"So you want to leave me high and dry, while you run around on some mission that has nothing to do with us?" Alex asked as he gave Bob a slightly tense look.

"But I'm not leaving you high and dry."  Bob said as he sat relaxed on the chair in front of Alex's desk.  "I'm just letting you call the shots while I'm doing something else for once.  Unless you don't think that you can handle it."

Alex dropped his head as he looked down at the floor as he braced himself as he sat on the corner of his desk.  "It's not that.  And you know it."

Bob sat up in his chair and placed his hands on his knees as he looked at his brother.  "I'm not dad."

Alex crossed his arms and looked down more.

"I'm going to come back." Bob said as he watched her brother start to struggle with what he was hearing.  "In fact you'll be able to call me whenever you need me. My phone will be with me at all times.  Alright?"

"But your not making any sense.  These people.....?"  Alex started to say.  "We have no idea who they are or what their intentions are."

"No we don't."  Bob returned as he slightly looked down himself. "But if Tracy trusts them, then I will give them a chance.  Besides, if these are the people who will be the ones to free this city of piracy, then I'm more then happy to help."

Alex then looked up at his brother with scared eyes.  "But why you?  Why does she want you?  Isn't there someone else who she can turn to?"

"I don't know the answer to that yet.  But I doubt that she would ask me, just to ask me. She must need me for something specific."  Bob answered as he looked back at Alex.

"I just hope its for something other than sex, mate."  Alex said with a hurt voice.

Bob got a slight surprised look on his face from hearing his brothers tone.  But that soon turned to a smirk as he watched his brother nervously shift on his feet.

"Is that what this is about?  Are you jealous that I got laid last night?"  Bob asked with a smirk.

Alex nervously looked away.  "No."

Bob laughed at his brother.  "Your so full of shit."

Then Bob continued in a more serious tone.  "And no it has nothing to do with what Tracy and I do behind closed doors.  That is no ones business but hers and mine.  And I would appreciate you to respect my privacy with that."

"It just that I'm worried about you getting hurt again."  Alex said in a quiet tone.

"Now your the one who's not making any sense."  Bob said as he gave his brother a confused look.  "Weren't you the one who wanted me to take Tracy a bit more seriously?"

"Yes, but that was before all of this."  Alex returned as he gave his brother a serious tone.

Bob dropped his head for a moment.  "Look.  I understand your concern.  When dad left for that last fishing trip.  He never made it back home.  And that's why we have been looking for his boat ever since. So that we can find out what happened."

Bob then looked back up at his brother.  "But that's why I became a scientist and I got hired by the research lab.  And it's because of them that we have the funding for what we do.  But that is why this is also important to us, as well as the city of Altissia."

"If we can stop the pirates, then we can continue our search and not have to worry about being robbed every time we set sail.  Because I don't know about you, but I'm really getting tired of our equipment being stolen right out from under our noses.  The only reason they didn't get the equipment last time was because of her.  And for that alone, we owe her a debt." Bob finished all while watching his brother.

Alex dropped his head as he deeply exhaled.  Then he grabbed the edge of his desk again.  Bob watched his brother's knuckles turn white from his grip.

"I know.  I'm just worried."  Alex quietly said before he looked back up at his brother.

Bob slightly smile at him.  "I know little brother.  But it'll take more then that to take me away from you and you should already know that."

Alex looked up and gave his brother a slight smile. "Just be careful. Okay?  We still have a boat to find after all."

Bob smiled back at his brother. "Of course."

~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~

"You'll have to pardon the people that I'm about to introduce you to. They are very nervous with outsiders. So they may still want to test you.  Even though I have told them not to." Tracy was saying as they walked through the city as they headed for the hideout.

Bob turned and gave her a slightly concerned look.

"Oh but don't worry." Tracy quickly replied when she saw his face. "I won't leave you alone.  And they won't be using any weapons.  You do know how to fight? Right?"

"I do."  He said as he reached over and grabbed her hand when he saw how nervous she got.  "I just didn't expect to have to with this.  At least not this soon."

"I didn't at first either." She said as she turned her head downward as they walked hand in hand. "But after talking and working with them, it made sense to me.  This city is under the Niflheim control.  So for them, they have to be sure that everyone that they bring in is serious about this and can handle themselves in a fight.  Because if the Nif ever found out about them, they would all be hunted down and killed for sure."

Bob dropped head as well as they walked. "I can see where that would be a concern."

"But still they are willing to risk it all just to put a stop to the piracy that is crippling the very way of life for the whole country."  She said as she slightly squeezed his hand.  "Because if they could get rid of the pirates, then the city could be prosperous again.  And they wouldn't have to worry about their goods and food being stolen and taken from them any more."

Then Tracy looked up at him.  "And that is why I'm helping.  I'm tired of seeing people being hurt by the Nif.  Especially when they are just trying to take care of their families and live their lives. Heck, all they want is happiness."

Bob smiled at her as he brought her hand up to his lips and gave her a gentle kiss on her hand.  She felt her breath leave her as she watched him.  

"You truly are an amazing woman to want to put yourself out there to help them like this."  He said as he dropped their hands back down. "But what will you get in return?  It's not like you owe these people anything.  Hell your not even from this country.  So once your done, you'll just be heading back to Insomnia anyway."

Tracy then dropped her head shyly as she looked away from him.  "Well," she started out nervously saying, "You see......I was kind of hoping to....."

"Wait?"  She heard him say as he stopped by an alleyway.  "Is this the alley that you were talking about?"

Tracy then nervously looked up and did a quick glance and knew that it was.  "Yeah."

Bob then looked around and saw the white metal door that she had mentioned.  He slowly led them up to the door.  But just before they reached the door she stopped in her tracks and pulled him to a stop.  He stopped and looked at her.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to."  She quietly said as she suddenly felt embarrassed that she had asked him.

Because like he had just stated for her, he wasn't from these parts either.  So it wasn't his fight to be worried about.  And she had no right to drag him into a fight that wasn't one that he really needed to be apart of.

"After all.  It's not your fight and it doesn't affect you."  She quietly said as she started to pull him away from the door.

Bob then turned and looked at her.  Then he pulled her close and cupped her chin in his hand as he raised her face up to look at him.  She gave him a surprised look as he gave a sincere smile.

"That is where you are mistaken love."  He quietly said as he looked at her as he pulled her in close.  "Or have you forgotten when the pirates tried to board my ship while you were there.  I want these pirates gone just as much as they do.  Because if you hadn't stopped them the last time, who knows what they might have done to us.  We had just been robbed by them and they had already taken over half of our research equipment."

Bob then dropped his head as he slid his fingers gently over her cheek.  "The lab had already threatened to shut us down after the first major theft.  Because when they had stolen the equipment, the lab said that we were just to expensive and was considering  options other than us.  If it hadn't been for Faith putting together a budget that would allow us to conduct a few easy experiments on the local sea life outside of Altissia, we wouldn't have been able to show them anything."

"That was what I had to type up."  Tracy said in surprise.  

"Yes.  Those were the reports that kept our funds still coming to us."  He said as he looked up at her.  "So you see, this very much does impact me and my crew.  If we can rid these seas of the pirates, then we can get back to what we are suppose to be doing.  And that is why I want to help."

"And besides," he continued as he dropped his head down to hers, "every second that I get to spend with you means the world to me."

Tracy looked up at him as her breath caught from his words.  She then quickly reached up and kissed him as she pulled him close.  He wrapped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss.  She could feel his passion for her through his kiss as he gripped her tightly.  Then he slowly loosened his grip on her as he pulled away from his kiss.

He placed his forehead against hers as he looked at her.  "After we do this.  Can I possibly talk you into staying?"

She felt her heart leap into her chest as she looked at him.  She felt like he was looking into her soul and could see what was screaming in her head as she looked at him.  She felt a tear start to fall down her cheek as she felt overjoyed that he wanted her to stay just as bad as she wanted to.  She traced her fingers across his cheek as she smiled.

"As long as I get to stay with you.  I would love to."  She said as she searched his face.

He then was the one with a smile on his face as he tightened up his grip on her.  "I don't want you anywhere else, but with me.  Because without you, everything to me is nothing but pure torture. I don't know what it is about you. But I can't seem to live without you."

Tracy couldn't help the tears now as she tried to smile.  But even as she tried to, she couldn't even seem to talk as the tears started to fall.  She wrapped her arms around his neck as the tears started to pour as she leaned up and captured his lips again.  She kissed him tenderly at first then increased the pressure as she could feel him tightening up his grip on her as if he was afraid that she might disappear.  She pulled away after a moment as they both fought to catch their breath again.

"You have no idea how much that means to me to hear that coming from you."  She quietly said as she slowly leaned back so that she could see him.  "I was afraid that you didn't want me to stay.  Especially after you didn't answer your phone when I came by the ship after you first pulled in."

"On the contrary.  I couldn't stand the idea that you would be going back to Insomnia."  He quietly said as he looked back at her with tears started in his eyes.  "I had had to watch you leave once already.  Which almost completely destroyed me.  I didn't think that there would be anything left of me if you left me again to go back home."

"Then what if you were my new home?  What if I were to stay with you until my dying days?"  She asked through her tears.

"That sounds very much like an engagement question."  He stated as he searched her face.

"Perhaps not an engagement question as much as a promise question.  After all, I shouldn't be the one asking."  She said as she gave him a loving smile.

He smiled back at her.  Then he leaned in and gave her a tender kiss.  She could feel his love for her as he slowly kissed her.  She closed her eyes as she enjoyed this tender moment with him.  Then he slowly leaned back from her and gave her a stunning look from his gorgeous green eyes as he smiled at her. 

"I think that I might be able to make arrangements for that."  He said as he watched her gave him a huge smile back.  "But first.  Let's say that we get rid of some pirates shall we?"

Tracy gave him a huge smile back then she gave him one last kiss before she released him completely.  "Let's."

Then she walked over to the door to knock.  But just as she was about to, she heard the old woman's voice.  "I take it this is who you were talking about?"

Tracy slightly jumped as she hadn't realized that the eye slit had been open that whole time.  "Yes.  Yes he is."

"Hmmmmm."  Ezma's voice said as it carried out the door.  "He sounds promising and seems to have the same conviction as you.  But can he hold his own in a fight."

"Yes he can.  And I've already told you that."  Tracy said as she gave the eye slot a hard look.

"We shall see."  Ezma said before slamming the eye slit closed.

Damn it!  Why doesn't she believe me? Fucking stubborn old bat.  Fine.  We'll just have to prove it to them.  Again."  Tracy thought as she heard the door being unlock before it started to slowly open up.

Tracy turned back to Bob and grabbed his hand.  "Stay close and keep your guard up.  It looks like they're still going to test you.

"I say bring it on."  He said as he gave her his all to familiar determined look.

"Right."  Tracy said as she smile broadly at him.

Then they both stepped inside.

~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~

"Enough!"  Ezma said loudly after a few minutes, as all that could be seen under the single lightbulb was a slue of people, who were now all rolling around on the ground as they groaned in pain.

Tracy and Bob were standing back to back as they both waited for the next wave to come after them.  Tracy was a bit surprised, and relieved at the same time, that Bob was trained to fight in a way that was similar to what she knew.  Which is why that had been almost too easy for them as they fought side by side.  Plus it did help that Bob was extremely strong and fast at the same time.

"Truly we now have two very talented people now on our team.  That is, if you are willing to join our cause Mr. Robert?"  Ezma said as she stepped out into the light.

"Your fight is the same as mine."  Bob said back to her.  "So I look at it as more of a partnership between your organization and my ship and crew."

"Fair enough."  Ezma said as she stood up tall.  

"Lights!"  She ordered, to which the whole room was once again engulfed in light.

"Then let us discuss how we can help each other out so that we can dispose of a common enemy."  Ezma said as she held out her hand.

"I'm all ears."  He said as he shook her hand with a strong smile and grip to match.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So it sounds like the plans are simple enough for us."  Bob said as he looked at the charts of Altissia' waterways and her surrounding islands.  "All we need to do at this point is find the island."

"Exactly."  Tracy responded.  "Which is where we need your help.  You know these pirates better than anyone I know.  And you could even help provide us with a starting point just based on the distress signals that you had gotten from locals who needed you to help them out."

"Hence, simple."  Bob returned with a smile as he looked at her.  "The only thing left then is to secure a boat.  We can't very well use our ship since she's being repaired."

Tracy felt her heart leap when she heard 'our ship'.  She could feel the tinge of pride that he already considered her not only a part of his life again.  But also as a crew member of his ship.  The idea made her proud. And seemed to add more fuel to her burning love for him.

"And I think I might know someone who has one that we might be able to borrow."  Bob said with a smile.  "And besides, he owes me a favor."

******Author Note******

Now that the Society has joined forces with the crew from the Atlantis.  They can finally start to search for the hideout and ultimately take down the pirates. 

I know that this one is bit short.  But I didn't want the next part to be split up unless it had to be.  And besides, this is a short story at about 3,000 words per chapter.  Unlike the main story that has 5,000 words, on average, per chapter.

But anyway, now that Bob is on board, they head to secure a boat and to start the search.  All while their love for each other grows stronger with each passing day. But even as they search and grow closer together.  Will this be short lived as they get closer to ending the pirates raine?

We shall see.  

Thanks for reading.  :)

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