I wasn't expecting to update today, but this was meant to be part of the next chapter, but it got a bit big so I split it up. Hope you like it.

"What!?!?" I sat bolt upright, dislodging him from where he was. He sat up in front of me. I stared at him, searching his eyes for any sign that he was joking. "What??" I said again.

"Marry me," he repeated. I pulled my knees towards me and sat up properly.

"Are… are you sure?"

His grin widened, something in his eyes was shining, gleaming with excitement. He took my hands in his. "If I wasn't sure I wouldn't have asked. I love you, Isabel Norrington." I had stopped breathing without realizing and I let out my breath. "This is the only way I can see to make you mine… forever."

He had an obsession with forever. This forever I had no objection to. But would it be one he had an objection to? "But… but…"

"But what, love?" a hint of annoyance had crept into his voice. I braced myself for the hint growing into something more. This was something I had to be sure of; it wasn't a decision that could be made without thinking about it. Especially on his part. Had he really thought this through? How long into 'forever' until he got bored of me?

"It would be a commitment, Jack. You understand that, don't you?" I tried my best not to sound patronizing, but I had to be sure.

"Yes," he nodded. "I'm not a complete fool."

"You're pretty close," I smiled. He scowled at me in a loving way.

There was a moment where we each waited for the other to speak. He looked at me. "What's the problem, Izzy?" he asked quietly. His hands slipped from mine and he leant away from me. His eyes moved from my face and fixed on some distant, non existent place. "Don't you want to marry me?"

"Yes! Of course I do! Jack… how could you… think…?" I leaned towards him, resting my hand on his cheek. His eyes slid over to mine, but he didn't move. He barely blinked. The smile was gone completely and there was no trace of it in his hollow eyes. "Please don't hate me…." I whispered and his eyes filled with doubt. "It's just…"

"Just what?" he pressed. I hated how cold his voice was getting. It only ever got that cold when he was hurt and trying to cover it up.

"You've always run from commitment."

"I have not! I don't run from anything!" he said indignantly. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Well… apart from giant sea-monsters, but that was trying to kill me. That's another thing I run from- things that are trying to kill me. But you're not going to kill me…" He shrank back and looked a little fearful. "…Are you?"

"Of course not you idiot!" I almost laughed. "Why would I do that? All I'm trying to say is that marriage is a huge commitment."

"I know."

"Doesn't it scare you?"

"Nothing scares me!"

Why did I get the feeling we were going round in circles? "Jack…" I sighed.

"Well… apart from giant-"

"JACK!"

"What?" he widened his eyes innocently as if he had no idea why I'd stopped him.

"We are not doing this again!"

"Doing what again," he asked as innocently. "You didn't know what giant thing I was going to say this time!"

He was so annoying.

"Why do I like you?" I wondered a loud.

He slipped an arm around my waist. I shifted to sit where I was more comfortable. "You don't," he informed me. "You love me."

"Oh yeah," I smiled, leaning into his shoulder. "That's right, so I do."

He kissed the top of my head. He sighed and then rested his chin on the top of my head. A pause weighed down on both of us. "Then why won't you marry me?"

"I will… If you're sure it's what you want?"

"Of course it is."

"It really doesn't scare you?"

"It scares the shit out of me, love." He took a deep breath, "But when has that ever been a reason not to do something that feels right?"

He entwined his fingers with mine. I watched him do it, feeling the warm solidity of his hand. "It does feel right, doesn't it?"

His chin moved from where it was and looked down at me. "Is that a yes?"

I looked up at him and smiled. "Of course it's a yes, you fool!"

He pulled me towards him, wrapping as much of himself around me as he could. I squeezed him; my fiancé- this time I could use it without wanting to throw up- tightly to me. I felt a whole range of emotions rise up inside me, like a heated wave that lifted my heart and soul and warmed my entire body. The rush of feelings gave me the strength to hug Jack tighter than I'm sure was possible. He was doing the same until we were both crushing each other. If it was at all painful I never felt it. Any pain was cancelled out completely by the happiness and pure excitement that was doing laps of my body with every beat of my heart, coursing through me in jolts. I laughed and a tear rolled out of my eye at the same time.

"We're getting married!" The smile hurt my cheeks and I laughed again. Laughter was the only way to stop me from being sick form the amount of excitement in my stomach. Jack pulled back to look me in the eyes. I felt something rise up in my throat and I panicked about being sick all over Jack. I wasn't.

I burst into tears.

"Izzy?" he said, looking at me like I was a complete lunatic. Which I was. "Are you alright?"

I tried to speak, but "I… I…. love you…" was all I could say. I had to choke it out past the giant lump in my throat. He laughed. My hands shook as I raised them to wipe the tears from my eyes which had, naturally, swollen up. I sobbed, but halfway through it turned into a laugh, which made for an interesting noise to say the least. I looked down. Jack laughed again, catching my hand in mid-air and using his own sleeve to wipe my eyes.

He bent his head to look me square in the face. I lifted my eyes to his. "You," he smiled, "Are such a nutter."

I choked out a laugh between sobs and soon the number of laughs was more than the sobs. His lips pressed against my skin, following the tear tracks down the left side of my face. I closed my eyes as he moved to do the same to the right side. I placed my palms on his cheeks. His lips caught the right corner of my mouth and I turned slowly my lips sliding gently over his to kiss him full on. My hands slipped to the back of his neck as he held onto my waist. His kiss was so gentle and so slow it almost made me start crying again. I loved him so much it hurt me. In a good way, a nice kind of aching in my heart. He pulled away.

"You alright?" he asked quietly. I smiled at how he had managed to calm me and I nodded. He smiled, and kissed me quickly, "Lets do it then." I nodded before our lips met again in a series of mini-kisses. "Come… on… then," he said in the gaps between them. I pulled back slightly.

"What… now?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Uh-huh," he kissed my cheek.

"As in right this second?"

His lips pressed against my forehead before he answered. I looked up at him, waiting, holding my breath. "No time like the present…" he smiled.

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