A/N: alright so BIG thankity thank yous go out to johnnydeppluver89, scaryemerald10, and savvypirategrl for the amazing reviews that made me smile and these three reviews really made me want to update faster, so there's a little hint hint for all you that read without hitting the cute little purple button. as always thanks to ThePurpleness as she has the strength to sit through and help me sort out my muddled branched out thinking...be glad you're not her...be very glad, no one should have to listen to my babbling confuzzled ideas and i am eternally gratefull to you my friend.

Reminder: i changed the years so they work better with the way i wrote the story and the ages everyone is at the moment so jack was promised 6 years as captain not 13, check the a/n in ch1 for the extensive explanation if you forgot.

Warning: MAJOR fluff and oocness! i promise not to do this too often but i felt it neccessary for this chapter.

Alina was standing at the helm as part of the night watch thinking back on the events of the day and the more she thought on it the more disturbed she became. What on Earth had gotten into Jack? Something's not right with him; he's been a bit off for a while now. And that is saying something. She mused with a chuckle. "Mr. Gibbs?" She called to the tubby man by the mast, "Would you mind taking over the helm for me? I believe our dearest male captain owes his cohort an explanation of sorts."

"T'id be me pleasure Captain, and don't ye dare leave his place until ye've got yerself an answer of sorts." Mr. Gibbs winked to her taking the helm from her grasp. She chuckled as she walked down to Jack's cabin. I knew I always liked that man. She thought.

"Jack?" She called softly as she rapped on his door, "Are you in there?" She timidly began opening the door fearing that she may accidentally walk in on him in an awkward state as she had once when he was first coming into his male inheritance, and appreciating himself in a nearby mirror as bare as the day he was born. It had taken both a good three months before either had lived it down by his da…and half of the crew.

"Why is the rum always gone?" He muttered, not hearing her enter. She quickly slipped past the door and snuck up behind him as he stood, wobbling slightly, "Oh, that's why."

"Boo." She whispered in his ear jostling his shoulders a bit. He jerked around to face her and glared when he realized, in his half-drunk stupor, who it was. She stifled a chuckle when she saw his attempt at a glare. "Jack I think there's something we need to discuss." She said as properly as she could, fixing a stern glare to his eyes and wagging her finger in front of his nose.

"Not now." He turned around and began walking to the door but she wouldn't let him get away that easily. She jogged in front of him and blocked the door with her body.

"Jay, there's something going on with you and I'd like to know what." She paused before adding softly, "I'm worried about you."

"Ali," he sighed rubbing his eyes in frustration, "look, I'm fine okay. I've just got a lot on me mind and that's why the compass is acting like a bloody woman in her month."

Alina blushed at the reference, recalling the time she had snapped at him viciously while on her specific 'time' and shortly thereafter felt a guilt so immense she had felt the need to apologize only not knowing how. She had fumbled around her words for a while before shutting her mouth and turning around, walking away quickly. Damn nature. She scoffed in her thoughts.

"Now can I please go get me rum?" He asked grabbing her by her biceps and lifting her up, moving her away from the door as easily as if she were a toddler. "I promise; nothing is wrong with me." He opened the door and bowed out, folding his hands in a prayer gesture before turning to the cellar.

Alina didn't believe him in the slightest. Something was going on that he wasn't telling her. Either he didn't want her to get involved for fear of her getting hurt, he didn't know what was wrong himself and he was just in one of his 'moods', or he didn't trust her enough to tell her. Either way she was going to find out. She snuck out of the room and went down to the cellar to see him walking cautiously towards the back. She hid behind one of the large stacks just as she heard the words, "Time's run out Jack."

"Bootstrap? Bill Turner?" Jack asked the strange man hidden from Alina's sight. She recognized the name as Will's da and covered her mouth to stifle her gasp.

"You look good, Jack." Bootstrap answered.

"Is this a dream?"

"No."

"I thought not. If it were there'd be rum." At his Jack took what Alina could only guess was an offered bottle of rum. She attempted to move closer to see the face of her good friend's father.

"You got the Pearl back, I see."

"I had some help retrieving it by the way…your son."

"William. So he ended up a pirate after all." Bootstrap's voice seemed far off, as if he were somewhere far off. Perhaps reminiscing of when he was there for his family. Perhaps in guilt he wished to see his son once more.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?" Jack asked, greatly confusing Alina who still couldn't see. She peered through the shelves of the rum storage and could not stifle the sudden gasp that emerged when she saw what had become of Bootstrap and heard the following words pass from his decaying lips.

"He sent me. Davy Jones."

Jack seemed to pause before answering and Alina swore under her breath as she realized Jack had probably heard her, he shook his head briefly and turned back to Bootstrap and Alina almost sighed in relief. Perhaps she hadn't been caught after all.

"Ah, so it's you then. He shanghaied you into service, eh?"

"I chose it." Bootstrap replied and Alina had to force herself not to throttle him right then, who would choose a life like that? She thought angrily. Why would anyone choose a life under the spawn of Satan himself?!

"I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny against you Jack. I stood up for you. Everything went wrong after that. They strapped me to a cannon, I ended up on the bottom of the ocean, the weight of the water crushing down on me. Unable to move, unable to die, Jack. I thought even the tiniest hope of escaping this fare, I would take it. I would trade anything for it."

Oh. That's why.

"It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgment."

What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!Alina realized they were getting to the heart of Jack's problems.

"You made a deal with him too Jack. He raised the Pearl from the depths for you, six years you been captain."

At this Alina could listen to no more, she turned and stealthily ran back up the steps and into his cabin. She sat on his bed and buried her face in her hands. No! No, no, no! That stupid, addle-brained, mammering, swaggering, moldwarp! Why would he do such an idiotic thing?! Why would he sentence himself for a ship?! He could have built a new one! An exact replica of the old! He could have gotten a brand new ship altogether! He could have done anything, everything, but why make a deal with the devil?!?!?!

Her eyes had grown red and teary, and her breath had become labored, but a single tear had not yet fallen. They would not fall until she heard all there was to hear from Jack. She could not, would not let him leave her again. Ever since coming back to him, being separated again had been her greatest fear. The reason why she had so adamantly refused to stay aboard the Pearl while he went gallivanting off.

His outspoken reasons made sense to all, that if something should happen to him, the crew would need their co-captain to resume as captain and lead them away from the danger.

Her unspoken reason made more sense in her heart. If something were to happen to him, there would be no co-captain to continue…she would go with him. Always. She vowed to herself the night they had kissed nearly one year ago, she would not feel helpless again, she would not lose her heart again; she would not be separated from him. She couldn't bare it.

She felt the ship lurch and knew that Jack was taking off for some unknown reason. No. She scoffed, He had a reason; he just didn't bother to tell anyone. She hung her head and stared at her feet, Not even me. He couldn't even tell me. Was he ashamed that he made the deal at all? Was he afraid to tell her for fear of her saying exactly what she had earlier thought? Was he worried she might scorn him exactly as she had done in her thoughts? She hung her head once more, only this time in shame. She knew why he didn't tell her. She would have acted exactly as she had in her thoughts.

Alina heard the crew yelling something about Jack's hat and felt the ship lurch one way and then the other as they were ordered to 'forget the hat'. A few moments later, Alina heard the door open and close. She heard only one footstep indicating that Jack had stepped into the room but had gone no further. She dared not look up for fear of what she would see on his face, or worse, what he would see on hers.

Finally she heard him sigh and walk further into the room to kneel by the bedside and look up into her face. When she saw the earnest look on his face she couldn't help the tears that brimmed over and fell from the apples of her cheeks onto his just below.

Silently, he reached up a hand to wipe her tears from her eyes, but left the ones on his own cheeks to follow their path. "Shh love. Ye know I hate it when ye cry. Especially when I make ye do it." He chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood.

"I can't help it," she sniffed, "ye bring out the skirt in me." She smirked at the reference he had used to call her many years ago when she was looking for Smiley. "Ye know I still have that old bear."

"Really?" He asked, intrigued by the thought, "I can't imagine he's worth lookin' at now-a-days. I can't believe you actually kept him."

"Of course I kept him. Smiley got me through some of my worst days." She told him smiling and pulling Jack into a hug by his shoulders. "Jack why did you do it? Why would you make a deal with Davy Jones of all people? If he can be called a person at all." She sniffed.

"I'm sorry love. A lot was going on through me mind at the time. How I was lettin' me da down again, how I was messing things up just like he said I would, I just didn't want him to find out he was right." Jack sighed and moved so he was leaning his back against her legs.

"Jack yer da was never right about you, you should know that." She consoled. She moved so she was sitting on the floor of the cabin behind him and massaging his shoulders, "Ye're crafty, ye're witty, and ye always get yerself out of a jam."

"I messed up with you again." He sulked but leaned into her massage none the less.

"I was more upset that you didn't tell me." She lied smoothly.

"I'm sorry." He sighed and leaned his head back to rest on her shoulder, "But I've got a plan so don't ye worry yer pretty little skirt-filled head." He kissed her temple with slight difficulty from the angle he was sitting, "I'll get everything sorted out. I promise. We won't get separated again." He voiced her earlier thoughts.

"I hope so Jack." She whispered, still rubbing his tense shoulders into relaxation, "I hope so."