Chapter Fifteen-Meet the Parents
Catherine ran down the stairs of the governor's mansion, through the parlor doors, and smack
into Will, who was pacing the room waiting to see what was happening. He looked up in daze from the
floor at his sister-in-law, who was sitting on his chest grinning.
"He gives his blessing!" Catherine let out an ecstatic laugh and planted a huge kiss on Will's
cheek before springing up to go assault Elizabeth, who was sitting on the sofa staring dumbfounded at
her sister. Elizabeth found herself pulled up off the couch by her Catherine, who was looking more than
a little mad with her hair an auburn cloud flowing around her head, her eyes flashing and laughing like a
hyena. After being spun around a few times, Elizabeth managed to break free of Catherine's grasp and
plopped back on the sofa, disheveled and panting as her sister continued twirling and running about the
otherwise peaceful and sedate looking room.
"Catherine. Catherine? CATHERINE!" Catherine ceased spinning and began merely hopping
up and down as she turned to face her little sister.
"Yes, Tess my darling? What can I do for you on this glorious day!" she said as she continued
dancing with excitement. Elizabeth tried to follow Catherine's movements with her eyes, became dizzy
and shook her head before finally answering.
"Will you PLEASE stand still long enough to tell us what happened!?!"
"Oh of course! Father has given his blessing for me to marry Jack! Jack is back and we're
going to be married and Father approves and you have a baby and life is perfect, perfect, perfect!"
Elizabeth gave out a cry of excitement as she rushed off of the sofa and encircled Catherine in
her arms.
"Oh Cate, that's fabulous! I'm so happy for you!" Catherine just beamed ecstatically and
kissed her sister on the cheek. She then went over to Will, who was still watching the scene in a daze
from the floor, and pulled him up, kissing him again before she dashed over to the maid who was still
standing in the corner holding the baby and gave her a huge hug. The maid shook herself off and went
up to Elizabeth, holding the baby out in front of her.
"May I go, miss?" Elizabeth, who had completely forgotten that the poor girl had been standing
there, an innocent bystander to this whole ordeal, took baby Jack from her.
"Of course you may go! I'm so sorry for just leaving you there, I forgot!" The maid
straightened her cap and gave a rushed curtsey as she hurried from the room, leaving the sisters and
Will alone. Catherine was still bouncing around with joy, Will was still staring stupidly at the whole
event, and Elizabeth cradled her baby as she watched the maid go out of the door, from which she saw
her father standing, looking in on the scene with a smile on his face. Elizabeth grinned at him as he
entered the room.
"Well, now that we've had our excitement," Governor Swann said as he strolled into the parlor,
his hands clasped behind his back and a slight but happy smile on his face, "...when do I get to see the
bridegroom?" Catherine ran over to her father and embraced him emphatically before running towards
the door. She was halfway through the entrance hall when Will, who had finally snapped back to life,
overtook her.
"Whoa there," he said as he gently took her arm. "Let me go fetch him. The sight of you two
running through the streets laughing like idiots would have Norrington on Jack faster than you could say
'wedding'". Will grinned childishly at Catherine as she stepped aside and he ran out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Will, would ye please tell me what this is about? Yer grinning like an idiot!" Jack said as he
followed his friend through side streets, taking the back way to the governor's mansion to avoid a
confrontation with Norrington's soldiers. Will just smiled and said,
"No, afraid I can't tell you. You'll just have to wait and see!" Will winked at the pirate, who
shook his head in confusion and continued trotting through the streets in his usual style, arms flailing and
sashaying from side to side. Within minutes the two were in the front hall of the governor's mansion,
with every servant in the vicinity stopping to stair at the pirate who had just strolled into the governor's
home. They got an even stranger site as Catherine came running out of the parlor, springing into Jack's
arms.
"Happy ter see ye too, love," Jack managed to say as his fiancé knocked all the wind out of his
lungs. He laughed as Catherine just giggled and planted a huge, wet kiss on his cheek. "What's the
happy occasion?"
"Oh Jack!" Catherine said as she laced her fingers behind the pirate's brown neck and leaned
back to look him in the face. "I've told Father about us..."
"You what?" Jack interrupted, taken aback with surprise. He had not expected the governor
to know anything of this. Catherine just laughed again at the puzzlement on his face.
"I told him everything, and he gives his blessing for us to be married!" Jack stuck a finger in his
ear as if to clean it out and then tilted his head forward.
"Come again, love? Did you say your father, the Governor of Jamaica, gives his blessing for his
daughter to marry a pirate?"
"Yes, yes, yes! He gives his blessing and his consent! My father will give me away at our
wedding!" Jack's jaw dropped in shock for a brief moment, before breaking out into a huge smile. He
threw his head back and laughed as he wrapped his arms around Catherine, picking her up off the floor
and spinning her around in circles. When he finally stopped whirling madly, Catherine wiped a tear of
laughter away from her eye with one hand and reached up to caress Jack's cheek with the other.
"Yes, that was my reaction as well." The pair heard a cough and turned to see Will standing
over to the side smiling.
"If you two have finished making everyone in the house dizzy," he said with a playful grin, "...I
believe my father-in-law wishes to meet his soon to be new son-in-law." He held out his arm and
bowed slightly, trying to lead them into the parlor where Governor Swann waited nervously with
Elizabeth. Jack slapped Will on the back as he and Catherine walked towards the door.
"We're as good as brothers now, mate! Knew that pirate blood would come in handy!" Will
smiled widely and pushed his disgruntled hair back as he made ready to follow the couple into the
parlor.
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Governor Swann rose from the couch as Catherine and Jack entered the room. Jack suddenly
became very sober when he found himself actually facing the governor of Jamaica. He swallowed hard,
shook his head, and walked up to the governor with a beaming Catherine on his arm.
"Father," Catherine said as she led the pirate up to her father, who was trying to maintain an
approving air, "this is my fiancé." Jack grinned somewhat shakily. Governor Swann held out his hand.
"We have met before on less happy terms. I would like you to know that while it is hard for me
to approve of a marriage between my eldest daughter and an infamous pirate, I do hold you in some
esteem since my children have told me what you did for them a year ago." Jack breathed a small sigh
of relief and took the governor's outstretched hand.
"I appreciate that greatly, governor," said Jack as he let go of his future father-in-law's hand.
"And I wanted ter thank ye for lettin' me get away after ye tried ter hang me." The Catherine coughed
into her hand as Jack quickly tried to correct himself. "Not that I blame ye fer that or anythin'. Yer the
gov'ner and you were just doin' yer duty, of course." Jack smiled sheepishly at Governor Swann, who
smiled back after taking a moment to survey the man before him. Catherine grinned at the both of them
before waving towards the sitting area.
"Shall we sit down?" Catherine and Jack joined Elizabeth on the sofa from which the younger
sister had been watching the conversation carefully as Will and Governor Swann sat down in the two
chairs facing the couch.
"So," said the governor as he settled himself awkwardly into his seat, "when do you want to
have the wedding?"
"Well, we must have it soon," said Catherine, still holding Jack's arm. "It is not safe for Jack
here, what with the commodore waiting for him to make one wrong move."
"Which I won't," Jack interjected hurriedly, trying to get on the good side of the governor. "I
promise I'll be good." The pirate nervously began fiddling with his beard. Catherine patted his hand
reassuringly.
"Of course you will. Father, it's just that we ran into Norrington yesterday and he's just
looking for a reason to hang Jack. I was barely able to talk him out of arresting Jack then!" Governor
Swann frowned slightly.
"Commodore Norrington knows Mr....excuse me, Captain Sparrow is here? You must be
extremely careful not to run into him again. It would not bode well for me to interfere in the prosecution
of a pirate, even if he is marrying my daughter." Elizabeth took this opportunity to speak up.
"Father, Will and I have been the ones arranging for Jack to come in and out of Port Royal, and
we are making sure that the utmost precaution is taken." Jack nodded towards Elizabeth. He just then
realized that the baby was present, as he had just woken up. Jack let out a laugh and a huge smile.
"Ah, there's me boy!" Elizabeth grinned and handed the baby to the pirate, who immediately
began tickling the baby under his chin. Little Jack began giggling and grabbing at big Jack's beard.
The governor laughed as he watched the strange sight of a rough and rowdy pirate making baby noises
at the infant.
"Jack, of course! I didn't make the connection. My grandson is named after you, I assume?"
Elizabeth and Will nodded happily.
"Aye, that he is, though I'm not sure the name is good enough for'em. Makes me happy
enough, te be sure!"
"Of course the name is good enough for him, Jack," said Will. "After all the trouble that names
have brought us, you didn't think we'd give our son a name carelessly, did you?" They all laughed.
Governor Swann was beginning to like Jack Sparrow more and more.
"Well," the governor said as he stood up, "I am needed at the fort, but I am much relieved after
this meeting." Jack smiled in his usual drunken fashion and nodded his thanks. "Catherine, Captain
Sparrow, set the plans for your wedding, and I will be sure to be in attendance." Jack got to his feet
and held his hand out again.
"You can call me Jack, Gov'ner." Governor Swann smiled and eagerly shook hands with the
pirate, nodded, and left. Will, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Jack all let out a sigh of immense relief and
began laughing hysterically after the governor disappeared from sight and didn't stop until the baby
began crying. Elizabeth rocked her baby and Will sat with one arm around her as he wiped away tears
of laughter while Catherine wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and kissed him. Everything was
wonderful; they were getting married with Governor Swann's consent. Nothing could go wrong now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catherine ran down the stairs of the governor's mansion, through the parlor doors, and smack
into Will, who was pacing the room waiting to see what was happening. He looked up in daze from the
floor at his sister-in-law, who was sitting on his chest grinning.
"He gives his blessing!" Catherine let out an ecstatic laugh and planted a huge kiss on Will's
cheek before springing up to go assault Elizabeth, who was sitting on the sofa staring dumbfounded at
her sister. Elizabeth found herself pulled up off the couch by her Catherine, who was looking more than
a little mad with her hair an auburn cloud flowing around her head, her eyes flashing and laughing like a
hyena. After being spun around a few times, Elizabeth managed to break free of Catherine's grasp and
plopped back on the sofa, disheveled and panting as her sister continued twirling and running about the
otherwise peaceful and sedate looking room.
"Catherine. Catherine? CATHERINE!" Catherine ceased spinning and began merely hopping
up and down as she turned to face her little sister.
"Yes, Tess my darling? What can I do for you on this glorious day!" she said as she continued
dancing with excitement. Elizabeth tried to follow Catherine's movements with her eyes, became dizzy
and shook her head before finally answering.
"Will you PLEASE stand still long enough to tell us what happened!?!"
"Oh of course! Father has given his blessing for me to marry Jack! Jack is back and we're
going to be married and Father approves and you have a baby and life is perfect, perfect, perfect!"
Elizabeth gave out a cry of excitement as she rushed off of the sofa and encircled Catherine in
her arms.
"Oh Cate, that's fabulous! I'm so happy for you!" Catherine just beamed ecstatically and
kissed her sister on the cheek. She then went over to Will, who was still watching the scene in a daze
from the floor, and pulled him up, kissing him again before she dashed over to the maid who was still
standing in the corner holding the baby and gave her a huge hug. The maid shook herself off and went
up to Elizabeth, holding the baby out in front of her.
"May I go, miss?" Elizabeth, who had completely forgotten that the poor girl had been standing
there, an innocent bystander to this whole ordeal, took baby Jack from her.
"Of course you may go! I'm so sorry for just leaving you there, I forgot!" The maid
straightened her cap and gave a rushed curtsey as she hurried from the room, leaving the sisters and
Will alone. Catherine was still bouncing around with joy, Will was still staring stupidly at the whole
event, and Elizabeth cradled her baby as she watched the maid go out of the door, from which she saw
her father standing, looking in on the scene with a smile on his face. Elizabeth grinned at him as he
entered the room.
"Well, now that we've had our excitement," Governor Swann said as he strolled into the parlor,
his hands clasped behind his back and a slight but happy smile on his face, "...when do I get to see the
bridegroom?" Catherine ran over to her father and embraced him emphatically before running towards
the door. She was halfway through the entrance hall when Will, who had finally snapped back to life,
overtook her.
"Whoa there," he said as he gently took her arm. "Let me go fetch him. The sight of you two
running through the streets laughing like idiots would have Norrington on Jack faster than you could say
'wedding'". Will grinned childishly at Catherine as she stepped aside and he ran out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Will, would ye please tell me what this is about? Yer grinning like an idiot!" Jack said as he
followed his friend through side streets, taking the back way to the governor's mansion to avoid a
confrontation with Norrington's soldiers. Will just smiled and said,
"No, afraid I can't tell you. You'll just have to wait and see!" Will winked at the pirate, who
shook his head in confusion and continued trotting through the streets in his usual style, arms flailing and
sashaying from side to side. Within minutes the two were in the front hall of the governor's mansion,
with every servant in the vicinity stopping to stair at the pirate who had just strolled into the governor's
home. They got an even stranger site as Catherine came running out of the parlor, springing into Jack's
arms.
"Happy ter see ye too, love," Jack managed to say as his fiancé knocked all the wind out of his
lungs. He laughed as Catherine just giggled and planted a huge, wet kiss on his cheek. "What's the
happy occasion?"
"Oh Jack!" Catherine said as she laced her fingers behind the pirate's brown neck and leaned
back to look him in the face. "I've told Father about us..."
"You what?" Jack interrupted, taken aback with surprise. He had not expected the governor
to know anything of this. Catherine just laughed again at the puzzlement on his face.
"I told him everything, and he gives his blessing for us to be married!" Jack stuck a finger in his
ear as if to clean it out and then tilted his head forward.
"Come again, love? Did you say your father, the Governor of Jamaica, gives his blessing for his
daughter to marry a pirate?"
"Yes, yes, yes! He gives his blessing and his consent! My father will give me away at our
wedding!" Jack's jaw dropped in shock for a brief moment, before breaking out into a huge smile. He
threw his head back and laughed as he wrapped his arms around Catherine, picking her up off the floor
and spinning her around in circles. When he finally stopped whirling madly, Catherine wiped a tear of
laughter away from her eye with one hand and reached up to caress Jack's cheek with the other.
"Yes, that was my reaction as well." The pair heard a cough and turned to see Will standing
over to the side smiling.
"If you two have finished making everyone in the house dizzy," he said with a playful grin, "...I
believe my father-in-law wishes to meet his soon to be new son-in-law." He held out his arm and
bowed slightly, trying to lead them into the parlor where Governor Swann waited nervously with
Elizabeth. Jack slapped Will on the back as he and Catherine walked towards the door.
"We're as good as brothers now, mate! Knew that pirate blood would come in handy!" Will
smiled widely and pushed his disgruntled hair back as he made ready to follow the couple into the
parlor.
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Governor Swann rose from the couch as Catherine and Jack entered the room. Jack suddenly
became very sober when he found himself actually facing the governor of Jamaica. He swallowed hard,
shook his head, and walked up to the governor with a beaming Catherine on his arm.
"Father," Catherine said as she led the pirate up to her father, who was trying to maintain an
approving air, "this is my fiancé." Jack grinned somewhat shakily. Governor Swann held out his hand.
"We have met before on less happy terms. I would like you to know that while it is hard for me
to approve of a marriage between my eldest daughter and an infamous pirate, I do hold you in some
esteem since my children have told me what you did for them a year ago." Jack breathed a small sigh
of relief and took the governor's outstretched hand.
"I appreciate that greatly, governor," said Jack as he let go of his future father-in-law's hand.
"And I wanted ter thank ye for lettin' me get away after ye tried ter hang me." The Catherine coughed
into her hand as Jack quickly tried to correct himself. "Not that I blame ye fer that or anythin'. Yer the
gov'ner and you were just doin' yer duty, of course." Jack smiled sheepishly at Governor Swann, who
smiled back after taking a moment to survey the man before him. Catherine grinned at the both of them
before waving towards the sitting area.
"Shall we sit down?" Catherine and Jack joined Elizabeth on the sofa from which the younger
sister had been watching the conversation carefully as Will and Governor Swann sat down in the two
chairs facing the couch.
"So," said the governor as he settled himself awkwardly into his seat, "when do you want to
have the wedding?"
"Well, we must have it soon," said Catherine, still holding Jack's arm. "It is not safe for Jack
here, what with the commodore waiting for him to make one wrong move."
"Which I won't," Jack interjected hurriedly, trying to get on the good side of the governor. "I
promise I'll be good." The pirate nervously began fiddling with his beard. Catherine patted his hand
reassuringly.
"Of course you will. Father, it's just that we ran into Norrington yesterday and he's just
looking for a reason to hang Jack. I was barely able to talk him out of arresting Jack then!" Governor
Swann frowned slightly.
"Commodore Norrington knows Mr....excuse me, Captain Sparrow is here? You must be
extremely careful not to run into him again. It would not bode well for me to interfere in the prosecution
of a pirate, even if he is marrying my daughter." Elizabeth took this opportunity to speak up.
"Father, Will and I have been the ones arranging for Jack to come in and out of Port Royal, and
we are making sure that the utmost precaution is taken." Jack nodded towards Elizabeth. He just then
realized that the baby was present, as he had just woken up. Jack let out a laugh and a huge smile.
"Ah, there's me boy!" Elizabeth grinned and handed the baby to the pirate, who immediately
began tickling the baby under his chin. Little Jack began giggling and grabbing at big Jack's beard.
The governor laughed as he watched the strange sight of a rough and rowdy pirate making baby noises
at the infant.
"Jack, of course! I didn't make the connection. My grandson is named after you, I assume?"
Elizabeth and Will nodded happily.
"Aye, that he is, though I'm not sure the name is good enough for'em. Makes me happy
enough, te be sure!"
"Of course the name is good enough for him, Jack," said Will. "After all the trouble that names
have brought us, you didn't think we'd give our son a name carelessly, did you?" They all laughed.
Governor Swann was beginning to like Jack Sparrow more and more.
"Well," the governor said as he stood up, "I am needed at the fort, but I am much relieved after
this meeting." Jack smiled in his usual drunken fashion and nodded his thanks. "Catherine, Captain
Sparrow, set the plans for your wedding, and I will be sure to be in attendance." Jack got to his feet
and held his hand out again.
"You can call me Jack, Gov'ner." Governor Swann smiled and eagerly shook hands with the
pirate, nodded, and left. Will, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Jack all let out a sigh of immense relief and
began laughing hysterically after the governor disappeared from sight and didn't stop until the baby
began crying. Elizabeth rocked her baby and Will sat with one arm around her as he wiped away tears
of laughter while Catherine wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and kissed him. Everything was
wonderful; they were getting married with Governor Swann's consent. Nothing could go wrong now.
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