Hours passed and Cordelia wouldn't leave her cabin.  Anamaria informed her that Jack was terribly drunk, most likely due to remorse over everything that had happened.  She was also informed that he was currently passed out in his cabin.  Cordelia saw this as an opportunity…

Cordelia entered Jack's cabin, locking the door behind her.  Jack was sprawled halfway onto his bed, his legs hanging off, an empty bottle rolling about the floor.  Cordelia picked up the bottle and put it in a basket, then looked at the sleeping captain.  What happened to you, Jack?  And why is it so bad for me to know?

She made her way to the bed and sat down on the edge.  She swung Jack's lower body around so that he was fully on the bed and she let her hand brush his cheek.  "I know that you couldn't have meant any of what you said, Jack.  Not a word.  I'm not angry with you – I'm hurt, but not angry."  Without realizing what she was doing, she opened Jack's shirt and gazed at the scars on his chest.  She trailed her fingers over them lightly and could barely fathom the searing pain he must have gone through when they were inflicted.

She then rolled up his shirtsleeve and examined his arm in much the same manner.  She traced along the long, jagged lines in his flesh and couldn't imagine how it was that such wounds came into being.  It didn't matter how he was wounded, what mattered was the miracle that, despite these injuries, this man was alive.

If Jack had any real intention of leaving Cordelia behind at the next dock, her next actions wouldn't matter at all…if he didn't, then perhaps everything they both secretly longed for could take place after all.  Gently, she began to undress Captain Jack Sparrow.  She started with his boots and worked her way up until he was totally nude.  She covered him with a quilt, then folded his clothes neatly and placed them on his desk.  After several moments of hesitation, she began to undress herself.  Again, she neatly folded her clothing and placed them next to Jack's.  Finally, Cordelia took a deep breath and crawled beneath the quilt.  She had no idea how long Jack would remain unconscious.

An hour passed, then two…then, well, Cordelia fell asleep, snuggling comfortably on Jack's chest.  Jack woke a couple of hours before dawn and was rather confused at where he was and, more importantly, whose bed he was in.  He quickly realized the bed was his own and that the warm body next to him was real and not a fantasy left over from his dream.  His hand wandered up the woman's back, she was nude, as was he, another realization.  Wha' the hell?  Cordy?  Jack squinted in the dim light and saw that Cordelia was indeed lying beside him.  Cordy…  As his hand wandered back down Cordelia's back, it arched, pressing her skin closer to his and waking her.

Cordelia's first words to Jack, "No matter what has happened to you, I love you."

If she could have seen Jack's eyes, she would have seen a mixture of sadness and pain fade into the faintest sign of hope and happiness.  "Ye wha'?"

"I love you, Jack.  Please, don't make me leave you."

Jack's voice was soft.  "I'm not exactly the man everyone thinks I am."

"I don't care what anyone else thinks of you, Jack.  I only care about what I think…and I think very highly of you."

Jack pulled her body closer to his and turned on his side.  He breathed her in and caressed her face.  "I didn' wan' ye t' know about my actual past…the stories all sound so much better.  Ye may change yer mind about yer feelin's."

"That won't happen, Jack.  I'm not in love with any stories – I'm in love with the flesh and blood man beside me."

Jack's finger's ran through Cordelia's hair.  "At least let me tell ye the truth about me.  About why I didn' want ye t' see…"

"You can tell me all about it in the morning, Jack," Cordelia interrupted.

"Wha' about now?" he asked, gently.

"More important things now, Jack."

"I love ye, Cordelia."

Cordelia smiled.  "I know.  Now it's only fair that you are loved properly."  Her lips claimed Jack's in a soft, yet highly passionate kiss…the promise of something Jack had never had the pleasure of experiencing.  Gently, she pushed Jack onto his back and climbed on top of him.

"This is generally the part I do," he said, smiling.

"That's when you have a limited amount of time and a fee to pay, Jack.  We have all the time in the world…and I won't charge you too much."  Jack chuckled lightly at her comment.  Cordelia began to act just as she had the night before, taking great care in all that she was doing.  Jack tried to keep her from touching his scars, but she persisted and won by saying, "They're part of you, Jack, there's no need to hide them from me."  Her lips continued to caress his skin causing delightful little sounds to escape his lips.

When her hand reached his arousal, Jack had to contain himself from crying out.  He had never been touched so gently.  With the others, they were so worried about pleasing him and getting paid that the pleasure never lasted long.  They were too rough, too fast…nothing like this.  The ones that he didn't have to pay were even worse.  They were so caught up in being with Captain Jack Sparrow, that they seemed to forget about what they were supposed to do. 

Forget 'em, Jack. Jus' forget 'em all…

As Jack's hands began to wander Cordelia's skin as gently as hers wandered his, he did forget.  He was now learning to feel things that he never knew could exist.  He thought that, no matter what, feelings of arousal were the same no matter who you were with.  Sex was sex, right?

I've ne'er been so happy t' be wrong in my life.

Cordelia knew that the time was right, that they both wanted it, and that Jack was visibly ready for it…but she suddenly felt very unsure of herself.  Not of her feelings – of her body.  She trembled as she raised her hips, positioning herself to accept Jack.  She very slowly lowered herself onto the pirate beneath her – Jack mistook this for more of a treat for himself, after all, Cordelia had made everything else linger for them.  He was convinced that she was being deliberately slow.  She winced a bit as Jack's arousal delved deeper into her; though she tried to hide it from Jack, he caught on.

"Love, is somethin' wrong?  Am I hurtin' ye?"

Cordelia bit her lower lip.  God, he's going to laugh at me…

"Cordy, what is it?"

Feeling rather embarrassed, and with her eyes watering a tad, Cordelia whispered.  "Jack, I've never…done this before."

Not quite grasping what she meant, Jack asked, "Ye mean yer used to bein' on yer back?"  Cordelia shook her head "no."  "Um…somethin' more exotic?"  Again she shook her head.  "Then wha' is it, lo…"  Then it hit him.  "Oh, Cordy, ye mean ye've ne'er…I'm yer first?" 

And finally she spoke.  "Y-yes.  Do you think less of me now?"

Jack smiled warmly.  He raised his hands up and ran them along her shoulders and down her arms.  "'Tis a night o' firsts then, love."

"How so?"

"Neither o' us have ever made love."

"But you…"

Jack put a finger to her lips.  "I din' say I've ne'er had sex – but I assure ye, Cordy, I've ne'er made love t' anyone."

Feeling more at ease, Cordelia lowered herself the rest of the way onto Jack.  Jack moaned in pure pleasure – loose women were nothing like this – while Cordelia fought back a few tears.

"S'all righ', love.  We're in no hurry as ye said.  I know it's supposed to hurt a bit at first, but I promise ye, it'll only be for a little while.  D'ye wan' me t', um, switch with ye?"

"No, Jack," Cordelia said softly.  "I, I want to make love to you."

"I've no objections t' tha', love.  Jus' take yer time."

Cordelia simply pressed her body flat against Jack's, getting used to the feeling of him inside her.  Jack's fingers played in her hair as she nibbled at his earlobe.  After a few minutes, her hips began to move – shakily at first, then with increasing rhythm and, for both she and Jack, intense pleasure.  It wasn't long before their pleasure was vocalized and heard throughout the ship.

The air was filled with the scents of sea salt, sweat, and passion, and it only fueled the both of them.  As much as Jack was enjoying the affection and the intensity of what was happening, he wanted to show Cordelia just how much he loved her.  He carefully rolled the both of them over and began to kiss all of the skin that he could while his hips moved gracefully.

"I ne'er knew it could be like this," he said, panting slightly.  Jack made Cordelia reach her release within a few short moments – she clung to his body, begging for more…Jack complied.  In the heat of Cordelia's second release, Jack felt himself begin to lose control.  He began to pull away from her, but Cordelia pulled him back.  "Cordy, I don't wanna risk…it's only yer first ti…"

"Please, Jack."  Unable to resist her plea, Jack let himself release while still inside her.  Afterwards, both of them collapsed with exhaustion.  Jack pulled Cordelia as close to him as he could – she practically cooed as he let his fingers trail along her back.

Ye've made me a new man, Cordy…  Ye've changed me life tonight…  I love you…I love you…I lo…and Jack drifted to sleep.