Nelle07: I miss him too.

huffle-bibin: Thank you! Here you go!

I flung the door open immediately. "Will! What's happening? What's wrong? How did you get out? Where is Elizabeth?"

I bombarded him with questions as he stepped into George's house. He answered them all one after the other and was, as always, calm and direct. "Everything is fine; nothing's wrong. Beckett has struck a deal with me and Elizabeth is still in jail."

"What deal?" I asked. It seemed that I couldn't do anything except ask questions since the moment he'd arrived.

"I have to find Jack and bargain with him. If I can get Beckett Jack's compass then we'll all be free," Will explained. Jack? Will was going to find Jack?

"What do you have to bargain with?" I asked.

"Letters of Marque," Will replied. That made me laugh, I knew what Letters of Marque were and I didn't think Jack would be very keen on the idea.

"I doubt Jack will consider employment the same as being free," I smiled, imagining the look on Jack's face at the offer of working for Beckett.

"You know, that's exactly what I said," his strained face relaxed into a smile. There was a pause.

"So, have you told Elizabeth where we're going?" I asked.

"I have, but what do you mean by 'we'?" he frowned at me.

"You didn't think that I would let you go without me, did you?!? Will that's so unfair you know that I could help and anyway I'd be safe from Beckett with you and Jack and-" I stopped when I saw he was laughing at me.

"I was joking, Isabel, of course you can come!" He gave me a sly smile, "Anyway, I think Jack's more likely to hand over his compass if you're there too."

"What?" I asked. From the look on his face he appeared to be attempting to make some kind of sly jibe, but its hidden meaning went straight over my head. Rather than clarifying whatever it was he just gave me a knowing smile. I could have slapped him. Instead, I scrawled a hurried note to George explaining what had happened and where I'd gone. And feeling elated by the prospect of this new adventure, I left George's without looking back.

***

Will had been promised a passage to one place of his choice and that was it, the rest was up to him. The obvious choice was Tortuga and that's where we were headed. Beckett leant us a ship. The Comrant floated by the docks. Will went to speak to the Captain, but of course, I couldn't be seen. While everyone was distracted with Will I ran aboard the Comrant and down into the galley. I hid among the supplies of food that were stored down there; right at the back behind a large crate. I crouched down and stayed as quite as possible.

To pass the time I daydreamed about the events that had brought us all to be in our current situation. I was so lost in the memories and thoughts about cursed treasure and pirates that it took me longer than it should have to realise that the ship was moving. It rose and fell with the swell of the tide and I could hear the waves slapping against the hull. I stayed crouched where I was for hours and eventually cramp took over in my legs and feet. I stood up slowly, holding my breath against the discomfort. I let it out and looked up. A startled pair of brown eyes looked back at me.

"Bugger," I muttered as he grabbed my arm.

***

Captain Rodger Ford was a small, stout balding man with a wheezy voice. His watery blue eyes stared at me from under his bushy white eyebrows.

"Well, well, Miss Norrington," he smirked. "Lord Beckett will be very please to hear that we've found you. Were you running away to find your brother?"

"Mm mmmn mmmmn," I said through the gag.

He leaned right across the table and pulled it away from my mouth. His breath stank of fish and there was something green stuck between his teeth, "Where is your brother?" he asked slowly.

"I don't know," I shrugged, leaning away from him.

"Yes you do," he told me.

"Do I? Well, that's news to me! I must have forgotten to tell myself that!" I tried not to inhale too deeply. The smile disappeared from his face. He looked to the member of his crew who had found me.

"Bring in Turner, tell him we've found him something to do to earn his keep," said the Captain. I looked away to hide my smile. Sending Will in to watch me was a bad idea, but I wasn't about to share that information with the Captain.

Will arrived and when he saw me a small amused smile played around the corners of his mouth. He was instructed to watch me until we arrived in Tortuga. When the Captain left we began to laugh.

"What an idiot!" I giggled.

"Says the girl who managed to get caught in no less than two hours!" Will teased.

"Actually, last year I only lasted about four seconds on the Isla de Meurta before I was caught by Barbossa-"

"- twice," Will interrupted me. "You were caught twice by Barbossa."

"Yes, twice, so two hours may be my new record," I grinned. He laughed.

***

"We've arrived," a scrawny man, who looked no older than a boy, stuck his head round the door. His eyes filled with surprise when Will untied me. "No…" he said, "She's not meant to…"

"I know I'm not, but I don't fancy staying here, no offence," I ginned at him as I pushed past. He blinked at me. I strode out across the deck and broke into a run as surprised shouts came from the crew. I laughed as my feet hit the docks, by the time Captain Ford had wheezed himself out of his cabin I'd have melted into the crowds of Tortuga.

I stopped by a familiar tavern a safe distance from the Comrant and waited for Will to catch up with me. Tortuga was the same as always. Same mess, same people, same smell. I'd almost forgotten how bad the smell was. Almost, but not quite. I would take years to erase that kind of memory. Will appeared and judging by his expression I guessed he too was avoiding the smell.

"Breathe through your mouth," I reminded him. He nodded. "Where to we start looking?"

"Anywhere," he replied. "We'll ask someone."

"Who?"

"Anyone, everyone," he looked around.

We walked slowly back to the docks, but the Comrant was leaving and we were safe. They wouldn't dare try anything with this many pirates around. Especially with the amount of drunken ones. Will stopped by a random pirate I almost didn't see him stop and kept walking. I walked back.

"Have you seen Jack Sparrow?" Will asked.

"Captain," I corrected him.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Will repeated annoyed.

"Captain Jack Sparrow? Owes me four doubloons, heard he was dead," said the man sourly. I almost fainted. Will put his hand on my arm to steady me.

"I'm sure he's not, Isabel," he said calmly, steering me away. I shook my head. It seemed to be all I could do. "He probably wants him to think that to avoid paying up."

I kept nodding as Will dragged me along to another part of Tortuga. The next answer gave me a little more hope. "Singapore, that's what I heard. Sure as the tide, Jack Sparrow will end up in Singapore."

"Told you he wasn't dead," Will muttered as we walked away. We wondered aimlessly in the town for a while. The next person we spoke to didn't speak English. Will thought he knew what it was and tried to reply, but we must have offended him because he started waving his arms about and shouting at us.

It was then I saw someone I knew. It wasn't Jack. It was Scarlette and Giselle. Will turned the question on them. I knew it was a mistake from the way they glanced at each other.

"Jack Sparrow?" Giselle repeated.

"Haven't seen him in a month," commented Scarlette.

"When you find him, will you give him a message?" Giselle smirked. I stepped back, warily. Will didn't and before he could do anything she slapped him. They both walked off. I laughed at Will's disgruntled expression.

"Don't laugh!" he grumbled, rubbing his cheek. "I didn't deserve that!"

"Now where have I heard that before?" I laughed at the memory. He frowned at me. I sighed, "This is hopeless! We've heard so many different stories from different people!"

"Well we can't give up!" he said.

"I know, I wasn't going to," we pressed on and came to a shrimper.

"I cannot say about Jack Sparrow, but there's an island just south of the straits where I trade spice for delicious lamb pork. Cannot say about Jack. But you'll find a ship there, a ship with black sails," the shrimper told us.

We'd found the Pearl. And therefore we'd found Jack.

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