[A/N- yes, it's a double whammy! Go me! Just figured I'd get this little transition out of the way before I get to the next adventure. I enjoyed it, really. *smile* So I hope you all like it, and like it a lot, because we are almost through. If I'm lucky, this baby won't top fifty chapters. But knowing my luck… you'll like it better, though. Whatever works. Much love, and on with the mush!]

She was crying. She was lying on his bunk, veritably screaming, she was sobbing so hard.

And he could not understand why.

Really. He went to all that effort of saving her, of tearing her out of that man's grasp, and she had the nerve, once safe, and back in his arms, to try to jump back onto that bloody ship and into the fuckin sea. How dare she-

Then he turned to face her, in his silent rant, and looked into the eyes of this woman, whose blood was staining his sheets, who was still wearing his shirt, whose tears were smeared all over her face, her cheeks scratched and clawmarked, her lip split, her nose bleeding, her eyes red.

She gasped, as though choking on her own words, and turned her face, sitting up on the bed. He sat quietly, listening to her breath hitch as she tried to stop crying. Her voice was almost beyond his hearing.

"You weren't supposed to come."

"Did you really think I'd leave you in his grasp?" his voice was barely any louder than hers.

"Why not?" she turned to face him then, her face contorted in pain. "You had everything you wanted out of me."

"Love," he sighed, kneeling by the bed, and pulling a gold chain off his neck. "You still have this."

She took the necklace gingerly in her hands, deliberating over its black gloss, before handing it back to him. "I shouldn't have this."

"And why not?" he made no move to take it back.

"Anyone who can do what I did, back there…" she bit her lip, averting her gaze momentarily, "shouldn't have that."

"I want you to have it."

"I'm no better than they are! You should have seen it. You should have seen him." She stood, walking unsteadily, but purposefully, to the door.

"Alinnya…" he rose to stop her.

"I enjoyed it, Jack. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it! How the fuck am I better than him? HOW?!"

"Because I bloody love you!" he roared right back at her. "I love you, and you daren't throw that back at me! Don't." The last word was almost an angry growl.

She stood silent, back against the door, for several moments, within arm's reach, but no one was reaching out. They were both islands unto themselves. "You're always complicating things," she whispered, staring at her bare feet. "I needed you. There. Then. Not now, apologizing after the fact," she stared into his eyes accusingly.

He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. Low blow, fucking low blow.

"I promise you, on my honor," he put as much feeling into those words as he knew how, sliding forward to hold her, "that no man shall cause you harm, and that you shall never find yourself in a fix I can't get you out of. Satisfied?"

"What happens when you can't keep that promise?" She leaned her head against his chest.

"Love, if you can survive a week without me, and come out of it swinging, and I spend the same week tying myself to the helm so I don't fall over and embarrass meself, who do you think is the stronger one here?" he smiled into her shoulder. "I can't lose you."

She barely heard the words, but she knew they were there. And the cracking process started all over again.