Norrington's Darling

The Letter

POV: James Norrington

Hours before we caught up to Sao Feng, we met up with the Endeavour. Beckett met me the moment I stepped onto his broken ship, several crewmen following to help patch up the mast.

"Zuri was here."

"She's here?" I gasped. "Where? I need to see her—"

"She was here," he said, irritated. "You were right. Barbossa and Jack intend to use her for their own gain. She will be their leverage on the Brethren Court. That's why they kidnapped her, she said so herself."

"She's gone?" I whispered.

Beckett nodded solemnly.

My chest deflated. Beckett noticed. "We will get her back. We will catch up to the Black Pearl and we will capture her from the pirates. You will have her again."

"You might catch up, but I will be on the Dutchman," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "I lose her again." 

Beckett studied me. "Why don't we send Jones after both ships?" he reasoned. "The Endeavour needs to be fixed before we can give chase. Go after Sao Feng first. Then go after the Pearl. And don't let Jack escape again." He left me.

Moments before, I would have been happy to go after the Pearl. But if I tried to bring Jack back to Beckett, Zuri would throw herself into Jones's service before she'd let me take her brother back to their old nemesis. We could not go after the Pearl.

Groves found me standing in the same spot, dejected. "Here." He pushed a paper into my hands. "It's from your wife." 

A giddy elation filled me at the sound of those words. My wife. 

"Thank you, Theodore." 

He grinned and squeezed my shoulder. "She misses you as much as you miss her, James. Remember that."

I smiled. "Thanks, Theodore." I squeezed his arm in response, nodding. Then I went back to the Dutchman to my quarters—newly acquired ones where no one would watch me open Zuri's letter.

Her handwriting was comforting and familiar. But what at first appeared to be one of her love letters like those she'd written to me for years, it soon became something much more important to me. 

My dear husband,

I will never get over the thrill I get calling you my husband. I miss you very much James. But I'm afraid I have news, both dire and good. Let's start with the terrible, shall we? Beckett knows of Shipwreck Cove. He knows our plans. Jack and I had to tell him. We have a plan that I don't trust to write should this letter be found. Speaking of that, do not let this letter be found. 

There is something I need you to do. When you are done reading this letter, write down your coordinates and the words 'Bring her to me' at the bottom of this page. It's magic Tia taught me that I've imbued into the letter. This way, we can see each other and discuss what I am about to tell you.

I have made the discovery after weeks of being uncharacteristically sick at sea that I am pregnant. We're going to be parents, James!

My love, please let your summons be quick. I must speak to you. We must talk about this child, my darling. And I wish to be with you once more. 

Love,

Your wife

The breath was knocked out of me. Pregnant! My Zuri was pregnant!

A breathy laugh escaped me. We were going to be parents. I was going to be a father.

The weight of it briefly hit me like a blow to the stomach. I had to be a father. I had to raise a child. Could I be better than my father? Could I be better than Zuri's? Could we be better parents than the parents we had?

Theodore. I needed to tell him. I raced back onto the Endeavour, finding him talking with Beckett.

"Lord Beckett, may I speak with Groves for a moment?"

Beckett nodded. "Of course." He moved away. Apparently he had other matters to attend to.

"He's shaken up after the Sparrows got away so quickly," Groves said, pleased. "And that they so easily took out our mainmast."

"Theodore, in the letter she sent, Zuri had incredible news." I was beaming. Beaming like an idiot now that Beckett was gone.

"Yeah? What might that be?" Groves asked, even though I could tell he had a pretty good idea based on his grin.

"Zuri's pregnant!"

Groves clapped me on the back. "Aha! Yes! Ready to be a father, James ol' boy?"

"Oh, that's the thing, I don't know!" A shaky laugh came out of me. "I don't know! I don't know if I can be better than my father."

Groves grinned. "Of course you can! You and Zuri'll be magnificent parents!"

I smiled. "I hope so." I hugged him spontaneously. He squeezed me back. I don't know how long we stayed like that.

I looked up as Feng's crew was forced up onto the deck. To my surprise, Elizabeth was among them. A knife was held to her throat and that of another man. "You are not my captain," he spat.

"Elizabeth!" I said, shocked. My eyes were surely the size of tea saucers.

"James!" Elizabeth said, high-pitched and breathless. "James!" She broke away from her guard and rushed to me. I crossed the last of the distance between us and pulled her close, hugging her briefly. The sight of someone human, of someone I considered my friend... It was a welcome change from being aboard the Dutchman.

"Thank God you're alive! Your father will be overjoyed to know you're safe," I said, unable to fight a smile. 

Her gaze was venomous. "My father's dead."

It was like a candle's flame guttering out in my chest. "No, that can't be true. H-he returned to England!"

Elizabeth fought tears. "Did Lord Beckett tell you that?"

He had. And she was accusing him, wasn't he? That meant he...he'd killed Governor Swann.

"Who among you do you name as captain?" spat Davy Jones.

"Captain?" asked the same man as before. "Her!" He and the others pointed at Elizabeth. Backstabbers.

Jones eyed Elizabeth. "Captain?"

"Tow the ship," I ordered, not liking the way he looked at her with rage and incredulity. Elizabeth was capable of all she put her mind to. "Put the prisoners in the brig. The captain shall have my quarters."

A nasty look crossed Elizabeth's face. "Thank you, sir. But I prefer to remain with my crew."

"Elizabeth! I swear...I did not know."

"Know what?" she snapped. "Which side you chose?" She moved back to her crew, oblivious to pain her words gave me. "Well, now you do."

I didn't try to get her to take my quarters again.