The Black Pearl's First Baby
Disclaimer: Will, Elizabeth and Jack are Disney's but the idea is mine.
The weather conditions couldn't have been more perfect. The Black Pearl sliced through the turquoise water and Will was enjoying taking full control of the beautiful ship.
"Jack, 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 torrential storms she has a mind of her own. Perhaps you will find out some other 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?"
"Jack, you don't have to worry. Elizabeth 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. Elizabeth cried out in agony as a stabbing pain went through her body. "Will, my labor has started," she gasped.
Jack's eyes opened wide and looked at Will, who was standing at the helm as still as a statue and just as white. Jack slapped Will on the back and smiled. "Well Lad that was a quick two weeks."
Will glanced at Jack and gave him a slight smile. "I'm sure Elizabeth is toying with me."
"Will, help!" She yelled out again.
Jack now pulled Will away from the helm and pushed him toward Elizabeth. "You've got to get her below. This is no game. Obviously nobody told the child he or she had to wait two weeks."
Will ran over to Elizabeth and put his arm around her. "Elizabeth, 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 Will's eyes. "The pain it comes and goes, Will this is it. I'm really going to have our baby. You know, I know it is going to be a boy."
Elizabeth smiled as she rubbed her stomach and the pain subsided. Will placed his hand on Elizabeth's large abdomen and he also smiled. "Elizabeth, 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 grasped Will's arm. "Oh Will, 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."
Will 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." Jack was now standing beside Will and motioning for him to get her off the deck. "Elizabeth 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."
Elizabeth straightened up and looked around to see she had a large audience staring at her. Jack's crew stood around as if the wind was taken out of their sails. As Jack 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. Jack winced, "well maybe a private time, we'll just forget the quiet. William please, take her to my cabin if you can't get her to yours."
Will scooped her up and carried her into Jack's cabin and laid her on the bed. He turned around to see Jack closing the door but he was on the outside.
"Jack please, I need your help. I don't know anything about birthing babies."
Jack stuck his head in the door. "William what makes you think I do?"
"Because you're, Captain Jack Sparrow!" Will yelled at him frantically.
Elizabeth sat up and looked at the both of them. "Please, both of you calm down. I have helped deliver babies; I do know what needs to be done."
Jack smiled. "Good then, William, you are in good hands." He smiled at Elizabeth. "So you'll be all right?"
"I'll be fine Jack, as long as you help Will. And if you don't, I swear Captain Sparrow, I will kill you."
Jack now came all the way in the room and closed the door behind him.
Both Jack and Will stayed with Elizabeth and the wait was terrible. Will's nerves were stretched nearly to the breaking point and Jack just wanted to go sail his ship and drink rum. They both paced back and forth and Jack stopped to look out the window and Will slammed smack into him.
"Ouch, Will why don't you look where you are going?" Jack snapped. Before Will could answer Elizabeth called out.
"Will?" Elizabeth'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."
Jack was now standing close and looking at them both. "I'm no expert, but shouldn't she lie down?"
When a contraction turned Elizabeth rigid in Will's arms Jack pulled Will away. "You mate can finish that later. Right now we've got to get her comfortable."
"Don't leave me Will," Elizabeth begged.
"I won't stir from you side," he promised. Will sat down next to her and she grabbed his hand refusing to let go.
"Well, I'll go get some supplies." Jack 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 were bloody cute."
Elizabeth gave him a weak smile. "Any help will do Captain."
"Good then, I will go start a fire and heat some water while you Will," Jack placed his hands on Will's shoulders. "You get her out of those clothes. You will find some blankets in the chest. I will not be having you staring at her naked?"
"Jack," Will looked at him sharply.
Elizabeth stroked Will's hand and looked up at Jack. "Captain, how do you think I got this way?" She smiled and then made a slight moan.
Will smiled and then he frowned. "Elizabeth, where are your manners. You would never speak to your father like that."
Jack laughed. "Will your hopeless, look at me. I'm not her father and neither are you. I'll be right back Lass, don't worry."
Jack left to get the supplies and Will changed Elizabeth. He then sat down and continued to hold her hand.
Jack came back and the young couple did not know he had returned until Elizabeth screamed and Will yelled for Jack, scaring poor Jack out of his skin because he was standing right behind him.
The two men took turns watching Elizabeth throughout the night. By morning all three were worn out.
"She's not going to be quick with her time." Jack said as he took a swig of rum. "The first child usually takes awhile. It may take another day."
Will 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 is nothing wrong." Jack tried to put to rest Will's fears. "She just started her labor too soon. The poor thing is dog tired, but she's doing fine."
Jack tried to reassure Will everything was still fine as the morning wore into midday and then afternoon. Will was getting more and more agitated.
Jack finally had to take Will out of the room and give him a bottle of rum. "Listen Will, how can you expect Elizabeth to remain calm if you act like a spooked yearling? She needs someone to lean on, not someone to add to her fears. It's going to take all of her strength to deliver this baby."
Will felt like an apprentice seaman being dressed down. They both went back into the room and Will once again gave Elizabeth his hand.
At sunset the pains intensified and started coming closer together. One hardly receded before another swept around Elizabeth's body like the coils of a large snake, causing her to moan distressfully and arch her body.
Jack came out of his state of seeming unconcerned and busied himself with preparations for the birth. Will offered to help but Jack refused it. "You'll have all you can do to keep yourself calm," Jack told him.
Will was completely shaken by the extreme agony Elizabeth was being forced to endure, but he remained as calm as he possibly could and he stayed by his wife's side. He had never considered what it meant for a woman to bear a child; the ordeal of birth was completely foreign to him.
Elizabeth 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 he would never do this again.
As the light faded, her pains grew worse. Elizabeth reached out to clasp Will's hand as a particularly vicious convulsion wrenched at her abdomen, burying 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. Will's hand was her lifeline, the link that kept her from being pilotless 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 than the first, seized her.
"It's coming," cried Jack. "I can see the wee creature's head."
Jack pulled Will away from Elizabeth's death grip and they changed places. Elizabeth was now squeezing Jack's hand as he spoke to her through clenched teeth. "Elizabeth, one more push ought to do it."
Elizabeth responded and the baby's head slipped from her body, another push and the baby lay in William's arms.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and Will stared transfixed at the tiny, wrinkled face. The infant boy opened his eyes, took his first gulp of air and cried out in protest. Will was so shocked he almost dropped the infant.
Will had looked forward to becoming a father and had thought in an unclear way of what it would be like. But now that his dream had turned into reality, he felt as much at a loss as any man could.
Jack laughed as he spoke to Elizabeth. "You'd think the man had never held a baby."
"I haven't," said the bemused Will. "Have you?"
Jack shrugged. "No, we don't have babies at sea. Why do you think we changed places?"
"Lord, I never thought of that. You really didn't know what you were doing?"
"No, but I am always willing to learn."
Will looked down at his son. "Well, now what am I supposed to do?"
"Will," Elizabeth called softly. "Is it a boy?"
"It's a boy," Will said moving quickly to her side, "but he's awfully tiny. I can hardly believe that anything so tiny can grow into a man."
Jack took the baby and cleaned him up. He wrapped the child in a clean, soft blanket and made sure he was comfortable. "Elizabeth don't listen to Will. It's a fine, big man-child and the spitting image of his daft father."
"Will is not daft," Elizabeth laughed. "He's the smartest and bravest man in the world."
Jack smiled at Will. "See what love can do, even to sensible women?"
Jack gave the child back to Will. "See if you can give it to its mother without dropping it."
Will gingerly took the baby and placed it next to Elizabeth.
"He looks like you," Elizabeth said fondly. "I hoped he would."
Will wrinkled his nose. "How can you say he looks like me? He's tiny, red and wrinkled all over."
"He's beautiful," Elizabeth smiled.
"He's perfect," Jack 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 Jack if you need me."
Elizabeth looked at Jack. "Thank you Jack, I know Will and I could not have done this without you."
Jack gave her a sly smile. "No need for thanks Luv, I just helped with the delivery. You and Will did the rest. You both do good work." Jack placed his hands together bowed slightly and without delay left the room.
Will helped Elizabeth 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 the 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, especially if they're all as beautiful as this."
"You can't mean you want to go through this again?"
"Many times," she said as she smiled down at her son.
Will shook his head. "We can have as many as you want, but how about a little time out in between."
Elizabeth smiled at her husband. "William Turner, I love you."
Will kissed her on her forehead, "I know, and I love you too."
As he stood up she grabbed his arm. "Will, there is one more thing I want."
"Anything Elizabeth."
Elizabeth smiled. "Promise me that you'll always save a little corner of your life just for me. You won't become tied down with Jack and his crazy adventures and you won't just 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?"
Will laughed and kissed her again. "Elizabeth 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."
Jack came in with a plate of fresh fruit and smiled at the three of them. "Well I can see with that attitude William, your children will grow up as orphans."
A/N Hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know. Useful criticism is always welcomed. A nice hey, I like it is great too. If you really did not like it, sorry just don't read it. Savvy?