Aqua Amore (A Jackrine Fan Fiction)

Chapter Eight

"Land!"

Yes, they were saved! At least... now they wouldn't die in a smelly ship, at least they'd have a place to burry the ones that went first.

Jack paced back and fourth across the deck as he watched about six of the boys load into the smaller boat and head for land, it was fairly small with a thick jungle in the middle. At beast they might be able to find food, if not water. As he took a closer look at the island Jack wondered if it had been the same one his Angel had taken him too. His memory of the scenery was blurry due to the fact that he'd been staring at Katherine the whole time.

Katherine... would he ever see her again?

The sun had well set by the time the boys returned from the island, and they all looked grim and uneasy, almost like someone had planned there funeral.

"Waters a negative Jack." Race said pulling himself back on to the deck.

"Shit." He said running his hands through his hair feeling stressed.

"But Dave did spot some small animals which could be used as food." Race said helping Albert back on to board.

News spread quickly among the crew as the boys arrived and Jack could almost taste how uneasy they were. It's almost like they all knew death was lurking behind there necks, ready to strangle the breath out of them at any second.

"Jack?" Buttons asked him tentatively after a long silence under deck.

"Yea?" He asked not entirely sure he could handle it.

"I want Pulitzer back, he would know what to do." Buttons said quietly. Heads nodded in agreement around them and Jack felt his uneasy grow along with anger.

"An you think he would be any better than me?!" Jack snapped.

"Well... yea, he's Captain." Buttons said looking a little nervous at Jacks out burst. "He knows what to do in situations like this."

The boys mumbled in agreement looking at each other and whispering, Jack could sense the slightest Mutiny lingering in the air.

"The kid is right." Weasel spoke up from the corner startling everyone. Jack glared up at him knowing what he was about to pull. "You guys need a leader who's run a ship before, someone who knows how to keep his cool in tough situations."

"An let me guess, your that someone?" Jack asked standing up like this was a challenge.

"As a matter of fact, yes, ask the boys. I've been a Captain for 20 years, I know my stuff. And what do you know? Seems to me the only thing you've been good for was gettin' kidnaped by that mermaid." Weasel said sharply, obviously still bitter about Jack not telling him everything.

The boys shrugged in agreement. Jack stiffened his shoulders and held his chin high not about to be showed up by some prick like Weasel. Who was he anyway? If Pulitzer were here he wouldn't take any crap from this man, he'd have him tied up to the small boat and sent out to sea.

But Jack wasn't Pulitzer, he would be doing things his way.

"I advise you to step down, I'm not afraid to beat you." Jack said slowly his voice full of so much power and authority even Oscar and Morris shifted uncomfortably. Weasel held up his hands in defense.

"Leave that to the boys... Captain." He said with as much mock as possible.

No one moved.

Jack smoothed out his black jacket and turned around on his heel feeling annoyed and frustrated, he climbed back up the ladder with out a second glance at the boys. He slammed the hatch shut behind them and straightened up in the warm air of the night, it seemed to be more humid than it had been the whole time they'd been there which proved to Jack that they were a lot closer to the equator than ever before.