XX.
Finding A Way

February 1719

Mary sat at the tavern in the old cove, drinking. She had barely touched her drink actually. Rackham was sitting on a chair a few feet away, bemoaning his situation very loudly. He was trying to earn some pity and he was trying to get someone to let him go. Ade stormed up to him and hissed something that had him keeping his trap shut for the moment at least. He would open it and waste the world's good air with his rambling again before long. Ade sat down across from her but was silent. He knew she was losing hope that Edward would return. He hadn't said a word about it, but he would give her these looks and she knew that he was…wondering what she saw in Edward to make her worry so. She didn't even know what she saw so couldn't answer him, even if he did decide one day to ask.

"What do we do with this place if he don't come back?" she asked, glancing up at him. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking away from her. It was clear he had already thought about this himself.

"I don't know. Even the crew is getting restless with no sign of the Captain" Ade admitted, reaching for his own rum. He was just as unsure of what to do, though he had the crew of the Jackdaw to worry about too. Mary was only worrying about her own heart.

"I…I miss him something terrible" She muttered. Jack didn't hear because he was trying to get the barmaid to bring him a drink, though his hands were tied. Ade nodded, as if he had expected her to say that. "If he don't show up in a week, I'll take this maggot to Nassau." She motioned to Jack.

"Would you come back then?"

"I'm not sure." She didn't know if her heart could stand coming back here to see Edward had returned while she was gone and not waited to see her again – or worse, that he had not come back at all. It might just be better if she could get away from him, for good. To not see him again, ever and let whatever they had between them just die. It wasn't in good taste for them to have anything but friendship between them anyway.

And yet…And yet, she was a fool.

"Sail, ho! Into the port!" A voice called.

She looked up and saw what appeared to be a small fishing schooner pulling into port. She stood, trying to see who was steering it. Before she was quite sure what she was doing, she was running down the docks and she stopped just as whoever was on the ship jumped from the ship to the dock. She stopped a moment, feeling like she had been punched in the chest.

He was filthy, beard grown out in a tangle, his hair much the same. He was wearing little more than rags at the moment, looking like he had lived out in the wilderness for the past month or so. His eyes were a bit sad, a bit crazed and so relieved. She had to hold herself there but oh how she wanted to throw her arms around him. He looked around the cove and then his eyes finally came to rest on her and an easy smile came across his face.

"Ahoy, Kidd. You're a sight for sore eyes" She couldn't come up with a reply. She just stood there, mute. "What's the matter, Jim? I haven't been gone so long have I?" He approached her and clasped her shoulder. She chewed on her cheek and finally found her voice.

"I thought you might have died out there" It was a hoarse whisper. Edward looked surprised and his look softened. He patted her shoulder, but didn't say anything. They couldn't, not here in front of so many people. Oh, how there were so many unspoken words in that single moment though. She realized her had missed her just as she had missed him. "Go" She finally said. "Get cleaned up, I'm sure you have a story to tell us"

She forced herself to walk away from him, back towards the tavern. He followed and then headed towards the manor he had claimed as his own. She forced herself to wait at the tavern with Ade and Rackham, who had gone back to howling. Finally she threatened to cap him with a dagger to the knee and then they had given him a drink to shut him up. After he had one, he had shut his trap and sat their quietly, or mostly so, as he muttered and grumbled to himself about his treatment.

Edward returned after a bit and took a seat, back in his robes and back to looking himself. He had shaved his face and tied his hair back once more. He took a seat and told them what had happened from the time he and Vane were marooned on the ruined Ranger. It appeared Jack had some sort of heart because he gave them plenty of food on the ship at least. He then went into detail about they found themselves on an island and Vane went slowly more and more insane. Finally, Edward had been forced to put him down, though he had left the blasted fool alive. Mary didn't blame him for that choice; Vane wasn't a bad man, even if he had lost his damn mind – not that he ever seemed to have a solid grip on it to begin with. He wrapped up his story detailing how he had stolen a fishing schooner all by himself – the ship he had sailed in on.

Then Mary and Ade told of how she had saved him in Kingston – leaving out about Adewale finding out about her true gender – and their adventures since. Still, Mary had to say his adventures on the island with Vane beat out her worrying. She had everything she needed all this time Edward had been missing. He on the other hand had gotten marooned…again.

"Stealing a fishing schooner single handed? Damned canny, captain" Ade commented as Mary took a drink. She had to agree with that though. It had been a move well worth it though. There was no way they would have found him.

"As is taking my brig back from this pillock" He motioned over to Jack who stirred. "Once again, I thank you both"

"This billy-huff didn't last two months with your ship before he came limping back to Nassau. Took the pardon straight away" Mary commented, giving Jack a look, wishing she had given him a better beating. He deserved it. He frowned sharply at all of them, leaning forward in his seat.

"I had to, lads! That Rogers was on to me from the first!" He claimed. Ade stood up fast, giving Rackham a glare.

"Hold your tongue, Rackham!" He growled. He grabbed the man, forcing him to stand and forced him out of the tavern and back to the docks. Edward and Mary watched with raised eyebrows. Mary gave a little chuckle and then turned her eyes back to Edward.

"So what now? Still chasing your elusive fortune?" She couldn't help but be a little sarcastic when she asked that. Edward rolled his eyes at her tone but went on anyway.

"Aye. And I'm close" He leaned forward a little to say in a lowered voice. "I've heard the Sage is sailing out of Kingston on a ship called the Princess" He was grinning over that. Mary sighed, leaning in as well.

"Put your ambitions to better use, Kenway! Find the Sage with us!" Us, the Assassins. She knew it was of little use to beg him to side with them, but she had to keep trying. Edward rolled his eyes again and stood, walking around the table, stopping by her.

"I've no stomach for you and your mystics," and in a lower voice he hissed "Mary." He took a drink out of her bottle of rum, causing her to give him a glare. He set it back down in front of her. "I want a taste of the good life. An easy life"

She stood, shaking her head at him. Foolish lad. "No one honest has an easy life, Edward." And she knew that the best probably. She had tried to have an easy honest life but that was ruined from the start. "And it's the aching for one that causes the most pain" She trotted down the dock to where Ade and Rackham stood; trying not to think on the pain she had caused herself over the years for that simple ache. "All right, Rackham. Back to retirement"

She walked him to her schooner and hesitated. If she boarded her ship, who knew when she would see Edward again? She suddenly had an idea, though it made her insides crawl a little to think of doing this. Still…She spoke to her crew and left them with orders to take Rackham to Nassau. Then she walked back to the tavern where Edward and Ade were talking.

"You should take a few days rest, Captain." Ade was cautioning.

"I suppose a few days won't hurt, but after that we have to be off to Kingston straight away." Edward agreed. He spoke with a few more of his crew members and other men who were relaxing on the island before he spotted her lingering on the docks yet. "'Oy, Kidd. I thought you left."

"I decided to stay behind for a bit. Make sure you weren't going to disappear on me again" She crossed her arms and tried to look the picture of confidence, though her insides were churning. "Anyway, if you plan on resting here a few days, meet me up at the manor on the hill, in a few hours. I have something for you"

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You'll have to wait and see" Then she walked away, giving him a smile. Her smile faded when she turned around, however, replaced by a nervous frown. She wasn't sure why she was doing this – it certainly wasn't a good idea but…She had already made up her mind, on the docks.

She had pulled all the curtains in the room but made sure the fire was lit. It was dim in the room and night had already fallen, leaving the fire as the only light source. Mary felt her heart pounding in her chest and there was a nervous feeling in her stomach, ready to make her ill. She didn't understand, completely, why she was doing this. Why she was bothering, for a man. It wasn't like her. She thought herself better than this and yet…

She heard the front door open and she hurried to finish the last touches. She bent to fix her damn shoe. They were uncomfortable and she didn't know why she bothered. Then the bedroom door opened and closed behind him. "Mary?" He called. She straightened and walked around the bed.

"Edward! You're….you're a bit earlier than I expected…" He didn't say anything, blinking rapidly as if trying to clear his vision. He just stared at her for a long time. The minutes ticked by and she felt her cheeks grow red. "Aren't you going to say anything, ya corker?"

"…It is you. I almost couldn't believe it for a moment" He chuckled gently. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked away, feeling annoyed. "So…you finally gave me my prize" He walked closer to her, as if he were a jaguar and she his prey. She put her one hand on her hip and the other she let hang by her side.

"Aye. Figured I made you wait long enough."

She was wearing a dress – one that cut low and had a slit through the skirt to show her leg. She had gotten stockings, shoes, everything. In red too – just as Edward had said all that time ago. She had even let her hair down again and it laid a little past her shoulders – after this it was getting cut. He circled around her, looking at the outfit and stopped when he was in front of her again. He placed one had on her hip and caught her chin with the other hand, making her look up at him.

"Am I wrong to think you have…other reasons for dressing like this?" He leaned forward slightly, his mouth nearly over her's, and she stepped back, pacing out of his reach. He didn't see happy about that and he watched her hungrily.

"Aye, I have other reasons" She admitted. "I'm a pirate, Edward. I figure it's about time I start acting like one. Though I can't exactly be the same man that you are. But I've thought about this for a while and I think I want to take a lover"

"Is that so, Miss Read?" He started forward again.

"Keep your trousers tied, Kenway. There are conditions to being my lover." That stopped him and he gave her a look.

"Really Mary? You come…dressed like that and saying you want to take a lover and you have to make conditions" He cursed, his hands on his hips. For a moment she thought he might walk out. "Fine let's hear them"

"If you're going to be mine, you ain't going to be seeing other women. I'm a pirate, Edward. I'm greedy and I won't have what's mine being touched by others" His face darkened at her words.

"Are you kidding me?" He growled. "Mary, pirates have more than one lover and I can't just have one"

"Ah, but this is where you're getting it wrong, Kenway. I'm not your lover – you're mine" That gave him pause and he laughed. She raised an eyebrow at his laughter.

"Christ, Mary. You think of everything. Fine. What's your next condition?" She was silent a moment. She hadn't expected to get this far to be truthful. He motioned for her to go on and she figured he was getting impatient.

"Alright…I want to go to Kingston with you. I will go to Kingston with you." He nodded.

"Fine. Anything else? I'm getting impatient here, Read" She gave him a smile and walked slowly towards the bed, running her fingers across the sheets. He watched her, as if he was dying man and she were a drink.

"I suppose that's it for now. We can discuss everything else at a later time." She looked up at him and he had already taken the leather bracers off his robes. He wasted no time, grabbing her and pulling her against him.

"Maybe in a few days, eh?" And he kissed her. This was a different kiss than the one on the island – that one had been a passion of anger. It had been to help their anger cool, let some of their frustrations out. This one was…It was hard for her to describe. This one was to ignite passions, to make her burn up as if a fire were consuming her. And oh, how a fire consumed her. She could feel it eating at her, burning in her veins and the only thing that could cool it was the one who was causing it. She supposed at one point, she may regret this but for now all she could think about was how this was what she really wanted. He pulled away and they were both panting. Sure his kisses were fire, light and dangerous just like the man himself.

She grabbed his face and pulled him back down. She kissed him this time. She put all her own frustrations into it, let him know how she felt, let all her cards fall to the floor for once. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, his fingers tangled in her hair. It was that moment that she knew – she knew – that no matter what, things would change between them.

Mary and Edward lay in bed sometime afterwards. She lay with her arms crossed on the bed, her head resting on those arms. Edward lay next to her, staring up at nothing she supposed. She was…content. Comfortable in this new role. Some part of her couldn't believe that she'd dare such a thing, but after he went missing…after she thought he was dead…Well she supposed the spur of the moment decisions in her life had always led her to the most happiness. Even if that happiness was always short lived.

"Mary" Edward's voice stirred her. The bed creaked as he turned to look at her. She turned her head to gaze at him. "Where did you get this scar?" He traced his fingers over her face, sending tingles clear down to her toes. He was touching the scar than ran across her face, across her left eye and down her cheek.

"When I was in the Navy" She replied, not caring for secrets anymore. What did it matter? "In a particularly nasty battle."

"The Navy? You never told me you were in the Navy"

"We all were at one point, weren't we Edward?" She smiled at him. "Privateers for the crown, eventually turning to piracy when the war ended."

"I suppose so." He paused for a moment. Thinking of another question no doubt. "Can I…ask you again why you started dressing as a man?" He seemed so hesitant that she smiled, despite the sadness in her eyes.

"Aye, you may. I don't think you want to hear the answer though. It's not a very nice story" She replied, her voice soft.

"If any of us had good lives, we wouldn't be here" He countered. She closed her eyes and then sat up. Her fingers caught her charm and she held it tightly. She sat there for a long time, silent and Edward lay by her, silent and waiting. She was surprised that he waited so long without asking again. She supposed he had grown used to waiting for his prizes. So she began her story in a shaking voice;

"It all started the day I killed my brother, Mark…"

A/N; In regards to the next few chapters, they will be about Mary's past. Now I did some reading up on the real Mary Read and while what I write will be based off of what I learned, its obviously not the truth of the matter. I figured it'd be nice to see a take on Mary's past that would be close to what the game might make of it. I planned on it only being two chapters, but to be quite truthful, it looks like it will be three chapters. Anyway, on a final note, thanks to everyone who cheered Edward on! He finally got there, just not in the way he imagined I'd reckon. Leave some reviews, let me know what you thought!