Usual disclaimers. humph!

No donkey for a little while... sorry BlueTrinity!

***

Jack was glad that their bunk was wide when he eventually managed to get to bed, only to find three flame-haired women waiting for him... even if two of them were a bit young. Catherine was asleep, still dressed, her arms wrapped protectively around Eilis, whilst Richael snuggled against her on the other side. He kept on his trousers but stripped off his shirt refusing to leave his own bunk. He slid in beside them, leaning across to kiss Catherine on the lips. She opened her eyes sleepily. "Goodnight Jack," she sighed, a contented smile on her face as she fell asleep again before he could answer her. He frowned, looking at her face closely, fearing problems when they would have to hand the children over for he knew in his heart that she would want to keep them.

***

Jack awoke to find a weight on his chest and his nose being tickled with the end of one of his plaits. Eilis was sitting on him, playing with is hair and trying to wake him up. She grinned at him in delight. "Funny man!"

"I told yer luv, it's Captain or Jack..." He sat up groaning, carefully ensuring she did not fall from her precarious perch. He smiled blearily as he saw Catherine and Richael were awake, the child watching him warily. "Are th' two of yer hungry?" Eilis nodded. "Perhaps Kitty will fix us all some breakfast, eh? What d' yer say luv?" He looked at her beseechingly.

"If you move and I can get out of the bunk..." she replied good humouredly, totally trapped by Jack and the children.

Jack swung Eilis gently down from the bunk before clambering out himself, pulling on his shirt. "There yer go luv..." he smiled.

"Thanks!" She slid across and padded barefoot to the cabin doors. "Are you coming girls... Jack?"

Richael followed her from the cabin, but Eilis clung to Jack's hand like a limpet, refusing to let go.

Oran looked up as they entered the galley. "Hey Captain! Did Kitty shrink in the night?" Oran laughed at Jack's companion as he sat down in the galley. The Irishman was already scraping the last of his breakfast from his bowl but looked hopefully towards Catherine. "You cooking Kitty?" She nodded. "Guess I'll hang around for seconds then!" he grinned, looking conspiratorially at Jack. "Cotton cooked this morning..."

Jack winced. "Yer a brave man Oran t' face that first thing in th' morning..."

"No, just hungry... He watched eagerly as Catherine prepared the hasty oatmeal pudding, pouring the last of their milk on it. "Thanks Kitty!" he grinned as she handed him a bowl.

"I'm going to have a kitty!" Eilis smiled. "Funn... Jack said so!"

"And where pray tell are we going to get one Captain?" Oran smiled. "Tortuga?"

"We're heading t' Port Royal," Jack said quietly, unsurprised when Catherine dropped her spoon in shock. "We need t' take Richael an' Eilis to where they'll be safe - they cannot stay on th' Pearl..."

"But Daddy let us stay on his ship," Richael protested.

"But yer Daddy was a trader, th' Pearl is a fightin' ship..." He caught Catherine sadly looking at the girls. "They cannot stay luv,"

"Please Jack..." Catherine's eyes filled with despair at his words.

He turned to his helmsman. "Oran, could yer take th' girls out on deck an' give them a tour like..."

Oran nodded, quickly ushering the girls with their breakfasts up onto deck. "Come on," he smiled. "Let's see if we can find Cotton and his macaw!" He realised the pained discussion that would probably follow his departure.

Jack waited until they were alone. "We can't Kitty... I know what yer want t' say but it is too dangerous fer children aboard a pirate ship!"

"But they have no other family - Richael said so," she protested. "That is why their father had them aboard..."

"Kitty... I'll not have them on th' Pearl, so th' only way yer can keep the girls is if yer stay ashore with them... are yer sayin' yer would do that?" He knew how much she was hurting and wished he could spare her the decision he knew had to be reached.

"I..." She looked at him, pleading.

"Luv, it's me an' the' Pearl or th' girls... I will not take them into danger..." Jack said softly.

"Please..." she begged.

"No Kitty," he replied sadly, hating himself even though he knew that he was right. A pirate ship was no place to raise children - especially girls. He wouldn't risk their lives like that.

"You fight dirty Jack!" she accused sadly, her body crumpling in defeat. "You know I wouldn't leave you..." She looked across at him, tears welling in her eyes.

"We'll find them a good home in Port Royal - they'll be safe there!" He stood up, walking around the table to hug her. "I promise I won't just leave them with any old family... okay?"

"I hate you when you're right Jack Sparrow," she sniffed.

Jack kissed her nose. "Look, it will take us a few days t' reach Port Royal... enjoy those days, eh?" Catherine nodded sadly. "Come on, let's go find them..."

***

"Commodore!" Thomas Spense barged into the Commodore's office without knocking. "What is that ship doing outside the harbour Commodore?" he raged. "They gave their word not to return!"

"I do not know Governor, but they obviously have no intention of coming ashore or they would have anchored in the harbour. Perhaps they wish to speak with us as they are flying a truce flag - I will row out and see." He looked up to see Theodore standing by the door, his unspoken question clear in his eyes. "Ah, Captain Groves - perhaps you would like to accompany me?"

"I'll arrange a boat Commodore," he smiled as he turned smartly on his heels and left before the Governor could say anything. At least with Mary being eight months pregnant now she probably would not see the ship for she spent most of her time laying on her bed complaining about the heat. He eagerly found four marines and an additional two volunteers, Murtogg and Mullroy, to row him and the Commodore out to the Black Pearl and stood fidgeting as he waited for their departure. Finally James Norrington arrived.

"We will be there soon enough Captain," James Norrington smiled, knowing how anxious his Captain was to see his sister.

Theodore smiled ruefully. "My apologies Commodore, but the previous departure of the Black Pearl was rather abrupt."

The Commodore nodded at the oblique reference to the spite of the Governor as the boat bumped against the hull of the ship. The end of a rope fell from above. "Perhaps you would like to ascend first then Captain?" He smiled as Theodore climbed quickly aboard, disappearing quickly over the ship's rail, closely followed by two of the marines.

"The rest of you wait there," James Norrington ordered as he climbed aboard to find Catherine being embraced by the two marines. He cleared his throat and Murtogg and Mullroy colouring on seeing him, stepped smartly back from her.

"Commodore," she smiled cautiously.

"May I take your anchoring here as an indication that you do not intend to come ashore?" he asked. "The Governor was apoplectic at the sight of this ship..."

"Oh dear," she smiled mischievously. "Did we ruin his day?"

"Kitty! Stop teasing th' Commodore!" Jack chided and nodded towards his cabin. "This way..." Jack led them into the cabin where the Richael and Eilis were looking out of the windows at the town. "Yer'll get a better view from th' quarter deck girls," he suggested, smiling as they dashed past the two naval officers.

"How... what..." Theodore frowned, his eyes following their rapid departure.

"We came across a merchant ship down by Martinique... th' Nessa Rose. Think she was an Irish ship, fer th' girls are, but everyone else was dead. Obviously whoever did it missed them as they were hiding in a cupboard beneath th' bunk..." He looked at the Commodore. "Do you know if there is a good family in Port Royal that would take them in like? I know one or two that I would like to ask first, but they have no other family..."

James Norrington looked at Jack in amazement whilst Theodore quietly studied his sister's face. He could see that she was not happy with this and was surprised that she was not arguing with Jack.

"I would have thought that the two of you..." Theodore began.

"Theo!" Jack interrupted. "A fightin' ship is no place fer children, surely yer of all people know that..."

"And a pirate ship least of all..." the Commodore sighed.

"Privateer mate, privateer," Jack corrected.

"Whatever." James Norrington shrugged dismissively. "Where did you say this happened - Martinique? Do you have your charts to hand?" Jack reached for his charts, unrolling them and weighting them with bottles of rum. "When was this?"

"About four or five days ago... th' girls were pretty distressed..." His fingers traced their route on the map, eventually stopping where they found the children. "Here!"

"Mmmmnnn, Martinique, Guadeloupe and initially Tobago." He tapped his finger on the table, thinking deeply.

"I take it then this isn't th' first ship t' receive such treatment..." Jack looked at Catherine worriedly.

The Commodore shook his head sadly. "There's already been five ships found with all hands dead, and another seven have been logged as missing... weather has been good..." He looked at Jack. "Can I talk to the girls?"

"Eilis will be no good but Richael might be able to help," Catherine offered. "I'll go find her..."

As soon as she had left the cabin Theodore turned to Jack. "Hell Jack - why aren't you keeping them? They even look like Cat! Wouldn't this make her happy?"

"B'cause I won't have children on th' Pearl!" Jack argued. "However much Kitty wants t' keep them! An' I think any more of this is best kept t' just th' two of us!" He glanced across at the Commodore who was quietly studying the charts still, but must have clearly heard their discussion. "Don't yer think I'd give her this if there was any way..." He stopped on hearing the cabin door open.

Richael stepped cautiously into the cabin, staring at the men in uniform. "Richael, this is my big brother Theodore and this is the Commodore." Catherine introduced, kneeling down to speak with her. "The Commodore wants to send a big ship with guns to punish the bad men but he needs to know anything you can remember. Did you see the ship? Did you hear them speak? Anything you can remember love would help him to get them..."

Richael swallowed, looking very frightened as she stared at the Commodore. "I didn't see anything close... but they flew the pirate flag - I heard Daddy said so before he made us hide." She paused, thinking deeply. "They spoke funny... I couldn't understand them..."

"You mean a different language?" Catherine was excited at this, but kept her voice calm.

"Not English or Irish then," Theodore surmised.

"Spanish? Portuguese?" Catherine wondered.

"French?" Jack suggested. "We know th' Catalyntie has been down there..."

"No Jack!" Catherine protested. "Jean Claude would not do this!"

"Say somethin' in French then..." Jack challenged.

She crouched down in front of Richael. "Sweetheart, did they say words like Oui or Non?" The child's eyes went wide and she nodded.

"It's the Catalyntie - it has to be!" Jack swore.

Catherine turned to face him. "I refuse to believe Jean Claude did this!"

"When will you stop defending him?" Jack shouted. "He broke the accord and now this!"

"What accord?" the Commodore asked.

"None of your damn business!" Jack snapped - realising belatedly that he should not have said that with the naval men there.

Catherine turned her back on him angrily, crouching down again in front of Richael who looked scared at all the shouting. "Why don't you go and find Eilis love," she smiled, "while the grown-ups argue..." She eyed Jack sarcastically when she said grown-ups. "Wasn't Eilis helping Cotton in the galley? Why don't you go and see if you can help?" She watched as Richael quickly closed the door behind her. "Any help will improve Cotton's cooking," she sighed.

"Am I to assume that the Catalyntie you mention is captained by Lact?" the Commodore frowned as he pondered this news. "I thought you were going to kill him Mistress Sparrow."

"Hey - we destroyed his ship. I don't kill to order Commodore - not even your orders!" she snapped back angrily. "And this isn't Jean Claude!"

"When will you stop defendin' that bloody Frog!" Jack shouted.

"Jean Claude would not stoop to this! He may be a pirate but he is a gentleman too! I will not believe it until I see proof - savvy!" Catherine shouted back at him as Theodore and the Commodore looked on bemused.

"You are wrong Kitty!" Jack argued vehemently.

"Prove it!" she demanded.

"When we leave I will!" Jack turned to the Commodore. "Commodore, if you would be so kind as to enquire about people who would take th' girls. I'll ask around m'self an' we could do with a few supplies then we'll be gone."

"Will Mistress Sparrow be going ashore?" he asked cautiously, not wanting another scene.

"No." Catherine turned to argue with him but he held his hand, forestalling her. "But p'raps Theo and yer father would like t' come to dinner on th' Pearl tonight? Will an' Elizabeth too?" He looked at the Commodore. "We should be gone by morning..."

James Norrington nodded. "As long as Mistress Sparrow does not go ashore and your crew promise not to get into any more fights then there should be no problems. Captain Groves... we should return. The Governor will want to know what is happening."

***