Disclaimer: See previous chapters. I can't bear to write it again.

Author's Note: You guys I am so sorry that this update is so late. I offer no excuses, just an apology and an assurance that I have not forgotten about this story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter even though it is so late! Shoutouts, once again, are at the end of the chapter!

The knocking came again, louder this time, and Jack swore again, under his breath. Pulling his hands from underneath her shirt, he rose, stalking across the room. For a moment all Elizabeth could do was marvel at his beauty. His hair was more mussed than usual, care of Elizabeth running her fingers through it and without his shirt she could clearly see the play of muscles in his back, shifting as he moved. Then she noticed something that almost made her whimper aloud. Just above his breeches there were two indentations on either side of his spine. Dimples. Jack Sparrow, Captain of The Black Pearl, pirate and scoundrel had dimples! Elizabeth didn't know whether she found that completely adorable or completely sexy but either way it was very distracting.

In fact, she was so distracted by this new discovery that it took her a minute to realize that he was picking up his sword.

'Not good!' she unconsciously echoed his words to her on their island.

"Jack," Elizabeth whispered urgently, aware that the now had an audience on the other side of the door, "what do you think you're doing?"

He spared her a glance before jerking his sword from it's sheath and striding toward the door, "'M gonna bloody well kill whoever's at the door an' then we are gonna finish this."

"Jack!" she hissed, wide-eyed, shrugging off the lethargy that weighed her limbs and climbing to her feet.

"What?" he stopped mid-step and looked at her.

She glared at him, telling him without words that his plan was not a good one.

Jack glared back for a moment. She intensified her glare, refusing to back down and, after a short battle of wills he sighed in frustration, rolling his eyes, "Oh bloody, buggering hell. Fine."

"Captain?" the voice came through the door again. It sounded like Gibbs.

"What is it?" he said sharply, without opening the door.

Elizabeth appreciated the gesture. Maybe it was a bit rude to poor Gibbs but it would be obvious to anyone who saw them what had just happened between herself and the Captain. Not only were bits of their cloths scattered on the bed but Elizabeth was completely flushed and she could feel how swollen her lips were from their fervent kisses. A tiny shudder went through her body at the memory but Elizabeth pushed it away.

'This is not a good time, Lizzie.'

She found that she'd grown very fond of Jack's contraction of her name. It sounded simple and familiar. 'Lizzie' was the complete opposite from the coldness of 'Miss Swann' or even the implied snobbishness of 'Elizabeth'. That was one thing about Jack she loved. He truly saw her. Not as a governor's daughter or some untouchable ideal she could never reach. He accepted her for exactly what she was, fault and all, instead of an idea she represented.

That was Jack, though. He had an unfailing talent for seeing people for what they really were, even if they, themselves, didn't know it. She was snapped out of her musings when Gibbs spoke up again.

"Uhh...well Sir we're uh comin' up on The Lady Rose," he sounded a bit confused, probably from having to speak through the door, "She's uh the ship we commandeered ta get here. Anyway some 'a the crew is goin' aboard her ta sail 'er back ta civilization an' I jus' wondered if ya had any orders as ta where we should be headin'?"

During their conversation, Elizabeth was abruptly forced back into reality. She was standing, partly undressed and looked thoroughly debauched in the Captain's cabin, with her fiancé standing outside on the deck.

"Tell them we'll meet at Tia Dalma's. I hear I owe her a bit of thanks."

"Aye, Captain."

Feeling awkward and ashamed, she relaced her shirt and put her vest back on, though her fingers were still trembling from their encounter and it took her several tries to slip the buttons through the holes. Once dressed, she ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to smooth it back out to a presentable state.

"And Gibbs?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Get Barbossa off my ship. Give the crew orders ta shoot 'im if he tries anything."

"Aye, Sir. I will at that."

Now that the distraction was gone, Jack looked back at Elizabeth, quickly noticing that she was completely dressed again. His smile faded as he realized what this meant. They would not be continuing where they'd left off. She avoided his eyes, embarrassed and more than a little guilty.

'I can't believe that just happened. Oh god did I really undress him just a moment ago? And I nearly let him do the same to me. Oh Elizabeth you stupid, stupid girl. You are engaged! What did you think you were doing?'

"Lizzie?" Jack started, directly in front of her again.

Elizabeth was unsure were to look. He was still without his shirt so staring at his chest was out of the question. Too distracting. His lips were also off limits. She was afraid to look in his eyes. They had far too much power over her. She settled for staring at his nose.

"Yes Jack?" she answered, all politeness, trying desperately not to look as terrified and awkward as she felt.

Jack, unsurprisingly, didn't buy it for a second, "What's wrong, luv?"

The ridiculousness of that question snapped her out of it and she finally looked back into his eyes.

"You can't seriously be asking me that question," she snapped, clinging to her annoyance, but still careful to keep her voice low enough so as not to be heard by anyone outside, "I'm engaged Jack! To be married! To a man that I do love! A man, I might remind you, who is standing right outside!"

"Didn't seem to bother you a second ago," Jack replied casually.

Elizabeth opened her mouth and then promptly closed it when she realized she had absolutely no reply for that. He was right. From the second Jack's lips had touched hers she hadn't thought once of Will. What kind of woman was she that she could so easily forget the man who loved her?

She flopped back onto the bed cradling her face in hands, "What am I doing?" she moaned through her fingers.

Jack sat down next to her, "'S not all bad, luv," he offered with a strange note in his voice, "Your dear William doesn't have to know how about our little 'bout of friendliness. You just run along back to young Turner and we can forget this ever happened."

She looked at him in shock, "Forget this ever happened? Jack what kind of woman do you think I am?"

He shrugged, "Not suggestin' anything, Lizzie. 'M Just sayin'... This little slip up'll be our little secret. We'll chalk it up to too much rum an' mum's the word forever."

"No I mean..." she blushed, unsure how to explain what she meant, "What we just did... I've never... Will and I never did anything like that. And I'm engaged to him. Do you really think that I would just fall into bed, literally in this case, with just any man."

Jack shook his head, "'Course not, 'Lizabeth. But it didn't mean anythin' either, did it, luv? You said it yerself, you love Will."

"Yes I do love Will. Very much."

There was no point in denying that statement. She did love Will. She'd loved him since the day they'd pulled him from the ocean.

"Well, no worries then-" Jack moved to stand up and Elizabeth caught his arm.

He still didn't understand what she was saying. She cursed her proper upbringing for being unable to just say what she felt.

"Jack...I've never felt anything like that before in my life."

Jack looked at her eyes for a split-second before staring out in front of him again, "'S likely 'cause you've never done anythin' like that before."

"No," she said firmly, unwilling to let him believe it was her inexperience that made her feel this way.

"It's not just because I've never...done that before," Elizabeth took a deep breath, forcing down her awkwardness, "When we were... when you were..." she sighed, unable to force the words out and decided to just skip it, "I never thought of Will. Not once."

His eyes darted back to hers for a moment and she thought she saw a flicker of realization. He was starting to understand what she was so clumsily attempting to tell him. She pressed on.

"I do love Will but I wouldn't have been able to...do what we just did if I was truly in love with him. Or if I didn't...," she paused and closed her eyes, steeling herself for what she was about to admit, "If I didn't have feelings for you. Strong feelings."

There. She'd done it. She'd told him how she felt. There was no way he could misinterpret what she was saying now. Feeling extremely proud of herself she opened her eyes and dared to look at him. If it hadn't been such a serious moment she would have laughed outright at the look of utter shock on his face. She'd never seen such an expression on his face and she doubted she would again anytime soon.

The look faded after a moment and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, "'Lizzie you don't know what yer askin' here. I can't give ya the things Will can. Family, home, stability...safety. It's not in me blood."

He was more serious than she'd ever seen him look and she quickly found that she hated it. Didn't he understand? He'd called them peas in a pod once and she hadn't understood or agreed with him at the time. But she'd thought he had meant it. Had she been completely wrong when, only moments ago, she'd silently praised him for seeing something in her that no one else had? Something no else had wanted to? Did he really think she longed for a quiet life as a housewife, every day filled with the same mundane tasks?

"But-"

He interrupted her, "Go back to William, 'Lizabeth. Get married, have babies, and stop frettin' 'bout Ole Jack."

She could admit, she'd been content with that life before. Even after her first adventure, she'd still been able to go back to Port Royal and act the part of the governor's daughter. But now she'd tasted freedom. For three months she'd sweat and bled and served with Jack's crew. Her face was brown from the sun and her hands were calloused from handling ropes and nets. Her legs had grown accustomed to men's pants and her steps had become longer because of it. Without thought, her body automatically adjusted to the movement of the ship under her feet. The sea had rocked her to sleep every night. For three months she'd lived the life of a pirate.

The idea of going back to a world of rules and corsets and stiff politeness wasn't just daunting, it was unthinkable. Surely he knew that. He had to know that it would kill her to go back to that life now that she'd been allowed a taste of his life, just as surely as any bullet or sword. A life that let her breathe.

"Jack I don't-" Once again she was cut off.

"I can't give ya what ya want, luv. I won't give up my freedom, not even for you Lizzie."

"Dammit Jack, will you stop interrupting me!" Jack blinked at her, startled by her anger.

She could understand his shock, she didn't curse often, in fact before this journey she could probably count on one hand the number of times she'd sworn. Sailing with this crew though, she'd realized that there are some situations which require a swear of two.

Now that she knew she had his attention, she continued, "Did I ask you to give up your freedom? Did I ask you to come back to Port Royal and marry me and play house? I didn't. I would never ask that of you! I know that life would kill you. But I don't want that life anymore than you do! Don't you know that? You said we were two peas in a pod. You said I was a pirate. Don't you remember that? You think I want to go back to being the governor's daughter? Serving tea and mending shirts? I want you, you stupid, stubborn ass! I'm in love with you!"

TBC...Reviews will result in a happy Fists which equals a happy story...just food for thought :)