--Hello everyone! Please try not to be so harsh with me and this fic, it's my first one so please please review and tell me if I need to correct anything! I'll try to update every day or every few days. Oh, one more thing, sorry if my English isn't that good, I'm Canadian yes but I've lived almost all my life in south America... it's really not that bad but with slight imperfections at some points--

By the way: '........' for thinking

"......." for talking

-Chapter 13-

-"Ye're jokin' Gibbs"- said Jack not even deceiving himself
-"No Jack, I'm sorry"-
-"No mate, yeh don't understan', you HAVE to be jokin', ye-yeh have t' Gibbs-
-"Jack"- said Gibbs understanding -"there's nothin' we can do... she's gone 'cause she saved another soul, we shall remember 'er the way she was"-
-"No...."- he fell to his knees looking at her lifeless face -No no no, this can't be happenin'... not when I 'ad jest found yeh...."- he took his hands to his face- no.....- he suddenly discovered his face abruptly, got to his feet and went to her. He started desperately to breathe out air into her mouth, pressing her chest rhythmically and after continuos tries his arm muscles were screaming for him to stop but he cared less, he had his mind on reviving her, the only woman who had lighten a small but building fire inside of him and without even getting into bed... she was unique, he had known that from the moment he had set eyes on her... she couldn't do this to him. -

"Fuckin' hell, Sharlene!!, don't do this to me!!!"-
-"JACK! Stop it! 'tis not worth it! she's gone! Leave her rest in peace man!!"- cried Gibbs trying his best to move Jack away from her ineffectively.
-"Leave me!- breath- she's not dead! I- breath -will revive her god damn it!!"-
-"You're wasting yer time!, I know yeh feel sumthin' for her Jack, but that feelin' has to go with her!"- Gibbs said out of breath, he had given up. He just couldn't believe the scene developing in front of him. There he was, his captain, the once calm, brave and without doubt confident man he had known for the past ten years was now breathless, making hard pushes on to a woman's chest without ceasing for a split breath, frantically breathing out air into her empty lungs; breaking into pieces for a woman he had just met merely days ago. How could this have happened?! It was inevitable, she was already gone for good and Jack couldn't see it, he was blind... blind because of love? Blind because of pride because he couldn't afford to lose a crew member without doing the impossible to save a life? He didn't know... he couldn't possibly know, but what was for sure was that this experience would change his life partner for ever.

A scream coming from Jack's throat shocked him out of his thoughts.

-"Yes!! Yes!! Come on luv!"- yelled Jack between breaths
-"What 'appened Jack?"- asked Gibbs nearing him cautiously
-"Behold me friend, the first human spirit return I've ever performed"- said Jack exhausted, without taking his gaze away from the now shallow but still breathing form of Sharlene.

Gibbs was perplexed, his eyes grew wide, his mouth almost reaching the base of his neck. He couldn't believe what his eyes were shooting at him. Damn miracle of God it was.

-"Mary, mother and God"- was all he could afford to say. -"Aye, there she is mate, breathing... now give me that cloth and bring me another bowl with cold water"-

He couldn't understand what had made him do what he had done that night, but he had saved her life, she wasn't gone, she was with him and he would never EVER let anything evil happen to her again. Jack didn't know why but he didn't really care now if they reached the lost treasure of Captain Gregory Irvine, what had always occupied his mind was her. This mysterious girl had become his obsession, his madness and he was certain that she would be the end of him if she ever left him from now onwards.
However what drove his thoughts to unlimited points of madness was the fact that he Captain Jack Sparrow was falling for a young woman he had met but days ago. Maybe he wasn't falling for her, but he wanted to protect her more than anything..

After a long wait Gibbs retired to fetch what Jack had demanded.

Sharlene was sleeping peacefully, her breathing almost unhearable but still steady enough to keep Jack quite away from his worries. She had tiny droplets of sweat covering her face as she still had quite a high temperature, so as soon as Gibbs had returned, Jack had been placing cold watered cloths on her forehead, whispering sweet, encouraging nothings to her ear until sleep had taken the best of him, leaving him sleeping on a chair next to the bed where Sharlene was now resting....alive.

Sharlene woke up with something or rather someone thankfully blocking the hot sun rays from the new arrived morning. She felt quite rested but pain cursed through her body every time she tried to make a move. She just stayed there, resting on Jack's extremely comfortable bed, with absolutely nothing to disturb her. She looked at the sky through the water-stained window and could only perceive a tiny glimpse of the noon sun welcoming her. Everything was so peaceful, even those annoyingly hot rays of sunlight weren't disturbing her today...-
-'Wait'- she stopped herself before her thoughts drifted as they usually did -'something's odd here....'- she turned her head towards the other side of the bed and almost shrieked, but calmed herself when she saw him. -'Jack....'-

What had happened? It was past dawn and Jack was there hugging her side, keeping her warm and cozy... but why?! He would have woken up hours ago but here he was and.. with her? Hugging her? -'What is going on here?, what happened yesterday?'- she shifted uncomfortably -'and why the fucking hell am I so achy?!'-
All these questions were making bullet holes in her head but she couldn't keep herself from wondering. She turned her eyes back to Jack's form and found him staring back at her with concern in his chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at him and let him do all the talking.
-"How 're yeh feelin' Sharlene?"- When he had mentioned her name like that it was as if someone had shoot an arrow right into her heart, it never felt like this before... -'what is going on with me?!'-
-"Lene? Darlin' 're yeh feelin' alrigh'?"- Jack repeated when he had received no answer from her. His voice had driven her back to reality.

-"Yes Jack, sorry, repeat please?"- she gave him her best puppy dog smile but made no effect whatsoever on Jack, he was too concerned to care.
-"I asked if yeh were feelin' alrigh"-
-"Yeah I think, although my body hurts a bit"- she looked downwards as if thinking about something and then locked eyes back with Jack -"what happened to me Jack?"-
No answer, only a heavy sigh.
-"Jack? Why were you so protective and worried with me? What happened?!"-
Still no answer.
-"Please!"- she began to feel worried herself, why wouldn't he answer god damn it!?!
-"Well, the truth is luv -Sharlene looked up surprised- yeh rescued Cotton from dousing into the sea, an' then we-
-"Yeah I remember that but... it's so far out because the last thing I remember was tying a rope on both Cotton and me and then it's all black"-
-"That's because yeh passed out -she gave him a sceptical look- don't look at me like that luv, yeh really were'n a very bad state, anyway, when we 'ad pulled yeh 'board, Cotton was in one piece but it seemed that yeh were falling apart"-
-"Well that explains the loss of memory and the aching, I remember I did a whole lot of effort down there... but you didn't clarify why you were so huggy-protective with me when I woke up"- she looked at him expectantly when he lowered his gaze once more.
-"Oh come on Jack stop it, are you going to tell me or not?!"- her patience now hanging from a very thin thread about to break.
-"I would rather not actually"- he said with his eyes focused somewhere distant.
-"Why the-! Jack! Don't be like that please! If it were something private that you would prefer keeping to yourself then I would cease trying to take whatever it is you have out of that bloody big mouth of yours -Jack narrowed his eyes at her offended- but this is about ME and I want to know what's going on with ME! -pause for breath- is that too damn difficult for your brain to register Jack?! Is it?!"-
He looked at her abruptly, stud up from the bed and nearly exploded.
-"Yeh really wanna know?! Fine then I'll tell yeh! When yeh passed out I took yeh t' my cabin 'cause yeh were white faced, nearly out of breath and burnin' as hell! Gibbs an' I tried to lower yer temperature but fuckin' failed! Then, to make matters worst, it seemed as if yeh were ready t' take off into the after life, an' yeh know what?! Yeh did! We' ad lost yeh fer 'bout ten bloody minutes together with me constantly trying t' bring yeh back, an' after those ten minutes I had... I had brought yeh back t' life- he paused and sat back down on the bed to face an overly thunderstruck Sharlene- and there yeh were, breathing, still burning madly but breathing... and yeh know what? I was blessed... I hadn't lost yeh, yeh were still here, with me...I was gratified I had won yeh over God...-.
He got up, ready to grab his coat and leave but turned to face her once more.
-"Please don't ask me why I told yeh any of this 'cause I don't 'ave the answer t' that question".

And with that he grabbed his coat and left the room silently.

-There, finally!, I know it's not much but it's all I could do after weeks and weeks of non-stop study. Hope you liked it and please review!! =0) -