Title: Chasing the Storm

Disclaimer: It's not mine.

Thanks to Frogster and ShunKickShunKers for the reviews, they really are appreciated! :)

I will not be updating Monday the 28th, as I need a break. Um...even though this chapter is somewhat short, the next seven chapters will not be. So, enjoy!


Kris was still sleeping, when he finally managed to open his eyes to stare into the darkness of the first mate's bedroom. His arm was wrapped firmly around her waist, as she slept turned away from him and he honestly had no clue how it had gotten this bad.

Jane hadn't meant to hurt, let alone sleep, with her but it had happened and they couldn't take it back. Kris was his temporary first mate—the person Lisbon called her best friend, who Lisbon had also said he might one day need—and the fact that this had gone down in Lisbon's bedroom made the entire situation a million times worse. How would they even continue to work together, if one of them suddenly gained feelings for the other person after last night?

Of course, he didn't like her. Even though, Kris was attractive and she was extremely good in bed (he'd never admit those things to her though, as the woman already had an ego the size of his ship)—he knew they'd never work out. He still didn't trust her completely and although his words had been harsh last night, it didn't mean he didn't think that they didn't ring true. Jane reasoned internally; in the past ten months of Kris being on the crew, all she had done was run. If the situation hadn't suited her, she didn't want to hear it and he was sure that when she did wake up, she'd run from this also.

Last night, he admitted quietly, had only been because she was a danger to both herself and him; he wasn't proud of his methods, but last night…he knew they both needed to be alive long enough to find Lisbon. Kris had given in after ten minutes, and now, he just felt repulsed by his actions.

Yet…

He couldn't take his arm from around her waist. Jane didn't like her, but he found himself conflicted—what they had done was wrong, but he had never slept that well before. Carefully, he pulled his own arm from around her waist and lit the candle by the bedside. Kris made no movement, as he slid the cover down to view her bare back in the flickering candlelight.

Jane eyed her back in horror, as he caught sight of the barely visible scars that crisscrossed her back. He hadn't believed that she was telling the truth last night, and because of that, he had hurt her even more than he had intended. With a finger, he traced one of her scars, which made her mutter something and shift in her sleep.

Out of everything they had done though, they had betrayed Lisbon; having sex in her bedroom, while she was out being tortured somewhere hadn't been intended. It had just happened. He frowned. How were they even going to tell Lisbon about what they had done? Kris shifted again. What if they didn't tell her at all? He blinked. Lisbon couldn't actually get upset if neither one of them admitted to their deed, and he had a feeling that Kris would be absolutely mortified once she woke up. If he didn't mention it to her, Kris would never mention it to her either.

Lisbon was his best friend—somebody he did care about, even if their relationship hadn't been the best before her kidnapping—and he had figuratively screwed her over. Lisbon had vaguely dropped the hint about leaving the crew months ago, and he knew if he told her about what had occurred between him and Kris, she'd leave him plus the crew without a second thought. Lisbon was the best first mate he had, and he needed her in his life.

Besides not smacking a female crewmember (which apparently, he had broken with Lisbon and he honestly couldn't remember), he had also broken the most important rule on the crew—no sleeping with the first mate. Lisbon had instigated that rule years ago, after he had tried to hit on her with alcohol coursing through his system.

"You wouldn't sleep with your enemy," she had said lightly, "so, why would you sleep with your first mate?"

It was a good question, even if he had waved it off then.

Now, it was also a question he still didn't have a good answer for.

Jane closed his eyes; he needed Lisbon and he needed Kris, but he knew he couldn't have them both.

His thoughts were interrupted, when he felt Kris move next to him and she knew he was awake; the bed jolted beneath him and without even opening his eyes, he knew she was panicking. Of course, she had also figuratively screwed over her best friend and she had also broken the second most important rule—no sleeping with the Captain.

If Jane hadn't instigated their romantic entanglement together, he technically could have excommunicated her to some remote island as punishment, but he wouldn't do that. Lisbon, once she returned, would kill him and the crew would be awfully curious on why he had chucked the temporary first mate off the ship, especially after her display of emotion last night.

Jane almost wanted to comfort her, when he felt something ram into his face; that something, of course, was her fist. He said nothing to her, as he held his (now) tender nose with his hand and watched her scoop up her clothes from the floor. From a distance, as she turned her bare back to him, the scars were barely detectable but it didn't make them any less unseen within his memory.

She said nothing to him, as she dressed and hurriedly escaped from the cluttered room.

He threw the covers aside.

How would they even manage to work together, if all he kept imagining were the scars across her back and how much of an ass he had been? Of course, he'd never apologize. He was the Captain of the Scarlet Oasis, and the Captain of the Scarlet Oasis never apologized or acted not cocky—even if it meant that he could have compromised both of their relationships with Lisbon in the near future, especially if she ever found out where and why they had done it. In anger (and frustration), Jane grabbed the vacant pillow that Kris had rested her head on and he threw it into Lisbon's trinket filled dresser.

He heard something break, which he found oddly cathartic and soothing.

Because just like everything else right now, Jane thought quietly, it just can't ever be fixed.


From against the main deck railing, Kris watched the crew complete their daily tasks. None of them said anything to her, as she remained lost within her own thoughts and stared out into the stormy ocean.

She and Jane had just done the unthinkable, and that something unthinkable couldn't be taken back. Having arguments where she kicked his ass was one thing, but having sex with him was something entirely different—it was despicable, disgusting and dirty, even if Jane was an attractive man, with his blonde hair and bluish-green eyes. However, she could honestly say, without a doubt that she felt absolutely nothing for Patrick Jane. It had been the heat of a moment kind of thing, but it didn't mean she didn't feel insanely guilty.

Kris, besides not wanting him to touch her again, knew Lisbon had feelings for the man; although, she couldn't exactly understand why. Jane was a bully and Lisbon deserved much better. The previous first mate had never said anything about her attraction to the captain, but Kris had come to learn that silence spoke louder than anything else—Lisbon's avoidance of the subject, the reminder of the rules, and the change of subject had not fooled Kris. Lisbon had it bad for her captain, and they had just gone behind her back and had sex in her bedroom.

It was enough of a thought to make her want to vomit.

If Jane had forced that on her last night, did that mean that the man had forced himself on Lisbon also? She clenched her fists together. If he had, Lisbon would have never told her about it—the best kept secret, because Jane wouldn't admit to his stupidity in fear of being killed and Lisbon would never admit to her shame, due to how the entire crew would mutiny. The crew had apparently always been "loyal" to Jane out of begrudging respect for the loss of his family, but it had always seemed that the crew was more loyal to Lisbon out of actual respect. Lisbon, who had been seen as the first mate by Jane, had taken on the unofficial title of "Captain" by everybody else on the crew. She frowned; if it hadn't been for that loyalty toward Lisbon, everybody else would have abandoned Jane when she had been kidnapped.

Kris heard him, before she saw him. "…I've gotten her before; she's an easy thing to pick up." She turned her head to find Mashburn and Jane coming up the steps together. Was the asshole talking about her? She narrowed her eyes. Mashburn already made enough lewd comments about the both of them, which meant he didn't need to know! Nobody needed to know! It was supposed to be a secret, and if Jane told anybody…she'd kill him. "It's the way she bites that you have to look out for, right Kris?" Mashburn shot her a smile, which only outraged her.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Kris snapped. Jane threw her a smile.

"We're talking about Rosie the chicken." Mashburn explained and Kris raised her eyebrows. "She's the oldest chicken on the ship and Patrick commented on how moody she was being this morning."

"We're on a pirate ship and you both are discussing chickens?" Kris asked in a huff. "Don't you two actually have jobs to do?" She crossed her arms against her chest, before she decided to punch Jane again!

Jane continued to grin. "I'd do my job, if you'd come with me! I'm sure you've noticed that we're sailing?" She almost rolled her eyes. The ship, when sailing, rocked a lot. "I want to know where we're going though, as it seems my crew has forgotten that I'm Captain!" How could they forget? Jane had a humongous ego and was the Captain of Stupid Things. Jane moved away from Mashburn, before he started toward the helm. Kris followed close behind on his heels. "Good morning, my trusty navigator." Cho glanced up from the table.

"Why are you so happy?"

Because he got something special last night, Kris thought with a frown.

"I can't just enjoy the beautiful day, Cho?"

"No." Cho responded. Jane waved him off, before she watched him turn to Rigsby.

"Oh, hi Rigsby!" Jane greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here, Captain." Rigsby said with a sigh.

"What exactly is it that you do here again?" Jane questioned with a smile and Rigsby grimaced. Jane was feeling playful, which usually meant something strange was going to happen.

"Funny," Rigsby replied.

"I try."

Kris rolled her eyes, before she addressed them. "Where are we going? I hate to interrupt the love fest going on, but I'm impatient."

Jane turned to her. "Patience is a virtue, my dear."

"You'd know all about virtue, wouldn't you?" His smile slipped; he deserved this for earlier, the smug bastard. "Back to my original question, where are we going?"

"We are in route to Governor Island." Cho answered and Kris groaned; more places from her past. Hadn't the crew learned their lesson from Manse Island? Of course, this time she couldn't blame Jane…as sad as that was. Everybody stared at her. "What?"

"I know I hate rich people, but you seem to loathe them." Jane gave. "Why is this island such a downer to you? I thought you'd fit in with all these rich people."

"Oh yeah," she spat, "because that worked out so well yesterday!" Nobody said a word. "I have a past, okay? I know people." Mainly, the governor and his family…but it still counted. "What are you hoping to learn from this island?"

"Besides your hatred for rich people?" Kris continued to glare at Jane.

"Governor's Island or Governor Island, however you'd like to pronounce it—is known for a few things." Rigsby cut in. "The support of Red John is just one of those things." Cho nodded and Kris continued to frown.

Could she ever catch a break? From the way Jane stared at her—a large smile on his face—probably not.