A/N: I'd like to thank all of you, whether it be on , tumblr, or AO3. You guys kept me going in a time where I felt like this story was falling apart, and I kept judging myself far too harshly. Reading your reviews and talking to you all kept me motivated, and a next chapter will not take 4 weeks. I promise. I've missed you all far too much to allow that to happen.

I thank you for your patience, and I hope you like it.

"Captain dark skies ahead," Captain Edward Kenway looked over to his quartermaster who was pointing to the sky. The clouds were as black as night, swirling around as if a little girl was dancing between them. He could hear the faint sound of thunder in the distance as they headed straight for it.

"We can't change course mate."

"But captain-"

"I promised Kidd I'd follow him to this plantation, and he doesn't look to be turning away either."

"It looks to be a monster."

"Aye, so let's tame her. Prepare the ship for the storm, tie the cannons down, put us up in half sail as we approach her, and make sure as many men we can spare get below decks."

"Captain if Master Kidd wants to play death then by all means we shall watch, but to follow him into this beast?"

Edward thought back on how worried Mary was growing for the state of her assassins, and he had promised to come with her to take a Templar out. Abandoning her now would cause their friendship an even further break that he would not accept to happen. "I'm sorry Ade, I will not leave his side this time. He lost his quartermaster a few months back, he's worried for his crew now. I'm coming to make sure a job gets done so he doesn't have to worry 'bout it. Relax, it's just a storm."

Turning from his friend to the helm he watched Mary's ship in the distance pull up her sails as the rain began to fall and he screamed for the others to do the same. His men ran around doing what needed to be done as the waves grew higher and his own doubts began to sit in. It wasn't a hurricane, but it certainly wasn't a quick thunderstorm either.

It was simple enough, the waves washed over deck and all men held onto whatever they could fine. Lightening lite up the sea around them, thunder roared like a jaguar about to attack, and the clouds swirled down from their sky to the water. Waterspout fell one by one around them and his own heart began to race. He played a dodging game with them, not daring to get close but one seemed to be fond of his friend.

Edwards heart raced as the waterspout headed straight to Mary's ship and he stood helpless, letting go of the helm and putting his hands over his mouth as he watched wood pieces fly into the air, being thrown all around him. He felt Ade grab his arms, shoving him down to the floor as they waited for the beast to hit them or go another way. A heart beat sounded in his ear as he gripped his hands over his head as the roaring grew louder until everything stopped.

A ray of sunlight shown over the deck as Edward got to his feet, hair sticking to his face as he looked around them at the storm breaking up into nothing but a mist of rain. His happiness only lasted a moment as he looked over to where Mary's ship had been and saw nothing but pieces of wood, men floating on their stomachs and a faint outline of what used to be her ship drifting off the way.

"Ade get two of our lifeboats into the water and look for survivors," Edward told his friend as he ran down the deck of his ship, opening the hatch and screaming for his men to get up and get the sails down. "We have to catch the ship before it drifts to danger, come on!"

Mary wouldn't die this way, certainly not out as sea from a storm. No, Mary had only just punched him in the jaw two days earlier, laughed with him over a pint, and left him aching to hold her like a man would hold a woman. His siren was not going to the sea just yet, and he had to find her. The Jackdaw set down its search and rescue boats as the main sails went free, Edward racing to get to the broken boat. When they arrived he let go of the helm, letting Ade get the ship ready to drag Mary's in but Edward wasn't going to wait for that. He took off in a sprint, grabbing ahold of his rope swing and swung onto her deck, landing where she would have been at helm.

Bodies were around him, a few moaning out in pain but none of them wore her green jacket or her red bandanna. "Kidd!" Edward screamed out, but heard nothing in response. Panic rose within him as he leapt over the railing to the deck and spotted her laying on her side, curled up in a ball. Edward went to her, kneeling down beside her and gently rolled her on her back.

Her hair was matted with blood, her bandanna was over her neck, and she looked so pale. He lifted her up, running his hand through raven hair and holding her head to his chest as his feet carried her onto his ship. He wouldn't allow for anyone to join him in the cabin to help her, for no one could know her secret.

"Just another moment Mary, I'll patch ya up," He whispered to her as he laid her on his cot, pulling her bandanna off and went to grab a rag and some water. He dabbed at her head wound, cleaning her up the best he could. She woke when he dribbled water into her mouth, causing him to begin to laugh as she moaned out in pain, grabbing at her head.

"Not now lass."

"K-Kenway?" She whispered, looking around at her surroundings and finally to him before reaching over and grabbing his hand. "Where's my ship?"

"It's still intact, we're headed to a port to get it repaired."

"Fuckin storm blew me off my helm, should a nev'a tried to sail through it. I know better. How many dead?"

"Don't worry about that n-"

"I ain't some lady Edward, how many dead?"

"I'd guess about fifty or so."

"Most my crew then," Mary said through her teeth, moving to sit up as he helped her.

"We'll get her fixed, we'll find you more men."

"They aren't just my crew Kenway, they're my family," She turned to him as a tear rolled down her cheek before she shoved him off, throwing her legs over the bed.

"We all make mistakes Mary."

"Aye, but that doesn't make it any easier to cope with now does it Edward?"

"You've no right!"

"I've all the right! I put a gun in ya hand, I talked ya into learning a cutlass, I'm the reason you're walkin' 'round in trousers! Ya are goin' to leave this piracy behind. Ya will listen to me Anne."

"You're not my mother nor my father Mary. I left them, to come here and be free!"

"And bein' free will only get ya more time in prison. If ya father-"

"If my father sends for me? Is that what you're worried about? He's disowned me, he let me rot in that prison when I wrote to him to set us free!"

"Piracy is over Anne! Don't ya see that? Edward and I agreed it was done, it's nothing to play at anymore. Ya can stare at me like a lost child all ya want, I hate saying it. It was my life, my pride! Don't ya think for a moment I enjoy admitting this all to ya!"

"You have somewhere to go! You have a family!"

"Ya, you Annie! The one person who has always had my back. No one fought by my side when that ship was attacked, no one sat in that prison next to me but ya! I wouldn't be tellin' you this if I didn't love ya."

"To just end it, what are we going to go? What am I going to do? At least you have Kenway a-"

"And I have ya! I have him but I have you too Anne. You have us. I will never leave ya. I will always have ya back."

"For how long? Until you two have a child of ya own and forget poor ol' Annie living in your guest home."

"Ya know it won't be like that, it never has now has it? As I recall ya the one who tosses ya friends aside in the pursuit of men."

"Fuck you."

"Yes Annie, fuck me! For tryin' to have ya back like I always have!"

"I don't need you watching over me anymore! I didn't have ya for two years Mary! I don't need you anymore!"

"Ya always need ya friends."

"I need a friend, not some cunt who think she can boss me around."

The silence that fell over the room after Anne called Mary a cunt was eerie. Edward was by all means an innocent bystander, just a normal man who came to visit his healing friend the day before they departed to Nassau. Frightened wasn't the word he was feeling when he turned the corner and hid behind the wall as their voices had risen. He knew if he walked in there all that anger would have been thrown his way: best to hide from angry woman he had learned over the years.

It was the cracking off wood that caused him to finally poke his head around the corner to find Mary lifting a chair above her head and throwing it at the wall in front of her as Anne simply crossed her arms to glare at her friend.

"Ya know what, fuck you Anne!" Mary snapped, kicking shattered pieces of wood out of her way as she stormed from the room, not giving him as much as a glance before the door slammed of Ah Tabai's home. He stayed but a moment until he heard the sniffling of tears and went to comfort his friend, finding her laying down now with her hands over her face. It was odd, choosing to come to her. But he knew if he'd go to comfort Mary she'd beat him bloody before asking him why he was there.

"Annie…"

"Not now Edward," She sniffled, looking over to him. Edward simply shook his head, and began cleaning up the mess Mary had made. They didn't talk much and just left the other to cry or clean. When the task was complete he nudged her over and laid down beside her, putting an arm around her and kissing her forehead.

"What did you two fight about?"

"Nothing."

"Didn't seem like nothing."

"Just a spat."

"Over?"

"You. You leaving without me. Her wanting to peck at me like a hen does to a child."

"She's just worried is all lass."

"There's a fine line between being worried and nagging me. I can't join you on your last adventure."

"We'll always have adventures Annie."

"We won't be pirates."

"We'll always be pirates. We'll carry on Nassau's legacy until we meet our end. If we keep doing what we've done for years we'll be hanged at the neck, with no little baby in your stomach to save ya this time lass."

Anne went quiet, turning to him before laying her head on his chest. It was awful to think about, moving on from a life he'd been living for nearly ten years now. But what else would there be to do? Being a pirate was asking to be killed before you took down your first ship. No more were the days of sailing until you ran out of food, boarding a ship to pillage all of its goods, or laying down with any one or two sweet lasses willing to spread their legs.

"Come back to me you promise? You and Mary."

"You have my word Annie."

As the sun set Edward left Ah Tabai's home before the master came home, not wanting to deal with logic for one day. It was time to find Mary, to pack up his things, and play with Amara one night more before he set off to bring his girls home. For he had to find her, had to keep some sort of promise to Caroline alive. He may have left her, broken his promise of returning but now he had a second chance to redeem himself, to be a good man. As he came upon his home he could see Amara standing on the table with Mary sitting on a chair, leaning back and talking to her. Her voice was faint, and the little girl was simply nodding and holding the rabbit he had given her tightly.

"We'll be back, just a little while."

"Pwamise?"

"Promise," She whispered, leaning up to kiss her forehead. She lifted her down, letting her run off to the back garden before turning to look to him. She seemed tired, her hair had fallen down and her hands were shaking.

"You look as if you need a good pipe of opium."

"Haven't done that in years. I just need a drink."

"Anne's sorry, for calling you a cunt."

"Anne can rot in that bed for all I care right now," She spat as Edward moved to pour her a glass of rum. He moved to her, leaning against the table next to her as she downed her shot and laid her forehead on the table in defeat. His hand found her hair, gently rubbing the tension from her scalp as he listened to Amara laugh outside.

"You don't mean that."

"Aye."

"Your temper is still as fierce as ever."

"No amount of training helped with that, used to be worse though."

"Oh really?" He laughed as she leaned up to look at him.

"When I was in the Navy some big ol' fat man tried to make me his brig bitch. 'Oi boy, I need ya to come here and clean me pots out. Oi boy get over here an' help me with my boots.' Just days in and days out. Haytham didn't know I was a lass then, but he was my friend. So one day big ol' Davey, that was the fat man's name, he tried to make me suck his cock, said he needed a release only a pretty young boy could give him. He didn't so much as grab the back of my head to shove me down then I had him on his back, pistol pressing on his forehead. Haytham came runnin' in, heard all the slamming. 'Get off of him! Ya can't kill him on board the ship!' Fair enough then right Kenway? So as ya can imagine as soon as we made landfall I had him in eight different pieces and throwing him to the dogs. Now though? I wouldn't be so quick to kill an innocent, for he was innocent enough. Sure he was vile but did he deserve a death as painful as the one I gave him for finding me a pretty young lad?"

"I would have just beaten him up a bit, showed him whose boss."

"Exactly. First thing I had to do was make sure he never breathed again. Could ya imagine knowing me before the assassins?"

"You would have killed me by now."

"Probably, though I've always been fond of ya pretty face. I knew ya were a good man, somewhere deep in your greedy soul. I most likely would have used you, I wasn't the nicest person either. We all have made mistakes, it's growing from them that defines us though."

"Still, you should tell Anne you're sorry."

"Aye I should. But Jaysus that lass can piss me off quicker than you used to."

"She's good at poking you."

"So are ya. Come on, we've got one more night in a warm bed before we're off to the sea."

"We'll find Jenny, won't we?" He asked her as she stood, reaching out and taking her hand. She looked to him, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing the back of it as Amara ran in the room asking them to come play with her outside.

"We'll bring her home, ya have my word we'll find ya little girl."

The burning of sweet rum poured down his throat as Edward sat inside the local tavern. Tonight was a grim night, for another old friend had been put to rest thanks to him. He sat there a broken man, filling his cup with another shot and waiting as the world turned into a beautiful blur. The voices of young ladies singing a sweet song filled the air as well as the stench of piss. He hated Havana, hated how every time he came here he thought back on his first day he became Mr. Duncan Walpole.

He rose, slamming his cup on the table and watching the world spin as he took a first step, acting much like a young babe trying to walk. He'd long since lost his sense of standing, had given into the sweet goddess of the drink. A younger him would have started a fight, but Captain Edward was feeling a bit randy instead.

For tonight he'd fuck in honor of his friend Stede, the gentleman pirate who had more faith in him than anyone on this Earth, beside Kidd that was. Very few people thought him to be a nice man and he seemed to be losing them as each day passed. As he came from the tavern he leaned against the wall to support before hearing a voice he thought he knew but hadn't heard in some time.

"It's not the time, I told ya to wait until I found ya."

"I just wanted to help, I missed ya a bit. I was just happy for your little return tonight."

"I'm just as happy to see ya as well lass, but I have other things in mind then seeing ya tonight."

"Ya promised in your letter you'd come by show me your new tricks."

Edward knew he had to have drank far too much, he was sure he heard his old friend Rhona talking to Mary Read. He leaned against the home he had been holding onto, trying to peer around the corner and sure enough the sight was enough to tighten his pants. Rhona had Mary pinned against a fence, their faces just inches apart and Mary didn't look too pleased.

"Let me go, I'll be back in a moment lass."

"Just a moment of ya time! All I need!"

"Perhaps when we're not begin watched, for someone in charge of a bureau ya still a bad sight ain't ya lass?" Mary shoved her off, turning to lock eyes with him and he did the only thing he could logically do. He came out form his hiding spot, attempted to stand up straight and smiled to them both.

"I can't think of a better pair of fine people to spend my night with. Perhaps I'd like to learn these new tricks Kidd."

"Sod off Kenway, it's a pleasure seeing ya mate though. Drunk as usual though, how do ya put up with him Kidd?"

"I haven't seen him in quite some time," Mary whispered, locking eyes with him as her brows furrowed in worry for just a moment. "Are ya okay Edward?"

"M'fine lass," He whispered back to her, not able to look away. "It's nice to see you."

"Do you two need a room? I mean I thought it'd just be ya Kidd but Kenway is a fine man."

"Ya look as grim as the last I saw ya. You've lost a friend, m'sorry to hear Kenway."

"Stede…Stede Bonnet actually. I just, I need a shot. Rhona you surely will go get me some rum?"

"Fuck off mate I-"

"Rhona get him a drink, I'll get him to a bed," Mary snapped to her friend who shot her a glare before storming away. She came to him, her arm around his waist as she helped him walk down the road in their comfortable silence. The air was as humid as ever, an afternoon storm had made sure the night would be anything but comfortable.

They reached the outside of the bureau when a large bang filled the air and a shot blew out the stone just inches from Mary's face. She grabbed him, practically shoving his body behind the wall as Rhona jumped over the far wall, a bottle of rum in hand.

"What the fuck was tha' Kidd?"

"My contract."

"They followed ya?"

"Didn't think so, guess I was wrong."

"I thought you were one of the best!"

"I never claimed to be good at this! Shut ya mouth Rhona! Give Kenway his rum."

"Yes please, I'd like to be drunk before I die."

"No one's dying, he's got nothing but a pistol and ya lot acting like I've walked ya into your death," Mary snapped as a red barrel was flown over their head, crashing into the middle of the court. Edward stared at the gunpowder, looking over to Rhona as she grabbed him and threw him on the ground, shielding him as a torch was thrown over the wall.

His ears rang, his head spinning as he sat up, Rhona lifting him up and putting a pistol in his hand. Mary was kneeled beside him, grabbing her own gun from her hip. She placed the powder in the pistol, using her teeth to rip off a sachet to dump another load in before turning to look at him as she finished loading her gun. "We go in from the left, stay together alright? Every time I send ya off on your own ya get shot," She said staring at him.

"One time."

"Twice."

"Perhaps two, I seem to forget how many times I've been shot for ya."

"Taken a bullet for ya too ya know."

"Can the two of ya stop fightin' like a married couple and get goin?" Rhona snapped as she ran to the other end of the wall, looking out before running across the street using the cover of darkness. May grabbed his arm, pulling him along with her as she used the smoke left from the explosion to her advantage to be closer to her target.

"Who is your contract?"

"Templar."

"Nah, thought it may be a civilian."

"Ya wouldn't know him."

"Clearly, I do such a good job keeping myself away from your assassins."

"If ya don't shut your fucking gob I'll stab ya in the belly alright?"

"Now Mary, no killing innocents."

"Ya hardly innocent Kenway," She snapped to him, freezing when a body fell beside them. He felt sick, listening to the crunch of the corpse and how blood splattered over him. Mary only sighed, standing up and glaring up at the dark figure above them.

"While you two flirted I did ya work for ya! You owe me Kidd!"

"Fine, ya can have Kenway for the night!

"That's hardly a prize! Can I tie him up a bit eh?"

"If ya like. He looks to be sick though, too much rum in his belly to handle watching a body hit the ground," Mary smiled before turning to him, kneeling down beside him and lifted his chin. Her eyes glimmered under the moonlight as she wiped the blood from his face. "I'm sorry 'bout ya friend but we have to move on in this world without those we love standing beside us. Ya have me though, I may nag but ya will always be my friend Edward."

"Shut that fucking thing up," Edward groaned, listening to the sound of something smacking the end of his bed over and over again. He reached over to grab Mary and only found empty blankets which led him to throw a pillow down at the noise.

A quick second later he felt the pillow come back and hit him in the cheek. He rose, glaring down at Amara standing at the end of his bed and Mary behind her, in only a loose shirt giggling behind her daughter. "Get 'em little dove." She whispered, giving Amara a little wooden hammer that must have been pounding on his bed.

"Don't do it now lass."

"Wakey! Daddy wake!" She squealed, running over to him and falling into his arms as she giggled. He lifted her up, throwing her above his chest before catching her and listening to her laughter fill the room. "Up, up!" And he did it again and again until Mary came to his side, leaning down and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before snatching Amara into her own arms.

"Come on, get dressed we've got to get you to Ah Tabai's home now."

"Ah tibi and Anne!"

"That's right, I'll be back soon alright? Remember where we're going?"

"Boat to birdie."

"That's right, got to get the Jackdaw back. Ya a quick one."

Edward stood up listening to them talk as he went around the room and threw on his clothing, happy Mary's temper seemed to be at an end. She was a spitfire, quick to temper and held on to her anger like it was precious to her. He gathered her clothing and carried it out to her, finding her in the other bedroom braiding Amara's hair back. "You look beautiful in your little dress."

"Pwetty," She whispered, holding the rabbit he had given her three day prior to her chest. Edward gave Mary her clothing, picking Amara up and carried her outside to where they would wait for Mary to join them. And soon she did and he smiled to her, though when she smiled back he thought he saw a flicker of anger was left in her gaze which only meant he was in for a long day.

They arrived to Ah Tabai's home where Anne was standing just outside the door, leaning onto the wall fitted in loose clothing. "Annie," He smiled, setting Amara down and hugged her tightly, breathing in her sweet floral scent.

"I'll watch her well Edward don't ya worry. Mary stop glaring."

"Not glaring at ya," Mary mumbled, shoving Edward off and pulled her friend into a tight hold, pressing a kiss to Anne's forehead. "Take it easy, ya will solve nothing by being active in a time when ya need rest. I'll watch over our dear Kenway I promise."

"I've no doubt about that," Anne smiled, nudging Mary who only gave her a sharp glare.

"Mary and Edward Kenway, I do expect to see the both of you return with your Jackdaw within a month."

"If it's longer we'll write mentor, I promise," Mary told him, walking over to him and giving him a quick hug before smiling down to Amara and lifted her up. "You behave ya hear me? I'll be back."

"To play?"

"We'll play all ya want. I love ya little one, be good," Mary whispered, hugging Amara tightly before handing her over to Ah Tabai who smiled to the little girl as Anne shuffled over to them and poked her in the nose.

"We can play here while they're gone alright?"

"Bye mummy, daddy," Amara whispered, hugging her rabbit closely as Edward reached over and pulled Mary away from their friends. They made it half way down the road when they heard the little girl cry and he sighed, going to grab Mary's hand but feeling her shove him off.

"Going to stay mad forever?"

"No, don't need comfort is all. If I owe her one thing in my life it's to come back to her."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Everyone dies Edward, it's just a matter of time. I've escaped it once, who's to say I'll be so lucky a second time around? Victoria knows how to play this game, and it makes me sick. I want her dead."

"As do I lass, I promise. Now come on we've got a day's worth of good sailing by the looks of the sky."

"Wind's calm to, it's a good thing then."

They boarded the ship, Mary falling into her place of yelling at them to work quicker and more efficiently while he sailed them out to sea. The wind was steady, the skies white and sparse as they sailed through the day until night began to fall. Mary agreed to take the first night and Edward went to retire to bed, shutting the cabin door and looking around the room.

It was nothing compared to his own, his aching for his ship was only lessened by the growing hole in his heart for Jenny. His sweet girl was far too innocent to be dragged into this mess. Grabbing a map from the desk he fell onto the cot, kicking his boots off and studied the area around Nassau when he heard the cabin door open, looking over to find Mary glaring down to him.

"Everything alright?"

"It's calm, just sailing is all," She mumbled, staring at him before she reached up and yanked her hair free and he was over to her in a heartbeat.

He pinned her against the wall, watching her go from glaring to the bed to giving him a quizzical look.

"I don't like being treated like prey."

"I think I make a fine predator," He whispered as his lips captured her own, hands running down from her arms and sliding around her waist to pull her close. He was cautious of her needs, allowing her to kiss him back until he'd continue on. But when her hands yanked out his hair from its ribbon and gripped it he lifted her up, carrying her over to the bed.

Mary was a fine beauty, a beauty ten years ago he wouldn't have found appeal in. Her lips were chapped from years of sun and salt water exposure, and her hands weren't soft and kind like Caroline's but hard and calloused from tugging on rope for years. She wasn't shy from what she wanted either, and it gave him flips in his lower abdomen.

As he laid her on the bed he lifted up his arms, tugging his coat off and allowing her to lean up to unlace his shirt, her eyes never leaving him or shying away. "Do you blush?"

"Not often," She mumbled, giving him a glare for such a stupid question. Grabbing the hem of his shirt she yanked it off, instantly coming to run her hands across his chest and down his stomach, smiling to herself like a child who had found her new favorite play toy.

"Do you like what you see lass?"

"Ain't nothing I've never seen before. Ya have pretty tattoos though, one around ya nipple surely had to hurt."

"I was drunk, don't remember it much."

"Typical Kenway, too drunk to realize what he's doing," She smiled, sitting up and wrapping a leg around his waist and before he knew it he was on his back and staring up at her as she straddled his stomach. Her trousers scratched at his skin, tickling him ever so slightly. "But let me make one thing clear Edward, ya will never be a predator in this thing we have. I don't play nice."

"Well either do I," Edward whispered as she leaned over him, her black hair causing a curtain around her face as her lips found his neck and she bit him, marking him like he did to so many whores. Loving Mary was nothing less than a surprise every day. Everything he knew to be true of a woman was questioned by her and it was nothing less than exciting. Her hands slid down his stomach until she had her fingertips dancing just above his waistband. "This is cruel, surely you can take some clothes off by now."

"No," She leaned up from his neck, giving him a wink before placing a kiss on his cheek. In a moment he knew this game and he grabbed her before she could get up, leaving him to be by himself yet again. "Let me go Edward, m'not ready."

"I think you are, but you enjoy leaving me with a problem in my trousers."

"Half true, I do enjoy teasing ya," Mary sighed, shoving him away from her and moved to sit with him as he scooted to give her some room. He reached over, taking her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

"Ya know Kenway. All this talk as of late of me leaving Nassau to fall and ya always like to forget when ya left for Africa without so much as a goodbye. I saw ya once before I made it to Port Royal, when we sat on the beach and Annie tried to put flowers in my hair. Ya chased Rogers around and just left ya friends."

"I had to find the observatory, I had to chase my treasure. It's remarkable to think back on that time, and how disgusted I grew of him. He killed far too much for me, and I suppose I knew it all wasn't worth it anymore," He spoke, watching her look up at him with her brows furrowed.

"Was it worth saving the observatory? Saving our creed?"

"Wasn't worth the loss it could have given me. I could of lost Annie and Ade, and I lost you for so long Mary. Looking back on all of it, of the life I led here, it's filled with bittersweet memories. I miss our pirate republic, I miss sailing in the open waters with nothing but freedom blowing me to my next treasure chest, and by god I miss fighting over a pint with old friends. Thatch, Charles, Rackham, even Ben. We felt invincible."

"There lays the problem with most men then eh? Thinking ya can take on the world without anything to hold ya back. I miss it to Kenway, I truly miss being able to walk next to you as my equal and watching our city grow."

"You still are my equal."

"To ya maybe, but if we move out of the Caribbean I will be nothin' more than ya property."

"You know I won't allow that to happen, I wouldn't put you in a box."

Mary moved up from the bed, reaching over to cup his face as she leaned down to give him a gentle kiss. "I know, why do ya think I'm willing to stick 'round? Maybe another night we can try to get a bit randy but not tonight. Rest ya pretty blue eyes for me, we'll switch at dawn."

He rose to pull her to his chest, running a hand through her hair as she did nothing but huff in annoyance. Edward couldn't help but laugh at her, "Wake me up when you're tired alright? Perhaps be a bit naked eh? I'm only kidding you Mary."

"Sure ya are, that's what they all say right? Goodnight Kenway, dream of sweet things," She gently shoved him off, reaching down to throw on her coat and left his cabin with the soft click of his door shutting. He stood for a moment until he fell back on to his bed and closed his eyes.

The morning came with Mary nudging him, yawning as she threw off her coat and glared down at him. "We'll be in Nassau by dusk, get sailin' I made us good time."

"Course ya did lass, wouldn't expect anything less from Captain Kidd."

"Hmph, haven't been Captain Kidd in years, miss it. Mornin' Kenway."

"Goodnight Mary," He smiled as he got off the bed and let her lay down where he had been, watching her tug a pillow to her chest. A few moments of trying to get dressed quietly he left his cabin, narrowing his eyes as the bright sun shone down ahead.

The billowing of the sails cracked in the wind as he waved a hello to his crew and walked up to the helm. A young boy stood there and he kindly took over, suddenly missing a presence he had grown so used to. Anne should be standing to his right, her hands on her hips and screaming down at them to get their act together.

"Sir, Navy ahead, shall we sail around them?"

"Aye, today is not a day to fight lads. Keep the English flag up for now, I thank you for your time sailing with me."

"It's an honor Captain Kenway, we've heard so much about you and your Jackdaw."

"Unfortunately I'm not half the captain I should be without her. We sail for Nassau lads, and hopefully we'll find some answers so I can get you back to your lives in Havana."