Fathoms Below: Captain Jack Sparrow

Chapter 18: Answers.

"Lillian!" I heard a familiar voice shout to me as the figure approached, quickly pulling me into a tight embrace. It couldn't be?
"Will?!" I exclaimed, hugging him back with vigour, pleased to see my old friend.
"What are you-?" I began to ask as we stepped back from each other, smiling. Jack instantly appeared by my side, clutching at my waist and pulling me back slightly. I noticed Will briefly frown as he spotted Jack's hand on my waist pulling me towards him, but thankfully he didn't get chance to comment on it.

Mr Gibbs suddenly appeared beside us and took a look at my no doubt dishevelled appearance, "it's good to see you again Lily, thank god yer weren't lost to the island." He then turned to Jack with a prompting look, "let's put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea."

Jack turned to face Mr Gibbs, pulling me along with him.
"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only as so far as we keep to the shallows as much as possible," he stated cryptically as Pintel and Ragetti draped his jacket around his wet shoulders. When did they get here?

"Now, that seems a bit contradictory, Captain," Mr Gibbs said, obviously confused by Jack's strange request.

"I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs. Now, where is that monkey, I want to shoot something!" Jack demanded, pulling his pistol out ready. I opened my mouth to protest but Jack fixed me with a look that told me to stay quiet and for once, I obliged.

"Jack!" Will called out, stepping forward.
"Ah," Jack sighed as he screwed up his nose, looking at Will as if he'd forgotten he was here.

"Elizabeth is in danger," Will said. I turned quickly to look at him, my mind running into overdrive at his words.
"What?" I exclaimed, fixing will with an panicked gaze.
Jack simply grumbled, dropping his hand from my waist as he stalked off.
"Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on her. Maybe just lock her up somewhere?" He muttered. We followed behind him as he climbed the stairs onto the top deck.

"She is locked up in prison, bound to hang for helping you!" He shouted. I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips, before turning to Will looking horrified.

"There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes," Jack said, still moving away from us. I couldn't believe how we was acting, after all we'd done to help him.

Will suddenly pulled a sword from a crew members side and pointed it directly at Jack's throat. I was so mad at Jack that I didn't even protest, I just hung back waiting for them to continue their usual back and forth.

"I need that compass of yours, Jack. I must trade it for her freedom," Will said bluntly, still holding the sword to Jack's neck.

Jack then reached up, casting the sword aside, and turned to face Mr. Gibbs who stood next to me watching the exchange.
"Mr. Gibbs," he asked with a twisted smile.

"Captain?" Gibbs replied, his confusion still not wavering.

"We have a need to travel upriver," Jack whispered. I frowned gently, unsure as to what 'upriver' meant.

Mr Gibbs also frowned slightly, "by need, do you mean a trifling need, fleeting, as in, say, a passing fancy?" He inquired sounding somewhat hopeful.

"No, a resolute and unyielding need," he muttered back, his eyes falling on me as he said it, winking at me briefly before dropping it as he noticed the glare on my face. The now messed up paint on his face added another level of ridiculousness to the situation which only seemed to make me more annoyed.

"What we will need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste,"  Will argued, clearly unhappy with the plan.

"William," he paused briefly, "I shall trade you the compass, if you will help me to find this," He smiled, pulling out the cloth from his pocket.