Chapter 22: The Way They Told It

Three days later, as the afternoon came to an end and the sun met the glistening ocean in a sweep of red and yellow light, Jack stood behind his beautiful daughter at the helm of the Black Pearl, his hands placed just above hers on the grips of the wheel, guiding at the same time two of his most treasured possessions, though they were neither silver nor gold.

Jack was successfully ignoring the activities of his other most treasured prize at the moment, seeing as all she was doing was flitting about the teenager who was hanging his head over the side of the ship, coughing a bit as he quite effectively rid himself of the day's food.

Jacquelyn seemed to have natural sea-legs, never once losing her footing against the sway and bounce of the ship, and keeping her meals down very nicely. Nathan, however, had been stumbling around the deck all day, bumping into crewmembers and becoming generally disoriented and dizzy-looking. Juliet sat him down in the middle of the ship after he backed away from the railing, then made her way to the helm to speak to Jack and their daughter.

As Juliet came upon the pair, Jack looked up and grinned. "A natural, just like I told you, eh?"

"She certainly is!" Juliet exclaimed cheerfully as she looked Jacquelyn's hold on the wheel over appraisingly. "Jackie, do you think you could keep Nathan company for a few minutes? He's not feeling very well." Jacquelyn grinned and nodded emphatically as she raced towards Nathan, causing him to completely collapse onto the deck from the combination of the force of her impact and his dizziness, but he was grinning nonetheless as the young girl embraced him playfully.

Jack chuckled as he watched Nathan slip out of his sickness as Jacquelyn raced around him, laughing and jabbering and trying to tackle him.

"I'm beginning to think the li'l lass can cure anything in anyone, Jules! No more going into ports for doctors if she keeps this up..." Jack trailed off wistfully as he caught Juliet's gaze. It was a look he hadn't seen on her in quite some time. She seemed to embody happiness at that moment, a small smile set on her lips. It was as if she was glowing not only from the dark gold hues of the setting sun that played across her face, but she seemed to be shining, with a lightness and aura about her that Jack had not seen in years. As he stared more deeply into her eyes, he finally identified that look.

It was the kind of look that made him take her hand and quietly lead her to his cabin, neither of them returning from said room for the remainder of the evening.

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Juliet rested her head on Jack's bare chest as he wrapped an arm around her waist under the covers, pulling her close to him and smiling. She sighed as a welcome feeling of well-being and complete satisfaction rushed through her body. She knew for certain now that Jack saw her as a treasure, a rare thing of beauty and worth that should be cherished and cared for. And she was finally able to stop denying that she loved him, as she had made it perfectly clear over the last few hours that she did.

Treasure, Juliet thought again, grinning and cuddling into Jack shoulder. Wait, treasure... The treasure on the island... She turned back over, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling for a moment, deciding how to pose her question.

"Hey Jack?" she whispered coyly. Her voice sounded low and a little raspy, as if she had just woken up, and Jack couldn't help but find it exceedingly attractive. She had his attention immediately.

"Wha', love?"

"Well, I was just wondering about the treasure on the island... Do you think it was blown up in the explosion as well? Or will we be returning to find it?" She uttered the last sentence a bit too quickly for her own liking; she didn't want her building excitement to be evident.

"The camp was far enough away from the treasure itself that no harm was done, I imagine. But how we partake in that plentiful wealth that is me treasure is partially up to you, love. It is half yours, after all." Jack winked and grinned devilishly at Juliet, causing a slight tingling and rise of heat in her cheeks, though she had seen that expression of his a thousand times.

She lay her head down onto his shoulder again, sighing contentedly and wrapping an arm around his chest.

"I think we should leave it," she mumbled into his neck as she settled into a comfortable position. "For Jacquelyn..." Jack smiled fondly at the woman in his arms, her caring nature seemed to overpower every other urge in her soul.

"At least for now," she whispered, before falling into a serene sleep only achievable in the arms of the person you love.

Jack grinned and leaned his head back into the pillow, leaning his head against the top of hers and closing his eyes. "Aye, for now..."

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And so, the treasure was forgotten, though the thoughts of endless possibilities and unfathomable wealth would linger in both Jack and Juliet's minds for some time still. The notion of claiming it always seemed like a far-off dream, a looming desire waiting for the opportune moment to rear its enchanting head.

Yet, they decided to leave it there, buried safely underneath the sand, for future generations of their family to uncover and put to use. At least, that's the way they told it.

Fin.

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A/N: I can't believe I'm finally finished with this! But, alas, not entirely! An epilogue will be showing up quite soon, and if you want to know the real end, you'll need to read that, so don't abandon me yet, faithful reviewers! It'll include what happens to everyone, how the maps/scars on J&J's wrists work, etc. That's not to say a sequel is out of the realm of possibility... let me know what you think about the idea of a sequel (and what you think should happen in it.) and any feedback concerning the story, what I could do better, what you like, ETC.. And I just want to thank you guys, SO much, for supporting me and giving me a reason to keep writing this. I love you all thanks so much )

Dawnie-7: How can I thank you enough for reading? You came in in the middle, and virtually doubled the number of reviews I had, and you've been fantastically faithful and never missed a chapter! You should totally get a reward for reviewing, you're the best! Thank you so much, you made the story work. ;)

missjensparrow: it's great to have you back, sorry the story is basically finished! Im so glad you're enjoying it though, and please do keep reviewing as you go along, I love getting new reviews, for ANY chapter! Lol. Thanks so much.

Theatrevixen13: Don't worry about not reviewing before, it's awesome to know that even when I thought there was just about no one reading my story, you were! It's one of the best you've read?! WOW, compliment overload ) ! thank you sooo much.

Deynaianbloom: What can I say, you've stuck with me through this ENTIRE story, featured me on your website, I couldn't ask for someone better than you. Without you, I would have stopped writing this a long time ago, you pulled me through a slow period in reviews (lol), and you are a great friend to me and I just couldn't ask for more from a reviewer! Thank you so much )