Disclaimer: Same old, same old. I don't own POTC and Norrington is not locked in my closet. I swear!
"Women are a tricky deceitful lot. Never think you know the full story. Never."
-Rules of Engagement for Dealing with Ladies
"Men are overbearing clods. Never tell them your full plans unless you want them to interfere. Never."
-Rules of Engagement for Managing Gentleman
Chapter 7: Battle of the Sexes
It had been a month since that night Anne had come to visit him at the fort. In that month, Andrew had been careful to avoid her at all times. He could tell that Anne was getting rather annoyed with him, but he valued James's friendship. They'd fought together, eaten together, and worked together for years. Andrew couldn't turn his back on all that. Befriending a half-French midshipman wasn't the best road to take, but James had done it, andeven later hadsaved Andrew from throwing his life away on drink.
Inside though, Andrew had a pile of regrets. Simply put, he missed talking to Anne. Amazing, considering the initial antagonism that had sprung up between them. Yes, they still struck sparks off one another, but overall, they had found a lot of common ground. Put that aside, Gillette warned himself, Obsessing over her won't help things…
Yet, he still obsessed, particularly in his dreams. Some dreams were pleasant, with lots of laughter and smiles. Others were…arousing and caused Andrew all amounts of pain. And others still were a bit scary…though it was fair to say that those dreams focused on James and the many ways he could punish Andrew for merely thinking inappropriate thoughts…castration figured largely in those nightmares...
Eventually, Gillette got tired of bearing the struggle alone and did what any man would do in a case like this. Drink a lot with his friends and then, once a fair amount of liquor had been consumed, ask for important relationship advice. Sure being inebriated didn't help their judgment, but this had to do with feelings…and no one liked to talk about those…
So Andrew sent a note to Lieutenant Groves and Will Turner to meet with him for a drink. Reluctantly, he also sent James a request to come. He certainly didn't want to…but he knew he would have to ask his friend something anyway…and hope he wasn't beaten to a pulp because of it…
Having settled into their customary chairs, the men quietly sipped their beverage of choice.
Gathering up his courage, Andrew announced, "I've a problem that I need to discuss…"
Will looked over at him. "Yes?"
"How do you go about courting a woman who doesn't want to get married and probably doesn't even love you?"
Silence.
"I'm going to magnanimously pretend I don't know who you're talking about since we both know what thinking about that does to me…" James replied.
"Gee, thanks." Gillette countered…
"In my experience, don't take her up to the battlements. She could faint just to get away from your proposal…"
"Only your proposal, sir." Gillette felt free to tease James about that.Once he had metPru, James had realized that he never loved Elizabeth and could actually laugh about the whole fainting thing…
Theo spoke up. "Give her something…"
"Like what?"
Groves smirked. "Why should I help you further? I'm still at the stage where my interactions are with females who don't demand marriage. I've no desire tohave my neckin the noose…I have no idea how to go about it! Will's the old married man…ask him!"
Will smiled. "You know, the normal way…"
Gillette raised an eyebrow. "The normal way? Would that be commandeering a ship of his Majesty's fleet, rescuingthe girl from undead pirates, and assisting with the escape of a condemned pirate? Sadly, that's been done…I don't think she'd be impressed…"
Anne was resting after a trip to town. It had been a month since the incident with the man and her night visit to Andrew. He'd virtually ignored her in that time and it was getting frustrating. You'd think an officer of the Royal Navy would be brave enough to endure my brother's glares! So much for that!
She was well on her way to believing that she had an obsession for Andrew Gillette. Well, she already had an obsession for him previously, but it had just been exactly what shade of red his hair was underhis wig. Now, she was realizing that the preoccupation had spread to his whole person.
Sighing, she flipped over so her face was down on the bedand clenched her hands in frustration. This was not supposed to be happening! She was supposed to carry on her whole life and not even think of marriage.
It had come to the point that she even had a few dreams with weddings. And who was the groom? Andrew, of course, extremely handsome in his uniform. Then there was that other wedding dream where he had a wig and breeches on, but no shirt. Anne had no idea where that had come from!
A knock sounded on her door. Rising, she walked over and opened it. A footman held a letter. "This has just arrived for you, ma'am." the footman stated.
"Thank you" she murmured as she took the letter. Opening it, she began to read. Suddenly, her whole face turned whiter than the sheets upon her bed.
The letter was from the ruffian who had accosted her. It appeared that he had realized who she was and was threatening to reveal her secret. He wouldn't tell a soul if she paid him enough. Blackmail. Her hand covered her mouth.
The letter stated that she was to meet him on the beach alone with the money he wanted.
Anne realized that she couldn't keep her secret any longer. She went into Pru's room. Pru would know what to do. She'll help…
"Would this 'friend' of yours who wants to court this woman be you, Lieutenant?" Norrington frostily inquired.
"Yes." Gillette firmly stated. "I would like to ask permission to court your sister. Properly."
James was silent. Andrew, who had been friends with him for years, could tell that James was fighting an internal battle over the decision. Obviously, the whole situation was awkward. James and Andrew were practically brothers and to have Andrew want to court James's baby sister…James whole being would automaticallyrevolt at the thought!
"Andrew…" James began…
There was an interruption. Pru burst through the door…
"James, I have to talk to you! Immediately." Pru seemed rather unnerved about something…
"What is it? Are you all right?" James instantly came to Pru's side, concern evident in his every move.
"I'm fine. It's Anne." she replied.
"Anne? What's wrong? Is she hurt?" Andrew was immediately up in arms about it.
"No. She's at the house. In fact, she doesn't even know I've gone here. She'd be very angry if she knew…"
James frowned as he seated his wife. "What's wrong then?"
Pru told them. She told them how she'd let Anne borrow her clothes, how Anne had been attacked, about how Anne had been blackmailed, everything. The only thing she didn't tell them was Gillette's role in everything and that was because Anne, trying to protect Andrew, had never told Pru.
"We'll deal with your participation in this later, Pru." James gritted out. "First we have to deal with Anne. Did she say what she was planning to do?"
"She was going to meet him tonight. Anne said that she would never give the cad money, and she was going to tell him where he could shove his threats…"
Gillette was a furious as James. "And she said she was going ALONE?"
"Actually, I made her promise that I would come and hide in the shadows with a pistol, in case of trouble…"
Instantly, James pushed his face up to hers, his arms bracketing both arms of Pru's chair. "Don't you dare…I'll lock you in a room where you can't get out and tie you to the bed if you even appear to be thinking about actually DOING THIS!" His voice was firm and lethal as Pru looked up at him, stubborn resolve practically emanating from her eyes.
"For one, I'll do what I damn well please Norrington! Second, I only told her that if for some reason I couldn't tell you before it happened! For God's sake, let me finish what I was saying for once!" she seethed. "I'm going home where I can find sensible people to talk to!" She flounced out of the room. Well, as best as a woman heavily with child could flounce…which wasn't much.
"If I may intrude," Will began, "I think that the men can handle this one…what do you say Theo?"
"I'll be by your side, James. As I'm sure Gillette will be, although probably for an entirely different reasons." Groves prodded.
"Shut up, Groves." Gillette glared.
Pru was fuming when she returned home. Thankfully, Pru had apprised Elizabeth of the situation and her cousin was doing a wonderful job of distracting Anne.
"I am so sorry that took so long. Slight mishap with dinner, I'm afraid…" Pru said as she entered the drawing room.
Anne looked up. "I told Elizabeth of what happened."
"Yes, and I instantly told her that I would come along too, with a few swords…" Elizabeth stated.
"Good." Pru said firmly. "Anne will need some backup."
That night, two groups of people met for the same purpose. The men, superior in the knowledge that they would be saving a woman, gathered together and hid behind an outcropping on the beach where the blackmail was to take place.
The women, who knew full well that they could handle the situation, quietly proceeded to the beach. Anne went down to the sand while Pru and Elizabeth hid on the ridge above where the meeting was to be that night.
The assigned time came. A lone man stepped out of one of the caves that riddled this particular stretch of sand. "I thought ye might lissen to me reason…"
Anne defiantly stated, "Not entirely. I've merely come to tell you that I will not bow to your demands and you can stick your blackmail attempt up your oversized arse!"
The man's face turned thunderous. "You-" He made a lunge for her just as four male voices cried out, "Halt!"
The ruffian held a pistol to Anne's head. "Get near the wench an' she dies…" he warned.
"If you hurt one hair on her head, you won't live another second." Gillette said. Andrew's knuckles throbbed on his own pistol as he held it in a white knuckled death grip.
Elizabeth and Pru, who had observed all of this had crept down to the beach so as they were situated behind the man's back...
"Don't move!" he declared to the four men.
Then, Elizabeth threw a rock at his head. Stunned, the man turned around as Anne threw an elbow into his sizable stomach.
Diving into the sand, she barely registered the gunshot. Acknowledging that she hadn't been hit, Anne looked for the smoke. The smoking gun was held by James.
That's all she saw because about that time, Andrew dove into her vision. His hands were all over her, searching for any possible injury. Anne felt a little rush of pleasure over his concern, which was quickly demolished as she heard the harangue he was issuing as he did it…
"YOU IDIOT! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? SNEAK AWAY ALONE AGAIN TO DEAL WITH THIS MAN? SOMEONE OUGHT TO WHIP YOU!"
Anne silenced him with a finger to his lips. "I'm all right."
Gillette glared at her and proceeded to carry on his lecture in French. From what she understood of the language, he wasn't complementing her on her intelligence…
Meanwhile, James and Will were both glaring at their wives in silent fury. Groves, being the fact that he didn't have a wife and therefore, no one to be mad at, settled down to observe the coming fireworks show. He'd always liked drama…
Will was more silent in his fury, so no one quite ever knew what he was saying to his wife. James, however, erupted like a volcano when his wife's safety was compromised.
"PRUDENCE ABIGAIL NORRINGTON! I ABSOLUTELY FORBADE YOU to come here tonight! You compromised your safety and the safety of our child! I knew you lacked common sense, but…" he broke off, too enraged to continue…
"James Norrington! You should know by now that I'll do exactly as I please, especially when you forbid it!" Pru came down from her anger. "As for the rest, you're right…"
"I am?"
"Yes. I should NEVER have risked the safety of our child." she said, tears in her eyes… "but don't think I'm not mad at you!"
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE MAD AT ME! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S BEEN TOO STUBBORN FOR YOUR OWN GOOD…"
"I'VE BEEN STUBBORN? YOU AS-" she stopped, doubled over in pain.
"Pru! What's wrong?" he asked demandingly.
A pool of liquid formed at her feet. Breathlessly, she replied, "I think…the baby's coming…"
It was then that the heavens opened up with pouring rain…
AN: Baby! Baby! Yay! I love babies! Drinks all around! Wait…that's weddings…