Title: Freedom from the Curse

Author: SailorNeo

Summary: It's been six months since Will and Elizabeth were forced to separate. When Elizabeth finds out that there's a way to free Will that doesn't involve his death, she and the crew of The Black Pearl—including both captains—make their way to the Fountain of Youth. What happens when they find out that Calypso is the least of their worries? Post AWE, so spoilers ahead.

Chapter Seven: Welcome to the Family

"I'm worried about Elizabeth," Angelina said to Barbossa a week and a half after the "incident" with the natives.

"Is she being mopey again, lass?" Barbossa asked.

"No, it's more about how she's going to give birth any day now and we've nothing to help with the baby," Angelina said.

"Oh," Barbossa said.

"Obviously you didn't think of this before," Angelina said on a sigh. "Okay, well, Ana and I can start getting things ready, I guess."

"What will you need?" Barbossa asked gingerly.

"Er, water, cloths, and all of the crew to stay out of the way," she told him, ticking things off on her fingers. "Oh, and you know that the presents the crew's been working on for her, that should be done soon too."

Barbossa nodded. "They're done. The crew finished 'em yesterday," he told her.

"Good," Angelina said. "Oh, and if you find a wreck that's new, stay. Cause I think my brother will want to be there for the birth of his child."

"ANGELINA!" came a very loud, and very painful sounding, yell.

Angelina and Barbossa looked at each other in shock and alarm. "Well, I guess I'll be keepin' the crew out of the way, then," he said.

"Aye," Angelina said. "Find a wreck. Or kill someone expendable. Actually, don't do that. Just find a wreck."

Barbossa hurried to the helm where Mr. Cotton was keeping them on course as usual. Jack was there as well, his face practically on his compass. "Jack, what be the matter with yer compass, we have a heading, have we not?" Barbossa asked.

"Aye!" Jack said, a little too hurriedly.

"May I see yer compass?" Barbossa asked.

"Why?" Jack asked, snapping his compass shut.

"Mrs. Turner be giving birth now, and I figure her husband should be here," Barbossa said.

"Oh," Jack said, handing the compass over warily.

'Close wreck that hasn't been visited by the Dutchman,' Barbossa thought over and over again until the compass pointed northerly. He took the helm from Mr. Cotton and headed in that direction, urging the Pearl to go as fast as she could.

"Ahem," Jack said. "I can make her go faster."

"Then do it," Barbossa said. He reluctantly gave Jack them helm and hurried down to the women's cabin. Luckily for him, Ana Maria was just coming out.

"She's fine," Ana Maria told him as she saw him. "There's not much we can do now. Just, keep the crew away, all right?"

Barbossa nodded as Ana Maria went to go get some cloths. He went to the deck and hollered, "All hands on deck!" The crew that had been below deck ran up the stairs, tripping along the way. "Now," he said loudly as they were all assembled. "Mrs. Turner be givin' birth to the wee Turner now." This statement caused lots of murmuring and worried glances. "Now lads, the best thing for all o' us is to stay out of the females' way, savvy?"

"Aye Cap'n!" the crew yelled.

"I'm the Captain!" Jack bellowed from the helm.

"Aye Cap'n!" the crew yelled again.

"You should both be Cap'ns," Angelina said on her way back to Elizabeth. "Oh, and lads, get the gifts ready please."

"Wreck ahead!" Jack called. The crew hurried to the side of the ship and spied the wreck just as The Flying Dutchman shot out of the water. The Pearl seemed to go faster than before and soon they reached Will's ship.

"Ahoy there!" Barbossa called. "Master Turner, you'll be wantin' to come aboard!"

"Why?" Will asked.

"Lizzie's giving birth to Whelp junior!" Jack called.

Will immediately swung aboard the Pearl. "Where is she?" he asked.

The crew, as one, pointed and Will took off. He reached his wife's cabin and burst in. "Elizabeth," he said, his gaze immediately going to his wife.

"Will!" Elizabeth said happily, her arms reaching out for her husband.

"She's in one of the lulls," Angelina said as explanation for the lack of birthing occurring.

Will pulled up a chair next to Elizabeth and smoothed a hand over her forehead. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," Elizabeth said. Her face contorted into pain and she gripped Will's hand.

"Good thing we've got an immortal," Angelina said as she and Ana Maria scurried around again. "She damn near killed my hand that last set of contractions."

"Shut up," Elizabeth growled out.


Up on deck, the crew that had been with Elizabeth practically since the start was pacing furiously. The other, newer, members of the crew were doing repairs on the ship while they were anchored.

"She'll be a'right, right?" Ragetti asked no one in particular.

"She'll be fine," Pintel said. "Poppet's strong."

"Aye," Barbossa muttered. He'd grown to like Elizabeth Turner since the fateful day when she appeared on his ship demanding parlay. And he'd enjoyed marrying her and Will Turner, aside from the fierce battle raging.

"Elizabeth Turner be fine," a voice said from the side of the ship. The crew turned and saw Tia Dalma. "The lad be born right about…now," she said just as a joyous shout could be heard from Elizabeth's cabin. "Dat girl and dat boy bot' 'ave a touch o' destiny bout dem. Dey not gonna lose dat chile. And tell Mistah Turner dat he able to stay wit 'is wife as long as 'e not touch land. He get his freedom from the Curse."

And with that, Tia Dalma was gone.

"It's a boy," Ana Maria said as she and Angelina came out of the cabin.

"Now lads, I'm thinking it's time to get the gifts."


"What should we name him?" Elizabeth asked Will as she cradled their son in her arms.

"I think Jack is a lovely name!" Jack called from outside.

"And so's Hector!" Angelina said in response.

"They're not naming him after Hector!" Jack said angrily from outside.

Elizabeth looked up at Will and bit her lip. "I think we should name him after the men that are important to us," she said.

The two looked at each other. Elizabeth said, "William James Turner the third," as Will said, "Jack Hector Weatherby Turner."

"Or we could combine them somehow," Elizabeth said. "Though let's not name him after Father. Weatherby isn't a pirate name."

"But I thought you'd want to name him after your father," Will said.

"Weatherby isn't the name for a little boy," Elizabeth said.

"And…could we not name him William?" Will asked. "Then there'd be three William Turners around."

"All right," Elizabeth said. She paused. "How about James Jack Hector Turner?"

Will smiled at his wife. "I like it," he said, looking down at their son.

"Can we come in now?" Angelina asked from outside.

"Yes," Elizabeth said. Angelina, Ana Maria, Barbossa, Jack, Marty, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Cotton, Ragetti, Pintel, Murtogg, and Mullroy came into the cabin, which left it a little cramped for room. "We'd like to introduce you to James Jack Hector Turner," Elizabeth told them.

"You named him after bloody Norrington?" Jack asked irritably.

"Jack, ye did get the second name," Barbossa said. "And thank ye, for naming the boy after me."

"Now, we here made ye some presents," Mr. Gibbs said. "Mister Ragetti and Mister Pintel made ye this one."

The two pirates who had literally known Elizabeth since the beginning of her pirating adventures ducked outside and pulled in a cradle that had been carved from wood and painted a bright red. "Thank you," Elizabeth said. She honestly hadn't even thought about a crib or anything.

"Twas nothin," Ragetti said.

"Ragetti's a fair hand at woodwork, Poppet," Pintel said. "I just painted it."

"Thank you none the less," Elizabeth said.

The rest of the crew had fashioned toys from wood, cloth, and anything else there was on board. Jack's gift was a miniature spyglass. "For when he becomes a pirate," he said as his explanation.

"And what makes you think he'll be a pirate?" Ana Maria asked.

"His mother is the King of the Pirates and one of the nine pirate lords and his father is currently Captain of the Flying Dutchman," Jack said. "He'll be a pirate. Not that James is a piratey name."

"Jack, shut up," Angelina said. "Now, run along now all of you. I'm sure Elizabeth needs her rest."

Everyone but Will left. "Oh," Jack said, sticking his head in the door. "Calypso came. She says that the Whelp can stay with you until he's freed. Only no land walking."

Elizabeth and Will looked at one another as Jack vanished. "I can stay?" Will said to himself.

"You can stay," Elizabeth said. She pulled Will's head closer to hers and kissed him softly. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you," he told her. "And I love our son."

Elizabeth smiled down at the sleeping newborn and a small yawn escaped her. Will noticed and took his sleeping son and placed him in his new cradle. "You, need sleep," Will told his wife. "Now sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"You promise?" Elizabeth asked as her eyelids began to close.

"Yes," Will said and he watched his wife fall asleep, her hand loosely grasping his own.