Thank you everyone who reviewed! I appreciate it!

I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney does. I only own the characters who weren't in the movies. You know, the ones I made up. I also do not own Isabella Swann, or Ambassador Alexander Swann, who belong to Vilofied.

The docks were quiet, and contained few people when we finally reached Port Royal. They also had a rather dark, somber look to them as well, due to the overcast sky.

Theodore escorted me quietly down the gangplank as James carried Oliver in front of me. "Do you want me to come with you?" Theodore asked quietly.

I looked up at him, and gave him a halfhearted smile. "No. You have things here that require your attention."

He nodded. "Alright. I'll send for Abigail to help you with the boy."

"You don't have to…" I started.

"Yes," he interrupted. "I'll send for her. She can do you a lot of help. Trust me on that." he smiled.

"Alright." I nodded weakly. "Would you send for Isabella, and Alexander, as well?"

"Certainly. You'd better go now. James is waiting for you. I'll come as soon as I can." That said, he kissed my temple and turned away.

There was a carriage waiting when I turned to face James, who was still holding our sickly Oliver. The carriage was all black. Black wooden wheels, black trim, black curtains for privacy. The cab driver was wearing all black, as well. Black tricorn, black coat and waistcoat, and black boots. The horse pulling the carriage was even a dark shade of black!

It looked as though we were preparing to go to a funeral. I hesitated as the cab driver opened the door. I didn't want to go in…I didn't want Oliver in there, either.

"Are you alright?" James asked quietly.

I stood away from the carriage and looked it, and its driver over again. Dejectedly, I shook my head. It's not as though I had a choice in the matter, anyway. I climbed into the dark carriage with a heavy sigh, and sat stiffly on the hard leather seat. James climbed in and sat in the same manner next to me, and eased Oliver on both of our laps.

Oliver laid there limply, making no attempt to move. A mixture of sweat and tears traveled awkwardly across his temples, and into his hair. He always seemed to be sweaty, and two weeks ago he'd started the silent crying. His skin had a bit of his normal shade returned, but not enough to not make him look pale, and feverish. He still had the purple knots on his torso, and some even on his legs, arms, and neck. But, they had shrunk in size, and didn't appear quite so swollen.

His eyes flicked to my own lazily, and I couldn't help but feel even more pity for him. His beautiful, grayish eyes were still a bit fogged over with purple haze, and were lined with a sick shade of red that made his eyes seem to jump out against his pallid skin.

"How do you feel?" I asked quietly, stroking his hair.

His eyes closed, and his head lolled to the left. "Queasy." he breathed.

I looked to James, who was already looking at me with grieved eyes. He reached over and took my free hand in his large, calloused one, and squeezed it lightly.

"What will they say?" I whispered.

He furrowed his brows.

"I asked Theodore to send for Alexander and Isabella. He's sending Abigail to us as well." I explained. "What will they think?"

"I'm sure they'll do what they can to help." he answered honestly. "They're good people, dear. You don't have to worry."

I gave him a weak smile as I turned my attention back to Oliver, who had fallen into an uneasy sleep. "I know."

"Master Norrington, you have visitors."

The voice of one of the house maids snapped me out my trance. I looked up from the fire cracking away in my study's hearth, and stood. "Thank you, Jane. You may send them in."

"Yes, sir." she answered as she curtseyed.

A few moments later, a very worried, flustered-looking Isabella entered the room, followed by Alexander, and Theodore's fiancée, Abigail. They all stood for a moment and drank me in. I'm very certain that I looked like an absolutely bloody mess. I'd hardly had the time to brush my hair, or scrub my dirt and grime covered skin. My cloths were in the same condition, and my feet were bare of stockings and shoes.

Despite all of this, Isabella rushed forward and wrapped her arms around my scraggy torso. "James!" she whispered. "I'd feared the worst!"

I wrapped my arms around her both in comfort and relief. I was actually quite happy to see her…to see her gleaming brown eyes, even though were distraught. The sight of one of my closest friends…the sight of someone I secretly called my sister, was very comforting to me.

She drew her head back slightly, but kept her arms wrapped about me. "Are you alright?"

I offered her a soft smile. "As far as alright goes."

Despite my efforts, the worry remained in her eyes as she kissed both of my cheeks, then stepped away for the others to greet me.

"We came as soon we heard! We were very relieved to hear that you'd made it back safely." Alexander said, grasping my shoulder firmly.

I nodded my thanks to him weakly. I was very tired, after all.

Abigail, who had very light brown hair and eyes, was the next to step up. She kissed me on the cheek before pulling into a tight embrace, just as Isabella had. She didn't say anything, but her emotion-filled eyes said everything, and she knew it. There was no need for her to speak.

I smiled softly at her, too, and squeezed her shoulders. "We're alright. You can relax, Abigail."

"Speaking of 'we', where is Chrissy?" Isabella broke in quietly.

I sighed. "She's upstairs, with the boy. She's been up there since we arrived."

"The sailor had mentioned a boy." Alexander said. "Who is he, may I ask?"

Abigail released me as I went to sit back down in front of the fire. The others followed suit.

"His name is Oliver Beckett." I stated bluntly.

The three people in the room with me froze. I thought I heard Isabella and Abigail gasp.

"Beckett…as in…Lord Cutler Beckett?" Abigail asked in a small voice.

I nodded. "He's his son…But he's nothing like him, I give you my word!" I rushed. A sigh passed my lips as I looked into the fire. I started again in a far-off voice as the horrid memories came back. "When we were so brutally dragged aboard Davis's ship, he came to our cell the very night we'd been tortured, carrying food for the both of us. The deal was that only Chrissy would be fed, if I would blindly take whichever form of torture Davis chose to use." I paused here to look each and every one of them in the eyes. "He risked his own safety to ensure both of us were fed. He also brought more food than was intended for Chrissy because he knew the baby was in dire need of nourishment."

"The baby?" Isabella asked. "Had the baby been born already?"

I shook my head. "No. We hadn't been fed for days when my crew mutinied. Therefore, the baby hadn't been fed either. Anyway…he was caught one morning bringing more than he was supposed to. Chrissy told the captain that she'd persuaded the lad to bring us the extra food. Davis knew he couldn't inflict physical harm on her because of the baby, so he punished both me and the boy, which was mental punish for her. That only brought us all closer."

I stopped and closed my eyes for a moment, dreading having to tell the next part. "When we reached land, my wife was showing signs that the baby was to be born very, very soon. It wouldn't have mattered to any of the crew, however, because we'd been brought to the island to be killed. So, the next morning, we were led to a very tall, steep hill. Davis asked Chrissy if she had any last words. She took a deep breath and screamed at him with the full force of her voice, and lunged at him!"

"She did pretty good at first. She'd caught him around the neck with both hands, and was doing a good job strangling him. I was too shocked to try to jump in and help, it happened so fast." I stopped once again, and covered my face with both of my hands. This would be the hardest to tell. "Before she could finish him off, she was grabbed by several of the crew and thrown over the edge. Without a second though, I jumped over after her. I did what I could!"

It was here that my voice revealed the lump in my throat. I'd buried this memory away, hoping never to drag it up again. "I simply couldn't save it!" I'd switched to whispering, trying to hide the lump. "The fall had killed the baby. Oliver had helped me in delivering it, and not until my small boy was in my arms did I know he was dead. After that, Oliver became very close to us…Like a son. That's how Chrissy refers to him, as her son."

I decided to look up at them then, trying to show them how absolutely serious I was. "That is why I must stress it to you…We must do whatever we can to nurse him back to health. We must save him!" I whispered. "We'd also like to ask you, Alexander, if you would help us in the task of changing his last name to our own. We'd like to adopt him…legally…as our own."

He nodded, understanding and sympathy filling his warm, deep brown eyes. "I'll do everything in my power."

It was only then that I realized Isabella, who was sitting beside me, was in tears. "I'm so sorry about your baby!" she whispered. "I can only imagine how she feels about this."

I nodded my head in thanks, before changing the subject. "Let's go see how Oliver is doing, shall we? Chrissy's been with him for hours, and may need a break."

I continued tearing the red part of the quill plant from the stem, as I had been for hours. I had to get enough juice from them for Oliver to drink, and it was a long and tiring task. When I thought I'd torn enough of the plants, I put them in a bowl and began grinding them.

Oliver lay on the bed before me, his cloths having been removed, and a towel draped over his most private area. Having no cloths on revealed that his body was completely covered in sweat, and his skin was now colored a reddish shade from the neck down from being rubbed with but one of the plants.

"Almost finished, Oliver. Just a few more moments." I said quietly.

Oliver only flinched at the sound of my voice. I'd forgotten that even the quietest of sounds sounded very loud in Oliver's ears.

With a sigh, I poured the mixture into the glass beside me, and I tilted Oliver's head up a bit so he could drink. I gently pressed the cup to his lips, but as soon as the scarlet liquid touched his tongue, he immediately spit most of it back into the glass. The excess liquid that didn't make it back into the glass dribbled down his chin, and some onto his neck.

"Oliver!" I mumbled in annoyance, and at the fact that this was the second time he'd spit it back out. "You must drink it, Oliver!"

"I already drank it." he whined.

"Once isn't enough. You need at least two glasses to make the skin irritation go away. Trust me on this, Oliver. I know how you feel, and believe me when I say this will help." I soothed.

"Alright." he whispered. "Try again."

Without hesitation, I pushed the glass against his lower lip again and tipped it. He drank quickly, trying to get it over with, and the glass was drained in no time.

"Awful!" he choked. "How would you manage to drink that?"

I smirked. "I didn't say it was very easy. I also warned you that it wouldn't taste good."

My smirk left as quickly as it had come, it disappeared. He looked so frail, so vulnerable as he laid there naked, sweaty, and pale. I grabbed a wet rag and wiped the plant juice from his chin and neck, then proceeded in dabbing his forehead with the cool cloth. Not until I heard a small sneeze from the doorway did I realize I had an audience.

James, Alexander, Abigail, and Isabella were all standing there, just watching me. Judging by her expression, it must have been Abigail that had sneezed. She smiled kindly at me and walked to me.

"What is wrong with him? What can I do to help?" she asked quietly as she put one of her small hands on my shoulder.

"He's been bitten by many venomous spiders." I whispered so Oliver couldn't hear. "There really isn't much we can do. Just dab his forehead with a wet cloth and rub his skin with this red plant, here. Just this one. After it's been used on his skin, I don't want him to drink the juice from it. The other plants, however, can be used for him to drink."

She nodded, showing she was understanding so far.

"If he starts to complain of stinging or itch, give him some of the liquid. These plants are very thick, so you can use one several times for liquid. Make sure it's completely drained of any liquid before you grind another, I must stress that to you. These can't be found anywhere on this island…I already looked a long time ago. You can do all of this while I check for anything I've missed." I finished.

"Uhm…I think James wants you to take a break. He said you've been up here for awhile." she told me softly.

I looked from her to Oliver, then from Oliver to James, then back to Oliver. I didn't want to just leave him with someone he didn't know! My poor son…

"Come along." James whispered. "I assure you, he's in good hands. You need to relax for a bit." he said as he grabbed me lightly beneath the arms. "He'll be fine."

"But…he…he can't see!" I whispered back. "He'll panic!"

"He'll be alright, darling. Please, come with me." he pleaded. "I need you for a while."

There was something in James's voice that made me cave in…that made me believe he truly needed me with him now. I stood and laced my fingers between his, and walked slowly for the doorway. As soon as I heard the door close, I wrapped my arms around James's neck just as he wrapped his around my waist.

"I…I don't know if he'll make it!" I choked. "He's so weak!"

I was so upset, I didn't even realize he'd carried me down the stairs.

"It'll be alright." he said tiredly. "He's made it this far."

"I-I don't know." I sobbed.

I was vaguely aware that James had sat down in front of a fire, and had eased me between his sprawled legs. Alexander and Isabella were sitting not far from us, looking on sympathetically. At least, I think they were. It was a bit hard to tell with tears blurring my view.

"He has to make it…" I whispered. "My son…my son…"

"Shh…It's going to be alright." James soothed. "Like I said, he's made it this far. Shh…"

"I can't…I can't lose him…" I breathed. "I couldn't…live with myself…if…if…" My sobs wouldn't allow me to finish.

I could barely feel James rocking me, cradling me like a small child on his lap. One of his arms wrapped comfortingly and protectively around my waist, while his free hand rubbed my back in long, slow strokes. His lips pressed to mine in a short, but assuring kiss. It didn't last long enough.

"Master Norrington, Miss Redwood is in need of your assistance." Came a quiet voice from the doorway.

James stood with me still in his arms, but I felt him reluctantly set me back down again. I was confused to feel someone else's arms around me as James's footsteps began to fade. When I looked up, soft, comforting hands wiped my tears away for a few seconds. James had set me on the settee between Alexander and Isabella. Alexander had his arms around me in a fatherly embrace, and Isabella was stroking the back of my head as though I was a toddler. Both were looking at me with sympathy.

"James told us everything that happened…I'm so sorry, Chrissy." Alexander whispered.

Isabella nodded in agreement. "We're here for you, cherie. We're at your disposal."

I eyed the two quickly as another round of tears began making their way down my cheeks. Alexander pulled me tighter against him as I tucked my head beneath his chin, and Isabella began rubbing my back. Both of them continued to whisper comforts to me, and did their best in trying to get me to fall asleep.

I sighed as I tried to calm myself. Alexander's arms were like a safe haven, and Isabella's ability to speak fluently in French was like a lullaby. I actually found myself becoming quite tired! I'd been attacked by pirates, my family had been tortured by them, I'd lost a child, and my adopted son looked to be on the verge of death, yet I found myself falling asleep!

"I'm so tired…" I mumbled.

"You've been through very much over the course of a few months." Alexander said in that calming tone of his. "Go to sleep, you deserve it."

I fought against my drooping eyelids. "I can't! I need to help…" I tried to get up, but my body wouldn't allow me. Oh, how very heavy my body felt to my legs!

"No, you must rest." Alexander soothed. "He's being taken care of, there's need to worry. Rest now, sweetheart."

I found myself being shifted until I was lying down, with my head in Alexander's lap, and my legs atop Isabella's.

"But…I must…" My speech was becoming slurred with my exhaustion.

"Hush now, cherie." Isabella whispered as she stroked the top of one of my hands. "Repos, mon ami. R'eve sucr'e r'everies." (Rest, my friend. Dream sweet dreams.)

My eyelids felt so heavy…

She began to sing softly in French. The tone she sang with was very light, clear, and soothing. Her notes seamed to wrap around me like a soft, warm blanket. Even though I couldn't understand her words, they comforted me, and I found myself being lulled to sleep. I tried to fight the drousiness, tried to stay awake, but the song was simply too calming, and beautiful. I allowed my eyes to close. Isabella continued to sing. Alexander began to rub my shoulders. I allowed myself to yawn. Isabella's tone grew softer, more gentle.

The last thing I heard was James's voice. "Good night, darling."

HEY!! About the part written in French...I'm sorry if I messed it up really bad. I couldn't figure out how to put the correct symbols in the correct place, so I improvised. I apologize to anyone who speaks French or is French that is reading this if I messed it up pretty bad! I really admire the language, I'm just not used to using it! Also, I apologize for taking so long to update. I've been very busy, and life got a bit complicated. So, there you have it! Please review! Thanks!