"Come on Charlie it is time to go to bed." Danielle said while standing in his room. She watched him climb into his bed and pulled the covers over him, to his chin and pulled it tightly. "Ah, that is better, knights also need their sleep."

She sat at the edge of the bed, and stared down at him. She smiled, and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, solider. Sweet dreams, and let them be good." She stood up and was about to blow the candle out before Charlie asked her to play her guitar. "Well it is in my..." She stopped as she saw her guitar propped up against the wall, opposite his bed. "How did that get in here, I wonder?" She walked over to her guitar and picked it up, before sitting back on the bed. "What do you want to hear?"

"Anything, what about the one you were playing yesterday?"

"Oh, you heard that did you? Well it was something a friend taught me to play." Danielle replied. She stared to strum her guitar, in a light tone.

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

She played the last cord, before looking up from her guitar. She smiled seeing Charlie asleep. He had gone to a better place for now; somewhere he was safe until his nightmare came back again. She quietly stood up and placed her guitar against the wall, before blowing out the candle and walked out in the hall.

She let out a sigh, it had gone past eight. She had no choice but go where she was ordered, or else face the consequences. The hell was getting worse, now Charlie was suffering from it, unsure of what was going on and who, or what to trust. As she walked, a door opened, letting the bright light, which was produced by many candles, absorbing the dark which the hall had produced.

"I was about to look for you." She heard Beckett say.

"I was sending Charlie asleep."

"Ah yes, he keeps having nightmares." He said, while standing by his door, opening it wider, to let her in. He watched as she walked in and stood in the room. "How he is doing?"

"Fine, I guess."

"What are they about?"

"...Pirates... are chasing him."

"You see why I hang pirates Danielle? They are vile creatures, deserve to be hanged..."

"Not all are like that!" Danielle protested, cutting him off. She stopped herself from saying anything else, as she noticed he stopped pouring a drink, however he carried on.

"They are going to all vanish if they don't fit into the New World," He stated. "which is why you are here."

"I am one of those vile creatures." Danielle stated, hating the man. "I won't change..."

"To settle the nerves." He stated, while handing her a glass of whiskey. She took it, and stared at it. He walked around her, and stopped to stand behind her, he took a sip, before placing it on his desk. "There is a ball tomorrow. You are going to accompany me to this ball and..."

"I don't dance."

"That can always change." He said while wrapping his hand around her waist, and turned her around, to face him. He grabbed the glass that she was still holding, and placed it next to his on his desk, before holding her hand. "You see, it isn't that bad. The thing is, you will come with me, wear that beautiful dress of yours, the one that your wore on your cousin's wedding, and you will dance with me; all done with no protesting." He added while leading her into a dance, he could feel her body tense, knowing she hated him, and she was hating him for being close. "May I ask a question, why a beautiful, young woman like you interested in a man like Ragetti? I don't see the connection myself, he is a pirate, a death sentence hangs around him, and if he isn't dead yet, he soon will be."

"I am pirate too, you can't hide the fact, and you can't erase it." Danielle replied, while take her hand back, and walked away. "The truth, the past they are the same thing. No one can change it, doesn't matter how much you want too, it's like it is written in stone; there forever. It is ok for those, who have a past of greatness, but someone like me... I have learnt too late that you cannot hide from it either; you have to learn from it."

She stopped walking, and faced the balcony window. In the distance, she could see the moon reflected on the open waters. Her mind went back to Ragetti, remembering the curse he had got, horrible he looked, but she knew the real him deep inside, that he weren't a blood thirsty pirate. All monsters have a heart don't they? They hide them deep down, so no one could play with it, or is their heart really made of stone? Aren't they misunderstood, something in their past made them what they were, made them stronger? Or are there two types of monsters? Not all monsters look like monsters, but what of inside, is there something inside, something lurking deep inside hidden, relying on the person? Or if they look monster-like on the outside, what of the inside is there a person inside, a heart, love?

"As the past is set, the future is not." She heard Beckett say, bringing her back into the present day. "That is why I am doing this Danielle, not because I enjoy seeing you hurt, or whatever you think I am. I am doing this because I love you. That is something you cannot hide from, everything you think you can runway from, love seems to be the maker of people. It is strange thing, you think you know a person, but they suddenly change."

"It's not going to work. I love him, not you." She stated.

"Not everything is set in stone, Danielle. Anything could happen here to the next minute, it depends on you. The deal was fair, and you chose to accept it, taking everything in order, and knowing the consequences of losing. You have to do, what I tell you do to... all without protest... and well here we are, back in my bedroom, where... well you know what happened." He said as he stopped walking, he now stood close behind her.

"You can't take a no for answer."

"And you can't take the consequences." He said, while leaning in, his breath rolled down her neck, as he neared her neck. However before he could do anything, there was a knock on the door. He let out a sigh of irritation, and walked towards the door. He opened the door, and saw who it was. He stared at Danielle, she was still standing by the window, and he walked out of the room and closed the door.

Danielle turned her gaze to the door, to show the room the real her, what her heart had locked up inside for many months. A broken woman, whose heart had been broken, but fixed by stitching it all together, for it all be unstitched again, now it was full of loose threads, tatty and she knew that time, it would take longer for it be fixed. All she wanted was to be with Ragetti, he would fight for her, though she pretended she didn't but he saw the real her. She was thankful; she needed Ragetti, more than she knew; now she knew how much. If he was there... she be safe, they were a team, better than they both knew; driven by love and hurt, past intertwining in with each other. She was lying to herself, she wanted Ragetti and not be by herself, she needed his love and not feel this pain.

She lowered her gaze, she couldn't do this. She was stronger than this. She was Danielle Turner, a pirate, a fighter and now a lover, to a man who was far away, maybe alive or dead, but that was him and no one could take her or her heart. She needed to fight her away out; everyone has to fight for freedom right? If not then, what would they fight for? She stared back at the balcony door, and grabbed hold of the handle; she tried to pull it but nothing, pushing made no difference either. The windows were useless too! This was part of his plan, to make her feel weak, to trap her, but he forgot one thing she was...

"Where do you think you are going?" He asked while entering the room. He stood in front of the door, staring at her, knowing she was trying to escape.

"I can't do this."

"Ah, but the deal was..."

"I don't care, a deal is just words, nothing..." She was cut off as he pressed his lip against hers and placed one of his hands behind her head, and the other on her back.

He leaned his head back, and stared deeply into Danielle's eyes. She stared at him with anger, with the anger she lifted her fist, to punch him, but he grabbed it, grabbing her other wrist. He made her walk backwards, and she fell on top of the bed, he quickly got on top of her, and stared down at her.

"I think we go without the drugs this time, don't you think Danielle?" He asked.

Her eyes told him everything. She was scared. She hated him. She didn't feel for the monster. She tried to get her wrists free, to push him, but he was much stronger, and held a tight grip on her. She wanted him to let her go, so she could run out, but she knew he wouldn't do that, now that he had her where he wanted her for so long.

"I can't... just please let me go!" She pleaded. Instead of answering, he leaned in and his lips brushed her neck, slowly he kissed her, and again, he slowly moved up, and to her lips. There he was struck surprised, he felt her kissing back. He noticed, she weren't fighting no more. Slowly he released Danielle's left wrist, and moved his hand down to where to her hip. He pulled up her shirt, to reveal her skin, and slowly he moved his hand up, lightly his fingers touched her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. However all of it quickly vanished as they could hear Charlie shout Danielle's name. She opened her eyes, and stopped what she was doing. Horror could be seen in her eyes. What was she doing? She broke her own law, her own vow... no she couldn't have done... but she had.

"Ah you dodo want me." He whispered their lips only millimetres away, a small smile formed on his face as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"No I.."

"Danni!"" They heard Charlie shout.

"Just leave him." Beckett whispered, as he watched as her eyes moved away from him.

"I can't."

"He's needs to learn how to be independent..."

"He is eight years old! How can he be independent, when he doesn't know how the world works? At eight, nothing touches you. At eight nothing worries you. At eight you know of dreams and freedom...at eight... he knows nothing of those things." Danielle said cutting him off. "He is a boy, who has nightmares every night, of the same thing, something that affects him at day as I noticed today, he knows nothing, he needs to learn who he can trust or he can't by himself, how this world works. He is always stuck in the middle, no one is there to tell the difference of things, how the nightmares he has are not real, and that he should dream, he shouldn't be afraid of dreaming, but he has everything to worry about."

"How do you more of my nephew than myself?"

"We talk, he opens up to me, as I am the only one there for him; as he is there for me. However he doesn't talk about everything, I know he is hiding something back, which is where your kind of people has trouble in. You don't talk; you just keep it all to yourselves, or hide it away from people, when they are there to help you. My folk may not have money or own land, but we do know how to look after each other, and...love." Danielle replied.

"Danni!" They heard Charlie shout again.

She felt Beckett's grip loosen, and he moved himself, to the side of her. She sat up, and stood up, and ran out. She opened Charlie's door and ran in. She sat on the bed third time that night, and she let him hug her, tightly he held her; tighter than before. She guessed that the nightmare was getting worse. He really needed to tell her or his uncle about this dream, or it might grow even worse.

"I...thought you weren't going to come." He stuttered.

"I am here now, that is what matters." Danielle said softly, brushing her fingers through his mop of hair. "Would it help if you talk about it?"

"But... what if they come? T-they come and get me!" Charlie sobbed, and buried his head deeper into Danielle's side.

"They won't because..."

"I am here." Beckett said cutting Danielle off. "I am always here for you Charlie, you know that right? If anything you are threatened of, you come to me, and I will protect you. You are safe here, only a fool would try to hurt you."

Danielle stared at him, where did that all come from? She stared back at Charlie and felt him loosen his hold of her.

"Is that true? You are there for me? Only a fool would hurt me?" He asked.

His uncle nodded, and knelt before him, so he was the same height. "You just got to tell me, who you are worried about and I see what I can do."

"Sorry sir, but I need a word with you." Mercer said at the door, breaking the scene.

Beckett stood up and walked out, closing the door behind him. Charlie stared at the door, before staring up at Danielle. "What happened to Uncle? Did he truly mean those things?"

"Yes he did, but I am still here for you." Danielle said, not really trusting Beckett, her mind was in whirlwind. She let herself be vulnerable, to be weak. He took up the opportunity and... she shook her head mentally; she needed be clear on what she wanted and what she needed. She looked down at Charlie; a small smile appeared on her face, showing him everything was going to be fine. She was there to project him, he was the only one who was making her sane, if he weren't there she probably lose it, maybe hurt someone or herself. She slowly realised why they have grown so close, so quickly. They were missing love and comfort; they both were missing that part in their lives in different way. Danielle could relate to the young boy, she forgot what dreams were, what it was like to have freedom, to go to a place while asleep and not wake up until late in the morning. She truly had forgotten all those things. She had grown into her darkness which was living inside her, there had been signs before but had she ignored them? Or were they hidden? She slowly had become a monster, a thing that was trapped inside it... she couldn't ever let Charlie become like that. He was different and she needed to show him.

Charlie wiped his face his sleeves of his shirt, and let go of Danielle. He crawled to his pillow, and laid back down, pulling the covers to his chin. Danielle laid next to him, placed her arm above his head on his pillow, laid on her side, so she could see him.

"Charlie... whatever happens, remember I love you. Whatever I do, it is not because of you. In this world, we have to lead our own lives, meaning we have to leave people behind, but that doesn't mean they stop loving that person." Danielle started, how could she explain anything about the world, it was confusing. "This world is big and confusing, most people live and still don't understand it, but there are others who do. You see, just be yourself Charlie, never change for anyone, if they don't accept you, then it is their lost, not yours. Greater things come to those who wait, there are places to see, people to meet, don't worry if you make a mistake, just learn from it and never do it again. Use your brain, your heart, your eyes, nose, and feet to lead you on. If anyone knocks you down, stand back on your feet, to show you are stronger than them, don't fight back, as those who start a fight, are weak, and not worth your while."

Silence filled the room, she weren't sure if he fell asleep or not, she couldn't tell. She let out a sigh, and lay on her back, and stared at the ceiling. She felt an arm wrap around her stomach, and a head on her shoulder.

"I love you too Danni. Thank you for being there, and listening."

She ruffled his hair, and planted a kiss on the top of his head. She carried on looking at the ceiling, and slowly she fell asleep, absorbed in the darkness and was held by Charlie.


The song I do not own, it belongs to Bob Dylan, it is called 'The times they are a changin''. I took the advise from my friends to split the story up to make more chapters so you readers won't get confused. How are you likening it so far? Please review, I would like to know what you guys think, it would help me a lot, so I could make the story better.