Ten years.
By HuntressDiana
Huge spoilers for 'Pirates of the Caribbean; At World's End' so do not read unless you want spoilers. For those of you who haven't- I do recommend it highly, although complex at times, I enjoyed every second of the film!
Disclaimer; None of the characters herein belong to me, but are property of Disney and the PotC franchise. Please do not take without my permission.
This was inspired by the short scene at the end of the credits in which Elizabeth looked strangely young for ten years later... This is just a ficlet, so is completed.
It was nearly ten years since she'd last seen her husband, since the day she'd become Mrs Turner. It had certainly been a rather unorthodox marriage ceremony, not the elaborate occasion she had imagined in her youth. But then, they had been a rather unorthodox pair. Governor's daughter and blacksmith. Governor's daughter and Pirate's son. King of the Pirates and Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Her heart had come close to breaking that day on the island, when he took his boot from her, given her his heart and left her even as they clung together.
She'd sailed back to Port Royal on the Pearl and she'd spent most of the journey in a daze, clutching the chest containing Will's life to her heart, reassured by the steady beating. She'd never opened it, although she had been tempted more than once, but it stayed close by her at all times in those first few years. She'd known even before she set foot in Port Royal that she couldn't remain there for long. Her father was dead and her reputation and good name dragged through the mud. Although she was given care at the Governor's mansion, when England sent a replacement for her father, she knew she could live there no longer. Even though by this time she was round with Will's child, she left a message she knew Jack would find if he ever came to Port Royal again and begged passage on the returning vessel to England.
She settled near Dover, close by the sea and far away from the metropolitan high society life of London that she had been accustomed to for most of her life. It was in that little cottage that William was born. It had neither been an easy nor a pleasant birth, but she prized her child above all other things, save his father's heart. He was a reminder of her absent husband and she took comfort in him as many women have done over the ages of the world. She told him of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow and his ship the Black Pearl. She told him of the fearsome Kraken and Davy Jones who gave his heart to a goddess. She told him of his father, the new Captain of the Flying Dutchman, who ensured the souls of those lost at sea passed through the in-between realms. Although young William mistook these stories for fiction at first, he realised the day a ship with tattered back sails moored near the beach and a man swaggered onto the beach asking to see his mother that the fiction was fact. He saw the sadness in her eyes when he brought the man to the cottage and the tears rolling down her face as they talked quietly, although a smile broke through. With the curiosity all children possessed, he asked the man if he knew his father, for it this was the Captain Jack Sparrow of his mother's tales. The man bent down to his level and told him more of the tale of his father and mother. As he left he handed her a bag that clinked and a promise that he would be back with more news of Will in a year.
True to his word, Jack came back every year with news of Will. He was on a new venture he'd explained, seeking the Fountain of Youth. His meandering path across the oceans in pursuit of this had given him news of the Flying Dutchman as well as the occasional meeting with Will himself. It had been five years ago that he had succeeded, partially at least in his aim, and he had brought back more than the usual bag of gold. It hadn't looked that remarkable to the five year old William, just a water bottle, somewhat tattered and stained. But his mother had clung to it and to Jack when he brought it, tears and thanks spilling from her in profusions. She had explained then the curse and the blessing of the Flying Dutchman, although it took several years and retellings before he understood it fully. His father had been on the brink of death when he had become Captain. Although this had saved his life, it kept him away from land for ten years and although he remained immortal, his wife would not. Jack however had brought some of the water of life, which would keep Elizabeth the same age as long as she drank a flask once a year. She had feared that she would become old, whilst Will would be ever young and although she did not doubt Will's love for her, she knew that it would be only a few visits before she would be old and then only a few more until William himself was old. The first time she had explained this with Jack's help through her tears of relief, she had missed Jack's promise to bring an identical flask for William when he came of age to make the choice for himself, although her son had not.
It had been three years since William had started finding that the men of the village often found excuses to visit his mother. Although she always sent them away, stating firmly that she knew her husband was still alive; she knew they mocked her behind her back, calling her a young widow who needed a stable man to guide her. Eventually she had proof which sent them scurrying though, for Jack had started carrying letters, leaving them at agreed ports where the Dutchman would restock essential supplies such as the rum so vital for a pirate crew. There were always two letters in the packet, written in a sloping hand quite unlike the elegant cursive she penned their replies in. Although she had read his letters to him at first, when he was old enough, William read the letters on his own and formed the reply too, allowing the distant father and son to form some kind of relationship. She treasured her own letters from her husband, storing them all in a box William had carved for her beside the chest containing his father's heart. More often than not money would also arrive, Will and Jack together made sure that his wife and son would never want for any of the necessities of life. She prized the trinkets that sometimes accompanied the missives more than any money though- a beautiful polished shell the colour of the sunrise, a cunning hair comb or an easily concealed knife for her. A piece of carved coral, a figure of eight medallion or a dagger for William when he came of age.
It was the tenth year of their first long separation and her heart was aching for a glimpse, a touch, a kiss from her husband. She was as giddy as a young girl, William looking on in bemusement as she ordered a new outfit; although nowhere near as fancy as the dresses she used to wear in Port Royal. She had found though that she did not miss that society much, the stifling heat very little and the constricting corsets not one bit. She had woken William just before sunrise, bidding him to put on his best clothes. It was obvious that she had not slept the entire night, but the excitement and anticipation glittering in her eyes hid any tiredness well. She fussed with her hair and his collar until the first cockcrow and lightening of the sky. Impatient to see his father, whom he had heard so much about for the first time, William slipped through the door and walked through the meadow to the cliff they would often sit on to watch ships. As he went he sang the ditty Jack was so fond of singing and which made his mother laugh.
A strange ship moored in the cove caught his eye, for it was not like any he had seen before. Its sails appeared to be made of seaweed and its body of coral. Before he could study it in any more depth, she joined him, a smile breaking over her face as they both spotted the long boat making its way to shore.
With exuberant shouts, the pair ran to the edge of the cliff, waving until the figure on the longboat spotted them and stood up so fast he nearly overturned his craft. With a ringing laugh, she turned to the path leading down to the beach, beckoning William with her. Together they tore down the track, although she managed to pull ahead, William was not far behind.
His first sight of his father was of a slender man with dark curly hair and a deep tan swinging his mother around as she clung to him and they laughed in the sheer joy of each other's company. He hung back as they kissed passionately, feeling suddenly embarrassed and nervous. It was only after several minutes that they parted and his presence was realised.
"Elizabeth…?" At the questioning sound of his father's voice she smiled, taking his hand and pulling him towards William.
"Yes Will, this is William."
William could restrain himself no longer and threw his arms around his father's waist even as Will embraced his son just as tightly. They only had a day, he acknowledged as he looped an arm around his Elizabeth, bringing her into the group. But thanks to Captain Jack, they had that for eternity.
I watched 'Pirates of the Caribbean; At Worlds End' today and it was as excellent as I was hoping it would be, if not more so. I adored the ending, but this was just begging to be written.
For those of you who were hoping for an update on my Tamora Pierce stories, they are coming, albeit very slowly. I do apologise for the delay, but I am slowly dropping out of the fandom, although I can promise there is only one story that I am seriously considering discontinuing permanently, and that's 'Ganiel's Message'.
I hope you enjoyed this, please do leave a review!
HuntressDiana.