I awoke to find that I was all but laying on something other than the mattress. It was beautifully tanned and breathing. I couldn't help but smile as last night's occurrences came flooding back to me, reminding me who was laying beneath me.

Jack's arms were holding me tight against him, his legs tangled with mine. I lay there another moment before moving, listening to the even sounds of his breathing and heartbeat. I savored the feel of his hand embedded in my hair while the other gently stroked my side, almost lulling me back to sleep.

I pressed a light kiss to his chest, smiling as I heard him sigh contentedly. I repeated the action, loving the sounds he was making.

"Sleep well?" He questioned, looking down at me with a smirk on his face.

"Aye." I continued to kiss my way up his chest, pausing to make sure I covered every inch of his collarbone before making my way up his throat to his jaw, then lastly his lips.

"Tease," he growled against my lips, flipping us over unexpectedly. I let out a small shriek, quickly muffled by his kisses.

He eventually stopped, seeing as we were both deprived of air. I cupped his cheek, stroking it adoringly. "Mind telling me how I ended up on top of you?" I teasingly accused, watching him as he turned into my touch, placing butterfly kisses into my palm.

"You did it during the night. I'm innocent as the day I was born." I rolled my eyes as he continued to give me his best innocent face, the sparkle in his eyes purposefully giving away his secret. He suddenly became the gentle pirate only I knew. "After last night, love, I didn't want to risk waking up to find that you'd run scared."

I looked down at his bronze chest showing through the split in the top of his shirt. I moved my hands from his face to play with the opening, teasing the skin underneath.

"When do we leave?" I questioned, not looking him in the eye.

"Tonight at dusk."

That certainly got my attention. I jolted my head up, looking at him with shock and worry. "Tonight? So soon?"

"Aye," he whispered. "Don't fret, Natalie. You still have today with your father. I won't leave without you. The men are getting restless, though. So the sooner the better, savvy?"

"Savvy, Captain," I whispered, smirking slightly under the kiss he suddenly placed upon my lips before rolling off. I began to protest at the loss of contact, but he beat me to it.

"I know, love. But we both have a great many plans to make. The sooner we get them out of the way the sooner-" he kissed me in between his words "we, can, get, back to- mmm, this" he whispered, giving me one last kiss before he got up and began reassembling his affects.

I went behind the changing screen to change into a less cumbersome dress while he assembled himself. I emerged to find him about to climb out the window, waiting to say goodbye first. I couldn't help but smile as he smirked at me, his eyes immediately drifting down towards my chest, where the dress helped 'enhance' the view for him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as continued to look me up and down. "Like what you see?" I chided, smirking myself.

He only smirked before capturing my lips once more, pulling me tightly against his body. I pulled away for some air, about to resume when I heard the door open. I turned around quickly, scared for a moment, to see Father standing there, his eyes taking in the sight. I tried to step away from Jack, but he wasn't going to let me get away that easily.

"M-Morning Father," I stammered.

"I was wondering if you were up so we could eat breakfast together before I go meet with the Navy this morning." I nodded, opening my mouth to reply when he beat me to the chase. "You're invited as well," he told Jack, whose hold on me became rather tight suddenly.

"I appreciate it but I really must tend to some things before our departure this evening," my pirate replied. I turned to look at him, dumbfounded. I'd never heard him speak so politely. I gave him a pleading look as his stomach growled. "Then again, I suppose I could stay for a quick meal…" He gave me a sheepish look before we turned back to my father, who smiled nervously.

"Very well then, whenever you're ready…" We followed him out. I made sure to give an appreciative smile to him as Jack took my hand and led me out. He returned it.

After we dined that morning, Father and Jack both left me to my own devices. Father would spread the lie this morning that I was returning to England to be with a possible suitor and to take care of my grandmother. Jack went to make sure everything was ready for tonight.

I sighed agitatedly as I stood at the balcony, waiting to see Jack appearing from the forest.

"He'll return," Mary kept telling me.

"I have no doubt of that," I nearly spat, watching the sea birds float around in the air. "I'm just… It was awkward this morning. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Father for everything he's doing I just…"

"I know," my friend comforted me, patting my hand before continuing to pack a few light dresses for me. I didn't know when I'd need them, or if I'd need them at all, but I didn't feel like arguing at the moment. "Your father said I could come with you."

My eyes widened, excitement building inside of me. "Oh, Mary, will you? I'd love to have a friend along, besides Elizabeth, but I'm sure she's ready to explode by now. You could be her midwife!" I happily babbled, my mood suddenly lightened. Somehow, having her along was like having a piece of home with me, a piece of my father and the life he'd put together for me, and was allowing me to live out.

She giggled at my sudden enthusiasm as I hugged her, my impatience for the night to come momentarily forgotten.

Jack pulled away from the bed, after making sure that the covers were secure and she wouldn't notice a thing. Gibbs had gotten him the flowers he'd needed- probably from the Emerson's garden to begin with- and Jack had finished the task by depetaling them and spread them underneath the upper blanket, as to surprise her. However, there was one more surprise he had to procure, and that required digging in the cargo hold.

He hadn't told a soul about this part of his plan, not even Gibbs. The crew had automatically assumed that he was just trying to woo Natalie again with the petals, which was partially true. But he wanted to ensure that she was the first to find out the full truth of his secretive plan. His heart skipped a beat nervously just thinking about it as he dug through a trunk of old family heirlooms. No one would ever guess nor dare suggest what he was about to do, seeing as his reputation would be at stake. But he didn't care.

At last, he found what he'd been looking for underneath a pile of old letters between his mother and father- he'd read them at least a dozen times before out of sheer boredom and curiosity. Smiling rather proudly at his rather clever idea, he took one along with the trinket he'd wanted and back up into his cabin, being sure to lock the doors behind him. He didn't want any interruptions.

Jack Sparrow was up to something, and for once in his scoundrel life, it was good.

AN: I'M SO SO SO SOOOO SORRY I'VE NEGLECTED THIS! I have the other half of this chapter (I cut it so it wouldn't be dreadfully long, it was 7, almost 8, pages haha. I'm saving the longest ones for the ending, which I think should be in the next chapter or two. I'm always brainstorming, I've had Natalie & Jack on my mind and I've worked on this chapter vigorously for the past… well since the last update. I don't have patience I'm afraid, so I kept neglecting the posting. I hope I have SOME reader(s) out there still (; I'll post the next chapter within the next couple of days, and try to keep to a schedule with new chapters for this and other things I'm planning on posting over the summer. I'm graduating this week, so after that things are going to be hectic. But I do plan on a possible sequel to this one (if I have any readers haha), and an Alice in Wonderland story in the mix, for Hatter & Alice are my new Will & Lizzie. But don't think I'm abandoning Pirates, I could never do that to Jack (;