Chapter 1 - Once In A Lifetime
Elizabeth Turner finally sat down on her bed, sighing from the days activities as she undressed her feet from their shoes and stockings. She continued to undress herself, unzipping her dress and unlacing her corset underneath that, finally being able to breathe again. Slipping into her night dress, she released her blond, wavy hair out of the clip and let it fall to the middle of her back.
"Pheww…" Her back had hit the mattress on her bed. She pulled the covers up from the bottom of her feet, snuggling up under then as she turned off the light and finally laid her head on her pillow.
11 years ago…
"Can we take her back?" Young William eyed the tiny bundle in his mother's arms. The little girl, wrapped in a pink blanket, squirmed in Elizabeth's arms, taking her mother's long hair in her fingers.
"No William. She's here to stay." She laughed, shaking her head as her ten year old son made a sour face.
"Why?"
"Because she is." William looked at the ground as his mother stated it clearly. "Why would you want to take her back anyways?" William looked at his baby sister and then looked at Elizabeth.
"She cries a lot. And she's mean. She pulls my hair."
"Well, babies cry a lot, that's what they do. Whenever they want something, they cry. Whenever they're tried, they cry…it's what they do." she explained, laughing a little. "And, they don't understand that hair is not a toy."
"Then there's a reason to take her back. She doesn't understand, that's a problem." Elizabeth laughed again at her son, who was determined to become an only child again.
"William, there's nothing wrong with her, believe me. She's perfectly fine."
"You know, if father was here, then he would side with me." He started to walk away towards the door of Elizabeth's room.
"Oh, really? And what makes you think that he would side with you over me? I'm his wife." Elizabeth put her daughter in her bassinet that was right next to what would've been Will's side of the bed, looking at her son near the doorway sarcastically.
"Yeah, but I'm a guy." he answered. "And us guys have to stick together."
"Right…"
PIRATESPIRATESPIRATESPIRATESPIRATES
The sun was setting, giving the ocean an orange-pink tint as William Turner, captain of the Flying Dutchman for what was now about 30 years, faced his journey through the land of the dead as he ferried souls from one world to another.
"Cap'in," His father, Bootstrap Bill or William Turner Sr., had left his station at the wheel to accompany his son out in the dark. Bootstrap could tell he was thinking about her, it was pretty obvious with Will's facial expression and his mood…all gloomy and sulky.
"Please, dad." Will held up his hand, "Don't call me that." His father nodded and Will gave him an unsure grin as he walked over to the side of the boat, leaning his elbows against the wooden railing.
"It'll be okay." Bill patted his son's back while Will looked out into the water, waiting for people to appear so he could get his job over and done with. "It'll be okay."
"I feel like I," he whispered as to himself, "like I failed her. Like I failed to even consider her." Will's eyes ventured off to his father behind him. "That might not make any sense, but-"
"It makes perfect sense." he interrupted, his hands resting comfortably on the wood in front of him. "Remember who you're talking to." He smiled, but somehow Will felt even worse. He had swore to himself that he would never end up like his father, a pirate nonetheless, but here they were, sharing their pain.
"Did it hurt this bad, though?"
"Love always hurts son. It always has and it always will."
"Well, how'd you learn to deal with it? How did you get past it?" he asked as his father chuckled.
"I never got past it, Will." he answered. "Especially when you came back to rescue me, or your attempt as I should say." Finally, Will cracked a smile and a small giggle. "As for dealing with it, I told myself that it was for the best and somehow it was the right thing to do."
"This doesn't feel right."
"And it shouldn't. You had no choice Will, you couldn't do anything about what happened. Davy Jones was just being Davy Jones when he stabbed you. It's not like you could've prevented your death." Bill looked sternly at his son, "But me, I could control my decisions and actions for that matter. I chose what I chose and I had to pay the ultimate price." Will's face dropped and he started to walk of towards the stairs that led down to the main deck.
"This has to get easier." he muttered, his hand sliding down the railing as he left his father.
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Even though no one told her for sure, Elizabeth, who was in a deep sleep, somehow knew that she was smiling. The vision of Will walking towards her and their children, looking better than ever even though he hadn't changed one bit made her grow goose bumps on her arms and legs.
"William, get your sister! Your father should be here soon!" Elizabeth rushed around her room, frantically trying to find something that was appropriate for greeting her husband again after ten years. About five minutes later, Elizabeth stood in the front doorway dressed in the same black dress that she had worn when Will had left the first time, waiting for her children to make their way downstairs.
"Mother, is father coming today?" Little Madison Rose ran down the stairs, carefully trying not to trip on her dress. Elizabeth nodded.
"Yep. You'll get to meet your dad today." The little girl smiled.
"Will he like me?" Madison asked as her mother sank down to her level.
"Of course, my sweet," Elizabeth pushed her daughter's hair behind her ears. "He'll love you."
"Okay, then. Let's go, let's go!" she squealed, running out the door and out onto the beach. Sand immediately covered her feet, and brushed against the hem of her dress. She ignored her mother's frantic cried for her to stop, running towards the ocean with a huge smile on her face. Madison gasped in shock as suddenly she was lifted off of the ground, looking up at he clear, blue sky rather than the ocean which stretched out before her.
"Put me down!" she screamed, pounding on the person's back in vain. William only laughed, running down the same path that Madison was following a few moments ago, charging into the sea without a thought.
"Will-iam! Don't do it! Please!" she begged as he loosened his grip on her as if to drop her.
"But you said to put you down." he replied innocently, eyes dancing. "I'm only listening to my princess."
"William! Mother said father won't like it if I'm all dirty!" she complained, her eyes looking down at the ground rather than up at her older brother.
"She's full of crap, Maddy. He'll love you no matter what. You may be a pest, but you're a lovable pest."
"I am not a pest." she told him seriously, pouting at him.
"Oh really" William replied, letting go of her and grabbing her again at the last possible second. Madison screamed, clutching her brother's shoulder.
"William Jack Turner!" Elizabeth threatened from her place about halfway back to the house. "What did I say about threatening your sister?"
"I haven't seen Madison yet this morning mother." he lied, smoothly dropping his sister into the ocean. She yelped, jumping up and swimming towards the beach.
"Mother! William dropped me!" she whined, flicker he head so that her blonde curls landed on her shoulders again. Elizabeth shook her head, trying not to smile.
PIRATESPIRATESPIRATESPIRATESPIRATES
Will was in his quarters, somewhere in which he spent a lot of his time. The loneliness crammed his mind, he could barely think when that happened. He sat at the desk that faced the northern side of the room, pen tapping on the paper in front of him as he tried to find something to write in his records that would make him feel better.
Will stepped out of the boat, his hair blowing in the slight breeze that was present and looked up a little way to see his wife and two kids standing beside her. He instantly recognized William as he stood tall and proud at the age of nineteen, holding a little girl's hand as she looked like she was about to burst with excitement.
"Will." Elizabeth whispered, the tears already beginning to sting her eyes. William, always the "man" of the family, merely smiled, but any spectator could tell he was excited.
"Father!" The little girl cried, wrenching her hands from her brother's and running towards him. She stopped right before him.
"And who is this lovely little girl?" Will asked, grinning at her.
"My name is Madison Rose."
"That's a very pretty name. Very brave."
"I'm your daughter." she announced, her smiled becoming impossibly wide.
"I can see that. Well, hello Madison Rose." She jumped into his arms, laughing as he spun her around and around. Madison kissed him on the cheek, and her repeated the gesture on her forehead.
"Hi father." she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck even tighter.
"You're all wet." he commented. She glanced back at her brother.
"William dropped me." she replied, still smiling. "I don't mind though. I don't really like this dress."
"You look very beautiful." he assured her, twirling a blonde curl around his finger. He placed her on the ground. "I should greet your mother and brother." Madison nodded and took his hand, skipping happily as they headed back towards her mother and brother. Will outstretched his remaining hand to his namesake. "I hope you are doing more with your time than tormenting ten year old girls." he teased, grasping his son's hand in his own.
"Of course, sir." William replied with a smile. "I mostly stick to the nineteen year old ones." Will smiled back, his heart beginning to pound nervously as he approached his wife.
"Will." she said again, her heart rate increasing along with his. Without hesitation, he closed the gap between them, took her in his arms, and kissed her deeply.
"Ew!" Madison squealed. William covered her mouth.
"You're ruining the moment." he snapped childishly. They broke apart for a moment. Will pressed his forehead against hers, smiling. There really was no place like home.
There really truly was no place like home.
PIRATESPIRATESPIRATESPIRATESPIRATES
The wind had woken Elizabeth in the middle of the night as it howled through her window. She longed to have him whisper in her ear that he was right there and that she could go back to sleep, but she instead reached for her neck, hoping to find a chain with something hanging off of it. It could've been a medallion or a key, anything would've sufficed. Her hands grasped air.
"I want to give her the key, Elizabeth." Will told her as they sat on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms, watching Madison attack William playfully.
"What?" Her high pitched voice implied jealousy as she released her body from her husband's grasp.
"I want to give her the key to the chest." he repeated, turning his attention to Elizabeth's wide eyes. "I already feel like a failure as a father because I'm never here…I don't know what else to do."
"But she understands that it's your job."
"It sounds to me like you're jealous of our daughter…" A devouring grin appeared on his rugged, handsome face.
"I'm not jealous of Maddy." she snorted in laughter, smiling a fake, yet very convincing smile. "I just don't understand why you're going to give a nine-year old a key to your heart." By now, William had dragged Madison outside with a quick game of hide and seek as he noticed his parents debating.
"No, Liz. Not now." He laughed. "I want to give it to her on her 15th birthday." Elizabeth wanted to tell him that he wouldn't be there, but when his eyes fell from her face she refrained. "I know I won't be here. But, I'll write a letter explaining everything that goes with it. All you have to do is give it to her." Elizabeth fell silent, refusing to argue on the one day she would have with Will for another 10 years.
"Fine." she finally answered, looking deeply into his requesting gaze. "If that's what you want, then fine."
If that's what he wanted, then there was no stopping her from completing his request. That's what, at least to her, love was…compromising everything. That was the secret to their marriage…in addition to sacrifices.
"Keep a weather eye on the horizon." she whispered, her eyes closing once more.
