Ch. 7

"Mr. Gibbs, just five more minutes!" Elizabeth pleaded.

Gibbs shook his head stubbornly. "Cap'n said straight up dawn, Miz Turner, not five after. Prepare to set sail!"

"Please!" she continued to protest. "My husband is in there!"

"I understand ye situation, Elizabeth," he replied with a sigh. "But I take orders from Jack, not you."

"Wait!" someone shouted. "Here they come now!" Elizabeth peered off into the distance and could just make out a small boat rowing through the fog. As the three climbed up onto the ship, something in their expressions told her that something had gone horribly wrong.

Nobody spoke for several minutes. Jack quietly asked Gibbs if they'd seen any ships leave, to which Gibbs shook his head. Sighing, he retreated wordlessly to his cabin.

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As the ship moved slowly through the fog once more, Will leaned again the side rail and stared out at the fog. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost didn't notice as Elizabeth joined him wordlessly and gently placed a hand on his arm. "Will, what's the matter?" she finally murmured, breaking the silence.

Will's gaze remained on the fog. "Barbossa got away," he said plainly. Elizabeth just nodded, though she didn't understand. She knew Will would say more if she didn't prod. The sharp sound of Will's fist hitting the wooden railing startled her. "I was an idiot," he muttered angrily. "A bloody idiot."

Elizabeth looked over at him curiously. "What are you talking about, Will?" she asked, even more confused. Will sighed and handed her the coin he'd been fingering. She studied it and recognized it to be a piece of the Aztec gold. "You mean you…" Her eyes grew wide as she began to understand. "Why?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe I didn't want to die. We didn't expect Barbossa to disappear like he did. It was supposed to be short-lived."

Elizabeth just shook her head. "Do you realize what kind of situation it puts me and Marie in, Will?" she asked quietly. "We don't have any place on a pirate ship." She immediately regretted her words when she saw the look on his face. Without meaning to, she had just deeply hurt him.

"I did it for you," he muttered, turning away abruptly and climbing up into the rigging before she could stop him.

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Blackbird was already up in the crow's nest when Will pulled himself up onto the platform. Blackbird shot him a sideways glance and went back to her own thoughts. Will was silently grateful for the gesture. Over the years, it had become his place for thinking and sorting out emotions, which was exactly what he needed now.

They had sat in silence for over half an hour when Will finally got enough courage to ask the question that had been bothering him since they had left the cave. "Blackbird?" he asked quietly. She grunted a reply that meant she was listening. "You should know by now that I wouldn't ask you to give more information than you're comfortable giving, but something's been bothering me…How does Barbossa know you? And why do you hate him so much?"

Blackbird sighed and seemed to ignore his question. Will had almost given up on getting any answer at all when she spoke up. "Will, have you ever wondered where I was when you and Jack set out after the Pearl?"

Will shrugged. "It's crossed my mind," he replied mildly. "I guess I always figured you were just off on your own business at the time. But what does that have to do with Barbossa?"

"I've always prided myself in being single. Many a time I've bragged that no man can tame Blackbird Turner. But there was one who did. Yes, Will," she said, seeing the look on his face, "Nathan was my husband. We met in Tortuga when I was only seventeen, but I was sure I loved him, and that he loved me. I even 'settled down' once we got married. We bought a house, he got a real job, and we started a family. Our daughter's name was Emily. She looked just like Nathan, and acted just like me…" She shook her head at the memory. "Everything went great for the first year or so. Then something changed in him. He started drinking more frequently, then he got in the habit of coming home drunk every night. I tried to ignore it, telling myself that it was only natural for his old pirate tendencies to die just as hard as mine had, but I realize now I only hurt myself in forgiving him. Eventually the drinking led to more serious problems, like seeking more 'pleasurable company'. At first he tried to hide it, but he got to the point that he began bringing his mistresses into our home with me there. When I confronted him, he would go into a fit of rage and accuse me of ruining his life and ridding him of any freedom he'd ever had." She shrugged. "Thinking back on it, I don't know how I put up with him that long…Anyway, one night, after an excessive amount of drinking, he…kicked me out for good, and I didn't dare go back. I made my way back to Tortuga and convinced Jack to let me back on the crew. Basically, I just started over and tried to forget him."

Will looked at Blackbird for a while before speaking. He found it hard to believe that a woman as independent as Blackbird would even put up with that kind of treatment, but he also knew firsthand what love could do to a person. Unsure how to word the question, he hesitated. "Where…where is…Emily now?" he finally asked.

A blank expression came over Blackbird's face. "She's dead," she said tonelessly. "Fever."

"Oh," was all Will could say. "I'm sorry…I didn't…"

She waved her hand dismissively. "Forget it." Sighing, she stared out at the fog.

Will cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Did…Nathan never realize that you were Bootstrap's daughter?"

"Probably," Blackbird replied with a shrug. "It never really came up. We both decided not to let family histories affect our relationship." She smiled wryly and added, "Of course, that didn't really work out... How did Elizabeth take it?"

"Take what?" Will asked, trying to feign ignorance. Over the years, he had gotten used to the bumpy pattern of conversation with Blackbird and her sudden subject changes.

"You know exactly what I mean, Will Turner, don't even try to fool me," she said, hitting his arm lightly.

Will sighed and rested his head in his hands. "She got angry; I left," he said shortly. "She doesn't seem to understand that I was faced with running down a narrow tunnel, while my back was turned to thirty men carrying loaded guns. The chances of getting to her alive were minimal at best. Obviously if I had thought for even a second that Barbossa would get away like that, I wouldn't have taken the chance. Does she honestly think this is enjoyable for me?"

"I doubt it. She knows your motives, I think, but it's just the initial shock of it all. Just wait until tonight," she added, grinning mischievously.

"I think I'll advise that she stay below deck at night," Will replied mildly. "Has Jack even explained to the rest of the crew what's going on?"

Blackbird shrugged. "Yeah, but that won't stop any stares. Y'know, it wouldn't be so bad," she continued, "if I could just get good and drunk."

Will laughed and glanced up at the sky. "I think I'll head down," he said, edging himself off the platform. "The fog's starting to thin, and it's getting late."

"I think I'll stay up here a bit longer," Blackbird said. "Maybe with the thinned fog I can catch a glimpse of Nathan's ship. They had to get there somehow, and they can't be too far ahead of us."

"Suit yourself."

A/N: Yay! People have actually started reviewing! Congrats to LateBloomer, who was the 10th reviewer. I'll email you shortly with the specifications. Oh, and sorry for the wait on this chapter...I've been really busy.