Her Father's Eyes

Disclaimer: In which case, one would be elated to own such a worthy, lovable and talented crew of miscreants, the fastest pirate ship The Black Pearl, a very weird and drunken Captain Jack Sparrow (his first mate accompanying, of course) and the patent rights to such said story and accounts- I shall not lie. (shrugs) I don't own them.



Her Father's Eyes

By: J.L. Dexter

Rating: PG

~*~

The last rays of the evening gave off a wonderful display on the water as the sun slowly began to set in the horizon.

On deck, silhouetted by the sun, two figures romped and danced, their laughter rising with the sounding cry of the gulls and the splashing of waves.

A single person stood nearby, hidden in the shadows of the ship, a small smile tugging at her lips.

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Laughter. It was all I could hear as I watched the two figures dancing about merrily. The one leading the charade was tall and handsome, his face aged with the sun and the sea. His deep laughter echoed across the deck as he swept his dance partner up into his arms and swung her around.

He was rewarded with a chorus of giggles as he set the person down on her feet, his partner. I watched her both with pride and concern. My heart swelled at the thought of them, together. He was so good to her. To the one whom his heart belonged.

His partner clapped her small hands in amusement and laughed as the man danced around her. Jack, I thought as I watched with earnest. How can you be the toughest pirate to sail the Spanish Main, yet when she is around, you are the softest bloke I know?

Oh, did that girl have him wrapped around her finger.

I turned my attention to his partner. The form of love, happiness and pride. The form of the one person that held so much of Jack's heart and attention.

The form of a small child.

I smiled as I watched the child firmly grasped in Jack's arms giggle with delight as he spun around the deck.

Her soft dark hair hung loosely around her face in tiny curls. Her dark eyes shone with so much joy at the simple game they played.

Her father's eyes.

The same dark orbs I found myself lost in as Jack held me tight in his arms. The same love for life swimming around in their souls. She had his eyes, his mischief and his passion for life. She was his namesake.

It had been three years since our run-in with Barbossa. Three long years that had held more truth and meaning than all the years that made up my life. And it had been three years ago that we had left Will Turner standing in Port Royal.

Three years we had been dedicated to sailing under our flags- not of piracy but of freedom.

Though we hardly did such good deeds.

And it had been three years ago that I had found myself hopelessly falling in love with the man who was better known as Captain Jack Sparrow.

I once again turned my attention to Jack and the small girl as I absently traced a finger over a small band of silver on my left hand.

A symbol of Jack's love.

I remembered that night like it was yesterday. A night that three years ago led to where we were now.

A daring rescue, a lost battle, the marooning, Jack's capture and his escape. And then- our reunion.

Jack scooped the child into his arms and hugged her, telling her secrets of the world, his voice to low for me to hear. He kissed her on the forehead and held her close as they watched the sunset.

She was a symbol of our love, love that could never be broken.

As the sun finally disappeared, I pushed myself off the ship railing I had rested against and took one last gaze at the two who stood motionless before me.

A man and a small girl. My husband and our child. A father and his daughter.

A daughter who would grow to see the world in a whole different light. A girl who would see life through her father's eyes.

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Author's Corner- For those wondering, this ficlet has nothing to do with my story 'Joy of the Hunt.' It was going to, but since this was written before the JotH, I decided to use it separately as an independent story. Hope you enjoyed it. I know it's shrouded in mystery, but that was half the fun! It's one of those, where you figure out who the shadow watcher is.

-J