We arrived in Tortuga, to find ninety-nine souls. Gibbs was having people sign the roster, while Jack and I sat to the side, trying to get the stupid compass to work.
"And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the Black Pearl?" Gibbs asked the first sailor.
"Truth be told, I never sailed a day in me life. I figure I should get out and see the world while I'm still young." I looked up at the man, and noticed he wasn't exactly young.
"You'll do. Make your mark. Next!"
"My wife run off with my dog, and I'm drunk for a month, and I don't give an ass rat's if I live or die."
"Perfect! Next!"
"I know what I want, I know what I want, I know what I want," Jack muttered, and opened the compass, it still didn't work.
"Me have one arm and a bum leg."
"It's the crow's nest for you."
"I know what I want," Jack said again, checking the compass.
"Next!" Gibbs yelled.
"Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to sail the seas. Forever."
"Sooner than you think. Sign the roster."
"Thanks very much."
"How are we going?" I asked, and Jack looked up as well.
"Including those four? That gives us... four." Jack shook the compass vigorously, as another hopeful came up, "And what's your story?" I looked up at the person realized who it was, and tapped Jack. He looked at me then at the sailor. Then he started looking for a place to hide.
"My story?" Norrington asked, and Gibbs nodded, "It's exactly the same as your story, just one chapter behind. I chased a man across the seven seas. The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life."
"Commodore?" Gibbs asked.
"No, not anymore, weren't you listening? I nearly had you all off Tripoli. I would've, if not for the hurricane." Jack took a leafy plant and hid behind it.
"Lord. You didn't try to sail through it?"
"So do I make your Crew or not? You haven't said where you're going. Somewhere nice!" He turned over the table, and Gibbs fell off his stool, as the table hit my legs, I yelped. "So am I worthy to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow?" Gibbs helped me up and I tried to find Jack. Norrington had a pistol pointed at him, "Or should I kill you now?"
"You're hired," Jack said.
"Sorry. Old habits and all that." A bar fight started, and Jack grabbed my hand.
"Time to go," Jack said. I limped after him, and he glanced at my leg. "You're hurt." He picked me up and we carefully, but quickly, made our way up the stairs. "I'll look at it when we get back to the ship. Can you walk at all?"
"I don't know." He set me down and I winced, slightly, holding onto his shoulder.
"Nope," he lifted me up again. and started making his way to the ship.
"Captain Sparrow?" I heard someone say.
"Come to join me Crew, lad?" Jack replied, "Welcome aboard."
"I'm here to find the man I love." I recognize the voice as Elizabeth and bit my tongue to not laugh.
"I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first love is the sea."
"I thought I was," I said.
"You're a very close second."
"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow." Jack set me down on some crates and fully turned around.
"Elizabeth!" he said and turned to Gibbs, "Hide the rum." Gibbs took the rum onto the ship. "You know these clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin." I tried to kick him, but he dodged my foot.
"Jack. I know Will came to find you, where is he?" Elizabeth said.
"Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had nothing whatsoever to do with me, poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones's Crew."
"Davy Jones?" she asked.
"Oh, please. The Captain of the Flying Dutchman?" Norrington said, doubtfully.
"You look bloody awful, what are you doing here?"
"You hired me. I can't help it, if your standards are lax."
"You smell funny."
"Jack!" Elizabeth said.
"Hmm."
"All I want is to find Will."
"Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?"
"Of course."
"Because I would think, you'd want to find a way to save Will most."
"And you'd have a way of doing that?"
"Well, there is a chest."
"Oh, dear," Norrington said, before throwing up again.
"A chest of unknown size and origin," Jack continued, "And whoever possesses that chest, possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants. Including saving brave William from his grim fate."
"You don't actually believe him, do you?"
"How do we find it?" Elizabeth asked.
"With this," Jack held up his compass, "My compass... is unique."
"Unique, here, having the meaning of broken."
"Shh," I said.
"True enough. This compass does not point north."
"Where does it point?" she asked.
"It points to the thing you want most in this world."
"Jack. Are you telling the truth?"
"Every word, love." She looked at me and I nodded, as Jack placed the compass in her hands, "And what you want most in this world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"
"To save Will."
"By finding the chest of Davy Jones." He opened the compass and briskly stepped away. I heard the needle spin, and stop. Jack peered up cautiously to get the coordinates. "Mr. Gibbs!" he called.
"Cap'n?"
"We have our heading."
"Finally!" Gibbs started shouting orders to the crew. And Jack invited Elizabeth on board. He picked me up again and walked on deck.
"How are you feeling?"
"I could get used to you carrying me everywhere," I laughed.
"I meant your leg."
"Hurts. But it'll heal soon."
"How'd it happen?"
"You were there," I said.
"I was focusing on hiding."
"Norrington flipped the table over and it hit my legs." He scrunched his nose.
"I don't like him on my ship."
"You hired him."
"I didn't think he would show up."
