Disclaimer: Jack is still with Disney, filming Pirates II, so he's not
mine until he's done.
AN: This is pretty much the last official chapter of this story. Next is the epilogue, then it's off to part four! Hope that you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 12: Decisions:
After a restful night at the Turner house, Jack woke first the next morning, blinking the morning sunshine out of his eyes. After he felt thoroughly awake, he turned over to inspect his sleeping wife. He had never told her this, but every night and every morning he would wake up before she did, just to make sure that she was there and hadn't been kidnapped again. He also never wanted to admit that he, the great Captain Jack Sparrow, had been scared witless when his bonny wife had vanished on him. He never wanted to feel that way again. Maybe he should handcuff her to him, just to keep her close by.
His thoughts were cut short when the door suddenly opened and there was the sudden impact of Billy hitting the center of their bed.
"Oof," Jack gasped as Billy hit the sheets, giggling.
"What on earth?" asked Lara, who had woken to the sudden impact on the bed, and had sat up in bed, sleepily rubbing her eyes. After she felt a bit more aware of her surroundings, she took a look at the bed and saw Jack and Billy grinning at her. She smiled in return. "Good morning, lad!" she exclaimed, picking Billy up and giving him a small kiss on the cheek. Billy giggled at his aunt as he wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Wait, don't I get a 'good morning' kiss?" Jack asked, putting on a pout.
Lara laughed at him. "Only if you're good," she said, putting Billy down on the floor. She gave the boy a pat on the rump. "Off with you now, go find your mum and dad," she said to the boy. Billy grinned and raced out the door, closing it behind him. The minute the door clicked shut, Jack pounced on his wife. Lara looked up at him in surprise.
"Now, lass," he whispered to her, "about that kiss."
Lara grinned up at him. "I said only if you were good," she whispered back.
Jack gave her an evil grin. "And if I've been bad?" he asked. Before she could reply, Jack had her in a loving, passionate kiss. The two remained that way for a while, until a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Jack, Lara, are you awake?" Will's voice called to them through the door. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes!"
"Thank you, Will!" Lara called through the door. She heard footsteps retreat from the door and head down the hallway.
Jack growled several curses as he pulled away from his wife. "I wish people would stop interrupting us when we start getting comfortable!"
Lara simply laughed at him. "It'll be worse when we have the baby, Jack," she said, caressing his face.
"True, lass, but we'll have the entire crew to help with the lad," Jack said, smirking down at his wife as he got up and started dressing.
Lara simply shook her head at him. She knew Jack wanted a son, but she personally wanted a little girl of her own. Oh, well, either way, as long as the child was healthy, it didn't matter. They could always try again later.
After the two of them had dressed, they headed downstairs to the dinner table for breakfast. Elizabeth was helping Billy to eat small bits of muffin by himself, and Will was serving up the last scraps of bacon onto a plate in the center of the table, which also held a basket of muffins, a plate of sausages, and a tea tray. A few moments later, they were all happily digging into their breakfasts. After several moments of silence, Lara knew something was wrong, considering they were usually in the middle of a good breakfast chat by that time. She looked around at Will and Elizabeth and noticed them exchange a glance.
Sighing, Lara put her fork down on her plate. "Alright, you two," she said. "What's wrong? You're only this quiet when something's wrong, so spit it out already."
The two Turners exchanged another glance before Will spoke up. "Lara, Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann are currently at a loss of what to do with Thomas. They have decided that he is insane, but there really isn't any secure place to put him in Port Royal." Lara had paled at his words while Jack frowned.
"So what are they going to do with him?" Jack asked, putting his arms around his wife. "Are they going to put him in the jail?"
Will shook his head. "The jail has only two cells, and those are needed for prisoners," he replied. "They don't know what to do with him."
Lara sat there thinking for several moments. "What about his home? Could they turn his home into a sort of asylum for him? They could put bars on his windows and doors, and have guards to stay with him." Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"Lara, are you sure that's what you want?" Elizabeth asked. "You usually oppose imprisoning people."
Lara nodded. "It would be best. I can't have Thomas breaking loose and coming after the Pearl, especially when Jack and I have the baby. I won't risk my child's life."
Will smiled at her. "We understand. I'll make the bars myself so that he won't be able to get out unescorted."
Everyone nodded in agreement before turning the conversation to something more pleasant.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that day, Lara decided to visit Thomas in the prison. She knew that she shouldn't, it might seem like she cared about him, but she still somewhat pitied the man. As she walked towards the jail, she rubbed her stomach and thought about her baby, and where she would be when she had it. She didn't think that Jack would want to settle down for the next six months, but she didn't want to give birth to the baby onboard the Pearl; it didn't seem right for the crew to be hearing her scream in pain as she gave birth. She could only imagine Mr. Gibbs' reaction to that! As she walked, she didn't realize that she was being followed until she felt a tap on the shoulder. Gasping in surprise, Lara whirled around.
"Jack!" she said, grasping her chest. "You scared me! What are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to see where you were going, luv," he said, scanning her up and down, obviously checking her health. "How are ye feeling?"
Lara smiled up at her husband as he put his arms around her. "I'm fine," she replied. "I'm going to visit Thomas." She saw Jack frown at her. "I need to tell him that he's being shut up in his own house once again. A stranger shouldn't do it, it's not right."
Jack nodded. "I agree, luv," he said. Jack then started guiding her towards the prison. They both nodded at the guard at the door, who let them in unquestioned, and headed down towards the cells, easily finding Thomas, considering that he was the only one currently imprisoned. As they walked up to his cell, Thomas rushed at the bars, sticking his hands through them and reaching for Jack, who kept Lara behind him and out of view.
"You filthy pirate scum!" he yelled. "How dare you come in here?!"
"Now, lad, that's not a nice thing to say in front of a lady," Jack chided him. Only then did Thomas notice Lara's presence, his gaze softening at the sight of her.
"Beloved, how are you and the baby doing?" he asked, genuinely concerned. He smirked when he saw Jack frown at him.
Lara sighed. "I'm fine, Thomas," she said. "And so is the baby. Jack is going to be a wonderful father."
Thomas frowned at that last part. "I won't have a pirate raise that child, darling," he said.
"This baby is going to be raised by its natural father, Thomas," Lara said bluntly, wanting to make things clear. She definitely didn't want this madman to think himself the father of her and Jack's child.
"Aye, and it'll be the finest pirate in the Caribbean!" exclaimed Jack, who grinned and wrapped his arms around his wife.
Thomas gritted his teeth. "Beloved, please, I would be a much better father to the child than that pirate dog!"
Lara began rubbing her head, since it began aching. "Thomas, you know that the answer is no," she said. "Also, since the Commodore and Governor are unable to keep you here in the prison, they are going to have you hospitalized and kept in your own home. Will Turner will make the bars that will be put over your doors and windows."
Thomas's face froze. "You can't do this!" he yelled. "There's nothing wrong with me! You can't lock me up!"
"Luv, I think it's time to go," Jack whispered to his wife. Lara nodded and the two of them left, though Thomas's mad screaming followed them out.
The two found themselves walking along the beach, holding each other's hand and enjoying a comfortable silence between the two of them. They walked throughout the afternoon, and stopped to enjoy the sunset, Jack holding his wife in his arms and the both of them stroking her bulging belly. As the sun set, Jack looked down at his lass.
"You know, luv, I think that you should stay here until the little one is born," he said, startling her completely.
Lara looked up at him. "Jack, are you mad? I don't want to have the baby without you here with me!" she exclaimed, panicking at the thought of losing her husband for such a large amount of time.
"I know, luv, but you shouldn't travel when you're with child," Jack said. "Lots of things could happen if you were on the Pearl, and I won't risk losing you and the babe to a chance storm or accident."
"Well, why don't we have the whole crew stay here with us?" she asked, desperate to keep Jack there with her.
"Lass, do you really think that the townspeople would put up with the crew for longer than six days, much less six months?" Jack asked her, jokingly raising an eyebrow.
"Well, no," Lara replied. She sighed and turned her attention back towards the ocean and the colors of the sunset. Suddenly, an idea hit her. "Jack, why don't you and I stay here while you send the crew to Tortuga or another one of its islands for the next six months? Surely they wouldn't mind that?"
Jack frowned in thought. "Aye, luv, that might work," he said thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "While they're at it, they can fix up the Pearl a bit, make it more suitable for having a baby onboard! Maybe even make a cradle and a few toys!" he exclaimed, laughing at the idea of Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria carving out a cradle for the baby.
Lara laughed as well. "Aye, it'd be good for them to keep themselves busy and in shape instead of drinking themselves stupid in a tavern for six months."
"Then it's settled!" Jack said, grinning. "I'll tell the crew, and we'll see if Will and Elizabeth will be able to put up with us two pirates until springtime!"
After that, the two of them finished watching the sunset before making their way back towards their home for the next six months.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Yes, this story is almost over. There's just the epilogue left, but I promise that it'll be good because the new arrival will be here! Also, there's going to be quite a surprise in it for the readers. Oh, question: does anyone want to know about Lara's background? You all remember that she just "washed up" in Port Royal, but still haven't found anything about her yet. If you're curious, tell me in your review! If no one wants to know, I'll leave it out, no problem. Anyway, please leave a review! Thanks! (And a special thanks to those who have already reviewed! I've gotten over a hundred of them! Thanks so much, I love you all!)
AN: This is pretty much the last official chapter of this story. Next is the epilogue, then it's off to part four! Hope that you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 12: Decisions:
After a restful night at the Turner house, Jack woke first the next morning, blinking the morning sunshine out of his eyes. After he felt thoroughly awake, he turned over to inspect his sleeping wife. He had never told her this, but every night and every morning he would wake up before she did, just to make sure that she was there and hadn't been kidnapped again. He also never wanted to admit that he, the great Captain Jack Sparrow, had been scared witless when his bonny wife had vanished on him. He never wanted to feel that way again. Maybe he should handcuff her to him, just to keep her close by.
His thoughts were cut short when the door suddenly opened and there was the sudden impact of Billy hitting the center of their bed.
"Oof," Jack gasped as Billy hit the sheets, giggling.
"What on earth?" asked Lara, who had woken to the sudden impact on the bed, and had sat up in bed, sleepily rubbing her eyes. After she felt a bit more aware of her surroundings, she took a look at the bed and saw Jack and Billy grinning at her. She smiled in return. "Good morning, lad!" she exclaimed, picking Billy up and giving him a small kiss on the cheek. Billy giggled at his aunt as he wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Wait, don't I get a 'good morning' kiss?" Jack asked, putting on a pout.
Lara laughed at him. "Only if you're good," she said, putting Billy down on the floor. She gave the boy a pat on the rump. "Off with you now, go find your mum and dad," she said to the boy. Billy grinned and raced out the door, closing it behind him. The minute the door clicked shut, Jack pounced on his wife. Lara looked up at him in surprise.
"Now, lass," he whispered to her, "about that kiss."
Lara grinned up at him. "I said only if you were good," she whispered back.
Jack gave her an evil grin. "And if I've been bad?" he asked. Before she could reply, Jack had her in a loving, passionate kiss. The two remained that way for a while, until a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Jack, Lara, are you awake?" Will's voice called to them through the door. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes!"
"Thank you, Will!" Lara called through the door. She heard footsteps retreat from the door and head down the hallway.
Jack growled several curses as he pulled away from his wife. "I wish people would stop interrupting us when we start getting comfortable!"
Lara simply laughed at him. "It'll be worse when we have the baby, Jack," she said, caressing his face.
"True, lass, but we'll have the entire crew to help with the lad," Jack said, smirking down at his wife as he got up and started dressing.
Lara simply shook her head at him. She knew Jack wanted a son, but she personally wanted a little girl of her own. Oh, well, either way, as long as the child was healthy, it didn't matter. They could always try again later.
After the two of them had dressed, they headed downstairs to the dinner table for breakfast. Elizabeth was helping Billy to eat small bits of muffin by himself, and Will was serving up the last scraps of bacon onto a plate in the center of the table, which also held a basket of muffins, a plate of sausages, and a tea tray. A few moments later, they were all happily digging into their breakfasts. After several moments of silence, Lara knew something was wrong, considering they were usually in the middle of a good breakfast chat by that time. She looked around at Will and Elizabeth and noticed them exchange a glance.
Sighing, Lara put her fork down on her plate. "Alright, you two," she said. "What's wrong? You're only this quiet when something's wrong, so spit it out already."
The two Turners exchanged another glance before Will spoke up. "Lara, Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann are currently at a loss of what to do with Thomas. They have decided that he is insane, but there really isn't any secure place to put him in Port Royal." Lara had paled at his words while Jack frowned.
"So what are they going to do with him?" Jack asked, putting his arms around his wife. "Are they going to put him in the jail?"
Will shook his head. "The jail has only two cells, and those are needed for prisoners," he replied. "They don't know what to do with him."
Lara sat there thinking for several moments. "What about his home? Could they turn his home into a sort of asylum for him? They could put bars on his windows and doors, and have guards to stay with him." Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"Lara, are you sure that's what you want?" Elizabeth asked. "You usually oppose imprisoning people."
Lara nodded. "It would be best. I can't have Thomas breaking loose and coming after the Pearl, especially when Jack and I have the baby. I won't risk my child's life."
Will smiled at her. "We understand. I'll make the bars myself so that he won't be able to get out unescorted."
Everyone nodded in agreement before turning the conversation to something more pleasant.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that day, Lara decided to visit Thomas in the prison. She knew that she shouldn't, it might seem like she cared about him, but she still somewhat pitied the man. As she walked towards the jail, she rubbed her stomach and thought about her baby, and where she would be when she had it. She didn't think that Jack would want to settle down for the next six months, but she didn't want to give birth to the baby onboard the Pearl; it didn't seem right for the crew to be hearing her scream in pain as she gave birth. She could only imagine Mr. Gibbs' reaction to that! As she walked, she didn't realize that she was being followed until she felt a tap on the shoulder. Gasping in surprise, Lara whirled around.
"Jack!" she said, grasping her chest. "You scared me! What are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to see where you were going, luv," he said, scanning her up and down, obviously checking her health. "How are ye feeling?"
Lara smiled up at her husband as he put his arms around her. "I'm fine," she replied. "I'm going to visit Thomas." She saw Jack frown at her. "I need to tell him that he's being shut up in his own house once again. A stranger shouldn't do it, it's not right."
Jack nodded. "I agree, luv," he said. Jack then started guiding her towards the prison. They both nodded at the guard at the door, who let them in unquestioned, and headed down towards the cells, easily finding Thomas, considering that he was the only one currently imprisoned. As they walked up to his cell, Thomas rushed at the bars, sticking his hands through them and reaching for Jack, who kept Lara behind him and out of view.
"You filthy pirate scum!" he yelled. "How dare you come in here?!"
"Now, lad, that's not a nice thing to say in front of a lady," Jack chided him. Only then did Thomas notice Lara's presence, his gaze softening at the sight of her.
"Beloved, how are you and the baby doing?" he asked, genuinely concerned. He smirked when he saw Jack frown at him.
Lara sighed. "I'm fine, Thomas," she said. "And so is the baby. Jack is going to be a wonderful father."
Thomas frowned at that last part. "I won't have a pirate raise that child, darling," he said.
"This baby is going to be raised by its natural father, Thomas," Lara said bluntly, wanting to make things clear. She definitely didn't want this madman to think himself the father of her and Jack's child.
"Aye, and it'll be the finest pirate in the Caribbean!" exclaimed Jack, who grinned and wrapped his arms around his wife.
Thomas gritted his teeth. "Beloved, please, I would be a much better father to the child than that pirate dog!"
Lara began rubbing her head, since it began aching. "Thomas, you know that the answer is no," she said. "Also, since the Commodore and Governor are unable to keep you here in the prison, they are going to have you hospitalized and kept in your own home. Will Turner will make the bars that will be put over your doors and windows."
Thomas's face froze. "You can't do this!" he yelled. "There's nothing wrong with me! You can't lock me up!"
"Luv, I think it's time to go," Jack whispered to his wife. Lara nodded and the two of them left, though Thomas's mad screaming followed them out.
The two found themselves walking along the beach, holding each other's hand and enjoying a comfortable silence between the two of them. They walked throughout the afternoon, and stopped to enjoy the sunset, Jack holding his wife in his arms and the both of them stroking her bulging belly. As the sun set, Jack looked down at his lass.
"You know, luv, I think that you should stay here until the little one is born," he said, startling her completely.
Lara looked up at him. "Jack, are you mad? I don't want to have the baby without you here with me!" she exclaimed, panicking at the thought of losing her husband for such a large amount of time.
"I know, luv, but you shouldn't travel when you're with child," Jack said. "Lots of things could happen if you were on the Pearl, and I won't risk losing you and the babe to a chance storm or accident."
"Well, why don't we have the whole crew stay here with us?" she asked, desperate to keep Jack there with her.
"Lass, do you really think that the townspeople would put up with the crew for longer than six days, much less six months?" Jack asked her, jokingly raising an eyebrow.
"Well, no," Lara replied. She sighed and turned her attention back towards the ocean and the colors of the sunset. Suddenly, an idea hit her. "Jack, why don't you and I stay here while you send the crew to Tortuga or another one of its islands for the next six months? Surely they wouldn't mind that?"
Jack frowned in thought. "Aye, luv, that might work," he said thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "While they're at it, they can fix up the Pearl a bit, make it more suitable for having a baby onboard! Maybe even make a cradle and a few toys!" he exclaimed, laughing at the idea of Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria carving out a cradle for the baby.
Lara laughed as well. "Aye, it'd be good for them to keep themselves busy and in shape instead of drinking themselves stupid in a tavern for six months."
"Then it's settled!" Jack said, grinning. "I'll tell the crew, and we'll see if Will and Elizabeth will be able to put up with us two pirates until springtime!"
After that, the two of them finished watching the sunset before making their way back towards their home for the next six months.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Yes, this story is almost over. There's just the epilogue left, but I promise that it'll be good because the new arrival will be here! Also, there's going to be quite a surprise in it for the readers. Oh, question: does anyone want to know about Lara's background? You all remember that she just "washed up" in Port Royal, but still haven't found anything about her yet. If you're curious, tell me in your review! If no one wants to know, I'll leave it out, no problem. Anyway, please leave a review! Thanks! (And a special thanks to those who have already reviewed! I've gotten over a hundred of them! Thanks so much, I love you all!)