Disclaimer: Everything recognizable--© Disney. The plot and everything else unrecognizable is mine.

Notes: Alas! I had the worst time writing this chapter as I didn't want to reveal too much. A lot is revealed, I will admit, but I hope I'm still able to keep you guessing. I will give you this warning: there are a lot of plot twists in this tale. It's like a riddle, so even though you think you have it figured out now, it will most likely change within the next chapter or so. You've been warned!

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Devil's Riddle

Chapter Four: I Came Out Here for Love

By: MJ

There. He had finally come on deck, limping so as to not put a lot of pressure on his bitten ankle, and looking as though he was going to pass out any moment. Much to Elizabeth's dismay, he was out on deck, watching the Dutchman sail away. Did he even know where she was? Did he even care?

Obviously, he did, because he broke out running for the bow of the Black Pearl. He was ignoring what she figured had to be stabbing pains in his ankle, and he was ignoring the voices calling him back—telling him to get out of sight, or he'd be next.

Finally, she heard what she had been dying to hear—his voice filled with some other emotion other than hatred or betrayal. There was nothing but love in Will Turner's desperate call.

"Elizabeth!"

She knew that if she called back, it would garner attention to the fact that her fiancée was not dead, so she merely began to sob heavily as he called out to her again and again, the sound reaching her ears right before they took her down below.

"Elizabeth!"

One of the two people who were holding onto her arms tightened their grip. "Get quiet, missy, or else we'll have to…" She didn't bother paying attention to the threat, as she realized it was probably an empty one. James Norrington had taken the heart, and probably has Davey Jones wrapped around one of his arrogant little fingers, she reasoned to herself. He'd stab Davey's heart if he knew I had been hurt. She did quiet down, however, as one of them let go of her to unlock the cell door in the brig. They shoved her in there unceremoniously, and she sighed and bit her lip.

"Will," she whispered to herself, curling up into a ball and wrapping her arms around her legs. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. "Will…"

"ELIZABETH!" He yelled, with all the strength left in him as he watched the Dutchman sail away. He fell against the rail, unable to take the sudden pressure to his wound, nor was he used to walking again, let alone walking while at sea. He held onto the rail for his life, his eyes wide as he watched the ship sail away. "Elizabeth… Elizabeth…"

"ELIZABETH!" He yelled, with all the strength left in him as he watched the sail away. He fell against the rail, unable to take the sudden pressure to his wound, nor was he used to walking again, let alone walking while at sea. He held onto the rail for his life, his eyes wide as he watched the ship sail away. "Elizabeth… Elizabeth…"

"She's gone, Turner," he heard Barbossa growl.

"Why?"

"Because Davy Jones said she was needed…"

"No, not that," Will snapped, his head jerking up so as to meet his captain's eye. "Why did you let them take her?"

"Will," Ana Maria's voice was now present as the remaining two women on the ship came up to him. He snapped his head towards her, and she smiled, "We need t'get ye off tha' ankle."

"You're not answering my question. Why did you let them take her--? Do you know who he is--? Do you know what he's done?"

"To Jack--? Of course, lad, no one is tha' stupid on this ship, contrary t'yer beliefs."

For the first time, Will voiced his true feelings about said Captain Jack, "I could really give a damn about Jack… I'm asking if you knew what he did to me? He knows who Elizabeth is, who knows who I am… What makes you think she's safe over there? Why did you let them take her?" He was getting angrier and bitter, betrayed.

The group remained quiet as Will seethed, before his legs gave out, and he was sitting there, arms crossed over his bare chest, glaring at them. Although it was reminiscent to a child pouting because his mother caught him stealing a cookie, it was still threatening in the sense that Will was armed as he had grabbed a sword to fight when he came up on deck, and unlike a young child, Will knew how to wield a sword. His chocolate brown eyes were looking from one face to the next, betrayed, hurt, and bitter.

Finally, Tia Dalma was the one to break the ice. "Because dey wanted 'er, an' wha's t'say we shouldn't give 'im wha' 'e wanted?"

"…And I want her. Why take away something I want because you can? I'm not some toddler and you're taking away my sweets before supper—you gave away the love of my life to some… monster, and you think that what you did was right?" Will spat vehemently. He tried to stand, but couldn't, and this aggravated him even more. Ana Maria rushed to his side, and helped him to stand.

"Lean on me," she whispered. "C'mon—let's go back to--"

"William, don't ya see it in yer dreams?" Tia whispered suddenly, her eyes glazing over.

"What do you know of my dreams?" Will asked suspiciously, wondering how much he had revealed while delirious with his fever.

"The answers will come to you in your dreams, or did'ja fall asleep at tha' par'?" She said, laughing faintly as he stumbled slightly.

"I've had too many—what's to say which one holds the right answer?"

"They've all had the same outcome, though, 'aven't they? Wit' yer li'l girl walkin' int'a th' open arms o' a certain pirate captain…?" Will's eyes darted to the deck of the ship, feeling the crew stop in their tracks to watch him. Their eyes were burning holes into his flesh, and he was growing weaker by the moment.

"…Take-take… me…" Ana Maria didn't need further prodding on Will's part, and helped him back to the cabin of the Black Pearl, whilst still maintaining a seething glare in Tia Dalma's direction.

"Bit cruel, don't you think?"

The two remained glued to their spot, watching Will limp weakly back into the Captain's cabin, with Ana Maria soothing him with consoling words. The Spanish lass still was able to shoot the both of them a scathing glare. Tia Dalma laughed considerably, turning around to face the horizon whilst leaning against the rail.

"Ye're an awful person t'be talkin' 'bout wha' exac'ly be 'cruel'," she said back to Barbossa in good humor. He wasn't amused.

"An' I also know tha' mos' people don't like getting' their 'earts broken, let alone stomped on," he looked pointedly at her, and she looked away, her eyes glaring out into the horizon before she spat at him.

"D'ye wan' t' stay alive?" She asked suddenly, looking back at him with a determined hint to her black eyes. He raised a brow in a confused manner, before he realized what she meant.

"I wasn't dead when ye plucked me ou' o' tha'… tha' hell."

"Tha' be wha' th' Catholics call purgatory… I like t'call it payin' back th' debt ye wreaked on prop'ah society," she said coolly, still looking at him.

"An' ye would know an' awful lot about tha', I'm sure--"

"Ye can keep yer sarcasm t'yeself if'n ye don't want t' have t' spend the rest o' eternity swabbin' deck after deck in a place too hot fer it t'be normal," she threatened. He quieted quickly, still sending her an awful glare. "Jus' bring me back me cap'n, an' I'll keep ye alive s'long tha' ye'll be beggin' me t'kill ye all over again…"

"Fair enough," he grunted as she walked away, her various decorations chiming as she made her way towards the captain's cabin.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life fer me…"

"'Ey! You! Shaddup an' keep walkin'!"

"If'n I must be here already fer the rest o' eternity, me thinks I don' have t'listen to the likes of ye," the singing man spat back at his overseer, the demon-like man bringing his whip to the man's back right after he finished. The man only flinched, nothing left his mouth until, "After all, ye can't exactly make this worse."

He was walking in a straight line, a man before him, and a man behind him, on their way to somewhere else. He didn't figure out where, just yet, just that he really wasn't looking forward to getting there. Several guards—all of them looking less human than the last, were accompanying them. Finally, the man in front of him stopped, and he groaned.

"Damn. I was jus' gettin' used t'th' walkin'."

"Shaddup!" Another whack to his back. He sighed, biting his cheek as the people in front of him started climbing some weird-looking steps. Were those—human skulls? Finally, it was his turn.

He climbed the steps, not quite sure where, exactly, he was going, as a thick fog surrounded him. He couldn't see how many steps he had gone, because the fog seemed to be following him up. He sighed and turned back around. He realized he was getting closer to the top when he started to hear voices.

"What do you plea to all of these offenses?"

"I'm innocen'—I swear it!"

"And why should I believe you—a man hanged for piracy?"

"Perhaps because people can be good and a pirate at the same time?"

"Away with you—to the work fields!"

And with a loud crack, it all fell silent. The man grimaced, wondering what his fate would be, when the fog was starting to clear. A large platform was in his vision, on top of it an altar and a throne, and upon that throne was the man he had avoided his entire life.

He had come face to face with Hades.

"Jack Sparrow!" A demon-guard called from his position next to Hades. Jack rolled his chocolate brown eyes, glaring at them both.

"It's Captain Jack Sparrow, mates."

"Is it true?"

"Does it matter?" Will spat as he sat in a chair. He refused to lie down, and Ana Maria wasn't about to push his nerves. It was obvious that Tia Dalma's words had had a horrible effect on Will; he looked as though he was about to be sick, and at the same time, he was able to look angry and betrayed. She was convinced that, had she not been there, he would've been crying. She leaned against the door and sighed, watching him pick up his father's knife and gently run his thumb across the blade. He was avoiding it, she knew, and she turned to leave when he finally spoke. "In my dreams… nightmares, more like it," he said, looking up at her, hurt prominent in his eyes, "she runs right into his open arms. Every time. And her words are always the same: 'I'll miss him'." He sighed and turned around to look out the window and out to the water. "I didn't understand what she meant, until… more recently." Ana Maria was restraining herself tremendously by not urging him to continue. After another long pause, he looked back at her. "Someone has to die."

"What do you mean?"

"For Jack to come back someone has to die—for anyone to come back from the dead, someone has to die." He watched her face change from shock, to anxiety as she finally asked the obvious question.

"Who?"

"I don't know yet," he said, sighing. "In… in some of my dreams, I've killed her. I've raised this very knife and pierced her heart," his voice was quivering, and he shivered from a sudden chill. "In those dreams, they're both dead… And someone else comes back—his face is a blur, so I haven't quite figured out who he is…"

"And in others?"

"In others, it's Tia… It's Barbossa… It's you, it's me."

"You?"

"I kill myself. I kill myself over some… some branch-like thing. It looks like… like a body part… Like an old, rotten leg…" Will shuddered. "…I stab myself with my father's blade."

"Which one do you think is right?" She asked hesitantly, after a bit of a pause. Will glanced at her before he turned away, avoiding her gaze as the tears finally began to leak.

"If Jack and Elizabeth are truly meant to be together," he said, not noticing that her back stiffened, nor that her eyes turned furious in anger. He looked down, the salty tears dripping off of his long nose, making a puddle on the ground, "Then I think I'd rather kill myself."

"We brough' 'er, jus' like ye asked. Cap'n wants t'know if'n ye need anymore favors," one of Elizabeth's captors grunted to James Norrington as they pushed Elizabeth to the ground. It had been three days since they had taken her off of the Black Pearl. Three days she had spent in the brig, wondering where she was going—what was going to become of her, and what, ultimately, had happened to Will. She remained seated on the ground, ashamed.

"What of the other? Where's William Turner?"

"Dead," the second captor grunted, shifting his weight from his peg leg to his human leg. His face was covered in barnacles, and it was truly making James gag. He glanced down nervously at Elizabeth.

"Is this true, Elizabeth?" She sniffed, almost inaudibly. He sighed, and looked up at them. "Then no, there's nothing more I require of Jones yet. Get out of here." Without any more prodding, they left. James knelt down before Elizabeth; he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he said, sincerely. He, himself, was in pain just seeing her so distraught. She flinched away from his touch, and moved away. He sighed. "Elizabeth, I'm here to help you, I'm--"

"Haven't been helpful so far, have you?" She spat, finally looking up to him. "Had you not taken that heart… Had you just… just let Jack Sparrow have it… we wouldn't be in this mess… Will-Will would still--" Although she had been about to say 'love me', she remembered that Will was supposed to be dead. Gone forever—well, it was close enough to the truth. Her eyes looked lost and helpless as she glared at him, "Will would still be alive."

"How… how did he die?" But she turned her back to him, and he sighed. "Your father wants to see you."

Remain hard, Elizabeth—he probably wants to marry me off to the finest of gentlemen…Now that Will is out of the way…

"I'll have one of your men escort me to the estate," she sniffed, standing and brushing the dirt off of her pants.

"There is no estate, Elizabeth," James attempted, but she wouldn't hear it. "Your father's been staying with me since… since," he chewed on the inside of his lip, "since Beckett took away your father's right as Governor."

She whirled around to face him, gaping at him as he sighed and stood. He clasped his hands behind his back and watched her, quizzically for another moment. "He's right up--"

"You bastard!" She whispered, moving towards him suddenly. James looked alarmed for but a moment before he regained his composure. "Don't you see what you and that man have done? All of your greed for power—don't you know who you've hurt—does that even matter to you?" She asked, slightly hysterical. She raised a hand and slapped him soundly on the cheek.

"Elizabeth, that was quite uncalled for."

She glanced up the staircase to see her father, dressed in simpleton's clothing—a pair of brown breeches and a shirt with his buckled shoes being the only piece of clothing that showed the man had some wealth. Elizabeth sent an apologetic stare to her father, before she glared at James one more time before running up to his open arms. "Father," she whispered, as he broke the embrace to get a good look at her.

"Darling—where's William?"

That's when she began to cry again, sobs racking her small body as she collapsed in his arms. "He's dead, Father."

"Oh, Elizabeth," he whispered, hugging her tighter. "I'm so sorry."

That only made her cry more; finally, when her father seemed to care—almost agree with the betrothal… Will was "dead", and it was all too late.

"Will! We've reached Port Royal… Just as far as we can go without… well," Ana Maria called as she knocked on the door to Will's cabin. He sighed as he pulled on his shirt.

"I'm coming!"

"You are staying!" Tia Dalma's voice was heard from the other side of the door. Will glowered.

"You can't make me—I must find Elizabeth," Will was determined as he grabbed the crutch Ana Maria had made to aid in his walking for a while. He made his way quickly to the door and opened it. "I must." He repeated, staring down at the island woman. She kicked the crutch out from underneath him, causing him to stumble a bit, but not fall.

"Ye'll slow us down," she muttered darkly. He glared as he righted himself.

"You were already slow to begin with. I'm going."

They all soon realized there was no rationalizing with Will, so it was no surprise to any when he made his way into the long boat, and helped Barbossa row to shore. He wouldn't glance at Tia Dalma, nor would she glance at him. In his mind, her words kept repeating themselves:

With your little girl running into the open arms of a certain pirate captain.

Your little girl.

Open arms.

Jack Sparrow.

He sighed, watching Port Royal grow larger and larger. They came a bit to the side of the port, away from the docks—from the guards, from the boats, from the navy, from Beckett. Ana Maria helped Will out of the boat, and they walked up the beach to find Tia Dalma wrapping her hair in a scarf, her clothing a bit more… gypsy like. "Where are you going?" Will asked as they congregated again towards the little forest behind Port Royal's homes. She grinned.

"I'm goin' ter get Elizabeth back—and ye really shouldn't have come."

"Why not?"

"Because ye can't go—if'n I got me facts straight, Elizabeth told Jones ye were dead. Tha' means she mos' likely tol' Norry ye were dead, so they wouldn't go after ye," she reasoned, and Barbossa chuckled.

"Ye came out here fer nothing boy," he chortled, slapping Will's shoulder before he and Ana Maria (who had sent him a sympathetic glance) made their way towards the town, to pick up supplies and gather information. Will sighed, as he walked into the woods. He walked a bit, making sure he was hidden from view, before he muttered darkly.

"I came out here for love."

Ready--one, two, three--AWWW!!

Finally, Will realizes how he truly feels about Elizabeth, but--

Is Tia Dalma correct with her assumptions that Jack and Elizabeth are meant to be together? Or does she have a hidden agenda?
What will happen to Will when Norry discovers he's alive?
What's going to happen to Captain Jack Sparrow--(did you all enjoy his cameo appearance)?
Who is Will going to kill to bring Jack back?--it could be anyone! Any predictions?

Thanks to all those who have reviewed--next chapter will, hopefully, be up within the next two weeks!