First of all I'm so sorry for not updating in such a long time. Seriously I'm so sorry! Anyway, I hope you are still interested in the story. This is the last chapter.

Chapter IX

''There be no way t' fix his ear, we don't fix legs, how could we fix ears?'' Aki said, still looking at the removed ear pressed between her nails. The Spaniard said nothing.

Yusei turned to look at her ''Movin' t' more important issues, what be we goin' t' do with Jack when we reach shore?''

''That be important? We can do whatever we want with him, but we have t' choose soon. I want to get to land and just leave him 'ere in the ship.''

''But then we will lose the ship.''

''We can be part of another crew, or better yet, get a land job.'' Aki replied.

There was silence until the Spaniard left.

''Methinks Jack be sick.'' Yusei said ''He tells me to free him so he can piss from the quarterdeck... 'ery often. An' he never stops askin' fer more water, he eats as much as before, yet he is getting more sickly thin each day.''

''An' what if he be sick? We are goin' to leave him 'ere, nay?''

Yusei looked at her ''Aye.''

Aki's neutral expression turned to a glare.

''...Or what? Ye thought that because I am th' nurse I will do something fer him? He's had scurvy fer months, an' now he has something else also.''

''We be about to reach shore!'' shouted Sherry while walking past the Sick Bay.

Aki stared at Yusei and sighed.

''If ye have a thing t' say t' Jack, this be the moment.''

She left the cabin. In the quarterdeck almost the entire crew looked at the fraction of the coast they could see from their position. Kiryu was beside Rua, and they both felt how the view gave them hope and no one who saw it could help imagining a brighter future for themselves. Aki imagined herself as a more professional nurse, Kyosuke wanted to see his family again, and as he left his own business for a bit, he turned to look at Rua.

He had become a bit more silent since they've started sailing, and it was hard to tell whether he had been changing since the first day in which he was part of the crew or it was the lack of food that kept him in a silent kind of shock. Perhaps it was actually the fight with the Spanish galleon what really distanced him from Kyosuke in particular, since he got to kill one of the Spaniards in front of him. It was hard to believe that Rua hadn't been ready to see someone die, but he was just a child and sometimes when children see weapons they see them only by themselves and don't think of their actual functions, Kyosuke guessed.

Yusei didn't have time to lose, but he still waited some seconds before leaving to the orlop deck to not seem too concerned with Jack.

When he arrived, Jack didn't look at him. Not even from the corner of his eyes. He didn't move at all but Yusei could hear his heavy breathing.

''I be a good leader, don't ye think?'' Yusei said after standing in front of him. That's when Jack made eye contact.

''Ye aren't made for it!'' He shouted, lowered his head and, in an almost whisper he continued ''Ye don't have what it takes.''

''Ye don't understand... I want ye to see it. Ye are wrong an' I want ye to see it.''

''Yusei'' he whispered. They looked at each other in peace for a moment, allowing themselves to see all details on the other's faces. Yusei looked at Jack's blonde eyelashes and Jack looked at Yusei's hair. They stared at each other's mouths. Before saying anything, Yusei untied him from the pillar.

''Me...'' Yusei started talking and sighed before continuing ''Methinks I need ye on th' crew, Jack.''

As soon as he was free, Jack took him by the waist and got him closer to him.

''Methinks I need ye on me life...'' he said.

Yusei's face was touching Jack's chest.

''...But that can't be. Both things.'' he said.

Yusei looked at him.

''Hm? Ye know I can stay with ye, nay?''

Jack had his thumb on Yusei's cheek and caressed it.

''Ye can't.'' he said ''I be sick.''

Yusei swallowed his own saliva. Jack already had scurvy for three months, enough time to develop reddish marks over his body, and there was another disease he'd gotten.

''But it's nay contagious, methinks.'' he said.

Jack got his fingers off Yusei's face and subconsciously got further from him.

''I meant I'm going t' die soon.''

They both slowly looked at their right side, breaking eye contact.

''How can you be so sure?''

''Meknows me body, Yusei.'' he said ''I know I hadn't told ye before, but I really wasn't worried until the mutiny.''

''Nay... Ye have only had scurvy for a few months...''

''A few months is enough. And there's other things that are wrong with me.''

Crow entered the deck in which they were, stared at Jack, stared at Yusei and, before going back, said:

''We be gettin' closer.''

''Aye.'' responded Yusei, and sighed as Crow went back to the quarterdeck. He turned to see Jack and covered his own mouth with his hand. He shed a tear from both eyes, and got closer again to Jack after a few minutes, during which he only stared at him.

''An' is that supposed to mean that I can't stay?'' he asked.

Jack got so close to him that their chests were touching each other.

''Stay fer what? See me die.'' he whispered ''Nay only I be sick, but also there be no food, and methinks we all know whose fault 't is.''

''I stay.'' Yusei touched Jack's shoulder. With a quick movement Jack moved Yusei's hand away.

''Nay! Whatever happens I will only last a few weeks. If ye stay, two lives will end. As soon as ye are called to get to land, ye will leave th' ship t' never see me again!''

Yusei looked at his eyes for several moments. All of that was true, even if Jack were to get to land somehow, most probably he wouldn't be able to survive much more than a month, and it could be a more painful and slow death than to leave him in the ship. Besides Yusei knew him enough to know that he wouldn't want to be seen by others as he died.

''I'll go then, Jack.'' he said.

''I don't blame ye for anythin'.'' Jack said and, imitating Yusei's gesture, sighed ''I turned into a tyrant fer ye and Kyosuke and th' rest of the crew.''

Yusei was trying to find words that could contradict that without lying. He let Jack continue talking. He perfectly remembered every single detail related to Jack using the cat of nine tails on him and Kyosuke, he had in his memories even the words said, the clothes they worn, the amount of times he was lashed each time it happened. He remembered that was the first time he'd seen Kyosuke cry. The only reason, Yusei started to realise, why he had insisted on staying with him is that the earlier memories of the old Jack eclipsed all those horrible things that his more recent self had done to him.

''I remember th' days before that, before I started t' torture ye. An' I almost feel it was another life.''

No, it was just another Jack, Yusei thought, as he looked at the column Jack was previously tied to.

''Shall I tell Carly t' come t' say good bye t' ye?'' Yusei asked.

''Nay, she already has come this mornin'.'' Jack replied.

Yusei realised they were getting closer to the shore with each second that passed. He felt his own heartbeat with such clarity that when he got close to Jack and got his arms around him, he feared Jack could feel his heart pounding. The latter stroked Yusei's hair and his eyes got shinier with tears yet to be shed. He felt his own life slip away from his hands, it wasn't under his control anymore. He lifted Yusei's face taking it by the chin and lowered his own head a bit to get their mouths closer until they touched. They parted their lips slightly and Jack put his fingers on each side of Yusei's jawline and deepen the kiss. As it ended, Yusei held one of his long locks of blonde hair and kept looking at him. The anchor of the ship was lowered.