Chapter 9

Once the Pearl was underway, Portia took Emily and James to a cabin they would have to themselves, and left them to get settled in and, have a few moments alone since their long separation. Emily had considered throwing something at Portia as she left the room, but had been prevented from carrying out her plot by James mouth on hers. The kiss was deep and desperate. When they finally pulled apart, James took her face in his hands and smiled.

"When we were separated and you were taken below I was afraid they would do something to you…" he said breathlessly. "I was so relieved to see you were all right."

Emily smiled and leaned her head in to rest on his chest. "I don't think they would have done anything to me, not knowing that I might be needed later."

At her words James pulled away and looked down into her eyes, intensity in his gaze.

"You don't love him do you? You aren't the one they needed?" His eyes were desperate for her to say no.

"No, I don't love him," she replied. James sighed in relief. "But what I am afraid of is that I am the girl who is supposed to complete the prophecy for him, and if I am then he is dammed, because I love you."

"Even the part of you that did not know me until a few days ago?" James asked, confusion still in his voice about there being two of her.

"yes…" she would have said more, but his mouth stopped her again.

Once Portia had seen that Will did not locked James in chains in the brig, and that he had been comfortably settled into a cabin of his own with food to eat and a change of clothes, she made her way out onto the deck of the Pearl, to the front of the ship to watch the horizon change from blue, to orange, to black. As the moon began her ascent over the long line of water, Portia heard footsteps coming up behind her. not turning her head, she waited for them to speak.

"Portia," Will's voice was quiet, but it carried to her ears. "I know… I know there was some things that happened between us when we were, in your world, but… but…"

"You should go to her," Portia said turning to face him. "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and so was James- it is not as if she invited him into the house to purposely betray your trust. She still loves you, I can see it in her eyes."

Will sighed heavily. "If I ask how you know that are you going to say because it is a woman thing?"

"No," she replied. "It's because I have been in love before, and I have seen people in love before, and there is no mistaking what is between you and Elizabeth. If you turn away from her now because of one silly incident, you will lose her forever, and I don't think you want that."

"Thank you," he whispered and went away quietly.

Turning back to face the ocean Portia sighed heavily. At least she had managed to fix one relationship, if not her own. She knew she should go and speak with Jack, because she already knew who the girl he was intended to retrieve was, and she knew why James had been brought from NYC as well. Because she was falling in love with Jack, but she was still in love with James.

But then there was always Emily. If she was meant for Jack, then why did her feelings persist for James? Even when she was caught in the gaze of Jack's beautiful brown eyes, part of her mind compared them to the flawless blue of James'. At that moment she would have given anything to be sleeping in her bed, whether it was in a tavern of NYC.

Stars coming out over her head, Portia turned to go to her cabin and try to sleep, but her feet barely moved because she turned to find Jack standing behind her. He had removed the bandana and bangles from hair and wiped the kohl clean from his eyes. His usual aroma of sweat and rum was missing, and from the dampness of his hair Portia guessed that he had just bathed. Even his shirt was clean and relatively unwrinkled.

"Watching the stars come out?" he asked.

Portia nodded.

"The night is unusually clear for this time of year. The full moon is almost always covered in silver clouds, but she shines unaccompanied tonight, quite beautiful."

Portia felt herself blushing. "At home, in New York, I always watched the moon come out at night, but in Tortuga, well, I never had time to do that sort of thing."

Jack laughed softly. "I still have a hard time imagining you as a bar maid, and a…" he trailed off.

"A whore? You can say it- there is no denying the truth, and besides, you've seen enough of them not to be ashamed of the word."

Jack winced. "Portia… luv…"

The phrase normally had no meaning when he said it, but as it came whispered out of his lips Portia felt it strike home in her heart, as if he had meant it in the way she wanted him to.

Closing her eyes, Portia tried to shut away her feelings. She needed sleep for the journey ahead. Slowly taking a step forward, Portia stepped around Jack and began to walk away. But before she could even take two steps away his arms were around her, pulling her close to him.

He was shaking inside. The last time he had tried to kiss her the words of the strange woman he seared his brain, but that time he had done it without feeling, this time, it was done out of some wish of his heart.

Hesitantly lowering his lips to meet hers, Jack felt skin touch skin, and warmth rush through him as their mouths met and locked. No words came to haunt him, so he let go of the passion he had been holding back, and allowed himself to pull Portia deeper into the kiss, his hands dropping from her shoulders down to hips.

The dress she wore was thin and coarse, and the bodice at the top was almost completely unlaced. Finally breaking the kiss to breath, Jack looked into Portia's eyes for permission, and then led her back to his cabin.