Chapter 7

We floated down stream through the murky waters. The fog surrounded use giving the waterway a shadowy look. I sat quietly listening to Will ask Mr. Gibbs why exactly Jack was so against going to the open sea. As the older man explained to Will and everyone else who were intensely listening now, about the legend of Davey Jones "pet" the Kraken. I watched Jack expression darken as Mr. Gibbs deemed it a myth something almost no one would believe. But Jack and I knew it wasn't just some story to scare sailors. The Kraken was after Jack his time had run out and here we are trying to make more of it.

"Will the key save Jack from his fate?" Will asked

"That's the question that I think he and the rest of us want to know. Even if it means the captain has to see her," Gibbs said

"Her?" Will repeated

"Aye," Gibbs replied the rest of the boat ride was silent that not even the smallest been could break. We sailed up to a small hut Jack tied our boats to the dock bellow the hut and helped me out of it.

"Alright mates, no need to worry me and Tia go back pretty far. We were as thick as thieves; we are inseparable," Jack said trying to reassure us.

"What does he mean they're freaking inseparable? Okay did he find another woman to keep him busy those ten years we were apart? If so I may have to rethink this whole marriage thing!" was what I was thinking in my head but my heart said another "No he wouldn't do that to you Rose. He love you and will only love you. But I swear if he as much as looks at her in that way he won't be worrying about the kraken anymore," I thought to myself "Are inseparable," I hissed glaring at him

"Aaa, did I say are I mean were, before, like way before us," he sputtered quickly

"That's what I thought," I smiled crossing my arms

"I'll watch your back Captian," Gibbs said trying to move off the sore subject.

"It's my front I'm worrying about," he explained beginning climbing up the stairs

"Good what cha deserve," I laughed following close behind him "Oh mind the boat," I added it was as if I had tipped over a row of dominoes. The orders went down the line one by one Gibbs to Will, Will to Ragetti, Ragetti to Pintel, Pintel to Marty, Marty to Cotton's parrot, and Cotton's parrot to Cotton. Poor Cotton got stuck with the boring job. I guess that he's just not a very lucky guy. As we entered into hut I noticed jars that held weird things in them like eye balls hanging everywhere. Tia Dalma sat at a small desk where she was reading something from crab claws.

"Jack Sparrow," she sang getting up from her desk walking to Jack "I knewed the winds would blow ya back to me one day," she stopped when she saw me standing close behind Jack

"Tia Dalma let me introduce you to my wife Nightstar and love this is Tia Dalma," he said she held out her hand and I shook it

"Nice to finally meet you Rosemary," Tia Dalma smiled my eyes widened

"How did you know my na-,"

"You have a touch of destiny to ya like William Turner here," she explained Will and I looked at each other puzzled by this mysterious woman

"So you know me?" Will asked she walked over to him swinging her hips seductively she leaned closer to him.

"You want to know me," she said

"That'll be enough knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it," Jack intervened between the two

"Yes of course come," she ordered walking over to a table in the back of the room. She gestured for Jack to sit down but instead he turned Will into the sacrificial lamb.

"Come," Jack repeated to Will who sat down in the chair

"Now, what serves may I do ya?" She asked caressing Will's face I for one felt bad for Will he was Tia's new play thing, since Jack was claimed. She looked over at Jack face harden "You know I demand payment,"

"And we brought payment," I said rolling my eyes why wouldn't we bring payment after going through all this trouble.

"Yes and I think it'll a wonderful thing to add to your well," Jack began to say but stop to look around "Collection," he held out his hand and Gibbs pulled off the cover on the cage reveling Jack Jr. He handed the cage to Jack who pulled out his pistol pointing it at the monkey. We all backed away from Jack "Look!" he pulled the trigger. Jack Jr. screeched as the fire rang through the house. But he was fine, like we all knew he would be. "An undead monkey," Jack laughed

"Let me see," Tia Dalma said he handing her the cage. She examined the cage unlocking it setting little Jack free.

"Just to let you know you won't be able to put that monkey back in the cage by yourself it's evil," Jack explained to her

"Oh just because he bit your hand when you yanked on his tail doesn't make him evil! You were asking for it the minute you came up with that idea," I said scolding him

"I have no idea what your talking about," he smiled I rolled my eyes at him

"The payment is fair," Tia Dalma said putting the cage away "What do ya seek to know?" Will laid out the picture of the key as she sat down.

"We're looking for this key and whatever it goes to," Will explained she looked up at Jack a stern annoyed look in her face.

"The compass you got from me it can't lead ya to this!" she said

"I don't know maybe why?" Jack asked a paranoid look on his face

"She," Tia Dalma tilted her head at me "Is all you want isn't she?" she laughed Jack looked over at me a surprised that she so easily guessed his problem.

"But I also seek-,"

"The chest this key belongs to and the prize that lies inside it," she cut in finishing his sentence

"What is inside it?" Gibbs asked

"Gold, Silver, Jewels, money, or you know unclaimed properties of valuable nature!" Pintel said drifting away to his island of paradise. I knew he and the crew has been imaging for a while now the treasures that were hidden away in this chest. But there were going to receive a rude awakening from there fantasies.

"You know of Davey Jones?" She asked the group of men they all nodded

"Who doesn't?" Ragetti laughed

"Hard to avoid the subject when you live on the sea," Gibbs said

"You know he was a experienced man of the sea, a great sailor. Well until he ran afoul with which vex all men," Tia Dalma paused like she was remembering something

"What vexes all men?" Will asked her

"What indeed Mr. Turner," She smiled teasingly running her fingers across his hand.

"Is it the sea?" Gibbs asked

"No it's sums!" Pintel exclaimed

"Your captain knows what this vex is for sure," she sighed knowing that she wasn't going to get anywhere in the story if she let the foolish men figure it out on there own. They looked up at Jack who looked over at me grinning

"A woman," he said

"Yes he fell in love with a woman," she smiled

"No, no, no, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with," Mr. Gibbs interrupted

"There the same story but different version and all are true. See this woman was as changing, harsh, and untamable as the sea. He never stopped loving her though and the pain it caused him was too much live with but not enough to die," she explained

"But what did he put in the chest?" Will inquired

"His heart of course," she said Gibbs looked like he was about ready to faint and the rest of the men looked horrified

"He couldn't live with his heart being in a chest! It's just not possible, right," Pintel rambled desperate for someone to be on his side.

"He thinks it's not worth feeling what small, brief joys that life brings. So he carved out his heart and locked it in the chest and hid it from the rest of the world. The key he keep with him at all times," she finished Will flew out of his seat staring angrily at Jack

"You knew where the key was this whole time didn't you," he yelled

"I did not mate, but now we do know so all we need to do is climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, steal the key from Jones without being detected, and you go back to Port Royal to save your bonnie lass," Jack said he began walking towards the door

"Jack we still have one more thing," I frowned he stopped looking quite confused

"And what would that be love?" he asked

"Well," I pointed at his hand "You know that,"

"I have no clue what you're talking about it's been nice catching up with you Tia Dalma but I have to-,"

"Jack Edward Sparrow, show Tia Dalma your hand!" I ordered he was already in some trouble with me and I think he could sense that I was on my last nerve with him. So Jack held out his left hand which was wrapped with some cloth. She removed the bandages reviling the black spot. Mr. Gibbs, Ragetti, and Pintel had a little freak out moment screaming "It's the black spot," they did there little superstitial dance.

"Just to let you know my eyesight is fine that's a myth," Jack laughed trying to lighten the mood. Tia Dalma walked to a back room we could hear her rummaging through her things. She came back out with a jar or dirt

"Davey Jones can only come on land once every ten years. Land is where you will be safe so you will carry it with you," She explained handing him the jar

"Thank you Tia Dalma," I smiled at her and she nodded her head

"May I speak with ya over here?" she asked walking over where Jack and the rest of the guys couldn't hear use. "You need to be strong for not only ya but Jack too. If something were to happen to him I want you to remember he lives on in you," She said placing a hand on my heart and my stomach

"Humm alright thank you for your lovely wisdom," I mumbled I was beginning to think that she was a okay gal but she's a bit crazy. I walked back over to Jack's side grabbing his hand in my own.

"What did she say to you?" he asked

"Some crazy mumbo jumbo," I replied

"It looks like we need to find the Flying Dutchman," Will said looking over at Tia Dalma who grinned picking up her crab claws.

"A touch of destiny," she cried rolling the claws