A further disclaimer here, I know this idea pretty much features in all fandoms at some point, but this particular one appeared to me when reading some of Irony Chan's fics, so sorry if I can't remember the name right.

Note: this one's not really a Sparrabeth fic, as opposed to the most of my other fics.

Version 4: Pocketed

When Elizabeth opened the front door of her house and saw Joshamee Gibbs standing there she knew something was wrong. She'd seen the Pearl docking at Charleston and had the privilege to share a few unchosen words with Barbossa, but neither him or anybody else could tell her anything new about Jack or Mr. Gibbs on that count. Having the chance to see old friends was usually matter for celebration though no matter what and she felt like hugging the old sea rover cordially, but something stood in the way. Somebody to be exact.

Gibbs was standing hesitantly in front of her with an apprehensive expression, half inclined to hide the child he was holding in his arms somewhere.

The boy, there was no doubt in her mind about that even though the child was not much older than her own one year old William, didn't turn towards her, but was bouncing up and down in the man's arms excitedly, pointing back at something in the harbor.

"I'm sorry to bother ye Mrs. Turner..." Gibbs started, the stalled, looking what could be interpreted as kind of pleadingly at her.

"But of course, come on in, come in, would you want some trifle? A bagel for the child to munch on? My little Willy could play for hours with one of those," she cleared a chair for the visitors to sit on, delaying hearing any news she didn't want to hear, "rum?" She finally offered as a last attempt.

Mr. Gibbs rubbed his face, "I'll get enough of that right down at the tavern lass, once it's done what has to," he scared Elizabeth even more, then finally delivered the final blow, "Jack said if anything happens to him I should come to ye and well, ye could say something happened...I don't know how to say this to ye, but I swear on me mother's chastity it's the truth..."

Elizabeth more collapsed then sat in the chair next to them, not minding she was sitting in some spilled baking powder she forgot to clean up earlier. She rubbed her knuckles to each other nervously, only noticing at the last moment that the table cloth was slowly being pulled down with the cake on it by a couple of tiny little grabbing hands. Used to jumping before innocent disasters could happen, she reached out to tear the cloth out the child's hands carefully.

The boy pulled away at the contact with the stranger and shied away by Gibbs' shoulder, but not before taking a fleeting glimpse into her eyes.

It was the first time she really looked at the child properly, previously she was too busy dealing with her fears. Her mouth remained agape and her eyes grew wide as she searched Gibbs inquisitively. The little one had deep brown eyes, the quirky smile of a boy who knew he was doing mischief when almost pulling the plates down, black hair, a full bottom lip and the vigor in those movements of his. The little boy could not have been anybody else's than Jack's and his presence with Gibbs only accentuated her worries for her friend.

"Have ye heard about the legend of the Fountain of Youth that would even bring dead back to life?" Gibbs brought his voice down when asking.

"How could I not with Barbossa shouting in my ears about some map?"

"Map, aye, we had that, and the compass too, we couldn't miss it if we tried. Jack was trying it out first and...I kinda figure that the water isn't so much of life, but more like restoring the youth of anyone who drinks it as invulnerable he didn't become. I also found out three big gulps would be a bit too much fe someone of Jack's age. I mean the age he was...before...ye know what I mean?"

Elizabeth's eyes went even wider this time and she stopped breathing for a moment, "you say Jack..." She tried to point at the child, but in her incredulity it was more like a shaky wave.

"Aye, Jack. He can't talk, understand much of what's happening, know not to eat a compass...Anamaria figured he'd be like one and a half and ye can expect no more of him than any other yearling. Mrs. Turner, I don't know how to care fe a baby," Gibbs said worriedly, "and without me captain I needed to find some work on some ship. The Stern Ivory is leaving tomorrow morning with me as quartermaster, but I cannot take a child wit me. I will come back fe him, ye can trust ol' Gibbs, I have to teach 'im some piracy ye see."

Elizabeth looked from one to another, not sure whether to laugh or cry. The Jack she knew as her friend she came to trust with her life was as she suspected gone in all ways that mattered. But there was this child, bursting of life, looking for comfort with pouty lips, hanging on to his surrogate papa. Innocent, unknowing, pure. On impulse she reached out to look at the child's wrist and even before she could look for the branded P, Gibbs shook his head.

"I thought of that too, it's not there, there's nothing of Jack Sparrow. It's little Jackie Teague. But I'm not taking him back to his father. Anything, but that. He'll not have to go through that twice."

"Then he doesn't even have to grow up to be a pirate," Elizabeth pondered, herself trying to shake that existence, having started fresh, just as the ex governor's daughter. The furtherest away she kept William and the chest from any suspecting eyes that were aware of the Flying Dutchman the better.

"Ye think?" Gibbs recounted incredulously.

"He has a chance. He can be anything with that mind of his. Uncle Josh," she said determined, "don't come back. At least not for a while, till we see what I can do for Jackie."

Gibbs stood, a bit relieved. He would go to world's end for his captain, in fact he already did, but this wasn't his captain, "just don't make him join the navvy that's all I ask."

The End.

Aka there will be another version at some point.