Jack quietly made his way downstairs. When he walked toward the door, he suddenly bumped into someone.
Luckily for him, it wasn't his wife nor Elizabeth, but Catherine.
"Sorry! Can ye tell 'Gelica I'll be at the Pearl?" Jack asked.
"Sure thing!" Catharina said.
"Thank ye..." Jack said.
Jack quickly walked out. He needed air.
"Aye, the Captain is here!" Gibbs yelled when seeing Jack walking on deck.
"Master Gibbs! Come with me please." Jack said, walking toward the chart room.
They both sat down at the table.
"I didn't expect ye here so soon." Gibbs said.
"I'm in trouble." Jack said.
"Why? What have ye done now?" Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"Gibbs, have ye ever celebrated Christmas?" Jack asked.
Gibbs spat out his rum, not expecting this question at all.
"What? Of course, I have. But since becoming a sailor I barely have, always out on the sea, eh!" Gibbs smiled.
"My point exactly." Jack said.
"What does this have to do with you being in trouble?" Gibbs was confused, to say the least.
"'Gelica asked me when we would leave, I said next week, then she yelled at me for forgetting about Christmas, which I never really celebrate anyway, and now she's mad at me for leaving." Jack rambled on.
"Aye..." Gibbs didn't know what to say.
"What say you?" Jack frowned.
"Well..." Gibbs hesitated.
"Oh, go on now!" Jack yelled.
"Ye should stay, it be that simple." Gibbs said.
"But what about the Pearl? The crew?" Jack said.
"First of all, maybe they be happy to celebrate Christmas too. Perhaps we can even do it on the Pearl, eh! Second of all, she be ye wife, and ye be a father now. Also, it's only 1,5 weeks away. So, what are ye really fighting about?" Gibbs explained. He was one of the few Jack trusted, and so, he listened without interrupting him.
"Right..." Jack sighed.
"Jack, have ye ever, truly, celebrated Christmas?" Gibbs asked him.
"No..." Jack drank his rum.
"Ha, that be the problem." Gibbs chuckled.
"I was born on a ship, and have been sailing ever since. Ye can't blame me." Jack said, annoyed.
"But ye also can't blame ye wife for wanting to celebrate Christmas with ye..." Gibbs added.
"Damn ye." Jack rolled his eyes.
"So, we be leavin' the 26th or 27th then?" Gibbs asked.
"Make sure everything is settled before Christmas, so we can leave the next day, or maybe the day after that." Jack said.
"Where to? Have ye looked at that map yet?" Gibbs asked.
"Aye, look..." Jack showed him a map. Gibbs examined it.
"Interesting…" Gibbs said.
"I say, we go. Some good old pirating, eh?" Jack smirked.
"Aye!" Gibbs yelled.
It was late afternoon when Jack started to walk home again. He had stayed a few hours on the Pearl, giving his crew orders and keeping an eye on them.
While on the Pearl, he had seen Angelica and Elizabeth leaving the house with the children, probably going to the market. He was glad they got along that well.
He opened the front door and entered his house where he was greeted by Henry, who was playing with some toys.
"Oi, boy!" Jack said. To be fair, Henry was a cute kid. He was a perfect mix of Elizabeth and William.
"Hello." Henry said. He smiled softly.
"Where be ye mum?" Jack asked him. Where Elizabeth was, Angelica had to be as well, he figured.
"In the kitchen." Henry said.
"Thank ye very much, boy!" Jack walked toward the kitchen and immediately heard two women laughing. Upon hearing Jack, Elizabeth turned around. Angelica kept her gaze on the pan she was stirring.
"There you are. Hello Jack!" Elizabeth said.
"How was ye day?" Jack said, keeping his eyes on Angelica who was skillfully ignoring him. It annoyed him of course. But he didn't expect otherwise.
"Great! Angelica showed me around, and we went to the market." Elizabeth said.
"Fun, isn't it?" Jack said.
"I really like it here." Elizabeth said. She eyed Jack, signaling him to say something.
"So… Can you excuse us for a second?" Jack said.
"Of course!" Elizabeth patted Angelica's shoulder, who in return looked at Elizabeth like she was crazy for leaving her behind.
Elizabeth closed the door behind her. Jack leaned against the wall, looking at Angelica.
"Ye going to keep ignoring me, luv?" Jack asked.
"Unless you have to say something… otherwise yes." Angelica said, still focusing on the pan in front of her.
Jack rolled his eyes. He knew he could be stubborn, but she was on another level.
"Can ye please stop stirring that bloody pan and look at me?" Jack said. She stopped and turned around. She crossed her arms, and looked him in his eyes, challenging him.
"Look, I'm…sorry for not realizing how important it is for ye to celebrate Christmas together…" Angelica listened carefully. It barely happened that Jack said sorry, that alone made her smile. But she couldn't yet. So, she tried to hide it.
"It's just that dear old Jack never really celebrated Christmas, so ye can't blame me for that…" Jack said.
"Never? Not even with your parents?" Angelica spoke softly.
"No. My dad sometimes arranged some extra food aboard but that be it. My mum didn't even know what it was, ye know." Jack said.
Angelica was, apart from Gibbs, probably the only one who knew about his mother. He never talked about her. She was from the island Jack and his crew were stranded on when they were running away from Davy Jones. His father was once left on the island and had fallen in love with his mother. When he was saved, he took her with him, and not many years later, there was Jack. She died when he was young.
"So?" Angelica sighed. He had said sorry, but she wasn't fully content with that.
"I be staying here for the time being, and leave after. But I will not be going to that church thing. Deal?" Jack put out his hand, waiting for her to take it.
Angelica rolled her eyes. Being in a convent for many years, going to church on Christmas day was important to her. But she also understood Jack would never go. It was one of the reasons why she baptized the children when he was out on the sea. She would have to live with her husband's resentment towards religion.
"Deal." Angelica took his hand. He pulled her closer. She put her hands around his neck.
"Ye happy now?" Jack asked her.
"Almost…" Angelica raised her eyebrows.
"What now, woman?" Jack looked at her confused.
"Say it." Angelica looked him in the eyes. He stared back.
"I love ye, 'Gelica…" Jack spoke softly.
"Love you too. Just don't be such an idiot sometimes." Angelica made a funny face. He smirked.
"Pirate…" Jack grinned, showing his golden teeth.
He looked her in the eyes for a few seconds, then he kissed her slowly. She broke the kiss when the door suddenly opened.
"Hi Henry, what are you doing here?" Angelica got on her knees.
"Looking for my mom. Do you know where she is, 'Gelica?" Henry asked politely.
"I don't know, come, let's go to look for her!" Angelica held the table and slowly got back up. Jack frowned and looked at her. Then it hit him, and he laughed.
"Was last night too much for ye, luv?" Jack grinned.
She playfully slapped Jack, took Henry's hand, and walked out.
"Wait, what about dinner?" Jack panicked. There were all these pans on the stove, and he had no clue what to do with them.
"I'll be back!" Angelica yelled.
Shorter chapter this time. Almost xmas!
Thank you for your follows and reviews! I don't have a plan for this story. I just write down what's in my head. Let me know if there something you'd like to see in this story! :)