I didn't know what to do. Uncle Ruben looked at me while biting his lower lip, seemingly nervous. Working with two pirate captains who wouldn't get along and worrying about the British was hard enough already... I couldn't believe I'd have to deal with my uncle as well! My real desire was to vanish, lock myself in a room and cry my eyes out. Don't judge me, I was panicking! How could I confront my uncle with Dirk and Miguel watching? Besides, I couldn't help but think about many events at the same time. Regardless of my grudge against uncle Ruben, I knew my life would've been much worse if it weren't for him. Without his help, I'd still be Hendrika's victim. Also, I'd be miserable since I couldn't imagine myself being anything other than a pirate. The Navy was trying to destroy me, but that wasn't my main concern at that instant. The question that wouldn't stop torturing me was how uncle Ruben had survived the shipwreck. Neither Maartje nor Sven had seen him that day, so what the hell happened? How did he end up in Miguel's ship? God, it appeared that a hurricane was inside me because I was extremely uneasy... I'd never felt the will of smiling and glaring at someone at the same time until that day.

Dirk rubbed his chin, "Is he the uncle who introduced you to piracy and disappeared after a shipwreck?"

I bit my lower lip, "The one and only."

Uncle Ruben examined my face, apparently trying to read my mind. Miguel squinted, seemingly confused about the situation. Although I imagined my uncle would speak first, he remained still as a rock.

I have to talk before this gets too weird.

I scowled, "Where have you been, uncle?"

"You're the niece that Ruben wouldn't stop talking about?" Miguel said to me, lifting a brow. "He mentioned a daughter too. Is she nearby?"

"I'm his daughter," my cousin stepped forward. "Maartje de Vries. Nice to meet you, mister... whatever your name is."

"I'm Miguel Gálvez Navarro, also known as El Dorado," the Spaniard grinned and glanced at me briefly. "I'm an old friend of Eva's."

She looked at me, then back at Gálvez. I had a feeling that things would get more complicated since my cousin couldn't stop herself from revealing secrets sometimes... yeah, I think you know what I mean.

"Spaniard, handsome, Miguel... Wait a minute!" Maartje gawked. "You're the guy who made Eva pregna..."

I put a hand on my cousin's mouth before she finished speaking. Obviously, it was too late. Everyone knew my little secret... Perfect! Uncle Ruben and Dirk glared at Gálvez. El Dorado raised his hands as if he surrendered.

God, I never wanted to drink rum as much as I do now...

"He did what?" Dirk and Ruben shouted in unison.

"I had no idea, I swear!" Miguel's eyes bulged. "Madre de Dios..."

"It's true! Miguel didn't know," I increased my tone of voice. "Now let's go back to our main concern."

"I can't believe you slept with my niece, Gálvez!" uncle Ruben frowned and pursed his lips. "I have to admit you two are a good match, but what the hell?"

I glared at Maartje and shook my head in denial. She mouthed "Sorry". I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, wondering how I would fix that situation. God, why my life kept getting crazier?

The Spaniard raised his brows, "I respect you a lot, Ruben. I wouldn't have done it if I knew who she was!"

I can't say Miguel doesn't respect people's wishes because he asked me if I wanted to continue that night, so I believe him.

I put both hands on my face, wishing I could hide and disappear forever. My cousin had messed up. Honestly, even facing the British was better than dealing with that problem. In fact, spending an entire day with Hendrika would've been less painful... well, not really, so forget what I said.

"You abandoned a woman who's carrying your child?" Dirk bared his teeth and clenched both fists. "I knew you were a bastard!"

"Enough!" I shouted, grinding my teeth.

Suddenly, the fighting stopped. El Dorado, Dirk and uncle Ruben turned to me. Maartje stared at her toes, probably wishing she'd never opened her mouth in the first place.

"I lost the baby, so the problem is gone! Are you all happy now?" I sighed and held my tears. "Anyway, I'd like to talk in private with uncle Ruben and Maartje."

Although I wasn't sure I'd gotten pregnant at all, I didn't want to make the story more complicated. Apparently hesitant, Bosch stepped back. Miguel knit his brows and kept looking at me. I mouthed "It's alright." and he moved away. I bit my lower lip so firmly that I tasted my own blood.

"If you do anything stupid, I swear I'll crush you like a bug!" Dirk shouted, narrowing his eyes at my uncle.

"Who do you think you are to speak with my father like that?" my cousin glared at Bosch. "Go away!"

When I was about to interfere, Bosch entered a tavern. Gálvez did the same. Maartje shook her head in denial, seemingly wanting to punch the redhead. I sighed in relief, hoping no one would mention my unborn baby again. The last thing I needed was people fighting about something I had a hard time coping with. Even though my main concern was the Navy, there was no way I'd forget my child. If Maartje was right about my miscarriage, no one had the right to take my kid away from me... not even God!

Maartje sighed, "How did you survive, father?"

Uncle Ruben took a deep breath. I wasn't sure what stressed him out more: the argument or the bad memories he could be thinking about. My heartbeat accelerated as I remembered that Bosch, Gálvez and my uncle had found out about my possible loss. Sweat wouldn't stop running down my back.

"The waves threw me far away from the shipwreck location. I was lucky enough to find an intact pirogue," uncle Ruben gazed downward as if he wanted to cry. "I panicked when I couldn't find you, Eva and Sven."

An acid went up to my throat after my uncle mentioned Sven. I felt an intense headache just with the mention of his name. Maartje pressed her lips together... perhaps she felt the same as I did.

I crossed my arms and raised a brow, "Who rescued you?"

He sighed and looked at me as if I was in danger... God, that was exactly why no one other than Maartje should've known about the unborn baby! I hated it when people saw me as a woman in need of rescue. I didn't need a protector. I'd defeated a lot of men on my own, for God's sake! I was more than capable of dealing with problems alone.

"After spending ten days at sea, a group of Spanish pirates helped me. The captain was very kind and said he'd heard of me," uncle Ruben's lips curled into a weak smile. "I quickly became one of his gunners."

Yeah, that's exactly what Captain Monster did to me.

"That was much better than what happened to Maartje, Sven and I," I gazed at my cousin for a brief instant and she nodded. "How did you meet Gálvez?"

"Miguel saved my life. He saw me before anyone else did and rescued me with some other men's help. He worked as the boatswain and his father was the captain when I arrived at the Diablo Rojo, which is the name of our galleon and means 'red devil' in Spanish. We became friends quickly and Miguel introduced me to everybody," uncle smiled and sighed as if he remembered something good. "Although the majority was from Spain, there were a few African, British, French, Portuguese and even Dutch crewmembers among our friends."

"That's interesting. I didn't know he'd saved you," I raised a brow. "How did you and Miguel end up as leaders?"

Uncle Ruben bit his lower lip and downturned his head, "A week after my arrival, a large number of crewmembers died from scarlet fever. Unfortunately, the captain and quartermaster were among them. Miguel was devastated."

"That's unfortunate. I'm so sorry," I sighed and knit my brows as I remembered my own father. "So, he was next in line to be captain, took charge and the crew chose you to be his right arm?"

My uncle nodded. I shook my head in denial as I thought about that story. It was so different from mine and appeared to have much less tension... I wished the Spaniards had found me instead of the worst leaders ever.

"We've been leading together ever since. I like working with Miguel because he's a good guy. He genuinely cares about people, which is a rare quality to have..." uncle Ruben grinned widely as he continued. "It was amazing how we assembled a large fleet so quickly! The best part is that he knows many pirates, so we can always count on them if things get bad."

I frowned, "If Miguel has so many allies, why would he agree to help Bosch and I?"

"Maybe you had an impact on him. There was this Eileen from Nassau he wouldn't stop talking about... Miguel didn't want any other woman after he found that lady," my uncle raised a brow and gazed at me. "Perhaps you remind him of her."

I chuckled nervously, "Really? What did Gálvez tell you about Eileen?"

"He said she was ravishing, funny, unique and very authentic. Can you believe he spent another entire day in Nassau looking for the lady? Poor thing..." uncle Ruben rolled his eyes as if he talked about a stubborn son. "I warned him it was a bad idea to sleep with random women! Miguel is a romantic, so I knew he'd end up falling in love."

Falling in love? With me? No! This is too crazy!

I held a smile. Glancing away, I felt myself blushing. Gálvez had told me the truth... He indeed had been looking for me! If I could, I would've hidden from my uncle at that moment. Miguel probably met many beautiful women, so why would he fall for a lady dressed as a man? That was insane! I hated myself for it, but I felt my heart beating faster. The fact that Gálvez had, at least apparently, appreciated me that much was incredible. Although I hated to admit it, I wanted Miguel to like me.

"What? I'm not sure if I..." I cleared my throat. "I mean, Eileen is his type."

"She definitely is. Gálvez once told me he wanted a spontaneous woman who doesn't hold herself back. According to him, Eileen was exactly like that," my uncle sighed and chuckled. "I don't understand him sometimes! Who would fall for such a strange lady?"

Thanks a lot, uncle! I'm flattered!

"Anyway, let's go back to our main subject," I cleared my throat and glared at my uncle. "I think you owe me an apology. I haven't forgotten what you did to my father!"

Maartje pursed her lips, "I couldn't agree more. That was atrocious!"

My uncle took a deep breath, seemingly thinking about what he should say next. Although I couldn't be sure, I had a feeling he didn't regret killing dad at all. Perhaps he was sad that Maartje and I were upset, but feeling guilty? I didn't think so. Not after what my father made my real mom go through.

"I'm sorry for breaking both of your hearts with my actions," uncle Ruben sighed and gazed downward. "I wish I'd never gone to Willemstad. I should've accepted that Govert was a monster and moved on..."

I raised my brows and so did Maartje. Had I gone crazy, or he'd admitted his mistake? No, that was too good to be true. A man who once said revenge was what he lived for couldn't have changed his mind so quickly.

My cousin scowled, "Are you saying that you shouldn't have murdered Govert then?"

"I just think that If I hadn't found him in Curaçao, perhaps the will of avenging my sister would've gone away," my uncle bit his lower lip and looked at me. "Also, if I'd never found out that Hendrika treated you horribly while Govert did nothing, my anger wouldn't have become so strong."

I nodded, thinking about my uncle's words. Maartje appeared to be wondering as well. Deep down, I knew I couldn't blame uncle Ruben for what he'd done. It was extreme, of course, but understandable. Besides, I'd never hate my uncle regardless of his actions. Without him, I wouldn't have found my true passion. In fact, my life would've been much worse if not for him.

"I need you to understand that I killed your father because I love you and Carolien too much, Eva..." my uncle pressed his lips together. "Neither of you deserved to suffer because of him."

I laughed nervously, "I don't know what to think..."

"I'm telling the truth. Of course, I had selfish reasons to kill him as well, but I didn't want you to go through the same pain your mother did," my uncle approached Maartje and me while decreasing his tone of voice. "After I saw those scars on your back, there was no way I'd let it go."

My cousin raised her brows, "Even I wanted to kill Govert and Hendrika after I saw Eva's injuries, but murder is hardly the best solution."

"Thank you, Maartje, that's exactly what I've been trying to say," I widened my eyes and looked at uncle Ruben. "I don't care if dad was the worst man ever born. You had no right to take his life!"

Uncle Ruben squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, appearing to be in agony. He walked from one side to the other while rubbing his face. Although I hated seeing him suffering, I remained quiet to avoid looking soft. I learned a lot about pretending to feel nothing after becoming captain, so it wasn't that hard to hide my feelings.

"I can't change the past. All I can do is try to redeem myself if you give me a second chance," he downturned his head, seemingly genuinely sorry. "Would you two forgive me?"

Maartje and I looked at each other. Although I wasn't talking, my cousin probably knew I was conflicted. She chewed on her lip, walking from one side to the other. I felt stupid about it, but I wanted to forgive him. Yes, you read that right. If the person who assassinated my father was literally anyone else, I wouldn't have even considered forgiveness. Uncle Ruben wasn't just a cold-blooded murderer. He'd seen my mother suffer for years because of my father and saw dad's passiveness about Hendrika's violence towards me... How could I judge a man who wanted to avenge his family? On the other hand, my uncle had committed a terrible crime that shattered my heart. God, I felt dizzy, seemingly due to my indecisiveness.

"What you did was wrong, but you're my father. I'll never stop loving you, no matter what," Maartje took a deep breath. "You have my forgiveness, dad."

Uncle Ruben hugged my cousin tight, "Thank you, Maartje. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Maartje and her father gazed at me. I huffed while staring at the floor. Even though my head told me I shouldn't forgive him, my heart wanted that terrible weight to be taken away. That resentment had been destroying my soul little by little since the shipwreck.

"Eva, I know I can't make up for what I did," he knit his brows, "but you know how much I love you."

I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and reflected on the subject. The idea of destroying my relationship with uncle Ruben devastated me. He was blood of my blood, taught me everything I needed to be a good pirate and was the first person to believe in me. Ruben de Vries changed my life forever and opened the doors to the pirate world for me... How could I not forgive a man who'd helped me so much? I would never forget he killed my father, but there was no way I could carry that anger forever. After all the good things my uncle had done for me, I couldn't break our bond.

"I forgive you, uncle Ruben," I got closer to him as I felt the tears running down my cheeks. "Although I didn't say it earlier, I couldn't be happier to see you alive and well. I love you."

Maartje sobbed, "Me too! I thought we'd lost you."

He couldn't help but cry with us. My uncle hugged both of us tight as if he feared losing us again. My cousin and I embraced him. Different from what I'd imagined, I felt a massive relief after forgiving uncle Ruben. I won't lie, he'd left a scar on my heart, but accepting his apology closed it.

He smiled broadly, "I want to know everything that happened to both of you since we last saw each other. Tell me about Sven as well."

God, my nausea always returned when someone mentioned that idiot... I still hadn't entirely accepted Sven's betrayal. Maartje bit her lower lip, seeming to be feeling the same as me.

"Also, I'm extremely proud of you, Eva. I can't imagine how amazing it must feel like to be the first female pirate captain ever!" uncle Ruben continued, with his eyes gleaming. "I've always known you'd be great."

It really is fantastic to be the first woman elected captain... Sometimes I forget how lucky I am.

"Thank you so much. That means more than you know," I chuckled and felt my cheeks getting red. "Even though the Royal Navy wants my head on a spike, I'm having a lot of fun."

"I know what you mean," my uncle glanced downward as if he remembered something upsetting. "Many wanted to see me fall when I was captain too, but are you enjoying the job regardless?"

"Of course! To hell with the British! I absolutely love being captain," my lips curled into a smile that reached my eyes. "They can throw a thousand cannonballs at me and I'll continue loving what I do."

Maartje grinned broadly, "As I told Eva before, she was born for this."

You know what? I'm starting to agree with my cousin.

My uncle gazed admiringly at me, "I'm sure of it, Maartje."

"I really appreciate your compliments," I elevated my chin and felt like the best pirate in the world. "Now, uncle, I'll tell you what happened since the shipwreck..."

I spent several minutes explaining to uncle Ruben almost everything that took place after The Revenger sank. Of course, I didn't tell him anything about my night with Miguel and didn't mention the two times Dirk and I almost kissed. The part that appeared to shock my uncle the most was Sven's treason. Regardless of the misfortunes along the way, I liked my journey a lot. My victories motivated me to continue and my flaws to become better... or, sometimes, just to upset me. Despite my uncle's mistakes, I was thrilled he'd survived and that we were friends again. Although I still had to fight my enemies, I did my best to enjoy the moment as I continued telling uncle Ruben about my adventures.

****

Author's note: