Chancing Fate - Jack Sparrow x OC

Part 2 - Chapter 6

The trip to shore was awkward at best. The boat set to go ashore was a tight fit, filled with Norrington and Elizabeth in the back, Pintel and Ragetti in the middle rowing, and Jack and Lena towards the front. And to top it off, space was then taken by supplies needed to find and dig up the chest, plus Jack's jar of dirt.

Almost everyone could tell something was wrong as well. Despite being so close to Jack, there was a noticeable distance between them. She had also failed to say a word to Elizabeth since the group first gathered to get in the boat. No one made comments on it, however, focusing on reaching land instead. The only ones speaking were Pintel and Ragetti.

Carrying on, oblivious to everything else, the two argued on, talking about the Kraken. Honestly, Lena wasn't listening to a word they said. They could have begun speaking another language and she still may not have noticed. Tense beside Jack, Lena was too stuck in her head to notice anything around her. It wasn't until they were pulled up to solid land and a hand was stretched out to her that she realized everyone else was climbing out of the boat except her.

"Best get moving if you don't want to guard the boat," Jack said as she grabbed his hand, though somewhat hesitantly, and with one swift pull, she was on her feet and stepping onto the island.

The second she was out, she pulled her hand back quickly, looking around to see where everyone else was. Jack eyed her for a moment before he took off his coat and threw it into the boat, picking up a shovel instead. "Guard the boat; mind the tides," Jack said as he looked at Pintel and Ragetti. "Don't touch my dirt."

With compass in hand, Elizabeth led the group forward, following where the arrow pointed. Each step seemed to lead them further and further across the island and they still had seen no sign of the chest, before they seemed to reach a dead end. Elizabeth stood surrounded by everyone as she paced across the sand, stopping, turning, and repeating the process, seemingly trying to read the arrow that was no longer working.

Elizabeth shook the compass in annoyance as she said, "this doesn't work. And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most." As she finished, she dropped to the sand, sitting cross-legged as she dropped the compass beside her.

Jack walked over and looked at the compass, immediately reading where it was pointing and figuring out the problem. "Yes, it does, you're sitting on it."

"Beg pardon?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

Shooing her away with his hands, he said, "move," before whistling for Norrington to come over with the shovel. The job of shoveling, now designated to Norrington, left the other three to wait on the sides, waiting for a sign of the chest.

Time to wait meant time to talk, which led Lena to a spot more removed from the group in hopes of avoiding such a situation with both Jack and Elizabeth. Just off to the side of Norrington, Elizabeth spent her time switching between pacing and watching the hole's progress. Jack, on the other hand, sat on a small hill overlooking the hole, seemingly meditating. His meditation was short lived however.

Weary of his intentions, Lena watched as he pushed himself up and sauntered over to her. As Jack reached her, he dropped down beside her in silence, studying her before he finally spoke. "May I inquire as to what has you in such a mood?"

Pulling her eyes away quickly from him, unwilling to look at him, she turned her focus to Norrington as she replied, "I'm not in a mood."

"Your body says otherwise," he said in that know-it-all tone that Lena was currently finding infuriating.

Crossing her arms, she muttered, "it's nothing," hoping to dismiss the topic and get him to leave. Clearly, he paid more attention that she gave him credit for, which would usually delight her in any other situation, but the last thing she wanted was to deal with everything in her mind.