Destiny's Requiem

a/n: After a little break im back with the next chapter. Not my favorite, but it serves a few functions. Most of which will come up later. Have i mentioned I love reviews??

CHAPTER 10

He wasn’t sure if it was her stating his name rather audibly or the wetness that suddenly appeared in the bed that startled him awake, but either way he was off and running to get the midwife in just his breeches. Now he was outside of their new found home in those same breeches trying to keep Willy amused and get him excited about the arrival of his little brother or sister which seemed to be taking forever. His child delaying his or her arrival wasn’t doing much for his nerves either.

Suddenly Teague was walking down the corridor towards them. “Rumor has it that a pirate prince is soon to be born.”

“Aye.” Jack responded clearly unwilling to engage the man in conversation or debate right now, he had far too many thoughts swirling in his head.

“Jackie,” Teague spoke somewhat solemnly “tell me those marks are not all a reminder of me?” The man spoke after standing in silence behind Jack for a moment.

He was silent until he remembered he’d not had the chance to put a shirt on and was still in fact just wearing his breeches. “Would you regret it much if they were?” He smirked but received no response, then changed his tone “No. I would have thought you’d have heard the stories by now.”

“Uncle Jack, Momma says your ‘aposta introduce people.” The little boy reminded him of his presence and somehow calmed him.

“Oh. Let’s not tell her about my forgetfulness then eh?” He smirked at the boy, “This Willy is my father, Captain Teague.” He had to admit he was impressed that he didn’t lace the comment with a string of foul adjectives, but then again Willy’s presence always seemed to make him behave, well almost always.

The boy being the innocent he was smiled at the man, “I’m Willy.”

Before anything else could be said the door to Jack’s home sprung open and the midwife appeared. “Captain Sparrow, you may go meet your son.”

With that statement Jacks chest shuddered to life and he turned to Willy, “Ye have a little brother lad,” he turned to his father, “and ye have a grandson.” With that he walked into meet little Josh for the first time.

With Willy in his arms he poked his head into their sleeping chambers with nervous excitement. His eyes met Lizzie’s and all she could offer was a tired smile as he entered the room.

“Would you like to meet your son?” Her voice barely held back the tears; she’d waited so long to say that to someone. Will still hadn’t heard those words leave her lips and Willy was much older.

“Aye.” Jack stepped closer and stood Willy on the floor where he quickly ran to be by his mother’s side and peer into the bundle in her arms. “How is his mum doing?”

“I’m tired but I’ll be just fine Jack.” She kissed him as he leaned into her and then placed the babe in his arms. Jack just stood staring at him for a moment or two before sitting next to her on the bed.

Willy climbed up next to them and looked at the little baby in his Uncle Jack’s arms. “This is your brother Joshamee, Willy. You are going to have a lot of good times together.”

Willy merely looked at him and then back at Jack before looking to his mother for reassurance. She called him over and gave the older boy a hug, “You’re going to be an excellent big brother Willy. I love you my little pirate.” She kissed his head and reached to touch Jack, waking him from his daze. “What are you thinking father?”

“He looks like ye. He’s beautiful Lizzie.” He silently made a vow to protect the child from any harm that may befall him and gave him back to his mother who needed to feed the hungry newborn.

“I think he has your eyes Jack.” She smiled up at him as she fed the little one, Willy had decided that playing with his wooden ship was more fun and ran off into the other room leaving the new parents alone with the babe.

“I think he’s perfect Luv.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Me father is outside if ye care to entertain. I’d be perfectly content to send him away.”

“Jack,” she tried to be serious in her tone but he was just too comical. “Bring him in. I’d like to introduce Josh to his grandfather.”

“Aye,” he sort of grumbled and kissed her forehead before heading off to get his father who was standing against the rail outside looking over the cove.

Jack cleared his throat before he spoke, “Captain Teague, the king requests your presence.”

“And what of the king’s man?” The elder was quick to retort.

Taken back by the statement, Lizzie’s voice echoed in his head, reminding him to take the last step, “I’d like ye to meet me son.” His eyes quickly wandered, the man always intimidated him, and he hadn’t had his usual rum or anger to fuel his temper or the attitude that could be directed at the man given the right incentive.

Teague looked at him for a moment and smiled, “I’d be honored Jackie boy.” He approached his son and placed a hand on his shoulder and took a deep breath, “I know I wronged ye and yer mum Jackie. I won’t do that to Josh and ill try and make it up to ye.”

Jack nearly nodded in approval and led the man inside.

“You and your father seem to have reached some kind of understanding?”

“Like I told ye once Lizzie I’m capable of forgiving, not forgetting. That doesn’t mean I forgive him, but I’m willing to let him try. Someone told me once that my stubbornness was the only thing that tied me to that man, so I think I’ll sever that tie too, eh?” He smirked at her and continued to rock baby Josh.

“Ye know ye could put him down in his bassinet and rock me to sleep.” She smiled up at him.

His eyes locked on hers and he nodded his head in agreement before turning to put the babe down. He then removed his shirt and climbed into bed next to her. Wrapping his arms around her no longer quite so expansive belly. “How ye feeling?”

“Very sore, but it will pass. Wouldn’t be natural if I wasn’t.” She turned in his arms to face him and cuddle up to him. “I haven’t been able to get this close to you in a while, its nice to be rid of most of that belly.” She chuckled

“Aye.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “But I did enjoy it. Gave me a place to rest me arms.” He smirked at her playfully.

She chose to ignore his wise crack and roll her eyes at him before pressing a kiss to his lips “I love you Jack.”

“And I do you.” He kissed her again.

“So when do we return to sea?” She asked somewhat surprising him, but deep down he knew she was just as antsy to get back to it as he was.

“That’s my lass.” He grinned at her, “missing our cabin already eh?”

“I miss the sea.” She smiled back at him, “Now that I have it I don’t think I could live without it.”

His smile grew, “Peas in a pod luv.”

“I was thinking, Marty would have his hands full with both of the boys.”

“Aye. But there aren’t any maids in shipwreck cove luv.”

“No. But I’m sure there’s someone capable of watching the boys who wants to sail the seas.” She smiled at him almost evilly, “That is unless you want to be celibate for the next few years.”

“Ill find someone tomorrow Lizzie.”

“Thank you, Jack.” She kissed him again, before cuddling into his shoulder and falling asleep.

-------


“You betrayed me!” He was yelling at her, anger dripping from him almost visibly, yet she couldn’t see his face.

“I didn’t, I, I” She couldn’t speak, her voice lost in a sea of sobs.

“How could you break your vow? How could you not wait for me? How could you go so willingly into his arms, into his bed? Bare his child?” The figure stepped closer to her and pressed an angry hand to her throat. Suddenly his face came into focus and she recognized the angry man to be Will, but a horrendously altered version. She could feel the rough texture of his skin, harsh like coral, the shades of gray scales covering his body.

“You caused all this!”

Suddenly she awoke to Jacks face dangerously close to her own clearly concerned, her own face soaked in tears and sweat.

“What’s the matter Liz?” He spoke clearly concerned, “It was only a dream, luv. What’s got you so upset?”

She took a deep breath regaining her wits. “I had a nightmare.”

His eyes encouraged her to continue, since he had figured that much out on his own.

“It was about Will. He was horrendously disfigured and it’s all my fault Jack. All my fault.” Suddenly the tears began to come back to her, “I shouldn’t be happy when his life was taken from him and I’ve destroyed what little was left for him.” Her voice trailed off into sobs.

“Shush luv.” He pulled her into his arms as tightly as he could, realizing that the guilt she had tried to keep hidden from him all these years had stalked her in the form of a dream and this time she wasn’t lucky enough to be alone. “Lizzie, Will would never begrudge you. He wants you to be happy luv, ye know that. You’ve had to read that letter a million times.”

“No. He’s angry Jack, so angry.” She continued to sob, “He wants to hurt me.”

If it wasn’t for the seriousness of her tone he would have laughed at how ridiculous the concept of Will Turner hurting her was, “No he doesn’t luv. Besides I wont let him eh? It was just a dream luv. Will would never hurt the mother of his child.” He rocked her until the tears silenced themselves and he realized she had fallen back asleep in his arms. He however could not resume his slumber as his mind raced as to what this dream could mean for them.


She had woken sometime later to the sound of Josh’s young lungs expressing themselves. By the time she had sat up Jack had picked the boy up and presented him to her with a smile on his face. “Someone’s hungry.”

Her mind recalled the earlier events as she took the boy into her arms and began feeding him, offering Jack a weak smile in exchange since she was still unsure of what to say to him. She didn’t know how he was feeling as a result of her little outburst, didn’t think he‘d known about all her other nightmares that she had somehow managed to keep hidden from him. No this wasn’t the first one, but it was the worst one. Will had never been that angry in it, he‘d never looked the way he did. Jack had always conveniently been on night watch for the previous dreams, so he’d never had to witness her tears afterward. Her luck in hiding it had run out and now she had to confront it with him.

Reading her thoughts he put a hand on her shoulder. “s’ok Lizzie.” He didn’t really know what to say to her either, but he should have expected something like this to happen sooner, he somewhat expected that this dream was not the first. It would certainly explain all the times he’d seen her clutching the chest and talking to it. He almost felt guilty that he had been there for this incident, however deep down he knew she needed him there for it this time. Needed him there to assure her that everything was and would be ok. He sat behind her and leaned her back against him so she could sit comfortably and feed their child. “Ye feeling any better Lizzie?” He asked her sincere concern in his voice.

“It was so real Jack.” She spoke more confidently, knowing he was there for her. He was always there. “I feel so guilty having what I have with you while he’s…”

“I know luv. At the time I thought it was a better fate then truly dying.” He felt just as responsible for Wills fate as she did.

“It was Jack…it is. At least this way he’ll get to meet his son. He wouldn’t have had one any other way. I don’t blame you one bit. I don’t really think he does either.”

“Aye. And it was his wish for you to be happy and me to care for ye, so he won‘t become like Jones because he’s not angry Lizzie.”

“I know. And I am happy. The happiest I have ever been. And that’s because of you Jack and my boys. I just feel so bad about what has happened sometimes, what we have gone through.”

“You’ve made me pretty happy meself. Gave me one hell of a treasure as well.” He ran a finger along the plump cheek of his little boy who was sucking rather furiously at the moment. A few moments passed in silence as they sat staring at their little boy.

“Thank you Jack.”

“Fer what?” He asked suddenly confused.

“For understanding me through… everything. I love you. You never think I‘ve gone mad.” She turned her head to kiss his cheek.

“Gone mad?? Lizzie ye are mad. Ye think I‘m a good man.” He chuckled and placed his lips against her ear, “I love ye more than anything, and I swear to ye nothing and no one is going to hurt ye or the boys ever.”


Like he’d promised Jack spent the afternoon assuring supplies were put on board the Pearl. He had to take precautions now that he had a baby on board along with Willy, so it took some extra planning and some extra padding. It also turned out that the midwives daughter had been looking for a way to make some money for passage out of Shipwreck Cove. So Jack negotiated with her to come and sail for six months and care for the kiddies and then guaranteed her both payment and a drop off at whichever port city she may decide. So it was settled Gertrude would be joining the crew of the Pearl when they set off in 4 days time, and the boys would have an onboard nanny to care for them. He would set to setting up her cabin tomorrow, where she would stay on the Pearl, safe from the crew and with the boys. Content with the productivity of his day he headed back to Lizzie and his family.

His family. It had been many a year since Jack Sparrow considered himself part of a family. Come to think of it, he never had a family. He had a mother whom he cared a great deal for, but other than that he had nothing. Now he had everything. He even came to realize that he longed for nothing except their safety. He really had changed, and it was all because of her.

“Lizzie?” He yelled as he entered.

“Ssshhh Jack, I just put Josh down you don’t want to wake him do you?” She stated somewhat aggravated that the man before her would come in yelling with a newborn on site.

He came up beside her and kissed her, causing the annoyance within her to dissipate. “I found us a nanny.” He stated rather triumphantly, clearly ignoring her previous aggravation.

“You did?” She asked suddenly very happy, that meant they could return to their cabin aboard their floating home.

“Aye. Matilda’s daughter Gertrude. She’ll be aboard six months then we’ll drop her off wherever she wishes. We can find someone else then.” He smiled at her quite proud of his efforts.

“That’s wonderful she’s such a sweet girl. Willy seemed to like her all the times she came with her mother before Josh was born.”

“Where is young William?” Jack asked surprised by his absence.

“Running around with your father, he came by while you were out stocking the ship.” She wasn’t certain how he was going to respond to that.

“Ye left the boy alone with that man?” He almost snarled it.

“Jack.” Her tone scolding him before he had the chance to protest.

“Ill go get em.” With that Jack exited in the same direction he had come to retrieve the boy, muttering to himself the whole way. He may be moving towards being social with the man, but that did mean he trusted him with his boys alone.

------

“Uncle Jack!!” The boy jumped down from Teague’s lap and ran for the man with such speed. “Captain T showed me how to play his guitar,” the boy was clearly excited.

“That’s quite interesting.” He smiled at the boy, “ye ready to head home to yer mum?”

“Aye! I wanna tell her.”

Jack looked to his father, “Lizzie said you came by.” The old man nearly nodded his head in agreement. When Jack saw he was getting no where with the attempted small talk he turned to leave.

“Jackie.” The man spoke unexpectedly, “Willy’s quite fond of ye. Told me all about the Pearl and its fearless Captain. Wants to be just like ye.”

“Aye. He does.” He ruffled the boys hair and smiled at him. He couldn’t help but notice how much the boy looked like Will Turner.

“Ye’ve done right by ’em boy, like I shoulda done by you all those years ago.”

“Its passed dad. Ye do right by Willy and Josh now and we‘ll be square.” He threw something that looked distinctly like a smile towards the old man and walked out of the hall a new man.