with great confusion on his face. He had every
intention of getting the appetizer and drink to Jack, but how in the world was
he supposed to get it over there without dropping it? His balance was good -- he
had worked hard on it his entire life --, but he could not imagine any one's
balance being that good.

         Wolverine was making his way back to the Pearl as well. He saw Will
stopped at the rail, holding the tray. "What's a matter, Will? Anythin' I can
help you with?"

         "I . . . don't know," Will answered hesitantly, his brow creased in
confusion. "I need to get this food to Jack, but I don't know how I'm going to
get it across without dropping it."

         "No problem, kid; I'll take it. You get yourself over there." Wolverine
took the tray and beat Will getting across without dropping so much as one drop.
He wondered what was taking Will so long to get over there, then realized that
the boy was staring at him in awed shock.

         Shaking himself, Will swung over to join Wolverine. The very second his
boots touched the deck, he told him, "You have to teach me that!"

         "Yer either born with it or ya ain't born with it. It's not somethin'
somebody can teach, but I'll work with ya on yer balance." He didn't say
anything, but he had noticed in the past, being around Will, that the boy was
slightly clumsy with some things though very agile with others. He put the
clumsiness down to lack of experience. He had to hand it to the boy; he had
plenty of spunk and was willing to try anything. "Ya been around as long as I
have on a ship, ya learn to do things like that."

         Will continued to look at Wolverine in amazement even as he told him,
"Thank you." He reached out for the tray.

         "I'll be around the backside, workin' on 'Ro's an' my bunk. If ya need
anythin', give a holler. I imagine Jack'll sleep a while."

         Will nodded to Wolverine as he took the tray. "I will, and thanks
again."

         "No problem, kid." He headed off around the top of the ship to the other
side, leaving Will to continue toward the Captain's quarters.



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

         The first thing Will noticed when he entered Jack's cabin was that Jack
was nowhere to be seen. Shutting the door behind him with his foot, he walked
further into the room. "Jack?" Still no answer met his ears, and he continued to
call him a few times as he set the tray down on the dresser. He glanced at the
mirror, wondering again why it was covered.

         It was at exactly that moment that a huge roar sounded, shaking the very
walls of the cabin. "Avast!" Will cried, spinning around and reaching, at first,
for his sword. Remembering that he did not have his sword, he reached down and
snatched up the Governor's. Again, another huge growling noise was heard. "Show
yourself!" Will yelled, turning toward the bed where the noise seemed to be
coming from.

         Had something came in there, eaten his Jack, and crawled under the bed?
He could see nothing but yet another growl came. Squaring his shoulders, Will
walked toward the bed. Thrusting his sword underneath the bed, he demanded,
"Come out of there, ya scurvy dog! Show yaself!"

         "Damn you, Will! Ya almost poked my eye out!" came Jack's voice from
under the bed. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

         The very second that Jack's voice met his ears, Will withdrew the sword
and tossed it aside. Dropping to the floor, he peered under the bed and saw that
Jack, sure enough, lay under there. He quickly looked away as he realized that
he still had not bothered to put on any clothes.

         Jack opened one eye and looked at Will. "Well? Shouldn't you be in bed?"
he repeated. Without waiting for an answer, he turned over and started snoring
again.

         Will pushed the sword away from him. It skidded across the floor as he
reached further under the bed. His hand groped blindly until he managed to find
Jack's shoulder, and he shook him. "Jack, wake up. There's food to be had."

         "Food, you say?" Jack rolled over, this time to face Will. "Bring it
down here."

         "There's also drink."

         "Well, bring it too. Rum?" he asked hopefully.

         Will shook his head. "No. Actually, I don't know what to call it, but
it's delicious." He'd already taken a sip of his own. "It's some kind of snow
treat."

         "Doesn't sound good," Jack said. "Ain't got rum in it. Did you know my
rum's gone? Every bit of it. I have looked everywhere!" He gave a huge yawn.

         Will, still trying desperately not to look directly at Jack, replied,
"Actually, yes, I did hear something about that. What is it with you and rum?"

         "It's the most delicious drink! It's my very sustenance!" Jack's words
were slurred from sleep. "I'm dying without it, Will! It keeps me going." In
mid-speech, he started snoring again.

         "Jack!" Will exclaimed, shaking him again. This time, Jack did not
respond. Still shaking him, Will moved further under the bed so that he could
grasp his other shoulder and shake him harder.

         Jack, sound asleep, grabbed Will to him and rolled over, taking him with
him. Lying on his side, he then proceeded to lay his left leg over Will,
trapping the boy under him and using his chest for a pillow.

         Will struggled but could not break free as he was not willing to use any
real force against Jack. He could feel Jack's sword touching his leg through his
breeches, and he thought he would melt on the spot. His heart thundered in his
ears, and his mind whirled frantically. He had to get away! He had to . . . His
eyes fell on Jack's face, and his breath was taken even further away. "J-Jack?"
he breathed shakily.

         Jack snuggled in closer to Will. It was the softest, most wonderful
feeling Jack had ever felt, and it felt so right to lay there. He knew he had to
be dreaming. Will could not possibly be there, not really. His fantasies were
coming true! Will was in his bed! Now what to do with him? Jack snored softly,
not wanting to wake from his delicious dreams of Will.

         Will had heard some fairy tales as a child growing up, but he had never
been able to understand the fascination over the one called Sleeping Beauty . .
. until now. After all, a sleeping woman was just a woman, but his beloved Jack
asleep . . . He pressed his lips together to silence the sigh in his throat.
With Jack's dark spikes of lashes hanging down over his eyes so that he could
not see their depths and his rugged face framed by his raven hair, he had never
looked more handsome. No other man could ever come close, Will thought, as he
found himself moving closer to Jack's mouth. He froze, however, as his leg slid
against Jack's sword. Taking a deep breath, he moved again, ignoring the
repeated sensation as best he could.

         His mouth was inches from Jack's, his eyes searching every inch of his
handsome face. Jack was asleep, Will thought. He'd never know. Yet he really
shouldn't be doing this. Jack trusted him, and it would be taking advantage of
him. But it would only be one kiss. One splendid, marvelous, world-shattering
kiss that Jack would never know about but that he could treasure for the rest of
his life, no matter what happened when he finally told Jack the truth of his
feelings for him. Will inhaled deeply again, and Jack's heady scent shot
straight to his loins. Leaning closer, Will brushed his lips softly across
Jack's, taking just a brief taste of the nectar that proved to be sweeter than
any he'd ever before dreamed of.

         Jack stirred in his sleep, trying to get even closer to Will. He was so
deep in sleep that he did not feel the touch of Will's lips on his. Some part of
him instinctively began to nuzzle Will's neck, however, and his body moved still
closer to Will . . .


Chapter Twenty-nine
         Will had frozen when Jack's lips had left his. Only his eyes had dared
to move, shooting wide in panic. He had thought that Jack was asleep. Had he
been wrong? He stared at him, not even daring to breathe, until Jack moved to
nuzzle his neck. A low moan broke from Will's shaking lips, and he jumped
suddenly as Jack's tongue flicked out and licked his neck.

         As wonderful as the feelings that Jack's touches were sending sweeping
through every inch of him, Will knew that he could not allow him to continue.
Jack did not know what he was doing and would be horrified if he did. "Jack," he
cried out, saying the only thing he could think of and trying to make his tone
into an anguished protest, "I'm not a woman!"

         "I know," came the whispered reply. "I wouldn't want you if you were.
You protest too much." He moved slightly, bringing himself more into contact
with Will. "Don't you want to be in my bed? You belong here, you know."

         {Oh, I know!} Will thought but had to force himself to carry on the
charade, believing that Jack did not have any idea what he was saying, let alone
what he was doing. "Jack, you don't want me in your bed! I'm not a woman!" he
repeated. "I'm a man!"

         Jack rolled over onto his back, pulling Will with him and holding him
safely within the circle of his arms. Will could not help himself. He had frozen
as still as a statue when Jack had rolled with him, but when he felt Jack's
massive sword attempting to be cradled by his groin, he screeched. "Jack! Jack!
You've got to wake up!" Even as he exclaimed, however, he wondered frantically
how in the world he would ever explain this predicament.

         Jack snored gently in Will's ear even as his tongue reached out and
licked Will's lobe. "Oh Gods!" Will moaned. He was already having to fight to
keep his mind in control of every betraying inch of his body, and Jack certainly
was not helping matters. Indeed, he was doing everything to hinder them yet had
no clue as to what was happening. He had to stop him. He had to protect Jack
from both himself and from his own self. "Jack! Jack, you have to let me go!"

         Another snore came in response, and he sighed. He had to wake him up,
and the only way left that might stand a chance of working was to shock him into
awakening. He'd meant to tell him, but he certainly couldn't tell him like this.
He could, however, give him a fragment of the truth. "Jack . . . Jack, you have
to wake up. There's . . . There's something you don't know about me, and if you
did, you . . . you certainly wouldn't want me anywhere near you right now! Jack
-- " His voice broke off, and he had to force himself to finish. "Jack, I'm
gay!"

         "Oh. I'm so happy for you," came Jack's mumbled reply even as he fought
to hold on to the squirming boy he held in his arms. "What can I do about it?
You want to have a party?"

         "JACK!" Will bellowed, but nothing seemed able to wake him. His mind
whirled. "Jack, you don't understand! I'm gay! Don't you know what that means?!"
A snore was his only answer.



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

         Crystal had not been surprised by a single Pirate who had came up, not
even the orange catman who now stood before her, his tail twitching in the air.
"Thank you, miss. My ladies will love these!" he exclaimed with a grin.

         "Your ladies?" she repeated with a raised brow.

         "Not the way you're thinking," Tom was quick to explain. "They're
Katrina and Celina. Katrina's my beautiful wife who I'm honored to have, and
Celina is her sister. There's Morph, her husband, too, so could you make that
four?"

         She smiled at the realization that there was apparently a Werecat family
aboard, as well, but failed to realize that they were the Sorceresses that Angel
had told her about. "Of course," she told Tom and set about making the fourth
drink. "I look forward to meeting them, and I'm sure Cindy can hardly wait, as
well."

         "Cindy?" Tom asked.

         She gestured with her head to a lioness who sat on the floor beside her,
looking up at him with questions in her eyes. "She's a beaut," Tom said with a
smile at both, "but nothing compared to my Katrina."

         Crys returned his smile. "Well, as I said, I can not wait to meet them.
It will be an honor. Here you go," she added, handing him the last drink.

         Tom's grin had only continued to grow as he had been talking to the
blonde. "Thank you. It'll be the perfect thing to wake them up to." He headed
off, carrying the tray, with a proud saunter in his step.

         As Tom walked off, Crystal found herself looking into one of the
saddest, longest faces she'd ever seen. It was the donkey who'd tried
unsuccessfully to steal the bourbon, and her heart felt for him instantly as she
knew that he could not possibly be so upset over something as meager as alcohol.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.

         He sniffled. "I want my Will!"

         "Your will?"

         He nodded. "I want my Will," he repeated, "and he left without me!"

         Crys was not quite sure what to make of what he was telling her, but at
last she figured out that Will must be one of the Pirates. "Where'd he go?"

         "Back to the Pearl. You know, I saw you with that bridge today. Could
you . . . ?" He was looking hopefully up at her, but Crys broke him off before
he could finish his question.

         "I'd be glad to . . . " She paused, then asked, "Do you have a name?"

         "Yup. Sure do." He nodded eagerly, then grinned at her. "Name's Donkey."

         "That's not your name," she corrected him gently. "That's what you are."

         "It's my name too!"

         Crys shook her head, deciding not to make any further mention of it to
him. She might bring the matter up with this Will later, however.



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

         Xena kept a firm grip on Autolycus, making sure that his pants were
cutting him. She was at a loss as to what to do to stop him as she really didn't
want to hurt him, but he had to quit. Finally, when they reached a secluded
spot, she threw him so that his butt landed roughly on the deck. Using her
sword, she pushed him until he lay on his back.

         Autolycus was scared. He realized he had finally pushed Xena over the
edge. What would she do to him? He only hoped she'd keep Gabrielle away from
him, because out of the two, he feared Gabrielle even more. He had messed with
her more in the past, and she had actually cut his sword. It had taken weeks to
heal, and he still had a small scar on it. He had tried to approach the Lewises
with his problem but had only succeeded in getting beaten by both of their
husbands. He figured Gabrielle had never told Xena or Xena would have probably
came and cut his manhood completely off. He did not make eye connection with
either woman but lay with the tip of Xena's sword at his throat, trying
desperately not to let his fear show.

         "You never learn, do you?" Gabrielle's green eyes slanted angrily down
at him from where she stood next to Xena. "It's not enough that you have to mess
with us, even when we teach you not to, but you have to bother every woman
aboard, even the children!"

         Xena's eyes flashed up at Gabrielle. "What do you know that I don't
know, Gabby, and why didn't you tell me?"

         "Because it wasn't really important," she answered. "I handled it, so
there wasn't anything left to be taken care of."

         "Who was it he bothered that you took care of?" Xena would not give up
on the matter. If she found out that Autolycus had laid a hand on Gabrielle,
there would be Hell to pay!

         Gabrielle thought back. "I think it was about six months ago when we
were in bed and you had to go take care of some kind of trouble." She shook her
head. "We'd been busy all day, so I didn't really think about it too much until
I woke up later and found somebody else's hands around me."

         "You got in bed with Gabrielle?!" Xena ground out, her booted foot
striking Autolycus in the chest. She ground her heel down on him.

         "Huh . . . " He stumbled over the word. "Yes? I almost got away with it,
too. She thought I was you."

         Xena looked back at Gabrielle. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.
"He'd have been off the ship by now if he was even alive!"

         "That's precisely why I didn't tell you. I knew he wasn't you as soon as
I woke up. I just let him think I thought he was until I was able to grab one of
my sais without him seeing me. I rolled over and stabbed him. He's probably
still got the scar." She paused, her eyes moving back to Xena's before speaking
again, her tone softer. "Xena, that was six months ago. It doesn't matter now.
We need to deal with the present, not the past."

         Xena was so angry that Autolycus would later swear that actual steam
rose off of her. "No punishment is good enough for you, Autolycus. I can't kill
you although, at the present, I would love to. When we get to Tortuga, you're
leaving. You can't keep your hands off of women. You're a constant danger to
every female aboard, but I can't kill you," she repeated, as much a reminder to
herself as anything else. "We've been around each other for far too long and
you're a member of my crew. Don't think I have a soft spot in my heart for you;
I don't."

         "Until we reach Tortuga, you will not speak to any women. If I hear you
or find out about it, I will cut your tongue out. You do not have a job any
longer, so I'm going to give you one. You will spend from morning to night, on
your knees, cleaning the deck with the smallest brush that I can find. I'll
think of something else stronger in the meantime to do to you, but right now
that's your punishment. You are not to lift your head to talk or even so much as
look at any female aboard the ship. What did you do with those women you brought
aboard? I haven't seen them since you brought them on."

         "I hid them." He would not look at her eyes for he knew and dreaded the
hatred and fury he'd see there.

         "What do you mean you hid them?"

         "They're safe. They're my treasures."

         "Speaking of which," Xena questioned, "what happened to all the booty we
got today? It disappeared as soon as we got back aboard, too! Two of those gold
sacks belong to Captain Jack; you'll return those immediately. I want the rest
in front of me within fifteen minutes. Don't make me come looking for you." Xena
then looked back at Gabrielle. "You want to add anything to this?"

         "No," the blonde started to respond with a shake of her head, "although,
you know, as much as I hate the thought of such, if this doesn't straighten him
out, he may need a whipping." She knew that that would scare Autolycus even
more.

         "He's getting that any way. He's not gone yet." She moved back to allow
him to rise. "Take your shirt off, Autolycus. If you don't, I'm going to cut it
off of you." She reached to her side for her whip and struck him three lashes.
Only she and Gabrielle knew that she tried not to cut his skin too badly,
because she wanted to scare him, not kill him. "Now get," she commanded. "Do
what I told you to do, and bring those women with you." Without a backward
glance, he ran.



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

         Lorne watched Crys in concern. She still had not eaten anything, and
neither had he. He was waiting on her. He didn't know where Angel had gotten off
to, but the field was wide open. "Crys, I'm holding you an appetizer. I know
you're busy, but you need to eat." He walked over, carrying the treat in his
hand. He tore off a piece and held it out to her.

         She looked at Lorne in surprise. Did he expect her to eat from his
fingers?

         Donkey had fallen silent for the most gorgeous being he had ever seen
had suddenly appeared, floating in the room above their heads. He looked around
and realized that Crys' three animals also saw the being but that none of the
two-leggers could see Her. He looked back up at Her. She pressed one finger to
Her lips even as She tossed a little more pink dust at the two that stood
directly beneath Her.

         A slow smile spread over Crys' face as she again forgot the danger that
she had placed Lorne in. She stepped closer to him, her hand reaching up to cup
his wrist. She did not move her fingers to take the food from him, however, but
leaned forward, never realizing the view that the squared dip in her dress
afforded him. She gently lowered her mouth around the bite and just the
beginnings of his fingers. Her tongue licked his fingertips.

         Fire shot through Lorne. First, he had been able to see the luscious
peaks of her bosom and the sight of them had boiled his blood. Her tongue shot
him over the edge, however. He wanted her so badly that he could taste it, and
he trembled at her touch. He'd kill Angel if he'd put his hand on her! As much
as he cared about Angel, he'd simply kill him! He reached, got another piece of
the food, and offered it to Crys.

         He had not pulled away from her but seemed pleased by her touch. Still,
she did not remember the danger she was placing him in, and her mouth once more
gently took the food from his fingers. This time, she nibbled him as well as her
food but was careful to keep her touch extremely gentle.

         Seeing them in such a position was too much for Donkey! "Hey! Did you
forget about me?" he called. "You two can make out with the love later! Will
might be in trouble! I need to be with him! Pleeease!" he pleaded.

         She sighed even as her lips drew slowly off of Lorne's green fingers. He
watched her as she walked toward the door, missing her touch already. {Hey, wait
a minute, boy! She's all over your green skin! Don't know what happened earlier,
but she wants you!}

         It seemed that he had a little Devil on one shoulder and a little Angel
on the other. {You better make a move on her, buddy!} the Devil warned. {You
know Angel's looking at her!}

         {Now you know Angel's not looking at her in that way,} the Angel argued.

         Lorne thought he was imagining things, but he could hear both of them as
plain as day. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he called, "Crys, I'm
coming." He trotted along behind her to the door, not wanting her out of his
sight.

         "I'm not going far," Crys assured him but was glad that he was coming
with her nonetheless. Even the short time she had already been away from him had
made her body ache. She stood just inside the doorway and rose her hands. Ice
shot from them, swiftly forming a bridge from one ship to the other. "There you
go," she told Donkey without another thought.

         "Thank ya! Thank ya! Thank ya!" Donkey called back excitedly to her as
he began to run over the icy bridge. He could hardly wait to get to Will's side.
He just knew Will needed him! When he was half-way across the bridge, Donkey's
hooves shot out from underneath him, causing him to skid uncontrollably the rest
of the way. "HELP!!!!!" he screamed out.

         Wolverine, who was working really hard with a stubborn cot that refused
to cooperate, heard the frantic donkey hollering and raced to his side. He
helped him get to his hooves. "Are you okay, Donkey?"

         "I am now! Thanks! That woman wanted to help, but she just couldn't pull
herself away from the Demon long enough! Who would've ever thought any beautiful
blonde would be licking green?!" He shook his head in disgust.

         Wolverine thought. The Demon had to be Lorne. There was more than one
gorgeous blonde on the ship but only one who could make ice. "You mean Crys an'
Lorne?" he asked Donkey.

         "Yeah, man, you wouldn't believe it! And you know what else?" Donkey
babbled. "There was the most beautiful woman in there that I've ever seen, but I
don't think She was just a woman! She was surrounded with this pink light that
was just oozing love everywhere, and She threw this pink dust at them! That's
when they went all over each other!"

         Wolverine looked down at him. "Donkey, you're either on something or
you're crazy. There ain't no women runnin' around here in pink. An' what kind o'
dust? Pink? Geez!" He shook his head in vivid disbelief. "You get into any more
trouble, holler."

         Donkey looked at him, his mouth open, but he shook his head and shut his
mouth, knowing it would do him no good to try to explain the being he and the
other animals had seen. His thoughts returned to Will instead, and he began to
jump up and down. "Gotta find Will! Gotta find Will! Gotta find Will!"

         "He's in Jack's cabin."

         Donkey gasped, his eyes shooting wide. "He's not!"

         "What's wrong with that?" Wolverine queried.

         "Well, if you don't know, I'm certainly not going to be the braying
donkey who tells you!" he exclaimed, shaking his mane.

         "I've been hearing sounds come out of there for a while, but since
neither one of them called for help, I didn't bother them. Clark put a brand new
door up today. That boy's the fastest thing I've ever seen; he had it up there
in ten seconds." Donkey was staring at him as if he had two heads. "What?"

         "They're in there together," he questioned, his eyes growing wider with
each word, "and sounds are coming out?!"

         "Calm down, Donkey. I'll open the door for you," Wolverine told him.



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

         As Crys turned back toward Lorne, she was confronted with a growl from
Cindy. "Why, yes, Cindy, I do know what I'm doing," she assured the lioness with
a smile.

         Elvira yipped urgently at that, and her gaze moved to the wolf. "I know,
but what you two have to stop and think about is that Blue already endangered
Angel and I already endangered Lorne. What's done is done, so why shouldn't we
enjoy each other to the fullest?" she asked carelessly, her ice blue eyes
sparkling with an emotion that neither animal had ever witnessed before.

         Blue flew into her face, roaring loudly in protest. "Blue, really,
you're the one who started it," she reached up and gently scratched his cheek,
"and thank you for that, sweetheart."

         Cindy and Elvira growled a second time, and Blue took off, swerving
around Crystal and flying off for Angel as fast as his wings could carry him.
She watched him go, shrugged, and turned back to Lorne with a smile. "So where
were we?"

         Lorne was so lost in Crys that he had not taken notice of anything her
babies had said. For some strange reason, she wanted him, and he was ever so
thankful! "I think I was feeding you?" his words tumbled out over themselves.

         Her long legs quickly closed what little distance remained between them.
She raised a hand and caressed his chest through his shirt. "So what are you
waiting for, handsome?" she purred to him as her inviting body leaned closer
against his. She took his lips with her own before he could react with even so
much as one word.



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

         Wolverine was about to open the door to Jack's cabin when he heard Will
again. The boy's desperately pleading voice shocked him as he cried out, "Oh
Gods, help! Get me out of here!"

         "Will?" Wolverine called as he walked inside the cabin door.

         Donkey trotted after Wolverine, but his confused gaze found an empty
cabin. "Thank Gods!" Will's voice answered from underneath the bed. "Get me out
of here!"

         "What are you doing under there?" Wolverine asked, confusion in his
voice. Jack did not seem to be in the cabin yet Will was trapped under the bed?

         "Jack has me!"

         "And you want to get out of that?" Donkey put in disbelievingly.

         "Hell yes!" Will cried in exasperation.

         Wolverine ducked down and looked under the bed. "I see what you mean,
son. I don't know how we're going to get you out from under that. He's gotta let
go."

         Donkey stuck his head under the bed from the other side. "Oh, that's not
a problem," he said with a grin.

         "Yes, it's a problem, Donkey!" Will told him. "I can't -- I can't
you-know!"

         "Why not?" Donkey asked.

         "I'll tell you later! Just get me out of here now!" Will commanded
through gritted teeth.

         Donkey shook his head. "Gee. You finally get what you've been wanting
for so long, and now you suddenly don't want it!? And I thought women were
fickle!"

         "DONKEY!"

         "Calm down a minute, but be ready to roll." Donkey stuck his mouth next
to Jack's ear. With a grin, he told Wolverine and Will, "Watch this; this'll get
him going." He smacked his lips right beside Jack's ear.

         The sound penetrated Jack's brain, releasing him from his deep sleep.
His arms waved outward, trying unsuccessfully to slap Donkey. "DAMN IT, DONKEY!
I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!" he bellowed through gritted teeth even as Will
rolled and ran.



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

         Prue slipped into the galley and made her way over to stand by Piper,
who was staring at something. Her eyes followed her sister's, and her mouth fell
open in shock. There were two people about to do it on the table! Why was Piper
just standing there, looking at them? Prue didn't say anything but turned and
fled back out the door.

         She'd have to talk to Piper later. She did not want to see anybody doing
the act. She hoped Piper would come to her senses and join her outside, but she
had seemed to be mesmerized by the pair. She knew Piper was a virgin and
wondered if she should return and get her but didn't have the courage to go in
there a second time.



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

         Wolverine looked at Donkey, then at the door where Will had ran through
as though the very Devil was behind him, and finally back at Jack. "Well, ya
done it now. Ya had him right where you wanted him, an' he got away from ya." He
shook his head.

         Jack tried rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Huh?" Nothing was making
any sense to him. "I had what, and why are both of you looking at me so weird?"

         "You wanna tell him," Donkey asked, looking over at Wolverine, "or do
you want me to tell him?"

         "You tell him, Donkey. He made an ass of himself."

         "Ya screwed up, boy!" Donkey exclaimed, looking down at Jack. "You could
have had him, and you let him go!"

         "What? Who?" Jack queried, refusing to believe what he was afraid they
were telling him.

         "Will!" Wolverine and Donkey answered simultaneously.

         "Uh-uh!" Jack denied, shaking his head. "I had him in my sleep, but you
woke me up."

         "You had him in real life, but you were asleep," Donkey corrected him.
"He was absolutely paranoid! He wanted you, but he couldn't take advantage of
you!" He had actually understood Will's dilemma a great deal more than he had
admitted to the boy.

         Jack rolled out from under the bed and sat up with the dumbest look he
had ever had on his face. "It wasn't a dream? I had Will? And he freaked out. It
figures," he said in a very sad voice. "Now he'll hate me for sure."

         "He doesn't hate you," Donkey tried to explain. "He wanted you," he
glanced downwards at Jack's aroused member, "as much as you wanted him. He had
one just as big, if not bigger."

         Jack blushed slightly but did not look downward. He knew he was naked.
In fact, it usually did not bother him. "Well, where is he now?"

         "My guess?" Donkey asked. "Straight for the water."

         "Mine too," Wolverine agreed. "In fact, I think I heard a splash."

         "What should I do?" Jack questioned, looking at both of them.

         "I can tell you something," Donkey told him, looking him straight in the
eyes, "but if you ever let him know that I told you, I'll kick you straight in
it every time I get around you, savvy?"

         "Yes. I won't tell him," Jack promised. "What is it?"

         "The boy likes men. Specifically, he's in love -- with you."

         "I know he likes men and that he's in love with some one on the ship,
but it's not me. When I find the bastard, he's going to walk the plank."

         "How are you going to make yourself walk the plank?" Donkey and
Wolverine asked in unison.

         "IT'S NOT ME!" Jack insisted. "Gods know I wish it was! If only it was!"
he added wistfully. "But now I've embarrassed him by putting my unworthy
attentions toward him."

         "You don't listen worth a horse's butt," Donkey told him. "The boy had a
hard one just as badly as you do. He wasn't embarrassed by you but by us having
to get him out of there." He cocked his head as he sat down, still looking
directly at Jack. "Think about it. Put yourself in his hooves for a minute. He's
the one naked; you're the one trying to wake him up. He gets you in his arms and
traps you underneath his body. What would you want to do?"

         "That's beside the point. I would never take advantage of him," Jack
said.

         "Exactly, son," Wolverine put in. "He didn't want to take advantage of
you. How do ya think he'd feel if you didn't feel for him an' you woke up an'
found him in your bed?"

         "But I do feel for him!" Jack protested. "I want him! I love him!"

         "We know that," Wolverine answered, "but he doesn't know that. Go to
him, an' make your intentions known. Let him tell you to go to Hell if he wants
to."

         "Which he doesn't," Donkey put in. "I've seen him cry before -- all
because he wanted you and thought he could never have you."

         Without a second glance backward, Jack got up and streaked for the
water. He didn't care who saw him naked. He dove over the side of the ship and
almost landed on Will.



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

         Angel had split from Brendan as they had gone off in separate directions
in search of Wolf. He thought that Brendan and Wolf were long past due a talk
with each other and that Wolf must surely be done in the crow's nest by now. He
was startled when Blue flew straight into his face, cooing madly. "Slow down,
Blue, and tell me again what you are saying. You're talking so fast that I can't
understand you!"

         Blue tried to slow down, but he was so scared by Crystal's behavior that
his words again raced out of his mouth. Angel was barely able to catch them this
time, and his eyes shot wide. "Crys and Lorne are doing what?!" he roared, his
voice rising an octave. He almost flew to the galley. He did not bother knocking
at the door but barged on in.

         There were not many people left in there, but Piper was still busy with
something at the oven, her back purposefully turned toward Lorne and Crys who
were very busy with each other. Crys was perched on the table before Lorne. The
skirts of her grieving gown were hiked up, and most of her long legs were
exposed. Her legs dangled to either side of Lorne, and her bare feet rubbed him
through his pants. Barely a breath of space still managed to separate them as
she licked tidbits of food from Lorne's fingers.

         Angel did a double-take, blinking his eyes and making sure that what he
was seeing was real. "Lorne!" he called out but Lorne paid no heed to him.
"Crys?" It was as though they were locked inside each other, neither paying
attention to any one around them.

         Elvira and Cindy had both came to instant attention the moment Angel had
flown into the galley, but only Elvira thought to tell him of the being they had
seen earlier. She yipped urgently to Angel, filling him in on the woman in pink
lace who had thrown pink dust at both Lorne and their beloved Crys.

         "Cindy, go into the hold and bring me the catwomen who are there." Cindy
hesitated. She had never taken orders from a male before; in fact, she had
little use for the detestable creatures. She glanced at Lorne and Crys one more
time as her mistress sighed in pleasure, wrapping her feet around Lorne's legs
and bringing him even closer. "Hurry, Cindy!" Angel urged her, and the lioness
took off, racing through the galley so swiftly that she nearly knocked him down.

         "Is this . . . normal?" Piper spoke up quietly from where she was trying
her best to finish the final apple pie and ignore the two making out at the
table.

         "No, it's not," Angel replied in a quiet voice. "It's some kind of a
spell. That's why I sent Cindy for the Sorceresses. They'll know what to do.
Meanwhile, I've got to break this up."

         He walked up to the entwining couple, reached out, and grasped Lorne's
arm. "Lorne, step away from the woman. This is not like you. Something's going
on. Until we get to the bottom of it, you need to move away from Crys."

         Lorne angrily shook Angel's arm off of him. "You can't have her, Angel;
she's mine! You can have every other woman on this ship, but you're not having
her!"

         Angel looked at him in confusion. "I don't want her, but I do want you
to step away from her. Until we know what's going on, you two can't be touching
each other. This is not like either of you."

         "Angel," Crys spoke up, turning to look at him with dazed eyes, "I know
why you're doing this, but it's not necessary. I already endangered him.
Everybody here is already in danger by both of our presences, so what does it
matter?" she asked with a shrug, her long legs swinging.

         He knew Crys would never say that if she were in her right mind. He
didn't know what was going on, but he knew that it was more than he could handle
by himself. He hoped it would not take the Sorceresses long to get there.
"Lorne, didn't you hear what Crys said?"

         "Isn't she beautiful?" Lorne sighed. He then glared at Angel as he added
angrily, "And you can't have her!"

         "I don't want her!" Angel repeated. "Come over here; I want to talk to
you."

         "No, I'm not leaving her," Lorne protested. "If I move, somebody else
will move in on her!"

         "Nobody is coming in here but us," Angel told him, "and I will drag you
away from there if I have to." He moved back over to Lorne, prepared to attack
him if he had to to drag him out of there, but Lorne seemed to be drugged.

         "Miss Piper, did you put anything in the food, like an aphrodisiac?"

         "I only put bourbon in the chicken," Piper answered, having turned to
finally face the situation, "but that's not even done yet!"

         "There's magic at work here," Angel announced, "but I don't know if it's
good or bad. I'm not really familiar with magic." It was then that he heard the
Sorceresses come in.

         Katrina asked, "Did you call for me, Angel? It was the strangest thing.
I was napping, and I woke up to an unfamiliar cat looking in my face and talking
about a lady in pink with dust. We must have a Fairy."

         "I don't know what's going on," Angel told her. "I just know we have to
stop it. We've got two about to rut!" He hated to say the word, but he couldn't
think of a cleaner word to use in front of the ladies. "I was just about to move
Lorne off of her, but do you think you can do something with Crys?"

         "I'll do my best," Katrina responded. "The first thing we have to do is
separate them and then get some cold water and douse both of them."

         Without a word, Piper, having heard Katrina, put down the spoon she was
holding, walked across the room, picked up the pan of water they had all been
using to wash their hands, and threw it at Lorne and Crystal.

         Lorne shook himself, surprised to find that he was between Crys' legs
and almost into her. "HOLY SHIT!" he exclaimed and backed up immediately. "OH MY
GODS! A THOUSAND PARDONS! I -- I would never have done this in public! What's
wrong with me?!"

         Crystal stared at Lorne in shock. "Oh. Gods! I didn't?!" Her panicked
eyes flew from one face to another, and she realized that she had come very
close indeed to practically getting Lorne killed. Her face was red with
embarrassment as she jumped down from the table and turned to flee.

         Lorne sat down with his face in his hands, too ashamed to look at
anybody.

         Angel caught Crys before she could run. "Sit down, Crys. Something's
going on, but I don't know what it is. I've got to figure out what's happening.
I don't want to have to bother Jack with it; he's got too much on his plate
already."

         "Angel, I've got to get out of here! None of us knows what's happening,
but my Gods, if it happens again, especially if that happens, it'll be his
death! I'm not going to try to leave the ship, but I can not stay in this room!"

         "You need to stay here, Crys, long enough so that we can figure out
what's going on but not anywhere near Lorne. Please sit over here by the
Lewises, and let them check you over."

         Katrina smiled at her. "There's magic afoot. I can feel it, but I don't
think it's bad magic. I am not familiar with any deities or beings that dress in
pink and put out pink dust."

         Lorne was listening to the conversation but not responding. He still
could not believe that, even as badly as he wanted Crys, he had almost taken her
on the table. After all, he was a virgin and really wasn't sure what he was
doing, but he did know that he wanted it to be in private when he did it and
that he would have loved for it to have been with Crys.

         Celina's blue eyes were focused on Crystal. She could feel her fear as
clearly as if it were her own and heard the thundering of her heart. She knew
that neither was merely because of the situation that had just taken place. For
some reason, the woman truly feared getting Lorne killed and believed that she
would do precisely that if she stayed with him. "We are not going to let any one
be killed here," she told Crys, her voice firm but reassuring, as her blue eyes
caught Crystal's and silently forced her gaze to stay with her own so that the
frightened woman could see the truth of her words, "and we will watch you and
not let you harm him."

         "I already have -- " Crys started to say but was interrupted by Piper.

         "Hold on," Piper suddenly put in. Looking at Katrina, she asked, "Did
you say a deity wearing pink and throwing dust around?"

         "That's what Cindy said when she woke me up. She described a beautiful,
blonde female in flowing, pink clothes sprinkling pink dust made of hearts. It
sounded strange, but I don't know any deities like that. We're not from Earth,
and it's definitely not a deity from our world."

         Piper sank into the chair next to Lorne, her mind throbbing even as it
whirled. "You can definitely say the strange part again," she told the catwoman
called Katrina. "Everything about today has been strange, but I think I have an
idea of who your Goddess could be."

         "Goddess?" Angel repeated doubtfully. "Why would a Goddess fool with us?
We're Pirates!"

         Piper nodded slowly, the slightest movement hurting her head. "Even
Pirates need love. Same as Witches," she added quietly. Her eyes had turned to
Lorne. She had began to find a friend in him already that day and was worried
about him. She reached out and gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder
as she concluded, "And everybody else." Looking back at Angel and the catwomen,
she told them, "I think you should try Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love."

         "How do we get her to appear to us?" Katrina asked.

         "That I don't know," Piper told her with a tiny shake of her head, "but
I'd be willing to bet that that's who it is. I don't have any real training, but
Greek mythology was the closest that my Mother would ever let me get to reading
the real books. Aphrodite was always flitting around, making people fall in
love, and it tended to work about as fast as those two did."

         "Gabrielle would know," Angel thought aloud. "I think she and Xena have
been to Greece. Blue, go and bring Gabrielle." When Blue looked at him, clearly
not understanding who he intended, he tried instead, "Go and bring Captain Xena
here." At that, the dragon took off.



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

         "Are you okay, Will?" Jack asked, finding himself in an awkward moment
and not knowing what to say. "I'm . . . sorry about earlier."

         "Earlier?" Will repeated innocently, not daring to turn to look at him.

         "Yes. When I trapped you under the bed. I'm afraid I was acting out my
dream." He still had not looked Will in the eye.

         "Jack, there's . . . " Will had to fight to keep his voice even.
"There's nothing to apologize about. You thought I was some one I wasn't; I
understand."

         Jack glanced at Will and noticed that Will had his back turned to him.
He swam around until he was directly in front of him. He then looked Will
straight in the eyes, saw his tears, and was ashamed of himself for putting them
there. "I'm sorry, Will; I didn't mean to make you cry. I was asleep and
dreaming . . . but you don't understand. I thought . . . you had came to my bed
willingly," Jack admitted in a softer voice.

         Will looked up at Jack in surprise. "But -- But you wouldn't want me in
your bed."

         "You'll never know how much I want you in my bed, Will. It pains me just
to look at you and know that we can never be together. I thought, at first, that
you loved Elizabeth and I was happy for you because you seemed to be happy. My
feelings didn't matter to me. I only wanted you to be happy, but then Elizabeth
told me that you broke up with her because of some one on the ship and . . .
Will . . . It hurts, because I know as much as I wish it was me, it isn't. . . .
I would kill him if I could get my hands on him, but I want you to be happy so I
won't hurt him unless he hurts you." His voice trailed off. He didn't know what
else to tell Will. He didn't know how to tell him what was in his heart.
Somehow, Jack had always known he would never have a chance with Will even in
the very beginning, and it hurt a lot to know that the guy he loved was on his
ship.

         Will had watched and listened to Jack in complete shock, but as Jack
stopped speaking and Will realized that he had indeed heard what he thought he
had, a slow smile began to grow over his face. He swam over to Jack, closing
what little distance remained between them, and raised trembling fingers to
touch his cheek. "Jack," he asked, his voice barely a breath for he was still
having trouble getting past the shock that his dream was coming true. "Jack, how
. . . How would you go against yourself?"

         Jack lifted disbelieving eyes to look back in Will's eyes. "That's the
same thing Wolverine asked me, but I didn't believe him. You can't be saying
what I think you're saying. I've been waiting too long to hear that, Will. I
don't think I'm awake yet."

         "But I am," Will persisted sincerely, "and whether you're awake or not,
whether you're real or some figment of my imagination, I'm done lying and
hiding. I -- " he paused to gaze even deeper into Jack's eyes. "I love you, Jack
Sparrow!"

         Jack's heart gave a mighty leap as though it would shoot straight out of
his chest. "Will?" he whispered. "I love you! I have loved you since the first
minute I saw you, but I did not know it. I just felt a very strong attraction to
you. I didn't know it when we fenced together. I don't think I realized it until
you saved my life at the cost of your own. Then I denied it to myself. I have
many treasures but none that I hold dearer than your friendship. I never dared
dream I could actually hold your heart." He finally ceased talking and pulled
Will to him, his lips seeking his.

         There was so much that Will had to tell Jack, but it could all wait for
now he only wanted to feel his beloved's lips on his own at long last. His mouth
parted instantly under Jack's as he kissed him with all the passion he'd been
saving for so long, that was meant for Jack alone, and that Elizabeth had never
felt even the first inkling of.

         Jack could hear music playing in his head as he deepened the kiss with
Will. He didn't know if it was real or only in his heart, but that didn't
matter. Will had been in love with him as much as he was with him, and they had
both been afraid of losing each other. All Jack wanted to do now was to take
Will back to his cabin and show him how much he loved him, but he was still
afraid. He had not the first ideal how to go about it. Would Will know? he
wondered. He listened and heard whispers coming from above. He reluctantly broke
off the kiss. "Will, we are being observed," he whispered into Will's ear.

         "Jack, I have loved you for so long! I started falling in love with you
the first time we fenced; I just didn't completely realize it until later while
we were out at sea together. I've had to keep it hidden for so long, but I'm
through hiding! I love you with everything that I am, and I'll shout it for the
whole world to hear if you'd let me!"

         "So would I scream it from the highest mountain, but I want to be alone
with you. I don't want the world crowding in. If only for a little while, I want
it to just be us, alone in my cabin. That's Wolverine and Donkey up there; they
seem to be congratulating each other, something about finally getting their boys
together."

         Before Will could answer, two ropes dropped down in front of them. They
looked questioningly up only to find Wolverine and Donkey grinning down at them.
"Well, get your butts up here then, boys," Wolverine called, "an' go to your
cabin!"

         "Yeah!" Donkey added. "We'll leave you alone now that you've got your
mess together!"

         Jack couldn't help but laugh, and his deep laughter thrilled Will's ears
and made his smile grow even more brilliant. It was good to have family who
cared and to have those who knew more than you did to help you get your mess
together. He beat Will climbing up the rope, then turned around to help him up.
"Thanks, guys," Jack said.

         Will nodded even as he added, "For everything."

         Jack took Will's hand and led him toward the cabin with Wolverine and
Donkey looking on and grinning from ear to ear. Jack couldn't wait to get Will's
wet clothes off of him. He didn't know where they would go from there but
trusted that their hearts would lead them.



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

         Faith sighed as she took one last dip into the water. She'd hoped that
the sea might get her betraying mind off of that annoying kid, but her thoughts
just kept going right back to him. She had retrieved a rock a few seconds before
and now tossed it up to the ship's deck as she started to make her way back up
the rope she'd left dangling down.

         Dawson lay in his new hiding place, watching and hoping to see Faith
naked once more. He thought he'd never seen any one as beautiful as his Faith,
and he only wished that he dared come out and stroke her silky, satiny skin. He
longed to do so but knew it would be a fatal mistake. Something came flying out
of nowhere and landed almost on top of him. He yelped before he could stop
himself. He lay on his back with his hand over his mouth, hardly daring to
breathe. Had she heard him? He certainly hoped not!

         Faith had barely leapt onto the deck when she heard a yelp. Her head
shot up at the sound. "Dawson?" His name left her lips before she could stop
herself. It couldn't be . . .

         He heard her call his name but did not answer. He was ever so extremely
relieved when Salem said, "Nope. Me! You almost hit me! Be careful where you
throw those things!" He came sauntering out of his own hiding place so that
Faith could see him.

         She shook her head, her dark eyes narrowed at the black cat. "That
wasn't your voice."

         Screwing his face up, Salem made a high-pitched yelp as close to Dawson
as he could. It came close but was not near enough to convince her. "You scared
me, girl!" he insisted. "That thing almost hit me!"

         She looked down at him but shook her head. "You're hiding something, or
maybe I should say some one." She stepped past him.

         "And you're full of it!" Salem snapped. "Why would I be hiding anything?
I was simply trying to take a nap, and you disturbed my rest!" He walked back
over to where the fallen rock lay and kicked it with his back foot, rolling it
to her. "That thing almost ended my days!"

         "You can look, but you aren't going to find anything because there isn't
anything here. I know you won't be satisfied until you do, so go right ahead."
He laid down and began to wash his paws, watching her. "You know you're about to
miss supper," he added nonchalantly with a flick of his tail.

         "I had an apple earlier after I killed some one who happened to be
slightly more annoying than you," she returned irritably. "In other words, I'll
live," she continued dryly, "but thanks for the concern." Turning her attention
back to where the rock had landed, she started to walk nearer when the ship
suddenly seemed to surge.

         She cursed as her feet were nearly knocked out from under her. "It never
ends," she muttered, snatching up her clothes. She loved battles, but they could
certainly be aggravating when they interrupted something. She dressed swiftly
while glancing around at the crates around them. "I guess you're right," she
told Salem.

         "I don't know what I was thinking," she added, her teary eyes looking
right at the shadows where Dawson was hiding but never seeing him. "He's
probably dead anyway."

         When the ship had surged, it had caused Dawson to roll across the floor.
His heart froze in his chest as Faith's eyes stared right at him; he was careful
not to move so that he did not give himself away. He was surprised to see tears
in her eyes. He would never have thought those tears were for him if he had not
seen them himself and heard her words. If some one else had told him about it,
as Salem had attempted to earlier, Dawson would have thought they had lied. He
wanted to go to her and comfort her but knew that if he even tried that, she'd
throw him overboard herself. He held himself completely still, praying that she
would not see him, and was extremely relieved when she didn't.

         Faith quickly buttoned her pants, then grabbed her sword. "Speaking of
which, it's time to go kill again so you might want to -- " Her voice abruptly
broke off as darkness suddenly engulfed them and the worst stink she'd ever
smelled hit her nose.

         Dawson's nose was assailed by the most Gods-awful stench he had ever
smelled. What was the awful thing putting out such a stench?! Did it intend to
eat them?! He prayed that it didn't. The only weapon he had was the dagger that
Brendan had given him earlier, and something that smelled so awful had to be way
bigger than anything the dagger could put down. He cringed against the floor,
trying to make himself smaller. His eyes peered in every direction he could look
in as he hoped to see what was causing the awful stench before it saw him.



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

         Wolf had made love to Elvira so many times that he had lost track of the
actual number. It wasn't that he was not getting off, because he had every time.
It was instead that his body burned so much for hers. After having been deprived
of sexual completion his entire life, he had finally found a woman who was more
than a match for him. He knew he really should be about his duties, but since no
one had actually called for him by name, there was no way that he was coming out
of the crow's nest.

         It was during one of their rest sessions where he was simply laying,
holding her, and reveling in the glow of their passion that the ship surged. He
released her reluctantly, rolled to his feet, and peered anxiously downward,
trying unsuccessfully to see what was going on. He could see nothing but felt
the hair on his arms stand straight up. He sniffed the air, and the worst scent
he had ever smelled hit his nose. The thought of Elvira was the only thing that
kept him from immediately succumbing to the smell. "I don't know what's going on
down there, Elvira. Maybe I should get dressed and go down, but I don't want to
leave you."

         Elvira had gotten to her feet, as well, and was about to answer Wolf
when some one joined them in the crow's nest. Her black eyes shot wide with
surprise as she looked at the other woman. "Delvira?"

         Wolf turned around just in time to see a woman join them in the crow's
nest. She was the spitting image of his Elvira, and he heard Elvira greet her by
name. "What?" he asked, confusion showing on his face. Now there were two of
them? He didn't think he could handle both of them. Elvira was needing his
utmost attention, and they were an equal match. He didn't want the other one,
but he didn't even get a chance to say anything before the newcomer reached out,
touched Elvira, and they both vanished instantly.

         He howled out his rage and frustration. Where had Elvira gone?! Where
had that bitch taken his woman?! He continued to howl even as he fought wolfing
out. Normally, he had no trouble controlling his wolf, but when he got really
angry, like he was now, it always threatened to come out. "BRING HER BACK!" he
screamed. Then he howled again. He was quickly losing control, and he knew it.

         Seconds later, the weird stench filled his nose even more. Wolf felt
himself losing it completely as he fell backward and over the side of the crow's
nest. What? was the last thought he had before he passed out from the stench. He
fell end over end until he fell on some one, knocking them out cold.



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

         Jack had been trying to get Will's boots off and was thrown forward onto
Will when the ship surged. He righted himself as he pulled the last boot off.
"What the Hell was that? Did we hit a rock?" he asked, running to his closet and
searching for pants. Not only were there no pants in his closet, but he could
not find a single article of clothing. "WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!" Jack bellowed.
"WHO'S BEEN IN HERE?! THEY'VE ROBBED ME BLIND!"

         Will squatted beside the chest that sat at the end of the bed. He was
just lifting its lid when an anguished howl met their ears. His head snapped up,
and his wild eyes turned questioningly toward Jack.

         "We're under attack!" Jack explained. "That's Wolf! I've got to have a
pair of pants; I'm not going out there naked! Wolverine can fight in the nude,
but I'm not! Is there anything in the chest?" he queried hopefully.

         Will looked down at the chest's contents, and his surprise registered in
his voice as he answered, "It looks like somebody emptied your entire closet in
here!"

         "Great! Throw me a pair of pants," Jack requested and Will did so. He
caught them and slipped them on quickly. Then grabbing a sword, he ran out on
deck. Will followed suit, the Governor's sword in his hand.

         It was the darkest Hellhole they had ever been in. They could see
nothing, but the stench filled the air. They heard something hit the deck and
turned toward the sound. Squinting as hard as they could, they could barely make
out two forms who they thought were Wolverine and Donkey topple over each other
and fall out cold. Wolf's howl split the air again before falling abruptly
silent, and their blood ran cold.


To Be Continued . . .

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

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
running it.
Warnings: Abuse, Death, Lemon, Nudity, 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.

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

         "What's that?" Cole asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

         Tom's pupils narrowed as he looked up at Cole. "Why?" he whispered back.

         "The Captain's gotten into the rum," Cole said, "and all Hell's about to
break lose."

         An alien curse word slipped from Tom's lips, but then he shook his head.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later." His arms were around Katrina, and he
gave his wife a gentle squeeze before slipping out from under her.

         He had barely stood and was walking by the cot where Morph and Celina
slept when a hand suddenly grabbed his leg. He recognized the familiar touch
immediately and did not jump but instead looked down into Morph's open eyes.
"What . . . ?" his friend started to ask, but Tom hushed him with a single word.

         "Jack."

         "I told you it'd happen."

         "I knew you were right and that it would," Tom agreed, "but somebody had
to do something and I was the only one with the balls enough to do it."

         Morph grinned up at him even as he slipped away from Celina. "The
balls," he asked, "or the stupidity?"

         "Both," Tom answered, his grin matching Morph's.

         Cole had not known that the Captain had a drinking problem so badly that
he needed attention, but he made a mental note that he'd keep check on him. {The
rum should disappear. If we get to sea and there's no rum, Jack can't drink it.
He'll never know what happened to it!} He'd like to see who'd get the blame
then. Jack was too fine of a man and a great Captain to be so besotted with rum.
{Besides,} he thought, {Will's aboard now. He shouldn't need it. I'll take care
of it, and he'll never know it was me.} He followed behind the others as they
made their way slowly back to where Brendan had left Jack.



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

         Jack felt as though it would never stop coming. He knew it would last
forever if he had eaten in the last three days, but he had only sampled a bit of
food and had not been able to keep much of what he had eaten down because of the
cook. Joxer couldn't cook any better than he could fight. Jack vowed that he
would find a cook that could feed his men better.

         He pondered on what to do to the culprit. Which one of his men would
want to hurt him? He thought he had their loyalty. Had one of them been
harboring a grudge and only now decided to pay him back? He couldn't think of
any one. Maybe he was a fool because he trusted all of them? He felt as though
they were a family. Who was the traitor? Who didn't want to be part of the
family?

         He wondered why Brendan didn't tell him who the culprit was. Surely it
wasn't Brendan? He trusted Brendan with the very life he breathed! His heart
refused to accept the thought that Brendan might be the traitor, but who, his
brain argued, would know what drug to use that would not kill him but only make
him terribly sick besides a doctor?

         {No, I won't go there! Brendan and I have been too close and into too
much stuff together! He'd never do that just because I almost strangled him! It
was an accident! He wouldn't have done that!} Jack kept denying to himself. It
couldn't be Brendan, but the annoying thought kept coming back. Brendan had not
spoken one word about who the culprit was, and he seemed to be forever in coming
back.



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

         Faith jumped off of the auction block. She glanced at her shoulder as
she started to walk off toward the east. It hurt like Hell, but though she
ignored the pain, she knew she could not ignore the blood. Without a second
thought, she pulled off her shirt and wrapped the black leather around the
wound. The wind played across her hardened breasts, but she did not even bother
to glance down as a snowflake fell onto one of her nipples. Instead, she
continued to walk, picking her way over the dead bodies and debris that littered
the ground.

         Dawson ripped off his shirt and handed it to Faith. "Please put this on.
We don't need the guys falling out looking at you." He didn't say that he
couldn't stand for the guys to even be looking at her when she had her clothes
on but most especially now that she was half-naked. He wanted to stare at her.
His mouth ached desperately to taste the sweet nectar of her breasts again, but
he didn't dare to stick a hand out at them for fear that she'd slice it off and
hand it back to him.

         She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why should that bother you? You already
rode."

         He remembered Brendan's words: she never gave second rides. He'd hoped
he was wrong but could see that he hadn't been. "Please?" he asked, still
holding it out to her.

         She hesitated but finally subjected. "Well, I suppose it won't leave too
much skin open in a fight. All right, choir boy; I'll put it on." She reached
for his shirt.

         "My name's Dawson, Faith. It wouldn't kill you to call me that. I'm not
a choir boy. I didn't even go to church."

         Taking the shirt from him, she began to shrug into it. Pain shot through
her shoulder again, and she grimaced even as she looked away from him. She
continued ahead as she pulled his shirt the rest of the way on and began to
button it. "Whatever you say," she called back to him, an impish grin flickering
across her face at the reaction he knew he would have, "Lawson."

         He shook his head disappointedly but followed quickly behind her.



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

         Finally, Jack felt as though he could go back out of the privy safely.
He walked out only to see four men standing there, each with the same dreaded
expression etched on his face. Jack looked at each of them in turn as he paced
in front of them. Finally he stepped back away from them. "Well," he asked,
looking at Brendan, "I hate to think it, but you're the only one here with the
knowledge of which herb to use. How could you?"

         Surprise flickered in Brendan's eyes. How could Jack think it was him?
He felt as if his heart had been cut out at the mere thought that his dearest
friend would think he could ever betray him. He started to glance toward Tom but
stopped himself, realizing the chance he had been given. Despite the pain in his
heart, he would not simply abandon Tom when he had been granted the opportunity
to protect him that he had secretly prayed for.

         Brendan squared his shoulders but did not look Jack in the eye as he
stepped forward. "Some one had to do something, Jack," he spoke quietly. "Your
drinking's gotten out of control. It almost killed you in the last storm we went
through," his eyes finally lifted, meeting those of his dearest friend, a man
whose friendship he'd never deserved, "and you don't even remember it. What kind
of a friend would I be if I let you continue to drink yourself to such a
manner?"

         No, it couldn't be! Jack's heart cried out. Even though he knew Brendan
would take the weight of the world on himself, he just couldn't believe that
Brendan would do it to him. He began to pace again, stopping in front of Cole
who had stepped out and in front of him. "No, Captain Jack. I did it! Brendan's
right! Somebody had to stop you from doing yourself in, but Brendan didn't do
it. I did it!"

         Jack wondered why suddenly every one was trying to protect somebody
else. Every instinct told him that it had to be one of these four. After all,
they were all present and accounted for, and they were all eagerly accepting the
blame. Who was guilty? He looked at Morph as he said, "And supposedly you did it
too?"

         "Not too," Morph said with the most solemn expression Jack had ever seen
on his face. He took one step forward to place himself in front of Tom and then
another, walking between Jack and Brendan and Cole. "They're protecting me."

         He smiled a bitter smile as he looked at the three of them. "I suppose
the question should be why you think you have the right," his voice increased in
volume as he talked, "to judge that I had too much to drink and think you could
control my drinking?!" He was almost shouting now. "I'LL DRINK JUST AS MUCH DAMN
RUM I WANT WHEN I WANT IT! WHO'S THE CAPTAIN HERE?! YOU?!" he asked as he turned
on Tom, who had already been moving forward.

         "No." Tom's voice was even, and his green eyes met Jack's calmly.
"You're the Captain, but Brendan's right. We've all seen it. Your drinking
almost got you killed. What kind of crew would we be if we let our Captain kill
himself? What kind of friends would we be if we didn't do whatever we could to
stop you? I couldn't let it go on," he admitted. "We all wanted to do something
about it, but I'm the one who did it. I put the cat's claw in your rum, Jack,
and by Bast, if I had it to do again and you were in the same manner, I'd do it
again! You mean too much to all of us for us to just watch you drink your life
away!"

         Tom was hardly ever serious except when it came to his feelings for
Katrina, and Jack had never seen him more solemn or heard him speak more
eloquently than he did now. His declaration took the wind out of Jack's sails.
He had not realized that the rum had gotten to him the way it had. He had
grasped it for a lifeline, because when he drank it, it helped him to keep his
memories at bay. It helped him to forget that he could not have what he wanted.
Maybe he had been foolhardy? He didn't even remember the last storm that they
were so concerned about. He just remembered waking up, chained in his bed, with
a dry mouth and a Hell of a headache.

         He looked around at the four men, knowing that he could not condemn any
of them, but it did not make it set any easier with him. He couldn't thank them
because he wasn't happy about it, but he didn't want to hurt any of them for he
cared about each of them deeply. He continued to silently pace up and down,
pondering what to do. Finally, he came to a decision. "Temporarily," he said,
"you, Tom, and Katrina will be reassigned to the Sea Witch. I can't live
expecting my rum to be poisoned at any moment. Therefore I will put you where
you'll be safe. I don't want to lose your friendship, but I can't condone what
you did. Report to Gabrielle."

         He turned his back toward them. "And, Brendan, I'm sorry for accusing
you. I didn't want to think it was you, but you're smarter than any one else on
this ship. I'm lucky you're my friend," he said, still looking out to sea.
"Forgive me?"

         Cole, Tom, and Morph had slipped out without a single word, leaving
Brendan to face the Captain alone. Brendan had watched them go but had not moved
one step from the place he stood. When Jack expected him to speak, he spoke but
only one word. "Always."

         "So what's next?" Jack asked. "I need more of the herb, or will it just
pass? It can't interfere with tonight. I've got to get him, Brendan!" Jack said,
turning to look at his friend.

         "More will help it to pass more quickly and assuredly. I know you have
to do what you must, my friend, but you can not wait until tonight. We have to
find a way for you to move more quickly. I've heard whispers about this storm,"
he explained, looking up at the snow that still continued to fall, covering all
of Port Royal in a thick, white blanket. "I'm not sure of all the details, but
something's coming with it and we must be out of here before it hits fully."

         Jack looked at his hand that still clutched the rum bottle and
straightened himself to his full height. He held the bottle out to Brendan. "Get
rid of it, and get me more of the herb. We've got to get this ship under sail."

         Surprise flickered in Brendan's eyes as Jack told him to get rid of the
rum. Had it actually done any good to talk to him? No, he realized as Jack
continued, it hadn't. He only wanted this bottle gone because of the herb. "Yes,
sir." He nodded and turned to walk away.

         Jack gave the order to prepare to sail.



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

         As various crew members scattered to prepare the ship for sailing, a
voice rang out above the din. Gabrielle stood above Jack's cabin as she called
out, "IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE SHIPS, COME HERE!"

         The newcomers within earshot looked up to see who was calling them. Upon
seeing a blonde that some knew but a few did not, they hastened to obey and
gathered in front of the Captain's cabin.

         Prue Halliwell made sure that all of her sisters were there, lining them
up in a neat row in front of the Captain's quarters. She figured the time that
they would be placed upon one of the two ships had come, and she prayed that
they would be kept together as she was now in her mother's role and absolutely
had to keep an eye on her younger sisters.

         Paige and Phoebe kept punching each other, trying to get next to Prue.
They ended up standing between Piper and Prue with Prue's disapproving eye cast
upon both of them. Piper shrugged as she looked at her older sister. "Kids," she
said, knowing that her comment would gripe both of her younger sisters. "What
can you do?"

         Prue nodded in agreement and looked around for Ororo even as she heard
Phoebe give Piper a raspberry. "Stop that and pay attention," she said as she
popped Phoebe on the arm.

         "But she said I was a kid!" Phoebe protested.

         "Well, then, stop acting like one!" Paige told her.

         "She said you were too!"

         "You're both kids," Prue said. "Now be quiet and listen! We might get
split up, especially if you two don't behave!" That thought had not occurred to
Phoebe or Paige, and both switched instantly to their best behavior.

         Knowing that their minds had gone to the thought that they had already
lost their mother and grandmother and did not want to lose their sisters, as
well, Piper stepped closer to them and silently wrapped her arms around their
shoulders in a reassuring embrace. They stood like that, with Prue's eyes on
Gabrielle, as they waited fearfully for the announcement.



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

         Fred hastened to get in the line. She didn't know which ship she'd be
assigned to, but she prayed it was the one with Wesley on it. She kept glancing
around for him but had not spied him yet. When she finally did, he was sweaty
and looked good enough to eat. She was surprised at herself for thinking that
and even more surprised when her tongue thirsted to lick the sweat off of him. A
light blush shaded her cheeks as she tore her attention away from him. She
squinched up her eyes and focused her attention instead on the woman she knew to
be Gabrielle.



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

         "I know we've got two others at least," Gabrielle told the gathered
group before her. "Where's Ororo, and have Elvira and Wolf made it back yet?"
Looking around, she finally spotted Ororo with Wolverine and called to them.
"Wolverine, you can come with your woman," she called to him, "but she's got to
be here!"

         Wolverine looked at Gabrielle, wondering just what the heck she thought
she was doing. He walked over to stand under her and looked questioningly up at
her. "What are ya doin' up there?" he asked.

         "What the Captain told me to," Gabrielle retorted. A delicious thrill
rushed through her at the realization that she was actually looking down upon
the man that had been chosen as Xena's second-in-command. He'd never had any
right to her position, but he'd ended up there any way. "Why?" she demanded
icily. "Got a problem with that?"

         "What did the Captain tell ya to do?"

         "Sit down, hush, and you'll find out soon enough."

         "Don't talk to me like that, little girl!" he called up to her. "I'm
here now. I can do whatever job the Captain needs doing."

         "Like Hades you can! Jack told me to handle it, and if you don't chill
your heels until the rest of the group gets here, I'll be more than happy to
tell him that you're interfering with the following of his orders!" Her green
eyes flashed down at him.

         He looked angrily back up at her and then looked around for Jack.
"CAPTAIN," he yelled in protest, "GABRIELLE'S TRYING TO DO MY JOB!"

         Jack looked at him. "No, she's trying to do the job I told her to do.
You got a problem with that, Wolverine?"

         Wolverine mumbled something under his breath that Jack couldn't hear but
did not make a comment out loud. "I didn't think so," Jack said and returned to
looking in cabinets in search of his rum. Where had it all suddenly gone to? He
knew he had more. He didn't pay any more attention to the group.

         Gabrielle grinned down at Wolverine as though she were a cat and he but
a mouse. "Anything else to say?" she asked him.

         "Not at this time," Wolverine responded. He settled back to watch
Gabrielle make an ass of herself.

         It was at that time that a masculine voice quietly spoke up from behind
Prue. "Excuse me, madam, but I need to have a brief talk with Gabrielle."

         At the sound of such a masculine voice, Prue wanted to turn around and
look. It just melted her right to her bones, and she wanted to see what he
looked like. She tried glancing to the side, but he was standing directly behind
her and she couldn't see him. She moved slightly to where he could come up to
Gabrielle and was rewarded with a sight that made her mouth water.

         What a hunk! He was taller than she and had a muscular build. His hair
was dark brown and hung slightly past his shoulders. His hands were large but
looked like they could caress gently, and she longed to reach out and touch him,
to taste him. She could tell her hormones were wild and raging for they usually
didn't react around any guy like they were to this stranger. He was different.
She didn't know what it was about him, but she planned to corner him later and
find out. She stepped back into her place in the line only to bump into some one
who was following close behind the man. As she moved to let her pass, the man's
delightful scent wafted back to tease her nostrils.

         Cordelia's hazel eyes watched as Prue moved again, but she shook her
head. "That's all right," she told her. "I'm new too. I simply had not heard the
message when Brendan told me on his way here."

         "That's okay," Prue answered. "Sorry for almost stepping on you. Who is
he?" she whispered.

         "He's quite a gentleman," Cordelia admitted in a returned whisper though
she was careful not to add that he was not the best gentleman there by far. Even
then, part of her mind stayed on Angel, and her lips still burned from the
memory of their kiss. "His name's Brendan. Richards, I think. He's the ship's
doctor."

         "Oh!" Prue breathed, lost in a daydream of where she needed the doctor's
care immediately. After all, just the mere sight of him had put her into the
greatest danger of burning completely up! "Oh Gods, what a man!" she breathed
only to receive a strange look from all three of her sisters.

         "Prue!" Piper chided in a hushed whisper. "Phoebe and Paige do not need
to hear such!" Although she scolded her sister, Prue's comment reminded her of
Cole, and she wondered where that magnificent man had gotten to.

         Prue just smiled at her sisters and waited to hear what Gabrielle was
going to tell them.



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

         Meanwhile, Brendan had reached the front of the group. "Gabrielle," he
called, "I know you haven't met them, but there are four others you need to be
aware of. One's the Pr -- the lady at the back of the group; her name's
Cordelia. Then there's Elizabeth, a new boy by the name of Dawson, and a new
blonde woman with a group of animals." Gabrielle nodded slowly, taking the
information in. "And don't forget Will," Brendan added. "None of those can make
it here, but you can still figure out where they're going."

         Gabrielle nodded again. "Thank you, Brendan." With a curt nod, he
continued on his way, leaving her to return her attention to the group. "Okay.
Evidently Wolf and Elvira haven't made it back yet, so we'll get started without
them." She turned her attention first to Prue and the three who stood with her.
"You're all sisters, right?"

         "Yes, ma'am, we are," Prue said with hope shining in her eyes, "and we'd
like to stay together if possible, please?"

         "Of course." Gabrielle would not have even thought of splitting up what
remained of their family for she knew they would need each other desperately.
"You four will go on the Sea Witch. That's the other ship, by the way. You're on
the Black Pearl right now."

         "Thank you," she said. "I hope we won't disappoint you." She hugged her
sisters to her.

         Gabrielle nodded. "I'm sure you'll be just fine. The important thing is
that you made it out of there alive." She smiled at them before returning her
attention to the rest of the group.

         "Will and Elizabeth will stay on the Pearl. Elvira can go there too, and
. . ." Her eyes fell upon Ororo, and she heard a low growl even as she said,
"Ororo."

         Wolverine was biding his time, waiting to see where Gabrielle was going
to put 'Ro. If she tried splitting them up, he was going to give her Hell about
it! He had to admit, though, that the girl was handling the situation really
well. As Gabrielle stopped talking, giving the group time to let that bit of
information sink in, what she had said finally hit Logan. "Ain't no way!" he
yelled back up at her. "She goes on my ship!"

         "Very well then, Wolverine," Gabrielle told him calmly. "You can go to
the Pearl, too."

         "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" he yelled. "I'M THE QUARTERMASTER! The Captain
didn't tell you to reassign the crewmates! He said the newcomers!"

         "That he did," Gabrielle admitted with a nod, "and I say Ororo goes to
the Pearl."

         "I say she goes to the Witch!" he said with a leap and bound, jumping up
onto the cabin with her and never realizing that Ororo had reached out a hand in
a failed attempt to calm him.

         As he moved toward her, Gabrielle slipped her sais out should she be
forced to need them. She met him with a calm look. "We don't have to fight about
this, Wolverine. You want to go with her, you go to the Pearl."

         All the disturbance had caused Jack to look up from his fruitless search
for rum. "Y'all makin' enough noise to wake the dead!" he yelled. He had heard
what the confrontation was about. "Wolverine, get over here! Bring 'Ro with ya!
It's nothing to fight about! One ship's no better than the other ship! NOW!" He
stood alert with both hands on his hips. He didn't want to stomp over there and
kick his little butt, but he would if he had to. "Gabrielle's in charge of this
assignment, and you'll do what she tells you to do or, matey," he said, "you'll
walk the plank."

         No way did Logan want to walk the plank! He never even unsheathed his
claws. He just jumped back down and stomped back by 'Ro's side. "Xena won't like
this!" he growled back up at Gabrielle. "Soon as she returns, you'll catch it!
She won't want me gone!"

         "She never wanted you there in the first place! Jack's the one who
assigned the positions!"

         "You're wrong, Gabrielle. Xena handpicked me out of all the rest. She's
going to be p.o.ed when she gets back."

         "If you think I believe she'd pick your short butt over me when I'm the
love of her life, you'd better think again!"

         Jack looked over at Gabrielle. "Unfortunately, Gabrielle, that's exactly
what she did do. I never assigned the positions on your ship. I simply gave it
to Xena and made her the Captain, and I've never tried to interfere until now.
Maybe I should have done it a long time ago, but you'll have to take it up with
her."

         As Jack's voice sank in, Gabrielle's heart sank far below the dreaded
locker of Davy Jones. Her skin paled. Her hands, which still clutched her sais,
trembled, and tears welled in her green eyes. "You're kidding, right, Jack?" she
asked, her voice barely audible.

         "I'm sorry, Gabrielle, but I'm not. She gave me her reasons, but I'm not
at liberty to tell them. Like I said, you've got to talk to her about it. I
thought she was wrong. I told her that, but like I told you, I don't make it a
policy to interfere with another Captain's decisions." He didn't know what else
to say. He felt for the girl. To lighten the mood, he asked, "Has any one seen
my rum? It seems to have grown little feet and run away." He laughed.

         Laughter answered Jack's joke, and it burned Gabrielle's ears. She could
feel eyes upon her, and her heart felt as if it had broken into a million
pieces. Xena hadn't wanted her as her second-in-command? Why? Why if she'd truly
loved her, if she did love her? She could feel the tears coming and knew she was
moments from breaking down, but she had to finish her task. She had to show the
others that she was capable of handling situations, even if Xena, blast her
hide, didn't think so.

         Tears still shimmered in her eyes as she turned back to the group before
her. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of who she had already placed: the
Halliwells, Ororo, Will, Elizabeth, Elvira. "Fred, you're to the Witch.
Cordelia, Pearl. That new blonde can go to the Pearl, too, whatever her name is,
and the kid's to the Witch." Her words came out in a rush so fast that they were
barely able to be made out, and then in a flash, she turned and ran. Gabrielle
was gone before any one even knew what had happened.



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

         Jack watched her go. He knew there'd be Hell to pay, and he had no way
of telling Xena what she'd be walking into when she returned. He looked down at
Logan and the others. "Welcome to your new homes. I will get an escort for those
of you going to the Witch. Do not think less of Gabrielle; I'd be emotional were
I in her boots, as well."        He looked around and was just in time to see
Cole shimmer in. "Cole, escort these lovely ladies to your ship and then return.
I want you to go and see what's keeping Xena so long, and I have a message for
you to give her."

         Cole, who had thought he had just been caught after having returned from
disposing of all of Jack's rum, smiled at the Captain. "Sure thing. If you
ladies would come this way," he called to them and walked off, heading toward
the Witch.

         Wolverine looked at Jack; Jack looked at Wolverine. "Knew it had to come
out sooner or later. I just wish it had come out in a better way." Jack then
turned his attention to the regal lady who stood beside Wolverine. "Welcome
aboard, Ororo. It seems that today we have lost our resident Sorceresses to the
Witch and have a position for you as our chief Sorceress if you're willing to
take it." He smiled at her.

         Wolverine was extremely surprised at this turn of events. "What about
the Lewises?" he asked.

         "We had a bit of a misunderstanding," Jack said, making a motion with
his hand. "It's better for all of them to be over there." He would not tell any
one of Tom's treachery.

         Wolverine knew better than to ask any questions. They both looked at
Ororo to see what her answer would be.

         "I do wish to stay with the ships as long as the Halliwells are here,
but I also do not wish to step on any one's toes," she answered hesitantly.

         "So does that mean you'll take the job?" Jack asked hopefully. "There's
no way they're coming back, so the position is definitely open."

         "Very well then," Ororo accepted with a brief nod and a gentle smile.
"It would be an honor."

         "It will be an honor to have you serving with us, madam," Jack replied
with a slight bow. "Wolverine, if you'll show her to the quarters, you can pick
out your beds. If there's luggage or anything scattered about the bed, you can
pretty well tell that it belongs to somebody. A lot of our crew are messy."

         Ororo's face had paled slightly. This was not the first ship she had
been on, and she remembered the sleeping quarters of the one that had taken her
from Africa. "Hum," she spoke hesitantly. "These quarters, Captain. Are they . .
. hum . . . beneath the deck?" She fought to keep a straight face.

         "Just one floor down. Right under where we're standing now. Is there a
problem?" he asked with concern on his face.

         She thought quickly, not wanting to reveal her true problem. "Well, if
it is not too much of a hindrance, I believe I would prefer to sleep on deck. I
am a Weather Witch, and as such, I prefer to sleep as close to nature as
possible." It was not a lie for she did prefer to sleep as close to nature as
possible and was indeed a Weather Witch. It simply was nowhere near the truth of
her real problem.

         "That's no problem," Jack assured her. "Have Wolverine bring you up a
cot. Find you an area out of the way of the crew, and you can set up your own
little place."

         Ororo breathed a silent sigh of relief, but her lips quivered even as
she smiled at Jack. "Thank you, sir."

         Wolverine simply told Jack, "Thank you." Neither of them mentioned
Gabrielle.

         "If you need anything, just let me know." He slipped away from them and
continued his search for his elusive rum. He had not been gone from them long
when he heard Cole returning. "Cole, you need to shimmer to where Xena is and
find out what's taking them so long, and you need to tell Xena that Gabrielle
knows that she picked out Wolverine for her second-in-command. Tell her
Gabrielle took it as hard as she thought she would. Can't have her walking in
here blind."

         Cole kept his mouth shut. He figured this day would come, and it wasn't
going to be a happy time for any concerned. He knew why Xena had appointed
Wolverine and not Gabrielle, but knowing Gabrielle, he knew she would never sit
still for it. He only hoped Gabrielle would forgive Xena. He cared deeply for
both of them, and he did not want to lose them or them lose each other. "Aye
aye, Captain; I will," he answered and shimmered out before Jack could ask him
about the rum.



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

         Logan looked at 'Ro. "I know the perfect place, little darlin'. Come
with me, an' I'll show ya." He led the way to a small alcove that was near the
wheel. It was protected from the weather and just big enough for two cots. "It's
small but should be good for both of us. Do ya like it?"

         Not yet trusting her voice after the spook that the Captain had
unintentionally given her, Ororo nodded. Although it had shelter to keep the
rain off, it was open on the side and she knew it would be just fine. She did
not speak nor even look at Logan.

         "Then I'll just go get the cots," he said. He headed off to get them,
noticing that she was following behind him at a distance. He didn't force her to
come any faster or to even enter the sleeping quarters. He just gathered two of
the cots and headed back. He didn't know why she was spooked, but he knew she
was. As he came back to the door, he noticed 'Ro standing there, looking into
the sleeping quarters as though she was staring into the gaping mouth of Hell.
"What's wrong, little darlin'?" he asked, deep concern in his face.

         "I . . . I do not get along well with small, enclosed areas," she
admitted slowly, biting back a shudder at the memories that were flashing
through her mind. Her hands trembled slightly even as her fingers curled as if
to scratch at something.

         He walked through the entranceway, carrying both cots, and headed back
to their new little hidey-hole. "That's no problem, 'Ro. If you get scared, just
let me know, an' I'll try my best to do something about it. In the meanwhile,
yer open to the elements." Setting the cots down, he turned to lift her chin and
gaze into her eyes where he could see a haunted fear. He ached to protect her
and, before he had time to think about what he was doing, had pressed his lips
gently to hers.

         She had not heard him and had almost become completely lost in her
memories when she found his lips pressed against hers. Tingles shot through her
at his touch, coiling and spreading through her body like golden rays of the
morning sun chasing away the darkness of night. She slowly raised a hand up and
gently cupped his face but did not pull back from his kiss. She knew they should
not be doing this so soon after meeting for the first time that day, but she was
already drawn to him more than she'd ever been to any man before. Instead of
pulling away as she knew she should, she found herself deepening the kiss that
he had began.

         He felt himself melt into her, and he lost all track of time. She was
his only world, and he wanted no other but her.


Chapter Eighteen
         Cole shimmered in just as the group at the auction had walked off. He
reached up and plucked Carl off of the tent. "Hell of a mess here, isn't it? How
did you manage to survive?" he asked Carl.

         "Luck?" Carl returned with a grin. "But thanks, man! I swear, I think
you must be the only one of this bunch who gives a damn about Gnomes! None of
the rest of them would even look at me when I was asking to be let down!" He
then let out a low whistle. "But, man, did I have a view of it when Faith ripped
off her shirt!"

         "I wouldn't advise you touching them, my friend. I know several men who
she's cut the hands off of for just attempting. Suppose we walk around and see
what we can find? I need to find Xena first."

         Carl nodded. "She went that way," he said, pointing in the direction he
had watched Autolycus and Xena go off in, "and don't worry. I'm a Gnome, not an
idiot. Believe me, I want to keep both of my hands. That kid's sure gonna be in
trouble, though."

         "That kid's already in trouble," Cole said, knowing who Carl was talking
about. "He's always been in trouble. Faith is just a new kind of trouble. We
better keep an eye on him."

         Carl nodded. "Yup. I didn't think it was only my sniffer telling me that
he draws trouble like dogs draw fleas."

         "Afraid so, my friend," Cole replied. "We've got a lot of people like
that. We just have to keep our eyes open so that we can help them if they need
us." He could see Xena just ahead of them, and he yelled at her. "XENA, HOLD UP!
WE GOTTA TALK!"

         Xena turned around and watched as Cole caught up with her. She looked
down at Carl. "Go catch up with Autolycus and help him."

         Carl wanted to ask if he had to, but for some reason, he had a strong
feeling that he did not want to be anywhere near Xena when Cole told her
whatever news he had returned with. Instead, he rushed after Autolycus.

         When Carl was gone, Cole looked intently into Xena's eyes and spoke in a
still, quiet voice. "She knows. She took it pretty damn hard. She ran off,
probably to your cabin. I told you, Xena! You should have told her a long time
ago, but no, you had to protect her! Well, the crap just hit the fan! You want
me to take you to her?"

         "Not till we get through here," Xena said. The news had stung her. "Who
was the bloody bastard that told her?"

         "It was not intentional," Cole said, "but Jack delegated her the job of
putting the new people on the ship. Wolverine and she got into it. One thing led
to another, and the truth came out as truth always does."

         Not knowing where else to look, Xena looked down at her feet. "She'll
hate me now. I did it out of love, but she'll hate me for it. Gods, Cole, I was
so scared of losing her! I did my best to protect her! Only she won't see it
that way. That's why I never told her. We've got to get through here and get
back to the ship. I won't leave before we're finished. Gabrielle won't run away,
not until we have a fight, and then I pray she won't leave me. Even if she hates
me, it's better than not having her around."

         Cole reached out a hand and gripped his Captain's shoulder. "It'll take
a while, Xena, but I think things'll come right. Have patience, and have it out
with her once and for all. Let her know how you truly feel. Show her the part of
you that you keep hidden even from her. If you need a shoulder, I'll be there
for you."

         Xena's hand reached out and gripped Cole's shoulder. She returned the
gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Cole. Let's get this over with." Together they turned
back around and headed out for some of the tents to check for survivors.



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

         There were dead bodies all around, and they thought they would never
find any one alive. They glanced over at Carl and Autolycus a few times,
noticing that they were busily covering the ground in search of survivors but
were also collecting anything of value. It was then that they heard a weak cry
for help, and Cole lifted the remaining parts of the tent. Trapped underneath
were three half-naked women, chained and cowering together in a tight, shivering
huddle. By some miracle, they were not burned.

         Xena reached out a hand and helped one to her feet. She was about to
reach for another when she felt a hand slide under hers and grasp the woman's,
pulling her upward. She glanced up to see that Autolycus had arrived to lend a
hand. Fire shot from her eyes as she warned him, "Do not even think of going
there."

         Autolycus had no intentions of moving on the women, but he only looked
at Xena, letting her think what she would. Xena reached down and helped the
other one up. There were no other bodies in the hole where the women had been
kept, and as soon as the group was out of the way, Cole let the tent drop back.

         Autolycus and Carl helped the women to get back to the designated area.
The women appeared to be so exhausted that they feared they'd fall out at any
moment. When they reached the spot, Autolycus said, "Sit here; rest." He looked
around to see if he could find any water for them to drink but did not see any.
The women had yet to speak a single word and only continued to stare at them
with big, wild eyes that shone with fear and tears. "Carl, you stay with the
women, and I'll get back to seeing what I can find."

         Carl nodded. "Won't let anything get to them." He sat down on the ground
beside them.



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

         Lex had been talking to Clark the entire time they had been walking. He
did not feel safe in pulling the shirt off and was relieved but not surprised
that Clark had not asked him to. They came to a tent that looked like it had
fallen but not burned, and Lex described to Clark what he was doing even as he
let go of Clark's hand and lifted the tent. "There's something under here,
Clark."

         Lex had barely managed to raise the tent when they were attacked.
Something little barreled right into Clark's chest. The surprise of the impact
knocked him to the ground. "Lex?" Clark called out in a worried voice as tiny
fists futilely pounded his muscular chest. They stopped as soon as they had
stopped, however, and Clark knew that Lex had pulled his would-be attacker off.

         Lex's hands were indeed full of a furious little package. He wasn't sure
if it was a girl or a boy as he was too busy trying to keep it from biting him.
He finally threw the kid away from him and yelled, "DOWN! STOP IT!"

         Despite the impact of the fall, the kid had been about to launch another
attack when Lex yelled at him. The kid stopped for a moment and looked at him.
"I won't let you have her!"

         "Have who?" Clark asked, drawing the kid's attention back to him.

         "What happened to you, mister?" the kid asked, his voice revealing that
he was a boy.

         "An accident. I can't see."

         The boy's gaze traveled between the two men as he considered them for a
long moment before asking cautiously, "You're not with them, are you?"

         "No," Clark said. "We're here to save you."

         The kid reached out and touched him. "You already did save my sister."

         "How?" Lex asked.

         "They were taking her. They wanted her badly. I was fighting them, but
they were grown-ups. We're just kids. That didn't stop them. They had thrown her
on the ground and were about to take her when fire came out of nowhere and
burned them all up. Thank the Gods for the fire! I think she's okay."

         He reached around under a rug and pulled out a child smaller than he
was. An ache filled Lex's heart to see the small child. He could not believe
that some one was trying to mount her! Why, she was nothing but a baby! "We're
not going to hurt your sister, son," he reassured the boy. "We're going to take
you somewhere safe."

         "There's more of us, mister." Both Lex's and Clark's hearts almost
stopped beating in shock as the boy added, "They're in a cage over there." They
could not imagine who would cage children, let alone rape them.

         Lex braced himself and looked. He had expected to see children, but his
eyes found a cage brimming over with cats instead. There were so many cats in
the cage that he could not see how they could even move. "Clark, there is a cage
over running with cats."

         Clark was relieved that it was not children, but his sorrow for the
prisoners and anger at those who had imprisoned them did not lessen. "Well, Lex,
you know we have to take them with us."

         "What are we going to do with all those cats?" Lex mumbled.

         "We can't leave them here," Clark told him. "You know what's going to
happen."

         "Mister," the boy said, "I can be his eyes. He saved my sister. I don't
know how he made the fire, but I know it was him. I saw it coming from him."

         "That was the accident that happened to his eyes," Lex told the boy.

         "My name is Julian, mister."

         Although Clark could not see his love, he knew that Lex was choking on
the boy's name for it was the name of the brother he had lost before ever
getting to know him. He ached to be able to see him so that he might reach out
and reassure him but knew he could not.

         "My name is Lex," he told Julian when he had finally recovered enough to
speak, "and this is Clark."

         Clark reached out a hand to gently touch Julian. "We'll take care of
you, Julian," he promised. "You want to be my eyes?"

         "Yes, sir. I'll do my best. Sarah, come here," he said. "This is Clark
and Lex. They will take care of us."

         Clark didn't need his eyes to see that Sarah was terrified for she did
not say a word but only clung to him like a small monkey. "You be our eyes,
Julian, and I'll carry Sarah."

         Julian was happy to get such an important job. He glanced over to see
Lex struggling to pick up the cage, but even with his great strength, he could
not lift it. Lex fell back in surprise when a voice came from the cage.

         "Hey! Let us out of here!"

         "You can talk?!" Lex finally found his voice.

         "Can't you?" a black cat retorted in a smooth but annoyed voice.

         "Well, yes, but I'm human!"

         "Yeah, well, so was I once upon a time!"

         "But you're a cat now?" He sat on the ground and stared back at the cat
in shocked disbelief. "Can you get the other cats to come?" he asked hesitantly.
"We have to get out of here as quickly as we can. The whole town is going down
tonight."

         "It's about damn time! This town needs to be burnt, and those blasted
bitches should be right in the middle of it!" he spat furiously.

         "Bitches?" Lex asked.

         "The Spellman bitches. That stupid Council sent me to live with them,
but I couldn't stay there! I took everything I could stand off of them, but
trying to sell me for stud service to humans was the last straw! They deserve to
go down!"

         "They what?! What kind of humans go with cats?!"

         The black cat shook his head as his green eyes stared at Lex as though
he were not even worthy of cleaning his paws. "You really are quite slow, aren't
you?" he asked.

         "Slow? No, I'm not! I just can't see -- ! You're just so small! How
could any one want something that little?"

         "It's not the size but how you use it that matters. You should know
that."

         "Yes," Lex admitted, still too shocked to realize the verbal blow that
the cat had dealt him, "but you're a cat! Humans are bigger than you are!
Wouldn't you just fall through?!" He was trying to choose his words carefully so
that the children would not know what was going on.

         Clark could not help but to overhear. What would turn up next? Children
so tiny they could almost be called babies and now cats?! Gods, these people
were sick! He no longer had any doubts about the town being destroyed. It was a
modern day Helltown and deserved to perish. He only wished it had been at
somebody else's hands.

         The cat shook his head. "Look," he spat out. "I couldn't understand it
either, but they did what they did and I'm tired of staying in here! Let us out
before more of us die!" he demanded.

         It was only then that Lex's attention was drawn to the dead cats that
the others were having to stand on top of. He hurriedly broke the lock off with
a rock he found nearby. "You'll be safe if you come with us," he told the black
cat, "but even if you choose not to come, you can't stay here."

         "We'll come with you," he answered. "I only hope you have suitable
accommodations," he added with a disdainful sniff.

         "Well, we're Pirates, and we live on a ship. There's plenty of room."

         "Sounds good to me," the cat answered. "I always wanted to be a Pirate
Captain."

         "Well, we already have a good one of those," Lex said, "but I'll let him
know that you're willing to help him with his job. Now we'd best move."

         He started to walk out when the cat's voice stopped him. "There's more."

         "Where?" Lex asked. The cat gestured with his head to deeper within
another tent, and Lex realized that the tent that had fallen had only been the
last in a row that had made up this dreadful place. Picking up his rock, he
followed the cat. The rest of the cats walked, hobbled, and crawled as they
attempted to make it outside to Clark and the children.

         A thought occurred to Lex as he followed the cat. Since it talked, it
might very well have a name. "By the way," he asked, "do you have a name?"

         "Salem," the cat called back to him. "Salem Saberhagan."

         Lex looked at the cat in surprise but did not speak again. As he
continued to follow him, however, he could not help wondering why that name
seemed so familiar.



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

         Dawson had followed Faith, and they had entered the front of what looked
to be the one remaining shop. It was hard to tell, because all the buildings
were in tents. There seemed to be statues everywhere in cat and dog form, but it
was the cats that drew his attention the most. They were darling, and he picked
up several of them and offered one to Faith.

         Faith had been working her way deeper into the tent and had not paid
attention to what Dawson was doing. Feeling his eyes on her, however, she turned
to see him holding out one of the statues to her. Her eyes flashed at the sight,
and her stomach churned as she realized that he unwittingly held several more of
them. "You don't want those," she told him, slapping his hands with such force
that the statues were thrown from his grasp. They landed on the floor, and she
actually cringed as the breaking sounds made her think of the crunching and
shattering of animal bones and the memory of a kitten's pain-filled cry echoed
in her mind.

         "Why not? They're beautiful!" Dawson asked, angry that she had slapped
his hands. "Just because you don't want something doesn't mean I don't want it!"

         "Look, kid," Faith sneered, closing the distance between them in one
long, purposeful stride. "If I do something, I've got a reason for it! Those
statues you think are so beautiful? They're made from real cats! Cat bones, cat
fur! Some probably even have real kitten eyes!"

         He shook his head in denial even as his stomach wretched. "Who would do
such a thing -- kill a live animal to make a statue?" He couldn't understand
why. "Why?" he asked her.

         "People don't care. Some might act like they do about this or that or
another thing, but none of them really care about anything other than their own
hides! Whoever made these didn't think twice about killing the animals, because
they didn't care! They didn't care that they were killing a live being, because
they knew they were making something pretty," she snarled out the word, "that
would bring them a huge profit!"

         It was at that moment that Dawson heard a sound of something moving
behind Faith. "Look out, Faith! Behind you!" He reached out, grabbing her and
trying to move her out of the way of whatever was coming.

         Even as Dawson whirled her around, she snatched her knife out. She felt
the whistle of wind as a blade passed just over her head and snaked her knife
out blindly. It met its mark as it sliced through the merchant's stomach. Blood
spurted out, and she knew she had hit something vital as the evil man grabbed
his gut, fell to the floor, and did not move again.

         It had all happened in a second, and she now found herself in front of
Dawson, blood from the man having splattered his bare chest. Without thinking,
she reached up a hand and rubbed at it, trying to remove the stain from his
white skin. Dawson glanced down at himself even as he reached out toward Faith
and pressed his own lips to hers in a heated kiss. He had fully expected her to
toss him away when she deepened the kiss and he felt her hands running down his
chest.

         Dawson had surprised her when he had kissed her, and before she even
knew what was happening, Faith had returned his kiss, her tongue sliding past
his lips and deepening their kiss. The knife dropped, forgotten, from her hand
as her hands ran down his chest. She continued to kiss him and even stepped on
her own blade as she pushed him against the canvas of the tent. Her hands
slipped further down and then began unbuttoning his pants.

         Dawson breathed deeply of Faith. Finally, he was going to get a second
ride, and he could hardly wait! Brendan was wrong! His tongue continued to duel
with hers as his hands began to run up and down her body, pulling her even
closer to him even as her heat threatened to melt him.

         She had only unbuttoned a few of his buttons when her fingers slipped
into his pants. Her fingertips had barely began to rub his eager sword when her
ears caught an unusual sound. She tried to ignore it at first, but as the cats'
mewing and dogs' barking became even louder, she slowly returned to herself. Her
eyes grew wide as she realized what she was doing. Placing a hand on Dawson's
chest, she quickly pushed herself away from him.

         "What -- ?" The confused word stumbled out of his mouth. "Faith!" His
body longed for her touch, and his sword ached for the race that was not coming.
"Damn!" he muttered. Almost was not good enough! "What's the matter?"

         Then he, too, heard the animals coming. That was when he realized that
she was right about what she had told him, and he feared it was the ghosts of
the animals coming after him. He waited with fear in his eyes to see the
monsters appear. Several seconds later, he heard Lex talking, but still no
animals had appeared.



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

         "Keep going; we're almost there," Lex said, hoping that it was true and
they would soon be out but instead they came to another open area where dead
animals were hung and suspended in the air. He heard more mews and turned to see
yet another cage. He knew that one would have been next. He broke the lock on
that one, as well, releasing the animals. He glanced around at the torture
chamber and wondered where its owner was, knowing that he would like to use the
implements he saw hanging around on that owner.



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

         Faith shook herself. "Sorry, kid," she told Dawson with a shrug of her
shoulders that she instantly regretted from the pain that shot through her, "but
I don't give second rides." Without another word to him, she turned and slipped
through a flap in the tent that opened to another. She ducked just in time to
avoid being hit in the head with a dog's swinging carcass. "Watch your head and
your gut coming in here, boy!" she called back.

         Dawson entered, not knowing what to expect. The blood and the cloying
scent of death lingered in the air to the point that he didn't know if he could
keep the bile down or not. What kind of monster ran this place? He knew it had
to be a monster even though they had just killed what apparently was the owner.
"Do you think we got the owner? What kind of monster could he have been to cause
this?" Dead animals hung suspended in the air for as far as he could see. Blood
dripped from some of their jugular veins, and Dawson's stomach churned even more
as he saw the blood being caught in jars. His skin crawled with the intensity of
the scene that was all around him.

         "The worst kind," Faith called back to Dawson. "Human!" she spat the
word. Her mouth was still open to say more when a weak meow met her ears. Faith
looked up at the sound, and her eyes grew as round as saucers as she looked at
the cat who still breathed shallowly. She had heard about the ones who were hung
while still alive and left to die on the ropes, but she had never before
encountered one.

         To see the cat clinging to life in its last few seconds as it swung
before her was bad enough, but as its faint blue eyes looked into her own eyes,
she remembered another cat. Her skin paled, horror and fear filling her face,
and she looked as if she was about to cry as a memory of the only being who had
ever truly gotten close to her flashed through her mind. "Oh Gods!" she
breathed. She did not want to have to kill the cat, but for the moment, the
Lewis sisters did not even register and she feared she would have no other
choice but to put it out of its misery.

         Dawson reached out gently and held the rope even as his right hand cut
the rope with the knife that Brendan had given him. "Catch her, Faith!" he
called to her. Faith reached out instinctively at his voice and caught the
falling cat just in time. Together they lowered the kitty to the floor. Once
they had her on the floor, Dawson looked at Faith. "What can we do to save her?"

         Faith was already shaking her head at his question. One hand lingered on
the cat, but her other pulled out the knife that she had picked back up and slid
back into its hiding place in her boot before leaving the first tent. She
gripped the knife even as she looked up at Dawson, tears stinging her eyes. "We
can't . . . " she whispered to him, her voice trembling even as she cussed
herself for her weakness. "There's only one thing we can do, and that's end her
suffering . . . "

         Dawson shook his head in disbelief. "There's got to be more. We've got
to do something, not just . . . " His voice trailed off. If it had to be done,
he'd do it and not make Faith do it. He was just about to reach out and take the
cat when a male voice split the air.

         "Hold off, Dawson. The Lewis sisters can help the cat." Lex was about to
ask Faith why she didn't think about the Lewis sisters when he saw the look on
her face and did not even speak a word to her. He had never seen her so
distraught. He hadn't even thought it was possible.

         Tearing his eyes from Faith, he returned his attention to Dawson as he
instructed, "Look for others. I'll take this one outside. Cole should be back by
now. He can shimmer her to the ship."

         Lex very gently picked the cat up and was about to take her away when he
heard Faith. "Luthor, if you tell anybody about this," she knew she did not need
to indicate what it was and that he would know she meant her foolish, weak
emotions that she hated herself for, "I'll gut you."

         "Don't worry, Faith. I'll do what I can, but I won't tell anybody." The
cat seemed like a very fragile shell in his hands, and he toted her outside,
blinking for a moment when the sun hit him full in the face. He glanced around
hopefully and finally spotted Cole.

         Cole, knowing that he was needed, rushed forward and took the kitty who
seemed as though she was about to wilt and completely die but still managed a
weak meow. Lex told him, "Get her help and return. There may be more." Cole
nodded and shimmered.



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

         Arriving at the Witch, Cole laid the fragile life at Celina's feet.
"There may be more," he said as he shimmered out.

         "Goddess!" Celina breathed even as she dropped to her knees before the
cat. She chanted in an alien language and held her hands out to the cat. The
warmth passed through her and into the cat, slowly reviving the small feline. As
she became healed, Celina turned her head to look for her husband. "Morph, you
heard him. Go get Katrina! We may need her depending on how many he brings!"

         "Tom," Morph said, looking at his friend who Celina had not even
noticed, "you'd best tell Katrina and get moved over here to the Witch. I'll
help you."

         Tom nodded, and the two raced from one ship to the other. As they headed
down into the sleeping quarters, Morph held back as Tom went to wake his wife.
He shook her gently while calling her name. "Katrina?"

         Katrina opened her eyes and gazed into the face of the man she loved.
"What's wrong, Tom?" she asked.

         "Well," he spoke slowly, forcing a grin onto his lips, "I've got good
news and bad. The good news is that we finally did it, love of my life," he
threw the phrase in in hope that she would go lightly on him.

         "Did what, Tom?" she asked.

         "We get to move over to the Witch. You can finally be with your sister
all the time again!"

         "But why, Tom?" Katrina asked. "What did you do to Jack?" She knew
instantly that it had be something with the Captain, because he had been so
adamant about keeping them there in case of attack.

         "There's a new healer," Tom tried at first, "so he doesn't have to have
us over here any more."

         "And he just let us go to the Witch out of the goodness of his heart?
Yeah, right!" she said, sitting upright. "What did you do?"

         Tom hung his head, not wanting to see the anger that would come into her
eyes. He had never been afraid of Jack, but he did fear upsetting his beloved.
"I put cat's claw in his rum."

         "TOM! You didn't!" she said distressfully. "You could have made him
impotent!"

         "I only used a little bit, just enough to make him sick from the rum,
but not any long-term effects. Besides, Katrina, you said it yourself! Somebody
had to do something," Tom defended himself, "and nobody else would!"

         "Did it work?" she asked hopefully.

         He sighed, still not raising his eyes to hers. "I don't really know, but
I doubt it. I had to try, though."

         "It's all right, husband dearest," she said as she touched her nose to
his. "I wanted to be with Celina, but I didn't want to leave Jack high and dry.
He's been such a help to us. I just wish we could help him."

         "We could try more cat's claw," Morph suggested from the steps.

         "No more cats' claw!" Katrina commanded. Returning her attention to Tom,
she asked, "Did you apologize?"

         "No," Tom admitted, "and I'm not going to. I did it to help him. I'm
sorry if it upsets you, sweetheart, but I absolutely refuse to apologize for
attempting to help a friend who's too foolish to help himself!"

         "Not foolish, my dear," she reminded. "Just heart-broken. His nightmares
are so awful, and the pain in his heart is so great! I wish there was something
that we could do to help him, but we can only watch and wait. There will come a
time."

         Tom looked up at her, questions shining in his green eyes. Nightmares?
Pain in his heart? What did Katrina know that he didn't? He wanted to ask, but
remembering Celina reminded him that they might well not have the time. Lifting
one of her hands, he kissed it gently. "Katrina, love, I know you're tired, but
we've got to get over there to the Witch for more than just that. You're
probably going to be needed. It looks like the group that went to help Jack with
Will found even more than they suspected. It looks like they found a . . . " His
voice trailed off. Just what could he call such a place?

         "A murder shop from Hell," Morph supplied.

         Katrina nodded, gathered her stuff quickly, and handed several gunny
sacks of things to Morph and Tom. "Then let us be over quickly. There's no
telling what has already occurred." She led the way to the Witch.



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

         Dawson was trying hard not to let Faith know that he was very upset with
her for the way that she had treated him but not for the way that she had almost
come unglued with the cat. He was now making his way slowly around the tent,
checking the hanged bodies, cutting them down, and laying them to one side.
Their blood ran down, mixing and mingling with the blood that was already on his
body. He did not even know how much was his own blood.

         He had not been surprised to see Lex, but he had been surprised at the
entourage that came with him. Able-bodied cats were following in his wake along
with Clark and two kids. The cats had spread out, sniffing for other survivors,
when suddenly one of them opened their mouth. "There's one right here!" a black
cat called.

         Dawson was frozen to the spot and his eyes glued to the cat. The cat was
talking! He raced over to the cat, looking at it in stunned awe. "You can talk?"
he asked.

         The cat shook his head in disgust. "Why does every one find that such a
marvel? Of course I can talk! Now get that cat down before I put a claw in your
rear, son!"

         "Yes, sir," Dawson said, "but cats usually don't talk." He cut the cat
down, easing it to the floor and calling for Cole. Cole gathered this one up and
shimmered it to the Witch, leaving it laying at Katrina's feet and returning
instantly to the shop.

         Katrina knelt down and ran her hands just above the kitty, praying to
Bast and chanting. The cat grew well, got up, and scampered off to join the
other rescued animals that Cole had already been shimmering in.



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

         It did not take them long to canvas the room, rescuing those they could,
cutting the other dead ones down, and laying them side by side. All in all, they
rescued six cats and one little dog from the hanging bodies. Cole shimmered each
of the tiny bodies to the Lewis sisters and returned to the shop. The Lewis
sisters healed each as they were delivered to them.

         Dawson, meanwhile, got to wondering where Faith had gotten off to. He
went in search of her only to find her sitting between two piles of dead animals
and holding one of the dead kittens, rocking back and forth and talking to it
even as her hand lovingly stroked its bloodied fur. {Damn!} Dawson thought to
himself. {I've got to get her out of here! She needs to breathe fresh air and
see the ones that were saved.}

         "Faith?" he called to her as he walked up to stand beside her. "Let me
have this one. We have saved a few, and we are ready to go." He reached down and
gently took the animal from her. Only then did he see her tears. "Faith?" He
stroked her hair with a bloodied hand. "Sorry for all the blood." She still had
not responded to him, and he reached down, taking her hand and pulling her to
her feet. "It's time to go home, Faith," he said gently.

         "No," she whispered in a small voice, trying to pull her hand out of
his. "I can't. I don't have a home."

         "Yes, you do. The ship. She's waiting for you. I'll take you home."

         "Ship?" she asked, confusion crossing her face. She blinked, trying to
see past the tears, and as she made out his face, the sight of Dawson brought
her slowly back to herself. "Damn!" she muttered, realizing what she had so
foolishly allowed to happen.

         He was glad to see her returning to her normal self; he didn't know what
to do with a weak, docile Faith. "Ready to go?" he asked.

         She scrubbed at her eyes, furious at herself for crying. Her fingers
left blood behind in their wake, but she did not even notice it. She nodded
instead but added, "But don't you dare tell any one about this."

         "Why would I?" Dawson asked. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

         "The Hell it isn't! I wish I could rip out these damn eyes!"

         "Stop talking like that, Faith." He wanted to add 'You're scaring me',
but he didn't. "The little ones will need you. Let's go." He had not released
her hand and began to pull her back to where the other people were when she
suddenly dug in her heels.

         When she snatched away from him, Dawson was stunned. She ran from him,
and he followed until they reached the body of the dead shopkeeper. She still
did not speak as she picked the corpse up, turned, and started to drag it back
the way they had come. Dawson picked up the feet without a word. He didn't know
where they were going, but whatever Faith wanted or needed to do, he'd help her.
Together, they strung the man up, still not speaking. When Dawson turned,
however, she was gone again.

         "Watch out!" she called to him. He moved out of the way, not knowing
what to expect, and almost screeched when a hook came flying out of nowhere,
landing in the gut of the guy they had just strung up. She filled the corpse
with hooks that she kept throwing at him as though he was a target. Dawson got
out of the way and went back to where the other people were, sick to his
stomach.

         "Thought you were bringing Faith back?" Carl piped up questioningly.

         "Don't ask!" Dawson said and ran outside the tent where he threw up.
"She'll be here in a minute," he said when he finally returned to the group.

         Lex was glad that Clark could not see what had happened, but he was
sorry that the children saw it. "Time to go," he called out, trying to force
cheer into his voice and almost succeeding. He'd tell Clark most of it later but
not where the kids could hear. Clark followed Julian outside where Cole waited.

         Cole looked around, waiting for all the others to get back to the
designated area where he began to shimmer them, one at a time, back to the
Pearl. When he returned the last time, Faith was waiting. She was covered in
blood that he didn't dare even ask about. "Ready?" he asked, and at her nod, he
shimmered her home to the Witch.

         He appeared before the Lewis sisters, leaving Faith and telling them
that she was the last one. He walked away without looking back, allowing Faith a
chance to get some healing if she wanted it. The Lewises looked at Faith, and
Faith looked at them, neither of them wanting to make the first move. Finally,
Katrina asked, "Will you let us help you?"

         Faith shook her head. She wanted to be flippant with them, but as she
could see that they had healed the animals, she knew she could not be . . . not
quite yet, any way. "I don't need anybody's help," she retorted instead and
turned away, heading down into the sleeping quarters instead.

         Katrina watched her as she left, wishing that there was some way that
they could breech her defenses and that, by some miracle, the girl would let
them help her but knowing that it was likely never to happen. Celina, looking up
at her sister, shook her head. "It's no use even thinking it, Katrina. I'm only
surprised she didn't cuss you out like she always does me."

         Katrina nodded. "I think she was glad we helped the animals, but I wish
she'd let us help her."

         "I'm surprised she even cared," Celina admitted, "but she did . . . a
lot."



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

         Xena arrived outside her cabin door and was not surprised to find all of
her stuff thrown outside. She tried the handle, but it was locked. She knocked
on the door, calling to Gabrielle, but no answer came. She rushed the door with
her shoulder only to find that not only was it locked but barricaded as well.
"GABRIELLE," she yelled, "LET ME IN!" She hollered and called her name until she
became hoarse, realizing that Gabrielle could hear her but that she wasn't going
to let her in.

         Inside the cabin, Gabrielle continued to scribble furiously on a scroll.
Tears ran down her face and dropped onto the paper, smearing her ink, but still
she continued to write. It seemed that Xena would simply not get the message and
go away, and finally in sheer desperation, Gabrielle called back to her, "WHY
DON'T YOU GO GET WOLVERINE?! IT'S HIM YOU WANT, ANY WAY!"

         Xena motioned to Cole. "Get me in there!" Cole shimmered her in quickly
and then just as quickly shimmered back out.

         Xena glanced around the empty room. "Gabrielle?" she called to the air.
She saw the scroll, walked over, looked down at it, and read. Stains from both
blood and tears smeared the ink, and Xena's fear grew as she saw the blood. Her
lover's words chilled her heart far more, however, as they were full of longing
to die because she had lost Xena's love and had no other reason to live.


I've been almost hung.
I've been burned.
I've been left for dead,
Hurt and bleeding.
I've lost others I've loved.
But nothing's ever felt like this before.
No one ever meant to me
What you'll always mean to me.
No one ever touched me
The way you have.
No one ever brought out
So much in me before.
No one ever meant to me
What you'll always mean to me,
But no one could have ever hurt me
As much as you have.

No betrayal could have stung as much.
No loss of love,
If ever you did indeed love me,
Could have hurt so much,
Could have left me with
This red-hot pain,
This empty, burning ache inside.
Nothing could ever be worse than
This pain of losing you,
Of never really having had you.

I would rather have been burned alive,
My skin flayed from my body,
My bones crushed while I still breathed.
I would rather have died a million deaths
Than ever lose you, ever lose our love,
But it never existed.

That pain hurts most of all,
The pain of knowing
That you never loved me,
That it was all a lie,
That every time you kissed me,
Every time you caressed me,
Every time we made love,
You were just acting, just lying,
Just using me for Gods only know what purpose.

There's not a lot of things
That we can choose in this life.
We can't choose who we fall in love with
Or make them love us in return.
We can't choose rather or not to feel,
To be loved or to be hurt,
But we can choose
To end that pain.

And nothing could be worse
Than this pain of losing
The love I only imagined,
The love you only pretended to give to me.
I'll never know why,
But at least,
this pain will sto

         Tears so filled Xena's eyes that she could not even tell that Gabrielle
had not completed her final word. Hearing the whistling of the wind, she looked
up at the open window her beloved had escaped through even as she bit back the
sob that rose in her throat. She had to get to her! She had to stop her, some
way, some how, for she knew that if she did not do so soon, the love of her
life, the one woman who meant more to her than anything else ever had or even
could and who she would have given her very soul to protect, would take her own
life. "Gabrielle . . ." The miserable whisper of her beloved's name echoed in
the cabin.


Chapter Nineteen
         "DAMN IT!" Xena yelled. "COLE, GET ME OUT OF HERE AND TO GABRIELLE!"

         Cole shimmered in, grabbing Xena. Sniffing the air, he carried her
straight to Gabrielle who stood on top of the ship's railing, her back to them.
The sun glinted on something silver, and they realized that she had her sai
pressed to her bosom.

         "Gabrielle?" Xena called in a quiet voice. "What are you doing? You want
to kill both of us? If you do that, you kill both of us. Maybe I don't deserve
to live, but you do. You're the best part of both of us. I love you! Please
don't do this!" She wanted to rush forward and grab Gabrielle but knew that
Gabrielle would be quicker than she.

         "Xena," Gabrielle's voice trembled, "stop lying. There's no more point
in it. I know what you did. I know who you chose. I just don't know why you
bothered to lie about it. Why toy with me? Why lie to me? Why make me think you
loved me when it was him all along?"

         Xena's voice came steady and true. "I've never loved any one like I love
you, Gabrielle! That's why I lied -- to protect you! I didn't want you
endangered. If you were killed in battle, it would have killed me too. I would
die a thousand deaths if it would spare you one instant of pain! That's why I
lied! That's why Wolverine became my second-in-command, because after the
Captain, they go for the second! If I had known for one minute you would have
hated me for it and would have misconstrued and thought I wanted Wolverine . .
." she said, her voice turning to one of disgust as she spat his name. "For
Gods' sakes, baby, I never wanted any one but you! But I wanted you to be safe!
Can't you please forgive me?" She was down on her knees, oblivious to any one
and anything except Gabrielle.

         Cole wondered for a minute if he could shimmer and stop Gabrielle in
time. It hurt him just to be close to these two. Their pain was so intense yet
their love was even greater. "Gabrielle?" Xena called to her, waiting for her to
forgive her or condemn her for all eternity. Cole closed his eyes; he knew he
could not interfere. He shimmered away from them.

         Slowly, Gabrielle turned to face Xena, hoping and praying to see the
same truth in her face that she heard in her voice, but as she turned on the
railing that they had both walked on countless times before, her booted feet
suddenly slipped. She threw the sai to one side even as she fell forward,
bracing herself to hit the deck only to collide with a softer body.

         In one breath-taking move, Xena had flown from her knees to catch
Gabrielle in mid-air. She slid her slowly down her body even as her lips sought
hers, her heart beating a hundred miles a minute. It had scared the heck out of
her, but she had seen Gabrielle throw the sai away. Did that mean she was
forgiven? She prayed that it was so even as Gabrielle returned her heated
kisses.



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

         Cole shimmered directly in the path in front of Piper Halliwell. He
surprised her so much that she dropped the load of dishes that she was carrying,
and he barely caught them. "Sorry about that, Miss Piper. Can I carry these for
you somewhere?"

         Piper's bosom heaved as she tried to calm herself. "Cole!" she
exclaimed. "How -- ?!" She shook her head in amazement.

         "I'm a Demon, and that's how I get around. I had to get away from Xena
and Gabrielle. They were having a very strong exchange and needed to be alone. I
mean you no harm."

         "Well, I know that," Piper assured him with a smile, "but you're a
Demon?"

         "Well, half any way. I didn't mean to scare you." He smiled at her,
thinking she was more beautiful every time he saw her.

         Her smile grew with his explanation and smile. "That explains it; you're
too handsome to be a full-blooded Demon." She blushed a deep red as she realized
the words that had slipped out of her mouth. "I mean -- well, hum -- I know that
sounds prejudiced, but I never met any Demons before today and I thought they
were all kind of like Lorne. Not that he's ugly, because he's not. Just . . .
just different . . . "

         He could not believe she thought him handsome! His smile grew even
brighter as his heart sang out, {She likes ya, boy! Move on it!}, but his mind
refused to move any faster for fear of the knowledge that he could scare her to
the point that she would never want to see him again. "Huh, Miss Piper, the
dishes?" he asked, glad that he had something that he could talk about.

         "The dishes?" she asked in confusion. "What about them?"

         "Where can I put them?"

         "Oh. In the kitchen, of course. Do you guys even call it a kitchen?" she
asked, that thought having just occurred to her.

         "It's called a galley, ma'am." He headed straight for it with the dishes
and set them down on the table. "Are you finding everything okay? Do you need
help of any kind?" He was having trouble coming up with a mundane topic, because
all his mind wanted and kept telling him was, {Kiss her, you fool, before
somebody else does!} He desperately wanted to but was afraid of her reaction.

         "If it's not too much trouble," she asked hesitantly, "I could use some
help getting the supplies moved in here and set up. Lorne was going to help, but
I understand there was some kind of problem with a wolf not liking his pants or
something . . . "

         Cole laughed, and Piper's heart warmed at the deep, throaty sound. "You
could say that. He should be over in a minute, but I'll help you until he comes.
He had to change his clothes. He's all right now, but I wouldn't ask him about
it." He walked back out, picked up another load, and brought it in. "Where do
you want this put?"

         "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Where do you think the ship's chef would
want them?"

         "Oh, you're the ship's chef now, ma'am. We really didn't have one, just
somebody filling in. Captain Jack's been off his diet for a while, and I don't
think Captain Xena's eaten much either. Can't blame either of them. Autolycus
and Joxer are awful cooks. I don't know where they're at or why they aren't here
yet. I had brought them in a little while ago. They've had time to get here to
help. They're supposed to be your kitchen helpers."

         She looked at him curiously. "Did one of the Captains tell you that? I
haven't had a chance to ask, what with everything else that's been going on."

         "I'm third-in-command over here. They don't care who's in charge of the
cooking as long as something get's cooked that's edible. I haven't had a real
chance to talk to either of them yet, but I know they'll both clear it. We've
been without good food for so long that it's ridiculous, and it's not because
Captain Jack doesn't buy the best supplies either. He does. It's just what those
two goonies do with the food. It should be a crime!"

         He then began to show her around the galley and introduce her to the
equipment she'd be using. "This is the oven, but I don't know how to use it. I
can light it for you if you want. This is our cooler, but it doesn't really keep
things cool." He opened the door to reveal a small, dark chamber. "It'd work
better if we had some ice, but it melts about as fast as we get some, so we
don't get much of milk and eggs," he said longingly. Cole simply adored good
food, and he hadn't had any in a long time. "We can put any kind of food you
want in these cabinets," he said as he opened the doors. "Just make it the way
you want it to be."

         Piper was grinning from ear to ear. She loved her mother and grandmother
but had always wanted her own kitchen. Now, it seemed that one had practically
been dropped into her lap! "Well, it sounds to me like you are all in desperate
need of a good meal."

         "That we are, ma'am; that we are. Can't remember when the last time was
that we had one. Maybe when we were at Derek & Hansel's. They both cook good.
They're in Tortuga."

         Piper smiled at him even as she reassured him, "Well, you won't have to
wait for Tortuga to get good food any longer. Just as soon as we can get things
set up, I'll get to work, and I promise you a good meal."

         They heard voices and looked up only to see Lorne finally arriving.
"Sorry, Miss Piper, but I had to hunt for a pair of pants. I don't have much
clothes. Somebody had my pants, and a wolf ruined the pair I had on." He was
eagerly anticipating learning to cook.

         "If you still have the cloth or something else I can use to patch them,
I could fix them for you," she offered, not daring to ask about the wolf. Who
would have such a beast, any way?

         "Why, thank you, ma'am. I'll bring them the next time I come, and the
wolf gave me back the cloth."

         Piper's mouth fell open at that. "The wolf gave you back the cloth?" she
repeated in disbelief.

         "Yes, ma'am. She's a very smart wolf, and she was only protecting her
mistress. She didn't mean me any harm personally, but she sure took a bite out
of my butt! Then her mistress even healed it!"

         Piper looked at Lorne as if he had two heads. A wolf being apologetic
for biting a Demon, even a kind and gentle one like Lorne, and then her mistress
healing said bite was just too much for her to take in. Piper nodded slowly,
reminding herself to shut her mouth so that the men would not think she was a
complete idiot, but did not know what to say.

         Cole looked at Lorne. "Give me a hand out here with the supplies, and it
won't take us long."

         "Sure," Lorne said. Between the two of them, it didn't take long.

         Once the supplies were put away, Cole lit the oven, showing Lorne and
Piper how it was done. "You put the firewood down here," he said to both of them
as he opened the lower door, "and the firewood's just outside the door. It'll
take a while to heat up, so you'll have plenty of time to prepare. I've got to
go hunt for Jack; I've got to tell him something." He was going to tell him all
about Xena and Gabrielle making up; he knew he'd want to know. "If you need me,
call me," he said and shimmered out.

         Piper stared at the place where Cole had just stood. "Do you ever get
used to that?" she asked Lorne.

         "Not really. That's not one of the powers I have," Lorne said. "In fact,
I don't really have any powers as such. I'm an empath. I listen to people sing,
and I can see their future sometimes. Not really powerful powers,
unfortunately." He smiled at her. "I'm sure looking forward to this; I always
wanted to learn to cook!"

         "Then it's time we got started," Piper told him with a grin. "I suggest
a simple recipe first, something we can make as a sort of appetizer for the
crews until we can get the whole meal done."

         He rolled up his sleeves and looked at her eagerly, waiting to be told
what was to be done.



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

         Wolf and Elvira had finally reached her house only to see that it was on
fire. Wolf's hackles began to rise. "Don't tell me we've gotta go in there!" he
said in a high-pitched voice. "Wolves and fires just don't mix!"

         She knew he was terrified, and her heart felt for him. However, she also
knew that she didn't have much of a choice. Turning away from her house and to
him, she told him, "I have to go in there, but I won't ask you to."

         "You know I'm not letting you go in there by yourself! Just make it
quick! Don't slow down anywhere! I can almost feel the fire smoking my bones!"
His voice came out nearly in a howl.

         She placed a gentle hand on the side of his face and reassuringly
stroked his cheek. "I understand," she told him, "and honestly, Wolf, you don't
have to come. But I have to at least get that Book. That damn thing won't burn.
Believe me. I know, because I've tried to burn it in the past."

         "I'm coming, dear heart. I'd never allow you to go in there by
yourself." He nuzzled her. "Whither you go, I go."

         Delicious chills shot through her, and she leaned into his nuzzling. "We
could just wait for it to burn down and stay out here," she said, barely able to
think for the emotions he inflicted in her. Her black fingernails gently kneaded
his chest even as she added, "But then if something happens to my dress, I'll
have to run around naked until I can get some more from Delvira."

         He looked carefully at the house. "I think if we go in this part and
run, we can beat the fire. I don't want you running around naked for others to
see, only me," he nipped her on the neck, bringing a squeal of pleasure from her
black lips.

         "Wolf," she purred to him, "if we keep this up, we're never going to
make it in there."

         "Go, and I will follow you," he said, releasing her.

         Elvira nodded, but although he released her, she still had to force her
body to pull away from his for every part of her screamed desperately to be one
with every part of him. She yanked at the hem of her skirt, and it pulled away
to reveal a bodysuit. Folding the cloth in her hands to beat against the fire
should they need to, she ran into the house.

         The minute she had slipped out of her skirts, revealing her long, lithe
legs, Wolf had howled. She burned him worse than the flames were threatening to!
He had to have her soon! His tail was jerking and would not stay in his pants.
"Soon," he promised. "Soon." He dived into the burning house behind her.



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

         Elvira's long, pale legs streaked out in front of her as she ran for her
bedroom. Once there, she grabbed the Book from her dresser before running over
to her closet. She threw the door open to reveal a row of dresses exactly like
the one she had on. She snatched a few of them and grabbed her cape before
turning back. She frowned. "I'm missing something."

         "Yeah, me," Wolf said with a snarl as he moved up to her, wanting those
long legs wrapped around him. It was driving him almost mad with desire. "I . .
. want . . . " He was breathing heavily. " . . . you!" he concluded as his lips
fell upon hers.

         As his lips touched hers at long last, she found that she could
withstand the burning inferno he had built inside of her no longer. Her Book and
clothes fell to the floor as her hands grabbed him, fondling every part of him
that they could reach. As she deepened their kiss, her tongue quarreling with
his, her arms wrapped around his body, bringing him even closer. Her hands
dropped in search of his rear but instead found his tail; without hesitation,
she stroked it with the fur.

         He howled even as her hands stroked him. "I'm going to die if I don't
have you soon!" he roared. "The big, bad wolf has got to eat, and the little
wolf is hungry too!"

         "Then eat me now!" She tore her lips from his to sink her fangs into his
neck.

         Wolf almost came on the spot before his mind cleared at the snapping,
crackling fire that was getting ever closer to them. Holding her close, he
whispered, "We've gotta get out of here. The fire's getting closer." He
reluctantly let her go.

         Though he released her, she did not release him. "Do we have to?" she
mumbled from around his neck even as she slid one leg up and cradled the bulge
in his pants.

         The back part of the house fell in at that moment. "Soon, my darling!"
he promised. "We have to get out of here!" He scooped up the Book, the dresses,
and the cape from the floor only to realize, as he stood back up, that she
wasn't there. "ELVIRA?!" he screamed. The smoke-filled room kept him from seeing
her.

         "I'm just grabbing my tassels!"

         "Tassels?" he asked even as she rejoined him, dangling something in her
hand.

         "Yeah," she grinned up at him. "They're something you can play with
later."

         "Promises, promises, baby, but I want to play with you the most." He
didn't even know what tassels were.

         "You can play with them while they're on me," she purred lustfully to
him.

         Holding the Book and clothes in one hand, he grabbed her with the other
one and almost flew out of the house just as it finally crumbled to the ground,
burning. He found an alley just behind the house, and he released her long
enough to drop the stuff to the ground. He moved in to nuzzle her neck. His heat
rose in his loins, and he felt his member stiffen even more. He had to have her
and soon!

         "Wolf," she gasped out between the nibbles and licks she rained over his
neck and the sighs that he brought forth from his nuzzling on her own, "do we
have to go to the ship now?"

         "No," he said even as he grasped at her clothes, trying to strip her
naked. When the clothes finally fell away to reveal her glistening body, his
mouth moved immediately to her breast where he nibbled and sucked her. His hands
roamed over her body, finding her secret place and touching her there.

         She arched in his hand, and her gasp of thrilled delight echoed in the
alley. Her hands moved to his chest, and her fingers tore blindly at his shirt,
her nails bursting his buttons as she fought to get the annoying cloth off of
him. He stepped away from her a moment, pulling his clothes off swiftly and
revealing himself in all of his full glory. He was afraid Little Wolf would
scare her as it stood swiftly and boldly, welcoming her and quivering for her
attention. He knew he was bigger than normal males; most wolves were. He would
be gentle if she needed gentle, but his body was crying out for wild. He started
to move back toward her.

         Her black eyes glistened with excitement and longing even as they
feasted upon his mighty sword. Her body tingled as it ached so desperately for
his that she could stand it no longer. Without warning, she ran at him and leapt
into the air. Her arms and legs reached out for him, her arms wrapping around
his strong shoulders and her legs entwining around his body even as she lowered
herself upon his steed.

         Little Wolf shot home immediately as though he had at long last found
the perfect anchor. He howled even as he filled her completely. He thought the
excitement would make him come immediately, and he fought to keep it down,
wanting to make it good for her. He bore her to the earth, never losing contact,
and began to pump madly into her as though Little Wolf had a mind all his own.
He hoped he was not hurting her, but the screams that came from her mouth were
of pure delight.



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

         They were wild together! Wolf had never known such pleasure. Somehow,
each time he almost came, something stopped him. He wasn't sure what it was, but
it built the excitement even more. His tail twitched madly, but he ignored it as
his mouth once again found her creamy breast and he gave it the long-needed
attention it so desperately craved.

         Her fangs nibbled his neck as hungrily as though she had never drank;
indeed, he was the best she had ever experienced in all ways. Her legs were
still wrapped around him, and she tightened and squeezed around him as he pumped
into her.

         When her fangs sank into his neck, he felt himself cumming, and it felt
as though it would never stop. He howled again and again, her screams matching
his howls. Her nails raked his back before grabbing his tail once again.

         It was the most wonderful experience Wolf had ever had! He hated to
think it might never happen again, especially as he wanted her again just as
badly as he had just had her. He just couldn't get enough of her! He lay on top
of her, Little Wolf still embedded in her silky sheath. Her fangs had came out
of his neck, but suddenly she began to nibble and lick him again, growling
lustfully in his ear. He felt Little Wolf jerk and begin to grow. He had never
thought he could get it up again this fast, but he just could not get enough of
her!

         Her fangs dipped back into his neck, taking a sip here and a sip there,
as she marked him again and again as hers. Her hands had never left his tail,
and she began to stroke him once more. Her strokes always stayed with the fur.

         He felt himself grow bigger and bigger, and he was afraid he would split
her in two as Little Wolf again worked with a mind all his own. His mouth moved
to her throat, and his fangs bit into her neck. He felt her jerk and held
himself still as he was afraid he had hurt her.

         Elvira had done a lot of biting, but never once had she been bitten
herself. It was the most pleasurable sensation she had ever felt, and her gasp
of pleasure caressed his ears like a butterfly's gossamer wings. "Are you okay,
beautiful?" he whispered against her skin even then as he licked her skin and
blood before nipping her again.

         Her breath trembled in delight as she sighed again. "Okay? Wolf, I'm so
good I don't even know the word for it!"

         With relief, he let Little Wolf have his way again, moving slowly in and
out and then faster. He did not think he could go any deeper, but he wanted to.
He wanted to be part of her. He raised her up slightly and then pushed in just a
little deeper. He was surprised when he went a lot deeper. She was built like no
other woman he had ever had, because she was able to take all of him! The
sensation that he felt threatened to explode him, but he held on, wanting to
increase her pleasure.

         When he felt the volcano building to a peak, he sank his fangs into her
neck once more. The explosions hit him so hard that he fell over the edge and
into the stars, carrying her with him. This time, he was not even aware of her
fingernails clawing his back although they drew blood. They remained fully one,
his sword filling her sheath completely and their fangs embedded in each other's
necks, as they rode the waves together before finally crashing back down into
the Heaven they had discovered in each other.



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

         Cole had arrived just in time to see Jack starting to rummage again for
his rum. He did not make a comment on it as he did not want Jack to know what
had become of the rum. Jack looked up at him with questions in his eyes. "Xena
and Gabrielle have made up; I heard them before I left the Witch. They may be
partying by now."

         "Good," Jack said with a grin.

         "Piper is getting set up in the kitchen."

         "Can she cook?" Jack asked.

         "Well, she says she can. It's got to be better than what those two goons
were putting out. Lorne's helping her."

         "Good thing," Jack said. "Make sure she's got everything she needs."

         "I hate to tell you, but the time is growing short. Evil approaches. We
have several saying this, including Doctor Doom and his new woman."

         "New woman?" Jack asked.

         "Yes, sir. She's a scientist," he said as though that explained
everything.

         "Well, they should be happy together."

         Cole was used to reporting to Jack everything that was going on on the
Witch, because even though he was on the Witch and Xena was technically his
Captain, Jack was his Captain of choice. He was Jack's inside man, and only he
and Jack knew that. "I've got to locate Wolf and Elvira. They have not returned
to the ship, and they could be in danger. If you can get a woman to go with you
as a decoy, when I return, I'll shimmer you to the Governor's room. It'll be
quicker and faster, but I don't want to know what you're doing in there, sir."

         "I don't want to know what I'm doing in there until after it's over
with," Jack said. "I wanted some rum to handle it with, but there's not any on
the whole damn ship! So I'm going to have to go it without it. I'll pick some up
while we're out. Report to me as soon as you know about Wolf."

         "Yes, sir," Cole said and shimmered out.



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

         Meanwhile, Prue, after being escorted to the Witch, had gotten settled
in and decided to go in search of a little adventure. She had been totally
smitten by the man called Brendan Richards. She knew Piper had already marked
her a man, though she hadn't even admitted it to herself yet, and Prue was
determined not to be outdone. After all, she was the oldest.

         She carefully concealed herself in the shadows and began to search out
her prey. She watched him walking around, checking on things and talking to
other crewmates to be sure that everything was set for sailing. She gave him
enough distance that he wouldn't know that he was being followed.

         Brendan began to check to be sure that all the ropes were secured.
Nothing could go wrong. They had to get out of the harbor. He had not been
paying particular attention to any of the people passing around him. All of the
newcomers' scents had crossed his nose at different times, and he had not paid
attention to them. He was checking on one of the ropes in the northeastern
corner, however, when he heard approaching footsteps accompanied by the sweetest
scent he had ever smelled. It was vaguely familiar, but he could not place it.

         She was determined to get something from him, even if only a kiss. She
had managed to sneak up on him when he suddenly turned and sniffed the air. She
froze, hoping he wouldn't see her, but as his head turned again, his yellow eyes
looked directly at her. She grew bold at his appraisal and moved to stand right
in front of him. Quickly, before she could change her mind and run, she threw
her arms around his neck and pulled his head toward hers. Their lips met,
sending thrills racing down her body that she'd never felt before.

         Brendan had been about to ask Prue if he could help her when she had
suddenly stolen a kiss. He tried to push her away, but she refused to release
him, clinging to him instead. Her kiss was burning him! He longed to be able to
enjoy the sensations that swept through him, arousing his manhood, at the first
kiss he had ever had, but he could feel the beast within already reacting. His
mind was frantic, and his eyes were already on yellow as fur began to grow.

         In sheer desperation, he shoved her away, hating to use force but
knowing that there was no other way. "You -- You shouldn't have -- " he gasped,
trying desperately to rein in the wolf but failing completely as a howl broke
forth from his lips and he fell to his knees. "You . . . shouldn't . . . have .
. . " he tried again. His nose and mouth enlarged and grew together to become a
snout, and his words ended in a howl that echoed out over the dock and across
the water.

         Prue, who had fallen on her rear, had never seen such before! "What are
you?" she asked and watched in amazement as he continued transforming. She was
roughly grabbed. She realized that the man called Captain Jack Sparrow had
arrived as he told to get out of there quickly and placed himself between her
and the monster that had been Brendan. Cole, too, had heard the activity and
arrived just in time to knock Brendan on his butt and prevent him from attacking
Jack.

         "WOMEN!" Jack said, shaking his head. He knew fully well that Brendan
had never made the move on Prue but that Prue Halliwell had just made a move on
Brendan. Even then, the Werewolf was scrambling to get to his feet. Hating to do
it but knowing he must, Jack raised the silver walking stick that he had brought
with him and brought it straight down on Brendan's head, knocking his friend out
cold. "Damn!" he muttered.

         "I'm gone to get Wolf, Captain," Cole said and shimmered out. Jack sat
down on the floor beside Brendan with his back against the ship's side. He
breathed a sigh of relief as werewolf transformed back to man, but still he
waited for his friend to wake up.



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

         Prue ran as though the Demons of Hell were behind her and did not stop
until she reached Piper in the galley. Holding onto the table so that she would
not fall, she looked into her sister's face. "He -- He's a wolf!" she finally
gasped out.

         Piper looked at Prue in concern but did not know what to make of her
sister's exclamation. "Who's a wolf?" she asked. "The wolf that bit poor Lorne
in the rear?"

         "No, I don't think so," Prue said as she pulled a chair out and sat down
in it. "He's -- Brendan Richards," she said in a voice of disbelief. "We kissed
. . . "

         "You didn't!" Lorne interjected. "No wonder he changed! True he's a
Werewolf and he can't control it, but he stays away from women so that he
doesn't hurt anybody. How'd you manage to kiss?" He could not believe that she
had actually managed to steal a kiss from him. He knew Brendan would never have
kissed Prue.

         "I wanted him!" Prue said. "There was just something about him that
seemed to call to me!"

         "Hold it right there," Lorne said. "This is women's talk. I'll see you
in a little while, Piper; I'd best go check on him."

         Piper nodded and took out the seat in front of Prue's. She sat down in
it, the food completely forgotten as she turned her full attention to her
distraught sister. "Prue, what did you do?" she asked her. "You know better than
to kiss a stranger!"

         "But I wanted him, Piper!" she protested in a small, quiet voice. "I'm
so drawn to him! I've never felt anything like this before! I followed him and
surprised him. I kissed him! Then the most awful thing happened! He began to
change and howled! Then the Captain was there, and he beat him!" She had heard
the whack when Jack had hit Brendan. Tears were running down her face. "I still
want him! I don't care if he is a wolf!"

         "Prue, you don't know what you're talking about," Piper gently told her
sister even as she gathered her into a hug, softly stroking her hair as their
mother had always done whenever one of them was upset. "You just met the man. I
know he's burning you and I know it's hard to control yourself -- I almost
slipped up already with Cole --, but he's a wolf. You need to give it time. Talk
to him; figure out if you can do anything. You don't want this happening again."

         Prue hugged her sister to her as though she was a lifeline, burying her
face into her sister's shoulder. "I want him, Piper! I want him desperately!"

         "I know, Prue. You might not believe me, but I know better than you
think I do. There's one on here who sets my very blood on fire, too, but we
don't know what we're getting into. We have to take it slowly, and you're going
to have to talk to Brendan eventually, before you make another move on him. You
don't want him to change again on you like that."

         Prue looked up at Piper in wonderment. "You found some one?" It finally
dawned on her what Piper had been telling her. "So why didn't you go after him?"
she asked her sister.

         "Because I just met him today, Prue. You have to give things like this
time. I know it's hard, but it takes it to make sure."

         "Too much time, Piper, and somebody else will grab him! That's why I
didn't wait! I know I want him, and if I wait for him to come to me, he won't do
it."

         "Then don't wait for him but don't move on him either. Talk to him. What
would you do if you made another move toward him and he changed again, Prue?"

         "I promise. I'll talk to him tomorrow if I can catch him." He had been
very hard to catch that day, and she knew he'd be more wary and even harder to
catch the next.

         "I'll tell you what, Prue," Piper said, lifting her sister's chin and
gently wiping away her tears. "If you promise me you won't move on him again
until you've talked to him and are sure he's not just going to wolf out again
right away, I'll even help you catch him."

         "You will?" Prue asked with a smile. "Then I promise I'll talk to him
and not move on him again until I'm sure it's safe."

         Piper nodded. "I will," she promised, "tomorrow."

         "So which one is it, Piper?" Prue asked with an impish grin. "Mister
Green or Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"

         Piper had to laugh at her sister's question. "Cole," she admitted, then
dared to blushingly make another admission. "I actually told him I thought he
was handsome!"

         "You did?" Prue asked in amazement. She had never known Piper to move on
any one. "And he didn't pick up on it?"

         Piper shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't call me on it, at least. But,
Prue," she added with a frown, "I think we might both be in trouble. Brendan's a
Werewolf, and Cole's a Demon, half any way!"

         "We might be, Piper, but I'm willing to face it just to have a chance at
getting closer to him. Are you?" She smiled when her sister nodded. "Then we'll
work on them together!"

         She raised her pinky finger, and Piper hooked hers with it. "Pinky
swear," they said together. "They'll never know what hit 'em!"


Chapter Twenty
         Cole shimmered into the alley behind a burning house that had completely
fallen in on itself. He had smelled Wolf and had tracked him there. He appeared
and saw Wolf and Elvira falling together again! Closing his eyes, he called out
to him. "Wolf, you're late for the ship. We were worried."

         "Cripes!" Wolf murmured. "It'll have to wait, sweetheart."

         "Put some clothes on!" Cole pleaded. "I have to take both of you back.
Let me know when you're dressed." He kept his eyes closed.

         Elvira winked playfully at Wolf. "Maybe we don't want to get dressed
just yet?"

         "Look, Elvira! It's not safe out here, and I can tell you two have been
at it like rabbits already! Save it for later! Honestly, how some of you wolves
can continually get down amazes me!"

         Elvira sighed. "Yeah," she agreed in a throaty voice, "isn't it
wonderful?!"

         "I wouldn't know," Cole said. "I've never done it with a wolf, and I'm
not about to start now."

         "I'm dressing," Wolf said, "but I want you to know that I am objecting
strenuously!"

         "You can play later, Wolf, after we leave port. The Captain has a little
unfinished business, and then this town's going down. He wants you back aboard
the ship immediately."

         "I swear, Wolf," Elvira commented as she slipped into her bodysuit but
did not bother to put any further clothes on, "I think you must be the only one
on your entire ship that isn't a party pooper!"

         "I might be a party pooper," Cole said, "but I keep my mind on the
business at hand." He never saw the raspberry that Elvira shot at his back. "You
two can party later." He opened his eyes, relieved to see that they were dressed
or, at least, what evidently passed for being dressed in Elvira's case. He
reached out, touched both of them on the hand, and shimmered them to the Pearl.



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

         Dawson went in search of Faith and finally found her in the sleeping
quarters. She was sitting on her cot with her naked back turned toward the door.
He slipped quietly inside. "Faith?" he asked. "Can I help you? Will you let me
help you?" He knew she was hurt and only wanted to make her better.

         Faith dropped her shirt, which was darkened beyond black with all the
blood from her shoulder. She had been trying to use pressure to stop it for a
while but had had little luck. A part of her knew she needed help, but she had
never accepted help before. "Why?" she asked him quietly.

         "Because I want to. I care about you. I want to make you feel better,"
he said even as he drew closer to her.

         "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't have the first idea
what you're getting into here, ki -- " She started to call him "kid" yet again,
but for some reason -- she told herself that it was only the pain --, the word
wouldn't come out.

         "I'm not a doctor, but I'll do what I can. Let me get a pan of water and
some cloths. Stay here; I'll be back." He made his way to the galley and saw two
of the Halliwells sitting there. "Can I have a pan of hot water," he asked, "and
some cloths?"

         Piper turned to look at Dawson. She opened her mouth to ask him why he
needed it but changed her mind at the look in his eyes. He was deeply concerned
about some one, but she could somehow sense instinctively that he wouldn't give
up the person's identity. Nodding instead, she rose and retrieved the pot of
water she had had boiling on the stove. "I'll make another one," she told him,
"and you can have this one." Opening a cabinet, she retrieved a cloth and
wrapped it around the handle of the pot before he could touch it.

         "Thank you," he said. "I'll bring the pot back later."

         Piper nodded and started to reach for more cloths. "How many do you
think you'll need?"

         "Maybe a couple more," he said and gratefully accepted them. Making his
way slowly back, he managed to get back to Faith's side without spilling much of
the water. Dawson noticed that her back was scarred but did not say anything. He
wondered who had beat the Hell out of her so long ago that the scars were
completely healed. He began to bath her wound gently with the water that was now
warm. "Would you let one of the Lewis sisters heal you? I don't know how to
stitch up wounds, but they could heal you completely. Please, Faith; let one of
them look at you."

         "Damn it!" Faith growled out. "I knew I should have told you to get
fucked!" She jerked away from him, stood, and walked away from the cot. "You're
the only one I've ever even considered letting help me, and I was an idiot for
doing that much!"

         Dawson recoiled from her and was about to say something when he heard a
meow. Changing his mind, he said, "There's some one to see you, Faith. A furry
some one," he said quickly before she would have a chance to throw something.

         "Kid, what the Hell are you -- ?" she started to demand as she turned
around to face him. Her angry eyes fell on the cat.

         "Meow?" said the cat even as she walked closer to Faith, her green eyes
peering into Faith's angry ones. "Meow?"

         Emotions flickered in Faith's eyes as they changed from being full of
anger to being haunted by sadness. She stepped back from the cat. "You don't
want me," she told it, shaking her head. "I'm a bitch; I already got one
killed." She nodded toward Dawson instead. "You want him."

         "MEOW!" the cat insisted, gazing intently up into Faith's eyes, her
black fur shining as smooth as silk. She stood up on her hind legs and brushed
at the girl's hand with her head as though to let her know that she was indeed
the one she wanted to be petted by.

         Despite herself, Faith had to smile. Slowly, she stroked the cat's head,
and when the feline did not recoil, her smile turned to a grin. "Hell, looks
like you're as crazy as me."

         "Meow meow!" the cat said as though it was agreeing with Faith. Standing
on its hind legs, she bumped her hand again.

         Faith had to laugh. The laughter that came from her was a sound unlike
any one on either of the ships had ever heard come out of her for it was truly
of happiness. She had not had a cat come to her like this one had since she had
been a child, barely old enough to remember the events that had been the first
to scar her for life. Slowly, she slid down so that she sat on the floor beside
the cat, her hand running from its head down to its back.

         Unbeknownst to Faith, while she patted the cat, the cat was working a
spell on her that would heal the girl's arm completely. As soon as it was done,
she looked up into Faith's eyes again. "Meow meow meow!" It was as though she
was saying, "See you soon; gotta go," as the cat then strode majestically out of
the room with a backward glance at Faith. "Meow!"

         Faith cocked her head slightly to one side. Why, she wondered, did she
have the strangest feeling that she had been had? Dawson looked at Faith's arm
in wonderment. It was healed. He did not mention it but could not help a smile
that she caught as her eyes turned upwards. "What?" she asked.

         "You like cats, huh? It appears they like you too."



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

         Outside, Katrina changed back to her catwoman form. It had worked, and
she could not wait to tell her sister! She did not know what she would tell
Faith when Faith finally decided to come looking for the black cat, but she
would not willingly tell the girl that it had been her. She thanked Bast for the
healing and smiled as she caught Celina's arm. "It worked! She's healed!"

         "What," Celina asked in wonderment, her blue eyes full of questions,
"did you do?"

         "Nothing that a little, black cat couldn't handle," Katrina said with a
grin. "I hope something works out between the two of them. I like both of them."

         "Leave it to you!" Though she was beaming, Celina had to shake her head
from side to side in amazement. "Only you would finally figure out how to get a
hold of that girl!"

         Katrina beamed back at her sister. "A pure stroke of genius!" she had to
admit. "I did it! She might not like it, but not even she could find fault with
a good healing."

         "I wouldn't be so sure about that," Celina warned her, "but I'm
certainly glad you did it!" She hugged her sister tightly, pride swelling in her
heart.



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

         "Yeah, I like cats," Faith admitted, "but they're better off without . .
. " She had been standing while speaking, and as she stood, no pain registered.
Surprise flickered over her face as she realized that, and she looked down at
her injured shoulder only to find that it was completely healed. Not a single
drop of blood remained. "Black cat," she muttered under her breath. "Green eyes.
Suddenly healed. KATRINA!!!!!!!!" she roared angrily.

         Just as Faith headed for the door, Dawson tackled her. "For once, Faith,
give in and be thankful that somebody cared about you enough to help you!" He
held her down, laying on top of her, his eyes gazing down into hers. "You know
you're lucky. You've got people on these ships that care about you. I've never
had any one who cared about me," he said sadly.

         As she looked up into his eyes, she found the most absurd notion taking
a hold of her. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to roll with him again.
{You know better than that, Faith. Get a hold of yourself and stop being so damn
stupid!} "That's a bunch of bullshit, Dawson," she growled out at him, not
realizing that she had used his name. "Nobody cares about me; nobody's that much
of an idiot." She then rolled out from under him.

         He let her go, knowing how wrong she was but knowing that only time
would prove to her that she was wrong. "I think you're wrong, Faith. You've got
a family here, and they care about you a great deal."

         "You know, after all you've been through, I'd think you'd know better
than that by now. Families don't exist, not in any way other than blood, and
that gets you in more trouble than anything else." She had walked over to her
cot and was putting on a new shirt even as she remembered his. She picked it up
and tossed it to him.

         He grabbed it and then looked at it. "Might as well throw this away.
Totally ruined."

         "I'll steal ya another one when we hit Tortuga. Just don't go anywhere
till I can get it."

         "Why, Faith? You're afraid somebody will see me naaaaked?" he asked,
stretching out the word "naked", with a grin.

         She glared at him. "Why would I give a damn who saw you naked? But I'm
not going to chase you down to give it to you."

         He laughed out loud, rolling onto his back. He had to shake his head at
the wonderment that Faith was. She was a crazy woman and child rolled into one,
and he was determined to make her his. If it took one day or a hundred years, he
would never stop until he could claim her as his own. "I'll make it easy for ya,
Faith. I'll stay right where you can see me."

         "Didn't ask for a shadow, kid," she told him, now fully dressed once
more and heading again for the door. "Don't want one; don't need one. But I do
need to get my hands on that conniving catbitch."

         Dawson didn't try to stop her this time. He knew he couldn't. "Just
remember, Faith. She helped you."

         Faith was about to step over him when he said that. Instead, she paused,
her foot in the air, as she looked down at him. "Haven't ya learned anything?
When somebody helps somebody, they're always after something."

         "Not always," Dawson said, remembering Brendan's kindness and that
Brendan had not requested anything in turn except that Dawson keep himself safe
and out of trouble. "Not every one wants everything they can get out of you."

         "Let me tell ya something, kid. I've encountered two of the people that
practically every damn body would have told you could be trusted, and neither
one could be. I've got the scars to prove it. If you wanna survive in this
world, the best thing you can do is count on yourself and no one else."

         "I can never be that way, Faith. I need others to be there for me, and I
need to be there for some one."

         She shook her head. "Then you're going to die a fool."

         "Maybe, but I won't die alone . . . " his voice trailed off and he let
her go.

         She wanted to stay. She wanted to talk some sense into him but
stubbornly ignored what her lips wanted to do. She knew better than to stay,
however, and took the stairs two at a time. Bursting through the door, she
bellowed, "KATRINA!!!"

         Katrina appeared in front of Faith. "Yes, Faith?" she asked in a calm,
quiet voice. "Figured you'd be coming once you found out what I did."

         "Why?" Faith snarled. "Why the Hell'd you bother?"

         "Maybe because I care about you."

         "No, really, why?"

         "Like I said, Faith, I care about you, whether you want to believe it or
not."

         "Why?"

         "We're family, and as family, we take care of each other."

         "You know, Katrina," Faith growled at her, "you could have come up with
something a Hell of a lot more convincing than that. I don't have any family."

         "Nothing's ever more convincing, Faith, than the truth," Katrina said.
"One day you'll see that."

         "Yeah, but the truth is that I don't have a family, Katrina. You wanna
care for your family, you go look up the rest of them. I don't have one."

         "Yes, you do," she reaffirmed what she already said. "One day you'll be
ready to let us in. In the meanwhile, we'll have to be content to care for you
from afar."

         "I don't need any one to care about me," she spat. "What I need is to go
kill something." She turned away from Katrina and descended back into the
sleeping quarters, slamming the door in the redhead's face.

         Sadness in her heart, Katrina watched the girl go, hoping that one day
she'd let them all in and knowing, just as she'd told Faith, that they were
indeed a family and families had to be there for each other even when they
weren't wanted.



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

         Peering through the darkness, Faith shook her head as she realized that
Dawson was still laying on the floor. She did not bother to give him a second
glance as she ran down the stairs and jumped over him. She walked to her bed and
picked up the sword she normally used. She shook her head. A normal blade would
suffice for what she intended, but it wasn't what she wanted. She let it crash
onto the floor with a clatter, then flipped her cot over.

         Dawson jumped as though a bee had stung him. Crawling to his feet, he
asked, "What the Hell?", and then saw it was only Faith having what he caught
was a temper tantrum. "What's a matter now?" he asked.

         "Just looking for something," she called back to him. "By the way," she
added, keeping her voice casual, "I've been meaning to ask you something . . . "

         "Yes?" he asked.

         "How the Hell'd you go from getting deflowered to winding up at that
damn place?"

         "My Father sold me," he said in a quiet voice. "He's always hated me. He
blamed me for my Mother running off on him, and he's mistreated me all my life.
He even beat me, and then today, he sold me as though I was nothing! I've done
all I can for him ever since I've been big enough to work to help make a go of
that store. He never once thanked me, touched me except in anger, and then
today, after you left, he decided he wanted to . . . " His voice trailed off.
"Use me in a whole 'nother way. When I refused, he beat the crap out of me. He
knocked me unconscious, and when I woke up, I was there." He did not look at her
the whole time he was talking.

         She had been detaching a sword from the bottom of her cot when he had
began talking. Her fingers had stilled on the straps as she had listened to him.
"You know," she said quietly, "what he did isn't your fault."

         "I know that, but I never realized just how much I hated him until I
woke up in that place. He drove my Mother away by abusing her. Then he wanted to
use me in her place. What kind of father does that to his kid?" He shook his
head sadly. "I want to forget about him. I don't ever want to see him again."
His hands clenched by his side. "I'm afraid that if I do, I might kill him."

         She was not surprised at his words, but she carefully stilled her tongue
from telling him that he would never have to look upon his father again. She had
managed to keep that quiet but nonetheless slipped up as she returned her
attention to unfastening the sword. "I can't answer your question, though,
Dawson. I'd like to be able to, but I've always wondered the same thing ever
since my Mother . . . " She stopped herself just then, realizing what had
slipped out.

         Dawson didn't pick up on what she had said. He hoped one day she would
feel free to tell him. Maybe they could help each other get through this awful
nightmare. He could tell she was preparing to go out, but he did not want to go
with her. He had had enough blood and guts for one day. "Be careful, Faith, and
come home soon." He had not even realized that he was now calling the ship home.

         "Told ya before," she said, finally freeing the sword and setting her
cot back down. "I don't have a home."

         "I think the ship's going to be mine. I feel welcomed here. Something I
never felt before anywhere."

         "Better find som