This is a great chapter from my point of view -- I like it. Enjoy.

Chapter 7: Another Thread in the Plan

They waited a few more days before going after Black again; they kept getting delayed, which is an awful setback. Finally, when they did go out to the building again (Jack made certain that Celeste didn't go with them -- he was convinced she still needed to rest -- she wasn't too happy about it, but cooperated, which was a rarity), they searched it, and it was empty. Blake, however, found out that Black was headed to another place now -- whether it was the real hideout or not, still remained to be seen. So they headed down the coast, expecting to find an island a mile off it, a few miles down.

Anamaria took over the helm duty instead of Jack for a while since he had gotten hurt, even though he insisted he was fine. Jack decided to take some part in getting to the island, so he climbed up to the crow's nest to keep watch (hey, someone's got to do it). A little while after he'd been up there, Celeste climbed up as well and joined him.

"Hey." she said, climbing up into the crow's nest.

"AH!" Jack exclaimed, startled, and turning to see her. "You shouldn' sneak up on people like that, darling."

"Sorry." she laughed and kissed him. "You feeling better?" she asked as he put an arm around her.

"Aye, a lot better -- it still 'urts a little, though." he replied.

"I hope you heal soon." she said sincerely.

"Long as you're 'ere, love, it feels like I'm 'ealed." he told her. She smiled and kissed him. "You seem a little more cheerful today," he said, "any reason?"

"Mr. Cotton is making chocolate banana cream pie." she replied. "Happens to be my favorite. Have you tried it?" Jack shook his head. "It's good. I haven't had it in ages. Since... Marie fired our maid, Kitty. She was really nice -- made great pies. That's why Marie fired her."

Jack looked confused. "She fired 'er 'cause she made great pies?"

"No, because she was nice to me." Celeste replied.

Jack looked at her lovingly. "Those days are gone, darling, don' even think about 'em." He gave her several short kisses and returned his gaze to the horizon.

"I'm glad to have a man protecting me..." she said, "whose only fear is butterflies."

"'ey!" he exclaimed. "I told you not to mention that again!" She laughed. He placed his hands on her waist and started to tickle her again.

"Ahh!" she cried, laughing. "I told you not to do that again!! Stop it!! Ahh!!" They both laughed and he wrapped his arms around her and she put her arms around him.

"HEY!!" Sierra yelled from on deck. "ARE YOU GUYES EVEN KEEPING WATCH UP THERE?!" They ignored her. "HEY!! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!" Just then, Gibbs walked up to her.

"It's no use, Miss Sierra, they're in love -- nothin's goin' to distract 'em." he told her. "It's good to see Jack so happy. He's been through a lot, he deserves someone, and he loves Miss Celeste so." Sierra curled her lip, but nodded.

Celeste held Jack tight, laughing still. "You know, Jack, we could sail right past that island if we don't watch out for it."

"No we won'." he said, laughing as well. "Anamaria is steerin' -- she knows what she's doin'. ...An' probably knows we're not payin' much attention."

She grinned. Before she left home, when had she grinned like that? Then, no one cared to make her laugh, but Jack was just funny. He always made her laugh (even when he didn't really mean to!) -- he knew she loved to laugh and that she didn't have much reason to until she met him, and he always loved to make her laugh.

"I love you, Jack." she said, still grinning.

"I love you, too, Princess." he told her, smiling as well, and kissed her.

A few moments later, she stood up and looked out at the horizon to keep at least a moment of watch. He placed his hands on her hips, intending to pull her back to him, but her smile faded.

"What?" he asked.

"The island... I think I can see it..." she said disappointedly. "I wanted to spend more time with you..."

"Well, we won' get there for a little while." he told her, and pulled her back into his lap. He put his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Come on, love, cheer up again. We won' get there 'til later, an' nothin' can tear me away from you now."

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Nothin'." he replied. She smiled.

"Alright." she said. "Anyway, I'm always happy to be with you."

"I'm always 'appy to be with me, too -- wait, tha's not what I meant." he said and she laughed.

They remained in the crow's nest until dinner came. They went to the dining hall and Celeste thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate banana cream pie, and so did Jack. She had a feeling that that would be their last happy moment for quite a while.

Eventually, they arrived on the island and Jack, Celeste, Sierra, Will, and Elizabeth ventured out and searched for Black's hideout. The whole island was completely forested. After they searched for a while, they came to the biggest tree any of them had ever seen. They looked up and realized that the entire hideout was in the trees. It was huge. There was a ladder going up the tree and they climbed it.

They walked across a bridge and entered a wooden hall that led to a larger room. They crept down the hall when, suddenly, they were ambushed. They fought their attackers all they could, but eventually, they were all captured and taken to several different chambers. Celeste and Sierra were both jailed together and Jack, Will, and Elizabeth were all jailed together.

Celeste and Sierra sulked, trapped in a barred cell. They were sitting on a bench against the wall opposite the door.

"Why couldn't I be stuck with Jack?" Celeste mumbled.

"Because you're not the Queen of England and can't always have what you want." Sierra said bitterly. "The question is, why couldn't I be stuck with Jack?"

"Sierra, I usually don't say things like this, but... you really need to accept the fact that I am not going to give Jack up." Celeste told her. "And that he is not going to stray from me."

"Well, you have to face facts, Princess," Sierra said cheekily, "that I am the better girl for him."

"Why do you think that?" Celeste asked.

"We both suffered, had to steal things, both had to break the law." Sierra told her. "We had to be pirates. What do you know about that? You were rich, you didn't have to suffer just because you were alive."

"Well, you know, it's not like I had no problems." she told her. "If I had stayed home... I don't know... where I'd be... but wherever it is, I don't know... I would've killed myself if I hadn't left... My... stepmother, she... oh, what's the use? I'm not going to change your mind."

Sierra glanced at Celeste, but returned her gaze to the cell bars.

"Look, I just don't think you feel the same way about Jack as I do." Celeste said.

"I do, though." Sierra told her.

"Really?" Celeste asked. "Really? I mean, does he plague your every thought from the moment you wake until the moment the fall asleep at night and even in dreams? Does it hurt to be away from him for one moment?" Sierra didn't reply. "Does the thought of being anywhere but with him make you cringe? Can you see your future when you look into his eyes?" Sierra remained silent. "That's not even half of what I feel for him."

Just then, a guard came over to their cell to make sure they were still there.

"Celeste!" Sierra whispered urgently. "Lift up your dress!"

"What?!" Celeste asked, startled.

"The guard! We have to get out of here!"

"Well, you do it. I've had enough of other men for ten lifetimes."

Sierra sighed impatiently and stood up. She went to the bars to talk to the guard. If she played her cards right, they would be out of there in no time.

Jack, Will, and Elizabeth sat in a barred cell, thinking of possible escape tactics.

"Come on, Will," Jack said, "you're the blacksmith 'ere, you can think o' somethin'."

"Easier said than done, Jack." Will replied. "The last time I broke you out of jail was different -- I'd helped build those cells. This is totally different."

"Well, talking about it isn't going to solve anything." Elizabeth told them. "We have to think for a moment..."

They all sat for a few moments, their minds drawing a blank. Elizabeth got up and went to the cell door. She examined the lock and the hinges of the door.

"Hmm..." Elizabeth mumbled. She pulled a pin out of her hair and shoved it in the lock of the cell. She started to pick the lock. "Oh, I'm getting it! It should be open in just a few moments.."

"Smart girl you go there, Will." Jack said, rather impressed.

"Yes, I know." Will replied.

Jack paused, thinking. He sighed. "I 'ope Celeste is alrigh'..."

"And Sierra." Will added.

"Oh, yes, o' course." Jack said offhandedly. "She, er... well, never mind."

"What?" Will asked.

"Sierra... she said that she... was in love with me..." Jack confessed.

Will's eyes widened, as did Elizabeth's, who turned around.

"What did you say to her?" Will asked urgently.

"Well, I said I didn' feel the same way." Jack told them.

"You didn't... do anything?" Will asked.

Jack sighed. "I guess I deserve that... I'm not like that anymore. I don' jus' go around with anyone anymore. I love Celeste."

"I know, Jack, I just... well, your reputation isn't exactly flawless." Will replied.

"No need to remind me." Jack said. "An' if I could take it all back, jus' for Celeste's sake, I would. ...But I can't."

Just then, Elizabeth had finished picking the lock and she pushed the door open. They crept out and followed the corridor down to where Sierra and Celeste were standing over a knocked out guard outside of their cell.

"How did you get out?" Will asked.

"I-I don't want to think about it..." Celeste said.

"I took care of it." Sierra told them.

"That was... very improper..." Celeste added. "You don't want to hear about it..."

"Yeah, no help from you." Sierra said to Celeste. "You were hiding in the corner."

"Whatever, let's just go and look for Black." Celeste stated.

"Black?" a voice asked from behind them all. They all turned around to see a brown haired man standing in the doorway. "Black isn't here anymore. Are you friends of his?"

Jack and Celeste wanted to loudly protest, but they kept their mouths shut.

"Yes, quite good friends, actually." Sierra piped in. "What do you mean he's not here?"

"He went to his hideout." the man replied.

"And where is that, exactly?" Sierra asked. "Like, the bearings?"

"Well, I'm not sure if I should be giving that away." the man said.

"We're good friends of Black, I'm sure he would be angry with you if you failed to provide us with the bearings to his hideout." Sierra told him.

"If you are good friends of his, then why don't you already know the bearings?" the man asked.

"Because he does not give them out as if they were old junk, now, does he?" Sierra said. "He told us to meet him here and then he would escort us to his hideout himself. But I suppose he had pressing business and couldn't wait..."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense." the man told her and gave them the bearings.

They left the current hideout and made their way back up to the ship.

"Like hell we're friends with Black!" Jack protested. "Sorry, darling." he added as Celeste was about to scold him for cursing.

"Well, I had to say that so we could get the bearings, now, didn't I?" Sierra said.

"I suppose so." Jack agreed.

"None of you would say anything, so what was I supposed to do? Let us get captured... again?" Sierra replied.

"You're right. We should... thank her, Jack." Celeste said, not really wanting to make amends, but certainly wanting to be polite.

Just then, it started to rain. They walked for some time through the forest when the rain really started to fall. Suddenly, they were ambushed. They all quickly pulled out their weapons and started to fight. Everyone was faced with one enemy except, for some reason, Celeste and Elizabeth, who were faced with two.

After a moment, Will defeated his opponent and went to help Elizabeth. Just as he got there, one of the men slashed Elizabeth's upper arm. It wasn't deep, but certainly did hurt. She cried out and backed away from battle.

"Elizabeth!!" Will yelled and slew the two men who'd attacked her. He looked at her arm -- it needed bandaging. "Jack! I'm going to take Elizabeth back to the ship, alright?!"

"Aye!" Jack confirmed, still fighting his tough enemy.

Sierra killed her opponent and went to help out Celeste since she seemed a little overwhelmed. Sierra distracted one of Celeste's attackers and Celeste fenced with the other. The man was strong and fast and she was having a bit of a hard time since the rain was falling so heavily. The rain started to fall even more heavily so that it impaired their vision a little. Suddenly...

"AHH!!" Celeste screamed. Jack, hearing her, fought harder and faster and killed his opponent. He found Celeste fencing weakly -- he came up behind her attacker and impaled him in the stomach. She tiredly sheathed her swords.

"Darling, what's wrong?" he asked.

"We-we have to find shelter!" Celeste yelled. "We can't see anything out in this!"

"Aye!" Jack agreed.

"Where's -- where's Sierra?" Celeste asked worriedly. Jack looked for her and saw her fencing with her opponent. She disarmed him, but he pulled out a gun and hit her over the head with it. Jack ran up behind the man and stabbed him in the back. He picked Sierra up and went back to Celeste.

"Let's go!" Jack cried.

They searched the forest until they came to a cave. They ran inside, Sierra being carried by Jack.

"You know, I really don' think I like England's monsoon season." he said with sarcasm. He set Sierra down on the ground and propped her up against a large rock. "She's out cold."

"For the better, maybe?" Celeste added bitterly. "OUCH!!" she yelled in pain.

"What?" Jack asked, worried. Celeste had a long, deep, horizontal cut on her lower hip, just above her left leg. "Oh, my..."

"It's -- it's not bad..." Celeste winced. "I'm fine."

"No, no, no... tha's not goin' to be alrigh' on it's own..." Jack objected, looking closer at it.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked warily.

"I mean, we might 'ave to..." he trailed off hesitantly.

"Not..."

"We 'ave to stitch it up..."

"Oh, no..." she muttered. "No! I'm fine! It's fine. Besides, we're stuck here until the rain stops and we don't have the tools for it."

"Sierra does." he replied. "She always keeps 'em with 'er -- especially after what 'appened to me." He knelt next to Sierra and searched for her first aid kit while Celeste slumped to the ground, leaning up against a boulder. He found the kit and went back to Celeste.

"Oh... Jack... are you sure this has to be done?" she asked, panicking.

"Aye, I'm sure." he replied, getting out a needle and thread.

"Nnn..." she whined. "Oh, Jack, please don't!! I hate needles! I can't even sew a hole in a dress, they scare me so much! This is going to hurt so bad! Please don't!!"

"Darling, if we don' sew it up, it won' 'eal." he told her patiently. "It won' 'urt for long -- jus' long enough for me to sew it up."

She bit her lip and glanced around the cave nervously, tears forming in her eyes. "Ohh... Ohh... Fine... If I have to..."

"Glad you chose to cooperate." he told her. "I would've knocked you out an' done it anyway."

"Maybe you should do that..." she said, frightened.

"It's better if you're awake." he assured. "That way you won' wake up in the middle of it an' jerk about an' possibly rip part o' it out."

All color drained from Celeste's face. He could see how frightened she was and set the needle and thread down. He placed a hand on her cheek; he could feel her trembling.

"I promise it'll go fast, love." he comforted. "An' you'll be in perfect shape once I'm done, savvy?" She nodded. "Jus' don' think about it." She nodded once more as tears formed in her eyes. "Alrigh', well, I can't sew it up like this -- take these off." he said, gesturing to her pants.

"WHAT?!" she cried. "That's not -- I can't -- I don't -- it's not--"

"Love, I can't fix the wound, if I can't get to it." he said practically.

"Ohh--" she grumbled. "You turn around, then."

"Sure." he replied. "An', 'ere." He removed his jacket and handed it to her. "Cover up with this."

"She took the jacket from him and he turned away from her. She warily watched him for a moment to make sure he wasn't planning anything scoundrellous.

"What are you waitin' for?" Jack asked, hearing that she wasn't moving. "We 'ave to address that soon."

"Right. Sorry." she said shakily and removed the garment while Jack threaded the needle. She draped Jack's coat over her like a blanket, but left her left leg and the wound uncovered. "Okay..."

"Alrigh'?" he asked. "If I turn around now you won' yell at me an' 'it me?"

"No, I won't." she replied, a bit irritated.

He turned to face her. "Alrigh', you want somethin' to bite on?" She whimpered in fear, but nodded. He pulled a bandage out of Sierra's first aid kit and rolled it up. "It'll be over in no time, I promise." he said and kissed her; he placed the cloth between her teeth and started to clean the wound.

She clenched her teeth in pain, but knew it was nothing compared to what was coming next...

"We get cut up so much around 'ere, you'd think one of us would've lost a limb by now." he joked, trying to lighten the situation. She glared at him, clearly saying, "Not funny," and he shut up He stuck the needle into her skin and started to sew up the gash.

Celeste gasped in pain -- it hurt a lot more than she thought it would. After two stitches, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She spit the cloth out of her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs. Jack looked just as hurt as she did for having to cause her any pain at all, but he knew it was for the best.

"You know," he said, trying to get her mind off of what was happening, "I almost got me nose cut off in a duel one time." She glanced in his direction to acknowledge that she was listening, but gasped in pain. "Aye, I was fightin' Blackbeard." She looked at him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Wh-what?" she asked, breathing quickly and groaning in pain.

"Aye." he replied casually, continuing to sew up the wound. "'e was me idol for quite a while, but then I got the chance to fight the legend. So I did. it was a fierce battle, an' 'e nearly lobbed off me nose. I felt the blade fly by jus' a bit away from me face, too. I was lucky enough to dodge it, though.

"You -- made that UUUUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!" she screamed in pain.

"O' course I didn'." he told her. "I would've won, too, if 'e 'adn' run off in the middle of the duel."

"That's -- such -- a -- lie!" she gasped and groaned in utter pain.

"When do I ever lie?" he asked innocently.

"Every time -- you speak!!" she yelled.

"Ah, love, you exaggerate." he said. He was only part done now -- he needed to keep her mind off it.

Just then, Sierra stirred and woke up. She looked around and spotted them. "What's going on?" she asked.

"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Celeste screamed.

"Gosh, sorry, I didn't mean to ask!" Sierra retorted sarcastically, but then saw Celeste's wound. She looked closer at it and backed away. "Now, that is disgusting... That's huge..."

"Sierra, would you mind?" Jack asked, trying to get her to lighten up.

"Oh, goodness, that thing is gushing..." Sierra continued, disgusted.

"Sierra, please..." Jack urged.

"Oh, that is really, really disgusting..." Sierra said.

"Sierra, be quiet!" Jack yelled. "Tha's an order!" She looked at him in a bit of surprise, but shut her mouth nonetheless and sat don a good distance from them.

"Anyway, love," Jack said to Celeste, "'ave I told you about the time I was immortal and defeated Barbossa an' 'is crew almost single-'andedly?"

"AHHH!!" Celeste screamed. "Y-yes... Many -- times." she gasped.

"Well, 'ey, it's a good story." he told her. "Barbossa impaled me, you know. Impalin' isn' a good feelin'. It's odd... an' painful..."

Celeste was trying to stomach her pain without screaming so much, but it wasn't easy. She breathed quickly and gasped in pain.

"You're doin' better than I did, love." Jack told her, impressed. "Mine wasn' this big either." She gasped in pain. "Stay conscious, love... ...Anyway, you 'aven' told anyone what I'm afraid of, 'ave you?" She smiled as best she could and shook her head. "Good. 'Cause I'm puttin' all me trust in you to keep it a secret." She groaned in pain. "When we get back to London, darling, I'm goin' to buy you the most expensive dress in the whole city -- an' whatever else you want, savvy?"

"You don't -- have to do -- that." she groaed.

"I want to." he told her. She gasped in pain, crying.

After telling a short, comical pirate story, he finished stitching, tied off the thread, and cut it. He pressed a bandage to the wound.

"It's over now, love, an' you did great." he told her.

"Thank you for helping me, Jack." she said, wiping the sweat from her face.

"I'm proud o' you, darling, that was a lot worse than mine was." he added. "Alrigh', we'll 'ave to bandage this up -- it's better if it's not exposed. Sierra, can you do that?"

"Er, yeah." Sierra replied, getting up and going to them.

Jack turned his back as Sierra bandaged and helped Celeste re-dress. After all was done, they got comfortable and waited for the rain to stop. Jack reclined up against the same rock Celeste had leaned on and put her on his lap. She leaned against him, still in some pain and Sierra sat across from them at the opposite wall.

"You alrigh', Princess?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair. She nodded and buried her face in his chest. Realizing she probably didn't want to talk, he quietly sang "A Pirate's Life For Me" until Celeste fell asleep.

The rain didn't stop for a few more hours. Jack decided that since the weather was so unpredictable, they would have to leave now. They were lucky the moon was out, because it was about one o' clock in the morning and they had no other means of light. Sierra hadn't slept at all; she glared out the cave entrance and every once in a while threw jealous glances at Jack and Celeste.

"Sierra." Jack whispered, trying not to wake Celeste. She looked at him. "We should go now -- the rain stopped. We don' know 'ow much longer tha's goin' to last." She nodded and stood up, ready to go. Jack picked up Celeste and they started to walk back to the ship.

Whilst they were walking, Celeste woke up and looked up at Jack.

"Hi." she greeted.

He looked down at her. "Oh, 'ey, love. I was tryin' not to wake you..."

"Oh, no, you didn't -- I just... woke up." she said "Er, you don't have to carry me."

"It's alrigh'." he replied. "I've carried a lot 'eavier. You don' weigh much, anyway. ...You alrigh'?"

"Well, it hurts, but... I should be fine... Thanks to you." she told him.

They got back to the ship and Jack carried Celeste to her room.

"G' nigh', love." he bid her.

"Night, Jack." she replied. He kissed her and went to bed.

I love this chapter! He sang her to sleep! That's too cute! I love it. Ah, the power of Jack... Okay, I'm done. Hope you liked it. Please review.

BTW, everyone must watch Lost on wednesdays on abc! It's an amazing show and I command you to view it!!!! IMPERIO!