Pirates of the Caribbean: Voyage for the Blue Star

By JessieHeart

Chapter Three: The Son of a Swann and Sparrow

*

Elizabeth awoke to the heat of the morning sun beating down upon her face. She sat up and became aware of two things; One, several hours had passed since her kidnapping, and two, she seemed to be in a lifeboat with her two kidnappers.

"Good mornin', Miss Swann."

Elizabeth ignored him and observed her surroundings. The shore was not visible, but they were rowing towards a large, black ship. She raised her hands to wipe away a bead of sweat, and noticed her wrists were shackled.

As they drew closer to the ship, Elizabeth realized that it was not black, it was filthy. The wood and sails had fallen into horrible disrepair, much worse than the Black Pearl under Barbossa's command. Her nostrils flared in distaste.

She was brought on board, and like the rest of the ship the deck was riddled with dirt. A small crew of fifteen stood around her. A woman with black hair stepped forward.

"Elizabeth Swann," she observed in a bored, drawling tone. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Welcome to my humble abode… The 'Cursed Wreck.' You've grown older, I see."

Elizabeth's sneer became even more pronounced. "You're fortune hasn't much improved, I see." She said mockingly, casting sidelong glances at the dirty ship and crew. "Captain Amelia."

The girl matched Elizabeth's fury. "That's Captain Emerson, the name of my father and grandfather. And you'll do well not to forget it."

Elizabeth looked at the captain blankly. She was well aware of the girl's heritage.

Amelia turned to the crew. In the same drawling voice, she commanded, "Take Miss Swann to my stateroom. I require a private audience with her." She looked at Elizabeth and smiled in mock politeness. "I'll join you shortly.

Elizabeth was thrown into the stateroom like a prisoner into her cell. The room was practically empty, save a large mahogany desk with a vase of wilting flowers resting on it. Behind the desk was a portrait of the original Captain Emerson. He glared down at he with emerald-green eyes.

Amelia entered. She circled Elizabeth slowly, boots clicking on the floor hauntingly. At last she came to rest at the opposite side of the desk. Neither spoke.

Amelia Emerson was not ugly. Wavy, raven-colored hair hung down passed her shoulder blades, and her green eyes were almost identical to the painting behind her. If only she was rid of the curse, she could have ruled the seas with an iron grip terrible as she was beautiful. Elizabeth could tell Amelia was only a few years younger than herself, but she looked worn and sad. There was far more age in her eyes than Elizabeth had ever seen.

"You like what you see, Miss Swann?" Captain Emerson asked softly, waving a hand around the filthy room. "We are, indeed, still cursed, as the wretched gypsy intended."

Elizabeth did not reply. Amelia continued.

"You will tell me where I can find your son." Elizabeth laughed at her. "You could have ended it seventeen years ago," said Amelia, her drawling voice strained, as if holding back a fit of rage. "When I first confronted you, and you had no child. You could have just let me kill you and lifted the curse right then and there. Instead you fled into the arms of your husband and had a son. Now he must die as well. Where IS he?!"

Elizabeth laughed again, this time loud and mockingly, almost as if she were insane.

Amelia lost all pretenses and flew into a rage. She jumped out of her seat so fast, it crashed to the floor. She took two quick steps over to her captive and slapped her across the face, stopping the laughter. Her eyes burned into Elizabeth's.

"All my life," she said in a dangerously low voice, "All my life have my ships crashed and my fortunes burned, a curse placed upon me for a crime I did not commit. Too long has my crew been hoping for a day without doomed poverty, only to have their dreams dashed. If I must trade the lives of you and your son to free fourteen cursed men… So be it."

She walked briskly to the door and pulled it open.

"Take Miss Swann down below!" she shouted harshly. A man came to drag Elizabeth away.

As she passed the Captain, Amelia leaned forward to whisper hauntingly into her ear, "I'll find your son, no matter how long it takes. But a day will come when you lie in each other's blood and I stand free. Then I will spit upon your grave."

*

Bill did not speak for along time. His head was spinning.

"Br-Brother…?"

"Half-brother, then." Eli said as an after-thought. He grinned a little more. "You can tell just by looking at us that we have different fathers, aye?"

Bill processed what Eli had just said. His confusion was replaced with annoyance. "What? Different fathers? I'M the only child of Elizabeth Turner!"

Eli sighed. "Well, obviously, that's a lie."

"My father would have told me if I had a brother!"

"Your father doesn't know about me. In fact, only Elizabeth, Jack, you and I know about Elizabeth's first child."

"What?"

Eli motioned towards the desk. "Sit down. I'll explain."

Bill reluctantly did as he said. Eli sat across from him.

"Now, almost nineteen years ago your parents and Captain Jack Sparrow dealt with Barbossa and the Black Pearl. Undoubtedly, you've already been told this tale." Guessed Eli. Bill nodded. "But what you weren't told was that the night Elizabeth and Jack spent marooned on an island, a drunken mistake was made. That mistake resulted in me."

"My dad would have known if Elizabeth was pregnant-"

"No." Eli interrupted, shaking his head. "Elizabeth married Will Turner with me conceived, but she kept me a secret. In her last months of pregnancy, she stayed alone in a cottage owned by her father. When I was born, she contacted Jack Sparrow to ask what should be 'done with me.'" Eli looked away and said softly, "She didn't want me."

Bill swallowed. He was not sure if he believe the man in front of him, it had to be a trick…

Eli continued. "Luckily, Jack wanted me. 'He'll be the best damn pirate the world's ever seen,' he promised. He took me and named me Eli, after the first part of my mother's name. I'm eighteen years old now… And here we are."

Eli smiled once more, but Bill's face was unbelieving.

"No…" he said, his voice slightly desperate, "No, you're lying… You're Jack Sparrow, this is a trick…."

The corners of Eli's mouth twitched. "Me? Jack Sparrow?" he said in an amused voice. Then he amended, "Of course, I have been arrested in his name several times because we look so much alike…" Eli held out his left are over the table. "Tell me, what is the famous marking that Captain Jack Sparrow is supposed to have?"

"A sparrow against the sun setting into the sea…"

Eli lifted his sleeve. Not only did he have a 'P' brand marking him as a pirate, he also had a tattoo that it depicted a sparrow and a star, rather than a sun.

"As you can see, I am not my father."

Bill remained silent. He was still trying to grasp the thought of his mother- HIS mother- keeping such a secret all this time…

Eli withdrew his arm and leaned back in his chair. "So, little brother, what brings you aboard Sparrow's Ghost?"

Bill snapped back into reality. "Well, there's my medallion-"

"Which will be returned to you, of course." Eli scratched his chin. "Why is that trinket so important anyways, mate?"

"I need it to find my… our… mother."

"Oh?"

"I think it's a map to an island where she's been kidnapped." Bill explained. "Have you ever heard of a place called the Blue Star?"

Eli was fiddling with the ends of his braided beard thoughtfully. "No… But I know someone who will have."

"Really? Who?"

Eli grinned.

"Dad."

*

Will Turner was at the front of his ship, watching the water quite like his son did two days earlier. His gave, however, was thoughtful and worried. For all he knew, Emerson had taken Bill and now he and Elizabeth were dead. All hope could do was hold out hope and reach the Virgin Islands as fast as he could.

*

The Sparrow's Ghost was sailing towards the Isle de Muete. Eli considered it to be Jack's most likely position.

"He'll be stashing he most recent bounty there as we speak," said Eli, studying a compass that didn't point north. Bill stood next to him, looking around with an appraising eye.

"This is a remarkable ship," he approved at last. "I've seen navy ship's that aren't this well kept, nor this fast. Is she as fast as the Black Pearl?"

Eli laughed. "Almost. This ship was a birthday present when I turned fifteen. Speaking of which, I think your mom owns me quite a lot in birthday gifts…"

Bill fell uncomfortably silent. After a moment, he said quietly, "I still can't believe she didn't tell me about my own brother…"

"Get over it, mate." Eli advised. "I did, and I'm the one she abandoned. I gave up hating her long ago, and finally forgave her. She was fond of Jack Sparrow, but she loves your father. She didn't want to jeopardize that, and I understand."

A thought occurred to Bill. "Hey, if only the four of use know your secret, who does everyone else think is your mum?"

Eli's face burst into a large smile. "For a while, most people thought it was Anamaria. But she put a stop to THAT the second she got wind of it. Dad actually likes to support the rumor that I am a copy of his soul spit of from hell, so that Jack Sparrow could rule the seas for all eternity. He likes the story so much that he named my ship 'Sparrow's Ghost' to help the tale along. I think the whole thing's funny."

Bill couldn't help but laugh. He wondered what his mom would think if she ever heard that tale…

Bill had seen the real Captain Jack Sparrow in only one place; a small, framed black-and-white photograph that always sat on his mother's dresser. The picture showed Will, Elizabeth, and Jack all sitting at a bar, beer mugs raised. Elizabeth was in the middle, with one man one each side. Both had one arm around her, the other arm used to support their ales. All three were smiling, eyes bright and happy. Bill now thought back on that picture, and how three such goods friends could have been parted…

"Captain Sparrow sir!" called the man from the ship's bird's nest, interrupting Bill's thoughts. "We're approaching the Isle de Muete, sir! The Black Pearl has made buff there!"

"Good!" Eli replied. "We'll make anchor and surprise my father!"

"Aye, sir!"

Before long, Bill and the crew were aboard lifeboats and were rowing towards the Isle's innermost cave. Long before they reached it, the sounds of celebrating men could be heard throughout the caverns.

At last they reached the room of stored treasure, where Jack Sparrow's pirates were drinking and dancing amongst the gold. Jack Sparrow himself was sitting upon the chest of Aztec gold, laughing at the sight of his men.

Eli held up his hand so his crew would stay by the entrance, and alone he entered the room. He walked through the mess of drunks and straight up to the mound where his father sat.

"Hello Dad!" he shouted over the noise. Instantly, the racket stopped. Jack Sparrow jumped down from the chest and smiled at his son.

"Eli! It's been a while since our ships have crossed anchors, aye?" he asked in the same, fast-paced tone he'd had nineteen years earlier.

"Aye." Eli agreed. "But I'm here now to ask you a favor." Eli turned and motioned for his crew to come forward. He grabbed Bill's arm and showed him to Jack. "This scabrous dog was a stowaway on my ship."

Jack raised an eyebrow and unsheathed his sword. "And what, you didn't have the heart to kill him yourself?"

Eli looked back at his father seriously. "This is Bill Turner, the son of William Turner. The grandson of your friend Bootstrap Bill."

"Son?" cried Jack, giving Bill an appraising look. Then he grinned, a smile identical to Eli's, and declared with a laugh, "Oh, so Will's NOT a eunuch!"

Bill looked at Eli, uncertain. Eli shrugged.

Jack stopped laughing and turned back to the mountain of treasure. "I have no time for favors, ever if he's William's son or not. Savvy?"

Eli was undaunted, and continued to stare at his dad's back. He stated in a low, almost haunting voice. "He's also the son of Elizabeth Swann."

Jack Sparrow tensed. No one could see his face as he closed his eyes sighed. No one saw his forehead crease as the memories flooded into him. At last, he turned back around, expression normal.

"So, what be the favor?" he asked.

Bill smiled. He pointed to the medallion around his neck. "Elizabeth, my mother, has been taken by Captain Emerson. I think Elizabeth's gone to a place called the 'Blue Star.' Have you ever heard of such an island?"

Jack looked thoughtful. "Emerson… Emerson… The name sounds familiar. I've never been nor seen a Blue Star, but I do know where that Emerson will be. She makes buff-"

"She?!" Bill and Eli said.

"That's right. Didn't you know that Nathaniel Emerson's grandchild is a girl? Anyway, she would have taken Elizabeth to a place in the Virgin Islands, where she stored all the bones of the Swann bloodline." Jack put a hand on Eli's shoulder. "We'll take the Black Pearl, she's the fastest. I have room for you, Bill, and two more of your men. We'll set sail in the morning."

Bill's heart swelled with hope. Soon, he might see his mother again. Soon, she might be free.

*