Damn those crazy shoppers on Black Friday. I've been working all week, but still managed to write something. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the reviews.

Carmen sighed heavily as she waited for James in his office. They sent for her, but luckily it was after Jack had left. She tried to convince Elizabeth to start a new life and to leave Katherine and Jack in peace, but she refused and lift like a mad woman went to God knows where. She looked up to see James, glaring at her.

"Don't give me that look. I came, didn't I," she huffed.

"I asked Katie if she'd be my wife," he simply said, ignoring her last statement.

Carmen crossed her arms. "What does that have to do with me?"

"She still had the nerve to say she'll think about," he spat.

Carmen rolled her eyes. "What do you expect? The man she loved just died."

"That's exactly it!" yelled James. "Her hesitation is suspicious."

"You're saying..."

James slammed his hand onto the table. "I'm saying that that bastard is still alive!" he barked. "He and my whore wife are alive!"

"Shut up!" hissed Carmen. "Do you want your men to think you've gone mad?"

"I think I may have already," he muttered to himself, rubbing his palm against his face.

Carmen sighed. "It's true, though. They're alive. I'm sure you would have figured it out eventually, but they didn't leave together. Jack was shot during his escape and she decided to follow him, I assume."

James' face darkened. "I'll kill her," he growled.

"Calm down, Commodore," she said, sighing. "You can't do that."

"Why not?"

Carmen looked down, biting her lip. "She's expecting... your child."

James went cold. "What?"

"You're going to be a father," she explained.

He eyed her. "Are you sure? It isn't a trick to bring me back to her?"

"No, and I would know," she said, grinning.

"Damn her," he snarled. "Damn her to hell!" He yelled and threw his things all off his desk in fury.

"Think of the child, Commodore. It's purely innocent," said Carmen, trying to bring him back to reason.

"And Katie? Did she leave with Sparrow?" asked James. Carmen shook her head. "Does she know about the baby?"

"I'm pretty sure she already knows."

James glared at her. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have had the chance to kill him."

"Exactly. You're not thinking rationally, James. Just let them be together. They love each other, can't you see? Try to make amends with your wife for the sake of the child she bares."

James snarled and yanked Carmen by the hair, making her help. "Don't say those stupidities to me ever again," he warned.

Carmen hissed in pain. She rose her hand up and slapped James in the face. He let go of her hair and covered the side of his face. He was stunned that she had the nerve to hit him. Carmen pushed her hair back also shocked at what she had done.

Before any of them could think, James grabbed her face and smashed his lips against hers. Carmen struggled against him, but the kiss grew into a rough passion. They breathed through their noses, out of breath, as James pushed her back against his desk. He picked her up and sat her on his desk as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Carmen threw his hat, even his wig off as she let him touch her body. She cried out into his mouth as he rubbed against her sweetness.

Carmen pulled her lips away, trying to catch her breath. James gulped staring at Carmen's brown eyes. They couldn't believe what happened or even how, but they liked it. Even Elizabeth hadn't responded that way. Having a beautiful woman begging for his touch was good enough to get his ego flowing. However, he knew that this was just a distraction to keep his revenge at mind at all times.

His grip was released from her waist. "I think you should leave, Miss Birch," he whispered.

Carmen only nodded. She quickly got off his desk and dashed towards the door. Their lips still burned, their hearts still thumped, but was this so wrong?

Katherine marched into James' home in need to speak with him. "Ma'am," said the maid, "I don't think it's wise to go into his study now." However, Katherine didn't listen to her. She opened the door and found James with a drink in his hand.

"James, I must speak with you. It's urgent," she said out of breath. James nodded and silently signaled the maid to leave them alone. "Jack and Lizzie aren't dead."

James sighed. "I know that." Katherine's eyes looked like they were ready to pop. "I found out this morning. Why didn't you tell me sooner if you knew all this time?"

"I-I found out this morning when Lizzie returned home," she lied. "I-I still haven't seen Jack. James, Lizzie is pregnant. It's your child."

He laughed. "Do I really look that stupid?"

Katherine could tell that he had a lot to drink already. "I never thought of you that way. I was lied to, too."

"How did everything happen, then?" he asked, sarcastically.

Katherine gulped. "After Jack left the prison, he was gravely injured. He was unconscious for a couple of days. Jack never wanted to leave with Lizzie. He wanted to escape, yes, but with me. He loves me, not Lizzie."

James glared at her. "I don't believe you," he growled.

"Don't you at least have a small ounce of doubt that the child she's expecting is yours? Didn't the two of you sleep with each other right before she went to Jack's ship?"

James said nothing and just stared at her with no emotion. "Katie, please, leave me alone... for now."

Katherine sighed as she walked in Lizzie's room. There was a sudden charge against Jack, saying that he killed the head guard the night of the escape. She couldn't believe that, though, and even if it was so, Jack would only kill if it was his last resort.

"Lizzie, who killed the head guard of the prison the night Jack and his crew escaped?"

"Jack, of course," whispered Elizabeth.

Katherine shook her head. "I don't believe you. You're just saying that."

Lizzie looked up at her sister. "I was there. I saw it with my very eyes."

"Jack would never do something like that," defended Katherine.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't care if you believe me or not, but that is what I will say."

"How can you be so cruel?"

"You ruined my life," said a tearful Elizabeth.

Katherine glared at her. "You ruined it yourself."

"Damn the day you got out of that convent," she hissed. "Damn the day you met Jack and damn the day you were born, Katie."

Katherine shook her head in disappointment. "You frighten me, Lizzie."

Elizabeth gave her a small smirk. "Good. I'm happy that I do because while I live, you will never be happy."

"Don't say that, Lizzie," whispered Katherine. "Don't make me want your death."

Katherine put the dress she had today away as she got ready for bed. It had been a long day. She got into a fight with her father because for some reason everyone thought that the only way to save their family's reputation, including James', and to push James to accept Elizabeth's child is his, was to accuse Jack and his crew so that they could go to jail and be hung. Katherine refused to sink that low, knowing that she was going to condemn the lives of good people. Elizabeth, in her mind, deserved everything that was coming to her, but her father didn't see it that way.

It had been a long day and all she wanted to so is sleep and relax. She heard the door of her balcony open. She turned around and saw Jack coming in.

"Jack," she said, stunned.

He sighed. "Katie."

She cupped his face when he stood in front of her. "I can't believe it," she whispered. She laughed softly in relief. She took off his hat and hugged him deeply.

"I told you that I would come back," he said before covering her mouth with his. Katherine returned the kiss with all her love poured into it.

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