Jack rocked back in the chair on the porch, glancing over the hills down at the Pearl anchored in the dark harbor. Cora's waking cries had yanked him from the dinner table and outside with a handy bottle, right before he was about to let his temper take charge.

"I'd like nothing more than to strike that grandfather of yours sometimes," he muttered to Cora, setting her bottle down on a nearby table and positioning her over his shoulder, a mastered routine now, patting her back just right. He could feel her bringing her fists up to her face and at last heard a belch he could only describe as wet. Twitching, his face formed a grimace as he pulled her back and eyed the milky substance on his shirt.

"Nothing like the innocence of a child to brighten one's spirits…"

"Let me get that for you."

Maike stood at the threshold of the cottage, a towel in hand, silhouetted against the house lamps. Bending over him, she dabbed his shirt.

"Usually, I have one of those at the ready," Jack coughed.

"Well, after finding out you had a stepmother and being not at all pleased with your father's attitude, you're entitled to forget a thing or two," she said in a wistful, sing-song voice. "He's told me a lot about you, so much so I wish I had been a part of all the adventures before now."

"The impression he left with you was that he himself was a part of all those adventures?"

"No. He only told me what he could. But I have a talent for being able to see the past. It's rather easy to fill in the gaps."

"Why did you marry him?" he asked in a hushed whisper, laying the towel over his shoulder.

"May I?" she asked, with her hands out. After a moment's hesitation, Jack tossed the towel to her and leaned over, allowing her to take Cora in her arms. She stretched one of her arms for the bottle and continued to feed her. "Thank you. So sweet. I married your father for all the right reasons someone should marry. I'm not an innocent, Jack. Nor was I duped or seduced into anything. Your father and I know each other in such a way that almost demands we be married."

"That's a rather Biblical way of putting it."

"I don't mean just that way. Although…" She smiled to herself. "I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of soul mates. And I know it's sad that he and your mother weren't, but it wouldn't have been fair for us to deny being together. We could be happy, or we could be miserable, and we were both tired of feeling miserable." She exhaled and continued feeding Cora with shaking hands.

Taken aback, Jack shifted in his chair and pulled his coat tighter. "Seems a rather impervious thing to do as far as the dead are concerned," he said, yet could not maintain eye contact with her as he sputtered the words.

"And isn't the captain of the Flying Dutchman dead in your eyes?"

Ah, so Teague had let her in on everything he had known. A shiny, arrogant grin erupted.

"Since we're being so forward with one another, yes."

"And, regardless of the circumstances, you still married." She collected Cora up for another burping.

"Contrary to popular belief, or your belief," he said, "legally and honorably married."

"As are we, and I wouldn't expect anything less of you." She paused, narrowing her eyes and smirking. "Seeing as you're a good man, I know you would never put anyone in a position that would compromise their honor."

Opening his mouth, Jack snapped it shut and stared at the woman, a silent battle of wits commencing…and sadly one-sided, he thought.

"Come, Jack, I told you I could see the past, can see you're the kind that wants to know what everything tastes like."

True enough, that had been years ago, such a countless amount of treasured memories, private moments since then, and yet every time his face was within inches of Lizzie's, every time those spirited, sparkling eyes locked in on his, it was that conversation that echoed back to him.

Not about to be caught reminiscing, Jack held his head back in a frozen nod, chin rising.

"Mrs. Maike…Teague, you have proved a worthy opponent." He extended his hand, which she took in a firm but loving handshake.

"You'll want to go inside here in a minute," she said, bringing him close enough for her to stand on tiptoe and kiss his cheek. He followed her in where Billy ran straight into his legs. He gazed up at him with a wide grin and mouthed something.

"What's that?" he asked, leaning over.

"Father Christmas is here!" Billy covered his mouth with both his hands. Sitting in a plush, elaborate chair was Teague, smothered in a forest green coat with white fur trim and a matching hat. What looked like a powdered wig curled down from under his nose, leaving only the familiar black eyes poking out.

"So it is," Jack marveled, kneeling down. "I'd wager his lap looks a might empty, eh? What say you to paying him a visit?"

Billy looked at him as if he'd suggested the boy captain the Pearl all on his one-sy. After a moment's hesitation, he ran over to Teague and stood in front of him. The boisterous chatter obscured the exchange, and Jack strained to hear if his father would actually put on a voice or a disguised laugh.

"Is everything all right?" he heard, suddenly feeling Elizabeth's fingertips around his arm.

"Just taking in a sight I never thought I would." He nodded over at Billy finally climbing into Father Christmas' lap.

Elizabeth nestled into him more. "I heard him mention a thing or two we have stowed on board."

He grinned at the sound of a slight giggle in her voice, turning his neck to share a smile with her. He leaned in more than he intended as she took one of his locks and strung something into it. With a raised eyebrow, he pulled it to the front of his face to see a small vial filled to the halfway point with sand and a shard of glass in it.

"That's from the island where we were marooned," she said. "I went back to it and found some bottles still there, right where we left them. I had it etched. Turn it over. It's nothing original or fancy, but…"

"You're really something, love," he said, reading "I love you" etched into the glass. Throwing an arm over her, he pulled her closer to him. Winding her hair around his fingers and kissing her cheek, he felt reassured the sapphire earrings he'd found would look stunning on her.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly/fa la la la la/la la la la," they heard, everyone gathering around Teague, who'd found his guitar and managed to strum out a song with Billy still on his lap. Gibbs held onto Cora, who seemed to be cooing in time with the carol. "Tis the season to be jolly/fa la la la la/la la la la!"

"Best be showing off our pipes, darling." Taking Elizabeth by the hand, they approached the chair, bumping into Ragetti, who was gulping at them and swaying side to side with a piece of paper in his hand. He motioned for Pintel to come next to him. Jack and Elizabeth exchanged a brief look, containing some weariness when Pintel clapped his hands together and cleared his throat.

"Cap'n? Ragetti's got quite the gift for ye this year!"

A/N: Merry Christmas and I do not own POTC!