So, I came across permetaform's recent post on why she doesn't like Jack/Norrington fic in PotC. And her main point is that Jack, in the movie, represents freedom, and Norrington the opposite.

I don't see this at all. I know it's a big part of most J/N fic, and fanon for their characters, but man, if you go back to the source? It's the opposite. Captain Jack Sparrow is *married*, man. And he's whipped. He is an utter slave to that ship. Vhich would completely reduce his effectiveness as a pirate, since they depended on the flexibility of switching ships. And every part of his life that isn't completely bound to his Pearl has been sacrificed to maintaining his reputation. The only time we see Jack acting at all free is when he's lost hope, on the island with Elizabeth. And even then he's mostly just mooning over his ship.

Whereas Norrington is only bound by his personal sense of duty and honor. Which is not particularly strict nor conventional. He has the characteristic which is essential for freedom, and that is the ability to let go of things when they're no longer doing him any good. His hopes for Elizabeth, the Interceptor, his antipathy to Jack. He is, from the very beginning, willing to bend the rules, twist honor, risk propriety, let go of pride. . . he answers to no-one but his own conscience, and not always even that. Anyone who can't see pirate!Norrington can't see Norrington at all.

Thus, the only Jack/James fic I ever started (which was really more of a James/Black Pearl fic anyway) ( started like this ) until I inevitably lost the wind in my sails. . .

Of course, I also think Mulder is clearly the skeptic and Scully the open-minded believer, so hey.