Disclaimer: Yet again, POTC earns money for Disney. Even though they under appreciate my Norrington and defame his character, they will not relinquish him.

"Sometimes retreat is the best option when faced with a woman's resolve. It is not cowardly, merely wise."

-Rules of Engagement for Dealing with Ladies

"Despite what gentlemen say, ladies are not stubborn, merely determined. They call us stubborn only when they are not allowed their way in matters. If you are to manage one of them you must realize early on that gentlemen never really grow up..."

-Rules of Engagement for Managing Gentlemen

Chapter 10: Ambush

For the past five or six days, Lieutenant Andrew Gillette of his Majesty's Royal Navy called on Miss Anne Norrington for at least a few moments each day. Yes, it was indeed as boring as it sounded. For one, Anne's sufferable brother stood as chaperone, conveniently putting a damper on any glance, action, or sentence that even smelt of impropriety. For another, Gillette proved to have the ability to converse with the wit of the most boring person alive.

Andrew, of course, complied with James's rules to a tee. His conversation consisted of all the polite acceptable things that bored senseless anyone who had a brain.

Anne was never accused of having a long temper. So it was after one particular teatime that Anne finally confronted her brother.

"Would you like to tell me what you think you're doing?" she asked coolly.

James smiled at her smugly. "Not particularly, no."

"Tell me anyway." Her voice was firm with resolve.

"I'm acting as chaperone."

Anne was to say the least, surprised. "Chaperone?For Gillette? It's not as if he's courting me…"

"But he is, Anne."

Anne was a trifle shocked. She knew her feelings had been changing...but surely he couldn't be wanting her as his 'friendly' bride? Her whole being rebelled at the thought of it...She would not be locked in such a union! Loving and not being loved in return...

Love? No...it couldn't be love. Wouldn't she know? Wouldn't it have hit her in a lightning bolt of sensation? Wouldn't she have known instantly?...

When riled and confused, Anne relied on cool tones and sarcastic laughter...

"Is that what he's been doing? I thought it merely because of your stifling presence!"

James arched his eyebrow. "You wound me, sister."

"I'll wound something else if you don't…" she growled.

"Threats? How vicious you are!"

"If you don't let me talk to him alone, for once! I'll never know if I want him to court me…"

"That is absolutely out of the question." All teasing was gone from her brother's voice.

"What could possibly happen?"

"It's because you can't answer that question…that I forbid it."

She stood and stared him down. It appeared that the Norrington siblings could match each other wellwhen it came to glares… "And what if I do it anyway?"

"Don't you dare…" James warned, matching her glare to glare.

"Try me." With that, Anne left the drawing room. As she marched off, Anne could hear him bellowing her name. Resolute, she ignored him...only to find later that her room had been locked.

Lieutenant Gillette had finished his duty on watch and returned to his quarters. Far from being able to sleep, Andrew perused yet more paperwork. Contrary to any romantic notions, life in the navy wasn't always exciting and proved to involve more reports and paperwork than young idealistic boys realized…Paperwork had certainlynever figured into his boyhood dreams...

A few hours later, Andrew rubbed his strained eyes. A break was in order if he was to maintain his sanity. Putting aside the papers, he lay back on his cot, staring at the ceiling. "Somehow paperwork isn't satisfying enough to take to bed…" he murmured sarcastically.

A soft feminine voice interrupted, "There is an alternative…"

In his mad dash to get out of his bed, Andrew fell into the floor. Cursing silently, he glanced up at his intruder. Anne.

"Wha…What are you doing here?" he sputtered. This is no way to honor my promises to James…

"Is that the greeting I get?"

"It's the farewell you'll get. Now let's get you back home before James…"

Anne stopped him with the simple action of placing a hand on his arm. "Is that all you think about, James?" Her hand crept up to his neck…

He swallowed nervously… "N…No, I think of all manner of things…"

"Fascinating…"

Anne's hand crept up to his face. Her other hand rose as well up to where his wig met his head. Her eyes shouted her enthrallment with what she was doing…

"Anne…" he said pleadingly.

"Shhhh…I've been wanting to do this since the moment I saw you…"

Her hands gently lifted away his wig and threw it to the ground, revealing short cropped coppery hair.

"Better than I imagined…" she murmured with an appreciative smile as her face got closer to his…

"Anne…"

"Is that all you can say? It's a bit repetitive…What say you that we say nothing at all?"

Her lips met his, softly. It was clear that she hadn't done this before and Andrew, being the gentleman he was, had to stop this…

He lifted his lips from hers. "We can't do this…"

"Yes, we can." Anne insisted as she jerked his lips back to hers.

An exploratory lick, threw Andrew for a loop and being the gentleman he was, felt obliged to continue…being as she obviously wanted tutoring…and the fact that even if thirty undead pirates had walked through his door Andrew honestly wouldn't be able stop…

He took control of the kiss. Urging her to open her mouth, his tongue entered and plundered her mouth with more dedication than anyone ever could. Moaning, he pressed her against the wall, his body intimately entwined with hers.

Her arms wound themselves around his neck and delightfully explored his hair. For his part, Andrew kept his hands on her face, caressing her cheeks and tilting her head to just the right angle…

Finally, the need for oxygen, rather than propriety forced the couple to part. Andrew glared at her, gasping for air. One kiss, and all my honor sails out the window…I've got to get her out of here… Anne for her part held her hand to her lips, as if she half believed she was dreaming…

I…I have my answer, don't I? she thought dazedly.

"You've got to get out of here! Now." Andrew demanded.

"Did you not like it?"

"Oh, I liked it. I liked it more than I could say…" he said as hefrowned at her.He appeared to be adjusting his clothes and looked to be in pain…

"Did I hurt you, then?" Anne concernedly asked.

He almost smiled at that. Almost. "No."

"But…"

"Don't push it."

"Oh. Can we try that again?"

"That is the worst idea I've ever heard of…"

"Perhaps…I could try whatever you did with your tongue…I…I rather enjoyed it" Anne looked curious as she breathlessly asked for permission.

God save me. An innocent who has insatiable curiousity… Andrew groaned.

"Cross off my last statement. That is the worst idea…idea…"

Damn it…she's offering herself to me…and I have to be a gentleman…Wait! What's she doing?…

The little minx had unbuttoned his waistcoat and was quite literally feeling him up as her arms wrapped around his body and her lips got closer…they touched his and started her own plundering…

"Anne!" Andrew gasped. "Where the devil did you learn that?"

She smiled seductively, though where she learned to smile like that, Andrew had no idea… "It appears my brother has a rather naughty streak I didn't know about…he's compiled quite a library indeed."

Momentary shock took Andrew's thoughts in an entirely different direction. He'd known James for years and had merely assumed the man wasn't…incredibly excited in that area…He realized that there was far more to James Norrington than anyone suspected, least of all what one of his best friends even knew…

"Andrew?" Anne's voice brought him back to the present problem…

"Anne. We can't do this. I promised…I gave my word!"

He grabbed her arm and led her to the door. "I'm taking you back. Now. Before James finds me and turns me into a eunuch…and that's the best case scenario Anne!"

"Is James all you care about? Is that purely the reason you even acknowledge me? James told me you'd asked permission to court me. Why?" she demanded.

Andrew could tell as they walked back to her home that the answer was important.

"Anne, I want to get to know you. You've stirred something inside me that has left me confused. I've no idea exactly why you are so very important to me…I want to get to know you and perhaps figure it out…" he drifted off, still unsure of why he was doing this. He couldn't be in love...he'd sworn it off...yet why did this woman, Anne Norrington, draw him like a lodestone? Every day that passed made it harder for him to resist...He'd thought of her constantly to the point of complete distraction...

"You can't do that by coming to tea. My guard won't allow anything beyond talk of the weather…" she prodded.

"I gave my word, Anne, and if you know anything about me, you should know that it's my bond. I cannot betray your brother that way…I'm dangerously skirting the line now…if only to protect you from yourself…"

"Myself? I'll have you know that I don't need your protection! I can take care of myself."

Oh Lord. Wrong turn there. "Is that what you call it? Or do you not remember that night on the beach?" When pressed, his stubborn streak could exceed hers. His possessiveness certainly had...

Anne's nostrils began to flare in anger. "One occasion, Andrew! If you think I'll allow this stubborn display of tyranny continue…I'll simply have to get acquainted with someone else. Perhaps another man would help explain those picturesfrom theKama Sutra further."

Anne knew she was tempting fate, but sometimes anger made her say things that she never meant to say...

"You can't do that!" he ordered her.

"And why can't I?" she angrily inquired as she pushed her nose close to his in an attempt to intimidate...

"Because, you're mine, DAMN IT!" His lips pressed against hers as if he could brand her as his if he only kissed her hard enough, long enough...

It was her fault really. She'd pushed her delightful spectacle clad face up to his, her lips mere inches from his own, her face passionate with anger. Andrew's tongue swept into her wet mouth. She moaned in response.After all, there is always more than one way to end an argument…and I think I've just found my favorite way...

He was smug after the brief kiss finished. "Best way I know to quiet a stubborn female…"

The tip of a sword prodded Andrew in the back...

Out of the darkness he heard a voice, deadly in its silent anger. "Indeed."

AN: This cannot bode well. Really, James should understand. It's not poor Andrew's fault at all…but things aren't so clear when it involves his baby sister…