Chapter 4

Zoe woke earlier than normal the next day, stretching out and yawning as she rolled out of bed. Rolling over, she noticed Jack must've already been up, as his bed was empty, and she didn't hear any shuffling from the other room. Zoe stood and walked to the small alcove where she kept her clothes, pulling out a blue dress and replacing her nightgown with it quickly. She braided her hair and tied it off with a piece of ribbon before walking out to the main room.

Zoe noticed that Jack's boots were missing, and the gray bandanna that had hid his hair was on the floor. Assuming that he probably took a walk to the beach again, Zoe slipped on her leather flats, grabbed her coin bag, and walked out the door, heading towards the beach they were on the day before. She wanted to get some sort of food for breakfast, before they began another day. Zoe smiled at familiar faces as she walked, hearing excited murmurs that weren't normal.

"Did you see the new ship at the dock? All black, sails'n everything!" She heard a man say. Zoe paused. That was odd. They didn't often have new ships appear at Port Nassau.

"There's a new ship?" She asked the men, walking over in front of the blacksmith's shop.

"Why yes, Miss Ricci. A gorgeous one at that. Everyone's thinkin' it's a new kind of ship from back by London somewhere. Go have a look when you get a chance. It's a sight worth seein', that's for sure." Mr. Smith explained to her. Zoe nodded.

"Thank you Mr. Smith." She said, continuing down the path. Zoe quickly found her way to the overgrown path that led to the secluded beach on the west side of the island. Walking onto the sand, she looked around. "Jack?"

No answer.

"Jack? Hello?" Zoe called, looking around the beach. She pursed her lips, looking down the beach. "Hm. Where could-"

"Zoe! Zoe! Luv, come here!"

Zoe spun, and saw Jack jogging down the beach from the direction of the docks. She started towards him. "Jack? What is going on?"

"I've got something to show you. Something important!" Jack exclaimed. He was dressed in a loose white shirt, a red sash tied around his waist, and his tall boots over the bottom of his linen trousers. The beads were back in his beard, and all the trinkets and treasures were back in his hair, which was more neat than it had been the previous day. He looked… alive, and happy.

"What? What's gotten into you, Jack?" Zoe asked as he grabbed her hand and began to gently tug her back towards the dock.

"Do you have your bag with you?" He asked. Zoe looked curiously at him.

"Yes, why?" She asked as they came upon the docks. "Woah."

Zoe almost didn't believe the sight in front of her. At the farthest dock from them, a huge black ship was docked. It was breathtaking in its whole, terrifyingly huge.

"Because we're leaving." Jack motioned at the black ship with a smile, revealing his gold teeth.

"How did you…" Zoe trailed off, unable to comprehend how Jack was able to get his hands on such a fantastic ship.

"I found a friend who owed me." He lied.

Jack woke coughing, sputtering salty water out of his throat.

"I was hoping you were still alive…."

Jack managed to open his eyes, and jumped at the sight in front of him. Davy Jones, tentacle beard and all, his rotten smell reaching Jack's nostrils immediately. Glancing around quickly, he discerned he was on The Flying Dutchman, the deformed crew all going about their normal business.

"Jones. It's been a while." Jack greeted.

"Sparrow." Jones took a step towards him, and Jack managed to stagger to his feet. "Your father wouldn't be very happy to find you here…"

Jack shrugged. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him." He shot back casually, though he knew he was shaking from the cold atmosphere on the ship.

"Why did you call for me today?" Jones demanded, cutting through Jack's nonchalant behavior.

"I lost my ship. The Wicked Wench." He answered. Jones nodded.

"I'm aware." Jones shot back. "A bloody mess to clean up all the souls out of that mess."

"I-"

"You want the ship back." Jones cut in.

"You are just so friendly." Jack quipped. Jones grabbed Jack around the throat suddenly with his crab-like hand. Jack's eyes widened, and he automatically grasped at the obstruction to his breathing.

"Do not mock me, boy!" He released Jack, and the young pirate dropped to his knees, gasping for breath for the second time that night. "It's not wise to make a deal here." Jones warned, though he could see the determination in Jack's eyes.

"I'm aware." Jack coughed. "But here I am anyway."

"Jack?" Zoe snapped her fingers in front of Jack's face, and he shook his head rapidly, as a wet dog would shake its coat.

"Yes! Sorry! Are you ready? Cause it's time we get going." Jack tugged on her arm gently, and Zoe suddenly froze. "Zoe?"

"Leave? Now? I-"

"Don't worry. What else could you possibly need? The Pearl has everything on it." Jack told her. Zoe looked at him apprehensively, and she bit her lip. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Zoe questioned, eyes darting back to the man in front of her.

"Bite your lip. It means you're thinking. Right now, you just need to go. You held up your end of the bargain, I'm going to hold up mine. I intend to see through that you get an adventure." Jack told her.

Zoe looked at the pirate and new found friend in front of her, and couldn't help but smile. He looked so excited, and so alive. The beads and trinkets tied into his hair only gave him a more adventurous look, and his chocolate eyes gleamed with excitement as Zoe wrung her hands in front of him. "Will you bring me back?"

Jack tilted his head. "Back here?"

Zoe nodded. "After the 'adventure'?"

Jack was now the one biting his lip. "If that's what you want, yes."

Zoe smiled, holding out her hand. "Mr. Sparrow, I do believe we have an accord." Zoe declared, and Jack shook her hand before briefly kissing her knuckles, a wide grin on his face. Zoe had come to a realization in that moment. She was not just some seamstress who was scared of her own shadow and couldn't defend herself. She was a grown woman, and was going to go on her own adventure to- hopefully -find herself and grow a bit in the process.

"Then follow me aboard, Miss Ricci, and let me show you your new home."

It was more incredible than Zoe could've ever imagined.

Jack was running all about the deck, securing ropes and wheels, and so many things that Zoe couldn't name. He told her they were on a straight shot to Tortuga, where they could pick up a decent crew to sail the ship. But Jack assured her that he could manage until they got there, telling her to remain at the helm and keep them going 'straight'. Zoe was having a bit of a hard time with that instruction though, as when everything around is just blue ocean, it's hard to go straight.

"A little to the east, luv. We're drifting a bit." Jack called up to her. Zoe shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot before turning the helm, and she jumped when the main boom moved along with it. Jack laughed at her reaction, walking up to the helm where she stood, gazing out over the water.

"The Black Pearl." Zoe tested the ship's name on her tongue. "I like it. It's fearsome, yet sweet. Like a kitten."

Jack spun. "Like a kitten?" He snorted. "My ship is much more fearsome than a kitten."

"Some might think so. Others might not." Zoe teased him, playfully nudging an elbow into his ribs.

Jack groaned. "I need a drink. A- Where is it?" He stopped short and took off, opening the hatch on the deck and descending quickly. "Where could it be- aha!" Zoe listened to his ramblings from above the deck, giggling as she heard a 'thunk' and a muttered curse.

When Jack finally came back to the deck, he had four jugs in his hands. He kicked the trapdoor back down, and jogged up the stairs to the helm. He set the bottles on the ground, and held one to Zoe. "Consider it a gift."

"What is it?" Zoe asked, shaking the contents suspiciously.

"Rum. Good ol' rum." Jack opened the bottle and placed the spout into his mouth before gulping some of it down, relishing in the all too familiar feel of the liquid burning down his throat. Determined to not be the scared, shy girl anymore, Zoe tipped the bottle back, letting some of the liquid run down her throat. Immediately, she was coughing and her eyes burned.

"That is disgusting, Jack!" She exclaimed, wiping off of her mouth. Jack let out a hearty laugh, taking another long swig of the drink in his hand.

"You get used to it." He told her, eyes twinkling with laughter. Zoe wrinkled her nose.

"Well I'll have to get used to it a different today, because I want to remember today." Zoe told him, setting the open bottle of rum on the deck near the helm.

"It is quite a nice day, isn't it?" Jack commented, looking out at the clear blue sky and endless water.

"That's not what I meant, Jack. This… this is amazing. I never imagined it could be this wonderful out here. The trip from Italy was stormy and crowded, and we were only allowed on deck once or twice." Zoe explained, holding onto the railing of the deck and letting the saltwater spray hit her face as the sliced through the water. "This ship is quite fast, isn't it?"

"Indeed. Fastest in the Caribbean, I'd wager." Jack replied.

Nodding, Zoe smiled. "Thank you for this."

"No problem luv. Sailing the sea alone can be maddening, and you looked lonely yourself in that town. It's always good to make new friends. Unless of course, those friends are trying to kill you. But then again, then they wouldn't be your friend. Would they? I-"

"I get it, Jack." Zoe chuckled as she turned away from the railing. "So this Tortuga place… What is it exactly?"