![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
honoratBy Honorat Selonnet
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The script is Ted and Terry’s just like they promised; the wealth is Mickey Mouse’s just like he promised; and I’m all set to make no money at all, just like I promised. So we’re all men of our word really—except for me who is actually a woman—well, and Mickey, who is actually a rodent.
Summary: Sequel to "Marooned," just a short transitional chapter. Commodore Norrington rescues his lady love in a highly compromising situation. More movie novelization including deleted scenes and filler—the second trip to Isla de Muerta. As usual, this story has gotten entirely out of hand.
Thanks and one small Caribbean Island in a nearby universe go to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
geek_mama_2 for beta work on this. Any errors and inconsistencies remain mine.
* * * * *
Commodore James Norrington’s heart had sunk after his initial joy at seeing Elizabeth Swann alive on the shore of the small desert island. He had known all along that she had been held captive amongst pirates for over a week. When no ransom demand had been forthcoming, they had feared the worst. But he hadn’t let himself realize the full implications of that truth until he saw her with Jack Sparrow. How she had ended up in such a location with the man who had escaped with young Turner was a mystery. But remembering the pirate’s behaviour towards Elizabeth on the docks at Port Royal, he could not imagine that, if by some chance she had escaped the Black Pearl unscathed, that black-hearted bastard Sparrow, had left her unharmed. He could see the pirate smirking at him on the beach, probably quite aware of the commodore’s thoughts.
Vowing that he would choke the life out of Sparrow with his bare hands, Norrington gave orders for the longboat to be brought in to shore.
Elizabeth met them in the shallows. At first glance, she looked as though she had been through hell, and his stomach twisted. She was filthy, dressed only in a thin and extremely grubby shift. Her face was bruised and sunburnt and sooty. Her feet were cut up, and one hand had been bandaged. What his men were thinking was written plainly on their faces.
But the commodore had come to the aid of enough port towns in the aftermath of pirate attacks to recognize the look in a woman’s eyes when she has been raped and abused. Elizabeth did not have that look. In fact her eyes reminded him of nothing so much as those of a young marine in his first battle—bright and fierce and determined. As though her wounds were merely battle scars, and her heart was whole. She would not have met him with such glad, innocent eyes had Sparrow, or the other pirates for that matter, hurt her much at all.
Nor, he reflected, would she have been so comfortable around the pirate when he returned to the water’s edge wearing his boots, shrugging into his waistcoat and re-tying his sash. Elizabeth laughed and teased him about how his legend would suffer if he did not immediately find a bath and a laundress. Sparrow looked mutinous with respect to the bath but agreed that the laundress, if she were a winsome lass, would be a fine idea. Rather than appearing shocked at this bold immorality, Miss Swann slapped at Jack Sparrow good naturedly and told him to mind his manners, the quality had arrived.
The entire exchange disturbed Norrington more than he cared to say. It occurred to him to wonder what look he would expect in Elizabeth’s eyes had she been willing and the pirate not needed to force her. He repressed that traitorous thought immediately. But his mood was not improved by the fact that it was Sparrow to whom Elizabeth turned for help in boarding the boat in her long skirt.
The pirate handed Elizabeth gracefully into the boat, with an admiring glance at her display of trim ankles, irritating the commodore further. Norrington himself was having a hard time keeping his professional detachment in the presence of his scantily clad love, but that bloody bastard had no right to look at her so. Sparrow grinned mockingly at the commodore as he clambered in after the girl. It gave Norrington great satisfaction to see that grin slip as his marines again confiscated the man’s pistol and baldric.
The satisfaction was short lived. As the boat set off for the Dauntless, Norrington heard Mulroy asking Jack Sparrow to tell them another story. “And no lies now,” Murtogg added. He really had to get that pirate back to Fort Charles and safely hanged before the man had charmed the entire Caribbean into legalizing piracy.
Thus, the rescue boat returned to the ship with Sparrow’s voice occasionally reaching Norrington’s ears. “And then we let all twenty-five chickens loose on the deck . . .” The commodore winced. The man was not a pirate, he was a bloody joke.
His eyes were drawn again and again to Elizabeth’s eager laughing face. It went very much against his grain to have to feel gratitude to Jack Sparrow.
TBC
2 The Best Laid Plans
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The script is Ted and Terry’s just like they promised; the wealth is Mickey Mouse’s just like he promised; and I’m all set to make no money at all, just like I promised. So we’re all men of our word really—except for me who is actually a woman—well, and Mickey, who is actually a rodent.
Summary: Sequel to "Marooned," just a short transitional chapter. Commodore Norrington rescues his lady love in a highly compromising situation. More movie novelization including deleted scenes and filler—the second trip to Isla de Muerta. As usual, this story has gotten entirely out of hand.
Thanks and one small Caribbean Island in a nearby universe go to
geek_mama_2 for beta work on this. Any errors and inconsistencies remain mine.* * * * *
Commodore James Norrington’s heart had sunk after his initial joy at seeing Elizabeth Swann alive on the shore of the small desert island. He had known all along that she had been held captive amongst pirates for over a week. When no ransom demand had been forthcoming, they had feared the worst. But he hadn’t let himself realize the full implications of that truth until he saw her with Jack Sparrow. How she had ended up in such a location with the man who had escaped with young Turner was a mystery. But remembering the pirate’s behaviour towards Elizabeth on the docks at Port Royal, he could not imagine that, if by some chance she had escaped the Black Pearl unscathed, that black-hearted bastard Sparrow, had left her unharmed. He could see the pirate smirking at him on the beach, probably quite aware of the commodore’s thoughts.
Vowing that he would choke the life out of Sparrow with his bare hands, Norrington gave orders for the longboat to be brought in to shore.
Elizabeth met them in the shallows. At first glance, she looked as though she had been through hell, and his stomach twisted. She was filthy, dressed only in a thin and extremely grubby shift. Her face was bruised and sunburnt and sooty. Her feet were cut up, and one hand had been bandaged. What his men were thinking was written plainly on their faces.
But the commodore had come to the aid of enough port towns in the aftermath of pirate attacks to recognize the look in a woman’s eyes when she has been raped and abused. Elizabeth did not have that look. In fact her eyes reminded him of nothing so much as those of a young marine in his first battle—bright and fierce and determined. As though her wounds were merely battle scars, and her heart was whole. She would not have met him with such glad, innocent eyes had Sparrow, or the other pirates for that matter, hurt her much at all.
Nor, he reflected, would she have been so comfortable around the pirate when he returned to the water’s edge wearing his boots, shrugging into his waistcoat and re-tying his sash. Elizabeth laughed and teased him about how his legend would suffer if he did not immediately find a bath and a laundress. Sparrow looked mutinous with respect to the bath but agreed that the laundress, if she were a winsome lass, would be a fine idea. Rather than appearing shocked at this bold immorality, Miss Swann slapped at Jack Sparrow good naturedly and told him to mind his manners, the quality had arrived.
The entire exchange disturbed Norrington more than he cared to say. It occurred to him to wonder what look he would expect in Elizabeth’s eyes had she been willing and the pirate not needed to force her. He repressed that traitorous thought immediately. But his mood was not improved by the fact that it was Sparrow to whom Elizabeth turned for help in boarding the boat in her long skirt.
The pirate handed Elizabeth gracefully into the boat, with an admiring glance at her display of trim ankles, irritating the commodore further. Norrington himself was having a hard time keeping his professional detachment in the presence of his scantily clad love, but that bloody bastard had no right to look at her so. Sparrow grinned mockingly at the commodore as he clambered in after the girl. It gave Norrington great satisfaction to see that grin slip as his marines again confiscated the man’s pistol and baldric.
The satisfaction was short lived. As the boat set off for the Dauntless, Norrington heard Mulroy asking Jack Sparrow to tell them another story. “And no lies now,” Murtogg added. He really had to get that pirate back to Fort Charles and safely hanged before the man had charmed the entire Caribbean into legalizing piracy.
Thus, the rescue boat returned to the ship with Sparrow’s voice occasionally reaching Norrington’s ears. “And then we let all twenty-five chickens loose on the deck . . .” The commodore winced. The man was not a pirate, he was a bloody joke.
His eyes were drawn again and again to Elizabeth’s eager laughing face. It went very much against his grain to have to feel gratitude to Jack Sparrow.
TBC
2 The Best Laid Plans
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-13 10:32 am (UTC)I just loved the description of Jack, and Murtogg asking for another story!
no subject
Date: 2005-08-14 04:38 am (UTC)I do love Murtogg and Mulroy. Someday, I'm actually going to have to write that chicken story I keep having Jack hint at.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-03 12:00 pm (UTC)But this: safely hanged, oh my gosh, now Norrie needs a beverage warning as well!
no subject
Date: 2005-11-03 01:51 pm (UTC)Really, for Elizabeth to have survived among pirates, with whose horrible habits the Scourge of Piracy had to be familiar,was a bit of a miracle. Norrington had to have been dreading what he'd find on this hunt. And then to see this new version of Elizabeth looking not in the least like the fine lady and cavorting about on the best of terms with one of those dastardly pirates (particularly that one)must have given him pause. He had to know she'd a bit of a soft spot for pirates in the first place.
I do love James' view of Jack. The longer Jack remains unhanged, the more trouble he gets Norrington into. So yep, Norrie isn't safe until he's minus one badly behaving pirate!
Glad to give you a laugh. *hands hendercats a virtual paper towel to clean the screen*
Thank you so much for the feedback.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-07 04:26 pm (UTC)I really do feel sorry for James here. By now Elizabeth has been in pirate custody for nearly a week. He mustn't have gotten much sleep, thinking about all the horrible things those pirates could be doing to her, dwelling on how he was unable to protect her and keep her safe. And then, against all hope, he finds her alive ...in the company of Jack Sparrow!
The progression of his thoughts here flowed really well, very natural. First we see his worry, then his relief mired by an entirely new breed of worry, then we see him put the clues together and draw yet another worrying conclusion. After all, Sparrow is a black-hearted pirate (nevermind he saved her from drowning at the start of this debacle) and Elizabeth is entirely too comfortable in his company for the proper society girl he likes to envision her as.
The jealousy was a nice touch, too.
In the end though he seems to have reconciled the fact that Elizabeth is alive and well (if a bit dirty and scraped) when by rights she should not have been, given her ordeal. I loved the last two lines, they were the perfect cumulation of everything he felt.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-07 08:34 pm (UTC)Poor James, indeed. Not only had pirates managed to sneak up on his fort and kidnap his love, but his rival had managed to let loose another pirate and run off with the only ship that had a prayer of catching the Black Pearl, so he had to be feeling particularly a failure at saving Elizabeth.
I'm glad you like the journey his thoughts take. Jack just seemed to take such pleasure in baiting the commodore on the docks, that I figured he wouldn't be able to resist it here either. And really, the girl with whom Jack danced around the fire was not one the commodore would ever have seen all trussed up in finery or corsets at social occasions. She must have been a bit of a shock to meet. And her familiarity with that pirate must have grated for the man who could only get as close to "I love you" as "You are a fine woman"!
By the time of Jack's hanging, poor Norrington seems to know they owe the man for Elizabeth's life several times over, among other things. That's got to be hard to reconcile with the fact that his duty tells him to hang the man. I wanted to capture the road he travels to get to that one day's head start.
Thank you so much for the further comments. As you so astutely hypothesized, I'm rather thrilled to get them.