Sisters of the Caribbean: Commodore James Norrington

Chapter Twenty - Goodnight

Will's POV

"So Will, how did you end up at Port Royal?" Leon asked as he sat in front of me.

"When I was a lad living in England," I began as I sharpened my sword, I decided to use this moment to get some answers out of Jack, "my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."

"Is that so?" Jack remarked as he passed me.

I stopped sharpening my sword and paused for a moment before getting up and following him, "My father, Bill Turner."

"It was only after you learned my name you agreed to help," I said, following him up the stairs to the top deck, "Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter."

He knelt down and began fiddling with some of the ropes that were tied to the sails, "I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."

Jack sighed heavily and paused for a moment before standing and walking over to stand in front of me.

"I knew him." Jack admitted, "Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him 'Bootstrap' or 'Bootstrap Bill'."

"Bootstrap?" I repeated aloud, the nickname was odd and strange.

"Good man. Good pirate," Jack said before turning his head towards me, "I swear you look just like him."

"It's not true." I replied, "He was a merchant sailor. A respectable man who obeyed the law."

"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag." Jack corrected me.

"My father was not a pirate," I said angrily as I drew my sword and pointed it at him.

"Put it away son, it's not worth you getting beat again," Jack said, no emotion in his voice.

"You didn't beat me." I said sternly, "You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you."

"That's not much incentive for me to fight fair, now is it?" Jack responded.

Jack turned the wheel causing one of the sails to hit me in the stomach, I grabbed a hold of it tightly as it held me over the water, my feet dangling.

"Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention." Jack instructed, my sword in his hand, "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't, but pirate is in your blood boy so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesie, savvy?"

I looked at him with a puzzled look...'The hell is Tortuga?', I thought to myself.

"So," He said as he turned the wheel to bring the sail back over the ship, causing me to fall onto the top deck, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" Jack flipped my sword in his hand so that the handle would be in my direction. "Or can you not?"

I carefully grabbed my sword from his hand and raised an eyebrow, "Tortuga?"

"Tortuga," He replied with a smug smile.

From a distance, I heard Leon groan at the very mention of Tortuga.

"You alright lad?" Jack called.

"To hell with Tortuga!" He called back.

"Well he sounds grumpy, doesn't he?" Jack chuckled.

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Kyra's POV

Night had finally arrived and I sat peacefully on a bench and looked out the window in Norrington's quarters, watching the stars. I hadn't seen James since our encounter earlier this morning, my body still got shivers when I thought of it. Groves had come by a few times today to check on me and bring me food, I only ate a small amount, I wasn't that hungry. I sighed loudly and inhaled the salty air.

"Quite a sigh," Norrington said as he quietly shut the door behind him, "Everything alright?"

"Aye, everything's perfect," I replied, not taking my eyes off the stars.

"I'm glad you feel that way," James said with a smile as he removed his hat and powdery wig and sat them on his dresser.

"Do you enjoy the stars?" He asked as he stood beside where I sat.

"I normally don't look at them, I just noticed how bright they were tonight and decided I might as well observe, " I responded, "Do you enjoy them?"

"I do actually, they fascinate me." He replied.

"You sound like my sister," I replied with a giggle, It wasn't until now that I realized how much I truly missed my family.

"I do?" He asked, taking a seat on the bench, facing to look at me.

"Yes, Norine loves the stars. When we were younger, she would stay up all night in the crow's nest with her journal and she would fill them up with her observations and thoughts about the stars." I explained, "I remember one night, she had grown so tired from staying up that she hadn't even noticed that Rory had climbed into the crow's nest as well. When Rory woke her up, she was startled that she fell backward out of the nest and landed on the main deck." I couldn't help but laugh and smile at the fond memories of my childhood.

"Who's Rory?" He asked, a smile spread happily on his face.

"Rory is the youngest out of us," I replied.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"There are six of us in total. Ace is the oldest, then it's me, Norine, Veda, Davina, and Rory." I replied.

"Wow, your mother must've enjoyed that, having six girls to dress how she wanted."

I felt the sadness wash over me at the mention of my mother, "My mother died during Rory's birth. I don't remember much of her, but Ace does."

"I'm so sorry Kyra, I didn't mean to upset you." James apologized, intertwining his fingers with mine.

"Oh no, don't be sorry, you didn't know." I said, "Besides, she deserves to be remembered. I don't think of her much anymore."

"Well, I bet she's very proud of the woman you are today," James whispered, causing me to blush and look down.

"Come on darlin'," James said as he stood up and pulled me with him, "Let's get some sleep."

I nodded and followed him to his bed. I crawled onto the bed and moved underneath the sheet and blanket. I watched as he removed his coat and shirt, along with his boots before he crawled underneath the bedding. I moved to the edge of the bed on my side, not wanting to invade his space. He gave me a puzzled look before pulling me closer to him.

"Goodnight, darlin'," James whispered in my ear as I closed my eyes.

"Goodnight, James."