One Night

Will burst into the room through the other door a second after Elizabeth had left. "Where's Elizabeth!?" he cried, flinging off his hat and sword. Jack spluttered on his water.

"Will! It's damn good to see you, boy! How're you getting' along, then? Well, I take it. This is a fine house, a damn fine house."

Will ignored his ramblings and took the pirate by the shoulders.

"Where's Elizabeth? Have you seen her?"

"That's no way to greet an old friend, is it, Bill?"

The name had slipped out- Will looked even more like Bootstrap now that he was older. Eerily like him, in fact. But the name had an effect on Will that Jack had never expected. He let go of Jack's shoulders and slid against the wall, his head into his arms. Jack swore under his breath and thumped down beside him.

"Sorry, Will. You look like 'im, that's all. I meant nothing by it."

"That's not it, Jack" he said, his voice muffled by his knees. "My son. His name is Billy. And- he's gone. We can't find him. I've been looking all night- I can't find him." Will shook with rage. Jack stared for a moment, and then fished for a flask in his sleeves. Doing what he usually did in these situations, he took a good long swig.

"Elizabeth!" Jack called, his voice cracking. "ELIZABETH!"

She swung in the room, her eyes red, her face tearstained, her hips widened from giving birth to three children, but Jack saw her and remembered how lovely she was, how he had not been surprised Will would risk death for her. He remembered his arm around her shoulders, and singing and a fire. He almost remembered-

But she was in a right temper and immediately dispelled any magical moments they may have shared with her voice of ice.

"Yes, Mr. Sparrow?" But then she saw her dear beloved Will collapsed against the wall and her heart went to him. She crouched beside him and took his hands and saw in his eyes that Billy was not yet found.

"oh, Will" she breathed, her voice catching. "We'll find him. I'm sure we'll find him. It's my turn to look, now, and you can stay here with Jack and the children-" Here she embraced him, because he looked so much like a lost little boy, and it reminded her of Billy, but also because he was her husband and she loved him.

Jack cleared his throat after he thought this had been going on long enough. "Excuse me, but what does this Billy boy look like? Mebbe some of my crew has seen him. And if not, they'll soon wish they had. I'll send them out to look now, I will. And they won't stop 'till he's found."

Will smiled half heartedly, but looked away from the pirate's gaze. He whispered something that Jack couldn't hear, but made Elizabeth go pale.

"Eh? What's that?"

"You. He looks like you." Jack stared for a moment in disbelief. "You mean that lad with the sword and Gunther! He was a good boy, he was. My crew has him, methinks."

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, a reaction that some may have found surprising, considering she had just been told her son was probably holed up on a pirate ship. Will leapt to his feet. "What are we waiting for!?!"

Soon our heroes were following Jack's unsteady pace down to the docks. There his crew was, uncharacteristically quiet. Usually they would have a little party after a night's revels.

Jack yelled something at them, too slurred for Elizabeth and Will to understand (the children were safe with Elizabeth's father in the house they all shared) but the pirates apparently got the gist, for they were ushered on. Anamaria pulled Jack overboard and he slung an affectionate arm around her waist. She was rather rough when hauling Elizabeth over.

"Stuck with me, this one 'as" he said, smiling rather sloppily at Anamaria. She raised an eyebrow. "Only because I find you so charming." Jack laughed a bit too heartily. Will cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes, Will, keep your pants on. For all our sakes." Jack turned, to his laughing pirates. "Where is that boy.the one who looks like me!" One of them handed him a dirty note, written in a child's uneven handwriting on what appeared to have once been a sock. It read:

cAPtyN jACK sPARo: we HAVe UR sOn. IF U evEr waNt To sEA hiM aGAiN, GivEs us THE coMPaSS thAT lEADS tO ThE ILaND oF TReasURES aND oNe MilION BaRS oF PuRe GoLD. WE nO yOu HaVE iT. MEAT us AT mIDNiT ON TEELGor iN tO DAs. Or Els.

There was a thick silence over everyone, filled with tension and fear and promise of a scheme by their Captain and guiding light, Jack Sparrow. Only he could speak, now, and bring them hope and promise that this gross deed would not go unpunished. Only Jack could break the horrible silence. Only Jack.

"I have a son?" Jack asked stupidly.