Jack's eyes opened with a start while James had leapt out of his seat as had Will. Ella's entire body had jolted as if she'd fallen from the sky. The goddesses released Jack's hands and Jack dared to look up at Ella's face to see the slow movement of her chest, the color in her face somewhat returned. She still looked quite ill, but she seemed to be alive. It was almost too much for Jack to hope for.

"She's asleep." Persephone explained. "When a soul is called back to the body, it can be quite tiring for the individual." Jack nodded at her, pondering for a moment.

"Will she remember…everything?"

"Of course." Persephone replied, "Though, she will most likely remember very little, if anything about the Underworld." With a smile, she gestured toward the sleeping girl.

"It's alright…you can touch her." Hesitantly, his hand cupped her blissfully warm cheek, hot tears beginning to sting his eyes. A sob emerged from James as Will supportively touched his shoulder. Jack looked at Will, who nodded and turned back to Ella.

"Eleanore?" Jack whispered, unsure of what to do or say. Groggily, she frowned without opening her eyes and groaning as a child would do when being woken by their mother.

"What?" She asked grumpily in her sleep. All three men nearly collapsed in relief. Persephone let out a great sigh.

"Well then…I must go, no doubt to explain to my husband why he just lost a soul." Will let out a small laugh.

"I suspect you have nothing to worry about. Though I do warn you, she may have had him knitting or ballroom dancing." He laughed, winking at Jack. Persephone smiled and disappeared.

Aphrodite, however, was looking at Ella with great confusion.

"What 'es wrong?" Tia Dalma asked, moving to the goddess's side.

"I…I don't understand." She said, "She…she looks just like me…" Aphrodite shook her head in denial and sighed.

"Ah well…I must go too…"

"Thank you." Jack said sincerely and a surprised smile played at her face.

"You are most welcome…John." She winked at him and in a flash of pinkish light she was gone.

Ella's head hurt so badly it throbbed. She tried opening her eyes, but they felt as heavy as bricks.

"Ella?" Elizabeth's voice came out of the darkness, beckoning her to wake as the room came into focus.

"Liz?" She whispered. Elizabeth was standing over her with a damp cloth that felt wonderful on her head. "Am I dead?" She asked, her voice thick with exhaustion. Elizabeth shook her head.

"Not anymore." She replied and realization came to Eleanore.

"Beckett! Beckett shot me, he…"

"He's dead." Liz finished for her. "Jack killed him." Ella's eyes widened and her hand moved to where she'd been caught.

"But…where is the wound?" She asked in confusion. "How long have I been out?" Liz smiled.

"Three days…but Tia Dalma healed the wound when you…when you were…"

"Dead." Ella said uncomfortably. "I knew I'd died…I mean, I was in this dark cavern and there was a man…he…mistook me for someone else." She stopped then. "Where's Jack?" Liz grinned and pointed to an armchair across the room.

"He's finally asleep. I suggest you pretend you haven't been up yet. He wanted to be the first to see you awake." Ella managed an affectionate smile.

"The dear…of course." She whispered, closing her eyes again.

Elizabeth moved to Jack and crouched down to gently touch his arm.

"Jack…" She said soothingly. "Supper will be ready soon." He woke quickly, rubbing his eyes.

"Need…rum." He muttered as Liz rolled her eyes.

"Typical…I'll see if James has any in this house." She left the room quietly. After the door had closed, Ella began to stir, taking a deep breath. Not to her surprise, Jack heard her and was at her side in seconds. Hesitating, she dared to open her eyes and found him staring at her intently.

"Hello…" She said softly, smiling at him. Surprised replaced exhaustion as he realized she was really awake.

"Eleanore?" He asked in disbelief. She yawned.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked as his voice caught in his throat.

"Three days." He said, hearing her sigh.

"It was horrible, wasn't it?" He brushed a strand of his long, deep brown hair out of his face.

"Awful…" He agreed. "But you're here and you're looking at me…and you're mine and nothing is ever going to happen to you again because I'm never letting you out of my sight." She grinned.

"I know…" He took one of her hands.

"I found the house I was telling you about…right on the seashore…it needs some work, but it should be ready for you in a few months."

"Wonderful." She said as he finally allowed himself to break down, burying his face in her middle. Her hand lovingly came to stroke his thick hair.

"Put it all behind you Jack…" He moved to lay beside her, gathering her in his arms. "What's past is past."

"I don't know what I would have done it you…if there was nothing we could have…"

"But there was Jack…and here I am to prove it." She said touching his face, she so loved his face.

"You know I do love you." He said as she beamed at him.

"Why Captain…I do believe you've gone soft on me." He smiled, giving her a smoldering look.

"Just don't tell anyone, love…I have a rum drinking, pillaging, pilfering, pirating reputation to uphold, savvy?" She giggled.

"What about being an infamous rake?" She asked teasingly and he looked at her in shock.

"No love, that is one part I am proud to give up." He kissed her softly on the lips, never deepening the kiss for, in moments, he was asleep with his head on her shoulder. Kissing his forehead she let her cheek rest against the top of his head and let him sleep.

Moments later, the door cracked open and Ella saw James peek his head in.

"Ellie?" He whispered. She nodded at him and gently moved Jack to lay on his side, kissing him again. She got up and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh Jimmy…" She said, crying again and throwing herself into his arms as she had when she was very little. Silently, he held her tightly for a moment.

"Ellie...we thought we'd lost you..." She nodded at him, looking back at Jack and swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I think everyone did. He saved me..." She said, her voice full with love. James patted her cheek. "How is Charlotte?" She asked, wiping his face with his handkerchief.

"She's perfect...worried about you, but happy."

James couldn't suppress a grin.

"They've made me General...Governor Swann did." A grin broke on her face as she threw her arms around him.

"Oh James! It's what you always wanted!" His eyes were positively glowing as Ella went on happily. "Oh poor Charlotte...she was fretting so about the baby being a financial burden and now she can stop, though she really had nothing to fear in the first place." She stopped talking when the smile left her brother's face and turned to face him again. "What is it?" She asked. He shook his head in disbelief, staring at her in wonder.

"Ella, your nightgown...it shows part of your back...the scars." Her face reddened as she realized the nightgown was too big for her and hung off of her shoulders.

"Oh...oh dear." She said softly. "I'll just cover them then..."

"No." He said stopping her.

"No?" She asked in confusion, her eyes large with wonder.

"Ella your scars are...they're gone!" He cried and her mouth opened as if she were going to say something before she stopped

"What?" She moved quickly to the mirror, craning to see her exposed back and nearly fainted. Sure enough, the skin was as smooth as the day she'd been born.

"James...how?" She asked incredulously. He sighed, pulling the gown over her shoulders not to hide her back for once, but for the sake of modesty.

"I don't know, but I think this may have something to do with it..." He replied, picking up a small wicker box tied shut with a pink satin ribbon. Inside, there was a small infant sized pink dress adorned with bows and lace, an embroidered pillow with Ella's name on it and a folded piece of parchment with her name on it.

To my only daughter Eleanore on the event of her birth.

Today is the day you came into the world. Oh Eleanore...you and James are most precious to me in this world. There are so many things I want to tell you, but I don't know where to start so I'll just get on with it. Never forget daughter, that family is most important. As you will most likely find, you take after me. My hair color, the copper brown I once loathed and the green-blue of my eyes. You are, no doubt, destined to look like me as I look like my mother. Eleanore, what I am going to reveal to you in this letter will seem a bit outrageous, but you mustn't judge me. I hardly believed it myself when your grandfather told me on his deathbed. You see, I had never met my mother...I presumed her dead, but a goddess cannot die. Yes Ella, my mother was a goddess, the goddess of love to be exact. I am the daughter of Aphrodite herself, and you, her granddaughter. Right this moment, she is part of you and your brother, though since he is a male, he will not show as much of her. I can see the traits of her in you even now. You hardly cry...unless you are hungry. Know this my darling girl...I am most grateful for you and for this bond we share.

Your loving Mother,

Isabella

"James..." Ella whispered after a long while of staring at the parchment. He nodded at her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"I know." He replied. "I am going to leave you and Jack alone...and spend some time with Charlotte. I will see to you later." He said, holding her tightly. She watched him leave, the letter still clutched in her shaking hands. It was almost laughable, the irony of it all. Aphrodite was her grandmother...and Aphrodite herself was the very reason Ella had found her life entwined with that of Jack Sparrow's. Folding the letter neatly, she placed it back in the box and gently took out her baby dress. It was hard to believe she'd once worn the garment and to her surprise in it's folds of lace and satin, was a miniature portrait of her family. Her mother, father and Jim and in her mother's arms, she lay, asleep, wearing the very same dress she held in her hands. When she was able to tear her eyes off of the miniature, she saw Jack staring at her oddly.

"Planning ahead love?" He asked, gesturing to the dress. She shook her head, blushing.

"It was mine..." She explained, showing him the portrait.

"You look just like her..." He said, a tender grin coming to his unshaven face. She nodded proudly.

"I know...she told me everything." Ella gave him the letter too, watching his expression change from amusement to wonder to shock to understanding.

"Of course..." He said. "She knew something was strange with how much you resembled her." He said, referring to Aphrodite.

"I want to meet her." Ella said softly, sitting beide him. "I am, after all, one quarter goddess." She teased and a smirk played at his mouth.

"More than just a quarter goddess, pet. How I missed you..." He said and pulled her into a kiss. When they pulled apart an amused grin made her suspicious.

"What is it?" She asked, brushing his hair out of his face. His eyes were glowing with mischief.

"If you are a quarter goddess, does that mean that your darling brother is too?" She stared at him a moment before she lost her cool and broke into a fit of giggles.