My oh my but it's cold here. School-closing wind chills. Feh. At least it gives one time to write…

Oh - my dear lady de Montreve… was that a good exclamation or a condemning one? (just curious…) Thanks again to the Peacock, the Ping Pong, and the Piper… (my reviewers are so alliterative! Love 'em!)


The night had passed even less calmly on shore.

Will walked away from Jack and the rest of Sparrow's crew with a heavy heart. His father was quiet, striding quickly until they had walked the quarter mile back to the clearing; then he looked around them suspiciously until he was satisfied they weren't being followed. The older Turner moved back to his son and leaned in to speak quietly to him.

"I think we're clear. You can't be too sure with old Jack."

"Sure of what?"

"Sure that he'll leave you alone to do what you have to do."

Will's brows came together as he stared at his father. "I thought you two were friends. Good friends. He's - spoken highly of you."

The sadness in his father's eyes was unmistakable. "Aye, we were friends alright. A lifetime ago. I don't think I'm capable of having any friends now."

"Father…" Will slowed, at a loss for words.

"Don't argue, boy. Just follow me. Once we get this taken care of, it'll all be put right again. Your life will be put right. I just have to finish what I've started…" Turner trailed off as they walked toward the horses that Will and Elizabeth had tied in the clearing.

"If we set them free they should get home fine." The blacksmith, always good with animals, rubbed his hand over his horse's nose and exhaled heavily as it snorted. Right now it felt like the horse was more solid than his father.

"No. We'll ride them to Port Royal."

"What?" Will's eyes widened. "What do you mean? I told Elizabeth… We told Jack that we'd be back with the supplies before dawn."

"A man can only do what he can do."

"I don't understand. Why do we have to go to Port Royal?"

"I told you before, boy. Swann is there."

Will felt a cold fear pooling in his chest. "Father… you can't mean to really kill the Governor?"

When his father spun to look at him, Will was nearly knocked over by the force of his tone. "Why would I lie?"

"But…" Will gestured hopelessly. "You can't."

His father stepped closer, threatening. "Why can't I?"

Far too many years of holding his tongue with Master Brown followed by the liberating adventure that was Jack Sparrow had made Will less than accepting of threats. His voice hardened, along with his gaze. "Because I won't let you."

"You won't let me?"

"That's right." His eyes were steely as one of his best swords. "Jack Sparrow told me you were a good man. A good man wouldn't do this. At least not without reason."

"I told you! He killed your mother!"

"And I was there." They stared at each other for a long minute, father against son. "I think I know how she died a bit better than you do."

Abruptly William frowned, staggered back a step before catching his balance. Will couldn't stop himself from reaching to make sure he was alright. "Father?"

The older man shook his head. "No. No. If I don't… If you don't… then you're both doomed. It's too late for me." He clutched his head as if he might tear it off. "I already failed your mother. I can't…"

Will grasped his arms. "Tell me what you're talking about."

Turner shook his head, trying to recompose himself. "The curse…"

"What curse? The curse of Cortez is done, it's gone. I know. I was part of it. We were part of it."

"There's more to it."

"I don't believe it."

"Will…" Turner seemed to be fighting himself, trying to speak. "I can't… " He trembled abruptly and collapsed, unconscious.

"Father!" Will lunged to catch him as he sank down, managing to keep his head from hitting the rocks. Shifting around so that he could cradle his father's head in his lap, he pushed the long hair back, trying to see if his breathing was anywhere near normal. "Father?" He whispered urgently as he grabbed a hand, feeling for a pulse. The man's eyelids fluttered weakly.

"Will…"

"I'm here."

"I have to do this. I have to take Swann."

"Take him where?"

"The island. Isla de Muerta. I promised the crew. It's the only way."

"The Pearl's crew?" Will couldn't keep the horror out of his voice. If his father had arranged a mutiny –

"No. The crew of the ship I'm meeting." Turner's voice was slowly gaining strength, but waves of pain still seemed to crash on him.

"What are you talking about? What ship?"

"I have to take Swann. Tonight. I sent ahead to get a crew here from Tortuga – it was pure luck that I found Jack and didn't have to broke passage. It's the promise of the treasure stored on the island that bought me a crew."

Will's eyes were troubled, the warm brown fraught with concern. "Father…"

The older Turner's eyes narrowed as he grasped Will's arm. "You have to come with me. You have to be part of it. Don't you see? The curse… it's on you, too. You're my son, how can it not be? You're my blood…" Tears pooled in his eyes. "I failed your mother, I can't fail you, too."

"Failed her? How?" Will regretted his brusque tone as soon as he saw the pain in his father's eyes. "She never said a word against you."

That seemed to hurt as much as anything else. "If I hadn't failed Jack, if I'd kept Barbossa from taking the Pearl… I'd have kept sending her money… she wouldn't have been depending on that shop… and she'd be alive." He choked on his words. "She'd be alive. And you wouldn't have been made to serve like a slave of an apprentice all these years. Don't you see? I've failed, again and again, I've failed my family, my captain, my Bea…"

Will frowned as he held his father, who shook like a leaf in a gale. His mind raced over the situation, trying desperately to figure out what he could do. Clearly his father was disturbed, unstable. Whether there was anything to this legacy of the curse or not, he couldn't just abandon him. Lord knows what he might do. A thought occurred to him suddenly.

"Father – we have no way of finding the island. Jack's the only one I know-"

His father shook his head, wiping his sleeve back across his eyes as he struggled to a sitting position with Will's help. "We can. I've got this."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, familiar looking box. Will gasped.

"You stole his compass?"

"Borrowed. Borrowed with every intention of returning. If I don't take some of that swag to pay off the crew, I'll never get Swann out of Port Royal."

Will looked down and shook his head, his mind swimming through his father's convoluted arguments. "I don't know."

"Will." He lifted his eyes to meet his father's. "You've got to come with me. It's the only way."

For a long moment Will stared at him, motionless. Then he glanced back the way they came, toward the harbor where the Black Pearl sat out some distance from the shore; the ship where his friend and his love were waiting for him. He looked back to his father, who apparently shifted between madness and fragility with alarming ease. He'd already lost his mother when he was too young to do anything about it. Perhaps now, as a man, he could find a way to save his troubled father… and Elizabeth's as well.

"Alright. I'll come with you."

They rode up to the gate of the Governor's estate quietly in the night. Will had been thinking the whole trip back how he might pull this off without bringing the whole fort down on them or hurting Swann in the process. A plan formed slowly, and now he was spending most of his nervous energy hoping it would work.

"You go around to the stables and get another horse. I'll go to the main house and bring him out."

"Are you sure you can get him to come without a fight?"

Will sighed as he shot a look over toward the fort that sat at the water's edge, and out to the ocean beyond. "I believe I know the proper leverage."


Governor Weatherby Swann was still sitting up in his library, waiting for his daughter to return. He glanced up at the huge grandfather clock with a sigh. The young blacksmith was a likeable enough fellow, he supposed, but still… he had such high hopes for the girl. He had worked so hard to put her in a high position, knowing that with her beauty she would easily attract someone who could take care of her when he was gone.

With another sigh he turned a page, realized he wasn't actually reading, shut the book and lay it down on the elegant rosewood table. Standing to pace over to the window, he could see men moving on ships far below in the never-sleeping harbor, beneath a moon so full and bright that he could practically have read by it. His footman appeared with a soft ahem.

"Governor. Mr. Turner wishes to speak with you. He says it's somewhat urgent."

The Governor looked at him in surprise. "And my daughter?"

"Mr. Turner appears to be alone, m'lord."

Swann frowned, opened his mouth to speak, and shut it again. He swept out of the room and down to the front hall.

"Mr. Turner."

"Governor Swann." Will felt a flutter in his stomach as he saw the man's expression.

"Where is my daughter?"

Will worked at sounding distraught. "Sir, that's what I've come to tell you. We have to go after her. I've got a ship waiting." He moved toward the door and let Swann's voice stop him.

"What are you talking about?" The Governor's voice was harsh, and Will found he didn't have to play at looking nervous. He put his hand to his head, as if he was forgetting things.

"I'm sorry, Sir. The Black Pearl was harbored up near Bridgewater, and we were riding near there -"

The Governor looked shocked. "The Black Pearl?"

"Yes, sir. And I tried to stop her, but you know your daughter…"

"For the love of God. What happened?"

Will sighed, shook his head. "We ran into Jack Sparrow. He took her aboard." The blacksmith managed to look like he might cry. "I always wondered, but I think she's decided to go off with him."

"I thought you two were…" The Governor waved his hand vaguely.

"As did I, m'lord. But you know she's always had feelings for real pirates. And surely you remember what Sparrow said the day he escaped… maybe he's decided it could work out between them after all…" He put his hand over his eyes and dropped his head, peeking through his fingers to see what the Governor's reaction would be. He wasn't disappointed. Swann blustered desperately.

"But he… but she… No! You are engaged, are you not?"

"Well, yes, Sir, but we both know you've never been pleased about that."

"Nonsense! The girl doesn't know her own mind. You've got to get her back!"

Will kept his head down, but a slow grin crossed his face. He let his voice become hopeful. "Then… you'll help me convince her?"

Governor Swann grabbed his hat and shoved it on his head. "Of course, son. She's made a promise to you, accepted your ring." He was out the door before Will was. "We'll get her back."

As he followed the Governor down to the horses, Will breathed a sigh of relief. Now all that was left to do was convince his father that he didn't have to kill his fiancée's father. At least he had the trip to Isla De Muerta to work on that one. Looking out to sea, his focus drifted north of the harbor, willing the appearance of a familiar ship.

Come on, Jack.