A/N: Yay! Another day, another chapter! For openers, I would just like
to state this simple thing.
JOHNNY DEPP WAS ROBBED AT THE OSCARS!!!!!!!!!
That's all.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the dvd. Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski are so lucky.
SHOUT-OUTS:
Luinecu: My first reviewer! I hereby name you Keeper of the Rum. Seriously, though, you are quite clever. I did get the names from 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. I recently watched the film version with Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon and loved every minute of it. So you played Cecily? How cool. Was it fun? Yes, I do feel a bit bad for Norrington. And, when you look at him without his wig and all that frilly uniform stuff, he's quite good-looking. In a reserved, quiet sort of way. Can't wait to see your Norrington fic.
Mara: I knew I wasn't the only one who liked Norrington. Glad I went with my instincts on that. Thanks for the review.
Pendragginink: Goodness, you have quite an imagination. To tell the truth, I haven't quite figured out when Jack will pop in. I have the feeling I know who he will influence the most, however. And I'm not done introducing females into Norrington's life. Not by a longshot. Sorry it's only one chapter. I'll try to update as fast as I can.
Miss Maru: You're absolutely right! Thank you for being so encouraging. But I'm afraid I have a nasty habit of apologizing for things that I had nothing to do with in the first place. I'm sorry. (See? There I go again. I've really gotta work on that.)
XtineSparrowDepp: Oooooo. That's something my wicked imagination had not thought of. It is rather amusing to try to think of that situation, isn't it?
Otherhawk: Norrington isn't my favorite, either. That would be Jack, of course. But I have a weakness for the 'other man' in romance movies. Case in point? 'Walter' from 'Sleepless in Seattle'. And I'm glad you agree with me about him being underdeveloped.
X-XvampiressX-X: Thank you so much for your review. Sorry it took so long for an update.
GooseLives: Oh my gosh! I can't believe I got a review from you. I am unbelievably honored. Your Jack fic is anything but dull. And I'm so glad you like my fic, too!
Drupadi: Thanks a lot for your review. I can breathe easier when I get reviews.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Governor's Mansion
"I do wish you would relax, Will. You act as if you didn't want to be here."
"I'm worried about you, Elizabeth. All this dancing. On your feet all night? I don't like it at all. We should've called the celebration off."
Elizabeth smiled graciously at a couple passing them before hiding her face behind the fan she carried and whispering viciously to her husband.
"For heaven's sake, William. I'm not dying. I'm having a baby. It's a perfectly natural thing. And lower your voice. We haven't even told Father about it, yet. I'd just as soon he not find out along with everyone else in Port Royal."
"I'll lower my voice if you'll sit down for a few minutes."
"If I sit down, will you let me dance later on without hovering over me like a mother hen?"
"Yes."
"Fair enough."
Elizabeth complied with her husband's wishes and sank into a comfortable chair on the side of the ballroom. Will sat down beside her and took her hand in his. He absently patted it with his other hand until his eyes met hers. She was staring at him with a warning look and he immediately ceased his offending action, but still held her hand loosely. He sighed when she rose suddenly and walked towards the front door.
"James! I'm so glad you could come!" he heard her say. That's when he saw the white head of the commodore coming towards them. Smiling, he followed after his wife. An odd friendship had sprung up between the trio that puzzled many residents of Port Royal, including Governor Swann, but no one questioned it."
"Elizabeth, you look as radiant as ever," said James as he bowed and kissed her hand. She smiled at him and inclined her head in thanks. Will came up behind her and James stuck his hand out.
"Good to see you, Will," he said as he shook the blacksmith's hand.
"You too, Commodore," was the reply. James bit back a sigh. It had taken quite a lot to convince Elizabeth to call him James. It was obviously going to take a lot more work to do the same with her husband. James hated his title sometimes. It made him feel rather lonely.
"Ah, Commodore Norrington. So glad you could come. Your lieutenant said you might not be able to be here."
"I wouldn't miss it for anything," he assured the governor. He scanned the room quickly and immediately wished he hadn't. A female he was far too familiar with was headed straight for him. Thinking very quickly, he stepped closer to Elizabeth.
"Care to dance?" he asked. She started to reply that they were still in the hall and she had promised Will she would rest, but a glimpse of a petite blonde in a rather revealing gown cut her off. She smiled brilliantly at him and threaded her arm through his.
"I would love too," she replied. As the two made their way back to the ballroom, she mouthed to Will,
'Later'.
But no explanation seemed to be needed. As soon as Will Turner caught sight of Mary Stewart, he understood completely. Poor James.
In the ballroom, James heaved a sigh of relief as he and Elizabeth danced together.
"Thank you," he whispered. She beamed at him.
"Don't mention it, Commodore. She is quite persistent, isn't she?"
"Rather. But I think her mother is even worse."
Elizabeth had to agree with that. Ever since it had become common knowledge that Elizabeth and Will were in love, Mrs. Stewart had thrown her daughter at James at every opportunity. Elizabeth had never liked Mary, who used to make fun of Will when they were children. And now that she and James were friends, she liked her even less.
"I can't depend on you for the entire evening, however," he said reluctantly. Elizabeth looked up at him and, for a brief moment, wondered what life would have been like had she married him instead of Will. Would it have been as bad as she had previously thought? No, it wouldn't. She was sure of that. James was a good man, a caring man. In the past two years, she had even learned that he had a rather wicked sense of humor. She wouldn't have been deliriously happy with him, as she was with Will, but theirs would have been a good marriage.
"I received a letter from my sister today," James heard himself say. Now what made him tell Elizabeth about that? He had planned on keeping it secret for as long as possible. Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. Sister? James had never mentioned a sister.
"I didn't know you had a sister, James," she said, her curiosity piqued. James sighed. Oh, well. He had to explain it now.
"Well, you see, it was like this. I-oh. Well-um, it happened this way. The...."
His voice trailed off and Elizabeth was both concerned and a little amused to see her normally well spoken friend at such a loss for words. She spoke up softly.
"James, I am not your friend so I can pry into your private life. You don't have to explain anything to me. It is enough to know that you have a sister."
The commodore could not hide his relief and Elizabeth was hard pressed not to laugh as the color came back into his drained face.
"Thank you, Elizabeth. You are, as always, a true lady in every sense of the word. In truth, I actually have two sisters, one older and one younger, and a niece. All three are going to be here in Port Royal for an extended visit. I must admit, I am out of my element, Elizabeth. My niece is a young woman, only a year or so younger than yourself and my younger sister isn't much older than you. My older sister is a woman of prominent social status in London and I fear that she and my niece might grow bored here in Port Royal."
"You worry too much, James. Why do you concern yourself with all these things when the answer is right in front of your nose?"
James looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Are all men so thick-headed?" questioned Elizabeth. She eloquently ignore the mock-glare that James gave her and went on. "You only had to ask me, James. I would be glad to keep your sisters and niece company while they are here. I could show them around our fair little port and I can even help you prepare for their arrival."
James' face lit up and Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that he looked a bit like a schoolboy. Really, if one could get past the stuffy wig (Elizabeth never could bear those wigs. She was profoundly grateful that Will felt the same), he was quite charming.
"Would you really help me, Elizabeth?" he asked.
"Of course. Name the time and place and I'll start preparing your little home for it's visitors. I've been rather bored since Will and I finished our home and I could use a new distraction."
"Thank you. You would not believe how grateful I am for all of this. I feel so much better now, I might just dance with Mary Stewart tonight."
"Oh no, James. Don't do anything that drastic," Elizabeth replied with a laugh.
The music ended and the pair stepped apart. In no time, Will was at Elizabeth's side, pleading with her to sit down. James raised his eyebrows at this and started to wonder, but he said nothing. In fact, he barely had time to catch his breath before Mary Stewart appeared in front of him. Ever the gentleman, he bowed and kissed her hand in greeting before asking her for a dance.
Elizabeth and Will watched from the sidelines as James danced with various girls whose mothers practically threw them in front of the commodore. Elizabeth found the whole thing rather crass and vulgar while Will was caught between amusement and sympathy for his friend's predicament.
As Elizabeth Turner watched, James was again ensnared by the spider that was Mary Stewart. She frowned as she realized that something had to be done. James needed someone to take care of him. As her eyes wandered over the crowd, she saw with a sinking heart that there was not woman of marriageable age in Port Royal that she would entrust her friend to. But, if left to his own devices, James might not marry at all or, worse yet, fall victim to the charms of a woman who would make him miserable.
A plan began to form in Elizabeth's head that night. And by the time she and Will had said good-night to all the guests, it was blossoming beautifully. When they reached their own home, she sat down at her desk and began to write a letter.
'Dearest Evelyn,
It's been so long since I have seen you. What would you think about visiting me here in Port Royal? Father can make all the arrangements. He would be glad to see you. I've missed you so much and am eager for you to meet my husband. Besides, I really could use your advice right now. You see, I'm going to have a baby..."
"Elizabeth!" called Will from the other room. "Elizabeth, come get some sleep, love."
Sighing, Elizabeth put the pen down. She could finish the letter in the morning and send it with Will when he left for his shop. She was beginning to feel a little tired. Confident in her plan, Elizabeth climbed into bed and was soon fast asleep in the arms of her husband.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Review please! And no, I'm not turning this into a Norrington/Elizabeth fic. Not possible for me to do. So fear not my friends. Will and Elizabeth are safe and snug together.
JOHNNY DEPP WAS ROBBED AT THE OSCARS!!!!!!!!!
That's all.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the dvd. Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski are so lucky.
SHOUT-OUTS:
Luinecu: My first reviewer! I hereby name you Keeper of the Rum. Seriously, though, you are quite clever. I did get the names from 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. I recently watched the film version with Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon and loved every minute of it. So you played Cecily? How cool. Was it fun? Yes, I do feel a bit bad for Norrington. And, when you look at him without his wig and all that frilly uniform stuff, he's quite good-looking. In a reserved, quiet sort of way. Can't wait to see your Norrington fic.
Mara: I knew I wasn't the only one who liked Norrington. Glad I went with my instincts on that. Thanks for the review.
Pendragginink: Goodness, you have quite an imagination. To tell the truth, I haven't quite figured out when Jack will pop in. I have the feeling I know who he will influence the most, however. And I'm not done introducing females into Norrington's life. Not by a longshot. Sorry it's only one chapter. I'll try to update as fast as I can.
Miss Maru: You're absolutely right! Thank you for being so encouraging. But I'm afraid I have a nasty habit of apologizing for things that I had nothing to do with in the first place. I'm sorry. (See? There I go again. I've really gotta work on that.)
XtineSparrowDepp: Oooooo. That's something my wicked imagination had not thought of. It is rather amusing to try to think of that situation, isn't it?
Otherhawk: Norrington isn't my favorite, either. That would be Jack, of course. But I have a weakness for the 'other man' in romance movies. Case in point? 'Walter' from 'Sleepless in Seattle'. And I'm glad you agree with me about him being underdeveloped.
X-XvampiressX-X: Thank you so much for your review. Sorry it took so long for an update.
GooseLives: Oh my gosh! I can't believe I got a review from you. I am unbelievably honored. Your Jack fic is anything but dull. And I'm so glad you like my fic, too!
Drupadi: Thanks a lot for your review. I can breathe easier when I get reviews.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Governor's Mansion
"I do wish you would relax, Will. You act as if you didn't want to be here."
"I'm worried about you, Elizabeth. All this dancing. On your feet all night? I don't like it at all. We should've called the celebration off."
Elizabeth smiled graciously at a couple passing them before hiding her face behind the fan she carried and whispering viciously to her husband.
"For heaven's sake, William. I'm not dying. I'm having a baby. It's a perfectly natural thing. And lower your voice. We haven't even told Father about it, yet. I'd just as soon he not find out along with everyone else in Port Royal."
"I'll lower my voice if you'll sit down for a few minutes."
"If I sit down, will you let me dance later on without hovering over me like a mother hen?"
"Yes."
"Fair enough."
Elizabeth complied with her husband's wishes and sank into a comfortable chair on the side of the ballroom. Will sat down beside her and took her hand in his. He absently patted it with his other hand until his eyes met hers. She was staring at him with a warning look and he immediately ceased his offending action, but still held her hand loosely. He sighed when she rose suddenly and walked towards the front door.
"James! I'm so glad you could come!" he heard her say. That's when he saw the white head of the commodore coming towards them. Smiling, he followed after his wife. An odd friendship had sprung up between the trio that puzzled many residents of Port Royal, including Governor Swann, but no one questioned it."
"Elizabeth, you look as radiant as ever," said James as he bowed and kissed her hand. She smiled at him and inclined her head in thanks. Will came up behind her and James stuck his hand out.
"Good to see you, Will," he said as he shook the blacksmith's hand.
"You too, Commodore," was the reply. James bit back a sigh. It had taken quite a lot to convince Elizabeth to call him James. It was obviously going to take a lot more work to do the same with her husband. James hated his title sometimes. It made him feel rather lonely.
"Ah, Commodore Norrington. So glad you could come. Your lieutenant said you might not be able to be here."
"I wouldn't miss it for anything," he assured the governor. He scanned the room quickly and immediately wished he hadn't. A female he was far too familiar with was headed straight for him. Thinking very quickly, he stepped closer to Elizabeth.
"Care to dance?" he asked. She started to reply that they were still in the hall and she had promised Will she would rest, but a glimpse of a petite blonde in a rather revealing gown cut her off. She smiled brilliantly at him and threaded her arm through his.
"I would love too," she replied. As the two made their way back to the ballroom, she mouthed to Will,
'Later'.
But no explanation seemed to be needed. As soon as Will Turner caught sight of Mary Stewart, he understood completely. Poor James.
In the ballroom, James heaved a sigh of relief as he and Elizabeth danced together.
"Thank you," he whispered. She beamed at him.
"Don't mention it, Commodore. She is quite persistent, isn't she?"
"Rather. But I think her mother is even worse."
Elizabeth had to agree with that. Ever since it had become common knowledge that Elizabeth and Will were in love, Mrs. Stewart had thrown her daughter at James at every opportunity. Elizabeth had never liked Mary, who used to make fun of Will when they were children. And now that she and James were friends, she liked her even less.
"I can't depend on you for the entire evening, however," he said reluctantly. Elizabeth looked up at him and, for a brief moment, wondered what life would have been like had she married him instead of Will. Would it have been as bad as she had previously thought? No, it wouldn't. She was sure of that. James was a good man, a caring man. In the past two years, she had even learned that he had a rather wicked sense of humor. She wouldn't have been deliriously happy with him, as she was with Will, but theirs would have been a good marriage.
"I received a letter from my sister today," James heard himself say. Now what made him tell Elizabeth about that? He had planned on keeping it secret for as long as possible. Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. Sister? James had never mentioned a sister.
"I didn't know you had a sister, James," she said, her curiosity piqued. James sighed. Oh, well. He had to explain it now.
"Well, you see, it was like this. I-oh. Well-um, it happened this way. The...."
His voice trailed off and Elizabeth was both concerned and a little amused to see her normally well spoken friend at such a loss for words. She spoke up softly.
"James, I am not your friend so I can pry into your private life. You don't have to explain anything to me. It is enough to know that you have a sister."
The commodore could not hide his relief and Elizabeth was hard pressed not to laugh as the color came back into his drained face.
"Thank you, Elizabeth. You are, as always, a true lady in every sense of the word. In truth, I actually have two sisters, one older and one younger, and a niece. All three are going to be here in Port Royal for an extended visit. I must admit, I am out of my element, Elizabeth. My niece is a young woman, only a year or so younger than yourself and my younger sister isn't much older than you. My older sister is a woman of prominent social status in London and I fear that she and my niece might grow bored here in Port Royal."
"You worry too much, James. Why do you concern yourself with all these things when the answer is right in front of your nose?"
James looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Are all men so thick-headed?" questioned Elizabeth. She eloquently ignore the mock-glare that James gave her and went on. "You only had to ask me, James. I would be glad to keep your sisters and niece company while they are here. I could show them around our fair little port and I can even help you prepare for their arrival."
James' face lit up and Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that he looked a bit like a schoolboy. Really, if one could get past the stuffy wig (Elizabeth never could bear those wigs. She was profoundly grateful that Will felt the same), he was quite charming.
"Would you really help me, Elizabeth?" he asked.
"Of course. Name the time and place and I'll start preparing your little home for it's visitors. I've been rather bored since Will and I finished our home and I could use a new distraction."
"Thank you. You would not believe how grateful I am for all of this. I feel so much better now, I might just dance with Mary Stewart tonight."
"Oh no, James. Don't do anything that drastic," Elizabeth replied with a laugh.
The music ended and the pair stepped apart. In no time, Will was at Elizabeth's side, pleading with her to sit down. James raised his eyebrows at this and started to wonder, but he said nothing. In fact, he barely had time to catch his breath before Mary Stewart appeared in front of him. Ever the gentleman, he bowed and kissed her hand in greeting before asking her for a dance.
Elizabeth and Will watched from the sidelines as James danced with various girls whose mothers practically threw them in front of the commodore. Elizabeth found the whole thing rather crass and vulgar while Will was caught between amusement and sympathy for his friend's predicament.
As Elizabeth Turner watched, James was again ensnared by the spider that was Mary Stewart. She frowned as she realized that something had to be done. James needed someone to take care of him. As her eyes wandered over the crowd, she saw with a sinking heart that there was not woman of marriageable age in Port Royal that she would entrust her friend to. But, if left to his own devices, James might not marry at all or, worse yet, fall victim to the charms of a woman who would make him miserable.
A plan began to form in Elizabeth's head that night. And by the time she and Will had said good-night to all the guests, it was blossoming beautifully. When they reached their own home, she sat down at her desk and began to write a letter.
'Dearest Evelyn,
It's been so long since I have seen you. What would you think about visiting me here in Port Royal? Father can make all the arrangements. He would be glad to see you. I've missed you so much and am eager for you to meet my husband. Besides, I really could use your advice right now. You see, I'm going to have a baby..."
"Elizabeth!" called Will from the other room. "Elizabeth, come get some sleep, love."
Sighing, Elizabeth put the pen down. She could finish the letter in the morning and send it with Will when he left for his shop. She was beginning to feel a little tired. Confident in her plan, Elizabeth climbed into bed and was soon fast asleep in the arms of her husband.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Review please! And no, I'm not turning this into a Norrington/Elizabeth fic. Not possible for me to do. So fear not my friends. Will and Elizabeth are safe and snug together.