DISCLAIMER: Not mine, not mine. This piece of chocolate is however .

Jack found himself leaning heavily against a wall whilst carefully examining his hand, the one that wasn't helping his hold on the wall that is. The infamous pirate captain was drunk, past his usual state of inebriation and well into asking for some blood in the veins that were filled with alcohol, indeed he was not very kind to his liver. He could almost focus on the aforementioned hand, at times he felt like he'd almost gotten it, until it moved further away causing him to stumble forward or it came too close to his face startling him as he whacked himself in the face promptly causing him to fall on his arse. His antics were to the enormous hilarity of the scarlet women who were keeping an eye on him. Their raucous laughter somehow waded itself through his rum soaked mind and kicking his memory reminded him exactly why they were so important to his plan, all he had to do was remember what the plan was and why they were so important. Considering this required though he made himself comfortable down on the ground and as he began attempting to think he promptly fell asleep, snoring loudly.

Jack awoke some time later only partially sober and on the receiving end of a booted foot that was nudging him harshly.

"Alright, Jack? Not dead are you?"

The sharp words of Violet one of the ladies about town nudged his brain yet again about why she should be so important. This time it got through, the plan to get Alex back.

"Nothing can kill Jack Sparrow, luv. They've tried, several times in fact and here I am, all man, all Jack."

Undoubtedly he though he was the epitome of charm and sensual pleasure, if he hadn't been sitting in the mud reeking of rum.

"Get up then will ye? Your drunken mug is keeping the customers away, isn't it?"

After several fumbling gestures later Jack found his feet, amusingly enough they were attacked to his legs, indeed right where he'd left them. This starling find culminated in his standing up, finally.

"Violet, luv. Here I am, Jack Sparrow, Captain of the Back Pearl. How about we discuss prices and you and me go and entertain ourselves."

He thought himself wonderfully composed that was until she laughed in his face.

"You! Jack there is no way any of the girls in her right mind would look once at you now."

An icy dread seized him, what had happened to him, he was invincible how could the plan continue without their help. He needed them to get to Alex.

"Why's that luv? I'll pay you more than the usual price."

Violet snorted in his face and walked back to the rest of the girls. Jack followed her stumbling slowly one hand grabbing for his money the other held out in entreaty.

"Triple the normal price then."

No response.

"Four times then. Gods woman what's wrong with all of you."

He took a few steps back when Scarlet came to the front of the working women's throng.

"Lucia said we weren't to conduct any business with you."

Jack swore, Lucia foremost Madame of Tortuga. He knew she didn't like him but considering the drought his libido was currently experiencing due to Alex's less than amiable nature towards him, the continuation of said drought in Tortuga despite how it was linked to the plan and Alex was not a happy thought.

"Which way to Lucia's place?"

He meant it to be a simple question, it was more like a desperate plea for help.

"We'll tell you after you've sobered up."

With that Violet threw a bucket of water on him, much to the amusement of Gibbs who was presently on his way to see Anna.

The clothes Lucia had gifted her with were clean, reasonably comfortable but far from discreet, especially considering she was cooking. She had a plain skirt and simple white shirt, simple enough until she'd added the boned corset, not done up tight but it certainly had her girls looking in top form. The shirt which had started out appearing reasonable and sensible ended up at the other end of the spectrum. With that all she could do was wrap her hair up in one of Lucia's simple turban style twist, throw on an apron and get to work. Every slice of her knife symbolising yet another failed relationship or 'good-for-nothing' man who chipped away at her heart. She hated pirates.

"How's it coming along?"

It was Lucia, ink smudged on one cheek and a generally helpful expression on her face. Alex gave her a half smile which didn't quite reach her eyes and shrugged.

"I've decided on quiche. Vegetable and ham."

She wiped her hands on her apron looking quickly around the kitchen attempting to find something to occupy her, anything. Her mind needed to stay on the subject at hand, dinner.

"Quiche is good. Everyone will enjoy it. I was asking more towards your heart."

Alex eyes a large carving knife and grabbed it tight.

"My hearts not the one to be worried about, I hardly know the man."

She turned her attention to the rather forlorn looking Leeks, and began merrily chopping away. Lucia watched her movement with a sad expression.

"Of course, I'll talk to you in a little then; I'll be in the study with my books."

Another day at the office for Tortuga's most powerful Madame.

There was a gentle knock on the door of Lucia's manor; cautious Lucia opened the door herself expecting a bedraggled pirate captain by the name of Sparrow. She found a reasonably polite Mr. Gibbs.

"Hello there Lucia, just here to talk to Anna, keep her updated, like."

Lucia's expression was kind if a little curious.

"Working for this side are you?"

"Ain't working for no sides. Looking after the Pearl."

Smiling Lucia seemed appeased with his response and allowed him in.

She watched him as he quickly moved upstairs towards the room Anna always occupied when she was in Port. Strange couple, she thought then again the sweet wounded angel currently preparing dinner didn't exactly pair up with the Pirate she was given either.

"What news?"

Anna was straightforward in her approach as Gibbs entered her room. They were both consumed by their Captain and Alex's relationship. Afterall they just wanted the both of then to be happy and it distracted their own minds from pondering their own close association too much.

"Jack's being wrung out by a few of Lucia's girls before they shove him up here. Man's starting to lose his mind."

Anna lifted on eyebrow in a 'devil-may-care' way and crossed her arms.

"I hope he does with what he's putting her through. She may look strong but nothing can be further from the truth. Things were going all to plan until we put into port."

Gibbs nodded and pulled Anna slowly into his arms. They stood there in each others warmth for several minutes without talking until someone knocked on the door.

"Dinner."

The two jumped apart suddenly as if guilty teenagers getting caught in an embarrassing liaison.

Alex was noisily putting down plates and cutlery waiting for her companions and whoever else was currently boarding to find their way don to the dining room. For once she thought of the mess she'd made in the kitchen and the fact that Tom wasn't around to tidy up. That caused her to grin; she wondered what the boy possibly could be doing in Tortuga at his age.

When Jack usually found himself in Tortuga the events of the night didn't tend to go as they were. The ladies of the night usually didn't give him tips on grooming nor was his cabin boy running back and forth from the ship in order to get him 'just the right clothes'. Being married was harder work than he'd originally thought. The events of said night so far had ruined his plan for getting his wayward wife back and he was forced to rely on whatever help was given to him.

"Stop fiddling with my hair, you blasted woman."

His hands began to wave about the top of his head brushing away the numerous sets of fingers that in their 'good-will' attempted to set his scalp to rights. Needless to say they were far too late.

"You're going to have to do more than just show up clean to get her back."

He gave a less than impressed glance at Violet, she may have been right and blatantly obvious but he had recovered from his stupor to a point where they didn't have to talk down to him.

"Apologise."

All eyes turned to Tom and his quiet spoken voice.

"I know what I have to do, get off me."

He struggled to his feet his swaggering form taking a few minutes and many sweeping waves of his arm to remove those closest to him from his presence.

"Now I shall go to Lucia's and set everything to rights, savvy?"

Without an answer he set himself off out of whatever building they'd managed to drag him into and up the hill towards the manor.

There was something distinctly missing from the dinner, Alex thought as she slowly finished her piece of quiche. Good company, check., though she wasn't sure about the change of company, pirates for prostitutes, not that she was expecting to entertain some Lord Something-or-other. Good food, check. Good lovin', pft, good luck.

Alex seemed to amble through dinner not really paying attention to anything much around her. She found herself an hour later in the kitchen drinking hot tea as the girls obligingly did the dishes for her. Lucia was being wonderful as well, she'd said in no uncertain terms that if Alex had decided to give the pirate up she could stay on as chef. Not her first thought of the ideal work environment but the offer was very nice.

Jack, having learnt from many past experiences veered off from the front door and instead went around back. If he knew his wife, which he was beginning to regardless of her spontaneous outburst, she'd be in the kitchen. Weaving his way through the garden bed he spied her through the window and watched her, trying to scope out her mood before he 'threw himself at her feel and beg for forgiveness' as one of the ladies had instructed him to do.

She was staring into her teacup whist others bustled around her obviously tidying her mess. One of the girls paused to say something soft to her, Alex barely managed a smile before she went back to her tea. In Jack's eyes she looked more ravishing as she normally did. Seeing her dressed in more feminine clothes was certainly something he liked. Perhaps shopping for clothes when he'd weaselled his way out of the dog house was in order? The heat left over from the cooking has managed to get into her wrapped hair and several tendrils stuck out curling slightly some sticking obligingly to her neck reminding Jack exactly how delicious that skin tasted. The corset that sat over her shirt begged him to continue what had been aborted in previous nights, her cleavage sat high up and her despondent look made her that much more appealing.

Taking a deep breath and shifting his suddenly tight pants he approached the door and opening went in getting ready for anything.

Alex looked up knowing who to expect. There Jack was, cleaner swaying slightly but with a sober expression on his face. His eyes seemed to be desperate and apologetic at the same time.

"Alex, luv."

He held out one arm entreating her to be nice, Alex let out a sigh an stood up staring at his wordlessly. She knew what she should do, stay strong and ignore him, be the affronted strong female that she way always reading about, make him truly beg, but truthfully now that she saw him, the only place she wanted to be was in his arms.

"Alex, I'm-"

Before he'd finished she'd moved into the circle of his arms and embraced him. She could feel him smiling in triumph as he wrapped his arms around her. They stood like this for several minutes before he attempted to speak again.

"Luv, I'm s-"

"Don't ruin this moment by apologising I'll lecture you about what you did wrong later. Just be quiet and hold me, pirate."

He exhaled laughing as he did so. Further grovelling may have been in order but for the moment all he had to do was hold an angel in his arms.

………………………….

I've finally managed to get another update done before I return for another year at Uni. Hurrah. The family tragedy has managed to stop, huzzah. I've also started considering if I should get a Beta. What do you guys think?

soaringphoenix86: Lol. Not quite with another woman. Hope you like this update, because you haven't been reminding me to update so I must be on time. Hope you can relate more to Alex. I didn't just want to make her a tough cook. Keep doing your thing phoenix!

DugaDugabowbow: Thanks for the condolences. Glad you liked the chapter, I know it's probably annoying that there's been no consummation yet but I'm only going where the story takes me. Please keep reading and reviewing.

Second Star to the Left: Y'know I think hugging is what Alex needed as you read. Jack was just being an arse. Hopefully it's worked well and as for running away from all the tragedy, there's really no where to go but my writing, it's enough of an escape for me. Keep reading and review, oh crazy one!

Nerd's United: Thanks, it hasn't been as hard to deal with really. Just have to be a whole lot more emotionally controlled and possibly have more Daiquiri nights! Lol. Thanks again, keep reading and reviewing.

mar1966: Indeed enjoy my torture! But yes up is the way to go that is unless my sociology textbook doesn't drag me down. Joyous reading!