AN:Yo. Got a lot of suspended classes so I got the chance to catch up with the story and all. Hope you like this one and hope you R&R. Enjoy!

"Go to your father's grave and use your name to look for my home. If you are who I think you are then you'll surely find it." - mysterious man

Chapter 11 - Her Father's Grave

Carrie felt time fly past her so quickly that before she knew it, they were sliding in between two other ships onto the docks of the infamous island, Tortuga. Jack ordered Gibbs and Carter to keep an eye on the ship while he told the rest of his men to relax for the night. The crew were glad to have a break and couldn't wait to get onto land and find some special company or some tavern with lots of mugs of rum. Marine looked just as eager to get on land and look for the man she spoke of. Before they saw the island, Carrie and Marine were sitting together up at the crow's nest and simply sharing each other's experiences on the world of pirates.

"So that was why I was a person who existed in this world even if I wasn't in this world physically. If that made any sense at all." Marine finished. "I didn't tell you about it because at the time I assumed that it was what it was; just a simple dream. I ignored them and just let them come when they do come. I only gave them importance when I came to this world." She added. Carrie nodded slowly then looked up at the sky.

"It makes sense to me. What I don't get is how it happened. I mean, how did you manage to be in two places; two different alternative worlds at once?" Marine shrugged in reply.

"Who knows? That's probably one of the mysteries of life that we'll never have an answer for."

"Do you think this man, the man you said had lots of knowledge in the supernatural, has any idea of what happened to you?"

"I don't know. I'm more worried of the fact that we might not even meet him here. News of him just came to my ears during one of the many times I've been at taverns with the other men. I only have a name and a vague idea of where he lives. There is a very big possibility that we won't find him in Tortuga." She explained. Carrie frowned at this.

"What are you going to do if you can't find the man?" She asked her. Marine closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the post, and reveled in the quiet, peaceful breeze that brushed past them and played with the strands of both women's hair. Once the wind had passed, she looked back at Carrie.

"I don't know." She murmured softly. Another strong gust of wind brushed past the two women, filling up the silence that engulfed them. Carrie stared at her best friend for a short while before looking back at the sky. It felt strange to her to hear one of the people she admired the most say that she wasn't as all-knowing as she turned out to be. It was never spoken out loud, but Marine, otherwise known to her as Vanessa, knew a lot more than Carrie ever would. But there were still expectations in Carrie on just how much Marine should know. It disappointed her a little to find that she couldn't depend on her for answers any longer. After a while Marine stood up and began to climb down the ropes.

"I think I see Tortuga ahead. Let's go down and see if we can do something to help speed things up." She said. Carrie nodded in agreement and gingerly climbed after Marine to the deck.

Jack's crew were busy placing the plank in between the ship and the port as everyone gathered close on deck. Everyone, even Carrie and Elizabeth brought along with them weapons in case someone would attack them during their stay in Tortuga. It wouldn't surprise them it if does happen. Marine kept the dagger she's been using at Port Nassau and planned to put it aside as soon as she got to her home. She turned around to face the others.

"Before I go look for this man, I have to go home and fix myself up. So if you don't want to come along with me I suggest you stay at the Faithful Bride and wait for me there." Jack rubbed his chin with his hand in a thoughtful manner.

"Wait at the tavern, and miss this chance to see what Sharpshooter Marine's-otherwise known as Maria-home looks like? Never!" He said with a grin on his face. Carrie nodded vigorously in agreement, wondering what Marine's home in this world looked like. Marine simply shrugged in reply and turned eagerly ahead as they heard the plank plop onto the cobblestone ground ashore. Jack clapped his hands cheerfully and was about to take a step forward when he remembered something and looked back at the group.

"Are you lot coming ashore with us?" Jack asked Norrington and the others.

"Of course we're coming! We're worried about Marine and we want to know how you plan to get rid of that other Marine." Elizabeth said, with Will nodding in agreement. Jones gave a soft mumble and a look that said he was coming too.

"I might as well come along and find out for myself just what exactly is going on." Norrington said when everyone looked at him expectantly. It was Jack's turn to shrug before walking down the plank onto the unmoving ground while the rest of his crew were still making last minute adjustments on the ship. Marine moved ahead of Jack and made her way through the rowdy streets towards the silent ones with knowing steps. Jack and the rest followed her behind.

It was Carrie's first time to actually see Tortuga in the flesh so she was amazed at everything she saw. It was everything that she had imagined and more. Drunken pirates and thugs walked along the streets, sometimes holding a bottle of rum, sometimes with an arm around two whores who were giggling and flirting with the men. She could hear a lot of shouts, laughter, gunshots and sword fights within alleyways and inside the lit taverns that reeked of sweat, rum and blood. She wrinkled her nose at the smell but didn't put much attention to them. Marine was walking beside her and smiled when she saw the young woman's face.

"It's everything you've imagined isn't it? Even I had to believe that I wasn't in a studio of some sort when I was here." She told her softly so that the others couldn't hear. Carrie looked at Marine and grinned.

"Can we go into one of the taverns later? I wanna see what it looks like inside and feel what it's like to be part of a pirate crew." Marine frowned at that and avoided Carrie's hopeful gaze.

"Uh...well maybe later...if you know, we're not busy and all." She muttered. Carrie didn't take note of Marine's face and smiled excitedly, thinking that she would get a chance to go into one of the taverns and watch pirates fight each other. They went on through the streets past all of the taverns, inns and brothels towards a much quieter and much darker-looking part of Tortuga where only the moonlight guided their path. It was where the rich men lived in great mansions and well-tended gardens. Everyone but Jack, Jones and Marine gaped at the lots they passed by.

"I never knew that there was such a part as this in a town like Tortuga." Will said as he noted a beautifully sculpted statue positioned at the center of the open garden of one of the houses. Marine gave a dry, sardonic chuckle at that.

"There isn't one like it in the whole of the Caribbean. This is Tortuga; the island where pirates, thugs, thieves and criminals roam freely without any fear of authority. Who do you think lives in those large mansions?" She asked rhetorically. Will quickly understood what Marine meant and looked at the houses in a new light. How many valuable, priceless things were stolen, how many innocent men were killed for these men to afford the luxury that they now posses? Carrie grimaced at them and decided that they weren't as beautiful as they first seemed to be. Jones looked at one and shook his head regretfully from side to side.

"Such a waste of money. To simply buy large, showy ornaments that aren't even useful to only one man or a couple of them."

"That's the point of stealing that much; of risking it all." Jack replied in an emotionless tone. "It's all just for show to impress others who can't afford the same things." They passed all of these houses in a melancholic mood and were glad to see the end of it up ahead. As they moved on through the path, they saw a large group of men crowding around in front of them. The shortest of them, supposedly the leader of that group, took one step forward and pointed at Jack's group with his drawn sword.

"There he is! After him!" He shouted. The men surrounding the leader gave a loud, blood-thirsty roar and charged after them. The ground shook with their heavy footsteps as they ran towards the group. Norrington and Will were about to unsheath their swords when both Jack and Marine turned around the other way and began running away. The others looked at them in question but had no time to ask as the other men were slowly getting nearer. They followed behind Jack and Marine and heard their argument over the noise of the crowd behind them.

"What the hell did you do to them Sparrow?!"

"I don't remember! I probably stole something that they consider valuable."

"You stole something from the richest man in Tortuga?! Are you mad?! That man practically owns Tortuga with all that money he has."

"Actually, I am! Haven't you heard of Gibb's term, 'daft as Jack'?"

"You're daft alright. As daft as blazing, bloody, friggin' Norrington crossdressing as a prostitute and looking for a Navy officer to sleep with him in the governor's mansion while the governor himself is out looking for pleasurable company!" Jack paused to ponder on how Marine managed to say that long sentence in one breath while running around then shook his head and got back to where they left off.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Since when do you not make sense of something?! You're the one always twisting your words around and confusing people."

If the others weren't running as fast as they could from armed and dangerous men, they would have been amused with the ongoing argument of the two pirates. But since they were placed in that situation, all they could think of was to run and stay alive for as long as possible. While they were running, another group of men crowded around in front of them and raised their swords excitedly.

"There she is! After her!" Marine felt like she was doing reruns over and over again as she and Jack pivoted to the right and ran through the dark alleyways. Will and the others were still following right behind them. Once more, another argument ensued.

"Oh and what was that Maria? What did you do to them?"

"I didn't do anything! Unlike you Sparrow, I remember the things I actually do."

"Well apparently you don't. Because we're being chased after by men who are looking for you for some reason!"

"You're an idiot! It was that other Marine's doing obviously. I don't go around town making trouble."

"Is that so? From the way you look, people would think you're actually the embodiment of trouble!"

"Will you two shut up!" Carrie shouted in between them. "You two got us into this situation now get us out of it!" Marine and Jack looked at each other as they ran side by side. Wheels turned inside minds and plans were slowly formed.

"Everyone follow Jones and head for my house. Sparrow, we're going to have to run separately if we want to get away from these men." Marine said. Jack was taking off his hat and his coat as he ran without a reply to the female pirate. He tossed these to Will who almost didn't catch them.

"Put these on and run as fast as you can. Marine, give me your coat and run with the rest. Go and do whatever it is you need to do in your home and meet us at Gibbs'." He ordered. Marine was about to open her mouth to argue that she could handle escaping from the men and that there was no chance that the men were dumb enough to fall for a simple trick as that, when she saw the seriousness in Jack's eyes. Irritatedly, but grudgingly, she removed the coat she had taken from Port Royal and tossed it to the pirate. Jack used the coat to cover himself and ran away from them at the same time Will did.

"Be careful Will!" Elizabeth cried before Will disappeared around the corner. Marine gave a soft, panting sigh and gestured for the others to follow her towards another direction. Slowly, but surely, they could hear the footsteps fading away. When Norrington risked a glance behind him, he saw with relief that there was no one chasing them any longer. Marine hadn't noticed it; her mind concentrated on the fact that she was running around Tortuga in a modern funeral dress and matching high-heeled shoes. She prayed to god that no one was going to notice how strange her clothing was. Another part of her was worried about Jack and Will as they fought to escape the clutches of the men. But the thought wasn't one of the highest in her list of priorities. For now, they had to go to her home where it was safer than outside.

They began moving back to where the rowdy part of town was; taverns and brothels littered the streets they passed by. Marine figured that if she couldn't take the short way to her home, she might as well take the harder, longer way. Will and the others followed the female pirate in silence while looking about them cautiously. After encountering the two group of men, they weren't so calm and so reassured as they had been before leaving the ship. And it was well that they had been cautious. Because a few minutes after they had began to slow down to a walk, a dark shadow lunged at Marine and slammed her against the wall of a building they were passing by. Marine found herself struggling to bring air into her lungs as two rough but thin hands wrapped themselves around her throat in a tight grip. As old and frail as the man looked, he still had surprisingly incredible strength for one his age. Will and Norrington were quickly on the move. They grabbed a hold of each of the man's arms and tried to pry them away.

"Vanessa!" Carrie cried out as she and Elizabeth stood there in shock. Jones took out his dagger and pointed it behind the man's back. The man ignored the sharp object behind him; his eyes were focused on Marine and Marine only.

"Let her go or we'll stab you through the back!" Jones threatened.

"Go ahead and kill me! As long as I bring this she-devil together with me to Davy Jones' Locker I'll have nothing to lose." The man cried. His dark gray eyes were boring holes into Marine as he glared at her with so much hate. Marine could only struggle and wonder what on earth she did to deserve dying in the hands of this man. "Why did you come back here? You have some nerve to go to Tortuga after I told you never to show yourself to me again! Thomas and I were fools to let you walk alive. You should have died together with the woman whose life you mercilessly took."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Marine managed to gasp. "I don't know any Thomas and I haven't killed any woman in my life!"

"Are you trying to toy with me Clarissa? I haven't lost all of my wits yet! You know what your sins are. Now you must pay for breaking the promise that you made to Thomas in return for your life." He said. As they continued to struggle, the aztec coin tied around Marine's neck became loose and fell to the ground with a soft clink. The man looked down to see what it was and widened his eyes in surprise. He released his hold on Marine and bent down to pick it up while the female pirate fell to the ground and gasped for air. He turned it around in his hands, inspecting the coin from all sides. Marine narrowed her eyes at the man as she rubbed her throat with her hands.

"Give that back!" The man looked down at Marine and furrowed his brows in thought.

"You're...you're not Clarissa." He stated, as if only realizing now that the young woman before her could not possibly be this woman he spoke of.

"I'm not. Give that back to me and I'll consider forgiving you for trying to kill me." She replied hoarsely, wincing at the burning sensation that was throbbing on her throat. Will held her shoulder and arm as she staggered up. Without another word, the man placed the coin in his pocket and began to walk away from them.

"I'll give you back your coin if you can find me. Go to your father's grave and use your name to look for my home. If you are who I think you are then you'll surely find it." He said. Norrington moved to follow him but Marine grabbed his shirt cuffs and pulled him back.

"Let him go. We'll only cause more trouble if we make a scene right here, right now. Don't forget that there are still men out there looking for me." She muttered.

"But what about the coin? Wasn't that a present from your parents?" Carrie asked. Marine closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pain of losing her only last sentimental item from her parents. For now, there were more important things they have to do. Going to her home for safety was the first. Norrington frowned as he watched the strange man walk away and disappear among the shadows but made no move to run after him. Looking at Marine, he pushed her hand away and went on towards the direction where they were heading. Elizabeth went to Marine's other side and looked at her worriedly.

"Are you alright? Can you walk by yourself?" She asked. Marine gently pushed away from Will and managed to stay balanced on her feet. She gave a small smile to Elizabeth and nodded in reply to her question.

"I'll be fine. Let's just go on to my house." She said.

Jack grumbled angrily to himself as he made his way to Gibb's little shack at the corner of the street with Marine's very worn-out coat slung on his shoulder. He had tried to run away from the men chasing him for one and a half hour. He was partly annoyed that they had not given up and impressed that they had ran together with him through the many obstacles he created for them. A wide grin broke on his face as he recalled going across a pig sty. He had gotten out of that without any stain at all while the men chasing him were less fortunate. It made him wonder what the other Marine had done to catch their attentions like a fish on a hook. And wondering about that made him wonder about the events that had crossed his life ever since that day he saved two women from drowning. His life had been nothing but trouble and danger from the moment he arrived in Port Royal to comandeer a ship. He imagined what his life would have been had he not gone on that day.

"No sense dwelling on the past." He muttered to himself. Aside from that he consoled himself with the fact that if he had chosen not to go to Port Royal on that day, he would not have his beloved Black Pearl under his command. Another part of him added that he would not have such a loyal crew and somewhat loyal friends in the form of Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and Sharpshooter Marine if things had not gone the way they were. He blinked and shook his head of any such thoughts.

"Gods I sound like a woman! I must need rum that badly." He said with a slight shiver. He continued to make his way to Gibb's and saw Will coming from another direction. The young blacksmith looked as if all of the energy in his body had been sucked out of him. He made his way to Gibb's house with Jack's coat and hat in his hands hanging to his sides ungracefully. He was covered in dirt and grime from top to bottom but there were no bruises, cuts or blood to Jack's hidden relief. As Jack felt his mood lighten greatly at the sight of Will, he couldn't help but grin at the other man and swagger towards him with a very casual, drunken-like stride.

"Turner! I see you're back as well! So how did you fare with my lovely mates?" He asked. Will looked at him grimly.

"We went to one of the taverns, gambled, sang ridiculous songs, drank rum, and gave each other incredibly priceless gifts." He replied sarcastically. Jack frowned at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to drink rum?! And give me back my coat and hat!" He demanded. Will sighed and shook his head in disbelief as he tossed Jack's things to him and went ahead of the pirate. Jack grabbed his precious articles with great care then wore them on. After he did so, while being reminded of the lack of rum in his system at present, he walked behind Will in a less cheery mood. They arrived at Gibb's small home and found Marine and the others already waiting for them. Elizabeth rushed into Will's arms as the two men walked through the door and gave him a warm hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" She said. Will smiled and returned the hug with equal warmth. Marine walked towards Jack with a small relieved smile. She was starting to get worried when neither Jack nor Will appeared for a long time. When the pirate saw her, he immediately stepped back and held up his hands warily.

"You're not going to hug me are you?" He asked. Marine narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't be so full of yourself Sparrow." She replied as she moved past him to close the door. Jack dropped his hands to his sides and grinned sheepishly at her. Marine, he noticed, looked much better compared to when he last saw her. She was definitely and gratefully cleaner; her black, spiked hair looked shinier than usual. He had not noticed what she had worn underneath the coat but he knew that it was not the one she was wearing now. Her ensemble was similar to the one before, except for the fact that she had purposely ripped the lower half of her vest and cut short the sleeves of her white shirt. The blue bandanna she used to wear around her neck had now been turned into armbands on both her arms. Carrie had changed her appearance too. Instead of her futuristic clothes, she wore a simple sailor's shirt and a pair of brown breeches. He was looking at them both while the others began speaking again.

"So where do we start looking for this man?" Will asked.

"What about the man I was supposed to look for?" Jones asked them. "Shouldn't we find him as well before the other Marine gets the chance to catch him?" Marine walked back towards the group and grabbed her old coat from Jack as she passed by. Then she pressed a finger to her chin and nodded thoughtfully.

"We can split up and ask around for both men at the same time. I don't know the name of the man I'm looking for, but I'm sure a man with a very profound knowledge of the supernatural wouldn't be so hard to find. What's the name of your man Jones?" She asked him.

"It's Cornelius. Cornelius Gashnet." He said.

"Then it's settled. We're going to try and get information on these two men as much as possible. If we get them in person it would be much better. And try avoiding any men you see that seems familiar to you. We wouldn't want to run around Tortuga while being chased by men who want us killed after all." Marine replied. "We can start now and meet back here a few hours later." The others nodded and headed for the door. Marine grabbed Carrie's arm and moved closer to her so that only the two would be able to hear what she was going to say.

"I know you'll plan on going with me so I'm going to say this now. Go with Elizabeth. I have to do something on my own before I look for the man as well and I don't want anyone else knowing about it." She whispered. Before Carrie could open her mouth and argue, Marine had brushed past her and out of the house. She stood there and watched Marine walk away with a sudden strange feeling that something was not entirely right. Carrie's thoughts were cut short when she felt Elizabeth's hand on her shoulder.

"Carrie?" Elizabeth and the others looked at the young woman with worried looks on their faces. Carrie shook her head and smiled at them all.

"It's nothing. I just sort of spaced out back there. Sorry. Let's go now. The quicker we do this, the faster we'll finish." She said. Elizabeth smiled back at her and nodded in agreement as she held Carrie's hand and walked together with her into the streets of Tortuga. Before the group separated, Carrie walked towards Jack and caught his attention.

"Jack. I have a favor to ask of you." She said. The pirate stayed silent, allowing the other woman to go on. "Can you please look for Vanessa and make sure she's alright? I sense something weird going on here and I'm worried about her. You see, before we arrived at her home a while ago, some stranger came and tried to kill her. Then a few minutes later he gave up and took a coin from her. He told her something about going to her father's grave if she wanted to catch him." She explained. For a moment Jack wondered who Vanessa was until he remembered about Marine living in another world under another name. When he remembered, he smiled at Carrie reassuringly as he waved his hand to shoo her away.

"Aye lass, I'll see what I can do about that. Now you go on with Lizzie and the others and enjoy yourself!" He said. "I'm sure your first time in Tortuga will be most satisfying." Carrie looked at Jack for a long moment then nodded slightly to herself and began walking with Elizabeth and Will. Jones moved to a different direction while Norrington went to another. Jack though, had other plans in mind as he made his way through the streets with an enthusiastic, mischievous grin on his face.

The sky was dark and gloomy but there were no signs of the rain appearing anytime soon. A large ship floated on the surface of the water close to the island of Tortuga, far enough that people on land would only see a black dot on the horizon. Everyone on board the ship was silenced with grief and depression. Almost everyone had worn something black that day; none of the pirates owned any full ensemble that would resemble the color. They were all crowded at the bow, before a large wooden box that was about to be carried by two of the strongest men in the crew. They all watched as the box was thrown overboard and fell to the cool, wide sea water. The box floated for a few seconds until it slowly sank deeper and deeper in the depths of the water. Everyone had watched the burial at sea; that is, except for two certain people. One was a man who stood at the sideline with a silent, brooding gaze. A thin mop of black hair sat on his head and cold gray eyes stared at the only other person on the ship whose eyes were not focused on the box and the crowd of pirates.

The young girl stood at the very end of the ship, as far away from the bow as possible. She sat on the ground and leaned her back against the railing, appreciative of the cool gentle sea breeze that brushed her back. She stared at the knife that she held in her hands. It was the last thing she had of her father. And as she looked at its sharp, silver blade, memories of her past crashed onto her one after the other. Most of them were of her father teaching her how to live as a pirate. Some were of her and her father bonding up on the crow's nest or the helm, simply talking about random things. The man watched her but made no move to go to her. He placed his hands inside the pockets of his breeches and looked down at his feet contemplatively.

She didn't want to watch the coffin of her father sink deep into the waters neither was she going to cry and mourn for his death. She didn't want to accept the fact that her father was no longer going to bond with her or teach her everything he knew of living the life of a pirate but she knew that she had to eventually. It was only going to make everything worse if she didn't. When she first heard of the news, sitting on a chair at the Faithful Bride, she said and did nothing at all. Simply stared at her father's first mate and continued to eat the meal that had been placed on her table. Somehow she had sensed it when he left her on the island two weeks ago. They were at the docks, facing each other for a last, supposedly temporary goodbye. Black Jack bend down and pressed his warm lips on her forehead. Then he gave her a hug so tight that she had a hard time breathing. But she didn't care. At that moment she had felt all of her father's love pouring out for her.

"Take good care of yourself love. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always be there with you in your heart. Promise me you'll always move forward."

She promised, but didn't understand the gravity of what she had agreed to until that day his first mate came with the news.

She will move forward. For her father.

Marine stood on the small rowboat she had borrowed from Jack's ship and looked down at the placid waters. The tide had not come in yet; a very fortunate thing for her. It was dark, but the soft glow of the moonlight that casted down from the heavens and reflected against the surface of the water helped a little. She removed her vest, her shirt and her armbands, letting the bandages that were still tied around her chest be the only thing that covered her. She pulled off the boots on her feet and let them adjust to the sudden change of temperature. She had no idea if what she was doing was right or if it was going to work, but something told her that she had to do it.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the trying challenge that faced her, and jumped headfirst into the cold waters with a tiny splash. She lifted her head up into the surface, gave herself a few minutes to get used to the cold water, before diving deeper into the waters. She knew where she was supposed to go. She had marked out the exact spot where they had dropped her father's coffin. But as she swam deeper and deeper, she began to lose the air in her lungs. She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, then swam upwards as quickly as she could before panic would consume her consciousness.

Once she came back to the surface, she gave a loud and rasp gasp. Air immediately went into her lungs to her relief. She floated there for a while, regaining her breath and her strength, before diving once more. But a few more tries later, she still could barely get halfway to where the solid coral reefs were. She held onto the boat and pounded her fist on it in frustration.

"Damn it! Damn this body! Damn that woman." She cursed. If she had been the old Marine, swimming underwater would have been easier than it was now. She knew her body-both from this world and the other-so well. Vanessa Silvestre might be a good fighter but she was no swimmer. Marine on the other hand, had lived her whole life with water and had much more stamina than Vanessa did. She cursed the other Marine, knowing that it was her body and her physical strength that she needed now. In fact, in this world of fighting, danger and adventure, it was the female pirate's body that was going to keep her alive.

She tried to dive a few more times but always she failed to reach the bottom. She didn't know how long she had been going at it but knew that it was long enough to become unhealthy. Her lips were turning a pale bluish-purple and her body was shaking with the cold that kept seeping though her skin. The last time she dived and came back up again, she noticed that there was another boat floating near hers. There was no one on it so she paid it no mind. She turned around to her own boat and found herself staring up at someone sitting with both his boots propped up on the edge.

"Strange, I thought looking for Cornelius Gashnet and this other man are important?" Jack told her with a sly grin. Marine hovered there for a few seconds in shock before recovering herself and moving closer towards the boat.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"I was busy looking for the two men at the Faithful Bride with a mug of rum or two in my hand from time to time, when I recalled Carrie telling me something about you meeting someone who tried to kill you, took away your precious coin from you then told you to go to your father's grave if you wanted to catch him. I, being a man with a great sense of the female intuition, decided to look for you and see what the matter was all about."

"But you had no idea where to look for me."

"That's where you're wrong my dear Maria." He said, raising a finger in a lecturing tone. "I knew your father was a man of the sea. Their graves are usually here, right where they belong. And what a coincidence it was, that when I came aboard the Black Pearl a few minutes earlier, one of my rowboats was discovered missing." Marine looked down in embarrassment. She had not told anyone about her whereabouts; did not want to tell anyone where she was going. Jack looked at her for a full minute then sighed and grabbed her arm.

"Come on into the boat before you get something from being under the water too long. That's an order from your captain." He said. Marine narrowed her eyes at Jack but obliged and hoisted herself up into the boat. She wore her clothes back then was surprised when Jack handed her his coat as well. She smiled at him as she wrapped his coat around her, taking in the smell of his familiar scent gladly. At first neither one said a word and sat there in an awkward silence. Then the pirate scratched the back of his head and looked at the water where Marine had been diving into for a while.

"So do you need help in getting the thing that's under there?" He asked. Marine clutched the coat tight in her hands and pressed her lips together. She wanted to say yes but would feel embarrassed and ashamed of herself if she did. Jack sensed that she was going to say no and sighed while leaning against the other side of the boat.

"You know love, being the supposedly practical, insensitive thinker that you make yourself out to be, asking for help from others when there's no other choice should make perfect sense." Marine flinched, knowing the truth in his words. She looked down at her shivering hands and sighed in resignment.

"Fine. I do need your help." Jack sat up straighter, his gaze now focused on her. Marine turned slightly red at the intense stare of the pirate then looked away as she spoke.

"My father's grave is right below us. Once you get there you'll have to find something that's out of place. I have no idea what it is but if what that man said was right, then you'll find it." She explained. Jack stood up as he removed his shirt, his sash, his effects, his boots and placed his hat on her head.

"Take good care of me hat now Maria. I'll be right back." He said with a wink before diving into the water. Marine sat there and looked over the boat both anxiously and eagerly, waiting for any sign of Jack to appear. Her hands gripped the edge of the boat tightly and she began to feel her whole body shaking with excitement. Once she catches this man, she might get to learn more about her father and what his life was before she had been born. Her father never did mention anything about his past life. Whenever she asked him about it, he would keep his lips tightly shut.

Her thoughts were cut short as she heard the sound of someone gasping for air from behind her. She turned around and saw Jack clutching at the boat tightly. His breath was hoarse and ragged as he sucked in as much air as he could; his chest rising and falling exaggeratedly. In his hand was a small, wooden chest. Marine helped Jack up into the boat and took the box from him while the pirate recovered from his trip. Before doing anything to the chest, she turned to face Jack and hugged him with joy.

"Thank you so much Jack. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're helping me out with this." The pirate stiffened but didn't say anything since he was still short of breath. Marine released her hold on him and looked at the chest in her hand curiously. It was heavier than she expected. She felt something very heavy hidden inside its walls. She tried to open it but found it locked. She frowned but wasn't thrown off by that fact. Once Jack had regained his breath long enough to get a few words out of his mouth and put on his clothes and his effects, he moved behind Marine and peered over her shoulder.

"So? What's inside?"

"I don't know. It's locked. Maybe we can get Will to open it for us." She told him. Jack took out something from his sash as he held out his hand to her.

"Give me that. If you let the whelp handle this he'll just smash the little bugger into pieces. I'll take care of it." He said. Marine raised an eyebrow but didn't feel like arguing with Jack and handed the chest to him. She watched the pirate take out a small lock pick from his red sash and began to play with the lock on the wooden chest. A smile came to her face as she thought of something.

"Did you decide to keep a lock pick with you because you had been locked up in dungeon cells multiple of times during our last adventure together?" She asked with amusement. Jack stopped picking to look up at her for a few seconds before resuming his work.

"Possibly."

"Well I never expected you to learn from something like that easily." Marine mused humorously. "Usually it takes you a long time before you have some kind of revelation." Jack pursed his lips in disapproval but never stopped picking the lock.

"Never assume something based on what you see love."

"I'll keep that in mind." Marine said, still looking at Jack in a funny way. She felt her whole self become light and at ease; as she always does whenever she was with Jack Sparrow. She liked the presence of Jack in her company and like the feeling of being light at heart.

A soft click reached both pirates' ears as Jack made one last twist with the pick. He grinned in triumph as he opened the chest and looked inside. Marine quickly moved to Jack's side and peered together with him. Both stared at each other in confusion as they saw the chest's contents.

"...What do you make of it?" Jack asked her, taking out a piece of rock that was shaped like a star and looking at it from all sides. Marine took out the only other item that was inside the chest and looked at it. It was a map, filled with small drawings of houses and buildings. After a longer look, she realized that she was looking at a very detailed map of Tortuga. Jack looked at it and was familiar with it as well.

"I think this map and my name will take us to the home of the man who took my coin. This rock must probably be a key or a clue to it as well." She said. "We should take it back with us ashore and discuss about it with the others. That way, we can solve this strange puzzle quicker." She added. Jack rubbed his chin for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.

"Aye, that seems to be the most rational plan. Then I shall go to the other boat and together we'll place these two boats back where they rightfully belong. After that we can head for Gibb's and see to this strange map." He said, looking at the chest and its contents with a curious glance. He looked up at Marine and saw her sitting there, under the moonlight, with his hat and his coat wrapped around her. It seemed to him that at that moment, she had become and entirely different entity; most likely that of a beautiful dark goddess whose tanned skin glowed milky white. The fact that his coat and hat were on her gave him a strange sense of arousal. He fought the urge to jump at her and ravish her right there and simply grinned at her as he admired the image before him.

"You know love, you look good wearing my hat and my coat. Maybe I should let you wear it more often." He teased. Marine blushed, hoping that it would be too dark for Jack to see, as she turned away from him and returned the items they took out into the chest. She placed the chest right beside her and tossed his hat and coat back at him before grabbing the oars on the sides of the boat.

"Forget it. You're not going to get me into your bed like that Sparrow. I'm no lovesick fool you can use your charm on." Jack caught the two articles of clothing in one hand, all the while grinning at Marine.

"Are you implying that I can't get you into my bed with that method but I can still get you in bed through some other means?" He asked, wiggling both his eyebrows perversely. Marine gripped the oars in her hand tightly and looked over her shoulder with a scorching gaze.

"If you're not out of this boat by the count of three I will smack you senseless with this oar and throw you into the waters. One...two..." She never finished her counting because as soon as she started Jack practically lunged to the other boat as if he was being chased by the tribe of cannibals during the second movie. A smug smile grew on her lips as she watched Jack grumble and fumble with the oars on his boat. Then she began to row the boat, and was followed after by Jack to the Black Pearl.