Will stood at the window, his newly made sword in front of him, lying on the windowsill, calloused fingers running over the silken blade like a jeweler would inspect a crystal, bright brown eyes occasionally glancing up from the sword to the docks down by the beach, as though he was expecting someone, the full moon glowing overhead, it's white light splashing onto the sea, diamond-like droplets of water gleaming with life not of their own.

Sighing, the young Turner looked back down at his sword, seeing his reflection gleam at him.

Turning, Will removed the sword from the windowsill, before sheathing it, another sigh slipping from his lips as he placed it with all the others.

"Lookin' rather lost, aren't we, Young Mr Turner?"

Will froze.

Slowly turning, as though in a dream, Will faced the voice, who was standing in the middle of the blacksmiths' shop, looking only a little different from last time Will had last seen him, a year or so previously.

"Jack," Will sighed, feeling as though four tons of stress just lifted from his shoulders.

Jack rose his eyebrows pointedly.

"Captain Jack, of course." Will corrected himself with a smirk.

Jack nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Where's the bonny lass?"

"Sleeping." Will answered with a smile, then, quite suddenly, something clicked.

"JACK!" Will squeaked, eyes wide.

Jack blinked at Will. "Aye?"

"W-What are you doing here?! There are guards everywhere! You might get caught!" Will hissed, mentally beating himself for not thinking of this earlier.

Jack blinked again. "I need ye, Will. And yer bonny lass." he stated in a mono-tone.

Will stared at Jack. "What? Why?"

Jack looked down at his feet, before slowly raising his arms for Will to see. Will felt every ounce of blood drain from his face, his eyes widening to almost inhuman proportions.

Jack's fingertips were deathly pale, from his knuckles down were bandaged, and his sleeves were pulled up to his wrists, but that wasn't hiding the blood that had soaked through the bandages and into cloth, staining the cream coloured fabric, scarlet.

Jack was bleeding. a lot.

Will didn't even know his mouth was hanging open, he was just staring at the blood that was silently dripping from Jack's sleeves, to the dirty floor.

Quite suddenly, Jack screamed. Not a warrior-like scream, but a scream etched with agony. Jack fell to his knees and elbows, Will launching forward to his side before he could help himself.

"Ja--" Will started, but before he could finish, Jack retched and blood exploded out of the captain's mouth, over his hands and onto the floor.

Will stared, a hand on the captain's shoulder, watching as blood dripped from Jack's stained lips.

He only just heard Jack speak.

"Why does she have to do this to me..."

((TBC. i sent this chapter to a friend of mine, and she grinned all through reading it. anyway, i hoped you liked it, and please review if you want.))