Alone in her bed, tucked away in her isolated cottage on the hill above New Flimwell, Elizabeth awoke gradually to the sound of a low murmur, a deep, quiet humming. It sounded familiar, safe, so she didn't hurry to wake. When she heard a steady, rhythmic creaking, she frowned and blinked her eyes open in the dark. With a quiet groan, she rolled over and listened intently.

Someone was in her room. As soundlessly as possible, she reached under the mattress for her dagger, quickly pushed back the covers and sat up.

The humming stopped and she froze.

Out of the darkness came a familiar voice. "Hello, Lizzie."

"Jack?" she gasped. She stood up but stumbled over her shoes, tossed carelessly on the floor the night before.

"Aye, 'S me. Here, let me—" and he reached up and opened the shutter. Moonlight flooded the dark bedroom.

"What are you doing here? And by here, I mean in my bedroom in the middle of the night, Jack?"

Jack chuckled and started rocking again; Elizabeth recognized the rhythmic creaking. "Relax, love. I just stopped in for a bit of a visit. Had to meet the new arrival, here." He nodded toward his lap, where, Elizabeth suddenly realized, he was holding her child. "Light the lamp, will you?"

"Jack, put my baby down and get out!" she ordered.

" 'Lizabeth, don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm not going to do any harm or cause any trouble. Light the lamp, darling."

Elizabeth lit the lamp.

She blinked a few times while her eyes adjusted, but Jack didn't seem to have the same problem. Must be the kohl he wore. He stared at her, black eyes wide with appreciation. " 'Lizabeth, dear! I must say, motherhood certainly suits you!"

Flushing, Elizabeth turned around and drew on her robe over her translucent nightgown. She sank back down on the bed and stowed the dagger back underneath the edge of her mattress.

Jack's teeth glinted in a grin when he saw the dagger. "You can take the girl away from the pirates…" he said.

Elizabeth finished the quote dryly, "But the girl can't seem to keep the pirates away from her."

"Beating them off with sticks, are you?"

"Don't tempt me. Why are you here, Jack?"

"I told you. Social call. Heard you'd had the sproglet, so I thought I'd pop in." He stood up and carried the infant over to the bed. Instead of handing him to Elizabeth, he sat down on the bed next to her, still holding the child. He dragged the lamp over closer.

"Now, then, let's take a look," he said, unwrapping the baby's blankets from around its head and face. Amused, Elizabeth let him.

"Looks more like you than Will, thank the Lord," he muttered. "Got his ears, though, poor lad. Have to teach him how to wear his bandana later on, won't I? Cover 'em up."

"Is that why you wear one?" Elizabeth asked sweetly. "Ears stick out?"

He glared at her with a scowl, as he wordlessly lifted his hair out of the way to show her his nice, flat ear—but soon his eyes were drawn back to the baby. The baby started to wake up, and one little waving hand caught his finger. "Ah! Good grip, too. He'll be a swordsman. How about his reflexes?" He unwrapped the legs and feet of the baby, and ran his thumbnail down one tiny foot. It contracted. He gently poked the chubby knee and it twitched. "Good sign." The baby started to squirm, eyelids fluttering.

"Oh, you're waking him," Elizabeth said, dismayed.

"Am I? Oh, good. I did want to see what the eyes looked like."

"All right, but if he cries, you get to quiet him."

The eyes were open now, and Jack peered into them closely. The baby returned his earnest gaze calmly, and one waving arm patted the beads hanging from his beard and started them swinging. "Eyes look like yours, too," he said. "Bit darker, maybe. Hard to tell with this light. That's good, though—you always could see further than most." He nodded to her.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Jack, was that a compliment?"

"Depends. Will it get me anything?"

"Still married," she reminded him with a little nudge of her elbow.

"Come, come, dearie, I didn't mean anything like that! My goodness, what a naughty mind you have! I only wanted a drink, darling. So if you've got any rum, go toddle off and get it while Junior here gets to know his Uncle Jack."

Elizabeth groaned. "No, I don't have any rum, and 'Junior' does not have an Uncle Jack! And he has a name, you know." She stood up and started fussing with the baby's things on the top of the dresser.

"Might have known the rum would be gone," Jack grumbled. "Always is, with you around. So what's his name, then? Wait, don't tell me: William Turner the Third. Right?"

Elizabeth started to shake her head in negation, but Jack wasn't finished. "And I'm deeply hurt at your denial of my avuncular relationship with the little chap. He'll only get to see his father once before he's a man. He'll need someone to fill the gap, love."

"And you think it should be a pirate?" Elizabeth sneered.

"Why not? 'S what both his parents are," Jack shot back.

Elizabeth turned and glared at him. She had a sudden flash of memory of the last time Jack had called her a pirate—immediately after she had kissed him, and immediately before she had abandoned him to be killed. She said nothing.

In a more conciliatory tone, Jack asked, "So, was I right? About the name?"

"No, actually. His name is Jacob Swann Turner."

"Jacob, is it? Good name. I like it. I thought sure you were going to do something trite, like name him after his father. Glad to see you've more imagination than that. Jake. Sounds a bit like Jack, doesn't it? That would sort of make me his namesake." He put his hand on his heart. "I'm flattered, love."

"He's not named after you, and it's Jacob, not Jake! Ohh!" Elizabeth got so aggravated she stomped across the room and looked out the window. "And to think, Jacob and I could be peacefully sleeping, if it weren't for you," she growled.

Jack laughed. "Aye, but you'd much rather have my company than none. Admit it!"

"Never! My life without you in it is nice and peaceful!"

"Dull, you mean." Suddenly he looked back down at the baby in his lap. "Whoops, I think the little chap's sprung a leak. Where do you keep the—ah, here they are."

Open mouthed in shock, Elizabeth watched as a fearsome pirate very handily changed her son's nappy. He was efficient but gentle, and he even knew the trick of uncover, then re-cover to avoid getting sprayed, and then continue with the process. He folded the new nappy correctly, and pinned it back on securely—tight, but not too tight—and even took a moment to tickle the baby's belly with his braids. Then he handed him to Elizabeth, as the baby had started to fuss.

"Here you go, love. If he's anything like a grown man, he'll want to replace what he's just got rid of."

Elizabeth took the baby, blushing. The baby was starting to give his hungry cry and root around at her breasts. She looked up to see Jack staring at them. She cleared her throat at him.

"Right, I'll just wait in the other room, shall I?" He withdrew into the other part of the cottage and closed the door. Elizabeth heard him breathe a long, slow sigh from the other side of the door, and smiled as she unbuttoned her nightgown to nurse the baby.

Jacob didn't take long to nurse himself back to sleep, and Elizabeth put him back in his cot and went into the other room.

The cottage was small, with a bedroom, a combination living area and kitchen, and a small back-house behind it, backed up to the forest. A rushing little stream flowed past, about 50 meters down the hill. That was where Elizabeth got her water. There was a footpath down the hill toward the beach, which must have been how Jack had come up; the peak of the grassy hill ended in a sheer drop overlooking the little cove where she and Jacob often swam. She bet that's where the Pearl was anchored, as it was difficult to see from the main port of the town, and difficult to find if you didn't know it was there.

The living area was equipped with a couple of chairs, a divan, and a low table, upon which Jack was currently resting his boots as he relaxed in the armchair. He had lit a couple of lamps, had poured some wine, and was examining the book titles on the bookcase next to the chair.

"So how do you know so much about babies?" Elizabeth asked, closing the bedroom door behind her. "Lot of by-blows, have you?"

He recoiled. "Lord, I hope not! None that I know of, anyway. And when did you start talking like that, anyway, Mrs Turner?"

Elizabeth found, to her discomfort, that she actually didn't like Jack's calling her that. She smirked and pointed to herself. "Pirate!"

He laughed and swung his feet off the table, and leaned forward to hand her the other glass of wine that he'd poured. He raised his glass to her. "Here's to young Jake in there. May be combine the best qualities of his mother…" he looked at her wickedly, "And his Uncle Jack!"

"His father has some good qualities too," she said dryly.

"Then may young Jake inherit both of 'em," Jack generously allowed.

Elizabeth smiled and drank. "Where did I get the wine?" she asked.

Jack gestured expansively toward the door. "Brought along one or two things for you and the child. And my men got some things together as a baby gift and sent 'em along with me. Seems the Pirate King is still remembered fondly on the Black Pearl."

Elizabeth felt warmed. "That's very kind. Please thank them for me."

He nodded.

"So what about the babies?"

"Not going to let that go, eh?" Jack said uncomfortably.

She shook her head.

"Give me your word you'll keep this between us," he warned, suddenly serious. "An' I mean never, ever mention it to anyone else, savvy? Even if they threaten you or offer to pay for the info."

She frowned. "If you'd rather not tell me…"

"Of course I'd rather not tell you, but since we've got this far and I'm uncle to your child now, I pretty much have to. I'll just be having your word first."

"I swear I won't tell anyone."

He nodded sharply. "Right, then. Here's the thing: I have siblings. Well, half-siblings. I was fourteen when they were born, and me step-mum was awful sick for a long time, so I had to take care of 'em. Twins. Adam and Sarah. But now they're grown, and they're both of 'em law-abiding, respectable folk, so I can't have you telling anyone they're related to me and ruining their lives. Savvy?"

"I promise I won't. To be honest, I was surprised at how handy you were with Jacob."

He shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I like 'em, see? Babies."

"Really?"

"Aye, just don't tell anyone that, or I'll have to… well, I'll do summing really bad to you. I've a reputation to think of."

"Of course." Elizabeth drank her wine, rolling it around in her mouth. It was good wine. She looked at her guest, sprawled out comfortably in the arm chair while she perched on the divan. She was amazed at how glad she was to see him.

"So how long are you at port?"

"Just tonight. Had to anchor in that little cove so we could replenish our water and do some foraging, but rumor has it the new Navy commodore will be here tomorrow or the next day, so I have to make sure the Pearl won't be."

"Ah. Makes sense. Is there anything you need? Anything I can pick up in the village for you in the morning?"

He waved his hand airily. "Not a thing, love. This visit is purely for your benefit. After all, it's been altogether too long since you've had the pleasure of my agreeable company, my ready wit, and my 'andsome face."

"I appreciate the favor you're doing me by coming," she said drily.

He waved away her thanks as expansively as if they had been genuine. "Think nothing of it, love. There's more than enough Jack to go around!"

"It's a pity you can't fill your sails with all that hot air," Elizabeth said sadly. "You'd never have to worry about doldrums again."

He cast her a sharp look and then smirked. "What makes you think I can't? How d'you suppose the Pearl got to be the fastest ship in the Caribbean?"

"The ego of her captain must have something to do with it, I'm sure."

They bantered back and forth for a while longer, and then Jack stood up and stretched. "Hate to say this, love, but I need to go. We're weighing anchor before first light." He came over and helped her to her feet.

"It was nice to see you again, Jack," she told him.

Jack nodded agreement. "Of course it was!" he agreed with a smirk. Then he suddenly sobered. He took hold of her shoulders and looked down at her seriously. "Listen, Lizzie," he said. "You ever need to contact me, I get mail at the Faithfull Bryde in Tortuga under the name of John Robert Passer. And I don't care if all you need's a bottle of rum to get you through the lonely nights. You need it, you call me."

Touched in spite of her amusement, Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, Jack, but I'll be fine."

He let his hands trail down from her shoulders until he was holding both her hands in his. "I'm not trying to replace the man you love. Want to make that clear. You made your choice and I respect that—but the fact is, he can't be here with you, and that's my fault. Will's a good man, a good friend, and so are you. So you need anything, you let me know. Savvy?"

"All right. Fine."

"I'll be 'aving your word on that, my girl. I know you, you see. You're a damn fool woman who thinks she can do everything 'erself. Promise."

"Fine! I promise! You happy now?"

"Aye. Good." He rocked on his heels for a moment, as if uncertain of what to do, and then leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Take care, Lizzie," he said, giving her hands a squeeze, and then he was gone out the door into the night. Elizabeth went to the door and looked out, but he was gone.

"Take care, Jack," she called softly after him.

The lamplight shone on several bundles just outside the door. "Oh, my!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Jack hadn't brought just one or two things; he'd brought a whole pile! She dragged the sacks inside, grinning when one of them clinked with a very bottle-like sound.