Chapter 12: Being bored and hey! A compass!

…

"Why am I back?" Jackie asked once they got to the captain's quarters. "Why isn't he here? What happened?"

"I- we didn't agree to this, sweetie. He did," Angelica said, putting her arm around Jackie.

"But… Whenever you talked about him before, you always said all he cared about was himself! That's why you thought it was weird when he saved you… Why did he do this?" Jackie asked.

"I've never seen Jack like this before," Gibbs said, "He's always been afraid of death and what it has in store for him…"

"I should've have stayed with him. Refused to leave, anything! If it would have helped him…" Jackie exclaimed.

"When he pulled you aside, did he tell you anything that would be useful?" Michael asked Angelica.

"He gave me his compass. And when I told him that I wouldn't let him die, he said, 'That's what I'm hoping for.'" She said, pulling out the compass.

"His compass? Really?" Gibbs asked, excited.

"What's so special about his compass?" Michael asked.

"What's not special about it?" Gibbs asked back, taking the compass and handing it to Michael. "Open it, boy. You'll see why it's so special."

Michael took the compass hesitantly. He opened it, and he and Gibbs looked at it. "It doesn't point north," Michael said. He saw the arrow was pointing straight at Jackie.

"Ah, that it doesn't. It points to what you want most," Gibbs leaned in closer and said is quietly. Michael's mouth opened and he closed the compass so quickly, it almost broke.

"Careful, boy!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"What did you tell him?" Jackie asked, "Why is the compass special?"

"It points to what you want most," Gibbs said, handing the compass to Angelica. "Open it, my dear, tell me where it points."

…

Jack was bored. Is this what Jackie felt like? If it is, I feel sorry we didn't get to her faster, he thought. No one had come to talk to him or shove the map in his face telling him to betray a family secret of probably thirty years. He felt bad fooling his friends and betraying his family.

They'll figure it out, he thought, I gave them the compass, they'll come.

He heard people come down below deck and come towards the brig.

"Well, Jack, are you ready to read the map?" He heard Barbossa ask.

"You mean betray my family name on a level so unspeakable that it doesn't matter if I die because they were going to kill me anyway? Yeah, let's do this," Jack said, getting up.

"No need for sarcasm, Jack. Just read the map," Barbossa said.

"Yeah! I want my treasure!" Pintel exclaimed.

Jack looked at Ragetti, "You gonna say something about stealing my family's treasure, too?" Ragetti shook his head. "Alrighty then," Jack said, "Lemme see the map." Barbossa handed him the map. The letters changed for him, just as they had done for Jackie. He stared at the first sentence. He really was betraying his family, and it didn't feel good. At all.

…

"I want my father! Let me see the compass!" Jackie exclaimed. Gibbs passed her the compass and she opened it eagerly. "You're right! It's not pointing north! Look!" She said, and everyone looked.

"I think that's our heading, Gibbs," Angelica said.

"On it, Ms. Teach. Care to help me, Michael?" Gibbs asked him. Michael smiled and walked out with Gibbs.

"It was weird… Only I could read the map… Can Jack read the map?" Jackie asked her mother.

"Yes. The whole Sparrow blood family can."

"So it was normal to see the letters move and change? I'm not crazy?"

"No, sweetie, you're not crazy."

They sat there in silence until Jackie spoke again: "We have to get him back, Mama."

"I know, Jackie, I know."

…

"Well, Jack? Aren't you going to give me my treasure?" Barbossa asked. He was tired of waiting for Jack to ignore the guilt.

"I have one question, Barbossa. How did you get the map? It was kept under lock and key at my cousin's house," Jack asked.

"Oh, we have our ways," Pintel smiled.

Jack was silent. Out of all of the bad things that had happened to the Sparrow family, this was the worst. And he was the one doing it.

But, he had too. If he didn't, Barbossa would kill anyone to get to the treasure, and none of the Sparrow family would be left.

"Uh… It says to go to Sparrow Cave… that's east of here." Jack handed Barbossa the map and sat down.

"Is that it?"

"No. I want to live to see the treasure. So, once we get there, I'll read the rest of the map. Besides, you've gotta let me get off the guilt cart, mate."

"Fine. Pintel, Ragetti, change course. I'll get Jack his dinner," Barbossa said, and they left.

Jack put his head in his hands, "Please hurry."

…

"They're changing their course! It's going… east!" Jackie ran up to Gibbs.

"He read the map…" Gibbs said, and he cursed under breath.

Jackie's eyes got wide, "Have they…?"

"I don't think so. If I know Jack, I know he only read part of the map," Gibbs said, and Jackie nodded and walked away. "Hopefully I know Jack…" He muttered.

Angelica walked up behind him, "How long until we get there, Mister Gibbs?"

"I don't know. We're following the compass," He answered, and Angelica sighed. "I- the whole crew knows how you feel, Ms. Teach."

"I know… Jack really is a good man, isn't he?"

Gibbs laughed, "Sometimes, he's too good to be a pirate."

Angelica chuckled. "Sometimes I'm too good, too."

"Aren't we all?"

…

Jack was sitting in his cell when Ragetti came down and handed him a bowl of soup. "What's this? Barbossa already gave me my stale bread."

"Well, I thought you might want something better," Ragetti said.

Jack sniffed the soup, and shrugged. He took a bite and smiled, "Yum."

"Good. I'll be back with more tomorrow." Then, Ragetti left.

That wasn't weird at all… Jack thought.

…

Short chapter… Sorry it took so long… I seriously I had no idea what to write… Please review! Please?

Word Count: 1,046