AN: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far – I do appreciate it, especially since I haven't really written or published much fanfic since my graduation from college. Also, I do want to state that this continues with the first assumption made about the Turners and the Dutchman (that he'd be serving for eternity) and not the new thought I've heard that Will would be free after ten years.

In any case, enjoy – we'll get a little more of the history and David's reaction in this chapter.

Liz held David's hand as they settled on the porch later that night. Her Grandmother Jackie sat before them, along with her parents and her brother's family. The rest of their family, an extended family of first, second, and third cousins, Turners and Sparrows and various other families that were tied to the land, had left them to allow the reigning matriarch to tell her story.

The day had been more than a little overwhelming for the both of them, for different reasons. She was just happy to be with her family again, but David was thrust into the limelight, being introduced to extended family with little hope of remembering each of their names clearly tomorrow.

After they'd managed to bring all their belongings and supplies up the path leading to the top of the cliff, she'd given him a short tour, showing him the homes that had been built up over the many years, including the Main House, as it was called. (She'd commented to him then that pirates never seemed to be very creative with naming anything but their ships.) The Main House had been the home of the first Elizabeth, and while it had been added to and updated since her time, the bedroom looking out onto the sea on the first floor still belonged to her and her husband. The smithy and the cemetery had been the only other things that were worth showing him.

"Lizzie has explained our ties to the pirate line?"

"She has, ma'am, but not much more than the fact that your family is part of the pirate brethren and can trace your lines back to the 18th century. I'm still not exactly clear what she means. Everything sounds like a story." He sighed, and Liz brushed her free hand on top of their clasped hands.

"It may sound like a story, but it's all true. But before we can tell the tale of how we came to be on this island, and why we guard are secrets so, we need to start from the beginning.

"Many years ago, a young girl traveled from England with her father, bound for the Caribbean. Her name was Elizabeth Swann, and one morning, she spied a young boy floating in the water. This boy's name was William Turner, and the two of them would become very close in the years' ahead…

"…and so they kissed for a final time before his day was over and he was tied to the sea and his duties. But they knew it wouldn't be over. He would return every 10 years, to spend that one day with her, the Pirate King."

"What happened then?" Liz looked at David as he asked his question. He looked enthralled by the question, by the story; and knew it had a little to do with the fact that her Gran was such a good storyteller. He'd been quiet for most of the latter-half of the story; having received arched looks from her Gran and chuckles from her family in response to his disbelieving questions of pirate skeletons and cursed medallions.

"After that first day, Elizabeth bore a son that she named after his father, and they settled on this very island. Elizabeth held court here as the pirate king, sailing in the waters around this area, until her son was older. And every ten years the Dutchman would return, dropping anchor where the Pearl rests now. On its fifth visit to the island, Calypso appeared to the Turner family and offered them a boon for their years of service to her. She knew that this would be the last visit for Elizabeth and William, and she blessed them by allowing Elizabeth to join the crew of the Dutchman at William's side.

"Elizabeth jumped at the offer, but was worried about her family and taking care of the chest. Calypso understood, and helped to cloak this island from all but those who knew where to look and whose intentions were pure."

Liz continued then. "Turners have lived on this island since that time, watching over the chest and allowing our ancestors a welcome port that has not changed much since we first settled here. And we get together every ten years to meet with them and update them on our family."

"So it's really all true?"

Liz nodded solemnly. "Aye, David. It's all true. Gran, can I show him?" The clanking of a key was her answer, and she stood, taking it from her grandmother's hand and clasping David's in her own before taking one of the lanterns hanging on the porch and moving to a well-kept path.

The walked together for a few minutes without speaking before David spoke up again. "Captain Jack's the real Jack Sparrow, isn't he?"

"He is. The map they used to find world's end had a number of secrets. One of those allowed for immortality for him and his crew for as long as they wanted it."

"I'm still not sure that I can believe all this."

"I know. It's a plus that you haven't denied it outright, though."

"I think I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all this. I mean, the Pearl and this island is one thing, but I don't really have any proof, now do I? I'm taking this a lot on faith and love."

She held up the old key in her hand and gestured with the light in her other to a white stone structure a few feet away. "I can't show you the real proof, but you can hear it for yourself, okay?" She moved to the gate enclosing the mosque, inserting the key in its lock and opening the well-kept steel grate with a deft twist of her wrist. She held out a hand. "Don't let go of my hand, okay? Only those with Turner blood can enter without consequence."

David's hand was firm in hers, and they stepped into the damp darkness. They waited for a time, silence heavy around them. "What are we waiting for?" She led him to a stone tomb against the back wall, lifting her lantern to shine on the inscription on the stone. "'Elizabeth Turner, Wife, Mother, Pirate King. His heart for hers until world's end.'"

"Press your ear to the stone."

With no small amount of trepidation, David hesitantly did so, feeling slightly macabre about the action. And then, a distinct thump-thump of a heart beat. He jumped back, looking from the tomb to Liz. "That wasn't…was it?"

"It was." She led him out then in silence, locking the door behind them and leading him back to the main house. "After Elizabeth sailed off on the Dutchman with Will, her son and his family locked it away in there."

"Can I ask…if Captain Jack and his crew are immortal…?"

"Why hasn't my family taken advantage of it as well?" She shrugged. "Uncle Jack and the others are different from us; we embrace our family but we don't let it tie us to this world. I guess that's all there really is to it."

David stalled at the porch, and she turned to him. "David?"

"I'm going to stay out here for a while, okay?"

Solemnly, she nodded, moving into the house where her family could be heard talking and laughing.

David wasn't sure how long he sat on the top step of the porch, looking out into the inky blackness of night. The stars were bright overhead, brighter than he'd ever seen them, even when out on one of the boats he and his friends would rent during college or that he'd go out with Liz on. So much had happened in the past few days.

First, he'd been able to muster the courage to finally propose to his girlfriend, and then he'd been swept along on this strange trip to meet her family. And though she was no more different here among her family than she was back home, he also knew she was more real than he'd ever seen her in their small apartment.

With a sigh, he dropped his head into his hands, the memory of Liz climbing up the rigging of the Pearl earlier that day playing through his mind. She'd looked more comfortable there then she ever had been working at the marina where she'd worked since he'd first met her.

"It's hard to accept at first."

David turned slightly, his eyes barely making out the form of Liz's sister-in-law, Jess, standing behind him. "I'm sorry?"

She shrugged and moved to sit beside him, her movements clumsy as she maneuvered her pregnant body onto the steps. "I just mean that this whole thing takes a while to get used to. Liz showed you the heart right?"

"You mean the tomb with the sound of a heart beating from inside it?" He gave a dry chuckle. "Yeah, she showed it to me. How did you take it when you were first told?"

"Pretty much the same way you were. I'd always thought something was different with Jake though; like he really wasn't of this world." Blue eyes looked at him through the dark. "Haven't you ever noticed that?"

"With Liz?" He nodded slowly. "It's one of the reasons I was so attracted to her at first. The first time I saw her? She was humming "A Pirate's Life for Me" while hanging over the side of a boat trying to fix something or other."

Jess nodded. "Jake was in a speed boat with friends when he saw some guys terrorizing my friends and I on the beach. He very nearly beaches the thing, giving everyone a near heart attack, jumps overboard and basically challenges them each to duel."

"And you fell for that?"

Jess grinned an impish smile before gathering her auburn hair over a shoulder. "I always had a thing for the hero on a white stallion." She pressed a warm hand on his arm. "It's not easy loving this family, David, especially at first. But once you love one it's hard to get them out of your system.

"I'm sure Liz will kill me for telling you this, but you can leave you know, though you wouldn't be allowed to remember this."

"How is that possible?"

"Calypso favors the family. She likes Elizabeth and Will; and 'Witty Jack' makes her laugh."

"But I wouldn't have Liz."

"No. You wouldn't."

"You and Jake don't live on this island, though, do you? Aren't you a teacher?"

"Only a handful of us stay here year-round, David. For the most part, we live our lives around the world on different shores, and Captain Jack plays ferryman for us between his adventures. Though as the family grows older they move back here; and some of them only ever find their happiness here."

"I'm not sure what to think anymore. I never thought anything like this could be real."

"And pirates were just a story from a time long ago?"

"Basically."

"For the most part they are. I think its easier for us 'outsiders' to understand, but the types of pirates that board boats and such nowadays, aren't the pirates from the Turner's and Jack's time. They have no clue of what the Pirate Code is or who Davy Jones is and was."

"Aye and they have no clue how to navigate the bloody sea without techno-whats-is." David jumped a bit at the new voice, turning with Jess to peer around the side of the porch where Captain Jack had just appeared, looking for all the world like the railing was propping him up. "Telling tales, Jess-lass?"

"Trying, Captain."

Jack chuckled and swaggered toward them, a bottle of rum in each hand, inching his way between the two of them and throwing an arm around both of their necks. "Hopefully one of my adventures?"

"Now why would I want to bore him, Jack?"

David winced in anticipation; even after knowing him for little more than a day, he knew that Jack Sparrow didn't like anyone forgetting his name. He wasn't disappointed.

"That's Captain Jack, to you missy, even if'n you be soon to be birthing a new Turner to the world." The immortal pirate's lip turned up in distaste, and a flash of gold tooth caught the light from the candles and lanterns burning on the porch around them. "Disgusting notion child-birth. Ne'er one for it myself."

Jess didn't seem angry by the insult. "You did manage a son or two, you know that, right, Captain?"

"Did I then? Hmm." What David assumed was a thoughtful look passed over Jack's face, before moving to take a swig from the bottle in his left hand and proceeding to bring David very close to his body. David choked a little and struggled out of the semi-embrace, glaring at Jess as she giggled. Jack wasn't paying any attention to them as he upended the bottle with a frown. "The rum's gone. Why's the rum always gone?"

David opened his mouth to say something but stopped at the touch of Jess's hand and a shake of her head. A moment later, Jack staggered away, mumbling something about rock-crabs and cannibals. "Okay, I have to ask. What's his obsession with rum?"

"Pirate."

"That's really the only explanation, isn't it?"

"Pretty much." They sat in companionable silence for a bit longer before Jess winced and shifted. "Okay, Baby Turner's becoming rather insistent on my bladder. Help me up?"

David nodded absently, moving to help leverage Jess up. She smiled at him gratefully when she was on her feet. "I'll bid you good-night with one last question, David, if you don't mind?"

"No, of course not. Especially since you've been so willing to talk with me."

"Despite everything that you've heard here and the improbability of it all, do you love her enough to take that leap and accept it?"