Liz glanced around the room. She continued to sit and nervously nibble on her bottom lip.

"Be patient…"

She was ringing her hands tightly. Elizabeth glanced around at the vanity counter below her and saw nothing of interest, nothing that could ease her mind. The marble surface was cool under her hot palms that continued to clasp one another in intervals in failed attempts of ridding herself of nervous energy. Eventually she noticed and immediately stopped.

"What could be taking him so long? Surely he's alright. Of course he's alright. He simply went to speak with them."

Elizabeth picked up her brush again and continued to brush her hair. After another few seconds she became exasperated once more and stood up. She walked to the door of the bedroom from her vanity stool and leaned against the frame. She strained to hear the men downstairs, but it was useless. They were in the kitchen, at the other end of the house; she merely wished to know what was being said. She glanced behind her at the clock on the opposite wall.

"An hour, he's been down there for an hour! He must be making some progress. They're rational men. They'll have a heart and not force him to leave. They must."

She sighed and pulled at her robe. Her belly was creating a problem when it came to fitting in clothes. She was beginning to get slightly annoyed at the inconvenience but quickly purged it from her thoughts as she was reminded by her precious gift inside tapping at her ribs. She smiled quickly at knowing that the baby was just as nervous for Will as she was. The candles at her vanity and bedside were beginning to dwindle and her eyes were starting to grow heavy. But she couldn't sleep now. Not even a nap, there was no way. Her stomach was tight and her heart was in her throat. Her husband could be taken away from his family, an uncertainty of his future looming over their happiness. She pursed her lips and forced herself to hope for the best.

"Mama"

Elizabeth looked down to her left and didn't even notice that Katie had approached her. She bent down and opened her arms to the little girl. "Oh darling, what are you doing up, hmm?"

"I had a bad dream. I didn't want to call for you. It might wake up the monsters." She said quietly. Her big brown eyes shining in the light from the room opposite, her lips softly pouted, just as her mothers.

Liz allowed a small smile. "Silly girl, there aren't any monsters in your room."

The Katie lifted her head from her mothers shoulder and quietly asked: "Where's Papa? He always puts me back to bed. He always makes the monsters go away…"

Liz looked down and back into her daughter's pleading eyes. "He's busy right now dearest…But I'll put you to bed, how's that?"

Katie nodded and took her mother's hand, letting go of her nightgown sleeve that was bunched in her hand. Elizabeth stood slowly and guided the little girl back to her room. Katie slid back under the covers and turned on her side as she settled while her mother sat on the side of her bed and smoothed the sheets and gently pushed the stray blonde length of curls from her face. Her daughter kept a hold of her hand the whole time while she lay there. Elizabeth didn't attempt to move until she heard Katie's deep breathing and her grip loosen. Finally she stood; satisfied her little girl was content and stepped to the window. She looked back and saw her daughter sleeping there, soundly – knowing her mother was in the room and her father was there to protect her from the 'monsters'. What will she do if he leaves? What will she be told why her father has gone?

She heard a noise in the doorway and turned to see her husband's silhouette. So not to wake the child that was just restored to sleep just a moment before, she quickly went towards him, taking her hand and softly putting it to his chest, as to tell him to take a step back. Once she had turned around to face him from shutting the door behind her she could see his solemn expression. Elizabeth looked at him, questioning with her eyes. Will merely shook his head.

Elizabeth sighed angrily. "They won't budge?" She grit her teeth and spoke in a hurried, hushed voice. "What possible reason could they have for not releasing you?"

Will inclined his head, to signal her silence then led her quickly down the hall to their bedroom, where once inside he shut the door and faced her. "I pleaded with them, told them it was madness to force me. But they are mad. They're mad Elizabeth."

She shook her head. "Its this war…it makes men crazy." She folded her arms around her and stepped a little closer to him. "What was said? What are their reasons?"

Will sighed and dropped his head; he then sat on the bed and spoke blindly to the opposite wall. "It got heated…you know how I can be sometimes. My temper gets the best of me. And you know as well as I that the General isn't a mild mannered man." Will paused a moment and ran his fingers through his hair. "He threatened us, our family. Almost to the same damn effect he said the day he arrived here: "I'm not eager to hang a man for his mistakes. But Mr. Turner, if you don't obey my command as an officer of his majesty's royal navy then I'm afraid you will leave me no choice…Family and all." Of course I called his bluff and said he wouldn't do such a thing. Then he was quick to point out his rank and the situation that this colony is in. One more rebellious man and his family, put to their death for the good of the kingdom would be doing a service to empire." He says…" Here, again, Will paused. He put his face in his hands and sighed before leaning back and looking up at the ceiling, completely at a loss and mentally exhausted. "I don't know what to do Liz. I don't want to leave you….I don't want to leave Katherine…." Then he stood and faced her, his eyes softening as he looked down to see her swollen middle. "I don't want to leave this baby."

The whole time Will spoke Elizabeth's temper rose. She was infuriated at these men who called themselves 'noble'. Who were they to say who lives and who dies? Who were they to enslave a man against his will…a man of virtue, a free man like her husband!

"Damn it Will! You can't go. We'll leave; we'll go back to the Caribbean! We'll find Jack and sail to the ends of the earth if we have to but you will not go to war…" Her voice was strained. She was trying not to yell, to wake Katie or get the soldiers attention but her throat was tightening. Tears of anger were soon forming at the corners of her eyes.

Will looked at her sadly, as he spoke he moved closer. "Liz we can't leave. What if you go into labor? You're not having a baby on a ship. And now, more than ever they're patrolling the waters, they would find Jack – and us if we were with him…We won't leave. It's not an option. I'm tired of running from our problems Elizabeth."

She shook her head, angered, not wanting to hear what it was he had to say. She was shaking, her eyes were blurred and her lips were pouted in resistance.

"I ran away from my mother's memory in England. We ran from your father's wrath in Port Royal, only to come back and leave again because of all the eyes, all the whispers caused by Mayfield. Now, when war comes to our doorstep – we run again? No…I'm not running any longer. This is where we'll be tested Elizabeth. This is where we must be strong." Will tried to put his arms around her to give her some sort of comfort but she struggled against him.

"No Will! What if you're killed? Would you leave me this way? Would you not think of your family before you make such a decision?" Elizabeth was practically yelling now and her arms down at her side, shaking, thrown down in frustration.

"I have thought Liz! I've thought very hard…and I'm going. I'm certain I will come back home to you. I won't leave you – "He was saying, as he tried to hold her arms close to him, to calm her down. But she cut him off, tears falling from her watered brown eyes.

"You say that…but how do you know? You can't predict the future. Would you want Katie growing up without a father? Would you want this baby to never know you? Would you?" She finally collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily with sobs. She put her hand to her chest and tried to restrain herself. She knew she shouldn't be getting so worked up. She could feel her body shaking.

Will went to her and sat next to her, holding her close to him. This time she didn't resist. Instead she rested her head on his shoulder, her arms around waist, keeping him as near as possible. Will didn't say anything. He merely stroked her hair and pushed the tears from her flushed face. Once she was contented she spoke, softly, quietly, just to him – so close to her. "Will I'm not mad at you…don't think I am. I just – I'm just angry at them. I know you're doing what you think is best. And I am your wife – I will support you. But I want you to know that if you say the word, I will pack up my things and leave this place and this mess of a war."

Will nodded and kissed the top of her head. "I know love…I know…But this is something I have to do. And I believe you're strong. You're my backbone. You're my foundation. And you will have to be all those things while I'm away."

Elizabeth lifted her head and finally looked up at him since the time since they sat there. "I love you William Turner."

"And I love you…so dearly Elizabeth Turner" Will leaned down and kissed her lips, parted them slowly, faintly tasting her sweetness of her mouth from the tears. She leaned into him and relished his lips on hers, his prickly hairs above his lip, tickling her cheek. His hand wandered behind her back, up and down then back up towards her neck where he rested his fingers in the cascade of her hair. Elizabeth's hand slipped under his vest and down under his breeches where she felt him tense at her touch. Will breathed in sharply and slightly moved his mouth from hers.

"I know you're tired…we don't have to-"He breathed.

"I want to" She said before he could finish, and her mouth collided with his once more.

Will didn't need another word. With calculated movements he lay her down on the bed, slightly above her. She undid the buttons of his shirt and ran her hands under to lift it from his shoulders. Will removed his trousers quickly then hovered above his wife, over to the left of her body. He lay down next to her and moved his hands to the front of her body. It wasn't long before her touch found him as well. Elizabeth turned her back to him, pushing herself against his hard member, feeling him tense against her backside, His hands wandering from her breasts to her stomach and below. He lifted her nightdress from her legs and pulled it from her body. His kisses dotted along her neck and shoulder. Their legs became intertwined and slowly Will molded tighter against her until he couldn't stand it any longer and finally entered her from behind. She arched her back which threw shockwaves through her body. Without the hindrance of her pregnant form the couple moved together easily, harmoniously. His hot breath was on her neck and his moans were in her ear. She reached around and found his backside, pushing him even further into her. His hands pulled her body into his, gripping at her chest, her breasts, her hips and thighs. Eventually before each of them was spent, they muffled their cries of pleasure with their pillows beneath them and savored the writhing of the others body.

The sun was almost over the horizon, the orange line of dusk was grinning at the top, ready to drench the land in its color. The red coats lined the fencing of the Turner home. The soldiers, the General, all facing due south. There was a peculiar bundle on the back of Thomas' saddle. It hung down on either side of the horse. The shape of a man, the blood of a man on the outside of the blanket it was wrapped in: the dead messenger. Elizabeth Turner stood outside her home near the entrance of the gate. Her little daughter Katie stood silently at her side. The blacksmith, Will Turner solemnly standing in front of his family, wearing a long red coat, adorned with gold accents at the lapels and bullet holes at the chest, faintly stained with old, dry blood. The father bent down, making eye contact with the small blonde girl at her mother's side.

"I'll only be gone for a little while, Cricket. You have to take care of your mother for me. All right?"

Katie nodded and kept her soft brown eyes on his. He leaned forward and hugged her close to him. "I love you very very much, Katie." He said before kissing her forehead. "Be a good girl. Mind your mother and don't go visit Joby unless Mama gives you permission…right?" He grinned. She smiled back, knowing good and well that she had gotten in trouble going to the barn to visit her horse when her parents didn't know where she'd gone off to numerous times. "I'm leaving him here for you. So take good care." She nodded again, still remaining silent.

Finally Will stood and faced Elizabeth. He gave her a small smile, a smile telling her not to worry, a smile telling her that everything was going to be fine. Oh how she wanted to believe him and his honest grin!

"I promised I'm coming back. I'll keep my promise." Then he touched the side of her stomach gently. "And please don't welcome this baby without me, Mrs. Turner." Then Will made perfect eye contact with her, which was something he had failed to do until then. He held her gaze a moment, even after he was done speaking. Then, strangely he knelt his soft brown head and kissed her hand. His lips even lingered for a moment, letting them rest on her soft, faint pulse. Even stranger than that, after his lips left the back of her hand to took one of her fingers and traced it up to his cheek and they both remained there, that way for a few small seconds – to that man and that woman it felt like eternity.

Elizabeth smiled…she knew this was the scene from her dream. Only this time she was seeing him off, just as Lucy had done with Nathan only a couple of weeks ago. "How many times must I tell you Will? Call me Elizabeth."

Will looked up and grinned at her shining eyes. Then, he turned and went through his home's gate. The lifted himself on his horse and took the reins in his hands. The other horses, sensing the movement began to grow impatient and stomped their feet. The General, as generous as he was allowing this sentimental moment, grew impatient as well and turned his head to yell at the men behind him. "C'mon boys! We've got a hell of a trip ahead of us. Best we get on our way." Then the party of men took off down the road, at a small trot, eager to get out of the sight of the town. Will pulled himself away from his yard and made his way behind the soldiers, following behind. The mother and daughter stood there, resolute to look after him until they could no longer see his form down the road. But the little girl, finally realizing that her father was leaving, busted through the gates and ran into the middle of the road.

"I love you Papa!" She yelled, waving furiously.

But Will was already down the road and over the hill, unable to hear her.

Elizabeth knelt down and put her arms around her daughter. "He knows darling. He knows…"