3rd Person's POV

Nineteen year old Catalina sits holding a textbook. Jack sharpens his sword trying to be extra careful of Cat's legs, which were laid across his lap.

He looks up from his sword and stares at her. He can't help but notice how beautiful she was. It wouldn't be too long before handfuls of men started to court her, then he would be left in the dust.

Catalina groans as she slams her textbook closed, "Well that's enough of that."

She throws her book on the table nearby and glances over at Jack who happened to be staring still. She smiles lightly as blush begins to form on her cheeks.

"What are you thinking about Jackie?"

Jack shakes his head finally coming to and clears his throat, "Uh nothing. Nothing at all... just how do you study this? Are you not bored?"

Jack holds up the textbook that had been discarded and flips through it. His eyes widen at all the diagrams and pictures.

"Of course not Jackie. When I become a nurse I will be saving peoples' lives. Nothing boring about that."

"Not yet anyways." Jack sticks out his tongue.

Cat snatched the book from him and playfully hits him with it, "Oh stop it you goof."

"Ouch that hurt. Nurse Cat you're supposed to nice and gentle."

Cat chuckles as she slyly steals Jacks sword without him noticing. She puts it to his neck lightly and smirks.

"You know I'm not nice Jackie."

Jack suddenly feels hot as he looks at his best friend holding a sword to him. Not only did she look amazing holding a sword, but the fact that she was not scared of it, like many other girls... it made Jack intrigued.

"Nor are you gentle Catalina."

Cat gasps lightly as Jack snatches the sword away. He holds the tip of the sword to her face then drops it down.

"Or at least that's what I heard from Gregory."

Catalina snaps out of her thoughts about how hot Jack was and scoffs, "Oh please Gregory can go can jump off a cliff. And I mean that in the nicest way possible."

Jack laughs and holding his chest making Catalina look at him with a smile.

"Yes he was quite the sourpuss wasn't he?"

"A complete and utter eunuch." Cat makes a throw up gesture and the two burst out in giggles.

Jack suddenly stops and reaches towards Cat making her freeze instantly. He lifts his hand to her face and lightly grazes her cheek pulling away a strand of hair from her lips.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

Their light whispers sound the entire quiet house. Cat's heart starts to beat out of her chest as Jack leans closer to her. Their stone stares remain unaffected yet both had begun to miss a beat in their breath. Jack opens his mouth to say something but closes it almost immediately from nerves. Catalina frowns then moves away.

"Um don't you have to get ready for your date? You should not be late. Otherwise Yasmin will have an utter cow."

Jack clears his throat once more and straightens up moving away from Cat, "Yes of course. How could I forget?"

He stands up and makes his way over to the front door. Catalina quickly grabs his sword and follows him.

"Can't forget this Jackie. All the fights you seem to get into. It's a wonder you win most of them. You know with your skills and all."

Jack smiles knowing that the moment they almost had did not ruin their friendship. He was so scared to tell Catalina his feelings because he had been deemed a player. No matter how much he liked her he knew something would go wrong. It always seemed to.

"It's no wonder. I'm Jack Teague. One day I shall be Captain of me own ship and I shall show you my amazing skills that you seem to believe are a joke."

"I don't seem to believe. I know they are." Catalina smirks as Jack takes his sword and puts it in his belt.

"Well we will have to test my skills and see if you are worn out or not."

"We will. Catalina Perez versus Jack Teague in a sword duel. Just like when we were little."

Jack nods and pulls Cat into a hug, "Aye. I shall see you in a few days. I am part of a new crew and we leave at dawn."

Cat frowns but instantly covers it, "Okay. I will miss you Jackie. Don't forget about me."

"Never."

Jack had gone on an adventure with his new ship and crew for a few days then he came back. He was happy to be somewhere where he felt like he belonged.

He leaps over the ship rail and lands on the dock. Standing with a smile on his face he goes to see Catalina.

The two reconnect for a few hours then Jack disappears for the night. Cat grabs her purse and decides to go study in the library. The sun starts to set as she makes her way into town. She finally gets to the library and studies to her hearts content.

Looking out the window, Catalina notices how dark it is outside.

"Crap it's late."

Throwing books back on the shelf she hurries to the door. Cat walks out the small library and down the dark pathway home. Usually Jack would be with her when she was out this late but he had yet another date. Not with Yasmin again but with a new girl Olivia.

Hearing rustling in the bushes, Cat glances to her left and sees nothing. She swallows nervously and reaches inside her bag, holding tightly onto the small dagger Jack had gotten her for her 18th birthday. She had kept the dagger for one year now and never once had to use it. Hopefully tonight would not be the first.

As she continues down the pathway her stomach starts to churn. She hears footsteps clearly far behind so she slowly starts to quicken her pace. She sighs in relief as she turns a corner and as the hill her house had been built on.

Her feet guide the way down the dirt road but hastily freeze when a man in ragged clothes steps out in front of her. She turns around and sees another man who had been behind her. Gulping in fear she grips tighter onto the dagger hidden in her purse. 

"What are you doing out all alone pretty little lady?"

Catalina frowns, "Going home. Where my father is waiting. With a big gun."

The two men lightly chuckle and move towards her. Before they get too close, Cat pulls out the knife and holds it in front of her.

"Don't come any closer!"

One man chuckles, "Don't hurt yourself princess. Let me see that."

He reaches to take the dagger from her but she slashed it towards him and cuts his forearm. Yelling in pain, he flinches away with a look of astonishment.

"What the hell?"

The other man looks at her in shock while holding his arms up in surrender.

"No problems here little lady. We'll be on our way."

The two slowly start to back away then freeze when another voice comes out from behind Cat.

"You better. Otherwise you'll have to deal with me. And a much larger blade."

Catalina turns around to see Jack holding his sword out with a smirk. The two men shake their heads and then quickly run from view. Cat lets out a large breath and smiles.

"I think I did okay. You scared them away for sure but I had them on the ropes."

Jack shakes his head with a light smile trying not too be too anal about what just happened. He always walked with Catalina at night. And this was the one night something could have happened. He felt horrible. He had a date, but of course all he wanted was sex. He didn't care for Olivia in the slightest, but if he couldn't have Cat then what was the point in trying to have a relationship with any girl. Sex would do. Yet if this would happen to Cat every time, then he would rather not go out with other girls and stay to protect Catalina.

"Sure you did love. Well I feel much better about giving you that dagger for your birthday."

"Me too."

Cat smirks and does a spin trick with the dagger then puts it away. Jack puts his sword away then pulls Cat into a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're okay. I would've felt terrible if something happened and I wasn't there. I will never do that again."

"Jack it's okay. You don't have to babysit me. I'm a grown woman not a child."

The two fall into a similar step as they walk to Catalina's house.

"I know but men will never change. Well the desperate horny ones won't. I just want you to be safe."

"I will be Jackie. I'm fine. I promise."

Jack nods looking at the smile that he fell in love with. He wanted Catalina more than anything. He needed her more than the air he breathes. Not just for sex but for life. She was his best friend. No one understood him like her. No one knew him like her. No one was like her.

No one.

Sitting on the nook by the window, Catalina sighs as the rain falls down. It had been almost two weeks since Jack had left with his new ship again. She knew he would be back but her feelings for him had grown almost each and every day.

"Sweetie, it looks like there's a boat ashore."

Catalina turns quickly staring at her father as he nods with a smile on his face. She jumps up and runs past her father and down the stairs. She opens the door with a wide grin then frowns at the empty porch. As she starts to turn around to go back inside, she sees a figure walking up the hill to her front porch. The smile returns as she runs out into the rain and jumps into the arms of the person.

"Catalina... I missed you."

"Missed you more Jackie."

He pulls her into a hug and kisses her head. The two stay in each other's warm embrace as the rain continues to pour down on them.

After a few minutes, Catalina's father calls them back inside. He gets Jack some warm clean clothes as Catalina changes. Finally the two sit together on Catalina's nook watching the rain drops hit the window. Jack pulls Cat closer to him and she rests her head on his chest, holding his arm tightly wishing he would never leave again.

"Cat..."

"Yes Jackie."

"After almost going down with the ship today brought me to a realization. Captain Salazar helped me to realize that if I don't say this now I might never get the chance to again. So Catalina Perez... I Jack Teague am utterly in love with you."

Cat sits up hastily and stares at Jack in shock, "You love me?"

"I do."

"I love you too."

Jack eyes widen as he never thought someone as beautiful and intelligent as Catalina would fall for a sleazy pirate like himself.

"Promise me you won't ever leave me." Catalina says as she plays with Jack's fingers

Jack holds up her hand and kisses her knuckles making her blush lightly.

"I promise."

Jack had just gotten a new job and he would sail a ship to help the East India Trading Company. He always complained to Cat about trading things but never told her how horrible his task really was.

Today would be the day that he would tell Cutler Beckett that he would not trade people anymore. People aren't cargo. Never once did he bring the people to their destination, he always brought them to Tortuga where they would be free. He had a feeling Beckett was catching on so he figured he needed to get out of it before anything bad happened.

Laying beside Cat made his fears of the worst go away for the moment. Cat lays with her head on his chest and her legs tangled in his. They still hadn't kissed yet, but when he came back Jack planned on taking her out to a nice first date and showing her how much he loved her.

Jack looks down at Cat and kisses her forehead.

"You're so beautiful."

Cat blushes and tries to hide her face, "Jackie stop it you did that on purpose just so you could see me turn as red as a fire hydrant."

"Mmm maybe it was quite funny, but you are definitely beautiful and need to know it everyday."

"Thanks Jackie."

Jack sighs as he looks at the clock beside Catalina's door. It was time. He had a bad feeling about this but for him to be able to move on with his life without guilt and to be able to start a relationship with Cat, this was something that needed to happen.

"I have to leave."

"Yes I'm quite aware Jack Teague."

"It's Sparrow now love." He gets close to Cat and caresses her face with a slight smirk.

Cat stares at the twenty year old man and frowns but smiles on the inside.

"You're as cheeky as ever... Sparrow."

Jack smiles and pulls Cat even closer. His nose slightly runs across her cheek as he takes in her lavender scent.

"I like when you call me that."

Jack goes in to kiss her but she quickly moves out of his arms and out of reach. She smirks as she leans against the door.

"Well don't get used to it Jackie. You'll always be Jack Teague to me."