Hidden Past

Chapter 2: Stupid Romance

The ship was nearly frozen, along with it's inhabitants. Victoria stood at the helm, her jacket covered in frost and her hair in icicles from when water had gotten in it and hadn't dried quick enough.

Frost bite had infiltrated the crew as they blindly sailed under the rule of their Captain and her compass. She watched the compass start spinning out of control.

The air changed around, so inperceptably that everyone but her, Davy Jones, and Calypso herself wouldn't sense it. "Barbossa, come here." Victoria ordered.

The old man made his way over, his eye catching on the compass that was spinning out of control. "We're close?"

Victoria nodded. "Very."

"Over the edge and over again. Sunrise sets flash of green... Do you care to interpret, Captain Jones?" Will asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Barbossa and her shared a look. "Ever gazed upon the green flash Master Gibbs?" Barbossa asked.

With a thoughtfull look, Gibbs nodded. "I reckon I seen my fair share. It happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash of light shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without seeing it, some claim to have seen it that ain’t. Some say-"

"It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!" Pintel finished estatically. Gibbs gave him a look and the man sat back down. "Sorry."

"Trust me, young Master Turner, it’s not gettin’ to the land of the dead that’s the problem. It’s gettin’ back." Barbossa said with a toothy grin.

"It's actually rather simple to get there." Victoria hummed, ignoring the fact that she now couldn't feel her fingers.

Elizabeth shook her head as she passed. "I'm glad you're so confident."

The Captain frowned but shrugged it off. Elizabeth had been rude, snappy, and off since the Pearl sank. Victoria knew she should expect to shoulder most of the girl's frustration, since it was now obvious that she lied to the young lady, she had just hoped that Elizabeth could be a little more mature.

It didn't matter, she needed to focus on getting Jack back and bringing her crew to the land of the living in one piece. She simply could not be focused on whatever petty problem Elizabeth was angry over at the moment.

So, Victoria straightened her back and focused on sailing ahead. With the rest of the crew back to work, Elizabeth hiding somewhere, and Barbossa making himself quiet company Victoria found that the soothing rocking of the ship lulled her into a familiar comfort.

The cold bit her skin but the wind called to her soul, urging her to follow it and forget all else.

"Drop the topsail!" Victoria ordered the crew, watching as the fabric unfyrled and caught the wind, creating a jerk as the ship gained speed.

It was easy for Victoria to quickly spot obstacles and carefully steer around them, the speed causing little trouble for the sailing.

Tia paused on deck as she watched Victoria's hair whip in the wind, like a fire that lit up the cold world around her. She stood strong, her posture straight and powerful as she lead the ship like she leads her own two feet. It was just natural to see Victoria at the helm, like she was born to be in that exact position and no where else.

Just like her father.

"Just like her father." Barbossa echoed Tia's thoughts outloud, gaining the woman's attention. "A true vision on a ship, no wonder she's considered royalty among our kind."

"She is royalty. By blood and by merit." Tia corrected Barbossa calmly.

The man nodded. "Aye, that she is. It suits her, power. She takes leading in stride and knows when to push and whrn to not." He analyzed the girl thoughtfully. "No wonder Jack loved her so."

"Jack Sparra. A poor choice on 'er part. She could've done better." Tia disapprovingly shook her head.

"What, like you did?" Barbossa asked Tia with a raised eyebrow. "Nay, Jack was a good fit for her. They calm each other and add a fire to each other. They need the other like fire needs air." Barbossa disagreed.

Tia shrugged and nodded. "I suppose. She in luv, wit whom it is not my concern. Until 'e 'urts 'er. Ten it is my concern."

"Aren't we all like that with her?" Barbossa questioned with a fond smile. "Except Sao, but he's a real bastard in any case so he doesn't count."

"Tat girl has more family than she could know." Tia agreed with a happy grin, showing her blackened gums.

"Ain't that the truth."

Victoria pulled the wheel, controlling the ship as she steered it out of the ice patch. It was nearly two days later and she hadn't stopped. The pace of the ship never slowed. It stayed as constant as her place at the helm so more often than not Cotton found himself without much to do.

Twilight was falling on the ship, a red and orange sunset painted the ship in a gorgeous picture. Victoria felt content as she sighed and lazily steered the ship. There weren't anymore icebergs to avoid as they had  finally passed into warmer climates.

The ship was covered in what Victoria could only describe as a morning dew, sparkling in the sunlight and giving off a romantic feel. A romantic atmosphere that Will and Elizabeth took advantage of as quickly ad possible, cuddling at the front of the deck and murmuring to each other.

They were being everything that Victoria and Jack were to only each other on special occasions and it was irritating her by the minute. It took everything the woman had to not order the pair back to work for the sinple fact that they were both alive and Jack wasn't.

Thankfully, Barbossa saw her emotions rising and quickly offered to take over for a bit. The crew didn't bother paying attention until they noticed that Barbossa stood at the helm instead of Victoria and the slammong of the Captain's doors behind the woman as she finally took refuge in her cabin.

Frustrated tears rolled down her face as she roughly pulled her shirt off and threw it away from her. The dull thump was followed by a bang of her shoes, a thud of her trousers, and a thwap of her weapons belt being slammed on her desk.

Suddenly, her mind registered the dark of her cabin along with it's familiarity. Fatigue started to capture Victoria's mind, working its web of drowsyness as she - the fly - flew unknowingly into it's grasp.

So, she stumbled forward a bit before collasping in the soft bed and pulling her blankets close, ensnaring heat against her body.

She yawned and blinked at the the window, but when her eyes reopened, someone was in bed with her.

"You know luv, I don't think seeing dead people is a good sign."