Disclaimer: Wow, if I owned POTC…I would've drowned it with Norribeth…or even Sparrowbeth…heck, even Beckabeth.
Story: Elizabeth finds What if's too much to bear and wishes that if she could, she would want things to be different from the first time around.
Set after AWE.
Spoilers: For all three movies.
Pairings: Norribeth [Norrington/Elizabeth
Warnings: Not sure…

"I catalog these steps now
Decisive and intentioned
Precise and patterned specifically to yours
I'm talented at breathing
Especially exhaling
So that my chest will rise and fall with yours

I'm careful not to wake you
Fearing conversation
It's better just to hold you
And keep you pacified
I'm talented with reason
I cover all the angles
I can fail before I ever try

I am fairly agile
I can bend and not break
Or I can break and take it with a smile
And I am so resilient
I recover quickly
I'll convince you soon that I am fine

Try to understand, there's an old mistake that fools will make
And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away, so
Won't you hold me now (I will not bend, I will not break)
Won't you hold me now (for you I rise, for you I fall)

Just hold me close to you, just hold me close to you
Just hold me close to you, just hold me close to you, to you." –Bend and Not Break (Dashboard Confessional)

My Almost Lover
Chapter Three: Bend and Not Break

Elizabeth smiled and listened to Will talk of the swords he was crafting and how he thought he was getting pretty good at it. She laughed when he made a particular comment about Mr. Brown.

"Have you heard, Elizabeth? They're making Lieutenant Norrington Captain!"

That was news to her. She started to bristle, knowing that James hadn't told her yet. She excused herself to leave, ignoring Will's sad puppy eyes. She smiled at him, wishing she didn't have to act this way with him.

"I'll see you, Will."

Ignoring the pang in her heart, Elizabeth hurried away and to where she knew James was. Where else, but his office?

"James Norrington, you horrible man! How dare you not share such valuable information with your best friend?!" she screeched upon reaching his office.

James looked at her like she was crazy. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Elizabeth. Come in and close the door."

She huffed and stomped in, almost deciding to slam the door.

"Why didn't you tell me you were made Captain?" she asked hurt.

James looked confused, "What?"

At that moment, Andrew entered without knocking. He looked between the two and turned red.

"Sorry, I should've knocked. Continue on, I'll just be back later," Andrew turned to leave, but Elizabeth stopped him.

"Andrew, didn't James make Captain? Will told me!"

"Oh…that," he looked uncomfortable. "Um, I don't know how Mr. Turner got that information, but L-I mean Captain Norrington hasn't even been informed. It was just sailor talk…we heard from the Admiral and started talking and Mr. Turner must've heard."

Elizabeth flushed red, embarrassed. James looked pleasantly surprised, but not as happy as Elizabeth would've thought he'd be.

"Well then, I'll be taking the day off. Andrew, take care of things here, okay? Elizabeth, why don't we go out to celebrate?"

Elizabeth gave a bright smile, all embarrassment and anger forgotten. Andrew threw her a smirk over James' shoulder as they walked out.

Elizabeth couldn't believe the places James knew. She never really got to know him as much in her time, but here she was surprised at how free James could be outside of society's expectations and his own inhibitions.

That rest of the day, James took her out to lunch at the beach, went sailing on a cutter at that same beach, and then went to eat dinner at an Irish pub. They danced the whole night there.

Despite all that, it was hard to catch the attention she wanted from James. She was having no luck, and even Andrew was starting to get frustrated. He treated her like a grownup, but James just wasn't reciprocating. At least, not that she could see.

Time to be desperate.

For that week, she had a new boy on her arm every day. He didn't even so much as bat an eye. For the rest of that month, she had a different older man walking her arm each week. Three different guys giving alarm to the new Captain.

She felt somewhat successful.

The third man, however, gave her and him a bad feeling. He was a visitor from England on vacation there. He seemed okay enough, but Elizabeth was nervous being around him. And James felt warning signs go up immediately when he first saw him.

Elizabeth almost found out just how much that bad feeling was right when he started to lead her unwillingly to a boat. James came right at the nick of time, shoving him into the boat and ordering his return to England. She didn't expect James to grab her and pull her away roughly until they were on the docks.

"You, Elizabeth, was stupid for a smart, young woman," he scolded.

Despite that, she was happy he considered her smart and a young woman.

He didn't know why she skipped away happily from his lecture.

The year she turned fifteen wasn't eventful, only she redoubled her efforts. The last time around, she remembered starting to give up and give Will a chance. Well, this time she knew what to do and that something could happen if she kept at it.

Sixteen had been her favorite year last time around, and so it was this time.

Her debut was coming up and she hadn't even seen James since the small party his crew threw. She was nervous because last time she had danced the most with James, almost forgetting about her dance card. Would it be the same or would she not dance with him at all? Would he even be there? It didn't seem like it, not if his not seeing her meant something. She hoped he wasn't angry with her.

"Elizabeth, you've been ignoring me for the past 10 minutes. Are you okay?" James' voice suddenly tuned in.

"Great, now I'm even hearing his voice in my head," Elizabeth scowled.

"What are you talking about?"

She jerked her head up, almost catching James' face who had been stooping so that they were face to face.

"James! Where have you been?"

"I've been here, in front of you," James said sarcastically.

"No! I meant why haven't I seen you since that party?"

"Oh, I've had a lot of work to do. I'm sorry. Did you miss me?" James asked mischievously.

"Of course, you idiot!" Elizabeth scrunched up her nose at him and hit his shoulder with her fan.

"Well, I'll be gone a while longer," he said apologetically.

She felt her body go cold. "You're…not going to my debut?"

James actually looked appalled, "Of course I am, you silly minx! I just have to finish some things up right now, so I have to leave after I'm done talking to you. Therefore, I insist you save the first and last dance for me on your dance card. Okay?"

Elizabeth beamed, "Okay."

"I'll see you, Elizabeth. Happy sixteenth," James bent down again and kissed her forehead.

That night, Elizabeth walked down the staircase apprehensively, wearing a long fitted emerald gown that reminded her very much of James' eyes. Her father had finally remembered, after years, that she had wanted a green dress. The hem of the gown cascaded down past her ankles in waves as a full-length dress. For once, she was glad for the corset as it accentuated her figure and allowed the off the shoulder bodice to show some cleavage. Her arms felt horribly bare though, as she had forgone any jewelry save for the seven rings necklace that her mother had imported a long time ago from China.

She searched the crowds for a familiar face, but the one she really wanted wasn't there yet. Resigning herself to having to decline any dances until he came, Elizabeth reluctantly stepped off the stairs to a crowd of applause.

Smiling politely, she curtsied and started to head towards her father when James suddenly appeared by her side. Surprised, Elizabeth let her happiness show in her smile.

"James, I thought you would be late."

"Not for you," he murmured, a shine in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He licked his lips nervously before he took out a medium-sized box from his breast pocket.

Opening it, Elizabeth gasped at the bracelet of different pastel-colored pearls.

"They're…freshwater pearls from off the coast. And that there spacing them is sterling silver. I picked the pearls myself, but I had someone make the bracelet. I hope you like it, Elizabeth."

"It's gorgeous, James!" she felt herself fall even more in love with him.

"Well, I've come to collect my first dance, then," he grinned roguishly, and suddenly she realized how lucky she was to have met James before he became jaded or when he was so stiff around her.

"Don't change, James. I'll kill you if you do," she said seriously, which was ruined the next moment when she giggled and tugged him to the dance floor.

"You are the craziest and most loveliest girl I've ever met," he muttered under his breath, but she still caught it. Grinning to herself, she pulled him first into a waltz.

Hours later, after many more dances with others, Elizabeth was once again cornered by James.

"And I believe the last dance is mine as well," he bowed before her before straightening up with a soft smile.

They entered the last dance also in a waltz. It felt like it was lasting forever, and she hoped it would go on, but alas it was not so. She curtsied to him and he bowed to her.

"I have something else to give you, Elizabeth. If you would come to my office tomorrow…"

She smiled a silent yes and he bowed again to excuse himself.

The next day she was walking over in a sundress when she was caught off guard by Will.

"Elizabeth, you look beautiful!" he smiled widely at her and she smiled back, though a little sorry that Will was trying so hard and this time she wasn't giving in.

"Thank you, Will."

"Um, I'm sorry I couldn't be there yesterday or last night, but happy birthday!" Will handed her a small bouquet of roses that she took with gentle care.

"I appreciate it, Will. I'll see you some other time then," she left after hugging him, careful not to crush the roses and started for James' office again.

"James, I'm here!" she called out cheerily, entering his office with a dramatic flair.

He rolled his eyes, and put down the glass of brandy he had been drinking. She eyed it with a smirk and he shook his head.

"Not this time, Elizabeth," he smirked. His face turned serious and he took something out of his desk and then held it up for her to see. It was the medallion that she had forsaken so long ago.

"Do you remember that night, Elizabeth? I promised you I would keep it safe. I've kept it safe and now I think you should have it. I don't think anyone would suspect you of keeping it," James went around his desk and stood in front of her, placing the medallion with the utmost care into her hand.

"It's your turn to keep it safe. I trust you would."

Her heart started to beat fast. She saw a gleam in his eyes that she'd only seen last night, only fiercer now.

"Whose roses are those?" he asked nonchalantly, breaking the spell.

"Oh…Will gave me those just now."

He frowned, "He did, did he?"

The jealousy was hidden carefully, but somehow she had known to look for it.

Sixteen. Sixteen was the time when James started to look at her differently. She didn't notice before, but this time she could see it clearly.

And now was the time to start cutting down on trying to get his attention and let him start doing all the work. Time for her to just start watching and noticing James' subtle affection. She didn't look hard enough before, but she knew it was there now.

Started 9/29/07 –Completed 9/30/07

What if Elizabeth just thought of Will as a friend?
What if James had learned to loosen up around Elizabeth before?
What if Elizabeth saw how James really felt?
What if James had allowed her to have the medallion?