Don't own nothin'.

CHAPTER TWO: TIME ALONE. . . FINALLY

"We takin' 'er back ta Port Royal, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked as Jack took over the wheel.

Jack examined his compass and set the Pearl back on its original course. "We were plannin' a trip back there in less'n a month, anyhow. We'll continue on ta Isla de Muerta, pick up some plunder an' make path for Port Royal ta get us some supplies. We'll drop th' lass of then."

"We keepin' her aboard for that long?"

"What's wrong, mate?" Jack asked the superstitious man with a sidelong grin. "Fraid she's gonna bring 'bad luck'?"

"Th' last ship she was on was struck by lightning, Jack!"

"That's only because she was with a ship full of incompetent fools. Are there any incompetent fools aboard this ship, Mr. Gibbs?"

Gibbs sighed. "No, Captain."

"Good. Don't be botherin' her about being bad luck, either. She's a good girl. Got a lot of spunk. She might be good to have on board for a while."

"Don't remember ever seein' another daughter of th' governor," Gibbs continued.

"Well," Jack explained slowly, "Ye only ever visit th' Turner's. She lives at the mansion with th' governor."

"An' do ye visit 'er there?"

"Of course not. Is my neck currently in a noose?"

"Then how do ye know 'er so well?"

"She's a bleedin' sister ta Elizabeth," Jack snapped. "We've met. Does that satisfy your insatiable curiosity, Mr. Gibbs?"

"Yeah, I suppose it does, Captain," Gibbs nodded, knowing that it had better, because Jack was getting annoyed. Gibbs shook his head and left the Captain on the deck.

Sunni hated not being able to throw her arms around Jack as soon as she saw him. She knew, however, that it was extremely important to keep their marriage of about six months a secret. Even from the crew, a group of people Jack trusted more than anyone. Pirates, especially drunken ones, talked and eventually word would get around to Port Royal. Then Father would get absolutely livid and the reward for Jack, dead or alive, would skyrocket. She would be locked in the highest room of the mansion, never given a chance to see Jack again.

Sunni shivered at the thought. Or maybe it was a chill. She shook her head. Blasted fever. She felt like throwing up again. Closing her eyes, she felt the steady rocking of the ship, and adverse to the normal effect, it calmed her stomach. She soon slipped into sleep.

Jack brought Sunni broth at suppertime, but she was still sound asleep. Jack had been on edge all day, just itching to get back to his wife, where she lay ill in his bed. The crew was down in the lower deck, eating supper. None of them would bother the Captain at this time. Knowing this, Jack leaned down and kissed Sunni awake.

Her eyes slowly eased open as she smiled. "Mm. . . I knew I missed you for a reason, Pirate," she yawned.

"How ye feelin', luv?" he asked, turning to get her soup.

"Better," Sunni answered, throwing back her covers. "How long has it been since I've seen you?"

"Three weeks," Jack answered, sitting on the bed next to her and leaving her bowl on the night stand.

"Then you owe me more than good morning kiss," she looked at him, with a stern, scolding look on her face. Her features, however, danced with teasing.

Jack grinned, a couple of golden capped teeth glinting in the candle light. He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her much more passionately.

When he let her breathe, she stayed nose to nose with Jack and smiled. The smile still, after all these months, still reminded him of a young, innocent little girl. "I missed you, Jack."

"I missed ye, too, luv," Jack said. "The crew's eatin'. We should be safe for a while." He then nodded to the bowl of soup. "Ye need ta eat. Get somethin' in your stomach after you effectively cleaned it out earlier today."

Sunni found it a little disconcerting to have Jack stare at her while she ate. "You're starin'," she pointed out, taking another scoop.

"You're a sight fer sore eyes, luv." He looked down at his own soup and began eating. "So," he changed the subject. "Ye acted taken by a sailor so that he would take ye on a ride out ta the high sea on the off chance that th' Pearl would attack your ship."

Sunni smiled and looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Yeah."

"Just cause ye missed good, ol' Jack."

"Yeah. An' I needed ta talk ta ye."

"I'm here. Talk away. Whatcha need ta tell me?"

"Jack. . . if I wanted ta stay on th' Pearl, would ye let me?"

Jack looked at her through narrowed eyes. "In a heartbeat. But we know that it can't happen."

"Are ye takin' me back to Port Royal?" she asked meekly.

"After we pick up some gold from Isla de Muerta. We need supplies."

Sunni dropped her spoon. "You're takin' me ta Isla de Muerta?"

"You know it." He looked up again. "Is that all ye wanted ta tell me?"

"No."

"Didn't figger," he said, rising from his seat at the small table. "Ye plan on tellin' me any time soon?"

"Maybe."

"Somethin' wrong, luv? Ya aren't worried about yer father forcin' ye ta marry a sailor, are ye?"

"Nah, I c'n talk 'im outta that. How long will it take to get back to Port Royal?"

"As long as we're avoidin' storms and take th' straight routes without any

detours ta Tortuga, it shouldn't take more'n two weeks."

"Well, then, I got two weeks ta tell you, then," she smiled, getting up from the table. "Do ye have ta go back out for night watch?"

"Are ye kiddin, darlin?" he moved to her. "It's been too long since I shared a bed with me wife. C'mere, luv."

Sunni smiled up at him and then lept into his arms, light as a feather. Jack was always amazed at how little she was.

"Ye feelin' better, luv?"

"Like new, Captain."

His eyes twinkled. "Good. . ."

Sunni laid contently on Jack's bare brown chest as the night slipped into its darkest hour.

"I could get used ta this way too easily," Jack said as he lazily ran a finger over bare back.

"Isn't that why we got married?"

Jack chuckled.

"Jack?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever regret marryin' me all those months ago? Like after ye been out ta sea for weeks an' months at a time an' then visit a town like Tortuga. Isn' this ring an albatross?"

Jack fingered the ring that was around Sunni's neck. "No," he said thoughtfully after a moment. "I don't regret it one bit, Sunni."

The girl in his arms smiled, but hoped that after she told him what was going on, he wouldn't change his answer.