Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read and especially everyone who reviewed, you guys brighten my day! Here's chapter 11, hope everyone enjoys! And please, please, please review!

Chapter Eleven

Once Bill and Jack were aboard the Black Pearl again they set about getting ready for the dinner at the Governor's mansion. Jack got some warm water and a cloth to wash the kohl and grease from his face, and then he set about taming his long black hair and taking the beads out. He managed to smooth it back and tie it behind his back; luckily for Bill his hair was much shorter so he didn't have any problems in that department and all he had to do was clean himself up and change into nicer clothes.

Neither of them had clothes that would be up to the Governor's standard but they would be able to look at least middle class, which would go along nicely with Bill's merchant sailor story. Jack, with nice clean clothes, hands, and face looked like a new person. The change in Bill was less remarkable but still noticeable and they both had a more respectable air about them.


"You clean up nicely Captain," Commodore Norrington commented when he spotted Jack. "You too Mr. Turner."

"Yes, I'm quite impressed," Governor Swann agreed as he surveyed the two pirates in front of them.

"Well, we tried," Bill said with a wink at Jack.

Just then the maid entered the room and whispered in the Governor's ear before quickly excusing herself. "I have just been informed that supper is ready so we will now proceed into the dinning room," Governor Swann announced. "Elizabeth and Will are already in there and waiting for us."

"Quite a place you've got here," Bill said once they were seated.

"Why thank you," Governor Swann said as Elizabeth smiled at Bill.

Will was looking at his father as well, "What?" Bill asked when he saw his son staring. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth? I haven't even started eating yet!"

"Oh no, nothing like that," Will said quickly, chuckling a little. "It's just, I can't help noticing how nice you and Jack look tonight."

"Yes, very handsome," Elizabeth agreed.

Jack and Bill glanced at each other and then Jack said, "You're very kind, but are ye in fact suggesting that we normally do not look nice and handsome?"

"You can't win with these two, can you?" Will murmured to Elizabeth with a small smile.

"No, no you really can't," answered Elizabeth, also smiling. "But you two do look really good," she added to Bill and Jack.

"I think they are implying that we normally don't look very good," Bill muttered to Jack.

"Anyway, what is it that you do Mr. Turner?" the Governor asked, obviously deciding that a change of subject was in order.

"It's Bill," the elder Turner said automatically.

"Or William," Jack offered.

"Yeah, but other than my parents, and my wife you are the only one who has ever called me that and gotten away with it," Bill said. "And I'm retired," he added to the Governor, answering his question.

"I see, well what is it that you are retired from?" Governor Swann prompted.

"I was a merchant sailor," Bill said, the old lie coming back to him as though it had only been yesterday when he had told it last.

"If you don't mind my asking, what ship did you sail with?" the Governor asked.

"Our Lady of the Sea," Bill said, naming the ship he had briefly worked on before he had become an official pirate.

"Hm, as a matter of curiosity, just how did you meet Captain Sparrow here?" the Governor asked, obviously not wanting to let the subject drop.

"Well I met Jack at sea," Bill said, his eyes meeting the pirate captain's as they silently agreed to use the story they used years ago in cases like this.

"Aye," Jack chimed in. "I didn't always have the profession I have now ye know."

"By profession, you mean piracy?" the Governor asked sharply, the disapproval obvious in his voice.

"Father, can we give this a rest?" Elizabeth asked tiredly. "Yes, Jack is a pirate but he has done a lot of good as well."

"Oh all right, he does have his pardon for now after all," Governor Swann agreed, consenting for now.

"Yes he does," Elizabeth said gratefully.

"So you were a merchant sailor, like Will's father?" the Governor asked, letting the piracy thing drop as his daughter had requested.

"That I was," Jack said.

"Jack and I did business together a couple of times, many years ago of course. I just recently saw him again and when I found out where he was headed to I was able to barter passage and here I am," Bill explained. It was a simple story but as long as it wasn't questioned too much it should be able to hold, at least that was what the two pirates figured.

Jack glanced quickly at Norrington; the Commodore seemed to have accepted the story. Whether or not that meant he actually believed it was another matter entirely but he seemed to be keeping his word and wasn't digging for a reason not to believe it. In fact, he had so far stayed very quiet, only listening to the conversation but rarely joining in himself.

"You seem a bit preoccupied James," Elizabeth commented, obviously noticing the same thing as Jack.

"My apologies," the Commodore said quickly, glancing at Elizabeth. "Sometimes it is difficult to leave work at work and today it seems to be coming with me."

"What is troubling you at work?" Governor Swann asked.

"It's not a matter of any real importance I suppose, just a subordinate of mine that has been causing some trouble lately. I had to reprimand him earlier today and we'll have to wait and see if it does the trick."

"I knew he would get distracted by whatever was bothering poor James," Elizabeth whispered victoriously. "I'm sorry, I suspected he wanted to question you two but there was nothing I could do."

"Quite alright," Bill murmured quietly. "Will warned us, besides it is only natural that he would be curious."

"Excuse me, Governor," came a timid voice from the doorway. "There is a small problem in the kitchen and the cook would like a word with you," the maid said.

The Governor sighed in annoyance and quickly maid his excuses before leaving with his maid. "Don't think I didn't notice how you cleverly manipulated the Governor into talking with me of my difficulties so that you four could whisper together," Commodore Norrington remarked lightly once the Governor was out of earshot.

"Oh I'm sorry James," Elizabeth laughed.

"I understand," Norrington said, smiling warmly at Elizabeth. "Besides, I was going to have to bring it up to him anyway if the problem persisted."

A couple minutes later the Governor returned and the meal progressed without any other incident worth noting. Afterward the two Turners, Jack, and Norrington all exited the mansion together. Elizabeth was spending her last night before the wedding with her father and so she bid them all farewell at the door.

Commodore Norrington walked with the other three until they passed the fort, at which point he said, "Gentlemen, this is where we must part. I trust that I will see you all tomorrow morning at the wedding."

So now it was just Jack and the two Turners walking steadily in the darkening evening. "Are ye nervous?" Bill asked his son.

"About the wedding?" Will asked. "Mostly just excited. I almost can't believe I'm actually marrying Elizabeth. I've loved her almost my entire life."

"I know the feeling," Bill murmured, remembering his beloved Carol Anne.

"In a weird way I have you to thank for it Jack," Will said. "If I hadn't met you and we hadn't had that whole adventure I may never have told her how I felt."

"Glad to be of service mate," Jack said. "I told you ye just had to wait for the opportune moment."

"Yeah," Will said with a slight grin. "Which strangely enough turned out to be at your execution."

"Well it worked for ye," Bill pointed out.

"Yes, and I suppose I also have you to thank for how things worked out," Will added to his father. "If you hadn't sent a piece of the treasure to me then the Pearl would never have attacked the ship I was on during the crossing from England and things would never have turned out the way they did."

"I guess it worked out well in the end for all of us then," Bill said after a moment. "You ended up with the woman you love, Jack got his beloved ship back, and I got to see you again."


Late that night Jack and Bill were once again back on the Black Pearl. They were sitting in the galley drinking and talking. "So," Bill said after they had been silent for a few minutes.

Jack looked from his mug to his friend's face, sensing more behind that one simple word then met the eye. "So," he said.

"Tomorrow," Bootstrap said quietly.

Jack nodded, "You've mad it this far mate," he said.

"Piece of cake," Bill said with a tired grin that betrayed it hadn't been at all simple.

"No trouble at all," Jack said, waving his hand and going along with it.

Bill nodded, trying not to cough as he said, "Aye, and if I'm to make it to tomorrow I best be getting some rest tonight."

"Aye," Jack murmured softly as Bill coughed.

"On the bright side, when things are all said and done I'll be happy not to have to cough anymore," Bill joked feebly as he left the galley.

"Soon mate, soon," Jack muttered to himself after Bill had left. "Ye'll be able to finally rest."

Jack sat in the galley with his rum thinking for another hour or so before he slowly got up to go to bed himself. When he reached the door of his cabin he could hear Bootstrap coughing weakly into his pillow and tossing and turning. Jack quietly entered the room, trying not to disturb his friend who slept fitfully enough these days without any further interruptions. Jack quietly observed him from the doorway for a couple minutes before laying down himself and dozing off.


Jack jerked awake abruptly at the sound of a hacking and insistent cough. It was morning and Jack staggered out on deck, following the sounds of his friend who he found leaning over the side of the ship, half coughing and half throwing up into the waters below. Jack could see the blood spewing out even from where he stood along with the little bit of food Bill had forced down the previous day.

Without a word to his still retching friend jack went to the Pearl's kitchen and made Bill more of the warm salted water that helped with his sore throats. When he returned to the deck he found Bill now sitting with his back against the side of the ship, holding his head in shaking hands and still coughing weakly.

"Here ye go mate," Jack said, offering the water.

With an effort Bill lifted his head to see what was being offered. "Thank ye," he mumbled weakly, slowly and tiredly lifting his arm to take it. "Good thing today's the wedding," he mumbled after he had gargled the water. "Don't think I'm gonna make it much longer."

"Ye shouldn't talk like that William," Jack said.

"I'm being realistic Jack," Bill said, and although he didn't want to, Jack privately agreed.