The plan, for once, was pretty well thought out.
And when Poochie was smelling finer then ever – or at least salty instead of fishy – and the kids had no mud on their faces anymore, and they all proceeded to act out battles on the beach with Henry, Lizzy suggested herself she'd stay watching them.
What a good soul the woman is, Jack thought in utmost sarcasm while Tara thought it in all sincerity …
They soon left the beach behind. In exchange for narrow, uneven alleys, spilling over with pure fornication, and brawls and laughter and drinking in broad daylight.
What a life it was! Only few places on earth came close to it.
Jack could tell how these streets also reminded Tara of those of Tortuga. Her warmest, longing glances were mostly meant for the twins these days, sometimes, though, when she thought he wouldn't see it, for him, too. But hardly ever did he see this glow on her beautiful features for anything beyond.
As wretched and worn as Tortuga was, it was where her father had raised her. Where so many memories lingered. They themselves had met there, bound to burn and destined to break so he could make amends each time.
Of course she missed her home in a way … He never knew the feeling, but watching Tara be haunted by it did give him a hint.
"There we go, love," Jack eventually said, ever so casually despite him well sensing her melancholy.
"I ought to, but …" She sighed, shrugging. "I don't feel like spoiling this moment by talking about Ching …"
"What would you rather do? I love procrastination, you know that …"
"I do." She leaned in even closer to him. "You practically invented it."
"As did you evasion – what would you rather do?"
"Enjoy these seconds of sun with you. Only for a couple of heartbeats long."
"This is almost as though we'd just met, huh?" He bit his lip, nodding. A bit reluctant he seemed to admit, "I somewhat hate sharing you, you know that?"
"You shouldn't have shared my bed, then."
"No, you bless our kids – I can't even be mad."
"Of course not." She grinned at him, then she couldn't help but let her gaze wander over the water to the left, and the shops and taverns to the right. "I sometimes miss our better days on Tortuga. Just you and me, hungry and drunk, strolling along a pier as closely intertwined as decency would allow."
"Tortuga knows no decency, love, but you were lucky – I'd almost always behave for you, as though I was an honorable man."
"Not only as though, Jack," she quietly protested, "and you know that. Deep down you do."
"Deep down we'd go on Tortuga as well."
"Not very decently so," she chuckled and the light blow to his side was well earned before he drew her into his embrace to come to an halt.
Nobody gave a damn what they, what anybody, was doing here, and the busy people that crowded the harbour each had their own business to mind. It was a form of paradise and freedom the civilized world would never come to fathom.
"You know what?" he said under his breath, glancing at her lips, her freckles. "Right now, you take me back there …"
He let his arms fall around her hips, shifting so his gaze could meet those dark green eyes of hers again. He needed to soak it all up this time, it felt so urgent. To just look at her face he'd so often caused to glow with joy, and anger. At her frame, her current shape, the way she carried another one of his children.
He'd missed so much. That he felt, along with regret, more with each day passing by. Despite the twins walking and talking, he'd never seen Tara's body grow with them. For them … This time around, so he promised himself, he would take in each and every angle of her, cherish her sight, and protect that holy vulnerability her circumstances brought along. He'd sworn himself to do that at all cost. Savor and cherish their moments to at least somewhat reconstruct the past …
"What?" she soon asked. Soft and with an open heart as he just kept facing her in odd and atypical adoration. "What is it, cariño?"
He slowly shook his head, smiling, right before he embraced her to steal a quick kiss, only her growing belly in between.
"Why don't we ever do this?"
With confusion written all over her face, she asked, "This? Walking around aimlessly, you mean?"
"We did that all the time back then, and look how far we've come," he said as he began to walk on with her. "Raising a Goddess and a Commodore, discussing business with Ching …"
She took in a sharp breath, knowing well she had to start somewhere while glancing at the blue water and shops besides them.
He'd push her a bit further. "Come on, Sully, cough it up." He was all serious again, and ready to listen. "Let's get it over with – I'm all ears."
"Alright. See, rumour has it she'll make port here by the end of the week." She gulped. "And while she never had problems with my connection to Teague … Quite contrary in fact, I think she precisely trusted me because of him … I'm almost certain she won't accept me having regular contact with another Pirate Lord."
"That's our circumstances put quite soberly, yeah. So … are you telling me to hide?"
She shook her head with a sigh. "Stop joking, I'm afraid she might actually kill me."
"No, no, tranquila – not going to happen."
"But she's done that for much less."
"I'm aware." He gave her a faint smile, and it might have infuriated her a while back, but oddly enough, now it calmed her as intended. "I'll talk to her."
"Oh, no!" That did not calm her. "Don't you make it worse!"
"Tara, when did I last make something worse …" It was ridiculous to even ask that, but insolence was his way in life. "Look at you, you're nervous!"
"Of course I am! You said she was the devil!"
"She is. But even the devil's afraid of something, aye? Right here, that something happens to be Teague. As long as he's around, Ching's tame like a kitten."
"Kitten scratch. Especially when Teague's not looking."
He grinned, his golden tooth shining in the orange evening sun. "Good thing you're also a wild cat."
"Jack," she gasped, "this arrangement was good until now, but ever since Jocard's mentioned her arrival, I've been trying to come up with an explanation for –"
"For what?"
"For you!"
"Why?" He seemed puzzled. "You said she knew about us."
"No! I mean, she does know you're the father of my children, yes, but … Basically I …"
"What?" Jack held her gaze. "¿Qué?"
"I basically vowed I wouldn't ever be in contact with you again."
He screwed up his face, shrugging. "And how could you even envision yourself resisting my incomparable charm?"
"She urged me into it, but now look at me!" She pointed at her belly. "We did have contact, it shows."
"Sweetness, she's seen the twins, she knows me – I think the woman was aware you and me would meet again, all with contact and whatnot …"
"She's made clear I'm not allowed to be in touch like that with another Pirate Lord –"
"You'll swear an oath to never talk about or mention any details of her business to a soul alive and that might be it. Good to go to give birth to my child after proper contact with me."
"An oath?" She narrowed her eyes. "What worth would an oath have for any outlaw?"
"As mad as it sounds, around here, a lot. Thanks to dear old Teague. Keeper of the Code, remember that part?"
She nodded. "That's just your kind of original thinking I was hoping for."
"Really … You're welcome, darling."
Still anxiety was written all over her face.
"Ah, that's never going to work, she's still going to kill me and –"
"She's not. Trust me."
Tara gulped. "With all due respect, but her connections and power exceed yours by far."
"It's not always about power or a connection."
Tara didn't even know what to say anymore.
"Let's not forget about the noble art of negotiation, shall we? Since I just so happen to hold information about her long lost daughter."
Tara blinked twice. "She has a daughter?"
"A beloved one, indeed."
She misunderstood him entirely. "Damn it, Jack, is there any female creature on earth you didn't put your negotiating paws on?"
He just shook his head in mock-indignation, "There is, said beloved daughter for example. I know where Ching will find her, and she'll want that information. I want you unharmed. See where our bridges cross?"
"What if she kills me after finding her daughter?"
"She wishes to find her daughter so she herself may finally retire. Doing so, you'll no longer be of interest."
"That's rather convenient," Tara admitted, "but the daughter hides, do I assume that correctly?"
"No, just stop asking questions –"
"But it's all a bit vague."
"Alright, listen," Jack said, taking in a deep breath, "when you told me you were involved with Ching, my intuitive sense for devils of all kinds informed me that we might want to get our hands on leverage. So while sailing and making port, I began to ask around, I did what I do best."
"Finding out what's of value to the people you wish to do you a favor at some point?"
He winked.
Tara bit her lip. "Will you elaborate?"
"Lo and behold," he carried on, "turns out Ching's only daughter got abducted during a sea battle a couple of years ago, and neither power nor connections brought her back because Sao Feng also held both."
"Wait, wait, Sao Feng?" Tara grimaced. "Excuse me, are you sure you weren't just told a fairytale?"
"I wasn't told much, but enough to recall a night I spent in Singapore trying to avoid the very man. Owed him money. Amongst other things. Well, I was in … proper contact … with one of his girls and slightly drunk she ran her mouth about a remarkably important family member of another Pirate Lord held hostage. I didn't care at the time, it did sound like a fairytale. But all things combined it recently rang a bell. Savvy?"
"No. Sao Feng died years ago. That must've changed the –"
"Nothing's changed, not in Singapore. The title was passed on to Lizzy at the time, but Lizzy's here. Looking after her kid, and ours. Even the dog." He let that sink in, then he added, "I know Sao Feng's people. They'd never let a hostage go, not without a specific order to do so. Trust me." He smiled at her, ever so vaguely. "It's going to be fine."
Tara gave a heavy sigh. "We'll have to see, I guess."
"We will, she won't. She's blind, love, you know that, don't you?"
"Tonto …"
"Thank me later. Now come, let's find a spot to jump into the water, I refuse to let the heat trouble you further."
"Jump into the water? Are you mad?"
He glanced at her as though the question was entirely redundant.
"I can't get my gown wet."
"Don't worry," he said in all seriousness. "I'll help you remove it, I've done it before."
Thanks so much for the kind words in the most recent comment again, I was truly thrilled ^^