The Pearl rocked gently amongst the shoal, the rhythm of the waves breaking on its sides lulling me into a sense of security. I had gotten used to the motions of the water since I snuck aboard, the stillness of solid ground now seeming foreign to me. The time spent on the island had been very unsettling and I was glad to be back at sea.

I sensed his presence before I felt him sit next to me, settling himself back against the railing and nudging me with his shoulder. "A penny for your thoughts, love."

I smiled at the expression and kept my eyes closed as I answered, enjoying the feel of the sun on my cheeks. "I was just thinking how odd it is that I'm already so accustomed to being at sea. I didn't like the beach. It was too still."

"The feelings of a born pirate, those. We'll make a decent seaman out of you yet."

"Seawoman, you mean."

"Aye. And what a fine one, at that." I opened my eyes, and saw him playing with the cloth that bound his hand. I don't think I was meant to hear that, and I didn't reply, letting him keep his whispered confession to himself.

"Are you worried?"

"'Bout what love?"

I took his hand in my own and unwound the cloth, one eye on his face to judge his reaction. He stayed silent, letting me unwind the cloth, watching me all the while. "This." I ran my finger along the edge of the mark, and he breathed deeply, using his other hand to stop my wandering fingers as he made a fist around the blemish.

"Best not tempt fate, eh?" He took the cloth back from me and fastened it over his palm once again, and stood. "We outghta get a move on if we want to get where we're goin. You comin'?"

"Where are we goin, Jack? You've never said."

"An old friend of mine. Hopefully she can be of help. More than a touch crazy, but usefull none the less."

"Right." I stood, stretching out my sore muscles, and brushed the dirt off of my pants. "Let's go make us a visit, then."

_

It was quiet as we made our way upriver, the sounds of the paddles dipping through the water the only source of noise. I shifted uncomfotably in the tiny rowboat, and frowned. The forest surrounding the river was making me edgy. It was waiting for something. And I wasn't keen on being around when whatever it was made it's apperance.

Gibbs, Will, Pintell and Ragetti were in the boat with me, following behind Jack and a few other crewman in another. I did my best to ignore the trees and kept my gaze on Jack. Even if he was a ways ahead, just knowing he was a short swim away was comforting.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" Gibbs looked at me, and I stayed silent, ignoring the question as it wasn't my place to answer, and Gibbs sighed heavily turning his attention back to Will. "There's a beast that they say does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome beast with giant tentales that'll suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness. The Kraken." He shuddered, looking at Will omniously as he continued. "Imagine the last thing you know on Gods green earth is the roar of the kraken, and the reeking odor of 1,000 rotting corpses. I mean, if you believe such things."

"And the key will spare him that?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Now, that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit...her."

"You know who he's seeing then?" All eyes turned to me, and I blushed. "What? Like none of you are curious?"

"Aye, I know her, lass. Not one you want to anger, she ain't, so watch yerselves. But give her no trouble, and it'll be fine."

We traveled a while longer, and it was dark by the time we stopped by a lone cabin. Jack turned at the door, looking back as we all climbed out of the boats and onto the small porch. "No worries mates. Tia and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseperable, we are. Were. Have been, Before." He trailed off with a weird look on his face.

"I'll watch yer back." Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder and Jack leaned down a bit, lowering his voice. "It's me front I'm worried about."

I worked my way up to him, following him in, with the rest of the men behind us, leaving poor Cotton to mind the boats by himself. I gripped Jacks hand as we made our way further into the tiny cabin, doding hanging containers filled with...well, I wasn't quite sure and I wasn't in a hurry to find out. The atmosphere inside was worse than out. I'd find no relief from the dark feelings in here.

"Jack Sparrow!"

"Tia Dalma, darling!"

"I always knew the wind was gonne blow ya back to me one day." A dark woman walked up to us, and she stopped short, looking in my eyes. "You can feel dem, can't ya child? Da spirits." I gripped Jack's hand tighter and he down at me questionally, and I shook my head slightly. "Later."

She watched, smirking, "You're a special one, girl. And you! You have a touch of destny about you, William Turner."

"You know me?"

"You want ta know me."

Jack stepped in front of her, stopping her before she could reach Will. "There will be no knowing here! We've come for help, and were not leaving without it."

She frowned and turned away, heading towards a small table in the back. "Come. Ya know I demand payment."

"I brought payment." I stepped back to make room for Gibbs to hand him a covered cage and frowned. Surely they didn't? He took the cover off as he pulled out his pistol and the monkey screeched, grabbing at the bars. They did. Well, I guess this was a good a way as any to ditch the thing. "Look! An undead monkey!" He shot it, and smiled as the monkey screeched again, flicking it's tail angrily.

Tia took the cage and opened the hatch, releasing him, as the men cried out, grumbling about how long it took them to catch it. "The payment is fair."

Will ignored the comotion, digging in his pocket for the drawing Jack had given him. "We're looking for this. And what it goes to."

Tia looked up sharply, turning her gaze to Jack. "Da compass you bater from me. It cannot lead you to this?"

Jack threw a quick look my way, then inspected his nails, trying to look nonchalant. "Maybe. Why?"

She threw her head back and laughed, the tense lines leaving her face. "I hear ya. Jack Sparrow does not know what he want. Or do ya?" She looked at me again and winked then sat back in her chair, gesturing towards the drawing. "Your key go to a chest. And it's what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

Gibbs leaned forwards, worming his way inbetween Pintell and Ragetti. "What is inside?"

"Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?

"Nothing bad I hope."

Tia ignored the both of them and looked to Gibbs. "You know of Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea. A great sailor until he run afoul of that which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" Tia smiled at Will, caressing his hand. "What indeed."

Gibbs leaned forward a bit more. "The sea?"

"Sums?"

"The dichotomy of good 'n evil."

Jack scoffed at the three of them. "A woman."

"A woman. He fell in love."

"No no no no. I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

Tia sat back again, throwing her hands up aggitated. "Same story, different versoin. All of which are true. You see it was a woman, as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea. Him never stopped lovng her, but the pain it cause him was too much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die."

"What exactly did he put into the chest?"

"Him heart."

"Literally or figuativly?"

Pintell shook his head at Ragetti. "He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest." He pause, looking uncertain. "Could he?"

"It was not worth feeling what small fleeting joy life brings and so him carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide the chest from the world. The key, he keep with him at all times."

Will stood, turning to Jack, and I shrunk back a little at the look on his face. "You knew this."

"I did not. We didn't know where the key was. Now we do. All that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, and you go back to Port Royal and save your bonny lass, eh."

Jack turned to leave, laying his hand on the small of my back, pushing me ahead of him.

"Let me see your hand." He stopped, turning back, and started to raise his hand, smiling bitterly as she raised an eyebrow and gave her the hand she asked for, letting her take off the cloth binding.

Gibbs gasped aloud. "The black spot!" He brushed off his chest, spit on the floor and spun, Ragetti and Pintell copying him. Jack rolled his eyes and Tia dropped his hand, walking towards a back room. "I have just the thing." I grabbed the cloth and rewrapped it for him, ignoring everyodys eyes on me. A crashing made them look away, and Tia's voive floated out of the room she disappeared in. "My little beauty, where are you.. Such a long time in such a mess."

She walked back in holding a large jar. "Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every 10 years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you."

He took the jar and looked at it doubtfully. "Dirt. This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes."

"Is this jar of dirt going to help?"

Tia cocked out a hip and scowled. "If you don't want it, give it back."

"No."

"Then it helps."

I stared at the jar, narrowing my eyes. It wasn't normal dirt, I was certain of that. I looked up and Tia clucked at me. "You cannot ignore them forever, child. Da spirits do not like to be ignored."

Jack and Will both frowned at me, and Will looked away first, turning back to Tia. "It seems we have a need to find the flying dutchman."

She dipped her head once, and grabbed a handful bones, mostly crab claws, and threw them on the table. "A touch of destiny!" She studied them briefly and looked up, smiling. "It seems you have a heading, Jack."