A/N: So here's another chapter up and ready for you all to review. Please do, I love to hear from you guys. The ending of the chapter is a little rushed, but I tried. Esspically for who late it is. Well, see you all tomorrow... or at least that is when I hope to type the next chapter. We'll see. Happy reading!

Chapter Fifteen: On to Nassau

For over a week, Jack has had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. At least he was keeping Kat company in the washroom when she was still going over her morning sickness. The past few days she has seemed to be calming down, but her moodiness is growing, not to mention her appetite for goat's milk and anchovies. Her stomach was growing noticeably and was beginning to bulge below her pants. Some have even been torn in her attempt to do her daily actions on the ship. And now, not only is she becoming a huge hormone factory, he was becoming a nervous wreck. It was something that she had said the night they left Olivia and Harriet at the hospice. It was eating at the back of his mind for days, grabbing his attention away from his duties at the helm. The other members of the Pearl understood. Gibbs and Anamaria more than anyone. The words just kept repeating in his mind.

'Unless you left me on another god forsaken beach again...'

He almost left her to die at Port Royal a year ago. She wouldn't have been safe as he once thought. She probably would have been killed when Dornie came through in her search for him. If Kat hadn't had the guts to come and find him after he left her, she would have died. Knowing Kat, she probably wouldn't have let that sad excuse of a captain, Belstrude near her. Let alone give him any children. She wouldn't have been spared and would have been lying among the reset of the bodies and rubble of Port Royal. She would have been murdered. And it would have been his fault. That alone sickened him beyond belief. Not to mention scares him to death. In trying to help her, he would have sent her to her death.

He splashed his face yet again with some of the clean water from the ceramic basin. Kat was still asleep, which was starting to become routine. Her morning sickness was becoming less these days, but she has been needing to use the washroom for a different reason. Her bladder was getting confined in the shrinking amount of space in her stomach. She needs to run in and out every so often, but Jack doesn't mind it so much, since she kept him company. Even if she was a bit moody on and off.

"Jack, are you okay?" Kat came up behind him and rubbed his back a bit, hoping to calm what she thought was his upset stomach. He jumped a little at her touch, not expecting it, and too lost in his own thoughts to even notice her come into the room.

"Jus' reflectin' on past events," he grumbled and pulled himself up to stand straight, "You needen' to use the wash room again?"

"No, I was just wondering if you needed help. You've been in and out of the bathroom as much as I have lately. What's wrong?"

"Jus' some guilt tha's been ridin' me for the past few days," he walked from the wash room and sat down on the side of their bed, "It jus' hit close to home, and I can't shake it off."

"You know it's not your fault," Kat smiled and walked around the bed to get on behind him to start and rub his back.

"Fer wha'?"

"For Dornie... the curse... the sickness... anything else that's bouncing around in that head of yours," she smiled and tapped him on the side of the head, "Dornie is obsessed with revenge and would have come after you one day or another. You can't control what she does and you know it."

"But I can control wha' I 'ave done," he mumbled and touched her hand that was lying limp on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Kat."

"Now what are you apologizing to me about?" she asked sitting back on her knees and letting an exasperated sigh escape her lips.

"Fer leavin' ye on that God forsaken beach... when I knew ye belonged with me. I knew that ye did, I just didn't want to believe it and put you in that danger."

"Jack..." she sat next to him so she could stare into his face, "You were doing what you thought was best for me and I appreciate it. Always have and always will. Besides, things worked out for the best, didn't they?"

"And wha' if ye didn't come after me? Ye would 'ave married Belstrude and then in a year's time killed by Dornie and her crew in her mad search to find me."

"Jack, if I hadn't gone after you... by the time Dornie came through, I would have all ready been dead inside. Nothing that she could have done would have hurt more than that day that I had given up," she kissed him on the tip of his nose, "Now..."

She hits him upside the back of his head, disturbing his bandana and she got up with some difficulty, "Stop blooming blaming yourself and be happy you're not the one carrying the baby! Men... always thinking that they have the hardest job in a relationship. I don't see him having to go to the restroom every five minutes... or throwing up for that matter..."

Jack shook his head as she ran back into the washroom to empty her bladder once again while mumbling her complaints. He chuckled again at the minor mood swing. He knew that she could get much worse, and he knew by then to get out of her way when she wanted something or wanted to go somewhere. Not to mention it has taught him to keep the extra cutlasses away from his pregnant wife. Not to mention anything that may be used as a club.

"Captain?" a knock came at the cabin door and Jack got up to find first mate Gibbs on the other side.

"Ey, Gibbs. Wha' be the news?" Jack asked as he heard Kat come from the washroom, hopefully in a better mood than when she went in.

"We be approchin' Nassau port, captain. I'd say a good day or so till we reach 'er," Gibbs nodded to the port side where a spit of land could be seen in the distance.

"Good, I could finally get my feet on some dry land, I've been stumbling around way too long," Kat laid her hands on her now swelling stomach.

"Wha' are ye talkin' about, Kat? Ye luv it on the Pearl out on the sea," Jack put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her from the side.

"You try carrying a baby inside you and deal with the tumbling waves," she scolded and pushed past Gibbs out to the deck.

"Mood swing, ey?" Gibbs asked.

"Aye, mood swing," Jack nodded and headed toward the wheel.

Norrington met Jack and Kat up at the helm where he was surveying the island straight ahead of them. It was Nassau Port. The only port that the Harbinger was said to make birth. And the top it off, it was said to be the greatest and possibly only pirate paradise known. If he had his own ship, and his own crew he would be able to take down the whole port not to mention all the illegal activity happening in the port. But things have changed ever since the attack on Port Royal. Things he thought was once impossible. He and the captain of the Black Pearl now had a mutual understanding. He, Commodore James Norrington, had an understanding with Captain Jack Sparrow. Once thought of as one of his most difficult rivals is now known as a close friend.

"Somethin' on yer mind, Norrington?" Jack questioned him as he helped Kat climb the stairs to the helm.

"Just some developments that I never though would happen," he nodded and stepped foward to help him with Kat.

Kat finally held out her hands and turned to Jack, "You go to the helm, I think I'll go down to the galley to grab something to eat."

"Ye sure about tha', luv?" Jack tilted his head toward the deck.

"I'm sure, Jack," she smiled and patted her bulging stomach with her hand.

"I'll make sure she will be okay, Sparrow," Norrington stood at the opportunity.

"Thank ye," Jack nodded and kissed Kat on the cheek as he made his way to the wheel.

"That's very chivalrous of you, commodore," Kat smirked and walked with the commodore to the galley.

"I'm only helping a friend."

Kat laughed a little to herself and nearly collapsed as they reached the tables at the edges of the galley. She leaned her back against the wall for support as Norrington sat to the side watching the clouds and sky through the porthole. She couldn't help but let a giggle escape her lips as she watched him from the corner of her eye. He turned back to her and gave her a questioning glance.

"You called Jack a friend," she smiled and tilted her head against the wall once again, "You do realize that, don't you?"

"Yes, I am aware if it," he nodded and looked at her, "You're enjoying that fact aren't you?"

"Well, friend is a lot better than pirate in my opinion," she nodded and then leaned foward to lay her head in her folded arms, "God, this pregnancy is taking a toll on me."

Norrington only looked at the top of her head and drew in a breath, "At least you have the luck to have a child in this lifetime. I believe that my time has run out."

"Now don't go down that road, Norrington," Kat mumbled into her arms, "You may still have some luck in your future."

"You are referring to Harriet, aren't you?"

"Of course," she smiled and looked up, "She cares for you, James. And you do for her as well. And Olivia. You're just scared to show it. She is too. But the only way you're going to reach the chance of finally settling down and having your family... with or without your own child, is if you try."

"How do you know about this?"

"You remember that I had to go and find Jack?"

"Yes," he folded his hands in front of him and stared at the for a moment.

"I had to ask for passage on two different ships. Under false pretenses. And on one of them I was nearly raped, and possibly killed," she saw him look up at her and she gave him a knowing smile, "Jack doesn't even know that tid- bit. The man was killed shortly after. The thing was is that I went through those obstacles to find him and I never turned back. You're scared about asking Harriet. I was scared to tell Jack. But I was terrified to find him dead, or to never tell him how I truly felt. You have less riding on this commodore, and I would take the opportunity."

"You are giving me advice to ask for your cousin's hand in marriage?"

"If you feel that deeply, I'm not stopping you," she tapped her fingers on the table, "But to give you a heads up, I doubt her answer would be a no."

"Thank you," he nodded and looked at his hands again.

"You are a fine man, James. Just... you gotta have more faith in people you wouldn't expect to. Including pirates."

"I have learned that better than ever these past few weeks."

Kat put her head back down on her arms. Her back was killing her and she was getting very uncomfortable during her sleep. That's caused from the unusual growth in her stomach, but she couldn't help it. And she was happy that it was there.

"What are you planning to do when all this is over?" she asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?"

She had to at least look at him, so she turned her head to the side and looked up at him, "I mean when all this battling the dead and Dornie issue is over... what is to become of Jack and the Pearl? What are you going to tell your superiors?"

"Sparrow and his crew has done a great deal of servitude to the citizens of Port Royal, and that should not go without some reward..." Kat looked at him quizzically and he took a deep breath, "I am putting in a request for the Black Pearl and her crew and captain to become part of the fleet. It will be the first pirate ship to do so."

"That's a huge step there, James," Kat nodded, "And in all respect, I don't know if Jack will take it. We both like our looting. And our life. I doubt he'll change his ways for that."

"Well, we would have to keep some things off the record, won't we Mrs. Sparrow?"

She chuckled lightly, "Looks who's coming to the dark side of the spectrum. And Norrington... the name's Kat."

"Kat then," he nodded.

"And here I thought you always went with the old saying, 'One deed does not excuse a life time of wickedness.'"

"As I said... a lot has changed."

"Indeed..."

They both sat in silence and watched out the window as land began to come toward them, little by little.

Jack had hoped that Kat would actually stay aboard, but to no avail. She had wanted to get her feet on dry land and nothing was going to stop her from doing so. Even her overprotective husband. Norrington and Will also came along with Gibbs and Anamaria following close behind. The rest of the crew stayed a board and helped to get the Pearl prepped if there was any need for a hasty escape. It was after all the port from which the Harbinger made birth. Norrington was actually wearing something very unlike himself. He didn't have his wig on, and he actually had to borrow some clothes from Jack himself. With Kat's help of course. It just wouldn't be right if there was a fully in command commodore running around in the Pirate Paradise that was Nassau.

As soon as they stepped onto land, they found a surprise waiting for them when they turned the corner toward the hospice.

There were children. Alive children, playing in the street with one another. Healthy, clean and happy children. Running, catching, jumping... everything that a child should be able to do. Some were laughing and others fighting over some toy or piece of a doll. Some had the actual signs that they had the illness. The same marks that now plagued Olivia's face were present on some of the other children. But they were all healing and very faint.

"Jack..." Kat breathed in for some small hope that maybe, just maybe there was a cure. And these people had found it.

"I see, luv," he nodded and the group continued to walk to the hospice.

Once inside they saw in what all respect looked like a normal running medical facility. There were no more than only a few children in the hallways with the illness. But these children were sitting up and chatting happily with their parents or guardians. Other patients with gun shot wounds or broken arms also lined the hallways and rooms. There weren't overflowing rooms of children like at Barbados. They had found a cure. Now it was all up to find some one to tell them what it is.

"May I help you?" a short looking nurse came up to the group. She was trying to balance a few pieces of parchment and a few pistols that she probably took away from a few of her patients.

"You found a cure?" Kat asked still looking at a little girl holding her small doll to her little chest, "For the illness, I mean. They are healing."

"Not all of them," the nurse bowed her head slightly, "There were many who perished before we had the chance to save them."

"And we have many more who will if we do not get that information. A small little girl is dying as we speak in Barbados. Please, we need to know the cure," Norrington stepped up and stood beside Jack and Kat who was leading the group.

"Oh yes... my apologies. It was the most curious thing," she smiled a little, "We actually found it by mistake. One child just wanted to have the most unusual food, and as a last request we gave it to him. He was walking around his room the next day as if he was never sick to begin with."

"What exactly was that?" Kat asked frantically, ready to get back to Olivia.

"It was medium rare anchovies... and some goats milk," she looked at the group and then turned toward another door, "I hope I have helped you in some small way. I must tend to my other patients now. Good luck, and I hope you reach her in time."

As the nurse ran off, Jack looked over at his wife, who had the most surprised face. That was her biggest craving. The cure was in front of them the whole time. That's why she didn't have a miscarriage. She held the key. She was protecting her baby and she didn't even know it. And now that they had it, they were on their way back. Kat noticed that Jack asked another nurse for something on the way out and she brought back a piece of paper for him. She was going to ask him about it, but thought better of it. Right now, she wanted to get to Olivia and the other children. They were their only hope.