The Map

A sweet kiss

A/N: Usual disclaimer. If they belonged to me I'd be to busy to write about them ;-)

Huge thanks to Hils for making this readable. 

Chapter 22

A sweet kiss

Nell slowed her pace right down, watching as Decker continued on seemingly oblivious to Nell's hesitance; he walked further away from her not seeming to notice nor care when the flame from her torch was no longer lighting his way. She realised then that something was definitely not right with Decker. An image of Jones climbing the rocks to the cave flashed into her mind and prompted her to turn around in the tunnel and run as quickly as she could the other way.

"OY!" Decker had finally realised and was heading after her at a quick run.

Nell put everything she had into her feet, knowing that now she was running in the right direction. He had been leading her further and further away from them and she really didn't want to find out why.

She could hear him pounding behind her; fear put adrenalin into her legs and she sped up skidding around a corner almost dropping the torch in the process. He was gaining on her; she could hear him, almost feel him, behind her. Black fear crawled into her skin and through her veins as she ran, pounding down the dirt covered tunnels. The flame in her torch was flickering madly and hardly lit ten feet in front of her; but it wasn't what she could run into that terrified her, but what was following her.

She ran down a long straight stretch of tunnel and almost ran straight into the wall as it suddenly veered sharply to the left. She skidded around and slid sideways, her feet going from under her as she was suddenly blinded by the light ahead of her.

"NELLl!" She heard her name but assumed it was Decker behind her and, ignoring the now burnt out torch, jumped to her feet, blinking against the bright light. Hands pulled at her shoulders and arms as she fought madly to get away from Decker.

"Let me go! Let me go!" She felt a hand griping her shoulder and she whipped her head around sinking her teeth into soft flesh before the hand was wrenched away.

"ARGH! Bloody hell, Nell! You bit me!" came a cry that she recognised instantly. She stopped struggling, her eyes growing accustomed to light and she saw Jack and Norrington trying to stop her struggles.

"Jack?" She backed away from them, unsure what she was seeing. Was it really them? Or were they something like Decker? Decker! She had forgotten him the moment she had seen Jack. She turned quickly to look behind her but saw only Bryant and Hock looking worriedly at her. She backed away further when Jack moved towards her, one hand lifted to touch her.

"Nell. It's all right," Norrington spoke softly watching her fear filled face carefully. "It's fine."

Nell looked wildly about her for signs of Decker but she couldn't see him anywhere. She looked back at Jack who was frowning at her, his hands at odd angles.

"Nell, what are you doing?" he asked, the slur only just present.

"Jack? Is it you?" Her voice shook as she tried hard to decide whether she was truly safe or whether it was another trick; another evil part of this island. Was it really Jack in front of her?

He cocked his head to one side watching her, unwilling to approach her again in case she backed up even further. He could see she was spooked; but he'd have to wait until she accepted she was safe till he found out why. He stuck his left hand out at an odd angle; his other hand went to his hip.

"Nell, would it help if I told you that you sleep like the dead, but if you're on your back you snore; you're given to swearing when under pressure, or if you think no-one can hear you, and your feet smell when they get hot?"