It felt odd, walking through Tortuga at Jack's side. When they arrived at the Faithful Bride, women immediately sought Jack out, as they always did whenever he was in port. Jack smiled around at them, but resisted when they tried to drag him off to a table.

"Apologies, ladies, but I am unavailable from here on out," he told them, putting an arm around Ash, "I'm with someone."

Ash could see surprise in the women's eyes as they looked at her. Then one, recovering faster than the rest, made an offer that made Ash turn paler than she already was.

"She's cute, Jack. She's welcome to join."

Ash made a strangled sounding noise in her throat and made as if to backpedal, but Jack's arm around her kept her in place.

"Ah... you misunderstand," Jack replied, "I am exclusively with someone."

As their expressions turned mutinous, Ash spoke up quickly.

"Jack, it's alright, if you want."

He looked down at her, surprised.

"But I don't want. And I wouldn't do that to you."

Ash gave a little laugh, going red under the intense stares of the women around them.

"What, do I suddenly own your sex?"

Untangling herself, she waved feebly over her shoulder as she escaped to a table in the far corner, as if bestowing her blessings. Frowning, Jack followed, giving no more notice to the group of women that had surrounded him.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a hushed tone as he settled into a chair near her, leaning closer intently.

"Nothing."

"Love, you're red as a lobster. What is it?"

Ash grimaced.

"I just... I didn't expect... this."

"What?"

She huffed and shifted on her chair.

"Well, I didn't think you'd announce it to everyone like that. I didn't realize we were... I don't know. Exclusive. Yet."

Jack frowned, confused.

"Do you not want only me? You are interested in another?"

"No. But..." she waved her hand inarticulately at the prostitutes, "You have... others."

"Ah. I see. You thought I wouldn't want to give them up?"

"Um... yes. Because I don't... I mean I..." her nose wrinkled with her frustration, "I am not certain I want to have the sex with you just yet. I'm not sure when I will be ready. Wouldn't it be selfish of me to ask you to give that up in the mean time?"

"I do believe exclusivity is the standard when someone loves another, as I do for you," he said slowly.

Ash looked at him, exasperated.

"Jack. A heart is not a penis."

He waved his hands in front of him. Why did she make him feel like he had whiplash?

"Are you trying to tell me I can have relations with other women? Besides you?"

"Well... not exactly. For now, I suppose. But once we do start the sex, I'm cutting you off from other women. I don't want to have to keep testing you."

Jack blinked.

"Come again? I'm – test?"

"Of course," she said slowly, staring at him as if he was an idiot, "I need to be certain you are not diseased before I agree to have the sex with you."

"Wha – I am not diseased!"

"I seriously doubt that. But I can prove it."

"How?"

"I have equipment back on the ship. But I'll need some of your blood and urine."

"Are those not some of the very things I should avoid giving out to scary wizards?"

"I'm not going to use it for anything but the test, I swear."

"On what? Your mother's grave?"

"I don't know my mother," Ash said crossly, "I don't know if she's dead or alive, not sure I care."

Jack put a hand to his chin as he looked her over. Ash stared back at him, then sighed dramatically.

"I swear it," she said formally, "I swear on my name and my power, I swear it by the ever shifting tides and changing moon, I swear it on my rifle and my good right hand."

"We have an accord," Jack responded, sticking out his hand.

When Ash took it, instead of shaking it, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Ash felt her cheeks heat up even more as he looked at her and smiled, dark eyes glittering.

"Oh, yes, very smooth," she said.

"Come!" Jack said eagerly, pulling her to her feet.

He tugged her out of the tavern and back down the hill towards the docks. When Ash realized where they were going, she laughed.

"You can't wait?" she asked, bemused.

"I've done my waiting."

She shook her head, unable to get rid of the wry, bemused smile that twisted her lips. They went down to her tiny room near the galley, where Ash set up her equipment and picked up a small, sharp knife, looking Jack over. He held out his hand wordlessly. Swiping his palm with an alcohol doused cloth, she then cut a long, thin slice in his palm. Jack closed his hand over a tiny jar and squeezed his fist, watching carefully as his blood dribbled into the container. When there was enough, Ash wiped his hand again, put a dressing and a bandage on it, and banished him from the room to deposit his urine sample in a little cup.

While he was gone, she started on the blood test. Hearing the door open as she stared intently at her work, she murmured for him to put the cup on the edge of the table and sit down somewhere. It took quite a bit of time. Jack sat on her hammock as he watched her test his samples. There was quite a bit of curious steps and equipment involved that he suspected she used for some alchemy, but he didn't ask. Finally, she made a short hm sound.

"What?" he blurted out.

"I'll be damned," she said softly, as if to herself, "You are not diseased after all."

"Ah ha! Told you!" Jack grinned.

"But that doesn't make you 'clean'," she said firmly, turning to give him a stern look, "I am also requiring you to bathe before anything sexual happens between us. Sure you're not wanting to just stick to your prostitutes?"

"After I handed over substances that you could kill me with from a thousand miles away?"

"I told you, I won't use them for anything else. In fact, I'm getting rid of them right now."

Jack sighed and got up as the gathered up the leftover blood, urine, and anything that had the substances still on them, such as rags.

"I don't want any other woman, I've made up me mind," he said as he followed her up on deck.

"Very well then."

She dumped the liquids over board into the sea, then set fire to the rags and let them burn to cinders, monitoring the fire closely.

"Let's not... plan it or anything though," she added after a few long, silent moments, "I'd feel too awkward. When it happens, it happens. Just let it happen naturally."

Jack nodded in agreement, deciding not to mention he had already thought of a few plans for their first time together. They returned to the Faithful Bride together, where they reclaimed the table they had previously vacated. Some of the crew came over to sit with them when a stack of cards were pulled out, and a barmaid came over with a round of drinks for them all. Ash was pleased when she saw she received her favorite fruity Spanish wine instead of the rum, whiskey, and beer passed around to the others. She was on her way to being well buttered when the Rogue came up to their table.

"I heard you were back, Ash, and in the company of Captain Sparrow, no less! Good to see you've settled your differences."

Ash blinked as she looked up at him. This man heard they were back in town, and had come from his usual tavern, the King's Arm, which was down the hill all the way down by the docks, to see if the rumors were true. Her head spun by the point and her vision swam a bit, so it took her a while for her brain to muddle through that and realize that yes, he had seriously done that.

"Don't suppose you found any other map pieces, eh?" he continued.

Ash stood abruptly, slamming her palms down on the table. Jack noticed a couple men glance up sharply at the Rogue's inquiry, and he looked back at Ash, curious. Her face was furious as she glared at the Rogue.

"Why don't you say that a little louder?" she hissed through gritted teeth, "I don't think the entire island heard you."

"Well, I was only asking – "

"Ask another time!" she spat.

The Rogue frowned, then nodded once and left. Ash sighed as she settled back into her chair and took a long drink of wine. Luckily, it seemed that most of the tavern hadn't noticed the exchanged, tucked away in the corner as they were.

"Ash?" Jack asked quietly.

She pulled the cup away from her lips with a deep sigh. She knew what he wanted to know.

"Come with me," she said, standing once more, glancing at the few crewmen, "You lot can stay and guard the rum."

Once outside, Ash led Jack around a corner into a dark, arched tunnel, a quiet spot where no one else ventured. They wouldn't be overheard here. Ash took in a deep breath and let it out in a rush as she turned to face Jack.

"The map he was talking about was the map to Cibola," she admitted, "While you and I were... separated... we worked out a deal. I'm going to find the pieces of the map that leads to Cibola, a city of gold."

"You seriously think such a place exists?"

Ash shrugged.

"I'm going to find out, one way or another. I already have one piece of the map. That has me leaning towards the thought that this place is, in fact, real. Are you in?"

"Aye."

"I thought you might be," Ash smiled.

She saw Jack's dark eyes widen, then the next thing she knew, he shoved her against the stone wall to her left and pressed himself against her, covering her with his body as her ears registered a pistol firing. She immediately began squirming, trying to see around him.

"Jack, what are you – "

Something pulled him away from her, and when his hands flew to his throat, she saw someone had a rope around his neck and was pulling on it, half strangling him. Her hand move automatically to one of her daggers, but the sound of a cocking pistol and the rough voice that followed made her freeze.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Ash glanced over and saw a second man. He stood outside the arch of the tunnel, aiming a pistol at her. She understood what happened instantly. This man went around the tavern to come up behind her, where he tried to shoot her. The second man had followed them straight out of the tavern to come up behind Jack and strangle him with the cord. Now she had to think of how to get out of this situation. Jack was holding up well enough for now, but that probably wouldn't last long. He was struggling to get his fingers under the cord, which was pulled tight enough to prevent that and hold him back, but not completely cut off air. That could change in an instant, and then he would have seconds before he lost consciousness, minutes after that he would be dead if pressure was constantly applied. Meanwhile, if Ash moved for her weapons, the other man would fire at her. She eyed him, trying to judge the odds of him hitting her at all, and if he did, how likely it was he would hit something vital. It was dark, and she stood a fair distance away, and she doubted he was very skilled, but she couldn't say for sure...

"Just hand over the map piece, and we'll be on our way," pistol man added.

Ash cursed in her head. This was exactly why she was angry with the Rogue for spreading that blasted rumor! She didn't want to be involved in this bullshit! But she was, so best to just get on with it. She was about to risk going for her daggers when a large, dark shadow blocked out the thin sliver of moon that was the only light in the area. It came up behind the man with the pistol, but before he could turn, Jahir ran him through with his sword. Jack made a strange noise in his throat as the cord around his neck tightened, and Ash flicked a dagger from it's sheath into the foot of the person behind Jack. He yelped and cursed in pain, allowing the cord to slacken in his distraction. This allowed Jack to pull away from him, which allowed Ash an opening to throw another dagger into the man's gut. She closed the distance between them, grabbed the handle of the dagger and yanked upwards. Blood spurted, and the man's internal organs spilled out of the wound. He sank to the ground, screaming in pain. Ash grimaced, knowing a wound like that meant a slow, agonizing death. She cut his throat instead. Slowly, as she stared at the dead man, she realized her heart was racing and she was panting slightly, her hands shaking. Jahir came up beside her, but she didn't speak or look at him.

"Thanks, mate," Jack said.

She snapped. Turning to Jack, she started to shout at him, cursing him for being ten different kinds of idiot. Eventually, she ran out of air, and stopped her tirade to catch her breath and glare at him. Jack bore it all by being completely still and silent. Once he was certain she was finished, he got over his surprise enough to ask a question.

"Baka? What is baka?"

Ash stared at him.

"What?" she asked stupidly.

"You used that word several times. What does it mean?"

Only then did she realize she had been shouting at him in Japanese. Her mind ran around in circles for a second or two before she got an idea. She looked at him with a completely straight face, no emotion showing in any way in her expression.

"It is a term of great respect," she said solemnly.

Jack looked at Jahir, who stared back at him with the same impassivity. Jahir didn't know what game his captain was playing at, but he would back her up and play along.

"Great respect," he echoed.

Jack frowned, eyes flickering back and forth between them suspiciously. Neither of them broke. He was realizing that he had seen that look, or lack of it, on her face before. When he said she sang like a woman after the siren attack, and she had lied to him about her gender. That led him to believe she was feeding him more lies now. But Jahir told him that was the same face she wore during liar's dice, when Jahir thought she was lying and it turned out she was telling the truth. So now he didn't know what to think, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was having a joke with him. Best not to let her know how confusing she was, or she'd definitely have the upper hand for eternity.

"Hmm. Better be, for the bloke that saved your life."

Ash rolled her eyes, her emotionless mask slipping away again. It was eerie, Jack decided, how easily she could turn it on and off.

"That's why I was shouting at you," she said crossly, "You could have been killed trying to be my human shield."

"What, I should have let him shoot you?"

"No. But you could have done something else, like push me away."

Jack threw up his hands. He couldn't do anything to please this woman!

"Lucky for all of us he showed up then, isn't it?" Jack groused, gesturing at Jahir wildly with one hand.

Ash looked up at the big man quizzically.

"How did you know something was happening?"

"I an' I saw dem get interested when a map was mentioned, so I an' I followed dem."

Jack nodded, remembering these two men from the tavern. Ash was shaking her head in disgust at the recent events.

"And they won't be the last to attack us on this account," she said sourly, "We should be on our way soon. Only problem is, I've no idea where to start looking for the rest of the map pieces."

"What be dis map, captain my captain?"

Ash eyed Jahir for an instant before shrugging. If she trusted anyone with absolutely everything, it was him. It was safe to let him know.

"Cibola, a city of gold. Apparently some explorer found it, and made a map to it. But... obviously that much gold is dangerous. So he split the pieces of his map into seven and hid them around the world. When we went to do that job for the Rogue, he spread around a rumor that I had one of the pieces, which I didn't, to distract people from the fact that he was the one that actually had it. So I took it from him and said I'd find Cibola, since he got me involved anyway. If I'm going to have people coming after me trying to kill me for something, I might as well actually have what they want. At least I'll get something out of this headache."

Jahir nodded.

"Seems dat best way to know where to go is as him."

Ash frowned and chewed on her lower lip for a bit, then nodded slowly.

"Yes. I don't have any other leads. He's the one that knows about this, after all. But... we shouldn't ask him now. It would look suspicious if we go to him after we were attacked, which happened after he showed up a brief time before. People might realize he has something to do with it and get a little too curious. Best not to announce to the whole island we're up to something involving the Rogue."

"He pretty much already announced it earlier tonight," Jack pointed out.

"Best not to confirm it then," Ash amended, "If we wait until morning, the attack and our visit won't look too related. Might keep people from snooping."

The two men nodded in agreement, and they all went back into the Faithful Bride to pretend like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. Jack and Ash resumed their card game, while Jahir disappeared to go back to whatever it was he was doing before. The drinks continued to be consumed, and at some point in the night, Jack realized he and Ash were far too drunk to make it all the way back to the ship to sleep, so they would need a room. He got up and excused himself to see to it, and Ash gave him a brief but fond smile before turning back to the game. She was going to crush these men and make them weep like the little babies they were.

After she had won the game and with it a nice pile of money, she went to get another drink and wound up singing with the musicians that were playing nearby, the arm that wasn't holding her drink slung around a man's shoulder companionably. The song was so infectious and hilarious that the entire crowd came in on the chorus, shouting exuberantly, loudly, and as off key as Ash had ever heard, and no one gave a thin sliver of a damn. Not even her. They all cheered when it was over, grinning like insane men and pounding table tops with fists to show their appreciation. Ash got another drink and downed half of it before the musicians struck up another lively tune that made her want to dance. She was actually dancing with a group of people, managing such quick, fancy footwork that she could never execute sober, when Jahir somehow wove himself into the dancing. As soon as the song ended, he towed her off to the side of the room.

"It be best if you stop now, captain my captain," he said seriously, "Your judgment is starting to take a downward turn."

Ash pouted at him.

"Why do you always ruin my fun?" she complained.

"I an' I only do it when you start dancing," he said frankly, "Dat's a sure sign you've had far too much to drink."

Ash's mouth fell open in shock.

"Are you saying I'm a bad dancer?" she demanded, offended.

"Yes," Jahir said frankly.

Ash closed her mouth, scowling at him now. She pointed at him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Fuck you," she said, and turned towards the stairs.

Jahir smiled as he watched her.

"You not be my type, captain my captain," he said.

She turned halfway up the steps and made sure he got a clear view of the finger in the middle of her hand before turning and continuing her way up the stairs.

"Asshole!" he called cheerfully.

"Dickhead!" she shot back.

Chuckling, Jahir turned away and went to find a drink. Ash continued her way up the stairs and went to find the room Jack said would be theirs. It hadn't registered in her head before now that he said it was their room. As in, to share. Together. But now that she was inside, blinking in the darkness, she realized the meaning of it. She stood for a second as her eyes adjusted, and made out Jack in the single bed, clothed in just a shirt and pants. Relieved, she decided it was safe to shed her clothes. She hadn't slept naked in a long time and was looking forward to an excellent night of sleep without tugging at an offending garment every time she wanted to turn. Smiling, she got under the blankets beside Jack, putting her back to him. She didn't want to disturb him in case he was asleep. He wasn't. His arm immediately fell over her side and pulled her closer to him. Ash frowned, eyes narrowing as her nose twitched. Wiggling and twisting until she faced him, she sniffed at the exposed skin of his collarbone suspiciously. He still had the scent of the sea and spices on him as usual, but... what was that other note? Lemon.

"Jack," she said slowly, "Did you take a bath?"

One dark eye opened to look at her.

"Aye," he said, and it closed.

"Oh."

For possibly the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say. So she kissed him instead. Jack groaned deep in his throat as he returned the kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair eagerly. For a moment, it was bliss. Until he pulled away.

"No," he said hoarsely.

Ash frowned.

"No?" she asked, confused, "Why?"

"Love, we are both drunk off our asses."

"So?"

"You have some small idea how you want our first time to go. So do I. And it isn't like this. Don't worry, we have time."

Ash thought this over. He was right, she supposed. But she was coming to realize she rather liked kissing him, and she was curious as to what sensations could come of other things. It would have to wait. As she lay there, quietly thinking her thoughts, she fell asleep.

Author's Note: Still time to object to some mature content, but the window of opportunity is closing. Btw, the song that inspired me for everyone in the Faithful Bride singing along drunkenly to can be found on Youtube. It is posted by Flamari:Nightcore and is titled "Nightcore Another Irish Drinking Song", if anyone cares to take a listen. You can't listen to that and tell me you can't imagine a room full of drunk pirates singing along to something like that.