Stede and Mary had barely entered the house when Alma and Louis raced up to them.

"Dad! I learnt how to make scones today!"

"And Lucius taught me how to write my name all fancy!"

"And Jim and Pete showed us a swordfight!"

"Wee John showed me how to cross stitch!"

Stede looked down at the beaming faces as their words came tumbling out over the top of one another. "So you had a good day then?" he smiled at them as they nodded. His eyes raised to where Ed stood in the kitchen doorway holding Ethan's hand in his own. Stede felt a calm settle over him as he smiled at Ed's worried face, then nodded to the sleeping baby in Mary's arms. "Clean bill of health my love, absolutely nothing to be concerned about."

The air whooshed out of Ed as he rushed to Stede wrapping him in his arms. His eyes were wet as he exhaled with relief.

"She's fine Ed," Stede breathed into his hair.

Ed barely concealed a sob and somehow turned it into a chuckle as he stepped back and wiped his eyes with an embarrassed smile. "I fucking missed you today.

Stede took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as his attention was drawn to where Ethan still stood in the hallway. "And I see you've had a productive day too my beautiful boy, Come here and show me your new clothes."

Ethan self-consciously began to move toward them.

"Go on, do a spin," Stede urged.

Ethan rolled his eyes but haltingly performed the requested spin.

"You look so grown up."

"We may have gotten a little carried away with the shopping," Ed admitted as they both looked upon their son adoringly.

Mary snorted, "You two are perfect together. Though I agree, You do look very handsome Ethan."

"Thank you Miss Mary," Ethan whispered, staring at his shoes.

Mary turned to Ed, "Here, take your daughter, I need a drink." She deposited Hallie into Ed's arms, who immediately hugged her to his chest, pressing a kiss to her head.

"I missed you in my arms today," he mumbled to her.

"I was talking with Mary on the way home, I think we should make our way back to the ship soon, Don't want to outstay our welcome, or make anyone suspicious."

"I told him you are welcome here anytime, Perhaps with a bit of notice next time so I don't almost ruin everything when I run into you in the middle of the town." She grinned at them as she brought a wine glass to her lips.

"Shall I tell cook to organise a farewell dinner for tomorrow night?" Doug planted a kiss to the side of Mary's head, "Surely you won't want to be rushing back tonight?"

Alma's head snapped up from where she and Louis had been discussing who was weirder, Frenchie or Buttons, "You're leaving?" her face fell.

Stede crouched down to meet her sad eyes, "Darling, you knew I couldn't stay for too long, I'm supposed to be dead remember?"

Alma looked at him, her eyes filling with tears, "I wouldn't tell anyone you were here," she whispered. "I promise."

"And what would you have the crew do if we stayed here? They can't stay moored at the docks forever."

Alma pouted, "But I don't want you to go."

"We'll have a lovely party tomorrow night, we could even go down to the beach for a bonfire with the crew, would you like that?"

"I guess so," Alma sighed.

"We'll write, I promise," Stede mumbled into her hair as he pulled her into a hug.

Dinner was quiet and simple, all of them exhausted after a busy day. After tucking all of the children into bed, and waving goodnight to Doug and Mary, it was just Hallie left to set down, which Ed was reluctant to do.

"I just want to hold her a little longer," Ed protested as they settled back onto the couch by the fire. He fidgeted with the hem of Hallie's dress, "I need to tell you something."

Stede turned worried eyes to him and waited for him to continue. "Yes?" he prompted when nothing came. "Is everything ok? Did something happen today?"

Ed stroked his finger down Hallie's cheek, "It's hard to talk about."

Stede gave him time. He knew sometimes Ed still found it hard to talk things through after a lifetime of holding things close to his chest. They watched the flames dance together until finally Ed spoke, so quietly Stede nearly missed it, "I almost ran into Izzy today."

"What?"

"He's here. I saw him in town."

"What is he doing here? Did he see you? Do you think he's seen the ship? Is he looking for you?"

"Stede, slow down mate. He didn't see me, well I don't think he did anyway. But he'd be fucking blind to not see the ship." He watched Hallie sleeping for a moment. "I… uh… didn't react well. I ran. Had a full blown panic attack and everything. Like in the bathtub."

"Ed!" Stede cupped his cheek, concern filling his eyes.

"I'm ok now. Ethan and Doug helped me through it. It was just such a shock, you know?"

Stede said nothing, just rubbed his thumb over Ed's cheek.

"I just… I didn't know what to do, He was just standing there, yelling about fucking apples. I dunno, I guess I got scared."

Stede stared into Ed's eyes, "What are you scared of my love?"

Ed shook his head, his voice growing louder as he spoke, "I don't want him coming back into our lives and ruining what we have."

"And if he's changed?"

The baby in Ed's arms began to stir, "Do we take that chance?" He began to rock Hallie in his arms as she screwed up her face and let out a loud cry.

Stede leaned over and kissed Ed's temple, "I think that's up to you to decide. I will of course support you whatever your decision is."

Within moments Hallie had worked herself into a tantrum. She screamed, cried and waved her tiny fists around.

Together Ed and Stede quickly moved to the nursery, where they took turns feeding her, rocking her, singing to her and trying to settle her.

Finally her cries subsided, her eyes closed and her chest rose and fell, exhaustion clearly taking her out. Stede carefully lay her in the crib, and they crept out of the room. Stede reached for Ed's hand and he pulled him close and embraced him, "Come on, let's go to bed," he sighed into Ed's hair.

As they peeled of their day clothes and slipped into their pajamas Ed spoke, uncertainty in his voice, "What do I do if I run into Izzy again?"

"It's up to you my love. Do you want to talk to him?"

Ed paused then slowly nodded, "I think I do. I miss the bastard, But if he hasn't changed, then I haven't changed my decision, He's still not welcome in our lives, on our ship, or anywhere near our kids."

Stede nodded as he climbed into bed, "Understood."

"I'll miss this bed when we get back to the ship," Ed muttered with a chuckle as he threw back the quilt and slid in next to Stede, immediately wrapping himself around him.

"If you love it so much, we could always organise to have it installed on the ship." Stede pressed a kiss to Ed's nose, "I was unaware you were unhappy with our current bed."

"I'm not!" Ed protested, then grinned sheepishly, "Or I wasn't. Until I slept on this one." He closed his eyes and felt his body melt into the soft mattress. "You would do that for me?"

Stede nuzzled his forehead, "Ed. I would do anything for you." He pushed his fingertips thought the greying hair on Ed's head and lightly began to massage his scalp, the way he knew would help Ed relax. He felt the tension fall away as Ed sighed.

"I fucking love you," he smiled sleepily.

Stede didn't stop his massage as he also closed his eyes. "The feeling is mutual."

"Also, I love fucking you."

"Also mutual. Now get your mind out of the gutter and go to sleep."

The next day was full of preparing for their departure. The clothes Ed had bought the day before arrived and he spent a lot of time displaying them to Stede, who ooh'd and ahh'd over them. Ed had almost expected to have to explain his extravagant purchases, he'd spent a lot of money, But of course Stede was absolutely enamoured with the whole lot. He was especially excited by the matching outfits for Ethan and Hallie, which set him to wondering if they couldn't get Wee John to make the four of them matching outfits.

"Woah mate, let's leave the matching outfits to the kids shall we?" Ed knew if Stede wasn't reigned in he'd have the entire family and all the crew in matching fabric.

Finally it came time for them to pack up and head to the beach for their farewell bonfire. Stede had gotten Wee John and Pete to move the bed from the house to the ship, and ordered a new spare bed for the guest bedroom at the house.

As they left Stede turned to look back and his eyes filled with tears as he wished, not for the first time, that he could somehow combine his two worlds, his two families, so he never would have to be apart from either of them.

Ed was carrying Hallie in her new pink dress and ruffly bloomers, the white patent leather of her shoes shining in the late afternoon sun. Ethan had run ahead with Alma and Louis, and Mary and Doug were halfway down the long winding driveway when Ed turned to talk to Stede and realised he wasn't there. Looking back he saw Stede sitting on the bench by the door, staring into space.

Ed jogged back to where Stede sat, "You alright love?"

Stede's face snapped up to meet Ed's concerned eyes, "Y…yes. I uh, just need a moment."

"Want us to wait for you or do you want to be alone?"

"Wait for me?" Stede stuttered quietly.

"Always."

Stede sighed, "Just wondering how long it will be before we can come back here again, see Mary, the kids."

"You know we can't make a habit of it love, people will see you, they'll recognise you, they'll recognise me, The whole fuckery will go to pot."

"I know."

Ed saw Stede's shoulders droop and he rushed on, "But we can write, and maybe Mary and Doug and the kids can travel to meet us. Somewhere where we are all a bit less known."

Stede brightened at that idea, "Oh yes, I'm sure we could arrange that." He paused and looked hopeful, "And maybe… do you think that maybe in the holidays, Alma and Louis could sail with us for a bit?"

"I'm sure we could arrange that," Ed smiled as he echoed Stede's words back to him. "Let's go talk to Mary and Doug about it, yeah?" He held out a hand to him.

Stede hesitated for a moment then placing his hand in Ed's, pushed himself off the bench. "I don't deserve you, you know that, right?"

"Rubbish, it's the other way around love," Ed wrapped an arm around Stede's waist and kissed the golden hair at his temple.

"Agree to disagree my darling. Now let's go see our family."

When they got to the beach they found the crew had set up around a corner near the entrance to a cave, under some cliffs that would serve as a shelter of sorts from the evening wind. It had an added bonus in that it was quite secluded and they wouldn't be seen by people wandering along the boardwalk. Roach was cooking something in a giant pot over a large bonfire and everyone sat in a wide circle around it.

Stede watched with interest as Alma ran to where Oluwande and Jim sat and plopped herself down in the sand in front of them. Louis on the other hand tentatively approached Frenchie, and pulled out the ukelele he'd stashed in his bag. Frenchie's eyes lit up and he grabbed his lute, and began to play, Louis joining in. Ethan stood looking around the circle for a moment and Lucius, catching his eye, waved the boy over and pulled him to sit directly in his lap. Stede smiled as Ed slipped his hand in his and squeezed gently.

"You gonna stand there staring with a stupid soft grin on your face or are you gonna come introduce Mary and Doug to the rest of the crew?" Ed smiled at him.

Stede blinked. It had completely escaped him that while Doug may have met a few of them yesterday, dropping off and picking up Alma and Louis, Mary hadn't met their 'other' family. He shook himself out of his head and moved to where Mary stood watching the group tentatively, Doug's arm around her waist. Mary turned to him, a puzzled look on her face.

"This is your crew?"

Stede glanced at his friends "Yup, best crew a Captain could ask for, right Ed?"

Ed nodded, and winced as Hallie grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled, "Ow, No Princess. Daddys hair is not for pulling," He untangled her hand from his hair and held her out to Stede, "Can you hold her while I put my hair up?"

Stede took their daughter from him and looked back to where Mary was still eyeing the circle of people. "Not what you expected?"

Mary looked at him, "I don't know, I guess I just assumed they would be… well more like you." She glanced around herself cautiously, "And this group, this crew of yours, They're trustworthy?" She looked at Hallie, who was now sucking on the cravat wrapped around Stede's neck.

"Oh Princess don't chew on that," Stede gently pulled the fabric from Hallie's mouth, "Mary I trust these guys with my life. They may look a bit of a rag tag bunch of odd-bods, but…" He looked around at them, "They're family." He smiled at her.

"I should have known better. I mean I still can't believe you married Edward Teach."

Ed pulled the ribbon from his mouth and began to tie the braid off. He gave a grin, "That's' me, Edward Teach, born on a beach, ass like a peach, sucks like a leech."

Mary snorted into Doug's shoulder as Stede rolled his eyes, "Edward!" he scolded him. "Don't be crass!"

Ed tucked his chin over Stede's shoulder and kissed his neck gently, as he wrapped his arms around his waist. "Even if it's true?"

Stede turned in his arms and tapped a finger on his nose, "Even then." Stede swung his face back to look at Mary, "I'm sure once you've got to know them you'll love them too. Come on, I'll introduce you."

Unseen by the group on the beach, a lone figure stood watching them from the shadow of a tree on a rocky ledge on the cliff face. He curled his lip when a golden-haired man wrapped his arms around another man with a long salt and pepper braid, and kissed him gently, and he sneered at three children squealing and playing in the sand. He watched as a baby, dressed in a ridiculous frilly dress was passed from person to person as they all ate from a large pot. He gave another sniff of distain as a sing-a-long began, accompanied by a brown man on a lute and the bigger boy on ukelele. He started towards the group but was stopped as a young man with sideburns stepped out of the shadow of a large rock.

"Izzy," Lucius greeted him curtly.

Izzy barely glanced at him and said nothing, his focus turning back to the group on the beach. He began to walk toward them again.

"What do you want Izzy?"

"Fuck off, Spriggs. I need to talk with Blackbeard," He didn't look at Lucius.

"Ah, well there's your first mistake. He doesn't go by that name anymore. And if you've come to dredge up the past and rehash the same old tired argument, I think you should turn around and leave."

"Don't tell me what to do," Izzy snarled.

"Oh but I will. Because I'm the only one who will be brutally honest with you and tell you how it is."

"Fuck off."

"Ed's happy. Can't you see that?"

On the beach Ed lifted the doll in the pink dress above his head, where she squealed with laughter, and then bringing her down to his face, kissed her cheek then tucked her back into the crook of his arm.

"This isn't him. This isn't who he is!"

"Correction, I think you'll find this is exactly who he is. Who you wouldn't let him be for fear of losing him. It may not be who he once was, but its who he is now. It's who he wants to be."

Izzy said nothing, still staring at Ed.

"People change Iz. You need to accept that Ed is never going to be that person he was, the person you want him to be, ever again. Like it or not Stede is here to stay. As are Ethan and Hallie."

The mention of the kids made Izzy snort, his upper lip curled in disdain but Lucius kept talking.

"They're a family. They love each other." Lucius paused as he watched Izzy carefully "Now, If you think you can accept these things I will gladly walk with you down to the beach and help you work things out with Ed, I know he misses you. You could change too, if you wanted to. You could join us again, and be a part of the crew."

Izzy's fists clenched at his sides as he exhaled heavily through his nostrils.

"But," Lucius continued, "If you won't accept this, you can leave right now and I won't tell anyone I saw you. They are your two options."

"And why the fuck should I listen to you?" Izzy finally turned to face Lucius.

"Because if you don't, I will gut you where you stand you miserable pendejo," Jim stepped out from behind Lucius, who yelped and jumped sideways.

"Jim! Never sneak up on me like that again!"

Jim clapped a hand to Lucius's back, "I saw you from my place down by the fire and thought you might need backup."

They both looked at Izzy.

"Well Iz, It's your call. What are you gonna do?"

Izzy looked from Jim to Lucius, then to Ed. He stood watching the scene on the beach for a moment.

Finally he spat on the ground, "That's not my captain." He spun on his heel and stalked off.

Lucius and Jim watched him go and once he was out of sight Lucius exhaled and turned to Jim, "Oh thank god you turned up, I was about to piss myself."

"Pathetic dumbass," Jim muttered in the direction Izzy retreated. "Good job Spriggs, didn't think you had it in you to stand up to him."

Lucius waved him away "I know how to deal with bullies."

They turned back to watch the scene at the bonfire.

"Are you gonna tell Ed?" Jim arched an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know, should I?"

Jim shrugged, "It's up to you. I can keep my mouth shut about it if that's what you prefer."

Lucius pushed a hand through his hair, "Maybe I'll ask Stede what he thinks."

"Ask me? About what?" They heard Stede's voice before they saw him, finally appearing out of the darkness.

Lucius quickly explained what had occurred, with the occasional interruption from Jim, and when he'd finished, Stede tapped him on the shoulder "Good work Lucius. I'm proud of you."

"For standing up to Izzy the spewer?"

"Yes. Don't worry about Ed. I'll tell him what happened. Not tonight though. Don't want to ruin the evening. I'll tell him in a week or two, When we're back on the ship. We'll talk it through," He smiled. "Come on, let's get back to the bonfire. We're going to toast marshmallows. I've never done that before, Can you believe it?" He set off back towards the group.

Luicius shot a bemused glance at JIm and they followed him back.

Jim settled back down next to Oluwande who tucked an arm around their waist, "Everything ok?" he muttered under his breath.

"Si, I'll tell you later."

"Babe, Where did you go?" Pete reached out and took Lucius's hand and pulled him down to sit between him and Fang.

"I missed you," Fang wound his fingers around Lucius's.

"Had to take a piss," Lucius said as he picked up a stick. "Fang? Marshmallow me."