Hairstyle? No, it's not hairstyle... maybe a beard? Nah, it's on its place... so maybe he's taller? Hell, he's still a kid, so probably still growing? No, it cannot be the point... it's not about his clothes too, his father in law would die in disgrace if the whelp keep going around in blacksmiths clothes. So what is it then, he put on weight? Well, actually it is quite opposite, he lost some weight, clothes may be new, but are like too big... no... it's his face. His FACE has changed, Jack was sure of it. Something in the face of Will Turner made the Captain Sparrow felt uneasy. Moreover, this silence - boy didn't say a word since the escape from the island. It was strange in itself, if he already CAME HERE, he had to have some business, business with Jack. So why is he sitting THERE, isolated from everyone, instead of running behind captain and yelling "Elizabeth is in danger!" or "evil guys have kidnapped Elizabeth!" or "we have to sail to Port Royal to rescue Elizabeth!" or even "Elizabeth... Elizabeth-someone-something-somewhere-rescue-NOW!"? Maybe he's waiting for opportune moment? Jack shook his head. No, if it's about Elizabeth, opportune moment can kiss the boy's ass. Just impossible, that is. So what is it? Gibbs might know something, they were sailing here together, maybe he noticed something.

"Mr Gibbs!"

"Captain" first mate approached, he was holding his bottle of rum, it was already half-empty and it was almost midday.

"Have you noticed anything strange on my ship lately?" Jack asked.

Gibbs looked around suspiciously and Jack waved his hand impatiently.

"I mean, among the crew."

Gibbs opened his eyes wide and scratched his head.

"The crew!.. Um... I try so everyone knew their place, sir..." he said uncertainly. Jack rolled his eyes and leaned forward. Wasn't it precise enough? Oh well...

"I mean something strange in funny aristocratic clothes, not behaving as usual."

Gibbs frowned for a moment, then glanced toward Turner.

"Aristocrtic" he said and then he nodded "I've noticed."

"So?"

"Strange indeed, Jack" said Gibbs gloomily "he's not too talkative lately, normally I would ask him... but the way he's looking at people... we met at the Tortuga, he said he has some business with you, so I explained to him what happened on the island. He asked if we are going to save you, so... and then he came up with a plan, and then led us, he said something like: it's a right thing to do and said it has to be different this time."

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" Jack muttered "I'm starting to feel uncomfortable... what about the girl, did he say something about her?"

"Not a word" Gibbs said "besides... I don't know, Jack, it seemed to me that people like him hate rum and stuff... you know, good guys, always pure, always sober, always right..."

Sparrow frowned.

"But?" he asked, more and more surprised where the conversation leads.

"Coming on board he took with him a box of rum. Thought... we all took some, but why HE would do that? I found him later on a board, and he was sitting there, completely drunk and still drinking."

"Right, you were drunk so you saw what wasn't really there, aye?" suggested Jack, this time raising his eyebrows.

"I swear I saw him as I see you now, and he asked me if I want some drink, then throwed up over the side... and continued to drink."

Captain Sparrow observed his first mate for a moment, as if to make sure that the man isn't telling him the next version of "sea turtles" story.

"Gibbs, you're talking about the whelp, aren't you? That boy who's sitting over there, right?It's Bootstrap's kid."

"I suppose so..." said Gibbs.

"Oh, good" Jack smiled, but not knowing what's going on wasn't funny that much. "And what happened next?"

"I thought I was hallucinating, but the next day the kid was parading around the ship with a bottle in his hand, drinking..."

Jack looked at William, then at Gibbs, back to William, then looked up at the sky.

"The curse of a broken heart, huh" he said slowly.

"You mean..." Gibbs stared at him "Miss Swann? You think she left him?"

"It's a possibility. She has a temper, if you ask me..." Jack said "and the gratitude - strange thing - even among men is difficult to find, and woman... woman is changing like the sea. Being the wife of a blacksmith is pure fun in fairy tales, but then real life begins. Or may her dear old man started mumbling about disinheritance, who knows. There are reasons why he's here and why he's not a knight-errant anymore. In any case, some questions just found their answers."

"But what Will wants from you?" asked Gibbs.

"I'll find out, over a bottle of rum."

The night was cloudy and cold. When Jack looked up at the sky, he didn't see any stars. North wind was blowing in the air you could feel the storm. Turner was sitting exactly where he spent the whole day, with an empty bottle in one hand, the other one, almost empty in his other hand. His eyes were half-closed, but he opened them immediately when he heard the steps. Jack stopped about three feet from him. He was also holding two bottles of rum.

"What an interesting view" he said smiling slightly and gesturing toward Will. "May I sit here or you don't want my company?"

"Yes and no" Will muttered, not looking at his friend. Jack gave no sign of being surprised by the answer. He had never seen Will drunk, nor in such a miserable condition. He sat down and looked at this phenomenon.

"By the way, I haven't thanked you for saving me, aye?" he said after a while "Gibbs admitted that you were the architect of entire action, while my crew's lazy asses wouldn't make any move."

"I did what I did" said Will "and that was... you know? The RIGHT THING to do..."

Jack frowned, but nodded. The whelp was drunk for sure. Certainly he wasn't behaving like normal drunk whelp. Even if he wasn't a normal whelp, he should behave more normally. But then again, maybe that was the normal way of behaving for the whelp raised without a father, in the house ruled by a woman, where no swearing is allowed? It's called... normal far beyond normal. And how he, captain Jack Sparrow, could know? He uncorked his bottle.

"So let's drink" he said, lifting it up and waving it "for generations of Turners saving Captain Jack Sparrow from not so nice death."

"You'd better learn to leave yourself out of trouble, Jack" Will muttered, rising unsteadily to his feet "I'm the last Turner in these waters."

Jack smiled slightly and raised to his feet too. Now he was sure, the girl must be the cause.

"I live two times longer than you, lad" he said, staring at the horizon "and when it comes to the experience of women, had them about 90 times more than you. It will be at least 90 more, because when it comes to certain things, the older men gets, the better are his... skills, I think you know what I mean..."

"Do not compare me to yourself" Will said, and his voice trembled.

"I won't say anything that a friend shouldn't say to friend in situation like that... there are plenty more fish in the sea, wise man say."

"What the hell are you talking about...?"

Jack looked at Turner. The boy was shaking all over his body, barely standing, and still drinking. It must hurt him pretty well, since he tries very hard to forget. He has changed so much. His eyes were different, Jack could tell from the beginning. They were always shining, full of emotion, life, and now they were just... not sad, it wasn't just despair. No depressive... worse, they were just dead. Jack sighed.

"Let's try again" he said in friendly voice "what about honest talk, you and me?"

A moment of silence. No reaction. Will didn't answer.

"Son, are you there? Honestly..."

"Alright" whispered Turner, clenching his fists. Jack didn't like this voice, these eyes.

"Gibbs said that you have some business with me."

"I do" said Will "I wanted to ask you, if I can sail with you. As part of the crew."

Jack was silent for a moment. So THAT was honesty now? Since when?

"And if I say no?" he asked eventually. "What will you do then?"

"I'll get out on the nearest land" Will replied without a hesitance. Here he goes, he really means it, he's honest.

"Just out of curiosity" muttered Jack "because I see no major contraindications when it comes to your presence on Pearl. The ship has a debt to you, no matter how we look at that..."

Will said nothing, holding his head down .

"The ship has, I have as well" the captain said after a moment "you know, lad, it starts me on my nerves, I'm sure I mentioned something about honest conversation."

"Am I dishonest?.." Will asked quietly.

"Are you..." Jack felt helpless anger under his skin "hell, I don't know whether you are or not! It's not the point, you're not telling me everything and it pisses me off."

"I'm not drunk enough" said Will and for the first time he looked Jack in the eye. His eyes weren't just dead, they were bloody dead. Jack feeled chills. Horror, madness. Where is that feeling come from?

"Come on" he said, trying to save his humour "why can't YOU tell me what happened, just spit it out already and let's drink together, it's about your bonnie lass, aye?"

"Yeah..." Will said almost calmly "about Elizabeth Turner, of blessed memory..."

First raindrops began to fall.