Elspeth MorganThe Choices There To Be Made

The Choices There To Be Made

(formerly 'Best Mistake I Ever Made')

Fanfiction: Pirates Of The Caribbean: AWE/ AU

Pairing: Elizabeth/Norrington

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean characters, movies nor any nouns or proper nouns associated with such. I am only a fanfiction writer. Please feel free to leave me any feedback and thanks for reading!

Chapter Two

Destinies, Dreams and Murders

Norrington woke Elizabeth by brushing his knuckles down her cheek. She twitched in her sleep and opened her eyes. Norrington was standing over her, fully dressed, if somewhat sloppily, in his uniform. She sat up, confused, and blinked at him.

"We have to hurry, there isn't much time!" He blurted hurriedly, a great tenderness in his voice.

"What's going on?"

Norrington was making a great effort to keep his eyes on her face and away from her naked body. "We have to get you and your crew back to your ship. It's almost dawn."

Panic crossed Elizabeth's face. "And what of you?"

"I have to stay."

"No, James! They'll kill you! You have to come with me!"

"So you can watch Turner kill me?"

"Will doesn't have to know!"

Norrington's voice was very subdued. "You think he won't know? On your wedding night?"

"It was a mistake!" Elizabeth cried.

"Best one I ever made," Norrington breathed. "Do you know how long I've dreamed of that? Though, in my dreams, you were my wife and we had the whole night." His eyes were sad. "I won't say that wasn't meant to happen, Elizabeth." He savored the name a moment. "It wasn't my fault or yours, but I have to stay. Our destinies have been entwined, Elizabeth, but never joined. This changes nothing. I don't fit in your world, nor am I your choice. I will stay." He had planned this while she slept, orchestrating carefully his exact words.

"No, James! I can't leave you to die..."

"Who said anything about dying?"

"They'll know, James."

"Perhaps." His tone was calm, but the horror in Elizabeth's eyes was echoed in his own soul. How could he let her leave? Not Elizabeth, not his love. Not when his dreams had been brought from the dead and lain in front of him. She couldn't go back to Turner, not now...

Elizabeth slid from the bed and grabbed his collar with both hands. "James, please..."

Norrington put his arms around her bare back, losing his grip on control. She reached up to kiss him and his heart-rate spiked, his breathing ragged. He averted his head, taking deep, calming breaths.

"Elizabeth, please, you must go."

"I love you, James."

Norrington's heart stopped, his breath stuttering to a stop. She loved him.

"Not like Will," Elizabeth amended, "there is nothing in the world like that, but I love you and if Will weren't- if they killed you...Please, come with me."

Norrington hesitated. He knew he was second-best, but then, he'd always known that. If he stayed, he lost the only thing he'd ever truly cared about. If he went...well, that was up to fate.

"James, if Will kills Davy Jones, he has to take his place!"

Norrington froze, gazing down at the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Ferrying souls, his heart in the chest! He'll only be able to come ashore once every ten years! I don't know if I can bear that!"

Norrington stared at her, thinking. Having an affair with the wife of the undead lord of the sea while he was off ferrying souls was exactly the sort of thing a pirate would do. Wasn't that why Davy Jones cut out his heart in the first place? But he wasn't a pirate, he was an honorable man and a Navy Admiral, irregardless of his sins, and he wasn't going to plan to cross what would soon be a pledged marriage, Will Turner and his faith in his wife.

"I can't help you with that," he murmured, taking her wrists and guiding her hands gently away from his collar. "As a friend, yes, as what you are suggesting, no. I'll come with you, Elizabeth, but I- you already made your choice, remember that. You said it yourself: it was a mistake." He stepped back. "Get dressed, we have to hurry."

"Thank you, James!"

Norrington did not reply. This was getting both worse and better by the second. Dreams, he rued, are like murders: they always come back to get you.

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