The Black Pearl and all souls aboard had been adrift a few days on their journey towards the next leg of Jack's mission to find Davy Jones's chest. One one of these relatively calm nights, Rose sat placidly by candlelight, fiddling with The Redhead costume. If there was one thing she took away from Tia Dalma's lifestyle, it was that every little thing could be of some use. So Rose, although leaving behind the corset, shoes, wig and hat on Tortuga, retained the majority of the dress. She had torn out the ruffled and uncomfortable petticoats from beneath the skirt, and shortened it so that she could more easily move in combat. The bodice was rendered all but useless to her without the corset, which, although making her form more compact, rendered her nearly immobile. So, Rose resorted to using the white chemise beneath as a blouse, and was currently in the process of readjusting the former bodice into a vest. She would leave the two center pieces untied and loose at her side, and would shorten the sleeves a good deal. The task was meaningless, but she was all but useless at night given her eyesight, and it got her mind off the worry she still held for Jack's situation.

It wasn't long before Jack himself entered his cabin. He took a look at Rose and grumbled, "Your husband is still in pursuit."

Rose growled, "He's not my husband and you know it! Stop saying that!"

Jack only grinned in amusement. "The man's relentless, I'll give him that." He then stopped, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully. "Oh… 'Dauntless.' I get it now."

Rose put down her handiwork and looked at her brother in earnest. "Indeed. And what happens when we reach Tripoli and they inevitably catch us?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. Clearly, he had not thought this through. After a moment, he opened his mouth to give a reply. Rose interrupted him before he could do so, however, "Don't you dare say 'improvisation!'"

He deflated slightly, then came back with, "I was going to say before you chimed in with your sass, madam, that I need only go ashore this time. Keep the Pearl in motion, and come back for me the next morning. Easy as that."

Rose considered this a reasonable plan, and was about to respond when a frantic knock at the door came. The siblings exchanged a glance, and silently, Rose motioned that she would answer it. She opened the door to Ben, who was hunched over and breathing heavily.

"It's not working," he said in between breaths. He then gagged and rushed into the black of night where Rose's blindness couldn't find him. She was quick on his heels, however, following him by sound and finding him leaning over the port rail, attempting to wretch into the ocean.

She calmly stood next to him as he gagged, placing a calm hand on his back. She stood there for awhile, using only her senses of sound and touch to delineate what was happening.

Finally, after the heaving had subsided, she commented, "I don't understand. You didn't actually throw anything up. Your body is just gagging."

"That's because there isn't anything to throw up!" Ben muttered darkly. He stood quickly, causing Rose's hand to draw back. "I can't eat because I vomit. I can't sleep because I can't eat. How many of those blasted plants have you given me?"

She took a deep breath. "We've tried all of my herbs, Ben. All of the ones that are supposed to help anyways."

"And some help they've been!" he scoffed. "I can't sleep, I can't eat…It's like I'm back in the curse, only the effects are amplified!"

Rose reached out her hand to comfort him again. "I won't stop searching until we find the cure, Ben. I promise."

He knocked her hand away from him. "How long will that be? Your only priority is helping your brother and taking part in his harebrained schemes! Just forget it!"

Rose knew he was right. Ever since she and Ben had joined the crew once more, Rose had remained at her brother's side for most of the time. She wasn't sure if her reasons for this had to do with the task of outrunning Jones, or if she had been purposefully avoiding Ben after he had nearly attacked her a few months ago on Port Royal as they waited for Jack. Rose had almost always held affections in her heart for Ben, but she had truly been hurt by his bout of anger and found herself distrustful of him from that day onwards.

Under his breath, she heard him mutter, "I knew it was a mistake to stay aboard…"

"Ben!" Rose protested. She was peeved by his actions, but was completely devastated by his words. "You know how much I care about you! Why do you doubt me?"

She heard him sigh deeply, then softly recount his harshness towards her. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know how much…how much you care. I just was so certain that after the curse was broken that everything would return as it was."

She dared place her hand on Ben's arm once more. "I know how hard this must be," she said softly. "But I am here for you!"

She felt him stand and face her. She held her breath, unsure of what to anticipate. She nearly jumped when she suddenly felt him lean into her and kiss her. Joy welled up inside her, but quickly transformed into immense confusion as she felt him begin to kiss her harder. He pushed against her, forcing her to walk backwards until he had her pressed up against the stairs leading up to the helm. Violently he kissed her, barely allowing her time to breathe. Then, as quickly as he had begun, he stopped. He pulled away, and after a moment of tense silence, he brooded, "Nothing. I feel nothing!"

"Ben?" Rose asked, catching her breath, but from the sounds of rushed creaks along the ship's floorboards, she could tell that he was already gone. She was left alone, blind to the night, wondering what on earth had just transpired.

"Rose?" she heard a voice say next to her.

She gulped and began to hastily straighten her hair. "How long have you been watching?" she asked Jack, who had followed the two after they left his quarters and had been watching the whole drama unfold.

"I've been watching this go on for over ten years now," he said. "I'm at about my wit's end with it." He walked to her, taking her by the hand and leading her back inside to the light.

With her eyesight restored, she stared only at the ground, dwelling in the bittersweet emotions that were inside her.

Jack still stood at her side, staring intently at her. Finally he said, "You do see how he's using you, don't you?"

She shook her head. "He's not well. This isn't his fault."

"Perhaps," her brother replied, "But recall that he used you even before the curse took hold. He used you to get aboard, he used you to get status…"

"He was young then!" Rose protested.

"What other excuses will you make for him? 'He was young,' 'he was cursed,' 'he's not himself…' Rose, if you honestly think he loves you, then you're blind in more than one regard."

Rose hadn't heard her brother be this sincere since…she could barely remember when, it was so long ago. Even though a part of her heard the truth of his words, a larger part of her seethed in anger. "I'm doing the best I can!" she yelled. "I'm trying so hard to help you and the crew and restore Ben into the man I once knew him as! All I want is my friend back!"

Jack began to step away from her, shaking his head. "That's not all you want. I don't think you can fix this, Rose." He then turned and went back to his study, leaving her standing there in her confusion. After awhile, she resorted to going to bed, but she found no solace and could not sleep.

Rose poured over what had just happened. She was so torn between fury and pity directed at Ben. In her heart though, she was still convinced that she could fix what had been broken. She would work for the rest of her life, if need be, to bring Ben back.

After about an hour of these restless thoughts, she heard Gibbs burst into the room.

"Cap'n! Apologies for intruding!"

Rose sat up in alarm. "What's the matter?" she and Jack said nearly in unison.

"We appear to be running afoul of a hurricane, sir."