/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Seven

The man stood tall at six foot, as far as I could tell. His torn clothes clung to his strong fame. It seemed as if all manner of sea animals were on him, making me cringe. Somehow I knew he was either Davy Jones himself or part of his crew. Instinctively I drew back against the prison wall.

Will stood up and rushed to the cell bars. I tried to grab his arm to keep him back, but he only brushed my hand away. Too terrified to move, I could only watch in horror.

"Father!" William exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

This was Will's father, this pitiful excuse for a man? How did William Turner Senior, the hero of Will's eyes, get into this state? How did he get conned into becoming a part of Davy Jones' crew?

"I could ask you the same question, Will," the man said, stopping in front of the prison cell.

"I've had a bit of trouble, that's all," Will answered, clutching the prison bars to keep him from falling over.

Controlling my fear, I forced myself to go over beside my love. I didn't want him to go through this alone. Bootstrap Bill turned to study me. I felt as if he could look right through me and know exactly what I was thinking. It was rather uncomfortable.

"Is this Elizabeth?" Bootstrap Bill asked.

Will turned to me and placed a gentle around me. I couldn't help but smile softly at him and put an arm around him as well. It felt as if we were back in our old ways again. I sure hoped it was, I couldn't take much more of Will's sour ways.

"Yes, this is Elizabeth, father," Will answered, pulling me close to him.

"She looks just like your mother, Will," Bootstrap said, his reminisce showing through his eyes. I could see that they were once a tight nit family before the life of pirates tore them all apart.

I looked to Will with somewhat of a surprise. I looked like his mother? Maybe that was why he fell in love with me in the first place. I should've have been offended by this thought, but I felt a warmth spread throughout me. I was glad that Will loved me, even if it was for the reminder of his mother.

Will smiled. "I know, father. But I don't just love her for that."

Bootstrap Bill nodded and smiled. Suddenly his eyes widened in fear and shock. Will and I looked at each other curiously, both wondering the same thing. What was wrong to make Bootstrap Bill become so fearful?

"Miss Elizabeth, I'm afraid that I have to ask you to take off your clothes," Bootstrap Bill said insistently.

I blushed slight. "What for? I haven't any other clothes here, I'm embarrassed to say."

"Well, if you want to be on this ship for eternity until Judgment Day, be my guest," Bootstrap exclaimed. "But seeing how you have arrangements with my son, I don't think you want that to happen. I believe my son would be broken hearted."

Will turned to me with fear in his eyes. "You better do as he says, Elizabeth. Wearing the clothes isn't worth eternity."

I nodded. Silently I stripped the clothes off and threw them onto the ground. I now wore nothing but my dirty shift that I had worn for over two years now since that fateful day when Captain Barbossa had kidnapped me from Port Royal.

Bootstrap Bill held out his hand. "Give me the clothes quick."

Picking them up by two fingers, I shoved the clothes through the prison bars. Grabbing hold of them he went over to the small port window and threw them out the window. Turning back to us, his face showed a grim smile on his face.

"Those clothes belonged to the captain of this ship when he was alive," Bootstrap Bill explained before Will or I opened our mouth to ask. "When Davy Jones overtook this ship, he took a liking to the captain and thought he would make a good addition to his own crew. When the captain refused, saying he would rather die than join Davy Jones below, obviously the man became angry. Jones then cursed the captain to a lifetime of hardship and then death. When he died, Jones cursed the ship saying whomever came onto this ship and reached the open sea would die. And whoever wore the clothes on the ship would have a lifetime of hardships. And if it were the captain's, they would spend eternity on the ship."

I listened to Bootstrap Bill in horror. Shivering slightly, I stood closer to Will. I was so close to losing my life and everything I had known. Suddenly, I was grateful for Will's father—if it hadn't been for him, who knows what would have happened to me.

"So now what do we do?" Will asked, leaning against the cell bars. He was hurting more than he was letting on, I noted.

"I'm going to get you two out of here, before it's too late. I don't want to see my only son and his fiancé die in torment of Davy Jones," Bootstrap Bill stated. Finding a wooden plank, he placed it under the handle of the cell and pushed hard on it, causing the door to fall away.

I followed Will out, helping him when he stumbled on the door. Turning to Bootstrap Bill, I studied the man curiously. Despite the enmities, marking him as one of Davy Jones, Bootstrap Bill looked remarkably like his son, only older. I would positively say that Will gained most of his genes from Bootstrap.

Catching me looking at him, Bootstrap gave an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, Elizabeth," he said. "You'll be off this ship in no time and safe as you can be."

The smile on my lips faded away. "It's not me that I'm worried about. It's Will and Jack and the rest of the crew. What if Will can't survive the boat ride back to Tia Dalma's? And what of Jack and the others? What of them?"

Bootstrap placed a weathered hand on mine and used his other hand to cover mine fully. "Do not worry about Jack Sparrow and the others. They are strong men and men of their trade at that. I'll allow no harm to come to them."

"Are you certain?" I asked hesitantly.

Bootstrap Bill smiled. "No worries Elizabeth. I'll do my best."

"And what of you, Mr. Turner?" I exclaimed. "Isn't there anyway I can ease or take away your torment with this evil man?"

Bootstrap Bill gave a sad smile. "I'm afraid there's no hope for me, dear one. Davy Jones is an impossible man to defeat and I have no hope of him showing any mercy to me just because I have family alive."

"But what if there was a way, a way to change all that so we can free you?" I protested, unwilling to give up. It was heartbreaking to see such an obvious good man spend eternity to one who had no conscience.

"If there is such a way, it will be guarded carefully and more than your soul's worth to try it," Bootstrap Bill exclaimed.

I nodded, trying hard not show the frustration that I had for not being able to change anything. Bootstrap Bill placed a hand on my elbow and gently pushed me foreword.

"We better be on our way, then, or my son will reach the boats before we do. And who knows what trouble he'll get himself into by the time we get there?" he said, laughing slightly.

I said nothing and I slowly went up the stairs with Bootstrap Bill following behind. The whole way up, I could only feel the bitterness of a heavy heart. How could all the right choices be so hard to follow through?

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Author's Note: Here's chapter seven for everybody. I hope you've enjoyed it. Thank you yet again to all the reviewers who've reviewed—you don't know how much I appreciate it. I'll update when I can. Hope everybody continues reading. Don't forget to review, it makes the writer happy!