Amber watched as Jack was helped into his cabin, she could see the water and blood that had dripped onto the deck of the Pearl as they had boarded. It did not take a doctor to work out he had lost a lot of blood, her last thought rested on the deathly paleness of his face as the older man and crew had helped him in.

She could see now as a thin lanky fellow rushing in to the cabin clutching a black bag, the medic she guessed. As he entered the older fellow came out wiping his blood stained hands on a cloth, his eyes found her and he made his way over.

"Why in blazes are you still up here lass, you'll catch your death."

"Is Jack okay?" she peered up at him through wet rag tails of hair.

"Don't you be worrying 'bout him lassie, tough as old boots." he offered her a strained smile and pointed to the stairwell hatch. "Go and get something dry on. There is a trunk in the galley with some old clothes in it." he smiled, "Vini's down there, he'll be glad to see your still alive."

"Vini?"

"Aye … he's your friend Amber." he smiled again sadly, "It'll come back to you lass,"

Amber made her way into the galley and picked from the trunk a pair of worn breaches and a ridiculously big shirt.

So much things to learn, she glanced around the galley, it felt so familiar yet she felt as though she had never been in it before. Sighing she changed quickly before the 'Vini' person heard her.

Walking back onto the deck Amber felt the eyes on her as the crew milled about. All worried, all wanting to know how their captain was.

"He didn't need to come and get you, you know." the voice was Ana's, the hard stare she gave unsettle Amber no end. "He felt he had to. You should know that."

"I know that." she glanced over at the cabin door as it swung open, "I know that now."

Ana nodded but still gave no attempt at warmth in her cold stare. She turned to the medic that had come out the cabin.

"Verdict Cutter? Is he going to be cursing and blinding us by sunrise?"

Cutter glanced over the crowd until he found Ana; a small smile curved his thin lips.

"Not by sunrise, I'd give him a few days before he's throwing his weight about again."

A visible relived breath escaped the whole crew and Gibbs stepped forward.

"To your bunks men, no need for your attentions this eve, you," he pointed at a group of three men, "you stay put, we'll be sailing through the night. You're under my charge until Jack up and about."

Amber waited until the deck had become silent, only Mr Gibbs remained at the helm, the three men seeing to the sails and ropes.

Without knocking she pushed open the cabin door and poked her head round the door.

"Jack?" she whispered.

"Aye," he grinned weakly from the bed and motioned for her to come in. His face was still pale and a thick bandage was wrapped tightly around his chest and shoulder.

"I'm glad your okay." she murmured looking around the room.

"Aye love," he pointed over to a small cabinet in the corner closet to his bed. "Be a darling and fetch me a bottle."

Amber looked at him uncertainly, she saw the cheeky grin that caught on his lips.

"No I think you should leave drinking until your better." she walked slowly over to the mirror, aware of his eyes on her as she picked up a deep red ribbon that rested over the top of it.

"I never did like it when you tied your hair back." he remarked softly wincing as he shifted position in the bed. Pulling another pillow from his back he sat up a bit straighter to study her face closer. "It is yours."

"I know … it just doesn't feel like it." she glanced over at Jack with deep mournful eyes. The clothes hung from her like dirty bed sheets, her hair hung in a tangle of damp curls yet Jack could not shake off the warmth he felt for her then.

He was done pretending to himself, to her. He was done with the argument that had raged in his scull since he had set eyes on her. Everything in him wanted her, every strand of his very existence wanted her to want him.

But it was wrong.

He could hold her eyes no longer. He had hurt her more than he cared to imagine, he had betrayed her and Will by kissing Elizabeth. He had slept with her and made her think she was no better than a common whore. He had done that.

Sighing he flexed his injured arm and winced.

She remembered none of it. Dimly Jack thought that perhaps it was better this way, better that she didn't remember what had gone on with them, that she didn't remember what he had done to her and the pain he had caused her.

"Jack?"

He looked up quickly at her questioning face.

"Huh?"

"I asked why my ribbon should be in your cabin." she perched herself on the edge of the bed and continued to regard him with sad eyes. "Did I sleep in here … with you?"

An uncomfortable silence followed an uncomfortable question.

Jack could lie to her, he knew that, but he had never been one to be dishonest, not when it mattered anyway.

"Aye, a few times." He offered her an impish grin, "Your cabin was not up to your high standards."

"Were we in love Jack?"

The question caught Jack well off guard, his eyes widened and he stared at her with the look of an innocent child.

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, you have done a lot for me," she looked away embarrassed, "I sleep in your bed, and…" she paused for a long painful minute. "I remember something." her eyes wandered to the tattoo on his chest. "When Dorian first took off his shirt I was so confused as to why that tattoo wasn't there. I couldn't understand. I remembered it, one of the very few things I remembered, and it wasn't where I presumed it was." she looked away and Jack could see the sorrow in her eyes. "I knew it was not from the people he claimed kidnapped me because I felt no hatred, only good." she looked at him and smiled. "I felt as though I had lost someone."

Jack closed his mouth sharply and contemplated lying to her face.

"We slept together," he admitted dumbly, lifting a finger, "only the once mind."

Amber nodded and looked away, the smallest of sad smiles crossing her lovely mouth.

"I thought so." once again she caught his terrified eyes. "Did I love you? Did you love me?"

Jack willed himself to die suddenly, painfully if need be. Anything to avoid this question.

"Jack?"

Let him go to hell, serve an eternal damnation. Just not this question.

"Please Jack I…"

"Pass me a bottle love, it'll do me no harm." he waved a hand at the cabinet. "Pass me a bottle and I'll tell you as much as you need to know."

Amber hesitated then shook her head smiling.

"You know what Jack, I don't want to know." she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "I think there is something there and if there was then we'll find it again, if not," she shrugged still smiling, "Well, I'm sure I'll remember soon."

Jack watched as she left.

She may have lost her memories but she had gained something in its place, strength, an inner strength that Jack suddenly wanted. He felt his world crumble away.

She would remember one way or another and God help him when she did. She would never speak to him again.

Sighing he shuffled down in the bed and wondered if there would be any harm in not taking her to Tortuga to find the witch doctor there. Would it be so bad if he kept her here and enjoyed what he wanted from here before letting her remember the shit he'd done. A pirate's heart was deceitful and black wasn't it? Surly he wouldn't feel that guilty?

"Bloody hell." Pushing the covers back he eased his legs over the edge of the bed and reached for his cabinet. He was an ass hole, the thought actually made him laugh out loud.

He would do what in 'happily ever after' stories would expect him to do … then he would deal with the consequences. Good or bad.

Uncorking the bottle with his teeth he grinned down its neck and prepared to feel the relaxing burn in his throat.

"Thought as much you blasted fool." from out of nowhere Gibbs came striding across the room. "Never doubted for one second Jack Sparrow, that you were ill enough not to try and find the bottom of a bottle of that." he snatched the bottle from his hands and proceeded to gather up the other bottles in the cabinet.

"And you Joshamee, never fail to spoil a mans fun." Jack replied dryly having enough decency to bother to cover up his lower regions.

"Fun! Phaw." Gibbs waved a bottle in his face, "Cutter gave you some of the best medicine in the Caribbean, give you bloody visions drinking this with it, it will."

"What visions?" a devilish grin played on Jack's lip as he gathered the blankets around him middle and stood up.

"Mary Mother of God only knows Jack, horrible I expect."

Jack's shoulders sagged and he threw Gibbs a fained sad expression.

"And here was me getting my hopes up for some particularly loose ladies." he grinned and shuffled over to his trunk. "Or such nonsense."

Gibbs eyed him suspiciously as he began riffling through his trunk.

"Don't you be going and thinking' that your going out on deck tonight." he warned at Jack's back.

"Don't you be going and thinking that you're going out on deck tonight." Jack mimicked back grinning as he turned back to face the weathered man. "Being the captain I thought that I was in charge of decisions."

Gibbs snorted.

"You wait," he waved a finger under Jack's nose. "You wait, I'll give you ten minutes up there, in the middle of the night, freezing cold. Lost more blood than I thought, must be affecting you brain." Gibbs continued his grumbling as he made his way out the cabin. Jack watched the door closed and resumed his changing.

Who better to set a course for Tortuga than himself. He wasn't dead, he still had two legs to walk on and he wasn't blind therefore, in Jack's eyes anyway, he was in a fit condition to sail his ship.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Regret was heavy.

Jack had absolutely no idea why he didn't listen to Gibbs. Freezing. Yes it was. Middle of the night. Well past it.
There was little wind and his breath was coming out in a stream of white puffs, not the most ideal of sailing conditions but what other fool would be sailing at this time of night.

Sighing Jack shifted position and made sure he could make out the other couple of hands on deck. Didn't want to be losing men now, tiredness made you clumsy, it wasn't unknown for a casualty or two in night shifts.

"Here, I brought you this." Amber's voice floated up from the deck below him. She smiled as she climbed the stairs and handed him a warm flask.

"What are you doing up at this time love." he accepted the flask and took a careful sniff.

"I could say the same about you." she pulled the thick jacket round her shoulders and watched as he sipped the coffee. Despite the lack of brandy Jack welcomed the hot liquid in his cold body.

"Taking you to Tortuga." he eyed her reaction but there was nothing more than a flicker behind her eyes.

"You think there is someone there that could help me?" she lifted her hands to her mouth and blew hot breath into the palms.

"Aye," taking another sip of the flask he secured the cap and slipped it into the pocket of his jacket. "A good friend of mine actually. A witch doctor," he gave Amber a deliberate stare, "Should be able to sort you out, at least be able to tell us what's gone on with you anyway."

Amber nodded and stared distantly out into the darkness. Dark shadows had appeared under her eyes and the skin of his cheeks was pale, she looked tired.

"Why don't you go to bed love." he suggested softy feeling sorry for her present state of mind, "You'll feel better for it."

"I tried…" she shuffled uncomfortably and gave him a nervous glance, "I have nightmares."

Jacks eyebrows lifted as she looked away embarrassed.

"'Bout what?" he caught the flicker of fear in her eyes, "About Dorian?"

She nodded.

"I've started to remember Jack." she sniffed at the cold air, "I remember things about Dorian."

Jack swallowed thickly, at least she hadn't remember much about him, never the less what she was remembering couldn't be that pleasant.

"On you go love, you can sleep in my cabin if you want."

Again she nodded pulling the jacket tighter round her narrow shoulders.

"Will you be in soon?"

Jack frowned in surprise opening his mouth to reply she cut him off.

"I mean, you shouldn't really be out here at all with that shoulder, I think I could benefit your company more than these deck hands." she waved a hand in the general direction of the men. "They know what there doing and there is Mr G-"

"Aye." he lifted his hands in submission. "Aye I'll be down in two minutes."

Relief flooded into her eyes and she smiled gratefully.

Watching her step down the stairwell and into his cabin, Jack felt an uncountable amount of sorrow for her.

"Wrapped round her finger you are." Gibbs chuckled from the bottle of the stairwell. Jack snorted his opinion and secured the wheel with the knarled rope.

"Least I've got a woman's finger to be wrapped around." he flashed a smug smile in Gibbs's direction.

"I've had more woman than you've had hot dinners my boy." he deliberately used his weight to knock Jack off balance as he tried to pass him.

"And I've yet to see one of them." he removed the warm flask from his pocket and handed to his older friend. "I expect you'll be needing it to keep warm." again he smiled smugly, his saunter mocking Mr Gibbs no end, "As for me, well" he rubbed his hands together, "I have other ways to stay warm."

The flask flew passed his head at an alarming rate, Mr Gibbs grinning at the start of its flight path.

"I'll have you Jack, I'll sling you over the side of this ship by the braids in your hair."

Mr Gibbs watched as Jack chuckled his way to the front of his cabin door, yes it was all mockeries and jibe but the situation it covered was far more serious, he had yet to see his captain so bewitched by a woman. He wasn't a hundred percent sure what had or was going on with either of them but what he was certain of was that neither were going to admit that they loved each other.

This to Mr Gibbs was quite obvious, he wasn't born yesterday, far from it in fact, and he'd known Jack long enough to know what the lad was thinking or feeling in this case.

But he also knew Jack was almost incapable of making good decisions when it came to feelings this deep. Yes he was a pirate, and yes he wasn't young and inexperienced any more but Jack had more in him than Mr Gibbs had ever known anyone to have. Strong enough to let no woman get hold of him, to get hold of his heart.

Until now.

Sighing Gibbs took out his own flask from his breaches and swallowed a good half of its contents.

Perhaps Jack was giving himself his own head. Perhaps he realised he wasn't getting any younger.

Smiling at last Joshamee finished his flask and took hold of the wheel.

Perhaps it was what Jack needed to get rid of that incredible bad mood that haunted the ship every morning when he surfaced from his bed after a heavy drink.