So far I've been getting nice, positive reviews and so I thank you. I wish I had a witty saying to place here but I'm fresh out, so I guess it's right on to the story!

Disclaimer: POTC, not mine… but this slightly altered/awkward version is…

Chapter Five: Upriver

Bugger. Jack was steering the Pearl deftly, discreetly watching Elizabeth listening to one of Pintel's anecdotes, but he couldn't stop glancing at his right hand. After the awkward and disturbing handshake from Jones, Jack had noticed a very horrific sight. The Black Spot. There, completely black and ominous, gracing his right palm. This was not good. The kraken was drawn to it and Jack feared the Pearl and all who inhabit would soon be the next victim. Not very many escaped the kraken and those who did ended up apart of The Flying Dutchman. And as he furthered thought of the negativities of this unfortunate event, he realized he had, on aboard, a certain someone he definitely didn't want in the locker. Bugger! What to do? Tortuga would be safe as long as he stayed on land and kept out of the drunken fights, there he would also collect those hundred souls. Right, because there are a hundred stupid pirates just a 'waiting for ol' Jackie's return… to kill 'im. Jack didn't always enjoy being everyone's enemy and debtor; this was one of those times. Elizabeth squeaked and Jack's eyes flew up to see if she was okay, she was, and… laughing? Oh, but she looked so beautiful laughing, her golden hair tossed over her shoulders, her eyes shinning and her laugh twinkled like a million seashells knocking against each other.

Jack unlatched his compass form his sash and followed as the needle spun for a minute before settling on Elizabeth. Of course. He groaned, he knew he wanted Elizabeth; it would be nice if the compass would give him an actually heading for once. He stroked the spokes on the helm before he sighed reaching his decision. Without a heading and with a dangerous beastie on their tail things were getting a bit out of hand. In this kind of situation Jack knew one place that was almost always a help… almost always.

"Gibbs!" Jack called to his first mate; it was time he talked to Elizabeth, he didn't think things would be taken lightly, but it had to be done.

"Yes Cap'n?"

"Take the helm. We have a need to travel upriver." Jack watched as Gibbs winced in disappointment.

"A small, fleeting need?" Gibbs asked hopefully, maybe they wouldn't have to stay at…her house long.

"No, an extravagantly, dire need." Jack breathed swaggering away towards the blonde pirate, leaving Gibbs whispering curses with a wry expression.

"What's troublin' ye, luv?" Jack clutched the railing, swinging himself closer to her. Elizabeth snapped out of her worried gaze and turned to Jack's playful eyes.

"Nothing…Jack, do think you'll be able collect one hundred souls in three days?" Elizabeth stepped nearer to Jack her tone innocent and inquiring.

"Darlin'… I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow. Ye needn't worry; I'll harvest those hundred souls in no time. But first, we'll be headed to a dear ol' friend of mine." Jack smiled and produced a bottle of rum nearly out of thin air, taking a large swig.

"Jack, we will stop in Tortuga eventually?" Elizabeth didn't feel too keen on the idea of meeting a "dear ol' friend" of Jack's.

"Oh, if we get aroun' to it, yes! But in the mean time, we'd better follow the compass. And the compass is pointing in a general… that way!" Jack pretended to read a heading off the compass, pointed in a random direction, and snapped it close, throwing Elizabeth a smug, triumphant smile.

"Can I see?" Elizabeth set her steady glare on him a knowing smirk playing on her lips. Elizabeth could see right through Jack, she was getting better and better at pushing past his lies and finding the truth.

"No." Jack pulled his compass behind him and he jutted his chin out in defiance. Elizabeth's eyes squinted in frustration and she sighed heavily. It seems she would have to bring up a subject that had become increasingly difficult to talk about.

"Jack, I told Will to meet us in Tortuga. If we're not there he'll get worried, besides he wants to help." Elizabeth's voice softened, she hated talking about Will to Jack, it didn't feel right. It felt wrong and awkward, as if she were mentioning a recently deceased family member.

"I'm the captain of this ship and therefore I decide where we do or don't make port, savvy?" Jack's voice was stern and his eyes hard, he kept his gaze on his bottle, swishing the bottle and watching the rum splash against its sides. The whelp's name sent something cold through his heart. Will would be fine, Tortuga wasn't a horrid place, it wasn't as if Jack was leaving him to the sharks.

"I know. But Jack, we can't leave Will, he's my… fiancé." Elizabeth uttered the word in haste, not understanding the bitter taste it left on her tongue. Jack noticed her discomfort with the word and out of irritation with the whole conversation decided to ask about it.

"Is it so hard to believe you and the whelp are betrothed?" Jack's words came out harsher than he expected, he wished more than anything to take them back.

"Don't take your bitterness out on me just because I've found someone to love and you haven't!" Elizabeth spat, forcing venom behind her words even though it killed her to see the hurt in Jack's eyes.

"I'm a pirate, luv. I don't need to fall in love, I can 'ave any woman I want!" Elizabeth's comment had shaken Jack and his rebuttal came out weak and half-hearted.

"You keep telling yourself that." Elizabeth hissed turning on her heels, startled by Jack's blunt response.

"I don't need to, it's true." Jack replied smugly, up ending his bottle of rum.

"Then why keep me around! If you can have any woman you want, why am I standing here! Why not just dump me on Davy Jones, then you'll be rid of him and me!" The talk of Jack running off with any and every woman had frayed her nerves. She couldn't stand the thought of Jack smiling at another woman, watching her with his deep brown eyes, smoothing their hair with his tanned ring clad hand. Jack stared at her in complete shock; he froze, mid-swig, and stared at her. Her outburst sent knives scraping and stabbing painfully along his heart. Was he making her feel that unwanted? That wasn't what he wanted, not at all. Bugger, bugger.

"Fine. After our little rendezvous with Tia, we'll be well on our way to Tortuga." Jack's eyes turned to the sea memorizing the waves crashing against the Pearl, he was too afraid to look in her eyes. He hated causing her pain; angst smothered his heart when he thought of seeing the pain reflect in her eyes. He could feel her standing there, a heavy tension over them, waiting for him to say more. But he didn't say anything; he kept his gaze locked on the tossing sea. She let out a small huff of defeat and sadly trudged below deck. Jack let the big gulp of air he was, apparently holding, out and finally glanced at where she had been standing. He didn't care what the legends said; he was the biggest coward of all.

Elizabeth curled up among the barrels of rum and gunpowder. She wasn't particularly fond of the storage room but it was the only empty place on the ship and she wanted to be alone. She rested her head on the rough wall behind her, she watched her lantern cast shadows that danced across the walls as the ship rocked. Small, warm tears were silently trailing down her cheeks. She hated crying, she didn't want to show such weakness but she couldn't stop the disappointed, hurt tears from tracing paths across her face. She had thought, no, wished that maybe, just maybe, Jack had felt something with her. Just something small. But apparently not. He was perfectly content on spending time with the flirty women of Tortuga and sipping rum. She really was just a problem to him. She was sure he was contemplating giving her soul to Davy; it was going to be near impossible to collect one hundred souls in three days, why would Jack go through all that trouble when he had one adequate soul here? But it didn't matter how impossible the collecting of souls was anyway, because Elizabeth wasn't going to allow Jack to sacrifice one hundred souls for her's, it wasn't right.

She sighed and brushed her tears away. Who knew she would die so young? She was sure it was for the best, after all, she was just causing turmoil for Jack and Will.

Muffled shouts and footfalls sounded above her on deck. Land must be in sight. She closed her eyes and allowed one last minute of peace before ascending the stairs. The sun was just setting, turning the edges of the sea a liquid gold. Elizabeth watched in awe at the beautiful red's and oranges spanning across the sky before Gibbs tapped her shoulder.

"Miss Swann, it'd be time to board the life boat." Gibbs gestured to the pirate filled rowboat. Elizabeth smiled and let Gibbs lower her into the boat. She immediately turned back to watch the sunset, obviously avoiding Jack. Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti, the other's occupying the boat, shifted awkwardly in their seats. The tense atmosphere became heavier as the minutes ticked by. Elizabeth pretended not to notice the uncomfortable silence and studied the unusual vegetation and wildlife on the banks of the eerie river as they paddled along. Jack sighed and kept his eyes forward, wishing Tia's shack would finally appear.

"Um, so Miss Swann, are your accommodations on the Pearl to your liking?" Gibbs coughed, frazzled by the unsettling emotions rolling off the captain and wanting nothing more than to eliminate the unhappiness in the air.

"Yes Gibbs, everything is fine. Thank you… uh, Gibbs?" Elizabeth's pleasant smile faded and she realized she might as well tell them a sacrifice wasn't needed.

"Yes, Miss Swann?"

"You're all so very kind, but as far as Davy's… accord goes, I don't think we'll need the one hundred souls." A small amount of relief leaked into Elizabeth's muscles as she spoke, it felt good getting that out into the open. All eyes, including Jack's, swiveled to Elizabeth, all confused, except for Jack's who's were empty, but expectant.

"What exactly do you mean?" Gibbs asked politely.

"What I mean is, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting a hundred die for me. I'd feel much better if I were the one to… die." Jack's suddenly intense eyes caused Elizabeth to lose her train of thought.

"No, ye don't mean that. Ye don' know what yer asking." Jack's voice was almost reprimanding as he caught her eyes, giving her a pleading look.

"What? I know that I don't want others to die for me, and that should be enough. It's my choice." Elizabeth snapped, crossing her arms.

"I understand, but ye'd be dyin' for something that has absolutely nothin' to do with ye." Jack replied glaring at her in irritation. Why was she arguing with him, there was no way he was going to let her die, didn't she know that? Elizabeth looked startled, she had completely forgotten that her soul being on the line had been caused by a dispute between Davy and…Jack.

"Why wouldn't you want me to die? It'd solve all your problems with Jones, why go to all the trouble of collecting souls when you have one right here that would work!" She was still a bit sore from the fight earlier and kept pressing to hear certain words from Jack. It annoyed her when she couldn't figure out what words she wanted to hear, but there was something, something she needed Jack to say.

"A hundred strangers dyin' is a lot easier to cope with than one familiar friend dyin'." Jack barked, he seethed when he realized that what he said wasn't exactly true or clear, but at this particular moment, the "familiar friend" was more important than two hundred strangers. It was oddly satisfying when he noticed this.

"Jack, don't lie to me! Just tell me the truth!" Elizabeth thought that she could sort his lies from his truths but at the present time her mind was reeling with confusion, the truths and lies blended together. Why couldn't he just say it! The words were there, she could see them in his eyes; all he had to do was speak them.

"Fine, ye want the truth? The truth is I couldn' bare to let ye die, especially because of me! So stop tryin' to throw yeself into the fire because I'm not letting' it happen!" Jack roared, he realized his sudden anger came from the fact that he had tried so hard keeping these feelings to himself; this woman had such a strong affect he couldn't even stay quiet around her. An uneasy silence settled back on the boat. Pintel, Ragetti, and Gibbs jaws had long since dropped during the argument and now they were recovering from their shock. Jack kept his eyes stubbornly ahead, cursing himself mentally for opening his mouth in the first place. But the nerve of the woman! Did she honestly think he would joyfully hand her off to her death?

"Jack?" Elizabeth finally regained her composure, Jack's flare-up had shaken her at first, and then she understood. Those were the words she wanted to hear. She wanted to know he didn't want her to die, that if she did, he would be upset.

"Jack? Do you really mean that?" Elizabeth's eyes searched for his, but he refused to turn.

"I said, it didn' I?" Jack grumbled, he felt he'd been arguing all day and wasn't sure he'd make it through the next fight.

"Thank you." Elizabeth breathed, and she was speaking the truth. Jack's words, though shouted in anger, had tugged at her heartstrings. So he does care? But how much…

--

Tia Dalma hunched over a bowl of still water. She closed her eyes as she hummed and recited an ancient chant, calling spirits for the aid of spirits. Her millions of trinkets, shells, jars of goodness-knows-what, bird cages, and more hanging from her dilapidated ceiling swayed from the evening air filtering through her open window.

As her chant became faster and more passionate she stopped and slowly opened her eyes staring into the bowl, the water was now gently rocking. Images gradually became focused in the water and Tia watched the scene intently. The images changed rapidly, only an experienced Goddess such as herself would be able to make out what was going on.

"It'eems witty Jack is soon t'be embarkin' on a journey dat requires no map nor key." She smiled and wrapped her fingers around the bowl, shaking it slightly to dissolve the images.

Gathering up her shells and beads off her old wooden table she stored them away in a sack. As she cleared her table off her eyes rested on a tarnished music box. Slowly, she picked it up, and hesitated before lifting the lid and releasing the sweet sound. As each note was played her heart ached painfully and sorrowful tears fell from her eyes.

"My Davy Jones, what 'ave ye gotten yerself into?" She sighed and carefully closed the lid, she dropped the small music box into one of her pockets. Settling herself into a chair she wiped away her tears, she felt an overwhelming exhaustion crowding around her heart as she waited for the all too familiar footsteps of a cocky pirate friend.

Yeah, this chapter ends in a pretty somber tone. So Tia has been introduced, in a way, and this story is moving right along. Thanks to all reading and I'm sorry if this is a bit short and to the point but I'm afraid I'm a bit behind, last week of school and I'm trying to savor my last days.