A/N: I'm back again! Feeling much better now after having the flu which I felt almost nearly killed me lmao. Please enjoy this chapter x

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Carrying yourself, your footsteps melted with the golden sands as you approached the rock where Edward was sat waiting for you to join him. Your (eye colour) eyes barely looked at him as you sat down, you felt too guilty and pained to even spare him a glance at this moment.

Surprisingly, the Welsh captain was the first to speak.

"So why did you leave then? Without a word? Without a trace?" Edward asked, as you could feel his piercing blue eyes desperately clawing for you to look into them. But you couldn't do it as you stared hopelessly into your hands which were resting limply on your lap. Suddenly his hand reached out and clasped yours, a desperate gesture for some kind of touch, the urgency and need was there which pushed you at last into looking at him.

"I thought I meant something to you, (name)." Edward's voice was a croak and the hurt was so present in those tender eyes of his – oh how it felt like someone was driving a stake right through your fragile heart.

You now found yourself squeezing his hand softly, feeling the slight callous texture of his worn hands under yours.

"You do Edward- you mean everything to me. I left to give you and Vane a chance to get along. I was just ruining everything for everyone here in Nassau." You defended, remembering how horribly you had seen Edward and Charles fight that day you'd all been out plundering some Spanish ships. "Me leaving seemed like the best option... the safest."

Edward shook his head in disbelief, hands slipping away from yours leaving your grasp feeling cold and empty.

"All you leaving did was cause more strife... I wish you would've just spoken to me rather than disappearing... It damn nearly killed me when I found out you were gone." He said, the heart ache present on the husky tones of his voice.

Sitting on the rock beside him, you did rather feel like a badly behaved child being scolded for what you'd done. Your head felt hot with the worry that you really had wrecked things – messed with emotions where all along you had been trying to avoid that.

Another understandably heft sigh fell from Edward's lips.

"So... where did you go? When you left?" he asked, a concerned interest in his voice. You looked to the bright blue ocean for some kind of escape, you were going to have to relive your torture.

"I... I took to Havana." You started, voice more feeble than before, "I wanted a new life... a clean slate. I was taken in by a man... I was looked after well for some time." You said quaintly, and from the corner of your eyes you noted the slight jealous scorn on Edward's expression.

Following this you took a deep breath, your hands now shaking.

"... some things happened. The men who took me in and looked after me, were not who they seemed... they were part of an organisation." You said, at last glancing to Edward again as you remembered the drawing of the symbol you'd found in Du Casse's drawer... and then your eyes spotted the symbol in question stitched into Edward's robes.

"Edward what does this mean? This symbol?" you asked, as he glanced at it quickly, worry on his face now as it seemed he was more concerned about the fact you were upset at the story you were telling.

"It's... it's the Brotherhood... Assassin's..." he stammered somewhat dismissively, "What do you mean about these men anyway? Organisation of what? Did they hurt you?" he flustered.

"They belonged to a group that hunted this symbol-" you said and pointed to the spot on Edward's clothes where the Assassin emblem laid. "And they didn't hurt me badly... I got away before they could do any real damage." You replied finally. For the first time in a good few minutes there was nothing but silence, the sound of the waves and the hush of the ocean.

Edward swallowed visibily before turning to look at you.

"Can you remember their names?" he asked, to which you nodded.

"Julian Du Casse was the man who took me into the home of Laureno Torres... and then there was a Mr Woodes Rodgers. They all seemed so nice at first... so kind..." you faltered then, staring bleakly out to sea. It was becoming a bit too much, revelling in the past.

"I was lucky... so lucky I found Vane..." you whispered faintly, turning to face Edward again who looked now more concerned for you rather than how angry he looked some ten minutes earlier.

"I think you need to rest," the captain said, standing slowly as he helped you up. The pair of you went strolling back over the sandy bank of the beach. As you made it back onto the dusty path, it was clear that Vane had been waiting by the porch of the tavern.

"Vane," Edward called, making Charles' head jerk up sharply. Edward guided you over, his hand on the base of your back. "Could you escort (name) back to my lodgings? So I know she's safe?" Edward asked. "I have some work that needs sorting out." He said that stayement with an air of cold reality, and showed he wasn't to be challenged or reckoned with at that time.

"Course." Vane replied, smiling at your shortly. "Come on lass." He said, instigating for you to walk with him.

For a few straying moments your eyes didn't leave Edward's figure as he walked off. You had no idea where he was going, what he was up to... but you suspected your story had angered and upset him – but also given him new leads to work on. One thing was that it had taken his mind off of his constant dog fight with Vane, as Edward clearly trusted him enough to have him escort you to safety.

-

The small white flecks of stars glittered against the deep blue of the night time sky by the time Vane had got you to the modest little structure right by the docks. It was nothing spectacular or fancy, just a somewhat rickety old wooden shack – but Edward clearly called it home when he wasn't sailing the high seas.

"I suspect once Nassau starts showing some gold for it's worth, Edward shall be living in a palace." You joked shortly to lighten the mood as Vane showed you inside the shack. "A place I would be much happier to stay in if I do say so myself." You smiled shortly, wandering into the main room. There was a small table, a couple of chairs – a writing desk and a bed and not much else. The captain quarters on the Jackdaw were more comfortable than this.

The whole space was poorly illuminated by a single candle and it only succeeded in further showcasing the dark pallor of the wood the place was built out of it.

Besides all this, you were grateful. Grateful that Edward still cared, and cared enough to make sure you were under a roof and safe.

"Unfortunately, none of us can live like kings at the moment," Charles said, looking around the room passively, "Too busy pumping all the coin, blood and sweat into this place to get it off the ground." He said, eyes that walked the expanse of the room then slowly fell to you, and he looked at you with a non-obvious tenderness that you didn't notice while you were snooping around.

"I expect it won't be long now." You replied, turning to face Vane with a polite smile. He just sort of stood there and kept on looking at you, you didn't want to say so but it was a little awkward.

"... thank you Vane, I think I shall be quite alright from here." You chuckled wryly, and you saw him snap out of his little stare with some bashful embarrassment.

"Anything else you need... you know where I am." Vane said softly, clearing his throat as he wandered towards the door. Before he could get through, you caught his wrist gently. You felt bad that he had done so much, he had rescued you from Havana – given you the courage to face Edward and always had been looking out for you... you wanted him to know how grateful you were.

"And thank you... for every single thing you have done to help me. I mean it, I think I would be lost without you." You told him wholesomely. The way the Captain's face lit up was priceless. For a fearsome pirate, seeing him beam like that was incredibly endearing.

"I'll always be looking out for you, because I care about you lass." He said, and were those ruddy cheeks reddening slightly?

There was a moment of simply a sweet, softened stare before you bowed your head slightly with an awkward chuckle.

"Take care walking back." You said presently, watching as Vane continued out of the door with that smile stained on his face.