The crew stood around the cabin door trying to hear what was happening. They could all hear the sounds of the captain trying to stay calm while Elizabeth yelled at Jack and damned Will.

"How long do these things take?" one of them asked, getting bored.

"Not much longer, I'm sure," Gibbs stated confidently despite not having a clue either.

The noise died down. The crew leaned against the door and pressed their ears to it. Nothing could be heard at first, and then the faint sound of a baby cried through the doors.

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Gibbs said as he smiled at no one in particular. "They're both safe. Now go on!" he ordered, shooing them to the bunks. Looking up at the starry sky, Gibbs just then noticed how late it was. He turned around and almost opened the door, but decided against it and drew back his hand, following the other men.

Inside the cabin, Elizabeth was sitting upright on the bed, holding her son in her arms. Jack was kneeling on the side of the bed, playing with the boy's small fingers.

"He's so small," Jack muttered in amazement.

"I know," Elizabeth said, whose doubts had of being a mother had vanished away at the sight of him. She looked down at the baby quietly.

"I thought that babies were supposed to be bald," Jack said, touching the boy's dirty-blonde hair. "Strange, huh? Well, he's got yer eyes and hair. Got his father's ears though, huh?" Jack said, looking from her to the baby.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, "he does."

"What's his name going to be?" Jack asked despite knowing what the answer would be.

With a slight hesitant voice, Elizabeth said, "William. William Turner."

"Ah, ol' Bootstrap Bill the Third! Welcome to the crew!" Jack exclaimed, shaking William's hand gently.

Elizabeth laughed. "Jack, I don't think that he's ready to be a pirate just yet."

"Well, who says you can't start 'em early?" Jack asked, giving Elizabeth a smirk. "Okay, fine, but as soon as he starts talking, we're teaching him the song. I swear on me mother's grave, his first sentence'll be, 'Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!" Elizabeth laughed at this, and then smiled at him.

"This isn't going to be easy, you know. Having a baby on board is not exactly what a pirate ship needs." Elizabeth looked at Jack. "Are you sure you want us to stay?" she asked directly.

Jack smiled knowingly. "Love, when I first rescued you, when we first met, there was no going back. You get into too much trouble I'm afraid, and when ye don't have me around, who's going to rescue you? Trust me, you'll be safer here. I wouldn't trust leaving you in Tortuga, and Port Royal isn't even an option anymore," he stated, looking out towards the darkened window.

"We could go to Shipwreck Cove," Elizabeth muttered quietly.

Jack looked over at her quickly.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked in search for an honest answer. When she looked down, he looked surprised. "Why?"

"Because…" Elizabeth said hesitantly. "Because I'm afraid…" she paused again.

"What are you afraid of?" Jack asked her.

"That he'll get hurt," she confessed. "Or worse." Elizabeth's fears could be read plainly on her face.

"Elizabeth," Jack said, touching her chin and moving her face up to look up at him. "I'll protect William with my life. I promise."

"Are you sure about this?" Elizabeth asked again. She desperately wanted to stay on the Pearl, but her fears of the baby being harmed and Jack finding them to be a nuisance gave her more second thoughts than she would like.

"Yes," Jack said reassuringly. William had started to suckle on Jack's finger.

"He really likes you," Elizabeth said. She sighed, content now that she knew where she would stay. "You're going to be playing a big role in his life. He's going to look up to you, Jack."

"I'm wondering if I'm ready for that just yet, darling," Jack replied.

"Don't worry," Elizabeth said sleepily. "I'm not sure if I am either," her voice became quieter as thoughts slipped from her mouth. "But we're in this together." With that, Elizabeth slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. William was still in her arms.

Jack looked at her soft face. She appeared so delicate, yet he knew she was much more than that. Elizabeth longed for freedom and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get what she wanted. Jack admired that about her. Even though it had led to his death, it had also led to him coming back. She knew more about him then any other person would ever know: the truth behind his supposedly heroic stories, how vulnerable he could become, and how he could be persuaded. How much she knew scared him at times. He had let her know too much and had even told her straight-out at times. Elizabeth was the only one he could ever trust with what she knew about him.

Jack knew her more than many others had as well. He knew of the things that she was capable of and the ways that he could persuade her. He of course couldn't persuade her as well as she could him, but he still knew her more than Will ever did. Jack couldn't ever feel the same about her since their kiss and his death. That was the moment where he felt too vulnerable and that he would do whatever she wished even if it meant death. She had done what he thought no one would ever be able to do: persuade him.

While he was in Davy Jones Locker, Jack had dreamt of picking her up and throwing her as far away from him as possible only to have her appear right next to him again.

"And then she took my bloody ship away from me," Jack thought to himself as he remembered that godforsaken place.

Yet Jack still wanted Elizabeth to be around. He couldn't seem to let her go. Allowing Elizabeth to leave him didn't seem possible anymore. Jack couldn't imagine it.

With great care, Jack slowly and carefully took the small bundle from Elizabeth's arms and walked over to his desk. Sitting down, he noticed that William was looking up at him intently.

"You know," he whispered in the baby's ear, "I almost wish that you were mine." William responded by gripping the beads on his goatee.

"Ah!" Jack said as he gently placed William's hands back under the cloth that bundled him up. "Okay, maybe I don't wish it all that much." William started playing with the beads again, his tiny fingers gripping around them. Jack smiled.

"Alright William Turner," Jack said to the baby. "I'm going to tell you a story." William gurgled and opened his mouth slightly, looking up at Jack. He continued. "There was once young beauty by the name of Elizabeth Swann. She had just been proposed to by Commodore Norrington. Now, young Miss Swann…" Jack narrated on about the stories that William would one day understand. He told him all about their heroic adventures and many others until both he and the baby were both asleep in the chair together.