What if (ON HOLD)

Chapter 12: Heartbreaking News

"We need to discuss the child you are carrying," he says.

"What about it?" I ask putting my hand to my stomach.

"We need to set some rules for you," he says.

"WHAT!? I don't need rules!" I shout standing up from my chair.

"Sit back down! You don't want to be punished, do you?" He demands angrily. I do as he says giving him an angry look. "Good. Now the rules are: One, if I tell you to do something, you do it. Two, if you're in any some sort of distress, you walk away and calm down. And lastly, if you break any of those rules, I will have no choice but to punish you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very clear," I say angrily.

"Good. You may go now," he says.

I quickly ran out of the room and go into the bedroom and laid myself down on the bed to calm myself down so that I don't stress myself out too much.

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Later that day, I was standing on the balcony outside Beckett's study looking out to the ocean as it always seems to calm me down.

I turn around when I heard people talking inside Beckett's study. I go inside and see Beckett sitting at his desk with Mr. Mercer standing in front of it.

"Maria, darling, come here," Beckett says with his arm out. I do as he says and stand beside him because I didn't want to be punished especially with Mr. Mercer in the room. Mr. Mercer then started to speak.

"The last of our ships is returned."

"Is there any news on the chest?" Beckett asks.

"None. But one of the ships did pick up a man adrift at sea. He had these," Mr. Mercer says putting the items on the desk. Beckett opens them up. I noticed it was the letters of marque that Elizabeth took.

"I took the liberty of filling in my name," I heard an all too familiar voice. I look to the door and see a guard holding a messy and unshaven James Norrington.

"James Norrington," I say. Norrington looks at me in surprise and I know he noticed my bruise on my cheek, but then turns his attention back to Beckett. Beckett motions him over to the desk. The guard lets Norrington loose, and Norrington comes to the desk.

"If you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade. Do you have the compass?" Beckett asks.

"Better," Norrington says before dropping something on the desk and I see the item moving with a beating sound. I gasp in surprise.

'Is that what I think it is?' I say mentally.

"The heart of Davy Jones," Norrington states speaking my thoughts. I look at Norrington in surprise and started to feel distressed.

"Maria, calm yourself. We don't want you to lose the baby," Beckett says. Norrington looks at me in surprise. "Take Norrington to get cleaned up," he demands.

I did as he says and took Norrington into the washroom. I told Norrington to take his coat and shirt off. He did as I said, and I took the bowl of water and dipped a rag into it and started to wash his face.

"You're pregnant?" Norrington asks.

"Yes," I say a bit quietly but loud enough to be heard.

"I didn't think you and Beckett were going to get married because I know how you feel about him," he says.

"When he came back to Port Royal, he forced my hand and I had no choice but to marry him," I explain.

"I'm sorry," he says.