AN: Eeekkk!!! Pirates was awesome:). I couldn't believe how it ended though. And I missed the ending sequence after the credits. Gah. Oh well. I'm going again this weekend: ). Haha. I'll try to morph the story into somewhat following AWE's storyline.

I woke off and on for the next few days. Unfortunately, I was awake during the removing of the bandage. The area that it had penetrated was bruised, explaining why I was in pain sometimes. The wound itself, however, had closed itself to the elements. Jack smiled happily when he saw it. "You're healing nicely."

I watched his expression carefully as he spoke. Something had been different between us ever since the accident. He hadn't been avoiding me, but he was more solemn than his normal self. His hand was resting on my stomach as he watched me and I grabbed it with my right hand, knowing that I had to use that arm sooner or later. To my relief, it didn't hurt much. Jack's thumb slowly stroked mine as we sat there, looking at one another. "Jack…" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to continue. "Thank you. For everything you've done."

"You're welcome, lovely." Jack moved closer to me, smiling slightly.

His arm threaded around my shoulders, pulling me to him while being wary of my right side. I laid my head on his shoulder, our hands still connected. I pulled back and looked at him, my eyes wide with suspicion. "Jack?"

"Yes darling?" I smiled sweetly.

Something had been nagging at me ever since the accident. We hadn't kissed ever since and he would only kiss me on the cheek whenever I would try to meet his mouth. "I love you."

He turned his head and looked at me with sparkling brown eyes, meeting my green ones. As if sensing my want, he bent his head and met my lips in a wanting and demanding kiss, the kind I'd so long missed. We continued like that until we both needed a breath. "And I you Alley." I smiled.

He didn't hesitate to capture my lips, his arms tightening around me. Jack caught himself and stopped the kiss as he was starting to lean me back so he could be on top of me. I threaded my fingers into his hair gently. "Jack…"

"I don't want to hurt your shoulder."

"It's fine. I'm fine! I promise." I leaned in and kissed him gently yet firmly.

He took my word for it and rolled on top of me, giving me a kiss. "Now I believe that if my lady is well enough, I shall relieve her of her lack of fun and…" I shut him up before he could continue with a hard kiss.

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I awoke later that evening in Jack's arms with my head on his chest, as usual. A soft snore entered the silence, accompanied by even breathing. I laughed to myself. Jack had his arms gripped tightly around my waist and back so that I could hardly move. I noticed, however, that neither hand was near my shoulders. For a pirate captain as legendary as himself, he was quite the worrisome husband, not that I minded. It had been nice to spend the afternoon in the fashion that we had, considering that a few weeks had passed since the honeymoon, which was also when I got shot. Over and over, he'd told me that he'd loved me, as if I didn't know that.

Jack grunted in his sleep and I smiled. Eventually, he settled back down and drifted back into a deep sleep. For some unknown reason, I was unable to follow suit. I positioned my head so that I could see his face clearly. I lay there, watching his face until I saw his lips twitch; he was still awake! "Jack Sparrow, are you pulling my leg?" I teased playfully, knowing that he was doing so.

"Maybe." That was all I got until he sprung and captured me under him. "Not that you mind, I hope, because I was wanting you to go back to sleep yourself." He crashed his lips upon mine.

"Mmm… Jack." I spoke between kisses. "You're. Awfully. Playful." Finally he pulled away enough for us to catch our breaths.

"Aye." His lips descended upon mine once more. He paused for a moment and stared down at me, gazing in admiration. "You're beautiful, darling."

I barely had time to smile before his lips descended on mine. After a few minutes, however, a knock sounded before we could progress. "Who the bloody hell is it?" Jack's voice was irritated.

The knock-giver opened the door before replying, however. Jack rolled off of me and I propped up on my left elbow while pulling the covers tight around my chest with the other. The bullet wound showed proudly on my right shoulder, a faint red color around it. Will and Elizabeth entered with Gibbs close behind. "Oh…" Will turned a dark shade of red as he realized what he'd walked in upon. "Maybe we should leave…" Elizabeth rolled her eyes and held his arm to keep him in place.

"Who's steering?" Jack asked, eyeing all three of them and obviously annoyed.

"Cotton, Cap'n." Gibbs spoke firmly. "Hate to interrupt, but there's something we need to discuss."

Jack sank down onto the pillows, growling. "Can it not wait?"

"No, Jack." My husband immediately sat up at hearing his first mate say his first name. Gibbs only did that when it was a serious yet somewhat private matter. "There's a slight problem on the seas at the moment. An Indian trade ship was crossing to the Caribbean, crashed, and Barbossa was the cause of it."

Jack found my hand under the covers and stroked it gently as he held it with his left one. "And?" His eyebrows rose as he waited.

"He apparently wanted gold, however there was none. Sao Feng got to the ship right after he did. Of course he asked Barbossa where the gold was, and Barbossa…" Elizabeth was cut off by poor Will, who obviously wanted to exit.

"He blamed it on you, saying that you'd gotten to it."

"Bugger. I can handle it…" Gibbs cut Jack off.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy, Jack. Not only are they both on our trail, but they have the old crew of Davy Jones with them along with Beckett and Norrington's groups."

"Bugger. Bugger bugger bugger." Jack muttered to himself for a matter of minutes until Will spoke.

"My father is with that old crew. Possibly, I can get him to turn the rest of the crew against them."

"No. It won't work."

Worry surged through me. Jack was going to be worried for quite some time due to this. "Where'd you hear this at?"

"A passing pirate ship."

"So we have a couple of days?" My voice was filled with worry.

Gibbs nodded and responded with careful wording. "More like a week or so, I'd say. Jack," he lowered his voice. "We should go to Tortuga or such and find a safe place for Alex."

Jack nodded and I replied in an outburst. "No! I'll be fine. Please Jack…"

"Darling they've both tried to take you countless times and I'm not risking it again." His brown eyes met my green ones.

"Jack…"

I truly did not want to go someplace and be left by Jack. Certainly Jack knew that, although I knew that he did and that he'd do it anyways. "Alley listen. We have to find a safe place for you. If not Tortuga then you can stay on an island, prepared of course, or something." I nodded.

Quietly, Gibbs, Elizabeth, and an eager Will left as we spoke. "I know…" I allowed myself to be pulled into his warm embrace, my eyes meeting his.

"I'm not going to see you injured, savvy?"

"Savvy." I whispered against his lips as he met mine.

I pulled back, feeling that something was wrong. "Jack, that whole India story wasn't a cover-up for the truth, was it? A truth that you don't want me, and possibly Elizabeth, to know?"

"Course not." I watched him with extreme curiosity. "Why would I?" His words were dripping lies.

"To protect me. Because you don't want me finding out now about something that you've known for a long time."

Jack eased us both down onto the pillows, moving so that we were facing each other but still entwined. "Let's say that I am. I don't want you to know what ever I don't want you to know because it would upset you and you'd get upset with me. Now say that said secret got out and you heard it. You'd be mad and I don't need that, now do I?"

Part of me was mad at him for evading the subject and for not trusting me to not get upset. The other part of me loved him for trying and for trying to protect me. Although the feeling that told me something bad was going wouldn't leave, I tried my hardest to ignore it. "Let's say that I did find out and that I did get mad. Considering that I have a feeling that you, Will and Gibbs planned out that little story and that Elizabeth was told that to stop her from thinking the same thing I am, I'd say that the said secret would well be worth getting mad over."

Jack watched me carefully for a moment and smiled slyly. "Aye. That's why I'm not going to tell you until the opportune moment arrives."

"You and your opportune moments, Jack… Aye there's a time for everything but I think I deserve to know. Considering you've been lying for the past ten minutes."

"Alley…"

Jack dove for my lips, which I let him meet with his own just before turning onto my left side, facing away from him. "I'm going to sleep."

I felt him move closer and his arms moved around my waist, skin on skin. I didn't fight him. I didn't like being upset with him, but he was lying and being his pirate self. Not that it was a bad thing, considering that I had married him for that purpose. But I deserved to know.