Chapter 17: Return to the Sea

Author's Note: Alrighty! I know I haven't been consistent here with my updating of this story, but I've been suffering terrible writer's block of late! I know that I'm jumping way into the future here, but I think that this story needs to end soon, so work with me here! See ya at the end of the chapter! -Depp's Girl

Nine months later, Isabella woke up in the middle of the night. Her back was hurting her something fierce and lately, she had been finding it harder and harder to sleep. She looked out of her bedroom window and figured it was around 2:30 in the morning.

"Damn it. I need t' sleep!" Isabella muttered to herself. The baby kicked and Isabella winced slightly. She slowly rose to her feet, one hand on her very large stomach, and decided to go for a walk outside.

"Izzy?" Jack's voice called quietly in the darkness. Isabella stopped in her tracks. She hadn't meant to wake Jack.

"Yea?"

"What are ye doin' up?" Isabella turned and faced her husband.

"Can't sleep." Isabella replied. "But don't let me keep ye up." Jack slid out of bed and put an arm around his wife's not-so-slender waist.

"Where were ye off to?" Jack inquired.

"Just goin' fer a walk outside." Isabella replied. "Get back t' sleep."

"Not tired." Jack replied stubbornly. Isabella rolled her eyes. She knew there was no ordering Jack around. He was stubborn as a rock and proud of it. Hopefully this baby wont beas stubborn as her father, Isabella thought.

"Fine. Ye can join me if ye want." Isabella said finally. The two pirates made their way through the house and reached the front door. Jack handed Isabella her coat and pulled his on. They headed out the door into the very early morning. From the top of the plateau, the pirates could see the entirety of Tortuga, asleep except for the drunks who were still out, and the harbor. The waves gently rolled in from the open sea and the ships rode the small swell on their anchors. Isabella longed to be out on the ocean as much as Jack.

"Hey Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"What d'ye say t' weighin' anchor later today and goin' somewhere?"

"What? With you in yer state? Are ye crazy?" Jack replied.

"No, 'm not crazy." Isabella replied casually. "I just miss the sea."

"I do too." Jack said. "But I don't wanna put ye in danger." Isabella knew that Jack meant it when he said he didn't want her in danger, but she also knew that he wanted to be back out on the sea as much as she did.

"Thanks fer yer concern." Isabella said. "But we've been 'ere on land fer nine fuckin' months! If I spend one more day 'ere, I think I'll go sane." Jack laughed at the joke. He, along with quite a few other pirates, considered Isabella to be insane, so instead of saying she'd go insane since to so many people she was already insane, she made the joke of saying she'd go sane.

"I'm serious!" Isabella continued. "One more day on this island an' I swear I'll get me sanity back." Jack laughed again.

"Fine. We'll go." Jack replied, a hint of laughter still in his voice. "But only if Kristen an' Ana come too an' only if we don't take the Phantom. I want ye on my ship." Jack drove a hard bargain, but Isabella wanted to go so bad, she was willing to do anything.

"Deal." she replied. Jack smiled and the baby kicked again. Isabella winced slightly again and decided that they should go back inside. Jack followed his wife back inside the ranch house and into their bedroom.

"Gonna try t' get some sleep?" Jack inquired, sitting down on his side of the bed.

"Yea. Doubt it's gonna happen, but 's worth tryin'." Isabella replied. Jack smiled and nodded. He lay down and Isabella, very slowly, did the same. After a few restless moments, she finally fell back into a peaceful sleep.

A few hours later, Jack gently shook Isabella awake.

"Let's go, love. Ana, Kristen, an' some o' the crew are already preparin' the Pearl." Isabella carefully rolled over and met Jack's eyes.

"Ok. 'm comin'." Isabella replied through a yawn. She slid out of bed, changed her clothes, and found her trunk already packed at the foot of the bed. She figured Jack had packed it earlier and reminded herself to thank him. She heard a knock at the front door and heard Jack open it. Isabella stuck her head out of her bedroom door and looked down the hall. There stood Anamaria and Kristen in the front hall.

"Hey guys." Isabella called. "What are ye doin' 'ere?"

"We've come t' get yer trunk." Ana replied. "Yer in no state t' carry it yerself." Isabella rolled her eyes in protest, but otherwise didn't argue. Her two friends walked down the hall and entered her room. They grabbed Isabella's trunk and carried it for the front door, Isabella at their heels. Jack's trunk was already on board, so once Ana and Kristen were outside with Isabella's trunk, Jack locked up the house. Then, arm-in-arm with his wife, Jack followed Ana and Kristen down the plateau and through the winding streets of Tortuga to the docks. There sat the Pearl and her crew was busily making last-minute preparations for the ship to sail. Ana and Kristen hiked up the gangplank and headed for Jack's cabin.

When Jack and Isabella arrived on deck, the crew stood at attention. Jack dismissed them and headed for the helm.

"Alright ye dogs!" Jack yelled once he and Isabella had reached the helm. "Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! We set a course fer Aruba!" The crew scrambled to obey their captain's orders, and in seconds, the infamous pirate ship was sailing out of the harbor. Jack had decided to go and stay with Isabella's sister, who had been staying in Tortuga but had to return to Aruba three months later, for the remainder of Isabella's pregnancy and Isabella didn't care where the hell they were going, she just wanted to leave Tortuga. The sea had been calling her for nine long months and she was finally returning to it.

The sun was rising as the Black Pearl slipped silently out of the lagoon and into the Caribbean Sea. A slight breeze picked up and Isabella inhaled deeply, eyes closed, savoring the smells of the open sea. Around noon, Isabella was still on deck at Jack's side. They were still two day's journey to Aruba, but it didn't matter to Isabella. Isabella realized how hungry she was and decided to go down to the galley to get some food. She told Jack where she was going, but the second she moved to go, a sharp pain exploded in Isabella's stomach.

"Shit!" Isabella cursed loudly. Jack looked at her worried. Kristen, who was below on the quarter deck, rushed up to her captain's side.

"What's wrong Isabella?" Kristen inquired.

"I think my water just broke and I'm having contractions." Isabella replied. Kristen yelled for Anamaria and the two pirates took Isabella down to Jack's cabin. Jack called for Gibbs to take the helm and raced after the women. In his cabin, Jack found Isabella on the couch on an old blanket in, God forbid, a nightgown, with Ana and Kristen at her side. Unfortunately for Jack, Ana shooed Jack out of his own cabin and told him that she would fetch him later. Before he could argue, Ana shut and locked the door. From the other side of the door, Jack heard Isabella scream in pain and he wanted so badly to break down the door to be with her, but he stopped himself and returned to the deck.

Eight hours later, Jack was sitting on the main deck playing checkers with Gibbs and was winning when Kristen came on deck. Jack didn't notice at first, but when a large shadow fell over the checker board, he looked up.

"Kristen!" Jack exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "How's Isabella?"

"She's fine, Jack." Kristen replied calmly. Her eyes were dancing with excitement, however and Jack picked up on it instantly.

"And…?" Kristen smiled at Jack's eagerness to hear the news.

"Yer the father of a beautiful, healthy, baby girl, Cap'n Sparrow." Kristen replied, smiling. Jack threw his arms around Kristen's neck, laughing. He was so happy, he near kissed her.

"When can I see 'er?" Jack inquired, releasing Kristen.

"Whenever ye like." Kristen replied. Without hesitation, Jack raced for his cabin. He arrived to find the door shut, but unlocked. He caught his breath and slowly opened the door. Inside the cabin on the couch lay a very exhausted Isabella with a small bundle in her arms.

"Jack." Isabella whispered upon seeing her husband in the threshold of the cabin door. "Come an' see yer daughter." Jack quietly walked over to Isabella and looked into her arms. There, lying asleep wrapped in warm blankets, was a gorgeous baby girl. She had the loveliest tanned skin and a small amount of caramel-colored hair.

"Oh my god." Jack whispered. "She looks like an angel."

"I know it." Isabella replied, nodding. "An' that's why I took the liberty of namin' 'er Angel." Jack met Isabella's eyes and smiled.

"The perfect name." he said.

"Ye should see 'er eyes." Isabella said. "They're like mine." Jack smiled at the idea. Isabella yawned and sighed. Jack looked at her and realized how weak she looked. In only a few short moments, Isabella had gone from the strong, healthy pirate Jack had fallen in love with years ago to a pale, weak, almost sickly looking woman. Even her gorgeous eyes had lost a lot of their usual spark.

"Are ye feelin' alright, love?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine." Isabella replied, trying to bring the spark back to her eyes with a smile. "Just tired is all." Jack had a feeling that wasn't all, but he let it go. Jack settled himself at Isabella's feet and after a few moments of silence, drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note: Weeee! Angel's born! But despite all of the happiness, what if Jack's hunch about Isabella's health is correct? Is she lying to Jack or is she really only exhausted? Reviews are welcome! Sorry'bout the cursing but I rated thisPG-13 for a reason!- Depp's Girl