Chapter Four

Service

James didn't sleep at all as he had planned and said he would that night, namely to Will, who if there were two people upon the whole ship who cared only a little about him, Will was one, along with Gibbs – a good man. Shame he had chosen to walk the path of piracy. With a shrug, he collected a rope and his sword, departing from the quarters and heading to the Captain's cabin.

He slid through the gap in the open door, noticing the dull glint of the clear moonlight on the edge of the murky bottle of rum by the door before he could kick it and… awake the Captain; by the soft snores Norrington guessed Sparrow was sleeping. It didn't take much to wake the man by placing the quite blunt sword at his neck, the blade nicking the skin as James secured Sparrow's hands behind his back, twisting the arms painfully and shoving him out of the seat and up against the wall, his mouth near Jack's ear, whispering dark vengeful words, digging his elbow into Sparrow's back and pinning him against the paneled wall.

"I know you're not the sort of man to dismiss guilt and regret, Captain," There was no sarcasm behind the name formality this time, "so perhaps I can rid you of that terrible feeling?" His hand crept up Jack's thigh to rest upon his hip. "What do you think would end this undying guilt?"

He took a couple of steps backwards, sheathing his sword and kicking Jack's across the floor to the other side of the cabin, and picking up the gun from the table.

"How can I be of service, Captain?"

It had taken him a few seconds to realise what had happened, all of a sudden he was being attacked, and naturally there had been a struggle; but James was a stronger man than he, and Jack was thick headed from the rum. As such, it didn't take much to have him up against the wall, ribs crushed against the wood panelling, his head twisted painfully to one side as he listened to the ex-Commodore,

"You'd be wrong in thinking that." He replied, adding for confirmation "Guilt is something royal navy men have. And I'm not one of those." Though this time, it was easy to tell he was lying, lying to get that gun away from where it pointed sharply between his shoulder blades. "I could have you keel hauled for this dog..." Though James' hand on his thigh stilled his tongue as it blabbered nonsense, the man's usual tactic for getting out of trouble; confuse them and slip away without notice. This time unfortunately, he had Norrington's undivided attention, and it was slightly unnerving. "I'm not Greek, love..."

There was a barking laugh, and Norrington snorted. "You think… you think?" there was a certain manical glint in his darkened eyes and he walked closer towards Sparrow, kicking his ankle which caused the other man to fall to the floor, and James knelt, pressing the gun barrel close and hard into the sensitive neck.

"Since when did I imply that Captain?" he asked, facial expression confused but amused, a somewhat mocking smile upon his lips. A heavy punch was delivered to the stomach region, and whilst Sparrow was rolling in agony on the floorboards, Norrington abandoned the gun and slid it away across the floor, seizing Jack by the front of his white shirt and drawing their faces closer together, breathing loudly. "Captain I never remembered you as such a blatant liar and an obvious coward. I'm not stupid, and I want to know one thing. What despicable grudge can you have against the likes of me to inflict such agony onto me?" his eyes were desperately searching Jack's face.

A man he slightly admired. Not so much any more.

"That's funny." He spat, wincing from the pain in his stomach, "Most people remember me as nothing but a coward and a blatant liar…" he dared to flash the bitterly angry man a smile, his gold teeth glinting in the half light, "James love, calm down." A hand reached up to try and release the grip on him, though Norrington was on his feet, and Jack was on his knees. It was clear who had the upper hand here. Furthermore the man didn't appear to want to let go, so Jack desisted "I'm a pirate – I don't need a reason."

At that moment, Jack rolled backwards, the tight grip James had on him causing the other to topple over. That was the opportune moment Jack had been waiting for to free himself, and picking up the gun, he pointed it at James. "I don't doubt you've learnt your lesson – we're even James, don't make me shoot you." The gun was more a threat than anything else, the man probably knew that the Captain wouldn't shoot him; though they were enemies, Jack wouldn't ever shoot anyone that wasn't going to kill him. He had never murdered. That was one thing he could not be charged with.

"I might also remind you that we're supposed to be searching for Elizabeth; not making nuisances of ourselves by attacking and trying to better the Captain…really James, it's quite pathetic." He was feeling a little more at ease now he had a weapon in his hand, "Lets just call it even – savvy?"

He looked up through the dark locks falling across his face and gave a mordant smile up at Sparrow. "You still didn't answer my questions, Captain…" He unsteadily got to his feet, leaning on the wall for support against the rocking of the boat.

James brushed back the strands of hair, shaking his head absentmindedly. "You and all your talk. But you're not so pretty without your gun in your hand and when your crew isn't nicely subdued to their duties, hmm? Captain I would have expected you to want to make me believe that you aren't a coward, aren't a liar… but I haven't proof you do, and you aren't what I think you are, so, with reason that I'm just part of the Navy –" Norrington smiled again, walking over to the other man. There was probably a better, more logic, reason that Jack felt James always looked down his nose at him – James was at least three inches taller.

He leaned closer, taking Jack into an embrace of sorts (perhaps serving under a pirate and losing his recent promoted status had finally gone to his head), and whispered close to Sparrow's ear.

"I thought you didn't care about Elizabeth…"

He didn't expect Norrington to understand. He was paranoid of losing the Pearl again, scared of the thought he'd have to endure another mutiny. James could have been the man that started it all again; it had taken him almost eleven years to get this ship back, and he was clinging onto it with everything he had. If it was his previous attitude that lost him his vessel, then he was going to have to take on a slightly different one to keep it this time around.

"Why would I want to disprove something that for once, you've got absolutely right?" He pointed out with a small smirk. "You're not making one but of sense; not at all. Pirates are allowed to do what they want; Government officials have rules to stick to…So if you're still calling yourself a man of the mark, which you're not, technically, you shouldn't have done that. And you're not a pirate either, not by standards, and not by your own. So you can't take the code as your reasoning…" He waved a hand, not even going to attempt to explain to the man his twisted logic. "I am a liar, a coward, and any other insult you wish to place along with my name – I'm a pirate, it goes without saying I'm bad news."

Though suddenly in such close proximity again made Jack begin to wonder if James was becoming as 'mad' as he. Life hadn't been exactly kind to the ex-commodore. "Love, if I didn't care about darling Elizabeth; the whelp would go mad. Why do you think," He paused, pushing James away to give himself a little breathing room, "We've been chasing that ruddy ship all this time? – Kicks and giggles!" Mad laughter rang out through the room, "I would have thought, Jamsey boy, that it might have gotten through that thick skull of yours, I don't particularly like going to Port Royale – but for the her sake, I would."

Not in a romantic manner of course; Jack was doing it as a favour to Will, and because Elizabeth had saved him. The three of them were friends, good friends – and Jack had always loved a challenge.

Gaze was dropped to the floor and he turned slightly away, feeling foolish and once again underneath Jack's thumb as a mere extra member of his crew. But there was one more move to be played by the ex-Commodore.

He raised his head. "I have heard them talking, Captain… they say…" there was a lump in his throat – there couldn't have been a reason he didn't want to leave the ship anyway, surely… - "That you want me off… you are truly going to take me back where you found me then?" Those eyes did not light up, instead they shimmered with a disappointment and he walked away, going towards the door, resting a hand on it.

"I thought you didn't let your men down, Captain… and if that's anything as a compliment and if it's anything to be believed then, if you will get rid of me, drop me in Port Royal. There's some generosity in there – even if it's just for oneself everyone has that," he left the room shortly, and Gibbs crossed him over on their separate ways, one leaving the Captain's cabin, and one arriving.

"Ahrr, Cap'n, I just be wonderin' when we be dockin'?"

"Twelve hours Mr.Gibbs – if we get a good wind behind us, keep sailing as the Sparrow flies, keep a weather eye on the horizon, drink all the rum to stop it weighing us down…we should get to Port Royal before the others do." He replied, quite cheery now James had stopped attacking him and otherwise mooching about. Gibbs looked satisfied by that answer and smiled a little

"So we can crack into some more rum then?"

"Aye, it's going spare and I don't doubt we can pick ourselves up a few supplies before we leave with fair Elizabeth – how's the whelp?"

Gibbs clapped his hands together gleefully, but nodded, "He'll be fine once I tell him the good news." Jack smiled, but turned his back as the man left. One thing was concerning him, the look in the ex-commodore's eyes as he left. There was something there he couldn't quite place, and until he knew, he wouldn't be able to rest. He had passed the man off as just being a silly, overreacting maniac, but now he had left, Jack knew there was something that wasn't right. He shivered and continued plotting their course. It wouldn't be long now, not long until they could ditch the man and sail back into more profitable waters.

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Author's Notes: Hmm. I wonder if I gave too much information? We're coming up to the climax x) YAY! –hyper mood-