Disclaimers: I don't own Potc and its characters.

Thank you all for everything!

'Ah, and here comes the man that saved the day!' said Norrington when Lawrence came to take her shift at his sides. The mere sound of his voice, though still a bit weak, brightened her whole face. As she sat on the chair next to his bed, she said:

'It is so good to see you awake at last, Captain.'

He gave her a small smile, relieved to see that she was well.

'I do believe that considering the past events we ought to call each other by our first name, don't you agree, Lawrence?'

'Yes, sir! I mean, yes… J-James.' It felt really strange to call him by his first name, it felt so intimate.

Norrington's smile broadened slightly more and then he locked his eyes on hers.

'What you…, when you went after that pirate to avenge me…, that was very brave of you. That and how you took care of the injured men, including myself, I… I am truly touched and, and deeply grateful.' It was a rare occasion to witness Captain Norrington's speech so inarticulate, which only proved how true his words were.

Lawrence broke their eye contact to stare at her feet, visibly embarrassed, as her cheeks turned to red.

'I was only doing my duty sir, anybody would have done the same…'

Norrington shook his head, still smiling.

'No, I don't think so. Of all the crew of the Dauntless, you were the one who acted in such an honourable way. Which makes you all the more precious on board of this ship, and with your agreement, once in Port Royal, I will do my best to keep you on board with the Lieutenants Groves and Gillette, and myself.'

Her throat went dry, and as she felt tears threatening to flow, she looked away and scanned the Captain's bookshelf.

'How about some reading?' She said to change the subject. The more she thought about it, the more she dreaded the moment when Gillette and or Groves would tell her Captain about her true nature. She knew she would never sail again, let alone with him, and that tore her heart.

When she went back to the chair, her face was composed and did not betray any of her thoughts.

Not long after she had started to read, Norrington fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, a nightmare woke him up, leaving him breathless and drenched with sweat; his fever had returned. The expression he carried in his eyes was that of a frightened man who didn't know where he was.

'It's alright, James. Everything is fine. It was just a bad dream' she told him, encircling his shoulders with one arm and stroking his back with the other. She had read somewhere that such actions would make any one having a sort of attack feel more relaxed, but she at the moment, only her instincts had pushed her to try to soothe him.

Once his breathing had settled back to normal, she pulled back from the embrace she was giving him but then she felt a resistance on her left arm. Norrington was clutching to it as though his life depended on it and that breaking the contact between them would send him back to his nightmare.

He looked at her with almost pleading eyes, his eyes greener than before because of the fever.

'Please, d-don't leave yet, Lawrence…' His voice was broken, barely audible.

'I'm not leaving you, James, I promise.' She couldn't sit back in her chair that had been pushed away in her hurry without breaking contact with him only for a few milliseconds, so she crouched on the floor, her left elbow resting on his bed and her arm caught between his.

She gave him a reassuring smile.

'Nothing will harm you while I'm around, Captain. You can sleep now.'

He stared at her face for a long moment, not saying a thing, not betraying any of his thoughts, before his eyes started to feel heavy, leading him to drift back to sleep.

Lawrence felt very uncomfortable under his gaze, she almost got frightened. 'I wonder what he might be thinking of' she thought. 'The fever has evidently troubled his senses, and tomorrow he would have forgotten all of it. Captain James Norrington would never behave in such a way; he would never feel so helpless and dependent on someone else.' She thought about it, over and over, and then, having slept two hours in three days, she fell asleep, her head resting next to James's stomach and her arm still imprisoned.

In the morning, the two Lieutenants went to see how their Captain was feeling but when they entered his quarters, the sight caught them off-guard. Their friends were both sleeping soundly, in the same position as when Lawrence had fallen asleep.

Gillette and Groves smiled to each other.

'How about we let them wake up by themselves? A bit more of sleep will do them good.'

'I couldn't agree more, Theodore.' He chuckled. 'Oh, if James only knew Lawrence was a woman, I think his world would be drastically changed.'

They both left the room, talking about their sleeping friends and imagining without any remorse a life where James and Lawrence would be together.

At noon, Norrington started to awaken, feeling better than he ever had since he had taken bed. When he stirred, he noticed that his hands were entrapping Lawrence's arm, and that this very person was sleeping, the head almost on his stomach. He gently let go of her arm and frowned, clearly not understanding how such a thing could have happened.

He sat straighter in his bed and coughed. Having sensed some movement beneath her, Lawrence lazily opened her eyes. When she peered through the curtain of her tangled hair, she noticed her Captain was already awake and raising an eyebrow at her.

She rose up right away, blushing furiously. She had never intended to fall asleep, let alone almost on her convalescent Captain.

'Good morning, Lawrence. I trust you slept well…'

'G-Good morning to you Sir. I-I deeply apologise for my behaviour. This wasn't supposed to happen, I am so sorry, I…'

Norrington laughed, his amusement reaching his eyes.

'No need to apologise between friends. And besides, I don't think I would have found sleep at all, had you not been there for me. I thank you for this. But as I am feeling much better now, I think we can safely say that such an awkward situation isn't to happen again.'

Lawrence smiled, relieved that no incidence would come of her behaviour and mostly glad that he remembered last night's episode.

'I am pleased then. Shall I fetch you something to eat before while calling Andrew and Theodore?'

'Oh please do, I'm starving! And if you haven't something better to do, you are welcome to stay here with me and our mutual friends.'

'I would be glad to do so. Don't you do something stupid while I'm away, Captain' she teased him, still smiling, and left the quarters.

When she was gone, Norrington stared into space, thinking about how unrealistic the last days had been. Lawrence had been so attentive with him, so caring. And her embrace of last night, when he felt at the worst… She had known how to comfort him, how to ease his pain. And though it had been nothing but a friendly gesture, it warmed his heart.

Lawrence found Gillette and Groves on the top deck, looking at maps and charts.

'Oh, but soft! here cometh our Sleeping Beauty freshly awake!'

She rolled her eyes. 'Good day to you too, Andrew. I assume you have enjoyed seeing me ridiculing myself while sleeping half on our Captain, then?'

'Tho-rough-ly!'

'You do realize that this doesn't mean anything at all?'

'Oh but of course, of course.' He glanced at Groves. 'We would never make up any assumptions on the basis of observations and facts.'

'And anyway, it is not our fault if…' began Groves before being stopped by his female friend.

'Ah, stop, no more of your stories, gentlemen. The Captain is asking for your presence, and some sustenance as well.'

'I shall hope you'll also be eating something Lawrence' said Groves, with a serious look. 'You look like you haven't eaten in days.'

'Well, now that you say it, I think you may be right. And yes, obviously I'm going to eat as well.'

'With us and the Captain?' hoped Gillette.

'Of course! But first, I'll clean up a bit, I really look like a mess. See you in a moment!'

Feeling fresher and starving, she came back to the quarters in which she seemed to spend most of her days in, not that it bothered her in the least. Her friends were eagerly talking about how confident they were to reach Santiago de Cuba in two weeks and Port Royal before the end of the month.

'I look forward to showing you around Port Royal, Lawrence. I am sure you will find as well as I do a certain undeniable charm to this city.'

'I will be delighted to have you as my personal guide, James' the young woman said, meaning what she said, though a part of her wasn't so pleased with it due to a certain Governor's daughter who was residing there, probably counting the days until the Captain of the Dauntless would come back and finally propose to her.

'Ah, look at you two, all friendly and full of plans' said Groves. 'Such a sight warms my heart to the core.'

After glancing at one another, the whole company of four laughed merrily.

'Well, I am sorry to ruin the mood, but I must go to the helm, my duties and all that…' he continued. 'I can't wait for you to take back the commands, James. Honestly, even with Andrew, I realize how much this position asks of you.'

'Do not worry any longer, Theodore, I will be right as rain before we've reached Santiago de Cuba'

'I'll take you up on this, James! Ah and, can I borrow you Andrew for a moment?'

'But of course, I do hope to have dinner with you both tonight.'

'Lawrence will be there too?' teased Gillette.

Norrington glance at her, smiling, before saying 'Isn't it obvious?'

Lawrence was happily surprised by those last words, and felt the heat coming up to her cheeks. To cover up her embarrassment, she spoke.

'Off with you two already! James and I have a matter to discuss on Agrippa d'Aubigné, and I highly doubt the subject will entertain you.'

'On that you are perfectly right' began Groves. 'Good afternoon to you two.'

'See you at dinner time' said Gillette, and the two of them left.

'I need to see to your wound, Captain. How about I change your bandages and then we take some fresh air?'

'This plan sounds very good, and I long to be out in the open indeed.'

Lawrence realized this would be the first time she'd change his bandages while he was awake and feeling like himself, not feverish and half-asleep, or unconscious. This would definitely be awkward. She coughed a bit, took a deep breath, put on her professional face and gently pulled up his shirt. James was amazed by the delicacy there was in her hands, such hands seemed so unfit to the harsh life on board of a ship, and yet, there his young Ensign was. His flesh was covered with goose bumps when her fingers grazed his chest to unwrap his old bandages. He closed his eyes and willed himself to think of anything else but the present situation.

When she sensed him tense, she stepped back, worry in her eyes.

'Have I hurt you, Captain? If it is the case, I am so sorry I…'

'N-no' he said, his voice a bit hoarse. 'No it's fine, Lawrence, it's fine.'

She looked at him suspiciously then finished wrapping his new bandages, her hands resting unconsciously two seconds longer on him; if he noticed, he did not say anything.

She pulled down his shirt, and helped him be more presentable; when he put back on his wig, she softly smiled.

'I had almost missed the sight of that wig, you know. Not that there is anything wrong with your hair, on the contrary, but, err'

Norrington laughed and rolled his eyes.

'I know, I missed my wig too, though I do like my hair also. So, shall we?' He took her arm for a few paces then saw how much he needed of a stable support to walk; but as he loathed the idea of young valid men walking around with a cane, he had none in his quarters.

'I think I will have to lean on you a bit more, Lawrence, will that be alright? We can always call back Andrew or Theodore…'

'No no, it's alright James, here, let me…' she circled his back with one arm while he, slightly hunched because he was taller than her, circled his left arm around her shoulders.

Both James and Lawrence relished the feeling of the other's warmth so close, and both internally admonished themselves for their thoughts.

Norrington was greeted by the cheers of his crew, happy to finally see their Captain in a better state. He thanked them wholeheartedly then leaned to Lawrence's ear and whispered:

'Can we find a quieter place on this deck? Their overenthusiasm, however grateful I am, makes me head spin, and I wouldn't want to faint in front of everyone…'

They went to the forecastle where they both sat next to each other, watching in silence the infinity of the sea spreading before them, and enjoying the other's company.

'Andrew, Andrew, look!' Groves showed with his head where their mutual friends where.

'Well, if you ask me, I find this sight quite romantic in itself, considering.'

His friend nodded in agreement before he added 'We still haven't told him, and we shouldn't wait much longer now that he feels better.'

'You're right, maybe tomorrow if we have the occasion then.'

Lawrence and the Captain went back to his quarters after a while, where they talked about their favourite subjects until the arrival for dinner of Theodore and Andrew.