Crossing Blades (POTC FanFiction)

twenty two➵ decisions, decisions...

"It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are."

- Roy Disney

Evelyn's POV

    "One moment please!" Beckett calls out to the knocks on the door and then turns to me to which I glare back. "Please, do everyone a favor, and don't make a sound?" He almost seems to be begging with me and I find enjoyment in the fact that even though he's got me kidnapped, he can't do anything to me to force me into being quiet so he must resort to pleas. I don't say anything or nod, I simply gesture towards the door and with a quick roll of his eyes he tells them to enter.

    My eyes quickly fall on a tall man in shackles who looks ragged, tired and dirty. It only takes me a moment to recognize him.

    "Governor Swann?" I automatically stand up from my seat and Beckett sighs in exasperation at my unwillingness to behave. The Gov. scrunches his eyebrows in confusion for a moment before they relax in realization and a half smile perks up his lips.

    "Evelyn...have you seen Elizabeth?" He immediately questions, both of us forgetting that Beckett is in the room watching our exchange.

    "I....did." I feel tempted to tell him where when I notice Beckett and the guard behind Gov. Swann's eyes on me and I shut up.

    "Don't let my presence stop you, Ms. Archer. We already know where you were before Mr. Mercer grabbed you up so there's no need in holding back now." The smirk on Beckett's lips causes a chill to rush up my spine. Gulping away the slight pang of fear that rushes through me at the idea of how exactly Mercer found us, I turn my attention to the worried father in the room with fumbling hands.

    "She's safe." Is all I can manage to say. The words don't seem to calm him completely but they satisfy him enough for the time being. Beckett now has turned away from our conversation and back to his game of darts.

    "There's something to knowing the exact shape of the world and man's place in it. Don't you agree?" Beckett questions the room and I assume he's speaking to Governor Swann but I don't really give a damn who he's talking to.

    "Not exactly," I answer, a slight smirk playing on my lips and he only rolls his eyes at this, unsheathing a sword from his belt, the tip of the blade grazing against my stomach to which I jump back, my eyes wide.

    He only admires it for a moment before pushing it back into it's place, shooting me a glare while doing so. Governor Swann interrupts just as I feel tempted to tackle the idiot in the white wig.

    "I assure you," The former governor looks down toward his chained hands, "these are not necessary." Beckett doesn't even glance at him before waving his hand and the guard leaves the room with a quick flick of the wrist.

    "I had brought you here because I thought you'd be interested in the whereabouts of your daughter. But it seems that someone else may have better information than I." Rolling his eyes at me, I just send him a glare back as I feel governor Swann's needy eyes burning holes into the side of my head.

    "Like I said...she's safe," I swallow uncomfortably, but Beckett just laughs in response - his cold, dry laughter making every muscle body in my body coil tighter.

    "But where could the darling member of the Swann family be headed, I wonder?" Beckett's slithery voice questions and I avert my gaze from him to the floor, shifting anxiously on my feet. I've never been one to give out under pressure, but I've also never had a sincerely worry-ridden father staring deep into my soul for answers, either.

    "Evelyn?" His voice contains so much passion and worry that I have to meet his gaze, my sad eyes probably giving away that I can't answer that question.

    "Where are they going? Where are they taking my daughter?" The chains around his wrists clink as he makes his over to me and I just glance away, looking towards the sea. God, Jack, what do I do...

    My heart sags slightly in my chest when I get no sign from above or see any sign of movement in the water.

    "I'm sorry," I breathe, keeping my eyes fixed on the moving waves, attempting to ease my throbbing heart but I'm caught off guard when the Governor knocks a lamp over with his confined wrists, and Beckett and I immediately turn in his direction.

    "You brought me here with the promise of answers," Swann booms and I instinctively move away slightly, towards the window. Maybe he'll shout loud enough for the window to shatter? Maybe I should just take a chair to it, that'd probably be faster...

    "And you will get them," Beckett coughs, his wide eyes turning to me, looking slightly flustered at my unwillingness to cooperate with him.

    "They were most recently seen on the island of Tortuga," Beckett discloses and my eyes swiftly move towards his, narrowing. I still wonder how he found us. "They left in the company of Jack Sparrow, and other fugitives from justice," At this, Swann scoffs at the statement of justice, and I ignore the steady beat of anger in my chest at this.

    "Including the previous owner of this sword, I believe," Beckett unsheathes it again for a moment and I cringe at the memory of seeing that piece of scum. At this, he turns to me with an evil look in his eye, and a pointed smirk on his lips, "Our ships are in pursuit and justice will be dispensed by cannonade and cutlass and all manner of remorseless pieces of metal. I personally find it distasteful to even contemplate the horror facing all those on board." I shiver at the thought of them attacking the Pearl. Great, just another reason they have to get to shore. And leave me here to rot.

The idea that Jack will never return to save me is an equally harsh one to begin to imagine. I can't tell which would be worse, losing him in his pursuit to find me, or never seeing that gold-and-silver-toothed smirk again. Both are unbelievably difficult to think about, let alone choose between, so I sit on that idea for now, not wanting to think of worse-case scenarios any longer.

"We will find them, Evie," Jack's pet-name for me makes me want to puke as it rolls off Beckett's tongue, and it takes everything in me not to lunge at him, "It's not a matter of how...it's a matter of when," His words make me shiver as I realize that no matter how much I hold out, the time will come when Jack can't run anymore. No matter how much I care about him, no matter how much I risk for him, no matter how much I hold out...at the end of the day, there will always be someone hunting Jack, trying to find him and take him out.

And there is simply nothing I can do about it.

My eyes finally meet Beckett's and then turn to a very troubled father. What I would give to have had a parent who cared for me the way Elizabeth has.

"Okay," I croak, telling myself that that is what I have to do. "Jack and Will and Elizabeth...they're sailing towards-"

"Will's on board?" Beckett interrupts and my heart starts beating rapidly at the thought of him realizing I'm lying.

"Yes..." I trail off, attempting to sound normal but Beckett just smirks at me.

"Tell me then, dear Evelyn, why Elizabeth would sail towards Tortuga, just to get back on another ship, that's sailing towards most likely imminent death? If Will is already with her?" His words catch me off guard as my eyes slowly trail up to his black ones.

"Thanks for your time, Mr. Swann," Beckett smirks again as I back up against the window.

"Wait, where are they going?" Gov. Swann panics as a guard rushes into the room, attempting to pull him out of here, but he's giving one hell of a fight.

'I'm sorry,' I mouth towards him but he just continues to thrash, begging for answers, and I just look away, unable to watch as the guard tugs him out of the room and back into whatever cell he's staying in. I wasn't able to give the poor man any answers and for once in my life, I feel awful for him.

"Now that he's gone-" Is all I hear before Beckett is slapping me across the face, sending me to the floor and before I can react from the sting, something is knocking me over the head, and everything goes dark.