James supposed he should find it disturbing. He had, the first time he witnessed their little ritual. But what was he to do? This was, after all the Turner fam—

Er... the Sparrow fam—

Oh, blast. They were Elizabeth's children. He supposed it was none of his business how she let their manners be corrupted. His opinion on corrupted manners certainly no longer counted. And, after all, she had married a blacksmith.

The blacksmith in question was smirking, trying to look stern, and there was no practiced motherly scowl strong enough to hide the twinkle in Elizabeth's eyes as the twins huddled together, grinning like mad as their mad uncle threatened them with a sword.

"Now, hear this, ye two little sea rats." Jack made sure to lay it on extra thick, ever since that botched stowaway attempt last Christmas. "If either one o' ye even THINKS about peeking, or breathes ONE WORD about anything you've seen here, I'll have yer guts fer garters, savvy?" He wagged the razor sharp tip of his blade, lovely job William did on that one. James was nearly jealous under their freckled noses and gave them his fiercest glare. "I said SAVVY???"

They giggled nervously, clutching one another, trying to look solemn and scared, and failing miserably. "We savvy."

James hid his smile behind the rim of his glass of sherry.

He looked from one to the other, almost nose-to-nose, before stepping back to sheathe his weapon in one smooth movement. "Good." With a flourish, he pulled two silk scarves from his pocket and waved them at the twins in admonishment. "Now I don't want you two goin' and blowing yer noses on these again."

"That was Thomas!" Marie fussed as the pirate blindfolded her, careful not to catch any of her golden ringlets.

"Was not!"

"Either way!" Jack checked to make sure Thomas's knot would hold up to his fidgeting. "No snot, ye hear? An no taken them off till you're all locked up—er... safe in yer beds. Got that?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Don't need any loose-lipped land puppies givin away our secret meetin' place."

James choked back a snort of laughter.

"Right." Jack straightened and caught Will's eye over his son's tousled head. "Lets haul these scallywags off to bed."

There was much giggling and huffing and puffing and "ARRGH!!" as Jack and William hoisted the would-be pirates up and toted them out of the cabin to the row boat that would carry them across to the Turner's small vessel. James bid his friends farewell, earning two cheerful, "G'night Mr. Norrington!" in echo of each other.

Last out the door was Elizabeth. She paused, her hand on the knob, and looked back into the room at her old friend, sitting easily at a pirate's table, drinking a pirate's stolen sherry, wearing what were probably a pirate's stolen clothes. "See you in a fortnight, then?"

"You will indeed, Mrs. Turner."

She smiled, "I do love it when you call me that," and shut the door, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

The glass was empty, when the door opened once again, and James looked up from his deep study of its cut crystal depths to see jack Sparrow grinning at him from across the table.

"Penny for your thoughts, luv."

Slowly, James set the glass down and stood. Jack watched him with not-quite-wary curiosity as he stepped around the table, walked up to him, wrapped an arm around the pirate's narrow waist, and kissed him within an inch of his life.

When they finally came up for air, James said, "Thank you."

Jack managed to gasp out, "Bloody hell... what for...?"

James said, "For knowing how to swim"