(…)
Prologue
...
She preferred the tasks of a waitress than having to take care of the kitchen, especially on a busy day like Monday at noon —or was it Tuesday?—, but it was her duty and she'd resigned herself to that from an early age. Being the daughter of someone like Ursula didn't give way to many choices in her life, and at least she could sleep on a hard mattress at the back of the Chips Shoppe.
The important thing was that being in the kitchen she could prepare an edible lunch for her first mate, and it wasn't that she demeaned Cook's work, but the redhead woman wasn't as careful and neat as she could be when making mussels in sauce and some french fries. In addition to a good stock of potatoes and squid.
Uma half turned her face, being able to observe the pout on the lips of Hook's son, his blue eyes shining towards her. She looked away, snorting in front of the saucepan. "What do you want now?"
"Ya' said we'd swim today..."
"I never said anything like that, it's Monday and I have a full shift." She shook her head, shifting her attention to the half peeled potatoes for the soup. "You can make yourself useful and make the crew clean the ship, it's impossible that if I ain't there y'all can't do such a simple task."
Harry drummed his fingers against the wood, his pout getting even bigger and more noticeable. It didn't bother him to have his captain ranting against his person, Harry knew that it was liberating for her and in turn, he preferred that to having her in silence.
Like that fateful night of the Cotillion, when Uma returned, her past tentacles back to her shapely chocolate legs after passing the barrier, her dress shattered and her hair formerly in a neat bun, falling in disheveled braids on her soaked back.
He had seen her cry, curse and throw herself on her knees to the sand until she was back in his arms, allowing herself to be covered in what would be a secret for both of them, a hug full of forbidden feelings to have somewhere like the Isle.
That'd shown him that Uma was human, and that as much as he did, she also felt pain and sadness.
(Although he wwouln't mention his discovery to anyone. Harry appreciated his life, halfway.)
"See, eat before Mom leaves her soap operas and realizes you're here," the dark skinned girl said, throwing the tray at him without caring that the soup spilled a little. "… You look bad."
His prominent circles and pale skin showed that, at least. "I didn't sleep well, captain," he muttered between the pieces of food, swallowing when those dark eyes forced him to continue in a simple stare. "I was kinda busy dodging my father's empty bottles."
James Hook used to have those tantrums, lost in the rum, shouting and throwing objects at whoever was in front of him. And with Harriet on her own ship and CJ lost in who knows where, they left Harry being the only target of his punches. Uma knew that story perfectly, having witnessed them countless times already.
"Stay on the ship today if it's necessary," was all she said, but both knew that behind those words was her genuine concern for his welfare.
Once Harry left to carry out her orders, he allowed her to meditate in silence while leaving the fish to fry.
She needed those moments of silence, even if it's terribly lonely. Uma took the opportunity to take the parchment between her fingers, a real letter she'd kept secret in her trouser pocket.
«King Ben is pleased to invite you with a place to attend Auradon Prep ...»
She sighed, caressing the paper with her thumb, a cloud of confused thoughts hovering over her head. Her pride wanted to play against her, to make her refuse to accept, but deep inside her where her inner childhood used to be, there was a certain glimmer of undeniable hope of being able to start a new life.
She compared her situation to Dizzy Tremaine, who had left about three weeks earlier for Auradon. They had more in common than they seemed, being two girls forced to work for their family. One of them had managed to escape, the other was still hesitating.
But something Uma was very sure of, was that without Harry and hee crew she would not go anywhere. Over her dead body.
It was a Thursday afternoon when a shiny black limousine parked near Ursula's Fish Ships Shoppe. In fact, Uma wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been for the pair of guards who had gone into the bar. Those well-dressed puppets filled her with plenty bad memories, from that day when four villain's kids left that filthy Isle for Auradon.
They brought in their hands several rolls of parchment, which were delivered under her nose. And for some reason, she waa too stunned to even react and try to drive them out of the place.
Gil, Gonzo, Bonnie, Jonas, Desiree, Claudine Frollo, Hadie, all VK who was in their area had received the happy parchment, stupefied just by reading the engraving on the paper.
Almost all of her crew, except Harry.
"There must be a mistake," Gil stammered, immersed in his naive stupor that he was unable to see his two best friends, so close by their sides that their shoulders could easily rub against each other. "Can you search again? Harry Hook?"
"There's no Harry Hook on the list," the guard cut off, his posture firm and threatening, though not for Uma. "The limousines will pass for all of you on Saturday at 10 in the morning, your possessions..."
"Wait," Uma said, tearing off her apron carelessly until she could move toward the guard Gil had been talking to, her brow furrowed in visible discomfort. "There's something I need to make clear, buddy, and it's that nobody from my crew will set foot in your damned limos if Harry Hook doesn't get his letter, got it?"
She knew that her threat to not go to Auradon wouldn't affect them. She'd trained her crew of pirates not with fear —because who would fear useless Shrimpy, anyway? Mal made the Isle catch that dreadful info—, but around respect, a mutual one that reached even Harry. And Gonzo and Jonas could joke that he was a deranged man, but silent respect was still there, uniting them as far as the tide would allow.
And by Davy Jones, nobody would leave without her first mate.
"King Ben will be notified of your response."
She understood it even if she didn't say it out loud. Harry represented everything Auradon feared in the kid of a villain. He was a boy destroyed in all aspects, to the point where his aggressiveness and emotional turbulence became worrisome. Of course, not for her. Uma was able to control that and more, being the moral chain of Harry Hook. Everyone on that goddamned isle knew that.
"I'm sorry about this, lass," Harry growled, his sack hanging away from the bed next to his hat, only dressed in his ragged gray t-shirt. "I'm not surprised those fuckers don't want me there. Harry Hook is too much for them to handle, am I right?"
"Shut up." She rolled her eyes, her brown boots hitting the wooden selvedge of the bed until she leaned toward the boy. "Stop sounding like a preppy good boy, I will not leave without you." Harry remained silent, his eyes lost in the torso of the female. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "What's my name?"
"Uma," the pirate recited as if it were a sacred prayer.
She nodded, licking her lips. "Who I am?"
"Captain..."
"And who are you?"
"First mate."
She nodded, her opposing hand clinging to Harry's dark hair. "You're my first mate, and captains don't leave their first mates behind, okay?"
Harry nodded like a lost puppy eager to satisfy his master. And Uma was more than satisfied, smiling as she stroked his face for the last time.
"Rest, Harry."
Maybe, Harry wouldn't sleep, and he would be left in his thoughts sitting on the edge of the bed, maybe thinking about how to terrorize people the next day and steal some things. It was none of her business, as long as they wweren't negative thoughts towards himself.
Uma left the cabin of the first mate, meeting Desiree and Jonas, that unruly pair of siblings, fighting over some dirty pillow that they might've stolen out there.
When the eldest of them, Jonas, became aware of her presence, he smiled respectfully, or at least making a face as close as possible to a smile.
"Night, captain. Are you going to sleep here tonight?"
Some nights she'd spent them on the Lost Revenge, nights when she didn't have to work and she didn't want to hold on to Ursula screaming at her and throwing her tentacles against her legs for any nonsense. That was one of those nights.
"I think. Sleep well."
Desiree raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. It was probably because of her distracted appearance, and that Uma couldn't think of anything other than Auradon and their stupid Guards.
Then, Uma went to the main cabin to sleep, and dreamed of Auradon, letters, purple-haired fairies and her faithful first mate.
A week later, on a Saturday morning, was the next time that at least four limousines parked on the Isle of the Lost.
Uma hummed one of those songs of alcoholic pirates, those who told ridiculous but funny stories that Harry and she heard hidden in the ship of James Hook. Indecent stories and songs that a couple of children shouldn't hear, something ironic considering the horrible experiences they had at only nine years of age.
She was so distracted picking up the dirty trays at the bar that she jumped when Bonnie's voice reached her ears. The redhead ddidn't have the nicest voice in the world.
"Uma, the guards are here again!"
She turned her face abruptly, taking off her apron until she strode out of the Chips Shoppe.
And as Bonnie said, in the early hours of the morning there were bright black limos, opening their doors to the children of villains who had received a letter
But Uma was willing to fight with teeth and nails as long as she ddidn't leave without her first mate.
Although it wasn't necessary, because the same man with reddish-blond hair was in front of her, handing her a letter.
"I hope this does conform you, Miss Uma of the Isle," that tone sounded mocking, although the expression of the man didn't betray it, immovable like a stone.
She tore the parchment from his hands, her eyes fixed on the man scornfully as she unrolled the paper. Once she could scout, she saw that it was a letter.
For Harry.
Uma smiled, a characteristic sly grin on her that did not leave her lips as she deigned to look at the guard. "Good job, man. You're useful after all."
She turned on the heels of her boots, ignoring the shouts of one of the guards, something about their belongings and things. It wasn't as if she had many, but that didn't matter. Uma walked to Harry, holding out the paper with her motionless smile.
She could feel his posture relaxing, she knew that Harry was tense at the threat of being left alone. Even though he said he wanted the best for her, Uma knew him better than the palm of her hand, and that's why she knew that the pirate would rather tear off his arm and swallow it before he saw her depart from his side. It was a strange dependency, but she wouldn't complain.
"We'll go to Auradon ..." it left Harry's lips, a whisper in a somewhat cut breath.
"We will go to Auradon," the captain repeated, with no gleam of evil in her eyes, only the old trace of her already lost innocence that apparently refused to leave her altogether.
She could half remember it.
Mal and her smiling, lying next to each other, talking about what they would do once they were in Auradon, all their mischief and evil schemes.
Harry and her sharing a hammock on the deck of a ship in the moonlight, listening to Gil's snoring, together at the tender age of fourteen, wondering what Auradon and Neverland would look like.
She stroked his hair, grabbing her attention to direct it to an excited Gil, and the rest of her crew.
She wasn't fond of the idea of going to Auradon in that way, like the girl who had kidnapped the King, who had bewitched him and tried to make a coup against the crown.
But... Her people deserved that and more. Not the lack of food, medicines and abuses of their parents. Uma had dreamed of that day, and even if her pride twisted, part of her was genuinely happy.