Disclaimer: *Bows before shrine of Mickey Mouse* Please forgive me, a poor crazed fangirl, for shamelessly using these characters…

AN: Wow, what a turnout! Hehe I should leave you with cliffies more often, since it seems to add to the number of reviews I get…Anyway, sorry for the short chapter, I promise the next one will be longer!

Chapter Eleven

Nora did a double take, then began feeling about with her hands, to make sure the chest was empty. She found that she was wrong; there was something there, a small folded scrap of paper tucked away in a corner of the chest. She quickly hid it in a pocket as Jack came up behind her.

"I don't…" she began.

"Never mind love. Someone probably stumbled across it years ago."

Nora sighed and stood up. "I apologize for leading you and your crew on this wild goose chase."

Jack chuckled. "Nora, one of the things your father taught me is that adventure lies in the quest, not the finding. I've suffered too many disappointments in my life for this to count as one of them. In fact," and he hooked his index finger under Nora's chin, bringing her bright green eyes to meet his dark ones, "I consider this one of the successes."

With that, he kissed her again, but this time it was long, slow, tender, searching. However, it had about the same effect on Nora's knees as the earlier one had.

When they finally broke apart for air, Jack spoke. "You know, I've been in love with you since you were 15."

"Captain Jack Sparrow, in love?" Nora replied incredulously. She began to laugh at the absurdity of it all, then realized that she was weeping.

"Then why in God's name did you leave?" she asked furiously, the question finally surfacing after all these years.

Jack sighed, then looked her in the eyes once again, and all his defenses were gone. "I was young, reckless, foolish. I thought pirates couldn't love anything but the sea. I was…" he hesitated, as if ashamed to admit it, "I was scared. So I started looking for an opportunity, and when one presented itself, I left."

He sighed again, and fixed his eyes on the floor of the cave. "It was one of the few cowardly acts I've ever committed, and I regret it to this day. Things may have gone differently with your father that day if I had been there."

"Oh for Chrissake, stop blaming yourself for something you had no part in."

"Perhaps you should fix yer own problems before you go trying to help others."

Nora found herself speechless at this statement. She finally thought of what to say, but it sounded hollow to her ears. "What, are you a mind reader now as well, Captain?" Suddenly, she was weeping again, and this time he was there, holding her, comforting her like a child. With the part of her mind that wasn't consumed with sorrow, Nora realized how ridiculous they must look: Two pirates tenderly embracing in the middle of a dark cave with an empty treasure chest at their feet.

They broke apart, Jack wiping the tears from Nora's face.

"Well, we should be getting back to the Pearl, love. And by the way," and he looked at her with mock-seriousness, "call me Jack."