Elizabeth stared in consternation at her friend and former fiancé, James Norrington. He was not behaving at all like she expected him to do. He was standing next to Jack Sparrow, whom he had tried to hang nearly two years ago. By her estimate, that day's head start he had given Jack was now about a year, ten months and some odd weeks long. While she was grateful he had not pursued Jack with any real vigour, she wondered if he was now playing with her pirate friend's feelings, by pretending to be lenient. Could it be a trap? Was he planning to arrest Jack as soon as he stepped out of their house? James could be ruthless when it came to his duty, but she honestly did not think him capable of malicious intent, especially when it involved someone she and Will had befriended.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the two men who seemed to be doing nothing more than studying a map Jack had produced from somewhere on his person. James was present because he had accepted an invitation to dinner. Jack was there because he had put into port and decided to come to visit at an incredibly inopportune time. Her breath had nearly stopped in her throat when she walked into the dining room with the wine, followed by Estrella carrying the well-laden serving platter, and saw Jack tumble through the window, do a sloppy somersault, right himself with awkward grace and follow his nose straight to the table, before he noticed James approaching from the doorway. It was the expression on James' face—wide-eyed and drained of colour, that quickly returned in a flood, which stopped Elizabeth from shrieking at Jack to run for his life. She hadn't figured out what that expression had meant, except that James had not rushed to clap Jack in irons. Not yet. Jack's reaction was to attempt to charm the unsmiling Commodore with questionable results. That stony face was what she had seen while growing up in Port Royal, thinking that her father's friend was polite but entirely too reserved. She had since found out he was merely shy around her and not one to be effusive around any woman at the best of times.

Will had been barely any help at all. He had stood there like someone had clubbed him over the back of the head and he had forgotten to fall down. Her dear husband was not the simpleton he seemed to be at times, but she did wonder about him every now and then. He made up for his momentary lapse of the ability to speak, by inviting Jack to sit down and share their meal. James, ever polite, acted as if pirates fell into people's homes every day and greeted Jack with a quiet, "Sparrow". Jack apparently decided not to correct him about his rank, grinned nervously and sat at the table opposite James. The only thing Elizabeth could do, once she realized James was not going to throw Jack in jail—yet, was serve the meal and pretend she had planned the whole thing.

Dinner had gone well. Everyone had been on his best behaviour. Jack and James had carried on their own conversation that seemed rife with undertones neither she nor Will understood. Her husband kept alternating between frowning at their friends and raising his eyebrows at her. She did much the same thing back at him. There was definitely something going on between the pirate and the commodore, and she was determined to figure out what it was.

They were all in the parlour enjoying their wine while the sailors perused the map. Will joined them but faded out when the conversation became strained after several minutes. It fell back into its previous, easier rhythm as soon as he stepped away. He dropped down beside her on the settee telling her he preferred to keep her company. He whispered that the map seemed to be of the coast west and north of Port Royal, nothing there but rocks, caves and beaches. Elizabeth couldn't fathom what was so fascinating about that, but the longer she watched and listened to the men, a bit more of the fog lifted.

It began when James did something rather surprising.

As they leaned on the table looking down at the map he reached underneath Jack's arm to point out something on the parchment. When he did Jack moved his arm slightly so that his elbow brushed James's forearm. They remained like that, barely touching for several minutes. Then Jack straightened up and put a hand on James shoulder, splayed fingers tapping lightly to a rhythm only Jack could hear. The second surprising thing James did was allow him to keep his hand where it was. Elizabeth swore she saw fine tremors run through both of them. It was a dangerous game they were playing. While Jack was not by nature a fearful man he had reason to be afraid that evening, although he showed nothing of the sort. The man next to him had the power to hang him. It appeared the only reason James had not arrested him was because of her, and the effort was costing him. His anger was palpable. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with the carving knife.

She searched her mind for something to say to ease the situation. Then James stepped away from the table, the chart and Jack, and announced perfunctorily that he must leave. He thanked Elizabeth and Will for their warm hospitality, picked up his hat and strode for the door, despite protests from his host and hostess. Jack merely turned away and walked across the room. His head was down and his face lost in shadow. She had a brief, confused impression that he was upset or perhaps angry, more likely he was relieved beyond thinking, for he was fairly shaking with emotion. Then she gathered her skirts and hurried after James, catching up with him by the door. He politely refused her pleas to stay, and was gone, the door shutting firmly behind him.

Elizabeth turned to Will who was calling for Jack. Their other friend was also gone, vanishing like the unshackled spirit they knew him to be. She supposed he was making good his escape before James forgot his manners and returned with a full contingent of marines. She wandered over to the table where the chart remained. Her fingers drifted over it, still unable to make heads or tails of it. She wondered who he had brought it for—Will was always interested in far off places, nearly as much as she was, but neither of them could properly read maps. Perhaps Jack merely wanted to impress them with it? No, she decided, that was not his way. More than likely he had some scheme cooked up and wanted to enlist their aid, but James' presence had upset that idea. But no, if that were the case he would not have brought the map out in the first place, nor spent a good hour going over it with the Commodore. She leaned into Will's embrace. Maybe Jack would come back for it and explain.

"We could take it to him," suggested Will. "I know where he used to hide his rowboat when he sneaked into Port Royal."

"Let's!" she cried, excited by this tiny spark of proposed adventure. They rolled up the chart and after gathering their cloaks they hurried out the door.

And there by the side of the house, standing on the edge of the shadows were their two friends. James held Jack by the wrists. Elizabeth's breath sputtered in her throat. Her nightmare was coming true. Jack was about to be arrested. There could be no leniency for him this time.

But then James dipped his head forward and Jack tilted his up. There was a space between them that remained for what felt like forever before they moved as one, and their mouths met in a kiss. It was obvious from the start that they had done this many times, as they found each other unerringly and moved in ways Elizabeth recognized as similar in a way to things she and Will did, how nibbles and bites were soothed with tongues, and even how they moved their mouths, pressing and suckling. They each knew what the other liked, and sought to pleasure and take pleasure both. The moment James released Jack's hands their two sets of arms snaked around each other's waists, crushing their bodies together. This was not a rash encounter played out in unusual circumstances, two men acting on impulse. How could she not have realized? Jack and James were lovers.

"Oh!" she breathed. A familiar sensation began to flutter in her lower abdomen, one she normally got around Will, especially when he had his shirt off and was working at the forge or fixing things around the house. It was something about his masculinity... Shaking off those thoughts she continued to stare at Jack and James until the two men came up for air and realized they were being watched. They both froze in their very compromising position.

Beside her Will opened his mouth, floundered, recovered and said, "Well... " Then he tried again. "Elizabeth, I think we should help Estrella in cleaning up after that delicious dinner."

"Oh," she repeated, aware of how stupid she must sound. But this was a most unexpected revelation. Finally she managed to say, "Of course. I mean, we should go help Estrella," as if it was a brand new thought.

"Elizabeth," James took a step towards her, but it was aborted when Jack tightened his hand on James' sleeve. Clearly worried, he looked down at the pirate who shook his head.

"It's all right, Jamie-love. The lass won't give us away, nor will young Mister Turner." He winked at Will who had recovered enough to wink back.

Elizabeth went to the illicit lovers and embraced Jack, and kissed him on the cheek before giving his chin braids a little tug. Then she turned to James.

"I thought you were angry with us for being friends with Jack, and that you left because you didn't want to arrest him in our home. I see now how very wrong I was." She hesitated and then quickly wrapped her arms around him. He tensed at the contact before relaxing and returning the embrace. "This is quite the surprise, but I'm very happy for you both."

"As am I," Will shook hands with James and then with Jack, clapping a hand to the pirate's elbow. He grinned broadly at Jack who beamed back at him.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. Her husband obviously knew something that she did not. Jack sometimes visited Will at the smithy where he regaled Will and the donkey with tales of his seafaring adventures. She would have to question him about that later.

"As much as I'd love to hear how this liaison between the Caribbean's most notorious pirate and our acclaimed and fierce pirate hunter came about, I suspect you would prefer to be alone... as would Will and I." She sent Will a look that made his eyebrows shoot up and anticipation sparkle in his brown eyes. His smile alone was enough to make her want to have him right then and there. She damped down on those thoughts, too. What was in the air tonight anyway, or was it that pair of lovers standing so close that they were one, fairly shaking with the need to go somewhere to be together that was affecting her so?

"Aye, 'Lizabeth. Much as we enjoy your fine company, Jamie and I have precious little time alone. I was on m'way to see him tonight when I popped in here."

That prompted a memory of the chart they had seemed so interested in. Elizabeth asked, "What was so fascinating about that map you brought, Jack?"

Jack's eyes widened and, surprisingly, so did James'. "Oh! It was for Jamie. We, ah, we... Well, you see... "

James took control of the situation by grasping Jack firmly by the upper arm and turning him towards the stable around the back where his horse was waiting. As they started off he said over his shoulder, "We're about to go explore that area indicated on the map. Thank you for the lovely evening, and good night to you both."

Then he whispered something to Jack that made the other man laugh and poke him in the ribs. Jack slipped an arm around James' waist and they wandered off into the shadows together.

"Perhaps we should go as well?" Will waggled his eyebrows at her.

Pretending to be uninterested, Elizabeth screwed up her mouth in a pout. "But I wanted to see them ride the same horse." Then she waggled her eyebrows back at him and finally grinned.

"How about I show you how to ride this horse?"

"William Turner! What a naughty boy you are."

Just then gales of laughter could be heard from the vicinity of the stable. She wasn't sure those two were going exploring anytime soon, unless it was in the stable. She smiled fondly in their direction and then allowed Will to tug her into the house.

# end