CHAPTER 14

Rose looked up from the kiss and blushed beat red. To try and cover the fact of being embarrassed she glared at the crew. They all hurried back to what they were doing. Rose looked towards the opening of the bay and saw the Black Pearl glide through the entrance and then she looked back at James.

"You two conspired behind my back to go after Beckett? When was I going to be informed of this little adventure?"

"Now don't get your feathers ruffled," replied James. "We were just discussing how we couldn't let him get away with what he did to you. Jack and I just want to see him get what is his due and we would never leave you out. Hell we'd be stupid to, not only are you a great fighter but you would probably string us both up alive and enjoy torturing us yourself."

As they were discussing this a dingy was being lowered from the Pearl.

"Well, it looks like our company is arriving and we better be prepared to greet him, but don't get it in your head that our discussion is through." Rose got up and walked over to the water line awaiting the arrival of Jack.

It only took moments and the dingy was scraping its bottom on the beach and Jack was jumping out.

"Rose luv, ya wound me scowlin' that way at me. Didn't our friend James inform ya of me comin'?"

"Only after the Pearl was spotted," replied Rose.

By then James had walked up, "Now Rose you know I was a wee bit distracted," he said with a leer.

Rose slugged him and walked away knowing that the two men would be following her.

"Owww…" James looked at Jack. "Lately it seems that she is always slugging me."

"Be happy that's all she be doin' ta ya. Believe me it could be a lot worse." Jack hurried to catch up with Rose.

"Luv, I've brought me rum ta drink while discussi'g this little adventure we be goin' on."

"Oh no you don't Jack Sparrow, you are not getting me drunk again. I thought I would never get rid of that hangover the last time."

While Rose was scolding him Jack wasn't listening to a word she said he was mumbling, "Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Jack are you listening to me at all?" Rose had stopped and turned towards Jack.

"Oh yes luv, I'm hangin' on every word," Jack replied with one of his famous grins.

"Oh I bet you are!" Rose mumbled sarcastically.

Rose went up to the fire and poked at the coals. Out of the corner of her eye she watched James help Jack and his crew unload the items in the dingy. Rose couldn't help but admire the two men, Jack with his handsome features, dark eyes and long lean muscles and James, who was also handsome, with his blue eyes and black hair. His body build was different than Jacks' not only was he taller but he was more heavily muscled. Not saying that Jack wasn't as strong their body types were just different. After watching the two men Rose realized why neither one didn't have any trouble with the women. She also wondered why it had taken her so long to realize how handsome James was. Had she had blinders on all this time?

James walked up and saw Rose staring in the fire without moving. He bent and whispered in ear, "Your stick is on fire."

Rose jumped and quickly pulled the stick she was poking the coals with out of the fire and stuck it in the sand. James reached around her and pulled a chunk of meat off of the roast that was cooking over the fire.

Jack walked by, "Ya know when you get close ta a flame ya can get burned. Dependin' on what the flame is depends on whether that be good or bad," he stated with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Both James and Rose watched him walk away both with their mouths hanging open.

"Now what do you suppose he meant by that," replied Rose. Rose dropped the stick and ran to catch up with Jack.

"Jack Sparrow give me that bottle, you've already been drinking too much."

"I haven't had me a drop yet, luv. But I plan on drinkin' this here bottle as soon as I find me a place to sit."

Rose snatched the bottle out of Jacks hand and went running down the beach, "Oh no you don't."

"Aww…now why did she be havin' ta do that?" Jack took off running after her.

The crew started laughing, Jack was so funny when he was running with his arms waving and yelling, "Rose luv, bring me back me rum."

"Nope, you drink way too much, Captain Jack Sparrow, and one day it will kill you." Rose stopped and threw the bottle against some rocks breaking it and spilling the alcohol into the sand.

"But I like being….Damn it Rose. Now I don't have any rum. I will have ta be sendin' someone back ta the Pearl for more."

Rose put her arm around Jack's waist and started leading him back to the fire. "Now Jack, you can go one evening without drinking come over to the fire and eat and then we will discuss how we are going to get Beckett. What do you say?"

Jack not one to miss out on an opportunity slung his arm around Rose's waist, "Ah luv, with ya by me side I could do without me rum tonight." Jack said this statement while trying to look down the neckline of Rose's shirt.

"Is that so, well my eyes are up here." Rose pushed his chin up so that their eyes met.

With a grin Jack said, "Aw Rose you can't be blamin' me for tryin'. Ye be one good lookin' woman."

"That's because I am the only woman around." Rose untangled herself from Jacks' arm and hurried over and sat in the sand by the fire.

James kept close tabs on what was going on between the two. When Jack put his arm around Rose and was trying to look down her shirt he was ready to tear him apart limb by limb, and was on his way to do just that. But before he could get there Rose had taken care of the situation and left Jack standing alone on the beach pouting.

James walked up to Rose and held out his hand. Rose looked up with a question in her eyes. Rose reached up and allowed James to help her stand. Quietly James whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry that I ruined your bath earlier if you would like to go back there I'll stand guard so no one will bother you."

"But what about you, will you bother me?"

"Only if you want me to, only if you want me to." James whispered softly in her ear. The sensation sent goose bumps down her spine.

Jack walked up to them, "So, are ya two bein' a couple now?"

"Yes," replied James.

"No," replied Rose at the same time.

Jack started laughing, "I think ya two need ta be havin' a discussion on that subject." He started rummaging through the stack of supplies. "Since ya two will be busy I need ta find me some rum, since me last bottle was broke," he looked at Rose with a pout.

"Jack will you ever stop drinking rum?" asked Rose.

"It's either me rum or women, better if it's both. But if I can't be havin' one I'll be havin' t'other." Jack looked up with a big smile on his face while pulling out a bottle, "Ah, I found one." He uncorked the bottle and took a big swig.

"Damn it Jack, you found another bottle,"

Rose started towards Jack but the minute he noticed he jumped up and backing away.

"Oh no, ya not be takin' this bottle from me." He ran to the other side of the fire.

Before Rose could follow James grabbed her by the arm and started steering her away from the fire and into the tree line. When they were in the darkness of the trees James pulled her against him and quickly started kissing her effectively stopping her protests.

In the back of his mind James kept telling himself to go slow, but he was having a really hard time listening to himself. He pushed her up against a tree and was slowly raising the hem of her shirt, the feel of the soft skin covering her ribs was driving him nuts. What finally made him come to his sense was Rose frantically pushing on his chest. With a groan he quickly pulled away from her. He looked at Rose's face and saw the panic there.

"Oh honey, I am so sorry." James rubbed his hand down his face trying to get his composure, "I guess I am going to have to stay away from you, you are just too tempting for me." He turned and started to walk away when he felt a firm hand on his arm.

"James don't go," Rose softly said.

James turn back towards her, he looked down at her hand on his arm and then back into her eyes.

"Rose, I know what you've been through and I understand but you have to realize that I am a man with a man's weaknesses and sometimes I will need to get away just so I can control myself."

"I'm sorry James. I'm just not ready for this. It's not fair to you." Rose turned and walked back to the beach leaving James standing alone among the trees.

As Rose approached the fire she overheard Jack spinning a tale of adventure on the high seas to little Andy, who was looking at him with fascination. It was also obvious that Jack had been taking swigs from the rum bottle he had found.

"At least he's a nice drunk," Rose mumbled under her breath.

After Rose left, James slammed his fist against one of the tree trunks in frustration. "Damn, damn, damn," he muttered as he stalked off through the trees shaking his hand. He came upon a stream and stuck his aching, bleeding hand in the cool water.

The water helped relieve the ache in his hand but nowhere else. James quickly stripped and stepped into the water. It wasn't very deep so he laid on his back and let the coolness wash over him. He stayed in the there until his fevered body had cooled itself down and he had more control of himself. He slowly got out of the water and sat on the grassy bank allowing time to dry some before trying to put his clothes back on. It was dark and he could see the stars shining between the leaves on the trees, the perfect setting for contemplating on how he was going to handle the situation between Rose and him.

The whole thing was starting to drive him to distraction, enough so that he was mumbling to himself, "I'll just have to stay away. That's what I'll do, I'll try to avoid her as much as possible and never be alone with her."

He stood up and grabbed his clothes and started putting them on. "That's what I'll do, I can do it." He quickly put his clothes on and started back to the beach.

James hadn't realized how long he had been gone. By the time he reached the beach just about everyone was asleep including Rose. Jack was still up drinking the last bit of rum out of a bottle.

When he spotted James he motioned him over, "We need be doin' some talkin' mate."

James sat down and Jack passed the bottle to him. Considering everything that had happened James needed a stiff drink so he didn't hesitate taking a couple of hefty swigs.

Jack watched him with a knowing smile, "Bad day?" he questioned.

"You have no idea," replied James while taking another large swig of rum.

"Ya have ta learn ta control yer women, son."

When Jack said that James was taking another swig of rum; the statement made him spew his mouth full of rum all over the place and Jack banged him on the back with his hand.

"You've got to be kidding, right?" James looked at Jack with speculation.

"Ev'ry woman likes a strong man, mate."

"You do know we are talking about Rose, don't you?"

"That's one hellcat, I agree, but ev'ry woman be the same." Jack reached for the bottle but James wouldn't let him have it.

"I think you've had too much to drink."

"I never have ta much ta drink." Jack made another swipe at the bottle and actually was able to grab it this time. He then wobbled to his feet and went off singing.

James smiled and watched his drunken friend stagger around for a while before he finally collapsed into a heap, in the sand, snoring. After staying by the fire a while longer James went and found a blanket and a place to lie down and get some rest. As he laid down he could see the outline of Rose in the distance sleeping, and it wasn't long before he was asleep also.

It was sometime later when James was awakened by the sound of someone softly crying. He quickly rose and discovered Rose in the midst of a nightmare. She was pleading with an unseen person to not be hurt and struggling as if she was being held down.

"Rose, Rose? Wake up you're have a nightmare." James was shaking her but nothing was working.

He did the only thing he could think of, he wrapped his arms around her and started murmuring comforting words to her. "It's alright! Sssh…I'll keep you save. I won't let anything happen to you."

Obviously telling him about her past had disturbed her more then he had thought and was even giving her nightmares.

After a few minutes Rose started to calm down. She never did wake up but in her sleep she was clinging to him and wouldn't let go. James laid down with her in his arms and fell asleep.

As the sun was just starting to make its appearance he woke up and it took a few moments for him to realize where he was, and to become aware of the fact that Rose had her head pillowed on his shoulder and her legs intertwined with his. He carefully untangled himself from her and slowly got to his feet. He didn't want her to think he was trying to take advantage of the situation so he quickly left.

It wasn't until an hour later that Rose woke up; she quickly sat up and looked around. "Huh, it must have been a dream. I would have sworn that James was here last night," she mumbled to herself.

As she was folding up her blanket Gord walked by. "Hey Gord, have you seen James around?"

"The last time I saw him he was headed that way," he pointed off into the trees.

"Oh ok, thanks."

Rose walked out onto the sand of the beach and noticed Jack curled up with a bottle snoring up a storm. With a smiled she unfolded her blanket and threw it over him.

"Ohh luv, jus a little lower," he mumbled.

Rose smiled; heaven only knew which one of his many women he was talking to. She then started walking in the direction that James had taken. After walking for a few moments she started hearing singing, following the sound she realized that she was coming up to the waterfall and pond, obviously James had decided to use the spot for a quick bath. With a mischievous grin Rose decided it was her turn to do a little spying.