"We're not leaving the Garden until we're going home," Marco stated flatly.

"If you all want..."

Marco shifted. He wasn't used to telling things. Sharing everything he was doing so openly. He worked like a magician. Distract the audience with one hand and do something secret with the other. But that was how a first mate did things, not a Captain.

"I sent Toby back to our world as an anchor. He couldn't handle being back here, he wasn't able to process it all. I spent the last month tying up my loose ends. If you want to go I secured it that I can take you all with me. It won't be the same timeline, but that's the price we get to take Ace and Thatch home, and I won't accept anything else," his eyes narrowed as if to challenge any of them to say otherwise. "Your call, I'm not going to drag anyone who's not ready, but when you are, I'll send you there."

He didn't loosen his grip on Ace.

"It means not waiting for Pops though," he finally added quietly, barely above a whisper.