Chapter 23: Drink Up Me Hearties!
Jack and Guinevere watched as Will, Elizabeth, Juliet, William, Bootstrap, and James disembarked and disappeared into the distance. Although they were happy to see their friends safely home, there was bittersweet feeling about the parting. As they sailed on the following evening, Guinevere began to feel the bitterness of the parting.
"Feels strange to watch them go, doesn't it?" Guinevere said gloomily.
"I say it's more of a relief," Jack said with ease.
"Darling, how can you say that?" Guinevere asked incredulously.
"Because I can," Jack replied nonchalantly. "With the whelp and his little distressing, murdering damsel off my ship, I do not have to worry about the whelp or saving his damsel in distress. Most importantly, I stay out of trouble. It's a lot easier not having to deal with the trouble they get us into."
Guinevere gave Jack a dark look. "Jack, we're pirates. Of course we're going to get into trouble all the time. Do you think the Royal Navy simply lets us go pilfering and pillaging and only gives us a wink and a smile?"
"What I meant was that aside our pirating, we already have enough trouble," Jack countered. "Without the Turners, we have much less trouble than we already have now."
Guinevere slapped Jack on the head.
"Ow! I don't think I deserved that," Jack said resentfully.
Guinevere raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"I think I did deserve that," Jack said sheepishly.
"Indeed," Guinevere replied. "You know that Will and Elizabeth don't get us into trouble all the time."
"No, I stand corrected. They get us into trouble only most of the time," Jack countered.
Guinevere slapped Jack again.
"Bugger! Quit slapping me, woman. I'm your husband, not a fly!" Jack groaned.
"Really? I didn't notice because you're acting like a pest," Guinevere argued.
"I don't see how that merits a slap," Jack replied.
"Don't be an idiot, Jack," Guinevere said earnestly. "You know that this adventure we had wasn't all caused by Will and Elizabeth."
"Yes, but they caused half of the trouble," Jack said.
"Jack!" Guinevere gasped.
"Think of it if you will," Jack added. "Because of the Turners, we both ended up in a war dealing with the East India Trading Company not once, but twice. They made us risk our necks just so we could save their whelps, distressing murderesses, etcetera. That is why life is much easier."
"But if it hadn't been for them, you wouldn't have the Black Pearl back," Guinevere said wisely.
"I'm the most fearsome pirate of the Spanish Main, darling," Jack said with a cheeky grin. "She would've been mine sooner or later."
"If it wasn't for Will and Elizabeth, you wouldn't have me," Guinevere countered, with a sultry smile.
"I had a funny feeling you'd use that," Jack groaned. "I suppose that's something I should thank them for."
"And let's not forget that you were the one who refused to serve Beckett and freed his slaves," Guinevere argued.
"You put the idea in my head," Jack replied.
"Fair enough," Guinevere said. "And you were the one who got us in trouble with León."
"I'm missing the part on why I should miss the Turners," Jack said carelessly.
"If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have anything," Guinevere said sagely.
"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you're right," Jack agreed.
"I'm always right, darling," Guinevere said with a smug smile.
"But don't expect me to be all tears because of that," Jack said firmly.
"Admit it, Jack. You're going to miss them," Guinevere said.
"Will not!" Jack said childishly.
"You should know by know that you may be a good liar, but you can't lie to your wife," Guinevere said smugly.
"How did you know I was lying?" Jack asked, perplexed.
"Because you just said it," Guinevere replied.
Jack's eyes widened in shock.
"Told you so," Guinevere said with a grin.
Jack crossed his arms. "Well, don't read too much into it. I suppose I will miss them after all. A little bit."
"I knew you cared," Guinevere said brightly. "They are our family after all."
"Hang on a minute, when did we, but we meaning you decide that the Tuners and Sparrows are a family?" Jack wanted to know.
"Oh, Jack, we don't have to be bound by blood to be a family," Guinevere said wisely. "Even Juliet and the boys know that."
"What a crazy idea of family this is," Jack groaned.
"Speaking of family," Guinevere said brightly. "We've barely gotten any time of our own."
"Aye, we haven't," Jack agreed.
"The babies will be hungry right now. Let's go put our children to sleep," Guinevere said.
Guinevere and Jack entered the captain's quarters and were greeted with baby cries.
"You weren't lying when you said they were hungry," Jack said, picking up Elizabeth.
Guinevere fed and rocked Jack Jr. Jack Jr. guzzled down his milk quickly and greedily.
"Little man, you're quite greedy," Guinevere laughed.
"Aw, he's already taking after his father," Jack said proudly.
"So it would seem," Guinevere agreed.
"He's already learned my chief rule: take what you can," Jack said with pride.
"Give nothing back," Guinevere finished.
"I'm so proud of our children," Jack beamed.
Guinevere then fed Elizabeth. Soon, the babies were dozing in their basinets.
Jack sang them to sleep. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!
We pillage and plunder and rifle and loot,
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs
Drink up me hearties, yo ho…
Guinevere raised her eyebrow. "Is this how you sing our babies to sleep?"
"Indeed," Jack whispered.
He then kissed Jack Jr. and Elizabeth, as did Guinevere.
Guinevere and Jack then laid down together.
"You're not going to sing the babies to sleep like that all the time, are you?" Guinevere whispered dubiously.
"Well, yes," Jack replied. "It is my intention that I shall teach the song to all of our children so we can sing it all the time as a family."
"Our children will not be fearsome pirates," Guinevere said firmly.
"Oh, fine," Jack agreed. "Whatever you say, darling."
Guinevere caressed Jack's cheek. "You know, I thought that I could've lost you."
"You made that very clear a few days ago," Jack laughed.
"I was afraid I'd really lost you," Guinevere said earnestly.
"I was always with you," Jack replied lovingly. "I never left you for a second."
"You know, I've been thinking about what Will and Elizabeth said about having another Sparrow on the way when we see them. Do you think we should try for another?" Guinevere asked.
"We'll wait for the opportune moment," Jack grinned. "Now, would you care to see a glimpse of Heaven?"
"Lead the way, Captain," Guinevere replied.
Guinevere and Jack filled each other into their arms and it was like Heaven and beyond for them.
By the sunrise, Jack and Guinevere were sailing with nothing ahead of them but ocean.
"So, what do we do now, Captain?" Guinevere wanted to know. "Does the adventure stop here?"
"Darling, we're the Sparrows," Jack said as if it explained everything. "The adventure never stops."
"Then where do we go and what do we do?" Guinevere asked pointedly.
"My love, if I know one thing, it is that it is more of the journey than the destination," Jack said wisely.
Gibbs then approached Jack. "Orders, Cap'n?"
Jack turned to Guinevere and she nodded.
"On deck, scabrous dogs! Hands to bases, luff the sails!" Jack commanded.
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Gibbs said excitedly.
Jack looked at his compass and began to sing.
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs…
Jack looked at his compass which pointed east. Jack looked up to see Guinevere holding two rum bottles.
Jack looked at his compass, which pointed due north.
Drink up me hearties, yo ho! Guinevere and Jack sang.
The Black Pearl and the Sparrows headed into the horizon. They passed the horizon to wherever Jack's compass and fate would take them. They sailed on to more pirating and certainly more adventures. After all, it was a pirate's life for them.
The End
A/N: There you have it! Thank you to my faithful readers, I appreciate your words and you inspire me. And a big thank you to my awesome beta reader, Heart of the Lullaby. I couldn't have done it without you!
Be on the lookout for my next installment of the adventures of the Sparrows and Turners!