London, March 1st, 1721
A short gust of wind blows a stray lock of hair in front of Mary's face, perhaps it was her Charles paying a visit. She pulls the strand behind her ear with a pained smile, it was only a thought as nice as it was. She places an arrangement of flowers on the two graves in front of her, they had cost her a small fortune but nothing was too expensive for them. As she brushes a timid hand against the overgrown stone she can't help the sinking feeling in her gut, Nearly ten years and I've just now made my first visit.
She runs a shaky hand over the rough surface and begins to clear the weeds away from her beloved's resting place. "I'm so sorry, I should have hired someone to keep you two presentable." She hears Edward's heavy footfalls approaching and quickly brushes her tears away. He stops a few feet behind her and she turns her head to give him a crooked smile. The empathetic look on his face brings fresh tears to her eyes, her head droops as she begins to weep.
He places a hand to her head, combing his fingers through her hair as Sophia rest against his shoulder. "Are you alright Mary?" She shakes her head, hooking her arms around his neck and listens to the steady beat of his heart. She smiles when Sophia's small hands tangle in her hair, she pulls Sophia from his arms then kneels in front of the stone. She places her hand over the name scrawled across, "Sophia, I'd like you to meet your brother."
Edward bites his lip and kneels down next to her, placing his hand over her own. "This is a lovely stone, Mary, in such a beautiful location." He swings his arm out, gesturing around the two. Having only been March the trees hadn't bloomed yet, but he could only imagine what I'd look like when they did. He watches as the faintest smile graces her lips as she begins, "Aye, I'd spent the last of my funds for them to have a plot alone." She stands, reaching her hand out to help him up, "Come on, I'm ready to go home."
"Mary! Mary, you aren't going to leave without saying goodbye are you?" She turns her head to the side watching as her mother hurries to the Jackdaw. Mary exchanges a few words with a couple deckhands and hurries off the ship to pull her mother into a tight embrace. Elizabeth backs away and gives her a sad look, "Are you sure you don't want to stay here in London?" Mary bites her lip, "Mother-" Elizabeth lift her hand, "I already know Mary. I can only imagine what you've been through. Can I hold her for a bit?" She gestures towards Sophia.
Mary frowns, Sophia had taken a liking to Elizabeth, was she being selfish not returning to London? Sophia would probably be better off here, she could get a good education here and she deserves to have a relationship with her grandmother. Mary's heart thunders loudly in her chest, "I just can't Mother..." Elizabeth smiles and clasps gently onto her shoulder, "As you wish Mary. But please know that you are always welcome home."
Mary feels her heart break and she swallows the lump in her throat. "Thank you mother." The silence that blankets over the two of them is deafening and even Sophia's happily babbling wasn't enough. It's not until Elizabeth bends down to whisper to her granddaughter that Mary decides- "You could always come with us." The words leave her lips before Mary can stop herself, Elizabeth looks up with eyes wide. She looks away, knowing her mother would say something she just didn't have the heart to hear.
Mary's life just seemed too perfect at the moment; Sophia was healthy, Edward was successful in his latest mission, most of all Mary reconnected with her mother. She'd been leery at first with having another child, but perhaps this would be a fitting end to her career. She couldn't help but to grin at the thought of their small family becoming larger so soon. It can't be that bad having two children so close in age. Elizabeth replies and it's certainly not what she expected.
"Alright Mary, I'll go with you."
At sea, March 15th, 1721
Mary woke that morning without her usual sickness that greeted her and tried to shrug it off. I must be nearing the end of that phase, Though I think it's a bit early comparing to Sophia. She glances around the dark room, what had woken her up? She sighs, deciding to get out of bed to check on Sophia. She places one foot on the cold floor and tumbles straight to the the ground in pain. She grips tightly to her abdomen and releases a loud groan.
Edward shifts in the bed and bites her lip to quiet the noise. Another wave of pain hits her hard and she doubles over, resting her forehead against the cool surface of the the floor. She hears his words but they sound as though they are coming through a fog. "Mary, what's wrong?" She feels herself being picked up and being placed gently on the bed. She rolls over, clutching herself tightly into a ball, the only thing she can let out is a pained whimper, "Edward, it hurts..."
At sea, March 16th, 1721
Elizabeth sits in the cabin with Mary for hours, begging to let her clean up but Mary simply rolls over. She runs her fingers through her daughter's sweaty hair, this wasn't supposed to happen. Mary had already lost one child, she shouldn't have lost another, It just wasn't fair. All she'd ever wanted was to see her child well and thriving, not this, "Mary I will be back, we need to get you cleaned up." She leaves the room reluctantly after receiving no response.
She's greeted immediately by Edward, "How is she?" Elizabeth shakes her head sadly, "Not good, we need to get her washed up or she will become ill. Do you have soap and freshwater?" Edward shakes his head, "We have soap aye, but not much fresh water. Can you just use the seawater?" Elizabeth bites her tongue. She shouldn't be angry at him; it's not his fault. "No, the salt will irritate her skin, we need to stop somewhere or she may die." Edward's eyes widen and he darts to the helm and barks orders to his crew. Elizabeth returns to her daughter's bedside once more.
They were much further west than he expected, he soon found himself near a familiar cove on the coast of Cuba. The very same cove where he acquired his robes, Cape Bonavista. He recalled a secluded cave near the back of the island and knew it would give Mary the privacy she deserves. He maneuvered the ship through the narrow canals and eventually anchored a few feet from shore. His crew prepared the rowboat as he made his way to the cabin.
He pulled open the door allowing a stream of bright sunlight to enter the room, he took in a sharp breath at Mary's trembling form on the bed, the curtains covering the windows reminding him of the painful time shortly after Sophia's birth. He brushes a hand through Mary's hair, "Mary we've made a short stop to get you cleaned up." She bats his hand away and croaks, "Don't you dare touch him, he's staying with me."
He rests his hand against her shoulder., glancing at Elizabeth, "Mary, you will develop a fever soon-" She cuts her off with a sob, "I don't care, let it take me." Elizabeth frowns, "You don't mean that." Mary turns over, giving her mother a stone cold look, "Aye, Elizabeth, I do."
Elizabeth leans back and furrows her brow, "Mary, I will not take no for an answer, you need to get out of this bed now. You may have lost your child but you still have Sophia. Do you want her to grow up without her mother?" Mary covers her face with her arms, shaking the bed with her sobbing, "Just leave me!" Edward stands, pulling Elizabeth up with him. She glares at him, how could he simply give up on Mary?
He hoists her up and she wraps her arms around his neck, she buries her face in his chest coating the front of his robes in salty tears and sobs loudly, "I'm so sorry Edward, I'm so sorry for losing our child." He rests his cheek against the top of her head, "It's alright Mary, it's not your fault. Can we get you washed up now?" She nods, clutching tightly to his robes and he begins walking towards the open door.
The three make their way out, all deck hands remain silent. The many who wore hats had them down and across their chest as their Captain makes his way to the boat waiting to take them to shore. He places Mary gently inside the craft then turns to help Elizabeth in, the boat is lower to the sea and he begins paddling them silently to shore. Elizabeth cradles Mary, holding her tightly and she shakes. Edward's face contorts to one of anger, cursing the gods for putting Mary through so much pain. The boat hits the shore and they climb out, both grab an arm, helping Mary to the back of the beach.
Elizabeth gasps, the cave was beautiful with crystal clear water you could see straight through. "How did you know of this?" Edward smiles at the memory, he was such an arse back then. "I'd met a portly merchant a few years past. I'd been searching for gold and rather than help him." They sit Mary down at the edge of the water.
She looks down at her rough appearance and promptly slaps the water warping the image. Elizabeth kneels in front of Mary and begins to untie her trousers, Mary grips her hands, "Please don't take him." Elizabeth places a hand to her cheek, brushing her thumb gently across, "He's already gone Mary, please, we must do this." Her grip loosens and she falls back as she feels her pants leave her hips.
Elizabeth makes quick work of cleaning up, Mary kept her face hidden afraid to see what had been lying below. She'd missed it when Elizabeth placed the tiny child in a piece of cloth. She'd also missed it when Edward left to secure the child in the boat. Mary eventually moved her hands away when her mother finished cleaning her up. Edward made his way back and helped Mary into a sitting position, holding her tightly from behind. He places a kiss to her cheek and the three sit in mournful silence.
At sea, March 17th, 1721
Elizabeth rocked Sophia gently standing next to Edward at the helm. The entire Jackdaw had been grieving and the crew hadn't sung in days. They simply sailed, hoping to reach their destination quickly. Eventually Edward breaks the silence and asks his first mate to steer the ship for a bit. Elizabeth watches on as he shuffles down the steps, wavering at the door for a minute before slipping into the dark room.
"Mary?" He calls softly. He squints into the darkness, barely making out her still form. He shuffles towards the bed, tripping over a heavy crate in the process, "Shite!" He curses to himself, she turns to face him and asks weakly, "Edward can't you leave me to wallow? What do you want?" When he makes it the to the bed and sits down next to her he places hand against her head. "Mary I don't think it's good for you to be in here alone." She slaps his hand away and turns away from him, "I'm doing just fine in here Kenway, leave me."
He lies down next to her, swinging an arm over and pulling her to his chest. They sit like that for a while, Mary's shoulders shaking every now and again as a sob wracked through her body. He nuzzles his face into her hair unsure on how to go about comforting her. She turns towards him, pressing her face tight against his chest. His shirt is soon soaked in her tears, he runs a hand through her hair and she finally chokes out, "I think I may be cursed Edward."
He pulls away from her, gazing into her puffy red eyes, "What makes you say that?" She wraps her arms around his neck, wiping her tears against his cheek, "I'm an unfit mother and an unfit wife. I wasn't married a year before I lost my husband and now I've lost two of my children." Edward remains silent, pondering, "You're a wonderful mother Mary, perhaps it was too soon for you to carry properly." She begins crying again leaving Edward powerless, he just holds her hand as she drifts off to sleep.
At sea, March 25th, 1721
She left the room that morning before the sun was even up, the Jackdaw was anchored near a small island and Mary knew today would be a better day. The bobbing and swaying comforted her instead of sickening her for the first time in nearly a month. She sighs quietly to herself as she watches the sun rise over the horizon, "My angels, I wish I could have gotten to know you before you left. Perhaps someday we will meet in the afterlife" A heavy weight rises in her chest and she decides to find something to occupy her time.
She hums sadly to herself, heading below deck,
"It's time to go now,
Haul away your anchor,
Haul away your anchor,
It's our sailing time."
She stops when she reaches the bottom of the steps, drunken sailors littering the floor. She steps carefully over them and continues towards the galley.
"Get some sail upon her,
Haul away your halyards,
Haul away your halyards.
It's our sailing time."
She grabs a half empty bottle of rum out of one lads' hand, taking a large swig of the bitter liquid. She makes her way to one end of the ship and stands there, why did she even bother coming down here? Wouldn't fresh air do her well? She sits on a bench to hang her head in her hands.
"Get her on her course now,
Haul away your foresheets,
Haul away your foresheets,
It's our sailing time."
She sits up straight, tips her head back and downs the rest of the bottle. She wipes her mouth with her sleeve and stands back up, I need to get back upstairs, no more locking myself away. "No more hiding." She makes a promise to herself and heads back above deck.
"Waves are surging under,
Haul away down Channel,
Haul away down Channel,
On the evening tide."
She leans against the railing of the ship, closing her eyes as she enjoys the warm sunlight against her skin.
"When your sailing's over,
Haul away for Heaven,
Haul away for Heaven,
God be by your side."
She feels a hand heavy against her shoulder, she glances over locking eyes with Edward. He places a kiss to her cheek and he finishes her shanty.
"It's time to go now,
Haul away your anchor,
Haul away your anchor,
It's our sailing time."
She smile and wraps her arms around his neck. He places his hands at her hips and they sway with the rocking of the boat. She connects their lips, their pain slowly melting away with the gentle caress of their lips. Tears begin to spill from her eyes and he brings his hand up to wipe them away not once breaking their embrace. She breaks off the kiss and places her head against his chest listening to the steady thump of his heart.
He rests his cheek against the top of her head and hums a more lighthearted tune, slipping in a few lines every now and again. "I met a lady fair" She looks up at him curiously and he sends her a wink. "The first time that I saw her, that saucy gal of mine," She rolls her eyes at him but grins anyway, he gives frowns when he sings the next part, "But when she found that I was skint, She left me standing there," She laughs as he grins continuing his shanty, "she winked & flipped a flipper, she thought I was a mate."
He finishes the shanty and she gently punches him on the shoulder, "I've told you once and I'll tell you again, I don't care about your money Mate." He gasps and places a hand to his heart, "So you do see me as just a mate? I was joking with you!" She rolls her eyes and heads back toward the cabin knowing that Sophia will soon be hungry. "Go wake the crew we've only got a few days of sailing left at the most."
"Where's the love mate?" She flips him off without even sparing a glance behind her. He snickers to himself, "It's good to see you smiling, love."
Great Inagua, March 31st, 1721
They made it back before the beginning of April and Mary couldn't have been more happy to see land. She loved the sea yes, but she had been away from her home for far too long. "Land ho!" Mary hops from her chair a bit too excitedly and scurries over to the railing. She pulls out her spyglass and quickly finds her target, bright red hair cascading over her shoulders and her arms flail energetically. She hops up onto the railing grabbing onto the rope, ready to swing over as soon as the ship was close enough to the deck.
"Mary!" The redhead shouts and Mary smirks, "You haven't missed me too much, have you? Have you found some other lad to bed you while I was away?" Anne flutters her eyes, the two clearly reliving a past memory, "Why I could never, James I've had eyes for you and eyes for you only!" Mary swings over, landing on the deck with a thump, barely having time to right herself before she is nearly knocked from the pier in a hug.
Anne nuzzles into Mary's neck and her tears begin to dampen the front of Mary's shirt. "Oh have I missed you Mary! It has been so lonely without you!" Mary wraps her arms tightly around her friend and places a kiss to her freckled cheek. "I've missed you too." The gang plank lands softly onto the deck and the two jerk their heads in reaction. Anne's eyebrows raise as Elizabeth walks carefully off of the ship holding Sophia tightly, "Who's the woman? She looks oddly familiar. is she one of your assassin friends?"
Mary laughs quietly to herself and explains, "She looks familiar because she's my mother." Anne's mouth drops open and Mary can't help but to laugh loudly at her expression, "Careful lass, you might catch a fly!" Anne pulls Mary close to whisper into her ear, "I didn't know you had a mother!" Mary bursts with laughter, practically doubling over from Anne's serious look. She wipes a stray tear from her eye, "Bonny, lass, I would have figured you of all people would know where babies come from."
The celebration had been in full swing, the towns folk more than excited to welcome their dear Edward and Mary home. Thatch and Elizabeth danced happily around the bonfire and Mary couldn't keep the smile off her face, when was the last time she saw the brutish pirate lower his defenses enough to let in a woman? Mary had been enjoying herself but left the celebration in search of a quiet place where she could feed Sophia alone.
She perched herself at the edge of the cliff overhanging the party and brushes Sophia's hair away from her face. She looks up curiously at her mother with those gorgeous blue eye and Mary's throat constricts, Would he have had Edward's eyes? Her eyes fill with tears but she quickly brushes the liquid away when someone sits down next to her. "Mary, what's wrong? Did something happen while you were gone? You just seem... different."
She stiffens, Anne always had a way of seeing through her. No matter how strong she made herself look, Anne always knew when she was upset. She turns towards her companion, braving a smile, "I was pregnant when we left for London." Anne gasps, covering her mouth with her hand, "That's wonderful Mary!" She shakes her head sadly and Anne's eyes widen, "No Annie, I lost him... " Anne rubs her back gently, "I'm so sorry Mary... I can't... I just can't imagine..."
Mary glances down at her daughter, who had been staring up at her. She leans down and Sophia pulls on her hair, pulling the beaded strands into her mouth. "It's alright Anne, it was probably for the best. Can you imagine the trouble we'd have chasing after two toddlers while trying to care for an infant at the same time? Besides I'll be able to take contracts soon." Mary pulls her hair from Sophia's mouth and reveals the teeth starting to poke through her gums. "I don't know how much longer I can feed her with these teeth coming in, it's pretty painful."
Anne laughs, "Aye, Jacob already sprouted a couple. I was thinking the same thing." Mary quirks her lips to the side, Jacob was nearly a month younger than Sophia, yet he seemed to be developing faster than her own daughter. Maybe I should have stayed in London, have I been slowing her growth while we were away? Anne brushes any doubt from her mind when she says, "Ifé said she'd never seen a babe's teeth come in so quickly before." Mary sighs in relief and stands, "Come on, let's get back to the celebration."
Edward approached Mary later in the night holding a small bit of cloth. "What have you got there Edward?" He shakes his head and holds his hand out to her, helping her to her feet. She reaches for the cloth but he pulls it away just as her finger brushes over the top. "I will explain when we get there Mary." She nods and follows close behind as he guides her through the thick brush of the forest. The two trudge silently ahead until they eventually make it to a small clearing protected by trees.
Moonlight streamed in through the canopy above and Mary turns to face him, "Edward, why are we here?" He kneels, beckoning her to follow, she crouches and he places the cloth in her hands. She moves to pull the cloth open but Edward places his gently on top and shakes his head. He digs a small hole in the ground and that's when she finally puts the pieces together. She clears her throat and lets out a shaky, "Edward no, I can't."
He looks up at her and she finally sees his pain. She'd been so selfish, how could she not notice that this was ripping him apart as much as it had her. She places a hand to his cheek, wiping away the tears away from his eyes. He places his own hand on top of hers, "What do you wish to name them Mary?" She's silent, what would she name them? She hadn't even thought of it.
"What about Cedric?" Edward stops digging, "A wonderful choice Mary." She leans forward and together they bury their child. Looking upon them for the last time Edward turns to Mary. "It means gift of splendor in Welsh, thank you for your gift." He places a firm kiss to her lips, feeling all of the love and power he'd put into it.
As he parted he knew that she was his, and as she gazed into his eyes she knew that he was hers and together they knew they were meant for each other. And that night, under the moonlight, Edward and Mary made a promise to each other. A promise to always be there to catch the other when they fall and not even death could separate the two.