A/N: Hi, everyone! Sorry for the wait but I did say that I'll be updating once a week from now on.

Thank you all for your alerts and favorites- even if you don't review-and of course I'd like to thank my reviewers: 88dragon06, deadgummiegirl, SoriBlack, the mistery chick, GuardianAngel102310, Labyrinth Fan 23, BleedinLuva1123, AdaYuki, Lori, TinkerbellxO, anonymous, Why Fireflies Flash, MaisieIrvette27 and Terriah.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Isn't that obvious?


Chapter 54

Mary sighed and stretched on the bed as morning light entered the room from the open French doors.

Open? She thought as she fully opened her eyes and sat up groggily. The light was slightly obscured by a figure standing in the middle of the door and she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. Jack was leaning against the door only in his breeches with a pipe in his hand.

"Oh my God, where did you get the pipe?" she asked hoarsely and the smooth sound of his laughter filled the room.

"Good morning to you too, love. Slept well?" he asked as he placed the pipe in his lips and took a long drag.

"I slept…fine. You didn't answer my question." she asked as she noticed him shifting against the doorframe, his bare feet crossed as he stood there watching her.

"Question? What question?" he smirked and she sighed.

"The pipe, Jack."

"What about it?" he asked obnoxiously and she groaned. He chuckled at her irritation and continued grinning at her.

"Where did you get it?" she asked again and he shrugged.

"I just went for a little treasure hunt around the house. I woke up early. Habit." He said with his dark eyes gleaming at her.

"Would that treasure hunt include my father's study and room?" she asked with raised eyebrows and he grinned.

"I was bored. Had to entertain meself somehow." He said and she shivered when his eyes trailed over the exposed skin of her collarbone and neck. She drew the covers back and stood up, feeling his eyes on her as she moved around the room to get her robe. She slipped it around her body and when she turned he was right in front of her. She hadn't even heard him moving away from the French doors.

"You scared me." She said breathlessly and he smirked. He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before he cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. She noticed that he had left the pipe on the nightstand and she wrinkled her nose at the smell of smoke that had already filled the room.

"I hate that smell." She whispered as his other hand slid into the locks at the back of her head.

"You do?" he murmured as he stepped closer and his bare but warm chest pressed up against her own.

"He used to smoke a lot. I hated that. Amongst other things."

"Good thing he's lying several feet under the ground then, aye?" he said quietly as his thumb slid down to her lips.

"How…? How do you know that?" She asked confused. She hadn't told him that her father was dead.

"Marge told me though it wasn't hard to guess." He grinned and she frowned.

"She let you call her that? Only the people she likes are allowed to call her that."

"Me she likes then. I think she also knows that I am a lowlife scoundrel too. Well, I am rather charming with the ladies." He shrugged as trailed her lower lip with his finger.

"Yes, we've all seen that." She muttered quietly to herself as she tried to pull back from him.

"What was that?" he asked, pretending not having heard what she had murmured.

"Nothing." She shook her head before she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his surprised but more than accepting lips.

"Okay, so what-…" she started as she pulled back but she was cut off when he yanked her to him again to press a deeper kiss onto her mouth.

"Loved the initiative, love, but it was a bit too quick for me liking." He breathed once he broke the kiss, "So, you were saying?" he asked with a lopsided grin once he noticed her dazed expression.

"Um…breakfast?" she blurted out and he chuckled.

"Sure." He started walking towards the door but her hand on his chest made him pause.

"Please get dressed." She said pleadingly and he raised his hands up in surrender.

"As me little girl wishes." He bowed slightly with a grin before he picked up a discarded shirt and pulled it over his head, "I'll have to thank your father for this though." He said while pointing to the shirt.

"Yes, I'm sure he'd be very happy." She said shaking her head as they made their way out of the room.

"Little girl?" Mary asked as they walked down the stairs.

"You mind the pet names now?" he asked as he fingered the tie of her robe.

"I…no." she frowned as they walked into the kitchen. It was empty.

"They're probably working in the garden…" Mary murmured as she turned to Jack who was studying the room.

"Your eye." She suddenly said and he looked back at her in surprise.

"What about it?" he frowned.

"I mean…It healed well." She said as she got closer and looked at his eyelid, "There's just a small scar." She murmured as she trailed her fingertip over said scar.

"Aye…Did not turn blind after all." He said and his voice was surprisingly heavy.

"I'm glad." She said as she stepped back and made to take her hand away. He caught it before she had the chance and pressed her palm to his lips. They locked eyes and Jack opened his mouth to speak when the kitchen door opened.

"Oh, good morning… Am I interrupting?" Alex said with a small frown as he wiped his hands on a cloth.

"No. No, Alex. Good morning. Where's Marge?" Mary asked as she pulled her hand from Jack's grasp and turned her back on him to smile at the blond. Jack grimaced at her action but remained silent.

"She's getting the milk…Did you want something?" Alex asked as he looked from to Jack and back again.

"Just breakfast." Mary replied as she moved towards the counter.

"Oh, of course." Alex looked around as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You can join us if you're done." Mary suggested and Jack made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat before he flopped down in a chair.

"Um…I'd love too." Alex smiled widely at her and she smiled back.

Jack's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in silence as he sent a death glare towards Mary who looked at him blankly.

"I am going to bring fresh apples. I'll be right back." She said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

Jack watched her leaving before he cleared his throat rather loudly. Alex turned to him and smiled meekly as the older man looked at him intently.

"So…what's your age, lad?" Jack finally broke the silence.

"Um…twenty six…" Alex answered uncertainly.

"Hmm. And you've been digging holes for how long?" Jack asked with narrowed eyes.

"Since I was sixteen…Captain. You are a Captain, right?" Alex answered and Jack sneered.

"Of course I am. I'm-…"

"Jack Sparrow. I know who you are. No need to lie." Alex said with a small laugh as he sat down across from him.

"You've heard of me?" Jack asked as a small feeling of unease started creeping up on him.

"Of course I have." Alex answered automatically.

"How did you know who I am?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"I've seen the wanted posters. Although you're completely different that they make you…" Alex trailed off when Jack's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Really? Do I not meet your expectations, boy?" Jack asked in a low voice and Alex frowned.

"That's not what I meant."

"I think you should keep your thoughts to yourself while on my presence from now on." Jack snapped and Alex's eyes hardened.

"What's going on?" Mary asked as she entered the kitchen with Margaret.

"Nothing." Jack answered as Alex stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I think the Captain's upset because I know who he is, Ma-…I mean, Miss." Alex replied slowly and Mary looked at Jack.

"It's Mary, Alex. And what do you mean?" she asked as she looked between the two men.

"She knows I'm a pirate, love." Jack said and no one noticed that Alex winced at the endearment.

"Oh." Mary said quietly and Marge who was standing frozen in the doorway cleared her throat.

"I'll make breakfast, Miss." She said and Alex looked up at the sound of her voice, "Help me?" she said to him and he nodded at her with a small smile.

Mary smiled nervously and looked at Jack.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked and he stared at her, "In private?" she pressed and he stood up to follow her to the parlor.

"What?" he asked gruffly and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What is the matter with you?" she asked with her hands on her hips, "You were fine a few minutes ago."

"He knows." He said simply and she sighed.

"So?"

"What if he tells someone?"

"He won't." she assured him.

"He doesn't seem to like me." Jack said plainly.

"Yes, but I think the feeling's mutual. He likes me though." She said and he gritted his teeth.

"That much is obvious. I wonder why." He said and she gasped.

"Oh, really? Is it so surprising that someone likes me? Am I so repelling that I can hold no one's attention?"

"Love-…"

"No, wait. If that's so, then you're a fool for choosing to look at me."

"I did not mean it that way! Damn it, woman!" he snapped when she started moving away, "You didn't let me finish." He said as he gripped her wrist, pulling her closer.

She remained silent but looked away from him.

"I meant that you're way…I mean…' he stammered and she was surprised. He never stammered. He just didn't.

"What?" she whispered and he sighed.

"You're…You should be off limits for someone like him." He finished quietly as he gripped her wrist tightly.

"What?" Mary murmured in shock.

"I mean…look at this house, love. And you. I mean with your delicate manners and all…" he babbled and she grimaced, trying not to blush.

"So…?"

"So…What if he wants something from you?" he asked at last and she snorted indelicately.

"You mean like you did?" she asked and he tensed.

"Okay, I deserved that one." He said quietly as he slowly released her wrist and slid his hand up her arm.

"Just don't worry about that. No one's about to compromise my honor. You've already done that, remember?" she asked as she leaned her forehead against his chest.

"I married you first." He said seriously and she laughed.

"Oh, yes. That makes everything better." She said sarcastically and he frowned.

"I know…it doesn't." he said after a moment and she looked up at him curiously.

"You're different." She murmured and he frowned.

"How so?" he asked hoarsely as he fingered the edges of her long curls.

"I don't know…Just different. You…Since I saw you yesterday." She shook her head.

"Good different?" he asked with confusion.

"Yes…I mean, it's quite confusing to me. Yes, you're still teasing and all but…I don't know."

"Now I am confused." Jack said with a grimace as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.

Am I really different towards her? He thought as he stared at her, still playing with her hair.

Pfff! I am not! He thought as he tried to look away from her eyes. Of course I am not. What am I supposed to do? Be mean to her?….Bloody hell, those eyes. I've missed those eyes. Oh, great. Now she's looking at me like I'm an idiot.

"Jack?" she asked as she flushed even more at his stare.

Snap out of it, old boy! His inner voice screamed at him and he blinked. He cleared his throat and released her hair to rub the back of his neck nervously.

"Sorry, love. I was…thinking." He said and his voice sounded a little higher than usual.

"Okay…?" she said as she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked around.

"So…" he trailed off, unsure what to say after having bedded her with his eyes.

"So." She repeated and he made a noise in the back of his throat before he reached out and grasped the back of her neck. His free hand snaked around her waist and he lifted her slightly off her feet in order to press her against the nearest solid surface. The nearest solid surface happened to be the long dining table but neither noticed. Her back fell on the table and her legs found purchase around his hips as he leaned down towards her to kiss her. His lips and teeth collided painfully with her mouth and he tasted blood as he kissed her. He pulled back and looked at her bloodied bottom lip.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he kissed said lip, "So sorry…"

Mary's eyes closed as his tongue lapped at the blood on her lip and she found herself moaning as he sucked it into his mouth.

Jack pulled back and looked down at her with such intensity that she swore she felt herself melting against the wooden table. His hand left her hip and trailed down her leg. His hand found the hem of her robe and nightdress and he slid his hand underneath to touch the skin of her calf. He slid it up her knee, taking the clothing with him as he did so.

"Jack." She whispered as she looked around the room.

"Hmm?" his hand was on her thigh as he leaned down to kiss and suck on her neck.

"Not here." She murmured as her breath hitched.

"Where?" he murmured between kisses while pressing against her with his hips.

"I was thinking in the bathroom while I cut off all that hair from you." She said as she slid her hand into his hair.

"What?" he exclaimed as he pulled back to look at her.

"Someone might recognize you. We have to make you look…decent." She said as she rubbed his rough cheek.

"I am not shaving my moustache or beard!" he said as he drew slightly back.

"Yes, you will. And you will at least let me tame all this hair." She said as she tugged on his locks.

"No, no, love. Hair's off limits." He said with a mortified expression on his face.

"But I'll be good." She said as she batted her eyelashes at him. He paused and stared down at her.

"How good?" he asked as he licked his lips.

"Very good." She whispered as she leaned up to peck his lips. He agreed with a moan and she smirked.

"When the hell did you get to become so manipulative?" he murmured as she stroked his cheek.

"I learned from the best." She murmured right back before she pushed him away and took his hand.

"But first breakfast." She said and he groaned as he followed her obediently back to the kitchen.

End of chapter 54

Author's note: Thank you for reading! If you liked it and want more soon then please press the button that says review. It'll only take a minute! Please? More reviews=quicker updates.

Xxx Lina :)