A/N: Hi guys! I know it's been a while, but I promise you I have absolutely not abandoned this story. For me, this is more of a summer thing (I'm just weird like that... I'm more in the mood to write POTC when I'm at the beach and it's warm, etc. The atmosphere has to be right...). But there's been kind of an insurgence of popularity for this fic since I last left off, so I thought I'd give you guys a little something more to read. Don't get too optimistic - I probably won't update this again for a while, seeing as I'm working on another Sherlock Holmes story too. But I guarantee that if you stick it out until the summer I'll definitely finish this.

As always, thanks so so much to everyone who's reviewed! I hope you all like this chapter :)

Chapter XXIV

It wasn't long before the rest of the crew spotted us. People talked, and it was clear that Jack was quite the celebrity, especially in Shipwreck Cove.

It was strange. What I felt for Jack was definitely love, but it was a type of love that had a protective, platonic component to it; there was something about it that was almost maternal. True enough, the emotion that I was experiencing was not devoid of carnal desire. But there was a part of me that simply wanted to be with him. To be near him. To make sure that he was safe.

However, I can't say if this sort of guardianship was what he was experiencing as well. From the way he looked at me, with heavily lidded eyes and dilated pupils, I surmised that it wasn't. There was something distinctly and solely lustful about his behavior. But, having said that, there was always something distinctly lustful about his behavior. Perhaps this was simply the only way he knew how to show affection – he was only accustomed to physical intimacy.

Although, it did seem very plausible that the wicked gods should choose to cast such spell on two people, such a spell that made them in love, but in different ways – such a spell that robbed the bliss from the most illustrious sentiment in the universe, with one party emotionally invested and the other physically.

"Captain, there's someone here who would like to join our crew," came Wentworth's voice. "I told her that I'd ask you, since the Daggerdales will no longer be traveling with us and the vacancy needs to be filled."

"Who said the vacancy needs to be filled?" Jack asked lightly. "Surely not I."

Peter hesitated. "Well, I just presumed…" He was blushing. Jack quickly changed his tactics.

"It's all right, lad. I'll see 'er," he said.

The younger man slunk away awkwardly, only to return with a feminine form concealed behind his back. Jack used one of his hands to haphazardly wave him aside.

A girl – probably several years younger than myself – appeared. Her shiny, ink-colored hair was chopped short, about to her shoulders. She had a shy-looking face, with rosy lips and a pale complexion. Her eyes were the color of emeralds. I quickly scanned her apparel, which was more ornate than mine; she wore a similarly billowy shirt, but a black under-bust corset highlighted her hourglass figure. Her breeches were the same color as mine, and she wore a pair of black knee-high, leather boots.

The sight of her made me think that I really needed to add a bit more flair to my wardrobe; I was being put to shame by all these other female pirates…

"And who're you, love?" Jack interrogated tactlessly. One of his sullied hands was languidly draped over my bony shoulder as a sign of possession; Wentworth's eyes were glued to it, and I smirked evilly at his discomfort. I knew it was cruel and immoral of me, but I couldn't help but feel a faint tinge of satisfaction as he realized that my heart belonged to another. Served him right for being stupid enough to fall for me…

"Cailido Bonny," she stated confidently.

Jack let out a huff of consideration. "Any relation to Anne Bonny?"

"My mum," she answered simply.

"And let me guess, your father is Calico Jack?"

"That would be correct."

"So you've decided to take up the family trade, have you? Any good with a sword?"

"Very good."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Welcome to me humble crew. Now scurry along, the grown-ups are talking." I winced mentally – why was it that Jack so enjoyed provoking people?

"Excuse me?" she snarled indignantly.

"Aha, you take after your mum, I see," he continued nonchalantly.

"I am every bit as capable – if not more capable – than every other member of this crew," she insisted passionately.

Oh boy, this didn't seem like it was going to end well.

"I'm sure that's true," I interjected sweetly. "What Jack means to say is that he, Mr. Gibbs, and I were discussing a private matter… Peter, why don't you introduce her to the rest of the crew – I'm sure they'd absolutely love to get to know her," I said, dragging my gaze up her pretty figure. Yes, they would indeed be pleased with this new addition.

"Of course," he replied hastily. He led the enraged girl towards the other table; she glared daggers at Jack as she grew further and further away.

I turned to Jack, who wore a mask of disapproval. "At least he knows how to avoid an unnecessary conflict," I said in Peter's defense. It was clear that the young man irked him, perhaps even more so now that he had feelings for me. The Pirate Lord rolled his eyes in response to my assertion.

A heavy and unnatural silence descended upon the table as the rest of the pub continued its loud cacophony.

"Perhaps it would be best if we headed back to the ship," I suggested eventually.

Jack shot me a skittish look and locked eyes with Gibbs. "I don't know if I like the sound of that…"

Gibbs raised his scruffy eyebrows and replied, "I'm gonna stay 'ere for another drink, lass. It's far too early to be callin' it a night just yet."

"Aye, agreed," his friend concurred a little too quickly.

"I want to go, Jack," I pleaded melodiously. I stood and attempted to pull him to his feet by his arm.

He seemed not to be able to resist, and bit the inside of his cheek in dismay. "I suppose I can walk you back," he allowed tentatively.

I smiled winningly and interlaced my sinewy figures with his stained ones. We strode gracefully from The Cutlass, attracting more than a few fascinated stares. I had to admit, we made a handsome pair; it was probably the spell talking, but we were both incredibly alluring in our own way – together, we were at least pleasant to look at. And we made a fearsome team in a more morbid sense, I added mentally as I recalled the incident with the Dutch sailors.

As we walked through the streets, I turned to a stiff-looking Jack. He was tolerating my affections, but didn't dare reciprocate them. It must have been taking him an extraordinary amount of self-control to resist my advances, I mused.

"Jack," I breathed into the shell of his ear, "nothing bad is going to happen if you give in."

"That's very naïve of you to say, love," he stated cynically. "Clearly you've never dealt with sentiment before."

"And you have?"

"Aye, and I was a fool to do so. I've learned my lesson, so, take it from me, it's not worth the bother." It didn't escape my notice that he was being much more candid than usual (Jack would never have admitted to being emotionally scorned in any capacity – let alone romantic – without the influence of the spell), but the fact remained that he was still managing to appear neutral.

Soon, we had arrived at the ramp to the Jewel. Shipwreck Cove was beautiful at night. The skeletal port was alight with individual flames, creating a secondary constellation against the night sky.

"But how can something so pure be wrong," I wondered mystically, ghosting my fingertips over his pursed lips. Everything was flawless. Everything was blissful. My heart was exploding with affection, the scenery was magnificent, and I was with the one I cared about most. I couldn't fathom the notion that life could possibly get any more perfect.

He gently gripped my wrist and lowered my hand. "I assure you, this is not purity," he said gravely, "This is witchcraft – smoke and mirrors. It's a sham; what you are feeling now means nothing."

"What are you so afraid of?" I continued, unfazed.

Before he could reply, I leant in and pressed my lips to his without hesitation. His protests were drowned in an instant; it was mere milliseconds before his tongue expertly swept across my lower lip, requesting entrance. Unfalteringly, I opened my mouth and tilted my head to give him better access.

I brought my hands up to cradle his face and he deftly knotted his fingers into my fire-red curls. I trailed my fingertips from his jaw down to his chest. Apparently this motion was a little too intimate for his liking, and he drew away abruptly.

"I know it's going to be hard, love," he teased cheekily after a breath, "but you're going to have to keep your hands to yourself."

"And why is that?" I drawled, tracing the bone of his sternum through the opening in his shirt.

"Because," he said, shirking away from my touch, "this is going to end soon. We're nearly at our destination, and, after this quest or whatever you should like to call it is completed, I will promptly be releasing us from this predicament."

"All the more reason to enjoy it while it lasts," I purred seductively.

"No, all the more reason to ignore these… stirrings and crack on as if nothing has changed," he corrected through gritted teeth.

Again, I gave him a sultry smirk. "But how can I do that," I wondered aloud with pseudo-innocence, "when everything has changed?"

He tore his gaze from mine. "Again, this isn't real," he pressed, growing impatient.

"But it feels real," I countered, grasping his hands earnestly.

"I think it's time you get to sleep," he stated, ignoring me. "Tomorrow will surely be both tiring and perilous…"

His abrupt switch in topics frustrated me, and I couldn't help but marvel at how adroit he was at suppressing his feelings. He had said that he'd dealt with such "sentiment" before, but his words hadn't truly registered until now. I already knew that he was incredibly strong-willed, but still...

"How do you do it," I murmured, eyes fixed on his lips.

"Do what?"

"Ignore it."

"Years of practice," he answered. "You don't go through almost three decades as a pirate without quickly discoverin' that love is a most dangerous handicap. This whole world is fresh to you... I expect you'd never naturally experience such a sentiment."

His black eyes were studying me intently in fascination. "You're a curious thing," he said, his voice low. He gingerly used one of his hands to play with a tendril of hair near my face. "It must be amazing to see all this for the first time, to discover everything at once," he continued. "I almost envy you. I 'ardly remember what it was like the first time I discovered the magic of the sea. Everything's a sort of a blur, after all these years," he said wistfully, "There's barely anything left out there for me anymore – the mystery is almost gone from this world. But for you – the universe is at your fingertips. You 'ave so much yet to learn, so much yet to see. Everything is new."

"You're forgetting," I said softly, "that I'm hardly discovering the 'magic of the sea,' as you put it, for the first time."

"On the contrary, love, you are," he insisted. "It's important to distinguish between observing it and being part of it. It's great fun on the outside of things, though I can't say I've seen it from any other angle."

I made a noise of disagreement. "You're as much a part of it as any human has ever been, Jack."

He grinned, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "Be that as it may, our positions are different. Or were different, in any case, as I'm now considering you an honorary member of the human race."

I mirrored his grin. That was what I'd wanted most, to be put on equal footing. He must have known this, too, because he looked sincere. "Thank you," I breathed.

"No need to thank me, you've gotten here all on your own."

My smile widened even further as I looked at him in adoration. Everything he had just said – it was so lovely; it was exactly what I'd wanted to hear. He truly understood me in a way that I hadn't thought possible. The fact that he had such an insight into my personality told me that he'd been paying attention even before the spell had been cast. He saw me for what I was, not the monster I was supposed to be.

I new wave of affection gripped my heart. There was more to it than just this curse. There was more there, there had to be. What I was feeling was rooted in reality, I knew it… It was too complex for a simple binding entrancement. Love, respect, protectiveness, and admiration were just a few of the emotions I felt for him.

I started up the wooden ramp and tried to pull him along with me. He didn't budge.

"This is where I leave you, my dear Cassie," he said with a halfhearted smirk.

Disappointment shone brightly in my eyes, but I didn't want to push him anymore. "Alright," I agreed begrudgingly.

He pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead, before disentangling himself from my grip and waving to me as I walked to the ship.

A/N: So, there you go! I hope you all liked it! Also, I simply have to mention that Cailido Bonny is the creation of my fellow author Evangeline Crystal/ Evangeline Gratuit on FictionPress. Sorry it took so long to add her in here!

Pretty please review! And please forgive any OOCness, I'm conveniently going to blame all of the mushiness on the spell. Lol. Love you guys :)