Lettice wiped her face of the water uselessly as the mixture of rain and salt water soaked her. The Interceptor crashed through wave after wave, sending Lettice toppling over more than once or twice.

She clinged to the rigging as her, Gibbs and Will gave their best efforts to keep them in place. A salty wave charged into them, sending Lettice flying backwards, salt water filling her nose, eyes and mouth. She felt herself hit the deck as the wave washed back out, the only feeling in her was that she was still holding tightly to the rope, the fear of being washed overboard and being lost to Davy Jones too great to let go.

She stood up with Gibbs and Will and the three ran to adjust the ropes, her heart beating wildly. The adrenaline of the storm filled her entire being, it was as though the lightening had charged her, she couldn't help the wild grin on her face.

'How can we sail to an island that nobody can find, with a compass that doesn't work?' Will bellowed above the shrieking storm.

'Aye, the compass doesn't point north, but we're not trying to find north, are we?' Gibbs replied, the excitement that only comes when a sailor begins a story in his eyes.

Lettice, making sure she had a firm grip on the rope, looked up at Jack with intrigue. His face was determined as his eyes flickered from the compass to the wheel. Lettice's mind was burning with questions, although this did not seem the time.

Gibbs stumbled up the steps towards Jack and, timing herself with the fierce waves, Lettice followed quickly.

'We should drop canvas, Sir!' Gibbs suggested, Lettice quickly grabbing his arm and holding him upright as he stumbled.

'She can hold a bit longer,' Jack replied, his voice rough with salt, but his eyes gleaming with exhilaration. The look on his face made Lettice's blood burn with excitement. Yes, this was definitely the adventure she had been fighting for.

'What's in yer head that's put ye in such a fine mood, Cap'n?' Gibbs asked, Lettice leaning forward in anticipation of the answer.

'We're catching up.' Jack grinned as a bolt of lightning illuminated his face, his eyes wide as though he was seeking some sort of unseen prey.

The storm passed as soon as it had came, taking all of Lettice's energy with it. She had not slept much since they had left Tortuga. She was reminded of how little she had eaten as well when her stomach growled fiercely.

She wondered how Jack did it, she had not seen him eat nor sleep once since they had arrived, and yet he was still standing strong at the helm, one hand resting easily on one of the spokes of the wheel, the other gripping the compass. It was almost as if he got his energy from the sea, as though he was born from it and he would always be at one with it, Lettice thought, he embodied the sea.

She leant on the rail next to Gibbs, her mind a flurry of questions. She had so much to ask, but one was burning through the others.

'Gibbs,' she began quietly, 'the pirates, there's something… wrong with them, isn't there?' she asked, hesitating in her wording.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her. 'And what do yer mean by that, lass?'

She sighed. 'In Port Royal, the pirates weren't dying. I know I sound like I'm going insane, but I know they received blows that would kill any man more than once, and yet they did not die.' She awaited the laughter and him telling her that she was mad, but it did not come.

'Aye missy, they be cursed men. It's said they can't die, but they be dead on the inside if ye ask me. Can't quench a thirst no matter how much they drink, can't fill their bellies even if they ate a whole horse, can't feel anythin' but the emptiness in their bones. It's a fate worse than death, to be sure,' he said, looking out at the eerily foggy ocean.

Lettice rubbed her forehead slightly as she mulled this over. If she had not seen what she had seen, she would not have believed one word, she would have put it down to being a mere sailor's tale, but she was sure the men in Port Royal weren't dying no matter how many times her sword penetrated their cold hearts.

'And this curse, how did they get put under it?' she asked, her fascination rising.

This time, Gibbs turned from the railing to face her properly, his eyes alight and a story dripping from his tongue.

'Ah, the treasure of the Isla de Muerta, lass.' He paused, looking to see if she was paying attention, and when he was satisfied she was, he continued. 'They say eight hundred and eighty-two identical pieces of Aztec gold we're delivered to Cortéz himself. Blood money, so they say, to stem the slaughter he unleashed upon them. But Cortéz was not a givin' man, lass, far from it, his greed was unquenchable, and so a terrible curse was put upon the gold. Any man who took one single piece would be under the curse forever more unless every single piece found its way back to the stone chest and every drop of blood was replaced. Now, it was only believed to be a ghost story, a tall tale if ye like, until Barbossa's men went after it. They took every piece before they realized what they had brought upon themselves.'

Lettice's eyes widened, it didn't take long to put two and two together. Will's pirate medallion, it had to be what they were after – Cortéz's gold.

Cotton's parrot sang out, 'Dead man tells no tales!' interrupting Lettice from her frantic thoughts. Will had joined her and Gibbs by the railing now along with almost every other sailor, each one looking out at the eerie waters.

'Puts a chill in the bones, how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage,' Gibbs said, breaking the ghostly silence.

'Can't have been too honest, coming here,' Lettice said quietly, looking around at the shipwrecks surrounding the Interceptor.

Will looked up to see Jack look at his compass once again, though this time Mr. Cotton stood close by, Jack looking slightly uncomfortable.

Gibbs began to walk away from the railing, Will following him quickly. Lettice, not wanting to miss the conversation if it was anything like what Gibbs had just told her, followed behind.

'How is it that Jack came by that compass?' Will asked.

'Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow 'fore he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. That was before I'd met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl.'

'What?' Lettice and Will asked, shock on both of their faces. Gibbs, realizing his blunder of mentioning it, slowly lowered his drink.

'How long ago was this, Mr. Gibbs?' Lettice asked, trying to ease the shock from her face. He can't have sunk the Dauntless, with everyone she had come to love on it, could he?

'About 10 years ago, I reckon,' Gibbs said, his face thoughtful.

She exhaled, her stomach easing a bit, he was not in control of the Pearl when it had sunk what she had come to think of as family.

'He failed to mention that,' Will said, slightly astounded.

'Aye, he plays things closer to the vest now,' Gibbs said quickly, 'an' a hard-learned lesson it was. See, three days out into the venture, the first mate comes to 'im and says, 'Everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too.' So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny.'

Will furrowed his brow at him as Lettice gave a soft murmur of, 'Oh, Jack.' She looked up to see him standing behind the wheel, her eyes soft with empathy.

'They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die. But not before he's gone mad with the heat,' Gibbs continued, leaning forwards as he got further into the story.

'Ah, so that's the reason for all the…' Will said, and widened his eyes, leaned back and gestured wildly with his hands.

'Reason's got nothin' to do with it.' Gibbs said darkly, his voice grim. He proceeded to sit down and Lettice and Will copied, the intrigue clear on both of there faces.

'Now, Will, Etta, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Now that won't do much good hunting, nor to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol start to look real friendly. But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that single shot. Oh, he won't use it though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate.'

'Barbossa,' Lettice said, leaning forward to catch more of Gibbs's words.

'Aye,' Gibbs nodded.

'How did Jack get off the island?' Will asked, his brow furrowed once again.

'Well, I'll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows, and waited there for three days and three nights, till all manner of sea creature came acclimated to his presence. An' on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together, and made a raft!' Gibbs said, his eyes shockingly blue as excitement filled them.

'He roped a couple of sea turtles.' Will repeated skeptically. Lettice frowned, the story Gibbs had told her before seemed true enough and she had seen Jack Sparrow's mind at work – he was indeed geniusly mad, but sea turtles seemed a stretch too far.

'Aye, sea turtles,' Gibbs confirmed.

'What did he use for rope?' Will asked. Gibbs opened his mouth too reply, but found himself at a loss for an answer.

'Human hair,' Jack said, causing Lettice to jump in surprise, 'from my back.' Lettice wrinkled her nose, not sure whether to gag or laugh. 'Lower the anchor line!' he shouted, 'young Mr Turner and I are to go ashore.'

Lettice quickly stood to follow, her eyebrows furrowed. 'And I am to stay here?' she asked.

Will grabbed her arm causing her to spin around and face him. 'Etta, please, just stay here. For me. I will not let them take both Elizabeth and you.'

She opened her mouth to shout at him again, but the sincere look of pain and care on his face made her stop. Instead she turned to Jack. 'Captain?' she asked as though whatever he said could decide the fate of her world, to her she supposed it did.

'I hate to say it, love, but the whelp is right,' he said softly, walking to stand in front of her. 'I'm surprised you're still standing with the amount you've slept. You'd be helpin' yourself by stayin' here and resting,' he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheek bone.

Lettice blushed furiously, cursing herself for the red stain now on her cheeks. She heard Jack chuckle and as though it brought her back to her senses, she looked up at him and said, 'as long as you promise I won't miss any adventure.'

He laughed before holding his hand over his heart and saying, 'I swear on pain of death that if anything adventurous is to happen, I will personally fetch you from your slumber and take you to the centre of said adventurous happening.'

She grinned and watched him begin to walk away before a sudden thought struck her. 'Jack,' she said quickly, 'you know about the pirates, don't you, about the curse?' she asked, she knew he would but still had to be sure.

'Aye, that I do. Now go and get some rest.'

She nodded, and mumbled a 'be careful,' before Gibbs walked up to Jack.

'Captain, what if the worst should happen?' he asked.

'Keep to the code.' Jack replied.

'Aye. The code.'

Lettice sent Will a questioning look, but he shrugged his shoulders, a similar look on his face.

Lettice made a mental note to add that to the many things she had to ask Gibbs.

Sorry for the delay! I've been super busy. I hope there aren't any mistakes here, I am extremely tired so it might be awful, but I feel bad leaving you another day with no chapter.

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