I'm Gonna Smile
By Sharron Ibbitson
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognised characters.
Summary: Very different from my usual stories! Here's a short little ditty for you Norrington shippies out there!!!
I'm Gonna Smile
"And my place is next to Will" with those words James Norrington felt his heart shatter.
"So this is where your heart truly lies?" he asked, his voice sounding weak to his own ears. When she nodded, his torment was complete. He sighed deeply to himself, she obviously really did love the blacksmith.
It wasn't until some time later when all of the excitement about Jack Sparrow's latest escape had died down that James allowed himself to really think about his lost love.
He had known Elizabeth since her infant years. Even then she was such a brave little thing, she showed no fear at the Navy Captain stood beside her, instead saying that he looked young when he smiled.
I still remember the night we met
You said you loved my smile
She had always loved the sea, even though she didn't particularly care for those that lived by her rules, she had told him once that she loved him, and he felt his heart constrict at the memory.
But your love for me
Was like a summer breeze
Only lasted for a while
So her adventures with the pirate and the blacksmith had shown her what she truly desired and how she felt about the men around her. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He knew he could fight for her, could have challenged the smaller man to a duel over her, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it.
I could hold on a little tighter I know
When you love someone you gotta let em go
Whilst a part of him, hated himself for just stepping aside and allowing the blacksmith to take her hand, another side of him argued that it was for the best. He had held himself together whilst in the company of his men ad the small group of friends, yet now he was alone he allowed his thoughts to drift.
So I'm gonna smile
Cos I want to make you happy now
So that you can't see me cry
I'm going to let you go in style
It had almost killed him to just stand in the distance as the blacksmith had kissed his love, yet stood there he had. It had taken all of his resolve to not charge ahead and demand that she chose him instead.
Even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile.
Part of him wondered exactly what was wrong with him, that she should choose a blacksmith over him? It was so obviously that her feelings for him didn't even scrape the surface of those that she felt for Will.
Kiss me once for the good times baby
Twice me twice for goodbye
You can't help how you don't feel
And it doesn't matter why
He was relieved that the relationship hadn't progressed any further than it had, after all it would have been costly should she have left him at the altar, at least this way he had kept some semblance of his pride.
Give me a chance to bow gracefully
Cos that's how I want you to remember me
I'm gonna smile
Cos I wanna make you happy now
Yes and she had done it at a time when people had far more to remember about that day than her taking up the hand of a blacksmith in favour of his. He chuckled at the thought, who would have ever thought that he would have something to thank Jack Sparrow for? The man had actually managed to take the attention away from the commodore being jilted in spectacular fashion.
So you can't see me cry
I'm going to let you go in style
Cos even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile.
Okay it hurt, it hurt that she didn't love him as he loved her, yet he knew he could go out in the streets with his head held high. He would save his tears for the privacy of his own home.
I'm gonna smile
So you can't find the courage now
So you won't see me hurting
I'm going to let you go in style
Even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile.
The End
Told you it was short, and quite different for me! Right I'm off back to Friend in Need, there's some Jack centric writing to be done!!!