"Captain!" shouted the lookout from atop the crow's nest. Finally after a week, they have spotted what they have been searching for almost in vain. As Barbossa and the rest of the crew looked up, expectantly, to the lookout. "The Endeavor!" came the shouting again.

"Where away?" demanded Barbossa, both eager, and relieved, thinking that he was near in having his daughter back. The lookout pointed at the direction, everyone else followed it with their gazes, some even leaned over to the rails to see. It wasn't long before the captains caught sight of the ship floating not so far from where they were, and he bellowed an order, "Abaft the beam, ye bilge rats!"

The crew scattered on deck, getting to their positions, while having their hands on the cannons, their swords, and pistols.

Barbossa's shouts were heard across the deck of the Pearl.

"Run out the sweeps and get me there now! Make ready the guns! Do it smartly, or I'll have all yer entrails scattered on deck!"

All the crew struggled to execute each commands, as Jack the monkey jumped up and down excitedly on a rope-swing, screeching as though repeating his master's commands, as said master glared towards the Endeavor.

"I be havin' her back now, Beckett," he whispered in a dangerous tone.

Meanwhile, aboard the Endeavor...

Beckett was troubled by what the woman, or the so-called messenger, told him about Barbossa's arrival and determination in taking back his daughter. He had to be ready about that. And so, the EITC governor found himself making his way down the brig alone, having the key to her cell. He intended to see her again; talk to her; leave her with a choice: freedom and leave the life of piracy, or die with her father. But he doubted whether he'd even allow her to choose the second option.

Finally, he stood on the other side of her cell, and there she was, curled up on the bench, still asleep, unaware of the waking world. He slowly unlocked the cell and stepped inside. Tucking the key inside his black coat, Beckett knelt on one knee and carefully eyed Isabel's sleeping face. She was so peaceful, Beckett thought that she was almost an angel in disguise that fell from heaven. But said angel had come to haunt him every night in his sleep; causing him to lose his appetite at times if not always; giving him almost no peace of mind. She had somehow made him not himself for a moment or so in a short time such as one week.

He touched her cheek ever so lightly, brushing the back of his fingers on her smooth skin. For a moment, he wished to kiss her, just a light touch on her lips would do. Is what he asked for. So he claimed that kiss, but merely brushing his lips on hers. Oh, how he wished those lips would respond to his kiss, but she was asleep. Although having her kiss him so willingly when she's awake was next to never. She would never oblige him for such. For that, he felt a slight sting of pain.

It would seem that he had no intentions anymore of killing her. He wanted to keep her to himself if that were possible, and not hand her back to her father, one way or another. He would make her his bride; his Lady, and completely rid her of the pirate that she is. Sad truth is that, she wouldn't want to. And why would she? He's the man who intended, and still does, to put an end to her profession, and except for the fact that he hadn't changed his mind on that, he's also her captor.

"Everything else would have been easy if only you're not a pirate. Or worse, a pirate's daughter," he said to her, though he was certain she couldn't hear him.

"I could free you from here," he continued, "and all will be well. But you wouldn't be willing to my conditions." He rested his forehead on hers to try and feel her breath on his face. It was the only way he knew, and only chance he had, that he could at least get close to her. "Why? Why had Fate let our paths cross? Isabel..."

If Beckett was to say something more, he wasn't able to since the entire ship was shaken by some kind of strong impact that somehow had hit the vessel. During the process, he was pulled back from Isabel and had him on a sitting position on his bottom, at the very same moment, Isabel stirred, slowly woke up, and scrambled to sit up on the bench when she realized she was in Beckett's presence. The surprise on her face was mirroring Beckett's own surprise from the impact.

That was when lieutenant Gillete came running into the brig.

"Lord Beckett!" he shouted along the way. "My lord the..." He paused, mid-way on his sentence, surprised to see whom he was looking for was actually inside the cell with the prisoner.

"S-Sir? Why are you in there?" the clueless lieutenant asked.

Beckett hauled himself to his feet, straightened his coat, and tried to act normal. "What just happened, lieutenant?"

Gillete felt his lips moved, but his tongue struggled to find the right words to say. "I-It's...Th...T-The Black Pearl, sir. She's attacking us."

Looking back to the red hair still on the bench, Beckett only said to her, "Your father's here."

Back on deck of the Pearl...

"Prepare to board!" shouted Barbossa. "I don't give a bilge rat's arse on what ye bloomin' cockroaches do with the bloody ship! Just get me daughter back - alive!"

Barbossa couldn't get himself to engage into battle yet, as he paced back and forth on the quarterdeck, glancing a few times towards the HMS Endeavor, hoping to catch even just a glimpse of Isabel. If anything happens to her, and he's not there to do anything from saving her, it will either cost his, or simply Cutler Beckett's life. And he'd much prefer Beckett's.

Again, back at the brig...

Isabel was handed to Gillete by Beckett himself, and rather roughly on that.

"Keep her safe, by all means," said Beckett.

"Sir?" The lieutenant was obviously unaware of the EITC governor's feelings for the pirate lass he held by the arm, therefore he questioned why his lordship told him to look after the welfare of the red hair.

"That's an order. No questions," snapped Beckett sternly, as he gave Isabel a quick glance and turned on his heel to leave and see the action up on deck. It was time to settle matters with Barbossa, not later, not sooner, not tomorrow, but at this moment itself.

'It's the least I can do, Miss Isabel...for now.' Yet still, his thoughts were about Isabel.

Pirates and Marines were all fighting each other on either ships, just like last time, before Beckett even got on deck. He strode past his men and didn't quite care when a pirate charged at him, he was confident that his men wouldn't let him got hurt, which was true as the poor pirate only got shot by Red coat standing not too far from where Beckett was making is way to the railings. There he got a good look at the captain on the other ship.

On that very moment, both Barbossa's and Beckett's gaze met, each man glowering at each other. And if looks could kill, anyone could have died under either man's stare.

Suddenly, a shouting voice got their attention.

"Barbossa!"

As both of them looked towards the direction where the voice came, they saw Mercer, having a pistol on Isabel's temple, threateningly.

'No!' both men panicked. Their thoughts completely set on Isabel's safety.

Quickly, Beckett thought up of something.

"Captain!" he shouted to Barbossa, successfully catching the pirate's attention. "If you wish to have your daughter alive, I suggest we talk things over first, and see where talk may lead us."

Everyone else heard what Beckett said, either pirates or marines, as they all looked expectantly at the pirate captain. But Barbossa was a little uncertain, so he looked towards Isabel, who shook her head to him, a worried look on her face.

Looking back to Beckett, the pirate said, "Name yer terms."

"We should at least order our men back to our ships first, Captain," replied Beckett with a subtle smile. "Or would you rather have me use the Code with the right of Parley?"

After all the pirates and marines went back to each of their own ships, Barbossa had the plank ready.

"Would the gangplank be of suitable account to you fer the negotiations, mi-lord?" asked Barbossa with a smirk, almost mockingly to Beckett.

Beckett only returned the smirk with one of his own, and turned to call for his lieutenant, just as Barbossa was on his way to the gangplank that was set at the Pearl's railings.

"Lieutenant," called out Beckett to Gillete.

"Lord Beckett?" came the officer.

"Ready the gangway."

Gillete obeyed, as Beckett went over to Mercer.

"Sir," addressed Mercer to his lordship, "whatever it is you have in mind for this girl, again I say, it will cost you your life."

Glancing briefly to Isabel, then back to Mercer, the EITC governor only said, "Just don't hurt her." He then left, climbed to the wooden plank, and met up with the waiting Barbossa, standing at the other wooden plank.

"Captain Barbossa, a pleasure to negotiate with you," greeted Beckett.

"Pleasure's all mine," replied Barbossa with a smirk.

"I am aware that your business here is to your daughter," said Beckett, wanting it all to be over with. "But I'm afraid that I won't be obliging in giving her back to you."

"Oh, but there be no need of that." Barbossa looked like as though he was most certain of himself. "I'll be takin' her from ye, one way or another."

"Then I would have to kill you," said Beckett, "one way or another."

"Why not try it right here? Right now." Barbossa slowly placed a hand to the hilt of his sword, making some of the marines on board the Endeavor a little uneasy about their lordship's welfare.

"We don't need that while negotiating, now do we?" Beckett said simply, his hands clasp casually behind him all the time.

"Aye," agreed the tall pirate. "Indeed we don't."

All of the sudden, Barbossa was surprised, and almost felt himself jump from the attempt of backing away if it wasn't for the fact that he remembered that a step away may lead him to falling into the water, when Beckett just suddenly leaned over to him, as though meaning to whisper something that was meant for his ears only to hear.

"I've no intentions of hanging your daughter in Port Royal," whispered Beckett. "And in an attempt to somehow please her, I will do good under her eyes, only for the sake that she stays with me."

Barbossa was about to say something, but Beckett wasn't finish yet.

"I will spare you your life and your men..."

Now that came as a surprise indeed, but there was a catch.

"...in return that you never come back and and attempt to take your daughter again."

Smiling almost to himself, Barbossa thought he'd laugh at what he heard.

"So ye lost yer heart to a pirate's daughter," he said, clicking his tongue between his teeth a few times. "Such a shame."

The two men once again met each others gaze.

"And what make ye think I'd take that offer?" asked Barbossa, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Beckett was never disappointed in all his life.

"So you choose to die?" he asked the taller man.

"I doubt she'd want to stay with ye anyway," was Barbossa's reply, again attempting to really get into Beckett's nerves.

As both crew members on either ships looked on in silence, waiting for any results out of the negotiations going on, they knew deep within them that, one way or another, it'll all end up in a bloody battle, with lives lost, and with only one ship floating.