Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 12 of Tortured. I want to thank those who have left reviews for this story. It truly does mean a lot to me that you guys are enjoying this story. I know that you guys are probably wondering how James is going to feel by seeing Rose again. I promise you that it'll be an interesting meet up. Without further ado Chapter 12. ENJOY!

Chapter 12

Rose came out onto the deck to see it littered with bodies, cannon smoke hanging thickly in the air, sails ripped to shreds and moans coming from the injured sailors.

Huang followed behind her keeping close to the young woman.

Rose watched as the Dutchman crew swarmed onto the ship rounding up the terrified sailors.

James came though the smoke surveying the damage that was done. He lifted his eyes seeing Rose.

"James." She said softly surprised that he was there alive and well. Her heart clenched in her chest. How was he still alive? She had hoped that he would be alive in the deepest part of her soul, but this was something that she wasn't expecting. Him alive and in the hands of Cutler Beckett the very man who wanted to marry her years ago.

"Rose!" He moved forward embracing her. "I heard you were dead!"

"And I mourned you." Rose said softly as a few tears slid down on her cheeks.

He straightened his uniform jacket as he looked at Rose. He was glad that she wasn't hurt. He was glad to see that she was fine and well. "Your father will be overjoyed to know you are well."

Rose froze gripping her hands at her sides as she looked up at him. "My father is dead."

"No, he's not. He returned to England."

Rose let out a scoff as she tried to not cry. "Lord Beckett told you that?"

"Yes."

Davy Jones stepped past them looking at the line of sailors. "Who among you do you name as Captain?"

Huang quickly pointed at Rose. "Captain! Her!"

James looked at Rose surprised to know that his fiancee was the captain of a pirate ship.

Rose squared her shoulders knowing that it was something that she was going to have to fess up to since Sao Feng ordered her the captain. She wasn't about to let down her crew.

"Tow the ship. Take the sailors to the brig." James said softly.

"You heard the Admiral!"

"The Captain may have my quarters." James said looking at his finacee wanting her close to him.

Rose took a shaky breath seeing the look that James had in his eyes. But she couldn't believe that he was Admiral. He had sold them out and every pirate that was on the sea. Which meant that he had also sold her out. She squared her shoulders as she steeled her nerves. "No thank you, sir. I prefer to remain with my crew." She said moving to follow her crew.

"Rose, I swear - I did not know."

Rose looked at him with tired eyes. "Know what? Which side you chose? Now you do." Rose said before following her crew towards the brig. Her heart ached in her chest. She couldn't believe that James had done such a thing when he didn't even have to.

PIRATES

James stood in his room pursing his lips together in worry. So much had changed in such a short amount of time. Rose had grown into a different woman that he never thought that he would see. She was stronger than he remembered. It was like somehow he had missed the whole thing. Perhaps he did miss the whole thing. She had become a pirate captain which made his heart ache wondering how that even happened.

What hurt him the most was that she was willing to be with her crew in the cellars of the ship in the brig and not with him in his chambers. His hand went to his chest gripping the uniform he wore tightly in his hand. How was he to make things right?

He moved across the room rubbing his mouth in thought of trying to make it up to his fiancee who was in the brig with her crew. He knew that he really hadn't much of a choice in the matter when he took the position. He wanted her proud of him, but he somehow messed that up. Perhaps he wasn't the right man for her to marry. His heart clenched painfully in his chest thinking that he wasn't the right man for Rose to marry.

"Come on think." He said softly to himself as he looked out the window to the darkened sea and horizon. "She loves you… you love her…" He paced back and forth trying to come up with something to make things right with Rose. He rubbed his mouth as he continued to think. Since he took this position it was hard on him. Guarding the chest of Davy Jones wasn't easy. And having Cutler Beckett in control of the seas wasn't much better.

His heart stilled in his chest for a moment. He was a fool, an honest good man, but a fool none the less. He remembered the conversation with Rose which seemed so long ago now in the back of his mind.

"You love me don't you Rose, no matter what?" James asked softly as he stood there waiting to board the ship that he would be going after Sparrow in.

Rose reached up and touched his cheek softly stroking it softly. "No matter what comes. I will love you. I loved you before you became this fine man and it wouldn't matter if you were this fine man now or even then. I love you for who you are. I love you no matter what."

James took a breath holding her hand to his cheek. He carefully brought her hand to his lips kissing it softly. "You'd love me no matter what?"

"Exactly as I said." She said softly looking up at him. "I'd love you even if you were a pirate." She mused softly chuckling.

James wrinkled his nose. "And I'm going after a pirate."

"I know." She mused softly looking up at him.

James squared his shoulders knowing what he needed to do. He needed to talk to her.

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This is the end of Chapter 12. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I gave a little bit of a deep dive into James's side of the story. Which I thought needed to be done. Hope that you guys enjoyed this part of the story. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Reviews help me keep going when it comes to writing. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Until next time.