What if (ON HOLD)

Chapter 17: Betrayed

Elizabeth's POV

I was in a cell on the Flying Dutchman along with the rest of my crew that was previously Sao Feng's, but he made me captain and gave me his piece of eight right before his dying breath. I met Will's father Bootstrap and talked to him for a brief moment, but he seemed completely out of it.

A few hours later the cell door opened with James Norrington holding the door open.

"Come with me," James says. I didn't move and my crew stays with me. He begs me with his eyes. "Quickly," he says impatiently. I motion my crew to leave.

"What are you doing?" I ask. He looks me in the eyes.

"Choosing a side," he says strongly.

As we exit, I watch James. He has truly decided. We run out on deck to the far corner. My ship was waiting. The rope connecting it to the Dutchman being our escape. I look at James as my crew scramble across to safety. He helps people get on as fast as they could. I wait for everyone to go before it was my turn to go. James grabs my arm before I could leave.

"Do not go to Shipwreck Cove. Beckett knows of the meeting of the Brethren. I fear there may be a traitor among them," he warns. I nod but shake him off of me.

"It's too late to earn my forgiveness," I say coldly.

"I had nothing to do with your father's death. But that does not absolve me of my other sins," he says looking at me with sorrow. "All Becket told me that he returned to England and that Maria was upset and there's something else you should know..." All I did was stare at him. "Maria's pregnant," he reveals. My eyes widen at that, but then I nod smiling at him slightly.

"Come with us... James, come with me," I say, and he gives me a thoughtful look.

"Who goes there?" A voice calls.

James unsheathes his sword and we both look up and see Bootstrap.

"Go. I will follow," he says, and I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head.

"You're lying," I say, and he looks at me with soft eyes and then puts a hand on my cheek.

"Our destinies have been entwined, Elizabeth... but never joined," James says and closes the distance between us with a kiss. I stand there in shock but understand that this was a man's dying wish. He pulls away. "Go, now!"

I step up onto the rail to make my way onto the rope. I pull myself along the rope, looking back at James every now and then. He was poised, ready to defend us, ready to fight.

"All hands, prisoner escape!" Bootstrap calls out, alerting Jones' crew.

"Belay that!" James yells pulling out his pistol.

"James!" I yell in panic and climb back to him.

I saw panic in his eyes, and he shoots the rope down. My crew and I plummet into the water. I look up and see Bootstrap impale James with a sword.

"James! No! No!" I scream in grief and frustration and then force myself to swim to the ship.

A fire ignites in me. Too many people were dead. First my father and now James and crying over them would do nothing. The only thing I can do was avenge them.

Maria's POV

The next day I felt completely sick to my stomach. It was probably because of the events that took place a day earlier. I woke up and felt the contents of my stomach come up. I jump up from the bed with some difficulty because of the pain I am in and bolt out the door and run to the side of the ship and vomited into the water below. When I was finished, I stood up and felt embarrassed with all of Beckett's men staring at me.