Disclaimer: POTC makes money for Disney. I am a collage student, and as such, have no money. I have only my dreams of Norrington.

"Marriage is a two way street. Unfortunately, Ladies find ways to make you travel on their side."

-Rules of Engagement for Dealing with Ladies

"Men, in a marriage or in general, think they know everything. Upon wedding one, make sure all of what he 'knows' is what you believe to be true."

-Rules of Engagement for Managing Gentlemen

Chapter 3: Always the Bridesmaid

At the Wedding of Pru and James Norrington...A Year and Seven Months Before the Beginning of Our Tale...

It was a lovely wedding. Pru looked radiant in her gown and glowed with her love for James. Anne herself was proud that she'dmade it down the aisle without tripping. Her only disappointment was that the gentleman escorting her down said aisle was none other that Lieutenant Gillette.

"You look quite a bit different…" he began.

Being the fact that Anne had to appear serene as a bridesmaid, Anne barely managed not to sneer at him. "Yes, that was a lovely way to begin our re-acquaintance. Remind me of how you thought I was dressed shabbily and could never have been James's sister!"

"Perhaps, I shouldn't speak then."

For once Anne agreed. "Perhaps"

Anne tried to the best of her ability to ignore him. For the most part, she managed it quite well. The ceremony was byfar too romantic to not capture her complete attention. Pru walked the aisle after Elizabeth and Anne. Anne glanced at her brother and melted inside from the sheer adoration she spied in her brother's eyes for his bride. Finally, James had found someone truly worthy of his love. Nothing can be more romantic than that.

The ceremony itself went wonderfully. It was particularly interesting as Pru amended the vows a bit where she could honestly say that she had never vowed to obey Anne's brother. Anne felt it was a mark for the measurePru's character. James really shouldn't expect everyone to obey him. It's a character builder…Anne thought.

The guests moved onto the wedding breakfast. A Mountain of food, good wine, and champagne was available for everyone. Anne did her duty at the front table in her capacity as bridesmaid, but soon wandered off. Grabbing a glass of champagne, Anne went to her preferred spot in any social situation, the corner. She far preferred to stay away from the attention and merely relax.

A voice behind her spoke up. "In the corner all ready? I'd think you'd know how to behave…"

Anne looked behind her with an arched brow. "I'm here by choice…"

Gillette frowned. "Are you in health? Do you need a doctor?"

"No."

"Then why are you secluding yourself in the corner like…a common wallflower?"

"Perhaps because I am a 'common wallflower.'"

His eyes widened. "You can't be? Can you?"

Anne stiffened. "I assure you, I most certainly can! Being the center of attention is never what I've wanted. I inevitably become clumsy…"

"You mean YOU'RE not perfect?" he asked sarcastically.

Anne's tone of voice became pure ice again. "Indeed." she replied.

Gillette burst out laughing. Affronted, Anne frowned. "What is so funny?" she demanded.

"It's just…" More laughter. "You…" Snorting.

"WHAT?" Anne asked, eyes flashing dangerously…

"You sounded just like James when he's angry! Perhaps it's a Norrington trait…"

"It is NOT that funny, Lieutenant! I daresay your laughter is ungentlemanly in the extreme…I merely told you why I don't seek attention…It's not like I'm going to marry anyway…"

He sobered then and frowned at her in confusion. "You're not going to marry? I thought all ladies…"

"It's quite clear that men 'think' a bit more than they should. Yes, I don't want to marry…"

"Even if you fall in love? I thought all females relished that…Even I appreciate love…"

"Love is not always certain. You can be quite sure someone loves you, only to be tossed off as rubbish…" she frowned, lost for a moment in her own thoughts, "Besides, marriage can be as restricting as being a single unmarried lady. Far better to wait for spinsterhood and be allowed to do anything I want…Then, I don't have to worry about who I've chained myself to!" She was ranting by the time she finished…

Gillette said, "I agree. I certainly am not interested in love. One day, I shall marry, but it will be one in which there is friendship, rather than love. The marriage will occur for one reason only: I'd like children, a family of my own…"

"A family man, are we? And what of afterwards, when your wife has given you all the children you want? Are you going to ignore her then?"

He glared at her. "No, but we shall be as friends."

"How romantic. Darling, I'd like you, my friend, to be my wife. It will be just as our friendship now, only with a brief bit of snogging and childbirth. Then we'll go back to having separate rooms, just in the same house…Would that be how you'd court her?" Anne hadn't been raised by sailing men for nothing; she knew quite a bit of improper words...

"Of course not! I'd do it the normal way…"

Anne's eyebrow arched in disbelief. "The normal way? Don't you see that's exactly why I don't want to marry? A girl will marry in hopes of love, only to find friendship! I can have plenty of friends without marriage thank you!"

He glared at her yet again…really that was all Gillette had been doing lately. "And what of children? You don't want any? A bit unnatural for a female…" he taunted.

Her face turned red. "Don't tell me what is unnatural, Lieutenant." Her finger was pointed directly at his nose. "Don't you dare…"

She left at dead run farther into the gardens. Out of duty, well at least that's what Gillette told himself, he ran after her. "Anne!" he shouted. "Anne! Where are you?" He looked around him. No sign of her. He walked farther, past the folly and found her in a sort of room made by encircling bushes.

She looked upset, not angry. Something inside Gillette softened. It was his fault she felt that way.

"Anne," he began softly.

Her eyes red, she looked up. "What?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry for what I said…"

Her eyes flashed with pain…"Are you really?"

"Yes. Anything to see a smile rather than a frown…I was stupid…Often, I say things that I don't really mean…Just because you don't want to be married doesn't mean that you're unnatural…just unique…"

"No, I'm beginning to think you're right…" she replied.

"Just because I'm stupid doesn't mean you have to believe me, Anne…But I was wondering…"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Do you wish to talk about whatever's turned you off marriage?"

"Only if you tell me why you're turned off from love…" she bartered.

Andrew winced. "You caught that part, did you?"

"I'm very perceptive when it comes to listening…Do we have a bargain?" Anne pressed.

He nodded.

"Very well," Anne began, "I never had many suitors. Even when I came of age to come out, I preferred staying in the shadows. There was much less potential for embarrassment there…

But I was still a good prospect for marriage. The Norringtons have many connections and money to spare. And money is often a good way of overcoming unpalatable aspects, particularly in the marriage mart. I've seen it well enough.

So I did attract a few suitors, even a few that I genuinely liked. I never felt a connection, no spark that told me I could spend the rest of my life with any of them.

Then I met him. Timothy Crawford. He was the second son of a small baronetcy in Yorkshire. Oh, he was charming and handsomeandvery interested in me. I was quite swept off my feet by his courtship and was seriously considering marrying him if he proposed.

And he did propose. He'd called on me one summer's day last year and took me for a ride in Hyde Park. Despite the throngs of people, he found a private moment to ask me to be his bride. I was ecstatic that I'd found someone who thought my clumsiness and other faults to be endearing. I assented and we made plans to talk to my parents after the Worth ball that evening…

That's where it went wrong. I spent most of the evening looking for my fiancée to no avail. Being uncomfortable with social activities, I secretly escaped to the garden for a breath of fresh air.

I got more than I bargained for. My mother had always cautioned me on what happened at these sort of balls in the dimly lit gardens, but I pressed on. I merely wanted a quiet place to reflect, probably to girlishly dream about my engagement...

It was then I stumbled upon…it. My fiancée and another woman…unclothed and doing…something I can't mention. Suffice it to say, I was devastated.

They didn't even notice me as I ran off. Pleading a headache, I left the ball early and wept in my bedroom all night. I finally came to the conclusion that marriage to that cad would never happen. We'd just been engaged that afternoon, and already Timothy felt other women could entertain him far more than I ever could!

I knew then that I couldn't marry. I couldn't bargain that a man claiming he loved me truly would stay faithful…that he wouldn't lose that love the day we got engaged or five years after marriage. I knew that my heart, soul and mind was better off alone…"

Anne trailed off, lost in the memory. Bringing herself back to reality and hoping to shift the attention off herself, Anne stated, "Now it's your turn."

Andrew looked at her sighed imperceptibly. "Yes, I suppose I must. I was engaged too several years ago…She was a lady of humble origins, but that didn't matter much. I was hardly an heir to a great estate and I thought I loved her very much…

Six months after I began courting her, I asked for her hand in marriage. She accepted and I believed my happiness was complete. By then, I was forced to leave with the ship I was stationed on. I made her promise that she'd stay true…

How I missed her on that voyage! I thought of her constantly. Her smile. Her eyes. Little did I know that it was all a pack of lies…

After six more months had passed, I was granted shore leave. I was so eager to see her that I nearly dived off the boat and swam to shore…

I remember how giddy I was because I could surprise her. I approached her home, but she wasn't there. It seems she had disappeared three months ago. I was in agony. I searched for her high and low…Finally, I found her to be in Tortuga, of all places!

I found her in a tavern…plying a trade that I won't describe to your ears. It seems she had fallen in love with a pirate and sailed with him for a month, sharing his bed. The pirate abandoned her in Tortuga and too ashamed to return home, she began her work. Told me herself that she had her eye on a pirate to be herkeeper…I left and I never looked back.

I remained miserable for months, drinking as much as I could when I could get away with it. Quickly on my way to becoming a drunkard and not caring, I was saved by a man I known since we'd become midshipman…your brother.

He pulled me out of the depths when I needed help the most. I can never be grateful enough for that…

And that is why I'll never marry for love. If I marry at all, I'll marry to have children to carry my name and after my wife has given me two or three, then I shall not be hurt should she choose to pursue…others."

Anne placed a comforting hand on his. "If you don't love, you won't get hurt?"

"Yes."

She gave him a wan grin. "If only that worked, Andrew…If only that worked…"

They stayed there silent for the longest time before feeling compelled to return to the breakfast. They remained unseen nearly the whole way back. Right before they were to get back with no one seeing them, Andrew pulled Anne back behind a large shrub.

"What?" Anne demanded.

"Shhhh! It's your brother! He'll kill me or you if he sees us alone without a chaperone together…"

Anne rolled her eyes. "Really, I think you're a bit dramatic…"

Curious, she poked her head out to observe James. He was with Pru and it seemed he was interrogating her. Does he ever get out of his Commodore mode, she asked herself.

Then her brother and new sister kissed. Anne turned wistful again at watching such sweet communion to two people...

"How is it that we both can be so cynical about love…when we have that beautifulexample of it?" she murmured.

Andrew looked into her eyes…"Perhaps we aren't cynics of love…merely cynics of ourselves finding love."

His statement made complete sense. Why else would she continue to read sappy love stories, romantic tales of chivalry, and Shakespeare's sonnets if she didn't believe that someonecouldactually find love?...

An: A little it longer that time! Yay! Flashbacks are over…I think. I was just compelled to write this…Enjoy my humble offerings!