Over a 100 reviews! I'm amazed:) Thank you for all the reviews! I was so happy when I saw this, that I actually threw my history project out of the window & set to write this chapter instead... Yes... I think I should better go outside & pick it up... Don't wait for me. Go ahead & read on:)

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

Chapter 19

"It doesn't open from the inside. I tried everything before", said Elizabeth with a sigh, watching Jack, who fruitlessly kept trying to open the door. "It's my fault", she added after a pause, with a worried expression in her eyes.

Jack finally gave up on the door, and went closer to Elizabeth, looking at her with a half-sad, but at the same time half-amused smile.

"Apparently, there is at least one more person to be blamed for that, luv", he smirked, stroking her hair with the back of his hand. "And since we're talking about accidents", he started, staring at her quite seriously. "How did it happen that ye didn't get off that ship?"

"Somebody locked the cabin's door, and I was trapped!", she exclaimed, having the false impression, that Jack insinuated she did not show up on purpose.

"Oh!", Jack appeared surprised, smiling inwardly on the fact, that Elizabeth was still quite easily to be taken in by his little playfully provocative remarks. "And I was thinking ye changed yer mind, Lizzie", he said walking away, and going back to the door, attempting to examine it carefully again.

Elizabeth blinked, quite shocked. How could he doubt her intentions, after having her agreed to marry him?!

"Jack!", she said with a frown, coming up to him. "How could you... Jack!", it particularly annoyed her, that he did not look at her, stubbornly staring at the door instead, pointlessly pressing the knob. "Jack!", she exclaimed.

Although Jack was usually very good at keeping a straight face in difficult situations, at present he found it very demanding not to smile. Especially, when Elizabeth started to shake him by the arm, apparently, in the unconscious need to touch him, which he found very amusing, and flattering at the same time. He knew that she was very good at sharp exchanges, witty questions, clever answers, and teasing. But when it came to actions, she was hopelessly lost, and vulnerably innocent. She could not possibly read her own gestures, as he could, and she was oblivious to the fact that he actually knew what she was thinking and feeling better than she did. For him, this innocence was both funny and enchanting. Something he was not really confronted with before.

"Jack! Look at me! I..."

He slightly moved away, and looked at her questioningly.

"And where'd be dear William? From what I've heard you both were kidnapped", he said, knowing that the suspicion in his voice will surely annoy her even more.

Elizabeth bit her lip in vexation, visibly upset. Jack was steadily returning her rebuking gaze. He believed it was not the question itself that annoyed her, but rather the fact that it prevented her from throwing herself into his arms at the moment.

"Yes, but that man with a strange face let him out", answered Elizabeth shockingly simply, with no trace of irony or grievances in her voice, only proving Jack's conceited assumptions. She was actually excusing herself over nothing.

He stared at her for a while yet, enjoying this little victory of his, and then, before she was even able to acknowledge it, in one quick movement he wrapped his arms around her, and gazed into her eyes from the distance of less than few inches, almost touching her lips with his.

"However... I may consider accepting yer apologies, luv...", he whispered huskily.

For what?!, exclaimed Elizabeth in her mind. So he tricked her again. He was only teasing her again. She wanted to tell him off for that, but then she did not really feel like uttering a coherent sentence in this very moment...

He began to kiss her with such delicacy and tenderness, that at first she could hardly feel his lips on hers at all. She felt as if the room was spinning around, and she desperately tried to hold on to something, and the only thing that was within her reach happened to be Jack, so she held on to him, embracing him with a blind force, almost violently pulling him towards her, even though there was really no free space left between them, and they could not be any closer to each other than they were already. He trailed the feathery kisses all over her face, subconsciously smiling, when he felt her shiver under his hand, which was travelling up and down her body chaotically, yet deliberately enough to cause her sigh, blush, and held on to him even more, especially that she felt capable of fainting at every moment, trembling to the point at which she could barely keep her balance.

So many things she wanted to say... She wanted to protest... No, she did not want to do that. But she should. And the time was not right. Totally wrong, in fact...

Jack worked his way down her neck so slowly, that Elizabeth almost wanted to scream. The intervals between the kisses was excruciatingly long, so out of her growing impatience, she leaned towards him, showering his face, his neck, his hair with feverish kisses, until he cupped her face in his hands trying to meet her hazy gaze, and then kissed her with a frantic passion fully on the mouth, running his fingers through her hair with one hand, and mercilessly pressing her body against his with the other. She moaned involuntarily, attempting to loosen the embrace, but giving up quickly, unable to move within his unexpectedly strong arms. Not even wanting to move. Just letting him do whatever he wanted. Letting him hold her, kiss her, caress her the way he wanted. She did not care, as long as it felt like this, as long as it felt like heaven...

"Jack", she whispered to hear his voice, to make it all more real.

"Lizbeth", he answered under his quickened breath.

"I think... we should be doing something...", she started, trying to gather her thoughts.

"I think we are doing something, luv", observed Jack with a ghost of a smirk, silencing her with his lips.

"Ye-yes... but I mean... we should get away from here... I think... as soon... as we can... that is... now..."

"Yes", he said, not seeming to be listening to her with much comprehension.

He could not remember when was the last time he got so lost in a kiss, in a woman. He could not remember. Maybe never. Maybe now it was different, because now, with Elizabeth, it was not so simple. It was not only desire, lust. He knew only too well how to deal with these. But now it was something else, something tearing him apart, burning, vexing, frustrating, haunting him. Something infinitely sweet, unprecedentedly intoxicating. Something he did not quite believe in before. Now, it was love. And not a word only, but also a feeling. Completeness... Exclusiveness... Elizabeth... Lizzie... The words were flickering through his mind at random. He was amazed by the discovery. He was amazed by the feeling. He was amazed by her.

"I love you", he said in a strangely fragile whisper, holding her tight, bringing her head to nestle into his chest.

"I love you too", she whispered ardently, with a smile, because he was saying this for the second time, he was saying this again, while she did not even quite expected him to say it ever.

Captain Jack Sparrow admitting his feelings... That was almost unimaginable.

They stood holding each other silently, having virtually forgotten about the entire situation, about being trapped in this room...

When they heard a noise, at first they could not understand from where did it come from. Coming back to the reality, they noticed with sincere astonishment that somebody was manipulating, like Jack before, with the door. Soon, the door opened, featuring William Turner in the doorway.