Chapter Six

"Will you excuse us please?" Kate said to Jack as she ushered Tom out of the kitchen through the swinging door.

Jack made a face and shrugged. Then he headed over to the table to see what the kids were up to. He saw them putting a sugary paste on the cookies. Brian was making his look like the brightly lit tree in their living room, and Marie was decorating one to look like a man with a long white beard and a red hat. Jack peered at the face closely, and then his face scrunched up in thought.

"What're ye makin' there luv?" He asked.

"I'm making a Santa Claus!" The five year old said the tip of her tongue sticking out of her mouth in concentration.

"And who would that be?" Jack asked confused.

Marie's eyes grew wide as she looked up and met Jack's eyes. "You don't know who Santa is?" She asked in bewilderment.

Jack shook his head smiling apologetically. "Sorry luv…"

Marie turned back to look at Brian in shock, and then she turned back to Jack. "Santa Claus is a jolly old man who wears all red, even a red hat," She gestured to her cookie. "Except of course his boots… Every Christmas he brings little boys and little girls lots of presents and fills their stockings that are hung above the fireplace."

"Only good little girls and boys." Brian piped in.

"I see…and how does this Santa Claus know who's been good and who's been bad?" Jack asked puzzled.

"Well you see, he's got a list and he watches us…" Marie said biting her lip.

"So he watches you? Where's he at?" Jack asked as he spun looking all around.

"No stupid!" Brian rolled his eyes. "He's not here-he's at the North Pole!"

"Where's the North Pole?"

"That's not nice Brian! Santa's only going to give you a lump of coal this year!"

"Well if I get one lump of coal, then he's gonna bring you two!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack waved his arms extravagantly. "Why would Santa only bring you kiddies coal?"

"Because that's what he brings stinky, nasty boys!"

"Because that's what he brings whiny, crybaby girls!" They both spoke at the exact same time.

They began to argue about who and why Santa brings coal, their faces growing red with anger. Marie was getting the sugary paste in her hair, and Brian was getting it on his shirt. Jack stood there watching them fight scratching his head. 'Such odd creatures children are…' He thought to himself. He also thought about the jolly man Marie and Brian were arguing about. Just then the kitchen door swung open, and Cody entered.

He stared at Jack in his clothes with annoyance, then shrugged and went to the fridge. He grabbed a Dr. Pepper and walked over to the table ignoring Jack.

"What are you two arguing about?" He asked irritably. They both tried to speak at once, but Cody held up his hand. "One at a time!" He said loudly. They both quieted, then Marie spoke.

"Brian said that Santa's gonna bring me 2 lump of coal!" Marie huffed.

"Well Marie started it! I wasn't even talking to her and she butted in and said that Santa was gonna bring me a lump of coal!" Brian whined a bit as he spoke.

Cody made a sound that sounded like a snort. "Well I'll solve this!" He told them. "Brian-Santa's not gonna bring you a lump of coal nor is he going to bring you two lumps, Marie. Santa's not real! 'He' doesn't exist!" Cody laughed almost evilly as Marie's big blue eyes filled with tears.

"Tha-That's not true!" Brian attempted to say boldly, but it came out as a weak protest.

This made Cody laugh even harder, almost choking on his Dr. Pepper. Marie ran out of the kitchen in crying. Cody, still laughing left also. That left Jack and Brian with frosting all over his shirt in the kitchen. Brian lower lip was also quivering, but he held his tears back.

A few minutes later, Kate came into the kitchen, her face red with fury. She was closely followed by Tom who was much calmer. She stalked up to Jack and slapped him hard across the face.

Jack winced in pain. "Don't believe I deserved that…" He said looking at Brian who was trying to keep a straight face. 'Funny how it doesn't matter what century I'm in the women always slap me…' Jack thought to himself.

"What did you tell her?" Kate demanded.

"I didn't tell her nothin'…" Jack spoke softly, fearful of another slap.

"Now honey…" Tom said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off and spun around to face him. "Don't tell me not to drill him! Our daughter just came to me in tears! She was terribly upset and I want to know why!" She turned back to Jack.

Tom looked over her shoulder at Jack in defeat. "Honest-I didn't say nothin'!" Jack said.

"It was Cody!" Brian said from behind Jack.

Kate's eyes shot daggers as she stormed out of the room. They could hear her stomping up the stairs. They stood there in silence. Jack jumped when he heard a door slam, but Brian and Tom seemed oblivious to it, because it was normal occurrence when anyone left Cody's room. Then they could hear the thumping of music through the walls and floors.

"He always does this!" Brian rolled his eyes, and walked out of the kitchen leaving Jack and Tom alone.

This was the opportune moment Jack was waiting for to ask him about the box on top of the chest of drawers. He looked down at his bare feet, shifting them as he put his thoughts together.

"Tom-I saw my world, in that box in the guest quarters. How do I get back?"

Tom looked at Jack with a chuckle, but seeing the seriousness in the pirate's eyes, his own face grew quite serious. "I'm sorry Jack, but there's no way to get back-at least that I know of… That box you speak of is called a television. It projects moving images…" He thought for a moment, there were no pictures in the 17th century, but there were paintings. "It's like tons of paintings shown in procession…"

Jack's face fell and he let out a huge breath he'd been holding. He nodded with some understanding. "I see…"

Jack turned to walk out of the kitchen. "Jack…" he turned. "I really am sorry…"

Jack nodded and exited the kitchen.

Once alone in the kitchen, Tom sighed and leaned back against the counter. He rubbed his hands across his face wearily. The day had been quite long, arguing with Cody, baking cookies, arguing with Cody, meeting Captain Jack Sparrow, a pirate from the 17th century, and fighting with Cody. He pulled his hands from his face, and took a deep breath, preparing to go up and argue with his eldest son once again. He jumped nearly a foot in the air and would have screamed had his vocal chords worked, when he turned around.