(no subject)

[scourgeofpiracy]

The brig of the Flying Dutchman is not a pleasant place even by the usual standards of ship brigs. Norrington tries to avoid going near it, as much as possible.

Tonight he can't. Some choices, once made, can't be gone back on.

He unlocks the door hastily, with a glance over his shoulder.

Comments

[try_corsets]

The sound of metal scraping metal is loud in the silence, and every pirate in the damp and dimly lit cell turns to look at Norrington, stubbornly impassive.

Elizabeth, surrounded by her crew, stands tall and proud. She'd been brooding over the conversation with Bootstrap, but Norrington's appearance scatters her thoughts. Her expression matches those of the rest, and though she's only been their captain for a matter of hours, in this case, it's very much a united front.

No one says a word.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

"Come with me", he says, low and hurried but still as calm as he can be. He looks only at Elizabeth.

[try_corsets]

They are persistent in their silence.

Aware of the men tensing on either side of her, Elizabeth continues to stare at her former fiancé, giving nothing away.

She makes no move toward the open cell door, and thus neither do her men.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

In another time, and another place, he might have rolled his eyes. There's no thought for that now.

"Quickly!" he almost snaps, but with more desperation in it than annoyance.

[try_corsets]

There's no immediate indication that Elizabeth intends to comply. After a moment of consideration, she nods to Tai Huang. The pirate -- now her second in command -- quickly leads the others out of the cell.

Elizabeth follows, pausing by the door to hiss, "What are you doing?"

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

"Choosing a side", is the only answer he can give, waiting for her to move.

[try_corsets]

She hadn't expected him to take her words, uttered scornfully, to heart. After all, he's made no secret of his disdain over the past year.

Regardless, the door is open. She can question his sincerity later, after she is free of the brig.

Elizabeth nods and hastily follows her crew down the passageway.

[byhisbootstraps]

In the brig, a shuffling footstep pauses outside the heavy barred door that's now hanging open.

Empty.

The prisoners are gone.

Thoughts come slowly, these days.


That's bad. Were supposed to guard the brig. Captain's orders.


Bootstrap takes a step back, and turns.

[try_corsets]

As ordered, a towline connects the Dutchman and the Empress, and the escaped pirates scurry across at Norrington's direction. Bringing up the rear, Elizabeth clings to the slippery side of the ship and edges toward the stern.

Her heart is racing, but when she lands on the deck behind Norrington, she is composed.

Grim, but composed.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

Norrington's face is just as grim, but determined, and he turns to her to speak, low and urgent.

"Do not go to Shipwreck Cove. Beckett knows of the meeting of the Brethren. I fear there may be a traitor among them."

[try_corsets]

Elizabeth feels her blood run cold at the warning and

(traitor)

the inevitable memory of her father drifting away from her forever.

A quick shake of her head, lips pursed, and she states, "It is too late to earn my forgiveness."

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

He knows it's too late, and she's not the only one whose forgiveness he can never have. But he still has to go through with this.

"I had nothing to do with your father's death." It seems important to make sure she knows that, somehow. "But that does not absolve me of my other sins."

[try_corsets]

He swore to watch over her father and that's what she can't forget, but Elizabeth doesn't need to say the words aloud. She sees regret on his face and looks deep into his eyes, surrendering to memories for the briefest of moments, and remembers a time when he was a good friend, and she treated him poorly.

Norrington knows what he did and she can't forgive him, but she's also very much aware of the risk he's taking.

"Come with us," she insists quietly.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

He looks at her, accepting the eye contact for the first time since they left the brig, and he can't speak for a moment. Because maybe, if he goes with her now, if he proves himself, there might still be a chance at regaining her trust...

It's the last thing he was expecting to hear.

[try_corsets]

The last of the pirates is making his way onto the rope. Soon, it will be Elizabeth's turn.

Urgently: "James, come with us!"

[byhisbootstraps]

A deep, hoarse voice shouts nearby: "Who goes there?"

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

It's too late. And he knows, deep in his soul, that one moment of hope notwithstanding... it was too late from the moment he went down to the brig. Maybe from the moment he sold his soul to Beckett.

He pushes Elizabeth behind him, almost without thinking, and draws his sword as the man on the quarterdeck starts down towards them.

"Go", he says without taking his eyes off the danger. "I will follow."

[try_corsets]

Not at all pleased at being thus handled, Elizabeth lets out a gasp of annoyance that turns to very real concern.

"You're lying," she accuses.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

He turns to look at her, knowing it's very likely he's not going to leave this ship, to say the least.

"Our destinies have been entwined, Elizabeth, but never joined." Taking this one last chance before she leaves him, he leans down and kisses her, putting everything he can into it. "Go, now."

It's almost desperate. If she stays to fight, it's all been for nothing.

[try_corsets]

The kiss catches her off guard, but she doesn't struggle. Under other circumstances, it would be nice. Comforting. Absurdly, she finds herself thinking that in all their long acquaintance, this is the first time he's kissed her.

When it's over and he's pleaded with her to flee, Elizabeth knows in her heart that he's right.

Steeling herself, she nods and scrambles over the railing. In seconds, she hooks her body around the line and begins the long climb behind her crew.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

Norrington sets his jaw and turns to Bootstrap, hoping he still has enough authority here.

"Stand down, sailor."

[byhisbootstraps]

He stares at Norrington, swaying slightly.

"No one leaves the ship."

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

That... is not promising.

More firmly, with an edge of panic he's trying to hide, "Back to your station. That's an order."

[byhisbootstraps]

"That's an order," he repeats blankly.

The haze in his mind is thicker than ever, a dense fog enfolding him like the walls of the ship; seeing through it, thinking through it, is becoming harder and harder.

But words like order exist on either side of the fog, and mean the same thing.

He has his orders.

"Part of the crew," he mumbles, clouded eyes fixed on the Navy man. "Part of the ship, part of the crew. Part of the ship, part of the crew --"

The Navy man's saying something else. He doesn't hear it. His own voice is rising from a querulous mutter to a hoarse shout.

"Part of the ship, part of the crew. Part of the ship -- All hands! Prisoner escape!"

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

Norrington pulls his pistol on the man, makes one last desperate attempt to stop this before it's too late.

"Belay that!"

[try_corsets]

The call goes out and Elizabeth, hanging from the towline, swivels her head to see James draw his pistol. With a gasp, she starts crawling back toward the Dutchman, though she's not sure what she'll do to help when she gets there.

"James!" she shrieks, desperate.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

Norrington's head snaps towards her, and... he can't let her do that. He can't let her come back into danger for him.

The next shot in his pistol goes to break the towline.

[byhisbootstraps]

The words keep repeating even when he stops saying them, part of the fog somehow, filling his head until there isn't room for anything else, part of the crew part of the ship part of the crew.

The woman's frantic cry, her voice, her face, mean nothing on this side of the fog. The desperate courage of the man before him means even less.

No one leaves the ship.

His sword's in his hand, and he's moving even as the towline and those clinging to it fall toward the water, even as the man in uniform turns back toward him.

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

Norrington turns, but there's no time to do more than register the sword in the crewman's hand before he can't see it anymore, can't see anything for a moment, because the man in front of him has just run him through.

He staggers, slumps to the deck with his back against the railing, and with cold clarity he knows he's dying.

[try_corsets]

For a long, terrifying moment after plunging into the inky black water, Elizabeth isn't sure what's up or down. When she surfaces, the sight of her friend -- is it too late, she wonders, to call him that -- being stabbed is more alarming still. He slumps to the deck, and she feels her blood run cold.

"James! No!" she screams. "No!"

But her cries won't accomplish anything. It's useless. If she tries to go back now, both their lives will be forfeit. Casting a last anguished look at the scene unfolding on the Dutchman, she turns and strikes out for the Empress with all her strength.

It wouldn't do for them to leave without their captain.

[bringmethatnpc]

The cry has been given - All hands! Prisoner escape! and all hands corwd into the stern- - too late to prevent the escape, but in time to see the man lying againt the railing.

"The Admiral..." says Koleniko.

"The Admiral's dead?" Clanker says, hardly believing this occurence. "The Admiral's dead!"

The cry is picked up: "The Admiral's dead!"

[doyoufeardeath.livejournal.com]

The Captain barrels through the crowd now, looking less then pleased at this turn of events. Then again -- when does Davy Jones look anything less then malicious?

It sends most of the screw scattering below -- and leaves him alone with the dying man. He comes closer to him, looking down, and then says, his voice like the crashing of waves: "James Norrington, do you fear death?"

[scourgeofpiracy.livejournal.com]

Norrington is beyond answering verbally, if he would even have dignified that with an answer.

He is not, however, beyond movement. He draws his sword and he lunges up, stabbing Jones through the place where his heart should be.

The effort takes the last of his strength.

It's the last thing he does.

[doyoufeardeath.livejournal.com]

"Hnnh. I'll take that as a no."

Nonplussed by the man's last action, Jones jerks the sword from his breast as if it were a thorn in his palm; there's not a wince of pain or an ounce of discomfort. He turns the (Turner made) blade over in his hand and considers it a moment.

"Nice sword," he comments to himself, and leaves the cooling corpse behind him. Swords, after all, are far more interesting then dead admirals.

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