Disclaimer: Takes place during At World's End, during the "Choosing a Side" scene. I own nothing (Though I would have gladly taken Norrington off of Elizabeth's hands).
Slipped Away
Good always triumphs over evil, the hero always gets the girl, and everything always comes out right in the end. What the stories don't tell you is that happy endings are circumstantial. That circumstance is perspective.
He had wanted to be that hero, had dedicated his entire life to that vision. And for what? Commodore Norrington. It had a nice ring to it while it lasted. But he learnt very quickly that being on the side of the law doesn't make your actions the right ones, and sometimes you're only the hero of your own story. He had climbed as high as one could climb and then slipped further than ever before.
All for a chance at the love of a woman.
Elizabeth Swann. She had cost him nearly everything: his position, his freedom…his honour. He had become everything that he thought she would have wanted, even sinking so low as piracy for a time. All to watch her turn her back on him time and time again in favour of another. And here she was asking him to leave with her.
He wanted to hold her, but time had never been on his side.
"Who goes there?"
"Go! I will follow!" Now here he was again, heart-racing, sword drawn, ready to give all that he had left for her.
"You're lying!" The look in her eyes was one he had wished to see so often before, but here it came too late. He could follow her. Go after her just to watch her slip right back into Turner's arms. But this time he would lose her by his own choice.
"Our destinies have been entwined Elizabeth. But never joined." He was through following. "Go! Now!"
As he listened to the mad ravings of Bootstrap, he could only watch as she slid down the rope between ships, and he was reminded of all the times before that she had slipped away from him. Why should this time have been any different?
"James!" He had finally given her everything.
He severed the rope and watched her fall away from him for the last time. And though it was steel that pierced his heart as he turned, the pain in his chest was strangely familiar.
Finis
Well. I've never tried writing anything for Pirates of the Caribbean before, but it struck me recently just how sad and unlucky Norrington's situation was. The idea stuck, and this was the result. It gave me quite a lot of trouble and still didn't come out quite the way I wanted. But anyway, I'd love to hear what you though, the good and the bad!