Willy had Christmas on the mind. Why you might ask? Well the answer is simple. Christmas was the day it hurt the most. William Weatherby Turner, Willy for short, did not have ordinary parents. His mother, Elizabeth Turner, was the pirate king, although she would never admit it to anyone other than her son. She wished for her idenity to be kept secret. One might think that having a mother who was a pirate king was quite an odd thing, but that was nothing in comparison to Willy's father's job. Willy's father was Captain of the Flying Dutchman, half dead and half living, and could not return to land for ten years. This being said, Willy had never in fact meant his father, but merely heard stories about him from his mother. That was what bothered him during the Christmas season. His father was invisible. All the other children would either make or buy gifts for their father's. Willy saw no reason for him to make any. Yes, his father would return shortly before Willy's tenth birthday, but would the man really want nine years worth of old Christmas gifts? Somehow Willy doubted it. Now, in all honesty, his father would have loved to received them, but how was Willy to know this? He'd never met the man. Willy's mother tried hard to make Christmas a special time of year, but somehow something was always just missing. "Willy!" Elizabeth called, "Are you ready to open your gifts?"
He wanted to say something to his mother about the pain he felt inside, but what was the point? She couldn't do anything to change it.
"Coming mom," he responded with sorrow in his voice. Elizabeth was not oblivious to her son's pain. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he shrugged, "Let's open the gifts."
"Not until you tell me what's bothering you."
"It doesn't matter."
"Willy," she sighed, "Every year children everywhere get excited about Christmas. Why is it that you don't?"
"I am excited."
"Don't lie to me, William."
He sighed. Elizabeth was not one to give up easily and Willy knew it. "What's wrong, son?" she asked again. "Christmas is about family," he stated expressionlessly.
"Which is exactly why we're together as a family right now," she explained calmly. Willy sighed again. "Is this about how you want a younger brother again?" Elizabeth asked, referencing a previous conversation.
"No," he sighed. "Then what is it, Willy."
"We're just... we're just not a complete family, mom."
"What do you mean?" she asked concerned. "We're a mom and a son, but... we're missing a dad."
"Willy," Elizabeth explained, "We talked about this. You have a father and one day..."
"NO!" Willy yelled, cutting her off mid-sentence. "I don't want to hear about how he's going to come back one day! I know he's coming back one day, but I want him to come back today! I want a normal family like everyone else. A family that spends Christmas all together. A family with a mom and a dad."
Elizabeth frowned. If there was anything she could do about Willy would have a normal family, or at least as close to a normal family as one can get while having pirates for parents. If she could change the past she would. If she could make Will reappear right now she would. She contemplated telling him all about how Will would come back one day again, but somehow she didn't feel like that would work this time. Willy wanted a father now, and he couldn't have one... not yet. "Well..." she explained, "One day things will be different, but for now why don't you try to think about the good things?"
"Good things?" he asked, doubtful there could be such a thing. "Well sure you don't have a father, and believe me Willy if I could change that I would, but certainly there are things you have that the "normal" families don't."
"Like what?"
"Well," Elizabeth said thoughtfully, "Like swords. Normal boys your age aren't allowed to play with swords."
Willy sighed. "And like an Uncle Jack," Elizabeth continued, referencing her old pirate friend that would occasionally stop by just to make sure things were still going alright for the Turner family with Will being away and all. "Most kids don't have an Uncle Jack, Willy."
Willy sighed. "I guess."
"Or what about Mr. Gibbs?" she asked, referencing another old friend. "Most boys your age don't know anyone like Mr. Gibbs."
"But it's not the same as having a dad," Willy argued. "I want a dad, not an Uncle or a Mr."
Elizabeth sighed and nodded. "I know Willy," she explained, "But the way I see it you have two choices."
"What choices?" the boy asked confused. "Well," she explained, "You can either spend Christmas feeling sorry for yourself over the things you don't have and can't get, or you can spend Christmas being thankful for the things you do have... the people you do know."
"But..." Willy argued," What if it makes me sad when everyone is at school talking about their dad's and their perfect family, but I don't have one?"
"Well," Elizabeth said, thinking on the spot. "Then you're allowed to be sad for the things you don't have, but what's really important is how much time you spend being sad. If you spend your whole Christmas wishing you had a dad, you're not going to have anytime to be happy or to remember the things you do have. It's okay to be sad as long as you spend more time being happy for the things you do have. Sure life is going to bring you bad times and obstacles that you need to overcome, but what's really important is that you don't forget about the good times or the things and the people that you do have who care about you and love you."
Young William Weatherby Turner nodded in understanding. There is a time to be sad and a time to be joyful too. Because even if one needs to look hard to find the good things in life... there is always something.
"You ready to open your gifts?" Elizabeth asked her son.
Willy nodded. "Yeah."
Elizabeth pulled a gift out from under their family Christmas tree. "Mom?" Willy said pausing until she looked up at him and then continuing. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Willy," Elizabeth responded and then returned to her former task of grabbing a Christmas gift.
"Mom?" Willy asked again. "Yes, Willy?"
"Thanks."
A/N:
felt like writing a short Christmas one-shot. Hope you enjoyed it, Merry Christmas all!
And to those of you following Back To Will I super apologize for the update delay, been tons of stupid things happening recently, but I'll get on that after Christmas hopefully, and if not then after New Years guaranteed! I promise.