I woke up from my troubled dreams to feel a tugging on one of my toes. Startled, I kept my eyes shut, debating whether or not to look. Finally, I snapped my eyes open and looked down the bed.

Jack was hovering over my feet, trying to pry off my toe ring.

"What the--" I yanked my foot away from him indignantly. "What are you doing?" I hissed, sliding the ring back down my toe.

Jack stood up, revealing a lantern he had placed on the floor. "Couldn't resist, love," he smirked, picking up the lantern. "It's such a pretty ring...but why it's on your foot, I have no idea."

I rolled my eyes and swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Just something from the future," I said wryly, scratching my stomach. "People will decorate any part of them that strikes their fancy...yes, any part," I said darkly at Jack's skeptical look. "Anyway, what do you want?" I yawned, rubbing my eyes. "What time is it, anyway?"

Jack shrugged. "It's only about dusk. I need your help with something in my cabin."

I stared at him balefully, repressing another yawn. "Why me?" I asked, stretching.

"Because you're the only one who knows about it," Jack said, starting to get impatient. "Now come on, we haven't got all day."

"Alright, alright, hold your horses," I growled, heaving myself out of bed. I was still sore from my few days on the cannibal island.

Jack waited impatiently as I pulled on my boots and strapped on my belt. When I was finally ready, Jack led the way to his cabin.

I took a while to get on deck, as I kept tripping over things in the dull light. My tired eyes and sore muscles didn't help much, either. Jack never stopped to help me, but rather frowned over his shoulder at every THUMP or "Oof!" I made as I tripped.

Once we were finally on deck, I gasped at the beautiful sunset. Where there weren't dark clouds, spots of clear blue sky were splashed with bright pinks, oranges, and even some yellows. In some of the darker streaks of blue that surrounded the pastel colors, tiny stars shimmered faintly.

I had stopped dead in my tracks to gaze at this breathtaking view, but Jack seized my hand.

"Come on!" he grumbled, pulling me to his cabin.

Startled, I took one last glance at the sky before being pushed inside Jack's quarters.

"Sheesh," I muttered as Jack proceeded to shut and lock the doors that separated us from the crew working diligently outside on the deck. "Where's the fire?"

Jack said nothing, but crossed the room with the lantern and began digging through a pile of old parchment. I plopped down in a chair, yawning again. I closed my eyes as he continued pawing through the pile, the rustling almost lulling me off to sleep...

I jumped as he slammed some sheets of parchment onto the table in front of me. As he went back to the pile to look some more, I slowly took one of the sheets.

It was a map! Frowning, I examined it closer. I could make no sense of it--I had never even heard of these areas.

I took another one as Jack dumped another pile of maps on the table. Now this one I recognized--it was a map of the Isla de Muerta! I noticed the main pathway to the cavern in the middle of the island where Cortez's chest of gold had been, but there were other paths snaking around the other island. I realized that Jack must have made several different secret hiding spots to hide his treasure.

When he sat down, I decided to ask him about it. "Are you going to go get your treasure you hid here?" I asked, pointing to the map.

Jack shook his head, taking a chair next to me and clearing a space from the pile of maps. "We've just been there. The whole island has been washed up. There's not even any sign of the treasure."

"Wow," I murmured, tossing the map to the middle of the table with the rest of them. For some reason, this surprised me.

"Yeah," Jack muttered, brushing all the maps into one pile. When he was done, he sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin, gazing thoughtfully at the maps.

After a few moments of this, I got bored. "What, you woke me up to judge a staring contest?" I asked flatly.

Jack shot a stern glance at me before reaching a hand down to his lap. When he brought it back up, he was holding his compass.

He flipped it open, staring at it intently. After a moment, he grimaced furiously and shook it. When he opened it again, his face fell and his shoulders slumped. He heaved a great sigh and tossed the compass on the table.

"What is it?" I asked tentatively.

Jack hesitated before answering. "What is it you want most in the world?" he asked finally, leaning towards me earnestly.

"Uh...I don't know," I said lamely.

"Oh, come on!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Think!"

"What? Now that I think about it, I can't think of anything!" I said angrily. "What do you care, anyway?"

Jack sighed and picked up the compass morosely. He flipped open and closed again repeatedly, staring at the mountain of maps he had made. Finally, he spoke.

"I think it's broken," he said, giving one last glum look at whatever the compass showed.

I frowned. "Well, that sucks, but why did you want to know what I want? Wait," I stopped, eyes wide. "So you can see if it works for me?"

He nodded, his eyes locked onto mine. He placed the compass softly back on the table in front of me.

I sighed and stared at the compass. What do I most want? I thought, frowning. My thoughts immediately turned to home. But where would the compass point then? And...would I be able to go home if it did point somewhere?

My mind wandered off on this tangent as I stared at the compass. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

Jack and I both jumped and exhaled exasperatedly, shaking our heads. Jack stood up to see what was going on, and I rubbed my eyes, trying to remember what I had been thinking about.

Gibbs was at the door. "Sorry to disturb ya, Cap'n, but the crew's a little...confused as to where we're goin'."

Jack rolled his eyes and started out the door. "I told them what to do, what's wrong with them?" Gibbs and Jack continued talking as they shut the door behind them.

Yawning, I tried to remember what I had been doing...Oh, yeah, I thought darkly. The damn compass...

I wasn't sure why I was so resentful towards it. I think it had something to do with wanting to help Jack, but knowing I couldn't until I knew what it was I wanted.

I picked up the compass, wondering where it would point if I didn't know what I wanted. Feeling a little excited, I flipped it open.

The arrow spun around in a circle, never slowing down. Frowning, I shook it, hoping to get it to do something more interesting, but nothing happened. Disappointed, I placed it back on the table.

My mind started to wander again. What do I want more than anything? I thought, racking my brain. Well...I wish I could see my dad again...but that's impossible! And how the hell would a compass point to that?

My mind was distracted with thoughts of my father. I absently picked up the compass and began playing with it, opening and shutting its lid and tracing its markings with my fingers. When I opened it again, I noticed something very strange: the arrow was pointed at myself!

Shocked, I tried turning the compass, but the arrow still resolutely pointed at me. What the... I thought, shaking it again. Is it saying...my father's inside me?

The door slammed open. I jumped violently and accidentally slammed the tiny lid of the compass on my finger. I jumped again, bringing my finger to my mouth, and in the process lifting the lid. The arrow was still pointed directly at me.

I turned around to see Jack slamming the doors shut, grumbling about idiots on his ship. As he walked past me to sit in his chair, I glanced at the compass again.

Now the arrow was pointed at him.

Shocked, I looked from the compass to Jack and back at the compass again. Fortunately, Jack saw none of this, as he was getting comfortable in his chair, leaning back and propping his legs up on the table.

"Any luck?" he said grumpily, seizing his hat, which he had laid on the table, and mashing it on his head.

"Yeah," I said quickly, shutting the compass and sliding it towards him. "I figured out it's broken."

Jack looked at me suspiciously. "Did you think of what you wanted?"

"Uh...yeah," I said cautiously.

"And did it point where it was?" Jack asked, nodding towards the compass.

"No," I said flatly.

Jack frowned. "Well, what did it do? No--what did you think of?"

I sighed a little and looked away. "My dad," I muttered, fiddling with the hem of my shirt.

"Ah," he said, nodding wisely. "But that couldn't work, could it?"

I shook my head mutely. "No, it pointed at me...and then..."

I trailed off, wide-eyed, hoping he hadn't noticed the "and then". If he found out it had been pointing at him, it would just make an incredibly awkward moment.

"And then what?"

I scrunched my eyes shut. Shit! I thought, heaving a great sigh. Now he'll think I'm in love with him or something...

My eyes still shut, I blurted, "It pointed at you!"

When he didn't answer, I cracked an eye open. They both flew open when I saw his amused smirk.

I was too embarrassed to say anything, but I dreaded what he was about to say. I was sure he would make some snide comment about my affections about him.

"I understand."

"Haha, very fun--wait, what?" I said stupidly.

He grinned. "I'm like your father here! You wanted a father figure, and I was here to supply that image. The compass pointed the way to your 'father'."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "That's ridiculous," I scoffed. "Father figure...in your dreams!"

"More like nightmares," he corrected me.

"Right...I still think your compass is broken," I continued, shrugging.

"You'd be surprised at all the inner emotions that thing can pick up," Jack remarked, looking proudly at his compass. "That is, when it's working..."

"Okay, say it is working, and I think you're a father figure," I said, making my disdain for this idea clear in my tone. "Why did you want to know what I wanted in the first place?"

"To see if it works!" Jack said, swinging his legs off the table and picking the compass up. "And now that I know that it does--"

I snorted.

"--I can be sure it works when I try to use it," he said, continuing as if he hadn't heard me. When he opened the compass, however, his face fell and then contorted into a mask of rage. Infuriated, he chucked it at the pile of parchment, where it sank with a 'pff' as many maps were shuffled out of the pile Jack had made.

"What's with you?" I asked, getting up and searching through the papers. "What, is it pointing at me now? Am I your 'daughter figure'?" Chuckling, I finally located the compass.

"Ha, ha," Jack said dryly. Grinning, I tossed the compass at him and he caught it easily.

"My arrow keeps pointing in two different directions," he said, gesturing me over to look. I moved closer to him and peered at the open compass in his hand.

Sure enough, at one moment the arrow was pointing in one direction, and the next it had spun around in another. Curious, I picked up the compass, and the arrow immediately swung around to point at Jack.

"It works, all right," Jack murmured, taking the compass back from me. "And whether you like it or not, it's pointing to me when you hold it."

"Well, for the record, I don't like it," I said, grinning. "But...why was it pointing at me the first time?"

Jack pondered this, looking down at the compass. Then a grin flashed across his face. "Got it. When it first pointed at me, I was behind you. The arrow was pointing through you at me."

I nodded, smiling at the logic of this. "For a minute I thought it was some sappy crap like him being inside me or something," I said, letting the grin fly back to my face.

Jack and I looked at each other and started laughing. When we were done, I sat back in my chair and sighed contentedly. "Inside of me...heh heh heh," I said softly, smiling.

There was a silence only broken by the snapping of the compass's lid as Jack kept looking hopefully at the arrow. "Just what is it you can't decide on?" I asked him curiously.

"The key or the chest," he muttered distractedly, giving the compass yet another hearty shake. Disappointed with the results, he snapped it shut. "I don't know whether to get the key or the chest first, because I don't know where they are," he explained morosely.

"Ah." I watched Jack fiddle with the compass, running his fingers along the ridges as I had done. "I think you should get the key first," I said. "It would be easier to carry around than the chest, right? But you don't know which direction the key is in, so you can't go anywhere...but when you finally find out which one it is, you can find the key easily."

Jack paused in his tracing and gave me a sidelong glance. "Isn't that supposed to be in the movie?" he asked, sitting up.

I thought about this. "Well...I don't know where it starts, so it might be after you get it...but in the trailer, I saw a drawing of the key...maybe you should find that first. I don't want to interfere with your searching pattern, so I guess you should get the drawing first." I said thoughtfully. "But I don't think I can be in the movies...so when you find it, I won't be there," I said slowly. "I might be going home..."

Jack leaned toward me. "So when I find this drawing, you won't be here, correct?"

I nodded mutely, pretty sure that this was the case.

"Uh-huh...and you do want to go home, don't you?"

I nodded, looking away from him. I didn't want him to know how homesick I was.

"So you want me to find this drawing so you can go home, don't you?" Jack asked softly, watching me intently.

I nodded slowly, figuring out what he was doing. "What I want more than anything in the world is to go home...and when you find the key I'll be home...and to find the key, you need the drawing of it...so I want to find the drawing of the key," I said, staring into his eyes.

He smiled a little and slid the compass over to me, never moving his gaze.

I picked up the compass nervously and flipped it open. Jack leaned over to see better, and I moved closer to him.

The little arrow spun around for quite a while, and at first I thought it hadn't worked. But it finally began to slow, and it stopped, pointing due west.

Jack was elated. He jumped up and started pawing through the maps, tossing the unused ones unceremoniously on the floor. Finally, he found one that suited him, and he spread it out on the table before me.

I recognized the Isla de Muerta on the map, but not much else. I set the compass on the map, keeping my hand on it, and looked at Jack for instructions.

"We're about here," he muttered, pointing to a point close to the Isla de Muerta. "On this side..." He turned the map to face the direction the Pearl was sailing. "So that means the drawing is..." he slid his finger west until he hit a landmark. "Here."

"Yeah, but it could be somewhere in the ocean, couldn't it?" I asked anxiously. "I mean, it pointed through me at you at one point, so couldn't it be pointing through that island to another one?"

Jack shook his head. "Look at this, love," he said, pointing at the arrow. "It's not even wavering. It'll only move when you move the compass. That drawing is secure somewhere. And that's the only island due west of here; nothing behind it, nothing in front of it."

I nodded and looked at the drawing of the island on the map. "Do you know what island that is?" I asked him.

He nodded, not giving any details, so I didn't press him. At least he had what he wanted now, and I had a way to get home...possibly.

Jack and I continued talking late into the night. The crew had requested a night of rest, and Jack had agreed. The Pearl's anchor had been dropped, and it was now shifting pleasantly in the calm waves of the open sea. The crew had gone below deck to sleep. "More like get drunk," Jack had said darkly. "If they're not careful, they'll finish off all of my rum."

Meanwhile, Jack and I were back on the topic of jewelry, as I had taken off my boots to sit more comfortably in my chair--with one leg curled under me.

"I just don't see why it's necessary to have a ring on your toe when no one's going to see it," Jack said, shaking his head at my foot.

"People see it sometimes!" I said, grinning at him. "You've seen it twice today."

"Yes, but what's the point?" he asked exasperatedly.

"What's the point of all your jewelry?" I asked, smirking.

"It has a point!" Jack said defensively.

"Oh, really? What, then?"

Our conversation was interrupted by a knocking at the door. Without giving me an answer, he jumped up to open it.

It was Mr. Gibbs again. When I saw him outside, I realized how long Jack and I must have been talking--it was completely dark.

"Gibbs?" Jack asked, confused. "I thought you'd be drun--I mean, asleep by now."

Gibbs just motioned wordlessly to come outside.

The two men waited for me as I scrambled to pull on my boots. When they were on, the three of us went out on deck.

It was completely dark out there, and I couldn't see too far in front of my face. When I made to move forward, Jack thrust a hand into my chest.

"I'm sorry, Cap'n," I heard Mr. Gibbs say sullenly.

All of a sudden, lanterns were lit all around the ship. I saw with horror that the deck of the Pearl was swarming with unfamiliar pirates...no, wait, they were familiar...these were the pirates from Decklan's crew--but they weren't alone. They had their weapons pointed at the members of our crew.

I gasped as a hand snaked around my neck, pulling me back into a hard body. The person wrapped another hand quickly around my waist, pinning my arms to my sides so I couldn't get to my weapons. The hand around my neck was gone for a split second, only to be replaced by a hand holding a long black pistol to my throat.

I saw Spraggins pointing a pistol at Jack's head and Troy come out of nowhere with a pistol pointing at Gibbs. I realized that they had used Gibbs to make Jack and I come out.

"Make one move, Sparrow, and I'll blow your daughter to pieces," I heard my captor say. I realized it was Decklan as he pushed his pistol to point upwards, just under my jaw.

"I don't think you will, Decklan," Jack said easily, his hands partly raised. "You want her as payment to Davy Jones, don't you?"

Decklan said nothing. I didn't dare move a muscle, sure that he was about to pull the trigger. Overhead, thunder rumbled ominously.

Finally, he said, "Maybe I'll kill her and simply bring you to Jones. I understand you have a debt owed to him, too," Decklan said. His crew chuckled, sending eerie sounds across the deck.

"Fine. Let her go, and I'll go with you," Jack said, staring at Decklan.

"What?" I said. "Jack, no!"

"I'm sorry, darling," Jack said as Decklan released me. "I'm afraid there's no loophole to get out of this one."

I stared at him, noticing an odd glint in his eye. "Oh, no," I murmured, wide-eyed.

The next minute Jack had whipped out his sword and knocked the pistol out of Spraggins's hand. Without pausing to think, I did the same with Troy and whirled around to join Jack, sure that a rain of bullets was about to pierce my flesh.

Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me across the deck. Too surprised to argue, I glanced over my shoulder in time to hear, "If you shoot, don't hurt them! They're no good to me dead!"

That's when the bullets came. I heard them flying past as we ran to the edge of the ship.

"But what about Gibbs and the crew?" I asked Jack desperately as Jack pulled me down behind a barrel.

"They'll be alright," Jack said, whipping out his pistol. "I didn't just hire them for their good work ethics."

He began firing at some pirates. I ducked, watching the crew of the Pearl battle Decklan's crew.

When Jack ran out of bullets, he began kicking fiercely at the side of the ship, where there were a few holes where termites had eaten through.

"What are you doing?" I yelled over the sounds of battle as the wood became to loosen.

"Help me out, here!" was his answer. Confused, I kicked too.

With my added force the large piece of wood came loose. It fell to the sea with a small splash, leaving a hole in the side of the deck.

I stared at Jack incredulously. "Are you going to--"

He nodded, edging closer to the hole, preparing to jump onto the raft he had just made.

I grabbed his arm. "But what about the crew?" I said desperately.

"They'll be alright!" Jack assured me. "Decklan will want--"

Without warning, one of the barrels we had been crouching behind toppled over with surprising momentum. It struck Jack on the back of the head, sending him toppling out of the hole.

"Jack!" I screamed, thrusting my head out of the hole. I looked down at the water, but I couldn't see a thing.

Well, with my barrier down, might as well, I thought grimly.

I jumped out of the hole.

The minute I hit water I began thrashing around, hoping to find Jack.

"Jack?" I called tentatively. "Come on, where are you?" I muttered, stopping to catch my breath. I felt something hit my back, and I whirled around, hoping it was Jack--but it was the raft.

I laid my arms on it, using my legs to propel it around. My splashes were barely heard over the sounds of the battle above on the Pearl.

Suddenly my leg struck something soft. Jack! I thought, relieved. But what is he doing down there?

Horror spread through me as I realized what that must mean...

I dove under to where I had felt him, my hands moving blindly in front of me. I finally felt his chest and wrapped my arms around his torso. I heaved him upward, kicking as hard as I could.

It was no easy task. My muscles started to burn in protest, not obliging to my orders to kick and heave. My lungs screamed for air as I hauled Jack's unmoving body upwards.

Finally, I surfaced. I gasped for air, bobbing in the water, then tried to haul Jack up onto the raft. It was hard work, as I was exhausted from the swim, but I managed.

As I flopped onto the raft, I leaned over him, hoping to see some sign of life.

"Wake up, Jack, please wake up!" I muttered desperately, moving his wet hair out of his face. His eyes were shut; his features slack.

"Come on, please wake up," I whispered, moving my hands to his face. "I don't know CPR!"

I placed a hand on his chest. I felt his heartbeat and heaved a sigh of relief.

My relief was short-lived, however. I heard the click of several pistols being cocked up above me.

My hands still on Jack's chest, I looked up slowly to see Decklan and his crew on the deck of the Pearl.

"It's time to come with us now, Miss Sparrow," Decklan said in a dangerously low voice. His crew chuckled again, sending shivers down my spine.

I felt drops on my face and I thought they were spitting at me again, but I realized that it had started to rain. I glanced at Jack, but he made no signs of waking up.

"Come, Miss Sparrow. We have your father's crew cornered. If you don't come with us now, we'll start killing them."

I shivered in the cool rain, squinting against the drops that fell into my eyes.

"Please, let me bring J--my father," I called up desperately. "He's hurt..."

Decklan was silent, clearly debating whether this was a trick.

"I mean it! Please..." I said pathetically.

"Fine. Spraggins, send down a longboat to bring the Sparrows to my ship," Decklan ordered. "This is working out better than I planned."