Hello! This is (surprisingly) my first PoTc fanfic, so please be nice. I know this chapter may seem a bit boring, lacking action, but I swear it will get better. Enjoy! R&R, suggestions accepted (and wanted!)

A.-

"Mama?" his cry rippled the silence.

Elizabeth gazed down at the child. His plump, miniscule fists wrapped around her arm. With desire, he clutched on to his mother's elbow, no intentions of releasing.

"No," she hushed him "not today William. Nor tomorrow." Elizabeth recollected herself, pulling away from the toddler curled up on the couch they had dozed off on together. "Your father isn't coming home yet."

Slowly, the four-year-old's hopeful face caved into a lost, deprived glare of frustration. He stretched out and folded his arms across his chest.

'Oh William! Please don't look at me like that!" Elizabeth scolded him, but she too, wished Will could come back from sea, but obviously, it was an impossible proposition. Six more years, Elizabeth thought to herself. Only six more years.

The eerie, grim morning disgraced the previous streak of pleasant weather. It pained Elizabeth that William couldn't grow up knowing his father, or even knowing why he couldn't know his father. Will was as real to him as the characters in his fairytale books.

"Sarah!' Elizabeth called to the maid. "Could you watch William? I am going to go for a walk."

"A walk Mrs. Turner? Rain is expected…" The short, chubby maid shuffled into the room, broom in hand.

"I suppose… but don't worry, shortly I'll be home. Watch William closely, please, you know he's been acting up lately."

"But Mrs. Turner…"

"Never mind Sarah, if it's too much for you. I'll just bring him with me. William, sweetie, come to the market with me, ok?"

Jack Sparrow slumped over, as he dizzily stomped across the loading docks. Dripping wet, he shook the water off his head so hard the beads weaved in his dreadlocks clashed together creating a jingle as unique as Jack himself. "Stupid ship." He muttered to himself, dramatically swaying his arms around. "And they said I wouldn't make… yes they did. Well I showed them didn't I! 'Oh Jack, yes, we'll take his ship, no he won't care at all, in fact, he'll personally thank us all when we throw him overboard. Drinks all around!' heh." He giddily smiled, raising his lip up to reveal his golden tooth. "Drinks all around- heh, not a bad idea if I say so myself."

Pulling a canteen out of his large pockets, he shook it fiercely and realized it was empty. "Bloody rum" Jack mumbled, stuffing it back into his pockets. He moved his hands against his pockets, searching for something, anything useful, but Jack realized he lost everything important to him. He stroked his beard, searching for a plan, but for once in his life Jack didn't have even the slightest plan. He was stuck. Lost. Broke. That was- until he found that solution to all of his problems. And it headed right toward him…

Jack swaggered forward, pleased with his discovery. His grin widened.

"Lizzy!" he called, with a grave amount of confidence. He waved his fists into the air.

Elizabeth stopped, squeezing William's hand even tighter. She didn't have to turn around to recognize the cheerful, deceiving, convincing and slightly drunk yodel of Jack Sparrow. It was unmistakable, yet impossible. Never in a million years could it be. But it was.

"William, whatever ever you do, don't let go of my hand." She whispered as she crouched to his level. When she stretched up again, she stood eye to eye with Jack Sparrow.

"Lizzie, love, it has been too long!" he exclaimed.

"Yes… Jack, I suppose you could say it has been a while." Elizabeth nervously replied.

"What has it been? Nine… Ten years?"

"Four, actually. It hasn't been that long." She slowly backed away from Jack's suspicious greeting. She felt William's nails dig into her skin in fear.

"Well who do we have here?" Jack squatted down to William's level, flashing the frightened boy a toothy smile. He hid behind Elizabeth.

"Well, there's a talker…" Jack garbled. He directed his attention to Elizabeth. "Who's is he?"

"He's mine." Elizabeth began to say, realizing it might have been a mistake. Jack glared at her. "Oh Jack stop looking at me like that! Please!"

Stunned, Jack continued to stare "Your child… yours and Will's child?"

"Well yes, Jack,"

Jack circled around the two of them, he displayed a suspicious scowl. "So, love, you're saying… that Will Turner and you have a child." Elizabeth nodded. "Nobody tells me anything! Why this is a celebration! Do you happen to have any rum on you?"

"Jack, why are you here? What do you want?" Elizabeth stared him straight in the eye. His smile faded, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to whistle.

"So now I can't stop by to say hello to an old friend now I then?"

"Jack…"

"Ok… fine, love, you win." He paused and took a deep breath. "I lost the ship. There. I said it, no need to repeat, poppet. It's said and done, It's…"

"The Pearl is gone?" Elizabeth stated.

"Well, Gone is such a… such a strong word. It was… taken from me, savvy?"

"You let someone steal The Black Pearl? Jack, how could this happen, you're a pirate!

"And don't you forget it!"

"A Pirate?" William blurted with excitement and terror combined.

"But Jack, this is your problem, not mine! What do you want me to do?"

"Well… I think it's time that the Pirate Queen returns…"

"Jack, you must be out of your of your mind. That was a long time ago."

Jack chuckled, his various braids and dreadlocks bobbed against his shoulders. "It's only four years, love, you said it yourself, it isn't a long time."

"Look, Jack, I have to get going…" Elizabeth grabbed William's hand tighter and headed in the other direction, back to their house.

"So what, you're just going to leave me here, is that it lass?"

"Jack…"

"Elizabeth, listen to me, I need you, and more importantly, Will needs you, We need our Pirate Queen."

"Jack. I have a life now, I can't go back out to sea."

"Out to sea?" William repeated

"Love, don't you miss it? The rocking of the ship bobbing up and down in the water? The triumphant feeling you get when you defeat your opponent? The suspense of it all? Don't you miss being our queen, don't you miss Will? The sea itself? The rum, lass, don't you miss the rum?

"Jack- look. I was young, I- I had no responsibility then. It's part of my past,

"Mommy, what's he talking about?" William asked confused.

"That kid's got a lot to learn, Lizzie."

"All of it is in the past. I've moved on. I have a child to take care of now, Jack. I can't run off and leave this behind."

"Not even for Will?"

"What are you talking about Jack?"

"No, as I can see it isn't in your interest,"

"What is it Jack?"

"You'll be able to see Will, if you, come back with me."

Elizabeth pondered for a moment. It had been five years…

"So, Lizzie, are you returning as our, Pirate Queen?"

Thanks for reading. Please review with comments and Ideas. Thanks