Title: Shanghai
Author: Supplanting Promise
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Choices
Author's POV
Jack didn't need much convincing to turn the ship back to Port Royale; he needed convincing to give up The Pearl, at least for the moment. When Gibbs told Jack that Elizabeth needed to go back to Port Royale he assumed it was because of Gibbs superstition that a female, what's worse an expecting female, on the ship was bad luck. So Jack snidely commented that Elizabeth would not die from pregnancy, nor would the child.
"JACK! SHE'LL BE LOSIN' NOT ONLY YER CHILD BUT HERS! IF YE DON'T TURN THIS SHIP 'ROUND AND TAKE MISS ELIZABETH BACK, DAVEY JONES WILL BE THE LEAST OF YER WORRIES." Thoroughly confused by what would bring on this bout of anger Jack prodded Gibbs.
"Why would she be losin' my child?"
"Will said that she is not made for havin' childr'n." Jack gave the compass to Gibbs and instructed him to take them back to Port Royale.
Gibbs watched Will row to shore and walk to the small town. He called for the crew to raise anchor and began to turn the ship around.
Later That Night
After Gibbs got the ship under way on it's new course he gave the helm to Pintel and went to check on Jack and Elizabeth. First he stopped at Elizabeth's cabin. He knocked on the door and heard her small voice tell him to enter.
"Mr. Gibbs, come sit down." Elizabeth said motioning to the now empty chair.
"How are ye feelin'?" He asked still standing.
"Better. Where's Will?"
"Ye didn't get his letter?" Elizabeth shook her head. Gibbs took a quick look around the room
and spotted the folded parchment under the bottle. He picked up the bottle and read the label then handed the letter to her.
"I'll be leavin' ye to read that. I'll check on Jack and then bring ye something to eat." Gibbs left the room and went next door. He didn't even bother knocking.
"Jack when will ye be takin' care of Miss Elizabeth. I can't sail a ship and be watchin' the both of ya." Jack attempted to look Gibbs squarely in the eye but the captain was so inebriated that he in fact could not look forward.
"Mishter Gibsh. I'll be sssailin; thisss shhhip. Ye can keep yuur eyeshh on Mishh Lizzie." Jack slurred taking yet another gulp from his bottle. As Gibbs went forward to get the drunk captain to bed he stumbled. He caught his footing and looked down to find an empty rum bottle, taking a look around the room he spotted one other empty bottle, plus the one in his captain's hand.
"Yer goin' to bed capt'n. Tomorrow we'll figure out Miss Elizabeth."
Gibbs pushed Jack towards the bed and Jack collapsed on top of it still holding tight to the rum bottle. Gibbs eased it from his hand and on his way to the galley, he threw the bottle over board. In the galley Gibbs grabbed a tray, a flask of water, an apple, carrots, and some of the meat that was left. He mixed a teaspoon of the powder from the bottle into the water and then placed it all on the tray and headed back to Elizabeth.
After Gibbs left the room Elizabeth opened the letter and read through it slowly. The first paragraph she had to read only once, knowing that it was best for everyone that Will had left. When she reached the second paragraph she had to stop.
'Pregnant? I'm pregnant?'
She read on and began to cry. When her engagement to Will was announced many of the married women had come to visit her. They had all seen her grow up and knew that her body, while tall and had some of the curves of a woman, lacked definable hips. She had grown tall but her hips had not widened much more than that of a young girl. The women said that most likely Dr. Meadows would advise her not to have children, but they thought that maybe one, perhaps two wouldn't do damage. What did a man know of a woman's body?
Rest and urge Jack to take you directly back to Port Royale, you cannot afford to be on the ship any longer than necessary. Should you go into labor aboard the ship I fear you will die trying to birth this child.
These sentences concerned her most. Will would not have put those in there unless he was sure that the doctor in Kantak had known what he was talking about; Will would not want to cause the fright that these two sentences caused in the pit of her stomach.
His last paragraph while helpful made her heartache. He had said in those two sentences something that she knew in her heart. She could not raise this child with Jack on a ship and Jack could not stay on land; the ocean was his first love, then perhaps his child and Elizabeth. Carefully she folded up the letter and placed it beneath her pillow. She heard the door creak open and then Gibbs rough voice.
"Miss Elizabeth I've brought ye a tray." Elizabeth folded her legs beneath her and Gibbs set the tray in front of her. She picked at the food and took just a few bites.
"Miss Elizabeth, I think I need to tell ye something." Gibbs started nervously.
"It's alright Mr. Gibbs, Will wrote it in his letter. I will eat all of this I promise you; right now my stomach is a little unsettled." He nodded his head and turned to leave.
"Miss Elizabeth, in the water is a medicine the doctor gave us for ye pneumonia; ye should drink it all." Elizabeth nodded her head and Gibbs left her room. Elizabeth's hand went to her abdomen.
"What do you say little one? Shall we give this a try?"
Elizabeth ate slowly, trying to avoid getting sick and was able to clear about three-quarters of the food. She placed the tray on the bedside table and laid back. Spotting the tub off in a corner she crept off the bed and on wobbly legs, made her way over to it. Kneeling on the floor she dug around to see what was in it. She found the new night gown and sun dress first. Looking at the simple pale yellow dresses she knew them to be from Will; he had always said that yellow made her look more tanned and exotic. She tossed the nightgown onto the bed and then searched farther into the tub, finding the books. She pulled out the five of them and saw that they were either a pirate story or a love story with pirates.
She wobbly stood up and walked back to the bed with her new treasures. She got her clothes off and changed into the nightgown then opened the first book.
The Next Morning
Jack woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and his last memory was a fuzy conversation with Gibbs yelling at him about Elizabeth and the baby. He gingerly got out of his bed and noticed that he had not undressed. He changed into a clean set of clothes and then ventured out onto deck. He momentarily considered going next door to check on Elizabeth but decided against it for the moment knowing that Gibbs would force him in there later.
Ten minutes later Jack found himself in the galley looking for water, rum, and something for his stomach to gnaw on. After finding the first two items on his list and ten minutes of searching for the third Jack sat down to drink. He took three gulps of the rum and followed that with several glasses of water. While walking out of the galley he spotted a basket on a shelf and pulled it down. Inside he found a few rolls and an apple; he took the apple and a roll then left the galley, contentedly munching on the roll.
Whilst walking to the helm to meet his fate with Gibbs Jack passed Elizabeth's room. As he was walking by he heard her voice.
"Jack." She whispered. He turned abruptly and almost fell.
"Lizabeth! You shouldn't be out of bed." He said waving his hand and motioning for her to go back into the room.
"Jack we need to talk." She said pleadingly.
"Alright. Le'me go speak te Gibbs and I'll come back directly." Elizabeth glared at him skeptically.
"I give you my word as a pirate and a captain. Savvy?" She turned around and sat in her chair at the desk, leaving the door open to keep an eye on Jack. Jack found Gibbs at the helm as he had hoped.
"How long till we reach Port Royale?"
"One day less than yesterday." Gibbs answered smartly.
"Ah, in one of those moods I see." Jack said stepping away from the helm and consequently Gibbs.
"Go tend te Miss Elizabeth." Gibbs hissed and opened the compass to check their direction. Jack, not wanting to test the bounds of Gibbs patience, left and headed back to Elizabeth. He walked in and shut the door behind him.
He laid on her bed and made himself comfortable.
"My incredibly intuitive sense of the female creature tells me you're troubled."
"Jack . . ." They were silent, each trying to figure out the next move.
"Lizzie you have te go back te Port Royale."
"I know. I can't have a baby on the ship and Jack I can't raise a baby on a ship." She said, trying to maneuver the conversation.
"Why not? Children board ships at a young age, Gibbs said you crossed at 8."
"Yes, I was eight, with my father on a ship form the Royale Navy; not a pirate ship as an infant. Jack it would not be a safe environment. I'll be staying in Port Royale in my father's house to raise my child."
"I don't know how often I can visit. Your first fiancé and Lord Beckett are both after me."
"Jack you can't." Elizabeth said choking on her words.
"No one tells Captain Jack Sparrow what he can and cannot do."
"Jack when I go back I am telling my father that I married Will and that this child is his. I will not put him through the shame of having an unwed mother as a daughter."
"Will told me that he will not be cleanin' my mess."
"Will gave me his permission. He gave me back the engagement ring and told me to keep it and his name. Jack no one will know that you are this child's father." Elizabeth had tears pouring down her face and she could only look at him as he was leaving her room.
His face was cold and stoic but his eyes gave away the very hole that she had dug into his soul. The flame that had always danced in his eyes was gone and in it's place was a black bottomless pit of hate. Jack had now seen the reality of his nightmares aboard the Flying Dutchman.
"Gibbs you will give me back my ship." Jack said pulling his sword and advancing on the man. "I will be taking the helm from here; you will be caring for Miss Swann." Gibbs instinctively stepped away from the helm and let Jack take over.
After Jack forcibly took the helm from Gibbs, the crew shied away from him hoping to let him settle down. They had no such luck. Jack's temper was at an all time high and he had lost all of his patience. In fact if you asked any member of the crew they would tell you that it seemed Jack was more impatient trying to get to Port Royale, than he had been when they'd been looking for The Pearl. Each man always found something to do to stay as far from their captain's sight. The ship had never been cleaner.
Two weeks after telling Jack that he would not be the father to his own child Elizabeth was finally brave and strong enough to go out on deck. She took the sun dress from it's spot on the desk and pulled it on over her head. The silky material felt foreign against her skin from the many months of rough cotton of the men's clothing. She deftly tied the attached ribbon behind her back and pulled a comb through her hair.
Elizabeth walked to the bow of the ship and stood there letting the wind and spray hit her face. She watched the water lap at the ship's hull and saw movement below the water. Leaning a little farther over the railing she realized there were dolphins and seals swimming around the ship. She watched as they played and splashed at each other. She laughed as one of the seals bobbed in the water snorting at another seal. She took a seat at the railing where a few boards were missing and stuck her feet over the side of the ship. She sat watching the dolphins and seals for sometime before they swam away. Around noon Gibbs came by and reminded her to go and eat lunch, but as soon as she was done she was back at the railing.
This was Elizabeth's routine for the rest of the journey. She would eat breakfast, go out on the deck and sit at the railing watching the water and reading occasionally. Around noon she would get up to eat and then go back to the railing until dusk.
Two Months Later
Two months later Elizabeth found herself standing at the very tip of the bow, in her yellow dress, nervously looking at the dock of Port Royale. Mr. Gibbs walked up behind Elizabeth and laid his hand gently on her shoulder.
"Miss Elizabeth, I'll be takin' ye to yer father." He said his voice heavy. Elizabeth nodded her head slowly and turned to face Mr. Gibbs.
"I'm ready." Elizabeth said and then walked down the gangplank.
Elizabeth made her way through the town remembering the way to her home. She desperately avoided the stares of many of the women she had been 'friends' with and stayed her course. Gibbs followed behind her with her books and clothes neatly packed. Within ten minutes they had reached the front of her home.
"Mr. Gibbs thank you for helping me through all of this. I have just one more favor to ask of you." Elizabeth said taking her belongings from him.
"Anything Miss Elizabeth."
"Can you see if perhaps you can get Jack back here in five or six months?" Gibbs couldn't say anything, knowing that getting Jack to stay within a two month journey of Port Royale would be near impossible. He slightly nodded his head and turned to leave.
"And Mr. Gibbs if you see Will please thank him for me."
"Aye; I will Miss Elizabeth." With that Gibbs left Elizabeth standing on her front step.
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