Adult-FanFiction.org : Movies

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.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
~Spiral Rule~

            Norrington watched Dani walking down the street for sometime with two others, following after them. It wasn’t until they split apart and Dani was alone that he finally approached her. She leaned on a wall looking around waiting for a customer to come to her, not wanting to get into the middle of the large ongoing brawl that was the whole of Tortuga. She simply wasn’t in the mood tonight.

            Then a hand clasped her shoulder and she sighed. It seemed that it was time to get to work. Turning around she saw James standing there and was a little surprised to see him. ”James? What on earth?” She began, only to have him pull her back from the wall a few yards and into the alleyway. Dani sighed pulling her hand away from him. “James, for goodness sakes. I’ll go with you; you don’t have to drag me along like you think I’ll get away. I’m a certain shag. Remember?”

            “I saw the house cleaning yesterday. It was a bit unusual for all the girls to be doing such cleaning at once, and be awake at once during the day. What on earth was going on?” He questioned.

            “The boarding house was bought by a new owner. We had no idea who it was so we were trying to make things look more presentable so that we could keep our homes. Silly us . . .we should have known that no one special and only the devil himself would take over our homes on Tortuga.”

            “Why? Who has the deed now?” He questioned.

            “MacQueen.” She said crossing her arms. “And as much as I feel it’s vain to believe and loath to think it . . . I have a feeling it might have been for my sake.” She said looking down. “The bastard won’t let me leave, and threatened that if I tried to he throw out all the others as well. They’ve got no where else to go, and he’d throw them into the streets even though they all pay him the protection that he’s frightened them into paying.”

            “He owns the boarding house now? Does that mean he owns you as well?” Norrington said with a look of utter awe and shock.

            “No one owns me!” She said. “I do as I like, when I like, with who I like! And there is no one who is going to tell me any different. Not You, or MacQueen, not even the King himself were he to show up here in Tortuga.” She said getting agitated.

            “Calm down.” He said looking at her. Norrington sighed a little shaking his head before he glanced towards her. “So have your work ethics completely turned inside out then. Everything’s changed down to the last detail?” He questioned.

            “No.” She said, leaning against the wall looking away. “He swears that he won’t interfere with me or what I do. I can go on doing business as I always have, conducting it as I see fit. Except when he wants me to do something for him I have to do it. Whatever he wants, down to the last letter. Without protest I imagine.”

            “Do something for him? Like what?” Dani sighed and pushed herself off the wall.

            “Look what do you care, Norrington? What is it any of your business anyway? It’s my own fix, my own problem, and I’m sure you have enough in your life that are yours alone to deal with so why go poking around in mine?” She said pushing him back away from her starting to leave the alley, but he reached out and seized her arm pulling her back.

            “Will I still be able to come round.” He said directly. “Will you allow me that.”

            Dani looked into his eyes for a moment. “If you have any value on your life left, James Norrington. Even the slightest . . . ounce of care for yourself. Then you’ll steer yourself clear of that boarding house and it’s new owner . . . and everything that now considers part of his filthy little empire.” She paused a moment before looking into his green eyes, “Please don’t come round anymore, James.” With that she jerked her arm away and quickly hurried down the alley back out into the rough streets, disappearing into the rowdy Tortuga crowds.

~Test of Wills~

            MacQueen sent one of his men to bring Dani to him, knowing that if he just sent for her to come on her own, it would be a cold day in hell before she came to him unescorted. A knock came to his door and it opened, and the man he had sent for her shoved Dani inside closing it behind her and it sounded like it was locked from the outside.

            Turning around she wiped a stray strain of hair from her face that had fallen out of place in her struggles with that thug that had brought her from her room and starred at MacQueen. “Well? What do you want?” She said putting her hand on her hip, annoyed that she had been called out in such a way when she had been trying to get some sleep. “Can’t a girl get a little bit of shut eye between shifts if she’s supposed to make your rent before the week is out?”

            MacQueen walked over to Dani and with one swift stroke back handed her with his knuckles across her cheek. Her hand instantly went over her face for only a moment, as MacQueen hissed in her ear, “Still can’t seem to hold that tongue in your head. Can you?” She quickly stood up straight, clinching her jaw and lowering her hand. “I’ll be curin’ you of that soon enough. Or at least put that tongue of yours to better use.” Reaching up he grabbed her by the back of her hair and dragged her into the next room. Dani’s hands reached up grabbing his wrist so his hand wouldn’t pull so hard on her hair.

            “PUT YOUR COCK IN MY MOUTH, I DARE YOU!” She yelled. MacQueen reached up with his free hand grabbing her by the front of her dress and flinging her down to the floor. She fell hard and it nearly knocked her wind from her. She coughed a little but quickly sat up scooting away from him.

            “Feisty little bitch, aren’t you.” He chuckled. “I like me a challenge.”

            Dani turned over and looked up seeing another in the room. Her expression changed as she saw Kelly standing in the corner in her undergarments, a black bruise around her right eye. Dani’s eyes shifted back towards MacQueen a moment before looking at Kelly again. “What’s going on here.” She said slowly getting to her feet, in a cautious stance ready to dart in any direction if he made an attempt at her again. “Kelly?” Dani said looking at MacQueen keep her eyes fixed on him. “Kelly, honey? Are you alright? What’s he done to you?” She said not sure what was happening.

            “Oh, it’s not what I’ve done to her.” MacQueen said with a smirk and a glint in his eyes as he walked over to Kelly offering his hand, that she slowly look lowering her eyes timidly. He led her towards Dani a few steps. “It’s what you’re going to do to her, and what she’s going to do to you.” He pushed Kelly towards her slightly causing her to stumble and Dani caught her. “And I’m going to watch.”

            “He . . . he doesn’t usually . . . do this Dani. He’s never done this before. I’m sorry.” Kelly whispered tears in her voice. “I’m so sorry.” She breathed. “If he’d have let me have a choice I would have chosen you anyway. You know there isn’t anyone I’d rather be with then you.” She said softly trying not to cry.

            Kelly rested her head against Dani’s shoulder trying to hide her face as the tears started to flow, humiliated beyond words. Dani held her close and clinched her jaw narrowing her eyes as she starred at MacQueen. “You have no feeling heart in you, do you.” Kelly’s preference didn’t run towards men. It wasn’t much of a secret, just a sort of unspoken knowledge around the place. “You have these women pay you to protect them, but who protects them from you!!” She shouted.

            MacQueen smiled at her evilly as his eyes darkened, “You do, Dani.”

            “Why can’t you simply leave her be? She’s not hurting anyone! Just because she doesn’t like you and your boys cocks around her doesn’t mean she doesn’t give you exactly what you want when you pay her for it. So why are you bothering her like this?” Dani said holding her tighter.

            “Well now I’m givin’ her what she wants, aren’t I?” He said sitting down. “I’m givin’ her you.” Kelly reached up covering her face trying to muffle her cries. Dani’s eyes narrowed at MacQueen.

            “I’m fairly certain that this is a far cry from what she had in mind.” Dani was caught between the jaws of a predator and there didn’t seem to be a way out.

            “Is this little scene for her sake or for yours, Dani? Pride goeth before a fall, as the sayin’ goes.” He said starring in her eyes.

            “Of all the places the likes of you could quote from, I would think that you would be terrified of even mentioning the bible.” MacQueen’s look darkened even more as his eyes narrowed when she said that.

            “You should never over educate women. Over educated women are nothin’ but trouble.” He said quoting himself for the 100th time. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll send her back to her room so she can get nice and cleaned up for work tonight . . . . if you kiss her goodbye. How’s that?” Kelly’s crying died down a little when she heard that and Dani looked at MacQueen. “You can manage that much, can’t you Dani?”

            Dani stroked Kelly’s hair a little still trying to calm her, before pulling back and giving her a peck on the lips. Both girls were hoping that they could get away with that, but MacQueen was hardly amused. “Try again.” He said in a stern tone, warning them he wasn’t in the mood for games. Dani rolled her eyes and sighed pulling Kelly a little closer, as she carefully cupped her face in her hands she pressed her lips to her softly at first. Then she slid one hand back through her hair pulling her a little closer still kissing her deeply letting her tongue slip passed her lips caressing hers softly. After a moment the kiss broke and Dani shot a look towards MacQueen waiting impatiently for his approval so Kelly could go. “Very nice.” He said gleefully. Then he waved a hand lazily at Kelly.

            Kelly looked at Dani still holding her hand not wanting to leave her there by herself, but Dani gave her a look letting her know it was okay before telling her to go. Kelly quickly grabbed her dress, and with one more worried look towards Dani she ran out the door heading back to her own room.

            MacQueen stood from his chair and walked over to Dani. He didn’t say a word as he just kept the same discontent look on his face. Suddenly he lashed out smacking her as hard as he could. When she didn’t go down with the first blow, he hit her again, and then again right after. Angry that she hadn’t done as she was told and constantly felt the need to talk to him in such a manner.

~Anger Management~

            Dani swam around in the cold water for over an hour, much longer then usual far off the shore around the rocks that she usually just swam to and back. It was secluded and no one was around. The cold water felt good on her sore body, and it had made the swelling go down on her face so that all was left was the bruises.

            It wasn’t in her nature to simply be quiet and let someone treat her like MacQueen did. The more he tried to break her, the more she wanted to fight him and it just seemed like it wasn’t doing anything but getting her into more and more trouble. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and perhaps that was why she swam so long and hard today and couldn’t stop swimming laps around the rock formation.

            “Twenty-two.” Dani looked up when she was resting against a rock for a moment to see a shaggy looking face looking back down at her. “Twenty-two laps in icy cold water. I’m impressed.” She looked around before looking back up.

            “How in the bloody hell did you get all the way out here?” She exclaimed.

            “Is that any way for a lady to speak, Dani?” Norrington said leaning over the rock as he arched a brow slightly. “Such language.” He clicked his tongue slightly in taunting disapproval.

            She simply gave him a dark and harsh look in response to his flipness. “I have a fire going, would you like to come up and sit next to it for a while to thaw out your icy disposition?” He questioned.

            “Now how in the world did you get a fire going out here!?” She said even more a gasped then the first time.

            “You ask to many questions.” He said reaching down offering her his hand to pull her up. She swatted it away and crossed her arms over her chest.

            “No.” She said in response. “I haven’t got any clothes.” James lay back down on the rock and leaned over it again.

            “As if I’ve not seen you without clothing before Daniela. You’ll have to think of a better excuse then that not to come out of the water for a while.” She looked up at him and he just smirked a little holding his hand out. She starred at it for a moment and with a sigh she took it.

            Standing up with one mighty hoist he pulled her out of the water and set her on her feet on the rocks wrapping a blanket around her, walking with her further around the rock formation.

~Hidden~

            Dani sat next to the fire with the blanket wrapped around her looking at James, “So how long have you been waiting here on these rocks for me?” She questioned a little surprised.

            “Since about midnight I suppose.” He said reaching over and wrapping the blanket around her feet as well. “I knew you would swim out this way as soon as you came down the beach in the morning.”

            “Am I to believe that you took that long boat over there, went to the trouble to row yourself all the way out here, and waited for hours just for me to swim out here to these rocks?” James looked up at her.

            “That’s what I did, is it not?” He questioned.

            “Good God, why?” She said a little amused that he had done it just to see her.

            “What else had I to do?” He said putting some more wood in the fire. “I would have called out to you earlier except you seemed so intent on swimming around the rocks as many times as possible. I was rather involved in counting your turns.” There was nothing on those rocks except the rocks themselves. The wood, the blankets, Norrington had to bring in the boat with him.

            “Well, you might not like the cold water, James Norrington, but it feels exceptionally good on my body this morning.” She said snuggling down into the blanket he had given her to wrap around her to keep warm.

            James looked towards her a moment, I can see why.” Dani looked up at n Norrington and his eyes turned away suddenly feeling a bit awkward. “I didn’t expect . . .” He paused. “You said not to come to the house. I haven’t come because you asked me not to. Not because I’ve been afraid.”

            Dani half laughed, “As if my ever telling you not to come around has ever stopped you before.” She said. “Usually it’s a challenge to see how quickly you can break into my room and catch me unawares.”

            “You didn’t tell me this time, Dani. You asked me. And you meant it.” He said looking at her seriously. Her eyes turned towards him caught off guard by this. She hardly expected him to even remember her asking him not to come. “Usually you know what your doing Dani, I’ll give you that.” He admitted. “You’ve . . .” he sighed, it seemed hard for him to say any of this. “You’ve bailed me out of tight spots more then once when I should have died long before now because of stupidity and willful ignorance.”

            She looked away hearing the tone in his voice and she could tell by his words that his opinion might have changed. “What are you saying then James?” She asked. “I’ve become . . . the ignorant one because I don’t allow you to come to my room anymore? To come see me, for your own sake?”

            Norrington furrowed his brow slightly. “Have you looked at yourself? Your hardly recognizable to your own friends. In a matter of a week he’s managed to disfigure your person into something from a horror story.”

            She was quiet for a moment her eyes were turned downcast as she listened. “I thought we agreed that our business was our own, and we wouldn’t mix one in the others.” She said in a quiet voice. Norrington ran his hand through his hair.

            “There is hardly a bit of your body that is it’s proper coloring. You’ve been beaten black, blue, and purple from head to toe. That cut on your lip hardly looks healed and as if it’s been broken open more then once, and I can see that the black eye below the one you have now barely started to heal before he gave you the fresh one.” He said his voice raising a little. “What on earth has gotten into you Dani! To let him treat you this way?”

            “Why does it concern you? You’ve given me a fair share of cuts and black eyes of your own.” She said looking at him in disbelief.

            “I never gave you a black eye you didn’t return to me in one form or another. At least with us it was an eye for an eye. You fought back, and you were a formidable adversary. MacQueen isn’t half my height and barely yours. You can fight him, and probley win. You did with me more times then I care to admit.”

            “You were drunk of your ass half the time James!” She shouted getting frustrated with this conversation. “A strong wind could have blown you over had it come up!” She yelled. Instantly James reached out and smacked her across the face. As he usually did when she started to scream at him. Without hesitation, Dani dropped the blanket she was clutching from around her and came up with her nails, trying to claw his eyes out. Norrington grabbed her wrists but fell back with the force at which she came at him with.

            Dani clasped her hands together tearing her wrists away from his hands as she began to beat as hard as she should on his chest, straddling his stomach, hitting at his face, and arms and anything else she could with as much force and power as she could muster.

            Needless to say, Norrington was hardly expecting such an onrush of pure and utter hate and anger and was completely caught off guard. Finally he managed to regain capture of her arms, “Dani . . . Dani! DANEILA!” He said crossing her arms over her chest and turning her around so her back was against him holding her there to restrain her. Still she kicked and fought trying to get free. Norrington realized after a moment that it wasn’t him she was fighting at all. Her eyes were closed. It was MacQueen she was attacking with such fierceness. When he roared her name the last time and she realized that there was no escape by how tightly she was held with the way he had her arms wrapped back around herself. She stopped struggling and slowly broke down into tears.

            Norrington slowly released her when he was sure that she wasn’t going to attack him again, and wrapped his arms around her embracing her tightly. He stroked her hair gently laying her head back against his shoulder. “Shhhh.” He said softly. Reaching over he took the blanket and put it over her again holding her against him in his lap before wrapping his arms around her again holding her close. “Shhh.”

~Sweet Dreams are Made of These~

            Dani made her way down the hall carrying a basket of white linens. Her hair was tied back and she had on her cleaning clothes. An old dress that she wore when she was doing housework and cleaning, it was a ratty looking thing and really couldn’t get much worse. Making her way towards the inner stairway, she opened the door and went upstairs carrying the basket with her.

            The house was empty for the most part. MacQueen’s boys were either in rooms with the girls, or down drinking at one of the taverns. It was just the time of the day it was. When she reached the end of the hallway she came to the door where MacQueen would be. She turned the handle and walked in closing it behind her.

            Walking into the room further, she found MacQueen with one of the girls from the first floor. He stopped what he was doing and looked at Dani. “Here now. I didn’t send for you what are you doin’ up here?”

            “Your bed linens.” She said with a plain look on her face. “I came to change them for fresh ones.” She said walking over putting the basket on the side table. MacQueen looked up at her, holding the younger girl in his arms not intending to let her go. The young woman didn’t look happy at all and was quite upset to say the least.

            “Well as you can plainly see, they’re going to be in use! So come back when I call for you!” He said looking back to the young lady in his arms. When he turned away from Dani, she reached into the bottom of her basket. Turning back towards MacQueen she wrapped her right arm around his face under his chin jerking his head back pulling him off the young lady. The girl fell to the floor, and scrambled to her feet moving away as fast as she could.

~Tragedy and Mysteries~

            Norrington stumbled through a large crowd on the street, that was gawking and milling about trying to get a better look. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it must have been something big that got everyone’s attention. Making his way to the front of the crowd where he could see since he was taller then most, he found that everyone’s focus seemed to be on the building that Dani lived in.

            It was sometime before any evidence at all of what all the commotion was about made itself known, as two men came out at the top of landing. Each at the end of a blood soaked shredded sheet. The crowd gasped and clamored wanting a better look, but the two men put what was apparently a body down on a piece of canvas that was waiting on the landing and rolled it up around the sheet before picking that up and starting down the stairs.

            “Who is that?” Someone asked. “What’s happened?”

            “Haven’t you heard?” Another voice said. “MacQueen’s girls found him in his bed, among bloody sheets. His throat cut and hacked to ribbons. That’s them over there.” On the porch of the boarding house were all the girls, crying and weeping uncontrollably, holding each other, and trying not to look when the two men walked by with the body.

            “Who done it? Who murdered him?” Another said.

            “Don’t know. They think it’s one of his rivals. MacQueen had plenty of enemies he did. Could have been one of a hundred men, says I. Might have even been one of his own.” Norrington’s eyes were fixed on the group of women on the porch, particularly Dani. Her arms were wrapped around Jess, and Kelly was leaning on her as well. She had a pale color to her face, and a far away ghostly look in her eyes. The only one of the girls who wasn’t crying. Even though she was physically present, it seemed as though she was also the only one who wasn’t there.

~Immortal~

            Norrington walked down the hallway amongst the woman who were working hard to clean the floors where blood had dripped off the body that had been carried through the house to be taken out. Making his way through the sea of buckets and soap suds, he came to Dani’s room and opened the door finding it unlocked. Turning the door handle he stepped inside.

            Dani was alone in the quiet room, standing amongst the shadows near the window looking out. There was a feeling of gloom that overcast her entire room that wasn’t usually there, and it was an odd feeling to walk into. Slipping a little further in, he closed the door behind him shutting out the sounds in the hallway before looking towards her once more.

            The way she stood before the window looking out, with her shoulders down and no expression on her face seemed as though she was mentally somewhere else. Physically there because she had to be but mentally wanting to be 1,000 miles away. Somewhere more pleasant, less real. “I hardly expected to see you here. So soon.” Dani said in a monotone voice. It hardly even sounded like her. She didn’t move or look away from the window. It unnerved James greatly.

            “Where else did you think I would be.” He said keeping his eyes fixed on her. “Of course I would come to see you. I’m sure with . . . MacQueen gone there will be some sort of uprising. All of his assets and such now having no owner to claim them.”

            “They are to be divided.” She said. “Among Murdock, Rhett-Wilson, and Summerour. Murdock is taking over protection of the girls. He might as well be one himself, so I doubt they have much to fear from him in the same aspect as they did from MacQueen.”

            Norrington cautiously stepped closer to her looking from left to right as if he was expecting to be attacked by something from the shadows. “He does have that sort of way about him doesn’t he.” He commented. “That doesn’t make him any less dangerous, Dani.”

“He has no interest in me. There is no quarrel with me. It was only MacQueen’s sick and twisted mind that was so determined to make some sort of . . . pet out of me. Example or some such . . . idiotic notion.”

            Slowly and carefully, James reached out to touch her shoulder, ready for anything. Luckily for him, he had prepared himself for some sort of attack. When he touched her she turned and looked at him with a curious look on her face wondering what he wanted. Norrington wasn’t sure what he was expecting but it wasn’t that. “Your not wanting to be serviced right now are you?” She questioned. “I hardly think it’s an appropriate time James . . . the rest of the house seems to be in mourning.”

            That was all she said in a light tone before walking past him, moving over and picking up her laundry basket as if it was a normal day. “At least wait until tonight when everyone is expected to work, James Norrington. That would be the respectable thing to do, if there is some such a word in this place.” She said in her usual dry humor tone before walking out the door with her daily laundry to go about her chores.

            James just stood there utterly speechless. He took a few steps towards the door, his jaw decidedly earthbound not at all sure what he had just witnessed. He thought for certain that he had had her pegged as the one who had killed MacQueen. But suddenly he wasn’t so certain after all. Perhaps it was just the brutality of the murder that had caused her to react so strangely. Not everyone wept around death, everyone reacted differently. Tortuga wasn’t exactly death and murder free. It was a common occurrence. She’d lived here nearer on a decade. Who knew.

~Reciprocity~

            James walked through the insane streets of Tortuga dodging thrown bottles, brawls in the streets, bullets whizzing past his ears, and all sorts of others dangers without much of a care or concern. He took a drink from his rum bottle and continued to move through the sea of humanity.

            At some point in the night, he was going to go and visit Dani, but he just hadn’t wondered over that way yet. He seemed to just be wondering around aimlessly following the moonlight perhaps. It was the strangest thing, he kept thinking he heard music and singing coming from somewhere, but couldn’t quite figure out where it was coming from, or even if it was actually there. He’d imagined things before that the drink had conjured in his mind that weren’t actually there.

            Stumbling about slightly, he fell against a wall a minute to rest and leaned against it taking another drink. How he hated the thought of life, where it had been and where it had come to.

            James rapped on Dani’s door with his fist leaning against the wall. After a moment he heard light footsteps approaching and heard the key turn in the lock. When it opened, the young woman leaned against the door looking at Norrington. She looked different tonight. Suddenly, any trouble he had remembering her from before was gone. Clean of course, never would she have let herself be seen any other way. The style of dress she wore however, was one that would have been of the class her family was from. A long crimson colored satin and velvet skirt that touched the floor, and a white long sleeved blouse that would have gone under a jacket if she was going out. But she was understandably not wearing it since she was at home in her own room by herself. Her hair was draped about her shoulders, but tied with a black ribbon in a bow back out of her face. The white long sleeved blouse was unbuttoned a few buttons, which of course wasn’t as it would have been if she was going out, but once again she was at home in her rooms by herself and it was understandable. She was breathtaking and looked so young, and fair and beautiful.

            “Do you intend to turn me away as well?” he said when nothing was said after a moment. Dani’s gaze stayed on his as if considering simply shutting the door. Yet it was as though she decided there would have been no real point in attempting to turn him away, he would be back the next day if not the same night. She stepped back opening the door further to let him in. Norrington pushed himself off the wall and entered her room as if it was his own, and she closed the door behind him.

            Dani walked passed him to the window opening the curtain and unlocking the latch, pushing open the shutters to let the warm Caribbean breeze in. James was still a little dumb struck unable to take his eyes off her taking a drink from his rum bottle. “I don’t suppose there would be any point in my asking you what you want, since you’ll neglect to tell me anyway and simply do what you like.” Dani remarked as she turned and walked passed him rolling up her sleeves to wash her hands and face.

            Norrington finally had to ask, “May I inquire as to the occasion?” He questioned, “You look almost . . .” he actually stopped talking before finishing his rather rude comment he was about to make.

            “Like a lady?” She said dipping her hands into the water and washing them before washing her face and neck picking up a cloth and drying them. James looked at her a little irritated that she finished what he was going to say when he had been courteous enough not to say it himself. “I can remember what it was like to be one James. I haven’t forgotten.” She said turning around leaning on her dresser crossing her arms as she looked at him. “Just as you can remember what it felt like to be a Gentlemen.”

            “Why dress like one.” He said tossing his hat towards the table before looking at her again, becoming slightly irritated with her at the observations she was making reminding him of something that he was trying to forget about only a little while earlier. “You left that life a long time ago. So far behind you in fact that I couldn’t even place you even when you told me who you were. Why pretend?” Taking off his sword belt and putting it aside along with his pistol he stepped closer to her.

            Dani looked into Norrington’s eyes quietly for a moment before she spoke, “James, all I can do is pretend. You can go back to your old life some day. If the opportunity presents itself . . . and you use the pieces of the board to your advantage. In your mind you’ve never really left it.” She paced slightly starting to become agitated, “It’s not the same with me. If I want to remember what it was like to be respectable, and noble, and a lady for a few hours for no one but myself . . . who is it going to hurt?” She said her voice raising slightly.

            “What on earth are you going on about? I can never go back, any more then you can.” He barked. “I’m just as outcast as you are Dani. There is no redemption for me.”

            “So I’m to understand that you’re just going to give up? You only made a mistake James. A redeemable mistake . . . that until now you have been waiting for the opportunity to correct. Why are you giving up on your ambitions now?”

            “I didn’t come here for a lecture, that’s not what I come to you for!” He roared.

            “Oh don’t I know it. I know exactly what you come to me for!” She shouted back reaching out and pushing him with her hands against his chest. “You come to me so that I’ll hoist my skirts,” she pushed him again, “and crack my mouth so you can put it to its one pleasurable use!” James quickly grabbed her wrists.

            “Have you lost your mind!” He shouted back at her. “What has gotten into you!”

            “Perhaps you have . . . far to many times that your foul temper has finally infected me.” She said giving him a dark look.

            “You needn’t blame your temperament on me, you’ve always had a volcanic temper of your own that erupts for no consistent reason I can see.” Norrington pushed her back away from him knocking her against her dresser. “But usually there is something that brings it on,” James started to walk towards her, “Some slight hint of . . .” he stopped in mid-step when he saw her pull a dagger from behind her that was apparently hidden in the dresser.

            Suddenly she flew at him swiping the dagger once, and then twice which if he had not been quick to move would have sliced across his belly. Then she stabbed towards him, which gave him the chance to grab her arm. Quickly he managed to get behind her wrapping his other arm around her free shoulder trying to restrain her. “Jesus . . .” He said finding her rather difficult to hold on to.

            Her feet braced against the floor and threw them both against the wall, striking Norrington’s back hard against it. Yet he held fast squeezing her wrist trying to make her fingers weaken around the weapon. Changing his tactic, he bent her arm bringing her hand holding the knife towards her chest. Dani’s feet stayed braced against the floor pressing James against the wall as hard as she could.

            Norrington brought the knife tip towards her chest even though she fought hard to pull away from it. When her fingers started to loosen, James quickly moved his hand up her wrist over her fingers squeezing her hand against the knife pressing the sharp tip against her chest over her heart. She threw herself harder against him squishing him even more against the wall. James grit his teeth and just chuckled a bit, reaching up with his other hand, grasping her chin and leaning her head back against his shoulder. Her other hand quickly grasped his wrist trying to pull it away from her throat.

            “What happen to your ‘no weapons’ rule, Dani?” He said between his teeth still struggling to stay in complete control while she was determined to keep him pinned against the wall as long as he held her restrained. “I hardly think that . . . it falls into the category of your rule . . . when its you that produces the knife . . .” He said feeling a nail or some other object boring into his back where he was being jammed against.

            “So finish me then . . .” She said hardly able to speak.

            “Why would I ever do a thing like that?” He questioned. “Unless death isn’t what you have in mind when you say finishing.” He said with a chuckle.
- 6
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Tortuga: Roses and Thorns