DISCLAIMER: I don't own PotC, but I envy the guy who does :(

Chapter 6- Threat

The oars moved with ease through the calm ocean water that surrounded the island. Jack stopped rowing as he looked to the horizon, reminiscing about a ship that was once his. The Black Pearl. She was beautiful, Jack knew, and he longed for the time when the sails billowed in the salty wind, the flag was raised, and he stood at the helm, the stern wooden wheel under his hands as he commandeered her. But now he was stuck with a much lesser ship lacking in speed and beauty, The Crusader, a military ship he stole from Port Royal.

Rudely interrupting his thoughts, Will, who sat behind him in the small rowboat, tapped him on the shoulder saying, "Are you going to stare out to sea until this boat rows itself to the shore Jack?"

"No," Jack replied turning his head to look smugly at his crewmate, "I'm going to stare out to sea while you row this boat to the shore".

Will shook his head in annoyance at his Captain, but did not argue the matter. Three other rowboats pulled up along side theirs, two pirates in each, as they looked for a good spot to fish since their food supplies had begun to run low. They had made their way around to the other side of the island, the boats gliding smoothly over the blue water. Again, Will was plagued by a doubt in Jack. Something did not seem to add up, and he decided to question him again. "This treasure, Jack. When are we going to be searching for it? That was the reason we came here, isn't it?" Will asked hoping his Captain would put a stop to his uncertainty.

Jack seemed to come out of his revere as he turned to look once more at him, his dark eyes hiding something as he said with a slight smile, "Well, we found her didn't we?"

Will stared back at him with curiosity. "Alexis?" he said with surprise, "That's who you came here for? Not treasure?".

Sighing, and putting down his oars again, Jack began, "There's something ya gotta understand, Will."

A shout from a boat behind theirs prevented their conversation from continuing as Hammond called out to them with a grin, "Land ho!" Giving him a bewildered look, Jack and Will followed their crewmate's gesture to the shore. Standing on high land above what appeared to be a rock pool was Alexis, a long stick in her hand. Will raised an eyebrow at Jack, and then they both began to row towards the sand.

Pulling their boats up onto the shore, Jack commanded his crew to try their luck at fishing on this part of the island and then turned his attention to Will. "Please don't say anything...stupid," he pleaded with him.

As Jack and Will approached, they saw her clearer. Alexis stood knee deep in the rock pool, her long skirt, hitched up just above the water line, and on closer inspection, saw the stick in her hand was actually a spear of sorts. Whirling around in the water with a start, she gave them a friendly smile as she asked, "What brings you to this side of the island?"

Although Will had considered telling Alexis about Jack's suspicious behaviour, her warm greeting deterred him from saying anything. They had earned her trust he realized, and did not want to be the one to break it. "Same thing as you apparently," Jack replied pointing to the spear.

"Oh, your...fishing?" Alexis asked, wondering if she had used the correct word. As they nodded back, she looked at the foreign objects in their hands and said, "Is that what you use?"

"Aye," Jack answered with a worried glance at the spear still poised in Alexis' hand, "It seems a bit safer than your way."

Laughing at his remark, she stepped out of the water. A pile of fish lay on large leaves at her feet. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Alexis reached out and grabbed Will's wrist exclaiming, "Come with me! I want to show you something." Will's dark eyes stared back at Alexis, before glancing at his Captain who stood just behind her. Realizing she was still holding his arm, Alexis quickly let it go and turned away. It was the first human contact she had had in many years, and Alexis felt the pain she had longed concealed inside her once more. Pushing the dark memories away she looked to Jack for their answer.

Nodding in accord, he replied, "Lead the way!"

Climbing the steep, grassy hill, Alexis took a glance back at Jack, who seemed to be swatting at invisible insects as he swaggered along. Raising an eyebrow at Will she asked, "Has Jack always been...?"

"Oh, yes...always," Will answered extremely quickly to her half-finished question.

Alexis nodded in understanding as she continued to watch his Captain climb the hill behind them, the beads in his hair swinging wildly in the wind. Jack looked up to see her eyeing him. Breathing heavily, he said in all seriousness, "There better be rum at the top, luv!"

Alexis barely bent the grass underfoot as she walked uphill. Living on the island for so many years, she had earned a knack for treading softly, and her bare feet were callused, becoming almost immune to any jagged rocks in her path.

At last reaching the top, the bright green grass stretched out before them. No trees or flowers grew here, but looking out past the hill, the ocean could clearly be seen. The midday sun shone down on the water, making it sparkle in the light. "This is where I spend a lot of my time," Alexis said quietly, appearing as though she was thinking about past memories as she gazed at the view in front of them. "You can see boats-"

"Ships," Jack corrected her.

"You can see the boats that pass by the island," she continued ignoring his grimace," Or in your case, those that are coming." Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she looked out at the vast mass of crystal blue water.

"Look!" exclaimed Will as he too stared out to sea, "There's a ship!"

Reaching into a pocket in his pants, Jack pulled out his spyglass, and raising it to his eye, took a closer look at the approaching ship. Unable to prevent a sharp intake of breath, Jack tried to tuck the spyglass away before Alexis questioned him, but it was too late. "What is that?" she asked him curiously.

"It's nothing, nothing...really," he replied holding the spyglass up as though it was worthless.

Will narrowed his eyes at his Captain, before telling Alexis, "It helps you inspect something closer, something that's at a distance."

Handing it to her hesitantly as Alexis put out her hand, Jack turned his laugh into a suspicious sounding cough as she looked through it from the wrong end. Turning it around the appropriate way for her, Will shot Jack a dark look. Jack pulled a strange face back as he gestured silently to the ship, then to Alexis. Just as it began to dawn on Will that his Captain may have had a reason behind his actions, Alexis let out a loud gasp. Putting down the spyglass from her eye, she turned to look at them. Her face was pale with fear.

"Barbossa!" she said to them, dread evident in her voice. "He's coming."

Author's Note: Sorry about the cliffhanger guys! Finally I updated! It took me a while to write this because I was just not happy with it for a while there. Hehe, but it's all good now:) Thanks again to my beta-writer Antonette! High Five! Btw, I know the stories not done yet, but I just wanted to thank all my reviewers here! You guys are wonderful and I really appreciate all your comments!

Daftlilme- Sorry, I know there's another dreaded cliffhanger here for you! I didn't mean it, I swear:) But thanks again!
SpectralLady- Hehe, thanks for the review once more! Jack's always one to make you laugh ;)
Countess Jackman- Well, I can't tell you if she's going with them or not, but I CAN tell you you'll find out about Jack next chapter ;) Thanks so much for your review! I wish I knew someone with Alexis as their real name!
Karibbean- Thankyou! I'm so glad you like it! Btw, I checked out your story! I think it's awesome! Well done!
Mystic Moon Maiden- Hehehe, I'm sure she will too! ;) Thankyou so much again for reviewing!
Z...and reluctantly...me- Lol! Love the name! Thanks for the review!
DeppIn Love- Hmm, we shall see! Haha! Sorries, I'm not very good at giving anything away am I? ;) Thankyou again for reviewing!