Here it is...the long awaited ending to my first ever Fan Fiction! Enjoy!

Chapter 24: Epilogue

Two months later…..

Jo paused in front of the figure that haunted her dreams and gazed into those bottomless brown eyes, just as she had each and every night since he'd left her in that warehouse. As the new lead artist and interim curator of Madame T's Las Vegas, it was her job to inspect each work on a daily basis and make note of any changes or repairs that needed to be made. She always did this after closing, just before locking up and setting the alarms for the night. That way noone except Frank would see how long she spent in front of one particular display, how she touched the dark hair and spoke to it, and sometimes even kissed the smiling lips. And if her eyes weren't exactly dry when she left each evening, the older man's eyes were full of understanding and sympathy as she passed by him.

"Congratulate me, Jack…..the London office likes the job I've been doing as interim curator so much that they've decided to offer me the spot permanently. Imagine me, a genuine curator! It means longer hours, but I'm used to that, and the pay is obscene! They'll even throw in a car, 401K and insurance, which is going to come in handy soon. I will have the authority to hire new staff and assign new projects, which is way cool….I can see why Michael relished having the job…it's a real power trip." She reached up and adjusted his hair, and grimaced when she noticed a smudge of lipstick that wasn't hers on his cheek. Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she dabbed it with her tongue and removed the offensive mark from her beloved's face as she continued to speak.

"Speaking of Michael, they also informed me that during the audit they discovered he'd been skimming off the books for quite some time. I have to admit that doesn't surprise me at all—he'd hock his granny if he thought he could get away with it. Too bad the bastard is locked up in the state hospital for the criminally insane….I would have liked to see him pay for his crimes, but I guess going from wearing Armani suits and dining on caviar to eating Jell-o and holding nothing more dangerous than a crayon is as close to justice as he'll ever come. Guess he regrets babbling about Voodoo priestesses and pirates from another dimension coming to life." Jo couldn't help but chuckle at the look on the face of her former boss when he was escorted from the courtroom. Priceless.

"I talked with Misty for a long time after you left. She felt really bad and thinks that her spell was the reason you left, but I don't think that is true at all. Bethany says that you must have been some kind of guardian angel, and that once I was no longer in danger, you went back to wherever you came from. I can understand if you had to leave, but damnit, Jack, you didn't even say goodbye! I am so pissed at you for that!" Jo exhaled loudly, trying to calm her temper. "I hope noone ever hears me talking to you this way, cause if they do they'll probably put me in a cell next to Michael, but it's the only thing that keeps me sane anymore. At times I miss you so badly it hurts." At this, Jo paused and took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. She gave a long sigh, and her hand dropped back to her side.

"Anyway, Jack, I've agreed to take the position for the next 6 months, and then Bethany is going to take over while I take some time off. I've just found out that you left me a little something to remember you by, and I'm going to take some time to get to know him or her. I only wish you could be here now, and I hope you can hear me when I say I love you with every breath in me, and I will until the end of days. Goodnight, love." She smooched his cold wax lips softly before turning to leaving the waxworks, completely missing the sudden flash of light that sparked in the figure's glass eyes.

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His scent was so intoxicatingly wonderful that she couldn't get enough of it.

Sea salt, leather, sweat and the musky scent of pure maleness filled her nostrils, and she leaned back into his protective embrace as they stood on the deck of The Black Pearl, his hands on either side of her on the wheel. She felt his lips graze her ear as he nuzzled her neck in that sensitive spot just under her chin that always made her giggle. It was early evening, the sea was relatively calm and she could hear the echo of the ships bell….funny, it was ringing so strangely….

Jo's eyes cracked open and she cursed as she realized that the ringing of the telephone had pulled her from slumber and the nightly dreams of Jack. Each dream was unique and in each, Jack was her friend, tutor, companion and lover as they traveled to exotic places and encountered adventures of all sorts. They had started the night he left, and those precious dream moments were the one thing she didn't share with anyone, not even Bethany. The clock said that it was a few minutes past 2 a.m., way too late for any casual call. Clearing her throat, she picked up the phone.

"If this is a crank caller, I have Mafia connections who will hunt you down and take you out." Jo growled, angry at being pulled from her interlude with Jack.

"Love, it's Bethany…..I hate to wake you, but Frank just called me, and I knew you'd want to know right away….There's been a fire at the hotel.."

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Jo was numb as she walked past the bevy of television satellite trucks, police cars and fire personnel to the employee entrance. Bethany and Frank waited just outside, talking with a uniformed officer, who was busily taking notes. Seeing her approach, Bethany excused herself and came to put her arm around her friend and colleague.

"You ok, love? You look completely knackered."

"I'm fine….just a bit tired. Can you tell me what happened?" Jo pulled her light sweater a little tighter around her neck. She was still wearing her silk pajama shirt over her blue jeans, and the wintry air blew harshly against her exposed skin.

"From what they can tell, the fire broke out in one of the restaurant kitchens and caused an explosion that sent a fireball into the ventilation system. The fire system pipes leading to our section were damaged during the initial blast, so our sprinklers were useless. The structural harm was mainly limited to the restaurant and the movie theaters, but the heat and smoke damage was extensive. The museum….Jo, they say it's a total loss." Tears were flowing down Bethany's cheeks unchecked as she embraced her friend tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"No….they have to be wrong! They can't be gone! Jack can't be gone!" She jerked away from Bethany and dashed into the building, completely disregarding her friend's protests. Her heart sank as she saw the dark black soot marks on the ceiling of the hallway. As she approached the display room, she began to see clumps of what looked like melted wax in footprint patterns, apparently left by the firefighters as they battled the blaze. She ducked under the crime scene tape and taking a deep breath, swung open the door into her own personal hell.

The main power to the room had been cut, and the devastation was lit only by emergency lights over the exits, but it was sufficient to see that the displays had been annihilated by the heat and smoke. Those displays that were in the far corners were mostly melted but still upright, while those directly under the large vents were nothing more than tangled puddles of soot covered wire, fabric and wax. Jack fell under the second category.

Jo stumbled to where what was left of her beloved pirate remained, and falling to her knees, she reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the weathered tri-cornered hat, clutching it to her chest as she began to sob. She cried not just for herself, but for the new life inside her, and for the loss of the hope that he would someday come to life again.So intense was her weeping that she never heard the door open behind her or the booted footsteps as they approached and crouched down beside her.

"You really shouldn't be in here, you know. It's not good for the baby."

The quiet yet familiar voice startled Jo, and she gripped the hat even tighter, not bothering to look up at the speaker. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that he was wearing heavy boots and what she recognized as a fireman's uniform.

"I don't give a rat's ass whether or not I'm supposed to be here…and unless you plan on dragging me out of here kicking and screaming, I'm staying. I'm the curator, and I have every.right to be here and…..how did you know about the baby? I haven't told anyone except…" She gasped and looked up, her startled green eyes meeting warm brown ones in a face that she had been sure she'd never see again except on a movie screen. His expression was both amused and tender as he grasped her arms gently and lifted them both to their feet and pulled her into his arms.

"Oh God….Jack?"

His only response was a smile and a kiss…….

FIN

Well folks, there you have it! The journey of Jack, Jo and her friends is finally over, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There is the possibility of a sequel using some of our supporting characters, but no promises yet---I have other stories that I will be finishing before I start any new ones! Thanks again for all your support!