The fire in the corner was beginning to dwindle, and while it allowed a small glow to the room, the curtains were drawn and created a slight orange-ish haze from the sunlight that managed to show itself through. After her strong bout of dizziness, Elizabeth had managed to fall into a restless sleep, tossing the covers over her head and tossing in irritation. Now she was awake, but in a state of mindless wanderings. She lay there motionless, just letting everything sink in. Where the dizziness and fit of nausea had been, it was now replaced with a dull aching pain in her chest. Her eyes were open yet they were unseeing, her lungs pushed the air in and out and yet she felt as if she was drowning, her mouth was shut resolutely although she thought she was screaming from the inside out. How could Thomas be right? How could Will be dead? Was this not the same man who was locked down below deck while the ship began to sink, then the vessel exploded in the middle of the ocean, all the while surviving and managing to bargain for her safety? Surely her William would not let something like a battle between mere men be his downfall. He was strong. He was brave – he must be alive! She reasoned with herself and thought as rationally as she could… no Will was not dead.

But now she lay in this large bed alone. The same bed that she had shared with her husband for five years, the same bed that he had made her his own, where they had consummated their marriage. It felt cold now, it felt empty and desolate. She dare not set foot outside of this room – not yet. How could she look her daughter in the face when she asks about her father's wellbeing? Sure, in her heart Elizabeth didn't want to believe such things as her husband's life had come to an end. But the innocent face of a child? Her heart bursting at the possibility that her Papa was returning to them? ….no, there was still a shadow of a doubt in the corners of Elizabeth's mind that would prevent her from telling her little girl, that her father was for sure, with out hesitation, no questions asked – coming back home to them. Thomas had put that doubt into her mind.

Lucy sat in the kitchen with her hand under her chin. Thomas was in the next room, sleeping heavily on the couch, no doubt exhausted from the past few days. The red-headed woman had stayed in the Turner home, and when the children had come in from their games outside, she persuaded them to go next door, telling Tristan to look after Katie for a little while longer. Of course the boy opened his mouth to protest, but the look from his mother told him differently, so he obligingly held the little girls hand to escort her to his home. Lucy was in a small state of worry as well… if Will was dead, where did that leave her husband? Thomas later told her once they left the bedroom that the battle took place near Moore's Creek. Was that not south? He also mentioned that the Rebels had been ready for them, making a barricade to prevent them from crossing. Was that not exactly what Nathan had written to her in his last letter? Her mind was racing with possibilities, but it could not keep up with her heart – she hurt for her friend's pain. The poor woman… she already had a young daughter, with another baby, or two, on the way… it must be unbearable. A few minutes ago she had made a hot cup of tea and a couple of biscuits for Elizabeth and brought it to her bedside, only to be met with a tired sigh and no reply. She tried to warn her gently that it wasn't good for her or the baby if she didn't eat or drink anything all day. Again, no reply. Lucy left and returned some minutes later with the tea have drunk and the biscuits slightly disturbed – and she took that as some sort of progress. It was almost dark now, Elizabeth had been in her bedroom for quite a few hours now and Lucy hadn't a clue with to do with Thomas. He couldn't stay with her! A woman with her husband off to war with a strange British soldier living in her home…no it was not an option. But the reaction that Elizabeth had today – lashing out at him like that, she assumed her friend wouldn't take lightly to the idea of him staying with her either. She finally resolved that she would have to give the boy some money and send him down the road to the Inn, which would suffice.

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"Well…what do you think?" Nathan asked as he came up behind Will who was surveying the land in front of them.

"I think if we head that way, across there, it would cut our time in half – straying away from the coastline." He said, shielding his eyes from the sun.

Nate stood up a bit straighter, feeling the tired muscles in his back finally loosen a bit. From where to two men stood atop this hill they could see much of the land below them, and the faint line of the coast they had been following for quite some time. "I think you might be right." He agreed. "It looks to me as if there, just on the other side of that forest we'll find Pritchard's Road."

Both men smiled at the mention of the dirt road that led to their home. It was the same road they walked down every morning on their way to work, the same road their wives would take as they made their trips to the market. Yes, if they were correct, they might be back in their homes and back to their families within the day.

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Lucy opened the double doors that led to the Turner bedroom very quietly. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room she took hesitant steps inside, regarding Elizabeth out of the corner of her eye. She made her way to the opposite side of the room, towards the fireplace, seeing that the flames had all but burnt out, creating an adequate pile of ash in its place. The young woman placed two more fresh logs in the grate and began to restart the flames.

Elizabeth stirred and rose up to see who had come in. "Lucy?"

Her friend stood; slightly startled that Elizabeth had spoken to her. "Yes. It's me."

Liz nodded faintly and began to settle herself back down on the cold pillows. Before she did so, Lucy caught a glimpse at her friends face. Her cheeks were wet she could tell, and her features – though from the shadows or not, looked tired. But that was Elizabeth for you, even in this state of devastation, of heartache and tearful hours, she managed some sort of surreal beauty that never seemed to leave her. After a moment of silence between them, Lucy had stoked the fire accordingly and laid the poker back in its place, when Elizabeth spoke again. "Where is Katie?" She asked gently

"With Tristan at my house, I told them to occupy themselves for a time while… well…while…"

Liz knew what she was trying to say, and felt very grateful to have a friend like Lucy; to put others needs before hers, to be so kind. "Yes…thank you."

The red-head nodded and started out of the room. Before she closed the doors she stuck her head back in. "Do you need anything?"

What an ironic question, thought Elizabeth. Right now I can only think of one thing – one person I would forever be needing. "No, nothing at all."

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Tristan stood on top of the chair, reaching as far as he could to grab his choice from the book shelf. Katie stood below him, holding on to one of her favorite dolls. The poor little thing had one stitched up arm that was coming undone, only one eye, and a light blue dress that had become a light blue and brown dress over time. The little girl held on to its good arm, letting the cloth doll dangle at her side as she watched her friend come down from the wobbly wooden chair slowly, a book in hand.

"What's that?" She asked, as she saw the smile on the boys face.

"My favorite story." He replied, as he went over to the corner, his normal reading place.

"What kind of story?" She asked, with her ever present curiosity.

Tristan sighed exasperatedly. " Its called Gulliver's Travels...when I was little, my mother would read parts of it to me before bedtime…But it was in French" Tristan was quiet for a moment, almost wishing he was holding the French publication in his hand, wondering to himself if he could remember much of his native language.

Katie nodded. "My Papa and I make up stories. Most of the time they're about pirates! I told him I wanted to be a pirate one day, just like Uncle Jack!" Then her face turned downward slightly. "But he said that I was going to grow up a nice young lady…"

"Good." Tristan said definitively. "That's no life – being a pirate."

Katie shrugged. "Uncle Jack is a pirate and he's always happy!"

Tristan laughed. He had seen this 'Uncle Jack' and he had also seen the drunkards that fall over themselves leaving the tavern, there wasn't much difference. "Well." He said, taking the book in his hand and holding it up. "I think this is better than any of those pirate stories! … It's got Giants, and huge animals that are far bigger than any man! Oh, and the little tiny people that tie Gulliver up, they're my favorite, so funny to imagine!" Then he stopped for a moment and smiled at the little girl sitting next to him. "And…there are some pirates…"

She beamed back up at him, then pleaded with him to read a little of his wonderful sounding story. "Please Tristan? We've been outside all day. Read just a little?"

Tristan had been told by his teacher that he was a good student and a fine reader…but Gulliver's Travels? It was a fanciful book to be sure, but certainly above his level. He was only nine! "Erm…well…maybe some other time I-"

"Tristan!" She interrupted as she jumped to her feet.

He did the same, laying the book on the floor where they previously sat. "What? What is it?"

"Look!" Katie said as she ran towards the window. She peered over the windowsill with wide excited eyes at the light from the streetlamps on the side of the road in front of the home, illuminated what she saw where two familiar figures.

Tristan came up behind her to share her view. "What Katie? It's just…." But he couldn't dispute it; it looked as if the men where – yes- they might be…

"Papa!" She shouted, dropping the doll that she held in her hand. Katie turned and ran out of the study, down the hall and burst through the Harrington's front door. Her little feet carried her as fast as she could go, she fumbled with the latch to the gate, standing on her toes to reach it, then finally making her way to the rode – all the while yelling her father's name.

Will turned sharply at the sound of his little girl's voice. He saw her just in time to catch her in his arms as she leaped towards him.

"Katie! Oh my baby girl. I've missed you so much – so much!" he said as he held her close and brushed his large fingers through her soft light blonde curls.

"Papa I missed you too! I waited and waited for you to come back!" she said, at the point of being overjoyed.

Just then Tristan came through the gate apprehensively. He hadn't recognized his father as soon as Katie had. Nathan had grown a beard, his hair was longer, his face was dirty and his clothes, they would hardly be considered adequate in the definition. "Father?"

Nathan saw Tristan standing there, a quizzical expression on his young face. "Tristan, you're alright!"

"Father!" He said, now convinced it was the man who had taken him in those five years ago, and a wide smile broke across his face. He ran into his arms and the two embraced hugging each other so tightly, making up for the time he had been away.

Will, still holding his daughter in his arms, knelt down to be eye to eye, and looked in her little cherub face. "Were you and your mother alright while I was away?"

Katie shook her head. "She was sad a lot."

Will chuckled at the little girl's simplicity of the situation. "Yes, well I was sad a lot too. I didn't like being a way from you two."

"And today Thomas came! Then Mama went upstairs and Aunt Lucy wouldn't let me go see her. That's when Tristan and I went to his house."

Will's brow furrowed. "Thomas came? ….and your mother was upset by him?"

She nodded. "But not anymore Papa, you're home now!" She beamed.

Will stood and turned towards Nathan and Tristan next to him. "Is your mother at my house as well?"

Tristan nodded. "Yes, looking after her."

"What for?" Will asked in a rush. "Is it the baby?"

Tristan shook his head unknowingly. "I'm not sure, sir. I didn't ask."

Will took Katie by the hand and led them all towards his home next door. He opened the door and saw that not many of the candles were lit. Then Lucy appeared in the kitchen doorway, a confused look on her face from the unexpected noises of someone coming in. As soon as she saw Will her hand flew to her mouth. "My God…You're alive!"

Will went towards her. "Of course I'm alive Lucy." He said with a befuddled smile. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"Thomas…Thomas said that you were dead. He saw you die." She said, her voice still quiet in disbelief. Then another figure caught her eye behind Will. It was Nathan!

"Nate!" she cried, as she went passed Will and into her husband's arms. Nate kissed hugged her close and kissed her cheek over and over.

Will shook his head, trying to make sense of what he was being told. "Lucy" He said turning around towards the couple. "Is she upstairs?"

Lucy faced him, still in her husband's eager arms. "Yes. Go to her Will."

That was all he needed to know. In swift movements Will went pass the couple in the foyer and began his way up the stairs before he was stopped halfway by his daughter tugging on his trousers. "Papa, Let me go with you?"

He smiled and nodded, extending his hand for her to take. "Of course, Cricket."

When the two of them reached the bedroom door, Katie peered up at her father and put her finger to her pursed lips. "Shhh…" she said with a coy grin on her face. "Let's surprise her."

Will couldn't help but go along with his adorable daughter's little antics. As the door opened, Elizabeth stirred again under her blanket. "Mama?" she quarried.

"Hmm?"

"Mama I have a surprise for you." She said, stepping closer towards the bed with her father holding her hand close behind her.

"Katie… please, I just want to –"

"He's home!"

"Katherine do not say such things!" Her mother said, this time her voice cracking as it faded.

It took all the power Will had not to take her in his arms right then and there but he waited a moment and stepped even closer.

"But it's true! Papa's home!" Katie's smile was evident even in the dim light of the room. She hopped up on the bed, towards the end and perched herself up to see her mother's reaction.

Elizabeth sat up and turned to face her daughter, ready to chastise her for such mean behavior, taunting her own mother with a false hope. "Katie, I said –"Then she stopped. She stopped mid sentence, she stopped breathing, she stopped moving, and the world had stopped rotating. She saw her husband standing in front of her, his silhouette perfectly outlined with the doorway just behind him, and his face illuminated by the firelight next to him. She quickly stood (quickly being a relative term for she moved as fast as her pregnant form would let her) but all the while not letting her eyes leave his. She stood in front of him, one hand on her middle the other moved out towards him, she touched his face, his warm dirty face and tears started to fall from her eyes. Will took her in his arms and let himself mold into her. Elizabeth's arms wrapped themselves around him, taking him in, feeling his heartbeat against hers, his fingers on her back, her hands in his hair, his breath on her neck and she sobbed uncontrollably.

"I'm back…I'm back…." He repeated over and over. "I love you, I love you so much."

All she could do was smile into his dirty shirt and let her tears dampen his shoulder. "I thought you were dead." She said through her cries.

"No." He said, stroking her hair, letting his hand wander down her back. "No, I'm here love. I'm not leaving you."

She slightly pulled away from him, just enough to see his face. "Will Turner…Don't…you ever….die on me again…" she said between her sobs.

Will's thumb wiped away one of the many tears falling on his wife's cheeks. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, relishing her presence. "Never."

Katie remained sitting on her parent's bed, swinging her feet back and forth. She clapped her hands and smiled up at them. "I told you he was back!"