It was a hot summer day in England as young James, Theodore and Andrew ran through the city toward the docks to meet their fathers who were just returning from months at sea. With their Navy blazers and cream breeches, they were spitting images of all their fathers.
Andrew's father, who had moved from Ireland when Andrew was a child, had flaming red hair that was streaked grey from age, small patches of freckles on his face, and a smile that was so sweet to a woman, it made him almost seem less masculine.
Theodore's father was tan skinned being from the Caribbean. His hair was either insanely dark brown or black. Andrew and James never knew. He was a very muscular man having worked for the Navy for more than half his 30 year old life. His eyes were very thin and dark, and it scared some girls away from Theodore since he was only 10 years old.
And James was 2 years older than both of them. Almost a teen, with a voice that hadn't yet cracked. He had dark brown hair, yet not nearly as dark as Theodore. His father was an Admiral of a fleet and James was the youngest of 5 boys. He was the youngest by 10 years.
As the boys rushed down the docks damp with the morning dew, they dodged many of the sailors getting ready to cast off, or maybe it was the other way around. With their dulled daggers at their sides and their hair tied back, they looked as if they were midgets about to board the ships themselves. They were all known around London as the Troublesome Trio. They could always find a way to get in people's ways and bother everyone else.
The HMS Forward was being tied to the docks as they boys arrived. Sailors called out to the males on the docks securing the ships. It was a floating dock, since a storm had broken the supports that had been rotting away for decades. The Dockers had to be insanely careful, because at any moment a gust of wind could pull a ship off coarse and it would take the dock with it!
"Father!" the boys shouted at once when a boarding plank was set between the dock and the ship.
"Boys!" the three men called at once as they walked onto the dock. They embraced their sons, thankful that they had lived through another voyage.
"We have some work to do before we can head home," Admiral Norrington told them.
"It won't be long," Commodore Groves assured.
"Just a bit of keeping everythin' in order!" Captain Gillette explained in a strong Irish accent. The boys started to run onto the ship to their usual waiting spot.
"Oh and boys," Norrington called out sternly. The boys froze in their tracks. "Don't get in the way of the sailors."
"The faster they get their job done, the faster they can go back to their families!" said Groves. The boys bowed their heads in understanding and they ran toward the stern.
"Ok then!" James called to the two other younger boys. "Who wants to be the Pirate?"
"Ooh! Me!" Andrew said enthusiastically.
"You're always the pirate!" Theodore whined. "It's my turn."
"How about James is the pirate? I want to see how well he could do it," Andrew suggested.
"Alright then." James jumped into the air and back onto the deck, drawing his dagger. "Everyone stay calm! I am taking over this ship!" James announced. The other two boys drew their daggers from under their blazers.
"Go back to Tortuga you drunken scum!" Theodore ordered in his best tough guy voice he could manage with his nasally 10 year old voice.
"Drunken?! Why you are both drunkards yourself! Look at all this drink!" James insulted as he motioned the half a dozen crates of wine and brandy. "In fact, I should probably take some of this off your hands." He grabbed the neck of a bottle of wine and tipped it back, along with his head to act out drinking. He staggered backwards in play.
"This ship cannot be crewed by one man! You'll never make it out of the bay!" Andrew mocked.
"I'm Captain James Norrington! You will see what I can do!" James staggered backwards again, but this time, a bit too far. He hit the railing and fell over into the port. Andrew and Theodore ran over, smiling and panicked at the same time.
"That's good acting!" Theodore said.
"But he's not coming back up!" Andrew told Theodore with worry in his voice.
"He's too heavy for me!" Theodore said.
"He's too heavy for me too!" Andrew explained. They looked at each other.
"Let's both get him!" they said together. They started to strip off their blazers and shoes. Groves caught sight of them.
"Boys! What are you doing?!" This caught Norrington and Gillette's attention.
"James fell in and we're going to get him!" Theodore told them.
"Boys, boys NO!" Groves called out to them, but the boys had already climbed over the rail and two splashes were heard. Groves ran over to the railing. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling back his bangs.
"Can your boy swim, Groves?" Gillette asked. Groves shook his head, his never blinking eyes wide open. "Oh, mine either."
The two boys kicked their legs to get air from the freezing cold, salty sea water.
"We have to resist!" Andrew said before he sunk back below the water.
"James needs us! We have a Troublesome TRIO reputation!" Theodore explained before pushing himself back under. Andrew followed close behind.
They opened their eyes and it stung. The water under the ship was dark but there was an object darker than the water itself. It had to be James. They kicked toward him and when they were close enough, they could see that only small bubbles escaped his mouth. Theodore looked at Andrew. He had closed his eyes and his face was twisted into a face that showed that he was running out of air. Theodore nodded his head. They gripped James legs, one for each boy, Andrew put his other hand behind James's back and Theodore's other hand behind his head. Andrew would drop his hand from behind his back to push the upward.
The two breathing boys gasped for air as their heads broke above the surface. A crowd of sailors and naval men had gathered at the ends of the docks and on the stern of the Forward. Norrington, Groves and Gillette were all kneeling on the edge of the dock with their hands extended outward the help the boys with flailing arms out of the freezing sea.
James was laid down on the deck and his father knelt beside him. He weaved his fingers together and put them on his son's chest, applying several forces to his chest. He started to cough up water onto the deck. Andrew ran his fingers through his hair as Groves had done earlier and he started to walk away. Theodore stood their smiling. Norrington embraced his boys again, this time getting his frock and waistcoat wet. He didn't mind. Groves and Gillette walked back to the ship with their sons walked next to each other in front of them and from both their mouths they muttered,
"Boys will be boys."