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Tortuga: Roses and Thorns	By : MarianTheBlackadder Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female Views: 2441 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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~Hour of the Wolf~

            James lay with Dani for some time until it seemed his moments of extreme weakness had passed and he grew silent. She continued to hold him, just stroking his hair slowly to sooth him. She could feel his body relax against her, and at some point, their breath had started to match one another’s.

            “There is nothing in this world so dishonorable as failure.” He said in a soft voice breaking the silence not moving from his place. Dani looked down at him slightly feeling his words against her chest when he spoke. “Or so disgusting as a man who doesn’t keep his word.”

            “You’re a man James.” She whispered gently. “Not a saint.” Reaching around she carefully stroked his hair back away from his eyes resting her hand on his shoulder and her cheek against his head as she held him close. “A man can only do so much . . . and he can’t control what other men do. They make their own decisions . . . have their own agendas. An honest man doesn’t have a chance in this world.”

            “I did everything I was supposed to. By the book, by the law. I showed mercy once . . . and I lost everything. I didn’t want to be known as a tyrant . . . I tried to temper mercy with justice . . . to be fair, and all it did was allow them to take advantage of me.” James turned his head burying his face in her breast gritting his teeth as he thought about it. Dani held him firmly against her.

            This was a difficult and complex situation, and why no one else would put up with him. He was violent, he was rude and pompous, he was rough, arrogant, and moody . . . and usually to drunk to see straight. You never quite knew what he was going to do, and was completely unpredictable. Dani was the only one who seemed to be able to have some level of tolerance for him at all and her peers and the others who hung about their types couldn’t understand why she would put up with him and his nonsense.

            “It’s hard to understand why people do the things they do. You show them an ounce of kindness; they rip away a pound of flesh off your back. It’s human nature I suppose.” Norrington turned his head and rested it against her chest once again taking a breath falling silent as before while Dani continued to slowly stroke her fingers through his hair. Taking a breath and sighing Norrington opened his eyes.

            “Are you in much pain.” He asked.

            Dani didn’t answer right away. That he even called attention to his previous actions was something new that he hadn’t done before. Perhaps he hadn’t done it on purpose, or perhaps he was getting some sort of thrill from hearing her describe what it made her feel like. Rolling her eyes slightly she decided that with him it was most likely the latter of the two. “Why did you do it.” She said back. It wasn’t in a viscous tone, or an accusing one. Just simply one of inquiry.

            James eyes shifted downwards a moment listening to her heart beat at it’s slow steady rhythm feeling the way her fingers stroked his hair. “I wanted to hurt you . . .Just to hear you scream my name.” He answered honestly. His tone wasn’t a boasting, taunting, or sarcastic one. It was almost as if he wasn’t sure why he had acted in such a way himself.

            “I always scream for you . . .” She said thinking that was a rather strange reason.

            “A real scream.” He said cutting her off. “What I hear from you isn’t always real, Dani. I wanted something real.” Dani sighed not quite sure how to respond to that. She certainly knew how it made her feel but she was trying to be understanding and not start a fight when he was in this particular way. It had been long enough that she was used to his using her by now, but this was ridiculous. Hurting her for his pleasure? Dani had no intention of allowing that to become a habit. “But it wasn’t the scream I wanted.” He said in a slightly disappointed voice.

            Dani’s thoughts stopped when she heard his words. This was one of the difficult parts of his melancholy states. He was so difficult to understand when he spoke. She didn’t know what he meant. “How many ways are there to scream, James.” She said trying to keep her voice light. Through all of that, how could he have the gull to complain that she had screamed at him improperly?

            This time he didn’t answer her, he took a deep breath and sighed defeatedly just resting against her soft body. Content to have her hold him, comfort him, and touch him as she was. “Sing to me?” He whispered. “The way you do when you think no one can hear you?” Dani half smiled, hardly able to believe it. He wasn’t demanding, and almost sounded like a child in his request, and half asleep when he asked her.

            There was a moment of silence, and then it was as though a thought didn’t even go through her mind before a soft sweet song began to pass through her lips into his ear. His body relaxed a bit more, and Dani reached down pulling a blanket over them to keep warm as she sang before softly stroking his hair once more. Norrington caught her free hand in his fingertips and held it close as he fell asleep listening to her. Dani looked down at his hand before turning hers over and gently holding it in hers.

~Standards~

            At sunrise, Dani sat on the rocks on the cliffs with a blanket wrapped around her watching the ships that sailed in and out of the harbor and the different colors the sky turned. Purple to shades of orange and pink until finally blue started to emerge and the sun peeked out from behind the thick white clouds.

            “I could have robbed you blind, sold everything you owned by now and you wouldn’t have been the wiser.” Norrington’s voice said from behind her. Dani didn’t say anything as her eyes shifted downwards slightly. “You were gone a long time, and you usually threaten me with death if I touch anything while your out, or if I’m still there when you return.”

            Dani looked back out towards the harbor as Norrington approached a bit closer. “I take it your angry with me about my behavior towards you last night.” He said in a tone that expressed he was ready to face the consequences of his actions. “Is it to do with the severity of your injuries.”

            “Don’t be an ass.” Dani said just wanting him to shut up and not speak to her right now about anything. “You aren’t the first to take out your anger and frustrations on me. Do you think I would be in this sort of work and then have the stupid audacity to complain about it when things become rough and painful? I don’t do it for the pleasure, Norrington. I do it because I have to survive in this God forsaken world, make my own way.”

            “Then why this sudden righteous indignation?” He asked.

            “Why this sudden interest!?” She shouted turning and looking at him. “Honestly! Are you incapable of minding your own business! You want me to stay out of yours whenever you decide a whore is poking into it, but you constantly want to invade my privacy as if I’m some sort of book here for your amusement.” Norrington clinched his jaw when she shouted at him. Dani felt a twinge of regret for having done so, but rewrapped the blanket around her and resumed her viewing of the harbor.

            Without another word, Norrington turned and walked back up the pathway through the rocks leaving her alone if that was what she truly wanted. Dani raised her hand to her head closing her eyes and sighing. “Don’t make me care for you.” She whispered in a low voice. “Damnit don’t make me care for you.”

~Marginal Services~

            Dani stood behind a chair in her room fixing the hair of one of the woman down the hall. She braided it expertly into a beautiful style pinning the small decorations the woman had brought with her into her hair as she went. Jess came to the doorway and knocked on the wood. Dani looked up and smiled holding the brush between her teeth and Jess walked in.

            “So how are we doing today?” Jess asked with a smile. Dani took the brush from between her teeth and continued on with her task.

            “Oh not to bad. Been busy since this morning. It seems like all the girls want their hair done today. Is a fleet of ships coming in that I don’t know about tonight?” She asked curiously.

            “Trading season Dani, you know that. Never know when we’ll get a whole pack of men in looking for a good time. Have to look your best, ready to please. Might even get a pirate ship or two that just had a good run of plundering and pillaging and you know how generous they can be.” She walked over and sat down on Dani’s bed watching her fingers move swiftly through the woman’s hair putting in the last touches and decorations. Jess was mesmerized always enjoying watching Dani work. “Will you do my hair too Dani?” She asked.

            “Of course. Did you even have to wonder?” She said with a smile. The young woman in the chair looked in the small mirror and smiled brightly thanking Dani before rushing off down the hallway. Jess arched a brow.

            “You know you really should charge for this.” She stood taking her hair down walking over to the chair and sitting down as Dani began to brush her hair out. “You could make even more money then you do just walking the streets. With your sewing and all.”

            “We help each other out with small things. Besides, we all have other expenses to pay and who has the money for luxuries like having their hair done? Especially when so many insist on paying a bloodhound like MacQueen who does nothing more then bully them around.”

            “He protects us when it’s needed too, Dani. Anyone messes with any of us, all we have to do is call for one of his boys and they take care of us. Make sure we stay safe. That’s why we pay him. Otherwise no one would lift a finger to help, and you know it.”

            “I can take care of myself Jess. And I like the wages.” She said tickling her sides a bit. Jess giggled and squirmed and both girls smiled before Dani went back to fixing her hair. Jess was still concerned about her but they had had this argument so many times. She knew that it was going to be impossible to convince her.

~Betrayals and Masters~

            The sun was rising as Dani was walking home from a long night of walking the streets of Tortuga. She had somehow ended up clear on the other end of the island and it had taken her much longer then usual to make her way back. She couldn’t wait to take her shoes off, and lie down on her soft bed. If nothing else, she had a heavy coin purse to show for her venture. More then enough for food and rent for the week, and perhaps enough to buy some things that she had needed for a while but was making fair enough do without.

            Taking the comb from her hair as she walked up the wooden flight of stairs, she pushed the wooden door open and walked down the hallway. Deciding that she was close enough to her rooms she paused and leaned against the wall, unlacing her boots and slipping them off her aching feet picking them up as she simply carried them the rest of the way taking her key from the folds of her dress.

            When she put the key in the lock, the door popped open without her turning it, but she was honestly far to exhausted to notice. Dani pulled the key from the door as she opened it but stopped when she stepped inside. Freezing in place she saw that she had company. Three rather seedy looking men to say the least standing about all starring at her, and then the one she recognized right away without needing an introduction who was obviously in charge of the bunch.

            “What is this? What are you doing in my room?” She said looking about feeling a chill go up her spine as she looked at MacQueen. He smiled at her, and the light caught his gold tooth as he stepped towards her.

            “Was beginning to worry about you Dani. Usually your home by now. Safe and sound. Do you know that you are the only girl left in this entire house that hasn’t accepted my generous offer to look after ya? Your not afraid to come and ask me for my help now are ya?” One of the boys walked behind Dani closing the door and leaning on it, blocking her only exit out of the room. It wasn’t easy to rattle Dani, but she was feeling very uncomfortable at this moment.

            “Hardly.” She said with a smirk swallowing the lump in her throat as she casually walked over to her dresser and put her boots down taking off her shawl and placing her comb in it’s proper place. “I don’t need looking after, MacQueen, I can look after myself just fine.” She took off her gloves and tossed them aside before finishing taking her hair down.

            “It’s dangerous out there. A woman working the streets alone in Tortuga. All sorts of nasty things could happen to her.” Dani closed her eyes a moment as she tried to ignore his words which of course held threats within them, and reached for her brush as she stroked it through her hair.

            “I’ll take my chances.” She said trying not to let her voice shiver. “You have plenty of other working girls you’ve frightened into paying you their hard earned wages, and continue to intimidate them so they know they can never stop paying you. You’ll not trap me into handing over my coins that I earn for so called ‘protection’ that I don’t need from anyone but you and your boys.” Dani’s eyes went wide, unable to believe she had just said that out loud and her breath stopped in her chest. She couldn’t draw another for what seemed like an eternity.

            “You’re as hard headed as you’ve always been Dani.” She jumped slightly hearing his voice in her ear. Her eyes closed feeling his breath on her neck. She hadn’t heard him walk up behind her, and having him so close made her feel queasy. He could cut her to shreds in a matter of moments if he had a weapon on him. Or throw her to the three men he had brought with him, that was the human equivalent to a pack of wolves. “That independence of yours is going to get ya into trouble.”

            She opened her eyes and clinched her jaw, “You don’t scare me, MacQueen.” She said through her teeth.

            “Is that a fact?” He said mocking that he was impressed. At once he grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back down against his shoulder. Dani couldn’t even cry out, as it was almost impossible to draw a breath. Then MacQueen reached down her dress between her breasts retrieving whatever coins he could find. When he was satisfied that he had found them all, he threw her by her hair. Dani flew across the room into the wall hitting her head against it and falling to the floor. The other boys he had brought with him laughed. “Consider this a lesson in keeping that smart mouth of yours shut.” He spat at her.

            Jingling the coins in his hand he shook his head, “This is what happens when you over educate women.” Slipping the money into his pocket, he and the others left slamming the door behind him. Dani reached up holding her head where it had struck the wall feeling dizzy and ill and crawled a little ways trying to stand. But she was nearly knocked senseless. Finally she simply fell to the floor and blacked out.

~Shut In~

            A knock came at Dani’s door, and no response came. And then another, and still no response. It wasn’t the first and most likely wouldn’t be the last. She didn’t want to see anyone and didn’t even want to speak to them. Not face to face, not even through the door.

            Sitting behind the changing screen in her room taking a sponge bath, she sighed a little bit. It was a strange feeling she had, one that she had buried deep inside that hadn’t unburied itself for years. Something about MacQueen’s visit just made it emerge and it was disturbing to think about the past again.

            Standing, she dried herself off and slipped into her underclothes, draping a cloth over her hair and head drying her face as she stepped from behind the screen. She stopped abruptly realizing she wasn’t alone. Not uncovering her face she sighed, “How did you get in here?” She demanded, irritated that he had done it yet again without asking permission and without having made a sound.

            “You haven’t left your room for two nights.” Norrington’s voice said. “Or days. Call me whatever you will, but even dead drunk and barely conscience I know that isn’t like you.” Dani shook her head leaving the cloth draped over her hair covering her face as she walked over to the window and opened it, picking up the bowl she had been using and throwing the bathwater out.

            “I know, don’t bother to answer my question. Whores aren’t entitled to privacy. They are only supposed to take money and spread their tights to accept whatever abuse their masters feel like indulging in at that time.” She said in a heated voice slamming the window down. “They aren’t entitled to holidays either. God forbid they decide not to walk along the docks or the streets to be used at leisure.” As she spoke, her voice was quick and short, and she gathered clothes picking them up and draping the over her arm, as her voice became quicker and more heated by the second.

            Norrington listened and could tell that something was increasingly wrong. When she picked up the last piece of clothing she threw them down into her laundry basket. “Well what is it you want!” She said. “I’ve obviously made you wait on me two days! I know how you hate my making you wait for even an hour!!”

            James reached out and snatched the towel she had left draped over her head taking it from her. He wasn’t daft, he could tell that she was hiding something. Instantly Dani turned away refusing to let him see her face. Norrington paused a moment before walking around her slowly, holding her arm in place so she couldn’t turn away again. There was a hideous black and blue mark surrounding a cut on the right side of her forehead. A few stitches had been placed to close the wound that she had no doubt done herself. It must have been painful. “Is this why you’ve not come out.” He asked.

            “Don’t be daft.” She said pulling her arm away from him. “Vanity isn’t one of my sins . . . amazingly enough.” Norrington looked at her for several moments before he half laughed.

            “But pride is, hmm?” He wasn’t taunting or making fun of her with his remark. But he seemed to be able to understand what was going on inside her head a bit.

            “You would know, wouldn’t you.” She snapped a bit irritated that he had hit it so accurately on the head. After a moment she sighed, not having the energy or even the desire to fight with him today. “Please just go, James.” She said turning and walking over to her dresser sitting down in the chair.

            James watched her a moment before putting his weapons aside, abiding by what was considered her golden rule any time anyone entered her room and plopped down on her bed making himself right at home. “As long as I am pestering you beyond reprieve, I don’t suppose you’ll tell me who afforded you such a wound.”

            “I’m sure that the rumors have flown many times through the halls and you already know so why ask me again.” She said taking her brush as she slowly and carefully went to work on her hair.

            “My we are testy today, aren’t we.” He stated. “Well why not simply give into his demand then. A pound a week to keep him off your back seems a bit less hazardous and a bit easier doesn’t it?”

            “I’m not handing over my money that I earn to him for threatening me, along with my life and body because he tries to intimidate all those around him with threats and brutality. He’s a disgusting slimy sort of creature as it is. I am in no way going to associate myself with him. I don’t belong to anyone but myself, and I have no intention of taking orders from the likes of MacQueen.”

            Norrington half smiled as he listened to her, only because he knew she couldn’t see him doing so. That smile wouldn’t have appeared across his lips if she was looking at him. “You know he’s going to continue coming around, Dani. The word is that he wants you for himself so that he can break you down and make you a proper submissive woman.”

            “You mean make an example out of me, and show everyone the extent of just how powerful he is. Well no thank you. I’m not going to be anyone’s trophy.” James smiled again, a full smile this time. He liked that fire in her. It made her exciting, and passionate. Not just a drone like so many prostitutes that walked the streets. She was so much more interesting then any of the women he had met really. Perhaps that’s why he was always drawn back to her company sooner or later. Despite the abuse they continually flung at each other.

~Swabs~

            James leaned on the wall across from the boarding house where Dani lived taking a deep drink from his bottle of rum. She’d left her room tonight but returned a short while later with a customer who hadn’t left yet. It was a rare occasion, as she wasn’t fond of bringing anyone into her room as she had said before. James took another deep drink from his rum bottle his eyes fixed on the wooden door at the top of the staircase.

            Norrington was feeling more restless by the moment, and took longer deeper drinks from the bottle. What on Gods earth could be taking so damn long? What could really be done in a bed that couldn’t be done just as well in a back alley or some shadowy place anyway.

            Clinching his jaw and furrowing his brow getting more annoyed by the second, he took a harder drink from his rum bottle and wiped his mouth on his sleeve when the liquor ran down the corners of his mouth a bit. His patients only lasted as long as his rum did. When the bottle was empty, he tipped it over finding that he had drained it to the last drop. Turning about he slammed it against the wall and it shattered with a thunderous noise.

            Stumbling across the street, he headed towards the wooden flight of stairs and looked upwards towards the door. Gritting his teeth he stomped up the stairs barely able to keep his footing with hardly a thought in his head, but all the anger in the world seemed to be mixing along with the rum he’d consumed.

            Moving quicker as he got to the top of the stairs, he slammed his shoulder against the wooden door causing it to fly open. He lost his balance for a moment but caught himself on the wall. Raising his head he looked down the hallway towards Dani’s room and clinched his jaw again as his look darkened.

            Reaching her door he looked it over and put his hands against the doorway leaning closer to listen and see what he could hear. Nothing could be heard at all, but when the slightest sound of someone moving around came from within, it was all that was needed to cause James to lose it.

            Norrington began to breath harder as his temper flared and he stepped back, starring at the door. Before another moment slipped by, he kicked the door and it flew open with one swift harsh move. He stormed in looking to see Dani sitting on the bed in her under clothes, her shoulder bare as her blouse had slid down her arm a bit. Her patron had just handed her, her coins and was getting dressed.

            Dani starred wide-eyed at James, shocked at his entrance. But before she could say a word, James attention turned to her customer whom he promptly grabbed by the back of the shirt and britches and flung out into the hallway. “James!” Dani said spring up from where she was sitting horrified. Norrington grabbed the rest of the man’s things and through them at him out into the hallway, along with his boots and then slamming the door closed.

            Dani’s mouth was wide as she stood there in shock, “What on earth do you think you are doing!” She exclaimed. “Just how many bottles of spirits did you drain tonight!!” She said quickly walking over and picking up a large blouse putting her arms through it and wrapping it around herself as she starred at him.

            “Don’t speak to me in such a way.” He said turning away from her and pacing a bit not sure what he had just done himself. “You know how much it irritates me.”

            “Irritates you?” She said in disbelief. “You just stormed into my room and threw out one of my customers! I think I have a right to know just what is in your head to think you can do such a thing!” She demanded.

            “You were finished with him! I saw the coins in your hand! What difference does it make!” He said turning away from her as he started to look through her room for a bottle of something, anything that he could drink.

            “There are plenty of other whores in Tortuga, James Norrington! If I’m not available then you can find another! You don’t need to be coming back to me and throwing my other customers about just because they are inconveniencing you!” She shouted.

            At last Norrington found a bottle of rum and picked it up pulling the cork taking a long hard drink from it. Dani just starred at him and clinched her jaw shaking her head. “I can’t keep this up.” She said. “I’ve got enough to worry about, I have my own hide to look after and care for without you coming around me making things worse.” She said throwing her hands up. “I don’t want to see you again, James.”

            Her words stopped Norrington’s drinking cold as he looked up at her. “I don’t want you to come near me, I don’t want to hear from you, I don’t want to know what your doing. Just leave and don’t come back.” Walking over she snatched the bottle away from him.

            “You can’t just dismiss me.” He said reaching for the bottle only to have her move it out of his grasp.

            “Oh can’t I? You’ve made it so you don’t have a friend on this island. The only reason you’ve been allowed to stay near this building is because I’ve said to let you stay. If I don’t want you here, you won’t be able to come within a mile. They’ll run you off like a diseased dog. You’ll be condemned to the other side of the island, where I’m sure you’ll soon ruin your reputation there as well.”

            James starred at her not quite having something to say to that, not believing that she would really send him away and banish him. Turning she walked over to her table replacing the cork in the rum bottle putting it down. Norrington continued to stare at her and shook his head with disbelief of his own. “You would do it wouldn’t you. Send me away for such a small infraction as this.”

            “Small infraction?” Dani turned around and crossed her arms. “You attacked him, James. He’ll never offer me work again, and I need work. I need all the work I can get if I’m ever going to get off this God forsaken island.” Turning around she started to brush her hair so she could braid it and make it more presentable.

            “Why? Where would you go?” He asked.

            “To London. It’s a far cry from this horrid place.” She said tying a ribbon in one braid before moving to the other side and making another. “I’m sick of men, I’m sick of this place . . . . this life that you say I’ve ‘chosen’ has been a nightmare every since the first day I became paid recreation.”

            Norrington walked over to her and reached up turning her around to face him his hands on her arms as he looked at her. Dani started to struggle to free herself not wanting to be touched right now, certainly not by him but James held her in place. “I don’t like sharing . . . that’s why I broke the door in.” He said. Dani stopped moving and looked up at him not sure if what she had just heard was right. Norrington went on. “I like it when I’m the first to have you before anyone else, when you’re fresh and clean. And when you spend the night with me. I wanted you tonight, but apparently someone else got here first.”

            Of course. Dani had thought she heard something else for a moment, but she was just imagining things. Aristocratic Royal Navy Officer of the bluest blood, it was a given that he wouldn’t want to be second in line to anyone else where whores were concerned. He would want the first take, and then when he was finished anyone else could have her.

            James had a poor way of explaining himself and expressing why he had barged in on her like he had. Yet he was unclear of why he had done it himself. Jealousy perhaps. The more he thought about what was going on behind closed doors, the more he felt like his blood was boiling in his veins. It felt like the only way he could get all those mixed emotions to stop and keep from exploding from the inside was to put a halt to whatever was going on behind the closed door in Dani’s room. It seemed like the solution. But even now it seemed like the problem still remained.

            “Well it seems you missed your window of opportunity for tonight, doesn’t it. So be on your way.” She said pushing his hands away from her and turning back pulling the last ribbon in her hair on her braid.

            “Are you going back out there?” He wanted to know in a stern tone, not sure if he could handle that right now after everything that had just occurred.

            “What if I was?” She snapped. Norrington just looked at her as she turned picking up her basket. Dani glanced at him once and then again finally giving a sigh. “No, I’m going down to take a bath. It’ll be dawn soon. It’s early still. But I see no reason to go back out when there’s hardly enough night left to even get back into proper clothing.” James looked at her for another moment and Dani’s eyes shifted back towards him arching a brow.
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Tortuga: Roses and Thorns