a.n. This is my first POTC fanfic as I normally write for the Star Wars fandom. But after I saw At World's End, I just had to write a POTC story. This is the result. Some spoilers for AWE, as this is my take on that extra scene that occurs after the credits. It may be a little hard to follow at first, but hopefully not too much. I'm leaning towards making this a threeshot, but it's all based on reviews. So please, Read, Review, and Enjoy.

Part I: Stories

This is it. This day has finally come. My whole life I have waited for this day to arrive, and now it has. Only a little longer now until it happens.

Our life is hard with just the two of us and no one else, but Mother manages to make sure that I have the best life that I could possibly ever have. She makes our rough life more livable by telling me stories, wonderful stories. Stories of adventures, of lands far away. Stories of heroes and villains, of magic and mysticism, of battles fought and wars won. Stories about her, about me, and about various people in our lives.

The high grass tickles at my ankles as I trudge through, heading closer and closer to my true destination.

She's told me stories about her father, my grandfather, and what a great man he had been. How he had been just and fair, respected and well-liked. How he had raised her on his own and how much she truly appreciated everything he did for her. She informs me that although he may not have agreed with many of the choices she made later in her life, he still loved her and respected her enough to let her follow her own path in life. I know she tries hard to be like Grandfather, doing her best to raise me by herself, and I truly appreciate everything she does for me.

Mother is not far behind me, watching to make sure I am still within her line of sight and that I don't go too far.

Mother has told me what little she knows of my other grandfather, my father's father. He was an adventurer himself, sailing the seas, searching for excitement and seeking new places. He spent many long months and years away from his family, yet he always tried to seek the best for them. He always had the best of intentions when it came to his family, though he didn't necessarily come about them in the best of ways. He may have been a rogue and a pirate, but he was also a good man.

A slight breeze is in the air, ruffling my clothes and my hair ever so gently. I stop as I reach the end of the cliff and just stand still as my eyes are left to wander the deep blue ocean before me.

The greatest stories I have ever heard Mother tell me are those of Father and his many adventures. These are truly stories of a great man and I always listen in wide-eyed wonder whenever Mother begins to tell me a new story about him. She tells me of his simple beginnings and her first meeting with him. She tells me of the grand adventure they shared many years later and of their falling in love. She recites to me another adventure, one much different than the first and taking place just before I was born. An adventure full of lies, deceit, perilous wanderings, dangerous villains, and ultimately, a great sacrifice for an even greater love. How my father saved her life, his, and that of many others, by sacrificing himself. How he is now left to wander the seven seas, far from the one he loves. These are the stories I cherish most and I store them away in my heart to remind me of who I am, where I come from, and to know the great man that I have never known.

Mother is beside me now, her dark blonde hair flowing gently in the breeze. She puts one slender arm around my shoulder as we both continue to stare out across the sea at the setting sun. The time is upon us and I can feel Mother squeezing my shoulder as we carefully watch the sun slowly dip below the horizon. Something suddenly flashes across our faces, a green light, and I know that it has happened. Mother told me of the old pirate legend that when a flash of green suddenly appears in the sky as the sun finally sets, a soul has returned, and I know we are both hoping that the old legend proves true. We both stand there watching the horizon, until a dark shape suddenly appears, swiftly approaching. As it moves closer, it begins to take the outline of a ship. I feel Mother tense up and I know that this is what we have been waiting for. This is the one moment I have waited for my whole life. It is close enough now that I can see a figure high in the uppermost reaches of the ship. A figure that looks exactly as Mother described, with his long, dark, curly hair just reaching his shoulders. Glancing up at Mother, I can see the smile that is starting to form on her face, the wistful, joyous look in her eyes. She catches me gazing at her and her smile widens. Leaning down to me, she gives me a hug as she brushes my hair away from my face.

"There he is, William. He has come back to us."

And I know it's true. He has come back. I turn my gaze once more towards the man on the ship, now considerably closer. William Turner, my father, has returned.