Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or Disney or anything of the like. If I did, I wouldn't be praying to win the Powerball, would I? I wouldn't need to - I'd be in Hawaii with my hubby, on our honeymoon! Le sigh. I DO own Zora, the Leighlands, Malrice, and any characters that aren't familiar.

Author's Note: Guess what, everyone? I've been working so hard on this story lately that I've got enough to put up TWO chapters. That's right, TWO CHAPTERS! How awesome is that? Well, it is if you like the story, anyway. Speaking of, I love my reviewers.

Mg-Nashisko: Yep, Jack said 'em! Hard to believe, huh? I'm not sure if that was in-character or not, but it fit at the moment. And no, it's not the end, as you now see. Thank you for reading and continuously reviewing. It makes my day!

williz: I'm SO happy you like this story so much, thank you! It's one of the best compliments a writer can get. And yes, I love the twist of irony there - the Leighland's being robbed by a younger Jack... muahaha, how I love to laugh...

And now, chapter 8!


Chapter 8
Where is Jack?

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, but Jack had been awake for an hour already. He spent that hour gazing down in wonder at the lady pirate cozily snuggled against his body as he let his roughened fingers travel lightly up and down her soft arm. He thought only the Black Pearl and the open sea could make him feel the way he felt when he watched Zora.

Her face lit up his day. Her biting retorts had him wanting to screw up just to hear her remarks, to hear her melodious laugh. Her scent intoxicated him more than rum ever could.

Will wonders never cease…

Slowly, the pirate captain shifted away from Zora's body, trying to ease out of the bed without disturbing her. A mumble issued from her, and Jack paused long enough to see that she didn't wake. Having slipped himself away from her, he swiftly and soundlessly moved the pillow he'd used to lay it against Zora, giving her something that smelled of him to cuddle with. A contented sigh left Zora as her arms wound around it.

Jack grinned, pleased with himself.

The disheveled man bound down the elaborate staircase after dressing, a grin still on his face. His enthusiastic energy sent him racing straight into a half-awake blacksmith dressed in his pajamas. "Will!" Jack greeted, quickly catching Will by the wrist to keep the young man from tumbling backward and falling. "Lovely morning, isn't it?" His hand waved animatedly toward the big bay window, where the dawn was brightly shining.

Looking a bit bug-eyed from being run into, Will managed to only nod, then yawned, covering his mouth a bit. "Sure, Jack," he returned. "Whatever you say." Once the yawn subsided, Will raised an eyebrow. It was barely after dawn, and Jack was up, and… giddy? "Have you been drinking?"

Jack smirked, and responded with, "Oh, ye've never awakened to a wondrous morning and simply thought 'today, I shall just be happy'?"

"Not this early in the morning," Will said, crossing his arms. "You are never up before noon, normally. What are you planning?"

The pirate gave Will a wounded look. "I'm not planning anything, mate. Honest."

Will smirked, and returned, "But you're a dishonest man."

Jack opened his mouth to protest, holding his hands up, but promptly shut it as he didn't have a retort. "True enough," he finally said, then grinned again. "Alright, I'll be honest with ye, boy. I want to get Zora something… special."

Here, Will simply stared at Jack like he'd lost his mind. Again. "Jack," he replied after a long pause, "do you remember what I said about the woman making you soft?" The captain only returned the stare, his hands still up in the air as he waited. Will sighed, knowing Jack wouldn't give up, especially since they'd had this discussion the day before and got nowhere. "Can't you give her something from the hold, or even Isla de Muerta?"

"No!" Jack responded vehemently, the answer startling Will with its volume. "There's a difference between giving a woman something stolen and something bought especially for her."

Will furrowed his brow, and scratched his head. That didn't sound at all like Jack, and he had to wonder what happened between the time he befriended the pirate and now. Well, he knew, of course. Zora had happened. Though he was tickled that Jack found an actual person besides himself to care about, Will also knew that a pirate couldn't let his emotions get the best of him. That was why he worried about Jack's 'falling in love' thing he had with this woman.

"Jack… there are reasons you can't just walk out into daylight in Port Royal," Will tried to reason. "Your head is wanted in a noose, for Pete's sake!"

Jack smirked slyly. "Tha's where yer assistance comes in to play, mate." Will gulped, not liking the look on the pirate's face, especially with those gold teeth gleaming at him like that.

Half an hour later, Will Turner found himself entering a jewelry shop with a cloak-covered Jack Sparrow following behind him. "This is insane," Will muttered as they stopped at a crude-looking display case. "No one will believe this act."

"Pipe down," Jack hissed lowly. "They'll believe it if ye manage to keep yer mouth shut when ye're supposed to keep it shut."

Will rolled his eyes. "Of course, 'your Majesty'," he responded sarcastically. Jack's plans were usually far-fetched, but this topped them all.

---

The light pouring in the window managed to rouse Zora from her peaceful slumber. She moaned with a smile, stretching a bit as her back arched up and her eyes opened. The soft smile on her lips disappeared when she saw that she was alone in the bed. "Jack?" she called out as she sat up, holding the sheet to her nude body; the scattered candles had long burned out, having burned practically all night and were now near-puddles of wax, and the oil lamp nearly empty. No answer came to her.

She dressed quickly in her light under shift, pulled a brush swiftly through her hair, and dashed out the door, calling for Jack. She looked through the entire manor, but she found nothing to suggest that Jack had been there at all. She returned to the staircase, and took a seat, setting her chin in her hand as a heart-aching sigh escaped her lips.

All in all, Jack's disappearance shouldn't have surprised her… but it did. She didn't think that Jack would abandon her, not after the night they'd had. He said he loved her, and it damn sure sounded like he meant it. Her brow furrowed. Did he just say it to get her to do whatever he wished? He WAS a pirate, after all; pirates were strange beings in that way.

After all that the two had been through, after all the love they'd shared, would he do something so dastardly?

Tears began to crawl down her face. "If he is with some wench, I shall skin him alive," she declared in a whisper, the thought of him being with another killing her inside. She didn't understand why, after all this time, she felt like this. She knew a lot of what Jack did. He often wandered off by himself, and several times she woke alone in the bed they shared the night before. She had no reason to think that he would abandon her here; even if he were annoyed with her about the previous night, he wouldn't leave.

Yet there she sat, insides quivering and her heart dying at the thought of only being one of Jack Sparrow's many flings, even after sharing herself with him countless times in the past several months.

Elizabeth came down the staircase sometime later, lightly yawning. She remembered vaguely Will telling her he was going out, but she couldn't remember for what. Upon seeing Zora sitting near the bottom of the stairs, alone and dressed only in her under slip, the governor's daughter let that snippet of memory fade away, and began to wonder what was wrong. Seeing her friend's shoulders shake as she silently cried, her thoughts immediately jumped to places.

Sitting down beside her, Elizabeth slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders, gently asking, "What troubles you, Zora?"

Immediately, Zora began to wipe her face clear, sniffling and taking big gulps of air to stop any noises. "Nothing," she answered, managing to sound clear. She put on a smile as she looked at Elizabeth. "Nothing troubles me. I am perfectly fine."

"You cannot fool me, Zora," Elizabeth returned with a small smile. "I know the sight and sound of heartache. What is it?"

The smile faded from the lady pirate's lips. She took a breath, drew her knees up toward her chest, and set her chin on them as her arms locked around them. "I cannot find Jack."

Elizabeth blinked. She had thought it was something more serious than that. "Is that all?" Zora nodded slightly, her hair shifting around her as some of the beads clinked together. The other female smiled reassuringly. "Oh, I'm positive he's lurking around somewhere." She lightly nudged Zora and giggled discreetly, adding, "It's a wild wonder either of you are up and about already because according to the noise, sleep came late last night for you."

The jest was lost on the distraught one. "But I have checked everywhere," the disheartened woman replied, closing her eyes against her oncoming tears. She took another deep breath to steady herself. "I suppose it was only a matter of time before he would run off. He is a pirate, after all."

Elizabeth brought her friend closer in a comforting embrace. "Even pirates can surprise you," she stated. "I don't believe even Jack can be that crass, to just up and leave." Elizabeth took hold of Zora's right hand, and held it like a sister would her sibling, knowing like an older sibling that she'd have to talk about both sides of the coin. "And if he has… you'll have to move on. In the least, you aren't branded, so it shall be easier for you."

Zora looked down at her bare right wrist, where many pirates she knew, including Jack, had a branded 'P' to mark them for life. She sighed once again. "Jack always told me it was best to stay unbranded," Zora told her in a soft voice, her eyes misting. "It would be most helpful in pillages and such. I would help, but if I were caught, they could not persecute me as a pirate. Sometimes, I would be the decoy, using my womanly advantages to distract guards and such men as the rest of the crew did the actual thievery." Zora sniffled, rubbing her nose against the back of her hand in an unladylike manner. "I so do desire a brand. It would mark my true status as a pirate." The tears began to slowly spill over, and her voice cracked as she added, "If he has gone, there is no hope of that now, nor for any of my other dreams."

Elizabeth sighed as well, and simply let Zora's head settle on her shoulder as the lass cried herself out, cursing on Jack's name.

A/N: Next chapter, yet another twist for the pirate couple... go read and review!