The final chapter :( Let me thank all my reviewers and readers, without you this story couldn't be possible! Mwah!

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Nightmares

Chapter 9: The Truth in all its Glory

Elizabeth ran up the stairs in a fit of anger. Tears escaped her eyes and she wiped them away. Suddenly, she let out a cry and clutched her stomach as jolts of pain surrounded her abdomen. A wave of dizziness overcame her and she collapsed on the top of the stairs.

A few weeks later…

Elizabeth woke from her sleep warily. She blinked a few times and adjusted herself while she looked around for something familiar, but found nothing. She felt something restraining her right arm and squinted to find Will asleep by her side, head resting on her arm, body in a chair.

"Will, darling, wake up." She pulled her arm out from under his head and he bolted up.

Will let out a hopeful gasp. "Doctor, doctor she's awake! Doctor she's woken up!" He shouted out.

"What in gods name is going on here?" She screamed out in frustration, to which her head started to throb. "Where are we?" She looked around once more, and finally set her eyes on Will. "My god, you're better!" She exclaimed and ran a finger over his arms.

"Oh Elizabeth, don't you ever scare me like that again! I don't know what I would have done..." He was freely crying and she wondered what was going on.

Then it suddenly started coming back to her. She remembered collapsing, and she remembered the pain in her stomach. Her thoughts were cut short due to Will's tight hug and warm kisses.

"I love you so much Elizabeth…" He sniffed into her shoulder and she found her voice.

"Will…the baby…" She held her breath, bracing herself for the possible bad, or devastating news.

"I'm sorry dear, we did all we could." The doctor appeared with a look of sorrow etched onto his face.

Will let her go and sat back against the chair. "We lost the baby." He managed to whisper and took her hand.

Elizabeth could hardly breathe. She lay there limp and motionless for what must have been eternity, but in reality it was a mere few seconds. Her mind didn't fully grasp what they were saying. She was a daze, a helpless daze. Everything had suddenly been snatched away from her. Everything. Her baby was gone. She never even got to know if it was a boy or a girl.

"We've had to remove the foetus."

Elizabeth looked down to find a bandage across her stomach.

"I'm truly sorry, I'll leave you two alone." The doctor exited the room.

Will spoke, with great difficulty though, because he really didn't know what to say. He was always supposed to be a protector, being the man of the house. It was his job to protect and support his family. Now look at him, he had lost it completely earlier. He felt helpless, absolutely helpless.

"You've been asleep, or in a 'coma' as the doctor says, for about three weeks now. Your father and the Commodore found you on the stairs. The doctor tried everything to save our baby, he really did, it was…just...too late." Will started to cry, but Elizabeth silenced him, wanting to hear the rest. Will took a breath and continued.

"Something was interfering with the baby's development, in the end it caused too much stress on you. That's why you've been having those nightmares. Elizabeth, I was never injured; it was just your mind subconsciously trying to tell you that an end was near. Then you collapsed, and I really thought that…that…" He turned away.

Tears began to form and Elizabeth let them fall. She needed to cry, she wanted to scream and shout, it was all too much to take in. She needed to grieve, mourn her loss, but most of all, she needed Will.

"I'm sorry!" She squeaked, and forced herself up to sit on the side of the bed facing Will.

"No, tis not your fault, you hear me?" He grasped her shoulders gently and looked deep into her eyes, meaning entirely what he said.

She nodded and collapsed into his arms and wept against his shoulder.

"So there was never any Barbossa?" Elizabeth asked her husband as they laid next to each other atop the covers on the hospital bed.

Will nodded, a hand reached out to cup her cheek, and a finger flitted across her cheekbone.

"I thought it all up?"

Will nodded.

"Am I crazy Will?" Her eyes filled with despair and anguish.

"No, of course not." He kissed her forehead and it soothed her soul. "Like I said, Barbossa is dead, long gone, forever." He set her mind at ease with those words.

Elizabeth yawned and rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you…" She whispered and slowly drifted to sleep.

Will watched her for a while, his mind wandering to think about their baby. His heart ached to think that they were going to start their family. He sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to think anymore. "I love you too darling…"

Meanwhile…

A figure opened his eyes to look around. Darkness, except for the full moon, clouded his vision. An echo in the distance made him jump, but it was only a voice.

"Welcome back, Cap'n."

Barbossa sneered.

Fin

Muahaha a little cliffy for you to ponder about! Well I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!