Jack was lying in bed. His head ached. His eyes, narrowed in the harsh reality of his heartbreak, were bright with unspilled tears. He shifted restlessly, and glared at the empty bottle of rum on his desk. What a terrible day. What a horrible, painful, terrible day. Day had passed now, however, and early evening sunlight, pale and grey, creeped in through the open door. His crew were working in almost silence today, their mood serious. Jack listened to the rush of the sea. He wondered how soon he should leave.

The floor beside the door creaked, and Jack's eyes fixed themselves upon Will and Ben, who were standing there.

"Oh, Jack," Will sighed, shaking his head.

"Will, me lad," Jack groaned. "Nice ter see yer."

"I heard about your scrapes at sea, Jack," Will scolded. "What a mess you're in this time."

"Don't lecture me, boy," Jack scowled. "I ain't in the mood, savvy?"

"Ah, but Jack, we brought someone with us," Ben smiled.

Jack's stomach did a flip... could it possibly be....?

It was. Tara Waller walked slowly in, looking like an angel. She was dressed in a plain dress of pale blue cotton which looked lovely against her dark skin. Her brown hair was pinned up, a few curly strands loose around her face. Her wide hazel eyes were filled with a deep anger, which seemed to melt suddenly as their eyes met.

"Tara..." Jack whispered.

Her lips twitched. It was obvious she had had a lot to say, but words seemed to fail her. Actions seemed to appeal to her more, and she moved swiftly across the room to Jack, who stood up as she reached him. They looked at each other briefly, then Tara pressed her lips against his in a long, open mouthed kiss. His arms slipped around her waist, and she held his lower arms tightly. Finally, he drew away.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

She shook her head. He saw that there were tears clinging to her eyelashes, making them sparkle. "Never again, Jack."

"I promise."

She pressed her cheek against his hot chest, and he held her tightly. She sighed. She had come so close to losing him. Now she finally had him. Jack kissed her forehead softly.

"I love you," she murmured.

"And I love ye," he replied. "Will yer marry me?"

"Of course," she whispered.

"The day after tomorrow, I mean," he said.

She looked up at him. "It's a little soon. But I guess the sooner, the better. Okay."

He kissed her softly. She smiled up at him.

"I suppose we should go back to me house to celebrate," Jack said thoughtfully.

"Your house?" Tara asked. "I thought the Black Pearl was your home."

"The Pearl is me home. I jus' hap'n ter own a prope'ty in Tortuga. Nice little place, too."

&&&&

Jack hadn't been lying. His house was at the very top of Tortuga, a long walk from the Pearl, but it was definately worth it. The house was at least a mile away from any other buildings and was situated in a quiet wood. Tara gasped when she saw it. It was beautiful. The type of house she had dreamed of as a little girl. It wasn't 'little', as Jack had described it. It was large, and modern, made of white bricks, with two storeys and an attic level, and a large garden. A small stream flowed beside it.

"Oh, God, it's fantastic," Tara whispered.

"I won it in a card game," Jack told her.

Jack, Tara, Will, Elizabeth, Ben and Rosemary had all walked up here. They were now standing on the doorstep as Jack fumbled in the pockets of his long, worn coat for the key. Finally he found it, a huge golden thing, and he unlocked the door with a big smile.

The house smelled musty, as though it hadn't been used for a long time, but still looked beautiful. The hall was all marble, with a hat stand in one corner and a wide sweeping staircase curving up to the next level. Jack took them around the bottom level first. Tara was pleasantly surprised. There was a huge lounge, furnished elegantly, a gorgeous long kitchen with a breakfast area, a nice dining room and a small, cosy study.

Upstairs, they found the master bedroom to be nothing short of perfect, with a bed made up in white silk, dark furniture and a large balcony which looked out over the island. There were two more bedrooms, each with two single beds, and a bathroom. The attic housed a large library and another lovely double bedroom.

"This place is just amazing," Tara smiled as they relaxed in the lounge afterwards. She was curled up in an armchair on Jack's lap.

"Well, this is where we can live after our wedding," Jack smiled, stroking her hair.

"Rose, where do you live?" Tara asked.

"In the inn," she replied. She and Ben were sitting on one sofa, Elizabeth and Will on the other.

"Well, all of you are welcome to move in here," Tara smiled. "We have plenty of room, right?"

"Tha's a great idea," Jack grinned.

Elizabeth looked at Will. "What do you think? We need a place to stay."

"You can have the attic," Tara smiled. "And Ben and Rose can take the other two bedrooms."

"Great," Jack said. "Now, let's get some sleep."