"Will Turner?" Governor Swann asked leaning forward looking at James in surprise. "Your cadet? The Blacksmith's apprentice?"

James nodded. "My star cadet, and an apprentice in name only," He stated proudly and without reservation. "He's exceptionally skilled in both smithing and sailing, in fact, his swordplay rivals my own and you know Governor that I wouldn't say that just to boast. The only reason he hasn't made me yield in combat is because he's hesitant to go full bore against his mentor, any other he can best on a bad day. As for his smithing," James took out the dagger he had been gifted on the day of his Captaincy inauguration.

"Mr Turner forged and gifted this piece to me on the day I became Captain, he was a year in to smithing by then and he has only improved since then."

The Governor took the blade reverently and ran his hand along the very sharp edge, examining the intricately designed handle, he hoped the Governor wouldn't look too closely at the pommel where the initials W and E had been inscribed beautifully by the lad on either side, designed of course by them both. He could explain it away but preferred not to.

"This is exceptional work," the Governor admitted.

"One of his first," James intoned, his pride evident. "I can assure you Governor, you can scour Port Royal, hell scour the King's Empire if you want, a better man for Elizabeth you will not find. If financial security is what holds you back then rest assured that Mr Turner will receive part of my Estate as a wedding gift but aside from that, he is also set to be either a Master Blacksmith, leagues ahead of his current Master himself but add on to that, his name is the first I am recommending as consideration for Lieutenant in the upcoming years induction. He's already considered a Midshipman as part of his Cadet rank and I have every confidence that he will rise the ranks in no time to Captaincy. His work ethic and dedication is second to none."

The Governor was silent for a beat as he twirled the dagger in his hand, half marvelling at its balance and half thinking on James' words. Slowly he passed back the dagger.

"Your pride in the boy and his accomplishments is evident, and as easy going as I am, blind I am not. I'm aware that my daughter and Mr Turner have had liaisons when she thinks I'm not looking..."

"You have my word that no manner of propriety was breached in those stolen moments, Will knows better than to even think of sullying Miss Swann's good name, if only in fear of my reprisal."

Governor Swann hummed in agreement an indulgent smile appearing on his face. "I would trust the boy to be honor bound given his mentor," he nodded at James in acknowledgement. "but that is beside the point. Children will be children, I cannot deny Elizabeth the want of friendship and companionship, she has few friends as is. However that is also not the point. By your own words you say that if I scoured the entire British Empire I would not find a more suitable man for my daughter to marry, but I must confess, I don't have to go to near enough trouble to find one such someone." his smile turned into a grin. "Someone who is in fact sitting right across from me?"

James was brought up short. "Sir?" he asked dumbfounded. The last time it had been him who had brought up the courtship. Sure the Governor was pretty amicable with it but he was the one who had suggested that Elizabeth would make a good wife for his station and had gotten immediate approval from the Governor. He hadn't made any such overtures this time around. What was happening?

"You told me I couldn't find a better man for Elizabeth, yet you are sitting right across from me. I certainly do not hold any doubts to the claims you make about Mr Turner, I'm sure he is capable and honorable. But everything you say Mr Turner will be, you are already. Mr Turner will be Captain one day? You are already Captain, Mr Turner will receive part of your estate to secure Elizabeths future? You already have ownership of that estate, he will do his duty by Elizabeth, you already do your duty by Elizabeth and much much more if the way Elizabeth speaks about you is any indication. No offence to the boy but why would I have Elizabeth settle for him when everything he aspires to be is already sitting right in front of me and is also not attached to anyone at present, if I am well informed?"

James shifted, clearing his throat, willing his face not to color. How he wished he could just say that he thought of Elizabeth as a daughter, but he would not sully the relationship of a father and daughter by equating it with his feelings and thoughts about Elizabeth when his guard was down and his mind was adrift. The more and more Elizabeth grew up the less and less innocent his private thoughts about the young woman became and want as he did, he could not even bring himself to lie about his feelings for her.

But he had an idea to head this off at the pass. "I believe sir, that the lady's choice would be the deciding factor in that." he would not disrespect Elizabeth or the Governor by refusing an offer to court his daughter, despite him knowing where it would end up. But he could perhaps get Elizabeth to refuse him and choose Will as she would want to do, then this whole thing could be left enough alone.

The Governor clapped his hands. "So it is decided then? I will present Elizabeth with both Mr Turner's and your own courting propositions and she will choose? Provided you agree that you have no qualms about wanting to court her yourself?"

James wished he could say no without insulting the Swanns but he could not. "Yes, Governor, I have no qualms about courting Elizabeth, should her heart desire that of me."

That's the caveat he was going with, because Elizabeths heart didn't desire that of him and that would allow him to make sure that who Elizabeth actually wanted would be the one to court her.

Somewhat happy with the situation he bid the Governor farewell and walked out of his office in the need of a drink. His first in a while, not soon after arriving in Port Royal a second time he had had nightmares about his time in Tortuga and it had caused him to give up on the bottle. But the conversation with the Governor shook him. He had tried valiantly to stay as proper as he could with them, giving no indication that he was interested in courting and yet the Governor himself had brought it up. He imagined that Elizabeth accepting Wills proposal to court her would give him a twinge of pain but he would get over it. But now she would be accepting Wills proposal by refusing his. And while it should mean nothing to him, it did mean something. It meant that again she would be choosing Will over him, as it should be but he couldn't control the pain in his heart at the thought.

So drink to forget and numb the pain was the order of business. It wouldn't be his last drink either. Especially as the courting concluded and the wedding date was set. He would definitely be required to attend. Talk about living his own personal hell. A hell of his own making. Not for the first time did he confirm to himself that this second chance wasn't a boon for him, but purgatory.

He cursed himself and his selfishness. A year ago he had thought himself free of being a slave to Elizabeth and her relations with people other than himself. He had thought himself above petty jealousy, so much so that he had encouraged Will and Elizabeth's closeness, facilitated it even. And now his efforts had borne fruit. And guilt clawed at him as well because now he truly thought the world of Will. Cared about the lad, wanted the best for him and he wanted to be happy that Elizabeth would choose Will, always choose Will. But a small part of him, a small part of him that refused to go away today, asked again like it had done that day long ago on top of the Fort, the day he had let Miss Swann go, it asked why he wasn't good enough for her? Why was the blacksmiths apprentice the one? Did his duty, dedication, abilities, credentials, authority and capabilities matter so little. Did everything that he worked for in his life matter so little?

These were the same thoughts that had made him want to prove himself even against a hurricane and the hurricane had put him in his place. Showed him that yes, everything that he had worked for mattered very little. It all had been for naught and then he had nothing. No credentials, no authority and most importantly, no Elizabeth.

His thoughts, as he walked slowly to the tavern, dark as they were slowly drifted to the chest he now had concealed in his cellar. It was a thought that refused to leave him even as he tried to fight it. The Captain of the Flying Dutchman. It would be an empty existence for sure but would it be that different to the existence he would be left with after Will and Elizabeth got married?

But the main niggling thought in his head that made this idea the best option he had was that he would be of use. He knew that eventually Elizabeth would not be content with life as a wife to anybody, even Will Turner. One or another circumstance would bring her inevitably into the world of Undead Pirates, Krakens and Ghost Ships. She was the Pirate Captain of the Empress when he gave his life for her, for gods sake. The idea the the woman would remain a docile wife at home for anybody was laughable to him. As the Captain of the Flying Dutchman he could be a strong defence for her, much better than Admiral Norrington at the beck and call of one of worst monsters to ever roam the seas, Cutler Beckett.

He would also be bound to a calling. Ferry souls from this world to the next. A depressing fate to be sure, but James was no stranger to duty. Especially duty that didn't lead to personal happiness. He could do that, and when Elizabeth had need for him, the Dutchman and all it's might, including the power of a Kraken would be his to command and provide the very best defence possible.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. As he left the tavern a dark bag hiding the bottle of amber liquid inside, the idea cemented in his mind. It was a purpose after he could no longer be helpful to her as Captain and Commodore. Sure the purpose still concerned Elizabeth but he honestly didn't think he would ever be bereft of her presence, influence and sometimes curse in his life. He was, it seemed, destined to circle her, orbit her and be part of her story in someway or another. Entwined, but Never Joined. The best he could do was ensure that he, at the very least was of benefit to her instead of a hindrance or disappointment like he had been in his last life.


James settled in his study with his bottle of whiskey, surrounded by sketch upon sketch of his past life. There was the drawing of Elizabeth, in her too tight dress falling away from him and into the jagged rocks down below the Fort.

Drawing of the Interceptor pulling away from the Dauntless a pirate waving jovially out to a despondent Commodore.

Drawing of the littany of shipwrecks surrounding Isla De Muerta.

Drawing of a stand off at the Fort, two faceless men surrounded by a circle of swords and bayonets with a faceless woman in front of them.

Drawing of a ship with black sails sailing into the hurricane.

Drawing of a faceless man dumped in a pig sty with a faceless woman dressed as a boy kneeling next to him looking on pitifully.

There weren't many hopeful drawings in his collection except for one. A picture of a wedding aisle, a man and woman clasping hands and a clergyman wedding them, all in a distance and if he squinted he could maybe convince himself that the man could be him but more often that not he understood that he had drawn Will and Elizabeth. Finally filling up the glass he kept on his study table up to the brim he downed the whiskey feeling it burn down his throat and the familiar feeling of warmth and numbness started to seep in. He refilled his glass but halfway full he realised that something was wrong. There was a tingling in his extremities, his vision started blacking out and the bottle fell from his hand rolling out and spreading whiskey all over the table as his head hit the table and the last drawing he saw was his first one of too small shoes as he blacked out from whatever he had been drugged with.


This one was an interesting one to write. I had to pull from some personal experiences to do justice to James' depressing internal monologue. Isn't life fun?!

Anyways, review if you can. Cheers!