The voice had come from behind them, and Elizabeth turned in surprise.

"I'll replace my son." Bill Turner had already drawn his knife.

"No!" Will shook his head. "You can't! I swore I would set you free."

"I still have another ninety-odd years to serve before the mast. What difference does it make?

"But you would be bound to the Dutchman forever."

"I'm the first mate. It's my duty."

"I can't allow it." Will turned to Rose. "Take this back, I can't do that to my father. Or anyone else, for that matter." He put the box in her unresisting hands, wrapping her fingers around it. She stared at it, dumbfounded.

Elizabeth felt a tendril of fear. She had been so sure this was the day her husband would be free, but she had not anticipated his sense of justice. Of course he would not simply accept someone giving up their life for him.

Her stomach plummeted. Would their chance of happiness again be crushed?

Bill grabbed his son's shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Be reasonable, William. I'm old and got nothing else to live for. You are all I care about."

"And don't forget the baby," added Elizabeth. "It needs a father."

"Baby?" Bill's face lit up and he smiled widely. "I'll be a grandpapa?"

"Yes." Elizabeth smiled back.

"That settles it. No way am I letting you make the same mistakes as I did," said Bill, turning back to Will. "Your child shall not grow up fatherless. Take the box. Open the lid. I insist."

Elizabeth had never seen the old sailor look so stern and determined before.

"But..."

"No buts, boy. Just open it."

Will swallowed a sob and clasped his father's hands. "I'll see you in ten years. Then you shall meet your grandchild."

"Looking forward to it." There were tears in Bill's eyes too, happy tears.

Will took the box back from Rose, stroking the pearls on its surface. He resolutely squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's see what's inside this, then." He nudged it open a small crack.

A burst of air soared out, forcing the lid wide ajar. It surrounded Will like a whirlwind, ruffling his clothes and long hair. A tendril of it caught the chest in Elizabeth's arms and its lid flung up too, revealing the pounding heart within.

The wind died down as suddenly as it had appeared and everything became entirely still.

Will unbuttoned his shirt and exposed his chest with the ugly scar over his ribs. His father carefully picked up the heart, regarding it lovingly. "A heart for a heart." He pushed it against his son's scarred skin. Right before their eyes it submerged, slowly disappearing until it was fully absorbed.

On the horizon came a bright light – a flash of green.

"A soul has come back to life," breathed Gibbs.

With a low groan Bill sank to the deck, clutching his own heart. The rest of the crew came nearer, mumbling the same words over and over: "Part of the ship. Part of the crew. Part of the ship. Part of the crew."

One of them bent over Bill's prone body, taking the knife from the man's limp hand. "The Dutchman must have a captain."

Elizabeth turned away, not wanting to see. She felt arms envelop her and leaned into Will's embrace.

Then the new first mate stood, sheathing Bill's knife and holding the chest in his bloody hands. "Take good care of your father's heart." He gave it to Will.

"I promise."

"We'll be back in ten years."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Back at the jetty, Will morosely looked at the point where the Dutchman had disappeared a short while ago, now with his father behind the wheel. He still clutched the chest protectively.

"It's time to go," said Calypso.

Elizabeth's breath hitched. She had nearly forgotten Rose would still have to die; without the box she would begin to fade away.

"Thank you for what you did. I will never forget you." Elizabeth pulled Rose in for a hard hug, feeling her cling to her. "I wish you could stay."

"Me too. But I'm glad I didn't have to become a captain. I don't think I would have been any good at it."

Then Rose said her goodbyes to the two men, solemnly shaking their hands, her eyes dry now. Perhaps she had already shed all her tears. But when she bent down to pet the pig a final time she could not hold back a sob. "Take care of Hector, will you? He likes to have his neck scratched. Like this."

"We will," said Elizabeth unsteadily, blinking to ease the sting in the corner of her eyes. "Hector shall be the happiest pig in the Caribbean."

"Come now, child," said Calypso kindly. "Davy Jones' Locker awaits you."

"Davy Jones... your lover? I thought I was going to the afterlife?"

"The Locker is the gate to the Afterworld. It's a place to prepare you, making you ready for your final destination. And where that is, I do not know."

"Don't worry. We'll follow you there." Otohime took Rose's hand.

The sea goddess turned her head, catching Elizabeth's gaze. "When he comes, remind him there are choices, and there are sacrifices. All is not lost."

A large wave brushed in over the jetty, catching the trio and taking them with it. Rose was gone.

Elizabeth stared numbly at the wet patch before her feet. "When who comes?"

"Him, maybe?" Gibbs indicated an approaching ship.

"The Black Pearl!" exclaimed Will.

And that it was. The ship was sailing straight towards them at a furious speed, her black sails billowing. Just when they thought she would crash into the jetty she made a sudden turn, so sharp the crew must have dropped the anchor to cause it. The boards of the Pearl's hull croaked in protest and all over the deck the pirates fought to remain standing.

A familiar figure dived overboard and swam ashore in quick strokes. "Where is Rose?" he demanded as he crawled up. He looked around him eagerly.

"She's gone," said Gibbs. "You were too late. Sorry, mate."

"Gone..." Jack stared at him in disbelief. "But Calypso said three days... there's still an hour to go!" Water dripped from his soaked clothes into a puddle around his feet. He clenched his fists and yelled at the sea: "Damn you! Curse you, Calypso! Could you not have waited another hour?" His voice was anguished.

Elizabeth had never seen Jack so devastated before. Had he actually cared about Rose? Looking at him now, it certainly seemed so.

Fancy that. Jack in love with a girl. There was a first for everything.

Then she remembered the message. "Calypso said to remind you there are still choices and sacrifices... whatever she meant by that."

"Sacrifices... choices," Jack muttered. Suddenly he took a step closer and grabbed her arms a little too hard. "Did Calypso say where she was taking her?"

"Yes. To Davy Jones' Locker."

"The Locker, huh!" He began to pace to and fro. "Davy Jones' Locker. Of course it had to be that awful place. Well, I been there before, I can probably still find the way." He picked up his strange compass, the one which always pointed to what he wanted the most. The needle spun and came to rest. "A-ha!" Jack's face cleaved into a pleased grin.

He turned to Gibbs. "Your dinghy. I commandeer it."

"Aye sir!" Gibbs straightened up and saluted. He was grinning too.

"Good man. Now take this." Jack removed his captain's hat and placed it in Gibbs' hands. Then he whistled. "Hector! Come here boy! You're going with me."

Elizabeth could hardly believe her eyes when Jack raised the tiny sail of Gibbs' dinghy and set out towards the horizon, patting Hector as he went, all the while mumbling about sacrifices and choices.

"He left the Pearl," said Will, equally baffled.

"Hm. So he did." Gibbs placed the black hat on his head. "I guess I'll be off too, then. Good luck with the baby."

"Goodbye, Gibbs."

"Captain Gibbs, if I may." He smirked and turned to the motley crew aboard the Black Pearl: "Ahoy, ye bilge rats! Hoist the colors! This is your new captain speaking."

From Jack's dinghy, a few notes drifted back to them: "Yo ho, yo ho ... and really bad eggs."

A/N:

Not only Rose and Jack are heading towards the end station, this story is too... Our ship will soon sail, if you get what I mean. ;)

Another hug to my regular commenters and voters. ♡ I will miss you guys, and this story too! Thanks for coming on this journey with me.

Image Credits:

Screenshot from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.