Summary: Former Commodore James Norrington saves the life of Captain Jack Sparrow and learns that Will Turner isn't the only one whom Elizabeth Swann holds dear.. DMC island battle AU. One-shot. Norrington & Jack POV. Willabeth hints, but mostly Sparrabeth.
Oneshot: A one chapter long story.
A/N: I've had this idea for a couple of days and decided that I should probably write it out so I can get back to focusing on A Lifetime Of Servitude.
A Man Of Honor
As the clanging of swords and the cries of cursed men rang out across the beach of the island, two figures hurried towards the two longboats on the shore.
One man was mostly limp, save for his legs, as he stumbled along, his left arm around his companion's shoulders. His torso was bare, his shirt having been torn off by a brutal slash of a sword. Blood ran down his chest from a couple of cuts, a gunshot in his right breast, and a stab wound just beneath his ribs. His breathing was labored.
His name was Jack Sparrow- Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, that was.
His companion was dressed in a worn, pig-slopped navy uniform. His long brown hair was tangled from his rough transformation into the pirate's life. He bore only a few minor cuts and would have moved gracefully if the injured Sparrow wasn't weighing him down.
This second man was the former Commodore James Norrington, a man who'd once been hell-bent on seeing the pirate captain he now assisted hang from the gallows of Port Royal. Oh, how things had changed so much in a single year…
"Why are ye helpin' me?" The experienced pirate asked, his voice strained. "Ye were jus' tryin' to kill me not quite five minutes ago."
"I am a man of honor, Sparrow." James reminded him. "You spared my life when you defeated me, I must return the favor."
"By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself." For some time, he had forgotten who he was, the loss of the Dauntless and her crew weighing on him and making him become little more than a drunkard before Sparrow had hired him. It had taken the pirate stabbing James's own sword into the sand beside him and backing away to fight the real threat to remind him that, yes, Sparrow was indeed a man of honor, pirate or not. And that had told him that he was more similar to the pirate captain than he'd ever realized.
"Your allegiances will never be clear to me." Sparrow commented with a weak chuckle.
"I daresay the same." James shot back pointedly, recalling how the pirate had helped both Captain Barbossa and the navy during their previous adventure. He came to a half, halfway between the battle and the boats, resting Sparrow on the ground so that he could catch his own breath. He frowned at how much of the familiar crimson liquid was visible on the other man's torso. "You're losing a lot of blood."
"Aye, I'm aware, mate." The pirate told him, his voice almost hoarse. "We need to get back to the Pearl. Gibbs'll know what to do."
"Should I go grab the others?"
"Well, someone has to row."
James rolled his eyes, not even bothering to try to hide it. He leapt to his feet, sword drawn, and raced back towards the battle to fetch Turner, Elizabeth, and Sparrow's two men. They had drifted closer to where the pirate captain laid, making it a short dash for him to reach them.
Elizabeth was standing over an unconscious Will Turner, who seemed to had taken a blow to the head. The two misfit pirates didn't have swords of their own and kept tossing each other the young blacksmith's. This battle was not going well.
"Back to the boats!" James ordered, stooping to grab Turner and get the young man out of there. Elizabeth took Will's left arm, helping him. He shouted one last command at the two oddballs before they could get out of earshot. "Grab Sparrow!"
Pintel and Ragetti- the pirates- raced on ahead of the others. James and Elizabeth hurried after them, dragging Turner between them. It was a bit awkward at first, but they quickly adapted and got around the uncomfortableness of practically carrying him. He spotted the pirates struggling to lift their captain up. They resorted to merely carrying him, Pintel holding under the man's arms and Ragetti his shins. It became clear to James that the captain was either unconscious or dead already.
The two three man teams reached the longboats about the same time. They silently decided to pack into one of the boats and leave the other one behind. They climbed in, Ragetti last, as someone had to give the boat a starting shove. The pair of misfit pirates quickly took up rowing, while Elizabeth and James sat in silence, watching the two unconscious men.
"What happened to Jack?" Elizabeth asked, eying Sparrow's bloodied form with concern.
"He took a few possibly fatal blows." James told her, then asked about Turner.
"The other two were desperate for a sword." She explained with an exasperated eye roll, indicating that the pirates had knocked the blacksmith apprentice out.
Pirates. The former Commodore nearly rolled his own eyes. "At least he's only knocked out. He should come around soon."
"What about Jack? Will he die?"
"I don't know."
He could see the worry in her eyes, could hear the slight tremble to her voice. "He can't die, James. He just can't…"
"You seem rather...concerned about his well-being." James pointed out.
Elizabeth gestured for him to lean in, so that the two pirates wouldn't hear. "I love him, James. Both of them. I don't know what I would do if something happened to either of them."
Once, he would have felt jealous. Disgusted, even. After all, Sparrow was a pirate. But now, after now knowing that the bleeding pirate captain had morals, all he felt was pity for her. He swallowed, nodding as he straightened back up, and glanced back at the island- the Dutchman's crewmen were nowhere in sight.
"He said that Mr. Gibbs would know what to do when we made it back to the ship." James told her. "Let's hope he's right."
*X*
Jack moaned in pain as a loud booming noise drew him from unconsciousness. His left hand clutched at a deep pain below his ribs, the familiar pattern of stitches beneath his fingers. His breathing was unsteady and his heart hammered wildly in his chest. Unconsciousness threatened to pull at him again, but he fought it.
"Is he awake?" The slightly anxious sounding voice of Elizabeth Swann reached his ears.
"I don't know." The voice of James Norrington replied, closer.
A hand pressed against his chest, feeling for his heartbeat.
"I'll show ye what awake looks like." Jack answered them, though his own words came out almost threateningly.
As he finally managed to open his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of their disheveled forms. Elizabeth let out a half laugh, half sob, a grin alighting her face. Norrington himself looked relieved, a small smirk curling at his lips- the man had never really seemed to like him.
Against his own better judgement, the pirate captain sat up- sure enough, he was swamped with dizziness almost immediately. He cleared his throat. "Norrington, mate, don't tell me ye were actually worried 'bout me?"
The man's face straightened out almost immediately and his voice came out as stern as always. "No, of course I wasn't, Captain."
"That's what I thought." Jack smirked, climbing from his bed. He had to grab it for support though, as he clearly hadn't fully recovered yet.
"Jack, you need to rest." Elizabeth told him. "We've hardly left the island."
The booming sound that had awoken him came again, and this time he recognized it to be cannonfire. He frowned. "No chance, love. I've a ship to defend, a Dutchman to outrun." He gave Norrington a quick glance, before going about to grab his effects. "Thanks, mate."
