"Are you challenging me?" God, she's beautiful when she's angry.

"As a matter of fact, I am!"

I struck an elaborate fencing pose. "Then, engarde, mon cherie."

I don't think I've ever had my butt kicked as bad as it was kicked then. For a girl, Abigail was tough. And she liked to flaunt it. It pissed me off—she seemed to do everything in her will to oppose me. I say, "You look gorgeous in that dress"; she throws it away. I say, "I'm ready for something more"; she ignores me for days.

I should hate her.

Instead, I love her even more.

The tavern is loud, which is good. It's times like these where I don't want to be able to think. Abigail plops down next to me—a surprise, but not one unwelcome.

"Jamie! Didn't expect to see you here." Her smile is bright, a dead giveaway of her true nature despite the boys clothes. "Lonely? Mind if I join you?"

She makes herself comfortable, careful not to get too close though, just in case someone really thought she was a boy. "What do you say we….get a room? It is an inn, after all."

"Yea, with what money? What, do you think we are—royalty? We're pirates. We don't have money."

She laughs, a beautiful melodic sound that sets my heart on fire. "So we steal it!"

"The hell we will. I'm getting out of here."

Her arm slides through mine and we exit the tavern together.

My eye is not one to wander. But as we left, someone turns to me. Someone turns to me, looks me straight in the eye, and steals my heart. I feel the emptiness in my chest—the ache, the burn!—and I immediately hated myself for it. But what was I to do? So I kept on walking, arm in arm with my beloved.

"Tomorrow morning at precisely….the crack of dawn,"—the entire crew groaned—"we will be setting sail for the wonderful island of Haiti. Savvy? I've signed a few more onto our crew, so make way for a couple more hammocks. Have a nice last day. Remember to re-board before night falls too much, or you will find yourself a ship-less man—or woman." He winks at Abigail. I squeeze her hand tighter. "Everyone's going to be going ashore," she whispers, her breath tickling my ear. "So let's stay."

We have the whole ship to ourselves after the crew files out, desperate for one last excitement before weeks of nothing but sea. Hours later, as Abigail lay sleeping, I climb back on deck to help load the ship.

Then I see her.

Her; the one from the tavern. The one who had occupied my mind since I left.

"Jamie?"

Shit! Was I looking too long? Does she see in my eyes I'm not hers anymore?

"What are you doing? They're done loading."

"I was just going to introduce myself to the new crew members. Maybe…offer them a spot to sleep, if no one moved their hammocks over. And you and I can always…sleep together, make room for…someone."

"I see what you're doing. That's a girl over there." She points right at her.

"What? Who?...That? That's a girl? I never would have known!"

"Well, let's go say hi, then."

"R...really?"

"Of course! Goodness knows I need some female attention. I haven't talked to Elizabeth in ages! A girl is not a girl without her best friend. This shall have to suffice for now."

I need female attention too…..but the attention I crave is not from her.

"You're getting better!"

She parries my thrust, I thrust her parry, we spin, I slice, she falls.

"Success! Take that!" I throw my sword down and raise my arms in victory. She quickly tickles my armpit, so I drop my arms protectively. "Hey!"

"I totally let you win, Jamie." She sticks out her tongue. I tackle her to the ground and playfully start to wrestling. I end up on top and we start to kiss passionately. Someone clears their throat, bringing us both back to Earth.

"Sorry for…interrupting," says the slim figure in the doorway. "I was looking for…James Norrington? Captain Sparrow sent me. You're to join me on watch."

And so I find myself sitting next to the object of my dreams in the crow's nest. I chat harmlessly. She chats harmlessly. Then, without warning, our lips meet. We tangle ourselves together, nearly falling out of the nest. My mind is telling me to stop, my heart is telling me to go all the way. And she nearly lets me; a nice change from Abigail.

I pull away; my emotions are tearing me apart! I stammer an excuse for leaving, and scurry down back to the deck.

"You did what? How dare you!" My face stings with the slap I receive.

"Abigail, I told you I didn't know what I was doing!"

"Really? Because I disagree. How could you cheat on me….with my best friend on the ship?"

"Abigail. I left her. To come back to you. Doesn't that show where my heart truly lies?"

"I don't know, James. I just don't know."

Abigail ignores me when we pass on the deck. She moved her hammock to the other side of the ship. When we reach port to restock the ship she disappears for days on end. I never see her when in town, but Jack claims to have talked to her. He told her they were leaving in a day; she replied she would be there.

That day has come, and no Abigail.

My heart screams something is wrong. I ask Jack's permission to search the island and extend our period of stay until we find her. Jack agrees, despite his normal selfishness. I spend the entire rest of the day trying to find Abigail….but she is nowhere. Natives do not recall seeing her, carriage drivers do not recall driving her anywhere; it is as if she stepped into a black hole, never to be seen again.

I see out of the corner of my eye a slight figure collapsed in an alleyway. I double-take and realize it's her!

"Abigail! Abigail!" I shake her; no response. She is flung over my shoulders and I run her to the ship.

Sparrow is waiting at the gangplank—was he waiting there all day?—and, upon seeing Abigail draped over me, runs to fetch the ship surgeon. She is handed over to him and taken to his cabin. I wait outside the door. My already fragile heart will not be able to bear the sight of her all bloody and hurting.

"What happened to her?" Jack's voice is soft.

"I found her in an alleyway. Her head was bashed in. I don't know how she got there, or how long ago it was." I force myself to remain stoic, but a tear betrays me.

"Doc's the best; he'll fix her up good and new. Why weren't you there with her, mate? Aren't you two inseparable? Two peas in a pod?"

"Stop, Jack! We had a fight."

He silences for a moment. I expect another snide remark, but he respects my emotions. At that moment, the door squeaks open.

The doctor stands there.

"Well?" My heart is beating through my chest, about to explode!

"Give her a few days, and I'm sure she'll be fine."

I don't leave her side for the next week. I only eat when Jack brings me food, only sleep when my body can't take the pressure anymore. My dreams are always plagued with death and despair. I am an utter wreck, and still I remain. Her hand is practically welded to mine. I only wish to see those blue eyes open, and that sweet voice to say my name.

That day seems to never come.

And one day, while I was napping, my hand was pried away from hers. I start, not wanting to be separated, and find her sitting up in the bed rubbing her head.

"Abigail!" I leap up with energy I'm surprised I have.

"Don't touch me. I'm…still trying to figure things out. Have you been here this whole time?"

"Yes, I never left your side. I *will* never leave your side! Please, Abigail, listen to me. Forgive me."

"Jamie, don't bring this up. Not now. I'll just….lapse back into a coma." She lies down, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Abbie, please don't. Alright. I'll…save this conversation for later."

She laughs and tugs at my arm, "Jamie, its fine. You've been here all…how long has it been?"

"A week."

"You've been here all week. That, plus what I learned in that alleyway—that life can be taken from you in a second—convinced me to forgive you. I actually was going to leave and tell you the good news when those two bastards bashed my head in from behind. Rule number one: ever turn your back to a horny drunken pirate. Well….I did, and look what happened to me!"

That scares me. "…Horny, drunken pirates?"

She sensed my fear and quelled it. "They didn't do anything. I'm not in any pain…down there. So I'm assuming I'm still good. I guess unconsciousness takes the joy out of rape? Or maybe I'm just horribly ugly when I'm out cold."

"I disagree—I thought you were positively gorgeous lying here unconscious."

She blushed. "Thank you. You know, I'm glad you chose me over her. I know it's cheesy, and I hate to admit it, but I am."

We hug, and life is good all over again.

"…But seriously, we're gonna have to do something about her, though."

I laugh and agree. Jack boots her off at the next port, and neither I nor Abigail feel bad about it at all.