Chapter Nine
Live and Let Die
"Ye two are in so much trouble when yer parents find out!" shouted Captain Hector Barbossa, once everyone was back aboard the Triumph. Willy and Bella sat in the corner of Barbossa's cabin, their heads still hanging low. Bella quickly snuck a glance towards her brother. She wanted to just reach over and hit him. After all, it was his entire fault that they were in this mess. Why did I even bother to go along with him? Now I'm going to be in twice as much trouble, Bella thought to herself.
All attention turned to the door of Barbossa's cabin when it opened. Bella's eyes stared at the boy in the doorway. Behind him stood Pintel and Ragetti. Bella felt as if her brown eyes would burst out of her head at any moment. He's gorgeous, Bella said to herself. Willy glanced at his sister and let out a smirk. He knew that look all too well and it was the look of Bella when she found herself attracted to someone.
Elizabeth remained in the shadows as she listened to the conversation her husband was having with Jack and AnaMaria. "I should just burst in there right now," Elizabeth told herself quietly. "No… no, Elizabeth. That's not the right thing to do." Elizabeth peaked into the room through an open crack. She listened carefully as the conversation in the room progressed. She gasped as quietly as she could when she felt the movement of her baby. The Pirate King smiled softly to herself as she rubbed her protruding stomach. "Be gentle, Little One," Elizabeth whispered to the unborn growing child. "Mum is trying to eavesdrop on your no good Uncle Jack and Father."
As she talked to her unborn children, Elizabeth Turner had yet to realize that the talking behind the slightly opened door had stopped. Elizabeth gasped again, this time much louder. The slightly ajar door opened all the way. Will stood in the doorway, gazing at his wife curiously. "Eavesdropping, are we?" Will asked his wife teasingly. Elizabeth looked into her husband's eyes. Anger showed in them. "Where are they, William?" Elizabeth demanded. Better get to the bottom of things, Elizabeth thought to herself. Will ran a tan hand through his curly brown locks and sighed.
Will Turner knew that he was in trouble when he was called William by Elizabeth. He also knew that her wrath was never a good thing to face. Moving away from the doorway, Will gestured for Elizabeth to enter. The Pirate King proceeded and leaned against the wall. Her hand was still upon her stomach. "Where's who?" Will asked. He tried to remain as if he was innocent, knowing that it wouldn't be good for Elizabeth or the unborn Turner if all hell broke loose. "Our children, William Turner!" shouted Elizabeth. Will backed away slowly and managed to trip over Jack's leg in the process.
The man caught himself by grabbing on to the nearby desk. "I mean," Elizabeth said as she tried to calm herself. "I already know where they are. But it'd be much better if you told me yourself. Don't you think?" Will exchanged quick glances with Jack and AnaMaria. The man and woman only shrugged. "Gee," Will said, sarcastically. "Thanks a lot."
Elizabeth approached Will, careful not to trip over Jack's boot like her husband did. "Will, how could you let this happen?" Elizabeth asked. She quickly turned to face her two friends. "How could any of you let this happen?"
"They snuck out, Elizabeth," Jack replied. "We had no idea they were gone until Calypso had brought it up." AnaMaria nodded in agreement to her husband then said, "Will told us that he already filled ye in on their whereabouts, Elizabeth." Elizabeth turned to her husband. The confusion shown in her eyes. Will nodded and replied, "I did, Elizabeth. The day you woke up after falling overboard." Elizabeth shook her head. She didn't understand what was going on. "And Katie?" Elizabeth asked. "She didn't go with them did she?"
"No," the small group replied in unison. "The day you woke up," Will began to explain. "My father came to see his grandchildren. He had the pleasure of meeting Katie and right now, she's in bed. Where you should be too." Elizabeth glared at her lover. "I am not a child!" Elizabeth shouted. Will reached out to brush Elizabeth's curls behind her ears but only succeeded in being swat away by Elizabeth. "Elizabeth," Will said in a soothing voice.
"Quiet!" Elizabeth shouted. "I am a grown woman! I will not be told what to do by you, or Jack or even Ana!" Jack and AnaMaria exchanged glances and with just that glance, they decided it was time for them to leave. "Listen to me, Elizabeth Turner," Will replied. "No one on the Empress or on the Pearl or even on the Triumph… none of us are trying to treat you like a child but right now you're acting like you should be playing with Katie and Charlie!"
The fire could be seen in Elizabeth's dark eyes and her face seemed to be turning red with anger. "I don't appreciate that remark, Mister--" Elizabeth stopped mid-sentence as she winced. Both hands rested on her stomach. "---Turner." Elizabeth finished, feeling as if the small pain had subsided. Will stared at his wife, hoping that she was alright. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?" Will asked. Elizabeth shook her head as she practically screamed out in pain. "Something's wrong," Elizabeth managed to say. Will helped Elizabeth to their bed and then ran out of the cabin. "Jack! Ana!" Will called after his two friends. Both pirates turned around at the call of their names. "Something's wrong with Elizabeth and the baby."
"Willy. Bella. This be Jonathon Collins. We picked him up in Tortuga on our way to get you two mischief making children," Barbossa explained. The boy Bella had been staring at bowed towards them. He wore a smile on his face and Bella couldn't help but laugh when some of his blond hair fell into his eyes. "He'll be seein' to yer needs while aboard my ship. Pintel and Ragetti will also be assisting him." Barbossa walked pass Jonathon, Pintel and Ragetti. The old pirate gave the men a small nod. "I'll be informin' yer parents by pigeon," Barbossa said as he walked off. "And don't go causin' anymore mischief. I won't have it aboard me Triumph."
As Captain Hector Barbossa left, Willy burst out in laughter. "I can't believe he didn't blow up!" Willy exclaimed. "Mum and Father always turn us over to him!" Bella rolled her eyes but then smiled softly towards Jonathon. She had dreaded being aboard the Triumph with her Uncle Barbossa. But she knew that now it would be worth it. Maybe even fun.
Jack and AnaMaria ran back towards the main cabin of the Empress. They could see the fear and pain in Elizabeth's eyes. "Not again," Jack mumbled to himself. "Elizabeth Turner, I forbid ye to die in my presence!" AnaMaria rolled her eyes as she approached Elizabeth. "She's goin' in to labor," the female pirate explained. Her attention turned towards Will and Jack. "Jack, I want you to inform the crew to weigh anchor. We can't risk hittin' heavy waves right now since Elizabeth's so early. And do yerself a favor and just stay up there."
Jack nodded as his wife's orders and rushed out of the cabin. "Will," AnaMaria continued. "I need clean cloth. Don't worry about the hot water. There's no time for that." Will nodded to his orders and vanished down the hall to get the cloth. "Ana," Elizabeth said through a voice full of pain. "I'm going to lose my child, aren't I?" AnaMaria didn't know how to respond. "Here," Will said as he returned. He handed the pile of sterile cloth to his friend. AnaMaria nodded her thanks.
"Ana," Elizabeth growled quietly. "Answer me." AnaMaria stared directly into the pain filled eyes of her friend. "I don't know," AnaMaria replied. "But right now it's either you or the babe, Elizabeth. You've got three children. Right now I'd rather save you." Will pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat in it. He took his lover's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. "I'm so sorry, Elizabeth," Will managed to choke out through tears. "I shouldn't of gotten you upset." Elizabeth screamed out in sheer pain as she went to answer Will. AnaMaria looked up at the Turners and said, "It's time.
Hours of screaming and blood had passed before Elizabeth finally managed to push out a small son. AnaMaria wrapped the cloth around the child. She managed to remove most of the mucus and blood from the newborn Turner. The baby did not cry and it did not breathe. "Elizabeth," AnaMaria said softly. Even though she was doing her best to hold in her tears, she couldn't keep them in. "I'm sorry." Elizabeth held out her arms and AnaMaria placed the still baby in its mother's arms. Tears fell from the eyes of the parents as they gazed upon their second son. "Benjamin Weatherby Turner," Elizabeth whispered softly.
"It's a good name," Will whispered to his wife. Neither knew that AnaMaria has managed to slip out of the room.
AnaMaria Lamar Sparrow slowly made her way up to the main deck. Tears flew freely down her tan cheeks. "Jack," AnaMaria said as she approached her husband from behind. Jack turned around and seeing the state she was in, quickly sat down his bottle of rum. "What's wrong, Love?" Jack asked as he embraced AnaMaria. "The baby…" AnaMaria cried. "He didn't make it." Jack's typical smile turned upside down at the news. He hugged AnaMaria tightly. "Are you sure?" Jack asked in a whisper. AnaMaria nodded as she cried.
The pirate let go of AnaMaria when he saw Elizabeth and Will standing aboard the main deck. A still bundle was in Elizabeth's arms and Will held a makeshift casket. "We're sending him to my father," Will announced to the crew. "This way we'll be able to see our child every ten years when my father returns for a visit." The crew nodded and quickly took the small casket from Will.
"Elizabeth, you should be restin'," Jack said. His remark resulted in glares from both Will and Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked down at her dead child and kissed his forehead. "I'm seeing my son off, Jack," Elizabeth said. "He may not be able to respond but Bootstrap will take good care of him. And this way Calypso can't try to kill both of us at once."
"No, but she can still kill ye, Elizabeth," AnaMaria said as she wiped her tears away. Elizabeth seemed to ignore her as she placed her son in the casket once it was secured with a rope by the crew. As the lid of the casket closed, Jack read the name on it. "Benjamin Weatherby Turner," Jack mumbled to himself. "After Will's cousin and yer father, right, Elizabeth?" Jack asked. Elizabeth nodded and watched as the casket was lowered in the ocean. "Both were good men," Jack said as he watched the deceased child's casket float out towards the horizon.
A/N: Wow... I found myself actually tearing up. It's almost 5:30 AM here but I've been trying so hard to come up with this chapter or it would've been posted sooner. But finally around 1:00, as I watching All My Children, I came up with this chapter and to have the baby be born premature and die. Almost like what's happening in the AMC storyline with baby Ian right now. So enjoy and please REVIEW! I haven't been having many (