Summary: "'Where are the others?' Elizabeth asked. 'Will? Where are they?'" Will shows up on the beach of Isla Cruces, Jack and Norrington nowhere in sight. Takes place during DMC. Dark Will. Rated M for gore.

Fallen Behind

Elizabeth Swann was confused when her fiance emerged on the beach, Captain Sparrow and Norrington no longer behind him. They'd been fighting over the key to the chest that contained Davy Jones' heart. And now, only her fiance remained. She couldn't help the worry that coursed through her- she cared for all three men to a degree.

"Where are the others?" Elizabeth asked.

The blacksmith didn't answer, instead pocketing a key that he held.

"Will? Where are they?" She demanded, a pit of dread growing in her stomach.

"Jack and Norrington fell behind." Will Turner responded, voice cold rather than regretful. A dark glint flashed in his eyes. "I'll be waiting at the boats."

"Shouldn't we wait for them?" She asked.

"Not according to the Code." He pointed out, walking past her.

Elizabeth watched him go before turning back to the trees. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Something had happened- something bad. Jack and James were either dead or injured. Part of her suggested that Will had done something, but he refused to believe it. Still, she had to know that the other two men were alright.

She forced herself to walk into the palms. As she advanced through the trees, she realized that the island had gone unnaturally quiet. The birds had stopped singing and even the rustling of leaves in the wind seemed to have stopped. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears.

Something had gone wrong. It wasn't a mere feeling now. She knew that something had gone astray in the battle between the three men. Part of her wanted her to turn back, wanted to save her from what she'd inevitably find. But she pushed on, for she had to know of the fates of Jack Sparrow and James Norrington.

Elizabeth tuned out of her surroundings, focusing on trying to calm herself. Just as she had, she felt something mushy under her boots. She felt bile rise in her throat. Upon looking down, she saw the gutted body of James Norrington. His insides had been strewn across the grass, leaving blood everywhere. His eyes were open, glazed over in terror, mouth open in a scream that she hadn't heard.

He was dead.

And she was standing on what seemed to be an intestine.

She screamed. She screamed in disbelief, terror, disgust, and a lot of other emotions that she couldn't place. She raced away from the scene of the murder; raced away from the gutted man's body. Eventually, she had to come to a stop, tears streaming down her young face. She doubled over and retched until she could no longer.

She curled her knees to her chest, sitting on the palm forest floor and rocking herself.

Some time later, she dragged herself to her feet, only the dim hope of Jack possibly being still alive convincing her to do so. If he was alive, he'd need her help now more than ever. She set off again, slowly, mournfully, reluctantly, going further into the forest in which James Norrington had been gutted.

After awhile, Elizabeth began to hear something other than her pounding blood. She stopped, clearing her head for a moment to listen. Breathing- she could hear breathing. From what she could tell, the owner of the breathing was both panicked and hurting.

She scarcely breathed herself, walking in the direction that it became loudest. The sounds of a struggle soon became known. She recognized a groan. Jack! He was alive!

"Jack?" She called out, careful not to be too loud in case Will hadn't been the attacker and said attacker was still near.

She followed the direction of the pirate's breathing. She stopped dead when she spotted two belts- Jack's belts- wrapped tightly around a tree. She could make out some of the pirate's effects lying on the ground, weapons included. But what's more is that she could see blood and blood covered items on the ground.

Gutted; Jack Sparrow had been gutted too.

Horrified at the thought that the pirate was still alive and suffering the pain of having his insides torn out, she slowly crept forward and rounded the tree.

The sight of Jack was a sickening sight to bear. It was almost worse than when she had found James. His belts had been strapped across his body; one across his upper torso and arms, the other his legs. His stomach area had been slit open. Blood and various other parts of him hung out. His head was hung, chin resting against his chest, which rose and fell weakly. The grass beneath him wasn't stained with only blood, but vomit too. He'd gotten sick over his own state. His eyes were squeezed tight and blood leaked from his lips.

The great, infamous Captain Jack Sparrow was too disgusted to look at what had been done to him. She felt her heart break at the thought of it.

"Jack?" Elizabeth breathed out, standing a few feet away from him.

"Don't come any closer." He demanded, weak voice just above a whisper.

"Who did this to you and James?" She asked.

"Him too?" The pirate's voice was full of pain and remorse. "Oh bloody God...the bastard."

"Jack, who did this?"

Jack merely lifted his head and opened his eyes, gazing into hers sorrowfully.

"It was Will, wasn't it?"

He averted his eyes to the ground, though he cringed in immediate regret. "So that's where my other lung went…"

"Jack…?"

"I think ye already know the answer to your question, 'Lizabeth."

"Why did he do this?" Elizabeth felt tears welling in her eyes.

"I-I don't know." Jack stuttered. "He jus'...went out o' control. Separated us. Sliced me open an' tied me to this tree. Pulled out wha' he could, then Norrington found us an' they disappeared.

"Ye shouldn't 'ave come. It's too dangerous. He could be anywhere. I don't want ye to suffer the same fate as the former commodore an' I. Ye need to leave."

"I can't leave you here alone. Besides, Will went back to the longboats." She informed him.

"No, he followed ye back 'ere to me." He'd froze, eyes fixed in terror on something behind her. "Go! Elizabeth, go now!"

She whipped around, seeing no one other than Will Turner himself behind her.

"How much did you tell her?" A snarl came from the murderer's throat as he glared between them. "How much does she know?"

Jack's voice caught in his throat, fear taking control of his body. He thrashed against his restraints- his own belts- his breath loud and raspy.

Elizabeth's own jaw opened and closed several times before she could form words. Upon examining her fiance more closely, she could see the blood of both James Norrington and Jack Sparrow upon his clothing. "Will, why are you doing this?"

He turned on her. "How much did he tell you?"

"He only told me what I asked him to tell." She assured him, her voice faltering.

This answer didn't satisfy the blacksmith. He lunged at her, bloody sword drawn. She felt a slash of pain across her abdomen and cried out. She was aware of things shifting in her body as the black abyss came to her. She thought she heard someone scream her name.

Then there was nothing.