Onto the next one I guess. I think I'm only continuing this strictly because I just played through the game for the second time since Uncharted 4's release. So, let's get this shit show on the road huh? If you like it, or want to leave some constructive criticism, just comment! :D
I regain consciousness when a sudden cold sensation rushes around my body as well as a strong hand pulling on my arm. It takes me a brief minute before I realize that the ship is sinking into the water. I don't see Rafe anywhere, and because Nathan is suddenly with us, I'm able to deduce easily that Rafe was officially gone. I felt saddened that things had to happen this way, but I'm more relieved than anything. Rafe had officially stumbled into madness due to his obsession over Avery's treasure. All because Rafe wanted to make a name for himself that had nothing to do with his parents or their wealth.
"Holy shit! She's awake!" Sam shouts.
I jump in surprise as Sam cradles my face in his hands, and gives me a deep kiss. The look of fear laced into Sam's expression conveys how worried he truly was. It took me a minute to recall that I'd been lying on the floor, completely unmovable and lifeless. I could only imagine how genuinely scared Sam and Nathan were over the possibility that Rafe might have killed me.
Although it was a close call...
"I thought you were fuckin' dead. Don't you ever do that to me again." Sam breathes out.
"What even happened...?" I slurred.
Feeling the ship shake again uncontrollably, I now take notice that the entire room is already halfway full of water, as it fills up past our waists. Water begins to pour in through every crevice in The Fancy, and I find myself truly saddened at the thought that we'd never get to come back here and explore this beautiful ship.
"Shit! We need to go! Now!" Nate screamed worriedly.
Then as I see the panicked looks on their faces, I know now is not the time for questions, but time to get the hell outta dodge. I can feel my vision blur as I struggle to stay awake, before I'm getting a gentle slap to my cheek.
"Tara! I need you to stay awake! You can rest when we get outta here, I promise!" Sam told me.
I give Sam a small but sure nod as I focus on keeping my eyes open. When Nathan finds a way out, I swim as fast as I can, and together the three of us swim out of the cavern. We barely make it through the obstacle of Avery's ship falling apart before us, but somehow, we managed. When we make it just outside of the mountain, we find Elena waiting for us at the shore eagerly and nervously. I cough out water and try to remain alert as we crawl onto the shore and lie on our backs, although my vision continues to blur.
"Ma! Mom, look at me!"
I'm being slapped in the face again, much more rougher this time, and I perk up to see my daughter kneeling in front of me.
"Anne?" I mumbled softly.
"Jesus Christ, your ear!" She gasped.
Instinctively, my hand flies up to my ears. Surely enough, I feel part of my left ear missing.
Well shit.
I hiss in pain upon touching it, and Anne's quick to pull on my wrist.
"Don't touch it!"
"Oh my God." Elena spoke worriedly.
I feel a finger prodding at my earlobe gently, and wince from the pain.
"S- -stop it." I slurred.
"Here, put this over her ear!" Nathan shouts.
I bat everyone's hands away from me and move to stand up, only to fall back down on my ass.
"Yeah, I think I'll just rest here." I wheezed.
"Holy goddamn shit." Sam cursed.
I open my eyes again, blinking tiredly at Sam, who's now kneeling in front of me along with Anne.
"You got yourself quite a uh...an injury there."
"Is my entire ear gone? Or just the earlobe?" I blurted out.
"Just a small chunk of your earlobe. How're you feeling?" Sam stares at me concernedly.
"Fucking terrible obviously." I chuckled.
Sam grabs my hand and presses a kiss to it.
"I'm sorry...I...I wasn't there to protect you, and I'm so sorry Rafe got the jump on us. I feel like such a fuckup right now." Sam mutters sadly.
"What happened to Rafe? I mean, considering he's the one that shot at me...I woke up to find him just completely gone."
"Who do you think fought him after you were down?" Nathan spoke up.
"Well I don't know what happened, clearly, because I'm asking about it." I give him a blank stare.
"You don't have to worry about Rafe. He's dead. The asshole lost his fucking mind by the time I showed up to save you two. Nadine kinda trapped us in together after I arrived and it went as well as I'd expected it to."
Flashes of the moments prior to Rafe showing up in the Fancy, remind me of the two skeletal remains with swords sticking out of their bodies. After everything that transpired, Avery and Tew had killed each other. The deaths of thousands of people, that were the result of the founders of Libertalia, with their obsession with this treasure, all to end up being for nothing. In the end, no one got the treasure, because their greed destroyed them.
"Did you see them?" I muttered sadly.
"Who?"
"Avery and Tew…" I respond.
"You guys saw Avery and Tew?" Elena interjected with surprise.
"Yeah...they died fighting over the treasure." Nathan answered. "I'd say they got what they deserved."
Our conversation is cut short when Sullivan's plane lands near us in the water. He quickly cuts the engine and steps out, immediately looking at Sam, Nathan, and I with deep concern.
"You guys okay?" Sullivan questioned.
"I mean, I got part of my ear knicked off by a bullet, but I'm about as fine as you'd expect." I shrugged. "Surprisingly, my hearing is still good."
Sullivan's eyes widened as he moves to get a closer look at my newest wound.
"Jesus Christ almighty." He breathes out.
"Your first aid kit, if you wouldn't mind." I smiled at him. "It really fuckin' hurts."
"And who's fault is that?" Sully grumbled.
"Rafe." I retort. "And don't you worry about him, the asshole got what he deserved."
"That's all that matters to me." Sully smiles faintly.
Elena and Nate quickly follow Sullivan into the plane to get ready to go as soon as possible. As Sam helps me up to my feet, I hiss and clutch at my abdomen.
"Ma...are you okay?"
"Yeah, never better. I think Rafe made my other injury worse. He gut punched me so hard." I groaned.
"I don't think a simple first aid kit is gonna cut it, ma. You need to see a fucking doctor or somethin'. You look like shit." Anne said.
"Watch your mouth, kid." I smirked. "Your aunt will never let me hear the end of it, remember? You're lucky she's in the plane."
Anne blushes as her hands fly over her mouth, and Sam can't help but giggle slightly at Anne's reaction. Then, I sling my arm around her shoulder as Sam also continues to hold me upright. Together we begin to walk into Sully's plane.
"Listen, Anne. I'm sorry about all of this...I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise I'm gonna answer them." I murmured softly into her ear.
Anne tenses against me for a brief second, but when we make eye contact again, she gives me a small nod. Nathan shuts the doors as we make it inside, before Sam sits me down and grabs the first aid kit.
Hours pass from the events that transpired in Libertalia, and for the most part, the plane ride was silent as Sully lands the plane in an area just near the motel. For the most part, my injuries weren't as bad as I thought. Though, I still had a ways to go to heal from everything over the past few weeks. Anne is, dare I say, intrigued as well as worried at the state of me, and for once, I could hardly blame the poor girl.
Honestly, I think she's just impressed that I'm even able to stand right now.
"Ma, why are you still wearing that satchel? It looks like it weighs a ton. Take it off, would ya?" Anne scolds me.
I nod in agreement as I remove it from my person, and look to inspect the inside of it. Nothing is damaged, although I suddenly remembered why the bag was so heavy.
I shoved A LOT of treasure into my satchel. There's gold, jewels and other artifacts inside...holy goddamned shit.
Immediately, I close my bag before Anne can peer inside, and zip it up before moving to put the bag inside of Victor's plane. As I return to the others, I snatch another cigar from Sullivan's stash and get back to the others. For the most part, it's just Anne and I observing Sullivan with Nathan, and Elena with Sam further down the docks. I wrap a steady arm around Anne's shoulders and place a kiss to her temple.
"You still mad at me?" I asked.
For the most part, my daughter seems fine and a lot less anxious since we left the island. Although, it's easy to see that this is eating away at her. I had a lot explaining to do, but...it could wait until we were at home and by ourselves.
"Oh don't you worry, I'm still pissed. But...I'm much calmer knowing we're off that island and away from those Shoreline people."
"You want an early birthday gift?" I hesitantly asked.
I exhale smoke from the cigar through my nose as I attempt to gauge her reaction.
"Yeah. Is it you quitting with the smoking?" Anne smirked.
"Oh hardy har." I roll my eyes. "I meant a small little tale."
Anne's smirk falters, and she looks at me with wide eyes.
"Really?" She mutters softly.
"Well, I mean...I owe you a huge explanation, but...I thought I'd start off with something small until we got back home." I give her a small smile.
Anne gives me a frantic nod, with an almost desperate expression etched onto her face now. She's desperate for answers, that much is true, but because this entire thing has been more of a painful experience than a pleasant one, I knew that I needed to pace myself to avoid triggering a panic attack.
"Alright. I'll take that as a firm yes" I chuckled. "Well, the story of all this starts with three amazing people. Your grandparents, Adam and Celia Walker as well as Cassandra Morgan were all archaeologists and historians, and damn good ones too. My parents, the Walker's, their expertise and focus lied more with pirates throughout history, but most importantly, their decades of research eventually led to- -"
"Henry Avery." Anne finished.
"Their research were basically my bedtime stories as a child. So...I knew a great deal involving some of history's greatest pirates, especially Avery." I nodded.
From my back pocket, I pull out my wallet, and hand Anne the coin my parents gave to me, the Libertalia currency.
"Before my parents...went missing, they went on one huge expedition and brought this back." I told her.
Anne inspects the coin and looks at it in pure awe, and the sight of it makes me happy.
"That's Avery's insignia, right?" Anne blurted out.
I inhale more from the cigar, only to exhale the smoke through my nose not even a minute later.
"Smart kid." I smirked. "So, they give me this coin and tell me about a theory they had, with this coin being the only proof to their claims. That Avery was recruiting pirates to form a colony- -a utopia, and that they made their own currency out of melted down gold. It wasn't until later that their findings revealed the name of that secret city to be known as Libertalia."
"Where we were just at on the island." Anne followed along.
"And then..."
Flashes of my parents are suddenly forefront in my mind, and I quickly snap out of it as I glance back at Anne. It had been decades since I brought up how my parents had died, and while the pain had dulled, it never truly went away. Adam and Celia Walker had died way too young, when they had so much to live for. Although if they hadn't died, I don't know that I would have ever met Samuel and Nathan Morgan.
I guess things happened for a reason...
"...then my parents died not even two months later. It was in a plane crash on their way to another expedition." I mumbled. "But they left behind their research papers and a small sum of money for me to inherit when I became of age, but...most importantly, they left me with that coin."
"H- -how old were you?" Anne frowned.
"I was about nine years old." I answered truthfully.
"I'm sorry..."
I plant another kiss to the top of Anne's head.
"Don't be sorry, baby. It was a long time ago. Either way, this part of the story ends with being dropped off at an orphanage in Boston, where I encountered two young boys. Cassandra Morgan's sons. Much like myself, Cassandra's older son had a bit of an obsession with pirates like I did." I concluded.
"Wait, you're ending it there?" Anne sighed.
"Well considering your uncle's taxi is here, I'd say this is a good place to wrap it up." I shrugged.
As Nathan parts from Sullivan, Anne and I slowly follow him to where Elena and Sam are.
"What are you telling her?" Nathan questioned his brother.
"Oh just about your little magic phase." Elena bites back a grin.
"Oh I hate you." Nate mutters to Sam.
"What was your stage name?" Elena questioned.
Anne and I say nothing, but share a glance. Both of us are equally amused to say in the least.
"Go on, tell her." Sam nudges Nathan.
Nathan sighs, but reluctantly complies with his wife and answers.
"Nate the Great." Nathan shrugged.
"Wait, really? You were into magic?" Anne grinned.
Sam chuckles, and tries to hold back his laughter, to which Nathan grows defensive almost immediately.
Nathan was so adorable as a child...I miss it.
"Don't laugh, it makes sense." Nathan argued.
I can't help but let out a chuckle as well, and wrap my good arm around Nathan's shoulder. Nathan responds with a roll of his eyes but he doesn't pull away as Sam pokes more fun at him.
"In his defense, you were pretty good." Sam quickly told him.
"Well Sam..." Elena starts.
Elena holds out her hand at Sam, and he just stares at her in confusion.
"It has been an, experience, getting to meet you." Elena smiled faintly.
Oh I'm sure...
"With a hand shake?" Sam snorts. "Bring it in for the real thing, sister."
Sam ignores Elena's protests as he brings her in for a hug before muttering into her ear.
"You take care of this numbskull, alright?"
"Yeah, I will." Elena replied.
I perk up when I see Sam reach over Elena with just the slightest of movements.
He just slipped something into her pockets...
After pulling back, Elena moves to grab their bag, before Anne beats her to it. Anne gives her a cheeky grin as she carries their bag down the dock and to the taxi. I walk side by side with Elena being that Anne is ahead of us, and once again, I feel guilt gnawing away at me as I'm reminded of the argument at the motel.
"Hey Elena..." I mutter.
"It sounds like you're about to apologize over something." Elena chuckled.
"Well, I mean...I am." I stammered. "I'm sorry about unexpectedly dropping Anne on you, and for...not telling you 'bout Nathan."
"Honestly, I'm not even mad at you anymore." Elena shrugged. "What happened was Nathan's fault, but we're...we're talking it out."
"But- -"
"Look...I get why you didn't tell me about Nate. You probably felt that it wasn't your place, which I can understand. Plus, I'm sure you tried convincing him to come clean to me. Am I right?" Elena gave me a knowing look.
Once again, Elena has proven herself to be a fucking mind reader.
"You sure you're not psychic?" I joked.
"Look, I forgive you. I'm honestly just glad you're okay to begin with. How many female friends do you think I have? Also...thanks for looking out for Nate. He told me what you did before he fell off the cliff." Elena gives me a warm smile. "We were so worried about you- -"
I pull Elena in for a hug, knowing that I threw her by surprise. I had been known to be withdrawn at times, so to be giving hugs so willingly, I can tell was surprising to her. I can feel her return it with much enthusiasm.
"Thank you for helpin' take care of Anne. And for...tolerating my bullshit." I chuckled dryly.
Elena pulls back and looks at me worriedly, but keeps her voice lowered so that only I can hear her.
"I mean, we've really got a lot to talk about. Starting with Sam. Because I can sense that a lot of your issues stem from him."
"You're not entirely wrong. But I think I've had issues since I was orphaned at nine years old." I shrugged.
"Well for now...I'll let it drop. If you and Anne wanna stop by for a visit, just call me or Nate so we can come pick you up." Elena replies with a smile.
Before I can argue, Elena just places her index finger on my lips as she gives me a knowing look.
"Tara, you are definitely going to be taking it easy for awhile because of your injuries. Speaking of which, please go see a doctor when we get back to the states."
I merely nod in response, and Elena drops her hand before going to say her goodbyes to Anne over at the taxi. By the time I turn back, I see Nathan walk towards me.
"Your ear doin' okay?"
I can't help but give Nate a blank stare before I let out a small laugh.
"I mean, a good chunk of it is gone but sure."
"Yeah...sorry." Nate shakes his head.
"What're you sorry for? You avenged my poor earlobe by taking out Rafe." I joked.
Nate sighs as he gives me a small smile, before yanking at my wrist to pull me towards him. In seconds, I melt against Nathan as he wraps his arms around me, and I feel comforted once again.
"Y'know for a minute...I thought you were gone too. I almost lost my cool back there." Nathan admitted. "I'm glad you're okay."
I press a kiss to Nathan's cheek as I pull back, giving him a small but reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay too." I sincerely tell him. "Let's agree not to do something this stupid again, yeah?"
"You don't mean that, you know." Nathan smirked. "You've got that sparkle in your eye again."
"I'm taking a long ass vacation, I'll have you know now." I laughed. "These injuries aren't gonna heal themselves."
"I'll be calling you later. So you better pick up." Nathan nudged me gently.
I roll my eyes playfully at my brother-in-law and give him a light punch to the arm.
"I might." I teased.
I shift on my feet and feel a sudden weight shuffle in my pocket. Going to unzip my pockets, I see a glimmer of gold and jewels from underneath the light. I pull out a handful of the treasure I'd snatched from Avery's ship and discreetly move towards Nathan again.
"Hold out your hand." I told him.
Nathan gives me a look of confusion, but does as I say. I place the treasure in his hand and curl his fingers on top. Nathan glances down, and his eyes widen as a glimpse of a smile graces his face.
"A little something for your troubles." I wink at him.
Nate tries to hand it back to me, to which I refuse as I hold my hands up.
"Tara, I can't take this- -"
"Believe me, there's plenty where that came from." I laugh.
"You mean you got more?" Nate asked in surprise.
"Yeah, before Rafe and Nadine showed up, I stuffed a shit ton of treasure into my pockets and my satchel. But let's keep that between us, okay?" I replied.
"I don't feel right taking this from you- -"
"Well that's too bad, kid. I'm not taking it back so you better make good use of it. You deserve it more than anyone..." I said.
Nate stuffs the treasure into his pockets, and gives me another hug.
"You take care of yourself." I told him.
"Pot calling kettle black." He mutters.
"Oh shush up. You, Nathan Drake, are my younger brother and I'll always look after you before I even think about my own wellbeing." I sincerely tell him.
"Promise me you'll see a doctor soon?" Nathan chuckled.
"I promise. I'm sure I've got infections from my wounds." I joked.
With that, I walk towards Sullivan and Sam as they stand near the plane, as Anne gives her uncle a hug goodbye. Sam wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer towards him as he plants a kiss to my head. I lean into him as we all watch Elena and Nate leave in the taxi.
"So Victor, what's next for you?" Sam glances at Sully.
As Sullivan uses Sam's lighter to light up another cigar, Anne makes it back to us, but not before rolling her eyes at all three of us.
"I'll just be in the plane then, you chain-smokers." Anne sighed.
"Love you too, sweetheart." I smirked.
"Well..." Sullivan responds to Sam. "Before I got dragged into this, I was working on a business deal of sorts."
"Of sorts? Hm..." Sam muttered thoughtfully. "Dangerous?"
"With these people? Yeah, it's up there." Sully nods.
"Well I just so happen to know a certain someone- -recently out of prison- -who might be perfect for this kind of work." Sam informed him.
Of course...
Sullivan exhales some smoke as he faces Sam, giving him a skeptical look.
"I dunno...is he trustworthy?" Sully asked.
"...more or less." Sam smirked.
"How's his Portuguese?"
"Cuando o seu marido volta para casa?" Sam fluently spoke.
"What's that mean?" Sullivan raised an eyebrow.
"How long before your husband gets home?" Sam translates.
You complete ass-hat.
Sullivan snorts as I smack Sam's arm, before giving Sam a small pat on the shoulder and makes his way inside the plane.
"Come on." He told us.
"In a sec. I'm almost done." I said.
With the two of us being left on the dock, I glance down at the small weight on my hand. Thankfully, no one had discovered the ring that Sam had gifted me. In my mind, I can hear his proposal echo clearly, and I smile faintly from the memory. I toss the nearly finished cigar to the ground, before stomping on it to put out the embers.
"Already eager for another adventure, huh?" I spoke up. "You move on fast."
Sam gives me a wink as he tosses his cigarette into the ocean.
"You're always welcome to join me, doll-face."
"With the injuries that I've sustained from this? I'm gonna be outta commission for awhile." I chuckled.
"Then you'll have to join me after this job, won't you?" Sam teased.
"I don't know that Anne would be too happy about that." My smile faltered.
At the mention of our daughter, Sam's smile fades quickly.
"Shit...right...she comes first. You're right." He nods in agreement. "How pissed at me do you think she is?"
"I dunno." I shrugged. "I can't really answer that."
The two of us are thrown by surprise as Anne storms out of the plane not even seconds later. She's already got her hands on her hips as she stands in front of us with a stern expression on her face. I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous this teenager looks.
"Well? Go on. Get in the plane." Anne told us.
"Baby, we were just- -" I started.
"Trying to catch cancer, yeah." Anne dismissively waves her hand at me.
I try to hold back more laughter as she snatches the cigarette from Sam's fingers. Sam looks at her owlishly as she tosses it into the ocean.
"Whoa, sweetheart, I was still smokin' that." Sam nearly pouts.
"Well tough. Get in the plane. I want fuckin' McDonald's somethin' fierce right now." Anne retorted.
"I'm sure it's got nothing to do with your birthday being a few days away right? Why not spend it at King's Bay?" I joked.
Anne gives me a blank stare as she folds her arms together.
"Alright, alright. I'm goin'." I smirked. "Sam, you better listen to the girl if you know what's good for you."
"Oh trust me, if she's anything like you, I know." Sam retorts with a smile.
With that being said, all three of us walk into the plane together.
Over the span of a week, many things have happened in that time. It takes us a couple of hours to make it back to the states, back at home in New Orleans. That very same morning that we return, Sam calls us a taxi to take me to the hospital. Sullivan agrees to bring Anne to our home and keep an eye on her as Sam escorts me to see a doctor.
My visit to the hospital leaves the staff very concerned for my wellbeing and they all give Sam a bunch of dirty looks as if I'm an abuse victim. It took a lot of convincing to assure them that Sam wasn't the cause of my injuries and that calling authorities wasn't necessary. Soon enough, after a lot of testing and patching up, they assure me that I'll make a full recovery as long as I take it easy. My shoulder wound was in pretty bad shape since Shoreline gave us merely a shitty first aid kit, and my gunshot wound from Scotland was another story entirely. I was just lucky that it was healing correctly and wasn't infected. The same thing went for my left ear.
I refused to stay in the hospital for longer than was necessary, and expressed my desire to recover at home. I was released that same day, but not before given a prescription for antibiotics. To my surprise, Sam was eager to stay with me the entire time and helped me get back home. It wasn't hard to guess that he was worried about my wellbeing. By the time we make it back to my place, we discover that Anne and Sully are nowhere to be seen, only to find a note from Sully on the fridge that he had taken Anne out to eat (guess where? McDonald's.)
Knowing that all of us needed some downtime from the shit that transpired in Libertalia, I asked Sam if he'd wanted to stay at my place. I remembered his doe-eyed expression as he was surprised by my question. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head at him as I showed him the engagement ring he'd gifted me on my finger, reminding him where we stood for over fifteen years. So, Sam decided to stay with me and Anne, much to her dismay I could tell. Anne was far from pleased with Sam, and she showed it in small but obvious ways like giving him dirty looks and ignoring him from time to time, but that certainly didn't stop him from trying to connect with her. However, her sixteenth birthday was all the distraction that we needed from the tension in the house.
We decided to have a birthday party for Anne at our house, much to Nathan and Elena's dismay because I was still recovering from my injuries. Everyone that Anne had loved dearly had shown up, her friends, Sullivan, Elena and Nate, and neighbors we'd considered close family. Our house was packed to the brim, and I was thankful for Sam that he was just there to begin with. It felt so surreal having him with me. It was the first time that Sam and I had lived together since before his supposed death in Panama.
"You alright darlin'? You look tired." Sully asked.
"Yeah...I'm fine." I breathed out.
I was attempting to clean up the kitchen table to make room for the birthday cake. To which Sully immediately nudged me to the side as he got out the cake for me.
"Ma! Where's my iPod?" Anne called out. "I wanna play some music!"
"You left it in your room, remember?" I shouted back.
"Oh right! Thanks!" Anne responds.
I take a seat in one of the chairs set out on the deck, but not before grabbing a beer in a cooler out on the deck for the adults attending the party. Elena and Nate are quick to take a seat with me as they keep a close eye on me.
"You alright?" Nate asked.
"If someone else asks me that one more time..." I grumbled.
"You sure that's a good idea with your antibiotics?" Elena glances down at the beer bottle.
"Eh." I shrugged.
Before I realize what's happening, my beer is pried from my hands and replaced with a cup of fruit punch. I glance around to see Sam giving me a wink as he drinks my beer.
"You little shit." I laughed.
"You can't be havin' any alcohol darlin'. Doctor's orders." Sam reminded me.
"Sorry, Father Duffy." I joked.
"Father who?" Elena asked.
"The priest from our old orphanage." I replied with a faint smile.
I take a sip from my fruit punch and lean back in my chair as we watch all the partygoers from the outside. It was a good mix of adults, mostly family friends and neighbors, and Anne's teenage friends.
"I can't believe she's finally sixteen." I murmured softly.
"Time flies when you're having too much fun." Nathan joked.
"Oh you fuckin' wait until you have kids of your own." I smirked.
Nathan chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"I don't know if I'm quite there yet." Nathan replied.
After a moment of silence, and a couple of sips later, Sam spoke up with a frown.
"God, birthday parties...yeesh." Sam shudders. "I'm cravin' a cig so badly right now."
I can't help but give Sam a look of sympathy as I place my hand on his knee.
"Well...thank you for bearing it with me. I'm not one for these types of shindigs either, but it's for Anne remember?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I know, I know. For her, it's not that bad. She needed this more than anything right now." Sam smiled faintly.
"You can say that again." Elena nods in agreement. "She probably won't admit it, but the whole Libertalia thing was a little bit of an uneasy experience for her. She didn't know what to do."
"Well I made her a little something to help...explain it all a bit." I replied.
I take a sip of my drink as everyone looks at me questioningly.
"What'd you get her?" Nathan wondered aloud.
"I'll be right back then." I told them.
I get up and retrieve her present from my bedroom before going to meet everyone out on the deck again. That very same week during my recovery, I'd taken it upon myself to write down my life story and how things had lead up to Libertalia, all in my perspective. The polaroid pictures I'd collected over the years, and the one's I'd taken during our last adventure seeking out Avery's treasure, were all scanned and put into the document. It was almost therapeutic typing everything down word for word.
As promised though, I'd gifted Anne with the stories she'd been wanting to know for years, and had it all printed out and put into leather binding as if it was an old storybook. Sam gently takes the book from me and inspects it as he gently runs his fingers on top. I could tell that he was remembering something from his past, and judging from Nathan's expression, I could see that he was remembering something too. I'd made it look like one of Cassandra's research journals in dedication to her.
"I'm sure it's got some typos, but...this my first copy. I'm sure I'll be updating it from years to come." I said.
"It looks almost like...our mother's journal." Sam mutters.
"That was intentional." I smiled. "I made sure to mention your mother's research in there."
Nathan and Elena skim through the pages together, looking at the pictures that are placed into the book.
"How'd you get pictures of El fucking Dorado?!" Elena nearly shouted. "You mean you had photos of everything this entire time?!"
Nathan laughed at his wife's reaction and explained that I'd always had my polaroid camera, to which she gives me a look of surprise.
"I knew it! I knew I heard something!" Elena grinned madly.
I can't help but snort and shake my head at the reminder of Elena's precious video camera.
"All this time, she's had photos of our adventures." Elena said. "Oh Nate! Look! There's a photo of us from Tenzin's Tibetan village."
Nate flips the page and his eyes widen slightly, almost comically.
"You included this in your story?" Nate asked me. "What else did you write about?"
"Well now I'm curious." Sam said.
Sam gets up from his seat next to me, and moves over to hover over Elena and Nate as they look through the book together. Nathan and Elena are, dare I say, impressed with me and my way of story telling in chronological order, starting from my childhood. Elena points out a few grammatical errors here and there, but overall, tells me that I should think about publishing my book. I merely shake my head in response. This book was meant as a way to explain everything to Anne and Anne only, because it was the one thing she's always wanted since she was a young child. I could only hope that Anne would forgive me for the times I wasn't there for her during her childhood.
By the time we get to the whole birthday cake and opening presents shebang, I make sure to hide the book in my bedroom to gift to my daughter later. Anne is about the happiest I've seen her since she was exposed to everything in Madagascar in the motel. She was surrounded by people that loved her and they all made the party special for her, I could tell. Anne could finally unwind and not have to worry about anything else.
Nathan and Elena had gotten Anne two concert tickets to see Post Malone, one of Anne's favorite musical artists. I couldn't deny that I liked Post Malone too, his music was extremely catchy and he just had an interesting voice that I'd grown fond of. I couldn't help but be accustomed to Anne's music preferences by now. Sullivan's gift was pretty standard, but also very thoughtful, a visa gift card that Anne could use to shop wherever she pleased. Anne decided to save it for the concert she would be going to.
Sam had gotten our daughter a custom jeweled necklace that he used from jewels that he'd acquired from Avery's ship, not that anyone else could tell. It was Anne's initials, and upon inspecting the jewels, our daughter knew immediately where he'd gotten them from. I could tell that Anne was surprised that Sam had even gotten her anything, to which he responded, "This is only the beginning, baby girl. I've got a lot to make up for, if you'll have me." Anne couldn't help but shed a few tears as she gave her father a small nod and hug.
The rest of the gifts she'd opened went by surprisingly quickly. A few articles of fashionable clothing here and there, gift cards for iTunes or other stores, etc. By the time it reached nine at night, everyone started parting ways and saying goodbye after having a slice of the cake I'd made. Anne actually looked pretty eager for everyone to leave as well, but after seeing her sneak a few glances in my direction, it wasn't hard to figure out why. So when it was just our family in the living room, I grab the white leather bound book from my bedroom and hide it behind my back.
"So get talking! It's finally time, ma!" Anne grinned.
"I don't really feel like talking right now." I teased.
Anne's smile falters upon hearing this. Until I pull out the book from behind my back and present it to her.
"So, I'll let this book do the talking. I know you love reading. It even comes with pictures." I told her.
Anne takes the book from me slowly, her fingers running over the engraved lettering of the book titled, "Theresa Walker's Adventures, Ft. Nathan Drake, Victor Sullivan, Elena Fisher, and Samuel Drake." My daughter gives me a warm smile and hugs me tightly, looking more grateful than words can express.
"Your aunt wrote in it a little, grammatical errors and all that." I chuckled.
I place my hands on her shoulders and my expression melts away into a serious look.
"But everything you want to know, is in these pages. These are the pages of my life, and my life's work. As well as your grandparent's legacies. Me and your father...well...we wanted to start our own legacy because we loved our parent's so much. Your uncle and aunt were part of the ride too as well as your uncle Sully. I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, baby. For the times I wasn't there for you."
Anne sighed and gave me a small smile.
"Ma, there's nothin' to forgive."
My heart nearly melts as Anne hugs me, and I plant a couple of loving kisses on her head as I rub her back.
"You are a blessing." I mutter quietly.
Anne pulled back and smirked at me, and for a minute, I see a flash of young Samuel Morgan there as she leans forward. A smirk laced with and full of pure mischief.
"I wouldn't say that, but thank you." Anne replied.
Apparently, Nathan has a sense of nostalgia as well as he lets out a laugh and shakes his head in amusement.
"You're more like your father than you realize, kiddo." Nathan joked.
"Really now?" Anne raised an eyebrow.
Sam looks almost bashful, and it's admittedly adorable.
"Don't you be tellin' her nothing bad about me. I was starting to get on her good side!" Sam nearly whined.
"Well now I'm curious." Anne grinned deviously.
Nathan plays along as Anne walks over to him, and he casually drapes an arm over her shoulder before pulling her closer to whisper something into her ear with his hand blocking his mouth. Anne gasps dramatically and laughs hysterically.
"No shit!" Anne shouts excitedly.
For Elena's sake, I'll scold her.
"Language!" I told her.
Anne blushes and gives me a small mutter of an apology before turning back to her uncle.
"What else did he do?" Anne asked.
"Nathan! Stop it!" Sam argued.
Sam wraps an arm around Anne's waist, and she can't help but laugh as he maneuvers her away from his younger brother.
"She doesn't need to hear you tellin' lies about her old man!" Sam said.
"Oh what lies?! It's all true and you know it!" Nathan smirked triumphantly.
Sam turns to Anne, his arm still around her waist.
"Don't you listen to him, baby girl. Your uncle Nathan's always been jealous of his older brother." Sam teased.
Anne snorts and playfully pushes her father away. I'm tempted to get my polaroid camera to document this moment. It was a small step sure, but I'd never seen Anne and Sam get along so well before. It was borderline cute.
Maybe they had a talk or something?
"I'm gonna get ready for bed- -"
"At almost ten?" I give her a knowing look. "You hate and I quote, "Goin' to bed early." especially on a weekend."
"And by that I mean read this book." Anne playfully rolls her eyes.
As Anne gives a hug and kiss to everyone, she pauses when she gets to Sam. Sam gives her a warm smile and ruffles her hair, to which she responds with a small giggle. Before she can object or say anything else, he pulls her in for a hug and places a loving kiss to her head.
"Happy birthday, baby." Sam mutters.
"Thanks, dad." Anne mumbled against him.
She pulls away and nearly runs down the hall to her room without another word. Everyone looks at Sam, who's standing there looking completely shell shocked.
"You uh...okay there, Sam?" Sullivan spoke up.
Then, a second later, he grins and jumps up as he pumps his fist into the air.
"She...s- -she...she called me dad! Fuck yeah!" Sam shouted.
Nathan burst out laughing and is nearly crying as he falls to his knees at Sam's reaction. Elena is quick to scold her husband, and makes him stand up after he gets it out of his system.
"I swear I wasn't laughing at you." Nathan assures Sam.
"I don't even care! She called me dad, guys!" Sam excitedly yelled.
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Sam." Elena smiles. "You've still got a long way to go with that girl."
"Oh, believe me, I know! But I'm allowed to have one small victory, right? She finally acknowledges me as her old man!" Sam responds enthusiastically.
"You may proceed." Elena joked.
I couldn't stop smiling at Sam's joyful behavior.
By the next following week, Sullivan and Sam leave the country for Portugal with their heads held high as they await their new job. Anne doesn't really comment and just keeps to her usual routine. Mostly consisting of school, hanging out with friends, and reading the book I gifted her. I made the most of my recovery as well, since I didn't really have to work anymore with all the treasure I'd acquired from Avery's ship. With my financial earnings practically through the roof, not that anyone truly knew how much money I now had, I'm almost considering the thought of planning a vacation with Anne and Sam.
I'd have to talk to them first.
However, it isn't until about the sixth week, almost a month and a half, of Sam's job with Sully, that Anne storms over to me in the living room as I'm watching TV, and complains about her father being away. It confused me to all hell that now was the time that Anne reacted to her father's absence. Almost two months later.
"I don't get how he could just leave you like this. After everything you two have been through together- -" Anne started.
I quickly pause the movie I'm watching and look at Anne worriedly.
"Whoa, whoa! Where's all this comin' from, baby?" I asked.
"I just got to like the fourth chapter. It's clear that you both love each other like crazy...and also drove each other crazy, so why did he leave to go with Sully for this job?" Anne blurted out. "Why would he just leave you like that? Especially while you're recovering?"
The fourth chapter of the book explored how my relationship with Sam blossomed and grew from early childhood, into my teens, and early adulthood. Anne looks at me dejectedly when I don't answer right away, and then, I have sit her down with me before I explain.
"Sweetheart, when you get to chapter five, you'll understand. Your father has been stuck in a Panamanian prison for thirteen years. He'll probably deny it, but his mentality is different for sure. He's still got a long way to go from growing up. He's...he's mentally in his twenties, baby. He wants to explore and chase after that thrill of an adventure. And that's okay with me. Your dad just needs time. I'm more than fine with waiting. We've got the rest of our lives to settle everything." I told her.
"Wait, he was locked away?" Anne mutters. "Shit...that's...that's some heavy stuff. I always just thought that...that he left us."
Anne looks saddened at the news, to which I can't help but melt at.
"Exactly. Now..."
I pull the book gently from her hands and place it on the coffee table.
"Why don't you take a break from reading, and watch this movie with me. It looks really good, and I only just started it."
"I don't think a movie is gonna make everythin- -" Anne started.
"It's got Ryan Gosling." I sang.
Anne visibly perks up at this, and I can't help but chuckle at her reaction.
"Wait, wait! Is it Nice Guys? I've been dying to see that!" Anne nearly squealed.
"Found a stream just for us- -"
"Oh please, you were watching without me!" Anne laughed.
"I just so happened to stumble upon it! I didn't wanna disturb you from your reading." I smirked.
"Well now I'm done, so rewind it!" Anne makes a hand gesture.
Anne moves underneath the furry blanket I have draped over me, and cuddles up close while being careful of my injuries. I smile as I plant a kiss on her head and rewind the movie stream before turning up the volume. As the movie progresses, Anne finally realizes that this movie is supposed to take place in the 70s. As she starts rambling, I playfully roll my eyes and I pause the movie.
"You done talking? Or can we watch the movie?"
"Well I can't help it! When were you born anyway, ma?" Anne asked.
"I was born in 72. So I'm...forty four..." I blushed. "Enough talking about my old wrinkly ass- -"
"You're not old, ma." She chuckled. "Old is like...sixty."
"That's so reassuring." I teased.
"Ma, I'm just trying to tell ya- -"
"Tell me what? That I'm old in a nice way?" I joked.
"No! I'm just sayin' you look pretty fucking great for your age and- -
I stare at Anne with a blank expression as I move to hit the play button on the remote. Anne won't stop smiling, but she finally stops talking and settles down against me once again. Together we watch the movie.
This girl I swear...so much like her father...
Time passes quickly, and surprisingly, things aren't as different as I expected them to be. With Sam almost done his job in Portugal with Victor, now five months later by the way, things have been oddly quiet. Although, with Anne getting further into the book I made for her, I can tell that a lot of things are actually bothering the poor girl. The thought saddens me, but despite trying to get Anne to talk about it, she dismisses the subject by trying to divert my attention to something else.
I keep in touch with Sam through his cellphone almost every day since he'd left. He's definitely new to text messaging, but I give him credit at how quickly he's learning and adapting to the tech of 2016. I build up courage to send him some nudes here and there, and we even have phone sex from time to time. It's amazing that Sam's able to make me feel so young and beautiful despite being in our mid forties.
Summer vacation is practically around the corner, and I'm excited to spend it with Anne and Sam as things are finally calming down. Sam assured me it would be no more than a week before he'd return back to the states, and Anne was almost done with the school year already. My baby would be a senior in high school next year. I could hardly wait, but was also saddened that my daughter, Anne Bonny Drake, had grown up so fast.
I also made a full recovery physically speaking, especially since I kept working out in my mini gym, AKA, the guest bedroom no one ever used. So, while Anne was at school, I'd gotten a message from Chloe along with a picture of her at my front door. I can't help but smile and roll my eyes as I go to answer the front door as I finish my workout. She's standing there with her arms spread wide and a playful smile gracing her lips. She hums a song, that I recognize to be one of our favorites.
Killer Queen by Queen.
She finally stops and takes a bow as if her humming was beautiful performance. It made realize how much I missed Chloe Frazer and her humorous behavior.
"For a minute there, I thought you weren't home, darling!" Chloe winked. "You gonna let me in?"
I blink away some tears and move to give her a hug.
"Shit. I hadn't realized how much I missed you, you smartass." I laugh. "When'd you get here?"
"About an hour ago. Had to drop something off, so I figured I'd drop by and see how my favorite girl was doing. I've never really been to the states if I'll be honest here, so it took me a bit to find my way here." Chloe smiled.
I move back inside as Chloe follows me in and shuts the door before locking it. I go to my coffee pot and take out two cups.
"You want any? I just brewed up a pot." I offered.
"Sure, you got cream and sugar?" Chloe asked.
Chloe makes herself at home as she takes off her leather jacket and hangs it up on a coat rack by the front door. When she gets to the kitchen with me, she insists on putting in cream and sugar herself. Then, I remember how she has a bit of a...control issue, so I don't object. We head out to the balcony not long after that, nursing our cups of steaming coffee in our hands as we take in the view of the city from behind my home.
"So what brings you here?" I spoke up.
"What? I can't just drop by for a visit?" Chloe smiled nervously.
"Not if it's you. No offense." I chuckle lowly.
I take a sip of my coffee as I watch Chloe fidget in her seat. She stares back at me in silence for a minute or so, finally taking in my appearance. My bruises and injuries had mostly faded away, but were still noticeable if you looked more closely. Plus there was still the matter of a chunk of my earlobe missing. I made peace with that a long time ago, considering I was just happy that Rafe was a terrible shot and fucking missed.
"Well shit, mate. What happened to you? You look beat to hell. No offense." Chloe parrots back.
"Another story for another time perhaps..."
"Oh don't leave it at that, Tara." Chloe whines.
I sighed deeply at her insistent nature, but I knew Chloe was one of my best friends. I couldn't really keep anything from her for long.
"Okay, so...the last time we talked- -"
"Well over a couple bloody months ago." Chloe gives me a playful glare.
"...Nathan shows up at my place." I continued.
"Yeah, you'd mentioned he'd called you. That's why you stopped messaging me." Chloe nods.
"It's a bit of a pill to swallow...but he says that Sam's alive- -"
"Sam...that name is extremely familiar." Chloe interrupted again.
"Sam is Nathan's older brother. We thought he'd been dead for fifteen years." I muttered. "And he was my best friend for years considering we grew up together... and he was my lover...but then he got shot- -"
When Chloe looks at my saddened expression, she reaches over and places her hand on top of mine.
"Right...the uh...prison break in Panama. You mentioned it once. It's why Nathan absolutely hates Panama." Chloe mumbles softly.
"Yeah." I sighed deeply.
I run a shaking hand through my hair, still a little exhausted from my work out.
"Well Nathan tells me that Sam came to him, alive and well as if by some miracle. Apparently Sam had told Nathan this crazy ass story that Hector Alcazar was his cellmate and that he broke him out of prison in exchange for half of the treasure of one Henry Avery." I blurt out. "It wasn't until later that we'd found out Sam was lying about the whole thing. We didn't know Alcazar had been dead for a little over six months..."
"Shit...well...okay then." Chloe follows along. "Okay, so Avery. Wasn't he a huge subject of your interest? Your parents were experts regarding the world's greatest pirates throughout history."
As I explain everything regarding Libertalia, I bring my polaroid pictures out and show them to Chloe. She's already invested in the story, eager to know how everything ended. Two hours pass as I show her my findings, and show her the engagement ring that Sam gifted me during his proposal. To say that Chloe was surprised was an understatement. By the end of my explanation, Chloe smiles brightly and moves to sip at her coffee, only to realize her cup is empty. I laugh at her reaction when she notices nothing is in the cup and stands up from her seat, to which I stand up as well.
"I mean, my injuries are honestly not so bad. The worst of it is over, but I still have to move slowly now and then. I've been exercising my muscles and everything, so I'm more mobile." I assured her.
"And your ear? You're just okay with that?" Chloe teased.
"I think it makes me look badass." I joked.
Chloe snorts and follows me back into the house.
"So when does your little one get home?" Chloe asked.
"Not for another three hours."
"What'd you say we go grab a bite to eat?"
"Sure, let's hear what your little business proposal is." I reply cheekily.
"Now, love, that's uncalled for." Chloe laughed. "I'm here to see a friend."
"About a job." I interject.
"You don't know that!" Chloe huffed.
"I do actually."
"Alright, alright! You get your keys, you smartass! You're driving!" Chloe folds her arms together.
Begrudgingly, Chloe and I agree on a Panera Bread restaurant and decide to eat there. As we grab some food, we eat in the restaurant and make small talk. Like I always knew was going to happen, Chloe finally cut to the chase, letting me know about a job that she was going to work on fairly soon. Surprisingly, Chloe was upfront about how much this job meant to her, just like how finding Libertalia had meant to me.
She shows me a little trinket of Ganesh, and I find myself saddened when she explains how she had gotten it in the mail from her father weeks before he was found dead on an expedition. I try to comfort her, but she brushes me off with a smile and places the trinket back into her pocket carefully. Chloe purses her lips in thought as she ponders what to say next. I wait patiently and finish eating a scone I'd gotten from the bakery. Chloe takes a bite of hers as well before speaking again.
"Listen...Tara, darling. I wouldn't ask this of you, but...this is...important to me. I feel like I've delayed this for far too long- -"
"You need closure." I nodded in understanding. "Trust me, this is something you should do."
"So you'll help me then? Because I admit, you might not like this next bit as much as you hate Rafe Adler." Chloe asked.
I raise an eyebrow at her statement, but I let her continue.
"I don't have a plan quite yet, but...there's this guy after it...Asav- -"
My eyes widen in recognition of the name.
"You mean the fucking warlord Asav?" I nearly hissed at her. "Jesus Christ, Chloe!"
"I know. I'm in my early stages of planning. Believe me darling, with the two of us planning this out, we'll be pretty solid against this chap don't you think?" Chloe gives me a hopeful expression.
"With a lot of planning yeah, maybe. I know we usually just wing things, but for something like this, it's gonna take more careful planning." I told her.
"You're right." Chloe nods in agreement.
"So what's Asav even after then?" I raised an eyebrow. "You said he's after it too- -"
"The Tusk of Ganesh." Chloe answered.
"So you're meaning to tell me, that your father was obsessed with finding the fucking Tusk of Ganesh. The one that Asav is after?"
"Bingo." She nods.
"If it's something as big as the Tusk of Ganesh, this isn't gonna be easy Chloe. This is not gonna be like our other jobs..."
"Oh don't remind me." Chloe sighed. "But that's why I'm asking for your help. Because I absolutely trust you with this more than anyone I know. Even Nathan."
"Chloe, I hate to admit it, but it's not gonna cut it with just the two of us for a job like this." I confessed.
I fold my hands together and fiddle with my thumbs as I fall deep into thought. Chloe looks at me with concern and confusion all at the same time as she places her hand on top of mine.
"What're you thinking, china?" Chloe softly interjected.
"That this is gonna be tough gig." I muttered. "How much of your father's research do you know?"
"Trust me, love, that won't be an issue." Chloe smirked. "Okay, so you say we need more people in on this...I'm...partially inclined to agree with you. So, who do we consider to join us?"
"I'd ask Victor but he's probably gonna be worn out from Portugal. I'll talk to Sam about it when he gets back. I know you two haven't actually met, but he's good. Trust me. He's just as eager for this shit as Nathan was." I assured her.
Chloe slowly nods in agreement.
"Okay...so we've got one more to our little group of misfits. Who else?" Chloe hums thoughtfully. "I'd say Charlie, but he's on another job I think. Might be a couple of months he said."
"You've spoken to Charlie? When?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh a couple of weeks ago. I still text him now and again." Chloe shrugged.
"I'm surprised you two never became an item." I smirked.
"Oh don't you start with this- -" Chloe laughed. "I'm more content with the way things are right now."
"You mean with having nonstop flings- -" I joked.
Chloe playfully smacks my hand and I can't fight the grin off of my face.
"China, I know you love this ass, but I'm not the committed relationship type. I'm a free bird." Chloe winked.
I shake my head and chuckle again as I reach for my drink and take a sip.
"You always love teasing me about that." I smiled. "You'll never let it go will you?"
"Never." Chloe grinned. "I'm always counting you as a victory, sweetheart. The one that I turned from straight to bi."
"Of course." I nodded. "Be proud of your achievements and all that."
Man have I missed this woman.
Alright guys! I will do the Uncharted: The Lost Legacy game soon, I just wanted to wrap this up. Anyway, let me know what you think!