Author's Note: Okay, I wasn't in the mood to write a long, drawn-out love scene, so lets just say I gave James and Kaylee their privacy. If the inspiration strikes you, write your own version of what happened after that kiss and send it to me. I'd be interested in seeing it. Anyway, this chapter leads into DMC, and since I'm not really fooling with the movie bits, after this chapter there's going to be a big time jump, be prepared. and as always, Norry and the rest belong to that insanely rich mouse, kaylee is mine, but i'd trade her to him if i could get norry to myself for an evening...

When Kaylee woke up, she was confused for a moment. She wasn't in her own bed, and she wasn't alone. Then the memories or the night before came flooding back, and she smiled and snuggled back against James' warm chest, hugging the arm slung over her waist possessively. This was so incredibly wrong, but felt incredibly right. Both of them were still more or less dressed; nothing quite that inappropriate had happened, but if her father had still been alive, he'd have been scandalized. Hang what Da would think. She felt James stir behind her, and she rolled over to face him. He smiled a sleepy smile at her. "Hello, beautiful."

"Hello yourself." She kissed him lightly, then moved to get out of bed. James let her up, trailing his fingers through her long hair as she moved away. She picked up her crumpled dress from the floor and began to dust it off. James got up from the bed, and the sight of him clad in only his breeches made her breath catch in her chest. He walked over to her and they stood face to face, or rather, her face to his chest. Her eyes slowly made their way up from the smooth, tanned expanse of his chest, to the dainty purple-red teeth marks on his neck and shoulders, and finally to his face. He smiled at her and swept her up into his arms, nuzzling his scruffy jawline against her neck. He carried her out the door, down the hall, and into her room, where he set her on her feet and gave her a little push toward her dresser. "Now get dressed, you, and stop being such a temptation." he said as he grinned at her and closed the door.

Kaylee floated through her morning routine, just happy to be alive. She slid off her crumpled shift and put on a fresh one, chose a sky-blue dress, and fixed her hair. She was just getting ready to go downstairs when she heard the kitchen door slam. She hurried down to see what was the matter and found the kitchen empty, except for a crumpled piece of paper on the floor.

She picked it up and smoothed it as she read:

Kaylee-bird,

I'm back in Tortuga, luv, and looking for a crew and a good time. Think you might be able to show ol' Jack a good time? I'll make a stop by yer tavern tonight.

It was signed with a flourish:

Captain Jack Sparrow

Kaylee sank to the floor, distraught. Without any of her own intervention, her past had managed to drive James away. Jack's advances on her had been a major reason why her father had sold him the Wicked Wench and taken her far from him. From then till now, he'd never stopped making advances on her every time he was in Tortuga, and every time he did, she turned him down. The ship he captained now, the Black Pearl, was really the Wicked Wench, raised by Davy Jones after Jack struck a deal with him. Now that James knew of her connection with Jack, he'd never want anything to do with her again.

She barely had the heart to open the bar that night, knowing that she would be alone again, and worse, that she could expect a visit from Jack. She certainly had to fake the pleasant smile as she served her customers. Eventually, the moment she'd been dreading came. "Kaylee-bird! Come over here and give ol' Jack a kiss! I've missed yer pretty face."

Kaylee sighed and picked up a bottle of rum before she turned around; the good stuff, Jack could pay. She went to the table where he and Joshamee Gibbs sat and put the bottle down. "That's all you'll be getting from me, Jack, and you know it."

Jack grinned that maddening grin and took the bottle from her. "What, denying me the pleasure of your company? My heart's near broke in two."

Kaylee rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Scarlett or Giselle could mend it for you, because I certainly won't." With that, she turned back to the kitchen, her foul mood firmly cemented in place. She was so engrossed in her own black thoughts that she ran right into the man standing just inside the kitchen. "James?"

He stood there swaying, obviously drunk, dressed in his filthy uniform and bedraggled wig, a bottle of rum in one hand and a sardonic smile on his face. "Ah, Kaylee, come here beautiful." He snatched her close with his free arm and planted a slobbery, rum-soaked kiss on her lips. She pushed him away, wiping at her mouth. He continued in a cutting, sarcastic tone. "I see our dear friend Jack is here. Have you been showing him a good time? The same kind of good time you showed me last night, or does he get more since you've known him longer?"

Kaylee stared at him, aghast, then slapped him smartly across the face. With tears nearly spilling from her eyes, she answered in a loud, angry whisper. "How dare you!" She ran past him and out of the tavern, not caring if the whole place, James and Jack included, went to hell.

And here we are just before the barfight. Kaylee and James go their seperate ways for quite some time, so the next chapter will be set almost at the end of AWE. Please R&R!