"How are
you feeling, love?" Jack asked in worry. Elizabeth glared at him
and growled, "Well, Jack," she huffed, "if you REALLY want to
know… why don't you take a rock and shove it up your-"
"Okay
then!" he interrupted her before she could finish.
Four pirates were carrying Elizabeth to the Black Pearl, running all the way. There was a pirate carrying and lifting her by each arm and leg. Elizabeth was sweating and, every time a contraction hit, she struggled and the pirates dropped her. Captain Teague was hurrying with Jack, behind the mother and her escorts. "Where do you plan on having her give birth?" he asked. Jack could only reply, "Uh…" As they neared the Pearl, Elizabeth turned her head to face Jack and said, "You're going to have to pick a place pretty soon!" Another contraction came and she squeezed Gibbs's hand with all her might. He grimaced and wheezed; "Now I know that there are bones in my hand… because I can hear them!"
When
they were finally on the deck of the Pearl, the pirates stood still
with the mother hanging in their arms. Elizabeth screamed in anger,
"Jack! Pick a place right now, or I'm going to have this baby
right here!"
"How about one of the hammocks in the crew's
quarters?" he offered.
"I can't have a baby in a
hammock!"
"How about you're little cot?"
"You are SO
lucky that these men are holding my arms, or I would have scratched
your eyes out by now!"
"Alright! Take her into my cabin. She
can use my bed."
"Thank you!"
Once Elizabeth was on the mattress, she yelled at everyone, "Get out! I have to change!" The look in her eye made them rush faster than ever. She searched for something. She couldn't very well have a baby wearing pants. On a chair, she spotted a rather large shirt that she presumed to be Jack's. She changed into it and got back on the bed. Another contraction hurt her and she screamed.
Elizabeth
heard Gibbs's voice outside, "Miss Elizabeth, I know you're a
very independent woman, but I also know that a woman cannot deliver a
baby by herself." Then she heard Jack's voice, "Aye! You're
can't be all by you're onesies, savvy?" She shouted at them,
"Well, if either of you know a wobbly-legged, rum-soaked pirate on
this sorry excuse for a ship who knows a single proper birthing
technique, please enlighten me!"
"Actually," Gibbs replied,
"Captain Teague and I both know how to help."
"Bugger,
Mister Gibbs! Then get in here!"
Jack asked, "Me
too?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"You don't need to see
this!"
"Believe me, love, I've seen it all!"
"But
you're not seeing me!"
Gibbs and Teague
both entered. "I've got linens and scissors," Gibbs announced,
carrying the supplies, "I can't think of anything else…"
Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as she asked, "What are the scissors
for"
"Why, Miss Elizabeth, the baby's gonna come out
attached to a cord."
"Oh… my… god…"
Teague asked,
"Do you know anything about having a baby, King Swann?"
"I
just know where it came from and where it's going to come
out!"
Another contraction hit and
Elizabeth grabbed onto one of Teague's dreadlocks and pulled him
down. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" the legendary pirate whined. Once it was
over, Elizabeth freed him from her grasp. Jack called from outside,
"I think I should come in!" She replied, "If you come in, I'll
kill you again! Get away from the door!"
"Make me!"
"Why,
you-"
"Watch it, Lizzie!"
Teague
told Elizabeth, "Scoot back to the headboard and lay your head on
the pillow. And you're going to have to prop your legs up somehow."
"Prop my WHAT up?" she asked in shock.
"So the baby can come
out easier."
"Oh, this is so
embarrassing!"
"Sorry…"
Elizabeth
laid her head on the pillow and bent her legs. Each pirate stood on
one side of the bed, watching her. "You gentlemen enjoying the
show?" she asked with bitterness. Both shrugged. She felt another
contraction and took hold of the sheets of the bed, yanking on them.
"Holy mother of God!" she cursed, screaming. "You alright,
love?" Jack asked from behind the door.
"Go away!" she
screamed at him.
"Don't be sore at me! I've never done this
before!"
"Neither have
I!"
Jack
stood outside his own cabin, forbidden to go in. He was really
worried about Elizabeth, even though he knew she was built to give
birth. With his ear on the door, he tried to hear everything that was
going on. All of the crew sat on random areas of the deck, waiting
with him. "King Swann," Jack heard his father say, "you need to
spread you legs out more." One of Jack's eyebrows rose in inquiry
as he pounded on the door, "What the bugger are you doing in
there?" "Jack," Elizabeth shouted at him from inside, "go
away!"
"Fine! I will!" He walked in place to make it sound
like he was leaving.
Apparently, it didn't fool her. She yelled,
"Leave!"
"Alright!"
This time Jack really did walk away, until he hear Elizabeth scream, and then shout, "Jack! Get in here! I need you!" A gigantic smile spread across his face as he ran to open the door. Immediately doing so, he felt a hand cover his eyes, shielding him from any sights not allowed. "You can't see this," Jack heard his father utter. He was leading him somewhere, still not letting him see anything. "Jack," the pirate heard Elizabeth say his name.
When the hand came off of his eyes, Jack finally saw Elizabeth. Her face and hair were damp with sweat and she was wearing one of his oversized shirts. She looked up at him with tired eyes. He noticed her position on the bed and finally understood, "So this is how it works then?" She only nodded.
Jack reached
down and took one of her hands, holding it in both of his. He saw
linens on a table, with a pair of scissors lying on top of them. He
asked her nervously, "What are the scissors for?" "Supposedly,
the baby is going to come out attached to a cord."
"Oh. That
sounds… satiating..."
Right then,
Elizabeth sucked in air and tightened her hold on Jack. A small cry
escaped Jack's chest. He could feel the bones in his hands
cracking. He silently screamed, "Ow!" A few seconds went by and
Elizabeth loosened her grip, breathing heavily. "Come on, love,"
Jack asked, "does it really hurt THAT bad?" The fury in her eyes
answered his question. He looked at Gibbs with begging eyes and
asked, "How long will this last?" Gibbs hesitantly replied, "It
can last anywhere from a few hours to… days." Jack and Elizabeth
both yelled in unison, "What?!"
"I'm sorry, lads, but
it's true."
"Ugh!" Elizabeth whined, plopping her head
back on the pillow.
"But…"
"What? More bad news? Don't
tell me; it hurts most at the very end!"
"Well, yes, but I was
going to say that, by judging the progress you're making, you'll
have this baby within the next hour or so."
She sighed. "Thank
God!"
Teague suggested, "Why don't we have her push on the
next contraction?"
Gibbs nodded. "Aye."
Jack cocked his
head. "Push WHAT, exactly?"
The two
other pirates and expecting mother rolled their eyes at him and
grunted. He shrugged and asked innocently, "What?" Elizabeth
shook her head and muttered, "Imbecile."
"That's not very
nice."
"Bite me!" She spat.
"Not now, darling."
She
gasped, "You-"
Elizabeth stopped mid-sentence and squeezed Jack's hand. He told Gibbs, "I think she's having another one of those… whatever they're called!" He cringed from the pain in his hand. His first mate jumped and walked in front of Elizabeth. "Okay, miss," he told her, "push!" Jack watched as Elizabeth obeyed. He put the pieces of the puzzle together and realized what she was going through. He shuddered.
Once Elizabeth's hand wasn't so tight on Jack's, he looked at her face. She was crying. He could imagine that it was from the agony. Her breathing was so ragged; it was as if her lungs had gained weight, rather than her stomach. In pity, Jack leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Hang in there, love," he encouraged her. For the first time in a while, she smiled.
Another contraction came and
Elizabeth pulled on Jack's jacket. Gibbs waited at the foot of the
bed and instructed her, "Push, Elizabeth!" Teague said, "Come
on, lass!" "You can do it, Lizzie," Jack told her. She
struggled and tried her hardest. With a hand squeezing Jack's, she
admitted, "It hurts!"
"I'm sure, darling. But, you've
fought the undead, battled fish people, been elected Pirate King and
defeated the East India Trading Company. This'll be just another
good mark on your record."
Suddenly, a cry
broke out in the cabin. Jack knew it wasn't him or Elizabeth. His
father and Gibbs were doing something, but he was too busy watching
Elizabeth to care. "You're doing great, Miss Elizabeth!" Gibbs
praised her, "Keep going!" The anonymous cries continued and
Elizabeth's grip became tighter and tighter with every second, but
Jack didn't mind. Teague ordered Gibbs, "Get the linens!" The
pirate hurried to obey. "The scissors too!" Teague commanded, and
then said to Elizabeth, "You're getting there, lass!"
"You
hear that, Lizzie?" Jack comforted her, "It's almost
over."
Elizabeth's groans and whimpers continued. Her shouts exceeded the cries of the unknown source. She writhed in pain and held Jack's hand. He took arm and wrapped it around her. He sat on the bed beside her and pressed his lips to her soaked hair until he hold on him weakened and, with one last moan, she let out a sigh and fell back onto the pillow.
All was quiet in the cabin, except for the sounds of the newborn infant. Elizabeth's chest heaved up and down and she still held Jack's hand. He watched as Gibbs cleaned the baby off, and then threw the bloody linens away. The first mate wrapped Elizabeth's child in a blanket from the bed and it stopped crying. Jack glanced at Elizabeth, a new mother, but she was passed out.
Will tried to tie one of the many ropes to be fastened on the Flying Dutchman. His hands had been shaking ever since Calypso had paid him a visit not long ago. The rope fumbled in his hands until he gave up and walked away. The crew watched him disappear into his cabin.
Kicking his boots off, Will strode over to his bed and sat on the end of it, holding his face in his hands. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers; the kohl came off. Wiping the black makeup on his shirt, he let out a yawn and fell back onto his pillow.
"Someting boddering
you, William?" he heard Calypso ask him. He turned his head to face
her. She was standing across the room, examining him. There was a
huge grin on her face. He slid off the sheets quickly, towards her,
asking with urgency, "Did Elizabeth escape the East India Trading
Company?"
"Yes… and more."
"More?" Will
questioned.
"Jack has done someting dat you will
never be able to tank 'im enough for."
"What?" He doubted
it.
"'e got Lord Duran to sign a document dat gives Elizabet'
freedom. Piracy no longer binds 'er life. She is free."
Will's
mouth gaped open. He spoke his thoughts aloud unintentionally, "Jack?
Jack SPARROW? Why would he do that for her? Jack? Sparrow? Captain
Jack Sparrow?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
"What?" he
asked, realizing he's spoken out loud.
"What I say is true. I
'ave more news as well."
"Good or bad?" He
winced.
"Exceedingly good."
Her smile made him tremble
with excitement, but he remained calm. "What is
it?"
"Congratulations, William Turner. You are a fodder."
"A
father? Me? Elizabeth gave birth?"
"A boy."
Will couldn't contain himself. He leapt into the air and landed on his bed, jumping up and down. More joyful shouts escaped from him as he celebrated. His eyes moved to Calypso for a second, and she seemed melancholy. He got off the bed and asked, "Is everything okay?" She nodded insincerely and vanished in a cloud of sea air. He ignored the thought and put on his boots, running to tell everyone the news.
Gibbs
held the child out to Jack, saying, "Take it." "You mean 'hold
it'?" Jack asked, then added, "I don't think so, mate."
Teague commanded, "Jack, hold the baby."
"I don't wanna!"
He stepped away from Gibbs.
"Come on, boy. Hold the child of
the woman you love."
Jack's eyes widened and shot to
Elizabeth, glad that she was asleep, unaware of his father's latest
statement. "I already told you, I don't love her. And I don't
want to hold it."
"He's not an 'it', he's a boy. Hold
him, or I'll shoot you." He pulled his pistol from his belt.
"Bugger. You can't even keep your gun to yourself around the
youngster?" He sighed. "Hand it-I mean 'him'-over, Master
Gibbs."
The first mate did just that. Jack held the baby in his arms, like he'd seen women with their infants before. He was the smallest person Jack had ever seen. Even though he was only a few minutes old, Jack could already see hints of Will and Elizabeth in the child. Out of nowhere, the baby started to cry. Jack had never heard someone scream so loud. "Yep," he declared, "this is Will's kid alright. It doesn't like me!" Gibbs chuckled as he left the cabin to tell the rest of the crew of their new little member.
"Please stop crying," Jack
pleaded with the infant, who kept wailing. The pirate offered, "I'll
give you rum! Lots and lots of it! You just have to stop crying."
The baby wouldn't give in. Teague snickered, "He doesn't
understand English, Jackie."
"'Course he does. What else
would he speak? French? I don't think so."
"He was just born
a few minutes ago! Do you also expect him to be able to steer a ship
too?"
"No. His arms are much too small."
"Naturally."
Jack
talked to the child, "Please, please stop… or I'll start to
cry!"
"Maybe he's hungry."
"Good idea!" Jack
screamed over the infant, "Gibbs! Bring me and apple!"
Teague
appeared shocked, "He can't chew and apple! He has no teeth!"
"He doesn't?" He eyes the baby's mouth. It was true.
"He
needs milk from his mother."
"You mean like…" Jack looked
down, gesturing to his chest.
"Aye."
"Yes, well, his
mum's asleep. And I ain't exactly built for that kind of food
service, savvy?"
"We should wake her up."
"I'm not
waking her up. She might hurt me."
"I don't know her well
enough to feel comfortable with waking her up."
"Fine. You
hold the little Turner, and I'LL wake her up." He held the child
out to his father.
"I don't want to hold it."
"Excuse
me, but he's not an 'it', he's a boy." He mocked his
father. The infant cried in
Jack's arms. "You can also tell that he's Lizzie's child
cause he's so bloody stubborn!" "Good morning, King Swann,"
Teague said. Jack turned to gaze at Elizabeth. She yawned and
stretched. "Wait," she asked, "have I slept all night?"
"No,
it's just a figure of speech. You've only been asleep for an hour
or so."
"Can I see my baby?"
"Jack's got him."
"Him?
It's a boy?"
"Aye. I'll be leaving now."
Teague
left the room and Jack stood with the crying child, next to
Elizabeth, who had now gotten up. "Elizabeth," he said, "I will
never ask you to do anything for me ever again if you'll do this
for me." "What?" she asked.
"Please feed your offspring so
that he'll be silenced!"
"Oh, of course!" She reached out
to hold her baby for the first time.
"Thank
you!"
Elizabeth rocked her infant in her arms. Instantly, he stopped crying. He looked so small to her. His pink skin was soft and wrinkly. His fingers were so small as she took his hand in hers. He had barely hair on his head. She could see Will in the child immediately. He had his father's nose and chin. She watched him stifle a yawn. Her baby made her smile.
"So," Jack asked, "what
are you going to call him?" Elizabeth looked at the pirate and told
him, "I'm going to name him after the two most important men in
my life."
"Pintel Ragetti Turner? You sure about that, love?"
he teased.
"No. I'm naming him William Jack Turner."
Jack's
face showed hoe flattered he was, although she could tell that he was
desperately trying to hide it. "S'a good name. I especially like
the 'Jack' part."
"I thought you might." She watched her
newborn fall asleep as she cradled him.
"You gonna just call him
Will?"
"I don't think so… it might confuse me…"
"You
could always call him 'Jack'. I wouldn't mind." He
smirked.
"No, that would DEFINITELY confuse me. I think I'll
call him 'Liam'."
Jack pondered the idea for a minute, then
admitted, "I like it."
As Elizabeth
stared at Liam, a terrible, horrible realization overcame her. It
shattered her world around her. The room seemed to be getting
smaller. Liam started feeling heavy I her arms. She held back her
tears as she asked, "Do you know what this means, Jack?"
"You're
a mommy." His gold teeth sparkled.
"It means I'm going
home."
