Norrington's Darling

Over the Falls

POV: James Norrington

Quiet had settled over me since we'd left Malta. Theodore and Anamaria did their best to keep my spirits up, but the weight of what Zuri had asked me to do had finally set in.

Being kept away from my beloved, newlywed wife was one thing—but going forward with the task she had begged me to do...

Chasing her across the world, but not catching her. We'd both agreed, albeit reluctant, in that. Yet Beckett's own actions had forced us into the second plan, one I was much less happy with, especially if it revealed how much double-sided scheming Zuri had been doing.

Beckett had taken control of the Flying Dutchman eight days ago, but controlling her captain was another matter to contend with. He'd said just before we'd boarded the Durchman ten minutes ago he had a plan to fix that—what that plan was, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know. Doubtless I would have to participate, however.

Since my return, Beckett had been working closely with me and I doubted it was just because of my rank. He'd been eyeing me suspiciously since I'd returned to Port Royal empty-handed and with a heavy heart.

I still remembered telling him through sobs the story Theodore, Anamaria, and I had concocted on our way back, during the times I had been happy enough to plot and plan.

"What happened?" Beckett demanded the moment we got into his office. He whirled on me. "Where is she? What went wrong?"

Silent as the grave, I sunk, shaking, into the chair in front of Beckett's desk. At a loss, I put my head in my hands.

"Norrington!" Beckett hissed, voice full of contempt. "Tell me everything."

"Everything," I muttered, as if in a daze. "It went wrong near the end of our trip, when we were heading back. A squall came up out of nowhere, forcing all of us to work through the night, day, and following night. When it finally passed, we were no longer alone. A second ship had approached us; it was captained by Turner. We shot at each other from a distance. Zuri...she thought she could stop them. She made us agree to let her go over to the other ship. Sometime through her time over on the ship, we heard angry yelling and screaming. Silence fell. The night was dark and by the time we could see again...the ship was gone."

Of course, Beckett had chewed me out but he'd believed the story. That was the important part. 

Mercer was leaving as I walked into Beckett's office aboard the Endeavour in my new uniform, newly made to fit me after losing weight while training. It felt stiff and starched, the way I used to prefer my uniforms. After the, er, activities Zuri and I had undergone during our four-day honeymoon (often in my uniform, Zuri quite liked that), the stiff uniform felt very restricting.

"Ah, Admiral!" Beckett said when I entered.

"You summoned me, Lord Beckett." I tried to keep my voice neutral, but I could hear the bitter anger in my voice. 

"Yes," he said matter-of-factly, either not noticing or choosing not to care. He jerked his head to the mantle. "Something for you there. Your new station deserves an old friend."

Curious, I opened the case. Inside was the Turner sword. My breath caught in my throat as I lifted the sword out of the box and held it to the light.

The conversation in the room fell away and Zuri's words, punctuated with labored breaths as we worked to finish each other off in that back room in Malta, filled my head.

"Commodore!" Ecstasy gleamed in her eyes, her gaze glazed and pleased.

"Admiral, Naut, Admiral," I corrected through the haze of pleasure in my mind.