Author's Note-

I ATTEMPTED TO POST THIS ON JULY 12 AND 13TH BEFORE LEAVING FOR GERMANY FOR 3 WEEKS BUT MY COMPUTER CRASHED AND I WAS UNABLE TO POST.

I can't believe that this is over. But, I must say it has been a good ride. Without further ado, please, enjoy the chapter.

-A-

Last time -

"Nah. Won't happen. Cap'n Jack Sparrow doesn't go soft for anybody," he said in a very overly-masculine voice.

"Didn't think so," I muttered before leaning over to kiss him.

-A-

Beyond the Horizon

Chapter 26 - What Lies Beyond the Horizon

The return journey to Port Royale was remarkably uneventful but at that uneventfullness was remarkably comforting. It took about a month and a half to get all the way back, we were helped along by a strong wind that pushed us much faster than usual.

There were a few interesting events, however. Mainly these involved Rion and Juaquiem, who, after Jack had his full interrogation, were short-lived ... I think. Once Jack had finished getting all the information from these insane men, the Black Pearl thankfully made a short detour to a deserted island. But, before we let them off, I had to get my own personal revenge.

Jack and Colin had already hauled the two up from the brig when I swaggered up behind them. "Wait a moment, Jack, Colin," I said calmly. Both turned, holding their prisoners in exceptionally tight holds at the neck. "Give me two seconds of their undivided attention," I stated, smirking slightly.

"Love, what are you doing?" Jack asked incredulously as I sauntered up to stand right in front of him and Juaquiem.

I smiled winningly and said, "Watch." Then, before anyone expected it, I punched Juaquiem forcibly in the nose. There was a crack as his nose broke, he swore but since he was held by Jack, could no more retaliate than stem the flow of blood gushing forth from his now broken nose.

"Nice shot, Christy," Tad called from the crow's nest.

"Lad, watch the ocean, not the deck!" Jack called, causing Tad to look away, abashed.

One might think that my revenge had been fulfilled and that now I could retire to nurse my surprisingly sore knuckles but, no, I stayed where I was, smiling over at Rion.

"Christy ..." Colin began.

I held up a hand to silence him, still smiling at Rion. I sauntered up even closer to Rion, placed my hands on his shoulders and leaned up to his ear, as if to tell him a secret. Jack sputtered in the background but I ignored it, leaning slightly closer to Rion so that our chests were touching. Then, when I should have started talking, I brought my knee up quickly and kneed him hard in the personals.

Rion fell to the his knees, tears streaming from his eyes, a pained look on his face as he swore fluidly.

I smiled, patted his head like a child and turned to Jack before saying, "Now, you can take them away," and with that, I smiled and walked away.

-A-

After the month and a half long jaunt on the Pearl and the similar month and a half long time of Jack's and my engagement, everyone was itching to get off the ship and enjoy the ... thrills of land. Similarly, I was so ready to get off of a piece of wood, albeit, a beautiful one, so that I could see my daughter and my friends. I had been gone a long time, I imagined that Will and Elizabeth wondered what had happened to me ... whether or not everything was okay or not.

"Jack, Christy, c'mere!" Colin called the morning we were to reach land as we stumbled from the cabin drowsily ... it had been an 'eventful' night.

"What?" I called back before failing to stifle a large yawn.

"I got an idea. C'mere," he replied, motioning us over.

Jack, knowing that Colin didn't like being ignored when he had an idea, no matter how crazy it could have been, obeyed and tugged me along with him.

"So, I know you two are supposed to get hitched, right?" he prompted.

Jack and I nodded, unsure of what he was going to suggest.

"Well, how about I do the ceremony? Keep it a pirate wedding and more importantly, secret."

"That sounds good to me," Jack and I replied simultaneously.

Colin nodded to himself. "See, I do have good ideas."

Jack smirked at me. "Aye, Colin. We know that. Af'er all, without you, we'd still be in Cadiz."

Colin smiled and walked away, his smile bright enough to light the stars with.

-A-

When at last we reached Port Royal, I was itching to leave the ship as fast as I could, and practically ripped Jack's arm out of its socket as we hurried up the hidden trail to Will and Elizabeth's house.

At last I could see the manor and no sooner could I see that, I saw a small, dark haired blur streaking towards me, followed by a slightly frazzled Elizabeth.

"MUMMY, MUMMY, MUMMY!" Rhia called as she ran.

I laughed and bent down to scoop my daughter into a hug when she got near enough. Rhia was so overjoyed that she jumped into my arms, knocking me over and sending us both rolling in the grass. Holding my daughter again was the best experience one could ask for, I kept her as tight as I could to me, kissing her head as she rambled on about all the fun she had had with Uncle Will and Auntie 'Lizabeth.

Jack, wanting to let me get up and also, to hug our daughter (though he wouldn't admit it), tugged Rhia off of me, swung her in the air and embraced her tightly.

I pushed myself up off the grass, only to be snapped into another tight hug, this time by Elizabeth.

"Just a short trip?" Elizabeth asked in my ear.

"We had a slight problem," I immediately said, slightly defensively, not noticing the smile on Elizabeth's face.

"Come on in. Will's inside and I'm sure he'd love to hear all the events of the past few months."

I followed Elizabeth, eager to see Will again, leaving Jack and Rhia to follow us. I glanced back at them as Elizabeth and I led the way and the sight I saw made my heart pang happily - Rhia and Jack following us, hand in hand as Rhia proceeded to talk Jack's ear off.

-A-

Will was very happy to hear our tale ... even happier to know that we weren't just fishing for an excuse to enjoy the ocean again or each other's company. As Jack and I told our tale, Rhia sat happily in my lap, playing with my hair (apparently, she did it to everyone's hair ... even Jack's later that night).

When at last we had finished our tale, I gave Jack, Will and Elizabeth time to talk as I followed Rhia up to her room, to help her gather her things.

"Mummy, I missed you lots," she said as she started gathering her belongings.

"I know, baby. But not as much as I missed you," I replied, stroking her hair soothingly.

After collecting Rhia's things, the three of us made our way home. Rhia, so excited to be home again, had no intentions of going to sleep - exactly what Jack and I were longing to do but we sat up with her, listening to her stories of all the games she had played with Elizabeth and the tiny sword Will had made her. Finally, after she had literally talked herself hoarse, she went to bed and so, finally, did we.

-A-

Jack and I were married a week after we returned to Port Royal although the only people who knew we were married were Colin, Rhia, Will, Elizabeth and Tad, who had befriended Rhia. Standing on the beach at sunset with the man I loved, promising to love him forever and listening to his promise to love me forever, made me realise that this was how life was supposed to be. As I stood before my friends and the deep crimson of the sunset, promising never to leave him, I almost laughed at the thought of who I was five years ago and decide that I liked this role much better.

"Jack, I love you with all of my heart and all of my mind and all of my body and I will never leave you. Like the tides that always come rolling in, in good weather and in bad, I will always be there for you and always care for you. Neither heaven nor hell could ever manage to keep me from you. I want to spend my life with you, I want to live to see what lies beyond the horizon," I said, smiling up at Jack.

-A-

After we were married, we went to live on the Pearl, even Rhia. Jack and I had a son a year after we married - Thomas Micheal and Rhia fully enjoyed being a big sister.

As time passed, there were troubled times but there were also happy times and thankfully for our little family and fortunately for us, the happy times far surpassed the troubled ones.

Rhia is now a big girl of seventeen and Tom is a striking lad of twelve. They both are happy to explore new lands, meaning Jack has to stop at land more than he'd like to but he does it all the same, though some wouldn't believe it, he is quite the doting father.

Rhia and Tad have been getting close lately and I think that there may be interesting times ahead of us. Jack is threatening to castrate Tad before he could touch her but never has ... yet. Every time he threatens, all I have to do is remind him what he was like seventeen years ago and he goes quiet ... for a minute. They are young, in love and happy and after all, what more could one ask for.

The years go by quickly but I am still loving every minute of the experience, even as my hair gets flecks of gray and I notice changes in myself, just as I see other changes in my children or in Jack. Life is a fickle friend. Unlike most of life, you can not just sit back and watch it pass but must grab life by the horns and hold on because sometimes the path can be bumpy but even when you get thrown off you must climb back on and hold on tighter.

Thinking back to the vows I said to Jack on our wedding day, I have discovered what I meant when I said that I want to share what lies beyond the horizon with him ... and that is life. The only thing that lies beyond that horizon in the distance is life and the chance to live again.

And so it was that we lived ... maybe not perpetually happily and maybe not forever but we lived, and really THAT is what counts.

THE END

-A-

Author's Note -

Well, this is not the end for CrazyCanoeingGIT's writing career ... this is only the beginning! I will more than likely have another story out after a hiatus. (September, prolly.) But trust me, I'll be writing ... as a matter of fact, I'll be probably writing something this afternoon ... I'm leaving in 5 hours to go to Germany for three weeks.

Anywho, I want to say thank you soooooo much to all my reviewers, it has meant so much to me. I really truly appreciate all of you, even you who is reading this story several months later than I finished it. I love the support and I especially love having people who like what I write. Thank you! big hugs to you all

Until next time, may your days be filled with beauty and your nights with many stars.

Mange Klemmar,

CrazyCanoeingGIT