Disclaimer: Will, Jack, Elizabeth, Ana, and the other PotC characters don't belong to me
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 along with Dani and James Turner! Sammi is by far my favorite OC that I've created, I just love her.
A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed the final chapter – I'm so thrilled that you all enjoyed the plot twist, even if about half of you guessed it. I'd especially like to thank WillsElizabeth23, as I cannot respond to her by review reply. Your reviews were so sweet – thank you so much! There will be plenty of fluff in this chapter, don't worry. I know it got really angsty there for awhile, but that's over, thank God.
So this is the part that just raps everything up. It's more uplifting than anything, but there is a solemn tone to it, as they are still mourning for Bootstrap. Enjoy!
-Epilogue-
While Sammi and William napped, Elizabeth and Will considered Captain Teague's offer.
"You really want us to have your ship?" Will asked, disbelieving. It was common knowledge that the Destroyer meant as much to Teague as the Black Pearl did to Jack – he couldn't believe the old pirate would willingly part with it.
"Aye, I want you to have it," Teague said solemnly. "I'm retiring for good," he said with a small smile, nodding at Faith across the room. "That's why I nominated you for Keeper of the Code."
"Yes, but… we didn't think you'd be retiring from piracy completely," Jack stammered. Ana looked just as shocked as her life-partner did, and patted his arm. "Are you sure this is what you want?" Teague chuckled as he answered his son.
"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't sure. Well, Will?" Will's mind was reeling as he contemplated this generous offer. Could he possibly imagine himself as captain of another vessel, even if he became captain by choice? Frowning, all Will could recall his time on the Flying Dutchman was that while he grew into an efficient leader, he didn't find any joy in ordering around the lesser deckhands. No, if Will captained a different ship, his memories as captain of the Dutchman would surface for sure and he wouldn't be able to take pleasure in captaining his own pirate ship. Shaking his head, Will gracefully declined the offer.
"I'm grateful that you would consider me," he began, "but I just don't think that I could enjoy…"
"Teague, could you hold that thought?" Elizabeth sweetly interrupted her husband.
"Of course," said Teague, who had an idea what was going through Mrs. Turner's head. "The offer still stands," he said with a wink. Elizabeth smiled at him before turning to her bewildered husband.
"Will, can I talk to you?" Elizabeth hissed. She didn't give him time to answer before she half-dragged him out of the room. "We'll be back in a bit," she called over her shoulder before she closed the door.
"I'll give 'em an hour, maybe two," Jack said, shaking his head.
"Jaaack," Ana groaned, rolling her eyes.
"What?!" He threw up his hands in defense. "You know I'm telling the truth." Ana sighed, and gave a little chuckle.
"Yes, I suppose you are," she admitted, straightening his beloved tricorn hat which had become crooked during all the emotion. Jack graced her with a charming smile, and somehow suppressed the urge to gloat.
"Well, as long as we're just waiting, we might as well break out the rum!" Jack found just enough bottles for him, Ana, Faith, and Teague and he passed them around.
"Cheers," said Ana, clinking her bottle with Jack's. "To Jack and his crazy scheme, without which Will wouldn't be here right now." She stared at Jack in admiration, which made the pirate captain feel very proud indeed, especially when she scooted closer to him. Jack's free arm snaked around her back, much to Ana's satisfaction. She found herself wishing it were night, where she and Jack could celebrate his brilliance in a much better way. Faith and Teague watched the younger couple, and Teague took his cue from Jack to put his arm around Faith, who blushed.
The two couples drank to Jack's health as the young Sparrow and Turner children played on at their feet.
333
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was pulling Will down the corridor toward their 'borrowed' cabin.
"What's this all about, Elizabeth?" Will wondered aloud. "Is there something wrong or are you just trying to get me alone?" Elizabeth just shook her head at his remark, although privately she knew that he knew exactly where this was going.
"I want that ship!" She blurted out as she pulled Will inside the cabin after her. Will raised his eyebrows at her unexpected outburst and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Ah, the governor's daughter returns," said Will, with an amused expression on his handsome face. "I suppose that because you want that ship, you believe you're automatically entitled to it by birthright."
"You're so funny," Elizabeth said sarcastically, but she was smiling. "I know you don't want to be captain, but did you ever consider someone else who is very capable of handling that position?" Will eyes grew wide in surprise.
"You want to be captain!"
"Very good, Will," said Elizabeth, rolling her eyes at his ever-present denseness. "Had you forgotten that I was once captain of the Empress?"
"No," said Will, pulling her close. He hoped that she didn't think he had insulted her! That hadn't been his intention at all. "I don't doubt your abilities, Elizabeth. In fact, I'm sure they are superior to my own." He led her over to the bed, thinking that if they were going to have a long discussion, they could at least be comfortable while doing so.
"Right," she scoffed as they lay down beside each other.
"I'm serious," Will insisted as he propped himself up on his elbow, facing his wife. "I still remember how you rallied the pirates before the battle with the EITC all those years ago. You were a fearsome sight to behold. Those men would've followed you anywhere." He gazed at her, the love and pride her felt for this incredible woman reflecting in his eyes. "You dazzled them with your voice, just as you have dazzled me."
"Oh Will," Elizabeth said softly. "I'm glad you think I'm capable."
"Of course I do," he said with a frown. "I believe you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to, Elizabeth! I just thought that with the children and all, you wouldn't have time to captain your own pirate ship." Suddenly Elizabeth understood where he was coming from.
"Obviously I can't do it now," she relented as Will caressed her pregnant belly. "But we could always use it for vacations. When the children are old enough, we can take them out on it during the summer. Very soon there won't be enough bunks for all of them on the Pearl if they keep growing at this rate, so it's only reasonable that we would acquire our own ship. And when the children are grown, we can sail to our hearts' content. It could be quite the romantic getaway."
"Well, when you put it that way…" Will smiled, thankful for his wife's sound logic. "I suppose I wouldn't mind taking the Destroyer if you were its captain."
"I'm glad," she grinned, scooting closer to him so that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "Are you sure you don't want to be my co-captain?"
"I'm positive," he affirmed, kissing her brow.
"Then you can be my first mate, then," she decided. "How does that sound, Mr. Turner?" Will grinned.
"It's certainly appropriate; I'm your mate, and I'm also your first." Thanks to that remark, Elizabeth couldn't help herself – she giggled. She knew she probably shouldn't encourage him, but Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to scold her husband, not when they'd just beaten unbeatable odds. Not when, by the grace of Bootstrap Bill, her husband had just been granted the rights to stay with her for an entire lifetime.
"Are you sure your manly pride won't suffer if you have a lower position than me?" Elizabeth had to be certain on that, hoping to avoid any disagreements about that issue in the future. Will laughed.
"No. I'm used to you ordering me around already." She glared at him, and he gave her a cheeky wink. "Besides," he said, lowering his voice, "I think I'd rather enjoy serving under you." Will's smirk told Elizabeth all she needed to know.
"We'll need to rename the ship." She gasped as Will pulled her top him. "The Destroyer isn't a suitable name for…" Elizabeth trailed off, for she had lost her train of thought. Will sometimes would have that kind of affect on her, especially when he was doing that! He began to nip at her ear which caused her to whimper. "But it can wait until later," she squeaked, trying to remember how to breathe as Will's talented lips were put to good use. Will looked up to gaze at his beautiful wife.
They both wore identical knowing grins, each thrilled that they could go on living normally. Calypso would no longer interfere with their lives again! They could continue all those activities that married couples with families loved to partake in. Will would be around to be a father to his fourth child, whom he was very excited to meet in about five months. He would be able to participate in all of the Sparrow-Turner get-togethers, looking on with Jack, Ana, and his beloved wife as they watched their children play and run free. And best of all, he would still be able to make love to his wife.
"I told them we'd be back in a bit," she whispered as Will's fingers entangled themselves in her hair." Will gave her a devilish smirk.
"They can wait awhile longer." Elizabeth had no arguments to that and they spent the next hour reaffirming their love for each other.
333
One hour later
"We really should be getting back to the children." Elizabeth sat up, throwing the covers off and thus exposing her upper body to her husband.
"I love you," Will said with a glassy expression as he appreciated at his wife's lovely body. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"That's not going to work, Will. We need to talk to the children about what happened to Bootstrap." That wiped the smirk right off his face. Instead of mirth, his eyes took on a haunted look. Elizabeth was sorry she had brought up the sore subject, but she knew that they had to face it.
"I'm sorry, Will," she said, touching his cheek. "But it must be done." He heaved himself up from the bed with a huge sigh.
"I know." Will and Elizabeth found their various articles of clothing that had been discarded across the room in the heat of passion. As they dressed, Elizabeth voiced her opinion about the Bootstrap situation.
"I think we should tell Dani and Jamie that their grandfather is dead," she said, wincing as Will's brown crinkled into a slight frown. "After all, that's what we'll have to tell the people of St. Maarten. We'll tell the children the truth when they are older, but I just don't think they could understand what really happened at this age."
"You're right," he agreed, much to her surprise. "He is dead to us now, even if he isn't technically dead."
"Much like my father was dead to me, but his spirit still waited in that place between worlds," said Elizabeth. "Until you ferried him to the Other Side."
"Mhm," Will murmured. "He gave me his true blessing that day, after he learned that I'd almost been killed while defending his daughter." He gave her a wry smile. "That was when I told him we'd just been married for a day before I'd been forced to leave you." Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head as she discovered his blue bandana under a pillow.
"I remember – you've told me this many times before, Will." He smiled at her, taking the bandana from her and putting it back on.
"I know. But I'll never forget your father's expression as he came to realize that I'd, um, propositioned you." Will let out a rare giggle, which only occurred when he'd been extremely amused by something. Jack had teased him about it sounding a bit effeminate, but Elizabeth thought it was the cutest thing in the world. "If he had been living, I'm sure he would've fainted," her husband added, still amused by the memory. Elizabeth sighed – she wished Will would stop avoiding the subject of Bootstrap.
"Will!" She said, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, I'm ready," he said with a small wince. "We'll explain all of this the best we can to the children." Elizabeth nodded and took his hand in his. They made the short walk to Jack's cabin in no time. Before they could knock, Jack opened the door.
"Oh it's you two," he said in relief. "Whatever happened to 'see you in a bit'?"
"We had a lot to talk about," Elizabeth said defensively. Jack shook his head and led them inside. Suddenly, two small figures threw themselves at Will's legs.
"Father! Father!" They cried, holding on for dear life.
"What's wrong?" Will asked them, carefully detaching them from his legs. He then sat down on the floor and his children promptly crawled onto his lap.
"We thought you left," Dani sniffed as Will gently wiped away her tears.
"Yeah," James added, with a pout. "Don't leave us!" Will sighed and took them both in his arms.
"I'm not leaving you forever. I know I said that earlier, but something happened and now I can stay. Alright?" The little Turners loosened their grip on their father, but only slightly.
"Elizabeth…" Will pleaded, needing some assistance from his wife who always knew what to do in these situations. Elizabeth's eyes scanned the room, skipping over Ana, Teague, Faith, and the Sparrow children to land on Sammi and William, who were looking a little too chipper for her taste.
"What did you do?" Elizabeth asked, narrowing her eyes at them. Both children looked sheepish.
"They asked us what happened to Bootstrap and we kind of told him that he left forever," Sammi explained in a rush.
"I guess they thought that Father had left forever too," said William with a grimace.
Elizabeth shot them a mini-glare. She decided to explain to the children that while Bootstrap had indeed left them for good, their father would most certainly be around for a very long time. Dani and James had accepted that, much to her surprise. However, Elizabeth had a suspicion that they didn't understand that Bootstrap was truly gone. As her poor Will looked like he was about to suffocate with both children tightly latched on to him, she pried James away from his father and held him in her lap.
After Elizabeth had successfully calmed the children down, she asked Jack and Ana how long her children had been upset.
"Well…" Jack fidgeted with his dreads.
"Pretty much the whole time you've been gone," said Ana.
"What?!" The Turners cried.
"You should've come and gotten us right away," Elizabeth said angrily as she held James close. Jack shrugged.
"We were about to go get you but we couldn't decide on who was going to interrupt your… love session." Captain Sparrow winked at the Turners, who just looked at each other and sighed.
"So have you given my offer any more thought?" Captain Teague asked the Turners, now that their children were quiet. Elizabeth's eyes shone with happiness as she said,
"We'll take her!" Teague grinned at the Pirate King.
"I thought you might." Then he turned his attentions to Will. "How did she convince you?" Will shared a secret smile with his wife, who looked every inch the amazing mother she was as she held little James in her arms.
"She told me she wouldn't mind being captain." All the adults in the room smiled at that.
"Well, it's only fitting," said Jack as he took one last swig of rum, finishing off his sixth. "The Pirate King should have her own vessel to run."
"Indeed," said Sammi, who had been listening to their conversation along with William. She smiled widely at Elizabeth, who nodded back to show that she understood. Elizabeth knew that it was Sammi's dream to become a pirate captain someday, and now she would have a female role model who was just that.
"Are you going to rename the ship?" William asked his mother, thinking that the current name didn't quite fit his parents' views on piracy. Elizabeth automatically glanced at Captain Teague.
"I don't know. Would that be alright with you?" Teague graced them with a rare grin.
"It's your ship now – you can name it what you like." Elizabeth smiled happily at him.
"Great! Who wants to help me think of some names?"
"I do!" Sammi and William chorused as the adults chuckled. As everyone else was discussing possible new names for the Destroyer, Jack pulled Will aside.
"I was thinking that I might hold a memorial for your father, mate. You know, we all say a few words, that sort of thing. What do you think?"
"I think that would be a great idea, Jack," Will quietly agreed. "I think it would help all of us if we shared our thoughts on the matter. Especially William," he added. Jack and Will glanced at the boy, and they could tell that even though he seemed fine, they knew that on the inside he was very much affected by his grandfather's disappearance. "It's just so strange holding a memorial for my father when he's not truly dead."
"I know," Jack said sadly. Bootstrap had been a close friend of his as well, and Jack knew he would be missed by many. "Your Da was a good man, and a good pirate." Will smiled at that, while both remembered the day that Jack had said those exact words to his young and naïve self. How far both of them had come since then!
"Can we hold the memorial tonight, Jack?" Will asked. The other pirate shrugged.
"I don't see why not. It doesn't give me much time to come up with a speech, but it won't be a problem." Will chuckled, knowing that Jack always had a way with words for every occasion. He knew that Jack's memorial speech would be from the heart, which was all that mattered.
"Thanks, mate," Will said softly.
"Don't mention it." Jack clasped Will on the back, who returned the favor. They returned to their families, each lost in their own thoughts.
333
That night, as promised, Jack held a memorial for William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner on the Pearl. Most everyone on board said a few words, most notably Jack, Will, and William, who struggled through his small speech. The poor boy couldn't finish, and had to walk away with his hair in his face to hide the tears which stained his cheeks. Elizabeth was about to go comfort him, but she found that Sammi got there first. William's best friend led him off to the side, where he allowed her to pull him into a tight hug. Sammi was very sad for her friend, and for Bootstrap as well, but she couldn't help but enjoy William's closeness, especially when he rested his head on her shoulder.
Soon the memorial had come to an end, and William quickly pulled away. He gave Sammi a tentative smile.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," he mumbled. "I couldn't even keep it together enough to finish my speech." Sammi rolled her eyes as a red tinge graced William's cheeks. How in the world could he be embarrassed about that? Boys!
"Will, he was your grandfather and you loved him!" She exclaimed. "You're allowed to be upset."
"I suppose," he relented, and thanked her for putting up with him.
The rest of the night flew by for William. After the evening meal, he went back to his cabin and tried to read one of his many books. Unfortunately, William found that he just couldn't concentrate on the story, no matter how fascinating it was. The loss of his grandfather flooded his mind no matter what he did. Finally he just gave up and decided to turn in early. Sammi came in carrying an exhausted Teague moments later, as she wanted to stay close to her best friend during his time of need.
Their parents came in a bit later to bid them tonight. Jack and Ana praised Sammi once again for her part in Will's rescue. Sammi not so discreetly watched the Turners saying their goodnights as Jack recounted the events of the day. Will and Elizabeth hugged their son and showed him the letter that Bootstrap had written to Will saying that he wanted them to be happy and not mourn for him.
"But I can't be happy, Father!" William sniffed, and Will held him as he quietly cried against his father. Elizabeth stroked her son's hair, not wanting to intrude on the moment between father and son. Her two Williams were safe with her, and it was wonderful to see them not fighting but hugging instead. Then William yawned hugely.
"You'd better get some sleep – you'll feel a little better in the morning," said Elizabeth, kissing his brow.
"She's right," Will said softly. "I know you're hurting, William, just as I am. But we mustn't let his sacrifice be in vain. We still have our lives, which is what he wanted – for us to live." William nodded, but Will doubted his words had helped much.
"Goodnight Father, Mum," William said, and hugged them both simultaneously.
"Goodnight, William," said Elizabeth, releasing him. "If you have trouble sleeping, try to think about how wonderful it will be to have your father here instead of the alternative." She shivered and Will squeezed her hand.
"I love you son," said Will with a small smile. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Loveyoutoofather," William mumbled into his pillow, but luckily Will could still decipher what his son had said. The Turners took their leave, followed by the Sparrows who had just bid Sammi and Teague goodnight. The three children were left in almost total darkness. Worn out by the events of the day, Teague fell straight to sleep.
"Sammi?" William tentatively called.
"I'm coming," Sammi said, who had been just waiting for this very thing to happen. She was by William's side in a moment's notice.
"Sammi, I don't know if I can ever draw again," William said in a small voice. "I don't even know if I would want to without Grandfather Bootstrap's help."
"Is that what you think he'd want?" Sammi asked, her voice skeptical. "For you to just give up doing something you love? Something that he spent countless hours helping you learn?"
"I guess not," William said with a sigh. "But I don't think I could draw anytime soon."
"That's normal," Sammi said, understanding how he might feel about that. If her grandfather died, she didn't think she'd be in any hurry to pick up her guitar and play. "Just do it when you're ready," she advised.
"Okay," her friend sighed. "Thank you, Sammi. I…"
"You're welcome," she said, cutting him off. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Will. That you were willing to say anything at all during the memorial takes great courage." He scoffed at that.
"I'm sure it wouldn't be very hard for you to do." Sammi squirmed.
"I don't know about that – death makes me feel all funny inside, especially the death of a friend or family member. If it had been my grandfather, I don't think I could've done it."
"Really? I didn't know you were afraid of death – I didn't think you were scared of anything," William admitted. She chuckled.
"There's a lot that you still don't know about me, Will. I'm not scared of death, exactly… I just don't like to think about it. But I do know that it is the one thing that is certain in this world – well that and taxes, but we pirates don't bother with those." William laughed at that, much to Sammi's secret delight.
"It's strange to think that I can die now," he mused. "And I've lost my extra strength – I won't be as good with a sword anymore."
"Then you'll just have to work harder like all the normal people," Sammi joked. "But be glad about your mortality, Will. At least now you know that your nightmare of staying young while the rest of us grew old will never come true."
"Thank goodness," said William. "Now I finally have a future."
"And a very bright one at that," said Sammi with a smile, wishing with all her heart that William's future would include him courting her. Before she fell asleep, Sammi vowed to tell William of her strong feelings for him one day in the future.
333
The Sparrows and Turners returned to St. Maarten within the week. Much to their delight, they learned that Lord White the magistrate and his trouble-making son Maximillion had left. Lord White had been replaced by one Lord Edmund Grace, who had brought his wife Lady Lydia and twelve year-old daughter Ophelia along. Nobody knew how the new magistrate would work out, but they were certain that he couldn't be any worse than Lord White.
The islanders marveled at the arrival of a sleek 'new' ship, the Swann Song, which arrived in the harbor with the Black Pearl. Thanks to Elizabeth's direction, the ship sparkled by the time they reached port. All of the Destroyer's grime had been scrubbed away. Mr. Gibbs had made a beautiful wood-carving spelling out the ship's name (which had been suggested by Will Turner), and replaced the old name with the new.
Lord Beckett had arrived at the island in disgrace. Handcuffed and screaming expletives, he was escorted to Faith and Captain Teague's home where the old pirate, along with Jack, Will, Ana, and Elizabeth forced him to write letters to his associates saying that he wanted them to disband the EITC. Once the pirates saw that Beckett's letters were actually producing results, they had to think of a place to send him so that he wouldn't cause any more trouble. They finally decided to drop him off on an island off the coast of Madagascar which was inhabited by a peace-loving tribe. (Jack had originally suggested Cannibal Island, but that idea had been abandoned, as Captain Sparrow had most assuredly been joking.)
Five months later, Elizabeth Turner gave birth to a lovely red-faced little girl, whom they named Charlotte after Will's mother. William took to his new sister instantly, but it took Dani and James a little more time to warm up to her. The Turners led a very busy yet happy life, and William and Will grew close now that the immortality issue wasn't looming between them. Elizabeth and Will's marriage remained as strong as ever, and it was actually strengthened by overcoming Calypso's ordeal.
As for the Sparrows, there was always something interesting happening in their home. Eva was growing wilder everyday, and it was hard for even Sammi and Teague to help Ana keep track of her. Jack still sailed on the Pearl from time to time, and he had promised Sammi that he would take her out on it, along with Will and William. Sammi couldn't wait for that, for she knew that without her and William's mothers around, they would get a more thorough education as pirates. Sammi's caring for her best friend grew stronger every day, and she often wondered what it would be like to kiss him. If only William wasn't still disgusted by girls! Sammi lived for that day, in the not so distant future, when William wouldn't see her just as a friend, but as something more.
End of Epilogue
A/N: I'm done!! Whew, that was longer than I expected (surprise, surprise) but I managed to tie up most everything. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and look for more bonus chapters coming your way very soon! I'm going to take up PirateAngel1286's challenge where Will and Elizabeth look over the Code one night when their children are asleep. Besides that one, I have a couple Wammi things in mind. So stick around for more until I start on the upcoming sequel, So Close and Still So Far!