A/N: Yes, it's true. I have finally returned. Sorry for the time spent away, but I needed a tiny break. My world has just been too complex lately. Anyway, I am going to start updating on this fanfiction again regularly. I hope that I still have some readers out there somewhere. Please leave comments...it fuels my drive to write more! I have seen Dead Man's Chest quite a few times, however, I am not integrating that story line into this one at all so there will be no spoilers. I have had the outline for where this story is headed for too long to make changes like that now. I do however, have some ficlets planned that include DMC updates so keep a weather eye open for those. Enjoy!

Drink up me heartie's, yo ho!

Chapter Thirty-One

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Jack apologized once they were back onboard the Pearl and had changed into dry clothing.

"Never a dull moment with you, is there?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack smiled, glad to see that she had not been too upset by the evening's events. Taking out a bottle of rum, he crossed the room and sat down on his bed. His feet were already bare and he reclined against a pile of pillows, pulling loose the cork and taking a long swallow as Elizabeth stared on.

"Come," he said, patting the spot on the bed next to him, "a little rum can only help you take the edge off of that one."

Elizabeth found herself crawling over Jack to the empty spot on his bed and reclining beside him. He wrapped his arm around her, offering her the bottle.

"Thank you," she said, taking a long drink and savoring the burn as it slid down her throat. Passing the bottle back to Jack, she asked, "Did she actually squeeze my breast?"

Jack fought not to spit out the liquid he had just taken into his mouth before swallowing. "It's good to see you have a sense of humor about it," he commented.

Elizabeth started to laugh and her laughter was contagious to Jack, who began laughing as well. As they laughed at the situation and laughed at one another, their laughter grew louder and louder. The laughing lasted for minutes until Elizabeth actually began to cry from laughing so hard and Jack, watching the tears slip down her cheeks began to really study her features. Elizabeth, feeling his eyes resting heavily on her, started to feel uneasy and her laughter began to cease.

"What?" she asked.

Jack smiled, "It's nothing, just that I don't think I've seen that sparkle in your eyes since I picked you up."

Elizabeth's eyes dropped and she wiped at the tears on her cheeks with her fingertips.

"It's refreshing," the pirate added.

"Oh," she said.

Jack shook his head and then took another long sip of rum, "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It's just, you really do have a beautiful smile." He touched her chin lightly with his thumb, allowing his other fingers to caress her cheek.

Elizabeth felt slightly embarrassed by his attention. "Thank you," she managed.

Jack took another drink from the bottle and then offered it to Elizabeth, "Mmm?"

She accepted the rum, "Dare I even ask who she was or what exactly that was about?"

"I told you I had needs," he said, taking the bottle back.

"So she's a whore?" Elizabeth asked.

"Back in her day, Scarlet was the finest whore in all of Tortuga. Now she's owns her own whorehouse. I used to be one of her most faithful customers," he replied, taking another drink.

"Used to be?"

"I found someone I didn't have to pay," the pirate answered. "I should have known better though, as it turns out there's always a price."

The two were silent for a minute, passing the rum bottle back and forth between each other, taking more and more prolonged drinks. When the bottle was empty, Jack got out of bed to get another. After retrieving the next bottle, he moved towards the windows of his cabin.

"Doesn't look like this rain is going to let up tonight," he said, his voice low and husky.

"A possible hurricane?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Jack shook his head, making his way back to the bed. "It's not going to get that bad," he said, plopping himself down beside her again.

She snatched the bottle from his hand, taking a long drink while he looked on, ever impressed with her drinking ability. Handing the rum back to him, she studied his features carefully as he took a drink only slightly longer than the one she had just finished.

"I'm sorry I am such a burden to you Jack," she apologized.

"It's not really that bad luv," Jack admitted. "I mean I'm pretty sure my fellow captain is avoiding me at all costs and I'm most definitely going to have to pay if I expect to get any sort of pleasure out of this trip, but it's not that bad. We're going to get to spend some time together Lizzie and I suppose that's worth it."

"You suppose?"

"Mmhmm," Jack nodded.

"Jack, when Will came to Tortuga with you that first time, did you entertain him with the company of one of your whores?" Elizabeth had the feeling she might not want to know his answer and she wasn't even really sure why she had asked. Will had never given her any reason to doubt his faithfulness, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her.

"What makes you ask that?" the pirate wondered out loud.

Elizabeth shrugged, drinking more rum.

Jack seemed thoughtful and was quiet for a second too long and she began to wonder if maybe she should have never asked the question at all.

"Elizabeth, Will had no interest in this sort of life whatsoever. His heart belonged to you. I don't think he would have entertained another woman in his bed for the world." Jack took a swallow of rum and chuckled to himself. "In truth, I believe young Will was quite naïve when it came to women."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, taking the rum bottle back.

"Do you disagree? Did William know his way around a woman's body?" Jack leaned closer. "Around your body?"

Elizabeth lowered the bottle from her lips and met the pirate's dark eyes with her own. "That's private."

Jack reclined against his pillows once again, letting out a sigh. Elizabeth finished off the rum and asked for more. He obliged her wish and made his way back to the bed. After a few minutes of silence had passed between them, she resumed their conversation.

"Your life here is very different than what Will and I were accustomed to, than what we might have even expected," she said softly.

Jack merely nodded.

"Jack, I know how many times you tried to talk Will into setting sail with you. Why did you want him to come with you so badly? Did you think he would even fit into this way of life?"

Jack hesitated to answer her question at first, searching for the right words. "I trusted William, just as I trusted his father. When you have lived this life as long as I have, you learn that being able to trust someone is rare. It's not so much that I thought Will would fit in here as I thought he would be able to survive. Will had a talent for sailing, for fighting. He may have been naïve and innocent, but he would have prospered on the seas, just like his father."

"I think sometimes Will felt you saw him as weak because he was more interested in staying with his family than going to sea. He always kind of looked up to you Jack."

"It's not that I saw him as weak. I…," Jack paused. "I just didn't always agree with his priorities. Will and I are two very different people. His father left him at a young age to go pirating and he had to grow up with that. He didn't want to leave you and your son behind because he knew what that would feel like to you. I chose pirating. Everything else in the world has betrayed me, but the sea, my ship, this is something I understand. This is what I'm good at."

"Will and I were very much in love. I wish you could have understood that Jack."

Jack took a long drink of rum. "Will was lucky to find someone like you."

"Surely you've had your share of girls. I can't believe that no one has ever looked into your eyes and found you irresistible. That no girl has ever confessed her undying love to Captain Jack Sparrow."

Jack took another drink before passing the bottle back to Elizabeth. He gave her a small smile. "True enough luv, many girls have offered their words of adoration to your favorite pirate. But true love is hard to find and it's not something I have ever even sought after."

"Don't you want to settle down someday, Jack?" she asked, standing to gather another bottle of rum. Her legs felt wobbly underneath her as she stumbled to the cabinet. Perhaps she had drank too much she thought to herself.

Jack sighed, folding his hands under his head as he waited for her to come back. "I don't think settling down is even in me, Elizabeth."

She handed him the fresh bottle before crawling over him again. This time she stumbled slightly and almost ended up sprawled in his lap. The mental picture alone made Jack pull the cork and begin drinking.

"So when will we see Anamaria again?" she asked.

Jack choked on the hot liquid flowing down his throat. "I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

"I really didn't mean to disrupt things between the two of you. I didn't know you two were…" Elizabeth trailed off.

"Anamaria and I have an understanding. We are very much alike, the two of us. We simply enjoy one another's company. No more and no less."

"How many girls have enjoyed your company Jack?" Elizabeth asked, catching him slightly off guard. "How many ladies have you made love to?"

He almost reached for the rum bottle, but decided against it. If she had had enough to drink to cause her to inquire into his sex life maybe she only needed a bit more to decide to become part of it. He knew it was farfetched, but he could hope, couldn't he? It wasn't as if he was going to get it anywhere else from the looks of it.

"One," he answered.

"One what? Hundred?" she asked.

"Only one," he repeated. "I've made love to one girl."

Elizabeth's eyes reflected confusion. "All this talk about your grand understanding of the female and you've only been with one girl?"

Jack was quiet.

"But I thought you said you were with Anamaria the other night. And then what was that about frequently visiting Scarlet? That's at least two and I'd be willing to bet that more than that have shared Captain Jack Sparrow's bed."

"You didn't ask how many have shared my bed luv. You asked how many I'd made love to," Jack answered, his voice deep and low.

"Oh," Elizabeth managed. "I didn't know there was a difference. Well, then how many girls have you taken to bed?"

"There's a big difference. I have only made love to one woman. I have had sex with so many that I don't even know Lizzie. Too many to count and not enough to remember. What about you? Was dear William the only man to ever make his way between your thighs?" Jack asked, slightly aware of the inappropriateness.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, slapping his arm.

"Oh come off it," he said. "You asked me and expected an answer. I'm only returning the question."

Elizabeth took another long swallow of rum as Jack watched the deep colored liquid empty from the bottle. "Of course William is the only man who has ever made love to me."

Jack couldn't resist, "So how many men have you fucked?"

"Don't use that word, it's dirty," she reprimanded. "And none, Will was the only man who ever laid eyes on me."

"Were you the only girl Will ever bedded?" Jack asked.

She hesitated before answering, "Yes. We were both virgins on our wedding night."

"Why the hesitation then luv?" the captain asked her.

"There were other activities we participated in before our wedding," she replied, unsure of why she was answering his questions so simply. The rum had definitely worked to loosen her tongue. On any other given night, she would never have humored his questions.

"Such as?" Jack knew he was pressing, but she hadn't asked him to stop yet.

Elizabeth met his eyes for a brief second, realizing that his arm was around her shoulders again and his face was very close to hers. She emptied the fourth bottle and leaned in closer to him, resting her head on his chest because the room was beginning to spin. At least this way she could avoid his eyes on her.

"Jack?" she asked.

"Yes luv?"

"It's your turn to get the rum," she slurred.

"I think you've had enough rum," he offered. "Remember what I told you. No one likes a sloppy drunk."

Elizabeth giggled.

"So, are you going to finish telling me about you and William or are you going to leave me wondering?" he asked.

She sighed, "Just little stuff, touching and things. I was always the one pushing. Will was content to wait until we were properly married."

"I told you he was naïve."

"He was a gentleman. There's nothing wrong with that. He was so sweet on our wedding night. It took him forever just to undress me. His hands were shaking so badly."

Jack was fairly sure he had never been that intimated about touching a girl. He saw what he wanted and he reached out and grabbed it…or touched it, he thought, in an attempt to make himself seem somewhat more gentle in his own eyes.

"When he finally reached out to touch me you would have thought my skin actually burned his hand." Elizabeth felt a small tear in the corner of her eye as she reminisced.

"He was so scared of possibly hurting me. I knew it was going to be a little painful in the beginning, but I wasn't all that worried. I just wanted him. I just wanted to finally be with him. But Will, he was so concerned. Always so proper. He made love to me so beautifully, asking if I was alright, kissing me, holding me. It was amazing. I've never felt so loved as I did in that moment. We were finally connected as one and it was more than I could have ever dreamed of."

Jack found himself turned on imagining the young Turners wedding night, the innocence and rawness of it all, and he hoped that Elizabeth was unaware of his predicament. He had a feeling she would find his thoughts about their special night somehow dirty.

"Of course, I had hoped that after that night we would get to experiment with other more exciting things, but Will was always a bit hesitant. He said the ideas I had weren't proper."

If Jack had been turned on before, he was painfully hard by now. Elizabeth being improper? What kind of ideas did she have in that pretty little head? He must have been underestimating her all this time.

"Well, what kind of ideas were those?" he asked, completely unable to resist, although fairly certain that she would never answer him.

But the rum had worked more than wonders to open her up to him. "Just different positions, different ways of turning each other on."

"Mmhmm," Jack mumbled, afraid to break whatever spell was getting her to actually tell him these things.

Elizabeth let out a small laugh to herself. "There were a few times where I refused to take no for an answer. I think he enjoyed those times more than he let on."

"Oh?" Yes, he could imagine those times must have been very enjoyable. How had he gotten himself into this situation after all?

She had clearly had too much to drink. Her head was still resting on his chest and her fingers were playing with the laces to his shirt which he was fairly sure was purely innocent on her part, but was turning him on a great deal none-the-less.

She lifted her head slightly to look at him and saw the bruises on his neck again. She touched one softly, "Does that hurt?"

Jack was distracted by her fingertips on his flesh, but managed a "No." He really was fighting his desires hard right now. He wanted her so bad. He wanted to take her, but he knew she would never let him have her.

"I left a mark on Will one time, but he was upset with me. He said it was improper for him to have to go to work and out into town with a bruise on his neck that I had clearly given him during our lovemaking. He wouldn't let it happen again," she said, slightly disappointed.

"I don't mind," Jack said. "You can leave one on me anytime."

He had finally said too much and the spell was broken.

"Jack! What would ever make you think…" she trailed off, realizing that she was lying in his arms, in his bed. She pushed herself into a sitting position before her head started swimming again and she was forced to slouch against him.

"It's best not to try and sit up when you've had that much to drink," Jack suggested. "It's alright though, I'm not going to take advantage of you. I was just making an offer."

"Things between Will and I were never perfect, but we were very happy. I miss him so much," she said, another tear slipping down her cheek.

"I know," Jack said, pulling his fingers through her hair. "Why don't you lie down."

Jack moved the pillows around and got them into a more comfortable position. She was still resting her head on his chest, but they had reclined a bit more. Jack kept his arm around her, running his fingertips loosely up and down her arm.

"Jack?"

"Yes luv," the pirate answered, his voice low and husky as the weight of the day descended on him.

"What's it like to be with so many different girls?"

The question was odd to him. He wasn't sure exactly what she was getting at.

"What do you mean luv?"

"Is it easy for you? When there's no real connection there? How can you take someone to bed that you don't even know and have no real feelings for?"

"It's a different world than you live in Elizabeth. It's not about showing your feelings for someone. It's carnal. It's about satisfying myself. It's about physical pleasure, not love."

"Oh."

"It's about doing what feels good," Jack said, tracing her collarbone with his fingers.

"How do you know what feels good?"

"By experimenting. Trying different things. It's basic instinct really. You know what you think might feel good. You know what you want to touch," his hand brushed her shoulder, pushing her shirt open far enough for the flesh to be exposed. "Where you want to be touched." He ran his fingers from her shoulder across her collarbone again, up her neck. "You let that instinct take over," he touched her chin, lifting her head so that her eyes met his own. "Let it tell you what you want, what you desire."

She could smell the rum on his breath, she could almost taste it she was so close. His lips fell softly on hers and a warmth spread through her that she could not explain. She wasn't sure why, but she kissed him back, unable to pull away just yet as his fingertips caressed her cheek. The kiss was intoxicating and as Jack slipped his tongue into her mouth she responded to it with her own. The kiss deepened and Elizabeth found Jack's advice to be true. She let instinct take over and she kissed him like she had never imagined kissing anyone before. He took her lip between his teeth and suckled at it and she found herself turned on and wanting more.

Jack's hand slipped from her cheek to her shoulder and down her arm. He paused only momentarily before allowing himself to caress her breast through the shirt she had borrowed from Anamaria. He felt the nipple grow stiff under the workings of his fingers and he longed to pull off her shirt and have his way with her, but he would force himself to take his time.

Elizabeth's body was responding to Jack's, but her head was beginning to think too much to let instinct continue to take over. His touch felt so good. He was an expert at pleasing her, at pleasing women. He knew his way around her body; his lips and tongue knew their way around her mouth. How many women had he seduced this very same way? Her body was already craving his. He was touching her in ways that Will had fumbled through so many times, unsure of himself, unsure of how he was making her feel. Jack had no questions for her. He knew what he was doing to her. He knew what desires lay within.

What would Will think to see her lying in bed with Jack Sparrow? To see her drunk and letting her instincts take over? To see her kissing him while he fondled her? And now that those thoughts were there, she found herself unable to make them go away.

"Jack," she mumbled through their kisses.

His hand moved to caress her jaw again. "Elizabeth I want you."

She broke free from their kiss, pulling away from him despite the entire room spinning around her without his support. "I can't do this."

He leaned towards her, stroking her cheek.

"I can't do this to Will."

"Will is gone luv," Jack said, wanting her back in his arms so badly he could taste it.

"I know," she said, a tear escaping down her cheek, "but I'm not ready for this."

"Please," the pirate responded.

"I need to be alone," Elizabeth tried to crawl over Jack, but he held her there.

"It's fine. Everything's fine." He kissed her softly on the mouth.

Elizabeth shook her head, struggling to get up. "Please Jack, I need to be alone."

"Alright, alright. Stay here. You're too drunk to wander the ship at this hour."

He stood, leaving her in his bed and began to dress himself. "I'm going into town. Don't leave this ship until I'm back for you in the morning."

It took Elizabeth about five seconds of deep thought before she passed out in the captain's bed for the evening. Sleep would be a lot longer coming for Jack.

He wandered into town, looking for Anamaria in all their old haunts, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Bloody hell," he cursed to himself, giving up in his search and digging in his pocket for some coins. He wasn't sure whether he was more frustrated with Elizabeth for leading him on or himself for letting her get to him like this. It had been a long time since he had been denied any woman that he wanted once he was that close.

He picked up a whore he had never met before off the streets and offered her twice what she usually charged. She wasn't particularly attractive and she looked as if she had been whoring for too long to care what he did to her. He was wound too tight and he had a feeling he was going to be a memorable customer.

"I like it rough," he informed her as they stepped off the streets into a nearby alley.