The sun rose bright over Tortuga the next morning, rousing many earlier than they would have liked. As men staggered from their homes, ready to begin another day, Will Turner made his way down to the dock, hoping to get a boat out to the Black Pearl. As he approached the quay, it soon became clear that he wouldn't need to.

Captain Jack Sparrow was peering through his telescope, out across the harbour, towards the great ships anchored in the bay. Will followed the line of the telescope and grinned triumphantly. Jack wasn't checking on his own ship, but perusing the decks of the Red Dragon.

'I don't think she's up yet,' Will said loudly, right into Jack's ear, making the normally cool pirate leap to one side in shock, his sabre whistling from its sheath.

'Bloody hell! Mate, never sneak up on a pirate, it's bad for your continued health,' Jack told him, obviously rattled.

Will laughed.

'I didn't sneak, you were too engrossed in the Dragon to notice me,' he defended himself, 'and like I said, she's probably not up yet.'

Jack drew in a deep breath to calm himself, sheathing his sword smoothly.

'Who?' he inquired, his voice level and steady.

'Marin,' Will said simply.

Not a flicker crossed Jack's face.

'Why would I want to know if Marin is up yet?' he asked, returning his telescope to his belt.

'Oh, I don't know, Jack,' Will rejoined, his tone identical to that of his friend. 'Maybe so you can continue to gaze at her wistfully from a distance?'

Jack was indignant in the extreme, turning fully to face the younger man in a frenzy of emotion.

'I do not gaze wistfully at anyone,' he insisted. 'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.'

Will's eyebrows rose.

'And what does that mean in this situation?'

Jack slumped, rolling his eyes.

'Captain Jack Sparrow does not gaze wistfully,' he said calmly. 'I'm known for it. You've seen the women here, would I be slapped that much if I could gaze wistfully?'

Will laughed. Jack regarded him for a moment and joined in, turning back to look out across the bay with his friend at his side.

'How's Elizabeth this fine morning?'

'Still asleep,' Will told him, a soft smile on his face for the memory of how he had left her. 'She's determined to have the baby in Port Royale.'

Jack snorted quietly, watching as the Dryad came about and began to head for the open sea once more. Will turned to him.

'Jack, you don't have to sail us to Port Royale,' he said, his tone one of concern for his friend. 'I'm sure Captain Fitzpatrick wouldn't mind taking us back.'

'And why should I not be the one to see you safely home, mate?' Jack asked quietly, sounding hurt.

Will winced. He hadn't meant to offend his friend.

'Well, you are a wanted man, Jack,' he said wretchedly. 'And Commodore Norrington is determined to hang you someday. Look, all I'm saying is that one day you're not going to get away. I'd rather that wasn't because of us.'

An amused smile lit up the older man's face. He understood that Will was trying to protect him, but he had no idea why. Still, he supposed, this must be one of the reasons he called them friends.

'I know, mate, but you're forgetting one very important thing,' he said cheerfully. 'I'm -'

'- Captain Jack Sparrow, yes, of course,' Will finished for him, shaking his head with a smile for his friend's stubbornness.

'And don't you forget it, mate.'

With almost identical smiles of deep seated amusement, the two men turned back to their contemplation of the bay, watching as a longboat shoved off from the Dragon. Will yawned widely, the early morning not what he was used to anymore.

'So what is this past between you and Captain Fitzpatrick?' he asked his companion. 'You seem to know one another fairly well.'

Jack chuckled quietly.

'Yeah, you could say that, mate,' he agreed. 'He was my teacher when I first became a pirate. Taught me almost everything I know.'

Will frowned, seeing the fond smile that betrayed a good memory in the mind of Jack Sparrow.

'What happened?' he asked curiously.

'The Black Pearl happened, mate,' Jack told him. 'I was determined to have her, but old Fitz wasn't prepared to put his crew in danger on a whim of mine. Tried to have me thrown in the brig. Didn't work, though. I left him a dagger in his ribs as payment for the years of work he put into me. Not my finest hour, savvy?'

Will nodded, understanding now the light and shade of each conversation he had witnessed between the two men. Jack sighed, frowning as he peered at the passengers on the little longboat as it made its way across the bay.

'Why are they coming back on shore?' he muttered to himself.

Will, too, peered out across the water to the little boat, and felt a smile curve his lips. Elias Fitzpatrick and Marin were both sat snug in the stern, chatting together as they made their way to the dock. He wondered what they were up to. Glancing sideways, he saw Jack's eyes once again fixed on Marin, his expression so much softer than Will had ever seen it before.

'There's no shame in it, you know,' he said softly.

This time, Jack didn't even try to deny it.

'Not for me, maybe,' he murmured. 'But she deserves better than what I can give her. Far better.'

'What if all she wants is what you can give her?' Will asked, his voice still gentle and undemanding. 'What would you do?'

Jack sighed.

'I have no idea, mate.'

Will reached across, his fingers grasping Jack's shoulder through his worn leather coat. The older man seemed so dejected, determined that he would rather live alone, in the knowledge that the one woman he loved was living with someone else, than have what Marin would so willingly give him.

Jack coughed, straightening up and throwing Will's hand from his shoulder. He nodded to his friend.

'Well, I have things that need doing, so I'll be seeing you around, no doubt,' he said, already walking away. 'Greetings to all.'

Will watched him walk briskly back up into the town, his mind racing with the possible consequences of that conversation. There was a thump against the dock behind him, and he turned to see the Dragon's longboat off-loading her passengers. Marin grinned up at him as she and her captain made their way to his side.

'Morning, Will,' she called. 'Is Elizabeth about?'

He laughed.

'You can check if you want,' he told her. 'Be wary of flying crockery this early though.'

As Elias winced, obviously having been on the receiving end of such aerial objects at some point, Marin laughed, turning away to walk the same route Jack had done only moments before, up into the town of Tortuga.

'Young Jack refusing to admit to any feeling that has to do with me Marin still, or was that hasty exit because ye pried something out he doesn't want known?' Elias mused quietly, watching his young companion into the shadow of the houses.

Will smiled.

'You're too sharp for your own good, sir,' he muttered. 'Come up to the inn, I'm sure they'll have something for you there.'

Elias laughed warmly, letting himself be drawn forwards.

'Of that I have no doubt, Will.'

*~*~*

When they reached the inn, Elizabeth was already downstairs, Marin by her side, as they tucked in to an enormous breakfast that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Will certainly hadn't seen anyone about all morning. The two women were talking cheerfully, and the men took seats not far from them, ostensibly because they couldn't stand to be too far apart, but more because they wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation.

'Isn't this a little dishonest?' Will asked softly.

Elias gave him a long look.

'Pirate,' he said, as if that would explain everything.

Will grinned. Now he knew where Jack had got that from, as well. He let his ears re-attune themselves to Elizabeth's voice as she chatted with Marin freely.

'He kissed you?' she asked incredulously.

Marin rolled her eyes.

'Well, no, not exactly,' she said wretchedly. 'He was going to, but we were sort of interrupted by the storm.'

Elizabeth frowned.

'How?'

'A rather large wave decided to make an appearance on deck,' Marin told her, graciously ignoring the snort of laughter that comment produced from her friend. 'He sent me below.'

Elizabeth's expression was nothing short of suggestive.

'Oh really?' she asked, looking the younger girl up and down.

Marin blushed.

'Not like that!' she protested. 'I swear, Elizabeth, you have the filthiest mind I have ever come across.'

Elizabeth laughed at her, thoroughly enjoying this opportunity to tease a pirate.

'And has he tried anything else?'

'No, nothing else,' came the rather subdued answer.

'I get the feeling you wouldn't be adverse to him trying again,' Elizabeth murmured, watching as Marin's cheeks darkened in a second flush of crimson.

'Well, if I were completely honest with myself, no, I wouldn't mind,' Marin admitted, staring steadfastly at her hands. 'But I don't know what's happening to me, Elizabeth. It doesn't feel like a fleeting thing, but how would I know?'

Her companion smiled, laying a gentle hand over hers.

'How do you feel?' she asked.

Marin sighed gustily.

'I don't know, there's no real way to describe it,' she said softly. 'It's like the world comes alive when he's near me, like I could quite happily drown in his eyes. Everything he says or does affects me in some way. Like this morning, when he walked away from the dock as we pulled alongside, that hurt . . . here.'

Her hand touched her heart, and Will could hear the pain in her voice as she replayed that moment over in her mind. He glanced at Elias. The old captain's face was unreadable as he listened, and Will got the impression that he knew already of both Jack and Marin's feelings.

'Is that love, Elizabeth?' Marin asked, sounding small and alone, almost frightened.

Elizabeth smiled gently at her young friend.

'It could be, Marin,' she said, her eyes understanding as she looked on the confused girl. 'But love is different for everyone. You have to take it each day at a time.'

Will could hear the tears beneath the surface as Marin spoke again.

'He'll never need me,' she whispered. 'He has the Pearl, and the open seas. What does he need a woman for?'

Elizabeth's smile widened.

'Oh, I could think of any number of things,' she said impishly.

Marin looked up at her mischievous smile, and laughed.

'You're incorrigible!' she exclaimed. 'I hope that baby takes after Will. Who knows how it will turn out if it has your sense of humour!'

Elizabeth gasped indignantly, slapping her friend's arm lightly with a smile.

'Oh, actually, since you've brought it up, I have a favour to ask you,' she said suddenly, surprising Will, who had not heard any of this.

'Ask away,' Marin said, her voice once again light and happy.

'Well, I have very few female friends and I don't particularly want to be surrounded by squeamish women when I give birth, so I was wondering if you would come with us to Port Royale and stay until after my baby is born?'

There was an excited squeal, and Will turned to see the two women embracing warmly.

'I would love to, Elizabeth, of course I would,' Marin exclaimed. 'I'd have to ask Elias first, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind.'

'Of course I wouldn't mind, lass,' Elias butted in, turning to grin at the startled pair.

Will rolled his eyes in consternation, appalled at the pirate's apparent pleasure at being caught eavesdropping. Elias glanced at his guilty expression, giving a crack of laughter as he continued,

'As long as the invitation to Port Royale is extended to meself and me crew.'

Elizabeth's smile was just short of gloating.

'Of course, Captain Fitzpatrick,' she agreed, catching Will's eye and beaming.

He sighed. It would appear that Elizabeth had already set her plan to push Marin and Jack together in motion. Pity the fools, he thought.

*~*~*

Sorry about the wait, guys . . . . inspiration is a bit thin on the ground at the mo, as you can tell by this 'nothing-really-happened' chapter. But I am working on the next chapter! Honest I am!

If any of you wanna get in touch, you know, to chat or ask me why I'm so strange, feel free to email me! I don't bite! Be well, guys!