The big finale part 2: Alliances made along with promises

"Why aren't you staying at the captain's room tonight?" Tommy asked while a small frown adorned his face and his hands were crossed in front of his chest. It was one of those moments that he looked more than a young adult than a teenage boy.

"Damn" Eva thought. She probably should start calling him Thomas soon instead of Tommy. He had grown up and had changed so much since the first time she had seen him.

"Did you fight?" he tried to press the subject.

"No, Tommy we didn't fight. It's just that the captain has a lot to think tonight and it's better to do that alone."

"But, you could help him with every problem that's bothering him."

"Not when I am the problem and why are you so repulsive to the idea of me sleeping to my bed? When you were younger you didn't mind at all when we shared the same room."

"Exactly Eva, when I was younger. Now I am sixteen years old. Nightmares don't scare me anymore and what do you mean by saying that you are the problem?"

"Fourteen Tommy, you are fourteen. You didn't seriously believe that I haven't known all along the fact that you have been hiding two years."

"Don't change the subject. Why are you the reason the captain had a lot to think about?"

She left a small sigh and sat on her bed, her old bed. For almost a year she had been spending her nights at Edward's room, so Tommy had declared her cabin as his.

She hopped that the boy hadn't gotten used to the idea of having his own bedroom, because a little mean voice inside her head kept telling her that she wouldn't share a night with her lover again and she had started to believe it.

She never wanted to share those things with him, but the whole situation hadn't leaved her any other choice. Had it been up to her Edward would have never found out about her past.

Or would he? She had promised to tell him anyway everything before the lion's appearance in the scene.

Still the questions remained.

"What would he think of me now?"

"Will he be upset, angry or even disgust?"

"With them or with me?"

And those questions were only a small part of her problems. The fact that the lions were here meant that she was as good as dead. By staying here she also put everyone else's life in danger.

She looked at Tommy and then her thought lead her to a mental picture of the rest of the crew. She would never forgive herself if something happened to them because of this whole former master wanted her dead and those men, his men, would do anything to fulfill his wish. It was up to Edward now. He could either send her away or keep her and fight for her.

She started fixing the boys messed hair with her right hand.

"It's nothing you should worry yourself with little one." She said finally.

"I am not little anymore." He protested.

"You are to me. Now help me clean the bed, because this is where we are both sleeping tonight."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She hadn't said a word after she was done with her story. She just got up and walked out of his room.

He didn't stop her and he didn't want to either.

They both knew that he would need some time alone so as to comprehend everything she had told him.

He had been stack at the same spot she had left him for what seemed like hours. At first sock and raw anger had stopped him from thinking properly. However, things became much clearer when those feeling embed away and were replaces by pure determination.

After that it was easy to make his choice.

He quickly got up, put on his boots, took is weapons and headed out of his cabin. When he reached the tavern the sun has already set and the only color that covered the sky was the indigo of the twilight.

He used that to his advantage. No one saw him get inside and no one would later see him get out the building.

It was easy to find Blackbeard. He only had to look for the table with the most room and the most whores. When he made eye contact with him Edward told him with a move of his head to meet him at one of the empty room upstairs.

Edward got there first.

Thatch entered only a minute later.

"I never like it when you are being so secretive. It always means that you are in serious trouble."

"You never miss anything, do you?"

"I am afraid so. Now out with it. What's going on?"

"I know what the lions want."

"So you figured it out. And why not call the others here so as to hear that as well?"

"Because Thatch, no matter how stupid that may sound, you are the only man in this country that I can trust" He paused and looked around the room as if to make sure that they were really alone. "I have to make sure that every word we say won't reach anyone else's ears." Edward's tone didn't leave any more doubts. Something was really wrong.

"I see." He said with an even more serious voice.

The blond let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding and let the words leave his mouth.

"It's Eva. They want to take the Siren from us."

Blackbeard at first looked confused.

"Why? For the bounty? She is a good pirate, but I don't think that her head worths more than mine or yours."

Edward eyed the two chairs that stood next to them.

"You'd better sit. It's a long story and not a nice one. Trust me."

Against his better judgment he told the other pirate everything that Eva had decided to share with him only hours ago. It took a while and when he was done Edward had the privilege t be the only man who ever saw the great Blackbeard at the state of utter sock. Had the situation been any different he would have laughed (a lot) with the other captain's expression.

"That's…"

"Unexpected"

"Yes, quite. What are you going to do mate? Protect your woman or your own neck?"

"I think you already know the answer and that's why I am here. Only when I am dead will I let those bastards raise a hand on her. However, I don't know anything about them and how or if I can defeat them in a battle. I need your help."

Blackbeard at first seemed skeptical but a moment later his posture relaxed and he left a deep chuckle.

"What the hell! That woman is the best thing that has ever happened to us. I'm not going to let those Turkish bootlickers to take our biggest treasure. I am in at whatever it is you are planning mate."

Two hours before midnight Tommy was awoken by a hand that was gently shaking his shoulder. When he opened his eyes he wasn't a bit surprised to come face to face with the captain.

"Thomas listen and listen carefully." Edward said in a low whisper that was however as serious as commanding. "You are going to get up now as quietly as you can and you are going to spend the rest of the night at my room. Am I clear?"

"Crystal sir" the boy said and followed his orders by the letter. Few seconds later he was out of sight.

Slowly Edward put of his boots, armor and robes and crawled into the bed.

"What are you doing?" Eva asked surprised as she turned around to face him.

The only thing he could think that moment was "Damn".

In the end he gave her his infamous smirk.

"I was trying to get to sleep without waking you up, but I am afraid that I have failed miserably."

He sounded so casual that for a moment Eva considered the possibility that every word which had been exchanged between them since that morning had been only a bad dream. A long minute had passed before she spoke.

"Don't worry I wasn't asleep at the first place. What I meant was why have you come here?"

"I knew you wouldn't come to my bed tonight so I came to yours."

He lay next to her and started caressing her hair with his free hand.

"My beautiful Siren, did you really think that I would be able to spend a single night without you on my side like every other time?"

"What does that mean?" She knew that the despair was evident in her voice and she didn't care. She wanted… no needed to hear the words he was about to say.

"I t means that you are staying here no matter what. Here on my side like you've always been even when I didn't know it myself. Because tonight I give you my word, the promise of a pirate with a new-found honor, that as long as I breath they won't take you from us, that she will pay for everything and so will the rest of them."

The moment he was done with that small speech of his he found her hands wrapped tightly around his body. He hugged her back when he felt something wet his neck.

"I thought that I had no more tears to shed, that I had wasted them all while I mourned for my son's death, but those are tears of joy and utter relief. I just want you. Nothing else." She said between soft sobs.

"And you have me. The revenge is just a bonus of our relationship, because I swear to God we are going to make those bastards regret the moment they set foot on our grounds."

She let a small laugh while she turned her head to face him and he knew that his job was done for tonight.

She was ok and so was he… for now.