The Black Pearl crested wave after wave, drawing closer and closer to the island her crew now thought of as home. Thoughts turned to family and friends, to what could have happened during their week long absence. Jack, personally, was hoping something hadn't happened, but knew in himself there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He glanced down to the main deck where Gibbs was dancing with Lady Rosemary, Solomon's pipe winding a melody around them too complex to follow. Near them, Harry was talking with the governor, keeping a smile on the old man's face that his sister-in-law had assured them had been sorely lacking this past year.
Will stood at Jack's shoulder, his eyes fixed on the village that stood near the shore of their island home. He could see the people moving back and forth between the houses, their excited reactions as they recognised the ship pulling into their little natural harbour. Jack chuckled as the children tumbled down the sandy shore, halted in their assault on the ship only by the lapping waves that lined the beach.
The ship was carefully anchored and made secure, the men piling into the longboats to row to shore and greet their families. Jack and Will were among the first to jump out, kneeling to gather their children into their arms with joyful shouts. As James helped Lady Rosemary from the longboat, Beth wrapped her arms tightly around her father's neck, laying her head on his shoulder.
'Miss's you,' she muttered into his ear, and Jack felt his heart melt all over again for her.
He brought his head back to touch his nose to hers.
'Missed you, too, sweetheart,' he promised, kissing her cheek gently.
There was a low sigh from behind him, and he turned to find Governor Swann watching them with a look that was half-grief and half-joy.
'Jack, she's beautiful,' he managed, saved from tears as Beth screwed up her face at Matthew, who in turn stuck his tongue out at her.
Amid the laughter as Will wrapped a hand over his son's mouth, and Jack tapped his daughter on the nose warningly, he asked softly,
'May I hold her?'
Jack didn't need asking twice, moving to hand his daughter to the man whose daughter she was named for. Beth, somehow sensing that it was important she behaved, let herself be transferred, settling into the governor's arms comfortably.
James heard his name called, turning just in time to catch Laura as she flew into his arms. She drew back almost immediately, though, kissing him absently as she peered into the press of people around Jack and the governor.
'Where's Jack?' she asked him, and he paused, taking in her flushed cheeks and wild expression.
'In among them,' he told her, helping his wife to push through the people.
As they did so, James took the opportunity to look carefully at their welcoming party. They were smiling, joyful, but there was anxiety in there, a sense of waiting for something to happen. And if they knew what was going on, why hadn't they told Jack?
Lady Rosemary's eyes lit up with joy on seeing her daughter.
'Laura, how wonderful to see you,' she exclaimed, moving forward to embrace her.
Laura deftly avoided her outstretched hands.
'Hello, Mother,' she said absently, grasping Jack's sleeve to turn him to face her. 'Jack, you're needed.'
The captain looked down at her in surprised confusion.
'For what, love?' he asked, aware that a tense silence had fallen over the people gathered around them.
And above that silence, he could hear a very familiar voice, crying out in pain. His heart slammed in alarm, the blood draining from his face.
'Marin!'
He hurried through the crowd, Laura at his heels, both of them increasing their speed to reach the little house where he and his wife had made their home in good time. As they approached, he could hear Marin's cries all the more clearly, and Amata's soothing tones cutting across it. Jack slowed abruptly, pushing the door open to stare in silent alarm at the scene.
Marin lay on the bed, her knees brought up, her face flushed and sweaty as she writhed in the throes of her contractions. Ripples played across her swollen belly as Amata gently passed a cool water cloth over her young friend's forehead. She glanced up as Laura pushed past Jack to sit on Marin's other side, slipping her hand into her friend's and managing to hide the wince as Marin's considerable strength was demonstrated on her fingers.
Slowly the contraction passed, and Marin relaxed, turning her head towards where Laura was gently stroking her hair from her face. A sob escaped her, a single tear slipping from her eye to mingle with the sweat that soaked the sheets already.
'I can't,' she cried brokenly. 'I can't . . .'
Jack felt his heart break for the pain his little wife was suffering, unable to prevent himself from moving to take the place Amata vacated swiftly.
'No, love, no,' he whispered, his own voice hoarse from the shock of what he had just seen. 'You can.'
Marin's eyes flew open and she stared up at him, trying to calm herself. Reaching up, she ran her fingers gently across his cheek.
'You're here,' she murmured. 'I kept hoping you would be.'
Jack smiled tenderly down at her, kissing her fingers where they lay against his lips.
'Aye, I'm here,' he confirmed. 'And I'm not leaving you at such a time ever again.'
Whatever she had been about to say was lost in a sudden cry of pain, as another contraction took her over. At a loss for what to do, Jack bent to kiss his wife's temple, holding her hand and stroking her hair, murmuring sounds that could be encouragement, could be comfort as she battled her way through the pain. As it passed, Amata rearranged things, explaining as she did so that it would be easier for Marin to give birth. Jack found himself sat on the bed, behind Marin as she was perched on the edge of the bed, her back pressing against his chest as he reached forward to entwine his fingers with hers. Her head fell back onto his shoulder, knocking his hat from his head as he rested his cheek against hers.
'This is so much harder than last time,' she gasped, trying to regain her breath in the increasingly shorter gaps between contractions. 'It hurts so much mo - Jesus Christ!'
Her hands tightened on his as yet another contraction wracked her body, and it was with intense relief that she gladly obeyed Amata's order to push. This time, there were no cries, no shouts of agony, as Marin concentrated her entire being on giving birth to the child in her womb.
Jack held her as tightly as he dared, willing it all to be over. He'd had no idea the actual act of giving birth was so exhausting, despite the number of times he'd dealt with nervous fathers waiting for news of their wives and children. But then, he had made himself a part of this, and in doing so, had given another part of himself to Marin, suffering with her for their son or daughter. And he realised that Marin was also giving of herself to him. There had been a time when she was shy of him seeing her any way other than as normal, smiling and happy. That had slowly changed over the past two years, culminating in this moment. This was when his beloved wife was most vulnerable, most in need of his protection, and he hadn't been there the first time around. Such a desertion would never happen again.
Suddenly Marin relaxed back against him, laughing weakly, and Jack realised that it was over. Laura held a squirming, wailing bundle in her arms, grinning down at her friends proudly. Then Amata glanced back at Marin and swore. No matter what language it is spoken in, a curse will always sound like a curse.
'What?' Jack demanded. 'What is it?'
Amata ignored him, gesturing for Laura to join her. The younger girl carefully placed the baby into Beth's old crib, and moved to kneel with her tutor. She glanced up at Jack and Marin, sharing a secretive smile with the exhausted mother.
'There appears to be another child, Jack,' she told him, committing the look on his face to memory so that she could recreate it for Marin later.
'Two?' Jack gasped, overwhelmed.
The second birth was over in a matter of minutes, the afterbirth dealt with swiftly and Marin carefully lifted up, into the bed where she relaxed bonelessly against the pillows. Amata and Laura exchanged proud smiles as they moved to hand the twins to their parents.
'You have a girl,' Amata laughed as she placed the tiny girl in Marin's arms.
Jack's eyes were wide as the other child was laid in his arms, staring down at the newborn in mute astonishment.
'And you have a son,' Laura murmured, suppressing her laughter as Jack turned to meet Marin's eyes, the pride fairly bursting from his expression.
'Two,' he murmured, adjusting his grip on his son to wrap an arm around Marin's shoulders. 'Why didn't you tell me?'
She shrugged, giving him a weary smile.
'We weren't sure,' she said, her voice cracking from the strain it had been under all afternoon. 'I didn't want to worry you.'
Jack gave her a flat look, ignoring the women's giggles as they left the little family to it.
'Love, I remember the last time you tried not to worry me,' he said acerbically, and suddenly grinned as the tiny boy in his arms yawned widely. 'I think these two need their beauty sleep.'
Laughing, Marin watched as he laid the two gently beside one another in their sister's old crib, before returning to wrap his arms around her tenderly.
'I love you, Mar,' he told her, kissing her lightly as she burrowed into his embrace.
Marin sighed softly, a happy smile on her weary face.
'I love you,' she murmured, jolting herself awake with a sudden thought. 'What are we going to call them?'
Jack raised an eyebrow, looking every bit as blank as she felt. They hadn't ever discussed names, not even for Beth, although their eldest's name had pretty much been picked for them.
'I dunno, love,' he said, groping for names that suddenly he couldn't remember. 'Eleanor?'
Marin screwed up her nose.
'No, I don't think so,' she yawned. 'How about Hanna?'
Jack shrugged.
'It's a possibility,' he conceded. 'But I've always had a fondness for the name Katelise.'
Marin made a face at him. Much as she loved her husband, she did not want her daughter to be named after one of his former lovers.
'Maybe not Katelise,' she said thoughtfully. 'Katherine?'
The grin that lit up her husband's face told her that one half of their problem had been solved.
'Katherine Sparrow,' he murmured proudly. 'Kit Sparrow. Sounds good.'
'Kit?' Marin repeated incredulously.
Jack made a non-committal sound.
'Well, every child has to have a nickname,' he said off-handedly. 'What about her brother?'
'There's a tradition that the firstborn son is named after the father,' Marin began, but was cut off by Jack's flat refusal.
'Not a chance, love,' he insisted. 'We are not having two Jack Sparrows in this family.'
Marin couldn't quite manage to hide her grin.
'Why ever not?' she asked him, amused by his sudden decisiveness.
Jack appeared to be groping for a reason.
'Well . . .' he paused. 'Well, supposing he grows up to be a pirate, right? And he gets command of his own ship. There'd be TWO Captain Jack Sparrows on the seas. It'd get confusing for whoever we attack.'
Marin nodded slowly, grinning from ear to ear.
'Oh no, we couldn't have that,' she agreed solemnly, laying her head back down on his shoulder now he'd stopped moving around. 'What about John, then? Or Jonny?'
She felt Jack nod, and found herself suppressing the wave of victory that rose within her. She managed to name both children to her own approval.
'Jonny I can live with,' he said gently. 'I could be proud of a son called Jonny.'
Marin smiled, about to tease him some more, when the door of their house gently swung inward. A little anxious face peeked around the wood, looking up worriedly at the pair of them on the bed.
'Mama?'
Marin heaved herself upright, holding her arms open as Beth suddenly shot into the room, throwing herself into her mother's arms. Jack grinned as Marin held their eldest daughter close. He had a feeling this scene was going to be repeated many times over.
*~*~*
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Will stood at Jack's shoulder, his eyes fixed on the village that stood near the shore of their island home. He could see the people moving back and forth between the houses, their excited reactions as they recognised the ship pulling into their little natural harbour. Jack chuckled as the children tumbled down the sandy shore, halted in their assault on the ship only by the lapping waves that lined the beach.
The ship was carefully anchored and made secure, the men piling into the longboats to row to shore and greet their families. Jack and Will were among the first to jump out, kneeling to gather their children into their arms with joyful shouts. As James helped Lady Rosemary from the longboat, Beth wrapped her arms tightly around her father's neck, laying her head on his shoulder.
'Miss's you,' she muttered into his ear, and Jack felt his heart melt all over again for her.
He brought his head back to touch his nose to hers.
'Missed you, too, sweetheart,' he promised, kissing her cheek gently.
There was a low sigh from behind him, and he turned to find Governor Swann watching them with a look that was half-grief and half-joy.
'Jack, she's beautiful,' he managed, saved from tears as Beth screwed up her face at Matthew, who in turn stuck his tongue out at her.
Amid the laughter as Will wrapped a hand over his son's mouth, and Jack tapped his daughter on the nose warningly, he asked softly,
'May I hold her?'
Jack didn't need asking twice, moving to hand his daughter to the man whose daughter she was named for. Beth, somehow sensing that it was important she behaved, let herself be transferred, settling into the governor's arms comfortably.
James heard his name called, turning just in time to catch Laura as she flew into his arms. She drew back almost immediately, though, kissing him absently as she peered into the press of people around Jack and the governor.
'Where's Jack?' she asked him, and he paused, taking in her flushed cheeks and wild expression.
'In among them,' he told her, helping his wife to push through the people.
As they did so, James took the opportunity to look carefully at their welcoming party. They were smiling, joyful, but there was anxiety in there, a sense of waiting for something to happen. And if they knew what was going on, why hadn't they told Jack?
Lady Rosemary's eyes lit up with joy on seeing her daughter.
'Laura, how wonderful to see you,' she exclaimed, moving forward to embrace her.
Laura deftly avoided her outstretched hands.
'Hello, Mother,' she said absently, grasping Jack's sleeve to turn him to face her. 'Jack, you're needed.'
The captain looked down at her in surprised confusion.
'For what, love?' he asked, aware that a tense silence had fallen over the people gathered around them.
And above that silence, he could hear a very familiar voice, crying out in pain. His heart slammed in alarm, the blood draining from his face.
'Marin!'
He hurried through the crowd, Laura at his heels, both of them increasing their speed to reach the little house where he and his wife had made their home in good time. As they approached, he could hear Marin's cries all the more clearly, and Amata's soothing tones cutting across it. Jack slowed abruptly, pushing the door open to stare in silent alarm at the scene.
Marin lay on the bed, her knees brought up, her face flushed and sweaty as she writhed in the throes of her contractions. Ripples played across her swollen belly as Amata gently passed a cool water cloth over her young friend's forehead. She glanced up as Laura pushed past Jack to sit on Marin's other side, slipping her hand into her friend's and managing to hide the wince as Marin's considerable strength was demonstrated on her fingers.
Slowly the contraction passed, and Marin relaxed, turning her head towards where Laura was gently stroking her hair from her face. A sob escaped her, a single tear slipping from her eye to mingle with the sweat that soaked the sheets already.
'I can't,' she cried brokenly. 'I can't . . .'
Jack felt his heart break for the pain his little wife was suffering, unable to prevent himself from moving to take the place Amata vacated swiftly.
'No, love, no,' he whispered, his own voice hoarse from the shock of what he had just seen. 'You can.'
Marin's eyes flew open and she stared up at him, trying to calm herself. Reaching up, she ran her fingers gently across his cheek.
'You're here,' she murmured. 'I kept hoping you would be.'
Jack smiled tenderly down at her, kissing her fingers where they lay against his lips.
'Aye, I'm here,' he confirmed. 'And I'm not leaving you at such a time ever again.'
Whatever she had been about to say was lost in a sudden cry of pain, as another contraction took her over. At a loss for what to do, Jack bent to kiss his wife's temple, holding her hand and stroking her hair, murmuring sounds that could be encouragement, could be comfort as she battled her way through the pain. As it passed, Amata rearranged things, explaining as she did so that it would be easier for Marin to give birth. Jack found himself sat on the bed, behind Marin as she was perched on the edge of the bed, her back pressing against his chest as he reached forward to entwine his fingers with hers. Her head fell back onto his shoulder, knocking his hat from his head as he rested his cheek against hers.
'This is so much harder than last time,' she gasped, trying to regain her breath in the increasingly shorter gaps between contractions. 'It hurts so much mo - Jesus Christ!'
Her hands tightened on his as yet another contraction wracked her body, and it was with intense relief that she gladly obeyed Amata's order to push. This time, there were no cries, no shouts of agony, as Marin concentrated her entire being on giving birth to the child in her womb.
Jack held her as tightly as he dared, willing it all to be over. He'd had no idea the actual act of giving birth was so exhausting, despite the number of times he'd dealt with nervous fathers waiting for news of their wives and children. But then, he had made himself a part of this, and in doing so, had given another part of himself to Marin, suffering with her for their son or daughter. And he realised that Marin was also giving of herself to him. There had been a time when she was shy of him seeing her any way other than as normal, smiling and happy. That had slowly changed over the past two years, culminating in this moment. This was when his beloved wife was most vulnerable, most in need of his protection, and he hadn't been there the first time around. Such a desertion would never happen again.
Suddenly Marin relaxed back against him, laughing weakly, and Jack realised that it was over. Laura held a squirming, wailing bundle in her arms, grinning down at her friends proudly. Then Amata glanced back at Marin and swore. No matter what language it is spoken in, a curse will always sound like a curse.
'What?' Jack demanded. 'What is it?'
Amata ignored him, gesturing for Laura to join her. The younger girl carefully placed the baby into Beth's old crib, and moved to kneel with her tutor. She glanced up at Jack and Marin, sharing a secretive smile with the exhausted mother.
'There appears to be another child, Jack,' she told him, committing the look on his face to memory so that she could recreate it for Marin later.
'Two?' Jack gasped, overwhelmed.
The second birth was over in a matter of minutes, the afterbirth dealt with swiftly and Marin carefully lifted up, into the bed where she relaxed bonelessly against the pillows. Amata and Laura exchanged proud smiles as they moved to hand the twins to their parents.
'You have a girl,' Amata laughed as she placed the tiny girl in Marin's arms.
Jack's eyes were wide as the other child was laid in his arms, staring down at the newborn in mute astonishment.
'And you have a son,' Laura murmured, suppressing her laughter as Jack turned to meet Marin's eyes, the pride fairly bursting from his expression.
'Two,' he murmured, adjusting his grip on his son to wrap an arm around Marin's shoulders. 'Why didn't you tell me?'
She shrugged, giving him a weary smile.
'We weren't sure,' she said, her voice cracking from the strain it had been under all afternoon. 'I didn't want to worry you.'
Jack gave her a flat look, ignoring the women's giggles as they left the little family to it.
'Love, I remember the last time you tried not to worry me,' he said acerbically, and suddenly grinned as the tiny boy in his arms yawned widely. 'I think these two need their beauty sleep.'
Laughing, Marin watched as he laid the two gently beside one another in their sister's old crib, before returning to wrap his arms around her tenderly.
'I love you, Mar,' he told her, kissing her lightly as she burrowed into his embrace.
Marin sighed softly, a happy smile on her weary face.
'I love you,' she murmured, jolting herself awake with a sudden thought. 'What are we going to call them?'
Jack raised an eyebrow, looking every bit as blank as she felt. They hadn't ever discussed names, not even for Beth, although their eldest's name had pretty much been picked for them.
'I dunno, love,' he said, groping for names that suddenly he couldn't remember. 'Eleanor?'
Marin screwed up her nose.
'No, I don't think so,' she yawned. 'How about Hanna?'
Jack shrugged.
'It's a possibility,' he conceded. 'But I've always had a fondness for the name Katelise.'
Marin made a face at him. Much as she loved her husband, she did not want her daughter to be named after one of his former lovers.
'Maybe not Katelise,' she said thoughtfully. 'Katherine?'
The grin that lit up her husband's face told her that one half of their problem had been solved.
'Katherine Sparrow,' he murmured proudly. 'Kit Sparrow. Sounds good.'
'Kit?' Marin repeated incredulously.
Jack made a non-committal sound.
'Well, every child has to have a nickname,' he said off-handedly. 'What about her brother?'
'There's a tradition that the firstborn son is named after the father,' Marin began, but was cut off by Jack's flat refusal.
'Not a chance, love,' he insisted. 'We are not having two Jack Sparrows in this family.'
Marin couldn't quite manage to hide her grin.
'Why ever not?' she asked him, amused by his sudden decisiveness.
Jack appeared to be groping for a reason.
'Well . . .' he paused. 'Well, supposing he grows up to be a pirate, right? And he gets command of his own ship. There'd be TWO Captain Jack Sparrows on the seas. It'd get confusing for whoever we attack.'
Marin nodded slowly, grinning from ear to ear.
'Oh no, we couldn't have that,' she agreed solemnly, laying her head back down on his shoulder now he'd stopped moving around. 'What about John, then? Or Jonny?'
She felt Jack nod, and found herself suppressing the wave of victory that rose within her. She managed to name both children to her own approval.
'Jonny I can live with,' he said gently. 'I could be proud of a son called Jonny.'
Marin smiled, about to tease him some more, when the door of their house gently swung inward. A little anxious face peeked around the wood, looking up worriedly at the pair of them on the bed.
'Mama?'
Marin heaved herself upright, holding her arms open as Beth suddenly shot into the room, throwing herself into her mother's arms. Jack grinned as Marin held their eldest daughter close. He had a feeling this scene was going to be repeated many times over.
*~*~*
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