Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 1 - A Life Ashore

Six months after Will's departure...

The portly solicitor sighed heavily, pulling his worn watch from where it was jammed into his very tight vest pocket and looking at it wearily as if to signal Elizabeth of the high value of his time. "Does it suit, Miss Turner? You'll not find a finer establishment on the market, at least not in this part of town."

"It's 'Missus,' actually, Mister Upton," Elizabeth responded pointedly. She dragged her finger through the thick dust on the mantle and wrinkled her nose in disgust. The place would need work, no doubt about that, but the structure seemed fundamentally sound. So long as the place wasn't falling down around her, she could make the necessary repairs and get the Cats Castle Rooming House up and running within a few weeks' time. She couldn't manage more of a delay than that; in about three months she would give birth and she needed both a place to nest and a viable business venture that would provide sufficient income for her and the baby to live comfortably.

As though privy to her thoughts, her most precious cargo shifted inside her and she caressed her protruding belly as though to coax the child back to sleep. Instead of calming down, though, the infant responded by kicking her hand with a tiny foot, bringing an affectionate smile to her face. Her little one grew more active with every passing day, seemingly impatient to make an entrance into the world. If he or she was half so lively after arrival, Elizabeth knew she truly would have her hands full.

"Missus Turner, then," Upton responded, the tone of his voice telling her that his mind was less on her marital status than on the more profitable business he was doubtlessly neglecting back at his firm. He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his rather high, sweaty forehead, clearly feeling the afternoon's heat through his many layers of clothes. "It's been sitting empty for several years and Mister Lord is anxious to sell. He is in the process of building a much grander residence on the southeast shore and wishes to divest himself of his...lesser holdings so as to better provide for his household."

It struck Elizabeth as humorous to hear Sam Lord spoken of in such reverent terms. It was poorly kept secret how the man was financing his new, palatial estate...he was, in fact, a buccaneer, although of a much different ilk than those she knew best. Rather than sailing out and engaging his victims in open combat, Lord hung lanterns in the banana trees around his property at night and lured ships in close, their unsuspecting captains believing the lights to be those of Bridgeport's harbour. Once a ship hit the shallow reefs, the pirate and his slaves would sail out in rowboats, board the broken vessels and plunder to their hearts' content.

Sam Lord had been the first person she'd called upon when she arrived on Barbados, a courtesy visit on its face but at its heart, truly a gambit of sorts. Elizabeth had wanted to meet with him while her erstwhile title as King of the Brethren Court still leant her words some weight and authority. She was, after all, the interloper and it was better to make her intentions known straight away rather than let him make his own, less magnanimous assumptions about her reasons for being there.

As his mansion was still under construction, Lord's servants had laid out a proper English tea in the shade of the banana grove. He'd been waiting for her, dressed in a formal breeches and topcoat as if to impress her with his status as landowner. A tall, thin man in his forties, he'd bowed in respectful greeting and pulled her chair out for her before settling into his own. Lord had raised a bushy eyebrow at the sight of her swollen abdomen but had refrained from comment, instead pouring out the tea and politely inquiring as to the well-being of several of the pirate lords with whom she'd become acquainted during the battle against Beckett.

Once the niceties had been dispensed with, she suggested that in exchange for not usurping his territory, she would settle in Bridgeport and establish her own venture on the opposite coast. When Lord expressed his reluctance to share the small island with her, Elizabeth suggested rather strongly that some of her comrades might be insulted at his lack of deference and generosity of spirit towards their King. Knowing the reputations of her former shipmates, Lord grudgingly accepted her proposal and went on to confess that he had a property in said town which might very well meet her needs.

It had been a dicey strategy – she'd left Jack, Barbossa and the other pirates far behind in Tortuga following the battle and it was unlikely that she could count upon them to back her play, even if she had some way of contacting them and requesting their help. Fortunately, Lord had chosen not to risk provoking an unnecessary future confrontation. And so had she found herself in Bridgeport, taking the first step towards a more acceptable, conventional way of life.

From that point forward, at least as far as she was concerned, Elizabeth Swann, pirate king, ceased to exist. Mrs. Eliza Turner, proprietor of a modest rooming house and respectable wife of an absent merchant captain, had taken her place. Her life in England was long gone and making a life at sea would be impossible with a baby on the way. She was determined to become someone else entirely and ensure her child was well brought up while she waited for Will to fulfill his commitment as captain of the Flying Dutchman.

The thought of his prolonged time at sea brought forth an ache deep in her heart. It wasn't fair that she had to make her way alone and without a single person in whom she could confide as she faced each uncertain day. Although ten years might not be forever, it certainly seemed that way now. At least she would have a part of her beloved husband with her once their baby was born. She would lavish the child with enough love for both parents while the two of them awaited Will's return.

Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath and surveyed the house once more. "Yes, Mister Upton. The house will do just fine. Shall we return to your office and arrange for the transfer of the deed?"

For the first time, the solicitor looked uncertain. "Well…that is, Missus Turner…as you are no doubt aware, married women cannot own property separate from their husbands. Are you quite sure that Mister Turner will approve of this acquisition?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. During her time at sea she had grown accustomed to the many freedoms of a pirate, and it grated on her nerves to once again become subservient and meekly accepting of her place as a woman under British law. The irony was that if she was either single or a widow, Lord's lawyer would have no such concern – it was only once a woman was married that she ceased to be a person in her own right. Becoming Will's wife had taken that from her. For less than a heartbeat, she resented him for it and then felt instantly ashamed. He was the most decent man she knew and he certainly deserved better from her than such selfish thoughts. What was such a minor annoyance when compared to what Will had to endure every day?

"My husband, Captain Turner, has granted me the authority to act as his representative in this transaction, sir," she answered quietly. "If he could be here, trust me – he would. In his absence, he has given me full permission to conduct this bit of business on his behalf, with the expectation that I will make a decent home to which he may return once his voyages are at an end."

Upton looked relieved. "Of course. I merely had to make certain we understood one another. And as Mister Lord can surely vouch for the veracity of your situation, I see no reason to delay. We can have the papers finalized this very day and then you can prepare to move in."

Elizabeth gave Lord's lawyer a thin smile. "Very kind of you, I'm sure." She watched him waddle towards the front entrance, uncharitably thinking to herself that he resembled some great fat toad slithering its way back beneath a cool, damp rock. Eventually she trailed after him, determined to get the legalities out of the way so she could focus on what needed to be done to start her life over once again.