A/N: Normally don't do these before the chapter, but since I got two up in one day, I thought it best to do so. Do not read this before Chapter 5! Sad that I have to say that, but it's been done.

Ch. 6

Will fought against the pounding waves as he struggled to tie the line down. Every ounce of his being wanted to shout for Marie to go below deck, but he remembered Jack's orders and said nothing as she helped hold the line steady for him to tie. "Will!" Jack shouted over the roaring wind. "The main t'gallant came loose! You and Blackbird get up there before it takes our mainmast with it!" Nodding and making sure the line was secure, Will hoisted himself up into the rigging.

As they worked to secure the sail, Will heard a deafening crack. Seconds later, the foremast toppled into the raging ocean. Reflecting momentarily that it could just as well have been his mast, Will turned back to his work. They would grieve the dead later, but now all that mattered was the task at hand. "There's no fixing this one!" he shouted. Blackbird nodded in agreement and pulled out her knife as he did the same. Moving in opposite directions, they worked to cut the sail loose quickly. Finally the last line snapped, and the heavy sheet of canvas was carried off in the wind. Sighing, they both began to climb carefully down. There was still plenty of work to be done.

----------

Will looked across the desk at Jack. "What's this all about?" he asked. He and Blackbird had been called in there as soon as everything had been cleaned up from the storm.

Jack sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Well…our little run-in with the forces of nature has put us a bit off course."

"How much is a bit?" Blackbird asked.

"A good bit…" Jack admitted reluctantly. "As in, I'm not exactly sure where we are."

"You have no bearings?" Will said, frowning in concern.

"I've sailed these waters for most of my life, but even I can't tell one patch of gray from another," Jack pointed out. "Not without some kind of bearings."

"If we kept going north, we would eventually strike the North American mainland…" Blackbird mused. "We're not too wanted in Spanish territory, aye?"

"We'd never make it," Jack argued, shaking his head. "Not with the time she's making and our supplies as they are."

"How much damage was done?"

Jack shrugged. "Foremast's broken in half, the sails on the main and mizzen masts are nearly in shreds, there's no way we can salvage all the lines that broke, and the hull sprang a leak at some point, half-flooding the cargo hold. We got 'er fixed, but not before losing a good bit of our supplies. My estimate is that we'll last maybe a week, if we ration carefully."

"Well, that's wonderful news," Will said sarcastically. "I'm assuming nobody else knows?"

"I was going to give the men a short version right after this," Jack said. "All they need to know is-"

"Captain!" Marie interrupted, rushing in. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but we've spotted land, and we thought it best to inform you immediately."

"Finally some luck," Jack muttered. "Thank you, Marie. Blackbird, go see if you can spot it. Will and I will be out there shortly." Blackbird nodded and hurried out after Marie.

As soon as they were alone, Will gave Jack a questioning look. "What is it?"

Jack sighed and leaned forward against the desk. "I need you advice, Will…as a father. This is entirely hypothetical, but bear with me. Suppose that back when Elizabeth first told you she was pregnant with Marie, you panicked and ran. When you came back, she was gone, never to be seen again. Now, suppose that some twenty-one years later, a girl Marie's age shows up, claiming to be Marie. You wouldn't believe her, except that she knows things that only Elizabeth knew. What do you do?"

Will stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Well…first of all, I'd ask Jack what's going on."

Jack proceeded to briefly but accurately explain his history with Anamaria. "I was a bloody idiot," he concluded finally. "I panicked, and I made a stupid mistake. Now it's coming back to haunt me."

"You say he reminds you of Anamaria?" Will asked.

Jack nodded. "And he knows things that only she knew," he added. "Not even Blackbird knew that we planned to get married eventually."

"Well, then I would consider that to be fairly substantial evidence of his being related to you."

"I know, I know…I've pretty much convinced myself that, like it or not, Juan is my…my son," Jack said, struggling with the last word. "It's just…I tried for so many years to forget all that happened that night, Will…and now I'm having to face it all over again. Not to mention the hardest fact to face," he added, grinning wryly. "If I have a twenty-one-year-old son, that makes me undeniably old." He laughed slightly, resulting in a brief coughing fit. Will started to say something when they were both suddenly thrown by a sharp change in the Pearl's course. "What in the name of…" Jack muttered, hurrying on deck to investigate.

"Wesson!" he shouted to the man standing at the helm. "What did you do?"

" 'tweren't me, sir," the man replied. "I was just standin' here, tryin' to guide 'er through the fog when she took a hard turn to starboard. Can't make the steerin' cooperate none, Cap'n."

"Nonsense," Jack said, going up the steps to the helm. He put all his weight into the wheel, but it wouldn't budge. "What did you do to the bloody wheel?" he exclaimed.

" 'tweren't me," Wesson repeated. "It's like she's got a mind of 'er own."

"Well whatever it was, we were up in the rigging for that little maneuver," Blackbird said, dropping lightly to the deck. "Marie's got sharp eyes. There's a small island about half an hour in the distance. I can't make out much through the fog, but there seems to be plenty of vegetation. We could easily stop for a few days to make repairs, if the Captain's willing."

Jack stared contemplatively into the mists. "It's gamble," he said quietly. "Stopping for a few days might exhaust what supplies we do have. It might be safer to wait for a colonized port."

"But we don't know that there's anything beyond this island for days," Blackbird argued. "In the time we spend looking for a port, we might have fixed our ship and been on our merry way, and making much better time… Anyway, aren't you notorious for gambles?"

Jack sighed reluctantly. "Three days for repairs," he yielded. "But that's it. Half the crew will stay with the ship for repairs, and the other half will explore a bit and see if we can find some means of replenishing our food supply. Make ready the boats."

A/N: Scary things happen when I'm this bored and have the computer to myself this long...do not come to expect this frequent of updating in the future! This is a fluke weekend where I've had no homework and minimal competition for the computer from my brothers. It will not happen again! But anyway, kinda cool when it does happen. My hands hurt from all the typing, so I hope y'all are happy. Please review!