Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, but I can dream, can't I?

Author's note: This fic is yet another offshoot of "Calypso's Hand" and "Thicker Than Water". It might not be as long... it is just a story that has been in my head for a week or so. Some of the elements that are interwoven within this story will be familiar to those who have read my other stories.

Will is released from his curse, and he and Elizabeth are members of the Black Pearl's crew. Will and Jack have found out that they are half-cousins through their fathers, and now, a baby is on the way for the Turners. By now, most of my readers know just how I write these characters... I write them as friends... and "nicer" than some like. So it is, in my lovely Pirates World. Pirate Cat

۞

The way of the world was very much a puzzle to Jack Sparrow, now. In being rescued from the Locker of Davy Jones, and regaining his life in a beautiful flash of green light, he found that he was less vexed than ever by things around him, and he accepted them more readily than he ever had... maybe even more so since he had trouble telling what was real and what was not, these days. The things that were not real to others seemed quite real to him, yet reality seemed far out of his grasp at times. With every day that dawned, he was thankful to be alive and was even more thankful that William and Elizabeth Turner were a part of the crew of the mighty Black Pearl and very much a part of what he understood was the real world all about him.

His cousin, William, was the bravest, best, finest First Mate that a pirate captain could ask for. They had both been through hell together, and had come out of all of it the best of friends and the most loyal of allies. It was only recently that they had found out that they were inexplicably related through a grandmother that neither of them had ever known... their fathers were half-brothers, and had never known it. Jack Sparrow and William Turner were not only best of friends, but were linked by family blood. They were very glad to find out that they were cousins... which explained a great deal about both of them.

It was a happy surprise to the entire crew of the Black Pearl to find out that Elizabeth Swann Turner was with child. Since joining the crew of the Black Pearl after what William called the Dark Times at World's End and the ensuing tribulations that Jack had helped to end, the news that Elizabeth was pregnant was very welcome, indeed. Unfortunately, it also was a vexation for the captain of the Black Pearl that the Turners planned to give birth to the child upon the dark ship where it had been conceived, in William and Elizabeth's own cabin, and he had done his best to change their stubborn minds out of the fears that were deeply ingrained in his mind of his own mother's death... a death that was hastened by the premature birth of her only son.

"Izzy, William... please listen t' reason! A pirate ship is no place t' be havin' a wee one... it's dangerous... it's not especially clean... it's...scary! " Jack had pleaded, his face set in appealing lines and his eloquent hands waving around in front of him in a cajoling manner. His long beaded and bangled dreadlocks swung to and fro as he swayed from one side to the other, just more than a bit nervous at the decision that the young Turners had made.

"No, Jack," Elizabeth had her mind made up, "... we wish to have our baby right here aboard the Pearl. It is our home, and it is safer than land for pirates! Do you want me to have our child in some room above the Faithful Bride Tavern in Tortuga City? Our cabin is cleaner and safer and..."

"But Izzy! Ye forget tha' ye are th' only woman among a crew of men! Ye needs t' have another woman t' attend ye..."

William interrupted, his handsome young face smiling slightly and a hand rubbing habitually over a scarred chest... a scarred chest that contained a living, beating, loving heart that had been restored to him partly by the slightly built pirate captain swaying before them. "... and you, cousin, are forgetting that you, yourself, was born upon your father's ship... was there another woman attending your mother as she gave birth to you?" He knew that he had Jack, there.

Jack swiveled his dark head around to regard William with annoyance. "... how do I know? I was a baby. I don't remember! I don't remember wot I did this mornin'... how should I remember that?" His dark eyes grew wide and he emphasized, "All th' more reason t' not have the baby aboard th' Pearl... look how I turned out!" He scowled at the pair, as they smiled back at him.

Elizabeth said, warmly, "How you turned out has nothing to do with the place that you were born, Jack!" she grinned. "The fact that you are one of a kind has much to do with how you have led your life, but that is not the subject at hand." She half closed her eyes craftily, and looked at William. He nodded. They had anticipated Jack's reluctance, and were prepared.

"Jack..." William said, tilting his head much in the manner which was Jack Sparrow's habit "... how about meeting in the middle? We wish to have our child aboard the Black Pearl, but how about if we find a safe harbor when the time grows nigh, and we have a midwife aboard? We would rather have our child born among our family aboard the Pearl, than among strangers in a strange place..."

"A midwife?" Jack twitched his mustache. He thought it over, then said, grudgingly, "Welllll...alright... we have an accord..." He frowned very darkly at the smiling Turners and grumped, goodnaturedly, "Bugger...I can't fight both o' ye! I acquiesce!" He put his hands up in resignation and rolled his eyes in exasperation. This argument had taken the better part of an hour, and he gave up. A child would be born upon his ship, and it seemed that there was not a thing that he could do to prevent it.

The Turners put their arms around each other and smiled, triumphantly. Elizabeth then slipped an arm around the captain's slender waist and kissed him lightly upon his cheek. "Thank you, Jack."

The captain pulled away from her, blushed slightly, wrinkled up his nose, and as the young couple chuckled, he muttered, "Stop that."

۞

As the months progressed, so did Elizabeth's pregnancy, with no complications. She was a strong lass, even if she was slender and petite, and the members of the crew subversively made certain that she was looked after. Mr. Ragetti, especially, made sure that some of his share of rations were given to the "little expectant poppet"... he fussed over her, and Elizabeth simply let him without scolding him. The other crewmen were respectful and fond of William and Elizabeth... they had gone through many bad experiences together, and now that the Turners were members of the crew, and William was Captain Sparrow's cousin, they were even more cognizant of the importance of the impending birth of this child. William had spent many months as the cursed captain of the ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman, and had been released from his curse to be reunited with his wife. His release was unprecedented, and as a result, William and Elizabeth cherished every minute that they spent together.

Jack Sparrow had not come away from the terrible, sand swept Locker unscathed. He was damaged... his mind had never been quite sound before, and now his deep eccentricities were more profound, and he had the sad tendency to hallucinate. He was still the best pirate captain that the world had ever seen, but quite often his mind wandered, and his slender body followed it. He was very, very dear to the Turners, and it was not unusual for them to try to look after this endearingly odd man. They quietly kept a protective watch over the one who had saved their lives, their love, and in doing so, their future, even though he didn't know he had done so. The discovery of a family link between William Turner and Jack Sparrow had reinforced the valuable and deep friendship that the trio had formed, and the impending birth of the Turners' baby was the true catalyst that joined all three of them. The miracle of this was not lost upon them.

William and Elizabeth had even made it a priority to share with Jack that which he had not had any prior experience... the anticipation of the birth of a child. He had been quite distant about all of it at first, as he seemed to wish to remain detached, but his curiosity and wonder at the changes in Elizabeth were quite obvious. He did not coddle her, as some of the other crewmembers had a tendancy to do, but as time went by, he would see that some of her duties were assigned, temporarily, to another crew member, and sometimes would evasively ask her questions about how she was feeling. Jack was not known for his tact, and once in a while his candor was quite amusing.

One particular evening, Jack, William and Elizabeth were enjoying an warm evening upon the main deck, their feet propped up, listening to the waters as they lapped gently against the creaking timbers of the ship's sides. Mr. Cotton was at the helm, and it had been a good day at sea. Jack and William were enjoying a mug of rum, as Elizabeth sipped a cup of sugared coffee. She had lost her taste for tea, much to Jack's satisfaction, since tea was a drink of the elite, as far as he was concerned, and he considered a scourge of mankind since it was a principle shipping cargo of the East India Trading Company.

"So, how are yer feet t'day, Izzy? Could ye finally get yer shoes on?" Jack's brown eyes looked at her feet... which plainly had shoes upon them. Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, then said, quietly, "...yes, Jack. See? Shoes."

"Ah." he replied simply, twiddling a long strand of hair around one of his long, slender fingers and staring directly at her shoes. "I didn't see them." He cocked his head to one side and said, "Were they always there?" The Turners looked at their cousin, who looked back at them like as if he was wondering why they were looking at him

He blinked at them vacantly, and looked around at the deck, as though he were looking at an entire crowd of interested onlookers. "Did any o' you see shoes?" He paused, looking at a crate. "I didn't think so...see? They didn't see shoes, either." He swept his be-ringed hands to his side, at the empty space next to him.

He looked directly at the Turners, who looked at each other, then back at him. They had gotten used to his unseen friends by now. William leaned forward, and said to the crate, "Sorry that you didn't see the shoes, mate... " Jack grinned and nodded enthusiastically, "They're right good mates, William! An' they all look like me!" Elizabeth and William always felt a pang of sadness at these exchanges... and were always glad when Jack would seemingly come back to himself.

It was at this point that Elizabeth suddenly jumped a little, and let out with a surprised, "Oh!" William and Jack both jumped with her, slightly, and she smiled at both of them and said, "I'm sorry! The baby just kicked!" She giggled and rubbed her hands over her belly, lovingly. Jack's eyes got as round as saucers and he exclaimed, "It wot?"

William grinned and answered, "It just kicked. They do move about in there, you know." He reached over and took Jack's hand, and the captain immediately attempted to snatch his own captive hand away. "William! Wot th' hell are ye doin'?" Jack tried to pull his hand back, as William just as adamantly pulled it forward. To Jack's chagrin, William placed the captain's tanned hand directly onto Elizabeth's belly, and held it there.

Much to Jack's complete wonder, the tiny life within moved strongly against his palm. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes met the Turners' smiling faces. As William slowly withdrew his hand, Elizabeth placed her hand over Jack's roughened one and pressed it over to one side. "Here..." There was a rolling motion for a moment, and as the baby reacted to the touch, Jack Sparrow nearly melted into a puddle of complete and utter fascination. His head turned from side to side, as he stared, almost rudely, at Elizabeth's belly with enthralled, kohl lined eyes. She giggled, and said to their best friend, "... look, Jack... the baby likes you..."

Suddenly, he smiled, and softly whispered,"...'Ello, baby..."

۞

It was a bright morning upon the sea, with the cloudless blue sky brilliant above the triple masts of the Black Pearl. Elizabeth was resting in a chair upon the deck, entering numbers in a ledger that she and Joshamee Gibbs kept in one of the few honest shipboard activities that a pirate ship partook in... the procuring of supplies while in port. Of course, the supplies were most times not paid for with honest money... the coins that were used to purchase the ship's needs were more than likely plunder from raiding French and Spanish ships... still very much a part of a pirate's activity even if it took even more stealth and speed than it had in the past. Elizabeth was Mr. Gibbs' Quartermaster Second Mate - a title that Jack had made up to simply state that Elizabeth's shipboard responsibility was simply to be Mr. Gibbs' assistant. William had taken over Gibbs' former position as First Mate, and Captain Sparrow's trusted right hand man.

Upon this morning, Elizabeth had been experiencing some discomfort... cramping in her feet, and in her growing belly. Her time was growing nigh, and this was the most uncomfortable that she had been during the entire duration of her pregnancy. She tiredly sat with her ledger upon a barrel that she used as a table, and she kicked her slippers off and rubbed her swelled feet against each other.

William and Jack were watching Elizabeth from the quarterdeck, and as Jack took the helm over from his first mate, he grinned and said, "Cousin... go see t' your wife." William smiled, and silently winked his thanks to his captain. They were miles out at sea, and headed for the safe harbor of Tortuga, as Elizabeth's time was growing nearer and they would need to make port and find a midwife in short order.

Elizabeth smiled as William came down to her, kneeling before her and gently taking her feet into his hands. "I know how ticklish you are... I shall try to be gentle," he laughed, softly. His handsome face smiled, as his strong blacksmith's hands began to knead her toes. Elizabeth had glowed during her pregnancy, and she was even more exquisitely beautiful to William, especially since they had been seperated for so long after the terrible events that had nearly torn them all apart.

"Oooh... thank you, my love," Elizabeth sighed with relief, as her pirate rubbed her feet almost sensually. His loving touch still ignited a pleasing tingle from her head to her toes. She loved him so much, and she reached down to run a hand through William's curly brown hair. He took her hand and kissed her palm softly. They both laughed, as they heard Jack's husky voice teasingly blurt out from the helm above them, "Marriaaaage. Blah..."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and said, "I'm glad that we are getting close to Tortuga. I know that I am not due for a few weeks yet, but I shall be glad to be upon a still ship for once. Don't tell Jack I said that!" Her hazel eyes opened and she smiled up affectionately at Jack, who was gazing out over the horizen, his eyebrows lowering and his handsome dark features becoming concerned. "Will...?" Elizabeth said, warily, "What does Jack see?"

William looked up at his cousin... he had seen this look before, and even after his many, many months as the captain of the Dutchman, even he did not have the answer to the question that every pirate that had ever sailed with Jack Sparrow had about the man. How, on a bright clear day upon the sea, with no sign of anything amiss, was the man always able to sense an approaching storm? William stood up... and he sensed it, also. It was not known if it was from his time as the ruler of the natural seas, or if it was a shared family trait that had been awakened latently, but it was there, and William glanced up at the captain, who was looking down at both of them. His glittering dark eyes flicked from Elizabeth, to William, then with a nod, William read what was upon Jack's mind. This time, Jack was as clearheaded as he had ever been, and his look was serious... send Izzy to safety.

William looked deeply into Elizabeth's eyes, and said, "Go to our cabin. When you made a point to remind Jack that he was born upon his father's ship, you forgot one thing... he was born during a typhoon... let us hope that our baby does not decide to make being born during a storm a family tradition..."

"...but Will..."

William put a finger directly in Elizabeth's face, frowning, and said, "Do not argue." Her eyebrows shot up, and she quietly picked up her ledger book and went to thier cozy cabin. It was uncharacteristic for her to be so meek, but Jack's second sense about storms was not to be denied...

As Elizabeth went directly to safety, William rejoined Jack upon the quarterdeck as his own eyes gazed out over the dark line at the very edge of the horizen off of the port side of the Pearl... the very direction in which they were to adjust their course to make way to Tortuga, still a half day away. The two men both looked up into the billowing black sails, as Mr. Gibbs slowly came up the steps to the helm and joined them. They all stood in silence as the wind began to change direction ever so slightly, and the seas began to roll in a different manner against the dark prow.

As the beads in Jack's hair began to jingle against his shoulders, he looked at his companions and said, "... gents... we are not going to make it into Tortuga by tonight..." he smiled, apologetically, "I do loves t' sail in storms, but just this one time I wish tha' we could avoid one..."

Joshamee Gibbs nodded to his captain, then addressed both of his companions. "Cap'n, I have somethin' that I might need to be talkin' t' both o' ye about... it's about Miss Elizabeth... perhaps I can help if th' need arises..."

Jack and William both stared at Gibbs, then looked at each other, wondering what it was that Gibbs had to say in the light of the fact that a storm was approaching, and Elizabeth had been having cramps all day...

To be continued...