Well, I'd like to thank everyone's who reviewed so far! You guys make my day every time someone leaves a comment.

Who is Andraste modeled after? No one in particular, I was trying to create a character that a naval officer could relate with and yet could be driven up the wall by. Hopefully she'll do her job very well!

Now on to Chapter 9…

Chapter 9: Windows of Opportunity

James Norrington sat on the edge of the stone wall over looking the harbor of Port Royale. His eyes were trained on the distant horizon as he watched the splashes of color melt into the sea. The sunsets weren't as meaningful as he remembered them, and Norrington had seen a great deal of sunsets in his life. He had tried to memorize each and savor their details. It was something he could look forward to at the end of the day. Sunrises on the other hand, had never interested him as he was always too groggy to appreciate them. But sunsets he had the time for.

He was an advocate of the rainbow and a disciple of flowers; splashes of colors never failed to cheer him up. The earliest and fondest memories of his childhood were those of his mother in their small garden. He could remember the bright flowers of their yard, in a time before they had moved to the city and he had been sent away to make his career as an officer. As a midshipman in the Royal Navy, he was trained to see in only black and white. Ever so slowly he had made the transition back to color. When he was promoted to Lieutenant things became gray and they remained that way through his captaincy and then his appointment to Commodore. No real progress had been made to rediscover that inner joy, but when Miss Swann had agreed to be his wife there was an explosion of pigment before his eyes. It was like seeing the world for the first time. It was glorious! Never had he felt happier, but such a beautiful thing had been snatched away boy a lanky boy with sad brown eyes.

Ever since then, things had started to fade. He could see a painting and recognize the different hues. Yet when he looked up from it, everything was dulled. He lived now in a muted world. It was a place where everything but the harsh boundary was glazed over. This boundary seperated him from others, a sort of stained glass window looking out and allowing faded rays of happiness and friendship in.

Duty meant everything to him, duty and honor. All his life he had climbed through the ranks of the British Navy believing that and now, at thirty-one, he had a steady promotion. A Commodore, the next step for him would be an Admiral. However, it wouldn't be seemly if he did it all alone. Many of his younger officers had sweethearts and those in command above him were married. It wasn't uncommon for an officer or two to be widowed or unmarried, but James Norrington had never seen himself alone for the remainder of his life. He had thought that Elizabeth Swann might have been his match. She was feisty and brash, but she was also a lady of good birth, as smart and refined as he.

But she had chosen a different road, one that's path led in a different direction. "With Will Turner," James sighed and his shoulders slouched. He did not hear Lieutenant Gillette make his way up the stairs behind him.

Gillette did not immediately announce his presence to his commander. Instead, he leant on a nearby pillar and watched the red sky highlight his friend's outline, leaving him with a distinct impression of James's handsome profile. He noted the smooth, straight nose, the high forehead and distinct chin, the way his lips parted in a silent sigh…how Elizabeth had chosen a boy instead of this man was beyond Gillette's guess. He was tall and well built, with perfect posture and composure, long legged and had supple hands, there was no limit to his potential. He just didn't want to see it.

During Gillette's time on land, he may have taken a girl once or twice, but James was a person that he admired and adored. He would rather die than see him harmed. He couldn't say that about many other people in his life. At first he had wrote it off as hero worship, that his attraction to his commander was because he was everything Gillette wanted to be. Later though, when he had seen James's darker side, the feeling still remained. He genuinely and deeply cared for him.

He knew it was impolite to stare, but Gillette couldn't help it. He was mesmerized by a droplet of perspiration that wound its way down Norrington's face, down his neck and into his shirt. His breath quickened a little and he gave a little cough. Norrington twitched his head and Gillette knew his cover was blown. "Sir, Doctor Winchcombe requests your presence at the clinic. He mentioned that he wanted to question you about the pirate you sent to him. He's very curious about her." When Norrington did not respond, Gillette placed a tentative hand on his commander's shoulder to get his attention.

"Do you not have a girl here, Richard?" inquired James softly, his head tilted upwards and his eyes searching the lieutenant's face. He had never thought to ask him about his personal life in previous conversations, but Norrington just had to know.

Gillette shook his head. "No girl, sir."

Norrington nodded, "of course. Devoted to your duty as I am." He turned his head for one last look at the sunset before standing.

"Sir?"

"We're both bachelors. Eternal bachelors."

"Not you." Gillette hesitated for a moment. "I mean no disrespect at all, James."

"None taken," Norrington stretched himself to his full height.

"Good."

"You look like you want to say something. What is it, Richard?"

Gillette wrung his hands behind his back and took a deep breath. "I do. Um, I need to get this off my mind, if it's ok with you."

James nodded, "fire away."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Don't be daft. We're friends, just say it. It is about me I presume?"

Gillette nodded. "Yes. Now, I-"

"Hold a moment, should I take this with a pinch of salt?"

Richard frowned, "take it however you like. I think it's rather serious."

"Very well."

"All right," the Lieutenant searched for the words, "you're a fine and handsome man, James. You have a wonderful, honest character and the heart of a good man. There is no woman, or man, anywhere who wouldn't desire you." Gillette smiled, that didn't sound too bad.

"That's kind of you to say."

"It has nothing to do with my kindness. You just don't wish to see these things." The younger man gave a sigh and shrugged his shoulders, "I know that you regret the loss of Miss Swann. Personally, I do not!" He made a small snarling sound, "she used you, James. She used you, sir! She twisted the knife in your heart just to get that bloody blacksmith back and set a dangerous man free. She agreed to marry you!" he tapped his finger on Norrington's chest, "I heard it, you heard it, and even that damnable Jack Sparrow heard it. But what did she do?" He paused, "what did she do? As soon as William was back on dry land and safe she broke her oath. She embarrassed you in front of the marines and the rest of Port Royale's upper class. What she did was utterly wrong and shouldn't have been done."

The Commodore raised his eyes to the sky for a moment before returning an impassive gaze back to his subordinate. "Will that be all of it, Mr. Gillette?" He couldn't keep the slight tremor out of his voice. He knew this conversation was going to end badly.

"No! It's not all. What did you do? You let her go; you let her bind herself to some other man. Not everyone could have set their love free to fly and watch it perch on someone else's branch. What you did was more than she deserved. While she flounces about in joy, you lock yourself away at home and play your violin for hours on end. It's not fair on you, James. I worry, I watch and it hurts me to see you like this."

James rubbed the bridge of his nose, "what can I do? How can I please my Lieutenant?"

The sarcasm was not lost on Gillette. "You go from day to day like a ghost among the living!" He gritted and bared his teeth, "you push those of us who care about you away. You drag everyone into that grave you've already dug for yourself!"

James turned away and Gillette pulled him back so that they were face to face, "please stop this. There are other women out there, James! Men if you prefer," curse his lack of tact! "But for the love of God, don't do this to me! To us!" His blue eyes shone brightly with emotion. "Please, trust me? Don't lock me out like everyone else."

"So you come all this way to tell me that I should brace myself to love again?"

"Let me say that-"

"Look, it's too soon, Richard." Norrington noticed Gillette's frustrated stare.

"You have to learn to trust in order to love again. Becoming a recluse won't help you in the long run, James. I've seen people come and go, don't do this to yourself."

Norrington was at a loss what to do, "why? Why is this so important to you?"

Richard took a deep breath and grasped his friend's shoulder, the thrill in his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. It was now or never, "because I lo-"

"COMMODORE, SIR!" Came a loud cry from the bottom of the steps. The shout left Gillette leaning forward, his mouth hung open in the midst of pronouncing the last forbidden syllable. It was Mullroy. (Gillette considered murder.) "Doctor requests you see him immediately, Commodore sir."

James rolled his eyes, "yes, Mr. Mullroy, so I have been informed. I shall be along shortly." Norrington turned his attention back to Gillette. "You were about to say?"

Gillette wanted more than anything to finish his sentence, but he knew that his window of opportunity had been missed. It was all the fault of the fat marine waiting at the bottom of the steps. He tried to cover the best way he could, "because I lose a valuable friend if this continues."

Norrington gave a nod and forced a smile to his lieutenant and turned away. He followed behind Mullroy, his posture stiffer and more rigid than before. The two quickly faded from view.

Left standing to stare at the remnants of the sunset, Richard Gillette tossed a stone over the edge of the wall and wondered if he should do the same with himself.