How has it come to this? Rafael wondered as he walked after Lyza, almost certain she was in the bathroom.

He remembered the old days. She had been a warrior, yes, but there was a brightness to her, a sort of joy she seemed to find in battle and piracy.

Once Cassian was born, that all changed. She matured as a person and learned to care for others, but lost something along the way. Something that she now struggled without.

A genuine smile. That was what she'd lost.

As he turned the corner and headed for the bathroom door, a collapsed vest and brown trousers on the ground in front of the half open door confirmed his suspicions.

"The hell is it?" Lyza's low voice came through, startling Rafael despite all his preparation.

He took a deep breath, and let it out. "We can talk lat-"

"Stop fucking around and get in here." She said, her voice rising above the rhythm of water splashing against her.

No choice. He walked right in, and saw her standing over the large barrel of water in the corner of the tiny square room, wooden bucket in hand. She was completely drenched, from head to toe.

Her brown hair was matted against her head, but had an elegant flow to it all the same. Her back showed off her stupendous build, and two scars, one of which rose just above her left buttock while the other which began from below her right shoulder and ended at her forearm.

He could tell she was at least somewhat self conscious since she didn't turn around to face him. Good. Means she's back in her senses.

The hand she was holding the bucket in trembled. It was her "special hand."

"What do I do, Rafael?" She asked, her voice lined with desperation.

He leaned back against the wall with his hands crossed against his chest. "You decide, and tell me. Because I sure as hell am not interested in letting you near the boy unless you do." He replied bluntly.

She raised her arm and lowered the bucket into the barrel.

He watched as she filled it and dumped the cold water against her bare skin, making her let out a trembling sigh.

"I know you want the best for Cassian. But this isn't the way to-"

She let go of the bucket, and let it clatter onto the floor. "You think I'm an idiot?" She asked, suddenly glaring at Rafael.

He didn't budge.

She gripped her right arm with her left, trying to stop the shaking.

"I know everything you're trying to say to me, Rafael. I know. But..."

He sighed. It's almost like she's trying to convince herself.

"He ignores everything I try to tell him. He smiles through everything and acts like he's fine. Cries only when he breaks." She paused, trying to figure out the words to say.

"Why? Why can't he cry more often? Why can't he just realize the world isn't a damn garden?"

Rafael shrugged. "He's a boy. Sixteen, but still a boy. I used to be a little like him myself. Stupid, arrogant, always believing I could be something better."

It wasn't his stubbornness that was the issue, he knew.

And so did she. "It's not just that. It's that damn dream of his, to be a privateer. Of all things he could've gotten hooked up on. A fucking privateer."

She was just like her son. Arrogant, and unyielding.

And yet, here they were.

"He wants to be a country's lapdog? Fine. But how? He's a weak little shit that can barely manage two meals a day. A scrawny pup like him who struggles with Advanced Ley can't become a leader. Especially not for those pigs."

He could especially make out the bitterness in her voice in that last line.

With a sad smile, Rafael reached out and touched her back. It was hard and rough underneath his fingertips, and she didn't pull away from him.

"I can't do anything to change what's going on between you two. But think about it, Lyza. The only weakling I see here is you."

He was prepared to get an earful for that, but she said nothing.

Go on, Rafael. You're on a roll today.

"Cassian smiles in the face of everything you throw at him. He was smiling while unconscious after you almost choked him to death." Her arm started to shake again.

"When you think about it, don't you think he's really damn strong?" He asked.

She spun around and walked past him, stone-faced. But just before stepping outside, she stopped.

He waited to see what she had to say.

"Rafa...thanks."

Relieved, he followed her out and made his way back to Cassian's room.

The corridors were filled with activity. Some of the crew were rushing to the top deck, while others stood around, anxiously waiting.

Everyone was on edge.

As he turned the corner, the closed door of Cassian's room came into view.

Did I leave it closed? He wondered.

Aware that Lyza was probably on her way here too, he quickly entered the room to give the kids a heads up.

The first thing he saw was Tina hurriedly brushing her hands over her dress, standing over Cassian. The boy's shirt was wrinkled, and he was sweating buckets.

He didn't need all that to realize something had happened, though. The guilty expression on Cassian's face alone was enough.

Hey, hey hey...seriously?

It couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes or so, and they'd gone and done something irredeemable.

With a laugh, he entered the room eagerly. Cassian took one look at the gleeful face of Rafael and shook his head.

Oh, crap. He knows.

"You two are really something else!" He cried, and slapped Cassian's back.

With her face beet-red, Tina pushed Rafael away. "L-Leave us alone, Rafael! And don't tell the captain, either." She said, glaring at him.

He raised his hands up apologetically. "Calm down. You know I-"

TAP. TAP. TAP.

The sound of footsteps right outside made him pause.

"Rafael?" Lyza's voice filtered through the partly closed door.

The two kids were clearly scared, so he stepped between them and her as he opened the door.

Cassian smiled as his mother entered the room. "Mom!"

She didn't reply, and walked in without so much of a glance at him.

No, that wasn't right. She couldn't look at him. So instead, she chose to stand there with her eyes aimlessly focused on the wooden wall, with arms crossed across her chest.

"Lyza. Don't you have something you want to tell them?" Rafael asked, gripping her shoulder tightly.

She thought about what to say. How to say it. And a certain someone's words came to mind.

"You should smile more, Lyz. You've got an amazing smile y'know."

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't smile."

"A smile makes you much more approachable and kind-looking. It suits you!"

Actually, how long had it been since she last smiled?

With great effort, she locked eyes with Cassian and managed to conjure up a little smirk.

"I don't do apologies, but...I do regret what I've been doing to you lately." She said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I don't want to see you throw your life away for an impossible dream, Cassian. But I don't want...I don't want to be the one who ends up taking it either."

"So I'm gonna try to keep the ass kicking to a minimum. But for as long as you're in my sight, I'll do everything in my power to protect you...can we agree on that much?"

When she finished, she realized her right arm had started shaking again.

And so had Cassian.

"Y...You...smi...smiled!" He stammered, eyes brimming with tears. "You smiled, mom!"

Tina sighed, and Rafael patted Lyza's shoulders with relief. "I'm proud of you, Lyz." He whispered, and she shrugged.

Tina placed her hands on her hips and looked at Lyza sternly.

Oh brother. Rafael thought.

"I'm glad you realized you were being an ass to Cassian, at least! We were terrified of you, captain." She exclaimed.

Slightly annoyed, she grabbed Tina by the collar of her sundress and raised her up like a twig.

The girl hit Lyza's arm with her skinny leg, struggling. "G-Get me down! See? This is why we're scared of you!" She squealed, trying to wiggle free.

Even Lyza herself was surprised when she let out a slight giggle as she set Tina down. It really was strange, how children could make her feel so old, and yet so young.

The others laughed and made fun of her laugh, and she stood there taking it all in.

Maybe...just maybe...it ain't too late to repair this family.

She could dream. But for now, those dreams had to wait.

She brought her hands together and clapped a couple of times. "Alright. Enough. Rafa, Cassian. We're going upstairs. Tina, stick with Doc. It's almost time." She said, and rushed out of the room.

Rafael pulled Cassian up to his feet. "You okay now?" He asked.

The boy rubbed his head gently. "Well, I'm as okay as someone could be after being thrown across a room. I'll be fine." As he said this, he winced in pain.

"You damn better be, kid. Lyza will protect you as well as she can, but protect yourself too."

With that, Rafael opened the door and walked out with Cassian behind him. Tina watched them go with her hands clasped behind her back.

Be safe.

The only way upstairs was via a shaky wooden ladder fixed to the bottom of the main deck.

CRICK. CRAACK.

The old structure creaked as Rafael and Cassian climbed up.

"Take my hand." Rafael muttered after reaching the top deck, and pulled Cassian up.

The gentle sound of waves brushing against the ship was drowned out by the people aboard the ship. Everyone was busy. Some were reloading weapons, others were carrying crates of cannonballs to safer areas.

Still others lined themselves along the sides of the ship, and Captain Lyza stood near the front of the vessel, at the bow.

"Prepare the cannons! Turn the ship left, in sync with the rest of the fleet!" She ordered, and the helmsman obeyed.

"So we're really going to carry this out, huh?" Cassian asked as he approached his mother.

"Of course. And it's probably gonna be the biggest fight you'll see in your lifetime, so stick close to me if you don't want to die." She replied, although she was still thinking of a dozen different things at once.

Out of the blue, a sudden shift in Ley gave her the signal she was waiting for. Cassian and Rafael sensed it as well.

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" She yelled, and everyone on the deck roared in response, making the entire ship rumble.

Hisssssssss...

The invisible layer of bent light surrounding the ship slowly began to lose shape and straighten up, causing everything around the ship to become warped and blurry.

"It's time to begin..." She murmured, as the landscape before her cleared up to reveal three large ships to the right, trapped between the massive rocks before them and the overwhelming eleven ships that had just appeared behind, amongst them the Grand Dragoon of the Lyza Pirates.

"...Blackbeard's assualt on the Whitebeard Pirates!"