Elizabeth watched quietly as the maid filled the brass bed warmer with coals from the hearth, her knees drawn up in contemplation. She kept telling herself to be happy about the Commodore's proposal, but her mind continually shifted to thoughts of Will. The maid was speaking of the events of the day rather in awe, turning the subject to Norrington's proposal.

"Now that's a smart match, that is. The Commodore is a fine man, if you don't mind me being too bold, miss." The maid said, carefully lighting her candle.

"No. The Commodore is a fine man. I suppose it is the kind of match any girl would dream of." She replied absentmindedly.

The maid stopped her work to consider the girl. "Well that Will Turner—he's a fine man too."

Elizabeth had been praying that the maid would not bring up thoughts of the handsome young blacksmith, for the girl knew that even considering him was beyond her reach. "That is too bold."

"I am sorry miss, I forgot my place." The maid left, shutting the door quietly.

Elizabeth pulled the medallion from the depths of her nightgown, rubbing her finger across the gold in hard thought. Suddenly the room was chilly, and her candle went out. Elizabeth hurried to shut the window and snuggled beneath the covers, the events of the day finally taking their toll on her.

Will Turner worked late into the night in the shop as usual, pounding away on a new sword with vigor. As the placed the glowing blade into a bucket of water, he noticed the considerable drop of activity and the increase in quiet in the surrounding buildings. Pushing open a window, he observed the fires in the street lamps to be out and a strange fog rolling in from the sea. An alley cat ran past the shop and out of sight.

Mystified, he began back towards his anvil when he heard the boom of cannons in the harbor. Port Royal was under attack. People rushed out of their homes to see what caused the noise, to be met by sinister black figures that growled and laughed as they plundered the town. Pirates!

Will grabbed as many weapons that he could tuck or strap to his body and ran outside the shop to defend himself as well as the screaming mothers and children.

Elizabeth was awoken from her restless dreams as the cannons fired upon Port Royal. Running from her bedchamber, she was met by the maid's urgent reminder of who she was. "You're the governor's daughter, miss!"

There was a tumultuous pounding on the front door, and the butler strode toward it expectantly. "No, don't!" Elizabeth cried from the top of the balustrade, but she was too late as the butler fell dead before the open door, revealing torch bearing, armed pirates. Fleeing to her room, she bolted the door, searching frantically for any weapon available.

The passing scoundrels mistook Will for a simple blacksmith with few skills of combat and passed on to worthier targets. One of the pirates met his mistake with an ax buried deep in his back. Will put up a feirce fight, but just as the tide of rogues was ebbing, he caught sight of Elizabeth being hurried away to the ship in the harbor by the pirates. His arms dropped immediately, every fiber of him ordering him to rescue her. He took a step forward, but then a sudden pain on the back of his head and he knew no more.

As he lay there on the cold ground he dreamed, dreamed of days in early adolescence when his heart began to open for Elizabeth. They were fourteen and swinging happily off the branches of the great tree in her back yard, Elizabeth chattering away about a tea party she had once attended in England where the Queen had been present. Will's tongue had slipped as he asked, "Was the Queen as beautiful as you?"

Elizabeth had looked at him, puzzled; this wasn't like Will; always reserved, always reverent. But as she contemplated his statement her cheeks grew red, and she swung out of the tree and started in a huff towards her house, leaving Will biting his tongue for embarrassing her. If he could have an exact memory of when the climax of their friendship peaked, he would have to put his finger on that one.

Will awoke to the sun's rays shining in his eyes and people around him rebuilding after the night's events. He put a hand to his head, the world before him spinning lazily. He recalled the last conscious thought before the knock on his head. Remembering, his breath caught in his throat as he hurried off to find the Commodore. Elizabeth had been taken.

Will had never liked the Commodore, but seeing the older man calmly chart with his compass over a large map made his blood boil. He was always one to take action before thinking. "They've taken Elizabeth.... Aren't you going to do something?" He asked incredulously, speech rushed and clipped at the end of his sentences. The Commodore's long, aristocratic drawl only made him angrier.

He pleaded, even slamming his ax into the map, but Commodore Norrington seemed to have decided that the boy was not even worthy of his eyes, and handed him the ax with a sharp reminder of his low breeding and what a highborn lady Elizabeth was.

With a growl, Will set off for the damaged Fort, knowing the battered walls held at least one person who could help him. The governor's men were too busy repairing and re-catching escaped prisoners to heed the boy, so he slipped into the prison with ease.

Jack Sparrow had been trying to pick the lock of his cell with the broken bone once used to tempt the dog who held the keys, but he lay back as if in a deep sleep when he heard the approaching footsteps. They weren't going to hang him without a fight!

To his surprise the young blacksmith from the shop stood there, certainly more tattered that he had last seen him, but with an angry glint in his dark eyes that reminded him suddenly of another brash young pirate.

"What do you know about the Black Pearl?" Will asked, skipping the pleasantries and going bluntly to the point.

"And why would you think I knew?" Jack drawled, eyes rolling lazily to the ceiling.

"Because you are a pirate." The man continued to question Will, until he stamped his foot, casting his eyes down to conceal the worry in them. "They have taken Elizabeth."

"Ohhh, so you have found a girl." Jack sat up in interest, amusedly wondering how the boy never grew tired from his constant mood shifts. With a smirk he thought perhaps the young man was still feeling the years between child and adulthood. "Well, if you want to find where the Black Pearl makes berth, you have to know to find the place. Besides, I'm locked up here and can't show ya." He finished matter-of-factly.

A spark of hope was growing in Will's eyes. "But, see, I made these cells. See the hinges? With the proper amount of leverage and force," He positioned a bench in the bars of the door and pushed down on one end, "And the door will lift free." The iron door fell with a bang, freeing the pirate. "Someone will have heard that."

Ok, thanx for the reviews guys. They really keep a person writing! Keep'm up!