Thomas adopting Abigail after she was sent to the plantation too. Them getting closer and that’s when he finds out that James is alive. Abigail and Thomas mourning together and Thomas hating to see anyone sad so he tells Abigail all these happy stories and memories (most of them are true). For Thomas positivity?

complaininginthedark:

(Not entirely filling the prompt but….????? I love it so much??????)

–

Abigail is a young woman now, he muses as she steps into the room. Her dress is streaked with dirt from the road and her face is wet with tears. She runs to him, throws herself into his arms and weeps.

It is an hour later when she calms and manages to tell him of what has happened.

Captain Flint saved her from other pirates. A woman, his wife, was there. Captain Flint went by another name in another life; James McGraw. Thomas nearly faints as she tells him.

They are alive.

But then she goes on.

Miranda was shot by one of her father’s men. Flint was put in chains and was awaiting the hangman when she was sent away. Thomas’ heart is broken again, the feeble hope keeping it together dying without a sound as Abigail tells her story. He holds her as she cries over her father’s death and sheds his own tears over the loss of his loves, over the loss of his life and freedom.

He calls Abigail his daughter and though he cannot officially adopt her he can keep her close and treat her as though she was his daughter.

The other hands call her his daughter. Refer to her as Miss Hamilton and later as Miss Barlow. They treat her well and respect her, and he learns that she has a sharp wit almost enough to match his own, though his has dulled in the last ten years.

She calms him when he wakes screaming from nightmares, a damp cloth on hand to soothe the sweat and heat of his skin. And in turn he respects her distance, does not move quickly or speak harshly around her unless it is important. She grows more confident and shares her story with Thomas in more and more detail as the time they have together grows longer. Thomas shares little of his; it is gruesome, cruel, not to be told after dark. But it makes him remember and he cannot bear to remember, not anymore…

Abigail is there when the news arrives; a man is coming, escorted in chains and likely dangerous. They are to let him be and allow him space to breathe and settle before approaching him. They talk of who he is, who he could be; another poor soul from England? A pirate? Another slave who dared to dream of freedom or to fall in love with someone of another race?

They were almost right.

Abigail tugs at his sleeve one day and tells him to look. He turns, expecting another broken man to comfort and is met by-

It’s James. The hair is gone, his face haggard and tired but it is James and Thomas feels the hysteria bubbling in his throat. James approaches him slowly and it’s all Thomas can do not to fall to the ground and weep. So he jumps into the man’s arms and cries out. Thomas feels James shivering and shaking, feels the dampness of his tears as they stand cheek to cheek, and that saltwater is enough to make him cry out again and bury his face in James’ neck.

When they kiss it shatters the remaining walls he had around his heart protecting him from despair over thinking this man dead. He kisses and kisses and kisses James until Abigail touches his arm.

“Come inside, the master says you can take the rest of the day off,” she tells them. James looks shocked, scared almost.

“Miss Ashe-”

“I’m no longer Miss Ashe; I am Miss Barlow,” she says with a strong voice and her chin tilted up in defiance.

James looks at Thomas with a raised eyebrow, so much like his old self that Thomas barks a laugh that sounds half mad. “She is my unofficial daughter, my heir in all but legal standing.”

James nods as though it makes sense and Thomas laughs again.

The three of them walk hand in hand towards the small living quarters and Thomas is glad at last to have a family again.