A/N: I needed to skip ahead in time a little for this chappie, but I explain what has happened in the time I skipped. If you're confused, tell me and I'll help you out. Thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys rock!!
~ TWO WEEKS LATER ~
"Jack, we have been out to sea for more than two weeks and we have seen no sign of this land you speak of. Every time we head off in one direction, you send us in another. We were even sailing west a few days back! Jack, its time you tell me the real reason for this trip," Will was standing over Jack, who was in the chair behind his desk. It had been a little over two weeks since they set off from Tortogua and they crew was staring to become worried.
"Trust me William. When have I ever let you down?" Jack asked as he propped his feet upon his desk, "we will be there soon enough, savvy?"
"We better Jack. My family is on this ship as well as yours," and with that, he stormed out of the captains quarters. He had known that Jack had an ulterior motive the day they left Port Royal. Jack had enough money to last him all of his life and had no need for more. Jack also said something about the Pearl being stolen. Perhaps that was his ulterior motive, Will wasn't sure. The sound of a girlish squeal shook him from his thoughts.
Over the past weeks, Caden and Jacob had become good friends. They would play about the ship with their swords when the weather permitted. And when it was either to cool or to dark, they would sit with Jack in his quarters and listen to his stories.
The relationship between Caden and Jack grew also. He watched out for her now and took responsibility for her. He would make sure she was out of trouble and had bathed and eaten. One day, Caden had called him daddy and Jack had said nothing about it. So Caden had continued to call him by that title. Every now and then he would tuck her in and kiss her goodnight, just like a normal father. Elizabeth had been very pleased with Jack and his new ways. It had taken a few days for her to convince Jack of the ways a young girl should be raised, although Jack still let Caden wear pants and no shoes. He had also offered Caden rum once, but promised never to do it again after Elizabeth was done scolding him.
"Will?" Caden asked as she pulled on his shirt sleeve.
"Yes Caden, what can I do for you?"
"Do we have any apples? Jacob bet that I couldn't slice an apple while it was on top of his head and I want to prove him wrong," Will chuckled at the constant rivalry between the two children. Even as friends, they were still set on proving they were better than the other.
"Why don't you go on down and get ready for bed? You and Jacob need your rest. Go on," he said as he gently nudged her in the direction of the lower chambers. "I'll send Jacob down when I find him."
"Can I go say good night to my dad first?" she asked.
"Of coarse. Elizabeth will be waiting for you in the lower chambers. You are due for a bath." After a low groan, Caden made he way to her father's chambers.
"Daddy?" she called upon entering.
"Over here love," he answered, coming out of the shadows.
"I just came to say good night. It seems Elizabeth has reserved a spot in the wash tub for me," Caden replied, walking toward Jack. She wrapped her small arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. In turn, he placed his hands on her shoulders and returned the hug.
"G'night darling," Jack said as she walked back toward the door. She gave him a heart warming smile, then disappeared.
"Going soft are ya Captain?" A smooth, feminine voice asked from the shadows of the doorway. The slender woman that Caden had seen many times before slid into the room. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've got a soft spot for that little girl."
"I don't know what you're talking about Ana Maria."
"Coarse ya do Jack. You're falling in love with the little one. But there's nothing wrong with that, mind you. She is your daughter after all. Just make sure you keep her out of sight. There's some that are looking for ways to get to ya Jack. She could be the key."
"I know what I'm doing Ana Maria, savvy?"
"Just remember what I said Jack," and with that she slid back out to take her place amongst the crew.
"I don't want to take a bath!" Caden yelled and Elizabeth pulled he toward the tub of water.
"Oh yes you do. I will not have you smelling like a pig while I'm around."
"Mr. Gibbs smells like a pig and you don't make him take a bath!" Caden cried in rebellion.
"Mr. Gibbs is grown and can take care of himself. Now get in!" Elizabeth responded. Suddenly, she lifted the girl, fully clothed, and dumped her in the water. Caden let out a cry of surprise, then sank into the tub, admitting defeat.
"I honestly don't see why you children don't like to bathe," Elizabeth commented as she scrubbed Caden's hair.
"They're a waste of time because you are just going to get dirty again. And again, and again," But she was cut off by Elizabeth dumping more water onto her head.
"Mom, have you seen Caden?" Jacob asked as he strolled lazily into the room. Upon seeing a sopping wet Caden in the tub with all of her clothes on, he burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"What is so funny?" Caden asked, not seeing the humor in her situation.
"Y-You look like a w-wet rat!" Jacob managed to say between giggles.
"Oh really?" she asked as she readied a cup of bath water.
"Yes really," he replied. A sly smile crossed her lips as she climbed out of the tub and made her way over to Jacob.
"Well I think we need two wet rats aboard this ship." As the words left her mouth, she poured the water on top of the now shocked boy.
"Why you!" he cried as he charged at Caden, sending them both back into the water.
"You all are insane! Clean this up and get ready for bed, now!" A very wet and angry looking Elizabeth yelled over the laughter coming from the children. She left in an angry huff, no doubt to find Will.
"We are going to be in a lot of trouble you know," Jacob said as he lifted himself out of the water. "My dad isn't going to be happy about this." He extended his hand out to help Caden up.
"You're right," she said taking his hand. " We best get to work."
"And then he tackled her into the water! It was everywhere!" Elizabeth explained as she wiped her wet face with the hem of her dress. Will gave a low chuckle in his throat.
"Darling, have you ever thought about Jacob and Caden?"
"Of coarse Will. Jacob is my son, and I love Caden as if she were my own daughter," her voice trailed off as she pulled on her dry night dress.
"No I mean, of them being married. When they are old enough mind you," he looked at his wife's reflection in the mirror as she put her wet hair in a sloppy bun.
"There is no need to think of that now. They are only children, and Caden will go back to her mother before long. Although she will be terribly missed."
"Yes but, what if we were to take her back to Port Royal with us? I'm sure she would love it. Her mother was even speaking of moving there the night we were in Tortogua. Can you imagine? We would be related to Jack!"
"We will cross that bridge when we get to it love. Now go to sleep. I heard the crew say something about an early start," she kissed her husband on the cheek, then settled beside him. A few minutes later, Jacob and Caden slipped into bed also.
A/N: So? Something big is going to happen in the next chappie.
~ TWO WEEKS LATER ~
"Jack, we have been out to sea for more than two weeks and we have seen no sign of this land you speak of. Every time we head off in one direction, you send us in another. We were even sailing west a few days back! Jack, its time you tell me the real reason for this trip," Will was standing over Jack, who was in the chair behind his desk. It had been a little over two weeks since they set off from Tortogua and they crew was staring to become worried.
"Trust me William. When have I ever let you down?" Jack asked as he propped his feet upon his desk, "we will be there soon enough, savvy?"
"We better Jack. My family is on this ship as well as yours," and with that, he stormed out of the captains quarters. He had known that Jack had an ulterior motive the day they left Port Royal. Jack had enough money to last him all of his life and had no need for more. Jack also said something about the Pearl being stolen. Perhaps that was his ulterior motive, Will wasn't sure. The sound of a girlish squeal shook him from his thoughts.
Over the past weeks, Caden and Jacob had become good friends. They would play about the ship with their swords when the weather permitted. And when it was either to cool or to dark, they would sit with Jack in his quarters and listen to his stories.
The relationship between Caden and Jack grew also. He watched out for her now and took responsibility for her. He would make sure she was out of trouble and had bathed and eaten. One day, Caden had called him daddy and Jack had said nothing about it. So Caden had continued to call him by that title. Every now and then he would tuck her in and kiss her goodnight, just like a normal father. Elizabeth had been very pleased with Jack and his new ways. It had taken a few days for her to convince Jack of the ways a young girl should be raised, although Jack still let Caden wear pants and no shoes. He had also offered Caden rum once, but promised never to do it again after Elizabeth was done scolding him.
"Will?" Caden asked as she pulled on his shirt sleeve.
"Yes Caden, what can I do for you?"
"Do we have any apples? Jacob bet that I couldn't slice an apple while it was on top of his head and I want to prove him wrong," Will chuckled at the constant rivalry between the two children. Even as friends, they were still set on proving they were better than the other.
"Why don't you go on down and get ready for bed? You and Jacob need your rest. Go on," he said as he gently nudged her in the direction of the lower chambers. "I'll send Jacob down when I find him."
"Can I go say good night to my dad first?" she asked.
"Of coarse. Elizabeth will be waiting for you in the lower chambers. You are due for a bath." After a low groan, Caden made he way to her father's chambers.
"Daddy?" she called upon entering.
"Over here love," he answered, coming out of the shadows.
"I just came to say good night. It seems Elizabeth has reserved a spot in the wash tub for me," Caden replied, walking toward Jack. She wrapped her small arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. In turn, he placed his hands on her shoulders and returned the hug.
"G'night darling," Jack said as she walked back toward the door. She gave him a heart warming smile, then disappeared.
"Going soft are ya Captain?" A smooth, feminine voice asked from the shadows of the doorway. The slender woman that Caden had seen many times before slid into the room. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've got a soft spot for that little girl."
"I don't know what you're talking about Ana Maria."
"Coarse ya do Jack. You're falling in love with the little one. But there's nothing wrong with that, mind you. She is your daughter after all. Just make sure you keep her out of sight. There's some that are looking for ways to get to ya Jack. She could be the key."
"I know what I'm doing Ana Maria, savvy?"
"Just remember what I said Jack," and with that she slid back out to take her place amongst the crew.
"I don't want to take a bath!" Caden yelled and Elizabeth pulled he toward the tub of water.
"Oh yes you do. I will not have you smelling like a pig while I'm around."
"Mr. Gibbs smells like a pig and you don't make him take a bath!" Caden cried in rebellion.
"Mr. Gibbs is grown and can take care of himself. Now get in!" Elizabeth responded. Suddenly, she lifted the girl, fully clothed, and dumped her in the water. Caden let out a cry of surprise, then sank into the tub, admitting defeat.
"I honestly don't see why you children don't like to bathe," Elizabeth commented as she scrubbed Caden's hair.
"They're a waste of time because you are just going to get dirty again. And again, and again," But she was cut off by Elizabeth dumping more water onto her head.
"Mom, have you seen Caden?" Jacob asked as he strolled lazily into the room. Upon seeing a sopping wet Caden in the tub with all of her clothes on, he burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"What is so funny?" Caden asked, not seeing the humor in her situation.
"Y-You look like a w-wet rat!" Jacob managed to say between giggles.
"Oh really?" she asked as she readied a cup of bath water.
"Yes really," he replied. A sly smile crossed her lips as she climbed out of the tub and made her way over to Jacob.
"Well I think we need two wet rats aboard this ship." As the words left her mouth, she poured the water on top of the now shocked boy.
"Why you!" he cried as he charged at Caden, sending them both back into the water.
"You all are insane! Clean this up and get ready for bed, now!" A very wet and angry looking Elizabeth yelled over the laughter coming from the children. She left in an angry huff, no doubt to find Will.
"We are going to be in a lot of trouble you know," Jacob said as he lifted himself out of the water. "My dad isn't going to be happy about this." He extended his hand out to help Caden up.
"You're right," she said taking his hand. " We best get to work."
"And then he tackled her into the water! It was everywhere!" Elizabeth explained as she wiped her wet face with the hem of her dress. Will gave a low chuckle in his throat.
"Darling, have you ever thought about Jacob and Caden?"
"Of coarse Will. Jacob is my son, and I love Caden as if she were my own daughter," her voice trailed off as she pulled on her dry night dress.
"No I mean, of them being married. When they are old enough mind you," he looked at his wife's reflection in the mirror as she put her wet hair in a sloppy bun.
"There is no need to think of that now. They are only children, and Caden will go back to her mother before long. Although she will be terribly missed."
"Yes but, what if we were to take her back to Port Royal with us? I'm sure she would love it. Her mother was even speaking of moving there the night we were in Tortogua. Can you imagine? We would be related to Jack!"
"We will cross that bridge when we get to it love. Now go to sleep. I heard the crew say something about an early start," she kissed her husband on the cheek, then settled beside him. A few minutes later, Jacob and Caden slipped into bed also.
A/N: So? Something big is going to happen in the next chappie.
