Chapter Forty-Six

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I own nothing except Melissa, Kate, and any other OC's that I mention.

Don't own this chapter, either. It belongs to Shania Twain. I had this song stuck in my head when I wrote it...haha...

Kate and Will's body language was comfortable now. The two sat a little – but not much – closer together at couples counseling. Kate could only begin to wonder what was about to happen today.

She, surprisingly, was happy today. After patching things up with Jack, and now being with Will, she felt lighter than she had all week. She just hoped that she could get Will's forgiveness soon. She was trying hard, after all.

Kate saw that Mercer was still in the room, at the back of the desk, working on something, but occasionally looking up at them. And by occasionally, Kate meant every five seconds or so.

"Day three out of seven of my program," Beckett said. "And I suppose it's working for you?"

Kate and Will looked at each other. They weren't going backwards, that was for sure. But they weren't going forwards, either.

"I suppose," Kate said, looking back at Beckett. "What's step number three?"

"Step number three...that is..." Beckett's face crinkled up slightly. "Why did you fall in love?"

Kate had to try not to laugh as both Beckett and Mercer seemed somewhat disgusted. Kate thought that the sadists in both of them were really showing now.

She stole a glance at Will and smiled gently at him. "Well...this is going to be a fun one," she said to him.

She saw a small smile creep upon his lips. "No arguments out of this one?"

She shook her head.

Mercer stood up. "I'll leave now, sir."

She could practically hear Beckett's thoughts to Mercer: Save yourself.

"Miss Sims and Mr. Turner, come now," Beckett said. "Let's not waste my time!"

"Oh, that would be a shame, wouldn't it?" she mocked. "Well...how did we fall in love, Will?"

"Well...we met when I woke up in your bedroom," Will replied.

"Oh, a one night stand. And you two wonder why you're in couples counseling–"

"It was not a one night stand," he said. "I wouldn't dare take advantage of a woman like that. It's a bit difficult to explain."

"And no more wise cracks about why we're here! Believe it or not, there's a reason that Will has more fangirls than you."

"Fangirls?" both men said in unison.

She sighed, regretting bringing up fangirls. "Never mind. I believe as you said, Beckett, you didn't want me wasting your time. Will and I fell in love suddenly. I started falling for him the day after we met. When I met him, he seemed kind of like a lost puppy." She directed her attention to Will. "And I mean that only in the best of ways." She looked back at Beckett. "So I decided to just watch over him–"

Kate noticed that Beckett was looking at her chest. "Ahem! My eyes are up here!"

"Yes, I'm fully aware of that. You never do cease to amaze me with your intelligence, Miss Sims."

"Then stop staring at my chest!" she said, through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry to inform you that I'm not giving you the flattery that you believed I was. Your necklace..."

Kate looked at the golden medallion tucked into her chest. She pulled it out and took it off and handed it to Beckett. "It's Will's. I wear it when...when I miss him."

The first day that she met Will, she had kept her medallion on nearly all day and had even slept with it on – just to see if he could be able to go back to his normal era. It didn't work, so now she did wear it when she missed him, just like she said. She had worn it all this week.

"You wear that?" Will asked.

She nodded. "Sometimes I just want you with me."

"This is a pirate medallion," Beckett said.

"I know. And I didn't mean to pull an Angelina Jolie/Billy Bob Thorton by having Will's blood on there, but I cleaned it off. Sort of creepy otherwise, wouldn't you say?"

"It had your blood on it?" Beckett asked Will.

"In all fairness, she did clean it," he said.

"You two are in–"

"Dire help?" Kate gave a fake smile. "We know. You've said something along those lines before. Now, back to why Will and I fell in love."

Beckett handed Kate back the medallion, but Will held his hand out. "May I?"

A romantic gesture! she thought. Maybe he is going to forgive me soon!

"Yes," she said, handing him the medallion. She gathered her hair to one side and felt Will put the medallion fasten it around her neck. "Thank you," she said.

Beckett rolled his eyes. "Miss Sims, you were saying you fell in love because Will, quote, 'seemed like a lost puppy.'" He made a show of referring to his notes for the quote.

So he writes down what we say? she thought.

"Yes, I did," she said. "And he's such a sweet guy...like when we were grocery shopping that first day. Do you remember that, Will? You didn't know what coffee was?"

He nodded. "Yes, I remember that."

This was the longest they had gone without arguing for a week. Kate couldn't help but smile.

Beckett sighed. He obviously hated this part of his "ingenious" program.

"I fell in love with Kate the moment I saw her. Even if she was screaming at me to get out of her house."

"Interesting," Beckett said. "The first words out of her mouth to you were ones that she screamed at you. Look at how far you two have come."

Kate couldn't tell if that last part was sarcastic or not. Instead, she said to Will, "You never told me that."

"Now you know," was Will's reply.

Kate bit her lip and smiled. Things were looking up for the two of them – finally. Did Beckett really have a good program? That would be a bigger shock than Jack saying that he gave up rum.

"Will?" she asked. "Are you over Elizabeth?"

He frowned. "Yes. Whatever would make you think that?"

"Well, when we first met, you were comparing her to me, like my height. And after everything that happened last weekend, you called me Elizabeth. I just want to know, you know...are you sure that you're over her?"

"Katherine, when I first met you, I was still thinking about her. I did notice many similarities between you and Elizabeth. Perhaps that's why I fell in love with you. But I love you for who you are, not because you remind me of my first love. I love how independent you are and hold nothing back. At the same kind, you're gentle and caring, and love to have fun when you let your guard down."

"What about last weekend?"

"That was a mistake. What you did reminded me of her and I didn't mean for that to come out. I apologize if I hurt your feelings."

"So you didn't fall in love with me because I'm basically a reincarnated Elizabeth Swann?"

Will smiled. "I promise you."

Kate returned the smile. Things were going up for them, finally.

Melissa returned home that evening and felt a change of pace. She didn't feel like going downstairs and slamming her door. After seeing the sparrow again (which she was positive Jack had sent) she felt like talking to him.

She went down the stairs, and who standing next to the entryway as usual, but Jack himself, arms outstretched like they had been for the past week.

"Love! Welcome 'ome!" he said cheerfully.

Instead of going to her room right away, she stood in front of him and stared at him. If that surprised him, he hid it very well, that same infamous Jack Sparrow grin plastered on his face.

"Thank you," she said. "I missed you."

"Me, too!" he said, gesturing for her to hug him.

She dropped her purse on the ground as quickly as her guard and felt him embrace her in a tight hug. Melissa realized how much she really had missed him. She missed his touch, his scent...

And now she realized how much she missed his kiss. Melissa was taking out all of her aggressions out on him that she had felt the past week. She shoved him against the hallway wall.

"Don't you dare do that to me again, Jack," she said. "If you do...I'll make you walk the plank," she added playfully.

"Ah, maroon me on an island? Ye're becomin' just like Barbossa, missy."

"I mean it. This is the last chance I'm giving you. No kissing other girls..." She kissed him. "No eyeing other girls..." She gave him another kiss while pressing him against the wall. "And no staying home during the day."

"A job?" he asked.

"Yes, a job. You could get one at a liquor store. You'd get discounted alcohol."

"'N' they 'ave rum there?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll get a job there!"

Melissa was surprised he gave in that easily. But with rum as a benefit, anything was easier.

"And you promise to all three of those things?"

"Sure! Now...where were we? Ah, yes, my lips were here..." Jack placed his lips on Melissa's.

"You sent that sparrow, didn't you?" she asked between kisses.

"Ah, he annoyed you, did 'e?"

"He wouldn't stop chirping, I took that as a metaphor for something."

"Oh, did ya, now?"

She kissed him again. "I did."

Kate couldn't stop thinking about Will and the counseling session today.

Will was over Elizabeth.

She was pretty sure that Will still loved her -- Kate, not Elizabeth.

And she was also pretty sure that he was going to forgive her soon.

Kate got out of bed. She walked outside to the deck and walked down the stairs. When she reached the lawn, the motion detector turned on. Will's head quickly turned towards her. She gave a small smile.

Kate sat down next to him. Above them was endless black velvet, decorated with little diamonds. Kate had always loved the night sky. Everything was so beautiful, particularly the stars. There were so many that one could never see...no one could even begin to count how many there were.

The motion detector light turned off. The two of them were in the darkness now.

"So you couldn't sleep, either?" Kate asked Will.

"No, I couldn't," he said.

The wind blew gently. Kate felt a slight chill go through her. She hugged her bare knees to her chest.

"You know, you were right about something, Will. Couples counseling...it was smart of you to tell me to do that."

Through the moonlight, Kate could see him smile. "I'm glad that you agree with my choice."

She smiled back. "I'm glad to see that we're still together."

"You said nothing would ever tear us apart."

She paused to let another chill go through her. It was cold out tonight. "So lets not be torn apart over something like this."

"I never said anything about doing that," he said softly. "Jack or your father will not tear us apart. I promise to always stay by you." He held her hand delicately. "I promise to protect you and to listen to you and always stay by your side."

She laughed. "You're making it sound like we're taking wedding vows."

"Yes, well..." She saw him turning red through what little light the moon gave.

Kate knew that she was not one to back out of promise. She knew that she'd have to choose her words carefully. "I promise to never hurt you again."

There was a silence between the two of them. Kate was looking at one of the pine trees in the backyard. A squirrel went down the tree trunk.

"Say, if you don't have any plans for this weekend, do you?" Will asked her.

"No, I don't," she responded. "I'm very bored...and alone..." She laced his fingers through his.

"Would you care to do anything? Perhaps you and I could go for a walk?"

She smiled. "I would love that, Will," she said softly.

Their lips moved closer towards each other. Will put his hand on her neck. She missed his touch. It had been almost a week since they last kissed.

The motion detector turned on, startling both of them. Kate gasped and turned around to find a squirrel scampering across the lawn. She laughed, trying to shade her embarrassment.

Why do things always interrupt my kisses? she thought angrily. First Jack interrupted what would have been our first one, and now a squirrel interrupts our make-up kiss...

As quickly as the moment between them had built, it vanished equally as fast into the summer's night sky.

"I'm going back in," she said, pulling her fitted, white half-length sleeves past her elbows. "It's cold out."

Kate's Blog Entry

Couples counseling was sort of fun today. And I use the word "fun" very lightly, being that Beckett and Mercer was there. Why? Because Will and I did not fight and we almost kissed outside! I know the almost-kissing has nothing to do with counseling...but a stupid squirrel interrupted us! God, that wrecked a moment. But Will and I are doing something this weekend – I'm so excited! That means he either has forgiven me and just hasn't told me yet or is very close to forgiving me. Things are going back to the way they were – YAY!!! I can't tell you how happy I am that Will has it in his heart to forgive me! Oh, great, I'm going all cliche now. How about I call it a night?

XOXO,

Kate

Melissa's Blog Entry

Alright, so I kissed Jack. I forgave Jack. I am madly and deeply in love with Jack. So I'm a little easy. Not that kind of easy. Gosh, get your head out of the gutter! Alright, you try being in my shoes – you could not resist Jack, even if he cheated on you! And he does seem pretty sorry...gosh, that sparrow thing was so cute.

...I shouldn't have kissed him, should I?

Love,

Melissa Rose