A/N- I suppose this is rather AU, as I have changed some things. Rather than off the coast of Tripoli, as it states in DMC, Commodore Norrington and his crew try to sail through a hurricane off the coast of Ireland. There are probably a few other things that are different also. So please don't grill me if some of my stuff doesn't exactly coincide with the movies. Also, I have tried to get all of my historical facts and such right, but I could very well be wrong on those also, so I apologize in advance for any answers. Oh and another note, Kylemore Abbey is really a nunnery that was founded in 1920, but I stole the name. Sorry for the long author's note.
Summary- Blinded by his ambition to capture Jack Sparrow, Commodore James Norrington tries to sail threw a hurricane, failing miserably. He is found washed up on a secluded beach of Ireland by some nuns out for a walk. They take him back to their convent to recover. But there are two problems…. He soon comes to realize that he is very attracted to a woman who is off limits… and James remembers nothing of who he was before the hurricane.
Disclaimer- Pirates of the Caribbean and its characters belong to Disney, not me. This is written for the enjoyment of myself and others. I get no profit from it.
Edit- I have changed some of my characters' names from what they previously were in an effort to make the names sound a bit less modern.
Chapter One
That morning on the Iveragh Peninsula, there was a break in the rain and storms that had been going on for weeks on end. It was unusually sunny for Ireland's typically gray and wet climate. This would have been all too wonderful… but it was hot. Deirdre was already sweating underneath her heavy dress and scapular. Her dark red hair was wet with perspiration under her thick white coif. She even had to wear her black veil over her face. It was miserable. Even seeing the young novices frolicking on the quiet, lonely beach did not lift her spirits.
"Hurry along, Sister Deirdre!" called Sister Brigid in her sing-song voice, "We mustn't let the novices get too far ahead."
Deirdre barely kept the scowl off her face as she lifted her skirts and trotted a few steps to catch up with the older nun. How Brigid could be so enthusiastic about such a long walk in this unusual heat was beyond her. The older woman was at least 30 years her senior if not 40. And she was short and round. Very round. Deirdre could see the droplets of perspiration gathering on her forehead, but it didn't faze Sister Brigid one bit.
"Mother Mary preserve me," Deirdre breathed quietly as she trudged along.
"What was that, Sister?" Sister Brigid questioned curiously.
Deirdre managed a fake cheerful smile. "I was just commenting on what a lovely day it was for a walk," she lied brightly. Brigid returned her smile and turned back around, watching the young novices at play.
"Alright, girls," Sister Brigid said after a bit more of walking, "We will stop and rest for a few moments, and then we must head back for evening prayers." There was a collective 'Yes, Sister Brigid,' and then all the young girls began to go about their own business.
Finally, a sincere smile spread across Deirdre's lips as she watched two novices giggle as they dipped their toes in the cool water of the ocean. They were little girls, no more than nine or ten. They reminded her of herself when she was first sent to the convent. She was the only daughter in a poverty stricken family, and her parents had had no use nor had been able to provide for a 'useless' girl, so when she was old enough, they sent her to Kylemore Abbey. She was eight years of age then.
Kylemore Abbey was located on the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula on a very secluded beach. The order of Catholic nuns that she now belonged to had remained there in peace, separated from the rest of the world and its troubles, for nearly 70 years. The large stone building sat high on the crest of a rocky hill not far from where they were gathered then. Deirdre could see the tops of some of it's higher risings. The landscape in that area was beautiful to be sure. The hills were topped with emerald green grass, but as they sloped down towards the sea, the grass turned into rocks that the white frothy waves splashed over.
Her peaceful reflections were suddenly interrupted. "Isobel, what on earth are you doing, child?!" she exclaimed as she hoisted her long skirts up and ran over to where Isobel, one of the young novices she had been watching, was lifting her skirts almost past her hips so as not to get them wet and walking further and further into the water. Deirdre dashed in after her and pulled her back to the beach by her arm. "Sister Brigid and I warned all of you that the current was strong! You were not to get more than your feet in the water."
The young girl hung her head so that her unruly mane of orange-red curls covered her chubby face as Deirdre chastised her. "Well, what have you to say for yourself?" Deirdre asked. Having only just been raised to a full sister the year before, she was typically less strict on the young novices than a lot of the other nuns were, but Isobel happened to be one of her favorites, although she could let no one know that she had favorites, and seeing the young girl so carelessly risk being whisked away by the powerful waves put her on edge.
"I'm sorry, Sister Deirdre," Isobel apologized, still looking abashed, "I just forgot, I guess."
Her first impulse was to drop the issue after a warning and let Isobel be on her way, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sister Brigid watching the exchange, clearly waiting to see how she would handle it. Deirdre knew she couldn't be so indulgent with another sister watching. She, being so young at only one and twenty, was usually treated by the older and more experienced sisters as another novice even though it had been a year since she was promoted to full sisterhood. If she indulgently let Isobel go without any sort of punishment, Brigid would certainly spread it to the other sisters, and at best she would be put back in her efforts of gaining respect from the other nuns, and at worst she might be deemed to lenient to aide in teaching the novices and assigned some menial task that she hated.
Deirdre did her best to look harsh although her heart was not even half in it. "Well, perhaps an extra hour of lessons with me would help you to remember next time," she said firmly, "When the other novices have their free time after evening meal, you will be studying with me."
Isobel's clear blue eyes were downcast. "Yes, Sister," she said sadly.
Deirdre hated to see the gloomy look on her young face, but she knew that she had had to do it. The punishment was not nearly as harsh as some other sisters might have demanded. An extra hour's worth of lessons was far preferable to kitchen duty or something of the sort. "Alright then. You are dismissed."
Isobel nodded and trotted back to Carey, the other young novice she had been with before. Sister Brigid then approached Deirdre. "You were far too lenient with her, Sister," she chided, "That one is a headstrong and foolish girl. She needs a firm hand to guide her."
Under her cool and calm façade, Deirdre seethed. Could she do nothing right? But she forced herself to remain unmoved. "Trust me, Sister," she said, "An extra lesson with me will not be easy. I can assure you that she will take the rules into better consideration after she has spent an hour listening to me lecture on the most wearisome subject I can come up with and then writing about it."
Sister Brigid appraised her with shrewd eyes. "Mmmhmm," she finally conceded with a nod, "We shall see." Then she turned and began once again supervising the group of novices they had brought out to the beach.
Deirdre sighed and turned away. She wished there were more sisters there. In her opinion two nuns were not enough to watch fifteen young novices, but the Mother Superior deemed it acceptable and therefore, it was. She longed to be alone, so that she might walk up and down the lovely beach in peace. How wonderful it would be to be free of her confining habit, feeling the cool sea spray splash onto her face and body. How refreshing it would feel.
Then, although she knew it wouldn't be possible, she allowed herself to fantasize about escaping from the abbey one night and coming down to the sea. She would bathe in the ocean, free and happy. It would be most exhilarating.
Then, once again, her thoughts were interrupted.
This time, though, it was no unruly novice that caught her attention. She stood on her tip toes as she tried to see clearly the dark form on the rocks not too far away. At first she thought of dismissing it as a particularly dark clump of algae or something of the sort, but then it became obvious that it was not. First of all, it was mainly dark blue not dark green, and she could see different colors also. Light colors. She drew her brows together, still peering at the shape. She walked a few paces further, squinting.
Then it hit her.
"Sister! Sister!" she called as she gathered up her skirts and began to run to the rocks, "It's a man! A man!" By the time, she got all of that out, she was already to far away to hear Sister Brigid's reply. As she neared the rocks, the man's shape became more defined. She had no doubt now.
He was lying face down against the hard stone. With a grunt of effort, she heaved him over onto his back. There was a large gash in his forehead and scratches on other places on his face. She hastily laid a hand on his cheek, and then with a gasp drew it back. He was burning with fever, but his lips trembled as if he were freezing. Not knowing what else to do, she took him up in her arms and held him close to her body, trying to share the heat she had within her.
"What on earth…?" Sister Brigid gasped as she came huffing and puffing to stand beside Deirdre where she held the man on the rocks.
"I don't know," Deirdre said sharply before the other sister could finish. What was she supposed to know about him? She had only just spotted him too. "He's very feverish. We need to get him back to the abbey and put him in a bed." She sighed. "The nearest doctor is days away." Well, at least most of the nuns, herself included, knew a bit about midwifery and healing. That might heighten his chances of survival. "Here, grab his feet. We shall have to carry him."
Sister Brigid was in action faster than Deirdre would have given her credit for. In a flash she had a hold on the man's boots. They hefted him up. For once, Deirdre was extremely thankful for Brigid's presence. The old nun was stout and strong. The man wasn't overweight by any means, but he was tall and leanly muscular. If she was by herself, Deirdre would not have been very much help to him.
"Isobel! Carey! Abigail!" Three awestruck novices ran at the sound of Deirdre's voice. She panted with the effort of carrying the man's bulk as she looked down at the three novices. All three were light and quick, and although Isobel and Carey were rather young, Abigail was 14 and would watch over the younger two. "You three run ahead of us back to the abbey and give word that we have found a man here and we are bringing him. Tell them to have a bed prepared." With only a brief nod from each, they were off.
"Now, the rest of you better keep up," Sister Brigid squawked, "We have to be quick about this. If any one of you runs off, you will serve penance until you are as gray as me!"
A/N- So there's chapter one. I shall have the next chapter out soon. Especially if I get some reviews…. Hint hint…. Oh, and I would like to say that I really don't have much knowledge at all as to the real lives of nuns in an abbey. I'm just sort of putting little things that I've heard and read together. So if there are any nuns out there reading this… or anyone who knows anything about nuns, I apologize if I don't always portray life in the abbey very realistically. I will do my best though. Anyways, remember to review!!!