Disclaimer- Nope, not mine.

It took Jack a good deal of time to find a decent tavern in the future Tortuga. The once raucous and wild town had subdued substantially. Jack barley recognized anything, and he eagerly wanted to ask someone what had been going on. He finally found a small, rundown tavern, and grabbed a seat at the bar.

After grabbing a seat Jack got the barkeeps attention and ordered rum. The barkeep scrutinized Jack carefully as he handed the drink over to the pirate.

"What ship you from?"

Vaguely remembering the letters elegantly scrawled on the back of the ship as he had rowed around the ship, he mumbled, "T-the Lorean"

"De Lorean?"

"Aye, the Lorean."

"I didn't tink de Lorean actually existed. I've heard stories about dat ship."

Jack finally looked up at the barkeep. "You have? "

Jack eagerly awaited to hear what the barkeep knew about the ship, but when he looked up at him, the bartenders focus seemed to have shifted. "Wow, has anyone eva told you dat you look just like Jack Sparrow? Back when he was Captain of de Pearl, dat is."

Jack's eyes went wide. "What?'

"De old pirate captain. You look just like him. He used to come in here all da time."

Jack was floored "Used to be? Was?" He shook his head as if to clear out the confusion he was feeling, and finally stammered "I-he's not captain anymore?"

"Not for 'bout 18 years now."

Jack spat a mouthful of rum over the bar "WHAT!"

"It's a sad story. Dat man struggles ten years to get his ship back from his mutinous first mate, and den as soon as he gets it back, it was taken again, and he was never da same after. Some say he was lucky to have escaped alive, but if you ask me, he died dat day. God rest his soul"

Jack swallowed hard and stared wide eyed at the barkeep. "You-you mean he's..."

"Dead? Aye."

Jack went deathly pale and stared right though the bartender. He had briefly entertained the idea of running into his future self before going back, but had decided it may further screw up the whole space-time continuum thing, which he was fairly certain he was doing a good enough job of messing up as it was.. He had decided instead to go to the tavern on the off-chance that someone was telling a story of his latest escapade. He hadn't even thought about someone telling him of his own demise. He had to know what had happened.

"So, ah how did I-uh-Captain Sparrow finally meet his end?" Jack tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible." Duel with the world's greatest swordsman on a mast during a storm? Spectacular sea battle between a rival pirate ship? Up against another army of undead pirates?"

The barkeep stared deadpan at him for a moment before bursting into laughter so sudden and thunderous that it caused the pirate to instinctually throw his hands up and nearly fall off his bar stool. He gave the barkeep a dirty look that apparently went unnoticed as the man was still howling with laughter. He finally settled down, wiping a tear away.

"Aw ol' Jack. After he lost de Pearl, he jus' didn't have da heart to sail anymore. He met his end by de bottle."

"He...drank himself to death?"

"No, he literally was killed by de bottle. Got so excited to drink one night he accidentally forgot to uncork it. Poor bastard choked to death. "

Jack stared at the barkeep for a full minute before he finally managed to sputter. "I...was...killed...by a BLOODY CORK?"

The barkeep's eyes widened at the man in front of him, who, as far as he knew, had just completely lost his marbles .

Jack had now gotten off of his seat and was pacing around the room as he spoke."Captain Jack Sparrow, the most feared pirate in the bloody Spanish Main, was killed by a CORK!"

The barkeep backed away from the bar a few paces thinking, not quite sure what to do.

Jack suddenly stopped mid-step, whirled around and stared directly at the barkeep, who looked like he wanted to disappear.

"Where's the Pearl?"

"L-last I heard it was in Port Royal"

Jack stalked out of the bar, a man possessed. He had to get to Port Royal, find out what had happened to him, and go back and stop it before it did. He probably would have marched right down to the ship that very moment and sailed all the way to Port Royal himself, if he hadn't happened to glance up at yet another sign as he walked past. The sign stopped him dead in his tracks and made him feel as though he had just been kicked in the gut.

W. Turner

Smithy

Poor Jack! Sorry this chapter took a while longer then I hoped, but it was my birthday this weekend. Why, what would I like , you ask? How about a review! You don't even have to wrap it! As always, I love the input, and you can tell me if you caught the not-so-subtle Back to the Future reference I snuck in there!

Next Chapter: Will's Tale of Woe