"Emily?" A familiar voice rings out, and Emily freezes, turning slowly to come face to face with none other than Joshua Turner. She's not sure what she was expecting. Some excitement, maybe? If that was it, she is sorely disappointed. The look on his face is hard in a way that is almost disturbing for a not-quite-nine-year-old, and his arms are crossed. "You came?" He says, cautious, as if he can't quite believe it.

"Of course I did." Emily stutters. Had he truly expected otherwise?

"To take me with you."

"That is why you wrote to me, isn't it?"

He shakes his head. "I'm not going anywhere. Not with you."

Mrs. O'Malley comes to stand in the doorway to her kitchen and offers Emily a look that is somewhat apologetic, but says nothing.

"Joshy – I don't understand." Emily tries to keep calm. "Why send me a letter if you had no wish for me to come?"

He doesn't seem to know what to say, his face contorting in a mix of emotions. "Because. I wanted to see you."

Jo clears her throat and murmurs a few excuses before slipping back out the door. Mrs. O'Malley slips quietly back into her kitchen. Emily isn't sure whether she's thankful to be left relatively alone with her brother for this. "Walk with me?" She asks, because she is so nervous now, she feels she might explode staying in one place. "Down to the docks. I'll show you my ship."

He nods and follows her as curiosity wins out on his face for a moment. "Your ship."

The ghost of smile tugs Emily's lips upward. "My ship."

He doesn't say anything in return, seeming to mull this over, staring downwards as they walk. "How can you have a ship? I mean…how can it be yours?"

Coming from anyone else she would've been offended in some way. Coming from her brother, she knows it is just an innocent question. "That's…a bit of a long story actually. The person who had it before me was a woman too, would you believe that?"

"So it is true then." He murmurs, quiet enough she barely hears him. "What everyone says about you."

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me what everyone says, and I'll tell you if it's true?"

"Mother says you're just like papa."

"In some ways, perhaps."

"She said you were a pirate."

"Would you think that a bad thing?"

"Isn't it?" He looks up at her. "Pirates steal and do other bad things."

"True."

"Are you one?"

She isn't going to try lying to him, not that she is even sure of exactly what she'd say if she did. "Yes."

He nods, as if he'd expected that.

"Is that why you don't want to come with me? I would understand that. I only thought – we're all that's left, you and me." For now, hopefully, she adds only in her head. "You're the only family I've got. I didn't want you to think yourself alone."

"Family?" His brows furrow now, and he stops them just as they reach the docks, looking up at her with big green eyes. His mother's eyes. "I don't have a family with you. You left. Just like papa. Mum was right."

She doesn't allow the words to cut as deep as they should. He's just angry, she tells her self, and he didn't know there papa, so he can't truly know the force of those words. "Joshy – there was nothing left for me here. What would I have done with myself?"

"Mother said you could've married and – and she could've taught you to sew. You could've stayed, you could've! You just didn't want to." Emily cringes, both at the thought of being a prim and proper seamstress-housewife as Jade might've wanted, and at how absolutely right her brother is. Joshy goes on, little fists clenching. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"I'm here now." Emily replies quietly. "You can stay here with Mrs. O'Malley, if you wish. But you're mother asked me to look after you. And I, for one, would like to have the only family I have left by my side."

"Would you stay here?" He asks. "Could we be a family here?"

She finds herself flashing back to her last conversation with Alex, and her stomach twists. Why must everyone ask her for the one thing she's decided she won't do? Heaving a sigh – or, at least as much of a sigh as she can in the constrictive corset –, she reaches for her brother's hand. "Come. I want to show you my Queen."

He hesitates only a moment before wrapping his hand around hers. She leads him the rest of the way to her ship in silence.

…

Jo finds her later that day, perched precariously on the rail of the Queen, staring down at the ocean beneath her. Joshy has long since gone back to Mrs. O'Malley, leaving Emily with far too much time to sit and just think.

"I miss Alex." She says as Jo walks up. "He'd know just what to say. He always seems to know just what to say."

"I take it the boy's staying here?"

Emily nods. "It never occurred to me he'd be angry. I don't know why it never occurred to me… I mean, I was furious when Papa left."

"Give it a bit of time." Jo suggests, tone cautious. "He'll maybe change his mind."

Emily turns sharply to her. "Did you have a vision?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Jo." Emily turns fully to her and hops down off the rail, meaning business.

"It might not be what I thought." Jo hedges. "Just – give it a bit of time." She says again.

"I've no wish to stay here unless…"

"Just one day, then." Jo insists. "Give him time to think."

"What did you see?" Emily demands.

"Will knowing that do you any real good? One day, just one. It can't hurt."

"Oh, very well." Emily huffs. "Well, if you won't tell me what you saw, you can come help me get out of this blasted corset."

Jo laughs softly as she follows Emily down to her cabin.

…

She debates with herself for some time when the next day comes and goes. Should she go say goodbye to her brother? Or should she just leave well enough alone, let him move on if he wishes to? Her heart twists painfully at the thought that he may not want to see her again. She hadn't expected everyone to approve of her actions, but she'd hoped her brother would at least understand. The fact that he doesn't just adds to the guilt that had already been niggling at her since she'd refused Alex.

She wanders through town as night falls, feeling cold and lonely in a way she hasn't since before she'd first joined Alex on the Sea's Queen. It is almost enough to have her joining her men for a proper drink in the towns single tavern – almost, but no. She's not that bad off. She ends up back in her cabin on her ship reading books she'd bought with her money, no matter how she'd earned it. In the end she resolves not to let anyone else touch her anymore. She'll do just fine all by her lonesome if she must.

Besides, she does have Jo, with whom she is getting along famously. She really must start remembering that, too.

…

She ends up leaving Mrs. O'Malley with the promise that she'll continue sending money, and then disappearing long before she catches sight of her little brother. Perhaps that is cowardly of her, but she fears it won't matter after this anyway. She's just disappeared into her cabin on the Sea's Queen again, deciding she wants to be left alone for now… when Jo decides to nearly knock her door down.

"Go away, Jo!" She snaps over top of the book she's not really reading.

"But Captain, there's someone here who – for the love of all that is decent and holy, girl, just open the door!"

Emily half storms across her cabin, more than ready to let anyone have it, even if 'anyone' is her only true friend at the moment. She opens the door, one hand on her hip, expression thunderous, and opens her mouth to say something not very lady-like… and is very nearly knocked on her bum when a wiry auburn blur barrels into her.

"Joshy?" She breathes in shock as her younger brother buries his face in her shirt. "Joshy, what are you doing here, I thought…?"

"I missed you enough the first time!" He holds her tighter. "Can I really come with you?"

"Well… yes." Emily slowly softens, wrapping one arm around his shoulders while the other comes up to smooth down his hair. "Yes, of course you can."

And although there are a million and one things that could go wrong with this and she won't exactly be setting the most respectable examples for him… Emily finds she has never been more relieved in her life.

Captain Swan hasn't received a vision in so long that it takes her a very long moment to realize just what she's seeing.

Emily, her not-so-little-girl, standing before her with sword drawn, a terrified but somehow determined expression on her face.

The goddess doesn't send her visions anymore, has made it clear that Elizabeth is on her own now. So what is this?

"Mother. Mother, please." Emily is pleading, but her voice is low and steady. "I don't want to fight with you."

Fight with Emily? Why would she want to fight with Emily?

"I can't let you do it, Emily. I won't." She hears herself say.

"But I'll fix this. I have to fix this. Please believe me, mother, I know..."

"You know nothing!" She snarls this time and feels a strange satisfaction when her daughter recoils.

A familiar, steady rhythm is being pounded out softly in the background, somewhere just behind Lizzie. Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump. She cringes upon realizing she is within feet of her heart, the cursed thing, and tries to turn and see…but she is forced to stay put.

"Please. It would be so simple."

"Simple?" Lizzie's tone turns mocking as she changes tactics. "Tell me, just what is your plan, then?" She begins pacing a slow circle around her daughter. "Are you to replace me and give up the freedom you've grown so accustomed to? Or would you give up your Alex? He would give himself up for you, he's so in love, the fool." She comes to a halt just in front of Emily again, realizing something. "Or is it someone else you had in mind, an innocent perhaps, one who doesn't know what exactly is going on? Could you be so selfish?"

She feels the echoes of what she will should this vision come true. She wants Emily to say yes. She wants proof – proof of what? Proof that everyone has it in them to be as nasty as she is? Some small, mostly buried part of her feels shame at this thought. She shoves it down, trying to bury it deeper.

Emily squares her shoulders. "I would never ask Alex to do such a thing."

"Ah, but that does not leave out the third option, does it?"

Emily's expression gives nothing away. "Stop stalling mother. I need It. I don't want to fight you, but I will if I must."

Lizzie feels herself draw her sword and bring it up to meet her daughters and they begin a dance across the deck of the Dutchman as the waters beneath start to roil and the clouds above begin pouring down rain in sheets. And that is how the dream ends. Lizzie finds herself, rather abruptly, back in her dreary cabin.

She's not immediately worried, even if her daughter will be looking for the heart in the near future. Lizzie had buried it on that island, after all, the one that was so obvious and out in the open that no one would look there, and especially not Emily. It's possible Emily doesn't even know it exists…

Although, she has been hearing things, interesting rumors about that ship, the Sea's Queen, and her feisty young captain. If the descriptions are at all accurate, Emily has somehow taken the ship for herself, and has been all over the Caribbean. Even still, that particular island is small and often ignored. And Emily wouldn't know exactly where to look unless… Unless she had the compass. Does she already? Lizzie doubts it somehow, and has no wish to come face to face with her daughter at all if it can be helped. However, she cannot have Emily getting her hands on the compass.

Thin, slimy lips part to reveal sharp, jagged teeth in a manic grin. It appears Captain Lizzie has just found an excuse to pay one Jack Sparrow a little visit.

An ocean away, as the Sea's Queen catches a good wind and Captain Emily Turner takes the helm after telling her crew they are headed for a rest at Tortuga. Jo Gibbs stumbles out on deck, skirts bunched in her hands and chest heaving as she climbs up the short flight of steps to her captain, looking panicked in a way that Emily has never seen before.

"We must not put in at Tortuga!" She says without preamble, sounding almost demanding.

"I beg your pardon?" Emily stutters.

"We cannot go to Tortuga! Please, anywhere but there, we must not go there."

"Jo, what in our goddess' name is the matter with you? It's been weeks since our last visit, I owe the men a break." Emily replies with finality, turning back to the helm.

"No." Jo's tone is turning a little too demanding. "You don't understand…"

"Then I'd suggest you explain." Emily cuts her off with a warning tone.

Jo glances around, as if only just noticing what a spectacle she's making of herself. Taking a breath, she smooth's out her dress and evens out her voice. "Forgive me, Captain. I only mean – I've had the strangest dream, and it's left me with a chill I cannot shake."

Emily pauses a moment to think on that. "Well, let's have it then, what did you see?"

"I'd rather not…"

"Jo!"

The older woman scowls. "What difference does it make? Our goddess saw fit to inform me we should steer clear of Tortuga for the time being. If that's not enough for you, Captain, far be it from me to argue." Spinning around quick, her black curls whipping out in the wind behind her, Jo disappears back below decks without further ado.

Emily watches her go and tries to figure out what on earth has just happened. She has never seen Jo that upset before.

"Well, gents." She calls out to her crew, all of whom are all still staring after Jo. "I suppose we won't be off to Tortuga after all." A collective of muttered protests follows, which Emily's answers with a glare. "I did not ask you. Back to work!"