You, Me, and the Seven Seas.

Chapter 4 - The Ocean Between Us

The next day, I sat outside the docks in a simple, short blue dress. No corset, no hoop skirt, and no floor-length skirts. One of the maids, Estrella, sat next to me on the bench, and we watch Elizabeth play in the sand. Before I knew it, someone tapped me on the shoulder. There stood James, but a different one than I was used to. He wore his hair naturally, short, wavy, and brown. His uniform wasn't covered in its usual pins and patches, but light and simple instead. I smiled and stood to face him. "Lieutenant Norrington! I'm so glad you could make it." He smiled and kissed my hand as he always did when greeting me. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Miss Swann."

He held out his arm, "Shall we be on our way then?" I took it without hesitation, "What do you have planned for us first?" He smiled excitedly, "I hope you're hungry because I'm taking you to have the second-best tea and biscuits in town." I cock an eyebrow, "Second best?" He grins at me, "Well although they're incredible, they simply can't compete with yours." I giggle, "Well then, I suppose you'll have to join me for tea at the manor sometime." His smile grows wider, "I would like nothing more." We spent the afternoon exploring the city, going in and out of each shop. We even stopped to play with some little boys kicking around a football.

James joined the family for dinner, and we decided to go for a stroll on the beach. When we reached the edge, I kicked off my ballet flats, planting my feet in the sand. James looked simply baffled, "What are you doing, woman?" I turned towards him with a smile, "Do you trust me?" He laughed, "Strangely enough, I do." I grinned, "Then what are you waiting for?" For a moment, he simply stared at me in silence. Finally, he ripped off his boots and his socks, removed his jacket, and carefully stepped onto the sand. I can't help but laugh, "You act as if you're a sailor who's never been on a beach." He chuckled, "I have, but never like this." I smiled, grabbed his hand, and took off running. He stumbled along as I dragged him to the shore. He jumped a little when the tide touched his toes.

I turned back to him, beaming. "Isn't this fun?" I laughed, and he shook his head. "You're positively mad," he interlaced his fingers with mine, then twirled me around, dipping me so that I nearly touched the water. With his lips nearly brushing mine he says, "And I adore it." His kiss seemed to make the world stop turning, to forever seal a moment in time. Out of nowhere, a gust of wind blew his hat right off of his head. We quickly chased after the hat as it flew out over the ocean. Sadly, It moved too quickly and was out of reach in seconds. He turned back to me, groaning in frustration. I laughed, running my fingers through his hair. "That's okay, I like you better this way anyhow." With a grin, he wrapped his arms around my torso, closing the space between us. His lips collided with mine, but this time it was different. I could feel the passionate fire burning between us, a desperate longing to be in each other's arms.

When we pulled away to catch our breath, I started laughing. He looked at me as if I was mad, "What's so funny?" He took a step back, almost looking concerned. I quickly seized the opportunity and shoved him back into the water. I started to run as his head popped back up, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me into the water, on top of him. "Not today, princess." He stood up, throwing me over his broad shoulder. He strolled straight past the bench with our shoes, walking barefoot on the moonlit pavement. Before either of us could reach for the handle, the front door swung open. There stood Elizabeth with a set of towels and an evil smirk. "You best be getting home, lieutenant, another early morning awaits you." The twelve-year-old made her smart remark as he set me down, and handed each of us a towel. James nodded awkwardly before giving me a quick kiss goodnight and shutting the door behind him. "He's just being cordial," mocks my bratty sister with a little too much joy. "I don't know what you're talking about Lizzie, we went for a walk and fell in the water, that's all!" She snickered, "Please, Lillian, the maids and I were watching from my bedroom window. You should be glad, they already have a bath drawn for you." Make no mistake, the young girl never stopped prodding me with questions that night.