Do You Fear Death?
A/N: This fic is set when Elizabeth is dying, about 10 years before, on Will's last visit, their child, Emily, was conceived. Will does not know of his child but she is 10 years old and Will is about to return to his wife, Elizabeth.
Chapter 1
Emily looked at her mother lying in the rowing boat and sobbed,
'I know you love father but why must you meet him soon?'
Elizabeth smiled at her sadly, 'Emily, he is my husband and he is the only one who can make me immortal as he is himself, he is the Captain of the Flying Dutchman and he is soon to return to here but I fear I will not survive until then and so must go to him.'
Emily gave her mother a pen, some parchment and a ribbon, as her mother had requested, Elizabeth took it from her and wrote:
Will,
If you find this, I am dying but can't without you, please let me join your crew, I don't care if you don't want to, please do it for me.
Also you have a daughter, her name is Emily and she will wait for you every 10 years anyway. She came as a surprise 9 months after your last visit. Make me in your crew as your wife. As for my Pirate Lordship, I have been willed to pass it on to you and so my Piece of 8 is enclosed.
Farewell, my love
Elizabeth
Emily took the parchment and rolled it up and tied the ribbon around it, she pushed it into the ties of her dress and laid some food in the boat. Elizabeth took one last look at her daughter and whispered, 'You must go to the beach on the same date that I do every year but you must do it every 10 years starting this year.'
Emily looked up from her handkerchief and sighed, 'I will mother, if anything just to meet my father!'
'Goodbye, Emily, I love you and good luck,' Elizabeth said choked by her tears.
'Goodbye, mother!' Emily said kissing her mother for the last time. Elizabeth pushed the rowing boat away from the beach with the oar. Emily burst into tears and waved as her mother left.
Elizabeth rowed that boat for many days until she felt that she could no longer, and then she lay back and let the boat take her to her husband or her death.
'I know he is coming this way and I know he will know me and I need to live for him,' Elizabeth thought. Then she closed her eyes and slipped into a dying sleep.