Chapter Seven - Jackie's present, Sidi's secret and Bill.

Jack lay relaxing in the sun on the deck of the Black Pearl. Anna Maria, who had recently broken up with Adam for the millionth time was working beside, him.

"Did you get her a present?"

Jack sat up. With all the excitement of the past few months he had forgotten his daughter was turning five shortly. He hadn't missed a birthday yet and this one was not going to be the first. What made it so much easier was that the family was now in the Montego Bay estate. It was so much easier to access than going all the way up to London. Jack allowed himself to daydream a bit about Jackie's life on the plantation. He hoped it would be as full and wonderful as his own childhood was.

"Oh God I forgot! I need a present! I need something very girlie probably very..pink, of course I could have gone the Bill Turner route and sent her a piece of cursed Aztec gold. You know Elizabeth Swann could have picked out a perfect gift.."

They laughed.

Anna Maria was working on repairing the sails. She looked up from her work. "Oh! When you do tell her please let me be there. I want to see the look on her face when she finds out you are a daddy. By the way, I do know a thing or two about being a little girl."

Jack grabbed her butt. "Show me."

She stuck him with the needle. He jumped. "I can help you shop when we get to Montego Bay."

"No. I think you will be too busy groveling to Adam for forgiveness. I don't think he's going to be over the fact you chose to go on the account with me rather than marry 'im. "

"Ee can't expect me to drop everything just because he suddenly decides 'ee wants to be married!. Your brother, he be a spoiled child always wantin' 'is way the second he demands it!"

Jack was shocked at the appraisal of Adam. He could have sworn she was talking about him. Adam! Perfect, polite smiling Adam was being called a demanding spoiled child!

Jack smiled. "Well 'ee thinks ye chose me over 'im."

"I didn't choose you over him! "

"I didn't say ye did but when a man pops the question after 20 years and ya say somethin' like; Oh lets wait eight months while I spend time on a ship piratin' with your brother, ye can almost bet ee ain't gonna be runnin' out and buyin' ya flowers on yer return. Savvy?" Frustrated, Jack couldn't believe she could be so stupid in such matters.

Anna Maria got angry. "Don' you use that tone with me Jack Sparrow. I 'ave me reasons. No one is askin' yer opinion."

Jack threw his hands in the air and made it quite clear that his conversation was not worth dying for and quickly changed the subject.

"I need to get it before we go home or the blood-thirsty gypsy wench will castrate me for not having one ready as soon as my foot is upon the step."

She got him with the needle again.

"Hmm." Jack snorted "Loyalty to the sisterhood is it? I knew you first."

Sidi and Anna Maria had become very good friends. Frequently Jack forgot about their close relationship and used Anna Maria as a sounding board. At times Anna Maria was able to talk him down from his wife-hating rants. Then other times she just had to watch him rave until he burned himself out. His relationship with is wife had taken so many hits up to the time their daughter Jacqueline was born. Instead of the baby bringing them together, it had created a power-struggle between them, which drove them farther apart. They both were constantly to accusing and sometimes trying to prove the other of being a bad parent.

The fact was, their situation was ideal. Sidi was an excellent mother. She never downed Jack to their daughter. In fact she built him up more than he deserved. Jack adored his daughter but blew in and out of the little girl's life. Her mother explained away the lengthy absences as daddy's working to provide for his family like any good father would. Jackie was unfazed by it. Her solid relationship with her grandfather seemed to give her the strong male influence in her life that she needed. She worshipped the ground the man walked on. Although she idolized her father, he was more like a big brother to her. Jackie was well loved and a very happy well- rounded child. They arrived in Montego Bay. Jack encouraged Anna Maria to go on ahead and start negotiations with Adam while he visited the shoppes for a gift for Jackie.

Adam continued to dream about Bill Turner. Sometimes it had been a repeat of the original dream but most times it ended with his waking after a lengthy conversation and just before the creatures arrived. Finally Adam decided that Jack was worthless and to try to investigate it himself. He approached Sidi.

He knocked on her door and was invited in. Sidi had just finished feeding Jackie dinner and both smiled brightly as Adam entered the house. She kissed him on the cheek and instructed the slave push the chair into the sitting-room. Jackie climbed in Adams lap never missing a chance to get a ride. Sidi ordered coffee brought in for her guest while she fought to get Jackie to bed. Jackie wasn't interested in going to bed now that Uncle Adam was here. Sidi struggled to get her daughter to sleep but came downstairs. Adam had transferred himself to the sofa.

"I'm so sorry Adam." She laughed. "She can be a handful and positively ruthless at times."

Adam smiled. "Like 'er dad.."

Sidi smiled. "Yes, she can be quite like Jack at times."

"I was referring to Dad."

Sidi lost her smile. Her hand flew to the shell she wore around her neck. "Excuse me?"

"Dad, James. My sister Jacqueline's father. I guess Jack couldn't get the job done aye?"

"Adam, let me explain."

"Sidi, you don't need to explain anything to me., its like Dad always says.
The only rules that really matter are these; what a man can do and what a man can't do. "

Sidi shook her head. "I don't understand."

"You can have a child like Jackie and be happy all your life, but you can't do it with Jack." He smiled and shrugged. "You had to do what was best by you."

Sidi hugged him. "How did you know?"

"You are not exactly the quiet one in the throes of passion are you luv?" Adam blushed.

Embarrassed, Sidi's hands fluttered to her mouth. "oh."

"Whenever Mum went away you instantly moved into the house for some silly reason. Every night when dad came home from work it was minutes before he was up in his bedroom and the show began and then again in bed at night. You drove Charles positively mad."

"Oh god" Mortified, Sidi threw her face in her hands. "Charles too."

"Sidi, Adam put his arm around her. You wanted a baby and now you have one. I only told you because I thought it a hard secret to keep alone. If you need to talk you know I am here for you. You know I love you."

Sidi hugged him. "I love you too Adam. Thank you."

"Now that I've gotten on your good side, I need you to help me." Adam said with a smile."

"Anything!" Sidi was curious.

"I need you to call the ghost of Bill Turner."

She hadn't been expecting it. "Oh! Really? Well certainly if that's your desire. I would be happy to. She went upstairs to get her supplies and soon returned. She darkened the room, lit incense and candles. She sat quiet quietly whispering something he could not hear or understand. It seemed an eternity when she finally turned to him and spoke.

"Bill Turner is not dead."