Sisters of the Caribbean: Commodore James Norrington

Chapter Thirty-Five - The Blame Game

Everyone has their own perception of love. Some believe that it's a myth, a fairytale created to increase population. Others believe that love is a force of nature, it exists everywhere and nowhere all at once. They believe that everyone has someone perfect for them. Then you have people like me, realists. People who know that love exists, but also understands that in order to maintain that love, you have to be loyal and work for it. Of course, I didn't realize that until now. I didn't realize how I felt until the man that I love, the man that I married was standing in front of me once again. Jack Sparrow. The moment I seen him, everything stopped. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't speak, I could barely breathe. The only thing that I was focused on was him. I hadn't seen him in years. My heart pounded, my ears rang, all I wanted to do was run to him, but I better sense then that. So I waited, just as I have for years. I waited for him to come to me.....and he did. It happened so fast I hadn't known what was going on. It one motion he wrapped his arms around me and spun around. When my get hit the ground, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I surprised myself truthfully. I haven't had a sliver of happiness in me since he was marooned, until now. All of my emotions crashed at once as I kissed him. Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love, I felt it all in one wave. The kiss was very powerful. It wasn't needy, not rough, powerful. It felt as if he had waited a lifetime for this one kiss. He pulled away and rested his head against mine.

"I'll have your head if you ever leave again." I whispered with a grin.

"I never thought I'd hear your voice again." He replied in hushed tone, pulling me into a tight hug.

When Jack pulled away, he lifted my chin up, "When all this is over, we are going away."

"Jack..." I warned, he knew how I felt about leaving my sisters alone. They need me. Rory is out of control, acting like a psychotic child. Veda is so desperate that she'd sell her soul for a man in uniform. Norine is too smart for her own good, always having her nose in a book. And Davina, bless her soul. Her morals will get her into trouble someday, or, even worse, dead. As for Kyra, I haven't seen her in years, not since she ran off to Tortuga to live with Leon. I need to be here when she comes back.

          "I know what you'll say," Jack spoke softly, "But you can't protect them forever. I will not allow you to waste away."

I looked up with him, my expression hardening, "Then why waste you breath? You know what my answer will be."

          "Because I love you and I don't want to see your heartbreak."

          "It can't break if I am doing what I love."

          "Baby sitting your siblings, that's what you love?" He asked, scowling.

          "It's what I am good at." I corrected.

          "But it's not what you love."

I scowled at him, he hasn't been here for years and yet here he is thinking he knows me better than I know myself.

          "If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with my father." I explained, "We need to be ready."

And with that I pushed passed him.

Just like a man to assume that they could expect a woman to abandon their family to please them. Jack may be my husband, but he can be so selfish sometimes. Only he would suggest such an idea.
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Davina's POV

          "Good luck with that," I called to Jack.

          "What do you mean?" He asked, tilting his head.

          "She's changed a lot since you left, she's gotten bitter."

          "Ace? Bitter? Please, she may be a lot of things, but she isn't bitter." Jack scoffed.

          "I can't blame her though," I replied, "First her husband was marooned. Then father became harsher towards her because of her loyalty to you. Now, her husband is begging her to once again leave all that she's ever known. She barely even speaks anymore and when she does, it's normally to correct one of us."

          "Well you make it sound like it's all my fault." Jack rolled his eyes.

          "I'd say its 50/50 between you and our father." I stated matter of factly.

          "25/75?" Jacked asked.

          "You can't negotiate your way out of blame. That's not how it works."

          "It's worked before."

          "Look, you want to make her happy? Stop expecting her to choose. She shouldn't have to."

          "She only feels that way because of you." He spat.

          "Pardon me?" I asked, my blood beginning to boil.

          "If you and your sisters would stop relying on her for everything, she would be free to do whatever she wanted." He explained, angrily I might add, "You want to talk about negotiating out of blame, that is what the Barbossa are good at. Every single one of you put the blame on me and your father because you don't want to admit that you're the only reason why she's still here."

I stood there, utterly stunned. I wanted so angry I contemplated cutting his head off, but then I realized that he wasn't wrong. If I cut his head off right now, Ace would lie and act as if whatever excuse I gave her was true whether it was or not. She'd accept my actions on the sole belief that that's what an older sibling should do. It wasn't often that Jack made sense or was even correct, but for once in his life, he knew more than I did.  If she didn't leave with him today, she never would.

          "Fine." I said.

          "What?"

          "I'll convince her to leave with you," I said, watching his eyes sparkle, "Under one condition...."

          "Yes yes, what is it?"

          "You take Rory with you."