Chapter 44:  Love

 

For a moment there was complete silence.  Robin bit her lip and was the first to speak.  “James, what are you doing?” she asked the man holding her at gunpoint.  Norrington said nothing.

Jack glared at the Admiral, hatred flooding his veins as he looked at the man.  “I should have killed you,” Jack growled.

Norrington smirked.  “But you didn’t.  She stopped you,” he added, jabbing Robin in the back with the gun.  Norrington walked around Robin, keeping the weapon aimed at her.  “Did you actually believe that I would help the Brethren Court?” he asked as he came to stand beside Lord Beckett.  Jack’s hand clenched into a fist as he imagined throttling the Admiral.

“James…” Robin said quietly, her voice pained.

Norrington laughed callously.  “Did you really believe that I was in love with you?”  Jack wanted to strangle the man, or to get a hold of his penknife again; he could almost hear his daughter’s heart breaking.  “I could never love someone like you.”

Robin closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath.  “A pirate?”

The Admiral smirked.  “A whore.”

Jack stepped forward abruptly, prepared to beat the life out of Norrington with his bare hands, but Robin put out an arm to hold him back as Norrington raised the gun a little higher, still aiming it at Robin.

“I can’t believe I shared a bed with you, you son of a bitch,” Robin snarled.

“Likewise, pirate scum.”

“Mock man.”

But the Blood Oath—if Norrington was indeed betraying Robin, as he obviously was, then he would die.  But Jack did not know if the Blood Oath held after death, and Robin had already died.  But Jack decided that he did not really care.  If the Blood Oath was not going to, then Jack would kill Norrington in any way possible.

Jack caught a glimpse of the slightest of smiles briefly tugging at Robin’s mouth as Norrington growled, “Wench.”  Jack blinked, thinking that he must have imagined it.  But when he turned back to Norrington, the Admiral’s eyes glinted mischievously as Robin called him a bastard.

The two were acting very odd.  They almost seemed to be enjoying themselves…

The scene on the island suddenly came flooding back.  The two losing control and shouting insults and hurling rocks at each other, Jack’s realization that they would meet on the other side of the island and likely kill each other…and then the very unexpected conclusion to the fight.

“I hate you,” Robin breathed.  “Get out of my way!”  She tried to shove Norrington aside, and he grabbed her waist, ready to lift her out of the way.  But then Norrington’s hand suddenly reached up and entangled itself in Robin’s hair as the two came together in a passionate kiss.

Jack had an epiphany.  Norrington was not betraying them at all.  He and Robin had planned this, and were basing this conversation off of their previous argument.  Robin glanced back at Jack, her blue eyes glinting as though she realized that he understood.  They were meant to leave Norrington here, where he would…what?

“Robin,” Beckett said.  “Jacqueline,” he breathed.  “One last chance.  Surrender or death.”

“Surrender is death.”

Robin whirled around and headed to the door.  Beckett did nothing to stop them as she and Jack left, returning to the jollyboat.

“Jacqueline,” Ragetti said quietly as he helped her into the jollyboat.  “Where is the Admiral?”

“Elizabeth wasn’t the only traitor among,” Robin muttered, exchanging a look with Jack.  “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

Will and Elizabeth Turner stood at the back of the Flying Dutchman.  The two had hardly said a word to each other since being reunited.  Elizabeth felt extremely guilty about her treachery.  She had known it would be difficult for her, betraying Jack (again), but she had not fully realized before that she was betraying an entire people.  A ruthless, violent, and untrustworthy people to be sure, but she had once led them, and now she had abandoned them.  She could not fight her husband.  She could not and would not fight against Will.

“What about Jack?” Will asked suddenly, finally breaking the long silence.

Elizabeth shifted her weight uneasily.  “What about him?”

Will looked down at his hands.  “He’s our friend.  And…”

“I’m not in love with him, Will,” Elizabeth said quickly.  “Please don’t think that.”

“There is more than one kind of love, Elizabeth,” Will said quietly.  “You care for Jack more than you do for most.”  Elizabeth nodded slowly, knowing that Will was correct.  “And Norrington?”  Elizabeth turned to Will in surprise.  “You care about him as well, do you not?”

“Well…yes…but…”

“There’s always a condition with you, isn’t there, Mrs. Turner?” a cold voice said from behind them.

Elizabeth spun around and stared at the speaker in shock.  The Pirate Lords had all left—the Parlay was over hours before.  Yet James was standing there before them.  James walked up beside her.  “Admiring the view?” he commented casually.  Elizabeth was not entirely certain whether his remark was meant to refer to the sea or to him as “the view,” but Elizabeth’s cheeks tinted pink when she realized that she had been staring at him intensely.

When Elizabeth overcame her surprise and embarrassment, she asked, “James what are you doing here?”

James smiled darkly, making Elizabeth feel rather uneasy.  “The same as you.”  Elizabeth blinked in confusion, and James chuckled.  “Did the entire world think that I was actually going to help the pirates in this impending battle?”  He laughed again as Elizabeth gaped at him.  She no longer recognized the man standing beside her.  James had worked long to be rid of pirates, but this…

“What of Jacqueline?”

The laugh died instantly as James glared at Elizabeth.  “What of her?” he asked in a low voice.

Elizabeth shook her head slightly in bewilderment.  “You love her!” she exclaimed.  James said nothing.  “James, I know you do.  As twisted as I believe Robin is, I know you love her.”

“Robin?” Will interjected.  “The woman Lord Beckett was trying to force into marriage?”  A strange look passed over his eyes, and Elizabeth studied him suspiciously for a few moments, wondering what Will was thinking about the woman.

“I don’t love Robin,” James stated coldly.  Elizabeth was horrified to find no trace of a lie in his eyes.  She had simply urged him to be careful, no…this.  “Lord Beckett and I wish to speak to you, Mr. Turner,” James said suddenly.  “Come with me,” he ordered.  Elizabeth grabbed Will’s hand as he made to follow the Admiral.

“Don’t worry,” Will said quietly.  He learned forward and kissed her gently before pulling his hand from her grasp and following James, leaving Elizabeth alone, staring out at the sea.

Elizabeth had been so sure of James’ love for the woman, despite Robin’s cruel nature.  He would never have betrayed her like this.  Not the James that Elizabeth remembered, at least.  Admittedly, much had happened since the two had spoken—their conversation after the meeting of the Brethren Court had been the first time they had interacted since the island.

James smirked and shook his head.  “Is that what this is all about?  My relationship with Jacqueline?”

“Robin is cruel. She uses people, she’s a pirate, she…”

“Sounds quite a bit like you.”

Elizabeth had never meant to hurt James as she had when she decided not to marry him.  It hurt to know how much pain her choice had caused him.

“Although, perhaps I should be thanking you for that.  If I had married you, I would have no chance for a real relationship with Jacqueline.”

Elizabeth wondered if that entire conversation had been a lie.  He had as good as admitted to loving Robin during their conversation.  Then, just moments ago, he had cruelly stated the opposite.

“I don’t love Robin.”

James had become more like a pirate than Elizabeth could believe.  He was coldhearted, a liar, a traitor…  She wince at the last of these words, knowing that the term could also be applied to herself.

I don’t love Robin…

Elizabeth blinked.  Had those been his exact words?  “I don’t love Robin,” she said quietly to herself, nodding as she confirmed that that was exactly what James had said.  “James calls her Jacqueline…”  It suddenly occurred to Elizabeth that the reason she had detected no lie from James was that he had not lied.  He did not think of Jacqueline as Robin.  Robin was just a name.  Jacqueline was the entity he loved.

So if he did still love Jacqueline, what on earth was he doing aboard the Dutchman?

“The same as you.”