Max's POV

We made our way towards Madam Melody's hut, memories rushing back to me as we passed by everything in the daylight. It was nice to reminisce, even if things seemed a little tense after we left the inn. Warren looked like he was pouting, but he stood up tall and puffed his chest out a little. Victoria was somewhat stiff beside me, her fingers gripping my hand like a lifeline as we made our way through the village. She kept looking at the ground, her eyes focused on something far away. It made my heart sink a little because I knew it was probably because Nathan was so sick or because of whatever Warren had said to her. I looked up at her, bumping my hip against hers. She jumped a little, meeting my gaze as I smiled at her.

"What's on your mind?" I asked her, squeezing her hand. She smiled for a moment before the light in her eyes seemed to dim considerably. She looked away from me again, shaking her head.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," she replied, holding my hand a little tighter all of a sudden. I felt my brows furrow, but I wasn't sure what to say. I stopped for a moment, tugging her arm gently. She stopped and looked at me expectantly, her brows raised as those brilliant green eyes watched me.

"You can tell me when something's bothering you," I said, feeling like I just hadn't made it obvious enough. I pulled her a little closer, pressing the back of her hand to my lips. "I love you." I saw her eyes mist over as I spoke and her jaw became tense.

"I love you too, Max," she whispered, pulling me into a tight embrace. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her shoulder. But the swelling peace I felt in my chest faded a little when I saw Warren looking over at us, his lips pressed into a hard line. I felt a strange mixture of sympathy and frustration pulse through me at his gaze. I had known for some time that he had feelings for me, but I had told him that I didn't feel the same way. So why was he looking at me like I had just betrayed him? My heart sank a little at the thought. If he did feel that way, I felt sorry for him. He deserved someone who felt the same way about him, not to be stuck with feelings that would never be reciprocated.

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" I asked Victoria, my thoughts rushing back to her when I felt her shaking in my arms. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and pulling away a little. She looked much more calm now and she was smiling, even if it was a bit weak.

"Later," she promised, running her fingertips down my cheek. I felt my knees wobble a bit beneath me at the tingling sensation that shot through me at her touch. "We have work to do right now. That's a bit closer to life and death than what I have to say." I smiled up at her, leaning in to kiss her. She did the same, cupping my cheek with her hand as she brought me closer. This was what I wanted. Victoria, just her, no facades, no money, no lies, no fear. Just her. It was a hard thing to find beneath it all, but when she kissed me, it felt like everything else she had ever pretended to be was stripped bare, left behind to turn to dust.

The rest of the walk was lighter and filled with more smiles. I joked around with Warren a bit, trying to even out some of the tension. He seemed to lighten up after that too, smiling sweetly and laughing like he meant it. It was nice. I hated that he could let his feelings for me make him so upset. The last thing I wanted was for him to be unhappy just to make me happy. That was stupid, especially since he deserved to smile and laugh and feel loved just like everyone else did. Of course I'd told him that a million times. Chloe too, especially after Rachel left.

But things seemed to be better now, at least for the short amount of time that it took to get to Madam Melody's hut. When we arrived, Nathan was laying on the table in the middle of the room, a blanket laid over him and a pillow under his head. His eye wasn't as swollen anymore and his breathing looked stronger just by the way his chest rose and fell.

"Your friend can take quite the hit, luckily for him," Madam Melody said as we looked him over. "But, as they always say, I have good news and bad news." My stomach clenched a little at that and Victoria's grip on my hand tightened to the point of causing pain, but I didn't mind. I was there for support, which seldom felt good in situations like the one we were in.

"What's the bad news?" Victoria asked, her face the picture of practiced neutrality, even at a time like this. Madam Melody was folding some newly dried clothes as she spoke, not looking over at us. She was used to this sort of thing and was hardly moved by emotional relatives, but it was rare for her to act so disconnected from a person.

"Bad news is, he'll lose sight in his right eye," Madam Melody said, putting down the dress she'd folded. I felt Victoria start to shake, but she didn't move other than that and the tightening of her jaw. "But the good news is that he'll recover nicely besides that and have a hell of a scar to show off to all the ladies back home."

"There's nothing you can do to save his eye?" Victoria asked, her voice shaking a little. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, watching her carefully. She was holding up surprisingly well under all of this. It was probably rare for people around her to receive such severe injuries.

"I had to do everything I could just to save his life, bonnie," the older woman replied. The use of Gaelic obviously confused Victoria, but she relaxed a little after a moment, taking a deep breath and nodding.

"And I owe you my thanks and much more for that," she said softly, sounding much less stiff. "Has he woken up since last night?"

"Only once when I was dressing his other wounds," Madam Melody said, turning back to her laundry. "He's a shit conversationalist."

"Can you blame me?" Nathan's raspy voice interjected, making Victoria let go of my hand and run to his side, taking his hand as she looked down at him. He blinked open his left eye, the other one still swollen shut.

"Nathan," Victoria said softly, blinking back tears. "I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried about you." Nathan chuckled, the sound rough and only somewhat unpleasant.

"These pirates really have made you into quite the softy, haven't they?" He teased, but he held onto Victoria's hand so tight that his knuckles paled. "Where the hell am I?"

"You're in the Caribbean, one of the southernmost islands," I replied, coming into his line of sight and putting my hand on Victoria's shoulder. He watched me carefully, his gaze threatening.

"Didn't I shoot you?" he asked, making Victoria flinch a little. I squeezed her shoulder, putting on a smile.

"Yeah, you're not that great a shot," I joked. Surprisingly, Nathan laughed, even smiled. I hadn't expected such a positive reaction.

"Regardless, that blue haired friend of yours really did a number on me," he replied, sitting up slowly. Victoria looked him over worriedly, her brow furrowed as she helped support him.

"How are you in such a good mood right now?" She asked him, getting another chuckle from him.

"You tend to feel a bit less shitty when you're not dying and your asshole of a father is on the opposite side of an entire ocean," he snarked, smiling at Victoria so sweetly that I could see how it brought tears to her eyes. She smiled back and hugged him, making sure not to hold him too tight.

"I'm just so glad you're ok," she said softly. Nathan smile brightened even more as he hugged her back, burying his face in her hair. I smiled to myself, looking over at Warren who looked like he was on the verge of joyful tears just as much as Victoria. After some time spent talking with Nathan about his injuries and recovery, I couldn't help bringing up a question that'd been stewing somewhere in the back of my mind.

"So what will you do once you're allowed to leave?" I asked him. Everyone around me tensed up and turned to look at me, making me feel immediately self conscious. "Just because I was thinking that we should have some sort of plan."

"Max is right," Warren said, speaking up for the first time in awhile. He hadn't said much since we'd gotten here, mostly just staring at Nathan with a curious look in his eyes. "We need to know whether or not we should help him depending on his plans."

"What do you mean?" Victoria said, sounding outraged. "Of course we're going to help him." She stood up straight, her hands on her hips as she turned her gaze to me. "Aren't we Max?" I stammered, swallowing nervously. I just had no idea what to say. I wanted to help him, but I wasn't exactly keen on trusting someone who'd tried shoot me.

"Not if he decides that he wants to go tell his people where we are," Warren interjected, standing up to challenge Victoria and her all too terrifying glare. "What if he goes back to England and comes back with a fleet to take Max and Chloe and Kate to be hung and takes you back to that precious empire of yours?" That seemed to get Victoria's attention, as well as Nathan's.

"I'm sure that he wouldn't -" I began, but Victoria stopped me, holding up her index finger at me as she turned to Nathan.

"Would you do that?" She asked him, sounding far more vulnerable than I was used to when we were around other people. Nathan hesitated, taking a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his messy hair.

"I don't know what other choice I have," he said, sounding resigned. "Your father was adamant that I bring you home safely and bring the people who took you to justice. They'll find us whether I go back or not, but if I don't go back they'll probably hang me with the pirates."

"You do have a choice," Victoria insisted, taking Nathan's hand. "Stay with us. You don't have to go back there and live under your father's thumb anymore. You can be free, like us." I looked down at the floor beneath me, Victoria's words striking me deep and pulling out memories of things she said in France. She had told Chloe that the freedom she'd offered Kate didn't exist. That we were criminals, that we could never be free. Had she really changed her mind on that? There was a long pause as we all waited for Nathan's response.

"You really think that's possible?" He asked softly. I looked up at him, surprised to see the glimmer of hope in his eyes. I wondered what could've been so bad about his home that he would want to escape so badly. What could his father have done to him that was so awful that he'd be desperate for a way out? Victoria smiled, looking over at me in a way that made me freeze where I was. She looked at me like I had saved her, like I'd given something to her that she never would've been able to get herself. I smiled back, my heart turning into a bit of a puddle in my chest.

"Yes," she said, turning back to Nathan. "If I can escape, then so can you." Nathan smiled, tears welling in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Victoria, crying into her shoulder. I smiled sitting back in my chair. It didn't take much time for Nathan to calm down, but I suggested that someone stay with him to keep an eye on him for awhile. Warren volunteered, saying that it was best for Victoria and I to stick together when we went to meet up with Rachel.

With that, her and I made our way to where Warren said he'd last seen Rachel, the Fisher's Inn right on the docks. I took a deep breath as the inn came into sight. It was an old, wooden building, hanging lazily over the small waves that lapped at the sand beneath it, held up by wooden beams covered in sea urchins and darkened by years of wear and tear. But, as shabby as it looked, it made me feel calm. This place, this whole village, was more of a home to me than Ireland ever was. And now I was here with one of the people I loved most in the world. I turned to see Victoria staring over at the water, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight that bounced off her skin. I smiled despite myself, my chest filling with warmth as I watched her. She was so beautiful, so unknowingly expressive. Part of me was resisting the urge I had to start messing around with her, telling her that we should go for a swim or just start kissing right then and there on the beach. But I already knew what she would say. Something about how we had more important things to do or how she'd murder me if I got sand anywhere near her hair. But the thought just made me smile even more, making my urge to push her into the rolling waves even harder to resist.

"Enjoying the view, I see," someone's voice interrupted my thoughts, but it wasn't Victoria's voice. We both looked over towards whoever had spoken and my entire body tensed almost painfully. Rachel was leaned against a large boulder that had been stuck in the sand since I could remember, her arms crossed over her chest as her hazel eyes watching me like I was her prey. She smirked at me, pushing herself off of the rock and taking a few steps towards us. "It's good to see you again, Max." I was shocked by the words, but they stoked the angry flame in my chest a little bit more. Rachel had been a trusted friend, someone I would've gladly laid down my life for. But now, in that moment, she was like a traitor to me. She had hurt Chloe and had never even said a word of warning and had never apologized for what she'd done. But, somehow, I couldn't help the pang of hurt and slight joy I felt in my chest. I had assumed she was dead. But she was alive and she looked almost exactly the same. I spent some time in my own head, debating whether to hug her or punch her square in the jaw. Instead, I settled for straightening to my fullest height, hands balled into fists at my sides.

"Rachel," I greeted her, unable to keep the stiffness out of my voice. I saw a flash of sadness cross her face, but it was gone before I could catch it to process it, her smirk quickly put back in place.

"Oh, come now, Max," she said smoothly, her voice sending shivers down my spine as she took another step towards me. "Aren't you glad to see me? It's been years. How have you been? Have you and Chloe been doing well?" It was hard to speak. I wasn't sure if I could or even what I would say if it were possible to put words together. Victoria took my hand, offering some amount of reassurance. Rachel caught the action easily and her smirk turned into a grin. "And who's this? Did little Max finally catch feelings for someone other than Chloe?"

"That's none of your business," I said, but it was almost a growl. I had never been the type to defend myself in situations like this, not with my words. But she had no right to talk about Chloe or Victoria or Kate, or anyone else that I cared about. Especially not in that teasing tone of hers. But Rachel's features seemed to soften a bit at me words and she lost a bit of the confident air she'd put around herself.

"Fine," she said, looking more than a little disappointed. "I'm assuming that Warren let you know why I was here."

"I wouldn't be here otherwise," I replied a little too sharply, feeling a stab of guilt when I saw her features fall almost completely before she could stop it.

"Ok, I get it," she said softly, taking out a folded up piece of paper from between her left breast and her top, handing it over to me. I took it, unfolding it and looking it over. It was a note with some sort of list, but the words made no sense. I looked up at Rachel, my brows furrowed.

"What is all this?" I asked.

"It's instructions for when you get to the destination on your map," Rachel replied, crossing her arms back over her chest. "But I'm the only person who knows how to get there and what any of those instructions mean."

"Then why are you giving this to me?" This whole thing was making me feel very strange and I didn't like where it was going.

"Because I know that you and Chloe have been searching for a break like this since the beginning," she said with a shrug. "Consider it an apology." There was a pause as I looked back down at the paper in my hands. The words didn't make any real sense to me.

"What's the catch?" I asked, feeling like I sort of already knew. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly surprised by Rachel's response.

"I'll only tell you what it means if you let me come with you to find it," she said. "I want to make things right and this is how I plan to do it." I looked her dead in the eye, surprised when she looked away first. "Please, Max. I need to prove myself to you and to Chloe. I need to make up for what I did."

"How could you possibly expect me to trust you?" I asked, the only thing really holding me back from breaking down and yelling at her was the fact that Victoria was right there, holding my hand and making me feel like I didn't have to hurt Rachel to show her I was angry.

"I don't expect you to trust me," Rachel replied, looking up at me again. "I just need you to let me make this right." I paused, the paper crumpling slightly in my tensed hand. Something about the way she spoke made me really want to believe her, but I wasn't going to make this choice without Chloe. There was no way in hell.

"I'll have to ask Chloe," I said simply, folding up the piece of paper and putting it in my pocket. "You should probably come along with us back to the inn. Just… let me do the talking." Rachel smiled, looking much like how she had before she left and it made my heart ache.

"Yes, of course, anything you say," she said excitedly, her eyes beaming. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat and nodded, starting back towards the inn. Victoria walked beside me, obviously tense, and Rachel followed close behind.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Victoria whispered, pulling me from my thoughts. I took a deep breath, shrugging.

"I don't think we have much of a choice anymore," I replied simply. Victoria just nodded, wrapping her arm around my waist and pulling me a little closer as we walked. The contact made me feel a little less tense, but it didn't distract me from the fact that I was about to make Chloe face someone who had hurt her more than any person should ever be able to. And the scariest part was, I didn't know what else to do. We had searched for so long, wanted a life of own since the very beginning and now Rachel was the only person who could help us get there. I just hoped that I could trust her enough to take us to the lives Chloe had always wanted for us.