Disclaimer: Not mine
Here's a new one shot. I hope you enjoy it. It's Pre-COTBP w/ young Will and Elizabeth.
Italics are Will's memories.
It would have been her 35th birthday today. Rain was pounding against his closed window and it seemed to fit the young blacksmith in training's mood.
Will Turner had been in Port Royal for almost five months now. Five months where he was all alone with no family and almost no friends. He could almost feel his mother's arms wrapped around him, warming his very soul. But that was only his light blanket.
"Turner, time for another lesson. Step to it," Mr. Brown's voice filtered through the closed door.
Will lived above the smithy with Mr. and Mrs. Brown and they took care of him like he was their own child. He owed them much, but today Will's heart just wasn't in it.
"Turner, get up!"
Will sighed loudly as he vacated his warm sheets and began to dress for the day.
The first two hours seemed to pass in a blur and when it was obvious the boy wasn't listening, Brown just let him go for the day. Will went back up to his bedroom and collapsed onto his tiny bed. With his hands behind his head, Will closed his eyes and thought back...
"Mama? Mama, where did you go?"
A small four year old boy with dark brown hair and tear-filled brown eyes was wandering around the market searching for her. He had walked off after becoming bored while his mother was busy trying to buy some food because Papa was going to come home that night. It had been forever since Papa been home so Mama wanted everything to be perfect. Now he was without his parent; frightened and alone.
"Mama?" he tried again.
Yet still he could not find her. He couldn't very well ask someone for help; Mama always said not to talk to strangers.
"Will? Will; where are you?" a frantic voice called somewhere in the midst of the people.
Little Will wiped away his tears and tried to follow the phantom voice. "Mama?"
"William?"
"Mama?"
"William?"
It seemed as though the crowd parted and standing before him was the woman whom he'd been searching for. She looked down at the same moment he looked up and she ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him kisses all over.
"Never, ever walk away from me again," she whispered.
"I promise," he said and even at four years old, vowed to himself to always keep it.
But she left, just like Father...
Eleven year old Will Turner was just sitting down, taking a break to eat something when there was a knock at the door. His mother was in no condition to answer so Will went to see who it was.
"Turner residence?" a man asked. He looked to be a sailor or at least someone Will remembered from the docks.
"Aye," Will said slowly.
The man shoved an envelope into Will's waiting hands and left without a trace. Will walked into his mother's room and she was sitting up in bed this time saying her prayers quietly to herself.
"What's that you've got there," she asked running her fingers through his hair.
"A man came and delivered this. He left rather quickly so I hope it isn't something bad."
"Well, why don't you open it and take a look."
Will smiled at his mother before opening the thing. Inside was some sort of golden medallion with a face carved into it. "It's sort of scary looking," Will said handing it off.
But that was missing now...
There was a knock at the bedroom door.
"Mrs. Brown, I'm not feeling too well right now, can you come by again later please," Will said before putting the pillow over his head.
"Oh, sorry about that Will. I hope later maybe we can talk or something," a young female voice said. That was most definitely not Mrs. Brown!
Will jumped up and opened the door just in time to see Elizabeth starting to walk back downstairs. "Elizabeth, no wait you can come back. I'm feeling better now."
"All of a sudden?" she asked with a smirk.
"Yeah," Will said nervously touching his hair. He moved aside and she walked in. "I'd invite you out for a walk but the weather isn't exactly accommodating today."
"It's fine Will and I'm sure that Mrs. Brown will come up and let us know we're talking for too long. The rain did stop hours ago though."
Elizabeth gazed around Will's room inwardly shocked as to how bare it was.
"Why don't you take a seat on my bed and I'll take the floor," Will volunteered as he sat down.
"Nonsense," Elizabeth said, sitting by his side.
The two of them were quiet for a few minutes, each thinking of what to say first.
"Why are you here Elizabeth?" Will asked.
"Well, I haven't seen you in almost forever and I thought, 'Well, why not pay old Will Turner a visit."
Will probably would've accepted that if he was didn't already know her. "But the weather was so bad. Why would you want to make the trip?"
Elizabeth blushed and Will knew then and there that she was lying.
"The truth please, Miss. Swann."
She sighed and, looking into his eyes, began to explain. "My Father was away for the afternoon when Mr. and Mrs. Brown stopped by. They were worried about you; you'd been acting rather lethargic lately and they wanted Father to talk to you about it. I volunteered instead and, well, here I am."
"Lethargic?" Will asked.
"That means, I think, that you haven't been very excited about your working as you usually are."
"Oh," Will said a little surprised. He got up and began to walk around the room.
"Is something the matter?" Elizabeth asked.
"No. Well, sort of..."
"Can I help?" Elizabeth asked, rising from her seat. Will was looking down at his shoes, not meeting her eye.
Elizabeth took his hand and gently rubbed the back. "Please, tell me..."
After several minutes, Will finally looked up and a single tear rolled down his cheek. "To-today would've been my Mum's birthday."
"Oh Will," Elizabeth finally said before giving him a hug.
"It's been almost five months since I lost her and, and now it's really sinking in. I have no parents, no connections, no one... Just an apprenticeship-"
"And you have me," Elizabeth said. Will stared at her and she smiled sadly. "Will, you've got me and my Father. Never think you're alone, not for one second."
"Elizabeth, as wonderful as that sounds, I'm still an orphan. I'm just lucky to have survived that shipwreck, to even be here. And I know that you're my friend; but for how long? How long before we're separated by something other than lots in life? Elizabeth, I'm fully ready to look towards my future no matter how bleak it is."
While sighing, Elizabeth gave him a slow nod. "But we'll always be friends right? When the goings get tough and all?"
"I don't think I can promise that," Will said, "but I'm sure we'll always have a place in each other's hearts."
Elizabeth laid a hand against his chest catching him off guard and she felt the gentle pulsing beneath his shirt. Suddenly she grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door and even out of the shop.
"Elizabeth, where...?"
"Come on. I've got an idea."
The two of them made one stop by the flower stand so Elizabeth could sweet talk the owner into giving her a few "for a special reason." She then took Will by the hand again and they walked to the beach. The sand was still a bit soggy and they stopped just before the shallows.
"What're we doing here Elizabeth?" Will asked, clearly confused.
Elizabeth handed him the flowers slowly and looked out at the sea. "It's something I like to do for my Mum. She passed away when I was only four and the year later, on her birthday, my Father took me to the docks to place flowers in the water in her memory. She used to love flowers..."
Will glanced down at the bouquet and out at the water.
"Happy Birthday Mum," he whispered. Will took off his shoes and walked to the shallows, gently placing the flowers down and the two watched as they slowly went out to sea.
Will and Elizabeth then turned to look at each other and Will gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you Elizabeth. I feel, I feel a little better now."
Elizabeth smiled back and squeezed his hand. The two looked to the sea once again to watch the flowers until they disappeared completely beyond the never-ending horizon.
I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading and please let me know what you thought of it.