Norrington's Darling

Isla Cruces

POV: Zuri Sparrow

Later that morning, I stood at the wheel beside Cotton, Cotton's parrot, and Gibbs. I was doing everything I could to avoid Norrington, and Gibbs had told me staying with him might be my best chance. Apparently, Gibbs had given him quite the rebuke earlier.

My eyes fell to Elizabeth, who was sitting on the stairs of the Pearl, looking as miserable as I felt. Without my knowing, my eyes drifted across the deck, searching for Norrington. When I spotted him, a stabbing sensation went through my gut, and I looked back to Elizabeth. I elbowed Gibbs in the gut when Jack joined her.

"This could be good," Gibbs muttered in my ear.

I smirked. "Of course it will be."

Jack sat beside Elizabeth. "My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are...troubled."

I couldn't see Elizabeth's face, but the sadness in her voice was palpable. "I just thought I'd be married by now. I'm so ready to be married."

Jack opens a bottle of rum and hands it to her. He's quiet for a moment. Then he says, "You know, Lizzie, I am Captain of a ship and being Captain of a ship I could, in fact, perform a marriage right here. Right on this deck. Right now." His tone is suggestive and he's too close to her. I roll my eyes. 

Elizabeth looks disgusted. "No, thank you." 

Jack gets up and follows her. "Why not? We are very much alike you and I. I and you...us."

Elizabeth snorts, though she still looks like she might become ill. "Except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center. And personal hygiene."

Jack waves her protests away. "Trifles. You will come over to my side, I know it."

"You seem very certain."

Jack grins his Sparrow grin. "One word, love: curiosity. You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day...you won't be able to resist."

Elizabeth looks awkward. I exchange a glance with Gibbs. "Why doesn't your compass work?" she asked, changing the subject.

Jack looks annoyed. "My compass works fine."

Elizabeth suddenly changed back to the previous subject. "Because you and I are alike. And there will come a moment when you have a chance to show it. To do the right thing."

Jack walked away, spring in his step. "I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."

Elizabeth is not to be deterred. "You'll have the chance to do something... something courageous. And when you, you'll discover something. That you're a good man."

Jack and Elizabeth have switched positions—now it is he who is uncomfortable. "All evidence to the contrary."

Elizabeth laughs. "No, I have confidence in you. You want to know why?"

"Do tell, dearie."

With each sentence, Elizabeth leaned in closer to my brother. Gibbs and I look at each other. " Curiosity. You're going to want it—a chance to be admired—and gain the rewards that follow. You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know what it tastes like."

Jack is drawn in by Elizabeth. "I do want to know what it tastes like." 

Gibbs and I share an eye roll.

Jack places what appears to be a soft caress to Elizabeth's cheek. "But seeing as you're a good man, I know that you'd never put me in a position that would compromise my honor," she says. Jack is very, very close to kissing her when he suddenly jerks his hand away and steps back. Elizabeth smiles. "I'm proud of you, Jack."

Jack meets my eyes and mouths, Black spot.

I turn to Gibbs. "She is not to know the only reason Jack didn't kiss her is because his black spot returned," I whispered.

Gibbs nodded and cleared his throat. "LAND HO!"

Jack lets out a whimper. "I want my jar of dirt," he said, his voice clear even from over here. I snort.