Usual disclaimers

With thanks to Orli's Hot Chick, Mrs. Depp, Rose Pearl, Cap'n of the Deep (welcome back!), Miss Sophia, Pendragginink (pay attention, woman!), A Depp Girl, Hils and special mention goes to Kat Carvell and johnny'shumiliatedgrape whom I forgot to thank for the last chapter – sorry guys!

Orli's Hot Chick, sending out author alerts is nothing to do with me. If you have me on your AA list, ffnet sends out an email automatically.

Chapter Eleven: 'Never thought I'd see Patience Riley - Connelly, kissin' me ship…'

Patience sat on a rock at the entrance to the cave and waited for her friends to arrive, fighting down the urge to run down the hill and meet them. She looked up and smiled as her husband sat next to her, their daughter asleep in his arms.

'Patience! Shay!' Olabisi called, waving to them as the party of six crewmen appeared from out of the thicket.

'Bisi!' she cried in delight, running towards them and throwing her arms about the gangly black man.

'Ah, it's good t'see ya both,' he beamed, hugging her and shaking Shay's hand as he reached them and looking at the baby which his friend cradled carefully in his free arm.

'Who are th'other's?' Dan Woods asked, taking in Francine and the two men and a woman with two small children clinging to her skirts, huddled by the mouth of the cave, looking warily at the pirates.

'My kin,' Shay replied. 'Th'invasion o' th'Irish so to speak,' he grinned, beckoning his family to join them.

'Gawd help us!' Ben Watson teased from the back of the group, hugging Patience as she dashed from man to man, embracing each of them in delight.

'Are we safe ter leave?' she asked, eager to get away from their temporary home.

'We'll be safe,' Bisi assured her. 'That's why there's a few of us come ter escort ya,'

'What th'hell are we waitin' for? Let's go,' she urged, taking Erin from Shay's arms so he could carry their meagre belongings.

The men spread out along the line of refugees and escorted them down the track to the outskirts of the town, all with swords drawn. Sive held tightly to her sons' hands and huddled closer to Finan, her husband, as the group drew curious and baleful glances from the shadows. Francine, walking next to Olabisi, pulled a face as they passed the ruins of the Tortuga Arms, shuddering as to what might have happened if the attack had come whilst she was working there. Patience stared defiantly back at the shadows, daring anyone to try anything.

She pushed between Shay and Luke, patting her daughter's back as the child gurgled. 'An' ya wonder why I hate th'Navy,'she said quietly to the ex-naval man. 'They did this twice ter me before I was ten.'

'Pirates bring as much misery to law abiding folk,' Luke reminded her. 'So I supppose it evens itself out in a peverse sort of way.'

Patience looked at him, wondering whether to argue the point or not, but then she caught sight of the Black Pearl as they turned the final corner. 'At last!' she sighed. 'Where were ya all while this was goin' on?'

'Attacking a naval base in the Cayman Isles,' Ben informed her.

'What?' Luke exclaimed. 'Why?'

'I'm sure th'captain will tell ya all about it soon enough,' John Williams put in.

'I take it it's to do with the new Commodore?' Luke asked.

'Yes, all to do with him,' the ship's cook sighed. 'All to do with him…'

Joshamee Gibbs paced the deck of the Black Pearl, keen to see the woman he regarded as an adopted daughter once more. He grinned as he saw two boats heading for the ship and ordered the bosun's chair to be rigged, frowning with bewilderment as he saw more people than he was expecting – including two extra women.

'Patience, pet! You're safe,' he called, waving to her over the side and catching the mooring line as Shay threw it up.

'Come on, Sive, in ye get,' Shay smiled reassuringly at his brother's wife as he helped her and her eldest son, Muiris, into the chair.

'Will it be safe?' she worried, glancing at Finan.

'Perfectly,' Shay assured her. 'They won't drop ye.' He picked Evin up and carried the child alongside the bosun's chair as it was lifted to the deck and handed him to the quartermaster, who looked aghast but did not have chance to protest before the Irishman disappeared back down the side of the ship.

'Will ya take Erin?' Patience asked when he reached the boat once more.

'Yer not goin' up th'chair?' he asked, taking his daughter and cradling her carefully.

'I can climb,' she retorted. 'Just hold th'bloody boat steady…'

'All right, cailin,' he grinned, using his weight to keep the boat on an even keel.

Patience reached for the ladder, pausing half way up to kiss the ship before climbing steadily on.

'Bloody 'ell,' came Jack's laconic voice from the rail. 'Never thought I'd see Patience Riley - Connelly, kissin' me ship…'

'I'm so happy I'd even kiss you!' she retorted as she clambered onto the deck, a big grin on her face. 'But Jenny'd have me hide.'

'She ain't here,' he hinted, grinning back and hugging her. 'Glad yer safe, minx.'

'But Shay is,' Patience chuckled, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the cheek. 'Thanks Jack.'

'So, are yer goin' ter introduce us?' he drawled once everyone was on board.

'Ah, these are my kin,' Shay smiled. 'Me older brother Finan an' his wife, Sive an' their two nippers. Me little brother Lanty, who incidently wants ter join th'crew, an' last but definitely not least, me daughter Erin,' he smiled tenderly holding the placid baby up for all to see.

Jack smiled benignly as he looked at the child. 'Ya know Jenny's pregnant again?'

'Yes, Luke told us,' Patience grinned. 'I was hopin' she'd be on board.'

'Nah,' Jack sighed. 'There's a good reason fer that. Come down ter my cabin an' I'll fill ya in.'

Shay's brothers held back, unsure if they would be welcome until Jack beckoned to them as well. 'Come on, you're goin' ter be livin' an' workin' here, you'll need ter know as well,' Jack told them as he lead the way down the steps to his cabin.

'Come in, Shay,' Jack called from his chair in the lamplit cabin. He had asked his friend to join him when Patience had settled to sleep, wanting to talk about the future. After seeing the destruction of Tortuga, he had planned on going straight to live in Tortola on the Virgin Isles once they had picked Jenny up, but the arrival of Shay's kin had changed everything.

The young Irishman ambled across the cabin and sat opposite his captain, reaching for a bottle of rum that had been placed on the table for him. 'We've buggered yer plans up, haven't we?'

'Slightly,' Jack admitted with a rueful smile. 'But maybe it'll work out all right, stayin' at Newcastle. What does Fin do?'

'He's a stableman – th'best in County Claire,' Shay boasted proudly. 'He should be able ter find work easily enough at one of th'plantations.'

'Aye, he should,' Jack agreed. 'But if we have to go to Tortola, there might not be much work fer him there.'

'Would they have ter come with us? They could settle anywhere an' be safe,' Shay argued. 'They don't have ter come with us.'

'Until you become captain of this ship…'

'There are enough Irish out here not to raise suspicion. So ye mean ter go through with yer plan? Me an' Patience had wondered if ye might have changed yer mind.'

Jack shook his head, the beads swinging gently from side to side. 'No, but I won't relinquish th'helm until Beauchamp is well an' truly dealt with. However, now that yer here, you will be party to any decision makin'. Your trainin' starts now.'

'Aye, Cap'n,' Shay nodded solemnly, a mixture of relief, elation and terror coursing through his blood. 'So, will they all be safe in Newcastle? Ye say there is still a ship patrollin' th'area.'

'I honestly don't know.' Jack sighed, running a hand across his bandana. 'All I want is fer Jen an' our child ter be safe, but everywhere I choose is th'least safe place in th'bleedin' world.'

'What about a Spanish territory? Jenny's half Spanish isn't she? She would be all right.'

'Aye, but th'Pearl is far too well known by th'Spanish, and th'French, and th'Dutch. I thought with Charlestown being such a small base, that we would be all right there - then bloody Beauchamp shows up an' I'm screwed yet again.'

'So what next?' Shay enquired. 'Are ye goin' ter meet up with th'brotherhood as arranged?'

Jack sighed again. The next meeting had been arranged for the following week, and although their meeting place, the Faithful Bride, was still standing, Jack knew that no-one would feel especially safe in the ruined town, even with guards on the hills above the harbour.

'I don't have much choice,' he shrugged. 'At least we have your accounts of what happened an' we can pass it on to th'others. But they're goin' ter want to hit back at Port Royal an' I suspect that is what th'Commodore wants us ter do.'

'So we have ter persuade them otherwise?'

'Aye,' Jack smiled, noting Shay's automatic use of the word 'we'. 'Though gawd knows how.'

'Have ye learned nothin' of th'Irish tongue?' Shay laughed, putting the stopper back in his bottle after taking a large swig from it.

'We're goin' ter need all the glib words ya have,' Jack smiled. 'Go on, back to yer wife an' babe.'

'We'll talk them 'round, you'll see,' the younger man assured his friend.

'Maybe, mate. Maybe…'

Mid May

'Gawd! It seems a bloody long time since we were here,' Patience said as she stood on the deck and looked out on the harbour of Newcastle.

'Aye, cailin, it does that. I can't wait ter see Jenny again.'

'Me neither,' she grinned. 'I wonder how big she is – how far between th'two nippers there'll be?'

'It's moutainous!' Fin exclaimed as he looked out over the terrain. 'Plenty of horses here then,' he grinned.

'Th'town at least is flat,' Shay informed his brother. 'But ye probably won't be livin' there.'

'We're not goin' to be too far away from ye an' Patience, are we?' Sive asked worriedly. The two women had grown close over the months and Sive did not fancy being on her own in a strange place.

'Hopefully not,' Shay smiled, hoping to reassure his sister-in-law. But he doubted they would find anything around Newcastle and would probably have to move closer to Charlestown, some five miles away.

'That's good,' she smiled uncertainly. She had not really wished to move away from her homeland, but Finan had wanted a better life for them, especially their eldest but sickly son, Muiris, and so she had agreed to up sticks and move to a totally different place, away from her friends and family.

'Don't worry, ye'll still see us wherever ye are,' Shay smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders.

'Of course ya will,' Patience agreed. 'Yer'll be sick of th'sight of us!'

'I doubt that,' Sive smiled turning to look again at what might be their home.

'Cap'n Sparrow! It's good ter see ya,' Tom smiled as Jack entered the kitchen of his house.

'Thanks Tom. Where's Jenny?'

'Havin' a lie down – she finds it tirin' now.'

'I'll go up quietly then.'

'Aye, Cap'n.'

Jack crept into the bedroom, smiling to himself at the sight of Jenny lying on her side, her swollen belly spilling out in front of her.

Jenny woke with a start and blinked her eyes until they focused on Jack hovering over her.

'Hello, luv,' he smiled, the smile being wiped off his face by a stinging blow.

'You bastard!' she spat, struggling to get up. 'How dare you come in here all sweetness and light, you sneaking little bastard!'

'Wha…?' Jack backed away from the bed as Jenny managed to get herself upright. 'Jen, I didn't mean ter… Jen!' He ducked as a beaker of water came hurtling towards him, smashing on the wall behind.

'How dare you! Sneaking off like a thief in the night. Do you have any idea what I have been going through? Do you?'

'I know I shouldn't have done that – I'm sorry…'

'Stuff your bloody apologies. Get out! Now!'

'But Jen…'

'Now!' she shrieked, advancing on him.

'All right, all right - I'll go,' he conceded, disappearing out of the door before Jenny could throw anything else at him.

'Mebbe I should've warned ya that she was very upset when ya left…' Tom chuckled as Jack fled through the kitchen and out of the back door, slamming it shut behind him.

'Look, th'captain's comin' back!' Ben Watson announced, pointing at the lone figure rowing the ship's boat towards them. 'Hope nothing's happened.'

'I should've gone with him,' Patience worried, hoping that her friend was all right.

Jack climbed the rope quickly and took her to one side once he reached the deck. 'I erm... have a favour ter ask,' he said once they were out of earshot of everyone.

'Ya ain't getting' out o'buying me an house,' she cautioned, a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

'No, no! In fact, if ya help me out I might just buy ya a mansion,' he joked, grinning sheepishly.

'Anyone'd think yer in trouble,' Patience chuckled, thoroughly enjoying his obvious discomfort.

'I am,' Jack replied ruefully. 'Th'last time I was home, I snuck away without sayin' goodbye ter Jen an' she's a little angry with me. She's spittin' feathers in fact!'

'A little angry?' She raised an eyebrow sceptically. 'I'm surprised yer still alive!'

'If she wasn't so big, I doubt I would be!' he admitted. 'Will ya come an' talk her round for me, please?'

'What d'yer think I can do?' Patience frowned.

'Talk to her! She won't listen to a word I say. Besides, she'll be that pleased ter see ya, she might forget about being angry with me… please,' he begged, looking winsomely at her.

'An' what will yer do ter make up fer it?' Patience asked sternly, getting immense pleasure at having her erstwhile nemesis at her mercy. 'I have ter have somethin' ter offer in yer defence!'

'I thought it wouldn't upset Jen so much not sayin' goodbye face ter face - I thought it might be easier for her,' Jack argued desperately.

'Well ya know different now. All right, let's think about this - ya promise never ter do so again?'

'I swear I won't,' he replied in earnest. 'So you'll help then?'

'I'll see, but I can't promise anythin' mind. P'raps I should just give her a big broom an' let her beat ya!'

'Eh?' Jack exclaimed. 'That was a joke, right?' he asked, a worried look on his face.

'Yer th'one grovellin'... Patience taunted.

'You're enjoyin' this, aren't ya?' Jack sighed ruefully.

'P'raps she'll ask me ter beat ya instead – being as she's so big.' she said, a teasing grin on her face.

Jack blanched, a small smile on his face. 'I think I'd rather let Jenny do it…'

'Coward!' she chuckled. 'All right, I'll see what I can do, but only as ye are lettin' us all stay at yer house until we find somewhere.'

'Come on then,' Jack urged, ushering her towards the side of the ship. 'Before she has chance ter gather her strength up! Will yer lass be all right on board?'

'Aye, until she needs feeding. Shay an' Sive can cope between 'em until then.' Patience climbed down to the boat after Jack, clinging to the sides as she still felt anxious about falling in. But to her relief, they made it to the wharf without mishap and she soon had her feet on dry land once more.

Jack pushed open the door to the kitchen, peering around nervously before entering. 'Jen!' he called. 'Are ya still here luv?'

'Where the bloody hell do you expect me to be? Nassau Port?' came her angry voice from the sitting room.

'You'd likely be speared as a whale,' Patience called out.

'Don't say that! She might take offence an' chuck us both out!' Jack worried as he lead the way to the sitting room, allowing Patience to go first.

'Patience?' Jenny exclaimed as her friend came into view.

'Yep, definitely a whale,' the younger woman teased, holding out her arms.

'You're home!' Jenny grinned, standing with difficulty and going over to her friend, embracing her warmly.

'Good job we don't have whalers in the Caribbean,' Patience chuckled, hugging her back.

'I'm the size of one,' Jenny sighed, her anger temporarily forgotten.

'Yes, ya are,' she teased.

'So, where is Shay and what did you have?' Jenny asked, eager to catch up with her friend's news.

'Shay is onboard, an' I had a puppy! I wanted a kitten, but Shay wasn't up fer it,' she laughed.

'Patience!' Jenny giggled, hugging her friend once more.

'All right - I had a daughter, an we named her Erin.'

'An' a beautiful little thing she is too,' Jack put in, smiling hopefully at his wife.

'Don't think that because you've brought Patience here that I'm not still bloody angry with you, Jack Sparrow,' Jenny turned on him.

'I think he's practisin' how ter spell grovel, so give him a chance ter get beyond 'gr...' Patience teased, ignoring the glower that Jack shot her way.

'He'll have plenty of practical practise,' Jenny warned, talking as if he was not there. 'So, you have a daughter? Is she beautiful?'

'I just said she was,' Jack grumbled under his breath, pouting in the direction of the women.

'Aye, yer'll see her later when she comes ashore,' Patience assured Jenny.

'I can't wait!' Jenny exclaimed excitedly.

'Now... he's promised me a mansion if yer'll forgive him,' Patience smiled. 'An' he's promised never to do what he did again, or both you an' I can beat him with brooms!' she winked. 'So, can I persuade yer ter kiss him an' make up?' she asked hopefully.

'I have not promised ya a mansion!' Jack protested indignantly. 'That was a joke an' yer know it, Patience Riley.'

'All right... where d'yer keep yer brooms, Jenny?' she smiled sweetly. 'An' it's Connelly now, ya daft eejit!'

'He'll need to grovel a lot more than he has already,' Jenny sniped, still studiously ignoring Jack. 'And I only have one broom, but feel free to use it…'

'Look, I'm sorry,' Jack pleaded. 'I didn't want ter see ya cry again an' thought it would be easier if I left before ya woke up.'

'Don't ya feel th'least bit sorry fer him?' Patience suggested.

'What about me? Sitting here worrying myself sick about him, not knowing if I would ever see him alive again or not?' Jenny cried, throwing her arms up.

'I think he really means it, an' he's promised never ter do it again...' her friend persuaded.

'Do you?' Jenny asked her husband, turning to face him.

'Of course I won't do it again,' Jack assured her. 'I'm sorry luv, I just never thought.'

'All right, you're forgiven,' Jenny conceded finally.

'Mansion!' Patience crowed with a grin.

'I don't bloody think so, missy!' Jack retorted, folding his arms and glaring at the Tortugan woman.

Patience stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry. 'Now, kiss an' make up an' then ya can bring th'others ashore.'

'All right,' Jenny smiled, reluctantly putting her arms around Jack and kissing him, squealing and flapping her hands as he deepened the kiss.

'Should I shut me eyes? Is it safe ter watch?' Patience teased, arching an eyebrow as the kiss went on.

'Nothin' ya haven't already seen or done,' came Jack's riposte as he broke away from the clinch.

'Ha bleedin' ha!' Patience sniped good naturedly. 'Now bugger off so Jenny can meet me daughter!' she chivied, shooing him with her hands.

'Bossy madame,' Jack grumbled as he left the two women alone to catch up on the gossip.