Evangeline woke up once again, but this time she found herself in a bed. Light streamed through the window, morning had finally graced them. She thought about sitting up, but then the events of the night before came flooding back and she was a complete wreck in a matter of seconds. She buried her face in the pillow and sobbed, reducing the cotton stuffed piece of cloth to a sopping wet mess. She heard a knock at the door and she waited for the person to leave, but they didn't.
"Geline, are you awake?" she heard Nathaniel ask through the door.
"Mhhmmph," she mumbled into her pillow.
He cracked the door open and peeked in, seeing Evangeline face down on the bed, softly crying. He walked in and shut the door behind him, sitting next to her on the bed, gently patting her back.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Evangeline rolled over so that she was lying on her back. She wiped her eyes and looked at the doctor.
"Tired," she answered.
"I suppose we are all tired."
There was silence for a moment.
"Joshua says that the market and surrounding areas have been decimated, everything is in shambles. There's a list of missing people that is posted in the market square, there's at least two dozen names."
Evangeline thought about all the people she knew; were they alright? Were their homes untouched or were they steaming piles of rubble? Harriet, Selina, her boss; were they all safe?
"Jack is downstairs," Nathaniel said, standing up. "I think he's waiting for you."
"Will you tell him I will be down in a minute?" she asked.
Nathaniel nodded his head; a sad, distant look in his eyes. Last night she had refused his proposal and told him she was in love with Jack. A heavy blow, to be sure.
"You're...you're going to tell him, right? You're going to tell him how you feel?" he asked Evangeline.
"I don't think I can," she responded, turning away.
"He would be insane not to reciprocate your feelings."
Nathaniel made his way towards the door, hand ready to turn the knob when he stopped.
"Why him?" he asked, standing with his back to her.
"Why me?" she asked back.
He stood there a moment, not moving, taking in her question.
"Because," he sighed. "The heart does not ask you for your permission on whom it can choose for you to love. I am not its captain, it is mine, and I cannot change its course."
"I do believe you have just answered your own question," she whispered.
He lunged forward and opened the door, leaving without another word. Evangeline rolled her face back into her pillow which was still damp from her earlier lamentation. Life seemed to have her in a choke hold, crushing her windpipe, making it impossible for her to breathe a word of want; she was defenseless against its tools and devices.
She sat up, clad in only her nightgown, her boots resting up against the wall. She slipped them on, laced them up and made her way downstairs. As she stepped off the last step and turned the corner, she found herself in the room with many people on cots. Some were asleep, but a select few were being taken care of by Joshua and Nathaniel. The doctor was wrapping a young woman's arm when he saw Evangeline enter. He gave her a small smile and pointed to the corner of the room where Jack was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, and looking rather uncomfortable.
When he looked her way, their eyes met, and he quickly closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around her.
"Geline," he whispered, "I hardly slept, I thought of ya all night."
She let herself go then, and Jack held her weight up as she cried into his shoulder. She heard heavy boots come around the corner then, and she looked up to see Nathaniel whose eyes fell at the sight of Jack embracing her.
"I'm so sorry. I had to get you out. I'm sorry," Jack said.
"I know," she whispered. "We would have never gotten him out. It's not your fault."
"Damn it, all of this for a map. A bleedin' map, and a girl...a girl who's dead."
"He loved her. I imagine any man would put up a fight for the girl he loved. Not that I'm saying what he did last night was right," she whispered.
Jack glared at her, their faces inches from each other.
"He never loved her like I did, had he, he wouldn't have bloody shot her in the first place," he hissed.
Evangeline was wide eyed and gasped at his harsh tone.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
He sighed, looking away.
"Shit, no. I am, I didn't mean ta snip at ya, luv. I'm just a bit...on edge is all. I shouldn't take it out on you, after all you've been through," he whispered, leaning in again.
She swallowed, his closeness making her nervous.
"Yer such a fragile lil' thing, I'm surprised you're not broken," he said, searching her eyes.
She felt tears start to roll down her cheeks, again. Jack's eyes following them.
"I am broken," she whispered.
Their staring was interrupted by Joshua dropping a bed pan, causing Evangeline to jump a bit.
"Sorry," he said, bending down to pick it up.
"Butterfingers," Jack mumbled, taking her hand and leading her into the next room and sitting in the couch.
"So, luv, what's your plan?"
"My plan?"
"Aye, I have got to get back to me ship so what are you gonna do?"
Evangeline hadn't thought about what was next, she had only been focused on what was happening in the now. If you called crying every second being focused...
"I've no idea; I suppose I should find my friends, people I know, make sure they are alright. I..I'll need a place to stay."
Jack nodded, his eyes on a young woman on a cot. She couldn't be more than eighteen, and Joshua seemed to flutter around her a bit too much, making sure everything was okay for the blonde beauty.
"Looks as if the boy has found a friend, that's a nice sight after last nights events," Jack said quietly, chuckling.
Evangeline nodded and watched as Joshua gingerly held put a cup up to the girls lips, a hand on the back of her head to help her drink. The girl smiled shyly at Joshua afterwards, her face flushed. She reminded Evangeline of herself four years earlier, she imagined that is what she had looked like around Jack.
"She likes him," he murmured out of the corner of his mouth to her, that lovely smirk on his face.
"Yes, but how can you know if he feels the same?" she asked.
"I can read a face like a book, luv. Look at the boy's eyes, darting back and forth between her eyes and lips. Body language, he wants to kiss her," he whispered, pointing.
She remembered how years ago he had told her that he knew the look of desire on a face, and he had been correct in guessing Nathaniel's feelings. It seemed Jack had quite a gift for reading people. Her thoughts were interrupted when Joshua's mother handed them each a plate of food, telling them both to eat up.
Jack seemed to be starving because his plate was empty within a matter of minutes, but Evangeline just picked at hers, barely touching it.
"Eat luv, ya look sickly."
"I'm not hungry," she replied, pushing the plate aside.
"Jack is right, Evangeline, you do not look well," Nathaniel said, sitting beside her.
"I'm alright."
Jack and Nathaniel gave each other knowing looks before Nathaniel took her hand in his.
"Please eat, I'm saying this as your friend and a doctor, you need it."
Evangeline finally relented, eating only a quarter of the food, but it was all they could push her to do. Jack stood up and announced that he would be leaving, he was practically already out the door.
"And you?" Nathaniel asked her.
"I'm going into town with him, to see him off," she replied, standing up as well.
"Well, be careful, the streets are literally crawling with the Navy today. You best keep out of sight."
"Will do, doc," Jack said, shaking Nathaniel's hand.
"You're a lucky man, Sparrow. I would give anything to have what you do."
Jack looked confused but just nodded his head.
"Right, thanks mate," he said with an eyebrow cocked.
Nathaniel turned to Evangeline, taking her hands in his.
"Be careful, you can come back after you've seen him off. Here, take this, you're nearly naked," he said, handing her a large jacket that went to her knees.
"Thanks for lettin' me roguish self stay the night, mate. Ya put yourself in danger, I appreciate it," Jack said, bowing his head before stepping out the door.
"Why it is that Jack is lucky?" Evangeline asked before walking out.
"Because he has your love."
_______________________________________
Jack and Evangeline kept mainly to alleyways and back roads to decrease the chance of running into anyone, but when they came close to where Evangeline's house was, she slipped out into the open.
"Luv, what are ya doin'?" Jack hissed, his arms in the air.
"I have to see it, Jack."
"There's not gonna be anything to see."
He was right. She advanced upon the rubble, standing in what used to be her room, the back half of the house was barely standing. The rain the night before had mostly crushed the flame, leaving the pile still smoking a bit. She put a hand over her mouth, silencing a cry. Remnants were everywhere; the couch was half charred and her bed a pile of wood. Her father's body was nowhere to be seen. She could hear Jack behind her, trying to step on areas where there wasn't a smoking piece of her home.
"I told ya, luv," he muttered, looking around.
"I had to see it for myself."
Jack bent down and picked something up, patting it off on his pant leg. It looked to be a book. Jack flipped through the last remaining pages and laughed.
"Persuasion," he said, throwing it back on the ground.
Evangeline was being blinded by reflected light. She looked down and saw something metal peeking out from under the ashes. Upon picking it up, she discovered it to be her green emerald ring that Jack had left her. She sighed and held it up to her chest.
"Shit," he heard Jack say as if he dropped something.
She turned around and saw three Naval officers walking straight for them