June 20th 1722

June went by pretty quickly, it seemed the island gained more residents. The children that had been born in the prison or back at the island had started to crawl and walk, the same lines I remember telling Charlotte echoed through the town. My stomach now swelled a little bit meaning my clothes no longer fit me, I swapped to wearing my large baggy shirts and shorts. I realised I would be going through a sweltering summer in unbearable conditions again.

This months task had been widening the path through to the beach, of course, Edward had refused to let me help. Anne was bought from the tavern to make sure I didn't exhaust myself, every time I would go to get up she would sprint ahead of me. I knew her weakness though, she had taken a liking to the tutor we had hired for when Jennifer came to live with us. That was the first time I witnessed someone going through the fear of the unknown, she had been through so much with her first husband and then with Jack that I could see herself doubting whether to trust him. So, for now, she kept him at arms length and he was just her favourite customer at the tavern.

The second time I witnessed someone go through the fear of the unknown was when I came to sit by the jungle opening, some of the men who were going to be working with Edward had heard the stories of panthers being in there. A couple had seen me in my state when I had been pregnant with Charlotte, with each man that was cutting the trees another stood by with a pistol and a sword in case they did get attacked. The men who would be cutting the trees looked scared, they would be unarmed and probably be too slow to react. What worried me was how scared their guards looked, they were the ones we were depending on to think straight and react calmly and quickly. This felt like a terrible idea, however, it was a job that needed to be done eventually. So I grit my teeth and watched them go to work, no one did get attacked but the fear of the unknown struck a few of them down.

July 20th 1722

I lay in a hammock hung between two palms on the front beach watching the waves, there was a ship I didn't recognise pulling into the docks. Out of curiosity and boredom I went and sat outside the tavern to watch the new crew and see who they were.

Whilst there it was strange, again I witnessed the fear of the unknown. How strange it must be to pull up to an island renown for trade to see no British or Spanish flag being flown, we had a flag pole yes. But if we were to fly the flag we truly wanted to the island wouldn't be safe any more, so we simply left the pole bare. The crew seemed to be a mixture of ages, but mostly lads in their twenties. The captain made straight for the trade shop that Edward worked in when he wasn't fixing and rebuilding the island, the crew split equally between the tavern and the brothel until a fair price could be bargained for their trade. The younger lads amongst the crew quickly got to their destination, but the older few amongst them were wary. As I say fear of the unknown, we started as a pirate colony trying to be our own Nassau. Maybe they'd seen Nassau or encountered pirates in their career and recognised the no flag as such. If they did the fear of not knowing what could happen meant they didn't start anything.

August 20th 1722

In August the people affected by the fear of the unknown was not the ones I would have guessed them to be, the assassins decided that although our island was an excellent base for themselves they couldn't just stay in one place. All through the new world, Templars were using their power and money to control people, something needed doing. The fear that came with this was the new world had so much more power than we could imagine here in the Caribbean, their fear came with new rules which were carried out more harshly.

Ah Tabai decided in the end for half to go back out into the world, whilst the other half would stay and train so they could be ready for anything the modern world could through at them. I watched as the man who had taught me so much about myself and how I could live my life went off to help others, that was the first time in ages I felt true fear of the unknown. However far away he had always seemed reachable, he had come back for me and saved me from prison. He understood that when I had started becoming involved with Edward my priorities may get mixed up, he showed me how to balance my lives until they could settle alongside each other. He saved so many of my friends, Anne and Adewale to name just two. I would never be alone, yet somehow I felt it slightly.

I sat on the beach as I did when I always watched ships depart, I would stare at their sails until I could no longer make them out. The baby wriggled inside me, somehow this one felt different to how Charlotte had, he was more relaxed maybe he would be a boy. I hoped for Edward it would be, if not by the end of the year he would be hopelessly outnumbered by females.

September 20th 1722

The fear of the unknown struck Edward in September, we had both figured that this would be the month we would hear if Jennifer would be coming to live with us, or she could even just turn up one day on a ship. Even two-thirds of the way through the month we didn't hear anything, Edward would always sit by a window or have doors wide open so he could see the harbour easily.

To try and take his mind of the subject we lay together in the garden one day discussing what we would call the baby when he or she would arrive.

"I'm sure this time its a boy, he's just so much more relaxed than Charlotte was. So for what it's worth I like the name James, suppose I wouldn't have used it for myself if I didn't"

"I like James, its better than him sharing my first name. I heard one of the crews passing through recently mentioning a name I liked the sound of. Haytham, apparently it means eagle or young eagle. I would like to think our son would have a free spirit, free to go wherever the wind would take him"

"Aye, that's a fine name. How do you like that name Haytham" the baby wriggled as if content enough with the name we had chosen "He likes it, biggest movement I've had out of him yet"

"What do we do if its a girl though?" Edward swears its a girl and that Charlotte was only restless because she wanted me to fight for my life at the jail and to stop fighting with Edward "I like the name Elizabeth, a great name for a ship as well" I wrinkled my nose at that, for a ship yes for my daughter no "Fine why not shorten it to Eliza or Beth"

"I like the sound of Eliza, if it comes down to it being a girl I would be happy with that name"

October 20th 1722

It was finally my turn to feel the true fear of the unknown when the ship we had sent to Bristol came into sight on the horizon, for all I knew it could be holding a letter saying that her grandparents didn't think it was safe enough for her to travel. But knowing me it wouldn't be, that ship was carrying a nine-year-old girl.

Today the baby was doing backflips, I suppose it was just keeping up with my heartbeat. I dressed in a loose-fitting dress, I didn't want to shock the poor girl on her first day in a strange place. We had decided that although I was there I wouldn't be the first sight she should be greeted with, I stood at the start of the docks with Charlotte in my arms, whilst Edward stood near where the ship would be when they pulled in.

He had picked some pink frangipanis similar to the type he gives me, from here I can see his hands shaking the same as how they had when he came to get me and Charlotte from Tulum. The nerves shone through and I wanted no more than to be by his side, to let him know we'll get through whatever that boat holds together.

When the ship stopped I saw a crew member go to the captain's cabin, I knew then for sure she had made the journey. If it had been a letter they would have kept it on themselves, the doors opened but I couldn't see who exited it apart from the crew member who went it. The gang-plank was lowered to the dock, at the top stood a young girl. The face I didn't recognise, she must look like Caroline and as I guessed she had been gorgeous. But the blonde hair I did and the eyes, they were the same as her fathers and my daughters.

so what do you think? I know it's about 3 years early for Haytham to be born, but Tessa won't be a character and won't feature. anyone think they know the gender of the baby?

thank you again to everyone following this story, to everyone who made this one of their favourite stories and to everyone who reviews this story. feels great when you see an email saying review: who knew, tbh even if it's a bad review I love that you took the time to read it and tell me what was right or wrong with it. until next time :D