Disclaimer: POTC is our preciousss… yess, our preciousss… SCURVY! SCURVY!

I promise I will never ever EVER let you be hurt like that ever again. I'd do anything, absolutely anything for you, Squirrel, even if it meant hurting me.

You mean that?

Of course I do… And I always will…

And you know I'd do the same for you, Jack.

There's no need to be so reckless, luv. Besides… What kind of trouble could Captain Jack Sparrow get into?

Squirrel laughed. "Quite a lot, from what I've seen."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "And just what, young missy, is that supposed to mean?"

Squirrel laughed again, then grinned. "Nothing. Just forget I said anything, Captain."

Jack put his arm around her. "Just as long as you don't do anything stupid. You're too…"

"…honest for your own good." Jack murmured, more asleep than awake. "It's not good for you… Just like Will, you'll probably go and do something…"

Jack eyes suddenly snapped open. The pirate was fully awake now.

"…Stupid!"

Jack rose quickly to his knees, casting his eyes about in the darkness. "Squirrel?"

He relaxed instantly. The pillow beside him was dented, as though someone's head had been resting there. Jack sighed, relived. Just as well, he though to himself as he climbed out of bed, I wouldn't be able to take it had she stayed aboard Ella's ship. He grinned. Sometimes, Miss Grey's a little too overconfident in herself. As Jack rose to his feet, he smiled to himself. Whether that's worse than her underestimating herself remains to be seen.

Jack checked his bandages. He looked, according to some of the crew, like a partial mummy (the kind that came from Egypt), what with the bandages wrapped around him from armpits to waist. At least they're secure, Jack thought wryly, as he gingerly put on his shirt, then crossed to the main room of the Captain's quarters.

Jack allowed himself a grin. Lots of old memories in this place. Jack picked an apple out of the bowl on the black-wood table. Even with Barbossa was gone, it didn't seem right to get rid of the apples. Besides, they made for a healthy late-night snack. Jack bit noisily into one, then went up onto the deck.

The night was calm, and still. The Pearl was moored for the night, and Jack seemed to be the only one awake. Aside from Squirrel, Jack grinned, and she'll be back in a few moments.

Jack took a deep breath of the salty night air. Freedom never seemed so perfect. True, when he got the Pearl back… that was an indescribable moment, an indescribable feeling. But it seemed to Captain Jack Sparrow that now was the time that he felt … how to describe it? The most free he'd ever been? The most accomplished he'd ever felt?

Jack settled for a single word: content. Nothing could be better than this, he grinned, taking another bite out of the apple.

"Evenin' Cap'n." Gibbs appeared. "How ye feelin'?"

Jack grinned at his old friend. "Over the moon, mate."

"I meant your back, Cap'n." Gibbs said, but still grinned.

Jack rolled his shoulders experimentally. "They're healing fine. Soon I'll be out of my Egyptian costume and back on the High Seas in proper Captain Jack Sparrow attire."

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "Glad t' hear it, Cap'n."

It was a firm fact in Jack's mind that Squirrel was either eating again, or on the toilet. Other possibilities just hadn't surfaced.

Jack turned to face Gibbs. "Something wrong, Gibbs?"

Gibbs blinked innocently.

"It's just that you've been callin' me 'Cap'n' this whole time." Jack narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion. "You hidin' something from me, Gibbs?"

Gibbs felt himself get hot under the collar. He cast his eyes about, and saw Ana wandering up on deck. Gibbs took the opportunity call her over.

"Yer cures are workin' fine, Anamaria." Gibbs said, a wide smile plastered on his face. "Cap'n… eh, Jack says that he's feelin' much better."

"Oh, really?" Ana smiled just as wide as Gibbs, and turned to face Jack, then frowned suspiciously. "Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

Jack took another bite from the apple, watching his two crewmembers with dark eyes. Both Ana and Gibbs tried not to squirm.

"How's Squirrel?" Gibbs asked, in an effort to start up a conversation.

Jack continued to stare silently Gibbs. "I wouldn't know. I haven't seen her."

Ana blinked. "Really? Well, I did. She was going into your quarters, like she always does." Ana allowed herself a sly smile. "What, with you being married and all, I kinda figured that's where she'd be."

Jack's eyes focused on Ana, who found her smile beginning to fade. Finally, Jack looked out over the sea, and took another bite of his apple. Ana and Gibbs relaxed… slightly.

"She must be in the kitchens, then." Jack nodded to himself. He grinned. "And here I was getting worried."

"You've been unconscious a lot, Cap'n." Gibbs affirmed, relaxing a little more. "But she's here, no doubt about that. Even helped Ana here with your bandages."

Ana winced slightly. You idiot!

Jack turned around, slowly, deliberately. "Really? Well… I was wide awake for all of that. Why didn't I see her?"

Gibbs's mouth seemed stuck between a half-open and half-shut position. Ana's pained expression wasn't smoothed out in time.

"Where the hell is she?" Jack said. A moment later, it struck him. "You let her stay on Ella's ship?"

The look on Jack's face was beyond fury. Ana and Gibbs wisely decided to run below deck and wake the crew. And they ran like the Hounds of Hell were on their tails.

A/N: Ke ke ke. Busted. (Review or die. Or both, whatever. I mean come on, if you're reading this, don't you have an opinion to share?)