It was a much calmer - ironically given where they likely were - but no less disgruntled group that stumbled onto the white beach, coughing up sea water.

Gibbs squinted against the blinding sun, staring at the massive sand dunes that were all that they could see for miles around unless one counted the equally endless ocean they had just left behind.

"This truly is a god forsaken place." The first mate muttered.

Annalise wiped the water from her face, and she frowned as she also stared at the island they'd been washed up on.

"There's really nothing here. Not even a breeze." She mumbled.

Elizabeth however was scanning the island almost anxiously as she said in a tight voice, "I don't see Jack. I don't see anyone."

"He's here." Barbossa answered as he strode up the beach beside the trio, his wide brimmed hat providing some minor shade for his eyes as he squinted into the distance. "Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took."

"And does it matter?" Will snapped, coming up behind the captain with a fierce scowl on his face. "We're trapped here by your doing. No different than Jack."

Annalise however was staring at Jack the monkey - who was clutching the charts, and she had to admire the cleverness of the creature. The monkey in turn was staring at what appeared to be a trail of crabs that were skittering their way… to Tia Dalma?

Annalise frowned in confusion, her bewilderment only increasing as Tia Dalma stroked one of the white crabs while she said mysteriously, "Witty Jack is closer than you think."

"What do you-?" Annalise began before she fell silent in shock as they saw familiar black sails appearing over the dunes.

"The… the Black Pearl." Annalise stammered as the ship sailed over the dunes, cresting over the edge as if it were sailing the seas instead of somehow pushing its way through sand.

"Impossible." Someone whispered in shock but there was no denying what they were seeing.

They watched in shock as the ship sailed right into the water where, instead of getting stuck in the shallows as it should have, it simply sailed off as though it were a longboat being pushed out into a river.

"Boat." Ragetti said in shock as he pointed at his former ship, his one eye popped wide.

But it was then that they spotted a figure making it's way toward them from behind the ship, sailing back to the beach on a longboat. A very familiar figure.

"Slap me thrice and hand me to my momma." Gibbs breathed, breaking out into a wide smile. "It's Jack!"

Elizabeth also smiled and started forward before jerking to an abrupt halt. Will and Annalise both noticed her reaction, and Will's expression was wooden while Annalise turned her head away, not knowing what to do. Her joy at seeing Jack alive - or rather, breathing like they were - was overshadowed by her confusion and growing unease.

'What if he didn't want me to come?'

The question that had plagued her since Barbossa hatched the rescue plan months ago was now at the forefront of her mind as she watched the crew dash toward Jack, cheering for their former captain.

"It's the Captain!"

"Jack!"

Jack, however, had no hint of any delight or surprise at seeing his former crew. Indeed, with a rather shocking lack of emotion he barked, "Mr. Gibbs!"

"Aye, captain!" Gibbs answered somewhat confusedly, stopping midway to hugging Jack as his captain came to a halt before him.

"I thought so." Jack snapped, causing the entire crew to stop beside Gibbs in equal confusion as the first mate. "I expect you're able to account for your actions then?'

"Sir?" Gibbs asked, completely bewildered.

Jack however continued as though unaware of anything strange as he continued, "There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel. Why? Why is that, sir?!"

"Sir, you're…" Gibbs stammered, glancing at the crew for help before looking back at Jack. "You're in Davy Jones' Locker, cap'n."

Jack twitched before his eyes narrowed and he answered, "I know that. I know where I am. And don't think I don't."

Annalise frowned while Gibbs blinked rapidly, but Barbossa was the one to step up next in the bewildering scene that was playing out before them.

"Jack Sparrow!" He called and Jack actually looked pleased to see his former first mate turned enemy.

"Ah, Hector!" Jack said brightly. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye, Isla de Muerta, remember?" Barbossa answered with a sneer. "You shot me."

Jack paused before he denied, "No I didn't."

He then glanced passed a stone-faced Barbossa and he beamed again.

"Tia Dalma! Out and about, eh?" Jack greeted. "You add an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium."

Tia Dalma's lips curled. Will saved her from having to say anything, potentially scathing, as he stated flatly, "He thinks we're a hallucination."

Jack turned to face him, raised a brow before he sauntered over.

"William, tell me something. Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel? Or rather damsel in distress? Either one."

"No." Will deadpanned and Jack turned to Annalise, who had been beside Will.

"And you, Anna - are you here because you need my help to save a distressed damsel, be it your sister or young William here?"

"No." Annalise answered tightly, wishing it hadn't hurt when he'd called her that pet name again. Or at least, that it hadn't hurt so much.

"Well, then you wouldn't be here, would you?"

The question shocked Annalise, but Jack appeared to be none the wiser and he even watched the way she balked with an almost twisted glee.

"Oh, that's good." Jack nodded. "So good I'd think you were real except if you were the real Anna, you'd have a thing or two to say back to me. So you can't be here. QED, you're not really here!"

Will's eyes narrowed at Jack angrily, but it was Elizabeth who spoke up next.

"Jack."

Jack was still in front of Annalise so she was given a front-row view as Jack's entire expression changed at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. But to her surprise, as he slowly turned to face Elizabeth, it switched from his cocky mockery to almost… fear.

Elizabeth meanwhile powered on determinedly, "This is real. We're here."

Jack raised a finger, his mouth parted; but no words left him as he stared at Elizabeth with what could only be described as shock and… horror. His eyes then swiveled back to stare at Annalise, taking in her skinnier frame from where she had clearly not been eating well and the bags under her eyes from where she had clearly not slept well for weeks. His mouth opened and shut a few more times as though he were imitating a fish before he hurried back to Gibbs.

"The Locker, you say?" He asked in a low voice and Gibbs nodded.

"Aye."

Jack rubbed his forehead, suddenly feeling overwhelmed as he realized he was no longer hallucinating as he had been since arriving in the Locker and reality crashed over him for the first time since his… death.

His horrified thoughts and memories were broken as Elizabeth stepped forward again, saying beseechingly, "We've come to rescue you."

At her words, Jack's expression tightened and he swivelled back around to face the woman who had killed him and whom he would never, even after losing his mind, have hallucinated.

"Have you now?" Jack asked, sarcasm dripping off his every word. "How very kind of you. But it would seem as I possess a ship and you don't, you're the ones in need of rescuin' and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood."

Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief, but Barbossa cut in again with a scoff.

"I see my ship. Right there."

He pointed to the Black Pearl and Annalise shook her head incredulously. She was further in disbelief as Jack peered out to the sea and said in a puzzled tone, "Can't spot it. Must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the Pearl."

"Is this really the time?" Annalise demanded, stepping up to Barbossa at the same time that Will strode up to Jack impatiently.

"Jack!" Will snapped, regaining the captain's attention. "Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones."

"Which means he controls the Flying Dutchman." Annalise added in, standing on Will's side.

"He's taking over the sea." Elizabeth chimed in as she came to a stop beside her sister.

"The song has already been sung." Tia Dalma added as she came up on Will's other side. "The Brethren Court is called."

Jack frowned at the influx of information and he sniffed, "Leave you people alone for just a minute, look what happens! Everything's gone to pot!"

He strode off again and Gibbs called desperately, "Aye, Jack, the world needs you back somethin' fierce!"

"And you need a crew." Will added sharply.

At that, Jack stopped in his tracks and he spun around to face them.

"Why should I sail with any of you?" He demanded, glaring specifically at the five in the front of the crew before his eyes focused on one person. "Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded - with some help from the fifth one of you."

Annalise frowned, puzzled by Jack's accusation. She followed his gaze to her left and she was stunned to find herself looking right at Elizabeth. Her twin's lips parted as though to deny Jack's words… but all words died on her lips as everyone stared at her in shock, and Elizabeth could only shrink back uncomfortably.

Will's gaze was startled and angry; but it was Annalise's that made Elizabeth lower her eyes.

"Lizzie?"

Annalise's voice was small, not daring to believe what she had heard; what her eyes were telling her was written all over Elizabeth's face. Suddenly, her twin's guilt took on a whole different meaning and it almost overwhelmed Annalise. Not once had she ever thought Elizabeth had caused Jack's death; that she had murdered him and then lied to them to get them to abandon him.

Elizabeth didn't lift her gaze, unable to meet her sister's eyes, while Jack raised a brow before his lips curved up into a smirk.

"Oh, she's not told you." He murmured, a dark chuckle escaping him when Will glowered at him. "Then you'll have loads to talk about while you're here."

"Who's the fifth one that helped?" Will demanded, turning back to Jack, and Jack scoffed.

"William, I have nothing more to say to you or your murderess."

Elizabeth cringed while Will's lips folded in anger and Annalise's forehead crinkled; but Jack ignored them as he strode passed, saying to Tia Dalma with some distaste, "As for you-"

Tia Dalma smiled winningly and purred, stroking Jack's beard, "Now, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time."

Annalise's eyes flew back to Jack and Tia Dalma in shock while Barbossa rolled his eyes and Jack's lips quirked into a smile.

"Fine." He conceded. "All right. You're in."

He strode on again, not noticing Annalise's expression as he did - but Tia Dalma did. The witch's expression fell into an impassive but challenging expression as she stared at Annalise until the younger woman met her gaze. The look in Tia Dalma's dark eyes said it all: The past is the past. Will you still challenge me?

Annalise's hands fisted; of course she wouldn't. But it didn't mean it hurt her heart any less, least of all because it appeared Jack was again rejecting her. And for what? Apparently helping her sister in killing him when Annalise certainly had done nothing of the kind.

Jack remained oblivious as he strode passed Ragetti.

"Don't need you, you scare me."

Ragetti lowered his head dejectedly while Jack went on, "Gibbs, you can come. Marty."

Jack grimaced as he passed Pintel.

"Eeee. Cotton!"

Cotton's parrot squawked and Jack paused to squint at the bird.

"Cotton's parrot, I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk to."

He moved on, only to pause again.

"Who are you?" He asked the Singaporian crew, not recognizing any of them.

"Tai Huang." Tai Huang answered, before gesturing to the rest of his crew. "These are my men."

"Where do your allegiances lie?" Jack asked skeptically and Tai Huang didn't even miss a beat.

"With the highest bidder."

Jack looked over his shoulder to the sea, before looking back at Tai Huang.

"I have a ship." He offered.

Tai Huang smiled and he responded, "That makes you the highest bidder."

"Good man." Jack grinned before turning back to the rest of his accepted crew. "Weigh anchor! All hands! Prepare to make sail."

The Singaporian crew and the members of Jack's crew all hurried toward the longboat to get back to the Pearl while Jack clicked open his compass. His face fell at what he saw.

'Really?!' He demanded of himself angrily, before he was interrupted.

"Jack."

Jack snapped his compass shut and his eyes sidled unwillingly over to Barbossa where his former first mate was drumming his fingers on the charts Jack recognized as Sao Feng's navigational charts to the Farthest Gate. The only charts that could possibly get them out of the Locker. And by his cheshire grin, Barbossa knew it.

"Which way you goin', Jack?" Barbossa taunted and on his shoulder, Jack the monkey squealed.

Behind Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti peered at Jack with growing smiles as they realized they were saved after all. On the other side, Elizabeth and Will stared at Jack grimly and Annalise… she was staring out at the sea, refusing to look at him or at Elizabeth.

Jack's teeth clicked audibly as his jaw tightened but he knew when he was beaten.

Annalise was brought rather resentfully back on board by an oddly adamant Barbossa.

Elizabeth hadn't dared to talk to her sister while Will was too angry with Elizabeth to notice much else. Jack had his own reasons for staying clear, even when it seemed Annalise didn't really have the heart to rejoin them aboard the Pearl. But Barbossa was having none of it, claiming she was 'the lucky bird to my lucky monkey' and enjoying the way Jack's eyes tightened at his words even if the pirate captain feigned disinterest.

But even after getting back aboard, she remained near the rails, ignoring everything else even as Jack and Barbossa argued over who was in charge of the ship. An argument that was broken by Pintel's untimely but loud interruption.

Through it all, Annalise just stared out into the ocean.

"Lisa..."

Annalise tensed but she slowly turned to face her sister. Beneath the tan from spending hours in the sun, Elizabeth was pale as she stared at her sister almost pleadingly.

"I… I'm sorry."

"Sorry you killed him or sorry you lied?"

Elizabeth flinched a little at Annalise's harsh tone, and she swallowed before answering.

"I'm sorry I lied."

"Then you're not sorry you killed him." Annalise surmised, staring at her sister with no emotion and speaking in a detached tone that was almost worse than her anger. Elizabeth winced and turned her head in shame but nodded. She had to tell Annalise the truth - she owed her that much after all.

"It saved you and it saved Will." Elizabeth whispered. "The Kraken was after him. It wouldn't have stopped chasing us until he was dead. It was the only way-"

"So you lied?" Annalise asked, still in that detached tone "And you left a man who had come back to save us, to die?"

"I did." Elizabeth took a fortifying breath before she met Annalise's stare squarely once more. "And I can't regret that it saved your life. If it were you, wouldn't you have done the same?"

Annalise shook her head, staring at Elizabeth now with tears slowly filling her eyes.

"Who are you?" She whispered brokenly, piercing Elizabeth's heart at the same time. "The Lizzie I knew would never have done that… and lied. I thought… I thought..."

Annalise's entire expression suddenly fell to reveal the depths of her despair, the heartache she had endured and her anger now. She paused, swallowed and then continued in a low and dark voice.

"To answer your question, Elizabeth, no - I wouldn't have. I'd have let you make your own choices unrestricted, but you clearly did that. With no regard for my own."

With that, Annalise shoved passed her stunned sister, leaving Elizabeth rooted to the spot as she hurried to the stairs leading down from the deck. Most of the crew were too busy bustling about to notice as the dark haired woman weaved her way through them and below deck, but several eyes watched her progress.

Will's dark eyes moved from Annalise to Elizabeth, the expression in them grim and simmering with anger. Tia Dalma's equally dark eyes were contrastingly softer and almost misted with nostalgia as she watched Annalise stride quickly away from her twin, her other half for almost her entire life. Barbossa's light-coloured gaze on the other hand was unreadable as he observed the scene from the wheel.

And Jack… he turned away, pretending he didn't notice or feel any different. And he was certainly unaffected by the tears he had seen starting to fall down Annalise's face before she finally reached the stairs and disappeared below deck. The clenching of his heart was just because he was nervous to be leaving the Locker. That was all.