True Love: Forever Reunited
AN: Again, sorry for the wait. My semester has proved to be insane. As an English major, all my classes are reading and writing intensive, and take up tons of time. But I will never abandon my fics, I can promise that! So, I hope you like this, and thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 22: Port Royal Again
William Turner the III ran faster than he had ever imagined running in his life, not having a clue where he was going. The darkness enclosed around him, and his body screamed for air. He was relieved to finally see the lights of Port Royal ahead, but once he reached it, Gillette and Anna were nowhere in sight, and he had no idea where his parents were. He looked around, desperate for any sign that someone would help him; but he knew no one. Just at the moment when all seemed lost however, a sign caught his eye; Riley Tailor Shop, the Finest clothes in Port Royal. Robert and Andrew Riley, Owners.
"That must be Uncle Andrew's father's shop, which means he must be Anna's grandfather!" said Willy to himself.
He saw a light in the window, and throwing all caution to the winds, put a shaking hand to the door, and knocked.
"Come in!" called a man's voice, and Willy opened the door slowly and stepped inside a very nice looking shop.
"Well hello there lad," said the man, looking up at Willy with a smile on his face. He had auburn hair just like Andrew's, but he also sported quite a beard. "What might you be doing out alone at such an hour?"
"I'm in a bit of trouble sir," said Willy, trying his best to remain calm. "You see, I know your son and daughter in law, and your grandchildren. My name is William Turner, or Willy, and…"
"Blimey!" interrupted Mr. Riley, "I thought you looked familiar! You're the spitting image of your father and mother."
"Yes," said Willy, his tone becoming frantic, "Well, my parents and Uncle Andrew and Aunt Amelia, and Uncle Jack and several other of our friends had to come here to try and negotiate with Lord Clinton, and Charles and Anna and I were told to stay on the ship under the guard of a good number of people, but then Gillette came and kidnapped Anna…" he stopped, his young voice trying his best to hold back a few tears. "I want to save her. I have too; she's my best friend, along with Charles."
Mr. Riley stood there for a moment, obviously shocked, his face etched with concern for his granddaughter. "Oh my; you're right, we must do something. But where are Charles and the people that were guarding the ship?"
Almost as if in response to this question, the door to the shop burst open, revealing Charles, Amelia, Groves, Pintel, and Ragetti all appeared in the doorway, looking windswept, and terrified.
"Willy!" exclaimed Amelia, pulling her godson to her, tears in her eyes, "Don't run off like that, we were worried sick!"
"I had to go after Anna," said Willy firmly, "She needs our help. We must get to her quickly!"
A thunder clap cut through the boy's words, and through the open door a lightning flash illuminated his face, revealing an expression of utter and resolute determination.
"Of course we will go after her," answered Amelia kindly, her eyes filled with worried tears for her daughter's fate, "But please don't run off own your own Willy; if something happened to you…" she trailed off, not wanting to continue her train of thought.
"Where have Andrew, Will, and the others gone?" asked Mr. Riley, enfolding his daughter in law and Charles in an embrace. "Where are they meeting Lord Clinton?"
"They met him in Lord Clinton's office, I believe," said Amelia, "Gillette must have taken Anna there. But how can we get to her?"
"From what I can tell," responded Groves, "Lord Clinton has spread out all the troops; so it is likely that only a few are standing guard outside his office. If that is indeed where Gillette is, I think we can overpower them."
Amelia nodded. "All right; Father, Mr. Groves, Pintel, Ragetti, and I will go. Charles and Willy, you must stay here, and do not come out!"
"But we want to help save Anna!" protested Charles.
"That's right!" exclaimed Willy, "And we might be able to help my parents and Uncle Jack too!"
"Amelia," commented Groves carefully, "It might be best if we took the children with us."
Amelia opened her mouth to protest, but Groves held up a silent hand, asking her to allow him to continue.
"If we leave them here alone, they'll be open targets; if we take them with us, we'll at least be able to protect them."
With this statement, Willy knew that he and Charles had won the argument. He was afraid, but he wanted to help save Anna more than anything, because he knew it was what his father would do. The adults armed themselves, formed a protective circle around the two boys, and walked on through the darkness toward Clinton's office, the very stronghold of the East India Trading Company. The door to the building was mercifully unlocked; no doubt an error made by Gillette and his eagerness to show Lord Clinton that he had kidnapped Anna. Willy felt exhilarated, but his pure heart beat with concern for Anna.
The group crept in noiselessly, their feet hardly daring to touch any patch of ground for too long. But they did not go unnoticed for long; several guards stood by the door, waiting.
"Pirates!" one shouted, "They're here to help Turner and Sparrow!"
"Get them!" called another.
The clash of metal on metal rang out, but the two foolish guards were no match for the pirate band. They were defeated with only a few strokes by Groves' expertise, and were left unconscious on the floor.
"Blimey," commented Mr. Riley, his eyes wide, "This is intense."
"This is nothing," said Amelia, "Just wait until someone finds that we're inside, and sounds the alarm." Her voice shook in the darkness, reflecting the danger that they knew they were all in.
Willy's thoughts turned to his parents, and Jack, and Norrington; would they make it out? Were they even alive now? He couldn't bear the thought of losing his parents, or the baby that resided in his mother's womb; he could not dare to think of his family being torn apart, after it was finally reunited. It broke his young heart to think of seeing his mother's face if anything were to happen to his father; he had seen that absent look in her eyes too many times over the years his father had been forced to be away from them, and he never wanted to see it again. He felt a forceful arm jerk out in front of him, stopping him in his path; he recognized it as Groves'.
"Stop," he whispered, "Gillette is here."
He held out a hand, bidding them all to stay where they were. His footsteps echoed in the darkened hallway, and at hearing them, Gillette turned round, and a sight met their eyes that made all their stomachs turn; Gillette stood directly outside the door to Clinton's office, his gun out and pointing directly at Anna. Willy's heart nearly leapt out of his throat as he gazed at Anna's terrified face.
"Now see here Gillette," prompted Groves, stepping out of the shadows to face his enemy and former friend. "This is an innocent little girl you've got. She has nothing to do with this, and you know it."
"Oh," said Gillette, a sinister smile slipping onto his drawn features, "But she has everything to do with it; her capture lured you all here, after all." His eyes landed on Willy with a yet unrivaled malice. "And the Turner boy came after her, how touching."
"Andrew," said Groves, reverting to first name terms, "You used to be a decent man; don't let the twisted ways of the East India Company turn you into someone that you aren't." Groves' voice had a hint of pleading in it, and Willy prayed to God that it would work on Gillette.
"Don't you see Groves?" scoffed Gillette, his tone hopeless. "There is no way to win unless you join the East India Company! I won't be on the losing side!" He pushed the gun closer to Anna's head, and she cried out.
It all happened at once.
Willy rushed toward Anna despite Amelia's attempts to stop him, and pulled Anna from Gillette's grasp. Groves pulled out his sword, and a gunshot was fired, ringing hollowly throughout the room. Amelia let out a piercing scream, while Charles and Mr. Riley remained silent, shocked beyond belief, almost unable to move. The smoke from the gunshot cleared, only to reveal Groves lying on the floor, blood pouring from his side. Gillette was nowhere to be seen.
Amelia's piercing scream and the preceding gunshot did not go unheard from inside Clinton's office. Andrew whipped around, recognizing the voice of his beloved wife. Both he and Will made for the door, but two guards pointed pistols at them, and they were forced to step back.
"Dammit, Clinton! Let us out of here!" exclaimed Will, his eyes smoldering with hatred.
"Nothing doing Mr. Turner," stated Clinton in an infuriatingly calm tone, "Not until you give me the needed information." He leaned against his mahogany desk, twiddling a quill between his fingers as though he had all the time in the world.
"They aren't going to give you the information Clinton," spat Jack. "They've got honor, see."
"Quiet, Sparrow, or your little woman will pay for your mouth," responded Clinton, directing his malevolent gaze at the pirate, who moved closer to Ana.
Will too, moved closer to Elizabeth, who twitched nervously; Will could tell the gunshot they heard was bothering her. Thoughts of Willy injured or dead flashed through his mind, and he nearly faltered from his standing position. He knew Elizabeth was feeling the same, and he wouldn't have like to be on the other side of the glare that Clinton faced.
"There is nothing you can do to make us give you the information, Clinton," said Elizabeth, her voice so fierce and vicious that Will hardly recognized it. Her resounding, bubbly laugh was nowhere to be found.
"Really?" asked Clinton, tilting his head to the side, a sly smirk overtaking his face. "But Mrs. Turner, I really think there's quite a lot I can do; do you question the power that I possess?"
He snapped his fingers and the guards cornered Jack, Ana, Barbossa, Captain Teague, and Norrington into the door at gunpoint.
"OI!" protested Jack, "Get those away from us! That's a little to close for comfort!"
"Take them away," ordered Clinton, and with a wave of his hand the guards forced the pirates out of the room, each pair of eyes glancing back at Will and Elizabeth, filled with a blinding terror.
"Go to hell, Clinton!" yelled Andrew, "If you do anything to the Turners…."
But he was cut off by the door slamming in his face. The start of a scuffle was heard, but it faded off into the hallway.
"He'll do what, I wonder?" remarked Clinton, his eyes piercing into Will and Elizabeth. "Finally alone..." he said venom in his voice, his eyes holding such glee that it was inappropriate, "So very alone, and without your friends. My uncle would have been proud of what I've accomplished."
"Your uncle was a fool and a coward!" shouted Will, grasping Elizabeth's hand so tightly that he was afraid he might cut off her circulation. His arm rested across her stomach in an attempt to protect their precious unborn child.
"SILENCE!" screamed Clinton, his dark hair coming lose from it's tail on the nape of his neck and falling into face. "You will not speak about my uncle in that fashion. Tell me how to bind Calypso and tell me where the Brethren Court are. Now."
"Calypso's rage will be more than both our sides can handle if Will reveals that information," stated Elizabeth, her eyes boring into Clinton's, "And good luck finding the Brethren Court; they're spread all over the world."
"Very well then," responded Clinton, his eyes resting on Elizabeth stomach, "Very well."
Both Will and Elizabeth sensed what he was doing, and all three pulled out their swords at once.
"Oh my," Clinton, chuckled, "What a pickle I've gotten myself into. How can I ever win? Ah yes, I'd forgotten that I had this useful little object."
Will and Elizabeth watched in horror as he pulled out a pistol and pointed it straight at Elizabeth's pregnant stomach.
"You wouldn't!" said Will, moving directly in front of Elizabeth.
"Actually Mr. Turner, I would. You see, I really don't need any more pirates roaming the earth; it's no doubt in my mind that your child would be just that; a good for nothing, worthless piece of human flesh, much like your current son."
At this, Elizabeth fought Will's hold on her, and broke free, charging at Clinton, her sword poised to attack.
"Elizabeth, no!" yelled Will, "That's just what he wants!"
But Elizabeth was not to be deterred; she had lost all her sense when Clinton had insulted her children, both born and unborn; her eyes were slits, and a strangled, uncontrollable yell erupted from her mouth. Will charged after her but to no avail.
The second gunshot of the evening was fired.
The hot lead hit Elizabeth's sword where the blade and the handle met, breaking it apart and sending it flying out of her hand. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her against him, pointing the gun at her stomach. Will skidded to a stop right in front of Clinton, pointing his sword at Clinton's side.
"Don't you dare, hurt my wife, you demon!" roared Will. His heart pounded in his ears, his hand shaking as he tried to maintain a solid grip on his sword. He looked frantically around the dimly lit room, looking for something, anything to assist him; there was nothing to be found.
"Touch me, Turner, and you lose both your wife and your child," said Clinton in a matter of fact tone, as though they were haggling over the price of a ship.
Elizabeth struggled against him, and he merely pushed the gun further, looking bored. Will felt like his blood was the temperature of boiling water, and he nearly lost his senses completely. If he went nearer to Clinton, he would shoot Elizabeth, but if he stood there without fighting back, that would be no help at all. He lowered his sword, having no choice.
"That's what I thought," said Clinton. "Good choice."
Will's eyes locked with Elizabeth's, but they held no answer; would they have to tell Clinton the information? Either way, death seemed imminent. But this momentary diversion gave Clinton the edge he needed. Clinton swung his foot in a roundhouse kick and hit Will directly in the face. Will felt his nose break, and he fell to the floor, watching as Clinton threw Elizabeth over his shoulder and ran out of the building, in the direction of the governor's mansion. Will got up like lightning, warm blood pouring from his nose, hot on Clinton's heels.