Thanks for the reviews :-). Rachel Sparrow, look at chapter 26 ;-). And
here it is guys, chapter 29...
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Jack and Tara walked hand-in-hand at the front of the line of pirates heading into the caves. Occasionally they would glance at and smile to each other, as though they shared a private joke.
Tara felt safe and warm leaning against him.
"Look at the 'appy couple," grinned Will, who was stomping along behind them.
"Just because ye're missin' Elizabeth," Jack smirked back, reaching behind and ruffling Will's hair affectionately.
"Aye, I am that," Will said, suddenly quiet and thoughtful.
They entered the caves. Tara felt the temperature around them dip.
"Up here, luv," said Jack, and they walked up to beside the chest.
The rest of the pirates gathered below, looking up.
"Will this hurt?" asked Tara suspiciously.
Jack kicked the lid off the chest. "Er... maybe a little bit, luv."
He pulled out a small dagger. Tara dropped his hand and took an instinctive step back.
"I don't think I can, Jack," she said quietly.
"All 'tis is a small scratch on yer hand, luv," said Jack.
"Why can't you do it?" asked Tara as Jack handed her the knife.
"How could I cut you?" asked Jack, smiling softly.
He pressed the coin and the knife into her hand, and wrapped her fingers around it.
"When yer ready, just move the dagger," he said.
She held her hands over the chest, holding the dagger with a trembling grip.
"I love you," Jack whispered, leaning over and kissing her lips.
He yelped in pain as suddenly she bit down hard on his bottom lip... he tasted blood and jumped back, and saw that she had sliced her hand and the curse was lifted.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking at the thin trickle of blood down his chin.
"I'm okay... look at yer hand! How hard did ye cut?" Jack replied, seeing the steady gush of blood from the gash on her hand.
Will ran up, peeling off his shirt. He wadded it together and pressed it onto Tara's hand.
"Eh?" asked Jack, wiping his mouth.
"If she loses too much blood she'll pass out," Will replied, shivering, his tanned chest bare now.
"Thank you," said Tara, kissing his cheek lightly.
Jack slipped his arm around Tara's shoulders.
"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, suddenly teary and emotional.
Will led the rest of the pirates out of the caves, leaving Jack and Tara alone.
"I'll never leave you," replied Tara simply, as they hugged.
She was sobbing in his arms now. They stood for a long time, until Tara laughed suddenly.
"What?" asked Jack.
"This is stupid. We're alive, fit and healthy. Why the hell are we crying?"
He grinned. "Yer right."
He pulled her face to his, and they kissed warmly.
"I'll always love you," she said.
"I hear that," he grinned, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and steered her outside.
The sun had set, and it was a warm, pleasant night, the sky alight with millions of twinkling stars and a large moon.
"This is so beautiful," said Tara as they walked down to the Pearl.
Jack smiled. "Isn't it?"
As they neared the ship, all of the crew cheered loudly and the guns were fired, the shots blowing up in the sky, reflected beautifully in the water.
"Wow," whispered Tara.
"Welcome home," said Jack, as they climbed aboard.
"Home?" asked Tara, sitting on the side.
He wrapped his arms around her neck. "Home. This is yours so long as it is mine."
Will had taken command, lifting the anchor and turning the ship. They began to move.
"Home; it sounds nice," said Tara.
She giggled as Jack kissed her.
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Not the end my friends. Jack has got something to ask Tara...
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Jack and Tara walked hand-in-hand at the front of the line of pirates heading into the caves. Occasionally they would glance at and smile to each other, as though they shared a private joke.
Tara felt safe and warm leaning against him.
"Look at the 'appy couple," grinned Will, who was stomping along behind them.
"Just because ye're missin' Elizabeth," Jack smirked back, reaching behind and ruffling Will's hair affectionately.
"Aye, I am that," Will said, suddenly quiet and thoughtful.
They entered the caves. Tara felt the temperature around them dip.
"Up here, luv," said Jack, and they walked up to beside the chest.
The rest of the pirates gathered below, looking up.
"Will this hurt?" asked Tara suspiciously.
Jack kicked the lid off the chest. "Er... maybe a little bit, luv."
He pulled out a small dagger. Tara dropped his hand and took an instinctive step back.
"I don't think I can, Jack," she said quietly.
"All 'tis is a small scratch on yer hand, luv," said Jack.
"Why can't you do it?" asked Tara as Jack handed her the knife.
"How could I cut you?" asked Jack, smiling softly.
He pressed the coin and the knife into her hand, and wrapped her fingers around it.
"When yer ready, just move the dagger," he said.
She held her hands over the chest, holding the dagger with a trembling grip.
"I love you," Jack whispered, leaning over and kissing her lips.
He yelped in pain as suddenly she bit down hard on his bottom lip... he tasted blood and jumped back, and saw that she had sliced her hand and the curse was lifted.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking at the thin trickle of blood down his chin.
"I'm okay... look at yer hand! How hard did ye cut?" Jack replied, seeing the steady gush of blood from the gash on her hand.
Will ran up, peeling off his shirt. He wadded it together and pressed it onto Tara's hand.
"Eh?" asked Jack, wiping his mouth.
"If she loses too much blood she'll pass out," Will replied, shivering, his tanned chest bare now.
"Thank you," said Tara, kissing his cheek lightly.
Jack slipped his arm around Tara's shoulders.
"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, suddenly teary and emotional.
Will led the rest of the pirates out of the caves, leaving Jack and Tara alone.
"I'll never leave you," replied Tara simply, as they hugged.
She was sobbing in his arms now. They stood for a long time, until Tara laughed suddenly.
"What?" asked Jack.
"This is stupid. We're alive, fit and healthy. Why the hell are we crying?"
He grinned. "Yer right."
He pulled her face to his, and they kissed warmly.
"I'll always love you," she said.
"I hear that," he grinned, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and steered her outside.
The sun had set, and it was a warm, pleasant night, the sky alight with millions of twinkling stars and a large moon.
"This is so beautiful," said Tara as they walked down to the Pearl.
Jack smiled. "Isn't it?"
As they neared the ship, all of the crew cheered loudly and the guns were fired, the shots blowing up in the sky, reflected beautifully in the water.
"Wow," whispered Tara.
"Welcome home," said Jack, as they climbed aboard.
"Home?" asked Tara, sitting on the side.
He wrapped his arms around her neck. "Home. This is yours so long as it is mine."
Will had taken command, lifting the anchor and turning the ship. They began to move.
"Home; it sounds nice," said Tara.
She giggled as Jack kissed her.
--------------------------------------------
Not the end my friends. Jack has got something to ask Tara...