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The much awaited morning after; but did the night before complicate things? Enjoy!

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Devil's Riddle

Chapter Six: He was Dead to Me

By: MJ

The sun began to slowly stream into the cabin through the large windows in the back of the cabin. The red velvet drapes were pulled aside, revealing the light blue Caribbean waters. The delicate light slowly streamed in, playing ever so lightly on her face as she slowly came back to the conscious world. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. She yawned and stretched and looked down at herself. Her cheeks stained red as she realized just how bare she was, and she picked up the sheets to wrap them around her. She looked down at her fiancée, still fast asleep with the most angelic look plastered onto his features. She smiled and laid back down in the bed, moving closer to him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and intertwined her legs with his, staring into his face.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek; his stubble tickled her soft lips and she giggled, causing him to stir. A hand went to his face and she cupped his cheek just as his chocolate brown eyes opened to meet her expectant ones. She was smiling, and that caused him to smile as he muttered, "'Mornin'."

She kissed his lips and giggled, "Good morning." She stressed, and he chuckled.

"After a great night," this brought a blush to both patrons' cheeks, but it was all in good fun as they were both chuckling. She kissed him again, and he kissed her back as soon as she had pulled away. It was just too much for either of them to handle; to get together and be so close was very special for both of them.

Frantic knocking on the door, however, interrupted their love fest:

"Turner! Swann! It's Jones!"

"So… Bootstrap," Jack said as they began walking in the sinking sand, Jack following Bill's footsteps carefully, as the older man seemed to not be sinking. "Where th' 'ell am I?"

"Precisely… this is your own form of hell, Jack," Bill laughed, and Jack frowned.

"Then why are ye 'ere?"

"I'm 'ere t'make ye feel guilty, perhaps," Bill shrugged. "Ye know… The fact that I was killed sticking up for you. The fact that you sent my son to Jones for leverage. Perhaps even the fact that my son is still risking his life to save yours, and you wouldn't even help him save his fiancée. Because, if you had, he'd be alive, and so would I." Bill finished, turning to look at Jack, who looked positively flabbergasted. "But I dunno, Jack. Really."

"Well… Why's Henry Morgan here?"

"Because his personal 'ell is spendin' eternity wif ye," Bill chuckled as Jack glowered.

"…What's yer personal 'ell, if ye're in mine?" Jack asked curiously. Bill sighed.

"I was already in hell when I was separated from my boy. It doesn't matter where I am—I'll always feel guilty… Always."

"Norrington—joined the likes of pirates, have we?" Jones called across from his position at the helm of the Dutchman. Norrington rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "What d'ye want?"

"It's no longer about what I want," Norrington replied, a sneer on his face. Davy Jones looked confused.

"Then 'oo 'as me 'eart?" Jones asked, searching the crew. Suddenly, the doors flew open to the Captain's cabin, and out came Elizabeth Swann and William Turner, hand in hand, looking rather determined. Jones turned towards them (as did everyone else), and his jaw dropped. "Turner?"

The telltale sack was, indeed, hanging off of William Turner's belt loop. Jones groaned, which made Norrington grin. James folded his arms over his chest and leaned up against the rail, trying to get in good position to see what he knew was going to be immensely entertaining.

"I thought ye tol' me 'e was dead, lass!" He called to Elizabeth, who sighed.

"He was dead to me!" Will sent her a look, and she shrugged. "And I was dead to you, so don't even attempt to deny it. You couldn't even look at me." He sighed and nodded; she was right.

"Jones!" Will called, dropping his grip on Elizabeth's hand. She quickly brought it to her chest, a faint smile on her lips. "We have negotiations to discuss!"

Jones growled, moving away from the helm and towards the main deck so that he and Will could talk. "Aye, Turner, wha' be yer wishes?"

"I want you to protect the Pearl—take down any Naval ship that threatens us--"

"Will! What if… what if my father, Beckett—those are people, Will!" Elizabeth called out, and Will shut his eyes and opened them.

"People who have ruined our lives, Elizabeth!"

"Will… please, just--"

"Fine… Fine, Jones, just… protect the Pearl. If a threatening Naval ship attacks... then take it down."

"Feelin' a bit whipped, are ye, William?" Jones called, grinning. His crew chortled. Will pulled out his knife and held it threateningly to the heart.

"Don't tempt me," he said simply, before sending Elizabeth a warning stare. They had gone over it a million times once, and a million times again. If they wanted to finish this all quickly and get on with their lives, they needed full protection against the Royal Navy.

"Fine," Jones grunted, obviously irritated. "Anythin' else?"

"My father is no longer a part of your crew. He's to be given his life back—and he's coming on the Pearl with us," Will said, finally, it bursting out of him as he seemed overjoyed at the idea. Jones laughed maniacally. "It's not funny."

"Yer father's dead, son," Jones said, the mercy leaving his voice. It was now cruel again, and it made Will's blood turn cold. "We killed 'im after we realized someone stole me 'eart. It is, after all, yer father's fault. 'E 'elped ye get the key… an', well, I guess tha' makes it yer fault as well… Ye killed yer own fath--"

"Shut up!" Will interjected hysterically, gripping the rails harshly as he heard Jones's crew begin to chuckle again. "Just shut up!" He ran a hand through his hair and then gripped it harshly. He heard Elizabeth come up to him, and then felt her place a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off, and glowered at Jones. "Then that's it. Get out of here… And don't forget what you promised. A single ship, and I stab your heart—just like you deserve…"

He walked away, leaving everyone slightly speechless. Jones, however, not one to take threats lightly, quickly disappeared beneath the surface. Elizabeth watched the ship disappear, slightly stung. She didn't know how to handle it; she had never been in Will's position before. She knew he must feel as though he had just killed his own father—something she knew he had felt after their first trip to Isle del Muerta. It had taken him weeks—months—to get over that, and now… now he knew, for sure, and for what? She had just killed Jack Sparrow anyways—something she had kept hidden from him even though they were reconciled.

"What are you waiting for, Elizabeth?" James asked quietly, from behind her. She turned to look at him, expecting sarcasm, or even bitterness in his eyes, but all he showed was understanding and compassion. Ironic that it happened while he was on board a pirate ship, but she had no time to pay attention to ironies.

"I-I don't know," she said quietly, before moving away. She moved towards the captain's cabin, in which Will had disappeared. She hesitated for one last moment before she lightly knocked on the door. There was shuffling heard from inside, the clinking of some bottles, before Will finally opened the door. He looked like he was about to snap at whoever it was, before he realized it was Elizabeth and he closed the door. "Oh, Will, please let me in!" She called softly, knocking again. She heard him slump against the wall, and then… was he crying? She opened the door herself; as he hadn't locked it, and looked down to find that Will was, in fact, crying.

"Go away, Elizabeth," he said, embarrassed. He turned his back to her, and it broke her heart.

"Will, please, let me--"

"I don't need your help! Or your damn pity!" He said, uncorking the bottle of rum in his hand. He stared at it for a moment, as if actually contemplating his actions. Then, he leaned his head back and took a good swig. He wiped his mouth and stared at her, his eyes bloodshot, the tears still falling. "…Or your comfort… you're not supposed… not supposed to com-comfort me… I-I am s-supposed to comfort you. I am supposed to be strong and hold you. Not… not like this. Go away… I don't want you to see me like this," he said, turning his back to her again. "I don't want you to know that I'm… I'm we—" He couldn't finish.

"William Turner, don't you dare!" She said suddenly, and he seemed startled. "How dare you think you can't be weak and vulnerable around me? You think I like it when I cry in front of you? I feel weak, and stupid—like all those girls back in Port Royal who I loathed for months on end. If you and I can't cry in front of each other, then whom could I cry in front of? Don't you ever feel you can't be this way in front of me, Will—we are equals, Will… Please—I'm sick of people feeling superior or inferior to me—let's just be equals, and as equals, you can cry in front of me."

"Damn it, Elizabeth," he grunted, but when he turned to her, she realized he was smiling. "You could convince a cat to bark and a fish to fly if you wanted." She giggled and enveloped him in a hug, holding him in her arms. One hand gently pulled the rum bottle from his hand, before it reached up and brushed away his tears. He kissed her roughly on the lips, and she pulled him closer. He ran his tongue between her soft lips, and she parted them readily, although she flinched, only slightly, at the bitter taste of rum on his tongue. When they pulled away, moments later, his eyes still seemed lost, and both his tears and her tears intermingled on both patrons' cheeks. A calloused hand reached up and wiped her tears away, and he smiled at her. She reached up and applied the same courtesy to his cheeks, with a smile all her own. Simultaneously, their heads came forward and they kissed again. She pulled away moments later, "I think we need to go out and help." He pushed his forehead against hers.

"I need some time, Elizabeth, please…" he whispered so quietly, she almost didn't hear him. His breath tickled her nose, and he kissed the tip of it. "Go out and help… I need… I need to think about things." She nodded, kissing him again, before she got up and left.

His deep brown eyes followed her, and once she was gone he picked up the bottle of rum again. He gripped the neck of the grimy bottle tightly, as if he thought it was Davy Jones's neck. He brought it to his lips and took another swig, before he flinched; the taste was still bitter in his mouth. He sat down at Jack's desk, a hand touching all the papers and such around him, still staring at the door. He took another swig, and hiccupped.

"Just you and me, friend, just you… and me."

"How is he?" James asked, upon seeing Elizabeth return on deck. He had walked over to her, as she looked pretty shaken.

"He's a wreck… A total, and utter wreck, James, and I don't know what I am supposed to do about it," she said quietly, her eyes scanning the decks for any sign of Tia Dalma. "I'm going to find Tia… ask for her advice—she always knows; always…"

"Don't," James said quickly, and Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously. He sighed, "I… I don't believe Tia Dalma has your best interests at heart."

"And you do?"

"Believe it or not, Elizabeth, I can still care about you, and I still do…" He sighed as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Lizzie—tell me what you need to know. As a member of the male species, I may have a bit of an advantage over Miss Dalma."

She looked at him again, before she sighed, "All right… Will… Will was crying, all right? And-and he didn't want me to see him like that," she said quickly, as tears were springing to her eyes again at the thought, "…so… so he turned away from me, James. He was ashamed of me—ashamed! And-and I think he's drinking—rum, of all things… He's drinking until he's numb to everything… even… even me."

"I'm sure that's not the case, Elizabeth," James said quickly, hoping to keep her from crying. "…Men can't show weakness in front of other men, and they don't want women to think of them as weak, so they keep it inside. I'd be willing to wager that what's coming out of Will now is pent up from all of his other emotionally destroying episodes… like when he lost his mother, or… or thought you and him were going to be hanged all for that bloody Jack Sparrow character…"

"Captain, James, its Captain Jack Sparrow."

"The man's dead, and yet here is his legacy, living on," James snorted, gesturing towards Elizabeth, who chuckled, before she fell deadpan again.

"…Should I… should I go and talk to him again? Even though he told me he needed to be alone?" She asked, looking back at the door to the cabin again. James sighed.

"You don't want to go back there—you should, but you don't want to," James said quietly, and Elizabeth turned her attention back to him.

"Why not?"

"Because if William Turner is exactly the type of person I take him to be, it's not going to be pretty… Let him be for the moment, and you can come help me navigate the ship towards the Spanish Florida."

"Florida? I thought we were sailing towards World's End?"

"Dalma says we are to go to Florida, and what she says, goes."

The fog settled around William Turner as he walked up the skull staircase one more time. The twisted, gnarled thing in his hand, though he was now able to recognize it as a tree branch, hit rhythmically against his legs as he swayed his hands in nervousness. He nearly ran up the rest of the steps, until he heard someone else's footsteps behind him. He turned to see Elizabeth's smiling face, and his face fell.

"No," he whispered, and she nodded, tears streaming down her face. "No… no, I refuse, Elizabeth!" He stopped climbing the stairs, even though an invisible force seemed to keep prodding him to continue. "I-I can't, do you hear me? I just can't!"

"Will—it's fine… I understand it, Will—you need me to be here for you… it's fine, Will—I love you, don't you know?"

"Lizzie, I can't… They can't make me—Jack is not this important!"

"Jack is everything, William… Without Jack, there would be no us."

"There could've been—there would've been, Lizzie, please… don't let me---don't make me!"

The force pulled him forward again, and Will began to cry as he finally made it all the way to the end of the steps. He glowered at Hades' smiling face, and he flinched as he saw the gleaming dagger.

"Do you know what you are to do?"

"…I won't! I won't—and you can't make me."

"William, 'tis yer destiny! Ye must do it!" Tia Dalma's voice called from below. Will began to sweat.

"No… I can't… I won't."

"The decision's been made, boy… there is nothing you can do."

"Isn't there… Can't I… why not Barbossa, or Tia, or Ana Maria—James, even—why Elizabeth?"

Hades grinned, as if waiting for Will to ask that question, "Don't you see it, William? You and Elizabeth both played rather large parts in Jack's death, and therefore one of you must play a large role in his rebirth."

"In my other dreams—all the other people I killed--"

"Threw ye off, didn't they?" Hades chuckled again. "Ah, no, Mister Turner… You see, if James had not let Elizabeth go, your decision would've been rather easy, but now," he let the statement hang in the air ominously. Will grimaced, looking from a panic-struck Elizabeth to the dagger on the table.

"…One of us has to die?"

"Yes, that would fulfill the prophecy," Hades said impatiently. "Come forward!"

He moved quickly, and in an instant, Will had set the branch on the altar and picked up the knife. Elizabeth stood next to him, looking worried and determined at the same time.

"Will--"

"Elizabeth, please… Don't make this any harder for me."

"Will…"

"Elizabeth, I mean it, it's hard enough…"

"Will!"

"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry…"

She sighed, and decided to let him sleep the rest of it off. She took the empty rum bottle from his clenched fist and placed it on the bedside table. She moved towards he basin of clean water and the bowl and poured some of the water on a towel. It was neither too hot, nor too cold, and she used the now wet towel to wipe off Will's face, now flushed from the liquor.

Norrington had been right; it hadn't been pretty. The one time she had wished that man could've simply lied to her, he was the most right she had ever seen him.

When she had come into the room, Will was sprawled out on the bed, an empty bottle gripped in his right hand, and another one on the ground. He was sweating profusely and muttering to himself, but he still seemed conscious. She knew he was going to be terribly ill in the morning, so she decided to let him sleep it off. She got into the bed beside him before she tucked them both in. She slid an arm around his waist and tried desperately to fall asleep but couldn't. He was still having those damned nightmares, and they were wearing her patience thin. Why couldn't he just tell her about them?

She bit her lip. Why can't I just tell him I killed Jack? Perhaps he doesn't want to ruin their reconciliation, and she was at least thankful for that. It was why she was keeping it from him. Finally, her eyelids grew too heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

"Haha! Four aces, you bleedin' sac' o' shit! Lemme see ye top tha' one, 'Enry!" Jack yelped, dropping his good poker hand on the table. Bill had only had a pair of Jacks and a pair of twos, King kicker. Now, Henry had to have a Royal Flush to beat Jack, or—

"Five aces, ye slimey git! An' I believe tha' means I be the newest cap'n o' th' Black Pearl!"

"Tha's no fair! Yer a bloody cheater, tha's wha'!" Jack exclaimed as Henry grinned and Bootstrap shuffled the cards. Henry rolled his eyes at Jack and muttered;

"Pirate."

"…Can't we do anythin' else—like, say, drink a bottle o' rum or somefink?"

"There's no rum on this island," Bill said, passing out the cards again. Jack's eyes widened.

"No rum?"

"No rum," Henry reaffirmed. Jack groaned.

"This really is 'ell, then…"

My Christmas present to my lucky readers! Happy Holidays!

What to Look for Next Chapter:
Will/Elizabeth--A lesson in drinking
James/Ana Maria--Tia's secret plans, revealed--but will the affected parties believe them?
Spanish Florida--They're going to find the tree branch, and other secrets of the prophecy revealed.
Jack--Jack finally comes back to the land of the living--but at what price?

Thanks for the reviews! You people keep me smiling!
♥