Father and Son
A one shot fan fiction by KChan88
A/N: This in response to a challenge issued by my awesome friends and fellow WE shippers at Here you go guys!
Will Turner stood on the deck of the Flying Dutchman in the black of night, staring at the full moon that cast its eerie light over the ship. He hadn't attempted sleep; he knew full well that sleep would never claim him tonight. And who could sleep in this hell that was called a ship anyway? Will shivered. It was cold out because of the torrential rain that had fallen earlier, but he didn't care, anything was better than going below deck where all the crewman slept.
How had this happened? Right now he was supposed to be on his honeymoon, sleeping in a warm bed next to his beloved Elizabeth, not standing here on a cursed ship, with both Elizabeth's life and his own at stake, and having been left here on the Dutchman by Jack, who he had thought a friend. His thoughts were interrupted however, when a deep voice spoke up behind him.
"How is your back William?" It was his father. He seemed hesitant, but that was understandable.
"It hurts like hell," said Will bitterly. "But I'll survive. Why are you out here?"
"Couldn't sleep," said Bootstrap. "And I saw you standing on the deck. Who is she, this girl that you're thinking about?"
Will turned to his father, surprised. "How do you know I'm thinking about a woman?"
"Because you have the look of love in your eyes. It's the same look I used to have when I thought of your mother," answered Bootstrap. "Come, tell me about her, who is she?"
Will wasn't sure why his father was so curious, but he assumed that he was trying to make up for lost time, and there was quite a lot of that. So he went ahead. "Her name is Elizabeth Swann," began Will. "She is the daughter of the governor of Port Royal, Jamaica. We were due to be married, until well, all of this happened."
Bootstrap's eyes widened. "The governor's daughter? How in the world did you fall in love with a girl like that?"
Will chuckled. "Elizabeth is not your average aristocratic woman. She doesn't enjoy that station very much. She's intelligent, amazing, beautiful, and very fiery. Its quite a long story of how we came to be together though, I don't know if you want to hear it."
"I do want too," said Bootstrap sincerely. "Any father would want to know how his son found the love of his life."
Will sighed slightly. It felt strange to be talking to his father like this, but in truth he found it …comforting. "We first met after I was rescued by the Navy ship she was on. After mother died you see, I went, well…. I went looking for you. I was about twelve years old at the time. Mother did the best she could, but once the illness struck her she didn't have much chance at getting better. I still miss her sometimes." Will stopped for a moment and looked up at his father. He could swear there was a tear in his eye, but at a quick nod from Bootstrap he continued.
"My ship was attacked and I fell overboard and was rescued by a British ship heading for Jamaica. And I swear that from the moment I first met her I was in love, even though I was only twelve. They cared for me and once we reached Port Royal I was sent to live with the blacksmith and learn the trade. The years went by and though I saw Elizabeth sometimes, class lines kept us apart."
"Do you like being a blacksmith?" asked Bootstrap curiously. "Were you treated well?"
"I enjoy my work, but it can get a bit boring at times, doing the same thing day after day," said Will truthfully. "As to being taken care off, I was lucky to have a place to live and food to eat, but Mr. Brown, the blacksmith that is, is a nice enough man, but he was passed out drunk more often than not. I never really had any sort of hope of being with Elizabeth; I thought it to be impossible, seeing as how the Commodore was already after her hand once she turned twenty. Strangely I could actually thank you in part for bringing us together."
Bootstrap raised his eyebrows quizzically. "How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Well," said Will slowly. "I'm sure that you remember that medallion you sent me?" Bootstrap nodded and Will continued. "Well it was about a year ago that Barbossa came looking for it to lift the curse. I thought it lost, but it turned out that Elizabeth had had it ever since out first meeting. Barbossa kidnapped her, thinking she was your child. If not for the crazy adventure that ensued after that, I'm not sure Elizabeth and I would have ever been given the chance to show our true feelings."
A grin spread across Bootstrap's face. "I'm assuming this is when you happened upon Jack?"
"That first meeting is something that I don't think I'll ever forget, even if I wanted too," said Will. "We didn't meet on such friendly terms, but I needed his help to save Elizabeth, so I broke him out of prison and we hijacked a navy ship," Will said, hardly even believing that these words were leaving his mouth. Sometimes he still couldn't fathom all those things that he had done, but he didn't regret it in the slightest.
Bootstrap chuckled. "You turned out to have a bit of a pirate in you after all," he said slyly.
"A bit," admitted Will. "To make a long story short, after many bizarre occurrences, a couple of near death experiences, and several betrayals, we managed to save Elizabeth and lift the curse. I was granted clemency because I had helped rescue Elizabeth, but Jack was sentenced to hang."
"How did he manage to get out of that?" asked Bootstrap
"Despite Jack being entirely untrustworthy, he did teach me that you can be a pirate and a good man." At this statement Will looked up at his father and gave him a small smile. "So I created a plan to help him escape from the hangman's noose. We somehow fought off the navy men and Jack got away to the Pearl."
"But how did this bring you and Elizabeth together?" questioned Bootstrap. "Wasn't she supposed to be engaged to the Commodore?"
"Indeed she was," responded Will. "But just before I helped Jack to get away I admitted how I felt to her. After we got Jack away from the gallows she admitted that she felt the same way and told the Commodore the truth about how she felt. We've been together for a year now, and it's been the best year of my life," said Will, just the thought of his beloved making his heart flutter.
"That sounds like quite a story," said Bootstrap with a laugh. "Goodness knows I didn't know that medallion would cause you all that trouble. Have you and this Elizabeth gotten married yet?"
Will sighed, his head starting to pound. "Our wedding was interrupted by one Lord Cutler Beckett," he said, white hot anger coursing through his veins at the mere mention of Beckett's name. "Just minutes before the wedding was due to start, the both of us were arrested for helping Jack to escape."
"But how did you end up here?" asked Bootstrap. "How did you escape from the jail?"
"I didn't," answered Will, which caused his father to give him a confused look. "Beckett sent me to barter Jack's compass from him in exchange for mine and Elizabeth's freedom. Jack was to be given commission as a privateer for England. I found Jack and he promised me the compass if I found him the key to the Dead Man's Chest," said Will in an irritated tone. "I told him I would, and so I came here to find the key, but he tricked me onto this ship. I thought he would have the decency to not just leave me here, but I thought wrong," said Will.
Bootstrap sighed and put a hand on Will's shoulder. Will was temped to pull away, but he didn't. "Jack Sparrow was my best friend for many years, and at heart he's a good man. He just doesn't let that side show very often. He is a pirate and will manipulate others to get what he wants."
"He was supposed to be my friend. I always knew not to trust him, but now that he has done this I don't know what to think." Will sighed. "But that's not what I'm worried about now. I just want to get off this ship and find a way to rescue Elizabeth, but from where I'm standing that seems a bit hopeless."
Something struck the elder William Turner when he heard the hopelessness in his son's voice. He desperately wanted to help, he just wasn't quite sure how.
"A part of me loves the sea and the adventure it brings," continued Will. "But marrying Elizabeth and having children and starting a life together seems like the bigger adventure to me, its all I want," said Will, feeling foolish as hot tears sprung to his mocha colored eyes. At that moment he could only envision his Elizabeth standing on the beach of Port Royal her blonde hair flying loose in the wind, laughing as he picked her up in his arms. "I will do anything to save her."
At seeing the reluctant tears in William's eyes Bootstrap hesitantly moved closer to his son and enveloped him in a long overdue embrace. Will tensed at the sudden display of affection, but couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto his handsome features. He returned the hug, liking the thought that his father was at this moment, there for him.
"We will get you away from here," stated Bootstrap firmly. "Together we will get you off this ship to save your Elizabeth. And when you see her again, tell her that you two will always have my blessing."
"All right," said Will. "I'll do that. And father?" he asked, unsure.
"Yes, Will?" answered Bootstrap.
"I'm glad that we got to talk. It means a lot," said Will sincerely.
Bootstrap smiled, tears coming to his own eyes that he attempted to hide from Will. "It's no problem son, no problem at all."
AN: I hope everyone enjoyed this! I hope this is a satisfactory answer to the challenge. Please review!