The sound that came to her ears was beautiful music, ringing through the
house, which had often seemed so empty. A child's laugh, full of mirth and
joy, and she knew what was causing it. Setting down the plate she had been
washing, she quietly walked to the doorway, peeking around. A smile crossed
her face as she hugged the door frame, looking in on the scene. It was
something Anna Turner missed in her daily life, and hearing it again was
revitalizing to her soul.
He was feared on the high seas, known as 'Bootstrap' Bill Turner, pirate and best friend of Jack Sparrow. But to her, he was a loving husband and father, and the act she had to put up nearly killed her everyday. He was always gone, coming back once in a while, to see her and their son, William. The little boy was already starting to bear a strong resemblance to his father. Dark hair fell in his eyes, as a little hand shot out, grabbing one of Bill's tightly closed fists. Bill chuckled.
"Is that where you think it is, Will?" He said. Three-year-old Will grinned up at his father, shaking his head in an enthusiastic yes. Bill gave him a joking look, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Are you sure, my boy?" Again the little boy nodded his head, staring at his father with innocent brown eyes. Bill flipped his hand over, and slowly opened his hand, a piece of candy lying in his palm. "You're gettin' good at this." He chuckled, as his son eagerly snatched it and crawled into his father's lap.
"And I wonder where he learned it from." Anna said from her position at the doorway. Bill turned, and his eyes lit up at the mere sight of her. She didn't believe a thing the woman gossiping down in the market said, and had never believed her father, when they had said all pirates, no exceptions, were the scum of the earth. And here she was, happily married still to one, who still only had eyes for her. True, when they asked where he was, she always had to make up somewhere for him to be, as most of them believed Bill to be a merchant sailor.
As she entered the room, she thought about how daft the people of the town truly were. How many merchant sailors did they know of that wore beads in their hair, or dressed as Bill did? But none of them were the wiser, and that's the way she liked it. She got to her knees, wrapping her arms around his waist, her chin resting on his shoulder as she looked down on their pride and joy. All was right in her world, even if it was only for a few short moments more.
Bill turned to her, lightly kissing her on the lips, staring into her eyes with a look that was meant just for her and William, that they were the most important things in his life. But the moment was cut short as Bill let out a surprised grunt, reaching up to wrap his calloused hand gently around Will's little one, which had wrapped itself firmly around one of his beaded dreadlocks. "You're way too amused with those." He said, as Will let out a laugh and continued to hold on. Bill couldn't help chuckling himself as he tried to pull the little hand loose.
A sharp knock at the door, made them all look. Anna rose to her feet, kissing him on top of the head. "You stay here, I'll get it." She said softly. Going through the kitchen, she pulled the door open, wondering who would be calling at the back of her house. She should have known, though, seeing who it was when she opened the door.
Jack Sparrow leaned against the doorframe, his trademark smirk on his face. "Good evenin', Anna. Is Bill ready?" Anna looked back at the living room, hearing another round of laughter from the two, and her heart broke. She never liked letting him go, but this time, something bothered her.
"He's in playing with William." She said softly, opening the door wider for him to come in. Jack stepped into the house, immediately going for the living room. As soon as the pirate captain walked in, Bill looked up.
"Time to go already?" He asked, bouncing Will on his knee. Jack nodded slowly.
"Aye, a couple of me men heard rumors that Taver's men know we're here. The sooner we leave, the better." Bill nodded.
"Yeah, you're right." He stood up, Will in his arms. The little boy stared over at Jack, gnawing on one of Bill's dreads. The pirate nodded at his son. "Could I have a moment, please?" Jack nodded, leaving the room. Bill looked back at Will, walking over to the cabinets against the far wall. He pulled one open, and took out a sheathed sword. "I couldn't wait to show it to you, knowing you shouldn't be havin' it for a couple more years, but this seemed like the right time." He knelt again, putting Will on the floor, and holding the sword in front of him, still sheathed. The little boy's eyes widened as his hand touched the hilt, tiny fingers wrapping around it. "This was my first sword, and when you're old enough, I want you to have it. I might not always be around here to protect you two, but I want to know that I always made sure that I did my best to know that you were safe." A moment later, he replaced it back in the cabinet, much to his son's protest, which amused him. The passion for the blade, just like his father. Picking him up once more, he entered the kitchen.
Jack was leaned against the counter, Anna sitting in a chair at the table, fiddling with one of the napkins. Both of them looked up as Bill entered, setting William down on the table. "Be good for your mother. Alright, you little scoundrel?" Will looked up at him, blinking. Bill shook his head. "I'll take that as a maybe." Finally, he moved to Anna, who stood up. "Well, I guess this is good-bye for another couple of months." She nodded silently, then buried her head in his shoulder.
"Be safe, William. I love you." She said quietly, then looked up at him. He kissed her on the forehead, a small smile on his face. "I love you too." With that, he picked up his bag by the door, turning towards Jack. "Well, let's get a move on."
Anna watched the door as it closed, standing there silently. Her reverie was broken by the sound of a yawn, and she looked over at Will, who was fighting sleep, almost toppling onto the table. With a smile, she picked him up in her arms, cradling him to her as she walked through the hallway.
"My little Bootstrap. . ."
He was feared on the high seas, known as 'Bootstrap' Bill Turner, pirate and best friend of Jack Sparrow. But to her, he was a loving husband and father, and the act she had to put up nearly killed her everyday. He was always gone, coming back once in a while, to see her and their son, William. The little boy was already starting to bear a strong resemblance to his father. Dark hair fell in his eyes, as a little hand shot out, grabbing one of Bill's tightly closed fists. Bill chuckled.
"Is that where you think it is, Will?" He said. Three-year-old Will grinned up at his father, shaking his head in an enthusiastic yes. Bill gave him a joking look, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Are you sure, my boy?" Again the little boy nodded his head, staring at his father with innocent brown eyes. Bill flipped his hand over, and slowly opened his hand, a piece of candy lying in his palm. "You're gettin' good at this." He chuckled, as his son eagerly snatched it and crawled into his father's lap.
"And I wonder where he learned it from." Anna said from her position at the doorway. Bill turned, and his eyes lit up at the mere sight of her. She didn't believe a thing the woman gossiping down in the market said, and had never believed her father, when they had said all pirates, no exceptions, were the scum of the earth. And here she was, happily married still to one, who still only had eyes for her. True, when they asked where he was, she always had to make up somewhere for him to be, as most of them believed Bill to be a merchant sailor.
As she entered the room, she thought about how daft the people of the town truly were. How many merchant sailors did they know of that wore beads in their hair, or dressed as Bill did? But none of them were the wiser, and that's the way she liked it. She got to her knees, wrapping her arms around his waist, her chin resting on his shoulder as she looked down on their pride and joy. All was right in her world, even if it was only for a few short moments more.
Bill turned to her, lightly kissing her on the lips, staring into her eyes with a look that was meant just for her and William, that they were the most important things in his life. But the moment was cut short as Bill let out a surprised grunt, reaching up to wrap his calloused hand gently around Will's little one, which had wrapped itself firmly around one of his beaded dreadlocks. "You're way too amused with those." He said, as Will let out a laugh and continued to hold on. Bill couldn't help chuckling himself as he tried to pull the little hand loose.
A sharp knock at the door, made them all look. Anna rose to her feet, kissing him on top of the head. "You stay here, I'll get it." She said softly. Going through the kitchen, she pulled the door open, wondering who would be calling at the back of her house. She should have known, though, seeing who it was when she opened the door.
Jack Sparrow leaned against the doorframe, his trademark smirk on his face. "Good evenin', Anna. Is Bill ready?" Anna looked back at the living room, hearing another round of laughter from the two, and her heart broke. She never liked letting him go, but this time, something bothered her.
"He's in playing with William." She said softly, opening the door wider for him to come in. Jack stepped into the house, immediately going for the living room. As soon as the pirate captain walked in, Bill looked up.
"Time to go already?" He asked, bouncing Will on his knee. Jack nodded slowly.
"Aye, a couple of me men heard rumors that Taver's men know we're here. The sooner we leave, the better." Bill nodded.
"Yeah, you're right." He stood up, Will in his arms. The little boy stared over at Jack, gnawing on one of Bill's dreads. The pirate nodded at his son. "Could I have a moment, please?" Jack nodded, leaving the room. Bill looked back at Will, walking over to the cabinets against the far wall. He pulled one open, and took out a sheathed sword. "I couldn't wait to show it to you, knowing you shouldn't be havin' it for a couple more years, but this seemed like the right time." He knelt again, putting Will on the floor, and holding the sword in front of him, still sheathed. The little boy's eyes widened as his hand touched the hilt, tiny fingers wrapping around it. "This was my first sword, and when you're old enough, I want you to have it. I might not always be around here to protect you two, but I want to know that I always made sure that I did my best to know that you were safe." A moment later, he replaced it back in the cabinet, much to his son's protest, which amused him. The passion for the blade, just like his father. Picking him up once more, he entered the kitchen.
Jack was leaned against the counter, Anna sitting in a chair at the table, fiddling with one of the napkins. Both of them looked up as Bill entered, setting William down on the table. "Be good for your mother. Alright, you little scoundrel?" Will looked up at him, blinking. Bill shook his head. "I'll take that as a maybe." Finally, he moved to Anna, who stood up. "Well, I guess this is good-bye for another couple of months." She nodded silently, then buried her head in his shoulder.
"Be safe, William. I love you." She said quietly, then looked up at him. He kissed her on the forehead, a small smile on his face. "I love you too." With that, he picked up his bag by the door, turning towards Jack. "Well, let's get a move on."
Anna watched the door as it closed, standing there silently. Her reverie was broken by the sound of a yawn, and she looked over at Will, who was fighting sleep, almost toppling onto the table. With a smile, she picked him up in her arms, cradling him to her as she walked through the hallway.
"My little Bootstrap. . ."