Bloodlines (open)

Bryan tightened his grip on her gently. He understood. He looked up for a moment and then closed his eyes tight. "I'm here, Liz. I'll always be here."

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

Once the crowd had finally disappeared, Elizabeth went to cut down her old friend. The others offered to help, but she refused. Even with her injured shoulder, Elizabeth carried Vane's corpse back to her ship.

"If it's alright with everyone, I'd like to have a moment alone with him" Elizabeth said quietly before she carried Vane's corpse into her quarters.

She sobbed violently as she cleaned his body, and prepared him for his burial.

"Mister Waters! I need you to build a coffin for dear old Charlie" Elizabeth roared before she fought her way to the crow's nest. "Ben! Get us home. Nassau."
"Aye, captain" both men said quietly before they went off. The pain could be heard clearly in her voice as she sung Lowlands, and her voice echoed across the ship.

Bryan's head was turned up to the nest. The gentle wind tugged at his robes and made them flow gently, the few strands of hair flowing from his forehead. He gave a sigh and turned his head to the sea, a glittering water that he hadn't seen since he'd saved Sam's life back at Hanava.

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

After an hour or so, Elizabeth finally came down from the crow's nest. She looked like a broken woman.
"I wonder if Sam's noticed that we're gone?" Elizabeth sat on the gunwale, and looked out over the water. Everything looked so peaceful to her.

"Since he knows you so well," said Bryan softly, leaning over the railing with just a single shift of his body. "He'll think you're just out for a night walk and will return by dawn. Since he mentored me, he'll assume I'm on the contract I took yesterday."

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

"Oh aye, but I don't think he'll be too happy when neither of us return. God knows he won't be happy. But he knows I can take care of myself." Elizabeth wiped her face, and sighed. "Edward should be falling out of his bed right about now."

---

Edward rolled over, and fell out of bed. This, much like always, resulted in Jane waking up. Tiago raced off to the room, and quickly saw to the children. Bonny cared for baby Read while Tiago made breakfast for him, Bonny, and Edward.

Bryan chuckled. "Aye. And it always wakes Sam up."

Sam woke with a grunt and walked sleeping out of his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and brushing his hair into its usual, messy do up. He yawned and entered the kitchen. "Eddy, where's your mother? She's normally back by now."

"I don't know, daddy. I just woke up." Edward looked to Tiago for answers.
"Hey, I know just as much as you two." Edward shrugged before he returned to his eggs and toast. "Remember, this is Elizabeth we're talking about."

"She's usually back by breakfast," Sam breathed softly, shuffling his son's hair lovingly. There was a concerned look in his eyes. "Josh is still asleep, I see." Sam said, trying to get his kind off of hi wife for a bit.

Tiago finally sat down for breakfast, and sighed as he finally tucked into his meal.
"There's a plate for you too, Master Donnelly." Tiago seemed rather relaxed. He didn't know where Elizabeth had gone, but he knew she would be alright

"You're a good lad, Tiago," Sam said with a smile toward the young man. Indeed, Tiago would be a fine Assassin when his time came. Sam sat down and began to enjoy the breakfast with his family, or with the family that was there.

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

When they finally reached Nassau, Elizabeth watched with tears in her eyes as her men carried Vane's corpse up to her house.
"You may have been a Bristol man, but I know this was more of a home to you than that place ever was."

Once Vane had been buried, Elizabeth retreated to the safety of the Shay mansion. It had been decorated just the way she remembered it.
"I'm so happy to be home. Think I'll stay here for a few days" Elizabeth said with a sigh as she plopped down on the couch.

Bryan had made a habit of leaning against pillars and walls a certain way. It was his Templar habit, but it made more sense this time around. The habit felt more like an Assassin's habit than a templar. Once he watched Liz go inside, he walked to the grave and gently touched his hand to the stone, his head bowed. "Rest in Peace, friend of the Assassins. May your soul find its rest." Bryan walked up to the house and entered, though he stayed in the door. "I'll hang around for you, Liz. I'll see what I can find here in town, though, to keep myself busy."

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

"It's alright, Bryan. I'll be fine here on my own." Elizabeth looked out to the stones that marked the graves of her friends and family, and sighed. "There's a spare room you are more than welcome to stay in." Elizabeth looked around the house, and she finally remembered what it was like before everything had changed. She finally felt like she was home.

Bryan nodded and looked outside. He didn't know what to do, truth be told. He slowly backed out of the door slowly. Bryan looked up for a moment and then began to run. He ran until he jumped up onto a building. He twisted his body the second his feet hit the shingles and kept running. He sprang into the air and grabbed onto a ledge, hoisting himself up quickly. The second he got onto the highest point, Bryan stopped and stood up, despite the fact it was a small area and he should have been crouching. The air was so fresh up here and it tugged gently at his clothes.

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

Once Bryan had disappeared, Elizabeth went outside, and knelt before the six graves.
"Mum, Dad. I miss you so much. God knows how much I need you right now. I wish you could meet my husband and my son, you'd love them both. I'm pregnant, again. He won't say it, but Sam is worried that, should this child be a boy, it will be a repeat of him and his brother. I- I get the feeling that he doesn't even want this child." Elizabeth held a hand to her stomach, and hung her head. She looked to the grave of her oldest friend, Mary Read, and wiped her tears away. "Mary... I miss you so much, my sister. You were the only one to show me any kindness back at Tulum. Jane is like a daughter to me, so I'm raising her like my own child. Edward loves her like a sister. I wish I could have done more... I wish I could have saved you..." Elizabeth lay beside the headstones, and simply allowed the tears to flow. She knew going after Torres was a suicide mission, but she had to do it. She wouldn't allow her family to hide in the shadows for fear of being hunted down like dogs. She was willing to risk her life to protect her family. I'm sorry, but it has to be done.

Back within the Keys' bureau knelt Sam. He was in that special hidden glade that his parents were buried. "I wish you could meet my wife and son," he said softly, touching each stone with a gentle hand. "You'd love them. Liz is pregnant again. I have to admit...I'm scared. I want this child, I really do, but...should it be a boy, I don't want what happened with me and Freddy to happen again with my sons. I fear my wife thinks I don't want the child. That's just not the case." Sam sighed heavily and hung his head, a few tears beginning to surface. "Torres is still living. I promise you, he'll die for what he did to you. I'll send him to the pit of hell. I just wish you were here to help me."

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

After a few days relaxing at her home, Elizabeth finally decided it was time for her to face Torres. Ben and Morgana had helped her by providing information regarding the whereabouts of Torres.

"It's time" Elizabeth said coldly as she turned away from her home. She had taken some Templar armour from a man she killed at the tavern, and wore it proudly. She made sure that all her weapons were sharpened or loaded before she made her way to the tavern to meet with the others.

"The bastard's at Kingston. Let's head out before he disappears again" Elizabeth snarled coldly. She was going to make them suffer, and she was going to deny them death's cold embrace for as long as she could.

Bryan nodded his head, the coldest look on his face. Somehow, just that face alone, hidden beneath his mask, made him seem more of a templar than any. He gently fixed his hidden blades and made sure they worked. "Let's go make him beg for death," he snarled.

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

Elizabeth crept along in the dark, sticking to the shadows as she made her way to where Torres was staying. She used anything she could find to aid in her cover.

"A mansion? How typical" Elizabeth thought to herself as she watched Torres walk about the house. Morgana was talking to Torres about how things were going at the Irish rite. Elizabeth signalled to her team, and the plan was put into action. Morgana managed to sedate Torres with a sleepdart while Elizabeth and the men focused on El Tiburón. Elizabeth was much like a mosquito, no matter what El Tiburón did, he couldn't seem to hit her. She, however, kept sticking sleepdarts into the brute until he fell.

"So what do we do with them now? Torres isn't much of an issue, but El Tiburón?"
"Oh that's simple" Elizabeth said with a sinister smile as she freed two of her golden flintlocks from their holsters. "He's not much of a threat if he can't walk." With that, she shot the brute in the back of his knees. "He'll never walk again" Elizabeth growled as she returned her weapons to their holsters. "Let's go home." Elizabeth watched as Hornigold and Roberts carried El Tiburón back to the ship while she and Morgana carried Torres.

"This is only the beginning of your suffering, Torres" Elizabeth growled as she locked the Templars' cell.

Bryan had followed Liz to a tee and now stood outside the cell of. Torres. He would be there when the bastard woke up. He wanted a chat with the Templar who almost had him killed. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "I'll watch them," he said softly, fixing his mask for a moment.

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

"Thank you, Bryan." Elizabeth made her way up to her quarters to get some sleep. She collapsed on her bed,and pulled the sheets of her head before she passed out. Johnson had taken control of the ship, and the crew gladly obeyed him without hesitation. She slept soundly knowing that her enemies were now her prisoners.

After her brief nap, Elizabeth returned to the deck, and manned the helm. She was mentally preparing herself for the inevitable lecture she would receive from Samuel when she returned to the Keys. She was, however, ecstatic that she had finally captured her enemies, that they would suffer as she had, and that they would never again harm her family.

(sorry, my phone isn't working anymore so I'm on the computer now ^_^)

Despite the gentle rocking of the ship on the waves, Bryan managed to stay against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest in a serious manner, his eyes staring at the wall opposite him. Occasionally, his eyes would trail toward Toress, the bastard who had nearly had Samuel killed, had it not been for Bryan and the rest of the Assassins that day. Bryan gently touched the shoulder he had been shot in for a moment before he re-positioned his arms against his chest. He knew he and Liz both would get yelled at by Sam for leaving the Keys, and he was prepared to take it.

Elizabeth "Demon" (Shay) Donnelly

Elizabeth smiled as she looked out over the water. They would soon be arriving at the Keys, and she would get to see her family again.
"Johnson, take over for me. Our guests look thirsty, and, well, what kind of person would I be to deny them a drink." Johnson took over from Elizabeth, and watched as his captain went off.

"Enjoy" Elizabeth said with a sinister smile as she emptied the contents of a tankard over the Templars.

"It's good to be home" Elizabeth chuckled as they finally arrived at the Keys.

Bryan had surfaced from below and took a breath of the familiar air. "It's certainly good to be back," he said in agreement. Then he gave a small flinch and chuckled. "Time to face Sam's wrath for being away so long." He said this in a light tone, despite the seriousness of what was to come.