"How have you been James?" The female voice fluttered over the commotion of down pouring rain.

He scratched at his unshaven face, "The same as always, alone, tired, but mostly quiet."

She smiled back at him, traveling into the living room and took her seat beside his which was marked by a half empty snifter of brandy. She picked up the snifter and peered into it, "How did I know..." She replaced the snifter and began to chew on one of her elegantly trimmed fingernails. "James, you've got to stop this."

He sat in his chair and watched her silently. James looked at her abruptly, "Stop what Elizabeth?"

She raised a brow and eyed him, "You know what I mean James. Everyone is worried about you. Your always shut up in this damned house, drinking and God knows what else."

"So your father sent you here then."

"No, my father has nothing to do with my business anymore James. I'm all grown up now."

But the truth was she wasn't all grown up and James knew it. Every time she visited him she wanted something from James. Something he wasn't always willing to give her. He sighed, looking back up at her and reached over, pulling the finger from her mouth, "You know I hate it when you do that." He paused, looking to his own calloused hands and untreated nails, "Would you like something to drink?"

She smiled at him, placing her hands in her lap, "Tea as always James." Elizabeth rose after him and followed him into the kitchen, watching him closely.

James bustled about, taking out two cups for tea and placing them delicately on the counter top. He set the water down to boil and stood in front of the sink, staring out of the window. "It's really raining quite hard." His breath came in sharply as he felt two feminine arms wrap around his torso and move to caress his chest. "Elizabeth...what are you doing?"

A smile curled the lips of her mouth as her hands snuck up the front of James' shirt, "Who me?"

James looked into that innocent face she made when he spun around to face her. His lips were pursed, his eyes burning a hole through her, "You know exactly what I mean Miss Turner. There was a time in your life when you had the chance. And it's long since passed." He let go of her arm that he had been holding onto rather tightly and brushed quickly past her to pour the water.

Elizabeth sniffled a bit, folding her hands together, attempting to deal with the cold stab of rejection. "James you can't do that." She called after him as he hurried with the cups into the living room.

He spun quickly and cut her off, shoving a steaming cup into her hands, "Oh and what exactly do you plan on doing to me Elizabeth, now that your married to a blacksmith? What exactly do you think Daddy is going to do for his estranged daughter that will effect his Commodore? Nothing." He turned on his heels, "Your nothing to me now." He mumbled as he slumped back into his chair.

Elizabeth almost gasped as she took her cup shakily back to her chair, "I thought you were a gentleman James, thought maybe you knew better than to talk to ladies like that."

James smirked maniacally, "To ladies, yes. But not to fork tongued serpents." He took a few sips before setting the drink down. "Besides, the only reason you're here pestering me is because dear William has locked himself away in the shop again. And the only way to make you feel better is to feel you have some sick and twisted advantage over me. But, you don't. I may be far past my drinking limit tonight, but I can still tell when someone is trying to gain the upper hand on me."

Elizabeth held the warm liquid in her mouth and waited until James finished his retort to swallow it, "I see Jack taught you well."

"Don't." He raised a shaky hand to his forehead, rubbing lightly at his already throbbing temples.

She placed the cup down on the table, only to have her arm grasped by the other. Her eyes slowly traveled up the long, pale arm, to the owner's face.

James looked at her through half cracked eyelids and smiled, "He was a good man."

"Was?" Her brow quirked. "All you've ever told me is that the two of you stopped seeing each other. Conflicting social statuses is, I believe, just what you had told me."

James looked up to her, "No, no that's not it. That's not it at all." He let go of her arm and positioned himself more comfortably in the chair, "Not so long after I tried sneaking from Port with him, I received word he had long since passed." He paused, "Terrible storm out on the sea. He'd been thrown overboard."

Elizabeth touched his hand lightly, "I'm so sorry James. All this time I thought you had just grown to be an old, bitter man. And as for William-"

"William's sadness has nothing to do with Jack." He lifted the half empty snifter from it's place and took a few long sips of it, "That's for him to tell you, not I."

She sighed, resting her chin on her hand and finished her drink, "I'm sorry James, it's time I've left." She rose slowly, smoothing out the creases on her gown.

James got up, handing her the cloak she'd been wearing before and opened the door for her, "Goodnight Beth."

"Beth? No ones called me that since-" She stopped herself, "Well, you know." She went to the front porch, "Goodnight James."

"Goodnight." He closed the door and snifter in hand, traveled to his bedroom. Reaching the door he emptied the contents of the small container and flopped himself onto the bed.

He sat quiet for a long time listening to the rain. The thunder. The humming.

'The humming?!'

James bolted upright and listened for a few long moments before giving in to the calling blankets once again.

'Stop it James, your only torturing yourself.'

His ears perked up once again as he heard a familiar jingle and hummed tune. From the shadows of the doorway a darkened figure stepped.

"Ello Jamie love."

There was the velvety voice his ears ached to hear, "Jack?" He had lost the will to sit up and settled for leaning on his elbows.

He was quickly answered by the clicking of boots and the hot taste of pirate mouth over his. "Aye, love."

James squirmed back onto the bed, pulling Jack with him. He buried his face in the others chest, running his fingers delicately over it, "Where have you been Jack? I thought you were dead."

"It's a long story love. I'll tell ye' tomorrow."

His face adorned a Commodorial grin as feathered kisses covered his forehead. He snuggled in as close as possible without disappearing into the others being. How he had missed this. The feel of Jack. The smell of Jack. The kiss of Jack.

Sunlight cracked into the room, between the drapes and woke James. Slowly he patted the bed, finding it empty.