After breakfast Maggie did indeed have a concoction that she swore would sweeten even Captain Teague's temper and headache when he was hung over, and Elizabeth was soon persuaded as to its efficacy. Soon she was feeling much more the thing, and after she had bathed and dressed (in a dress this time), felt ready to take on the world... together with Jack.

Jack invited her out with him. "I've business with Barbossa," he told her, "And we have to figure out what to do with Angelica. I can't have her corrupting my beautiful Pearl for much longer, not even my brig. And then…" he gave her a significant look. "And then I have business with you, my girl."

"Business?" Elizabeth asked, diverted by the thought. "What business would that be?"

"You'll see. Now come on. I want you with me when I talk to Barbossa."

"Because you need my moral support?" Elizabeth asked skeptically.

He scoffed. "Hardly. Because he's going to have a morning head twice as bad as yours, and he's going to say something to burn you up. Then while you're yelling at him all shrill-like, I'll ask him what I have to ask him and he'll give me anything I want if I'll only shut you up and get you out of there."

It worked out much as he had planned. Jack left smiling, and Elizabeth left steamed and muttering imprecations about Barbossa. The hungover older captain had made several impertinent remarks about her Empress crew's having to pretend she was a man, and a muttered-under-his-breath remark about the new-found accord between her and Jack, and she didn't appreciate any of them. At. All.

Finally she calmed down enough to ask Jack, "What did you want from him?"

"Few of his crew. Good men. Got to know 'em when we was sailing for the Fountain. Think they'd fit in pretty well with my Pearl's crew, so I swapped 'em for Ragetti and Pintel. Anyway, he owes me for losing the rest of 'em when Blackbeard took the ship."

Several minutes later, Elizabeth was still fuming. Jack chuckled. "Angelica can wait. Come with me," he invited. " I'll take you to a spot I know. Might help cool off your temper."

"Fine," she replied shortly.

They left the town and walked down a narrow, winding footpath to a less populated part of the island. "It's right down here," Jack told her, leading her down between some boulders to a little mossy cave.

The sun streamed into the mouth of the cave, lighting up the turquoise waters within, and making shifting, dappled patterns on the cavern ceiling. Elizabeth sank down on the mossy rock next to the water. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she said.

"Aye, I thought you'd like it." Jack dropped down beside her and proceeded to pull off his boots and socks, digging his toes into the soft, cool moss with a sigh of contentment.

"Oh, good idea!" Elizabeth pulled off her shoes and pulled her skirt up to the thighs to roll down her stockings. Jack blinked a couple of times at the sight of her shapely white thighs, but then she flipped her skirt back down to mid-calf and buried her feet in the moss. "Ohh, that's good."

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him and rested her head against his. They sat in silence like that for a while.

"Have you figured out what you're going to do with Angelica?" she asked.

He wrinkled his nose. "Couple of ideas. Don't want to kill her. Just want to keep her out of my hair for… well, for the rest of my life."

"Not that you have much hair to speak of anymore," Elizabeth pointed out with a smile, stroking her hand up the back of his shorn head.

"Ah, that's—" Jack shivered. "That's neither here nor—ah, love, don't stop doing that, eh? Feels wonderful." He arched into her caress like a cat.

"Have I found a heretofore unknown weakness of the notorious Captain Sparrow?" she asked, brown eyes wide in mock wonder.

He shook his head. "Just of Jack's. Captain Sparrow has no weaknesses."

"No, of course not," Elizabeth murmured. She scratched at the back of his head with her nails and he moaned in delight. His eyelids fluttered closed.

"Keep doing that and I may never grow my hair long again," he said. She smiled and withdrew her hand, and in that moment he turned his head, tipped her face up and found her lips with his. It was unhurried and thorough, and he pulled her closer, never parting as he bore her backwards down to lie on the soft moss.

Elizabeth finally broke away and stared up at him as he leaned on his elbow looking down at her with intense, velvety black eyes. He was out of breath, and so was she, and she whispered his name and grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him down to her again. She kissed his cheekbones, his temples, his nose. She kissed his neck, where the creases were seasoned with sea-salt, and felt him shiver.

He rolled half on top of her, one leg between hers, his other hand running down her ribcage to rest on her hip where he took a fistful of fabric to prevent his hand from wandering further. His lips traveled down her neck, and she gasped at the feel of his teeth nipping her shoulder. She pulled his face back up closer to hers and devoured his mouth.

He broke the kiss, panting. He closed his eyes and swore under his breath, rolling off her to lie on his back in the moss beside her.

"Jack?" she asked, reaching out to touch his hand. "Are you all right?"

"Just—give us a minute, won't you, love?" He fought to get himself back under control.

She rolled over onto her side to look at him. "So this was the 'business' you had with me, was it?"

Still panting, he huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "N—not—exactly."

"Well, then, what?"

"Believe it or not, I didn't bring you here so I could debauch you on the floor of a cave," he told her.

"Oh, really? How disappointing," Elizabeth said, deadpan. "Are you sure about that?" She placed a daring hand on his thigh, sliding it slowly upwards.

"You're not helping, 'Lizabeth." He groaned and captured her hand, holding it still. "Much as I hate to disappoint a lady, especially when there's debauchery involved, I have to know something."

"All right, then. What?"

He sat up with a graceful, feline movement, keeping her hand trapped in his. He looked at her seriously. "I need to know if you meant it, darling. You kissed me and called me 'your Jack,' and said you loved me. I need to know if you meant it."

"My taking a bullet for you wasn't proof enough?"

He shook his head. "You love me enough to die for me, aye. You proved that, but I need to know that what you said to me wasn't just an impulse."

"It wasn't, Jack." She sat up and faced him.

"You're sure, 'Lizabeth? 'Cause I know you ended up regretting your marriage to Will from time to time. I told you before, love. I don't ever want to be something you regret."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond, but Jack was in one of his rare, transparent, serious moods. She hadn't seen him like this since the Pearl, when he had called her to account for her distrust of him.

He went on. "You're the same girl who got married on a whim in the midst of a battle, to someone you'd been estranged from for over a year. We know your head don't always rule your heart when you're caught up in the romance of a life-or-death situation. You proved you love me enough to die for me. But do you love me enough to live for me? With me? Day in, day out, when I drink too much, and snore too loud, and bathe too little? This… thing… between us has been a long time coming, and I'm not going to be satisfied with anything short-term or shallow, darling. I want a life with you, 'Lizabeth."

She looked away. "What kind of a life can we have, when you'll be at sea all the time and I'll be on land with a baby to raise? I've already done that, Jack, and you're right. I did regret it."

"We'll have whatever kind of life you want. You want to raise little Jake on board ship? We can, though we'll have to do a little less piratin'. You want me to go and live ashore with you somewhere? I will. I just need to know that it's what you want as well, sweetheart."

"Yes, but you're a pirate, Jack. You have a girl in every port. You love your freedom more than life. A life with me, helping me raise my son—well, it would tie you down in ways you've never been constrained before. I've already put shackles on you once in this life, Jack, and it killed you. I've sworn never to do it again."

His expression softened. "Ah, but you'd be shackling me to you, and I'd be shackling you to me. That makes all the difference. Just be sure, that's all I ask. You see, it's one thing to make a grand gesture—and that was, don't get me wrong—but to put up with all the nitty-gritty little details of loving someone on a daily basis… well, that takes a lot more sacrifice sometimes than just diving in front of a bullet for them."

"And you want to know if I'm up to the challenge," she summarized.

"Yes." He must be serious, she realized, if he was being this formal with his speech when she was expecting his usual aye.

"What about you? You did the same thing for me, but being together on a… well, a permanent basis would mean being a father to my son, and being faithful to me. You'd have to give up all your port doxies. Even if I were ill or something, you couldn't go scratch your itch with anyone else, even if she were offering and I wasn't there. Would you be willing to do all that? Would you even be able to?"

He stared at her and shook his head. "You honestly think I wouldn't want to give up swiving whores for you? You're insane." Then he started to smile. "Or are you sayin' you don't think you're enough woman for me?"

She colored and looked away. "Well, you have to admit that a man as experienced as you probably has… expectations… that a woman who has only been with a man once in her life probably wouldn't be able to fulfill. I just don't know if I'd be able to… hold your interest, over the long term."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, darling. You've held my interest on that count since the day we met. And I already know you're a quick study." He gave her a wicked smirk.

She smiled back, still blushing. She lowered her lashes demurely. "So how soon do you want to begin this 'life together'?"

"Soon's we can, sweetheart."

"Well, then." Elizabeth reached up and started unbuttoning her bodice.

"Er, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Jack said uneasily, eyes glued to her increasingly visible cleavage.

"What? You just told me you were interested," she flirted.

"Fascinated. Nay, riveted. My interest levels are, uh, rising rapidly, as it were. But I did mention that I didn't intend to ravish you on the floor of a cave. Button yourself up again now, there's a good lass."

Elizabeth gave him a sharp look, but buttoned up. "You realize this is twice now that I've thrown myself at you to no avail." She warned him, "Keep this up and I'm going to think you don't want me at all."

Jack grabbed the back of her neck and hauled her closer for a hard, hungry kiss. "I do want you. 'M literally aching for wanting you. But I also love you, and I want to do this right with you, Liz. I don't want anyone to think you're just a passing fancy to me. And I don't want you compromisin' your morals just because you're feeling insecure, either, love. You've no need to be throwin' yourself at me to prove anything. You've already sacrificed your life for me. I won't let you sacrifice your reputation as well."

He pressed his forehead against hers, and smiled. "I'm onto your tricks now, sweetheart, and they won't work. If you want me, you're going to have to make an honest man of me."

"What do you mean?"

"You want to lie with me, you'll have to marry me legal and proper."

"M—marry you?" she gasped.

He gave her a disgruntled look. "Aye, what'd you think I was talking about when I said I wanted a life with you? I know I've been with a lot of other women before, but you're not like them and I won't have anyone thinkin' you are. I don't want anyone ever thinking that Jack Sparrow wasn't willing to marry his lady—or that his lady wasn't really a lady."

"I thought—well, I didn't really think you meant…"

"Oh, so even you thought Jack Sparrow wasn't willing to marry his lady, eh? You really thought I'd sacrifice my life for yours, but wouldn't be willing to make you a few promises in front of witnesses?" He gusted out a theatrical sigh and cast his eyes heavenward. "Always, you sell me short."

Elizabeth giggled a little at his hamming. "Jack!"

"Fine, then. We'll make it official." He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again. "Marry me, Elizabeth," he said softly. "I've loved you for a long time now, sweetheart. I'll be a good father to Jake and to any others to come along, and I'll forsake all others and keep only unto you, I swear it. I'll provide for you and never abandon you. I'm not a good man, but I'm yours if you want me. Please, marry me."

His brows drew together with concern when he saw her eyes fill with tears. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him harder than he'd ever been hugged in his life. "Jack! Oh, Jack," she said with a catch in her voice. "Yes, of course I want you. I love you!" She looked at him seriously. "I'll marry you."

He smiled, relieved, and kissed her, just a gentle press of lips. "How soon?"

"As soon as we possibly can! Wait—can't you perform it yourself, if we go back to the Pearl?"

He shook his head. "'Course not."

"Why not? I thought you could perform a 'marr-i-age right on that deck'?" she asked.

He laughed. "You believed me? A captain can't officiate at his own wedding, love. I was just trying to get you into bed. Ow! Ow!" he cried as Elizabeth hit him several times. He grinned. "On the other hand, it would have been just as legal as the wedding Barbossa performed for you and your darling William," he teased. "Maybe Will was just trying to get you into bed. Pity he had better luck than I did."

He defended himself, laughing, as she rained down blows on his head and shoulders.

"That's not fair! I thought we were married!" she cried. "What happened to 'respectable widow,' hmm? And if you were just trying to get me into bed, why the sudden change of heart now?"

"Told you. Only way I can be sure of your motives, innit? This way I can be sure you're with me for the right reasons, and not because you're trying to prove something to yourself, or to me, or because you miss your dearly departed William. No, ma'am. Our wedding is going to be right, proper, witnessed, and public. No one is ever going to doubt whether or not our marriage is valid, and maybe think the worse of you for it like they did in Flimwell. Also, I'm a possessive bugger who wants you to be mine in every way, including legally. I've never liked it when other people steal my treasure."

Elizabeth smiled. "Spoken like a true pirate."

"Thank you. So shall we go inform our elders, then? Maybe in their dubious joy they'll let slip what they've been planning behind all those closed doors lately."

"Yes, do let's."