Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC and its characters, OCs are mine.

A Sparrow's Shadow on the Sea

Courage and Fortitude

"Is time ya cut di cord," Ruby said, "Ya want ta do it, Jack?"

"You do it, Ruby. I want to get to know my son," Jack told her, without taking his eyes off the child.

"Ruby, use my dagger. It's the one we used for the Oath," I suggested, "Jack, could you get it for her, please?"

"Aye, luv," he replied as he reluctantly left me and the baby. As he took the dagger from my boot, he knocked Ruby's baby name book off the table and onto the floor. He paused for a moment as he looked at it. "Well…that's interesting," he muttered.

"What?" I asked, as he handed the dagger to Ruby then returned to pick up the book.

"What do you think of this, for a name?" he asked me, pointing to the page displayed when the book fell to the floor.

I silently read the name, then looked at Jack.

"Has a nice ring to it, eh, luv?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ya just now decidin' di babe's name?" Ruby questioned in surprise.

"It does have a nice ring to it, Jack," I replied, smiling. "Yes, Ruby, we've decided on a name, finally."

"Well, di suspense is killin' mi!" she said, "What is di child ta be called?"

"Dylan Jonathan Sparrow!" Jack declared proudly, as he glanced at the baby. "Apologies, son…future Captain Dylan Jonathan Sparrow!" he corrected.

"Jah bless! Is a perfect name for di boy!" Ruby exclaimed with great enthusiasm, "Di son of Jack Sparrow could no be called anyt'ing else! Di name Dylan means 'born of di sea!'"

"Of course it does," Jack said, as he smiled arrogantly.

"Here now, star, ya give di babe ta mi. I cut di cord, an' finish cleanin' him up," Ruby said as she held out her arms for the child. "An' ya still need ta pass di aftabirt', ya know," she reminded me.

I'd forgotten about that in all the excitement of meeting the baby. Strangely, I no longer felt any of the exhaustion that had plagued me toward the end of the birth. I was riding high on an adrenalin rush of happiness. It was finally over, and we had a perfect little baby boy. I smiled as I felt the twinge of yet another contraction.

"I just had another contraction, Ruby. I think it's coming," I warned her.

"Di first few will loosen it from ya womb, star," Ruby explained, "Once dat's done, den ya will pass it."

"And will that take hours and hours as well, Ruby?" Jack inquired.

"No," she answered him simply.

Jack watched with some curiosity as she tied off the cord with thread that had been soaked in rum, then used my rum-sterilized dagger to sever the umbilical cord.

"Dis will heal an' fall off," she explained as she noticed his disconcerted expression.

Jack continued to hover protectively near Ruby, watching as she bathed the child, then wrapped him in a clean blanket. She then handed the babe to his pirate father.

Jack appeared uncertain and bewildered as he held his son awkwardly; his hands under the babe's armpits and the baby's legs dangling in the air.

"What di hell are ya doin', Jack?" Ruby asked incredulously, casting him a critical stare.

"I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, clearly feeling foolish about his awkwardness.

Ruby chuckled softly. "Hold him 'gainst ya, Jack, as if he precious to ya," she said patiently, as she encouraged him to cuddle the tiny boy.

I watched, smiling, as Jack gingerly hugged his tiny son to his chest, his large brown hands gently holding the newly born child.

"Like this?" Jack asked Ruby with a hopeful smile.

"Just like dat," she replied with satisfaction as she smiled at Jack, "He no goin' ta break, Jack, ya dinna need ta be so hesitant."

The baby snuggled against Jack's chest contentedly. "I think he likes me," Jack said, his dark eyes lit up with happiness.

"Is time ta push now, star, just a little dis time," Ruby told me.

My eyes had welled with tears as I'd watched Jack holding Dylan, and with relief, I welcomed having something to do. I complied with Ruby's suggestion, pushing lightly, and the placenta was expelled quite easily.

"Come on, son, let's go over here, so you don't have to see…that," Jack muttered to the babe as they walked to the bed and sat beside me.

"Di aftabirt' is good an' whole," Ruby announced, "If part is left behind in di womb, it can make ya sick wit fever."

"Don't want that," Jack muttered softly as he held Dylan closely.

"Ya should try ta let di babe suckle," Ruby suggested, "Is good for di babe ta feed soon afta di birt', an' it lets ya body know is time ta start ta heal."

Jack handed little Dylan to me and moved my shirt to expose my breast for the babe.

"Sometime ya gotta help dem out…" Ruby said, as she showed me how to offer the nipple to the baby.

Jack watched anxiously as the baby didn't quite catch on at first.

I tried to entice the baby by softly rubbing the nipple against his lips. Finally, he opened his mouth, latched on, and began to suckle.

"That's me boy!" Jack said heartily, with a mixture of relief and pride, "I knew he'd be quick to catch on to that! Be a bloody fool not to." He smirked teasingly at me.

"We'll probably be at this for a while, Jack," I mentioned, "If you want to go share the big announcement with the crew?"

Jack appeared reluctant as he watched his son eagerly partake of his first meal. "Aye, guess this would be a good time to get the word out," he agreed. "You sure I can leave you alone with such a handsome little devil," he teased, "He seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

I smiled. "Handsome though he may be, Jack," I pointed out, "You're Captain of a ship, and, well…he's not."

"Not yet," Jack corrected with a small laugh. He bent to kiss me and left the cabin.

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Jack left the cabin and walked on deck wearing his most serious poker-face.

Gibbs noticed him, and his expression, immediately. "Cap'n…is ev'rythin' alright?" he asked, rushing to Jack's side.

"Assemble the crew, Gibbs, I have something to tell them," Jack said simply and authoritatively, not giving even the slightest hint of the excitement and joy he felt surging through him.

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs replied. Uncertain of how best to go about that, the first mate took his cue from the Captain's grim expression and rang the alarm bell.

Jack rolled his eyes. "I meant call them, but that'll do as well, I suppose," he told his first mate.

The crew assembled on the main deck with much chatter and muttering and speculative conversation.

Jack listened to their rumblings, catching snippets of conversations from here and there in the crowd of men, as he waited somewhat impatiently for them to quiet.

"Alright, men, shut it!" he ordered sternly, as his impatience won out.

The crew immediately ceased their muttering and turned their attentions to their Captain.

Jack surveyed the assemblage of rag tag pirates for a moment, before he began to address them. "Men! I have an announcement to make," he said with authority in his voice, "We have a new member to welcome into the crew of the Black Pearl." He paused to watch their expressions, as he tried in vain to maintain his stern demeanour. Finally unable to suppress his happiness any longer, he told his crew with a broad grin, "I have a son! Drinks all around!" A cheer went up among the men, as Gibbs and Cotton came forward to congratulate Jack.

"And what of your bonny lass, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked with concern, "Is Miss Eve doin' alright?"

"She's fine, Gibbs," Jack told him proudly, "Tired, but fine."

"Thank the good lord for that!" Gibbs exclaimed in relief, "What be the lad's name?"

"Dylan Jonathan Sparrow," Jack declared, all puffed up with pride.

"Aye, 'tis a good, manly name, that, Cap'n," Gibbs replied.

Jack was distracted as he watched Mr. Cotton rooting around in his pockets.

Cotton beamed at Jack as he pulled a small wooden cutlass he'd carved from his pocket. He smiled as he shook the small cutlass back and forth, revealing it to be a baby rattle, before handing it to his Captain.

"Thank you, Mr. Cotton," Jack told him quietly, very touched by the man's gift for his son.

Mr. Cotton heartily patted Jack on his shoulder, as his parrot squawked "Shiver me timbers!"

Jack grinned as he watched the crew begin their drinking and celebrating. He examined the carefully made toy cutlass in his hand. Holding it up, he shook the baby rattle with delight, as he turned to walk back to the cabin, grinning the whole way.

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As I nursed my new son, I watched Ruby tidying up the cabin. By the time she'd finished, the only evidence that a birth had taken place was the small baby falling asleep in my arms.

"Look at di two of ya!" Ruby exclaimed as she regarded us, her hands on her hips and a grin on her face, "Ya have di serene smile of a goddess, star."

"How'd you do it, Ruby?" I blurted, unable to restrain my curiosity any longer.

"What mi do?" she asked, puzzled.

"How did you get Jack to be so calm and, mostly, helpful during the birth?" I asked more specifically.

"Mi an' Jack, we had a little talk," she told me with a smirk, "An' dat's all mi can tell ya…'cept for what ya already know. Ya man love ya wit all his dev'lish soul, an' he'd do anyt'ing for ya, star."

"Thank you, Ruby, for all your help," I said gratefully, "I don't think I could've gotten through any of this if you weren't here!"

"Oh, psssh," she replied with a wave of her hand, "Ya woulda done just fine, star. Now, ya hand over dat fine boy of ya's, an' let mi git him settled in his bed."

She took the sleeping baby from me and placed him in his cradle, gently rocking it. "Dere's a bucket of clean water over dere, star," she pointed out, "Ya feel betta if ya wash up a bit."

I slipped out of my perspiration soaked shirt and gave myself a sponge bath, then dried and dressed myself in a clean shirt and breeches. Longing for the fresh sea air, I went to sit by the open window. I gazed out at the calm sea as it reflected the light of the moon above. It was such a beautiful sight!

I felt as if I'd been cooped up in the cabin forever. Now that the baby was born, my mind began to race with all the things I wanted to do. First on that list was to get my body back into shape. And I needed to start brushing up on my sword fighting skills again too. Realizing I should embark slowly on these activities, I decided that tomorrow I would begin to utilize the baby's sling style carrier, and the two of us would go for a stroll on deck. Yes, that would be an excellent start, I thought with a smile.

The doors opened and I turned to see Jack entering the cabin, a big grin on his handsome face.

"My darlin' Eve!" he called exuberantly as he strolled toward me, "Look what Mr. Cotton's made for our tiny pirate!" He held up a small carved wooden cutlass.

"Oh good. A baby-sized weapon for the baby," I commented with a little bit of sarcasm.

"It's more than that, luv," Jack told me. He shook the cutlass, creating a rattling sound, with an expression of excitement on his face.

I giggled, thinking how cute the baby would look playing with it, as if he were brandishing it as he waved it around. "So, Mr. Cotton's the first to start doting on the baby," I remarked, "It's always the quiet ones you least expect."

"Where is the little whelp, anyway?" Jack asked as he looked around.

"Di babe's asleep," Ruby answered, "An' mi t'ink ya need ta git some sleep too, star. Di boy's goin' ta be up an' wailin' ta be fed again soon enough."

"I'll make certain she rests, Ruby, no worries," Jack told her, as he not-so-subtly guided her out the doors of the cabin. "You know I'm eternally grateful to you, for all you've done," Jack said to her in a conspiratorial tone.

"Jah bless, Jack! Ya girl's as much family ta mi as ya," Ruby replied dismissively, "Ya know where ta find mi, if ya need."

I watched Jack close and lock the doors, then turn to look at me as he leaned back against them.

I smiled wistfully at him. "I always knew what you had in mind, Jack, when you'd lock those doors," I said longingly.

"Aye, that you did, luv," he replied grinning wickedly, as he too reminisced of our romantic escapades. "It's thinking like that, that got us into this mess," he teased, gazing at me with a soft smile. "Well, my darlin', you heard Ruby!" he said briskly, "Off to bed with you, then." He walked toward me, making shooing gestures toward the bed.

I sighed deeply as Jack approached.

"M'lady," he said as he offered his hand to help me up.

"I'm not so cumbersome anymore, Jack," I mentioned as I placed my hand in his and stood.

"I can see that, luv," he commented, sliding his arms around me and holding me close. "And I won't be missing those rude little kicks the whelp used to give me either."

I giggled as I gazed into his warm brown eyes. The same dark eyes his son would inherit. "You think we're going to be able to do this, Jack?" I asked him, "Be good parents, and raise him well?"

Jack smiled confidently at me. "Eve…luv," he drawled, "We're Captain…and Missus…Jack Sparrow! Savvy?"

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A/N: Well, so ends this installment of the story. Hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! My heartiest thanks and much love to all of you, for all your kind words, advice, and support. There will be a third, and probably final, part to this story. I can't wait to get started writing it! Lots of parenting hilarity, pirating adventures, new and old OCs, and the long awaited encounter with the Turners! Yes, Will and Lizzie will be in the next installment! So, until then, fine luck and a fair wind to ye!