Im seriously thinking about cutting some of my stories. They don't seem to be as lighthearted drabble as they used to, and I guess thats what people want. Ill finish these, then quit writing such involved junk.

Chapter eleven: A baby Sparrow

The child was unmistakably Jacks. I had gently put it on our large bed, unsure how to handle it, never really being around anything young, except animals that frequented our small shanty down.

Already the baby had a mess of dark hair. It was straight, and stuck out like a bunch of dark brown straw. From the few times he opened his eyes, I saw that they were already a dark blue, and were going to be either brown or black. Still pink and wrinkled from birth, he looked almost like a tiny baby bird. And I laughed when I thought about how he was a baby sparrow. My only concern was Jack. I had taken in this baby that he didn't want, and I wasn't even his wife. No, we had no plans for the future, and if we did, they were all botched.

"You are a whole heap of trouble." I muttered to this small child who didn't know just how much anger and misery he might and most likely will cause.

For food, I was in luck. Elizabeth was still breast feeding their youngest, and she would soon be producing milk for her next. And in Port Royal, respectable wet nurses would most likely be found.

I was increasingly interested in this boy. I wanted to know exactly who his mother was, and why Jack had slept with her, then left. If he stayed with me–and perhaps if Jack took him in like the father he should be–then he would be raised in a peculiar situation. I figured, at first, the best plan would be no plan. Not saying where this baby really came from.

"Mack? Were home." I glanced up at the wall clock, seeing that it was almost one, and sighed. My hands were trembling slightly, as I adjusted the pillows on the bed, surrounding the baby. I then sat down on the edge of the bed and folded my shaking hands in my lap.

"Hey, what are you doing out of bed, I thought you had a headache?" Jack came striding in, and bent down low to give me a peck on my forehead. While his lips were on my forehead, his eyes traveled up to the bed, and saw the tiny baby surrounded by pillows, so as not to allow him to roll off.

"What the hell!" He said loudly. Suddenly a sharp and lusty wail erupted from the baby as his small eyes popped open.

"Great, now you woke him up. Go get Elizabeth. I need her help." I snapped, and moved my hands, unsure how to pick him up.

"No need," Elizabeth came striding in and picked up the small boy with ease. In a few moments she had him quieted down and sent Jack out so she could feed him.

"I–" I started to speak, but she shook her head slightly.

"I think I know." She said, and sat down on the edge of the bed. She adjusted the baby, and soon he was happily suckling.

"But he would have–"

"What are you going to tell Jack, exactly?" She interrupted me again.

"Er...well...the truth. In time." I wrung my hands out, and bit my lips.

"You can always send him to the orphanage." There was silence for a while, until she finished, and burped him.

"He needs a name at least." I looked around the room, feeling suddenly young and inexperienced. I wanted my mother more then ever.

"Wyeth." The name popped into my head, and I just blurted it. "It'll do for now."

"Can I come in?" Jack pounded on the door. I quickly opened it, and shot daggers.

"Be quite! Come on, while she is putting him to sleep, we will talk downstairs. There are other people in this house." We both stalked downstairs, and were seated in the parlor.

"Please tell me that is not mine..." He said, and put his head in his hands in a defeated motion.

"Er.."

"What did you do?" Jack jumped up suddenly. "Go steal it when she was pushing it out? Or did you wait until you knew what gender it was?"

"How dare you? No, I was in our room, and there was a knock on the door! I went out, and there he was in this basket..." I produced the small basket, and shoved it in his face.

"Now you had better accept him as your son, because Ill be damned if he isn't. If not...I will walk out right now with him on my hip." Jack stared at me for a while.

"Why do you care about this baby so much?" He burst out, throwing his arms out like a windmill, trying to prove a point.

"Because he's yours! Your baby! And that means that he is a part of you, and then that means I might love him in time." Jack's arms dropped like stones to his side, as he stared dumbly at me.

"Maybe we can work this out." He mumbled, flopping back down on the chaise he had long since abandoned.

"Im not ready for a child, Jack. But I don't want this one raised in a orphanage." He nodded, a strange twist to his mouth.

"Maybe he can stay here. We would have to speak to Elizabeth, but...A ship is no place for a baby." Jack looked over at me, his eyes shining brightly in the dim parlor light. I nodded, and looked down at the shadowed floor. The small kerosene lamp guttered, and the few candles in their holders shook with a breeze that was non-existent. The bookshelves lining the walls with thick leather bound books muffled any sound that was around. The parlor itself seemed to melt away as we stared at each other.

"Jack...I..I don't want to leave the ship." I swallowed, unsure exactly how to word my feelings.

"I know." He wasn't helping.

"I think...I never wanted to. Im just...I dunno." I ran my fingers through my hair that was down and limp around my shoulders. "But this baby cant chose his maternal, or parental side. He is innocent, and I think he should have a decent chance at life." Jack nodded, his dark eyes glittering into the light. He stood up, and started when he saw Elizabeth standing in the doorway, leaning against the jam.

"I heard it all. Yes, he can stay here. But you better fork over some money. My own kids are a handful, and here you go dumping a child of a pirate onto my doorstep."

"You'll get payed. Im sorry its such a hassle." Jack snarled, and pushed past her out of the room.

"That man cannot recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing his hat!" Elizabeth threw her arms up in the air, and stomped out of the room, leaving me by myself.

"Im glad that's settled." I said loudly to no one. Beings as I was the only one in the room. But when I went up to the small guest room, and saw the door to the nursery just across the hallway open, I felt compelled to go in. Wyeth–I felt that it wasn't my duty to name this child, just another protege of Jack's that I was–was asleep in the small crib that was meant for the coming baby. He dark hair was slightly tousled, and was fitful, even in his sleep.

"Well, at least you have a home here." I whispered, then walked out, quietly closing the door behind me.

"I wasn't aware you were such a man whore." I said smiling when I walked into the room Jack and I shared.

"Oh yes. I am quite horrid. You should just leave me know." Jack was stretched out on the bed his hat covering his eyes.

"I was joking." I snorted.

"So was I."