"You're pulling too fast!"
"You're pulling too slow!"
Annalise wanted to bury her face in her hands in exasperation as Pintel and Ragetti argued for yet another time while they pulled at the oars of the long boat. Elizabeth sat beside her sister, looking just as annoyed, while Jack sat at the front of the boat, clutching his jar of dirt of which Annalise had yet to figure out the purpose of. Norrington sat behind the Swann sisters at the prow, and though she couldn't see him Annalise could feel the irritation radiating off the ex-Commodore.
"We don't want the Kraken to catch us." Ragetti continued, and Pintel grunted back snappishly, "I'm saving me strength for when it comes. And I don't think it's Kraken, anyway. Always heard it says Kray-ken.
"What with the long 'a'?" Ragetti checked, and Pintel nodded.
"Uh huh."
"No no no no no." Ragetti shook his head as he refuted his fellow pirate. "'Kroken' is how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and 'Kraken' is closer to that."
"Well, we ain't original Scandinavians, are we?" Pintel shot back. "Kray-ken."
"It's a mythological creature; I can calls it what I wants!" Ragetti argued, and Annalise finally exploded.
"Would you two just shut it until we get to that godforsaken spit of land?!"
There was a long silence in which Elizabeth glanced at her sister in surprise, while Pintel and Ragetti stared at her outright, oars forgotten. Annalise folded her arms.
"Now, pull!"
The two pirates hastily obeyed, pulling at a much more evenly-matched pace than before. But it didn't stop Pintel from muttering to Ragetti, "Someone's got her knickers in a twist."
"I think she's just been around too many pirates - bad influences on the lady." Ragetti disagreed.
Annalise's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the pair shut up again quickly. The rest of the trip to the tiny island was passed in silence as not even Norrington broke the peace Annalise finally managed to find since the whole journey started. They were close to their goal now... and when they were done, Elizabeth and Will could tie the knot at last, Norrington could go on being a jerk for all Annalise cared, the pirates would be free to roam the seas as they always had, and Jack... well, that would probably be another mountain to climb when she got there.
They finally reached shore after a few more minutes of rowing, and Annalise braced herself as the long-boat bumped harshly against the beach sand. Jack was quickest out of the boat, and he tossed his coat back inside as Pintel and Ragetti also jumped out and began to drag the longboat up onto the beach enough that it wouldn't be dragged back out to sea without that.
Annalise hopped out with her sister, Norrington right behind them, while Jack grabbed a shovel from inside the longboat before he turned to his two pirates.
"Guard the boat; mind the tides... don't touch my dirt." He warned, causing Pintel and Ragetti to exchange looks before they shrugged.
Satisfied, Jack turned back only to find Annalise observing him with a slight frown.
"What?" He asked defensively, and she shrugged.
"What's so important about the jar of dirt?" She questioned and Jack sniffed.
"That's none of your concern." He replied, but she just looked to Pintel and Ragetti. The latter was only too happy to explain.
"Davy Jones can't step on land, except once every ten years." The pirate explained, relishing in sharing something other people didn't know. "He cannot touch God's almighty earth, so it is on land that the Captain is safe."
Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation, irate at his crew member for so eagerly spilling the beans, but Annalise's frown had only deepened.
"But... that's a jar of dirt." She pointed out, and Pintel replied as though speaking to an obtuse moron, "Yes, which is earth."
"But... how would it help you if it broke while at sea? You'd still be surrounded by water." Annalise answered.
Both Pintel and Ragetti opened their mouths, only to pause. Their brows furrowed, and their heads snapped over to their Captain as they found themselves unable to answer. Jack looked between his crew and Annalise, before he cleared his throat.
"I said, mind the tide!" He ordered before turning on his heel and striding after Elizabeth and Norrington, the latter of whom had followed the former as soon as she wandered off around the beach while staring down at Jack's compass in her hand.
It was Annalise's turn to roll her eyes after Jack Sparrow, before she followed him after her sister... who was currently walking in circles further up the beach. Annalise frowned as Elizabeth stared at the compass before shaking it violently and opening it again.
"Lizzy?" Annalise queried as she came up behind her sister. "What's wrong?"
Elizabeth absolutely started, but Annalise was surprised when the blonde quickly threw the compass down on the pale sand and out of her hands.
"Lizzy?" Annalise asked, concerned, and Elizabeth replied quickly, "Nothing's wrong - the compass just doesn't work."
"What?" Annalise frowned, and Elizabeth repeated vehemently, "It doesn't work, and it certainly doesn't show you what you want most."
She glared briefly at said compass before looking away and folding her arms defiantly. Annalise frowned as she looked over at the compass, which whirled around before pointing... in Jack's direction. Just as Jack started to walk over.
Annalise looked away hastily, turning away from the compass as her sister did, only to find Norrington smirking at them both with a knowing gleam in his dark eyes. Annalise scowled, and she was too busy glowering at the brunette man to notice as Jack peered down at his compass at last.
He almost scowled himself when the compass instantly turned to point right at Annalise, but then the needle paused and began to swing uncertainly between Annalise and Elizabeth. Jack's eyes widened, and he looked at the fair-haired Swann heiress.
"It does show you what you want most." He informed the lady. "And you're standing on it."
The sisters turned back to Jack, both wearing matching frowns.
"Beg pardon?" Elizabeth queried, but Jack was already waving his hands at her in a shooing motion.
"Move." He ordered.
The befuddled Elizabeth stepped away, pulling her sister with her, while Jack motioned at Norrington with an accompanying whistle - like one would when calling one's dog. Norrington's expression darkened but he stepped forward grudgingly with Jack's shovel and shoved the spade into the sand.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Jack sat in a meditative pose while Elizabeth and Annalise stood a little impatiently behind Norrington.
"Shouldn't we have found something by now?" Annalise wondered at last as the pile of sand beside Norrington grew to be level with his knees. "How much longer do you think we'll have to wait?"
"If you're not going to help, then I would ask you to hold your tongue, Miss Annalise." Norrington shot back, and Annalise shut her mouth against a snappy retort. For once the man had a legitimate point, so against her inclination she decided to spare him any further torment while he slaved away at digging a gradually deeper pit into the earth.
It was at that moment, however, when there was a dull metalic thud as Norrington's shovel hit something hard.
Instantly, Jack's eyes snapped open and Norrington slowly lifted his head to look at them all. He removed his spade and the trio who had been backed out of Norrington's way hurried forward, and together they all peered into the pit of sand. Annalise could just make out a dark patch of some kind of metal, and she leaned in at the same time the others did.
Together, they wiped the remaining sand off the top of what was revealed to be a flat-topped metal chest, before the sisters backed away a little as the two men reached down to grab the chest by the handles on each side and hauled the heavy box up. Norrington heaved the chest down while Jack moved swiftly to grab the abandoned shovel, and the pirate Captain was first in line to look at the chest fully once it was on the ground before them.
Bashing the end of the shovel against the lock that sealed the chest, Jack quickly broke the chest open. The other three peered over his shoulder as Jack knelt down before the opened chest and Annalise was surprised by the numerous letters that filled the chest to the brim. If the stories were true, then this had to have been all the letters Jones exchanged with the sea goddess he loved - Calypso.
'But surely, even if that's true... he couldn't have cut out his own heart and still be living... could he?'
Her question was answered when Jack moved aside some letters to reveal a smaller chest inside, tucked in safely in a corner. And when the pirate captain carefully lifted the chest out into the open and they all leant in closer, they could all easily hear the soft but distinct double-thumps coming from inside the metal box.
"That's impossible." Annalise whispered, while Elizabeth murmured in a stunned voice, "It's real."
She and Norrington were staring at Jack in shock, and the ex-Commodore was similarly shocked as he said to Jack numbly, "You actually were telling the truth."
"I do that quite a lot, " Jack replied seriously. "Yet people are always surprised."
His eyes flickered to Annalise as he spoke, but then his gaze dropped slightly and his eyes widened. Her eyes narrowed as Jack stared at her chest, and she was just about to give him a sharp warning when another loud voice interrupted them.
"With good reason."
All their heads snapped to the side, and Annalise's eyes lit up as she saw the soaked but familiar figure that had approached them from the beach. But her joy was nothing compared to her sister's - naturally.
"Will."
A smile had broken across Elizabeth's face like the sun appearing over the horizon at dawn, and in a heartbeat the blonde woman was running toward her fiance.
"You're alright, thank God! I came to find you!"
Annalise couldn't help but smile as her sister embraced her true love, before the couple kissed passionately. Her mood was slightly dampened however by the obvious jealousy radiating off Norrington on her left and the stiffness from Jack on her right. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, Annalise observed the slight tightening of Jack's mouth and the strange look in his eyes. And with a start and a sinking heart, Annalise realized: Jack was jealous.
Turning her head sharply away, Annalise frowned as she tried to sort out her emotions. She should have seen this coming, she realized, considering how Jack had flirted with Elizabeth. But she'd still really thought he was doing it to hide something from her; had hoped it wasn't true. After all, his first love was the sea, his second the Pearl, and his third was god-damned rum. He couldn't have fallen for her sister... but it appeared he could.
"Annalise."
Annalise started at her name, and she looked up to see Will grinning at her. He opened his arm that wasn't tucked around Elizabeth and Annalise didn't hesitate as she ran into her his embrace.
"I'm glad you're all right." Annalise told her almost brother. "Lizzy was quite worried."
"The feeling is mutual." Will replied, grinning at her and then more warmly at Elizabeth. "Both ways."
Elizabeth smiled happily back at her fiance before she snuggled close once again and her eyes returned fondly to her sister. Something caught her eye as she did, however, and surprise crossed Elizabeth's face as she looked at something further down Annalise's neck.
Annalise made to look, but unfortunately their reunion was ruined as Jack called a little sharply, "How did you get here?"
Annalise glowered back at him, irate that he could so easily influence her emotions as her joy quickly soured to heartache. But Will was just as annoyed as he answered sarcastically, "Sea turtles, mate. A pair of them strapped to my feet."
Jack wrinkled his nose but he tossed back sassily, "Not so easy is it?"
Elizabeth was looking confused, but Will was now focused on the pirate captain as he continued scathingly, "But I do owe you thanks, Jack."
"You do?"
Jack appeared as surprised as any of them, but Will wasted no time elaborating.
"After you tricked me onto that ship, to square your debt with Jones-"
Elizabeth's head whipped to Jack, and she demanded in a high-tone, "What?"
"What?" Jack mimicked Elizabeth's tone, but all he got was further glares from all around.
Norrington was highly unimpressed to find his opinion of Jack was not to be changed, Annalise was shaking her head in exasperation at being proven right, Elizabeth was naturally furious, and Will even more so though his temper was truly tamed by his following revelation.
"-I was reunited with my father."
Annalise looked at Will in surprise, having expected that answer the least of all possibilities she could have thought of. Jack too looked momentarily taken aback, but his naturally quick wit kicked in almost instantly once more and he smiled as he answered dismissively, "Oh, well, you're welcome, then."
Annalise just shot him an unimpressed look, while Elizabeth was more explosive in her anger.
"Everything you said to me," the Swann heiress hissed as she stomped up to Jack. "Every word was a lie!"
She was glaring darkly at Jack, almost nose to nose, and the pirate pretended to think about it before he shrugged nonchalantly.
"Pretty much."
Elizabeth's face darkened even further, and her hand twitched. Jack saw it however, and he quickly backed away as he said complatingly, "Time and tide, lass."
His eyes flickered over to Annalise, but her eyes were looking to his side. And when he heard the distinct metallic scrape of a knife or sword being unsheathed, Jack quickly turned back to the chest to find Will kneeling before it with a small knife in his right hand.
"Oi! What are you doing?" Jack demanded, frowning at the younger man.
Will didn't even look up as he replied as though stating the obvious, "I'm gonna kill Jones."
It was then that Annalise realized Will was clutching a key in his left hand, and her eyes widened. So that's why Jack sent Will aboard the Flying Dutchman. He needs the key to open the chest.
She was broken from her speculation when Jack whipped out his sword, holding it against Will's neck.
"Jack!" Annalise exclaimed, appalled, but he ignored her as he said to Will uncharacteristically seriously, "Can't let you do that, William. 'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?"
Elizabeth was staring at Jack, mouth open in indignation, while Will slowly turned his head to glance warily up at the pirate captain. Norrington was observing the scene with slightly narrowed eyes, and he seemed almost contemplative but Annalise was more concerned with the brewing fight right before her eyes as Will seemed to weigh Jack's threat against his desire for revenge.
"Will." Annalise warned, but it seemed Will had also realized just how serious Jack was.
Slowly lifting his hands in surrender, Will relented as he stood back up and sheathed his knife, the key still in his hand. Jack gestured at said item.
"Now, if you please." He reached out his hand expectantly. "The key."
Will bowed his head, but Annalise saw the direction of his gaze.
"Oh-!" She began, but Will had already grabbed Elizabeth's sword hilt and unsheathed the blade to point it right back at Jack.
Elizabeth gasped in surprise as Will simultaneously moved her back, pushing her toward Annalise and keeping them behind him while he faced Jack, who was looking slightly annoyed at the turn of events. Not that Will gave two hoots about how Jack felt.
"I keep the promises I make, Jack." Will hissed. "I intend to free my father. And I hope you're here to see it."
'This is getting dangerously close to going downhill.' Annalise thought worriedly, glancing between her best friend and ex-not-even-lover.
And then things went straight to pot.
There was another metallic screech of a sword escaping its sheath, and Norrington placed his blade in Will's face as he declared, "I can't let you do that, either."