Here's the last chapter of DMC guys. AWE will be up in about two weeks time, because I go on holiday today, but keep a look out.

keiraliz: Thank you! You're very sweet.

callieandjack: Yeah, cheers for Will!

nineteennintytwo: Jeez... that's pretty worried then...

SaveroftheSun: Hooray for Will.

bmdrose: Oops... yeah that may have been what I meant! XD

klutzygal12: I don't like licorice.

Fair Skull: Good old Will! We should throw him a party!

xXDeadlyRoseXx: You had a near-death experience when you were 5? It must have been really scary.

I could hear people calling my name, but I didn't respond. Why couldn't they understand that I didn't want to be saved? No denying that it was very brave and heroic of Will to climb in and get me, but… did he have to? They were still shouting at me. This time I tried to respond, to tell them I didn't want to be saved, but I didn't have the strength to move or do anything. Water was still clogging up my nose, mouth and lungs, cutting off any chance of air.

My eyes rolled back in my head. The shouting became more frantic, as the light faded from my eyes, but to me it also seemed to me to become more distant. I felt someone putting pressure on my ribs and pressed sharply down. My mouth opened of my own accord and water shot out. My natural reaction caused me to sit bold upright and take a sharp intake of breath. I couched and retched up the rest. There was nothing I could do to stop the reaction even if I had wanted to. The floor was covered in water. I took in deep, rasping breaths. My lungs hurt and I could feel there was still water in them.

"Why… why did you….?" I asked. I didn't have enough energy to get angry... yet. Will, Elizabeth and Gibbs were crowded round me, blocking out everything else. I looked at them all and their concerned expressions and suddenly felt the urge to cry. Elizabeth hugged me tightly to her.

"Isabel!" she sounded a bit teary herself. "I would never have forgiven myself if you…" She broke off. I weakly returned her hug, not quite sure what she was so upset about. It wasn't her fault. Will was looking at her, but it wasn't in the usual way. He looked a bit… sadder. Elizabeth stopped hugging me and turned to Will and Gibbs. "She's cold, get her something," she paused. "…and Will if you need it."

Will and Gibbs disappeared into Tia's. Elizabeth looked at me, "Why did you do it?"

I sighed. I knew this question was bound to be asked at some point, but it was going to be difficult to explain. I took a deep breath. "I loved him," I began. I waited for her reaction, but she didn't look surprised.

"I know," she said quietly.

"You know?" I repeated. "But how… how could you know? I only just found out!"

The angry, concerned look left her face and for a brief moment she laughed. "I think it was pretty obvious to everyone. Everyone it would seem, except you and Jack. Even Gibbs noticed."

"Even… Gibbs?" I repeated.

"Yes, even Gibbs." she said.

"Well, why did nobody tell me?!" I asked indignantly.

"Thought it was obvious," she said. "And that you would be better figuring it out for yourself."

"Well I did, but I was a bit too late wasn't I?" I sighed miserably. "And it was my fault," I added in a small voice. Elizabeth's concern dissolved to shock.

"Your fault?"

"Yes," I looked away. It was harder to say out loud. "I was so horrible to him. I said I hated him… I punched him… I ignored him… I… I just treated him like shit."

Elizabeth was still gaping at me. She looked quite upset, "Izzy, none of this was your fault."

"How do you know?"

She started chewing on her bottom lip. "Listen, he didn't stay because of anything you said to him I can promise you that." I didn't know whether to believe her or not, but I took comfort from her words.

"How can you know that?" I asked.

"I… I… spoke to him just before he decided to stay… you can't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault," she looked more upset than I thought she would. So she had spoken to Jack? She was the last person to speak to him before he died. I wanted to know what he'd said, but I didn't have a chance because just then Will came back out and draped a blanket round my shoulders. Elizabeth's lip chewing became more frantic. I felt something in the atmosphere change. It felt colder than before. I looked at Will as he sat down opposite me. His face was solemn and set.

"Thank you," I said to him. "But you shouldn't have… I can't live like this."

"You don't have to," he replied to my surprise. Elizabeth glanced at him, but he didn't look back. "Come inside, Isabel. There's someone you might want to see." He caught a glance of my expression, but cut me off before I could start believing the impossible. "It's not Jack," he said helping me to my feet.

"Then I don't think it'll be anyone I want to see," I muttered, but I followed him in regardless. Elizabeth slipped in behind me, unusually quite for her. I looked around Tia's. Everyone stared back at me in silence. I glance at Will.

"I don't see anyone new," I said.

"Then maybe you should try lookin' a little harder," said a voice from behind me. I thought I new the man's voice, but it couldn't possibly be who I thought it was… could it? I turned. The man threw an apple core over his shoulder and Jack the monkey screeched on his shoulder.

It was Barbossa.

"Barbossa…" I breathed, not quite able to believe it. The last time I had seen him was when Jack had shot him. And he had definitely been stone, cold dead. "What? You're… you're dead."

"No, I was dead," he corrected me. "Do keep up."

Will was half smiling at my shock.

"He's going to help us get Jack back," he told me.

"How?" I managed to say. I was sure I must be dreaming. Or maybe I was still dying at this was some weird hallucination.

"Ye best be prepared, Miss," Barbossa gave me his most terrifying smile. "Because we're sailing to World's End… right to the Locker."

He brushed past me. I knew that he'd said it with that smile and that air of mystery to make me worry, but I'd never been happier. Here was living proof that the dead could return. Jack was coming back! I was going to see him again, no matter what stood in my way. And who knew? Maybe this time things would be different.

Love you guys! Ta for reading. You're all awesome like a possum in a jaunty angled chief chef hat! Hehe... that won't have much sense, but whatever. THANK YOU!!!!! ILOVE YOU ALL!

LV XX