Jack Sparrow, his head tilted slightly, sat on a fallen log in the bright moonlight. His boots were almost in the water as he stared thoughtfully at his hand, wiggling his fingers and watching the long, slender shadows they cast onto the rotting wood. A quiet voice broke into his reverie.

"Do you think about it often?"

Internally cursing his distraction, Jack swung to his feet and stepped over the log gracefully as Will and Elizabeth walked up behind him. There was an awkward moment when Will put out his hand and Jack stared at it, one eyebrow peaked; then they both grinned as Jack grabbed the proffered hand and pulled the younger man closer, slapping him on the back with a laugh.

"It's good to see you again, Jack."

It hadn't taken Will long to realize that as odd as it seemed, Captain Jack Sparrow, scourge of the Spanish Main, was the closest thing he had to family. Of course now he also had Elizabeth, but Will was quick enough to know that in his own roundabout way, Jack was largely responsible for them being together.

"And you, lad. You look well. Keeping yourself busy, are you?"

Will gave him a wry look. "Why do I have a feeling you know exactly how I've been doing?"

The pirate captain shrugged, his palm outstretched. "'Cause I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, that's why." His dark eyes laughed in the moonlight. "And you, milady." Taking both her hands in his, he made a formal if somewhat piratical bow. "I understand congratulations are in order."

Elizabeth shook her head, wondering at how little and how much had changed in the three months since she last saw the man. "I believe you may call me 'Elizabeth' now, -Captain Sparrow."

His smile sparkled, golden stars in the night. "A charming wench you've found, Will. I'd marry her myself if I hadn't sworn off monogamy." Gracefully pulling her into his arms, he added, "But I'm sure you won't mind if I kiss the bride." Elizabeth stared at him with indignant amusement when he dipped her backwards, and Will calmly stopped him with a tap on the shoulder.

"She's not a bride yet, Jack." The pirate looked petulant.

"But I may not see her then."

"Jack…"

"Just one. For old times sake."

"Old times? It was only two months ago."

"More like three, actually."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and glanced at Will's only slightly annoyed expression, as if his older brother were trying to borrow his bike. She muttered, just loud enough for them to hear, "Bloody pirates."

Sparrow smiled suggestively at her, lowered his face to hers and kissed her long enough for the younger man to frown. Setting her upright again, he looked at Will with great seriousness. "Congratulations, mate. I wish you every best kind of luck." Elizabeth was shaking her head as he stepped away, leaving Will room to move back to her side where he slipped his arm around her waist protectively.

"You're incorrigible, Jack."

"Yes, yes I am." He leaned forward to point at an odd angle. "And don't you forget it."

"You make that consistently impossible." The pirate looked quietly triumphant at Will's sincere statement. "I must say seeing you is quite the surprise. Did you come to Port Royal to congratulate us? Or just to 'kiss the bride'?"

Jack gave a sly grin. "Oh, it's a bigger surprise than that, mate. And here it comes."

They followed Jack's look toward a noise growing in the underbrush where the stream came out of the wood, twinkling in the moonlight. Several of the crew came crunching through, carrying kegs of water slung neatly between oars. Jack called quietly to them. "Mr. Gibbs, see the water safely stowed, and leave our guest here with me."

"Aye, Cap'n." Gibbs looked back and forth in the night and shook his head. He walked off muttering about bad luck and gathering water under a full moon. The presence of Bootstrap had put the captain in an unusual temper the last few days, and the crew was feeling the strain. Gibbs only hoped that coming to Port Royal would calm things down.

Jack glanced over at William, who had, out of habit, stayed in the shadows rather than stepping into the moonlight. The captain looked up to the stars, perhaps for guidance, and then said clearly, "William Turner."

Two voices answered simultaneously. One younger and a bit confused; the other more mature and bone-weary. "Yes?"

"Show yourself, man."

Elizabeth gasped, her hand to her mouth, as the older Turner stepped out into the light. The look on his face was more harsh, and certainly more weathered, but she could see the resemblance to her Will instantly. It was not an identical match, the older man's eyes looking blue-green in the night and his hair a bit lighter, more curled, but the expression in those eyes. The intensity, the set of the jaw, the lips, the brow... Clearly they were father and son. Will's arm slipped from her waist and she felt strangely nervous as he took a tentative step forward.

"Father?" The boy's eyes were shining as he whispered with hopeful fear. "Can it be?"

Jack grinned, gold glinting in the moonlight. "It's him, lad." He turned toward the older man and slapped his shoulder. "Come, William. Do you have nothing to say to your son?"

William Turner defiantly took a step toward the sea, looking away from them. "He's not my son. My son's dead."

"William…"

The younger Turner looked confused. "Jack? What… he looks just like…" Turning to Elizabeth his voice tightened. "He looks like my father…"

Jack stepped closer to the older man, with a grace that made his speed deceptive. "Look at him." The man shook his head. "Damn you, Turner, look at him!" He grabbed his arm and swung him around. "You were my best lookout once. Tell me what you see now." His voice lowered to a slow rumble. "Or will you not believe your own eyes."

William Turner's head was downcast. Slowly, he looked up toward Will's face. When he finally saw the tormented expression, he blinked, shook his head as if to clear it. He nearly stumbled as he stepped closer, his hand outstretched toward the lad's face.

"By God. He has her eyes."

Jack exhaled as if he'd been holding his breath for far too long and looked over at Will; an old, fond smile touching his features. "Indeed he does, William. Indeed he does."

Years seemed to fall from the older man as he took another step toward Will, who stood frozen, too fearful to move lest he wake from this dream. Finally, he spoke in a bare whisper. "Father?"

Turner nodded, tears coming to his eyes as he wrapped his son in his arms. "Yes. Will. My boy…" They stood locked for some minutes while Elizabeth, eyes wet herself, moved to hug a startled Jack.

"This is the most wonderful thing you've ever done, Captain Jack Sparrow." Her dark eyes searched his. "How did you ever find him?"

"He found me, love. I just waited until he felt it was the opportune moment."

"Well, you're wonderful nonetheless." She turned back to where Will and his father stood, a bit apart now, staring at each other in disbelief.

"I thought you were dead. They told me – Barbossa said –"

"I thought you were as well. After I learned of your mother…" The older man looked skyward. "May she forgive me."

Will frowned. "She never had anything to forgive. She loved you."

The light that Jack had seen in William's eyes some days before returned, briefly, but died again. "I don't know why." The son frowned, seeing the change himself without understanding it.

"Father. I have to know… did she know you were a pirate?"

His father looked startled for a moment, but nodded. "Of course she did. She was my wife."

"She never told me."

The man gave a sad smile. "Because I begged her not to. She was a good woman, your mum."

Will frowned, nodded at the ground. "Yes." He seemed to find it difficult to get his voice under control. "She told me to find you, when she was… when she…"

"It's alright, lad. There's no shame in tears over losing a woman like that. Lord knows I shed enough myself."

Will nodded as words failed him. Elizabeth, unable to watch any longer, put her hand on his arm with a gentle touch. "Elizabeth," he whispered apologetically, gathering her in his arms. "This is my father." She nodded, smiled kindly at him.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Turner."

Jack looked suddenly uneasy.

"Father, this is Elizabeth S-"

"Turner, soon enough." Jack broke in and took her left hand, showing off the ring. "A fine pair of lovebirds, these two."

Will stared at Jack, feeling that something was not being said. When he caught the pirate's eye, there was that look; as if he were willing him to understand, to follow his lead. The younger man felt the uneasiness, but trusted that Jack would let him know eventually what it was about. If Jack didn't want his father to know Elizabeth was a Swann, perhaps it was because as a pirate his father had something against him. Assuming that was the case, Will nodded imperceptibly at Jack, before turning to look at his father again.

The look he saw there made him more concerned. "Father?"

"You plan to wed, then?"

The couple looked at each other quickly, at Jack, and back to Turner. "Yes, father, we do. Is something wrong?"

The dark expression in his father's clear eyes chilled Will to the bone. "Then it's even more important for the curse to be lifted."

"The curse? But I thought-"

"No. There's more to it than Barbossa ever knew. Blood wants blood. There's still a debt to be paid."

"I don't understand."

Jack dropped his head, shaking it slowly. He had hoped that seeing Will would clear his old friend's mind, but it didn't appear to have worked. As the man kept talking, the creeping suspicion only felt worse.

"The man that killed your mother set things in another direction. If vengeance isn't taken on him, then your wife will suffer the same fate as mine. It's the legacy of the curse."

"The man that killed my mother? But… she died of consumption."

"Only because she was out of work and scraping to make ends meet, living off the street half the time. If that shopkeeper hadn't sold out and let her go, she'd still be alive today."

Will frowned, confused. He looked at Jack, feeling the worry growing. "I don't know if that's possi-"

"It's true, I tell you! And the man must die. You must kill him if you don't want your wife to suffer like your mother did!" The yell made Elizabeth jump, and Will felt his heart sinking. His father must be mad to think… but with what he himself had seen, wasn't it possible? What wasn't possible anymore?

"Alright then, if there is a curse… who is the man?"

When William Turner responded, there was an unholy fire in his eyes.

"His name's Swann. Governor of Port Royal."