Title: Through Hell For You [ 2/3 ]
Rating: PG-13, Just to be safe. O_O;
Pairing: James Norrington [ Commodore ] / OC [ Odette Beaumont ] With the addition of another OC [ Evie 'Cricket' Beaumont ].
Warnings: Umm. I'd guess another failed attempt at Norrington? I don't have many warnings unless you don't see Norrie as a father. xD
Summary: Fourteen years. A title reclaimed. A new world. Going back to Tortuga for strictly business, one can't help but be sidetracked.
Notes: I wrote this first half Study Hall at school. It wound up just a small page, but I continued it in Geometry and I wound up liking it. So, here it is and I think I'm going to fancy this one. A lot. While I was writing it though, I had yet to even know who Andrew Cliche was. But listening to his song, "A Walk Through Hell", I realized it matched up with where I wanted this little fic-let to go.
- A month of passing. The beating sun of late summer dwindled out and the cool breezes of early fall picked up around the town. With the breezes, pollen and dust being thrown around, sniffles were constant throughout the Banshee, from Odette and Evie both.
"Mumsie~" A whine.
"Cricket, not now. And ... you know where the tissues are! Go on. Go ... bother grandpa." Massaging at her temple, Odette's eyes were sealed shut. A headache that Cricket wasn't making any better plagued her at the moment.
"But mom. Grandpa is down at Turtle Peak." More whining and the annoying creak of the bed as it was being jumped upon.
Groaning with each violent jolt her bed gave, Odette glared up at her teen. "Evie Beaumont, you are fourteen years old. You don't need to bug me. Go on, get! I mean it!" The first time she ever really yelled at her. Already it left a bad taste in her mouth as Evie's shoulder slumped and her expression changed to a shocked one.
But it didn't last long and the expression was replaced with one of anger. This would be the start to the ageless fights children had with their parents.
"I bet if dadsie was here, he wouldn't yell at me." Crossing her arms over her chest, Evie jumped down from her mother's bed and stormed out.
For the most part, Odette was speechless. Evie having that little outburst wasn't helping the stress she was already under. It was official that the Banshee wouldn't make it through the rest of the year and she was already in debt as it was. That meant ... she wouldn't be able to supply for her, Evie, or her father. There was no job she could get here in Tortuga either. Work was dead. The entire island was dying because of the Navy - because of the "New World."
But the icing on the cake was Norrington having come back, being one of the men that was aiding in shutting down Tortuga. He was the reason she was in the mess she was in now. If he hadn't of left ...
"Things would be so different."
---
Knuckles tapping at the front door of the Banshee, James waited. He had snuck from his post at the docks, away from his men and ship. He had grown smart as to not show his face around the outskirts of town, for Odette's sake. He was giving her ... space. Though he had given her enough in the fourteen years he was absent.
Catching the squeek from the door, James found little Evie's eyes. They weren't as joyous as they had been the first couple of times he had seen and conversed with the girl.
"Cricket ... your mother, is she around?"
Brushing dirty blonde locks out of her face, Evie glanced back towards the stairs, nodding slowly as she stepped aside to let the Commodore in.
"She's upstairs, in bed. Has been there since yesterday ..." Her soft voice trailed down into one that was even softer, barely above a whisper. "Sir, I think something is wrong."
Brow furrowed, James closed the door for the girl, allowing her to leave into the kitchen and reamerge with a tray that held a steaming bowl of soup, a mug of water, and a fresh green apple. A good daughter she was.
"Give the tray here. I'll take it to her. You've done enough." Assuming, he nodded to her and took the tray, going off in the direction of the stairs.
"Be careful, sir. She's ... snappy."
With a light chuckle, he proceeded up the stairs. Once at the top, he followed his memory, going to Odette's door.
"Miss Beaumont?" Lightly nudging the door open just a fraction with his boot, James was baffled. Sounds of quick movements, a thud, a small curse, and then a bottle breaking on the floor. "Odette?" Forcing the door open the rest of the way, he could believe his eyes.
Odette was seated upon her bed, close to being in nothing, cradling ( what he assumed ) was a stubbed toe. Her normally groomed hair was tossled about and her eyes were obviously red. Red from rum that was proven by the bottles set on her desk and the broken one on the floor.
She seemed to be oblivious to him being there as she broke off in words of her own comprehension.
"Fool. Just a fool. Just like them! Like good old dadsie and Jamie. I'm no better. Drown it away ... drown it all aw--" Trailing off, her eyes rolled back, closing as she fell onto her mattress.
"Odette!" Hurrying over, shoving aside the empty bottles on the desk to place the tray, James crawled onto the bed, picking Odette up and laying her in his lap.
Arms around her small frame, he gave her a couple shakes, lips parting with her name in a frantic tone.
"Mom!"
Looking up from Odette, James saw Evie in the doorway - frightened.
"Evie, don't stay here. Go, go and get help. You're grandfather, someone ..." He raced through his thoughts. Not very many men on Tortuga would accept the cries of a small girl. "The docks. My men. Bring them here. Hurry!"
It appeared Evie didn't need to be told twice. Giving him a solid nod, she spun around, rocketing out of the pub and out onto the streets of Tortuga.
Returning his gaze to look down at Odette in his lap, he persisted on sending her small shakes to wake her up. Why had she ... why did she drink herself into such a state? He could have very well asked that question to himself when he would have done the same, but this was Odette. She had a fam--
"L-let me ... go." Her words were slurred and she shifted in his lap, trying to push away his hands with her own.
Neglecting her attempts, James snaked one arm behind her shoulders and the other crossed in front of her, settling at her side. Angling her up, the groan that came from her made him shudder. Her breath reeked of the amber liquid.
Anger boiled up inside of him. This was the most stupid act she had ever done. "Odette, what are you thinking?!" Hands pressed at his chest, pushing away. "You've wished your father off of that road, you've gotten me off of that road, and now you're the one going down it? Why!" His voice was stern and demanded an answer - the voice of a Commodore.
Her small hands stopped pushing away, and she settled in his arms - eyes being the mirror of a thought process that was hard to get through. Though intoxicated, she was very aware of what she had to do.
Body started to give small tremors, Odette looked up at him, making sure his eyes met with hers.
"My life ... it's gone to hell. The Banshee, out of business. There's not much of anything I can do for Evie. She's mad at me anyways ..." Giving a feeble laugh to hide the tears that fell from her eyes, her hand traveled up, cupping James` cheek. Smiling when he didn't move away, she came closer. Pressing lips that tasted of salt against his.
He had no knowledge of how to react to the kiss. Eyes half shut, watching as Odette continued to softly press her lips against his, waiting for something in return. He wouldn't deny that he had wanted to kiss her, but not like this. Not in the state that she was in now ...
Finding it hard to resist, the Commodore state of mind he had been in for years, subsided. The James that had come to Tortuga as a broken man and was fixed by an angel, was now there, in the room.
He met her lips with an agressive push, one of need.
Not minding as Odette's hand that was at his cheek, removed his hat and wig, James repositioned the both of them. Stretching out long legs, he placed Odette in a more seated position in his lap. Drawing back from the kiss, she knew what was expected. Making knees bend up and ankles crossing behind his back.
Grabbing at her wrists, James eyed her.
"There's more you're not--"
He was cut off, Odette pressing forward and catching his lips in another kiss. With a roll of his eyes, they fell shut and his hands released her wrists. His arms moved around the dip of her back and hers around his neck.
The two were a mess, but both needed this. They wanted it.
But Odette inched away, her nose brushing against his and their lips still close.
"She's yours."
"Commodore!"
"Mommy!"
He ignored the compromising position that he and Odette were in. He ignored his men that were now in the room, looking utterly confused. He even ignored Evie who was looking back and forth from him to her mother.
"What?"
"Evie."
"You're not making sense ..."
A whisper that could just be heard between the two of them.
"She's your daughter."
to be continued
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Meh. I know what happens but still. ><