A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews I received, I really appreciate them. I just wanted to let you know, that in order to remain consistent, I plan to add one chapter to this story, each Friday. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror in her room, gazing at her reflection. Her caramel colored hair was piled on top of her head, with curly ringlets hanging down around her face. Her lips were painted the same peach hue of her dress, and her skin was pale and smooth.

As she stared at her reflection she thought back to the last ball she had attended. It had been celebrated in honor of her and Will's engagement, and it was one of the only parties Elizabeth had actually enjoyed attending.

Will had looked so handsome, with his dark hair tied back, and his eyes sparkling with happiness. His new suit had fit him perfectly, and Elizabeth had spent the whole night without letting go of his hand.

They had danced and laughed, and even when Elizabeth had been forced to endure the company of people she felt were quite a bore, Will had made the whole thing bearable. He had even promised to teach her how to sword fight, if she made it through the whole night without yelling at anyone. It was a good thing she had, because she had needed the skills later on.

Despite the happy memories, Elizabeth felt that this ball would be nowhere near as pleasant. The three people that she would know would be Mrs. and Mr. Taylor, and Kennedy. And truthfully, she really didn't want to spend the whole night with any of them.

Elizabeth's eyes looked down from her face and instead gazed at her stomach. The tailor had made her gown with plenty of room for her protruding stomach, and Elizabeth placed her hands on it lovingly.

"I can do this," she spoke to her reflection in the mirror. "I'll do this for Will."

She took one more shaky breath before opening her door and exiting her room. She knew that many. guests had already arrived downstairs. She had claimed to be feeling ill with morning sickness even though it was late in the night, so that she could miss the first half of the ball. But Elizabeth knew she could no longer avoid this night, especially if she still wanted to have her job in the morning.

She made her way to the steps that descended to the ballroom. She looked down at the guests, all in different colors, spreading across the room like a flock of parrots. The room's pristine white walls and golden trimming glistened in the candlelight that lit the party.

As Elizabeth descended into the ballroom, she watched as eyes turned towards her. It seemed that even here, in the Taylor's house, she would be subjected to the whispers of the townsfolk. She held her head high, and continued down the steps, her long skirt brushing against her ankles with each step.

"Elizabeth!" Mrs. Taylor called walking towards her as soon as she spotted her. "I was wondering if you would make it down at all. Are you feeling better?"

Mrs. Taylor's own dress was a bright shade of pink, something Elizabeth would consider too flashy. But she did have to admit, the color did grab attention.

"I am," Elizabeth replied. "Thank you."

"Come, there are so many people for you to meet."

"Actually, I believe I should find Miss Kennedy," Elizabeth spoke. "After all, it is my duty to care for her."

"Oh yes, you're right," Mrs. Taylor agreed. "I actually haven't seen her in quite some time."

Elizabeth had to refrain from rolling her eyes, at her absent minded employer, and she instead scanned the ballroom for any sign of the girl. But as far as Elizabeth could see, there weren't any children in the ballroom at all.

She sighed as she made her way through the throng of guests, making pleasant conversation when needed. All the while, she kept her eyes out for any sign of a little girl with honey colored hair.

"Mrs. Turner," a deep voice called out, and Elizabeth cringed as she saw who it was.

"Governor Taylor," she replied politely. "It is a pleasure to see you."

"You look very beautiful. May I have this dance?"

"Oh, I'm really not one for dancing," Elizabeth lied.

"Oh but I must insist," Governor Taylor spoke. "As your employer."

She understand the threat he was making to her job quite clearly. Elizabeth swallowed and took his outstretched hand, so he could lead her out to the dance floor.

He placed his beefy hands in the proper position, and she let him lead her through a dance. Elizabeth was dissatisfied to discover that he wasn't as horrible of a dancer as she'd hoped for, but that certainly didn't mean she was enjoying his company.

"I hope this ball is to your satisfaction," she said, hoping conversation would distract her from the sickly feeling of his hands on her waist.

"It is quite lovely," he replied. "And I heard from my wife that you played a big part in planning it. It's such a shame that a beautiful women like yourself is wasting away being a governess, when you could be...so much more. With some help, of course." His dark eyes locked onto hers, and Elizabeth didn't feel scared, but she did feel quite uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Thank you sir, but I'm quite happy with my current job," Elizabeth replied, in a biting tone. "And currently your daughter is missing, and I will be finding her, so if you'll excuse me."

Without another glance, Elizabeth turned and walked away from the governor, her eyes blazing with anger. She could tell what the man had been implying, though he hadn't said it out loud.

She found herself making her way towards the guards, in need of some fresh air. She sighed, as she breathed in the smell of the flowers. It wasn't as calming as the sea, but it was much better than the crowded and hot room she had just come out of.

Elizabeth was lost in thought, and when she felt someone tug on her skirt, her hand almost flew to the knife that she had secretly tucked under her skirt.

"Miss Kennedy," Elizabeth sighed in relief as she saw the young girl. Her relief soon turned to concern as she saw the state the girl was in. "What's wrong?"

Kennedy's neatly done hair was falling around her face in tangles, and even in the dim light, Elizabeth could see that her cheeks were streaked with tears.

"I...I wanted to escape out the gardens," Kennedy hiccuped. "Like you told me y-you used to do, but I fell in a rose bush."

Kennedy held out her hand, and Elizabeth could now see that it was streaked with blood. Even a few thorns from the bush remained imbedded in the delicate skin.

"Oh you poor thing," Elizabeth muttered. "Come on, let's get you inside."

"I can't," Kennedy whispered quietly.

"Don't worry, about the escaping part," Elizabeth assured her. "I'll just tell your other that you tripped-"

"No it's not that!" she sobbed. "I already tried to go inside and Father saw me! He told me...he said I was an embarrassment, because I look like a mess right now, and that I had to stay out here until the end of the party."

When she finished her story, tears were freely falling down her cheeks and Elizabeth was fuming. If she hadn't hated Governor Taylor before, she most certainly did now. Not only had he turned his child away when she was hurt, he had also verbally abused her.

Elizabeth wanted to hurt that man, in a very bad way, but she knew she needed to stay calm for now. For no reason other than to help Kennedy.

"Come with me," she whispered, wrapping one arm around Kennedy's shoulder. She knew it wasn't proper, but right now the girl needed comfort. "I'll take you through the servants' passageway."

She lead Kennedy through the twisting halls, shielding her whenever they passed a servant or anyone else. Her first thought was to take the Kennedy back to her room, but she knew Kennedy's bedroom wouldn't be stocked with any medical supplies. She decided to take Kennedy back to her own room instead.

"Where are we?" Kennedy sniffled, as Elizabeth opened the door to her room.

"This is where I sleep," Elizabeth responded, as she lead her in and shut the door behind them.

"It's quite small," she replied, and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, it's large enough."

She lead Kennedy over to her bed, and once the girl sat down, she began examining her hands.

The one hand could be easily dealt with. Once the thorns were removed and the dirt washed off, it would clear up quite quickly. The other hand was a different story. A long, deep gash ran down the center, and it looked almost worse the the cut Elizabeth had gotten when she was at the Isla de Muerta. It would need ointment for sure, and wrapping to stop the bleeding.

"Do you know where the medical supplies is?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't think we have any. I've never been hurt before, not even a scraped knee. Mother never let me do anything dangerous."

Elizabeth sighed, as she looked around her room. Her eyes landed on her closet, as a sudden thought struck her. She walked over, and dug through the closet, looking for something in the very back. She knew it was still in here, if only she could find it!

"Aha!" she cried triumphantly, as she pulled out a bottle of rum.

It had been a parting gift from Jack Sparrow when he had dropped her off her at Cagway. Though she had reminded him multiple times that she was pregnant, and wouldn't drink it under any circumstances, he'd insisted that she take it anyway. He'd said she would need it when the mini Will was born.

"Alright," she said to Kennedy, as she returned to the bed. "This is going to hurt very bad, but I going to fix your hands up, okay?"

"Okay," Kennedy responded, biting her lip nervously.

Elizabeth began her work, pulling out the thorns one at a time, as Kennedy winced periodically. Once she had finished, she took a cloth and wiped the dirt and grime off. Now it was time to cleanse it, which would be the worst part. But she couldn't have the cuts getting infected.

"Do you want to know that story of what happened to the boy I used to play pirates with?" Elizabeth asked, trying to distract her.

"I guess," Kennedy replied.

"Well as the boy and I grew up," Elizabeth started, as she began to drip some of the rum onto Kennedy's hand, "we began to grow apart. It wasn't really my fault or his. It was expected that as we became older, we should stop being friends. It wasn't proper."

"But that's not fair," Kennedy interrupted.

"Yes, I agree," Elizabeth smiled. "But the boy and I certainly never forgot each other. And one day the boy did something brave, ridiculously brave, just to help me."

"What did he do?" Kennedy asked, completely ignoring the burning sensation on her palms.

"That's a secret of my own," Elizabeth smirked. "But the boy's actions earned him the respect of my father. And so, when he asked me to marry me, I said yes."

"You married your childhood friend?" Kennedy asked. "That doesn't sound very realistic."

Elizabeth couldn't hold in her laugh, causing Kennedy to look at her strangely. That fact that Will and her had been childhood friends was probably the most realistic park of their story.

"There," Elizabeth said, as she finished cleaning the cuts. "That's about all I can do without supplies. I should probably run into town to get some."

"Right now?" Kennedy asked. "But what about the ball?"

"I'm sure they won't miss me too badly," she shrugged.

The truth was she was more then glad for an excuse to leave the ball early.

After Elizabeth had returned Kennedy to her own room, and instructed that she stay their until she returned with supplies, she decided to change into something that would be more suitable.

She put on a loose white shirt and some tan pants, disguising her womanly figure. Then she unpinned her hair from it's fancy updo, and instead braided it it, and tucked it under a hat. Though she could protect herself, she didn't want to invite any men to come after her. She put on her dagger as well, just in case. It never hurt to be prepared.

She left the party through servants' passageways, and escaped without a single person noticing. She knew that many shops were probably closed, given that many of their owners had been invited, but she knew of one that remained open.

She made her way quickly through the town, enjoying the peaceful silence. The palm trees swayed lazily in the soft breeze, and the air was warm and sweet. It wasn't long before she made it to the shop, and she quickly bought all the things she needed, before proceeding back to the Taylor's house.

Elizabeth didn't want to keep Kennedy waiting, but she also didn't want to have to return back to the ball. The idea of being anywhere near Mr. Taylor made her nauseous. She decided to take the long way back.

She had just walked past the bar, which was filled with rowdy men and woman, when she heard a loud noise. The noise came from an alley, just to her right, and curiosity got the best of her. She walked into the alley, her eyes scanning back and forth for any sign of danger.

"Let go of me!" she heard a voice cry, as she came closer to the nose. "I didn't take it, just let me go!"

Elizabeth hurried closer, her hand slipping down to her hidden weapon as she went. She wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but it didn't sound good.

When she finally got to the source of the noise, she saw it was two big men, holding a young boy by the arms.

"Tell us where you hid it, brat!" the one man demanded.

"I didn't take it, I swear," the boy pleaded.

"Wrong answer," the other guy smirked in the darkness, as he threw his fist at the boy's stomach.

Elizabeth knew she shouldn't get involved, not when she had the baby to worry about, but she just couldn't stand by.

The boy fell and hit the ground, crying out in pain. The other man went to kick him, but stopped as he felt a cold blade pressed to the back of his neck.

"Back away from him," Elizabeth demanded her voice low and dangerous, as she held the blade to his neck. "Do it now, before I get tired of holding this blade steady."

The other man looked over at Elizabeth and took a menacing step forward, but Elizabeth glared at him.

"Not another step, of her dies," she warned.

The man halted and held his hands up. "We don't want any trouble," he said. "We just want the money that the rat stole from us."

"I believe he said he didn't take it," Elizabeth fired back. "So if you'd be so kind, would you please leave...now!"

"You're a woman," the one man said, finally realizing that Elizabeth's voice was too high to belong to any man. "She's just a woman."

The man that Elizabeth was holding the knife to laughed, and Elizabeth barely had time to jump backwards as he turned and swung his fist at her. She stumped backwards, dodging the man as he threw another punch.

The other man barreled towards her, reached for a knife of his own. He swung at Elizabeth, meaning to cut her shoulder, but Elizabeth intercepted his swipe. Their weapon clanged together, before Elizabeth nimbly swept under his arm and stabbed him in the shoulder.

"Ah!" the man cried, and drew back as Elizabeth pulled her knife out. He wasn't mortally injured, but he'd seemed to be done fighting for the night. He ran out of the alley, leaving just the boy and the other man.

"I'll ask you one more time," Elizabeth warned, "to leave."

"Not a chance," the man smirked, as he pulled out a knife of his own that glinted in the darkness.

They danced around each other, neither of them moving into strike, yet neither backing away. Elizabeth wanted to get the fight over with, but she also didn't want to risk making a mistake. She knew that if she got hurt, she would be risking her baby's life as well.

Suddenly, the man lunged towards her, and she jumped to meet him. Their blades clashed, once, twice, then three times. This man was obviously a more experienced fighter then the last, and Elizabeth found she was more defending herself then attacking. The man backed her up, his strikes to powerful for her to not move.

Her back hit the wall of a building, and she viciously slashed at the man, cutting a line down his cheek. She hoped he would back away, but instead he grew even more determined with his attacks.

Elizabeth knew her strength was waning. Her arms shook each time they met the man's blade. The pregnancy had really cause her energy to drop, and these last few days had been exceedingly hectic.

The man swung over his head, and Elizabeth knew she wouldn't be able to deflect it. She darted to the side, trying to get away, but he grabbed onto her arm and yanked her backwards.

"This is the end for you," he snarled in her ear, as Elizabeth struggled to get free.

Clunk! she heard, as the man's arms loosened their grip. Elizabeth spun around and watched as the man collapsed to the ground. Behind him, stood the young boy, holding a brick.

"You're welcome, lady," the boy said, as he smirked.

Elizabeth dusted herself off and glared at the boy. "I believe I saved you first."

"I had it all under control," the boy replied. "I've survived on my own long enough. I didn't need your help."

"Well I couldn't just let those men beat you up, when you hadn't done anything wrong," Elizabeth sighed. At this, the boy looked down at his feet and blushed with a guilty look on his face. "Unless...you did take the money."

"I need it a lot more than they do!" the boy defended. "A man's got to make a living."

"A man?" Elizabeth inquired, smiling with amusement. "Exactly how old are you?"

"Turned ten, some time recently," he replied proudly. "I suppose that makes me an adult."

The boy looked quite tall for his age, but he was much too skinny. His pale skin was a sickly color, and his red hair was greasy and matted. She noticed that there was a cut on his chin, and blood was running out of it.

"You're hurt," she said, as she approached him. "Here let me see."

"I'm fine!" the boy yelled, skittering away from her like a nervous animal. "I don't need any help from you."

"Fine," Elizabeth sighed. "At least tell me your name then. I deserve to know the name of my rescuer."

"Thomas," the boy replied reluctantly. "Just Thomas."

He must be an orphan, Elizabeth thought.

She thought back to when she had first met Will, and he had been all alone, thinking he was an orphan as well. Though she had just learned that this boy was a thief, she couldn't help but feel pity towards him.

"Well, just Thomas," Elizabeth replied. "If you'd let me I'd like to thank you properly for saving me."

This seemed to peak Thomas's interest, and he slowly walked back towards her. "What kind of thank you are you talking about?"

"I could bandage up that cut to start with," Elizabeth said. "And then maybe some food, or a bath?"

"A bath?" Thomas asked, a small smile forming in his face. "Wait, why are you being so nice to me?"

"You said you were all alone, right?" Elizabeth asked, one of her brows raised. "I'm alone as well. I suppose that us lonely people must stick together."

"I guess," Thomas replied nervously.

"Alright then," Elizabeth replied, as she started to head back towards the Taylor's house. "Let's get going."

It was only once they were back in the house, and Elizabeth had gotten Thomas into a bath, and was working on mending Kennedy's hands, that she began to question her own sanity. She had brought a boy off the streets, to a house that wasn't even her own, during a ball.

It really hadn't been hard to get Thomas into the house. By that point into the night, most of the guests as well as the servants were drunk on wine. The boy hadn't protested once he had realized she was serious about helping. Though he did seem a bit dazed about the whole thing.

"What took you so long?" Kennedy asked, as soon as Elizabeth had returned. "And why do you look so dirty?"

"I had a slight problem, but everything is fine," Elizabeth replied, as she mended the girl's hands. "There, as good as new."

"Thank you," Kennedy replied quietly. "Do I have to return to the ball?"

"No, I believe it's your bedtime," Elizabeth replied. "I'll call a maid to help you prepare."

"Wait…" Kennedy called. "Thank you, for helping me tonight."

"Of course," Elizabeth smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

After Elizabeth convinced a maid to leave the ball, and help Kennedy, she returned back to Thomas. She had found some clothes for him to wear, though they were much too big, and the boy had dressed in them. Then she had grabbed some food from the kitchens and determinedly walked back up to meet the boy. What she was determined to do, she wasn't sure.

"Is that pie?" Thomas asked, as soon as she walked in through the door.

He quickly snatched it from her hands and started to gobble it down. Elizabeth wondered when the boy had eaten last. She knew from her time aborted the Black Pearl, that when you went hungry for a long time, you ate every meal like it was your last.

"Where do you live?" Elizabeth asked, as soon as the boy took a break from wolfing down his food.

"Here and there," Thomas replied. "It's normally warm out, so I can sleep outside."

The was one nice thing about the Caribbean. Even in the winter, nights were normally a nice temperate temperature. Other than during tropical storms of course.

"There's no orphanage you could stay at?" Elizabeth asked. "No family to take care of you?"

"This island is much too small for a orphanage," Thomas laughed. "As for my family, like I said, I'm all on my own."

"What if you didn't have to be alone?" Elizabeth spoke before she could stop and think about what she was proposing. "What if you were to live here?"

Thomas's attention was finally drawn away from the food, as he stared up at Elizabeth with a wary expression on his face. "What are you offering me?"

"Like I said earlier," Elizabeth started, "us lonely folks need to stick together. And if you'd like, maybe I could be your family. I have a baby on the way, and I'll certainly need a protector, all the time."

"Why...why would you want me?" Thomas asked, completely bewildered. "I'm not worth anything."

"But you could be," Elizabeth insisted. "You were smart and strong enough to survive on your own. You could be worth so much. So what do you say?"

She still wasn't sure why she was offering Thomas this. Maybe it was because she was lonely. Maybe it was her desperation for her son. Maybe Thomas's story reminded her of how Will's life could have ended up. Maybe it was all of it.

"Yes," Thomas replied. "I'll stay here.

Thomas

It was the morning after the ball, and Thomas had good night's sleep, in a guest room that had been prepared for him. Thomas wasn't exactly sure how he had ended up here, in this exact situation. But he wasn't totally sure that he minded it. The lady, Elizabeth he had been told to call her, seemed nice, and the house was warm and full of food. But the bubbly lady who was frowning at him now; he wasn't sure he liked her much at all. Her personality seemed fake to him. It reminded him of people who would try to use him to their own advantage.

"Mrs. Taylor, I'm sorry to say, but if Thomas can't live with me, I will have to find other accommodations," Elizabeth was saying. "My demands are simple."

"Elizabeth, why would you just bring a little boy of the streets?" the frowning lady, Mrs. Taylor, asked. "Don't you have enough to do? Taking care of Kennedy and Eddie, with your own little one on the way."

All though he didn't like her, Thomas couldn't help but agree with Mrs. Taylor. He couldn't figure out any reason why Elizabeth would want to well...basically adopt him. She had told him that he could stay here with her, and if he ever wanted her to, she'd adopt him. He wasn't sure about that part yet. Being adopted seemed so...permanent.

"Mrs. Taylor," Elizabeth said sternly, "I sincerely appreciate all you have done for me, but Thomas will be staying with me from now on. Now, I can find my own house for us to live if that is needed, but that means I will need to arrive later in the mornings and leave earlier. It's up to you."

Mrs. Taylor seemed a bit taken aback, and Thomas didn't blame her. Elizabeth was scary, but not necessarily in a bad away.

"Oh...all right!" Mrs. Taylor sighed. "The boy can stay here. I suppose it will be nice for Kennedy to have a friend."

Thomas didn't know who this "Kennedy" was, but if she was anything like her mother, he doubted they'd become friends.

"Thank you," Elizabeth smiled, her curtness fading away. "Now, I believe we'll need to go into town to get him some clothes."

"Oh! Take Kennedy with you," Mrs. Taylor insisted. "That girl needs to get out of this house more often."

Elizabeth nodded her consent, and Mrs. Taylor ran off to find the illusive Kennedy.

"Thomas," Elizabeth said, kneeling next to him. "You must understand, Miss Kennedy is a proper lady, and she must be treated as such. Always address her as Miss Kennedy, and don't do anything foolish if you can help it."

"I'll try my best," Thomas grumbled. He really wasn't in the mood to meet this spoiled rich girl.

Then she walked into the room. Her blonde curls were framing her rosy cheeks, and her eyes were a sparkling hazel color. For a second, Thomas was dazed. But then, she spoke.

"Who is this?" Kennedy asked, sticking her nose in the air. "And why is he dressed like a street rat?"

"Hey, I'm no rat!" Thomas yelled before he could stop himself. "A least I'm not dressed like a snot nosed brat!"

"Thomas!" Elizabeth scolded, swatting the back of his head firmly. "What did I just say?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, not softening the glare he had focused on the girl.

"Kennedy, this is Thomas," Mrs. Taylor introduced. "He will be staying with Elizabeth from now on."

"Hmm," Kennedy hummed, looking to Elizabeth and raising one eyebrow. "And just when I was beginning to like you."

Thomas wanted to yell at her, that she couldn't talk to Elizabeth like that, but he wasn't even sure why he felt defensive of her. Sure he had taken him in, but he didn't need to protect her.

"Well, I suppose we should get going," Elizabeth said, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room. "Off we go kids."