AN: This is only my second Sparrabeth story so I'm still working out the kinks in my envisioned relationship between them. This has been in my mind for a while now and finally got around to posting it. I hope you enjoy it. if you do please leave me a review. If you don't please leave me review and let me know why.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or the characters in it. If I did it would not have ended as it did :)

The first thing Elizabeth noticed when she woke up was that she was naked from the waist up. The second was that her back really hurt. The third, and most troubling, was that she couldn't feel Jack in bed with her.

When she went to push herself up pain ripped across her back and with a cry she fell back down to the bed. From the corner of her eye she saw someone jerk up, looking over she saw Jack sitting at his desk blinking back sleep. He looked around the cabin before his eyes landed on her. He was quickly at her side, his hand resting on her cheek. "Lisabeth! You're awake! How do you feel luv?"

Elizabeth was definitely confused, besides the pain in her back she felt perfectly fine. "My back hurts a bit but otherwise I'm fine. Why do you ask? Actually why does my back hurt? And where's my shirt…Jack what's going on?" Jack stared at her for a moment, seemingly as confused as she was. "What's the last thing you remember Lizzie?"

Elizabeth though back, trying to remember what happened before she woke up in bed, wondering what could of led her to this position. It took a moment or two before she was able to come up with a response. "I remember leaving Tortuga. We were almost to the dock; you had made some comment about hospitality of the port having been in decline, when Cotton's Parrot flew off saying something about parley and…" She trailed off as the memory of what happened finally sunk in

They had been in Tortuga stocking up on supplies, i.e. rum, and food. They had just gotten away from a rather unsavory encounter with Giselle and Scarlett who weren't too happy with Elizabeth taking their spot in Jack's bed. They were heading back to the Pearl, Jack supporting two bright red hand prints courtesy of his former bed warmers, when Cotton's Parrot had flown off squawking about parley. Next thing anyone she knew they were surrounded by the East India Trading Company.

Though Beckett was dead the company retained its anti-pirate policy and from time to time they would crop up and cause problems. Usually it was a piece of cake to get past them, but they currently outnumbered the crew 3 to 1. This didn't discourage the crew who quickly drew their swords. Elizabeth was having no trouble holding her own in the fight. She had long ago become an excellent swordsman under the tutelage of Will and her adventures with Jack and Barbossa. Her skill with a sword easily matched that of Jack, possibly even rivaling Will's.

She and the crew were slowly gaining ground against the Company and steadily making their way back towards the Pearl. She had just run through one opponent, quickly turning to parry another when she heard Jack calling her name. She instinctively spun towards his voice, but before she could more than catch a glimpse of Jack pain ripped across her back as she was attacked from behind.

As she fell to the ground she heard Jack shouting her name again, this time worry and fear. Next came the unmistakable sound of a pistol being shot and a body falling to the ground next to her. She heard Jack shouting for aid for her, then the feel of calloused hands gripping her arms. The last thing she could remember was Jack fighting his way towards her, anger and worry evident on his face.

Elizabeth groaned and let her head fall forward into the pillow. "I can't believe I made such a stupid move!" She could feel Jack stroking her hair as she grumbled some more about her own stupidity into the pillow. "Come on Lizzie, it's not yer fault. If anyone should be at fault it should be me. I shouldn't have distracted you. You're here because of me."

Elizabeth could hear the guilt in his voice. She knew he was blaming himself for what happened but she didn't want that. She turned her head to look at him and gave him a reassuring smile, placing her hand on his cheek. "I don't blame you for this Jack. And if I don't blame you, and you don't blame me then that means there is no blame."

Jack stared at her for a few moments before a small smile formed. "That kind of sense is a very unsensible type of sense." Elizabeth couldn't help the chuckle that came from her. "Well I learned that type of sense from you Jack. Now, since we have agreed that anyone taking blame would be unsensible, why don't you tell me what happened after I passed out? I dimly recall someone grabbing me but that's the last thing I remember."

Jack reached out and took his hand into his, his calloused fingers smoothing circles on the top of it. "You had me scared to death luv. I saw you go down and I was terrified that I was going to lose you. I shot the cowardly bastard who had done it but I just couldn't get to you. Gibbs and Marty got there first. Gibbs got you up and Marty helped clear the way back to the Pearl. I did the only thing I could do; I called for the rest of the crew to retreat. The battle was almost at its end as it was. As soon as I could I got back to the Pearl."

"By the time I reached the cabin Gibbs had already started cleaning you up. He had to cut off your shirt, hence your shirtlessness. He said he was going to sew up the wound otherwise you would lose too much blood. Even though you were unconscious, every time he pierced your skin you would flinch and cry out. Gibbs made me leave soon after that, had the damn one eyed bugger and his little friend drag me out. All because I may have threatened him with paying back for every wince…"

Jack trailed off sheepishly and Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh. She could just picture Gibbs having Pintel and Ragetti drag Jack from the cabin as he yelled out profanities. "We've been keepin the wound clean, used up a whole bottle of rum to do so. You're lucky I love you Lizzie, ya know I don't part from me rum happily. I couldn't have ya leaving me all by my onesome though. You've had me right frightened waiting for you to wake up. You've been out for almost three days and you haven't moved, 'cept for breathing, since Gibbs finished. "

Elizabeth stayed quiet and let his words sink in. Jack moved closer to her on the bed and let his fingers draw patterns on her back, something he knew she loved. He made sure not to let his fingers come too near the wound that ran from her right shoulder down across her back towards her left hip.

"So how bad is it" She could tell by the way his fingers stilled in their movements that he didn't want to answer her. "Jack…how bad is it?" Jack stayed quiet, avoiding her gaze. Heaving a sigh Elizabeth slowly moved, Jack sputtering in protest, and carefully sat up to face Jack. "Jack, tell me." It was Jack's turn to sigh now, realizing he wasn't going to be able to avoid her questions. "It's gonna leave an ugly scar luv."

Elizabeth stared at him for a second before laughing slightly. "Well yeah, I could guess that much. But other than that I'll be ok right?" She could see that Jack was a bit put off by her casual response. "Gibbs used some of that voodoo healing mumbo jumbo stuff from Tia Dalma so you'll be right as rain in a few sun rises. Aren't you upset about that it's gonna scar though Luv?"

Elizabeth couldn't see why he was so concerned about a scar. "Not really. If this was a few years ago it might have upset me, but what's a scar when I could have died? Does it bother you…?" This is what bugged her more than the thought of her own injury, the thought that Jack might not want her anymore because she wasn't the same as she once was. "Don't talk that nonsensible talk. Of course it doesn't bother me. I love you Lizzie, scar and all."

Elizabeth gave a small smile and tugged lightly at his shirt, wanting him to remove it. She could he was confused again but he had never refused her request before and didn't now. She traced the branded 'P' on his right forearm before turning his left arm over and running her fingers up the lines of the scarred veins. She let her fingers slide up to a scar along his ribs similar to her own then up to circle the bullet scars on the right side of his chest. She ended by tracing over the small 'X' shaped scar along his cheekbone.

She leaned in, wincing slightly as her wound pulled some, and let her head rest against his. "I love you too Jack. Scars and all."

Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review!