One Night

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Avast, maties! I love you all! I really do XD I'm so glad you guys like this story! And for the ones who don't, but for reasons beyond me continue to read and review, your opinion is respected but I'm not changing a damn thing :D Anyway, my beta is moving and her computer is down for a bit, so this chapter has never been seen by her. So if it's just a tad rough around the edges, that's why. Capiche? It may be subject to change, later on. Tell me what you think! Please continue to read and review! On with the show *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Will hadn't realized how much he had missed the sea until he was back on it. The sounds of water, the gentle rocking of the ship was so comforting on such a deep, primal level. It was like being back in the womb- safe, secure, innocent

He didn't know how he was going to live with Billy. He still loved the boy, of course, that hadn't changed, never would. But every time he saw Jack's eyes or nose or mouth on his son's face.it would break his heart. Billy would be a constant reminder of Elizabeth's infidelity. He didn't know how he could live with him, after this.

Or even if he would have the chance to try. Suppose this expedition failed? Suppose he never saw Billy again? No more pirate battles in the back yard, no more sword fighting lessons in the evening. That would be even harder to live with. That would be impossible. Will gripped the side of the ship hard.

They would get Billy back. End of story.

Elizabeth was being shown her room by an incredibly groggy Jack. He led her down to what the pirates referred to as the woman's quarters, but really only housed Anamaria. Jack had given it to her after hearing how she slept with a dagger under her pillow, in case one of the boys got a little too friendly. No one begrudged her the accommodation, it was about as cramped and small as theirs. Anyway, she was the first mate. She deserved a little more status, even though she was a woman.

Jack muttered to himself the whole way down, ignoring Elizabeth completely. Once in awhile she stopped walked, sure that she wasn't meant to still be following him, and she had missed his grumbled direction to her room. But then he would gesture angrily and growl about hurrying it up they hadn't got all day he had other bloody things to attend to. When they reached the woman's quarters Jack pounded on the door.

Anamaria took her time getting out of her bath and putting on her robe (it was Chinese silk, one of the finest things she owned) and opening the door. Jack was leaning heavily against the frame.

"She," he grumbled and gestured at Elizabeth, "will be sleeping here. Since no one else will be." Anamaria smiled sweetly at Jack and patted him on the head. She stepped aside to allow Elizabeth to enter.

"There isn't much room. But there is space here-" Anamaria hefted a large trunk up and put it on top of a stack of three similar chests, where it tilted crazily. Elizabeth kept a wary eye on it.

"Jack, grab summa those blankets from over there," she directed the Captain, who was now sitting on the bed rubbing his temple. He complied, not even breathing a curse under his breath. Anamaria gave them to Elizabeth.

"Make yourself comfortable. And don't touch anything." Elizabeth blinked, then nodded. Anamaria walked back towards the door that led to her tiny bath chamber, and stopped on the way to run her fingers tantalizingly though Jack's hair. He closed his eyes and leaned into the caress. She stopped abruptly and slammed the door, continuing her bath. Jack cursed.

"WOMAN-!" he roared, but then just broke off into sporadic growls. He stood up and left, without a (coherent) word.

Elizabeth folded the blankets over in the cramped space where the trunk had been. She would have to double up to sleep. She sighed. No more than she deserved. If she hadn't slept with Jack, Billy would have never been kidnapped. She wouldn't have to put herself and Will in danger. Will wouldn't be sleeping alone in a makeshift bed on a pirate ship. She wouldn't be sleeping in a space too small for Emily with a woman who would be as quick to shoot her as look at her. Upon thinking this Elizabeth glanced warily at the bathroom door. If she listened hard enough, she could hear really surprisingly good singing. The words weren't too pleasant when distinguishable, but the voice was. Pirate ships were full of surprises.

Jack was staring as his hands.

Some of his crew looked at him with bemusement, and then as time went on and he didn't stop, with a bit of concern. He was staring hard. His kohl lined eyes were nearly bugging out of his head. Once in awhile he would drum his fingers across the surface of the other hand, watching the numerous rings flash and sparkle in the sunlight, but other than that he made no movement He hadn't even blinked for awhile.

They were nice hands, to be sure. His fingers were very long, almost abnormal. They would have been downright feminine if it weren't for the ragged nails and layers of dirt. He could trill them in a way no straight man should have been able to. And then there were the rings, gaudy ones, big gold shiny ones, on nearly every finger. They were unusual hands, most definitely out of the ordinary. But still just hands. Nothing to warrant staring at them for a full twenty minutes, as he had been doing now. Not while there were plans to be made, pirates to fight, sons to be rescued. But Jack was thinking, and thinking hard. This is what he was thinking.

These were the hands that had undone the corsets of hundreds (well, maybe dozens) of women. These were the hands that steered the Black Pearl through her greatest victories. These were the hands people read about, heard about, talked about, feared, cursed, admired. These were the hands that fought Barbossa, that rescued Elizabeth, that held Anamaria at night. But had these hands done enough, he wondered, to save a son? Not only his, because he really had no part in the boy except a drunken night with Elizabeth. But Will's son. Elizabeth's son. And he had to do it without losing any gold.

There was a time of course when Jack loved gold and only gold. The sea was his mistress and love, but gold his driving force. But that was before he had known her chocolate skin, her rough kisses, her soft embrace. She had softened him, much as he hated to admit it. And now he has all the gold he would ever need, could ever hope to spend, but he can't use it to buy back the most precious thing, the least expected of treasures. His son. But then again, knowing pirates like he did, they would take the ransom and kill the boy and take the Black Pearl. As if they could. Jack stood and grinned, much to the relief of his crew (although for the sake of honesty it must be said that many were equally disturbed by his smile as they were by his previous strange behavior). He realized- this was nothing more than a hit and run job. They would be at Teelgor by ten o'clock tomorrow, doubtlessly before Gunther's (or whoever was in charge now) ship. Gunther (or whoever) had had a rather large head start, but there wasn't a ship on the sea that could outmatch the Black Pearl.but Billy would be rescued. They wouldn't even pretend to give them gold, they would take the lad and then the lives of every one of those scoundrels. Sail back home. Maybe give Billy a proper hat. And then who knows?

Back to adventures on the Pearl, mebbe sending Billy some gold around the holidays, like his own father had sometimes done. Or maybe he wouldn't even tell the boy. But Billy'd have to be downright stupid not to notice, and if Billy was anything like Jack, he was not stupid. Crazy, maybe, but never stupid. Then again, the boy had been raised by Will, who was notorious for acting incredibly, well, stupid.
Jack stood up. There was no use in sitting about daydreaming about what to do with Billy. First they had to get the scalawag back. Without losing gold, or his cursedly lovely first mate's touch.

Jack shook his head, to clear it. Bells tinkled and dice shook and the feather fluttered, but these were distractions he was used to. This was a proper adventure, and Jack was loving every moment of it. He went to take his place at the stern, urging his beauteous Black Pearl onward. His mouth twitched into a smile, and then he sang.

".and really bad eggs."