Something startled Elizabeth awake. Some sound, but what was it? She lifted her head and glanced toward the bedroom window then the French doors leading out onto the small balcony. The heavy brocade draperies that normally covered them were still open having been overlooked in the heat of the moment the evening before. It was still too early for there to be people out and about on the docks so that was not what had awakened her, but sunrise couldn't be far off. There was just enough ambient light in the room that she could make out a few details of her surroundings.

She lifted her head slightly, listening to see if possibly her son had called out to her in his sleep, but she heard nothing except her husband's quiet breathing. She sat the rest of the way up and scanned the room, she could barely discern the various articles of clothing scattered about the floor near the bed. Her face flushed as she smiled recalling her and Will's cautious, but eager reunion. Their ten year separation had done nothing to cool their passion for each other, but had neither had it erased all the awkwardness of their relative inexperience. Neither Will nor Elizabeth were renowned for their patience, but they finally had earned the luxury of unlimited time, so for this first night back together they had taken things slowly, fully enjoying every second as they reacquainted themselves with each other body, mind and soul. Her eyes continued to peruse the room, finally focusing on the small wooden chest resting atop the trunk at the foot of the bed. Perhaps what had awakened her was not something she heard, but rather something she didn't hear? She was accustomed to the chest being on the bedside table where she could listen to the reassuring sound of Will's heart beating when she needed to, but he had insisted on moving it when he had returned just that evening. Not that she blamed him at all, but it was going to take a while for her to adjust to how things were changing.

The thought of what had already changed in less than 12 hours made her smile again as she glanced down at her sleeping husband. He looked so calm and peaceful with no trace of the ordeals they had been though showing on his face. It occurred to her that although she and Will had known each other for twenty years and had been married for the last ten that she had never had the opportunity to just watch him sleep. She had spent countless hours watching over their son as he slept and until that moment she hadn't realized exactly how much he looked like his father, the same tousled curly brown hair, the long eyelashes and even his ears.

Unable to hear or see anything out of the ordinary Elizabeth decided that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. She lay back down, settled her cheek on Will's chest, and closed her eyes. Elizabeth smiled to herself again as Will shifted slightly to pull her in closer. He was back. It had been a long and emotionally draining trial for them, but he was finally back - to stay - with Elizabeth and their son. There was so much for them to talk about, but that would have to wait. Right now she was tired and quite content to stay exactly where she was, lying next to the man she had loved and who had loved her in return since they were both twelve years old. She had almost drifted off back to sleep when she realized what had awakened her.

"Will" Elizabeth said softly, but somewhat startled as she sat up bolt right in the bed. "Will, wake UP!" she said with much more urgency, but still trying to keep her voice down as she reached down to shake him.

Will Turner slowly opened his eyes as he blearily looked up at his wife. "What's wrong? What's happened?" he asked. He tried to sit up, but Elizabeth placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back down on to the bed. A slow grin appeared on his face as he considered possible reasons for his wife to wake him, but quickly faded as he realized that Elizabeth looked decidedly frightened. In fact, she was trembling slightly as she stared back at him with a confused look. Will's brown eyes opened wide as it occurred to him what had startled her. In fact, it startled him too. "I" he started, "I feel it" he said, his voice cracking slightly. Wary smiles crept across both their faces as they stared at each other, speechless, for a long moment.

"How?" Elizabeth asked, still somewhat confused and obviously distressed.

"I don't know," Will replied as he finally managed to sit up and put his own hand where his heart should be and, in fact, was. "But it's there. I can feel it." He looked from Elizabeth to the chest at the foot of their bed and swallowed nervously. The most obvious answer to the question was to open it and see if indeed his heart had been returned to its proper place, but the fear that he could be mistaken and that it was still under lock and key made him a bit leery to open the chest to see. Although the Flying Dutchman required a living heart, Will believed that it was no longer compulsory for the Captain's heart to be concealed within the chest. If his own heart was no longer in the chest, what was in there? Looking back at his wife he noticed tears starting to well in her eyes and roll down her cheeks. "Elizabeth," he breathed as he reached up to gently brush away her tears with his thumb, "everything will be fine." "I'm not leaving again" he said, with unwavering determination, trying to reassure her and at the same time, himself.

Elizabeth looked from Will to the chest then back again, and closed her eyes while simultaneously hoping they were right, yet fearing that it all might be a dream. "I suppose we're just going to have to take a look see," Will said with false bravado as he moved towards the chest. Elizabeth didn't know if she should be relieved or terrified. Relieved that for the first time in ten years Will was there to make a decision when she couldn't and terrified that his heart would indeed still be locked in the chest.

Will grasped the handles on either side of the chest and gingerly turned it so that the lock faced him and Elizabeth. After a short hesitation he picked up it and set it on the bed between them. Elizabeth still sat motionless with her eyes tightly closed.

"Elizabeth," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "I need the key." She didn't move. "Elizabeth," he said only slightly louder, for fear of waking young Will, but with a tad more urgency. "I need the key."

Elizabeth opened her eyes and met Will's. The she turned and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, stood up and stepped over to the bedside table. Remembering a time from so long ago when she had done much the same thing with Will's medallion, she eased open the drawer and extracted the key from it's hiding place beneath the false bottom. Until that previous morning, she had always worn it on a cord around her neck, but somehow she hadn't wanted to wear on that particular day. She no longer needed a reminder of her part in breaking Davy Jones' curse. She turned back around to face Will and offered him the key. Taking a deep breath he took the key from her hand and fitted it into the lock.

"Will," Elizabeth whispered, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I'm not, but how else can we be sure?" he replied quietly, sounding entirely too serious. The tone of his voice caused Elizabeth more than a little concern. She couldn't bring herself to consider the possibility that Will might not yet be entirely free.

Elizabeth crawled back into the bed, moved closer to him and kissed him lightly on his bare shoulder and softly said, "I love you, Will Turner and no matter what may or may not be in that chest won't change that."

Will turned towards Elizabeth, smiled, and then gave her a quick kiss in return. He knew Elizabeth loved him; of that he had no doubt. Were not their last ten years spent apart proof of that? Nonetheless, it was reassuring to hear her say it. "Shall we?" he asked as he faced back towards the chest. Will reached for the cold, metal key and twisted it in the lock. He winced when he heard the faint click of the lock being released. Ever so cautiously he reached forward and lifted the lid to find - nothing. The chest was empty. That could only mean one thing. His heart, which his father had cut out of his chest ten years prior in an effort to keep Will from dying, was now back where it belonged. But how was that possible?

Elizabeth looked up and jumped as she let out a small cry. Will inhaled sharply as he too looked up and saw what or rather who had frightened his wife. Standing in the pale light of near dawn was Tia Dalma -Calypso, looking exactly as she had when they had first seen her. The blue black teeth were visible through her smiling black stained lips, the tattoos on her face faintly visible. She was even wearing the music box locket that had connected her to Davy Jones. How long had the sea goddess been there? How did she get there? Will and Elizabeth both drew back slightly as Calypso took a step towards them and began to speak.

"William Turner" she said slowly in her thick Jamaican accent "You had a touch of destiny about you, but now you have fulfilled your duties to the Dutchman and found your one true love waiting for you. You gave her your heart and in return she kept it safe and gave you hers." Her voice then took on a tone of extreme sadness "if my Davy had not cut out him own heart to spite me, we would be together now roaming the seas forever. She angrily added, "It was not my intention that another man should suffer him fate." She paused for a moment before continuing. "It be the least I can do to give you back your own heart and make sure it stay." As she spoke she stepped closer and raised her palm towards Will's chest. Her hand glowed briefly with an eerie blue white light and then faded quickly away. And then she and the chest were gone, leaving husband and wife to wonder if they had dreamed the entire thing.

The first rays of the morning sun were creeping in the window as Will and Elizabeth sat side by side on their bed in stunned silence. Neither of them knew what to say. To anyone else the entire episode would be chalked up to an over active imagination or even a bad dream, but the Turners had seen far more mysterious things in their lives.

"Will, what just happened?" Elizabeth managed to squeak out.

"I'm," he hesitated as he glanced down, "I'm not sure" he answered, suddenly sounding slightly bewildered.

He reached his right hand up to once again feel his own heart beating and noticed a change.

"Elizabeth, it's not there, the scar, I mean. It's gone."

"Gone?" came her still somewhat confused reply.

"Yes, gone, Look!" He said incredulously as he turned his body towards her.

Elizabeth turned to face Will while reaching up to put her hand over his heart. She could feel its strong, rhythmic beat beneath her hand. He was right. There was no sign that there had ever been a scar on Will's chest. It was difficult to fathom that the once angry red scar that was still so vivid in her memory had vanished, but it had.

Will put his hands on either side of Elizabeth's face, leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. Elizabeth returned the kiss eagerly while sliding her right hand up from Will's chest to the back of his neck and pulled him in towards her, catching him off guard and causing him to lose his balance. . They both began laughing as they tumbled back onto the bed. Will pushed himself up on one elbow and smiled down at the woman lying beneath him. He reached over and tenderly brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"So, Mrs. Turner, how shall we mark this momentous occasion?" he murmured as he lowered his head to kiss her yet again. Elizabeth didn't speak, but her response made it clear exactly what she had in mind.