Chapter 49: When A Dishonest Jack Becomes Honest

Will's POV:

I had never wondered if everything was for selfish reasons until that moment. It all had made sense to me, Willy and Jacklynn were fighting Davy Jones so they could be happy, it was what was best for them. No child is truly happy going back and forth from parent to parent. They were given the chance to end that unhappiness. Both of them were given the chance to have both a mother and a father present in both of their lives and both at the same time. What child wouldn't love that chance? That was why had let them fight, or at least that was how I had rationalized it in my mind. At that moment though I did begin to wonder if the whole thing had been for selfish reasons and it wasn't about the children, but about me and my happiness.

Thinking about my own childhood I wondered if perhaps having both parents present was what was best for them and this was just as much about their happiness as it was my own. What I wouldn't have given while growing up to have an ever present father in my life. Even then as I reconnected with my father, there were still years and always will be years of fatherless nights-years when I needed my father there and he wasn't around. Nothing could take those nights back. I wondered if both Willy and Jacklynn had already had nights like that, nights where they needed me and I wasn't there. I always promised myself I would be there for whatever children I had whenever they needed me. I always wanted to be a present figure in their lives, and not just some of the time, but all of the time. That was what I figured best for my children. The fact that Jones had ruined that dream killed me.

For the sake of my children having a better childhood than I had, I wanted them to fight Jones. It wasn't until then as I saw Willy laying there injured and helpless that I realized I had perhaps made the biggest mistake any parent could make. In my attempt to bring my children happiness I had put their lives on the line.

Willy's wound was serious, thankfully however, it didn't seem like it would be a matter of life or death, or so I hoped. It was a little deep, but not deep enough to do any severe damage. In fact, the problem with his wound seemed like it might have been that he had left it undealt with and continued fighting with it rather than bandaging it immediately.

He had passed out, but still breathing. I assumed that he had passed out likely due to the pain. I only hoped it wasn't for a more serious matter. I would never forgive myself if I lost him. Even if they had to live the rest of their lives without a father, any child would be happier alive than dead.

"Is he going to be alright?" Elizabeth asked.

"I think so," I replied, with false look on my face likely said differently though. I figured Elizabeth knew me well enough by now to be able to read my facial expressions, and I tried to hide the truth, but when your son may be dying the fear and guilt are somewhat impossible to hide.

"Think so?" she asked.

I wanted to tell her that everything would be alright. I wanted to tell her that it was only a matter of moments before he got up and everything would be just like it was before the battle, if not better. The problem was I didn't want to lie to her. I knew nothing. I assumed the wound wasn't deep enough to kill him, but how could I promise her that? I couldn't.

Before I even got a chance to answer her however, I heard a voice coming from behind me that interrupted us.

"William Turner!" she yelled. I recognized that voice immediately, it was Calypso. I had no idea how long she had been behind me. Normally, I was rather aware of my surroundings, but with Willy's life being on the line, things had changed. My hope was that her purpose in coming was to negotiate the freeing of Davy Jones in exchange for my freedom from the curse.

I calmly turned around to face her. "Calypso," I stated.

I was shocked at what I saw before me. Calypso held a chest, and not just any chest, the chest that contained my heart. I suspected that may have happened from the moment I heard that Elizabeth had left the chest behind on her ship. An ounce of fear filled my body, but I would not let it show, not to Calypso.

"Ya be missin' sometin' William?" she asked, stroking the chest like one strokes a puppy.

"That wasn't yours to take," I argued, I knew it was a weak argument, but I had nothing.

"Oh but I 'ave taken dit William," she said with her own classic creapy grin on her face, "But darr may be da way to git it back."

Before I got a chance to respond, Jacklynn cut it. "You're the reason Willy's hurt!" she yelled, sword drawn, ready to attack.

"Jacklynn, stay out of this," I said, firmly, never taking my sight off of Calypso. Negotiation with the goddess was always a difficult task, and I did not need a child involved in it.

"Let me kill her," Jacklynn argued, as she moved towards Calypso.

Calmly I sighed, walked towards her, grabbed her from behind, and picked her up. If I were anyone else she could have done significant damage to me with her sword, but I wasn't overly worried. I was her father and I didn't think my own daughter would have intentionally tried to hurt me. Even if she did do any damage to me, even by accident, it wouldn't do anything anyway. I was unliving and therefore could not be killed or hurt.

"Dad! Let me down!" she protested, "I need to..."

I didn't even let her finish. "Stay with your mother," I ordered firmly as I put her down beside Elizabeth and a still unconscious Willy. Just to be certain that she would indeed stay there and not try to fight anymore, I also used my claw-like hand to bend her sword in half, making it almost completely useless.

As I expected, she wasn't too pleased. "Why did you...," she began before I cut her off again.

"Stay with your mother," I repeated. I noticed that as I returned to face Calypso, Elizabeth grabbed Jacklynn and placed her on her lap. I noticed her also whisper something to Jacklynn, but at the time I could have cared less to know what it was. I had more important matters to deal with.

"William," Calypso laughed, still grinning, "Do ya not want dis back?"

"What do I have to do?" I asked, frustrated. That day was suppose to be the day of my happily-ever-after. That day was suppose to be the day that I was finally free of that stupid curse and could finally be together with my family forever. That day was not suppose to be the day that Calypso stood in front of me holding the chest that contained my heart trying to barter with me about getting it back!

"William Turnah," she said, still grinning ridiculously, if anything that grin was starting to get incredibly annoying. "Da Dutchman needs a Captan, William. So ya can not be free from da curse like ya have planned."

I hated the pleasure she found in taunting me like this.

"I know ya tink I will free ya from da curse in exchange fer Davy Jones," she continued, "But... yer wrong William. Da Dutchman needs Captan." She shrugged. What she said caused me much anger and pain, but to her it was nothing. That almost made what she was saying worse. "Dis is yer destiny William," she said, "But... whoever said ya have ta be dis Captan? If you don't release Davy Jones... I will find someone else ta stab yer hart. Den you will not even see yer precious family one day every ten years."

Anger filled my body. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. That day was not suppose to be like that!

I had no doubt that Calypso would stick to her word. I hadn't expected that at all! That day was suppose to be the first day of my happy ending and after what she said it seemed like that day would never come.

"Now that," Jack began, walking towards Calypso and I, "Is a stupid proposition."

I suppose I had a very confused look on my face or something because he turned to me and said, "Just trust me, mate," as he began slowly pacing in the space that stood between Calypso and I.

"You see," Jack explained, "Calypso here is essentially full of empty threats."

"And when 'ave I not come through on my threats, Jack Sparrow?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose the first time would be today."

"Jack, what are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked from behind, Jacklynn still on her lap.

"You see it's simple, love... and Will. You see, Calypso here, probably can indeed find someone to stab Will's heart, but... the problem isn't whether she can find someone willing so much as if she can find something both willing and able."

"What?" Elizabeth asked. I was definitely wondering the same thing myself.

"Well," Jack explained, "One can be willing to stab the heart, but unable since in order to stab the heart one must have a way of opening the chest and in order to open the chest what does one need?"

"The keys," Elizabeth said, as everything started making sense for not only her, but myself as well.

"Right!" Jack exclaimed, "And unless one of you did something completely stupid and lost your copy of the key, unlikely, the only people who could open the chest are you and Will, and unless you're willing to open the chest in order to stab Will's heart, again unlikely, it would appear that at this point Calypso has indeed nothing."

"JACK SPARROW!" Calypso yelled.

"See this is what happens when dishonest people become honest-everyone gets all yelling and angry."

"Calypso," Elizabeth said, as she stood, leaving Jacklynn on the ground. "What is it you want most? Perhaps you can't use the chest as leverage to get it, but perhaps another form of leverage may suffice."

"I know whatcha want Mrs. Turnah," Calypso stated, angrily.

"Yes, it's not much different from what you want now is it?"

Calypso stood their frowning ferociously. For once the goddess of the sea wasn't getting her way and to say I didn't enjoy that sight would be a complete lie. For year I had to put up with begin separated from Elizabeth because of her and for one small second of her life Calypso knew what that felt like.

"Ya make da mistake Mrs. Turnah," she said, "Of tinking dat I can't live without Davy Jones."

"I don't think you can," Elizabeth argued, "I think that whether you want to admit it or not, you've fallen in love and even though you're a goddess as changing as the sea, you've found something that doesn't change-you're love for Davy Jones."

"Ya tink ya know of dese tings, Elizabeth, but ya have no idea."

I stepped forward. I knew that whether it sounded like it at the moment or not, that conversation may be the most important one of my life. It would determine my future and whether I would spend it with my family or not.

"For what we want most," I said, looking directly at Calypso, "There is a cost that must be paid in the end."

I was directly quoting her and I knew it. She could not argue the truth in my words if there were words that originated directly from her.

"Yer paying dat cost William!" she argued, "'Tis a cost dat must be paid and ya cannot just be freed from it!"

"I have paid that cost, Calypso," I argued, "For years Elizabeth and I have been stuck apart, unable to see each other. For years, my children have been forced to go back and forth from ship to ship. None of this was of my choosing. There was a cost to be paid, and it has been paid."

"Not in full!" she argued. She was getting very mad by that point, but I would not stop arguing.

"Then let it be in full," I said. I know it would appear that I had lost all sense of logic, but I did have a plan, a plan that I hoped would work. "If I leave here and return to my duties after ten years from the time I was originally cursed, will you let me free?"

"Will!" Elizabeth screamed, "What are you doing? If you do this we've accomplished nothing! We've risked too much for it to all end like this!"

"You know," Jack said, cutting in, "This conversation seems to be going absolutely nowhere and just bringing us back to where we started, am I not right Elizabeth?"

"Yes!"

"So why not deal with this is a simpler way that involves less talking and more doing?"

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Do I have to explain everything to you all?" he sighed, "It's simple. Elizabeth, what did I tell you years ago when Willy was first born?"

"That he couldn't go on land?"

"Yes, and that was lie that I used for my own personal benefit, but now what did I tell you about 'im that was true?"

"That he could fight Davy Jones?"

"And?"

"And no one could hurt him except Jones?"

Jack sighed. "And?"

"That in return he was the only one who could harm Jones?"

"No, something else! Perhaps something about a goddess? Perhaps something about a goddess of the sea? Perhaps something about a goddess of the sea named Calypso? Perhaps something about a goddess of the sea named Calypso who might just so happen to be right in front of us?"

"Jack, I can't say I know what you're talking about."

Jack sighed again. "Do you just pick what you want to hear and pay no attention to anything else I say?"

I couldn't help, but notice that my chin was beginning to feel a little strange as the conversation continued.

"Would you just get to the point?" Elizabeth half asked, half demanded.

My chin began to feel like it was morphing into something else. As I lifted my tentacle-like hand up to feel it, I realized that it indeed was. Where my once human chin had been I was beginning to grow tentacles. They weren't anything big yet, and they were nothing in comparison to what Jones had, but they were tentacles nonetheless. I needed to either lift that curse or return to my duty, and soon.


A/N: okay so if you're reading, it'd be really cool to know you're thoughts so please click the review button! It'd be super awesome! :)