a/n: Hey all. I hope you everyone had a fun and safe New Year's!

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Please keep them coming, they mean a lot to me.

I probably won't be able to update this quickly again, since break is over small tear.

Enjoy!

Romen

Disclaimer: Unfamiliar; mine. Familiar; not mine.

Chapter 20

To Be Clean

"Ow."

Susan scoffed, dabbing gently at his eye. "Don't be such a baby. It's just a little water."

Tom frowned, leaning against the wall as he watched them both sitting on the bed. "That was a bad decision, Will."

Will was too humiliated to reply. He just wanted to crawl under a rock and never come back out.

"You shouldn't have done it," Tom continued. "It's not going to sound very good-"

"I know, all right?" Will pulled away from Susan angrily, even though he was speaking to Tom. "I didn't mean to, it just happened!"

"Oh, sure, it just happened." Susan rolled her eyes.

Will scowled. Something about that sounded familiar... "He was saying bad things about my father!"

Tom nodded. "Yes, but two wrongs don't make a right."

Now that sounded suspiciously familiar...

Will was about to say something when the door opened. He felt his heart stop. It was Elizabeth. Her face was stoic, and she wasn't looking at him. "Leave us," she addressed Tom and Susan tonelessly. They glanced at each other before silently retreating from the room.

'She must hate me,' Will thought to himself, adverting his eyes. He could hardly stand to look at her without feeling sick with himself. She had probably begged her father to send him away...

"Why did you do it, Will?" Her voice cracked and she burst into tears.

"Miss Swann, I am so sorry." His face flushed with shame. "I never meant to hurt-"

"Why did you do it?" she repeated, still sobbing. "You should have seen James's father! He was so upset...And- And James, you should have seen him..."

Will swallowed. What had he been thinking? He'd been so selfish, so inconsiderate...

"Now I'm going to have to deal with that," Elizabeth was saying, wiping tears from her cheeks with the palm of her hand. "Don't you understand? Will?" She sighed. He was lying on his stomach, his head hidden under a pillow. She sat down next to him, staring ahead. "Will?"

"I'm sorry." His voice was muffled.

She heaved another sigh. "I know."

"I didn't mean to do anything wrong." He paused. "The day was going so well..."

"James told me what happened. He took responsibility for it."

Will groaned.

"Will?" She gave his shoulder a shake. "Come on."

"I'm a horrible person."

She blinked. "Don't say that."

"I hit someone for the first time today."

She grimaced. "This was the first time you've ever punched anyone?"

"Yes."

"Well it better be the last time too! I never want to see you in another fight." She raised the pillow. "Sit up. I'm trying to talk to you, and I'm not going away."

He reluctantly pushed himself into a sitting position, meeting her gaze. "I'm so sorry, Miss Swann."

"I know. But what's done is done. I want you to apologize to James."

He nodded, saying nothing.

"And you must promise me that nothing like this will ever happen again."

"I promise, Miss Swann."

She touched his right cheek gently, drawing in a sharp breath as she took in his swollen, black eye. "It looks so sore."

He hesitated before shrugging. "It's not that bad."

She bit her lip. "Hopefully it will clear up soon. Ah!" She pulled at the collar of his shirt. "Your shirt is torn."

"What?" He frowned, looking at the tear. "Oh well..."

"Let me mend it for you."

"That's not necessary..."

"No, really." Her eyes glowed. "I insist."

Will looked down at his hands. "All right..."

She stood. "I should be going. I have lessons to do with my tutor. I'll come get it from you this evening."

She had not been gone ten seconds when Tom and Susan poured through the door, looking at him expectantly.

"Well?" Tom asked at last, when Will had not said anything. "Was she mad?"

Will slumped over. "No, not really." 'I don't think so, anyway.'

Susan cocked one brow higher than the other. "What do you mean, not really?"

He hesitated. "She cried..."

Tom's eyes widened. "She cried?"

Susan shook her head. "You made Miss Swann cry!"

"Don't remind me." He ran one hand over his face. "I don't think she was too upset...She offered to mend my shirt..."

Tom grinned. "How thoughtful of her."

"Brave is more like it." Susan made a face. "When was the last time you washed it?"

Will flushed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She ignored him. "More importantly, when was the last time you washed?"

He blinked. "Are you trying to say I stink?"

"Theoretically- yes."

"I don't stink!" he protested, standing. "I'll have you know that cleanliness is important to me!"

"Really?" She tilted her head to the side. "When was the last time you washed that shirt?"

"A- a few days ago."

"Be more specific."

"That's none of your business!" he spluttered. "I don't have to tell you when or why I do my laundry!"

"Fine, fine, just asking." She glanced at Tom. "We'd better get back to work."

He slammed the door closed behind them with a small huff. The notion that he, Will Turner, smelt, was ridiculous! Wasn't it?

'Maybe I do,' he thought to himself suddenly. He looked down at his shirt.

It appeared to be clean. At least...it was still a faded white (well, it did have dirt on it from the fight, but there weren't food stains or anything).

Still...

"It has to be clean!" he stated to himself with very little finality and much doubt. "I've only worn it five times since I washed it last."

He began to unbutton, trying to convince himself that he was sure that his shirt was clean enough, yet at the same time unsure. He held it in his hands a moment before glancing about - even though the room was empty - and holding it close to his face. He took a sniff.

'It's not that bad,' he mused to himself. 'It's fine...I mean, it's not that bad...'

But could he let Elizabeth handle it in this condition?

'I have to wash this,' he thought in despair. Another thought suddenly struck him. If his shirt didn't smell- pleasant, what did he smell like?

He remembered telling Susan that he didn't stink. But was it true? Certainly someone else would have told him. After all, it hadn't been that long since he had bathed...had it?

"Blast!" He furiously pulled on another shirt (not wanting to ruin the other one any further) before tucking the other under his arm. He then thought better of it and clutched in his left hand as he pounded down the stairs.

He came upon Tom where he had found him earlier that day, digging for the bushes. "Tom."

"Yes?" He ran a hand across his forehead.

"Um...D- Do- you know how often people bathe around here?"

He frowned. "Why do you want to know?"

Will tried to shrug as if he could care less. "I don't know. How much does your mother make you bathe?"

Tom shrugged. "I wash off every day otherwise I'd have dirt 'all over the table'." He grinned sheepishly. "Other than that, we all bathe about once a week. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." He bit his lip. "No reason at all..."

"What's the matter?"

Will started. "Nothing is the matter."

"Are you afraid you stink or something?"

"Of course not!"

"Listen." Tom threw down his shovel. "You don't stink, but...," he paused, searching for the right words, "...a bath probably wouldn't hurt you."

Will's ears felt hot. "I don't have enough time to get the water, and-"

"Then go swimming."

He stopped. "What?"

"Go swimming." Tom waved toward the left. "There's a spring out there somewhere. I'll go with you; I could use a swim myself. You can swim, right?"

"Of course," he said again. "But what about the shirt?"

"Oh, it smells too? I'm just joking," he added hastily at the expression on Will's face. "Give it to Susan. She'll wash it for you."

"All right..." Still, Will was reluctant. Before long he was going to owe her his life.

Susan, after a lot of complaining on her part and a lot of bargaining on Will's, agreed to wash the shirt first, and make sure it dried. Tom finished his work and led Will to the spring, which was nearly out of sight from the manor.

The water was still and clear. The sky reflected perfectly off of the surface, white clouds and all. For a moment Will forgot all about James, the fight, and how he smelled. The only thing that was there was this spring. He watched his own face wobble back up at him.

The image was distorted as Tom leapt into the water, already having torn his shirt off. He dove under, swimming down to touch the bottom before breaking through to the air. "Come on! The water is great."

Will followed suit, the icy cold water feeling good after being in the burning sun. He hadn't swam in so long that it felt good to do it again. The water stung his eyes, but he still kept them open (well, his right eye was partially closed and open either way, due to the fact that it was swelling quickly). Tom attempted to dunk him several times and succeeded for the most part. They eventually lost track of time.

Amidst their laughter and splashes, they somehow managed to hear a, "So that's where you are."

Will froze. Susan and Elizabeth stood at the banks, looking amused. He wiped a hand across his face, sniffing. "M-Miss Swann."

"And me!" Susan quipped, untying your apron as they swam over to the banks. She threw it to the side, along with her bonnet, before beginning to work her way out her dress.

"What are you doing?" Tom blinked.

"Going swimming! What does it look like I'm doing?" Fortunately she left her under dress on (you never knew what Susan was capable of). She dipped one toe in daintily. "What's the water like?"

"Cold," Will admitted, "but it feels good."

"Very well." She slid down into it, going rigid. "I-It's freezing!" she stuttered in shock.

"It can't be that bad if they're used to it," Elizabeth interjected, beginning to follow suit.

Now it was Will's turn to be shocked. He almost went under. "Miss Swann, are you swimming?"

"I suppose," she answered vaguely, crouching down to stare into the depths.

"But won't you be in trouble?" Will insisted. "Put your dress back on, before someone sees!"

"Oh, Will, lighten up and have a little fun!" she said airily, diving smoothly into the water and resurfacing. "It is freezing!"

Will watched her warily. "Miss Swann, you shouldn't be doing this."

"And why not?"

"Because- because..." He paused, thinking of a good excuse. "Because the water is too cold! Your heart might stop."

She rolled her eyes, treading water. "I think I'll be fine, Will. Really."

"No, really. You might get hypothernia."

Susan frowned. "Isn't it hypothermia?"

"Whatever. Anyway-"

"Tag; you're it!" Elizabeth swam away, leaving him stunned. He followed in frustration.

"Miss Swann, really, you shouldn't be-"

She laughed. "Will, I'm fine. Really! Enjoy yourself."

"You could do with some relaxation," Tom pointed out.

Will was perplexed. "Relaxation? What do you mean?"

"Well..." Elizabeth watched him hesitantly. "It's just that you're...well, you're..."

"You're slightly uptight," Tom finished for her.

"Which means you never have any fun," Susan couldn't help but clarify.

"I have fun," Will protested.

"That wasn't we were saying," Elizabeth objected quickly.

Tom nodded. Well, at least as much as you can when you're in water. "Exactly. But it wouldn't help you to loosen up a bit."

Will looked at each of them in turn. "I'm not uptight," he said at last, a defensive tone in his voice. "I'm just busy."

Elizabeth looked as if she was about to say something, but was interrupted. "Lizzy? What are you doing?"

Will groaned, going under water and watching her scramble over the banks. He was going to try and avoid James like the plague, no matter what the cost.

When his lungs felt like they were going to burst, he finally came up for breath. He could see Elizabeth and James hurrying back toward the manor. "Do you think she'll be in trouble?"

Tom shook his head. "Her father doesn't seem that strict."

"Not at all." Susan grinned. "By the way, your shirt is done."

TBC...