A/N: I have no idea where this chapter came from...ok so I do...but I'm not going to share :-) I will only say that I didn't know until this came out on paper that I might find some of myself in Jack... At any rate, I'm particularly fond of this chapter for some strange reason...so go easy one the reviews ;-) I hope you all enjoy...

Drink up me 'earties...Yo ho!

Kenn...Ah, it is so sad to see my favorite piratess so defeated :-( Perhaps Jack may have been more sarcastic, but he is beginning to feel strange things these days...

Cal...Alright, when you finish reading this chapter, you must tell me how you could possibly still be mad with our roguish pirate captain. He is the charmer, is he not? If all goes well, you can pack the punching bag away for the moment and enjoy the reading :-)

Kungfuchick...Yes, we all feel badly for poor Ana these days...and she really is one of my favorite characters from the movie. But if anyone can stay strong and pull through, I have no doubts that she will be the one.

C'lyn...Once again I'm a bit confused by your review. Uncommon words mate? Such as what, may I ask? However, I'm glad that you enjoyed the "painting of the picture"...I'm trying these days :-)

Miss Anya...Well, I suppose we will all just have to wait and see these days what will happen to Ana and Jack. I'm afraid that at this point I'm not even sure myself. The characters start speaking to me and I just type...I have very little control lately...rather annoying actually. However, I'm glad you're enjoying...this chappy is a bit more peaceful than the ones that precede it.

Chapter Sixteen

Over the next week Anamaria's health continued to improve. Jack stayed with her often, but he was able to resume his normal duties on board the ship and for that he was grateful. Decker continued to be impressed by her condition and he thought that in several months' time she might have a good chance of getting back to a normal life at sea.

Several months seemed an eternity to Anamaria, but Decker often reminded her that most pirates in her state didn't even live a week, much less hope to get back to a normal life, ever. Still, she had a hard time accepting the fate.

A little over a week had passed when Jack was sitting on his bed with her, watching her eat. She finished her meal and they went through their usual routine of him taking her plate to the galley and then returning to help her get ready to go to sleep.

He was still sleeping in the chair and although he would never let her know it, it was beginning to reflect seriously on his mood around the crew. Jack hadn't slept well in over two full weeks and the crew was beginning to pay the price.

Tonight, however, when he had finished tucking in the sheets around her and asked if she needed anything else, her answer was unexpected.

"You," she whispered softly.

Jack thought for a second that he must have heard her wrong. That maybe his ears were deceiving him and he was only hearing what he wanted to hear or that the lack of sleep had finally gotten to him and he was hallucinating. But then she was reaching for his hand, pulling him down closer to her. He resisted for a moment and wasn't even sure why and then he felt her warm lips on his, enveloping him into a passionate kiss. How he had missed this...these moments between them...this feeling.

And then, all too soon, it was over, almost as if she had caught herself losing control. Jack instantly regretted the separation.

"Why don't you share the bed with me tonight?" she asked. "I know you've had little sleep over the last few weeks."

While he knew the words made her feel better, Jack saw them for what they truly were: An invitation to restore a balance that had been disrupted between them lately.

He agreed to her offer, quickly stripping down to his shirt and pants and then slipping into the bed beside her. For an awkward moment, the two pirates lay there, side by side, and yet somehow miles apart. Jack was thinking to himself how nice it was to finally be allowed to sleep in his own bed again. Anamaria was trying hard not to entertain her thoughts of reaching out to Jack by focusing on the pain in her arm for once.

She couldn't stop herself, "Jack?"

"Yes," came the softened voice of the captain. She loved hearing his voice when it was full of sleep. He moved to prop himself up on an elbow so that he could communicate with her better in the darkened room.

"Do you find me unbearable these days?" she finally managed to get out.

Jack was somewhat confused by her line of questioning, but attempted an answer. "Well, I suppose we all 'ave our moments of," he paused, "unbearableness. You've 'ad good enough reason for your's 'ere lately. I don't think anyone can hold that against you."

He saw her dark eyes glisten in the pale light of the candles and wondered if she might be about to cry. He couldn't think of any reason their conversation would upset her. In fact, he had fully expected to receive a lecture on how he himself was known to be quite unbearable at times.

Ana almost didn't get her next question out, but something inside her forced her to say it. "That's not what I meant Jack."

For a second the pirate was utterly confused.

"I mean to look at," she finished softly. "Do I disgust you now?"

"What?" Jack asked, his chocolate eyes clouding.

"I've seen it in your eyes. You haven't looked at me the same since the accident." Her own eyes were tearing up and she desperately fought to contain the emotion that would soon be displayed.

Jack's expression instantly softened and for a split second Ana thought she saw something there that might prove her wrong.

"Ana, nothing could change the way I see you," he said, reaching slowly forward to gently brush her cheek with his fingertips and suddenly noticing the wetness there. "Nothing." He leaned over to kiss her briefly. "Your handicap only affects you as you allow it to. When I look at you, I still see the same beautiful, strong, pirate woman I 'ave always seen. The fact that you don't 'ave an arm now doesn't change that." He stroked her cheek again, moving in to kiss her.

This time, Anamaria deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue inside his mouth and allowing it to dance against his own. Jack moved closer to her, subconsciously running his fingers through her long dark hair. He wanted to touch her, badly, to feel her smooth skin against his fingertips again. To feel her body move in time with and respond to the motions of his. But he was afraid that he might hurt her, that maybe she wasn't ready to do those sorts of things again, and so he restrained himself. It was then that he felt her hand on his own, encouraging him, letting him know that it was ok. She slid his hand under her shirt to rest it on her breast and Jack instantly responded, massaging the soft flesh with calloused fingers. He kissed her harder, enjoying the feel of her body responding. He was still afraid, however, of going further.

Somehow Ana sensed his discomfort. Breaking their kiss, she said softly, "It's alright, Jack. I'll be alright."

Jack pulled back enough so that he could truly read what was in her eyes. Seeing nothing but sincerity and desire for him there, he moved to undress himself.

Coming back to her, he started things off slowly again, touching and tasting her. Carefully, he removed each piece of her clothing, caressing and kissing the exposed skin that he found underneath. When he was satisfied that she had had her fill of pleasure and she was begging him to give himself to her, he conceded. He entered her gently, pausing to ask if she was alright. Insisting that she was, she pleaded with him to continue.

Jack made love to Ana that night in a tender and caring manner that he was almost positive he had never exhibited to any other woman in his life. When he caught tears on her face halfway through, he was instantly afraid he had done something terribly wrong. But Anamaria reassured him, asking him to please not stop and promising him it was only a minor pain in her shoulder. Jack proceeded even more tenderly than he had thought himself possible of only moments before.

Soon he felt her body give way to his and he allowed himself to be consumed in the crashing wave as well. In the aftermath, he laid there by her side, wiping away the sweat on her brow.

"Are you alright?" he whispered quietly, almost afraid that if he spoke too loud the spell would be broken.

She nodded and Jack thought he saw small tears still remaining in the corners of her eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked, brushing the tears away.

"Mmmhmm."

Jack gave her a small smile and a brief kiss on the forehead. Her eyes closed involuntarily and he knew she was fighting off sleep. Soon, sleep won the battle and Jack found himself studying her slumbering features.

He was growing tired as well, but for the moment he willed himself awake, wanting to take all of her beauty in. Memorizing each curve and each line while he had the chance.

It had been a long time since he had taken a woman that way, and never in exactly so wonderfully sweet a manner. He had been young, so young. And very much in love. Their love had been the kind told of in fairy tales, she a wealthy nobleman's daughter and he a merchant sailor, just beginning his career. Madelyn. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing the memory to go away as quickly as it had come.

When he opened them, it was just he and Ana again, the memories had faded, vanishing into the darkness of the night. But he could feel those feelings still, stirring inside him. Feelings he wasn't anxious to feel again and yet he couldn't necessarily stop them. Enough he scolded himself. He focused once again on Anamaria and found himself lost in her beauty. He traced her eyebrow with his fingertip and gently kissed her on the mouth. She stirred, but did not awaken.

He had never known a woman as beautiful and as brave as this one. It was what had drawn him to her in the first place, wasn't it? Well, besides the fact that she had had her own boat. A small smile touched the corners of his lips as he thought how grossly he had underestimated her at first sight. But he had learned his lesson quickly and had never again questioned her inner strength.

He thought of the night that she had taken on the filthy ruffians that had dared challenge her five to one and it came as no surprise to him to find himself thinking she probably could have handled them by herself, somehow. He thought of later that evening when she had nearly out drank him and even still later on when she had pushed him against the wall so hard that she had knocked the breath out of him.

There was no doubt after tonight that he had shared his most passionate sexual experiences with this dark-skinned lady. She had taken him to both ends of the spectrum and he could think of no one else that he would rather have shared those moments with.

He twisted a dark strand of her hair absentmindedly around his fingers. The day that she had agreed to continue sailing with him had been one of the happiest of his life. And although he knew those days were probably drawing to a close, he couldn't stop the smile that touched his lips.

He found himself sliding closer to her, draping a weary arm across her midriff and then he was drifting off, falling into a land of dreams both sweet and haunted.

Sometime near sunrise, Jack awoke. He quietly studied Anamaria, hating to wake her this early. For a second, he was swept back to memories of last night. A satisfied groan, a gentle touch, a delicate kiss…a collection of movements, motions, and memories that quite possibly made up the most satisfying sexual experience of his life. Dangerous thoughts he chided himself, suddenly remembering the hour that he had laid by her side, studying her as she slept.

He didn't want to wake her, but he knew he had no choice. He had to be at the helm soon and she wasn't in the best shape to get herself dressed these days. She had made a lot of progress and Jack had no doubts that very soon she would be perfectly capable all by herself, but for now, she still needed some help.

He gently shook her, "Anamaria."

She stirred softly.

"Anamaria," he said, shaking her again, "You've got to wake up."

She groaned, rubbing loosely at her right eye.

"Ana," he insisted.

"What is it?" she asked, slowly blinking back sleep to study him.

"We've got to get you dressed. I need to be at the helm. Then if you want, you can go back to sleep."

She suddenly noticed her captain's own state of undress and realized that they had never before remained undressed in front of one another in the morning. Always before, one of them had rushed to clothe themselves before the other awoke. She wondered if it was significant or if it had simply slipped his mind as she studied his well-muscled body. He looked just as good as he felt.

"Come on," he said again, "help me get you dressed."

They awkwardly managed to get her clothes back on her and then Jack dressed himself.

"I'll be back to check on you later on," he said, moving to the doorway, "and Decker should be up with some breakfast in a bit. Until then, try to get some more sleep."

Anamaria nodded, finding herself already comfortably snuggling into the pillow. She didn't even hear him close the door behind him.