Willy's eyes were wide with fear as Gibbs dragged him through the streets. He didn't even remember where they were; some town that 'looked ripe for the picking' according to Captain Jack. Well, the picking hadn't gone far before the sheriff sent the law after them. Now they were running for their lives, hoping to reach the ship before they got caught.
"Run, boy, run!" Gibbs panted, tugging Willy's arm harder. Willy didn't need telling twice. Catching sight of the Black Pearl sitting peacefully in the harbor, he got a second wind and outstripped Gibbs. They clambered aboard with the help of a few sailors already on and set sail for the open sea.
Willy sank to the deck as the crew waved at the angry troops on shore. Whistling and taunting, the crew didn't seem to notice as Willy crawled to a hatch and eased himself below-decks. This was not what he had imagined when he thought of being a pirate. Adventure, yes, but not fights for his life. And for what? A couple of bags of coins and some jewelry. Heck, his grandfather had more money than that.
"Scrawk! No land in sight! Scrawk!"
"I'm over here, Cotton," Willy replied. The old pirate poked his head in, looking quizzically at Willy. "I just...needed to be alone for a bit."
Cotton nodded in understanding. "A pirate's life for me, but dead men tell no tales! Scrawk!"
"Exactly," Willy agreed glumly. "I thought it would be fun, being a pirate. But it's not. It's cold, and hungry, and scary. Right now I don't know what to do."
"Scrawk! Home port's the best port!"
"Yeah," Willy smiled. "You're right. Thanks, Cotton."
------------
"Mr. Turner, may I talk to you?"
"Commodore!" Will looked up in surprise. "Of course."
"Mr. Turner...Will...I suppose you know about my feelings for Elizabeth."
"Er, yes..." Will answered, wondering where this was going.
"Oh, don't worry," the commodore added hastily, seeing the expression on Will's face. "I've resigned myself to the fact that she loves you, and not me. I'm not going to try anything. I just want to say that from the time Willy was born, I have regarded him as, well, almost my son." He peeked at Will, gauging his reaction.
"Yes?" Will shrugged. He had known that for a long time.
"You're...all right with that?"
"Well, why wouldn't I be? Willy's my son, Commodore. The more people that love him, the happier I am."
"Oh. Well. Isn't that wonderful. Well, Mr. Turner, I'm very glad we've had this chat. Good day." Will watched the retreating Commodore with amusement. The man could be very stuffy, very pompous, but he had a good heart.
Will's thought turned back to Willy, whom they were never far from. They had been forced to give up the search when the harbormaster in Tortuga could not help them. That wouldn't have bothered Will, but they were running dangerously low on supplies. They would have to return to Port Royal to restock, and pick up the search in a few days. Elizabeth had been devastated. Will had tried to comfort her, but he was having difficulty not being angry at the commodore for giving up so easily. Nevertheless, they had little choice but to go along with the commodore.
"We'll be docking soon," came a voice. Will looked to see Gillette standing next to him.
"Thank you, Gillette," Will replied dully.
Would they ever see Willy again?
"Run, boy, run!" Gibbs panted, tugging Willy's arm harder. Willy didn't need telling twice. Catching sight of the Black Pearl sitting peacefully in the harbor, he got a second wind and outstripped Gibbs. They clambered aboard with the help of a few sailors already on and set sail for the open sea.
Willy sank to the deck as the crew waved at the angry troops on shore. Whistling and taunting, the crew didn't seem to notice as Willy crawled to a hatch and eased himself below-decks. This was not what he had imagined when he thought of being a pirate. Adventure, yes, but not fights for his life. And for what? A couple of bags of coins and some jewelry. Heck, his grandfather had more money than that.
"Scrawk! No land in sight! Scrawk!"
"I'm over here, Cotton," Willy replied. The old pirate poked his head in, looking quizzically at Willy. "I just...needed to be alone for a bit."
Cotton nodded in understanding. "A pirate's life for me, but dead men tell no tales! Scrawk!"
"Exactly," Willy agreed glumly. "I thought it would be fun, being a pirate. But it's not. It's cold, and hungry, and scary. Right now I don't know what to do."
"Scrawk! Home port's the best port!"
"Yeah," Willy smiled. "You're right. Thanks, Cotton."
------------
"Mr. Turner, may I talk to you?"
"Commodore!" Will looked up in surprise. "Of course."
"Mr. Turner...Will...I suppose you know about my feelings for Elizabeth."
"Er, yes..." Will answered, wondering where this was going.
"Oh, don't worry," the commodore added hastily, seeing the expression on Will's face. "I've resigned myself to the fact that she loves you, and not me. I'm not going to try anything. I just want to say that from the time Willy was born, I have regarded him as, well, almost my son." He peeked at Will, gauging his reaction.
"Yes?" Will shrugged. He had known that for a long time.
"You're...all right with that?"
"Well, why wouldn't I be? Willy's my son, Commodore. The more people that love him, the happier I am."
"Oh. Well. Isn't that wonderful. Well, Mr. Turner, I'm very glad we've had this chat. Good day." Will watched the retreating Commodore with amusement. The man could be very stuffy, very pompous, but he had a good heart.
Will's thought turned back to Willy, whom they were never far from. They had been forced to give up the search when the harbormaster in Tortuga could not help them. That wouldn't have bothered Will, but they were running dangerously low on supplies. They would have to return to Port Royal to restock, and pick up the search in a few days. Elizabeth had been devastated. Will had tried to comfort her, but he was having difficulty not being angry at the commodore for giving up so easily. Nevertheless, they had little choice but to go along with the commodore.
"We'll be docking soon," came a voice. Will looked to see Gillette standing next to him.
"Thank you, Gillette," Will replied dully.
Would they ever see Willy again?