Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all associated characters belong to their respective owners. I just play and give back. All I can lay claim to are the OC's in this story – and not even them. They own themselves, alright? I guess I come out with nada. Sadly.

Author's Note: I had a hard time with deciding where to end this, but I took my friend's advice and ended it…where it ended. Heh. I'm posting this after returning home from my most unpleasant experience at the community theater. Y'know, some people just rub you the wrong way and take their time in dealing with you, enjoying your torment… Yipes! That sounds almost like me! XP Erm…carry on mates!

Chapter 4 – Another Roadblock

A light, salty breeze floated in through the open window of Ana's room on the second story of the manor, bringing with it the lulling sounds of the ocean lapping against the shore. Ana laid still on her bed, content but awake. She rolled over so that she was facing the open window and reveled in the way the pale moonlight seemed to give her skin an unearthly glow. Her eyes slowly drifted shut and she exhaled quietly, willing herself to stop fretting and get some sleep. Jack would return soon enough.

Just as she entered the peaceful half-wakefulness before sleep, a thud followed by a metallic clang rang from the floor below and drew her to attention. Her hand darted across the small distance to the bedside table where she kept her dagger and pistol.

Ana carefully lifted the pistol, leaving the dagger behind, and rose. She silently crossed the room and paused at the doorway, listening intently for any other sounds.

An almost inaudible series of thuds started at a distance and slowly drew closer; someone was climbing the stairs.

Ana listened a moment more, thinking that perhaps the unknown intruder was simply Jack returning but there was something amiss with the steps – they did not belong to Jack's indicative gait.

The female pirate opened the door as silently as she could and slipped out into the hallway. She absently wondered what kind of threat she would pose: a woman, clad only in her nightgown, armed with an empty pistol. But the intruders couldn't know it wasn't loaded…

The steps drew ever nearer and soon Ana could discern one—two?—figures from the shadows, making their way unknowingly toward her.

"Stop right there," she growled quietly, bringing the pistol up. When the now distinctly two figures did not give her any notice, she reinforced the command by drawing back the pistol's hammer.

The two stopped just short of the line moonlight spilling into the hall from the slightly ajar room door.

"What do you want here?" Ana inquired dangerously, being sure to keep to the shadows to best conceal her location in case they were armed.

"'na?"

Ana lowered the pistol immediately. "Jack? Who's with you?"

"I am," Kole answered quickly, stepping into the moonlight.

"Wait, how did you—never mind," Ana said lowly, belatedly realizing that Kole was bearing most of Jack's weight. Why, she had no idea. "Jack, are you alright?"

"I'm not sure." It was not Jack who had answered, but rather Kole.

"I wasn't askin' you, whelp," Ana snapped, moving to stand on the other side of her captain. She found his arm hanging limply at his side and placed it over her shoulders. She hooked her near arm around his waist, taking the pirate's weight off of Kole. Jack leaned heavily against her and she found his lack of rejections strange, but quickly she turned her attentions back to Kole. "You know where your room is, so go. We'll deal with you in the morning." Without waiting to see if he would obey, Ana half-dragged Jack down two doors to his room.

Ana fumbled with the doorknob for several moments and cursed under her breath when the door didn't open.

From behind her she heard the light footfalls that told her Kole had decided to do as she bade. The information did little to help her current mood.

"Jack," she growled, realizing that he had earlier locked his room door. Deciding that she didn't fancy searching her captain for the key, she turned them both around and dragged Jack's virtually motionless form back down to her room. She felt more of his weight being pressed upon her with each step.

She pulled him into her room and used her foot to lever the door mostly closed before she carried him over to the bed. She lowered him onto the soft mattress with as much care as she could, still uncertain as to the source of his sluggishness. She knelt and removed his boots, placing them neatly near the foot of the bed.

From her kneeling position she looked up at her captain lying droopily on his side on the bed, his eyes closed and his features slack. She reached up and lightly placed the back of her hand on his forehead, testing his temperature. Jack flinched belatedly away from her touch and his eyes opened ever so slightly

"Jack," Ana whispered, "what's wrong with you?"

Jack shifted his near arm lethargically and exhaled. His unfocused eyes fell shut and his body went completely limp.

Ana drew her hand away and sat back on her heels with a thoughtful frown. She sat there for several minutes, listening to the sounds of the ocean and Jack's slow, even breaths. The awkward angle at which he laid annoyed her and she adjusted his position, taking care not to wake him.

Deciding that she could not leave her captain unattended, she quietly removed two blankets from the sea chest at the foot of the bed and sat in the puddle of moonlight on floor between the window and the bed. One blanket she rolled into a ball and placed on the floor before her. The other she opened and covered herself with as she laid down, resting her head on the rolled blanket.

ZzZzZzZzZzZ

Sunlight penetrated the lingering shadows of the room, taking special care to illuminate the middle section of the bed with a large, hot rectangle of light. Jack moaned and rolled away from the intrusive glow.

The pirate captain managed to ignore the burning sunlight for another hour before he finally gave in and opened his eyes.

Jack heard a pounding sound from the hallway and faintly heard Gibbs calling for him through the heavy door. "Stop yer yellin' an' poundin' Gibbs! Enter," Jack called, still not fully awake.

"But th' door's locked, Cap'n," Gibbs returned.

Jack cast his gaze to the door and his brow furrowed in confusion. "What're ye talkin' about man? Th' bloody door's open!"

Gibbs was silent for a moment and Jack heard hesitant steps out in the hall that seemed to dawdle before they reached the ajar door and Gibbs poked his head in.

"Cap'n," Gibbs began slowly, "may I ask why yer in Ana's room?"

Jack's retort died before it left his mouth and he looked around the room, for the first time realizing that it, indeed, was not his. He sat in silence for a few moments, taking in the space around him. "Tha's interesting."

"Where's Ana?"

"Good question, Gibbs. 'ave you checked downstairs…or perhaps my room?"

"Aye Cap'n, I'll do that now."

After Gibbs' departure, Jack yawned and ran a hand down his face, playing with his braided beard absently. He raised his hands above him and stretched, grimacing as stiff muscles protested their use. With a sigh he returned his arms to his sides.

Jack cast a curious glance over his shoulder, out the window, where he could just see the shoreline gleaming in the afternoon sun. He crawled across the bed and stretched one foot toward the floor, intent on catching a glimpse of his Pearl. He stopped short when his bare foot brushed against something warm and soft that felt very much alive. He looked down curiously and was very much surprised to find Ana lying on the floor in her nightgown, her face contorted in a fitful expression. A single, thin blanket was wrapped tightly around her legs and she was sprawled in an awkward position, still fitfully asleep.

Jack drew his leg back up onto the bed and laid on his stomach, gazing down at Ana with a gentle expression. He crossed one wrist over the other and quirked his head. Ana shifted quickly in her sleep and a small moan escaped her.

"Ana," Jack whispered. He reached down with one hand and gently ran his fingers along her jaw. The heat radiating from her skin caused him to freeze and he stared down at his first mate in confusion. He gently laid the back of his hand against her clammy forehead and his concern multiplied. "Ana?"

ZzZzZzZzZzZ

Jack plodded wearily out of Ana's room and Thomas, the ship's surgeon, closed the door behind him. The pirate crossed the hall and turned, pressing his back against the wall. He slowly slid down the wall and drew his legs to his chest once he was seated. He rested his chin on his knees and sighed, allowing his eyes to droop shut.

"Come on Jack, come on, don't do this…" Ana whispered vehemently as she struggled against her fevered captain, ignoring the sweat that dripped from both their brows. She kept her hand firmly planted on his jaw and fought to bring his head around so she could get at least some liquid between his lips. For him being so ill, he was certainly as strong as ever.

With a wild jerk of his head, Jack managed to slip free of her grasp. "Jack!" Ana hissed, her patience spent. She had a good mind to slap some sense into him but when she realized that his fever-glazed chocolate eyes were open and locked on her face, her anger melted. "Jack," she breathed, shoving loose strands of dark hair behind her ear.

"'na?" His tone was quiet and confused, slurred heavily by his illness.

"Aye Jack, I'm here."

His eyes grew slightly less focused as he fought the wave of fatigue that washed over him, but he tried his best to keep his speech even. "'na, I…"

"Go ahead Jack, I'm listening," Ana said reassuringly as she placed a gentle hand on one side of his face and tried to hide her concern over the blazing heat that emanated from his tanned skin.

Only half-conscious, Jack leaned into the warm feeling of Ana's hand. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking comfort in her presence. He had to fight hard against the darkness but he managed to open his hazy eyes again and meet her gaze. Darkness waited on the edges of his vision, pushing in, trying to consume him…

Jack opened his eyes with practiced slowness, avoiding giving the other presence the impression that he had been caught dozing. He raised his head and looked casually to his right, ignoring the protest of his sore neck muscles. "Well?" he questioned Thomas casually.

"The fever isn't as severe as I feared it might be. From what I can tell it's not life-threatening but we have to keep her cool enough."

Jack nodded his understanding, masking his relief. "Has she been awake t'all?" The momentary glint in the surgeon's eyes told Jack all he needed to know. "Very well," the pirate captain said as he rose slowly, irritated by the tingling in his legs and rear.

"I'll return to check on her in a few hours' time. If you need anything, don't hesitate to summon me."

Jack nodded and absently waved Thomas away. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, keeping up the nonchalant pirate captain façade for a few moments longer. When the sounds of Thomas's even footfalls died into nonexistence Jack pushed himself away from the wall and entered Ana's room, closing the door behind him.