LVI.
Lost

Late November 1735

Things changed quickly in the Kenway household.

Edward feared for his family's safety and hired some British soldiers to guard the house day and night. Mary remembered a time when seeing their red coats meant danger. Now it was safety and seeing them made her heart not as anxious. Even now as she stood at the window and watched the guards patrol their land, she held Haytham's shoulders a little tighter.

"Mother?" He looked up at her, his dark eyes worried. "Why are there soldiers outside?"

"Because your father had a fight with someone…and well…not everyone is good." She told him.

"Do you mean Mister Birch?" he questioned and Mary didn't answer. "I don't think he would hurt us. He was always so nice to me. Why were he and father fighting?"

"Well my sweet…sometimes people aren't who they appear. It's…It's not that Birch is a bad person…" She didn't know how to explain it. He didn't know anything about Templars and Assassins. She couldn't tell him, so she just looked at him a long time. "Some things can't be told, but you'll…you'll understand in a few years."

"But I want to understand now." He muttered, looking down. She laughed gently. She had been about to speak but she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to see Jenny standing in the doorway, face drawn.

"Mary, may I speak with you?" She glanced at her younger brother. "Privately?"

"Ah…Haytham, go find your father. He should be downstairs in the parlor. See where Elizabeth is for me as well" She gave him a pat on the shoulder and he quickly scampered away, his dark eyes casting a glance back at Mary and Jenny. "What is it?" She asked as soon as she heard her son go down the steps.

"It's just…I don't know. I'm worried" She frowned, coming to stand by her. She laced her fingers together and frowned at the window. "We're leaving…next week right?"

"The day after Haytham's birthday, we'll be going" She told her. "It's been over ten years since I've been in that place. I have many friends I hope to surprise with my visit." She smiled at the young woman. "Do you remember your last trip there?"

"I remember it was very long. I remember being very excited." She smiled a little. "I was so impressed to meet you, Mary. A female sailor, a woman who could take on any man. I knew you were involved with Father, even before he told me though. There was just a way that you stood and acted near him…the way you looked at him"

"Are you mad at your father for having an affair with me, though he should have still been loyal to your mother?"

"No" She sighed. "I understand that love is complicated. It was very clear that you loved him, but I often wonder what would have happened had my mother still been alive. What would you have done?"

"I would have stepped back. I would have hoped to meet your mother though, to formally apologize for monopolizing her husband while he was away. Besides, I always wondered what sort of person Caroline Scott was. A strong woman, surely, to deal with Edward" Both women chuckled gently and Jenny smiled, really smiled for a moment. She looked at Mary and she could see a flash of fear in her eyes though.

"Two years Birch courted me and I hadn't realized he was a Templar until I saw that ring" She sighed. "I feel like a right fool"

"Not so much as your father, I'd think. Edward is feeling quite sour with himself for nearly marrying his daughter to a Templar." She crossed her arms gently across her chest. Her tattoo showed in most of these dresses and though both Elizabeth and Haytham had looked upon it and commented plenty of times now…She had not told them where she had gotten it or why. She couldn't bring herself to tell her children that she was once a pirate. She couldn't bring herself to admit to her children just how many lives she had taken.

The number, of course, was countless.

She enjoyed her life of peace now. It had been six years since she had taken her last life. She had been forced to kill a couple thieves who thought it a brilliant idea to sneak into the manor and try to kidnap her, steal some jewels and other valuables and try to run off into the night. They hadn't gotten farther than the courtyard before Mary had managed her way away from them and had impaled one on his own sword, with her hands bound yet! While Mary missed the sort of adventure gotten from plundering the high seas, she also relished the peace she had with her children and her step-child.

Jenny speaking again roused her from her deep thoughts and she glanced up at the young woman.

"I know and father shouldn't feel bad. None of us should. He had us all fooled." Jenny closed her eyes, sighing deeply. "But now, he'll seek to get me engaged to another fool."

"What if…I convince your father to let me handle your engagement?" She asked Jenny. "I'm a woman, I'll obviously know what's best for you."

"It's not so simple, Mary. It's not like I had a secret suitor on the side, who I've been in love with all this time" She shook her head, a deep frown creasing her forehead. "I had planned to be with Birch, despite my distaste, out of my respect for father"

"I didn't fall in love with your father till I was twenty-seven or twenty-eight or something like that. I wasn't exactly young when we fell for each other. I didn't have Annabelle until I was twenty-nine." She shrugged. "Love doesn't always come to the young. Wait, watch and find a man who respects you, who treats you right. You're a strong, stubborn, brilliant woman Jenny. Don't settle for some know-it-all arse who thinks you're only at your best when you're on your back"

"Aren't you describing father in his younger years?" Jenny asked with a light laugh.

"Well…sometimes. He was a bit more complicated than that and he knew I could kick his sorry ass if he'd dare say something like that to me" Mary couldn't help but smile.

"Say something like what?" Edward was in the doorway, an eyebrow raised. Her heart still quivered when she saw him sometimes. Mary knew she was still very much in love with the stubborn man she had met all those years ago. She couldn't believe her fortune sometimes. Sure, she had some bad patches but in the end, it had been all worth it.

"Oh, don't worry about it Edward" Mary said with a smile. "Because you'd never say such a thing to me" He came closer, wrapping one arm about her and she wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling his head down closer so she could whisper. "Not if you value keeping your balls yet"

"Ah, always with those low-blow threats…You haven't changed a bit, Mary!"

"And there's nothing wrong with that" She twisted out of his grip and she saw Jenny rolling her eyes at their obvious affection. She was smiling though. It was good to see Jenny smiling. She usually seemed so sour. It was ill-suiting her. She was such a beautiful girl.

Haytham and Elizabeth came running into the room. Haytham went back to her side, Elizabeth going to her father. Despite Edward training Haytham and Mary training Elizabeth (still on the sly), Haytham was closer to Mary and Elizabeth closer to Edward. She stroked her son's hair back from his face. It was getting long and needed trimmed soon. It was already very dark, no longer a trace of blonde in it. It was a nice medium brown now.

Elizabeth's hair was still golden brown and she kept it shorter, only long enough to keep in a braid. It was amazing to Mary that she was now seven years old and in a week, Haytham would be ten. She couldn't believe it. It had all happened so fast and Mary wish she could go back a few years and watch them grow up all over again.

"Father! I'd like to be picked up!" Elizabeth was stretching her arms up towards her father.

"Would you now, my little dove?" He asked, kneeling down to her. She put her hands on her hips and huffed impatiently. She had certainly inherited much of his personality as well. She had her manners but sometimes she would certainly forget them. Finally she rolled her eyes.

"Please" She also had his exact tone when being sarcastic as well. Mary was a bit wary of her upcoming teen years. She was certainly going to be a handful. Maybe she'd pass the responsibility of training her to Edward then. Haytham was much more like Mary. Calm, though he had a bit of a temper on him as well.

Edward scooped his younger daughter up and groaned as he straightened with her in his arms. She tsk'd him. He really shouldn't have been holding her up. He was getting up there in years. He gave her a look as if he had read her thoughts.

"Now, children" Mary called their attention. "Me and your father have been talking and well…there is much you don't know about us but I think it's time you begin to learn. And begin to understand." She eyed Haytham when she said this. "Not everything, but some things I think you're old enough. We told Jenny when she was about your age and it's your turn. First, we're going to take a little trip though"

"Oh! Where are we going?" Asked Elizabeth. "France? Italy?"

"No, dearest" She said, smiling at her daughter. "We're going to a little place, just off the coast of Yucatan."

"Yu-Yuca…?" She didn't seem to understand how to pronounce it. "Where's that?" She finally settled for.

"It's down by Cuba, right mother?" Haytham inputted.

"Close, but you'll see. It's a beautiful island. I spent most of my twenties there." She sighed, thinking of the Mayan ruins and the training she did on that island.

"We're leaving the day after your birthday, son" It was Edward speaking to Haytham. "it's going to be a family trip. We'll have fun. You'll see"

"What are we going to see there, papa?" Elizabeth asked.

"Lots of things" He answered and then he gently put her down. "Like maybe some hungry jaguars!" He held his hands up like claws and grinned at the two younger children who both squealed with laughter before taking off running. Edward laughed and chased after them. Mary rolled her eyes, glancing at Jenny.

"Do men ever grow up, Mary?"

"He's grown up lots since I met him. He hasn't grown up a bit since I married him" The two women chuckled again and walked after the rest of their little family, following the sounds of mock screams and laughter.

3 December 1735

"Are you sure you have to go, Mary?" It was Edward speaking to her.

"We've seen people that look to be scouting our house for three days now. It's best if I go" She told Edward, fixing her boots. She was once against dressed in trousers and much like a man. She hadn't bound her chest down or tied up her hair though. The disguise didn't have to be complete, she just had to be mistaken at a distance.

"But is it the right thing to do?" He asked.

"Well, we can assume they know of our plans to leave the day after tomorrow." She glanced at Edward. "We need to throw them off our trail and hope they don't know where we plan on fleeing to" It was late at night, just after midnight.

Mary was going to rouse the children, get them dressed and take Rose and the nursemaid and flee to France. Edward was going to go to France as well, but not for another day where they would all meet up, flee to the Netherlands and then take a ship from there to the West Indies. It wasn't the most brilliant of ideas, as they were still ending up in the West Indies, but they knew the Assassins there would defend them.

"We should stop in the Colonies before we head down south. Take shelter there for a week or two if needed. Change ships too" Edward suggested.

"That's a good idea. There's not an established Templar Order there from what I've heard" So they'd be fairly safe in the colonies or they'd be bringing danger to the doorstep of Assassins there. She couldn't decide which outcome was more likely though.

Edward was dressed, though he was dressed as usual. Together they went and roused the children, getting them all dressed and ready for travel but it was near two by the time they were all ready. Elizabeth was still half asleep, holding her favorite doll in her arms. Haytham was trying to seem awake but Mary could see his eyes drooping as he stood waiting for her. Jenny had a hand on each of their shoulders, looking grim at the prospect of leaving. Mary didn't like it either, especially leaving her husband behind. Even if it were only for a little while. She would miss him something terrible.

He had left the room, which was their bedroom, for the moment, fetching something from another room when there was the sound of breaking glass. Everyone tensed and Mary raced to the door only to find a masked man there, a sword in one hand. He slashed at Mary, catching her arm as she dodged. She heard all three children scream and she turned kicking the man in the groin and then catching him under the chin with the flat of her hand. She wasn't wearing her blades at the moment and she wished she was. If she had been, that would have killed the man. As it was it stunned him. She took his own sword though and quickly impaled him in the stomach before backing away, dropping the bloodied tool. She turned to her children.

"Quickly now!" She ushered them into the hall and saw Edward charging towards them, his sword in hand, wet with fresh blood. "Edward!"

"Mary!" He pulled her into his arms and then he pulled the children in too, checking on every one of them. "Are you all alright? I heard you scream"

"I killed a man, it just scared the children" She explained quickly.

"Get them out of here. Go on with our plan. I'll meet you in that place" he turned to leave but she grabbed his arm and he turned back to her. She kissed him, hard and quick.

"For luck" She breathed, as was their tradition.

"For luck" He agreed and then he raced back down the hall, to deal with the threat to their family. She turned back to the children, knowing she had to get them somewhere safe. She had a sinking feeling. She needed to go after Edward. She didn't know why, but she needed to go after Edward. She felt it in her heart.

She hurried the children towards the stairs only to see three more men there. They all drew their weapons, standing over the dead body of the nursemaid they had since Haytham was born. Mary regretted not bringing the sword from the other dead man, but she straightened and readied herself for another fight.

She managed to kill one but was quickly thrown to the ground by another who held her down while the last went after her children – Elizabeth. Jenny was trying to pull her back, to shield her even as the man's sword came down. Mary gored the man above her with his own sword, yelling out in anger and panic, knowing she would not get there in time to save her daughter. But then the man was falling, a sword in his eye.

Haytham's panicked eyes met her's and she realized what had happened. Haytham had picked up a sword discarded on the ground and stabbed his sister's attacker in the eye and let go of the sword as the man died. She hurried over to him, hugging him close.

"Mother!" She heard him sob into her shoulder.

"It's alright, my sweet! You did well. You're my little knight!" She had to praise him now, let him know that she did not hate him for killing that man. She pulled him back so he looked at her. "Listen to me, love! You and your sisters must make it outside. Go through the back and to the neighbor's house. Hide there until the guard come looking for you."

"What about you mother?"

"I must find your father. We'll join you soon"

"Promise?" He asked.

"Promise" She kissed his forehead and then Elizabeth's. She hugged Jenny whispering "Get them out of here, please"

"Mary…don't!" Jenny's voice broke with a sob.

"Please, Jenny" She pulled away from her step-daughter and took off down the hall, after Edward. She heard her children running, hopefully the opposite way. Hopefully towards safety. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she checked the different rooms for Edward. Each moment that she didn't find him struck heavy on her soul.

Then she stopped outside the game room. "Edward!"

There, a masked man, his sword through Edward's chest. He ripped the sword out and there was no protest from Edward. Not even a grunt of pain as he fell to his knees and then face first towards the floor. No. "No!"

She hardly knew what she was doing. All she knew was that she had Edward's sword and that sword was half-way through the man's neck, blood spraying everywhere. She hadn't cared that she killed him with such brutality, she wouldn't have cared if her children had seen because…Because Edward. She let go of her sword, embedded in the other man's neck, and kneeled by her husband. She rolled him onto his back.

"No, no, no, no!" She whispered, cupping his face in her hands. Her hands shook though and tears blurred her vision. "No! You promised, Edward! You promised you wouldn't die before me!" She could barely choke the words out. "You promised" Her sadness was all engulfing. Her heart was broken beyond repair, that she knew. She knew she shouldn't have let him go. She shouldn't have let him run off on his own. She should have made him stay with her and the children. She should have made him stay! Now…

She heard footsteps and looked up to see another masked man. His sword was wet with blood and she had to hope it wasn't her children's. She didn't know what to do. She reached for the sword of the other masked man, the man whose sword was wet with her husband's blood. She stood, but her body felt weak and she trembled.

She knew the man was smiling without seeing his lips and their blades engaged as they fought. She fought but the fight had been drained out of her. She was fighting next to her beloved husband's body. Again, she had failed as a wife. She had failed to protect her husband and then suddenly, she was no longer fighting.

When had the sword dropped from her suddenly weak fingers?

When had she fallen to her knees?

Why couldn't she breathe?

Ah, that was why. Just as she suspected, for all her troubles, she was left with a ruined throat.

The moment replayed in her mind, the mercenary's blade swiping across her throat in a movement too quick for her weakened body to block. The sword dropping from her fingers in shock. Her dropping to her knees as her life blood drained rapidly out of her. She fell to the ground, knowing she had failed for the last time. She lay on the ground knowing that she should have stopped this. She watched the room fade to black, knowing that despite everything, Edward was waiting for her.

And Mary died, knowing that she had failed.

A/N: Whoa! Okay, wait a minute folks, before you go off on a bender, please read the next chapter and if you can stand another moment, the chapter after that. As I so often say, I have a plan. So uh...Chill. No rebellions. Sit tight, please. There's a method to my madness. So please, read the next chapter. Hold your tongues until you've read it. Please.