A/N: So penultimate chapter here! Next chapter we shall learn the fate of Sally Sparrow. I'm posting my third chapter today because this is the end of the chapters I have already written and I don't know when I'll have internet on my laptop again because I can't post from my phone. Special thanks to Eponine Sparrow first for reviewing and second for her input in the construction of the story! Enjoy y'all.

Chapter Five

Return To The Nest

Jack Sparrow walked up the hill towards The Nest. It had been called that since John was very young, so called after the family of Sparrows who lived there. Hopefully, there would always be a Sparrow living in The Nest on the hill. It was Autumn, but he didn't know what month or day. He hoped he hadn't missed the birthday he had returned for. Well, that wasn't the only reason. The door crashed open and shouts of joy poured forth.

"Daddy Daddy!" Jack knelt down to receive the twins Layla and Celia into his arms. Picking them up and spinning them around, he could tell by their dresses and the way Jenny had done their hair that he wasn't too late. They were four today.

Jack's knees felt weak as he carried his youngest children up to the house. Last time had been too close, and he was seriously debating whether he should tell Jenny the truth this time. He knew she worried, and that his constantly putting himself within Death's reach angered her. She told him to think of their children if he hadn't the care to think of her or of himself. What she didn't seem to realize was that he was thinking of her and the children.

He hadn't had time to thank Will properly and he wished he had. Jack had played it cool on the gallows, but all he could think of was his wife and children. About Jenny's face when the money stopped coming and when Gibbs came to find her and confirm her fears. About how he hadn't spent enough time with his children. About how very, very sorry he was for all of this.

The twins wriggled down when they saw Gibbs following behind. He let them go and ran the last few steps to the open door where Jenny waited. Jack swept his wife up in a tight embrace, hugging her close to his body and kissing her deeply. Her kisses always purified and forgave, and when he felt her arms slide around his neck his legs nearly gave out beneath him. Her ability to forgive and love so unconditionally left him in awe. The pirate knew he didn't deserve such a good, amazing woman as Jenny Sparrow. Will Turner didn't realize how much he had truly saved when he had saved Jack.

It was when his oldest daughter came hobbling out and he knelt to hug her tightly to him that Jack finally made a resolve. He had come too close to death; he couldn't risk that again. Jack Sparrow was staying home for good this time. Sally had made it all the way to nine when Dr. Flannery had told them not to expect her to live past three; she was strong like her mother, stubborn like her father, she was a survivor. But sometimes even the most stubbornly surviving succumbed, and Jack couldn't risk not being with her for however much time either of them had left.

Gibbs stayed for as long as the celebration went on in honor of the twins' birthday, then with Jack's blessing left to take control of the Pearl alongside Anna Maria. While Jenny made dinner the birthday girls sat on their father's knees and re-braided his beard, giggling the entire time; they had been the ones to put them there in the first place because they thought he looked silly, but were secretly glad he'd kept them in even when he'd left. After dinner Jack tucked in all three of his daughters and hugged John goodnight-for he was 14 now and too old for tucking in-then went to bed with his lover, his wife, his beautiful loving Jenny. Never had he been so grateful for the opportunity to make love to her, to show her just how much and how intensely he loved her despite being gone for so long, months or years at a time.

Despite popular belief, Jack had never been unfaithful to his wife; gotten drunk and left many a woman disappointed, certainly. Stolen, lied, and cheated absolutely, and left a slew of pissed off women in his wake. And men, really. He seemed to have a knack for irritating people who had no problem physically harming him. But in the past fifteen years the only woman Jack had ever lain with was his own Jenny, and he wondered at her faith in him; never had she even asked whether he had betrayed her trust.

That night, laying with his sleeping wife in his arms, Jack awoke with a quiet gasp. He had dreamed that Norrington was in close pursuit and soldiers in red had broken down the door. He had been dragged naked from his bed, out of his home, to be strung up from the ancient oak tree out in the yard in front of his children. Present amongst the witnesses was a man he had hoped would forget their deal. But once Jack had confirmed that he was alive and no one had stormed into the house to bring harm to him or his family his heart fell and he admitted to himself that his resolve of earlier that day couldn't hold.

Jack Sparrow would never be able to sleep soundly again knowing he was bringing harm upon his family as long as he didn't face his own sins. Two years time would mark the time Davey Jones had allowed for him to be captain of the Black Pearl, and so he would spend the next two years being the best father and husband he could. But then he would have to disappear again, at least for a little, long enough to find the heart of Davey Jones and rid himself of the monster after his soul, and then he would return to his family. He would tell Jenny he was off after something else, the Fountain of Youth maybe, only because he was unable to tell her how desperate he had been for a ship in order to go off in search of something, anything, to save their daughter. He couldn't look his good Christian wife in the eye and tell her truthfully that he had sold his immortal soul for a ship, for Sally's sake. Perhaps Jack would go after the Fountain of Youth; one more adventure, one more desperate attempt at finding something to save his little bird, before coming back home to stay with his family. But above all, he would take care of Davey Jones then come back home to his family for good.