Where are all my readers at? -sniffles-

- Jack's Flashback –

"Jacob, son. It wasn't your fault! You know this." Neptune said, pacing the floor as he tried not to look directly at Jack. Jack tore off his naval uniform, and said, "I killed her, Uncle! I shot her! You saw me pull the trigger…"

Tears were falling freely down the 16 year old's face. Jack knew he was going to have to live with the regret of killing her. He killed Athena. He pulled the trigger. He saw her die. Some had blamed Mercer, but they weren't there. No one but Jack pulled the trigger that ended Athena's life. Neptune opened his mouth to speak, but his nephew shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Uncle. I can't do this. I can't stay here, and continue doing this when I know what I've done. I'm resigning." Jack handed Neptune his naval jacket, and exited the Study. Neptune sat in silence for a moment, before Anne walked in and hugged him. Tears fell down her own face; tears for her best friend's death and tears for the pain she knew her nephew was feeling.

As Jack walked down the hallway, with an emotion mixed of anger and what seemed to be sadness, a voice seemed to break him out of his trance. "Jackie?"

Jack spun around to see his five year old cousin walking towards him with a sad look on her face. He immediately wiped his tears, and said, "Lila, darling. Shouldn't you be in bed?" He picked her up, and rested her on his hip as she said in that same sad voice, "Jackie, are you leaving?"

"Just for a little while, darling." He said, with a smile, though he wasn't sure if that was entirely true. Lila looked up at him, as he said, "And when I come back, I promise you that you and I will sail together. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He smiled, knowing that that would make her feel better. Lila smiled and nodded as he said, "And not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire world. But first, you must go to bed, alright?" Lila nodded as she wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and whispered, "I love you, Jackie."

"As I do you, Lala." He said, carrying her up to her room. He laid her down on the bed, and stared at her for a minute. He kissed her forehead before turning around and exiting her room. When he walked out of the palace, he knew that he was leaving to do what he was apparently destined to do. He was a Sparrow. He killed someone…

… he would be a pirate…

- The Black Pearl –

He silently stared at the floor as he did in Neptune's study all those years ago. It was dark in the cabin, and rain was pounding down on the Pearl as she neared Atlantis. Word had come earlier that day that Neptune had been taken captive. Lila suspected it to be Mercer, but that all brought memories back to him. He heard his cabin door open, but he didn't look up as she walked in. She wordlessly walked over to the table that he was sitting at, and placed the candle on the table. Watching the flames dance in the dark cabin, she sat d own and said to him, "Darling, Saphira was worried about you. You just left." Jack looked up into his cousin's eyes. Her cheeks were tear-stained, since she had been crying since they had learned of her father just a few hours ago. Lila didn't have to ask him what was wrong. She knew. Young though she had been, she remembered that day clearly. She'd never seen Jack quite like that. But Jack was a different Jack.

Captain Jack Sparrow, to most everyone in the world, was heartless. He was a murderer, a pirate, a betrayer. He was brave, never scared, and could never be broken. All he cared about was the Pearl, and sailing the seven seas.

But Lila knew a different Captain Jack Sparrow. The Captain Jack Sparrow she had always known was caring, was a pirate but was also a good man, and had about the biggest heart out of anyone she had every and probably would ever know. And the Captain Jack Sparrow she knew, was known to hardly anyone. But the Captain Jack Sparrow she knew, had but two weaknesses. Neither of which was the Pearl. And knowing she was one of those two, she also knew that the other one was his fiancée.

"Jack, that wasn't your fault-"

"-Lila, yes it was. You weren't there…you didn't see me pull the bloody trigger…" Jack lowered his gaze to the candle separating them. He shook his head and said quietly, "You don't know 'ow much tha' bothered me, Lila." Lila sighed, and took one of his hands. That made Jack look up at her, since the two of them rarely had a moment where they weren't arguing. "Darling, accidents happen. You meant to shoot Beckett-"

"-but I didn't-"

"-but you meant to! You had every intention of not shooting Athena! People blame Mercer-"

"-but it wasn't-"

"Jack, darling. Don't. Please don't. Not now." Lila was practically pleading with him. That broke the trance he had been in, and he instantly relaxed. "Jack, you have to be strong for Saphira and me. Even Will's breaking down, Jack." Jack looked back up at her to see a look he hardly ever saw from Lila. Jack got up from his seat, and walked in front of her. She stood up as he put his arms around her, and whispered in her hair, "I'll always be 'ere, Lila. You know I will. For both of you, even when the eunuch can't." Lila laughed, causing Jack to smile since that was the reaction that he wanted. She looked up at him, and said, "I love you, Jackie."

He smirked, and said, "As I do you, Lala…and if anyone asks?"

"This moment never happened." She said with a smirk as she picked up the candle. Jack's face momentarily fell again, before Lila said, "Jack, don't worry about it. I do believe it was a certain immortal pirate captain that once told me…"

Jack smiled at her as she whirled around to meet his gaze, and said, "The past is the past. There's no reason in going back to the past-"

"-to somethin' tha's already passed ye. I know." Jack said as the window blew open, blowing out the candle. Lila smiled and said, "Now. Let's sail to Atlantis. Save me and Saphira, get my father...and live happily ever after." Jack chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. But something stopped him; he looked out the window and saw the rain pouring d own harder than ever.

"In this storm? Darlin', we won't be gettin' anywhere." Jack said as the two of them started towards the door. Lila smirked as she put her hand on the doorknob, and said to him, "You forget one very thing, love."

He blinked at her for a minute, before asking, "And wha' would tha' be, darlin'?"

She opened the door, revealing the wet deck of the Pearl. But instead of the dark storm clouds that had been gracing the Caribbean skies earlier, it was now replaced with a bright, clear shade of blue. Lila smirked at Jack and finished, "I am the storm." Lila winked over at him, before swinging back over to the Dutchman where she was met by Will. Jack smiled, and walked up to the wheel. Moments later, he felt someone's arms go around his waist, "Are you alright, Jackie?"

He smiled down at Saphira's worried face, and lied, "Of course I am, love." He kissed her head, but was secretly thinking about the passed. Sure, he had told Lila that.
The past is just what it is.

The past.

Is there really any point in going back to the past that's already passed you?

Well, when you feel like the past is about to be the present, as Jack did at that moment; there may be a good reason in visiting a past that might have quite passed you yet.

- Somewhere near Atlantis –

Mercer paced the cold, black room many times before coming back in front of Neptune and staring at him. Neptune lowered his sea blue eyes as Mercer spat, "Where is she?" Neptune, tired of talking to him, only remained quiet as another moment passed through. They'd been going through this for hours now, with no hope on Mercer's part. Neptune wasn't going to budge.

Neptune didn't dare look up at Mercer. The man who, for so long, was in charge of ruining his life. Mercer was getting mad now, and narrowed his ice cold, silver eyes at Neptune as he hissed, "You will answer me! Where the bloody hell is your damned daughter? She has mine, now where is she?"

Neptune smirked up at Mercer and spat right back at him, "By the Order of the Queen, I do not have to answer you." Mercer slapped Neptune harder and quicker than Neptune saw coming. Neptune, who would have fallen backwards had Mercer's men not caught him, put his hand to his cheek as Mercer said, "Well, Parrish. The Queen may just be your downfall." Mercer reached into his pocket and pulled out the Jewel. Neptune's eyes grew wide at seeing this, and asked, "How the bloody hell did you get this?"

Mercer's smile grew into a sick grin as he said, "I have my ways, Your Highness." He placed the Jewel in front of Neptune as he said, "Now, let me ask you again." He raised his sword over the Jewel that already seemed lifeless, and said, "Where is she?" Neptune didn't know what to do. Either way, Lila and Saphira would die. Should he let him kill Lila now? Or kill her when she gets here? Neptune remained silent for a moment. He didn't breath. He didn't move. All he did was sit there and think of his daughter. Mercer gave a sick laugh that would scare even a man so evil hell refused him.

"You won't tell me…" Mercer pointed his sword at the Jewel, and in an instant, it was crushed into a million pieces. As Neptune screamed out, all Mercer did was laugh.

- The Sun –

- Atlantic Ocean –

"The king and his men, stole the queen from her bed.
And bound her in her bones. The seas be ours, and by the powers.
Where we will, we'll roam."

As Lila watched the Sun get closer and closer to what she hoped would be Atlantis, though it was hard to know when all you could see was endless sea, she leaned against the railing and sang that dreadful song low so that no one could hear it, especially not Will since he really hated that song. Her long curls caught in the wind as she continued to walk down the deck and sang:

"Yo, ho. Haul together.
Hoist the colors high.
Heave, ho. Thieves and beggars.

Never shall we die…"

All at once, rain started pouring down as it did earlier. Lila looked up in shock, as hail began falling as well. Her crew was now up, and running from either sides of the ship doing various things to turn the Sun around. Lila saw why when she walked on the top deck to see that not only had a maelstrom formed, but tidal waves as well.

"Captain Turner! Can't you stop it?" Matt yelled up to Lila as he ran up the stairs. Lila put her hand to her neck, and gasped when she felt that the Jewel wasn't there. An unfamiliar pain washed over her as she fell forward and grabbed on to the railing. Matt's eyes grew worried as he said, "Captain? Your Highness, are you alright-"

"-Will-" Lila said, between gasps as pain continued to wash over her. "Go get Will!" She screamed as the storms grew worse. Matt was frozen for a moment, before he nodded and ran to the side of the railing. He didn't see Will, only his father so he yelled, "BOOTSTAP! THE QUEEN NEEDS YOUR SON! NOW!" Bill saw the look on Matt's face, and nodded. He ran down the stairs and yelled, "Son? William!" He stared banging loudly on the door, trying to get Will up.

Will opened the door a minute later, looking tired, a map in hand, as he asked, "What the hell is going on out there? Did Jack make her mad again?" Bill had only seen a storm like this once. And only once. And he never wanted to see it again. He had seen this when Annie died. The look on his face must have said it all, since Will's smirk was instantly wiped off. "What's wrong with her?" He asked, pushing past his father.

"I don't know. Matt was yelling that she need-" But he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because Will had already materialized over to the Sun. When Matt saw him, he ran over to him and said, "She collapsed on deck." Rain and hail continued to fall down as the two of them ran to the cabin. Will noticed that Jack was on the Sun now, trying to steer it out of the maelstrom. It seemed Anamaria was having difficulty steering the Widow from it, and Grant was having trouble keeping the Pearl out of a tidal wave. There was no controlling it now.

Will walked into the cabin to see Lila's lifeless body on the bed. Tears sprang into his eyes as he walked over to her and said, "Lila?" He took her hand, and kneeled down beside her. "Lila, please wake up…please, darling."

"Will…" She managed to say. Will smiled and said, "Yes, darling…I'm here, alright?" Lila nodded and closed her eyes again as Saphira came into the room and took Lila's other hand. She glanced tearfully up at Will, before pushing Lila's curls back and whispering, "Come on, Lila…you're strong…" Tears were rolling down Saphie's cheek by the time that Jack walked into the room. Will never had seen Jack look like that. He came to stand behind Saphira, and cursed under his breath as he looked down at Lila with a look both Saph and Will never wanted to see again. Will leaned down and kissed Lila's head as the Sun rocked back and forth. Ignoring the chaos outside, Will's hand moved down to the top of Lila's gown. He grabbed the chain, and lifted it out, only to see his key hanging from her neck. "Jack? She never takes it off. Ever."

Jack and Will's gazes locked for a moment, before Jack said, "He has it."