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The way the sun reflected off the water and unto Clara's eyes was beautiful. Her smile was like the soft breeze, refreshing and calming but it never overpowered anything in its path. It was a wonderful thing - how a small change of scenery could light up a person. The young woman was like a different person in Jack's eyes. He had only encountered her twice, in which both times end up with her hitting him. It was a nice change.
William was currently telling him his backstory, but it served him little interest, his sights were set on the young woman in front of him. His brow raised slightly as he watched her tie off a rope, using the correct knot. She glanced up at him, those beautiful eyes wide with excitement and wonder. He had seen those eyes before, a long time ago, so long that he couldn't up a relative memory of them.
"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself," he heard Will continue as the young man sharpened his cutlass. "After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."
"Is that so?" Jack muttered.
Will stood following Jack up to the helm. "My father, Bill Turner? It was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."
Fixing the ropes as she went, Clara eavesdropped on the men's conversation, standing close to the stairs.
Jack took in a sharp breath before standing to meet Will in the eye. "I knew him. Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him 'Bootstrap' or 'Bootstrap Bill'."
"'Bootstrap?'"
Jack turned to the wheel once more, throwing away the rope that held it in place. "Good man. Good pirate. I swear, you look just like him."
"It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."
"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag."
"My father was not a pirate!" The sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath, made Clara look up. Will was about to cut Jack down as she cried out.
"Will, no! It's not worth it!" Clara ran up the steps, trying to jump between her friend and the pirate but Jack held out an arm, keeping her at bay.
"Put it away, son. As the lass said, it's not worth you getting beat again."
"You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you."
Jack finally turned around. "Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is it?" He turned the wheel hard. He ducked, pulling Clara down with him as the sail boom whipped around and slammed into Will. His sword clattered on that deck as the boom swept him off his feet, dangling him over the water.
