ABirth At Sea!

The weather conditions couldn't have been more perfect. The Black Pearl sliced through the turquoise water and Cole was taking full control of the beautiful ship.

"Leo, I thought you possessed a lot of skill to sail this ship but she practically sails herself."

"Aye Lad, she is a lady, but when we are sailing in strong waters and torriental storms she has a mind of her own. Perhaps you will find out some time, but we best be getting you and your bonny lass back home. I would hate for her to have the baby out here. There has never been a child born on The Black Pearl and I don't think you want yours to be the first. Savvy?'

"Leo, you don't have to worry. Phoebe has assured me the baby won't arrive for another two weeks. And you promised we would be back within five days."

A heartrending cry broke the silence. Phoebe cried out in agony as a stabbing pain went through her body. "Cole, my labor has started," she gasped.

Leo's eyes opened wide and looked at Cole, who was standing at the helm as still as a statue and just as white. Leo slapped Cole on the back and smiled. "Well Las that was a quick two weeks."

Cole glanced at Leo and gave him a slight smile. "I'm sure Phoebe is toying with me."

"Cole, Help!" She yelled out again.

Leo now pulled away from the helm and pushed him toward Phoebe. "You've got to get her below. This is no game. Obviously nobody told the child he or she had to wait two weeks.'

Cole ran over to Phoebe and put his arm around her. "Phoebe, what can I do? Please, stop yelling and let me help you."

"I can't. I can't. It hurts. I can't move." she looked up into Cole's eyes. "The pain it comes and goes, Cole this is it. I'm really going to have our baby. You know, I know it is going to be a boy."

Phoebe smiled as shed rubbed her stomach and the pain subsided. Cole placed his hand on Phoebes very large abdomen and he also smiled. "Phoebe, I will love it whether it is a girl or boy but I will never love it as much as I love you."

A spasm of pain swept over her again and she gasped Cole's arm. "Oh Cole, you are so adorable and you always know the right things to say. I am so excited but I am also afraid. The baby it's coming early."

Cole wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He was also filled with anticipation and fright.

"I hate to break up this touching moment mates." Leo was now standing beside Cole and motioning for him to get her off the deck. "Phoebe Luv, please you have to go below, you don't want to give birth up here on the deck. This should be a quiet. Private time for you and the whelp."

Phoebe straightened up and looked around to see she had a large audience staring at her. Leo's crew stood around as if the wind was taken out of the sails. As Coop had mentioned before, nobody had ever given birth on the ship and nobody knew what was going to happen next.

A pain swept over her again and she yelled even louder. Leo winced, "Well maybe a private time, we'll just forget the quiet. Cole please, take her to my cabin if you can't get her to yours."

Cole scooped her up and carried her into Leo's cabin and laid her on the bed. He turned to see Leo closing the door but he was on the outside,

"Leo please, I need your help. I don't know anything about birthing baby's."

Leo stuck his head in the door. "Cole what makes you think I do?"

"Because your Captain Leo Wyatt!" Cole yelled at him frantically.

Phoebe sat up and looked at the both of them. "Please, both of you calm down. I have helped deliver babies, I know what needs to be done."

Leo smiled. "Good then, Cole, you are in good hands." He smiled at Phoebe. "So you'll be all right?"

"I'll be fine Leo, as long as you help Cole. And if you don't, I swear Captain Wyatt, I WILL KILL YOU!'

Leo now came all the way in the room and closed the door behind him.

Both Cole and Leo stayed with Phoebe and the wait was terrible. Cole's nerves were stretched nearly to the breaking point and Leo just wanted to go sail his ship and drink rum. They both paced back and forth and Leo stopped to look out the window and Cole slammed smack into him.

"Ouch, Cole why don't you look where you are going?" Leo had finally snapped. Before Cole could answer Phoebe called out.

"Cole?" Phoebe's weak voice came to him. He went over to her and saw the pain in her face. He tenderly took her into his arms and held her next to him. He started covering her face with kisses and clung to her pulling her up off the bed."

Leo was now standing close and looking at them both. "I'm not expert, but shouldn't she lie down?"

When a contraction came upon her Phoebe went rigid in Cole's arms. Leo pulled Cole out of the cabin. "You mate can finish that later. Right now, we've got to get her comfortable."

"Don't leave me Cole," Phoebe begged.

"I won't stir from your side," he promised. Cole sat down next to her and she grabbed his hand refusing to let go.

"Well, I'll go get some supplies." Leo said as he continued to walk the room. "If you would have your baby like a mare, I know I could be of help. I have delivered several horses and six puppies. Those puppies where bloody cute."

Phoebe gave him a weak smile. "And help will do Captain."

"Good then, I will go start a fire and heat some water while you Cole," Cole placed his hands on Leo's shoulders. "While I get her some cloths. I will not have you staring at her naked Leo."

Cole looked at Leo sharply.

Phoebe stroked Cole's hand and looked up at him. "Cole, how do you think I got this way...with your help of course." She smirked and made a silent moan.

Cole smiled and then he frowned."Phoebe, where are your manners. You would never speak to your father like that."

Leo laughed. "Cole your hopeless, look at me. I'm not her father and neither are you. I'll be right back Lass. Don't you worry."

Leo left to get the supplies and Cole changed Phoebe. He then sat down and continued to hold her hand.

Leo came back and the young couple did not know he had returned until Phoebe screamed and Cole yelled for Leo, scaring poor Leo out of his skin because he had been right behind them.

The two men took turns watching Phoebe throughout the night. By morning all three where worn out. Phoebe more so because the child pertrouding out of her.

"Shes not going to be quick with her time." Leo said as he took a swig of Rum. "The first child usually takes a while. It may take another day."

Cole looked down at his aching hand. "How can she stand another day of this agony? She is exhausted. Are you sure there is nothing wrong?

"There's is nothing wrong...Except...I was informed earlier there's a big storm on the horizon, but she's dog tired, but she's doing fine."

Leo tried to reassure Cole everything was still fine as the morning wore into midday and then afternoon, and that evening is when the storm hit with full force.

Leo finally had to take Cole out of the room and give him a bottle of rum. "Listen Cole, how can you expect Phoebe to remain calm if you act like a spooked yearling? She needs someone to lean on, not someone too add to he fears. It's going to take all her strength to deliver this baby."

Cole felt like an apprentice seamen being dressed down. They both went back into the room and Cole once again gave Phoebe his hand.

At sunset the pains intensified and started coming closer together. One hardly receded before another swept around Phoebe's body like the coils of a large snake, causing her to moan distress fully and arch her body.

Leo came out of his state of seeming unconcerned and busied himself with preparations for the birth. Cole offered to help but Leo refused it. "You'll have all you can do to keep yourself calm," Leo told him.

Cole was completely shaken by the extreme agony Phoebe was being forced to endure, but he remained as calm as he possibly could and he made sure to stay by his wifes side. He had never considered what is meant for a woman to bear a child; the ordeal of birth was completely foreign to him.

Phoebe seemed to take comfort from his presence. He sat at her side mopping her brow and holding her hand. As he did this he made a silent vow that he would never do this to her again.

As the light faded and the storm got worse, her pains grew unbearably worse. Phoebe reached out to grasp Cole's hand a particularity vicious convulsion wrenched her abdomen, burring her in a haze of torment. She felt that she was drowning in pain, her head rolled from side to side, and she was unable to stop moaning. Cole's hand was her lifeline, the link that kept her from being pilot less in this storm of suffering.

Then the most terrible pain of all gripped her and she pushed down with violent force. A muffled scream escaped her lips, but before she could recover, another contraction even worse then the first sized her.

"It's coming," cried Leo. "I can see the wee creatures head!"

Leo pulled Cole away from Phoebe's death grip and they changed places. Phoebe was now squeezing Leos hand as he spoke to her through clenched teeth. "Phoebe, one more push ought to do it!"

Phoebe responded and the baby's head slipped from her body, causing Phoebe more unbearable pain, another rough push and the baby lay in Cole's arms.

Phoebe closed her eyes and Cole started transfixed at the tiny, wrinkled face. The infant boy opened his eyes, took his first gulp of air and cried out in protest. Cole was so shocked he almost dropped the infant.

Cole had looked forward to becoming a father and had thought in an unclear way of what it would be like. But now his dream had turned into a reality, he felt as much at a loss as any man could.

Leo laughed as he spoke to Phoebe. You'd think the man had never held a baby"

"I haven't," said the bemused Cole. "Have you?"

Leo shrugged. "No, we don't have babies at sea. Why do u think we changed places?"

"Lord, I never thought of that. You really didn't know what you where doing?"

"No, but I am always willing to learn."

Cole looked down at his son. "Well, now what am I suppose to do?"

"Cole." Phoebe called softly. "Is it a boy?"

"It's a boy." Cole said moving to her side, "But he's awfully tiny. I can hardly believe anything so tiny can grow into man."

Leo took the baby and cleaned him up. He wrapped the child in a clean, soft blanket and made sure he was comfortable. "Phoebe don't listen to Cole. It's a fine, big man-child and the spitting image of his draft father."

"Cole is not draft," Phoebe laughed. "He's the smartest and bravest man in the world."

Leo smiled at Cole. "See what love can do, even to sensible women?"

Leo gave the child back to Cole. "See if you can give it to its mother without dropping it."

Cole gingerly took the baby and place it next to Phoebe.

"He looks like you," Phoebe said fondly. "I hoped he would."

Cole wrinkled his nose. "How can you say he looks like me? He's tiny, red, and wrinkled all over."

"He's beautiful," Phoebe smiled.

"He's perfect," Leo added as he started to back out of the room. "Aye, now this is the quiet and personal time. I'll be leaving the three of you, but don't hesitate to call on old uncle Leo if you need me."

Phoebe looked at Leo. "Thank you Leo, I know Cole and I could not have done this without you."

Leo gave her a sly smile. "No need for thanks Luv, I just helped with the delivery. You and Cole did the rest. You both do good work." Leo placed his hands together bowed slightly and without delay left the room.

Cole helped Phoebe prop herself up and holding their son in her arms she held him to her breasts. A chill of pleasure went through her tired body as he started to nurse. She could hardly believe that this tiny baby belonged to them.

"Are you pleased with him?" She asked.

"I'm proud of the both of you. But I promise I won't put you through this again. One son will be enough for us."

"Don't be absurd." She smiled lovingly. "I want lots more babies, epically if they're all as beautiful as this."

"You can't mean you want to go though this again?"

"Many times," she said as she smiled down at her son.

Cole shook his head. "We can have as many as you want, but how about a little time out in between."

Phoebe smiled at her husband. "Cole Turner, I love you."

As he stood up she grabbed his arm. "Cole, there is one more thing I want."

"Anything Phoebe."

Phoebe smiled. "Promise me that you'll always save a little corner of your life just for me. You won't become tied down with Leo and his crazy adventures and you won't spend all your time with our children, or working so hard to keep us happy. I want to make sure that we always have time for each other. Can you promise me this?"

Cole laughed and kissed her again. "Phoebe at least once a year we will run away and leave everything behind. We won't come back until we're tired of each other and we can't stand to spend another night together."

Leo came in with a plate of fresh fruit and smiled at the three of them. "Well I can see with that attitude Cole, your children will grow up as orphans."

AN: Hope you all enjoyed this...Let me know Please! Also tell me if you all want a sequel.