Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all related characters belong to Walt Disney, Gore, Jerry, Tony, and Terry

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 11: Truth by Rum

James Norrington sucked in his breath through clenched teeth before he turned around to face the doctor. “You knew they were here?”

Dr. Beckett nodded. “The Royal Navy arrived hours after you had left port.”

“Yet neither you nor anyone had mentioned anything,” James nearly hissed out the words.

The man in the chair did not shrink back in fear and only blinked once. “Tipping you off would have landed me in shackles.” He spoke in a whisper.

“And of course you do not want to do anything that is a danger to your own safety” James felt the hands of a few marines grab his arms from behind.

“If I am arrested who would care for my wife and children, who would care for the ill and the injured? Some of us are willing to do anything to protect those we care about. I am certain you would understand.”

James said nothing as he was turned around and had a pair of heavy shackles clapped around his wrists. The Dr. was correct. He turned his back on the law and actually became a true pirate in order to purchase the medical supplies to heal the children.

“What is taking you so long to arrest him?” One of the marines asked. He was a stout and very familiar man. “Should have had him in shackles within seconds of our arrival.” Where had James seen him before?

“Sorry, Mr. Pintel,” a lanky Marine with blue eyes answered. “He was a bit busy arguing with the doctor. He wouldn’t turn around to face us all proper like.”

“Still should know better,” Pintel wagged a plump finger in the younger Marine’s face. “The proper way is to order him to turn around so we can arrest him, or did you forget again?”

The taller man smiled weakly. “I wasn’t the only one who had forgotten.”

“If the commodore gets word,” Pintel threw up his hands. “We won’t tell him.”

There was a brief time when James had thought Murtogg and Mullroy were two of the most inept members of the Royal Marines, which was before they had sailed off to search for Elizabeth and battled against the undead pirates at Isle De La Morta. Now James could see that even before that incident Murtogg and Mullroy were two of the most stellar soldiers compared to the two idiots in charge of his arrest.

“How do you know I won’t tell him?” James asked before casting a look at Dr. Beckett, “Or the doctor won’t tell him.”

“Do not get me further involved,” Beckett whispered.

The Marines eyes widened and the tall man nearly shrank back.

“Here now,” Pintel turned to face him. “What makes you think we will take you to see him?”

“Because he is the one who ordered you to capture me,” James said.

“How’d he know that?” the lanky Marine blinked.

James stared into his blue eyes, knowing full well he had seen them before except one wasn’t blue. In fact one of the eyes was made out of wood. He smiled weakly at the realization of who this one man was. He was the thin blond pirate who kept loosing that one eye, even in the brig of the Dauntless after he and the other pirates had surrendered.

“It is because I am Captain James Norrington” he said proudly, mouth set in a smirk. “You haven’t forgotten that part, have you?”

“Of course we haven’t,” Pintel said before he turned to the rest of the Marines. “Take him back to the inn.”

“I should be honored to be arrested by the pride of the Royal Marines,” James said in a dry tone as he was lead out of the office.

Anamaria knew she should try and exorcise patients while waiting for James to return. It should have been simple and short with James just needing to deliver what he had promised. It shouldn’t take long and even if it did it might mean he was just talking with Dr. Beckett, asking about why everyone was on edge, or if the Doctor. knew anything about the Prince of the Sea. Those were both logical and plausible reasons, yet she couldn’t help but to worry for him and as the afternoon shadows grew longer she grew more nervous.

“It has been an hour,” Andrew closed the lid on his pocket watch before he stared up at her. “We should go out and look for him.”

“Aye,” she stood up from the tree she had leaned against. “We don’t know what had happened.” She parted the leaves to view the street and nearly jumped back when she heard people approach. She held her breath when she saw the familiar buckled shoes and white socks of military men and when she stared up she saw the blue and white uniform of the Royal Navy.

“So that is why,” Marty whispered once the men had left. He had nearly fallen asleep. “James may have come across them.”

“We will find out,” Anamaria stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“We are going to find out what happened.” She stepped through the shrubbery.

“And we will risk being captured ourselves.” Andrew grabbed her arm.

She shook her head. “They are looking for our ship and our captain. They do not know what we look like and would only know if they had us arrested before. Have you been in prison?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Do you have any brands?”

Both Andrew and Marty pulled back his sleeves and displayed wrists that were marred by scratches and an old scar, but not a single brand.

“As long as we don’t rouse any suspicion we will be fine.”

“We are going to Dr. Beckett’s first?”

Anamaria nodded. “It is the first place to start.”

There were several questions biting at James’s brain. He had to wonder how the Navy was able to conceal themselves. He hadn’t seen an official ship docked at the ports, nor did he see anyone around. He also wondered why nobody came forth to arrest them as soon as they had arrived, unless there was a specific reason and if there was he had to know.

“Keep walking, pirate,” Pintel nudged him from behind.

“I never stopped, Mr. Pintel,” James said as they neared a building that resembled an inn. “May I ask why you are not taking me back to your ship?”

“Cause we didn’t dock in this town,” Ragetti answered. “Our ship docked miles along the beach, next town over. Hoping to find you there, but you came here.”

That answered several questions, but still left several more unanswered.

“Why did you not arrest my ship when it had arrived?” James stared at Pintel and marveled at how he and his partner looked completely different when a layer of filth did not cover them.

“A few of us were around the docks,” Ragetti continued to explain. “But you did not dock and our ship is in the other town.”

“Quit telling him everything,” Pintel snarled. “Let him save his words for Commodore Sparrow.

They lead him to one of the largest bedrooms of an inn, James had ever been in. It was two rooms actually, one side contained the bed, a small table, a basin, dresser and chamber pot, and the other side had a dining table with several chairs, a desk with another chair behind it and a sofa. Both rooms were empty.

“Stay right here,” Pintel motioned James to stand in front of the desk. “And no funny business.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” James said. He eyed the window. They were on the top floor of the Inn. He could try to escape through it and be careful to scale down the side.

James was roused from his thoughts when he heard the door open. He felt his heart leap when he saw the uniforms he had once called his own, the beauty of darkest blue and white, accented with a bit of gold reminded him of his ultimate goal, to return to his world. He couldn’t help to smile and nod at the naval officers in respect, even if they scowled at him.

He sucked in his breath when the last man entered, wearing the uniform of a naval captain. There was no mistake in which that man was. His hair was well kept under his powdered wig, no sign of tangled dreads, or glittering beads. His face was clean-shaven and there was no boot black lining the expressive brown eyes, but those eyes and that smile would be forever embedded in James’s memory.

“Good evening, Commodore,” Pintel straightened his spine.

“Evening gentlemen,” Sparrow greeted before he approached them. His walk was still a swagger, albeit not a drunken swagger, but the cocky swagger of a man who was sure of himself. “And good evening to you, Captain Norrington.”

“Jack Sparrow,” James frowned. His rival was clean and appeared sober, but he still sullied the uniform by wearing it.

“Uh uh,” Sparrow wagged a finger at him. “Commodore,” He leaned forward, “Commodore Jack Sparrow.”

“Of course,” James gritted his teeth. “How foolish of me to forget.”

Sparrow nodded. “And foolish of you to get caught.” His smile grew into a grin, not a single gold tooth was to be found.

“I believe you want you, your crew, and myself to spend the night here and then you will take me to the next town over where you would put me into the brig of your ship where we will then set sail for Port Royal and I can be hung.”

Sparrow stroked his chin while furrowing his brow. “You are not making any sense, Norrington.”

“Captain,” James tried to cross his arms, but the cuffs made it impossible.

“Ah yes,” Sparrow smiled. “I could hang you, but then where will that leave me. I still be commodore, however if I manage to capture you and your entire crew and bring in your ship, then I might find myself out of this transitional state and receive the full achievement of admiral, savvy?”

James felt a burning disgust erupt from his stomach to the back of his throat. He did not do the right thing, just for the sake of praise or promotions. Sure, he enjoyed the gratitude expressed by his fellow officers and the promotions were nice, he couldn’t lie and say he did not enjoy the ceremonies, but he did not do his duties for the desire of climbing rank.

“You disgust me,” James hissed.

“Me?” Sparrow asked out of surprise and pointed at himself. “I’m not the dirty scoundrel, now am I?”

“No, you are a hero,” James rolled his eyes. “Even though if the situation was reversed I would have made sure there were at least two dozen naval officers and marines swarming the docks. I would have had you and your crew arrested on the spot.”

“Ah, but you are not me, now are you?”

“Fortunately I am not.”

“I have my way of capturing your lot,” Sparrow pointed to the desk. “And you have your way, and I enjoy my way. It is a bit more fun, a bit more exciting as it were.”

“You are without a doubt, the worst commodore I had ever seen.”

“How many have you seen?” Sparrow blinked.

“It doesn’t matter,” James leaned back. “I was the only one who had set foot on land, if I don’t return to my ship within a certain hour then they will sail off without me.”

Sparrow shook his head. “You made a bit of a mistake earlier.” He pointed at James. “You said you would have had me and my crew arrested on the spot. I know you are lying.”

“Even if I was lying you still will not know where my crew is.”

“I’m not quite certain of that, Captain.” He held out his hand as Pintel returned to his side. “There are many ways to persuade someone to reveal the truth.” A bottle of rum was placed into his hand.

“Rum,” James scoffed at the image of the bottle. “You think you can bribe me into confession, even if I was the kind of man who could be persuaded by valuables, it would take something of greater value than rum.”

“This isn’t to bribe you with,” Sparrow studied the bottle. “I have seen many men who have pride themselves on behind dishonest become incredibly honest when they are stinking drunk. Funny ole world innit?”

“You want me to drink that?” James could sense the idea being rattled around in Sparrow’s mind.

“This, and the other bottles.”

“I have to warn you that I have been told I become quite mean and violent when I am drunk.”

Sparrow pointed at the several men around the room. “Good thing they will be here. Mr. Pintel, Mr. Gibbs, restrain him.”

James tried to side step the two pirates turned Marines with no effect. Both men had grabbed him and pushed him down to the sofa and used their entire strength to keep him restrained.

“Lieutenant Gibbs, open his mouth.”

The lieutenant near the back of the room ran behind the sofa and grabbed James by the hair and pulled back.

Looking up, James was finally able to see the man he had once knew from the Navy. It was almost hard for him to recognize the older man without those sideburns. The captain had requested Gibbs over and over to shave them off, but Gibbs had refused. His problem with authority and his drinking had led Gibbs to be sacked from the Navy.

“Don’t act like you hate this,” Sparrow removed the cork.

“I will not tell you anything,” James glared as Gibbs grabbed his lower jaw and forced his mouth open.

“We will see about that.” Sparrow forced the mouth of the bottle into James’s mouth while he stroked his throat and Gibbs held onto his nose.

Anamaria had ordered Andrew and Marty to stay hidden while she stared into the windows of Dr. Beckett’s and approached the front door. She had not seen any naval officer inside, nor any others on the way to the Doctor’s office.

“Be careful of what you ask,” Andrew cautioned from his hiding space behind a tree. “We don’t know who might be inside.”

“Quiet,” she whispered and brought a finger to her lips. “If I am caught you can still escape and tell the others, but you will also be caught if you don’t stay hidden.” She turned back to the door and knocked.

There was no answer. She knocked two more times, but there was still now answer. It did not seem right; a doctor would answer the door to his home, even if his office were separate. Someone ill or hurt might not know which door to knock on.

She closed her eyes and was about to knock again when she felt a hand grab her arm from behind.