A/N: Just stop being so flawless, all of you. Thank you to everyone who reads this and reviews, favorites or just happens to stumble upon it. I never imagined this story being so loved by so many of you. Thank you so very much!

The air was to cold, to crisp. Every snap of a branch seemed to echo for miles on end as Edward crouched to the ground, hiding amongst the brush. He had one goal in mind: to kill the man who had stolen Anne's favorite sash. Silly some might think, but Kenway was well past sober and Anne had come to him crying her eyes out. Who was he to deny a pretty lass some help? Rackham was too far plastered to help her, so he'd step in and be her knight in shining armor. Kidd's ship was just docking so Mary couldn't help which led him have all the honor.

He was the captain of the great Jackdaw, and had some silly assassin traits that made Read want him, and he'd get her. Her or Anne, his mind was too fuzzy to care about which but he wanted one of them to warm his bed tonight. Bring in the sash, show Mary just how honorable he can be. Only all of this would have been possible if he hadn't jumped onto a slicked branch and fell face first into the swamp underneath of him. "For fucks sake," He spat out the murky water and looked up as four men glared down on him. "Good evening gents, names Kenway. I do believe you've taken something very dear from a pretty lady"

"Kenway eh? Don't we have a bounty for a Kenway?" A fat bald man spat at the other two around him as he reached down and grabbed Edward's hands tying them together as the drunk laid there in the water.

"Think we do, lemme go look jus' takem 'im round back," A tall skinny man told the other two as he trudged through the water to grab something that looked like a bag. Kenway glared, he hadn't expected to fall in like this, or have to break his way out of some rope. But it was funny, bottle of rum in his tummy and suddenly he wasn't quite so sure how to get his legs moving properly and his ankle was throbbing from the fall. As they dragged him behind the tents and finally tied him to a tree he groaned, "Wacha doin with me? Come on mate let me know. Your friends over there don't seem very smart. Fat one, tall one, and they got you the ginger."

"Shut ya mouth. How much he worth?"

"From the King he's worth few thousand, not as much as them other captains though," Edward perked up narrowing his eyes.

"How much is everyone worth?"

"None of your business."

Edward laughed, leaning against the pole. His dream of finding Anne's sash was taking slightly too long for his liking and now he even had to escape on top of it. His mind was fuzzy as the three of them went to sit around a fire, talking about how they could go about reaching the Navy with him alive. It was funny, just a few months back the Navy had gotten him, shot him, but Mary had saved him. But Kidd was docking and he knew Mary liked to make sure her ship was in right order before going to her home and then to the tavern. Anne was probably too drunk to realize he'd been gone so long so he was left to fend for himself.

It was a bit after that when they came over, punched his face and untied him did he realize they might be serious about this whole selling his drunk ass to the Navy, "Now, now I have a lot of gold on my island. I can match my price tag."

"But you can't give us a pardon now can ya?" The fat one snarled at him, kicking his knee out so he came crashing down on it. He then watched a red dart zip through the air and land in the fat ones neck, narrowing his eyes before kicking him off and rolling down into the swamp water as the inevitable began to happen.

The other two, too focused on following him didn't see their fat friend run up to them screaming, grabbing their skulls and bashing them together. He was lost in his rage to seek blood, pounding their bodies into the sand until he passed out dead on top of them. Sure enough James Kidd jumped down from a branch over top of them and ran over to him, cursing under his breath. "Really Kenway, Anne came runnin' down to me screaming 'bout you being gone so long to get her a piece of fabric. Plastered out of ya mind no doubt."

"Save it Kidd."

"I'll talk to ya as I damn well please. Always me saving you ain't it? Ya like a princess Kenway."

"I am a white knight, who will return to the pretty lass and give her what was lost from her. Now if you'd untie me so I can get on my way."

"Can ya even stand? Saw ya limping."

"Fell on that branch you just came down from. Had too much to drink."

"You've always had too much to drunk, nothing but booze, gold, and cunt wrinkles your god damn nose. Wake up man and look at what ya doin with your life."

"Am I about to get another lecture?" He grinned up to him as he felt Kidd grab his shirt and yank him up so they were nose to nose. He gulped, having never seen Mary look quite so annoyed with him before.

"You're about to get my blade in ya throat. I lecture ya cause I know you better then ya know yourself Kenway. You're a damn good man, someone I'm right proud to call friend but ya need to get your priorities straight. Seeking a life for a wife that's left ya won't bring ya happiness."

"She hasn't left me."

"No but she ain't write to ya in years. You have family now can't ya see that? Thatch, Anne, Vane, Ben, and I."

"It's not the same Mary just shut your fucking mouth."

"Aye, I'll shut it when you stop acting like a git. Am I not good enough for ya Kenway? Are we not enough for ya to feel a home?"

"I have a wife, we're going to live happily ever after. M'gona be rich."

"Do ya think of your wife every time you fuck a whore?" Mary snapped, letting him fall back into the water but reached down to uncut his ropes. "Find ya self-back, I'll be returning the sash to Anne. She doesn't need ya in her bed tonight."

"Mary don't leave mad at me lass…"

"Jaysus, I'll stop being mad at ya when you grow up. I'm tired of rescuing ya cause you do stupid shit like this."

"I'm always bothering you."

"Aye ya are. Now get up and hobble back to your rum. I'll be taken the lady."

"We're close! Sail strong to the East now!" Edward watched Anne shout at the crew as she turned the wheel, walking over to her and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Where's Mary?"

"Why?"

"You hiding her now?"

"She's up there smoking, let her be Edward."

"When have I ever not bothered her?"

Edward climbed up the rungs of the ladder to where the crow's nest was, where Anne had pointed to him. Mary had gone up there an hour ago and sent their watchmen down. She'd been ignoring him, dodging him for days besides her typical sassy remarks to anything he tried to shout at his crew. She'd been close to Anne, the two had been inseparable in their time on the ship but Edward was starting to feel neglected: had he upset Mary? Was she regretting their relationship conversation?

As he lifted himself over the railing he saw her on sat there, smoking her pipe with her knees pulled into her chest. She looked over to him before focusing out on the sea again as he sat down beside her. He'd been expecting to sit with James, how she normally dressed, but instead found Mary sitting here with her hair down and her shirt opened. His eyes tried not to wonder to long on her chest but the sound of her chuckling made him snap his gaze back to her eyes.

"Yer a pig, Kenway."

"I am appreciating the beauty in life."

"That what they're callin it now?" Mary blew smoke into his face before rolling her eyes.

"Urgh, why do you smoke so much? Besides, you've been ignoring me. I can't help it, it's been so long since I've seen you."

"You have never seen me tits Kenway."

"A man can dream Mary," Edward teased her back, watching her give him a look of disgust before he took her pipe and took his own puff. "Have I upset you?"

"No. Kinda like a clingy whore aren't ya? You've done nothing to upset me mate. Haven't been feeling well."

"You're sick? Should we port and get a doctor? Fuck Mary you should have told me sooner!" Edward leaned closer to her, putting his hand on her forehead only to have her jab him in his ribs and grab her pipe back.

"Stop it m'not that kind of sick. Going through my moon blood if ya want to know so bad."

"Isn't that the thing where a lass bleeds forever?" Edward wrinkled his nose reaching over and took her left hand in his right, entwining their fingers and feeling rather smug when she leaned against him and set her pipe on the ground.

"If a week is forever then ya. Didn't your wife talk to ya 'bout it?"

"Ah once but I was drunk. Hey stop laughing I'm a changed man now."

Mary looked up to him and rose up to sit down between his legs, her own hanging off the nest as she leaned back against him. He didn't ask her anything as she grabbed his hands and set them under her shirt over her stomach, merely kept wishing nothing in his trousers would begin to act up. He was a grown man, not a school boy, but she was soft…

"Keep ya hands still and I'll stay here for ya. The heat of them is helping me."

"With the bleeding thing?"

"Get cramps ya know. Can we not talk 'bout this? You're a man, shouldn't be so interested in something like this."

"Why didn't you come to me to begin with? You don't need to hide when this happens, you made me think you were upset."

"Best to hide then snap at ya. Ya want to talk, I know you well. What's bothering ya Kenway?"

"I just wanted to spend time with you."

"Aren't you a sweet lass? Did ya bring me a gift as well?"

"Mock me all you want but I know you secretly love this."

"What?"

"That I love you," He whispered, his lips pressing a kiss to her ear as she fell silent only shaking her head slightly. "Can't you tell me the same?"

"Never been in love."

"That's a lie, Anne said you were married once. In the Navy right?"

"Anne's going to get punched if she keeps tellin ya my secrets," Mary muttered as she leaned against him and sighed. "His name was Haytham. Met him in the Navy like she said. He followed me down to a spring one mornin when we docked and found out I was a lass. Only he didn't say much just mocked me behind closed doors."

"So his stalking won you over?"

"No, his urging me to fight harder did. We ended up getting married in Boston before sailin down here. We were fightin William Kidd when he took our ship, and Haytham died durin it. Didn't have time to mourn him, not till after Kidd was captured and I fell onto Thatch's ship where he took me under till I got me own."

"So you loved him?"

"Aye, haven't been so fond of another person till ya showed up."

"I am pretty aren't I?"

"Pretty arrogant yeah. So your daughter Jenny, will she like me?"

"Why wouldn't she?

"Not her mother is all. Don…Don't tell her 'bout us alright?"

"Anne doesn't know, why would Jenny? She's a kind thing, bit fond of seeing pirates though."

"Don't she know her dad is a fine one?"

"No and let's keep it that way," Edwards fingers rubbed at her skin, looking out as lights came into the far horizon. The Great Iguana loomed in the distance as he felt Mary stir only causing him to hold her closer to his chest. "Shh, just another moment. I have them porting in the rear bay and I'll take the trails to the basement of my home and get her. No one truly watches the back but old pirates and the assassin's should be too busy watching the front one. You stay here."

"Ain't a dog, take Anne with ya though I'll watch the ship," Mary grabbed the railing and pulled herself up. Edward stood as well and held her hips, watching her tie her hair back up before glaring at him. "Let me go Kenway, get ready to land."

"Promise me for once you'll listen to me and stay on board."

"And when have I not listened to ya? I believe you're the one who runs off with his head in the clouds."

"Mary."

"Kenway," She mumbled to him as he pushed her against the railing and leaned down to kiss her. Their lips brushed before the shouts of land in sight began to ring out and Anne was screaming for Edward to get down. He sighed, watching Mary laugh as she shoved him back. "And just when I was gona let ya kiss me for as long as ya wanted."

"You're a cruel woman Mary Read."

"Aye, only to ya though," Edward shook his head as he began his climb down to the deck, landing on it and jogging up to the wheel and began to take them behind where the old ruins were. Sure enough the only people in sight were some pirates sitting around a fire and a few woman warming their laps: but no assassins.

"Alright, Anne you and I are going on to get Jenny and some of her things. You get her from next door and I'll pack for her."

"You're going to pack? Do you even know what she wears?" Anne teased, looking over as Mary walked up behind Kenway and jabbed him in the ribs.

"Bring me my clothes, miss my coat."

"We'll bring you everything I have, which is most of your old things. He's got your bandanna though on his damn wrist."

"He can keep it," Mary glared to Anne who gave her an odd look before walking over to get the life boat ready to take them down onto the sea. "Don't do anything stupid Kenway."

"Like what? I'll be fine, Anne and I make a fine team," He smiled to her and walked past her, shoving Anne off the rail into the boat and laughed as she began to scold her. "Lower us down men, and Read's in charge. Don't give me that look she's a fine captain."

"So Thatch wasn't lyin. Look at ya Kenway."

"Not now Kidd, Mary, whatever you'd like lass. Just get out," Edward sat on a stool looking over as he held a very sharp knife near his groin as he began to slowly shave his blond curly hair. He listened to Mary shut the door to his room and grab a seat, sitting on it backwards as she reached over for the rum he had sat on the table next to him. "Has he told everyone now?"

"Aye, just the normal crew. Came to the tavern to find him in a right fit of laughter with Charles. Somethin 'bout you been scratchin too much and caught some bugs from a whore."

"If I wasn't in the state I am now, I'd offer you a chance to ride on my lap."

"Aye ya would wouldn't ya? Know who it was? Should check their nether bits out before you fuck em Kenway."

"Was too drunk and horny for that Kidd, you don't have a cock so you wouldn't understand."

"Don't need a cock to understand that feeling. Believe it or not Kenway woman get horny and drunk as well." Edward shot her a glare as he finished shaving his bits, throwing the pile of hair in a fire and leaning back in the chair as he tied his trousers shut. Grabbing the bottle in her hand he downed a good portion of it before giving it back, watching her drink. "So I take it, it's best to avoid the downstairs for the night."

"Perhaps."

"Weren't you teaching Anne how to fire a pistol?"

"Was yeah, till Rackham showed up and scoped her off her feet. Nasty bloke he is."

"Maybe you should have done the same."

"Kissed her once Kenway, you were there ya saw. She ain't too happy to find out I'm not a man."

"Back to the whole you don't have a cock thing."

"Funny how somethin so fragile is so powerful in this society."

"This one?"

"Don't happen in the creed Kenway. I'm an equal."

"You're an equal here Mar-"

"No I ain't. James Kidd is aye, but Mary Read is hidden," Mary handed him the bottle of rum as she rubbed at her face, shooting him a glare. "But I wouldn't change that. A pirate and an assassin, m'both."

"Only because you keep it that way."

"And what would ya have me do? Walk down there and tell 'em all I'm a lass."

"Exactly."

"You're a true idiot Kenway. Just because you're accepting don' mean they are. They're Kidd's friends' aye, but you're mine." He perked up at that, raising an eyebrow. Reaching over he cupped her face only to have her slap it away. "Stop it. Let's go get ya a pint. This is by far the oddest thing I have ever seen ya do Kenway."

"Don't worry lass, I'm always up for something to top this."

"Of all the things we've done this is by far the weirdest. Sneaking into a place where you gave the assassins to call home."

"I assure you this is not the first time I've snuck into an assassin base," Edward gave Anne a cheeky grin before she punched his arm and shot him a glare. "We'll be fine, they won't hurt us if they do see us anyways. This tunnel goes to the cellar, I'll pack up Mary and Jenny's things and you get her from next door."

"Aye, got it Edward. Just be careful alright? Everything of hers is in the chest including her weapons. Make sure you pack lots of knickers for Jenny she's just a little lass," Anne and Edward walked through the cellar still full of cases of wine, until they reached Edward's bedroom door and opened it looking around. "Use your weird sight thing, anyone near?"

Edward closed his eyes, concentrating on feeling and looked around not seeing anything red. "No, people behind the garden but they're safe. Get going she's probably sleeping it's so early." He watched her leave before going to his closet and grabbing a big sack to shove Jenny's things in. Her room was just next to his, though they hadn't done much with it. She was supposed to be living in England with him, only stay for a few nights before they set sail. Her things were still in the bag she brought with her, as he began laying things in his own. She had so many dresses, and a letter to him stating who she was that was written by Caroline's father. Mr. Scott had always hated Edward and it came to no shock that he would eventually throw Caroline's death in his face by sending him his daughter.

He was terrified of being a father, but he was going to try his best. As he went to Anne's room and opened up her trunk he heard footsteps land behind him, spinning around and locked eyes with dark ones and glared at the man, "Leave my home."

"Where is she?"

"I owe you nothing Ah Tabai. Get out."

"I do not wish to fight you Edward, but I must know where Mary is."

"You think you can keep her locked away? I almost sailed to England to escape her ghost and yet she was walking this whole time but you kept it hidden."

"It was for her safety. I was going to send for her when you left."

Edward clenched his fists feeling his anger begin to boil. He had a nasty temper and having to talk to the man who seemed to still hate him wasn't calming him down. "I can keep her safe."

"You did a fine job of that in Port Royal didn't you? You pirates were always pulling her away from her calling an-"

"Keeping her away? Do you have any idea who you're talking about? I couldn't keep her from doing what she pleased even if I tried. She is a pirate, it's a part of her as much as your creed is."

"Our creed, or are you so willing to let her dying wish go now that you know she lives?"

"Everything I do is for her. Not a god damn day went by that I wasn't haunted by her and yet you kept her from me."

"She doesn't need you."

"You should let her speak for herself."

"I'm looking out for what is best. Where is she Edward?"

"Up your arse," Edward snapped grabbing the pistol on his coat and aimed it at Ah Tabai's forehead, watching the other release his hidden blades but both froze as Anne's door opened and a little girl ran over to him and hugged his waist tightly.

"Father!"

"Hello sweetheart," He lowered his gun as Ah Tabai put his blades away and turned to leave.

"I will find her Edward. You cannot hope to keep her hidden."

"No I can't, but you seem to think you can," He snapped and lifted Mary's things from Anne's trunk then lifted Jenny up kissing her cheek.

"Anne can you grab her swords?"

"You alright?" She grabbed the weapons and carried them as they began to walk back to the cellar. "What did he want?"

"Daddy did you find your friend?"

"I did love, and she's very excited to meet you. But that man you saw wants her as well but she's hiding from him."

"Does he want to hurt her?"

"I don't know, so I'm protecting her," He smiled as he listened to Anne bust out into a fit of laughter and shot her a glare.

"Protect her, yeah maybe in your dreams," She stuck out her tongue and reached over and took Jenny from him, handing him Mary's weapons. "You look right tired, why don't you sleep? I'll carry you to our ship."

"Will I see a pirate Ms. Bonny?"

"Aye, perhaps you will." The three of them found their way back, by the time they got there the sun was over their heads and is was starting to get overly hot. Jenny was stirring in Anne's arm as Edward rowed them back to the boat, soon helping Anne with the bag and climbing aboard his ship listening to the cheers of his crew that he had returned. Jenny was giggling, running over to a few of the sailors she'd met and talking to them excitedly but Edward turned to Anne. "Mary isn't here."

"M'sure she's here, she's not the type to wait for us and welcome us back," Anne poked his nose as he turned to leave and go into his cabin. Opening the door he looked up locking eyes with Mary who was in the midst of changing.

"Get out! Shut the fuckin door Kenway! Didn't even knock!"

"It's my cabin!" Edward shut the door behind him and turned around to stare at it, listening to her muttering a string of slurs under her breath. "Nice to know you do, you know, have tits."

"One day I was gona let ya touch 'em maybe. Sure as hell ain't happenin now. Did ya get Jenny?"

"She's on deck waiting to meet you. Why weren't you out there?"

"Spilled tar on my robes, did ya grab my old things?" Edward lifted up the sack and as she grabbed it he spun around and grabbed her arms only instead of getting to tease her he felt pain blossom in his groin as she kneed him and glared. "Have any trouble?"

"Besides dealing with you? Of all the places to hit."

"I missed this, look at how pretty my vest is, and me coat," Edward glanced up as she slid on her shirt then began to button up her red and gold vest. His heart stopped for a moment, watching Mary turn into the pirate queen he'd been smitten about since the day she smeared blood on her lips. He got up and lifted her coat, helping her put it on and tilted her face up to steal a quick kiss.

"Ah Tabai is looking for you, but for now we're after your daughter."

"Jaysus sometimes I forget ya used to be such an arse with ya being so nice lately. This how you got all them whores?"

"Maybe," He chuckled, handing her, her old hidden blades and helped her slide them on her forearms. ""Come on it's time for you to meet Jenny," Taking her hand he led her out the cabin and felt her rip his hand away as they opened the door to the sun glaring in their eyes and the sound of sails fluttering in the wind.