A/N: Part two of Jack's experiences in the locker. Thanks to m'lady Nytd for her beta-magic!

Please enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated.

Day 16

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Sweat, perspiration, condensation, precipitation, what have you. It was present and palpable, cascading down sweltering skin and pulsating temples. It had taken Jack sixteen grueling days on foot, beneath an unforgiving sun, to reach the black spec he saw in the distance the very first day he had arrived. As it grew larger, turning to something enticingly familiar, his heart began to warm, feeling his mind encourage his muscles to keep moving each time he laid eyes on it. He could not deny his passion; it was his Pearl, his darling Black Pearl – the woman that loved him in ways that an ordinary wench couldn't comprehend.

Wavelike muscle contractions swept through the walls of his stomach, mixing his gastric juices since the option of food was not a possibility. Painful, severe, and involuntary spasms erupted throughout his body. His throat was dry and saliva sparse and even if present, hot – it was always hot. No matter where he was, he could not escape the sun. It had robbed the moon of its waltz of darkness and had no intention of giving it back.

"S'been a long time…"

"Aye, feels like years."

"Nay, months, I reckon."

"But, who's counting, really?"

His legs finally gave out, causing him to topple to the ground upon his knees then rotating a bit to fall on his arse, rolling finally onto his back, letting his shoulders lay flat in exhaustion.

"Oi, fleshy one! What are you doing?"

"Giving up," Jack replied, sighing in defeat.

"Giving up? Have you gone mad? She's right there for the taking!"

"And where are we to go, exactly?"

"Any place is better than here, don't you agree?"

"I surely do."

"I'm sure you would," he muttered, gliding his hat over his eyes. "As for now, I wash my hands of the both of you." And with that, he closed his eyes, drifting off into a dark and distant world, laying his weary bones to rest.

A pair of eyes on short stalks examined him from a distance, their owner holding their white, snapping crustacean claws in the air as it slowly commenced its pursuit. It shuffled it's short, broad, and more or less flattened body to Jack's side, continuing to clack together its claws at the sight of his fatigued corpse.

Turning rhythmically to where it came from, the small creature began to squeak, calling out to something in the distance. It saw movement in the distance from the salt ridden sand; excitedly the small crustacean began snapping its claws in a more enthusiastic manner. An army of similar crab-like creatures began to move beneath the radiating heat of the sun, casting dark, moving shadows along the bland landscape. They hastened their pace with each snap of the lone crab's claw, reaching their destination in record time.

The mass of crustaceans huddled around Jack, one-by-one crawling beneath his body, utilizing all of the strength they could muster to lift his limp carcass. They moved him slowly, as if he were being carried along on a cloud in some sort of pleasant dream, depositing him beneath a dark shadow that was cast by the Black Pearl to shade him from the blatant harshness of the sun.

With the snap of a claw, they were gone, all but one that decided to remain by his side.

It was the first time that the heat had not stirred him back to consciousness. Rather, it was the crisp air that fluttered gently on his cheeks that startled him to wake, feeling as though something was amiss.

He propped himself upon his elbows, realizing that for the first time his body was not exceedingly hot in temperature and his surroundings appeared to be shaded. He turned his attention to the dark, enormous object that loomed over his body and felt his eyes grow wide with enthusiasm, it was his Pearl.

He leapt up to his feet, dashing toward the bow of the vessel, touching it gently with his hands. "'Ello, darling," he cooed, smiling at his muse as he grazed his fingers along the blackened wood.

He looked up; evaluating her condition since the last time they were together, as one. It seemed as though the Kraken had inflicted no lasting effects on her physically, but then again he didn't know for sure. He felt the urge to be at her helm, to sail with her into the horizon as they had done together so many times before. He could not escape the want or the need to feel such wholeness again.

"So, how are you going to get up there?"

"Aye, what's the plan this time, mate?"

"Not really much for planning things out, I just let it come to me," Jack affirmed, squinting his eyes up at the Pearl's rail while pushing back his coat to place his hands on his hips.

"What's that?"the voice inquired, causing Jack to turn his head slightly to the right. He watched as, what seemed like a long, cylindrical piece of string fell from the sky to the ground beside him. It fell in such a way that it coiled around itself, just as a snake would when consuming its prey.

"Rope," Jack clarified, cocking his head suspiciously at the coil of rope, positioned at his side. He looked up at the Pearl then back down to the rope, eloquently wiggling his fingers before picking up the end of the rope that hung, loosely, over the coil.

"Seems as though, dear ol' Jack still has a bit of luck after all!"

"That surely came to you willingly."

"As do many other things…"

"Perhaps, it is a gift, finally," Jack pondered aloud.

"A gift? For what? Is it our birthday?"

"Oh shut it! As I was saying ... perhaps, it is a gift – for being honest," he explained, picking up the coil of rope, placing it upon his shoulder while peering up, once again, at the Pearl.

"I'd hold that thought, if I were you."

"Oh, look!"

"What?"

"Hark! Who goes there?"

"Not a who, but a what - down there!"

Jack turned about, looking down at the ground beneath him. He scanned the shaded, white landscape and to his surprise, he came across a small, circular object at his feet.

"A rock!"

"Rock? What are you doing here?" he inquired, knowing he would receive no answer.

"That's odd."

"Not as odd as you two. I think you should give the little geode some credit for following us this far," he stated, pointing at the object.

"I see."

"Talkative little fellow, aren't you?" he asked sarcastically, breathing a small chuckle as his picked it up with two fingers.

"Don't think he likes you that much, if you ask me."

"Why wouldn't it? We're absolutely charming. Perhaps, even down right delectable."

Jack placed the rock flat on his palm, weighing it for a moment, eying its perfectly circular exterior. He repositioned the rope upon his left shoulder, realizing that it was slithering down his arm as if it wished to be reunited with the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jack asked the rope as he shifted the coil into a more comfortable position on his shoulder.

He paused, looking down at the rock for a moment, shifting his eyes again to the coil of rope. Turning, he looked up at his magnificent galleon, the Black Pearl, longingly; her depressed, black hull baked in the sun as her once majestic sails held on lifelessly to her yards. He took several gliding steps backward, shielding his eyes from the sun with left hand, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his mind.

He looked down at the rock once more, taking the tale end of the coil to wrap it tightly around the rock, intersecting the rope before tying it securely. Holding the rope loosely in his fingers, he let the rock dangle for a moment, checking to see if it would not slide out of his ingenious device.

Looking up, he spotted the lateen sail that assumed gigantic dimensions with a yard that consisted of two or three spars lashed together with wooldings. The foot of the lateen yard was significantly thicker than the head, so it made perfect sense as to where Jack should aim for.

He coiled the rope into wide sections in his right hand, making sure that the rock remained on the outside, away from his body. Moving the coils to his left hand, he grabbed the other end of the rope beginning to swing the rope above his head once or twice before throwing it up to the yard.

It spun several times about the yard until coming to a stop, dangling slightly in the air. He pulled the rope, securing it tightly to the yard.

"That was rather intelligent."

"Aye, bravo, mate. Now, haul us up!"

Reaching up to grab the rope with one hand directly underneath the other, Jack wrapped his legs around it, placing the rope security between his thighs. He hooked one foot in front and one foot behind the rope, pulling his body up with his arms. Each time his chest reached the same level as his hands; he would squeeze the rope with his legs and feet and reaching his hands up one at a time. Re-grasping the rope with one hand directly underneath the other, he loosened the grip with his legs and pulled again, continuously repeating the task until his body was level with the Pearl's deck.

"Tired yet?"

"Hope we're not too heavy."

"Stow it!" he demanded, beginning to shift his weight back and forth, attempting to swing himself forcefully enough to land on the Pearl's deck. As he swung, he greeted each gust of wind as if it were his last, realizing all of the little things he took for granted in his mortal life.

"This is quite fun."

"Well spoke. Invigorating, isn't it?"

He shifted his weight for one last swing, relinquishing his grasp on the rope, propelling his body through the air. He felt his body slam into a hard surface, shaking his head to straighten his disoriented sight. Slowly, he rose to his feet, familiar solid wood beneath him at last. He adjusted his frockcoat, looking up after he fully regained himself, realizing that he was not the only one on his Pearl.

"Captain!" yelled Mr. Sparrow, running to his side. "We were wondering where you had run off to!"

Jack scanned the sea of replicas before him. "This certainly keeps getting better, doesn't it?" he said, sarcastically, leaning back into his swagger.