Will stood in the crow's nest, looking out to the ocean surrounding him. He felt as if he had finally found where he belonged. He had been on the Pearl for three weeks, mostly doing odd jobs and learning everything the crew would teach him about the sea and sailing on it. He loved being on the sea. He hadn't been seasick for a moment, and even Clara Sparrow sometimes got seasick, after living her entire nine years of existence on this ship. Aunt Elizabeth was still feeling the ill, and spent a lot of time in her cabin. Uncle Jack checked on her at regular intervals, during which times Barbossa, leg now completely healed, would happily take the wheel. Gibbs, Jack's old first mate and best friend, now didn't really do anything, as he was getting old, but sat around and told stories to the children. Most of them were hugely exaggerated, and the children knew it, but they loved hearing the stories anyway, because, unlike true stories, they changed each time they were told. Carl Four-finger, Anamaria's husband, was the official first mate, but he willingly shared his duties with old Barbossa, who still loved the Pearl as much as Jack did, though he had given up stealing it. The Black Pearl was a wonderful place. Everyone seemed so happy. It was rubbing off on Will.
He thought about Carina and Cherry every day, but the hurt and shame was starting to fade, lulled by the comforting touch of the sea. Will loved the sea. He felt free for the first time in his life. Free and completely happy. The Sparrow boys did their share of work, and slept well at night, not keeping Will up with talking. The girls had a cabin to themselves, and often spent large amounts of time in it, playing with the foreign dolls Jack had got off a Spanish ship. Nicole spent most of her time on deck, and Will became her friend. Nicholas he found somewhat annoying, but no more than Brent back home. Probably less. Life was good.
OOOO
He should not have expected it to last. All good things come to an end, or so the saying goes. It started the day he allowed himself to start flirting with Nicole. She was a pretty little thing, with hair like her mother's, and sea green eyes. It was just a game, their obvious glances at each other, her humorous pouts and extreme batting of the lashes. It meant nothing, it was just fun, but Will noticed that Jack started watching them almost jealously. He supposed Uncle Jack hadn't really noticed that Nicole was getting to the age where she would be interesting to young men. Oh well, he would get used to it. Or so Will thought. There came a day, however, when he and Nicole stood very close, and she was lifting her face to him, and he knew he was going to kiss her. As he leaned towards her, however, Jack suddenly started yelling at the top of his lungs.
"NICOLE ELIZABETH SPARROW!!! GET INTO YOUR ROOM AND STAY THERE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!!"
Nicole looked scared and surprised, but obediently scurried to her cabin. Will turned and watched his mother's cousin tramping towards him with a hand on his cutlass, looking more threatening than Will could have ever pictured Jack Sparrow looking. He gulped. Surely Jack wouldn't hurt him? He was unarmed, and family. Besides, Nicole wasn't actually a close relative. Why did Jack have such a problem with their flirtation? Jack marched up until he stood toe to toe with Will, and glared at him opinionatedly.
"Boy, I like you, and you're family, but if you ever touch any of my daughters, I'll run you through!"
"Why, Uncle Jack? She's my mother's cousin's daughter. That's not a very close relationship. Don't you ever intend to let her have beaus?"
Jack looked rather pale. It was as if he had scolded Will and Nicole and then realized he had no reason for them not to like each other, or a reason they didn't know.
"Aye, she'll have beaus, just not you. I won't discuss my decision. Now, go mend that sail."
OOOO
That night, Jack found himself deep in thought again as Elizabeth washed her hair in a small basin and braided it, then came to sit beside him. This was not good. Will had thought he was attracted to his sister, but she wasn't actually related. Now, he was attracted to a girl he thought was a distant relative, but was actually his real half sister. What a muddlesome situation! Elizabeth frowned at Jack.
"What's troubling you?"
"Nothin' love, just thinking."
"Jack, you know I won't believe that. Why bother saying it?"
He grinned.
"I'll tell ya sometime, jus' not right now."
"Why not?"
"Lizzie-luv, I have my own reasons. It's not the right time to discuss it. So, how are you tonight? Tired?"
She sat on his lap and kissed him lightly.
"Not too much. Why?"
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. He managed to keep a straight face as he spoke.
"Well, I was going to ask you to take the night-watch. Barbossa is sick of it."
She laughed and stood up, heading towards the door in only her nightgown. She hadn't gone two steps before Jack grabbed her and pulled her back to his lap. Her melodic laugh was silenced by his kiss.
OOOO
Meanwhile, Nicole, Nicholas, and Will were standing up on the deck, listening to Gibbs tell a story. He finished with a dramatic twist, and then asked the Sparrow children what they wanted to hear next.
"Tell Ma's story, Uncle Gibbs. And tell it like it really was, no exaggeration."
Gibbs looked somehow uncomfortable. However, he hesitantly began.
"Elizabeth Swann was the daughter of the governor in Port Royal. The first time I met her, she was jus' a wee lass on the navy ship I sailed on. She loved pirates. She would sing this strange little ditty, and I told her 'twas bad luck. It must have been, 'cause we came upon a ship that was burning, attacked by pirates. Elizabeth saw the lad first, a boy about her own age, floating on a raft half-dead. We rescued 'im, and her father said for her to watch 'im. 'Twas years afore I saw either of them again. Jack Sparrow showed up in Tortuga with a lad, twenty some, who turned out to be the boy we rescued. William Turner was 'is name. Jack was trying to get this ship back from Barbossa, and his cursed crew, and they had kidnapped Elizabeth. See, Elizabeth had a medallion, which actually belonged to Will Turner. She stole it from him to keep him from being convicted as a pirate. Now, what Elizabeth didn't know is that Will Turner's blood on that medallion was needed to break the curse on Barbossa and his crew. One day, Elizabeth put the medallion round her neck, for fun. That day, she was standing on a fort over the sea, wearing a corset, and she fainted. She fell into the water. The medallion sent out a kind of signal to Barbossa. She sank right to the bottom. Thet was when yer Ma met yer Pa. Jack had been muddling some sailors, and when he saw her fall, he rescued her. Unfortunately, he was sentenced to hang for piracy. Elizabeth, somewhat unwillingly, helped him escape. He ran to hide in the Blacksmith's shop where Will worked. They fought, and Jack ended up caught and thrown in jail. That night, Barbossa attacked. Elizabeth ended up on this ship with the medallion. She thought they would hold her for ransom if they knew she was the governor's daughter, so she said her name was Elizabeth Turner. She was in love with Turner see. That was the worst thing she could say. They took her captive, and Will sprung Jack and they came to Tortuga for a crew. Jack was planning to use Will as a bargaining chip for his ship. Misadventures ensued. It all ended with Barbossa dead, the curse broken, and Jack rescued from hanging with Will and Elizabeth's help. A year later, Will and Elizabeth's wedding was interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett."
The story went on. Will had not heard many of these things. He hadn't known that Elizabeth had been in love with someone else once. He hadn't known that Elizabeth killed Jack. But what really surprised him was the mention of the child he hadn't known existed.
"See, Elizabeth was four months along with Will's child when he died. Jack took her aboard his ship and soon they were engaged. She had the child, named after her late husband, and then she made a right hard decision. She knew her husband would want his son safe on land until he could decide to go to sea for himself, so they left little William Turner the Third on land with some friends who hadn't been able to have children."
Will felt a shock. His name was William Jack Torrance. Was it a coincidence that he bore the names of both Elizabeth's husbands? He shook the idea that he could be Elizabeth's son out of his mind. His parents had no trouble producing children, unlike the couple baby Will had been left with. He couldn't be William Turner. He couldn't be. Still, he felt a nervous uncertainty settle in his stomach. He asked Gibbs the first question that came to mind.
"Did Aunt Elizabeth ever see her son again?"
Gibbs nodded.
"Aye, many times. Many, many times."
Shaking the uncertainty from his mind, Will said goodnight and walked towards the crew's quarters. He was William Jack Torrance, not William Turner III!
OOOO
