XXIX.
Goodbye

She was on a merchant schooner, as a guest. They were going near Nassau and they were willing to drop her off there. They thought her a rouge pirate that had gotten abandoned by his lads. They felt sorry for her. She heard them whispering about her behind her back but she ignored it. She was used to, by this point, of being an oddity. She was good at ignoring pointed stares and barely audible whispers. She stood on the deck now, looking out over the ocean, feeling the wind in her face. It felt good to feel this sort of freedom again. She wondered whatever happened to her crew. They might have truly abandoned her but the thought didn't bother her. She didn't blame them really…she had gotten so caught up in Edward…

"A ships coming up on us fast!" The one man suddenly cried out. She turned to look and she would know that ship from anywhere. Still it was coming on aggressively. She saw the crew was in a slight panic. She couldn't blame them; the other ship was waving a black flag. Their own flag was British, which marked them as prey. Edward didn't care what flag was flown, if he wanted to take them, he took them. She calmed a soldier who was prepping the canons.

"Hold up, lads. I know the Captain of that ship. He won't attack. Just hold tight." She told him. He gave her a doubtful look and went about his business. She sighed to herself and then walked to the upper deck, staring out as the ship got closer. It circled around them, canons trained on them. She stood in plain sight and the brig slowed until it was a few feet away from them. She could see the crew gawking down at her, on a merchant schooner. A well-known pirate, sailing with merchants. She could see Edward with his spy glass, probably making sure it was her. They circled around again and she called for the merchants to just stop the ship. The Jackdaw pulled up next to them and she walked down the ship until they met in the middle.

There Edward stood, grinning widely down at her. She grimaced slightly looking up at him. He was temptation itself and she knew she had no power to resist, not right now. All she wanted was to forget all that was said and done on Tulum. She just wanted to escape, to get away and Edward offered all of that.

"Ahoy, Kidd. What are you doing on a merchant schooner?"

"I'm traveling back to Nassau" She told him. He gave her a funny look, as if wondering why she would bother to go back there.

"Well come aboard. I'll take you." She didn't want to accept, knowing Edward, but at the same time she wanted to be by his side. Maybe for the last time, for there was no doubt that he was either still working with Roberts or perhaps had betrayed him and was seeking to finally gain that fortune. "Are you coming?"

"Keep your trousers tied." She turned back to the crew she had been getting a ride with. "You'll be fine. Here, this is for getting me this far" She pressed some money into the Captain's hand and then jumped ships. The other ship pulled away quickly and Edward watched them, a spark in his eye. She spoke quickly to distract him. "I thought you were with Roberts"

"We're on our way to meet him. He'll be leading me to the Observatory in two days. We figured we'd just line our coffers while we waited." He seemed excited and she didn't blame him. He had been waiting for this for how long? "Come, let's talk in private" He waved to Ade, signaling him to start them towards Nassau.

They walked to his room and she knew that was dangerous territory. She knew that it was a bad idea. He entered first and she closed the door behind them, leaning against it, even as he walked further into the room. He stopped, realizing she wasn't following him. He gave her a smile and walked slowly towards her. She crossed her arms across her chest, a warning for him to stop. He did and he frowned at her.

"What's the matter, Mary?"

"Edward, I didn't come here to jump into bed with you"

He chuckled at that, sensing her bluff, coming closer once more. He pressed one hand against the door and with the other he caught her chin. She put her hands against his chest, pushing back slightly. He leaned close enough that his mouth was almost against her's.

"Is that so?" He asked. "We don't have to jump into bed right away. We could always talk" His mouth was against her neck by the time he finished speaking. His breath was warm against her skin and she could already feel her resolve wobbling. She pressed her lips together to not make a sound as she felt his lip touch her neck gently, running along the sensitive skin there. "What? Nothing to say?" It wasn't that she had nothing to say, it was that she couldn't remember the words she wanted to say. His lips brushed against the underside of her jaw. He was having fun. Mary was just trying to focus on not melting in his arms. She had to be strong!

Then he kissed her – and gods, that man knew how to kiss even when his subject was unwilling. His mouth moved over her's in a maddening way, teasing her, tempting her. She found her hands weren't pushing him away anymore. She sighed and he took that moment to deepen the kiss. She found herself pressed hard against the door. He pulled her body up and she hooked her legs around him, supporting herself with the wall. She tangled her fingers in his hair, his were tangled in her clothing. She wasn't even sure how it got this far, just suddenly she was taken over by a craving for him so deep that she was drowning in it.

She began to work his clothes off, and it took a bit but soon she was sliding his shirt and the top part of his robes off. He had to let go of her for a moment to finish pulling it off. He tossed it aside and before she knew it, he had done similar with her coat. He also managed to unbutton her shirt as well. His fingers picked at her corset. The thing frustrated him, she knew.

"Damn thing. I hate that you wear it" She heard him mutter. She chuckled this time and she unlaced it easily. He didn't pull it off, that would have to wait until after her shirt had come off too. He carried her over to the bed, laying her on it. He looked down at her, his head tilted. She half-leaned up, wondering what in the hell he was doing. "That's how I like to see you, half-naked, on my bed."

"Really? You like when I have my clothes on?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, not in particular. It's getting harder and harder to get you in my bed without them though"

"Tosh" She rolled her eyes at him and held out her hand for him. He smiled and somehow she found herself smiling too. Why was it that this man made her happy? She shouldn't have been happy as she was, yet somehow, this man…this foolish man always made her smile.

Love is for the foolish she thought. It was horribly true in her case.

Later they lay together, both feeling rightly satisfied. Edward's arm was around her waist, holding her close to him. She didn't mind, though she knew she should. Or perhaps they were past that. It was clear how she felt about him – and she figured he felt somewhat the same way. At least he liked having her in his bed enough. She didn't know what that said about his feelings.

"Mary" His tone was lazy and content. "Come with me"

"With you where?" She asked, in the same lazy tone.

"To see Roberts. Find the Observatory with me" He was smiling. "Forsake those damn Assassins. They don't do anything for you; they're going to be the death of you one day. Once we have the Observatory, we can avoid them; you don't have to be scared of them hunting you down"

"And how, pray tell, are you going to make your fortune if we're using the Observatory?" She asked him, her tone going dry. Edward sat up and she did too, leaning away from him.

"Don't look at me like that, Mary! I'm trying to help you. You deserve a better life than you got"

"My life is perfectly fine, thank you" She turned away from him. He grabbed her shoulder attempting to pull her back to him.

"Mary-!" She shrugged away from him and stood. She turned to face him, narrowing her eyes, her heart bursting with anger and sadness.

"And what are you going to do when you get your fortune, hm? What are you going to do?" He opened his mouth to answer but she cut him off by slashing her arm through the air between them. "You're going to go back to your home and your wife and forget all about me! You don't get to decide what I do with my life Edward! If you get your way, you won't be a part of it soon! You'll leave me here. You'll leave me and I won't blame you a bit. That's what you should have done; stayed with your wife and had a family. Not come here to this damn place and met me…You shouldn't have…I was doing fine without you. I was doing fine. Then you came and fucked it all up and…and…"

Edward looked shocked, his eyes wide, and Mary realized it was because sometime when she was screaming at him, she had begun crying. He began to stand, probably to comfort her – as if she needed it. She wiped at the tears, embarrassed, and began to gather her clothes.

"Mary, don't run away again" He was up, pulling his trousers on. He hurried around the bed and grabbed her shoulders. "Don't run" It was hard to argue with him when he stroked her hair like that, back away from her face, when his eyes were so kind and understanding and when his voice was so soft and reassuring. She pushed him away though, she had to.

"Stop it. It's my own fault. I don't want your pity" She wiped at her face, angry at herself. She was angry at Edward too, but mostly at herself. She knew that getting close to anyone risked…risked attachment and Edward was the wrong one to get attached to. He had a life, a family waiting for him once he got out of the cycle of this place. And her? She was merely a passing flame. She knew about his wife, she knew. Yet she had fallen for him. Whose fault was it that she was going to end up alone?

"Mary, please…" He grabbed at her again, trying to pull her back into his warm arms. "Listen to me"

She didn't say anything but she was mostly dressed again. So she stood there and allowed him to say his piece. No matter what he said, it wouldn't change a thing. She was right and they both knew it. They both hated it, but they both knew it. He grabbed her shoulders and tried to grab her chin but she moved out of his reach. She allowed him to hold her arms, but that was it.

"I know…when I go home I…yes I have a wife waiting for me. That doesn't mean that you mean nothing to me, Mary. Hey! Look at me!" He grabbed her face in both his hands and forced her to look up at him. "Mary, you mean…" He didn't seem to have a word for it. "Mary, you're important to me too…I just…I…" She pushed his hands away and turned around so she could fix her shirt without looking at him.

"Edward, a piece of me will always love you but…this has to stop. I don't want to see you again. I can't see you again. You have a wife to return to and…I don't got no one waiting for me. So this has to stop…before…We just can't do this anymore. Don't ever seek me out again; we two owe each other nothing." There, she said it. It was over between them. She took a deep breath and made her voice as business-like and distant as she could manage with the hurt clogging up her throat. "We're not far from the old fishing village right? Drop me off there and I'll get a fishing vessel to take me to Nassau. It was a nice thought that you might take me." She brushed her hands down her coat, so that way it was all in order. She began to fix her hair next. They were both silent. She couldn't tell what Edward's mood was, but he hadn't moved from behind her. He didn't speak. She finished with her hair and had to turn around, the door was behind him.

She turned, keeping her eyes down. He grabbed her hand as she passed. He didn't turn to look at her, she didn't turn to look at him.

"Mary if you go…" He swallowed hard. "If you go, that's it. Our deal is off."

"It's already over, Edward. Wake up, man" She forced her voice back to James Kidd's. She tugged her hand out of his. "Have fun chasing your fairy tales with Robert. Good fortune to ya." Then she left him, closing his door softly behind her. She had to hesitate a moment, feeling her heart thud painfully in her chest.

She supposed it was only natural.

A/N: Don't hate me! I had to do it! Thank you for reading and thank you to those who reviewed, subscribed and favorited. Stay tune for more!