Okay, okay I'll update! Thank you to those who lovingly bullied me into updating. I've been working on my own novel for a monthly challenge, balancing the other two stories, and slaving away in real life. Hopefully this will live up to your wishes. Enjoy!

"Groves!"

Theodore snapped his attention up from his wife's letter to find the Commodore glaring at him from the doorway. He immediately folded the letter and set it aside. He would have to write Sally later it seemed. He stood, grabbing hold of his hat and tucking it under his arm, and gave Norrington a slight bow.

"Yessir? I'm sorry if I didn't notice you earlier sir, my wife's letters are always enthralling to read." Theodore knew he was rambling but found it difficult to stop, especially since it had to do with his wife. "She mentioned that my son had a slight fever some time ago but that he pulled through it valiantly."

Norrington raised an eyebrow, "Groves, I am not particularly interested in your son's health, though I am pleased to hear that he did come through."

"Yessir." Theodore nodded, casting his eyes to the floor for a moment, just long enough to study the flecks of mud on Norrington's shoes. "Is there anything I can do for you sir?" He brought his gaze back up to the Commodore's face.

"Yes, have you questioned the vendor from the market?" At Theodore's blank stare Norrington continued. "The one who was attempting to swindle Miss Devonshire."

"Oh yes! I have sir. I also was able to interview a few other victims to his schemes and have signed statements from them. I believe though, since they are of lower status, a full conviction against the vendor will have a stronger case if we were able to get Miss Devonshire's statement." Theodore bent over his desk while he spoke and shuffled parchments around until he found the stack he was looking for. He turned back to Norrington and handed them over. "I speculated that you would want me to go and ask if she would be willing to give us her statement, sir."

Norrington studied the stack of papers for a moment and Theodore noticed an odd air of uncertainty hovering around the Commodore's shoulders. Ever since the day in the market he'd been more aloof than normal and perhaps even a little absentminded, though of course Theodore would never tell Norrington about his own perceptions. He wondered what had caused this change in the typically arrogantly officious man, but he certainly didn't feel he had enough information to venture a guess.

"That would be agreeable. You may leave post haste. Once we have her statement we will submit the case for the governor to study and await his judgment. Is the vendor in the stockade?" At Theodore's nod Norrington gave a cheerless smile. "Perhaps that will help him remember better manners. Be sure and find me as soon as you return from Miss Devonshire's."

Theodore nodded, giving Norrington a salute, before he moved past him and out the door. The walk to the blacksmith's house was a good one. It afforded him pleasant views of the harbor and plenty of time to reflect upon Sally's letter. How he missed her and their son. It had been three months since he'd last seen them and each day that passed he felt a bit more of him growing listless. They were supposed to have come over from England on the last ship but his son's ill health had apparently been the cause for delay.

Passing Gillete on his way to report for duty Theodore smiled and nodded, giving a small salute to his superior. Gillete returned the salute but didn't pause to talk. It seemed that none of them had time to talk anymore, not in the way they had before Jack Sparrow had arrived on the scene. The incident with the cursed pirates had left them all a bit jumpy and preoccupied. For himself, Theodore found that his mind wandered back to when he'd first met Sally and how he'd managed to marry her.

He knew it was because of Ashlynne Fitzpatrick, his friend and former bunkmate. If she hadn't goaded him into no longer being an idiot towards Sally he knew that he would've overlooked the opportunity to pursue what had proven to be the most valuable relationship of his life. That Ashlynne had turned out to be a cutthroat pirate, by the Navy's standards, did nothing to quell the appreciation Theodore had for what she'd done for him and his wife. Because of her he had a beautiful son and a loving wife.

Theodore stirred himself from his thoughts, before they grew darker, and instead focused on the house before him. He took off his hat and tucked it under his arm again as he rapped lightly on the wood of the door. There was smoke coming from the chimney so certainly one of the Devonshire's was bound to be home. He didn't have to wait long before the door was pulled open. He began to smile and introduce himself when the figure behind the door stepped further into view.

"You!" Theodore dropped his hat, shock stilling his movements and his mind.

Standing before him, though older and obviously attempting to have an altered appearance, was none other than Ashlynne Fitzpatrick. Her smile, that she'd originally offered him, was frozen on her face as shock also seemed to descend upon her as well. Theodore wasn't sure if it was the shock of seeing him, though surely she'd seen him at the market –while he had never been able to get a good look at her face—or if it was the fact that he recognized her that had her standing there just as still as he.

"How did you," Theodore stumbled over his words, "where did you," he opened and closed his mouth a few times, "why did you-"

Ashlynne bent down and snatched his hat off the ground. She inspected it carefully, far more casually than she had been a few moments prior, before she handed it back to him. After looking past him into the street in both directions she stepped back and motioned for him to come inside. Mutely Theodore complied, unsure of what else to do.

"I take it yer alone." Theodore nodded. Ashlynne took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Weel, follow me into the kitchen. I s'pose ye'll be wantin' a full account of what's been happenin'."

Theodore could only follow and sit where she placed him, still at too much of a loss for words to do much else. He did manage to clear his brain of the fog once she began to tell him about where she'd been the last decade. He leaned forward and studied the pendant hanging around her neck when she reminded him of its presence, and its purpose as she'd discovered inadvertently. While, by the time she finished her tale, his head pounded, he found himself feeling strangely lighter. Perhaps it was the knowledge that she wasn't dead, or the fact that she was back in his life. Either way, instead of feeling trepidation that his dear friend was once again so close to danger, he felt elation to have her so close at all.

"So the plan is to just bide your time until the innkeeper gets back?" Theodore asked after a few moments of silence. Ashlynne downed the last of her drink, having previously swiped some of the blacksmith's rum from the cupboard, and nodded. "What are you going to do once you get the dagger?"

"Cut this bloody thing off of course." Ashlynne jerked on the pendant's chain, her chuckle humorless. "I willnae lie and say that I am nay grateful to have been spared like I was. If it werenae for this pendant I would have ne'er been able to rescue the remnants of my family. Now that we are settled, or at least settled enough for survival, I think it's high time I get meself rid of this. Cheatin' Davy Jones doesnae sit well with me, Theodore. Makes me think that he'll come after someone else close to me if he doesnae get me."

Theodore nodded, reaching out and laying his hand atop one of hers on the table. She smiled softly at his gesture. It was odd, seeing her in women's garb. He'd never seen her in proper attire before she disappeared, and was supposed dead. Now that she was dressed as was befitting her sex, Theodore realized even more strongly that his friend was a most becoming woman. Of course there was no danger that he would develop romantic feelings towards her—Sally would swim across the ocean to have hide beating heart in her hand if he even thought such things—but he couldn't help but wonder if it was Ashlynne who had caused Norrington to be so off kilter.

"What about the Commodore?" Theodore withdrew his hand as he voiced his question.

"I s'pose I'll just have to deal with him. Its nay like he kens who I am, at least nay yet. I willnae s'spose he'll ne'er guess though. He's a smart man and given enough time with me I'm sure he's bound to figure it out. I'll just try to stay outta his way until this is all o'er then I'll scamper on back to Tortuga where the likes of me belongs." Ashlynne sounded bitter and quite despondent by the time she finished speaking and Theodore found himself reaching for her hand again. She smiled at his gesture and patted his hand in return. "I ken yer worried about me Theodore, and I thank ye for that. I'll do what I can to keep ye outta trouble so ye can make it back to Sally in once piece. Say, whate'er happened between ye and her?"

Theodore spent the next few hours happily recalling his courtship with Sally as well as the birth of their son and she in turn regaled him with some of her crazier adventures whilst living in Tortuga, and interacting with Sparrow. The streams of light filtering in through the window began to grow long and darker in color before Theodore realized how much time had passed. He quickly jotted down a statement from Ashlynne and had her sign it, so Norrington wouldn't think him a complete idiot. This accomplished, he stood and bade farewell.

"Let me know what I can do to help Ashlynne," Theodore rolled up the parchment and tucked it away, "you don't have to do this alone."

Ashlynne chuckled, "I'm nay alone. I've got Parlan and Will here to keep an eye on me. But I'll welcome the additional set of eyes, I'm nay too proud for that." She paused a moment before she leaned forward and quickly drew Theodore into a hug. He didn't know what to do at first as she'd never shown an initiative to be affectionate before. After a moment, however, he wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug.

"I would ask what's going on," an amused sounded from the doorway of the kitchen and they both pulled away to see Will standing there, hat in hand, "but then again I may not want to know what's going on."

Theodore chuckled, "Spoken like the smart lad you are. I'm sure Ashlynne will acquaint you with our shared history once I leave. But I must take my leave; I know I'm already missed." He gave Ashlynne another smile before he turned and let himself out the door.

He hurried back to the barracks, creating a seamless excuse for his prolonged absence as he went. When he finally found the Commodore, in his private chamber due to the lateness of the afternoon, he'd decided upon the idea that Miss Devonshire's brother had demanded an explanation for why the vendor hadn't been punished already, Miss Devonshire had descended into irate tangents on justice, and finally after the pair of them had settled down they were able to give him the statement and sign it, after which they'd insisted he stay for afternoon tea, during which they'd found themselves embroiled in a discussion on shared acquaintances. Given the fact that he'd rambled on about his wife earlier that day Theodore wasn't surprised when Norrington accepted his excuse without question, though with a slight reprimand. Theodore left the statement with Norringon and retired to his own, excited to tell Sally the news about Ashlynne.