Over the next few days, Alanna and Will's affections blossomed and grew, and everyone seemed to know it. It wasn't long before the crew began to notice a significant change in their captain. He was smiling a lot more now, for which they were greatly relieved. Since he lost Elizabeth, he wasn't quite the same, spending nearly all his time in his cabin or high in the crow's nest, unwilling to socialize. Now he was back in the sun, with a lightness of spirit that they hadn't seen in some time. For that they owed to Alanna, who was quickly becoming a subject of conversation.
"He lost for her," they said to one another. "And she doesn't even take notice."
Truly, Alanna was oblivious to something, but not the feelings Will had for her. Of that she was significantly aware. She barely noticed the crew's talk, but kept her full attention on her countless experiences aboard the Dutchman, and the mysterious feelings she felt toward its captain.
Eventually the days blended into weeks, falling into a routine. Alanna would awaken a little after dawn, only to find Will in the same position as the previous days; asleep on the window seat. She would then move to the edge of the bed, watching him until his beautiful eyes opened to gaze once again into hers. Then the day would officially begin, with the tasks coinciding with a life aboard a ship. Will and Alanna would be under the crew's watchful eye until sunset, when they would make their climb to the crow's nest. It was there that they got to know each other on a deeper level, talking about things such as dreams and values. Upon nightfall, they would rejoin the crew. Having gotten used to the late parties, Alanna would stay up with them, occasionally joining in with the singing and dancing. A little after midnight, however, she would retire, with Will close behind. As they doused the lights, they bid each other goodnight before taking their positions on either side of the room.
There were times, however, when the routine would be broken. Though happy with Alanna, the ghosts of Will's past still haunted him, especially at night. He would lie awake hours after he and Alanna had said goodnight. Her slow, even breathes were soothing, but not enough to quiet his restless thoughts. When sleep did come, it was filled with horrible half-dreams, distorting memories into living nightmares. As such, he would wake at dawn, pacing the main room of his cabin in agitation. Alanna noticed his absence, but shrugged it off, taking it for a captain's dedication to his work. Although fighting with his past, Will was determined to keep a brave face for Alanna and his crew. He instead focused on the love that was undeniably growing within him, leaving his demons where they belonged-in the shadows.
It was on one such day that he walked in upon an interesting sight. It was around noon, and Alanna still hadn't emerged. Curious and slightly concerned, he rounded the corner, only to shake his head. Alanna was sitting on the bed, with a silver brush in her hand. Humming an aimless tune, she combed her hair out, her face illuminated in the light coming from the window. He chuckled softly.
"You know it's just going to get tangled again," he laughed.
She stopped abruptly and turned, startled. His smile widened.
"I know," she said, sighing. " I guess some things never change."
She continued brushing as if to prove her point. He chuckled again." Here," he whispered, now beside the bed. "Let me."
Pretending to be steamed, she handed him the brush, though she couldn't keep up the charade up for very long. A smile drifted across her lips as she felt his hands take the hair within them, claiming it for his own. Though he had never done this before, his strokes were gentle, yet firm enough to get the remaining tangles out. Finally pleased with his work, he set the brush down, bending forward to whisper in her ear.
"You look beautiful no matter what," he admitted.
Smiling, she hopped up, placing her hands around his torso. "Even in your clothes?" she asked playfully, cocking her head.
"Especially in mine," he chuckled. "In fact, you may look better than I do."
"That's a mighty thing to say, William," she said teasingly, beckoning him to follow her out of the cabin. "But I'm afraid you're biased."
Will laughed outright as he entered into the midday sun, only to be surprised by a group hovering around the bow. Alanna turned back to him, mirroring the same curious expression. He stopped a younger boy on his way to join in the excitement.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Dolphins, sir! About four of them I'm told. They've been following us all morning!" With that, the boy hurried toward the cluster. Will smiled at Alanna, who was positively beaming.
"This is something you've got to see," he said, and took her arm, almost running to catch a glimpse of the bubbly creatures. The swells of the ocean were high today, sprouting white foam as they broke. The dolphins sped ahead of the ship, their dorsal fins slicing through the water. To get a better view, some of the onlookers attached themselves onto the edge of the bow. Alanna and Will soon joined them, Alanna barely containing her exhilaration. What a great time to not have your digital camera she thought disgustedly. As it was, she embraced the moment fully, taking in every insignificant detail. The conversation bubbled for a decent amount of time, but as the crew began to lose interest, they turned back to their work, leaving Alanna and Will alone to have a moment. Living in the desert, seeing this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing; having Will by her side made it that much more memorable. He pointed and made comments about what he knew about them as they darted above and below the water. When they jumped, Alanna nearly squealed.
Will smiled at her enthusiasm. "I see you've never seen this before," he assumed.
"Never in my life!" she gasped, near tears. "Some of my friends would kill to see this! I'll treasure this for the rest of my days!"
Will chuckled. "That's what a lot of young sailors say. Especially the ones who have grown up on land their whole lives."
Alanna digested his remark and continued to watch the dolphins in awed silence, wishing that this adventure would never end.
After the excitement died down, they settled down for a simple lunch of bread and fish, previously cooked of course. They sat on the stairs adjacent to the cabin, talking aimlessly about the previous events. Alanna watched the crew absently until a thought struck her.
"Tell me," she said, looking at him curiously. "Are you the only one who sails these ships or are there others?"
Will put down his fish and regarded her with a smile. "As much as I'd like to say the ocean is ours alone," he said. " Yes, there are others. Some are liberal and stay out of your way, while others use you as uh…. leverage if you will. Jack Sparrow is an example of both."
The mention of the swaggering, smooth-tongued pirate made Alanna nearly choke on her food.
"Who?" she coughed.
"Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, patting her on the back. He had seen people react this way when one mentioned the notorious scallywag, but Alanna had never heard of him, or so he thought. Alanna gave the best 'I don't know what you're talking about' look, and he seemed to buy it.
"Jack Sparrow," he began again. "I've known him ever since I got into piracy. He is-or was, I don't know which- the captain of the Black Pearl. There was a mutiny between him and his first mate, Barbossa, which ended with Jack on a desert island with a pistol containing one shot.
"I was told once of how he escaped, but there are so many stories I don't know which one to believe. The one I remember being told involved sea turtles. Outrageous, I know. Anyway, the only reason why that man isn't either in jail or dead is because I needed him to save-"
He stopped and cleared his throat roughly. For Alanna, the fact was already confirmed. He had been in love before, and not just with anyone. Elizabeth Swann did indeed exist, and what's more, a part of Will still belonged to her. She schooled her face carefully, keeping that information to herself. Will was too wrapped up in his own words to notice. Once again, Jack had been the trigger that unleashed all those bad memories. What's more, he came so close to saying her name in front of Alanna, the woman who had so recently stolen his heart. A piece of him still belonged to Elizabeth, and he regretted it. Alanna saw the look on his face and tried to rectify the situation.
"So if Sparrow is considered neutral," she started. "Are there any who are purely out to destroy you?"
Apparently, the sound of Alanna's voice was the thing that brought Will out of his ill humor.
"Yes, there are," he said after a sigh. "There is one in particular that would love nothing more than to see me dead."
Expecting to hear names like Cutler. Becket or Davy Jones, Alanna was surprised to hear what came next.
"His name is Erebus," Will continued, a slight grimace coming over his face. "He and I have been bitter rivals since I claimed the Dutchman. We both became pirates around the same time. After Jack disappeared, he took me under his wing. For the next couple years, we sailed the seas together, him with the Black Raven and I with the Dutchman. I guess you could say we were friends, until a year ago."
Alanna sat quietly, urging him to continue. This character was unfamiliar to her, and could therefore be a serious threat. She knew nothing about him, so it was useless to predict his intentions. She moved closer, not wanting to miss anything.
"What happened?" she coaxed.
Will drew another long breath. "Things were going well," he said darkly. "Until he started making decisions on his own. He decided he was going to go after a woman who had done him wrong in the past. His intention was to kill her."
Alanna gasped, but Will went on. "Naturally, that's when I drew the line. I told him I was going to re-supply in Tortuga and then rendezvous with him in the next few days. He bought it. But as soon as his ship was out of sight, I sailed as fast as I could to Port Royal. I immediately went to the authorities and told them of Erebus's plans. Let's just say they wasted no time. They got to the island in time and arrested him on the spot. I haven't heard of him since."
As he finished, Alanna noticed she had been trembling. She hugged her knees together to still them. She tried her best to keep her voice steady. "So where…where is he now?"
Will smiled bitterly. "Last I heard he was still in jail," he replied. "But he's probably made it to the gallows by now."
A moment of silence followed, allowing Alanna to gather her thoughts. For some reason, having Will tell her Erebus was safely in jail gave her more fear than comfort. Unaware of her private apprehension, Will stood and offered his hand. He grinned as she stood with him, grimacing as her stiff legs stretched.
"I think you still have a bit to learn, love," he observed. "Come with me and I'll give you a hand at the wheel."
As she followed Will up the small stair, she looked over her shoulder, half-expecting to find a series of black sails on the horizon.