Carrying on… many thanks for those still with me.

It was a dim and overcast noon when Will reached the shore and stood looking out across the bay. Sweat ran down his neck and soaked through his shirt from the hurried cross country hike, but it only gave him a cold chill when he scanned the water.

A few fishing boats were moving across the surface of the bay with unhurried purpose. At the dock halfway around the carved out shore, someone was unloading their haul and voices called commands that carried across the water, oddly clear in the sheltering bowl of rock. He blinked, shook his head, looked more carefully.

Nothing. No Pearl, no Esperance. The largest ship in the bay was a small schooner, and while there were several ships moored bobbing in the east, the undisturbed water of the western side leading to where he had hidden the dinghy was completely empty. For a brief, heart-wrenching moment he feared the worst.

The Pearl – no, both ships went down. Elizabeth is dead. My father is dead. There's no one here to help me. I'm alone and at sea again, just like…

He took a deep breath. From some newer place in his soul he mined the confidence to think more clearly. An echo of a familiar voice seemed to say, 'you can panic when you find the opportune moment, lad. Right now, perhaps you'd like to try something more constructive, savvy?'

In spite of his fears, Will smiled. The memories that merged with the voice were so strong that he half expected the pirate to magically appear as he looked across through the narrow opening of the bay to the sea; humming a tune and swaying gently to his own internal rhythm. "I hope you're still out there, Jack." The wistful sound of his own voice surprised him. "But then, I guess you always will be, no matter what…"

The sun had broken briefly through the bundled grey clouds and sparkled hopefully on the water. He shook his head, unsure of what that could portend. As he was about to turn back, intent on climbing up to the road, a flash on the water caught his eye. Squinting a frown, he stared so hard that his eyes watered. There it was again.

Will exhaled so suddenly he didn't realize he had been holding his breath. He quickly slipped the boat back into the water, and bent his back to the oars. It didn't take long before he was far out on the bay, and could clearly see the dinghy from the Esperance bobbing on the half ocean, half bay waves. It wasn't the pulled together Captain Turner, but ship's carpenter and lookout Bootstrap Bill who sat in the bow, a disheveled and concerned looking pirate. He raised his hand and called when Will got close enough. Moments later the boats bumped companionably on the waves.

"Will. Are you alright?"

"Yes. What happened?" He looked at the clothes his father wore, which were smudged with pitch and sawdust. "Is everything alright?" His eyes widened in sudden horror. "Is –"

"Elizabeth is fine, Will. We were attacked again. They were no match for the Pearl, but they did chew her up a bit. No hands lost."

Will breathed a bit easier. "And the Esperance?"

"Untouched. Gibbs and I thought the Pearl could use a carpenter, though…" He grinned down at himself, seeming to relax as well. "I wanted to make sure you… could find us. For a while there, I thought I'd have to raise the colors."

Will nodded with a quiet smile as he glanced down to where Jack's skull and swords banner was curled at the base of the dinghy's short mast. His father's warm concern made him feel better than he would ever have imagined.

"Wasn't even sure you'd see it if I did, in this overcast. We were lucky the sun came out and I could use the mirror."

The boy nodded thoughtfully, glanced back toward the shore. "Yes, it was lucky, wasn't it?"

His father unshipped his oars. "Come on, then. They'll be waiting for us. Can you row a bit farther?"

Will grinned. "Well, I am a little tired… but that just means you might have a chance to beat me." They looked at each other's arms, and for just a moment sized each other up – not just father against son, but blacksmith against carpenter. Bill laughed first.

"It may be a tie, boy. I'm a bit out of practice."

"Shall we see, then?"

Putting the worried energy that they had been expending into rowing out of the bay, the two small ships were asea in minutes. The going became more difficult as they hit the waves, but the Esperance wasn't far. When they reached the side of the ship, Bill took the hanging lines and tied off their boats, and Will scrambled up the ladder behind his father, surprised at how glad he was to have a deck beneath his feet again. He was walking amidships to find Elizabeth when the Pearl came into his view, and Will stopped abruptly, his jaw hanging.

The proud galleon stood stripped on the waves. No sails, her foremast ending in a jagged break. Men swarmed over the rigging, the sound of yelled commands and hammering carrying easily over the water.

Bill looked from her to his son's drawn face. "She'll be fine, son. She's wanting a new mast, there's no way I can repair the damage to that one."

"Jack'll be –" Will looked at his father, the words catching in his throat. "Jack'll be really upset, don't you think?" There was a sad determination in his voice. Bill reached across and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Aye, son. I hope so."

Will shook his head and tore his eyes away from the Pearl once more to look at his father questioningly. "Elizabeth?"

Bill laughed, squinted toward the ship. "I think that's her on the mainmast. Some of the rigging was torn out, and she wanted to be on the repair crew." Will smiled, squinting in turn.

"It's her, alright. I'd know that… ah… hair anywhere."

"I'm sure." Slapping the younger man on the shoulder, Bill laughed again. "Let's get you food and sleep."

Will nodded. "Food, yes. I'd like to help over there, though."

"As soon as the captain clears you for duty… which will be after you take a couple hours rest." Will was about to protest, but his father suddenly looked very much the captain, grubby clothes or no. He nodded in surrender, feeling weariness suddenly overtake him.

"Aye, sir."

Jack stirred restlessly in the quiet of the hut. His shoulder twinged as he rolled over, his arm flopping across the empty bed. Dark eyes frowned as they opened behind a ragged veil of hair, and he sat up slowly to look around.

If his intuition hadn't failed him completely, the sun said it was sometime after noon. Coqui was no where to be seen. He shook his head, scratched his nails through his hair, and stood up with a bit more than his customary swagger. He blinked blearily when he pulled back the door cloth, looking out into the bright but overcast day. "Coqui?"

Nothing. Shouldn't be surprised, mate. Not the first time she's vanished. You've just been sleeping so much you don't always notice. Jack smiled to himself as he took a drink of water and picked up a piece of fruit that had been left on the small table. When he dressed he left his shirt loose and untied over his breeches, and ambled out into the forest.

As he walked he noticed the frogs were much quieter in the warmth of noon. Smart little buggers. Sleeping instead of out looking for… for what? He grinned again, shook his head and kept walking. For some woman who'll be out making conversation with the trees. The island wasn't big enough to get properly lost on anyway. All he'd have to do is make a straight line to the shore, and then –

"Whoa." Jack stopped in his tracks. A grove had appeared as he rounded a turn. They didn't look like the more rambling tropical woods or even palms, but stretched tall and straight towards the sky. Walking into the grove was like walking into a greek temple, all pillars and quiet. He must have been distracted by it, as he didn't see her right away.

"Zulee."

Jack turned abruptly, wavering a few degrees past his target. "'Ello, love. I thought I'd find where you'd gone off to." Gold sparkled in his smile beneath the trees.

The woman smiled back at him, leaning on the tree trunk in the grove's center. "You're feeling better."

"Aye, that I am." He walked closer and looked into her eyes. "It's just a matter of my ship finding me now, milady." There was no register of sadness in her eyes, just a quiet acknowledgement. She stepped away from the tree and looked at the others as if she were completing a survey. He reached a hand toward her. "Coqui –"

She turned to look at him and he found himself unable to speak. She smiled. "What is it, Captain Jack Sparrow?"

He frowned slightly, rocking back on his heels. "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Away. Out there. You don't have to stay here alone, love."

Her laugh was deep and musical. "I'm not alone." She brushed a hand against another tree. "Never alone."

Exasperation frowned across his brow. "Yes, but-"

"Zulee." Stepping closer, she spoke in a near whisper. "Would you have me ask you to stay?"

Jack staggered back a step, their eyes locked with an intensity that surprised him. When he answered, it was so quiet that he wasn't positive he actually spoke aloud.

"You know I can't."

Her smile was incredibly peaceful. "I do." Turning away from him, she walked, humming softly, back towards the hut. He stood staring for a few moments, shook his head with a quiet jingle, and moved to follow her.

By nightfall the combined crews had made the Pearl seaworthy again. Bootstrap, Will, Elizabeth and Ana had joined Joshamee to review the repairs over a cup of rum.

"The hull's reinforced below decks." Elizabeth wiped a sleeve over her sweaty brow and held out her cup to be filled. "The worse loss to stores was two kegs of rum."

"Oh, he'll be noticin' that one straight away, lass."

"He will with the way the hold smells."

"I'm sure the governor will replace it."

"I shouldn't be at all surprised. Father will be livid when he finds out." Elizabeth stopped, took a swig of rum forgetting that it was not water, and coughed, her eyes tearing up. Ana pounded her on the back without really paying attention.

"Aye. I'm just hopin' that Jack'll be livid."

There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth caught her breath, the rest of them staring into their cups. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, thankful for the excuse. Lifting her cup, she said, "To Captain Jack Sparrow. May he be mad as hell when he sees what's happened."

The assembled company raised their mugs. "Aye, lass. Mad as hell." Gibbs downed his rum all at once, while Elizabeth took a careful sip, her eyes on Will. Her husband gave her a tight smile after he drank, and looked toward his father.

"Can we sail back to Palomino this way? Or do we have to replace the mast somewhere first?"

Captain Turner finished his rum and looked thoughtfully out through the thick windows. "Hardly fair to make him wait. If he's waiting."

Elizabeth frowned. "He's waiting. You know he is."

Bootstrap looked past her to Will, who was watching thoughtfully. "Aye, Elizabeth," he said, touching her arm gently. "We'll go and get Jack first. Before Joshamee here gets too accustomed to holding her."

Will smiled thankfully at his father as he slipped an arm around Elizabeth. She leaned into his shoulder, dropping her head tiredly. "I think I'm heading back to the cabin." She yawned, stretching. "Can't imagine why I'm so tired. And the rum's not agreeing with me."

"Couldn't be the hours of climbing in the sun you've been doing, could it?" Will pointedly took a cup of water from the table and handed it to her.

She giggled and shook her head, but sipped anyway. "Nothing at all for a pirate maid. Aye, Ana?"

Ana rolled her eyes and stood up. "Captain. I'm thinkin' we should all turn in, get an early start in the light."

Bill nodded, but his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere as he replied. "Agreed, Ana. Have the crew get some shut-eye." They left as Elizabeth and Will bid him a fond goodnight, but he sat alone for a long while before finally following his own orders.