They arrived at the island about an hour later and reached the town just after sunset. It was very small, and was mostly surrounded by the hillside. There were about five small buildings and outcroppings built out of stone that made up the entirety of the town. Not a soul was stirring outside, sans one drunkard asleep on a nearby stone wall that bordered the dock.

"Follow me," Angelica said. "This is the best place to find gullible sailors if ever I've seen one."

Rose increased her pace to keep up. "Have you…done this a lot before?"

Angelica's eyes brightened and a seductive smile crawled across her face. "Sometimes," her voice sang. "I do it just for the fun of it! Only now there's no homing charm to interrupt me!" She turned and peered through the window. "Perfect! Just the band of rouges we need!"

She pulled the door open. Suddenly, Rose found herself buffeted by rank, hot air and noise. There had to be over twenty pirates in the tavern, drinking, brawling and laughing. "Follow my lead," Angelica yelled over the chaos. The two women approached the bar. An unsettling feeling came over Rose as she realized that they were the only ladies in the vicinity.

In spite of herself, Rose actually began to respect Angelica because of how fearlessly she approached the nearest pirate, a large and intimidating man who was entirely shirtless. "Excuse me," she said to him. He turned to them and Rose subconsciously stopped breathing for a moment. He was the most frightening man she had ever seen, despite having spent her entire childhood amongst pirates. Angelica seemed unfazed. "Is your captain here?" The man just snarled and returned to his drink.

A loud spoken, shorter man answered for him. "There be loads o' capt'n's here, Senorita! We've got a band o' small one-man ships 'ere this time of year!"

"So," Angelica restated, uncertainly. "None of you are members of a crew, then?"

The man's smile faded and he approached Angelica threateningly. "What did I just say, lassie?"

"Alright, Charles! That's enough! Leave them be!" a voice barked from the rear of the room. The greasy man stalked away like an animal.

Angelica quickly rushed Rose into a corner. "Change of plans," she whispered. "We take two men, one each. Use your feminine charms to coerce him to take you wherever you want to go!"

"Out of the question!" Rose cried. "I'm not about to…to…sell myself off!"

Angelica grinned a catlike grin. "Oh dear," she said sarcastically. "What a tragedy that the saint is forced to become a sinner!"

"I don't even know what to do, Angelica!" Rose was shaking, she was so on edge. She longed for the safety and consistency of the bayou, though she had only been away from it for but an hour.

Angelica took a moment, noticing Rose's genuine fear and feeling the slightest bit of pity towards her comrade. "Nothing to fear! Just follow my lead! Now," said she, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her toward the other side of the tavern. "Let's find us men!" She squinted, as though considering something. Finally, she said, "Your first romance...I'll let you have the handsome one!"

Before she knew it, Rose found herself pushed into the side of a pirate sitting remote from the rest. He sat on a stool, but as he lifted his face, Rose was taken aback by his looks. Angelica was quite generous in letting her be with this gentleman. He had long dark brown hair and was bearded. His blue eyes had a dull yet iridescent quality to them that left Rose staring for an inordinate amount of time. He simply stared at back her, forcing Rose into a position where she had to speak first.

Say something! "I'm sorry sir," she finally managed to squeak out.

"That's alright."

Ah! He's soft-spoken, she thought. Perhaps, even if he's even just the slightest bit intoxicated, I could go with Angelica's original plan and have no trouble stealing his valuables!

He was staring at her again. Oh lord, did I just miss what he said?

"I said," he repeated, "Are you the barmaid?"

Rose laughed nervously. "Oh! Oh no, I'm um...I'm with a friend..." Rose then turned to introduce someone who wasn't even there. Angelica was across the room, already sitting in the lap of a scruffy man across the room who was kissing her neck. She widened her eyes, motioning for her to act as she was acting.

Rose gulped, then turned back to him and let a wry smile come to her face.

Touch him. She took the smallest of steps, letting the tips of her fingers run up the length of his arm.

Say something. It was as if her mouth became disjointed from her body, as she found herself saying seductively, "But I could be the barmaid, if you wanted me to be..."

Though she had no idea where those words came from, she felt his arm muscles tense under her fingertips. "That won't be necessary," he said softly, leaning closer toward her. Rose saw him smile. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to sit upright, then placed herself on his lap. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, Rose quickly shot a glance back at Angelica for further guidance. She caught glimpse of her just before she led her stumbling partner into another room through a door. Angelica nodded and winked at her as she closed the door.

"What's your name?" Rose heard the man say.

Don't tell the truth to the man you are about to deceive. "Anna." Her mother's name jumped to her mind instantly.

"Lovely," he said.

"And what's yours?" she whispered.

He whispered back, "Never you fret about that."

Rose put both of her hands around the back of his head and brought herself close to his face. Those eyes...so clear but so...dead. Lifeless. She let her smile drop as she made this grim observation. This wasn't an act. It stopped being an act for Rose somewhere in the past few interactions. Her heart was racing based on pure, pent up lust alone and nothing more.

She saw his eyes widen as he pulled her in for a kiss. Her first. She was rendered entirely breathless and pulled away soon after it began.

"See? No names necessary," he whispered, sending shivers up her spine.

The next few actions went by in a blur. He looked at Rose expectantly. When she didn't react, he took the first step. "Let's go elsewhere," he said, still suave but composed. He lifted her off of him and led her into a nearby room upstairs in the tavern, closing the door behind him.

That was when the panic set in. Rose's sight was completely gone. All she saw was darkness, and she leapt when he touched her cheek.

"Hey," he murmured gently. "Don't be afraid. I won't harm you."

Rose gave another breathy laugh, and took in his scent as he began to kiss her again. From sound alone, she could tell exactly when and where he had placed his belt and valuables on the bed where they were. It was to her left. She felt his fingers run through her hair. Part of her wanted to just enjoy the passion of the moment, and in many ways, she had never felt so protected and secure. This isn't love, she had to remind herself. This is a game. He won't care that he met you tomorrow. Don't forget why you are here. Yes! Rose had to buy the next leg of her freedom!

She reached to her left. She felt the leather of the strap that held his sword...his pistol...his...coin pouch! Her fingertips struggled to reach the bag and tie it loose. A little further...a little more...

Then? Disaster. Rose accidentally opened the bag, and shillings spilt across the wooden floor, clanging and crashing as they scattered. Everything stopped.

Suddenly, the click of a pistol. Rose felt the metal of the barrel against her jaw. "Get up!" his voice barked.

She was dead. He was undoubtedly going to kill her. Rose slowly pulled herself up, wiping the sweat from her forehead and readjusting her skirt. She knew the pistol was still aimed at her head, but she had no idea where he was. "Make one move, and you're dead!" he growled. She heard him pick up the coins with one hand and put them back in the bag, then sling the strap over his shoulder as it once was. Then, a sharp pain throbbed through her scalp as he yanked her hair and had the pistol at her throat again. "Who are you? Did they send you after me?"

Rose cried out in pain. "No! No! I'm sorry! It was my friend's idea! The other woman here tonight! We need passage onboard your ship to get out of here! She thought we could seduce two of you and buy our passage aboard!"

He threw her to the ground, and Rose, blind to her environment, dared not move. "You could never gain passage onboard my vessel," he yelled. She jumped when she heard him make a loud clanging noise upon slamming open the wooden window shutter in the room. When she didn't respond, he shouted, "Rise and look at me!"

Rose did sit up, but she looked blankly ahead.

"Is this what you want?" he yelled.

Rose could only open her mouth several times, though no sound emerged.

"ANSWER ME!" he roared.

"I cannot," she said plaintively.

"Can't what?"
"I cannot look at you."

"What are you talking abou—no. Nevermind! I don't care!" He stood and readied himself to leave. "Thank you for your company, mademoiselle." He turned to go, muttering under his breath, "A common whore..."

"I AM NOT!" Rose yelled furiously, struggling to stand up. "You are the first man...the first I've ever—" She fell to the ground, swearing under her breath. "The first man I have ever been alone with! I'm a simple healer from the bayou, and I've never…done this before tonight," she finished. "I am sorry."

Silence. The only reason that Rose knew he had not left was that she could still his breathing, which grew increasingly rapid. He grabbed the knob, yanking the door open. When her eyes adjusted to the light that spilled into the room, she expected to find him gone, her first passion to be a mere dream. Yet as she blinked and focused, Rose saw that he stood before her, mouth agape as he whispered, "Rose?"

She furrowed her brow. How did this man know her? "Yes?"

He approached her in silent wonder, then reached down and gingerly touched Jack's pendant which hung around her neck. He closed his fingers around it and stared directly into Rose's eyes.

It hit her like a wave at high tide. Those sad, sad eyes. It had been so long. In just a decade, Rose had become a woman and he had become a man. Her eyes filled with tears of joy, as the first man she wanted to see when she once again rejoined civilization had been holding her in his arms all along.

She let a tear fall as she whispered, "Hello, Ben!"