Chapter Three

The crew including Tia-Dalma and Barbossa stood in a circle on the porch of her rickety house.

"I don't know how you're going to find Jack, to tell you the truth." she warned. "All's I knows is that, if you can return him body to meh, then we can meld him soul back to it, and he be living once again. Him body will be at the end of the world…all the bodies are. It might take some time to find his, but it will be near the top. Its new…fresh."

Elizabeth shuddered at the thought of having to haul around Jack's lifeless body, but if it would help him, she would do it. She would do anything to bring him back.

She felt the weight of his soul on her conscience, and it was dragging her down. No, she didn't love him, but she did care about him, and she couldn't help feeling guilty for being the cause of his death. Just thinking about how she tricked him brought tears to her eyes.

He rather did deserve it, with all that he's done over his life…but she wished he could have gone down fighting. Which is exactly why she had the determination to bring him back.

Will glanced over at Elizabeth, who was deep in thought. It was clear that neither she nor himself were listening to Tia Dalma, which they would both probably regret later. But he couldn't help drifting off.

Betrayal really isn't the nicest feeling there is, but Will kept making excuses for her. His Elizabeth. She would never leave him for Jack, would she? Did she already?

What exactly had gone on while he was on the Flying Dutchman? The thoughts panicked him and wrapped around his heart, squeezing it tighter and tighter, until it felt about ready to burst. The crew began to walk away, and Will was torn from his thoughts…for the time being.

.x.

"Tis a very nice boat." Barbossa observed. It was too small to be a ship, but big enough for a crew of their size.

"Wind in the sails!" Cotton's parrot squawked. Barbossa glanced over at the parrot and then looked to Gibbs for explanation.

"Had his tongue cut out." Gibbs explained sympathetically.

"And the parrot?" Barbossa asked.

"Speaks for him. Not quite sure how that came about."

The crew began getting onto the boat, with Pintel and Ragetti following Barbossa's every move, trying to make him more comfortable and happy. In reality, he was about ready to blow the wooden eye out of Ragetti's head.

Elizabeth was returning from giving Tia-Dalma her blanket when the woman grabbed her by the wrist.

"You'll be needing this if yeh plan to find Cap'n Sparrow." she said and pushed something into Elizabeth's hand. She patted the young girl on the cheek and returned to her home. Elizabeth looked down to see a compass, identical to Jack's sitting in the palm of her hand.

She slowly opened it and watched as the arrow spun crazily around and finally stopped, pointing straight at…Barbossa?

She shook the compass,and sighedout of reliefwhen Barbossa stepped away and revealed Will standing behind him.

"Thank god." she murmured before snapping the compass shut and slipping it into her pocket. As she passed by Will, she felt him send a venomous glance her way.

She almost didn't want to know what made him so mad, but she had a pretty good idea. And that attitude was definitely not something she wanted to confront. She sighed before retiring herself to the Captain's cabin, which Barbossa had given to her.

.x.

By the time Elizabeth had awoken, they were out in the sea and everyone was above deck.

"Did we decide what we're going to do?" Elizabeth addressed Barbossa.

"No idea." he admitted.

"Well, we just have to sail to the end of the world. It can't be that difficult. I mean, can't you just hoist anchor and…go?" she persisted.

"For one thing, we have no idea which end of the world he's on. He could be on the South end, the North end, the West end, or the East end." Gibbs explained, counting off the ends on his fingers.

"Oh dear." Elizabeth muttered.

"I say we go to Tortuga, maybe get a better ship, maybe pick up a few crew mates. What say you?" Will spoke for the first time that morning.

"Aye! It's a probable idea." Barbossa agreed.

"To Tortuga!" Pintel announced and grimaced happily at Barbossa. Barbossa rolled his eyes at the dirty pirate and ordered for him and Ragetti to scrub the decks.

As soon as the crew had their heading, they went to their stations, discluding Elizabeth and Will, who actually had no stations to report to. Elizabeth made a move to talk to Will, but before she could get to him, he was halfway up the mast. Barbossa watched from the wheel as Elizabeth looked up at Will, and then walked over to the railing, dejected.

"Gibbs, take the wheel for a moment." Barbossa ordered before walking down to Elizabeth. He leaned against the rail next to her, but she barely solicited a glance.

"So, are yeh going to explain to me what exactly is going on between you two love birds?" he dared to ask.

"I don't exactly feel comfortable talking to someone who was dead the last time I saw him, but now is miraculously aboard the ship." she said coldly.

"I'm jest tryin' to help yeh. Yeh seem…down. I'll listen if yeh need to get any weight off yer shoulders." he tried.

"That's a very kind offer which I will consider in the privacy of...my own private space." she replied before walking to the other end of the ship. Barbossa sighed at his failed attempt at friendship, and then returned to the wheel.

.x.

Somehow the sun was already setting; it felt like just minutes ago Will had climbed the mast of the ship. He sat in the crows nest, fiddling with a small telescope. There was nothing to look out for, they weren't running from anything anymore.

Somehow, things were less exciting without Jack. But, just the thought of the dead man's name sent rage through him. He slammed the telescope against his knee a few times before he calmed down again.

He heard a familiar cry from Jack, the monkey, as the little guy perched on his shoulder.

"Why, hello there." he said softly, petting the monkeys head. "Are you still going to turn into a skeleton when the moon comes out?"

The monkey cocked its head and snatched the telescope out of Will's hands. He banged it against the mast a few times before returning it to Will and screeching again. The sun had set and the first rays of moonlight were peering over the horizon.

"Figures" Will muttered, as the monkey turned skeletal. He looked so lonely. "Don't worry, I'm right there with you."

He petted the monkey's few remaining tufts of hair, as they watched the moon appear from hiding once more.

.x.

Dreams about the past few days haunted Elizabeth's sleep, and she found herself awake before the sun rose. She leaned against the rail and watched the ocean waves shimmer. She glanced up to the crows nest, and sure enough, Will was still up there. Probably fell asleep.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that Will had seen the kiss with Jack and taken it the wrong way. All morning she fretted about Will, which led to Jack, which led back to Will. It was all a very time consuming process and before she realized it, the sun had risen.

Actually, she had been startled out of her reverie by Barbossa, who was once again courting her friendship. Well, I suppose it won't do any harm, she reasoned with herself.

"You really want to know what happened?" she asked.

"Who wouldn't? This whole ordeal seems very intricate, and I'm a lost at sea." he explained.

"Well…might as well start from the beginning."