Ok, well, here enters a new character (there's far too many, I KNOW!) so I must claim him- his name is Temaeno, though the name itself has been stolen from Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute (or Dein Zauberflote, for those who wish the correct title.)

Replies to my poor, sobbing reviewers are at the end of the chapter.

***

"Black Bart Roberts, we bid ye a fond farewell!" Two muskets sounded a solemn salute as the shrouded body of the Royal Fortune's captain was reverently cast into the sea. Meryl stifled a small cry. Jack grasped her hand comfortingly.

"We all go merrily down together." He quoted softly.

In the crowd of silent mourners made up by the three crews, Morgan's dark eyes narrowed and focused in on Meryl's hand folded in Jack's. She lowered her head and uttered what prayers she thought should be given for this man she was expected to miss. It was all ceremony, she felt nothing for him.

The crew turned away as the body hit the water with a splash. Meryl flinched, looking as if she were about to collapse, though more from pain than from grief. Her minx-like eyes were dry- parched, like the mouths of sailors lost in an ocean of saltwater, forever taunted by it's quiet lapping at the sides of their boats.

She stood leaning over the rail, staring down at the water. Slowly, very slowly, she began to sing.

"Do you see a light, shining in the east? A sailor's warned red sunrise..." Her voice was racked with the echo of heartbreak. "...and I miss you so, as the gales will blow..."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and a low, comforting voice sing. "...In that shining sea of gold."

Meryl turned around, half-expecting the familiar voice to belong to Jack. Her dry eyes met with an empty deck.

She was alone.


***


Temaeno's bony cabin-boy fingers rapped on the door to Morgan's room. He heard a faint scuffling coming from within as the door swung open.

"Yes?" Morgan's eyes were red and puffy, her black, curly hair tousled about her face untidily. "Temaeno, I think?" He nodded. "You're a cabin-boy on Liam's ship, aren't you?"

He nodded again. "Yes, Lady Morgan." The above mentioned seemed a little startled by the use of her formal title. "We've met before- I used to serve on your father's ship." He paused. "If you remember me- you stole my mop when I was swabbing the decks once. We were only kids, but-"

A light went on in Morgan's eyes. "You!" A faint smile crossed her otherwise tired face. "I remember, come in." She stepped aside and he made his way timidly into her cabin. "Do you need anything?" Her voice was a little strained.

"I just heard, well, um..." He wondered how to put this- needing to seem concerned without sounding like a busybody. "Were you crying, Lady Morgan?"

She stared at him a moment. He seemed impulsive for someone of such a low rank. But then again, he also seemed a kindred soul with her- he had known the civil and aristocratic life that she had. He was a little like her, in a way, thrown into a world of lowlifes, scoundrels, outcasts... and liars.

The image of Jack and Meryl hand in hand, just like that, no concealing it, flashed into her mind's eye. She had given up her happy life for him, and he had lied to her. Betrayed her. Taken her for granted. Tears were slipping down her cheeks, and she felt that she should address the concerned look on Temaeno's face.

"I'm sorry, Temaeno, really, I am..." She choked. "I just... it's just..." The boy, who seemed about the one age with Morgan, though tall and bony, swept her whimpering form up into his arms. "He doesn't love me." Morgan choked out finally, wondering why she was pouring her heart out to this lowly cabin-boy. "He's all eyes for that horrible little Meryl. It's all wrong, Temaeno, it's all wrong- this isn't the way it was supposed to turn out!"

He held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes intently. "You know, Lady Morgan, life has a way of pulling you through things you don't think you can survive. It'll all work out, you'll see..." He took her hand up to his lips and planted a kiss upon it reverently. "Don't worry so much."

She smiled weakly. "I'll try not to."

And then Morgan had an awful and meddling flash of an idea, the same way that every human has from time to time. These ideas, caused by sin, Satan, human nature, or whatever else the reader may so name this negative giver of plans, are sometimes hard to resist, even to the best of us. Morgan, it is understood, was far from perfect, but she had a true heart. And even those of us with true hearts are given to being reckless with the heart's of others when we have been as deeply hurt as she.

Her head neared itself to his and their lips met. Morgan did not relish in the kiss... it was pure, innocent, and almost naive in a way. Could a kiss be naive? Apparently. But it wasn't enjoyable, not like those of which she shared with Jack. But this, she thought darkly, will even the score.

She shivered as the kiss broke. "Don't worry." Temaeno whispered. "It'll all be fine, don't worry."

Somehow, though, Morgan knew that him being there wasn't going to help her relationship with Jack. If anything, Temaeno would only make matters worse.

***

Review Replies:

Elentari II-

Oh, please don't dehydrate yourself, there. I'm sorry, but you know what? I hate killing off characters. I only kill them with purpose, and trust me, Bart's death had a purpose. You'll see. Don't cry. *comforts you*

FencingBabe7-

Better than Jack? *laughs hysterically* As if! Jack's way too cool to be beat by some stupid three-chapter fill character of mine own creation. (And mine own dumb grammar) I'll make up for it- his death was one of purpose, it'll further the nonexistent plot quite a bit.

et-spiritus-sancti-

Why thank you. I like your pen name, by the way.

Queen's Own Fool-

Wow, you're one of the few reviewers who didn't go into hysterics, though I cant say I mind the melodrama one way or the other. Yeah, love sucks.

divinething-

Yeah, Rain was sort of a spoiler, so you might have already known. Oh, I'm starting a sequel to Rain, but the first chapter is proving exceptionally long (for one of my chapters) and so I hope to get it up tomorrow if you're interested.

kristhegreat-

There's a set-up scene in here for a rather dramatic (and traumatic) Morgan/Jack scene later on. It should be up in about three more chapters. I've noticed that there really aren't any other stories on this site that are so soap-opera-ish, but that's really a tribute to their authors, who actually bother with underlying plots. Lazy me.

This story is getting close to the peak of the dramatic garbage that it is. Please review with any comments, and I'm sorry about Bart, but I promise it will further the plot- I loved him too!

-SQ