Later that night Elizabeth and Will were talking.
"What are we going to do about Jessica?"
"I don't know." Elizabeth said.
Will sighed. "When Rebecca told us that we had to do this, I didn't know it would be this long or hard."
"Me neither but it is."
There was a moment of silence.
"It's going to be only 6 more days."
"Well it might not be."
"What! Why?"
"Marissa told me that there's a possibility that…" She stopped she looked around to make sure Jessica wasn't listening. "He is going to attack Port Royal."
"What are we going to do?"
"Marissa said that she and Norrington was going on the trip, with Aaron, and maybe they could bring Jessica, Josh and Linda with them. Then after they were all relaxed we would break the "news" to them."
"That could work. When do they leave?"
"2 days."
"When do they come back?"
"4 days after they leave."
"So it would be exactly the day of Jessica's 19th birthday."
"Yeah. So what do you think?"
"Jessica?" Will said knocked on her bedroom door.
"Go away!"
Elizabeth and Will walked into her room.
"What do you want?"
"Listen Jessica. You want to go on the sea right?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Well, we were talking and we've decided to let you. Aaron and his parents are going on a trip, and have invited you, Josh, and Linda, to go with them. And we think it's time to let you."
The next day all four of the kids packed and the next day left.
"Wow that was fun." Linda said, on the last night of the trip. They were leaving in the morning.
"Yeah I've never enjoyed myself more." Aaron said
"Yeah me neither in all my life." Jessica said.
"To think we have to get back on land tomorrow." Josh said.
"Josh, you're sitting on land." They were sitting on the island.
Josh gave her the look, and she returned it.
"I think I'll turn in for the night." Aaron said.
"Me too." Said Linda.
"I think I'll wait." Jessica said.
"Me too." Josh said.
The other two went to the boat.
"Looks like Port Royal is getting some visitors tonight." Josh said pointing to a boat pulling into the docks. The island wasn't to far away from Port Royal they could see the docks.
"Yeah let's turn in."
"Yeah."
The next morning they got close to Port Royal but they had to turn a corner. Jessica looked at the sky.
"Looks like rain." Aaron said.
"It's to thick to be rain clouds." Linda said.
"It's to high to be fog." Aaron said. "It looks like…"
"Smoke!" Jessica and Josh said.
"Mom! Dad!"
Marissa and Norrington came over.
"What?" Norrington said.
"Smoke!"
"You're right." Marissa said.
They turned the corner and saw Port Royal had been attacked.
"What happened here?" Norrington asked Gillette when they docked.
He answered every question with one word.
"Pirates."
"What's the numbers?"
"2 dead, 13 injured, and…" He thought for a minute. "6 missing."
Jessica ran to her house.
Aaron, Josh, and Linda followed.
When they caught up to her the saw she was already in the shop. They ran up to her. She lightly touched the doorframe.
The door had been smashed open.
She ran inside and yelled. "Mom? Dad? Anyone?"
No one answered.
"Maybe my parents will know what happened." Linda said.
"I can't believe my parents are gone too." She said after they searched her house.
"And mine too." Josh said coming back with Aaron from checking his house.
They all walked back to Jessica's house.
Jessica walked to the fireplace, and looked at the pictures on the mantel.
"Happy birthday to me."