AN: Eeekkk!!! Only a week until POTC 3!!! Yay:).

We stayed down in the galley for quite some time, allowing Jack some time to be captain. I just hoped he wasn't giving poor Will too much of a hard time. When we did emerge from below deck, however, Jack was at the wheel, grinning. I laughed when I saw Will further down on the deck, securing the ropes. Apparently Jack had finally won judging from his expression. He caught sight of me the same time that Will spotted Elizabeth. She walked over to him, greeting him with a kiss. I smiled and turned back to see Jack motioning for me to come to him. I walked up the steps to Jack, who greeted me the same way Will had greeted Elizabeth. I grinned at him.

He returned it and placed an arm around my waist, pulling me to him while he steered his precious Pearl. "I see you gained control." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, and what a fight it was." Jack grumbled, making a face as he spoke. "Where did you run off to?"

I responded, leaning on him. "Elizabeth and I had tea while you were acting like a five year old."

"I was not! I simply wanted control of my ship. Need I go into this again?" Jack gave me a pleading look, signaling that he would rather not.

I laughed. "No."

The wind blew my dress around, causing me to pull back from Jack in order to smooth it out. The day had passed faster than I had expected and I wasn't exactly complaining. I was eager to go back into our cabin and just be with him. As if reading my thoughts, Jack smiled. "Today wasn't so bad, was it now, deary?"

"No." I smiled back as he pulled me in front of him with his free hand. "It was anything but bad."

"Told you so…" He bent down and captured my lips with his.

"You did not!" I spoke against his lips.

He didn't fight. Instead, he pulled me to him again, our lips colliding once more. The kiss grew into a repeat of the one we'd shared earlier that day. When we pulled apart for breath, Jack grinned. "I'll be there shortly, darling."

"Alright."

I kissed him gently before going to the cabin like he was expecting me to. Once I entered, I closed the door gently behind me, as if I thought someone would barge in. I sat on the still unmade bed and drew my knees to my chest. A sigh escaped my mouth as I lay my head upon them and smiled in a happy and tired fashion. The pillows weren't far away as I leaned back onto them, the coolness of the fabric feeling wonderful against the back of my neck. My head left my knees and leaned onto the feather-filled pillows. As I closed my eyes, I heard someone come in. Assuming it was Jack, I dismissed it and allowed sleep to overcome me.

When I awoke, I found I was in a pair of arms, which I assumed were Jacks. When I heard Jack's voice, however, I knew it wasn't Jack who was carrying me. His voice was too far away. Warily, I opened my eyes and saw that my arms were wrapped around the neck of none other than Hector Barbossa. The bothersome pirate looked down and saw my green eyes staring up at him with a strong dislike. "Ah. You're awake. Sleep well?"

I turned my head in Jack's direction, confusion written on my face. "Put her down, Hector." Jack's voice held venom.

He had once told me that the pirate who was holding me now hated to be called by his first name. Barbossa seethed. "Where's my gold?"

My arms were still around his neck so that I didn't fall. "We haven't ported in a few weeks."

"Put me down." I spoke quietly due to my half-awaken state.

Barbossa dug his right hand into the skin under my knee. "Quiet." I winced. "You should've had the gold already."

"I was getting your bloody ship."

Even in the faint moonlight, I could see Jack mouth 'sorry' to me. I smiled sadly. "Ah, I see. I'll make sure your girl is reminded of who stole it to save her life everyday…" I grimaced.

"Wife."

"Excuse me?" Barbossa questioned Jack.

I strangled the laugh that was threatening to escape my lips as Jack struggled to announce that we were married. The crew knew of course, but I knew telling Barbossa would be like walking through Hell for him. "Wife. She's my… Wife."

"Ah yes. I heard you two were on your honeymoon last week and the week before. Hope you enjoyed her…" Barbossa turned to take me onto his ship when he heard Jack's pistol cock. "Do you really want to take the chance and hit your girl?"

"Maybe." I heard the lie in my husband's voice.

Quickly, I dug my nails into the back of Barbossa's neck until he dropped my legs, which I then used to kick him in a certain spot. "Now!" I screamed to Jack, hoping he would know that I was almost down.

As soon as my feet were on the ground, however, the older pirate's grip on me tightened and swung me out to where the bullet was heading. Jack saw it and ran to me, hoping to pull me out of the way. But it was too late. The bullet had hit my right shoulder, nearly the same spot as wear Teng had hit Jack a couple of months earlier. Barbossa coyly laughed and left. "Enjoy your wounded girl. I still want my gold."

He sailed off as Jack kneeled and laid my head on his lap, massaging my hairline. "I'm sorry darling…" I winced as my shoulder moved when he brought me into his arms to carry me.

"It was my idea. For an old pirate he can move fast." I tried to laugh but the pain in my shoulder hurt too badly.

My left side was against Jack as he carried me, his hands gentle to my right. With quiet words, Jack laid me down where I had lay only a few hours before. "Sorry, my love."

He sat next to me and caressed my face with his hands. Before I could respond, however, Jack was digging through his drawers for something or other. "Jack?"

I was lying comfortably on the pillows as I closed my eyes to the pain, waiting for it to subside. Jack returned with a bottle of rum, pure alcohol, and a couple of rags. "Alright, Alley. Come here." He sat on the bed once more, placing my head in his lap again. "Drink a little of this." He held the bottle of pure alcohol to my lips, helping me sit up slightly. Reluctantly, I drank, knowing what he was doing. "Go to sleep, love." With a quick kiss on the lips I was out cold.

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When I awoke, I felt a searing pain in my right shoulder. I gasped at the pain, bringing Jack out of his sleep next to me. I whimpered at the pain and closed my eyes. "Easy darling…" Jack rolled onto his left shoulder and watched me, his right hand stroking my face. "How are you?"

"My shoulder" I took a breath before continuing. "Is sore."

"I know, love. I know. I took out the bullet because it had gone in deep. When I got shot, it wasn't that deep. You've been asleep for a good week, Alley." I nodded and relaxed, finding that it eased my shoulder. It had been wrapped in cloth at an angle, from my left shoulder to my right upper arm. "Think you can come here?" I looked at him, immediately understanding what he meant.

Painfully, I lifted myself up enough to shift over to Jack, where I lay my head on his chest, my upper body lying on his shirt-covered abdomen. I let out a shuddering breath as Jack held me to him, careful to avoid my arm. "I'll be fine Jack."

"None of this would've happened if I would've granted you what you wanted earlier in the day or another day to ourselves."

"Jack, don't be silly. I'll heal. Then we can have what I wanted." I made sure that my grin was in my voice.

"Aye. In a few days we'll take off that bandage, savvy?"

"Savvy" was all I could say before I passed out again.

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Jack carefully laid her down on her own pillows so he wouldn't accidentally injure her worse. Guilt had been growing in him for the past week. Who would've thought that Jack Sparrow would feel guilty for anything, let alone injuring a woman? True, he loved her, but no one would've ever imagined that he would be in love, either. Alexis sighed in her sleep, drawing him out of his thoughts. Her face was relaxed and she was slightly smiling.

Jack admired that she wasn't upset that he had shot her and that she still fought to smile just to make him smile. Her right arm was still at her side. When the bullet had been removed, Jack had changed her into one of her pirate outfits; His pirate outfits. He'd figured that one of his shirts and a pair of her breeches would be more comfortable than that dress or one of her own shirts, seeing as his were larger. There was no doubt that her dress was ruined, although Lizzie had told him she could try to stitch it up. He agreed, trying to get her to leave him alone. Gibbs was the only person who didn't get snapped at when he entered Jack's cabin, seeing as he was the only one besides Cotton who he could trust.

He watched her as she slept, a moan escaping her mouth every once in a while. Jack pulled the covers up tighter around her, not wanting her to get cold. He settled back down into the covers and moved closer to her, careful not to touch her arm. Carefully, he leaned over and kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair as she slept. Before long, sleep captured him as well, pulling him into the dream realm with his love.

AN: Sorry that chapter 15 didn't post right;; for some funky reason, my computer didn't save it! Urghhh. It makes me mad but it wasn't vital. Jack was just feeling guilty about letting Barbossa take Alex. Nothing major. And they ate ham:D. Read && Review:D.