The sky was starting to grow dark and the sun was setting. Elizabeth looked out to sea from her small little house by the ocean. The wind gently blew her long, brown hair, causing the sun to catch the golden highlights in her hair. Her brown eyes were dreamy and a smile played on her soft pink lips.
"Two more nights, my love before I see you again. It has been a long ten years, Will," she whispered to the ocean. "What will be your reaction to find out you have a son?" There was no answer and she sighed and turned from the window. Will had been gone for almost ten years and his one day on land was coming soon. She had missed him terribly. Whenever she needed to get away from people to be alone, she went sailing. Somehow it made her feel closer to her husband. They had only been husband and wife a couple of hours before Jack Sparrow guided Will's limp, unconscious hand down to plunge the knife he still held into Davy Jones' beating heart. Everything had changed from there on. Will had been made captain of the Flying Dutchman, Jones's ship, and, since he was in love, he was only allowed to come on land once every ten years. Now those long ten years were almost up. Elizabeth had sent young Will Turner to stay with one of her friends that night. All Elizabeth wanted to do was be alone. She needed time to think, to cry, to remember.
She walked down the hill from her cottage to the beach where a small little boat had been pulled ashore. She took her boots off and pushed the dingy into the water. Tears streamed down her face as she shoved the boat into deeper water before she climbed in. Hours wandered as she sat and let the boat carry her wherever it pleased. It was well onto midnight before she shook herself out of her reverie. She was in the middle of the ocean and there was no land in sight. She wasn't even sure if she was facing the right way. She scanned the horizon and saw no ships.
She sighed to herself. "Now I'm going to have to wait till the morning to see the skyline." She sank back onto the seat and pulled a blanket from underneath the board she was sitting on. Now came the long wait.
It was just beginning to dawn when a shout raised Elizabeth from her slumber. She looked around and found herself staring at dark gray wood and a rope ladder that had been let down for her.
"Climb aboard!" came the shout.
Elizabeth grabbed the rope and obeyed. When she climbed onto the deck, she found herself surrounded by familiar faces. There was Gibb's, Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton, and even Barbossa himself.
Barbossa sauntered up to her and looked in the eye. "What brings you out so far into the ocean, lass?"
"I was sailing," was her reply. She didn't want to tell them the real reason why she was out in the ocean. Her face tastes like salty tears when she licked her dry lips.
Barbossa looked at her for a moment before he beckoned her to follow him. He led her past the crew to the Captain's quarters. The inside was dark and only one candle lit the room. That one candle outlined a profile of a man sitting down at the table. Thick dreadlocks and beads attached to them were the first things that Elizabeth saw of the man. On his head, he wore a weathered hat and a bandana that pulled back his hair a little. Dark eye shadow outlined his deep brown eyes that had seen too many years. He wore a long coat and swashbuckling boots that were propped up on the table where a bunch of charts were strewn haphazardly across the area of the desk.
Elizabeth's eyes widened as she recognized the man. "Jack Sparrow!"
He gave her his infamous smile that would have melted any other woman's heart. "Hello, luv." He rose and sauntered over to where she was standing. He picked up a piece of her hair in his hands and looks at it for a long moment.
Elizabeth, slightly uncomfortable, stepped back, pulling the hair out his hand. "Why have you come to my island?"
"Well, for one thing, technically, darling, it's not your island. And two, you're not on your island. You're in the middle of nowhere for all anyone cares. And three…" He paused as if trying to remember what the third point was. He brightened and continued on, "you're on my ship, and since it's my ship, I have a right to go where I want and not be questioned…savvy?"
Elizabeth smiled despite herself. This was the Jack that had attracted her to him those ten years ago. And, in a way, he still had that essence about him that was intriguing. "You haven't answered my question, Jack."
Jack looked down, this time it was his turn to be uncomfortable. "To see you." He looked up and rushed on. "I've missed you Elizabeth. I haven't seen you in almost ten years and I thought this would be a good time to see how you were doing."
"One and a half days before my husband comes home?" Elizabeth quirked a delicate eyebrow.
Jack grimaced. "To be honest with you, luv, I came back for one more kiss." He bowed. "Then I'll be gone and you and your bonny Will can sail into the sunset for all I care."
"You came sailing all around the ocean for one kiss from me? Jack, I can hardly believe that one."
"Just one kiss and I'll be gone." He grinned at her. "I know you enjoyed it when you kissed me ten years ago."
"I had ulterior motives. I am ashamed of them, but that is why I kissed you back then."
"Keep telling yourself that, darling," smiled Jack.
Elizabeth sat back on her heels and looked at him. He was very much the same man as had been ten years ago. He still had the same quirky personality and scruffy, yet handsome face. He hadn't even aged a day.
"This will be the last time, Jack. Will is coming back tonight. I intend to be with him when he comes back. I do not want him to suffer the same fate as Davy Jones had with Calypso. Do you understand? No tricks."
Jack held up in hands in surrender and smiled, his gold tooth glittering in the candlelight. "I promise." He opened up his arms expectantly.
Elizabeth took a breath and stepped into the waiting embrace. Jack closed his arms around her and drew her face up to his with his fingers. As soon as their lips touched, Elizabeth wanted to be more than held. All the urges she had had for the past ten years surfaces as she kiss Jack. She deepened the kiss, slowly sliding her tongue into his mouth, he tasted of rum and spices. His entwined his tongue with her, as their tongues began a dance of their own. Elizabeth reached up into his hair and grabbed a fistful of dreadlocks, interlocking her fingers as she held onto him. She moaned a little as he held her waist with one hand and caressed her back. Then it moved up to her hair and stroked it. Her hands slipped from his hair to his waist as she pulled him deeper into the kiss. His fingers grasped the strings to her bodice and were unlacing them, when, suddenly, Elizabeth came to herself. She stepped back and gasped.
"I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't mean to take it that far. It's just, I miss Will so much and have wanted him for ten years. Do forgive me." She looked down, feeling the urge now to wipe her mouth.
Jack grinned and lifted her face upwards. "I don't need the apology, luv. The kiss was all I wanted from you. Now you may go and wait those few hours till your wonderful Will comes home." He bent down and kissed her once more. "Farewell, lass. And..." the smile crept back into his face, "it would have never worked out between us, darling."
Elizabeth smiled back. "You keep telling yourself that, Jack."
The smile faded from Jack's face. "I have. Goodbye, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth was taken back to her boat, pointed in the right direction for home, and set off with well-wishes from the crew.
That evening, she took young Will to the crest at the top of their hill to watch for her husband and his father. The boy was humming the tune for "Hoist the Colors", a pirate tune. Elizabeth smiled, young Will was so much like his father in many ways. He wanted to be a pirate, just like his father.
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of green and the Flying Dutchman flew from the water and sailed gently to the shore of Elizabeth's island. By the wheel, she could see Will. He rushed over to the side of the ship and leaned out as far as possible, as if trying to find her.
"Will!" screamed Elizabeth. She ran down the hill as fast as she could and into the water. She swam out to the boat he was rowing in and he hauled her in. Young Will stood at the shore watching. As soon as Elizabeth was in, she grabbed her husband and kissed him hungrily.
"My darling," whispered Will between frantic kisses, "I've missed you so much."
"Don't ever leave again, Will," she begged. "Promise me?"
"I'm here to stay, my love. Forever always with you."
"And with your son," smiled Elizabeth. She laughed as she saw her husband's reaction. He whipped around in the dingy and saw his son for the first time. The boy grinned and waved.
"Young William Turner the Third," she informed him. "And he's every bit his father."
Their boat touched the shore and Will jumped out and held out his arms to his son. The boy ran into them and hugged him fiercely.
Elizabeth smiled as she knelt down next to her family and joined the hug. Now we are truly a family, she thought happily.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.