"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time."

– R. Tagore

Will's hand rested softly on the small of Elizabeth's back as she climbed up and over the rail and onto the deck of the Black Pearl. His gentle guidance was as much for safety as it was for reassurance, as her impatience to find their son and take her revenge upon Jack seemed to have trumped such small concerns as taking heed of where she stepped so as not to tumble headfirst into the ocean.

Jack stood waiting, a triumphant smile upon his face. "Elizabeth, William!" he declared grandly.

His smile fell just a bit as Elizabeth breezed past him, eyes carefully scanning ever corner of the deck. Finding no audience there, he turned his attention instead to Will. "I must say, I'm a bit disappointed," Jack affably criticized, indifferent to the clear signs that Will was in no mood for such sport. "I expected you hours ago."

Though Elizabeth appeared not to have heard, Will's fears were immediately put to rest by Jack's statement. There was only one reason for Jack to be expecting them. William must be with him. Knowing his son was safely aboard, Will was now free to deal with the matter of how he had gotten there in the first place.

Her search of the deck coming up empty, Elizabeth anxiously rushed to Jack's side, frantically demanding, "Where is William? Is he here? Is he with you?"

Jack gave her an offhanded glance, appearing mildly annoyed at such uncharacteristic feminine hysterics. "He's in my cabin, luv."

Elizabeth closed her eyes, pure relief washing over her, such a contrast to the dread mere moments before that she wobbled slightly on her feet, Will immediately taking hold of her arm and supporting her.

She had earned Jack's full interest now. "Really, you're not the type for swooning," he quipped, voice laced with a hint of distaste. "It's not at all becoming on you."

Elizabeth's eyes shot open, her palm making firm contact with Jack's cheek before either man realized what was happening.

The crew, who had gathered on deck to observe the scene, let out a collective "ooh" of commiseration at the loud slap.

"He had that one comin' though," Pintel remarked, Ragetti silently nodding in agreement.

Carmen, who remained the most distant of the onlookers, watched the unfolding drama with wide eyes, wondering at the identify of this intrepid, feisty young woman who was evidently William's mother.

Still incensed, Elizabeth continued to stare daggers at Jack, making the captain wonder if she planned on hitting him a second time. "How could you do this?" she heatedly rebuked. "What were you thinking? How could you be so heartless? Knowing all the while we would be sick with worry for our son."

Jack turned from Elizabeth to Will, whose now steely eyes remained intently focused on the pirate. "I'm hurt, deeply hurt, mate," he said, a hand theatrically placed over his heart. He frowned slightly, ostensibly reading an additional insult into their accusations. "Captain Jack Sparrow need not resort to press ganging small boys into service. I have more than enough full-grown volunteers. The lad did this all on his own."

Elizabeth regarded him doubtfully. "I find that difficult to believe."

"At the very least, you put the idea in his mind," Will interjected.

"That boy has plenty of ideas of his own," Jack replied in all honesty. "I'm amazed he never tried this years ago. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't see this coming."

A look of hurt flashed across Elizabeth's features. "I'm going to find my son," she said coldly, briskly walking away into the captain's quarters.

"What really happened, Jack?" Will asked, folding his arms across his chest. "And, for once in your life, tell the truth."

Inside the cabin, Elizabeth found her son happily sitting at Jack's navigational desk, mapping his way across the Caribbean, so absorbed in the task he had yet to notice her presence. At last catching sight of her child, safe and well after she had feared the worst, was one of the most wonderful feelings she had ever experienced. It could compare only to the day her husband returned to her.

"William," she joyfully called.

Recognizing his mother's voice anywhere, he immediately looked up. "Mama?" His eyes locking onto his mother's, he elatedly repeated, "Mama!"

Jumping from the chair, William ran to his mother who met him halfway, dropping to her knees and enveloping him in a loving hug.

"Oh, William," she sighed, holding him tighter as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Mama, am I glad to see you," he said into her shoulder.

"Are you?" she asked, sounding somewhat unsure.

" 'Course. But what are you doing here?" he questioned, pulling away to look at her face. "….And why are you crying?"

"What am I doing here?" Elizabeth asked in astonishment. "Papa and I came to find you. When we read your letter we were beside ourselves."

"You….you were?" he asked ashamedly.

"Certainly we were. We didn't know what had happened to you. William, anything might have happened to you," she replied, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "You mustn't ever, ever do that again."

"I – I'm sorry, Mama," William whispered, wiping at her tears. "I didn't mean for you to be worried."

"I know, darling," Elizabeth tenderly reassured, "but we were worried, terribly. We were so very afraid for you."

"Papa, too?" William asked, astounded.

"Papa, too," she affirmed.

"But…." he trailed off, disappointment clear in his tone. "….But I can take care of myself…..I thought at least he knew that."

"William," Elizabeth began gently, "dearest, regardless of whether you can take care of yourself alone, we wouldn't want you to. We don't want you to leave us. We love you. We would miss you far too much."

"But I wasn't leaving, Mama," he insisted wholeheartedly. "I promise I'd never do that. I was only going away for a little while…..I – I thought you could keep each other company," he confessed, now embarrassed at his obviously erroneous presumption.

"Even for a little while, we would miss you," she dotingly disclosed.

Silence fell between them as William fiddled nervously with a piece of his mother's skirt. "Do you want to know a secret?" he quietly offered. Elizabeth nodded, encouraging him to continue. "I missed you, too, both of you…..And – and I'm beginning to believe....maybe….maybe being a pirate isn't exactly what I thought it would be."

"Oh?" she said, perceptively. Then her face clouded as a disturbing thought occurred to her. "Why? What did Jack make you do?"

"Nothing," William laughed. "I just don't think I want to be like his crew after all…..Maybe, instead, I could be more like Papa – a pirate and a good man."

Elizabeth smiled. "If you are intent on being a pirate then, by all means, be like your papa…..But, William, your papa is a very special sort of pirate, you know that. You've always known that…..Running off to join Jack's crew," she continued, gently scolding, "that is not like your papa."

"I know," he said gravely. "I know it was wrong. Carmen made me realize that."

"Who is Carmen?" she questioned her son as she rose to her feet.

"She's joined Jack's crew," he explained distractedly. "But I still want to sail, Mama. It's not how I thought it would be, but it's still been wonderful. And I'm more than nine and a half now; that's old enough – not only to sail, but to be of good use. And this is even better yet. We can all sail together now like I've always wanted."

"No, William," she answered, softly but firmly.

Hearing this, his expression changed and he turned away from her, walking back towards his map in silence.

Elizabeth knew she had disappointed him, but it was as it must be. Still, it didn't sit well with her for her son to be angry with her so soon after they were reunited. Sighing, she crossed the room to stand behind him. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, placing her hand affectionately on his shoulder. "It just isn't safe."

William whirled about and his mother was surprised to see his eyes were full of tears. "Safe! Safe!" he shouted, overcome with frustration. "My whole life was always about what was safe and what wasn't. We could never go sailing on one of our ships. I could never play alone by the sea. I never had lessons with the other children in town."

Elizabeth was taken aback by his sudden outburst. "Are you saying you've been unhappy, William?" she asked, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

"No," he said, sniffling. Appearing to have calmed some, he hurriedly brushed away all evidence of his childish tears. "I'm happy. I've always been happy, and I'm even happier now that Papa is home." He faltered, his father's gentle nature – wishing at all costs to please those he loved – beckoned him to leave well enough alone before his words truly hurt her but, in the end, the restlessness need for freedom he owed to his mother prevailed, and he continued resolutely, "But I don't want everything to be about what's safe…..I want to do something unsafe. I want to have an adventure like the ones you and Papa used to have."

"You don't like our life as it is now?"

William instantly regretted the pain he saw in his mother's eyes. "I do," he said genuinely. "I….I will. But I want to do something exciting and adventurous for once, be brave and strong like Papa….like you….I want to duel with pirates, sail through storms and – "

"You want to go to Portugal," his mother interrupted.

"To help Jack and those people," he earnestly confirmed, adding impishly, "and sail away with a hold full of treasure."

Elizabeth gave him a wry smile. "For the first time in my life, I believe I truly understand what my father must have been feeling…..I think I've told you too many pirate stories for you own good," she teased.

"Does that mean we can go?"

Elizabeth paused, William looking at her beseechingly. "I'll talk to Papa about it."

"Hazzah!!" he ecstatically cried, lunging at his mother and hugging her fiercely about the neck.

Elizabeth readily returned the hug, after a moment, laughingly uttering, "All right, all right. You're chocking your poor mother."

William loosened his hold, pulling back from her slightly, but still remaining within her embrace.

"You know," she began gently, "when I had all of those rules for you, William, there was always a reason."

"I know, I know," he said, trying to be patient, trying very hard not to roll his eyes. "You wanted me to be safe."

"Yes," she chuckled, easily seeing through to her son's struggle. "I always want to keep you from harm – and I always will – because I love you so. But there was more to it….." She hesitated, wondering if he was old enough to hear the truth now, wondering if she was even ready to admit it. Ultimately, she decided he deserved to know. "You were all I had," she confessed. "I had already lost your father. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to you, even if it was only the slightest chance…..And think how I would've failed Papa if I ever was careless enough to allow something bad to happen to you. So I kept you always very close, always very guarded, always very…..safe."

"I understand, Mama," William answered sincerely, his startlingly perceptive nature ever surprising his mother, though by now she should be used to it. "I understood then, too, and I never blamed you for it…..But I always took care of myself – and you," he said with masculine pride. "I was the man of our house for years. I think I can safely swim in the sea by myself," he giggled, suddenly but a child again.

"Yes, I suppose you were the man of our house," she acknowledged. "That was a heavy burden for such a little boy."

"But now Papa's back."

"Yes, and that makes me very happy," Elizabeth avowed, continuing on to tell her son what she thought he already knew, but perhaps he needed to hear all the same, "but having your father back with me doesn't mean that I love you any less or will stop worrying over you. I still will, even when you're a full grown man."

William nodded, trying his hardest to look very adult as he slipped from her arms. "Marta says that's what mothers do. And I know you don't love me any less for having Papa back," he said, as if the idea were absurd. "But he's all right, Mama. He's all right, and I'm all right. We're all all right. Everything's fine now. We can be happy and carefree and have an adventure now and then, just like you used to do. I'm big enough to come along now; I am."

Elizabeth smiled wistfully. "And who am I to keep you from adventure? I never let anyone keep me from it…..What if we make an agreement, William?"

He recognized that look of mischief in her eyes and nodded excitedly, knowing he would love whatever she was about to say.

"From now on," Elizabeth playfully declared, "you are in charge of all adventures, and your father and I will worry about….worrying. From this point on, you forget all about grown up matters – for the next few years or so – and simply think about adventures," she said, recalling quite a few of her own as a child, "and merriment, and any other silly thing that comes into that sharp mind of yours," she finished, tussling his dark wavy locks and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Mother!" William laughed, holding out his hand for her to shake instead. "We have an accord."

Elizabeth shook on their agreement just as Will walked into the cabin.

"And what have we reached an accord on?" he asked lightly, gathering from the smiles on the faces of his wife and son that whatever problem had caused the child to runaway had been resolved. "I hope you negotiated well, son. Your mother drives a hard bargain."

"I came out all right," William replied as he crossed the cabin to his father. "I'm sorry, Papa, that I left without permission, and that I worried you so."

Will put his arm about his son, pulling him to his side, marveling at the fact that the young boy seemed to be growing taller each day. "Well, I can't say that what you did was right, but I do understand that sometimes even young boys have a need to get away – perhaps especially young boys. I used to sneak off with your mother all the time," he said with a wink.

"William," Elizabeth interrupted, "will you please go out on deck and talk with….." She paused, searching for the most inoffensive party for him to speak with. "…Mr. Gibbs for a moment. I need to speak to your father."

William shot her a knowing look and left the room with a smile, closing the door behind him.

AN: I'm loving your reviews. They are fuel to my Willabeth fire! ; )

Can you believe it? Three chapters without a single love scene. Inexcusable! But now that things are beginning to mend and the plot is progressing along steadily, I promise they'll be some nice fluff and Will/Elizabeth interactions in the upcoming chapters.