Elizabeth tossed and turned in her bed, many images flashing through her dreams, most of them memories of that terrible night seventeen years ago.
"No! Thomas!" she screamed as she was shaken awake. Will was sitting next to her, one hand one her shoulder. She glanced around the room, to make sure she knew where she was, her breathing heavy. She looked to Will, a stricken look on her face. "I was dreaming that-"
"I know. You were talking in you sleep," Will cut her off, wrapping his arms around his wife. She leaned into him, biting her lips as she fought back tears. After so many years, the pain had far from gone.
"I'm just so worried about Marianna. If the same thing were to happen to her, I don't know what I'd do," Elizabeth whispered, her voice shaking.
"Nothing will happen to her. Jack swore he'd always take care of her the moment she was born."
"But what if something happens, something that is beyond his control?" Elizabeth asked.
Will sighed. He was just as worried as she was, and still blamed himself for what had happened to Thomas. "We will find her. The Commodore is tracking the Pearl as best he can. So just try to get some sleep. That way we'll be all the better for tomorrow."
"All right," Elizabeth said quietly as she lay down. "But I can't help worrying."
"I know," Will said as he lay down beside her. "I know."
Neither of them slept well that night, both laying awake, worrying about their only child, or sleeping fitfully, their dreams unpleasant reflections of the past. But the next morning, both were up on deck none the less. Elizabeth had insisted on dressing in a naval uniform, which seemed to slightly disturb the Commodore, though Will thought it to be a very sensible idea. She had then climbed the rigging and stood in the crow's nest, telescope in hand as she scanned the horizon. Will occupied himself by studying every map on board, looking for any possible hideout that Jack might be making his way to. He had demanded that he be told as soon as another ship was spotted, though so far, none had been seen.
Gillette strode up to Norrington, who was stood by the helm.
"Sir, might I ask you a question?" Gillette asked cautiously.
"Of course, Gillette," Norrington replied, turning to look as his first mate and friend.
"The Turners, Elizabeth and Will, they appear to be very worried. I know that any parent would be their child was stolen by pirates, but they seem especially uneasy, as though they know what will happen."
"They do, or at least they know what could happen," Norrington said, a little sadly.
"This has happened before, then? Mariana has been taken before now?" Gillette asked, trying to understand.
"No, not Mariana," Norrington returned gravely. "The Turners had another child, a boy, about five years older than Mariana. You were serving in England at the time he was born, so you never knew him. When the lad, Thomas, was five, and his sister was less than a year, the family went to visit an island, just for a few days peace and quiet so Elizabeth could get some rest. They were sailing on one of the fleet's ships, but they were about half a day into their journey when pirates attacked the ship. They took over the ship, commandeering it for all its valuable cargo. It turned out that they were also short of crew members, so they singled out all of the younger, healthier men in the crew to take as their own. Unfortunately, and I dare say the pirates didn't mean to, Thomas somehow got shepherded on with the others, and they were long gone before it became crystal clear that Thomas was not among those left behind.
"They didn't give Mariana a second glance, in part because she was a girl, and partly because she was still only a babe. Elizabeth was the only woman on board, but Will defended her so fiercely that the pirates couldn't take them either.
"Because they had no use for the rest of the crew, they were marooned on the nearest isle, the Turners included. Elizabeth and Will were both distraught, understandably. The crew quickly lit a signal fire, and thankfully, the Black Pearl was in the area, and came to pick them up. Will and Elizabeth wanted to give chase immediately, but someone talked them out of it, saying it would be better if they took Mariana home first, which they eventually agreed to. They sailed back to Port Royale. Will told me as soon as he arrived what had happened, and I immediately dispatched three ships to track down the pirates, mine included.
"Jack ended up staying with the Turners for a time, just helping them to cope, though why they saw him as help, I'll never know. After three months of scouring the Caribbean, we had to return home, having not found a single trace of the pirates or the boy. By this time, I believe the Turners held out very little hope for the boy, and Elizabeth spent every waking moment with Mariana, as though compensating for the time she could no longer spend with her son.
"They asked Jack not to come and visit any more; he often had dropped in to see them and the children before all this happened, much to my dismay. He agreed, understanding why they asked this; to protect Mariana, and nothing was heard of him again. Mariana grew up closely protected by her parents, though Will taught her the sword so she could defend herself. Everything was as normal Jack until came back."
Gillette nodded, taking the whole story in as Norrington told it. He had never known any of this before, and it answered his question fully. He felt that he could say nothing, so he nodded, spun on his heel and walked away, leaving the Commodore to his contemplations.