Season of the Tides (Pirates of the Caribbean)

25. A Storm Coming

The sun woke Will, it's rays turning his dreams pink.

He was on the grassy shore of the river, but he wasn't alone. The sight of Kaylee curled up next to him made him smile, and if he chose to accept her, the term and-they-lived-happily-ever-after really would apply to them. If he chose. Was it even a question? He loved her, and he needed her; he could no longer think about life without her. This-this was what true love truly felt like, and he knew it...but he was a pirate, and she a princess of the highest throne there was. He knew she didn't care, and that's how much she truly did love him. They'd been traveling for well over two months, and in that short time he found love. True love. Plenty of others had shown interest in him, but he never really liked any of them. Talika was perhaps one he'd been interested in, but then Kaylee had come into his life...and any thought of being with Talika had been blown out of the water. He knew Talika still loved him, though, but he would never love her that way.

He sighed, leaning his head on hers; staring up through the trees. The Pearl would be would be on the shores by now, but he really didn't want to get up.

He felt Kaylee's ear twitch, and knew she was awake.

"Is the Pearl here yet?" she asked, her clear voice seeming to wake him.

"We should probably find out," he replied.

She sat up, her hair damp from their water war the night before. Rising to her feet, she offered him a hand; he accepted and they started back to Tia's House.

Will had always known of Calypso, as he believed as much as he could about the world, for almost everything he once believed to be unrealistic was real.

"Where've you two been?" Pintel demanded as they entered.

"Planning," Kaylee retorted," We have to have some sort of plot before we go running to Urselon."

Will had to admit that it was a good excuse, but she'd probably had practice.

"Will, there you are!" Talika greeted as she climbed up the latter," Where've you been?"

"Planning," Pintel replied.

Talika turned her sharp gaze on him,

"Did I ask-" she stopped at Will's look, and sighed.

"What is our plan for getting to Urselon?" she asked warily.

Kaylee raised her eyebrows and Pintel frowned in surprise, Will glanced at Kaylee; what exactly was the plan?

"We split into two teams, and scour the island until we find the caverns. One team will go in, and the other will keep watch," Kaylee told them.

Not bad. It was a great plan, in fact; how did she just come up with that?

Talika said nothing as she eyed Kaylee, and looked back to Will. Marien appeared in the doorway,

"Oh, good you two are back," she said as she spotted Will and Kaylee," The Pearl is on the horizon."

Will caught Talika's look of utter bewilderment at these words, and he felt a twinge in his nerves.

"Go back to the Pearl and alert them of what happened-"

"And I'll go tell them the plan," Talika put in.

Marien looked at her with narrowed eyes and Pintel balked.

"Very well, where is everyone else?" Will asked.

"Already heading to shore," Marien replied.