IV
Unrest

Mary awoke in a dim room, in a slight panic. Where was she? Last thing she remembered was the beach and her target, dead in the sand. It took a moment for her to gain her bearings. She collapsed, probably from exhaustion. Next, she took a moment to figure out where she was exactly.

From the way the room was moving, in a gentle rocking motion, she knew she was on a ship. As her vision cleared, she realized she was lying on top of the blankets of what she had to guess was his bed in what had to be Edward's personal quarters. She was still fully clothed, from jacket to boots, and so she slipped off the bed and carefully made her way to the door, still a little disoriented. She made her way to the deck and when she came outside, the bright sunlight stung her sensitive eyes. It was much lower in the sky – nearly night actually. Still much too bright for her eyes at the moment though.

"Argh" She groaned, shielding her eyes with her arm, squinting to try and block the sunlight out. Someone glanced towards her and then stalked towards her. They were not of ill intent, or so she thought at least.

"That was quite the trickery you pulled" It was Ade, he didn't touch her but stood a few feet from her sounding sour. "Leaving the ship when the Captain told you to say and then collapsing on him." She couldn't blame him for being annoyed with her. She was annoyed at herself for collapsing. "Are you well enough to be moving about now, Master Kidd?"

"I think. Where is Kenway?"

"Scrounging what he can off that man's ship" Ade told her. He led her down to the lower deck and to the kitchen. There was a bowl of warm soup waiting for her and a hunk of bread. "He had orders for you to eat when you woke, then you can meet him down on the beach."

She sat down at the table and grudgingly began to eat, but oh did it feel good to have something in her stomach again! She was usually very good about making sure she got proper rest and taking care of herself but with everything that had happened…She just hadn't had time. She just had kind of pushed it all to the side and it had been a wonder she hadn't collapsed earlier. She ate the soup and the bread and then drank some water before returning to the deck where Ade was still overseeing repairs. It looked like they were about finished though.

"Ade, how long was I out?"

"Only two or three hours" He answered. "I should really make you go back to sleep. I think the Captain thought you'd be out for the rest of the night" He let out a small chuckle.

"And I'm meeting him on the beach?"

"They beached the ship and rooted out the rest of its guards. Some joined us, others wouldn't lay down their arms" He explained to her. It was the way it was. Those who wouldn't lay down their arms surely were killed and their bodies would be floating in the shallows.

"Thank you Ade, I'll go meet up with him now" He had someone take her by rowboat to shore. She had to roll her eyes a little at that. She could have swum to shore but it was nice, since her clothes were dry, that they would stay dry. Wet clothes were bothersome after all.

She walked along, noting that while her knee still hurt it wasn't as bad. Perhaps rest was all she had needed. Even if it was only a few hours…though she supposed the food had helped a lot as well. She walked along, keeping an eye on her surroundings. She was a little groggy yet so that didn't really help and every once in a while she'd find she was stumbling like a drunk again. She'd find her footing and be okay but she'd have to remember to take better care of herself. She found her way to the other shore though and saw Edward's men organizing the loot they found on the ship.

"Oi! Kidd!" Edward called from up on the ship. She looked at him and he grinned down at her, proud as a well pruned bird. He carefully climbed down and walked out to meet her. "You okay?"

"Jaysus, Edward, I'm fine" She huffed. It wasn't like she had been stabbed or shot or hurt in any way.

"You sure?" He asked, giving her a look. She glared at him. He laughed. "I suppose you must be if you can give me one of your bitter looks"

"I need to ask you a favor." She started and he gave her a look; it was a mixture of suspicion and wariness. "I want to go straight back to Tulum. Can you take me there?"

"What of your crew you left in Kingston?"

"They'll come looking for me eventually. For now, it's better if I go ahead. The documents I found are important." Edward rolled his eyes at that and walked closer to her, pacing around her.

"Important to your Assassins?" he asked, and there was a bitter note in his voice. A note of annoyance, like he was tired of hearing of her cause.

"It's what I am, Edward. I am an Assassin. I kill people. People die because of me."

"How often do you kill people Mary?" He leaned close and hissed her name so no one else would hear, though they were quite a few feet from his busy crew members and none seemed to be giving them mind.

"What does it matter to you, Edward? What does what I do with my life matter to you?" She growled back. She didn't turn to face him as he wandered around to her back. He was close enough to her that his shoulder brushed against her back but she didn't react. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"It matters when you think you can order me around because of it. I'm not a damn dog, and I won't be treated like one" He was facing her again and he stared down into her brown eyes with his impassioned blue ones. Something about them ticked at the back of her mind, it bothered her and she had to fight not to throw her eyes downward. He'd see that as her giving in and giving up. She wouldn't show weakness in front of any man, not again.

"I asked for a favor, from a friend. I ain't ordering you around. Are you going to help me or not?"

"What if I don't want to help you?"

"Then take me back to Kingston and I'll sail to Tulum my damn self!" She snapped at him. He leaned closer to her face and she stumbled back from the proximity. He gave her a questioning look but she narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to help me or not Edward?"

"As long as you don't forget about our bet"

"Oh you can shove your bet up your arse!" With that, her temper flaring, she turned away. James Kidd had a bad temper – everyone knew that. That temper was no act; Mary Read was not one to be trifled with. She had flayed men who had brought her temper to face before and she had to resist the urge to do so to Edward. He was her friend – he was a pain in the ass and he really needed to wake up from his little fantasy but he she wasn't going to kill him. Not with all the trouble she went through to make sure he didn't get killed.

She hadn't gotten far before he caught up to her. Her knee was aching again and she was limping slightly. He reached out to grab her shoulder and she spun, quicker than he expected and hit him in the shoulder with her open palm. He stumbled back and landed on his ass in the sand. It had been more surprise that knocked him down than her strength. He seemed a little shock that she had fought back against him and he seemed more surprised to find himself on his ass in the sand.

"What the hell do you want, Edward?"

"You're a fiery little thing aren't you?" His tone was amused and that just pissed her off more. "I knew red would look good on you. It'd go well with your temper. We'll have to make sure your britches match." She just glared at him a long moment. She didn't say anything, she just glared at him. He probably felt the heat of her glare roasting him alive because he spoke again after only a minute or two "You know…" He chuckled, almost nervously, as if sensing he was pushing her temper a little too far "If you kill me, I can't sail you to Tulum"

She said nothing and he climbed back to his feet and began to walk towards her. She backed up but he kept moving forward until he had backed her against a rock facing. He stopped when they were nearly chest to chest and she pressed back against the rocks, not liking how he invaded her personal space. He lifted his hand and she flinched away. It wasn't that she was scared of him; it was that she didn't want him to touch her. Her flinch was also her preparing to cut his hand off if he kept on his continued course. He sighed and took a step back.

"I ain't gonna hurt you. Even if I did intend to, no doubt you could kill be before I caused any real damage" She didn't reply to his words.

He wouldn't understand if she did. Truth was, she wasn't used to contact. She had avoided it for years now. She had two good reasons – well they were good to her but she had doubt that Edward would see them for anything but foolish. She looked away from him, a distant look in her eyes. Her thoughts always seemed to circle and they always ended right back…well they always ended right back with him. This was no different. She almost thought she could hear him sighing and she could almost see him shaking his head at her – at how ridiculous she had become.

"Mary…I wasn't gonna hurt you" It was Edward speaking again. Had she not replied yet? Was that making him nervous? He probably thought she was still mad. She let out a soft chuckle, but there was no humor in it.

"I know, Edward."

"Then why didn't you say that right away?"

"It don't matter" She shook her head, chasing away the ghosts in her head. "Are you taking me to Tulum or to Kingston?"

"I'll take you to Tulum. I have business up past it anyway." He shrugged his shoulders, his tone indicating that it might have been his plan to go past the Assassin's stronghold anyway.

"They might be under attack when we get there…" She let the rest of the sentence hang.

"Aye, I know" He didn't press on. She wondered what he would do. Would he just drop her off and wish her luck? Would he help? It was always so hard to tell with Edward. She sighed and started back towards his ship. "Where are you going?"

"To sleep some more"

"Ah, you gave me quite a scare when you fainted on me. You're lucky I caught you, else you would have bashed your head open" He was following her, a few steps behind her. It was strange, she had been so furious with him just a few minutes ago but all of that drained out of her. She didn't have the energy to be mad she supposed. Not with thoughts as dark as hers were, not when the past wouldn't leave her alone.

"Well I should thank you then" She glanced back at him. He grinned at her and hurried the few steps to catch up to her.

"I know one way to thank me, Mary" He gave her a grin. This one she knew, she had seen men give it to the whores on the docks, thinking they were slick. She rolled her eyes and snorted.

"You can go to hell, Kenway" He laughed.

"Maybe someday, then, Read."

"I think I'd lay with the nastiest jack-tar you can find first" She huffed stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"Come now, I'm not that bad am I?" He asked, still grinning. Not in that way anymore, just two friends making jabs at each other. She didn't answer him, just smiled. They came to the shore and saw there was a boat with one of Edward's men waiting for them.

"Ahoy, Captain!" The man called. "We got the ship all ready to go. Once you bring all the loot over, we'll load 'er up and we're ready to go"

"We'll stay in the bay tonight. Tomorrow we set sail for Tulum." He clasped her on the back. "Can you take Master Kidd back to the Jack? I'm returning to help the lads drag it from that beach to this one."

"Aye, aye" The man nodded and Mary climbed into the boat.

"You can stay in my quarters, Jim. I won't be returning anytime soon anyway" He began to walk away and Mary watched him. He disappeared into the foliage again and the boat bobbed as the man pushed them across the gentle waves with the oars.

She was taken back onto the ship and found her way back to Edward's private quarters again. The door had a lock on it and she sorely hoped Edward had the key because she turned the lock. She didn't need anyone barging in with her in here. She took her hair down and shook it out. It felt good to be able to take her hair down. She stripped off the corset under her shirt next. She threw it aside and worked on getting her boots off next. When they were lay on the ground she threw off her coat and lay on the bed.

She sighed to herself as she lay there. She should wait for Edward to come back, after all, she didn't know if he actually did or didn't have a key. She was so tired though and the bed was comfortable…She fell asleep without even trying to, forgetting all about Edward and her locking the door.

Her dreams were always scrambled. There were always images she understood but tried not to. A child slightly older than her, gazing down at her with cruel brown eyes. A doll, her beloved doll that her mother made her. A ripping sound and the sound of someone falling down the stairs. Heels clicking against the floor. She saw what happened, she saw it all. Brown eyes full of worry.

Blue eyes gazing at her, glaring her down. "Not much of a lad" Not much? She'd show him. The battle with smoke and sulfur heavy in the air. She coughed and coughed. She was gagging because her lungs her. Her stomach hurt. "Not much of a fighter either". She'd show him. She would.

The storm. The bodies. The blood. She was scared. She had never been in a situation like that. No! She was falling off the ship! She was going to die! Blue eyes gazing down at her, full of worry. "I got you!" How thankful she had been. She bent at the waist, resting her palms on her knees. She had thought she would never stand on board again but here she was…blue eyes rolling at her inexperience…

"What the hell?" She had turned. Blue eyes staring wide at her body. Her body. Not his, hers. Her body - bloody and bruised from battle. They stared at each other, blue eyes into brown. What the hell indeed…

Blue eyes so filled with joy. A smile on his face. A smile on hers. It was such a simple day, but she was so happy. She had never been happy. Those blue eyes had never been filled with more joy. Her heart had never been filled with more joy. She was practically shinning with pride and happiness. "Thank you…"

Mary jolted awake, tears in her eyes. "Did I wake you?" That wasn't his voice…

Suddenly Mary realized where she was. Of course, The Jackdaw. She had been resting in Edward's quarters. She wasn't…No she hadn't been in that place for a very long time. She sat up; hoping the tears that she blinked back weren't obvious. The room was dim though, so she doubted it.

"Yeah…I…" She rubbed at her eye, trying to get rid of the tears, hoping it just looked like she was sleepy. "I can sleep on that chair if you want your bed"

"Actually I was just going to move you over. No problem with sharing the bed with a woman" She gave him a look. He laughed gently. She was tired though and she just kept looking at him until he sighed. "I'll stay on my own side; promise. Do you really want to get up and walk over to the chair?"

She turned her eyes to the chair in question. It was all the way over on the other side of the room and she was still so tired. As long as Edward kept to his own side it wouldn't be so bad. Much like sleeping alone she supposed. She curled up on one side of the bed, taking one his many pillows for her own.

"I'm guessing that's a yes." He laughed and she could hear the rustle of clothes. As long as he wasn't stripped down to his skivvies or anything, she didn't care. She didn't turn to look however. She felt the bed dip under his weight and she felt it as he lay down. He didn't cover himself up so she hoped that meant he was still clothed.

They didn't speak and soon enough she was sure he was asleep. She lay awake listening to their collective breathing. She was exhausted but her mind was racing, thinking of the dream she had become so familiar with. She closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep. Soon she fell back into an uneasy sleep, dreaming only of blue eyes and the many emotions she had witnessed in them.

A/N; Thank you all for the splendid reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you seemed to enjoy the last.