The crew was grumpy, and most of them were half asleep at their posts. The pirates who
were manning the oars were exhausted, and the rowing slowed. Only Jack was wide
awake at the wheel, squinting into the distance and concentrating on his course. There was
a morning fog on the horizon, so when Port Royal came into view, everyone froze in shock.


Jack's heart sunk as he slowly docked the Black Pearl into the misty waters. The old
woman's prophecy had come true.


"Jack!" Anamaria called, running up from the lower decks. "Jack, what's-" She let her
sentence suddenly drop as she saw what it was that made everyone so silent. The
captain showed no emotion at all, and merely gazed among the streets of dead people
as if they were what greeted him every time he stopped at Port Royal. Anamaria clasped
his arm in comfort, and he did not protest. Yes, he seemed strangely unemotional, yet
lifeless at the same time.


"How is Will?" Jack asked, softly, after a long time.


"He is well. I came up here to tell you that he will be awake soon," she replied. Jack
stayed where he was for a while, then a grin spread across his face and he laughed a couple
of times. Anamaria stared at him as if he had gone crazy.


"The psychic… She told me that Will would die with everyone else," he explained. "She
was wrong. But the scene looks just as she described it. She-" he laughed again, "-she told
me I would choose the wrong course. Even after I was warned, I went the wrong bloody
way!"


"Jack, calm down," Anamaria whispered patiently.


"Calm down!?" he echoed with a shout. He lowered his voice and whispered back; "These
people are dead because of me, and you want me to calm down?"


"Jack, please, just… Come see Will," she pleaded with him.


"All right, love," he said. "I'll see him."


Anamaria led Jack down the laddera and towards her cabin where Will rested. She creaked
open the wooden door and let the captain walk in, first.


"Will, lad!" Jack greeted him, finding the boy awake. "So glad to see you again!"


"Jack," Will replied, glancing around the room and feeling the bandage around his head.
"What happened?"


"I found you injured and took you to me own ship," Jack said. "But I could ask you the
same question."


"I'm not quite sure," he answered. "Someone must have come up behind me - I was in the
shop and I heard somebody. I thought they were looking to buy a sword, but when I turned
about to welcome them, there was nobody there. And then I heard the voice of an old man
as someone grabbed me from behind… And then I don't know what happened after that."


"But how could he travel so fast…" Jack murmured to himself. "He must have come here,
then gone to Tortuga, dropped Will off in the middle of the ocean to throw me off and come
back here again in time to destroy the whole city…"


What he was saying was no more than muttering to Will, who was still in the bed, further
away from Jack and Anamaria who stood side by side just inside the room. Anamaria,
though, heard every word Jack said.


"Should we tell him?" Anamaria hissed to Jack.


"Tell me what?" Will asked, confused.


"That your back in Port Royal, mate," Jack said, forcing a smile. "You just stay put while I
go back up and… scout the area."


"Scout the area? What are you talking about?" Will inquired, shifting in the bed.


"Don't move," Jack ordered, patiently. "You're still not in good health-"


"I want to see Elizabeth," Will protested, lightly. "She could be worried about me."


"I doubt it," Jack muttered.


"How would you know?" Will asked. "I'm fine, let me go. I thank you for saving my life.
I owe you one! But please, let me go see my wife so I know that everything is okay-"


"Everything is not okay!" Jack yelled, suddenly sounding as if he had lost control. "I can't
explain to you how sorry I am for what has happened! I let something terrible take place,
and now everyone has paid for i-"


"What happened?" Will interrupting dangerously, his voice rising. "Did you let harm come
to Elizabeth!?"


"I did!" Jack answered, dreadfully. "I did, and you may never forgive me."


"What did you do to her!? I trusted you, Jack! Why?" Will cried in horror.


"It wasn't Jack's fault," Anamaria shot. "Somebody tricked him to throw him off!"


"Anamaria-" Jack started to cut in, but she raised her voice in protest.


"You should have seen him trying to get here in time, he tried-"


"Anamaria-"


"He kept the whole crew up all night! He is loyal and kind and don't you dare accuse him
of hurting anyone you love! He tried his hardest to sail here before Port Royal was destr-"


"That's enough!" Jack growled towards Anamaria. She had suddenly seemed very close
to tears at the climax of her tirade. No doubt, Will already had his face in his hands.


"Will, please stay strong," Jack said, quickly. "I know you're not following everything, and
that it's hard for you-"


Will suddenly bounded out of the bed and leapt at Jack so that he was pinned forcefully
against the wall. Jack gazed calmly into Will's bloodshot eyes, and the boy just gritted his
teeth and seemed ready to kill the pirate at any moment. There was tension in the air as
nobody moved a muscle, Will's knuckles were white with fists clenching Jack's shirt so that
he couldn't move even after he had been shoved into the wall.


"Do you have any idea…" Will trailed off, his voice shaken. "Do you understand- What
are you thinking- Will you - will you tell me right now what has happened to them, Jack!"
he finally uttered, shoving the captain as if he could go through the wall.


"I can't!" he gasped back, nearly having to fight for air. "Will, you have every right to kill me
if you must, I understand that! But I can't tell you… I know what's happened to them - I
knew before I even saw them! Don't go up there, lad, kill me if you must, just don't look
at what's become of your home! Just know that you will never see your poor, lovely wife
again… and I'm sorry… Will, if only you knew how sorry I am for everything…" He just
looked sorrowfully at the boy, whose breath came shortly as if he had been running.


All of a sudden, Will slammed his fist into the wall next to Jack's head so hard, that it
cracked, then he unexpectedly broke down completely, finally letting go of Jack and
turning against the wall for support. He slid to the ground with his back against the wall,
shedding tears silently as he stared straight ahead, focused on nothing.


Jack said not a word, but attempted to leave the room, knowing that Will was upset by
his presence while he was in this state.


"My friend, do not go," Will whispered, not turning his head to him.


The pirate captain stopped in his tracks and after a while of debating whether he should,
sat softly down beside Will. Not a word was spoken between them for the longest time,
during which Anamaria slipped silently from the room. Even after all that had happened,
Will still forgave Jack, and that was when Jack realized that the boy would stay by his side
until the end.


"You truly are your father's son," Jack muttered softly.




A/N: Um. Yeah. Tell me how you thought of that! Not much happened, I know, my
chapters are short, but… yeah. I dunno about that one, I need some feedback! Thank
ya! :D