Hidden Past

Chapter 3: Victoria Interrupted

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

Victoria pales at the sight of him. He looked just like she remembered him, his dreadlocked hair that is ever so fun to tug on and his eyes alight with the calm fire that she adored.

"Jack, how is this-" she started reaching out only to blink and have him disappear.

"Come now luv, think, how is this possible?" Jack said, leaning against her desk from across the room.

Viftoria thought for a moment and sto9d up, noticing that Jack didn't blink an eye at her being completely naked. "You're either a ghost,"

"I think Ghosts still appreciate a nice body luv." Jack retorted with a snort.

"Don't. Please don't say it." She whispered softly.

Jack walked over to her. "Why don't we go on deck and find out."

Victoria quickly got dressed, tyinf her cprset still as she walked out her door, finishing it by the time she was on deck. She walked up to Barbossa, Jack right next to her. "Hector, I don't think I can sleep tonight, I'll take the helm." She told him.

Barbossa looked at her with pity in his eyes and nodded. "Aye Captain."

"He walked away, just like that." Victoria murmured in shock.

"You know why." Jack told her.

It felt so real to her, she could feel his breath on her neck as he leaned into her and wrapped his warm arms around her stomach like he used to do.

"I'm imagining this. It's all in my head." She thought, her mouth didn't move.

"Yes, it is." Jack replied. "Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it."

Victoria huffed as she attempted to focuse on sailing.

"Come on, sing a shantie with me!" Jack whined, moving infront of her line of sight. "Kind friends and companions come join me in ryme." He tried nudging her softly. "Come on, finish it!"

Victoria straightened her back when a soft singing voice filled the air. "Kind friends and companions come join me in ryme."

Both Victoria and Jack looked at the woman. "She's hiding something." He whispered to Victoria.

"Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine." Elizabeth continued, leaning against the railing.

"I know." Victoria responded, her grip tightening.

"Come lift up your voices, all grief to refrain." The soft voice continued.

"Something about me." Jack enticed further.

"For we may or might never all meet here again." Elizabeth finished the verse.

"I know." Victoria whispered sadly begore tying the wheel and joining the crew on deck. "Here's a health to the company and one to my lass." She continued the song, the deeper voices of the crew joining Elizabeth and Victoria's higher ones.

"Let's drink and be merry all out of one glass
Let's drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
For we may or might never all meet here again."

For the next hour they all stood around, singing shanties and laughing as rum passed through their lips. Barbossa belted out Fathom the Bowl while Victoria soothed their minds and souls, closing the fun hour with Danny Boy.

By the time the moon was fully up and the calm sea reflected the stars on a midnight blue canvas, the crew was more relaxed than they were before.

Elizabeth stared into the black abyss as Victoria calmly held the wheel and looked into the horizon.

"You know, it would be much less boring if you talked to me." Jack stated from where he was picking his nails with his knife. "Just saying. Might even give you some closer, you knoe to hear what you already know from me. I mean, at least I look like him." The false-Jack continued walking about the quarter deck, Victoria's gaze fell on Cotton and the fake Jack grinned.

"Look Highness! I'm magic!" He shouted and shoved his hand through Cotton, his forearm disappearing from sight.

Fighting the yrge to roll her eyes, Victoria faced forward again.

"So, how do you think they'll react? You know, when they find out that you're leading them off the edge of the world just to save little old me?" He asked moving about obnoxiously in front of her face as he tried to gain some reaction.

"Tough crowd." He muttered, turning to face the same direction Victoria was. "How do you think I'll react when I find out that you might very well kill yourself to save me when it isn't even needed? Wow, that was confusing." Jack asked, noticing Victoria's grip tighten around the handle.

"Hit a nerve did I?" He asked slyly. "Hmm, you're almost there now luv, see you soon." Then just like that, Victiria was left alone from her strange hallucination and completely confused.

At least, until she saw the slight shimmer on the horizon.

Unfortunately so did Will. "Barbossa, Victoria! Ahead!"

"Aye, we’re good and lost now." Barbossa stated, lookibg at the horizon with a triumphant expression.

Elizabet came up to the trio looking confused and slightly angry. "Lost?"

"Of course, howelse did you expect us to find a place that cannot be found?" Victoria stated as though it were obvious.

"With the compass!" Elizabeth shrieked helplessly, her gaze looking between Victoria and the edge.

Victoria laughed loudly. "That stopped working the moment we got into the ice, we were lost then. But now, we could be in the Carribean or the Indian Ocean and I wouldn't be the wiser."

"We're gaining speed!" Gibbs exclaimed as he fearfully looked at the edge that they were fast approaching.

"Aye!" Barbossa shouted, an exhilarated laugh passing his lips.

Will started running about the ship. "To stations! All hands, to stations! Hard to port, gather way!"

"Nay! Belay that! Let her run straight and true!" Barbossa shouted.

The ship looked conflicted.

"If you make to change her course you will find that you will be the first over the edge." Victoria shouted.

The crew stopped looking around.

"Blimey!" Pintel shouted in shock, it being far too late to turn back at that point.

Elizabeth looked to Victoria, where she stood tall and proud at the helm of the ship. "You've doomed us all!"

"Don’t be so unkind. You may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words you’ll hear." Barbossa scolded Elizabeth with a grin.

"Malfaiteur en Tombeau, Crocher l’Esplanade, Dans l’Fond d’l’eau!" Tia chanted in french, throwing the crab claws.

Victoria then knew that Jack would be waiting when they got there.

"Hard to port!" Elizabeth shouted the order in fear, but the current had already taken the ship, it could turn around but it couldn't go anywhere.

"Hold on!" Will shouted, grabbing onto the ship as Barbossa's hearty laugh sounded through the air.

With a rush of air, the ship fell backwards, plunging off the Earth.