Usual disclaimers… boo hoo!

Chapter 26 – Reunions at the Cove

It took a while longer to reach the cove with the children than it had for Jack and Jacob to walk from it the day before, but in a short time Jack led his family and Mark across the sand, grinning at the crew waiting for them with both of the ship's boats. Henry broke out into a broad grin and dashed up the beach to embrace the family, closely followed by Lucas, Gethin and Paul.

"Blimey, Bessie! You're fat!" Henry laughed, taking Emily from her and passing the child to Lucas before hugging her carefully.

"I've still a few weeks to go," Bessie assured him.

"Twins?" Henry gasped, standing back and staring at her.

"More than likely," Bessie smiled, turning to be hugged by the other pirates.

"Who's this?" Gethin asked, turning to look at Mark.

"Mark," she explained. "He is a friend and is joining us…"

For a moment, Gethin stared at the other man, before glancing to Jack who nodded. He shrugged. "Well, let's get you all on board…" He reached down, picking up Henrietta. "You first, Hetty!" he grinned, picking her up and putting her into the bobbing boat. She spotted Jem on board the ship and jumped up, waving enthusiastically.

"Sit!" Bessie shouted, fearful that the would fall in as the boat bobbed alarmingly. "We'll be there soon enough."

She accepted Jack's hand as he helped her into the other boat, Lucas handing her Emily. She could hear Joshamee shouting to Jem and Jacob to rig a bosun's chair for her. There was no way she would be climbing on board in her condition.

Jack smiled, noting her pale and grip the sides of the boat as they rowed towards Bessie's Revenge. "Yer know, one day yer are goin' t' have t' learn to swim…" he reminded her.

"I don't know," she replied, looking fearfully at the water, remembering all too clearly when Mark had thrown her from the sinking Jolly Maid.

"Yer've put it off long enough," Jack retorted, standing to reach for the bosun's chair as the boat bumped against the hull of the ship. "Once th' babies are born, yer are learning… an' th' matter isn't open fer discussion!"

"But…" she protested.

"But nothin'," he countered, helping her into the chair. "I nearly lost yer all when th' Jolly Maid went down…" he reminded her. "An' if yer are t' live on board…"

"On board?" she spluttered, looking down at him in surprise as the chair inched towards the deck.

"Aye," he said, as her feet disappeared from view. Soon her face peered back down at him as he helped Pearl climb up. "I'm not lettin' yer out of m' sight ever again!" Once all of the children were on board, he climbed up too, taking Bessie's hands in his as he stood before her. "I'm not lettin' th' likes of Corbin ever get their hands on yer!"

"But how…" she began.

Jack slipped a hand from hers, putting two fingers to her lips. "Ssshh," he said, smiling softly at her. "I have a plan…"

"You have a…" She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him, fearful of yet another of his hare-brained plots.

"Bessie!" Joshamee interrupted, striding across the deck towards her and embracing her warmly before turning to Jack. "We've rigged th' master cabin with a number of hammocks," he said, "and a surprise…" He could not keep the grin from his face.

"A surprise?" Jack frowned, wondering what his quartermaster had been up to.

"Well," Joshamee said, taking Bessie's hand and leading her towards the master cabin. "When we heard you were all safe, and were going to be coming back t' us…" He opened the door, the smell of fresh-cut timber wafting towards them. He looked to Jack. "We.. um… made a few small improvements…"

Jack walked in to the cabin, cautiously looking around, before bursting into laughter. "A few small ones?" he smiled. "More like one big one!"

Bessie looked around her with surprise, never having been on board before. The cabin was surprisingly spacious – or would have been but for the number of hammocks that had clearly been readied for the children. She turned to see what Jack was laughing at, finally realising where the smell of wood had come from. Clearly the old bunk had been extended and now closely resembled a double bed in size.

"We figured Bessie would need th' extra space," he reasoned, grinning to Lucas who crowded with the others in the doorway, Mark standing to one side, unsure how to react to the clear delight of the pirates at seeing Bessie and the children again.

"I get a hammock!" Tabitha crowed, counting that there were five hanging on the port side of the cabin, opposite the bunk.

"I'll get t' work on a small bunk for Fanny an' Milly," Lucas offered, brushing the sawdust from his clothes. Clearly he had only just finished on the bunk and had worked throughout the night.

"Lucas, it's wonderful!" Bessie smiled, turning to hug him. "But you look like you need sleep! The little ones can sleep with me for a night or so…"

"Are yer sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure," she said, hugging him again for good measure. "Now get to your hammock before Jack finds some work for you…"

"Who's Captain 'ere?" Jack growled good-naturedly. Lucas paused by the door. "Get t' yer hammock!" Jack ordered. "Yer can work on th' rest of it when yer've slept." Lucas sped from the cabin, whilst the others waited for their orders.

"Where to, Captain?" Joshamee asked.

"Th' Isla de Muerta," Jack replied, patting the compass at his hip. "Mark here used t' be helm on th' Jolly Maid an' has been working th' rigging on various ships fer th' last six months… use 'im where yer will."

"Captain," he nodded, indicating for Mark, Jacob and the rest of the crew to leave Jack and his family alone, ensuring the cabin doors were firmly shut behind him.