Disclaimer: All characters used here are owned by Disney. I'm not making any money off this.
Summary: Strongly implied Gillington slash. Norrington and Gillette are discovered, and unpleasant consequences ensue.
Warnings: Deathfic. Strongly implied Gillette / Norrington slash, although nothing graphic.
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Norrington sank back down into the sheets, warm and comfortable and sated.
He'd never dared to think one of his fellow officers could ever feel the same way, and yet here they were… two lonely old seamen, not so lonely now.
He watched Gillette as he slept, breathing quietly and thinking how contented his face appeared. Lying here next to a man and knowing so intimately was a far cry from knowing the same man in the heat of battle… or during the day to day running of the ship…
He sighed and decided that maybe thinking was not the best idea while he felt like he did. He was too happy, his mind too contentedly muzzy to think like that. He smiled and placed his head back onto the pillow, reaching out and touching Gillette's hair at the base of his neck. The slight tickle woke Gillette and he rolled sleepily over to meet his superiors fond gaze and sleepy smile.
"You seemed to enjoy that, Captain." Whispered Norrington
"I did" came Gillette's reply "I did…"
Norrington smiled for a moment, before realising that Gillette had delivered his last word with a degree of seriousness unusual in the situation they were in. Norrington frowned.
"Is there something wrong, Andrew?" Norrington's voice held genuine concern as he ran a finger around Gillette's jaw line "Tell me what is on your mind… you are worrying me rather…"
Gillette flinched away, and Norrington's hand flinched back also. This was definitely unusual for his Andrew. This could not be good…
Gillette rolled over again and bunched himself up under the covers, pulling them up under his chin, and remained there, even when James edged closer to him and put his arm up onto his shoulder.
Once again Gillette flinched away. Perplexed, Norrington took his hand away and rolled onto his back away from him. The man obviously needed some space. Perhaps that was what the whole issue was, space. Maybe he felt that he had no choice, Norrington was the only willing partner aboard and he could not feel free to convince other men aboard a Royal Navy vessel. 'The poor man' James thought. 'Perhaps he's ready to move on to somebody else… perhaps he doesn't love me any more' and then a horrible thought came to mind '…what if he never loved me? What if he just felt pressured into this whole relationship… my God, this whole time I could have been…'
"Oh no…" Norrington whispered to himself before remembering that Gillette wasn't asleep, just ignoring him and could easily hear everything he said. He silently hoped he hadn't been thinking the whole thing aloud.
He stayed still and silent for a moment, and recognised the soft sounds coming from Gillette's side of the bed. Whimpering, sniffling… sobbing.
"Andrew?" Norrington said as tenderly as he could manage "Andrew, tell me what is wrong. Please, I worry for you."
Gillette remained in the same position, but answered his superior "Sir, it is not I that you should worry for. Concern yourself with your own safety for the moment."
Norrington's brow furrowed. His cryptic message, tearful state and unusual use of 'sir' during an intimate moment made him yet more concerned. Concerned and almost angry.
"Andrew, as your friend I want you to tell me, but if you insist upon being so damned evasive then I will have to command you to as your superior officer." Norrington said, adding a dominant edge to his voice that he quickly berated himself for using.
Gillette rolled over, allowing the Commodore to view his tearstained face and fearful expression.
"I've… I've done something Sir…" he blinked and sniffed "Something that at the time I was very prepared to do to save my own life, but which I now deeply regret."
The Commodore was once again confused. Unable to comprehend what he could possibly be talking about, except for the fact that it was obviously terrible, he decided to press on with questions, despite Andrews upset.
"Captain Gillette, what could you have possibly done?" he murmured half to himself, reaching out to touch his face again.
"Don't touch me!" was the swift and tearful reply "God no, don't touch me, I… I…"
"You what? Good God man, what could possibly be so wrong? You what?"
"I…" sniffed Gillette "I don't deserve it."
"Oh Andrew." Began Norrington "Whatever you did, whatever you do, I will always forgive you."
Only then Gillette finally consented to Norrington embracing him as he sobbed. They stayed that way for some minutes, before finally Andrew pulled away.
"James, listen to me. You must leave your cabin at once. Please, you must go and not look back or come back until the morning." he said, a tinge of desperation in his voice.
Norrington's patience, even with his lover, was running out. He was tired of the riddles and the tears were doing nothing more at this point than beginning to infuriate him.
"Captain Andrew Gillette, I ORDER you to tell me what the hell is going on on my ship that you feel you should have to plead with me so, and become so femininely emotional suddenly." His voice almost shook with concern for them both, but he prided himself on keeping such demonstrations of human emotion out of his voice.
Fearful for Norrington's safety, and his own, Gillette decided that telling him was the only way. He would simply have to deal with the consequences. He breathed deep and began.
"A few weeks ago, I was approached by Lieutenant Groves, Sir, and, and…" He had to steady himself, calm himself, fight back the tears, but he did it, and continued as Norrington listened intently. "He approached me, and said that he knew about us. Said he knew we were… oh God… 'the worst kind of sexual deviants and most likely destined for the savage flames of hell'."
Norrington held his breath. If Groves knew, and took such a dismal view of their coupling… oh no…
"Andrew, what happened? What did Groves say?" he urged him.
"He said" sniffled Gillette "he said he could save my life, my commission, and perhaps even my 'rotten deviant soul' if I helped him to catch you, James, He told me that you were taking advantage of your authority, that I wasn't really in love at all, that I was smitten with you because you were everything that I aspired to be."
Norrington gasped "And what… what did you…"
"I told him it was a lie, that I loved you more than any woman, that you were not what I wanted to be, but who I wanted to be with." He paused a moment to control his ragged breathing. "…he hit me."
"You are a superior officer! Why did you let him strike you? Even if he had said something about, well, us, the men would believe you over him surely…"
Gillette shook his head "No, sir, it was the men who told Groves."
Norrington's shocked silence spread like a chill throughout the cabin. Whatever was to come, if they did not get off that ship immediately, would have deadly consequences for one or both of them.
"Andrew? How did Groves intend to save your commission? What did he want you to do for him?"
"Oh James!"
The tears, now open and womanly and weak came forth again as he clung to the Commodore. Norrington pushed him away, not meaning to seem aggressive, but by the same token needing answers, and quickly.
"What did he ask of you Andrew?"
"He asked that I seduce you at a certain time, on a certain night, and that was the only way he could ensure a conviction of you… by finding you, along with witnesses, indulging in an unsuitable carnal pleasure." He finished as he gazed into Norrington's eyes "I'm so sorry sir, it was a cowardly thing to do, but not doing it would have meant the death of us both… I'm so sorry…"
Norrington leapt from the bed and backed against the wall behind him. Naked and trembling and horribly fearful he stood aghast as Gillette begged his forgiveness and understanding. There was only one way for this to go now he realised as he heard a hard knock on the cabin door.
"Open up Commodore!" came a voice from outside "We know what you're all about now, Sir!"
Trying to feign confusion, as though they interrupted his sleep, Norrington answered as tiredly as possible as he threw on his nightshirt. "What is the meaning of this, and who's out there? Gillette, I told you only to bother me in an emergency…"
Norrington was proud of that. He hoped it may throw a few of the 'witnesses' off, but no.
"Ha! Commodore, we know he's in there. We know he's in there with his dear James, probably shaking almost as much as you are. I daresay he's more fearful of your disappointment than the noose though, Sir!" Groves spat as the crew members laughed.
Norrington looked around at Gillette, still clinging futilely to the bedclothes and cringing continuously away from Norrington. James looked Andrew, frightened out of his wits, and knew that there was only one of them left that could possibly be saved. Groves wanted them both out of the way so he could get a nice juicy promotion for himself. Norrington turned to the door.
"I thought you promised Gillette that he could keep his liberty and his commission, Groves." Norrington spoke loudly, and with his most commanding voice "This is not conduct becoming of a gentlemen."
Riotous laughter began outside. "I don't believe you have a right to comment on conduct unbecoming!" Came Groves' voice. More laughter followed.
Norrington paled, knowing for certain that any authority of his had gone. His only option was to appeal to human nature.
"A promise is a promise." He looked back at Gillette, and said "If I promise to go quietly, will you let him go?"
Gillette looked up astounded. After everything he'd done…
Norrington saw his look, and whispered to him; "I said I'd always forgive you, and although I didn't realise we would end up in a situation such as this, I can hardly go back on my promise now, can I? That would not be the behaviour of a gentleman, particularly one that gave his word."
Gillette pulled the sheet around his waist and rushed towards him. They embraced, and Gillette's tears dampened Norrington's nightshirt.
"James, good God James, I don't deserve this. I don't deserve this and I don't deserve you. I…"
The door burst open, and in came the baying crewmen, with Groves at the head, gun drawn, pointing directly at the pair.
"I hate to break up such a tender moment, but I really don't believe this to be becoming of the British Navy's officers." He sneered.
Gillette turned to face him, angry and tearful, as Groves ordered the men to advance on them both. Looking into Norrington's eyes for a moment, his apologies made clear, Gillette lunged for Groves.
The cocked and loaded pistol was aimed and fired into the fleshy part of Gillette's stomach before he was even close to his now enemy. He hit the floor with a sickening thump, like raw meat falling from the butchers hook.
Norrington fell to his knees on the blood splattered floor beside Andrew, his face a picture of shock. He had no idea that such a perfect evening could end so horribly.
"Andrew, why didn't you tell me? We could have got away!" Norrington lamented as he reached for Andrew's hand "If you'd have told me just a bit sooner…" He tailed off as he saw Gillette's breathing begin to fade, and the muscles that had been gritting his jaw against the pain start to slacken. His eyelids began to slowly shut as he gasped for air and squeezed Norrington's hand. He smiled weakly, before his eyes finally closed.
The entire room was silent. It had not been what any man present had been expecting, least of all Groves who had been anxious to see the public hanging of the pair. The silence was broken by one of the crewmen present, who finally asked "Should we bury him at sea Sir?"
"Well" said Groves "I don't suppose it could do any harm…"
"With respect, I wasn't addressing you Sir. I was addressing the Commodore." Groves' head snapped around to the crewmen, to see them standing bare headed and sombre, their weapons lowered, all aggression absent from their stance.
Groves was naturally angered by this, this… rebellion. "We are here" he began "to bring to justice -"
"That don't look much like justice to me Sir" came a burly voice from the back "'Less you consider that it ain't your job t' judge 'im now."
A murmur of agreement resounded around the cabin. Norrington, still kneeling, began to stroke Andrews hair gently, and sighed.
"Commodore, Sir?" came a tentative voice "What're your orders?"
Norrington was silent for a moment. He looked up at his crew, noting their sorrowful faces, and decided to take a risk. "What do you men feel about all this may I ask?"
Uncomfortable murmurs rose up and died down, before one man replied.
"I don't care what Groves does say sir, he might 'av been a sodomite but I don't think nobody deserves t' be killed like that by their own side. Least with 'angin' he mite 'av 'ad the chance t' defend 'imself in court."
"Delicately put." Replied Norrington "And what, may I ask, do you think of me now?"
The crew murmured again. Concerned looks were passed from one man to another. Comments were heard about the cruelty of Groves and the likelihood of him being the better commanding officer...
"You're our superior. We know nothin' about your private life Sir. Do we lads?" The group shook their heads. "That's right. We don't know nothin' 'bout what 'appens behind these 'ere big wooden doors. Command matters ain't for the crews ears."
Groves stammered and interrupted "They were engaging in unholy and grossly immoral acts, you aren't just going to-"
One of the larger crew members slammed his lower arm into Groves' throat, pinning him to the wooden wall of the cabin just tight enough to hinder his breathing without stopping it altogether.
"I don't think that after bein' at sea so long as you 'ave sir, you can say you 'aven't indulged yourself. 'n at least these fellers were genuine. I don't understand it meself, but I ain't comfortable taking down a bloke who's always done the right thing for his crews 'n 'is country, 'cos he got 'imself entangled in summat like this. It ain't right."
"So" Groves' eyes narrowed "You're not going to testify against him?"
"No" was the reply "but we're quite happy to testify that you fired on and killed a superior officer." The crewman smiled almost evilly "…Sir."
Groves swallowed as he was dragged out by men that nobody would ever think could have sympathy for men such as Norrington and Gillette. Gillette's body lay on the planks, cooling rapidly, Norrington still at his side. One of the men took it upon himself to remain and help him.
"Sir, with respect, I think you should rest. We'll make sure Captain Gillette is treated respectfully, and we'll make sure he's ready tomorrow for yer… goodbyes."
For the first time in many years, Norrington obeyed an order instead of giving it. He fetched another sheet, and slid into his cold, lonely bed as the men removed Andrews body, and fell into a troubled sleep thinking of how their relationship could have ended in such tragedy.