Chapter 2: Storm

Dinner, seemingly served for James' sake only, was quiet and uneventful. Not much of the catching up mentioned has happened between Elizabeth and James and he was well surprised at the quality of the soup. Elizabeth and cooking? Of course, many things would've happened since they last met and since she always was so enamored by captain whacky there and went on the account for the sake of him, everything was possible. How amusing this little scene must be for Jack, he must be laughing on his account and not the first time either. Anytime he glanced at the pirate captain that certain look was there in his eyes, a little playful, a little dicey, but not too out in the open to be clearly provocative enough for him to draw his sword. Apart from that, Jack didn't seem to give him much consideration, he had the boy, William, the name was as he found out, on his lap now and was taking the bones out from the fish for the child. Of course Elizabeth would name the child after her first love and Jack wouldn't mind because Elizabeth was all his for the taking now as Will Turner was stabbed to death by Davvy Jones as he had heard from the pirate tales on Jocard's ship.

Elizabeth rose to put away the food, turning back from the door to the cupboard, "Jack...you should eat something too."

Jack raised a hand casually, "aft, me darlin."

Elizabeth stomped a foot angrily, "fine, fine. To L with all the food then, ei?" She stomped again.

"Will be good to feed the fish, eeeee?" Jack grinned at Elizabeth, "me proud beauty, aye?" He added looking at James, "can assure you, way too saucy fe a better half of a commodore."

"But not too pert for you, Jack?" Elizabeth came back from the cupboard to taunt him.

James fumbled with his spoon, taking a glance from time to time at Elizabeth or the other direction, at father and son. He didn't like what he saw. He could well image these two pulling each other's strings for eternity, it was lover's give-and-take at one level. And yet he saw so much more to it. Elizabeth, almost popping a child running around to please Jack in every way, even if talking back while Jack didn't bother to move a muscle. When the boy was finished eating, William ran and brought a sextant from somewhere, playing with it knowingly under Jack's instructions. In fact he hadn't moved the entire time, the boy always came to him. As nice the picture was, James had enough of it, "I'm off to the inn".

He was just about rising to leave, when Jack spoke, "Izzie, me love, dear house woman you are, not giving the traveler some rum?"

Elizabeth snorted and put a hand on her hips, "rum, huh?" She almost like growled, but didn't want to show her displeasure with Jack in front of her ex fiance. She stood up, "rum it is Jack Sparrow!" She gave him a grin, then set two cups and a bottle down in front of them, making a big noise with each. She filled them to the top, "food no, rum yes!" She banged the bottle back down on the table, not making such a good impression on James after all.

James however, at this point, didn't care. He needed the drink under the circumstances. He will sit down and toast with Jack till the bottle was no more. Then at night, when he's asleep, he will talk to Elizabeth the right way, the way he couldn't when Jack was around. It was obvious she was unhappy. All right, Sparrow might be out at sea most of the time, but this is no way to treat the governor's daughter. Elizabeth might of liked the impertinence in Jack when they met, he was so daring and different than the rest of them, but a good husband? James couldn't imagine that. Tonight, he will offer himself up for Elizabeth one more time, so she could escape this drunken maltreater of a sea rover once and for all. With him on her side she could start clean.

Tbc