Chapter 4: Dubitable

"Jack, I thought you'd never want such burden, you'd never want being responsible for anyone but you."

"I died fe ye, luv, doesn't that give ye any clues?"

"It wasn't your choice."

"It replays in me head a lot. Still, I wouldn't want it any different any day."

"But...but I thought you'd never want children."

"I've never planned on one luv, not the first time and especially not after the last one," he closed in on her so she could see what he was showing her in the candlelight. He tucked into an inside pocket to reveal a little white baby hat. "Curious to want to keep it, as if I'd ever forget him." To Elizabeth's confused expression he added, "Javier. My son. His mother traded her belly when she was captured, not even the navvy'd execute a heavily pregnant woman. But I still didn't get there in time for the birth. Alaia was hanged, Gibbs could only smuggle the baby out. And what for? He died in fever on board not even a year old."

Elizabeth was frozen with dread. She shook her head, having no idea what to say. "Jack, I didn't know, I'm so sorry Jack."

He was rubbing the hat idly and her reeling mind realized what it all meant for her. She was all wrong, he'd be a responsible father, he wants a family. Hope started to flicker in her that he'd cherish their son after all, that they could be together. She would never be afraid to live if he was there to navigate.

However, Jack continued with a determined glimmer in his eyes, "Alaia never had the chance to hold him, but I was going to take care of him no matter what. All I need to know, where the ex commodore be and ye can forget about us."

"You misunderstand me. I only sent Jonathan away to see him safe. I'm the king of pirates if you haven't noticed! How am I supposed to keep a toddler safe aboard? How are you going to keep him safe? From Barbossa? The new chairman of East India? The Spanish? The sea serpent?"

"Not all on me onesies, I can't, I admit that," he said with a flicker of roguishness in his eyes, "a child'd benefit from two parents fe that."

"What is it you're saying Jack?" She met his gaze with the shadow of the same flicker, more like hope he was really thinking the same.

"I'm saying yer fleet'd profit from a fast ship that could sail away with the loot while yer keeping her majesty's ward ships busy."

"Captain Jack Sparrow working for someone?" She considered.

"Fe Jonathan Sparrow and his own felicitousness?"

They stood the step away from each other for a moment as before, suspended between doubt and hopefulness, need and action. Then he reached out to lift her and slowly walked over to stretch her out on her bed. Their last night together was like trying to harness a storm, this one will be like the tides lingering at the sunny, sandy beach, he decided as he lay beside her.

She knew she didn't have to say anything. Captain Jack Sparrow'd always eventually get what he wanted.

The End.