Disclaimer: I do not own POTC!
"The President will see you now." A secret service agent let Elizabeth and Will in the Oval Office at seven o'clock in the morning.
President Corbin Baines was a towering figure. He was tall with gray hair, slightly balding in the back. His eyes were filled with compassion and concern as Elizabeth walked in with Will. "You mother told you?"
Elizabeth's face blanched. President Baines was in no mood to be hassled. "Yes sir."
"I figured it might come to this." The President then looked at Will. "You spoke to my aide."
"Yes sir, I am Special Agent William Turner. I am Miss Swann's partner."
The President sat behind his desk. "I was briefed on the case this morning. Now why do you think it has anything to do with me?"
"Mister President something is not adding up. We believe these killings are professional and carried out with impeccable precision. Each of the victims look like me in some sort of way. Each were in a medical field while in college, the similarities are tremendous. I just want to know if you think General Swann has enough pull to do something like this. Or, is it someone who wants to hurt you?" Elizabeth said. She was trying her hardest to be professional, but her bravado was breaking.
"I am going to be incredibly honest with you Elizabeth."
"Go on." Elizabeth swallowed.
"If at the time I could have taken you I would have. However, General Swann proposed something that I couldn't pass up. He offered to take you, marry your mother, as long as I gave him all the commendations in the world, because he knew, as well as I did, that one day I would be President. If he hurt you or your mother in any way, the deal would have been off. He knows what pull I have, and I won't be afraid to use it. Therefore I don't believe your father is behind this." Elizabeth felt a jolt and the President picked up on it. "Elizabeth I am your father biologically, not in a form of Dad."
Elizabeth felt abandoned. "He's not a Dad either Mister President." Elizabeth stood up. "Someone wants to kill me, and no one will help me. Someone powerful is pulling the strings and I will find out."
"Elizabeth, don't take my honestly as cruelty. I think about you all the time, what you are like, who'd you grow up to be…now I see a fine and intelligent woman in front of me. Your mother and General Swann raised you fine enough."
"My mother made me who I am."
"No, we all shape ourselves…I believe you became self sufficient because of Corbin. Your mother made you see sweetness and graciousness that you probably envied."
"You know nothing Mister President. Not everyone could be raised in a loving home, at least, not like your children." Elizabeth walked out of the Oval Office. Will walked with her.
"Elizabeth are you alright?"
"No."
"What do you need?"
"To go home." Will glanced at the clock. Seven fifteen…it only took fifteen minutes for Elizabeth's hopes to crumble.
WEWE
Will called the office and told them they would be out of the office following up on leads all day. Will didn't like to lie, since he was the boss, but he had to make sure Elizabeth would be okay. However, from her silence and her strained expression as she sat and sipped her tea at the kitchen counter, he could tell she was hurting, and thinking.
"What's going through your head Elizabeth?" Will asked as he looked at her.
Elizabeth lifted her head and she stared at him. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?" Will asked, his voice soft.
"With pity." Elizabeth said with a tone of disgust in her voice. "Not from you."
"Elizabeth, I want to help you." Elizabeth let the cup of tea slip from her hands and crash to the floor.
"No, just don't do that. Don't pity me, don't look at me that way." Will walked over to the sink and picked up a towel to clean up the cup.
"Let me help you."
Elizabeth stared at him, angry. "Will I don't want your help! I just want to be able to trust someone! Why does every single man in my life turn out to be complete scoundrels!" Elizabeth yelped as tears fell.
Will took her face in his hands and held it there. "I am not a scoundrel." Something else flashed in his eyes that she wasn't sure what it was. He then kissed her. Softly at first, then he deepened it.
Elizabeth pushed him away. "No your not. But you will still break my heart in some way."
"Elizabeth…"
"Don't you understand Will?" Will stared, not understanding. "I can't physically be with you. I am afraid of that touch, I don't like to be touched."
Will immediately pulled away. "I didn't know…I…"
"This is why my heart will break. I can't let you care about me that way." Elizabeth then quieted. "Will, I won't say that I don't care about you. Physically, I just can't."
Will stared at her. "That's fine. We don't have to be physical…" Elizabeth watched him get up. "You can have the rest of the day off. I have to head back into the office and check up on some things."
"Will don't do this…" Will held up his hand to silence her.
"Elizabeth, please, just let go." Without another word he left. Elizabeth felt crushed, but a determination welled inside her, she hated being a victim, even being referred to as one. She was done with this controlling her life.
POTC
His next target was in his sight. She looked just like her. Her movements…her smile…maybe if he closed his eyes as he cleansed her, maybe he would feel it would be her. He had Elizabeth once, and she had gotten away…and he was painfully scolded…no he would never screw up again. However he found he was enjoying cleansing these women. One day soon, he would get Elizabeth all to himself.