27. Captain Teague's Answers

"So Captain Teague, we're told to go to you if we have any questions," I say smiling.

"Yes, that's true," he replies with a deep voice.

"What is it that you know?" I ask, my mind running wild with possibilities.

"In my earlier years, I stumbled upon the Fountain of Youth and drank from it. Jackie spent much time asking me about it and where it is, but I always told him that it's not living forever that's important—it's being able t' live with yerself that's most important," he explains.

"Jackie?" I ask, not catching that he is Jack's father. I look around and spot Jack talking with Gibbs.

"Jackie, my boy," he gestures to Jack.

"He failed to mention that," I reply with a grin. "But do go on,"

"It was many, many years ago that I was on this very island last. The last time I was here was at the death of Princess Adura Suniko," he explains. My eyes widen at this breadth of information. No wonder Jack knew about the song and the legend!

"And how long ago was that?!" I exclaim.

"Probably a hundred years ago," he replies with a drunken smile. "But it was my men and I that aided Chief Bruma's people and fought off the attacking tribes. By the time we got here, Princess Adura Sunkio was already dead. But for helping his people, Chief Bruma, knowing of my immortality, charged me with the task of hiding the song after the funeral rites of the princess. It was I who traveled to your century and hid the music, and it was I who traveled to Port Royal here and hid the lyrics,"

"Wow," I reply, speechless.

"I met Jackie's mother on this island and fell in love with her. The Sun King told me I could leave with her on my ship. It was on this island that Jackie was conceived,"

"No way!" I exclaim with a laugh. Captain Teague joins me in my chuckle at this bit of information.

"What's so funny?" Jack asks as he approaches us.

"Nothing—just getting some information from you father," I reply, widening my eyes.

"Ah, yes of course," he replies, wrinkling his nose. He pauses and turns to leave, then turns around. "Like what?"

"Like how you were conceived on this island," I laugh. For the first time, Jack blushes at this information.

"Ye never tol' me that!" Jack exclaims to Captain Teague.

"Well now ye know," he replies with a deep voice. "It is because of this fate that I couldn't tell ye about the Fountain of Youth," he finally says to Jack.

"Ye knew about this? That I would become immortal in this way?" he asks.

"Aye, I knew," Teague states with a nod of his head, "which is why I steered you away from it for so many years,"

"Ah, makes sense now, don't it?" Jack says looking at me and then back at his father.

"Captain Teague, is there any way I can get back to my century?" I ask, my mind wandering further, this time towards home.

"Aye—as an immortal ye can go wherever yer heart desires. Ye can even take Jackie with ye," he replies with a crackling laugh.

"Great! How do we get back?" I question, figuring it can't be the song.

"One of two ways—ye can either come to this tree and put a firm hold on its trunk, or ye can take its leaves and create a powder and sniff the powder,"

"So, basically I have to snort a line of dried tree leaves to get back to my century?" I ask sarcastically.

"The leaves are magical when dried. Ye sniff the powder to gain its magical powers. These powers create a portal between worlds," Teague explains.

"That's 'ow I got ye last time," Jack explains. "Me dad 'ad the powder from the last time 'e was at this island and he gave it t' me t' get ye," Jack states.

"I remember that! It made me pass out!" I exclaim.

"Aye…I used too much on ye," Jack says with an unsure spread of his lips.

"Jeeze that shit can be date-rape!" I exclaim in return.

"I guess we should take a bunch o' leaves then," Jack says, walking over to the tree and reaching up the grab and handful of leaves.

"Not a bad idea," Teague says as he watches his son.

"So did you know Jack and I would meet?" I ask.

"Ye and Jack were merely reunited. Ye were t'gether in previous lives. Yer souls were meant to find each other again—it just so happened ye were born into different centuries. When were ye born?"

"1987," I reply with a laugh.

"That makes ye 21 of age—it is 2008 where ye live right?"

"Yes the last time I was home, which was about a week ago, it was 2008," I say.

"The year here is currently 1695, which makes Jackie 28 years of age. He was born in 1667,"

"Actually, it makes me 320 years older than ye," Jack snickers at me when he returns with bunches of leaves under his arms.

"Not something to be proud of!" I laugh.

"Well now that we're immortal, luv, we can stop counting age," he replies with a wink and an enormous grin.

"Ye can never stop counting age, Jacki, lest ye become mortal again," Teague interjects.

"Mortal again?" Jack asks, widening his eyes and quirking an eyebrow.

"Aye, ye can become mortal again, but only if ye wish it," Teague replies.

"Well I won't be worryin' 'bout that," Jack replies with a wide smile and a wink at me.

"Ye can never be too sure, Jackie. Sometimes life has a curious way o' lettin' ye know yer time is up. Sometimes ye just get tired o' livin',"

"How 'bout we not talk about the disappointments o' livin' forever," Jack says, irritated at his father's comments.

"He has a point, Jack. Once you've lived for a certain amount of time and you've done everything in this life you can, there may come a time when you want to become mortal again," I suggest.

"Well then let's worry 'bout that when the time comes. For now, let's enjoy the fruits o' immortality, shall we dahling?" he asks, holding out his arm for me to take. I link my arm around his and nod.

"Thank you so much, Captain Teague," I say courteously.

"It's what I'm 'ere for," he says finally. "Jackie, if ye please," Jack stops dead in his tracks and looks at me, then back at his father.

"I'll be right with ye, luv. Head off with the crew t' the Pearl—I won't be far behind," he says.

"Alright, let me take these," I grab the bundles of leaves and walk away from Jack and join Will and Elizabeth who are walking back to the ship.

"Jackie, ye do know 'bout 'er, right?" Teague asks his son. Jack stands firmly in front of his father, his eyes squinted slightly and his head tilted upward.

"Know what 'bout her?" he asks.

"Ye need t' pass things on, Jackie, just like I did with ye," he states.

"Well if I'm livin' forever, that seems like a sure thing, don't it?" Jack asks sarcastically.

"Jackie, ye need t' pass things on. I be immortal and I'm passin' things on t' ye," he says.

"What are ye sayin'? That I need t' find someone t' pass on me life story to?" Jack asks.

"No Jackie, I'm sayin' ye need t' 'ave children," Teague replies.

"That's not in the cards for me," Jack responds, his voice low and deliberate.

"Well I'm 'fraid it is, Jackie," he says. "And she's th' one,"

"Well o' course she is!" Jack exclaims quickly. "Wait, what?"

"She's th' one, Jackie. And don't ye lose 'er. You'll sure regret it," Teague states.

"I don't plan on losin' 'er. But what're ye sayin'? That she's goin' t bear me child?" Jack asks with a concern look on his face, "because I ain't ready t' be a father,"

"Oh not yet! But she's the one who'll do it," he says, patting Jack on the back.

"I see. Well, better start livin' me life immortal while I can!" Jack exclaims, placing a hand on his sword.

"Take care, Jackie. Ye know how t' find me if ye need me," Teague says.

"Ye too," Jack smiles and turns to leave. He pauses and then turns around. "What d' ye think o' 'er?" he asks, curious to his father's opinion.

"She's one in a million, boy. Hold on t' 'er," Teague replies with a drunken smile and a twinkle in his eye.

"Will do," Jack replies smiling, turns and then walks away, trailing not too far behind his crew.