The Beads that Bind.

A/N: Written as part of little series i've decided to write on Jacks trinkets and what not. Can be read as a stand alone though if you missed the previous entry "Of Legend and Lace." Let me know what you guys think. Im kinda having fun with this one!

The Beads that Bind

Jack sat in his chair impatiently tapping his fingers on his desk and willing time to move faster. He was frustrated. His rum was gone (wasn’t it always?). He and Lizzie had drunk a bit too much the night before and he was two days out of Port thus unable to restock. He had quickly gotten bored with his charts, since he really wasn’t in need of them at the moment being quite familiar with the waters he was sailing. His compass offered no amusement to him whatsoever anymore since it only ever pointed to Lizzie. So now he sat waiting for Lizzie’s watch to end so he could at least have a little fun with her tonight since everything else had lost his interest.

He thought about going up on deck to visit her, but remembered how angry she had gotten the last time. Thinking he had come to ‘check up on her.’ Well, he had but that didn’t really matter now. This time he merely wanted to feel her more than check on her. The very thoughts he had of her still managed to send shivers down his spine, further intensifying his impatience at the moment.

Before he got to the point where his own presence started to annoy him he heard the cabin door creak open and the humming of a familiar tune fill the room.

“And really bad eggs!” He sang as she hummed over his favorite part.

Laughing was heard before she spoke “You do remember the other lines to the song. Don’t you Jack?”

“Of course I do.” He rose to his feet and walked to greet her kissing her fervently before he continued, “that part is just more better.” He smirked at her before leaning in to claim her lips again.

This time she sidestepped him. Knowing full well that she would never get to wash up if she didn’t stop him now. “Somehow I think the song already lost your interest Captain. But I do need to freshen up a bit.” She kissed his cheek and turned to walk to the basin in the corner.

He turned on his heels and plopped down on his bunk to watch her. “Lizzie I say you are fresh for me pickin.” She mesmerized him as flipped her hair down and into the basin rinsing away the days sweat and sea. She wrapped a nearby linen around it when she finished and spoke as she removed her clothing to cleanse her person.

“Would you braid my hair for me Jack?” She asked as she dipped a cloth into the basin to wash away the days labor.

“Of course luv.” His eyes following the trail the cloth took across her body, a trail he eagerly wanted to follow. “Get over here,” His urgent need for her overpowering what little patience he had. She grabbed one of his old shirts and put it on. “No need for that Lizzie.” He smiled devilishly at her as she popped her head through the top of it.

“Ill never get my braid if I don’t.” She smirked at him, knowing all too well how easily distracted he could become.

She combed her hair out as she walked over to him. She remembered how happy she had been when she found a comb on that merchant ship they had pillaged a few months back. Little did she know that it would lead to her discovering just how good her bedmate was at braiding. She sat down in front of him and he began his craft. She loved having him braid her hair. Not only was it helpful in keeping her hair tamed, but also she loved the feel of his hands as they worked their magic.

“Jack, how did you learn to braid so well?” She asked as she tilted her head into his touch.

“Me mum taught me when I was a lad.” He said. “I used to help her with hers all the time. I always loved putting the little beads on the ends of them to keep the braid from slipping out.”

“Is that the reason for all the beads you have?” She asked. She’d always wondered but never had gotten around to asking him about it.

“The ones in me dangles, yes. The ones in me hair me dad gave me.” He found himself spewing the information to her like it was nothing, after all this was his Lizzie. Although he didn’t like talking about his past, he loved that she was more interested in him than his ‘stories.’

“Tell me about them Jack.” She inquired further.

“I’ll tell ye but ye need to keep it to your onesie, luv.”

“Don’t I always, Jack?”

“Aye. Only reason I tell ye anything Lizzie.” He kissed her cheek. “Besides need something to keep me focused on braiding and I have no rum.” He chuckled.

“Maybe if you hadn’t tried to get me drunk the other night…” she teased.

“Funny Luv, but I distinctly remember you starting the little game and then pushing ME into…”

“JACK! The story!” Lizzie interrupted him reminding him to finish before he started something else preventing her from getting her braid.

“Bugger.” He paused. “After I was branded I went to say goodbye to me mum. It was then that she told me where I could find me dad and that he had been a pirate. Interesting as it were, but it did explain where me love for the sea came from, eh? Anyway, I knew I probably would never get to see her again so I took some of her beads to remember her. Years later when I heard she had passed I braided me beard in her honor and used those beads at the ends of them. Creating my dangles.”

“That’s so...” She was cut off.

“I know. Don’t say it.” He made a disgusted face she couldn’t see, “don’t ever call a pirate…”

“Sweat? I know its bad for your ego.” She laughed until he gave the braid a tiny tug “Ouch!” He laughed this time. “Fine. Your ruthless Jack Sparrow. Is that better?”

“No.”

“Ugh, your ruthless CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow.”

“Aye! That’s me lass.”

“Anyways the others me dad gave me. Told me a real pirate had beads.” He chuckled to himself. “So he tied some into me hair so I could be like him. It worked too, since as you have seen, I do look a lot like me dad. Don’t like to admit it much but it did help to have a pirate father who was part of the Brethren. The trinkets on the end I looted off the first merchant ship I commandeered.” He paused as he finished his braiding. “But now Lizzie story time is over.”

Before she knew it he had picked her up and spun her around to face him. Planting his lips on hers and almost immediately moving to remove her shirt.

“Jack” she tried to spit words out but every time she went to speak his lips interrupted the process. Finally pushing him off enough to speak she almost shouted, “You need to take your pants off!” She sounded more needy than she had intended to be, making him laugh.

“I thought I was the impatient one luv?” He teased as he moved them to their feet and discarded his clothing. “Better?” he asked playfully as he pulled her down to the bed.

She needed no words as she greedily began kissing him, stealing all coherent thoughts in his head. Before either of them was even really aware, their bodies had found the rhythm they so frequently created together. The only tales they told were that of the love they shared, expressed through moans, groans, and chanting that had long been understood to them.

Jack thrust himself into her as she rode the wave of pleasure his fingers had helped him elicit from her only moments before. Shortly thereafter his own wave engulfed him sending him into the endless oblivion he had long known but rediscovered everyday in the arms of Lizzie: arms he would never willingly leave.

Once the real world had returned to them, Jack rolled to his back and placed a strong arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on his chest causing her braid to flop within view. It was then that she noticed the bead at the end of it. She moved her eyes to meet his, which were half lidded with sleep setting in.

“A real pirate has beads and it was me mums,” he mumbled before dozing off.