"This is so bloody stupid..." I grumbled, reading over the Letters of Marque. Elizabeth and I were at the railing, brainstorming how we were going to get out of everything.

"Jack will never give up that compass!" I exclaimed, and shoved the papers back at her. On second thought, I pulled them back and glanced at the bottom.

"Yes, they're signed." Elizabeth answered my unspoken question. True to her words, Beckett's loopy and extravagant signature was inked in at the bottom. "Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company."

"Beckett?" Gibbs asked, coming to stand beside us. Elizabeth was startled and she hid the little book behind her back.

"Beckett?" Another voice asked. I worked around. Jack was behind Elizabeth. He snatched the letters from her hands and opened them. His eyes ran over Beckett's name and he made a face. "Blegh."

"Will was working for Beckett and never said a word!" Gibbs exclaimed.

Jack made another face, holding his left wrist, where the brand was. I cast my eyes down in sympathy. Elizabeth gave him a quizzical look. "There's only one reason Beckett would want the compass." Jack stated unhappily.

"He wants the chest..." I murmured in realization.

"Yes, he did say something about a chest." Elizabeth added helpfully.

"That's a discomforting notion all on its own." Gibbs said. "For every mother's son that calls himself a pirate." He turned and walked away to yell at the crew. "I think a bit more speed can be graced from these sails. Brace the foreyard!"

Jack turned to Elizabeth, swaying in his usual matter. "May I inquire as to how you came by these?" He asked, stepping forward.

"Persuasion." Elizabeth answered guardedly.

"Friendly?" He took another step forward.

Elizabeth stepped back. "Decidedly not," She replied, eyeing him untrustingly.

"Will strikes a deal and upholds it with honor, yet you are the one standing here with the prize." He opened the letters again and read them aloud. "Full pardon, commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company." He tucked the little leather book into his coat and turned to saunter away. "As if I could be bought for such a low price..."

Elizabeth ran up to him. "Jack, the letters, give them back."

"No," Jack said, over his shoulder. "Persuade me."

A flare of jealousy arose in my stomach and I had to force myself not to tackle Elizabeth right then and there. "You know Will taught me how to use a sword," Elizabeth murmured into Jack's ear.

Jack turned around and met my eyes over Elizabeth's shoulder. He must've noticed the anger in their green depths for he smiled triumphantly at me, then focused back on Elizabeth. "Like I said," He told her, swaying. "Persuade me."

Her jaw dropped and she stomped around him indignantly, her eyes flashing. Jack made a muffled sound after she walked away and sauntered rather stiffly in my direction.

"Jack." I grabbed his arm as he passed me and forced him to look at me. He glared furiously, but then his eyes softened. "What happened to us?" I whispered.

He brushed a stray hair behind my ear. "Dunno, love," He said quietly. "It's all part of the plan. You have to understand."

My turquoise eyes flashed. "Understand what?" I hissed. "I understand perfectly. You have to betray everyone I care about, don't you?"

He dropped his hand and his face hardened again. "I'm not going to give up my soul to Davy Jones, Adeena."

I glared at him. "But you had to give up Will's."

He gestured off over the ocean angrily. "Why does Will matter so bloody much?"

My breath caught, and I took up a defensive posture. "What--what does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it means!" Jack hissed.

I slammed my fist into the railing. "How dare you!" I shouted. "How could you even think that?" I nearly slapped him, but thought better of it.

He crossed his arms, waiting. "Of--of course I don't feel that way about him!" I stuttered. I hated myself for even thinking for about Will in that way.

Jack swayed angrily. "You keep telling yourself that, darling." He spun around and sauntered off to the stairwell leading below decks, probably to get some rum.

I sat down heavily, angry and irritated, on the bottom step of stairs leading to the helm and sighed miserably, my chin on my fist. I couldn't wait for us to arrive at Isla Cruses, the place where Davy Jones's heart lay. I needed something to do.

Elizabeth stormed out onto the deck and to the railing. Jack followed a few minutes after her, a bottle of rum in one hand. He headed up to the helm. And after Jack, came Norrington.

Norrington went to stand by Elizabeth. Neither of them had noticed me sulking nearby.

Elizabeth was watching Jack, her eyes following his every move. When Norrington settled beside her, she didn't look away. I narrowed my eyes.

"It's curious," Norrington said with a smirk. "I would've given anything to have you look like that while thinking about me once."

Elizabeth started. "Oh? Oh, I just trust him, is all." They're talking about Jack...

The former commodore asked something inaudible, then pushed himself off of the railing. Elizabeth's eyes followed him for a moment, then she whipped out the compass. She studied it critically, then raised her eyes to where I supposed the arrow was pointing.

I followed her gaze.

She was staring directly at the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow.

I closed my eyes, counting to ten, and opened them after a few seconds. Elizabeth had moved to the opposite staircase. She shot a glance at me; I grinned weakly back, hating her and that stupid compass with every figment of my being.

I was plotting ways to plead forgiveness to Jack but was jolted out of my thoughts by the idiot himself. He settled down by Elizabeth, bottle in hand.

"My keen and intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled." He commented to her helpfully, taking a swig.

Elizabeth stared off, at the horizon. "I just thought I'd be married by now," She whispered, her voice choked. "I'm still ready to be married."

Jack looked flabbergasted at this piece of information. I stifled a laugh. He offered her the rum, which she gladly accepted.

"You know," Jack began. A long and extravagant speech was underway. "I am captain of a ship." He gestured proudly around the Pearl. "And as Captain, I could perform a mar-i-age...right here." He pointed downwards. "Right on this deck..." He smiled proudly, then turned to Elizabeth, dead serious. "Right...now." He breathed directly in her face.

I almost exploded right there, right on that deck.

Elizabeth made a face and flinched away from his rum-infused breath. "No thank you," She scoffed, and headed for the railing, giving him back the rum. Points to you, Elizabeth, for not accepting...

Jack followed, grinning. "Why not? You and I are very much alike, I and you, you and me." He leaned on a spare rope, still grinning. "Us." It took all of my power to not stand and run him through with my sword.

"Yes," Elizabeth mockingly agreed. "Except for a moral center, and decency, and honor...and personal hygiene." She wrinkled his nose.

Jack sniffed under his arms, a bit offended. "You'll come over to my side eventually. Want to know why?" He asked. I gazed down into my lap. Jack was really trying to get her under his arm. He wasn't playing around.

"You're curious. You long to do what you want to do, because you want it." Jack continued. Elizabeth turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "To act on selfish impulse. You won't be able to resist."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Why doesn't your compass work?" She asked suddenly.

Jack stared at her, then puffed out his chest a bit. "My compass works fine," He stated defensively.

Elizabeth smiled snidely. "Yes, because there will come a time to show that you and I are alike. To prove that you are a good man. A chance to do the right thing."

Jack grinned. "I love those moments!" He announced playfully, walking to stand beside her. "I like to wave at them as they pass by."

She turned to face the open water again, smiling. "No, I have faith in you. Want to know why?" She turned to him again.

Jack smirked. "Do tell, dearie."

"Curiosity." She said simply, grinning triumphantly. Jack's self satisfied grin fell off his face. "A chance to be admired, and reap the rewards that follow." She put her face dangerously close to Jack's, their mouths nearly brushing. I clenched my hands into fists.

Elizabeth breathed a laugh at Jack's expression. He, too, had his hands balled up, but for a different reason. He was trying to control himself. "You won't be able to resist," Elizabeth whispered. Jack opened and closed his mouth a few times. "You're going to want to know," Elizabeth continued. Their lips were millimeters apart. "What it tastes like."

Jack turned, so that they faced one another. She had him under her spell. "I do want to know what it tastes like..." He murmured, brushing hair out of her face, cupping her cheek. I felt hollow inside.

"But because you're a good man," Elizabeth rested her hands on his chest. "You would never rob me of my honor..." She studied him through her eyelashes.

Jack's eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in to kiss her, but stopped himself, looking horrified. He was staring at his left hand, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Land ho!" The man in the crow's nest bellowed.

Elizabeth breathed out shakily. I realized, that she wasn't just playing Jack, as she was probably telling herself. She wanted that kiss. I placed my head in my hands, rubbing my temples.

"I'm proud of you, Jack." She said shakily, and walked away. Jack gripped his left hand, stealing a glance at it, before raising his eyes. I met his chocolate-eyed gaze.

He stared, frightened, at me. I gazed coldly back at him. He opened his mouth to say something, obviously realizing I had seen the whole thing. I stood and walked toward the boat that was posed to be lowered into the water. I was to go ashore with Jack, Elizabeth, Norrington, and Pintel and Ragetti.

Jack came up behind me. He grabbed my shoulder. "Adeena--"

I cut him off. "No, I undestand, Jack." I said cooly. "All part of the plan."