Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to Pirates of the Caribbean. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Okay, since I started this story before Pirates 4 came out, I'm going to stick with the idea that mermaids don't talk like we do, but speak telepathically. Also, this story is almost over (just another chapter or so to go!), so beware. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

Chapter 16: Truths and Revelations:

Waking the next morning, I realized that I was not alone, nor was I in my own bed. Slowly, I began to remember what had happened the day before: the storm, Jack falling overboard, and my saving him from death. We had both been brought onboard, and I happily remembered that he had ordered Rebecca to be imprisoned down below. The spell was broken! Jack was free!

Something shifted behind me, and that was when I realized that there was a weight around my waist. Looking down, I saw a familiar hand resting on my belly –a hand that was covered in rings, and which was connected to a wrist that had an image of a bird in flight over a sunny horizon. Apparently Jack had decided to share the bed with me last night.

Smiling, I closed my eyes and slowly sank back into sleep.

He'd sensed that Rina had woken briefly, but didn't dare urge her to stay that way. In saving him from death in the water, she had performed a miracle, and deserved a long rest.

'When she wakes fully, though, I've more than a few questions for her about that whole mess.'

Marina didn't know this, but he had been conscious during some of their time in the sea. It had been beyond everything he had imagined, breathing and surviving under the waves, rather than seeing death waiting for him. When she had pressed her lips to his, Jack had thought it was a touching kiss of farewell, as though she thought they were both going to die together. Rather than fight her, Jack had accepted it at face value and began to kiss her back.

Then, suddenly, he had felt a sort of power pass from Marina's mouth through his to settle in his lungs, where it bid him to breathe as he would back in the realm of air. That magic had felt familiar, and rather than fight it, Jack had relaxed and breathed.

His eyes glazed at the memory. Breathing underwater had been strange, and a tad frightening, but for a man who adored the sea, it had been everything he'd ever wanted. Even with the storm churning the sky and waves, the water had embraced him like an old friend, and Jack had relished in the feel of not only the water's embrace, but also Marina's.

Safely able to survive in the water, it had been child's play to pretend to be unconscious, which Jack had gladly done, if only to savor the feel of Marina's form pressed close to his. However, his exhausted body insisted that he close his eyes and rest every so often, while his rescuer did her best to keep them safe and alive.

For much of their time adrift, Jack had slipped in and out of consciousness. When he was awake, the feel of Marina against his back was unmistakable, as was the firm hold her arm had around him. It was as if she had feared letting him go and losing him, and that hopeful thought was far more potent than the magic flowing through his body.

Sighing softly, Jack looked at her sleeping form and held her closer. Rather than pull away, Marina hummed a little under her breath and instinctively snuggled against him, her back perfectly fitting against his chest. Smiling, Jack pressed a kiss to her hair, the soft black strands smelling and tasting like the sea.

'I'll have to make sure she gets a hot bath as soon as she woke up,' he noted. If he recalled correctly, women liked taking long, hot baths. 'Anna-Maria can fetch that soap I bought her, and she can have a nice soak and scrub.' Anna could also fetch some clothes for her, too, though Jack rather liked seeing Rina asleep in one of his shirts.

As soon as she was rested, washed, dressed, and fed, Marina would head back to the cabin she shared with Anna-Maria, where his second mate would fuss and fret over her for days, or until she was sure Rina was perfectly alright.

Jack scowled. If there was one person who should be fussing over Marina, it was him. After all, he'd treated the poor girl abominably the past few days, and he desperately wanted to make it up to her.

Thinking back over his actions over the past few days, Jack winced. That wretch, Rebecca, had certainly done a good amount of damage, and he was going to make sure that she never did this sort of thing to another man ever again. Before he dumped her back in Tortuga, however, he would need to have a long talk with his crew, and apologize for the way he had been behaving.

Marina shifted a little in his hold, and Jack began to softly hum to her, lulling her back to sleep. 'Well, perhaps I'll have that talk with them in a bit,' he decided with a smile.

The moment was too good to turn away from right now.

The sun was falling onto my face, causing me to wake. Rubbing the dirt and dust from my eyes, I realized I was alone in the bed, and was immediately saddened. Sitting up, I looked around and gave a muted squeak of surprise to see Jack sitting in a chair beside the bed, watching me with a smile.

"Sorry, luv," he apologized, "I was awake an hour ago, and started getting restless. I've made a formal apology to the crew for acting like a complete idiot, thanks to whatever Rebecca slipped into my drink back in Tortuga. They've forgiven me, but I've had to order them to stay away from the brig, so that they don't take their anger out on our prisoner."

I nodded my agreement, though I wouldn't have minded a sound beating as part of Rebecca's punishment. Jack seemed to know what I was thinking, because he winked at me. "I also ordered a hot bath for you. Gibbs and Masterson filled up a half barrel in my main cabin with plenty of hot water. Well, the water's probably a bit cooler now, but it should suit. Anna also brought a bar of your soap, as well as a change of clothes for you."

He hesitated a moment, before rising to his feet. "I'll leave you to it, and be back in an hour or so with our luncheon," he said before leaving the cabin, locking the door behind him so I could have some privacy.

Left alone, I quickly got up and stretched. It was long after noon, but with all of the effort I had put into saving Jack, I wasn't surprised to have slept so long.

Within minutes, I was in the bath, savoring the feel of warm water all around me. I'd never had a full bath before –Anna and I had mostly taken turns scrubbing ourselves clean in our cabin, one person cleaning themselves from the large washbasin while the other stood watch outside. It was easier this way than washing from the basin.

Closing my eyes, I knew that Jack and the men would have questions for me. I could hear some of their thoughts from here, all of them wondering why I had madly leaped into the ocean to save Jack when no one else would. They would also want to know how I had managed to survive in the rough waters, when both of us should have drowned.

I could also sense that Jack was just as puzzled, but he was willing to wait until I was well before asking me the questions that flew through his mind. It would likely make for a good conversation, if it weren't for the fact that it would mostly be one-sided. How was I going to tell Jack the truth when I couldn't find a means of doing so?

'Writing things down would not work. I don't know how to write most of what I want to say,' I thought, biting my lip as I washed.

Using my mental abilities could be the answer, but I didn't want to frighten anyone, or cause them to hate me for being…unusual. I sighed. No, if I couldn't speak out loud, I would have to use my ability to speak mind-to-mind. It was the only way I could make Jack understand everything I had to say to him.

'Well, almost everything.' There was one thing I couldn't bear to tell him, not until I was sure he felt the same way.

By now, the bath water had gone cold, and I was tired again. I quickly stood and dried off with a bit of cloth left for me by Jack, and dressed, my hair beginning to dry in the warmth of the Caribbean afternoon. When I deemed it dry enough, I went back to the bed and lay down, just as Jack entered with a tray of food.

Carrying a tray into the cabin, Jack saw Rina lying in bed and smiled. "Tired again already? Well, hopefully some food will fix that quick. Gibbs and Anna-Maria practically emptied the galley of its finest for you."

Placing the tray on a nearby table, he tried not to think about how, of all his crew, she had been the only one to dive in after him. Something inside told him why she had done it, but he didn't dare to hope at what it could be –not until he and Marina had a long discussion about it.

Yanking the lid off of the tray, he stared at the large, steaming boiled lobster that sat there, the shell already cracked in half lengthwise, and its claws snapped open for easy access to the meat within. There was also a small china bowl full of melted butter, though how Anna had managed to keep butter good this long was beyond him.

The smell that filled the cabin caused his stomach to rumble, and he saw Marina hide a smile. He smiled back, and watched as she gestured for him to join her in eating the delicacy that lay there on the tray. Even though he'd already had lunch, there was no possible way for him to refuse such a feast!

The two of them sat there on the bed, bolting down the delicious meal in contented silence. When they were finished, Jack put the empty tray aside and went to fetch the bottle of mint tea that Anna had brewed for her friend. He returned to find Marina curled up on the bed, facing him and looking entirely adorable as she yawned.

"Ah, ah, none of that," he chided while handing her the bottle of tea. "Drink this; it'll perk you right up."

She obediently sat up, took the bottle, and drank down half the contents in a few gulps. When she finished, Rina put the rest of it aside. Satisfied that she'd done as he'd asked, Jack sat on the bed beside her and turned her head so that her blue-as-the-Caribbean eyes looked into his.

"Now, Rina, I think it's time you and I had a little talk," he said, keeping his voice soft and gentle so as not to scare her.

She seemed to wince a little, but nodded in agreement. Since he was the sort who liked to throw most of his cards out on the table at once, Jack took the first step.

"Marina," he whispered, "Out there in the water, I was conscious during some of that dangerous time, and so I know that you did something wonderful to keep me alive and safe."

Her eyes immediately widened with fear and panic, which struck Jack like a blade to the heart. He didn't want to frighten her, just reassure her that everything was alright.

"I'm not angry with you," he hastily said, "In fact; I'm more than a little impressed, and extremely thankful. You not only saved my life, but you also broke whatever hold Rebecca had on me and set me free. I owe you more than you can imagine for that."

She flushed, a soft rosy pink touching her cheeks. The color went well against the sun-kissed, subtle tan that her skin had taken on during her time aboard the Pearl, and Jack felt an irresistible urge to kiss her.

So he did.

I nearly melted as Jack pressed his lips against mine. The feel of his beard against my face tickled, nearly causing me to laugh as his soft mouth sought my own and warmed my heart.

This kiss was far different than the one we had shared before. Rather than experiencing a mere shock, I felt a marvelous heat spread from my lips to my toes, the feeling indescribable as he reached out to pull me closer to him, holding me gently as he eased me backwards to lay upon the bed.

We lay together that way for a while, Jack and I, only breaking apart to look at each other and to pause for breath. His dark, intense eyes never left my face, those orbs full of emotions I didn't understand, and appeared to be searching for something in his heart that I could not fathom.

When we paused again to look at one another, Jack seemed to decide on whatever it was that had been tormenting him. "I may not know what you are, Rina," he said, looking deep into my eyes, "But I know you are a good woman. I don't care if you are some sort of water nymph or sea spirit in disguise, but I do know one thing."

One hand reached out to brush my cheek. "I love you, Marina," he whispered.

Just then, a sharp burning sensation exploded in my throat, traveling up into my mouth and down into my chest. I reached up to grasp my neck and gasped in pain. That was when I realized that it had been a real gasp, not the usual one that came half-formed from me.

Jack looked alarmed, brown eyes wide as his hand left my cheek. "Rina, what's wrong?" he asked, panicking as his hands went to grasp mine.

Then, as quick as it started, the burning stopped. Still gasping, I realized what had happened. Our time in the ocean had not only helped me break the spell on Jack, but it had helped break the curse that had been set upon me by my sisters!

Thrilled, I looked up at him. My voice would probably be rough from lack of use, but I wanted my first words to Jack to be made now, rather than later. Gathering my courage, I reached up to caress his face, and smiled.

"I love you, too, Jack."

He stared at her, stunned. There were few times in life where he had been struck speechless, and this was one of them. While he sat there in surprise, part of his mind was thrilled that Marina could speak again, and that her first words to him had been that she loved him.

'She has a beautiful voice,' his mind said as he savored the soft, rich tone of it.

In the few words she had spoken, Jack felt that Marina could soothe a savage beast, or lure it to its death; could offer comfort to anyone who she believed needed it, or wail her pain to the open sea and air as she stood on a beach, alone and heartbroken.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, the sorrow in her voice carrying away any anger he might have felt at this revelation. "I would have happily spoken to you before this, but the curse placed upon me would not allow it."

It might have been a lie, but her blue eyes held no falsehoods, and if there was one thing a pirate could easily detect, it was falseness in another person.

And he had experience with curses, what with that whole mess with Barbossa still lingering within his soul. He could understand how his poor girl felt with something like this hanging over her.

"Tell me about it?" he asked, shifting so that he lay beside her, his eyes never leaving her own.

She sighed heavily, as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I'm afraid it is a long story," she said.

"Ah," he replied, getting up from the bed. "A moment, luv. I'll be right back."

He quickly ran to the main cabin to get a bottle of rum, then rushed back to the sleeping chamber. There sat Marina, her back against the headboard as she looked at him in bewilderment. Climbing back onto the bed, Jack uncorked his rum and settled down next to Marina.

"If there's one thing I enjoy, it's a long story," he explained, making himself comfortable. "Now, start at the beginning. I want to know everything."

AN: More to come next week! I'm pretty sure I'm out of Pirates idea, but if someone has any suggestions, feel free to private message them to me. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!