Introduction:

Jack flinched as Angelica gave another shrill wail. He frowned as he looked at the Spanish women, her dark chestnut hair matted to her forehead with sweat and her face twisted in pain. Next, his gaze shifted to the pistol she was holding steady, level with his head. The pirate hesitated for a moment before grinning and raising his eyebrows. He turned back to the woman with a serious look on his face.

"You see love," Jack began, "I've been held at gun point hundreds of times, twice by a pregnant woman but never by one in labor. So now that you've given me a very special first, I don't think you should be obliged to give me two firsts in one day. So I'll just be going then." The pirate made a dash for the door and had his suntanned hand on the knob.

Angelica yelled, "Jack!" He froze and the grin fell off his face. With a grimace, he turned back to where the woman laid. She was breathing heavily once again and one of the nurses hurried over to her. Jack slowly edged his way forward, trying to give a charming smile to the Angelica.

Her dark, deep brown eyes were filled with pain and annoyance as she followed him with the small pistol. She closed her eyes as she was wracked with another pain. "Maldito hijo de puta esto duele!" she exclaimed.

Jack flinched. Though he didn't understand her, he could tell that what she'd said wasn't a compliment. His eyes widened as he noticed Angelica's finger tighten on the trigger when another pang hit her body. He pleaded, "I don't quite feel safe with you pointing a pistol at me when it would seem that I'm the one who caused you said pain."

She curled her lip back, about to shout something at him when once again she closed her eyes and screamed, shooting off the gun. Jack threw himself to the dusty wooden floor just as the bullet screamed past him. It collided with the water basin on the oak table behind him with a crack, sending water cascading everywhere.

"Bloody Hell woman!" Jack yelled, raising himself from the floor. "At least let one of them threaten me!" He gestured to the huddle of three woman that had agreed to help Angelica with the birth.

"Fine!" she exclaimed tossing the weapon to one of the ladies, who gingerly caught it and pointed it straight at the pirate. She launched out her arm and grasped Jacks hand, tugging him toward her.

His eyes grew wide as she shrieked once again, squeezing his ringed hand. Her first scream was followed by a second, louder yell, eliciting one of similar vigor from Jack. The child had better get there fast.

Angelica had a tired grin on her berry colored lips. She looked down at the small baby in her arms. A small tear escaped her eye as she sighed, "Hola little one." The baby wiggled closer to her warmth, it's tiny eyes closed tight. She lifted a finger and very gently traced the child's cheek.

She looked up to see the baby's father sitting across the room, huddled in a chair in the corner, hugging his knees to his chest. His face had the same scared look it had had 40 minutes ago. Angelica laughed softly and whispered, "Come over and meet your daughter Jack." The pirate raised his head, deep brown dreadlocks swaying.

He replied, "I'm not exactly sure I want to." Using his hands in a flourish. Angelica glared at the handsome man until he sighed and she knew he had given in. "Well is it still all sticky and screamy?" he asked hesitantly.

Angelica shook her head. "She is perfect." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the child's head. She carefully wrapped the child entirely in the soft, breathable, dark blue blanket before holding him out to Jack.

Jack was now standing by her bedside, peering down quizzically at the tiny bundle. Angelica tenderly placed the child in his arms. The pirate awkwardly took the small baby and held it, looking at the mother for some sort of help on what to do.

"Take her outside so I may be alone, and you may get some fresh air." She told him. Jack turned and made his way out of the small hotel room, into the pitch darkness outside.

Angelica lay back on the bed, thoroughly exhausted and yet she'd never been happier in her life. One of her nurses walked over to her, asking, "Why did you ask him to leave? I'd have thought you'd want to see his reaction."

"If he'd have stayed in the room I still wouldn't have," Angelica replied, wiping a layer of sweat off of her face. "Jack Sparrow is a complicated man. He does not like showing his emotions in front of other people so this will give him a chance to love his child in private." She then closed her eyes, letting the nurses begin cleaning the bedroom.

The night air blew Jack's dreadlocks around his face. He frowned as he looked out to the sea at the edge of the horizon. He wished he could be there now. His beautiful Pearl was waiting for him on the other side of the island. He knew the sea. Could understand it.

But this? This he knew nothing about. He'd never raised a child before and had no desire to. It frightened him to think about it. He kept his gaze straight in front of him, not daring to look down at the bundle he was awkwardly cradling in his arms.

Jack was growing exceedingly annoyed at the wind. It was now blowing the dreadlocks of his goatee to the point of causing him pain. He froze at a thought. Hesitantly, he looked down. And there it was.

A tiny hand was curled around one strand of his goatee, tugging it very gently. "Stop that," Jack quietly said, more as something to say than as a real wish. He touched the tiny hand, shocked at the softness of it. He was shocked further when it instantly released his hair and curled itself around his index finger. He caught his breath at the miniature fingers.

Curiosity got the best of him, and the pirate flipped off the flap of blanket covering the child's face. He was speechless.

Two small, black-brown eyes gazed up at him from an angelic little face. The baby's nose was so small, and her lips tiny pink lines. Jack had never seen anything so beautiful before; not her mother when he'd first seen her which was a sight that rivaled many, not the open ocean, and not even his beloved Black Pearl. "You're my beloved little Pearl now," he whispered to the girl.

Jack stood in the door way of the hotel room, his heart nearly breaking. He once again had his worn in overcoat and his one and only hat upon his head, ready to set sail. He should have been happy. But he had to leave the perfection in front of him.

Angelica was lying on the bed in a white dress fast asleep. In her arms was her child, his child, also sleeping. The sight was breath taking than either one on their own. For once in his life, the pirate was hesitant to take to the sea.

"A mother and child is a beautiful thing," Gibbs said to Jack, the portly man knowing all too well what was going on in his head. Jack nodded.

"Aye."

Gibbs asked, "So we be setting a course for Tortuga-"

Jack shook his head and interrupted, "No. Not Tortuga. We'll head for the island Lafayette."

"But captain, that's a navy port sir. We'd have to behave like normal fisherman, have no rum, no women." The middle aged man began to plead.

Jack simply nodded his head and replied, "And only a month's journey away from here and back, rather than Tortuga's 3 ½ both ways. A month will give us enough time to plunder a good amount of money from passing ships and we'll get our supplies for the next 6 months at Lafayette. And I'll be back for my daughter sooner."

Gibbs smiled a bit at the usually tough pirate's tenderness. "Aye captain." He hurried off into the night. Jack took one last look at his child and the woman he loved once upon a time. Ending his torture, he closed the wooden door to the hotel, and made his way down the steps, already hearing the crash of the waves; hearing the ocean call his name.