Note: Yes, I realize I have two Jones. No, this one isn't the same as the old one. The old one is dead, I'm assuming. Sorry 'bout that, luvs. Also, I'm not actually afraid of writing a sea fight scene, I'm just lazy.

She lay on her ship, in her cabin, knowing Jones had the Tempest under control. Well, I guess this is i', then. I'm happy again. This crisis is over. Yeah. Ara felt a moments pang at the loss of her Minta. Stop i', she chided herself. Pirates don't care about lost ships.

Going up on deck, Ara wandered around, not sure what to do, not having any particular plan. She felt very uncaptain-like. Damn it. I want my ship back. I want my crew. She wandered to the stern gazing out across the open waters. Climbing into the crows nest she pushed aside the man she had on watch. Pulling out her eyeglass she looked at the speck on the horizon. She smiled.

"Jones!" she called as she climbed down. "The Pearl's behind us. I wanna turn and figh'."

"You wha'?"

"I wanna take the Pearl."

Jones stared at her for a moment. "Wiv all due respec', cap'n, we don' know this ship too well. To try to take summin like the Pearl would be risky. Wiv a cap'n like Jack Sparrow—"

"'Wiv a cap'n like Sparrow' wha'?" Ara asked. Her voice rising. "'Wiv a cap'n like Sparrow' wha'? We can take tha' bastard." Jones began to interrupt, but Ara was pretty worked up at this point. "'E took my ship and I'm perfectly capable of takin' 'is. Now, if you would be so kind as to ready the ship."

Jack Sparrow was lazing at the wheel of his Pearl, unaware of the fact that the Tempest was just ahead, let alone that Ara was captaining it, let alone that she was planning to attack him. He closed his eyes, feeling the sun further cook his already cooked skin, feeling the sea spray hit his face. What would he do without his Pearl?

"Captain Sparrow, somethin's happenin' to the north there," Anamaria called up to him.

His eyes snapped open. It took him only a moment to understand what was going on.

"Prepare the ship. We're bein' attacked."

It seemed to be years before the ships were close enough to fire. The Tempest let loose the first cannonball.

Ara was quite cocky as she boarded the ship, but as soon as she saw the captain's face she new he had only surrendered because he assumed she wouldn't do anything. He thought that she was softer because she was female. When Jack saw the smirk fade from her face he began to worry, but he would never let it show. He kept his charming pirate smile firm.

Ara marched straight up to him. "'Ello Sparrow," she said loudly so that the whole crew could here. "So this is the Pearl—"

"You've seen 'er before, luv."

"Tha's Cap'n Luv to you. You'll be goin' onta my ship. Jones, yer cap'n. Doyle, Emerson, Grummage, Keech, yer wiv me. You, you, you, and you," she pointed to four of Jack's crew including Anamaria. "And Mr. Gibbs."

Jack admired the way she took control, but she was pissing him off. He grabbed her hand. "Look, Cap'n Luv," he chuckled, "is this really all necessary? I mean, yer no' really takin' my Pearl?"

She smiled at him and grabbed one of his fingers, forcing it back. Jack was sweating, but didn't show anything until his finger broke. He hastened to let go. "Don't touch me again, Sparrow," she said and walked off.

"Hey!" He called starting to step forward before remembering he had two relatively large men on either side of him. They grabbed him quickly. Jack also saw a gun pointed at him out of the corner of his eye. "Ara," he called, sounding gentler. He chuckled. "Ara, luv, I'm no' leavin' my ship."

"Sparrow," Ara walked up to him again, one eyebrow raised, "you don't have a choice."

His eyes hardened as he turned to leave his beloved.

(For those of you slow ones his beloved is his ship aka the Pearl)