Miss Anya: "Thanks very much" for the review! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Six

Almost a year passed by. The names Captain Jack Sparrow and The Black Pearl were becoming even more common in the Caribbean, but for different reasons than they had over the last ten years. Jack was becoming one of the most feared pirates, but he was doing it his way. The Black Pearl had taken 18 ships in 10 months, making its crew one of the busiest and richest pirate crews that year. They had already split over £250,000 of treasure. The men were willing to work hard and in return, Jack allowed them to play hard, stopping in Tortuga at least once every month.

Word of their success spread quickly and as a result, many ships surrendered to them after little or no violent action. Several captains had been foolish enough to resist, but Jack had not had to massacre another entire crew again like he had on The Divine Destiny. He and Anamaria had both agreed that they wanted to gain their reputation through success rather than violence and so far it was working for them.

Jack had never had a crew he felt as comfortable with as he did this one. He was incredibly happy with Anamaria as his first mate. He trusted her with his life and more importantly, his ship: two things he hadn't trusted anyone else with in more than ten years. Although Mr. Gibbs had disagreed with their relationship at first, he now accepted it. Most of the crew were aware of the companionship they shared, but they had done a good job of keeping their private life private, having learned their lesson after that first night in Tortuga. Anamaria stayed in Jack's cabin once or twice a week now, but the two went their separate ways when they stopped at a port city. It helped keep them separate in the crew's mind, as well as easing both of their minds from the fear of commitment.

Jack was lying in bed beside Anamaria three nights after the end of their most recent stop when he began to think about visiting Will in Port Royal. Knowing it was a dangerous idea, he mentioned it to her and she agreed to help him devise a plan over the next few days.

Several nights later, The Black Pearl saw Port Royal come into view. It was a cloudy evening and a low fog hung over the harbor, providing them with enough cover that Anamaria was able to sail in much closer than had originally been planned. Jack was on his knees, preparing the ropes to the rowboat he would be taking the rest of the way in to shore.

She approached him from behind, "I'll be back in two nights."

Jack let go of the ropes and rose to face her, "Thank you."

"Be here on time, in the right place," she said. "I'm not waiting long for you, just in case Norrington's on the lookout."

Jack nodded, "Take care of 'er."

Anamaria rolled her eyes and then put her hand on his shoulder, "Jack, you wouldn't be leaving me in charge if you didn't already know that I will take care of her."

Jack smiled and then lowered his eyes to the ground, nodding slowly. He then went back to the rowboat and minutes later it dropped into the salty expanse below.

Half an hour later, he drug the boat ashore just outside the city and turned to look back at the ocean. The Black Pearl was out of his sight and for a fleeting moment, his stomach felt uneasy, knowing that he had left her in the hands of someone else. What if something happened in those two days he was away from her? He attempted to calm his nerves. He knew Anamaria would take good care of her. She was right, he would never have allowed her to be alone on his ship if he didn't trust her completely. He had never, in all of his life, simply given his ship over to someone else to control. And if he really thought about it hard, he probably would regret doing so now.

But he had no time to think that loss of control over now, he had to get moving. Norrington and his men would love nothing more than to catch and hang him. He and Anamaria had heard stories during several of their stops that the commodore was looking for The Pearl. However, the two of them had assumed that he must not have been actively pursuing them because it wouldn't have been hard to find them by now.

Jack nervously glanced around and then darted into the trees. He and Anamaria had agreed that early morning would be the best time for him to get into the city. While he would be one of the only people on the streets, he would also be able to move quickly and easily through the town.

Since Jack had no idea where Will lived, he decided to begin his search at the blacksmith shop where Will used to work. He was happily surprised when he arrived and looked up at the sign. It now read Turner's Smithy. Jack smiled and then snatched at the lock on the door. It twisted loose easily in his hand. When would young Will learn to keep things locked up more tightly? Didn't he know that any ruffian could get into his shop that way? Oh well, some people would never learn. After checking to make sure no one was watching, he let himself in.

Inside, the shop was in the same condition as it had been the last time he had visited…if that could have been called a visit. Jack looked around briefly and then decided to catch a quiet nap in a fairly inconspicuous area. He assumed that Will would be the first to get there in the morning, but one could never be sure and there would be no point in risking being found by someone else. He fell asleep quickly, his hat pulled down to cover his face, and his hand resting on his cutlass, ready to draw if something or someone should startle him.

When Will arrived at the smithy the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the broken lock. Drawing his sword in case the intruder was still inside, Will gently pushed open the doors. At first, he saw nothing out of place and no signs that anyone had even been inside. How odd, he thought, that someone would bother to break in and then not take anything or even disturb his belongings.

Then he saw the boots.

Two brown cuffed ones, sticking out from behind the low sitting wall in the very back of the smithy. He quietly crossed the floor, bringing up his sword as he stopped to look down on the intruder. The man caught Will by surprise, bringing his blade up in defense as he jumped to his feet. The hat toppled from his head and as their swords crossed that first time, Will was met with two familiar dark eyes.

He immediately broke into a smile, "Jack!"

Jack lowered his sword, "Not a very good defensive move there, dear William."

The golden grin flashed and Will resisted the strong urge to hug the pirate. However, he refrained, knowing Jack would be disgusted. Instead Jack offered his hand and Will shook it eagerly.

"I…I can't believe you're here! What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stay away too long mate," Jack replied. "No one to make those eunuch jokes about."
Will smiled broadly.

"Plus I was thinking about you. I kind of missed those little adventures you used to get me into involving women…and I missed Elizabeth. That sharp tongue and terribly prissy attitude, you just don't find that out of sea."

Will laughed out loud, but Jack only smiled that odd peculiar smile as though he had meant his words to be taken seriously rather than as a joke.

"I'll close shop for the day. You can come see where Elizabeth and I are living now." Will's excitement came through in his voice. "We've been married for almost a full year and she's just found out she's pregnant! Can you imagine it, Jack?!"

He could, in fact. More little Wills running around was just what this world needed, he thought sarcastically.

"She'll be anxious to see you again, of course. She was talking about you just the other day," Will continued to ramble on as pictures of young Wills and Elizabeths moved endlessly through Jack's mind.

Will had crossed the smithy now and was holding a cutlass.

"Jack…are you listening?"

Jack shook his head to dislodge the visions and joined Will.

"I had hoped I would see you again someday and I made this for you to give to you when I did," Will extended the weapon to Jack.

It was beautiful, extremely sharp, and obviously crafted just for him. Jack liked the way it felt in his hand.

"I would have made it more decorative, but I knew that you would rather have something functional."

"It's wonderful Will," Jack commented. "I'm impressed." He spent a long time looking it over and Will was full of pride seeing him study it that way.

There were intricate designs carved into the handle of tall ships and birds that Jack recognized as sparrows. He was amazed that his friend had taken the liberty to make him something so special. It must have taken him hours of extra work at the smithy. And he had done it all for Jack.

"You like it?" Will asked.

"Like it?" Jack asked, testing the way the cutlass felt in his hand. "It's magnificent, I love it."

He put out his hand to shake the boy's, but when Will touched it Jack pulled him in closer and put his arm around him to pat his back.

"Thank you," Jack said sincerely. "I will treasure it always."

Will was amazed to see the pirate so touched, but the moment did not last.

"So, you're taking me to your home for the day?" he asked.

Will smiled, "Yes Jack. Come on."

They left the smithy together and Jack watched as Will placed a new lock on the door. As Will turned to go, Jack pulled at it slightly, "You do know this isn't a good way to keep things locked up right?"

Will swatted at Jack's hand, "It is when you're not around."

He began walking down the cobblestone and Jack had to hurry to keep up. It wasn't long before they arrived at the small home that belonged to he and Elizabeth. Twisting the knob and slowly entering, Will was greeted by his wife.

"Will, what are you doing home already?"

"I had a visitor. Thought I'd close the shop for the day and bring them home," he explained.

Jack was still waiting quietly outside.

"Well it better be someone bloody important, that's a whole day you could be selling to the townspeople. You know we don't have the money for taking days off."

Will was about to respond when Jack, sensing the discomfort of the situation, pushed his way into the house.

"Jack?!" Elizabeth was shocked.

"'ello luv," he greeted her.

She surprised him by crossing the room to envelop him in a warm hug. He felt more than a little odd in the position and awkwardly patted her briefly on the back.

"It's so good to see you," she said, pulling away and grabbing his arms. "Will and I were just talking about you a few days ago. Come have a seat." She gestured to a small table that sat in the middle of the room.

Jack and Will followed her to have a seat.

"What are you doing here? How long will you be staying? You will be staying with us, won't you?"

Will interrupted her, "Why don't you give him a chance to explain all that himself dear?"

"Sorry," she blushed, glancing down at her hands and then looking back up.

"It's alright," Jack said. "I came to visit. Thought Will might be missing his role model."

Elizabeth giggled.

"I'll be 'ere until tomorrow night and of course I'll be staying with you."

Will might have been annoyed that the pirate had planned on staying with them without ever asking, but this was Jack. It was virtually impossible for Will to stay angry with him for any length of time no matter how hard he tried.

"Well, it's good to see that you finally found yourself a girl," Jack said, looking intently at the couple across from him.

Will smiled widely, turning to look at Elizabeth. She was smiling also and as their eyes met, Jack caught that unique sparkle that truly expressed the depth of their love. They were really happy together, happier than any couple Jack had ever seen, which now that he thought about it, might not say that much about them, but they were happy. Will reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as their fingers entwined. Her smile grew even warmer and Jack started to feel as if he were intruding on a private moment.

Noticing Jack shifting in his chair uncomfortably, Will turned his attention back to him, "We're very happy together."

"I can tell," Jack replied. "When was the wedding?"

"Over eight months ago," Elizabeth answered, unable to keep quiet. "And now we're going to have a baby."

Jack would not have thought it possible, but the couple's eyes grew even brighter. He gave a small smile, "That's what Will told me. Guess he's not a eunuch after all."

Elizabeth laughed, "No, he's definitely not a eunuch."

Will's cheeks burned a deep crimson and it was Jack's turn to laugh. "Well done, boy, well done," he said, clapping his hands together.

When the laughter settled, Jack commented, "You've done well Will, you're moving up. Got your own blacksmith shop, married the woman you love, and have a little one on the way. Your father would be proud."

Hearing that from Jack was almost as good as hearing it from his father and Will was touched.

"So how did you do it?" the pirate asked.

Will shrugged.

"You married the governor's daughter."

All of a sudden things grew quiet and the once smiling couple's expressions completely changed.
"What?!" Jack said.

There was still silence.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

Will squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "Go ahead, tell him," he encouraged her.

Jack waited impatiently, leaning over the table.

"My father's not the governor of Port Royal anymore," she started.