Disclaimer: No creator could be this cruel to their children . . .(thinks on her own story and on the state of the world) . . .um . . .let me rephrase that . . .
AN: I love you people! Really, really I do, you kept reviewing (and liking) even after chapter 19, you didn't get bored, you kept saying that it's a bloody good story . . .I just love you people. Minor tirade being done, there's only this and one more chapter to go in the story. I might have another PotC plot forming in my head, which would take place maybe five years after this one, and there might be a LotR's one fighting with it for dominance, but at the moment both are in the just-being-born phase of brainstorming, and could quite conceivably miscarry.
A Taste of Misery
Part 24
Will watched in consternation as Jack opened all of the cupboards in the kitchen, rummaging through each one before moving onto the next.
The pirate was quite a sight to see. He had somehow got his hands on kohl, though Will wasn't sure where or how—perhaps Ana-Maria or Elizabeth had added some to the small pouch that held the rest of his belongings—and outlined his eyes again.
His rings were back on his fingers.
He had started to re-braid the beads into his hair when he had had to stop and forcibly restrain Will from barging into the bedroom when Elizabeth had screamed in pain.
As a result he cut a rather comic figure, half of his hair still hanging free and respectable, the other done up like it had been before Almorte, still dressed in Will's old clothes and clean-shaven but with the sword strapped to his side, the first time he had carried a weapon in two months.
After convincing Will that he really didn't want to barge in on the ladies or strangle Jack Sparrow for stopping him, the pirate had seemingly abandoned his attempt at regaining his old appearance and begun his scavenger-hunt, though Will was still uncertain what for.
"All right, I give. What are you looking for?"
The pirate's answer was unintelligible as he knocked the back of his head on the top of one of the cabinets when pulling himself out.
"Take a guess."
Will shook his head, his feelings mixed amusement and concern.
"I have absolutely no idea, Jack."
Jack abandoned his search to stare reproachfully at the blacksmith.
"I'll help you out, then. There's no treasure worth the trouble in Port Royal, and the only three women I know in this port are currently locked in your bedroom and rather indisposed. What does this leave us with?"
Will smiled. "You've been here two months and only now do you decide to look for the rum."
The pirate flashed him a grin before turning his attention back to the cabinets.
"What makes you think I've got any? You know Elizabeth abhors the stuff, and it's hardly a gentleman's drink."
The pirate's head reappeared again. "And you are hardly a gentlemen, Will Turner. Do gentlemen harbor injured pirates? Even the lady refers to you as a pirate, I do believe."
"Jack." The grin dropped off the pirate's face as the concern in Will's voice and face made itself obvious. "Are you really well?"
"Aye, lad, as well as I've ever been." The pirate stood to look Will in the eye, rubbing his right wrist. "Thanks to you, Will Turner, and your wife."
"Why wouldn't you . . .why didn't you . . .what took you so long to come back, Jack? I was . . ." Will turned away, uncomfortably aware that he was on the verge of crying in front of a man whose respect he valued. Everything was just happening so bloody fast . . .
"Will . . .I didn't know up from down for the first two weeks you had me here. After that, I slept, and my body healed, but ye can't escape the dreams, lad. They haunt ye, waking and sleeping. When I couldn't drown myself in sleep anymore, I fought inside my head. Ye helped a lot, Will, with your carving . . .and with the sword. Fit for a king and given freely to a pirate. I didn't deserve it, Will. I still don't."
The expression on the pirate's face frightened Will.
"You do deserve it, Jack. I made it for you, and that's all the proof you should need that you deserve it." He clapped the pirate on the shoulder gently. "Why now? Why come back now?"
"Because you needed me, William Turner, you and Elizabeth. I won't have more children's blood on my hands."
"We needed you before."
"Not as badly as I needed me."
"I don't understand, Jack."
"Maybe you're not meant to. I can't explain to you what was happening in my head, Will. Sometimes even Jack Sparrow isn't safe up there. I told you a little of what happened in here." He tapped his chest. "That's all I can give ye. Will it be enough, William Turner?"
Will nodded, his lips twitching upward into a slight grin.
"Good! Now that we've had our philosophy chat, which I was not nearly drunk enough to enjoy, could you kindly show me where you've hid the rum, lad?"
"I'm not a lad, Jack. I'm twenty-one and about to become a father."
"You're a lad still to me, and an innocent one at that."
"I am not innocent, either!" Will heard what he had just said and laughed as the pirate grinned at him.
"Ye'll always be an innocent lad to me, Will Turner, but I thought we'd had enough of the philosophy, at least until we've had a drink."
"What would you say if I told you Elizabeth burned it all?"
The crestfallen look on the pirate's face finally broke Will's resolve. Moving over to one of the cabinets that the pirate had already abandoned, he carefully pried up the bottom and pulled out a small barrel.
"Elizabeth did get rid of the other one after Ana-Maria left."
"That woman is absolutely no fun, Will." The pirate was already grabbing glasses off the shelf.
"Which one, Jack? The one that burns the rum, or the one that tries to kill you?"
Jack stared down at Will, his expression one of shock.
"She really would have done that for me?"
Will poured out the rum and took a gulp before he answered. "I thought people were supposed to get upset when their friends tried to kill them."
"Not when it's mercy, and not when the friend's a fellow pirate who understands how survival works."
"But you're not dead, and you're not mad . . .at least not any more than you were three years ago."
"Would you have said that twelve hours ago? Besides, I thought we agreed to put the philosophy on hold."
Will sighed and took another gulp of the liquid. "I'll never understand you."
"Ye're not supposed to, Will. That would wreck all the fun." The pirate grinned at Will triumphantly and raised his glass in a toast.
The rest of the afternoon and the night passed slowly, mostly spent in silence as the two men waited for word.
When the door finally opened, it took both men by surprise. "Mr. Turner, you can go see your wife now." The midwife stood smiling and gestured towards the bedroom.
Will was on his feet as quickly as he could manage, Jack directly behind him.
Both men stopped abruptly as they stared at Elizabeth on the bed—or more precisely at the bundles held close on either side of her.
Jack turned to Will, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"There're two of them."
Will nodded slowly, his head moving back and forth.
"Well, you're definitely not a eunuch." Jack clapped Will on the shoulder.
Elizabeth stared at the pirate, a slight smile tugging at her mouth. She was sweaty and appeared utterly exhausted, but Will thought she had never seemed more beautiful in all the time he had known her.
"Come hold your daughter, Will." The maid quickly grabbed the child from Elizabeth's arms and carried her over to her father, who held her gently, as though he feared that his rough blacksmith hands might break her.
"What do you want to name her, Elizabeth?"
"Ana. In honor of a good friend." Will nodded slowly, his expression troubled.
"What of the other child?" Will nodded his head towards the child that Elizabeth clutched to her side.
"Maybe Jack should hold him, Will. After all, your first-born son should get to know his namesake, right?"
Jack's face clouded and he backed away, fear appearing again in his eyes. Will quickly handed his daughter to the maid and grabbed the pirate by the shoulder before he could make a complete get-away.
"Jack . . .it's all right. Elizabeth knows. It was an accident. Put it behind you. I would be honored to have my son share your name."
The pirate started to shake his head no.
"Jack . . .please."
Staring between Will, Elizabeth and the two tiny children, he finally nodded a tentative yes.
"Good." Will moved over and kissed his wife gently before carefully gathering his son into his arms and moving over to where the pirate still stood frozen. "Now hold him."
The pirate held up his hands as though pleading for mercy. "Will . . .I really don't handle children all that well . . .Will, please . . ."
"Come on, Jack, you're not afraid of a baby, are you?"
The pirate froze again and reluctantly held out his hands to take the child.
"Now just cradle him . . .that's it . . ." Jack stared in amazement at the child held snugly against his chest. One tiny fist reached up and slapped at his chin.
"Well, there's a good thing about not having a beard . . .nothing for the babe to grab on to."
Jack grinned at his friends, who returned the expression whole-heartedly.
