XXIV.
Time Will Teach You

Mary sat with her back to Edward. Neither of them had bothered with clothes. What was the point? It had taken over an hour to get the whole story out. She was curled up, knees to chest, arms around her legs, her head resting on her knees. She kept her back to him so he couldn't see the tears running down her cheeks. No matter the years, the pain was still a rip in her heart, hurting with every heartbeat. She had managed to keep her voice steady but now she knew if she were to speak, her voice would crack and break. She had enough pride to not want Edward to know how much this hurt her. How much pain she hid in her chest, how much pain she was truly unwilling to burden onto anyone else.

"Mary…" Edward's voice was soft. "I'm…sorry…" She couldn't reply.

They sat there for a long moment and she felt Edward's arms around her, his head pressed into her back. She was silent, keeping the sobs inside her. She couldn't let that grief all out. It was a monster, waiting to wash her away, waiting to drown her in her own mistakes. He waited a little while and then he pulled gently on her shoulders until she was lying on the bed and he was looking down at her. His fingers traced against her cheek.

He didn't say anything. No false promises, no 'it's alright's, nothing that most men would do or say. He leaned down and kissed her softly instead. The kiss wasn't a promise, it was just comfort. There was room for her to turn it into something deeper, but he didn't push anything on her. He let her choose and she chose not to pursue anything, not right now. Not with her heart so heavy. Edward pulled away first, a frown on his face.

"I shouldn't have asked. I didn't mean to upset you" She didn't trust her voice just yet, though the painful tears had stopped. She sat up and wiped at her cheeks.

"It's not your fault, Kenway." She replied finally. "You just asked a simple question. I didn't mean to unload my whole life on you"

"No…no. It's…I like that you trust me"

"I never said that I trusted you"

"You must." She turned to look at him. "If you didn't, I don't think you would tell me about…" His voice faded and he gave her a hard look. "You've been going by your dead husband's name all these years… Mary, why?"

"To remind me." She said simply.

"Remind you of the man who died how many years ago, Mary? You use his name to bind yourself! You use his name as an excuse – you could have used any name, but you used his." Edward seemed frustrated. He looked away from her. "I don't think you want to move on"

Those words were an accusation, one she wanted to deny. One he wanted her to deny and she knew that. Just from his tone, she could tell that he wanted her to say anything, anything but what she did.

"I can't move on. I loved him, Edward. I still do"

"You can't love a dead man, Mary"

"Tell that to my heart"

They stared at each other, brown eyes into blue. Suddenly Mary realized something she probably should have earlier; she was having…feelings for Edward. That ache in her heart when she thought he was dead, the pleasure she got from laying with him. She felt sick with herself. Worse, he had realized it before her, his look said it all. That frustration in his eyes…He wanted her to admit it though, he wanted a victory over her. Mary had to find a way to distract him from her own failure. She searched for something and finally found a simple distraction.

"Tell me about your family Edward."

That seemed to throw him off but his face darkened after a moment, as if she had said something wrong.

"There's not much to tell anymore" He said in a sour voice. "My father died the same month we were marooned together. I received the letter shortly after you had fled." He looked down, but she could see his eyes were hurt and angry. "My father died in my mother's arms, from a sickness he should have been able to afford medicines for."

"Edward…I'm sorry…"

He didn't reply. He got up, grabbed a pair of pants, slipping them on and left the room. She didn't hear the front door open, but she heard him go out the back. The door shut with a snap and Mary felt bad. She had pushed away from herself and to him, hoping…well hoping that he'd stop giving her those eyes, those damn knowing eyes. It wasn't like she was in love with him(She wasn't. She knew love and she knew that wasn't quite what she felt with Edward…It was more with lust mixed with a lot of care. That wasn't love right?).

She waited a little while to see if he was coming back in but it soon became clear that he wasn't coming back soon. So she found her trousers and a shirt and slipped them both on. She only bothered buttoning the shirt as much as needed before going after Edward. No one was in the manor for once, which was a surprise in itself. She hurried outside but didn't see him. The garden wasn't very big, but there was the guesthouse up above. She wandered up there and saw him staring out to sea. He was just standing there, barefoot and shirtless, looking at the moonlight on the water and seeing…well she had no idea what he was seeing.

"Edward" She called softly. He didn't turn to her. She didn't call to him again or attempt to get any closer. She didn't know if he was mad at her or not. She saw him take a deep breath, his shoulders shuddering with the strain of his pain.

"Worse part is…" His voice was raspy with anger and sadness. "My mother said they were…they were poor when he died. Couldn't afford the treatment – probably because their farm was burnt down because of me. I killed my father. It's my fault"

"Edward, thoughts like that lead to madness"

"What the hell do you know Mary?" He roared. He didn't turn to look at her but she could tell he was hurting, just as bad as she was. It was that moment of mutual pain where she decided she didn't want to be standing there in the chilled wind alone anymore.

She didn't care if Edward lashed out at her; she walked up to him and hugged him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She placed one hand on his chest, over his heart, where she could feel his heart beating with pain, anger and sadness. She pressed her face against his back, just trying to be close, just trying to offer comfort while being comforted. He didn't do anything for a long moment and then his hands clutched both of her's, as if she were the last thing holding him to the good Earth. He bowed his head as if praying for something better and they stood there together for a very long time. They clutched each other, silent though she knew her shoulder shook with sobs she couldn't shed. His did too. There was comfort in their embraces though, comfort in mutual pain. She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but he moved again first, stepping away slightly. He let go of her and turned to look at her.

"We find ways through the pain, Edward. Maybe you can't see it, but the pain will heal along the edges, leaving a jagged scar in your heart. But you'll heal." She told him. He didn't reply. He grabbed her, pulled her close and he kissed her. His lips tasted salty with tears she hadn't seen him shed. She was sure her's tasted much the same. The clung together for another long moment but the kiss began to grow hot enough to starve off the cool wind.

She pulled away this time, panting just as he was. "We should probably go back inside" She suggested.

"Probably" He agreed. She began to walk away but his hand caught her's. "Mary…"

"Yes Edward?" She turned, letting her hand hang in his.

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"For…for trusting me." He squeezed her hand gently. "It means a lot to me" Then he let go of her and headed inside. She followed only a moment after. She was confused, by him and she watched as he slipped inside, holding the door open for her. Nothing was ever simple with Edward.

Edward decided to take one more day to rest and he spent much of that day with Mary. While she did have to dress as James Kidd for appearances, they spent most of the day together, exploring the jungles. Mary was better at climbing than Edward, though he was no slack. She was up in a tree and he far below her, on the ground once more. He was following her along the ground as she jumped from branch to branch, tree to tree, swinging from vine to vine.

"I don't get how you do it" He called up to her. She stopped, hanging upside down on a rather thick branch, almost playfully. She was just out of his reach like this. She grinned at him.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Show off" He rolled his eyes, stopping below her. "Well that's one trick. How are you going to get back up now?"

"Ah" She tsked at him and then she reached up, grabbed onto the branch with one hand, released it with her legs, letting her body fall. She grabbed the branch with her other hand and pulled herself back up. She crouched on the branch and looked down at him, a smug smile on her face.

"Alright, I guess you're pretty flexible for an old lady" His words were said with a teasing air.

"Oh? Old am I?" She jumped to the next tree, landing on a branch that shook when she landed on it, but held steady. "I doubt any other lady you know – young or old – can do this"

"True, true." He laughed. "But, really, how do you do it?"

"Do what, Edward?"

"Know if a branch is thick enough to support your weight? I know you don't weigh more than a bag of wet flour but still…"

She stopped where she was, hanging halfway out of a tree to look down at him with a raised eyebrow. "And this 'sack of wet flour' could still kick your arse"

"True, I have seen you beat men more than twice your size. Though it isn't hard to be bigger than you" She jumped to another tree and he followed, looking for a way up. She flipped upside own once more, startling him as her face was suddenly in his.

"I just might kick your arse. And I wouldn't even have to leave this tree" He stared at her for a moment and then suddenly he made a grab for her. She swung herself up, out of his reach but she lost her hold on her tree. "Whoa! Shit!"

She fell on the ground, landing on him. He groaned and pushed himself up a little. He had moved to catch her somewhat, though she had landed on him and was no pinning him on the ground.

"Hell, I knew you said you'd kick by ass, but I didn't expect you to fall on me"

"Thought I don't weigh more than a sack of wet flour?" She groaned back, pushing herself up.

"Even wet flour has some weight" He replied, sitting up. "So, now that my ass has been handed to me, are you going to share your secrets?"

She laughed and jumped to her feet, pulling him up as well. "Maybe. Keep up if you can, Kenway!"

They spent the rest of that day together, her teaching him different things that she learned since she became an Assassin. She taught him some tricks to use with his hidden blade as well as techniques to climbing and hiding in trees, on rooftops, in the foliage below. As they spent that day together, it became clear and clear to her; Ah Tabai had been right to warn her away from him. She realized she was already in deep with Edward though, there was no breaking away from him now. In a way, he was calming as he was frustrating. He made her smile just as much as he made her frown. She didn't know what she was going to do. To stay or to leave…either way she was setting herself up. There was no escape now.

She wasn't sure if she wanted one anymore.

They lay together again that night. She was laying on him, tracing the tattoos on his chest. His arms were around her and he was petting her back, absent mindedly. She really wasn't thinking of much. They were resting and she wasn't sure how wise it was to rest in his arms. They were gentle and strong around her waist. She lay her head on his chest with a sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Edward leaned up a little to look at her.

"No…" Though she didn't sound convincing to her own ears. His arms tightened gently around her and she cast her eyes up at his. "I…I was just wondering what you'll do when you do find the Sage. You…know I have to tell the Assassins…"

"Come off it, Mary. You don't have to tell them anything."

"Edward, I'm still an Assassin. Even if you like to ignore that little fact about me" He frowned sharply at her. "And don't even ask me to quit."

"I wasn't going to. I know you won't. You owe them a lot" Well, seemed he learned something at least. He rolled suddenly, pinning her beneath him. "But, for what it's worth, you owe me a lot too" She never got to reply because he closed her mouth with his. The kiss was hot and passionate but she thrashed to get him to let go of her. He pulled away. "Ah, Mary, always the fighter."

"I'm about to knee you in the balls if you don't get off of me" She threatened.

"That's no way to be" He was grinning though. Not taking his threat seriously, not yet at least. "Mary…Can't you forget about your Assassin business for a few days? Just help me find the Sage and then…"

"And then what?" She asked, feeling defeated already.

"We'll figure that out when we get there." His smile never faded. She shook her head at him. It was better not to think and judge his actions; it would just give her a terrible headache. Instead she gave him a frown.

"You're going to get caught in your own trap, Kenway" Her words were soft, a warning. She could already see the conversation was over though. His hands drifted to her waist and then lower electing a gasp from her.

"I much rather be caught in yours…"

A foolish notion to think she could change him. If he hadn't changed yet, he never would. She would just enjoy while she could and think of the 'then what's later. The now was always more important than the later anyway.

A/N: And I hope you enjoyed some quality time with Edward and Mary. I am going to twist the game's story here a little bit. So slight AU warning? I guess? If you guys need that sort of warning I mean. Anyway, I want to take a moment to thank you guys for being awesome, for reading, for reviewing. You guys are amazing. Leave me some more awesome reviews, I look forward to them!