Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.
Chapter 30: Goodnight, Sheila
Camille was lucky enough to get through the first day without confronting her father about the issue, but Dorian was very persistent. By the next evening, he sought out his daughter in the library with Cadence as she and Will read her a bedtime story together.
The three looked marvelous together, sitting cozy by the fireplace and murmuring to the baby, whose eyelids were becoming heavier by the moment. He almost didn't want to interrupt the picture perfect scene. Almost.
"Camille darling, could I have a word with you?" he whispered softly, causing their heads to turn.
She nodded. "Yes. Excuse me, Will. Goodnight, love," she said, kissing Cadence on the forehead before getting up and exiting the library with her father. "Yes, Father?" she said innocently, but he looked at her reproachfully.
"You know what this is about, Camille."
She sighed. Her father looked extremely tired and worn out, and she felt a sharp pang of guilt run through her. He didn't have long, and the last thing he needed was to upset himself over Jack's presence. She chewed on her lower lip. "I do know. And I may have an idea. Father, I want you to promise me that you'll lie down and get some rest if I get rid of Jack."
"My dear, nothing has ever sounded sweeter to my ears," he said with a note of relief to his voice.
She nodded. "Very well, then. I know just what to do."
It took a little convincing, surprisingly. Sheila and Peter had grown very attached to the pirate after he revealed his real identity to them, admitting that he had been the very same man who had called himself Vincent Bourderlaire. Jack understood everything, but the children didn't take to the idea too kindly.
"But why, Miss Camille? Captain Jack hasn't robbed anybody or killed anybody, has he?" Sheila asked.
Camille took a seat, beckoning to the little girl to sit on her lap as Jack explained it to Peter, who understood a little more. "Sheila, what you have to understand is that my father isn't comfortable around Jack."
"But why not? I like him. Don't you like him?"
"Of course I do, I like him very much. But different people have different opinions, and my father's opinion of Jack isn't a very good one."
"Not
a good one? But who told him that Jack was bad?"
"The entire
British government, for one," Jack interrupted.
"The government doesn't like you?" Sheila asked.
Jack walked over to where the girls sat and squatted down so that he could look up at the little girl. "Well Sheila, when you're a pirate like I am, a lot of people don't like you."
"But why not? Are they stupid?"
Jack nodded. "Oh, yes. They're very stupid."
"Jackā¦" Camille warned.
He grinned, showing his golden teeth. Camille thought of a different way of putting this whole scenario. "Jack and my father don't agree on many things. In fact, they may not agree on anything at all," she admitted.
"Are they in a tiff?" Sheila asked.
"Yes," Camille and Jack said at the same time. "A very large one," Jack added.
"They why don't you apologize to Master Quartermaine?" Sheila asked simply.
Camille bit her lip, thinking of another explanation. "Sometimes when adults argue, it takes much more than an apology to straighten things out. It can also be a very trying process, darling. So Jack going away is going to take some of the burden off my father. It'll make it easier for him to try to get better."
Sheila looked at the two of them for a minute, and then her eyes widened. "Oh! I understand now! So Master Quartermaine won't be so upset and tired anymore!"
Camille nodded. "Yes, exactly. Now I think it's getting close to your bedtime, young lady."
Sheila nodded and hopped off Camille's lap, looking up at Jack who had stood up recently. "Goodnight, Captain Sparrow."
He took her little hand in his and kissed it. "Goodnight, Miss Sheila. Until we meet again."
"Goodnight, Miss Camille."
"Goodnight, dear," Camille said.
