A/N: TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SUICIDE

"Jasmine, your salmon was divine. You're a master chef," Dimitri said as Jasmine cleared the table.

"Well, thank you. I don't get to cook often living alone in such."

Flynn took another sip of his wine and inwardly groaned. As Jasmine carried the dirty plates back to the kitchen, Flynn noticed Dimitri eyeing her backside. He wanted to puke. He and Dimitri had their fair share of fun out clubbing and gawking at women but this woman was different.

"Jasmine's not still fooling around with Clopin is she?" Dimitri asked while Jasmine was away.

Flynn cleared his throat.

"Not to my knowledge. No. But I think she's pretty focused on her career right now."

Dimitri laughed.

"That never stopped me before. I am all for independent women."

Flynn gave a fake smile but really he wanted to choke.

This had been most of his night.

Flynn barely got a word in when it came to polite dinner conversation. Dimitri openly flirted with Jasmine as he asked her about her designs and what kind of space she was looking for. And Jasmine was seemingly eating it up. She blushed at every compliment, smiled at every response. It was like Flynn had set up his own personal night mare – watching Jasmine on a first date. He was beginning to feel like a third wheel.

Jasmine returned with a fresh bottle of wine and a binder.

"More wine anyone?"

"Please," Dimitri responded holding up his glass.

She topped him off.

"Flynn? What about you?"

"Hit me," he said, trying to act as normal as humanly possible given the situation.

She filled up his glass and sat down with a determined look on her face.

"Now, Dimitri, I'm sure Flynn has told you I have secured a warehouse for making my clothes and now I'm ready to buy the space."

Dimitri nodded.

"So I was thinking a small boutique. My father has lent me enough capital to get me started."

"Perfect. I believe there are a few spots open in town."

"Oh, really? What locations?"

Flynn noticed how lit up Jasmine's face was at the mention of finally securing a storefront for her dream. Flynn drowned out Dimitri's voice as he described the various spots in town that were open for lease. He was focused on Jasmine's face. Her chocolate eyes keen with interest. Her mocha complexion glowing. He could tell her mind was painting a picture of the perfect place for her to start her dream. He smiled. He had never been more attracted to her than he was at this moment.

"So I these places are available for a look see?" Jasmine asked with excitement in her voice.

"Absolutely. I can show a spot at the Waterhole as early as tomorrow if you want."

"Really? The Waterhole?"

"Yes. Unfortunately Cruella had to unload it to pay for her legal fees with her recent scandal."

Jasmine looked to Flynn for the first time that night, smiling. The admiration on her face he wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Of course his phone had to ring right then, interrupting a silent moment between the two of them.

He took out his phone and saw it was Hercules. He furrowed his brow. Hercules never called him.

"Is it important?" Jasmine asked noticing the worried look on Flynn's face.

"It's Hercules. One sec, guys."

Flynn excused himself from the table and walked to the kitchen.

"Hey, Herc, what's up?"

"Flynn! Are you busy? I need you to come to my house right away."

Hercules sounded out of breath and panicked.

"What happened? Is Meg okay?"

"I don't know. She's hysterical. She's not making any sense. She says she saw her father at the party."

The distant memory of his sixteenth summer flashed through his mind remembering the last time Meg saw her father. He knew what he had to do.

"What? Okay. Are you home now? I'll call Esmeralda and have her meet me there. Don't leave her alone."

"Never. I'm not leaving her. Please hurry, I don't know what to do."

"I'm on my way."

Flynn hung up with Herc and headed back to the dining room to give his goodbyes.

"Sorry, Jaz but Hercules says Meg isn't doing well. I gotta go."

Jasmine got up from the table.

"Oh no. Did something happen?"

"I don't know. I need to call Esmeralda. I'll call you later, okay."

He gave her a long hug, taking in the scent of the lavender coconut in her hair before he rushed out, dialing Esmeralda.

Esmeralda was just finishing up her third vodka cranberry when she and Phillip parted ways. Belle Maurice had dropped in with her cousin Jane and Phillip decided to stay. Esmeralda knew the way she was feeling it was best she went home. Seeing Jack had her all confused. Staying for more drinks was how she would've handled it in the past but she was trying to change. Her dreams had her just as confused.

She walked out of Pridelands thinking about Jack whisking her away to his ship to make love to her and only her, knowing deep down it would never happen. He would do to her what he did to Angelica and countless other women in Fantasia. She couldn't let herself go down that road. She never got romantic fantasies about other men she'd been involved with. Why was Jack Sparrow always on her mind?

"Ah, there you are. I've been waiting for you, luv," a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts as she turned around to see Jack sitting at one of Pridelands' patio tables by himself in the shadows, finishing off a bottle of rum.

"What did I tell you about stalking me, Jack? Do I have to call Norrington?"

He got up from the table and wobbled his way toward her. He was clearly drunk.

"I don't think you want to be doing that, luv," he muttered, his face inches away from hers.

She knew she should turn around and walk away. She knew that staying in this conversation wouldn't turn into anything good. But she caught a whiff of his musky sea salt scent and she'd had enough vodka to cut off normal inhibitions.

"And what do you know about what I want to be doing?"

He didn't respond immediately. He just stared into her eyes, searching for something, words, maybe.

"Do you have an answer? Or should I just go home," she said making a motion to leave.

He grabbed her arm.

Just the touch of his rough callused hand wrapped around her wrist sent a sensation through her body that she could not put to words.

"Don't leave this time, Esme."

Whether it was voluntary or not, Esmeralda would never know but somehow her body had found its way to be against Sparrow's. Her face was millimeters away from his. His hand gripping her wrist. His brown eyes locked with hers. Anticipation was building. There was no turning back now. She was caught.

"What do you want, Jack?" she whispered, barely audibly.

He smiled. That familiar, mischievous smile.

"I think you know, luv," he softly whispered against her skin as he nuzzled her neck with his mustache.

She closed her eyes as his scruff grazed her cheek, knowing his lips were about to meet hers. His lips hovered in front of hers, waiting for an invitation. The dam of her willpower broke free and she pressed her lips against his, softly at first and then an animal instinct took over and she couldn't get enough. Ravenously, she kissed him, pushing her body into his. His arms pulled her close as hers wrapped around his neck. His lips were a tonic she needed to taste.

She felt his hands on her backside as he pushed her pelvis into his.

"Esme," he whispered against her lips.

She moaned.

He was the only person she knew who called her Esme.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Her phone vibrated from inside her jeans pocket.

She broke the kiss, thinking to answer it but locked eyes with Jack. He silently begged her to ignore her phone and pouted his lips for her. She smiled and wrapped her arms tighter around Jack's neck as she continued to kiss him.

He pulled his lips away and she thought she would die of dehydration.

"A thought just occurred to me, you know. My flat is just footsteps away. Care to stay with ol' Jack tonight?" he asked, bringing his fingers to play with a perfect curl framing her face.

Just as she was about to say, 'Take me there,' her phone buzzed again. This time she knew she'd better see who it was.

"Hold that thought," she said taking her phone out of her pocket. As she went to answer it, his lips descended on her shoulder, along her neckline.

"Flynn, what's up? Everything okay?"

"No. Where the hell are you? I've been calling you. Get to Hercules' townhouse as fast as you can," Flynn said, out of breath.

"Why? What happened?"

"Just come okay? Meg's having an episode. It's bad, Es. She needs us."

She gasped. Her heart stopped, fearing the worst.

"Okay. I'm on my way."

She hung up and looked at Jack.

Her eyes conveyed what she was going to say before she could utter the words.

"Can't Flynn handle this problem on his own?" he asked going in for more kisses.

She held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm afraid not. I have to leave. Meg needs me."

"What if I need you?"

She smiled and tugged at his loose fitting shirt.

She kissed him hard on the mouth making sure he had something to go home with.

"Good things come to those who wait, Jack," she whispered against his lips.

"I'll see you soon."

She left him on the sidewalk as she hurried down the street. He took the last swig of rum left in the bottle and shuffled the few steps toward his apartment. He hated to sleep alone but the memories of their passionate kisses kept him good company.

Little did he or Esmeralda know their passion did not go unnoticed by watchful eyes.

Esmeralda ran like her life depended on it to Hercules' house. She knew Flynn would be there first since Jasmine was only a few doors down from Hercules. Flynn was waiting for her outside.

"Flynn!"

"Finally, where the hell were you?"

"It doesn't matter. Have you gone in yet?"

"No. I thought we should go in together."

"Okay. That's a good idea."

She took a fist to Herc's door and pounded.

"Do you know what happened?" Esmeralda asked.

"Herc called and said she saw her father and that's all I know."

"What? Her father? How - "

Before she could finish her thought, the front door swung open.

A frantic Hercules answered.

"Thank gods, you guys are here. I don't know what to do. She won't stop crying."

Esmeralda and Flynn were ushered in as Hercules led them to his living room where Meg sat huddled on the couch, her knees to her chest in hysterical tears.

"What happened exactly?" Esmeralda asked rushing to Meg's side.

"We were having drinks with my parents and our new coach arrived and she took one look at him, dropped a wine glass and begged me to get her out of there. I took her to my father's study and she stammered out that our new coach is her father and I made excuses to my parents and got her out of there."

"Good idea," Flynn said taking a seat in a chair next to the couch Meg was on.

"Do you guys know more about this?"

Esmeralda and Flynn exchanged knowing looks.

Esmeralda rubbed Meg's back assuredly, attempting to get her to calm down enough to talk to her.

"Herc, let's you and I go get Meg some water?" Flynn said, standing up.

"I don't want to leave her."
Esmeralda spoke up.

"I won't leave her like this. Go with Flynn."

Reluctantly, Hercules walked away to the kitchen with Flynn.

Going through the motions, he took out a glass and filled it with water from the sink.

"How much has Meg told you about her father?"

Hercules shrugged.

"Just that he left when she was young and I haven't pressed her for more details. Why? What did he do to her?"

Flynn sighed.

"Look, I don't know all the details but Meg can fill you in on those when she's ready. All I know is she went to find him when we were in high school and she came back in bad shape and the next summer Esmeralda was having a party and Meg didn't show. We got worried and went to her house. Not only did we have to fight our way past Cruella but we found her in her bathroom just in time."

Hercules' eyes grew wide with worry.

"What? Do you mean she..."

"Esmeralda knows more about the actual reasons why. I just helped her get emancipated and she moved in with me not long after that."

Hercules set the glass on the table. The thought of Meg hurting herself broke his heart into a million pieces. He actually ached at the thought.

"Poor Meg. No wonder she reacted the way she did. Do you think we should call Dr. Thatch?"

"Let's wait until morning and see if she improves. She hasn't done this in a long time. Esmeralda can usually talk her out of it."

And that's just what she was doing.

While Flynn busied himself in the kitchen with Hercules, Esmeralda rubbed Meg's back, whispering calming words to her.

"It's okay, Meg. He can't hurt you. You're in a safe place. Hercules won't let anything happen to you."

"Why is he here, Es? Why?" Meg managed to get out.

"You're in his house, Meg."

"No. No. Not Hercules. I need him here. I meant my father. Why is he here? After all this time? After all these years? Why?"

"Shh. Meg it's okay. He can't hurt you. You're safe."

"I've come so far and I'm working so hard. Why?"

"Shh. Meg, it's okay. Don't let this set you back. You are safe. You are happy."

"Exactly. I knew it was too good to be true. And now I'll probably lose Hercules again."

"Meg, don't say that. Hercules loves you."

"She's right, Meg," Hercules said as he entered the room holding the glass of water.

He set it on the coffee table and knelt down in front of Meg.

He took his hands in his and kissed her fingers.

"Meg, I told you that day in the photo studio that I will protect you and support you and I meant it. I love you, Meg."

He brushed the tendrils of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her ear and placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Oh, Hercules."

He wrapped his arms around her as she continued to cry on his shoulder. He rubbed her back and reassured her everything would be okay. Just like he had watched Esmeralda, he assured her she was safe and that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

Esmeralda's heart skipped a beat knowing that her friend had finally found the partner she had longed for.