So I realize that this is beyond all excuses in regards to its blatant tardiness. However! It is here now! (And LONG! It is one hundred and some odd words shy of being equivalent in length to its three predecessors put together!) I sincerely hope all of you still following this story enjoy this little piece of fanfiction. This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow meeting his father-in-law, er, officially, for the first time. Enjoy.

The Homecoming, by Lady Kacee

A dark, bandana-covered head poked out around a leafy bush. Smirking at the noticeable absence of approaching soldiers armored with big nasty guns, Jack scurried out from behind the bush into the open sea shore, dragging an unwilling Elizabeth behind him.

"Jack, please."

Jack's determined pace was not deterred by her plea.

"Please. Pleeeeeaaasssse."

Smirking, he picked up the pace.

"Jack, I am serious. I do NOT want to see my father. Probably almost as much as he does not want to see me, his pirate daughter."

"Well, Lizzy, don't you think I need to meet my father-in-law in an official capacity?" Jack asked, still trodding resolutely along the coastline. "I mean, the only times I have really met the Governor I don't think he got the best impression of me. Once I practically fought off the entire naval force at Port Royal --- single-handedly, I might add --- at my own bloody hanging. The other was when I was hugging his rather exquisite, scantily-clad daughter tightly against my person and made the poor lass completely besotted with my person. What kind of impression does he have of me? Especially once he discovers he is going to be a grandfather?"

They paused when they reached they a bridge, where most unfortunately a small party of soldiers was making some daily rounds. Jack and Elizabeth darted under the bridge quickly to avoid being discovered.

Lizzy reeled around to Jack, pointing a finger straight at his face. The finger. Not good.

"You see? I knew this was a bad idea. We are going to get caught and then get hanged because of your stupid whims. And! Firstly, Jack, you did not single-handedly fight off a small amount of soldiers alone; Will helped you there when you were about to get hanged. And second," Lizzy paused, dropping her accusing finger, "you were rather handsome yourself that day on the dock, all wet and mysterious, I must say." Lizzy brushed up against him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Jack smirked. "That is an everyday occurrence, love, to be sure."

Jack peeked out to make sure the coast was clear. Turning to Elizabeth, he said, "You're gonna have to lead the way from here, love."

Lizzy knew it was futile to continue resisting. After all, they had gotten this far already. Nodding, Elizabeth dashed quickly out from under the bridge and made for the stairs leading up to the cobblestone streets. "I know a shortcut. Let's hurry."

Elizabeth darted off the street into the thick foliage of the jungle growth. She moved expertly amongst the trees as if she had taken this path an innumerable amount of times. "Elizabeth," Jack asked, "why would you know a shortcut through the bloody jungle? I thought roaming through the forest wasn't included in a proper maiden's education of tea taking and swooning."

Elizabeth, without pausing, answered with, "Will and I would play here as children. We made paths from my house and the smithy and then to the beach."

Mumbling under his breath about stupid eunuchs, Jack was washed over with a wave of great jealousy. He imagined a little Lizzy dressed in a pretty little gown with her hair a mess, running through the forest happily holding a young William's hand. Jack was extremely jealous, indeed.

"So you and young Turner would romp in the woods together. That's great. We could go get him now and the two of you could have a sweet little reunion," Jack said petulantly.

Stopping abruptly, Elizabeth wheeled around and through her finger back up in Jack's face. Damn, twice in one day! Jack had rarely gotten the finger this much. If he kept this up, he was going to be in trouble indeed!

"Jack Sparrow! You are the most insecure man I have ever met! I am with you, not Will!" Wagging her finger once again for effect, she continued, "You would do best to remember that."

Jack, looking quite sheepish, nodded. Satisfied, Elizabeth turned around and resumed her trek through the woods.

Not but five minutes later, the white gables of the Governor's mansion became visible. As they fully came upon the house, Jack whistled appreciatively. He had never before seen the grand building that was the Governor's house.

"Lizzy, don't you think it is time we turned an honest living? Is the title of Governor passed down through the family?"

Rolling her eyes, Lizzy grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him around to the back of the house. "There should be a ladder somewhere around here hidden in the undergrowth." Elizabeth rummaged through the bushes at the edge of the woods, trying to find the ladder.

Jack leaned against a tree, watching Elizabeth's bent form and her rather pretty bottom poking up for his viewing pleasure. "Lizzy, first off, I don't want to know why you have a hidden ladder. It probably has something to do with that stupid Turner boy. However, I do want to know why we can't just use the front door. You are his daughter, after all."

"Aha!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I knew you were here somewhere! Jack," she called over to him, "some help, please."

Jack walked over to Elizabeth and lifted the old ladder off the ground. "Against the wall, Jack. My room is right there," she pointed up to a pair of French doors with lacy sheer curtain behind a wrought iron balcony. "To answer your question, Jack, I have no doubt that Port Royal has gotten wind of my pirate exploits. I could hardly go and knock on the door and expect George, my butler, to react normally to my presence."

He could not argue with her logic. Once the ladder was in place, Jack turned to Lizzy and said, "You need to go first. That way, if you slip I can break your fall." And I can get a good look up her skirt, Jack mentally added.

Elizabeth carefully made her way up the ladder. She reached the balcony and slowly climbed over the rail. Jack quickly followed. Opening the doors, they took in the room that she grew up in. Elizabeth's breath hitched in. It hadn't changed at all since the day she and Will were supposed to get married. How different things would have been without the interference of Cutler Beckett. While Elizabeth knew Will would have been a great husband, she instinctively knew that she would have felt more that realized the obvious lack of passion and excitement she felt with Jack. And though the road that got the both of them to this point was rocky and dangerous, Elizabeth wouldn't change anything about their journey. Not one thing.

Jack traipsed about the room, running his fingers over the cherry wood furniture, opening up the closet door and disappearing. "Good God, Lizzy," Jack said, "you had a lot of dresses."

Smiling at his comment, Elizabeth walked over to her writing desk and gingerly opened the drawers, looking at remnants from her former life. Everything was caked in dust-- clearly her father allowed no one to clean her room.

Jack walked out of the closet with a pair of her undergarments on his head and holding a lacy garment that was clearly scandalous. "Lizzy, what was this for? Not quite maiden attire, love."

Lizzy laughed and grabbed the panties off Jack's head. "It was part of my wedding trousseau."

Jack's lip poked out. He was not happy. When he and Lizzy got "married," he for certain did not get to see any wedding trousseau with slinky, sexy garments. Again, the little monster called jealousy reared back in Jack's gut. The bloody eunuch would have seen Lizzy in this and probably would have fainted and had a nosebleed. Now, Jack, however, could have appreciated this outfit a lot better, like taking a drink from a fine bottle of rum. The eunuch would have spit it out and gagged, but Jack would have savored its taste, taking in its fine spices and rich flavor.

And Lizzy, God help him, was a fine rum that was overwhelming in taste and delightfully intoxicating.

Stuffing the lovely little garment in his pocket, Jack turned to Lizzy and asked, "So where to?"

Elizabeth paused and bit her lip. From here, it was just luck. She had no idea what her father was doing or where he was. It had been so long since she had left the society life. Her father, though she loved him, was part of this life she has left behind.

"I don't know, Jack. I don't know where he would be," Lizzy told him in a small voice.

Sensing his pregnant wife's distress, Jack put an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him in an embrace. "That's alright, love. We can figure this out. Typically, back when you used to be here, where would the Governor be seen at this time of day?"

Elizabeth turned towards the clock on the fireplace mantle. It was late afternoon, around three. Her father would always take tea in his private study about now, going over his agenda for tomorrow, she remembered this fondly. He wouldn't like to be disturbed at this time of day, except from his daughter. Lizzy would ask him questions about the state of the colony and what all of his meetings meant for the next day. It was really their only personal time together.

"He is in his study taking tea."

"Well, alright then, let's head that way."

Elizabeth bit her lip again. "Jack, do you think that I can change into something a bit less… startling?"

Jack's eyes gave her a once over. She was wearing a dark green weather-beaten dress. While it was not the most fashionable thing in the world, it was in fact serviceable and unfortunately not indecent. "You look fine, love."

Lizzy turned incredulous eyes towards him. Shaking her head, she turned into the large closet and rifled through her old dresses. She wasn't sure if they would fit anymore, without the use of a corset. Dismissing that rather depressing thought from her head, she chose a white afternoon dress with a high, empire waist and a low neckline. Pulling the older gown over her head, Lizzy replaced it with the white gown. She stepped out and turned her back towards Jack, holding the ribbons out for him to tie. Jack tied the dainty ribbon and Lizzy spun around.

Jack whistled appreciatively. Lizzy looked gorgeous in the delicate dress. The low neckline was his personal favorite, accentuating her supple bosom. The waistline of the dress silhouetted her figure nicely, only hinting at her growing stomach. He pulled her close towards him and devoured Lizzy's mouth to show his appreciation.

Blushing madly, Lizzy dislodged herself from Jack's arms and turned towards her dressing table. Her hair, which was a perpetually unruly mess, needed something done to it. Raking a brush harshly through it, which proved challenging, she managed to brush it out. She took a flowered head comb off her old table, brushing the dust off it, and threw her hair into a simple but classy bun. Taking the old but still usable powder off the table, Lizzy lightly coated her chest, neck, and face with the pale substance, trying to erase the Caribbean bronze off her once-delicate skin. Looking at the mirror with a disparaging look, she turned to Jack and smoothed her skirt.

"You look like a proper lady, Elizabeth." Jack's voice was tinged with a little sadness, as if he realized what all she had given up to be a pirate, to be with him. She was beautiful naturally, and being in this particular setting, she was like a flower in full bloom.

Or maybe (this train of thought perked Jack up immensely), while he and Lizzy had engaged in copious amounts of connubial affairs, it had always been with Lizzy, the carefree and wild pirate. Now, proper and well-bred Elizabeth (for they were almost like two different people), Jack had not had the pleasure of… sampling. She looked practically breakable and fragile, like a proper lady should be. And Jack, the infamous rake he was, wanted to hike her skirt up and soundly debauch her. The thoughts were nice indeed.

Elizabeth gave Jack a quizzical look, hearing his less-than-chipper tone and his troubled eyes and then swiftly changed to "plotting Jack" with a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

She dismissed the thought. Jack was back to normal.

Smoothing her skirt yet again, Elizabeth walked gracefully (Jack always thought she was graceful, but her movements in the dress were positively regal) towards the door and peeked her outside it slightly. She motioned towards Jack and they took off quickly, Jack following Elizabeth.

Outside of a pair of high-polished cherry doors, Elizabeth paused. "I am sorry to do this towards you Jack, but it will only be for a short time." A regretful look was all Jack saw coming to him.

Before Jack had anytime to protest, Elizabeth shoved him into an inobtrusive door close by that had a key in the lock. The door was silently shut and Jack heard the key being turned in the lock. Turning around and looking at his surroundings with what little light there was through the door cracks, he deduced he was in some sort of crystal storage rooms. Picking up one of the crystal decanters, Jack noticed the swishing sound of liquid. Excellent, Jack thought. Lizzie locked me in the liquor closet.

Weatherby Swann heard a light knock on his study door. He was immediately annoyed. Generally being a man of good temper, he let little bother him. But this one stipulation he had implemented into his household was not to be disobeyed. Nothing short of fire to the house or war with the French should disturb him at this time.

Sighing, he issued a "come in," not looking up from his papers. After a few moments of silence, the Governor signed a paper with an annoyed flourish and said, "Well?"

"Hello, Father."

Governor Swann dropped his quill. Looking up at the beautiful woman standing in front of the doors, he stood up and murmured Elizabeth's name.

He rushed out from behind his desk and took her into his arms, all the while repeating her name over and over again, as if to reassure himself that she was really here.

Elizabeth's immense guilt at abandoning her father was twofold now. She forgot how much she loved hugging him and taking in his rich scent, the scent that she grew up with and was inherently her father's. Elizabeth sighed and relished in her father's embrace. It had been three years since she last hugged her father.

Governor Swann broke the hug. Holding her at arms length, he took in his only child. "Aside from the unhealthly darkness your skin has taken, you look the exact same way you did on the day I last saw you. Your wedding day." A sad smile touched Weatherby's mouth. Elizabeth's gnawing guilt attacked her again.

"And what have you been eating, child? You are going to be as big as Cook if you don't watch out."

The guilt instantly faded away. Her weight was a sore subject at the moment and to be reminded of her chunky chef was not a pleasant metaphor.

Straight to business, Elizabeth said, "Yes, well, I am glad to see you father. I believe you have no doubt heard of some of my… travels."

Weatherby frowned. He (along with all of Port Royal and probably everyone in St. James' Court) had heard of her travels. However, as a father, he gave his errant child the benefit of the doubt and chose to believe she was merely traveling the world with the Turner boy (after they had a small port wedding, naturally.) The Governor, it seemed, had been fooling himself upon Elizabeth's self-admission.

"I heard them, yes, but I had rather hoped they were ill-informed notions. I believe I am… overruled."

Nodding her head somewhat reluctantly, Elizabeth assented. " I have missed you terribly, Father."

"And I, you, Elizabeth. I just wish you would have come home instead of sailing around the oceans with that Turner boy."

"About that, Father," Elizabeth squirmed uncomfortably, "Will and I parted ways practically two years ago. I have been aboard--"

"If you tell me you have been consorting with that Jack Sparrow--"

Elizabeth, angrily interjected, "It is Captain Jack Sparrow, Father, and yes I have been "consorting" with him in every sense of the word."

There was an awkward silence. Weatherby was gaping unattractively like a fish, his mouth opening and closing. Elizabeth's chest was heaving with her anger (because an insult to Jack stung her tremendously, because no one knew Jack like she did). When he was finally gifted with speech again, the Governor asked, "You are… sharing his bed?"

Elizabeth's blush was only bested by her father's. She nodded quickly in answer.

"Are you-- I mean to say, did you wait until--"

"Yes we got married, Father! I would not allow him any… favors …with my person until then."

"And are you… happy?"

Elizabeth paused at this question. Smiling fondly, Elizabeth answered only with, "Yes."

Weatherby took in his daughter's radiant glow and shining eyes. He was convinced. "I am glad that you have found happiness, though rather unorthodoxly." And illegally, he mentally added.

Elizabeth launched herself into her father's arms, pleased with his approval (approval was a stretch; perhaps it was rather his acceptance he granted). It was a weight off of her shoulders.

They sat and talked for about half an hour. Elizabeth told her father about her travels and all the places see had seen and gone. Weatherby's last question excited her ire.

"Elizabeth, honestly, do you sit all day? I would think on a ship there was limited food and quite some exercise involved."

Seeing red again, Elizabeth practically screeched at her father, "I am bloody pregnant! Not expanding from too many sweets!"

Fish-like looking again, Weatherby was speechless. Not only had she married this blackguard, she was carrying his offspring!

Which was his grandchild. Why, he was going to be a grandfather! This pleased him immensely. Dismissing the future child's unfortunate paternity, the Governor smiled happily and clapped his hands in delight. If Elizabeth was concerned about his odd reaction, she betrayed no astonishment.

Telling her to wait right there, Weatheby walked out of his study and shut the door, turning towards his liquor reserve closet. He kept only his finest stuff here rather than in his cabinet in his study. These fine liquids were only to be used for special occasions (in addition to the ease of intoxication the various types of alcohol boasted). He knew exactly what he wanted to toast his impending grandfather-dom with. He recalled his finest port-- indeed, the finest he had ever drank. He had drank only from it once, which was upon his arrival to Port Royal over 18 years ago in honor of his house warming. He put it back after that day, intending on sampling it upon his daughter's wedding. So now was as good a reason as any.

Turning the key in the door, Governor Swann reached to grab the glass container and screamed. Elizabeth run out the study door to investigate, only to shut it back when she heard footsteps. Weatherby did the same thing to the closet door. The servants were approaching him quickly, hearing the disturbance.

"Is something' wron', sa'?" a worried maid asked the Governor.

"No, no, everything is fine. Just had a bit of a scare. Thought I saw a mouse. Not to worry."

Worry the staff did. There were never mice in the Governor's Mansion. They made sure of it.

"No, no! Everything is perfectly fine, all!" the Governor quickly bade to everyone. "Just me imagining things. Go back to your jobs."

Reluctantly (and some frightendly), returned to their various tasks. Sighing once everyone left, Weatherby opened the door to reveal a grinning Jack Sparrow.

"Your lovely daughter's idea, Governor, not mine. Port?" Jack offered a glass bottle to Weatherby. "While I prefer rum meself, this port was simply--"

"Yes, thank you, I know the port is good," Governor Swann interjected shortly. "If we could continue to the study…" he motioned towards the door.

Stumbling drunkenly out of the closet (for very drunk Jack was), Jack slurred out, "I am allowed in there now? Lizzy didn't seem to fond of my presence…"

"I can see why," Weatherby mumbled under his breath.

When Jack stepped into the room, he bounded out, "Lizzy!" Jack walked up towards her and kissed her fully on the mouth. "I missed you, love!"

She pushed Jack away both out of embarrassment (after all, her father was standing right there) and because she tasted the overwhelming power of alcohol on his breath. Honestly, she thought, does he have a magical unending tap of alcohol always at the ready?

"He was in the liquor closet," the Governor helpfully supplied.

Wincing, she led Jack towards a chair in front of the Governor's desk. She plopped tiredly into the adjacent chair and put her face in her hands. So much for first (or was this the third?) impressions.

Weatherby took to the chair behind his desk and poured himself a generous amount of port into a glass. He felt like he needed it after everything he had discovered that day. He downed it back in one drink and poured himself another.

This did not go unnoticed by Jack, drunk though he may have been. "Governor, I never pictured you much of a drinker."

"Coming from you, I am hardly flattered."

Jack snorted. "Father-- may I call you 'father' because you are even more affectionate towards me than my own-- I want to start off on the right foot, rather than the wrong foot by which we are currently bounding upon. So, putting the right foot forward, not saying that the left foot is necessarily the wrong foot, however, I think we should get past all this foot-ness and build a strong relationship together."

Weatherby lost Jack long before he stopped. He downed his third glass of port and poured the fourth.

"You, my boy, hiccup are one fonsucing-- pardon, confusing-- individual. You remind me of myself."

Elizabeth looked up at her father's statement. Shaking her head in disgust, she stood up and walked out of the room. She was dreadfully tired and refused to sit with two drunk men (those two men being the ones she cared most about in her life.)

Laying down upon the feather-mattresses bed in her room, Elizabeth dozed into a well-needed sleep.

About two hours later, Lizzy woke up and stretched her tight limbs. Groggily getting up out of bed, she only spared herself a quick look in the mirror, she carefully padded down the hall to her father's study. The sight she saw was astonishing.

Jack and her father were laughing. Jack seemed to be telling an animated story, Elizabeth seeing the violent gestures with his arms and hearing him say, "And I told him, 'Joe, you rangy, smelly horse buggerer, you best get out of this room before I--'"

Weatherby's laugh was racous. "'Horse buggerer!' Oh my! That is priceless! Lizzy-- and what a charming pet name young Jack has given you!-- why did you not tell me your husband was one of the sorts of finest men there has ever been ever! I told em'-- You tell her what I told you, Jackie!"

"Lizzy, love," Jack slurred out, "seems Daddy thinks I have potential! Wants to make me a-- what was it, Da?"

"Undersecretary--"

"Ah! An undersecretary to the department of the treasury! And I quite don't know what all that entails, but it gots the word 'treasure' in it, so I am savvy with it anyway!" Jack's smile was drunkenly beautific.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Elizabeth walked over to her father's desk and took the port (or what little was left of it) and the two glasses off of the surface. Trying to get her father to stand up was challenging, but she managed to get him layed down on the comfortable settee in the study. Kissing him on the cheek, Elizabeth bade him to sleep. Governor Swann waved in Jack's general direction. "Night, son!" he called out.

Jack smiled hazily and allowed himself to be pulled up by his wife. Swaying unsurely, Jack threw an arm around Elizabeth's waist and hugged her close as they walked towards her room. Elizabeth let Jack fall back on the bed and tugged off his tight boots. He fell to sleep immediately. Grabbing a blanket, she threw it over Jack and curled herself up against his side. She fell into a peaceful sleep again.

Light. That was the first thing Jack noticed the next morning. Light, and how much he hated it.

Ah. It hurt to breathe. Nay, it hurt to think. So Jack tried to stop thinking, only to find that it was impossible! Thoughts kept on coming in his head. Lizzy, being the foremost of those thoughts. Naughty things with an equally naughty Lizzy. Jack internally smiled-- did he really have a mouth!? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of a lot of things. Really, that light was so bright! He was going to--

"WAKE UP!" a loud, singsong voice erupted in his hair. Holy Gods! What was going on! Was someone trying to kill him!? Where was his sword? Ah, that was getting better. He knew about swords. That could be added to the list of things he knew.

Daring to open his eyes (bravery was not his strongest quality, but he gave it a try now and then) and faced his foe. Which was the foremost of his thoughts again, the ever-lovely Lizzy. But why she attacking him? If this involved his impending death in anyway, count him out.

"Jack, we need to get up and get moving. We have to get back to the ship."

Ship? Oh yes! He had a magnificent ship! Just a right beauty! But getting to said ship required Jack to move, and he wasn't quite sure he could manage that right at that moment.

It seemed Lizzy decided for him and pulled him up quickly. Vertigo. Ah. Not good.

Jack swayed, almost falling down, but held onto his wife for all his worth. Vertigo being gone, Jack tried to walk. He could manage that tolerably. "Let us then go say goodbye to the Governor."

Governor Weatherby Swann was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, his wig slightly crooked upon his head. When Elizabeth and Jack entered the room, Weatherby stood up and wavered slightly. He croaked out, "Saying goodbye?"

"For now, Father," Elizabeth answered.

"You will come and see me after my grandchild is born, will you not?"

Smiling softly, Elizabeth walked up to her father hugged him gently. "Of course, Father."

When Elizabeth and Weatherby parted, Jack walked up and shook the Governor's hand. "Take care, Governor."

Nodding his head curtly, Governor Swann shook Jack's hand quickly and let go. Elizabeth and Jack walked to the doors to go out of the room, when Jack turned around and asked the Governor, "Is that job at the--"

"NO! Absolutely out of the question."

Jack grinned and said, "Pity."

Elizabeth was standing on the deck of the Black Pearl watching the island of Port Royal fade away in the distance. Jack, sobered up and almost back to normal, walked up behind Lizzy and put his hand on her stomach in an affectionate embrace that he seemed to adopt as of late.

"Was your curiosity sated, Jack?"

With a smirk, Jack placed a small kiss on an inviting area of neck under Lizzy's ear. "Everything but one thing."

"And what was that?"

"While I have been with all sorts of tawdry wenches and females alike, I have never honestly seduced a true, gentle-bred lady. And this dress here gives the allusion that you are indeed a gentlewoman, and I am so enraptured with you that it would fulfill this one little thing that I have always wanted…." Jack trailed off.

Smiling coquettishly, Elizabeth turned towards Jack. "Whatever, good sir, are you referring to?" she tried to give Jack the most demure look she could muster.

Whispering in her air, Jack said, "I want to push you up against this deck here, madam, and lift up your fine skirt and have my way with you."

Scooping Lizzy (or Elizabeth, because she was in-character) up into his arms, Jack grinned and took off towards their cabin.

Gasping in mock astonishment, Elizabeth pretended to swoon. "Oh my, I am sure we mustn't do this. Please, kind gentleman, I am so prone to fainting fits…"

So this concludes the long awaited chapter four. I hope it was to you liking. And hey! Feel free to drop of a review/criticism/rant whenever you feel like it. It makes me most happy. :)

And some stuff to look forward to! I was inspired (by a dream, no less) of a bedridden, sick Jack. I don't think it is going to be very funny (it is not so far) but it was jumping up and down in my head, saying, "Hey! Pick me!"

And also, Lizzy has to have that baby sometime, right?

Until next time, then.