Exhausted, I slumped down on my bench in the longboat, rubbing my eyes.

"I can't believe I just got chased by cannibals," I said wonderingly, staring into space.

Jack gave me a stern look. "You call them 'cannibals'. Did you see them eat any people?"

I shook my head mutely, surprised. "But there were human bones everywhere!" I said earnestly, frowning. "I just thought--"

"So you jumped to a conclusion?" Jack asked, looking up from his rowing at me matter-of-factly. "Is that entirely fair?"

I stared at him. "Are you drunk?" I asked him after a moment.

He chuckled, a grin spreading over his face. "No, I was just kidding. Yes, they're cannibals. I was just messing with you."

"Haha...hilarious!" I said sarcastically. "Joking about cannibals...hey, I've got one. Two cannibals were eating a clown. One looks at the other and says, 'Does this taste funny to you?'"

I threw my hands up a little and gave Jack a goofy smile. He thought for a moment, his head cocked to one side, then gave a small laugh.

"I've got one," he said, grunting a bit as he rowed. "Two cannibals are eating you. One turns to the other and says, 'Does this taste corny to you'?"

"Ha ha, very funny," I said darkly as Jack started chuckling at his own joke. "Here's another one: You risked your life by visiting an island of cannibals for a 'clumsy, lazy, nearly helpless girl who's always getting herself into trouble'! Haha!"

Jack stared at me incredulously. "How did you remember that?" he asked, looking shocked.

"What?"

"What I said to you. That was a very long time ago."

I shrugged. "I'm a fangirl; I remember these things."

"A fangirl?" Jack repeated, looking puzzled.

"Yeah, girls who are obsessed with movies and stuff," I said. "Like, I was obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean...and now I'm here...but that's a whole different story." I muttered.

"They remember random quotes?"

I nodded.

Jack stared at me for a moment, then shrugged and went back to his rowing.

There was silence for a moment, and I stared off to the horizon, looking at the Black Pearl in the distance, remembering my life as a rabid fangirl in the future.

"Why is the Pearl so far away?" I asked Jack, nodding towards it over his shoulder.

"I told the crew to keep far away from the island so they wouldn't get eaten," Jack explained calmly.

"Ah," I said, smirking. "How noble."

There was another silence as I watched the Pearl's black sails flutter in the breeze. I began reminiscing about my life back home--but Jack jerked me away from my thoughts.

"So tell me...exactly how did you spend your first day here?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.

He let a smirk crawl onto his features as he rowed. "The cannibals told me you were acting strangely after you built a fire..." he trailed off, a full smile jumping to his lips.

"Oh," I said, embarrassed. "That." I sighed, smiling too. "I was just a little excited after making fire," I said, shrugging.

"'A little excited'?" Jack repeated incredulously. "The way they tell it, you were jumping around and screaming...much like you were a few minutes ago," he added.

"Hey, I'm allowed to be happy for my life, okay?" I said defensively, but unable to keep a straight face. "Besides, you don't know the language that well. You could have misinterpreted them," I added, hoping he would believe me.

He smirked again. "Good point."

I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping he wouldn't bring up my embarrassing outburst after building the fire again. "Did the cannibals tell you anything else?" I asked curiously.

"Like what?"

"Like why they didn't attack me as soon as I set foot on the island." This question had been troubling me since I had discovered they were there in the first place.

"They said they couldn't decide whether to go through the trouble of catching you or not," Jack said calmly, not stopping with his rowing. "They thought you were too skinny."

"Oh," I said, frowning. "That's...good, I guess. Oh, and it explains the fish, too...did they say they tried to feed me?"

Jack nodded. "I do think I remember them saying something about 'fattening her up'."

I frowned at this, not sure whether to feel happy that someone said I was skinny, like a typical teenage girl, or feel grateful that this had probably saved my life.

"Then they said they were a little afraid of you, since their first dart bounced right off of you," Jack continued.

"Oh, yeah, I would have been screwed if I hadn't had my belt on--Oh, shit." I said, my eyes widening. "My belt! It must still be on the island! The stupid cannibals took it off and--I never got it back! Goddam--"

Jack paused in his rowing and reached under his bench. For a second, I thought he was going to pull out his pistol and shoot me to shut me up. But instead, he lifted--my belt!

"What the--how did you--"

"Simple. I just asked one of the cannibals to bring it to me, and the first night I got here I took it down here and put it in the boat," said Jack, handing the belt to me.

"The first night?" I asked, confused, as I took the belt and started strapping it on. "If you were here that long, why didn't you come get me?"

Jack frowned, picking up the oars. "I think you're confused," he said, starting to row. "You must have spent a night with the cannibals after they captured you."

I considered this, thinking back to when I woke up in the bone cage. "I must have lost a whole day there!" I said indignantly. "Damn, that stuff was strong..."

Jack shook his head. "No, I think you're just a weakling."

Furious, I reached over the side of the longboat and splashed him with the cold ocean water. He spluttered as it hit him, looking angry. "Alright, alright, you're not a weakling! The stuff was strong. Apologies," he added for good measure, holding his palms together briefly in the praying position.

"Damn straight!" I said proudly. "So...why did it take so long for you to find me? I mean, I had to spend two bloody weeks on that ship."

Jack hesitated for a moment, keeping his eyes down. "You'll just get angry," he said, not looking at me. "I think it's best if I don't say anything."

"Buddy, I'm armed now," I said with an amused little laugh. "And...hmm...look at that! You don't seem to have a weapon anywhere on board."

Jack looked around as if thinking I had missed a sword under a bench or something. "I have an oar," he offered, patting one of them affectionately.

"Wow, now I'm scared," I said sarcastically. "Come on, tell me."

"No!"

"Hey, I told you about my dad! You owe me one," I said, crossing my arms.

He sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "We didn't really set off right away. We were debating whether to go after you because we knew we'd be risking our lives to do it."

My eyes narrowed. "We?" I said suspiciously.

Jack rolled his eyes to the sky, as if pleading for help. "Fine! I didn't want to go after you because I didn't want to risk my own hide for yours, especially if you were on Captain Decklan's ship, alright?" He rolled his eyes. "You can say it, I'm a bloody scalawag, a pirate, for not wanting my life to save my own 'daughter'."

Ending his tirade, he looked up at me expectantly. "Well?" he asked, dropping his eyes to his rowing.

I thought for a moment, unsure of what to say. Finally, I said, "I understand."

Jack's head snapped up. "Huh?" he said stupidly.

"I said I understand. Why risk your life, and the life of your crew, for one girl?" I said, shrugging.

"So you're not mad?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Of course I'm mad!" I yelled. Jack looked scandalized.

"Oh, don't gimme that look," I snapped, throwing him a scathing look. "I'm angry that I had to spend two weeks on that blasted ship, but I knew you wouldn't come for me like that." I said, snapping my fingers for emphasis.

Jack stared at me blankly, stopping in his rowing. "You--you mean it? You understand?"

I nodded.

"Never thought I'd hear that from a woman," he mused, picking up the oars again and beginning to row.

"I don't count; I'm just a teenage girl from the future," I said, smiling sadly. "And anyway, you did come save me, so I can't be all that mad at you."

Jack scoffed. "I didn't come save you," he muttered.

"Oh, really?" I smirked, arching an eyebrow. "Then what did you do?"

"I just...helped out a bit," he said uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze.

"You sure do that a lot," I said, grinning. "Let's see...you kept me from being crucified by a crew of superstitious pirates when I first got here--"

"I was curious to see where you came from," Jack insisted.

"--you dove in after me after I fell overboard--"

"I would have done the same for any member of my crew!"

"--you gave me tips on how to help my seasickness--"

"I just didn't want you throwing up all over my ship."

"--you brought me on land when I got seasick--"

"We were heading for Tortuga before you came along."

"--you threatened the guy who was about to kill me in Tortuga--"

"He was in my way, I was trying to get back to my seat."

"--you let me stay on land when I was sick, not to mention you stayed with me--"

"Again, I didn't want you to get sick on my ship. And I just wanted to make sure you didn't run off and betray me."

"--you taught me how to fight so I could take better care of myself--"

"Every good pirate needs to know how to fight."

"--and now you rescued me from Cannibal Island."

"I only wanted you so I could learn more about the future."

I had been ticking each of these events off on my fingers. "Wow, that's a lot. I never expected to be saved so many times from a pirate. I mean, 'helped out'." I added quickly, smirking.

Jack shook his head exasperatedly. "What do you want me to say?" he asked angrily.

"That you enjoy my company!" I said triumphantly. "You didn't want to go on without me. That's why you keep saving my life! You like me, Captain Jack Sparrow!" I yelled, grinning wildly.

"I do not!" he whined.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do not!"

"Do too...aww, dammit!" He flung the oars down in frustration. "You tricked me!"

I gave him a roguish grin. "Pirate!"

When we finally made it back to the Pearl, Jack was exhausted from the rowing. I had offered to help, but he had refused, muttering something about my being through too much lately. But hey, I wasn't complaining--he owed me for making me stay on Decklan's ship for two weeks.

The crew greeted Jack heartily, relieved to see him alive again. They just gave me wary looks, knowing that I was the reason they had gone on a two-week journey for their captain to risk his life.

As most of the crew went on greeting Jack, I noticed a few unfamiliar faces--or were they? Suddenly I remembered the three Indian men that Jack had been conspiring with in Tortuga. They didn't join in with the rest of the crew in welcoming their captain, but instead stayed back, their expressions unreadable.

They must have brought some of their own men aboard, too, because I barely recognized any of the crew except for Gibbs, Cotton, and Marty. And there was a familiar face that was missing...

"Jack," I said when the swarm of pirates had dispersed. "Where's Anamaria? Shouldn't she be at the helm?"

"We never found her in Tortuga," Jack replied, accepting his hat, coat, and effects from Gibbs. "I'm not surprised, though; she has her own very free spirit."

I didn't know why, but this news stunned me. It seemed like Jack had left behind one woman to rescue another.

I waited for Jack to give me instructions. I was, after all, just another member of the crew of the Black Pearl. I watched as Jack and Gibbs seemed to be having a heated discussion at the helm. Finally, however, Gibbs grudgingly took to the wheel and started barking orders to the crew hurrying around on the deck below him.

Jack continued to argue with Gibbs as he steered. I rolled my eyes, smiling to myself.

"Oh, boys," I sighed, turning around to rest my elbows on the side of the ship. I figured that Jack would come and get me if he wanted me to work. Until then, I would try to get away with as much rest as I could without disappearing below deck.

The sun was considerably lower in the sky than when Jack and I had started rowing away from the cannibal island, due to the distance from the shore to the Pearl and all the bickering Jack and I did on the way, which delayed Jack's rowing quite a bit. I idly watched a flock of gulls soar across the sky, sometimes disappearing against a cover of fluffy white clouds. Sighing contentedly, I rested my face in my hands and watched the clouds float across the sky lazily.

"Having a good time?"

I turned to see Jack standing behind me, wearing his ever-present smirk.

"Would you stop doing that?" I asked, frustratedly turning back to face the sea.

"Doing what?" he asked blankly, taking a place next to me. "Talking to you? Oh, but you're such nice company," he said softly, mocking my insists that he liked having me around.

"Oh, shut up," I snapped, but I couldn't help letting a grin slide onto my face. "I mean walking up behind me when I'm not paying attention and saying something. It's getting old."

"Well, maybe you should try paying attention more often," Jack said, smiling out into the sea.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "Then I'd get into even more trouble, and you'd have to come rescue me. You wouldn't want that, would you?" I asked innocently.

He grimaced, looking genuinely disgusted. "You're right. Stay alert," he said, nodding. "Unless, of course, your alertness is contributing to your being captured all the time and getting into said trouble. Say, for instance, your paranoia makes you more susceptible to your enemies, who would think it would be fun to scare the living daylights out of you," Jack continued, staring into space. "In that case, I would have to tell you to lie low and try not to be noticed by enemies, therefore bringing down my chances for having to go on a long journey to try and save you."

Jack smiled at me as if he hadn't just said something extremely strange. I smiled and shook my head, eyes on the clouds again.

"Or you could just stop telling people I'm your daughter," I said.

He paused. "Yeah, that would probably work, too."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

We stared off to the horizon for a moment before I remembered what I was out here for. "Oh, uh, do you want me to, like, do some work or something?" I asked.

He could tell I didn't want to at all and that I was just trying to keep up appearances as a good crew member. "No, why don't you just get some sleep?" he said, seeing the relief in my eyes. "I know you've had a tough...uh...two weeks or so."

"Thank you!" I mouthed, but I said, "Okay, are you sure, Cap'n?" as Cotton walked by.

"Quite sure," he said, smiling at me.

"Alright...see you in the morning, then!"

I left and crossed the deck, lifting the trapdoor with only a little difficulty and descending below deck.

I walked down the stairs, relieved that no nausea had hit me. I made my way to my old room, stepping carefully over the items on the floor and only tripping once or twice. Finally, I reached my room and flung the door open.

"Ah," I said, sighing happily. "I'm home."

I froze when I said this. Is this really what I think of home now? I thought in disbelief. I can't be staying here forever...can I?

I slowly made my way into my room, shutting the door behind me. This shut out all light from my room, but I didn't care. For one thing, I was eager to get to a nice, soft bed, and for another, I was feeling kinda emo.

After taking off my boots and belt, I lay straight out on my back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Do I want to stay here? I wondered, hands clasped over my stomach. Or do I want to go back home?

I really didn't know. This dilemma haunted me the rest of the night, whether in my dreams or when I was lying awake.