A/N: Hi, darlings! How are you? Another update's here for you. Hope you like it.

I want to thank everyone who has alerted and favorited this story so far.

I also want to thank: VampGirl4ever, xXAngeltormXx, Hannah-Hurricane, TinkerbellxO, SailorSorcerer, You cant rush science, Hectorspirategirl, Trinideanfan, 88dragon06, ForeverACharmedOne, Lori, My Beautiful Ending, Sithlord 8665, DreamingsAReprieve, Agent Elrond, Itcachi's Kitty, JackSparrowLover4ever, CrissYami and Inu-midoriko.

You're all amazing. XD

As a side note, my prayers and thoughts are for the people of Japan. I hope everything turns out well for them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean.

Chapter 36

Jack sat in the darkness of the cabin with a small, dying candle on his desk as his only source of light. One of his hands was idly playing with his rings and his feet were resting dully on the desk. The cabin was quiet but even if it hadn't been he wouldn't have been able to notice for he was lost in his thoughts.

He closed his eyes and sighed and he almost fell out of his chair when he felt a couple of hands closing over his own colder ones.

"It's just me." Mary said as she leaned down and rested her chin on his shirt covered shoulder. He slumped back in relief and swallowed hard when he felt her warm skin against his weathered hands.

"Your hands are cold. What are you doing sitting in the dark? And I thought you were on watch tonight?" she frowned as she stifled a yawn.

"I was…but I wasn't feeling well so Gibbs took over the night watch." He said hoarsely before he cleared his throat.

"Oh? Is it your head-…"

"No. It is not." He cut her off more harshly than he intended to. Her hands paused in their rubbing motion on top of his. He closed his eyes briefly at the feeling of guilt that had been pestering him for the last few days.

"It's just… I am thinking is all." He said more calmly as he turned his hands to clutch hers tightly.

"Oh. What about?" she asked as she looked at the side of his face.

"I was wondering about your father." He said and it was partly true.

"What about him." She tensed visibly and he rubbed his palms with his fingers in a soothing motion.

"I am wondering where he is.I've been wondering since you told me about him." He shrugged and she took her hands from his and stepped in front of him.

"You think that he'll find us somehow?" she asked as she hugged herself in an effort to stay warm and calm.

"I don't think that'll happen. No. I mean we'd have to be extremely unlucky for that to happen." He said with hand gestures as she bit her lip.

"Well… I don't get on well with luck, Jack." She said and he smirked.

"Oh, but I do, love. Usually." He added as an afterthought.

"I don't think he'll give up." She said and he shrugged again.

"That's his problem then." He said and she hesitated before she spoke again.

"So, you aren't thinking of sending me to him as a present, are you?" she asked and he blinked.

"Come again?" he asked dumbfounded.

"I mean, you found what you wanted and all…so…" she trailed off.

"First of all, technically, I haven't found what I am looking for yet. And second," he continued as he stood up and approached her, "I tend to keep what is mine." He said smoothly as he took her right hand and kissed her ringed finger.

Mary's eyes widened at his words and she visibly relaxed. She smiled at him a bit and he winked at her as he continued his kisses to her palm while he wrapped his arm around her waist. He bought her closer and let go of her hand to grasp her chin with his fingers. His thumb brushed her bottom lip before he placed a feather light kiss there. His hand on her waist slid to her back and started playing with the soft material of her nightdress.

"Come on. Let's go to bed." He murmured as he placed yet another kiss on her mouth. She nodded and he pulled her towards the bed. He got in after her and pulled her close before he kissed the back of her neck. She fell asleep in his arms with a barely there smile gracing her slightly parted lips.

A few days later…

Mary awoke to loud voices yelling. She sat up on the bed and blindly reached for her robe before she groggily made her way towards the door. She pulled it open and walked out on deck barefoot. She pushed her hair out of the way and then came to a halt.

The entire crew was on deck, forming a circle, while Jack and Gibbs were in the centre.

Jack was shirtless and barefoot which meant that he had just gotten out of bed as well. He was shaking his head and rubbing his eyes.

"What if she has the plague?" a gruff crewman exclaimed suddenly and Jack glared at him.

"Aye! She looks like hell!" another called loudly and Mary pushed her way through the crowd. Her eyes widened at the sight of a woman holding a small infant in her hands.

"Oh my God…" Mary whispered and it was then that Jack noticed her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked as he reached over and took hold of her arm, trying to push her towards the direction of the cabin.

"What happened?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder.

"We found her floating in the sea with the child. Just go in and I'll-…"

Mary pulled her arm put of his grip and walked towards the almost unconscious woman again. She leaned slightly down just as the baby in the woman's arms started whimpering.

"This woman does not have the plague. She has just given birth." She said as she pointed at the pool of blood seeping from the woman's dress.

Jack's eyes widened and he leaned down in front of the woman. He reluctantly touched one of her legs and he shuddered.

"She is right. She's loosing blood." He murmured as he stood up and looked at Gibbs.

"Move her." He ordered before he reached for the child in her arms.

"What are you doing? You can't move her! She's bleeding heavily." Mary objected as Jack managed to remove the now crying baby from the woman.

"Please…" the dark haired woman said weakly before her eyes closed again and her head lolled to the side.

"Jack…" Mary started as he thrust the dripping wet baby in her arms.

"Take care of it."

"But-…"

"Do as I say." He cut her off before he turned to his men.

"Place her somewhere dry." He said as Gibbs and Peter volunteered to pick her up from the deck.

Mary watched as they took her away until Jack spoke.

"Mary." He said warningly and she swallowed hard.

"But how?" she asked while awkwardly rocking the child in her arms.

"Slaves." He answered shortly before he started walking away.

"Go inside." He clipped before he disappeared below deck.

Mary looked down at the infant that had snuggled its little head against her breast before she turned and walked to the cabin.

Minutes later Elizabeth walked into the cabin slowly.

"I just found out. How…?"

"She is fine. I mean at least she looks fine but she's obviously starving." Mary said as she looked at the squirming baby on the bed.

"I removed her clothes and wrapped her in a blanket. She was drenched." She explained and Elizabeth nodded.

"I saw the mother. Gibbs does not think she'll make it through the night. Somebody obviously threw her in the sea as soon as she had given birth. It's a wonder they're both still alive." She said quietly as she looked at the baby girl.

"That means the ship that abandoned them here is not very far away." Mary said as she sighed.

"What can I give her?" she asked and Elizabeth bit her lip.

"I don't know…"

"We don't have milk." Mary stated.

"Perhaps we can take her to her mother…" Elizabeth said and Mary nodded.

"I'll go tell Jack." She said as she exited the cabin.

She found Jack in the crew's quarters.

"What?" he asked tiredly as he was standing there, holding bloodied cloths in his hands.

"The baby is starving. Perhaps I could bring her here-…"

"She's dead, Mary. The woman's dead. Find another way to feed the child." He said tersely and she was confused at his reaction but didn't question it.

"Alright…Are you sure she's-…"

"You want to go and check? Be my guest!" he snapped as he threw the cloths on the floor and walked away.

Mary blinked and looked at his retreating form with wide eyes, wondering why he was affected so much. He wasn't supposed to, right? He had seen worse, right?

When she returned to the cabin Jack was nowhere to be found and Elizabeth was holding the child, trying to soothe her.

"I brought water with sugar. It's the only thing I could thing of." She said tremulously as she handed the mug of water to Elizabeth.

"She's…dead then." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. What are we going to do?" Mary asked as Elizabeth lifted the mug to the baby's mouth. She drank the sweetened water hungrily but Mary knew that it wouldn't be enough.

"No idea…Where's Jack?" Elizabeth asked and Mary shook her head.

"He stormed out after he told me that the mother was dead. He…I don't know. He seemed tense and angry."

"Can't blame him. Things like this don't happen everyday."

"I guess you're right." Mary murmured and smiled a little when the baby's whimpers stopped. She reached for Jack's shirt on the bed and stepped back.

"I'll go find him. If she falls asleep put her on the bed." Mary called as Elizabeth watched the tiny girl with warm eyes.

She found him at the helm. He was looking off into space and he only noticed her when she touched his bare arm. He blinked and cleared his throat.

"What is it?" he asked quietly and she smiled a little.

"I got you your shirt. I figured you'd be cold." She said as she handed it to him. He took it from and slipped it over his head with a shudder.

"Thanks, love." He said in that quiet voice again.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to guess?" she asked and he grimaced.

"Not now." He said thickly.

"Why not?" she asked as she slightly tugged at his beard.

He reached up and took her hand and placed it on his chest instead.

"Not in the mood to divulge private information." He said with a shrug and she sighed.

"Jack, come on. I know something set you off before." She pressed on and he groaned.

"Please, not now, love. I have to steer the ship."

"That is a lame excuse, Captain." She snapped and he looked at her, really looked at her.

"I guess I am known to do more than one thing at once." He grinned fleetingly before he sobered up again.

"Alright…I guess you didn't know that before I turned a pirate I was a privateer for the East India Company." He said with a wince and Mary froze.

End of chapter 36

Author's note: Thank you for reading. I hope you liked the chapter. I guess Mary's about to find out a little more about Jack's past, right?

Please review before you leave. I want to know your thoughts.

Xxx Lina :)