A/N: This chapter marks the beginning of me taking the plot in a new direction. I think I am going to finish it because I hate the thought of it sitting there untouched. So in the event that anyone is still reading this, this is for you.

Disclaimer: I own neither Pirates of the Caribbean nor any of it's characters, names or locations. This is a simple exercise in creativity that I will not try to sell or profit from. All credit goes to Disney.

Laura woke up with her face pressed into something warm. She inhaled, breathing in the scent of the cloth, telling herself that it had all been a bad dream. She was asleep in her bed on the Pearl. Yesterday was just a figment of her imagination. She was hallucinating from her cold. It was all okay. After all, she was dry and she felt safe snuggled against her pillow… Except her pillow didn't move. And it didn't have a heartbeat. Fearfully, she pried her eyes open. She blinked sand and salt from them, confused by the sight of a crisp, beige, men's shirt filling her vision. She turned her face upward, coming eye to eye with a sleeping Hayden. His wavy curls were plastered to his head and face from the effort of last night. His mouth, full and plump and the object of her fantasies, hung open just a bit. His skin, already golden brown, had began to darken in the heat of the day.

She sat up slowly, still entwined with Hayden. How had she gotten here? She remembered falling, the cold of the rain and water. She remembered Hayden pulling her to the surface twice, then hanging onto the figurehead. The realization that they were alive hit her all at once. She nearly cried with relief. They were alive, and as far as she could tell, they were safe. She looked down at her companion. Back on the Pearl he had jumped in after her with nary a second thought. He had somehow gotten them to land, dragging her prone form across God only knew how much water. He had saved her life.

Laura felt her heart swell with the knowledge. She was sore, it was true, and her cold had not improved. But she was alive, all thanks to Hayden. She smoothed his disheveled hair from his face, leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. She was determined to do better later, but for now, her chaste peck would have to suffice. Hayden stirred, mumbling something.

"What?" she asked.

"I said," her blinked his eyes open and reached for her hand, "I could get used to waking up like this."

"Laying in the sand after being thrown overboard?" Laura asked, confusedly.

"No," he grinned. "To you kissing me." Laura felt her cheeks flood with color.

"That wasn't even a proper kiss," she pointed out.

Hayden sat up slowly, wincing when his ribs felt like they caught fire. Laura reached out for him, helping him up. He thanked her, stretching his stiff limbs. "Would you like to make it a proper kiss?" Even covered in sand, salt and sweat, he somehow managed to sound incredibly alluring to Laura. He reached out for her, the back of his hand brushing her forehead.

"I'd like that. But maybe it can wait until we're not covered in filth." she suggested.

"Fair enough." he conceded. "Are you feeling well enough to move?" she nodded. Hayden climbed to his feet, then reached down for her. Laura took his hand, trying to ignore the way it felt like every never in her body was buzzing. They walked past the figure head, half buried on the beach, and into a outcropping of trees. Laura paused to look back at the ocean. She hoped the other crew of the Pearl were safe. Hayden seemed to read her thoughts.

"I'm sure they're alright. The storm didn't last for too long. And you said yourself they've made it through worse."

"Do you think they'll find us?" she asked quietly.

Hayden thought carefully about his answer. "I don't know. But I know Anamaria will look for you. So we'll be sure to keep an eye out for her. We'll take care of each other."

Laura swallowed her emotion. "We'll take care of each other," she reaffirmed.

"Starting now. We need to find some water or we're both going to get very sick." He squeezed her hand, scanning their surroundings. He stepped forward, squinting at the ground. "There's a path," he announced. Laura walked forward to look where he was pointing. There was indeed a sort of foot path picked through the trees. She bent forward to look for it and nearly fell over. Her physical condition set in all at once, replacing the euphoria of surviving. She collapsed on her knees, her breathing shallow.

Hayden lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Laura knew that he was nearly as exhausted as she was, but he pulled her to him and took off down the path.

"Where are we going?" she wheezed from his arms.

Hayden didn't respond. He was looking around as he ran, listening for anything that sounded remotely like running water. He knew the girl in his arms was dehydrated. If she didn't get water soon….

He shook the thought. He couldn't think about that. He needed to find water. Laura leaned forward suddenly and threw up, narrowly missing him. He stopped in surprise, putting her down. She fell to her knees and retched again, this time into a bush. Her entire body was shaking and tears seemed to be falling from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she managed to gasp out. "I can't help--" she succumbed to another fit.

"It's alright," he assured her. He tried to keep his voice even but it cracked a little. "We just need to get you some water. And some shade." he looked around again, his own exhaustion combining with the panic that had set in.

"She needs more than water," a voice from behind startled him. He spun, a little too quickly, nearly toppling over. A woman had come running down the path at them, the sounds of her approach masked under the sounds of Laura emptying her stomach. "She needs medicine." the woman insisted. Hayden scrutinized her. She was a few inches shorter than he was and looked to be around 16 years old. She was darker skinned than himself or Laura. Her hair was thick as lambs wool and the dark as the night sky. She peered out at him through almond shaped, attentive eyes. She looked so familiar. She was giving him the same look of vague recognition. "Hayden?" she asked uncertainly.

"Kayla?" he breathed.

****

Anamaria could see the island from her place at the helm. It was shrouded in a mysterious fog, giving it a sinister appearance. The crew was reluctant to sail any closer to it. Unwilling to compromise the morale of his crew and risk being marooned (again), Jack had ordered that they let her off, then sail around to the back of the island and drop anchor. Ana began to untie the small rowboat, preparing to step in and row to shore. She threw her pack into the boat and turned around to address Jack. Instead, she found him lowering a pack of his own in.

"I'm coming with ye," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Ana understood the significance of what he was doing. Jack rarely left the Pearl for any reason; in the rare event that he did, he left Ana in charge. He was exercising a great act of fate, and he was doing it for her. She couldn't stop her lips from turning up in a genuine smile at him. She could see the crew shooting them covert looks. She knew the moment she and Jack were out of earshot they would no doubt begin discussing the events that had transpired over the last day. She realized she didn't care. Jack had been more than good to her and she didn't care who knew it.

He stepped into the boat, yelling last minute orders to the crew. "Let us down, then sail round the back. If you see the Navy, make a wide circle around the island chain, but don't attack. We'll find a way back to you. If there's no Navy, drop anchor and wait for us." the crew yelled the affirmative. "Ready, love?" he reached for her hand. She grasped it and stepped in, settling herself down. The crew lowered them in. They hit the waves with a dull thud. Jack seized the oars, pointed them in the right direction and began to paddle. Ana watched the Pearl as it faded into the distance. They were soon surrounded by fog, a likely byproduct of the storm. Jack seemed unperturbed, giving her a comforting smile.

"Thank you for coming with me, Jack." his smile widened into a lopsided grin.

"Anything for you, darling." Ana blushed at his term of endearment, surprised by her own reaction.

"Do you think they're on this island?" she asked him, trying to bring her mind back around to thinking about her sister.

"The compass pointed there, aye?" she nodded the affirmative. "Then that's exactly where they are, love. The compass never lies."

"Where does it point for you?" the question slipped from her lips before she could stop it.

Jack's chocolate eyes trained on hers, searing into her. "It points at what my heart wants most. It always has." her heart fell. Of course, it pointed at the Pearl. "True, it may have wandered at times," he continued nonchalantly. "But in the end, when I lay in bed at night thinking about what really mattered, it would spin to the same place. Or person rather." her breath hitched. "You."

"Really?" she hated how girlish and young she sounded.

"Aye, Ana. You." there was a moment of silence as his admission sunk in. "But we can talk about my burning passion for you later, love. For now what the compass points at for you is more important."

"Oh, right," Ana felt burning shame that she allowed Laura to fall by the wayside to selfish thoughts. She reached for the compass that Jack had let her borrow. The bottom of the boat scraped sand, running ashore. Jack jumped out and hauled it further up. Ana stepped out and helped him pull it into the bushes.

"You have my compass love?" Ana held it up, already studying the direction the little wooden arrow pointed. "Let's go." he pulled on his pack.

They weaved their way through a uncertain path, ever so often adjusting their course of direction according to the compass. Nearly a half hour later, they both were sweating with the effort of clambering through a jungle. Ana glanced at the compass in her hand, noticing that it wasn't moving any longer. She shook it quizzically.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked Jack. He leaned over to look.

"Nothing. They must be near here."

"Laura!" Ana screamed. "Hayden?" Jack joined in, lending the deep timbre of his voice to hers. "Lau--"

Ana stopped as something shifted in the bushes. Or someone rather. A middle aged woman had stepped out in front of them. Her skin was lighter than Ana's, her graying hair pulled back into a neat braid. Jack stopped to stare at her. Ana saw his hand unconsciously reach for his pistol.

"You must be here for the young woman," she spoke with just a Caribbean lilt.

"You know where my sister is?" Ana eagerly stepped forward.

"Yes." the woman nodded and gestured behind her. "She is at my home. My son brought her."

"Your son?" Ana asked.

"Yes." the woman repeated. "My son, Hayden."