THREE YEARS LATER

"William, get inside this moment, you need to change your clothes for dinner!" Elizabeth stood in the doorway of her father's home watching her son play with his father.

"But Mum...I don't want to!" The boy complained as his father caught him around the waist and tickled him, making the three year old giggle.

"Come on then...Colin is coming for dinner..." Will coaxed his son. Colin was the son of James and Charlotte Norrington, and was two months younger than Will and Elizabeth's son. Will stopped to kiss Elizabeth on his way in the house before leaning down to kiss the soft golden head of his first daughter Amelia, who was propped on Elizabeth's waist. Amelia had been born seven months earlier and though Liz would have loved her all the same had she been a boy, she was secretly thrilled that she had a daughter.

James and Charlotte arrived with Colin in tow shortly after Will managed to get little William changed. Colin was immediately ushered into the nursery by his friend to play. Elizabeth handed Amelia to Charlotte to coo over as they waited for dinner and their last few guests.

"Yesterday was Father's birthday..." Liz said sadly to James, who gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'm so sorry Elizabeth." He replied, patting her arm. Will squeezed her shoulders as she sighed.

"I can't believe it's been six months already since he...he went." They all nodded. Governor Swann had passed away suddenly shortly after Elizabeth had given birth again and it was still very hard on her. Still, it was a bittersweet day as it was little Will's third birthday.

"Are Jack and Eleanore coming?" Will inquired. James nodded.

"They just got in last night, so they should be here any time..." Right on cue, the doorbell rang, indication they had indeed arrived. They were showed in and in a flurry of high squeals and giggles, Jack set his daughter down so she could run into her uncle's arms to kiss he and her aunt.

"Uncle Jimmy!" The child cried. The little girl took after her mother but somehow had ended up with dark, dark hair instead of copper. James chuckled kissing her chubby cheek and passing her to his wife who did the same.

"If it isn't our favorite niece Cora Rose..." He said affectionately, kissing Ella's cheek and nodding at Jack.

"How was the trip?" Elizabeth asked the girl's parents as she too bent to kiss Cora, who was enthralled with Amelia.

"It was fine...it gets a bit harder when...well, you see me!" Ella laughed, sitting down.

"My Mum is going to have a baby." Cora said excitedly to Liz, who smiled.

"I know dearest...it's exciting!" She said gently, setting Amelia down so that she could play with Cora.

"Ah yes, Heaven help me if it's another girl." Jack mused as Will poured him a drink.

"I can assure you it is not." Ella said quickly. "It kicks just like you do when you sleep." Jack grinned at her.

"Ah, but I don't kick when I am wrapped around you...and I never hear you complain." He said wickedly into her ear so no one could hear. She laughed.

"Behave Captain...my big brother is just across the room...savvy?" She added, a gleam in her eye.

"So...have you lot decided on a name?" Charlotte asked. Ella nodded.

"If it is a girl, we'd like to call her Claire. For my mother." She answered, eyeing James who smiled encouragingly.

"And if it's a boy?" Liz asked. Ella looked at Jack, who obviously had no idea either. She grinned.

"John." She replied. He was obviously surprised but beamed at her, running a hand through his hair, which was as long as it had ever been. It was one of Ella's favorite things about Jack, his hair, which his daughter had inherited among other things such as his intelligence and quick wit.

Cora was smart, exceedingly so for a girl of two, and even got the best of Jack sometimes, though not often. She knew how to get her way with Jack, though, and for being a pirate, he was easily manipulated by this tiny person. He often mused talking to Cora was like talking to a tiny adult and that scared the hell out of him.

The day Cora had been born had been like any other. In fact, Jack had been away for a week on the Pearl. Ella had been reading in the sunroom when she'd felt the first pangs. She sent her Cook for the midwife and for Elizabeth, who had in turn, summoned James and Charlotte. Ella was in tears by the time James arrived as Jack was already two hours late. Will had gone out to find him and finally burst in with him both of them out of breath and pale.

"What the Bloody Hell is going on around her?" Jack asked, eyeing the anxious stares of his houseguests. "Where is...?"

"Ella?" Liz finished for him, hoisting her own infant son onto her lap for a feeding.

Jack nodded at her impatiently.

"Is she well? Is the baby...?" He got his answer, however, when he heard Ella's cry of pain from their bedroom. "Bugger." He muttered, leaving the sitting room and tentatively pushing the bedroom door open to see an older woman with her hands in places only he'd ever touched.

"What the devil are you...?" He started, but Ella looked over at him sighing in relief.

"Oh thank God!" She said, wincing. He artfully maneuvered so that he could kiss her without looking at anything in case it might be something horrible. She accepted his kiss but broke it off by slapping him.

"Where the bloody hell have you been John Sparrow?" Her eyes were green with fury. He looked at her, almost amused.

"I...what? But, I..." He began to stutter, "There...we...there was a run in, but I'm fine..."

Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Well I am so glad...because...I..." She stopped, as she had another contraction.

"Ella?" He said, worrying. Her glare did not soften.

"I...am...going...to...kill...you...myself!" The midwife looked up.

"Mrs. Sparrow...you are ready to push." She said, looking pointedly at Jack.

"Push what?" He inquired. Unamused, the midwife stood, cleaning her hands and preparing a clean blanket.

"The baby..." She explained. His mouth dropped as he dared to peek.

"You mean...it...the baby will come out of that?" He asked. Ella glared at him.

"Mr. Sparrow..." The midwife said calmly.

"Captain." Jack corrected. She sighed.

"Captain...get out." She finished. He looked at her in confusion. "We shall let you know when your child has arrived." Jack scowled at her.

"You talk like it is going to walk through the front door." He kissed Ella's forehead and began to leave, but stopped. "Actually, if it's all the same to you, I would rather stay..." Now the midwife glared at him, but he crossed his arms sternly, challenging her to make him leave.

"Fine. Don't interfere. Hold your wife's hand." The midwife positioned herself and instructed Eleanore to push, which she did. Ella's grip on Jack's hand was like iron, and he actually yelped.

"Er...maybe I should go." He said, but Ella looked at him.

"No. You had your chance to leave. You're staying with me damn it!"

Perhaps it was the shock of her actually cursing or the fact that he had no idea what he was doing, but he nodded at her. After what seemed like endless pushing, the midwife had nodded calmly and looked up at them.

"The head is nearly out." Ella looked at Jack.

"How does it look?" She asked as he recoiled in horror.

"I'm not looking!" He protested, but the look on her face told him otherwise. The sight that awaited him was a bit terrifying.

"Well?" She asked. He looked at her.

"It's hard to say...slimy...huge comes to mind. It's interesting..." He shook his head, trying to tear the image from his mind. Ella cried out again in pain.

"I have to...I can't help it..." She cried and began pushing again. To Jack's surprise, almost easily, smoothly, the baby fell into the midwife's waiting hands. Falling back against the pillows, Ella thought the sound of the child's piercing cries were like music. Jack, of course, had jumped back in horror, but was still fascinated.

"What is it?" Ella asked, straining to see as the midwife cleaned her off. Dazed, Jack whispered,

"It's a baby, love, haven't you been paying attention?" She rolled her eyes.

"Why thank you dear husband, but I was referring to the gender."The midwife turned, hearing this.

"A girl." She replied, setting the child in Ella's arms.

"Oh dear God." Jack muttered.

"She's lovely." Ella said firmly, setting her into Jack's arms before he could protest.

"Well," He said after a long moment of studying her. He might have been close to crying, but he kept his cool. "I suppose she'll do." He finally said.

Shortly following Cora's birth, another wedding had taken place, and, quite frankly, a quite surprising one. Rigetti finally got up the courage to ask the girl of his dreams for her hand and soon after, he was married...to Scarlett. Jack had married them of course and it was the first time Scarlett did not slap him when she saw him.

Since the Governor had pass away, James had been elected to be the new Governor, but had politely declined and the position went to a man who traveled from England. It became clear that there would be no end to slavery any time soon. Ella knew it still bothered Jack more than he let on. He never spoke about it though and she never brought it up. One person couldn't change the world himself.

"Mum! Look at what I've done!" William cried, running into the sitting room after they had finished their dinner and flinging himself into Elizabeth's arms. Liz groaned. The boys had gotten into her powder and looked as though they'd been pelted with a bag of flour.

"My...that is lovely William...a bit much though, don't you think?" She turned to her husband.

"Will if you would be so kind as to wash your son's face?" Handing Amelia to his wife, Will caught his son.

"Powder is for ladies William...unless you're French." He said leaving the room. James stood as well, picking up his own powdery son.

"Yes come Colin, let's see how long you can go without getting into something else." He chuckled. Amelia giggled as her brother sneezed.

"So Jack," Elizabeth said when they'd gone, "How does that compass work?" He shrugged.

"Just a ruddy compass now. In fact, I don't even know where it is." He added. Liz sighed, and smiled. "Well it seems to have served its purpose now, hasn't it?" She asked, referring to Ella's middle. Jack lifted Cora off of the ground and nodded.

"Indeed..." He agreed tickling the child for a moment before looking up again. "It's the strangest thing." He said. All three women frowned.

"What is?" Ella asked, taking Cora from him when she yawned.

"Well...we went to see Tia Dalma, but she wasn't there. It seems she hasn't been seen for quite a while...she's disappeared." Liz met his eyes.

"Where could she be?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't the foggiest, but I'm sure she's up to no good." Will and James returned with their sons just as thunder sounded in the distance and it began to rain.