Norrington's Darling

The Family On The Black Rose

POV: Zuri Norrington

We spent a few more weeks at Shipwreck Cove, none of us relishing the moment we would part. Elizabeth intended to return to Port Royal for a few while to get her belongings; then she'd return to Shipwreck Cove, where she'd remain Pirate King. Jack planned on going to Tortuga with the Pearl and his crew; Barbossa had elected to go with him. (That in itself smelled of trouble.) As for myself and James' ten men, we were going home. Port Royal called.

I'd debated it for some time. I'd fallen back into the easy lull of Shipwreck Cove, but as much as I loved the pirate city, despite James telling me to raise our child pirate, there was nowhere to bury James. And because I couldn't bear to part with him, even in death, I would live nearby. So, the townhouse in Port Royal it would be. 

Theodore and Andrew had promised they would stay with me, no matter what I did. 

"Whether you turn pirate or court lady, we're staying with you," Theodore vowed. I promised him I would be remaining a pirate. Without Beckett in Port Royal, the town would be far more welcoming. But I knew leaving the sea behind wasn't in my cards. Instead, I would live part-time on land, part-time on sea, part-time at Shipwreck Cove.

Two weeks before I left for Port Royal, my father gave me a ship of my own to captain. The Black Rose was newly built, named similarly to my brother's ship. Theodore, Andrew, Jack, Elizabeth, Gibbs, and myself worked on it, perfecting it. Over the weeks, I became accustomed to my new crew—James' old men. 

Commander Thomas Brett was a man who reminded me painfully of James. Loyal and brave, he had the same kind of unwavering confidence from James' days as commodore. He could have been James' brother in everything but appearance. 

Sub-Lieutenant Samuel Greaves was the youngest and newest. He'd only known James a few months as Admiral Norrington, but as time passed he became something like a son to me. Theodore confided in me that Samuel had been in awe of James, asking him questions left and right and doing his best to imitate him. I decided I was going to protect him with my life. 

Charles and Philip Hailing were a captain and lieutenant commander, respectively. They'd sailed with us to say goodbye to Jack, as had another lieutenant commander, Thomas Erstead. They had gone into the navy the same time as James but had progressed slower. All three were sympathetic, but Charles was gruffer than his brother. Thomas Erstead had a sweetheart back home I intended to meet and perhaps convince her to join us; he had agreed to sail with us and turn pirate. He also told me that I could refer to him as Daniel to avoid confusion between himself and Thomas Brett.

Major Edmund Jones had helped James send his letters to me long before anyone knew who I was. Edmund confessed James had often spoken of me—to my shock, he had known who I was long before Theodore or Andrew.

Lieutenant-Colonel John Fletcher admitted he'd been envious of James in their youth when James had always beaten him in everything, particularly swordplay. But he said he had been honored to help James in any way he could when he returned as admiral; he'd helped James avoid the envious glares and had taken a bullet to the leg for James in battle. He still limped from it. 

Lieutenant Oliver Wright had been on the Dauntless with James and Theodore; he'd survived with James' help and had returned to Port Royal. He had helped James escape to Tortuga with Fletcher's help so no one would know what had become of their disgraced commodore and honored friend.  

Commander Liam Taylor had known James, Theodore, and Andrew all his life. Since James had been three (Liam was five), they'd been together. Their fathers had known and worked together throughout their childhoods. He was very emotional when I told him I was pregnant with James' child—his wife had just given birth to their third only days before he'd had to go to sea last. The child was nearly a year old by this point.