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Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all related characters belong to Walt Disney, Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Setting: Takes place right after Curse of the Black Pearl.
Characters: Norrington, Gillette, Groves, Anamaria, Murtogg, Mullroy, Marty, Will, Elizabeth, Jack Sparrow, Tia Dalma.
Parings: Will/Elizabeth, Norrington/Anamaria
Gentleman Pirate
Chapter 10: Information
-
James Norrington took in the kiss slowly, the back of his mind hungered for more and the feeling of soft lips on his had barely whetted his appetite. He could taste the salt of the ocean and malt liquor on her lips and as he breathed in he could smell the sea, sweat, rum and the faint hint of orange blossoms. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her close and a tingle ran down his spine when he felt her fingers brush against his back.
He opened his eyes when he heard the small moan come from her. His brain regained function and he realized what he was doing, and despite how much he was enjoying it, he knew he could not have it last any longer.
James stepped back. “Sorry,” he breathed the words while averting his gaze.
“Sorry?”
“I shouldn’t have accepted.” Damn it, he had to say something else, less he wanted to insult her again. “What isn’t mine.”
“Not again,” she shook her head. “We have gone over this. You are my James.”
“No I am not. In the physical sense I am, but not in spirit.”
She stared right into his eyes. “You are the same. The James Norrington I fell in love with is the man who would rescue other sailors, rob a ship of precious gems to heal children and do what it takes to keep his crew safe.” She brushed a finger against his chest, causing another tingle down his spine. “You are the man I fell in love with.”
“Yes and no.” Part of him wanted to give in and accept her into his arms. It hurt hi to say no. “This isn’t the same and I am betraying him. It isn’t right to him.” He took her hands into his own. “It isn’t right.”
“You are not betraying him,” Anamaria’s eyes moistened over. “If what you said is true, then I am the one betraying his love and trust.”
“I am sorry.”
“Don’t be. I love you and you are so close and yet so far. It isn’t real betrayal if you are the same person.” She reached out to him and he stepped back.
“You don’t understand the other reason why I can’t give in.” He turned away from her. “It will hurt when I return to the world I know and you can’t be a part of it. I can’t allow myself to fall in love with you.”
“You are falling in love?”
“Yes,” he sighed. “And the Anamaria in my world is part of Sparrow’s pirate crew. She may be in love with him.”
“You could seek her out?”
“With my officers? I can’t hunt her down if I have no intention of arresting her, and I’ not about to leave the Navy and become a pirate, it wouldn’t be worth it to find out her heart belongs to another man.” He was not about to go through that again. Once in his life was enough.
“Not worth it?” Her voice turned sharp.
“I am sorry if I have insulted you. I have been hurt in the past.” He grabbed onto his doorknob. “I’m going to take the wheel.” And hopefully he would be able to clear his head.
-
James had tried to avoid Anamaria since the situation in his cabin. He spent most of the trip to Tortuga at the wheel, or speaking with Gillette and Marty, or supervising his crew, even Groves had approached him with an awkward smile and a bottle of rum as well as a brief apology.
Whenever James was alone he would look at the compass. The blasted arrow kept changing directions on him. It would point towards the original direction, and then it would spin around, constantly shifting direction. James had looked up when the arrow had stopped once to see where it was pointing. He should have known it was pointing at Anamaria.
James had felt a small bit of relief when The Dauntless Spirit had docked in at Tortuga. He could find out more about the Prince of the Sea as well as sell the stolen goods and hopefully get his mind off Anamaria. He had ordered her to stay with the ship along with a handful of other sailors and the other men to pair up, go out, sell what they had stolen and buy the supplies they needed and the medicines Dr. Beckett needed.
Groves had asked to partner with him.
“I have to say this is quite a turn around, Theodore.” James said as the paused by a shop that sold wares made out of silver. The two of them were carrying silverware, candlesticks, goblets and flasks.
Groves’s face flushed. “I may have been a bit too harsh the past few days and misjudged you.” The ferret squeaked in agreement.
“Was it because I actually committed an act of piracy?” He stared at the bag he carried and felt shame creeping into the back of his mind.
“It is what you committed the act for,” Groves stared at the ground. “I thought you were like all Naval officers, too busy to care about duty and appearance, only looking for yourself and how to climb rank, but you care about those who need you.” He smiled weakly. “I should have admitted I was wrong earlier, after you managed to sail us through the storm and way from the Navy, or when you saved the members of that one crew.”
James paused in his tracks. He cannot understand how the Navy could appear this way to Theodore, then again this is the Royal Navy under the command of Commodore Jack Sparrow. “Theodore, I tried to explain it before, but I am part of the Navy that does not sail under Sparrow’s command.”
“I should have realized it sooner, Captain.”
“I would like to know how you developed this distaste for the Navy.”
“It happened years ago,” Groves picked up the bag. “I was on a sloop that ran aground against a coral reef. Many of the crew tried to fit into one of the two longboats. The rest of us had to make due with what we could find that would be able to float. I rode the waves on a barrel. There were several naval vessels that sailed past the former crew, despite the fact we were able to signal them, none of them stopped and I. Then you sailed by.” He smiled.
“My God,” James placed a hand against his forehead. He remembered the same event, same story. “I remember when we came across a shipwrecked crew. I wasn’t even a lieutenant and I saw you and the rest of your men. I convinced one of the lieutenants to speak with the captain and we rescued you.” He remembered how the captain wanted to promote him on the spot after the rescue. “You were impressed with the Navy.”
“And I wanted to join?” Groves raised his eyebrows.
“Precisely,” James smiled.
“You really are the same. I wish I accepted it sooner.”
“Don’t let it weigh you down, and don’t let the silver weigh you down as well.”
“We will be weighed down with coin soon after,” Groves chuckled.
“And then we will be weighed down with medicines.” James laughed along with him.
-
Andrew Gillette stared at the tall man seated behind the table. He and Marty had successfully sold the ornament snuff boxes, fans, parasols, and a few wood carvings to the man in exchange for coin, now all they were waiting for was information.
“Can’t be sure I can help ye,” the man shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Anything you have heard,” Marty crossed his arms. “Even if it is a rumor.”
“A rumor eh?” The man scratched at his stubble-covered chin. “I heard he was sailing to Costa Rica. He had a place there an upside down ship. It was were he kept the chained lady and the light of Eden.”
“The light of Eden,” Gillette repeated the name. Was that what the prince had called the bracelet he stole from Rosemary? “Do you know what this Light of Eden is?”
The man pursed his thick lips. “Nope, can’t say I have.” He leaned over close enough for Andrew to be able to know the man enjoyed both brandy and tobacco. “I heard it was a fancy jewel, possibly a diamond.”
“Is it a big diamond and does it have a fancy cut?” Marty asked.
“We do not care about diamonds, or the Light of Eden,” Andrew stared down at him. It would be fun and a bit thrilling to seek out such a rare treasure, and not mention the cost, but it was not their main concern. “Although I am curious about the chained lady.”
“Theodore would of asked about her first,” Marty said.
“Of course,” Andrew nodded.
“Don’t know much about her,” their informant shrugged. “Possibly his favorite wench, kept chained up so no one else has a go at her.”
“I would not be surprised,” Andrew sighed. “Time for our second bit of a business.” He turned away from the shop. “Thank you for the information.”
“No problem mate,” his informant said. “Come by again when you have found more pretties.”
“Second time someone mentioned Costa Rica,” Marty said as they walked down the busy market street. “Maybe rumors, but when many of them are the same.”
“Then there must be a bit of truth,” Andrew nodded. “You really want to know about that treasure?”
“The Light of Eden?” Marty stroked his long and slender goatee. “I wonder if it is a large diamond. It might even be a rare color.”
“I never heard of it before,” Andrew pointed to their favorite livestock salesmen. They were getting low on chickens. “I have heard of a lot of stories about different treasures.”
“You thinking about that chained lady?”
“Perhaps,” the image of a woman with her hands in chains in the same fashion as Princess Andromeda had crossed his mind. “What if she isn’t a wench, but an unfortunate young woman?”
“How do we know if she is young?”
Andrew shrugged. “She could be somebody’s mother.”
“You are going to rescue her,” Marty tilted his head. “We are going to rescue her.”
“The Captain will want to save her. Rosemary’s bracelet is probably in this upside down ship.”
“And we can find the treasure. I wonder how much it is worth.”
“What would you do with your share, if it is a large one?”
Marty’s face held no expression for a second. “I never really thought about it. Maybe I will buy my own boat and start a fishing business.”
“You would leave James?”
“I would still find a way to reach him. What about you?”
“I would also buy my own ship, but I would follow James. I would be the captain of my own ship and he would be the commodore.”
“Have our own fleet,” Marty grinned. “Take that Navy.” His smile faded. “You think we will get our own captain back?”
“I am hoping we will. I’m hoping for us, for both James’s and for Anamaria.” He had seen the way both Anamaria and James looked at each other and tried to avoid each other.
“She doesn’t seem to be hurting that much.’
“They are hurting,” Andrew wished he could help ease both their pains, or at least come to an understanding.
-
They were able to find one carriage and only one that was willing to take them to Dr. Beckett’s. Many people stared at the crew when they had arrived. Their expressions ran the gamut from shock, to pity, and to worry. Even a few people at the pier had told them to turn around when they had arrived. James felt a bit suspicious about their worry and he told Groves to hide the ship. He, Andrew, Marty and Anamaria would take a longboat and find them.
“There is something not right around here,” Andrew said as they traveled.
“There is an ominous presence here,” James tried his hardest to avoid Anamaria’s eyes, but he kept finding himself staring at her and she was just as unsuccessful at avoiding him.
“Maybe it would be best if we did what the dock workers had suggested,” Marty kept his eyes out the window.
“We can’t,” James shook his head. He did not board and rob a ship to turn back on those children. “I made a promise.” He stared into the worried eyes of his crew. “I have instructed the driver to stop a few feet away from the doctor’s house. You can stay here, and I will deliver the medicines.”
“We should go with you,” Andrew offered.
James shook his head. “I was the one who made the promise, not you. I will go in.”
“And me,” Anamaria reached for his hand.
“No,” he pulled back. “You will all stay here.”
“James, please.”
“Do not make me order Andrew and Marty to hold you down, because I will.”
“And we would follow such a command,” Marty said.
“Fine,” Anamaria shrank back and crossed her arms.
James wanted to comfort her and tell her he was sorry, but before he could open his mouth the carriage came to a halt.
-
James tried to ignore the way the doctor’s maid and wife stared at him with sorrow. He could almost hear the two of them wringing their hands as he made his way to the doctor’s office. James almost wished he could listen to his gut instinct and do what it wanted him to do, but every time he thought about turning around and running his mind produced the image of the sick boy, asking for water.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Mercer shook his head at him from outside Dr. Beckett’s office.
“I had to.” James said before he stepped inside.
Dr. Cutler Beckett appeared even shorter than he was in the large chair of his. The doctor was leaning across his desk, eyes still bloodshot from the lack of sleep. He blinked repeatedly when James closed the door behind him.
“Captain Norrington,” the doctor addressed him.
“Do not say it.” James threw a small pouch down. “That is the willow bark, and here is the rest.” He tossed the other pouches containing several different ground powders and leaves and placed a few bottles of liquid medicine next to them. “I also have some bandages.”
Dr. Beckett examined each of the small beige pouches. “Remarkable.” He read the names of the medicine; each name was written on the cloth. “You still shouldn’t have done this.”
“I made a promise.”
“I know,” the doctor frowned as he quickly placed the medicines in his desk. “But you have a problem.”
James turned around when he heard the door being opened. Several men, dressed in the uniform of the Royal Marines came pouring in.
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Date: 2007-04-07 06:11 pm (UTC)From:*cough*
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Date: 2007-04-08 06:35 pm (UTC)From: