Disclaimer: Disney is proud owner of POTC, OCs are all mine.

A Sparrow's Shadow on the Sea

Winged Victory

We left New Providence as soon as the tides changed in our favour. Jack had explained that the "dangers lurking in port would've made Tortuga seem like a garden party." I still would've liked to go and explore this new place, and I stubbornly made Jack promise to show me around the next time we went there. He eventually, and begrudgingly, did promise; but I suspected he intended never to go back there if it could be avoided.

I stood on deck, watching the small islands drift by as we sailed south through the Bahamas. The brilliantly blue sky was dotted with puffy, cotton ball clouds, and there was a brisk breeze filling the dark sails of the Pearl. Jack was at the helm, swaying slightly with the movement of his beloved ship, a dreamy look on his face as he gazed at the horizon.

A splash in the water below distracted me from watching my handsome Captain. I looked down to see a group of four dolphins racing alongside the ship. I smiled as I watched their streamlined bodies speeding gracefully along. I couldn't wait for the baby to be born, so I could once again have my own streamlined shape back. Not too much longer, I thought, only a few short weeks before I would be due. Curiously, I didn't feel the fear and dread regarding the birth that I had expected to plague me by this time.

"Do tell me, darlin', what's so compelling that you can't tear yourself away from it to gaze at the most irresistible pirate Captain in all the Caribbean, a Captain who, I might add, is also your husband," Jack's voice suddenly said.

I turned to see he'd come down from the helm to stand beside me.

"Ah, so you can tear yourself away from it after all," he drawled as he watched me.

"I was watching the dolphins," I told him, smiling.

Jack peered over the rail to see the dolphins leaping joyfully over the waves.

"I've never seen them outside of captivity," I mentioned, as I watched with him.

Jack stared at me in confusion. "They hold dolphins captive in the future?" he asked in disbelief.

"Not just dolphins, Jack, many animals are kept and cared for in…" I struggled to find the right words, "…captive environments. Often it's the only safe place for them, where they won't be hunted to extinction."

Jack considered what I'd said. "That's not right, dolphins love their freedom too much," he commented, wincing slightly. "Which reminds me that our own freedom is rapidly drawing to a close, luv."

I looked at Jack in bewilderment. "What do you mean?" I asked apprehensively.

"Once Ruby joins us…nothing will be quite the same," he explained, "That woman has a tendency to take over, no matter where she is."

"As you point out so often, the Pearl is your ship, Jack, and you're Captain," I replied, "Ruby's presence won't change that, no matter how domineering she may be."

"Trust me, luv," he said somewhat wearily, "Ruby has a way of insinuating her will into every situation."

I'd fully expected Ruby to have an opinion on many things that took place on the Pearl, and to have no hesitation in expressing those opinions as well. However, seeing Jack's deflated demeanour made me wonder if inviting her onboard was such a good idea after all.

"I don't want to endure constant bickering and squabbling between you and Ruby," I told him, "Maybe I should just stay with her and have the baby on Tortuga."

Jack looked searchingly at me. "No, we both want the baby to be born on the Pearl, Eve," he responded with a strained smile, "We'll just make the best of it. I'm sure everything will be just fine." He didn't seem to be very convinced of it.

Suddenly brightening, Jack smirked at me. "Come with me to the cabin, luv," he drawled charmingly, "There's a little something we need to attend to, before we reach Tortuga." His eyes darkened as his gaze swept over my body appraisingly.

I smirked at him. "Are you never satisfied, Captain Sparrow?" I teased.

"You know I can never get enough of you, darlin'," he said, draping his arm over me and guiding me toward the cabin, "But, that's not exactly what I had in mind." He regarded me with a know-it-all grin.

Damn! How is it possible for one man to be so completely irresistible, I wondered? It was a mystery I anticipated taking to my grave unsolved.

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I walked into the cabin, hearing Jack close and lock the doors. And then he was behind me, sweeping my hair aside so he could kiss my neck. He pulled my shirt up, sliding his hands underneath, and over the bare skin of my belly. His fingers splayed, he smoothed his calloused hands over my skin, gently caressing our soon-to-be-born child.

"I want to sketch another portrait of you, Eve," he growled huskily in my ear, nuzzling against my neck. "I want to try to capture how beautiful you are."

I was surprised at his suggestion, and a little disappointed. "Is that all you want to do, Jack?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Of course not, luv," he answered. He gazed at me, desire lurking in his eyes, his lips twitching into a smirk. "But, it's what I want to do first," he explained, as he lifted my shirt over my head.

"Another nude," I concluded.

"Aye, darlin'," he confirmed, grinning, "Boots, breeches, and a loose shirt do nothing for you, but without them…" He glanced down at my half naked body. "So much more flattering."

He helped me remove my boots. He slipped off his coat, draping it on a chair, and then retrieved his sketchbook and drawing implements from a cabinet.

I untied my breeches and let them fall. Stepping out from the fabric pooled at my feet, I watched Jack as he examined his sketch pencils, searching for a finely sharpened one.

"Close your eyes, luv," he said, without looking up. "Imagine it's a warm, sunny day and you're standing at the bow. The wind is blowing, the sails are fluttering above, and you can feel the Pearl as she rises and falls over the waves."

I couldn't help smiling at the scenario Jack had conjured up in my mind. I'd spent many an afternoon reveling in just that particular situation. It always made me feel peaceful and happy to stand at the bow, feeling the wind in my face and blowing through my hair, the warm sun on my skin.

I heard Jack begin to sketch, his pencil making a scritching, scratching sound on the parchment page of his sketchbook. I felt the cool breeze from the window caress my skin. And I felt the baby moving inside me, almost as if it were snuggling down for a nap. Smiling, I opened my eyes to look at Jack. His dark eyes were so serious as he concentrated on his drawing.

I'd never felt happier in my life! And I savored every sensation I felt, every thought I had, in this perfect moment; tucking away every detail and every nuance, so I could remember it forever.

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Finally, Jack put his drawing pencil on the table. He glanced up at me, then looked back at his sketch. I saw him smile, obviously pleased with the result. "Want to see?" he asked me, his smile turning mischievous. He rose from his chair and walked over to me, holding out the sketchbook.

As I took it from him, he once again went to stand behind me. His arms wrapped around me as he peered over my shoulder at the drawing, the braids on his chin tickling me as they brushed my collarbone.

I looked at his drawing and gasped. For several minutes, I stared in shock at what he had drawn. Finally, I asked him in a small voice, "Is this really how you see me?"

"Aye, Eve, it is," he replied quietly. I could tell he was smiling, and it was unnerving.

Winged Victory. I had seen the statue years before on vacation in Europe. It suddenly popped into my head, as I looked at Jack's drawing. The portrait depicted me standing at the bow of the Pearl, my arms stretched out to either side, my hair billowing wildly around me in the wind. For a moment, I tried to imagine how exhilarating it would feel, to stand naked at the bow of the Pearl as she sailed. To feel the rush of the wind all over me. I looked back at the sketch. I looked like a goddess! A very pregnant one.

"Do you like it, luv?" Jack asked, startling me from my thoughts.

"It's beautiful," I whispered, suddenly feeling overcome with emotion. A large tear spilled from my eye and fell to splatter on Jack's hand, surprising both of us.

"Eve, why're you crying?" he asked softly.

"I don't know…it's so…it's beautiful, Jack," I stammered, trying to find words to express how I felt, "It's overwhelming…it's…perfect!"

Two more tears fell from my eyes, to plop on Jack's hand and wrist.

I knew exactly what I felt. I had traveled a few hundred years into the past, to find myself deeply in love with a man who could see straight into my soul, who cherished, respected, and trusted me, as I did him. And soon, I'd be giving birth to our child.

"Don't cry, luv," Jack said in a low voice, as he tightened his arms around me, holding me close. "It was supposed to make you happy."

"It does make me happy," I replied, "You make me happy." I placed the sketchbook on the table, then I turned in his embrace to face him. His warm brown eyes looked at me in wonder. I slid my arms around his neck, weaving my fingers through his long braids and dreadlocks. I kissed him slowly and tenderly, luxuriating in the feel of his warm lips, his strong arms around me.

My fingers left his hair, to glide down over his chest to his waist. I began to unfasten his sash, loosening it until it fell to the floor silently. I moved my hands back up over his chest, to slide his vest off his shoulders.

I looked up to see Jack watching me with dark, lust-filled eyes. He began to pull his shirt from his breeches.

"No!" I said abruptly, "Boots."

Jack smirked as he bent to remove his boots. When he stood up to face me, he was grinning wickedly. "Carry on, my love," he told me.

I reached up to touch his cheek with my fingertips, trailing them down over his bearded jaw, along his neck, over his chest. He watched my face intently, as I watched his, our eyes locked and never wavering.

He reached up, threading his fingers through my hair, holding my head gently in his hands; as he leaned down to kiss me. As his kiss slowly deepened with passion and finally urgency, I could tell he was beginning to lose his restraint.

I pulled his shirt from his breeches, slipping my hands underneath to glide over his chest. Jack moved away from me, pulling his shirt over his head, then dropping it to the floor.

I gazed at him, drinking in the sight of his tanned, lithe body… the familiar scars that etched his flesh…the lean muscles that made him so strong. I gazed at his handsome face, his dark, smouldering, kohl-rimmed eyes. And I was lost.

He swept me up into his arms and carried me to the bed.

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed that bit of fluff! Next stop, Tortuga! Let the fun begin with Ruby on the Pearl! It's a shame the Pearl isn't equipped with seat belts! I think it's going to be a bumpy ride! Huge, heartfelt thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! I love you guys!