Title: Love on the High Seas AU: "Jack Ponders His Problem"
Author: Pirate Sparrow
Rating: R
Summary: Jack ponders the problem keeping him awake at night.
Warnings: An Alternate Universe within an Alternate Universe; Slash
Disclaimer: Jack Sparrow and Will Turner are & TM Disney, not the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. Brendan Richards and this version of Chong are & TM Pirates Sparrow and Turner and may not be used without permission. Piper Halliwell is & TM her respective owners, not the author; is used without permission; and may not be used without permission. Everything else is & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Jack lay as still as he could in the big bed so that he wouldn't wake Will. Every now and again, he would very slowly turn over and clutch at the covers. His mind was at it once more, waking him and not letting him return to sleep. He never knew what woke him, but once awake, it was impossible to regain his much needed sleep. Try though he might, nothing seemed to help.

Once again, he played over the day's events. Had he failed some one who needed him? No, he told himself, he had done all that he could think of to help any who had asked and even those who had not asked. He had been his usual charming self yet he felt something lacking.

Maybe that's it, he thought. Maybe it's the lack of rum! He used to never go to bed without drinking at least one bottle, but since Will had shown his displeasure of the drink, Jack had done his best not to drink it. The withdrawal of his nightly companion had driven Jack almost over the edge to the point that he had almost hidden away to drink it. Yet every time he had made another day without taking a drink had given him renewed strength and courage to continue his battle. He could not remember the last time he had had a drink and, as he searched his mind, realized that he did not want one now. Did Will even realize that he no longer drank? Jack wondered.

What's wrong with me? Jack pondered the question even as he slipped as quietly as only he could when he was trying to pilfer something from Piper's cooking when her back was turned. She had not caught him at it yet. He knew that even his great good luck would run out some day. What would she say when she found out? Would she be angry? He hoped not.

Could that be his problem: could he be hungry? He didn't think so. No, he still felt full from the feast that dinner had been, and for once, Chong's food had not made him regret eating it an hour later. He wasn't hungry. So that wasn't it either.

He grabbed a blanket from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around his now shaking body. He had longjohn pants on, something he had taken to doing when they had returned from their last awful adventure with the Saucy Wench and the nightmare that had tried to destroy their lives. But not even the memories that rode heavily on his mind nor the trials that followed after kept him awake. His Will was alive, thanks to the Gods, and even though he was scarred emotionally, Jack could still hold and snuggle close to him at night! He sent a thankful prayer skyward for the rescue of his people yet again and prayed that those who had endured emotional heartaches would find peace.

He thought perhaps his sex drive was gone forever simply because Will couldn't. Jack knew that he would never want that with any one else so he knew that he would not be missing sleep because of that. He simply had stopped sleeping in the nude and now wore pants.

Taking his usual place by the window Jack gazed out into the night sky and pondered his life and his people. Although they seemed to have been physically healed, he knew that many were emotionally scarred, like his beloved. How many were missing sleep, just like him? Did they know why? Maybe he should ask his brother for something to make him sleep? Brendan would probably want to know the whys and wherefores causing his lack of sleep, a question Jack still did not know the answer for.

He marvelled at the millions of stars that lit the night sky and knew not how long he sat there watching until the slow rosy fingers of Dawn/Aurora lit up the morning sky. He only knew that, yet again, sleep had eluded him and that if Will caught him there, he'd be upset with him yet again. Will thought he was the cause, and because Jack couldn't give him the real answer because he didn't know it, they might fuss yet again. He slowly moved back to the bed and crawled in beside the warm comfort of his Will just as the rooster crowed.

He pretended yet again to be asleep when his love kissed him sweetly, wishing him a great new day. Slowly opening his eyes, returning that kiss, Jack knew that it would be a glorious day as long as he had his Will. The problem would have to wait for another day; Jack refused to keep dwelling on it. Seize the day and all its promises! he told himself and lost himself to Will's lips.

The problem solved itself in time just as most problems do when treated with love and understanding. Jack never knew what it was, but in giving himself completely to Will and their love, it went away to be replaced with more deep abiding love and happiness than he had ever known. He slept and had pleasant dreams most nights. Still there were nights when the Demons haunted his sleep, but that's a different story . . .

The End