Harry & the Pirate III: Norrington's Choice

[geekmama]

Chapter Fifteen: All's Well


 Jack emerged from below decks and strode back to the table where his friends were gathered, his face a startling mixture of shock and bemused relief.

"Gi' me that!" he said, shortly, and grabbed a bottle of St. Claire rum off the table.

The men frowned in concern. Watching the pirate's throat working as he took a long swig, James said worriedly, "Jack! She's all right, isn't she?"

Jack put the bottle down with a bit of a slam, and sat abruptly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and eyed the assembled company, grimly. "Oh, aye. She's fine. Perfect. Couldn't be better."

"Then what's wrong? Is it the baby?" demanded Will.

"No, he's fine. Leastways…" He looked around at their concerned faces, and sighed. "They tell me he's perfect, too. And he does seem to have all his parts." He lifted the bottle again, took another lengthy swig, passed it on to Giles, then lowered his voice a little. "But Maggie brings 'im over and God's teeth if he isn't the… the reddest, most wizened little scrap of a thing! An' here she's tellin' me how beautiful he is-which he ain't, give you me word! I mean, if I didn't know better, I'd wonder if he were mine! Or Harry's for that matter. But anyway, I said all that was proper, what with Harry bein' right there. An' then he sets up a squawk, so Maggie shows 'er how to feed 'im-that was a pretty sight, I have to say: he's definitely my son in that respect, appreciatin' the finer things an' all. But then, once she's settled with him an' lookin' pleased as punch, she looks at me an' says, 'Oh Jack! A son! I was hoping for a boy! But darling! We must try for a girl next year!'" With a groan, Jack slumped forward and smacked his forehead against the table a few times. "She's going to bloody kill me! There's no doubt of it. I can't go through this again!"

His friends laughed, and patted him on the back, consolingly.

"Here, lad," said Giles, handing back the rum bottle when he looked up. "Have another nip, and we'll say a toast! To Lady Harry and Young Sparrow, and to great adventures of all kinds!"

Jack groaned a bit, but accepted the bottle and raised it in a weary salute.

o-o-o

Madame Joujou and her daughters had taken their leave, saying they would return for their payment and to check on the new mother in the morning. Maggie emerged from below some time later, and came over to the group. She exchanged a humorous look with James, before laying a hand on Jack's shoulder. He looked up at her, a little blearily, and she said, gently scolding, "Come now, Jack! It's all over now, and Harry and your little one are doing so well! It would be a shame if the father were to succumb to a drunken stupor now!"

"Succumb! I assure you, ma'am, I ain't near that point. Takes a sight more'n a half a bottle to lay out ol' Jack, believe me."

Maggie eyed him skeptically. "When was the last time you ate?"

He looked briefly nonplussed. "Ate?"

She nodded, and, removing the mostly empty bottle from his slackened grip, said, "I thought so! No more of this for you 'til you've had some dinner. Owens! As you love him, go fetch your Captain some hot stew and some of the good bread Anatole and Louise have made!"

"Aye, ma'am!" said Owens, and got up.

"I'll go with you, boy," Giles said. "We'll bring up a tray and all have a bite!"

As the two departed on their errand, Jack tugged at Maggie's sleeve, saying in a soft, slurred voice, "Maggie. Maggie!" He made an effort to focus on her face as she turned to him, and continued in a secretive tone, "Didn't want to say anything in front of Harry, y'know, but the baby! He's…he looks…"

She shook her head. "You will not say he's not beautiful! For he is, Jack! Or will be. All new babies look like that!"

"They do?" He considered this, with some disapproval. "You're sure?"

"Well, all three of mine did!" she assured him, smiling.

"Did they?" Jack looked somewhat relieved at this. "Well, yours're quite pretty, for nippers."

"Yes!" she laughed. "And Young Sparrow will be even prettier: look who he has for parents!"

Jack frowned. "Harry might be pretty, but I'll be damned…uh…s-scuppered if I am!"

Maggie nodded. "Beautiful, then!" she amended, twinkling.

"Tha's right! No. Devil take it! I mean… " Jack scowled at her.

She and the others chucked at his confusion. Taking pity on him, she said, "Handsome as the day is long, Jack Sparrow. As your son will be!"

He nodded, but then looked at her suspiciously. "You're sure, now?"

She set her hand on his shoulder firmly. "On my honor as a lady, Captain!"

Jack nodded. "Well, all right, then."

"I must go visit my poor little son, now, and tell him the news, if he is awake! Will! Gibbs! I rely on you to see that Jack eats a little, and then he must go back to Harry, for she was asking for him."

"Askin' for me!" he exclaimed, and started up.

Norrington had got up, and both he and Maggie put restraining hands on Jack's shoulders. He settled with a thump.

"Have some dinner first!" ordered Maggie.

"Soak up some of that liquor," recommended the Commodore, with a smile.

"Oh, very well," Jack grumbled. "S'pose yer right."

"We are," said the Commodore.

Gibbs said, "No need to worry. Will an' I'll take care of 'im, won't we lad?"

"Of course," said Will, smiling. "What are nephews for?"

Jack gazed fondly at Will, and said, with sodden sentiment, "Me nevvie! Good lad!" He glanced up at Norrington. "Saved me life once, y'know!"

Norrington's brows arched a bit, but he managed to say, with admirable gravity, "I know, Jack. I was there."

Jack frowned, head swaying, but then his countenance cleared as he remembered. This feat accomplished, he said, with every evidence of pleasure, "Oh. Aye! So you were!"

Norrington couldn't restrain himself from laughing.

o-o-o

James followed Maggie down to the little cabin where Charles lay. They went in quietly, and were glad they did, for the boy was still asleep. He looked very small and helpless lying there in the outsized nightshirt loaned to him by Jack. Maggie went to the bunk and stood beside it, looking down, worry and love in her eyes. She turned to James as he closed the door.

"You think he'll be all right?" she asked, needing his reassurance.

James nodded, a little crooked smile on his lips. "The break was a clean one, and Gibbs seemed to know what he was doing. Charles certainly showed his mettle these last few days. He's a fine lad, Maggie."

She nodded. "I know." Suddenly, she felt completely and inexpressibly weary, the events of the day-of the last few days!-finally having taken their toll. Tears filled her eyes, and she started to turn her face from James. And then, her heart gave an odd thump as he came to her, and took her in his arms. She looked into his face, and was almost overcome by the tenderness written there.

"Don't cry now, sweetheart!" he murmured, and kissed her.

As she responded, his gentleness built to passion and she slid her arms around his neck. His embrace strengthened, and he hugged her as though he would never let her go.

He did end the kiss, finally, however, and looked down at her. She blinked up at him, tears on her cheeks, wonder in her eyes.

"I love you, Maggie," he said, simply. "Will you marry me?"

She choked slightly, trembling, then blurted, "James! Yes! With all my heart!" And kissed him again, thrilling at his obvious joy. Maggie thought, This is the way it should be! The way it was meant to be. Just as Harry said. And when this second kiss ended, she said to him, "I love you, too, James. I think I always did."

He shook his head. "We were different people then, my darling. It wasn't the same."

"No," she agreed. "It wasn't."

They stood there for a long time, in the faint light of the cabin, just holding each other and rejoicing in the completeness of this moment. Of this finding of themselves.

And then, at last there was a sound of stirring.

"Mama!"

James released her with a smile, and Maggie turned to her son, going to him and sitting carefully on the edge of the bunk. "You're awake!" she said happily.

Charles looked at her, a little hazily but discerningly too, for her face was quite transformed. He glanced at the smiling Commodore, and then back at his mother again. "Are you….you and the Commodore…"

Maggie nodded. "What do you think of that, my son?"

The boy slowly took in the implications, and he then held up his hand. The Commodore came to him, going down on one knee to take his hand. "You'll be my father, then?" Charles said, wonderingly.

"And you'll be my son," said James.

Simple words. But Maggie's eyes overflowed again, and she put her arms around these two, who were so dear to her, and held them close for as long as she could.

o-o-o

It was quite a while later when James and Maggie made their way across the moonlit deck of the Black Pearl. There were friendly nods from the few crewmen on watch, but nearly everyone else had apparently gone off to bed. The betrothed pair, though weary in body, were buoyed up on a cloud of peaceful elation, and, anxious to share their happiness, they made their way down to the Captain's Cabin.

Maggie opened the door and peeked in, without knocking. There was a branch of candles burning, on a table well away from the bed, and the drapes over the banks of windows were open, letting in the moonlight. As they entered, Elizabeth rose from the chair where she sat, holding the small blanketed bundle in her arms.

Maggie and James came over to her, smiling. Maggie said, "Let me see the little Sparrow!" and Elizabeth carefully let her take the baby. Maggie turned to James, and held the sleeping mite so that his little face was touched by moonlight. "You see! He is beautiful!"

James's lips twisted and his eyes were full of laughter, thinking of Jack's dismay over his son's appearance. "Whatever you say, my love!" he murmured, and exchanged a grin with his betrothed.

Elizabeth looked from one to the other, and gasped a bit. She said, in an excited whisper, "James! Maggie! You are not…?"

They turned to her, smiling, and Maggie nodded, and said, "We are!"

Elizabeth's hands went first to her cheeks, and then to grip each of them by an arm. "Oh! I can't tell you how happy I am for both of you!"

Norrington looked down at the beautiful young woman. The woman he'd once thought he loved enough to take to wife, though he had known in his heart she would never truly be his. He still loved her, he realized. But it had never been in the way he loved Maggie. What a disservice to them both, if things had not worked out as they had! How strange life was…was fate! He said to her, "Thank you, Elizabeth." And his smile was a reflection of hers, one of warmth and of friendship.

Maggie smiled too, at both of them. But then she asked James, "Would you like to hold him?" and laughed softly at his startled expression.

"The baby?" But James took him, awkwardly, when Maggie held out the little thing, and a look of wonder came over his countenance. The wonder changed abruptly to alarm, however, when the baby opened his eyes and blinked up at the Commodore. The two looked at each other for a long moment, but then Young Sparrow's eyelids drooped and closed again, much to the relief of his father's friend. "Here! You had better take him!" said James to Elizabeth, and both she and Maggie chuckled quietly as she took the baby once more.

"We wanted to tell Harry that her plans have come to fruition!" Maggie said. "But I take it she is sleeping."

Elizabeth nodded. "Since Jack came down. But I know they wouldn't mind being awakened for such a reason as that!"

Maggie and James went quietly over to the bed at the other side of the cabin. As their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, they could make out the two forms, tucked neatly in, laying amid the banks of pillows, sound asleep in each others' arms. Maggie took her beloved's hand, and for a long moment the two of them studied the faces of their friends, tired and peaceful, and utterly content.

They forbore to wake them.

Finis

On to Epilogue