Can I please have him all wrapped up for Christmas?

With thanks to KillerK, Kat, PirateAurora, Tru Spirit, Orlando's Hot Chick, geminillama, A Depp Girl, Mrs Depp, beatlechicksteph, Miss Sophia, Pendragginink and Hilary for your reviews (and editing!).Kat – you're physic! ;)

Tru Spirit, it did finish abruptly. I'm having problems finding natural breaks in the story at the moment.

Geminillama, I've tried asking Jenny, but she says it's a no-no! ;)

Pen, "It's huge!' her eyes growing wide with joy and astonishment.P-right, we know that, but what about the house? Oh, yeah, oops…." – ROFL!!

A rather long chapter this week as I wanted this all together, plus it makes up for the shortish ones of late. If none of you will be around for a while, I hope you have a lovely Christmas – XXX

…

Chapter Seventeen: 'I'm not goin' ter desert ya, you know.'

Jenny hummed to herself as she lit the fire with the wood that John Williams had chopped for her the day before. It doubled up as a stove and she hoped to have some oats on the go before Jack woke. She intended to buy a goat or two so that she and Patience would have fresh milk every day, and also some hens - she would miss the animals on board the ship. The dry wood caught quickly and she lifted the heavy pan, borrowed from the galley until she bought her own, onto the griddle over the stove, stirring with a spoon, also borrowed.

'Ay, why didn't ya wake me?' Jack strolled down the stairs, naked, and padded over to her, kissing the nape of her neck.

'For someone who supposedly doesn't sleep well on land, you were pretty hard to wake this morning as I struggled to get off the floor and get dressed,' she smiled, leaning back into his embrace. 'Jack! Go and get dressed! People might see you,' she said, looking through the unshuttered windows in case anyone was passing.

'We're in th'back of beyond here,' he laughed. 'Anyone goin' past has probably already seen what I've got…'

'Hmm, especially Patience…' she replied sardonically, yelping as he gently bit into her neck.

'Ya goin' shoppin' with th'minx later?'

'Yes, the carpenter said he will deliver the bed and the table and chairs this afternoon. So if we manage to buy utensils, I'll be pretty much stocked up.'

'I'll have th'chest from me cabin brought over ter ya as well. At least you'll have somewhere ter store things. I'll make sure th'lock is workin' on it too.'

'Thank you. Now go and get dressed, we can have breakfast on the veranda.' Jenny continued stirring the porridge and humming to herself as Jack hurried upstairs and was just ladling it into two bowls as he came back down, wearing just his breeches.

She looked him up and down and sighed. 'It will do, I suppose.' She handed him his bowl and a spoon then followed him outside, into the already warm sun and sat beside him on the step, eating the oats.

'Yer ready?' came Patience's voice from the path as she approached them from her house.

'Nearly, let me just finish this,' Jenny smiled, scraping the spoon around the bowl. 'You can wash up,' she laughed, handing the empty bowl to Jack, who looked at her with raised eyebrows. She went inside and fetched a pouch of coins to buy her purchases with, then bent down and kissed the top of his head. 'Won't be long.'

'Try not ter spend it all, eh?'

'I'll try…' she winked at Patience as they made their way along the lane towards the town.

'I can't wait to buy things for the house,' Jenny said, excitedly. 'I've never actually bought anything before. My father provided everything when I married Edward. Heaven knows why, he never bothered buying me anything beforehand.'

'Yer married?' Patience frowned, looking at her in astonishment.

'Yes,' she replied quietly. 'Twice, if the truth be told. But I had no say in my second marriage.'

'Oh...' Patience said, unsure of what to say.

Jenny smiled apologetically. 'My first husband, Edward, died when he was crushed by a falling stack of hay bales. I was sent out here by my father, then dragged back home from the Caribbean by him, drugged and forced into a marriage to a business associate of his.'

'Sounds a bastard,' Patience muttered.

'Indeed… so as you can see, I haven't exactly led a quiet life,' Jenny replied, sadly.

'Did th'captain kill him?'

'My father? No, unfortunately. I killed the bastard I was married to though,' she smiled, a little triumphantly. 'Throttled him with this.' She took the small wooden heart on its lace from beneath her dress and showed Patience. 'Jack made it for me.'

'He did? So that's why ya wear it all th'time,' she stated, having wondered why her friend preferred to wear that rather than pearls or gold chains. 'Now… did ya say somethin' about shopping?' she grinned.

'I did indeed,' she laughed, linking arms with the young Tortugan woman. 'Let's buy the whole town out and bugger Jack!'

The two of them laughed as they strolled down the street. 'I've never had a house meself, 'cept fer me mother's that th'sods burned down durin' th' riots,' Patience admitted.

'Right, first things first, the kitchens...'

'Th'beds,' Patience said simultaneously and they laughed again. The first shop they came to was an ironmongers and they glanced at each other.

'Looks like it's th'kitchens first,' Patience chuckled and she pushed the door open. 'Although I still want some nice white cotton sheets, all clean an' new!'

'So do I!' Jenny agreed, having had enough of the mostly dirty sheets that adorned the bunk in Jack's cabin.

'An' me own tub! Can't have that dirty sod, Shay, muckin' them up!'

'Yes, you will get one of those here.' Jenny smiled at her enthusiasm. 'An' soap, d'ya think he'd go fer soap too?' She turned to Jenny, puzzling.

'Soap?! I have enough trouble getting Jack to use it - unless there's a little fun involved,' she grinned.

'At least he knows what it is!' Patience laughed. 'I ain't havin' him in me bed all dirty!'

'I'd resort to blackmail if I were you,' Jenny winked. 'No bath, no bed...'

Patience grinned, her smile innocent yet malicious.

They walked back towards their houses, both of them laden with various things, including pots, pans, lanterns and hurricane lamps, sheets and blankets. The heavier things they would send some of the men to fetch later.

'Were ya serious… what ya said on th'ship? Ya know, about Shay an' us havin' babies an' that?' Patience asked quietly, a thoughtful expression on her face.

'Yes, why? Jenny stopped and put down her load, easing her back.

'Nuthin' - just there's ways of preventin' things… you know. An' if somethin' were ter happen…'

'Don't you want a child yet?'

'I haven't got a man yet,' Patience retorted. 'I'll not raise a child on me own like me mother.'

'Is Shay not your man?' Jenny asked, puzzled. She had thought the young couple were getting along well, despite their often loud arguments.

'I dunno,' she shrugged. 'He's closer than a leech, but after what ye said... he has said nothin' ter me, no indication that he wants more than just fun,' she sighed. 'Not that I mind th'fun,' she added. 'But there's commitment an' commitment, if yer get me drift.'

Jenny smiled, 'No the fun is... fun!' She picked her goods up and started walking again. 'I think Shay is very fond of you. He did everything he could think of to help you and was worried that it wasn't enough. He was afraid Valentine would get to you before he could protect you. I think that shows how much he cares.'

'But if it is just fun then I need ter do something. I don't want ter be with child.' She looked at Jenny in confusion. 'I don't know what ter do,' she admitted. 'There's somethin' I used ter get from th'whores ter prevent that sort of thing, but there don't seem ter be any girls in this pokey little town.'

'Have you thought that it might already be too late? He visited your bunk most nights, didn't he? Jenny smiled ruefully at her friend.

'Aye, I've worried 'bout that enough,' she frowned.

'Look Patience, I know for a fact that Shay hasn't been with another woman since he met you. To me, that says he is serious and wouldn't run out on you if you were pregnant. Why don't you ask him how he feels?'

Patience shook her head, going silent as they approached the houses, grateful that Jack was nowhere in sight. 'I'd best get this stuff indoors,' she said, hurrying off and leaving the older woman staring after her with a bemused frown.

…

Jenny did not broach the subject with Patience again during the following few days as they helped prepare for the party. She had the feeling it was not something Patience felt comfortable discussing. She eased her back after preparing a mountain of fruit, including guavas, bananas, hog plums and her own favorite, pineapples, then put the fruit into a large bowl and fetched a bottle of Jack's rum with a wicked grin. 'What he doesn't know won't hurt him,' she thought as she poured the whole bottle over the fruit and mixed it round.

'Joshamee!' She called as she spied the quartermaster through the unshuttered kitchen window. 'How is it going?'

'Chaotic, but nothing new there,' he grinned, pinching a piece of fruit from the bowl. 'The pig is roastin' nicely on th'spit, there are more barrels of ale being brought over from th'ship…'

'More! None of you will be able to stand,' she remarked, shaking her head.

'Jack included…' 'No, I think you may be sleeping alone tonight,' he chuckled, darting out of the door with another piece of fruit in his hand.

'Joshamee Gibbs!' Jenny called, shaking her fist at him and laughing. It felt good to be settled and more relaxed, even though she knew she would worry about Jack.

'Are ya ready?' Patience asked through the window. 'I'll get Shay ter fetch th'water.'

She walked to the beach where the fire had been going all day to cook the pig and where a huge vat of water had been heating for the last hour or so. She smiled as she saw Shay and Olabisi talking.

'Jenny needs th'water fer she wants a bath... an' th' two of you have just volunteered ter carry it fer her, unless Sparrow has other plans fer ya?'

Bisi laughed and shook his head, 'No, we'll carry it for you.'

'Are ye not havin' one?' Shay asked with a gleam in his eyes.

'P'raps... but not with you around!'

'Ah, yer a spoilsport woman!' he chuckled, walking over to the fire and lifting the vat with Bisi and carrying it carefully up the beach to Jenny's house.

'Ye can wash me back another time,' Patience teased and shut the door on Shay before he could reply. Her nose caught a scent and she turned to see Jenny pouring some perfumed oil into the tub. She made sure the windows were shuttered and the door was bolted - just in case.

'Ya'd best go first, yer cleaner than me!' she grinned, helping a laughing Jenny off with her dress and to climb into the tub. 'D'ya want me ter scrub ya back?'

'Would you? I can't reach any more,' Jenny shrugged ruefully. 'An' Sparrow ain't here t'help either!' Patience tsked. 'Dereliction of duty if ya ask me.'

'Not by his choice,' Jenny laughed, recalling his face when she told him he wasn't allowed.

'Shame!' Patience smirked, washing Jenny's back and then her hair for her with the coconut soap that she always used. Jenny climbed from the tub with her friend's help and dried herself off with a large, clean rag, wrapping it around herself and pulling a chair up beside the tub. She gasped as she saw the scars on the girl's back as she undressed, but tried to hide her shock.

Patience giggled with delight, still not quite believing that she could have a hot bath whenever she wanted. She looked around at the gasp from Jenny. 'What?'

'Those are nasty scars you have,' she said quietly, picking up the sponge and lathering it.

'Just a little farewell gift from Valentine – I've seen him do worse,' she shrugged.

'I'm sorry... here lean forward, I'll clean your back for you.' Jenny gently washed her back, afraid of hurting her.

'Yer'd best scrub a bit, ya'll never get th'dirt off otherwise…' she laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself.

'Are you sure?' Jenny rubbed a little harder then moved the girl's long hair to one side and cleaned her neck, noting a couple of bite marks and she smiled to herself, knowing that she had her own marks on her neck, beneath her hair. 'Let's do your hair now,' she offered.

After Patience was clean and out of the tub, Jenny took the rag from around her body and wrapped it around her damp hair. 'Pity we can't go out in the sun to dry, she laughed.

'With those pervy dogs out there?' Patience snorted, drying her body and hair with another rag.

'Not on your life,' Jenny agreed, chuckling some more. 'Give them something to gawp at though,' she winked. She accepted help in putting on her undershift and then the pale lemon cotton dress which was decorated with tiny beads and cream embroidery around the hem, grateful that the younger woman did not pull the laces tightly.

She watched as Patience pulled on her undergarments then fetched a dark blue silk dress and she helped her with it, pulling the laces for her, envying Patience her slim figure. She turned her around and admired the young woman. 'You look lovely!' she smiled, hugging her. Patience returned the smile, combing her hair with the comb that Shay had given her.

'Thank you,' she replied, somewhat self-consciously. 'Let's do yer hair.' Jenny sat whilst Patience pinned her hair up.

'Do you want to borrow any jewellry? I have more than enough.'

'I already feel like a dogs dinner,' she smiled. 'Won't feel right all fancy.'

'But how often will you have the chance to dress all fancy?' she persuaded, knowing the very thing that would look nice with the blue silk dress.

'Go on, just some simple pearls if you want?'

'I'm fine, honest.'

'All right,' Jenny conceded, reluctantly.

'Thanks anyway.' Patience opened the door a fraction. 'Don't think we can delay no longer or there might not be any food left fer us.' She looked round at Jenny who was peering over her shoulder.

'After yer…' She stood aside and let Jenny walk out first and lead the way to the beach, shifting uncomfortably as the men erupted in cheers at the sight of them. She looked around for Shay, breathing a sigh of relief as he pushed his way through a crowd of men.

He stood in front of her, gawping. 'Bloody hell!' he exclaimed. 'Is that really you?'

'Ha bloody ha! D'yer want me ter kick yer ter prove it?' She aimed a halfhearted kick at his ankle.

'No cailin, ye just have,' he laughed, crooking his arm for her. 'Come on.'

'Ya look gorgeous,' Jack murmured, wrapping his arms around Jenny and kissing her, amid cheers and whistles from nearby men.

'You look quite handsome yourself,' she grinned, looking him up and down, taking in the new breeches and fancy brocade waistcoat he wore.

'I'm always handsome,' he winked, leading her to the fire. 'Ya hungry, or is that a daft question?'

'It's a daft question,' she laughed, her mouth watering at the smell of the food cooking on and around the fire.

'Where'd ya get th'rum fer th'fruit…?'

'Ah… erm… sorry,' she smiled sheepishly. 'I should have known you'd notice some missing.'

'Of course I did,' he laughed.

'Ya only had ter ask ya know.'

'I know but you weren't around and if I had left it any longer, the rum wouldn't have soaked into the fruit.' Jenny perched herself on an empty barrel, smiling gratefully as Jack fetched her a plateful of meat and roasted vegetables. 'I'm ready for this,' she remarked, tucking in eagerly.

'So I'd noticed,' Jack commented dryly, taking a long draught from a bottle of rum that Olabisi pressed into his hand as he passed.

'Shay and Patience are having fun,' Jenny chuckled at the sight of the young Irishman swinging her around, more or less in time to the music. 'I wish I wasn't too big to dance around.'

'Yer not that big. Come on.' Jack grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet, placing one hand on the small of her back and clasping her hand with the other and leading her gently around the fire

…

'Slow down ya great oaf! Yer'll make me dizzy!' Patience exclaimed as Shay whirled her around.

'It's not what ye said last night,' he teased, continuing at the same pace.

'Well… th'new bed needed testing,' she giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder.

'An' test it we did!' he laughed. 'Ye look beautiful cailin,' he murmured, brushing his lips against her ear then pulling away and looking at her, surprised to see her looking embarrassed. 'Shall we get somethin' ter eat?'

'It'll give yer mouth something ter do other than talkin' rot,' she laughed.

'I can think of somethin' better fer my mouth ter do,' he replied huskily, bending down and kissing her hungrily, drawing jeers from those nearby.

Patience pulled away from him, uncomfortable with such an open display of affection before the whole crew. 'Shut yer gobs yer useless gits!' she snapped, glaring at them through narrowed eyes.

'Ah, come on Patience, they're only teasing,' Shay consoled as they walked towards the fire and the food.

'Well I wish they'd bleedin' stop - pervy dogs.'

'Look cailin, if ye can't loosen up fer a party, when can ye loosen up, eh?' Shay took a couple of plates off John, handing one to Patience, then grabbed a couple of beakers of ale then walked back down the beach, sitting on the fine sand and facing the sea.

'I wish ye'd stop thinkin' th'worst of people. They're friends,' he chided, sweeping a free hand to encompass his crewmates spread along the beach. 'They mean no harm by it.'

'I know, I just ain't used ter… well kissin' a man an' that. Especially with an audience!'

'All right, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you,' he apologised, kissing the side of her head.

'S'all right,' she conceded, tucking into her food.

…

'Enough!' Jenny squealed breathlessly, sitting gratefully on the barrel once more as they reached it. 'Go on, you go and play your drums.' She waved her hands at Jack, shooing him away, and watched with amusement as he weaved and swayed his way to where the musicians of the crew had gathered and were playing various instruments. He plopped on to the sand and positioned the drums between his legs, beating out a rhythm and losing himself in the music.

'Come on Drew, let's hear some songs,' someone cried and Andrew McCarrick took a swig of his rum and cleared his throat before walking over to stand by the musicians.

'Oh, I thought I heard the Ol' Man say,'

'Leave her, Johnny, Leave her!' the crew chorused.

'Tomorrow ye will get your pay,'

'An it's time for us to leave her!'

'The work wuz hard an' the voyage wuz long,'

'Leave her, Johnny, Leave her!'

'The sea was high an' the gales wuz strong.'

'An' it's time for us to leave her!'

Jenny clapped her hands in time to the song and joined in the chorus with more than a little sadness, for that was exactly what she was doing, leaving The Black Pearl.

…

'Hey Patience! Ya look good tonight,' Billy Wheeler smiled as he went past, ignoring the look he got from Shay.

'Thanks. I see you even washed, Billy. I'm impressed!' she chuckled.

'Aye, I've even done behind me ears,' he quipped, enjoying the flirtation with the attractive young woman and winding his friend up at the same time.

'Who does he think he is?' Shay grumbled, staring moodily out to sea.

Patience got to her feet and walked over, inspecting Billy's ears by the light from the bonfire, then turned to Shay in disbelief. 'He did too!' she gasped, tweaking Billy's ear.

'Hmpf!' Shay snorted. 'So did I...'

She sat back down, picking up her plate once more. 'I'll inspect yours later,' she teased. 'An' th'rest o'yer if ya like…?'

Shay chuckled. 'I like very much, especially the rest o'me part,' he grinned salaciously, shuffling closer to her.

'Patience, pet. Can I have a dance later?' Mr. Gibbs asked, swaying unsteadily on his feet.

'Of course Mr. Gibbs,' she smiled graciously.

'If he don't get drunk first,' Shay remarked sarcastically.

'That's enough of that Shay Connelly – I'll not have ya takin' that tone with Mr. Gibbs!' she sniped crossly. 'Even if it is likely…' she sighed.

'I'm sorry cailin. I just want ye all ter meself tonight. I've never had such a beautiful woman.'

'Pah! I ain't beautiful. Me mother - now she was beautiful. Ask Mr. Gibbs.'

'Patience Riley! If I say yer beautful then yer beautiful. An' Mr. Gibbs is always sayin' how much yer like yer mother,' he reasoned, before covering her mouth with his as she bobbed her tongue out at him and pushing her down onto the sand.

'Get off yer great oaf!' she squealed, trying to shove him off.

'Shan't!' he teased.

'Shay!' she protested. 'Get off…'

'All right, all right!' he sighed, standing and pulling her to her feet.

'Hey Patience! Can I have this dance?' Dan Woods took her hands and wheeled her around before either she or Shay could say anything.

…

'Ya all right, Jenny Wren?'

'Fine Jack, just a little tired.' She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him, tasting rum and hemp on his breath.

'D'ya want ter go home?'

'No, I'm having too much fun to go home. Besides, I doubt I'd get any sleep with the din this lot are making.'

'Ya calling our music din?' he retorted playfully, nipping the tender skin where neck and shoulder meets.

'Ow! You know I'm not,' she laughed, crooning in his ear. 'You will hurry back, won't you?'

'Of course I will luv,' he replied quietly. Although he hadn't said anything to Jenny, he felt the same way she did about the time they would spend apart. 'I'm not goin' ter desert ya, you know.'

'I know…'

'Come on, let's go fer a little walk, eh?' He lifted her off the barrel and thread his fingers through hers then lead the way past the horde of men, still drinking and now singing a lewd song, and down towards the beach, nodding at Shay who was glowering in the direction of Daniel Woods dancing with Patience.

'I'm glad we found this place, it's paradise,' Jenny smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.

'It is,' Jack agreed, tilting his head against hers. 'Good place ter bring up th'nipper.' He stopped and helped Jenny sit on the sand before settling himself beside her.

'What d'ya remember about th'constellations?'

'Oh Jack!' she protested. 'I'm not going to need to know how to navigate by the stars now, am I?'

'No, but yer goin' ter be th'one teachin' our child th'most and he'll need ter know his constellations.'

'Oh yes… and just what makes you so sure it's a boy?'

'Another female pirate on th'waters – that'd be interesting,' he laughed. 'What's that one over there?' he pointed low on the dark horizon.

'That's Capricornus,' she grinned, feeling very pleased with herself.

'Very good. Now that one…'

…

Apologies is this uploads wrong - I have had to go through thr whole chapter in edit and put in line breaks as there were none when I uploaded!