Hi all, just wanted to say that I'm sorry if there are any weird spelling or grammatical errors you might see..I do most of my writing between 12 and 2am and I try my best to proofread but sometimes things slip by. PS: the next chapter is something I've had written for maybe 2 years now. Wedding night..aww yeah. I will post it in the next few days!

The grounds at the Howard residence were abuzz with servants, guests and the wedding party. Everything was in place and the wedding was expected to start in minutes. James had managed to calm himself, though the thoughts he had earlier that morning lingered just beneath the surface. Gillette, as frivolous as he was at times, had immediately noticed James' well concealed doubts and did his best to quell his friend's insecurities. It was a well known fact that Gillette detested Elizabeth for what she did to his friend but he felt Sophia was indeed a good match for James, if a little unmemorable to him at times. If she made James happy and treated him well, she pleased Gillette.

"James Norrington, this is your wedding day. Do you trust me?" Gillette asked as James was straightening his cravat.

James turned from the mirror and regarded Andrew with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Do I trust you? Am I to be marrying you, Andrew? You know very well that I do. You are my very good friend, I trust you with my life. You know that." The calm in James' voice belied his nervousness.

"Good. If you trust me then you must trust that I would never let you into a situation that would bring harm to you. At sea, in battle or even in your personal life...Especially in your personal life..God knows your prior taste in women has done nothing to endear itself to me." He paused and made a sour face, causing James to roll his eyes and shake his head. "You know that I look out for you. You must do this James. You deserve to be happy... for once. Please just let yourself be happy. She is a good girl from a nice, prominent family. I suspect she will be a relatively decent..well...no, she will be a good wife." Gillette paused again and his face took on a sly smirk. "And wives make men happy! I do say the men and I could benefit from a very happy commodore as well." He winked. He was never without his teasing.

James was about to respond sarcastically when a knock on the door interrupted him. It was Edmund Howard and it was time. It was now or never. He gave Gillette a nod and a smile. James could always say more with his eyes than any other man Gillette ever knew.

Sophia felt the butterflies in her stomach as the maids attended to her. Her mother and sister were also there, Abigail had mostly recovered and she held her new son, Charles, with one arm while she poked and prodded at her sister with the other. The wedding gown was beautifully designed. The latest fashion from England, she was told. It was a creamy silk with blue embroidery on the bodice. Lace seemed to froth from every possible opening and the train was longer than she expected, though still very beautiful. The maids had weaved small white flowers into her curled hair and they seemed to emit a sweet perfume all around her. When she looked in the mirror she was amazed by the reflection that looked back. She had never felt more beautiful.

In front of what seemed to be hundreds of guests, some he recognized, some he didn't, James waited. The governor had given him a nod as he took his place next to Edmund and Mary while Gillette had managed to busy himself making eyes at one of the young ladies in the second row. But soon the instruments started playing and everyone hushed and looked towards the back of the hall, James felt his stomach tighten. Everyone in the crowd craned their necks to get a look at the bride, but Abigail did not, she looked towards James. It was her favorite thing to do at weddings, she felt she could tell the entire temperament of the marriage by the way a man's face looked when he first saw his bride. It was something she could never tire of and James' expression did not disappoint. It was was a mixture of excitement, relief and total awe, it was love. As he saw her round the corner, James felt all of his previous fears wash away. This was really happening and she wanted it to happen. He could tell by the look that she gave him, he could see the sweetness in her eyes, the faint quiver of nervousness on her bottom lip. Absolute adoration seemed to beam from her very person. She reached him and took her place beside him while the clergyman read the vows. They then turned to each other and James took her hands in his, their eyes saw nothing but each other and they gave themselves over to one another. As he leaned in to place a single kiss on the lips of his new bride, there was no more fear, no more anxiety, he had made the right decision.

The next few hours were a haze of champagne, congratulations, hugs and kisses. Everyone seemed to get thoroughly tipsy and despite being a wallflower couple, James and Sophia enjoyed themselves as well. The atmosphere was one of cheerful camaraderie and dancing. Everyone wanted to dance with the bride and Sophia let herself go for once and truly enjoy the attention. James watched from his seat on the dais as she danced with Gillette, she was so lovely. The curve of her neck, the dulcet tones of her voice and the bright joy reflected in her eyes beguiled him. The music stopped and she thanked Gillette before approaching her husband, her lips slightly curved in a sprightly smile. She held out her hand to him, he took it and pulled her close to him.

"It's getting late..." She was slightly tipsy and nuzzled her face into his chest.

He wrapped his arm around her tighter, his other hand stroked her yellow hair. "Would you like to depart now, my love?"

"Yes, I think it smart we finish our evening at home, don't you?" He thought he heard a hint of lust in her voice he had never perceived before. The simple tone of her voice seemed to intoxicate him. He was a man, now a husband, and the only thing he looked forward to more than his marriage day was his marriage night. James smiled and tried to compose himself. He only had to remain respectable long enough to say goodbye to their guests...