The whole time zone thing can get pretty confusing, and since we'll be alternating between Thailand, Los Angeles, Nassau and the Bavarian Alps in this chapter, I will be writing what time is it in the current location when I shift scenes ;)

Chapter 43: Far From Home

Shih Island

11:00 P.M.

Sure enough, when they come back to their tent, Charles and Eleanor are still just where they left them.

He's lying in the hammock, only one of his feet on the ground, he's using it to rock them back and forth in a soothing manner.

It's almost as if he's lulling the blonde in his arms to sleep, and Jack and Anne have to stop and take in the sight for a moment.

Even after everything they've been through in this life, it's still strange to see these two like this.

So at peace.

Eleanor's eyes are barely open, she's blinking heavily as if struggling to stay awake like a stubborn child. Her left hand is grasping the string of his necklace, the other one tangled in his hair as she rests her head on his chest, her legs between his.

She doesn't even try to move into a less compromising position when her tired eyes settle on them.

"You two missed dinner. There was fish, fish and... well, fish." Jack tells them, letting the flap fall closed as Eleanor yawns adorably.

"We didn't feel like eating."

"Understandable." He says, watching as Anne walked over to the bunk before meeting Eleanor's eyes and offering her a gentle smile. "How are you feeling, darling?"

The corners of her lips curve upwards too and she sighs.

"Just to think he's in the same Island as I am... This feels like such a horrible journey to the past... Stuck on a place filled with Spaniards who are our enemies."

She sounds so sleepy, so exhausted. It makes his heart clench. It still amazes him sometimes; how deeply he has come to care about this woman.

But he knows full well that she's not the only one who's struggling with her emotions right now.

"What about you, king of the jungle?" Charles just rolls his eyes at his words, and he shrugs. "At least you're not growling like a savage beast. Yet. How is he feeling, love?"

He sees the way Eleanor tries to move even closer to his leader. "He blames himself. He thinks he's put me into harm's way, and I can't convince him otherwise."

Jack sighs. He was already expecting that answer.

"Pick your battles." He says, reaching for the extra blanket on the makeshift table and throwing it to Charles.

It can get chilly on the island during the night.

Anne moves to let him in the bunk too when he walks over to it, and he looks at the hammock again to see Charles adjusting the blanket, making sure it was covering Eleanor's body properly.

His lips curve into a wicked grin. "Goodnight, young lovers."

The words make Eleanor chuckle softly against the skin of her pirate's neck. She was right, it did become an inside joke among them. She hears it when Anne hits him, mumbling an "idiot".

Then the candles go out and darkness surrounds them.

There's some commotion from the bunk at first, mumbled complaints and a slap or two before they finally get comfortable enough to go to sleep.

Charles kisses her forehead, and she closes her tired eyes.


Los Angeles

09:00 A.M.

His head is pounding.

His mouth is dry and his mind is so foggy.

What happened last night?...

Suddenly fully awake, he sits up in bed. Her bed.

And to his horror, his chest is naked.

But he still has his pants on. Good.

He had too much to drink, but nothing happened between them. God, he would loathe himself forever if he slept with that viper again.

His eyes narrow when he looks at the bedside table. There's a glass full of cool water, and a pill to treat his hangover.

At least Sarah has her uses.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he swallows the medicine and takes big gulps of the water until the glass is empty. His throat and mouth feel better now, and he rubs his forehead while sighing heavily.

And then something on the doorway catches his attention.

He looks up to see Aiden in his white and blue baby walker, he's standing there with the device's help, staring at him with big, curious eyes.

Although Woodes can clearly see the fear in those light-blue orbs.

"What are you doing in here, child?"

As soon as he speaks, Aiden jumps slightly, starting to turn around so he could "walk" away.

But his father gets to his feet and rushes to him, picking him up from the walker.

"Where's Sarah? How can she leave you all alone? Don't worry. You'll have a decent mama in no time." He says, mostly to himself, while checking every room upstairs. "Doesn't she know those things are bad for your development? You shouldn't be using a walker."

Shaking his head, he unlocks the child safety gate at the top of the stairs. At least his stupid ex-wife remembered to leave it closed.

He hears the vacuum cleaner as soon as he comes down the stairs, it's coming from one of the sitting rooms. So that's what she's doing.

"Would it have killed her to leave you in the crib or the damn playpen? Irresponsible wench." He mumbles, already feeling his throat go dry from lack of hydration again.

Aiden is already starting to whine in his arms so he sets the baby in the playpen before walking to the kitchen.

Nursing on a big glass of water, he checks every single report.

It's a good thing it's Saturday and he doesn't have to work. It always takes some time to go over all of his spies' reports.

No news, as usual.

But this is bound to change soon. The Ranger needs to make port at some point.

"How hungover are you?" That meek voice makes his blood boil. His fingers tighten around the glass as he turns around.

God, how he hates her.

How he hates to see her with his son in her arms, to see her putting him on the high chair and feeding him... How he hates to see her being a mother when it should be Eleanor here with him.

It's her baby, not Sarah's.

That little, crazed voice echoes in his mind and he struggles to get a hold of his consciousness. Sometimes he wonders if he could actually be slowly going insane, but the thought is soon dismissed.

"Since you don't have work today... I was thinking we should do something, just the three of us. Aiden loves going to the park, seeing the dogs... Maybe if you share these moments with him, he'll start to warm up to you. What do you think?"

Staring out the window, he mumbles a "sure", his mind swimming with questions. As usual.

Where is she now? The image of her, locked in a cold cell in the bowels of that pitiful ship soon comes to his mind, and he clenches his jaw.

Hopefully, she's not in pain. Hopefully, Vane is at least feeding her properly and letting her have a blanket.

She's so smart. Maybe she can find a way to fool those bastards and escape right under their noses. Another reason for him to stay put. She could actually be on her way back to him already... Hope never dies, especially when you're in love.

He wonders what his precious jewel is doing right now...


Shih Island

01:00 A.M.

The moonlight filtering in through a few cracks in the canvas lets her see his face.

It's like the hammock has turned into a cocoon of warmth and safety, the blanket protecting them from the chilly night air.

Everything is quiet, peaceful.

And yet, they're unable to sleep.

They were so tired two hours ago, and now they can't even keep their eyes closed.

Is it because of what happened in the jungle? Are they still scared of losing each other?

For the past hour they've been just staring at each other's face, the soft snoring from the bunk letting them know Jack and Anne were sound asleep.

They're completely still... And then Charles suddenly closes the distance between them.

She's not sure if he meant it to be just a chaste, reassuring kiss... She's not sure if he wanted more.

But she can't help herself.

Deepening the kiss, she brings one hand to his face. Her left leg tangles with his as he grips her waist and rolls his hips against her.

It's been three long days and damn it, she can feel him.

Her hand trails down his abdomen on its own accord, fingers flirting with the waistline of the ripped, camo bermuda shorts. The way his breath catches when she cups him through the fabric sends a shiver down her spine.

He tries to cover her body with his but they can't exactly move too well, unless they want to fall off the hammock. It makes too much noise too, so he gives up and just moves onto his side instead, pulling her left leg over his hip a little bit too harshly.

She's not sure where this is going. She's not sure how it's going to end.

But there's no way in hell she'll be able to put a stop to it.

Not that she wants to, of course.

When he reaches under the knee-length skirt, unceremoniously pulling her underwear aside, she glances at the bunk over her shoulder, barely able to see the sleeping couple. But her focus immediately goes back to him as his fingers move against her, pressing inside, goosebumps raising on her arms while she stares in his eyes.

It's as if her fingers have a mind of their own, Eleanor is not fully aware of her actions as she hastily gets rid of what little clothing he was wearing. In a matter of seconds, she's naked from the waist down under the blanket too, and she wastes no time.

Leg still over his thigh, she angles her hips as best as she can, her cold hand gripping his length, guiding him. Her eyes squeeze shut, mouth parting in a silent O when he pushes inside.

Bringing both arms around his neck, she moves with him, meeting him thrust for thrust, and they have to kiss in order to keep silent.

The slow rhythm never lasts for too long. Not with them.

Their movements grow more and more desperate, causing the hammock to rock beneath them, its noise drowning out their heavy breathing.

But they're not alone in this tent and when an involuntary moan leaves her lips, Charles' hand flies up to cover them, his thrusts becoming even more violent.

Her eyes are wide with desire, but then they hear the other couple stir in their sleep. Anne mumbles something unintelligible, and they stop immediately.

The hammock goes still again, their hearts beating wildly as they look in each other's eyes.

There's no way they will be able to control themselves like this.

And if they resume that mad pace, the hammock will be ruined long before they're done.

She breathes out sharply through her nose when he pulls out, regretfully disconnecting their bodies. But he's not done with her, even if their current sleeping quarters offer so many limitations.

Lips attacking her neck, he brings his right hand to the apex of her thighs again.

For a moment she only enjoys the sensations, the unspeakable things those fingers are doing to her. She's grasping at his hair, his shoulder, her chest heaving.

Each pump of his index finger, each flick of his thumb brings her closer to the edge. And if she's going to fall, she's taking him with her.

Her hand is shaking slightly while he adds another finger, and he feels so warm against her palm, the velvety skin making her sigh in satisfaction. Eyes locked together, they work each other up, he's still slick with her arousal and this makes things even easier.

From times to times, he withdraws his fingers and joins their bodies again, thrusting two or three times then pulling out before he gets too carried away, and this is such a torture.

They really need to finish building their new tent, and soon.

He sucks hard on her pulse point once, twice, and she bites her lower lip to keep herself from moaning at the mix of pain and pleasure while rubbing the head of his cock against her inner thigh, her hand still stroking him firmly.

The heat is building fast, and they soon need to lock lips again in order to silence each other.

Their teeth clash together sometimes, but they're too desperate to mind it. They know they need more, but this is just so fucking good. She knows he's close, his breathing becoming heavier, the fingers of his free hand gripping her back, her thigh, trying to pull her even closer. Her breath catches when she feels him twitching in her grip, a groan sounding at the back of his throat. A second later she feels the hot spurts on the skin of her thigh as he rocks against her hand. It's too much, and his release triggers hers.

It always does.

He swallows her sharp moan as she comes hard on his fingers, before she breaks their kiss and buries her face in his neck. Trying hard to catch her breath.

An entire minute of peaceful silence goes by, and when they're both recovered, they look over at the bunk.

Anne is facing the hammock, but her eyes are closed and she's breathing softly. Jack's arms are around her, and even though the redhead is in front of him, they can see that he's still out like a light too. They're blissfully unaware of what just happened only a few feet away from where they're sleeping.

They both chuckle at the same time, meeting each other's eyes again.

"Can't believe we actually got away with that." She whispers, fingers tracing his jawline softly.

The wicked half smirk that comes to his lips makes her smile widen, and she looks at her thighs before reaching down to touch the thick fluid still covering them.

"I'll go get a rag." Charles whispers, and her arm tightens around him instinctively.

"It's okay. Just stay here?"

He watches her face closely for a moment before nodding his head. How could he ever deny her anything?

To his amazement, she smears his essence all over her thigh with her index and middle finger before bringing them to her lips and licking them clean, her eyes never leaving his. She even hums in satisfaction at the taste.

If they weren't drained of all their energy right now, this would have immediately caused them to begin round two.

She offers him a soft smile before he kisses her. It's calm and slow this time.

After making sure they were decent again, just in case the blanket fell during the night, they smile weakly at each other, his arms holding her close as she tangled her legs with his.

Now that they're sated and their hearts feel lighter, sleep claims them in a matter of seconds.


Los Angeles

04:00 P.M.

-Are you sure you don't want to sleep? It must be around 1 in the morning in there.

She tries to contain her smile while sending the text, actually succeeding for now.

Billy's response comes quickly, as always.

"-It's alright. I woke up late, Davina decided to let me sleep in today, for some reason."

Abigail nearly chuckles at that.

They've been texting each other since the moment she woke up this morning, and this helps ease the ache in her heart.

Does she actually miss him that much?

-Guess who's officially emancipated?

"-Really? That's some great news! Thought it took longer."

-It usually does, but Flint gave them a little push... Flint's money, actually.

"-I see... What are you going to do now?"

-I don't know.

"-I wish you the best of luck, then. Whatever you chose ;)"

That winking face finally makes her smile wide, and for some reason it also makes her heart beat faster. She automatically imagines him winking, a blush coming to her cheeks at the thought.

"What's making you so smiley? Or should I say... Who?" Miranda's voice brings her back to planet earth and Abigail looks up at her. She has this conspiring, knowing look on her face. "Is there something I should know, young lady?"

"His name is Billy." Flint tells the lawyer, and the teen's eyes widen in disbelief, her cheeks burning as she looks between the two of them.

How... How did he even know-

He must have some sort of mind reading power.

"Hmm... Is Billy a decent guy?" Miranda inquiries, looking from him to Abigail again, and she can see they're having fun with this.

It takes her a while to find her voice again.

"He - he's my friend."

The lawyer laughs, the corners of Flint's lips twitching up in what could probably be called a smile. Probably.

But he still has this dark hint in his eyes...

"That's how it begins, yes."

Abigail narrows her eyes at the lawyer.

"Whose side are you on?" She mumbles before taking a bite of her sandwich.

They're having a picnic at the park in front of the hotel to celebrate their success in court, and she still has no idea how they managed to drag Flint into this.

All she knows is that Galatea, Miranda's 2 year old Collie absolutely adores him.

It's a funny sight to see. The dog keeps bringing her ball to him and waiting for him to throw it. At first, he tried to ignore her, but then Galatea would lay her head on his lap and whine until he threw the ball again.

As the dog comes back one more time, dropping the slobber covered ball on the bench and staring up at Flint expectantly, they hear some commotion and look at the concrete path leading up to their table. Just as a little guy comes "running" towards Galatea with the help of his walker, shrieking excitedly and yelling "bow-wow" over and over again.

Miranda's first, immediate reaction is to look around, quickly seeing the boy's mother rushing after him.

"I'm so sorry. He loves dogs, and when I realized, he was already halfway to your table." The short haired woman apologizes, reaching her son, and Miranda shakes her head with a wide smile.

"It's quite alright. Well, she loves kids. He can play with her... if it's alright with you?"

"Does she bite?" The mother asks, hesitating to pet Galatea when the Collie comes closer to the walker.

"No, she's an angel. Believe me, she babysits my 1 year old niece all the time."

Finally relaxing, the newly arrived woman crouches down by the walker's side and reaches to stroke the dog's head. This makes her son clap his hands in pure joy.

"What's your name, little love?" Miranda coos at the baby, and Abigail smiles at the scene while Flint watches them.

His heart is fluttering at the sight, although he's trying to ignore that.

And something about this baby...

Where does he recognize him from?

"His name's Aiden. He's 7 months old." There's a proud smile on the mother's face, and Miranda looks at her again while Aiden reaches for Galatea.

"Your first child?"

"First and only. It was already a miracle that I was able to have him... I would love to keep going, but nature has denied me that blessing."

A sympathetic look comes to the lawyer's face. "I know how that feels. But you're lucky. You have this little angel, as for me, I will never have one of my own... What's your name?"

"Sorry to hear that. I'm Sarah, what about..."

The two women keep talking. But Flint can't hear what they're saying anymore.

Sarah.

He remembers Eleanor talking about her.

Taking another look at the baby's face, he stiffens.

Now he knows why little Aiden is so familiar. But there's no reason for him to be on alert mode, right? The child's father is currently far, far away.

Or is he?

He takes a look around, just to be safe.

His jaw clenches.

That sadistic asshole is talking on his phone on the other side of the park, obviously angry as hell about something.

His expensive clothes and arrogant air...

This is the bastard who tried to rape Eleanor all those months ago, who kidnapped her and kept her trapped like a wild animal.

The man who caused her death.

His right fist is itching to connect with Rogers' jaw, there is so much he wants to do to that sorry excuse of a man.

But he can't.

Not here. Not now.

Seeing that Miranda was still distracted with Sarah and Aiden, he meets Abigail's eyes.

"We need to go back to the hotel right now."

She frowns in confusion. "Why?"

"Now."

Grabbing her wrist, Flint gets to his feet and leads her away.

"We'll talk later." He calls over his shoulder, and Miranda finds the sudden departure very weird. But her focus soon returns to the overly excited baby and Galatea. It seems kids are her weak spot.

Making sure Rogers hadn't seen them, he crosses the street with Abigail. Thankfully the hotel is right in front of them, and he pulls out his phone as soon as they're safely inside.

Come on, pick up... Pick up.

The force of his thoughts is so huge, that for a moment Flint actually feels as if he's sending them all the way over to Thailand.

But still, his call goes straight to voicemail, that bossy voice filling his ears.

He cancels the call before hearing the rest of Eleanor's automatic message, resisting the urge of throwing his phone against the nearest wall.

Damn it.

Damn it.

Trying to control his anger, he gets into one of the elevators with Abigail.

There's so much he wants Eleanor to know. He wants to tell her about Gates. About Abigail and the emancipation.

He needs to talk to someone about Miranda. He needs to let her know about Rogers.

Most of all, he needs to make sure she's safe and sound.

If there are no news soon, he'll probably end up traveling to Thailand. And if anyone dares to say he's acting like an over-protective parent, he'll shoot them in the head.


Shih Island

08:00 A.M.

Her first instinct is to grasp the string of his necklace tighter, to make sure he's still here. Because she may be waking up but she's not quite ready to open her eyes just yet.

There's a soft rocking motion, and it takes her a couple of seconds to understand that it's the hammock, and not the waves cradling their ship.

Stretching briefly, Eleanor finally opens her eyes. The first thing she sees is his face.

He's watching her closely, the blanket is gone but his arms are still around her. He's probably using his foot to rock the hammock slowly.

This feels nice. They should probably get one of these for their cabin. She'll keep that in mind once they're home and she goes shopping for a canopy for their bunk.

"How long have you been watching me like an idiot?" Her voice is still sleepy and she's trying to wake up fully.

She soon remembers the strange dreams she had.

"You mean in this life? Or-"

"I mean this morning, you lovestruck fool." She has to laugh briefly, glad to see he's in a better mood now.

Their little audacious escapade hours ago must have worked wonders.

Pirate.

He's such an infuriating idiot, and she wouldn't have him any other way.

"Since I woke up. Maybe half an hour ago. You were doing that thing with your face. Frowning softly then relaxing. And trying to mumble something. It's always... an interesting sight to see."

She glances at the bunk, seeing that Jack and Anne were gone. Looking at his face again, she narrows her eyes at him.

"Wise choice of words. If you ever use the word 'adorable' with me again, I just might take Anne up on her offer... It involves a knife and a certain painful, permanent contraceptive method."

He catches the meaning, a brief chuckle leaving his lips as he shakes his head.

Then Eleanor's smirk falters. And of course, he notices that there's something on her mind.

"I had the strangest dream." She begins, before Charles could even ask what was wrong. "Flint was calling my name, saying he needed to talk to me, but there was only darkness."

He gets to his feet and she sits up in the hammock, watching as he went through their bags to get some fresh clothes.

"Must be one of your premonitions."

"Maybe... Or maybe I'm just worried. It's been over a month without any news from home. I feel as if I'm going insane. I can't even read Utley's reports anymore, to know whether everything is okay at the tavern or not. And I'm concerned about Scott. He must be worried sick about me, this can't be good for his health."

She catches the clothes he throws to her, then gets to her feet too. As they change in silence, she knows there's something on his mind.

When they're ready and about to leave the tent, Charles stops her.

"Maybe we could talk to Shih, check if there's anywhere we can go to get phone signal? I know this is taking a toll on you."

A smile tugs at her lips. Bringing her arms around his neck, she presses her lips to his in a brief kiss.

There's a barely perceptible glint of hope in her eyes when she pulls away.


Nassau, Bahamas

10 P.M.

Things are slow tonight.

There's a heavy storm falling outside, so the few customers they have right now are people who came into the tavern to seek refuge.

He's standing by one of the windows in the office, the empty office.

Far too empty for his liking.

Looking away from the beach and the rain, he closes the window. This is the very same spot where she had been standing that night, centuries ago.

When he turns around, he almost expects to see her in those burgundy clothes.

His little girl looked so beautiful in them.

"Dad?"

The corners of his lips twitch up in a weak smile as his biological daughter opens the heavy double doors.

She knows exactly what's haunting him.

"She's okay. She's with Vane, remember? He always keeps her safe." She walks over to him, reaching to squeeze his shoulder in a reassuring manner. "Take your time. I can handle things on my own tonight, and Max is helping me. I just came here to check up on you."

He doesn't say a word while watching her retreating form.

Long gone is the time when he could hold both his princesses close while reading them bedtime stories, during those nights when Richard would let him bring Eleanor to his house.

It feels like just yesterday... she fit perfectly in his arms, he still remembers that small body he could lift up on his shoulders... Now she's a grown woman, somewhere out there, in this vast, crazy world... So far away from home.

So far away from him and his fathering gaze.

Empty nest syndrome is a torture. And he used to think that such a thing didn't exist.

How very wrong he was.


Bavarian Alps

04:00 A.M.

She was sleeping so soundly, so comfortable under the soft blankets. But then something snatches her from her peaceful paradise abruptly.

Coming back from the land of dreams, Mary frowns. It takes her a couple of seconds to realize that her phone is ringing insistently on the bedside table.

With a groan, she reaches for it. The light from the screen makes her close her eyes for a moment.

Squinting at the still ringing device, she gives up on trying to make out what was written on the caller ID.

"Who is this?" She asks sleepily, her head hitting the pillow again as she closes her eyes.

"Mary. Is she okay?"

Her eyes snap open at that familiar voice. Suddenly fully awake, she sits up in bed.

"Where the hell are you, you idiot? Do you have any idea how many times I tried to contact you?"

"37. This week alone, that is. That's why I'm asking, did something happen to my sister?"

"She's fine. But she's been asking about you nonstop. She even got sick, Charles."

"Mama?" Davina mumbles, starting to wake up by her side.

Somehow, Charles' ears pick up her voice.

"Is she with you right now?"

Reaching to stroke Davina's hair as the little girl rubbed her eyes, Mary sighs. "She had a nightmare earlier. So she's sleeping with me tonight."

"Let me speak to her."

His tone leaves no room for arguments.

"Mama, who're you talking to? Is it a monster?"

Making a serious face, Mary shrugs, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

"I don't know... He wants to talk to you..."

Davina hesitates before accepting the phone from her mother. Those big blue eyes remain locked with Mary's as she brings the device to her ear.

"Hello?"


Shih Island

09:00 A.M.

"Hello?"

His lips immediately curve into an unguarded smile.

He heard Mary's words just before his ex-lover handed the phone to Davina, and the child's voice holds a hint of fear. But it's obvious she's trying to hide it, she's doing her very best to sound brave. Despite her age and her size, she's trying to appear as tough as possible.

His heart melts like snow in the sun.

"Hello, my little pirate."

She gasps at the unmistakable sound of his voice.

"It's not a monster, mama, it's Charlie!" He can't help but chuckle, waiting until her focus returned to him. "Charlie, you okay? Mama couldn't call you, why?"

"We're on an Island near Thailand, kid. There's no phone signal most of the time. But today, we got lucky. And yes, I'm fine."

"Thailand? Is it in Africa?"

His smile widens at her innocence. "Close enough."

"Is Eleanor okay?"

He frowns at her apprehensive tone, glancing at the blonde as she spoke to Scott on her own phone, a few feet away.

When they went to see Madame Shih, she told them the members could sometimes get phone signal up on the cliff near the camps. Luckily, they did.

"She is. Kid, what was your nightmare about?"

"You and Eleanor were climbing a tree, and there was a big crocodile under it, he wanted to eat you!"

His confusion gives place to surprise and amazement.

Could it be just a coincidence?

Or is it possible that his little pirate princess has the same sixth sense as his queen?

"We're okay. There's nothing you need to worry about, alright?"

She stays silent for a moment. Then a smile comes to his lips as she cheers up, starting to tell him all about this last month.

At the edge of the cliff, Eleanor watches him while finishing her call with Scott, her heart filling with warmth. The way it always does whenever she sees him interacting with this precious angel in any way.

She knows Davina is the only one he wanted to call, but she has more people to consider.

Eleanor was surprised, to say the least, when she realized that the number of missed calls from Flint actually exceeded the ones from Scott.

Maybe it was a premonition, after all. Maybe he has something important to say to her.

And when she dials his number, he doesn't take more than a second to answer the call.

"Are you safe?" Is the first thing he asks.

He's trying hard to sound as uninterested as possible, but she knows him.

She detects the concern in his voice.

"Perfectly safe. For now, at least. Only today we were able to get phone signal. Is there something I should know?"

"I saw a certain someone today."

His tone is somewhat aggressive and she scowls, trying to think of an answer and only coming up with one possibility.

"My father?"

"Your ex-husband."

She stiffens, feeling as if cold water had been injected in her veins.

"That's impossible. He's not in LA, he's... searching the seven seas for me."

"Not anymore, he's not... At least not in person."

She barely notices that Charles is now playing attention to her too, while also talking to Davina.

He's so good at this. So good at protecting this girl from the harsh reality so she can finally have the happy childhood she deserves.

And he still has the audacity of thinking he would be a shitty father.

Shaking her head, she instinctively looks at the ocean. "What do you think he's doing in there?"

"He seems to be giving his kid some attention... Or trying to, and failing miserably."

"Where exactly did you see him?"

She listens as he tells her everything, and her mood improves a little as she hears about Abigail's emancipation. And her eyes widen when he tells her about who helped them.

"Flint found Miranda!" She says to Charles, just as he interrupts his own conversation to say "my sister lost another tooth".

A smile tugs at her lips.

When he mentions Gates, and when she finds out that not only his memories are back, but he's also at peace with her father figure, she can't help but close her eyes.

It's during these moments that she feels the urge to thank the universe for all the small, beautiful blessings they receive sometimes.

Half an hour later, when she's sitting near the edge of the cliff beside her pirate and telling him the news, he reaches for her hand.

His eyes are glued to the bay, and he has a soft scowl on his face.

"Why do you think he stopped searching?"

"I don't think he did. He must have changed tactics, that's all." She says, laying her head on his shoulder with a soft sigh.

Her brain is already coming up with a hundred possibilities about Woodes' sudden change, but... Just to think of all the people who will be waiting for them when they finally go home...

In this moment, she couldn't worry or care less about her ex-husband.

He seems so small and pitiful, compared to all the love and the growing family waiting for her back home. Back where they all belong.

All those people who care about her. And she finally knows that they are what truly matter.

They're not just sand.

She loves them, and they can love her back.

She knows that Woodes shouldn't be underestimated. She knows this sudden silence means trouble.

But for now, she won't let that bastard ruin her happy mood.

Locking her fingers with Charles' she watches the ocean, the horizon.

Her thoughts fly away, far away, to all her loved ones. She can't believe how fate has decided to grace her this time. Max's words echo in her mind.

"Your good fortune is not unwarranted. Your actions this time, they have brought you all these blessings."

Maybe her former lover is right.

A soft smile plays on her lips.

God, she can't wait to go home... to her family.


Next chapter teaser:

"Surely such a bond isn't born out of nowhere."

His jaw clenches hard. Every single time this man speaks to him, his fingers itch to close around his neck.