Authors Note: I'm so sorry for messing chapter 10 up. Thanks to all my reviewers who told me about it. It's funny, I got more reviews because of that lousy screw-up than I've gotten from any chapter before.

PirateWHSG: Glad you like it!

Raine: They say absence make the heart grow fonder.

BridgetLynn: Glad you like it too!

Jeyke: NO NAGGING! THREE CHEERS FOR YOU!!!!!

benbenmaddenismine: I like stars, stars are purdy. AND I HAVE FIVE! Thank you!!!!!

Chapter 11:

"MELIA!" The scream almost made her drop the dish she was washing. She groaned and poked her head out the door, taking in the horrid mess that filled the main dining room.

"Treva? You holl...called?"

"Aye lass, 'elp these girls clean dis room up. I'll handle the kitchen."

"Yes ma'am." She said, sidestepping an overturned table towards the middle of the room.

"Here, let me help you with that." She said to Lies, one of the other two waitresses, who was struggling with another overturned table.

"Oh no, dearie. You gots to do light stuff. Margaret'll 'elp me."

"Aye, girlie you get some o'dese dishes to Treva to clean up. I'll 'elp Lies."

Melia smiled her thanks to the girl who was not much older than herself. She had grown very close to the barmaids and the waitresses from the assorted saloons that all chose Treva's as a safe place to reside during the day when they weren't "working". She wouldn't have admitted it to anyone but herself during the early weeks, but the girls had given her a sort of companionship that she'd never had before among her upper class. high and mighty, princessy acquaintances back at Port Royal. These were real women, who actually cared about her, not about what she wore to the last dinner party or who she was seen walking about town with. These girls were hard working, if you could call what they did for a living work. They were haughty and jealous around men, but they cared about each other, truly cared. If one got hurt, the entire bunch got angry and the men on the island suffered for some odd amount of days, depending on how badly the one was hurt. They had been wary of Melia when she'd first been left in Tortuga, but now during her second stay they'd warmed up to her, accepted her. She had never felt so completely accepted before. Not even by Jack.

"So ye heard from yer cap'n yet, Melia?" The speaker was Lies.

"He's not 'my captain'."

"Kin I 'ave 'im den?"

She was greeted by silence.

"So did ye last get a letter from 'im?"

"Just today actually."

"And?"

"I haven't read it yet."

"Why not?!"

"No time."

"There be time now."

"But what about--"

"We'll take care of it. Besides, ye won't be takin' dat long, will ye?"

"It feels pretty fat, it could take quite a bit of time."

"Ye could read it out loud to us." Lies said playfully. "That'll help make up fer it."

"Lies, stop that. The girl kin read her letter whenever she so chooses, an' iffin she wants us to hear it she'll read it to us, end o'discussion."

"But.."

"Lies, stop it."

"Oh Meggie, yer no fun."

"Never claimed ta be."

From behind Lies, Melia mouthed "Thank you" to Margaret. The woman somewhere in her early thirties smiled and nodded. Melia was an odd one. Anyone could plainly see the girl was in love with Sparrow, yet she denied any feelings for the man. Margaret wondered if Jack Sparrow did not return her feelings, and she was trying to hide hers from him, from all. She frowned and shook her head. She had never loved a man, now she was glad. A crash, followed by a startled cry aroused her from her thoughts. She joined Lies as she ran to Melia.

"What is it?" Melia was staring in shock a her protruding stomach. She looked up at them and their worried faces, then back at hr stomach.

"She kicked. She moved. I felt her."

Lies and Margaret exchanged a glance, both reading the relief and the exasperation in the other's eyes. Then the excitement.

"Let me feel!"

"No me!" Melia laughed a little.

"My stomach's large enough for both of you. Here." She took Lies hand and moved over her belly. "There we go."

Lies face broke into a smile and she giggled.

"Well ain't that somethin'!"

"My turn!" Margaret rarely ever got excited over anything, and now that she was, she was like a little girl. Melia moved her hand over her stomach.

"Oh, op...there she is." Margaret giggled.

"It's a she then, is it?" Melia looked up at her, mock horror on her face.

"What else would it be?"

"I always thought boy babies were so adorable."

"When was the last time you saw drop dead gorgeous boy baby?"

"When was the last time you saw a drop dead gorgeous baby?"

"When my best friend's, older sister's, fiancé's, nieces, neighbor's grand daughter's little brother's daughter was born." Melia answered without missing a beat.

"You actually saw that?" Lies asked

"No." The three women laughed like they hadn't laughed in a long time.

"Hey! What ye lassies doin' out here?! Why, you've barely started cleaning!"

"She started kicking." Melia managed between giggles.

"Which one?" Treva asked looking at one woman, then the other.

"This one." Melia pointed at her stomach.

"Oh! The young'n. Move aside, let me feel." For the first time since Melia had met Treva, the woman smiled.