Hahaha, Jack gets a boner in this chapter. LOL! Try to figure out when he does in the story, ;)
Thanks so much to everyone who is reviewing and telling me how much the love the story so far! Enjoy! :)

Chapter 16: Morning Star I

"Jack…" She began, eying herself in his shattered mirror, "Are you positive that this is the only clothing you have available?"

With his head stuck inside the armoire of his cabin, Jack banged his head on a shelf in the process of turning to see how she faired in his clothing. A variety of curses poured from his mouth in a frustrated mutter.

A sympathetic smile blessed Katherine's lips as she swiveled herself to see the captain shuffling toward her, rubbing the ever growing knot on his head, "Are you alright?"

"Aye, love. It'll take more than a bump on the head to bring Captain Jack Sparrow to his knees." He spoke with a delightful wink.

She laughed, "Are you sure about that, Captain?"

Pouting, Jack responded with, "O' course, darling!" He gazed at her figure briefly, fingering the materials of her shirt, "But onto more important matters, aye? These clothes are too big."

"Is this all you have?" She asked him desperately.

He rested a ringed finger against his lower lip in contemplation, "Aye. Smallest, cleanest articles I own, love."

Katherine began to take measurements of the clothing on her, while Jack stepped back and sat on his bed.

Good lord, she was a beauty no matter what she wore. Yet somehow, she appeared even more tantalizing in his clothing. Despite his best efforts to repress such thoughts, he knew she would be a goddess with absolutely nothing on.

With that image in mind, he made a sharp intake of breath before leaning one leg over the other cautiously; perchance she glimpses at him and spots his sudden arousal.

"Would you mind if I took in few inches of your clothing, Jack?" The young woman inquired, meeting her eyes with his.

Jack shook his head hurriedly before standing from the bed, "Don't mind at all. Now, if ye need me I shall be by the helm, speaking with the whelp."

"Alright,"

As his hand touched the doorknob, he spotted her as she was in the process of shedding his shirt from her frame. Quickly opening the door to the main deck and closing it behind him, he rested against the frame uneasily, breathing as if he had run a hundred miles.

Bloody hell… Those sensual curves, angelic face, creamy soft skin and… Jack ascended the steps two the helm, taking two at a time, "Oi! Whelp!"

Upon the captain's sudden arrival, William raised his head from his sight on the map currently held in his possession. He faced Jack with a dull stare as he corrected, "Will, not whelp."

Waving a hand submissively, Jack responded, "Yeah, yeah. Listen, mate..." Will rolled his eyes and Jack continued,
"What do ye know about... feelings?"

Turner rose a questioning brow, "Feelings?"

Sparrow nodded fervently before leaning closer, as if a horrifying yet compelling ghost story was being told, "Ye know... emotions."

"...I'm afraid that I don't follow you, Jack."

"Love, ye bloody whelp!" The pirate whispered, exasperated.

William frowned somewhat before clarifying, "What do I know about love?"

"Aye! That! So, tell me," Jack grinned in triumph.

Turner smiled, folding his arms over his chest, "Why do you need to know about love, Jack?"

Frowning briefly, he thought of an excuse, "The crew were mumbling some sort of nonsense about it and I became rather..." He bit out, "curious."

"The crew?" It took all of Will's self-discipline not to laugh at the fumbling pirate, "Are you sure it was the crew?"

Scowling deeply, Jack snapped out, "Yes, the bloody crew! Now tell me, you bloke!"

Will allowed a quick snicker to pass through his lips as he took a seat on a nearby barrel, "Alright. But, one more question..."

"What?" Sparrow barked, sitting on the stool opposite him.

"This is about Katherine, isn't it?" William smiled, aware of the situation between the two.

Rigid for a moment at being realized, Jack felt the blood slowly come to a boil in his veins, "Listen to me now, and remember this later." His tone low, to a mutter, "If you so much as breathe a word of this to her or anyone else aboard this ship, so help me I will throw ye to the sharks faster than you could blink... Savvy?"

Chuckling freely, he agreed, "Fine, fine. I promise you, Jack."

"Good. Now, tell me." Jack leaned away, smirking.

Shaking his head, Turner denied his command, "Not yet. There's something you need to know first."

"Make it quick, lad. Time is of the essence here,"

Will brought forth the map he had been deciphering the day before, "Katherine has been most helpful in decoding what this name means."

Jack did not speak as Turner continued, "The words Fontem Neptuni are Latin. Apparently, she knows a bit of the language."

"What does it mean?" The pirate inquired, brushing a hand over his beaded beard in thought. He did not know Latin in the slightest, and no one he knew was familiar with the language. Perhaps the lady of the ship was once taught some of the language by her deceased patriotic father.

"Not sure," Will went on, "however, I'm sure if we ask Katherine more on this matter, she may be able to assist us."

At that moment, Katherine emerged from Jack's cabin clad in a long-sleeved linen shirt in a crème tone, slim fitting dark-navy trousers, a brown belt and charcoal dusted boots which reached just slightly above her knees. The two strands that famed either sides of her face had been loosely tied back with her ribbon, as her usual appearance.

Some of the crew had stopped in their work to admire and approve of her much more nautical attire. Even the occasional wayward glance was given.

Even Gibbs had praiseworthy comment, "Ah, lass. Ye look like one o' the crew now. Better than a heavy ol' dress, eh?"

"Yes, I can breathe much easier now," She smiled, brushing a tendril from her eyes.

Marty, who was tying down a few knots, looked up and offered, "Ye look like a pearl o' the sea, miss."

"I secon' that." Ragetti piped up cheerfully, only to be whacked over the head by Pintel.

"Back to work, yuh dimwit! We gots work to do here!" Pintel shouted at his nephew, and then sent a smile in Katherine's direction before continuing his task of washing the deck.

Gibbs then shouted the order, "Aye! Back to work! The lot of ya!"

She observed how the crew worked in unison; the teamwork was incredible. She admired their strong working hands and strapping backs as together they made the ship operable.

"Katherine, love!" The pirate lord of the Caribbean called to her, "Come here!"

Climbing the steps to the helm, she alternated gazed between William and Jack, "What is it?"

Sparrow gestured for her to take a seat as they crowded around the crate which had the yellowing old map displayed on it.

"We will need your help again," Will spoke, determined that she had the knowledge to assist them, "can you help us?"

She peered down at the parchment. After a brief passing, she pointed to the words written in the center of an island, "Fontem means spring, fountain or well." She told the intrigued men, "Neptuni is Neptune, the God of the Sea; the Roman equivalent to Greek mythology's Poseidon."

"So Fontem Neptuni means the Spring of Neptune?" William concluded.

A slow pull of a smile came to Katherine's lips, "Yes, precisely."

"Ah…" Jack murmured, engrossed, "So it's highly probable that there are many brilliant ornaments and gems there, aye? Secrets to a lost temple?"

Concern breezed over her visage, "Possibly, but you should not trifle with forces unknown, Jack. Myth or not.."

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat, "Love, just who do ye think I am? I live to trifle with ancient and fictitious beings!"

The milky skinned woman sighed, defeated, "Be wary, Jack."

"Katherine, everyone aboard this ship knows that Jack is never cautious with anything, so I'm sorry to say that your pleas are falling on deaf ears," William sent her a sympathetic smile, "However, I will watch over him when the time comes. Putting that aside, can you tell us anymore about the Spring of Neptune?"

Smiling in return, she appreciated Will's compassion and agreed to analyze the map more.

"It seems that this shrine can be found some ways outside of Rome, Italy. On a secluded island, perhaps?"

With a feral grin, Jack leapt from his seat on the barrel and slammed his hands on the wooden rails; overlooking the drudging crew, "Haul on the main brace, all hands to stations! We're goin' to Italy!"

Please review so Jack can store his cargo in your hold, if you know what I mean! ;)