Sibling Rivalry III

Age: 49

I was once again aboard the Black Pearl. The last time was only a year ago for Jack's birthday. Now, however, I was there for a different birthday.

Jack, who I never figured as the settling–down type, was going to be a father. At the moment, he was pacing in front of his cabin's door. As he did so, screaming could be heard from within. The voice causing the screaming was releasing more expletives than I thought existed. I cringed at the pain she was in, which was evident through the curses.

A worried expression crossed my brother's face. Another string of anguished expletives emitted from his First Mate, then all became silent. The echoing silence was broken by a baby's crying.

A sigh escaped the Captain's lips; and in the blink of an eye, he was at the door to his cabin. A little too close, apparently. A few moments later, the midwife came out of said door, opening it right in his face.

In her arms was a squirming bundle, wrapped in a small blanket. Its crying was constant. None of my children cried that loudly. Well, Lily was close. But she was still outcried by the newborn in the midwife's arms. The woman held the baby out to Jack, who was still rubbing his sore nose. He took the tiny child from her.

The midwife's expression was out of place in such a joyous moment. A silent tear slid down her cheek. Worry filled me at the sight. Looking back to Jack, he seemed not to notice anything but his precious miracle.

'What're you goin' t' name 'er?" The midwife quickly wiped the tear away as she addressed my brother.

He looked up at that. Pure...elation filled his eyes. "Her? So we've got a baby girl." He thought for a moment on it. "I want Ana to help name her. Is she awake?" The eager glint in his eyes caused hers to erupt in a wave of tears. Jack appeared confused. "Wha's wrong?" I, however, understood completely.

"Anamaria didn't make it, did she?" Dread filled my words. I only knew the pirate woman briefly, yet still I felt the loss. I couldn't even begin to imagine what Jack, her lover, must have felt.

"Tha's no' i'. I know it. She ain't dead." He held the tiny babe to his chest as he hurried to the cabin he shared with his First Mate. He all but slammed the door open in his haste, forgetting to close it behind him. He was by her limp form before I had even made it to the door. I just stood there, watching him talk to his dead lover.

"We've go' a baby girl. She looks just like you. What should her name be?" He showed the newborn to the blind eyes of her mother. "Ana? Remember when we first met? I knew you were a woman. From the moment I laid eyes on ye. Know what else? I knew you were meant for me. We were destined for each other. It can't be over yet. I need ye. I can't raise our little angel all by me onsies. I need your help. 'Sides, yer the best First Mate a Captain could ask for."

With the baby in one arm, he lifted the covers and slid beside Anamaria. He pulled her paled form into his arms, Ana on left side, baby on his right. "Ana..." His breath hitched from barely restrained anguish. "Anamaria? Please wake up" this time a bawl did escape. "Wake up an' tell me you were jus' playin'. Slap me fer bein' a daft fool. Please... Tell them yer fine. Call 'em all daft idiots fer thinkin' yer dead. You can't be dead. I need you h..." Another sob cut him off. "I need you here. The Pearl needs you."

I didn't want to see my brother fall apart right in front of me. I didn't want to bare witness to the strongest, most stubborn man I knew breaking down. But someone had to watch. Someone had to make sure he didn't do something stupid.

I'm sure he'd have rather had me there than one of his crew.

He began rocking her back and forth in his arms. "Ana. Yer freezin. Yer gonna get sick. And you complain when I stay too long at the helm in the cold. You can't get sick. 'M no' as good a nurse as you. 'Sides... The Pearl''ll miss you if you go away. I''ll miss you. I love you. I don' think I say tha' enough." He sniffled, tears still streaming from his eyes. "I'll tell you what... you come back... you wake up an' I'll tell ye how much I love you every day." His voice cracked at the end, finally stopping completely from the power of the sobs racking his body.

I moved quickly beside the bed to take the baby before she got hurt. As I tried to lift the infant from his arms, he pulled back as if he'd been burned. "No!" The loud noise, coupled with the sudden motion, caused the newborn to cry loud enough to be heard across the ship during a thunderstorm. Luckily, there was no thunder. I doubt my poor ears could handle that, too. I could hardly handle the baby's noise. "Yer not takin' 'er, too." He shushed the baby, rocking her and her mother gently. She quieted down, settling into a light slumber.

"I didn't take Anamaria from you. I'm not trying to take your daughter from you, either." Not that he was listening. He was still rocking mother and child, softly singing sea shanties to them. "Jack... I'm... sorry for Ana's death. But you have to move on. For her... For your baby... For the Pearl."

His eyes shone an angry amber. "First off: Ana's just sleepin'. She's just tired from givin' birth t' this little one. Second: I'm Captain here. I don' 'ave t' do anything, or move anywhere I don' wan t'. And third: ANA AIN' DEAD!" He hissed the last part at me, afraid of waking the baby.

I couldn't think of anything to say to that. How could I convince my little brother that his lover... the mother of his child... is dead. Honestly? I was afraid. Afraid that if he found out, in the state he was in... that he'd try to follow her. Jack never was the most reasonable...

"You're right. She's had a trying time. It was a rough delivery. She needs her rest. They both do. Why don't we let Ana sleep and give this little treasure to the midwife?" I was growing tired of thinking up things to call Jack's child so I added "First, though, you'll need to come up with a name for her." I gestured to the child in his arms. AS he opened his mouth to argue, I cut him off. "Think of something now, then you can run it by Ana when she wakes up. If she doesn't like it, you can change it." That seemed to pacify Jack a bit at least. He calmed down. He carefully extracted himself from his First Mate.

"Alrigh'. 'Ow about 'Marianne'? Anamaria and Marianne. The two most important ladies in my life." As he stood, a wave nearly made him fall back onto the bed. "The Pearl's second t' none in me heart. Thought you knew tha'." It took me a moment to realize that he was talking to the ship. It did seem as if the ship intentionally tripped my brother for ignoring it. Maybe there's something to the stories he tells, after all.

"Speakin' of me Pearl, I better get back to 'er helm." He handed little Marianne to me as he headed for the cabin door. He strode purposefully towards the helm and, I hoped, the rest of a long life.

I'd already seen more death than I cared to... I definitely did not need to add my brother to that ever–increasing list...

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This was supposed to be SRIV, but I couldn't think of anything for SRIII, so I gave up. SRVI (as it was originally going to be) will now be SRIV, unless anyone else can think of a plot for the missing episodes...

As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy... I don't know what to fix if I don't know what's wrong, so Constructive criticism is very welcome... (The nicer you are about it, the more I'll listen.)