Chapter Thirty-Four
Fight to the Finish

Will froze. He didn't move. He just stood there as his hand hovered over the heart. He dropped the dagger as she screamed his name and ran over to him. A moment later, he felt her arms go around and bring him close to her. He closed his hazel eyes and rested his head on her shoulder as she whispered, "Querido, what on earth were thinking?" He was breathing heavy as she rested her head against his and said, "¿Por qué hacer esto, mi amor?"

"Li, don't talk in Spanish. I can't understand you." William said, somewhere finding his voice. The two of them were silent for a moment. The only sound that could be heard was the waves crashing against the shoreline of the Locker, and the pounding of Will's heart in the corner of the room. Lila glanced up at the chest a minute later, before letting Will go and silently walking over to it. Bill, who had been standing in the doorway, walked over to where the key was lying and picked it up. He handed it to Lila, who placed the heart back inside the chest, shut it and then locked it. Holding the key tightly in her hand, she looked over at Will and said, "Will, why did you do that?"

"It was the only way."

Still breathing heavily, Will dropped his gaze. Lila looked up at Bill, who nodded, and wordlessly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. She kneeled down beside Will and whispered, "Darling...why did you do that?" Will's eyes met her sparkling emeralds for a heart pounding moment, before he allowed a tear to roll down his cheek as he managed to choke out, "I thought...I thought it was the only way to save you."

"To save me from what?"

"The Locker. This madness. I don't know." Lila closed her eyes momentarily as Will let more tears roll down his cheeks. She opened them back up, and brought him back into her arms. She rested her head on top of his as she said, "Love, never do something like that again."

"Lila-"

"-promise me." Lila said, sternly, pulling back a little to look into Will's eyes. She wiped one of his tears, before leaning down and kissing him. After a minute, she put her head back on his, and stared over at the chest. The Locker was known for it's madness, sure enough, but even for Locker standards, this was too mad for any of them. The two of them just sat in his cabin in complete silence for the next few minutes. Just thinking. Neither of them had to say what they were thinking, because both of them knew without saying it.

"Will?" Came a voice from the door. Lila sighed, knowing who it was just by the slightly slurred way that 'Will' rolled of his tongue. She looked down at Will, who nodded, and leaned up and kissed her. Letting Will go to the door, Lila stood up and hooked the key back around her neck. Will wiped his eyes as he opened the door and came face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow, "So, Ana said tha' Mercer's men somehow managed to bloody find their way to the bloody Locker, so I think we should-" Jack paused, as if looking at Will for the first time and saying, "-you alright, mate?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Jack." Will said, walking past Jack to the stairs. Jack, who's mouth had fallen open, stared at Lila with a look of extreme confusion. Lila shook her head, and took Jack's arm, leading him out of the cabin. Jack absentmindly put his arm around her shoulders and said, "Wha's Turner's problem?" Jack's deep, chocolate pools met Lila's. She didn't say anything, all she did was raise the key up. Jack's eyebrows shot way up, as he glanced up at where Will was standing at the wheel. "Didn't think he 'ad it in 'im."

"Don't underestimate him, Jackie." Saphira said, swinging her leg over the railing, and coming to stand beside Jack and Lila. All three of them were standing there, on the deck of the Dutchman, staring up at Will. Rupert, who was for some reason eating an apple, came and stood beside the three of them. Biting into the apple rather loudly, making Jack wince, he asked, "What are we looking at?"

Lila and Saphira didn't take the time to even bother looking up at Rupert. But Jack did. Jack took his hand and grabbed the apple. And in one swift motion, the apple was sinking to the bottom of the Locker. A wounded-looking Rupert stared up at Jack who smirked. Rupert looked over at Ana who was shaking her head, trying to stop from laughing herself. He looked at Saphira and Lila who were still staring at Will, and muttered, "Damn Sparrow." As he walked past them, back over to where Ana was standing.

"Alright, girls." Grant said, walking from where he had been talking to Bill, and over to where Lila and Saphira were standing. In true almost Jack-like form, Grant wrapped his arms around both girls and said, "If you want to fight, stay out. Though I'd rather you not."

"We're not letting you do this alone. Are we, Lila?" Saphira looked over at Lila who was still staring straight up at the deck Will was standing on. Will, who was holding the wheel rather tightly, glanced down at Lila and their gazes locked. He smiled down at her, causing her to return it and said, "No-" She looked at Grant and said, "-we aren't."

"We'll have to meet them." Grant said, pulling the two of them closer, being overprotective as he was. Jack smirked, coming to stand beside his father and said, "Up is down."

_____

"Master Mercer." Mercer raised his gold, silver-eyed gaze up to meet the young admiral's as he walked into the room. At seeing who it was, Mercer glanced back down at the map as the young admiral said, "Their ships are off the charts. We can't find them-"

"-he's captain of the Flying Dutchman. He's here." Mercer spat as he shoved the map from the table. The young man watched Mercer carefully, as he at any given time he would snap as he did that morning. Mercer drummed his fingers on the table and sat deep in thought. He wasn't going to stop until they were dead and what was rightfully his was his. He got up from the table, and stared out of it. As if on cue, the Flying Dutchman rose out of the depths with three other ships sailing right behind it. "The madness didn't sink in apparently." Mercer hissed as he watched four ships sail close to him. He glanced over at the admiral and spat, "Well? What are you waiting for? Load the guns!"

The sun was beating down on the Caribbeans that day. Jack fell in step with Will as the two of them walked down the small spit of sand that split the ocean in half at the spot. Mercer was walking from the other direction. The two infamous pirate captains stopped as Mercer stopped just feet in front of them. "Mercer." Will said, cooly.

"Master Turner." Mercer said, with fake enthusiasm. "Now now now, look here. The madness of the Locker didn't sink in, did it?" Will's face changed from one of determination, to one of anger as Mecer spoke that.

Jack placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, causing Mercer to laugh, thought not entirely out of humor, as he said, "Jack Sparrow and William Turner. The dynamic duo, no less."

"Oh, in the flesh, mate." Jack said, taking a step towards Mercer. Mercer stepped back as Jack did this. At seeing this, Will rolled his eyes and stepped up beside Jack as he said, "Now listen 'ere, mate. Neither of us like losin'. And we won't. We won't lose, and you will die." Mercer's eyes narrowed as Captain Sparrow hissed that in his face. Turning his face slightly so he didn't have to look into Jack's face anymore. Mercer stared off at where the ships made port and spat at Jack, "Is that a threat?"

"That's a promise." They looked up to see Lila, with Saphira following closely behind, walking down the spit of sand. Jack smirked as the two girls came to stand between Jack and Will. Mercer's men began walking down the beaches as Lila's navy sailed into port. Saphira was watching down the shoreline as Rupert got the naval officers lined up. When he met Lila's gaze, she nodded slightly, and glanced back at Mercer, "You give up?"

"Oh, on the contrary, Your Grace." Mercer said, making a move towards Lila, causing both Will and Jack to step closer to her. Lila though, unlike how Mercer did with Jack, didn't move in the slightest when Mercer was standing practically nose to nose with her. He glared down at her and said, "This is only the beginning."

Lila bowed mockingly at him as she walked backwards so that she was standing beside Jack and Will once more. Mercer locked eyes with Saphira and said, "Sorry it had to end like this, darling." Saphira's gaze turned murderous as she said, "Don't call me that." Mercer winked at her, and said, "First one to the finish, then?"

"Don't worry, mate. It'll be us." Jack smirked at him, wrapping his arms around Lila and Saphira as the four of them made their way back to where the ships made port. Will glanced at Lila, and when she saw that he was looking at him, she smiled and said, "Alright?"

"Of course, Li." But as he watched the ships line up, ready for battle, Will was wondering if he really was alright...