A/N: Thoughts are in ~* *~ Speech is in "" emphasis on a word is shown with **

Please Read and Review. Everything is okay, flaming, praise, whatever! And no disclaimer because I'm lazy! 3 cheers for laziness!



Will was looking out of his bedroom window, and letting the evening breeze cool his face. He wasn't really looking at anything in particular, at first. But eventually his eyes went astray and began to stare longingly at the ocean. He watched with an intense passion as the waves began to roll, and crash against the jagged rock formations, and the white crests which rolled lazily atop the foaming sea. A burning desire rose in him, greater than anything he had ever felt before. ~*How I long for the sea, how I wish to be out there, on a ship, to be . . . free.~*


A gentle sigh, and Elizabeth had rolled over. She was gently breathing, and had changed her position on the mattress. Will absently began brushing hair out of her face, and watched her sleep awhile longer. He loved her, yes, but was love enough? Love couldn't protect them from all the sideways glances, and the whispers. Will Turner, the pirate, marrying the governor's daughter? And Elizabeth Swann, soon to be Elizabeth Turner, turning down the Commodore's proposal?



People, they expected so much out of him, he hated it. And what's more, he hated being stuck here, being a blacksmith. For that was what he was, he couldn't be married to the governor's daughter or have a family, and still be a pirate.




Pirate, so that was what he was now? A pirate? Before the Pearl and the adventure, the word 'pirate' would have made him nauseated, but now . . . What did he want? Elizabeth moaned, and turned again, her back facing Will. He reached down, and gently kissed her forehead.




"Elizabeth," he began, careful to keep his voice low, so as not to wake her. He was staring at her sleeping silhouette, and watched her body heave up and down with her deep breaths. "I can't stay here any longer." He sighed, and watched her continue breathing regularly.

"It's not that I don't love you, I do. But that's why I have to go. I miss the ocean, I miss being free . . . It's so hard to say what I'm feeling. It's as though someone gave me the best thing I've ever tasted, and then left me with nothing, to starve. I was never good at explanations was I? Oh Elizabeth, I'm so sorry. I will never forget you. . ." And with a final, gentle kiss, Will disappeared into the night. And a single wet spot stained the daughter of Governor Swann's pillow.
~~**~~

"Drink up me hearties, yo ho!" Jack Sparrow was strolling lazily down the deck. He was singing his favorite song, and was surveying his crew. Annamaria was scowling at the sea with her usual pout. ~*That girl never learned how to smile.~* Jack strode over to her and asked, "When's last time we saw another ship?"




"About three weeks ago," she snapped, angrily surveying the sea. She wasn't happy about the lack of action, and was in a rather foul mood.

"Let's go west, just to change things up a bit, savvy?"

"Aye, Captain," she muttered, and began to change course.

~*What more could a captain ask for? Loyal crew, more gold than I could ever spend, my beautiful ship, my rum . . .*~ The captain smiled, picked up a bottle lying on the deck and threw his head back, expecting the sweet liquid to pour down his throat. But when nothing happened, he opened his eyes and in shock he cried out, "Where's the rum?!"

"I'm 'fraid its gone sir." Gibbs looked up at Jack apologetically, and then bowed his head, and continued working.

"Gone?" Jack cried out in shock. "Wh-what do you mean GONE?!" He fell on the floor of his deck, absently clutching the empty bottle. "How . . . what . . .why . . .rum?"

"Well, we ran out, sir. We haven't seen a ship nor man in nearly a month now. Neither have we stopped at a port to replenish our supplies."

Jack suddenly stood upright and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Anna! turn this bloody ship around. We're going for a little raid. . . TORTUGA!"

"Aye, Captain. To Tortuga we shall go!" Anna began giving out orders about the sails, as Jack strolled back to his quarters.

It had been a little more than half a year since he had dropped off the Turner boy. No doubt he and Elizabeth were happily married and would soon be overrun by a bunch of bloody kids. The thought made Jack sick. Will could have made an excellent pirate, even though he was a little too passionate, but he could be taught. Then again, love for the sea couldn't be taught, it had to come naturally. Will obviously didn't love the ocean if he was willing to stay with Elizabeth, no matter how stunning she may be. What was he saying, he couldn't spend time worrying about silly boys running off with girls, he needed more rum, and that's why he needed to go to Tortuga. ~*Mmmm, rum . . . *~
~~**~~

Will had nothing more than a sword, a hatchet, and his clothing, and that gave him the greatest thrill he had ever had. He loved the feeling of the unknown, not sure where he would end up, or what was going to happen. Not worrying about past or future, just now, in this moment. He began strolling around the empty dock, looking for something. Finally, he found what he was looking for and crawled underneath it. Will placed the small boat over his head, and began to enter the water. He began to walk underneath the surface of the sea, the upturned boat allowing him to breathe, thanks Jack, you taught me something useful.

It was rather hard without the help of another man, but somehow, Will managed to stay underwater long enough to reach the ship he was looking for. It was exactly where he expected it to be. The Crusader was a naval ship that had been long since planning to make a stop at Tortuga, hopefully to catch some rogue pirates. Will knew this because he had often heard Elizabeth's father praising Commodore Norrington's plans regarding Tortuga. The Crusader was beaten and weathered, the years had taken its toll on her. Instead of sinking it to the bottom of the sea, the Commodore decided it would be easy to pass it off as a pirate ship. Commodore Norrington had said, "When we land at Tortuga, that is when we commence the attack on that foul spit of land, we send out our men out there, and return with an armload of filthy pirates." The Commodore would always be smiling then, if you could call his sideways smirk that looked like he had swallowed a lemon a smile, and would try to impress Elizabeth.



~*Elizabeth . . . what have I done? I've left you for Norrington, haven't I? No matter, you'll do what you want. You're strong, we both are. It wouldn't have worked we're both too tough. Wait, I sound like Jack now, making excuses because I'm too cowardly to tell you myself.*~ Will shook his head, too many thoughts. He needed to concentrate. Abandoning the boat, Will began to swim to the surface, and climbed aboard the ship, crawling with naval officers. Trying to remain quiet, Will slowly slithered onto the deck and quickly hid himself in a nearby room. He would wait until they made it to Tortuga, and then . . . he'd do whatever he wanted to . . .
~~**~~

The young woman looked over the side of the ship. Unsmiling, she inspected her bloody arm. She had refused to wrap it in anything, and anyone who had attempted to, received a swift blow to the head. The blood dripped down and began to form a small pool at the base of her elbow. By the time the pool was as large as a human head, she still had not changed in her expression, and the blood kept flowing. A breeze whipped her long, brown hair around her neck, and to the right of her face, but she still did not stir.

A few men walked up to the expressionless girl, but she had heard them walking towards her long before they were within her reach. Her muscles tensed, and she was ready to spring, if she needed to. Promises were about to be broken, she could feel it. Suddenly, a pair of boots began to make their away across the deck, and she knew she was truly in trouble now. But she was disciplined, and she refused to turn around, without turning around she correctly estimated that seven men were now standing behind her. She was a good fighter, she could probably handle four, maybe even five, but not seven. And certainly not . . .

"Ah, the fair maiden Ashley." She knew it was the owner of the boots

"Do I look like a fair maiden, Captain Wesset?" Not even a smile flicked the corners of her persistent frown.

When Captain Wesset reached out for her wrist, she turned, and in one swift motion, had caught the man's fingers in a tight grip. The two locked eyes, his sea-green, with her deep and mysterious brown. It was a test, to see who would break the gaze first. When an over enthusiastic man shot at the young woman's shoulder, it was Wesset who broke the gaze, to cut off the man's head. It was sheer torture for the woman not to cry out, she simply continued looking at the man, as he ordered a set of iron chains to be brought forth.

"You know, you are breaking our deal," she stated calmly, watching the chains being wrapped around her legs.

"Miss Ashley, you and I both know that I'm not exactly a man of my word, what was ya to be expecting lassie?" Wesset grinned, and then ordered the men to step back.

"Now, I'm gonna let you have it easy, stand still now, darlin' ." He grinned wickedly, as suddenly a loud bang was heard, and another woman, older than the one tied in chains, had shot one of the other men. Wesset cursed, as many more women began to climb upon the deck.

"Sir, more are coming, they've escaped the brig!" One of the other men called. Soon the ship was overrun with attacking women, trying to defeat the impossible odds, the men outnumbered them, 4 to 1, but the women were better fighters.

"Forget them, don't let that one escape!" Wesset pointed to the women chained in irons. She had already made it to the opposite edge, and was preparing to get the chains off. Before she could finish, a loud explosion was heard, and the ship broke into splinters. The people in the center were killed instantly, but people like the one in chains, on the outskirts, were thrown backwards, into the water. She had not gotten the chains off yet, and Wesset, clinging to a drifitng piece of wood, began paddling to a nearby island, and watched as the brown hair fell below the murky depths.

~~**~~

Gibbs pulled Jack aside. "Why, exactly, are we going to Tortuga? Why not raid a merchant ship?"

"Because, my dear fellow, we have yet to see a merchant ship, and my patience has run very thin. I will be needing rum now, so we are going to steal it off another ship, in Tortuga, where it's already stationary. Savvy? And then after that," Jack continued, without an answer from Gibbs, "I'll treat you all for a mug of ale. 'Cause this be the mos' loyal a crew as I could 'ope for."
Annamaria continued to steer the ship, listening to Jack talk about his plan to get more rum. ~* I'm gonna hold him to his promise about that rum.*~ She smiled, but then quickly went back to scowling. ~*Damn crazy Jack, that fucker will be the death of us.*~ "We'll reach Tortuga by nightfall!" She cried.

"Aye, perfect Anna. Make sure of it!" Jack smiled, and began humming his favorite song. "Really bad eggs . . . . . . Drink up me 'earties yo ho!"