The loud bangs and shaking of the ships told Ruby that Jack had won and blown up Clinton's ship. She now sat in Jack's cabin in his desk chair, she had a bottle of rum in one hand and she lounged in the chair staring at the knife on desk. She wasn't shocked or scared by her actions, she had been forced to kill before. In India some men had suspected her of being the jewel and a few of her father's crew members had come after her when her father had died. She took a drink from the bottle of rum and sighed, she was still covered in Blackheart's blood.

After a while the door of the cabin opened and Jack walked in silently and looked at his wife. Both of them where tired but Jack was still intrigued by his wife's actions. He undid his belt and dropped them on the floor letting his sword and effects clang against the wood. Jack sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots off one by one then removed his jacket. All the while Ruby had ignored him and settled her gae on the rum that now was resting in her lap. Her skirts were spread out covering the chair with one of her legs flung over the chair handle and her back resting on the other one.

"Ya alright love?"asked Jack softly standing up and walking over to the chair,"ya had quite a day." Ruby took another drink from her rum then slowly looked up at him.

"I am fine." Jack was amazed, even through the sweat and blood she was still beautiful to him.

"I'm gonna get a bath brought up fer ya,"said Jack before he walked to the cabin door and ignored the fact that he didn't have his boots on.

Moments later Jack walked back into the cabin followed by a deck hand who carried an oversized metal wash basin and three other deck hands followed with large buckets of water. After seeing Ruby kill Blackheart the crew's cook assumed she would need a bath to wash the man's blood from her and he immediately started boiling water for her.

Jack instructed the men to set the tub down in the middle of the room and fill it with water, once they were done they left leaving Jack and Ruby alone again.

"Got ya a bath love,"said Jack. He watched as Ruby set the no empty bottle of rum down on the desk then stand up. Silently she looked over Jack then to the bath tub, without a second thought she stripped off her clothes not bothering to hide her nudity from Jack. Once she was nude she slowly stepped into the warm water and let it encase her. A warm tingle sensation went through her body as she warmed up. Covering her eyes she dunked her head under the water between her knees. She softly rubbed her hand over the blood caked on her face trying to wash it away. When she raised her face for air she felt Jack next to the tub, she looked over at him as he held a rag in his hand for her.

"Ya alright love?"asked Jack as she took the rag from him. Ruby looked over at him and smiled slightly as she nodded.

"Thank you,"said Ruby quietly.

"I'm sorry ya had ta be in a mess like that love,"said Jack,"and I'm sorry I wasn't there ta protect ya."

"I did not need you all that much,"said Ruby showing him the rag that was now covered in Blackheart's blood . Jack smiled and took the rag from Ruby.

"Appears ya didn't,"said Jack as he pushed back Ruby's hair and gentily started to washed the blood away. He was surprised she wasn't protesting or pushing him away but he assumed like himself she was tired and just wanted to relax. Eventually Jack got all the blood from her face but her hair was still matted with it.

"Love canna I ask ya a question?" asked Jack.

"Of course,"said Ruby touching her hair and finding out just how blood there was,"stupid sonofbitch." Jack snickered as his wife cursed the dead man in disgust.

"'ave ya killed b'fore?"asked Jack quietly. Ruby inhaled deeply and looked over at him unsure of how to answer the question. She was silent for a moment before she spoke.

"Yes I have,"said Ruby nodding her head," not quite as savagely, but I have when my life was put in to danger."

"Yer father teach ya?"

"Of course,"said Ruby.

"I'm still sorry I wasn't there fer ya,"said Jack.

"Well he did have you in a small corner Jack,"said Ruby,"had you have done anything I would not be here for you to give your apology to."

"True love, but I'm ye husband, I'm not ta be lettin' things like that happen,"said Jack.

"Well we do not have a conventional marriage Jack, I do not expect you to be a conventional husband,"said Ruby before she took a deep breathe and stuck her head under the water and tried to work the blood out of her hair. Jack watched as she ran her hand through her hair trying to work out the crusted red liquid.

Ruby sat up taking in a deep breathe as she pushed her hair away from her face, she looked over at Jack who was visibly upset with himself.

"Jack you did what you could,"said Ruby as she leaned on the side of the tub and faced him,"if you had done anything there is no doubt he would have killed me and instead of his dead body laying on the deck, it would have been mine."

"Still love, it's the fact I let ya get inta the situation,"sighed Jack handing Ruby the wash cloth.

"Jack we are on a ship, there was little you could do from his men getting to me. There is not many places for me here,"said Ruby as she got the wash cloth wet and rung it out. She leaned over the edge of the tub and without warning scrubbed a bit of Jack's cheek with the cloth. Jack sneered and shrunk away from the cloth.

"What the bloody hell are ya doin' woman?"cried Jack backing up from the tub out of arm's distance of her. Ruby laughed as she looked at Jack's cheek then the cloth.

"Christsake's Jack it is just a bit of cleaning,"laughed Ruby," I haven't see you bathe since I stepped aboard this ship. And look at this cloth, you Sparrow are filthy."

"Haven't I told ya love 'bout sayin' me or me ship stink?"barked Jack defensively. Ruby laughed again as she looked up at him.

"I did not say you stink, I said you were filthy. Come on Sparrow I know you are older than me but please keep up with the conversation or I shall have you sitting on the deck knitting rather than giving orders,"said Ruby smiling cheekily. She dipped the cloth in the water once more before she lifted it up and threw it across the cabin at Jack hitting him in the chest. Ruby laughed at Jack as he stared down at where the cloth had him and the floor where it now sat in horror.

"It is just water Sparrow, you know the stuff in the sea,"said Ruby.

"I know,"growled Jack walking over towards the tub,"and I ain't ta old." Jack walked to the edge of the tub and looked down at his wife who was holding back laughter.

"Sure Jack," smiled Ruby.

"Well ta look at ya love, you'd be the filthy one,"said Jack raising his eyebrows before he turned and walked away from the tub over to his desk. Jack sat down and relaxed his chair, from look at his hands he knew he could use a wash, the blood of dead men crusted over his hands. Sighing he knew that right now his crew was throwing Blackheart's body to the ocean along with his crew. Watch was going to have to be stepped up on the ship to make sure something like this did not happen again well Ruby was aboard.

"Jack,"said Ruby in a soft voice, she did not like the way Jack was looking. His cocky smirk and usual confidence was gone, he looked worried and troubled. Jack looked over at her.

"You did not fail as a husband today,"said Ruby in a comforting tone, "you did what you could, but Blackheart had you in a corner, there was nothing you could do, if you had we both know it would have been my body laying out on that deck rather than his." Jack closed his eyes and grimaced, he knew Ruby was right but he didn't want to have to admit that his helplessness was the truth.

"I know love, I know," said Jack gruffly. Ruby nodded and sat back, she knew Jack would still blame himself for Blackheart.

Slowly Ruby washed the rest of the blood out of her hair then stepped out of the tub. She reached for the large sheet that had been brought in with the tub for her. After wringing her hair out over the tub she wrapped the sheet around her, clutching it at the side of her chest. Ruby was surprised that Jack had not taken even the slightest peak at her as she got out of the tub, he was so fixated in his own toughts.

Inhaling deeply she walked over to the desk and stood next to Jack's chair. He looked up at her as she put a hand on his shoulder, Ruby could see the turmoil in his eyes. She then slid around his legs and down into his lap. Jack was taken back a bit by his wife's actions but he rested his hands on hers knees that sat across his legs. He looked over at Ruby who was looking back at him, she also looked a bit taken back by what she had done. Taking some advantage of the situation Jack leaned over and press his lips to Ruby's and once again to his surprise Ruby responded to him. It was a relatively chaste kiss, Jack's hand stayed on her knees with the other one on the side of her waist holding her to him.

When the kiss ended Ruby pulled back slightly and blinked as she stared at Jack.

"I have always felt safe with you Sparrow,"said Ruby softly before she rested her head on his chest.

Thanx to everyone who's read and reviewed, even if you haven't reviewed still thanx for reading I appreciate it 110...and just to let you all know don't get too comfortable with Jack and Ruby playing happy…Jack wouldn't be a true pirate without drama now would he ? thanx-justine