XXVI.
The Lonely Wait

Mary awoke in a dim room that she knew, by sight and by the smell of it, that it was Edward's room on his Jackdaw. She had begun to push herself up but the pain in her arm convinced her that it wasn't a good idea. She flopped back down on the soft bed and just lay there for a moment, in a daze. She couldn't believe the events of the day before.

Ben Hornigold, a traitor. He had nearly killed her. He promised he would if he saw her again.

What was this world coming to?

The door opened and she looked to see who it was. It was Edward, just peeking in on her. When he saw she was awake, he smiled a little and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. She tried to sit up again but flinched and only got so far before she once again had to stop.

"Its alright, don't get up." He said. He sat on the bed beside her. "I'm quite sour with you"

"Oh? I'm quite sour with me at the moment" She managed to sit up, using only one arm though it was awkward. He chuckled softly, but his face fell into a serious mask right afterwards.

"But really, Mary….What the hell were you thinking? You went after Ben alone. If I hadn't got there when I did, you might have drowned" His voice was as serious as his face, but she heard a strain in it. She closed her eyes.

"Don't do that" She warned.

"Do what?"

"What…you're doing. Don't do that. Don't…don't act like…"

"Like what Mary? Like I care? Jaysus, Mary are you so blind?"

"Shut up!" She snapped. "I should have never come to any sort of arrangement with you! I know better but I did it anyway" She got up from the bed. Stumbling upon her first step but she made her way away from him, over to the other side of the room.

"What? Because you're still so stuck on your husband that you can't bear to look at another man?" He was angry now, standing, accusing.

"It's not even that Edward! I made a promise to myself! I'd never fall for anyone again"

"And why is that? Is it because of James-?"

"It has nothing to do with him!" She cut him off. Edward fell silent. Perhaps it was the pain in her voice or perhaps it was because he had some sense. "When you're alone, no one can hurt you. When you find someone to love, you allow them to build you up or break you down. That low I hit, when my husband died, when my child died, I don't ever want to be in that place again. I can't ever be in that place again"

Edward was silent for a long moment and finally she head him sigh. It was the deep kind of sigh, one that let her know his next words would be the painful sort.

"It's a little late for that, isn't it Mary?"

Her heart shuddered at those words. Had he really noticed? She was barely accepting of her own feelings and he had noticed them? He went on when she didn't reply.

"I could be wrong about you but…but for me, that is…" He seemed hesitant to go on. "Mary…You ain't alone in this anymore and you know it. You can deny it all you like but I know…I'm not stupid Mary. I'm not blind."

"Shut up Edward, please" He was suddenly around the bed, on her side. He grabbed both of her arms and backed her up until she was against the wall. She looked up at him in shock.

"You're only saying that because you don't want to talk about it!" And suddenly he was angry again. She could understand, she really could. "Mary, for being so wise, you're such a fool"

"Believe me, Edward" She found herself whispering. "I know"

He stepped away from her, bowing his head, disappointment flashing in his eyes. "Rest. We'll be there soon alright?" Then he left her without even telling her where they were going. She sat on the floor, where she was.

He was right, she was a fool. She was just going to end up breaking her own heart again and she had no idea how to stop it now. It was much too late, her own feelings creeping up on her. She had been so sure of herself, she hadn't watched for the warning signs, but it was so clear now, as if a bright light was shining in her eyes. She was falling for Edward, hard. She couldn't understand it, not a first glance. He was reckless and churlish and they were so, so different in their lifestyles. Yet, there was that side of him that she had seen that she felt so few others had really seen. The caring side, the side of him that burned so hot with passion that it was hard to ignore once someone saw it. It was that side that had called to her she supposed.

Now here she was, feeling for him and feeling sorry for herself.

Early April 1719

They arrived at the old cove later that day. Mary had already been dressed, just sitting about when Ade fetched her. He told her that Edward was waiting for her up at the manor on the hill. While she didn't enjoy the prospects of meeting him alone with her heart and head all jumbled, she didn't want to look the part of a coward either. So she hopped to it and walked up to the manor and to the study where he was waiting at the desk. He was sitting on it, looking at some papers.

"What do you want, Kenway?" She asked, trying to sound annoyed as possible.

"Me and my crew are heading to Africa. You're staying here" He didn't bother looking up from the maps he was studying.

"What do you mean I'm staying here?"

"You got hurt. I don't want to risk you getting hurt worse, getting some nasty infection or worse, dying" He looked up at her at last, eyes saying he had already decided. "So you're staying here and waiting until I get back"

"What makes you think that I'll wait for you?" She felt her anger burn. She wanted to lash out at him but she stayed rooted where she was somehow.

"Because I want you to. When I get back, the first thing I want is my woman waiting for me. So stay here and wait for me, woman"

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "You think I'm going to hang around here for God knows how many weeks because you want me to?" He stood, throwing the maps down, pulling her close by her waist. He grabbed her chin with one hand.

"Yes, I think you will" His tone was softer now. "Please, Mary. Wait for me. I'm not trying to be cruel or unkind, I just don't want you to get hurt worse. Please, stay here, rest, wait for me. I'll be back as soon as I can"

"And you'll go to Africa and get the Sage and come straight back here? No running off to find the Observatory and leaving me behind? You'll come straight back to me?" She stared up into his blue eyes, trying to find some hint of a lie.

"Of course, I promise. I'll come straight back to you. I'm going to grab that fellow, drag him back here by his teeth. Right here. Right to this cove. Right to you"

"Promise?" She pushed, she had to make sure. She wasn't going to wait here if he wasn't going to come right back to her. If he wasn't serious, she wasn't either.

"Yes, Mary. Yes. Jaysus, how many times must I say it? I'll come straight back to you." She nodded softly then, giving in. His arm tightened around her waist, holding her as close as he could. "I'll be back. Give me a few months. I'll be back for you. I swear it" Then he kissed her. It was hot and passionate and it was a promise. He would be back; he didn't want to lose this. She didn't want to lose this either.

"Don't be gone too long" She whispered when he pulled away.

"I'll try not to be" He said with some amusement in his voice. Then he grabbed his map and walked out of the room. He hesitated at the door. "…Mary…"

"Yes?"

He turned to look at her but then shook his head and walked on. She rolled her eyes at him. Men. They could be so difficult.

So Mary waited. She couldn't do much with her one arm nearly useless. She could practice her swordsmanship with her other arm at least. She was actually a good fighter with both arms, though she had a preference. It was good to practice with both though and she enjoyed the fresh air and exercise. She even got one or two men who weren't completely pissed to practice with her. Most of them were piss-poor swordsmen, but it was the practice that mattered in the end. She was happy to have it, to better herself. The next time she saw Hornigold, she was certainly killing him. There was no way he would live. Or maybe he would, maybe she would be the one to die. That was a dark thought but it drifted through her mind unwanted. She had gotten very lucky. If anything had turned out differently, she would have been sleeping below the water.

She spent her nights in the same bed she and Edward shared. It was comforting. She often lay awake, playing with her charm. Its edges were becoming more and more worn from her fingers, but she didn't care. She looked at it for a long time. Perhaps it was time to get rid of it. All it represented was a memory after all. A memory that maybe she was better off forgetting. She wondered why Edward had never asked about it yet. She never took it off. There was no easy answer to how his mind worked though…

When Mary was awake, not practicing and not walking in the jungle, she was drinking at the tavern. She never let herself get drunk, but she did enjoy having a couple drinks next to the other men. They talked, laughed, traded tales of adventure on the sea. A few time she had to brush off women who seemed to flock towards her. She supposed they just thought she needed some 'comfort' but she'd get that when Edward returned.

The time crawled by. She was worried about him of course. There was much that could go wrong when sailing to Africa. She spent the time by writing a letter to her mother and one to Ah Tabai explaining that she was well and safe but taking some time to relax. If he needed her for something, she would go. She would just have to try and be back before Edward returned. She managed to find someone to send the letters by bird. A month later she had a reply to her mother's letter in her hand.

It didn't tell of much change. She inquired if she was going by a different name again, she told of some things going on around London, new operas, plays and other such things. She told of a new suitor she had. Her mother having a suitor at her age! Mary herself was nearing her twenty-eight year. Her mother didn't need a new suitor.

Well…maybe it was a good idea. It would give her a companion and from the letter, it seemed he was an older widow himself. He probably didn't know about her mother's blunder. That was the one thing that set her mother apart from the others in her social circle. While her mother's husband had been away, she had gotten pregnant. A foolish mistake to make, having a bastard child. Mary still didn't really care who her father was, but sometimes she wondered what type of man he was, how much she was like him. Not that it really mattered at this point in her life though.

Ah Tabai contacted her again after another month, inquiring how long she planned to remain where she was. She didn't have an answer for him. She had no idea how long Edward planned to be gone. She told herself, she was going to give him six months. If he didn't return to her in six months, chances were he wasn't coming back at all. He had forgotten about her and was not coming back. Or he was only after the Observatory all along. She didn't think he would do that to her though. She thought that maybe he really did truly care for her.

Or at least that was what she hoped.

A/N; I hope to publish one more chapter today. Keep tuned.