The Hornet moved easily through the rolling waves and slowly came to a halt. Jimbo helped Maggie down onto the waiting rowing boat and followed her, taking up the oars and rowing towards the port.
Maggie was almost 7 months pregnant, and was getting larger every day. Jimbo had managed to contact her sister and persuade her to let Maggie stay with her until the child was born.
"You have to be there for the birth." Maggie said, suddenly.
"I will, don't worry." Jimbo replied, beginning to row.
"And once the child is born, you have to take us on trips." Maggie said, putting her hands on her tummy.
"I will." Jimbo said, expressionlessly.
"Good." Maggie sat back and sighed deeply. The boat bumped slightly against the wooden pier and Jimbo helped her out. He tied up the boat and took her hand.
He had dressed up especially for the visit. He was wearing a smart sailors hat and had a pair of almost-clean trousers, and a brown coat. He had his pistol in his pocket, just in case.
Maggie had forced her way into a large dress, the first one she'd worn in almost a year. It was a tight squeeze, but it looked decent.
They came to a small house with a brown door. Jimbo knocked smartly.
A lady with long brown hair tied back in a smart bun opened and smiled.
"Hello Margaret!" She said brightly at her sister, steeping out of the way so they could go in. She gave Jimbo a dark look. "How are you?" She added to Maggie.
"I'm fine, thank-you." Maggie replied.
"Sarah, I am very grateful to you for all of this." Jimbo said, taking off his hat.
"I don't want your gratitude." Sarah replied, offering Maggie a seat on the old, worn-out sofa. She sat next to her, leaving Jimbo standing with nowhere to sit. "I'm only doing this for my sister."
Jimbo raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Oh, Sarah, don't start." Maggie said in a tired voice. Sarah huffed, and got up, bringing a chair from the table and coldly offering it to Jimbo.
"Thank you." Jimbo said, and sat down.
"Well, when are you due?" Sarah asked, turning to Maggie.
"In a few months." Maggie said, stroking her stomach lovingly. "I think it's going to be a girl. I just have a little feeling."
Sarah smiled.
"It looks like a boy to me." She said, cocking her head to one side, looking at the bump.
Jimbo rolled his eyes.
"Yes, well, ladies if yeh don't mind, I'll be off." He stood up hurriedly.
"Oh, don't go!" Maggie said, trying to get up, but failing miserably.
Jimbo took her hand and kissed it.
"I'll be back, Maggie," He said. "But I have to go. I can't stay here; it's not my scene really. I'll leave you two to decide what you're going to call him, ok?"
"Ok." Maggie said quietly.
Jimbo turned and left the house, and made his way back to his ship.
Jack clambered on deck and looked around, frowning. Anamaria was sitting on the steps sharpening her sword. Johnny was at the wheel, holding a compass and frowning at it. Ruby was nowhere to be seen. The rest of Jack's crew were milling around, looking bored.
"Johnny!" Jack shouted. The boy turned around, and went red. "What?" Jack demanded.
"Nothing," Johnny said, innocently.
"What've yeh done?" Jack said, snatching the compass from him and peering at it.
"Um… well, actually I'm not sure." Johnny said, taking the compass back. "I've got no idea where we are."
Jack raised his eyebrows.
"Who told you t' steer?" He mumbled, pushing Johnny out of the way and taking the wheel.
"Anamaria." Johnny said, looking grumpy.
"Well thank you very much for getting us lost." Jack snapped at him. Johnny rolled his eyes and stalked off to find Ruby.
Jack made sure he was out of sight before pulling out his own compass. He was very proud of this compass, as it was no ordinary compass. He had found it before the mutiny, and it had been one of his best-kept secrets. As far as he knew, Barbossa was never aware of the compass while Jack was on the ship. It didn't point north, it didn't even point to where he wanted to go, but somehow (Jack wasn't actually sure how) he managed to read it, and work out where they were.
He looked at the compass now and grinned. They were off course, and headed for England. Jack didn't mind particularly; he hadn't visited England in almost twenty years.
"Sailors! We're changing course! Headed for England- should arrive in a few days!" Jack shouted to his crew. They looked up and nodded and got back to their work.
Jack frowned and swaggered below deck to find Johnny. He wanted to ask about Will. He had briefly spoken to him nearly a week ago, when he came to pick up Johnny. Unfortunately he couldn't come with them because he had a huge amount of work to do, and Commodore Norrington was asking awkward questions about where he had been three years ago, when he and Johnny had joined Jack, Ruby and Jimbo on an adventure to reclaim Jacks ship, The Black Pearl.
"John!" Jack shouted to Johnny, who was attempting to sharpen his sword, whilst sitting on a barrel. He wasn't doing a very good job of it though, and had a large, shallow scratch running down the length of his bare arm. He looked up.
"What?" He demanded.
"Did yeh father never teach yeh how t' do that?" Jack asked, taking the sword off Johnny and examining it closely.
"Yeah," Johnny snapped. "But I'm not very good."
"Yeh don't say." Jack said, but quietly. He nudged Johnny off the barrel and sat down, showing him the correct way to sharpen the sword.
"How's yeh father doin'?" Jack asked, looking up at Johnny.
The boy sighed wearily.
"Not too good," He replied. "He's been under a lot of stress and Governor Swann, my grandfather, died last week, so he's had t' try and sort out a funeral. Norrington's been snoopin' around as well. About two weeks ago he had our place and the workshop searched." Johnny paused, an ugly look on his face.
"Yeah, well, Norrington was never the best friend of pirates." Jack said, handing the sword back to Johnny.
Johnny smiled.
"Well done." He said sarcastically.
"He still not over Lizzie?" Jack asked, watching Johnny's expression.
"Who?" Johnny asked, frowning.
"Yeh mother." Jack said.
Johnny shrugged.
"I dunno. He never speaks about her." He said, pushed Jack off the barrel and sitting down. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Never?" He asked, opening a door to his right and pulling out another barrel.
"Nope." Johnny replied, raising his eyebrow as Jack sat down.
"Oh." Jack said, pulling out his pistol and examining it closely.
"Jack?" Johnny asked, after a moments pause.
"What?" Jack replied not looking up.
"What about your parents? Are they still alive?" Johnny looked at the pirate sitting next to him.
Jack thought about this, before he replied.
"No," He said carefully. "My mother died when I was ten. My father…" He paused. "I don't know if he's alive or not."
"Oh." Johnny said. He was about to ask why when Jack got up and went on deck, which clearly meant the conversation was closed, so Johnny didn't push it.
Once on deck, Jack leaned against the wheel and thought about what Johnny had just asked him. He hadn't seen his father in many years; he wasn't even sure if he was alive, but he couldn't help wondering where he was.
He sighed and watched the horizon.