A/N: Wow! Seventh chapter already, and so many new reviews. -sobs in joy- Oh yes, I am so glad you guys liked the last chapter. This one has my favorite made up word in the first sentance!! My chapters are becoming a little longer over time (500 more words this time.. that's not including the author notes and disclaimers) as I don't want to thrust too much on you at once. I have to warn everyone now, on Saturday I'm going to leave for a vacation. I plan on writing while I'm gone but I can't guarantee posts because I'm not sure if I'll have internet access. I have the next chapter almost done right now, but I don't want to rush and post it right now. I want you dear readers to savor the flavor. The plus side of my vacation is I'm going to Disney! It's going to provide some juicy inspiration for later on in this tale (even if I have to wait a good while to get to that point in the story). I hope I get room to write that... I'm starting to think this tale will be over 50 chapters long!!! Ah well... the things we do for our passions.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Carribean or James Norrington-
James Norrington: Commodore. Commodore James Norrington.
That's not your line! Watch it mister, you might be sexy but if you cross the line I'll sic fangirls on you!
James Norrington: Eep!
That's better. Natania belongs to me, and also happens to be proficent in the art of battling squealing fangirls AND Mary Sues! She's just that good.
After preparing the next waffle for herself, Natania explained basic wafflology to James. "You just cut it up into bite sized pieces with your fork and knife. Not too tough. You can also put butter on it… sort of like toast." He was at this moment pushing down on the crusty top of the waffle with his fork, then poked the soft side and watched it slowly reform to it's original shape.
"It's bizarre."
"It's tasty!" she said defensively. "Oh, and you can also pour maple syrup on it too… it's sweet and a little sticky. You might not want to though, not sure if you're fully ready for all of today's tastes, and sweetness is on the top."
She peeled open the container of margarine, and held it out to him. "It's butter…" 'Sort of…' she thought to herself, 'I have to watch myself or I'll be lecturing him until he's another 300 years older!'
James eyed it for a moment, but started spreading the margarine on his breakfast without complaint. Natania stood up and watched him eagerly from the corner of her eye while getting mugs for the two of them. He cut a small piece almost delicately, then raised it eye level so he might view it.
'Oh well. I am hungry.' He shrugged and gave in.
She couldn't hold back a grin when his eyes lit up after his first taste. She was forced to cover her mouth with her arm, quickly turning sideways. He wore a look of total delight, and he surreptitiously cut another piece. As delicious as this was, he didn't want to lose his manners and eat barbarically.
"Glad you like it." Poor Natania was having a hard time hiding her smile, but James was too busy with his waffle to notice. "Tea, coffee, milk, or juice?"
"Mmm?" He almost missed the question. "Oh… coffee if you please."
Natania took a small plastic capsule, about the size of a shot glass, and wandered over to the corner of the kitchen. Her parents, well her father anyway, enjoyed buying all sorts of strange gadgets for various needs. More than likely most of them would certainly evoke an interesting reaction from James, but she didn't want to terrify the poor man. The device that she now worked on was a coffee machine that made the most excellent cups of coffee and only required water and a capsule like the one she loaded into the machine.
'Breakfast Blend seems like a good bet.' She placed the cup underneath, before turning to James. "I'm going to turn this on now, it makes some strange noises."
Actually, the first time she heard it operating she thought it a moose was giving a mating call. Not that any moose were really in the area, but she worried one might of escaped from the Bronx Zoo and made a terrified charge down highways and residential areas.
James squirmed in his seat a bit at the noise, but the rest of the meal was uneventful. They both ate in silence, Natania spending most of the time trying to figure out what she was going to do with him. She drew circles with the end of her fork in a small pool of maple syrup. She slowly started to form a vague outline of a plan.
First they would have to figure out how he got here. Second, they would have to research a way to get him back home. She didn't know how that would work, but hopefully step one would shed some light on step two. After that, he could just go home and everything would be fine. Right?
'I can't just keep him here; he's not a toy or a pet. Yeah I can see it now. "Mommy mommy, James Norrington followed me home. Can I keep him? I promise to take care of him!" Don't think so. Besides, he probably wants to go back home. It would be nice to have someone else around, and I could show a world he won't live to see. He doesn't seem so bad. I never thought of him as a bad guy in the movie. But… does he want to go home? If he does… the events leading to the second movie will play out. Oh no… is this ruining the story??'
Natania let out a frustrated sigh and sunk in her chair. James had finished his meal and was sipping his coffee now.
"Is… everything alright?"
"Huh?" Her eyes were still a little glazed in thought. "Yeah… well yes and no. Working out a plan, but there's too many holes in it. Do you know how you got here?"
He regarded her for a moment, eyes unfocused as he thought. "It's hard to say exactly. I got something in the mail. Had a seal on it I never saw before. Wait, yes. A medallion… very beautiful and strange medallion. Then I fell asleep." He drew another sip from the mug.
Natania had leaned forward in her seat a bit, arms resting on the table. She opened her hands and shook her head, urging for more. "That's it? You fell asleep?" James just shrugged.
If it wasn't for the sticky plate in front of her, she would have collapsed her head on the table. A sigh seeped past her lips. "You go across the lines of reason and rationality, from another time and dimension, but you slept through the whole thing??"
"Didn't say I had a clear explanation."
Another sigh, this time Natania held her head in her hands. James actually found her frustration a little endearing. "Okay… I'm sure it wasn't the sleeping part that did this. So that leaves the medallion. What happened to it?"
Another long pause. "I was holding it before I fell asleep."
"I guess you didn't wake up holding it."
"I woke a little unceremoniously than usual."
Natania blushed from remembering her reaction, glad her face was still in her hands. She rubbed her eyes from under her glasses in an effort to cover her redness. "I think we both did."
"Mmm." James finished his coffee, the mug concealing his smirk.
"You know, you are taking this better then I thought. Well, now anyway." She stood up and grabbed the dirty utensils, starting to clean up.
James moved to help her but she stopped him. "Ahh ahh ahh… in the very least allow me to treat you as a guest. Well, this morning anyway. Can't guarantee this sort of service all the time."
He grinned, biting back a retort. He was actually starting to enjoy himself a little. As Natania moved over to the sink, he realized she was correct. The privileges his rank brought carried little weight in this world, and he was in no rush to return to Port Royal. James felt like he didn't leave all that much behind. While he couldn't stay under the care of Miss Raphael forever, he could certainly enjoy his time here. Catching Sparrow could wait, and maybe when he did return it would be as if he never left.
After cleaning up the rest of the meal, she encouraged James to wash his hands at the sink. Certainly it was the appropriate thing to do, but the jetting water did leave him a bit uneasy. She lowered the intensity and he quickly scrubbed his hands. Natania left him to his own devices, and it took him a few moments too long to figure out how to shut off the faucet. He dried off his hands and waited patiently, standing in place. He wasn't sure to follow her, but he relaxed when she called out to him.
"I'm just looking where you woke up to see if I could find anything."
"Let me help." He quickly left the kitchen through the archway she exited through.
This led him into the dining room, a place he had only seen part of when he had his confrontation with Natania. Three windows covered in lace curtains hung to his right, and the walls of the room had display cases and china cabinets will all manner of things inside. Somewhere deep in the back of his mind he wanted to examine everything with great detail: the beautiful candlestick holders, the tiny glass sculptures, the small marble chess set. Things familiar mixed with foreign shapes and designs. Even the two silver boxes with more black cord running out of them, both placed on the dining table with seats facing them drew great curiosity. But that wasn't him. James' curiosity spurned, he moved around the table and through the next archway.
When he entered, he watched Natania on hands and knees, peering under a red chair. It took him a moment to realize it was the same comfortable chair he had awoken in. She obviously was aware of his presence, and didn't really mind being caught crawling on the floor since she spoke without looking up.
"I checked the cushions and underneath but I don't see anything."
"Perhaps it was left behind."
She looked to him quickly, her hair flipping a bit at the sudden movement. Natania stood and pushed her glasses upwards; they had slid nearly to the tip of her nose.
"Well that's not good. It's the only key we have."
James clasped his hands behind his back in thought. She shifted her weight a little, putting her hands on her hips. The two stood in silence, both minds pondering separate paths towards the same destination. Natania's nose crinkled a bit.
"Shower."
Or maybe not.
"What?" James looked around, glancing out the window. 'Does she mean rain? Appears to be clear outside.'
"I need a shower. It helps me think sometimes. I really should wash up anyway."
The last sentence made him gain a little more insight to what she was suggesting. Something to do with bathing, he gathered.
"You probably should too. We have to find you some clothes too. Can't have you walking around in the modern world wearing that. While it's very nice it might give people the wrong idea. They'll either think you're going to a very interesting party, or need to be taken away in a van."
James couldn't help scratching the back of his head a bit. "This… shower thing. It isn't… communal is it?" He remembered a bit of his history class of how the Romans would have community bath houses. It was a sinful time full of decadence and depravity, and he prayed that this century wasn't so lacking in morals.
Her reaction answered before her words could. Her eyes went so wide her glasses didn't conceal them totally anymore. "What? No no… it's… it's individual. Very private. Well… except at the gym. But we don't have to worry about that."
Somehow that didn't fully comfort her from the state of embarrassment she was in.
A/N: I so have to copyright wafflology. It's just... it's too cute to me. Hey now, don't get your hopes up for some smut already... it feels really weird to have a guy wash up in your house that isn't your dad. Even that feels weird. -shivers- Poor innocent James, I like how he gets a little snarky again. Polite sarcastic, not mean. He's actually having fun! Natania is a little infectious I guess. Please stop infections and protect the ones you love with reviews. They can be informative and prevent awful OOCness as well as a proven preventative against MarySues and GaryStus. Do it for yourself, your loved ones, and your author.
-can't help snickering- Farewell dear readers, and until next time!