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'Commodore, can I talk to you about something?' Lawrence said in vague terms not to raise any suspicions from the other officers around. She had waited the whole evening and now morning, she couldn't wait any longer, this thing really troubled her mind.

All the officers were on the top deck, Lieutenant Pardy and Commander Johnson scanning over the map and talking about the places they'd had been; Norrington was leaning over the star-board ridge, watching the sea without thinking about anything in particular. He turned round, an eyebrow raised in surprise.

'Of course, Ensign; let's go to my quarters to discuss about whatever it is you want to ask me' he said, understanding her reticence to talk here, surrounded by people they didn't know yet.

'What is it, Lawrence, is something the matter?' he asked her, worried once they were inside. Instinctively, he had extended his arm and was holding hers with his hand. When he realized a few seconds later what he had done without even thinking, he retreated his arm and held his hands behind his back, internally scolding himself.

'No, nothing. Don't worry, it's nothing important, it doesn't even concern me directly.'

'Ah, good. Err, shall we have our afternoon tea earlier today then?' he proposed.

'What a great idea!' She started towards the smaller table to prepare it but James stopped her by stepping in front of her and smiling.

'Please, Lawrence, you are my guest here, why don't you sit while I take care of everything?'

'Your wish is my command, Sir' she laughed.

'So, what was it you wanted to tell me about then?'

'Ah, yes. Well, it's probably nothing, but I keep thinking about it since yesterday. Don't you think this is strange this new reform about the crew on board of any ship? Why assigning officers and the other members of the crew on a different ship than the one they were used to? I mean, isn't a bit counterproductive? It's like starting things all over again.'

'I'm glad you also noticed, as I was thinking just the same.'

He handed her her cup and sat on a chair next to her, stirring his steaming hot tea mindlessly.

'The East India Trading Company has to do with it, but to which extent, I cannot know yet… The only thing that comes to my mind is the principle of 'D-'

' 'Divide et Impera'' Lawrence said at the same time as he did.

James smiled. 'Of course she would think the same, why am I surprised?'

'Machiavelli has a point though' Lawrence continued. 'But who would create such a state of chaos? What would it serve him to wreak havoc and disturb the general order?'

'To achieve a high end, perhaps; to become the second most powerful man of the colonies next to the King.'

'And then what? It would only flatter his ego and give him more money than needed; I really don't see why any man would choose this.'

James shook his head; Lawrence's heart was so pure, so unmarred; he wished she could stay this innocent forever.

The butterflies in Lawrence's stomach suddenly rose; her friend had been staring at her face without saying a word for few seconds now.

'James… is something wrong?'

'Hmm?' he replied in a dreamy voice, still lost in his thoughts, oblivious to his friend's discomfort.

'Is there something weird on my face, James?' she said a bit louder.

He shook his head to clear his mind and for the first since she had known him, he looked embarrassed.

'I'm so sorry' he gasped. 'I… I got lost in my thoughts, I-'

Lawrence laughed and gave him an encouraging smile.

'It's alright, no harm done.'

After a short pause, James spoke again.

'I was thinking… Theodore and Andrew being absent, and as we rather enjoy each other's company, that maybe it would be a good idea if we decided to meet up for our usual discussions more than once a week, especially given the lack of privacy we have had last night with the other officers and Doctor Hunter. Of course, if you don't want to, I would perfectly understand…'

'I would love to, James! I never thought you'd ask, to be honest.'

'Ah, so you were thinking the same thing then, and dared not voice it?' The right corner of his mouth rose into a smile.

'Well, you being my superior, I would never dare ask such a request. Especially since you might not have agreed and it would have embarrassed both of us.'

'Why don't we agree on something and hold on to it? I want the both of us to always be true to the other, and not care about embarrassment or reverence, or whatever. From now on, we will tell the other everything; isn't it how close friends are supposed to behave towards the other?'

'You are right James, absolutely right. When we are in the private sphere, I will treat you just as I treat Theodore or Andrew. You really don't know what you're getting into!'

'Oh on the contrary, Miss Reynolds, I do know and accept my fate with resolution.'

They both laughed, relieved to have finally broken this awkwardness that had settled between the two of them since they had seen each other again.

'Let's hear which story Commander Johnson is telling' Lawrence suggested light-heartedly. She was so glad that James' friendly feelings towards her had not been marred since the day he had cast her off; now that she came to think of it, she began to fear the moment when this subject would eventually come up; but at the moment, nothing else mattered but James' proposition and the vague look he had when he was staring at her face.

Before they left the quarter deck, James leaned to her ear.

'Why don't we start our "meetings" tonight, at… 2100?'

The feeling of his breath on her bare neck made her shiver; her brain went all foggy and the butterflies in her stomach stirred up once more.

'That's a deal!' she whispered back after clearing her throat.

Just before the given time, Lawrence refreshed herself a bit, changed her shirt and went to the Commodore's quarters cautiously for fear of being seen by the other officers, for what would they say if they saw the young Ensign sneak out of his quarters to meet up with their superior late at night? That wouldn't be good at all.

She knocked only one time on the door, hoping it would be enough. James opened the door and let her go inside quickly.

'Look at us' he said, once the door was shut. 'Meeting up in the middle of the night like two star-crossed lovers.' He suddenly realized what he had said when he saw the red rising to Lawrence's cheeks. 'Or conspirators. Yes, conspirators plotting against Caesar. Although of course our intentions aren't as grim' he said to cover his first comparison.

'You know, maybe deep down we are worse than Brutus?' she laughed to lower the tension that had risen.

'Oh, let me doubt of that Lawrence; you are too good-hearted for that.'

'Don't forget that I killed a man for you, James. And the nastiest I've ever seen.' She shuddered at the thought of that day, the face of that ebony-skin pirate coming up to her mind.

'Yes, you did; and I will never forget it, nor what you've done for me the following weeks. I am truly blessed to have had you on board, especially on that particular day; and to count you among my few friends' he confessed. 'Why did I say that? Since when am I so sentimental and tell everything that comes to mind? She really has messed up my head…' he thought more and more bewildered by his recent behaviour.

Lawrence blushed all the more; she wasn't expecting such a confession.

'As I have always said and will say until the end, it was and is an honour to serve under your command, James. By the way, I never got the chance to congratulate you on your promotion. I hope you're proud, you must be one of the youngest Commodores of history!'

James bowed his head, smiling; he smiled an awful lot these last days, and that worried him as well.

'Yes, I am deeply honoured by this new promotion; however, to tell you the truth, I don't think I deserve it-'

'Of course you d-'

'No, let me finish Lawrence' he asked her softly; he sighed before starting of the conversations he dreaded the most to have with his friend.

'You may remember that almost a year ago, I had planned on marrying Miss Swann; to me she was the finest young lady I had ever known. I know for a fact that everyone in Port-Royal already saw us married to each other. However, as time passed, I grew less and less inclined to marry her; but her father had never forgotten that interest I once had in her; which is why when we came back, he invited me to dine with him. That is when he decided to promote me as Commodore, but before I could get over this surprise, he was already suggesting me to propose to Elizabeth the day of the ceremony. So you see, the two elements cannot really be dissociated from the other in this case.'

'Oh, I understand now…' 'What made him change his mind about Elizabeth? Especially when this sudden shift of heart happened so far away from her?' She wished she could ask him that but never dared; this question was far too intimate.

'By the way, now that I think of it, I am surprise that neither you nor your cousin were present that day; and that we never bumped into each other in Port-Royal, Kingston, or some parties!'

'Yes, I thought about that last detail too…'

'There is this one time when I thought I had seen you, though.'

'Really?' she startled, looking at him with wide eyes. 'Do you remember where?'

'I think it was at Miss Lindon's.'

'Why didn't you come to me back then?'

James looked down, contrite, or was it embarrassment?

'I thought I had imagined you being there…'

'Oh.' She didn't know what to say to that. 'He imagined me, meaning that he thought about me then? Did he miss me?'

James cleared his throat. 'You didn't answer my question, if I remember correctly; about your absence at the ceremony.'

'Ah yes, sorry. We would have, we had planned it, though of course I didn't know you would be the one being promoted. But my cousin was sick back then, so I decided to take care of her. And the day after, when we heard the news about the attack, I wanted to go join you; but my cousin was still very weak and made me promise not to leave her. So I did stay at her side, until her full recovery.'

'And then you decided to become Ensign Reynolds again?'

'Precisely. This life indoors at wasting my days with small talks, visits to friends or relatives, all-too-proper lady-like activities, that wasn't me. This kind of life stifled me; I longed to be on sea again. Paradoxically, I feel more like myself as Lawrence Reynolds than as Miss Charlotte Reynolds…'

James looked down in embarrassment for the second time this evening. 'Looks like all the subjects I dreaded to even think about came up quicker than expected.'

'Lawrence… I wanted to apologize about our last encounter. I shouldn't have acted so coldly, especially as you were my friend and that this situation was most embarrassing for you; let alone that the events leading to this… revelation must have been really traumatic to you. I am deeply ashamed by how I behaved back then; I hope one day you will forgive me.'

Lawrence couldn't take it any longer; his confession was so true, you could see the pain in his eyes as he said those words. She wanted to laugh, to hug him, to kiss him. 'Kiss him?' she surprised herself. 'Don't you dare think about that again, Lawrence! He is your friend and your superior!'

Eventually, she extended her arm, folded her hand other his and squeezed it, looking right into his eyes.

'It's all right James, there is nothing to forgive. No please, listen to me, I listened to you without saying a word not a minute ago! As was saying, there is nothing to forgive, you did your duty justly, and justly means putting aside our own feelings. What I did was, and am still doing, well I don't know about that now that you know… Anyway, impersonating someone else's identity, disguising myself as a man, and lying to you about it, thus endangering the reputation of the whole Navy was punishable, if not by death, then by imprisonment. And you decided to let me return to my closest family, without punishment, for that, I am eternally grateful to you. So no, you acted as you should have, and even kindlier than what was expected. There is nothing to forgive; I am the one to thank you.'

As she retracted her hand, James took it in his and held it. He didn't know what to say; didn't know how to feel about it; her forgiveness felt like a weigh lifted off his shoulders; in its place came back this fuzzy feeling in his stomach that made his chest feel warmer.

'Thank you, Lawrence; you can't imagine how much your words mean to me; thank you.'

He gave her smile, but his eyes conveyed his feelings more eloquently.