You know those moments they write about in books?

When time stops for a few short seconds. Usually when something monumental is happening. Everything slows and you see things in bright focus.

That's not real life. Eric's sword takes a fraction of a second to plunge forward and pierce First's cloaked chest.

First chokes and falters, squinting at the blade with wide eyes. Eric stood his ground, sneering. It was almost scary to see such an expression on his usually apathetic face. 

But to our dismay, First smiles.

"I'm immortal," He laughs hoarsely, gazing not at me, but Eric. I studied his acidic eyes carefully. A hint of sadness flickered in their depths for a brief moment. "You can't kill me. No one can."

That's not true, I thought fleetingly. The Death Note. We need to get our hands on it.

"Watch me." Eric replied coolly. I felt a rush of affection for him.

First smiled. "They say love is powerful, but..."

Eric glared and withdrew his sword. I frowned at the pair, curious to First's odd words. Then, frustration filled my chest.

"First. You better listen to me." I stomped over to the pair and shoved myself in between their chests, glaring at First. "I have dozens of men and women waiting in the...human world, whatever, and they want to live. I have children on my ship. I want answers. I want to murder Sutcliffe. I want you to somehow find me a Death Note that will serve as yours --"

"Stupid girl." He shook his head, stepping back and staring at the hole Eric had driven into his chest. There was blood; the wound was messy and I didn't doubt it was painful. I didn't doubt that had been Eric's intention. "He wants mine for a reason. I can't be killed by any Death Note. It needs to be mine. And I'm not giving it to you."

My hands fell to swing at my sides. "There has to be a way. Please."

First looked beyond me to Eric, who stood behind me as usual, his presence quiet and demanding. "I wouldn't know. I don't know everything, you know -- they don't always let me See." He trailed off slightly. "You could check the Library, I suppose. See your mother. She's smart." He giggled.

My breath left me. "...what?"

"Are you deaf?" He cracked a grin. "Heh. It's true she doesn't really exist. She is made up of memories and what she knew before she died. I haven't seen a Life play out in a while...I forget what it's like."

"I could...talk to her?" I whispered. "And Jack too?"

He hummed. "I suppose you could. It would be dangerous, obviously, but you like danger, don't you? Like I said, I wouldn't know. No harm in trying, hm?"

I could see my mother.

"Are you serious?" Adeena asked Jack in a laugh. "You're pulling the 'protective father' card?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "That makes me sound old."

Adeena laughed again and hugged me unexpectedly. I squealed. "You're so weird, Jacqueline -- you can't marry the Pearl." She referred the question I had asked before, the one Jack had cut into with a sharp 'no'. "She belongs to Jack."

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were married to Jack?"

She winced. "That makes both of us sound old."

"See?" Jack said, waving his hands.

Mom coughed, clearly wishing to avoid the subject, and turned to him. "Are you protective of the Pearl or your daughter -- the world will never know."

Jack glared. "I think I can be protective of both, thank you."

I abruptly laughed. "Wow. You guys are stupid."

They turned to me with bewildered expressions.

"I was kidding," I walked by them, still laughing. "Dad, you can have the Pearl. And mom."

I whirled around to Eric. "Let's go the library. Like now."

His lips tugged upwards as he met my eyes, but fell back down when he looked back to First. "You just sentenced her to death." I'd forgotten about that. That was quite unfortunate. "We should trust you because?"

First considered that for a moment before grinning and cackling. "You have no other choice!"

"Excellent point!" I said, grabbing Eric's hand. He slowly put away his sword, keeping one eye on First. "Eric, this is our only option. There's nothing here."

But that's not why you want to leave, my inner critic insisted in a condescending voice that sounded suspiciously like Sarah -- our ship's ridiculously superstitious sailor.

Go find a hole and jump in it, I told my inner critic. 

Eric glanced at the floor and then at me. "Fine. Lead the way."

I grinned. Then I let my smile fall, turning to look at First. "Did you actually write my name in there?"

He smiled sadly. "I did. You should welcome Death when it comes. Forever evading it is so tiring."

I swallowed hard, turning back and walking out. "If you say so. Thanks."

"Anytime!" He called, ending with a laugh.

Eric shut the door with his foot. "Jacqueline --"

I threw myself at him and nearly knocked him over. "It's okay, right?" I whispered. "That I want to see them."

He was silent for a long moment. "I'm afraid you'll want to stay, wherever they are."

I backed away from his arms, bewildered. "Why would I want that?"

He smiled slightly, tucking my hair behind my ear. It was an oddly intimate action. "You're weird like that, Jacqueline."

I grinned, bouncing slightly, heart fluttering for more than one reason. "It's only natural. Come along, Eric!" I drew away and grabbed his hand, pulling him after me. "We'll visit Adeena and Jack!"

The trip to the Library wasn't too exciting. Everyone we passed gave us weird looks, which was natural, I suppose -- we were two live humans walking amidst hundreds of not-so-alive Shinigami. I waved at the green-eyed beings, grinning.

We passed Jon. He waved back when I grinned at him.

"De ja vu," I said aloud once we reached the woods. If you recall, the path could go in two directions: through the woods to the Library, or to the city.

Eric nodded.

"Let's go!" I said, and grabbed his hand to tug him along."I'm so excited, Eric, I don't know if you can understand."

He nodded again. "I'll try."

I let him fall into step beside me even though I wanted to sprint there. "Even if it's just for a minute..." I sighed. "Ten years. It's been a long time...do you think they look different? I certainly do...will they recognize me? I'm very different..." I hadn't thought of that.

First said Adeena and Jack were made up of what they were before they died. That meant they probably wouldn't recognize me, as I had been eight when they'd passed -- I was eighteen now.

"I wonder if you can come with me..." I whispered, glancing at him.

He appeared quizzical. "I thought you'd like to be alone."

I smiled. "Eric, you're a part of my life -- I want them to meet you. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, you know? Or I'd be very different."

He frowned. "You mean a few years ago."

"Yeah." I shivered, remembering. "You pulled him off of me. Did I ever thank you? Thank you."

"Don't bother." He replied softly. "I would have done it for anyone." His eyes, serious and so blue, locked with my own. "It just happened to be you."

He was very close. "Thanks anyway..."

He was very, very close -- I could feel his breath ghost over my lips.

I've never kissed anyone, I thought, as the hand previously holding mine found my waist instead.

"Hey, lovebirds!"

Eric and I jumped apart, startled. Shima was standing not too far from us, without his Scythe, grinning.

"You two are so cute~" He gushed, hopping over to us and ruffling our hair. "Kawai!" Japanese. 'Cute', in English. 

"I'm not cute," I snapped, batting him away. "Ugh. I'm beautiful and gorgeous but cute? Psh, no."

"If you say so," He grinned, backing away. "I'll just privately disagree. Where're you off to?"

"The Library." I answered, eyeing his absurd clothes again. "What are you wearing?"

"Hm?" He glanced at his attire. "Please. This is the height of fashion. You look like you crawled out of a history book."

Eric spoke up. "Where are you from?"

He grinned, tapping his glasses up his nose. "LA, California, 2017. How about you?"

I gasped. "That's...hundreds of years into the future!"

"Yep," He said with a popping noise. "You're so old fashioned."

I shook Eric slightly, grinning. "We can ask him anything!" I turned to Shima again. "Um...The New World? How is it over there?"

"Bigger and better than Britain!" He grinned. "We have a dick for a president, though. Women can do whatever men do." I beamed. "And they show their legs, too, all over the place." I blushed, but was secretly elated. "And taxes are ridiculous...that's what my parents said, before I died." His smirk faded a bit, so I didn't ask.

"What about...piracy?" I asked tentatively.

He grinned. "Ya'll died out years ago. But there's a few over by Africa, I think." He scanned me and Eric, amusement making his lips quirk. "You're very different in my world." 

That was a shame, that the idea that piracy was terrible had continued to fester. We aren't all bad. "I'm different everywhere," I responded to his comment, "But...what do women wear, then? If they show their legs."

"Shorts!" Shima grinned, gesturing at his own pants. Shorts, that's what they were called. I was learning all sorts of things. "Or short skirts."

Eric was blushing, I noticed. 

"That's so weird," I mused, thinking about how it would feel to where short pants, or a short skirt. 

"Yeah." Shima genuinely agreed, but moved on quickly. "Why're you going to the Library?"

"To see my mom," I said bluntly, distracted from thoughts of the future. "We wanna ask her questions."

"And you want to see her, obviously," He turned on his heel, waving us on. "First is a jerk. You need someone to help you, come on."

Eric and I exchanged a glance before following. I quizzed Shima about the future on the way. Apparently, people watched moving pictures on something called a television, and the music they enjoyed was very different. He pulled a 'phone', a mini television but better, apparently, out of his pocket and played some aloud, stunning Eric and I. The song he played had words in Japanese, and was very fast-paced with heavy percussion and something he called an electric guitar. 

The Shinigami Library was similar to the office, white and large, delicately carved. Eric and I craned our necks to see the top.

Shima pushed the door open easily and sauntered in; we followed, studying the building with wide eyes.

The inside was even better. We walked onto a marble balcony, which opened into a massive room with glass ceilings and golden trim. I ran to the railing and looked down; mist obscured my view. The walls were lined in bookshelves upon bookshelves; the shelves were filled with glass balls upon glass balls, all swirling with different colored fog.

"Shima," I turned to him with a grin. "This is crazy. Who built this?"

He shrugged. "No one, I guess. That's a question for First. I think it's always been here."

I nodded, although it didn't make much sense, and went back to staring out at the wide expanse of...souls.

It hit me all of a sudden. This is where everyone goes when they die. Everyone that has ever passed away is here, in this room, where anyone can walk in and see for themselves.

And somewhere among the millions of crystal balls, my parents were waiting.

"How do we talk to them?" I asked, whirling and demanding to Shima.

He joined me at the ledge. Eric followed. "It's easy. I'll do it, though...what's their names?"

I answered quickly. "Jack Sparrow and Adeena Sparrow."

Shima grinned and held out a hand, over the cavern. "They'll be right next to each other, then. Hold on..." He closed his eyes and screwed up his face. "Haven't done this in years..."

I blinked, and suddenly there were two glass balls in his hand. One swirled with turquoise mist, and the other a royal blue. "That's..."

"Got 'em!" Shima exclaimed, grinning and drawing his hand toward his chest, closing his fingers around the balls. They were each only about an inch wide. The light made his skin glow.

"Eric!" I whispered, grabbing for his hand. He was silent.

"Calm down," Shima laughed, grabbing my other hand and setting them both in my palm. "Here."

I let him drop the two glass balls into my awaiting fingers. I knew immediately, somehow -- the cobalt most belonged to my father and the teal to my mother. Jack and Adeena.

My knees nearly gave out as I realized that in the palm of my hands, I held my parents.

For the first time in ten years, I was looking at Jack and Adeena Sparrow.