Usual disclaimers. I hate disclaimers!

Just three chapters today... sorry!

Starlight - no, your husband wouldn't do this either! (hehehe)

***

The next morning Jack could see that Catherine did not want to return to the house, but he rowed her ashore nonetheless. "I know yer don't want t' go luv, but yer father needs yer help," he sighed, "Though if we have a repeat of yesterday then we're leavin'. Theo knows this, an' so should Mary by now..."

"Is that what your little chat was about yesterday?" Catherine asked curiously.

"Aye. Yer father doesn't want yer t' leave Kitty, not arguing like that. Try t' keep th' peace fer his sake?" For a moment she did not answer. "Savvy?" he pressed.

"Aye, savvy," she responded distractedly as she watched the shore get nearer.

"Kitty!"

"Yes, okay... I'm smiling... look!" She turned to him, forcing a smile. "I'll be okay, I promise."

He smiled at her in return, but when they got to the household Mary was nowhere in sight. Elizabeth looked up as they arrived noticing their cautious glances.

"Where is she?" Jack asked.

"Oh Mary? She's up at the Mansion," Elizabeth explained. "I think the Governor was talking about throwing a party tonight..."

"Heaven help us!" Jack moaned. "Not another celebration of th' happy event?"

"No, it's not!" Elizabeth smiled sweetly, wanting to drag the moment out and tease Jack.

"Well..." he pressed. "Do tell!"

"I believe it is to celebrate Port Royal surviving the hurricane - and a thank you to you and Theo for what you did..." Elizabeth informed him.

"He is throwin' a party for us?" Jack gasped in disbelief. "Pah!"

"Well so he should!" Catherine smiled as she walked past with her father's breakfast. "You and Theo are heroes to the residents of the lower docks!"

Jack watched as she walked up the stairs, carefully balancing the tray as she knocked on her father's door. "I'm just going t' get our clothes from th' Pearl then luv," he called up to her. "I'll be back shortly... behave yerself - okay?"

***

Jack rowed himself quietly out to the Black Pearl, nodding to those on watch as he walked into his cabin. Knowing he would need his smartest clothes he rummaged through first one chest and then another until he found where Catherine had put them. His hand brushed against her scarlet dress and he decided to take it too. He always thought she looked beautiful in it, remembering the first time he had seen her wearing it - the day she had left Port Royal for a life on the Black Pearl with him. He smiled, carefully placing the clothes in a stout bag to take back to Theodore's before reaching for an opened bottle of rum. He took a brief swig, glancing round the cabin to check that there was nothing else he should take. His eyes fell on the small box that Catherine kept her jewellery in, surprised to find it empty except for the ruby heart pendant. He frowned, wondering if he had really given her so little jewellery.

Jack wandered out on deck and down into the hold, checking that none of the crew were paying him any attention. He climbed into the darkest area of the hold, digging amongst the ballast stones until he found a small wooden box. Carefully he opened it, finding what he sought by touch before re- burying the box. It was hard to find a decent hiding place on a ship full of pirates and with a wife obsessed with keeping things clean and tidy... but neither she nor they ever came down here. He slipped the items into his pocket, smiling to himself as he climbed up the stairs, anticipating Catherine's surprise at his gift.

He noticed Gibbs eating on deck as he emerged into the light. "We'll be late back t'night Gibbs," he advised him. "Th' Governor's holding a party..."

Gibbs laughed as Jack rolled his eyes expressively. "Aye Captain. I'll ensure the middle watch are expecting you!"

Jack nodded as he fetched the bag of clothes from his cabin. He climbed back into the small boat and rowed back to shore. Wandering through the docks he was relieved to see that the seamstress' house was still standing and appeared not to have suffered much flooding damage. He went in, the bell jangling again.

"One moment..." a voice echoed from the depths of the shop, closely followed by the speaker - Tabitha Myron. "Oh, Captain Sparrow!" she smiled. "I'm glad it's you - I was going to deliver the dress later today..."

"It's done?" Jack gasped, astounded at her speed - he had only gone in to see if she had survived the hurricane.

"Finished this morning and the remainder of your order should be ready within a week. I am afraid it was delayed because of the storm..."

"Everythin' was, no problem," he smiled. "Can I see?"

She returned to the back of the shop, returning quickly with a large bundle. The shoes were balanced on top - obviously the cobbler had delivered them to her to wait for the dress. She unwrapped the bundle, holding up the dress for him to inspect. It was beautifully edged in lace with cream underskirts and three-quarter length sleeves. "I made it so that the sleeves detached - I know Mistress Sparrow needs to cover her tattoo but on occasion she might not..." Tabitha showed him some tiny buttons cleverly incorporated into the seam which reduced the sleeves to a thin band of fabric which would leave most of her arms bare.

"I say it every time, but yer a marvel! Can I take it now?" Jack asked, hoping to get it back to the house without Catherine seeing it.

"Of course! Let me just re-wrap it for you. I was going to deliver it to the house when I closed up tonight but this will save me the trip," she smiled. "I'll deliver the rest together when they are all completed... yes?"

"Yep, that's fine." Jack eagerly took the bundle and walked briskly back to the house. He was pleased to see that Elizabeth was in the lobby and that Catherine was in the lounge talking quietly with her father who had been able to manage the stairs today. "Elizabeth," he whispered. "Hide this fer me an' don't let Kitty see it, will yer?" He handed her the parcel. "An' no peekin'!" he winked.

Elizabeth glanced at the lounge doorway, but Catherine was not in sight. "I'll put it under our bed," she smiled. "Is this for the party?"

Jack just grinned and walked into the lounge.

***

The afternoon passed too quickly for Catherine for she had spent the majority of the day caring for her father. Jack had told her not to worry and that he had sorted things for her. She wondered what he was up to - he was too darned smug. Theodore had told them that the Governor was sending his carriage for them so they would have to be ready for half past seven.

Catherine laid her scarlet dress out on the bed in her father's room. He was not going so had said that she and Jack could dress there. As soon as the bathroom was free she quickly bathed, washed and arranged her hair but when she returned her scarlet dress had disappeared. In its place was the copper brocade dress and new shoes beside the bed.

"Jack!" she gasped, turning to see him leaning on the door frame, grinning at her, already dressed in his dark best clothes.

"Shall we see what it looks like luv?" He helped her into the dress. "Th' sleeves can come off too if yer want... there's these little buttons..." He took her left sleeve off, her tattoo clearly visible on her upper arm. "Sleeves on or off... hmmm," Jack pondered. "Off I think! It'll show off your bracelets nicely..."

Catherine frowned. "But I don't have any... Jack!" She noticed him holding a small cloth bag. "Jack Sparrow! What are you up to?"

He smiled a lazy, teasing smile. "Shut your eyes... no peekin'!" Catherine obediently shut her eyes, although she only just resisted the urge to open them as she felt him clip two heavy bracelets around her wrists. "Keep 'em shut!" he ordered as he removed her pearl earrings.

"Jack..."

"Ssshhh!" Catherine could feel him putting new earrings in her ears, their weight tugging at her lobes. She felt his hands at her throat, realising that he was fixing the ruby pendant to her necklace.

"Can I..."

"Nearly... nearly... done!" He stepped out of her way so she could see herself in the mirror on the dressing table. "Now yer can look!"

She slowly opened her eyes, staggering back into the chest at the foot of the bed in shock and sitting down with a whoosh. "Jesus Jack!" she swore, looking at her ears in disbelief. "I... I..." Heavy drop earrings swung from her ears - matching rubies the size of her thumbnails.

"I think yer look stunning m' dear," he smiled. "Although I think yer should remember to breathe..."

Catherine exhaled in a gush, visibly shaking as she looked at what he had clipped around her wrists - a pair of matching gold bracelets with interwoven links of pearls and rubies. She realised that she was wearing thousands of pounds worth of gems. "I can't wear these..." she stuttered.

"Why not?" he frowned. "Rubies suit you!"

"Jack!" she protested. "They must have cost a small fortune! Where did they come from?" she asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter..." He paused. "They were in amongst Barbossa's hoard... Spanish by the look of them. They could almost have been made fer yer though... rubies an' pearls!" He leaned down, kissing her. "Wear them fer me luv?"

Catherine sighed deeply. "Okay, but I still say they are too much!"

He grinned, looking around the room and handing her a creamy shawl. "If yer say so luv, although I think we should go, Theo will be waiting."

Still shaking she held on tightly to his arm, relieved to find that her legs actually worked.

***