~The Hunt~ Javier Escuella AU ✔︎

Eight-Know who you should be loyal to

Hey! Sorry, it's a late update again, but I'm slowly getting back into it again! Enjoy!

"I thought I might of found you here...Abigail told me you ran off. I tracked from the doctor's office. Just in case I was wrong, " Charles sits down next to the woman, her nose was red and her eyes puffy and watering with tears.

"I'm fine really...thank you though, Charles, " Annabelle smiled and held his arm before letting go

"You're welcome. What happened anyway? If you don't mind me asking?" Charles asks but treading lightly on the subject.

"Found out some big news, don't know whether to be happy, scared, angry or upset. All of the above maybe. What would Javier think of me? I'm sorry, Charles. You don't need-"

"No, this is a good thing. Talking about it is healthy. Especially, now you're carrying a little one," Charles points at her belly, Annabelle giggles and places her hand on the non-existing bump.

"And I also think that Javier would be happy but nervous. I know I would. First time being a father an all...but I would leave. While you have the chance. Abigail wasn't so lucky. She had to fight this on her own."

"What about loyalty, Charles?" Annabelle asks, sobbing again. Charles quickly wraps an arm around her pulling her in a side embrace.

"Be loyal to what matters, " Charles replies.

"You sound like Arthur, " Annabelle chuckles lifting her head to look at the half-Native.

"Because Arthur's right. Give this baby a life you couldn't have. That you both couldn't have. Just don't be here when you give birth and don't come back. People are dying, Micah's getting into Dutch's ear-"

"I know. I know, Charles. It's Javier I'm worried about. He might let me leave, but will he?"

***

Charles and Annabelle rode back into camp, Charles nodded to her and left and sat around the campfire.

Annabelle took her saddle off of Boaz and gave him a carrot too which he whinnied at. Annabelle smiled and patted his neck. Boaz went off towards Patch who was happily grazing by the trees next to Kieran.

"Annabelle, " hands rested on her hips as Javier pulled her back and turning her around.

"Javier, " She looked up at the man before her and smiled leaning up to kiss him.

"Where were you? Abigail came back on her own and she sounded scared, " Javier held her close as he leaned against the tree.

"I...Javier...Don't freak out. I went to the doctor's and I-I'm pregnant, " Annabelle held her breath as she started back at Javier who sighed and looked down at his shoes.

"Javi-"

"You're pregnant? And I'm the father?" Javier questioned. Annabelle gasped, her jaw clenched she raised her hand and slapped him across the cheek.

"How dare you question that! Of course, you're the goddamn father, " Annabelle hissed keeping her voice down.

"Well I don't know, you seem pretty close with Charles lately, " Javier snapped back.

"Because he doesn't jump into conclusions like an idiot. And he's been by my side for a long time now and now you've noticed? Do you really think low of me?" Annabelle asked, her voice cracked but she quickly covered it up and looked away from him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just scared. A baby... We're going to be parents, " he sighed and rested his forehead against hers.

"I know, and we can get through this together. But before the baby is born we need to leave Javier. We can't raise a child here I mean look at Jack. I don't want our baby growing up like this-"

"I know, we will figure something out, I promise hermosa, " he kissed her lips gently, his hands now placed over her stomach.

"I love you, both of you, " Annabelle smiled against his lips and moved her head leaning her head against his chest.

"I love you too, "  Javier gripped her tighter at her words and held her even more closely if it was even humanly possible.

"So how far are you? Do you know?" Javier asks, taking her hand and walking along the shore as the sun starts to set.

"I don't know, I kind of went into a different world after I found out. But I'd say I'm around six weeks."Annabelle placed her hand over her tummy and smiled up at Javier.

"oh, well I read somewhere that you are pregnant for at least forty weeks, right?" Javier asks as that stopped walking, he helped her sit on the log and he followed after sitting next to her.

"I'm going to miss being out there and killing some O'Driscoll's," Annabelle confesses making Javier chuckle.

"That's all behind us now, Anna. And don't forget, you're pregnant, " Javier looked over at the woman who stared out at the River.

"But what they did to me, my family..." her voice trailed off into a whisper as her eyes welled up with tears. She groaned and wiped them away as quickly as they came. "my hormones are heightened even more while being pregnant, " she chuckled and leaned her head against Javier's shoulder.

"Karma is always out there and it will get them, " was the last thing Annabelle heard before her eyes drooped and everything went black.

Her heart was racing as a blindfold covered her eyes and a gag in her mouth. She screamed and kicked only to be whipped and pulled by her hair.

The wagon stopped and her body was lifted and chucked onto the mud, she winced and curled into a ball.

The blindfold was ripped off and she was grabbed by the throat as they chuckled at her pain and vulnerability.

One of the men took off her gag and she immediately screamed, she kicked her legs up kicking the man to the ground. As soon as her feet hit the ground she started to run, her whole body ached a few tears managed to escape.

She came to realise as she was running she was in the swamps, someone in Saint Denis had told her about Night Folk who liked to torture and kill people.

Their laughter was still ringing in her ears and shadows turned into figures of them and moved closer and became more visible.

The sound of splashes of water hits her face making her cry out in disgust as fish guts stuck to her body. The ground beneath her wrapped around her ankles tightly which made her fall into the water and twisting her ankle.

All the cuts started to bleed and she watched the blood swirl around the muggy water. Until a growl and a snap of jaws made her snap her head towards the trees.