AN (2/26): Good luck tomorrow, Johnny!
One More Day: Chapter 7
I was stalling. And I realized I was stalling, standing just outside my cabin door. Wouldn't you stall, if you'd just learned something so profound as this? I was going to be a father, again. I wasn't ready. Now, I know that sounds a bit odd...I mean, I am forty years old, and I have had at least two children already...but this would be different. I would actually see her pregnant...I would actually watch her grow. The ramifications for this were staggering. What would I do with a baby on board the Pearl? I couldn't have it cry and alert my enemies as to where I was...I couldn't be a father! People would threaten my child in an attempt to get to me. And it would work. Why oh why couldn't I have been more careful? I should've just left her in the future...
Sighing, I realized that I needed to visit her. She had almost been raped, after all...the thought of that man forcing himself into her...well, it still made my blood boil. Love was rearing its ugly head in every aspect of my life. I hadn't even gone below deck to see what sort of swag Anamaria had decided we should take...I'd been too busy pacing. Much unlike myself...I hate showing people that I'm worried about something because then they can see my weaknesses. I don't like showing my weaknesses because someone will inevitably use them against me and I'll have to watch the Pearl sail away under the command of someone else again. I know I can't handle that sort of complete rejection again; that's why I never give up the bearings and never let anyone look at the map, if I happen to be using one. I had been naive before...you wouldn't catch me like that again. Ever again. Even though I was being consumed by the curse known as love. That horrible fish had swallowed me whole...and I really didn't want to change that.
Inhaling, I opened the door and stepped in. At least the familiarity of my room would be a bit of a comfort, eh? They always say you feel most at ease in smells you've been around for years. Of course, the familiar smell of rum and hard work wasn't really that comforting. They also say that you can't smell yourself. Which I suppose is true. I just wonder who these mysterious 'they' people are. I smiled slightly at her. She was on the bed, staring over at me as though I were the most interesting and frightening person in the world. "Hello," I said, masking my real terror as I 'confidently' swaggered over to the side of my bed. I had unique tastes in my room. I suppose that's partly because I was raised in privilege and didn't really like sleeping on a bed with no sheets or something. I'm not sure why I had such finely woven green blankets on my bed on top of said sheets because it really just gave me a lot more laundry to get done by washerwomen at whatever port (long ago I'd learned not to care about the fact they were only washed once or so a month) we were visiting. That meant it cost me more money. First I had to pay for the sheets (and they'd been a pretty penny) and now I had to pay for their upkeep. Not that I minded. It did give my cabin a look of elegance, I suppose.
There was an oak desk on the far wall where I kept all the odd maps I'd been collecting over the years. Now, I had a simple sort of elegance in my room. When I'd first stepped in here after Barbossa'd been living in this sheltered place like a cockroach...well, it was an ornate sort of elegance complete with his own table. Why didn't he dine with the crew? Well, I thought it was because he wanted people to know how wealthy being a pirate had made him. Sure, I had lots of money...but all that was in my cabin was a chair (that was getting rather dilapidated), a bed with sheets and green blankets, and the desk with its own little chair. Simple and all I needed because the only time I was in my cabin was when I was sleeping or working on trying to find out where some insane pirate stashed their treasure. I thought the whole idea of burying treasure was ludicrous. Of course, that was just me. Shouldn't the great pirates have spent their treasure after divvying it up equally among their crew? Or was that too honorable a thing to do?
"Hi," she responded with a tired sort of smile. Was that because she was still in pain from her wounds? Or was she just tired of people looking at her as though she were marked because of her pregnancy? How long had she been trying to tell me? Had she really been trying to tell me? "You look awful, Jack."
I chuckled and nodded. Trust her to lighten the mood by shifting attention to me. "Well, luv, I feel fine. Tha's all that matters, eh?" She nodded slightly and I leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. Well, I kissed her there more for me than for her. I was really in a lot of pain, especially since she almost mentioned it. A kiss on the cheek would keep me from trying anything else to vent my frustrations about the world. "How d' ye feel?"
"Pork told you, didn't he?" she responded, dodging my question entirely. Oh well. At least we wouldn't have to dance around the subject. "How do you feel about it?"
Why did she always ask me questions like that? How would you feel if suddenly your whole way of life was threatened? Honestly, I loved her enough to actually give up piracy for the sake of the baby. Of course, I didn't want to admit that to myself or to her. Pirates weren't supposed to want children. It was far too dangerous for a child to be aboard a boat, anyway. Toddlers need constant attention. I could almost picture a child falling off the railing of the Pearl to be lost to Davy Jones' Locker. Of course I was apprehensive about the future! But that wasn't what she was asking me. Stupid twenty-first century views. Women weren't supposed to ask men how they felt in my time. Men were supposed to tell women how to feel. "A bi' shocked," I answered truthfully. "Bu' tha's really to be expected, isn' it? Not everyday ye learn the woman you love is bearing your child."
"Aye," she agreed, the faintest glimmer of relief visible in her absolutely gorgeous eyes. I could stare at those eyes for hours on end if I didn't have other duties to attend to. In fact, sometimes I almost felt like spouting poetry at her about her absolutely perfect eyes. Good thing I curbed that impulse. I'm a horrible poet, really. She smiled and gently touched my cheek below where it had been cut. "Thank you for being so understanding, Jack. I really wanted to tell you...but...well, I was afraid you didn't want children."
"I undoubtedly would've found out in a month or so," I commented with a teasing sort of smile. "And as for me not wanting children...pure lunacy, m'dear. Wha' man doesn't want a child t' carry on his name, then? It'd be a pity if the Sparrows died out 'cause o' me." I chuckled and pulled back a bit as her soft fingers neared the screaming break in my flesh that stupid cur Leroy had given me. Yeah...it hurt a lot. I couldn't block out pain as well when I was feeling rather emotionally charged. Funny how the mind can't really focus on doing two things at once, isn't it?
"Well, you are the most infamous pirate captain in the Caribbean," she pointed out. "It seems reasonable for me to assume tha' you don't want children because they'd put a hamper on your piracy." She smiled weakly. "I wouldn't want to do that, Jack. You can leave me at the next port an' I'll understand." Perhaps she misinterpreted my involuntary pull back from her hand.
Now, where in the world had she gotten that idea? I'd never do such a horrible thing! Abandoning my wife and future child? That was just...too evil. I'd been described as a gentleman pirate, after all, and a gentleman wouldn't do that with a woman he loved. No...he'd buy her a home and visit her on the side, if he was already married, or would marry the lass. I was tempted to marry her...but that was also incredibly frightening. If I was married...well, I couldn't visit other women, for one (of course, I didn't want to now, but that could change)and I wouldn't be able to consider myself truly free. Well, maybe I just had cold feet about the whole idea. Why should I bother giving her my last name? It really wasn't even my last name, after all. "I wouldn't do something like that," I said, surprising even myself with how forceful I'd been. Did I really feel that strongly? Well, apparently. Disgusting what love can do, isn't it?
"Oh," she replied, looking a lot less disappointed. "What are we going to do, then?" she asked a moment later after a very pregnant pause. This was hard...I hated thinking more than a week into the future. Why? Well, I was threatened with death so often sometimes I couldn't count on having more than a week's worth of time left on this round planet. Lame excuse, but it was all I had. The future terrified me...I was either going to meet a sticky end because of a gun or break my neck while attempting the hempen jig. There really were no other possibilities...at least that I wanted to think about. I could always succumb to some sort of illness (or, even worse, old age) in the near to far future. That wouldn't be a dignified way for a pirate to go.
I sighed softly and shrugged my shoulders. "I really don't know." I hated not having a clue about the future. Why? Because I'm supposed to be able to anticipate what's going to happen so I can make daring escapes and whatnot. "I suppose we jus' wait for the baby t' come."
"Duh." She rolled those beautiful eyes of hers at me and laughed slightly. "I'm not going to have an abortion. That's just cruel." Something about the way her voice danced in those words was terrifying me. Why? She sounded terrified herself. Was it because she had never had a baby before? Or was it because she thought I would still blow up at her? "I'm going to be a mother in about six and a half months, Jack." There it was again! That terror...
"It'll be all righ', luv," I said as I gently took her hand in mine. "I promise not t' let anythin' happen t' ye. In six an' a half months, I'll be the proud father of a child an' you'll be the proud mother an' maybe I'll give up piracy so we can live on land t'gether. A ship is no place for a baby."
"Really?" she asked. There almost seemed to be tears forming in her eyes. Was she sad at the thought of leaving the Pearl? Was she so overcome with joy that those were tears of happiness? Was she just being moody? Boy...this would be a unique experience. These six and a half months would not go by fast enough.
"Really," I confirmed. Did I want to? Not particularly. But I couldn't stand living without that bonny lass of mine. I'd go absolutely insane. "We'll find a nice place a month or so before the baby's born. Until then...well, ye should probably be careful around the ship. Wouldn' want somethin' t' happen t' ye."
"Okay," she replied meekly. Was I terrifying her? Goodness, this was all lunacy. I had no idea how to read her anymore. Not that I'd been very good at it before, mind you.
"Okay?" I'd never heard her say that word before. Odd, really, when you considered the fact she'd been with me for over two months now. "What does okay mean?" I asked after she stared at me blankly after nodding.
"All right." She looked rather perturbed that she'd said that word. "Look, Jack, you're not supposed t' know that phrase. It developed in one of the presidential elections in the mid 1800's. So...don't use it. I've been trying not to. Who knows how it would change the future?"
"Aye, well...luv, why would it change anythin' bu' this future? Clearly you din' come from the same future as is goin' t' be the case in a few hundred years from now. Alternate somethin' or other. If your future came from my past...well, it wouldn' work because I wasn' in the history books an' only exist in your time because of that blasted movie. I could say okay an' teach me crew t' say it an' it wouldn't matter."
"It could matter, Jack," she replied with a slight frown. "You never know if alternate realities have an effect on others. There could potentially be millions of universes where you exist and where you exist only in the movie and where you are just some sort of respectable guy that has a wife and five children already. It's impossible to know how you knowing the phrases and such from my century and reality will change your reality."
"I don' think it would," I replied with a slight smile. Wow...she contemplated things to death like I did! No wonder I found it so easy to be smitten with her! "Bu' I shall refrain from sayin' okay. Sound more intelligent sayin' all right, anyway."
"Yes," she agreed with an impish little smile dancing with the corners of her shapely mouth. She had very kissable lips, if I do say so myself. I would have a lot of experience kissing said lips, after all. Amazing I'd known her for so long and still hadn't gotten bored with her. She was unlike any woman I'd ever had before. The nymph dancing across her eyes abruptly turned into a tree, however, when she touched my cheek and I winced. Blasted Leroy! "Jack...you really should let Pork tend to those." She pointed at the mostly dry spots of blood on my shirt. It was amazing how I could get people forget that I was in pain, eh?
"I should," I agreed, glancing down myself. I really did look horrible. Ah well...more scars to talk about when I was forced to retire in a few months. No one would forget Captain Jack Sparrow, if I had anything to say about it. "An' I will. You get some rest, though, luv." Now I was ordering her about again...bah. What was my problem? She wasn't suddenly fragile, now that I knew she was with child. She wasn't about to break.
"I will," she replied with a smile, gently bringing my hand up to her lips and kissing away some of the smaller cuts. It was reminiscent of how she'd saved my life that dreadful day I'd tried to annihilate myself because I didn't belong in the future. Of course, it wasn't a voluntary act...what if something similar happened to her? She could have a double...well, no, she would've gone terribly cold already. Obviously she was meant to be in my time period and my universe.
CrazyPirateGirl: I'm just glad you've gotten use of your computer back. It'd suck, being grounded from the computer for so long. Glad to see you back! Thank you for the constant support!
Lady Saxon: They're starting filming for PotC 2 in March. If they can get over the squabbles about cannibals and Keith Richards. Long story. Anyway, they should be starting filming soon. And it should be out in theaters in July of 2006. Six months after that, the rumor is that the third one will hit theaters. Rather spiffy, knowing that they'll be coming out so soon...it'll make up for this torture of waiting now. And thanks for the review, Kess.
sunkist3208: You think the whole not having a name thing is bothering you? Think about how I feel...I have to try and distinguish between which females I'm referring to, a lot of the time. But she can't have a name. She is pregnant, but she isn't Sheila. Sorry. She's representative of all the crazy obsessed Pirates fans...which is why she can't have a name.
Yes, our Tybalt was a girl. A rather ditzy girl who also played Glinda in the Wizard of Oz. Romeo an' Juliet is quite interesting...I like Macbeth better, though. Because it has the Weird Sisters. I wanna be one of the Weird Sisters when I grow up. After I finish being a hobo.
Thanks for the cookie! And the review, too.
Jack: Of course cats have venom...have you ever been scratched by one and the scratch got all puffy and red-like? No...that was an abstract analogy that didn't really work, apparently.
You don't have to pay for Really, you don't. If you want to, you can pay to have enhanced statistics...but the overall thing is free. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing because I'm a poor person.
The name Pork was completely random. Well, not really. We had pork that night for dinner.
And of course I leave little hints in my chapters...Jack sometimes just doesn't notice 'em, though. Glad you enjoyed the last one and I hope you like this rather boring one...it'll get better in a hurry, trust me.
DarkAngelPearl: Well, apparently Jack's going to retire. I don't think that will really happen...but those are his plans. Keep that in mind as you read the next chapter I'm just about to start working on. I'm sorry it took me so long...school has been absolutely horrible, lately, and I've had a bajillion things to do lately...but thanks for the review!
Johnny'shumiliatedgrape: I agree with the French sometimes, too. Their cheese is rather tastey. Well, some of it. Not all of it. Some of it smells and tastes like barf.
Actually, it wouldn't be J'amore Johnny. That's saying I love (using the Italian word for love) Johnny. It'd be J'aime Johnny. I took three years of French. I can't remember much more than Tu es un couchon (you are a pig) and J'aime Johnny. And maybe J'ai faim. (I have hunger.)
Yeah...not having a name for the lass is getting to be a hassle. I can see why you thought Pork was calling her a baby. And don't worry...I've got something rather unexpected in store with Jack's bonny lass and the baby...an' it will involve them meeting up with a newly married Will and Elizabeth. Which should be interesting...depending on my mood.
Single Awareness Day is silly...but I got fudge from my mum, so it was all good. -nods-
It might be your job to leave reviews, but a lot of people don't...so, thank you again! It makes me all happy and fuzzy and yeah inside. I wouldn't keep writing if I didn't keep getting encouragement...my self esteem isn't so grand. Thanks for the uber long and very snazzy and entertaining review!
orcachick2005: She does know she's pregnant. She was trying to tell him earlier...silly goose was afraid to tell Jack. Of course, he is a pirate and pirates probably didn't like knowing when they were going to be fathers...
Yeah...it was rather gross, wasn't it, my description of brains...and I said he's usually not violent. Of course, he was provoked in my story and he was provoked in your story...so, in both cases, his violence is 'excusable'. And you'd better update your story soon. Or I'll eat you up. Or stop updating myself in protest. And I should read about Sweeney Todd...the song is very interesting and rather similar to Jack. Especially since Jack is an obsessive neat freak in my stories. Just an added quirk...he probably is rather messy. And I think it would be smashing if you killed everyone at the end of your story.
As for the ending...generally, when I start a new story, I have no idea what's going to happen. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. And sometimes I just want to include one particular scene so I write a whole bunch of fluff leading up to it. Anyway, that's why I've abandoned Death of a Blacksmith...I don't know what I want to say. Sure, Will will kill himself...but so? Jack's already long gone and is just a figment of Will's memory...very depressing indeed. But you need to keep writing...when you write, you get a clearer idea...sometimes I drop hints for ideas I don't consider until way later. Not very often. But sometimes.
Of course Jack had to kill Leroy. I couldn't bear to kill that infamous captain off...I've done it twice already and it was very depressing. Besides, there would be a mob of angry fanfic readers at my door if I killed him off. Better...er...well, you know what's going to happen. I explained it all. Of course, she had the name of Elise in that one RP...
Thanks for the song and the review! You get a loverly unicorn plushie that plays "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in a high-pitched squealy sort of way. You are such an inspiration to me!
