Lost in his thoughts, he looked out at a distance taking in the endless expanse of sea before him.

What was she thinking? He tightened his jaw.

His mind swirled with his thoughts and reasons for why she attacked Cuthburt. He had stood earlier before Cuthburt lying on his back writhing in pain as Bellamy attended to his leg.

At his side, Quinn spoke and he only caught his words sparingly as he gave an account to what had happened.

"She had the look of a rabid banshee that wee one she did. Any closer to the left she would have unmanned the poor bugger," he shook his head.

He stood rigid to the spot and for the fourth time tightened his eyes shut at Cuthburts shouts and blood-curdling howls echoed throughout the cabin as Bellamy tightened the bandages around his leg.

"Bloody hell give him something. Anything to shut him up," Justin hissed.

"Dump 'im overboard that will do the trick," a crew member mumbled gruffly as he retreated with blood-soiled cloths out of the cabin.

Justin turned to look down at Quinn as his gaze landed on Cuthburt considering it.

"Not unless you wish to lose the pardon and end up swinging from the gallows, I would reconsider your thoughts," he said.

Shaking his head he looked away as Quinn's shoulders lowered with disappointment.

Silence stretched between them as they turned to watch Bellamy finish and then he turned towards them.

Cuthburts wound as Bellamy explained to him, will heal eventually but it posed no threat to his life. A bit relieved he took in a deep breath knowing that he did not have to dump his only ticket to freedom overboard due to a festering wound that could later kill him.

None the less he had a long recovery because at sea they had nothing for his pain. Only rum. And that is all they drowned him with. He had turned away in time to hear Cuthburt drunkenly blurt out his revenge upon her for what she did to him just before passing out.

Now he must be extra careful with these two on this ship. They were days away from the nearest port to hand him over to the authorities. Thanks to Cuthburts idiotic ways of turning his ship around, it just lengthened the voyage.

His mind was weary by the time nightfall had come and he was still above deck.

He never felt Quinn at his side until he spoke.

"Ye can't avoid her, Captain," he said.

Justin shot him a glare.

"I am not avoiding anyone."

He looked away. His jaw clenched tightly as Quinn whistled and began to fidget at his side.

Frustration ebbed on his nerves as it became evident that Quinn wanted to say something more.

"Speak!" he hissed lowering his and tightening his eyes shut, he grimaced with the growing ache in his head.

"W....what will you do with her cap'n?" he asked nervously.

Justin stood silent for a while. The thought never occurred to him for some time of what exactly to do with her but keep her in his cabin.

"That is of no concern of yours, Quinn," he said.

He stood there with Justin's words and lowered his head.

"What Quinn?" Justin breathed impatiently as he knew the man was not done pestering him.

"S.ssshe is only a young lass....she --." Quinn began but stopped as Justin spoke.

"She is stubborn and willful. None the less safe. And I pray we get to Port quickly so I may be rid of her," he mumbled.

He felt a bit bothered that Quinn would defend her... Quinn! a reckless pirate with not a good bone in his body, a rogue with insatiable needs for tavern wenches.... defending a damsel in distress...? He scoffed in his head at the irony.

He watched as Quinn's gaze saddened and accepted his answer then turned to leave. He stood there for some time as he too felt the need to finally retire for the night. Giving a once over at his second in command at the helm in the distance he turned away and went below.

He slowly walked his way down the passageway and stood by the door. With a deep breath, he braced himself before reaching for his key and unlocking the door.

He slowly opened it and stepped in then shut the door gently. A lit candle was all that illuminated the cabin but it was enough for him to see the silhouette of a female form on his bed.

As he slowly pulled away from the door, he was convinced that she was asleep and felt relieved.

He walked slowly over to the nearby chair that faced the bed and sat on it. With a slowness, he undid his boots and winced with the thump that echoed from it followed by the other. He paused. Waiting to see if she stirred. But she did not.

He leaned back then and undid his shirt then slowly stood and pulled it off. As he reached for his breeches and began lowering them, she gasped and his head jolted up to see her sitting up staring back at him.

Silently they stared at one another until he sighed and walked to another nearby lamp and lit it.

Slowly the room brightened and was cast in an orange glow. He slowly turned to face her. His shoulders tensed and something stirred within him as their gazes met. Slowly his gaze flickered over the length of her as she sat with the sheets clutched to her breasts.

Long tresses of hair framed her face. Large wide eyes watched him with a shadow of fear that lurked in them.

"What are you doing?" nervously she clutched the sheets tighter to her chest. Her voice shook with worry.

Silence fell over her question and she impatiently waited for him to respond.

"I am getting ready for bed, lass."

"But...." she began to speak then stopped as he continued to reach for his breeches.

He stopped then stood there slowly crossing his arms across his chest.

"Is there something wrong?"

She looked away from his gaze and lowered her head.

"You can not sleep here."

"Oh! And why is that?" she had his full attention.

"It is not proper," she whispered.

He said nothing as he stared at her now.

An enchanting blush swept across her cheeks and her gaze lowered.

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips of her sudden discomfort.

He slowly inched closer to the chair by the bed and sat down to look at her.

"Very well then....where do you pretend that I sleep?" his gaze, slightly serious, held hers as all sorts of emotions played across her feature.

"You can sleep with your crew."

"Not happening," he responded tersely.

"Then you can find other sleeping arrangements for me," her lips thinned in agitation.

"Sorry lass there is none," he shook his head. "Like it or not we are sharing this cabin."

She bounded off the bed with the sheets wrapped around her as she now confronted him.

"I can not stay in here with you," she stubbornly lifted her chin now. "I will not," she breathed.

"You don't have a choice in the matter," he towered over her now looking down into her face that held an angry glare. "Unless you want to share the storage cellar with Cuthburts men I suggest you settle in the far corner of that bed," he warned softly pointing behind her.

He stared down at her and observed her. Deep down he knew she wanted to continue arguing.

Their gazes locked in a battle of wills that he eventually won when she turned away in anger giving him her back as she climbed back into the bed.

It tickled him to no end her boldness and her sudden outbursts of defiance.

Weary and beyond exhaustion, he blew out the candles and climbed beneath the sheets. On his back, he stared up at the ceiling and focused on the sway of the ship, and prayed for sleep to quickly render him senseless.

The slight warmth emanating from her body a couple of inches away stirred something deep in him, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Yearning.

Get a grip on yourself !!!

He tightened his jaw in frustration at how at the height of their circumstances, he would be feeling things he had no business feeling.

His mind was plagued with images of her...Bare...

Perplexed and agitated, he pushed them out of his mind.

The sooner they get to port the better. He shook his head and bit back the groan threatening to spill from his throat as his breeches suddenly felt uncomfortable.

It wasn't until the soft hypnotic sounds of her breathing could be heard, and the sway of the to and fro of the ship, that he felt the tenseness in his body ease away then he lost the fight to sleep and let the heaviness of his eyelids fall.

*******

Tempest stood perched on the railing of the ship frantic and in tears as cannon smoke filled the air choking her and robbing her of breath.

The shouts in the distance followed by the rolling thunder of feet running towards her made her inch closer to the edge.

She cried out as she looked around at the faces of the men that cautiously approached her with menacing glares and malicious smiles. She shook her head and threatened them all to stand back or she jumps but they kept coming closer.

She looked over into the dark water and gripped the railing tightly. Fear and dread quelled in her heart as her gaze landed on the familiar grey fins swimming in circles beneath her. Waiting patiently for her. Their prey.

An arm shot out and wrapped in a vice grip around her waist and pulled her back. With a scream, she fought as she was hauled away. Her chest ached as her heart hammered furiously in it.

She was abruptly tossed to a soft mattress and quickly turned around to look up into beady murderous eyes.

She kicked at the hand that shot around her ankle and pulled her close. With all her might she tightly closed her eyes, she screamed and kicked as heat covered her body and a wave of nausea swirled deep in her stomach.

She fought to free the unbearable heat and the weight above her. He hissed her name near her ears as she fought to pull away from him. Warm hands cupped her cheek and forced her to open her eyes.

She trembled fiercely with the sudden frost of cold air that chilled her skin and then rough fingers that callously touched her, suddenly were soft.

Then a searing heat like flames began to lick at her skin and traveled the length of her body like molten lava from a volcano.

The voice whispered her name again and begged her to open her eyes. She fought to do so and struggled weakly against the wave of fire that threatened to consume her.

She opened her eyes then and glanced up to the familiar face of Justin staring down at her with a confused look on his face that turned to worry.

He cupped her cheek then raised them to her forehead feeling her uncontrollable shivers and cursed. His gaze restlessly searched the cabin as if battling with a decision.

Breathing a gruff defeated sigh, he abruptly stood and removed his breeches then slipped beneath the sheets and drew her into his arms. She heard him gasp for air as she rubbed against his skin in a desperate search for warmth.

Shortly after as her shivers subsided, she would have almost sworn she felt his lips brush her heated temple as he growled in anger and briskly rubbed her back then mumbled beneath his breath how stubborn she was for her refusal to change into dry clothes.

Her eyelids of their own accord weighted with exhaustion closed then and fog of darkness took her along with the warmth of his skin against hers.

********

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There you go my peeps....

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If you don't hear from me soon... I want to wish you all a

Merry Christmas....

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