The moment Aladdin and Jasmine were gone, John rushed to Jim and pulled him into a tight embrace. Jim backed away from him, forcibly removing himself from John's arms.

"What did you do?" Jim demanded.

"I drugged Jasmine's drink with a truth serum so she'd tell me everything she knows about Aladdin and Gaston."

Jim swore. "And the promise you made her?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell Meg what she told me," John replied. "And I had no intention of telling her. I don't want to see anything happen to Aladdin. At least, I didn't before he threatened you."

Jim reached up and gingerly touched the cut on his neck. He looked down at the blood on his fingertips. "I can't say I blame him... after what you did."

"I didn't know what else to do." John sank down onto the bed. "I feel sick about it."

Jim walked over to the wash basin to clean his cut. He looked at John through the small mirror on the wall. John was bent over, with his hands pushed through his hair. Jim knew all John wanted was to protect this crew that had become his family, and that included Aladdin and Jasmine. In John's heart, this was his crew and he felt a sense of responsibility towards them. But even Jim could see John was losing an internal struggle. He didn't want to make an enemy of Aladdin; but if he tried to stop him, that's exactly what would happen. Aladdin made his choice and John should let go, but he wouldn't. Maybe even couldn't.

"If you want my opinion," Jim said, turning his attention back to his cut. "I think you need to just talk to Aladdin; work something out between the two of you. I'm sure he doesn't want to see the crew slaughtered by Gaston's army any more than you do."

"You saw how angry he was, Jim. He won't talk to me."

"Give him a day to cool down. Talk to him tomorrow night." Jim dropped the rag in the water and walked over to John. Kneeling in front of him, Jim took John's hands in his. "Listen to me. I know you feel like it's your job to protect this crew, but it's not; that's up to Meg and Sinbad now. Your responsibility now is to keep the vow you made me." Jim turned over John's hand to expose his cut. "Whatever happens- whatever you decide to do- please do not sacrifice yourself. If there's even a chance of your getting involved with this whole Aladdin mess and having to get between him and Meg could lead to you getting hurt, I need you to stop."

"You don't understand."

"Yes, I do. You think you owe it to Hercules to protect everyone. Hercules was our captain and he'd give his life for us, but that doesn't mean you have to. You know Hercules wouldn't want that."

"You're saying I shouldn't do anything?"

"I'm saying… I can't lose you the way Meg lost Hercules." Jim kissed John's hand. "Do what you think you have to, but don't give your life for someone else's fight."

X X X

After Jim went back to sleep, John went to Sinbad's room. The door was ajar and the flickering light from his lantern spilled into the corridor. John lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in."

John pushed open the door. Sinbad was sitting at his desk, tossing an apple back and forth between his hands. Earlier, while the rest of the crew was eating dinner in the galley, Sinbad had come down, grabbed only an apple, and went back up to his room. By the looks of it, he still hadn't eaten dinner.

"Not hungry?"

"I've got a lot on my mind," Sinbad replied.

"Thinking about Syracuse?"

Sinbad faltered, dropping the apple. It hit his desk, then rolled onto the floor. John picked it up.

"Why do you say that?" Sinbad asked.

John set the apple on the desk. "Because it was your home."

"That was a long time ago."

John sat down on the bed. The cabin was small, so it was only a couple feet from the desk. "The first time you called me Johnny was when you told me about Syracuse- and your father. I can't imagine you're eager to return."

"I'm not. But, it has nothing to do with my father. The old bastard is likely dead by now." Sinbad leaned back in his chair and put his feet on his desk. "Did you come to my room in the middle of the night to reminisce about my past? Because I'm not nearly drunk enough for that."

John shook his head. He didn't know why he came to Sinbad's room. Maybe because Sinbad was the only one still awake. Or maybe it was because Sinbad didn't know what he had done and even if he did, he wouldn't think any less of him. With everything he's done, Sinbad was the last person who would ever judge someone based on their bad deeds.

Sinbad sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I'm beginning to wonder what I'm doing here. I should have stayed in Tortuga and avoided this mess I've gotten myself into."

"What mess would that be?"

Sinbad bit his lip in hesitation before answering. "The person I stayed on this ship for rejected me- and tried to kill me. And now I'm heading right for the last place I ever wanted to go back to. And, on top of that, Meg has tasked me with killing Kale." He took a drink from the flask that had been sitting on his desk. "I'm having some regrets. Well, one regret."

"I'm sorry, Sinbad. You wouldn't have been back on this ship in the first place if it hadn't been for me."

Sinbad shook his head. "I don't regret that. My one true regret is allowing myself to fall in love." He took another drink. "When I was a kid, I met an old woman who told me, 'Hearts are meant to be given away.'" He scoffed. "Well, I did that. Three times, actually. And what did it get me? A heart that's been turned to black ice by the pain and betrayal that comes from giving your heart away." Sinbad looked down at the flask, seeing something else. "Lesson learned."

A twinge of guilt pricked John's heart. "I'm sorry I hurt you," he whispered.

"No. What happened with us was my doing, not yours. And it was unforgivable. I've done a lot of terrible things, but what I did to you was the worst."

John thought Sinbad murdering innocent people was far worse, but he supposed Sinbad saw things from a different perspective. "I forgave you for that, Sinbad."

Sinbad shook his head. "I was wrong: my one regret isn't that I allowed myself to fall in love, it's what I did to you. And I think everything I've done to you is what has made me incapable of receiving love now."

John wanted to reach out to comfort Sinbad, but he was afraid of what would happen if he lost control or got caught up in the moment. "I would have loved you if you had given me the chance, so I know someone else out there will love you for exactly who you are."

Sinbad let out a cruel and mocking laugh. "No one has loved me back, yet. The first time I ever fell in a love, I gave him my heart completely and he betrayed me. I allowed his betrayal to blacken my heart and turn it to ice. I thought he was the only one I'd ever love, so what use did I have for a heart? Then I met you and, god, how I wanted to give you my heart. But, I wouldn't let myself go through that pain again. So, when I realized I loved you, I hurt you before you could hurt me and I left. By the time I tried giving you my heart, it was too late. After that, not only did I think I wouldn't love anyone else, I didn't think I even deserved to be loved. So, when I met-" Sinbad stopped. "Well, anyway, it came out of nowhere. I fell in love so fast, I was offering him my heart before I even realized what was happening. He didn't want it. Not that I blame him. When the heart that's being offered to you is dark and cold, what good is it? You say 'someone' out there will love me, but I don't want just someone; I want the Damned pirate who held a knife to my throat and says my name like it's a curse." He finished off the flask. "Want to know a secret, Johnny? I hope Kale cuts my heart out so all of this will just... end."

Words failed John. This was the most Sinbad had ever opened up to him. He had no idea Sinbad had gone through all that and felt that way.

Sinbad was almost John's first love. If he had never met Jim, everything would have likely played out differently when Sinbad came back. Maybe he could have saved Sinbad.

"I guess I was drunk enough," Sinbad muttered.

"Sinbad-"

"Don't try to comfort me," he interrupted, holding up his hand. "It's just a sob story. I'll live."

"Except you don't want to."

Sinbad tossed the now empty flask on his desk. "I don't want to feel anymore. I don't want to feel jealousy every time I see you with the kid. And I don't want to be in love anymore."

"Who is it?"

"Who?"

"You know who I mean."

Sinbad started to reply, but stopped himself. "It doesn't matter."

"It sounds like he matters a lot."

Sinbad raised his eyebrows. "If you want to gossip, John, I recommend you find one of the females on this ship."

"That's not-"

"I have work to do. You should go."

John started to leave, but paused at the door. He didn't look back at Sinbad as he said, "This probably doesn't mean much, but I hope you don't die. I don't want to lose you, too."

"Hercules really meant a lot to you, didn't he?"

John nodded. "The most important person to me, after Jim."

"Well," Sinbad said, "this probably doesn't mean much, either; but I promise I'll kill Kale for you."