"How's Hector this evening?" Samuel asked as he pulled out a pipe and his tobacco pouch that was made from an albatross foot.

"Thankfully much better," Elizabeth answered from where they sat at a small table in the storeroom of the bar they'd met at that morning. They'd needed somewhere private, and once she told the barkeep who she was (and whose crew she was part of), he was happy to show them the back room. "His fever is finally down, but Doc wanted him to stay in, eat a big meal and rest."

"I bet the ol' pirate refused to see us until he was back to full health, too," Samuel said, sharing a knowing smile with Rachel.

Elizabeth couldn't help but return their smiles. She knew Samuel's tease was good natured. "He might have mentioned that," he agreed.

"So show us where these Brits are supposed to be," Rachel requested, reaching for the maps. "We have a favorite area, but we might need to adjust. Plus we need to decide where to meet up so that we can sail out as a group."

Samuel looked at his wife with wide eyes. "You know who I'm thinking of?" Rachel shook her head. "Nathaniel and that crew he joined up with a couple years ago."

Her eyes widened in acknowledgment. "I think they would be an excellent choice," Rachel agreed nodding. "From what I heard, they were supposedly coming in a few days behind us."

"Which means they might be in Nassau if we head there first," Samuel added.

"Who's Nathaniel?" Elizabeth asked.

"We met him a few years ago," Samuel explained. "He's the one that told us about the letters initially. Good man. While he's not the captain, he basically runs the ship. He's firm, but he's fair."

"Will they be open to joining us?"

"If it means an advantage for them, most definitely," Rachel answered. "The crew members are opportunists like the rest of us, and their captain is the worst of them all."

Elizabeth thought that sounded like a bad thing, but with the way she and Samuel were laughing, she realized her statement was in jest. "Okay then. Show me your regular route, and we'll go from there."

"How did it go?"

Elizabeth put the maps on the table and then sat on the edge of the bed. "It went just fine," she answered. "Sam and Rachel are quite pleasant and very reasonable. We decided to stick with their route since they're so familiar with it, and it's in the main area that the Brits use, as well. They think they know a crew that will be interested in joining us."

"What crew?"

"I'm not sure. They said they'd known them for a few years."

"I'll ask him about them later. Did yeh get the letters?"

"They're on the table with the maps," she answered as her gaze lingered over Barbossa. He still didn't look like himself, but at least he looked better. "Did Doc stop in tonight?"

"About an hour ago."

She reached for his hand to hold as it lay on the bed. "When did he say that you could sail?"

His thumb rubbed slow circles on the top of her hand. "Day after tomorrow."

Elizabeth nodded. She tried to tell herself that he would be fine, but she couldn't help but be worried given all that had happened in her life. "Did he bring you pills?"

"Not yet. He will," Barbossa answered, squeezing her hand in encouragement.

She offered him a small smile. "Can I get anything for you?"

Barbossa returned her smile. "How about yeh get ready for bed and join me? We'll talk about somethin' else besides pills and maps, aye?"

She nodded. "All right."

Two days later, the ships were full of crewmen and supplies, ready to sail to Nassau.

"Got yer caul, Sam?" Barbossa asked when they stepped into the longboat.

"Sure do. Got your coins?"

Barbossa reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful. "Right here," he answered and tossed them out into the water for good luck.

"Next stop, Nassau," Samuel said with a grin.

"And then the Brits' booty be ours," Barbossa added, shaking Samuel's hand while Rachel and Elizabeth exchanged smiles. "Let's go!"

After a couple days of clear weather and good spirits (Gibbs saw an albatross halfway out and proceeded to tell everyone what good luck they were about to have), the ships anchored at Nassau.

"We'll make port for the night, and that should give me plenty of time to find my friend and see if his crew will join us," Samuel told Barbossa as they stood on the docks.

"Where should we meet up?"

"How about The Raven Claw?" Rachel suggested. "It has less traffic than the other bars."

"I agree," Samuel said. "Meet us there around three."

Barbossa and Elizabeth found a room for the night first and immediately indulged in another hot bath since they didn't know when they'd have another chance.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Elizabeth asked as they stepped into the tub. She touched a small, red splotchy area on his chest a couple inches above his left nipple.

Barbossa looked to see what she was talking about & shrugged. "Not sure. Perhaps somethin' in me coat was scratchin' it."

"If it doesn't go away soon, have Doc look at it."

He smirked but secretly enjoyed her concern towards him. "I be fine, Mum," he teased with a wink.

Elizabeth splashed him with water.

Barbossa, Elizabeth and Gibbs walked into The Raven Claw at ten till three. They saw Samuel and Rachel at a large table towards the back and two other pirates with their backs to them.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "Is that – "

Samuel saw the trio enter and waved them over.

"I found him!" the younger pirate announced happily as the three approached the table. "Barbossa and crew, may I introduce Captain Jack Sparrow and his first – "

"Jack?" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Sparrow?" Barbossa repeated.

"Good ta see ya, Jack!" was Gibbs' greeting.

"Oh bugger," Jack muttered under his breath but flashed a toothy grin at everyone.

Sam looked back and forth between them. "You all know each other?"

"Intimately," Jack answered with grimace.

"Decidedly not," Barbossa replied with a patronizing smirk.

"Your name is Barbossa?" the young man standing beside of Jack asked.

"Aye."

"Hector, this is my – " Jack began to introduce.

"Hector Barbossa?" the young man clarified, his facial features hard and stoic.

Everyone – even Jack – was quiet while the exchange continued.

"Aye, lad," Barbossa answered, eyeing him up and down. "What be yer business?"

Jutting his chin out defiantly, he answered, "I have no business with you."

Barbossa frowned, not liking his cheek and giving Jack a glaring look while the dark haired pirate just shrugged. "What be yer name?"

The younger man's jaw clenched. "Nathaniel LaCruz."

Barbossa stared at him, the name immediately sending up flags of alarm as memories flooded his mind of the last time that he saw his son. Could this man truly be his Nathaniel? There wasn't much that shocked the wily pirate, but he was shocked, and he couldn't hide it.

"Nathaniel?" he asked, staring at the young man before him that he never thought he'd see again. "I didn't even know if yeh were alive."

Nathaniel was younger than Samuel by just a few years, but his demeanor was less amicable. He stood still and straight with crossed arms and narrowed his blue eyes. It was obvious that he wasn't pleased to see his father.

"Considering you left my mother when I was little so that you could go pirating, I don't suppose you cared all that much if I was alive or not." His raspy voice was even toned and clipped in annoyance.

Barbossa expected such from him; deserved it even. But that didn't mean he'd allow it.

"Don't talk of things yeh know nothin' about," he warned, narrowing his eyes as he took a step towards him.

"Then how about I talk of things I do know about like how I barely knew you or how my mother had to sell herself just to keep us fed or how when she got sick, no one wanted to treat her because of her reputation, or perhaps I could talk about being alone since I was six."

Barbossa studied his son for a few moments, everyone still remaining oddly quiet around them; even Jack. While Nathaniel had his eyes, the rest of his face and hair was Catherine's, and that resurrected a hurt that he hadn't felt in some time.

"And yet yeh stand before me as a pirate," Barbossa pointed out. 'How do yeh reconcile that, I wonder."

Nathaniel smirked but not in mirth. "Well there weren't a whole lot of options available to me with my background. My mother wasn't the only one who had to sell herself to get by."

Everyone exchanged looks again as Samuel cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, you must forgive me. I, in no way, knew of your relationship to the other. Perhaps we all need to leave you two alone to talk things over."

"Aye," Jack chimed in, his grin showing a couple gold capped teeth. "A little father/son one on one maybe."

Nathaniel glanced at Jack before addressing Samuel. "There's nothing to talk over."

Barbossa, not to be out done by his son, crossed his arms and said, "Aye. Nothin'."

Samuel looked at Jack then, concern clouding his face. "Does this mean that you won't join us, Captain Sparrow?"

Jack was not one to miss an opportunity to line his pockets, and working with Barbossa again had its advantages. He didn't plan to miss out just because of a little family squabble that he was not the least bit interested in. He turned towards his first mate as he spoke and gave him a knowing look. "I'm sure we can reach an accord, can't we, Nathaniel?"

Having seen the look before, Nathaniel knew what was expected of him. He couldn't affect the livelihood of the entire crew over issues with his past. "Aye, Captain," he replied quietly. "If you'll excuse me, I have other duties to see to at this time."

With that, Nathaniel left with no further word.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments until Jack cleared his throat and muttered, "Awkward."

"Oh shut up," Barbossa barked at him with a dramatic roll of his eyes before turning around and leaving, as well.

"Cap'n?" Gibbs called out, but Elizabeth stopped him.

"I think he needs a few minutes," she said quietly, unable to believe what had just happened. "Um…Jack, why don't you get some rum and tell us what you've been up to."

After Jack returned with bottles of rum, he sat down with Samuel, Rachel, Gibbs and her and began telling them his adventures over the last couple years, but Elizabeth found it difficult to concentrate on what he was saying. She was too worried about Barbossa.

Elizabeth tried to busy herself for the rest of the afternoon. She didn't know where Barbossa had gone, but she also didn't look for him. She knew he had to have been hurt – probably angry, too – and she knew how prideful he was; the last thing he needed was someone standing over his shoulder. She would give him whatever time he wanted.

After roaming the markets for a while, she had dinner with Gibbs, Samuel and Rachel before returning to her apartment. She was hoping Barbossa would be there, but he wasn't.

Eight came and went.

Nine passed.

At ten, Elizabeth started to get concerned, thinking maybe something had happened to him.

By eleven, she was pacing around their room.

At eleven forty-five, Barbossa stumbled in. It was obvious that he was drunk.

"I've been so worried," she said, rushing over to him. "Are you all right?"

"I am, what yeh could call, copacetic," he said with a grin. "Oh I was a might bit angry earlier, but after drinkin' enough rum for three Sparrow's worth, I am, what yeh could call, copacetic."

Elizabeth smirked at his repetitive words. When she watched him try to put his hat on the table, only to have it land on the floor, she knew he needed help.

"Allow me," she said, helping him out of his overcoat and working on his holsters next. "Did you eat anything today?"

"I had enough rum for three Sparrow's worth," was his answer.

Elizabeth smirked again as she sat him down on the bed to take his boots off.

"But did you have anything besides the rum?"

"Not that I be aware of," he said with a big smile.

Elizabeth helped him lie down and covered him with the blanket. He certainly wouldn't be 'copacetic' in the morning, but she couldn't do much about that. At least he made it back to their room, and she was thankful for that. She climbed in bed with him a few minutes later though it took her a while to fall asleep.

Not surprisingly, Elizabeth awoke before Barbossa the following morning. She cleaned up, dressed and headed across the street to the nearest bar.

After a quick breakfast, she took some bread, fruit and a blackjack full of coffee back to their room.

When she walked in, Barbossa was sitting on the edge of the bed holding his head in his hands.

"Morning," Elizabeth said quietly.

He responded with a groan.

"I've got bread, fruit and coffee for you. What do you want first?"

Another groan.

"Coffee it is then."

Elizabeth sat by him on the bed and handed him the leather tankard.

He took the blackjack from her, quickly sipping the black liquid from it.

"Thank yeh," he mumbled.

"Can I do anything else?"

"Make my son not hate me."

Elizabeth was not prepared for such honesty from him, and her heart clenched painfully.

"He's not had an easy time sounds like. I'm sure seeing you was a shock."

Barbossa sipped more coffee. "Aye. That makes two of us."

Elizabeth rubbed his back in what she hoped was a soothing manner. "Sam and Jack are ready to leave in the morning," she said, hoping he'd allow her to change the subject.

"That would probably be best," he agreed, sipping more coffee. "Bread please?"

"Of course." She quickly fetched the loaf and tore off a piece for him. "Here."

Barbossa took it, lifting his eyes to hers for the first time since she'd walked in.

"I know I not be good company at the moment," he said, still speaking quietly. "Yeh don't have to stay."

"You're right; I don't have to. I'm choosing to."

He studied her for a few moments longer before looking away to eat more bread and drink his coffee.

Hector and Samuel met up later after lunch.

"Hector, I swear to you I had absolutely no idea that Nathaniel was your son. I'm so sorry. I feel just awful. If I'd known - "

"It be all right, Sam," Barbossa reassured him. "No need to apologize. There be no way for yeh to know such things. It was a bit of a shock, but we've got a voyage to focus on; that's most important. Are we ready to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes we are; first thing."

"Excellent. I be ready for a bit of plunderin'."

"He's your father, Nate. You should talk to him."

As they sat on the dock with their legs hanging over the edge, Nathaniel looked at the pirate who had been by his side for three years. He'd met the dark haired, blue eyed man in Cuba in a small, dingy bar in the more questionable part of town just as he'd joined Jack's crew, and they'd hit it off immediately. Isaac was four years younger than Nathaniel and had been on his own since he was sixteen. His wealthy parents had planned for him to be a doctor, and when he'd refused, they'd given him an ultimatum. With no other choice, he left to go pirating and hadn't been back.

"Isaac, you know what I went through when I was younger. I've told you everything. He left us. He's a stranger to me."

"So is your mum, but you don't hate her."

Nathaniel sighed and shook his head. "No I don't. She suffered, too. She doesn't deserve hate."

"Then why does he?"

"Because he left us! He left us to fend for ourselves, and we couldn't!"

Isaac reached for Nathaniel's hand. "Even if he had been there, he couldn't have stopped the disease."

Nathaniel looked away and bit his lip, the warmth of the man's hand reaching his heart like little else could. He barely remembered his mother. There hadn't been any other women in his life, and he'd always hated that. When he'd left after she died, he stowed away on a pirate ship, though he hadn't known it at the time. The captain taught him about sailing and pirating, and when he turned fourteen, he taught him the physical ways of men. Nathaniel hadn't argued – he hadn't known any better – and the captain had always treated him well, so he had no reason to complain. When he was older, it had come in handy when he'd been desperate for coins.

"No, he couldn't have stopped the disease, but at least maybe I wouldn't have been alone. Or maybe I could have sailed with him or something. Maybe he had other family I could have stayed with."

"That's a lot of maybe's."

Nathaniel looked at Isaac pointedly. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Yours, of course. You know that. I just think you should talk to him. Perhaps if you knew more of what happened, it would help."

Nathaniel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know, Isaac," he said uncertainly.

The younger pirate squeezed Nathaniel's hand. "You may never see him again. Can you live with the questions? This is an opportunity that you never thought you'd have, Nate. Don't waste it."

Nathaniel shook his head as he gazed at Isaac. Many did not understand their relationship, but it mattered not to him. "I hate when you're right," he finally said with a small smile.

With a grin, Isaac said, "No, you hate admitting when I'm right."

Hello loves! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year!

Are you surprised with Jack and Nathaniel's entrance?

Thanks to Mrs. Marple Poirot, Bloodsired, LimeGreenSockFeet and RG111 for reviews for the last chapter. I'm thankful for every single one!

Slight change of subject - anyone a Supernatural fan? I just started watching a little last year, and I decided to go to one of their cons last month, and oh my goodness, what a blast!