And off we go. Sorry the last one was short. This should make up for it.


Will Turner, blacksmith turned pirate and about to become murderer, stood beneath a vent in the stone of the cavern, the brightening light testifying to the lifting fog outside. Glints of gold showed in his tangled hair as he approached Governor Swann, the blade of his sword trembling slightly. Swann backed up nervously until he was flush against the wall. His voice was conspicuously unsteady as he tried reasoning.

"Listen, son, you can't really mean to-"

"Quiet!" Will grabbed his head as if he were afraid it might explode. "Just…. Be quiet." For a moment Swann looked almost as concerned for the boy as he was for himself.

"Captain Turner. Surely you can see that your boy isn't well…"

"Quiet, Swann. At least be a man about it. Face the consequences of your actions." The sound of coins toppling over, away from the light, made him stop.

"Be a man?" Three heads turned toward the dusky voice of Jack Sparrow as it purred through the cavern. "And I'm curious as to just what kind of a man does this, William Turner."

"Get out of here, Jack. This doesn't concern you."

Young Will frowned and blinked at the long haired pirate, his sword wavering slightly as his eyes narrowed. "…Jack?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, here as promised. You can drop the charade." Sparrow started toward him in a businesslike fashion, but stopped when he heard the boy's next words.

"You. I trusted you once. You betrayed me."

Jack reeled back with an astonished frown. "What?"

The boy turned, took a few paces toward the pirate, staggering slightly. "You abandoned me, left me on my own. Just like everyone else."

The expression on the pirate's face was wavering between confusion and shock. "Listen, boy - we made as good time as the wind would allow. I'm here now. And so's your woman, for that matter, though I'm glad she's not seeing you like this." He leaned in to the lad, whispered conspiratorially. "You're not drunk, are you?"

The blacksmith shook his head violently, caught himself. "No." He turned to Bootstrap while pointing at the governor. "Father… I have to kill him, don't I? Or mother will die?" The desperate, pleading tone of his voice echoed in the stone cave.

Even William looked shocked for a moment, his glance darting instinctively towards Jack. The pirate's dark eyes shifted to look at his old friend, with something near sympathy burning in their depths.

"Ah. So you've pulled him in with you, then."

"What're you saying, Jack?"

"William." Jack reached for the sack that hung from his belt without breaking eye contact. "Listen to me."

Will abruptly turned and pointed his sword at Swann's chest, the blade picking at threads in the fine silk brocade. "He's trying to trick you, father. You know we can't trust anyone – "

Suddenly a clear, sweet voice, welcome as a drink of cool water, interrupted him. "Will?"

The young man froze for a moment, frowned. Slowly he turned his head to see who had come in.

Elizabeth Swann stood next to Jack, staring in disbelief. "Will? What are you doing?" She tried to move forward but Jack held her back with an outstretched arm even as Swann cried out for him to stop her. Her eyes shifted fearfully. "Father? Are you alright?"

"Father? She's your daughter?" Bootstrap's rage battered at the hollows of the cavern. "The legacy! It's in the blood! They both have to die." He looked back to his son, who was staring at Elizabeth intently, as if he were trying to remember something important.

Jack looked around and found, much to his chagrin, that the only other rational looking face in the group belonged to Weatherby Swann. He dropped his shoulders with a sigh. "Alright. What's in the boy's head, guv?"

Swann balked at the nickname and looked as discomfited by their sudden bond as Jack did. "Some fool on the ship was giving him rum for his cough laced with wormwood, belladonna, and God knows what else."

Jack rolled his eyes, his shoulders dropping. "Coltrane?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

"Poor bastard is lucky to be alive." He looked again at Will's waxen features as the boy stared silently at Elizabeth, who was staring back at him, too stunned to move. "But even that wouldn't… well…" He gestured vaguely.

"On top of that, this one," Swann pointed at the older Turner, his anger outweighing his fear at this point, "has been filling his head day and night with some nonsense about a curse. And he's not been sleeping."

Sparrow shifted back a half step, nodding. He'd seen it done to slaves and fighting men. He'd even seen it on Kraji. Keep them from getting sleep, keep telling them what you want them to believe, lace their drink with some brain-teasing herbs and pretty soon…

"Jack?" Elizabeth's quiet voice was quavering slightly. "What's wrong with him? Why doesn't he know me?"

Jack sighed. "At the moment, he's not quite himself, Lizzie."

She stared over at Will, pushed the pirate's arm up like a drawbridge and stepped under it toward him. Her voice was gentle. "But he is himself. He's Will Turner. And my husband."

"Fiancé," Swann corrected, quickly and rather automatically.

Elizabeth took another slow but steady step toward Will, staring into his eyes. "No ceremony could bind my heart closer to yours than it is now. I call you husband."

Will's eyes narrowed and then opened wide. He gave a frantic look around the cavern and back to her. "Elizabeth?" Tears came to her eyes as recognition finally showed in his expression.

"Yes-"

"Think carefully about your actions, lad." William's sword cut the air between them with a noise like paper tearing. "You know what has to be done! Blood wants blood."

Will looked in astonishment at his father, raised his sword for a moment, then dropped the point, shaking his head. "No, father. It's not true. None of it."

"He's right, William." Jack pulled the caged man out of the sack and held it at arm's length. "It's all a lie."

With a smooth movement, the pirate crumpled the cage in his hand, the dry twigs that formed it snapping with a sound like flames licking over green wood. When he opened his hand again, only the figure remained. He spoke quietly as he pulled the bit of hair from it, his eyes darkly thoughtful as the strands fluttered to the ground. "You're free, William."

William staggered back, frowning. "No. It can't… I can't… the legacy! Blood wants blood…" He lunged toward Swann, his sword outstretched, but Will deflected it easily, stepping between his father and his target. Automatically he dropped into a fighting stance, then paused and slowly stood upright. He looked over at Elizabeth, almost apologetically, then back to his father.

"No." Will tossed his sword down where it rang silver against the rocks, and stood undefended before his father. His voice, quietly controlled as it was, carried through the cave. "If you truly believe there must be blood, then let it be mine."

For several heartbeats there was nothing but silence, a frozen tableau where Will stared at his father who held the point of his blade menacingly close to the boy's chest. It slowly dropped away as Bootstrap blinked in confusion, his eyes registering something at last.

A familiar low voice rumbled warmly through the cave, seemed to dance in the shafts of light.

"There's your legacy, William." Captain Jack Sparrow stepped easily over to the older Turner, taking his sword. "Your son is a good man. Like his father before him."

Bootstrap Bill, his eyes watering, took a step forward. "…Will?"


For some time there was nothing but confused conversation. Bootstrap remembered only marginally the things that had happened since he had become a caged man, and appeared shocked to see his son standing before him. Will, for his part, felt as if he had awakened from a nightmare. Once the events of the two ships had been recounted, the company eventually shifted into two clusters of light; Jack talking quietly to William in one, while some feet away Will stood before Governor Swann, his head bowed.

"I'm sorry. I - I don't know what else to say." Elizabeth took his hand, but he looked at her sadly. "I won't be surprised, Governor Swann, if you can't forgive me for what I nearly did. You should want to have me locked away, if not hung." He looked away from Elizabeth, his tone quiet. "I understand if you won't let me marry your daughter." His voice faltered as he finished, letting go of her hand, and he stared down at the gold spattered like tears on the floor of the cavern. Elizabeth looked at her father, shocked.

"Surely, Father, you wouldn't –"

"Elizabeth." Her father's tone, surprisingly firm, stopped her. "For once in your young life, trust my judgment, will you please?" Her mouth hung open in shock but she held her tongue, even as tears swam in her eyes. Governor Swann gave Will a calculating look. "You know, Master Turner, that you were not my first choice for my daughter."

Will nodded, a resigned frown darkening his features.

"However. I have known for some years now that Elizabeth has a mind of her own, a spirit of her own." Swann glanced at his daughter, a fond, remembering smile lighting his eyes. "She is so much like her mother." He shook his head, returned to the present. "I was fortunate to have such a woman make me her first choice, and a woman's choice is all that truly matters. I pray that you never underestimate the honor."

Will lifted his head, his eyes wide. "Are you sure, Governor? After all this?"

Swann nodded and extended his hand, which Will took gladly. "You will take good care of her? I can already see she's more than able to take care of you."

"I will." The blacksmith turned to Elizabeth, taking her hand once more, as she laughed with glad tears. "I promise."

Bootstrap stepped closer to the Governor, who watched him with some caution. "I apologize as well, your honor. I wasn't thinking straight…" Some years seemed to lean on the older Turner as he sighed. "But as I'm not marrying your daughter, I'm sure you'll be throwing away the key for me."

Swann glanced at Jack, whose dark eyes appeared to be trying to read his mind. He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by another voice, painfully smug in its delivery.

"Indeed, Mr. Turner. Piracy is still frowned on in these waters, as is kidnapping."

Jack Sparrow was the only one who didn't turn to see who it was. The pirate captain just looked down at the floor of the cavern and shook his head. "Y'know, my mum warned me there'd be days like this…"

"Commodore Norrington? What are you doing here?"

"Surely you didn't think that the British Navy would take the disappearance of a Governor sitting down." The commodore stepped closer to the group, his eyes flashing. "A fresh crew of pirates is fairly conspicuous, even in Port Royal. We just had to know who to ask to find out where it was bound." Norrington smiled viciously. "And my hope was to take two crews, once I saw who they were in league with."

Jack and Will looked at each other, eyes wide as they pictured the Dauntless offshore where the Pearl was waiting for them.

"Yes. We sighted the Black Pearl on our approach, along with the ship that was stolen from Port Royal harbor." Norrington's eyes seemed to shift a bit uneasily. "Unfortunately they saw us and took flight. It seems your crew has a sharp eye for the law, Sparrow."

Jack nodded at Will with a gleaming smile, leaned over to whisper quietly. "I knew that."

"Indeed. We decided it was more important to recover the stolen ship." He collected himself briskly. "Are you alright, Governor?" The commodore looked at Swann, who seemed to be deciding something. Abruptly, the Governor walked toward him, his hands folded rather officiously behind his back.

"Forgive me if I'm merely confused, Commodore. You say a ship has been stolen?"

Norrington frowned. "Of course. The merchant ship Esperance. The ship that these pirates kidnapped you with."

The Governor put on a broad, rather theatrical frown. "Ah. I'm afraid one of us is confused, Commodore Norrington. The Esperance is my ship."

"…Your ship?"

Jack looked at Will, impressed. "I didn't know that."

"You are aware that I still own several merchant vessels, Commodore? The Esperance was a recent purchase, but I assure you, is legally mine. Surely you aren't accusing me of stealing my own ship?"

"No, well, of course not, Governor. I knew you still owned… I didn't realize that particular ship…" Norrington blustered a bit, sniffed, and straightened up. "That leaves only the charge of kidnapping, then-"

"Honestly, Commodore. How could I have been kidnapped on my own ship?" Will and his father looked stunned, while Jack grinned broadly.

"But – why would you – you didn't leave word -"

"Commodore. There comes a time in a man's life when he needs a bit of adventure. Perhaps his children are grown, and don't need him anymore." Elizabeth's eyes filled, and the governor smiled at her. "At least, not quite as much as they once did."

A dark voice purred. "Ah, you'd be amazed, guv."

Swann gave Jack a wry look. "In any case, I took it into my head to see this island that Elizabeth had spoken so much of, and since the wind was right, off we went."

"But, sir-" The commodore stopped, looked around the cave. His eyes traveled back to the governor's, and something seemed to click. "I see. Well, then. No harm done, except for worrying us all. I imagine you don't intend to press charges?"

"No reason to, is there?" The commodore and the governor looked at each other for a long moment. If it were a contest, the governor won.

Sparrow leaned toward where Will and Elizabeth stood, wrapped in each other's arms. "I could learn to love this man."

Norrington nodded and turned away. "And since you're on an outing, I assume there's no reason for the Dauntless to stay?"

"Heavens, no. I've not had the entire tour yet. Please extend my apologies to your crew for any inconvenience."

Norrington gave the three men who stood to the side with Elizabeth a look. "I'm relieved that it was nothing more than a misunderstanding." With a nod to the governor, and a slightly more gracious bow to his daughter, the Commodore left.

Elizabeth threw her arms around her father almost before Norrington was gone. "Thank you!"

"Anyone who could father a sailor like her can't be all bad. Thank you, guv."

Weatherby Swann stared at the captain of the Pearl, an interesting look in his eye. "Well, Captain Sparrow. Just don't be surprised if I need a favor in return someday."

Jack narrowed his eyes, but shrugged expressively as he looked at the newly freed Turners. "It's yours for the asking, mate.

"Good." They stared at each other for a moment, then Jack looked at Will and Elizabeth.

"So, Lizzie. Shall we be off, then?"

"Lizzie?" Will frowned at her curiously.

"Long story."

"I assume you'll be asking passage, Will, unless you really want to spend more time away from the girl."

Will glanced at his father, who grinned. "Go, lad. We'll catch up at Port Royal."

"A word, Captain Turner." The governor and Bootstrap went off to a corner, and a quiet conversation took place. Bootstrap looked shocked, and then smiled, a light shining in his face that Jack hadn't seen in years. The two men shook hands and returned to the threesome. "Captain Turner will be sailing the Esperance back for me. And if all goes well, for some time after that."

Jack smiled with a golden glint. "Well, congratulations, William. We'll shorten sails so you can keep up." Bootstrap laughed, shaking Jack's hand.

"Aye, Jack. If she's still mine in six months, we'll see if you still have to shorten sails - once I make some adjustments."

There was some surprise when the Governor took the dinghy with Captain Turner, having decided to stay with the Esperance back to Port Royal. He gracefully ignored his daughter's delighted look when he didn't ask her to join him, but let her stay unquestioned on the pirate ship with her fiancé.

The two boats made their way out of the cove, the surprisingly bright midday sun after the dim cavern making it seem like they had emerged from a dream. Jack hummed cheerfully under his breath as he rowed toward the Pearl, who had returned from her hiding place around the island. Will watched him for a minute. "Jack?"

"Aye?"

"I don't believe I thanked you yet."

The pirate waved his hand dismissively.

Will chuckled. "Well. Thank you." Elizabeth leaned forward, kissed the pirate lightly on the cheek.

"Yes. Thank you, Captain."

Jack shrugged, but a bit of gold sparkled. "All in a day's work, love."