Will leaned on the railing near the bow of his ship. He let out a great sigh, and could hear footsteps behind him, approaching. A friendly hand was placed on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Captain?" A grizzly voice inquired.

"I miss her, Dad," Will replied, choking back tears. He turned around to speak to his father. "I miss her so much; it feels like… it feels like my heart will explode."

Old Bootstrap has never been much of a father figure, but he tries his best to console his ailing son. "Well there's good news. As long as your heart's not in there," he indicated Will's scarred chest, "it won't just explode of its own free will."

Will rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Dad, you're such a help."

"Don't you worry, Son," Bootstrap patted his son's back. "Love always finds a way, though sometimes it's not what you'd expect." And he walked away, hobbling his way back down to the brig.

Will, however, could feel a small nagging in his mind, a feeling that was becoming familiar to him. It meant he had a job to do. He walked briskly to the helm and sent the ship under, then back up where the nagging called to him.

There, floating on a piece of driftwood, was a body, and on top of it, a lost soul. Will threw a line down, and the soul caught it, climbing aboard the seaweed-covered Dutchman.

"There, you're safe now," Will told the poor overboard man, "You can stay with us until we get to the locker."

"God bless ye," the lost one mumbled.

God's got nothing to do with it anymore, Will thought.


Back in Port Royal, Elizabeth stared out at the horizon from the beach where she had last seen Will. She knew it was much too early, but even still, her eyes longed for a flash of green. But the sun set with its normal colors, casting a reddish haze on the miserable woman and her companion.

"Jack," She said, standing up, "I just don't know what to do."

"About what, luv?" The captain swaggered to his feet beside her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Haven't you been listening this whole visit? I. Miss. Will. And unless I can talk to him soon, I don't know what I'll do."

Jack rolled his own eyes in turn. The newly appointed Mrs. Turner had been going on about nothing else since he'd made port in her hometown. No wonder he'd tuned her out.

"Well tell you what, mate; I'll be goin' out to sea again soon. And I'll probably be seein' him again, what with the clumsiness of my crew and their cannons." He and Elizabeth shared a laugh, remembering the first time one of Jack's raids had accidentally killed a Brit, and Will had had to come get him. He'd not been too happy about it. "So if there's anything you want me to tell him, now's your chance." Jack didn't particularly like the concept of being a messenger boy, but figured he at least owed this much to the couple that had saved his life on so many counts. Not that he was keeping track or anything.

"Oh Jack, you'd do that for me?" Elizabeth threw her arms around the moody pirate. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, explaining, "Tell him that's from me. And also tell him…" She hesitated, glancing down at her stomach. "Well no, we'll save that one for later. Just tell him I miss him."

"Will do, luv." And Jack was about to turn and head back to the Pearl, but was again captured by Elizabeth's arms.

"Thank you so much, Jack." She was almost in tears again, simply thinking of her husband, out at sea.

"Well," Jack struggled, "I can't as well go tell him anything," he said, trying to pry himself away, "If you've got me stranglin' here ashore!"

Elizabeth laughed and let go, and the captain turned and hurried back to his ship, before she could change her mind. She waved him off, and he gave her a short wave in return. His crew was already there, having been ordered to return three hours ago. They were none too happy about having to wait for the captain, who was often both late and inebriated, but there really was not a whole lot they could do about it.

"Yer late," Barbossa grumbled. "Again."

"Yeah yeah," Jack waved him away. "Let's hit the waves, shall we lads?"

And as the Black Pearl pulled away from Port Royal, Elizabeth could feel her heart leaving with it, sailing on its way to Will.