It was still dark when we left the boisterous tavern and headed to the ship. We began boarding more livestock, fruits, rum, and water to accommodate our journey from the dock.

We were on our way to the ship when Pintel said something to me along the lines of, "I literally died." He was sprouting off about something to do with the Aztec Curse from last year, I think. I wasn't exactly paying attention.

But the word 'literally' stuck in my brain. I paused and let my eyes graze him up and down, because he looked literally alive to me. I said to him, "my deepest condolences. I'm very sorry to hear that. But if I were you, I'd get a second opinion. I think you might have survived."

Jack overheard and he said, "it's a figure of speech, darling."

I turned to him and said, "but isn't literally the complete opposite of figuratively?"

He took a sharp inhale and looked away from me as he answered, "yeah."

"English is so confusing."

He agreed, "yeah."

I sighed and said, "I cannot wait to get back on the boat. Believe it or not, I feel like I need a wash."

"I believe it," Jack mumbled.

I raised my eyebrows at him, "what was that?"

"What? Nothing."

"That's not what you said."

Suddenly, someone called out, "Captain Sparrow."

"Come to join me crew, lad? Welcome aboard," Jack answered over his shoulder and we kept walking to the ship.

"I'm here to find the man I love," the person said. I turned around, recognizing the voice all too well. It was Elizabeth in men's clothes.

I smiled at her in a polite greeting, having not seen her in a year. We had bonded during our time being  marooned, but I would not willingly wish for her to accompany us. I enjoyed being her friend, but her lack of experience on a pirate ship put her at a disadvantage which fell upon the rest of us. I am sure she would feel the same way about me joining her for tea with the Governor. Our worlds were so different. I held a heavy box with an ample amount of fruit in my hands, preparing to board it on the ship but I did not want to leave the conversation.

Jack froze and his frozen facial expression of shock almost made me laugh, "I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first and only love is the sea." He made a gesture toward Gibbs to not let her onto the ship.

"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth said apathetically.

Jack turned around and finally saw her face, "Elizabeth." He turned to Gibbs and quietly said, "hide the rum."

Gibbs took the bottle that Jack handed to him and brushed passed me as he walked up the plank to the ship.

"Oi," I said to Gibbs. Gibbs paused and I handed him the box that was in my hands and went down to stand beside Jack near the water.

"I know Will came to find you. Where is he?" She asked.

Jack sighed, "darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but..." he walked closer to her, "through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had nothing whatsoever to do with me... poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones's crew."

"Davy Jones?" Elizabeth asked as Norrington stumbled toward the edge and threw up into the water beside me.

"Tfaçon tu pues. You smell like vomit," I scrunched my nose at him in disgust.

Norrington looked down at himself and said, "I know."

"So why are you standing next to me if you smell like vomit?"

Norrington did not have a chance to step away, because he puked once again into the water. I rolled my eyes and awkwardly patted my hand against his back. I scrunched my face at the putrid smell that came from him, as well as the sloppy sounds of his vomit splashing in the water. I would occasionally attempt to comfort the sick men on the Victorieux, and even when Jack and the crew get sick from vile drinks on the Pearl. It is not that often that I feel so generous.

"Laisse tout sortir... bien... bien..." I said in a low voice.

Norrington was covered completely in mud and leaning over a barrel. He stopped puking long enough to say, "oh please. The Captain of the Flying Dutchman?"

Jack looked at him in disgust, "you look bloody awful. What are you doing here?"

Norrington's face dropped, "you hired me. I can't help it if your standards are lax."

"You smell funny," Jack shot back.

"Jack!" Elizabeth said.

"Huh?"

"All I want is to find Will."

"Well... are you certain?" He asked curiously, "is that what you really want most?"

"Of course," she said candidly.

"Because I would think you'd want to find a way to save Will most," Jack said.

"And you'd have a way of doing that?"

"Well... there is a chest."

"Oh, dear," Norrington complained.

"Don't get too excited," I said sarcastically.

Jack seemed annoyed but ignored him, "a chest of unknown size and origin."

Pintel and Ragetti were walking by, together carrying a crate of bottles, overhearing the conversation. Pintel said, "what contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones."

Jack continued, "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."

I put my hands in the dry pockets of my coat and gently blew air out from my cheeks. I was standing right beside Jack, and my head bounced between him and Elizabeth and Norrington.

Norrington interrupted, "you don't actually believe him, do you?"

Elizabeth looked toward me warily, and I nodded softly to inform her that Jack was telling the truth. She seemed to trust me ever since the Curse, undoubtedly because I'm considered quite level-headed and rational compared to everyone else. We all waited for Elizabeth's answer when she finally asked, "how do we find it?"

Jack put a finger up before grabbing his compass and flaunting it to Elizabeth. "With this." He opened it and shut it quickly. "My compass... is unique."

"'Unique' here having the meaning of 'broken'," Norrington said nasally.

"She does not point north," I stated in his defense. In the past year, I've discovered the true nature of the compass. And it is extraordinary.

Jack said, "true enough, this compass does not point north," as Norrington staggered off and continued to throw up off the dock. I did not go after him that time.

"Where does it point?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack stepped just a little closer to her. "It points to the thing you want most in this world."

"Oh, Jack," Elizabeth chuckled in disbelief. She looked like she wanted to believe him so bad, but had doubts. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Every word," Jack falsely promised and set the compass in her hands. "And what you want most in this world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will," Elizabeth corrected.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones," Jack added. He opened the compass and backed away quickly, leaving Elizabeth with the compass. I peered over at the compass, and saw that the needle was pointed in a clear direction.

Jack slowly rose up to look at the compass, seeing that the needle finally settled in one direction. He peered at it with big eyes and said, "Mr. Gibbs!"

"Cap'n," Mr. Gibbs said, walking over to us.

Jack smiled up at him and said, "we have our heading."

"Finally! Cast off those lines. Weigh anchor and crowd that canvas!" Mr. Gibbs ordered and ran back up the ship.

Jack gestured up the ship and said, "Miss Swann."

Elizabeth walked up the ship with me following, then Jack.

Jack caught up to me and I said under my breath, "you are full of liar."

"I think I understand what you mean and if I'm right about that, you must keep your pretty little mouth shut. Savvy?"

I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, and he began his strut to the helm. I exhaled sharply and went to work, helping everyone find a place for our new cargo.

AN: if you were a character in this universe, would you be a pirate, a Royal, or a townsperson? And what would you want to be?
I would most likely be a townsperson tbh 😂 but of course I would want to be a Royal