I woke up the next day, to the sound of my doorbell. I flew to the door wishing with all my might that it was Jack (though looking back, why would a ghost not just walk in?). To my disappointment, it was the twins. Christy was muttering to herself all the way to sitting on the couch. I raised an eyebrow at Crystal.

"She's ok. And she believes, but now she's questioning every idea she's ever accepted as fact!" said Crystal.

"I can understand that!" I said.

"We have to talk!" said Crystal shutting the door behind her.

"About what?" I asked. Crystal pulled me to the couch and we sat on either side of Christy who was still muttering.

"If ghosts are real, are goblins?" she said.

"Last night, I began to think about that story you told me on how Captain Sparrow died. So I did a little digging on the internet and I found that ring you told me about!" said Crystal.

"So?" I shrugged.

"And what about Santa Claus?" said Christy.

"So! The curse of the ring was written in Gaelic, or ancient Irish. And it says that any who wear the ring, are cursed to be like the dead, never to be seen by loved ones again!" said Crystal.

"I know that part Crystal!" I said.

"Is the Easter Bunny?..." said Christy.

"But Jack read it as that any who wear the ring are to be the dead, not be LIKE the dead!" said Crystal.

"What are you saying?" I asked her.

"And let's not forget gnomes!" said Christy shaking her head.

"Jack is still alive! According to historians, until the yeah 1675 when the ring disappeared at the hands of a pirate (that would be Jack), numerous people claimed that they thought they were dead until they took the ring off! Then they figured out the ring only gives them immortality and the powers of a ghost! The curse part comes in, when they looked around and realize that no one they knew was alive anymore!" explained Crystal.

"Never to be seen by loved ones again!" I said taking this all in, beginning to comprehend.

"Many of those people killed themselves because of it! They couldn't handle living in a world not their own! But I think Jack can! We have to tell him he's still alive!" said Crystal. My face fell.

"We can't." I said sadly.

"Why not?" she asked me.

"He left. He...didn't want to cause me anymore problems!" I said.

"But how do we find him?" asked Crystal.

"I'll drive!" said Christy standing up and walking out, leaving the two of us to follow her confusingly. Ten minutes later, we were driving around downtown Louisville quietly scanning the streets for Jack.

"We have to find him!" I said breaking the silence.

"To tell him he's still alive!" nodded Crystal.

"Among other things!" I added reflecting to myself. Crystal reached to the backseat and gave my hand an understanding squeeze. I sighed,

"All right, if I were a pirate from the 17th century, where would I be?" Christy said,

"Hang on!" She turned a sharp corner, causing surrounding cars to honk in protest.

"Uh, Chris...you've had a shock, maybe, it wasn't such a good idea to let you drive!" said Crystal. But as we neared the bridge heading towards Indiana, I smiled and said,

"Christy! You're a genius!" As we began to cross the bridge overlooking the Ohio River, I frantically scanned the edges. Then I saw a figure in a blue overcoat and brown tricorn staring over the water on the right side of the bridge.

"There he is!" I said in joy as Christy pulled over as much as she could and stopped. I got out, just as I heard a thunderclap overhead, the dark clouds threatening to break any minute.

"Jack!" I yelled running up to him. He turned his gaze from the water to me and said in surprise,

"Luv? What are ye doing here?"

"Jack, you're still alive!" I spouted out.

"What?" he asked quirking an eyebrow.

"That ring doesn't kill it's wearer, it only makes them immortal and have ghost powers! You've been alive all this time! The curse is when you take the ring off and realize you don't know anybody or how to live in a new time! Crystal told me so!" I rambled on. He looked down to the ring and said,

"All these years...I've been alive...and I didn't even know it!"

"But now you can take it off Jack! And you can live a normal life again!" I said. He eyed me and said,

"What if I don't want to?" he said.

"What?" I asked the wind beginning to pick up flapping my hair about.

"After all you just said the curse really begins after I take the ring off! How am I live in a world with no record of a past? Why should I want to?" he asked staring intently at me expecting me to answer.

"Because!" I said.

"Because why Darlin'?" he asked.

"Because I love you! I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you! It's completely selfish of me to want you to do something just because I want you to be with me, but I don't care! I love you! And if you decide to keep the ring on, I still want to spend the rest of my days with you!" I blurted out, everything out in the open now. He smiled gently,

"Like Captain Gregg and Mrs. Muir should have done?"

"Yeah!" I said now realizing that I was crying. He stepped forward and looked down at the ring,

"On the one hand, I can stay immortal and use my powers to become a great pirate again, taking the ring off when I've got enough swag to buy me own little island somewhere in the Caribbean..."

"You could do that." I said disappointment beginning to mount. Then he looked up at me.

"On the other hand..."He took off the ring and said before chucking it over his shoulder into the Ohio River,

"...I love you!" Then he grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me close, kissing me forcefully just as it began to downpour. I felt his passion, his love, his desire. I reveled in the smell of him, the earthy smell of the sea, spices and rum. I felt like I was floating. FLOATING!

"Hey!" We broke the kiss, to see a police office addressing us.

"Sir, would you and the lady mind getting into your car and go? You're holding up traffic!" said the cop to Jack. Jack looked around before saying,

"You are speaking to me right?"

"Yes I am!" said the officer in a crisp tone. Jack smiled and cocked his head,

"Just checking!" And with that, Jack took off his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders, nodding to the officer as he led me back to the car.

"Bye!" I said happily to the cop.

"Never was comfortable around the Law anyway!" muttered Jack to me causing me to laugh. When we got into the car, Jack nodded to the twins,

"Ladies!"

"Welcome to the 21st century Captain." said Crystal as Christy started up the car and went on. I cuddled into Jack's wet shoulder never more happy in my life.

"Seatbelts!" said Christy as we drove off in the pouring rain.

I'd like to say, that this would be a very good place to end my story. But it's not the ending. Two months, one fake past complete with social security card (thanks Crystal, how you did it I'll never know!), and a wedding and a honeymoon later, Jack carried me into our bedroom and laid me on the bed.

"You will forgive me Mrs. Sparrow, if I am a touch rusty. I haven't made love to a woman for four hours!" he joked.

"I still feel sorry for that stewardess who caught us!" I said smiling at the recent memory. Jack began to kiss my neck as I continued,

"I'm so glad we're home!"

"Mmm Hmm!" said Jack snuggling in my hair. I began to look back over the last few months, when a question formed in my mind.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?" he said pecking my lips and then beginning to reach his hand under my t-shirt.

"How did you pay for things when you were cursed? The flowers, Griffy. You never did tell me." I asked. He sighed and rolled over onto his back.

"You're not going to let me christen this bed until you know aren't you?" he said. I nodded as I laid on top of Jack waiting for him to answer. He sputtered his lips and said,

"Just don't be mad at me!" Then he reached with his right hand over the bed and pulled out a hidden drawer in the bed frame, it's contents full of sparkling gold coins and rich jewels in dark hues sparkling in the light. My mouth wide with shock, I looked back at my husband and said,

"Oy Vey!" He nodded and said,

"That was the other reason I hung around this bed!"

"Duh!" I said. He half grinned at me and said,

"Now...where were we?" He kissed me passionately and rolled me over. Nine months ago, I was looking for something dark, exotic, and elegant. Strong, handsome, with just a touch of whimsy. I thought I was looking for a bed. Well, I got that and infinitely more. I got the love of a lifetime.

The End