Disclaimer: Jack is still with Disney, filming Pirates II, so he's not
mine until he's done.
AN: I hope that people have read chapter nine before reading this one! If not, you should go do that right now, or you won't get it. Also, so many people want Thomas to die, it's funny. But I have to remind everyone that, in order to have a fourth part to the series, Thomas has to live! So that's what will happen. Anyway, I've got something much worse for Thomas than a simple battle with Jack! What could torture the man more than a sword to the gut? Read and find out!
Chapter 10: Findings, Torment, and Joy:
Lara and Thomas finally pulled up to the same pier that they had docked at on their previous visit to Tortuga. After Thomas had tied up the boat, he and Lara headed towards the town's marketplace. As Thomas looked at a stall that had swords and knives for sale, Lara took a small look around. The stalls were all as shabby and dingy as the rest of the town, with prostitutes on every corner. Men were smoking their pipes and drinking their rum and alcohol like water, even though it was only just after noon. Still, the contents of the stalls were of a fairly good quality, considering most of it was probably stolen from other ships and sold by pirates to the stall owners. Lara was just glancing at a stall that sold silk scarves when she saw a familiar set of blue feathers out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned her head and saw Mr. Cotton, complete with parrot, walking past her. Just ahead of him was the only person who could make her heart flutter with joy.
It was Jack!
Lara frantically blinked her eyes in hope that it wasn't a dream or an illusion, but when she finished, he was still walking by. She started squirming, which caught the attention of one of the other people walking with Jack. Scar, being a head and shoulder above everyone else, turned around and went wide-eyed when he saw her. He made as though to go to her, but Lara shook her head. She jerked her head towards Thomas, who was still admiring the knives and weapons. She was hoping that Scar would understand and not want to risk being seen walking over to her with Thomas being so close.
She inwardly sighed with relief when he nodded briskly to her in understanding. Scar then motioned to her with his hands, making the sign that they were going for drinks and shopping. She then made an inconspicuous sign of understanding and watched him leave. Lara was extremely glad that Jack and the crew had taught her their "hand language" when she had first come aboard over two years ago. Jack had invented it so that they could communicate with each other if they were captured and needed to talk with one another without getting caught. It had come in handy over the years, but Lara couldn't think of a better situation to use it than now. From the signs that Scar had used, she knew exactly what the crew was doing and when. She continued to stare at them after they'd left the marketplace and walked out of sight.
"What are you staring at, beloved," Thomas's voice snapped into her thoughts.
She jerked in response. "Oh, nothing, I was just off in my own little world," she said, giving him an innocently fake smile. Thomas just nodded and began to look at another stall. Meanwhile, Lara went over what Scar had signaled to her in her mind.
In the past, whenever the Pearl had needed supplies from Tortuga, Jack had always gone to one particular store, primarily because the owner owed Jack his life, and the life of his wife. Thanks to that life-debt, Jack was able to get the goods at a ridiculously low price. After saving a fair amount of money from shopping, Jack would always treat whoever had accompanied him to the shop to a round or two of drinks at the Fighting Dog tavern, which was Jack's favorite bar. Lara had always accompanied him on the shopping trips, so she knew the way to the shop and the Fighting Dog from nearly every single docking point in Tortuga. She knew exactly how long it would take for Jack to buy the goods and have a drink before heading back to the Pearl. Lara also knew that if she didn't get Thomas to the tavern before Jack left for the Pearl, she would never get rescued. Thomas did know what the Pearl looked like, after all, so there was no way she would be able to lead Thomas to the ship without rousing suspicion from him. She needed to get to the Fighting Dog within the next two hours, or it would be too late. The question was how she was she going to do it?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The crew of the Pearl had finally finished their shopping. It had taken longer this time because Annamaria had quite a fight with the wife of the owner over the price of the vegetables the crew would need, and Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Cotton, and Scar had to keep the two women from killing each other. Meanwhile, Jack and the shopkeeper himself were quite amused at the spectacle, and had traded smiles before going back to their bargaining. Finally, after about an hour, the crew left the shop and the goods were taken to the Pearl by the shopkeeper's workers. Now it was time for the reward for shopping with the Captain: drinks at the Fighting Dog, where the rum was supposed to be the best in town.
In no time, the crew was seated at a table in a corner near the front door, mugs of rum in their hands, and platters of roasted meats and bowls of stew in between them. Jack felt that the four crewmembers deserved a good meal on solid ground today. After the last bit of food had been eaten, and the last drop of rum had been chugged down, Scar felt the need to speak up.
"I saw Lady Sparrow today."
Jack, who had been on his second mug of rum, spit out a mouthful of the stuff in surprise.
"WHAT?!" he yelled, slamming his mug on the table. The rest of the tavern went quiet in response. Jack just waved his hand at the crowd, and the noise magically picked back up where it had left off. The whole crew leaned in closer for a group huddle.
"What do ye mean ye saw her?" Annamaria asked, her voice tight with excitement.
Scar frowned as he gripped his mug. "I saw her in the marketplace as we walked by," he said, licking his lips. "That maniac had her, so I couldn't get close without him realizing that I'd be heading for her. Besides, he saw me bump into her before, when the Cap'n left us in Tortuga the first time." He took a sip of rum.
Jack was pale with anger and anticipation. "So ye saw her, then?" he asked. "Is she alright?"
Scar nodded. "She's fine, Cap'n," he responded. "I signaled to her where we were going, and for what. I wouldn't be surprised if she led him here, making him think they were coming in for lunch and leaving with more than he bargained for." The crew smiled a bit in response.
Jack frowned. "If she's leading him here, we've got to be ready," he said. "Let's keep to the shadows and see if we can't get my bonny wife away from him before he realizes what's happening. I want ye all separated and covering the entrance."
The crewmen nodded before splitting up, all of them hiding in shadows by the front door while Jack remained right next to the door, but still covered in shadow. Jack thanked God for the poorly lit torches in the tavern which provided for the abundant shadows, then turned he turned his attention to the door.
They didn't have to wait long before things got interesting.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It had taken Lara all of ten seconds to convince Thomas to go to the Fighting Dog tavern for a meal. After an hour or so of shopping, Lara had complained of hunger pains as they passed the front door of the tavern, and Thomas had led her straight inside.
Chaos seemed to erupt the moment that they entered the bar.
Before she knew what was happening, Lara felt arms grab her waist as a large figure came up next to them and grabbed Thomas's wrist, squeezing it until he relinquished his grip on her. Suddenly, Lara was pulled against a hard, yet soft, body a fair distance from Thomas, and Thomas was fighting with both hands, each hand holding a razor-sharp dagger that she hadn't noticed before. Now she knew why he had been looking at weapons all day. She watched the fight in fascination, ignoring the presence at her back.
Thomas was trying to fight Annamaria, Scar, Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton all at once. However, his was a losing battle; even though he had formerly been a member of the Royal Navy and was most likely an excellent swordsman, Thomas was not as good with his daggers as he was with a sword. As he attempted to fend off Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton, who were better swordsmen than they looked, Scar and Annamaria came up behind him and both clubbed him on the back of the head with their sword hilts. Thomas dropped like a heavy stone at their feet. The Pearl's crewmen sighed in relief before looking down at him.
Lara was panting from fright and disbelief before she was abruptly turned around by a pair of strong hands. She found herself looking into familiar deep brown eyes that held hope, fear, and love, all at the same time. The next thing she knew, Jack was frantically hugging her, stroking her hair, and whispering into her ear.
"Luv, I'll never, ever let ye out of my sight again," he whispered. She began to cry into his shoulder as Jack caressed her hair and continued to whisper to her as he led her out of the tavern.
As the two Sparrows left, the four crewmen of the Black Pearl realized that the tavern had gone quiet again. Annamaria turned around.
"Go back to yer drinks, lads," she called. "It's just some idiot who shouldn't have stolen from Captain Sparrow." The tavern patrons shook their heads, knowing how dumb it was to steal from Captain Jack Sparrow, then returned to their drinks as the Pearl's crewmembers picked up Thomas's unconscious body and dragged him towards the Pearl's floating form in the harbor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lara was still in a bit of shock as Jack hurried her into their cabin on the Pearl. He had picked her up in his arms and carried her all the way back to the ship, and now proceeded to lay her down on her side of their bed. She looked up at him and smiled when she saw the panicked look in his eyes.
"Are ye alright, luv?" he asked her, holding her hand as he looked down at her. Before she answered, Jack began gathering and fluffing pillows and sticking them behind her head to try and make her more comfortable.
"Jack, I'm fine!" she cried. She'd been pampered enough by Thomas in the cave. She began to gently slap his hands away from the pillows. "Really, Jack, I'm fine! You don't have to do this! I've had enough pampering from Thomas to last me the rest of my life!"
Jack stopped grabbing and fluffing pillows and stared down at her. "Tommy- boy tried to pamper ye?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her.
"Well, he did try to feed me by hand and he spent several hours trying to find me a soup mix," she said, smirking up at him. "I tried resisting, but you know angering a madman isn't a good idea." She reached up and stroked his face before letting her hand trail down, stopping on a certain sensitive place on his neck.
Jack's eyes glazed over as her hand touched and stopped on just the right place. The two proceeded to sit, there holding and touching each other, before a knock on the door broke the spell. Jack muttered several choice words before answering in a louder voice.
"Who is it?" he growled, still holding onto his wife, who was trying hard not to chuckle.
"Uh, it's Mr. Gibbs, Cap'n," came the reply.
"Come in, Mr. Gibbs," Lara called as Jack frowned at her for letting Gibbs interrupt their special moments together. She simply smiled at him and they both released each other and sat up as Mr. Gibbs came in.
"Well, Cap'n," the crewman started as soon as he came in and shut the door, "we've got the land-lubing scallywag in the brig. He shouldn't be waking up anytime soon, but each crewmember gave him a good kick somewhere just to be sure. He'll wake up sore all over tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Mr. Gibbs," Jack said stressfully, hoping that Gibbs would get the point and leave. Unfortunately, he didn't.
"Yer welcome, Cap'n," the first mate said, smiling at Lara. "I hope that yer well, Lady Sparrow," he said. "Anna should be here soon with something to eat, seeing as ye missed lunch and all."
Lara smiled. "That's wonderful, Mr. Gibbs, thank you." Mr. Gibbs nodded before he turned and left, closing the door behind him.
"Now," Jack said, leaning towards her. "Where were we?" He leaned in for a kiss, but was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Bloody hell!" Jack exclaimed, sitting up. "Can't a man have a moment alone with his wife on this ship?!"
A laugh came from both Lara and from the other side of the door, which quickly swung open. "Sorry, Cap'n," Annamaria said, walking over with a covered platter that smelled divine. "But yer wife needs something to eat before she gets sick, again." Annamaria smiled at Lara before turning and leaving, shutting the door behind her. Lara instantly leaned towards the food before Jack pushed her back onto the bed.
"Now, lass," he chided her, "ye need to rest. It's been a hell of a day for ye, after all."
Lara rolled her eyes. "Jack, I'm fine," she said, smiling. Now was a perfect opportunity. "Really, just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean that I'm dying or anything." She smirked and waited for his response.
"Well, lass, ye have been ill, and-" he stopped mid-sentence before staring at her, eyes blinking in confusion. "What did ye say, luv?"
"I'm having a baby," she said, smiling gently at him. She waited for the news to fully sink in.
Jack continued to stare in surprise before scanning her body, his eyes finally landing on her stomach. He reached over and began to feel it over, discovering the small, hard bulge that he had though was extra weight. After gently stroking the bulge for a few moments, he looked into her eyes, his own shining with tears and disbelief. "We're having a baby?" he whispered to her.
She nodded in reply. "In about five or six months," she whispered back, her hands on top of his on top of her belly. The two sat in silence, Jack absorbing the news and Lara waiting for more of a response. Finally, Jack grinned.
"If it's a boy, he'll be the finest pirate in the entire Caribbean!" Jack exclaimed, his eyes flashing with fatherly pride. "I'll teach him everything I know!"
Lara laughed. "And if it's a girl, Captain Sparrow?" she asked, hands on her hips.
"Well, she'll still be the finest pirate in the Caribbean! After all, look at the father!" Jack stated, his chest puffing out.
Lara laughed as she poked his stomach, causing him to deflate his ego, along with his chest. "Very funny, Jack," she said, smiling. "Now would you kindly hand me the tray? I'm famished, and I'm sure the baby would like something to eat, too."
Jack's eyes widened at the thought of accidentally starving his wife and child. "Of course, luv!" he exclaimed, grabbing the tray and placing it on her lap and removing the lid. The platter was covered with roasted meats, cooked vegetables, and a few slices of bread. He watched as Lara steadily ate through the food, occasionally taking a few mouthfuls when she offered them to him. When the platter was empty, Jack tucked his lovely lass into bed for a quiet nap before heading above, a wide grin plastered on his face. As soon as he reached the deck, all of the crewmembers surrounded him, bombarding him with questions.
"Alright, alright," Jack yelled, causing the crew to quiet down. "My bonny wife is fine, healthy, and perfectly safe, alright?" The crew nodded. "Also, I've got a special announcement." He grinned widely. "It looks like we're going to have an extra pair of hands on the Pearl."
"Really?" Annamaria asked. "Who's joining us?"
"A Sparrow," Jack said, grinning even more. "The lass and I are going to have our own little Sparrow come springtime!"
There was a moment of shocked silence before the crew exploded in a roar of joy. As Mr. Gibbs and Scar brought up numerous kegs of ale for a celebration, the rest of the crew gathered around to congratulate the Captain. The remainder of the day was spent in drunken bliss for the crew as Jack went below to keep his lass company for the rest of the day and the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning was a quiet one. The crew was still sleeping off their hangovers, and Lara and Jack had stayed up all night discussing names for the baby. For a boy, Jack had wanted to name it after himself, but Lara didn't want two replies if she called for her son or her husband. In the end, Lara finally gave in and agreed to name the boy after her husband, since Jack was convinced that the baby was a boy. It was a long argument, and the two finally fell asleep at around two in the morning without even considering a name if it were a girl.
At around noon, Lara was still asleep, and Jack was getting a bit restless, so he decided to go for a walk on deck. He passed Annamaria, who looked a bit pale, but fine nonetheless.
"Where are ye off to, Cap'n?" she asked, rubbing her forehead and wincing, apparently still suffering a bit from her hangover.
"Well, I thought I might take a walk around the ship, since my lass is still sleeping," Jack said. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "I think I'll go and have a chat with ole Tommy-boy." He instantly headed below deck to the brig, leaving Annamaria to deal with her hangover.
Once he was outside of the door to the brig, Jack could hear Thomas talking to himself. He leaned closer to hear his words better.
"They'll pay," Thomas was saying. "She's mine, and when she and I are wed, I'll see that the entire crew is hung while that captain watches!" He cackled like the madman he was. Jack decided to go in and burst Thomas's bubble.
"Hello, Thomas," Jack said, strolling up to the cell the madman was in. "I hope that yer comfortable in there."
Thomas looked up at him, pure hatred in his eyes. "How dare you do this to me?! It isn't enough that you took her from me once, but now you've separated us again by force! The Governor will have your head!"
Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. "That's funny, I seem to remember the Governor being the reason Lara and I got married in the first place! She marries me, and Port Royal is somewhat safe from other pirates because of my 'claim' on it." Jack smirked. "It must be killing ye inside, knowing that Lara loves a pirate like me and not a soldier like you."
Thomas gritted his teeth. "She does not love you, you filthy dog," he growled.
"Aye, she does," said Jack, smirking at him through the bars. "She does love me. Remember when we kissed up on the fort before I left the first time?" Thomas grimaced. "Then, after the two of us got together and married, she loved me even more. You can't imagine the love that the two of us share, especially at night." Jack wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, clearly indicating what he meant.
Thomas growled again. "When I get out of here, I'll run you through, you filthy pirate!"
Jack grinned even wider. "Now, ye wouldn't want to hurt the father of Lara's child, now, would you? After all, the baby might look like a combination of the two of us." Jack rubbed his chin as he watched Thomas's reaction.
Thomas was quiet for a brief moment before he attacked the bars. "You filthy dog! How dare you get her with child!" he roared. "That baby is supposed to be mine, mine, you no good, murdering thief!" He reached through the bars, hoping to get a hold of Jack.
Jack chuckled as he stood just out of Thomas's reach, taunting him by letting Thomas's fingertips hover a bare inch away from him. "Now, that isn't the way to treat the Captain of the ship you're a prisoner on," he said, chastising Thomas.
"Jack, what's going on down there?" Lara's soft voice reached him before she appeared in the doorframe. "What's everyone yelling about?" Her gaze flickered between the two men who appeared to be a bare inch from killing each other through the prison bars.
"Beloved, tell me it isn't true!" Thomas growled through the bars, glaring at Jack. "Tell me you aren't having his child!"
Lara sighed as she shook her head in pity. "It's true, Thomas," she said. She raised her shirt enough for him to see her growing stomach. "I'm over three months with child." She smiled and looked towards Jack as he put his arms around her. "If it's a boy, we'll name him Jack, after his father."
"NO!" Thomas screamed, lunging through the bars, trying to reach her. "It's not true! It can't be true!"
Lara sighed again. "It is true, Thomas, whether you want to admit it or not." She and Jack then turned and left Thomas to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As night fell on the Black Pearl, Jack and Lara stood at the bow of the ship, watching the moon rise and the stars appear, which was a tradition for the two of them. Jack held her close, stroking her stomach as she leaned back onto him, resting their heads against each other.
"Jack, what are we going to do about Thomas?" Lara asked quietly, trying not to break the moment.
Jack sighed as he continued to stroke her belly. "I was thinking of taking him to Port Royal and having the Commodore keep him locked up," he replied. He waited for her protest, thinking that she'd want a better sort of treatment for the madman.
"That's a good idea," she said. She smiled at his grunt of amazement. "Commodore Norrington can keep a better eye on him than we can, and he could have the best doctors in the town to help treat him."
"You're alright with this, luv?" Jack asked, surprise in his voice. She nodded at him. "Alright then, we'll head to Port Royal!" He turned to go to the helm, but saw Annamaria there instead.
"No worries, Cap'n," she called, grinning. "I can steer us to Port Royal! You stay with your lass and our future captain!" She and Lara laughed at the last remark.
Jack muttered a few odd phrases under his breath before resting his head on her shoulder, enjoying the night with the person he loved most.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Okay, no blood or gore, but it still some good revenge stuff, huh? I might have a fight scene in the next chapter, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, there are one or two more chapters left, and that's it for this story! But don't expect anything up too soon after this chapter. My professors have decided to up the homework load, so it might take a while. Hope you enjoyed the long chapter, and please review!
AN: I hope that people have read chapter nine before reading this one! If not, you should go do that right now, or you won't get it. Also, so many people want Thomas to die, it's funny. But I have to remind everyone that, in order to have a fourth part to the series, Thomas has to live! So that's what will happen. Anyway, I've got something much worse for Thomas than a simple battle with Jack! What could torture the man more than a sword to the gut? Read and find out!
Chapter 10: Findings, Torment, and Joy:
Lara and Thomas finally pulled up to the same pier that they had docked at on their previous visit to Tortuga. After Thomas had tied up the boat, he and Lara headed towards the town's marketplace. As Thomas looked at a stall that had swords and knives for sale, Lara took a small look around. The stalls were all as shabby and dingy as the rest of the town, with prostitutes on every corner. Men were smoking their pipes and drinking their rum and alcohol like water, even though it was only just after noon. Still, the contents of the stalls were of a fairly good quality, considering most of it was probably stolen from other ships and sold by pirates to the stall owners. Lara was just glancing at a stall that sold silk scarves when she saw a familiar set of blue feathers out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned her head and saw Mr. Cotton, complete with parrot, walking past her. Just ahead of him was the only person who could make her heart flutter with joy.
It was Jack!
Lara frantically blinked her eyes in hope that it wasn't a dream or an illusion, but when she finished, he was still walking by. She started squirming, which caught the attention of one of the other people walking with Jack. Scar, being a head and shoulder above everyone else, turned around and went wide-eyed when he saw her. He made as though to go to her, but Lara shook her head. She jerked her head towards Thomas, who was still admiring the knives and weapons. She was hoping that Scar would understand and not want to risk being seen walking over to her with Thomas being so close.
She inwardly sighed with relief when he nodded briskly to her in understanding. Scar then motioned to her with his hands, making the sign that they were going for drinks and shopping. She then made an inconspicuous sign of understanding and watched him leave. Lara was extremely glad that Jack and the crew had taught her their "hand language" when she had first come aboard over two years ago. Jack had invented it so that they could communicate with each other if they were captured and needed to talk with one another without getting caught. It had come in handy over the years, but Lara couldn't think of a better situation to use it than now. From the signs that Scar had used, she knew exactly what the crew was doing and when. She continued to stare at them after they'd left the marketplace and walked out of sight.
"What are you staring at, beloved," Thomas's voice snapped into her thoughts.
She jerked in response. "Oh, nothing, I was just off in my own little world," she said, giving him an innocently fake smile. Thomas just nodded and began to look at another stall. Meanwhile, Lara went over what Scar had signaled to her in her mind.
In the past, whenever the Pearl had needed supplies from Tortuga, Jack had always gone to one particular store, primarily because the owner owed Jack his life, and the life of his wife. Thanks to that life-debt, Jack was able to get the goods at a ridiculously low price. After saving a fair amount of money from shopping, Jack would always treat whoever had accompanied him to the shop to a round or two of drinks at the Fighting Dog tavern, which was Jack's favorite bar. Lara had always accompanied him on the shopping trips, so she knew the way to the shop and the Fighting Dog from nearly every single docking point in Tortuga. She knew exactly how long it would take for Jack to buy the goods and have a drink before heading back to the Pearl. Lara also knew that if she didn't get Thomas to the tavern before Jack left for the Pearl, she would never get rescued. Thomas did know what the Pearl looked like, after all, so there was no way she would be able to lead Thomas to the ship without rousing suspicion from him. She needed to get to the Fighting Dog within the next two hours, or it would be too late. The question was how she was she going to do it?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The crew of the Pearl had finally finished their shopping. It had taken longer this time because Annamaria had quite a fight with the wife of the owner over the price of the vegetables the crew would need, and Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Cotton, and Scar had to keep the two women from killing each other. Meanwhile, Jack and the shopkeeper himself were quite amused at the spectacle, and had traded smiles before going back to their bargaining. Finally, after about an hour, the crew left the shop and the goods were taken to the Pearl by the shopkeeper's workers. Now it was time for the reward for shopping with the Captain: drinks at the Fighting Dog, where the rum was supposed to be the best in town.
In no time, the crew was seated at a table in a corner near the front door, mugs of rum in their hands, and platters of roasted meats and bowls of stew in between them. Jack felt that the four crewmembers deserved a good meal on solid ground today. After the last bit of food had been eaten, and the last drop of rum had been chugged down, Scar felt the need to speak up.
"I saw Lady Sparrow today."
Jack, who had been on his second mug of rum, spit out a mouthful of the stuff in surprise.
"WHAT?!" he yelled, slamming his mug on the table. The rest of the tavern went quiet in response. Jack just waved his hand at the crowd, and the noise magically picked back up where it had left off. The whole crew leaned in closer for a group huddle.
"What do ye mean ye saw her?" Annamaria asked, her voice tight with excitement.
Scar frowned as he gripped his mug. "I saw her in the marketplace as we walked by," he said, licking his lips. "That maniac had her, so I couldn't get close without him realizing that I'd be heading for her. Besides, he saw me bump into her before, when the Cap'n left us in Tortuga the first time." He took a sip of rum.
Jack was pale with anger and anticipation. "So ye saw her, then?" he asked. "Is she alright?"
Scar nodded. "She's fine, Cap'n," he responded. "I signaled to her where we were going, and for what. I wouldn't be surprised if she led him here, making him think they were coming in for lunch and leaving with more than he bargained for." The crew smiled a bit in response.
Jack frowned. "If she's leading him here, we've got to be ready," he said. "Let's keep to the shadows and see if we can't get my bonny wife away from him before he realizes what's happening. I want ye all separated and covering the entrance."
The crewmen nodded before splitting up, all of them hiding in shadows by the front door while Jack remained right next to the door, but still covered in shadow. Jack thanked God for the poorly lit torches in the tavern which provided for the abundant shadows, then turned he turned his attention to the door.
They didn't have to wait long before things got interesting.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It had taken Lara all of ten seconds to convince Thomas to go to the Fighting Dog tavern for a meal. After an hour or so of shopping, Lara had complained of hunger pains as they passed the front door of the tavern, and Thomas had led her straight inside.
Chaos seemed to erupt the moment that they entered the bar.
Before she knew what was happening, Lara felt arms grab her waist as a large figure came up next to them and grabbed Thomas's wrist, squeezing it until he relinquished his grip on her. Suddenly, Lara was pulled against a hard, yet soft, body a fair distance from Thomas, and Thomas was fighting with both hands, each hand holding a razor-sharp dagger that she hadn't noticed before. Now she knew why he had been looking at weapons all day. She watched the fight in fascination, ignoring the presence at her back.
Thomas was trying to fight Annamaria, Scar, Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton all at once. However, his was a losing battle; even though he had formerly been a member of the Royal Navy and was most likely an excellent swordsman, Thomas was not as good with his daggers as he was with a sword. As he attempted to fend off Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton, who were better swordsmen than they looked, Scar and Annamaria came up behind him and both clubbed him on the back of the head with their sword hilts. Thomas dropped like a heavy stone at their feet. The Pearl's crewmen sighed in relief before looking down at him.
Lara was panting from fright and disbelief before she was abruptly turned around by a pair of strong hands. She found herself looking into familiar deep brown eyes that held hope, fear, and love, all at the same time. The next thing she knew, Jack was frantically hugging her, stroking her hair, and whispering into her ear.
"Luv, I'll never, ever let ye out of my sight again," he whispered. She began to cry into his shoulder as Jack caressed her hair and continued to whisper to her as he led her out of the tavern.
As the two Sparrows left, the four crewmen of the Black Pearl realized that the tavern had gone quiet again. Annamaria turned around.
"Go back to yer drinks, lads," she called. "It's just some idiot who shouldn't have stolen from Captain Sparrow." The tavern patrons shook their heads, knowing how dumb it was to steal from Captain Jack Sparrow, then returned to their drinks as the Pearl's crewmembers picked up Thomas's unconscious body and dragged him towards the Pearl's floating form in the harbor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lara was still in a bit of shock as Jack hurried her into their cabin on the Pearl. He had picked her up in his arms and carried her all the way back to the ship, and now proceeded to lay her down on her side of their bed. She looked up at him and smiled when she saw the panicked look in his eyes.
"Are ye alright, luv?" he asked her, holding her hand as he looked down at her. Before she answered, Jack began gathering and fluffing pillows and sticking them behind her head to try and make her more comfortable.
"Jack, I'm fine!" she cried. She'd been pampered enough by Thomas in the cave. She began to gently slap his hands away from the pillows. "Really, Jack, I'm fine! You don't have to do this! I've had enough pampering from Thomas to last me the rest of my life!"
Jack stopped grabbing and fluffing pillows and stared down at her. "Tommy- boy tried to pamper ye?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her.
"Well, he did try to feed me by hand and he spent several hours trying to find me a soup mix," she said, smirking up at him. "I tried resisting, but you know angering a madman isn't a good idea." She reached up and stroked his face before letting her hand trail down, stopping on a certain sensitive place on his neck.
Jack's eyes glazed over as her hand touched and stopped on just the right place. The two proceeded to sit, there holding and touching each other, before a knock on the door broke the spell. Jack muttered several choice words before answering in a louder voice.
"Who is it?" he growled, still holding onto his wife, who was trying hard not to chuckle.
"Uh, it's Mr. Gibbs, Cap'n," came the reply.
"Come in, Mr. Gibbs," Lara called as Jack frowned at her for letting Gibbs interrupt their special moments together. She simply smiled at him and they both released each other and sat up as Mr. Gibbs came in.
"Well, Cap'n," the crewman started as soon as he came in and shut the door, "we've got the land-lubing scallywag in the brig. He shouldn't be waking up anytime soon, but each crewmember gave him a good kick somewhere just to be sure. He'll wake up sore all over tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Mr. Gibbs," Jack said stressfully, hoping that Gibbs would get the point and leave. Unfortunately, he didn't.
"Yer welcome, Cap'n," the first mate said, smiling at Lara. "I hope that yer well, Lady Sparrow," he said. "Anna should be here soon with something to eat, seeing as ye missed lunch and all."
Lara smiled. "That's wonderful, Mr. Gibbs, thank you." Mr. Gibbs nodded before he turned and left, closing the door behind him.
"Now," Jack said, leaning towards her. "Where were we?" He leaned in for a kiss, but was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Bloody hell!" Jack exclaimed, sitting up. "Can't a man have a moment alone with his wife on this ship?!"
A laugh came from both Lara and from the other side of the door, which quickly swung open. "Sorry, Cap'n," Annamaria said, walking over with a covered platter that smelled divine. "But yer wife needs something to eat before she gets sick, again." Annamaria smiled at Lara before turning and leaving, shutting the door behind her. Lara instantly leaned towards the food before Jack pushed her back onto the bed.
"Now, lass," he chided her, "ye need to rest. It's been a hell of a day for ye, after all."
Lara rolled her eyes. "Jack, I'm fine," she said, smiling. Now was a perfect opportunity. "Really, just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean that I'm dying or anything." She smirked and waited for his response.
"Well, lass, ye have been ill, and-" he stopped mid-sentence before staring at her, eyes blinking in confusion. "What did ye say, luv?"
"I'm having a baby," she said, smiling gently at him. She waited for the news to fully sink in.
Jack continued to stare in surprise before scanning her body, his eyes finally landing on her stomach. He reached over and began to feel it over, discovering the small, hard bulge that he had though was extra weight. After gently stroking the bulge for a few moments, he looked into her eyes, his own shining with tears and disbelief. "We're having a baby?" he whispered to her.
She nodded in reply. "In about five or six months," she whispered back, her hands on top of his on top of her belly. The two sat in silence, Jack absorbing the news and Lara waiting for more of a response. Finally, Jack grinned.
"If it's a boy, he'll be the finest pirate in the entire Caribbean!" Jack exclaimed, his eyes flashing with fatherly pride. "I'll teach him everything I know!"
Lara laughed. "And if it's a girl, Captain Sparrow?" she asked, hands on her hips.
"Well, she'll still be the finest pirate in the Caribbean! After all, look at the father!" Jack stated, his chest puffing out.
Lara laughed as she poked his stomach, causing him to deflate his ego, along with his chest. "Very funny, Jack," she said, smiling. "Now would you kindly hand me the tray? I'm famished, and I'm sure the baby would like something to eat, too."
Jack's eyes widened at the thought of accidentally starving his wife and child. "Of course, luv!" he exclaimed, grabbing the tray and placing it on her lap and removing the lid. The platter was covered with roasted meats, cooked vegetables, and a few slices of bread. He watched as Lara steadily ate through the food, occasionally taking a few mouthfuls when she offered them to him. When the platter was empty, Jack tucked his lovely lass into bed for a quiet nap before heading above, a wide grin plastered on his face. As soon as he reached the deck, all of the crewmembers surrounded him, bombarding him with questions.
"Alright, alright," Jack yelled, causing the crew to quiet down. "My bonny wife is fine, healthy, and perfectly safe, alright?" The crew nodded. "Also, I've got a special announcement." He grinned widely. "It looks like we're going to have an extra pair of hands on the Pearl."
"Really?" Annamaria asked. "Who's joining us?"
"A Sparrow," Jack said, grinning even more. "The lass and I are going to have our own little Sparrow come springtime!"
There was a moment of shocked silence before the crew exploded in a roar of joy. As Mr. Gibbs and Scar brought up numerous kegs of ale for a celebration, the rest of the crew gathered around to congratulate the Captain. The remainder of the day was spent in drunken bliss for the crew as Jack went below to keep his lass company for the rest of the day and the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning was a quiet one. The crew was still sleeping off their hangovers, and Lara and Jack had stayed up all night discussing names for the baby. For a boy, Jack had wanted to name it after himself, but Lara didn't want two replies if she called for her son or her husband. In the end, Lara finally gave in and agreed to name the boy after her husband, since Jack was convinced that the baby was a boy. It was a long argument, and the two finally fell asleep at around two in the morning without even considering a name if it were a girl.
At around noon, Lara was still asleep, and Jack was getting a bit restless, so he decided to go for a walk on deck. He passed Annamaria, who looked a bit pale, but fine nonetheless.
"Where are ye off to, Cap'n?" she asked, rubbing her forehead and wincing, apparently still suffering a bit from her hangover.
"Well, I thought I might take a walk around the ship, since my lass is still sleeping," Jack said. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "I think I'll go and have a chat with ole Tommy-boy." He instantly headed below deck to the brig, leaving Annamaria to deal with her hangover.
Once he was outside of the door to the brig, Jack could hear Thomas talking to himself. He leaned closer to hear his words better.
"They'll pay," Thomas was saying. "She's mine, and when she and I are wed, I'll see that the entire crew is hung while that captain watches!" He cackled like the madman he was. Jack decided to go in and burst Thomas's bubble.
"Hello, Thomas," Jack said, strolling up to the cell the madman was in. "I hope that yer comfortable in there."
Thomas looked up at him, pure hatred in his eyes. "How dare you do this to me?! It isn't enough that you took her from me once, but now you've separated us again by force! The Governor will have your head!"
Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. "That's funny, I seem to remember the Governor being the reason Lara and I got married in the first place! She marries me, and Port Royal is somewhat safe from other pirates because of my 'claim' on it." Jack smirked. "It must be killing ye inside, knowing that Lara loves a pirate like me and not a soldier like you."
Thomas gritted his teeth. "She does not love you, you filthy dog," he growled.
"Aye, she does," said Jack, smirking at him through the bars. "She does love me. Remember when we kissed up on the fort before I left the first time?" Thomas grimaced. "Then, after the two of us got together and married, she loved me even more. You can't imagine the love that the two of us share, especially at night." Jack wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, clearly indicating what he meant.
Thomas growled again. "When I get out of here, I'll run you through, you filthy pirate!"
Jack grinned even wider. "Now, ye wouldn't want to hurt the father of Lara's child, now, would you? After all, the baby might look like a combination of the two of us." Jack rubbed his chin as he watched Thomas's reaction.
Thomas was quiet for a brief moment before he attacked the bars. "You filthy dog! How dare you get her with child!" he roared. "That baby is supposed to be mine, mine, you no good, murdering thief!" He reached through the bars, hoping to get a hold of Jack.
Jack chuckled as he stood just out of Thomas's reach, taunting him by letting Thomas's fingertips hover a bare inch away from him. "Now, that isn't the way to treat the Captain of the ship you're a prisoner on," he said, chastising Thomas.
"Jack, what's going on down there?" Lara's soft voice reached him before she appeared in the doorframe. "What's everyone yelling about?" Her gaze flickered between the two men who appeared to be a bare inch from killing each other through the prison bars.
"Beloved, tell me it isn't true!" Thomas growled through the bars, glaring at Jack. "Tell me you aren't having his child!"
Lara sighed as she shook her head in pity. "It's true, Thomas," she said. She raised her shirt enough for him to see her growing stomach. "I'm over three months with child." She smiled and looked towards Jack as he put his arms around her. "If it's a boy, we'll name him Jack, after his father."
"NO!" Thomas screamed, lunging through the bars, trying to reach her. "It's not true! It can't be true!"
Lara sighed again. "It is true, Thomas, whether you want to admit it or not." She and Jack then turned and left Thomas to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As night fell on the Black Pearl, Jack and Lara stood at the bow of the ship, watching the moon rise and the stars appear, which was a tradition for the two of them. Jack held her close, stroking her stomach as she leaned back onto him, resting their heads against each other.
"Jack, what are we going to do about Thomas?" Lara asked quietly, trying not to break the moment.
Jack sighed as he continued to stroke her belly. "I was thinking of taking him to Port Royal and having the Commodore keep him locked up," he replied. He waited for her protest, thinking that she'd want a better sort of treatment for the madman.
"That's a good idea," she said. She smiled at his grunt of amazement. "Commodore Norrington can keep a better eye on him than we can, and he could have the best doctors in the town to help treat him."
"You're alright with this, luv?" Jack asked, surprise in his voice. She nodded at him. "Alright then, we'll head to Port Royal!" He turned to go to the helm, but saw Annamaria there instead.
"No worries, Cap'n," she called, grinning. "I can steer us to Port Royal! You stay with your lass and our future captain!" She and Lara laughed at the last remark.
Jack muttered a few odd phrases under his breath before resting his head on her shoulder, enjoying the night with the person he loved most.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Okay, no blood or gore, but it still some good revenge stuff, huh? I might have a fight scene in the next chapter, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, there are one or two more chapters left, and that's it for this story! But don't expect anything up too soon after this chapter. My professors have decided to up the homework load, so it might take a while. Hope you enjoyed the long chapter, and please review!