Chapter Text
Jack's blood runs cold, hearing Ed's voice behind him. Feeling the gun pressed to the back of his head. “Always. Ain't that right, love?” Jack watches Izzy's eyes glaze over just a little bit, looking behind him. Looking at Ed. At the closing of Jack's window of opportunity. And he smiles. Faint, not fully - but a smile nonetheless. “So,” Ed hums. “Dunno why you're here then, Jackie. Appreciate you for checking in on your old pals. But we're doing just fine. Shall I show you out?”
Fuck! “Hey Eddie,” Jack grins, the regular, shit-kicking asshole Ed's always known because he has no fucking idea how long the crazy bastard has been standing behind him. If he gets out of here, he's going to have to go for reinforcements, assuming Ed just doesn't decide to blow his brains out. He knew Ed normally farmed out his killing, but he was really hoping this wasn't about to be an exception to the rule. While he would die for Izzy, he didn't really want to die like this.
Ed gestures with the gun. “On your feet, and no sudden movements. I'm a little twitchy tonight.” And Jack can tell. His pupils are fully dilated and makes his already dark and endless eyes appear black. Like a demon. Like the legends made him out to be. He's on something for sure, and Jack isn't willing to figure out what. To test just how - twitchy he is. Even though he wants so badly to call his bluff and fight. But Ed's just as crafty and wiley when he's intoxicated as he is sober. But intoxicated, he's a lot less - thoughtful. Giving into his absolute worst impulses. Which is why he does as asked. Getting up really slow, keeping his hands out and visible, so Ed doesn't think he's going to try something. He's not, even though it breaks his fucking heart to leave Izzy behind.
If he thought, for even a second, he could take Ed out before he could get off a shot, Jack would take it. But he can't help with a hole in his head. Or his gut. Ed probably wouldn't kill him, but he's not going to take the chance. As he turns to go, his eyes flicker to Izzy, to see that same, terrifying blankness in his eyes, his hand down by his side and his arm visibily shaking. It's like now that Ed was here, he was shutting down. It's how he coped. They'd have to move tonight. Before Ed could take off, because he would if he thought Jack was truly sniffing around Izzy, who doesn't follow them.
“Why the fuck are you on my fucking ship right now, Calico? Fuck are you doing with Izzy?”
Jack grins, playing stupid. “Fuck off, Eddie, it ain't like that and you know it.”
“Ain't like what?” Ed hums dangerously. “Like why you and my wife are in our fucking quarters, sitting down like you own the place? Like -.”
“Nothing fucking happened, Eddie!” Jack shouts. “Fucking - relax, dude. I just -. The gun digs into the back of his head enough to hurt, and he feels it shift when Ed cocks it. Digging right into the spot where his head meets his neck. An instant, but painful death if Ed pulls the trigger.
“You just need to fucking go home. And give Anne and Mary our love, will you? Tell them that the next time you, or them, want to - drop by, send word first, yeah? Things have been real busy with Blackbeard. Shoring everything up, making sure our spot up top is secure. So we won't always be available, y'know? With the whole world wanting to have face time with us. Iz and I won't be as - available.”
Jack hears what he's saying loud and clear. He is not welcome. Neither are Anne or Mary. Interesting that he didn't mention Ned, but then again, he might not know about that insane bastard, but he should definitely remember Sammy. Not that Jack is going to listen. Fuck no. He didn't get where he was backing down, even from dangers on two legs that's watching him like he's considering eating him. Looking at him, Jack gets it. Even as crazy as he is, he's beautiful, Beautiful in his madness. In the manic gleam in his eyes the crazed smile on his face. Even knowing that, Jack still kinda wants to fuck him. But not enough to make the offer. Even if it would be a good distraction to get Izzy away. But right now, he's got to do something that makes him sick to his stomach. Even though he's doing it so that, once he's got what he needs, he can take another crack at this. He'll stand a much better chance. He has to go. He has to say goodbye to Ed, even though all he wants to do is bash his face in. He has to watch Ed's jaunty walk back to his cabin. Where Izzy is. Watch him get exactly what he wants. For now.
He can feel the eyes of the crew watching as he leaves, but he keeps himself outwardly calm as he makes his way back down the dock and out of town. By the time he hits the streets, he's running. He gets back to Anne and Mary's before he bursts through their door. Anne is nowhere to be seen, but Mary is, and her eyes widen when she sees him.
“What the fuck happened?”
“What was he doing here, Iz?” Ed asks while he wraps his arms around him. Holding him close, but in a way that's far from loving and warm. It's like a boa constrictor, and Izzy is the mouse that's about to be his dinner. If Izzy wasn't already - weak. Getting weaker, as he chugged that nasty ass drink while Ed was chasing Jack off. The fact that it's working this quickly is promising, even if it means he doesn't have the energy to get away from Ed.
Can't do much more than mutter “I don't fucking know. He followed me here, but I didn't - didn't ask him to, Eddie.”
“Are you sure, Iz?” Ed purrs, but there's ice in it instead of heat, and Izzy shivers, his heart beginning to ache.
“You fucking know how he is, Eddie. He's like a fucking fungus. Gets it in his head -.” Ed's hand is abruptly at his throat. Not tight, just resting, but a warning nonetheless.
“And what's gotten in Jackie's head this time, huh? What's he want?”
Izzy takes in a shallow breath. “Don't fucking know. Didn't give him time to explain.”
“Sneaky fucking prick,” Ed huffs. “Whatever, doesn't matter. We're done with our business here. I called the men back. Gonna set out in a couple hours. Unless you've got more you need to do? I know you had your thing at Jackie's. Is that -.”
“All done,” Izzy sighs. “I'm -.”
“Good,” Ed giggles. He drops his hand to grab Izzy's hips. Grinding against Izzy's ass. He's fully hard. Still, despite smelling like sex and strangers. Must've done some rhino horn before he hit the town. “Good, because I wanna have some alone time with my wife.”
The words send a shiver down Izzy's spine. His head is starting to throb, even as Ed's head dips and his lips begin to trace down Izzy's neck. Normally, any other night, he'd let Ed take what he wanted, whether he had any interest or not. But tonight, he's not sure what's going to happen to him. He was hoping to have more time before Ed showed back up. But apparently, nothing was going his way today. He tries anyway.
“I'm not feeling so great, Eddie.” Izzy should have known by now that all that does is make Ed loosen his belt enough to start sliding his hand under his pants.
“Lemme make you feel better then, Iz. Least for a little bit, yeah? You know I know how to take care of you how you like.” Ed also knows that Izzy's body is a fucking traitor. Even though the herbs are definitely working, and his body is certainly responding to them, his cunt is just as responsive to Ed's fingers. Wet leather rubbing against wet folds. Curling to just the right angle to start stroking his cock. Sure, the shocks of pleasure are taking away the growing ache, the pain that he's already dealing with. But there's so much turmoil in his body that makes it all far from good. Far from pleasurable enough to distract him. His body is practically fucking conditioned to respond to Ed, as the lips on his neck turn harsh and biting, and Ed's hands work his pants down far enough to slip a finger inside him, making Ed groan.
“Fuck, you're always so wet.” Izzy lets out a strangled gasp as Ed bites him hard enough to draw blood, pain and pleasure coming together to make sparks behind his eyes.
Ed purrs, quickly adding a second finger while his other hand slides up and under Izzy's shirt. Grabbing his tit, digging his nails in deep enough that Izzy feels him break skin. The sensation makes him shiver, involuntarily fucking himself on Ed's fingers.
“There he is,” Ed moans. “See? I've got you, love. I'm going to make it all better, yeah? Better than fucking Jackie. Drunken fucking oaf. Couldn't do what I do. Good thing Mary's around to tug on his fucking leash. Keep him from getting Annie in the wrong hole, eh? Stupid mutt.” Izzy squeezes his eyes shut, a soft whimper leaking out of his throat. It feels good. It always feels good, but he doesn't want it. Not when his head is starting to spin, or maybe that's just Ed picking him up like he used to, when they were still young and stupid and living under the shadows of Hornigold, finding release in each other. He places Izzy down onto the bed with a softer touch than he's used to, but it doesn't last as Ed begins yanking his pants off, eager to get him bare and open. He doesn't even bother with Izzy's shirt, just pushing it up enough to bare his tits, sharp teeth latching onto his nipple and Izzy's back bows as he cries out.
He doesn't know what does it. The ramping up of the herbs in his system, that very faint cramp like he's starting his monthlies, or Ed shoving in after barely preparing him for it. It hurts like nothing else, for just a second. And then - nothing. He feels numb. Like everything just - stops. Maybe he died. There's a small part that hopes he died. But he's slowly waking up and finding himself somewhere - different. His senses are much too dull to really tell how and why it's different. But he knows it is. Then his blurry eyes take in a white blanket draped over him. Not the black bedding in their cabin. It's - the infirmary. The fucking infirmary.
The world is still coming to him through a haze, although beneath it, he can feel the echo of aches just waiting to make themselves known. He doesn't see anyone in the immediate vicinity, but that doesn't mean a fucking thing on the Queen Anne. His head moves from side to side, but the only chair he can see is empty, and he doesn't seem to be attached to anything. He starts to sit up, and his wrist is tied to the table. One of Ed's knots. One that won't come loose without significant loss of skin, and he can already feel Ed left him completely bare.
Why the fuck is he here? Why the fuck has he been restrained? What the fuck -.
“Oh, good, Mr. Hands. You're awake. I am - I do apologize about the ropes.” Izzy turns his head to watch their Doctor coming into the room. “The Captain and I both determined that you were - well, frankly, you were - not right. Wild, a danger to yourself, sir. So we had to. I can remove it now, if you'd -.”
“Touch me and I'll fucking rip your throat out with my teeth,” Izzy growls.
The Doctor just raises his hands, keeping his distance from Izzy. “So that's a no, then, sir. Sorry, but I can't have that. Not with the state you're in.”
“Try it,” Izzy snarls. “Do you have any fucking idea who the fuck I am? You're on my fucking ship, so I should think you fucking do.” Truthfully, he does not feel up to this. Just sitting up is making the room move in unpredictable ways. His chest aches. His throat burns with pain like he hasn't felt since he was a child. Between his legs feels like it's on fire, and it's all he can do not to wince in pain as he shifts, holding the blanket up over his chest. The man is watching him with a polite smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes, and Izzy studies his face, deciding when, not if, he kills this fucker, he wants to enjoy it.
“Sir,” he sighs. “You lost far too much blood to put up much of a fight. You're going to be on bed rest for the next week or two, I suspect. Shedding a pregnancy -.”
“What the fuck do you know?” Izzy spits. “How would you even fucking know -.”
“I recognized the smell, sir. Helped many former patients through that ordeal. I haven't told Blackbeard, and I doubt he knows what happened. Just that something happened that caused severe, almost fatal, blood loss, sir. I will not tell him, sir, not if you don't want me to. We can just let him continue to believe there was some sort of - mishap.”
For a few moments, Izzy just breathes. He doesn't know. He doesn't fucking know if this bastard is telling the truth. He's had very few interactions with him outside of when he was with Ed, so he doesn't know that he can trust him. He may make a deal with Izzy and expose him to Ed anyway. It wouldn't make Izzy trust him, but then again, maybe he's relying on that. He wouldn't be the first man to try to take out his Captain's First Mate if he has his eyes on a higher prize than just a ship. Izzy is the only thing standing between Ed and the crew. With him out of the way, the man he loves is vulnerable. The thought shouldn't hurt like this, should it? Like he can't get a full breath. Like there's a hand around his throat and black spots dancing at the corners of his vision.
“Sir?” the Doctor asks. “Sir? Oh dear. Alright. Here, just a little something -.” Izzy feels glass against his lips. Smells something absolutely fucking noxious - laudanum. Laudanum hits his tongue, and oh Lord, does he try to spit it back out when it starts sliding down his throat. But that fucking prick pinches his nose, and he swallows. He keeps swallowing until that darkness starts thickening. Creeping further and further as his body gets weaker. Fighting it. Fighting it with all he's fucking got. But he doesn't have anything. Not even running on fumes. Just - nothing, while his head hits the pillow.
As his eyes drift shut, he hears the door open, but he doesn't know who enters. Doesn't see the light fading away as the darkness reaches up like a monster in the deep and pulls him down into its quiet embrace. He doesn't see Ed come into the room, like the monster that is his namesake. Quiet. Watchful. Apocalyptic rage set on a low simmer. He knows something is wrong, but he just doesn't know what. He's never seen Izzy bleed like that. Never heard him scream the way he had as Ed had shoved himself deep into the welcoming, wet heat that was his . His hand reaches out, tracing Izzy's jaw, and he thinks about how beautiful he looks with a necklace of bruises around his neck.
“What happened?” Ed murmurs. “What happened to him?” He's not even looking at the Doctor, who is twiddling his thumbs behind Ed. Beside himself with nerves, lying through his teeth.
“I am still not sure, Captain. He still hasn't woken up, so I can't exactly -.”
“Then what the hell are you here for?” Ed's shoulders tense, his head turning so slowly towards him. His eyes aren't ice cold. It's something more. Like Hell frozen over. Something worse than even the fucking Devil. Something that could make Satan himself shiver. “What the fuck am I paying you for? You don't know ? Aren't you the same asshole who bragged about how you could diagnose someone just by looking at them? That's why I fucking hired you. So. Look at him. Diagnose him. Tell me what fucking happened to him. Or I'll give you my own diagnosis. Death.”
The man flinches back, and a flame of satisfaction flares to life in Ed's belly. Izzy was his. Nothing was allowed to take him, and if this sniveling little ratshit wasn't able to do it, there were no shortage of crew vying for his attention. He steps back, but stops by Izzy's head, a possessive touch on his temple. A warning of what he's capable of. Truthfully, he hasn't killed anyone in years, but he's about to make an exception, particularly for a man who can't keep Izzy safe. He refuses to consider what that says about him.
The four people gathered in Anne and Mary's home certainly know what it says. That he's - “A fucking monster,” Ned growls. “Which feels like an insult to monsters. Even monsters have morals. Limits. They don't drag someone to rock bottom, and then keep trying to get them even lower. Kicking them when they're down, when they're the ones that -.”
“I think we've got the picture, Ned,” Sam sighs while rubbing his temples. “We've all - we've seen it. Heard it. Fucking - pinche cabrón. I just -.”
“It's alright, Sammy,” Anne whispers and goes over to hug him. “It's alright, we understand.”
For once, Sam clings to her, at a loss for what to do. The Queen was gone by the time Jack had found them and led them back to the dock, his face buried in her wild, auburn curls. Sammy was the softest of the group. The most sentimental. Jack's pretty sure they all, himself included, feel some sorta way about Izzy, but poor Sammy has never let another even turn his head. He knew Izzy was it for him the first time he laid eyes on him. Looking at him as he shakes, Jack fears it's going to get him killed.
“I cannot believe you didn't stay with the ship, Jack,” Ned sighs and glares pointedly at him. “You could have at least -.”
“Gotten yourself shot, like Ed said he was gonna do,” Mary interjects. Then dump his body and fuck off. Which would mean we woulda lost the ship anyway. Just with the addition of Eddie fuckin' Teach taking someone else from us.” She snorts, shaking her head. “And you call yourself the fuckin' smart one. Smart ass , more like. So -.”
“Seriously?” Jack barks. “And now you're doing exactly what Eddie is probably counting on. Squabbling like fucking babies.”
Something flashes in Ned's eyes, but Anne opens her mouth and barks, “Enough!”
Ned, despite how fucking crazy he is, have enough respect for Anne to keep his mouth shut, even if the looks he shoots her venomous. He knows that if he pushes a fight, she'll finish it if she has to, and truthfully, neither of them is really sure who would come out on top. And Jack refuses to risk it. Not with what’s at stake. Who .
“She's fucking right. We can't fight each other when we have an actual fucking person to fight. Two, really.” Sam looks away, but he knows they're all thinking of Izzy. Jack came home with a still-drying cut on his neck from Izzy's sword.
“We're already cutting it close with just the four of us,” Anne sighs while running her fingers through Sam's hair. “Nearly evenly matched. Nearly. We need all the help we can get. And we need, need, to stick together. All of us. There's a million ways that this can all go tits up. Going up against Teach and Hands.” She flicks her eyes back over to Ned. “Your inclination to say I told you so is gonna have to wait. You can bitch at us when we're all burning down below. But right now, love, put that shit away. Ok?”
The two of them lock eyes. Anne's stubborn ferocity and Ned's madness and desire for chaos and blood push against each other. Jack's hand casually drops to his whip.
Ned takes a deep breath, runs a hand through his hair and finally says, “Where's your fucking liquor, Mary? The good shit. I need to be shit faced for this.”
“Nope,” Mary grunts. “Sorry, Low. Gonna need you all stone cold for this. We only got one shot. Any of you fuck this up, and there's no going back. No second chance. Fuckin' psycho will wipe us all out. You got a problem? You can go, but I know you ain't leaving. You're too hung up on him to not try. And you hate Teach enough to not want him to win. So doing this, and pulling it off, will be a win-win for you. Guy like you wouldn't pass that up.”
The look on Ned's face is one Jack doesn't ever want to see hit Anne's when she's looking in his direction. He may have married her once, but that doesn't mean he's stupid enough to not be afraid of her. Then again, Ned isn't stupid, he's batshit crazy. Jack had never said it before, but he'd thought Ned and Ed had a lot in common. But for a turn of fate, Ed might have been Ned. And that difference seemed to be one tiny, dark-haired, feral mutt of a man who brought out the monster in all of them.
Instead, he steps forward, eyes blazing, and hands her his favorite dagger, voice melodic. “On your head be it.” Anne searches his eyes before plucking the dagger from his hand and patting his cheek.
“There's my boy.” Ned snaps his teeth, but Anne and Mary giggle, and there's the barest hint of a break in Ned's ire.
“Fuckin' hell, Annie,” Mary sighs while she beckons Sam over to her. “What happened to saving our energy for that ‘punk bitch who ruined our lives?’ The enemy of my enemy is my friend? Save the duel over Izzy for later, yeah? When we all make it outta this shit as alive as possible.” Ned gives her a single nod, but when he sits back down, he chooses a chair closer to the lounge where Jack is sprawled, his line of sight still clear enough to see all three doors.
“Very well, Bonny. What's your plan?”
She shrugs, twirling the dagger in her fingers. “Brute force, baby. He won't expect it, the cocky little fucker. You know he can't stand the idea someone might love Izzy more than him. He's owned Izzy for years. He won't give that up without a fight, and we don't know what Ed will do before that.”
“He knows how we all fight,” Jack chimes in. “How we all are. He knows what buttons to push and when. Always thinking six or seven fucking steps ahead. I'm sure he's already sure when he told me to fuck off, that I was gonna try coming back. That's why he set off, probably far ahead of schedule. Put space between us, so he's got time to think. Because he knows I'm going to chase after him. I don't know if he knows about the rest of you. Anne and Mary, for sure. But you two?” He points at Sam and Ned. “I don't think he'd expect y'all to be with us.”
The look on Sam's face is one step down from terror. He knows better than any of them what Izzy is capable of. Izzy trained Sam when he came onboard. He's fought against him firsthand. Ned didn't meet Izzy till right after Ed joined up, and by then, Ed had already caught his eye, but Izzy had caught Ned's. And that never really stopped, even if he didn't ever seem to do anything about it. What none of them know is that Izzy's been in his bed a few times; he just knows how to keep himself under the Kraken's radar. Keep him and Izzy safe. Until now. Now, he doesn't care if he dies alongside him, but he also knows Anne is probably right, the brilliant cunt.
“Brute force,” Ned repeats while crossing one leg over the other. “So - throw ourselves at him, and hope that we throw him off guard. And what about Izzy? How -.”
“I can talk to him.” All eyes turn to Sam. Not the youngest of their group, only a little bit older than Ed. But the youngest in the room. The least experienced. A bit of a soft touch, but the crew he's building under his flag - like him, for that, strangely enough. That he's kind. Diplomatic. Democratic. But right now? Jack barks out a laugh while Mary squeezes Sam’s hand. Jack's laughter turns to full-bellied guffawing, doubling over and smacking his knees.
“Sorry,” he wheezes. “Sorry, sorry. But - but - really? Talking? I tried, and I couldn't -.”
“I think he can,” Anne cuts him off. Jack's head shoots up, looking at Anne and almost flinching at the seriousness in her eyes. “I love you, Jackie. Love you to death. But it didn't work for you because you're - you.”
He can feel himself start to bristle, the hair on the back of his neck going up on instinct. He'd always loved Annie, but there were too many times when they came way too close to blows, and Jack feels like he's slipping towards that line.
He cocks his chin at a belligerent angle, “Fucks that mean?”
Ned catches his attention, and Jack's pretty sure it's on purpose when he sees the look on his face, “Eddie knows Izzy's wrapped around his gorgeous fingers. I know it’s only been for a year, but they’re married all the same. Do you really think he's going to let him go without trying to kill every single one of us?” He looks at Anne, Do you want to spend the rest of your life looking over your fucking shoulder for Blackbeard?”
“Izzy will listen to me,” Sam mutters. “He'll listen to me if you can keep Ed distracted and let me get him alone. I know he'll listen to me. Then -.”
“And if he doesn't go with you?” Jack interrupts. He tips his head back just enough to show off the cut. Feel the sting as a breeze hits it. “He does to you what he did to me? But worse, because we'll be in a warzone. He'll be fighting to kill. He did this just to scare me off. A warning, not a promise. So-.”
“Then I'll take him!” Sam shouts. “Jesus, hijo de puta, is that what you wanna hear? Want me to get angry? Well I'm fucking angry! I'm angry that none of you old assholes got Izzy to go with one of you instead of him! If Izzy doesn't listen to me, doesn't come willingly, I'll fucking knock his ass out and take him! Forgive me, for wanting to try something non-violent first. Fuck me.”
Silence falls across the room, and of course, it's Ned that breaks it as he says, “You can't speak a language you don't understand, kiddo.”
Sam spins, teeth bared, and for just a second, Ned sees himself. Younger, Desperate, Willing to tear the world to ruins to get back the only man he's ever cared about in his life. As he looks at him, Ned fears he sees his death in Sam's eyes. And that's not something he can allow. Izzy may not realize it, but he's as in love with Sam as Sam is with him. Ned's seen it in his eyes when he didn't think anyone else was looking. There is no way he's going to stand by and allow this dark-eyed child to take Izzy away from them all. Because that's what would happen.
Sammy is too sweet to take on the devil and live, so Ned cocks his head to the side, for all the world like a curious cat, and purrs, “Then you'll have my bow by your side when you do.” Anne slinks over to Sam, pulling him into her arms again and pecking his cheek.
“Mary and I, too, Sammy,” Anne whispers. “Her guns, my blades.” She shifts her gaze to Jack, a silent demand for him to say something. Throw himself behind the kid who is most likely not to survive this fucking shit.
But -. “Yeah,” Jack huffs. “Yeah, you got me. Been wanting to whip Ed's ass again. Literally. Yeah, you fucking got me kid.”
When Jack meets Ned's eyes, he sees his own fears. For just a second, he doesn't feel as alone as he normally does. But then Ned breaks the connection, turning his hawklike glare back on Anne.
“So I recall the fleet. Then what? Where do you want to make our final stand?”
Anne cocks an eyebrow, “No faith?”
Ned's smile doesn't meet his eyes, “Darling, I know Ed because I am him. But better. We're not all walking away from this.”
“As long as we get him out, I don't care what happens to me,” Anne fires back. “You think I don't know the risks? That we're basically storming the gates? Letting the fucking Devil know that we're on our way? But if I can take Eddie with me when I go down, I'll die a very happy girl. I've made my fucking peace. But if you've got cold feet, there's the fuckin' door, love.”
Mary has sat back in her chair, slouched, legs open, eyes on the ceiling. She knows they're both posturing, but she hasn't had enough of it to call them out yet. Jack is looking back and forth between the two of them, in case he has to dive in the middle - but he doesn't think they'll need to. There's something on Ned's face - something Jack hasn't seen in a long time. He's not even really sure he's seeing it now, but it's close to a prayer, so for once, Jack keeps his mouth shut.
“How much time do you need?”
Anne quirks an eyebrow, “Why?”
Ned smiles like a shark, “I'm going to get it for you.”