Norrington's Darling

The Threat of Death

POV: James Norrington

I knelt beside Zuri. "Darling? Zuri, are you alright?" Mentally, I chastised myself. She was sitting at the table, sobbing. How could she possibly be alright?!

"James..." She whispered. Her voice was frail and she seemed fragile—as if anything would break her. It was not a look that suited Zuri Sparrow well.

"Zuri, what happened? Was it Beckett? Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?" I seethed at the thought and prayed that it wasn't the case.

"No, he didn't hurt me," Zuri whispered. "He didn't touch me. He...he told me what could happen to you."

My throat closed up. I recalled the conversation Beckett and I had had earlier this morning, while Zuri had slept peacefully in our bed...

"Admiral Norrington," Beckett said. "It may be disturbing for you to hear, but the possibility of your death looms larger now than when it did when you were commodore."

"Yes, I...I assumed so," I said breathily, my chest constricting only slightly when Beckett mentioned the looming threat of death. "I thought about it last night. Quite often, too."

The lord studied me. "And the thought sits well with you?"

"It does, sir," I confirmed. "I have always known my death came with my lifestyle."

Beckett swallowed, looked down, and back up. "Has it occurred to you that there are others to whom this idea will not sit well?" When I didn't react, he added, "Zuri, perhaps?"

My stomach did flips. "I..." I felt horrid. I hadn't even stopped to consider how Zuri would react to hearing of my death, of living without me. I knew she was strong—there was always the possibility she would muscle herself through it. But an evil little voice spoke in the back of my mind. 

But what if she isn't strong enough? it hissed. What if it breaks her beyond repair?

I had trouble believing Zuri could ever be broken beyond fixing, but the little voice refused to stop. I felt suddenly very ill.

"Forgive me for saying so, sir," I began, "but—but the thought didn't even cross my mind." I felt faint and the lightness in my head came through in my voice.

Beckett's brow furrowed. "It—it didn't?"

I shook my head slowly. "I've been doing that a lot, lately... Too much... I think only of myself and I...I forget about Zuri. I don't seem to realize...or...or remember that I mean so much to her. I forget she feels more acutely than the rest of us."

Beckett raised an eyebrow. "Because she's a woman?" he asked.

"What? No. Oh, heavens, no! Because she's a pirate. She feels every blow her brother's crew takes so...so acutely. And with her brother's death..."

The lord shook his head. "Jack Sparrow. Dead." He shook his head again. "The thought of it."

I studied him. "You knew him well?"

"I did," the lord agreed, his voice suddenly very quiet. His eyes grew distant. "He and Zuri were very alike, you know. Stubborn. Mischevious. Cocky. Excellent workers. A rebellious side you can't escape from."

I cracked a small smile. "That sounds like them."

Beckett nodded, still lost in his memories. "Mmm. Yes." He cleared his throat, shaking off his past. "Anyway, of your possible death..."

"Yes," I agreed, nearly choking on the word. "Should I die...you promise to take care of her?"

He started. "I— What?"

"If I die," I said slowly, "you will care for Zuri for me? You'll keep her safe?" I don't know why I asked. Especially not after what happened between them.

"Why me?" Beckett asked eventually, after staring at me in dumbfounded silence for nearly three minutes.

"Because you have the power to," I said after a moment of thought. "You know her. I trust you won't restrict her from the rights she's enjoyed as a pirate." I looked down. "You know how much she means to me. You know...you know how much it would kill me to see her on the arm of another marine."

"Ah," Beckett said, sounding like he'd achieved the answer he'd been waiting for. "You want me to keep a beautiful woman away from men deprived of a feminine presence."

I raised an eyebrow. "Beautiful?"

Beckett shrugged. Somehow even his shrug was elegant, just like everything else he did. "You must admit Zuri has become a very beautiful woman."

"She has," I agreed. I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're not thinking of...?"

Beckett looked shocked. "What? No! Heavens, no!" His pale face had become slightly flushed. "There was a time where I may have wanted Zuri as my own, but that time is no longer. If she would just acknowledge that herself..." He shook his head as I raised an eyebrow. "Nevermind that." He cleared his throat. "Back to the task at hand..."

"He told you I could die," I said bluntly, knowing full and well that was what she meant.

"He did," Zuri agreed, her voice barely above a soft whisper. Her eyes were pleading when they met mine. "Please...tell me you won't. Tell me...tell me it's not true. That it won't happen."

Sorrowfully, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes and my lower lip trembled. "I'm afraid I can't promise that, my love."

Zuri sobbed harder and with my heart being smashed into a thousand pieces, I folded her into a warm, apologizing hug.