Disclaimer: Same as all the other chapters, please don't make me write it all out! This disclaimer also covers the Enya song "Once you had gold" – it's hers and her record companies; though I do wish I had a smidgeon of her talent and ability to sing! I also think it's now common knowledge what an Enya fan I am! LOL!

Thanks to all my reviewers – so sorry for all the delays! Hope you like this chapter and it makes up for it.

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE, SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

'—' signifies thoughts.

"—" signifies speech.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

THE LADY PIRATE

Chapter Eleven – Never Leave

It was much later that Little Bit approached Jack "will you leave us then?"

"Nay lass, what makes ye ask?" He glanced at her as he steered the Pearl.

"Ma said you would, before – when she spoke to them…..people." She wouldn't refer to her grandparents as anything else now and Jack, for his part, ignored this small protest – accepting it as the only way the child could show her abhorrence of their treatment of her mother……….

Well, without cutting their throats anyway; and after the debacle of his beard (he touched the re-growth wistfully) he wouldn't put that past her either. Little Bit still had her little blade and, as she'd frequently pointed out, it was enough to cut a throat.

Instead he pressed on "Well, your Ma's had a lot o' people leave 'er Little Bit – but I won't be one of 'em."

Maggie was not convinced "But you must do something to upset females Jack - every time you meet a woman in Tortuga she'its ye."

"Slaps, pet, she slaps me…." Jack wafted his hands to make his point "Not sure I deserved all of 'em neither." He nodded.

"I'll tell you what he does that upsets them so much…" Annie said wandering over.

"What?" They said together; both looking expectantly at her.

"He breathes." She smirked, ducking off before Jack could throw something at her.

"Cheeky wench!" he mumbled "crew get keelhauled for less!"

"She's got a point though Jack – after all, they only 'ave to see ye and ye get slapped."

"Well, they're sad because I left 'em….." he shut up as he realised what he'd said, before adding swiftly "But I didn't loves 'em, like I loves ye Ma."

"I'm glad to hear it." Little Bit said stiffly and stomped off; Jack tugged his re-growing beard nervously.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was much later that he decided to tackle Jess about it. He went to his cabin; well, theirs really, as she hadn't left since they'd been back on board and he doubted she ever would now.

She was sat by the window looking out over the sea – the pane was open and she was singing gently as she breathed the scent of the ocean. He'd heard her sing bawdy songs and the like, and then there was that song at Lizzie and Will's, but not like this – she sounded…….sad.

He moved stealthily into the room and very gently closed the door; he stood leaning against it as he listened to her sing….

"Once you had gold,
Once you had silver,
Then came the rains
out of the blue.
Ever and always,
Always and ever.
Time gave both darkness and dreams to you.

Now you can see
Spring becomes autumn,
leaves become gold
falling from view.
Ever and always,
Always and ever.
No-one can promise a dream come true,
Time gave both darkness and dreams to you.

What is the dark;
shadows around you,
why not take heart
in the new day?
Ever and always,
Always and ever.
No-one can promise a dream for you,
Time gave both darkness and dreams to
you."

As her soft voice filtered away over the last word he walked over "there ain't as much darkness in ye as others pet."

She started as she realised he'd picked up on the meaning of the song to her "No Jack, there's more."

"Well, I've yet to see it – you kept Ragetti and Pintel alive when the rest of us would've let 'em perish." He bobbed and waved his hands around "made the scurvy dogs walk the plank and join old Bootstrap Bill himself…'Bootstraps bootstraps'." he pulled a face and mimicked Ragetti; but this time she did not laugh.

He picked up a bottle of rum and waved it around "Have a drink luv, rum makes the world rosy – I speaks from copious experience, rum is the cure to all….well, all."

She looked down "I have a dark soul Jack; you'd be better off without me."

He put down the bottle and tilted her chin gently with his fingers, all signs of the Mad Jack the others knew gone "If you ever left me, I'd not give up searchin' for ye – I'd not let ye rest, not ever. You're as much in here as that there rum" he tapped his head and chest "I need ye as much as I need that bottle, mebbe more" then the drunken sop all thought he was was back. "though I'll never tell that to another livin' soul; 'ceptin' mebbe our Litte Bit, and that'd only be to hang on to me beard.

I reckon I stick a few beads in it soon - s'like me back hair, grows at a terrible speed it do."

Despite the jokes his eyes still had the intense dark gaze; and she held it for a moment, he was so close she could see his eyes now, and his rum smelling breath tickled her face. She leant in and kissed him – so light it was as if a butterfly had ghosted across his lips. He smiled slowly "call that a kiss luv? This is a kiss." And he hauled her against him "I'll never leave ye pet, not until death calls me and even then I'll go kicking, fighting and beating it over the head with a rum bottle – empty, mind…..."

"No, Jack – you'd only try and barter your way out." She smiled "I doubt you'd let him have your rum for any reason."

He stroked her face "Oh I could be persuaded to part with a bottle mebbe….."

"I'm only worth one bottle of rum?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Ah but it'd be a good 'un…..and I might stretch to two." He kissed round her eyes and down her neck "I mean, you're definitely a keeper."

"Oh I'm honoured." She muttered archly; but he smiled against her skin as she sighed and went boneless against him.

He stopped and sat up; she looked up at him "why'd you stop?"

"Ye've been a bad girl! Telling that scum I'd leave ye!" He smiled to show he was joshing her; but he did feel a bit hurt she didn't trust him. He was used to that from others, but honestly thought she knew him better.

She sighed and turned her head, not biting on the joke "Ye will….one day ye will. Everyone I love always do."

He dropped the act and leant close to her ear "not me, pet." He kissed her hard and started tugging at her shirt; she sighed and relaxed into his arms, letting him love her.

But Jack knew Jess, probably better than she realised. Even as he made love to her he knew she didn't believe him, thought that he'd eventually leave her – he determined to make her realise how much he loved her, how he'd never leave her…..well, unless he had to.

Later as she lay snugly asleep against him, he admitted to himself with a sigh that his track record with women wasn't that great. But Jess was different, he knew that deep in his rum-soaked soul; not least because he knew if he hurt her, Annie and Lizzie would have his guts for garters – and then there was the crew……he shuddered at the thought of Maggie too. She had her mother's temper; them having a row cost him his beard, if he really hurt her he didn't like to think about what his Little Bit would do.

He shook his head at the image of the little girl leading the others against him; but it wasn't just the many, many slaps he'd get, possible death and definite mutiny (and of course that bloody island again and, he hadn't forgotten, with no rum this time). No, it was the fact that he didn't want the wench beside him to be sad; she was part of him – his heart, his soul; probably more than rum, definitely as much. He considered for a moment – yeah, absolutely more than rum; and he never thought he'd ever hear himself admit that about any wench……

0-0-0-0-0-0

An hour later Jess woke to the feeling she was being watched – and indeed she was; dark chocolate eyes observed her, an unfathomable look on his face.

She smiled at Jack and snuggled closer, he grinned then at the contented look on her face "Y'know pet, I think yer the only wench who looks like that in my company."

"Like what?" she realised with not a little joy that she could make out more of his face today. She was becoming quietly confident that in the next few days she'd be able to see him properly, surely by the time they reached 'her' island. But more importantly, at least in a way, she'd be able to see them – at the moment it mattered most to do so.

Glory smirked evilly in the back of her mind; oh yes the day of reckoning for them would soon be at hand. Jess mentally shook the thoughts away, shut Glory back in her little room - that was then, this was now. Now she had Jack...for now...for now she was happy.

Jack was still talking "'appy, contented. Not many women get that look when I'm around – usually they look unhappy, angry…..then I get slapped." There was a pause before he muttered "not sure I deserve it every time."

"I doubt you'll ever get that look from me Jack…..well, until you leave me, but then you won't be here to see it." She smiled sadly, but it'd finally got his dander up.

"Will ye shut up ye wench ye!" he growled "I ain't leavin' ye! How many more times do ye need tellin'!"

She shrugged "Everyone leaves me Jack….everyone. I'm not angry; it's just the way it is."

"Not with me it ain't luv! Be like sayin' I don't like rum; never goin' t' happen savvy!" He shook his head vehemently; leaping from the bed, he stomped round the cabin stark naked and waving his hands around angrily to make his point.

Jess couldn't help it, she could see enough to find it funny, and pealed with laughter "Jack! Ye mad dolt! Come back to bed before you catch yer death – ye mad pirate ye!"

"Captain….mad pirate captain." He corrected seriously as he climbed into the bed again and pulled her warm form against his chilly body.

"Sod Jack, yer bloody freezing!" she tried to wriggle away, but he hung on to her squirming figure.

"So warm me up then woman!" he growled against the skin of her neck.

She turned over and looked at him "Ye want me to warm yer up? Really?" her hands started wandering and Jack immediately felt the blood pounding through his body, so fast it was making his head spin. She certainly knew how make his temperature rise…..

Suddenly she leapt away "Oh well, time for Glory to rise and go put the fear of God into them once more." The cut glass English accent was back; but Jack saw the mischievous glint in her eye and wasn't about to be left in dry dock like that…….not when he'd just seen his horizon beckoning.

"C'mere, ye teasing harpy!" he lunged and snagged her, she shrieked and laughed as he hauled her back onto the bed "Yer not leaving Captain Jack Sparrow, scourge of the seven seas, high and bloody dry!"

She sat astride him and kissed him fiercely; snaking her tongue into his mouth before suddenly leaning back to trail kisses down his neck and along his chest. Jack growled before gently flipping her over so she was underneath him.

As they began to make love once more, Jack whispered incessantly into Jess' ear "I'll never ye; I'll never leave ye…….never….." Until he could no longer string a coherent thought together, and then could only show her how she was in every breath he took.

0-0-0-0-0-0

An hour later they finally surfaced to be confronted by a confused Little Bit "Why do ye change the furniture so much in yer cabin and for so long? I mean yer've only got a table and few bloody chairs that can be moved – it can't take that long to shift 'em? And ye make so much noise about it!"

Jack wandered away, his shoulders shaking, mumbling "yer kid, yer problem pet." Jess glowered at him; she could see some of the crew, who were smirking and knew the others were probably doing the same.

"Umm….well, see Little Bit…I…that is to say…we….as in Jack and I..." She stammered.

Jack finally took pity on his woman and wandered back "My fault luv – see yer Ma has to contend with a drunken sop like me to 'elp shift the stuff around, and that ain't easy. S'why it takes so long and we…" he stifled the grin "make so much noise about it." He nodded and shushed his hands at her "try t'do it more quietly in future."

However the little girl was not about to let it go; having finally found an adult willing to talk to her about it, she had other questions "but why shout ye love her and then she she does the same to ye? And I mean ye only have a table and some chairs ye can move around in there…..so why keep doin' it?"

Jack took a deep breath to stay the laughter that was bubbling in his chest and forced his face into a serious look "Well, Little Bit them's good questions; and I means to answer 'em..." he paused for a moment for effect "I reckon that putting up with a drunken wretch like me means yer Ma deserves to 'ave me tell her how much I luvs 'er. She tells me coz….well, she's just a good person savvy?" Little Bit nodded enthusiastically.

"As to movin' the furniture around – well, I learnt long ago that women are never 'appy where you put stuff and always like it somewhere else. Where yer Ma's better than most is she's 'appy to put her...back into it too and help me get it…..shifted." he ignored the blush on Jess' face and the sniggers from the crew.

Little Bit looked thoughtful for a moment before piping up "Well, a'ven't yer got better things to do? Like…I dunno…..make babies? I fancy a little brother or sister." She skipped away with Rags, who was barely supressing the hysterical laughter at Jack's face.

For the first and only time in his adventurous life, Captain Jack Sparrow - scourge of the seven seas – drunken rum-soaked pirate, who thought he'd seen and heard everything (probably had at Tortuga) was rendered utterly speechless and staring dumbfounded at the spot she'd been stood in………………..there were certainly no flies on his Little Bit, of that he were now certain.

Finally regaining the power of speech he tossed his head, leered at the crew and weaved back to the wheel "Darlin' kid ain't she? Just like her Ma….I loves kids me – don't think I could manage a whole one though; the bones get stuck in me teeth somethin' terrible."

Gibbs turned proudly to Will "When that lass gets older and teams up with her Ma and the Cap'n there, God help the world – there'll not be man nor beast to stop them."

Will shook his head "I hope they gain the dream that Jess spoke of. An island somewhere with friends they now consider family..." Gibbs flushed with happiness at the compliment "a boat for fishing and roaming around, coz Jess doesn't think any of you could leave the sea forever." He smiled "But whatever happens I do hope they give up the piracy Jo. I do." He nodded emphatically at the older man's surprised expression "my father in law and Commodore Norrington are not always going to be around to cover for him, for all of them. I don't want to see any of them, or any of you, swinging from a gallows."

He looked out to sea and then back at the man before him "I hope they retire, go out on a high note and soon – the legendary banshee pirate queen Glory O'Reilly and the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in love and living the life of Reilly somewhere…… now that would be a tale to tell, would it not Jo?"

Gibbs nodded, a tug on his soft old heart at the heartfelt words of the young man "Aye, mayhap yer right lad, mayhap yer right. Whatever happens, all this'll be a tale worth telling and then some I reckon. Not only 'as 'e tamed the heart of the banshee and made it 'is own, but also her banshee daughter too. Not many a man could make that boast, eh Will?"

Will shook his head and smiled as he followed Gibbs gaze to the couple and the little girl. Jack had Jess before him; his hands either side of her – supposedly helping her keep to the course, but really just so he could hold her, all whilst singing that stupid pirate song that Elizabeth had taught him and he had taught his two women as well as the rest of the crew. Jess sang it along with him, and then the child – up in the crows nest with Annie; and then the rest began to follow,pretty soon all of them were caterwauling away…….even Cotton's parrot.

Down in the brig, the now filthy and smelly couple shared a horrified look as the raucous singing filtered their way "We are in hell Henry…..hell." her mother whispered in terror "amongst mad men and cut throats - who sing about eggs."

Henry merely sat on the dirty floor nodding and rocking- she couldn't hear him whispering in time with those above them "and really bad eggs……"