A/N: This is the end…prepare yourselves! Just kidding. Enjoy it, lovelies. Oh, by the way, the song is called "Simple And Clean" and it's by Utada Hikaru.

Chapter 17: See, What Had Happened Was…

"Why didn't you just tell me before?"

"I couldn't risk my cover being blown."

Anamaria was driving the baby pink Cadillac to the hospital three afternoons later. With all of the police questionings, helping Jack transport the ship and the treasure, getting Liz into the hospital, etc…this was the first time the sisters received an opportunity to be alone and talk.

"I would never blow your cover!" They stopped at a red light and Ana suddenly turned to look at her. "Hey, how long have you been in the FBI anyway?"

"Eh, this was my first real case. If it wasn't for Liz's father, I'd still be in that office doin' paperwork," Alisa replied.

"I thought that Liz did you a favor by asking her dad to give you a job at Ionary."

"Yeah, that's what she thought, too. But I already knew he'd say yes when I asked Liz for the favor. Mr. Swann had already asked for my help in convicting Barbossa and thought it'd be good if I was close by during the day; it would've been too obvious that something was up if he asked me to work there himself."

"Well I guess that makes sense," Ana replied as she turned the car into the hospital parking lot.

When the two young women reached the St. Joseph waiting room they were arm in arm with a uniform bounce in their steps. Just like sisters again, Jack thought, for he had already been in the waiting room, well, waiting for them.

"So, honey, who else is here?" Maria asked him with a sweet kiss on the cheek in greeting.

"Well, ol' Norry is with Liz as we speak. I guess the needed a li'l bit of alone time." And indeed, that was the case. James was kneeling by her bedside in blue jeans and a black sweatshirt with black house shoes to match—definitely not his usual business-like attire. Liz was propped up by two large white pillows gazing out of a nearby window. Winter was still a couple of months shy of New York, but a few birds had decided to come back. He took her hand and gently brought her attention back to him.

"So, you do understand, Elizabeth? Why we cannot be together?"

"Yes I do, don't worry! I realized that I didn't love you anymore that day in the cave," she assured him and, surprisingly, his heart didn't even stitch at the words said aloud.

"You love William then?"

Truly, she didn't know if it was really love or not, but she decided it may be better to just give it a shot.

"Yeah. I do love him," she said in what she hoped was a confident voice. James bought it with a grin and squeezed her hand.

"Well then, we're even I guess!" he announced as he stood up from his knee and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Hm? How? What do ya mean?"

"I think your pretty friend Alisa has the hotts for me," he winked and she giggled at his silly imitation of a girl swooning.

"What in the hell?" Jack stood in the doorway with an incredulous expression on his face. Norrington cleared his throat in an embarrassed fashion, and began to bid them farewell, when Jack interrupted.

"Nah, mate, don't go. Alisa's here and wants to talk to you," he said. As Norry left the room with Jack, he and Liz shared a secret smile that held understanding and a promise to still be friends. When they closed the door behind them, Liz produced a small music box of Japanese design from under her big hospital pillow. She opened it up to listen to the tune of a Japanese dance song that it played.

When you walk away you don't hear me say:

Please, oh baby, don't go!

Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight…

It's hard to let it go.

She sighed, closed it again and put it back under her pillow.

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"Hi, James! Come take a walk with me?" Alisa asked when Jack brought him to the waiting room. She held her hand out to him in her signature friendly fashion and they began to walk, hands clasped, in slow, lazy strides.

"Well, I just want to thank you for your help. I'm glad Will pulled out his cell on the ship to leave Liz a message…I totally forgot mine at home! Thanks for trusting me when I called you," she finished. They were in the hall now, next to the exit door.

"I'm glad you called me," he said. They stood there for a minute sort of shifting their weight from the balls of their feet to the heels; they both seemed to be waiting for something. Just as Alisa opened her mouth to break the silence (and possibly bid him farewell) he spoke as if the words had been bursting to get out of him.

"Would you like to take a walk outside?" She almost smirked at the flustered tone of his voice, but she was too relieved and happily surprised. She simply nodded with a smile and he smiled back (wow, his smile is more stunning than Will's!) as he led her out the double doors. When they stepped out into the sunshine, they were so blinded by its rays that they literally bumped into Will.

"Hey, you two! What's going on?" he asked them jovially. In his hands he held carefully a bouquet of lavender and honeysuckle flowers. Will had dressed nicely in dark green slacks, black business shoes, and a black collared dress shirt. Surprisingly, he went tie-less and had his top shirt buttons lazily undone, his coat draped over his shoulder.

They looked at him, but didn't have to ask why he was dressed more for a date than a hospital visit—Elizabeth.

"Not much, we were just going for a walk," James said to him.

"Oh. Well, Alisa, I just want to say…that I'm glad things will be getting back to normal," Will said as he looked hard into her eyes with a serious expression. Both knew without another word what he meant by that; their trust and friendship was restored. She gave a single serious nod and Norry cleared his throat.

"Well, shall we be off then?" he asked her and her answer was to link her arm in his and begin lightly stepping across the parking lot. Then she turned her head and grinned at Will, and a small but genuine smile, he returned.

Still clutching his flowers, he walked toward the waiting room with an anxious air of confidence. Will stopped, though, when he heard Ana and Jack talking in low voices. He was clearly standing in the waiting room, but they were very engrossed in their own world; instead of announcing himself, he listened on:

"You still haven't said much about what I told you, Jack. You say you're happy, but…" Anamaria was talking about her pregnancy, but Will was lost.

"I know, we haven't had much time to talk about it. But what better time than now! I am very happy, Luv." Jack noticed that she didn't look convinced. Taking a deep breath and letting out a tired sigh, he took her hands in his and continued.

"You know what Ana Baby? I've been trying to get you with child for the past two months," he admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"WHAT! But Jack, why would you do that!" She had ripped her hands out of his to clasp them to her face in shock.

"Because I love kids. And I love you." He stated this as if his reasoning was completely logical, simple, and obvious- as though there wasn't a doubt or worry in his mind. Maria wasn't buying it.

"But Jackie! The pills. I've been taking the pills."

"Actually…you've been taking a calcium tablet every day." She gasped.

"Condoms! They'd tear quite often. You insisted they weren't too small for…well, that wasn't you're doing was it? The condoms occasionally-well, quite often- tearing?" she asked with wide eyes when he didn't interrupt her to contradict.

"Sometimes I'd make sure they were expired. And I'd save a couple from the box and let them dry out a bit, become weak."

Her look of shock intensified as she plopped down into a chair which was luckily right behind her. He squatted down in front of her and rested his hands on her knees.

"Hey, now, don't look like that. You've always known how important it is to me, to have a family. A real family. You are the woman that I love. I want you to be the woman of my life. The mother of my children." Jack paused to see how she was taking it. Ok, she's not having a seizure…eye diameter has decreased…

"Well, I guess you have what you want then, I am obviously now the mother of your child," she said pointedly in a frustrated tone of voice. "I'm so confused Jack."

"You know you love me, too, Ana. I've only known you forever, what's so bad about wanting to be with you forever!" It was his turn to lose his cool and it became obvious to the other three people in the waiting room, not including Will, that there was something interesting going on. Everyone was listening and Jack realized this.

"Jackie? What are you talking about?" she asked him in a whisper. He rolled his eyes, exasperatedly.

"What I'm saying is, not only have I known ya forever, I've loved you for forever." His defined cheekbones gained a pinkish tint to them as he reached into his winter coat to pull out a velvet cube that looked very tiny in his large, tanned hands. He changed from squatting to kneeling on his right knee; her eyes went wide again as he opened the box to reveal a large, sparkling, rose-colored diamond on a stunning silver ring band. He sighed and ran a hand through his long, dark brown hair which was wavy since he took down his decorated braids.

"See, this isn't how I planned to ask you, but something told me to bring the ring. Anamaria, let's continue our lives-together. Will you be my wife? Will you marry me?"

The waiting room went silent. Even the lady behind the desk answering phones asked the patient on the line to hold on for a moment; she placed her hand over the receiver and stared at the scene in front of her. The seconds ticked by, but it felt like years to Jack. After about five of these agonizing seconds, he decided to try and do some awkward silence damage control.

"I understand that this is sudden and if you need time to-"

"No, Jackie. I mean, yes Jackie. I mean, no I don't need more time, yes Jack, I will marry you." He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and a grin graced his features as the room exploded in applause and cheers. She giggled as she examined the ring he slipped onto her finger and they embraced each other in a tight hug.

"Jack, Cap'n Jack, Anamaria, congratulations!" Will announced himself as he patted them both on the back.

"Thanks," she said shyly and Jack kissed her square on the cheek.

"William, me boy. I've been meaning to talk to you," Jack said and then he turned to Ana. "My beautiful fiancé, I'll be back soon." She nodded and Jack led Will away with a strong hand on the shoulder.

"Jack, I think I know what my dreams were about. They were about you and Anamaria taking care of me on my father's ship." When Jack looked at him confused, he told him of his dream with the dark haired girl holding him in her lap, and the pair of strong hands swooping him away from the ship's edge.

"Oh yes, I remember that. You must've been four and I 12, Ana eight. We took our eyes off you for one second that night- next thing I knew, I was chasin' after ya, full speed!" He laughed heartily as he stuck his hands in his jean pockets to keep his fingers warm. Will smiled. "But the ring on your finger-"

"From my dad."

"Yes, from ol' Bootstrap," he continued fondly. "The engraving on the inside. Ever wondered what it means?"

Quarter your life. Will had taken it off of his fingers to examine it again.

"Yes. Yes, I have thought about it."

"Well, during pirate battle, sometimes the captain will say 'men, no quarter' and it means have no mercy, fight till the end. He was tellin' ya, lad, to fight till the end to get what you want in life. Don't show anyone mercy who tries to take away your happiness. Your life is the most important thing you've got, Will."

He nodded, deep in thought for a moment as they continued their walk. Will stopped in his tracks and turned to Jack.

"Why are you telling me this now?" he asked. "You've known all along about my ring."

"I saw the flowers that you carried." At this, Will's face contorted into worry- Jack held up his hand. "Don't worry now; Anamaria is holdin' em for you (Will's face relaxed). I know they're for Elizabeth. And I know why you have them." Actually I don't, but if I act like I do this should work. Jack smirked.

Why is he smirking at me? Or is it just my imagination? Will thought. What does he know that I don't? When Jack stayed silent, Will thought harder.

I brought the flowers because it's the traditional thing to bring to someone who is sick in the hospital.

But she already has a ton. Jack's voice seemed to enter Will's mind, arguing with him.

Yes, but not lavender and honeysuckle ones!

Whats' so friggin great about lavender and honeysuckle?

That's the way her hair smelled that morning when I woke up beside her.

Silence.

Enough said, lad.

"So I love her?" This thought, he meant to keep in his head, but it escaped and Jack grinned, pleased with himself.

"Well, I dunno! But you better not let her slip away, 'specially not to that stunning Norry fellow."

You mean Norrington? I saw him and Alisa all cuddled up a minute ago."

"Well then, lucky you, lad! Now you just have to worry about her father! Good luck," he said as he gave Will a strong pat on the back. He started jogging toward the hospital entrance.

"Where are you going, Jack!" Will called out to him.

"Will, I don't know about you, but I'm freezin' my hide off, boy!" With that, Will was left alone in the sharp cold air to think about what Jack just helped him realize. Or so he thought.

"Will!" Alisa called from across the parking lot. He turned around and was surprised to see Elizabeth being helped into Alisa's truck by a nurse. She jogged over. "Hey, are you ok? You look like…I dunno, confused or something. Why are you out here by yourself?" He ignored her questions.

"Is Liz going home with you?"

"Well, she's been released and she insists on going to her own home. I'm just taking her and I figure I'll stay for a day or two, help her out."

He took a deep breath.

"No, Alisa, that won't be necessary. I'll stay with her. Better yet, you'll drive her to my place and she'll stay with me," he decided resolutely. Alisa had never seen him so determined, but she had reasonable doubts.

"I really don't think she's gonna go for this," she told him gently.

"I don't care! It's not like she can jump out of a moving truck and walk herself home!"

Silence.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Alisa finally said. For some reason they both found this very amusing and took and few moments to laugh and let tears flow down their faces hysterically.

Then Alisa's horn sounded- Liz was getting impatient.

"Ok, Will, meet us there."

He did indeed meet them there. And Liz most certainly did put up a fight.

"Will, this is very sweet of you, but I cannot stay here! I need to go home and take care of myself again," she insisted and looked at Alisa for support. Alisa shook her head vehemently and practically threw the bouquet she produced from her black backpack at Will's chest.

"Ana told me these are yours. I'm sorry but I gotta go…bye!" She ran out of the apartment even though Liz called out threats of 'You better not leave, or else!' Will was triumphant as he closed his door before she got the bright idea to try and run out, too. Ooo, I don't think I like this sneaky, FBI side of Alisa, Liz thought as her tired feet made her finally give in and sit down on his couch. There was an oddly comfortable silence as she began looking at the pictures on his wall. He cleared his throat as he walked around the sofa to sit down next to her.

"Liz, I got these for you." Will handed her the purple and ivory flowers which she accepted and smelled.

"They remind me of something," she mused. He chuckled.

"Well they should, I think; they remind me of you. That day that I stayed the night at your house, I woke up to this smell. Your shampoo," he reminded her. For a moment she was flattered but then she became defensive.

"Ohh, is that what this is about? You don't have to repay me for that night, Will."

"No, that's not what this is about! Liz, I just…" He was at a loss for words. Oh, forget it. He stopped trying to speak and leaned over to giver her a long, sweet kiss. When they broke apart, she stared at him. Our first kiss, she thought happily. They didn't need to say anything. It became obvious to both of them that somewhere inside of them, they had known their true feelings all along.

"Ok. I'll stay," she agreed with a grin. He grinned back before they both leaned close to share another deep kiss.

Just an hour later, Will had helped a tired Elizabeth crawl into bed; she had given him her house key and a list of belongings to bring over. Later that night, when she woke up from a hungry stomach, the first thing she noticed was the warmth that Will emitted and she smiled lazily. Seconds later when her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the smile was wiped off of her face. This is way more than was on my list for him!

As she looked around his room she saw that most of the things from her own room were there, too. Liz got out of bed as quickly as she could manage and hobbled her shaky, sleepy body out to the living room. She gasped. Almost everything from her place was piled in the spacious living room. What is he doing! She noticed a white piece of paper stuck to the TV and quickly read it.

I knew you'd be up before me. I love you Elizabeth. We'll talk in the morning.

She giggled and shook her head in disbelief. When I said I'd stay did he think I meant?...nah! After sitting down to eat a sandwich, she crawled back into bed and took her small music box out from the bedside table. When she opened it up, it played the soft second verse of tinkling, mesmerizing music.

Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little further on.

Regardless of warning, the future doesn't scare me at all…

Nothing's like before.

She closed it, smiled and set it back in the drawer before snuggling up to Will and falling asleep to dreams of their adventures yet to come- life in New York, or the Caribbean, or wherever being a Pirate would take them.

A/N: I want to thank everyone for reading the tale and I hope that you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your reviews and your questions/criticism/praise. I'm sure to write another story soon, whether it be on fanfiction or (same penname!).

Vive el Caribe,

Galaxia-Dawn