Hoist the Colors: Book One

Elizabeth's POV

"But we've got to save Will!"

"No!" My father countered. "You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!" He brushed past me as he walked along the deck of the ship that had come to rescue Jack and I thanks to a massive signal that I had been able to create with the use of Jack's hidden rum stash on the island. I admit, I had been sorely disappointed when the infamous pirate had explained his less than stellar solution as to how he'd escaped last time, but in any case, the rum had done us a favor one way or another. Jack and I were now safely aboard the Dauntless, and out of harm's way.

But Will was still out there, in the hands of the cruelest men I'd ever met, and Jay was as well. I stormed after my father, furious. "Then we condemn him to death!"

He paused and turned to look at me, now standing next to James Norrington. "...The boy's fate is regrettable," he said curtly, "but then, so was his decision to engage in piracy."

"To rescue me; to prevent anything from happening to me!" I was desperate now. "And what about Jay? And Elyse?" I glanced at James, who looked absolutely torn. "You would leave your own niece there to die? And what about your sister, James?" Neither of them answered.

Suddenly, Jack raised a hand from where he was being guarded nearby and stepped forward. "If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion-" It took nearly all my willpower not to roll my eyes "- the Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle; it's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time." James' gaze was one of cold indifference, but Jack was doing his best to make his offer seem tempting. "Think about it. The Black Pearl...the last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up, aye?" Realizing that he wasn't making much of an impression, he glanced between the two men and offered a cheeky smile.

As I expected, James' reply was firm and harsh. "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself." He turned away swiftly, but I noticed a flash of unbridled fury in his eyes for half a moment as he looked away from the pirate.

I frowned. He was angry, but what for? Surely that kind of spite was for more than my capture, especially after I'd made it clear that Jack had not had a hand in it. I followed after the taller man, my mind spinning as he made his way up the stairs. "Commodore, I beg you, please do this! For Elyse!"

He paused in his stride at the top of the stairs, not turning to us as he spoke. "...I may send other men after her, if I can," he said, his tone a bit softer for a moment. "But I cannot endanger you any further, and then there is the most pressing matter of dealing with Mr. Sparrow as well."

I gaped at him in disbelief. This did not sound like the James I knew at all. I could not convince myself that he would truthfully leave his sister behind for the sake of the law. "Commodore – for me, then," I said abruptly, switching to another tactic. "...As a wedding gift." That got his attention. I felt a ball of discomfort settle in my stomach as he whipped his head around, mouth slightly agape, and eye wide with shock. I forced myself to stare back at him as lovingly as I could. Forgive me, Will.

My father also stepped up beside me, just as shocked. "Elizabeth? Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?" He sounded overjoyed. James continued to hold my stare, searching me for any falseness.

"I am," I said softly, hoping that he would believe it.

Jack's brow shot up in excitement. "A wedding! I love weddings! Drinks all around!" he proclaimed. I could not hold James' intimidating gaze any longer and dropped my eyes for a moment, taking a breath before hurrying to look at him again.

But my insides twisted when I saw his face harden again, now looking up and away from me. He knows. He saw through it.

Jack winced a bit, now preparing to face James' wrath. "I know. 'Clap 'im in irons,' right?" He raised his wrists in defeat.

James' resolve did not fade, but he did descend the steps once again so that he was nearly on level ground with the pirate. "Mr. Sparrow! You will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?" I hoped that my face didn't betray my surprise and relief at his words. Maybe he does believe me.

Jack looked a bit uneasy, but still replied with a small grin. "Inescapably clear."

"Wonderful. Then might I have a word with you? A private word," he added upon seeing the two guards prepare to follow. Jack looked at him oddly, but nodded his consent anyway, and I watched curiously as James dismissed the rest of us before leading Jack to a more private area near the staircase.

oOo

Norrington's POV

I could hardly suppress my rage as I cornered Sparrow, my eyes boring deeply into his as I ground out my words through clenched teeth. "Know that you have no favor with me on this ship, Sparrow. I will see you hung from a noose and left to rot for the vultures for what you've done."

Though he seemed adamant in keeping that infuriatingly smug look on his face, I sensed confusion in him. "You're quite protective of Elizabeth, aren't ye?"

I could've laughed in his face. "This is not about Elizabeth, though you will answer to me also if you so much as lay a finger on her ever again," I said lowly. When the idiot still didn't register what I was getting at, I spat the answer out at him. "You took my sister."

Sparrow frowned for a moment. "Sister?" And then realization washed over him. "Oh! That's right, Elyse!" I wanted to run him through even for saying her name with such disgrace. "Nearly forgot about her."

"Yes," I replied sarcastically. "Her." I stepped even closer, forcing him back against the wall. "I know you and Turner took her with you, and I can sincerely promise you that when I find her – and believe me, I will find her – if she is harmed in any way, I will end your lives in the most unpleasant ways imaginable."

Despite my threats, he seemed amused, which only served to anger me further. Just as I was about to shout at him to wipe the smirk off of his face, he said something that nearly had me doubling back. "Well clearly you've been left in the dark here, because I didn't take her. She came along herself."

For a moment, I could hardly process his words, but I at least could realize how ridiculous that accusation was. "She would never voluntarily assist the likes of you," I snarled.

Jack shrugged carelessly. "All right, I'll give you that. It likely wasn't entirely her plan to assist me. She came on behalf of dearest William."

My frown deepened. "Turner? What did he have to do with it?"

"She wanted to help 'im," he replied. "Young Miss Elyse came on her own, Mr. Norrington. I can assure you I had nothing whatsoever to do with it."

So this is really Turner's fault. I should've known. But a part of me still didn't trust the pirate enough to believe him. "And how can I be sure you're not lying?"

"Ask her yourself," he said quickly. "Go after her, save her from the grip of death, whatever you please. Then ask her if she was forced to come along." I narrowed my gaze at him as his typical arrogant tone took over again. He was challenging me. "But I will warn you, mate. You're probably not going to like her answer."

I scoffed. "Why? Because it will give me further evidence that you are a lying rat who steals and kills for treasure, and calls himself pirate?"

"No..." he said, smirking, and his next statement made my blood run cold. "Because she's well on her way to becoming one herself."

oOo

Elyse's POV

A discontented huff escaped me as I slouched back against the wall of the cell. The pirates who'd tossed us in there – Pintel and Ragetti, as I'd learned – certainly hadn't been gentle about it, but once they realized that one cell wouldn't be large enough to hold the entire crew, they'd at least had the decency to separate Jay and I from the rest of the crew. Now we shared a cell with Will, which I was also very grateful for. Our new home wasn't in ideal condition, though. The air was damp and thick with a musky smell that made my nose crinkle, and there was only one weathered old stool inside, which Jay was currently occupying.

Looking over at my dark-haired friend, my brow creased with worry. There were very few things in the world that she truly feared, but being locked up in a cage was one of them, I knew. She'd insisted that she could handle it a few minutes ago on our way down, but the moment we'd set foot past the iron bars, she'd tensed up and gone completely silent. I watched as she sat there, staring blankly at the floor, fists clenched and trembling slightly.

Will had noticed it, too. "Jay," he said softly, making his way over to her and bending down to gently clasp her hands in his own. She blinked and took a sharp breath, snapping out of her trance. "It's going to be all right," he said. "We're here."

I swallowed thickly and dropped my gaze. He hadn't said a word to me since what had transpired on the deck, and I could tell he was angry. A small part of me felt ashamed at manipulating him up there as I had, but I couldn't bring myself to be separated from him again. I feared too much for his safety.

As if he could sense I was thinking about him, I suddenly head him stand again. "Elyse." Lifting my eyes from the floor, I saw him step forward and cross the cell to meet me, though I couldn't look at him fully just yet. He came right up beside me, cornering me in an odd sort of way so that I couldn't escape, and spoke in hushed tones so that the rest of the crew wouldn't hear. There was a fierce tone to his voice that scared me. "Do you have any idea what you just did? What were you thinking? I could've gotten you out of here!"

I tried to push back my fear and felt my face flush when I realized just how close he was to me. "I didn't want to leave you and Jay here. I would've never been able to live with myself."

"I can manage just fine on my own," he countered harshly, "and Jay would be under my protection. You, on the other hand, need to get back to your brother."

I blinked, taken aback by his words. "...I'm sorry?"

"You don't belong here, Elyse." His gaze was hard. "This is not something you can charm your way out of. This is a world of theft, and lies, and bloodshed...and not one I would see you in."
I stared at him for a moment, absolutely awestruck. "How dare you!" I hissed. "You would send me home without a second thought, after all I've done to try and protect you? I was doing it for your sake, Will! It's not my fault that things didn't go exactly as I planned!"
"And what was your plan?" he questioned. "To storm Isla de Muerta on your own, and take down a crew of undead pirates single-handedly in order to save Jack and I? How do you think that would've worked out for you? You've never killed a man before once in your entire life!"

"I can defend myself perfectly fine!" I said indignantly. "You trained me yourself!"

Will looked to be just about at the end of his rope. "Yes! I taught you how to defend yourself! But that alone won't get you very far with these men, Elyse!" The anger slowly drained from me as I finally understood what he was getting at. "You can block as many attacks as your heart desires, but eventually these pirates are going to get tired of playing games and run you through." I looked at my feet, now feeling stupid again. "You are not a fighter, Elyse. They'd kill you without a second thought." I felt a tinge of self-loathing blossom in my chest. Of course. Because I'm too incompetent to get myself out of trouble. He's right. I'm no more than a damsel in distress. But then I heard his tone change...it softened. "Do not ask me to put your life at risk for my own gain. Ever." I looked back up to him, and his deep brown eyes had somewhat returned to their natural warm, caring state. "That is not something that I would ever be able to live with."

I stared at him for a moment, any bitter feelings towards him now gone. But just as I was about to completely submit to him and admit that I was better off back in Port Royal, a flash of white caught my eye from where it peeked out from beneath his shirt. Heart thumping wildly in my chest, I carefully reached out and touched it, feeling the lump of the stone beneath the fabric. "Maybe I'm not a fighter," I said, "but I still made you a promise. That's what this is for, remember?" I looked back up at him, fearing my legs would give out from my hand lingering on his chest. "I told you that I would stay by your side, no matter what happened, and I intend to do just that."

But then something in his face changed, and I saw a saddened look pass over his features. "...That may not be the wisest choice for you anymore," he said softly.

I frowned, concerned by his sudden change of emotion, and my hand moved to lightly grip his arm. "What do you mean?" He didn't respond. His mind was somewhere else; his gaze distant. "Will? Did something happen?" I watched in confusion as he pulled away and stalked up to the front wall of the cell, looking towards Pintel, who had just smacked the cell door of our other crewmates with a filthy mop for one of their snide comments.

Will leaned up against the bars, and I moved to stand next to him, completely confused. "...You knew William Turner?" he asked. At first, I didn't know who he was talking about, and my frown deepened.

Pintel turned his attention to him. "Ol' Bootstrap Bill?" A wicked smile crept onto his face. "We knew 'im."

I felt my face drop as it dawned on me. Will shifted a bit, and I grabbed his arm again. "Will," I whispered, now fearful of what he was about to engage in. "Don't ask questions you're not prepared to hear the answer to."

He looked at me briefly, but shook his head. "I need to do this," he replied just as softly before turning back to Pintel.

The portly man took this as his cue to go on. "Never sat well with Bootstrap, what we did to Jack Sparrow...the mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with The Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you, as it were." Will's face slowly morphed into one of despair, and I stared at Pintel in wonder as he spoke. Will's father...was a pirate? What? "He said we deserved to be cursed...and remain cursed."

"Stupid blighter!"

I shot a seething glare at Ragetti for his comment, as did Gibbs. "Good man," he shot back.

Pintel gave him a dirty look of his own before returning to his storytelling. "And as you can imagine...that didn't sit too well with the captain."

Ragetti giggled, stepping up to us as well. "That didn't sit too well with the Captain at all. Tell 'im what Barbossa did."

"I'm tellin' the story!" Pintel shouted at the taller man before looking at us again. I glanced at Will, relieved to see that he held a mask of indifference to the pirates' words again. Good, Will. Be strong. "So...what the captain did..." His twisted, malicious grin returned, and my jaw clenched at his next words. "He strapped a cannon to Bootstraps' bootstraps."

"Bootstraps' bootstraps..." Ragetti echoed.

No... My eyes widened. No, don't say that he-

"And last we saw of ol' Bill Turner...he was sinkin' to the crushin' black oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker." Pintel's eyes bored hard into Will's, and I felt my heart break as I looked back to the blacksmith. His face remained stoic, but I could see the crushing grief hidden in his eyes. "...'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse," he added lightly.

"Now that's what you call ironic," Ragetti mused.

Then the two of them started chuckling, and that was when my anger finally spilled over. "Enough!" I spat, turning my burning gaze on them. "Leave him alone."

They fell silent, and shared a look between each other before Pintel smirked again, his attention now on me. "Why? You gonna jump through those bars and save 'im? Swaddle 'im till he goes to sleep?"

My jaw clenched. I'd had more than enough of these two. "Your job is to mop up waste, isn't it? I believe you missed two spots there." I jabbed fingers at them both. His smirk twisted into a snarl, and before I knew it, he was lunging towards me, slamming up against the bars with a bang. I jumped back in fright, stumbling and hitting the wall. Will came after me and gripped my shoulder to keep me from falling completely as Gibbs jumped to my defense, and they reluctantly went back to work without another word.

"Elyse, are you all right?" Will asked.

I was breathing hard from the scare, but I nodded and waved him off. "Yes, I'm fine. I just...are you all right?"

He immediately dropped his eyes, not looking at me. "Yes."

I frowned. "William Turner, you must think I'm a fool if you expect me to believe that." I gently reached out to touch his hand, getting him to look up again. "I will not press you for the truth if you're not ready to talk about it, but...I-I mean, if you need anything, I'm-"

"No, Elyse...it's fine," he said quietly. "You deserve to know." He motioned for us to sit down, and we did so, backs pressed against the ship's hull. He hesitated for a moment, trying to find his words. "...I'm not sure where to start."

I bit my lip, unsure if it was my place to ask questions, but several of them rising to the surface of my mind nonetheless. "...The medallion," I said. "They said it came to you by your father?"

He nodded, then looked at me. "Do you remember when we were on the Interceptor and I told you that Jack had accused my father of being a pirate? He was right...which means I am as well."

My jaw dropped. "Will...you're not."

"His blood flows through my veins, Elyse," the blacksmith replied. "The medallion is the last piece of the treasure that was stolen, and he gave it to me in order to keep the curse upon them, as they said. I'd always thought it was just something to remember him by, but..." he trailed off into a humorless smile. "Apparently it meant more than that."

I frowned again. "I don't believe you're a pirate," I said firmly. "One piece of gold doesn't define your entire identity."

"But it's not just that one piece, is it? Think about everything we've done, Elyse. We broke a man out of jail. We helped him steal a Navy ship, and then chased down a ship of undead men to rescue Elizabeth's from being killed over treasure." As I took his words in, a feeling of dread washed over me. But...that's impossible. I...it can't be... "We are pirates, Elyse," he said solemnly. "Especially me. And now I'm no better than the rest of them." He sighed in defeat and hung his head.

"No. Will, that is not true." I turned slightly to face him. "Maybe we are pirates, but... You're still a good man. One of the best men I've ever known." His deep brown eyes locked on mine, and I felt my heart race again. "You nearly sacrificed yourself to save us. No black-hearted scoundrel on this ship would have the courage or selflessness to do that."

He seemed to consider this for a second, but then looked upset again. "...I don't want pirate blood in me," he said softly. "Elizabeth can't love a pirate. Her father would never allow it."

Though it stung to still see him so set on loving her, I swallowed the hurt and continued to comfort him. "If her love for you is strong enough, then that won't matter. She...she cares about you. You would not be separated from her so easily if she could help it."

"But I would still draw her into all this." He gestured to the dirty ship surrounding us. "Just like I did with you. I don't want that."

Praying that my face was not as hot as it felt, I reached out and grabbed his hand again. "Elizabeth is strong. I don't think you need to worry about her as much as you do." Still seeing his disheartened expression, I tried again. "None of this is your fault, Will. This has all spiraled out of control in a way no one could've guessed. But I still have faith in you. We'll make it through this."

His eyes softened, and the smallest of smiles pulled at the corners of his mouth as he spoke. "...Thank you, Elyse. For everything. I don't know what I would do if you weren't around to keep me thinking straight."

I blushed and looked away. "Well now you're giving me too much credit." We laughed, easing the tension in the room as we continued to talk on into the night, and my heart soared to see a bit of the normal sparkle return to his eyes. Even if you are a pirate...it doesn't make me love you any less.

oOo

Will's POV

"...and by that point, of course, it had just gotten so ridiculous that I-" I stopped, realizing that she hadn't responded in awhile. "...Elyse?" I looked down and smiled. She fell asleep. With a low chuckle, I shifted just enough so that her head rested more comfortably on my shoulder, not wanting to wake her up. Everyone else had fallen asleep, and it was pitch-black, save for the light of a single dying lantern nearby that looked like it would give up any second now. I wondered how long Elyse and I had talked for...it seemed like years. We had just gotten so wrapped up in our conversation that we'd hardly paid attention to the time.

My eyes rested on the blonde curled up at my side, her chest rising and falling easily as she slept. Any regret I'd had for bringing her with me on this journey was gone at the moment. She'd pulled me out of my thoughts about my father and piracy, and had managed to get me laughing at some of her strange childhood stories from long ago. I thought about how lucky I was to have her at my side. Maybe it really was for the best that she stayed on the ship.

"You have no idea how much she cares about you, Will."

The sudden voice made me jump, and I looked up into the darkness surrounding us, my eyes adjusting so that I could just barely see Jay, still sitting on her stool, watching us. "... I thought you were asleep," I muttered, slightly embarrassed that she'd probably heard our whole conversation.

She cracked a small smile, though I could tell she was still uncomfortable in the cell. "I'm not now. Don't worry, I didn't hear everything."

"What did you hear?"

She shrugged. "Nothing I haven't heard from her before about you."

Now I was confused. "What do you mean?"

She stared at me for a moment, like she was choosing her words carefully for whatever reason. "...She would lay down her life for you, Will. Elyse is probably one of the most loyal people I've ever met, and more than anyone else, she's loyal to you. I know you were mad about her following after you and Jack, but she was telling you the truth when she said it was to help you."

"I don't doubt it," I agreed, "but it was still foolish. She could've gotten hurt."

"And if it would protect you, she'd do it," the dark-haired woman countered smoothly. "I know you don't like it, but that's just how she is. She'll never let you walk into danger alone if it's possible."

I sighed, looking back down at her. "...She tries so hard to protect me...but I don't understand why. I've done nothing to deserve her loyalty." Jay didn't respond, and when I raised my head after a few moments, it appeared that she was sleeping again. My eyes returned to Elyse, thoughts spinning. ...But I am just as protective of her, aren't I? I couldn't handle seeing her hurt...and I'd do anything to keep her safe, just as she would for me. I heard Jay's voice echoing in my head. She would lay down her life for you, Will. And that was the ultimate sacrifice. She would give up everything for me, when I'd done nothing to earn that.

After a moment, I looked away and leaned my head against the wall again, still thinking of Elyse as my eyelids began to grow heavy. She'd come along on this adventure for me. She'd thrown herself into this dangerous world that she had no place in for me. She'd given up her own freedom for my sake...and that...that was admirable.

A/N: Fjhakhsdjks I need to sleep