James Norrington clutched his hat under his arm, gripping it so tightly in his sweaty palm that the dye was bleeding, as Mr. Mercer went into Beckett's office to announce his presence. The Admiral was hours early and vibrating with controlled rage.

"Lord Beckett will see you now."

Mercer held open the door and as Norrington passed he gave James a smirk and a wink. Norrington stopped dead in his tracks, a frown marring his carefully blank expression, and watched as the clerk went back to his desk, closing the door behind him.

"Ah, James, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Norrington turned to look at Lord Beckett; languid eyes set over a smug expression and a pink tongue licking over sneering lips. Cutler was using his bedroom voice and bedroom eyes hours before sunset. It spurred James into action.

"You had no right!"

Beckett blinked at the words curtly bitten out, an utterly innocent expression washing over his face.

"What ever do you mean, James?"

The Admiral used his free hand to point to the area of his buttocks. Lord Beckett cocked a brow and reached for the box on his desk. He said nothing as his fingers stroked the wood before opening the lid to remove various paperwork wrapped in oiled leather.

"Do you know what this is?"

Beckett held up a leather envelope that was full of shine and Norrington finally let his accusing finger drop from his arse. Too hot to speak, James simply shook his head in the negative.

"This is the warrant for your execution. I suppose you wonder why I have kept it after all this time. I still want that compass. James."

"I brought you the Heart and you are still unsatisfied?"

James spoke through his teeth; he recognized the other weather-beaten wallet as his own stolen pardon.

"You could have branded me with any other symbol and it would have been your right – I would have no recourse for complaint. You had no right to mark me in such a way – I do not belong to you!"

The Lord let the envelopes fall upon the desk and slowly rose from his chair.

"I do not quite think you understand, James. If I chose I could have you executed right here - right now, and I would be perfectly within the letter of the law. I could take this pardon and throw it in the fire and no one would know. I can do as I please; where I please, when I please, and to whomever I please."

Cutler had come around his desk with each platitude and came to stand before Norrington. Even though Beckett had to look up due to James' superior height, he still gave the impression of looking down his nose at the Admiral.

"No. You. Cannot."

The Admiral let his lips snarl back and showed Cutler his crooked teeth. Beckett pressed himself into Norrington's space, equally fierce, and jammed his hand between his thighs, squeezing James' cock. Hot breath passed over Cutler's face as Norrington gasped aloud, his hat tumbling to the floor as he smacked Beckett's offending hand away.

"Never touch me again before night!"

Cutler made an indignant little sound as his hand stung from the blow. Had Norrington been in the mood he would have been amused by the look of outrage on the little Lord's face.

"You belong to me!"

"Not for another four hours, My Lord. Once again you have over stepped yourself and I am perfectly, legally within my rights to say as much."

Cutler Beckett slapped James Norrington across the face. In response, the Admiral kneed him in the groin before pushing him back against the desk. The Lord writhed on the floor clutching his bruised parts as Norrington stepped over him to reach the warrant and pardon on the desk.

After checking each document for its authenticity, James bent down to retrieve his hat. Cutler, tears streaming down his face, shakingly stood up and kicked Norrington squarely on his freshly branded cheek. The Admiral went down with a roar onto his hands and knees and Beckett kicked him again in his stomach.

Rearing back, James tried to gather the leather wallets and his hat, but Beckett had stomped his foot down on Norrington's hand. With a grunt, the Admiral reached out, grabbed the Lord's ankle and sent him tumbling on his arse.

Limbs flailing, the wind knocked out of him, Cutler tried to get up off the floor. James stood with the reclaimed paperwork and dented hat and rubbed the area around his healing brand.

"So help me God, when I take you to my bed tonight I will make you scream!"

Cutler's face was suffused with red from his anger and physical discomfort, his voice quavered, still high pitched. James had already slid the wallets into his coat pocket and was beating his hat back into shape.

"I dare you."

And Norrington, drunk on his temporary triumph, turned on his heel and with a limping swagger vacated the Lord's office. Slamming the door shut behind him, James gave a curt nod to Mr. Mercer. The clerk was biting his lip, his eyes moist, to hide his mirth. It appeared as though during the entire meeting, he had been laughing silently.

A cry of rage and a crash against the door alerted both men that Lord Cutler Beckett had snatched the preserved rhinoceros horn off of his desk and had thrown it at James' retreating head. The Admiral quirked his brows at Mercer and with a quick, closemouthed smile left the EITC headquarters.

It had been the hardest moment of his life to hold in the laughter and when James Norrington was gone, David Mercer's mouth and shoulders twitched as he wept with hilarity.