Here you go girls MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope you all like it, have fun over the chrismas period!

Sparrows Lover - THANKS, its always great to hear how much somebody is enjoying it. Hope you like this chappy, let me know !

Spadesjade - Glad your still with me girl! lol your right about the grammer, i think my mind goes numb after a while.

Jaddeddreamz - QUOTE AWAY! love hearing the bits you like the best! Looking forward to your next reveiw.

Inkstainedhands - Thanks girl! hope you like this chappie, just in time for Chrismas to!

Amber avoided all possible contact with Jack and most of the crew for several days, she had adapted her routine quite finely. It would appear that the pirates were good time keepers and ate breakfast, lunch and supper all at precise times. Using this to her advantage Amber had begun to slip down to the galley just before they were due to enter, gathering her plate and mug she had taken her fill and left by the time even the most eager of the mates appeared. Vini, the cook had clocked on fairly quickly to her actions and by the third day he had made her up her plate and set it out before she arrived.

He was a quiet fellow and always gave her a smile when she came in.

"I just came to thank you," she said peeking into the kitchen area and setting down her dirty plate.

"No worries pet," he handed her a fresh apple and winked, "Don't be telling' anyone that I've got any o them left," he nodded at the apple and picked up her dirty plate.

"I wont, thank you." she smiled gratefully and watched as he threw the plate into the large wash bowl.

"So you don't seem to be under lock and key here, are you a friend of the Captains?"

Amber knew fine well that he was just being nosy but she answered never the less.

"No, I'm not his friend or anything else like that," she caught Vini's surprised look and shrugged. "Let's just say he wouldn't dare have the cheek to ransom me off or lock me up. I just need to put up with this until we hit land." Vini chuckled over the wash bowl and pulled out the clean plate.

"Least the food's good pet, even if the company is shit." Amber grinned over at him as she finished the rest of her apple.

"Indeed Mr Vini, it certainly is." thanking him again for the apple she made her excuses and left as the first mates were beginning to file down the stairs and into the galley. Bowing her head she hurried past them and made her way down to the lower deck.

It was always a shade colder this far down inside the belly of the ship, she dreaded to think what it must be like right at the bottom in the brig. The hairs on her bare arms prickled and she rubbed them gingerly as she made her way down the passage.

The figure that grabbed her mere feet from her door was almost indistinguishable in the shadows, dark and stronger than any lone woman could ever deal with. Grunting with the sharp blow that caught her square in the ribs, she tried to gather air into her lungs to scream but he had winded her to harshly. Gasping she felt him grab a handful of hair and snap her head up to his ear.

"Made a sound and I swear I'll have your throat slit before you can count to one."

Making out a strangled sob she was pushed roughly forward along the corridor and through a door. Blasted by an icy cold gust of stale air Amber guessed her thoughts about the brig were answered.

"Leave me." she sobbed finally managing to get her breathing under control. "I'll tell him, I tell him if you touch me." crying out she felt his hand push her hard down the stairs, cold wet seawater instantly chilling her fingers and knees as she tried to pick herself up.

"You think Jack will care what happens to you now?" he chuckled, "As long as he's had you first he don't care what goes on then." he chuckled again as he pulled off his belt buckle.

"He hasn't had me." Sobbing she managed to stand, blood streaked her elbow when she had landed on the rough un sanded wood of the brig floor. "Please don't." she backed away as he approached with the belt.

"He aint gonna miss you sweetheart. He aint seen you for days, What's not to say that you threw yourself to the sea." he shrugged and caught her flailing hands as she tried to bat away his advances.

"He'll know."

"He wont give two shit's, if he cant fuck you and he aint getting' money for you then he wont care if you aint here no more."

Whimpering Amber struggled against him as he tied her wrists to the supporting beam, she couldn't bare to think what Nork would do to her.

Jack lifted a glass in Joshamee Gibbs's direction.

"Cheers mate." he slurred throwing back yet another mouthful of rum.

"So the lass didn't show for supper again," Gibbs pondered glancing over the galley, " you two had a little scrap?"

Jack gave his newly appointed first mate a weary look and shook his head.

"She chooses to make herself scarce, nothing to do with me." he took the liberty of scanning the room before refilling his tankard and tipping it in Gibbs direction. The old man shrugged and refilled his own tankard.

"So what have you been filling your head with for after we drop the lass off?" Jack squinted over the room again his brow furrowed, either deaf to Mr Gibbs question or just plain ignoring it, neither uncommon for himself.

"Jack?" Mr Gibbs glanced over the room trying to find out what exactly was bother the pirate. Jack wasn't listening instead he had risen slowly, eyes scanning every face as the crew drank merrily the ale and rum.

"Sam, where's Nork boy?" he snapped at the young lad in the next table, Sam pulled a unknowing face and glanced around him.

"Ain't seen 'im Capt'n" Jack immediately stepped passed the chair and rested a hand on his pistol.

"Jack, what's in your head?" Gibbs followed behind him stumbling over several loose rum bottles.

"When was the last time you've seen that fucker miss his supper." Jack didn't turn round as he strode towards the stairwell that led to the deck. Behind him Mr Gibbs nodded and drew his own pistol.

"I'll check below." he said quickly turning on his heel and heading further down the passage.

Amber squirmed against Nork as he tried his best to lift her skirts, she made it as difficult as possible, pushing him with her knees, elbow and whatever else she could get between him and herself. Finally he pulled back and pelted her with a sharp blow to the face, stars grew before her eyes and for a long moment she could not shake the fuzziness from her mind. Immediately Nork began tugging open the buttons of her dress using her confusion to yank up the folds of her skirt and tug at the buttons of his breeches. Amber cried out and pulled back as she felt him press against her.

"I think the Cap'n will be wanted a word with you ." Amber almost didn't recognise Mr Gibb's voice, low and menacing the old man stood behind Nork with his pistol trained on the dark mans forehead. With releif flooding through her Amber let out a shaky breath.

"Amber, you alright lass?" Gibbs peered passed Nork at her as she nodded.

Numbly Amber watched as Gibbs motioned for Nork to step inside the holding cell and as much as he protested and claimed his innocence Mr Gibbs took in not a word. Using his knife he cut the leather belt and released Amber from what would have been a most humiliating demise.

"Please just leave me alone." she croaked as he helped her to the top of the stairwell, "I want just to be left in peace."

Mr Gibbs looked on with concern.

"Are you sure lass? Would you not rather I took you to Jack?"

Amber laughed bitterly at this.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," she glanced up and Gibbs, "Jack is no more decent than that brute down there. Well…" she shrugged, "please just leave me."

Sighing Mr Gibbs nodded and watched as she walked slowly along to her cabin door, he'd always known it was bad luck to bring woman aboard, why did no one listen to him? Frowning he made his way on deck and ran into Jack as he was coming from his own cabin.

"Did you find him?" he asked quickly seeing the scowl that Gibbs had on his brow.

"Aye, in the brig, blasted fool had the lass in all sort o' trouble." Jack's jaw tightened and he turned to go back into his cabin.

"Is she alright?"

"Just want left in peace. Jack, Nork is still in the brig, what do-"

"I'll deal with him." he slumped into his chair and picked up his rum. "This time I will." Cursing himself over Jack wondered why the hell he hadn't had word with Nork after the first time, and if he had would it really have stopped him from getting hold of the lass this time? Rubbing his face he glanced over at Mr Gibbs and offered him the bottle.

"See to it that the rest of the men don't bother her." he stood and pulled out his pistol, "In fact, say nothing, I don't want them jeering at her."

Ignoring Gibbs's questions Jack left quickly, striding down the passages gritting his teeth and pushing any thought of what exactly had happened to the girl. The brig as always was bitter cold and damp, an odd drip sounded in the quiet dark.

"At last Capt'n, thought I was down here for the night," Nork stood and gripped the bars in his huge hands.

"What was done to the lass?" Jack ignored the Africans friendly voice and instead set his gaze in a hard stare. Nork held up his hands and shook his head.

"No harm Capt'n, didn't know that you'd not had her yet. Thought she was just on board for the pleasures most woman bring."

"Since when have I allowed the mistreating of woman aboard this ship? You do as you please on dry land but since this is my ship and I'm the Captain I expect you to follow the rules." he glared at Nork who only lowered his eyes and shrugged.

"Yes sir, it wont happen again." Jack sighed and nodded at last.

"Bloody right it wont happen again." he muttered lifting the pistol to eye level and pulling the trigger before he could have any doubts about his actions. Nork was a good pirate in the brutlest sort of way and Jack was quite positive as he watched the body slump to the floor, that there would be a weakness in his crew that he would not have noticed before. It was probably the right thing to do in the end, Nork was strong willed and even if he hadn't attacked the lass Jack had always kept a weary eye on him, if mutiny was ever to be breathed aboard his ship it would have been from Nork's mouth.

Mr Gibbs hovered in the doorway as he climbed the stairwell.

"See to it that that mess is cleared before the men go down." he murmured driving his pistol into his belt and shuffling past Gibbs.

"Aye sir." Gibbs's voice was as heavy as Jack's and Jack wondered briefly if the old man thought he'd done the right thing. It had been extreme even for him but surly his motives were not as questionable as he was thinking. Sighing he dragged his weight to Amber's cabin and opened the door. She sat huddled in the corner, asleep or awake Jack couldn't tell from the mass of dark curls that splayed over her shoulders. Clenching his jaw tight he bit back the urge to leave her be and flop down on his own bed, hesitating he pulled up his breaches and stepped towards her sliding one arm under her knees and the other behind her neck. Moaning lightly her eyes flickered open and she flinched as he hauled her up.

"This is not the time to start your bickering love, just trust me." her eyes still heavy from sleep drifted close and she murmured something about trust under her breath, guessing it was not something pleasant Jack ignored the comment and stepped through the passages and onto the deck towards his cabin.
He wondered what his motives were for this, wedged in his side like a rose thorn was this woman who had once offered him her innocence and her love and now could not bare to look at him without a bitter contempt. She intrigued Jack, intrigued him because he'd never truly known a woman that really loved him and Amber was the closest thing he had to that. He wanted to keep her safe, away from his crew and as much as it tortured him to admit it, he wanted her close to him.