Usual disclaimers... sob!

Alright... Jack finally figures it out...

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Chapter 43 - Discoveries

Jack turned to Bessie, wrapping his arms around her and undoing her laces. He smiled as he slipped the dress from her shoulders before turning his attentions to her undershift. "Well Mistress Sparrow," he grinned. "Shall we consummate th' weddin'?" Her undershift fell to the floor and for a moment he stood there, simply looking at her. Her grey eyes regarded him as he gazed at stomach, his hand reaching out to gently touch it. He knew it was beginning to get uncomfortable for her to make love with him, but realised that she would not deny him. "Yer must tell me when it gets too awkward fer yer..." he offered.

"I'll be fine," she smiled, reaching for his weapon belt.

He took the weapon belt from her, placing it on the table as she slowly untied his sash. "Yer know what I mean luv," he said quietly. He pulled off his shirt, leaving her to manage his trousers. He stroked the side of her face as she undid his laces. "Yer must promise me that yer'll always tell me th' truth - even if I don't want t' hear it... savvy?"

Bessie looked at him uncertainly and Jack waited for her to speak. He realised that she was struggling with something and held his tongue. "Do you want to do this?" she eventually asked, nodding towards the bunk. "You could get the marriage annulled if you wish at another island... as long as we haven't... you know..."

"Bessie," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her. "I've been trying t' get yer fer months t' marry me... how can yer ask me that?" He led her towards the side cabin.

"You won't cast me aside?" She looked at him in panic. "Promise me..."

"Bessie Sparrow," Jack sighed. "Get yer backside to that bunk before I decide I can't wait any longer an' have yer on th' floor!" He slapped her bottom as she fled. "An' I seem t' remember saying fer as long as we both shall live... or that's what I think I said..."

Bessie nodded. "It was," she assured him.

"Guess th' vows are pretty much th' same in any language..." Jack climbed into the bunk beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her on top of him. He looked up at her thoughtfully, a teasing smile on his face as he realised a woman's vows were often slightly different. "Did yer promise t' obey Bessie?" he asked, his hands caressing her breasts.

"I did..." she said quietly, looking at him nervously. She shivered, feeling him move his hips beneath her.

"Does that mean that I'm not th' Devil an' yer will trust me now?" Jack asked, smiling to himself as he felt her respond to his movement.

Bessie shook her head. "You are my husband... and I will try to trust you," she admitted.

"Well if that's th' best I'm going t' get..." he teased, pulling her on to him.

Bessie gasped, her back arching in surprised pleasure. Jack's view was filled with her stomach. "You didn't have to marry me," she whimpered. "You have the map..."

"Sod th' map!" Jack groaned. "I've got th' treasure I want!" He carefully rolled her beneath him, suddenly stopping and looking at her in shock. "Treasure!" he gasped. "Bessie, where did yer last see yer father?"

"W... what?" Bessie stuttered, arching as best she could beneath him. "Kiss me..." she begged.

Jack leaned down, kissing her as she clung to him. "Where... did you... last... see...your... oh... God!" Jack tried to repeat his question between kisses, but suddenly realised that Bessie had totally given herself to him, as if she had been holding something back previously, some guilt at their illicit union... but now they were married. "Bessie!" he groaned losing himself in the rhythm of their movement, all thoughts of further speech driven from his mind. He arched, feeling his own release only a few moments after hers, unable to contain himself. Wobbling, he lay down beside her. "I guess that means yer are mine now," he sighed. "Forever..." For a moment he lay there, quietly looking at the bulkhead above as his breathing calmed. "Bessie..." He rolled over, watching her expression closely. "Where..."

"Rum Cay," she said softly, her eyes sad. "I last saw my father on the beach at Flamingo Bay."

Jack grinned delightedly at her, carefully climbing across her and kissing her stomach as he passed. "Thank yer!" he laughed, nearly falling as he stood up. He stumbled from the side cabin, cautiously pulling on his trousers as he leaned against a chair. "Don't move..." he ordered, pulling the drape fully across the door. "Gibbs!" he shouted, unlocking the cabin doors. "Gibbs! Bring me that bloody map!"

"Captain?" Joshamee Gibbs looked up in surprise from where he had been working on the firing mechanism of one of the cannons that had been sticking. He had not been expecting to see Jack until several hours later at the earliest.

"Now!" Jack shouted, dashing back into his cabin and frantically searching through his charts for a detailed one of the Bahamas. Eventually he found what he was looking for, unrolling it and weighting it down with various rum bottles as Joshamee Gibbs panted into the cabin, the map grasped in his hand. Silently he handed it to Jack. "Flamingo..." Jack muttered to himself, ignoring the crew who clustered around the cabin doors, turning the paper around so that it matched the orientation of his chart. He slid it to Rum Cay, smiling when he saw that Bessie had been right.

"Rum Cay?" Joshamee Gibbs frowned, peering over Jack's shoulder.

"Flamingo Bay... which makes th' treasure in th' Indian caves!" Jack crowed in delight.

"But how did you..." Joshamee puzzled.

"Bessie was th' treasure!" Jack laughed. "Th' last place her father saw her was Flamingo Bay!" Jack's fingers traced the route. "Six days..." he muttered to himself. He looked up at Joshamee, surprised to see him still staring at the chart. "Yer've got th' bearings!" he said. "Shoo!"

"Um Jack..." Joshamee looked towards the side cabin, the drape pulled across the door. "Were you serious about... you know..."

"What?" Jack teased.

"About Bessie!" Joshamee cried in exasperation. "Did you really marry her?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Jack frowned. "Although I guess th' celebrations at Tortuga will have t' wait!"

Jack found himself being embraced by his quartermaster, slapping him soundly on the back. "Congratulations!" he grinned. "Perhaps we could put into a bay for a little celebration t'night though..." he suggested.

Jack nodded. "Aye," he replied. "Just a little one..." He glanced towards the side cabin, his gaze not missed by Joshamee.

"I'll see to our course then Captain," he smiled, pushing the crew around the doors out of his way before turning to shut them. "Out of the way," he cursed. "Give th' Captain an' his wife some privacy!"

Ribald calls echoed through the closed doors as Jack eagerly locked them again before pulling the drape from the doorway. He smiled as he saw Bessie still sitting in the bunk, a sheet modestly wrapped around her. "Now, where were we, luv?" he grinned.

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Several hours later Jack weaved his way bare chested from the cabin, hauling a bucket of seawater to heat for Bessie to wash. He had laughed at her expression when she realised her feet and legs were still muddy from their trek across Saba, but he had gone to find her washing water nonetheless. He poured the water into a pan, heating it before carrying the pan across the deck to his cabin, ignoring the teasing comments from various crew members. He would let them have their fun now... and find the dirtiest jobs for them later. He shut the cabin door, locking it behind him. "Here's yer water," he smiled as Bessie padded naked from the side cabin. "Yer wash an' I'll find yer somethin' t' wear... how about blue silk?" he suggested.

"Can I?" She had not worn the beautiful dress since Jack had rescued her from Archibald Hughes and she smiled in delight.

"It's yer dress," Jack laughed. "Although I'll have t' tie th' laces loosely. He placed his hand on her stomach, still fascinated with the knowledge that his child grew within her. "Once we return t' Tortuga with th' treasure I'll put yer ashore as yer wanted," he said. "Somewhere I can visit safely like... somewhere t' raise our child..." He grinned mischievously. "An' any future children..." He stroked her cheek, only reluctantly letting her go when he heard the anchors being released. "Yer'd best get washed," he said. "Th' crew will be partyin' soon!"

Jack watched her for a moment as she washed before finding the blue silk dress in the trunk where she kept her few belongings. He helped her slip on the clean undershift that she had only worn briefly that day before sliding the blue dress over her head, easing it carefully over the bulge of her stomach. Gently he tied the laces, realising with a shock that soon she would not be able to wear this dress at all for there was barely an inch of spare fabric remaining. Bessie brushed her hair, leaving it unbound, and turned to face him. "Do I look alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Yer look beautiful," Jack assured her, offering her his hand as he heard the crew calling for her. "Yer audience awaits Mistress Sparrow..." He paused, his hand on the lock as he felt her balk. "Bessie..." He turned, realising she was nervous. "Yer'll be fine," he smiled. "An' th' men will behave - I promise yer that." Jack squeezed her hand as he unlocked the door leading her out onto deck.