Theo could feel her pulse pounding throughout her cheekbone by the time two figures came creeping through the foliage at the other end of the beach. At first her heart sank and panic gripped her insides as she squinted at the figures. Had they been caught already? Beckett's men were nothing to sniff at, and although plenty of the old Port Royal crew were among them, they all scared her a hell of a lot more than they had back in the day. That was saying a lot, too, given that back in the day she'd been hiding just about everything from everybody, and she hadn't been married to a sodding Admiral. Maybe it was just that there was much more to lose now.
The figures drew nearer and she slunk back, but as they stepped slowly onto the beach she exhaled slowly - the gait and mannerisms of one of the figures very familiar.
"They're here. Come on."
"Jim! Mate! It's good to see you," Jack greeted in a voice that was just shy of being too loud.
James' responding glare was plain to see despite the poor light that the night offered.
"Oh, you've got to be joking," Governor Swann hissed.
"Can you get to Tortuga from here? In this?" Theo asked, gesturing to the dinghy.
Jack grimaced "So long as the Governor here isn't averse to picking up an oar. It'll take a bit of doin', dunno if we can sail directly there with that sort of distance…"
"Going a roundabout way is for the best, anyway," she said "There's no moon tonight, they'll never be able to find you once you're out there. Not until morning. You have to make the best of that time between now and then - and not be where they expect you to be once they start searching."
"Thanks for that impressively innovative advice, Dora, it's good to see your unique perspective serves you so well."
"You've pulled off stranger feats."
"And I likely have more yet to come."
He sounded pleased by the prospect - and on some level she knew that it was just who he was as a human being, but she suspected his newfound freedom from that grim little room that had him excited by all of the fresh new possibilities. Jack was making a rather imperious inspection of the provisions when James appeared to reach the end of his half-hissed half-whispered 'discussion' with the Governor and approached, a brown leather satchel in his hands. A stony glare on his face, he shoved it into Jack's chest.
Catching it just before James let go and it fell into the sand, Jack peered into the bag and his eyes lit up at what he found - then he quickly pulled out his pistol, knife, and coat.
"Beckett has the compass and your sword in his office. It would've been too risky to get those," Theo explained - although it had the sound of an apology "If he'd noticed…"
"I'd rather have me freedom, love," Jack replied.
"Good. Just one more thing," she said, grimacing and turning her back to Governor Swann and her husband both so they might miss her rather un-ladylike display.
Forcing a hand down into the bodice of her dress, she rummaged for a bit and then managed to pinch the tips of her index and middle fingers around what she'd stashed there, pulling it out with no small amount of difficulty - the lock she'd singed from his head, still fully beaded and coined.
"Here," she breathed, pressing it into his hands "But I mean it, Jack, you better fucking not make me regret any of this."
"Would I do that?" He grinned.
"I hope not."
Then she surprised them both by pulling him into a hug - a tight hug, not giving a damn how much he stank. It wasn't even the usual smell of stale alcohol, either. Apparently seeing that he could wash wasn't high up on the priority list of the British. Jack froze for a moment, likely out of sheer surprise, and then he chuckled and patted her on the back.
"Going to miss me that much, eh?" He asked as James began ushering Governor Swann into the boat, having said his own goodbyes.
"What can I say? I'm sentimental these days," she said, letting go and stepping back.
"Wonder who's had that effect on you," he returned drily "I'll do me best for your standing among the pirates. Should be able to turn things around with my own crew, given time. Can't make any promises for the rest of 'em. Not 'til they're given reason to think otherwise. Will you be providing them with that reason?"
The word of their Pirate King after she and James managed to free her might just do the trick. The three of them began pushing the boat forward through the sand, Jack jumping in once they hit water and it became less a sled and more a proper boat.
"Should do, yeah," she replied.
"Good. I'll be seeing you soon, then."
"Soon," she agreed.
Once in the boat, he turned and pressed a hand over hers where she was gripping the side of the boat as she pushed.
"Good luck, Theodora," he said.
She'd seen Jack be serious - she'd seem him irked, and she'd even seen him angry, but she'd never seen him quite so sincere. And that was why she couldn't offer a response much more than a surprised blink, followed by a smile as tears threatened to rise to her eyes. Apparently that was a touch too much for the pirate, though, who adopted his Captain Sparrow voice as he turned to the Governor.
"Chop chop, Weatherby, no time to lose - take up that oar there, there's a good lad."
The water was up to her waist by the time Theo let go of the boat, falling back and watching as they began to row away from the island. She watched for a few moments, a vice still gripping her heart - she likely wouldn't fully relax until they were hundreds of miles away…and she found herself clear of a line destined for the gallows. Whatever the two men were saying to each other was well out of earshot when she finally turned back to James. He'd entered the water as far as he could without the water reaching higher than his boots (because soaking breeches would be difficult to explain) and then stopped before retreating to the beach. He waited there, looking every bit as tense as she felt.
Wading out of the water, she walked to his side and they watched in silence until the dinghy cleared the little bay that the beach was settled in and sailed out of sight. They both breathed simultaneous sighs of relief when they could no longer see them. Slumping a little to the side so that she leaned against him, Theo rested her head on James' shoulder and was not blind to the steely tension she felt pressing against her cheek there. Despite that, though, he lifted a hand and pressed his palm between her shoulder blades.
"This was the bit I was most worried about when we were putting it all together - the plan, I mean," she said quietly.
"And yet now you find yourself filled with more trepidation over what is yet to come," James finished knowingly.
"It's probably all psychological," she murmured.
That earned her a confused frown - yet another word that apparently did not exist yet.
"What's left to do is always going to seem scarier than what's already done," she supplied "Perspective. What's done is behind us now. No use worrying about it."
It all sounded very detached and logical, but she was trying to convince herself more than anything else - because she was very worried about everything she'd done…although mostly because of how it might effect what she still had to do, so maybe there was some truth to her words. If she were free to escape to Ireland with James here and now - even if it would be eighteenth century Ireland - she'd happily throw her hands up and announce what was done, was done. As things stood, it wasn't that simple.
"Ordinarily I might agree with you, but it is not yet behind us. We would do well to remember that. They must remain uncaught. We must contend with Beckett. Neither of those two tasks are minor feats."
He was voicing his own concerns, not trying to discourage her - and she wouldn't fault him for that. She couldn't fault him for that. It only served to drive the danger of their situation home when she turned her head to find the brave and fearless James Norrington's face carefully expressionless when she turned to look at him. There was no fear, no trepidation, no worry. There was nothing at all. Which meant he was feeling all three in spades but didn't wish to show it.
His hand slid up her back and around to her shoulder where he squeezed it in reassurance. Lifting her hand, she pressed her own atop his, running her thumb across his knuckles as she pushed her own fear down. There was no room for it. Not yet. And it helped her to know he was doubtlessly systematically going through a similar process by her side, albeit likely in a more well-practised manner. She might've had a taste of battle, but she still wasn't half the natural soldier that her husband was.
At least, though - judging by the grip he had on her shoulder - she could still provide him with some comfort, however accustomed he was to facing unfavourable odds.
"You've done more dangerous stuff than this," she pointed out "You've been fine."
"I only had to worry about myself under those circumstances - and my men. All of whom understood what they were getting themselves into," he said "I shan't pretend to have never envisaged a day when my own wellbeing wasn't all that I had to consider before acting, when it came to private matters at least - a trifle wistfully, if I'm being entirely frank. Now that such a time is upon me, however…"
Theo grimaced.
"I would not change it," he added "But I did not consider the drawbacks."
"You probably never considered that the other person you had to consider would be a hellion from the future who was determined to fuck things up at every turn," she replied lightly.
He breathed a laugh, and she considered that a win. Not least because the laugh was a fond one. Hopefully he'd remember that fondness before all was said and done.
"Nor that my actions would be anything less than entirely conventional," he added.
"Funny ol' world, innit?" She asked drily.
"If there was ever a time not to echo Sparrow-isms, Theodora, it would be now."
His words had no bite to them, though, and she found herself stifling an amused laugh at how he knew Jack's words when he heard them, even when Jack was not the one speaking them.
"There…there is truly no small likelihood that you might remain unconnected to this?" He questioned quietly.
"None. Not once Beckett speaks to the soldiers he had stationed at the hospital."
"Coincidence?"
"Not unless you've ever coincidentally knocked a man out."
"I can't say that I ever have," he said grimly.
Well, that was them scuppered then, wasn't it? Their small moment of peace amidst it all, though, came to an abrupt half when a cry sounded out somewhere beyond them. Fuck.
James moved before she could even fully feel the panic rising within her, slapping his wig atop his head and uttering a barely audible 'forgive me' before he was whirling on her, his other hand coming to grip her free shoulder along with the other as Beckett's men flooded through the foliage and onto the beach.
"What have you done?" He demanded sternly.
Squirming in his grasp, she didn't have to feign the fear on her face even if he was not the root cause of it. What she did have to do was force herself to try and fight his hold, grappling with the urge to cower into him - an urge she could've never imagined herself feeling before they met. It was for the best. It was what they had to do. It was what it would take - to keep him out of trouble, with any shred of luck. To make it so that there was at least one person on the other side fighting their corner rather than all of Beckett's wrath bearing down upon the both of them.
The men closed in around them in a semi-circle - it probably would've been a circle had that not necessitated wading. Where could she go? Off swimming? Alright, were she alone in all of this, she'd have probably tried it. She might've been a right little idiot at times, but at least she was self aware. A whimper rattled up through her throat, and it turned into a cry when she noted a number of the men to her left slowly lifting their firearms. Those who hesitated were the ones she recognised from before, but even they did so after a few pointed looks were shot in their direction - from what she could see from her peripheral vision and in the few quick glances she managed to steal. Only one did not raise his weapon, and his identity was confirmed when he spoke.
"…Sir?" Groves asked.
"What have you done?!" James demanded again at a growl.
Whether it was intentional on his part or no, Theo's struggling finally proved fruitful and she went tumbling into the water, water splashing everywhere in her wake - including up her nose and into her eyes. If it was deliberate on his part, it was a nice touch. She knew him well enough to know he'd only really have it in himself to strike her once, and it was best that they saved that for Beckett's eyes.
Her question as to whether or not her tumble was deliberate was answered when she saw James physically pull himself back from moving to help her up, instead forcibly turning himself to face the men gathered.
"Escort Mrs Norrington home. We must ascertain exactly what has happened here tonight."
Groves hesitated and she could practically hear the arching of James' eyebrows in response.
"Lord Beckett has commanded that any persons who might be involved be brought directly to him, sir," Groves replied quietly.
He seemed to like that fact about as much as she and James did. Theo looked down at the water lapping at her dress and wondered if she wouldn't be better off swimming after all.
"You were bringing him food?" Beckett's voice belied his disbelief.
It was filled with all of the condescending patience of a parent who had just been told that it was some strange little imaginary friend who had just ruined the pristine new carpet, and not the child who'd been running across it with a glass full of orange juice not five minutes prior.
"He said you weren't feeding him. I was trying to sneak into his room to bring him something to eat so he wouldn't starve. That was all."
Theo stood shivering in the middle of Beckett's office, firmly of the opinion that no matter how much she'd hated it last time, this time was worse. It was only herself, James, and Groves in the office - the two soldiers she'd interacted with at the hospital having left straight after recounting their version of events to Beckett, shooting her looks of distaste as they made their exit afterwards.
"You brought no basket with you," Beckett pointed out boredly.
"I had it hidden under my clothes - the food, I mean. I…I got too complacent. He tricked me once I was in the room, took me as a hostage down to the beach so he could make his escape that way. I struggled - that was when he…" she gestured vaguely to the bruise forming across her cheekbone.
"Then explain to me how your story flies in the face of everything I am being told by my men. Why it was that you were seen fleeing the hospital with another woman, a woman who is now believed to be Sparrow himself, very much not a hostage."
Theo said nothing.
"Did he just so happen to be in need of a disguise as much as he was in need of a good meal?"
Still, she said nothing, her head bowed and her hands hugging her arms tightly to her body.
"A bomb, too? Was that another pressing need of his? A basic necessity in Ireland?"
That had her pressing her lips together to stifle a laugh - but only because it was exactly the sort of joke that a prick like him would make in a couple of hundred years' time. Her cover-up was piss poor, though, and she knew it when James shifted where he stood beside Beckett…and that provided them with their opening. Letting go of her arms, she dropped her hands to her side and then clasped them behind her back, sending forth the signal that they'd agreed upon. There was no room for hesitation. She knew that he knew that, but she also knew how much he loathed this plan.
"You laugh?" James demanded "You're responsible for this, and you laugh?"
Stepping forward, he strode towards her but she did not look at him - if she did, she'd have to pretend to be scared or wary, and if she did that, then he might not play his role. So she lifted her chin but kept her eyes downcast.
"I didn't think he'd-" she began tentatively, and was cut off by the backhand.
Groves started where he stood by the door, but did not speak. Nobody did. Theo continued not to look at him, having no desire to funnel salt into the wound - but she lifted her hand and pressed it to her face. It had been a good slap - anything less would not have been believed. And didn't hurt half as much as Jack's punch had.
"Have you any idea of what your foolishness has wrought?" he demanded, seizing her by the shoulders.
His grip was not half as jarring as she pretended it was, wobbling in his grasp, and before he let go he squeezed as if in apology.
"I didn't-" she tried.
"Enough," he snapped, turning on his heel to face Beckett "Lord Beckett, my wife's judgement has always been clouded insofar as Sparrow is concerned. She is naive enough to fall for his wiles - to lend credence to the myth that not all pirates are equally monstrous. She takes her luck in Tortuga as evidence and does not see it for what it was. Sheer dumb luck. It was an excess of sentiment - foolish and inexcusable, yes, but not malicious. She was preyed upon by Sparrow, as many women before her and now many women to come thanks to her actions. I will not say that she was a victim in this, but she was not a co-conspirator."
"While we're on the matter of victims in this, Admiral, perhaps you might explain to me how he ended up in possession of Governor Swann," Beckett returned flatly, unaffected by the impassioned speech he'd just witnessed.
"Upon news of the incident at the hospital, I remained with the Governor for fear that Sparrow may target him, as his daughter was targeted in much the same manner not two years past. My fears then turned to my wife - that Sparrow may see Mrs Norrington as a traitor and turn his mind to her instead. I returned home with the Governor so he mightn't be left alone, only to find the house empty. I pieced matters together from there - I knew the two of them to be together, although I remained ignorant as to the willingness of my wife in the matter - and knew they would be at the beach."
James paused then - and Theo had to hand it to him, because if she didn't know the truth she absolutely would have believed him - and when she stole a glance up she found him affording Beckett an opportunity to stop him or to interrupt. It was an opportunity that he did not take. Because he believed him? Or because he was content to give them the rope to hang themselves with? Almost entirely literally? It was hard to tell with him.
"I found the two of them in the midst of a disagreement as to whether Mrs Norrington would be accompanying Sparrow."
"Which side of the argument did Mrs Norrington fall down upon?" Beckett asked softly.
"She did not wish to go. That was when she acquired the injury to her face," he turned his head towards her there to give her a withering glare for her supposed falsehood "…Unfortunately, upon our arrival, Sparrow seized upon the fact that Governor Swann would make for a much more fortuitous hostage than the mere wife of an Admiral. There was a skirmish, during which he divested me of my pistol. I could either save Governor Swann, or I could save my wife. I chose my wife."
"A poor choice, all things considered."
"Perhaps so," James replied flatly.
Theo made a show of flinching beneath the jab.
"Did Sparrow make mention of a heading, by any chance?"
"Tortuga," James replied instantly.
"So we may safely ascertain that he will be headed anywhere but. Or perhaps he is aware that we would think thus, and is therefore truly headed for Tortuga. Either eventuality leaves us in the same position," Beckett's tone was grim.
Why not send Jones after him? Was he deliberately keeping the Dutchman's Captain under the impression that Jack was dead? Another little game played for what appeared to be little other than his own amusement? At least the kraken wasn't something to worry about anymore.
"You have my most sincere apologies, Lord Beckett," James said "My wife is a fool - a gullible, naive fool. I had hoped that under my influence I might educate her as to the true nature of the likes of Sparrow, but I can see now that I shall have to take a firmer hand in my education of her."
Theo dipped her head lower until her face was entirely masked by her hair.
"You don't truly expect that this would be the end of the matter, Admiral," it was the closest Beckett had sounded to angry so far - usually cold and entirely unflappable "In one fell swoop we have been divested of a notorious pirate and Port Royal's own governor, and you believe a vague promise to keep a better handle on the woman responsible would be the end of it?"
"We cannot afford a scandal of the likes that this would bring down on us should it get out," James replied carefully.
"And we can afford even less to keep around a woman who conspires to set free the pirates we are working so ardently to rid the world of."
"Being gullible and naive is not a crime."
"Nor, luckily for you, Admiral Norrington, is wilful blindness," Beckett's response was stony before his voice lightened and he continued "I've been drawing up a new decree."
The floor felt like it gave way beneath Theo's feet - and then she realised, nope, it was just her knees. Because she already knew damn well what Beckett was getting at. She clung to one of the side tables the room boasted, toppling over a few little knick-knacks as she did so. Shite. Beckett was entirely unbothered as she righted herself, James turning to regard her for a moment with plain unease before he turned back to his superior. Standing, Beckett opened one of the drawers to his desk and withdrew a stack of papers, slapping them down upon his desk.
"Now, I would argue that Mrs Norrington's association with Sparrow would count as, well, just that - would it not? An association. And under this new decree, associating with those convicted of piracy is just as damning as piracy in itself. Such measures are the only way that we will stamp out this plague once and for all."
"Lord Beckett," James' voice rose slightly, betraying his nerves "Surely you aren't suggesting that…"
"My intention was to enact it from dawn tomorrow," Beckett ignored him, sitting back down again "But perhaps it's more fitting that it be in place from dusk this evening. Foul deeds to tend to take place after dark, do they not? No, I think it would be quite suitable. Unfortunately for you, Mrs Norrington, this has certain implications."
"I didn't-" Theo breathed.
"I suggest, madam, that you stay silent unless you intend to tell the truth. Perhaps it may be more condemnatory than the falsehoods you're trying to purport thus far, but at least if I find myself confident that I'm speaking to somebody with a sense of honesty, I may be inclined to work with that person."
Theo stared at him, horrified.
"I see. Lieutenant, escort Mrs Norrington to the cells in Fort Charles."
Groves hesitated and Beckett's eyebrows shot up towards his wig "Lieutenant?"
Theo heard him heave a heavy sigh somewhere off to the side, and then he was approaching. The pounding of her heart in her ears was enough to drown out the protests James was offering, entreating Beckett to back down or show leniency, but it wasn't enough to lessen the impact of the deafening silence when she finally found her voice.
"I had to do it," she said, speaking above James' protests.
It took no effort at all to shake off Groves' half-hearted clasping of her upper arm, her shoulders straightening as she lifted her chin and stopped hiding behind her hair. Beckett's attention was back on her in an instant, that sharp curiosity shining in his eyes as he smirked. Like it was what he'd been waiting for.
"And thus we are reunited with the woman who stood in my office some time ago," he said.
Maybe he'd been buying James' part of the act - and that was heavily debatable - but he hadn't bought hers for a second, it seemed.
"I had to do it," she said again, her voice ragged.
"Theodora," James said sharply.
"Silence, Admiral. Your wife is finally being honest - aren't you curious to hear her reasoning, too?"
The decision to arrest her - and the date with the gallows that would surely have followed - hadn't been a bluff. She wasn't even slightly tempted to think so, and her heart still pounded furiously in her chest in response to the threat that still hung over her head. But she could see now that it had been more of a chess move than a final decision. Something designed to jostle her into action; a new course of action entirely unlike the last one, which had clearly bored him.
"If I didn't do it, you'd have lost. Fully lost - bigger picture, grand scheme of things failure. Keeping Jack around would've been detrimental to your cause, he had to be gone for you to have a fighting chance - he fucks up everything he's around, you know that yourself, he's better off nowhere near here where he can't cause problems."
"And that's your professional opinion, is it? As somebody so well-versed in these matters?" He asked, leaning forward and regarding her with interest.
"It's not an opinion, it's a fact."
"Theodora," James snapped.
He came to clasp her arm now, and unlike Groves he would not be shaken off.
"Everything they said about me was true - everything the pirates said about me is true. Everything they believed, the reason Jack kept me around. I'm not a witch, but I know things. I have premonitions. The- the sight. I saw you losing if Jack wasn't sent packing. Did I like him? I'll admit it, I did, but if keeping him here was actually for the best I would've grinned and beared it. But it wasn't. I couldn't come to you, because you wouldn't believe me, but I could do something. So I did. For you. For the side of good - because if Port Royal becomes anything like Tortuga, we're all royally fu-"
Beckett was listening attentively, something dangerously close to happiness shining in his face even despite the fact that he wasn't smiling at all. James turned back to him, his eyes wide and horrified as he finally let go of her arm.
"Lord Beckett, forgive me for this - my wife is prey to…to flights of fancy such as this. Delusion, superstition. Hysteria. It has always been thus, but sometimes it flares up and takes over her good sense. Oftentimes I can keep it under control, but there are times when it gets the better of her. But I assure you, in the future I can -"
"Lieutenant Groves, you've known Mrs Norrington for just as long as her husband has. Would you agree with his assessment?"
Groves' brow furrowed under the withering glare that was directed towards him by James, daring him to disagree. But the man was nothing if not honest, and he faltered before answering slowly with a look of bemusement in her direction "I…couldn't say, sir."
"Singapore," she continued doggedly, pushing past her husband to approach Beckett's desk.
If he looked pleased before, he was downright gleeful now, eyes widening in recognition of what she was saying before she could even follow up with her explanation.
"Mercer is headed to Singapore right now, following up a lead that that's where Will, Elizabeth and co are headed."
"And why would they be headed there?"
"Lord Beckett, you don't truly-"
"I would have silence, Admiral," he interrupted firmly, eyes never leaving Theo.
James obeyed - highly reluctantly, his fists clenched at his sides.
"They need Sao Feng's charts."
"I told her this," James couldn't stay silent for long "That is how she knows - not because of some preternatural-"
"How might you have told her this, Admiral Norrington, when I have not told you?" Beckett returned.
James could not answer that.
"I set Jack free because I had to. You know he's not half the fool he plays at being, you know he wouldn't have kept me around for long if he didn't at least somewhat believe in my abilities. But you're no worse off with him gone, because I'm of more use to you than Jack could ever be," Theo said firmly, despite how her voice shook.
And she almost wished she hadn't when Beckett smiled.