Embracing Katrina

(Sequel to With Katrina… Three-quel to Including Katrina)

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean (characters, plot, dialogue, etc.). Any other tid-bits of creativity, however, are mine… in which I hope you will enjoy. Please be sure to read and review!

Author's Note: I know… another short one… but I hope that posting these two short chapters together somewhat makes up a little for not having one looooooooong chapter. Please let me know what you think of this! Oh!!! And be sure to check out how Jack and Katrina met in Katrina Drabbles!

Chapter 46

Negotiations

"You be the cur that led these wolves to out door," Barbossa sneered upon seeing Will alongside Beckett and Jones when he, Jack, and Elizabeth met up with them on the sandbar for negotiations.

"Don't blame Turner," Lord Beckett corrected Barbossa, "He was but the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect – look to your left."

At hearing this, Elizabeth and Barbossa turned to look at Jack, who, a bit bewilder, also turned to his left. Then, upon seeing no one there, looked to Beckett.

"Me?" Jack disapproved of the accusation, "My hands are clean in this." Jack paused as he looked over his grimy palms before adding, "Figuratively."

"My actions were my own to my own purpose," Will spoke in agreement with the pirate, "Jack had nothing to do with it."

"There!" Jack cheered, "Listen to the tool."

"Will," Elizabeth began gently, almost lovingly, "I've been aboard the Dutchman. I understand the burden you bear, but I fear that cause is lost."

Knowing she was speaking about his father, Will replied, "No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it."

As Will finished this reply, his eyes connected with Jack's. Only Elizabeth noticed this and it reminded her of when Katrina had done the same when Jack first entered her life – the day he rescued her from having fallen from the fort. Was there something going on that she didn't know? Though those two had their indifferences, had they secretly come to an agreement no one else was aware of?

"If Turner was not acting on your behalf," Beckett pointed out arrogantly as he pulled out Jack's compass to show Elizabeth and Barbossa, "Then how did he come to give me this?"

Seeing the object, Barbossa gave Jack a fierce look.

"You made a deal with me, Jack," Beckett went on with his head held high, "to deliver the pirates – and here they are. Don't be bashful; step up and claim your reward."

With a guilty look to Barbossa, Jack caught the compass Beckett tossed to him.

"And what reward does such chicanery fetch these days?" Barbossa inquired.

Beckett gave the pirate a conceited grin as he pointed behind the pirate. Elizabeth, Barbossa, and Jack turned around to find a large group of soldiers slowly advancing in their direction.

"An army?" Barbossa asked as the trio turned back around with confused looks at Beckett before reeling in shock that there now was a great number of soldiers directly behind the lord.

"No," Beckett smiled, before clarifying as he pointed behind them again, "The reward is that I keep to my word... my end of the deal with Jack."

Jack's brows came together in greater confusion. However, as he looked over at Will, who had made a sudden move forward but composed himself from further movement, and saw the man's wide eyes, Jack swiftly turned back around.

By now the soldiers were more than half-way in their distance to reaching the negotiating party. Those that had been in the front were now parted off to the sides so that Jack and the others could clearly see who they were guiding towards them.

"Katrina!" Jack gasped before sprinting after her.

"Jack!" she cried out as she kicked and fought against the soldiers ushering her forward, "Jack! Jack!"

Sadly, Jack didn't get far at all as several walls of soldiers out of nowhere blocked him, bringing his rescue mission to a fast end.

"What kind o' game are ye playin' at, Beckett?" Jack roared as he whirled back to face the shorter man.

"No game, actually," Beckett answered coolly.

Not liking his answer, Jack charged after the man, but soldiers quickly cut him off again.

"You see," Beckett continued calmly, "according to our agreement in exchange of you delivering the pirates from Shipwreck Cove, I must square things with Jones on your behalf and assure of your freedom, your wife's freedom, and your child's freedom."

"Aye," Jack breathed roughly, trying to see where Beckett was leading with this.

"Well, I've squared things with Jones on your behalf," Beckett said simply, "However…"

"Your debt to me must still be satisfied," Jones spoke up as he exchanged an amiable look with Beckett, "One hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman… as a start."

"What?" Jack exclaimed, astounded, "That debt was paid."

As Jack said this, Elizabeth noticed another quick eye contact between the pirate and Will. But then Jack quickly turned to gesture a hand at Elizabeth as he added, "With some help."

"You escaped," Jones brought the fact to attention.

"A technicality, "Jack waved off.

"What does this have to do with Katrina?" Will cut in, bringing the focus back to Beckett.

"Aye," Jack seemed to growl, his anger coming forth again as he looked to the lord, "What does this have t' do with Katrina?"

"Oh, that's right," Beckett recalled, "Well… since you will be busy and long gone fulfilling your debt with Jones, I thought it only best to bring the young widow and soon-to-be mother under my wing."

Jack's eyes narrowed with great hate upon the man before him, "She's not a widow."

"After speaking with Jones on your behalf," Beckett continued tranquilly, having ignored Jack's comment, "I had some research done on Katrina and her lineage. I was quite impressed with her status of nobility. Her father comes from a very well-off and well-educated family that has lasted generations… that is, generations of pure-blood nobility. And her mother, though from Spain, also comes from a wealthy, pure-blood family of the Spanish court."

"What do ye want wi' her?" Jack snapped.

"To marry her, of course," Beckett said plainly, "A beautiful woman of that high of status and noble blood should be with a man like me. Not to mention… with her connections through her father's trading business and her acceptance with that of the Spanish crown… I could easily increase business for the East India Trading Company and create a more efficient ally in the trading business between Great Britain and Spain."

"That's not the same as ensuring her freedom," Jack argued in a dark voice.

"You failed to specify," Beckett replied frankly.

"And what of the child?" Elizabeth spoke up swiftly.

"Ah, yes, the child," Beckett acknowledged, "Don't worry about the child, Miss Swann. I will make sure to be the proper father for it. I will raise it as if it were my very own… one of pure noble blood… a child of my blood and its mother's blood."

"Why ye bloody bastard!" Jack abruptly bellowed as he tried rushing at Beckett, soldiers interfering once again, "The hell you're taken me wife and child!"

As Jack tried fighting off the soldiers attempting to hold him back, Will mirrored the pirate with an attempt to attack, but soldiers restrained him as well.

After a few minutes of fighting in vain against the surrounding soldiers in order to get to Beckett, Will and Jack, seeing eye to eye again, decided to back off completely. Elizabeth caught this glance.

During the brawl she had figured out what plan Will and Jack had agreed upon silently. Although, Katrina being brought to Beckett was not part of the plan, Elizabeth saw that the plan could very much still work… there would simply be an extra step in it… rescuing Katrina from Beckett.

"I propose an exchange," Elizabeth declared with great authority when the small scuffle had ended, "Will leaves with us… and you can take Jack."

"Done," Will agreed immediately.

"Undone!" Jack protested with another quick knowing glance at the blacksmith.

"Done," Beckett jumped in, sealing the deal and having missed the exchange between Jack and Will.

"Jack's one of the nine pirate lords," Barbossa turned to Elizabeth, "You have no right."

"King," Elizabeth stated the obvious. She then looked to her left at Jack.

"As you command, your highness," Jack said as he removed his hat and gave a deep bow.

"Blaggard!" Barbossa snarled at Jack as he drew out his cutlass and swung it at the pirate. Jack, however, was too quick for him and scurried out of the way. Though his blade missed Jack, Barbossa's sword did catch the Piece of Eight that dangled against Jack's red bandana. Slicing the beads and coin free, it fell onto the sand. Barbossa's monkey bounded off the pirate's shoulder to collect the small item before returning back to his master.

After scurrying away from Barbossa, Jack unhappily changed places with Will.

"Do you fear death?" Jones slurred as he escorted the pirate away from the group, through the crowd of soldiers in direction of the Flying Dutchman.

Jack sighed before looking over his shoulder in a hope to catch a sight of his wife, "You 'ave no idea."

----------

"Ah, Miss Banks," Beckett said as he gestured with his head to dismiss the two soldiers that had escorted Katrina onto the Endeavour. He then took up her hand in his and added, as he attempted to kiss the back of it, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Katrina fluidly removed her hand before the man's lips touched it, "It's Mrs. Sparrow. No doubt you must be the infamous Cutler Beckett."

"Lord Cutler Beckett, actually," corrected Beckett as he stood upright, a bit offended.

"Well then, Lord Beckett," Katrina began sharply, "Where is my husband? Why am I here?"

"You're husband?" Beckett gave her a blank look, "Ah, yes… Sparrow. He's presently aboard the Flying Dutchman starting to pay off his one-hundred-year-long debt. And you're here because I promised Jack that in exchange of him bringing out the pirates from Shipwreck Cove I would ensure your freedom and your child's freedom."

"You don't know what freedom is," Katrina spat.

"Tell you what, Mrs. Sparrow," Beckett said delicately as he took a step closer to her, "I'll give you an option of which definition of freedom you, and your child, would like to embody: Marriage to me or death before-"

"I will never marry you!" Katrina glared at the lord, "My husband is very much alive!"

"At the moment," Beckett shrugged, "but he'll soon become part the Flying Dutchman in the years to come in serving like all previous sailors aboard that ship."

Katrina looked sternly at Beckett before stating firmly, "Then I choose death."

"Are you sure?" Beckett began circling around her, "You didn't let me finish all that I had say about that second option."

"What could possibly be worse?" Katrina asked, keeping her head held up high.

"I don't know, Mrs. Sparrow, that would be based on your opinion alone. However, my options were for you to choose to either marry me or die before the eyes of your former husband."

Katrina's eyes widened, "You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" Beckett chuckled gravely. The man then whistled for attention from a few of his men. After whispering an order to them the soldiers ran off.

"What are you doing?" Katrina asked with bitterness.

"You'll see," Beckett simply replied with a grin.

Within minutes, the Flying Dutchman was alongside the Endeavour. Katrina then saw Davy Jones was pushing Jack to the ship's railing so that they could easily see one another.

"Jack!" Katrina cried out to her husband but was immediately pulled back by a gathering of soldiers.

"Oi! Let 'er go!" Jack yelled from the other ship as some soldiers took hold of Katrina's arms, legs, head, and body in order to keep her completely still in one place.

"This is your chance, Mrs. Sparrow, for I refuse to play games," Beckett said calmly as he pulled out a long, narrow dagger and held it up to her throat, "It is your choice… marry me or die before the eyes of your beloved."

"No! Katrina!" Jack nearly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Trust in me, Katrina! Don't give up on me, love! Think o' our child!"

"What fate shall you bind yourself to?" Beckett whispered into Katrina's ear as he brushed the dagger slowly now along her exposed collar bone, "Me… or death?"

With tears pouring out from her eyes as she looked at Jack, her heart yearning for him, breaking for him, but still trusting in him, Katrina finally made her decision.

"I'll marry you," she told Beckett quietly in defeat.

"I'm sorry, what was that Miss Banks? Could you speak a bit louder, I couldn't quite hear what you said."

"I'll marry you!" Katrina howled, "I'll marry you, Lord Beckett!"

Completely satisfied with her answer, especially since by the look of Jack it was obvious he had heard it too, Beckett had his soldiers escort Katrina to his quarters.

"Don't ye dare touch 'er!!!" Jack hollered from the Flying Dutchman, many of the crew struggling to hold him back, "If I find out that even a finger o' yours touched any part o' her I'll-"

"You'll what, Sparrow?" Beckett chuckled, "Face the fact… she's no longer your concern."

As Jack began shouting again, those aboard the Dutchman pulling him away from the railing to take him to the brig below, Beckett turned away ignoring the pirate, his mind now consumed with the prize he had won that awaited him in his cabin.