A/N ~ A brief exploration on what might take place once Madi and Silver see each other aboard Rogers' ship. Hope you enjoy.

No Beta, so forgive any grammar mistakes.

I do not own Black Sails or any of its characters.

"I want to see her."

Silver's words came out almost like a command, with no hint of doubt that they would not be obeyed. Rogers glanced between him and Billy, but the look in Silver's eyes told him that he would not leave the ship until he got what he wanted.

He gave Silver a quick nod, and the men that had surrounded them suddenly parted and allowed him further into the ship's deck. Instead of asking one of his men to escort Silver below deck, Rogers led the way himself while Silver followed close behind.

Silver was quiet as they descended the stairs, his thoughts travelling in a thousand different directions. He wondered how she was doing, not just physically but emotionally, mentally. She'd lived a mostly sheltered life with her mother and her people on Maroon Island. She'd been present when they'd attacked the Redcoats and Berringer in the square. She'd been with Flint and Billy on the Underhill Plantation as well, but seeing her friend and bodyguard murdered right before her eyes must have come as an awful shock.

He did his best to mask the quiet rage building inside him, rage that was directed not only at Flint, but at Rogers and Billy as well. Though he could barely contain the feelings of excited anticipation of finally seeing her, he couldn't help thinking that if the numbers and balance of power were on his side right now, he would snap Rogers' neck in half for holding her captive. He wanted to knock the smug look off his face. He was behaving and acting as if he had already won.

"I assure you, Mr. Silver," Rogers said. "She has remained unharmed while she's been here."

His steps came to a halt as they finally arrived at the door of the room Madi was being held, and Rogers paused to look at Silver while he fished a ring of keys out of his pocket.

"For your sake and for Billy's, you had better not be lying to me."

"I am a reasonable man, Mr. Silver," Rogers said as he unlocked the door. "As long as you hold up your end of our agreement, you have my word that she will remain unharmed."

The door swung open, and Silver's eyes scanned the room quickly in search of her. Madi stood to the far end of the room, dressed in prison garb with chains around her wrists. She locked eyes with him as soon as he entered and breathed a small sigh of relief. He cringed inwardly, thinking she must believe he was here to take her home. The days and nights here must have been frightening, and he didn't know how he was going to tell her that he had to leave her behind.

He squinted as he moved closer, and his eyes rested on the discoloured bruise at Madi's left temple. "I thought you said that no harm had come to her." He turned back to Rogers who had remained at the door; the rage he felt was threatening to bubble over the surface.

"She has not been harmed while in our care. She is as we found her."

"Get the chains off of her," he said, turning back to Madi. "Now."

He was unarmed and alone, and not in a position to give orders, but he'd be damned if he would let them keep her shackled like this. Rogers hesitated for a moment, but then did as Silver asked. The chains dropped to the floor with a thud, and Madi massaged her wrists.

"You can have a few moments alone with her," Rogers said, as he moved towards the door. "I'll be just outside."

The door closed behind Rogers, and Silver turned around.

"Madi."

His voice cracked as he said her name, and she ran to him, holding onto him for dear life. The strength she'd shown while Rogers was there disappeared as he held her. She fisted her hands into his coat and burrowed her face into his shoulder. He hugged her back, relief flooding him all over. God, how he had missed her.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry," he repeated.

He said it over and over again, agonizing about how he hadn't been able to protect her from this. If he hadn't sent her to meet Flint and Eleanor, she would never have been captured in the first place.

He cupped her cheek and slid his thumb under her chin, coaxing her to look up at him. He captured her mouth in a soft, heated kiss, wanting to soothe some of the fear he saw behind her eyes. But he kissed her because it had felt like a part of him had been missing since the moment he first thought that she was dead. Holding her now comforted him in a way he couldn't describe. Feeling her lips against his calmed him and gave him the strength and peace that he hadn't known since the governor had taken her. Seconds felt like eternity when her tongue slid into his mouth and when her fingers threaded lightly through his hair. He groaned inwardly, slipped his hand behind her neck and kissed her deeply until they were both nearly out of breath. Their lips finally parted and he rested his forehead against hers, unable to move even an inch.

"Are you alright?" he asked when their lips finally parted. He swallowed and took a step back to get a better look at her.

She shook her head as tears began to pool in her eyes. "They killed Kofi."

"I know," he said. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"He was like a brother to me. He protected me, cared for me. I wasn't able to say goodbye to him or thank him for everything that he did. He has been denied a proper burial. His family cannot even make an offering for him."

She looked up at him, and he wiped at the tears that slid down her cheek. If he could have spared her this pain, he would. It tore at him to see her this way. Despite her curious nature, he wished that she could have retained her ignorance of life's cruel and ugly realities.

"I'm going to get you out of here," he promised.

"We're not leaving now?"

"No, but we will soon." He saw the disappointment in her eyes, followed by resignation, almost as if she didn't believe he could get her out. "We're going to surrender the cache to Rogers, and he's going to let you go."

"We? Flint has agreed to this as well?"

Madi looked up at him while hope and practicality were at war with each other inside her head. She wanted nothing more than to walk off this ship holding his hand, but she wondered if it would even be possible. Flint might have agreed to give up the cache for control of Nassau, but deep down she doubted he would be willing to trade it for her life.

"He's taken the cache, brought it ashore, but he cannot get far. We will find him."

"John -"

"I am going to get you out of here. I will do everything in my power to get you out of here. Do you understand that? I am not going to lose you."

Madi knew he believed it. She wanted to believe it, too. But her fears about Flint and his blinding need to settle a score with England were coming true. He would do everything to reach that end, including letting her die.

He said that he would come back for her, but she feared this would be the last time they would see each other.

"I need to tell you something," she said softly and put a hand to his cheek. "I love you. You are more than a pirate king. You are more than the legend that is destined to follow you. You're a good man, a kind man, and I am grateful for the time we had together."

"No." Silver shook his head. "This is not goodbye. Do not speak like it is."

"You don't know that it's not, so let me tell you these things while we still have time."

"Don't tell me you love me like this. Not like this." Denial filled his eyes, she could see it plainly. His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her close enough so their foreheads touched. His lips grazed her cheek, and for a moment, she pretended they weren't here. They were back on Maroon Island in her bed, and she was lying in his arms.

"Listen to me," she said, quietly. "Back in Nassau, you asked me if the war went away, if we had to walk away from all of it..."

"Yes."

"You asked me if you would be enough for me. I didn't answer you then because there was so much to think about - my mother, my people and my duty to them. But you are enough, John. You would be enough for me."

"Madi -"

She pressed her lips to his and kissed him for what she thought was the last time. His mouth was soft, tender, and inviting. She put her arms around him in an attempt to be closer to him. When her fingers moved through his hair, she felt the hand at the back of her neck pulling her in. She opened her mouth underneath his and savored the taste of his tongue against hers. She moaned as he kissed her deeper. Moaned as he nipped at her lips, then kissed her cheeks, her forehead, and then her lips once more.

"I love you, Madi," he groaned as he pulled her to his chest. "I know you believe that this is goodbye, but it's not. I will come back for you."

Silver looked at the door when an abrupt knock sounded and it began to open. He reluctantly let Madi go, and they both turned to governor as he walked in.

"Time's up, Mr. Silver. I think that was more than enough to ascertain her well-being."

Madi held her head high under the scrutiny of Roger's gaze. The look of regality had returned, and Silver swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

"We'll see each other soon," he said to her. She simply nodded, her expression softening as she looked at him.

He tore his eyes away from her and followed Rogers outside. "She bears no threat to you or your men while she's here. Anyone who might have aided her in an escape has already been killed. It would be unnecessary to put her in chains again."

"Very well," Rogers said after a few moments. "You know when Billy first came to me and said he had a way to drive a wedge between you and Captain Flint, I didn't believe him. But seeing you and the Maroon woman together has confirmed that he was in fact telling the truth."

Silver stared at the man, tightening his grip on his cane so firmly he was sure his knuckles were white.

"I believe you would move heaven and earth to get her back, but I only need that cache."

Silver approached the rail of the ship and prepared to get back into the launch. He had little time to find Captain Flint and retrieve the cache, and he couldn't afford to waste any of it.

"I will see you soon, Madi," he mumbled as he got into the boat. "I promise you that."