DISCLAIMER: I do not own DC or any of the cast or crew. This is purely fictional. :)

CHAPTER THREE

Camilla went home and her father and grandfather were watching football and drinking a beer.

"Hi Cami." Her father said getting up. "Wow, you look just like your mother."

Her father hugged her. She didn't look like her father except for her father's blue eyes and blonde hair. She got her curves and her shortness from her mother. Her father was 6'2, athletic with short blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Her mother was petite, dark brown hair, brown eyes and beautiful.

"Thanks daddy." She told him sitting down beside him on the couch.

"How did the job hunting go?" Her grandfather asked handing her a beer.

"Shitty." She sighed opening the beer. "I've got a degree in Nursing but it doesn't look like I'll be putting it to use here."

"Something will come up, sweetie." Her dad said confident. "You will just have to wait."

"Patience is something I don't have."

"That you get from your mother." Her dad chuckled. "How is she by the way?"

"She's good, I guess." Camilla shrugged. "Ever since she married Greg, she's been doing her own thing."

"What about you?" My dad asked. "Any special guy back home?"

"Absolutely not." She said in disgust. "It always seems like I pick the wrong guy. I'm attracted to bad boys, which doesn't work out."

She was not about to tell her dad and grandpa that the last boyfriend she had beat her up so bad that she spent 3 days in the hospital. Camilla thought that Kyle was the one person she could trust. The first 6 months, were like a fairytale. He treated her like a princess, opened doors for her, told her she was smart and beautiful. After 6 months however, turned out to be a living hell. He started abusing her mentally and physically. He started calling her a worthless, stupid, and a bitch. Her made fun of her in front of his friends, started staying out late and wouldn't let her hang out with any of her friends.

"What was his name?" Gramps asked.

"Kyle."

"You wanna talk about it?" Her father asked.

Camilla hung her head and shook her head.

"Ok, maybe some other time." Her father said putting his hand on her shoulder.

Jake's POV

The season was supposed to start in about a week and the CM had a lot to get done before she was up and running again. Jake was writing a list of everything that needed to be done on a dry erase board. He just couldn't get Camilla out of his mind.

"Thinking about a certain blonde?"

Jake snapped back to reality and he turned to see Ryan and Josh smiling like idiots.

"No." Jake said turning on his heel back to the dry erase board.

"Dude, you're fucking lying." Ryan chuckled. "You've been all over the place since she got off the boat."

"Jake's in love."

"Whatever." Jake said rolling his eyes. "You guys are fucking idiots."

Jake left the room leaving his brother and friend laughing their heads off.

"I am not in love." Jake mumbled to himself. "I don't even know this girl. How can I be in love with someone I don't even know."

He went into his stateroom he shares with his brother and started unpacking his stuff.

"I can't get involved with someone right now." Jake said continuing to talk to himself. "I don't have my shit together and I certainly don't need to bring someone into my life with now with all the things going on."

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Josh asked eyebrows raised, coming into the room.

"Myself." Jake said putting his clothes into the cupboards.

"Dude, she'll be at the bar tonight." Josh said putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

Jake sighed putting his head in his hands.

Camilla's POV

"What am I going to wear?" She said rummaging through her closet.

"Woah, kiddo." Her father said coming into the room dodging a heel. "Where's the fire?"

"I'm sorry daddy." She giggled turning a bright shade of pink.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go have drinks tonight with some friends." She told him. "And I can't find any damn thing to wear."

"You've been here less than 2 days and already made some friends." Her father said. "Who are these 'friends'?"

"Josh and Jake Harris."

"The Harris boys." My dad said with a nod.

"Why did you say it like that?" She giggled.

"They're nice boys." Her dad said sitting down on the bed. "But they're fisherman."

"What does that mean?"

"They work hard and play harder."

"Ok, well that tells me a lot."

We giggled.

"Ok." He said getting up and kissing his daughter on the top of the head. "Go have fun but tomorrow I show you around."

"Ok."

She decided on a pair of light colored jeans, black knee high boots over her jeans, and a gray off shouldered sweater. She applied her makeup and straightened her hair and pulled it up into a high ponytail. She slipped on her jacket and walked into the livingroom where the men of her life were watching sports.

"Ok, I'm going to have a few drinks at the bar…I'll be back later."

"Be careful."

"I will."

She got into the truck and headed down the hill to the bar downtown. She parked a couple feet away from the front door and went inside. The bar was already booming with fishermen and locals. She beelined it straight to the table where Freddie, Steve, Ryan, Jake and Josh were sitting and laughing.

"Camilla!" They yelled.

"Hi, guys." She smiled.

"Sit down." Jake told her getting out of his chair.

She took off her jacket and the guys whistled. She blushed and sat down in Jake's chair next to Josh. Josh smiled, kissed the side of her head and slipped his arm around her should. He pulled up another chair and sat down on the other side of Camilla.

"How are you liking Dutch so far?" Freddie asked.

"It's ok so far." She said with a huge smile.

"Freddie is the only one that lives here full time." Josh spoke up. "Ryan grew up here."

"What's fun to get into around here?" She said turning to Ryan.

"Depends." Ryan said with a smile.

Jake looked at the beautiful petite and his friend and jealousy started rising from the pit of his stomach. He was beginning to get pissed off.

"Well so far, it looks like the only fun thing around here is you guys." She smiled at each of the guys and started at Jake a little longer than the rest. "What happens when you guys leave for the season? What the hell am I supposed to do then?"

Suddenly a group of guys made their way to the table.

"Well who's this beautiful blonde beauty?" A older handsome man with dark hair asked.

"This is Camilla Sims." Jake introduced. "Camilla, this is Captain Johnathan, Captain Andy, and John's son, Scotty Hillstrand of the Time Bandit."

"The Harris brothers were right." Scotty said taking my hand in his and kissing the palm of my hand. "You are beautiful."

"Thanks." I blushed.

They pulled up chairs and we all ordered another round of beers and shots. Freddie, Steve, and Ryan went to mingle with the rest of the fishermen.

"Josh said you're a southern." Andy said looking at me. "Where are you from?"

"Alabama." Camilla smiled proudly.

They guys nodded and asked her questions about Alabama and her small town. Jake was growing impatient with his fishermen friends. He wanted to be alone with the blonde. Not only were the Time Bandit crew and his brother there but now were joined by the crew of the Northwestern, Jake Anderson, Sig, Norm, and Edgar Hansen. Finally after about an hour, the men decided to go their separate ways.

"Well I'm gonna go bullshit with Jake Anderson." Josh said getting up. "I'll catch up with you later, Cami."

"I have a nickname now?" She asked Josh with a smile.

"Yeah, thank to Jake here."

She turned to Jake and he blushed alittle embarrassed.

"Everyone has to have a nickname." Was all Jake could manage.

"Josh." Camilla smiled turned to the older Harris. "Thanks for the round."

"Anytime." He smiled kissing her head.

Before he left, he gave a nod towards his little brother before walking over to his friends.

Josh knew Jake had a thing for Camilla no matter what Jake said. He was surprised at how Jake was acting around the girl. Sure, Jake could get any girl he wanted, hell the ladies loved Jake but this time I think it was a little different. Josh witnessed on numerous occasions where Jake would bring home a girl he just met, have sex with her and go on with his life not thinking of the girl every again.

There was something about Camilla that made Jake do the complete opposite. Instead of Jake asking her if she wanted to get outta here, he found himself wanting to just talk and get to know the girl.

"So, Jake…" Camilla said sitting her beer back on the table. "Tell me more about you. I've heard enough of talking about myself."

"What do you wanna know?" Jake asked after drinking the last of his warm beer and sitting the empty bottle of the table.

"I don't know." The blonde shrugged. "What do you do besides fish for crab?"

"Well when I'm not fishing up here, I'm usually fishing halibut and salmon on another boat during the summer." He shrugged lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. "Other than that, I hang out with friends, drink, and have a good time."

"What does your girlfriend think about you fishing all the time?"

His head snapped up to look at her when she said 'girlfriend'.

"I don't, I don't have a girlfriend." He said fumbling with his words. "I'm single."

She nodded and giggled as he fumbled over his words.

"What does your boyfriend back home think about you hanging out with a bunch of rowdy and obnoxious fisherman at a bar?"

"I don't have one." She smiled proudly. "Even if I did, he couldn't say shit. Nobody tells Camilla Sims want to do, not anymore anyways."

Her voice got low after the second part and even though it was very loud in the bar, Jake caught it. She didn't say it with sadness, it was more of hate and happiness mixed. Jake raised an eyebrow but chose not to question it, not yet anyways.

"So, how old are you?" Camilla asked changing the subject lighting a cigarette.

"24, I'll be 25 in a couple of weeks."

"Oh yeah?" She said blowing the smoke away from the table. "Well happy early birthday. We'll have to do something when you get back in town."

Jake smiled shyly, he loved the sound of that. What better way to spend his birthday than with her.

"How old are you?"

"23, my birthday's in May."

Jake found himself wanting to know more and more about this girl. Something he never did. Usually he could've cared less what girls had to say. He usually tuned them out anyways, but not her. She had his full attention and Jake hung on to her every word.

"It's kinda loud in here." Jake said. "Do you wanna get outta here?"

Camilla thought about it for a minute. Did he really ask her to leave with him?

Jake seen the look on her face and the silence. He put his hands up defensively.

"No, not like that." He reassured her. "I mean to talk is all. You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"Yeah, ok." She smiled. "Let's get outta here."

He smiled and got up and slipped on his jacket and she did the same. Jake paid for the drinks and he guided her out.

"This fresh air." She said taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "I've never experienced anything like it."

"I know." Jake said nodding. "It'll sure get your heart pumping."

"So, where would you like to go?" She asked turning to look at him.

"I know a place." He said. "I'll show you how to get there."

"Uh huh." She said shaking her head and pulling the keys out of her purse and holding them out. "I can't drive for shit when someone's giving me directions…you drive."

"Ok." He chuckled taking the keys.

He unlocked the passenger door and opened it for her. She smiled and got in closing the door.

She watched him as he walked over to the driver's side. She knew Jake Harris wasn't usually the nice gentlemen he was portraying but none the less she liked it. He got in and quickly started the truck up.

"It's colder than usual out tonight." He said rubbing his hands together before putting the truck in gear. "How cold does it get back in Alabama?"

"Usually 50 degrees, maybe lower."

"Well it's 37, right now." He said. "Are you cold?"

"A little."

He turned on the heater and they drove. We pulled up by a mountain of rusty steel that once was a boat. Jake turned off the truck and got out. Camilla could see his shadow because of the moon as he walked around to her side.

"Come on." He said offering his hand.

"Jake, we can't see anything." She said taking his hand and getting out.

"Hold on, I've got a flashlight."

He turned on the flashlight and Camilla held his hand as he guided them through the old barge. Jake gathered pieces of wood debris and put it in the burn bell. He lit the wood and they stood around it enjoying the fire.

"Do you always bring girls up here to talk?" She asked looking across at him.

"No, never."

She could tell he was telling the truth and was happy to know she was the only one he's ever brought up here.

"My dad and the rest of the captains came up here last year before the beginning of the season." He said his voice low and cracked.

Camilla knew instantly there was pain and sadness in his voice as he mentioned his dad. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you miss him." Camilla said. "I bet his was a wonderful guy."

"He was." Jake said.

"Hey, we don't have to talk about him right now if you don't want to." Camilla told him. "I know what it feels like to lose someone so close to your heart. I lost both my maternal grandparents who practically raised me."

"I miss him, Camilla."

"I know." She said pulling him into a huge. "You'll always miss him, Jake. It's natural. Just look at it this way, he's looking down at you and smiling."

"Yeah, maybe." Jake said pulling away from Camilla. "It's been almost 8 months and it seems so fucking long ago."

She was silent waiting on him to say more. She was surprised at how much Jake Harris was sharing with her. He just met her and felt comfortable enough to share some of his feelings with her. It made Camilla feel that Jake considered her a friend and someone he could trust.

"Josh had dealt with this so fucking well that it amazes me. He's been so tough and has stepped up." Jake sighed. "Me, I handled it as well as I could. I mean right away, I went through a really dark time. I had a big hole in my heart and tried to fill it with things that weren't good for me at all."

"Things always have to get bad before they get better."

"Yep." He said. "So, what about your grandparents? How did you deal with it?"

He lit a cigarette and handed it to her. She smiled and took a drag and he lit himself one.

"Losing my grandmother was very hard for me. I'd never lost someone I was so close to. She was my best friend." Camilla said tearing up. "I couldn't except it, I was waiting for months to see her walk through the door or call. I waited to see her smile or hear her laugh. Then my grandfather died 2 years after, losing my grandmother was hard for him. I could tell he got into a bad depression because my grandmother was the only woman he had ever loved. When she died, we became extremely close. Done everything together, he became my best friend and when he got sick with cancer, I was there. I took care of him, I did everything."

We talked a little more about our situations until the fire burned out and it was after 2.

"Well I should really be getting back to the boat." He said. "The guys probably wonder where the hell we ran off to."

Camilla smiled and followed close behind him as they made their way back to the truck. Jake pulled up at the dock where the CM was. They got out and walked to the front of the boat.

"Thanks for letting me, uh…vent." Jake said alittle embarrassed. "I don't really talk about it a lot."

"It did us both some good, right?" She said with a nod.

He nodded with a grin.

"I've got to be getting home." She said. "My dad will have the whole police force looking around town for me if I don't."

"Yeah, we don't need a search team out looking for ya."

Jake wrapped her in his arms for a long hug.

Camilla felt so right in his arms. Jake never wanted to let her go but knew he had to. He sighed and pulled away to look at her. His hazel eyes burning into her crystal blue ones. Jake seen something in her eyes that moment, that told him what to do next. He leaned down and placed his lips to hers for a sweet kiss. Nothing to extreme, just a nice sweet kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her closer to him. He pulled away and looked down at her. She slowly opened her eyes to look at him, her cheeks flushed.

"I'll call you later." Jake told her more of an answer than a question.

She nodded and walked over to the truck and got inside. Jake hopped from the dock onto the deck of his boat. He watched her pull away and then went inside with a smile on his face. The boat was quiet so he figured everyone was either asleep or still at the bar. Jake grabbed a Red Bull out of the fridge before heading up to the wheelhouse.

"Good job, lover boy." Josh said from the captain's chair. "That was perfect, just like in the movies."

"Glad you approve." Jake said sarcastically sitting down in the co captain's chair. "Where is everyone?"

"Everyone's asleep." Josh said. "I couldn't sleep so I came up here."

"Thinking about pops?"

Josh raised his eyebrows. The brothers had become closer than ever since their father's passing. Since Jake got clean, Josh was just glad that he had his brother back.

"Yeah, a little bit."