A/N: Almost there! This is the last chapter and there's only an epilogue to follow! I hope you've enjoyed this little diversion! It's fairly AU at this point, but I've kept some of the general plot points from the lastest season and Treasure Island. Do let me know what you think!

Billy stared out at the sea from his spot on the main mast. Dawn was just breaking and he'd have to go down in a minute, but he kept his eyes on the rising sun.

They were due to arrive in Liverpool within the next few days and he felt a mixture of anticipation and, to be completely honest, bewilderment.

Abigail Ashe had proposed marriage to him. A, what had he heard it called? A marriage of convenience. A husband for her to ease her arrival amongst strangers, and a measure of respectability for him should he wish it.

Five nights ago, in her cabin, he'd agreed.

He shook his head and tried to find in within himself to feel remorse or guilt for he was certainly damning her to something terrible, but it wasn't there. He just felt…content and relieved.

There was a darkness in him, he felt it looming just out of sight. It was that darkness that had led him straight into a bottle after the fighting had stopped and it was the darkness that kept him in that room in Savannah. If he let it, bitterness and rage and guilt would eat away at him and he was well aware of that fact.

But it eased when she looked at him. That bitterness drifted away when she spoke.

'Affection and esteem' she'd called it; this thing that drew them together. Christ knew he felt esteem for her; the girl had been handed horrors and carried on, all the stronger for the experience. But what the fuck did he know about marriage? She'd made it quite clear that he had all the control in their partnership, that he was free to come and go as he pleased, and he was grateful for the options. However, once Billy Bones made a decision, he tended to give it all he could and he had a feeling that disappointing Abigail would gut him in ways he wasn't quite ready for.

You've had to deal with far worse, lad, Gates' voice said in his head. You know how to keep your head. Just follow the currents and see where it takes you. Besides, who'd think to look for you on a farm married to a lady?

He snorted. Well, he for one couldn't have predicted this turn of events. As he shifted on his perch, a bit of paper crinkled in his back pocket. The muscles in his jaw flexed when he thought about what was on the paper and he knew that if he wanted to survive (and he really fucking wanted to survive) he had just been given a chance to do so.

The chimes rang out and with one last look at the sun, Billy headed down the rigging, not completely convinced what he was doing was the right thing, but not willing to let it go either.

He found her a bit later on in the morning, finishing up a pair of breeches that belonged to one of the riggers who'd managed to rip the bloody things in two. He settled near her and worked on sorting out some of the tangled rigging.

"Dare I even ask how Mr Upton managed to damage his trousers in such a way?" she murmured as she sewed.

Billy snorted. "Bloody idiot hooked his belt around the wrong line and when it went up, so did he."

Abigail giggled and said, "Oh my. I think I'm rather grateful I wasn't on deck."

"You should be," he said. "I was and I still haven't gotten over the sight."

She smiled down at her mending. "I don't want to take this from you, you know."

"Take what?" he asked his hands paused above the ropes.

"Your love of being part of a crew," she said. "If you wish to remain at sea, please know that I certainly won't force you to stay anywhere." She made a face. "Although I doubt I could force you to do anything you had no wish to."

That's what you think, love, he thought fleetingly. He blinked. Where had that thought come from? He cleared his throat.

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "I, uh, asked around. I thought that perhaps you didn't really fancy the captain, um, marrying us. But there should be a chapel in Liverpool that could do it. If you wanted."

She looked over to him and a smile spread slowly across her face as she nodded. "I think that would be ideal. I'll need to use my real name. Will I become Mrs Gates, then?"

"I thought it could be Mrs Manderly, actually," he said feeling his face flush before he gathered up the rigging and stood. "That's my true name, after all. But no one will come looking for him. Not after all these years."

She watched him with eyes that understood far too much. "Mrs Manderly," she repeated and fuck, the sound of his name on her lips did inconvenient things to him. "I think that will work very well."

He nodded quickly and then walked away because kissing her out in the open wasn't actually a smart thing to do.

Liverpool was not Nassau. It was grey and gloomy and the buildings were made of stone and everywhere Billy looked were goddamn English people. It made him feel uneasy, but by the time he'd received his wages from the captain and waved a farewell from some of the other crew, he felt a bit better.

He walked briskly through the streets to a small inn that one of the crew had recommended to him. Abigail would be waiting for him. He'd wanted to escort her there himself, but she'd just smiled and shook her head.

"I can find my way," she'd said. "It'll be fine."

So, he let her. He had a feeling that he'd be letting her do quite a bit in this partnership of theirs. This marriage.

Billy stopped in the middle of the fucking lane. He ignored the glares from the people who swerved around him and just focussed on the word. Marriage. He was about to marry a goddamn lady. The same goddamn lady whose goddamn father had sworn to wipe every single one of his goddamn brothers off the map.

Abigail wasn't her father, that was painfully obvious. But Billy was a pirate and that had to mean something to her? Didn't it?

He started walking again.

He'd have to say something before they went through with it all. He couldn't let this girl, this woman, entrap herself with him. It wasn't fair.

He turned the corner and spotted the sign of the pub and as he approached he saw Abigail. She stood just by the entrance and her eyes watched the crowd. When they landed on him, she smiled. It wasn't a huge smile or a one meant to entice. It was a sweet smile, a smile that seemed to tell him that she shared a secret with him and his heart thudded hard in his chest.

Billy walked straight to her and stood close. Her head tilted back to look him in the eye.

"Hello," she said and was she a little breathless? Christ, he hoped so, considering how hard he found it to draw breath himself.

"Hello," he said. "Abigail, are you absolutely –"

"Yes," she said placing a hand on his arm, on the skin just above his leather cuff. Her fingers were light and soft as she squeezed his arm gently. "I'm certain." Her smile wavered. "But, if you're having second thoughts, I won't-"

He cut her off with a swift, hard kiss to her mouth. She blinked up at him and he blinked down at her, a little surprised himself.

"There's a chapel on the next street," he said.

He swallowed hard and then, remembering how he'd seen it once, he held out his elbow to her, feeling like tens kinds of a fool.

However, her smile reappeared as did a pink blush in her cheeks, and she tucked her arm through the crook of his elbow and stepped close to him.

"Lead the way, Mr Manderly," she said, her voice strong and steady.

Something like pride filled him as he looked at her. He nodded and they started to walk. He let he sounds of the city wash over him. The tread of horses and carriages, the calls from the docks, the yells of the shop owners, the clang of a nearby smithy. He frowned and stopped.

"What is it?" she asked. "Are you well?"

"Yes, I…" He looked down at her and then smiled. "Would you wait here for a few moments? I need to get something."

"All right," she said slowly. She glanced around and brightened. "I'll be over there."

He looked in the direction she was staring and chuckled when he saw it was a bookshop. "I should have known. Try not to read them all."

She gave him a small smile that verged on flirtatious and headed towards the shop. He watched her go and then set off in the direction of the smithy.

It took a little longer than a few moments, but eventually Billy had in his possession two small rings. They were simple poesy rings and Billy wondered if they were out of fashion, but his parents' had worn them and well, he was hardly a fashionable man.

He found Abigail precisely where he left her, looking at the spines of books while the shopkeeper eyed her suspiciously. He eyed Billy suspiciously as well, but had the good sense to remain quiet.

"Ready?" Billy asked in a low voice when she saw him.

She nodded. "Yes."

He held out his elbow for her to take and felt much less self-conscious about it this time. She took it with all the ease of a lady and a wife and Billy couldn't hold back a smirk as they left the shop in the direction of the chapel.

The wedding was very short and to the point. Abigail was utterly taken aback by the rings and when her lips trembled ever so slightly when he slid hers onto her finger, he wanted to hold her close and never let her go.

He waited for something like panic or remorse to flood his mind, but they didn't.

She slid the ring onto his finger and that was that.

They were married.

The sun peeked through the clouds as they emerged from the chapel, Abigail's hand tucked into his elbow, and Billy blinked as he looked around, and then down at her.

She met his bewildered gaze with one of her own. Then she bit her lip and giggled a little.

"Oh, my," she said. "Oh, what have we done?"

"Is it terrible that I don't feel bad?" he asked her. "I feel as though I should feel like I'm taking advantage of you or that we've done something utterly mad and impetuous." He paused. "We have done something mad and impetuous, but I feel nothing but...content."

"I know what you mean," she said smiling up at him. "You asked me once if I had any fantasies." She shook her head. "I don't think I need them. I have you."

A fierce possessiveness surged inside of him and with a tug, he pulled her into the street and then into an empty alleyway where he promptly cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. And kissed her and kissed her.

They left Liverpool and headed south towards the Welsh border in the direction of Abigail's property. She was to find a solicitor in the nearby town of Chester who would explain further details.

The further inland they went, the more Billy relaxed, which he found rather odd considering he wasn't entirely sure the last time he'd ever had the sea not in his view.

But there was something soothing about the rolling green hills and forests that lined the road and the soft pressure of Abigail's hand tucked into his arm made him feel…

He stirred from his thoughts when they arrived at the inn he'd heard about from the vicar just on the edge of Chester. Its yard looked tidy and he helped Abigail out of the carriage.

"All right?" he murmured to her.

"Utterly," she said taking her own small bag while he carried his own.

The inside of the inn was much nicer than anything Billy had been in before. Not to say it was grand, but the people were better dressed and the food smelled… Oh, Christ, the food smelled good and his mouth water when he saw the roast being carved in the back.

"Oh, my," Abigail said and when he glanced down at her he saw she was staring at the roast, too.

He grinned. "First, I get us a room. Second, I get us two roast dinners with everything they have."

She beamed up at him. "Sounds perfect. I can't believe how hungry I am."

"Always have to stretch the rations the last week on a ship," he said as they headed to the bar. "But it's been some time since I had a proper roast."

The landlord came out and nodded. "Help you?"

"A room for myself and…my wife," Billy said nearly stuttering out the word.

"Your wife, is she?" the landlord asked, his mouth curving up a little.

Billy straightened and was about to snarl when he felt a small hand curl around his arm.

He looked down at Abigail, who stared at the landlord as she said, "Yes, his wife. We also require two dinners and would it be at all possible to have some warm water taken up to our room for bathing?"

She said all of this in the sweetest tone laced with pure steel. He'd never heard the like before from her and he had to smile as he looked at the landlord who blinked at Abigail, before he looked at Billy.

"You heard her," Billy said his tone more amused than anything else. "Any problem with that?"

"Of course not, sir," the landlord said chuckling as he relaxed. "I've got a decent room with a hip bath. I'll get some water up straightaway. And dinner will be waiting for you when you get down. Mary! Mary, come and see these people upstairs!"

The room was moderately sized and still much larger than he'd had in some time. The maid immediately set to stoking the fire up and he nodded to her when she was done.

"I'll fetch some water up for you so that it's ready after your meal," the girl said to them before she bobbed her head and left.

"Meal," Abigail murmured as she set her bag down beside the bed. "I think I could eat a horse."

"Could be what's on offer," Billy said looking the room over. "You never know."

She giggled and he grinned at her.

A few minutes later, they were back in the main room and large plates of hot food were set in front of them.

They both sighed in unison and Abigail smiled at him broadly before she dug in.

They ate in silence, and more than once Billy marvelled at how comfortable he felt with her. He hoped she felt the same, but if the small smiles she sent his way were any indication, she was all right with the current state of affairs, too.

The maid from before, arms laden with plates, stopped by their table. "Your water's up in your room, miss. Oh, sorry, madam."

"Thank you, Mary," Abigail said. "That's very kind."

Mary nodded and then headed off to a table of men Billy supposed were the local farmers.

Abigail took a long sip of her ale, and then stood. Billy got to his feet abruptly, too, and she blinked at him.

"I'm just going to the room," she said softly. "I'd like to bathe..."

"Oh, uh, yeah," he said nodding. "I'll be...right here. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone but me, yeah?"

She nodded. "I understand. I'll be careful, Billy."

He watched her go and felt a mixture of panic at her absence (if she wasn't near him, something might happen to her) and well, a sort of relief. It wasn't as though the thought hadn't already occurred to him, but Christ, was he going to act like a proper husband tonight? Was he truly going to ...take her? They'd kissed, yeah, but that didn't mean she wanted him to…

Shit.

He sat back down in his chair and drained the last of his ale and nodded at the innkeeper for another.

"Thought she was your wife, lad?" the innkeeper asked when he brought Billy his ale.

"She is," Billy said flatly, but when the innkeeper raised his eyebrows, Billy clarified, "She's been my wife for about five hours."

"Oh, ho!" The innkeeper laughed. "I see. Nerves, is it? She's a sweet looking lass, she'll be no trouble."

"It's not like that," Billy said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to..."

He cut himself off. He wasn't about to bare his fucking soul to a stranger.

"Ahhh, it's love then, is it?" the innkeeper said nodding. "In that case, do what feels natural and make sure she's smiling at the end. You'll be all right."

The innkeeper clapped a hand to Billy's shoulder and headed to the table of farmers in the corner.

Well, that was no help whatsoever, Billy thought as he drank deep from his ale. He stared into his drink for a long moment and then bolted the rest quickly, slammed it down on the table and got to his feet.

A chorus of 'all right, lad's and 'wa hey's followed him as he left the bar and walked up the stairs. Despite himself, he chuckled and spared a moment to miss his crew. The way they'd been before… Well, before.

He arrived at their room and lifted his hand, paused and then knocked on the door. There was a moment before he heard her speak.

"Yes?"

"It's me," he said and the bolt scraped in the lock as she opened the door.

His mouth went dry when he saw her in the doorway, in a simple chemise, her wet hair loose about her shoulders.

"What was all that yelling?" she asked smiling a little at him before she headed towards the fire. She sat down on a small stool and picked up a towel. He watched her tilt her head so that the curtain of her hair was closest to the fire and she gently patted it with her towel.

"Just the men being rowdy," he said after swallowing and closing the door; making very sure to throw the bolt.

"If you'd like one," she said not quite looking at him. "There's still some water in the hip tub. And there's a full bucket here beside the fire. It should still be somewhat warm."

He stared at her and then the metal bucket before he nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I'll, uh, yeah."

Cursing himself for an idiot, he grabbed the bucket and ducked behind the thin screen that hid the tub from the rest of the room. He closed his eyes and tried to still his heart as he took in a deep breath. He inhaled the scent of roses.

Fuck.

He stripped and immediately stood in the lukewarm water left over from Abigail's bath and scrubbed himself raw. Then he picked up the bucket and poured it over himself. Drops splashed onto the floor as he stood there, and he tried to will down his desire.

Just because they were married and because she was his in the eyes of the law and God, and just because she wore his ring and accepted his kisses did not mean that he could just have her.

"I never thanked you," she said startling him.

"What?" he asked scrubbing his face with the towel.

"I never thanked you," she repeated.

"For what?"

"The rings," she said and he swore he could hear a smile in her voice. "You procured poesy rings for us. They're lovely."

"They're inscribed," he said softly, running his thumb over the top of his ring.

"I hadn't realised. What-oh. 'In thee I find content of mind'," she read aloud. "Oh. Oh, do you really -"

"'In loyalty I'll live and die'," he recited from memory. "That's on mine and I mean it."

She fell silent and Billy waited for her to say something, anything. Finally, he wrapped a sheet around his hips and emerged from behind the screen to look at her.

She raised her head from where she'd been staring at the inscription on her ring. Wordlessly, she slid the ring back onto her finger and just looked at him with wide, clear eyes.

"I don't." He winced. "Abigail. I don't know what you were… Oh, Christ, Abigail."

"Just say whatever it is you're thinking," she said plucking at her chemise. "I won't -"

"I want to bed my wife," he said all in a rush and he watched her eyes widen. "You. Abigail, I want to bed you, my wife."

Her cheeks flushed as she smiled and his heart stuttered. "Oh, thank heavens," she said, slumping a little.

"What?" he asked. "You...want me to…?" He gestured to her and she nodded.

"Yes, very much," she said. "But, I didn't have the slightest idea how to go about asking. I'm afraid I rather used up my courage asking you to marry me. I'm not sure how much is left."

"Scores of it, I'd wager," he said chuckling. "You're much braver than I am, sweetheart; that's for damn sure."

She smiled brightly, and stood up. Billy stared at her. The firelight behind her turned her thin chemise sheer and he could see every single curve of her body and Christ alive, he wanted her.

He stepped forward and so did she. Her lips trembled and that was the last straw. Billy surged to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. His mouth covered hers and she responded immediately; her arms twined around his neck and she rose up to press as close as she could to him. He felt the sweet swell of her breasts against his chest and his arm lowered to cradle her fully against him as he walked them to the bed.

Her hair fanned out on the thin pillow when he set her down and her fingers dug into his shoulders as she kept her mouth on his. His tongue stroked along hers again and again and he discovered his hips matched the rhythm they set. His cock was unbearably hard and it hardened even more when he dragged his palm along the length of her bare leg, her knee, her thigh; he ruched up her chemise as he touched her.

With a swift tug that sent her hair every which way around her flushed face, he pulled her chemise off her and she was bare beneath him.

"God above, Abigail," he murmured before he lowered his head to her breasts.

Fuck, the sounds she made as he licked and suckled at her breast had him rutting against the mattress. Every soft gasp and sigh and keen filled him with a desire that burned hotter and hotter.

He slipped his hand between her thighs and lightly touched where she burned the hottest. She gasped sharply and he looked up to meet her eyes.

"All right?" he asked.

She nodded, but said nothing. Not taking his eyes from hers, he slid his finger along where moisture had begun to collect. She worried her lip and when he teased his finger inside her, her eyelids fluttered shut and her head fell back, exposing her white throat.

Something like a growl built in his chest and he slid down the bed to cover her with his mouth.

Abigail yelped and he lifted his head. She stared at him and asked, "Are you… Is that… What?"

"It's all right," he said as he kissed her stomach. "I need you to feel good, Abigail. I'll not take you until you feel good."

"All right," she said slowly.

He pressed another kiss to her stomach and then went back to her. Her taste exploded over his tongue. Fuck, she tasted of fucking roses. Roses and sea spray and he couldn't get enough. His tongue laved and thrust into her. He had to hold a hand against her hips as she rocked and moaned along with his ministrations.

His tongue swiped along the top of her cunt and with a cry, she shuddered under him. Billy lifted his head to see her bite down on her hand as she came. With a tug, he pulled the sheet away from his hips and crawled up the length of her and blindly, she reached for him. Her mouth found his and her tongue licked into his mouth and she pulled back.

"Is that-?" she asked.

"What you taste like?" he said. "Yeah. You taste like heaven, Abigail."

"Billy," she said before she leaned up to kiss him. Her hands moved over every part of him she could reach and he moaned into her mouth. His cock prodded against her thigh and he lifted his head.

"I can't… Abigail, I have to," he said as he fisted his cock and rubbed it against where she was so very wet.

Her eyes flickered down to where they were nearly joined and she swallowed. But then she looked up at him and cupped his face in her small hands.

"Yes," she said. "Scores of courage, right? I'm not afraid. And I won't break. Please, Billy."

He thrust into her.

Later, he'd only be able to recall their coupling in flashes. The curve of her hip beneath his palm. The intense heat of her around his cock. How she arched under him as he curled himself over her as he thrust again and again. However, the moment he would take to his grave with him was the way she breathed his name when she found her pleasure again and when he spilled into her. Then they were silent as they held each other with strong hands as they trembled in the aftermath.

Afterwards, Billy eased himself off of her and drew her close. Eventually, her shivers as well as his own ceased and they lay curled around one another, utterly spent and shaken.

"This idea of yours, to be married," he said after he cleared his throat. "It was truly an excellent idea."

There was a brief moment of silence, then Abigail laughed. Billy chuckled and the bed shook as they dissolved into shared mirth. Abigail rose up and pressed a kiss to his chest, then his neck, then his jaw.

"Yes," she said smiling up at him. "I rather think so, too."

He grinned and kissed her still laughing mouth, and he spared a moment to recall the innkeeper's words. Well, they were both smiling, so he must have done something right.

It took them the better part of a day to reach Abigail's property. While Billy had never been a farmer, he could tell that the land wasn't good for much apart from grazing; however Abigail's relations were kind and honest. They seemed apprehensive about Billy and Abigail, but it didn't take long for Abigail to win them over and once they saw how unafraid Billy was of hard work, he was welcomed, as well.

A week passed.

Then another.

And another.

Billy hadn't quite stopped inspecting everyone he met for ulterior motives, but he found that he felt something akin to comfort and working the land was a challenge he accepted and took satisfaction from every time he learned something new.

Abigail flourished. He'd known she would. At heart, she was a woman of action and took to managing the aspects of her little plot of land with ease and delight. He suspected it was the delight that won over the majority of the others. She wanted to learn and she wanted to do things right. Her genuine enthusiasm was infectious and he discovered that he had no desire to leave, even though she'd given him the option at the start.

It was this thought that plagued his thoughts one night as they slept in their cottage. The winds had picked up in the last hour and he watched the shadows of the trees dance along the walls. Abigail sighed in her sleep beside him and he looked at her. Her freckle constellation of Lyra was just visible on her skin in the moonlight and he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and then got up.

Once in the sitting room, he stoked the fire back up and soon had a decent blaze going. He sat on the floor in front of it and studied the flames.

After a long while, he pulled the wrinkled bit of paper from his pocket and turned it over and over in his hand.

A creak on the stair made him smile and he looked up as Abigail entered the room.

"You're here?" she asked.

"Did you think I'd left?" he replied.

"I always knew it was a possibility," she said quietly, her expression serene, but he saw the worry in her eyes.

He shook his head and held out a hand to her. She took it and let him pull her into his lap. Billy pressed a kiss to her head and she rested her hand on his chest.

The firelight shone on the bit of paper and exposed the black lines of ink.

"What is that?" Abigail asked softly.

"This," Billy said matter-of-factly, "is a map to the last known chest of the Urca gold."

She sucked in a breath. "Billy-"

"Silver gave it to me, for safe-keeping," he said. "Then hell broke loose and, well. Here we are." He took a deep breath. "He betrayed me. They betrayed me. And I betrayed him. I'll spend the rest of my life looking over my fucking shoulder for him. Or for whoever feels like they want to take their chances for that cursed treasure. But I'm not going to give him or anyone else the means to find it."

He tossed the paper into the fire. Abigail's fingers flexed on his chest and she pressed her forehead to his chin and they watched the map burn.

Billy shifted her in his lap so that her eyes met his. "I'm not leaving, Abigail. I don't know what ghosts will come for me or if they ever will. I'm loyal to you, no one else. I want to make this land prosperous and I want to be yours. If you'll still have me."

"Always," she said nodding. "I'm yours, Billy. I don't want anything else. Just this. And I'll face any ghost that dares to take you from me and I'll send back to whatever hell they dared to come from."

"Christ, I love you," he said before kissing her. "I don't deserve any of this. I don't deserve you, but I'm going to earn it."

"We both will," she said between kisses. "We'll earn our second chances and our futures. I swear we will."

Her hands were sure as they opened his trousers and he pulled her nightgown up and off of her, and he guided her atop him and she sank down the length of his cock. They groaned into each other's mouth and he slowly lifted her up and down. She dragged her teeth over his lower lip and he jolted at the feeling, and thrust his hips up sharply. Abigail cried out and shuddered and Billy spared a moment to worry that he hurt her, but she rocked again and again and he dug his fingers into her flesh.

She came with another cry and he held her hips down on him as he pulsed within her. He wrapped his arms around her body and she pressed open-mouthed kisses along his chest.

"We'll be able to see the Northern Crown from here," he said lightly brushing his lips over her hair. "It's been some time since I saw it. It's not always visible in the islands. It may be a good still point for us."

"Mmm," she said. "As long as I can still find you, I'll have the still point I want." She lifted her head. "Although, I'll miss seeing Andromeda."

"She'll come back," he said kissing her upturned lips. "Perseus will always find her."

She smiled and they fell asleep together, curled up in front of the fire where a priceless treasure map burned to nothing.

Five years later…

The man with the brown eyes was terrified. They were after him. He didn't know who, but someone thought he possessed something that he didn't have.

He'd always known that his luck would run out and he'd had one hell of a streak, but it always ran out in the end.

Thing was, he'd been Billy Bones for so long, he didn't know how to be anyone else at this point.

Maybe it was just as well, who he truly was wasn't worth much, but dying as Billy Bones?

Perhaps, that'd be just as much fun as living as him.