Chapter 17 Husband, and Father

Jack and Alex stood outside the bedroom while the doctor checked Elizabeth. Jack could hear talking but couldn't comprehend it. "What do you think they're saying?"

Alex stood in front of his brother, "If you ask me that one more time I will smack you across the face."

Jack didn't seem to be paying attention but told Alex to go back into the town and get a priest.

After what seemed like hours the doctor came out of the room wiping his hands. "Well Mr. Anderson, you will have a healthy baby in a day or two."

Jack went and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you very much doctor."

"You're welcome my boy." The doctor said happily and he left. Jack opened the door slowly and saw Elizabeth lying on the bed, one hand behind her head, looking out the window. She saw him and smiled.

Taking it as an invitation Jack went in and sat on the bed next to her. "Elizabeth."

"Hmm?"

Jack suddenly felt his throat dry up and tongue swell. Putting a hand on her belly he felt better when the baby kicked. "Will you marry me?" He asked and pulled out a ring encrusted with diamonds. Elizabeth gasped and looked at the ring.

"Yes. Of course Jack."

He placed the ring on her finger and took her face in his hands and kissed her, tasting the salty tears that were flowing from her eyes. Pulling away Jack still had his hands on her face and with his thumbs he scrubbed the tears away softly.

Her eyes were on his face but movements by the door made her look up and she saw Alex with another man. Jack saw her gaze shift and he looked behind him. The priest walked to the side of the bed and saw Elizabeth's swollen belly. "These are the two who are to be wed?"

Jack nodded, he saw the way the priest's eyes rested on Elizabeth's stomach. He knew what he was thinking. A bastard child. But instead the priest smiled and blessed the child still in the womb.

"A child conceived with love and tenderness has no sin, and it is no sin. I am proud of you my children."

Elizabeth smiled and squeezed Jack's hand.

"Now let us begin."

That same day Jack started to panic when Elizabeth's water broke.

"Jack calm down." She said from the bed.

The priest was still in the room and corrected her. "Now Mrs. Anderson you need to remember his name so as to not give yourselves away."

Jack felt he could trust the priest with their real names and he was still being very helpful.

"Oh, yes, John, please calm down."

Jack was pacing while Alex with to get the doctor.

"Do you need anything, water, food, blankets, anything?"

Elizabeth was getting annoyed. "Yes John there is something I need."

Jack stopped pacing and practically ran over to her. "What? What do you need?"

"I need you to calm down." She said and touched his face lovingly.

Jack took a deep breath to calm himself but at that moment Alex came in with the doctor.

"Now Mrs. Anderson, I said in a day or two, not this night." Elizabeth smiled at the doctors joking remark.

"I'm very sorry doctor but this baby has a mind of its own."

"Indeed." He said and instructed Elizabeth to bend her legs upwards so he could check the progress. "Mr. Anderson, will you please get some towels and hot water. The baby will be here with in the hour."

Jack did as he was asked and stood outside the room very impatiently while Alex and the priest cleaned the house.

"You owe me big time Jack!"

"No I don't."

"Yes you do! What are you doing that's so important you can't help us?"

"Being a worried husband and very soon to be father."

Andrew, the priest, laughed and nodded. "I think he has you there Alex."

"I could do that." Alex said, pouting.

"I doubt it." Jack said and looked worried when he heard Elizabeth scream his name. "I need to be with her."

Andrew shook his head. "No. She will be fine."

Jack was fidgeting and had to walk outside when Elizabeth's screams became more frequent.

Alex stood at the door, concerned when everything became quiet. There was no cry of a baby and he could hear Elizabeth's strained voice ask, "Why isn't he crying?"

Jack walked back in the house and almost fainted at the silence. Running into the room he saw the bloody sheets and a frightened Elizabeth. The doctor was sticking his fingers down his son's throat.

"John."

Jack looked to Elizabeth and brushed her hair from her face. Elizabeth's eyes were overflowing with tears of fear. "Jack. He's dead."

Jack's eyes started to water before he could even comprehend the words. His child was dead, before he was even alive. He was brought back to reality when a loud cry was heard. The baby was crying. Jack watched intently as the doctor wrapped his son in a blanket and brought him over. Elizabeth stretched out her arms and the baby was placed in them."

"John look at him, he's beautiful."

Jack got closer to them and touched the baby's face. "He's soft." He said and then his eyes shined, "I told you so."

Elizabeth turned her face toward her husband and kissed him. "We need a name for him."

At that moment Alex came in along with Andrew. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Andrew said and made the sign of the cross.

Jack laughed, "I don't like it."

Elizabeth kissed her son and smoothed the small amount of hair. "Matthew Aaron."

Everyone looked at Elizabeth; Andrew took a basin of clean water and when the doctor left, baptized the small child.

"Matthew Aaron Sparrow, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Jack really didn't have a religion but he knew Elizabeth wouldn't be completely content until her son was blessed.

"Thank you Andrew." She said and kissed her son again.

"You are welcome Elizabeth. I must be going. Good luck to you."

"Will you come and visit us?" She asked and the priest nodded before he headed out the door. "What a nice man."

Jack nodded and saw Elizabeth's eyes start to drop. "Let me get you some sheets love." He said, noting that the doctor took the others off the bed.

Alex helped Elizabeth up while Jack put the sheets on.

"Will you help me to the bath?"

Alex nodded and walked with her to the bath which was in the room next to them.

"Here," She said, "take Matthew."

If anyone would have walked in at that moment the scene would have been shocking. A pirate holding a newborn baby while the mother got ready to take a bath.

"I'll go give him to Jack."

"Okay." Elizabeth said and waited until Alex was gone to get into the warm water that cleansed her body.

Alex went into the room that Jack and Elizabeth would share and he saw his brother pulling a bassinet out of the closet.

"Matthew is going to stay in here with you then?"

Jack looked up at his brother and went to take his son. "Just for a little while. I think Elizabeth would feel better if he was close by." Alex handed Matthew to Jack and realized that this was the first time he ever held his son. Alex watched as Jack shifted the baby slightly in his arms.

"Hi there boy, I knew it. Your mother tried to tell me that you were going to be a girl." He said exposing the baby's toes and touching them one at a time with his index fingers.

Alex was dusting off the crib when he stopped and watched Jack play with his son. "I can't wait until you're old enough so I can teach you to talk and walk and fight." Stopping his thoughts Jack put his finger in the baby's hand. He smiled when Matthew yawned and cuddled to his chest.

The start of his family.

TBC