Chapter 148

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"What have I ever done to you?" Angelica yelled over the commotion of the rain.
"You don't remember." Tia inspected the woman's necklace in her dirty fingers. "Think back," She demanded and flicked Angelica's head, putting her into a trance.
Angelica found herself lost in a memory:

She looked around warily as she rowed the small boat through the swamp. The mosses hung from trees all around her, and the thick green water was infested with snakes, serpents, and beasts of all types.
The boat silently hit the dock and Angelica lifted herself out of the boat. She stepped on the rotten wood, and a small creak emerged. Angelica cursed under her breath and stealthily made her way towards the shack. She pushed open the door with no noise and ducked under a table in the corner of the room.
All around the area, oddities sat on shelves or hung from the ceiling. Suddenly her eye caught on the object she came for: The Manuscript of The Fountain of Youth.
Checking for any sign of the witch, she crept towards the book and snagged it off of a shelf. It would've been the easiest theft she'd ever done, but her wrist hit a bottle filled with a thick blue liquid. The bottle spiraled to the floor and the liquid spread, burning the floor and creating smoke.
Angelica turned on her heel and ran, not trying for silence anymore. She leapt into the boat and rowed quickly away from the scene. She was six yards away from the shack when an angry scream tore through the humid air. Angelica winced as the sound pierced her ear drums. She looked back to see the witch standing on her porch, gazing hatefully at the young thief.
Angelica kept rowing until she hit the side of The Queen Anne's Revenge and scaled the rope in a matter of seconds. She pulled it over and sank to the deck, breathing heavily.
"The book, my daughter?" Edward Teach demanded.
Angelica held out the worn journal and he took it, admiring it with pride. "You've done well once again."

"I stole the manuscript," Angelica gasped as she came out of her memory and Jack rubbed her back in support.
"Yes, and I'd like it back," The Jamaican woman said.
"I don't have it," Angelica shook her head.
"You'd better find it, or your luck will only get worse," Tia threatened. "And don't expect me to reverse any of my magic on your little spawn."
Angelica rubbed her stomach in protection and Jack put his hand on hers.
"What do you want with it? The fountain is already destroyed," Jack asked the witch.
"I do not give things away for free. If you weren't the little thief you were, that would've cost you. Either pay, or find them."
"What do you want in exchange?" Angelica asked.
"A tentacle off of Jonsie's beard," Tia swooned.
"That's a death wish!" Angelica exclaimed.
"No. Not obeying my suggestion is a death wish." Tia twirled around and vanished with a small wave crashing down in her place.
"BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES!" Gibbs called to the crew, "This storm is a rough one!"
Angelica turned and ran into the cabin, with Jack on her tail.
"I can negotiate with Tia-"
"Set sail for The Flying Dutchman." Angelica sighed.
"What!?" Jack screamed. "No no. You're pregnant, Angelica. It's too dangerous."
"It's more dangerous to try to negotiate," She argued.
Jack opened his mouth, but Angelica grabbed his compass and put her hand over his mouth.
It spun and spun and never slowed.
"What's wrong with it?" She asked.
"You're too emotional, it doesn't know what you want."
"I'll try in the morning," She set it next to her bedside.
"It's not a good idea, love." Jack fretted. "Davy isn't sympathetic."
"He'll have to be." She snapped.
Jack tried to approach her for an embrace, but she rushed towards the bathroom and slammed the door.
After an hour of Angelica being in the bathroom, and not a single drop of water hear, Jack began to worry.
"Angelica, please come out, love." He begged.
Finally he pushed open the door to find Angelica standing in front of the mirror with tears in her eyes and on her shirt.
"Angelica, please do not let yourself go through this alone." Jack said and embraced her.
"Four months, Jack." She whispered, and Jack felt her shiver. "I'm only four months along and I'm deemed to have a black cat child and a labor I might not live through."
"Don't think like that," Jack said.
"How can I not, Jack? Women look forward to the child being born when they're pregnant. I can't just not think about it."
"I know," Jack sighed into her hair and pressed her head under his chin. "I'm sorry."
"I am too, Jack." She said and three more years dropped from her eyes.
Jack broke the embrace and held her shoulders so she'd look at him.
"Let me in more often, alright? I want to help you."
Angelica looked in his eyes, and saw pain and sadness.
Angelica nodded and put her forehead to Jack's.
Jack took her hand and led her to the bed, then rounded it to the other side. He blew out the candle and crawled under his blankets. He felt Angelica shuffle closer to him and he closed the gap. With one hand over top her waist, and the other running across her cheek, he kissed her.
"Jack, do you realize how much I love you?" Angelica wondered out loud.
"I have an idea." He shrugged.
"You've saved my life countless times, you're the father of my two children, and you gave me the stars," She counted. "And you still manage to make me hate you."
Jack's small smile faded as she said the latter bit.
"But somehow, between all the things you've done to make me want to kill you and the things you've done to make me want to kiss you, I just want to wrap my arms around your neck and be in your arms," She whispered, "All the time."
Jack's smile came back brighter than before and he hugged her tight to his chest. He kissed her head and rubbed her hair.
"I suppose you want an explanation from me as well," He chuckled. "Angelica, dearest, of course you know that I never thought I'd love anyone," He started awkwardly. "But I liked that you were feisty. It was a challenge at first, something I hadn't conquered, but I didn't know I was falling for you the whole time."
Angelica smiled against his chest and snuggled in more.
"I kind of liked pissing you off. You really are beautiful when you're mad, you know. But you're more beautiful when you're in a good mood, because then I can admire you from a closer distance," He chuckled. "And I would always try to deny my feelings, but I knew what they were deep inside my heart. I only ever admitted it out loud when I first said it to you, and I only understood what it meant when you were in labor." He continued. "But really, Angel, I love you in my own way. I love everything about you, when you love me or when you hate me. I love anything that's a part of you, and anything that's a product. When I give you the stars, I'm giving you a promise. My love will not burn out until all of the stars do as well, and then it will live on with you in your heart." He finished and touched her heart gently. The beat was steady and so was her breath. She'd fallen asleep.
Jack grinned. "I'm happy you didn't hear that," He whispered and wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm.

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