A.N.: Oh my goodness! I cannot believe I haven't updated this thing in four years! I feel I must beg your forgiveness in making you all wait so long. This is simply inexcusable on my part. However, I have another chapter done and one more in the works. I plan on cranking out chapters all night, and hopefully long into tomorrow as well. Being sick during break gives you that freedom. :) I'm also making a facebook page for my stories, so check my profile for a link. I'll be posting one once I have it made. Thanks so much for your patience, and I hope you enjoy!

-Laerwen

Once she was back at the fort, Catherine had a grand total of three seconds before several children let out a war cry and launched themselves at her skirts.

"Kitty! You're back!" a small boy of around eight said, looking up at her from amid the voluminous green fabric.

"Of course I am, silly!" she laughed, patting his dusty head and disentangling herself from the little arms. "Did you think I could stay away from all of you?"

The boy snorted and said, "I am not silly, I'm Billy! How could you get my name wrong?"

"You are a very silly Billy then, if you think I forgot your name," she grinned, walking forward and towing three or four renegades behind her on her skirts. Norrington, having been alerted to her presence by one of the marines, walked into the courtyard of the fort at that moment, a small smile showing on his face when he saw them all tumbling and running around her, chatting animatedly all the while as she attempted to make her way toward the kitchens.

"It seems you have managed to find your way in without too much trouble," the commodore in question said, striding up to walk next to her, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh trust me, Commodore. I could find my way into anything," she smirked, giving him an impish wink.

"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered, raising a brow at the forwardness of her actions.

She ignored him and continued on her way, listening to what each child had to tell her.

"Kitty, I swear, it was the hugest thing..."

"And then he said..."

"You'll never guess what happened!..."

"Mama told me..."

On and on it went, until they reached the door to the kitchens. "Now," Catherine said, looking seriously at each of them. "When we go inside, we are going to show your mothers and fathers how quietly you can do this. Then, you shall all wash your hands properly, Billy this means you too, and you will help me make apple pies. Hmm? Is that feasible?"

Emma tugged on her skirt.

"Yes, dear?" Catherine asked, looking at her.

"What does 'feasible' mean, Kitty?" the little girl asked, her large eyes wide and questioning.

"Feasible is something doable or possible. For instance, it is feasible for you to open the door, no?" she explained patiently.

"Oh. I understand," she said, giving her a radiant smile.

"Very well. Now, let us all go in, shall we?" she said, turning the knob and pushing the door open.

One by one, they each marched in, looking like miniature soldiers. Norrington leaned against the door frame, watching as the children took turns washing their hands and then joining Catherine by the wooden table once they had finished.

"Are you quite certain you will be alright in here?" he asked, as she got out the ingredients. "I will be in my office going over paperwork for the rest of the day. Of course, if you need me..." he trailed off.

"No, I do believe we shall be perfectly fine here, don't you think, children?" she said, giving them each a radiant smile.

Norrington nodded. "Very well then. If you need my assistance with anything, do not hesitate to send word. I shall make myself available for you."

"Thank you, Commodore," she answered. Her attention was already taken by the children, so he slipped out the door and down the corridor.

Norrington decided several hours was long enough to go without checking on her, so he head back down to the kitchens. When he walked through the door, he was met with the sight of Catherine standing at a counter with a group of children working diligently at their pies alongside her. He strode over and peered over her shoulder.

"Is that supposed to be a pie?" he asked.

Catherine turned around and arched a brow. "Why yes indeed…Commodore Norrykins."

Norrington coughed and spluttered. "I beg your pardon?" he said in shock.

The children around them giggled, and one, Emma, clapped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from laughing outright.

"I said yes indeed, Commodore Norrykins. Do you perhaps need to get your hearing tested?" Catherine asked him all too sweetly.

"No I do not, thank you very much," Norrington answered hotly.

"Excellent! Then we should have no problems. Are you planning on staying and baking with us? If so, you will need to wash your hands. Your fingers are full of ink," she said. Emma giggled into her flour-covered hands and looked at her sisters with anticipation.

Norrington huffed. "No, I absolutely will not be staying! And my fingers do not have ink on them."

Catherine gave him a dubious glance. "Then what is that? An obscenely large freckle?"

"What? Where?" he yelped, turning his hands this way and that. A dark splotch on the side of his middle finger caught his eye and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his clean left hand.

"It appears you have found it then," Catherine said. "Run along and do whatever it is Commodores do. The children and I are going to finish these up, and then we shall be going outside for a walk about the battlements. I have already spoken to some of your Marines to make certain we wouldn't be getting in their way."

Norrington sighed. "Very well. Just make sure the children won't run off. Some things can be dangerous up there. Also, keep away from the edge. We wouldn't want anyone falling off now, would we?" he asked, eyeing each child in turn.

"No, sir," they murmured in unison.

Norrington observed them for a few more seconds before nodding and turning back to Catherine. "Madame, I leave them in your charge. If you require my assistance, I shall be in my office. Have a Marine come fetch me." And with that, he left.

Catherine and the children finished their pies, left them to cool on a couple windowsills, and then linked hands with each other and made the journey up winding, narrow stone stairs to the very top of the fort.

The wind whipped their hair about their faces and stung the eyes, but it was a welcome relief from the hot, stifling kitchens. The sun glimmered off the incredibly blue waters, and the sea seemed to stretch on for eternity.

"Children, look!" Catherine said. "Isn't this lovely?" Emma bounced around her skirts while Billy raced off to talk to the nearest Marine about pirates and cannons. Tommy was grimacing and picking Sarah's curls out of his mouth. The girl was nearly a mirror image of her sister. The youngest of the three merely sat and played with the hem of her gown.

"Betsy, get up! You got in my way!" Emma exclaimed, stomping her foot and fisting her hands on her hips in frustration. Betsy looked up at her sister and merely smiled.

"What does Mama always tell you to say?" she lisped sweetly.

"Fine. Betsy, will you please get up?" Emma huffed.

Betsy shook her head and her sister dropped her hands in annoyance. "Kitty, make her move!"

Catherine laughed and looked down at the two of them. "Come along, my dears. Why don't we go and see what that nice Marine has to say to Billy? Tommy, George, Sarah, come along. We are going this way." She moved off in a stately fashion with the children tumbling behind her like little court jesters as they frolicked.

After they finished speaking with the Marine, they all clasped hands again and took several turns about the battlements while Catherine spun stories about her childhood, fairies, and famous warriors from ages long past. This tired out the children sufficiently, and by late afternoon even George, the oldest (and the tallest, as he was so fond of stating), was yawning mightily. Betsy was practically falling asleep where she was standing, so Catherine picked her up and carried her back down the stairs, her sisters and the rest of the children in tow.

There had been a small, unused storage room several of the parents had converted into a play room for the children. Inside were several cots for them, if they wished to take a nap (usually, they didn't). Catherine settled them in here now, and personally tucked each one in. Betsy refused to sleep without someone next to her, so she was put to bed with her older sister Sarah. Emma gloated over the fact that she got her own cot to herself, but that was relatively short-lived, as she fell asleep within moments of her head hitting the pillow. Stubborn as ever, George was the last to fall asleep, whining until the proverbial eleventh hour.

Once everyone was settled, Catherine left the room and quietly shut the door. She asked a passing Marine to lead her to Norrington's office, and thanked him once they arrived. He clicked his heels together and bowed smartly with a brief, "Mum," then turned around and left. Catherine sighed and raised her hand to knock.

Norrington was stirred from his concentration upon a vast amount of paperwork by several quiet raps on his door.

"Enter," he barked. He raised a brow, but admitted to himself he wasn't surprised, when Catherine came into the room.

"Yes? Did you need something?" he asked somewhat testily.

"Only to say that the children are sleeping and I shall be returning home now. Thank you for letting me come here today, Commodore," she said. Norrington stared at her uncomprehendingly for a few seconds.

"Wait. Did you say that the children were sleeping?" he asked. "How on earth did you manage that?"

Catherine smiled fondly and said, "I just walked them about the battlements several times. That seemed to tire them out enough. I had to carry Betsy down the stairs. She was falling asleep where she stood."

"Were you able to manage?" Norrington asked. He was a bit worried. Miss Tuttle could by no means be considered a large person, and the stairs were steep and winding.

"Oh yes," she answered. "She weighs practically nothing. Well, I fear I shall be off now, Commodore Norrykins. I shall see you on Monday." With that, she waved flippantly and flounced out of the room.

Norrington growled to himself. 'I do wish she would stop calling me that,' he thought irritatedly. 'Before I know it, she'll likely have the whole fort calling me that.'