Author's  Note: OMIGOD! Sorry for the wait. *dies laughing* I…erm…laziness. Yeah.  Y'now how it is. Anyway…I can't remember what happens in this chapter…so I can't really give you a heads up on it. n_n'  But uhhh…yeah. Hope you like it. sheepish giggles

The Wrath of Cortez
Ch. 5 -  From His Watery Grave

Anamaria's eyes widened. "William?! Y ou're…alive?!"

"Barely…"  The man who greatly resembled his son hopped aboard the Pearl as he pulled a small rum pouch from his shirt, taking a swig of the sweet liquid inside.  "It's a long story…"

Jack laughed, taking back to the wheel.  "We've got plenty o' time, mate!"  Jack then snickered slightly. "MANDIE!"

His reply came as a shout from below deck.  "WHAT?!"

"THREE RUMS, LUV?"

Conveniently enough, Elizabeth made her way upstairs.  "What's all the… racket…"  She blinked in astonishment at the sight of Bootstrap.  "Will…?"

"Eh?" Bootstrap looked up as Jack laughed heartily.

"Nay, m'lady! Yer lookin' at Bootstrap Bill Turner!"  Elizabeth blinked once more.

"But…I thought you were…"  Bootstrap grinned.

"Dead!"

"Well, yes!"  Elizabeth frowned as Jack chuckled and started in on one of the rums Mandie had brought up.

"Yer gonna get that a lot, mate." Jack snickered slightly, Bootstrap nodding in agreement.

"I know."  He leaned against a mast as he began to tell his tale.  "Well, ye may know by now how the others tied a cannonball to me and left me for dead, aye?"  The others nodded.  "Well, not to insult yer crew any, Jack, but-"

"By all means, insult away mate!"  He grinned as Bootstrap snickered.

"Well, they really aren't the brightest-"

"They're stupid!"

"Obnoxious…" Anamaria chimed in.

"Rather thick-headed…"  Elizabeth commented as well.

"Garrulous-"

"Dolts, I know."  Bootstrap chuckled.  "Any'ays, it wasn' too hard to pull off a pair of boots when they're goin' down an' you're goin' up…plus, immortal men can't drown.

Jack cracked up. "So where ye been these past ten years?!"  Bootstrap grinned.

"Bidin' me time!  In yer own words, mate, I was waitin' for the opportune moment!"

"So…"  Elizabeth frowned slightly, trying to process things.  "What makes now the 'opertune moment', exactly?"

Bootstrap sighed.  "There was a monkey I found in a pub some fortnights ago;"

"Jack."  Jack nodded as he spoke, before turning to the others.  Upon seeing the confused looks on their faces, he waved a dismissive hand.  "Carry on…"

"Well, you see-"  Bootstrap took a swig of his rum. "I saw th'damn thing had one of those coins, and made it my point to see to it that nothin' like last time happened again! So I took me hammer, smashed it to bits, thirds to be exact, an' scattered 'em about the Caribbean!" Despite Bootstrap's prideful look, Jack, Elizabeth, and Anamaria all gasped in unison.

"WHAT?!?"  They all started talking at once.

"Will, he's-"

"An' now we've gotta-"

"Bloody 'ell, I need more rum…"

Bootstrap blinked, waving his arms a bit.  "Wait, wait.  Wot about Will?  An' where's the rum?"  Elizabeth sighed.

"Will. Your son.  He was kidnapped…we think.  And probably by the same pirates who want all of the coins!"  Bootstraps eyes widened as Elizabeth spoke.

"Bloody 'ell…"

"Aye.  An' now we've got to hunt him down…and the pieces of the coin."

"But…'ow?!"

Elizabeth sighed, rising and turning away.  "I already have one of the pieces."

"Aye… an' jus' who are ye anyway, lass?"

Jack spoke up.  "Lady Elizabeth Turner."  Bootstrap arched a curious eyebrow as Elizabeth nodded.

"Will is…my husband…" She glanced downward, drying her eyes with the edge of her sleeve.

"Your…"  Bootstrap blinked, apparently in awe.  Before he could say any more, however, he was interrupted by loud squawking noises from the Crow's Nest.

"EARP! Land ahoy, mates!"  Jack and Anamaria squinted into the distance at the sound of Mister Cotton's Parrot.

Sure enough, just barely on the horizon was a tiny spit of land-  the very island Jack had been marooned on twice before; only this time, there was a different sort of person stranded on the beach, and for once it wasn't Jack Sparrow.