A huge thank you to: alchemistic, JS, BleedmetoINSANITY, Nelle07, -my-forgotten-rose-, TornPrince'sSmile, dUICe InVieRnO, MissSparrow101, Pirate-on-fleet-street and xBelakinax. Thank you all for your comments!

Review replies to unsigned reviewers:

MissSparrow101: Hi, love! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

JS: Glad that you like it! Thank you so much!


Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean!

Chapter 28

Elizabeth was biting her lip as she held the alcohol soaked cloth against Jack's skin. He was lying on his stomach with a grimace as she cleaned his cuts slowly. He turned to look at her sideways with a glare but she didn't seem to notice as she was focused on her work.

"Hey! Bloody hell! Get on with it, will you?" he snapped and she looked at him crossly.

"I am trying to be careful."
"No. You're trying to make it even more painful that it has to be. Just hurry up!" he said and she pressed the cloth harder against his back causing him to yelp.

"Oi!"

"If you'd be more polite I wouldn't have done that now, would I?" she said sweetly and he rolled his eyes as she continued slightly faster than before.

"I knew you wanted to hurt me, bloody wench." He muttered and she glared at him.

"As a matter of fact I do. You've no idea how much trouble you cause." She said and he sighed.

"Well tell me something I don't know." He said angrily.

"I don't mean about you being hurt. I meant Jane." She said and he stood still at the sound of that name.

"What about her?" he asked and she chuckled bitterly.

"Come on, Jack! You know it's your fault you're not together. You know what you did. I think you're clever enough to realize it anyway." She said as she moved to his upper back.

"I bloody know that she won't listen to me." He stated nonchalantly.

"She can no longer trust you…"

"I bloody well know that! I know what I did, Elizabeth! I can't take it back, can I?" he snapped as he sat up when she was done.

"No…but you can try to make her trust you instead of pushing her away." Liz said as she wiped her hands in a towel after washing them.

"I am not." He muttered stubbornly.

"Yes, you are."

"I don't think sweet talking her or making promises will help me get her back, miss 'I know everything'." He said with hand gestures while Liz watched him with raised eyebrows.

"Do you even want her back?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Of course I do…Like a bloody madman…" he mumbled the last sentence.

"What would you do?" she asked as she sat next to him. Jack's eyes darted up to her with confusion.

"What would I do?"

"Yes. To make her change her mind." Liz asked slowly. Jack looked down at his lap thoughtfully, his hands fumbling with the covers nervously. He looked around him, his lips pressed into a thin line, his brow furrowed as he thought over the answer he would give her. Now, that was a tricky one. He didn't have anything to give. He only had one thing but he wasn't even sure he'd find it again.

Oh, what the hell!

"Me ship. I'd give up the Pearl if it was for her to forgive me." He whispered at last, looking at her in the eyes.

"What?" she asked dumbstruck, her eyes wide.

"The Pearl, I would give up the Pearl." He repeated, the words sounding shocking to his own ears as he spoke them.

"But…but you love that ship. It's your life."

"What life now, Elizabeth? I have nothing. The crew's gone. Do you see a ship waiting me?" he snapped and Liz blinked.

"So…you'd give up the chance to have the ship again if it was what it would take for her to forgive you?" Liz repeated and he slowly nodded before he averted his gaze elsewhere.

"Jack…Are you sure about what you just said? Do you-…"

"I love her goddamn it! Of course I'm sure." He hissed and she stared at him, not knowing what to say.

"Then why don't you say to her that you do?" Liz asked quietly.

"I'm no whelp." He stated and she huffed.

"Love is not weakness." Liz said and he snorted.

"Yeah, sure." He mumbled.

"Jack, it's okay if you-…"

"It's not me to say those words, Elizabeth. So, stop wasting your spit for trying to make me confess me feelings. Savvy?" he cut her off and she sighed.

"Okay…I give up. Do whatever you want." She said as she stood up.

"Are you…going to tell her what I said before?" he asked tentatively and she turned to regard him wearily.

"Do you want me to?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well…you could always hint to her what good ol'Jack would do for her…" he trailed off with his famous smirk on his lips. Liz chuckled and shook her head in astonishment.

"Fine. But you'll owe me one." She said pointing a finger to him. Jack grinned and lazily lied back on his bed as she made her way out of the room.

"I'll get your food in a while." She called as she shut the door and left him to his thoughts.

*******************************

Jane was in her bed; thinking. All she seemed to do lately was think. Elizabeth had placed more thoughts in her already troubled mind that night. She was saying things as if she was trying to make her act differently towards Jack. Elizabeth had talked too much about him that evening. Jane didn't know what to think. Why was Elizabeth defending him in a way? Had he said something to her that caused her to change her mind? She had no idea.

With a sigh she turned over to her side, hugging her plump pillow to her. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

A few hours later she heard a cracking sound and someone's footsteps approaching the bed. She stirred but didn't fully wake up, thinking it was only a dream as she felt the bed moving and somebody's weight resting on the other side of it. Cool air brushed her legs as someone lifted the covers and slid under them, causing her to shiver. Soft but firm warmth came to rest behind her and a hand found its way around her waist. That was when she became alarmed. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked down only to see a tanned hand resting on her stomach; a hand she knew too well.

"Jack." She stated and the man behind her answered by burying his face in her hair, his arm tightening around her.

"Janey." He mumbled and she sighed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she slightly tensed in his embrace.

"I couldn't sleep." He whispered in her locks and she got angry with herself for actually enjoying his arms and his warmth.

"And you decided to come and pay me a visit." She said and he nodded.

"Aye. Just like when we first met…Remember?" he whispered as he moved back her auburn hair so he could nestle his face in the crook of her neck.

"I do. You're just as annoying as back then." She said in order to irritate him but he only chuckled. So her insults were amusing then?

"But you didn't only find me annoying back then…I think I was quite entertaining too. Hmm?" he said in her ear, his breath brushing the shell of her ear.

"Jack, why are you here?" she asked wearily, catching his hand as it made circles on her stomach.

"I couldn't sleep."

"I know that. But-…"

"I miss you." He blurted out at last and her eyes widened.

"Uh…you what?" she managed and he sighed softly as his body pressed closer to hers.

"I missed having you next to me, alright? I want to sleep next to you." He said as he molded his body behind hers, seeing she was making no real effort to push him away.

"You cannot just come and sleep next to me!" she said as she squirmed in his arms. Jack groaned at the movement and she stilled.

"Careful, luv. You're giving me mixed signals here." He said with a throaty chuckle as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Jack, I don't know what you want from me." She said at last as she stopped moving.

"I just want us to be civil. I don't want to fight with you, luv. Can we do that? Just lie here and not argue?" he asked a pleading tone in his voice.

"Okay…I guess I can do that." She whispered and he smiled genuinely before he placed a kiss on her hair. He lied down on the pillow and closed his eyes, his grip on her strong as they rested there. Jane looked at him once before she closed her eyes. She was asleep within minutes while he enjoyed the feeling of her body in his arms in silence.

End of chapter 28

Author's note: Thank you for reading! Please review! :)