There was no doubt in his mind that she would be waiting for him. Well, okay. There was a little doubt. Ten years was a very long time. It had stretched out before him, indescribably long. But then he had thrown himself into the job given to him and the ten years had passed quickly. In a flash, some might say. In a green flash.
His crew had been loyal, happy to be back in their old bodies and not rotting as parts of the ship. He had released many from their service, but a few, like his father, had chosen to remain with him. Together, they ferried dead and lost souls safely across into the land of the dead.
But even with his crew, and without his heart, he found himself pining for his love. He missed Elizabeth. He missed others as well. The old crew. Cotton, Pintel, the monkey, Jack, Barbossa... He often found himself wondering what had happened to them, whether they had found what they wanted in life. None of them had been placed in his charge, so none had died at sea, that much he was certain of.
Oh yes, he dreaded the day when he would see a familiar face looking up at him through the ghoulish mist.
But, ten years was up, and the Flying Dutchman was skimming back through the waves towards land. The green flash had just happened, and land was in sight. His crew hauled too enthusiastically, tightening the sails to catch the wind. They too, looked forward to this day.
Leaving the wheel in the capable hands of his father, the captain climbed up into the rigging, and scanned the land on the horizon. His face broke into a smile as, there, a figure was standing on the edge of the cliff. As he watched, the figure moved, revealing another, smaller figure. Hand in hand, the two made their way to the small cove.
In no time at all, the Flying Dutchman was anchored in the deep water surrounding the cove. The dinghies were out, and packed with pirates, eagerly watching the land.
And then in a few minutes that seemed as long as the ten years that had passed, they stumbled out of the waves, propelled by the swash up onto the beach. With speedy goodbyes, his men left the beach, travelling as fast as they could, back to the lives they revisited one day out of every ten years. He was left, he and his father, standing still, feet soaked by the waves, watching as the figures ran towards them.
She skidded to a halt in front of him, her breathing heavy, the look on her face torn between anxiety and joy. She had not aged a day, or she had not seemed to age, her skin still as flawless as when they had last parted, her hair still the same colour and length. Still as breathtakingly beautiful, perhaps even more so.
"Elizabeth" he uttered her name, a sound no more than a breath, a murmur, but she heard and took a step forward, and suddenly they were in each others arms, lips touching, hands clasped, eyes closed against the tears of relief. She laughed into his ear as he buried his face into her hair, her body held tightly within his arms. They were together again.
"Will," She cleared her throat, her voice thick with emotion, her hand coming down to take his. Her body was shaking and he took a step in, to reassure her, to comfort her, but she held back. "Will, there's someone I want you to meet"
In a flash, Will remembered the second figure, high up on the cliff. They had both descended, but he had only seen Elizabeth, only had eyes for her when they had landed. Now he looked around. Standing to the left, slightly behind his wife, was a young boy, no more than ten, with shoulder length, light brown hair and eyes that matched his mothers exactly. Will looked from the boy to Elizabeth, as the woman stepped away and brought the boy in front of her.
"Will... This is William. Your son"