Queen of the Seas Epilogue

   Henriette balanced on the edge of the dock, watching the sea lap against the wooden pegs buried in the water. The salt smell brought her back to the Queen. She put her hand over her dagger, still tucked in her belt and the memories flooded through her. Swordfights, cannon fire, plunders of gold. Back to Captain Freede and Benny. Benny always found his way back to her mind, a simple smile creeping into her thoughts along with him. But those days were behind her.

   "Ma?" A little voice brought her attention away from the ocean.

   "Tennie, I thought I told you not to bother your mother, she's tired!" Fits followed the young raccoon on the deck behind Henriette.

   Henriette laughed, "C'mere, Tennie," she knelt down and held her arms out. Tennessee ran to her and fell into her, laughing in a high tone.

   "Ma! Pa says you were a Pirate!" Tennessee wrapped his arms around Henriette's neck.

   Henriette laughed, "My yer getting big! How old are you? 38?"

   Tennessee tilted his head, "I turned 10 just the other morn, Ma, Don't you remember it?" He kissed his mother on the cheek quickly and laughed.

   Henriette picked Tennessee up and walked to Fits, "Did pa tell you that he was a pirate too?"

   Fits chuckled, "We showed the landlubbers how it was done!" He tickled Tennessee as
Henriette put him down. Tennessee threw himself into a swordfighting stance, pretending to swing a sword at his father. Fits played back, swinging his pretend sword at Tennessee.

   Tennessee stabbed at Fits, "HA!" he chuckled.

   Fits fell to his knees, holding the fake sword to his stomach, "Oh…No… You-Got-Me!" he fell off his knees and back onto the deck, sticking his tongue out.

   Tennessee paused, a little confused, then he jumped on his father, attacking him.

   Fits laughed, tickling Tennessee back. "You'd make a good pirate, Tennie!"

   The attack stopped, "A pirate? No, Pa, I wanna be a cowboy!"

   In mid laugh, Fits stopped and pointed up, "Henriette?"

   Henriette turned and followed his finger, "GET HIM INSIDE." She screamed, helping the two up roughly. She picked Tennessee up and practically threw him into Fits' arms, "GO. INSIDE. NOW."

   Henriette spun on her heels and ran to the end of the dock, "Took you long enough,"
She spat as her family closed the door to their little coastal home.

   Fits watched reluctantly from the small home, wishing he was standing on that dock, not his wife.

   "Did you miss me?" Henriette hissed, spinning her dagger between her fingers.

   "You are going to be terminated, Cooper!" Clockwerk tucked his wings under like so many times before, diving for Henriette.

   Henriette crouched down, knowing it all came down to proving herself, to proving her family's strong heritage. She knew she did the right thing, and that the Cooper legacy would live on with Tennessee.

   Finally, she hissed at the metal bird, clutching to her dagger, "I'm taking you down with me."

~FIN