Water.

It was everywhere. In her mouth, in her eyes, in her ears. She could feel it push her down, sucking her into the depths of the ocean. She struggled against, tried to free herself from its icy grip, but to no avail. Down, down, down she went, plunging to the bottom that she could not yet see.

She tried to scream, but the water suffocated it. Her lungs started to burn, and she realized that she was going to die.

A strange fish swam by, luminescent in the darkness of the water. Its mouth opened to reveal a gaping tunnel, from where she could have sworn she heard her name...

"Willow...Willow! Wake up!"

Willow Jaclyn Swann awoke with a gasp, her heart pounding from within her chest. Her breathing was rapid, as she hungrily tried to draw in air.

"Whoa. Slow down there, sweetheart. Just take a deep breath. That's it."

Willow did such, and once she had calmed down, she turned to find one of the men who rescued her, Will, she thought his name was.

"You had a nightmare, darlin', but you're alright now." he said, smiling.

She smiled back, and took the opportunity to study the man who had helped her. He had long, almost black hair pulled into a ponytail and a goatee. The thing that Willow found so intriguing about this Will were his eyes... they were remarkably like hers.

She was removed from her thoughts by Will, who asked if she was alright.

"Oh, yes." Willow answered, smiling at him. "I'm fine."

Silence reigned for a few moments before Willow felt comfortable enough to ask her next question.

"This may seem odd, Mr. Will," she started, garnering a chuckle from Will at the title before his name, "But do I know you? You seem somehow familiar."

At the young girl's question the pirate lost his smile and seemed to almost become nervous. "Uh, no. I-I don't think so, my dear." offering her a half-hearted smile.

This only peaked the intelligent girl's curiosity. "No, I think I do know you... Oh! I know!" she exclaimed, realization dawning on her. "My mama has a drawing of you in our foyer! She never tells me who you are, though."

Will looked taken aback, and for a good reason. Unbeknownst to the young Willow, that painting had been part of a wedding gift Will and Elizabeth had received, over ten years ago.

Out loud, he sighed. "Alright, m'dear. I do know your mother, but we'll leave it at that, alright?"

But this stubborn young girl would not settle for that. Will could see that Willow had inherited more than just looks from her mother. "No. I want to know who you are!"

He was silent a moment, then whispered something inaudible.

"What?" asked Willow, equally quiet.

"I'm your father."

This was quite a surprise to the nine-year old girl, having not expected this. But she reacted most unlike a girl of her age, and more like an adult, increasing her newfound father's respect.

"Really?" she replied calmly.

He nodded.

"Oh."

Silence passed once more, as the young girl tried to absorb this information. She had lived all of her (short) life not knowing her father then suddenly -pop!- here he is.

"Are you gonna leave again?" she whispered.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "I'll never leave you or your mama again, alright?"

He could see sleep drifting back into her eyes as she asked her next question. "Are you and James and Grandpapa going to rescue her?"

"Without doubt." he said, stroking her hair lightly. "Now go to sleep, Willow. It's almost morning."

"Will you be here we I get up?" she questioned, sounding half asleep.

"Yes. Now, good night Willow, my darling."

She smiled once more before falling asleep, and mumbled: "Good night, Papa."

Will felt unexpected happiness at the use of that word. During the past ten years he had thought to never be called that word, never to be a father. Fatherhood, as in the actual raising of a child, was not a profession that pirates entered so easily.

But the former blacksmith also felt a pang in his heart, for he knew that he had missed so much of his daughter's life. First smile, first step, first word, and the list went on. Those things he would never be able to see, never experience firsthand.

He knew, though, that after they rescued Elizabeth, he would not be returning to the Black Pearl. Will Turner wanted nothing more than to live on solid land with Willow, and god-permitting, Elizabeth. Yes, the sea called to him, but he realized now that the sea was not his true love, that his true love lay in front of him and on the ship they were tailing.

Unfortunately, his moment of realization soon came to an end. A crewman stumbled in, saying that Jack wanted to talk to him. He stole one last look of his daughter, and went out to meet Jack.

He spotted the captain of the wheel of the ship, a look on determination glued onto his half-drunken features.

"What is it, Jack?"

His long-time friend didn't look over at him, just kept his eyes on the ship they were following. "I know where they're taking 'er."

"Where?"

"Isle du Diable."

"No." whispered Will. Isle du Diable was notorious among pirates. It was a death trap, a cursed place. No one dared go there.

"They must be plannin' to use Elizabeth to get through all 'em booby traps." Jack said, making a face.

"Well, we've got to stop them! We have to save her!" Will exclaimed, much like he had more than ten years ago.

Captain Jack Sparrow smiled then, and looked over to his friend. "I 'ave just the plan…"

*Ohhhhhh! What is Jack's plan?

Guess you'll just have to tune (or read?) in next time!

~Aria*