Author's Note: In which the story splits and we leave Robin behind for a chapter. Instead, we see how her husband is getting along without her.

Chapter 6

Jack raced to the rail, gripping it tightly as the Flying Dutchman sailed away into the storm. A tingling sensation on his palm made him look down, and he watched as the black spot faded away. Three days, Jack thought You just have to stay alive for three days, love.

Gibbs came up beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get her back, Cap'n. She's a tough lass. Wouldn't surprise me if she managed to get away before the three days are up." Jack's expression remained impassive, but he wasn't fooling Gibbs. "Now, just how do you intend to come up with these hundred souls in only three days?"

This, at least, Jack did have an answer for. "Fortunately, he was mum as to the condition in which these souls need be."

"Ah. Tortuga, then?"

"Tortuga."

Jack stalked below to the hold, intent on finding at least three or four bottles of rum. He wouldn't be sleeping any time soon, and if he was going to be awake for this nightmare, he damn sure didn't want to be sober for it. Unfortunately, rather than leave him to drink himself into a stupor alone, Gibbs followed him. Bloody good first mate he was, and a good friend besides, but sometimes, Jack wished he wasn't. This was one of those times.

"Cap'n, far be it from me to question your plans–"

"Then don't," Jack snapped, checking through the stores.

Gibbs pressed on, uncaring. "But I fail to see how getting young Will bound to the Dutchman was beneficial to us." Jack ignored him. "And seeing as Jones has claimed the lad as the first of your one hundred, I'm very much struggling to see the sense in this."

Jack slammed a fist against a crate, turning to face Gibbs with wild eyes. "Can't you tell, Mr. Gibbs? Nothing went to plan! The only thing that went remotely correct out of this entire venture is that young Turner is still alive, and soon, he'll probably wish he wasn't. I have to deliver 99 souls to Davy Jones in three days to save me wife and keep the terrible beastie from dragging me and the Pearl down to the Locker. And of course, of course, I also have to save young Will Turner, again."

Gibbs gave him a knowing look.

"...You just wanted to hear me say it."

"It does you good to admit when you've cocked things up every now and then," Gibbs replied. "Reminds you you're just a man like the rest of us, even if you are cleverer'n most." He handed Jack a bottle that had been hidden in plain sight, just inside one of the half-open crates. Jack took it with a weary smile.

Hours later, they had set up shop in a pub in Tortuga: Gibbs at a small table with a roster, and Jack off to the side, fiddling with his compass. Word had got around that the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow was looking for crew members, and a few hopeful sailors had lined up at the table.

"How are we doing?" Jack asked after a while.

"Including those four?" Gibbs replied. "That gives us…four." He shook his head. "You'd best be coming up with a new plan, Jack, and it better not be relying on that compass. Whole crew knows it hasn't worked since you was rescued from the gallows."

Jack grimaced and looked back at the compass. True, the blasted thing hadn't worked since Jack had regained control of the Black Pearl. Unknown to Gibbs, however, it was working perfectly now. The only problem is that now it was pointing towards Robin, which while accurate, was not remotely helpful at the moment.

Gibbs looked up at the next sailor in line. "And what's your story?"

"My story? It's exactly the same as yours, just one chapter behind." Jack looked up in disbelief and groaned; he thought he recognized that voice. Slowly, he started trying to creep away, hoping that maybe Norrington hadn't noticed him. That hope was dashed less than a minute later when the drunken former Commodore flipped Gibbs' table over.

"So am I worthy to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow…" he turned and pointed a pistol at Jack, "...or should I just kill you now?"

"...You're hired!" Jack declared, planting a fake smile on his face.

Norrington smirked. "Sorry–old habits and all that." But before he could pull the trigger, a few of the new hires grabbed hold of him and began shoving him away. Clearly they didn't like the idea of losing their jobs immediately after acquiring them. Jack signaled to Gibbs to make their escape amidst the ensuing chaos.

XxXxXxX

Back on the docks, Jack and Gibbs were making their way back to the Pearl. "Load the cargo, all of it!" Gibbs barked. "We sail with the tide!"

"Captain Sparrow?" a voice called.

Jack gave a cursory glance over his shoulder and saw a figure behind them, a young boy by the look of it. "Come to join my crew, lad? Welcome aboard."

"I'm here to find the man I love." Jack froze, confused. The voice seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"I'm deeply flattered, son," Jack replied, "but I am most assuredly spoken for."

There was a frustrated huff behind him. "Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow."

Jack spun around, hardly believing what he was hearing. "Elizabeth." He whispered an order to Gibbs before walking toward the woman. "While I am sure young William appreciates your loyalty, he would no doubt be appalled to see his dearly beloved in a place such as this, dressed like…that."

Elizabeth put a hand on her hip. "Jack. I know Will came to find you, now where is he?"

Jack winced; he was afraid of this. "Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this…" He could see Elizabeth tense up, clearly bracing for the worst. "...but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable set of circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with me…poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew."

A retching sound made them both look up, seeing Norrington vomiting into the water. "Oh, please," Norrington gasped, wiping his mouth. "The captain of the Flying Dutchman? A ship that ferries those who died at sea from this world to the next?"

"The very same," Jack responded. "You look bloody awful; what are you doing here?"

"You hired me," Norrington spat. "I can't help that your standards are lax."

Elizabeth stepped between them. "Jack, please. All I want is to find Will."

Jack looked away, sighing, then an idea came into his head. "Are you certain? Is that what you really want…most? Because I would think…you'd want to find a way to save Will most."

She looked skeptical. "And you have a way to do that?"

"Well, there is a chest."

Norrington scoffed. "Oh, please…"

"A chest of unknown size and origin."

Pintel, who was passing by with Ragetti hauling a crate, interjected, "What contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones!" Ragetti mimed the thumping of a heart as the two marched up the gangplank.

Jack stepped closer to Elizabeth. "And whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants, including saving brave William from his grim fate."

Norrington looked between the two of them, noting the glint in Elizabeth's eyes. "You don't actually believe him?!"

"How can we find it?" Elizabeth asked, ignoring Norrington for now.

"With this." Jack produced his compass, showing it to Elizabeth. "This compass is unique."

"You mean broken," Norrington interrupted.

Jack glared at the man before turning back to Elizabeth. "'Tis true, my compass does not point north. But that hardly matters if you're not trying to find north, now does it?"

Despite herself, Elizabeth was drawn in. "Where does it point?"

"It points to the thing you want most in this world."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Jack, are you telling the truth?"

"Every word, love." He took her hands and placed the compass in them. "What you want most in the world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will!"

Jack nodded encouragingly. "By finding the chest of Davy Jones!" He opened the compass and skittered back a few steps, taking his hands away. He watched anxiously as the needle swung wildly in Elizabeth's hands…and then held steady in a sure direction.

"Mr. Gibbs! We have our heading!"

"Finally!" Gibbs exclaimed. "Cast off those lines! Weigh anchor and crowd the canvas!"

To Jack's astonishment, one of his crew members came running up the dock with a huge gaggle of people behind him. "I found some more recruits, sir!"

Jack spread his arms wide. "Welcome aboard, men!" He turned and offered an arm to Elizabeth. "Miss Swann?" She ignored the offered arm, but she did head up the ramp onto the ship. As the ship started moving away from the docks, however, Elizabeth suddenly noticed someone was conspicuously absent.

"Jack, where's Robin?" she asked curiously. Jack turned away from her, looking out at sea. Elizabeth was surprised to see that Jack looked remarkably serious, very different from his usual self.

"...She's also been taken aboard the Dutchman," he finally revealed, softly, so no one else would hear.

Suddenly Elizabeth understood, or at least felt she understood enough. She placed a hand over Jack's on the rail. "We'll get her back. We'll get both of them back."

Jack grinned, though it didn't quite meet his eyes. "Aye. That's the spirit, love."