DISCLAIMER: If I wasn't myself I'd be someone who owned it. But I am myself, and only reincarnation can change it, and quite frankly I don't want to die just yet.

The sun was an evil thing, Alex decided as she rolled herself out of the hammock and lumbered her way to wards the galley. Noise was also evil, why did everything have to be so bright and so loud?

"Tom."

She croaked as she arrived sitting down quickly rubbing her face tiredly and chugging down water to get that disgusting fuzzy feeling out of her mouth, gods she hadn't had a hangover in quite a while.

"When do we get to Port, Tom?"

Her eyes were concentrating on an apple and maybe if she stopped swaying back and forth she'd be able to walk over and eat it.

"Spanish put us back about a day, Alex ma'am."

Success! She had the apple and would have sunk to the ground if Tom wasn't handy.

"Vegetables, Tom. We'll have soup again. You cut for the moment and when I can focus properly I'll help you."

She couldn't help but hear him snickering as she sullenly chomped on her successfully caught apple, tricky things fruit.

Jack stood on the deck avoiding the rather pointed look that Anna was giving him. He knew she knew that he'd been in the room with Alex last night, he didn't know how she knew but she did and female pirates were by the far the trickiest of all pirates.

He kept himself largely occupied by going over plans with Gibbs about their course and discussing the weather, wind and his compass. All very well constructed avoidance jobs.

The point of this routine was that while he'd resigned himself to the fact that Alex was probably never going to listen to him on certain things i.e. life and death situations, and that he'd never win a verbal fight. Jack, however, wasn't so sure if she'd resigned herself to anything but a hangover which could mean she'd been in a terrible mood which could mean if he approached her the situation could get worse. He also wasn't sure if she knew that he'd let her win, and if she knew that he knew he'd never win with their domestic problems then he knew that she knew that he'd never get any peace as long as she knew and used it. God, it was all so complicated.

He ran a tired hand along his face and let out a long sigh gazing off into nothingness, the crew largely avoiding their Captain. It was in these situations that the crew suddenly found their loyalty divided, following largely in Gibb's footsteps. Do they stay loyal to their Captain during this time of marital problems and risk poisoning or do they ally themselves with the cook, well versed in culinary goodness and piratical health? A perplexing tableau indeed.

After spending the remains of the morning sorting through what was left of the supplies and throwing out whatever was rotten or had been left for so long it had managed to develop language skills, Alex knew she'd eventually have to make an appearance on deck. It took up most of the socialising space on the ship and she was staring to feel like a prisoner in her Galley.

After making a trip to his, or would it soon become 'theirs' again, cabin, with Tom as the scout to make sure he wasn't in there already Alex changed into unsoiled clothes. Tied on hair back and, because she was still snippy at him, donned his hat and boldly walked out on deck. Her head held not quite as high as she wanted only because the sun was too bright and she still had the remains of a headache.

Out of his haze of staring he saw a rather curved figure walking, with a slight limp, across the deck in a hat… wait. Was that his hat? Snapping out of his trance his eyesight focussed on her. There she was, looking more like a pirate than ever. Hardy three quarter pants she'd called 'jeans' and on of his shirts, his, with a light vest over she'd put his hat on and was avoiding his glance.

"Alex."

He'd said it loud enough for her to hear and was silently pleased by the way she froze in her arrogant swagger and slowly turned to look at him. He walked over calmly, not appearing angry by any means, in fact his mind seemed to scream 'mine' when he saw her in his hat. It was better than seeing her in his shirt.

"Jack,"

She tried for nonchalant and was quite pleased that for once she'd achieved it. Cool, calm, collected. He slowly reached up when he stopped in front of her and tugged one side of his hat further down on her head.

"I see you've made yourself very comfortable, luv."

Alex shrugged at him quelling the shiver that quivered on her skin when his hand reached oh so close to her skin.

"I think it looks better on me."

In for a penny, in for a pound, she guessed. If she was going for confidence she might as well be proud about it. As for Jack he just laughed at the comment and nodded.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, you can't get rid of me that easily."

His heart leapt at the comment, though he refused to show it instead he simply called for a bottle of wine, chuckling at the way she went slightly green around the gills at the sight of it.

"Yer not going to throw up the contents of your stomach now are you?"

After taking a few controlled breaths she gave him a scathing, though joking, look.

"I have not been sea sick yet and I'll be damned if a little rum will change that."

With that comment the entire crew seemed to properly exhale the first time since their yelling match the night before. Their Captain was no longer brooding and sullen and they could trust the cook not to poison them, all together not a bad result. The best would have been for them to give into their inestimable lust for each other and end the growing betting pools on exactly when the marriage consummation would take place, the best odds at that moment were when they put to port and hired a room, but they took what they could.

Anna and Gibbs sat together leaning against a set of rigging as they watched the couple smooth things over. From an outsiders point of view they were the dangerous, slightly criminal version of cute, and in this case Anna and Gibbs were the outsiders. They hadn't had this much entertainment since Will and Elizabeth had been on board, truth was it was all so much better without the undead or crustacean pirates ready to jump from the shadows at any moment.

"Shouldn't you be in the Galley?"

Jack's voice cut through her relaxation. For the past… hours or so she guessed she'd calmly been lying in the sun, his hat covering her face. Not wanting to think about work she ignored him, very well.

"I know you can hear me, luv."

He lifted the hat from her face to see her smiling at him, though her eyes were closed.

"I can hear you, I was just ignoring you. I'm very happy here."

There was silence from him and Alex just knew that smacked of mischief. Only seconds later she was poked, in the ribs. She launched herself upright very quickly and managed to get a handful of his shirt.

"Can't just let me rest sometimes, can you?"

It took a few second for her eyes to adjust to the light, but when they did Jack was simply staring at her his hat in one hand and hers still clutching a fistful of shirt from his other hand.

"If I had my way, Alex, you wouldn't rest for a week."

She lifted an eyebrow and let him go, almost certain that he wouldn't take off.

"How do I know you're not talking about cooking?"

Jack looked at her appearing affronted though amused.

"Just discussing honest hard work, luv, you're the one who's reading into it."

She let out a snort at his innocent front; she knew exactly what he was alluding to. In the past few hours since they'd made up she wasn't ashamed to say that she was warming to the idea of being properly married. After all the consummation itself was a perk it was just the rest of the stuff that had her worried, if they got caught by the authorities, if he died, if she died if she got pregnant etc. So far the negative aspects far outweighed the idea of good yummy, hot, pirate sex with Jack. It was growing on her.

"Glad to see life is back to normal."

Alex grinned at Anna who had silently sat down beside her as she watched everyone go about their work. She made a partially agreeing sound and continued to stare out at the ocean still only seeing minor islands which she was told was part of the Bahamas.

Gods if her family could see her now, working on a ship in the Caribbean, passing the most luxurious and best resort places in the world… back in her time. At the moment they were all colonies, pirate havens, though she didn't quite mind the idea of having an island to herself. Maybe Jack could visit every now and then… yeah she could get used to dealing with Jack on a daily basis.

"Alex!"

She turned to see Tom up on deck with another of the crew their fishing lines out, by the looks of it the fish were already biting. She let out a sigh and gave a crooked smile at Anna.

"Looks like I'm off to gut some fish and add it to dinner."

The female pirate smiled and patted her shoulder in a sympathetic way.

"Don't worry about your bare cupboards, Alex. We'll be in Port early tomorrow."

I lied there not in Tortuga just yet. I really struggled with this one and yes I do know how long it's been since I updated. Sorry.

My sisters had a baby I've had relationship problems and uni is giving me hell but it is here.

soaringphoenix86: Yeah I know you bugged me twice and I've still taken ages to update. But I have updated! I'm going to do it sporatically until I've finished uni for the year then hopefully it'll be a lot more consistent.

Second Star to the Left: Yeah last time was updated in record time. But this chapter really quite the opposite. Keep reading and reviewing, and keep writing your crazy reviews! LOL

Oywidapoodles: Yeah the non advantage was kinda non Jack it just worked. But I want him to be a little sweeter. Besides if being sweet gets him what he wants in the end then surely its in character?

Nerd's United: Thanks a lot. Keep reviewing.

Xchibi-PirateX: Thanks a lot, keep reviewing!