Disclaimer: same as Chapter 1

Author's notes:

- This is it! The last chapter! Thank you so much to my wonderful readers and reviewers, without whom I wouldn't have found the courage to finish this story.

- The title comes from the song by Irish singer and composer Enya, from her 2005 album "Amarantine".

- William Kidd (c. 1645 – 1701) was a Scottish sailor executed for piracy. He was said to have buried a fabulous treasure on Gardiners Island, but it has never been found.

- Jack's quotes are from "Hamlet", act 3, scene 2, and "All's well that ends well", written between 1599 and 1604 by William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) and "Eclogues 10" by Roman poet Virgil (70 B.C. – 19 B.C.).

- This chapter contains references about one of my stories, "Oceano Nox".

- Jack's cry is inspired by the "Goofy holler".

Chapter 24: Someone said goodbye

Lunch was served by midday and it was another round of delicious cooking: Elizabeth had made grilled Jerk-spiced chicken served with Red peas soup, rice, cabbage, coco bread and Tamarin drinks for everybody. Dessert was a big plantain tart and Jack ate half of it, as "retribution" for being bested in wooden sword-fighting by his nephew eight times in a row. Will-Trey was beaming from his fencing success, but deep down the wise boy knew Jack had let him win on purpose. Mummy had told him so many times his adopted uncle had fought Royal Marines, cannibals and monsters without getting a scratch on him, so he would hardly be fooled by a toy sword handled by a child. However, Will-Trey was too well-behaved to point the matter out, and he simply accepted the words of praise from his parents and grandfather, and sportingly invited Jack for more sparring matches in the future.

After lunch, the four adults had coffee in the garden while Will-Trey went upstairs for a nap, cradling Jacky in his arms. Bill settled down in his wicker chair, smoking a pipe filled with his new Virginian tobacco; Jack was nonchalantly sitting on a straw-bottomed chair from the dinner table, refraining from putting his feet on the coffee table at the last minute; Will and Elizabeth opted for sitting side-by-side on a mattress laid on the ground, covered with a thrown to protect it from grass strains and with cushions for extra comfort. It was the same mattress they used for their coupling sessions on the bedroom's balcony, and at times a blush would spread on Will's face when Elizabeth would squeeze his hand, buried deep under the cushions – not only because of the marvelous memories of the moments they had shared together on this mattress, but also from the smug smile on Captain Jack Sparrow's face! The keen outlaw definitively had a knack for mocking Will, but the young Turner wouldn't want his friend to change, not for one bit.

Hours passed and Will-Trey came back from his nap, holding a large folded piece of paper in one hand and with a serious look on his face. He walked towards Jack and put his hand on the pirate's shoulder:

"Uncle Jack, you are going to leave us soon, aren't you?" asked the boy gravely.

The question startled the three Turner adults out of their quietude, and for an instant Will wondered where his son had gotten this idea. But Jack sighed and merely intertwined his fingers' around Will-Trey's before answering:

"Truth is, smart puppy."

"But, Jack! You have only arrived yesterday evening; you can't leave now!" said Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth's right; you have to stay longer, Jack! We want to thank you for all the beautiful gifts you gave us," said Will, and Bill approved with a vigorous nod of his head.

"Believe me, Lizzie, Will-mate, this is the very first time ever in my career that I've dropped anchor in a friendly port and I truly don't want to go, but time and tide await for no man. I'm a seaman, savvy? And after spending a few days ashore, I inevitably start to feel antsy and restless – worse than usual, if you can believe it - , longing for the ocean and its freedom. Besides, even if Mrs. Beatous Bovine and her wagging tongue are out of the picture and of Shipwreck Island, it still would be dangerous for you and me if I linger here for too long. While I was discreetly exploring Shipwreck City, I recognized a few acquaintances from the past that are still insanely jealous of my natural advantages and my glorious reputation. Not to mention a few unpaid debts and some borrowed items I have… er… forgotten to give back. I have a busy schedule, and such trivial things have a tendency to slip off my mind."

"Jack, you have nothing to fear as long as you are under our roof," said Will firmly. "I think I'm speaking for every one of us Turner that we would defend you from your enemies."

"Quite right!" said Elizabeth, Bill and Will-Trey in a same voice.

Jack let a sarcastic smile spread on his lips to hide the warmth blooming inside his heart.

"Don't think I doubt that for a second, mateys, and I appreciate your sympathy to my cause. But I have a legend to spread across the Seven Seas, not to forget a ship to keep under control. Right now, it's Mister Wang Tao who is on charge to stock the Black Pearl II with edibles, munitions and numerous barrels of rum, but for all his resourcefulness he's not a Captain, and past experiences have taught me it isn't unsafe to lower my guard – including towards my own crewmembers. Some of them could be tempted to pull a Barbossa trick on me, so it is of my responsibility to steer this idea clear away from their tiny minds. Besides, there are also many treasures waiting to be picked up from the seabed, mates: beautiful diamonds, bars of the purest gold, jewels, precious gems…" Jack's eyes shone like obsidians stones at the thought "Not to forget enough coins to pay a King's ransom, pearls, gold-woven cloths… Gosh, even Captain Kidd's hidden treasure will pale compared to my future booty!"

Will frowned at those words; he was quite aware of Jack's love for gold – a common trait amongst pirates – but he would hate it if this obsession would lead to his friend's perdition.

"Please be careful, Jack. Enemies or lawmen can be found quicker than hidden treasures. Kidd thought he could outsmart his employers and he ended gibbeted at Tilbury Point, over the river Thames."

"Aw, Will, you wound me. Don't you know by now that I am smarter than all the British Crown's representatives put together?"

"I do, Jack, but they are numerous and you are only one man."

"You have missed the principal point, kiddo: this only one man is Captain Jack Sparrow and he can do anything!"

This proud declaration made Will-Trey chuckle quietly, and then the boy added: "Except besting me at wood sword-fighting!"

Jack roared like a sea lion and grabbed the boy in a tight hug, before mussing his dark blond hair six ways to Sunday. Will-Trey giggled, squirmed like a worm to get out of his adopted uncle's hold, but to no avail and his torture became worse when Jack started to tickle him in the earnest. Peals of laughter escaped from the nine-year-old lips, quickly joined in by his parents and his grandfather. Finally, after considering the boy had been punished enough, Jack released Will-Trey with an amused smile on his face. Playing "Uncle Jack" was fun, indeed!

"Have you had enough of the wrath of Captain Jack Sparrow, insolent puppy, or do I have to lock you in the brig, as well?"

"No, no! Please have mercy, Captain!" said Will-Trey, shaking from head to toes with laughter and apparently not impressed by an adult pulling rank on him.

The sun made Jack's gold and silver teeth flash brightly. Will-Trey: that was a funny name.

"Where did you get such a pirate-worthy nickname, puppy? Did your mother overindulged in rum before christening you?"

"Oh, Jack!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," snickered the pirate, inwardly thinking it was payback for the time Elizabeth had set fire to a desert island as a makeshift signal for passing-by ships, and she had used all the rum to fuel the flames!

"No, I've named myself," said the boy proudly.

"Oh, did you?"

"Yes! Mummy named me William, just like Daddy and Grandpa. When I was a baby, she used to call me Little Will. But when I turned four, I told Mummy I was a big boy so she couldn't call me Little Will any longer. She asked how she should call me, because there are a lot of Williams in our family: Grandpa is William One, Daddy is William Two, I am William Three and it could be complicated to make the difference between us. I wanted to keep the name "Will" so it would make me as strong and as courageous as Daddy…" Will squeezed Elizabeth's hand so tightly he was in danger to break one of her fingers "… so I said: "I'm Will Three!" but…"

"But my little pirate was experiencing pronunciation difficulties as the time: he said "Trey" instead of "Three" and the name stuck," completed Elizabeth with a smile.

"Yes, and I found my name all on my own!"

"You are definitively a smart puppy," grinned Jack with a wink in the general direction of the boy's glowing-with-pride father.

Will-Trey looked at his audience, looking very pleased with himself, and then he turned serious again and presented Jack the folded piece of paper he had been holding all this time.

"Uncle Jack, I… I'd like you to have this."

Puzzled, Jack opened the paper and realized it was a masterpiece, a testimony of the boy's talent: it was a drawing representing Will, Elizabeth, Will-Trey and Bill standing on an island's beach littered with shells, crabs and shrimps, and they were looking at a man perched atop a ship appearing at the horizon with big grins on their faces. The man had long brown hair, a tricorn hat on his head, he was grinning from ear to ear in a display of yellow and grey and he was holding a sword in his right hand and a jug in his left. Dolphins were jumping out of the waves, there was a jellyfish swimming beneath the surface and the sun was shining brightly in the blue sky. Under the drawing there was a caption written in bold letter: "There will always be a place for you in our home, Uncle Jack!"

"Oh, pup… It's very nice, thank you," said Jack, giving the boy a one-armed embrace. He would have loved to make one of his trademark sarcastic comments but he had to admit a certain nine-year-old had the gift to make Captain Jack Sparrow lose all his nerve. Will-Trey smiled, and then he rushed towards his parents for a hug – which was promptly granted, as Will and Elizabeth were deeply touched by their son's good heart and intelligence.

"You are definitively a chip off the old Turner's block, puppy, but let's not forget you are also a nephew of mine!" thought Jack.

A few hours later, the Turners and the pirate were climbing the cliffs overlooking the house. Jack's hour of departure was getting closer but he had strangely asked to be lead to those high promontories. The Black Pearl II's crewmembers were supposed to pick their Captain up and logic would call for reaching the beach and wait for a longboat to come, but Jack had sniggered at this suggestion. With a smug smile, he had asked Will and Elizabeth: "You don't think I'm going to leave you without a grand finale, now, do you?" but he had steadfastly refused to give an explanation. Will-Trey was sorry to leave Jacky at home, but his mother had told him the kitten was too young to be taken outside yet. Jacky had to get acquainted with his new premises and develop his fighting skills before he could even try to explore the garden: the world could be harsh and cruel to an inexperienced kitten.

After walking for a long time, they finally reached the top of the cliffs together just before the sun was starting to decline in the sky. Jack had slipped Will-Trey's drawing into an oiled leather wallet he wore beneath his shirt, where he usually tucked his important papers like his latest treasure map or secret information about the shipwreck of a gold-loaded vessel from the Western Indies. The wallet would protect this precious drawing from saltwater, keeping it safe from damage. Since he had given Will his necklace back, Jack needed another token of affection from the Turners and this drawing was a beautiful reminder of that marvelous day he had spent in company of his brother, sister-in-law, nephew and old comrade-in-arms.

"Oooh, look!" exclaimed Will-Trey, pointing at something dancing on the waves. "A ship is sailing towards the cliffs!"

"That's the Black Pearl II, puppy. She's the finest, the cream of the crop, the unsurpassed galleon that has ever graced the Caribbean waters!"

"It's a beauty!" exclaimed Elizabeth. Unlike Will and Bill, who had been acquainted with the Black Pearl II during the rescue their friend from Beckett Senior's clutches, the young woman had never seen Jack's new ship.

"Isn't it?" purred Jack, very pleased by the compliment. "A vessel worthy of Captain Sparrow, at long last! Mates, you should see her dancing on the waves during the storm: she has the swiftness of a dragonfly, the flexibility of the most gracious dancer and an iron resistance against unleashed elements. And none of those slowpokes British men-of-wars have a chance chasing after her, oh no! She races like the wind, she's faster than lightning, and as soon as the enemy sees it she vanishes like mist under the sun, making hostiles look like proper imbeciles. Ah, the Pearl gives piracy its lettres de noblesse!"

"You exaggerate again, Uncle Jack!"

"Oh, am I? Just wait 'till you are old enough to enroll and you'll see with your own eyes the qualities of this maritime gem."

"It won't be for a long time, because I have to learn blacksmithing with Daddy and then I'll go to a big school in London to become an engineer."

"Wow! You have inherited your uncle's brains, for sure!" exclaimed Jack, while Will and Elizabeth were discreetly rolling their eyes heavenwards and Bill was smiling fondly at his former commander. "You'll have to keep me posted about your scholarly progresses, pup, since there will be always a place for smart-aleck kids aboard the Black Pearl II. I have enough idiots onboard, thank you very much, especially with Pintel and Ragetti who are worth twenty of them so a bit of fresh brain will be appreciated. Oh, speaking of keeping in touch... Will-mate and Lizzie, will you keep on sending messages via good ol' Gibbs, just for my sake? I mean, even if Mrs. Burble is gone, Shipwreck Island is still in danger of being looked at too closely by Crown clowns, who could ask indiscreet questions about its good citizens and that means you too, now that's you've become landowners."

"But Jack, Gibbs is in Tortuga, which is far away from Shipwreck Island..." started to say Bill, but Jack cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry, be happy! I have arranged the whole thing with Gibbs. Soon, you will receive a package from Tortuga, which will contain two carrier pigeons in a cage. Gibbs trained them himself, and they are guaranteed to find their way to Tortuga from your home, and vice versa. I've chosen a couple so you'll have lots of little feathery messengers and to avoid communication fallouts due to pistol's balls. The pigeons are named Romeo and Juliet, can you believe it? Very appropriate for lovebirds Will and Lizzie, I daresay! Anyway, Gibbs has agreed to transmit your messages to the Black Pearl II as soon as he receives them; he has hundreds of other birds because, on top of his tavern activities he had opened an air mail business, that old rascal, but he's right: long-distance communication is the future. In case of trouble, just send a pigeon to Gibbs without bothering to tie a message at its leg; it'll be our code for "Dangerous situation needing prompt intervention from fantastic Captain Jack Sparrow", savvy?"

"Thank you, Jack. It is good to know we can keep in touch with you, without having to wait for months for an answer," said Will.

"I will send you more drawings, to decorate your Great Cabin!" exclaimed Will-Trey.

"And we will also appreciate to know your whereabouts, in case some people would have the bad idea to make you dance the hangman's gig," completed Elizabeth with a mocking half-smile. "Sometimes even the great Captain Jack Sparrow needs loyal allies to preserve his delicate neck."

"True, so true," said Jack with a dramatic sigh. "The ingratitude of some people is unbelievable. All those judges stuck in their mundane cases, soldiers dying of boredom instead of bullet wounds, merchants hunched over their ledgers day in and day out… Thanks to me, their lives have taken a much more interesting turn but do they only have a hint of appreciativeness for my hard work? Nope! All they do is put in a mask of pseudo-righteousness before circling my neck with hemp, and call me a menace to society while conveniently forgetting honest-to-goodness citizens can be freebooters like any other pirate. I've never seen a merchant who isn't a crook at heart; I've seen judges more corrupted than a beached shark; as for soldiers, they make wonderful pillagers, I have often thought of asking them if they'd be interested in joining my crew!"

Jack glanced downwards and saw the Black Pearl II coming closer to the cliffs. Stalling time was over; he really had to say good-bye to his friends.

"Well, mates, I have to go. Thanks again for the welcome and the dinner, they were both very appreciated and I do know I can come crawling to your house if my ship ever hit rock bottom – even if it is highly unlikely, because I am the kingly Captain Jack Sparrow – but it's the thought that counts!"

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Will-mate?"

Will grabbed the pirate's hand and swiftly deposed something inside. Jack slightly opened his fingers, and his dark eyes widened in surprise after he got a glimpse of multi-flashing, precious gems shining across his calloused palm.

Diamonds!

"B-B-But, kiddo!" stammered the pirate, and for one horrible second he thought he would drop the gems from his surprise and lose them forever in the thick grass covering the cliff's top. Only a lifetime of plunder prevented him to do so.

"This is our present to you, Jack. You have given us a second chance at youth, the least we can do is to give you the means to find your way to our home, anytime. There is enough here to keep your head above water, so stash those for a rainy day and come back to us any time, savvy?"

"What is it, Daddy? What is that you've given Uncle Jack?"

"Aah, that's a secret between your Dad and your Uncle, ship's boy," said Bill, placing a gentle hand on his grandson's shoulder. "You will learn it too when you'll be older."

Will had a gentle smile, and he looked at Bill's glowing face: the elder Turner was obviously very pleased the tears-diamonds he had shed earlier from Will-Trey's antics would be used to give Jack some financial security, since the pirate had never played penny ante and was bound to find himself broke and abandoned if he ever encountered another case of command-overthrowing.

"Will, I… I don't know what to say."

"Say you accept them, just for our peace of mind, all right?"

"Oh, don't you worry, I accept them!" said Jack, pocketing the diamonds in a flash. "It's just… No one has ever bothered to provide for me before and… Ahem… Well, it's kinda weird for me, you see?"

"It's not weird, Jack. It is what relatives do, they help one another. You'll get used to it and it's a nice feeling, believe me."

Jack threw his arms around Will's neck and hugged him close. The young Turner returned the embrace, happy to have ensured his friend's future, just like the outlaw had done for them with that wonderful present of Fountain of Youth's water. He smiled when he felt Jack's hand resting against the back of his head, the outlaw's thumb stroking his dark mane of hair in a gentle gesture, and then Jack's voice discreetly whispered in his ear:

"Baby bro."

"Big bro," answered Will.

The two men ended the embrace and, for a second, the young Turner thought Jack's eyes looked brighter than usual. But right afterwards, the sarcastic smile was back on the infernal pirate Captain as he planted a wet kiss on Elizabeth's forehead with a noisy slurping sound, making Will-Trey laugh his head off.

"Ah, Lovely Lizzie, you are the living embodiment of that celebrated line from Virgil: "Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori" (Love conquers all; let us, too, yield to love). So keep your Chinese sword sharp, your cooking refined and your love intact for a certain whelp and the world will keep on turning smoothly like a steering wheel, savvy?"

"Next time you come, I'll thank you to tell us beforehand; otherwise you could get accidentally skewered by the same Chinese sword you have just mentioned, you insufferable pirate!"

"My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature, combined to my highly-strung survival instinct, tells me I'd better heed this warning in order to keep my sensitive skin intact from any encounter with sharpened metal designed to cut through human anatomies and wielded by an Amazons-inspired sister-in-law! Good luck, Will-mate, you're gonna need it. Bill, see you soon, you old rogue (OUCH! What a grip!). Puppy, you're a great kid and I entrust you in taking good care of my feline alter ego!"

"Good-bye, Uncle Jack," said Will-Trey, wrapping his arms around Jack's waist and burying his face into the dirty shirt, so the pirate won't see the tears shining at the corner of his eyes. He was said to be a big boy and he refused to cry in public, but it was hard to see his funny uncle go! Jack mussed the boy's hair as best as his hurting fingers allowed him to do so, and then he gently released himself from the boy's embrace.

"Well, this is it, then. Good bye, my raving-mad Turners, it's time for Captain Jack Sparrow to get shipboard."

"But Jack! The Black Pearl II is down there, and we're up here," exclaimed Will. "How on Earth are you going to reach your ship?"

"Learn from your elders and betters, kiddo, and especially from me."

And, with those last departing words, Captain Jack Sparrow suddenly ran towards the end of the cliff and flung himself over the edge, right into the sea with a graceful dive while screaming at the top of his lungs: "Yaaaaaaa-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!"

The shocked Turners reached the edge just in time to their friend disappear in the seawater in a loud splash of foam, just at the bottom of the cliffs.

"Mummy! Dad! Uncle Jack has jumped! He's going to drown!" cried out a horrified Will-Trey.

"Don't you worry, Little Heart! Your uncle perfectly knows how to swim," answered Will, gathering the boy up in his arms in a comforting gesture.

"Really?" asked the boy. He wanted to trust his father but he was shocked by what he had just witnessed.

"My little pirate, have you forgotten how he saved me from drowning, at Port Royal?" asked Elizabeth. "I've told you many times he had jumped to retrieve me while I was suffocating on the seabed, trapped in that god-awful corset Grandfather Weathersby had insisted on making me wearing it."

Will-Trey's hazel eyes brightened at the recollection of this story: "Oh, yes! That's true! But it happened before you and Daddy were engaged; otherwise, it would have been him who would have saved you from the sea and the corset. Daddy would have dived twice as high as Uncle Jack did!"

The boy scrutinized the sea with renewed optimist, missing the smile exchanged between Will and Elizabeth, and then he let out a squeal of laughter.

"Mummy, Daddy, Grandpa, look! Uncle Jack is safe!"

The four Turners looked down and, sure enough, a human head had emerged from the waves with the lightness of a cork floating on the surface of a glass of rum. Jack proceeded to swim frantically in the direction of the Black Pearl II; the ship was sailing clear away from the cliffs, deftly avoiding the violent currents and the dangerous swirls, but it certainly couldn't maintain its heading for very long. Fortunately, Captain Jack Sparrow was, on top of all his qualities, a superb swimmer so he reached his beloved vessel in no time; lines have been dropped from the rail and Jack grabbed one before climbing upwards, crawling against the impressive hull like a giant spider. Tugs were felt on the lifeline and the pirate looked up to see two of his most trusted crewmembers, Marty and Cotton, pulling at the rope to help him reach the helm quickly. A slow movement and a loud groan from the Black Pearl II informed Jack that it had changed its course: the ship was getting to the open sea after having retrieved its Captain, distancing itself from Shipwreck Island's shores.

"Welcome back, Cap'tain!" exclaimed Marty the short-sized pirate after Jack had been hauled onboard. Cotton grunted a greeting while his blue-and-yellow parrot squawked: "All hands on deck!"

"Thank you, mate! How things have run during my leave of absence?" asked the soaked-to-the-bone pirate, dripping wet on the deck's planks. He grabbed his mane of tresses and dreadlocks and wrung them dry as if his hair was a recently-washed bed sheet.

"Just fine, Cap'tain; we are fully restocked in food and drinking water from the Shipwreck City's smugglers, the barrels of rum are filled to the brim and Mister Wang Tao has gathered some fresh info about the whereabouts of a ship which has sank recently with a nice booty in its holds."

"That's good news, very good indeed!" said Jack with a feral grin. "Who's at the wheel?"

"Paulson, Cap'tain."

"Right, then my close-to-the-ground sailor, kindly tell Paulson to keep the course sunset-wise until I'll give him further indications. I need to talk with Mister Wang Tao before determining what our heading will be but, in the meantime, we need to distance ourselves from Shipwreck Island. We don't want to smash our beautiful ship against those hard cliffs, now, do we?"

"Of course not, Cap'tain. Will do, Cap'tain!"

Marty dashed to the helm to give Paulson the instructions, while Cotton the mute pirate handed Jack an almost-clean towel. Jack accepted it gratefully but, after he had dried his face with, he grimaced when he realized his kohl make-up had ran, thanks to his recent dive in the drink, and streaks of black were maculating the cloth.

"Why anyone hasn't invented waterproof make-up?" grumbled Jack.

"It would be a good idea, Lord Captain Sparrow," said a voice at his elbow. Jack turned his head to see Wang Tao, a Chinese assassin employed aboard the Black Pearl II as a spy, standing next to him. As usual, the little bald man was dressed in immaculate grey silk clothes and his mischievous dark eyes were fixed on the pirate.

"Hey, Mister Wang Tao."

"Greetings, Lord Captain Sparrow! My humble person is overjoyed to see you back aboard the mightiest ship of the Caribbean seas, reading to lead us to enriching prospects. I have taken the initiative to bring you this," said the Chinaman, handing out Jack's favorite items: a jug of rum and his spyglass.

"Mister Wang Tao, you've been reading my mind!" said Jack before taking a long swing of rum, but in his eagerness to drink some of the liquid splattered all over the front of his already drenched shirt. Whoosh, bang, hello world! Lizzie's cooking had been delicious, but the girl definitively had to add rum in her storeroom.

"May I ask if your stay on land has been enjoyable?"

"It has been the case, Mister Wang Tao, and I've heard your trip downtown has been fruitful for you, too."

"Why, yes! A few coins and a lot of alcoholic beverages have done wonders to loosen up foolish tongues; I will give you my full report at your leisure."

"And what about Mrs. Badinage and her weak-minded husband, have you made sure they have left Shipwreck Island for good?"

"I did, Lord Captain Sparrow, and my contact in Port Royal has sent me a message – sent by a carrier pigeon provided by Venerable Joshamee Gibbs – to inform us this dreadful couple has indeed headed for Port Royal. And there is a considerable chance they will be arrested there, since former would-be Governor Bull is still actively sought after for desertion. He may have thought the authorities have forgotten all about him…"

"But the British Crown has a tenacious hatred and a very long arm. Very well, Mister Wang Tao, I am grateful for your help during our little intrusion in this mansion of atrocious taste. Meet me at the Great Cabin; you'll give me your report there. I'll join you in a minute…" said Jack, his attention being caught by the silhouettes standing at the top of the cliffs, getting smaller by the minute from the Black Pearl II's course.

Wang Tao bowed and withdrew quietly. Jack grabbed his spyglass and directed it towards his family: the Turners were smiling and waving at him, but their faces were sad. Jack waved back and his action prompted Will-Trey, still carried in his father's arms, to wave with two hands instead of one.

"Aw, don't you worry, mates, this is only an Au revoir, not an Adieu. Captain Jack Sparrow never says Adieu! And I'll be back in your lives, for better or for far worse, before you'll even know it. How and why, that's a mystery, who can pretend having the power to lift the veil of future? All I know, however, is that we Sparrow-Turners are made of the same metal: we never yield in front of tempests or armies, regardless of the odds. That's why you have triumphed from that monstrous oath bonding you to the Dutchman, Will-mate: you have chosen your own destiny instead of falling headlong into the trap of bitterness, avoiding the trap of becoming tentacle-bearded like your predecessor. Same thing with you, Lizzie; you have escaped the cage of an upper-class, respectable, boring marriage with a stuck-up officer to become yourself, a damn good female pirate. Not to forget that good ol' Bill, who could never betray his heart, not even if Satan's most hideous representative would blackmail him to do so. And that new generation of Turner! Resourceful, bright, quick on his feet… You're making your uncle proud, puppy, and I won't insult your intelligence with unneeded lectures about the importance of choosing your own path. "Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, which we ascribe to Heaven," to quote the Bard!"

A loud burp concluded Jack's philosophical comment, and then he waved one last time before turning his heels in the direction of the Great Cabin: "Now, even if my pockets are already full of glittering biscuits, how about getting some extra cash for the crew?"

The Turners watched the Black Pearl II until it disappeared behind the horizon, and then Will-Trey curled up in his father's arms, while Elizabeth hugged her husband tightly and Bill rested both hands on his son's shoulders. Will looked a bit surprised, but he quickly understood the message: his family had just silently sworn that nothing on Earth could separate them and they would love him forever. The young Turner sighed in contentment, and he smiled after Will-Trey deposed a gentle kiss on the side of his face. A long moment passed before Will asked:

"Shall we go home now, my loves?"

"Oh yes, beloved."

"Yes, Daddy!"

"With pleasure, Little One."

"Together," whispered Will.

And then, four voices said in unison:

"Turners together".

THE END!