Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.

Abandon

1 – An Ending Becomes a Beginning

At the end of PotC in Port Royale...

I am kissing Elizabeth Swan. Even now, Will Turner just couldn't make that fact seems like a reality. This had been his fantasy for so long, that it seemed impossible that it could ever become a reality. Yet, here he is. Kissing the woman of his dreams.

"Um, excuse me?" Will's annoyance at the governor's interruption is quelled only by his knowledge that this would most certainly not be the last kiss he shared with Elizabeth.

They break their kiss and turn to her father, the governor. Despite how happy his daughter obviously is, Governor Swan is still hesitant.

"Thank you, Father, for understanding." Elizabeth smiles encouragingly at him.

"'Tis no problem, my dear. Whatever makes you happy, I suppose. If this is what you want..."

"It is, most certainly." She turns to look deep into Will's eyes. "I could never imagine being happy settling down with someone before, but now I think I could be."

"I told you that I loved you and I meant it with all my heart."

The Governor cannot help but look sickened as Will leans to kiss his daughter again. Forcing himself to smile, he interrupts. "Excuse me! I am quite sorry for interrupting, but Madame Falso is coming in less than a half hour, Elizabeth."

"Who is Madame Falso?" Will queries.

Elizabeth cheerily answers him, ecstatic that everything is going so perfectly right all at once. "She is one of the most famous Italian designers alive. She is vacationing here for a week and she agreed to design a dress for me. I'm sorry, but I can't miss this. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

"I understand."

To her father's dismay, Elizabeth adds, "Would you like to come?"

Will senses his annoyance and tries to be diplomatic to a man who will likely become his future father-in-law. "No, thank you. Tempting as it is, I actually have to finish up a sword for Commander Vivine."

By the time he coughs loudly and obnoxiously, Elizabeth has also noticed her father's attitude. Making a mental note to discuss it with him, she replies, "Okay. But, before you go, I have to give you something."

Governor Swan taps his watch impatiently as she pulls a robin-blue ribbon out of her hair. Pulling up Will's sleeve, she ties it gently around his upper arm. He looks at her questioningly.

"It's a tradition from back in medieval times. A lady ties a ribbon on the arm of her chosen warrior."

Will smiles as she pulls his sleeve back down. Elizabeth is pleased that he was not intimidated by that. In her experience, men didn't often like to commit so quickly. "So, I'll meet you back here in two hours. Okay?"

"I'll be here."

He kisses her quickly. Elizabeth beams as she joins her father in the carriage.

After the gilded carriage pulls away, Will sits on the ledge for a moment, smiling to himself. He feels the happiest he has ever been right now.

Elizabeth Turner. It sounded perfect to his ears and seemed to fit so naturally that their love seemed almost predestined. He liked that idea.

Will's thoughts continue to run along this vein, which is probably why he doesn't see the gang of ten ragged men armed with pipes and large pieces of wood slowly creeping in and surrounding him.

The ragged man in charge finally nods to his crew and raises his voice. "William Turner?"

Will turns around, startled. "Yes?" He is even more surprised when he fully registers the circle of mean-looking men. Nervously, he rises and tries to look calm. He takes of his hat and bows to them. "May I help you?"

The lead ragged man seems to find this response amusing. "No, I don't believe so. We are currently being helped by someone else. It is you who will need help."

As the men step closer, Will drops his hat and backs up until his feet are up against the ledge. "Who sent you? What do you want?"

The men seem to consider this. "We cannot tell you who sent us, as we are not certain ourselves who he was. All I know is that he paid us well to make sure that you never see the light of day again."

The men come even closer and raise their weapons to strike. Seeing no other choice, Will turns and dives off the cliff as the gang's weapons come crashing down.

The assassins are dumbstruck for a moment before breaking in to uproar. "Should we go down and make sure that he's dead?"

"Why bother? It would be a waste of our time. No one could survive a fall off that cliff." The others grumbled agreement and strode off to spend their earnings, feeling that their assignment was complete. "Quite true. No one could survive that."

Little did they know that two people already had survived that very plunge.

Two hours later, the governor's carriage pulls up to the ledge. Inside, Elizabeth is not at all happy. "How rude! Father, I just cannot believe that Madame Falso would blow us off like that. She never even showed up!"

The pair alights from the carriage with Commodore Norrington. He had come along for the ride in order to beseech Elizabeth for one more chance. Not surprisingly, she hadn't listened to a word he had said.

"She could have at least heard me out!" complains Norrington quietly to the governor.

"I did not expect her to, my friend. Do not worry, though. I have an idea."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth looks around expectantly. Raising her voice, she calls out Will's name. Her voice echoes across the stone and drifts out until it is drowned by the crashing waves below.

Looking around her, she calls his name again to no avail. Her eyes then fall on his hat, dropped carelessly on the ground near the ledge. She rushes forward and picks up the hat.

"Darling, it seems that he has left. I'm sure you will meet up with him again. Come; let us leave before we miss dinner."

"He promised that he would be here. I am not leaving until he comes. I am sure that he would not abandon me."

Elizabeth slowly kneels in front of the wall and waits there, grasping the hat, until it grows dark. Upon hearing the harsh ring of the night bells, she forces herself to admit that her lover is not coming. A single tear slides down her cheek as she drops the hat over the cliff and turns to climb into the carriage with her father.

Author's Note: This is my first ever PotC story, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and let me know if you would be interested in the next chapter. I am planning to re-introduce Jack and some other old friends/enemies. Thanks for reading!