"So that name of yours …" Groves tried hard for a fairly normal conversation, but with this family, it simply was what it was … "How did you get it?"
"Glad you're asking, that's quite the story, actually – I've always been fast on the trigger, but that day …" she began, and was henceforth nigh unstoppable.
The clothes Tara had given Groves before James insisted on introducing him to his Aunt Quick Draw McFleming were safer than his uniform, still it was obvious how he couldn't quite blend in.
He was no pirate, and he certainly was no one to quickly draw a pistol, unlike Aunt McFleming.
"He called me useless, so I made use of a bullet. Apparently it came as a surprise, bystanders claimed I was as quick as lightning. I earned myself the name, you see?"
"How interesting! Very, very interesting, James, isn't it?"
"Yes, yes."
"Speaking of speed, would you briefly excuse me, Ma'am?" Moving swiftly over to Tara he soon whispered to her, "That's Sparrow's aunt?"
"She's insufferable, they all are, I know," Tara said under her breath while waving over to Quick Draw with a forced smile on her face. "She loves to share entirely stupid advice with the kids, like 'shoot first, ask later', but see – Sparrow hates this place for a reason."
"Well, Edward's iconic, but with all due respect, the rest of those relatives seems … special."
"And you haven't even spoken to Ace yet."
"Who do they think I am again?"
"A Pirate impersonating a Navy man, like back in the day."
Of course, Teague and even Jocard knew who he really was. But they'd decided to tolerate the man for Tara's sake, along with some well-intentioned trust Edward had put on him not ever to dare guide any officials to his front door …
"Theo!" James called him over again. "Look what Jocard got us!"
"There the Navy man goes," Theo said to Tara, "appreciating a Pirate Lord's birthday gift for the kid of another Pirate Lord."
"See?" Tara winked. "It ultimately would've been too complicated between us."
He grinned, then left Tara standing next to the most elaborate cake. The very cake the twins had asked her not to cut yet because they believed Jack might still join them after all.
"Fantastic father you choose for them," Hazel groaned in utmost sarcasm while stuffing her plate with all kinds of pastries. "The two of them were an accident, I do get that. Grandmama also didn't want to have Edward. Things like that happen." She pointed at Tara's waist, her eyebrows raised. "But a third one? Really?"
"How'd you even know?" Tara hissed, intuitively hiding her belly with her arms crossed over her chest. "And pipe down, Hazel, I haven't told anyone yet!"
"Won't be long now before you start to show anyway. Was it an accident again?" Hazel gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "We can but hope my nephew didn't double the luck this time round as well, can't we?"
"Shut it, Auntie, it's absolutely none of your business."
"Is Jackie aware you're with child?"
"Told him I suspect as much."
"Ah." She nodded as though she suddenly understood the universe. "So that's why he's not coming back, I see."
"Hazel, believe it or not – he was thrilled!"
"Who and why?" Teague asked, appearing out of the blue as he always did.
Tara felt bad at once. She hadn't even told Edward yet.
"My least favorite brother," Hazel said, turning to him, "did you know that your whelp's little whatsoever is expecting yet another –"
"She's the mother of his children, if you please, and I sure know." Teague just nodded at Tara, proceeding to tell his sister as calm as ever, "But one should think you have enough baked sugar stuffed onto that plate by now, you stingy beast. Mind terribly eating it somewhere I don't have to see you? I'm still traumatized from our childhood."
"Same goes for me, Edward, trust me," Hazel croaked while trudging on, "and good luck, Tara, with another birdie on the way while the Original is out and about and as always avoiding you."
"He's rather avoiding her, Edward, I hate that side of the family just as much as he does," Tara quietly whined. "And I was about to tell you, really, I just wanted to wait for an opportune moment and –"
"I've noticed weeks ago, dear," he surprised her, patting her back. "You had an unusual appetite, and refused the occasional glass of wine. See, I'm glad if you are."
"I am." She pressed her lips onto each other for an angry second. "I just imagined my already walking and talking kid's birthday a bit more joyful, with their father present instead of the man I wish I could have loved hadn't it been for said –"
"Bilge rat. Yeah. I'll call him that now, too."
She sighed. "Neither of us should."
Teague was genuinely clueless. "Why do you keep defending him?"
She shrugged. "He's the best of the worst … Edward, what if he's in trouble?"
He immediately roared with laughter. "He always is." And with that, he went on to also see what Jocard had gotten the twins.
Tara couldn't help it, just as gradually more worried thoughts began to wander, her gaze did as well. The hall of the Brethren Court provided for a magnificent view down into the harbour of Shipwreck City, and the devious Devil's Throat.
But as all the days before, no Black Sails were being forced through the tiny portal with its razor-sharp cliffs.
No handsome, daring lunatic bringing chaos could be seen on the horizon.
She missed his chaos …
What if he avoided hers?
No.
No, those doubts belonged to the past. He'd vowed to come back. Just because it had taken him seven years to do so last time, it didn't have to be the same old routine all over again.
Blowing some breath out her cheeks, she briefly closed her eyes.
She'd warned him. If he wasn't dead already (which was the only excuse she'd accept), he'd soon be because of her. The clock was ticking – short of a miracle, he wouldn't make it in time and thus miss the twin's birthday. And by that any right to ever talk to her again …
And he wouldn't get to touch her for months.
Well, she liked his touch.
So, weeks at least.
Her gloomy thoughts shifted into heat as she remembered his embrace. Safer than ever and yet so lost in him. How much he wanted her – in the most loving way he'd make sure she'd carry yet another of his children.
Opening her eyes again, she had to blink twice.
But still no black sails were to be seen.
Of course not.
"Do you have some cream?"
Startled, she looked around. "What?"
"Cream." Hazel was back again, pointing at the various cake slices on her plate. "Would be great to have cream with it. Ace said so as well."
"Oh." Tara nodded, slightly caught. "Should've made some, you're right. It just goes bad so quickly in this heat."
"No worries, you can make us some now."
"Now? Why, thank you …" Tara groaned, unable and unwilling to hide her mood any longer. "That's too kind. I'll be upstairs in the kitchen then."
A couple of minutes away from that insane crowd could only do her good.
"I wish there were black sails on the horizon, Auntie," she heard her daughter tell Hazel as well. With a heavy heart Tara cursed out Sparrow yet again while leaving for the kitchen.
"Why?" Hazel soon asked Tia. "He's no good anyway, your father."
"Here now, Auntie!" Jack's daughter crossed her arms over her chest and the defiance in her glance looked just like his. "You don't get to say that! It's my birthday and I resent your implications, implicating that he was no good and whatnot."
Hazel seemed puzzled. "You actually like him." She stated it like a question, and Tia already nodded.
"He's a great Papá to have!"
"But you almost never had him, aye?"
"Only through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had but little to do with him."
"Well, whatever, instead of your useless pouting, look!" Hazel made Tia follow her hand movement. "No black sails, but at least white ones now. Something's happening."
White ones?
"Mother!" They heard Henry shout right away. "Mother! Isn't that the Dutchman?"
"Will?" Lizzy whispered, thunderstruck.
"Bloody hell, that would be a premier …" Teague didn't freeze in excitement like the others. Along with the dog he went straight outside onto the terrace of the Court's hall to have a closer sight, however soon followed by the rest of the party.
"Could it be?" Henry eagerly asked him. "Might it really be my father's ship?"
Teague had a good look from afar, seconds passed while everybody held their breath, then he'd nod.
"Ladies and Gents," he said over his shoulder, "that is the Dutchman."
"The Devil's Throat might be too narrow for it!" Elizabeth went up to the balustrade to be right next to Teague and her son. "Don't you think?"
"Oh well …" Teague put his hands on his hips. Then he asked, "Is her Captain usually drunk?"
"What?" Elizabeth was clearly confused. "No! No, he's not!"
"Well, Jackie and me mostly were when sailing through, so don't you worry too much."
"Black sails!" James, dragging Tia along, suddenly stood between Teague and the dog as well, pointing into the distance. "Behind the Dutchman! See? Black sails as well!"
Teague narrowed his eyes, then he did see it, too. Again he'd nod – and grin at the twins. "Seems like your father's somewhat on time after all. And hardly a coincidence that the Dutchman's in shallow waters for a change, too … Tara, dear?"
"She's upstairs," Hazel informed him. "I asked for cream, for the cake."
"You asked for … What? Are you bloody kiddin' me?" Teague was quick to raise his voice. "You asked a pregnant woman that already made seven cakes, a hundredweight of cookies and stuffed Arepas as well as a huge pot of Fosforera for you for whipped cream on top?"
"Yeah. Ace wanted some as well." Hazel didn't flinch. "Why not?"
"I hate this family," Teague mumbled, Jocard and Theo couldn't help but chuckle at the discussion arising. "She's been in the kitchen for days," Teague tried to explain to his sister, "for you ungrateful, bloomin' cockroach and even then –"
"Edward, it's fine," Tara called out as she approached the others with a bowl of cream again, her cheeks a bit blushed from all the stirring. "Hazel, see, here you are. Made with love. Who else wants cream before it goes to waste?"
"Maybe Papá would like some," James said, beaming like Jack himself.
"Oh honey, no, he won't get any cream, only the whipping," Tara mumbled.
"No, he's made it, look at the harbour!" Tia exclaimed, snatching the bowl with cream from her mother to hand it to Jocard. (She knew he loved to dip cake in it as well). "He's kept his promise, Mamá!"
She saw it herself – the Black Pearl, now swiftly being navigated through the Devil's Throat.
"He's even sober, judging from the pace of sailing in," Teague joked, now also dipping a bit of cake into the cream next to Jocard.
"Hell-raiser," Tara whispered, shaking her head in wary disbelief. Then she didn't quite believe her eyes. "And is that the Dutchman? Lizzy, is that …" She looked around. "Where's Elizabeth? And Henry?
"We need to stop chatting and start running, too," James decided. "To the harbour!"
The mighty Flying Dutchman anchored in the Cove's bay was a rare sight to behold. The Black Pearl in all her historic glory right next to it made the view into the waters even more unusual.
People from all around the city soon crowded the harbour, everyone wanted to see two of the most legendary ships notoriously known to each and every child in the Caribbean for themselves, especially as both these vessels withstood the waves of crystal blue waters right next to each other.
"Henry," James shouted as they arrived to the last few steps of the harbour's main jetty. "Your father, and mine!" he all but added.
Elizabeth stood right next to her son, and the boys immediately looked up to her. "May we swim over?"
"I'm sure," Tara said a bit out of breath as she and Theo pushed through the other people as well, "that they'll come to us."
"William can't," Elizabeth hushed. "What is he even doing here?"
Tara made big eyes. "Thought you'd be a bit more excited once you'd see –"
"He needs to guide the lost sailors at sea, Tara! Otherwise …" She gulped. "He'll be just as cursed as Davy Jones himself once was."
Tara was quick to nod, thinking about it for a moment there.
"Can we swim over?"
"Wait, Jay, give us a second." Tara looked back at Lizzy. "The hurricane season has just begun. Most sane sailors, and Jack even, spend the initial weeks glancing at the sea, not sailing through it."
Elizabeth bit her lip, nodding. "You mean, a couple of days might not hurt?"
"At least he must think that himself, aye?"
Lizzy whispered in awe, "Otherwise he'd not be here, you're right!" Finally, with tears of joy in her eyes, she hastily began to loosen her corset, until she stepped out of her dress entirely.
Whistles and thunderous applause of the men surrounding them arose at once, only Theo remained a perfect gentleman not even peeking, all while Tara admitted with a wink, "Stunning underdress, Ma'am."
Elizabeth grinned, then she glanced at Henry, James and Tia. "Ready y'all?"
"Mamá?" Tia asked.
"Go on with Liz, dear, I'll stay right here and soon watch your father do what he hates most. Row."
Within a blink of an eye, they jumped into the blue sea, countless bubbles rising to the turquoise surface as they swam on.
Thanks a lot to the kind guest reviewer who also let me know last time that I accidentally posted a Harry Potter chapter in here :'D