Title: The Promise

Person Responsible: Jodie

E-mail: irishelfprincess07yahoo.com

Rating: PG (Character death, blood)

Spoilers: none

Declaimer: They're not mine, can I have them please? {:-}

Jack walked through the passage expecting the cave to be filled with the sound of the Pearl's crew to be chanting for blood, but instead there was a deathly silence in its place.

There were no torches to light the cave and the moonlight was it's only illumination. Worry began to eat at the pirate's heart and he stepped into the caves hollow where the main load of treasure and stone chest was, and there was an eerie quietness save for the lapping of the water. At first he thought that they were hiding and preparing an attack, but his plan was worked out so that they would have no reason to harm the captain.

The only sound Jack heard was the hollow sound of his boots on the rock floor. He climbed the hill that led up to the chest, the mounds of gold jangling as it was disturbed, the chest's lid was set on an angle showing the glint of the gold held within it.

And he saw the moonlight glint off of the blood that covered the back end of the stone box and continued over the floor.

The red trail led Jack down the back of the mount where he found Will. His throat had been slashed open, and his open eyes started into oblivion. Jack could almost see how it had happened.

Flashback

"No reason fret mate," The pirate said to their captive, "Prick of the finger, a few drop blood."

"No mistakes this time!" Twig interrupted, "He's only half Tunner, we spill it all!"

"Guess there is reason to fret." End Flashback

And spilled it all they had... there was a fan of blood covering the back of the chest, and who knew how much there was in the chest itself, Jack couldn't bring himself to look.

Flashback

"Begun by blood, by blood undone!"

The pirates chatted zealously as Barbossa put the knife to Will's neck.

It was silent as Barbossa ruthlessly sliced the blade through the young man's throat, spilling his blood and roughly threw him back when his body became limp.

End Flashback

Jack knelt beside Will's body, and closed the boy's eyes with his finger's tips. It was the one thing that was left to do.

"Don't let anything happen to him Jack. Promise me!" Bill Turner's voice came out of the past, pounding his conscious with guilt.

Jack's Memory

They had been plotting their mutiny that afternoon in the hold, everything was set until they realized they we're being spied on. The eavesdropper was wrestled through the doorway and held fast.

"What's in yer head Bootstrap?" Barbossa growled pointing his pistol in the man's face.

"Now they'll hear that shot up above won't they?" Bill said, saving him from an unpleasant death.

The pirates contemplated what to do with him, the idea of gagging and tying him seemed the most logical, but as soon as he was missed or someone came into the hold, all would be lost. Then someone picked up a sheet of paper that had fallen to the ground in the struggle that had preceded Bill's capture.

"Take a look at this sir." One of Barbossa's men said to him, handing him the document.

It was a letter to Bootstrap from his son, "So your boy's coming to the Caribbean is he?" Barbossa said to his captive and fear began to prick Bill's heart. "I'll make it plain to ya Turner, you so much as mutter anything to Sparrow and I swear to you we'll find the boat that has your brat on it, and I'll personally deliver his heart to ye!"

End Memory

Jack had never faulted Bill for trying to warn him before it was too late. But before Jack was left on the island, he had made a promise to Bill.

Memory

Jack knew why Bill hadn't told him till the critical moment, and when Bill tried to apologize before Jack was about to be stranded he had simply waved it off, Jack would not have risked a threat on his offspring either if he had any. And they both knew that Bill was more then likely to forfeit his life for it.

"Jack," Bill said to him, "If you ever see him, promise me he'll be alright. Don't let anything happen to him Jack. Promise me!"

Jack had promised this to him without hesitation, the man was his best friend, if anything happen to him, the least he could do was see that his son was safe.

End Memory

"Tell him I'm sorry." Jack whispered to the still form.

Taking up Will's body he carried him back through the cave, the curse had been broken, and the pearl long gone.

"I'm probably going to be seeing you two in a while anyway."

FIN

This story was the product of insomnia, I messed with the times and other stuff I know, but going on 3 days with no sleep? So don't flame me.