hello out there! it's been quite a while, hasn't it?
Well, I figured it was about time I came up with something. I'm working on this story, which I will continue if people actually care and want to read it, otherwise I shall not waste anyone's time. That being said, this particular fic I have decided to conjure is my own little personal "how it should have ended" norribeth version of the third film. Granted, you may see situations and think, "Didn't this happen to Will?..." but hey, I have to admit that I did like the events (minus James' death) of the last film, just not Will. Anyway, here's the first part, I hope y'all enjoy! Tell me what you think! Feedback is always welcome (:
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Title: None (yet)
Chapter: 1/?
Pairing: Norribeth
Rating: PG-13
Characters: James Norrington, Elizabeth Swann, Bootstrap...
Genre: Adventure/Romance/Drama
Summary: Written in both James' and Elizabeth's points of view, but the first part is only James'. Set during AWE. A norribeth twist on the plot of the original story, and perhaps how it should have ended (;
A/N: Enjoy! Tell me what you think! Should I continue? Lemme know!
Disclaimer: All or any characters, story lines, concepts, ideas, etc. relating to the Pirates of the Caribbean series belongs to Disney, not me.
James:
“Come with me,” I say, my eyes pleading with her, “Quickly.”
She looks unsure for a moment, which is quite painful to know that she doesn’t trust me, but then decides to be rational and listens. She nods at her crew, who quickly file out of the cell, and make their way to the upper deck.
“What are you doing?” She asks, the expression on her face cold and defensive. She is clearly still angry with me.
“Choosing a side.” I say.
There is a tether line attached to the bow of the Empress, and her crew make all haste and climb across to the vessel floating nearby. This is it, my last chance.
“Do not go to shipwreck cove, Beckett knows of the meeting of the Brethren. I fear there may be a traitor among them…” I say. I have more than a feeling that this traitor may be a certain blacksmith by the name of William Turner, but now is not the time to discuss such matters.
She looks me square in the eyes and says with venom, “It’s too late to earn my forgiveness.” her words piercing through my heart like a knife. Does she really think so little of me that I would betray her or her father? Does she really think me to be so cruel and low?
“Elizabeth, I had nothing to do with your father’s death. But that does not absolve me from my other sins…” I say, ashamed, casting my eyes down to the floor.
“Come with us,” she says, and we lock eyes, “James, come with me.”
Oh how I want to. What would happen? Would she actually allow me to love her, would she leave Turner? Could I actually win her over? I ponder her offer for a moment, but I am interrupted by a stern “WHO GOES THERE?” coming from the railing above. Bootstrap peeks over the edge, and spots us. I have to act fast, there’s little time. Instinctively, I push her behind me, drawing my sword, and already my decision has been made. I value her life far more than my own, and I would do anything for her. If she was going to get off of this ship alive, I knew it would have to be without me. By now, I’m sure I have barely a minute until Bootstrap comes down here and sabotages the escape. I’ve got to get her out of here.
“Go. I will follow,” I lie. My jaw clenches, and I damn myself for my dead giveaway.
“You’re lying,” she says.
I turn to face her and look into her eyes. This is the moment, I better make this count. I swallow my fears down with a big gulp. “Our lives have been entwined, Elizabeth, but never joined,” I say softly, and slowly lean in to kiss her. I press my lips to hers gently, and I can tell she is momentarily shocked. She begins to respond, but there is no time. Reluctantly, I pull myself away from her.
“Go, now!” I say, painfully. It is done. It’s over now.
She hesitates, but then goes. Bootstrap appears, too soon, for she won’t make it across in time if he summons the others. I cannot let that happen; I cannot just stand here idly and let her die.
“Back to your station, sailor.” I warn, holding my sword steady, but he doesn’t seem to listen.
“No one leaves the ship,” he replies.
“Stand down. That’s an order.” I say, firmly.
“That’s an order…” he ponders, “…part of the crew, part of the ship…part of the crew, part of the ship…part of the crew, part of the ship!” He chants.
“Steady man!” I raise my voice to him, but it’s not working.
“Part of the crew, part of the ship! All hands! Prisoner escape!” he shouts.
“BELAY THAT!” I command, pulling my pistol on him.
“James!” I hear Elizabeth scream, and turn my head. She’s climbing back towards me. No, she can’t! I take one final look at her before I shoot the line, and as much as it pains me to do so, I know she will survive.
I turn back around and see Bootstrap standing there, staring in disbelief and bewilderment. I guess he didn’t see that one coming. For once, fortune decided to be in my favor. I see this as an opportune moment and do not hesitate. I swiftly disarm him and kick him into the wall, knocking him unconscious. By the time I make it to the rail I can see Elizabeth has already made it to the ship, thank God.
Here goes nothing.
The water is so cold it knocks the wind out of me, but at least I’m alive. I had thought I was about to die for Elizabeth, but apparently fate had other plans. I must say that this path is much better than what the other held in store for me…
My hat and wig are gone, lost somewhere in the midst of my dive. I make my way towards the Empress.
This blasted coat is weighing me down. I rip it off, and let it sink.
I’m almost there, I’m almost there…
I climb onto the deck sopping wet and panting, and I am met by Elizabeth’s fierce gaze, boring holes into me. “Hello,” I say with a ridiculous grin on my face, legitimately happy to see her, so nonchalantly, as if nothing of major importance had just happened. Suddenly she runs towards me, and she presses her lips to mine in a very desperate and overwhelming manner. Before I even have time to respond, she breaks the kiss. I stare at her dumbfounded for a moment, before I am greeted by her hand striking my cheek with a strength I never knew she had.
The crew takes this as their signal to leave, and they all scatter about trying to avert their eyes and distract themselves from the scene unfolding before them.
“What are you, crazy?!” she shouts, and smacks me hard in the chest. “What the hell were you doing James?! Why would you do that? You could have been hurt, you could have been ki-“ she starts, but I quickly cut her off. I pull her against me and kiss her soundly, with all the desperation and passion and everything I could possibly put into this moment. At first she struggles, caught up in her own anger, but then her arms go limp and I feel her lean into me. When I pull away, her eyes are still closed, her mouth hanging open a fraction as if waiting for something more.
“I’m sorry,” I say, and her eyes open to look up into my own, “I only wanted to protect you. I needed to know that you would be safe; I needed make sure that you would get out of there alive.” Her eyes soften, and I can finally breathe again.
“But why, James? Why would you do something so selfless for me? I don’t understand…” she says.
“Well, because…” I start, and swallow down the lump in my throat, “…because I love you, Elizabeth.” I say, and stare down at her.
She looks down at the deck for a moment, her eyes pressed tightly together. When she looks back up at me, there are tears in her eyes, and my heart constricts inside my chest. I’m not so sure I am going to like what she is about to say.
To my own surprise, she reaches up and cups my face, and gently kisses me. She rests her forehead against my own, and for a moment it is bliss. And then she speaks.
“I’m so sorry.” She says, barely a whisper, and suddenly she turns and runs away, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Confusion and worry etched onto my face, my heart crashing down into my stomach, I barely manage to croak out her name, “Elizabeth?”
But she’s gone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: None (yet)
Chapter: 1/?
Pairing: Norribeth
Rating: PG-13
Characters: James Norrington, Elizabeth Swann, Bootstrap...
Genre: Adventure/Romance/Drama
Summary: Written in both James' and Elizabeth's points of view, but the first part is only James'. Set during AWE. A norribeth twist on the plot of the original story, and perhaps how it should have ended (;
A/N: Enjoy! Tell me what you think! Should I continue? Lemme know!
Disclaimer: All or any characters, story lines, concepts, ideas, etc. relating to the Pirates of the Caribbean series belongs to Disney, not me.
James:
“Come with me,” I say, my eyes pleading with her, “Quickly.”
She looks unsure for a moment, which is quite painful to know that she doesn’t trust me, but then decides to be rational and listens. She nods at her crew, who quickly file out of the cell, and make their way to the upper deck.
“What are you doing?” She asks, the expression on her face cold and defensive. She is clearly still angry with me.
“Choosing a side.” I say.
There is a tether line attached to the bow of the Empress, and her crew make all haste and climb across to the vessel floating nearby. This is it, my last chance.
“Do not go to shipwreck cove, Beckett knows of the meeting of the Brethren. I fear there may be a traitor among them…” I say. I have more than a feeling that this traitor may be a certain blacksmith by the name of William Turner, but now is not the time to discuss such matters.
She looks me square in the eyes and says with venom, “It’s too late to earn my forgiveness.” her words piercing through my heart like a knife. Does she really think so little of me that I would betray her or her father? Does she really think me to be so cruel and low?
“Elizabeth, I had nothing to do with your father’s death. But that does not absolve me from my other sins…” I say, ashamed, casting my eyes down to the floor.
“Come with us,” she says, and we lock eyes, “James, come with me.”
Oh how I want to. What would happen? Would she actually allow me to love her, would she leave Turner? Could I actually win her over? I ponder her offer for a moment, but I am interrupted by a stern “WHO GOES THERE?” coming from the railing above. Bootstrap peeks over the edge, and spots us. I have to act fast, there’s little time. Instinctively, I push her behind me, drawing my sword, and already my decision has been made. I value her life far more than my own, and I would do anything for her. If she was going to get off of this ship alive, I knew it would have to be without me. By now, I’m sure I have barely a minute until Bootstrap comes down here and sabotages the escape. I’ve got to get her out of here.
“Go. I will follow,” I lie. My jaw clenches, and I damn myself for my dead giveaway.
“You’re lying,” she says.
I turn to face her and look into her eyes. This is the moment, I better make this count. I swallow my fears down with a big gulp. “Our lives have been entwined, Elizabeth, but never joined,” I say softly, and slowly lean in to kiss her. I press my lips to hers gently, and I can tell she is momentarily shocked. She begins to respond, but there is no time. Reluctantly, I pull myself away from her.
“Go, now!” I say, painfully. It is done. It’s over now.
She hesitates, but then goes. Bootstrap appears, too soon, for she won’t make it across in time if he summons the others. I cannot let that happen; I cannot just stand here idly and let her die.
“Back to your station, sailor.” I warn, holding my sword steady, but he doesn’t seem to listen.
“No one leaves the ship,” he replies.
“Stand down. That’s an order.” I say, firmly.
“That’s an order…” he ponders, “…part of the crew, part of the ship…part of the crew, part of the ship…part of the crew, part of the ship!” He chants.
“Steady man!” I raise my voice to him, but it’s not working.
“Part of the crew, part of the ship! All hands! Prisoner escape!” he shouts.
“BELAY THAT!” I command, pulling my pistol on him.
“James!” I hear Elizabeth scream, and turn my head. She’s climbing back towards me. No, she can’t! I take one final look at her before I shoot the line, and as much as it pains me to do so, I know she will survive.
I turn back around and see Bootstrap standing there, staring in disbelief and bewilderment. I guess he didn’t see that one coming. For once, fortune decided to be in my favor. I see this as an opportune moment and do not hesitate. I swiftly disarm him and kick him into the wall, knocking him unconscious. By the time I make it to the rail I can see Elizabeth has already made it to the ship, thank God.
Here goes nothing.
The water is so cold it knocks the wind out of me, but at least I’m alive. I had thought I was about to die for Elizabeth, but apparently fate had other plans. I must say that this path is much better than what the other held in store for me…
My hat and wig are gone, lost somewhere in the midst of my dive. I make my way towards the Empress.
This blasted coat is weighing me down. I rip it off, and let it sink.
I’m almost there, I’m almost there…
I climb onto the deck sopping wet and panting, and I am met by Elizabeth’s fierce gaze, boring holes into me. “Hello,” I say with a ridiculous grin on my face, legitimately happy to see her, so nonchalantly, as if nothing of major importance had just happened. Suddenly she runs towards me, and she presses her lips to mine in a very desperate and overwhelming manner. Before I even have time to respond, she breaks the kiss. I stare at her dumbfounded for a moment, before I am greeted by her hand striking my cheek with a strength I never knew she had.
The crew takes this as their signal to leave, and they all scatter about trying to avert their eyes and distract themselves from the scene unfolding before them.
“What are you, crazy?!” she shouts, and smacks me hard in the chest. “What the hell were you doing James?! Why would you do that? You could have been hurt, you could have been ki-“ she starts, but I quickly cut her off. I pull her against me and kiss her soundly, with all the desperation and passion and everything I could possibly put into this moment. At first she struggles, caught up in her own anger, but then her arms go limp and I feel her lean into me. When I pull away, her eyes are still closed, her mouth hanging open a fraction as if waiting for something more.
“I’m sorry,” I say, and her eyes open to look up into my own, “I only wanted to protect you. I needed to know that you would be safe; I needed make sure that you would get out of there alive.” Her eyes soften, and I can finally breathe again.
“But why, James? Why would you do something so selfless for me? I don’t understand…” she says.
“Well, because…” I start, and swallow down the lump in my throat, “…because I love you, Elizabeth.” I say, and stare down at her.
She looks down at the deck for a moment, her eyes pressed tightly together. When she looks back up at me, there are tears in her eyes, and my heart constricts inside my chest. I’m not so sure I am going to like what she is about to say.
To my own surprise, she reaches up and cups my face, and gently kisses me. She rests her forehead against my own, and for a moment it is bliss. And then she speaks.
“I’m so sorry.” She says, barely a whisper, and suddenly she turns and runs away, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Confusion and worry etched onto my face, my heart crashing down into my stomach, I barely manage to croak out her name, “Elizabeth?”
But she’s gone.