Governor Swan rose promptly from his high-backed, gilded office chair, having finished his letter to the English Parliament.
"Elizabeth!" He called wearily, taking the small plainly-wrapped parcel that had been left on his desk as he made his way to the girl's bedchamber.
"Elizabeth, surely you're still decent at this hour? Please poppet, you've a gift. I believe William left it as he was leaving this evening. Darling, I'm coming in." Despite his warnings, the governer rapped loudly on her door before becoming impatient and throwing it open.
"Really, Elizabeth, your poor father has worried about you enough for an entire lifetime, you could do him a little justice by simply saying 'One moment'!"
Swan stepped into the room and surveyed it suspiciously, looking for any sign of his daughter. Or, he thought to himself sadly, an open window she could have climbed out from.
"Sweetums, Marjory has just told me you were in your chambers. Unless you've come up with an even wittier way to elude me, I believe you are in here." The governer sighed, disheartened not for the first time that his daughter did not listen nor talk to him. No longer a young man, the unbeleivably eventful day had taken its toll on the aging governer, and he lowered himself onto his daughter's down matress. However, as his backside touched the bed, he found he wasn't sitting on the usual cushiony comforters, but a pair of legs. Smiling, the governer chuckled and grabbed his daughter's calf, causing her to screech pleasurably.
"There you are, sweets! Playing a childhood game with your poor old father, eh? Well...I think I've won this game of Seek and Find!" Laughing outright now, he reached up and tickled Elizabeth's stomach, and she tried to contain her laughter.
"Here I come poppet...I think I've got you this time!" Holding one hand in a clawlike manner above Elizabeth's head and making the face that made her laugh most, Governer Swan threw back the heavy bedclothes.
"I've got you Eliza-"
Choking on his words, the governer looked blinkingly down at the petrified form of Will Turner, who peered back up at him like a deer in the lamplight.
"G-g-good...evemornnight, Miss- I...Sir Swan?" William tried, questioningly. The governer looked just as bewildered as he.
"W-William? William...yes, yes, hello..." He nodded towards the boy and reached out to shake his hand. Then suddenly he shook his head and shoulders and understood the situation once again. William gazed at the governer. The governer glared menacingly at William. At the same moment, the two opened their mouths.
"What's the screaming? Is it that wretched old pigeon? Honestly...every night the blasted thing seems to find it's way in here and uses my dressing table for a loo! I'm telling you, that bloody bird..." Sweeping into her room from the adjoining linens closet, Elizabeth caught sight of her father. Both men having ceased their shouting, Will looked pleadingly at his fiance, half buried beneath her comforter still, and Governer Swan glared demandingly at his daughter.
"Oh, hello, Dadsy!" She flounced cheerfully, laying a harmless kiss on his cheek. "How are you toni-" It was then that Elizabeth happened to peer down and find the half-exposed chest of Will Turner.
"Oh..." She whimpered understandingly, "Father..."
At that moment, Elizabeth looked at William and William looked at Governer Swan and Swan looked at Elizabeth, and all three let out a scream so loud that every manservant in the villa came running to Elizabeth's bedchamber with their swords and soup ladels drawn.
At last coming to his senses, Governer Swan shut his mouth so quickly his teeth rattled and put his palms over the mouths of the frightened couple. Scared beyond description, William continued screaming, even as Elizabeth whacked him about the forearm with the candlabra she had been grasping. He stopped only when she slapped his face so it smarted for an hour afterward.
"Now you listen to me Elizabeth! And you especially, William," He sneered angrily at last, speaking through a clenched jaw, "In no way do I condone this behavior. But I will keep a blind eye, for I do not want to disgrace this family with the gossip our hands will surely put out should they find out. I will get up from this bed, and tell the maids it was the bloody bird, and I will leave. Elizabeth, you will put on the proper attire, " He eyed her dressing gown, "And escort William from our house by way of your chamber window and your bedclothes. We will not speak of this everagain!" He added quickly, "For I fear my poor dear heart could not withstand the shame." He shivered and gazed to the heavens for strength before standing, straightening himself (mostly his powdered wig) to regain his composure, and striding in his most pompous manner to the doorway. He pulled forth the brass handle and was halfway out of Elizabeth's chamber and into the gathering mob of servants, still brandishing soup ladels and large iron soup pots, when he turned, tipped his hat and inclined his head.
"Good evening, William." He said professionally, and turned to begin answering the shouted inquiries, closing the door tightly behind him and expertly flipping the latch to lock it.
For the first time in a long moment, both Elizabeth and William exhaled. Looking down and seeing the horrified expression on his usually calm face, she began to giggle girlishly, letting herself collapse at his side.
"That...was the single most terrifying thing I have experienced this week." Will spluttered, still breathing deeply. Elizabeth smiled and smoothed his damp, tangled hair.
"Scarier than undead pirates?" She questioned, raising her perfectly arched eyebrows as she drew back the linens and pressed herself against Will's warm body. He looked at her with utter confusion, widening his big brown eyes.
"Yes!" He cried, although it was absolutely obvious, "Give me three shiploads of pirates, and Jack and I shall cut them all down. Give me a lass' angry father and I will run away screaming." Elizabeth laughed at him and layed her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Well Mr. Turner, what fathers have you had to deal with in the past?" Thoughtfully, Will ran his fingers through her soft brown curls.
"Naught but one." He smiled finally.
"'That so? And what lousy lass would have the misfortune of coming across such a pirate as yourself?" She teased, watching his face for a reaction. He grinned and chuckled to himself.
"Well, she was a right tart that one."
"Yea? What's her name, then?"
"Well...sometimes she goes by Ms. Swan..." He said, mock-seriously.
"Will!" Elizabeth cried, whacking him, but laughing all the while. "Surely she was crazy for fancying a right filthy pirate as yourself."
"Perhaps," William shrugged, pulling her tightly against him. Suddenly, he grew serious.
"Elizabeth, I for certain am crazy, too. How could I give you my consent to accompany me? I am so foolish. This life...it is not one meant for you. What if you were to be kidnapped? Killed? How could I live? I could not! I cannot let you go, Elizabeth. If I lost you, and it was the account of my own actions, I could not forgive myself in all the years of my life." He loosened his grip on her and rapidly raised his hands to cover his face, where the soft brown eyes were clouded with tears.
With unwavering determination, Elizabeth pulled the large, callused hands from his face, and held them in her delicate grasp, rubbing her thumbs in gentle circles to soothe him. She looked to Will, eyes burning. "William, I could not live a life, never knowing whether you were well. It would drive me to insanity, spending all my hours pining and wondering if you will ever return. I could not live in that way, and I do not intend to. Do you understand why I must come? It is not to worry you or be burdensome. It is simply because I cannot live without you." She paused, breathing harshly from her own emotions. "And Will, Captain Jack has his share of luck. That man should have been dead years ago." She smiled feebly and watched him intently. He did not smile back, but instead sat up, not releasing her hands.
"I could not condemn you to living a life you do not want. But you must swear to me you shall keep as safe as piracy allows, and you will not go looking for trouble!" He choked, fear overcoming him. Elizabeth stared harshly with that fiery concentration into his eyes.
"William Turner, I swear to the father above us that I shall stay as far from harm's path as possible." She whispered intensely. Will pulled her into his arms and she layed a hand on his chest.
"Then I would like for you to be mine for as long as we both shall live." He breathed into her ear. Startled, Elizabeth pulled back far enough to see his face. She looked once into the teary brown eyes and nodded solemnly.
"I am yours, William."
"Well, now that's taken care of! Now you bloody love birds get moving!" A rowdy voice called from the slighlty ajar window. Elizabeth screamed and threw her arms around Will's neck, causing him to gasp for air and sputter loudly.
"Elizabeth!" He managed to choke,"Could you," he gasped, "Please...," he coughed, "LET GO!" Elizabeth stared up at Will, her eyes dazed and startled. She finally shook herself out of her trance and gasped, immediately releasing him.
"Sorry! I'm sorry!"She cried, glaring at the shadowy form in the window.
"Well come on then you lot! Let's get going! I'm only wanted by your father's army, lass." Will hopped out of the bed and headed toward the window to let the speaker in.
"Oy! And you! Put on some pants, mate!" Flushing with embarrassment, Will darted back to Elizabeth's bedside and pulled on his trousers before rushing back to the window to throw it open.
"Thanks." Captain Jack Sparrow said coolly, climbing in from the tree limb where he had been perched. "That's a dashing dress you've got there, Elizabeth." He gestured towards her loosely-tied dressing gown, "Now, I do hope you're ready to go because we've got, oh, I'd say, 5 minutes before the guards see my ship in the harbor?" He threw out without concern, sntaching a bit of gold from Elizabeth's dressing table as she gaped open-mouthed at Will.
"We're about ready Jack."
"Captain."
"What?"
"That's Captain Jack to you, Turner."
"My father was Bootstrap Bill." Will spat. Jack Sparrow gazed at him lightly, until Will brandished a short dagger he'd drawn from its sheath.
"Point taken m'boy. " He said cheerfully, hopping up from the dresser where he'd taken a seat and wandering slowly to a corner of the room, the one farthest fom Will. Elizabeth, too, had risen and was struggling with her corset behind the screen where she dressed.
"Need a hand, dove?" Jack called out, knicking another gold piece while Will fixed the sword sheath to his belt.
"Not from you." She grunted, beckoning Will over to her. He went at once, eyeing Sparrow with distrust. Jack payed no mind to the young man and instead focused on the mirror on the oppostie wall, which left Elizabeth in plain view. Will struggled for a few moments with the strings before beginning to pull them tighter. He stopped after a moment and stepped out of the way to allow Elizabeth to put her dress on.
"Tighter." She said impatiently. Will stared at her in disbelief.
"Tighter! Surely that hurts!" He cried, nonetheless stepping back to aid her again. Elizabeth snorted with amusement.
"Of course it does. You don't know half the pain I go to jsut to fit into my dresses!" Will pulled the strings slightly tighter.
"Tighter." She sighed. He pulled a little harder.
"Tighter." He pulled.
"Tighter."
"You're lousy at this!" Jack laughed, getting up at last and pushing him out of the way. "Clearly you've no experience as how to put a lass' clothes back on."
"Nor take them off." Elizabeth muttered.
"Well, I know how lovey, so no matter." Jack told her hopefully. He wrenched the strings of her corset tightly and fastened them daintily.
"There you are. Now fetch some of your father's rum and we can be off." Will sulkily dragged Elizabeth's satchel out from her linens closet and watched his Captain staring, quite openly, at his fiance. Elizabeth however, would not stand for it, and turned around to slap him across the face. Jack staggered backwards and tumbled onto her bed.
"That ought teach you what you can and can't do while I'm about, Captain." She said plainly, pulling the final layer of clothing over her head.
"Shall we go then, darling?" She called to Will, tying her hair with a bit of ribbon.
"Yes, yes of course," he murmured, slinging her large, heavy bag over his shoulder, "What've you got in here?" He whimpered, nearly collapsing beneath the weight.
"More corsets." She smiled coyly, descending out the window. Will grasped her waist tightly as she lowered herself onto the tree limb, then climbed out himself. Jack, however, lingered for a moment and peered at them over the window ledge.
"But the rum!" He whined.
"My father doesn't drink rum!" Elizabeth shouted in a whisper up to him.
"Bloody lunatic that man is." Sparrow snorted, following Will out the window.
At last on solid ground after scaling the large tree, the three escapees silently raced through the streets to the harbor, where the Black Pearl was moored, ominous and looming in the pale moonlight.
"Here she is," Captain Sparrow said fondly, patting the ship's massive hull as he called up for the crew to throw down a rope.
"Good evening, Miss Swan," a few of the men said politely (as polite as pirates can be, anyway) as she followed Will below deck to the sleeping quarters.
"Good evening." She replied sincerely, inclining her head to the crew members as she descended the steep stairway.
Will dragged Elizabeth's bag to the far end of the bunk room, which was fairly private, as it was partially shielded by a partitioning wall. He stowed it carefully and turned to find Elizabeth waiting patiently on the slightly swinging hammock, which would serve as her bed.
"Thank you," she smiled as he extended his hand to her to help her up. Will looked gently down at her, and kissed her lightly before the two walked arm in arm to the deck to find Jack happily steering the ship, bottle of rum in one hand, compass in the other.
"So," he turned to Elizabeth as Will rushed off to aid the crew, "How does it feel to be a pirate?"