Ooh yay it's the obligatory "I don't own these characters" speech. Yeah that's it…right there. Evelyn is mine. And her husband. Yeah. Uhm, basically everyone from the movie you know and love unfortunately doesn't belong to me.

One: Norrington's Lament

Norrington stared out the window at the bustling port below. He gave a small sigh as his thoughts wandered to Elizabeth as they always did. He was a broken man ever since that day when Jack Sparrow was rescued and Liz, sweet Liz, chose that dirty blacksmith turned pirate, Will Turner. James scowled, stop being such a bitter ass, he told himself. He knew Will had a good heart and that he loved Elizabeth. But so do I. And Will had helped Sparrow escape, when what he deserved was a pirate's death.

Ever since that day, Norrington had lost his fervor for hunting pirates. Gillette had urged him to go after Sparrow, but James only shook his head, saying it was no use. The shock that Elizabeth did not love him one bit had taken its toll. James no longer felt like the scourge of pirates; he felt empty. Lost. Useless.

His house felt too empty and too oppressive for him. It was a mansion of considerable size, but since it was devoid of anyone other than himself and a handful of servants, it somehow felt small and unwelcoming to him.

Sick of my own home, he thought, disgusted. With a grunt he heaved himself from his desk chair and grabbed a coat. It was a fair day out, but he was coming down with a cold, probably for lack of exercise and fresh air, and felt a chill. He left his office and headed out into the streets, deciding a walk would do him some good, even if he was still thinking of Elizabeth.

No one paid him any heed as he wandered the streets of Port Royal. James Norrington was no longer the well respected Commodore. Just a week ago he had talked to Governor Swann and given up the title; Gillette was the new Commodore and James was merely a captain again. He had lost his desire for sailing; he had lost his desire for anything but Elizabeth.

As he passed a bakery one woman even sneered at him, and for a moment he was puzzled. Then he realized it was probably his appearance. He had not shaved in quite some time and had acquired a grizzly shadow about his chin. He did not wear a wig either, simply tied his black hair back with a piece of string. It was getting long, but he did not feel like going to a barber.

His shirt was just some old blouse he had found in the closet, and was a bit dirty. He had not even bothered to button it all the way and so his chest hair peeked out from under the fabric. His jacket was some old brown thing, patched at the elbows and worn at the edges, but it was warm and comforted him somehow, maybe because it reminded him of himself; old and worn out. His trousers were nothing special, black and perhaps a size too large; he had lost a bit of weight since that fateful day for he just couldn't bring himself to eat as much. His boots were hardly boots, scuffed and worn, the soles coming away from the rest of the shoe.

James shook his head. What did it matter anyway? He had no one to impress anymore. He seldom boarded a ship, and if he did, Gillette did not trouble him about his appearance, understanding his melancholy over losing Elizabeth.

But does anyone really understand? James wondered. Do any of them know the pain I'm in? The heartbreak I feel daily? James doubted anyone understood. How could they? No one loved Elizabeth the way he did. He'd loved her since she was a child.

That day he had taken her aboard his ship with her father, that damned day they had found Will Turner. She was so sweet and innocent, yet smart for only a girl of eight. And she had grown up to be even smarter, and so beautiful. James's heart ached as it always did when he thought of her. He still loved her, and always would. And she had always been kind to him. Her father was fond of Norrington, and had agreed delightfully when James asked for Liz's hand in marriage.

But she had fallen from the parapet before he could ask her, and then that wretched pirate showed up and Will decided to play the hero and ruin everything. James suspected Elizabeth had loved Will all along. How had he been so blind to that?

I was blinded by my own love for her, he admitted.

He sighed. It hurt. She had rejected him. That angered him some nights, that she could so blatantly disregard his love for her. Yet mostly it made him sad, for he could never stay mad at Liz for too long. She was simply following her heart.

"God!" He said aloud, startling passersby. "I really need to stop thinking of her." He shook his head and looked up at the clear blue sky. It was a lovely day and perhaps a bit of time spent at sea would do him good. He still loved the salty sea breeze and the feeling of being on a ship, though he had denied himself those pleasures for little over a month now.

He headed toward the docks, but could not help but pause as he neared the blacksmith's shop. Will owned it now, since it had been discovered that he was the skilled maker of all the swords, not the former drunk who had first employed young Will. It was around midday and James could hear Will tinkering away inside, no doubt making a fine new sword for Gillette.

Norrington thought of his own sword that he had received when he'd been announced as a Commodore, sitting in his home, collecting dust. It really was a beautiful and well made weapon, and that's why he kept it. But there were still days when he wanted to toss it into the sea, never to be seen again, because it represented Will and the life he once had as Commodore. The life he thought to share with Elizabeth.

There I go again, thinking of her. Will I never stop? He let out another sigh and resumed walking again when someone called out his name.

At first he wasn't sure someone was calling to him, but then he recognized the voice.

"James!"

It was Elizabeth.

He turned. She was coming out of the bakery he'd passed before and was carrying a basket filled with breads and pastries. She was a proper housewife now, though he could tell she still had the adventurous spirit. It was just that Port Royal was quite now, without Jack Sparrow.

"Elizabeth." He said calmly as he approached. "Or should I be calling you Mrs. Turner?" He didn't hide the bitterness in his voice when he said that, his insides withering at the sight of the diamond ring on her finger.

She gave him one of her winning smiles, ignoring the hurt in his voice. "Oh come now James, you know that you'll never need to take formalities with me. We've known each other much too long."

He smiled sadly while a moment of awkward silence passed between them.

"So…" Elizabeth said, shifting the basket from one arm to the other. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around in such a long time."

"I've…been…around. I think I'm coming down sick…and so…I've been inside…" He fumbled through excuses when really he wanted to say, I've been off mourning the loss of you. You broke my heart. I still love you. Instead he continued on, "But I'm out walking today, hoping the fresh air will do me good. I'm thinking of going out for a bit of a sail."

"How wonderful! I wish I could join you, I miss being on a ship actually. And I think it would be nice to be on one without pirates." She laughed, a delightful sound to Norrington's ears.

"You could join me if you liked. There's always room for a good friend." A lost lover, more like.

Liz frowned. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but I've got to make this big dinner tonight, Will and I are having a banquet…for Commodore Gillette…" She trailed off.

He knew about the banquet, Gillette had mentioned it a few days ago. All the nobles had been invited, all the important people of Port Royal. Norrington himself had not been given an invitation by the Turner's; he was no longer important and it was awkward to be around the couple. Though Gillette had said he should tag along with him, James declined. It hurt too much to be around the newlyweds, seeing the one he loved with another man.

He sighed. "I understand. Some other time then. Simply let me know and we'll be off."

Liz smiled, but it was a nervous one now. He could tell she felt awkward around him when he was so shabby and clearly miserable.

"Yes. Well…I best be off. Lots of cooking to do."

"Yes, of course. See you around."

Liz nodded and hurried into the blacksmith's shop, no doubt stopping in to visit Will on his midday break. James watched her go and when she was out of sight it felt like his heart was breaking again.

He could picture her, walking in on Will, who would be dirty from work, but she would not care. She would set down her basket, and rush over and kiss him with those beautiful lips of hers.

Oh how he wished he had tasted the sweetness of her lips. So many years he had yearned for her, thinking that one day she would finally be his. That on the day he proposed to her they would seal it with a kiss, the most magical, passionate kiss of his life.

But he had been denied that. And now Will was getting those kisses, that body, that love. James burned with jealousy and suddenly he felt like he would explode if he did not get away.

He no longer wanted to sail, he wanted to die. He realized that's what he'd been wanting these past weeks. If he could not be with Elizabeth, what did he have left? His heart broke daily and he could no longer stand it. He made his way to the parapet where he'd planned on asking Elizabeth to marry him. The one she'd fallen off.

He stood on the edge, looking at the sea and the rocks below. The sea was calm, and the cool blue was beckoning to him. A breeze blew and he closed his eyes, paying no attention to the ship that was speedily making its way toward Port Royal. Thinking of how good the air would feel as it rushed past him as he fell and how refreshing the water would be, Norrington leaned forward and pitched himself from the battlement.

Time seemed to cease its existence as he fell, his mind clear. He was not scared to die, or he would not have gone into the king's Navy in the first place. And since he no longer did battle he could not die the death of a hero. Having lost his love he was no longer concerned about looking like a coward. He just wanted it all to stop.

He felt the presence of the water before he actually hit it, and then he was surrounded by cool waves, and his head hit something hard and a sharp burst of light exploded in his head. Then there was nothing.