Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: The end is here! Yes, this is the end of the story, I'm sorry to say. However, I'm sort of glad it's over, considering that I've got another one that I'm currently co-writing with a friend. For more info, see my bio page. I might write another Pirate fic on my own, but a Phantom of the Opera story seems like fun, so I'll test out the waters there and then see what happens. Ta, mates, and I hope to see you all again soon!

Chapter 13: Making a Decision:

The Next Day: Jack's POV:

Going over the previous night in his mind, Jack tried to fully understand what had happened. Nerissa, dressed oh-so enticingly in veils and gold, had danced quite possibly the most seductive dance that he had ever witnessed, and had won him over in the time it took to drink a bottle of rum. There was no possible way for him to actually fall that madly and deeply for her, was there? After all, he was a pirate captain and pirates definitely did not fall in love like this!

'Bootstrap did,' quipped up a voice in the back of his head. 'Remember? There wasn't a passing day where he didn't talk to you about his lovely wife, or stop boasting about that boy of his.'

Well, even if Jack was a pirate, Nerissa was at least half of one. But she was also a Siren, one that was likely to marry for the benefit of the entire Siren nation. After all, that's where she had been heading when he'd kidnapped her: to be married off to some stupid, wealthy, merchant's son who probably couldn't put his shoes on the right feet to save his life. Still, she would have been well provided for, no matter what her husband was like. Nerissa had been on her way to a comfortable life with riches and servants of which Jack didn't have the luxury. Would he even have a chance at getting her?

'Not bloody likely,' Jack thought to himself, walking over to the window of the quarters he had been given for his stay in Oasis. 'Nerissa's practically a princess among the Sirens; there's no way that they would let her hook up with me.'

But considering the fact that he saved her life, it was likely that she would be able to stay aboard the Pearl until he saw fit to let her go…

'Which would be never,' he thought, smiling to himself.

No, letting her go was not an option. Even if the Sirens offered him a mountain of treasure or a noble title, he still wouldn't give her up. No, Nerissa was his, and he was going to keep her even if it meant going up against the entire Siren clan to do it. After all, he was Captain Jack Sparrow, and nothing was impossible…just improbable. With a good plan, however, anything was possible, despite the odds, and if there was one thing that he was good at doing, it was forming a bloody good plan!

Nerissa's POV:

To her immense satisfaction, the previous night's dance had been a success. Nerissa had never felt so proud of herself, and her fellow dancers had giggled with her the whole night about a certain pirate captain's reaction to her unveiling.

"It was hilarious!" cried Marie. Her green eyes had sparkled as she remembered Jack's expression.

Helena had smirked. "I taught her everything she knows," the blond had boasted, puffing up with pride at the display that Nerissa had put on.

The young brunette now sat on the balcony of the house she stayed in with her mother, Catalina. The older woman had her own home here on Oasis, in the exact center of the outpost the Siren nation kept in this part of the world. Nerissa learned that they had put her mother here because she would be easily recognized in the Old World, where the English were doing their best to concur the world through trade with the Far East. Nerissa had also learned what had happened to her after she'd left.

Before giving birth to her son, Catalina had found the pull of the sea far too strong to ignore. She still loved her husband and her daughter, but she had grown up on the sea and it would always be her home. The Fox estates were now secure with a male heir, and she knew that Nerissa would be taken care of by Robert, so there was really nothing to worry about. After the effects of childbirth had waned, Catalina and Robert had discussed what was to be told to the children. They concocted the fable of her dying in childbirth, and left it at that; Philippe and Nerissa would never know that their mother still lived.

After she had left her husband and children to return to her people, Catalina had discovered that the Siren Council had been a little upset that she had been the lone survivor of her ship's crew. Still, she had birthed a daughter of noble blood, as well as a son and heir to her aristocratic husband's wealth, both of whom had great potential at helping to increase the connections the Sirens needed. Philippe would provide wealth should the Sirens need it, and Nerissa would be able to wed for the benefit of her mother's people. And so Catalina had been given a ship and told to watch out for the Siren's interests here in the New World. It was a somewhat dangerous post, but it had to be done.

As Catalina and her daughter caught up on the years missed, Nerissa discovered that it had been her mother who had sent all of the Siren instructors to her. Knowing that her daughter would someday need the skills of the sea, Catalina had conscripted her closest friends (and even family members) to instruct her little girl in everything a female pirate would ever need to know. She had then kept track of Nerissa's progress and sent more advanced teachers accordingly. It had been one of those teachers that had told the 13-year-old Nerissa that her mother was still alive, though it wouldn't be likely that they would ever see each other again.

'I'm glad I believed that she was alive, though,' she thought to herself, looking out at the town. 'Despite my looking calm and collected on the Pearl, seeing Mother alive and well still scared the hell out of me!'

It was true. Even though Nerissa had appeared calm and collected to Jack and the rest of the crew, all she had wanted to do was run up and hug the woman she had missed for her entire life before demanding an explanation. After getting one the previous night, however, she could understand what her mother had missed while living on land and abiding by the rules of the aristocracy.

'After living through such excitement and adventure on the Pearl, how can I go back to being the obedient daughter of a nobleman?' Nerissa thought, sighing as she stared down at the people in the street below as they went about their business. The sound of someone coughing behind her drew her eyes to the door, where her mother stood, a knowing grin on her face.

"You love it, too, don't you, my little bird?" Catalina asked, her smile turning soft and motherly. She always called her daughter 'little bird,' since Nerissa had always chased after the birds in the garden when she had been small. "I see your longing for the sea in your eyes."

Nerissa gave her mother a sad smile. "I don't think I can go back to being the way I was, Mama," she said as her mother walked over and wrapped her arms around her.

"I know, dear one," her mother replied, one hand going to caress her daughter's brown hair. "After all, the blood of the Sirens is within you. Despite being raised on land, the sea and all that it offers will always call to you, especially after you've given in to it once before." She kissed her forehead. "And no matter how hard we try, we cannot ignore it, despite all that we do."

Nerissa sighed and snuggled deeper into her mother's embrace. She had sorely missed her mother's comforting arms and warm hugs, the ones that always made everything all right again. It made her feel safe, as though nothing could harm her while she was there. After a while, though, the hug ended, and the two pulled back, Catalina brushing her fingers against her daughter's face.

"Come, I have a proposition that I would like to make to your captain, but I would like your opinion on it first," she said, waving Nerissa towards the door.

The young woman nodded and quickly followed her mother out the door.

Jack's POV:

Pacing back and forth in his room, Jack felt as though he would go mad from being cooped up inside for so long. He and the entire crew had been assigned to a boarding house for their stay, but were told not to leave it for any reason without an escort. They were allowed anywhere within the boarding house, just not outside of it. If anyone of the Pearl's crewmembers went anywhere outside, they were followed around or were escorted back to the building by a Siren.

'Apparently they don't trust us,' he thought, heading to the downstairs dining room to get something to eat.

In a boarding house where the food and drink extremely plentiful, most of the crew didn't seem to mind being stuck inside. Mr. Gibbs had taken full advantage of the rum and other alcoholic beverages provided, and fresh hot and cold food was brought out as soon as it appeared that someone was hungry, so there really was nothing to complain about. Even the furniture was comfortable, being worn from much use and in good condition.

'A gilded cage is still a cage, though,' Jack thought as he helped himself to a bottle of rum and a slab of cold chicken.

He desperately needed his freedom and the sea, and sitting around this town, waiting for the Sirens to let them all go was making Jack a tad bit antsy. He wanted the sea all around him and the wind in his face as he steered the Pearl to who-knows-where. Sitting around was good for a little while, but doing it for too long tended to dull the senses, and Jack really needed his crew at their best when they sailed away from here. There was little he could do, however, considering the circumstances, so he just let them do as they pleased, though they did manage to do it with some restraint.

After he had finished his snack, Jack spotted Nerissa walking through the front doors and to his table. Her hair was loose, and she was dressed in a dark red long-sleeved shirt and black leggings, black leather boots heavily hitting the floor as she walked towards him. Several of the crewmen gave her friendly smiles, which she happily returned. Finally she managed to make her way to Jack, who sat up in his chair and motioned for her to join him at the table. Nerissa gave him a pleased smile and did so, reclining in the chair as her brown eyes met his.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," she addressed him, respect in her tone. "Your presence is required tomorrow afternoon at the southern beach by Captain Catalina Fox and her sisters. It is a matter of utmost importance, and you are required to attend." Nerissa winked at him before briefly casting her eyes around the room. "You are also allowed to bring with you two or three members of your crew, if you desire."

'I desire a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get them,' he thought, watching her brush aside a lock of her hair. Out loud, he said, "I'd be honored to meet your mum and aunts, though you've never explained to me that you had other female family members."

Nerissa smiled. "My mother is the eldest of six children, and the only one to get a ship of her own," she explained. "The others were all scattered to whatever ship would accept them until my mother received the Savage Blade. Since she needed crewmembers, she gathered all of her sisters together and brought them onboard with her."

Jack nodded. "Makes sense," he said, drinking from his bottle of rum before setting it down. "Now, why does your loving mother want me to meet her?"

"Apparently she's not happy with the fact that I owe you a life-debt," Nerissa said, accepting a bottle of rum from Annamaria, who slid into a seat at the table next to her and Jack. "She wants to offer you something that you would likely want more. A trade, if you will."

Jack's eyebrows quirked. "She wants to trade something so that I'll call off the debt you owe me?" he asked in disbelief.

"She just doesn't want me owing you anything," she said, smiling at his expression. "Mother probably thinks that she's relieving both of us of a burden, one that will hang over your head and mine until I save your life or something equally important happens."

"What's she going to offer up in trade?" Annamaria asked, tapping a finger on the table.

"Probably the usual," Nerissa said, shrugging her shoulders. "Gold, jewels, a map to some sort of large treasure or another, or quite possibly anything that is worth a great deal."

'It'll never happen,' Jack thought to himself as he thought over what Nerissa had just said.

There was no way he was going to trade Nerissa for something like gold or riches; she was worth too much for that. And he could smell a plot being hatched a mile away, and there was definitely something going on here with Captain Catalina and her crew. Did they seriously expect him to be that petty, to give up Nerissa for the price of gold?

'It certainly can't be that simple.' Jack glanced towards the object of his thoughts, who was currently engaging Annamaria in an animated talk about some sort of female thing or another.

No, the Sirens were up to something. It was possible that the Sirens thought him greedy enough to let Nerissa go for a price that was a mere trifle to them, and then marry her off to the first noble or wealthy idiot that came along to claim her, just for their benefit. As long as the man had connections that were more valuable than the price they had paid to get Nerissa away from Jack, then they would certainly press her into an arranged marriage.

He heard Nerissa laugh at something Annamaria said and he smiled. There was no way Jack was going to let that happen to her. Nerissa was so friendly and carefree when she was talking, joking, laughing, and playing cards with him and the crew. She was also happy while she worked and did her chores on the Pearl, acting as though they were the most fun she'd ever had in her life. To let the Sirens take that away from her was an injustice that Jack Sparrow would not allow to happen…no matter what the cost.

The Next Afternoon, Jack's POV:

Jack was not looking forward to this meeting that he was required to attend. Mostly it was because he was on Siren land, playing by their rules, and had to likely weave around one of their offers to get Nerissa away from him. Throughout the entire night, Jack had wracked his brain for a way to win this one. Finally, just as the sun crept up the horizon, he realized that, given that this was a deal created by the Sirens, he'd have to make the second move, and make it a good one.

'Patience,' he thought, chewing his lip as he made for the beach.

Gibbs, Annamaria, and Cotton (complete with parrot) all trailed behind him as he walked along the southern part of the island, the sand crunching softly beneath his boots. It was a lovely day, with clear blue skies and the Caribbean sun shining brightly, but Jack noticed none of it. His mind was too busily focusing on the group of women gathered before him.

There were five of them, one of whom was a stranger; the other four were Nerissa and her mother, and the two aunts that been in his cabin only a week or so earlier. The other woman could only have been Nerissa's aunt, for she bore a remarkable resemblance to Catalina. The three women nodded their heads as Jack stopped in front of the Siren captain and her daughter, who slipped a sly smile at him. Jack could only give her a slight nod in acknowledgement before Catalina began to speak.

"The Sirens wish to make a trade with you, Captain Sparrow," she said, her tone formal and serious. "My daughter currently owes you a life debt which she has yet to repay. Therefore, it falls upon myself and my blood sisters, Neva, Sahara, and Riana to make a proposition so that the debt may be repaid and my daughter allowed to go on with her life. Are you willing to hear what we have to offer?"

Jack could see his crewmen (and woman) stiffen, but he nodded. After all, there was no harm in at least seeing what their offer was, and he could always refuse it or plot around it somehow. Nerissa drew a large circle the group in the sand. Then she, along with her aunts, all moved so that a large chest that they had hidden behind them became visible. Catalina then lifted the lid and handed several objects out to her sisters, all of whom turned to face Jack and his crew. It was Catalina who spoke once more.

"Each of my family members holds something that could be of great value to you," she said, her black eyes drilling into his. "Neva holds a scroll that will give you a few tactical advantage over the Sirens, for they are our own and will allow you to slip away from us unharmed." The first woman bowed and showed him the roll of paper.

"Sahara holds a representation of the weapons we would give you, things such as the finest swords, pistols, and cannons, as well as a new outfitting for your ship." The second sister bowed and showed him a small knife that looked both lovely and deadly.

"Riana holds a listing of merchant families and their most valuable ships that the Sirens would allow you to plunder at will." The last sister bowed and showed him a sheaf of paper.

Catalina turned towards Jack and his three crewmembers. "Finally, if these are of no value to you…"

She turned and nodded towards her daughter, who walked towards the chest and motioned Jack over to see what was inside. Taking a peek, Jack saw that there was a large pile of gold, gemstones, and jewelry covering the bottom of the chest. Looking up into her eyes, Jack saw Nerissa give him a small sad smile before motioning him to step back.

"You must realize, Captain Sparrow, that by agreeing to meet here with us, you are required to choose one of these things within the large circle," Catalina said, crossing her arms over her chest to effectively stubbornly prevent any and all protests the Pearl's crew and captain had.

Jack sighed and nodded. "Very well," he said, straightening up. "I'll choose what I want right now."

He walked up to the treasure chest and slammed it shut with his foot. He then shoved it out of the way with the heel of his boot and grabbed Nerissa around the waist, pulling her flush against him. She gave him a puzzled and shocked look right before his lips descended on hers, enveloping her in the most loving kiss that he had ever given a woman. When their air had run dry, Jack pulled back and turned to face the other Sirens and his crew.

"I choose to keep her on my ship," he said, holding Nerissa against his side.

A Month Later, Author's POV:

As the Black Pearl drifted in the vastness of the Caribbean, Nerissa leaned on the port side of the ship and stared at the sea. She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look that everyone still wore on their faces. They likely wore it because, after Jack had chosen to keep Nerissa, Catalina and her sisters had hauled them all up to town, where it was announced that Jack would wed Nerissa at once. Within the hour, all of the women on the island were involved in making this wedding one to remember.

Five days later, Nerissa had walked down a red-carpeted aisle, dressed in a white silk gown with white pearls and crystals sewn onto the bodice, and a white veil. Jack had donned an entirely black ensemble that made him look as dashing as ever. Catalina herself had conducted the ceremony on the beach, with the entire Siren town, as well as Jack's crew, as witnesses. When the bride and groom had kissed, fireworks had gone off, both over their heads and inside their hearts.

'And now here we are, off to see the world as pirates do,' she thought, smiling as she felt Jack's strong arms wrap around her waist. He had been amazingly attentive since the wedding.

"The cold night air can't be good for ye, luv," he whispered as he fingered the pearl-and-diamond wedding ring on her finger, his own gold band sparkling as he did so. "Care to come to bed?"

"That sounds like a lovely idea, Captain," she said, giving him a quick kiss. As she turned to leave, Nerissa glanced over her shoulder and watched as a star streaked across the sky. She quickly made a wish before following him down below.

As she happily joined Jack under the covers of the bed and snuggled against his shoulder, Nerissa thought about the wish she had made. She could almost hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet as a little Siren or Sparrow ran across the deck, calling out for their mum and dad to play with them…

Be careful what you wish for…

AN: I'm tempted to write a sequel for this fic in the future, but I'm not sure anyone will read it. However, the Phantom calls, and I must answer. Maybe sometime after that…anyway, please review and let me know how you liked the ending! Love and lots of Jack Sparrow dreams to you all!