ONE MORE NIGHT

The Commodore took off his hat and his wig, then buried his head in
his hands with a small soft sigh, the uncertain lamplight glistening
off of his closely-cropped dark hair. He was still having trouble
believing it…that Elizabeth Swann had actually agreed to marry him.
She had seemed so…safe. The perfect choice, really. He'd known her
since she was a small child; he'd always been fond of her…rather
paternally, probably due to his friendship with Governor Swann. And
everyone with eyes could see how devoted she was to young Will
Turner, the orphan-turned-blacksmith; everyone, that was, except
possibly Will and Elizabeth themselves. And therefore Elizabeth was
sure to refuse him. It could then be explained away poetically, the
bachelorhood of the young Commodore. He was in love with Elizabeth
Swann, yet Elizabeth herself was devoted to another. How tragic,
people would whisper, and yet how beautiful…the heartbroken man who
remained in love with a woman he could not have. It was perfect.
But Elizabeth did not refuse him. And now all of his
carefully-laid plans were falling down around his feet. Poor
Elizabeth. She really deserved better.
"You know…" a familiar voice intoned, disrupting Norrington's
thoughts. The unsuspecting Commodore jumped, lifted his head…although
he knew perfectly well whose voice it was. "For a man who's about to
marry a beautiful young girl…you don't seem very excited, mate."
Norirngton thrilled at the sound of the familiar voice as he
always did, tried to stop the mad rush of adrenaline, still the
frantic beating of his heart; to calm the madness that the sight and
sound and very thought of the pirate-captain had been stirring up
since their first encounter. "How did you get in here?" he inquired
of the pirate, in his cool brisk military-officer voice. It was a
well-practiced tone, one guaranteed not to let any emotion slip
through. Outwardly he was cool and composed. Like always. Yet…
Jack Sparrow grinned, and inwardly Norrington melted. "You
forgot one thing, luv," he crooned. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." His
dark-lined eyes flashed with amusement.
"Of…of course…" Norrington babbled, surprise at being
referred to as "luv" eroding his normal calm.
This earned another roguish grin from Captain Sparrow. "So,"
he said, approaching Norrington, "You are human after all. I was
beginning to think that was it…"
"It?" the Commodore wondered, rather stupidly.
Jack paid him no mind, merely stepped closer. "She and Will
are mad for eachother. But you knew that all along. Why anyone would
want to be refused…"
Norrington frowned. "What makes you think…"
The other man laughed. "I may be…a pirate…" he paused to
gesture, rather extravagantly, "But I'm not stupid. Savvy?" He winked.
Desperately trying to convince himself that there shouldn't
be anything alluring about Jack Sparrow winking, he murmured, "Your
French is atrocious. It's ca va, not ca vie, and…"
Another step closer. "I've learned a lot of things from the
French, mate." That said, it was quite easy for him to close the
remaining distance between them and demonstrate the sort of kissing
one learned from the French on the unresisting, starry-eyed Commodore.
As if in a dream, Norrington took full advantage of the
moment because…well, how often did one have the advantage to kiss
Captain Jack Sparrow?
It was over far too soon, and Jack drew away and smiled down
at the Commodore. "So. That's why."
"I…I can explain…" Norrington murmured, hastily, a look of
panic replacing the one he had been wearing that was far closer to
guilty pleasure. Found out…he couldn't be found out…!
"I think I understand, " replied the pirate. That said, the
only thing to be done was to offer another kiss. And another and…
"This won't…" Norrington told Jack, breathlessly, "Change the
fact that you…you're…"
Jack pressed a finger to Norrington's lips. "Quiet as the
grave," he whispered, placing his other hand on one of the other
man's shoulders and leading him towards the bed. "Savvy?"
Shoulder. Shoulder? Someone still…gripping his shoulder…
"Commodore? Commodore?"
Norrington opened his eyes groggily and looked up at his
adorably-attentive lieutenant hovering over him.
"You fell asleep at your desk again, sir," Gillette informed
him. "Come..to bed? You've been working far too hard lately. But
there's nothing to worry about tonight." He smiled, a calming, loving
smile.
There was…well, everything to worry about, from pirates to
weddings and everything in-between. But Norrington merely smiled back
and let the lieutenant take him to bed…and wondered idly how Gillette
would look in eyeliner…



***

The Commodore paced around the small cabin, unable to sleep for fear
of being plagued by more such…dreams. He wasn't quite sure he could
take any more stress. Pirates. Weddings. Jack. The combination was
enough to drive any man insane.
With a quiet sigh, the occupant of the bed shifted, and
Norrington looked over with a small smile at a bared shoulder,
coppery-red head resting on a white pillow. Gillette. If anything
still made sense in this world. It could only be Gillette…dear,
wonderful Gillette.
He crossed the room and slipped into bed; the younger man
woke with a start…relaxing when he recognized Norrington. "Thank
goodness!" he breathed. "I'd been having the most horrid dream."
Norrington flinched at the word "dream", in spite of
himself. "What happened," he wondered, gently.
"You and Elizabeth had just…gotten married. And I was
supposed to make a speech, but I couldn't think of anything to say
and then it all…just spilled out and I'd told everyone everything
and…"
"Oh. Oh, dear, that sounds dreadful," Norrington replied, in
a gentle comforting voice.
"It was. They were going to hang me and…" Gillette smiled, a
bit wistfully. "And I don't want you to marry Elizabeth."
"Just…just because…I'll be married, it won't mean that…I still…" the
commodore babbled, uncertainly, trying to be reassuring.
"Everything will change," the young lieutenant interrupted
softly. "It will. You're an honourable man. You keep to your word.
It's one of the most wonderful things about you." He gazed up at
Norrington with a look of complete adoration. "You do care for
Elizabeth, and once married to her…you'd never be unfaithful. I know
you too well."
Those words went through Norrington; his stomach turned to ice.
Unfaithful. Jack. He cursed his wayward thoughts. "We shall simply
have to make sure I don't marry Elizabeth, then."
Gillette smiled, rather adorably. "Which is why we're risking body
and soul for her blacksmith." A pause, and then, softly, "Captain
Sparrow says we're nearly to Isla des Muertes." His voice shook, a
bit.
Resolutely banishing all thoughts of the pirate captain from his
mind, Norrington wondered softly "Are you frightened?"
"I'm more frightened of your marrying Elizabeth," Gillette admitted
with another heartbreaking smile.
Norrington wasn't quite sure what he was the most frightened of…but
it certainly wasn't battling undead pirates. "Nearly there, you say?"
Gillette nodded.
"Good," Norrington breathed, with a smile of his own. "We've a little
time yet." That said, he reached out and brought Gillette into his
arms. You never knew, did you, what the next day would bring?