Nope – still not mine!

With thanks for the reviews – those on affnet are going to have a pile of chapters to trawl through once it's up and running…

Also thanks to Kat for editing, as usual.

Chapter Twenty Four

Celia jumped in spite of herself as Jack bounded into the cabin an excited grin on his face and his arms flailing wildly. "Oh! Y-you made me jump!" she gasped, placing her hands against her pounding heart.

"Sorry, luv," Jack chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and brushing his lips against hers. "How's yer neck?"

"A bit sore, but I'm all right," she smiled, pressing her lips harder to his and congraluating herself on not being shocked at her own actions. "Are you stopping here for a while?"

"No, I just came ter warn you that we'll be firin' th'guns in a minute. Want ter come an' watch?"

"All right," she agreed hesitantly, accepting his outstretched hand and followed him on to the main deck, noticing that the crew's attention was held by the schooner, the Queen Charlotte, anchored some quarter of a mile away.

"When yer ready, Mister Frazer," Jack called, pushing a path through the thong of men and letting Celia stand in front of him so she had a good view and he had a chance to wrap his arms around her, holding tight as the Pearl boomed and shook, followed by another boom and a huge explotion as the schooner blew up, sending debris flying high and wide. "Keep watch fer tinders," he ordered, although he did not expect any. The ship was at a safe enough distance with the wind blowing away from them for there to be little danger. But Jack was nothing if not a cautious captain, especially where his ship was concerned, and so all his crew kept a look-out for any burning piece of wreckage that might somehow find its way to the Black Pearl.

"Oh… my goodness!" Celia breathed, letting out the breath she was unaware she had been holding. "W-why did you blow it up?"

"Because it would slow us down too much an' leave both ships short of crew," Jack explained. "If we were nearer ter Tortuga or somesuch place, then we'd have taken her an' sold her on, but out here - nah, too risky."

"I see. It just seems such a waste."

"Aye, luv, it is," Jack nodded, his hair braids brushing against her cheek with the movement. "But at least I let th'crew go, eh?" he teased.

"Yes…" Celia sighed. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Yer forgiven," he whispered huskily in her ear. "I think we'll have supper in my cabin tonight, eh?"

"All right," she blushed, casting her gaze at the deck in case any of the nearby crew overheard.

"You'll have ter get used ter this sometime, young lady," Jack chuckled, hugging her.

"Give me chance," Celia retorted but without malice. "It's only been three days or so, that's nowhere near long enough to lose my indoctrined guilt, as you call it."

"But it doesn't bother you?" he enquired, releasing his hold and slipping his hand into hers.

"It does a little," she admitted. "But nowhere near as much as it should do…"

"Rubbish!" Jack laughed, bringing her hand up and kissing it. "Look lively, lads," he called. "They would have heard that in Saint Marta an' we don't want another chase, do we?"

"I'll leave you to it. No doubt Toby has a pile of spuds that need peeling," she sighed, rolling her eyes for good measure.

"Make sure he let's yer go early enough fer you to bathe an' change into that red dress, eh?" Jack remarked, loud enough for the crew to hear.

"Yes, Captain," Celia replied resignedly, bobbing her tongue out at Elliot as she passed him on the steps leading below. 'I am going to have to get used to this,' she mused as she made her way along the gloomy corridor to the galley. 'Or the next few months are going to be difficult to bear.'

"I am goin' ter have ter buy a tub," Jack drawled as he leaned against the doorframe of the private head, watching Celia as she washed herself.

"I wish you wouldn't sneak up on me!" she cried, automatically going to cover her nakedness before realising the folly of it. "You'll be the death of me, Jack Sparrow!"

"As you will of me," he grinned, his eyes raking her body. "Let me clean yer back…"

"Tobias will be along with supper soon."

"I'm just cleanin' yer back!" Jack protested, a mock innocent look on his face as he took the rag from her grasp and turned her around, gently rubbing the cloth in a circular motion across her shoulders. "Aren't I?" he whispered huskily, the rag travelling downwards until he reached the small of her back, a place which he had discovered would send her half mad with lust when stroked in a certain way.

"No," Celia croaked, arching her back at his touch. "You never just do anything. And why do you need to buy a tub, apart from finally cleaning yourself properly for the first time in years?"

"Celia Hammond, yer cheeky minx!" he retorted, spanking her bottom, but not too hard. "You suggesting I'm dirty?"

"Very," she giggled, trying to move away from him in the cramped space but ending up sitting on the head and putting her hands on his chest to prevent him getting closer.

"That ain't goin' ter stop me," he growled, a wolfish grin on his face as he grabbed her wrists and removed her hands. "See?"

"Jack… Toby will be here…"

"He knows not ter enter th'cabin now," Jack reminded her. "Th'food can wait, eh?"

"But if you don't let him in then everyone will know…"

"They know anyway!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes at her.

"Please," Celia begged, beseeching him with her eyes. "I just don't want the whole ship to know exactly what we're doing and when we're doing it."

"They still know what we do, y'know," Jack reasoned, placing his knees either side of her hips and pressing his groin into hers. "So what does it matter, eh?" He gently rubbed himself against her, his grin broadening as she squirmed and moaned.

"Stop it! That's not fair!"

"Alls fair in love an' war," he chuckled, pressing harder still, a small moan eliciting his own lips as his hard organ strained against his breeches. "Come on, luv," Jack urged, standing and pulling Celia to her feet and turning them both around whilst fumbling with the laces of his breeches.

"We can't…"

"No such word. There…" he grinned as he finally untied them and yanked his breeches down, grunting as his erection sprang free. Jack sat down on the head and pulled Celia towards him. "Sit on me," he instructed, taking his hat off and slinging it to one side.

"On your lap or on… you?"

"Me come on, luv."

Celia did as Jack had done earlier and put her knees either side of him so that she was hovering over him and started to slowly lower herself down, gasping as she felt the tip of his manhood press against her. "Keep going?" she fretted.

"Aye, all th'way down." Jack groaned and arched his back as she lowered herself on to him until he was fully sheathed inside her, her warm tunnel still tight in spite of the number of times he had had her over the past few days. "Now move up an' down," he gasped, closing his eyes in bliss as she did as instructed. "Slower…"

Celia leaned her hands on Jack's shoulders for support and slowly rode him, forgetting about feeling guilty or who might hear them as she allowed her body to totally relax and enjoy the sensation of being in control of their loving. "Like it?" she whispered in his ear, the tip of her tongue playing around inside it.

"Very… very… much…"

"Me too," she chuckled, sliding her hands down his chest and then up inside his shirt, pulling it over his head so that he was almost as naked as she. She arched her back, thrusting her breasts in his face and moaning out loud as he took a nipple in his mouth, teasing the bud with his tongue as she quickened her pace until forced to slow it again by his hands grasping her hips. "I want to go faster."

"No. Not yet," Jack murmured. "Make it last, eh?"

"I can't," Celia pouted, her body tensing as her desire grew. "Please, Jack."

"See how long you can hold out, hmm? You'll enjoy it even more then, I promise." He kept firm hold of her as he played with nipples, thrusting deeper inside every now and then, revelling in her reaction as she groaned and writhed then grabbed his hair, yanking his head back and kissing him hard with lust plumped lips.

"P-please…" she gasped as she broke away, gulping audibly as pent up desire made her even more edgy. "Jack, please…"

"Please, what? " Jack teased, his fingers digging into her skin as he too fought to keep control. "Tell me what you want, luv."

"Y-you know what I want! I want to… oh!" Celia cried out as Jack stood with her in his arms and turned them both around, pressing her against the bulkhead as he drove hard into her and she wound her legs around him, bringing him in deeper still. "Harder," she urged, not able to do anything except hold on as he pounded her until her passion spilled over and she cried out again and again, gasping as she felt him release his seed deep within her, thrusting harder and deeper until with a grunt, he sagged and released his hold on her so that Celia was sitting back on the head, panting and gasping.

"Bloody hell," Jack muttered, sinking to his knees and resting his head in her lap.

"Bloody hell, indeed," she wheezed, stroking his hair where it spilled from the bandana.

"Supper, Cap'n!" came Toby's voice. "Can I come in?"

"Aye, leave it on th'table," Jack replied, inwardly cursing his timing in case Celia started fretting once more. "Sorry, luv," he apologised, lifting his head and looking at her.

"It's all right," she smiled, realising the logic of his earlier reasoning. "I was just being silly."

"You're never silly," Jack stated, lifting himself up so that he could kiss her gently. "A little crazy at times, but that's no bad thing on this ship," he chuckled.

"I would say it's mandatory," she laughed, cupping his head with her hand and drawing him in to another, lingering kiss.

"So… you love me…?"

"Oh! Yes," Celia admitted with a blush. "I know that… well… it doesn't matter," she shrugged. "Let's dress, shall we?"

"Or we could have supper in bed," Jack suggested, as he debated whether to press the matter further before deciding against it. It was obviously not something she had wanted to admit and he still wasn't sure how to react to the revelation. He had had women say that they loved him countless times before, but Jack knew that this was probably the first time a woman had actually meant it since Isabel.

"You can sweep the crumbs out," she retorted, grateful for the change of subject.

"That's your job!" Jack frowned with mock severity.

"Oh, really, Captain? I thought my job was keeping you happy," Celia purred, astonishing herself by running a finger across his balls.

"Jesus, woman!" Jack swore, closing his eyes as the fires of lust stoked once more. "Supper - now!" he ordered, getting to his feet quickly and walking out of the small side cabin.

"Old man," she teased as she followed him, smiling as he padded to the cabin door and threw the bolt, ensuring they would not be disturbed. "Supper in the bunk?"

"Aye," Jack grinned, padding back to the table and picking up a tray and a pitcher of wine, leaving another tray and two beakers for Celia to bring. "Nothin' like supper in bed."

"I'll take your word for it," Celia mused, picking up the remaining items and carrying them to the side cabin. "I've never had any meal in bed."

"Even when you were ill?"

"I was one of those horrid children who were never ill," she admitted. "Mind you, Mama would not allow other children to come and play very often so I suppose I didn't get much chance to become ill." Celia placed the tray down on the bunk and climbed carefully up, snuggling into Jack's arms and taking a piece of meat, breaking it into a bite sized piece before offering it to him, giggling as he took her fingers into his mouth as well and sucked on them. "I don't know what Mama would think now - seeing her daughter behave like a brazen hussy," she mused, a little sadly.

"There's nothin' brazen or hussy-like about you, Celia," Jack murmured. "Yer far too sweet an' innocent ter be a trollop."

"Not any more," she replied heavily. "Maybe I should have let Robert have his way with me - I might be married to him now and living happily."

"Ah, but then you'd never have met me!" Jack teased. "Would he have made you happy?"

Celia started, turning and looking at Jack in bewilderment, a frown creasing her brow as she thought. "I-I… I honestly don't know," she disclosed. "I always assumed that he would, but… I'm starting to feel as if my life in England was a sham - that I was not… oh, I don't know!" she sighed in exasperation as she struggled to explain herself clearly.

"True ter yourself?" Jack suggested.

"I don't know," she pondered. "I always thought that I was being true to myself - so if I was, am I now lying to myself?"

"Or perhaps th'other way round, eh? Could it be that th'real Celia Hammond is startin' ter emerge?"

"Hmm," Celia mused thoughtfully. "Maybe..."

"Can I ask you another question? Did you prefer Fernan ter me but held back because he was married?"

"Why the inquision?" Celia frowned, turning once more to look at him. "You have what you wanted."

"I've had yer body, yes," Jack agreed. "But do I have you?"

"You should know!" she snapped, making to get off the bunk but prevented from doing so by Jack's restraining hand. "Let go!"

"It's possible ter love more than one person at once, y'know," he reasoned evenly as he kept hold of her. "Did… do you love Oliver?"

"Jack! Let go of me!"

"I'll take that as a yes then, eh? It doesn't matter, luv," he soothed. "I don't mind."

"No, now that he's out of the way and you have no rival!"

"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Jack frowned, loosing his hold on the young woman and making her nearly overbalance.

"True though," came her riposte as she clambered down then stood and glared at him.

"Possibly," he admitted with a shrug. "But as I said earlier, alls fair et cetera, et cetera. Come on, let's not fight, eh? Come back here."

"I'm not hungry," Celie sniped as she stomped out of the side cabin.

"Fer food or me?" Jack called, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Sod off!"

"Ooh, turnin' nasty, are we?" he chuckled, jumping down and padding quickly into the main cabin, grinning to himself when he saw her bending over a trunk in search of some clothes and he hurried over before she had chance to react or straighten up.

"Let go!" she shrieked as he grabbed her and pressed his growing erection against her backside. "Don't you dare!"

"Or else, Miss Hammond?" he purred, holding her down with one hand while the other eased his manhood inside her.

"You… bastard!" she moaned, bracing herself against the trunk and gasping as she felt him continue to grow inside her.

"Aye, but don't yer love it?" Jack laughed lasciviously as he took her once more.

"Saint Paul?" Jack sighed as he hugged Celia to him in the bunk, both of them sated and exhausted. "Do you know how many churches there are with that name?"

"Quite a few," Celia chuckled, her anger with the pirate captain long since forgotten.

"Even I know there are quite a few. There must be another clue."

"Maybe I should have come and had a look at the grave," she suggested, striking the inside of his thigh absently.

"I was goin' ter come an' fetch you, but…"

"So the clue must be something else," she mused, deliberately ignoring the reason why he had not come for her.

"Aye, but what?"

"What was the name again - Allport?"

"Roy Allport… it doesn't ring any bells at all," Jack sighed.

"And there was nothing else on the grave?"

"Only… what was it? 'I have kept th'faith…'"

'Unlike me,' Celia thought sadly. "It is Saint Paul then - those were his last words."

"It doesn't help much," Jack pouted, shifting his position slightly so that her hand would travel further up his leg.

"Well, we'll have to sleep on it," she said firmly, removing her hand when she realised his intentions. "I'm exhausted."

"No stamina, you youngsters!" he teased as he snuggled down. "Night, luv."

"Goodnight, Jack," she replied, lying awake in his arms long after he had fallen asleep, wondering about Saint Paul and Oliver.

Three days later

"Sail ho!"

Celia looked up from where she was polishing the grating and she stood, staring along with the rest of the crew, towards where Jacob Sumner was pointing but like the rest of the crew, not being able to see anything.

"Can you see what it is, Sumner?" Jack called - this close to Port Royal, he did not want to take any chances.

"Sorry Cap'n, th'sun's in my eyes."

"Damn!" the captain of the pirate ship cursed as he took out his spyglass and trained it in the general direction of where the ship was but finding his problem was the same as his watchman's.

Celia groaned, half hoping that it would be a naval ship which would hasten their speed towards Tortuga as she was eager to see her friends again and ask their advice. She knew that there was something the whores took to prevent them getting with child and she was keen to find out what and whether she'd be able to have some - the last thing she wanted was to be pregnant aboard a pirate ship, or pregnant at all.

"Navy!" Noah Trinity yelled from higher up the mainmast. "It's Navy, Cap'n!"

"Must be patrollin' th'waters," Jack sighed, rolling his eyes at his quartermaster. "Although they're a fair way out fer patrol…"

"Maybe they're heading back to Port Royal?" Joshamee Gibbs suggested with a shrug. "Been to another base…?"

"Bloody hell!" Jack exclaimed loud enough for the entire main deck to stop what they were doing and turn and look at him. "Port Royal!"

"Aye, what about it?" the older man frowned.

"Roy Allport…"

"Port Royal…" Gibbs sighed. "And yes, there is a church of Saint Paul in Port Royal…"

"Wouldn't yer know it?" Jack mused, shaking his head half in amusement.

"You're not thinking of going there… are you?" Celia fretted, although the gleam in Jack's eyes told her all she needed to know. "It's dangerous!"

"That's what makes it fun!" Jack chortled. "Don't worry, I know Port Royal like th'back of my hand."

"Yer know th'gaol in th'fort like th'back of yer hand, an' all!" Matthias Swain observed, having been one of the rescue party the last time that Jack had managed to get himself captured.

"I won't get caught this time, savvy?"

"That's what you said last time," Joshamee reminded his captain sternly. "Celia's right, it is dangerous."

"But we're getting' closer, Gibbs - I can feel it!" Jack grinned. "It'll be safe if only a handful of us go - th'ship can hide in th'cove, eh?"

"And if they patrol around that way?"

"Gibbs… Gibbs… you worry too much!"

"And you don't worry enough!" came the risposte.

"You worry enough fer both of us… Port Royal, Mister Burford - at least, th'cove to th'east of Port Royal, savvy?"

"Aye, Cap'n," the helmsman agreed, wondering along with the rest of his crewmates at his captain's wisdom, especially if the Navy were patrolling the waters.

"What if that ship spotted us?" Celia asked quietly as she moved to stand beside Jack. "Won't they be extra vigilant?"

"They assume that we're headin' fer Tortua," Jack assured her. "At least I hope they'll think that… Mister Burford, I think we'll take it nice an' easy, savvy?"

"Aye, Cap'n," Myles nodded, feeling a little more relieved that they wouldn't be getting any closer to the naval ship.

"Keep a sharp eye on on them," Jack ordered his crew. "They could change tack an' head fer us! I suppose I get carried away sometimes," he shrugged ruefully at Celia. "At least I've got you ter remind me of my responsibilities."

"How long before we get back to Tortuga?"

"You're eager, aren't you?" he mused, cocking his head sideways and regarding her. "Had enough of my company already?"

"No! I mean… I just miss my friends, that's all."

"I know," Jack sympathised. "You've coped better than I thought yer would, being on board."

"Why thank you," Celia smiled. "But I had better get this grating polished or the captain will have my guts for garters."

"Ah, but I bet they'd make pretty garters," he winked, patting her backside as she moved past him. "Sorry, luv - couldn't resist."

"You never can!" she scolded with a chuckle, her smile fading once she turned away from Jack, the worry of becoming pregnant escalating more by the minute.

"Cap'n! Yer not goin' ter believe this!" Gabriel Jennings panted as he re-joined his captain, John Orchard and Thomas Frazer after going scouting on the outskirts of Port Royal. "There's some bad news and worse news…" He handed Jack a piece of paper which Jack read, wide eyed and frowning.

The Governor of the British Territories in the Caribbean, is pleased to announce one days public holiday to celebrate the marriage of Commodore James Norrington to Miss Daphne Blythe-Hamilton on the second day of March in the year sixteen hundred and eighty nine, at the church of Saint Paul in the town of Port Royal. All rejoice!

"He does this deliberately," Jack sighed as he continued to stare at the paper. "I swear he does…"

"Th'place is already crawlin' with redbacks," Gabriel announced, "so I guess th'weddin' ain't far off."

"We're goin' ter have ter come back," Thomas frowned.

"But what if th'treasure is in that church?" Jack argued. "They'll go though th'place with a fine tooth comb an' find it b'fore we do!"

"It wouldn't be there, would it…?" John Orchard worried. "Why would anyone bury their treasure under th'noses of th'Navy?"

"Because," Jack explained, "this place was a pirate haven back then, an' Goodluck was a privateer so would be able ter come an' go a little more freely than other pirates would have done."

"So what d'we do now?"

"We need William…"

"But they watch him closely, don't they?"

"Aye," Jack sighed, knowing how difficult it had been to get to see his friend the last couple of times he had been here. The time before that, Jack had actually been captured, though thankfully, not in Will's presence thus clearing him of any association with the infamous pirate captain. "We'll head back an' work somethin' out - though gawd knows what," he frowned, uttering more than one curse towards his nemesis under his breath as he stood and headed for the track which eventually lead to the cove in which his precious ship was sheltering.

"You want me to what?" Celia exploded, staring wide eyed and slack jawed at Jack. "So much for not putting me in danger!"

"You won't be in danger," Jack assured her with a charming smile, hoping to win her around to his plan. "Alls you have ter do…"

"Yes, you've told me!" she snapped, folding her arms crossly. "You want me to pretend that I'm one of… Miss Blythe-Hamilton's maids and scout the church - alone!"

"Not alone," he argued. "Some of th'crew will be around as well, just in case."

"And if they get recognised?"

"It will be crew that aren't known to th'Navy - not all of them are."

"I feel so re-assured," Celia sniped sarcastically. "You said after Saint Georges that you wouldn't put me in any danger…"

"I'm not," Jack sighed with exasperation. "How can they capture you when you have done nothing wrong, eh? Association isn't a crime, yet."

"But what if they question me - don't believe that I am who I say I am? What if this Commodore or his fiancée are in the church? What then, Jack?"

"Then, my darlin' Celia, yer leave - sharpish, savvy?"

"And if I'm noticed leaving sharpish?"

"You won't be… come on, luv. Th'sooner yer go, th'sooner we can leave, eh?" Jack took a couple of steps towards the young woman and wound his arms around her, drawing her closer and looking at her beneath his lashes. "I'll be so grateful…"

"Jack! Stop it!" Celia protested, trying to pull away from his embrace but already feeling warm desire stoking up inside her. "Stop it!" she repeated, moaning as his mouth closed over hers.

"Y'know I can't where you're concerned," he rasped, barely breaking contact with his lips. "Will yer do it - fer me?"

"I hate you," she muttered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself into him.

"So you've said before…" Jack chuckled, picking her up and carrying her to the bunk. "An' as I replied before, there's a fine line between love an' hate…"

"Not at the moment there isn't," she retorted, groaning as his expert hands began roving her clothed body and weakening her resolve ever further.