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Chapter Text

Ruby thought the commodore’s house was too big and too quiet. It was lovely, of course, but it felt bare and empty compared with the small dwelling she had known since childhood. The house in Tortuga was functional and sparse, and its few windows were small and often grimy, so the interior of the home had always been bathed in the yellow glow of lamplight. She couldn’t recall ever having seen its corners properly. The commodore’s house was tall and spacious and clean, and it had many corners.

Her home was gone now, claimed by a fire set by a mysterious man in a black coat. Ruby would have perished in the fire if James, the Commodore, hadn’t been there to pull her out of the room where she was trapped. With nowhere else to go, and no longer feeling particularly welcome in the town she had always called home, Ruby had agreed to go to Port Royal on the Dauntless. Her return to the ship was met first with confusion, as the other officers had expected James to come back alone. The lieutenants’ confusion quickly turned to alarm, though, when they saw the scorch marks on the commodore’s coat, which was still around Ruby’s shoulders.

James could tell the other officers noticed both his longer than anticipated absence as well as the missing pieces of his uniform, but the lieutenants wisely chose not to mention either. James chose not to mention it when he noticed the half-crown that passed from Gillette to Groves. He just briefly explained what had happened and gave the order to cast off, then insisted that Ruby see Doctor Talbot, the ship’s surgeon. Ruby was sure she hadn’t been injured in the fire—at least, not badly—but she was too shaken to argue, so she let James lead her down to the ship’s sick bay.

Doctor Talbot examined Ruby, then put a fresh blanket around her shoulders in place of the dirty coat and gave her a cup of warm brandy. Ruby sat on a cot, sipping her drink, while the doctor spoke to James.

“She’s all right,” Talbot declared, giving James his coat back. “Just a bit smoky, and in some shock after such a bad scare. But she’s strong. She’ll be all right.”

James smiled with relief. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“Now, what about you?”

“His hand,” Ruby said, interjecting before James could attempt to downplay the minor injury he’d sustained. “I don’t think it’s bad, but he does have some burns.”

Talbot just looked at James and raised his eyebrows, waiting. James shot Ruby a mild frown, then sighed and extended his right arm to reveal the red patches on the back of his hand. Talbot gently held the commodore’s wrist so he could examine the burned area, then carefully lifted James’ sleeve. James tensed as the fabric brushed painfully against his raw skin.

Talbot glanced up at James. “Go sit down,” the doctor said. “I’ll get that fixed up.”

James obediently made his way over to the cot and sat down next to Ruby. She met his eyes with a fleeting smile. “It’s going to hurt a lot less and heal a lot faster with the proper treatment,” she said.

“I’m more concerned about you,” he said. “You were in there a lot longer than I was. Not to mention…” He hesitated. “You just lost your home.”

Ruby nodded. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.” She stared down into her cup. “But it’s all gone,” she said, quietly. “I have nothing.”

James put his arm around her and pulled her close. “For what it’s worth,” he said, “you have me.”

Ruby rested her head against his chest and let him hold her.

The doctor applied a salve to the burns on James’ hand and wrist, then wrapped bandages around the raw areas. As dawn began to break, James reluctantly left Ruby in the sick bay and went back up to the main deck. He hated to leave Ruby when she was in such a vulnerable state, but he felt it was important to be present on deck and keep the ship operating as usual. He trusted Doctor Talbot to look after Ruby, and he also knew Ruby and the doctor had formed a sort of camaraderie. She would be comfortable with him.

Ruby kept mostly to herself throughout the rest of the voyage. She was still reeling from the grief and shock of having her home burned to the ground, and she couldn’t stop wondering whether the blaze was meant for her or for the Commodore. She suspected he was wondering the same thing.

As they neared Port Royal, they passed another ship flying an English flag—the Courier. The sailors on the Dauntless seemed to recognize the ship. They flagged her down and learned that the Courier was also bound from Port Royal in pursuit of the pirates who kidnapped Elizabeth. James seemed entirely unsurprised to learn that Will Turner, Elizabeth’s husband, was on board, along with the regular crew. Will came aboard the Dauntless to embrace his wife and stay with her for the rest of the trip home.

It was late afternoon when the Dauntless arrived in Port Royal. James escorted Ruby ashore and insisted that she stay in his house, in one of the guest rooms, until she found a more permanent living arrangement. Ruby hesitantly accepted the invitation, knowing she really didn’t have many other options, and James brought her to a lovely house near the fort with windows that faced the ocean.

Evening was falling as James introduced Ruby to the housekeeper, Henrietta—a short, stocky middle-aged woman with kindness and competence in her eyes. She welcomed Ruby and led her upstairs to a spacious bedroom suite. James followed to make sure Ruby got settled in. She thought the room was larger than the house she had lived in for so many years, and while she felt very small inside it, she also realized she would get to sleep in a bed that seemed fit for a queen.

James asked Henrietta to bring Ruby a tray for supper and anything else she needed, and also asked for his own supper to be sent to his room. After Henrietta left, James stood just outside the room while Ruby looked around at the suite and its furnishings.

“Will this be all right?” James asked.

“Of course,” Ruby said, turning to face him. “It’s the nicest place I’ve ever been.”

“Just let Henrietta know if there’s anything you need.”

“I will. Tonight I think I just want to have supper and go to bed.”

James nodded, and tried to stifle a yawn with the back of his hand. “That’s my plan as well,” he said, looking over at Ruby again. “I may be busy most of the day tomorrow. A lot happened this past week that must be accounted for, and I think it’s best if I get ahead of the questions I’ll have to answer. And I imagine you might prefer a quiet day. I’ll try to catch you in the morning, but you probably won’t see much of me otherwise. Perhaps the next day I can arrange to show you a bit of the town.”

Ruby smiled. “I’d like that.”

James smiled back. His eyes were heavy and tired, but the smile was warm and genuine. He was glad to have Ruby here, nearby, safe and sound.

The following day passed much as James had predicted. He came into the dining room, briefly, as Ruby was sitting down to breakfast. He had already finished his own and was on his way out the door, but took a few moments to make sure Ruby was comfortable in her room and to invite her to make herself at home in the house. Once again, he insisted she ask Henrietta if there was anything she needed or wanted. He promised to join Ruby for supper in the evening, then he left for the fort.

Ruby didn’t really know what to do with herself after breakfast. She occupied herself by wandering around the house, making herself familiar with its rooms and hallways, and she spent some time looking out the front windows towards the ships in the bay. Henrietta found her a fresh dress to wear in place of the dirty, singed one she had been wearing since the night she escaped the fire, and Ruby was glad for something to do as she took in the waist and let out the hem so the dress fit her properly.

Henrietta came to get her when it was time for supper and led her to the dining room. Ruby sat down in the same chair she’d occupied that morning at breakfast. She hadn’t noticed the Commodore returning to the house, but James soon joined her in the dining room. Ruby could see the exhaustion in his face, but he still greeted her with a smile as he sat down at the table.

Ruby smiled back. “Long day?”

He nodded.

The meal passed mostly in silence. James politely asked Ruby about her day, and she told him how she’d spent her time. He repeated that his day had been long and mentally arduous, but he didn’t elaborate. Ruby could tell he was desperately tired, and she even thought he looked a little pale.

When the meal concluded, Henrietta came to take the empty plates away and paused when she saw James had barely touched his food. “Something wrong, Commodore?”

“I’m just not hungry,” James said.

Henrietta frowned slightly and shot a Ruby a glance, but said nothing as she took the dishes and went back to the kitchen. James closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Ruby wasn’t entirely sure what she should do next, so she just sat quietly in her chair and waited.

After a moment, James opened his eyes and looked over at her. “I realize I haven’t been very pleasant company,” he said. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’m not feeling my best.”

“You look like you don’t feel well.”

James sighed. “I suppose the past week is finally catching up with me.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

James shook his head and pushed himself out of his chair. “I should just go to bed. Hopefully I’ll be all right in the morning.” He offered Ruby a tired smile. “Good night, Ruby.”

She watched him go, frowning slightly. She suspected he felt worse than he let on, and she hoped a full night of sleep would do him some good. He’d had a long week, and not much rest. After James went upstairs, Ruby left the table and spent some time gazing out the front windows towards the ocean, lost in her own thoughts as she watched the sky darken over the bay. It still didn’t seem real that this town was her new home. She supposed the reality would sink in eventually. She looked forward to seeing more of Port Royal and getting to know it as her own.

Ruby went up to her own room. It wasn’t especially late yet, and she wasn’t particularly tired after a day of mostly idleness, but she wasn’t sure what else to do in the commodore’s dark, quiet house. She lay on the large, comfortable bed and stared at the ceiling. As lovely as the room and the house were, she found herself missing home. She knew Port Royal would become familiar with time, but she wondered if she would ever stop feeling homesick for the little, rundown house in Tortuga.

Chapter Text

James had truly hoped he might feel better in the morning, but he woke up feeling miserable. He could tell a fever had settled in overnight by the heaviness in his limbs and the chill he felt despite the warm bed. His head throbbed when he pushed himself upright. For a long moment he just sat still, resting back against the headboard, trying to convince himself he wasn’t as ill as he felt.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. “Commodore? It’s Ruby.”

James glanced towards the door and hesitated before responding. It was likely she was concerned by his absence from breakfast and had come to check on him, and it was equally likely she and Henrietta had already discussed the matter. Ruby was bold, but not so bold that she would come to a private bedroom without the housekeeper’s blessing.

“Commodore?” Ruby called again.

“Yes,” James replied.

“Is it all right if I come in?”

“Yes,” he said again.

The bedroom door opened and Ruby came in, carrying a tray. James watched her for a moment, thinking it was odd that she still called him by his title and that it sounded strange coming from her. He and Ruby had come a long way since the first time they met, and James recalled the brief conversation in which he had not so politely let her know he preferred to be addressed properly. He realized he’d never amended that request. “You don’t have to call me that,” he said. “Just call me James.”

Ruby hesitated. She set the tray on the table near the bed. “Are you sure that’s all right?”

“Yes,” he insisted. “It’s time we did away with the formality.”

Ruby nodded. “James, then.” She offered a sympathetic smile. “How are you?”

James sighed and rested his head back against the headboard. “Not well,” he said, though he was sure she could tell just from looking at him. “I think I felt something coming on yesterday and just didn’t want to believe it.”

“Henrietta and I thought you must have taken ill when you didn’t come down for breakfast,” Ruby said, confirming that she and the housekeeper had been conspiring together. She lifted the kettle and poured tea into a cup. “You really didn’t look well last night.” She brought the teacup over to the bed and handed it to him.

“You didn’t have to do this,” he said, accepting the cup. “I do have a staff.”

“I know,” Ruby said. “Henrietta made the tea. All I did was bring it up here. She thought you’d probably rather see me than her.”

James smiled slightly, and sipped the tea. “Thank you,” he said, and sipped the tea again. “I think I’ll have to owe you a trip into town.”

“The town will still be there when you’re feeling better,” Ruby said. “Don’t worry about that. Just drink your tea, then get some rest.”

James slept through the morning and woke up sometime later to Henrietta setting a pitcher of water on the bedside table. He blinked, slowly coming back to consciousness, then groaned when he remembered how awful he felt. Everything hurt. His head and his throat felt hot, but he was cold everywhere else.

Henrietta met his eyes when she noticed he was awake, then filled a cup with water. “Some fresh water for you, Commodore,” the housekeeper said. “Miss Ruby will be up shortly with soup. She thought you should eat something, if you’re up for it.”

James nodded and slowly sat up. His head throbbed.

Henrietta set a few extra pillows behind him, then handed him the cup. “Have some water,” she said. “I’ll send Ruby in.”

James nodded again and took a long drink of water as Henrietta left. Then he set the empty cup aside and pulled the blankets up around himself, trying in vain to get warm. He guessed it must be nearly noon from the bright sunlight that made its way into the room, even though the curtains were drawn. He’d already slept through half a day, and he still felt exhausted, feverish, and not at all like himself. It had been a while since an illness had forced him to stay in bed.  

Ruby came in, carrying a tray, and met his eyes. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

James just shook his head.

“Well, I brought you some soup,” Ruby said. “That might help a little.”

“Soup does sound good.”

Ruby set the tray in front of him, then sat down in the chair next to the bed to keep him company. James tried the soup. It was pleasantly hot, and he felt a little warmer as he ate. He glanced over at Ruby with a small smile and a nod of thanks, and she smiled in return. James went back to the soup, slowly emptying the bowl, spoonful by spoonful, savoring both the sustenance and Ruby’s quiet presence.

“Lieutenant Gillette stopped by,” Ruby said, after a long silence.

James frowned slightly and looked over at her.

“Everything’s fine,” Ruby said, quickly. “I think he was just concerned when he heard you were ill.”

James sighed and set his spoon in the empty bowl.

“Concerned, but not surprised,” Ruby continued, taking the bowl away. “He said he could tell you weren’t yourself yesterday.”

James closed his eyes and rested his head back against the pillows. “I hope you told him I plan to recover within the week,” he said, “or else he’ll have the entire fort in hysterics by sundown.”

Ruby frowned slightly as she studied his face. He was pale, but also a little flushed. “Maybe I should get you a doctor.”

“You are a doctor.”

“I’m a midwife,” Ruby said. “And I can cure a hangover or patch up wounds, but you know I’m not a proper doctor. You have a fever, and it seems like it’s getting worse.”

“I’m hardly in any danger of succumbing to it,” James insisted. He looked over at her again. “Please, I really just want to rest quietly while I recover.”

Ruby held his gaze for a long moment, then decided not to argue. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.”

He shrugged. “It’ll pass.”

“Do you need anything else?”

James sighed. “I appreciate everything you’re doing, but I have no intention of making you my nurse.”

“You’re not making me do anything I wasn’t planning to do anyway,” she said. “I need something to do with myself. I’ll leave you alone if that’s really what you want, but if there’s anything you need, please, just ask.” She smiled slightly. “Besides, I promised Gillette I’d take good care of you.”

James met her eyes and offered a tired smile. “I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea.”

“Of course,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

James closed his eyes again, hoping a brief rest might ease the headache. A chill ran through his body and he thought maybe he should have asked Ruby for an extra blanket too. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps. He was mildly surprised Ruby had returned so quickly, but when he opened his eyes he saw—to his surprise and horror—that it was not Ruby, but Jack Sparrow standing in the doorway.

Jack grinned and sauntered over to the foot of the bed. “Did you miss me yet?”

Chapter Text

For a moment James just stared at the pirate, unsure if he could even comprehend what he was seeing. Either the pirate was in his house, or the fever was worse than he thought. He wasn’t sure which he was hoping for, but he did wonder if he should reconsider letting Ruby bring a doctor. James rubbed his eyes, but when he looked towards the end of the bed again, Jack was still there.

“Quite the place you’ve got here,” Jack said, moving around the room. James watched, frowning, as the pirate turned in circles to survey his surroundings. “It suits you,” Jack continued, “if you don’t mind my saying so. I like it.”

James just rubbed his forehead and stared at Jack, unable to form anything coherent to say.

Jack paused and took a few steps towards the bed. “Commodore,” he said, with a slight frown, “I don’t mean to be rude, but you look terrible.” His frown deepened. “You must be dreadfully ill if you’re still in bed in the middle of the day, looking like that.”

“Look who fancies himself a physician,” James muttered.

Ruby came back into the room, carrying a teacup, and immediately noticed Jack standing at the corner of the bed. “Jack!” she said, confirming that the pirate really was there and not just a fever dream. “What are you doing? You can’t be here. I told you that.” She looked apologetically over at James as she came towards him. “I’m so sorry. I told him not to come up here.”

“I’m just glad you can see him, too,” James said.

Ruby frowned slightly and handed him the teacup.

“There’s a pistol in my desk,” James told her. “Would you find it and kindly shoot one of us? It makes no difference to me which of us survives.” He sipped the tea and shot Jack a frown.

“Norrington, mate, do you really think I’d come here without a purpose of utmost importance?” Jack insisted. “It’s no small matter for a man like me to come into a place like this, owned by someone like you, I’ll have you know.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ruby said, glaring at Jack. “You can’t be in this house.” She looked back at James. “I told him to go away, I swear.”

“I know,” James said, then he shivered as a chill washed over his feverish body. He took another sip of tea and closed his eyes for a moment.

Ruby frowned slightly, thinking he looked a bit worse than he had earlier, and gently pressed her hand against his forehead. She could feel the heat of his fever before she even touched his skin. “James, you’re burning up,” she said.

Jack raised his eyebrows, noticing Ruby’s use of the commodore’s first name. “James?” he repeated.

Ruby ignored him. “I’m going to get you a compress,” she told James. “I’ll bring another blanket, too. And Jack…” Ruby shot a glare over at the pirate.

“I’ll hear him out,” James said, opening his eyes again.

“Are you sure?”

“No, but I am curious.”

Ruby sighed and frowned at Jack again. “If you’re still here when I come back, I’m kicking you out. I’ll use the pistol if I have to.”

“Noted,” Jack said.

Ruby left the room. James took another drink from his cup, then rested it in his lap and looked at Jack. “You say you wouldn’t have come here if not for an urgent matter,” James said, “and I’m inclined to believe you. So let’s see if your definition of urgency aligns with mine.”

“Mighty gracious of you,” Jack said. He moved around the bed to stand at the commodore’s side and pulled a rolled piece of paper out of his belt. Jack unrolled the paper and spread it out on the bed. “Are you, or are you not, familiar with this particular map?”

James recognized it. The map’s apparent magical properties could locate people of interest to whoever was holding it. “That stolen, cursed thing?” he said, frowning at the map draped across his legs. “Yes, unfortunately, I am familiar.”

“Although I disagree wholeheartedly with your less-than-favorable assessment of its unique qualities, this is hardly the time for a debate over semantics and connotation.” Jack gently pressed on the center of the blank page, crinkling it against the soft blankets. Markings appeared on the map, showing nearby locations and the names of people who occupied them. James saw his own name on the map of Port Royal, as well as several others he recognized and some he didn’t.

“This map has shown me that our mutual acquaintance, the ever-present Lord Cutler Beckett, has set a course for the port of Saint Thomas,” Jack continued.

James rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Sparrow, my head is splitting. Get to the point.”

“My point, Commodore, is that the man is not to be trusted. We can hardly expect him to just let either of us off the proverbial hook after we bested him,” Jack said. “Now he’s clearly up to something, seeing as it has come to light that he gave us a false account of his intentions when we last parted ways.” Jack pulled his hand back, letting the map go blank again, then rolled it up and tucked it away again.

James hated to admit it, but the pirate was right. It was suspicious that Beckett had promised to return to England but had doubled back instead. “I don’t trust that man either,” he conceded. “But I see no immediate threat.”

“Saint Thomas is barely a day’s sail from here,” Jack insisted. “He’ll be headed this way soon enough.”

“We don’t know that,” James said. He sipped his tea again. “And if you’re so concerned that Lord Beckett is making his way to Port Royal, you’re more than welcome to make yourself scarce.”

Jack just frowned, looking a bit offended. “We’re in this together, mate.”

James finished the tea and set the empty cup aside. The chills and the headache were growing steadily worse. He rested his head back against the pillows, feeling as though his skull might split open. “Look, Sparrow, even if Beckett does intend to pay us a visit, and even if I somehow managed to get out of bed today, there’s nothing to be done about it.”

“Not yet,” Jack insisted, holding up both index fingers. “But from where I stand, it would do you and I both a world of good if we had a plan at the ready so we’re not caught unawares. I propose we—"

“Jack, I really don’t feel well enough for this,” James said. He pressed his hand against his forehead as a wave of dizziness accompanied the chills. “If you come up with anything more, I suppose you can send word to the fort. Lieutenant Groves might talk to you.” He paused, feeling his strength quickly fading and taking his ability to hold a conversation along with it. “I don’t like the way this looks either, but…”

“But… what?”

James closed his eyes. “The room is spinning.”

Jack frowned and glanced around at the walls. “Seems fine to me,” he said. “You, on the other hand… Maybe you’d better lie down.”

“Yes," James agreed. "Probably.”

Ruby returned and sent Jack out of the room. She came to James’ side and spread a heavy blanket over the bed and adjusted the pillows so he could lie down. James rested against the pillows, under the warmth of the blankets, and felt the dizziness start to fade. Ruby sat down in the chair next to the bed and dabbed his temples and forehead with a damp cloth, easing both the heat and the throbbing in his head.

“How’s that?” Ruby asked.

James nodded.

“You should try to sleep.”

James sighed. “This isn’t exactly how I hoped to welcome you to Port Royal,” he said. “I should be the one looking after you.”

“You are,” Ruby insisted. “You’re letting me stay here. And I’ve lost count of how many times you nearly died while you were looking out for everyone else last week.” She dipped the cloth back in the water, wrung it out again, and spread it across his forehead. “You need a break.”

“Apparently.”

Ruby dried her hands on her skirt, then took James’ hand in both of hers. “And you deserve to be looked after, too, you know.”

James met her eyes with a brief, tired smile. Her words were genuine and her touch was tender, and he found it uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of such things. He rarely allowed, or even needed, much “looking after,” even from those he considered friends. But as he looked up at Ruby and saw the kindness in her eyes and felt the softness of her touch, he thought it was almost worth the miserable illness to be on the receiving end of her care. James closed his eyes and easily fell asleep, still feeling the warmth of her hands in his.