Chapter 2

~A Babe Among Pirates~

          Jack received many an odd look as he made his way back to the Pearl. It was not every day one got to see the most infamous pirate captain in the Caribbean strolling about with a sleeping baby in his arms, after all. Indeed, 'twas a once in a life-time opportunity. Jack ignored the incredulous onlookers and tried to think about what he was going to do now... but thinking was such a hard thing to do when one had had as much rum as he had. Best get back to the ship now and think later. Or let Gibbs do the thinking for this one. Yes, that was a plan.

        Elizabeth squirmed a little and opened her eyes. She made a cooing noise and Jack paused in his walking and looked down at his new-found daughter. "Well, hello there, love." Elizabeth gurgled and clenched her fingers. "You're comin' with me now on me ship. She's a beauty; you'll love 'er." Jack said. Elizabeth looked up at him and blinked her large brown eyes slowly as if to say "And just who are you to be taking me to your ship?" Jack smiled and gently brushed her cheek with his fingertip. "Why, I'm your father, lovey. Come on, now, I've got to introduce you to the crew."

        "Beh." said Elizabeth.

        By this time the pair had made it to the Tortuga docks. Ah, there was the Pearl, anchored just meters away. Jack sighed as he walked up the gang-plank into his ship. His ship. Although it had been well over a year since he had gotten her back, he would never take that fact for granted again.

Jack's relatively early return attracted some attention from the crew members that had stayed aboard the Pearl. Gibbs, for once, had been among those who stayed, and was at the moment among those who were staring. Elizabeth chose this moment to coo and wriggle her arm in the air, reaching for one of Jack's beaded dreadlocks. There was a collective gasp among the men at the sight of her.

"J-... Jack? Is that a— a baby? A real baby?" Gibbs stammered. The other men just stared. Jack rolled his eyes dramatically and nodded.

"Yes, Gibbs," He said matter-of-factly. "This is a baby. My baby. What did you think she was? A duck?" Gibbs had started when Jack said "My baby" and seemingly still hadn't recovered, for he continued to gape open-mouthed. He managed to pull out his flask nervously and gulp a quick sip.

"Well— er, no, not a duck— but what is she doing here? Er... yer baby, Cap'in?" Gibbs stuttered out.

"Gah." said Elizabeth, as if that explained everything. Jack smiled tenderly at her, startling the crew even more. They begin to wonder if perhaps they had imbibed too much rum and ale and if they were indeed beginning to hallucinate their captain holding a wee babe as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Very good, Gibbs! I'm glad we got it cleared up that she is, in fact, not a duck." Jack mock-bowed to his first mate. "Her mother, Wendy, who I am sure most of you are familiar with, informed me not half an hour ago that this was my child, and that I was to take 'responsibility' of her or she would leave the babe on the streets to fare for herself. And so, here she is."

Gibbs had recovered now, and he was beginning to look thoughtful and a mite worried. He said nothing, though, so Jack continued. "Elizabeth, meet my crew. Crew, meet my Little Sparrow." Jack held the child up a bit and took her small arm in his free hand and waved it around a bit. Elizabeth smiled and cooed and giggled at the rag-tag men, who, at the sight of her, immediately fell in love with the child. They wandered up and begin to baby-talk to her and make strange faces. Elizabeth reached out to them and laughed happily.

"Ah, Cap'in, might I have a word with ya in yer quarters?" Gibbs asked quietly from beside him. Jack nodded wordlessly. He walked away, the men reluctant not to follow their new community-baby. Jack went in his rooms and Gibbs shut the door behind them. "Jack... Jack— er, I see yer fond of little Lizzie there, but— and I know you couldn't very well leave 'er to die, but, Jack, what are we going to do with a baby?" Jack was silent. "We can't keep 'er 'ere, Cap'in. It just can't be done!"

Jack walked over and placed Elizabeth on his bed to coo and chew on her knuckles. He thoughtfully sat in his chair. "I don't know, Gibbs." He buried his face in his hands. "This time I just don't know!" Elizabeth whimpered as if she sensed her father's anxiety. Jack raised his head. "But you're right; she can't stay on the Pearl. A ship's no place for a young child. We have to take her somewhere..."

"We were plannin' on headin' towards Port Royal, weren't we?" Gibbs said, an idea forming in his mind. Jack caught his eye. "It's about time we paid your friends there a visit, don't ya think, Cap'in?" Jack grinned, his problem hopefully solved.

"Aye, Gibbs. It's high time."

~~~~~TBC~~~~~