Disclaimer: Will, Jack, Elizabeth, Ana, and the other PotC characters don't belong to me. They are the property of Disney, Gore, Jerry, Ted, and Terry. However I do own Sammi, Teague, and Eva Sparrow as well as Danielle, James, and Charlotte Turner! Oh, and I own Ophelia too, I suppose. Sammi is by far my favorite OC that I've created, I just love her.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the wait! After vacation with my cousin, Breaking Dawn came out and so I had to read that. But I've come up with what I hope is an acceptable solution to the waiting problem. I've decided to split my super-long chapters in to two parts. But I'll stop at the end of a scene, so it won't be that abrupt. I just know that I'd rather receive smaller "chapters" more often than have to wait awhile for the long ones. We'll see how it goes. I just know that if I do it this way, it will take the pressure off me.

Angst warning ahead! (You guys are going to love William in this.) And here…we…go.

Ch. 10: Don't Stop Now (Part I)

333

Don't stop now… I need this to hurt, burn it in to my mind. No more second guessing anymore - this is how it ends.

-Emmy Rossum

333

Sammi's eyes darkened as she stared at the young man who was unknowingly breaking her heart. She tried to think of an appropriate response to his question… perhaps a slap or a kick - in the place where it would hurt him most - would suffice, for starters. William would certainly deserve it. Even if he didn't know how he'd hurt her by choosing to spend the evening Ophelia, he was still leaving her behind with the children. Didn't he remember that she'd spent the entire day with their siblings without a break?

When had William become so selfish? Usually it was she who was trying to talk her way out of a duty, not William. It was downright un-Turnerish of him to act this way! Somehow, she had to show him that this immature behavior of his was not acceptable on her watch. But before Sammi could take any course of action against him, violent or not, Eva stumbled into the kitchen. Never before had Sammi been so thrilled at being interrupted by her sister. Eva's appearance stopped Sammi from reacting in a way that she might regret later. As furious as she was with William at the moment, she'd hate to accidentally maim that beautiful face.

"Sammi, I left my sea turtle over at our house," her sister whined. "I can't sleep without it. Can I go get it now?" Sammi was overcome with relief when her sister provided an escape. She saw her window of opportunity, and she was going to snatch it.

"No, I'll get it for you," Sammi offered, giving her sister a forced smile that came out as a grimace. "And William will help me look for it. Tell Teague he's in charge and that we'll be back in five minutes." And with that, Sammi dragged William out the back door of his own house.

"Look, I know I let you down," William began as they hurried toward the Sparrow home. Fiercely, Sammi shook her head.

"Not until we are inside." William remained silent as they approached the back door, and Sammi unlocked it with the spare key hidden in the back yard.

"Sammi, please talk to me," he begged as she sped through the foyer and up the stairs to her sister's room. William was right behind her, accidentally stepping on her heel as he climbed the stairs.

"Ouch!" Sammi protested, gracing him with a glare.

"Sorry!" William asked to check her heel to see if it was bleeding, but Sammi refused him.

"What are you going to do, kiss it and make it better?" She shook her head, wishing that he could understand she wasn't talking about her ankle anymore. "There isn't always a quick fix that will stop the pain that endures." William sighed.

"We need to talk, Sammi. There's no need for stalling."

"Stalling? You think I'm stalling?" She scoffed at him. "Shows how much you know. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Look, I didn't know that my spending time with Ophelia would bother you that much." William tried to mesmerize her with his endearing gaze, but Sammi was so furious that it didn't work. Her hands balled at her sides and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to slug him for his impudence. How could he not know? When had she ever approved of Ophelia?

"That's not all this is about! I don't even know where to begin with you," Sammi muttered as she entered Eva's room, spinning around to face him. "Let's start with the fact that you broke your promise to me to spend the evening with at home! And not only that, you broke it to the children as well! What the hell, William?"

"I'm sorry," William whispered, finally understanding her side of the argument. "It was really irresponsible of me, and it's unfair to you. But tonight is the best chance for me to get to know Ophelia – surely you understand that!" Oh, Sammi understood all right – but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"I understand that there was once a time that you never would've broken a promise to me for anything." She yanked back the covers on her sister's bed but the blasted sea turtle was nowhere to be found.

"Yes, well, those days are over," he muttered, joining in the search for the missing stuffed turtle.

"Why? They don't have to be," she cried. "This isn't who you are, Will."

"And whose fault is that?" He glared at her.

"What are you talking about? Don't even try to pin this on me," said Sammi, bewildered. "What's really ironic is the moment you decided to abandon piracy you seem to have abandoned your sense of honor and decency as well."

"That's not true!" William bellowed.

"It is, and you know it," she said quietly, placing a calming hand on his arm. "Ever since you laid eyes on Ophelia Grace, it's like you've turned into this other person that I can't reach."

"Oh Sammi, if only you knew," he whispered. She thought it was Ophelia that had changed him, and perhaps that was true. But his interest in Ophelia coincided with the day that Thérèse informed William that Sammi could never see him as more than a friend. His entire world had come crumbling down that day, not that she knew, of course. She could never know.

"Then tell me," she insisted, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't shut me out of your life. Unless… unless that's what you want?" Oh God, what if it was? "Do you not want to be friends with me anymore?"

"Maybe that would be preferable for both of us. You deserve better." He looked at her pointedly and it was all she could do to keep from crying.

"No, Will. I won't give up on our friendship. I can't – I won't." William turned away from her stare.

"I- I don't think the turtle is in here."

"Let's try my room, then," said Sammi. "Eva was in there playing early this morning."

"Good thinking," William said mechanically. They moved down the hall to Sammi's room, and she prayed that they'd find the turtle soon so she could get back to the children. Teague could only hold his own for so long…

"I don't want to give up on our friendship," William whispered as Sammi searched her bed for the turtle. "I just wish I could be a better friend to you. I feel like I'm letting you down." You are, Sammi wanted to say, but for once she kept quiet. "I wish you would just yell at me already."

"I was going to, but Eva interrupted me," she admitted. "Now I'm still deciding on an alternate form of punishment." With a smirk, Sammi closely scrutinized her friend, wondering if he'd be expecting a slap or a kick where it hurt most. It was then that she noticed the small bulge in his pocket.

"What's that you've got there?" She asked, curious if it had anything to do with his night on the town with Ophelia. William frowned.

"What's what?" She didn't have time to play games – Eva and the rest were waiting on them, so she simply snatched the folded piece of parchment from his pocket.

"Hey!" William protested. "You can't read that, Sammi! It's private." But William's fervent exclamations didn't prevent her from perusing the contents of the document. But she soon wished that she hadn't read it when her stomach clenched in disgust. This harsh reaction made sense, as she was holding a love poem that William had composed specifically for Ophelia. But instead of ripping the paper to shreds, which had been her original instinct, she simply laughed.

"Well, this is interesting," she commented between guffaws. William's love poem would be amusing if it wasn't so perverse, these pure and innocent amateur words wasted on a beautiful, conniving little rich girl.

"What do you mean it's interesting?" William cried. "Is it that bad?" Sammi winced, but not for the reason that William believed.

"Let's just say I think you should stick to sketching," she advised. William groaned in dismay and sat down on her bed, his head resting comfortably in his hands.

"It took me all week to dream that up! I just wanted to tell her how I truly felt, and I thought it was a romantic way to do so." Sammi snorted, secretly thinking that William was absolutely right. It was a romantic gesture, no matter how corny and clichéd the poem happened to be. Above all, Sammi wished said corny and clichéd poem had been written about her, for her, instead of for Miss Face.

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "So sweet and so smart, you've abducted my heart? What kind of line is that? What are you trying to do, make her run for the hills?" William sighed.

"If it's really that awful, I just won't give it to her."

"Good," Sammi muttered. "I believe that would be wise – after all, you wouldn't want to scare her away." Even William couldn't miss the sarcasm that dripped from that remark.

"What is with you?" William hissed. "Why must you loathe this girl whom you've never met?" Gee, that's a tough one. "But it doesn't matter," he continued. "I'm going to see Ophelia tonight, whether you approve or not."

"You most certainly will not," Sammi said in a voice that she hoped sounded threatening. "You will not abandon me and your responsibilities. Will, you promised our parents that you would help take care of our little clan of terrors while they were gone! If you don't care about breaking that promise for me, at least keep it for them."

"This isn't about me watching the children, and you know it," William said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why don't you tell me what's really on your mind, why you don't want me to spend the evening with Ophelia?" Here it was, her perfect opportune moment. She'd planned on telling William anyway, and there was no time like the present. But still, it wasn't like she blurted out something this personal and sacred every day. Oh boy…

"You can't be with Ophelia tonight because, because…" She locked eyes with William and lost all train of coherent thought. Oh yes, now she remembered. How could she forget? "Because… I'm in love with you." Sammi's heart stopped as she awaited her best friend's response.

"You're in love with me." William's voice sounded emotionless and flat, which had not been the desired response.

"Yes, I have been for years," she whispered. "I'm yours if you will have me." William's body visibly shuddered.

"Do not mock me, Sammi," he growled, standing up to face her. William towered over her, his expression menacing, but she didn't feel the slightest bit of fear. Well, perhaps a small twinge of apprehension, but she knew William would never hurt her.

"I'm not mocking you," she insisted, her voice breaking as she did the best she could to convince him of her sincerity. "I meant every word. How could you possibly think that I could mock you about something as serious as this?"

William searched her eyes, gazing deep into her soul as he searched for a truth he hoped resided there, guarded and hidden from him for all these years. Sammi spotted the flicker of hope in her best friend's eyes as he struggled to come to grips with the depth of her love for him. Unnerved, William looked away. She reached for his hand and she felt his body stiffen. At first Sammi believed he was reacting to her touch, but then she finally saw what had captured his gaze. For in that moment, Sammi knew that all hope was lost. How could I have been so stupid?

"Sammi, since when do you read romance novels?" William's voice sounded odd, as if detached somehow.

"No," she whispered. "It's not what you think!" He yanked Ophelia's precious novel from atop her dresser which Sammi had carelessly left out for anyone to find.

"This isn't yours," William hissed, brandishing the book in front of her face. "It's stolen property!"

"Will, just let me ex-"

"No!" He yelled. "You were part of the group of criminals that broke into the Grace mansion last week. This proves it!"

"Will-"

"You didn't think I would find out," he said angrily. "But I did! You hid this from me. I'll bet that you didn't count on Ophelia confiding in me about everything that's been going on; about how the novel that she'd been reading had been stolen. You obviously didn't think she would mention the title or else you would've been more careful."

"William, I-"

"Save it," he muttered, shaking his head. "I can't believe you would sink so low as to pretend to love me so that I wouldn't have a chance at happiness with Ophelia, just so you could have your best friend all to yourself. It's despicable, even by your pirate standards."

"I'm not bloody pretending!" She screeched. "Will, what I did to the Graces was wrong, I'll admit it. But we didn't steal anything of value. It was more of a mischievous prank than anything else. But Lydia Grace deserved a good scare after what she's done to you." William frowned at her.

"You're not still on about the mother-daughter conspiracy to ensnare me?" He shook his head in disgust. "Unbelievable."

"Please, Will, you have to trust me!" Sammi exclaimed, stepping closer to him. "You have to trust me about the Graces' plot to get ahead in society and especially about my feelings for you. It's all true – I wouldn't lie about those things! You know that." William glared at her.

"What good is the word of a pirate?" He spat. "You cannot expect me to believe anything you saw after this. You were out robbing and defacing private property with a band of scallywags, probably the same ones who threw that rock at Ophelia's window the night before. What were you thinking? You could've been caught! Or worse, the pirates could have taken advantage of you! And you call me irresponsible…" He moved past her, and grabbed at a lump beneath a quilt he spotted in Sammi's desk chair.

"Here's the bloody turtle," he said, tossing it directly to her. "Tell the children not to wait up for me." And then he turned his back on her.

"Stop," she shouted, grabbing him by the arm before he could slip out of the room. "I can't let a stupid little misunderstanding come between us! William Turner, I love you with all my heart; I'll prove it to you." She advanced on him, intent on capturing the lips she'd dreamed about tasting for so long. But he forcibly shoved her away. Ah, rejection. What folly is this? It would've been easier if she knew William wasn't interested in her. But Sammi knew that he was. And that made it all the worse.

"No, you stop." Breathing heavily, William held her at arms length. To Sammi, it was obvious from his searing gaze how much he wanted her. William was wrestling with his self-control and Sammi was praying he'd lose the battle, even though she knew he wouldn't.

"Will," she whispered. "That dream that you had, you know the special one, it wasn't Ophelia who you shared it with – it was me. Remember, I was wearing that-"

"Enough," William thundered, causing Sammi to jump back away from him, wrenching her arms from his fierce grip. "Samantha Sparrow, I do not know what has possessed you to toy with me like this. But I can't take it any longer – I can't continue to live like this. This was the last straw. As far as I'm concerned, our friendship is now officially over."

"You would give up on us, just like that?" She whispered, her bottom lip quivering as she tried not to imagine a life without William's friendship.

"What else can I do?" He wondered aloud, bitterly laughing. "Our once indestructible bond of trust has been broken. I'm afraid that no relationship can endure without trust. You should've thought about that before you stole from the Graces. I'm sorry."

He turned away from her and ran for the door, leaving a stricken Sammi all alone in her empty room, clutching Eva's stuffed turtle for dear life. Oh God! What have I done?

Sammi wanted to cry, she needed to cry, but she couldn't. All she could do was agonize about how she had brought this on herself. If she'd never gone out that night, never met David's pirate friends, never stolen Ophelia's dumb book, she never would have been in the quandary she was in now. Instead, she'd be lounging in William's arms. He would've believed her when she confessed her love; that she knew for certain. William only needed a few more moments to work it out, and there would've been no doubt in his mind that she loved him.

But Sammi had shattered his trust in her, all thanks to some misplaced need for revenge against Lady Lydia and Ophelia. You truly are despicable, to let him down like this. She heaved a great sigh, and willed herself to pull together. Sammi knew she had to save the bout of self-pity for later. She had a responsibility to the children, and unlike William, she was going to honor it. Besides, she wasn't the only one to blame for this rift between her and William. He had committed unspeakable acts against her as well. She shouldn't get too down on herself, or let William's harsh words affect her spirit. But that was easier said than done. Sammi closed her eyes and imagined that all was well. Things will get better, she told herself as she opened her eyes. Maybe not right away, as things tended to get worse before they could get better. But someday – maybe there's hope for us.

For the moment, all Sammi had to do was get through the weekend, and when their parents returned to the island, perhaps they could help with the William situation. And with that positive thought, Miss Sparrow stood up, Eva's stuffed turtle in hand, and headed back to the children. Life went on – she had a turtle to deliver.

End Ch. 10 (Part I)

A/N: I told you that you'd love William in this one!! Haha. That was one of the angstiest scenes I have ever written, and they're only going to get worse. Hope you liked. Points if you get the veiled X-Files reference!
(I had to.)

P.S. Don't Stop Now was one of the songs on the trailer - I totally recommend it and anything else by Emmy Rossum!