Disclaimer: POTC and Norrington belong to Disney but he'll always have a place in my heart.

Thump.

"If!"

Thump.

"If!"

Thump.

"I!."

James banged his head against the wall of his cabin. He had meant to say 'ifI'd kissed you, you wouldnot forget it' not 'when I kiss you, you shall not forget it.' Somehow the words had magically changed between his thinking them and his saying them out loud. Realizing that he was making entirely too much noise and that someone might come to investigate, James stopped his self induced chastisement. Unfortunately, he could not stop his thoughts from dwelling on the matter.

Great. Now he could add threatening her to the list that included insulting her and assaulting her. His own behavior had become unpredictable in the extreme. What next? An insidious little voice in his head suggested, how about seducing her or ravishing her? James released an audible groan. This whole situation was completely intolerable. For God's sake he was a Commodore of the Royal Navy! He was supposed to be in charge of himself and his actions and yet whenever she was near he lost all semblance of control and dignity.

What was it about this woman that caused him to act like a callow youth? She was headstrong, impulsive, entirely too independent and yet she stirred his blood in a way no other woman ever had. Perhaps it was the lure of forbidden fruit? He was acting as her protector for this journey and that meant that she was supposed to be strictly off limits. That, combined with her startling transformation, had served to make her temporarily desirable. Yes, that had to be the explanation; for she really was not his type at all and this attraction made no other rational sense. It was just a form of temporary insanity that would end once they reached Port Royal. Until then, he just had to stay out of her orbit.

The butterflies continued their frenzied dance in Katherine's stomach. It had been several hours since the Commodore had whispered his declaration and she could still hear his rumbling soft baritone and still feel the warmth of his breath on her ear. Had it been a threat or a promise or both? What did she want it be? Well that was a silly question; she knew exactly what she wanted it to be. What she did not know was why she wanted it to be a promise.

Katherine groaned. Had she really said he tasted like heaven? She wanted to be able to dismiss the notion outright but was unable to do so. Commodore Norrington was controlling, smug, and entirely too concerned about proprieties and yet still he left her feeling giddy. Katherine had heard her friends talk about the delicious tingling that a man's touch could invoke but she had never believed it possible before now. In the past, at best she had felt boredom and at worst revulsion.

It had certainly been revolting when Sir Huntley had tried to force himself upon her. That everyone had believed that she had encouraged and even invited his advances still pained her. Katherine shuddered at the memory of the fat oaf's lips on hers and his eager sweaty hands clutching and grabbing at her.

With a determined effort she pulled herself from these unpleasant memories to refocus on her current dilemma; her inexplicable and unpredictable responses to the Commodore. Perhaps it was his sense of cool superiority and aloofness? There was something appealing and even powerful about the thought of piercing his aura of self containment but to do that she had to continue to play with fire. She had thought that she could get away with only burning her fingers but now she was not so sure.

Katherine smiled to herself and acknowledged that she never had been one to back down from a challenge. Besides, despite the hiccups in her plan she did still owe him some retribution and she always paid her debts. However the confines of the ship made maneuvering difficult so she would stick to her plan to wait until they reached Port Royal. Until then, she would stay out of his path.

Dinner on the last night of the voyage was a celebratory event. The end of the journey was cause enough for joy but combined with their narrow escape from disaster the level of merriment increased tenfold. For the first time in three nights both Katherine and James were dining at the Captain's table. By unspoken agreement they had both contrived to avoid each other these last few days. As the evening drew to a close, talk turned to future plans.

Lieutenant Blackwirth inquired, "Miss Thompson, you've never said where you will be staying once we reach Port Royal. Do you have family there?"

James' attention was drawn by the question. It occurred to him that he had not given her future living arrangements any thought nor had her family provided any details. What were her plans?

"I used to have family there but no longer," Katherine revealed. "My Uncle Cuthbert lived there for the last few years of his life before he died. He left me his plantation and that is where I shall live."

"Would that be the same uncle who used to take you sailing?' a curious James could not refrain from asking.

Surprised that he remembered, Katherine candidly replied, "Why yes," and with a sad smile added, "He really was more like a father. I suppose that is why he arranged for me to inherit. He had no family of his own except for my mother and they never got on very well."

Blackwirth said musingly, 'Cuthbert…Cuthbert… wait a moment you must mean Cuthbert Taylor. I say, his place was quite the showpiece in its heyday."

"So I understand. Unfortunately I have been told that it has fallen into a state of disrepair and will require a fair amount of work to bring it back to its former glory. I'm ashamed to say it's been neglected but I did not know of its existence until… well I only learned of my inheritance a few months ago. It will be a challenge to restore its grandeur."

With a frown James demanded, "Surely you are not intending to live there?"

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I?"

"Aside from the physical demands of trying to restore the house, it would be entirely improper and dangerous for a young woman to live on her own."

"Don't be ridiculous, Commodore. I shall not be alone. There will be plenty of servants. And I will not move in until most of the restoration has been completed. Meanwhile, the Governor has kindly extended an offer of shelter."

"Well at least you show some small measure of sense in waiting. But servants or no servants you will not move into that house alone," James implacably stated.

"I beg your pardon? Just who do you think you are, sir? You have no authority over me. I shall do as I please and I'd thank you to remember that." Katherine haughtily declared and gave him a cold glare.

The rest of the dinner table had grown quiet during this exchange. No one wanted to interrupt was clearly a battle of wills. Captain Wilson made a mental note to watch this pair; their stormy relationship was sure to prove entertaining. Lieutenant Blackwirth wanted to jump to his beloved's aid but he knew her well enough to know that his interference would not be welcome.

Both James and Katherine became aware of their surroundings and their fellow diners' regard. Seeking to end their being the center of attention James said, "We will continue this discussion in the future."

Katherine did not reply and instead pointedly turned her attention back to Lieutenant Blackwirth whereupon dinner once again became a light hearted affair.

Katherine was warmly welcomed to the Governor's household. At first she had had felt ill at ease regarding staying with what amounted to a total stranger but the gracious gentleman and his staff did their best to allay her worries. Equally gracious had been the Governor's daughter Elizabeth. Upon learning that the Governor's daughter was none other than the Elizabeth who had broken Jack's heart, Katherine had been prepared to dislike her but found that she could not do so for the woman was astonishingly nice. She had also shown the good wits to refrain from marrying the infuriating Commodore Norrington. During the last fortnight the two women had became fast friends and Katherine had just shared her conclusion regarding her opinion of her friend's good wits with her.

Elizabeth agreed, "Well there's no doubt that that our marriage would have been a mistake. James is a fine man but he and I are better suited as friends."

"I cannot imagine him marrying anything but a timid little dormouse. He is so insufferably bossy," Katherine declared.

Elizabeth gave her new friend a speculative look. She knew that James had acted as Katherine's protector for the journey and that fact alone had raised her suspicions. While not unheard of, it was not common for an unmarried man to escort a young attractive woman on a journey. Given James' penchant for strictly adhering to norms it was unusual that he had agreed to the arrangement. She knew that his time in Tortuga and sailing with Jack had changed him somewhat but she had not seen that large a difference. "Katherine, I must confess that I am somewhat surprised that James agreed to act as your protector. He usually is so proper in his decisions."

Katherine blushed and then guiltily admitted, "He did not know exactly what he was getting into I'm afraid. My family and I conspired to make him believe that he was escorting a shy retiring old maid."

"While I will be the first to admit that James is not unduly perceptive when it comes to women, I must confess that I can hardly credit how you pulled that of," Elizabeth laughed.

"I wore some shapeless old dresses that had belonged to my great, great Aunt Gertrude and I scraped my hair back into the most unattractive style. Actually, that part was very simple. Men are such stupid creatures sometimes," here she paused and she and Elizabeth shared a chuckle, "The most difficult part was in holding my tongue. There were many a time when I almost bit if off."

"I can imagine! Yet when you arrived here, you had already shed your disguise. Tell me, how did James react?"

"He was not pleased but what could he do at that point?" Katherine wanted to tell Elizabeth the whole story of their voyage but was hesitant to bring up Jack in case she brought back bad memories. "Elizabeth, have you heard that we ran into Jack Sparrow?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth automatically corrected and then laughed at her own response. "No. No one has told me of that. Please do," and seeing the uncertain look on Katherine's face she added, 'Do not worry. I consider Jack a dear friend and any news of him is welcome. Tell me of your whole adventure. Start from the very beginning."

An hour later, Katherine had told Elizabeth much of what had occurred over the past weeks but she left out her more private encounters with a certain Commodore. It felt good to have a confidante with whom to share things. It felt like ages since she had last had a female friend to talk to. Maybe when they knew each other even better she would even share the story of Sir Huntley.

Elizabeth was smiling, "Poor James."

"Poor James? I know that he is your friend but I find him arrogant and high handed."

"Well, Katherine, he is used to issuing orders as part of his job. However, you do have to admit that he is always the consummate gentleman."

Katherine merely sniffed.

"What? What haven't you told me?' Elizabeth prodded.

"If you must know, your consummate gentleman insulted me, hit me, and threatened me."

"James struckyou?" an appalled Elizabeth gasped.

Shamefacedly, Katherine admitted, "Well not exactly struck. Damn. I should never have brought this up." Seeing that Elizabeth was not about to let the subject go, she mumbled, "At any rate, your friend the Commodore objected to my wearing men's breeches to work in and he …he took me over his knee to register his displeasure," she finished in an embarrassed rush of words.

Flabbergasted, Elizabeth just stared at Katherine. She did not know what to say about this piece of news. As the import of situation began to dawn, Elizabeth started to smile. She had worn breeches around James and he had never once rebuked her let alone felt it necessary spank her. Indeed she had sailed on his ship in only her undergarments and he had not even raised an eyebrow or thought to offer her his coat. Evidently Miss Thompson in a state of dishabille raised his blood pressure and affected his control in ways that she had not. Elizabeth decided not to share this information with Katherine; after all James was also her friend and it would put him at too much of a disadvantage in his and Katherine's relationship. Although the two might not be aware of it, Elizabeth was certain that the pair was engaging in their own unique brand of courtship. However , she could in some small measure assist both of them in their cause, "Katherine, I believe that we have been remiss. We have yet to introduce you properly to Port Royal society. I shall ask father to throw a dance. While our entertainments here may not be as grand or formal as those in England, they are enjoyable and full of eligible young men."

Grateful that Elizabeth had refrained from further commentary regarding her disclosure, Katherine readily joined in the planning of the dance.