Summary: Elizabeth doesn't want Will to become a blacksmith if it means she can't see him every day. One-shot set after opening scene of CotBP.

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Inside the manor of the governor, all was still and silent. Night had long since fallen and the inmates of the house were all abed. Only the pop of embers settling in the grate, the whisper of the breeze through the windows, the creaking of the wood floors as they settled and contracted gave life to the silence. In the hall, the towering grandfather clock struck eleven.

In the stillness of her bedroom, young Elizabeth Swann rolled over onto her right side and sighed. She was abed, but not asleep. In fact, she was wide awake and not even trying to remedy that. She was waiting—waiting for the clock to strike again.

Her bed was still new, and she still unused to it. It didn't feel like her bed; she felt as though she were sleeping in a guest room rather than her own. The bed felt even less like hers than the bunk she had slept in on the crossing from England. Some nights she actually found herself missing the rocking motion of the ship, the muffled snoring of the sailors just below decks, the smell of the salty waves.

When she had departed England those many weeks ago, she had been too excited about the coming voyage for the full reality of the situation to sink in. It was only now that she was starting to realize what leaving England meant. She may conceivably never again see anyone she had once known. She had few friends her own age; she had a led a sheltered life, her father preferring to hire governesses rather than send her to a private boarding school for young ladies. But she would miss the servants. They had always been kind to her. Her maid Sarah had nearly broken down in tears bidding her goodbye. She knew that her father had helped all the household servants find new positions before their departure, so Sarah already had a new appointment. Elizabeth had simply put down Sarah's blubbering to the fact that she was uncommonly sensitive, and had wished Sarah well in her new appointment without really understanding what Sarah already knew—that this was goodbye forever.

Elizabeth found herself now in a strange country, in a strange house, in a strange bed, surrounded by strangers. She felt as though she were adrift in an ever-changing sea, not knowing anymore where the safe harbor was. But she was not entirely alone, she knew. There were two people in her life that had remained constant through her journey—two anchors without whom she would be utterly lost.

Her father was, of course, the first of these. She had no memory of her mother, and so her father was the only source of stability and paternal love in her life. And he was nothing if not consistent. He was always aware of her needs and wants, and took care of them immediately. He didn't always have as much time to spend with her as they each would have liked as he was very busy, but he tried to make up for it by allowing her to do more or less as she pleased in his absence. She mainly exploited this leniency to read books and articles about adventures and life on the sea—especially those about pirates. Not a subject particularly appropriate for young ladies, but her father supposed it couldn't really hurt. He perhaps spoiled her a little, but who could blame him? She was the only family he had left.

The other one was Will.

She and Will had become fast friends. She watched over him, as she had promised both him and her father, until he was well, which didn't take very long. He was soon up and about again, and Lieutenant Norrington had put him to work as cabin boy. Elizabeth often shadowed him as he went about his duties, learning with him. She even ventured to help him at times when none of the officers were about, even though he protested. But mainly they just talked, and kept each other company. When he had finished doing his work, the two often had time to play or explore the ship. The two had bonded over their love of adventure stories, especially those on the high seas.

To these two people she felt closer than anyone she had ever met before in her life. And now, one of them was about to leave her.

The day before arriving in Port Royal, after weeks of sailing, her father, the captain and Lieutenant Norrington had met in the captain's cabin to discuss their schedule and duties upon arrival at the pier. Elizabeth, sitting in her bunk in the next cabin, could hear everything through the thin wall. She wasn't really paying attention until she caught the mention of Will's name. She immediately pressed her ear against the wall to be sure she would hear every word.

The captain was speaking. "…has no relatives or anyone to look after him. What's to be done about the boy? It wouldn't sit right with me to leave him to fend for himself."

"No indeed!" Governor Swann said. "I'm sure a place could be found for the boy when we get to Port Royal. Perhaps as a cabin boy aboard another ship? He seems at home with the nautical life."

Elizabeth's heart sank. If Will signed on as a cabin boy, he would sail away and she might never see him again! And he her only friend in the world!

"What do you think, Lieutenant?" asked the captain. "He's been under your charge, after all, and reports to you. How has he done?"

"Well, sir, he's acquitted himself well, as far as I'm concerned. He didn't know much about sailing when he first came aboard, but he's a fast learner and doesn't forget. He does all his tasks well without having to be reminded, even with young Miss Swann around to distract him." Elizabeth could hear the amusement in Lieutenant Norrington's voice, and thought she heard her father chuckle softly. "I really think that given the opportunity, he could make much more of himself than just a common sailor. I am inclined think he would make a fine military man, but he certainly isn't old enough to enlist."

"What about an apprenticeship?" asked the captain. "He's of an age to begin learning a trade."

"I think that would suit him very well, sir. He's an eager learner."

"Well then, I shall make inquiries when I arrive and see if a good place can't be found for him," said her father. "In the meantime, he can stay in my household. I'm sure there's a room in the servant quarters he can have for a few days."

Elizabeth's heart leapt again with excitement. Will was coming to stay with her! Maybe, just maybe, she could persuade her father to let him stay for good. He could be a stable boy perhaps, and then she would come out to the stables to visit him and they would feed carrots to the horses and explore the hay loft and learn to ride together.

As it turned out though, there was no available position in the governor's household. Everything had been arranged even before they set sail from England. All the places had been filled, right down to the errand boy, and her father wouldn't hear of adding another position just for Will.

"He'll be better off learning his own trade, Elizabeth. He'll just be out of place here—an extra servant we don't really need. I know he's your friend, but it's not goodbye forever. You'll still have chances to see him."

So all her little fantasies were crushed. Will would leave the next morning for the blacksmith, and she would be left to rattle around in this enormous house all alone.

Elizabeth rolled over onto her left side and sighed again. She tried to distract herself from thinking about Will leaving, but it wasn't long before her thoughts returned to him. She still often thought about how she had rescued him from that fiery shipwreck. It was kind of romantic, really. He fascinated her, had ever since she spotted him clinging to life on a piece of flotsam in the wide ocean. He so easily could have been missed in the fog and left to die. Elizabeth thought it no less than the grace of God that had allowed her to be standing on deck watching the ocean at just the right moment. She was sure it meant something, and their subsequent friendship seemed to support this sense of…destiny, for lack of a better word.

But what made him even more interesting to her was the mystery of the medallion. She still had it, tucked in a hidden compartment of her bureau drawer. She scarcely dared to look at it for fear that someone would catch her. Will had never mentioned pirates when telling her about himself, and he said nothing about the medallion. She dared not bring it up with him, even in private. She didn't want him to be a pirate. She certainly didn't want anyone else to think that he was one either, for he would surely be imprisoned or hanged. So she took her lead from him and kept mum on the subject, hoping that the medallion had no more sinister meaning.

There was, though, that other thing that only she had seen. The ship with black sails, disappearing into the fog. She remembered being so taken with fear that all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut. When she had opened them a second later, there was nothing. She was almost sure now that she had imagined it. But it still felt like an ill omen, as the sailor Mr. Gibbs would say. She couldn't shake the chill that crept down her back when she thought of it.

Just thinking about the whole thing made her even more restless; she got out of bed and padded to the door in her bare feet, listening for footsteps in the hall. Reassured that all was silent, she went to her bureau and opened the drawer, popping open the secret compartment.

The gold skull gleamed in the moonlight, a cold, pale sheen making the strange symbols surrounding it stand out. She took it from the drawer and fastened the chain around her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror. This was the first time she had worn it, though she had kept it all these weeks. She could feel the cold metal heavy on her chest even through the fabric of her nightgown.

A cloud passed over the moon, casting everything into shadow. Elizabeth stared, transfixed, as the darkened skull seemed to move, opening its jaw wide to—

Elizabeth clenched her eyes shut in fear, breathing rapidly, heart beating frantically. When she opened them once again, the shadow had passed, and the medallion looked as it ever had, sinister and cold.

The frightened girl quickly removed the medallion from around her neck and shut it back in the hidden compartment of her bureau. She no longer had any desire to wear it or even look at it. She almost wished she didn't have it, but she couldn't think of any way to give it back to Will. What if he were angry with her for taking it? Besides, she still worried that he might actually be a pirate, and it would be better for both of them if that never came to light. He had a chance for a new, respectable life here, though Elizabeth couldn't imagine why someone who had gone on the account would want to leave it. The life of a pirate sounded terribly exciting to her. Then again, if it were the ship with black sails that he had come from, she thought she might understand. That ship had given her the chills.

Elizabeth glanced at the clock on her mantel. Ten minutes to midnight. She pulled on her robe and retrieved an ornamental knife from under her mattress. The knife she had pilfered from her father's study that evening. She was sure she could put it back before he even knew it was missing. She slowly opened the door of her bedroom, checking to make sure the coast was clear before slipping silently out into the hall. She was barefoot so that she would make no sound, and she kept to the edge of the stairs, where the wood was supported by the wall and less likely to creak. She snuck through the kitchens and out the kitchen door into the back garden. Once outside, she ran across the lawn, leaping over a flowerbed, to the back of the garden, where there stood a towering jackfruit tree.

The garden was fenced in by a high hedge, and the jackfruit tree stood in the corner furthest from the house. It was so surrounded by other manner of plant life that it quite protected the privacy of anyone who happened to be standing behind it. Will had found it on their very first day, and it had become a secret meeting place for the two of them. They took great pains that their secret should not be discovered, using code words and phrases to communicate and perfecting their technique of sneaking around undetected. It was a great game, and Elizabeth loved it. Her other little girl friends in England had been quite content to play with dolls or skip rope. With Will she went on adventures.

As she came around the tree, she saw that Will was already there, leaning against the trunk and looking up at the moon through the branches. He heard her approach and turned towards her, grinning. Seeing his smile, she was suddenly overcome with emotion. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, something she never did when adults were around. They tended to scold her for being so improper.

"Will, I don't want you to go!" Elizabeth never beat around the bush, and she was closer to crying than she had been in years. She pressed her eyes into his shoulder to keep the tears at bay.

Will wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, trying to comfort her. "Elizabeth, it's gonna be all right! I'm just moving a few streets away, really. We'll still see each other. We'll still be friends; that won't ever change."

Elizabeth sighed, then turned her face towards him, her head still resting on his shoulder. "You promise?"

"I promise, Elizabeth."

She sighed again, then pulled away so she could look at him. His mouth was curved in a smile, but his brown eyes were serious as he looked at her.

"I have an idea," she said.

Will's smile grew. "You always do."

Elizabeth smiled then, too, and explained quickly.

Will's eyes widened as he listened. "Where did you get that idea?"

"I read about it in a book. There were two really good friends who did it and became blood brothers. It means that they would be loyal to each other forever."

"Of course I'll always be loyal to you, Elizabeth, but what will happen when your father sees—"

"I'll make up an excuse."

"I don't want to get you in trouble."

"We won't get in trouble. And I don't care anyway. This is important, Will! Please?"

Elizabeth tried to make her face as earnest as possible, and it must have worked because Will hesitated only a second before agreeing.

Elizabeth pulled the knife out of the pocket of her dressing gown. The handle was cold and awkwardly large in her hand. She pressed the edge against the pad of her left thumb and took a deep breath to steady herself. Best do it quickly. She gritted her teeth and pressed the blade down, breaking the skin. A pool of blood immediately welled up in the cut, staining the blade. She stared for a moment, fascinated. Then she looked up at Will. "There. Now you."

Will took the blade and did the same, more quickly than she had. Elizabeth pulled a long, thin strip of cloth out of her pocket as Will carefully set the knife on the ground. Elizabeth held out her hand to Will, and he clasped it, pressing his cut thumb to hers. Elizabeth winced, but Will remained steady as he watched her fumble with the cloth. Tying the cloth around their thumbs one-handed was all but impossible until Will picked up the other end of the cloth and helped her wrap it twice around and tie the knot.

The bond secured, Elizabeth looked up to see Will watching her, waiting for what came next. She met his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to speak the words she had decided on.

"I, Elizabeth Swann, do swear loyalty and friendship to William Turner the second for life, until the day I die."

She fell silent, then nodded at Will to signal to him that it was his turn. She saw the amusement in his eyes when she had added 'the second' to his name. She was sure no one else had ever called him that before.

"I, William Turner the second, do swear loyalty and friendship to Elizabeth Swann for life, until the day I die."

As Will finished, he smiled, and Elizabeth smiled back. He hadn't asked, so she hadn't explained to Will why she had wanted the two of them to swear a blood oath. Her life was changing, and much too fast for her liking. She wanted to know for sure that one thing would remain constant—that Will would always be her friend.

But maybe he understood better than she thought, because after they had wiped their bloody thumbs and cleaned the knife, he pulled her into a hug again. "I will always be your friend, Elizabeth. With or without swearing an oath."

And for the first time since leaving England, Elizabeth felt like she was home.