"That's for dinner? What's it called?"
She briefly stopped stirring in the pot on the stove to turn to him. "Sancocho. De la palabra sancochar."
"Aha, whatever. Smells lovely! Doesn't it, Jay?"
Upon his call, James was quick to position himself in between his parents, tiptoeing to look into the pot as well.
"Looks … healthy."
Tara couldn't help but chuckle in defeat while stirring on. "It is, James. But worry not, we have cake, too." She watched her son beam, and said beam fade once more when she added, "but first you eat properly. ¿De acuerdo?"
He'd just peek at this father for a heartbeat long, likely searching for traces of approval to protest. Jack's raised brow, however, was clearly indicating for him to meekly nod.
"Sure, Mamá."
Jack winked at his son while Tara only grinned and rolled her eyes.
"Tara?" They suddenly heard Edward call from the terrace, where Tia and the dog lay in the sun listening to him play the guitar. Until he'd stopped, at least. "How much Sancocho are ye making?"
"Plenty, why?" she yelled back out so he could hear her. "Do you see Jocard from afar?"
"Not quite …"
"Ching," James whispered, gulping.
When Tara's gaze met Jack's, she felt her heart sink. Sparrow, however, seemed audacious as ever while their son was repeatedly glancing from her to him. "Put on a brave face, Sully. And act as though you were innocence personified."
"That's how you get by, huh?"
"Obviously." And that lopsided grin of his even gave her odd courage. "It comes natural to me. And that's just why I take it from here."
That didn't calm her. "You will not! Jack, you will not say, or do, anything, or –"
"A bit touchy all of a sudden, are we?"
"But we've been over this!" she hissed. "Don't get involved! Sparrow, you know you tend to make situations worse!"
"I never do that." A wild claim it was, and he didn't even blush. "Tara, let me –"
"Please, no –"
"Yes, very much so. You're with child – my child – and I need you to feel well and relaxed. So you leave it all to me and do just that. Relax. Savvy?"
She was all but fine with that. "No!" Her protest required him to get a hold of her hands right before she got to him.
"Trust me." He held her, his eyes never leaving her face while even Teague came inside. "Could you? Would you? Just this once?"
She didn't want to. But something in the tone of his voice, and that stern gaze of his, now made her nod. If only he knew what he was doing …
"Shall I take the kids and leave?" Teague suggested.
"That would be nice, Edward, could you –"
"No, we'll need your lingering presence here," Jack corrected. "Jay? You go get your sister, do visit Henry, will you? Have fun!"
"But …" Tara just gulped, however soon nodding herself. "Alright. Good idea. Kitten scratch, sure …"
Neither Teague nor James knew what the hell that was supposed to mean, but Jack would simply nod at Tara.
James cleared his voice, proudly trying not to seem nervous. "Shall we take the stairs on the other side to avoid Ching's people?"
"Clever boy, Jay, you shall. And take the dog."
"But Poochie's mean to people after sunset."
"Which is the point," Jack said just when Tia also came inside with Poochie. "Whoever gets bitten got too close to you two, aye?"
"Are we running away now?" Tia asked.
"We are."
Still this time, James was seeking Tara's approval. With a smile and a quick hug for both of the twins she clearly gave that. "We'll get you in no time. No tengáis miedo."
"Right," Jack said. "Don't worry, we'll just sort it out."
Jay was quick to nod and took his sister by the hand, the dog closely following them. And so the odd trio snuck out like well-versed thieves at night.
Tara took in a deep breath, but she couldn't get a moment to herself.
"Ready?" Teague asked. Even he didn't seem all that calm – a clear warning signal to her. But a late one.
They already heard the heavy wooden door of the main entrance being opened – screeching hinges announced a Pirate Lord and her men.
"I hope we are ready." Tara bit her lower lip, the first heavy footsteps audible on the stairs.
"By the way, darling, she's going to want the upper hand," Jack almost whispered, his eyes set on the door already. "In some way or another, she'll want a sacrifice."
"Aye," Teague agreed, taking a seat right at the dinner table.
"What do you mean?" Tara shook her head, her eyes widening at Jack. "But you said the detail about her daughter would be enough to negotiate and –"
"Of course it's not, I just didn't want you to worry in advance." Now he could see the fear in her eyes, and he hated it. "No need to be scared, love, just know she'll want to feel like she's won, and we've lost. Whatever it may be, play along – let her have it."
Tara managed to nod just before the first couple of henchmen secured the entryway. Soon enough, without a word and with almost no sound, they all swarmed into the kitchen, giving way for the infamous Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean in no time.
"Ching! What a surprise!" Teague called out. "Welcome!"
Tara tried to sound firm. "Indeed – welcome!"
"Yeah, look who's here!" Jack chimed in, so sanctimoniously it almost hurt. "I mean, I know you can't …look – but I'm sure you recognize my incomparable soothing voice of an –"
"Fool!" Mistress Ching roared.
"Angel, I was about to say," Jack corrected in all his insolence, "but as luck would have it, ladies may always call me what they like."
"Jack Sparrow!"
"Captain still, Missy."
"Mistress Ching!"
"See how that hurts? Or rather … hear? Excuse me. Forget about it. Are you hungry? We were just about to eat, actually. Good old Captain Edward Teague, well and alive, beautiful Tara and me. Be our guest while you're at it."
Like a snake lurking in tall grass Ching tilted her head, approaching him ever so slowly. "Where are the children?"
"Vanished, Ching, they take after their mother."
"Still you are here." Her voice sounded low and growly when she added, "Here to stay …"
"That is such an absolute, I hate those. Just like the Cove. So I think I'd much rather call it –"
"You are the father of those children, are you not?" She simply went on with her not so subtle interrogation, making Jack sigh for good.
"Well, you wouldn't have to ask could you just see them!"
"Jack!" Tara moaned through gritted teeth. How many more unfunny jokes of the sort could he possibly come up with?
"Aye, but it's true – poor kids they are, just imagine having me as a father." He looked around, smiling at Ching's men in mock-respect. "Got my good looks, that they did. I'm just telling you, since you can't –"
"We got it! Bloody hell, Sparrow, cállate!" Tara hissed, shooing him to Teague and the table already. Much more politely, she turned to the Pirate Lord again. "Ching, please take a seat, you must be thirsty. And hungry? You all as well. Please, sit down."
Nobody moved. Not an inch. The men would just look at Ching, just like James earlier did, seeking approval.
"It does smell pleasant." Ching eventually said that, even though her face seemed to indicate the exact opposite. Still she decided, "We shall honour you and have dinner."
"I'm glad to hear that!" Tara lied, better than ever.
The men immediately moved to the table, as did Ching. Whether it was intuition or memories from her last visit there, she found a seat in the middle of the table at once. Usually Teague sat there, but for today, another battle was chosen.
"So how's business?" Jack proceeded to babble, he just wouldn't stop the small talk. "I need to ask you that, you see, since Tara, professional as she always is, keeps her silence entirely in that regard."
"You know it." Ching shook her head, stern and grim. "I cannot believe that. I would be a fool!"
Jack shrugged, at least for her men to see, taking the seat right across from her. "Also a stretchy term, ain't it …"
"I'm not here to speak to you," Ching stated, losing her patience with him for good. "Tara Sullivan – you still know the vows you made for me, do you not?"
"I recall, of course," Tara was quick to answer, already pouring Ching a glass of wine. "And besides being unable to shake the very man I vowed to avoid off, I kept to each and every word –"
"Unable to shake him off?" Ching raised a brow. "So do you wish me to get rid of him for you?"
"Oh, no!" Tara's face turned blank. "No, no. No need to bother –"
"So you do wish him to be with you?"
"I …" Tara gulped. Then she worked up the courage to say, "I do."
Ching already pulled the wine closer to herself. Then she glared up at Tara, right into her face as though she could see her. She raised her glass. "You drink a sip first."
Taken aback, Tara gasped, "You believe I'd poison –"
"Drink!"
"I'll gladly do just that, thank you very much," Jack intervened, grabbing the glass over the table already. "Just so you can fully trust us, huh? Watch me, Gentlemen."
Theatrics on point as always, all eyes followed him. And when he pushed the glass back to Ching, much too alive, she seemed satisfied enough to try the wine as well.
"Not too bad …"
"Then I hope your men will like it as well," Tara said, trying to get some distance between her and Ching getting more glasses, but the Pirate Lord held her back by the arm.
"They don't get to drink, forget about them. Just like you forgot your vows."
"Mistress Ching, I –"
"And is it true, as rumour has it?" Ching let a couple of heartbeats pass, absolutely on purpose, certainly sensing how nervous Tara was. Jack merely rolled his eyes at that absurd display of her power.
"True? Excuse me, what rumours?"
Instead of another word, Ching let go of her arm just to rest her hand on Tara's belly instead.
"No need to answer," Ching frowned while patting her bump. "It clearly is true."
"Lovely, really," Jack said, no longer trying to be a ray of sunshine for Ching himself, "yet now that you even got to touch said rumour, you may grab your glass again – instead of her. Aye?"
Ching wouldn't, at least not until even Teague cleared his throat with intention.
"A third one," Ching almost whispered while folding her hands on the table again, "despite not being able to watch the first two."
Just when Tara glanced to Jack and Teague all puzzled, Ching raised her voice to yell in her native language.
Jack instantly knew just whom they would guide to the table in a blink of an eye. Still it severely bothered him to see his twins like two hostages, being pushed into the room by two more of Ching's men.
At least one of them was bleeding. Good boy, Pooch, Jack thought.
"Lo siento," Tia sighed when she saw the terror on her mother's face. "We're back, I guess."
"It's fine, come here," Jack said as calm as ever, gesturing for his kids to sit down next to him and Teague.
Yet Ching's henchmen wouldn't let go of their shoulders.
"Ching, tell them to take their dirty paws off my children." Jack wasn't even pretending to be in a good mood anymore. "Now."
The mighty Pirate Lord took in a deep breath, then she nodded. Her men let go, and never had the twins be so quick to take a seat next to their father.
"And where's the dog?" Teague asked, his voice already letting on that he'd shoot whoever harmed the animal.
While his blood kept dripping onto the wooden floor, one of the men said, "Shooed him away."
Grimly leaning back, Teague whistled as loud as he could. And soon enough, Poochie ran up the stairs, all the way over to his family. "Lucky you, lad," Teague said, his voice raspy just when he gestured for the dog to stop growling and sit down.
Tara was still shocked to see Tia and James present, but for the sake of progression she forced herself to function.
"I'll get the soup now."