Will stood at the stern of the ship and looked for Elizabeth on the shore. He could see her profile up above, standing at the top of the cliff. He knew it was her the instant his eyes touched her form.

It had been ten very long years, but he had known every day that his Elizabeth would see him through. He never doubted even once because he had known from the day he had first set eyes on her that she was the love of his life. He could love no one else.

He saw someone else standing with her, someone shorter and a frown momentarily creased his brow. Who was standing beside her? Perhaps it was an old friend come to greet him. He would find out soon enough.

He had done his job, ferried the dead to the land of forgetfulness and peace, and now he was done. He handed the ship's wheel to his father as he had decided to take over the duty, to live longer and keep in touch with Will. The Flying Dutchman was his now. They had spent the last ten years getting to know each other as they never had before, but now it was time to say goodbye to him at last. They simply looked at each other as words failed them both and then they hugged fiercely, slapping each other on the back briefly before parting.

Will got in the dinghy and rowed with all his might towards shore. He was home at last and she was waiting for him. When the boat ground to a halt on the sand he leaped out and pulled it further ashore. He saw an arrow drawn in the sand further up the shore out of the tide's reach pointing towards the woods and began to run as fast as he could. She had left him a treasure map and he was delighted to follow the trail.

He saw the lights in the windows of the cottage first, illuminating the dusk air from a distance, and recognized it instantly. He slowed down to a walk and had to laugh as he remembered the dance he had performed in the old mill wheel with Jack and Norrington that had been attached to the cottage at the time. They had been in search of another Captain's heart at the time and he smiled at the irony of it all. Their story had come full circle.

Then he saw the door to the cottage open and she was standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the firelight behind her. She was holding the chest. He came to a stop as his breath caught in his throat. He could feel his heart calling to him, almost as if it was beating in his body again already. He put a hand to his chest and almost cried with joy at the flood of emotion. Ten years was such a very long time.

He dropped his hand and began to slowly walk towards her. Her face began to take form before him in the dark. He stopped in front of her, soaking in the face that had been in his dreams every night. This was his wife. Her eyes looked up at him questioningly and her lips parted as if to ask him something, but before she could speak he quickly took her face in his hands and kissed her. It was a bit awkward with the chest between them, but he couldn't have waited any longer. He stopped and pulled his head back to get a good look at her face while still cradling her cheeks in his hands. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was smiling so widely he could hear the heartbeat in the box between them speed up.

Then he heard a cough from the room behind them. He looked around her into the cottage and saw a young boy standing in the middle of the room, watching them as if he was waiting. Oddly enough, the look in his eyes was one of worry as his lips began to tremble the longer Will looked at him. And suddenly he knew who the second form on the cliff had been.

"My son!" he gasped. He looked at Elizabeth and saw the same worry etched upon her face. "I have a son?" he asked her in wonder. She bit her lip and nodded. He slowly moved past her towards the boy and kneeled in front of him, grasping his shoulders as he searched the face before him. "I have a son," he whispered. The boy started to cry and he hugged him to his chest. "It's okay, boy," he said soothingly as he stroked the child's hair. He didn't even know his son's name. "What's your name?" he asked.

"William Jack Turner, sir," he sniffled. The boy clung to him and he picked him up and turned to face Elizabeth.

She was crying still, but she had a hand to her mouth, the chest tucked under one arm, and he couldn't tell whether they were happy tears or sad. She had carried their child all alone, and she had raised him all by herself without him being any the wiser. He felt guilt stab him in the gut. How could he have not known? He'd never dreamed that it was even possible. He felt a terrible sadness at the life he had missed, knowing exactly what it had been like to grow up without a father.

But he was here now and he would never leave them alone again. He motioned for Elizabeth to join them and she put the chest down on a table before flinging her arms around them both.

"I wanted to tell you," she said. He put a hand around the back of her head and pulled her toward him to kiss her forehead. He understood. She rested her head on his shoulder. The blasted curse had kept them apart for far too long and he had time to make up for. But he wasn't going anywhere. He was home. He rested his chin upon Elizabeth's neck. He had a home and a family. He marveled at it all and smiled.