Chapter Thirteen: The Line Begins to Blur

Jack did not say a word to his crew as they made their way back to the Pearl; his mind was to busy processing the idea of holding this precious stone in his hands. He inattentively fingered the small box at his waist; the compass which would lead him.

Will she help…Jack wondered thinking to Aurora and how much had been explained tonight. Knowing what she was did not ease his curiosity in the least bit as the woman was still a complete mystery to him. He craved to no more about the life she so carefully guarded from him and everyone else for that matter. Jack could make the faint glow of his ship out as they rowed slowly towards it. He crawled up the ladder and took his place at the helm as the anchor was pulled up; assuming that Aurora was still asleep in his cabin. Annoying chattering caught Jack's ears and his head shot up into the sails.

"Who let that damned monkey out?" Jack yelled pulling his pistol from his belt and taking a shot at the undead creature as it jumped from sail to sail. A young man, one of the newer crew members stepped from the shadows with an apologetic look.

"Sorry captain, I found him below deck," The young man said clearly intimidated by his captains yelling "I've been trying to catch him for an hour now." The other pirate stared at him for a moment before turning to reload his gun and take another shot at the monkey.

"Jack that won't help," One of the other crew members called from out in the darkness. He made a face and put his firearm back into his belt. Finally the vessel began to move in the direction intended; towards Port Isabelle. The rest of the crew went below deck leaving him alone at the wheel.

"How long till we reach port?" A calm feminine voice called from behind him causing him to jump. He turned around to see Aurora sitting calmly behind him with the monkey resting on her shoulder. She seems to be ill as her hair laid strung across her face cloaking her eyes that glowed in the darkness. Her hand reached to the monkey on her shoulder and petted it before receding and allowing it to scamper away. The captain cocked his head to one side and grabbed a lantern from a nearby hook bringing it to look at her closely. Aurora's pale skin held a thin blanket of moisture and her eyes seemed tired as she pulled away from the light with a slight hiss.

"Love, are you ok?" Jack asked with clear concern taking a step toward her and reaching out to touch her skin; which burned. She receded further from him.

"How long?" She growled with an aggression he had never witnessed in her voice.

"If we get a good wind," He answered carefully taking a step back staring at her in the shadows "Two days." He turned back to the helm briefly then turned back around to see Aurora no where in sight. He turned back around and glanced up into the masts to making out the vague female form that sat upon one of the beams looking out.

That was strange…Jack stayed at the helm all night before handing it over to Gibbs before going to his cabin. When he entered he found Aurora sitting against the headboard; she appeared to be perfectly healthy now.

"So you met Jack," He said sitting down in one of his chairs; she gave him a look of confusion "The monkey darling." Aurora nodded giving him a weak smile. She rose from the bed and sauntered towards him taking a seat next to him. The neckline of her shirt dips exposing a small bit of cleavage to the pirate.

"So tell me captain," Her voice comes but doesn't register as her own "What is it that you want?" Jack stared at her for a moment trying to figure out what she meant.

"You know what I am clearly most would have been a unnerved by my behavior last night yet you were unfazed by it," She clarified moving closer to him "so what is it you want." He swallowed as he gazed into the deep pools of blue before him which now seemed clouded. Suddenly her soft, deep red lips pushed onto his in a light kiss before she pulled away. Aurora smirked and stood up walking toward the door. Before her hand could reach the handle she found herself being turned around and roughly thrown against the wall, tearing a low grunt from her throat. Jack's lips crashed down on hers in a rough kiss causing her to gasp; taking this opportunity he thrust his tongue between her lips and began to explore her mouth with new found intensity. Aurora's fingers clawed at his chest softly as one of his hands entangled its self in her messy locks of red and the other gripped her hip tightly. Knocking at the door caused Jack to break the fiery kiss as he stared into her eyes; he could have sworn he caught a flicker of red recede into her dilated pupils as he pulled away.

"Better get that," She said lowly turning her head to one side. Annoyed he went to the door and flung it open.

"Yes?" Jack tried to suppress the frustration in his voice but could not prevent it completely. The crew member before him gave the captain an odd glance.

"We seem to have gotten a very good wind and will reach the port by tomorrow morning" The man informed Jack, who nodded and closed the door quickly.

Thank you Veata… Aurora thought at hearing the other man. Pivoting he looked to Aurora who now sat with a book at his table. The pirate grinned at her and his gold teeth glinted in the morning light.

"Forget it," She warned with a smirk not even looking up from her book. Jack narrowed his glance at her and scrunched his nose.

"You're no fun," He told her walking over and lying down in bed. She lowered her book and glanced at him for a moment before returning to the pages. His eyes stayed on her until finally succumbing to sleep.

I think this just stopped being a game…Aurora though as she watched him sleep.

The coals therefore are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.