Elizabeth and her father were waiting for them on the quayside, baby Matthew held in her arms as they watched the longboats swing out from the battered ships and lower to the water. Even Governor Swann could not suppress the intense worry for these pirates, who had proved less barbaric than he had first expected. In fact, he was almost resigned to counting them among his friends.

Will and James were in the first longboat, with Gillette and the younger lieutenant from the Dauntless. Both looked weary and heart-sick, though Will's face brightened considerably as his eyes fell on his wife and son waiting there for him to disembark. As the little boat bumped alongside, James held his officers back, letting Elizabeth's husband bound ashore to gather his little family in his arms.

The commodore dismissed the captain and lieutenant, moving to shake the governor's hand firmly. Swann smiled warmly at the younger man, glad to see him come through another battle none the worse for wear. Despite outward appearances, these two were good friends, accepting their fate to wait on the sidelines and watch the world go by together.

'I take it the trip was a success?' the governor asked cheerfully.

He frowned as a ghostly grimace flickered across James's face, a sudden sharp pain illuminating behind his eyes.

'As near a complete success as one can manage,' the commodore answered, retreating behind his perfected cold mask.

Swann searched his eyes for the reason for this open-ended answer.

'What do you mean by that, commodore?'

James hardened himself before answering, not wishing to display too much emotion to the gathering around them.

'There were . . . casualties,' he said thickly. 'No success is ever complete when death is involved.'

Thankfully, the governor accepted this explanation, squeezing the younger man's hand in an effort to give some small share of comfort to him. Beside them, Elizabeth and Will held one another tightly, both achingly aware that they could have been separated forever. Matthew slept peacefully in his mother's arms, blissfully unaware of the horrific images his mother had endured the night before as she sought the oblivion of sleep.

The second longboat thudded alongside, and Will turned in time for Elizabeth to see Jack lift Marin onto dry land, sharing a loving smile with the young woman before relinquishing her that she might greet her friend. Marin rushed into Elizabeth's out-stretched arms as Will stepped back to join Jack, his son cradled close against him.

'I see the young Turner is as unaffected as ever,' Jack said dryly, watching as the tiny boy stirred and promptly went back to sleep.

Will laughed.

'Give him a chance, Jack, he's only eight days old,' he protested, amused by his friend's dismissal of the importance the child held for them both. 'I doubt you were much better when you were his age.'

Jack grinned, throwing Will off-balance slightly with the carefree expression.

'I was never his age,' he insisted loftily, turning back to the women as Will roared with laughter.

Elizabeth pulled back from the embrace, keeping Marin within the circle of her arms as she looked down at her friend. There was something different about her, something had given her an air of maturity that had not been present when they had sailed two mornings before. She had seen the open- ness with which she and Jack looked at one another, hoping it meant what she thought it did, but somehow Elizabeth didn't think that bringing feelings that were already there into the open would effect the impression her friend made on people.

She glanced up, looking for the fifth member of the group that had sailed away from her only two days before.

'Where's Elias?' she asked innocently.

Marin froze under her hands, her face a mask of deep and abiding sorrow that she could not suppress. The men moved to rescue her from having to answer the question, James drawing Elizabeth away as Jack folded Marin into his embrace gently. Not understanding what was going on, the woman frowned up at him.

'Well, where is he?' she demanded, feeling guilty for causing such pain to her friend and not knowing how she had done it.

James swallowed, forcing himself to say it.

'Sleeping young, Mrs Turner,' he managed, unable to say the stark words that would tell her bluntly.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she recognised the wording of the Navy's salute to those who had fallen in battle. Shocked tears welled up within her as she comprehended the death of a man who had seemed as though he would last forever.

'Good God, I am so sorry,' she whispered, horrified that she had made such a heart-wrenching faux-pas.

Marin pushed away from Jack's shoulder, staying close to her pirate for the support only he could give her. She smiled shakily at her friend.

'There's nothing to be sorry about, Elizabeth,' she assured her. 'There's nothing anyone could have done to prevent it.'

Elizabeth moved again to take the younger woman into her arms, rocking her gently as Marin allowed a few of her precious tears to fall. She had wept too much over Elias, and he would not be happy, were he still here, to see her wallowing in grief over such an everyday thing as death. She drew back, dashing the tears from her eyes with an embarrassed smile.

'Sorry,' she muttered, abashed, before glancing up at Governor's House. 'I don't suppose you've got a meal prepared, have you?'

Swann leapt into the conversation, nodding enthusiastically.

'Indeed we have, Marin, my dear,' he told her.

Jack moved to her side, one hand about her waist as she slipped into the circle of his arms.

'That's good then, governor,' he said brightly. 'Because we haven't eaten since the evening meal last night.'

The truth was that the stores had been hit on both ships, and the Dauntless had only had enough food to feed all three crews for one day after the battle, so they had done just that. That day's sailing had been hungry work, with all the seamen on all three ships complaining about the lack of vision in not putting the stores beneath the water line.

As they made their way up to the house on the hill, Elizabeth was aware that Jack and Marin had hung back. She turned to hurry them on, and her gaze fell on where they stood with joyful triumph. They kissed tenderly, Jack obviously worried that his lass's spirits had been dampened by the inadvertent mention of Elias on the dock.

Will nudged his wife, grinning.

'Let them be, 'Beth,' he told her gently. 'I think we can let them do the rest from here.'

With a grin of her own, Elizabeth nodded, turning to walk the track with her husband, her heart light with joy as she quietly celebrated the success of a plan hatched months before in a run down tavern in Tortuga.

*~*~*

The evening fell swiftly on Port Royale, cloaking the port town in a gentle darkness that seemed to soothe rather than choke the life within its walls. The house on the hill stood in semi-darkness, looming over two figures as they walked together through the wounded greenery that had not yet recovered from its savage gardener.

It was not a sight he would ever have thought to see, James mused, that of Jack Sparrow walking hand in hand with any woman. But then, no one would ever have guessed that the irascible pirate would ever fall so deeply in love as he had. The commodore had it on good authority - namely Dugan and Gibbs - that Jack had not so much as looked at another woman since Marin had made an impression on his life, not even to negotiate with a whore.

It was obvious that, for both parties involved, this was no passing attraction. He had accidentally overheard a snatch of conversation between them as they passed through the hall, confirming his suspicions that Jack was, in fact, a gentleman as well as a pirate.

'Stay with me tonight,' Marin had asked him softly as they wandered through the entry hall.

James was unashamed to admit that he had paused and strained his ears to catch Jack's response, half-certain he would need to inadvertently burst in on them to prevent any improper conduct.

'I won't do that, love,' Jack had told her, and went on to explain. 'If I stay with you, I won't be able to just sleep beside you. Savvy?'

Marin had protested, but Jack had been adamant, leaving James highly relieved, his nerves relaxing once again as the two walked out into the deepening darkness.

Strange, he thought to himself, how one's opinion of another can change so dramatically. There was once a time when he had thought that all pirates deserved to be hanged, that they were the lowest of the low and needed to be wiped out. And then he had met Jack Sparrow, who had thrown all his ideals and morals out of the window in the space of a few short weeks, forcing the commodore to examine his purpose closely. He had taught the naval officer that there were exceptions to the rule, and that they required special treatment.

James now no longer wished to see Captain Sparrow hanging up with his fellows at the harbour entrance, certain that the man did not deserve death of any kind. And although he was not over the moon about the pirate's connection with his cousin, he would not stand in their way should he decide to make an honest woman of her. He laughed quietly to himself. Not that marriage would even occur to the man.

Governor Swann came to stand beside him, watching the two lovers with nostalgic eyes as he remembered a time when he had walked his gardens in England with Elizabeth's mother. He glanced at the commodore, confused by the amusement that marked his face.

'Might I ask what you find so amusing?' he inquired, watching as his friend extricated himself from his thoughts to turn away from the window.

'I was just considering the impossibility of a married pirate, governor,' he told the older man.

Swann nodded knowingly, seeing the complications that could arise should such a thing become a distinct possibility.

'But will you allow your cousin to live in shame?' he asked, apparently lightly, wishing to know the commodore's thoughts on being related to a pirate.

Neither man thought of Marin as a pirate, probably because her soul seemed too gentle for her to commit the crimes all pirates were guilty of. Yet, James had seen how fiercely she fought, how effective her attack could be, and still refused to consider her the pirate he knew she was.

'She does not find it shameful,' he said softly. 'Indeed, their companions would consider their match noble should it last their lifetimes.'

Swann hid a smile.

'But you would not,' he guessed, picking up on the unspoken words.

James sighed.

'I would not,' he agreed. 'But I would rather see her happily shamed, than unhappily married. Or abandoned.'

'You said that Captain Fitzpatrick made them swear to remain together for as long as they could,' the governor mused, a thought occurring to him through the celebratory wine.

The commodore nodded, frowning as he tried to follow his companion's train of thought.

'Yes, he did. Why?'

Swann pondered for a moment before answering.

'A captain has the authority to officiate ceremonies on board his ship, does he not? And all a marriage is, is an exchange of vows before witnesses, yes?'

James stared at his friend, before succumbing to the laughter that bubbled up inside him.

'That crafty old goat!' he exclaimed. 'I wonder if they've realised yet?'

Swann grinned.

'I doubt it,' he said. 'But bear in mind, they weren't actually aware they were being married, so a confirmation of those vows would be required.'

'I suppose they would,' James mused. 'Thank you, governor, you've given me leverage to make an honest woman out of her.'

The governor inclined his head politely.

'Anything to help a friend, James,' he said softly, turning back to watch the unsuspecting pair as they held one another close, unaware of quite how closely tied they actually were.