A/N: OO I deserve to be shot. Quartered. And left there. OVER A BLOODY MONTH W/O UPDATING!!!! WHAT is wrong with me? I am DREADFULLY sry, mates. My life has just been very….. yeah…. as of late. I'd love to promise that it'll be 2 weeks TOPS 'tween updates, but as we all know, I'm me and horrible at it. I WILL promise that I will truly try to be faster this time around though. Offers CJS calendars… hehehe… (includes bathing suit pics, fully clothes pics, NOT fully clothes pics…) and Elizabeth Swann ones for any and all reviewers who still R&R, ur choice of which one to take, or whether or not to take both

A/N2: Gonna start putting the chappie titles at top of chappies, just in case it's too big for the little box thingy. Enjoy!

Me: This is all your fault you know.

Jack: You not updating?

Me: Yes.

Jack: Really now?

Me: Yes!!!

Jack: You really do blame others for your mistakes, dontcha luv?

Me: ……I hate you.

Jack: Grin 'Course you do.

-Special thanks to Pendragon and Kizume for betaing


Conversation in Flirtation and just a Conversation

Well, there was one good thing about that two day long trip to the island at which Claire and John were being held. Unlike during their little voyage to Tortuga in that small, small boat, Leah and Jack did not have to see each other once this time around. The ship was big enough so that the two could very easily stay out of each other's way, not even glimpse each other once… at least, in theory. But Jack was at the wheel, and whenever Leah went up on deck, just whom did she see? Why, Captain Jack Sparrow, of course! How wonderful.

And yet, although both Leah and Jack wanted to speak to each other, though they both had a desire to actually stop this utterly fatuous arguing… they did not. And so, glowering and glaring and other such immature and inimical behavior became fairly routine.

Early on in the second day of this grand expedition, Kevin and Elise were standing together at the main mast of the ship, the former of the two tightening a loose length of rope. The two silently watched as the husband and wife exchanged some snide remarks before the latter made her way below-deck, muttering to herself. So much for the silent treatment.

"Well… at leas' they 'aven't destroyed me ship…" Kevin commented, finishing up his work and brushing his hands off on one another.

"Yet, ye mean," Elise corrected, and glanced up at the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in all his splendor. She couldn't hold back a frown.

"Ye know," Kevin began, drawing Elise's attention back to him and away from the captain of the Black Pearl, "I thought the two of 'em 'd been getting' better as o' late."

"Guess this li'l bicker-fest mus' 've been long overdue then, eh?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Think they're doomed ta battle it out for eternity then, do ya?"

Elise laughed, putting a hand to her lips and shaking her head. The moment she was done, only a small chuckle remaining to betray her good humor, she turned her eyes upwards again, looking directly into Kevin's own. "Close, luv. Not quite."

"What am I missin' then?" he inquired, eyes twinkling mischievously as he took a step forward, closer to her.

"Too much."

"Hmmm? Enlighten me then."

"Those two can't get 'long, somethin' in their nature. They're perfect for each other, don' get me wrong, but I seen it a million times. If Jack had a wee bit less patience, Leah'd be one o' those beaten an' hopeless women ya see 'round. It's not quite the same, but are ya beginnin' to see what I'm talkin' 'bout?"

"Elaborate some more."

Elise sighed. "A'right, pay attention, mate." He waited while she examined his handsome countenance in an attempt to make certain he was doing just this. Momentarily, the brunette female found herself distracted by his beautiful well-chiseled feature, the narrow face with its subtle cheekbones and chin, a soft spray of stubble across his jaw and above his upper lip, his flesh perfectly tanned with his hair in a careless disarray that was somehow incredibly attractive. Attractive, however, was not exactly the first word to pop into her mind when she looked at him.

Mentally, Elise shook herself, gave herself a nice, sharp slap across the face. Now was not the time to stare at the captain of this ship. She was Elise, whore extraordinaire. She had more class than that, at the very least more self-control. Hopefully, he had not noticed that little lapse in the conversation and the way her eyes had wandered… to his lips and other essential body parts especially.

"Right, now Leah an' Jack, ya know how the two o' them are, eh? They're just gonna bicker, they're too bloody hot for one 'nother. They'll get over it in time, but for now, they're gonna havta have a big blow-out every once in a while, 'specially when stuff gets stressful… though I gotta admit, they couldda chosen a better time for it."

"Well they didn't really choose it, ye know."

"I know! Christ Kev', ye know alla this, why're ya havin' me explain it to ya?" He stayed silent, waited for her to continue. "Ugh, fine. From my experience, couples, they're gonna fight, it's in their nature. That's why I never let a man tie me down, leas' not without payin' first."

Kevin, being who he was, instantaneously latched onto this last statement of hers. Moving even closer, he spoke… softly. "And if they pay?" He was pressed up against her now, their eyes lockedfor the most part.

"Then they get what they paid for, don' they?" she replied coyly, her manner entirely flirtatious.

And, naturally, the two were kissing the very next moment. Not just a light, tender kissing either, oh no, but deep, passionate, their tongues already intertwined as hands ran amuck. Had catcalls from Kevin's lovely crew not interrupted them, the pair just might have gone all the way right on the deck… though it's far more likely that they would have at least gone into the captain's cabin first out of the barest shreds of decency remaining to either.

Pulling away, Kev' grinned and turned to face the majority of his men, sliding his hand down the length of Elise's body to the place where their hips touched, grasping her hand there in his own as he raised his other arm, the left, in a wave to his crew. He bowed, and laughing, Elise joined in, making a grand curtsey while inclining her head in mock courtesy.

"Thank ya, gentlemen!" Kevin shouted, straightening up along with the female beside him. "Hope y'all enjoyed the show!"

More whoops and cheers.

"Take it off!" one voice called from the ratlines.

Another: "Righ' on deck!"

Licentious as always, Elise answered them. "Gladly! Who first?"

This time Kevin doubled over in laughter, and still chuckling, he turned away from the hardworking scoundrels. He was now once again face to face with Elise, their hand still tightly clasped while a mere half-foot separating their bodies, if that. Smiling, the two kissed again, but it was far gentler this time, softer, less heated. Almost begrudgingly, they parted.

"So, do I haffta pay you for that, 'Lise?" he asked quietly, using her nickname, his hands now wrapped around the small of her back, keeping her close.

"It depends, Kev'" she told him, withdrawing one hand from the back of his head, the other sliding lazily down the off-white fabric atop his chest before falling at her side.

"On what, might I ask?"

Smiling almost sadly now, she took a step back out of his arms. She then crossed her own arms, glancing down at the dirty, rough wood of the deck before looking him once again in the eyes. "On whether we get John and Claire back."

Suddenly grim, Kevin watched her retreating back-not necessary an unpleasant sight-as she walked away.

"Kevin!" a voice called, snapping him out of his musings and snapping his gaze away from the image of her disappearing below-deck. Distracted, he turned to face the quarterdeck, from which the voice had come. Jack.

"Aye?" he yelled back, walking over and scaling the steps in no time at all, as familiar with the lay of his ship as he was with, well, absolutely nothing else. The back of his hand continued to astonish him at times, but on this ship of his, on the Satanic Slumber, there were no surprises… disregarding any and all people aboard his beauty, of course.

Speaking of which… After taking one last look at his compass, Jack snapped it shut and put it back in its rightful place in a pouch at his waist, only then looking up and, after finding Kevin already there, speaking. "We're gonna be there within the hour, two at most. Get your men ready… and get Leah up here."

Kevin grimaced. "Jack, you sure tha' las' bit is a good i-"

"Pretend she's Elise for a second, mate. Savvy?"

"I-What?" the younger of the two demanded, strongly taken aback. "Jack-"

"Ah, still in that stage of it, eh?"

"What stage of-" And then he stopped dead, his expression becoming one of, well, by some it could have been taken as horror. Nervously, he let out a laugh. "Jack, she's a woman, a Tortuga whore, naught more 'an that."

Grinning, Jack made to reply, but upon close inspection of Kevin's face, his expression sobered up, and Jack steepled his hands beneath his chin, bowing his head. "Yes, of course. Deepest apologies, mate." His left hand now again on the wheel, Jack continued before Kevin could protest again. "Now, I would very much appreciate it if you could get me dear wife up here. I swear your deck'll be in one piece by the time we're done, pirate's honor."

Kevin could now only do one thing: openly gape at Jack, which was doing absolutely no good. The man had "dismissed" him, it seemed, and his attention was now focused on the horizon, the peak of land clearly visible peeking out from behind it to be specific… Not that Kevin could actually see this bit of land. Unlike Jack, he did not have a those with a "trained eye".

After at least half a minute had passed like this, Jack glanced at Kevin as if he had just noticed him and made a motion for him to go already, afterwards focusing on navigating once more. Unable to do anything but simply shake his head, Kevin went to do as the great and mighty Captain Jack Sparrow had commanded, whispering just one thing under his breath, causing the pirate behind him to break out in a small smirk.

"Never lettin' those two on me ship afta this…"

No more than five minutes later, Leah was above deck, sighing as she looked up with her sharp blue eyes, ones that would remind anyone of the early stages of a brewing storm in the tumultuous heavens. She was looking straight at Jack, that dear kind spouse of hers. Taking a deep breath in preparation—"psyching herself up", so to speak—Leah purposefully made her way across the deck, head held high with Jack just visible in her peripheral vision. Ugh, what did he want? Did he think she enjoyed this? Did he take some sick satisfaction from it?

In those five minutes that had passed, the captain of the Black Pearl had been prepping himself for this little meeting of theirs as well. However, he wasn't exactly so obvious about it, and he was expecting some sort of confrontation… a major one. He was expecting Leah to come at him fuming and screeching like a banshee out of hell. What he wasn't expecting was for her to appear so… calm. So—dare he so much as think it—defeated.

"What do you want, Jack?" she questioned quietly, her eyes downcast. "I have no desire to fight again. None whatsoever." Leah looked up, straight into her husband's eyes. "None. Whatsoever."

Jack took a step away from the wheel, towards her, his left gripping the wheel alone. "Feeling's completely mutual, darling. What say we stop?"

Leah smiled, though it wasn't exactly the most hopeful. "I say it would be too wonderful for words, though just as unlikely."

"Mmmm, not necessarily."

Leah laughed, but mirthlessly. "You really are grand at times, you know that, eh?"

Jack gave her a cocky smile. "Aye, that I am."

Leah mindlessly brushed a braid out of her face, glancing down before looking right back up again. There was a strange shimmer in her eyes, as if there was an overdose of moisture within them. "Do you think… do you think we'll ever get them back, Jack?" Her voice was strained now, thickened, tears escaping and streaming down her cheeks. "Do you think-God, are they still alive? John and Claire, are they-are-"

"Leah, come 'ere, luv," he said every so softly, and she did so without hesitation, weeping helplessly into his chest. Tenderly, he held her, his head atop hers, eyes closed. Kissing the top of her head, Jack stroked her upper back, the hand on her lower back simply holding her close. "It's all right, Leah, it's all right, luv. You're all right, you're fine. John and Claire are fine, and we're gonna get 'em back We're going to get them back, and they'll be fine," he whispered consolingly, hating to see her in such a state. Truth be told, he was just as worried as she, perhaps even more so. After all, he knew what was at stake; he knew the whole story. But he was also Captain Jack Sparrow, and a master at hiding his emotions and putting on a grand old show. In any case, his act worked a good 99% of the time, kept others guessing, so why ruin a good thing? So what if Leah could only see through the façade half the time? Why ruin a good thing?

The two of them stayed like that for quite a while, Leah openly sobbing into her husband's chest, the latter simply holding her and murmuring words of comfort. Really, this was helping to solace him just as much as it was her.

"We will save them, won't we?" Leah said at last, pulling away slightly, just enough so as to be able to see his face, meet his eyes.

"'Course we will. I got the Pearl back, didn't I?"

"Well, yes…. but that took you nigh ten years. I don't think we have a decade, Jack."

"Well I didn't exactly have that much to bargain with till I met the one an' only son of Bootstrap Bill, did I, luv? Now not only do I have what they want, but I also know where to find them, savvy?"

"But Jack…" Stepping away fully now, Leah wiped the tears off of her reddened cheeks and crossed her arms across her chest, meeting his gaze fully, a sharp resolve radiating out of her blood-shot eyes. "How are you familiar with Eric and Swanson? What do they want? Bloody hell, why?"

"That… I can't tell you," he said, illustrating his point with deft fingers threading through the air. "And I am truly sorry for it Leah, but though I love you, I can't."

"Then Jack," she began quietly, her will set, no matter how she did not want to do this, "I'm afraid I cannot be with you. I cannot be with someone who refuses to trust me."

"Leah-"

"I'm serious, Jack. It's not fair, not right. I-I can't take it. I won't."

A pause. "If that be your decision, I'm not going to attempt to talk you out of it, darling." She'd known what she was getting herself into; she still knew what being with him, the rogue Captain Jack Sparrow, meant. If this was what she wanted, so be it. It wouldn't be fair to her any other way. But… he couldn't let her go without some sort of fight, no matter how small. "You're certain you want this?"

No she wasn't, not in the least. She would rather have taken a plunge off of the crow's nest than this… but this was something she had to do. "Yes." Her voice betrayed none of the turmoil she felt, none of the pain. All Jack could see was resolve.

"Then I wish you luck in the rest o' your life," he told her, and after one long, meaningful look was exchanged between the two of them, he wrenched his eyes from hers and brought his attention back to the horizon. He couldn't bear to look at her.

So, he would just let her go, would he? Not put up any type of fight. Simply… let her go. It was easier this way, and one would think it would be far less painful, but after all they'd been through, after everything… in a way, it only made things that much harder, just that much more heart-wrenching. She wasn't even worth that much to him. Just a common strumpet he'd picked up for a bit longer than any of the others. How wonderful.

Leah of course knew that she was lying to herself, that this wasn't the truth, that he loved her very much… but she could not silence that part of her that hurt, that cried out in agony. And she wasn't sure she wanted to, even if she was able to. This was his fault, his damn fault! And if she weakened, she wouldn't be able to hold out, wouldn't be able to make the nice clean break. She could hate herself later. Now was not the time. "After we save Claire and John, I'm gone. We'll decide what to do 'bout them… after. Sa-all right?" Damn, she'd almost used his precious word, "Savvy". She'd actually delighted in saying it before, but now… now it felt as if were an anathema.

He nodded.

Her heart shattered.

She desperately wanted to remain, to pretend as if none of those words had ever left her lips, to stay with him. She longed to just dive into Jack's arms, to let herself comfort him just as he would comfort her… but instead she merely took one last tortured glance and turned away, taking a few hesitant steps down the steps. She refused to look back. Picking up her pace, Leah made her way across the deck, leaving a man who was hurting just as much as she was, who did not want this any more than she did, one who wanted to tell her everything but couldn't, behind.

And Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the helm, the part Leah had once awakened within him writhing to death.


Jack: ……You're sadistic, bloody sadistic.

Leah: I second that!

Me: Hey, it happened! And it's not my fault you two are so fun to play with…

Leah: You- starts snickering

Jack: Joins in

Me: Wha-

Jack: Fun to play with, eh?

Me: Bloody sickos…. --

Luny: WOOOT! Asks kindly again Review review review! I'm praying here I haven't lost all me readers cuz o' the long delay. Glad yousa likethed the last chappie though. :P But you luny lady, you…. There's always replies to reviews! :P ;-)

Kirie: YEEEEEK! runs from the whip SRY SRY SRY! I updated now though, and WILL make an effort to do so faster…. But maturity? Leah and Jack? Since when? O.o

Vagrant: He's Jack. He always deserves it. Prods Jack with a sharp stick….. I'm mean…..

TriGem: Well technically they didn't have the same plan. Their plans could just be molded together into one big plan… o.O It's odd, but it works. As for what Leah meant by that comment o' hers, well, she was just EXCEEDINGLY angry with the man and upset and yada yada yada, so she said one of those things we all say that we don't really mean, savvy? But trust me, Jack's hurting just as much as me dear Le' is, though as he's CJS it doesn't show quite as much. (Mesa LOVE long reviews, btb. Keep 'em up! :P)

Ney: Heh, thankies, he's fairly simple to read once u watch the movie for a bit and can hear his voice in thy head…. And u know what, I like this one more too. At the very least it's written better… Besides that, I thought up a plot all on me onesies. XD

Sara: Guess I'm 'a gonna find out the meaning of that "or else", eh? O.o Don't hurt me! Squees and runs for cover Heh. But seriously, mesa glad u like Elise and Kev'. I wuvvle those two… Licentious the BOTH of 'em. (Hehe, I wuv that word, licentious…. Much like I like "Gippal"…. Gloats )

Kizume: OOOH THANKIES!!!! Latches onto her prezzies Sry for not updating so long… mesa very very evil bad person. -- Thanks so much for betaing this chap as well! Very odd that there was naught wrong with it. O.o

Jinxd: Evil compy! scolds And YEEEEK, no hurty moi….. Mesa TRY to be a good girl now and update, I swear!

Keira: Thankies! Glad yousa liked!

Sarra: Hehe, very good thing she recovered so quickly. As for Kev', usa can have him for the next 6 months… on a trial basis. O:-) But u know, I think that's JUST what Leah and Jack need. We can drag 'em out when they get unconscious so they don't die, but they bother me. -- And WOOT to Elise! Throws a cheese and egg parade

Venus: Uh uh, no envy, envy bad! :P I am NOT that good of a writer. I just pretend. U on the other hand I am sure do NOT. And GO J/J FOR AWARDS! WOOT! Cheers and throws confetti Very happy me chappie was worth reading, though. Glad usa liked!

Chaos: Thou art a grasshopper to me. :D Everyone is. And yeek… Gulp Hoping I did not drive ye away from me fic by the long lack of update.

Riley: WOOOOT! Now stay! Lol :D Glad usa enjoyed the argument…. If I was Elise, I wouldda been dying.

oh, and in case any of the rest of u are wondering to, HOW TO PRONOUNCE ELISE: E(like the "e" in "bell")-lees (pronounced exactly like "lease")

As for Kev'… he does that. HE IS A FUNGUS! -- prods him As for L&J making up… they shall one day. :P And dontcha worry, Jack's getting PLENTY o' closet time…..

CJS: OO Squees and hides Sry sry sry sry!

Gwyn: And very nice chappie that was. :D Kudos to ye. Glad usa likethed this latest one. UBER sympathy on the wrist though. Youchies.