Usual disclaimers

With thanks to Chelsey, Rowenablue, Marzbar, Mrs Depp, JHG and of course Hils.

Well, this is it – the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter twenty-five: 'I love you, Jack Sparrow. More than you'll ever know.'

'Right on time,' Jack grinned in the pale dawn light as he looked out at the Black Pearl sailing into the small cove which he always used whenever he needed to go to Port Royal for whatever reason.

'She's taken damage,' Shay observed, casting an eye over the black ship through his spyglass.

'I'll kill that bloody Groves,' her captain swore. 'Much?'

'Mostly riggin', th'masts are intact though.'

'That's somethin' I suppose,' Jack sighed. 'Come on, let's get rowin', young Connelly.'

'Aye, old Sparrow,' Shay teased.

'You'll be rowin' on yer own, if yer not careful,' Jack warned with mock severity as they pushed the boat off the shingle and jumped in, taking up the oars.

'Why, are ye goin' ter swim?' Shay enquired, an innocent expression on his face.

'Ha bloody ha,' Jack sniped, splashing the younger man with his oar. 'I can't wait ter get home,' he lamented, missing Jenny and their baby more than he imagined he would have.

'Me neither,' the Irishman agreed, stroking the paddle through the water a little harder. 'I just hope th'riggin' isn't too badly damaged.'

'We'll anchor off Black River Bay an' do repairs – shouldn't take long,' Jack reasoned. 'Then we'll go straight home, eh?'

'As fast as th'winds can take us.'

'I'll take command this time,' Jack winked. 'Can't have yer gettin' too used to it just yet…'

'Aye, Captain,' Shay replied with a grin. 'Enjoy it while ye can.'

'I fully intend to,' Jack agreed. 'Just as I fully intend to enjoy retirement.'

Elias Beauchamp hesitated outside the office door of Governor Norrington, still trying to compose himself. He had not had much time to grieve over his former lover as the attack by the pirates had demanded his attention, but as he readied himself for this meeting, he found himself barely able to keep his emotions in check, prompting his servant to enquire after him more than once as he helped his master to dress. He took a deep breath and knocked smartly on the door, entering when beckoned.

'Elias,' Governor Norrington greeted him coolly.

'Sir,' the Commodore nodded. 'I… I have some bad news, Sir.'

'More bad news?' Norrington sighed. 'Whatever has happened now?'

'Geo… Captain Farrier is dead,' he stated simply.

'He's what? How do you know this?' the Governor demanded.

'I-I… a spy informed me,' he lied. 'He was taken by pirates and killed.'

'Which pirates?'

'Jack Sparrow,' he informed him. 'I don't care if he died by your hand or not, Sparrow,' he thought. 'It can be something else you will hang for.' Beauchamp paused before continuing. 'I believe that in light of this news, and the fact that we have lost another ship…' he winced as Norrington glared angrily at him. 'That it might be wise to call a temporary halt in the war against the pirates.'

'At last!' James Norrington declared. 'You finally have some common sense! Have you any idea how close I have come to sending a letter to the Admiralty asking for you to be replaced? It's only because they would not have been very impressed that I seem to get through Commodores at a rate of knots, that I held back,' he retorted. 'But, rest assured, Commodore Beauchamp, I shall relieve you of your position at the earliest opportunity – do I make myself clear?'

'Perfectly,' the hapless man mumbled, looking downcast. 'I am sorry, Sir.'

'Sorry does not replace all the ships that have been lost thanks to your monstrous self-esteem, not to mention the good men who have died because you thought you could just stroll in here and be as successful as elsewhere.' The Governor sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'The Caribbean is different to the Americas and the Mediterranean, as I tried to tell you so many times before. Caribbean pirates are different and Jack Sparrow the most different of the lot.'

'I know, Sir…'

'Now you do, yes. But you and Farrier just would not take on board what others tried to tell you. Others who were more experienced in life over here - in the people and pirates over here.'

'Our way worked until the pirates started fighting back,' Beauchamp protested.

'Yes, but you kept doing things your way – you were not flexible to changing your plans to fit in with the change of events.'

'You're right, Sir. I'm sorry…'

'Go on,' James Norrington sighed. 'Go and sort out this latest mess.'

'Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir,' Commodore Beauchamp fawned as he backed out of the room.

'Bloody hell,' James Norrington sighed. 'What else can that man do that will possibly go wrong?' His thoughts turned to his forthcoming wedding to a widow of a plantation owner, who had died nine months previously from a fever. 'At least I have something to look forward to,' he smiled to himself. 'And the children will finally have a mother in Jayne.' He looked down at his ink well, wondering whether to write a letter to the Admiralty after all, before deciding once more not to. 'One last chance,' he said to himself. 'Just one…'

Four days later

Jack leaned against the bowsprit, watching as the outcrop loomed ever larger as the Black Pearl sailed gracefully towards it. He fished his spyglass from a pocket and trained it on their house, grinning to himself as he saw a figure standing by the arbor in the garden, waving at the ship.

'Mr. Penhaligan,' he called, hoping the master gunner was close to hand.

'Yes, Cap'n?' the Cornishman replied.

'Give my wife a welcome fire.'

'With pleasure, Cap'n,' he chuckled, busying himself loading a nearby carronade with shot and firing it.

'Home at last,' Shay smiled as he approached his captain and friend.

'Aye, home at last,' Jack sighed with relief. 'I think a week's shore leave'll be enough fer th'men, eh?'

'I don't know,' Shay mused. 'Th'men have become very fond of Rosie an' th'other girls…'

'Two weeks?'

'At least,' the younger man laughed. 'Give us time ter appreciate our wives once more, as well.'

'An' them time ter get fed up of us under their feet…' Jack lamented, rolling his eyes. 'You can tell th'men th'good news.'

'Aye, Jack,' Shay deferred, leaving to deliver the good news to the crew.

'Ya want ter come back?' Jack asked Joshamee Gibbs as the portly man climbed the quarterdeck steps to speak to Pauly Wilson, the new helmsman of the Pearl.

'On board? Thanks, but… no thanks,' he smiled. 'I enjoy pottering about in the fishing boat with Tom and Fin.'

'Fair enough, ya've earned it,' Jack nodded, turning his attention back to the house, which was now closer still. He put the glass back in his pocket and climbed up on the bowsprit, holding onto a line as he waved to Jenny, who jumped up and down, waving back frantically.

'Shall we drop anchor, Cap'n?' Pauly enquired.

'Aye, Mr. Wilson, we shall. Haul in sail an' drop anchor!' he bellowed. 'An' ready a boat.'

'I thought you might be swimming, seeing as you're that keen,' Gibbs teased, winking at the helmsman as he walked towards the steps again.

'Oi! Ya can still be punished,' Jack warned jokingly, climbing back down again as the ship slowed to a stop.

'Shay, ya have command.'

'Bugger it!' the Irishman cursed under his breath. 'Aye, Cap'n,' he replied as he watched the boat being lowered and Jack disappearing over the side.

'Let him get home, then I'll see to everything,' Joshamee smiled.

'Ye sure? Thanks Joshamee, I appreciate it,' Shay grinned, as eager as Jack to see his own family again.

'Just keep quiet, eh?'

'Not a word,' Shay promised. 'Not a word…'

'Jack!' Jenny cried, running down the path the greet him and flinging herself in his arms, giggling with delight as he swung her around. 'Did everything go all right?'

'Aye, everything went fine,' he assured her. 'Rebecca's goin' ter bonded service, th'Commodore will be a good boy from now on, an' Thomas broke his wife from the gaol.'

'That's wonderful,' she breathed, pressing her lips urgently against his.

'Mmm,' he mumbled. 'It is…'

'Sive has Joshua for a while,' she gasped between kisses.

'So why are we wastin' time out here?' Jack wondered, releasing her from his embrace and grabbing her hand, pulling her up the remainder of the path and into their house, shutting the door firmly behind them.

'Would you slow down,' Jenny laughed as Jack bounded to the stairs. 'You'll wear me out before we even reach the bedroom.'

'So we won't reach th'bedroom then,' Jack grinned wolfishly.

'Oh no,' she warned. 'I want to be comfortable, if you don't mind…'

'It's always comfortable…'

'For you, maybe…'

'It wouldn't be comfortable over a barrel, an' that's where you want ter do it!'

'Says who?'

'You!' Jack stated. 'Yer always on about havin' it over a barrel.'

'I am not!' Jenny cried with mock indignation. 'I'm always on about having it anywhere…'

'You naughty woman!' Jack declared, stopping and looking at her with wide eyes, which were twinkling with amusement.

'Well I hope I am, after being with you for the past two years or so,' she laughed, reaching up to plant a kiss on his cheek.

'Has it only been that long?' Jack wondered. 'It feels like we've been together fer years.'

'I know,' Jenny smiled, snuggling upto him on the stairs. 'It will be years, hopefully.'

'No hopefully about it, especially now Farrier's gone an' th'Commodore's been dealt with. Now come on, we're wastin' precious lovin' time.'

'Sive said she'd have Josh all day, if needs be…'

'She's a good girl,' Jack grinned, carrying on his way back up the stairs still clasping his wife's hand.

'I expect you left poor Shay to make the Pearl shipshape?' she chided gently as they reached the bedroom.

'No doubt Gibbs will have told him that he'd take care of it,' Jack chuckled, knowing his old quartermaster well. 'Now, enough of everybody 'cept you an' me…'

'And the matter in hand,' Jenny murmured as she wound herself around Jack, bringing him closer.

'Th'matter in hand, indeed,' Jack smiled, taking her lower lip between his teeth and sucking gently on it while his fingers worked on the laces at the back of the pale lemon dress his wife was wearing.

'I've missed you,' Jenny whispered as she cupped his buttocks and ground herself against the bulge at the front of his breeches.

'Sweet Jesus, woman!' Jack gasped, breaking away from her. 'Do ya want it over an' done with before you've even got into my breeches?'

'No' she chuckled, easing off a little, but not too much. She was enjoying the desire the contact was sending coursing through her body.

'I've missed you,' he growled softly in her ear. 'I always miss ya.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' she smiled, shuddering as his sharp teeth nipped at the tender flesh where neck and shoulder meet. 'Now enough talk and undress me,' she ordered.

'Yes, M'am,' Jack grinned, breaking fully away from the embrace and sliding the dress down Jenny's arms until it pooled at her feet, his eyes widening in surprise as he realised that she wore nothing beneath it.

'I knew you were coming home,' Jenny told him by way of explaination as she kicked the dress out of the way. 'Don't ask me how or why, I just did.'

'Bloody hell,' he rasped huskily, taking her breasts in his hands and running his thumbs over her nipples until they were hard as tiny pebbles before covering one with his mouth and suckling on it.

'Oh…' Jenny gasped, arching her back and tangling her fingers through his hair. 'Suck harder,' she pleaded, groaning as Jack instantly complied with her wishes.

'Yer milk tastes nice,' he chuckled as he eventually pulled away. 'No wonder Joshua's always hungry.'

'Cheeky sod,' Jenny laughed as she started untying the sash around her husband's waist, grateful that she didn't have the sword belt to contend with this time. 'Jack…' she sighed with exasperation as his roving hands kept getting in her way. 'Do you want to be as naked as me?'

'Well it ain't much use any other way, eh?'

'So let me undress you then, you fool!'

'Yer callin' me a fool, hmm? I'll give yer fool, wifey!'

Jenny squealed as Jack picked her up and threw her gently down on the bed before divesting himself of his boots. His eager fingers stumbled over the laces of his breeches, until Jenny knelt up and batted his hands away, unlacing them with ease and slipping a hand inside, caressing the throbbing length of his manhood and eliciting moans of pure pleasure from Jack.

'Come on,' she beckoned seductively, lying down on the bed and summoning him with her finger.

Jack needed no second bidding and lay on top of his wife, shrugging his shirt over his head as she lifted it. 'No child ter interrupt us all day, hmm?' he enquired as he savoured her warm, soft body beneath his.

'All day,' she murmured, wrapping her legs around his and caressing his calves with her feet as her hands unwound the bandana from his head.

'Bliss,' Jack muttered as he guided himself to her entrance, easing in slowly, gasping as her moist heat engulfed him.

'Bliss indeed,' Jenny smiled, bringing her legs across his back and drawing him in deeper.

Jack lay still for a moment, just taking in her face flushed with pleasure, and her eyes looking lovingly into his, before starting to take up the rhythm, driving himself into her wet tunnel and withdrawing almost fully then slamming hard back in again. Jack leaned forward, his hands resting either side of Jenny's head as he drove in harder and deeper, grinning ferally as she moaned and writhed, damp tendrils of hair sticking to her face.

'You like it rough, don't ya?' he teased, biting hard on her neck, the feel of her erect nipples brushing along his chest sending fire racing through his veins.

'Y-yes,' Jenny gasped, clutching his hips, her nails digging into his skin. 'H-harder, please,' she begged.

'Let's bring yer legs up,' Jack suggested, ceasing his ministrations for a moment while he hooked first one leg over his shoulder and then the other, then he started ramming into her once more. 'Better?' he chuckled.

'Much,' Jenny gasped, feeling as though he was filling the whole of her insides. 'Oh God, Jack!' she moaned as her body spasmed and cannon fire seemed to explode in her head. 'Jack…!'

Jack gritted his teeth as the feel of her hot juices flowing over his manhood had him teetering on the edge of release. He wanted it to last as long as he could but Jenny's hands stroked the back of his thighs and Jack let go with a cry, plunging as far into her as he could as he released his seed until he was fully spent.

'Bloody hell,' he muttered, carefully easing her legs from his shoulders and laying down beside her.

'Bloody hell, indeed,' Jenny grinned, wiping her hands over her face to brush hair from it.

'An' we've still got th'rest of th'day to kill yet…'

'So stop talking and save your energy,' she laughed, stroking his chest absently.

'I love you, Jenny Wren,' Jack mumured, turning on his side and looking deeply into her eyes.

'I love you, Jack Sparrow. More than you'll ever know.'