************** I'm pretty sure you can guess what they just did ************

A small cry shattered the blissful silence 'TOM!'

James!

Realisation dawned on Edward as he realised what he had just done. Disgusted with himself he threw Bella's dress over her to cover her up. He didn't want to leave her but he didn't want James to come and find them here. He shut his eyes, hoping it was all a dream. 'Edward!'

Edward's eyes flew open; pulling away from her he turned his back to the goddess that was lying on the soft sand. He let out a small sigh, after once again hearing his name pass her lips.

'I can't. Not here!' he didn't want to do it like this, not here, she deserved to be loved, in a beautiful bed with the man she will spend the rest of her life with.

Edward stalked away, ready to face the wrath of James!

"Get to work!" James brawled. His foot bruising the skin on Edward's back as he pushed the boy's face into the deck – or tries to. Edward's arms burned with the power of keeping him off the deck.

"Fifty Press-ups!" James chanted playfully, "or I'll leave you on the island!"

Edward gritted his teeth and lowered himself down, James' foot making the fifty press-ups far harder than a normal hundred.

He couldn't ask Bella to live on an island with him, and there was no way he would leave her.

It made him sick that James could order him about like this...

The next day Edward's back was bruised and bleeding, as he struggled off his bunk and smiled over at the small blanket wrapped bundle in the corner, which he knew was Bella, from the sweet, steady breathing she made when asleep.

He could recognise that sound anywhere. Determined not to show anyone the bruises on his back in case they made a fuss and woke Bella, he stripped off his night shirt and pulled another from the bed.

He jumped about a foot in the air. His foster brother, Emmett stood behind him, his face centimetres from his own. Despite the dark light Edward could see the angry expression on Emmett's face clearly.

His heart sank, "Don't wake Sapphy?" He pleaded, readying himself for Emmett's angry charade against James' cruelty to him the day before.

In answer Emmett took the shirt from Edward's hand, threw it against the bed and pulled him bare-chested out into the night air on deck.

"Look what that B****** of a man did to you!"

Edward craned his head around, but his back protested so he couldn't see the damage.

"I'm sure it looks worse than it feels or I'm going to tear that freaking James from..."

"Well, well, well."

Guess what? James was up on deck. Edward swallowed back bile and turned desperately to Emmett, his heart going out to him for the next words he knew he would her;

"20 whips, deck punishment."

5 hours later: the crew are all out on deck

Emmett moaned as the whip hit his back full force. Bella winced and hid her face in Edward's shirt. This was unfair. Though the circumstances were painful and unjustified, they gave Bella a good chance to see and smile at the poor slave girl that James kept in his cabin.

She was skinny and pale, her skin almost white with lack of sun. Indeed, Bella had never seen her above the deck before now, and it had been several months since she'd first been loaded on ship by James. The girl wore a white dress that clung to her, revealing her ribs.

Despite the obvious lack of concern for her physical state, James held her close and leered at her cruelly. The girl's eyes were squeezed close, she seemed to be in agony, watching someone else suffer.

She must be nice, Bella thought, to care about someone that badly. Especially someone she's never really met.

Edward pulled her close, his own hand shaking as he witnessed his friend's pain. Bella watched as the girl flicked her own eyes open and sighed with relief that the punishment on Emmett was finished.

Edward rushed over, and , along with Jasper, supported his friend into the deck's hatch. Before Emmett was marched under the deck by the two men, his head swivelled round and surveyed the ship. His eyes rested on the slave girl and Bella remembered how he had welcomed her.

She beamed, even though James was against them all, she knew she was with some of the nicest people in the world.

Bella gazed curiously after the slave girl. She wanted to help her to. When the slave looked curiously around the ship, her eyes glittered with suppressed intelligence and curiosity. Bella knew how she felt, and she really wanted to help.

Maybe they could be friends?

I know I have not put a chapter up in ages! but my friend hasn't given me any chapters in yonks! But I have sat down with her and made her write up another chapter and she has given me another so hopefully she will be done with that sometime soon. :D keep the reviews coming guys!