Author's Note: The battle with writer's block has been a long one. It took me through fire…and water. From the lowest cavern to the highest peak, I battled with the writer's block. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote its ruin on the mountainside. Darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time. The stars wheeled overhead, and each day felt as long as a life-age of the Earth. …But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back, until my task is done. And it begins with the next chapter of this story.

Chapter 2

When Robin awoke hours later, she was alone in the bed she shared with her husband. She stretched out her arm, and frowned upon discovering the other side was cold. He'd been gone for a while, then. Robin sat up and looked around the captain's quarters aboard the Pearl. Jack was nowhere to be seen. He'd probably gone down to the hold to get another bottle of rum.

Robin slipped out of bed, drawing her robe tight around her, one of the few luxuries she allowed herself aboard the ship, mainly because it had been a gift from her beloved Sparrow. Curious, she padded over to the table to see what Jack had been working on. He'd been charting their next course, but something seemed off.

Picking up the calipers that had been left discarded on the map, she followed the path her husband had plotted out, her eyebrows climbing up to her hairline. Jack's route could best be described as "island hopping." As far as she could tell, the course avoided the open ocean as much as was humanly possible. But why? There were no ports to sack, no trade routes to intercept.

"What are you doing, Jack?" she whispered to herself. The ship let out a creaking groan, as though it agreed with her.

As if summoned, Jack's frantic voice issued from outside the door, barking orders at the crew. Robin grabbed her sword and tucked her pistol into the cord around her robe. She threw open the door to meet a sight that reminded her of a kicked anthill. The crew, most of whom appeared half-asleep, were scrambling about the deck, colliding with each other as they rushed to follow Jack's commands.

"All on deck!" Jack shouted. "Run! And keep running! Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!" Now Robin was worried. For the first time since knowing Jack, she heard something in his voice she'd never heard before: fear.

Gibbs gave her a look that showed he hadn't a clue what was going on, either. "Do we have a heading?" he said as he came up behind his captain.

Jack jumped, crying out in shock. He whirled around to face Gibbs. "Run! Land!" With that, he ducked behind the mast.

"Which port?" Gibbs inquired insistently.

Jack poked his head back around the mast. "Didn't say port. I said land. Any land." Before anyone could react to this odd order, the blasted monkey swooped down and snatched Jack's tricorn right off his head. Within moments, the wretched creature had thrown it overboard, where it floated away on the current.

Gibbs and Robin rushed to the railing, watching the hat. "Jack's hat!" Gibbs exclaimed. "Bring 'er about!"

"No, no! Leave it!" Everyone turned to stare at the captain in shock. Jack made an odd twitching movement before repeating quietly, "Run."

Deciding now was the time to step in, Robin slowly approached her husband, who was currently hiding in the shadows beneath the stairs leading up to the helm. "Jack?" she called softly.

"Shh!" he hissed frantically, his eyes wild.

Robin ducked under the stairs with him, but didn't touch him. She just watched him. Finally, he relaxed ever so slightly. She smiled at him, which he cautiously returned.

"You've got us all worried, darling," she said softly. "Now, what's wrong? What's coming after us?"

A look of indecision crossed Jack's face. For a moment, he looked as though he was going to say something important. Then, with an almost imperceptible shake of the head, he replied, "Nothing."

Robin frowned at him. "You're lying to me," she murmured. "Why won't you just tell me what's wrong? I'm your wife, aren't I?" Jack looked away, guilty. She reached out and turned his face toward her. "Jack, please. Whatever it is, you can tell me. We're in this together, aren't we?"

Jack wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her in close, placing a kiss to her forehead. "Every time," he said softly. "I'll tell you when we reach land, Robin. Promise."

She glanced up at him with a small smirk. "Real promise or pirate's promise?" she asked wryly.

He chuckled and nuzzled his face in her hair. "A Sparrow's promise." They shared a kiss before he said, "Now, you go on back to bed, darling. I'll be in soon."

Robin nodded. She gave him one more peck on the cheek, then headed into their quarters. As she crawled back into the bed, the Black Pearl let out another groan. Robin wasn't sure how, but this one actually sounded annoyed.

She reached out and stroked the wooden frame around the bunk. "I know, old girl. He'll come around…if he knows what's good for him." Sighing softly, Robin drifted back into sleep.

Robin hadn't been asleep long when she next awoke. By now, the sun had risen, but it was still low in the sky. Jack had gotten into bed on the other side. He lay on his side facing her, with one arm resting on her middle. Robin smiled as she observed his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful.

Hating to wake him, but knowing she needed to, Robin leaned towards him and placed a kiss on his nose. "Wake up, love," she whispered. Jack's nose wrinkled and his lip twitched, but he showed no sign of actually waking.

Deciding to take a more direct approach, Robin scooted over until her body was flush with his, then rolled him onto his back so that she was straddling his hips. That got his attention. Jack's eyes popped open in surprise, then they softened as a playful smirk appeared on his lips.

"Who would ever want to get out of bed waking up to a sight like this?" Jack asked rhetorically.

Robin leaned down and nuzzled her face in the crook of his shoulder. "Come on, darling. We have to get up," she insisted, though her tone indicated she'd rather stay where she was.

In response, Jack gripped her hips and flipped her onto her back, placing himself atop her between her knees. The sudden movement caused a girlish giggle to escape Robin's lips, which was quickly followed up by a low moan as her husband started kissing and sucking on her neck. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay in bed just a bit longer…

A pounding knock at the door of their cabin ruined that idea. Jack let out an exasperated sigh. "Until tonight, luv," he whispered. He moved off of her and swung his legs over the side of the bunk, calling out for whoever was at the door to come in.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Gibbs entered the captain's (and captain's wife) quarters. "Cap'n," he began, "small island just off the port bow. At our current speed, we should reach it in two hours." Gibbs hesitated a moment before reporting, "Also, Cap'n, doesn't seem to be any dock nor cove on this side of the island. Should we circle around it to find a more likely spot?"

Robin could see Jack tense up at this suggestion. Whatever had Jack spooked last night clearly hadn't gone away. For some reason, Captain Jack Sparrow wanted to be off the water as soon as possible.

"No sense wasting time," Jack replied. "Keep to this side; we'll beach the ship and tie her down."

Gibbs, falling into his old Navy habits, gave a crisp salute. "Aye, Cap'n. I'll relay the orders."

As soon as Gibbs was gone, Jack flopped back onto the bunk, his dreadlocks splaying about his head. Robin couldn't help but smile at the sight. Without all the extra clothes and the kohl around his eyes, Jack almost didn't look like the same man. As it was, he'd removed everything except his—somewhat—white shirt, cutoff pants, and his bandana.

Robin slipped on her boots and snagged her vest. She left the cabin to head down to the galley and grab a small breakfast while Jack started getting dressed. By the time she returned with enough food for the two of them, Jack was mostly dressed, lacking only his boots and the sashes that wrapped around his waist in place of a best. He had also applied the kohl around his eyes, which Robin was grateful for; it wasn't so bad while he was asleep, but seeing him without it while awake was a bit unnerving.

As the couple began eating, Robin had to restrain herself from asking about what had him so afraid of the open ocean. They were almost to the island, after all, and he had promised to tell her about it once they reached land.

Robin finished first. After giving her husband a quick peck on the cheek, she put on her sword belt, tucked her pistols into it, and popped her hat on her head. That done, she exited the cabin and made her way on deck. She was gratified to see that the Pearl had made good time and they should be making landfall soon.

The crew had begun making preparations for beaching the ship. Once they saw the captain's wife was on deck, however, they paused in their work and looked at her expectantly.

Knowing what they wanted, Robin grabbed a rope and began tying down a cannon using measured, rhythmical movements. She raised her voice so the others could hear her clearly and began singing an old shanty.

Safe and sound at home again; let the waters roar, Jack!
Safe and sound at home again; let the waters roar, Jack!

The crew resumed their work, this time moving in rhythm to their singing as they replied with the chorus.

Long we've tossed on the rolling main; now we're safe ashore, Jack
Don't forget your old shipmate; faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-eye-doe!

The shanty was a favorite among the crew; it was the one they always started up when they were preparing to put in to shore. Nine times out of ten, Robin was the one who started up the songs, as the crew unanimously agreed that she had the best voice on the whole ship.

It was also, happily, a long one, so that by the time they reached the last verse, they had finished pulling up the Black Pearl onto the beach and were now staking down the mooring lines. Robin called out the final verse of the song, slightly breathless from all the work she'd done during the course of the song.

But the best of friends must part, fair or foul the weather
Hand yer flipper for a shake; now a drink together

As one, the crew replied back:

Long we've tossed on the rolling main; now we're save ashore, Jack
Don't forget your old shipmate; faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-eye-doe

It was just after that final chorus that it happened. No one expected it. Robin was leaning on her hammer, smiling in satisfaction at the work they had done. She locked eyes with Jack, expectantly waiting for him to pull her aside and explain everything.

All of a sudden, Robin felt a sharp sting in the side of her neck. She just had time to register a loud cacophony of yells and shrieks before her vision went black and she collapsed, unconscious.

Author's Note: A slightly longer than normal chapter to make up for my long absence, though I know it really doesn't. The sea shanty is called Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate, and it's quite an entertaining one to listen to. Look it up if you'd like to hear the whole thing; I decided to only include the beginning and the ending because it would have been far too cumbersome to include the whole song.