I sauntered into the cabin, my eyes finding the desk where Jack sat. He was using a protractor to draw circles and mindless triangles.

"Jack," I said impatiently. He looked up, and smiled upon seeing it was me.

"'Ello, love," He jumped up and grinned devilishly. "Excellent timing, you can delay my charting the course." He paused. "Of course, we have no idea where we are, but regardless--"

I rolled my eyes, but was amused. "You're delaying it anyway, you idiot," I leaned across the table and gave him a quick kiss, nonetheless. "I actually came in here for a reason..."

He looked concerned, and we both sat down simultaneously. "What can Jack do for you, love?"

I smiled slightly. "Well, Tia and I talked..."

He brightened. "Has she finally figured out how to read that blasted map?" He frowned, then the corner of his mouth lifted. "She should know, of all people..."

I knew exactly what he meant, I was surprised he knew, but I wouldn't be distracted. "Jack."

"Hm?" He met my eyes again, snapped out of his thoughts.

"Are you listening?" I demanded.

"Maybe."

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Probably not."

I groaned, and took his hands in mine, forcing him to look at me. "Jackie!"

That made him listen. "Fine..." He grumbled, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. "I'm all ears. Figuratively." He touched his left ear, moving aside the dreads and frowning.

I smiled again. "As I was saying, Tia and I spoke." I hesitated. "Remember the screaming thing, that I do?"

He nodded, then shivered. "It's horribly unnatural, love. Gets me every time."

"Yes, creeps me out too," I lied. The banshee screech that I could accomplish was a part of me, as natural as the air I breathed. "But...I know why I can do it."

His gaze snapped to mine again; his eyes had been roaming past my neck and downwards. Men. "And that is...?" He asked apprehensively.

I flinched. "I never knew my father, you know."

"Aye, I savvy."

I felt a smile appear, but it vanished. "My mother...I don't remember her well, either."

He raised an eyebrow, asking me silently to continue.

I took a deep breath. "My mother...was a siren."

A heavy silence.

He gaped at me. He just stared, his mouth forming an o. He blinked, and said, "That's...interesting."

I continued hastily. "It's why I can sing so well...and my competent sailing, as you put it..."

He blinked again, wearing a blank face. "Is that why I, erm, love you?" He asked finally, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, a whole new understanding reflected in his chocolate orbs. "Sirens can attract men, like a magnet..."

I hesitated. "I don't know. I...I love you, Jack, I don't know if this will change your view of me, and I'll still love you, but I don't know..." I broke off and looked away, biting my lower lip.

He squeezed my hands. "Hey."

I met his eyes again.

"Um...I'll always, er, love you." He said softly, looking awkward. "And of course this will change my view on you. But not for the worse, I suppose. I'll just look at you like you're a hybrid for a while."

I chuckled hoarsely. "I am a hybrid, Jack."

He grinned, and stood, pulling me up with him. "I think this calls for celebration!" He announced, reaching under his desk, his ringed fingers emerging with a bottle of rum.

He walked around the table and pulled the cork out with his teeth, spat it out, then offered me a sip.

"I get first sip?" I asked dubiously, staring at the mouth of the brown bottle.

He smirked. "Of course not!" He raised it to his mouth and took a hearty gulp.

I rolled my eyes and took it from him, drinking my own measurable amount. "You never change."

He shrugged. "You seem to like me, how I am."

I smiled and handed the bottle back to him. "I do."

"See?" He let me drain the rest. "I'm perfect."

I smiled, feeling slightly dizzy from the drink. "I am incredibly fond of you, Jack, but you are certainly not perfect."

He shrugged. "Neither are you." He winked. "Don't underestimate me."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Whatever." I took his arm. "Are you drunk, or can we go out on deck and evaluate the situation?"

"What situation?"

"We're out of provisions, Jack," I said miserably. "...and apparently rum. Where are you getting this stuff?" I gestured at the empty bottle rolling on the floor.

Jack reddened. "That is for me to know, and no one to find out."

I sighed with mock exasperation. "Fine. But--"

"No, I am not drunk," He waved me off. "That's only most of the time. Tipsy is a whole different level of inebriation. Let us go and evaluate the situation then, I suppose."

I smiled, I was constantly smiling around him, and followed him out into the blinding sunlight. That had actually gone well. Fairly well.

"Why is all but the rum gone?" Pintel was moaning.

Gibbs, leaning on his back, held up his flask helplessly. "Rum's gone too," He muttered miserably.

I rolled my eyes and let Jack tug me away. He led me over to the map table, where the Navigational Charts were sitting. Jack sat down in the chair, and I plopped down on the tipping floor beside him.

He spun the circles, deep in thought. Jack could be serious when he wanted to. The rest of the time, well...

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him, peering over his shoulder.

"You," He answered absentmindedly. I felt my cheeks warming, and I grinned.

After a moment, I stood. "I'm thirsty; I'll go see if there is something besides rum. See you,"

"Mm, bye love," He waved, sort of, and turned the circles determinedly.

I found myself below decks in a matter of seconds. But I certainly didn't find water down there.

It was Tia Dalma, standing in he center of the cargo hold, her palm out. "My locket," She smiled, and suddenly the music box was in her hand, not around my neck. "Ya know who ya are," She drawled.

Her presence grew, and filled the room. I knew Tia was embracing the Calypso side of her, and as she did, I had better be careful.

After a moment of my frightened staring, her eyes flashed and she suddenly seemed all of the sea goddess I knew her to be. She spoke, her words vague, but somehow I knew I should dread them.

"It is time."

***

Jack was internally frustrated.

He bit his lower lip and spun the map again, rearranging the infernal thing. Stupid, bloody map, he thought. We can't just pop back into the Caribbean, no, we have to decipher a ruddy map.

"Up is Down." He read, his brow furrowing. "Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful." He knew, from personal experience, that up was very much not down. He had far to many adventures that had ended in a fall.

He touched his ringed finger to the center circle. "Why are these things never clear..." He murmured.

"Clear as mud, Jackie," He thought he heard someone say. "Stab the heart."

Jack's eyes flitted upwards, sudden fear making his spine tingle. "What?" He asked. Only Teague called him Jackie, and occasionally Adeena, when she became frustrated. That voice, however, was not Adeena's rather pretty one.

"Don't stab the heart!" An identical voice countered.

Jack thought for a moment. Those voices sounded remarkably like his.

Reluctantly, he turned his gaze to his right shoulder. And behold, a miniature Jack. Another one hid behind the dreads framing the left side of his face.

"Come again?" Jack asked once more. He didn't think anyone knew, even his conscience, about the way his compass would flit away from Adeena, and to where he assumed the heart of Davy Jones lay. He had been fairly certain no one knew of his internal war, his resolve to find immortality, and his wishful thinking of him and Adeena finding a calm corner of the ocean.

"The Dutchman must have a captain!," Left Jack insisted, pushing a wooden bead aside to peer out at Jack's face.

The bigger, actual Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "That's more than less than unhelpful."

"Sail the seas forever!" Right put in.

"I love the sea," Jack agreed, tilting his head slightly, nearly knocking Left to the side.

After he had regained his footing, Left Jack made another point. "Without Adeena," He argued, smirking when Jack's smile fell. "And what of port?"

"I prefer rum," Jack countered, pushing his thoughts of the part-siren aside. "Rum's good."

Left Jack agreed, but that hasn't been his point. "Making port," He explained in exasperation.

"Where we can get rum, and Adeena, once every ten years." Right Jack added.

Jack felt his stomach sink. No Adeena, for ten straight years...

"What did he say?" Left Jack asked.

"Once every ten years..." Jack murmured.

"Ten years is a long time, mate," Left said.

"But eternity is longer still!" Right said, and Jack felt swayed. Imagine, never dying. Never having to face that darkness, that unknown. Never having to be judged, as those Christians believed. Never having to face Hell.

"Even longer giving the deficit of rum," Jack still pointed out, however.

Right Jack felt that he was winning. "And how will you be spending it?" He asked. "Dead?" His eyes gleamed. "Or not?" He paused slightly. "The immortal, Captain Jack Sparrow."

Jack's eyes glinted. "Oh, I like that!" He exclaimed. Yes, immortality would be wonderful, he decided. Perhaps even worth that deficit of rum.

"Come sunset, it won't matter..." Left Jack said sadly. If he couldn't make Jack see sense, the idiot would have to find it himself.

Jack's head shot up. "Not sunset," He whispered. He leaned forward, and the Jacks on his shoulders scrambled for footing.

As Jack's thoughts strayed from his two consciences, they disappeared.

"Sundown!" Jack said excitedly, a triumphant feeling spreading throughout his fingers. "And rise..."

Jack hopped up, a grin on his face. "Up!"