Author's Note: Been too crazy, too hectic in my life- sorry that this has taken the back seat, but all of you understand...too bad if you don't! Uhm, thanks for the review as well- wasn't too sure of this story or myself…so yea- here's chapter three!
Don't you see, that the charade is over, and all the best deceptions and the glamour cover stories award goes to you? –Dashboard Confessional
She could feel herself turning red. Everyone was looking at her, especially Jonathan but the Commodore was trying not to make eye contact with her. Jonathan laughed slightly, seeing Bianca's embarrassment, "Bianca, this is Commodore James Norrington…" he said grabbing his shoulder, "Not Nathan…" he paused and said in a serious tone, "whoever that is."
Bianca resisted the urge to cry, though her eyes started to water and her throat felt rough. Shaking her head and rubbing her cheeks, she said, "Of course, I'm sorry," She looked at Norrington, "Nathan is my brother…he past away last year…" she looked back at Jonathan, "The commodore just reminded me of him."
James sighed and looked at Elizabeth who smiled weakly. Jonathan, convinced the threat of 'Nathan' was no threat, turned his attention to the Commodore. "So, I hear you have had some run-ins with the pirate Jack Sparrow."
Not paying attention, Will muttered, "Captain Jack Sparrow."
Jonathan raised a brow, "Am I correct, Commodore?"
James nodded, still feeling sick to his stomach, looking at Bianca who was trying not to look at him. "I have, Mr. Whitman."
"Please, Call me Jonathan."
"Dinner is served!"
The Governor smiled, glad that things were doing well between his guests. "Oh good! Let's go eat."
"That was a disaster." Will and Elizabeth collapsed on their couch and watched as the Commodore cradled their son in his arms.
"Why was Jonathan so interested in Jack and you?" Will asked, worried a little for the pirate captain.
James shrugged, "I don't know, but it was bothering me. He kept beating around the bush when I would like it if he just told me what he wanted. Whatever it is though, has a great deal to do with Jack."
Elizabeth frowned slightly, "Why would he care about Jack?"
"More importantly, is this fascination just based on words or a face-to-face encounter?" Will asked.
James shook his head slightly, "Jack has fun into so many people, I wouldn't be surprised if he encountered Mr. Whitman," he paused, "And most likely, Jack made him mad."
Elizabeth gasped, "He probably wants you to go after him."
Will looked between the two, "If Bianca hears about that…what with her ties to Jack and all…"
Norrington looked up and stayed quiet, his face cold. "Why didn't you tell me? I am assuming you two did know…" James said simply, talking about Bianca's appearance on Port Royal.
Elizabeth frowned, "If we knew it was going to turn out like that…we would've. We didn't want to cause you pain."
"But we also didn't want to get in the middle of it, James," Will added, "You made it hard for yourself to feel good if Bianca ever did come back."
James sighed, "That's because I never thought she would."
After a pause, Elizabeth asked, "What are you going to do?"
He sighed again, looking at little Jacob's sleeping face, hoping a son was in his future. "The only thing I can do," he looked at the couple, "Tell her the truth."
That can't be him…I must be mistaken… The thought of Nathan being the Commodore of Port Royal was hard to imagine or even believe. Bianca thought about all that happened that night while getting ready for bed. The most important thing in her mind was the mistaken identity on her fault.
A knock came at her door and she went and answered it. Jonathan smiled at her when she opened the door but then quickly covered his eyes, "Bianca, please! Put a robe on!"
Bianca rolled her eyes while looking for her robe. "Jonathan, you know I don't like wearing robes…so why do you expect me to wear one whenever you come to my door?"
"It's a matter of propriety, Bianca. Not being comfortable."
She sighed as she tied it and he cracked his eyes open. Once seeing she was covered completely, he stepped in, leaving the door open. "You feeling alright?"
Crossing her arms around her, she shrugged, "Yes…why?"
"You were awfully quiet at dinner…"
"So was Elizabeth," she countered.
"She has her own husband to watch over her. You have me."
Smiling, she said, "And aren't I lucky?"
"Bianca," he said gently, "Not only were you quiet, but you barely looked up from your plate."
She bit the inside of her lip, "Nothing was wrong…"
"Me talking about pirates didn't bother you, did it?"
She had forgotten about that. Jonathan had been practically insulting the Commodore with questions about Jack at dinner, with her sitting idly by, listening to it all. "Jonathan, what is your fascination with Jack Sparrow, anyway?"
Jonathan cleared his throat, "Men affairs, Bianca. Nothing a delicate flower like you should worry about."
She took in a deep breath and nodded, hearing this more than once since she'd met Jonathan. Rubbing her forehead, she said, "Well I think I'm going to turn in…"
He nodded, "Of course, I'm sorry for keeping you this long." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before he left.
The morning light had come sooner than the Commodore expected or liked. But getting four hours of sleep probably didn't help to get him ready for the emotional stress he was forcing himself to go through that morning. Wishing he was back in bed, he soon found himself in front of the Governor's door. Knocking twice, a servant opened it.
"To see the Governor, sir?" the older man said, taking the Commodore's hat and coat.
"No…actually, today I'm calling on Ms. Bianca White. She is staying with the Governor, correct?"
"Yes, sir. Follow me," following him to a back room, Norrington saw over the other man's shoulders Bianca reading a book in a perfect sitting position, which he was sure was due to a corset. "Mr. James Norrington, for you, ma'am."
Bianca looked up and stared at the servant. Behind him, she could see someone turned around. Pausing, feeling her stomach starting to knot she nodded, "I'll see him."
He nodded once and let Norrington enter the room. James quietly entered as the servant left and Bianca stood up, setting the book on the table where her tea was. He bowed slightly and stayed quiet. She nodded and stayed quiet herself, not sure why he was here, or even what to say.
James kicked himself mentally and started talking. "Good morning…Ms. White. How are you?"
"I'm fine. And you?"
He nodded slightly, "I'm fine as well. I hope you found the party last night to be…" he paused, knowing what he felt at the party and it was anything but enjoyable, so for him to imply the same thing would be rude, "…bearable."
She smirked rudely, "At the very least Commodore," pausing she asked, gesturing, "do sit down."
He started to as she did, but didn't. She stood up as well and he shook his head, feeling himself getting hot with the sting of her last comment, "No, please, sit down. I stand because of what I'm about to say is not easy…"
She sat and waited, "Did you want to share it in the first place?"
He frowned, thinking if he was going to tell the truth of the past, he might as well start with telling the truth in the present. "Well…no…not particularly, but events have happened that have made me think that it would rude and disrespectful if I did not."
Bianca paused, her many layers suddenly becoming too much, "Events such as the party last night?"
James sighed, she was acting strange. He wasn't used to her being proper and emotionless as many proper English women are. He sighed again and walked towards the door and closed it ever so slightly, still having a gap where it was open. Looking back at her, he said, "Bianca, please tell me the truth. About your feelings…about last night…"
Sticking to her true character she wasn't about to yell without having a very good reason to, "Why don't we start off with your name."
He paused, "I beg your pardon?"
"Your name, Commodore. I'm not really quite sure what it is. I do have two choices, however. Nathan and James. Which would you prefer?"
He took in a deep breath, knowing this was not going to be easy. "James Norrington. That was the name I was given."
"And Nathan Anderson? What of that name?"
"Fake."
"Like everything else about you?"
He frowned, her words cutting deeper than he thought they would. "Bianca, I have one duty as a Commodore- to protect the citizens of Port Royal and other islands in the Caribbean. The governor was in trouble a year ago, and the only way I would be able to help him was if I went under cover…on Jack's ship."
"I'm sure meeting me wasn't in the plans, was it?"
James watched her look down at her nails, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "No…it wasn't."
She looked up, "So, I'm assuming what happened last year with the assassin and your…"
"Lieutenant," he said, filling in her gap.
"…lieutenant fixed the problem for the Governor. And since there was nothing wrong with the inhabitants of Port Royal, you felt no need to come back to the ship…or tell me the truth about you."
"I didn't see any need to tell you the truth, no."
Her brows furrowed, her emotions rising, "And why not? You claimed to have all these feelings for me, yet you couldn't trust me with something so simple?"
"But it wasn't simple, Bianca. You were…" he paused, lowering his voice, "a pirate…and if you knew about my true identity, and then something happened to me, then who knew what could've happened. Jack and I didn't want to risk it."
She paused, "Jack knew!"
"Of course he knew…he knew me well enough as a Commodore…but to come aboard without him knowing who I truly was- he might've killed me, and then there would've been real problems."
She sighed, standing up and starting to pace, "Why is the real reason, James, that you didn't tell me the truth…"
"Your safety…"
She looked up, locking his eyes with hers, "That may be a reason…but not the only one. What's the other one?"
He paused, swallowing, about to tell her the image she had given him, but without warning he was abruptly cut off, "Commodore? Is that you?"
James' eyes widened and he turned, seeing Jonathan, "Mr. Whitman! Yes, it is me."
He stepped into the room, "Talking to Bianca?"
"Uhm…we were just…talking…"
"About you, Jonathan!" Bianca said, her eyes bright and a smile on her face, "He had some questions about you and couldn't seem to find you, so I offered to supply some information about you…"
Jonathan looked at each of them and then finally nodded, "Well here I am, Commodore. At your service…and I hope you can be a service to me as well…"
Bianca cleared her throat and said, "Well I'll leave you gentlemen to your business," she turned and looked at the Commodore, "Good day, Commodore." After saying this, she left with her head down and tried hard to push back the incoming tears.
James watched her go forlornly and wondered if he could've approached that any differently. He didn't have much time to think, however, until Jonathan was once again, bombarding him with questions about the Jack Sparrow.
Finally, sick of the questions, James asked, "Jonathan, what are you trying to get at?"
He paused, surprised by the abruptness but shrugged, "When was the last time you've smelled pirate blood?"
James cringed, "I try not to smell people's blood when they fall down dead,"
"Okay, okay, maybe that's a little over the top, but when was the last time you went pirate hunting?"
James raised a brow, seeing the point of all the questions now, "Why would you want to go after the Black Pearl?"
"Jack Sparrow, to be more specific, Commodore. And that is my own business."
"If you want to be anywhere near Jack when and if I go after him, then it'll have to be our business."
Jonathan paused, deciding whether or not to tell him. After a moment, he opened his mouth and said with a bit of melancholy, "He murdered my cousin."
James paused, "He murdered your cousin?" he repeating, not quite believing him.
"Yes! And I want to see that he's put to justice! And the sooner the better, Commodore."
James sighed, it was turning out to be a longer day than he had first anticipated.
"Well…you aren't just going to do it, are you?"
James sighed, "Will, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you!" he got up, wanting to get out of the shop as soon as possible. He had gone there right after the talk with Jonathan. Not telling him about the talk with Bianca, he came into the shop seeking a refuge. Will, however, had found him in low spirits. So, as a concerned friend, he naturally asked James what was wrong, and eventually got the information out of him, much to the Commodore's dismay.
Will frowned, "I know you're the Commodore, James, but…"
"Will, there is no 'but' in this situation. I am the commodore. Jack Sparrow did something to threaten a person I'm devoted to protect. And would you rather have me or the Navy from London itself go after Jack?"
Will took in a deep breath, "You," he paused, looking around his shop, "Do you mind if I come along?"
James smirked, "You're a husband and a father, Will. I'm afraid you can't go on this adventure…"
"But you'll bring him back alive?"
"You know I will."
"And you won't let Jonathan kill him?"
"I'll try my best."
"You're going to just let him do that!"
Will sighed, now he knew who James must've felt when he told Will the news. "Elizabeth, please, calm down…"
"Calm down? Calm down? You're not going to go and save Jack? He's hurdling towards his doom, and you're not even going to warn him? How can you do that to our friend?"
"First of all, I doubt Jack needs saving, second, James hasn't even left port yet, so Jack isn't really hurdling towards anything but water, and third, what would you have me do? Leave you and Jacob here alone for a month, maybe more? And then what? Stand between him and the Royal Navy? Elizabeth…please…"
She frowned, crossing her arms and beginning to pace, "There must be something we can do…anything. After everything he's done…that we've been through…that you've been through…"
Will turned and looked out the window, watching the quiet, dark harbor as the rest of the town slept, "Believe me, I've exhausted every possibility…but there's nothing we can really do. James will be there, alongside the Navy and Jonathan…watching over Jack as needed…"
"What about when he comes to Port Royal? The trial…"
"Elizabeth, you don't expect us to really-" Will started to say, turning around to face her. But the look on Elizabeth's face told him the opposite of what he was thinking. And why didn't he expect it, this was common nature for his wife. He sighed, "Tell me what your beautiful mind has concocted…"
