XLIX.
The Truth

They boarded the Jackdaw as dawn was breaking. Jenny was up, looking anxious. When she saw Mary and Edward, stained with blood she let out a little shriek. She ran over to them but her eyes were mainly focused on her father and the blood staining the left shoulder of his robe.

"Father!" The blood was dry of course, but Jenny was clearly worked up about it.

"Hush, my sweet" He told her. "I'm fine. I've already been treated"

"But…But what happened?"

"I…" He seemed to be thinking of a lie and then he sighed, his shoulders sagging. "No, no. I took a musket ball to the shoulder."

"You what?" She cried.

"Edward!" Mary snapped. She took a limping step closer to Jenny but she noted Mary's limp.

"What happened?"

"Jenny…I'm not going to lie to you anymore. Perhaps…perhaps at first I thought it a good idea but…But it's a pointless endeavor. People will gossip and as hard as I try to hide it from you, you'll either figure it out for yourself or begin to believe the lies people will tell" He motioned Jenny and Mary to follow him and the three made their way into the navigation room. "I'm going to tell you everything Jenny"

"What do you mean, Father?"

"I mean, you have a choice to make…and I want you to understand the type of person I am – the type of person I was. I'm going to London and I'd love if you'd come live with me…but…if you'd rather live with your grandmother…" He sighed. "Just let me tell you my side."

Jenny sat there and fidgeted a moment. "Alright, Father"

"It won't be a pleasant story" He warned her.

"I know" She said that softly.

"I wasn't a very good person." He admitted, frowning.

"But you're a good person now" Her voice was strong.

"Well…I'm a much better person" He laughed a little. Then he took a deep breath. "Well…let's start where it all began. Hm…Where to start? Oh yes, I think it started way back when I was a rough youth of seventeen at a tavern I liked to frequent. I'll start with how I met your mother…"

And Edward told his side of the story and Mary listened along with Jenny. Sometimes Jenny asked questions or snickered. Mary couldn't help but laugh as well – at a few points he stated how he had not wanted to become a pirate and Mary had laughed then. It took a long time for him to tell his side, quite a few hours in fact. They had to take a break so Mary could fetch them water but by noon he was getting to the end of his tale. He had been detailed, not too detailed but he had let Jenny get a good idea of what he had gone through.

Mary had personally flinched when he spoke of jail and of finding her and Anne. Anne's death had been another very sensitive topic. Though she had been interested to hear about Blackbeard's and Hornigold's. He had paused so she could speak a little of her and Anne's time on the sea, to which Jenny wanted to hear about. She had seemed amused by the thought of two women being stronger than any man. Then Edward took over again, talking about training with Mary. He did admit to their long standing affair to his daughter, though again he didn't give any real details. Then he went on to tell of the events of last night, speaking of her grandfather's death as well as his new entitlement in London.

"So" He said standing, "Shall we go, my sweet? Shall we set sail for London?"

"Of course Father!" She didn't hesitate in saying that. Edward blinked in surprise.

"You still…want to go with me, even after all I told you?"

"Well, you're still a good person and I…I can understand I guess" She was so young, but Mary remembered that this girl had been raised without her father and then lost her mother. She had to be strong and wise from a young age. "I think…I think mother would have been proud of you. I think mother would have gone with you"

Edward's eyes widened. "Do you think?" He asked her and Jenny smiled brightly.

"Mother loved you. I think she would understand." Mary could see the tears in Edward's eyes and she silently got up and left the room so he could have a moment with his daughter. She stood outside on the deck of the Jack looking at the sun. She looked at the crew who were excited to leave. They'd be leaving first thing the next day.

Did she really want to go?

It wasn't too late, she could return to the West Indies. The life of a pirate was never very long and yet she had lasted about ten years. Ten years of piracy, ten years of being an assassin, ten years of avoiding her own problems.

When she had lost her husband and child, she had begun drinking. She still drank, every sailor and pirate did, but she hadn't at first. No she hadn't started drinking again until after she was an Assassin and only when she really needed to. Drinking was a symptom of her own fear and grief, but back then she had been treating it as a cure. Leaving, running away, that had separated her from her grief and fear but now? Well, now that she was returning to London, what if that all returned? What if she went right back into the hole? What if she made some horrible

No, she should tell Edward she was returning to the West Indies. Ah Tabai could probably use her help anyway.

But Edward…

Oh how her heart ached at the thought of leaving him again. It felt like they were finally on similar footing but now she wanted to leave. Why?

Because she was afraid. Because she knew she was weak.

She walked to the edge of the ship and stared out at the sea. She heard Edward call to her that he and Jenny were going to pay their respects to Caroline and she smiled at them and told them she would be here waiting for them. She watched them walk off; hand in hand she wished she could be as sure as they were. They knew what they wanted. She didn't…not really at least. There was someone she could talk to though. She bid the crew farewell and told them she would return before they set sail the next morn.

She hurried to find the horse that she had been using and rode off towards a boarding house well outside of Bristol. It was there, she found him. She had received notice of where he was their second day there, bidding her to meet with him if she wished. He was sitting outside, smoking on a pipe when she rode up, still dressed as a man. She dismounted her horse and walked over to him and sat on the bench next to him.

He was probably her age or a little older, with light brown hair, blue eyes and lightly tanned skin. Like many of their kind his body was lean and as of the moment he was dressed in a suit. He looked like a dandy, Mary thought, but that was probably the point. He lowered the pipe and glanced at her.

"Do I know you, son?" He asked.

"I reckon you do" She answered, her Jamaican accent making his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"I imagine I might. I also imagine you might not be the person you look like you are."

"I imagine so" She replied.

"My name is Henry Smith" He told her.

"I've been going by Jim lately"

"Lately?"

"I've had a few names. James – but ain't it the same as Jim? – and Mark are just two of the names"

"But neither are you real name are they?"

"I wouldn't reckon" She leaned back, shoving her hands in her pockets. He went back to smoking his pipe and they fell silent for a spell. She enjoyed the silence though her thoughts raced endlessly, searching for an answer she didn't have yet. Eventually she stood and walked away, he watched and didn't move. She knew he would wait.

She came back after a bit, her hair down and some of the dirt cleaned off her face. She had taken off her jacket and cut off the binding on her chest. She didn't care how odd she looked as a woman in trousers right now. If any man brushed her the wrong way because of it, she would ask him if he had any desire to lose a fight to a woman as well.

"My name is Mary Read" She told Henry.

"I figured as much, Miss Read. I've been expecting you for some time" He put out his pipe and put it in his coat. "Well, we've been expecting you."

"Ah Tabai's letter reached you in good time then?"

"Yes and we were very surprised to learn that you were coming north." He paused. "But we heard that Edward Kenway was coming with you – or you with him?"

"I sailed with him"

"Yes…you two are close aren't you? At least, if you stay, Bristol is not too far away from London"

"Ah, but he plans on going to London" She felt her heart tremble at the thought of going to London with Edward. It scared her. What if it opened a side of herself that she thought she had left behind? A side, she'd rather Edward never have to experience?

"And you won't be? We do have other branches. There is a lovely one in a small town to the west. The town is called…" She wasn't listening though and while he told her about different branches and different towns, she just sat there and thought for a long time. What would she do? Eventually he grew silent. "Are you planning to return?"

"I…I don't think so" She admitted. "I mean, I don't want to but…Who knows?"

"Well, I can accompany you to London. I'll introduce you to everyone." He smiled kindly.

"I may be busy a few days. I have to help Edward and his daughter settle." The man's eyebrows rose again.

"Daughter? Ah yes…I think the letter said something. Well perhaps you'd all like to come to dinner at my house in London one night. I'm sure my wife and children would love to meet all of you. You must have such interesting tales from your time at sea" He suggested.

"I'll keep your offer in mind and extend your invitation to Edward and Jennifer."

He smiled. "Please see that you do. Where will you be staying in London so that I may contact you if needed" She gave him the address and then stood, saying she was taking her leave for the time being. "And Miss Read? If you do need anything, don't hesitate to contact us."

"Thank you. I'll call about a few days after we arrive in London"

Then she mounted her horse and rode back to Bristol, thinking all the way. She knew Edward would want her answer when she got back. The thing that had her stuck was the fact that she had not accepted that she could change her mind at any time. If she went to London and found she could not stand to be there, she could choose to leave once more. She didn't think she would…not after all the pain that she went through just to get to this point. No, she thought she would remain with Edward for a long time…just not with Edward.

She couldn't stay with him. Not really.

They had a great run and she did love him but he had his daughter to look after now and she had to readjust to life. They would both be busy and no doubt grow apart. He'd probably find a more proper woman and well…it was better that way. Every man she loved died or disappeared or was cruel or…There was just no point in her staying with him. She was obviously cursed.

So when she arrived back at the docks, she found Edward waiting on deck for her. Jenny wasn't anywhere to be seen but she probably wasn't too far away. She climbed back onto the ship and Edward came to meet her.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"I went to meet with the Assassins"

"Oh." He waited for her to go on.

"I'm going to London with you." She told him. "And I'm going to join up with the Assassins there"

"Can't quite give it up, can you, Mary?" He sighed. "Why are you dressed like that anyway?"

She shrugged. "I got tired of pretending to be someone I'm not" The wind brushed past them, pulling at her hair with playful fingers.

"Your hair is getting quite long." Edward reached out to touch her and she moved away.

"I'm thinking of cutting it again. It's annoying. How am I supposed to fight with this long, heavy hair?"

"You could give up the fight" Edward suggested.

"And do what?" She snapped at him, giving him a baleful look.

Edward shrugged. "Be my wife?"

That brought her up short. She frowned hard at him. "You are not asking me to marry you."

"Actually I am" He said simply.

"No, you're not. You just found out you lost your wife. You just met your child. You can't. I won't." She glared hard at him. "So, no. I won't be your wife. It's hard enough to be your friend some days."

"You're not so easy to be friends with either" He crossed his arms and frowned at her. "But I'll wait."

"What do you mean that you'll wait?" She snapped.

"I mean exactly what I said. I'll wait until you're ready." He was grinning at her now.

"You're unbelievable!" She spat at him. He just kept grinning. She shook her head and walked away. He grabbed her arm and she spun to face him again. "For Christ's sake, what?"

"I just wanted to talk some. Is that okay, Mary?" He still had that damn grin on his face thought. It made her not want to go anywhere with him. But she gave in, shoulders sagging a sigh ripping from her chest. "Don't be like that" The amusement never left his tone.

"Well what did you want to talk about, Edward?" She asked.

"About these…Ancient People. What did you call them? The First Civilization I think? I'm curious. What do you know of them?"

"Not much, that's something you want to speak to an Assassin in London about. We have people who just research them." She shrugged.

"Hm" His tone was dismissing yet curious. "We best get around. Tomorrow we set sail for London, for our new life"

"For your new life" She reminded him.

"Our new life Mary. I won't let you slip out of my life." He reached for her hand and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I won't let you just leave me. I love you. I really do"

"I know you do" She answered, leaning her head into his chest, not wanting to stare into his pleading blue eyes. There were just certain lines she couldn't cross. Not now, perhaps never. She loved him, but she had to keep her distance. Her heart couldn't take another disappointment.

A/N: Okay, second chapter for the day. So here's to 49 chapters of amazing readers. Seriously, thank you guys for sticking with this. After I get the next chapter done, I will be taking a short break from writing this to go back and edit all 50 chapters. Clean them up and edit grammar and stuff you know? I say 'short break' because I plan to super speed edit and squish it all into five to seven days if I can. We'll see what happens though. Thanks once more for reading.