Here you go guys, chapter 8. Finally love is in the air between Clara and Jack. Enjoy!

Being in that room on my own that evening gave me a chance to think and arrange all of my emotions into some kind of order. I started with the feelings of guilt I was getting from my from my conscience about not looking for Blackbeard but soon came to the conclusion that I had not strayed from the path I had set for myself. I was simply happier. I then ran through how I was going to manage working on the Pearl with the crew staring at me. I soon decided that I didn't care. They could look at me all they wanted it mattered not to me what they thought. I had Harry as a friend and possibly still Joey. That wouldn't be a problem. Finally, I had to work out what was going in with Jack. I ran the symptoms he gave me through my mind. 1) He made me laugh a lot. 2) I was happier when around him. 3) When I was around him the hollow feeling I had felt since my father died wasn't as bad. And 4) I missed him when he wasn't with me.

I knew what I was feeling now. But I was scared to admit it to myself. I had never imagined that I would feel this. There was no doubt in my mind what the feeling I felt was love. "I love Jack Sparrow." I said quietly to myself, testing the words. I could tell in my heart that it was true. I smiled to myself. Glad that I had worked out what I had been feeling all these weeks. But my smile soon faded, I knew Jack well enough by now to understand that he wasn't really a person for love. It probably made him uncomfortable. I made the decision to not tell him. I didn't want to destroy the friendship we already had. Now after calming the sea of emotions that were swimming through my mind I allowed myself to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

I woke to the sound of footsteps from above. My guess was that it was Jack. I lay listening to his steps and couldn't hold back a laugh when I heard him stumble. It sounded as though he was pacing. I could also hear him muttering to himself. I sat up in my hammock and slipped on my boots. I then pulled my hair back and tied it with a piece of string I had found. After placing my hat on my head I went to leave the room. Inching the trapdoor open I saw that Jack was indeed pacing an was looking at what I thought was a compass as he did so. "Morning Jack." I said as I climbed the ladder into his cabin. Jack jumped and almost dropped the compass.

"Clara, you startled me." he exclaimed.
I laughed. "Yes apparently I did," I smiled."

"By the way, north is that way." I pointed towards part side. Jack looked confused for a second and then looked down at the compass.

"Oh, I know where north is love." he closed the compass and took three large steps towards me. "But I'm not looking for north." he flashed me a golden smile which made my insides churn. I suppressed acting upon the feelings of love inside and looked at Jack.

"So what are you looking for?" I questioned, putting a hand on my hip.

"I don't know, he said slowly and took another step towards closer."Could you hold this for me? I am curious about something." he handed me the compass and ran to stand behind me.

"Uh ok, what do you want me to do?" I looked over my shoulder to Jack. He was acting quite strangely (stranger than usual anyway).

"Just open it." I did as he said and watched the arrow spin quickly to point at me.

"This doesn't point north." I stated. "Is it broken?" Jack peered over my shoulder and looked at the compass.

"No, not broken. Just different." he walked around to stand in front of me, the arrow followed. "That's very interesting." he said not taking his eye off the compass. I tried to hand it back to him and he took it reluctantly. We both watched as the arrow turned and pointed at me.

"What does it point to?" I asked and the curiosity levels inside me rose.

"It points to whatever the person holding it wants the most." he stated. I looked down at the compass in Jack's hand. He closed the lid quickly.

"So I am what you want most?" I breathed. He nodded.

"That's right love, and apparently you want me most." I blushed slightly and nodded. I couldn't quite believe what had just happened, he actually loved me back.

"But you told me a while ago that your first and only love was the sea." I quizzed him. I had to be sure that he felt something and that I wasn't simply falling into a trap to be bedded and left.

"It was when I thought you were a lad, when I thought you were Sam." he crept a hand up my arm and moved closer. Our faces were inches apart.

"I never saw you as a man who would fall for a woman." I whispered.

"Well a man can change can't he?" Jack whispered back and pressed his lips suddenly to mine. I inhaled sharply and he pulled away. I looked into his gorgeous almond eyes and found his lips on mine again. I allowed my eyes to close and kissed back with the same level of passion. His hands travelled down my sides and rested on my hips. He pulled me closer and our lips parted. The sweet taste of rum entered my mouth along with his tongue. Our rounded played together for a while and then he pulled back again leaving me with a hunger for more. "Your good at that." he commented and pulled me closer into a hug. I felt on top of the world, like I could achieve anything. I giggled but the wonderful moment was broken as Gibbs barged in. So much do knocking.

"Captain, Miss Adams has not arrived for her shift." he said before looking up and noticing Jack's arm wrapped around my shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry captain, did I disturb something."

"No, nothing at all." I stated sounding more annoyed than intended. "I'm just going now." I gently removed Jack's arm from my shoulders. Gave his hand a light squeeze and made my way purposefully towards the door. Not that I had been accepted into the crew with everybody knowing my true identity I wasn't afraid to be a tad sarcastic sometimes. I smile to Jack as I left the room, I didn't look to see if he smiled back. I could feel already that this was going to be a long day.

As soon as the door was closed I heard Gibbs say to Jack, "What is going on captain?" I couldn't resist the temptation and pressed my ear against the door to hear the full conversation.

"Isn't it obvious?" I heard Jack respond, avoiding answering the question as he often did.

"You and Clara?" Gibbs paused. "Do you really think this is a good idea."

"For your information Mr Gibbs I am experiencing..."

"What are you doing?" Harry's voice came from behind. I had to slap my hand over my mouth to prevent from screaming. Harry laughed silently and dragged me down the steps towards the main deck. I didn't resist.

"I was just listening to what they were saying about me" I confessed.

"Aren't those conversations supposed to be private?" he laughed.

"I know, but you won't understand unless you know the full story." I stopped for a moment to remember my first job today.

"Are you going to tell me the full story?" Harry raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"Yes, but not here." I grabbed his arm and dragged him to a more secluded area of the ship and I told him. About the kiss, everything. There is nothing I wouldn't tell Harry. He even knew about my past with Blackbeard which Jack didn't. He was a great friend.

"So you love the captain?" he said as I concluded.

"And he loves me too. I must say that I never thought something like this would happen to me." my voice shook with excitement.

"I'm happy for you. You of all people deserve happiness." I smiled at the sincerity in his words.

"Thank you," I put a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve happiness too." he smiled. "we better go and start work now, I'm already about an hour late for my shift." Harry nodded and we joined the rest of the crew.

XXX

The day went by in a blur and before I knew it, it was the end of my shift and I was back in Jack's arms where I wanted to be most of all. "Is Master Gibbs joining us for a drink this evening?" I asked in a rather formal manor, which I literally never it. It took me by surprise. Jack too by the looks of the expression on his face.

"Not tonight, I put him on watch duty for the next six hours." Jack said with a smile and he weapons his hand around mine. I reshuffled my position on his very comfortable bed so that I was sitting next to him rather than in front of him. Jack's thumb stroked the back of my hand and a comforting chill travelled up my arm. He smiled at me but then looked down and his smile turned to a frown. I followed his eye line and saw that he was staring at the bottom part of the 'P' brand on my on my arm. He let go of my hand gently and gently pushed up my sleeve. "How did you get that?" He asked tracing it with his thumb. I felt nothing; the whole area was numb from the scaring.

"I was caught stealing food from an East India Trading Company ship when I was seventeen. To cut a long story short, I was taken to Cutler Beckett and I left with this." I intentionally missed out the reason why I had to steal food but I knew I would have to tell him someday. Jack nodded.

"They are painfully aren't they?" He commented. I thought back to when it happened, the searing pain of the heat was something that I would never forget. I clutched my arm over the brand and nodded.

"But how would you know?" I asked and to answer Jack lifted his sleeve to reveal an identical mark on his arm. "And how did you get it?" my voice was strained as I imagined the pain that Jack too had endured.

"Believe it or not, I used to work for the East India Trading Company. It was a great job until Cutler Beckett decided he wanted me to sail slaves across the seas. I refused." Jack leaned his head against the wall and looked towards the ceiling. "Slaver goes against my ideas of freedom. But because of this he branded me and burned down my ship." I could see the hurt from the past in his eyes; I knew the feeling so I leant over and kissed him lightly.

"Is that your only experience with him?" Jack shook his head.

"No, several years ago he tried to destroy the Brethren Court and take over the seas. So me and a few other sank his ship so he couldn't ruin any more lives." he smiled at this memory.

I laughed, "So, you are a hero."

"I like the sound of that." he smiled in a way that made him look very intoxicating.

"Then maybe I should say it more often." I whispered as I inched closer.

"That would be great love." he said before closing the distance between us. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. Jack's hands moved to sit on my cheeks and I pushed myself closer. He didn't resist. We kissed for a while before it dawned on me that I had to be up early for work so I reluctantly pulled away from the heavenly kiss.

"I have to go." I moaned. "I have an early start in the morning." Jack shared my disappointment but didn't resist as I pulled away.

"Goodnight." he murmured and I got up and left the room.