Notes: Nassau was a popular pirating port back in the day, not unlike Tortuga.

Warnings: This chapter may contain W/E mush and bits of Angsty!Will. Should irritation occur, flush eyes with water and induce vomiting.

Another note: If someone out there who knows Will better than I is feeling particularly kind, I'd appreciate it if you told me what sound he makes when he's nervous. Um? Er? Uh? Hums a jaunty tune, perhaps?

***

Will deliberated silently while Jack entertained himself by simultaneously watching other patrons, humming an unidentifiable tune, and writing dirty words on the table with a finger dipped in rum. Eventually Will said, "I really don't know."

Jack responded as quickly as if there hadn't been a twenty-minute lag in conversation. "Do you want to marry Miizzzzz Swann?"

Will hesitated but slowly said, "not particularly."

"That's something at least. Fancy staying a blacksmith until the end of time?"

"Defiantly not. I—" he hesitated, not wanting to admit it. "I fear I'd like to be a pirate."

Jack grinned wildly then, and sprung up so quickly Will felt dizzy. "Off we go then!" Jack exclaimed, already swaying toward the door.

Will scrambled after him, quickly out the bar and through the streets toward the port. "Where are we going?"

"Nassau," Jack said.

"Nassau!" Will said, struggling to keep up with Jack's suddenly wide gait. "I can't go to Nassau, I'm going to be married tomorrow!"

Jack stopped and turned all at once, so Will ended up knocking into him and falling over.

"You're still on about that?" Jack said, addressing the air where Will's head had been a moment ago.

"Of course I am! I can't simply walk out on Elizabeth."

"You would in fact be sailing out on her."

"I can't do that either," Will insisted. "I can't just—leave. Not Elizabeth."

"You're hardly happy with the lass," Jack said, sitting down in the middle of the street, now addressing William Proper. "And no doubt she's not feeling all sunshine and flowers for you, either."

Will frowned. He hadn't really considered Elizabeth's feelings, simply assuming that she would be heartbroken if they didn't marry. Still, she hadn't mentioned that she was displeased with him, and she was hardly the type of girl to sit back and silently bear discontent.

Jack stood, wobbled slightly, and lithely offered a hand to Will.

"I'm not going to Nassau," Will said.

"Change of plans," he drawled, "we're going to see Miss Swann."

Will cautiously took the offered hand, and Jack hefted him hard enough that they came up chest to chest.

***

According to Will's best approximation, it was somewhere around 2am when they approached the governor's mansion. Some part of Will knew that, should he be in his right state of mind, he wouldn't be doing this. However, as it was, he had had a good deal more alcohol than he was used to and he was in Jack Sparrow's company, which in and of itself was known to make any man a little off.

All of the servants on the house were in bed by that time, as were the masters, but this hardly stopped Jack from banging on knocker repeatedly and yelling, "We've come to steal your women!" at the top of his lungs.

"Shouldn't you be more discreet?" Will said, having been expecting an elaborate break-in that involved but was not limited to: scaling a wall, concussing various guards, and if at all possible a number of daring sword fights.

"Why would I want to do that?" Jack said, peering down either side of the mansion. When it was obviously that no one was going to answer the door and probable that they wouldn't suddenly be swamped by the entire King's Navy, Jack kneeled down and eyed the lock. He then removed his hat, pulled out a number of oddly shaped wires from within, and began picking the lock.

"Has that /ever/ worked?" Will said.

There was a click, and the door swung open. Jack stood, not bothering to step back again and ending up in very close proximity to Will. Jack grinned like the madman he was. Will's stomach lurched and fluttered suddenly, and he couldn't seem to breathe properly.

"Now," Jack said, bobbing even closer, "where doth the fair maiden lay?"

Will pulled a way and took a deep breath, glancing inside. "Um," he said, "this way."

He started up the large staircase, Jack lolling behind, regretfully ogling all the things he wouldn't be stealing. "So you do have a bit of pirate in you after all," he mused, fishing. "Visit her chambers at all hours, I'd wager."

Will felt his ears redden. "It's not like that," he insisted weakly. "And don't make any jokes about my being a eunuch."

"Ah, so you admit it."

"I—" Will turned and glared. Jack looked extraordinarily pleased but took a step back all the same, raising his arms slightly defensively. "Just—be quiet."

They came to Elizabeth's door and Will went to knock, but Jack swept ahead undaunted.

"Dahhling!" he said, grandly sweeping unannounced into the room, throwing his arms out jovially. "Your Capitan has returned to ravish you and whisk you away to be my wicked pirate bride!"

Elizabeth sat up, staring wide-eyed at Jack. It suddenly occurred to Will that he didn't, in fact, have any idea why Jack had wanted to come here, and there was a good chance the pirate hadn't been joking just then. Although, Will decided, if that were the case, this would be a solo mission.

"Mr. Sparrow?!" Elizabeth tried to squawk, but was cut off halfway through by a filthy jewel-bedecked hand covering her mouth.

"None of that, dear," he said close to her ear. "Mustn't wake daddy."

Elizabeth made a high-pitched sound, muffled by the hand, and struggled fiercely against the pirate's hold. Jack stretched out onto of her to subdue the bucking—honestly.

"Elizabeth," Will said. She paused in her thrashing and noticed Will apparently for the first time. He approached slowly, trying to keep his voice soothing. "It's okay, Elizabeth. He's not going to hurt you." Jack swiveled his gaze from Elizabeth to William without moving his head. Will added, "I think."

She gave another short squeal and jolted her entire body once more, but was calmed by Will's presence. Jack experimentally removed his hand from her mouth. She didn't scream. She did glare at both men in turns while wiping at her mouth, looking as if she would very much like to spit.

"/What/," she hissed, "are you doing here?"

Will didn't say anything because he assumed she was talking to Jack. Jack remained silent because that was the sort of information one didn't give out so freely.

"/Well/?" she said, fiery gaze darting between the two.

"Oh, you know how it is—" Jack said at the same time as Will said, "Jack thought that—"

They both stopped.

"Right," Elizabeth said incredulously. "If that's all, you'll excuse me if I go back to sleep. And I suggest you do as well, William Turner. Tomorrow you're to be neither late /nor/ hung over." She said 'hung over' like it was the vilest, most shameful state of mind imaginable.

"Funny," Jack said to Will, "she strikes me as exactly the same." He shifted neared to her, stretching himself out on the bed. Elizabeth moved as far away as she could while still clutching the covers to shield her chest. "Thing is, Luv," Jack said, leering at her, "none of us is leaving this beautiful boudoir until yours and the boy's miscommunication is all sorted out."

"Miscommunication?" Elizabeth and Will said at once.

"Aye," Jack said, settling further onto the bed and tipping his hat over his eyes. "Tomorrow's engagements, as it were." He languidly waved an arm at them, then for all appearances fell asleep.

Will and Elizabeth looked at each other awkwardly. The woman suddenly realized that she was in bed with a filthy pirate and bolted up, pulling on a robe. There was a pause during which the two fidgeted and tried not to look at each other.

"What's this about, Will?" Elizabeth asked eventually.

"Uh—well—I—" Will fidgeted, feeling utterly terrible. He couldn't think of a thing to say. Denying anything was wrong would never be believed. Telling her he didn't want to get married to become a pirate was completely out of the question; he couldn't treat Elizabeth that callously. After a long speech consisting solely of nonsensical sputtering, Elizabeth sighed heavily.

"Oh just tell me, William."

"I want to be a pirate," he spouted suddenly, then blushed. It sounded so juvenile. There was a snorting sound from Jack's direction, but Will couldn't be sure whether it was a stifled laugh or a snore.

There was a pause.

"I see," Elizabeth said evenly. "You know that I can't be married to a pirate, William."

"I know," he said, staring at his feet.

"Is that your choice, then?"

"I—I don't want to hurt you."

She sighed heavily. "There's obviously no avoiding it. It would hurt me more to be the reason you don't follow your dream. Although I would have /appreciated/ you bringing it up sooner."

Will nodded, still staring at anything other than her.

"Will, look at me." Reluctantly, he did. "I love you. I'll always love you, but recently it's become /painfully/ clear that we could never work without one or both of us being miserable."

"You've been miserable, too?"

"Oh, darling, /of course/ I have."

They both smiled very slightly.

"I love you, too, Elizabeth," Will said quietly. "Perhaps not in the way I originally expected, but I do love you."

She nodded, and they embraced. For the first time in as long as he had been allowed contact with her, he didn't feel like a deceitful monster touching her. He kissed the top of her head, and she let out a tiny sob, though her eyes remained dry.

When they pulled away, Jack was awake and looming a small distance away, squinting distrustfully at Elizabeth. He moved cautiously, as one would when trying not to startle an animal—or at least as Jack would when trying not to startle an animal, which seemed to be a unique dance all its own.

"That's it?" he said. "No hollering, no scorned woman whatall? No fisticuffs?" At the last he looked nearly disappointed.

Elizabeth straightened and looked regal. "Certainly not." Jack didn't look convinced. "Although you should both be pleased I have a modicum of self-restraint, as well as no pistols or sharp object."

Jack grinned and grabbed Will's arm, dragging him toward the door but never facing away from Elizabeth. "That's more like it, Luv. Ta so for the lad. Should The Pearl ever visit your lovely port again, I'll be sure to return him for some fun and frolic."