A/N: Hey everyone!! The moment you've all been waiting for!!

Chapter 21

Opportune Moment

Izzy woke up to something tapping her cheek.

"C'mon love, wake up."

"Jack?"

"Yes love, I'm here."

Izzy slowly opened her eyes one at a time. Jack's face swam inches in front of her. Izzy suddenly felt something painful on her forehead.

"Ouch," she said.

"What hurts love?" Jack asked.

"My head."

"It should, you've got a nice big egg there."

"What happened?"

"Well…" Jack started.

Izzy sat straight up. It was all coming back to her.

"Where's Tommy?" she asked.

Jack didn't say anything.

"Jack, where's Tommy?" Izzy repeated.

Jack got up and walked to the window.

"Jack!" Izzy demanded now hysterical. "Where is he? Tell me!"

"Izzy…"

Izzy turned her head and saw Elizabeth by the door.

"Tommy was taken aboard the "new" pirate's ship. He was gone before we got here. They slipped past while we were still fighting. We think they were looking for something. Do you know what it is?"

Izzy shook her head. What was valuable that pirates would want? And then Izzy froze. She lifted a hand to her neck and felt for the chain. The ring was gone.

"Damn pirates!" Izzy yelled.

"Izzy what?" Elizabeth started to ask.

"They took my ring."

"What?"

"Remember the ring I showed you when Gibbs and I went to get your trunk?" Izzy asked her.

Elizabeth nodded.

"That was the ring."

"We've got to follow them…"

"What did this ring look like?" Jack asked still facing the window.

"Let me go get the vase," Elizabeth said. She left the room.

"Vase?" Jack asked.

"Yes, Elizabeth's family bought a vase long ago with the same family crest on it."

"Interestin', did she say from who they bought it from?"

"Only that it was from a man."

Jack was silent. Elizabeth entered with the vase.

"Here Jack," she said. "Take a look."

Jack held out a hand for the vase never once turning to look at Izzy.

"D'you recognize it?" Elizabeth asked watching him closely.

"Aye."

"From?" Elizabeth probed.

"It was a long time ago," Jack said. "When I was very little."

"Would you tell us?" Izzy asked.

Jack turned to look at her. There was an odd look in his eyes.

He brought a hand to his neck and pulled something out from beneath his shirt.

"Jack, is that?"

"Your ring's twin, yes," he said. "I believe you know the story."

He turned from her and left the room.

Izzy looked to Elizabeth for information on what she'd done, but her face was blank. So Izzy followed Jack.

"Jack!"

He ignored her.

"Jack!"

She touched his shoulder.

"Are we going to follow them to get Tommy back?" she asked.

"Yes."

With that he left her standing alone.

Izzy sat in the crow's nest wondering. She hoped they were going the right way. She hoped Tommy was okay. She hoped that they hadn't done anything cruel to him.

Izzy looked out to sea and screened her eyes from the sun with hopes to see two ships sailing away from them in the distance. But she was sorely disappointed.

"Hello love."

Izzy startled at his voice.

Jack laughed.

"Didn't hear me?" he asked.

"No."

"C'mon, love," he said. "Let's go discuss this idea of yours to learn to use a sword."

He pulled her up and handed her a rope.

"After you love."

Izzy jumped and landed with Jack hitting the deck about seconds behind her.

Izzy frowned.

"What is it, love?"

"It's just that you told me a while ago that I was made because I didn't make that jump without a single drop of rum in me. I've never seen you make that jump, until now. You don't seem to have had rum…"

Izzy searched his face. Jack turned away.

"Don't be so sure love. C'mon."

So she followed him to his office considering this thought. She followed Jack in and shut the door. Izzy went straight for the window. She loved looking at the sea.

"You can sit love," Jack said.

"That's all right, Jack. I'd rather stand."

"Your loss."

Jack plumped down into one of the ugly, comfortable arm chairs and watched Izzy from behind her.

"Why d'you want to learn to use a sword, love?"

"The reason now or the reason before?"

Jack gave her a curious look.

"Both."

"The reason now is so I can fight anyone in my way once we find Tommy," she said viciously.

Jack gulped. This could be a problem. But he wouldn't think about that now.

"What about the reason before?" he asked instead.

"Many years ago my mother and father went to Spain to visit family. My mother gave me that ring before she left."

This ring was starting to make Jack very uncomfortable.

"Go on," he encouraged.

"On their way back, their ship was attacked by these so-called "new" pirates. My father told my mother to barricade herself in her room and he left to help the crew fight. But pirates got past the crew and broke down my mother's barricade. When my father found her, it was too late."

Tears slowly started to roll down her face. Izzy turned to Jack.

"She knew that she wasn't going to come back, Jack. She knew."

"Oh, love."

Jack went to her and put his arms around her. He let her rest her head on his chest and cry.

When she stopped Jack lifted her chin with a hand and kissed her gently. Izzy's mouth opened without an encouraging. She slid her hands up Jack's chest and around his neck while he fisted his hands in her hair.

His tongue entered her mouth and searched for new places that he hadn't discovered before. God she tasted amazing…

Izzy let Jack do what he wanted with her mouth. She was enjoying this all too much. When he pulled back a little to break the kiss, Izzy moved forward and scraped her teeth along his bottom lip. He moaned in pleasure and let her take her turn. Izzy slid her tongue around his and sucked gently. Jack's hands moved from her hair to her lower back, pushing her closer. Jack took his mouth from hers and started to work his way down her neck. He stopped at a spot right below her collar bone and swiped his tongue right there. Izzy gasped and pushed herself closer. Jack smiled against her and started to unbutton her shirt. Izzy watched it fall to the floor.

Jack moved his head to between her cloth-covered breasts and started to nuzzle his head there. Izzy let her eyes close and started to pull off Jack's shirt. It got stuck on a necklace. Jack chuckled and pulled off his shirt himself and all the necklaces but one. When he went back to her, he took her mouth in a kiss that made her head spin.

Izzy heard fabric rustle and looked down. She hadn't realized Jack had taken off her pants. But she smiled into his eyes and began to work on his. He stepped away from her only long enough to get out of them and slip off his shoes before he was back to her again. Izzy's shoes hit the floor with a thunk. What had surprised her more was that Jack had picked her up and was carrying her towards a door.

"What d'you think you're doing?" she asked shocked.

"I'm going to make love to you."

"I really don't think the crew needs to see a show," Izzy said uncomfortable.

Jack chuckled.

"Though they'd enjoy it, this door connects to my room, love," he said with a smile. "I chose this room for moments like these."

Izzy reached for his lips with hers and kissed him soundly.

"You're a sly one, Jack Sparrow," she said huskily.

"Pirate," Jack said.

Izzy smiled at this and heard the lock click open and the door opened. Jack closed it with a foot while Izzy looked around. So many things surprised her. He had bookshelves covered in books that looked well used. The maps, which were pasted all over the walls, were wrinkled and torn at the edges. There was a desk in the corner covered in maps with a book lying open on it. All furniture was made out of a deep cherry wood.

"D'you like it?" Jack asked.

Izzy nodded.

"It's amazing."

"Love, if you think that's amazing, let me introduce you to something that'll make your lovely head spin."

He grinned sneakily and set her carefully on the bed.

"Where were we?" he asked her.

"Right here," Izzy said.

She took his mouth in a kiss that would have awakened the dead.

"You don't play fair," he said.

"Pirate."

Coming up…

Will Izzy and Jack ever be the same after this?

Will Jack teach her to use a sword?

Why does Jack not want to talk about the ring?