Jake felt his stomach turn as his feet once again hit the soil of the land that had claimed the love of his life. With his mother and father at his side, he didn't feel as horrible as he knew he would if he were alone. Things were certainly different in town today. Everything was calmer; people were no longer skittish or rude, and there seemed to be an air of…happiness. Whatever had been going on during Jake's original trip was long over.
Jack noticed a change in his son's breathing. It was shallow, shaky. He put his hand on Jake's shoulder and said, "This is wha' ye need t' do, lad…an' yer not alone, remember tha'."
Loralei, who was holding Jackie close to her, asked, "Where do we need to go, sweetie?"
"It happened in the woods," Jake said sadly. He looked at his parents. "Thank ye fer comin' with me."
Jack smiled. "S'what parents are for."
The three of them began to walk, Jackie's eyes taking in many faces around her, but not seeming focused on any of them. They didn't get very far along their trek before fate changed their course. They were passing one of the local taverns when Jake froze mid step, almost falling over.
"Jake?" Loralei asked. Her voice sounded miles away to him. "Jacob?"
"Nicolette?" His voice cracked.
"Jake?" Jack's voice sounded just as distant as his mother's.
"It's…it's her." He walked toward the window of the tavern. He saw only a woman's profile, and only for a moment, but he knew it was her – it had to be.
"Jack, maybe this isn't the best idea," Loralei whispered.
Jake snapped out of his daze and looked at his father, panicked. "Dad, it's Nic! She's in there!"
Jack had, of course, seen things far more unbelievable in his time, so he didn't doubt what his son saw – or at least thought he saw. "O.K., lad, calm down. Why don' we jus' wait a few minutes an' see if she come out, hm? No use stormin' in there all up in arms." Scared that he could be wrong, Jake nodded…and waited.
Fifteen minutes later, the young woman exited the tavern, and Loralei gasped. She watched her son run to the woman she instantly recognized.
"Nic!" Jake's eyes welled with tears.
The young woman stood, stunned. "J…Jake?"
"Jesus, I thought… I can' believe you're alive!"
"Jake, I…you…you're alive as well." She felt her heart fall to her feet.
Jack stepped up, sensing that if he didn't, this conversation would take on a circular pattern. "Ye both thought the other was dead?"
"Jack?" Nic's eyes were wide.
He tipped his hat. "Aye, lass."
"Jake, I…" Nic's words were cut short when a dark haired man approached her.
"Love, are you…Oh, hello." He smiled at the three people around his wife.
"Love?" The word left Jake's mouth as though it had killed him.
"Not good," Jack muttered under his breath.
"Jacob, I…Oh, God…"
Noel's eyes widened. "Jacob? As in Jacob…Delmone?"
"Aye…" Jake said slowly. "Well, Sparrow now," he added, as if it mattered at the moment.
"Sparrow?"
"Long story," Jack said. "Not important now." He finally took in all of the situation before him. There was more than just a man in Nic's life.
"You're…alive," Noel said, his face blank.
"Who are you?" Jake asked, his voice desperate.
Nic's lower lip trembled. "He's my husband," she said, her voice suddenly hoarse.
Finally everything else sunk in. Jake noticed the slight bulge in Nic's stomach. She was with child. Her husband's child. "Yer wed? An' havin' a…" He fought with every ounce of strength in his body, but couldn't keep a few tears from falling.
"I thought you were dead, Jake," she said calmly. "Wasn't I supposed to move on?"
His heart aching, he said, "I didn'."
"I repeat, not good," Jack said.
"This isn't going to be resolved quickly," Noel said.
"What is there t' resolve?" Jake asked, his temper beginning to rise from beneath the hurt.
Noel looked at Jake, his face showing compassion. "Quite a bit, I believe. Unless you can walk away from her right now and be perfectly fine."
Jack looked at the man, Nicolette's husband, and was blunt. "Who are ye? I mean, wha's yer name?"
"Noel Harstone." He smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Sparrow."
Jack was taken aback by Noel's demeanor. "Heard o' me, eh?"
"Who hasn't?" He eyed Loralei and the infant in her arms. "I'm almost caught up," he said, approaching her. "You are?"
"Loralei Sparrow, Jack's wife." She saw Noel's eyes flitter down to her daughter. "Jacqueline," she said without be asked.
"Beautiful," Noel commented. "Both of you."
"Well, thank ye," Jack said, "but I'm thinkin' that me wife an' daughter's looks aren' the issue at hand."
"Right. Why don't we all go back to my and Nicolette's home and talk all of this through, hm?"
"Talk?" Jake said. "Wha' the hell is talkin' goin' t' solve?"
"Jake, please?" Nic's eyes pleaded with him.
Jake had never told Nic "no" before – today was no exception. Before he realized it, he was in a carriage with his parents, baby sister, former lover…and her husband.
When Nic's new home came into view, the silence was overwhelming. It wasn't until they were standing in front of the doors to the castle that Jack spoke up. "Noel, did ye, maybe leave somethin' out o' yer name?"
Noel blushed slightly, but Nic was the one to speak. "He's a prince…"
"…in title and wealth only," Noel added, not realizing that he wasn't helping things. "I don't rule over anything."
"A prince?" Jake asked, his face pale. "At least you traded up," he added, sounding cruel.
"Jake, I don't understand how you can be angry at me? Why can't you be happy that I'm…that you're…that we're alive?"
"Because it shouldn' be like this! If we're alive, then we're s'posed t' be together!" He started to sob. "We're not – an' ye didn' care! I've been mournin' ye for over a year an' yer married t' a prince an' havin' 'is child!" He fell to his knees. "Why am I here now?"
"Because you love her," Noel said softly. "And she loves you as well. Do you think she hasn't mourned? Do you think she hasn't spent days and nights sobbing? Do you think she hasn't talked about you time and time again? She has never once forgotten you – and I have never replaced you. I simply helped her to move on with her life. It's been over a year, just as you said. This is not cut and dry and that is why you're here." Noel looked at the faces around him. "We should all rest a bit – and then I believe the two of you need to speak alone."
Jack agreed with Noel. "I think tha's in everyone's best interest." He helped his son to his feet and everyone walked inside. Noel had rooms prepared for his guests and soon everyone was doing his or her best to take in the situation at hand.
Jack and Loralei sat silently on their bed. A cradle had been put in the room for Jackie and she was sleeping soundly, unaware of the drama rocking her brother's life. Loralei had tears running down her face and made no move to wipe them away. Jack , however, did wipe them away with his thumb and kissed her cheek.
"It's just…cruel," Loralei whispered. "They were so happy when we met them…"
"I know, love." Jack sighed deeply. "I can' imagine wha's goin' on inside 'im righ' now. If it were me an' you…I'd 'ave no problems facin' the gallows."
Jake himself was sitting on his balcony, staring out over the land, emotionally raw and exhausted.
Nicolette was in her bedroom, Noel at her side. "This isn't right," she said. "Things weren't supposed to be this way." She looked at her husband. "I couldn't be happier that he's alive, but now…"
Noel offered, "I know that you still love him – I was fully aware that you'd never stop."
"But he's here now, Noel! And as soon as I saw him, I wanted to kiss him."
"So, why didn't you?" His tone wasn't accusatory, but honestly curious.
"Because…I'm your wife." She put her hands on her stomach. "I'm having your child."
"Go talk to him. Be alone with him. If I intervened with fate…" He took her hands. "I love you."
