After Pirates 3 I decided no matter what I would write a one-shot for the final "post credit" scene to all of you who missed it, it was Will's return to Elizabeth and his son.
She had tried several times during the night to get to sleep. She simply couldn't. When she heard the small clock in her room chime, signalling 5 o'clock and it took over her. Excitement. Fear. Anticipation. her heart began to race. His was at the bottom of the bed. In the chest.
Had he changed? Did he still love her? Deep down she all the answers to the questions currently spinning around her head. But she still feared the worst.
What if her son didn't like the idea of meeting his father after all these years?
And Will didn't know. He didn't know how much their son looked like him and how much he acted like him even though he had never met his father...
Their son was currently in bed unaware of what was going to happen, in an hour? Maybe two? She really had no way of guessing when the sun would rise. All she knew was that she was going to be there to see it. To see Will.
She crawled out of bed slowly and searched around in her dresser until she found a candle and lit it. Then she walked across the hallway to her son's room, opened the door and tip toed quietly across to his bed. She sat down and stroked his cheek gently.
"Will," she whispered quietly in his ear. His eyes flickered and finally opened although they were squinting at the sudden light that her candle had brought.
She smiled at him. She felt pity for him. She had told him of her adventures with Will and the infamous Jack Sparrow, although he didn't know that his father was coming back, she didn't want him to live with the hope that he might be arriving today... After all, just because Will was immortal didn't mean that his crew might've performed mutiny and he could meet a fate worse than his father's had been. But she mustn't think so negatively.
His eyes adjusted to the light and a look of confusion spread across his face. Just like his father's.
The boy rubbed his eyes and sat up in his bed. She loved him so much. He looked so much like his father. His eyes, they reminded her so she could never forget... It was her son that kept her going these 9 years- the first was agony.
She had arrived to Port Royal after a very silent voyage on the Pearl. Whispers of apologies and pity were spoken but they simply sounded empty to her ears Her father had left all his estate to her. Although she could not afford to keep her maids she was glad to have shelter.
The large house was quiet and empty during the first month. Her old maid Emily used to visit and when Elizabeth told her that she was pregnant Emily offered to stay with her until the baby was born. Elizabeth was grateful to her. She was happy to have someone - anyone - that she trusted to confide her pain in. And all the while her heart yearned to be out on the sea with Will.
The months passed and she noticed Emily becoming increasingly tired and frail. She passed away a month before young Will was due. She was preparing to give up but two weeks after the funeral until word came from the seas: The Flying Dutchman had been sighted close to Port Royal. She hadn't the heart to believe it. But she went to the shore of a small beach and kept a weather eye on the horizon.
It was almost midday when she saw it. The unmistakable shape in the distance: The shape of a ship emerging from the water. Her heart raced. She had thought she was getting too excited. But she was wrong. She was entering labour. She screamed Will's name. Someone on board must have heard because the ship arrived literally two minutes later and Bootstrap jumped ashore and helped her deliver her son.
She was not allowed to see Will however Bootstrap took young William up to see his father. It almost broke her heart. To have her love so close. But unable to see him. Bootstrap brought William back to her. She could still remember the joy in his eyes and the words he said as a single tear slid down his cheek.
"I never thought I'd ever see my grandson... Will sent you this note." He handed her a small piece of parchment. She took it but barely een realised she was...
"I have to see him!" She had pleaded but Bootstrap lead her back up to her house despite her attempts to break his gentle but firm grip.
Bootstrap escorted up the stairs. He left the note on her dresser, kissed his grandson on the forehead and bid them farewell. She thanked him.
Although it may not have shown at the time she was grateful to him. To be alone when she was giving birth was a nightmare she had been having for the previous two weeks. The same one over again and again. She would call for Will, but he would never came...
"Will we have to get up." She said to him gently.
"Why? Is there something wrong?" He asked concernedly, his brow furrowing so familiarly.
"Yes Dear," She said, stroking his cheek, "we just have to... run an errand. So we'll get some tea and then we'll get dressed. Alright?" He nodded.
They went downstairs and Elizabeth filled up the kettle. Once the tea was made Elizabeth sat down with Will.
"Will... We're expecting a visitor." She said quietly.
"We are?" He seemed very confused. She knew what was going through his head: What on Earth are we up at this time for? Who's coming? Are we in trouble?
"Someone very important is coming to see us. That's why we're up so early. I want you to wear you good cloak and your tricorn hat."
"Yes mummy." He smiled.
"Good boy." She drank the dregs of tea at the bottom of her mug and they went upstairs.
Once they were changed she locked the house and they set out to the cliff beside the beach where Will had been born.
"Mummy where are we going?"Will asked after ten minutes of walking, in now the middle of no where. She sighed. Should she give him false hope? He had a right to know...
"We're... We're going to see your father." She told him solemnly. He would be there... He promised. Will stopped walking.
"My Father?" He whispered, to himself, but she came over to him and looked him in the eye.
"Will. I can't promise you your father will turn up. But I can promise you that wherever he is he will always love you. And so will I.." She smiled at him and he smiled back, and slowly they walked hand in hand to the cliff. After another 10 minutes of walking across the fields and bare land they reached the cliff.
"The sun's rising..." She said under her breath as she saw the tip of the burning sun begin to rise over the edge of the horizon. Will looked at her and she ran over to the edge of the cliff he stayed. The sun had now almost fully risen.
"Quickly Will!" She called to him, but he stayed.
"Mummy..." he said quietly and solemnly to her, "No one is out there... There's no ship." He turned to walk home dissappointment etched on his face.
"Wait Will! Stay there! He's coming!" She called to him fear and dissappointment clearly bubbling in her voice. She tried to fight it but she knew now. The sun was completely up. Tears began to fall slowly and silently down her face.
"Don't cry mummy..." Will ran to her and embraced her trying to speak words of comfort to her, "I don't need a father anyway... We've survived this long... Please don't cry." She held him tight to her. He was all she had left now.
They remained at the cliff all day. Not for any reason. She told him of the story of his birth and other stories with Jack and the terrifying battle with the evil Lord Beckett. He listened intently and the hours wasted away without them noticing. They played games and stared at the clouds picking out shapes. When she saw the sky becoming pink something stirred in her head.
"Keep a weather eye on the horizon." A voiced whispered in her head. No one said it would be sun rise.
"Sun set..." She whispered.
"What?" Will said mainly because she had interrupted his identification of a cloud that looked like a ship's cannon.
"Sun set! Will quickly go to the edge and check for a ship on the horizon! Be careful!" She gathered herself up and threw on her light shawl. Will stared at her as she came across the cliff to meet him. And they stared. Silently. Patiently. It was nearly completely down now. She looked at him, his face was covered with expectation, excitement and wonder a face she was all too farmiliar with. She looked back out. It was down.
Suddenly there was a flash. A bright green flash. She felt will gasp with her arm around his back. She kept her grip gentle, but firm. Then a ship emerged from... Somewhere... It didn't matter. He was here.
Ok that was pretty sucky... sorry! Hope you enjoyed it! And 4 those of you who didnt if its any help i 4got abt my tea during writing this now its all cold... sniff
xXx