Disclaimer: Blah blah PotC blah blah.

AN: Aaaahhh! Review!! I need reviews!! Here's the next bit! Then review!!

Chapter Five

Nora didn't sleep the rest of the night. She was angry with herself, even though reason told her she didn't have any control over her dreams. She was also feeling a little guilty about her coldness to Jack. After all, he had been worried about her last night. They had been friends once, she recalled, and she had almost let him into her heart. Good thing for her he had left when he did she thought bitterly. What a naïve little girl she'd been. She knew now that Jack loved only one thing: the Sea. Everything else was just…a game.

These thoughts put her in a bad mood, added to the shame she already felt at having shown a sign of weakness around Jack. She knew today would be a long day.

"Nora!" Jack called from the helm.

When she joined him, she couldn't make herself look him in the eye, afraid of what she'd see there. She opted for venom instead, filling her voice with it.

"What?"

Jack seemed to be in the same kind of mood, for he replied in kind. "Well, Miss Williams, need I remind you that you are the only one with the bearings to this island of yours? So if you'd be so kind as to give me further instructions…"

"What if I don't feel like it?" She knew she was being stubborn and unreasonable, but she didn't care. She was angry with herself, and even angrier with Jack for having seen her weakness.

Jack sighed exasperatedly. "What do you expect us to do then, float around in the middle of the Caribbean with supplies running low, waiting for you to decide to give us directions? Why don't you just give me the bearings?"

"If I'm not mistaken," Nora replied heatedly, "you made the exact same blunder about ten years ago, and it lost you your ship. I'm not a fool Jack."

Jack clenched his teeth, his face becoming red with suppressed rage. Nora decided to see how far she could take it.

"Although I don't know why you took all the trouble to get her back, she's barely even seaworthy."

Obviously, she had gone too far. Jack spun around, unsheathing his sword as he did so.

"You'll not be insulting my ship missy." His tone of voice was very dangerous indeed. Nora ignored it and recklessly plowed on.

"I'll speak my mind if I have a liking to."

Before she even realized what was happening, she was locked in battle with Jack. The crew looked on impassively as they fought up and down the ship, from stem to stern. The fight was fierce. Nora had seldom met so worthy an opponent, and she took the opportunity to let go all of her frustrations on this man, who so infuriated her, and yet who knew her better than anyone, possibly more than her father had.

She had always been able to lose herself in the fight, the footwork, the sounds of metal on metal. Her father had considered swordplay an art form, as well as a means of defense, and he had taught it to Nora as such.

Jack caught her and twisted her around, putting the edge of his blade lightly against her neck.

"What's gotten into ye, eh love?" he asked. "This isn't about last night, is it?"

"What if it is?"

Nora shoved him back and spun out of his grasp, and the fighting started again.

Finally, she knocked the blade out of his hand, and sent him sprawling across the deck. She could barely contain her satisfaction at having beaten him as she put her own blade against his throat. He merely looked at her, still very angry. She quelled a smile.

"Northwest for, oh…" she did a few quick calculations in her head "…about an hour. Then head due West." She turned around, intending to head back to her cabin. She was stopped when a rough hand grabbed her by the arm. She tried to hit him with her other hand, but Jack suddenly had both her hands behind her back, and was steering her to his cabin.

"We need to have a little talk, love." Jack hissed into her ear provocatively, sending shivers down her spine. She mentally kicked herself for her reaction. She'd never been so close to him before, and she (very grudgingly) realized that she liked it. She couldn't believe she was still having these thoughts, after all these years!

Before they could get far, however, a blast resounded dangerously close to the Pearl.

"Bloody Hell!" yelled Jack. "Who's supposed to be on lookout?!"

Nora, freed from his grasp ran to the starboard side of the ship. She cursed under her breath. It was the Conqueror.