V
Returning Home

They were about half a day's sailing away from Tulum and Mary felt the tension in her stomach. Was everyone at home safe? Had there been an attack while she was gone? She worried and she paced and finally she sat down on some barrels, resting her still sore knee and trying to put herself at ease. Edward glanced at her every once in a while and she knew he wanted to say something. Since they left that small island, she had been on edge. It had been a long trip so far. She put her one elbow on her good knee and lean her chin into her hand, staring ahead at nothing.

"You alright, Kidd?" It was Edward.

"Anxious." She replied. "I wonder if everyone is okay…"

"You have some good friends there, yeah?" He asked.

"Some of the very best" She answered honestly.

"Are they good fighters too?"

"Many of them have trained most of their lives…" She glanced at him, not bothering to hide the worry in her eyes.

"You have nothing to worry about then, James. They'll be fine. You got to believe that's true, else, you'll just end up cursing them" He threw her a grin, though his words were encouraging – if you were an optimist.

"That's great advice, Edward" She said drily. "So I already cursed them with all my worryin'?"

"Ah…No?"

She shook her head, but she was smiling. "Thanks"

They fell silent again and she could hear his men singing some shanty as they sailed. Ade and Edward plotted and talked. She hated listening. They were talking about if there was an attack on Tulum. If it was naval, they might have a fight on their hands. It made her feel even more on edge, to think of a naval battle in Tulum's meager port. Most of the Assassins knew nothing about ships and sailing – most were taken where they needed to go by others or by Mary herself. Navel battles would not go well for them.

Mary ended up going down to the lower deck to have a drink. A drink, to calm her nerves. She couldn't go in a wreck - too nervous nor could she go in pissed.

She sat down there for a long while before she headed back up to the upper deck, only for Ade and Edward to go quiet when they saw her. She made an annoyed face but there was nothing she could do but just keep her cool. She was feeling surly but that was just her nerves. The liquor had not helped; in fact all it did was upset her stomach more.

Soon enough, she could see the island on the distance. She could see smoke and her stomach dropped to her feet. She could hardly wait as they got closer. The winds were not with them, but they were not against them so they were forced to row. It was slow progress and it pained Mary to the core. She wondered if anyone had been hurt, had been killed, how long this fight had been going on. She found herself standing, watching the distance island become closer, toying with her hidden blade. In and out, in and out, testing it, readying herself for the fight ahead.

"Kidd" Edward's voice stirred her. "There are two ships blocking off the beach. We'll have to draw them out before you can go to shore."

"You don't know if there are Assassins on there!" She hissed, turning towards him. His eyes were still ahead, focused on the goal.

"Sinking them will be quicker."Hi His voice wasn't cruel, but Mary almost felt as if he was being so.

"No Edward!" She snapped.

"And what do you propose we do, James?" He snapped back. His grip tightened on the wheel. They were getting closer. Time was running out for a plan.

"I'll sneak on both trips, kill everyone on board and then free any Assassins they may have taken hostage." She told him.

"Alone?"

"Of course. Do you expect me to take a bloody army with me?"

"You can't go alone. You're hurt"

"I'm fine. I'm going. Get close as you can without them attacking you. I'll swim." She started down the stairs.

"Ade" Edward was suddenly coming after her, Ade taking the wheel. "You're not going alone. I'm going with you."

"Why? This is Assassin business"

"I hold no love for your group of assassins, but I won't let you go alone. I'm going with you, you like it or not." They stood on the deck glaring at each other for a long moment. This was her business – her group, her creed, her home, her family. Not his, he didn't care. She had no idea why he was even helping her. What happened to the selfish arse of Kenway that she was used to?

Where ever he was, this Kenway wasn't backing down.

"Rot!" She growled. "Fine. But follow my lead! We do this my way!" She turned away from him, towards the water. She climbed onto the edge of the boat and waited. They were within cannon range and the ships had clearly noticed them but weren't worried enough to fire yet. A little closer, a little closer…

Mary dove off the edge of the ship, cutting neatly into the water, making hardly a ripple. She didn't surface right away, skimming as far as she could beneath the surface. She was a good swimmer, a fast one too. She moved quickly through the water and when her lungs cried out, only then did she peak above the water and take a quick breath before diving right back under. She feared they might see her and it was easier to stick to being under the water, where she might be a shadow or a fish.

She had to surface twice more before she reached the edge of the first ship. She bobbed there for a moment, catching her breath, and soon Edward was bobbing next to her, gasping for air as well. She pointed towards the back of the ship, where they could climb up and take care of the captain and anyone up there first. They had to try to be stealthy less anyone on the other ship realize what they were doing or worse, those on shore realized and came back to face against only the two of them.

She climbed up first, Edward right on her heels. It wasn't easy climbing up with someone right below her. Worse, when they got to the top, she had to slide over and make room for Edward to climb up next to her. By that point, her knee was throbbing again and she realized that if she ever wanted it to get better she would have to rest – like really rest; actually sit still for longer than an hour at a time. She sucked it up though, knowing there might be Assassin lives on the line. Her plan was foolish – two against how many? She was counting on that most of the forces were on the beach and in the village. She hated that thought, but disabling the ships would go a long way towards keeping everyone else safe. Plus, the first time they attacked, they had taken prisoners with ideas to sell them as slaves. Were these men slavers too?

She heard someone walking by where the two of them were hanging. If they leaned over the edge and looked down, they would see the two of them. Mary risked pulling herself up and came face to face with a man. His eyes widened and his mouth opened, but Mary gave him no time to shout. Adjusting her grip, she held onto the boat with her feet and her one hand and with the other she stabbed the man in the neck before he could make a sound. She drew the blade out and grabbed his shoulder pulling him over the edge and throwing him into the water below. There was a splash but no scream. No one would think much of it.

Edward was giving her a look and she ignored it. She was sure he wanted to taunt her with some banter of his. She waited and peeked up again. One man was looking around; probably looking for the man she had just killed. There were only two men up by the wheel and three below, from what she could count. No telling how many were below the deck but they were a problem to worry about later. The man at the wheel had to be taken out, so did the other four. She lowered herself once more.

"There are five. Two up here, three below that I can see" She whispered.

"Anywhere to hide below?" He whispered back.

"There are a few boxes piled down there, we'll have to duck"

"Aye. You ready?" She just nodded. He peeked up to be sure of the position of everything and when he ducked back down, he nodded at her. They both leapt quietly onto the deck. Mary took the man who was looking. She grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth with her hand as she shoved her blade into his spine. She felt him struggle for only a moment and then he went limp in her arms, his blood hot against her wrist. She laid him against the corner where hopefully the others wouldn't see him until Edward and her set upon them.

Edward had similarly hidden the man at the wheel and they jumped the railing and landed with rolls to snuggle up against the boxes. They were stacked low so they had to crouch. Mary peeked over and saw that there were actually four men down here. Two were down by the front of the ship, watching the beach. The other two were pacing back and forth along the sides of the ship, talking.

Edward gave her a look as if to say what now?

She gave him a smile. She searched through her pockets until she found a pocket filled with the simplest of things – rocks. They were all round and slightly flat and a about twice the size of her thumbnail. She was quite picky with the rocks she chose to carry around with her, but that was only because they served a very specific purpose.

She positioned it and readied herself, waiting until the men had their backs to her again and she flicked the rock with her thumb and forefinger. It hit her target straight on, hitting the first man in the back near his shoulder. She ducked quickly, knowing he was going to spin around really fast. She heard him storm towards their hiding spot, looking around. His friend was laughing it off. So she had gotten a temperamental one huh? Just as they were getting ready to turn and walk away, she let out a soft whistle. The man turned again, storming closer to her hiding spot, grumbling to himself about how he wasn't hearing things. The other was standing close enough to Edward for him to leap upon.

Without a cue, they each grabbed a man, killing them with a blade to the throat and laying them down behind the boxes. They crept out from behind the boxes and towards their last targets, eyes on them and the other ship. They took the last two down without problem and they slipped below deck.

The moment they slipped below, eyes glanced up at them and Mary turned her eyes to Edward. He wanted to sink the ship – he had just wanted to sink them. In front of there were ten Assassins, chained with blood and bruises staining them. She gave Edward a look to say I told you before hurrying to the first Assassin. He was a slight man, but lean with muscles. His skin was tanned and his hair had once been much darker but it was sun bleached. He was of Spanish origins so he didn't wear the tribal wear that many of the natives did. His robes were much more traditional, but they were decorated with red, blue and white. Mary had no idea of his surname, but she knew him as Javi. He turned his dark eyes to Mary.

"There aren't many down here. Three are guarding us. They're in the other room" He nodded with his chin.

"Let me set you free…"

"No. Kill them and come back for us. We can wait." When she hesitated, Javi went on. "If they hear you and catch you, they'll kill us all" She had to see the truth in that. She nodded and she didn't bother returning to Edward's side, she headed right into the other room where the three were. She hid behind a shelf of full of chains and other items of imprisonment. They weren't facing her anyway. They were in a tight circle, discussing something in hushed voices.

"How much do you think we'll get for these blokes?" The one muttered.

"Enough I suppose. Some of them aren't Natives though and that worries me. I don't like to be sellin' my fellow man for coin" The one clearly sounded torn.

"These ain't no common men" The third one spoke. "Have you ever seen a common man fight like these beasts do? Even the ones that look like your regular, they're nothing but animals. All of 'em" Mary tested her hidden blade. Animals huh?

"Still…" The second one muttered, sounding upset.

She chose that moment to attack. She moved quickly towards them and stabbed the first in the back, as he was the one with his back completely towards her. The other two looked at her as their friend dropped. Their mouths hung open and they glanced from their dead companion to Mary and back again.

"We're nothing but animals to you, are we?" She asked, not bothering to mask her voice. There wasn't a soul that was leaving the ship alive that didn't know. They seemed confused for a moment. Her feminine voice paired with her looks didn't seem to click. She used that confusion to her advantage and slit the second one's throat. He fell to the ground, gagging and trying to draw breath with his ruined throat.

The third drew his sword and swiped at Mary's throat. She ducked and the quick movement caused protest in her bad knee. She dodged again as he swiped at her side. She parried the blow with her blade and her dagger found its way into his stomach. She yanked it out and left him to bleed to death. She wiped her dagger on the dying man's coat and returned it to its hidden sheath. Edward was letting the Assassin's go. He must have heard the fight.

Javi, already set free, came to her side. "You brought him back" The male Assassin was of course referring to Edward. He had been banned from their Sanctuary after all, though he had been cleansed of his sins in Havana.

"I had to" She replied. Edward helped a woman up and then unlocked the chains around her wrists. She watched him nod to her and then move to the next person chained down. "He's helping."

"He was a Templar" Hissed the Spaniard.

"He wasn't" She hissed back. They had this argument before, a long time ago. It may not have been her and him exactly having this argument, but it had been had. She stood closer to Javi, lowering her voice so Edward wouldn't hear. "He's a good man. A little selfish and rough around the edges, but good"

"Good" he huffed but by this time, Edward had let all of the other Assassins go. "We will gather our supplies and swim back to swore and take them by surprise." He walked past Mary and Edward, giving Edward a face. Edward raised an eyebrow and Mary sighed. It was clear that the Assassins still did not trust Edward. She couldn't blame them a bit. It was some foolishness on her part to trust him.

They made their way back to the deck and Edward set a fuse for some powder barrels on the ship. They were spread out so when they would explode, they blow the ship into the water. With that set and done, they dove into the water and made their way to the next ship. They cleared it, working together and set free the Assassins below deck. They left this ship ready to blow as well. All the men on shore would be killed – no exceptions. They worked for the Templars after all and they would go back to their masters and whimper of what happened here. No, it was better if no one returned at all. That would send a strong message that the Assassins were not to be tampered with.

After their swim to shore, they found that the Assassins had handled most of it. They were cutting down the last few as Mary and Edward made their way onto shore, dripping wet but ready for a fight regardless. They helped with that fight too and soon the village was once again safe.

"C'mon. We need to find Ah Tabai." She told Edward and without word, he followed her through the dense jungle. Many Assassins glared at Edward as they treated their wounded brothers and sisters. Mary just kept walking and, lucky for her, so did Edward. He ignored their glares as if he couldn't see them. That was the best way to be about it. She didn't want him fighting with them. They came to the main part of the village, where the Mayan ruins raised above their heads. Ah Tabai was there, treating a wounded Assassin.

"James" He stood, helping the other Assassin up. "You have returned. What of Prins? Roberts?"

"Roberts got away but Prins is dead…thanks to Edward" She pointed her thumb back at the man who stood a few feet away, trying to seem innocence as a babe. It didn't fool anyone.

"He is not welcome here"

"Listen, mate, I'm just doing Mary a favor…" Edward started, walking forward to confront the Assassin's Mentor. Mary stopped him.

"He saved my life, Mentor" She said simply. "And I asked him to bring me here"

"And he knows your real name" Ah Tabai did not seem to approve of this. "When did you tell him?"

"In Kingston" Edward quipped before she could speak. "Let me tell you, it was a shock to know that James was a woman" Mary grimaced. As usual, his charming personality was showing through. "Makes me wonder what other cards you Assassins have up your sleeve"

"Edward…" She warned. She turned her eyes back to Ah Tabai. "I ask we let his men and him rest here, at least for tonight. They can leave tomorrow" Ah Tabai didn't reply for a long time but Mary waited anyway. He looked down but then looked up and his eyes met hers.

"They stay on the beach" Then he helped the wounded Assassin hobble off to get more formal treatment. She stood there a long time and then turned back to Edward. He didn't have to be rude, but yet he always seemed to step on toes.

"Edward…"

"I don't care for you Assassins and your mystics, Mary. Sorry, you're all a bunch of loons to me" He began to walk back towards the beach.

"And you're sober and sane, looking for the Observatory." She said, following after him. She stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"I don't believe in it. It's just a means to an end" Edward defended himself. He glanced down at Mary. "What would you Assassins even do if you found it?"

"Guard it" She replied. That was all they wanted. It was a sacred place, built by those who came before. While she didn't know what to think about the First Civilization, she had seen the power of things built by them. She had heard tales of the legendary Assassin Altair who led the Assassins into hiding. They had once been very public, or so the tales were told.

"That's it?" He scoffed. "That place has to be worth more than the Jack's weight in gold."

"And what would you do with all that gold?" She snapped at him stopping. He stopped too and rounded to face her.

"Make a good life" And his voice was so honest that she couldn't think of a reply. She just sighed.

"If that's all you want, why couldn't you do something else, anything else?" She asked. Not that she was begrudging him for being a pirate. She was a pirate too after all. His face grew dark, as if she had said something to insult him.

"There wasn't anything else" Then he stormed away towards the beach, leaving her standing there. She shook her head – at herself and at him - and turned and headed back. There were plenty of wounded to attend to and she could help with that rather than spend her time arguing with a lost fool.

A/N: My treat for you guys waiting so long for another chapter; two in one day! Please leave me reviews to let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully see you all during the next chapter!