Happy Holidays! Hope you guys have a great time.

Elizabeth POV

We stared into each other's eyes, burning into the other's soul. And I stayed that way for what seemed like and eternity, trying to get the words out. It was a struggle but I knew that I had to do it,but I feared his answer.

" Did you know?" I asked, begging him for the truth. I knew the second his face took on a look of regret shame that he would answer me truthfully and that the answer was:

" Yes." I clenched my teeth together. With a last sad and angry look of disappointment to him, I turned and sped for the stairs. From the corner of my eye I saw Scarlet, now quiet, looking at me in satisfaction.

" No. Elizabeth wait-" I heard his fast footsteps behind me. He grabbed me by the elbow and prevented me from making further progress away from him. I turned to him, and the more violent side of me discovered for the second time that day, I slapped him too. Then I broke free, not waiting for his reaction and ran towards the cabin. The last thing I heard was Scarlet's annoyed voice.

" Well, aren't you going to help me up?" As I ran through the deck, the tears started coming and I saw some of the men stop and look at me. I kept going until I was safe inside the cabin to really break down. Marie and Giselle were startled and got up quickly to help me. They led me to the bed where I sat and sobbed, while they tried to coax an answer out of me. I told them what happened, not caring what Giselle would think of me and my indignities. She understood perfectly well what was happening and promised me her support.

" Scarlet doesn't care about Will. She wants him, but she doesn't love him. But she's used to getting what she wants." That's funny, I thought, so was I. I had never before been denied anything I wanted, much less something I needed. And I felt that I needed Will, because when people spoke of love, now I knew what they were speaking of. And I needed him. And I wanted him. More than I had ever wanted anything in my life. If I didn't get him, this whole thing would have been for nothing and surely my father would punish me for my imputance by disowning me and leaving me on the street. For absolutely nothing, I thought bitterly. Marie was hopeful though.

" He still wants to be with you Elizabeth. Forget Scarlet! He already told you he was leaving her for you! Think about it! " Giselle shot her a look for her forwardness for her lack of sensitivity.

" But I can't leave a child fatherless!" I blurted out in between my tears. " What kind of a woman would I be if I that ?" And it seemed hopeless.

" Lock the door Marie, if you will." Giselle set her hand on my knee. " Give it time dear. If you really feel that much for each other, then it will work. It always does." I shook my head.

" How can you be so sure?" I wanted a guarantee that what she said was true, that it would all work out in the end.

" It's a long story. " She smiled slightly but her face saddened quickly. " My mother was from England and my father from France. They met in Cuba, were I was born. But I never met my father, he left my mother before I was born and she never saw him again. I doubt the circumstances were like yours though. I had a nice childhood though, I never went without anything. My mother worked as a maid in a plantation owner's household and even though he was a horrible man, he paid her a decent wage. As soon as I was old enough, I worked there too, until the man kicked us to the street a few years later when he didn't need us. We had nowhere to go and after a while begged for food to survive. Sometimes my mother would steal food. A policeman caught her at the market while she was taking food and arrested her. I saw her being taken away and as she was dragged to prison she called out to me to be careful. I never saw her again, and I was left to fend for myself. I didn't know what to do since I had never been without my mother's guidance before. I must have been about your age and alone in the world, so I went back to the plantation where I had grown up. The man took me in as an indentured servant. It kept me poor, tired and humiliated, but alive. I was sent to the market one day to buy groceries for that day's dinner when no one else was available to do it. I usually wasn't let out into the town for fear that I might run away without fulfilling my servitude.

" Will that be all for you miss?" The produce vendor asked me.

" Yes, thank you." I put my recently bought vegetables in my basket. Just then a little boy ran past me and grabbed some food out of my basket.

" No! Come back!" As sorry as I felt for the little boy- he must be homeless and poor- if I was missing anything when I went back to the plantation. I would be punished- physically. The cook was a violent man and I had heard that the owner sometimes punished the young women by taking them up to his bedroom and- I started running after the boy.

" Stop! Please come back!" A young man in the outdoor market turned, saw me and the boy running in his direction. He caught the boy long enough for me to catch up.

" I'm sorry but I'll be needing those back." He looked up at me with sad eyes and it broke my heart to take the food from him but I had to. He reluctantly gave them back. I put them back in the basket and the young man let him go. The boy ran away without looking back, turned and was gone in an alleyway.

" Thanks. I really appreciate your help." He held out his hand to me. I took it and he lifted my hand up to kiss it.

" Happy to be of service." I felt awkward and embarrassed to be treated with manners meant for ladies of the upper class. I wasn't even used to any kind of politeness from men either way. But this man knew how to flatter a lady and he seemed like a genuinely good man.

" Well, I best be going." I said hastily. I didn't want to take too long and anger someone at the plantation.

" Think you could point me to the nearest tavern first?"

" I was headed that way."

" We talked and I led him to the tavern which was on my way back to the plantation." Giselle said before pausing. I didn't know how that had anything to do with Will and I, but if she had meant to tell me a story to distract me from Will and Scarlett, it had worked and I was no longer crying even though I still felt empty on the inside.

" Was that Hector? Was he the man that helped you?" I asked Giselle burning to know. She nodded.

" I was smitten by Hector but I never saw him for a long time after that day. I told myself that if I ever found a good, kind man like him, I wouldn't hesitate to marry him. I worked at the plantation for 7 more years until my contract was up and by that time I had become a more independent woman. Working in the conditions that I did at that place toughened me, and once my work was over I was without a home, but I knew that I would somehow find a better job that didn't treat me like a slave. The day I was released from that servitude I went into town and found a job as a barmaid. It wasn't the nicest job but at least it gave me freedom to do as I pleased when my work was over. And it was a lively atmosphere. The man that owned the tavern wasn't horrible either. One day, a crew of pirates came in and to my surprise Hector was among them. By that time he had recently been named captain. I brought him and his crew some rum and he recognized me. We talked and he told me about how he was visiting an old friend, the legendary Tia Dalma. I had heard stories about her, but never believed she was a real person. She had told him that on this island lived his future wife. But he didn't tell me that until afterwards. Anyways, Hector came to the tavern everyday that week. And then he asked me to come with him. I didn't hesitate to say yes. Soon enough we married and I've been with him ever since."

" Giselle, I don't mean to be rude, but you never went through a problem like mine. You received your happy ending but I-"

" No!" She interrupted me. " Elizabeth you're missing the point." Her stern words startled me.

" They met on the street one day and went on their way. But Elizabeth, they were reunited years later and fell for each other. The point is: If it's meant to be, it will happen no matter the circumstances." Marie added clearly, much to my dismay. I sighed.

" Well, I don't see the hope in my situation." I stood up determined. " It's best that I apologize for my imprudent behavior and hope Scarlet will forgive me."

" That's ridiculous! She doesn't deserve him and you know it!" Marie stood and walked angrily towards me. " Forget your stupid manners and live an adventure for once in your life! I didn't come with you on this dammed ship to see you give him away, and unless you find a worthy man for me to justify this voyage with, I suggest you-" fortunately for me, someone knocked on the door loudly. " Coming!" Marie stomped away to answer the locked door. " Oh good! We were just talking about you." Scarlet came in and didn't hesitate to throw daggers through her eyes at me. " Giselle, if you will, I think these girls are old enough to figure things out on their own." Giselle stood and walked out on deck alongside Marie.

Norrington POV

"Commodore, commodore!" The Governor stood and ran towards me as a entered his study unannounced. The urgent state of matters allowed me to come and go as I pleased and the Governor would not have any other way. Not when it involved his daughter.

" Have you found her?" I shook my head. Elizabeth had disappeared sometime last night and hadn't been found- not even a body.

" I'm afraid not Sir." He found the nearest chair in his study and let himself fall pitifully upon it.

" Please, take a seat somewhere." I did so and he kept his depressing look.

" Governor, I'm doing everything I possibly can, but I've run our of places to search. I'm not even sure she's in Port Royal."

" Could she have been abducted by the pirates? They did escape from jail, surely they could have-"

" No. The guards at the mansion didn't see anything out of the ordinary. No one entered or left the mansion."

" Then how is she not here? John, I'm speaking to you as a distressed father. Please find my daughter." He pleaded. If only I could. No matter, I wouldn't rest until she was found alive and well. And if not, I would see to it that the person responsible suffered the utmost punishment for it.

" You know her handmaiden is also missing."

" I don't care, she could have died for all I care! Elizabeth's life is the only one I'm worried about!" He stood screaming.

" Governor sit down. There could be a correlation in the maid also missing. All the other servants in your household are accounted for." I sighed heavily. "I will find Elizabeth, and I'm speaking to you as her fiance. Let's just hope her body isn't found among the rubble in town. "Good day sir." I walked out ready to continue my search.

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