The next morning they returned, with the baby. Elizabeth was pensive as they walked back up to Teague's house from the dock.

"Jack?" Elizabeth said.

"Hmmm?"

"Did you mean what you said to your father yesterday?"

"Which thing I said to my father yesterday?"

"Disagreeing that our wedding night would come soon enough?"

"Aye, of course. But I also meant what I said about protectin' your reputation by not anticipating our wedding night, darling. If you're trying to seduce me into changing me mind again—"

"No, no, of course not. I actually agree with you."

Jack gave her a wicked smirk and raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"At least," she amended with a blush, "I do in theory. I agree with you completely until you touch me or kiss me, and then I stop thinking entirely."

Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It's the same for me, but don't tell my Lizzie that. She's been known to take advantage from time to time."

Elizabeth giggled. Jack was so adorable sometimes! "But you're always so cool and calm," she pointed out.

"A fiction, carefully cultivated by Captain Jack Sparrow," he explained. "'Your Jack,' on the other hand, is pretty much putty in your hands."

Elizabeth gave him a long, considering look. "In that case, we definitely ought to find a way to marry sooner. I have an idea about that."

"Do tell, darling."

"I don't particularly want to get married in Port Royale, no matter what Aunt Agatha wants," Elizabeth said.

"Why not?"

"When I think about getting married in Port Royale, I think of Will, Cutler Beckett, and being in jail. I don't want to think about Will when I'm marrying you, and I'd be happy if I never had to think about jail or Cutler Beckett ever again. Also, there's already getting close to the deadline that the governor gave us to marry—we'll be cutting it close as it is."

"Right with you on all counts, love. So what's your idea?"

"We take my aunt back to Port Royale. If we encounter even one single ship on the way, we attack it, take it, and make the captain marry us."

Jack stopped dead and stared at her, his expression thoughtful. He began to smile, thinking about it. "I like it," he decided, "Committing a piratical act in order to wed on time to accept the governor's offer. It's deliciously ironic. "

"Only it mustn't be a very egregious act of piracy, or the governor will hear of it and rescind the pardon," Elizabeth pointed out.

Jack's smile broadened. "You come up with one last act of piracy on our way to accepting the governor's pardon, and you even know how to pronounce 'egregious.' You are the cleverest woman I've ever met in me life!" he exclaimed. "Finally, someone who's a match for me."

"You're just now figuring that out?" Elizabeth asked with mock acidity. "Perhaps you're not so clever after all."

Jack stopped and kissed her soundly, right there on the street. "I knew you were a good match for me years ago," he pointed out, slipping his arm around her as they continued walking. "You didn't figure it out until when? Yesterday? Day before? What's that say about you, love?" he teased.

Elizabeth flushed a little and looked away, smoothing down Jacob's hair where the breeze had ruffled it. "Oh, I knew it before then. It just took me until then to get up the nerve to let you know."

"Yes, well… next time you want to tell me important things, don't wait until right before a battle," he chided. "Tell me 'em as they come up, and don't wait until a life-or-death situation, eh, love?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I'll try. You have to do the same." She smiled sweetly at him, the smile that always made him nervous, and pointed out, "For that to work, we'll both have to stay out of life-or-death situations long enough to actually converse!"

"Touché. Have to try harder on that count, won't we?"