Jack's room was not at all what Julianne had expected. First off, it was clean. The bed was made, he had a small desk in the corner with organized stacks of books and paper...even his rum was put nicely in a glass cabinet next to his desk. The rum, of course, didn't surprise her, but she was still repulsed at the numerous bottles of alcohol, which explained his seemingly perpetual drunken state of being.

He apparently noticed the girl staring at his beloved rum and quickly exclaimed, "Don' even think about it, luv. I keep count of me rum bottles."

"Please, Mr. Sparrow! I would rather eat dirt than touch the stuff (she had to stifle another laugh at his bewildered expression,). And I would ask you not to call me 'love.' Julianne will do just fine."

"And I would ask you to please call me Captain Sparrow." He corrected, mimicking her proper tone of voice. He stuck his nose high in the air and walked out, to do whatever infamous pirate captains did on their infamous pirate ships.

She was left standing in the strange room with no clue as to what she was supposed to do now. She noticed a mirror in the corner and walked over to it to inspect the exact damage her husband had inflicted upon her.

It was worse than she thought; she looked like she had fallen down the staircase. And she would know what that would look like, mind you. Her eye was circled with shades of purple and her lip was starting to swell. The scratch that ran from right under her ear down to her chin wasn't too deep, but there was still blood, which was now dry. She spat on a corner of her dress and did her best to wipe off the blood and dirt that had settled on her face during her little adventure.

Jack's bed was on the far right of the cabin, pushed up against the wall. Glossy red curtains were hanging down from the ceiling and surrounding it. She could tell they were real silk; she and James had similar ones hanging over their windows. They were very expensive and she could only guess that he had stolen them. Or at least bought them with plunder that he raided from some poor, helpless village or less armored ship.

She tried to get some sleep on his bed, which was actually very comfortable. She lay there, staring out a window on the opposite wall that looked out over the ocean, but she eventually got bored (and a little seasick) and looked around the cabin before confirming to herself that there was absolutely nothing to do and walked out to the deck.

There were many men working on the ship, swabbing the deck and what have you. She tried to ignore the glances she received from them, ranging from suspicious to lustful. She noticed a short, elderly man talking to Jack up at the helm. She walked towards them and jumped as soon as he saw her. Then he left, not even bothering to acknowledge her presence except to shake his head as he walked by her, muttering something under his breath about women onboard being bad luck.

For a moment she felt almost guilty, as if she were invading their space somehow, but she reminded herself that it was Captain Jack Sparrow who brought her onto the ship, she most definitely didn't sneak on or anything of the like.

He must have noticed her uncomfortableness, because then he said, "Oh don't worry about ol' Gibbs, there. Terribly superstitious, that one is."

"I'm sorry...I really don't mean to impose on you on and your...erm...crew."

He waved his hand through the air, as if the idea was simply ridiculous, "Please, Julie. We're pirates, not your in-laws. Our whole life is imposing." He chuckled, and she couldn't help but smile along with him. 'Julie' didn't sound so bad coming through his lips, she decided.

She stared out at the vast body of water before her, many thoughts swimming through her head.

"Were ye really going to pull the trigger?" his voice cut through her thoughts like a knife, only to make way for new ones. Would she have really done it? She didn't know if she had the strength. Or was it cowardice? Did she wish now that she would have ended it all on that cliff in Port Royal? Was Jack Sparrow showing up to stop her a sign that she was meant to go on with her life?

"I don't know," she answered finally. It wasn't really an answer at all, she knew, but it seemed to satisfy him.

"Why were you up there in the first place? If ye don't mind me askin'."

More troubling thoughts. Her mind flashed back to her children, seeing them on the bed, pale and shivering...the sweet, sweet nurse hanging outside her bedroom window after they died...James not coming home until late with the smell of rum and cheap perfume clinging to his clothes...the bruises she had to hide...the humiliating questions...

Jack watched the girl as tears rolled down her fair-skinned face. He suddenly had the urge to hold her until every tear and all the pain she had inside was cast out to the ocean, never to return. He could see the pain in her eyes, ever since he found her back in Port Royal. He didn't know why he'd been so curious about the girl. Any other time he would have walked on by without a second thought. But she was different somehow...he didn't know why, but she was.

He walked over to her and looked into her bright green eyes that were flooded with painful tears, his dark chocolate orbs boring into hers.

She was obviously surprised- but didn't resist- when he lifted her chin up with his fingers and brushed his lips lightly against hers. He pulled away and brushed a strand of her golden hair out of her face.

"Your secrets are your own, luv. Keep them if you wish." and he walked back over to the wheel, surprised that she didn't nag him again for calling her 'luv'.

Neither of them mentioned the incident up at the helm, but rather, just went on as though nothing had happened, though it was obviously on both of their minds. Julianne ate dinner in Jack's cabin with him, not even realizing how hungry she was until she saw all the hot food set in front of her. She promptly refused as Jack offered her a glass of rum. She wasn't as polite as she knew she should be, but didn't think much about it since he didn't seem too disappointed.

She asked where they were headed to, and when he replied their destination was Tortuga where he was going to be meeting a couple of his friends, she groaned. She had heard stories of Tortuga, and she couldn't say that it was one of the places she would like to be seen. She was also very doubtful that any friends of Jack's would be very decent, either.

"Well, I'm beat," grunted jack, after they had finished eating and some men came in to clean up their empty plates. "I think it's time for bed, don't you?"

She almost nodded, before remembering that she had to share a bed with him. She wanted to decline, but her entire body was aching and too tired to argue, so she drug herself over to the bed, which looked so welcoming and comfortable.

She got settled underneath the blankets, moving as close to the wall as she could get. She didn't want to be responsible for any cuddling up to Jack in the middle of the night, mistaking him for James. She nearly gasped as a half-naked Jack got in after her, his tanned and muscled skin glowing in the candlelight, before he blew it out and they were left in complete darkness.

She closed her eyes and pushed any lewd thoughts right out of her head and soon her body gave in to sleep.