A/N- So thank you to those who reviewed and to the others who read… yes I know you are out there. So ya, enjoy this chapter. I'll be working on the next chapter because I have plenty of candy to last me a while… HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!!!!

O ya, and remember to review!

Rylie D- Well I am honored that I am the first fanfic for POTC to catch your eye. Val is me in a way because I am also the athletic person who complains if I have to dress up. I must admit though that some school things like Prom are fun to dress up for, but that's different from everyday dressing up. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

Cassie- Thank you! Thanks for even reading my story if you don't really like OCs…

"Val wake up! I have some food for you." Ana said through Val's door. Val groggily flipped her covers off of her body and stretched. "Took you long enough." Ana said as she walked in after Val's door.

"Shut up." Val groaned. "I don't know why, but I slept better on the ship than I did at Will and Lizzy's."

"You have the ocean here that lulls you to sleep." Ana said, waving her hand in the hair when she said "lull". Val laughed at Ana's antics and started eating her food. "So you and Jack are back on good terms."

"Ya, we're friends. Though I still don't trust him as much as I used to anymore." Val answered.

"Understandable. Now are you going to take over some more chores again?" Ana asked.

"What do you need me to do?" Val answered; she got up and looked through the clothes that she had brought back. She had unpacked in the middle of the night when she had woken up for no reason.

"I see Elizabeth slipped in a dress or two." Ana noted as she watched Val. Val just nodded and pulled out a loose poet's shirt and some black pants. "Anyways, there's not much to do right now. I guess you could be a look out or something for the time being. Gibbs has some newbies cleaning the ship right now and Jack is going over maps. Miles is still cooking and that's about it."

"Well then, it looks like I get to stay in here and write. I'll probably come out and look out for a little bit. Tommy is still up in the crow's nest most of the time?"

"Aye, he is unless he's hungry. Then he comes down. Going to steal is job?" Ana asked.

"I was thinking of stealing yours and Jack's actually. I liked steering the boat." Val answered. "I mean ship." She caught her mistake, making Ana laugh. "Why aren't I considered a newbie?"

"You're closer to Jack, Gibbs, and I than many of the men for one thing. Plus, we picked these guys up in Tortuga, so they are newer than you. Why? You want to go clean the decks?"

"No, definitely not. They can have that job."

The next few days went by slowly. Val would either sit up in the crow's nest as Tommy ate or she would find another place to just sit and relax. She tried to help Jack once, but since she had no clue how to navigate a ship she just got in the way and got Jack annoyed. But she did have to admit it was pretty funny watching Jack try and control his temper.

"Jack! There are people comin'" Tommy called from the crow's nest. Knowing it was Will and Lizzy, along with Johnny who had been sent to wait for them, Val ran out of her room and onto the side of the boat where they would come up. Jack walked casually up behind Val and watched Johnny pull the little row boat up next to the ship.

"Val! Jack!" Lizzy called when she was up on the deck. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I've been relaxing and being carefree since I don't have to worry about a certain Commodore following me everywhere." Val laughed. Lizzy laughed as well and looked at Jack.

"And you?"

"I'm fine Lizzy. I'm on my ship aren't I?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but where's the rum?" Lizzy asked. Jack growled and turned around to wait for Will to come up. "What did I say?"

"He's mad because the crew has hidden some rum from him and he has yet to find it." Val explained. Lizzy nodded and looked at the railing where Will was coming up. "Hi Will!"

"Hello Ms. Val." Will said.

"If I ever here you call me Ms. Anything again I will hit you. It makes me sound old and stuck up." Val squished her face up in disgust.

"Alright, Jack, has she been driving you crazy?" Will asked.

"Who? Ana or Val?" Jack answered only to be swatted by Val. "She's been great."

"I left him alone after I annoyed him when I was trying to learn how to navigate." Val said.

"I see. So Jack, where are we going to be this time?" Elizabeth asked. Jack suddenly went still and looked around, anywhere except Will and Elizabeth. Val rolled her eyes and stepped up.

"You can take my room. I'll sleep down with the rest of the crew or I'll take the night shift up on the crow's nest." She said.

"You'll what?!" Both Elizabeth and Jack yelled.

"I'll be fine. I'll set up a hammock down with the crew and I'll sleep there. Plus Tommy's not sleeping enough anyways. I think it could help him." Val said with a simple shrug.

"You will not! I should be sleeping down there if anything." Jack said.

"Jack, you need your own room. Plus what about your maps? You can't take them down there!" Val said.

"I'll use them during the day when you're up." Jack said.

"No, you stay in your room. Will, Elizabeth, you take my room. I'll go set up a hammock." Val said, leaving the group before they could try and tell her no again. "Ana! Do you have an extra hammock?"

"Ya, there's one that's empty down below, why? Are Elizabeth and Will staying in your room?" Ana asked.

"Ya, I gave it to them. So, where will I be sleeping?" Val asked. Ana smiled and showed Val the hammock. Val thanked Ana and went back to get some things out of her room and put them back by her hammock.

That night Jack had everyone leave the protective cove they were in. He was happy to be on his ship again and even happier to be out on the open sea and leaving Port Royal. Eventually Val said goodnight to everyone and headed down to her cot and quickly fell asleep.

"Jack, she's asleep." Ana said walking over to where Val was sleeping with Jack and Will right behind her.

"Let's get her then." Jack passed Ana and gently picked Val up and brought her back up to the main deck. "Will, can you open the door for me?" Will did as he was asked and Jack entered his own cabin and laid Val down on his bed. "Goodnight Will." Jack said. The two men walked out of the cabin and separated. Will went back to his cabin and Jack walked down to the crew's quarters to get some sleep.

The next morning Val woke up and snuggled into the pillow that she was currently gripping. "Hm, good little pillow." Val muttered. That's when it hit her. She didn't have a pillow in her hammock… and this bed wasn't swaying like a hammock should have been. "JACK!"

"Morning luv." Jack said with a smile. He stood behind the wheel, turning it every once in a while. "Sleep well?"

"Why did I wake up in your room? Jack?"

"I didn't think it was right for you to be in the hammock so I switched with you. I walked down and brought you up." Jack noticed Val's worried look and sighed before continuing on with his story. "Don't worry; I slept down with the crew. Though I must say that I don't know how they sleep on those things."

"Jack, you're tired. Go back to your room and get some sleep. You'll be grouchy and will bite everyone's head off if you don't." Val said. "I'll take over the helm."

"Alright luv. I'm going to go find some rum though. I will find where they hid all the bloody rum." Jack muttered the end of his statement as he rubbed his head and started walking back over to the crew's quarters.

"Jack! I said your room. You have your rum in your room as well!" Val yelled. Jack waved her off and changed his course to his own cabin.

"Ana, where exactly are we headed?" Val asked turning to Ana who started laughing.

"We are going to see Tia Dalma. She is the one who told Jack where to go to find you." Ana explained.

"O, the voodoo queen?" Val asked. Ana nodded her head and gave her the coordinates to where they were going. Ana stayed with Val as they sailed towards the queen's residence. Later that night Jack emerged from his cabin and walked over to the helm where Ana and Val were talking.

"We have five days till we get to Tia's island. Six days till we see her, Cap'n." Ana said. Jack just nodded and sat down next to the wheel. "I'm going to go to sleep. I'll see you two in the morning." Ana smiled and then walked down to the crew's quarters for the night.

"I can handle the helm tonight Luv, go get some sleep." Jack said, pushing Val away from the wheel. He rubbed his hands over the wheel and examined it as though something might be wrong with it.

"I didn't do anything to it Jack and I'm actually not all that tired. I was thinking that I could just stay out here tonight." Val answered. She jumped up onto a counter that was behind the helm. "So this, Ti Dalma, she said to come find me and I could help find some treasure?"

"Aye she did." Jack answered. He looked like the proud pirate captain that Val had first seen when she came onto this ship. She smiled at the thought, she was scared and Jack was just so… well Jack.

"You want me to find the rum for you?" Val asked suddenly.

"Why would you do that? I thought you hated the rum after…"

"I do, but I can see you it's bothering you so much. It is not good to have a grumpy captain, much less a grumpy pirate captain." Val explained. Jack was still looking at her awkwardly, like he did not believe her. "It will take me a few days. Maybe all the way till we reach Tia Dalma's, but I bet I can find it."

"I'm still not so sure." Jack said suspiciously. "How can I trust you?"

"Have I ever lied or deceived you?"

"Aye, but…"

"Jack, come on! I'll make you a deal. I'll find out where the rum is, but I'll let you act like you were the one who discovered it." Val said.

"You've got yourself a deal luv." Jack said with a grin. "Now hurry! I want me rum!" Val smiled and shook her head before she went back down to the crew's quarters. Ana was sitting in her hammock drinking some rum when Val came in. A couple of the other crew members were playing cards and laughing at the center of the room.

"Ana! Bring us some more rum!" One of the men yelled and laughed at the same time.

"They're wasted." Val muttered.

"Aye, they are. Go get it your self Donny!" Ana hollered back. The pirate in question, Donny, grumbled as he threw his hand down and got up from the table. He walked over to an empty hammock that was pressed against a wall. The man simply pushed it aside and pulled the plank off the wall. Sure enough there was a large amount of empty and full jugs of rum hidden in the walls.

"You hid the rum in the walls?" Val asked turning to Ana.

"Aye, Jack would never think about pulling back any part of this ship. He thinks he's harming his ship." Ana explained. "Just don't tell him. Otherwise we'll need to find a new place."

"I won't." Val smiled. She wouldn't tell Jack… yet. She'd torture Jack for a few days before dropping hints. She would never straight out tell him, no that would be too easy.

"So why did you come down here? I thought you weren't tired." Ana asked.

"I just needed to move around. I think I'll head back up to the top deck. Maybe relieve Tommy from his duty tonight." Val explained. She said goodnight to Ana and the others and walked back to the top deck where Jack was lazily sitting behind the helm. He straightened up when he saw Val come back up, but Val simply smiled and called Tommy down for the night.