ROPE-WALKER

Written by Jashi

N O T E: Will and Elizabeth are going through hard times: low morals, low cash income, and a new family member on the way. In desperate need to support the incoming babe, a letter from an old friend by a new pirate proves to have...very appropriate timing.

POTC isn't mine…I must say that I enjoyed it highly. I thought Will Turner's role sucked though, so I'm hoping to give him a better part in this fic…probably will be romance. No flames, but constructive criticism is very welcome! Enjoy.

CHAPTER ONE:

Tades knocked on the door, and looked around. She wanted to look inconspicuous, like a regular caller of the English Society. She knocked again. No answer. She rapped it quite hard. No answer. Tades tried the doorknob, and felt it was locked.

"Dammit…if this ain't it, Jack'll have to find the bloody man himself." she muttered tiredly.

Probing up her sleeve, she removed a tiny strip of silver metal. She pushed it into the lock on the door and fiddled around with it for a while. She hummed to herself and kept looking around in a rather paranoid fashion until she heard a quiet click, and the door opened, smooth as butter.

The woman looked around skeptically, finding all the clichés of a happy home. Or what perhaps once was. Upon a quick going over of the house, she found little money lying around, little food, and a much-used mending basket. Tades frowned. Wasn't Elizabeth Swann…now Elizabeth Turner, she mused, supposed to be the governor's daughter? The house was quite small, even for a new couple…but it did have a second story, which lightened her heart a bit.

Tades gave a great yawn and counted the days back in her head. She hadn't slept in four days. I've got a new record,

Jack. she thought bemusedly, and tried not to think about the bed she passed as she walked into the bedroom.

The bed was unmade and the sheets…Tades chuckled…the sheets were on the floor. All the sheets were, and she carefully edged away from them, and went to look at the vanity. It was small, but the mirror was clear. Many cosmetics though, it looked as though the new Mrs. Turner enjoyed her vanity much.

Making her way to the bedside table, she sat down on the bed. There was a small clock. A wedding present, probably, she thought, and suddenly realized she'd made a very bad choice sitting down on the bed…her head began to inch closer and closer to the pillow that was half-off the bed and her eyes began to close.

Dammit…oh no…I'll sleep until I hear something…then I'll get the hell out…wait… I SHOULDN'T BE SLEEPING! GODDAMMIT! Come on, Tades, WAKE UP! But her pressing thoughts were too late as she faded into an unconscious sleep.

Elizabeth Turner walked down her street, smiling as she neared the house. Noticing the door was open, her heart became light, for it looked as though Will had come home early…or not so. Her husband had not been getting a good amount of work lately…and not just lately. Ever since the incident, it seemed as though no one wanted a sword from someone who was half-pirate. And when her father had died…oh, it had been much to bear, only six weeks after their wedding, there was a funeral for the dear Governor Swann, who had died of a sudden attack…the doctors called it a heart attack.

But they had been graced with happiness, for about two and a half months ago, a doctor had informed an ill-feeling Elizabeth Turner that she was with child. Will had been ecstatic, and so had she. So even as his business declined sharply, their spirits still stayed high.

She walked through the slightly ajar door, and called, "Will…are you home early today?"

There wasn't an answer, which made her frown. Ah, yes. Perhaps he was sleeping, and she giggled quietly to herself about the state of their bed at the moment…

So she walked upstairs, and noticed their bedroom door was closed. Elizabeth opened it, making an effort to not make it creak…and poked her head in.

Elizabeth gasped and her heart turned as cold and hard as stone as she saw a head full of long, dark brown hair on a pillow, lying on her side.

She shut the door, her hand over her mouth…pain wracked her heart, and tears silently dripped down her cheeks as she went down the stairs again…sat at the table…and wondered at her misfortune to befall her and now there was their unborn child to think of...

Will Turner was whistling to himself as he walked home from his blacksmith's shop. He had closed business early today, because in the back of his mind he knew there would be no more customers. He was rather optimistic today, and he'd pretty much always been in a good mood since he learned Elizabeth was pregnant with his child…he felt like skipping. In fact, he had, all around the house, swinging Elizabeth up into the air, singing rather loudly, and deciding against getting terribly drunk.

He came upon his house, and noted that the door was slightly ajar. Odd, he mused, but he pushed it open the rest of the way and stepped in.

Elizabeth saw him walk in and jumped up, her sadness and grief being quickly transformed into anger. She strolled over to him, hiding her true fury.

Will smiled at her, his lovely brown eyes twinkling, "Hello, love."

Elizabeth responded to this with a mighty slap to his face. Will staggered back in surprise and with the brute force of it. He rubbed his cheek, his own optimistic mood fading into anger.

"Now why did I deserve that?" he said, keeping his voice in check. Looking at her, he realized she'd been crying, and this was angry sadness…his eyes furrowed.

"How dare you ask me that! How dare you call me love when you have destroyed it all?!" her voice turned into a scream as Will shut the door, wincing.

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth?"

His wife's fists were clenched in fury, and she looked quite formidable at the moment.

"There is a WOMAN upstairs in our BED, WILL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" her face was becoming flushed as she seethed.

"I have had no consorts with women since I married you, you know that!" his own voice rose to a yell.

"Well, then this is the first, isn't it!" she retorted.

The fight continued until they were both flushed in the face, yelling, having the first real fight of their married life.

Tades' eyes opened because of shouts…shouts? Oh, bloody no… her heart began to race and she jumped up. According to the clock, she'd been asleep for an hour and a half…and the shouts were of a man and a woman…oh God. She rubbed her eyes and walked down the stairs and saw the two going at each other, both equally furious.

She knocked on the wall. "What's all the shouts…about…oh, my." she said, realization suddenly dawning a lot quicker.

Elizabeth gave a huff and said, "Well, there you have it, Will Turner." she sat down in the chair again, glaring daggers at both of them.

Will looked at the newcomer and opened his mouth to ask who she was, but Tades spoke first.

"Ah, so it's Bootstrap Bill's little one. And he married the governor's daughter, not bad. He would've been happy, I bet. But seeing the state you're in, I'd say otherwise. And," she said, seeing the confusion on both of their faces, "my name is Tades."

"Hades? Your name is Hades? Such a fitting name." blustered Elizabeth.

Tades shook her head. "No, lass, it's TADES. Rhymes with Hades, though. And…now that I got some sleep from looking for your lovely lad for four days, it's time to do what I came here for. You didn't think I was his mistress or something, did you?" Tades said a bit teasingly.

Will Turner glared. "State your business for intruding and then GET OUT." he said with a stern voice that could have crumbled stone. His feet were geared to his sword against the wall, ready to move for it.

"Ah, I'm from Jack Sparrow, I believe you know him. He knows your in a bit of trouble with the business, and he wants to meet you…tomorrow, at seven o'clock, at your little local pub, y'know?" she said fluently.

"How do I know you're from Jack?" Will demanded, still bristling with anger.

Tades sighed. She pulled back the collar of her shirt to reveal a small tattoo of a bird. She then pulled up her shirtsleeve and showed him the dark red P tattoo that resided there. Will gave her an odd look.

"I know I wasn't present for your adventure, but Tades was in a Spanish jail at the time. Now, seeing I've done my job, I don't need anymore sleep, and I've wrecked your happy home, I'm truly sorry. I must be going now, so he'll see you at seven tomorrow, Will."

Tades strolled to the door and walked out, wincing as she did so. She'd been awake for four days, why'd she have to drop off now? She hoped she'd cleared it up a bit, seeing the lass was in the beginning of pregnancy. It was a long walk down to the docks, and she had to swim out to the Black Pearl, which was resting in a small cove.

Anamarie threw down a rope to the swimming Tades.

"Took you long enough!" the dark-skinned woman called down playfully.

Tades scaled the rope in ten seconds, and shook out her long mane of dark-colored hair when her feet were safely on board.

A familiar, clear voice called, "So, Tades. Is the deal on?"

"At that pub, seven o' clock sharp tomorrow, Jack."

"Good, good, good. We'll give him a little belated wedding gift, won't we now."

"If he agrees."

"And he will, because I know how bad his business is going now."

Tades pulled back her hair with a thong of leather. Her eyes looked to the winds and the sunny afternoon. She grabbed a long rope hanging from the crow's mast and began her ascension, which took little time indeed as she stood at the edge of the nest, looking out on the Caribbean.

Another adventure was beginning…

TO BE CONTINUED