Usual disclaimers - If you recognise anything, it belongs to Disney, else it is mine.

Thanks as ever to Pendragginink for being my beta.

Third chapter being updated today... just because I luvs yer all!

Chapter 36 – Sweet Dreams

"You all right?" Jack smiled, drawing her to him in the night and kissing her.

"I only have a while," Mab cautioned, worrying about being late. "Let's not waste it…"

"Indeed not," Jack grinned, leading the way through the dark back alleys until they came to The Archer's Inn. He smiled, reminiscing about the first time he had taken her there, and the fight with Giselle. But there was no strident voice to greet their arrival this time, only the proprietor, who recognised Jack and frowned at Mab, thinking he remembered her for a reason. "Yer best," Jack ordered, slapping some coins on the counter, hoping the room was free.

The man slid a key across to him. "Top floor," he grunted, taking the money.

Jack took the key, almost dragging Mab up the stairs in his haste. He led her upwards, past the room that they had taken before and up another flight of stairs. A single door faced them. "Been a while since I've been up here," Jack admitted ruefully, opening the door and hurrying Mab inside. A dim lantern lit the room and Jack started to light the numerous candles that were scattered about. "Well, what do you think?" he asked, indicating the room.

Mab took the key from the door, shutting it and locking it behind her before she looked about. The room was squashed beneath the eaves and in several places she feared she might knock her head. Although not a four-poster, the double bed was adorned with rich, silky drapes that were gathered above, almost turning the bed into an exotic, billowing tent. She walked across, her hand touching the sheets, surprised to find the cotton not only clean, but nearly white.

"He must be quiet t'night fer this place to be free," Jack admitted, throwing his boots into a corner and shrugging off his shirt. He guessed a lot of the townsfolk and pirates were in the Faithful Bride, listening to the entertainment. Hurriedly he reached for his breeches. "I thought yer said ya only had a while…" he chivied.

"Sì," Mab sighed, turning towards him. "Will you unlace me?"

"With pleasure," Jack grinned, padding naked across the floor towards her. His hands lingered briefly as he kissed the base of her neck, before slipping the golden fabric from her shoulders, closely followed by her undershift and undergarments. For a moment he held her, savouring the contact, before taking her hands and leading her towards the bed.

"I'd have liked t' take m' time," he admitted ruefully, "but I know yer mustn't be missed…" He sat on the bed, pulling her onto his lap, wishing that she would stay with him. "Now, how did that song go?" he chuckled. "Get up, Jack…"

"I think you already are," Mab chuckled saucily.

"Well in that case," he said, grinning wolfishly as Mab laughed, falling back onto the bed. For a moment he paused, memorising each muscled contour of her body.

"Jack?" she frowned. "What is the matter?"

"Nothin', luv," he said regretfully, knowing that whatever he offered she would not stay with him, however much he wanted her to. "Nothin' at all…"

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"Jesus, woman…" he groaned, half-collapsing on her before rolling to one side and kissing her cheek. "Ya know, I don't know whether t' feel sorry or jealous of th' next man," he said ruefully.

"Pardon?" she frowned.

"Well, whoever th' lucky man is, he'll never be able t' compare with me," Jack bragged, leaning across and kissing her once more, this time on her lips.

"True," Mab chortled, kissing him back, his braids tickling her face. "You'll make it very hard…"

"I know something that is…" Jack teased, rubbing himself against her.

"Jack Sparrow!" she protested. "You are…"

"I'm what?" he taunted, taking her in his arms and rolling her beneath him.

"You are… w… onderful!" Mab spluttered, laughing with delight.

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Sebastian looked up worriedly as the door to the Faithful Bridge flew open, but it was not his sister as he had hoped, merely another pirate. Their set had finished over an hour ago and he knew they would not be able to delay returning to the ship for much longer. "Where is she?" he muttered to himself.

"Should we search?" Matthew offered.

"Search where!" Lucius exclaimed. "We've no idea if she's even ashore!"

"P'raps his crew would know?" Joshua suggested.

"Look at them," Annis said dryly. "They probably can't even remember their own names, let alone where their captain might be!" She turned to Sebastian. "We cannot wait any longer!"

Slowly, regretfully, he nodded. "Make sure we leave nothing behind," he ordered.

"Do you want us to stay?" Rufus suggested. "Just in case?"

"I don't think this place will be open much longer," Sebastian observed, watching as a number of the barmaids started trying to force the drunken pirates towards the door. He dreaded facing his father and wondered if, for some reason, Mab had decided not to come back. He shook his head. "She'd have said," he muttered to himself.

"Said what?" Benedick frowned, looking at his older brother. "She is coming back… isn't she?"

"She'd never leave Perry," Thomas insisted.

"But we can't leave without her!" Rufus protested.

"We are going to have to," Sebastian sighed. "And God help us all…" Checking all of the rest of the troupe were ready, he nodded to the nearest barmaid and turned towards the door.

"Thanks fer th' show," she beamed. "We ain't ever had anythin' like that in Tortuga b'fore!"

Sebastian paused, looking back at her. "You don't know where I might find Captain Sparrow, do you?" he asked hopefully.

"He's run off with yer singer, has he?" she chuckled.

"She was meant to be back by now," he sighed.

"Ah, well yer don't know about Jack," she laughed. "An hour with him can pass in the blink of an eye… or so I've been told," she reasoned, for she had never caught his eye despite her sometimes brazen attempts. She looked at Sebastian, smiling. "If she turns up, I'll tell her yer've gone back… all right?"

"Sì… thank you," Sebastian nodded, wishing it would be all right, although he knew it would not be. He slowly led the troupe through the narrow streets and back to the dock, relieved to see their boat still there. He climbed in, closely followed by Daniel and Nathaniel who held the boat steady whilst Annis clambered down. Once everybody was in, he cast one last look along the dockside, but there was no sign of Mab.

"We can wait no longer," Joshua reasoned.

"Sì," Sebastian agreed, picking up one of the oars. Daniel, Rufus and Matthew took up the other oars and they rowed back towards the Tarantara.

"You're late! I thought you were never coming," Jacoby snapped, leaning over the ship's rail. Instantly he realised Mab was not in the boat. "Where is Mab?"

"She's been delayed…" Sebastian evaded, climbing up the Jacob's ladder to help ready the bosun's chair for Annis.

"Delayed?" his father pressed. "What do you mean?"

"He means she's gone off with that pirate," Brett sneered from where he had been leaning against the capstan, waiting for such an opportunity.

"She's…" Jacoby rounded on his eldest son. "Is that true?" he demanded.

"She…" Sebastian began, frantically trying to think of something that would calm down his father.

"You knew!" Jacoby raged. "You let her go off and whore herself with a bloody pirate!"

"But…" Sebastian protested, dimly aware of the others climbing aboard and hurrying below.

"But nothing!" he shouted. "You can go back to that town and find her and bring her back!"

"Papà! It's past midnight!" Sebastian protested.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Jacoby snapped. "Rufus can go with you!" he instructed, seeing the juggler still on deck while ensuring the ship's boat was secure. "Don't come back without her!"

Sebastian looked apologetically at Rufus who sighed. "Guess we are heading back then," he sighed.

"Sì," Sebastian nodded dejectedly.

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Mab had not intended to fall asleep, but between tiredness from her chores and the performance, too much rum and an energetic loving from Jack, it had been too much for her. She could feel someone shaking her and tried to roll over, burrowing her head beneath the blankets.

"Mab! Mab! Wake up!" Jack urged, shaking her again. "Yer have t' get back…"

"Eh?" She blinked, looking up at him. "What time is it?"

"It's light…" Jack worried. "Well, lightish… it's rainin'!"

"Papà!" Mab gasped, pulling back one of the drapes that had kept the bed so cosy and intimate earlier, but now shielded them from the dim morning light. She bolted from the bed, struggling into her undergarments.

"Aye, Papà!" Jack repeated ruefully. "He'll turn me into a eunuch!" He looked at Mab as he himself dressed, wondering why she seemed so alarmed when she had said before that her father knew she took lovers. "I take it he didn't know about us, then?"

"Do you think I'm suicidal?" she snapped, pulling her dress on and reaching for her boots. She raked her finger through her hair, trying to make herself look more presentable. "Lace me," she urged, turning her back towards him and scooping her hair out of the way.

"What are yer goin' to tell him?" Jack frowned as he did as she asked, trying to hurry but wanting to take his time, fearing it would be the last time he would perform such an act for her.

"I got lost?" she suggested, her voice wavering as she admitted to herself that her father would not believe any excuse she could come up with.

"If yer got lost around Tortuga, you wouldn't be alive now – or at least unravaged…" Jack cautioned.

"He'll know anyway!" Mab retorted. "Hurry! Hopefully I can get back before breakfast… before he realises…"

"I am hurrying!" Jack panted, finally getting his own boots on and hurrying over to the door. He left it wide as the two of them ran down the stairs and out into the pouring rain. They dashed along the slippery street, Mab overtaking him as they reached the main street of the town.

"This way, it's quicker," he gasped, grabbing her arm and leading her down a dank, rat-infested alley. She followed, trying to hold her skirts from the clinging mud with varying degrees of success. She skidded to a halt as they reached the dockside, looking in dismay to find a drenched Sebastian and Rufus there waiting for her.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sebastian shouted, shaking the rain from his eyes. "We've been searching all night!"

"I fell asleep…" she protested.

He climbed down to the boat as Rufus reached to untie the line. "In," he urged, offering her his hand. "Papa is furious!" he warned.

"Tell me something I don't know!" she gulped. She turned to Jack, kissing him deeply, her eyes closed as she tried to capture the moment. "It was worth it," she smiled weakly before clambering down into the waiting boat, closely followed by Rufus.

"Take care," Jack worried, puzzled by her evident fear. "I'm sorry, Sebastian," he apologised to her brother as the two men picked up their oars. "I didn't intend fer this to happen…"

"You're not the one to have to face Papà," he said ruefully as he pushed off from the quayside. "Nor to live the punishment…"

"Live th…" Jack puzzled, but the entertainer did not answer. "What do yer mean live the punishment?" Mab glanced back at him, but did not speak, her face pale.

"You've caused enough trouble," Sebastian called back across the water. "Keep out of this!"

Jack watched from the quayside as the ship's boat reached the Tarantara, reaching for his spyglass in order to see more clearly – although he wished he had not when he saw Jacoby's enraged face glowering over the rail as the bosun's chair was lowered. He watched as Mab was raised up, before he lost sight of her. Dejectedly, and more than a little worried, he turned back towards the town, wishing more than ever that Mab had not been so determined to remain with her family.

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Mab climbed out of the bosun's chair, quaking as she saw her father. "Into your cabin!" he spat, taking her roughly by the arm and shoving her in the direction of the hatch. Frightened by his anger, she scrambled down the steps ahead of him, trailing water and mud behind her.

"Papà!" she protested, opening the door and turning to face him as they reached her cabin.

"Don't you say a word!" he shouted, back-handing her hard across the face. She raised her hand defensively, automatically going to hit back, but he grabbed her hand, crushing it. "You pirate's whore!" he sneered. "Is this why he gave you fancy dresses? Is it? How long has he been screwin' you?"

"But Papà!" she gasped, crying out in pain.

"You little slut!" he growled, throwing her to the floor of her cabin. "You are to stay in here until I see fit to let you out again!" he threatened. He turned on his heel and marched out of the tiny cabin, slamming the door behind him and locking it. Mab rattled the door, but it did not budge. She sat on the floor next to her bunk in the darkness, without even a lantern, in stunned, silent disbelief at her father's reaction. She felt her face gingerly, wincing at the raised welt from his blow.

"He was worth it!" she shouted defiantly at the closed door before flopping dejectedly on her bunk, finally giving in to her tears.

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