AN: I just want to say thank you for reading this and please feel free to comment, good or bad (yes I said bad). This is not my first piece of fiction or writing in general but it is my first real fanfiction so I would love to hear any corrections, suggestions, or comments in general that you have. Thanks and enjoy.

Dividing Lines Chapter 1

Danielle sat cross legged on the cool, hard wood floor, a worn man's shirt splayed across her lap. She was mending the shirt for what seemed the hundredth time and it only ever looked worse, she thought, for the work. Clearing her throat some, she called out in a careful voice, "Lord Wells?"

"Just mend the shirt," came the gruff reply from the next room. Danielle cracked a half smile at the statement and pulled the last stitch through. A few moments later she had tied the thread, put away the sewing supplies, shirt in hand and was moving into the sitting room.

"Good as new, sir." She held the shirt up, high enough to cover the smirk riding on her lips. The older man sitting before her didn't bother commenting this time, but merely peered over the top of his paper at her and grumbled something incoherent. "Lady Wells returns within the hour, you were that arm chair when she left sir..." She folded the shirt up, and fixed him with a poignant stare. "You know how cross she gets…." She let the sentence fall away as the weathered gentleman folded up the paper he had been reading and glared at her.

"I get no peace with that bloody woman," he fumed, "haven't for some thirty years now and you are no good help coming behind her and badgering me with her rules!" Danielle struggled, as usual at his outbursts, to quell the laughter that rose in her throat and simply nodded for a moment to catch her composure.

"My apologies, of course," she choked out, slipping from the room and up the stairs to put away the garment. Though usually grumbling and angry in demeanor the man was kindly and she saw through his rough exterior. She had been working for Lord Wells and his estate for nearly five years now and at age 24 it was likely all she would ever do. In fact, it was the only thing she'd done at all in Port Royal since she'd arrived. Originally the job had been a part time bit to help out the family who's estate was just a little too large for the current staff and it was money even if not a lot. Her father had passed on the trip from England and his death left Danielle and her mother in a narrow situation. Her mother had taken work as a maid in a local tavern, a job she refused to let her daughter undertake, opting to weather the often brutal storm that serving in such a place could be. None of that had lasted very long it seemed, almost two years ago now, her mother had been shot; the victim of a pirate raid and Danielle was left alone. Influenced by her hard work, their fondness for her or perhaps by pity, she wasn't sure which, the Wells had taken her on full time and since had ever treated her less like the servant and more like a member of the family.

"Danielle!" The Lady was home, and coming up the stairs at the sound of it. Odd that she had completely by passed her husband in his vegetative state to call for her. Annabelle Wells had not come from nearly the wealth that her husband did, and all these years later she still firmly believed that he should make himself useful whenever possible. A thought that Edward Wells, former Commodore of Her Majesty's Royal Navy, did not share; a difference in ideals which caused some form of confrontation nearly every day, unless something was amiss. "Danielle…Danielle stop whatever you are doing…" The Lady Wells entered the master bedroom as Danielle finished smoothing the wrinkles from the folded shirt and put it away. "Come …stop it…we're having guests for lunch and tea." Danielle nodded frantically, she often helped Sara in the kitchen and as it was already mid morning they would need to hurry if they were to be prepared. "Don't throw your head about like that and don't go out that door I'm not done…You are not to be serving, necessarily. You are to present at the meal and partake of it." The woman, thin and wrinkles with age cast a fiery gazed inspection over her form. "You haven't done anything severely dirty this morning I see…Pull your hair back the way I told you it looked nice please….and put on the blue dress." She seemed to imagine Danielle as she had just indicated for a moment "Yes, that will do nicely…you know when lunch is served…I expect your best behavior…now go" Danielle hurried past her, taking a light swat on the arm as she went. She'd been allowed to be present at meals before, the Wells weren't particularly strict all of the time on being separate from their help, but to be asked to lunch with a guess… this was truly something out of the ordinary.

Rushing as much as she could and still be presentable Danielle managed to be dressed and ready a full half hour before lunch was to be served, not that their guest wouldn't be there already. She hoped not, if at all possible, she wanted to find out what was going on here. That was, if they didn't choose to leave her in the dark, which was just as likely, she thought, already making her way back into centralized part of the house and towards the sitting room. As she rounded the corner she saw both Lord and Lady wells sitting, Lady Wells rather quietly, with a striking gentleman who was clothed in the garb of a naval officer. One of Lord Wells' gentleman friends from his days of service no doubt, by why then was she asked to attend?

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James Norrington was not a stupid man, he had known Edward Wells for years and they were indeed friends, but for Edward to call on him to a formal lunch meant there was something going on. Whether that something was good or bad remained to be seen, though with Edward it was as likely bad as good, he though, a wisp of a smile turning up one corner of his mouth. Wells had trained James when he'd first enlisted in the Royal Navy; they had gotten on well and remained friends since. As his carriage continued its bumpy ride to the Well's estate he allowed himself a moment to relax and remember his first years, serving under Commodore Wells, then his own promotions through the ranks, Edward's retirement what now seemed a lifetime ago and back to the present, where he had rather suspiciously been called upon to attend this 'friendly' luncheon. "Indeed" he mused to himself, stepping out of the carriage before it had even completely stopped. He took a moment to straighten his coat and hat and was off, the gates opened and path made clear as Admiral James Norrington strode purposefully towards the front door.

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"Ah, Danielle, please come sit." Lady Wells stood and stretched a wrinkled hand towards her. Taking it lightly, she let the Lady pull her down onto a decorative sofa with her, whilst Lord Wells and the guest paused what had seemed to be a rather heated discussion to take notice of her. She tried to maintain what little grace she had naturally and sit as a lady should, folding her hands in her lap and straightening her back, a nervous yet polite smile playing tentatively on her mouth.

"Admiral," Lord Well's began "Ms. Danielle Williams" he gestured towards her and the 'Admiral rose and stepped towards her. "Ms. Williams," she didn't need to see the pointed look that the Lord Wells gave her to know to stand and take the Admiral's now offered hand. "Admiral James Norrington," he finished and sat back a little apparently satisfied with her behavior.

"My pleasure, Ms. Williams" Admiral Norrington released her hand with a nod, his deep voice resonating her name throughout the room. She wanted to shrink away, her name sounded as plain as she felt at the moment. Even in her best dress she did not compare to Lady Wells and the extravagance of her home or her husband and even their guest. She'd never felt so out of place in what had become her home as she did right then. The Admiral seemed not to notice and stepped back to his chair, seating himself again. Danielle merely nodded, her smile fighting to remain in place as she reseated herself as well and the conversation between the two gentlemen picked up again. Sara, who was responsible for nearly whole of the cooking, and who ever seemed older, came in to speak quietly with Lady Wells, managing to occupy the woman's attention for a moment. Using the opportunity she studied their guest, Admiral Norrington. He was indeed striking, strong jaw line, intense eyes, his mouth formed into a thin line that looked as if it hadn't smiled in a decade, much like Edward Wells, she thought.

"Ms. Williams are you well?" that same voice, the one that had managed to make her feel so small a moment before, was there again, and closer than she realized. The proximity of the Admiral to her was a bit of a surprise when she brought herself back reality. The man had stood from his seat and crossed the small distance between them, a dark eyebrow arched questioningly at her.

"She's fine James, a daydreamer, hard to keep her from staring off like that…" Edward Wells had stood as well and was stepping around the Admiral, giving him a slight pat on the back. "Sara, I trust lunch is nearly ready, we'll be seating ourselves now for it." He addressed the woman who was nearly already half way out the door, her conversation with Lady Wells complete. She answered him only with a nod and hurried back down to the kitchens. All the while Danielle sat, horrified that she may have been staring at the Admiral or doing something equally inappropriate and embarrassing, though no one had made any mention of that.

"I'm fine, thank you" She finally uttered, her voice soft.

"Of course you are dear, come along." Annabelle Wells had taken her arm and they moved to the door together, the senior woman waving her husband and the Admiral off in front of them as they went. "Stop being so nervous, what do you have to fret over so?" The woman leaned in, whispering to her and squeezing her arm lightly.

"I am sorry Madame, just letting my nerves get the best of me. I'll try harder" She promised, patting the woman's hand back and forcing a smile to her lips as they passed the entrance into the formal dinning room where Sara was ready to set out the first course.

Some little while and several plates later, the Admiral and Lord Wells were again in heated discussion, over what Danielle gathered to be an event they'd both experienced some years ago that they both seemed to recall in different ways. "Age before beauty my boy, it's my story we'll be trusting here as correct." Lord Well nodded matter of factly at the Admiral who simply his head and looked to his glass, obviously not persuaded by his former instructors reasoning.

"Age indeed Lord Wells" he mused, the comment earning him a mock glare from across the elder man. "That aside" the Admiral's tone seemed to change drastically "and not to show any ….disrespect for, or you wife's, hospitality..." he cleared his throat slightly. "Why have you asked me here today?"