DISCLAIMER: I am not associated in any way, shape or form in regards to the ownership of PotC :(

Chapter 12- By Candlelight

Staring blankly at the pages of the book in her hand, Paris found her mind wandering to the pirate on the other side of the wall behind her. Paris loved to read, but her life on the streets meant she had never been taught to the extent she would have liked. Tonight though, she was preoccupied with other thoughts, and her concentration on the words in front of her was wavering.

The light of the candle on the bedside table flickered, casting ominous shadows on the walls. There had been no wind in the room and Paris gazed pensively into the orange flame. The quiet click of a door closing alerted Paris to the presence of someone entering the room.

Looking over the top of her book, she spotted Jack sneaking in through an adjoining door. Frowning in disapproval, Paris asked, "Jack, what do you think you're doing?"

"Aren't I allowed to visit ye?" Jack grinned devilishly as he meandered over to her bed.

"Not without wanting something," Paris replied, putting her book facedown on her lap.

Placing his tri-cornered hat on a white dresser, Jack crouched down next to her bed, his kohl-lined eyes studying hers and the candlelight on the table flickering across his golden face. "Ye'll be free tomorrow," he told her thoughtfully.

Paris stared back at him as she realized the deeper meaning behind his statement. She had been so intent on reaching Port Royal to clear her name. Now tomorrow everything would change. The friends she had made in Jack's crew would no longer be there for her. This adventure, as it had turned out, would be over and Paris would be alone once more. "I know," she finally replied quietly.

"Ye can stay with us," Jack said, searching her hazel eyes for something.

Paris hated how she felt he could always read her thoughts. His chocolate eyes seemed to see inside of her. "I can't stay, Jack," she said staring down at her hands.

"Why not?"

Paris stared at him, taken aback by his fervour. Silence passed. Jack played unconsciously with the bangles around her right wrist. "Where'd ye get these?" he asked when the quiet became much too loud.

"These," Paris indicated the thin, beaded ones she wore. "My mother made for me. She use to make them from material others had thrown away." Paris nodded pointedly to the one Jack was inspecting. It was thin, made from wood, polished, and painted black. Letters were etched into it; Liberté. "That was my fathers. He was a craftsman before he lost his job."

"A bloody good one, I see," Jack replied.

Paris smiled at his appraisal of her father. "Liberté," she read the inscription. "Freedom," they said in unison. Paris nodded, not surprised Jack understood it. Afterall, he considered The Black Pearl liberté too.

"Ye parents really liked the French didn't they?" Jack said with a strange smirk. Paris laughed, a soft sweet sound that made him want to sweep her into his arms and ravish her. But something…respect perhaps, held him back. Somehow being around Paris brought out the good side of him, and the women of The Faithful Bride never even entered his mind.

Removing the dark bracelet from her hand, she slipped it up and over Jack's, adding the trinket to the collection already around his wrist. He raised an eyebrow. "I though' ye just told me…" Jack began.

"It is," Paris said, "But I want you to have it. That way, you'll remember me."

Jack examined it for a moment, as though considering if it went well on his hand. He stopped to glance sideways at Paris with a peculiar expression upon his tanned face. " 'm sorry, love," Jack said quietly, unexpectantly, interlocking his fingers with hers.

The warmth from his hands spread over her, but Paris tried to appear indifferent to the action. 'He's apologising…to me?' Paris was astonished the pirate captain had spoken those words to her; she was sure they were not something he had said lightly. "For what?" she asked, bewildered.

"Everthin'," came the reply.

Paris's gaze softened, understanding slowly sinking in. "I'm not."

The words had flown from her mouth before she could stop them. Her heart had spoken; where the deep feelings she had desperately tried to hide had been held. Now that they were said, the wall of protection that had been built around her, shielding her from anymore pain and locking away emotions, was beginning to crumble.

Paris looked away, down at the covers on the bed, anything to avoid the curious gleam in the pirate captains' eye. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't going to let her off that easily and as Paris began to lift a hand to run it nervously through her dark hair, he caught hold of her wrist before she could.

"Well, 'm sorry about makin' ye sleep on the floor then," Jack said, kissing the tips of her fingers, forcing Paris' eyes to fall back on him. The candle's flame danced in them.

"What do you want, Jack?" she asked quietly.

His deep, kohl-lined orbs looked over her hand that was still hiding his chin. "I want you."

Three words. While it took only seconds for him to say them, they resounded in every heartbeat that followed, up until the moment Jack kissed her. Never going to give her the opportunity to object or deny him; Jack pressed his lips to Paris's. Uncertainty was replaced with truth, and ever so slowly, Paris pushed her mouth back against Jack's. They had both known lust before; Jack with other women and Paris during her life as a barmaid. But this was not the taste of lust. This was something far different. Something far greater.

Jack tasted just as Paris knew he would; rum, salt and sea. Almost losing herself in his presence, his kiss and his warmth, she stopped, slowly parting from Jack and pressing a finger to his mouth. There was one thing she needed to know. Paris already felt things were different between them. Jack no longer had the mischievous sparkle in his chocolate eyes when he looked at her, but she had to hear it from him. "I don't want to be just one of your many women, Jack," Paris whispered.

"Ye never 'ave be'n," Jack answered with such a feeling of honesty, he wondered how a lady could ever have brought about such an awareness.

Paris' hazel eyes shone. "You mean that?"

"I've never meant anythin' more than I did just then," Jack replied, before a frown formed along his brow while he stroked his braided beard. He glanced back at her. "'cept maybe when I called William a whelp," he grinned, the devilish twinkle returning to his eyes.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, unable to smother a laugh. "Don't call him that!"

"Agreed. How about a eunuch then?" he quipped, and before she could reprimand him again, Jack pulled her into a long, deep, sensual kiss.

Paris ran a hand through his hair, brushing past the objects adorned there. Jack sensed her hand on his shirt, tugging him up and onto his feet. She moved over, giving him a spot on the bed next to her. Before joining her, he removed the book from her lap, placing it on a small, round table behind him, ensuring it remained open on the right page.

"Are you sure ye want to be fraternising with a pirate, m'lady?" he asked, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and the other hand to curl his moustache suggestively.

"But you're not just any pirate," Paris answered, trailing a finger down his cheek and watching the light of the candle flicker over his handsome features. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow, the most fearsome pirate of the Spanish main."

"Mmm," Jack mumbled against Paris' soft lips. "And don't ye forget it, darlin'."

With that, they both lost themselves to the others warm presence, finding in each, comfort, passion and freedom.

Author's Note: Yay! They are together! Hehehe, I hope that went alright because I haven't written anything like that before! ;) Thankyou again to everybody for your thoughts and reviews!

Smithy- Hehehe, no problem ;) I love Will and Elizabeth, I couldn't leave them out of my story, and besides, they were needed to play a small role :) Thankyou!

The future Mrs. Jack Sparrow- Hehe, yes! Tell me about it! I've been dying to see CATCF since it came out in America a month or so ago! But it was definately worth the wait! It was hilarious, and Johnny was fantastic:) Hehe, I see a few people are happy to see Will and Elizabeth ;) You didn't see them much here (obviously), but next chapter there will be more :) Thankyou so much for the kind compliments and review!

ashley- So glad to hear you like it :) And there you go, they are finally together:) Thankyou for reviewing!

LegolasLvr71- Hehehe, well, now they are sitting and k-i-s-s-i-n-g! Lol! Thanks so much for reviewing

Queen.Bowie.Jack.Sparrow.Lover- That's alright about the other chapters! As long as youre still reading it makes me happy ;) Thankyou for reviewing once again! (Oh, and I just wanted to check your message wasn't cut off. There was an 'I' left like there was more, but that might have just been an accident, hehehe :) But I just wanted to make sure :)