Disclaimer: The characters of PotC are not mine in any way, shape, or form. They belong to Disney and Gore Verbinski.

Ch. 5:

Bananas. Loads of them – banana forests filled with banana trees, fried bananas with chocolate sauce…mmm! Hannah could just taste the mouth-watering dessert that she was sharing with Jack on a banana covered-throne. They were the rulers of Bananaland…and all was right with the world. In their dominion, rum flowed from the rivers, and they drank it every night before dancing around a fire, singing silly pirate songs. Such were the rituals of Bananaland. The Black Peal sailed on Rum River, and Jack was the most feared pirate in all of Bananaland. Jack had his arm around Hannah and he moved closer…closer until their lips grazed each other and then…

"Wake up, luv! You've been sleepin' for over half the day!" Jack's voice was unmistakable, thought Hannah wryly as she stretched and struggled to sit up on the beach.

"Ow!" she howled, holding her temples and wincing.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, grinning, even though he knew the answer.

"You know very well what's wrong, Jack Sparrow!" she screeched as he sat down next to her on the soft, sparkling white sand. "I've got a bloody hangover from last night because someone didn't stop me from consuming too much rum." Fuming, she put her hand on her hips and glared at him.

"Sorry about that, luv," he said cheerfully, not sounding a bit sorry in the least. "But you certainly had fun at the time." Hannah frowned, trying to recall what had happened the previous night.

"Actually I don't really remember what happened," she confessed sheepishly. "All I remember is this really bizarre dream about Bananaland where you and I were the king and queen."

"Hmm, that's interesting," Jack mused. "I want to hear all about it!" He got comfortable as she elaborated on her strange dream.

"…But seriously, Jack, what did we do last night?" He raised her eyebrows suggestively at her and her eyes widened.

"We didn't!" she yelped. Jack laughed at her horrified expression.

"No…I was a gentleman. I don't take advantage of women while they're inebriated," he said seriously. "But we did kiss…a lot." He grinned mischievously at the young girl, who blushed on the spot.

"Did I like it?" she asked. Then she smacked her hand on her forehead. "Stupid question- of course I liked it…what I meant was, did you?"

"I did," he confirmed to her satisfaction, still smirking. When she continued to redden, Jack backed off from teasing. "I promise I don't think any less of you," he said seriously, and Hannah breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what's for breakfast?" she asked, changing the subject.

"There's only one option for my banana Queen – roasted bananas, of course," he said with a straight face, and Hannah burst out laughing. Jack handed her a plate of bananas and she dug right in.

"Jack, what do you do when you get a hangover?" she questioned him between bites.

"Well, firstly, I don't anymore," he informed her. "But when I used to, back when I was a lad before I drank more than a couple bottles a day, I'd make this concoction. It was the perfect cure – shame the ingredients are on me ship," he lamented, "or else I'd whip you up some."

She shrugged and kept on eating, but Jack could tell that her head was still bothering her. Now he wished that he'd stopped her from drinking too much for he hated to see her in pain. But if I'd stopped her, she never would've blurted out her true feelings for me, he thought. She seems to be a very guarded person concerning matters of the heart, he reflected. It's a shame she doesn't remember last night… Jack was so lost in his thoughts about Hannah that he didn't notice the white sails on the horizon that were steadily creeping closer by the minute.

"Jack! Hello, anybody home!" Hannah waved her hand in front of the pirate's face to get his attention. Finally, he was able to focus.

"Huh? Wha?" he asked. Hannah sighed, rolling her eyes. He sure likes to space out, she observed. It's kind of cute.

"There's a ship coming towards us," she told him smiling.

"We're saved!" he crowed. He lifted her up into a standing position and they danced around happily in circles. "I'm gonna get me Pearl back!" he shouted with glee. Hannah frowned.

"Is that all you care about – finding your ship?"

"No…of course not," he stammered seeing the masked hurt look on her face. "You could come with me, ya know. I think you'd make a brilliant pirate…me offer still stands," he reminded her, but Hannah only shrugged.

"We'll see," she muttered. "I just don't know if that's my true calling…I never really had the freedom to choose for myself before," she explained.

"Ah," said Jack. "You must find something that you truly enjoy doing…that's the only way you'll ever be happy," he said wisely. "And sailing on the open seas is true happiness for me." She nodded thoughtfully, her head still throbbing. Hannah and Jack sat in silence as they watched the ship approach their island. Off in the distance, their rescuers disembarked in the shallows and made their way towards them. Soon the figures were close enough that Hannah could make out their features. No, it couldn't be…she thought in amazement. Could it?

"Hannah!" The young woman called out. "Is that you?" As soon as they reached each other, Hannah greeted her old friend with a smile.

"Wow…you look different, but in a good way," she assured her friend. "It seems that being Mrs. Turner suits you quite well." Hannah winked and her friend blushed. Will appeared behind her and gave Hannah a hug.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Miller," Will said, smiling. "But how on earth did you end up stranded on this island? I thought you were sailing to London with the Commodore?" Hannah opened her mouth to answer but Jack, who'd ambled over to greet the visitors was faster.

"Well she was, but we were caught in a storm, the ship went down to Davy Jones' Locker, and we're the only survivors," Jack explained.

"Jack?" Will asked surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Will! How've you been, mate?" They embraced like brothers, and Hannah could only shrug as Will struck up a conversation with the pirate.

"How does Will know Jack?" Hannah asked her friend.

"Jack was good friends with his father, I believe," she answered. "And it's a good thing too…" Hannah listened, enraptured while her friend explained how she and her husband ended up on the rum runner's ship. Behind her, the rum runners were loading up their stash onto the ship for the departing journey.

"…And when our honeymoon ship was attacked by pirates, Will saved our lives by turning pirate. He explained that he was the son of Bootstrap Bill Turner who'd also been a pirate, but they'd never heard of him. Then he had the sense to mention Jack's name, and that they were friends. It was only then that the pirates allowed us safe passage on their ship, although Will has to serve with the crew for six months," she explained.

"Wow, what an adventure," said Hannah softly. "So has Will been treating you extra well now that you're married? He'd better be…" she warned, and her friend chuckled.

"He's amazing…he's everything I could've hoped for in a husband, and more. Not that he doesn't have his moments," she added, rolling her eyes. "But he always means well." Hannah and her friend caught up, and she heard all about the wedding that she hadn't gotten to attend since they'd eloped.

"But enough about me," said Mrs. Turner. "I want to hear about you, and how you survived the shipwreck. If I remember correctly, you're an awful swimmer!" Hannah nodded.

"Your memory is correct…I am awful," she admitted. "The only reason I survived was because Jack rescued me and swam us to the island."

"Jack saved you…that's so sweet!" her friend gushed. "So what do you think of him?" Hannah stammered and hemmed and hawed enough that her friend got the picture.

"You've got it bad," she commented, as Hannah was turned around, gazing dreamily as Jack conversed with Will. "How long have you liked him for?"

"I dunno," Hannah whispered. "At first we were just friends; he was a nice person to talk to on a ship full of dull officers and redcoats. But now…I couldn't imagine being without him," she admitted. "But I doubt he feels the same way," she added glumly.

The girls had to cut their conversation short as the rum runners announced they were ready to depart. Jack helped Hannah on board, and Will and his wife came on after them. Will wanted to show Jack around the ship, which gave the friends the perfect opportunity to continue their conversation in the privacy of the Turner's cabin.

"Has he said anything to you that gives any indication that he might return your feelings?" asked Mrs. Turner.

"Well, not exactly…" Hannah began. "But he did invite me to live with him on his ship, whenever he finds it." Her friend grinned and squealed with excitement.

"See! He does like you!" Hannah shook her head.

"No…he just wants me to be a part of his crew. He said something about how he thought I'd be a fine pirate…" Her friend shook her head.

"Hannah, you have to read between the lines! He's not going to come right out and say that he loves you…that's just not what guys do," she pointed out. "Has he been paying a lot of attention to you?" She considered that for a moment.

"Yes, but only because I was the only other person on the island," she snorted. "If we were anywhere else, I doubt he'd give me a second look."

"Don't say that," scolded Mrs. Turner. "Look, the only way you'll ever find out what his feelings are in regards to you is if you ask him."

"I can't do that!" she moaned. "Besides, even if he did feel the same way, how am I supposed to know if he'd leave me for some wench in the next port town? He is a pirate after all," she reminded her.

"And a good man," said Mrs. Turner. "Well, at least according to Will. Perhaps Jack will change his scoundrel ways since he met you." Hannah sighed in misery.

"But I couldn't stand it if he left me…I'm afraid of getting hurt," she admitted. "I love him that much…I don't see myself with anyone else."

"Then tell him just what you told me," her friend advised firmly. "If you don't take the chance at a happy life with him, you'll never know what could've happened. You've got to try," she said softly.

"You're right," Hannah grumbled. "As usual. I guess I'll tell him before the voyage is over. Thanks for listening to me."

"What are friends for?" They hugged and Hannah returned to the top deck.

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The voyage had almost ended and Hannah still hadn't told Jack how she felt about him. Just get it over with, she castigated herself. You'll feel better when you do.

"Jack, I need to tell you something…I can't live with out you," Hannah practiced in front of her mirror. "No that sounds stupid," she sighed.

"Jack, I hope that this doesn't come as too much of a shock, but I love you."

"I know," said a male voice, entering the cabin. Hannah jumped when she saw the figure of Jack Sparrow in her mirror.

"Jack! I didn't know you were here," she stammered helplessly, knowing that he'd heard every word.

"That's alright, luv. I already knew," he explained, taking her shaking hands in his.

"I was that obvious, huh?" she said, hanging her head in shame.

"Well, you did tell me you loved me that night we got drunk on the island," he admitted.

"Really? And what did you say?" she asked in a small voice.

"I said that I thought that I could learn to love you," he said carefully. "But at the time, I was, of course, drunk. Now I know differently." Her heart sank.

"Now I know that I love you." Her head snapped up in surprise.

"What?" Jack pulled her close and she sighed, still in blissful shock.

"It's true; I love you Hannah Miller. With all that I am, I'm yours. I'd be very honored if you'd accompany me to the Black Pearl. Will you do me this honor?" His dark eyes pleaded with hers until she relented.

"How could I say no to that face?" she teased, and Jack let out a whoop. "Just as long as you see this relationship going somewhere. I'm not going to be like some whore, discarded at your convenience, right?"

"Definitely not," he agreed, kissing her brow. "You're my love. That means you stay with me forever."

"I can't believe this is happening to me," she whispered, as he planted kissed along her cheeks, her eyelids, and her nose…everywhere but her lips.

"Believe it," he whispered back before finally capturing her lips with his.

Awhile later, there was a knock on Jack's cabin door.

"Who is it?" he called, while rushing to pull his shirt back on. Hannah answered the door, her hair a bit askew.

"Oh, shall I come back later?" Will asked, embarrassed.

"No, now is fine," said Jack. "Say hello to the love of my life."

Soon everyone on the ship knew that Hannah and Jack were promised to each other. The ship docked a few hours later and after they bade the Turners adieu, the happy couple was free to hunt for Jack's ship, which would be their home that they'd share together, as pirates on the open seas.

THE END