Author's Note: Yay update! Keep reviewing please. My last exam is today so updates will be frequent from now on.

Chapter Nineteen: Matters of The Heart

Jack awoke to find a warm, bright sun shining on clear, azure waves. They twinkled as he sat up, feeling a little stiff, but not really too bad. He had slept in worse places. And there was really nowhere else he'd rather be. He reached up to touch his eyes, deciding that he probably needed to redo the black smudges. He was desperate for some rum; it seemed like so long since he had some. But he couldn't afford to be drunk today.

He raised himself to his feet, looking around the ship. His crew were busy at work, and he nodded, pleased. Then he knocked lightly on the cabin door, though Carmen was probably still sleeping. Indeed, there was no reply, and he decided to just go in.

He pushed the door open gently, and what he found made his breath catch in his throat. The princess was caught in a beam of dusty sunlight, sleeping like an angel. Her golden hair looked so soft on the pillow, lying beside his hat, upon which one of her delicate hands was resting.

He smiled to himself. She was so pretty. Without thinking, he was walking towards her, touching her cheek gently. She made a small noise but didn't wake up. Then he pressed another kiss to her forehead, the skin smooth beneath his lips. Her eyes snapped open, sleepy and confused.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, shocked.

He chuckled at her expression, pressing another kiss to her forehead. "Only that, luv."

She watched him as he sat down on the desk again, swinging his legs. "You confuse me, Jack," she yawned. Then she blinked, and she saw her hand on his hat. "Oh!" She seemed surprised, and sat up, stretching.

"Sleep well?" he asked, watching her closely, the wonderful way her hair was ruffled, how bright her eyes looked when she was tired.

"Wonderfully," she sighed, lying back down and stretching like a kitten. "Your bed is really comfortable... it smells lovely, too..." Her cheeks were pink as she said this.

"Filthy pirates don' smell too badly, luv." He grinned as she smiled.

"I could stay here forever," she sighed again, smiling.

He raised an eyebrow, giving her a smouldering look to see how she would react.

"Don't flatter yourself, Jack Sparrow," she said, but she looked uncomfortable, as though the look had affected her in some way.

He pressed his hands together, making his typical prayer-motion. "Apologies, luv." He winked, then stood up, reaching under the desk to pull out a ruffled green dress and boots. "These belonged to an old friend o' mine, someone slightly more boyish in figure- but they should fit yer alrigh'," he said.

"A female friend?" Carmen asked, raising her eyebrows, sliding out of his bed reluctantly. She swung her long, shapely brown legs out of the quilt. Jack felt pleased to see she her react like this, perhaps jealously.

"A friend," he insisted. "A good friend, but nothin' more, luv." He handed the boots and dress to her, then collected his own boots and hat, winked at her, then headed for the door. "Shout o' me when yer dressed, luv."

"Jack- thanks." She spoke softly, her eyes tender as he glanced back at her before closing the door behind him.

As he got outside, he collapsed against the wall. There was something definately wrong with him. He had wanted... he had wanted to kiss her. And not in a lusting way... in a loving way. Jack shook his head. He couldn't have feelings for Carmen- he couldn't have feelings for any woman. He was Captain Jack Sparrow.

But those red lips entranced him so...

He could imagine Will's teasing face. He mentally scolded himself. He was just being silly. Of course he wasn't attracted to Carmen. It was just because she had looked so angelic in the bed, because Will had insisted he cared for her, because she was a princess and pirates couldn't have princesses, because he was falling for her... No! He covered his face with hands.

"I'm jus' bein' stupid," he muttered, bending down to pull his boots on.

"Are you now?" said a teasing voice, and he looked up into Will's grinning face.

"Bugger off, Turner," he growled, eyes flashing, because he didn't need Will confusing him more. He slapped his hat onto his head heatedly.

"Touchy," Will chuckled, but walked off, clearly not brave enough to take on Jack when he was in such a mood.

Jack sighed. What was happening to him? He was going (even more) insane. It was probably because he hadn't had any rum in a while. Yes, that would be it.

"Jack!" Carmen's voice floated through the door, and he felt his stomach shift. God, what was happening to him?

He pushed it open, and he couldn't stop a gasp escaping as he saw, standing in the centre of the golden beams coming in through the window, in a green dress that hugged every curve, was quite low-cut, and showed a few inches of leg before the top of the boots. Her hair was a tumbling gold waterfall, her eyes pure and huge.

"You like?" she asked, looking down shyly.

He nodded numbly. His head was telling him he had finally lost it, but there was a lump in his throat he couldn't explain. "Beautiful," he said quietly.

Those red lips twisted slowly into a smile, and again he had the urge to kiss them. Then she asked, "Will you plait my hair for me? I'm assuming you can, judging by your beard." Then, to his great surprise, she winked at him, playfully.

He swallowed painfully. "Of course, luv."

He ended up sitting on the bed with Carmen sat on his knee, something which made him feel even more confused. He ran his fingers through her soft hair to remove any tangles, then plaited it, tying it with a red scarf. She rose from his knee, smiling, eyes twinkling.

"Thank you," she smiled.

He looked at her seriously. "I'm going to make yer believe me tonight, Carmen."

Her expression was unreadable, but she nodded. He touched her hand softly.

"Feel free the roam the ship until then. Just... stay outta trouble, luv." He winked, then left, closing the door behind him, his head spinning. He thought he was going to be sick, and he thought he was falling for Carmen, and he was more scared than he had ever been.

Next chapter preview...

"What were you thinking about before I got here?" Will asked, eyes twinkling. "You seemed... engrossed. Was it a certain pirate Captain, by any chance?"

Lainey knew her cheeks were crimson. Was it so obvious? "I- I don't know what you're talk-"