Pirates of the Caribbean – Friends Till The End
By Princess-Pirate
Email: Sequel to The Life I've Always Wanted. The story picks up eleven years later. Two best friends discover what can happen when a life changing event causes then to doubt everything the have known about their lives.
Disclaimer: All the characters, ships, and places in the Caribbean belong to Walt Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, as well as the dialect in the flashbacks from the movie. I don't own any of them (I wish). Some of the new characters are my own creations and therefore I have some ownership over them.
A/N: Please read and let me know what you think. Reviews and ideas on coming chapters are most welcome. Also note that I've changed Bootstrap's name from William to what everyone used to call him – Bill. This was since I discovered that there was some confusion if Jack called them both William.
Jonathan is one and a half years older than Orlando which makes him 13 years and Orlando is 12 years old.
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Chapter 4 – Father & Son
Orlando's room was dark when he entered it, the only light coming from two candles in the room. His little boy was lying on the bed, dead to the world around him. He was very pale and there was a large bruise on the side of his face. A crisp white bandage was wrapped around his head and manipulated under his dark brown hair.
"Miranda?" Will asked as he walked over to where she was pulling the blanket over Orlando. "Elizabeth says he's not doing to well."
"I'm sorry William" she said. "He took a bad knock to his head and both his legs are broken. He's so weak and I truly don't know if he's going to see tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on him. I've done all I could for now, now we need to pray that he does recovers."
"He will" Will said as he looked at Orlando. The steady rise and fall of his chest ensured Will that his young son was still in there and fighting for all he was worth.
"William" Miranda said "I need to warn you that if Orlando wakes up he may have some damage to his mind and it's going to take some time to walk again."
"I know" Will said "I was in an accident as well and it took me nearly two months to walk again but I'll be by his side every step of the way."
"I know William" Miranda said "But there's a ten percent chance of that happening. I don't think he's going to make it."
"No" Will said as tears sprung in his eyes. He sat down on the bed and gently took Orlando's limp hand in his. "Please no" he said as he looked at him.
"I'll be downstairs if you need me" Miranda said as she gave Will's shoulder and encouraging squeeze and silently left the room, allowing father and son some time together.
Will's grief for Orlando tore through his heart like a knife. He could still remember how happy he was the night Orlando had been born.
FLASHBACK
"Will" Elizabeth murmured sleepily as she saw her husband standing by Katherine's side "Come and meet you son."
Will's eyes were wide in wonder as he sat down on the bed next to Elizabeth.
The small infant was wrapped in blankets and rested peacefully in Elizabeth's arms. He had a tuft of dark hair and looked to be healthy and content.
Will gently sat down on the bed next to his wife and she handed him the little bundle to hold. He gasped as the little one mewled softly and snuggled further into his arms. "He's so small" Will said, tears shining in his eyes as he looked at his son. He never knew he could feel like this again.
Seeing the two needed some time alone, Katherine silently left the room and closed the door behind her to go and tell the grandfathers the news.
"Don't dwell on that now" Elizabeth said as she rested her head against his shoulder "He will bring us the happiness and grey hair that they would have."
"I know" Will said as he gave his tired but still beautiful wife a kiss "He's amazing. What are we going to call him?"
"I haven't thought about it" Elizabeth said "What do you think?"
"How about Orlando Ayden Turner" Will said as he looked at the little one.
"Perfect" Elizabeth said as she gently stroked the little one's head "Welcome to the world little Orli."
A knock at the door caused both parents to look up. They smiled as all their friends entered the room, Bill in the front of the group.
"Hello father" Will said as he smiled at the man that could make him so angry and happy at the same time. "Come and say hello to your grandson."
"Look at the handsome devil" Bill said as he was allowed to hold little Orlando in his arms. Everyone gathered around him and the females cooed and smiled at the little one.
"Have you decided on a name yet?" Katherine asked as she and Anamaria sat down at Elizabeth's side and helped to make her a little more comfortable.
"Yes" Will said as he noticed that his wife was very tired and having some problems keeping her eyes open. "His name is Orlando Ayden Turner."
"Good strong name" Jack said as he held little Jonathan in his arms.
FLASHBACK
Letting out a sob, Will laid down on the bed and gently cradled his injured son in his arms.
"I'm so sorry Will" a voice said from the door.
Will looked up and saw Jack standing in the door. "I can't lose him Jack" Will cried "Not my little boy. He's so young, so good and so loving. He doesn't deserve this fate. There's still so much I want to show him. I want to teach him to fight with a sword and how to make his own. I want to see him grow tall and to see the girls ran after him. I want to able to stand next to him when he gets married and be there for him when he welcomes his first child into this world."
"I know lad" Jack said as he knelt next to the bed and pulled Will into a hug. "I know you're torn up but you've got to have faith. He's a Turner and you lot are fighters. You fought your way back to recovery after that mast nearly crushed you. Orlando is going to fight back as well because he is his father's son and has all the love he need."
A knock on the door caused both men to look up.
"Will" Elizabeth said as she looked into the room, her heart breaking at seeing her husband so torn up inside. "The priest wants to see us and Orlando now. Is that in order with you?"
"It's all right mate" Jack said "I'm going to be in the sitting room with the kids. You do what you need to do and we'll talk later."
Will nodded and Jack left the room, remembering the one and only time Will had been upset like this.
FLASHBACK
Will looked up as he heard footsteps on the deck behind him.
"Hey" he said as he saw Jack making his way to him, two bottles of rum in his hand. By the way the new commodore was swaying, Will knew he had already had his fair share of rum.
"Here ye go lad," Jack said as he handed Will a bottle and plopped down next to him.
Will nodded his thanks and took a sip. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked Jack.
"Aye. That little Sparrow has his mother's lungs. Wails like a bloody banshee he does." He pulled a face that made Will chuckle but Jack saw the wetness in his first mate's eyes.
"I'm sorry ye had to go through that lad," he said as he put an arm around Will's shoulders "now man should have to go through the pain of losing a child."
"It's just so hard Jack" Will said as he sobbed. Jack now knew the truth. On deck Will was his old self but Jack knew that his friend was still hurting very much on the inside. He had fainted a few times this week but Jack knew it was due to stress and exhaustion.
Elizabeth was still in bed and the young woman was very traumatized. He had seen her a few times and she looked as if she didn't want to live anymore. He knew that Will was also suffering when he saw his once beautiful wife looking like this.
"Ye have to talk to her lad" Jack suddenly said.
"What?" Will's head snapped up and he looked at Jack.
"Ye have to talk te Elizabeth and tell her that everything is gonna be fine. She needs ye Will. She needs te feel that yer with her."
"How do I do that Jack?" Will wailed and Jack grabbed the younger man, hugging him to him.
"Just tell her how ye feel and she'll know that ye love her no matter what happens" Jack said as he rocked Will back and forth. Since his father was away on the Abyss he needed to be there for Will in his time of need.
"I love her Jack" Will said as Jack held him "I love her with all my heart and I would die for her. Life is not worth living if she isn't by my side."
They sat like that for a while. Jack heard soft footsteps and turned. He was surprised to see a pair of brown eyes looking at him, tears glistening in the moonlight.
FLASHBACK
Then Jack knew. He needed to get Will and Elizabeth to talk to each other and be there for one another. They had the type of love that could survive anything.
Or could it.