Yes Giles is in there from Buffy The Vampire Slayer i couldn't think of anyone else.





"A toast!" Archie Simpson’s, wealthy colonial sharecropper and soon to be British noble, announced.

"A toast!" The forty-nine landholders seated at the long, chestnut dinning table all arose, holding their wineglasses up high.

"To wise investments and a more prosperous tomorrow!" Archie proclaimed with a cultured smile.

Glasses clinked as the elite of North Carolina shared in his toast.

"Although perhaps not quite so prosperous as our host," Daniel Stewart commented, nodding his head in Archie’s direction. "Tell me, how ever did you manage it? Married into the House of Lords - quite an amazing accomplishment, even for you."

"Especially given your daughter’s, er…spirited tendencies," Thomas Archer agreed.

Archie laughed. "I can assure you," he began, "the Stones’ aren’t accepting my offer because of Emma’s charming personality."

"All about business then, is it?" Archer inquired.

"It is a shame that so many of our fatherland’s nobility have fallen into such hardship in recent years," Archie agreed in a manner that indicated all too clearly that all he cared about the matter was how it had benefited him personally. "The Stones have indeed fallen upon hard times in recent years. And, if they’re eager to ally with the ample estates I’ve set up here in the colonies in order to rebuild their wealth, who am I to object?"

Stewart laughed. "Even though their son must endure a marriage with young Emma?"

"From what I’ve heard, this Peter of theirs is quite the philanderer," Archie said dismissively. "They’re glad to have him settled down…at least officially."

"And Emma is not so displeasing of countenance," Archer joked lightly. "At least he’ll have that consolation after they’re wed."

Archie raised his glass in agreement. "I figure she’ll be able to at least bare him a few good sons. Fair trade all around."

"If he can break her in properly," Stewart commented wryly. "You never quite managed that, did you, Simpson?"

Archie hid his displeasure at what he considered to be the greatest failure of his life. Everything else in his work, his landholdings, his family, and his social circle had come off perfectly, expect for that stubborn daughter of his who just refused to bend to his as any proper lady of her standing should.

"It’s her husband’s task now," he made light of the subject, unwilling to let anything mar this, the night of his crowning achievement. Marriage to nobility was indeed rare with colonial families these days. He had already received reports of the stir it was causing back in good, old England. But all that really mattered was that the Stones’ were desperate enough to go through with this arranged marriage. Thankfully, the recent piracy on the Atlantic had reduced the old Lord’s holdings to virtually nothing.

"May her husband reign her in better than her father has," Stewart pressed the point a bit bitterly. After all, who wouldn’t be jealous of Archie’s recent success?

Archie gave him a tightlipped smile and raised his glass in agreement.

"To the taming of the screw," Archer laughed, joining in the most recent toast as well, "provided she doesn’t pull another of those stunts of hers first…"

* * *

"Are you mad?" Ellie demanded as Emma slung herself over the edge of her balcony.

"Not yet," Emma retorted, "and as long as you continue to lower the rope, I’ll remain of good temper." She grabbed hold of the makeshift rope she’d created through knotted bed-sheets and tested its strength once more.

Ellie whispered a silent prayer that she would escape this latest adventure of her mistress’ concocting. "It’s really not so bad," she informed the blond beauty even as she lowered the rope for her. "In fact, the company of a man can be most…enjoyable."

"You’ve heard everything I have," Emma retorted. "This Peter Stones is nothing but a petty whore-mongerer!"

"Which will only make his that much more experienced in how to please you," Ellie countered.

Emma gave her a dark long. "There is no way I’m going through with this idiotic plan of my father’s," she insisted. She lowered herself further down the rope.

Ellie winced when she felt the knots strain with Emma’s weight. "You never know," she called down as quietly as she could, "he could be the one to finally win your heart…"

"Some stuffy, inbred, British Lord?" Emma rolled her eyes. "Hardly."

"You’d rather have some idle, flaccid landowner?" Ellie retorted. "Or a dirty merchant?"

"Given the choices, I’d rather have nothing at all," Emma, declared. "Lower me further."

Ellie let loose another coil, and Emma fell another few feet. The sheet stretched out dangerously. "I don’t think it will hold," she commented just as Emma felt the rope give way.

Ellie scrambled to hold it, but the knot slipped and, with a little screech, Emma fell some fifteen feet to the ground…

* * *

…Coincidentally, just as Archer had finished his comment. The sound of her cry was easily heard by everyone at the dinner party, and they all turned to the window to watch in astonished disbelief as the young Emma Simpson’s came falling down from the sky, landing in an ungraceful heap on the far side of the lawn.

"Simmons!" Archie called out to his butler, but his need had already been anticipated.

In a matter of seconds, half a dozen footmen had rushed to their mistress’ side, breathing sighs of relief at discovering that she was uninjured. They attempted to extricate her from the tangled sheet, but her own wild thrashings only made the job more difficult.

Poor John got a hit in the nose for his troubles, and all the others winced in sympathy. Emma Simpson’s had an unfortunate tendency to go for the nose, and it wasn’t pretty when she did it.

"Is she all right?" Ellie called down from the third story window where she and Emma had been locked for the night in a hopeless attempt to keep the younger blond from attempting to escape.

"Fine," Michael called up, giving her an eager smile. Ellie was known for eagerly awarding men’s friendliness, and he wouldn’t mind one last shot at the blond before she sailed away to England tomorrow.

"Get off of me!" Emma finally pulled herself free of the sheets and rose to her feet, fists ready to pummel any nose that got within ten feet of her.

The footmen warily back off into a circle around her.

"You fools!" Archie cried out from the dinning room window, watching the spectacle on the lawn with embarrassment. "Grab her!"

The six strong young men looked at each other nervously, gulping at the enraged expression on their Master’s daughter’s face.

"O-On three." Michael’s voice was shaking. "One, two…"

Emma tried to bolt, but valiant efforts on the parts of all the footmen finally got her arms and legs secured. The six of them dragged her, still struggling, back to the dinning room where her father awaited.

"Do I have to keep you in chains?" Archie hissed, snatching her from the servants and marching her off into the hallway where all his guests wouldn’t be able to gawk at the spectacle.

Emma tried to pull free of his grasp, but it was like iron. "Not even that will get me on that ship tomorrow," she retorted.

"You’ll be on that ship," Archie insisted, "if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you myself!"

"You wouldn’t dare," Emma retorted. "It would sully your precious reputation to be seen in public like that."

"It would sully my reputation more should this marriage not go through," Archie retorted.

"I’ll never marry Peter," Emma insisted.

Archie’s eyes narrowed. "You stubborn little brat!" he hissed. "This is the greatest opportunity of my career! Do you have any idea what a noble endorsement will do for my shipping company?"

"You care for your businesses more than you do for your own flesh and blood!" Emma accused.

"That is it!" Archie roared angrily. "You are my daughter and will obey my commands!"

"I will not!" Emma retorted.

"Then I shall just have to make you…" Archie hissed angrily. "Simmons, get some rope!"

* * *

heres the rest of chapter one. they said it was to long so i cut it in half. okay also this part as some sexual content

Fourteen hours later, Emma sat in her small cabin aboard the ship, still tied firmly to one of her father’s sitting room chairs, narrowed eyes shooting daggers at everyone present except Ellie. She continued to gnaw at the gag her father had resorted to when she’d refused to stop screaming bloody murder in protest to her restraints long past midnight.

Ellie eyed the two footmen that guarded Emma and gave her an apologetic smile when, once again, she assessed that she wouldn’t be able to overpower them and free her mistress.

Emma nodded and her eyes softened, letting Ellie know that she didn’t hold her responsible for her current predicament.

"At last!" Archie entered the room with a tall, slim man dressed in priestly clothing. "You set sail in minutes," she informed Emma with a victorious smile, indicating that the two footmen could depart.

The clergyman watched the spectacle of the rather small young woman hog-tied to a chair and guarded by several men in astonished - and somewhat horrified - disbelief. "Th-That is no proper way to transport a lady," he began with a hesitant stutter.

"It’s the only way to transport this ‘lady’," Archie retorted, finally removing the gag from Emma’s mouth.

"I’ll never do it!" she exclaimed immediately. "Never!"

"Yes, yes." Archie patted her cheek disinterestedly. Raising her had always been his wife’s job, and after her death Ellie’s, so he felt no loss in her parting. In fact, he’d never really bothered to get to know her at all. "Although I can’t imagine how even you will manage to escape this ship while it’s at sea. And I have Father Giles’ assurance that he won’t release you until you’re well at sea…as well as making sure you don’t evade the Stones’ once you arrive in England."

"Quite right," Giles nodded, although he seemed a bit more nervous about his mission now that he had actually seen the situation. He hadn’t really believed that the young lady had been literally tied to a chair.

"You should be grateful," Archie informed Emma. "Without my contacts, you would never have found a man that would wed you. Now, can we not at least have a pleasant good-bye?"

"I will find a way to escape," Emma informed him coldly.

Archie let out a weary sigh. This whole family thing had always been strange to him. At least now, his terror of a daughter would be another man’s problem. "You will follow my instructions exactly," he informed Giles.

The clergyman nodded. "T-To the very letter," he agreed.

Archie nodded, satisfied. "Farewell, Emma. It has been an…interesting experience…" And then he was gone.

Emma and Ellie exchanged a look and nodded.

Giles hadn’t even noticed, having been too busy settling himself down and leafing through his own personal notebook.

Ellie carefully inched over to where a loose wooden plank rested against the wall. Still, Giles didn’t notice.

Slowly, she stepped up behind him, swinging the plank high and…

He fell to the ground unconscious with a thunk.

"Hurry!" Emma exclaimed. "Untie me before we set sail!"

Ellie produced a very unladylike knife from the folds of her skirt and proceeded to cut the ropes that bound Emma. In a matter of seconds, she was freed.

"Let’s go." She grabbed Ellie’s hand and together they fled their cabin, racing up the stairs to the deck and seeing…

"God damn it!" Ellie exhibited yet another of her unladylike tendencies.

Emma’s heart sunk as she saw the distant shoreline. They must’ve set off only seconds after her father departed and had very favorable winds to carry them out this far already.

"I can’t swim that," she commented with a forlorn sigh.

Ellie nodded gravely. "So what do we do now?"

"Make a break for it once we get to England," Emma decided.

* * *

"I hope you know that watching over you prevented me from properly saying good-bye to several attractive young men," Ellie informed Emma first thing in the morning on day four of their voyage, just as she had every other morning since they’d left. "You owe me for life."

"Think of it this way," Emma teased back. "You’ve got every single sailor of this ship to choose from. We’re the only passengers aboard, so that means we’re the only women…"

Ellie looked slightly cheered up at that before she slumped again. "I can’t," she sighed. "I’ll be stuck with them for the entire rest of the voyage. What if they want more sex, and I don’t? I can’t deal with that kind of commitment!"

Emma shook her head at the other woman’s insatiable appetite for the less fair sex - or, more appropriately, her appetite for just sampling as much as possible of it. For all Ellie’s experience, she’d never once found a man that could hold her interest for more than a few weeks.

"Why did my father ever let you stay on as my companion?" Emma wondered at Ellie’s inappropriateness for the hundredth time.

"Because I was the only one you could stand," Ellie reminded her, "and he was sick of searching."

Emma laughed at that before shuddering. "I swear you were the only woman with a personality that father even let meet me."

"That’s because I, er…convinced Simmons to add me to the list of candidates," Ellie said with a little wink.

Emma laughed. "What would I ever do without you?" she gave her best friend a fond smile.

"You wouldn’t even get to hear about orgasms," Ellie informed her.

"I suppose that’s as close as I’ll ever get to one," Emma sighed.

Ellie patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You could always check out all the muscular, sweaty sailors," she suggested perkily.

Emma grimaced slightly. "I can’t," she began, "I-"

"Want it to be with someone you love," Ellie repeated out of rote memory. "How many times do I have to tell you that love is completely unnecessary to-"

"Good morning, ladies," Giles stepped into the small dinning cabin.

Emma and Ellie both broke off their conversation with a little giggle. Giles was the true spirit of a clergyman: wise and fatherly (about allowing Emma to cry onto his shoulder about her marriage and assuring her that everything would be all right), forgiving (about things like, say, being hit over the head by a wooden plank…although only after the two of them had apologized profusely and he’d heard their whole story), and, above all, completely and utterly mortified every time either of them mentioned "conjugal relations." So, out of deference to the only other passenger aboard the trading ship, the two of them just barely managed to avoid discussing the subject in his presence.

"Feel up to breakfast today?" Emma commented, surprised.

Giles nodded slowly, so as not to create any unnecessary motion, and the two women had to agree that he looked a bit less green today than he had the last three days.

"Sit down," Ellie offered brightly, gesturing to the only available chair.

Giles sat down in it, flinching slightly when the ship hit a larger wave and the cabin rocked gently. "Don’t let me interrupt your conversation," he recovered his stomach and said politely.

Emma and Ellie exchanged a nervous look.

"Uh…we were just discussing what we’d do when we got to England," Emma came up with a plausible alternative.

"And how we’ll find attractive men to-"

Emma slapped a hand over Ellie’s mouth before she could finish. She loved Ellie like a sister, but sometimes (well, actually all the time) she lacked any tact whatsoever.

"Ah," Giles nodded, a delighted little glint in his eye, "planning your escape plan from that dreadful Stones fellow?"

A five-minute description of Peter’s fondness for working women was all it had taken to enlist Giles as a fellow conspirator. Even Ellie had to admit that he was a rather enjoyable companion…for a man that she couldn’t have sex with, at least.

"I still think we should take over the ship and sail somewhere else," Ellie pouted slightly. "France, perhaps. Or South America!"

"And how exactly would we sail the ship then?" Giles repeated his criticism of her impulsive plan, amused rather than put off.

Ellie pouted slightly.

"We’re going to have to sneak off," Emma decided. "It will be too risky to assume that the Stones’ won’t have someone waiting for me."

"You could always stow away in-" Giles began.

He was cut off by a deafening blast that shook the entire ship. Plates and silverware clattered to the floor as the entire cabin rocked back and forth wildly.

"What’s happening?" Ellie asked frantically, eyes wide as she clutched the table.

Giles ran to the porthole window, the fear in his system keeping the seasickness at bay for once. He could see nothing, however. "We shall have to go up above…" he began just as the door to the dinning cabin flung open.

"Pirates!" exclaimed the captain before he collapsed onto the floor, a dagger planted firmly in his back…

okay well i guess not a whole lot of people like emjay : (

wow this is really good, very original!!!!!!!!!! i'm putting it in the fan fict recomdation thingy magiger! : )

I love emmajay. It's really good.

that is actually really good

awwwww thank you people,i'm gonna post more right now for you lovelys!!

Chapter Two - Captured!




Emma immediately ran forward and pulled the dagger from the dead man’s back, clutching it firmly in her hand as the sounds of struggle continued outside. Ellie pulled out her own knife while Giles took hold of one of the chairs and stationed himself right next to the door, prepared to bash anyone over the head who tried to enter.

They waited, listening to the sounds of battle approaching closer and their own ragged breaths. Several more loud crashes, and then all was quiet outside.

"Is that a good sign or a bad sign?" Ellie bit her lip nervously.

Emma and Giles both shrugged and held their breath as they waited for someone to come. After nothing had happened for several seconds, Giles slowly loosened his hold on the chair…

And that’s when the door burst inward.

A man with wild black hair immediately clocked Giles on the jaw, knocking him unconscious onto the floor. Ellie lunged at the intruder from behind, her blade flashing in the morning sun, but he caught her wrist easily, slamming her back hard into the wall and pinning her in place.

Emma, meanwhile, was left to face his companion, a tall, brutish-looking blond man with a jagged scar down one side of his face. She quickly concealed her weapon in the folds of her skirt when she saw that he had a knife as well.

He flashed her a toothy smile when he saw what appeared to be a helpless, frightened woman as his only opponent and advanced on her with a purposeful leer.

Emma let him back her up against the wall, not having to fake her fear at the situation. If these really were pirates, then there were undoubtedly dozens more where they had come from, and she doubted that even she could overcome them all.

"Pretty little thing, aren’t ya?" the pirate said in a rough voice. He quickly caught her by the waist and hair, pulling her right up against him. "Don’t worry," he said with a lustful sneer, "I’ll take good care of you…" His knife sliced into the bodice of her dress, exposing the white lace underneath, and he yanked her hair back to get a better look at her face. "Very pretty," he decided.

And that was pretty much all Emma could take. She quit trying to synchronize her own attack with Ellie’s and just swung at him.

The pirate cried out and staggered backward when her knife slashed his back, and she caught him right between the legs with her toe as he went down.

He clutched at her skirts, but she evaded him, making a run for the door and hoping to find someone else from their crew that could help her.

Her plan was foiled just as she reached the door, however. She crashed headlong into a third pirate, and this one was not so easy to defeat as his predecessor. He instantly caught the wrist that held her knife and twisted until the blade slipped from her grasp.

She aimed her free fist at his face, but he quickly caught that hand as well, pinning them both behind her and holding her against him so that she couldn’t get the leverage she needed to kick him…or to reach for the sword he wore at his waist.

She froze then, realizing she was trapped, and looked at her captor for the first time. He was of slim build, although sleekly muscular from his many years sailing. Tight black slacks and a white silk shirt open at the breast showed off his lean body and sun-kissed chest admirably. His face was no less striking - razor-sharp cheekbones and scarred eyebrow defined his features while brilliant blue eyes gave it life. Perhaps the most exotic aspect of his appearance was his hair, however. Years of exposure to the sun’s blinding rays had bleached it until it was almost white, giving this pirate a strangely angelic appearance.

Emma quickly shook the silly notion from her head and continued her useless struggles against him.

"You all right?" His accent was unmistakably British, although of a much lower class than she was used to hearing.

The bulky blond pirate grunted in response, clutching the bleeding slash in his side and still hunched over from her kick. "I’ll live," he agreed gruffly.

The pirate that held her seemed to be struggling slightly with mirth at his companion’s predicament. "We’ll ‘ave ta work on that overconfidence ‘f yours, Cameron," he chuckled. "One of these days it’ll get you killed…"

The blond pirate - Cameron - cast an annoyed scowl in his direction and turned to where the dark-haired pirate still had Ellie pinned as well.

Emma let out a disappointed sigh when she realized that any hope of Ellie overcoming her captor and freeing her had gone. Although…

Emma’s eyes widened when she realized that Ellie hadn’t even bothered to try to escape. In fact, right now, she was just letting the man hold her, looking up at him with a coy smile on her face.

The man seemed equally entranced, his grip changing from a rough hold to a gentler embrace.

If Emma hadn’t known better, she would have sworn a string quartet was playing soft love music around the pair, closing them off in their own private world…

The pirate who held her made the same observation and raised one eyebrow in surprise. "Jimmy?" he inquired.

The dark-haired man - Jimmy, Emma gathered - didn’t respond, remaining transfixed by the blond in his arms.

Her captor rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Jimmy!" he exclaimed.

"Huh?" Jimmy turned to look at him for the first time.

"You have everythin’ under control there, mate?" he demanded skeptically.

Jimmy nodded numbly. "I’ve got her," he agreed.

"He’s got me," Ellie agreed perkily.

Emma groaned inwardly. Why did Ellie have to pick NOW to start thinking about sex? Her silent rhetorical question went unanswered.

"Right then," the white-blond pirate who Emma deduced was in charge nodded. He glanced down at Giles’ unconscious form. "We need to get the passengers off the ship before-"

"I’m not going anywhere with you!" Emma exclaimed in sudden outrage.

He cast her an annoyed scowl. "Yeah, an’ what’re you gonna do ‘bout it?" he demanded.

"I’ll be happy to take care of her," Cameron’s eyes narrowed at her, "teach her some manners…"

"I don’t think that’ll be necessary," he gave the other man a tight smile. "Carry the preacher out of ‘ere; ‘ll take the girl."

"You will not!" Emma exclaimed. "I’ll have you know that my father is-"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Do I look like I give a damn who your father is?" he said sarcastically, grabbing a firmer hold on her waist and trying to drag her out through the door.

Emma jabbed at him with her toe, and when that didn’t work managed to get her foot hooked around the doorframe, making it essentially impossible for them to leave the room. She stuck her chin out at him stubbornly. "I’m. Not. Leaving."

"You wanna burn down with the ship?" he retorted.

"It’s better than being kidnapped by a bunch of…of…pirates!" she hissed.

He merely looked more annoyed than before. "Jimmy?" he turned to the dark-haired man.

Jimmy untied the red bandana that he wore around his neck and handed it over to his captain.

"What are you doing?" Emma’s eyes widened, and she began her struggles anew.

However, he still managed to get her hands tightly tied behind her back before flinging her back over his shoulder.

"You’ll never get away with this!" Emma cried out from where her face was pressed up against his back, kicking uselessly as he carried her out the door.

Sean followed with Giles slung over his shoulder, eyes still narrowed at the girl that had wounded him - even if it was his pride more than his body that had been hurt.

And behind them, Jimmy and Ellie walked out arm in arm, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. After all, it wasn’t every day that love at first sight occurred…

* * *

"Will you please, please cut out that racket?!" Jay exclaimed irritably when the wild young captive’s piercing screams for help finally became more than he could bear.

"Heeeeeelllppp!" was Emma’s only response.

Jay ran his hand down his face and moved so that he was sitting against the edge of the desk in front of where he’d tied her to the chair when he’d realized at it was the only way to keep the lower regions of his anatomy intact for long.

"Look," he began, "your crew’s dead; the ship’s burnt. The only people who can ‘ear your cries ‘re my men…"

"I don’t care," she said sullenly.

Jay breathed a sigh of relief that at least she was talking instead of screaming now. "That may well be," he agreed with a sly smile, "but you’ll save yourself some wear an’ tear on your voice this way."

Emma debated screaming yet again just to defy his regrettably reasonable logic. However, he did have a point; her voice was getting tired. "If you so much as think about touching me," she informed him in an icy voice, "you’ll die a death more slow and painful than anything you’ve ever imagined…"

"Dyin’ from my ears bleedin’ due to your constant screaming?" he couldn’t help but tease.

Her face remained stony.

"Look," he began with a sigh, "’m not gonna ‘sully your virtue’ or some rot like that. Truth be told, we din’t think there were gonna be any passengers on that boat. So, we’ll jus’ drop you off when we get back to land, an’ you can be on your merry way then. All right?"

Emma’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I don’t trust you," she informed him primly.

"Do you think ‘m an idiot?" he asked abruptly.

"I don’t know," she countered haughtily.

"Yeah, well, ‘d have to be an idiot to take advantage ‘f you," he informed her, leaning forward so that his face just barely intruded into her personal space. "’S never a smart idea to take an unwillin’ woman to bed…’specially one who’s so prone to stabbin’."

She relaxed slightly at that, although she didn’t let it show on the outside. "I will take every opportunity I can to escape," she informed him matter-of-factly.

He gave her a sly smile. "Why am I not te least bit surprised?" he joked lightly.

She turned her nose away from him in response.

"So," he sat back up on the table, pouring a glass of wine from the decanter and offering it to her only to drink it himself when she shook her head ‘no’, "shall we properly introduce ourselves then? Given that we’re gonna be livin’ together for some time…"

She shrugged disinterestedly.

"The name’s Jay Arlington," he said, looking down at her over the rim of his glass.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "You’re Jay the Bloody!" she exclaimed in surprise. And then her expression turned to fury. "You’ve stolen half a dozen of my father’s shipments in the past month alone!" she began to rant. "And when you attacked that cargo ship right in Chesapeake Harbor, half the population was terrified to even set foot on the beach, even with British navy ships in plain view! And-"

"Really?" Jay said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"You’re infamous," she informed him coldly, "as a thief and a ruthless murderer. That’s not something to be proud of."

"Maybe to you," he countered with a toothy grin. "Your father, huh? Who’s he then?"

"Henry Nelson," she said proudly.

He blinked. "Never ‘eard ‘f him."

"He’s very wealthy," she assured him before gasping at the error she’d just made. "If you hold me for ransom…" she began.

"Painful death, yadda, yadda, yadda," he said disinterestedly. "So, your father’s ‘Enry. That would make you…?"

"Emma," she said sullenly.

"Em’a," he repeated. "Suits you - very pretty."

She blushed slightly and turned her head away so that he couldn’t see her cheeks redden. In the past men had had an unfortunate tendency of thinking her pretty, then meeting her and instantly changing their minds.

"So, Em’a, how ‘bout we come to a little agreement?" he suggested, cocking his head to one side slightly to look at her.

"I don’t deal with criminals," she informed him.

"’Course not," he said with a cheeky little smile, "but in the interest ‘f keepin’ me from wringin’ your lovely neck…"

"You’re not exactly convincing me that I can trust you," she pointed out.

He laughed at that. "Got me there, luv," he agreed. "Now, will you jus’ listen to what ‘m proposing?"

"Do I have a choice?" she gestured to the ropes that bound her.

"You will soon if you just keep quiet for one second!" he exclaimed, his infamous impatience on the verge of breaking.

She let out a little sigh. "I’m listening," she agreed.

"This room ‘ere," he gestured to the small cabin furnished only with the chair, the small desk, and a mattress, "’s pretty impossible to break out of. ‘ve got the only key," her eyes flicked to the silver key that was tied at his waist right beside the sword he wore, "an’ the only way out’s through my cabin. Now, how ‘bout I untie you, an’ you can ‘ave this room all to your lonesome throughout our voyage?"

"Like I could sleep knowing you’re in the next room," she said with a little eye roll.

He gave her a conspiratorial little smile and moved over to the bed. She watched, curious, as he felt around under the mattress and finally produced a small dagger. "’ad an admiral who was a wee bit paranoid a while back," he commented, studying the sharp edge of the blade. He pulled it out further, revealing that it was attached to a strong chain and bolted firmly to the wall, preventing it from being useful to anyone who was not on the bed. "Should ensure that nothin’ gets to you in your sleep." He cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

She bit her lip, more than tempted. After all, despite all her experience at being tied up, it was rather uncomfortable. "What about Ellie?" she demanded. "And Father Giles?"

"The preacher’s in no danger," he assured her, replacing the knife in its hidden sheath beneath the mattress. "’ve got ‘im roomed up in another ‘f the empty cabins. As for your companion…"

Emma nodded resignedly. "A willing captive, I take it?"

"Prob’ly sharin’ the bed ‘f my first mate even as we speak," Jay agreed before frowning. "’E’s not usually so quick to dive in. Tha’s quite a…persuasive friend you’ve got yourself there."

"That’s Ellie," Emma couldn’t help but smile. "She sees what she wants, and she takes it."

"An’ what about you?" he asked, moving over to where she sat and crouching down in front of her feet, the sheath of his blade scrapping the ground as he did so.

"We have a deal," she repeated forcefully. "That does not mean that I will consort with you or your crew in any way."

"Fair enough," he agreed with a small smile, removing a small knife from his boot. "For the ropes," he quickly reassured her.

She nodded that she wouldn’t struggle.

"You’re not going to, er…kick, are you?" he asked somewhat warily, noticing that certain precious regions of his body would be open and exposed to her once her feet were released.

"We have a deal," she said simply.

He decided to live dangerously and quickly cut through the ropes at her feet. Emma took the opportunity to study him. The look of thoughtful concentration as he worked, as well as his entire manner, indicated to her that he was no common thug. There was definite intelligence and wit behind those shinning blue eyes, underneath long, fluttering lashes and…

She stopped short when she realized that she’d once again been appraising his beauty. Her cheeks flushed just as he broke through the ropes and turned to look up at her.

His eyes widened slightly, and he quickly reached out to her bosom…

She kicked like mad. No matter how beautiful he was, no pirate would ever touch her without facing the consequences!

"Jesus Christ!" He leapt back frantically, just barely escaping the sharp toe of her boot. "What on earth is the matter with you?!"

"You said you wouldn’t touch me!" she yelled right back. "I should have known I could never trust-!"

"You’re bleedin’," he cut her off, gesturing to the wound he’d been trying to inspect.

She looked down and discovered that indeed a small cut was bleeding where that other pirate had cut her dress; the blade must’ve just knicked her skin. "I-I didn’t realize," she stuttered, instantly apologetic.

His brow furrowed slightly, and this time she didn’t pull back when he reached out to inspect the wound. "This ‘as been cut…" He frowned further.

"That thug friend of yours did it," she said, huffing slightly. "Cameron. I can’t imagine why you’re at all surprised."

"Passengers are never to be harmed," he said sternly, looking up at her with flashing blue eyes. "Sean did this? That bloke you cut?"

"Yes."

"He’ll be punished for it," he assured her with such sincerity that not even she could doubt his word.

Their eyes met and locked for a moment, blue to hazel, and she felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart pound in her chest at the intensity of this man.

And then he moved behind her to untie her wrists, and the spell was broken. She warily rubbed the flesh there, surprised at how little it had actually bruised.

"There’s water in the basin," he informed her in clipped tones. "’d volunteer to help but…" He eyed her foot warily and backed out of the room. "Milady." He gave her a curt little bow before the door shut and the lock turned, trapping her within.

She quickly ran over to check the lock. Unfortunately, it was a good one, and her hairpins weren’t strong enough to pick it. Step two was to examine the dagger under the bed. It too was thoroughly secured, the blade too thick to fit between the wall and the metal bolts that held it in place. That left only the small porthole… She wasn’t surprised to see that that avenue of escape was also hopeless.

She flopped back down onto the mattress with a weary sigh. There was no use denying it; she was completely trapped and at his mercy. At least he didn’t seem to be as much of a hoodlum as that Sean, however…

"Oh well," she on her back and stared up at the wooden planks of the ceiling, "at least I don’t have to marry Peter anymore…"


okay guys sorry i had to make it a jellie, and sorry i kinda made sean look like a ad guy but he was really the only one that fit the part

Read my DFF!!!

Pleazee write more. You got me to like EmJay now cause of your FanFic.

i will tomorow promise!! = )