They were not far out from port and James was already wishing he was somewhere else. It had been foolish in the extreme to sign up to Sparrow's god-forsaken crew but with a head full of rum and a stomach full of bile it had seemed like a good idea. But perhaps worse than seeing that damn pirate again had been looking up from the mud and seeing her there, looking at him.

Seeing those eyes peering down at him as he lay in filth had been like another knife in his already wounded heart. For there was nothing in those eyes but pity. It was as though they had barely known each other or that she had forgotten or did not care what she had done to him that day at the fort when she had rejected him for William Turner. The day his noble heart had been all but broken and he had set himself to the task of hunting pirates with added zeal a task which had cost him a ship and a crew and, perhaps his sanity too.

And now he was looking at her. She was staring out across the sea on the far side of the deck. The grey light of dawn just beginning to light the sky before her. As he watched she turned and disappeared down into the hold. Norrington shook himself and glared hard at the receding night.

"Something botherin' you Commodore?" drawled the voice of the Captain beside him. James scowled as he answered.

"I'm not a Commodore anymore Sparrow and well you know it."

"Still talk like one though."

"You think I should adopt your form of incoherent babbling?"

Sparrow smiled a golden grin. "'S popular with the ladies mate."

James rounded on him, jabbing a dirty finger into the other man's chest.

"Listen here Sparrow, and listen well. I am not, never have been and never will be your mate. Understand?"

"Whatever you say mate," mocked Jack.

James rolled his eyes and turned away once more.

"James," the Captain's voice was clear and authoritative just then and Norrington cast a glance in his direction.

Jack was gazing at him levelly, his jaw set.

"What?" he muttered in reply.

"Do you ever think about what it would have been like if you had got your way? If she'd married you?"

James let the question hang in the air for a long time before he finally answered.

"Every day."

"You're a sensible man, at least you were the last time I saw you. Tell me, do you kid yourself when you think about it or do you know the truth of it?"

He cast his eyes down once more to glare at the water.

"And what is the truth of it Captain?" he spat the title like it was a dirty word.

"That she never would've loved you, no matter how long you waited or how much you tried to change her mind. She'd never have loved you and you would've been miserable."

James closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

"You don't need to turn my heart to stone Jack," he told him. "I did it my self a long time ago."

"Then why did you come with her?"

The ex-sailor stood straight and looked down at the pirate captain with eyes ruined by pain and sorrow.

"Because there is such a thing as hope Mr Sparrow. And even had such a state of affairs come about I would have continued on. If we don't have a little hope then what is left to us? Good evening."

And with that he disappeared into the bowls of the ship. Gibbs wandered across the deck to stand by his captain.

"What'll become of him?" he asked quietly as he watched Norrington walk off.

"Him?" mused Jack. "He's a man without a thing in the world. He'll be the ruin of us all."

Then he went back to the helm to watch the approaching dawn creep over the horizon.