Author's Note: So Midwest is nothing but CORN! And for those of you who've seen Secret Window, that means something. And I found out my grampa also smokes Pall Malls. FREAKY! I almost died. But uhhh to complete my obsessive-ness over Secret Window, a lot of things in this story will have the same names as SW. Like 'Amy', 'Ted' and 'Todd Downy'. So just know that I don't own any of them…they belong to either Stephen King of the writer of SW (I'm not sure which)

And also- 'Dead Cay' is a fictional island I made for my own purposes…

…knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies. –Proverbs 8:10-11

"What'cha doin'?"

Norrington snapped his notebook shut and turned around to meet the blue eyes of Bianca White. He looked back out on the water and said, "Just writing." He was sitting on the railing, leaning against some ropes, so he could steady his hands to write.

She nodded and sat down next to him, "Cap'n says we'll dock within the hour…"

"In Tortuga…correct?"

Bianca smiled and nodded, "You talk funny."

Norrington smirked, "Funny how?"

"Yer…so proper…How long were you livin' on that rock?"

He shrugged, "Nine, ten years."

She nodded, "That's where it came from…But it's a good thing you decided to turn pirate. It's the best way t' live."

He looked out onto the water, "Freedom, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "Boy, yer gonna get used to this right quick! Being a pirate isn't what gives you all the freedom- there's still the law to deal with in bein' a pirate…but the real freedom comes from the ship…"

He looked at her, "You can be a merchant sailor and still be on a ship and still be under the law."

She smirked and turned her head towards him, "Aye, but they have destinations and places they need t' be…we…we have everywhere in the world."

Norrington paused and thought about that for a moment before he turned and looked back out into the ocean. How true is that. He thought to himself. He smiled and nodded, "You seem to be right."

She smiled, "I pride myself on such things, Nathan." A few quiet moments past before she asked, "There a particular reason you came aboard?"

Norrington looked and her and shrugged, "Saw Jack…and I had been interested in becoming a pirate…so we talked, made a deal and here I am." She nodded. "You?" He asked.

Bianca looked down at her lap and said quietly, "This ain't something t' go passin' 'round t' people…savvy?" she said, looking up at him with her piercing blue eyes. He nodded and she went on, "My parents were murdered…the town in fact was slaughtered by the French. Called us 'a town of sin'…so for that everyone deserved t' die." She shook her head, "I had hidden myself beneath the floor boards and had resurfaced when I recognized Jack and his crew. They had come by quite often t' our little town an' restocked as it were. But when Jack saw I was alone…with nothing but the clothes on m' back…he took me as his own." She paused, looking back out into the ocean, "I owe him everything."

Norrington paused, not sure how to react. Jack took her on as a crew member just because she was alone? Didn't think he would be the type to do such a thing… He looked at her, "Noble thing he did."

She shrugged, "The Cap'n isn't a monster…he's a regular human bein' just as you and me…And he ain't no savage as the English and the French place him t' be. This is just his chosen profession…says nothin' of the man."

All that came to Norrington's mind when she said that was things he said years ago to the young Elizabeth, and the promise he had taken when he first became Commodore. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves – a short drop and a sudden stop.

Nothing about that talked about the man under the pirate.

According to the British, there isn't anything under the pirate. "Right." He said finally. Before she could say anything more, they heard a voice behind them, "Makin' new friends, are we?"

Bianca and Norrington turned quickly and Norrington almost fell off the edge of the ship. Bianca merely smiled, "Nothing t' be concernin' yerself over with, Captain."

Jack smiled knowingly, "Indeed."

Norrington spoke up, "Getting closer?"

He nodded, "Aye, that we are. Then we'll be docked there for two days- and you better make good use of this time…" he said looking at Norrington. He left quickly, leaving James to think about how he was going to find out information.

"But sir, with Norrington out of Port, this would be the perfect time!"

The older man looked down at his accomplice, "Should I remind you who has the say in this decision? I asked you- and you've stayed on for this long, you can wait a little longer, can't you? It's not as if you have other demands."

The younger man frowned, not saying anything on his demands. "Sir, The Governor is a sheep, blind from the ready wolf!"

He shook his head, "No…The Governor isn't the only one…not anymore."

"Sir?"

"The Governor is no longer our only target…"

"Don't let her get to you."

James Norrington looked up, "Who, Jack?"

"It's Captain and Bianca."

James snorted and strapped on his sword that Will had made for him more than a year ago. Jack had advise him, since he had never been to Tortuga, that he would need things that would protect him if the time ever came. Currently they were in Norrington's quarters and the Pearl was docked. "You don't need to worry about Ms. White and I, Captain…"

Jack rolled his eyes, "Ms. White isn't the one I'm worried about…it's you."

James looked up, "And the reason to worry over me would be…?"

"Well yer…she's…" Jack sighed, "She's a man eater to put it plainly."

James was the one to roll his eyes this time, "And the reason to look out for my…"

"Heart?" Jack put out.

James snorted again, "Heart, Captain? Why worry over my heart?" He turned around swiftly, getting into Jack's personal space which was something he only did to intimidate, "You owe me nothing and I you. I had in my mind that you could care less what happens to me." he raised a brow, "why the sudden worry?"

Jack too raised a brow and stepped back, only comfortable when he was the one doing the intimating. "I can't have you getting' an attachment t' my crewmembers when yer not stayin'. Don't need no broken hearts on my ship."

James shook his head slightly, walking past Jack and opening the cabin door, seeing the ship deserted and walked out onto the deck. Jack followed him and together they walked down the gangplank. "Broken hearts aren't the things you should be worried about."

"Oh? Do Commodore's not fall in love?"

James turned around quickly, the comment striking a note with him, "I would prefer if you kept the subject matter off foolish things such as love, Captain." He paused and turned back towards the town, and said in a calm voice, "Women aren't worth love."

Jack's eyes widened as Norrington continued down the plank, leaving Jack behind. Open wounds, Commodore? Jack thought to himself. Maybe we'll need t' have a chat to see what happened when Elizabeth picked Will and I escaped…and then they got married… Jack smirked to himself and start to think up a plan for the seemingly pessimistic Commodore.

"Cap'n, I 'ave a somethin' t' tell ye."

Jack rolled his eyes, "What?" He stumbled over to a table and sat down rather awkwardly and spilled some of his rum during the process. The very drunk Gibbs followed him and did practically the same thing.

"That Nathan is up t' no good Cap'n…" He started out, "It's bad luck t' 'ave 'im aboard."

Jack rolled his eyes, used to hearing things from the superstitious crewmen. "Get over it mate."

"But Cap'n! He's over there talkin' t' a man we don't know!"

The pirate captain sighed as he looked around, the room spinning a bit and then his eyes landed on Norrington. He indeed was talking to someone Jack had never seen before, but Jack knew what he was doing. "Gibbs, set yer sights a little higher…" Jack said pointing up to where some prostitutes were. From then on, nothing more was said of the Commodore.

"Yea, assassins and mercenaries of the like come in and out of Tortuga, but no one turns their head- people get shot all the time here…but people are too drunk to notice."

James Norrington thanked his lucky stars that he had found someone that wasn't drunk and knew proper English…at least English. The man he was currently talking to called himself Todd Downy, Norrington thought the first name to be rather strange but then when he said he was born in the America's, things became a little clearer.

James had started out the conversation by saying he wanted to hire an assassin and then found out that Todd was a privateer, someone who, in theory, would know about assassins and mercenaries of the like.

"So could I come here to find one?" James asked.

Todd paused, "You could find anything in Tortuga, but the best place to find assassins and mercenaries are…" he looked at James, "You know of the virgin islands, right?"

He nodded, "Aye."

"Well there's a place called Dead Cay…I know, catchy huh?" he said sarcastically, "But somehow that's become the main spot to find killers…"

James nodded, "And is this common knowledge?"

Todd shrugged as he took a drink from his tankard. "Possibly. To most pirates, yes. To the French Navy and the Royal Navy…no- not unless they got a hold of the right people."

He nodded. Someone who had access to a ship must've hired this assassin. He looked up at Todd, "Thanks. I owe you."

Todd shrugged. James quickly left the bar, wanting to get back to the safety of the Pearl

The giggles of many different women found their way to James' ears as he walked swiftly to the ship, but the thing that caught his ear was not a giggle, but a curse word.

"Get yer hands off me!" came a familiar voice. The woman sounded angry and James looked around to see who it was.

"C'mon love…jus' one night…"

Norrington finally found the person in distress. It was Bianca and in the arms of a rather drunk, disgusting old man. He walked towards them, coming from behind, moving his hand towards his revolver.

She slapped him once and he released her and she made a mad dash towards the docks, but he followed her. She finally took out her own gun but then realized it was empty. Bianca growled to herself and hurled the empty pistol at the man who was close behind her. It missed and then she saw James.

While looking, however, she tripped and fell over a rock. She cursed loudly as pain came from her ankle and the man advanced. But James was faster. He pulled his pistol and touched the man's head with it when he stopped. "I do believe the woman said 'no'."

Bianca narrowed her eyes and nodded, trying to keep the pain under control, but it wasn't working that well. The older man growled and spun around and tried to hit at Norrington, but just kept spinning. Norrington got annoyed quickly and hit the man over the head with his pistol, knocking him out.

"Thanks Nathan," she said quickly.

Norrington looked down at Bianca as he walked to her, "You alright?"

She shrugged and nodded, "Aye. Just me ankle…"

He offered his hand and she stared at him, wondering what he was doing. "Help up?" he explained. She smiled and took his hand, hoisting herself up. She bit her lip when she put her weight on her ankle. "You sure?" he asked.

She nodded, "Nothin' more than a twist. I'll be fine…" He reluctantly let go of her hand and she hobbled off back towards the bar. James took in a deep breath and turned around, once again heading towards the ship.

He sighed and repeated the name of the cay over and over in his head, "Dead Cay, Dead Cay…" he muttered over and over. He made his way up the gangplank and was prepared to go into his cabin when he heard, "What's with Dead Cay?"

Norrington turned on his heel and squinted at the figure across the ship. He wasn't sure who it was, considering he'd only been on the ship a couple days. "It's my business."

The person came closer and Norrington guessed who it was based on the gait. "Does the captain know yer business?"

Norrington sighed, "Look, whatever I've done to you- I didn't mean to make a mortal enemy."

Ana Maria raised her brow, "Yer apologies are like the Captain's." He just stood there, looking at her, not sure what else to say but fed up with his mistake and how it turned out. "You can fool the Captain, but fortunately, I pick things out better than he. Tell me what yer doin' and why yer on the ship."

"I don't have to explain myself to you. The captain knows why I'm here, and that's what matters…savvy?"

She narrowed her eyes, "No. If yer business doesn't belong on a pirate ship then leave- we don't need our ship covered with traitors, savvy?"

James raised a brow, "I thought Jack was the only one who got betrayed."

Ana paused, shifting her eyes, "Is he the only pirate in the world who got betrayed?" She asked, looking back at him. "His is the only story you hear…that's all."

"You've been left on an island to die?" He countered.

Ana sighed, getting fed up with this stupid conversation. "No, a stolen boat." She said and then quickly left the ship.

Author Thanks:

Kettch-22, Dawnie-7 and PiratePrincess91- Thanks for the comments and telling me what you liked in the chapter! I appreciate that.