Hello again! Please don't kill me for not updating sooner, but I've got half a dozen different projects running through my head and they are all fighting to get out at once!

The next two chapters are taking a bit longer to write, mainly because I had to make some major changes in the plot. After careful thought I concluded that my original plan for Jack in this chapter wasn't realistic—I wanted to have him win big at the Vegas poker tables, but then I realized it would be pretty much impossible to try and collect his winnings when he has no driver's license or I.D. for tax purposes! Sooo, I had to go with plan B. What's that, you ask? Well…guess you'll just have to read it and find out, ay? And, oh yeah, before I forget, this chapter does contain a bit of fluff….heheheheheh

As always, I don't own any of the characters from POTC or Disney, and I am not gaining any profit from this other than the satisfaction of entertaining others. Enjoy!

Chapter 14: Truth and Consequences

It was after 10 when Jo and Jack entered the lobby of her apartment building, every arm occupied with sacks of groceries and other purchases they had made. Jack, of course, had insisted on taking the sack containing his precious rum.

They stopped to rest at the foot of the stairs, and Jack looked from the stairwell to the half-dozen sacks he was holding and back again, grimacing as he started climbing. Finding himself alone halfway up the first set of steps, he glanced back at Jo and found her hesitating at the bottom with a guilty look on her face. "What's the long face for, m'sweet?"

"Ummm, Jack…..there's something I need to tell you, but you have to promise me you won't blow a gasket, ok?" At his confused look, she sighed with exasperation. "Loose your cool? Go Postal? Freak out? Get angry enough to strangle me?" His expression could only be described as suspicious as he came back down the stairs.

"These sacks aren't exactly lightweight, darling….can't it wait til we get….". His voice trailed off as she shook her head, and she slowly backed away from him down the hallway to the right. He was confused…..what had he done that would cause her to back away from him in fear? "Depends on what it is, luv, but offhand I can't think of anything you could tell me that would make me want to wring that swan like neck of yours. So tell Jack what the trouble is, ay?"

She backed around the dead end corner with him right behind her and the automatic sensor caused the double doors to slide open with a ding. The noise made her jump, and she raised her shoulders with a wobbly grin at his dumbfounded expression as he realized what it was she had failed to tell him.

"Ahhh, I think I might have failed to mention that this building has an elevator?"

She shrieked as he charged towards her, backing her into the lift with a growl, stopping only to set the rum down carefully before grabbing her and pinning her to the wall of the elevator. "You realize that I am going to make you pay a toll for each one of those gods-be-dammed steps I carried you up, wench? I damn near sprained me back trying to play the gallant, y'know."

Jo replied defensively, a gleam of challenge in her eyes. "Your back seemed perfectly fine to me when you were wrestling around on the bed, Sir Galahad. Besides, you needed to be taken down a peg or two, telling me I should be honored that you were willing to cart me around like so much baggage. So go ahead and do your worst, pirate….I won't beg for….." She was prevented from finishing her thought by a hungry kiss that sent her senses swimming, her eyes drifting shut as she melted into the sensation with a groan. '…..man-o-man, he sure knows how to kiss….'

"….mercy…" That last word came out more as a pleading sigh than the defiant statement it was intended to be. Her eyes flew open at the sound of his rough chuckling, and his deep brown eyes danced with amusement as they met her own passion-darkened hazel gaze..

"Mercy is not a term that I'm familiar with when it comes to collecting kisses from seductive maids with wicked tongues. That's one, luv, and I fully intend to collect the other 148."

"One hundred and forty…aww, hell, you counted them?"

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A short while later, Jack and Jo were nesting on the couch watching a movie, Jo's back against his chest while she stroked Nicodemus, who was contentedly curled on her lap, with one hand. In the other she held a iced drink she called an S.O.B., consisting of equal parts of rum and pineapple juice. Jack had grimaced when she "spoiled a perfectly good mug-o-rum" while making the tropical concoction, preferring to drink his own straight out of the bottle, which rested on the floor beside the couch within easy reach.

Jo had decided after giving it a great deal of thought, that Jack needed to see the movie that had brought him into existence. He had found the concept of television amazing, and had been spellbound when she had first turned the set on. She found herself casting nervous glances in his direction as the movie progressed. To her surprise, he was fairly quiet during most of the film, smiling slightly in the comic moments and growling when Barbossa appeared on screen. During the marooning scene, his free hand had run teasingly along her neck as he watched himself flirt on-screen with Elizabeth, a strange emotion playing across his features in the dim light. She felt him tense during the fight scenes, and she saw him roll his eyes and shake his head near the end when Will and Liz declared their love for each other. Finally the movie ended and it was time to reap what she had sown.

Turning the tv off, Jo sat up and turned to look at her couch mate, who had leaned forward, elbows on knees, with the half empty bottle of rum dandling loosely in his hands, staring at a spot on the carpet as he was lost in thought. "Jack?"

As she spoke his name, he turned his head and looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. When he saw the uncertainty on her face, he smiled at her softly and took her hand in his with a sigh. "Sorry, m'gal….I'm still a bit taken aback, seeing meself portrayed on the telly-whatits. Millions o'people know me from watching this, you say?"

Jo nodded. "It was nominated for several awards, and was seen in just about every country in the world, Jack. Your face is recognized everywhere, Jack, and people even make up stories on their own about you to share with other fans. There's a sequel being filmed right now and talk of a 3rd movie, too-- you're everybody's favorite scallywag, so to speak."

Jack's grin widened. "Good thing this Depp fellow does such a good job portraying me wicked self, then, or I'd be forced to take him in hand, figuratively speaking o'course." He took another swig of rum and sat back with a satisfied belch, at which Jo rolled her eyes and rose from the couch with a stretch and yawn.

"Two Jack Sparrows? Egads, I don't think even a town like Vegas would survive a pair of clever scoundrels like you." She wriggled her nose playfully at his scowl. "Well, think I'll head for the shower. Promise not to flush while I'm gone?" Jack crossed his heart and glanced upwards over his praying hands, dodging her playful slap with a flashing gold smile. He swatted her rump playfully as she went past him into the hall and watched her disappear around the corner, the smile slowly sliding from his face. '……damn, if I'm not careful, I might just lose my black heart to this woman…'

Suddenly the apartment made him feel claustrophobic, and Jack knew he had to get some air or he'd go mad. He waited until he heard the water running, and then went to the kitchen for paper and pen. Scribbling a quick note, he propped it up against the half empty bottle of rum, then added a postscript to the note, grabbed up a couple of bills from the table, and headed out the door.

When Jo emerged from her shower half an hour later, the apartment was silent. She found the note that he had left, and her heart sank to her knees with worry when she read it.

Dearest Jo,

Needed some air and time to think so have gone for a stroll about town

Be back in a day or so.

Yours sincerely,
Captain Jack Sparrow

P.S. Borrowed some money for rum. Just a little.

P.S.S. Be prepared to pay your toll when I return, savvy?

CJS

"Damn you, Jack Sparrow!"

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O.K. So I told a widdle fib…you'll get to hear what Jack does in Vegas in the next chapter, which I will be writing tonight and posting tomorrow. Sorry, there was just too much info to try and get it down in one long segment, so I used this chapter to set the scene. I will give you a little spoiler…Jack just might find out what its like to get the star treatment! (Please don't hate me!)