Disclaimer: I do not own, have any rights to, or in any way benefit financially from
Pirates of the Caribbean (sniffle). However, I will viciously defend all rights I have regarding my original characters.
A Sparrow's Fortune Changes with the Tide
Return to Paradise
It had been exactly one week since Dylan had made his long-awaited appearance in the cabin of the Black Pearl. One week of rationed food and drink, as supplies had run dangerously low. One week of practically no sleep. One week of doing nothing, but catering to the needs of our infant son. Enduring the birth had drained me of most of my strength, leaving me woefully unprepared for the demands of motherhood. I wandered through each day in a fog of exhaustion. The bluish circles that had appeared under my eyes added a ghoulish quality to my already wraith-like presence.
I woke with a start to find Dylan snuggled in my arms, having fallen asleep during his current feeding. Placing him in his cradle, I decided to venture on deck while he slept; as usual, hoping the fresh air would somehow rejuvenate me.
I was only vaguely aware of the voices I heard conversing above me on the quarterdeck. Trying to get my bearings in the bright sun light, I noticed as I looked around that the Pearl had sailed into a secluded bay. A bay that seemed strangely familiar. I turned, slowly, to shift my weary gaze up toward the wheel of the ship. The worried faces of Jack, Ruby, and Gibbs stared down at me…and I finally realized where we were.
"Thank god," I whispered, as I felt my knees go weak beneath me.
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"What the hell is she talking about?" Jack asked Ruby while they watched over Eve as she slept restlessly. The large bed in the guest room of the Greaves' plantation home seemed to make the young mother appear all the more frail and ghostly.
"Bottles…formula…'fridgerator…electricity…" Eve moaned, stirring occasionally.
"Must be dreamin'," Ruby suggested, "Is good, Jack. Di dreams cleanse di soul, while di body rest." The Yoruban midwife regarded Jack with an all-knowing expression.
"It doesn't look as if she's getting much rest," he commented, as he watched his young wife toss and turn fitfully.
"Breast pump…disposable diapers…" she continued to mumble.
"And what is she talking about?" Jack repeated with exasperation. His dark eyes held a mixture of concern and curiosity.
"How di hell mi know, Jack?" Ruby snapped at him, causing the pirate to hastily take a step back from her, a petulant frown wrinkling his brows.
Their speculations were interrupted by a small whimpering sound emanating from the nearby cradle.
"Well, I hope you're happy now, Ruby," Jack whispered, "Your little outburst woke my son!"
Before either of them could make a move toward the cradle to soothe the fussing baby, Kate flew into the room. Her taffeta skirt rustled briskly as she swooshed past them.
"Ye just gonna stand there an' gawk 'til the poor boy begins to wail like a banshee?" Kate asked accusingly as she swooped the baby up from the cradle, inserting the tip of her little finger into his mouth to soothe him. "Lord have mercy, but the two of ye be utterly useless!" she proclaimed as she stared at Jack and Ruby, impatiently tapping her foot, "Get outta here, the lot o'ye, an' let me tend to the lass an' her babe!"
Jack stared at Ruby expectantly. "Well, you heard the woman, Ruby," he told her, "Shoo!" He waved his hands dismissively at her, as if she were a bothersome child.
Ruby fumed with anger as she shot Jack a murderous look, then stalked from the room.
Jack watched, his handsome face etched with worry, as Kate positioned his tiny son next to Eve so he could nurse, taking care not to disturb his sleeping mother.
"Saints A'mighty, Jack, the poor lass is exhausted," Kate whispered, "Thank the good lord ye had enough sense to bring her here!"
Jack smiled half-heartedly at her, as he flopped into an adjacent chair.
"Yer handsome little lad's thrivin'." Kate continued to whisper, "Eve's been takin' good care of him, at her own expense."
"Aye, Kate, she certainly has," Jack replied proudly, "I've never seen a more diligent and devoted mum." He watched as Dylan nursed, with Kate holding him gently. "Eve's going to be alright, isn't she?" he asked.
"Aye, she'll be fit as a fiddle, Jack," Kate answered heartily, "I'll be seein' to that me-self! Lots of rest an' good food an' she'll build up her strength again. Don't ye be worryin'."
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"Jack?" I asked sleepily, reaching my arm across the vast expanse of the bed. Feeling nothing but cool, empty linen; I opened my eyes to look around, blinking at the brightness of the room.
"Jack be down at the cove, dearie, overseein' preparations to careen the Pearl," Kate informed me as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Kate," I murmured with a smile of relief, "How long have I been asleep?"
"Since ye arrived yesterday," she answered, "An' a good thing too! Jack says ye collapsed just as the Pearl dropped anchor."
"Dylan!" I cried, bolting upright, "Oh my god, he must be starving!"
"Hush, now, lass," Kate comforted, "Yer babe's just fine. I saw to him gettin' his regular feedin's while ye slept." She patted my hand reassuringly. "What say we see 'bout gettin' ye into a tub for a good, long soak, shall we?" Kate suggested with a smile, as she got up to leave the room.
Kate's household staff had the bath ready in no time flat. As I soaked in the relaxing, warm water; I told Kate about everything that had happened since we'd last seen each other.
"Well, that's what ye get when ye marry a man whose middle name's trouble!" Kate concluded with a chuckle. She had an almost wistful look that made me wonder if she missed her days of carousing at sea with Seamus.
"Shame on you, Kate Greaves! Slurring my good name in front of me wife!" Jack said with mock indignation as he strolled into the room.
"Saints A'mighty, Jack!" Kate blurted with a start, "The lass ain't even decent! Get outta here!"
"Not decent, eh?" he replied with one of his wicked smirks, "Just the way I like her!" Ignoring Kate's protests, he came to sit on the edge of the tub, lifting my hand to his lips to kiss it. "Finally decided to rejoin the land of the living, luv?" he teased with a mischievous wink.
"I wasn't dead, Jack," I told him, rolling my eyes, "Just dead tired."
"Well, you certainly got everyone's attention with that dramatic swoon of yours, I'll give you that," he continued teasing.
"Oh? Did you like it?" I replied coquettishly, "I've been practicing."
"No need for you to brush up on your feminine wiles, luv, trust me," he commented as he stole a quick glance at my submerged body.
"Ahem," Kate cleared her throat conspicuously, "Jack, go have a taste of Seamus' latest concoction of rum, an' let yer lass finish her bath. We'll join ye shortly."
"Fine, don't ever say I can't tell when I'm not wanted," he pouted dramatically as he stood and dejectedly headed for the door, "I'll just go then."
"Jack…" I called to him, smiling seductively as he turned to look at me, "You're always wanted, you know that."
He flashed me his unnervingly handsome grin, then turned and left.
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"Kate! What am I going to wear?!" I lamented, after I'd flung the contents of one of the chests of clothes from the ship all over the floor, "I'm not so huge anymore and these will just hang on me like a sack!"
"Now ye just calm yerself, dearie," Kate said firmly, "We'll find somethin'…In fact, I think I've got just the thing ye need…" She abruptly left me standing naked in the room, surrounded by my oversized shirts and breeches, which I begrudgingly began to stuff back into the chest.
"These should do quite nicely, lass!" she announced as she returned with an armful of clothes. "Where be that pretty floral skirt ye got here last?"
I opened another chest, searching haphazardly until I found the garment in question.
"Aye, that's the one!" Kate exclaimed happily, "Now, ye wear that with one of my blouses an' those boots, an' ye'll look just like the saucy wench we all know ye be!"
I couldn't help looking at her skeptically.
"These be the best things ever invented for when yer nursin'," she explained with enthusiasm as she held up a blouse, "Ye wear it a bit loose over the shoulders, show off a bit o'skin, lass. An' when it's time to feed the babe, ye just pull it down in front, pop yer breast out, an' that be that! Quick an' easy, an' if yer discreet 'bout it, ye won't have to run off to yer room an' hide away every time the little lad's hungry!" She smiled broadly at her ingenious discovery.
I still regarded her with some skepticism. "Kate, Jack would spit out his own tongue if I just whipped out my breast at the dinner table and started nursing Dylan!"
"Bah! Men get over their delicate sensibilities soon enough! An' he's a pirate, not some lily-livered fop!" Kate spat indignantly, "There's no need for a woman to be a shut-in, just 'cause she be breastfeedin'!" She thrust the clothes at me and sat down on the bed, eying me expectantly.
"Well, get on with it, dearie, poor Jack's prob'ly wonderin' what the devil's takin' so long," she chided.
I dressed myself in the skirt and Kate's off-the-shoulder blouse, then pulled on my boots. I sometimes had to wonder if Kate didn't suggest the things she did just to provide a bit of entertainment. That woman did like to "stir the cauldron," as it were. Well, there was no way I was going to breastfeed Dylan in front of everyone, no matter how convenient it may be!
Glancing in the looking glass, I smiled, realizing this was an outfit I'd have worn during my modern life. And it did look surprisingly flattering; despite the bit of "baby weight" I still carried.
"Ye see it now, don't ye, Eve?" Kate said smugly as she watched me, "T'ain't no reason why a woman should look like a scullery maid, just 'cause she be a mum!"
"Thank you, Kate, for helping me feel like my old self," I said as I hugged her, "For the past few months, I've felt like I was just a big, fat womb with legs!"
"Aye, I remember that feelin' all too well!" she commiserated, "An' I'm happy to say I won't be experiencin' it ever again!"
"I'm not planning a repeat performance anytime soon myself!" I told her, laughing softly, as we left the room and began to make our way downstairs to join our men.
"Let me just tell ye then, dearie," Kate said as we proceeded down the stairs, "That bit about breastfeedin' preventin' ye from getting' with child, is an old wive's tale. An' a boldfaced lie, as well!" She gave me a serious look for emphasis, before continuing, "Ye best be havin' yerself a little chat with Ruby, 'fore ye let that charmin' rogue o'yours get his loins anywhere near ye again."
I stared at Kate, a bit taken aback by her blatant honesty.
"Well, it's best not to be beatin' 'round the bush 'bout these things, lass," she concluded. "Saints A'mighty, but that was clever of me!" she exclaimed, suddenly aware of the pun she'd said.
Kate and I entered the sitting room, still giggling to ourselves. I saw Jack sitting in his favourite red chair. He was holding a sleeping Dylan in the crook of his left arm, while gesturing with the glass of rum he held in his right hand, as he spoke with "Red Legs."
"'Hoy there, lass!" Seamus "Red Legs" Greaves boomed as he saw Kate and me in the doorway, "Good to see ye're up an' 'bout! Ye gave us quite a scare when we saw Jack carryin' yer limp self ashore."
"I'm feeling much better now, thanks to Kate," I said, smiling toward my friends, "It's good to see you, Seamus."
The burly flame-haired Scotsman rose from the settee to engulf me in a hearty bear hug. And it was very much like being hugged by a bear…a bear wearing a kilt!
"Seamus, ye best be lettin' her go now, or ye'll make ol' Jack jealous," Kate teased her husband.
"Bah! From what the lad's been tellin' me, his bonny lass can defend herself quite smartly," Seamus replied, guiding me to the settee, "Seems she's got a fierceness in 'er not unlike yer own, Kate darlin'!" Seamus laughed thunderously, as he pulled Kate down to perch on his lap.
"Seamus Greaves! Ye best be savin' yer lusty appetite for the dinner I been cookin', or ye'll be facin' me wrath later!" Kate admonished him, amidst her girlish giggles.
As Kate wriggled free of his grasp and began to make her way toward the kitchen, Seamus slapped her playfully on the behind, "I'll be lookin' forward to it, wench!"
I glanced at Jack as I smiled at the flirtatious antics of our older friends. As I watched him chuckling, I couldn't help but hope that we'd be just like them in twenty years or so.
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Author's Note: My sincerest apologies to my faithful readers for making you wait so long to read this. Writer's block was the bane of my existence for way too long! Although my stories take place after the events depicted in "At World's End," for the purpose of my intended plot, I must deviate slightly. In this story, Will did not become captain of the Flying Dutchman, but instead simply married dear Lizzie, and settled with her in Port Royal. But we'll get to all that much later. Just thought I'd mention it. Hope all of you are doing well and that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!
