Chapter Text
It was a wonder how the little rowboat could fit the seven of them.
Well, no, it capsized a couple of times until they found a formation in which the weight was perfectly distributed, but they managed. Things had been a little chaotic at first, the crew arguing about who got to rest and who needed to row. After a little shouting, Stede managed to convince the crew to take turns rowing, Stede included, so that everybody had a chance to relax for a moment.
And then, they run into a problem way earlier than Stede thought they would. You see, Stede was very passionate about pirates, ships, and the sea. But passion didn’t translate into knowledge, and his inexperience meant that he had no clue how to get to the Revenge.
Luckily for them, Buttons was a man with contacts. “The Air Force” is what Karl liked to call his group of seagull friends. Black Pete had been skeptical that the seagulls could actually understand Buttons when he started giving directions to them through quacks and croaks, but he was proven wrong when the flock, led by Olivia, began flying forming an arrow.
Well, one less problem.
“How long have you guys been on that island?” Stede asked.
“One month!” The Swede exclaimed, causing the boat to wobble and the rest of the crew to scream.
“Maybe three or four days,” Oluwande answered.
“But those days felt like a month,” The Swede mumbled.
Oluwande hesitated for a moment, not sure if this was the right time to ask about it. But truthfully, there was never gonna be a good time.
“Captain, what happened? Edward wouldn’t tell us anything, but judging by his reaction, we all thought you were dead. He was really sad.”
Oluwande’s words cut through his heart like daggers. Stede tried not to think too much about what he had done, because if he did, the guilt wouldn’t let him go back to Ed. But he had to be better than that. He had to fix this mess.
“Really?” He asked with a soft voice.
“We didn’t really see him at first, but we could hear him crying sometimes. Then he had a talk with Lucius and started reciting poetry and talking about a talent show.”
“Oh…”
Flashbacks of that day came to Stede’s mind. Badminton’s words were playing on repeat in his head. A monster. Ruined Mary’s life. Nigel’s life. Brought down Blackbeard. He really thought he was doing the right thing by getting away from Edward, that way he would be free of Stede’s misfortune. He shouldn’t have listened.
“Well… It turns out that we liked each other!”
The whole crew gasped, trying to battle smiles.
“You know, like, romantically!”
They gasped a little louder.
“And we talked about starting anew in China!”
Those in rowing duty had stopped rowing, staring expectantly at Stede.
“And… Well… I stood him out.”
The silence was deafening.
Suddenly everybody started talking at the same time, and Stede panicked while shouting “Guys, guys!” because they were threatening the delicate balance that kept the rowboat afloat.
“No wonder he was so sad!”
“He’s going to stab you as soon as you get into the ship!”
“He might be a little hostile, yes, that I imagined,” Stede said.
“Very hostile.”
“Yer gonna lose yer head.”
“Or worse.”
Up until now, Stede had been doing fine. Now he was having trouble breathing. “Guys, those are things that you think but you don’t say. It’s a little discouraging.”
Oluwande put his hand on Stede’s shoulder.
“You have to be prepared to fight him.”
“I am. I think.”
“Mentally prepared to fight him.”
Stede looked at him, trying to maintain the ruse that he was confident and knew what he was doing. He was not doing a great job, it seems, as Oluwande seemed to see through him.
“Either we reconcile or I die.” Stede sadly smiled.
“Would it be worth it…? Wouldn’t be better to just… keep living without him?”
Stede shook his head.
“I left once. I’m not leaving again.” Stede looked at the horizon. It was easier to avoid tears falling when you weren’t looking at the eyes of another person. “I wouldn’t be able to live with that weight on me.”
༺ ☾ ༻
Finding the Revenge took surprisingly less time than they thought it would. The ship had sails, for god’s sake, it should travel way faster than a rowboat. Stede decided not to question it too much, as he lacked the knowledge to know the logic behind the horsepower of their little raft. Maybe physics were in his favor.
The light seemed to be on his side too. The moonlight shone brightly enough to be able to see what you were doing, but dim enough that nobody in the Revenge seemed to notice them getting closer.
There were no voices, no sound of people working and walking around the deck. At Stede’s signal, Wee John threw a ladder upwards and the crew prepared themselves for whatever they would find once they climbed.
“Remember, guys, if Ed tries to fight me, I want nobody aiding me. Unless Ed’s crew aids him. In which case, please help me.”
“Captain, you’re going to get yourself killed.”
“Nonsense!” Stede wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince his crew or himself.
The first thing Stede noticed was that the deck was indeed empty. There was no soul in sight, all the crew probably sleeping downstairs.
Or so he thought.
On the other side of the deck, someone was sitting with their legs dangling. The figure had one bottle of what Stede presumed was rum or another alcoholic beverage in his hand, and he was so out of it that he didn’t notice Stede and his crew boarding the Revenge.
Stede could recognize that long hair anywhere. “Ed?” He got closer cautiously.
It was certainly a terrifying sight. Matted hair. Eyes and beard stained by kohl. Gaze not focused on anything, not a glimpse of life in his eyes. Stede suddenly felt very small, his heart riddled with guilt.
What had he done?
“You’re not real.” Ed’s voice sounded hoarse and rough. Some could mistakenly think that was caused by shouting, but Stede knew better. His own voice suffered similarly after crying for a while.
Stede took another step towards Ed. “I’m very much real.” And another. “I should never have left, Ed. I’m sorry.”
Ed stood gripping the rail, his legs very wobbly. Stede tried to reach for him unconsciously, fearing that at any second he would fall overboard. But he couldn’t, not if he didn’t want Ed to stab him.
“You’re really here?”
Stede smiled, feeling hopeful. “Yes.” This was it. Stede was going to explain everything to Ed, and then they would be co-captains again, and they would laugh together, cuddle together, maybe even kiss each other ag—
Something clicked within Ed. His gaze suddenly turned murderous, and he drew his sword at a speed that didn’t match his drunk wobbling. Stede was practically saved by the distance between each other, as he wouldn’t had be able to parry such a hit had Ed been closer to him.
Ed had taught him well. Before meeting him, Stede wouldn’t be able to hold his ground in a swordfight. Now he was managing, not terribly well, but he was still alive. Granted, Ed was drunk, his movements clumsier and more predictable. Stede was not about to question his luck.
But there was a clear difference between them. Stede was mainly on the defensive, and he didn’t want to hurt Ed. Which meant that he would not last much longer, as Ed was clearly going for the kill.
Only the sound of the swords clashing could be heard. The crew was frozen in place. They expected this outcome, but still held out hope that their captains could reconcile. But at this rate, Edward was going to kill Stede.
Roach took a step towards them, hand going for his hidden knife, but Stede shouted at him. “Stay right where you are, don’t interfere!”
He had to prove to Ed that he was serious. That he wasn’t a coward anymore. But he was running out of time, his defense starting to crack. He was a little too slow parrying a hit, and Ed’s sword grazed his right shoulder. It hurt, which meant that when the adrenaline wore off it would hurt even more.
Another slash on his right thigh.
Stede heard voices below the deck. Ed’s crew was finally awake, which meant that Stede had to decide fast what to do in other to avoid a bloodbath between the two crews. He trusted Ed to be somewhat fair while fighting, but he didn’t trust Izzy. He had to end the fight now.
Suddenly, a sword went through flesh. Ed and Stede froze, a look of betrayal engraved in his eyes. Blood started pouring out of the wound, and the world started going a little blurry around the edges.
But Stede made sure to stab through the unimportant bits.