The next morning, Jack was out of bed early and already hard at work at the small desk inside his personal quarters. The sun had just risen, and he had spared a few minutes away from the various messages on his desk to step out into the hall and watch it come up over the rest of Sorella.

Despite it being a peaceful morning, he still didn't feel too great. His mind was still reeling with the upcoming loss of the Valiant, and it soured his mood before the day had largely even begun. And that's to say nothing of getting back to several weeks' worth of messages that he had to comb through as well. Jack took another deep sigh and went back to work, writing out a short series of orders to be completed by midmorning.

Not long after seven o'clock, there was a soft knock on his door. This early in the morning, it could only have been Twitch.

"Come on in, Twitch," said Jack without looking up. "Perhaps you can distract me from all of these. I find it nearly impossible that this much happened while I was away."

Instead of hearing Twitch's more masculine voice, a softer, feminine one began to speak. "I've always been rather good at finding ways of distracting you."

Jack looked up instantly and found himself looking into Anna's brown eyes. She wore an easy smile and the lines around her eyes made it obvious she had woken up not too long ago. Yet, she was always a pretty sight. If attraction was the standard to measure their relationship, they never would have had a problem.

"Oh, good morning," said Jack. "I'm sorry, I just thought it might be Twitch at this time." "Well, if you would prefer I send him in instead?" she offered with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Jack chuckled. "Not really. Besides, I'm glad to see you."

"You are?" she asked. "I'm surprised to hear that."

"Why's that? It's been so long since we've seen each other. Of course I'm glad to see you again."

Anna shrugged. "I just know how we left things, and I wasn't sure if anything might have changed while you were gone."

"Yeah, about that," said Jack with some hesitation. "We really should talk about that while we have the chance. Have a seat."

Anna chose to move to his bed and sat herself down gently against the blanket. Taking a deep breath, he rose from his desk and came to sit right next to her. The tension in the room was awful. Jack knew what he wanted to do and what he had to do, even if the tiny voice in his head protested. Yet, the truth of the matter was that he wasn't meant to be with Anna, and he couldn't give her what she was seeking. It would be best to let her go.

"You told me the last time we spoke that I would have to choose," said Jack. "You pitched it as either you or Abigail."

Anna nodded before opening up further. "It has to be this way, Jack. I won't share you. Especially with her. Had I known in the first place that you and her had already . . . well, you know, I wouldn't have done what I did. But we can't take things back and we have to look for ways to move on. I'm ready to move on with you but not with Abigail in the picture."

Jack took a deep breath once she finished. It was now or never. "I can't give you what you're looking for, Anna."

Anna's mouth fell open. "What do you mean, Jack?"

He used his finger to point back and forth between them. "This, Anna. We can't continue this. I can't give you the relationship you're looking for."

"So, it's Abigail then?" asked Anna with a hurt expression. "You're picking her?"

Jack shook his head. "I'm not picking anyone. Abigail and I just had sex one time and that's all it was. There's a friendship there but I'm not picking her over you. I'm just telling you that this isn't what I want. We can't be together the way that you want."

"I'm so confused, Jack," said Anna while shaking her head. "I thought we had something here. I don't know why you're saying this."

"Listen, Anna, I'm not trying to hurt you. I promise you that. I just know what you want. You want to have a real relationship. You wanted to take me home to your parents and probably go official right after that, right?"

She nodded her head.

"All we really had was the sexual chemistry though," said Jack. "Don't get me wrong, that was incredible. I'll carry those memories with me the rest of my life. But I think we both let that sexual chemistry confuse us into thinking there was something more there. When we got together, that's all we really did. We didn't do much talking or getting to know each other. It just always ended up in bed."

Anna wiped a tear from her cheek. "I just thought that would be a good way to start. I'm not naive, Jack. I see the way other women look at you. I figured if I just got into your bed first, we could develop the rest of it later."

Jack gave her a small smile. "It wasn't a bad idea. I just didn't feel like we created anything beyond the sexual. That's why it's a mistake to continue this."

Anna sniffed and reached out for something to blow her nose. Jack wanted to comfort her and provide some measure of friendly affection to show her suffering wasn't just contained to her, but he worried about touching her lest she get the wrong idea. He settled for a subtle caress on the back.

"So what will you do now?" asked Anna with another sniff. "Just be single or something?"

Jack shrugged as images of two women drifted into his mind. "I have no idea to be honest with you. I'm just taking this one day at a time."

She nodded and let her head fall. When she was silent for a few minutes, Jack opened up again. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't want to hurt you."

"I guess I should have realized it earlier," said Anna. "I thought maybe if I could force you to choose, you might still pick me."

"Forcing me was never going to end well," said Jack. "Besides, a girl like you shouldn't have to force anyone to be with you. You have a lot to offer, Anna. You're beautiful, intelligent, kind, and you make one hell of a good naval officer. You're enough of a catch on your own that there will be someone after me ready to snatch you up right away."

"I feel so embarrassed," said Anna. "I don't know how things will ever be the same around us again."

Jack shook his head. "They will be. It'll go back to normal. This is just a temporary feeling. We'll get past this."

Anna shook her head more firmly. "No, I don't believe that. I don't know how you and I can have any kind of relationship moving forward, even if just professional. I don't know if I can ever look at you the same way again, Jack."

"I'm sorry, Anna," he repeated. "I don't know what else I can do."

"I'm sorry too, Jack," she said before hopping off his bed. She approached the door quickly. "You've given me a lot to think about," she said as her face assumed a neutral and emotionless expression. "I'm sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning."

"Anna, wait—" he tried but she was already gone. Jack thought about chasing after her but ultimately decided to remain put. She was hurt, truly, but it looked like she needed some space from him to process more than anything. The best thing he could do right now was let her come around on her own terms. He sighed with reluctance that it was finally over. While it hadn't been on his mind as much during the trip to recover the treasury, it still loomed like a dark cloud. He just hoped that Anna could find a way to move on from it.

He continued to work for the next hour uninterrupted until Heron came to see him around eight-thirty. The king looked to be in good spirits as he stepped into Jack's office, carrying with him a small bowl of grapes.

"Ah, morning, Jack," said Heron before pushing the bowl out to him. "Care to try a grape? We just received this fresh produce this morning!"

"I wouldn't say no to that," said Jack before popping one of them in his mouth. It was extremely tasty, and it exploded inside his mouth most pleasingly. "Those are fantastic," he said after swallowing it down.

Heron beamed. "It really makes my morning to enjoy fresh produce. Anyway, I just received some truly great news. One of our trading vessels is coming into port today. They were just recently in Apulia but once they got word that Daimanos was killed, they decided to come back."

"That is great news," said Jack, remembering where Apulia was from the map that Kat gave him. "I imagine they must have a lot of news from the outside world with them."

Heron nodded. "And hopefully some goods for our markets! Wait until you see the size of this ship, Jack. Sorellan trading vessels are legendary for their size!"

The king stayed to chat for several more minutes, at least until he finished his bowl of grapes, and told Jack to meet him down by the docks just after noon. After a meager lunch and writing enough orders to make his hand permanently sore, Jack got a breath of fresh air for the first time today once he stepped out of the barracks and headed down to the dock. It was there that he received his first sight of a Sorellan trading vessel.

To say they were huge was an understatement. Heron hadn't been exaggerating their size. Jack estimated the ship itself must have been just as long as the Destiny if not longer. It had strong, wooden sides, and judging by the colorful array of cargo on the deck, it had brought back much to be excited about on its return home.

Jack was greeted by the king as well as other members of the Sorellan base as the large vessel carefully docked on the opposite side of the Tiger. After a short amount of time, a colorful looking individual descended down to the main dock and made his way toward them, along with his own entourage. The colorful man in front walked with a quick stride and a beaming grin as he approached the king.

"By the gods, Aristides, is that you?" asked Heron with a barking laugh.

"Your Majesty!" said the colorful man, Aristides. "It's been way too long!"

The two men closed the distance between them and wrapped themselves into a long hug. "It's been so long! How have you been?" asked Heron. "That's a mightier vessel than I remember you having last time I saw you!"

Aristides grinned. "Do you like her? I won her in a trading game with a fat merchant from Kish with a bad attitude. Lucky for me, his card-playing was worse than his attitude, and here I am the proud new owner of the Swordfish!"

Heron's gaze went out to the trading ship. "She's a fine vessel! And I'm glad to have you back in Sorella. It's been a long time since we've had any commerce with the war."

"About that," said Aristides. "We received the news about your brother. My sympathies are with you, despite his obvious faults. It can't be easy to lose one of your kin, no matter how troubled he was."

Heron nodded. "Thank you, my old friend. It is better for our people that he is dead now."

"Truly," said the trader. "We have much to discuss! It's been over two years since I last saw you. Do you have the time to talk?"

"Of course! Come, let's go inside," said Heron. "Let your merchants unload their wares while you and I catch up. Are you hungry?"

"Hungrier than a Zarandan hill-runner," said Aristides with a beaming grin.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Heron and Aristides were sitting in the main barracks room while Aristides scarfed down an impromptu lunch. Most of the crowd had dissipated by the time they reached the barracks however Jack had come along with the king in hopes of an introduction.

"By the way, Aristides, I have to introduce you to someone," said Heron while putting his hand on Jack's shoulder. "This is Jack Easterbrook. He is from Java on the other side of the world. His country and ours are now allied."

"Well met, Jack Easterbrook," said Aristides with a firm grip and a welcoming smile. "Welcome to our country."

"And a welcome home to you as well," said Jack.

"Are you liking Sorella so far?"

Jack nodded. "There is much about your homeland that I like. I think the people are the first on that list."

Aristides beamed. "Aye, Sorellans are an interesting bunch. Good people, hardy folk, and most of all, good sailors."

"And you came back at a most fortunate time," said Heron. "We're eager for news from the outside world. We've been starved of it during the war."

"About that, I feel I owe you an apology, Your Majesty," said Aristides. "For staying away so long. All the news about the war and the turmoil stayed a lot of traders' hands. It's hard to set sail when you aren't sure what's waiting for you on the other side."

"No apology is necessary, Aristides," said Heron with his hands up. "But you can make it up to me by letting me know what's going on in the wider world."

Aristides puffed his cheeks. "That's a loaded answer. Sorella isn't the only land to see its share of turmoil lately. Of course, the Swabians are still on the march and it's got the Apulians up in arms. So much so that they are willing to forgo their typical isolated outlook for something a bit more . . . pragmatic."

"Are they preparing for war?" asked Heron.

"It hasn't come to that yet," said Aristides. "But they are rebuilding their army. Which for the Apulians is a big move. They've been content to stick their heads in the sand for the last five hundred years so to break that is rather unprecedented. Otherwise, the Swabians remain undeterred. I've heard rumors of what's happened on Naxos." Aristides shivered. "I wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy."

"Naxos," repeated Jack before turning to Heron. "Didn't you tell me they were recently conquered by the Swabians?"

Heron nodded. "Almost a year ago. What have you been hearing, Aristides?"

"Nothing good," said the trader. "The Nax are being used as slave labor by the Swabians. They are being extracted from their island and brought back to work for one of the handful of Swabian lords. I'm told it's rather nasty, second only to the Andalucian slave pogroms. By the way they keep bringing shiploads of Nax back to Swabia, they must be getting killed off in droves."

Heron shook his head. "And here I thought only the Andalucians were unsavory enough to do that kind of degenerate slavery. I knew the Swabians were bad but not that bad."

"There's no one to keep them in check," said Aristides. "The Picards aren't strong enough on their own, and even if the Apulians managed to rebuild their army, the Swabians would dominate both of them. And the Galician regent seems not to care for anything beyond his own lands. I fear what may happen or where they may strike next."

"As do we," said Heron while casting a worried glance to Jack. "Have you heard of a Swabian Lord Avila in your travels?"

Aristides paled quickly. "There's not many who haven't heard that name, especially in Apulia. He's one of the worst slavers of the Nax. I hear he's a bloodthirsty man with an eye on the emperor's throne."

"That's what we've heard as well," said Heron before telling the trader all about their expedition to recover the treasury as well as Avila's financing of the theft.

"So he's bold enough to thrust himself into Sorella affairs too?" asked Aristides after hearing the story. "The man must have a ton of resources at his disposal to be striking out in multiple directions at once."

"We'll need to keep an eye on him," said Heron. "What else have you heard?"

Aristides pursed his lips. "Not too much. The Samarans seem to be oblivious to anything beyond trading so nothing new there. Kish was involved in a small war against Angarsk but that's largely over. Of course, the Kishians won but it disturbed the trade routes further north for a time being."

"What can you tell us about the Picards?" asked Jack. "We're thinking about heading there next."

"Yes, what have you heard?" added Heron. "I haven't heard from King Aedan much lately at all. I wondered if his letters were getting intercepted because of the war."

Aristides leaned closer and lowered his voice. "That's one of the most curious parts of my travels lately. You see, I tried to go to Picardy before I came back to Sorella. My path was barred, and I wasn't allowed to enter the port in Daban."

Heron's brow furrowed in confusion. "That doesn't make a lot of sense. They wouldn't even allow you to go into the capital city?"

The trader shook his head. "Not at all. Something is going on in Picardy and it's not good. I'm not sure what it is but they are closed off to any outsiders right now, at least traders."

"Have you heard from anyone else?" asked Jack. "Has any other trader been there recently enough to give a hint about what might be going on there?"

"Not anyone that I talk to regularly," said Aristides. "It's almost like the Picards have decided on complete isolation. What's worse is their military is blocking all the ports to reinforce those orders. I've never had so many guns trained on my ship at one time. They were deadly serious about not unloading there."

Heron got up from his seat and started to pace. "That doesn't sound like Aedan. Not the man that I know. I wonder what could be going on up there that could have caused this?"

"I'm not sure," said Aristides. "But I would suggest anyone think twice before trying to get into Picardy right now."

*****

Jack stayed to talk with Aristides and the king for another hour while the recently returned trader went on about the local geopolitics as well as letting them know a breakdown of the goods he had on his ship. Once the man was willing to retire to help unload the ship, Jack took a break as well and headed back to his quarters to get some more work in. He was able to work for most of the afternoon, only taking one or two breaks until dinner, when he heard a knock on his door right as the sun was setting.

"Come in," he grunted as the door began to swing open. He looked up and found himself once again looking into Anna's brown eyes. "Anna, you're back."

"I am," she said proudly before coming to stand right in front of his desk. Something was off about her, and her normally relaxed posture was rigidly stiff. Her face betrayed no emotions, and Jack had to wonder just what she was up to. She didn't keep him waiting very long.

"I wanted to let you know right away that I've received approval," said Anna while looking down at him.

"Approval for what?" asked Jack.

"Approval for the transfer. Effective tomorrow morning, I'll be transferring to the head of engineering division on the Valiant."

Jack's jaw dropped. "What? Who gave approval for that?"

"My sister did," said Anna. "It's only the commanding officer of the ship that needs to ratify such a request. It also helped that the person I'm going to replace, Lt. Cory Renner, was willing to come to the Destiny in my place. It's an even exchange."

Jack was floored. He knew she was upset with him but never had he thought she'd go to such a length as to get transferred to another ship, especially on the same day. It was so mind-boggling that he found himself at a loss for words. Finally, he settled on the simplest words he could find.

"Why, Anna? Why would you do this?"

She shrugged while averting her gaze. "It's the easiest thing to do, Jack. We're not going to be together and that's fine. But I don't think you realize how hard it would be to serve under you knowing our history. I don't know about you but I think we would eventually start to resent each other and it would sour even the most professional of relationships."

"I don't think it would come to that, Anna," said Jack. "Personal feelings aside, our mission is the most important thing to me. I wouldn't jeopardize that just because we don't sleep together anymore."

"I didn't mean you, Jack," said Anna quietly. "I was talking more about me."

Jack watched as she finally met his eyes and he suddenly understood. It wasn't him that she was worried about—it was herself. In this situation, she thought it best that she be separated from him rather than to risk the loss of every facet of their relationship. And in a way, he completely understood.

"I can't say I'm happy about this, Anna," said Jack in a sullen tone. "We could have found another work around. We could have tried something different than having you transfer."

"It was the only thing that made sense," she said with a shrug. "Besides, it's not just you. This is my chance to break away from Abigail as well."

"Why Abigail?"

"Why not? Because she still thinks of me as just her little sister," said Anna with an eye roll. "Because I'll never be able to become the officer that I want to be as long as my sister thinks she needs to fight my battles for me, especially as long as she thinks she needs to keep me close to her. I know that's why I was assigned to the Destiny in the first place. I didn't like it at the time and I still don't. This is my chance to correct that as well."

"How did she take it?" asked Jack.

Anna smiled. "Not as well as you. She may need to clean up a few things in her quarters after we were through."

"It couldn't have been too bad," said Jack. "She still approved the transfer."

"I think she knows that I'm ultimately right. That my argument made sense. And it's better for everyone if I was separated from you and her."

Jack gulped audibly. "Have you told Luke yet?"

She nodded. "We had a discussion after he approved Cory's transfer. Cory is very eager to take my spot. I think you won't notice any difference once he's in my place."

"Except when I look at your station and don't see you," said Jack with a warm smile. "I'm going to miss you, Anna."

Her eyes finally locked on his and she offered him the briefest of smiles. "I'll miss you too, Jack. I think this is for the best. I signed up to fight Occitanians, and if the Valiant is leaving to go confront them, I want to be aboard."

"They'll have no finer engineering division officer than you," said Jack fondly. "You're a great officer, Anna. And I know you're one of the best."

Anna moved quickly and crossed to the other side of the table and threw herself into Jack's arms. He comforted her quietly as she began to break down, sobbing against his jacket while his fingers ran over her dark tresses.

"I'll miss you, Jack," she repeated quietly.

"I'll miss you too, Anna. Stay safe and take care of yourself."

She pulled back to look at him. "Watch over Abigail for me, okay? No matter what happens between you two now that I'm gone. Keep her safe?"

Jack nodded without knowing exactly what to say to that. "I will. I promise you that."

He held onto her for the next several minutes silently as both of them poured out their frustrations and their anxiety about their relationship. Now that it was all over, it was time to move on. And now that Anna was leaving the Destiny, and with her being one of the best engineering officers he'd seen, what would the future hold for their mission?

*****

Anna didn't stay for very long. Like her earlier visit this morning, she soon wiped her eyes and pulled away from him. She would be busy for the next couple days as she said her goodbyes to the crew on the Destiny and had her things transferred over to the Valiant, but Jack had to concede that it was for the best. Especially if she didn't think she could handle being that close to him.

In a strange way, it was cathartic to know that she was leaving. That's not to say that he wasn't fond of her presence as he clearly was. But the issues with Anna lately had been a distraction and he'd seen that clearly during the weeks in the Sorellan interior. Perhaps now all of that drama could be well and truly in the past.

It was late when Jack decided to turn out the light and get some sleep. News had gotten out of the arrival of the Sorellan trading vessel, especially as the numerous individual traders on the ship made their way out of port and toward the capital. Based on Heron's prediction, tomorrow they would soon be swamped by people from the city as they looked to purchase all the faraway wares that had so long been missing from Sorellan markets. It was for that reason that Jack decided to get to sleep early before the chaos of tomorrow descended on them.

He was nearly asleep when he heard a persistent, soft knock on his door. Jack growled and lit the bedside lamp before calling out to the new arrival.

The door opened and Abigail stuck her head in. "Can I come in?"

Jack wiped some sleep out of his eye. "I was just about asleep so I hope this is good," he said with a playful tone.

Abigail gave him a small smile and shut the door behind her. She walked over and sat on his bed before her face assumed a more worried expression. It wasn't hard to tell what was on her mind.

"I know," said Jack preemptively. "Anna, right?""

Her eyes rose to meet his and she nodded quickly. "Did I do the right thing, Jack? Approving the transfer?"

"If it's what Anna truly wanted, then who are you to stop her?"

"I'm so conflicted about it," she said before turning away slightly. "She explained everything to me by the way. All about the conversation you had this morning."

"I figured," answered Jack. "I'm sure it had to come up with the transfer."

Abigail bit her lip. "Are you upset with me?"

"Why would I be upset with you?"

"I don't know," said Abigail. "She's leaving because of me. I didn't know if you would hold it against me."

Jack started to chuckle. "She's leaving because of us. I played a big role in this too."

"I'm worried about her though," said Abigail. "This will be the first time we're truly separated and I can't keep my eye on her. Especially now that we're at war, it just makes me so nervous."

Jack put a comforting hand on her back. "Anna can take care of herself. She's a good officer, and she'll be sailing under a fine commander in Luke."

"I've just always had to watch out for her," said Abigail. "It will be so odd for me to look at her chair and not see her."

Jack smiled. "I said the same thing as well. I don't think it will truly hit us until we get to the bridge and she's not there."

To his surprise, she pushed forward and enveloped him in a hug. Jack let his arms pull her in close as his fingers entwined with her dark hair. Abigail took a deep breath against him. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"You don't have to be sorry," he whispered.

"Yes, I do. If we hadn't slept together, none of this would have happened."

Jack pulled away to look into her eyes. "Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't take that back. Even if I had the chance to go back and do things differently a second time, I still would have spent the night with you, regardless of the consequences."

A small smile filled her lips. "You're such a fool."

"Maybe." He chuckled. "But I was a fool for you."

Her hand drifted to his face and started to lightly caress his cheek. "Would you do it again?" she whispered.

"Do what again, Abigail?"

"Would you sleep with me again? Would you want to be inside me again, Jack?" she whispered.

His gaze fixed on hers. "Please don't tease me like that," he whispered.

"No teasing," she said while shaking her head. "I wouldn't do that to you right now."

"What do you want me to say to that?"

"I just want to know if you want me tonight," whispered Abigail. "Do you want me?"

The tension between them grew much deeper as those soft, nearly silent words passed through her lips. Jack found himself searching her face for answers, his gaze flickering from her dark, brown eyes down to her slightly parted lips. Her vulnerable expression and enticing eyes were all the answer that he needed. In that moment, he leaned in and closed the distance, their lips connecting for the first time in a long while.

The kiss seemed to have brought Abigail to life. Her normally reserved demeanor changed in an instant as her arms circled around the rest of his body in passion. As her body came to life, the feeling of her lips on his turned to pure electricity, and he struggled to entertain her tongue with his own. Their dueling mouths battled for several minutes while her body squirmed against his as they both fell against the rest of the bed.

In the next moment, their clothing was rapidly shed. Jack's sleeping clothes were the first to disappear, landing in a small but disorganized pile at the foot of the bed. Abigail's clothing took much more time, and her hands began to help him get every single button undone before she was able to shimmy out of her jacket. Underneath, she wore a simple, black bra that encased her tits perfectly. Jack couldn't help but stare at such a beautiful sight, especially since he thought he'd never see it again.

"Are you just going to stare or what?" asked Abigail, breaking him out of his trance. She unsnapped the bra and let them free, her pink, erect nipples already begging for attention.

He reached out to cup both of them, squeezing gently and loving the feel of her perfect handfuls in his hands. Jack caressed each of them in turn as she gasped when he finally leaned forward to take her nipple into his mouth.

"Use your mouth, Jack. Just like that," she moaned as he sucked her nipple between his lips. While he was content to attend to her breasts, Abigail quickly pushed her trousers down over her ass, exposing the last part of her that was still covered.

"I wondered if I'd ever get to see you like this again," he whispered as her nipple popped out of his mouth.

"I hope it's worth it," she said in return.

He answered by kissing her, and he delighted in the feel of her body writhing against his own, driving his cock deeper into the cleft between her legs. Abigail broke their kiss first and gently pushed him back against the bed.

"Wait," she said as she began to crawl away from his arms. "I want to do this for you."

She crawled between his legs and took hold of his cock with one hand. She eyed it carefully as if trying to decide her first move, and Jack began to groan as she slipped the tip into her mouth and started to work the head.

"Fuck, that feels good," he said in a moan as she began to take more of his cock between her velvety lips.

Abigail let him slip out of her mouth before taking a long lick along the underside of his shaft. She repeated the motion once more before slipping the tip inside her mouth. Her tongue wiggled along the slit several times before pulling it out once more. She then took a few more licks of the tip before sliding the whole thing inside her mouth and plunging down as far as she could go.

"You're so damn good at that," he said, watching her work as she coated him fully in her saliva.

"What can I say?" said Abigail as trails of spit flowed down his shaft. "I love your cock."

She demonstrated that love by deepthroating him several more times until he was completely covered. With her free hand, she began to work his shaft one more as she suctioned the tip with her mouth, a feeling that truly brought him close to orgasm. If this was going to keep going, he needed a brief respite.

"My turn," said Jack as he grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her back up this level. They kissed several times before it was his turn to begin to work his way down her body, stopping to kiss every portion of her exposed skin on his way down. From her jawline to her nipple, from her belly button to her clit, he left not a single inch without a kiss as he finally reached her slick folds.

"You have no idea how much I wanted you between my thighs again," whispered Abigail as she grabbed a fistful of his hair.

Jack was determined to tease her just as much as she'd already teased him. His lips made contact against her thighs as he brushed gentle kisses between them, ignoring her wet lips for the time being. When she started to moan loudly, he'd take one, long lick from her ass all the way up to her clit. The movement had her legs soon quivering with every swipe of his tongue, a sight that was both arousing and pleasing at the same time.

After her moans of pleasure became more frequent, he changed pace and started to slip his tongue inside her pussy. She was already completely drenched, and he slipped inside easily enough while his tongue began to pay attention to her slick walls. He soon began to swirl it around her hole, tasting her tangy juices and exploring her most intimate area. With the movements of his fingers on her clit and his tongue lapping inside her, Abigail's hips were soon bucking heavily.

"Are you going to cum for me soon?" he whispered as he applied heavy pressure against her clit. Abigail whimpered in response, her hips arching up and her breathing coming in jagged pants. Jack renewed his focus on her again, determined to watch her orgasm as his tongue brought her to the heights of pleasure.

Soon enough, Abigail started to cum. He felt her thighs clamp down against his head as her hips bucked out of control. Jack struggled to keep his mouth on her pussy, earning the sweet nectar reward of her orgasm as it drenched his lips and chin. She collapsed against the bed as the orgasm finally ended, frantically puffing to catch her breath once more.

"You can do that . . . to me . . . anytime now," she huffed, wiping some sweat from her forehead.

Jack chuckled and wiped some of her juices from his lips. "That was a quick change of heart."

She didn't need to respond. In the next instant, she gave him the come-hither signal with her finger, and he once more began to trace another path back up her body, his kisses once more crossing over every part of her flesh. As he stopped for a brief moment to gently bite her nipple, Abigail squirmed with delight.

"I've thought about this so many times," she said as he reached her mouth. "I always wanted to relive that one night with you."

"Is it living up to how you remembered it?"

She nodded quickly. "Now there's only one thing left to do."

With those words, her hand snaked between them and grabbed his cock, still thoroughly coated in her saliva and brought it to the entrance of her body. She pumped him several times as the tip nestled against her slick lips, and then kissed him passionately as their bodies prepared to join once more.

It was Jack that applied the final pressure, sending the tip piercing through her body and making Abigail coo delightfully.

"Yes, oh, Jack. Fuck me, please? Take my body and use me," she said with a moan as their flesh became one.

Soon enough, he felt her legs slip around his waist and her arms encircle his back. Finding himself looking down into her sultry, dark eyes, he was amazed he didn't cum right away. The sight of her underneath him, looking so incredibly sexy while his cock slid all the way into her was something he thought may never repeat again. To find themselves once more in this position was exciting beyond belief.

In the next moment, Abigail's hands went to his ass and pulled him in tight against her, driving his cock all the way inside. She moaned as he filled her fully and soon their lips latched together in the ultimate expression of their bodies reacting together.

"You feel so wonderful inside me," she said when their lips finally parted.

"I missed this," he answered.

"Then let's not deny ourselves again."

Their bodies started to rock together after that, their hips slapping together in a smooth and steady rhythm. Jack's hips pistoned with more force as her moans began to get louder, and soon their mouths were entangled in long, passionate kisses once more. When their kisses broke, he explored the rest of her body that he could reach, kissing her jaw, her chin, and even capturing her nipple briefly while her heels kept him in tight against her body.

"Don't stop fucking me. Please, Jack," whimpered Abigail. "You own my body. I need you so badly. Fuck me, oh fuck me harder. Never stop putting that hard cock in me. Oh, fuck, I'm so close already!"

"Cum on my cock," he whispered. "Cum for me, Abigail. Cum for me again!"

Her mouth fell open as she soon reached the edge once again, and her body began to shake as it struggled through the grip of orgasm. Jack kept up the pace, hammering her body over and over and feeling her extreme wetness against every part of his cock. Too soon, she had recovered and was looking to kick the rhythm up higher.

"I want to try something with you," said Abigail as she gestured for him to get off. Jack pulled out of her and watched as she motioned for him to lay on his back. Once he did as she instructed, she carefully crawled over his body and sat with her bottom against his cock. Arching herself up on her heels, she grabbed his cock and aimed it back at her slick hole.

"Oh, fuck, yes," she hissed as she sank herself onto it. Abigail rested her hands against his chest as her ass sunk all the way down to meet the rest of his body. She then raised herself slightly and repeated the motion, her mouth falling open as he once more openly penetrated her body.

For Jack, it was a sight he never wanted to forget. It was the best view he could hope for, having essentially the best scene play out in front of him of Abigail raising and sinking on his cock. His hands went around to grab her ass, gripping it tight until she moaned with pleasure and tossed her head back.

"Just hold me like that and fuck me hard," she moaned as she held her hips in place. Jack started to meet every downward thrust with a carefully timed upward thrust of his own and soon he was pounding her just as hard as if he was still on top of her body. She nearly collapsed against his chest once the rhythm became too hard, her mouth falling open as she was relentlessly pounded.

Soon Jack felt her tits fall against his chest as the rest of her body soon followed. She molded herself back against him as their lower bodies worked together and her lips once more fell upon his. As their tongues dueled together, Jack began to feel the familiar sensation of orgasm begin to stir deep within his loins.

It was almost as if Abigail could sense it too. "I want you to fill my pussy completely, Jack," she mewled against his lips. "Don't you dare pull out until you cum so deeply in me. I want to feel it, Jack. I want to feel you squirting inside me. I don't want to waste a single drop of your cum." Her hips started to pound against him harder. "Squirt it all in me, baby."

Jack's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Her dirty talking was quickly sending him over the edge. Abigail seemed to know exactly what she was doing as she leaned in to kiss him passionately while her hips vigorously bounced against him.

"I'm going to cum," he whispered against her lips.

"Fill me," she replied.

His hips soon went into overdrive as he pistoned as rapidly as he could. All too soon, what felt like a gallon of cum was rushing out of his body into hers, spurt after spurt of heavy seed soon spilling into Abigail's wet hole while she pushed down as far as she could go.

"Oh, Jack, fill me," she moaned as she anchored her body to his.

Jack groaned as every drop entered her and soon their bodies both collapsed from exhaustion. Abigail rested against his chest as his arms held her tightly against him. She kissed him sweetly once his orgasm was over and then pulled a blanket up around their bodies.

"That felt so good," she whispered against his chest. "I'm not sure if we should have done that but it felt so right."

"Yes, it did," said Jack. "There's just something about being intimate with you that feels so incredible. Our bodies respond together so well."

In the next moment, his softening cock slipped out of her body and soon a small dribble of cum landed against his stomach.

"Oops," said Abigail with a smile. "Let me clean that up, okay?"

She slipped down between them and grabbed his cum-coated shaft. With her dark eyes fixed on him, she began to deepthroat it once again, except this time, she sucked up all the extra fluids that still covered him. Jack groaned in response as she tasted the results of both of their orgasms, and no sooner had she licked his shaft clean then she began to lick at the small pool that had fallen against his stomach. Once that was properly cleaned, she worked her way back up against his body.

"You're one hell of a woman, do you know that?" said Jack with a small chuckle.

Abigail giggled and buried her head in the space between his head and his chest. "You just make me feel a certain way. I feel so naughty when I'm with you. I can't begin to explain it but I just want to please you and make you feel as good as you make me feel."

"This is a far cry from the Abigail I thought I knew," said Jack. "I thought you said we'd never sleep together again."

"I did say that," she whispered against his chest. "And I meant it at the time."

"What changed? Was it Anna?"

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't Anna. It would have been easier to just ignore this and to forget that night if I wasn't with you every day. I thought you might be like every other officer I've ever been with—arrogant, selfish, good in bed but not quite right in the head."

Jack laughed. "That is a good description of most of our officers."

Her finger traced the outline of his lips. "But the more I was with you, the more I began to see that you were different, Jack. It's obvious how much you care, not just about me, but the whole task force. You carry the weight of this mission on your shoulders and it shows. I think when I saw the depths you were willing to go to help the Sorellans, something inside me just clicked. It was then that I realized you were different from all the others."

"I wasn't even by your side during a good portion of the time we've been in Sorella," said Jack. "That couldn't have made it easier."

She shook her head. "You think that, but in actuality, it made things very easy. I missed you so much while you were gone. All I had was your voice on the other end of the radio but it wasn't the same. Our messages were so brief because of the distance but I missed hearing your voice in person. I missed seeing you and flirting with you on the bridge. I missed this. In a way, it made things much easier."

"So what are we going to do about this now?" asked Jack while pointing between them. "Especially with the crew? I know that worried you before."

Abigail leaned her head to one side and smiled. "You make it sound like this is a foregone conclusion. Like it's going to happen again!"

Jack scrunched his eyebrows. "Is it not? I just thought by what you said when we had sex . . ."

"Maybe that was just sex talk," she said quickly. "Maybe I didn't actually mean that."

Jack didn't respond, but his heart felt the pain of her words. Soon enough though, she started to giggle.

"I'm just teasing you, Jack! Of course, I meant what I said. Even if it did come in the middle of sex."

He smiled back at her. "That wasn't very nice," he said while he began to tickle her.

Abigail squirmed against him, laughing and coughing in an effort to get away from him. Finally, she gave up and cried out, "Stop or you're going to make me pee!"

Jack quit tickling her as she readjusted herself and laid next to him. "Listen, Jack, I don't know what the future holds for us. With the war and everything going on, I don't know what could happen even tomorrow. Perhaps that was the real reason for this happening again. We just as easily could stumble into a fight that we can't win tomorrow, and I didn't want anything to happen to me or to you without explaining to you how I really feel."

"How do you really feel, Abigail?"

She locked eyes with him. "I feel like we are supposed to be together in some way. I can't explain it, and I'm not sure what shape this will take or what it will look like in the end, but I don't want this to end. I don't want to stop sleeping with you, Jack."

He started to nod. "Things are so complicated but I do agree with you. Something just feels right about your presence."

Abigail closed her eyes and snuggled in closer to him. "We don't have to define anything tonight. Or even next week. Let's just feel our way through this and do what we feel is right. But I'm done fighting you, Jack. I'm done fighting with this."

Jack smiled and held her close. He extinguished the bedside lamp and concentrated on the warm feel of her nude body pressed against him. Something felt extremely right about holding Abigail against him but there was something else on his mind. Someone else too. His mind drifted to Kat as Abigail's breathing grew softer. Something felt right about her too. Thoughts of both women were on his mind as he fell asleep once again and drifted off into a dreamless night.

*****

The morning air was still a bit chilly as Kat and Vera made their way along the winding path that led out of the Sorellan capital city and to the main naval base a short distance away. Kat grabbed part of her gray scarf and wrapped it tighter around her neck, covering the only other part of her skin that was still exposed. Mornings could still be frigid in this part of the world, and she hoped that the sun would soon be up so she could stop shivering.

Of course, the chilly morning air didn't stop Vera from chatting away beside her. Kat was happy for her company, at least in the fact that the constant talking prevented her teeth from chattering.

"It should be just this way," said Vera pointing along the worn-out path that led along the coast. "We should be at the base soon enough."

"I hope this idea of yours works out," said Kat as she pulled the scarf tighter. "I'd hate to have come all this way for nothing." Well, not entirely nothing. She knew that Jack was at the base, and at the very least, she could look forward to seeing his face once more.

"This idea is practically foolproof," said Vera with a beaming grin. "Trading ships are perfect to secure passage to another island. My father used to talk about it all the time."

"Yeah, but what are the chances they're going to Picardy next?" asked Kat. "There's a lot of islands out there." Kat didn't want to get too excited about going and picking up the item she had in mind, especially in case their chances of getting there quickly were slim.

Vera shrugged. "I'd say our chances are pretty good. Picardy lies right in the middle of the main north-south and east-west trade routes. Just about any ship is going to go near Picardy soon enough. And you mentioned your house is on the west side, right?"

"Right, on a tiny island just off shore."

"See? It's perfect," said Vera proudly. "We'll get passage to your house, spend a few days relaxing, and then meet up with Jack once more!"

"That does sound really nice. But you make it sound so easy," said Kat with a subtle laugh. "There's a lot that could not work out."

"I guess when you traveled with traders all your life, you get to know how they think," said Vera. "Don't worry about it! Oh, that looks like it up ahead!"

Kat looked toward where Vera was pointing and saw the silhouettes of ships on the horizon, all sheltered within the confines of a small bay. Around the bay were numerous buildings of many different sizes, as well as a low-lying wall that ran the length of the perimeter. From what Kat could see, the few vessels inside the base looked enormous and about the same size as Galician warships.

"Yes, those are Jack's ships," said Vera excitedly, while pointing to the large vessel that filled out the dry dock. "I recognize them from my time at Daimanos' palace!"

"They are rather impressive," said Kat quietly as she eyed them from their distance. "They remind me of Galician battleships from this far away."

"I've only seen a Galician battleship once before," said Vera. "They don't seem to come out very often."

"Not anymore," said Kat with a shake of her head. "They are mostly tied up in their bases now. My father told me there used to be a time when Galician warships protected the entire Vector. Now, you're lucky just to see one as it rusts away at the docks."

"That's a sad thing to hear," said Vera. "At least we'll be able to see Jack's!"

The two women entered through the main gate. Even at this early in the morning, traders were abundant, and Kat counted many different nationalities filtering by and trying to sell what remained of their wares. She saw Samaran furniture-makers, Kishian spice merchants, and even two Cervanan fish traders, an extremely rare sight since they left their islands very infrequently.

The both of them weaved through the numerous traders still left at the base and made their way down to the docks where the main trading ship was anchored.

"Vera, can you answer something for me?" asked Kat. "I thought this was a military base. Why are there traders here?"

"Due to the size of Sorellan trading vessels, they can only go to a limited number of ports. The main port at the capital isn't large enough to handle one of these so they go to the next closest port. From what I hear, most of the Sorellan naval commanders don't care. Especially now, with their being so few Sorellan warships left, I'm sure they'd be thankful to just have any traffic at the base at all."

The two of them walked up to a small platform that was just near the trading ship. A man with a flamboyant mustache guarded the main plank heading up to the ship and seemed to be the man in charge.

Vera walked up to him and smiled. "Good morning. We're trying to buy passage on this ship. Would you handle that or do we need to talk to someone else?"

The man looked at both of them and awkwardly checked them out from head to toe. Kat found her expression changing to anger at the blatant attempt to look over their figures.

Before the man could respond, he yelled something over his shoulder. "Aristides! Got two more looking to board!"

The man went back to whatever he was doing before, and Kat breathed a little easier to not be under his lecherous eyes. Soon enough, another man wearing a typical Sorellan gray tunic appeared in front of them.

"Greetings, I'm Aristides," said the man. "I hear you're looking to board the ship?"

"That's correct," said Vera. "Do you still have a room available for us to take?"

He nodded quickly. "That I do. I have a singular room for the both of you. Ah, would you need one bed or two?" His eyebrow was raised expectantly.

Kat turned red for a brief moment, but Vera wasn't phased in the slightest. "Two beds, please. We're not lovers."

"Very well, I can book that for you. Where are you looking to go? And don't say Swabia. This ship doesn't go there."

Vera giggled. "Goodness, there's no way we'd go there. We're looking to go to Picardy! How long until you can take us there?"

As soon as she said the word, Aristides face darkened. "I'm sorry, but we're not going to Picardy any time soon."

Vera's smile dropped. "Why not? Picardy is a natural next destination from Sorella!"

"Normally, you'd be right," said Aristides. "Except for the fact that I just stopped at Picardy on the way here. Or tried to stop, that is."

"What happened when you tried to stop?" asked Kat.

"I couldn't get in! Something off is going on in Picardy. I don't know what it is, but I'm not going there anytime soon! I'm thinking Malta most likely. The Maltese will always pay top price for fresh, Sorellan fruit and we've picked up a small fortune here," said Aristides. "I'll go there next!"

"We really need to get passage to Picardy," said Vera.

"Well, you can wait for the next trading ship," said Aristides with a shrug. "Assuming one comes along behind me. Most traders are still hesitant to come back to Sorella."

"No, we have to make this work," said Kat with a more serious tone. "Where did you try to unload in Picardy? Daban?"

Aristides nodded. "Of course. The capital is usually the main center for commerce."

"What about if you dropped us off at a small island of the west coast?" asked Kat before digging through her belongings for her map. She unfolded it once it was located and showed the island that her current home was located on. "I need to get right here. It's nowhere near Daban and then from there, you have a straight shot around through the Samaran islands to get to Malta."

"That's a little far up the coast," said Aristides while rubbing his chin. "I wanted to turn northwest before that point and heat up the Slot between Apulia and Samara. That's the quickest way to get to the Maltese capital city."

Kat took a deep breath and dug into her bag. "And if we made it worth your while?"

Aristides pursed his lips. "How much are we talking?"

"Will five Galician crowns work?" Kat slipped the golden coins on the desk in front of Aristides.

Both the trader and Vera's eyes bulged out. "Kat! You can't spend that much on just a simple passage north! That's like a months' wages!"

"Sold, I'll do it!" said Aristides almost immediately, eyeing the gold coins eagerly.

Kat turned to look at Vera first. "We need to do this and money isn't an issue right now."

"But still, that's practically robbery as is," said Vera who then shot a dirty look to Aristides as he began to collect the coins.

"It's fine, trust me," said Kat before turning back to Aristides. "Do we have a deal?"

"We certainly do," said Aristides. "We sail out this afternoon. I hope the both of you have brought all your things with you."

"We have," answered Kat. "Can you show us to our quarters?"

"This way, my ladies," said the trader with a wide grin. "Might I say, you may want to spend some time talking to the other traders while you're onboard. If you're throwing around that much coin, I'd bet they'd be more than happy to sell you any of their wares."

About an hour later, both Kat and Vera were making their way off the boat. Aristides had done his own tour of the vessel that included stops at their quarters, the bathing facilities, as well as a side trip through the inner emporium, a large-fully contained market for when the traders couldn't go off the ship. No doubt hoping that Kat would part with some more coin, he was disappointed when she hadn't loosened her purse strings once during the entire tour.

"Well, that should do it, ladies," said Aristides in a more neutral tone. "If you're planning on getting off the ship, just listen for the horn. That'll announce when we are looking to leave port soon."

Both women nodded and gave their thanks as they headed back above deck and then followed the plank down to the main quay. They mostly walked along quietly as numerous traders began to close up shop and return to the ship. Another reason for the silence was because Vera wasn't too pleased with the price of voyage.

"I really wish you wouldn't have spent so much on us," said Vera as they approached the barracks. "Money like that should be saved for when it's really needed."

"But it was really needed," said Kat. "You're right, we do need a small break after everything that has happened. Otherwise, we would have been stuck in Sorella."

"We could have gone with Jack, Kat," said Vera. "He would have let us go for free, I'm betting."

Kat simply shook her head. What she had in mind had to go forward without Jack, at least for this phase. It was important that she reached her home to get the item, and only then could she be sure of her suspicion.

"You worry too much," said Kat with a small smile. "A few days in the sun and the surf will do you good."

Vera only smiled briefly before they entered the large double doors into the barracks. Taking a look around, she knew that Jack had been staying here from the message that the palace had received from Heron the previous day, although she didn't know where. For that reason, both women went up to the first desk they saw, right off the lobby.

"Hello, I'm trying to find Jack Easterbrook. Can you tell me what room he's in?" asked Kat politely.

"Name and ranks?" asked the man behind the desk while declining to even look up at them.

"Um, we're not in the military," said Kat. "We're just friends of his."

The man finally looked up, giving them a look of disbelief. "Friends, then? We normally don't just let friends waltz into a naval barracks."

Kat looked over to Vera who just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure he would vouch for us if he just saw us."

"The commander is a very busy man, ladies," said the man dismissively. "I'll be sure to let him know you were here, but I won't be disturbing him."

Kat started to get irritated. They would be leaving in just a few short hours, and it was paramount that she spoke with Jack before going. The last thing she wanted to do was let this sour-faced desk clerk prevent her from doing that. She opened her mouth to fight more but the words didn't come out before another voice appeared behind her.

"Why, if it isn't Kat and Vera! What are you two doing here?"

Kat turned around immediately and found herself looking into Heron's warm, brown eyes. Vera was the first to react. "Your Majesty!" she squealed before rushing into a hug with the kindly sovereign.

"It's nice to see you too, Vera," said Heron before looking at Kat. "And you too, my dear. What brings you both from the palace?"

"Traveling," said Kat briefly while giving the king a hug as well. "We've arranged passage to leave on the Swordfish this afternoon."

Heron's mouth opened. "Is that right? You too, child?" he asked Vera. "You've barely been at my palace and you've already decided to leave?"

Vera nodded. "It's a long story but yes, we have."

"Where will you go? What will you do from here?" asked the king while beckoning Vera to come sit down. Vera looked back at Kat who simply nodded.

"Your Majesty, I must talk with Jack before I leave," said Kat. "Can I leave Vera here to fill you in on the details while I speak with him?"

"Of course, Kat," said Heron. "If you need to find his quarters, he's on the third floor. Last door on the left."

"Last one on the left, got it," said Kat with a smile. "Thank you!"

Kat found the stairs quickly and resisted the urge to climb them two at a time. Knowing it would only be a short matter of time before she would get to see him again, she tried to calm her fluttering nerves. Yet as she made her way down the third-floor hallway and stopped in front of the appropriate door, she felt her heart beating wildly. She gave three quick knocks and waited.

"Come in," said the voice inside.

Kat opened the door and poked her head in. The quarters were spartan to say the least, but it's what she expected from being in a barracks building. Behind the desk on the right side of the wall, Jack sat reviewing a few papers. His eyes met hers almost immediately and the mild expression he wore turned to happiness.

"Kat! What are you doing here?"

She grinned and shut the door behind her. "I was hoping to see you."

Jack got out from behind his desk and made his way to her. "Come over here. Take a seat."

She followed him and sat right next to him on the bed. His grin was almost infectious now, and she found herself beaming right back to him.

"I'm surprised you're here," he said. "I thought you might stay at the palace."

"Well, about that," said Kat. "I wanted to talk about my next moves with you, if that's all right?"

"Next moves?" asked Jack while raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You're going to come to Picardy with us, right?"

"Yes and no," said Kat. "There's something I must do first that's of paramount importance. I have to stop at my home on the way to Picardy."

Jack blinked. "What do you have at your home?"

"Something important," said Kat cryptically. "It's hard for me to explain now but I will in time."

"More prophecy stuff?" asked Jack with a small smile.

Kat took a deep breath. "Yes, if we're being honest."

Jack rolled his eyes playfully. "I wish you luck with whatever you're getting. How long will you be gone?"

"Just a few days and Vera is going to come with me. We've attained passage on the Swordfish to go there. While the captain won't go to the capital city of Daban, he'll at least arrange to drop us off before he continues on his way."

Jack started to nod. "I haven't heard the best things about Picardy right now."

"Me either," said Kat. "Does that change your plan at all?"

"No, it doesn't," said Jack firmly. "Heron and I discussed it at length after we heard. We figured it was still worth a shot, especially with how close the Picards have been with the Sorellans traditionally."

"How soon were you going to leave?" asked Kat.

"Probably another day or two," said Jack. "We just have to load up supplies and then we can get back to the mission."

"So can we plan to meet up in Daban again?" asked Kat. "We'll spend a couple of days at my home, and then we'll be able to meet you in the city around the time you're getting there? Does that sound like a plan?"

Jack started to nod. "That's fine. I'm a little bummed out you're deciding not to travel with us though. We could have dropped you off too, you know?"

Kat swallowed heavily. But that wouldn't work at all. No, I have to go alone.

He opened up when she went silent for a few moments. "Kat, it's okay. You don't have to tell me," said Jack while holding his hands up. "If this is something you feel like you must do, I can understand that."

"It is, Jack," she said simply. "I'll explain in time. I promise you that."

"Just make sure we meet up afterwards in Daban, okay?" said Jack. "I'm not really enjoying the thought of being parted from you for that long."

Kat looked at him and smiled shyly. "Why's that, Jack?"

He coughed awkwardly and looked away. His adorable behavior was enough to make her giggle slightly, and she subconsciously slid closer to him on the bed.

"I guess I'm just . . . trying to say that I enjoy your company," said Jack tentatively before looking her way once more.

Kat giggled. "Well, that's a relief."

"Is it?"

"Of course. Especially when I don't like being parted from you either," said Kat while pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. She found herself looking away, not trusting her ability to keep it together around his presence, especially when he was so close by.

"Kat?"

She looked up and turned to look at him. There was a look in his eyes, a look of tenderness that she had seen before. It had been there that night at the fire before the king had disturbed them.

Their faces began to inch closer to each other. She found herself looking deep into his blue eyes just before her own closed, and in the next moment, his lips connected with hers. Her chest nearly exploded with the sensation of tasting him for the first time, their kiss connecting on a level that she'd never felt before. She let herself surrender against him, and her mouth soon parted to invite entry to his tongue. With soft caresses, she willingly explored his mouth while he took the opportunity to do the same. After no more than a minute, she slowly pulled away and looked back at him.

His blue eyes were locked on her once more. Kat smiled coyly as she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers.

"I've wanted to do that for a while now," said Jack quietly.

"How long?"

He chuckled. "Since that night by the fire at least."

Kat grinned. "Me too." Her hand went to his face and caressed his cheek softly before they kissed one more time. This one was deeper, more sensual, and lasted far longer than the first. She was quickly losing her ability to think, the only thing on her mind being the taste of the man in front of her.

That last kiss was only interrupted by the sound of a horn from out in the harbor. Their lips slowly parted as Kat's eyes popped open once more. Her head turned in the direction of the horn and she already knew what it signaled.

"That's the Swordfish," she said quietly. "It's going to be leaving soon."

Jack slid his fingers through some of her hair. "Do you have to go right now?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately."

He took a deep breath and looked deep into her eyes. "See you soon then? We'll be right behind you. With travel time, we'll meet you in Daban in, say, two weeks' time?"

Kat smiled. "Sounds good. Can you do one more thing for me before I leave?"

"What's that?"

"Will you kiss me one more time?"

Jack grinned and then nodded. Their lips pressed forward one more time. Kat let the kiss consume her as much as possible but all too soon, they parted one last time.

"It's probably best you get going," said Jack. "Or I'm not going to be able to let you go."

Kat giggled. "I was thinking the same thing." With a deep breath, she pulled her body away from his and stood from the bed. Jack stood up with her, and they both approached the door with a reserved and silent manner. As she opened the door, she turned around to face him one more time.

"Take care of yourself on the trip, okay?" she told him as she leaned against the frame. "Be careful?"

"You too," he said while giving her a confident smile. "I'll see you in two weeks."

Kat smiled out of habit as her brain started going frantic with worry. I sure hope so.

The horn blew one more time.

"You better get going," said Jack. "I don't want to make you miss your ship."

She leaned in and pecked his cheek quickly. "Goodbye, Jack. See you soon."

"See you soon, Kat."

With those final words, she squared her shoulders and turned toward the staircase. Taking a deep breath and offering a silent prayer, she hoped the journey would be as easy as he just made it sound. The words of the prophecy filled her head though and left her feeling uneasy as she left the barracks with Vera. With one last look back to the third floor, Kat said her last goodbye to Jack silently and looked forward to when they would be united again.

*****

Jack stood out on the main dock as the Swordfish made its exit out of the harbor. He watched as the Sorellan trading vessel, loaded with new cargo, slipped out past the jetty and slowly turned north. Even with all the various wares, spices, and traders aboard, there was no more precious cargo to him than that of the two blonde women now slipping further away from him.

His mind drifted back to the kiss and his fingers touched his lips absentmindedly, trying to remember the feeling of Kat's mouth against his. It was nothing short of exquisite, not to mention long overdue, especially after Heron's interruption the other night. And now she was already gone. Even knowing he would see her again soon was not quite enough, and he found himself making an internal countdown until he'd be able to see those sky-blue eyes once more.

After the Swordfish was out of sight, Jack turned his attention to the Destiny, which was now floating out of dry dock. The ship had recently received a fresh paint job and the sparkle of the late afternoon sun on her hull produced a magnificent glare. She couldn't have been more impressive, with her gun barrels pointing to the sky and her bow slicing through the still waters of the harbor. It had been too long since he was at her helm, and Jack was looking forward to stepping on the bridge once again.

"The sight of that ship fills me with immense pride," said Greg, until then watching just as silently as Jack had been.

"That makes two of us. We've been on land enough lately," said Jack. "It's time to get back out to the open sea."

"Who knows what awaits us?" said Greg. "Swabians, Picards, Occitanians? The world has become a lot more complicated lately."

"That's true," said Jack. "I wouldn't want to face any of it without being on the Destiny though."

"Aye," said Greg. "I could drink to that."

Jack watched as the heavy cruiser moved to her berthing along the main dock. As the anchor was dropped, he heard the sound of his command radio crackling through.

"Jack, are you there?" came the sound of Abigail's voice.

"I'm here, Abigail. How does it feel to be commanding the ship again?"

"No better feeling, Jack," said Abigail, bringing a grin to his face. Now that the task force was repaired and ready to move on (even without the Valiant), he was looking forward to what the future might bring them.

It was time to try their luck in Picardy.

*****

That evening, Kat sat at the small desk in her quarters on the Swordfish. There was only the dimmest of light available at this time of night, but it was enough for Kat to see what she was writing. In front of her was the journal that had been her constant companion over the last few years, taking down all of her thoughts and helping her keep track of all that had happened.

At the moment, Vera was snoring softly in the bed nearby as Kat recollected the entire Sorellan adventure from the death of Jacob to the kiss with Jack. She was thankful for the privacy and the dim lighting as her cheeks heated at the memory of his lips upon hers. After having that small moment, she turned her mind to more serious matters. She needed to finish this final passage before retiring to bed.

It is for these reasons that I believe the ultimate goal of this quest has been found. I couldn't be surer of my thinking that the search is finally over, and the coming days will show whether I'm right or not. Yet, my confidence remains high with each passing day. Events are following the prophecy just like the spirits intended. I truly believe that I've found him.

I've found the king.