Ed and Mary were sat around the kitchen table back at the Bonnet house, scribbling down everything they could think of that would help them in their plan to rescue the crew.

Ed was just starting to run out of things to write down, meaning his mind was starting to wonder and his thoughts were being dragged back to Stede, when he was brought out of his head by Mary jumping to her feet,

"Oh goodness," she cried, "It's getting dark; the children will be home soon. I need to put dinner on." Mary instantly set about gathering up ingredients from around the kitchen, while Ed watched her for a few moments,

"Would you like some help?" He asked,

Mary turned to look at him in surprise, "You can cook?"

"Well, no, but you can tell me what to do."

Mary stared at Ed for a second longer before plonking some vegetables and a knife down in front of him, "Chop these up for me, please."

Ed picked up the knife and set to work on the vegetables. Just as he was finishing there came the sound of the front door opening and the shouting of children,

"Mum!" A small girl burst into the kitchen followed by an even smaller boy, "Louis said that-" the girl stopped midsentence as she noticed Ed sat at the table. She narrowed her eyes at him, "Who are you?" She asked,

"Are you my dad too?" The boy – Louis – questioned.

The girl hit Louis on the arm, "Not every man you meet is your dad!" She cried.

Ed's eyes widened in shock and his mouth feel open, but no sound came out.

Mary bit back a laugh at Ed's panic, as Doug entered the room. He walked over to Mary and kissed her on the cheek, "Did you get what you needed from town?" He asked,

"I think so. I hope so," Mary replied.

The sound of Mary and Doug's voices drew Ed out of his state of shock. He glanced at Mary and Doug before turning back to the children. "Hi," he said cautiously, "I'm Ed."

Louis held out his hand, "I'm Louis," he said.

Ed smiled and shook the child's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you Louis,"

"I'm Alma," the girl said, "Why are you in my house?"

"Alma, that's rude," Mary chastised but Ed just smiled,

"I'm a friend of your fathers."

Alma's eyes widened, "Does that mean you're a pirate?"

"Umm…" Ed glanced at Mary over his shoulder, but she just shrugged, "I guess I am, yeah," Ed said,

"Wicked!" Louis cried.

Alma grabbed hold of Ed's hand and pulled him out of his chair, "You have to play pirates with us," she said, "We've never played with a real pirate before!"

Louis grabbed hold of Ed's other hand and started pulling him towards the door,

"Only if it's okay with your mum," Ed said and all three of them turned to look at Mary.

Mary waved her hand at them, "Go ahead, Doug can help me finish dinner."

Alma and Louis both whooped in delight and pulled Ed out of the room.

"How do you play pirates then?" Ed asked as Alma and Louis led him into the front room.

"You pretend you're a pirate, obviously," Alma replied as she picked up three wooden swords from where they lay on the ground,

"Obviously," Ed agreed with a quirk of his lips.

Alma passed Ed and Louis each a sword, "Me and Louis are pirates attacking your ship," she explained,

"Am I a pirate too?" Ed asked,

"Why would a pirate attack a pirate ship?" Louis said,

"To steal their treasure?" Ed suggested.

Alma hummed thoughtfully, "I guess you can be a pirate too," she said, "Seen as you are one."

Louis raised his sword and shouted, "Give us all your treasure!"

Alma raised her sword too, "We have your ship surrounded!"

Ed jumped backwards, gently batting Louis and Alma's swords away with his, "Oh no!" He cried, "The Bonnet children! What am I going to do‽"

Alma laughed and swung at Ed again.

Ed blocked all of Louis and Alma's swings, but he didn't make any moves to attack them. He kept walking backward, letting Alma and Louis advance on him, until his back hit the far wall.

Louis took another swing at Ed's sword, and, instead of blocking it this time, Ed loosened his grip on his sword, allowing the power of Louis's hit to knock it to the ground.

Louis shrieked in delight and Alma raised her sword over her head and pointed it at Ed's chest.

Ed put his hands up in surrender, "Oh no, you've caught me! What are you going to do with me?"

Alma and Louis looked at each other, seemingly having a silent conversation, "We're going to make you walk the plank!" Louis announced.

Alma grabbed Ed's arm and pulled him away from the wall, while Louis held his sword up to Ed's tailbone. "Walk pirate!" Alma cried,

"Where's the plank?" Ed asked, however before Alma or Louis could reply, they were interrupted by Mary appearing at the door,

"Time to go wash up for dinner," she said.

Alma and Louis instantly dropped their swords and ran out of the room, the prospect of food immediately making them forget about their captive.

Mary smiled at Ed as he lowered his hands, "You'll have made their day," she said, "They got to defeat a real pirate,"

"Of course," Ed said, "I wasn't going to ruin their fun."

Mary and Ed walked into the dining room, where Doug was laying plates on the table.

"I want Ed to sit next to me!" Louis cried as he and Alma burst into the room,

"What! No! I want to sit next to Ed!"

Mary sighed, "Children please, I'm sure Ed doesn't want to hear you arguing over him,"

"But where's he going to sit‽" Louis cried,

"How about I sit at the end of the table then you and Alma can both sit next to me?" Ed suggested,

"You can't sit at the head of the table," Alma said, "That's Mum's seat,"

"Oh, sorry,"

"I think we can make an exception for Ed, don't you?" Mary said,

"Okay," Alma agreed and sat down at the table.

Ed looked nervously at Mary, but she just smiled at him, so he sat down in the chair at the head of the table between Louis and Alma.

"Did you sail with Father?" Alma asked as they started eating,

"I did, yeah,"

"Was he any good?"

"Alma," Mary admonished,

"What? He never seemed like he'd be any good,"

"Your father is a good pirate. He saved me a few times."

Alma narrowed her eyes, "How?"

Before Ed could answer Louis piped up, "Have you met Blackbeard?"

Ed choked on his food in surprise, "Sorry?"

"Dad said he went on a treasure hunt with Blackbeard," Alma explained, "He found an orange and I have half of it, and he has the other half," she jumped out of her seat and made as if to hurry out of the room,

"Alma, sit down," Mary cried,

"But I want to show Ed the orange!"

"You can show him after dinner," Mary said, and Alma sulkily sat back down.

"So, have you met Blackbeard?" Louis pressed,

"Ah, well…" Ed hesitated, unsure of how to answer the question,

"Dad said Blackbeard was really nice," Alma said,

"Did he now?"

Louis and Alma both nodded,

"Ah, well, I might have to disagree with your dad on that one,"

"You don't think Blackbeard's nice?" Doug asked.

Ed shrugged, "He's a bit of an arsehole really, but Stede always saw him differently to everyone else,"

"So, you have met him then?" Louis cried,

"I guess so."

Louis hummed thoughtfully, "Have you ever stabbed someone?"

"Louis!"

"You must have stabbed somebody if you're a pirate," Alma said,

"You don't have to stab somebody to be a pirate," Ed said.

Alma rolled her eyes, "Of course you do,"

"How about shoot someone?" Louis asked, "Or hanged someone? Or thrown them off a ship? Or-"

"Okay, Louis," Mary interrupted, "That's enough."

Ed shot Mary a grateful look.

"Children, why don't you come and help me in the garden and leave Ed alone for a bit," Doug suggested.

Alma and Louis jumped up and followed Doug out of the room towards the garden, leaving Ed alone with Mary.

"Sorry about them," Mary said as she started gathering up the plates, "They're just excited,"

"It's alright," Ed said with a smile, "It was just a lot."

Mary opened a cabinet and took out two glasses and a bottle, "Stede used to play pirates with them and when he left it stuck,"

"And they said they'd never played with a real pirate before,"

"In their defence, I don't think they've played it with him since he became a pirate. Wine?"

"Why Mary Bonnet are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Just trying to loosen your tongue,"

"It might require more than one bottle of wine do that. I have the alcohol tolerance of a pirate after all."

Mary smiled, "I can do that. I'll be right back."

It only took a few minutes for Mary to reappear clutching three more bottles of wine,

"Three?" Ed raised his eyebrow,

"Well, you said it would require more than one," Mary opened one of the bottles and poured out two glasses.

"I can't say wine is my normal drink of choice," Ed said as he took a gulp.

Mary hummed, "I can't imagine there are many wine connoisseurs among pirates,"

"No, pirates normally go for rum. I'm partial to brandy. Stede had such an excessive collection though, that it really ruined the low-quality stuff for me,"

"You know, I think there's still a few bottles in the cellar. You can have them if you want,"

"Really?"

Mary shrugged, "I'm not going to drink it, brandy isn't really mine or Doug's thing."

Ed smiled, "Thank you."

Mary took another sip of wine and looked at Ed, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure,"

"How come you weren't caught with the rest of your crew?"

"Ah," Ed downed the rest of his wine then held his glass out to Mary for a refill, "I'd left,"

"What do you mean you'd left? Like you broke up with Stede‽"

"Sort of," Ed sighed and slumped back in his chair. He stared at his glass for a moment before taking another large gulp, "Stede came back and that was great, but I didn't know who I was anymore, I still don't really. I know I don't want to be Blackbeard anymore; I'm not even sure I want to be a pirate anymore-"

"Wait, what‽" Mary cried, "You're Blackbeard‽"

"You didn't know that? I assumed Stede told you,"

"No! He mentioned both Blackbeard and Ed, but he never said you were the same person. Goddamn it Stede!" Mary let out a gasp and her eyes widened, "At dinner you said Blackbeard was a prick!"

"He is," Ed said, "Trust me, I'd know, I know everything he's ever done; including the stuff nobody else knows about,"

Mary let out a breathless laugh, "Oh my god, Blackbeard was playing pirates with my children! Blackbeard let my children beat him in a sword fight!"

Ed looked down at his lap, "I understand if you want me to leave,"

Mary's expression turned serious, "Why would I throw you out?"

"Because I'm Blackbeard, most people think I'm a monster. They wouldn't be happy if they found out they'd been helping me, let alone if they found out they'd been letting me around their children."

Mary smiled softly, "Ed, look at me."

Ed lifted his eyes from his lap and looked at Mary with impossibly wide eyes.

"I'm not going to throw you out. The people who think that about you clearly don't know you. I've spent all day with you, I know you're not going to harm me or my children,"

"So, you're not scared of me?"

Mary shook her head,

"Why?" Ed asked,

"I just told you why,"

"No but…" Ed groaned as he tried to arrange his thoughts, "I know what my reputation is. Even you must have heard bits of it. A lot of it is true,"

"I have," Mary agreed, "But I also heard Stede talk about you,"

"You didn't know who I was,"

"Stede never mentioned that you were Blackbeard, something I will be shouting at him for later, but he talked about Ed, and you are Ed too."

Ed ducked his head, "Thank you."

Mary smiled and picked up her wine glass again before she suddenly paused, "Oh my god, how did Stede Bonnet land Blackbeard‽" She cried.

Ed smiled wistfully, "He set a French ship on fire because they insulted me, then he fashioned the one fine thing I owned into a pocket square and told me I wear fine things well in the moonlight."

Mary let out a little huff, "Where was that Stede when we were married?"

"It was very romantic,"

"It sounds it."

Ed looked down at his wine glass, "It feels wrong to be sat here drinking wine while Stede's still…"

Mary rested her hand on Ed's shoulder, "Stede's okay," she said,

"He's going to be hanged,"

"No, he's not, tomorrow we're going to break him out,"

"But that's tomorrow, right now…"

"Right now, he's okay. He's in jail, but he's okay."

Ed smiled at Mary, "Thank you," he said.

Mary returned the smile and stood up, "Come on, I'll show you to the guest room,"

Ed nodded, "Then tomorrow we rescue everyone."

Mary returned the nod in agreement, "Tomorrow we rescue everyone."