All things considered, the photo was pretty well preserved. The corners were cranked and there were some dents carved on the paper here and there. A couple of smudges of unknown stuff, some dirt or moisture somewhere in time, or perhaps smudges from the weariness of time. One of the smudges almost looked like a mole on his chin, which was rather hilarious. He could already hear Cassie's remark.

He found he didn't care. It was well preserved for what was now nearly four decades (crap!) polaroid shot that he carried around for too long before he found a safe, immovable place to storage it. Until the next adventure forced him to move the photo again and relocate it - well, relocating himself and his small personal possessions. The very polaroid had a journey and adventures of its own.

Nate loved that photo.

"Hey, little brother, lost your way to the bathroom?" Sam's voice echoed from the corridor. Nate looked over his shoulder to reply, but Sam found him easily, sitting on the corner of his bed. The chaotic order of the division was a constant and Nate appreciated it. A reassurance of some sort he didn't really take time to pinpoint, but just knew it as 'home'. "Watcha found there? Don't tell me we're gonna make some cheesy and cringy scavaging on Cassie's baby photos. Cause I'm all up for it."

"Yeah, that and family all round up on Christmas table are our thing now, huh?" Nate chuckled. For some reason he'd always remember that chat with Sam on the ruins of Libertalia. Out of all the wonderful, terrifying and awestrucking things that particular adventure had left in memory, that chat was branded just as deep. It just felt unreal, but special, all that decay mixed with rebirth, nature taking over the place where those people had lived, Nate and Sam sitting on those ruins of a tavern where pirates had spilled drinks centuries prior.

Seemed like a lifetime ago, on some mystical lost place. Well, it was true, so yeah, the nostalgic cheesiness was actually accurate for once.

"Yeah, but it's August, Nathan. So what's up?"

Nate handed him the picture. Sam's eyes widened before the increasing wrinkles around his eyes framed them on a genuine, surprised smile.

"Oh man. This is awesome! You've kept it for all this time?"

"Yeah, hadn't I showed you before?"

"No. Man, look at us! I feel too old right now."

"I was thinking it's not that bumped up, all things considered."

"It's wonderful. It's awesome you've kept it, Nathan. Wow."

Out of all the treasures Sam had searched and found in the past years, he sure seemed like he was holding the best one of them.

"Man, I wish I had one of these when I was locked up."

"Your cellmate would've picked on you for not having a woman's photo, I'm guessing."

"You always were the most important person in my life, Nathan. And you'd be surprised how strong family bonds are in Panama. Lots of inmates held on to stuff from their little siblings."

Nate smiled, and after a moment he was chuckling. Sam raised his eyes to him.

"Look at us, old men getting all emotional over a photo."

"Ah, well... It was a pretty awesome night."

"Well, it did had that horrible side," Nate recalled. He never liked to recall the old lady, but he never forgot her.

"Of course. The old lady was the awful part of it. But what she gave us, what we built on that..." Sam raised the photo and turned it to Nate again. "Us, Nathan. That was the beginning of what led us here."

Sam smiled at the photo and handed it back to Nate. He was just about to make a typical remark on Sam's sudden sensibiliy, but his older brother spoke again.

"Fifteen years was a heavy price, but worth it. Never thought I'd say this. But I'm really proud and happy for us, Nathan. We've come a long way."

All cheesiness aside, Nate felt a pitch of pride as well and that he couldn't deny.

"We sure did."

"I'm happy you guys have told Cassie already. I knew she'd be thrilled to learn all about your adventures, and ours before that. Quite the legacy you've given her."

Indeed, Cassie was insaciable when it came to their adventures and stories, and was reaching the age where Sully could also add his more colorful details to his leisure - all those details that really were true, but hard to believe.

The nostalgic tone of the whole conversation made him add:

"You ever thought of your own legacy?"

Sam choked and let out a laugh.

"I'm very happy with an uncle's legacy, thanks very much." He clapped a hand against Nate's shoulder. "Bring that one, let's show it to Cassie."

"Yeah."

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the end

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Author's Note: There's something about the wearing of time and the memories preserved in photos, sharing them.

Thanks for reading, leave a review if you want to and please point out mistakes. I have a fic with the bros as kids, 'The Grand Age of 9'