What Is & What Will Never Be

Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Do not/ cannot own POTC

In Port Royal, Jamaica the rain was coming down in heavy sheets as evening fell. The dark gray sky looked ominous. The wind whipped through the town mercilessly.

A carriage drawn by two brown horses stopped in front of a well-kept mansion. The stallions' hooves clopped noisily on the wet streets. As the driver reined them to a halt, they neighed and snorted uncomfortably, stomping their feet and shaking their manes; trying to shake off the heavy rain.

The passenger stepped out, tipped the driver, then quickly made his way up to the mansion, and let himself in.

Belle Norrington sat in the living room before the fire, a blanket around her shoulders. In her hands was a hot cup of tea. Every few seconds she would glance at it, and start to take a sip, then decided against it, not knowing how her stomach would handle it.

The yellow dog at her feet whined, and placed a paw on her knee.

"Hey", she murmured softly, patting his head.

He suddenly perked his ears up, and scampered out of the room.

"Where are you going?" she called. She soon heard barking at the door.

"Oh", she groaned as she got to her feet. "So now you want to go out?"

A door rattled closed. Belle walked around the corner, only to bump into...

"Oh, Belle."

"James. I didn't expect you home this early."

"How are you feeling?" he asked, hanging up his coat and removing his gloves.

"I'm...alright", she answered tentatively.

"Well, it's good you didn't go outside, because—"

"James, I'm pregnant", Belle blurted out, unable to contain herself.

James turned fully around to look at her. She was pale and looked weary.

"What?"

"You heard me, James", she sighed, and turned away, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"You're...You're...This—this can't be", he muttered.

"What do you mean, "This can't be", James?" Belle exclaimed, spinning around to face him again.

"Belle, I...Belle!"

He helped her into a chair as she started to cough. He kneeled down so that he was level with her. "Belle..."

She breathed in deeply, clearing her throat, and placed a hand on her stomach.

"The doctor wants to know...if I—we want to have the baby. And if not..."

The Commodore eyed Belle's abdomen briefly, then stood up, away from her.

"It's your decision, not mine", he said curtly.

She gave him a shocked expression. "James, this is our baby that we're talking about here! How could you be so—"

"How do I know it's mine?" he exclaimed fiercely.

Belle stood up slowly, just staring at him for several moments. "What?" she whispered.

"That's right—You heard me!"

"James!" she shrieked, grabbing hold of his arm. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Are you accusing me of...of having an affair?"

"You're damn right", he said angrily, shaking her hand off.

"J—"

"No, I don't want to hear your lies and excuses!"

He stormed out of the room, making his way up the stairs. Halfway, he stopped, looking Belle in the face. "I can't believe you were stupid enough to get impregnated with some..." He broke off and continued up the stairs, then went into his study, slamming the door closed.

Belle sunk to her knees down to the floor, letting out a sob.

"James!" she cried out. "I didn't! I didn't! I never had an affair! I would never..."

She broke off, not able to continue, for the tears streaming down her face.

"No, no..." she moaned.

"No, no...no, no, no!"

"Belle?"

She gasped, her eyes snapping open. She breathed heavily as she looked around her.

She was lying on the couch in front of the fireplace, a blanket covering her. She looked up and saw that James was standing over her.

"I just got home. Are you alright? You were talking in your sleep."

"Oh", she murmured. So it was just a dream. The rain must've lulled me to sleep.

She attempted to sit up, but a wave of dizziness overcame her. James kneeled besides her, placing his hands on her shoulders, and helped her to lie down again.

"What did the doctor say?" he asked.

"Well..." she coughed into her hand. "I don't feel much better."

"Oh, that reminds me." He reaches into a bag next to him, and took out a container.

"I brought you some soup from the café you like."

"Oh, thank you", she smiled. She grasped his hand. Fragments of the dream still swirled in her mind, but she tried to disregard them as she prepared to break the news to him.

"So?" James said, rubbing her hand.

"James, I...I'm pregnant."

An expression of surprise came over his face. "You...Really?" he exclaimed with a grin. He pushed away the blanket and looked at her stomach.

"It's not doing to well now", she giggled. "And I'm only about several weeks along."

"Well, this is..." he looked at her. "This is unbelievable!"

She smiled weakly as he kissed her. "So you're happy?" she asked.

"Yes—only, are you? Are you ready for this?"

She sighed. "If you are, then I am."

"Brilliant." He kissed her cheek. "I'll go heat this soup for you."

She watched him walk through the hall, into the kitchen, and then turned over onto her back. She gazed into the fire as she thought, and touched her stomach.

The yellow dog suddenly barked. He looked at her in a blaming way.

"What? I am happy", she retorted.

The dog cocked his head at her, then went back to guarding his key.

"I am happy", she whispered again to herself. She reflected on the dream. Thank God it was just a dream.

Only one thing was gnawing at her. Does this child inside of me really belong to James?

She didn't want to know. Of course it is James' child.

Doubting this would only be injurious to not only her metal, but physical state.

The only problem was: the doctor. Doctor Hollingsworth.

She had tried to forget it, but she had committed a sin. Adultery.

James was gone on another appointment for the governor. Before he had left, they had gotten into another horrible argument, about who knows what.

Belle was miserable. It was getting late that night as she continued to work in the dress shop. She always stayed late in the shop when James wasn't home, despite Melanie's (the shopkeeper) protests.

Customers weren't allowed in, but Melanie had let in a young man, whom she introduced to Belle as her doctor. Belle found him quite handsome.

They started to become acquainted with each other, and they talked, and the doctor offered to accompany her home.

Melanie thanked him (for she was worried about Belle's safety if she were to go home by herself at that hour) and closed the shop. She turned out the lights and went up stairs. The large upper floor of the shop was Melanie's home.

Belle recalled the rest of that night—Kel (Doctor Hollingsworth) escorting her to the house...

Along the way they had talked about numerous things, everything.

When they reached the front door, Kel had asked her if she was alone, and if she was going to be alright.

She had answered that, yes, she was alone, and she admitted that she was a bit nervous.

Kel came in and accepted a cup of tea.

The rest was a blur to her. She awoke the next morning, undressed in her bed. The doctor was gone.

When she was out shopping in the market that afternoon, she happened to bump into him.

It was awkward, and they agreed to keep what happened to themselves. It never happened.

And that's how Belle was shocked when the doctor that came earlier was the doctor. But, keeping to his promise, he acted as though he had never met her before, and he acted in a professional manner.

Belle, however, could not get the thoughts out of her mind. The sin had occurred about a month ago.

"Here you are."

Commodore Norrington entered and handed her the soap.

"Oh, thanks so much." She eased herself up. "Hopefully I'll be able to get this down."

She slowly brought the spoon to her lips and took a taste.

"It's delicious."

"Good", he responded. He was silent for a bit, then spoke again.

"Belle, I think this baby will be such a good thing in our lives."

Belle swallowed. "You think so?"

He cleared his throat. "I know our marriage hasn't been perfect, but..." he walked over to her. "This will bring us even closer", he finished, and took her left hand, kissing it.

"Oh, James, I hope so. It will", she smiled at him, even though, inside, she fighting with her emotions.

Alright, that is my final chapter for several weeks. I'll be able to write again when semester exams are over. Until then!