A/N: I want to thank all who read and reviewed! Muchas Gracias! The best reward for a writer is receiving feedback!

11. A Good Pirate Knows

While perusing his charts at his desk, bottle of rum at hand, Jack heard a knock on his door. "It's open," he shouted out, expecting Gibbs with a report of land ho. They should be coming upon the port of St. Bertha soon, and the Pearl needed supplies. To his surprise, Elizabeth walked through the door instead. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach; she made him feel so young, giddy as a school boy. " 'Ello, love." Nonchalantly, he went back to leaning over his maps.

"Hello Jack."

"And just how might I be of service?" he asked as she leaned over the maps beside him, looking curiously at the islands, figures, and sea creatures drawn in on the ocean spaces. Are you torturing me on purpose? They stood close enough for a wisp of stray golden hair to tickle his cheek, and the sweet scent of her skin intoxicated the pirate captain. No maps would be necessary for Lizzy; he simply wanted to lose himself in exploring her body for hours on end, maybe even days. Feeling the heat of her body so close, Jack was forced to close his eyes, and regain some self control.

Elizabeth turned to face Jack, leaning her rear against the desk and crossed her arms. "I wanted to apologize for my assumption about your actions towards Will. It was unfair of me, and I'm sorry."

Jack cocked his head and mischievously smiled, taking her in with those dark eyes. "No worries, love," he said in a low, soft voice that pulled at Elizabeth's heart strings. With every word he inched closer to her, until he whispered above her lips, "I suppose said assumption wasn't completely unfounded, seeing as I am known for doing dastardly and uncivilized things." He glanced from her lips back up to those beautiful dark eyes, and his need for her burned in his chest. It rushed through his limbs, tingling all the way down to his fingertips.

The obvious double entendre didn't escape Elizabeth, causing her heart to thunder in her chest. It seemed that with just a breath Elizabeth could draw that mouth to hers, taste those coveted lips. And why shouldn't she?

Jack groaned with frustration when she ducked away, turning around to look at the map. But at that moment, Jack didn't want to look at the bloody map, he wanted to ravish her on it. "Why are we torturing ourselves like this?" Jack demanded.

"Torturing ourselves?"

He narrowed his eyes at her coyness. "You bloody well know what I mean, love. If I want you and you want me, what's to stand in our way?"

Lizzy sighed, deeply searching for a truthful answer. Finally, she said, "Fear, I think. And maybe a little pride?"

"You, afraid? Elizabeth Swann, terror of Port Royal, afraid of lil' ol' Jack Sparrow?"

There was that familiar note of mocking in his voice; at the moment she didn't like it much. "I'm not afraid of you, Jack. I'm afraid of what you'll do to me once you've had me. I don't want to be just another one of your strumpets, loved and tossed aside."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "After all this? After all the times I've rescued you? I went to jail coming back to Port Royal for you, and I still want you. Elizabeth, you killed me, and I still want you. I¾"

Elizabeth turned to face him fully, craning that beautiful neck to look him directly in the eye. "You say you want me, Jack" she whispered, "but do you love me?"

Jack's stomach suddenly turned upside down. He was never much of one to linger over trivial words, but that particular one had always driven him to walk on eggshells. Of course he'd used it before; lying his way into the Tortuga gal's knickers was something he excelled at. But with Elizabeth it suddenly took a new spin, a whole new weight of importance weighed upon his mind with that word. Because he actually might love her. He sighed, and looked away, hiding his distress.

Elizabeth sighed too, nodding in understanding. "Yes, that's quite what I expected," she said, and began to walk towards the door. Suddenly she felt strong fingers on her arm, pulling her in the opposite direction. She slammed against the hard plane of Jack's chest, felt his fingers sliding through her hair to gently grip her skull, pulling her into a heated kiss. His mouth slid against hers, his tongue was a silky wetness between her lips. It was everything she remembered from the day she shackled him to the main mast of that very ship, and so much more. Her hands went up to Jack's face, caressing the rough beard, feeling the silver trinkets in his dread-locked hair, and moved to the inviting warmth of his neck, pulling him closer to her still.

Jack's senses reeled, feeling the length of her lithe body pressing against him, her delectably soft skin under his hands, and the pressure of that beautiful mouth kissing his own. The lightheadedness, the pure elation, reminded him slightly of the reason why he kept the bottle of rum so close at hand, but this sensation was far more precious, more rare, more intense.

"And what are you afraid of, Captain Sparrow?" asked a breathless Elizabeth, cradling his face in her hands.

Jack ran his hands up her spine, hands dragging against the fabric of her shirt, longing to rip the barrier between him and her bare skin. "Once, I was afraid of loving you more than the sea," he admitted, voice ragged with need while planting gentle kisses on her neck. "But now I realize you are the sea. You're unpredictable, unfathomable, beautiful whether calm or furious…and if I don't watch my self closely love, I could drown myself in you." What more could he say at that moment? There was no fear of her tying him down; whatever adventure he could possibly want, she would be right there beside him, meeting it head on with that fierce grin.

Elizabeth pressed herself against Jack, as though she could slip through his skin and bones, and go straight to his heart. She nested her head in the bend of his neck, inhaling that intoxicating scent that was so purely Jack. "I can't promise you forever, Elizabeth, nor can you promise me," he said, running his fingers through her golden locks. "Nothin' lasts that long. But I can promise that as long as the going is good, we'll have the adventure of a lifetime."

Gripping a handful of hair, he steered her lips to his, taking her mouth in another knee-weakening kiss. The passion he felt for her threatened to consume him, roaring through his body. A deep groan escaped his throat when he felt her deft fingers untie his sash, and toss it aside whilst she kissed him. Her small hands slipped beneath his shirt, teasing the flesh with her fingertips. It took no time at all for him to catch the hint, as she tugged him in the direction of his bed, feeling drunk with desire.

Jack half lifted, half tossed Elizabeth onto the bed, falling upon her again with loving voracity. Filled with a passion finally realized for the pirate captain, Elizabeth reveled in the way their bodies fit together like delicious puzzle pieces, Jack's weight pressing her down into the mattress. She wanted this, oh how she wanted this.

Sweat soaked and exhausted, the lovers held each other close, sliding into niches and curves that seemed perfectly sculpted for their bodies together. As her breathing slowed to a steady deep rhythm, its warmth gently feathering against the base of his throat, Jack was sure Elizabeth had fallen asleep. He smiled, unable to remember the last time he felt so content. Unable to contain the thought within, he pressed his lips to her forehead, whispering, "Just wait, love. I'll make a Sparrow of you yet."

"A Sparrow of a Swann?" she murmured sleepily against his throat, causing him to jump oh so slightly with surprise. "Does this mean you love me, Captain Jack Sparrow?"

Finally throwing caution to the wind, he answered, "A good pirate knows when to hold on to a special treasure, Lizzy. And we both know that Captain Jack Sparrow is an excellent pirate."

Fin