AN

Just a quick heads-up! There will be a small flashback in this chapter, and it will be in Italics. All scenes in Italics are flashbacks. Just thought I'd let you know.

Queenie stared ahead at her bedroom door, hands clasped together in her lap as she attempted to keep still. She hadn't quite imagined her morning going in this direction, she'd planned on getting some more sleep since she had a free period, but things just weren't going her way. She winced and gripped her blanket harder, a swift sting coming to the side of her head.

A part of her should have known this was coming. She really should have seen it, that Jay would go running to F.G. at the first sign of trouble. Sure, she'd been a little off her rocker the day before, but all of that was gone now and they really had no reason to worry. She was back to normal...well, as normal as she considered herself anyway, and she really didn't want F.G. digging through her head for any unseen 'wounds' that'd occurred during her fall a little while back. The Fairy insisted it was for the best, as they really couldn't be too careful. Queenie tried to understand their reasoning, but she found it rather odd. When the tourney team got hit on the head, and that happened a lot, they went straight to the nurses office for an ice pack and some tests. They didn't have the headmistress rummaging through their mind with magic.

"You okay Q'?" Jay asked, leaning against the wall next to her bed.

Queenie glared at him as best as she could from the corner of her eye. "Fine. It just - ow! Hurts." She muttered. She knew she shouldn't have snapped at him like that, but she really couldn't help it. She was uncomfortable, and he was the reason she had to sit through this in the first place.

"I know dear, it'll be all done soon enough." F.G. assured Queenie with a cheerful tone, though it did nothing to settle the agitated princess.

"I told you, I'm okay." Queenie insisted once more. It wouldn't help, they'd still carry on no matter what. "I don't feel weird or anything you're supposed to get with a concussion, if I did you'd know."

The headmistress hummed to let Queenie know she'd heard her, but carried on none the less.

Queenie huffed and slumped back slightly. Whatever F.G. was doing in there, it wasn't good. It hurt...a lot, and Queenie felt slightly naked in some way. She had a lot of memories, both good and bad, and she wasn't too eager for the fairy to see a few of them. She didn't need to. "Can you please stop." Queenie suddenly exclaimed. She couldn't remember ever being this angry before, but she wasn't going to question it. Having someone worry about her was nice, but this was something else. It was overbearing and she didn't like it one bit.

"Q'," Jay began, but she wasn't in the mood to hear it.

"No! It's okay for you, all you have to do is stand and watch. I'm the one getting my mind poked." She groaned, feeling a familiar ache approaching. "You have to stop."

Much to the princesses delight, F.G. stopped what she was doing. She moved around and looked down at Queenie, sympathy clear in her gaze. "I'm sorry, I know how hard it is, but it has to be done. You took quite the fall, dear, and we have to make sure you're healed on the inside. A few more minutes is all I ask for."

Queenie sighed and nodded, taking a breath as she felt that pressure coming back. She knew the headmistress was only doing what was best for her, but if that was the case then why did she feel so attacked? Queenie knew the woman was only trying to help and yet there was a pestering twinge in her stomach, like the fairy was doing something bad. It was a ridiculous thought of course, F.G. was well-known for her kindness and sweet nature by all of the kingdoms, but no matter what Queenie couldn't settle that constant dread she felt whenever the woman wanted to speak with her. Whatever it was she hoped it would go, and soon.

"There, all done." The headmistress declared, and Queenie's shoulders sagged with utter relief. Her head still hurt, but a few pills would help get rid of that.

"Is everything all right in there?" Jay inquired, and Queenie looked up at the fairy, also wanting to know the answer.

"Everything's completely fine." F.G. reassured, though while Queenie nodded and rubbed at her eyes, Jay frowned. He'd seen the tilt of the head F.G. gave him when Queenie wasn't looking, and he knew they had to talk. Things were not okay.

"Can I get dressed now?" The princess pleaded, a smile coming to her face once the fairy nodded.

"Of course. We'll leave you to it."

"I'll see you later Q'." Jay waved at Queenie, moving to follow the fairy out of the room.

Queenie nodded and quickly wiggled her fingers in a pathetic wave, groaning as she moved from the bed. Her head felt worse when she stood up, and she really hoped this was the last time they did that. When she told Jay it hurt, she wasn't joking, she was actually keeping it light. It felt more like someone was taking a drill to her temple, but they did it so much now that she'd started getting used to it. It had to stop, though, because she knew eventually it would get too much, and when that time came she really hoped they'd listen to her.

The teen walked towards her wardrobe and pulled it open. It was time to start the day.

~...~...~

Jay followed the headmistress all the way to her office, glad that the majority of the school were in classes. To anyone else it'd look like he'd fucked up and was about to get a punishment of some sort. A part of him wished things were that way, that it was as simple as him getting detention or cleaning the toilets. Everything with Queenie was starting to have an effect on him, and it wasn't for the better.

The former thief closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He watched as the Fairy Godmother approached her desk, moving around to sit in her chair. He could tell just from the way she did that simple act that she was stressed. "What's the deal?" He asked, moving to sit in the opposite chair.

"Her memories aren't returning." The fairy sighed, resting her chin on her hands, elbows digging into the wooden desk.

"That's good, right?" Jay shrugged. If Queenie had seen Harry, and her memories hadn't come back, then maybe they never would. It was the biggest worry he'd had so far and now that it was over he felt rather elated in a way.

"The body is a complicated matter, Jay. There are memories, then there are feelings tied to specific thoughts, and just the personality alone is a mystery in itself." F.G. attempted to explain, but Jay had no idea what she was talking about.

"Huh?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Queenie is, for lack of a better word, different. I have no doubts that she's a wonderful young girl, capable of being a great princess in Wonderland, whenever her Aunt decides she's ready to be trained. I should start by explaining that there are two sides to every person, one is good and kind, the other is selfish and simply...terrible. Here in Auradon, people tend to lean in one direction or the other. Those who are good stay here in Auradon and those who are bad go to the Isle of the Lost. We usually have no in between, in fact most of our students here take a test when they have their thirteenth birthday, so we have a better understanding in how they'll turn out, and we can be prepare for such an event. How much do you know about Wonderland, Jay?"

"Uh," Jay was slightly baffled. The question had certainly caught him off guard. "Not much. Just that it's weird or something."

"Yes, things do work differently there. Their world is, how do I say this? Upside down. They're both good and bad, capable of being generous but also ruthless. Queenie was born in Wonderland and amongst it's own magic, so despite the fact she was raised on the Isle, she's still firmly rooted to her homeland. She's both. Because of her being taken to the Isle, she assumes she can only be one or the other, which is why she was so torn when she arrived. Her mind is at war, a constant battle between good and evil. All I did when she arrived was silence that dark side, and take away any thoughts and memories associated with it. Although, I now assume seeing Mr. Hook has woken that one up. I placed a wall up in Queenie's mind, separating the two, in an attempt to make her more like us. That dark part of her personality is trying to smash down that wall, to join its other half and we can't allow that to happen." The headmistress told him, and he nodded. It was starting to make some sense.

"Okay, that part I get." He sighed, his mind somewhat frazzled from the information he was being given. "But why was she crying yesterday? When I saw her with Harry...I don't know, but she was crying. Like, bad."

"I took away her memories and her pain, but I didn't take away anything else connected to them. They're not completely gone, Jay, just hidden in the back of her mind. No matter what, she was going to recognize him, and anything she felt when she was with him will still be there. I don't know if she was crying because she was happy, or because she was terrified, either way we have to keep them apart." The fairy sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I didn't think he'd come. I mean, I guess I thought he would, but why would he come all the way here just for Queenie? If it was Uma I'd be okay but...I just don't get it." Jay groaned, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. He really needed a vacation.

"When I looked into Queenie's head, it was a very dark place. This young man tried to change her, tried to make her evil just because he could. I felt what she felt, and it wasn't all bad. There were some tender moments between them, but do not let that get in the way. Their relationship was by no means natural or encouraged. It was madness. To the little one it felt like love, even if she didn't know what that was."

Jay moved his head so fast he saw black spots. "What? Don't tell me she was in love with Harry. That changes everything!" He exclaimed. He thought he couldn't feel any worse about keeping everything from Queenie, but he was wrong. Obviously the Isle was a terrible place and relationships were rare, so when they did happen it was never what Auradon would consider 'healthy'. If Queenie loved Harry then Jay was so screwed, more so if Harry loved her back. He was dead.

"It wasn't love, Jay." The fairy said with a hard glare. "It was infatuation. She leaned against him, needed his strength to keep her floating but whenever she started to pull away, he brought her back. Love is beautiful and magical, it's not dark, twisted and based only on survival instinct. They need to be separated for the good of the Kingdom. There has never been a tale of two dark entities falling in love and it won't happen now, it simply can't happen. The idea is absolutely absurd. You must do this, for Queenie at least. I do care for the little one, despite what you may think. I do not condone what happened to her and if I could heal her in a better way I would, but I can't."

Jay nodded in understanding, and felt a little better. He was doing the right thing. He wasn't being an ass-hole by keeping two people in love away from each other. He was just a good friend keeping someone from going off the rails. "Okay." He agreed with a small nod. "I'll do it."

~...~...~

"Remin' me why I'm doin' this again?" Harry mumbled from in front of the mirror, looking back at Uma's reflection.

"You can't get Queenie back with everyone else looking down over your shoulder. You want your princess, you have to try and fit in. It's not permanent so suck it up." Uma replied, watching as he twisted and turned with a grimace.

It was a new day, and since seeing Queenie hadn't quite gone in their favour, Uma had decided on a new plan. Harry had to spend time with her; Alone. It would be tricky...hell, it'd be downright challenging, especially with the core-four keeping watch, so they had to do everything in their power to sway their focus in a different direction. The sea-witch's daughter had learned to adjust to the transition, and if wearing a pretty dress and keeping her hair in a nice, neat bun kept people away then so be it. She knew, eventually, Harry would see it the same way and stop with his whining. She didn't understand why he was putting up such a fuss, it wasn't as if she was asking him to give up the hook. Uma hoped he wouldn't have to do that, as she dreaded the thought of being around him when he didn't have his 'stress-ball', but there was always a risk with Harry. Things were different now, though, since it was Queenie on the line of he screwed up. If he even got close to hurting someone, all she'd have to do is remind him, and she knew he'd calm down.

"It's not so bad." Gil spoke up, hoping to make the pirate feel just a little better.

"How the hell am I supposed to scare someone wearin' this?!" Harry exclaimed, motioning down to his new clothes.

"You're not supposed to scare anyone and that's the point. Queenie might be in there but right now she's a princess, and you're gonna have to play on that. If she wants nice, then you be nice. I told you it wasn't gonna be easy." She shrugged.

"Fine." Harry relented. "But I'm doin' it my way." He took his hook and ripped a few holes in the black jeans, then removing the black and red plaid shirt and tying it around his waist. He was content with the outcome. Not completely, but enough to keep him relaxed.

"Right, drama-queen, if you're done we have to figure out how you're gonna talk to Q'." Uma said, dropping the magazine she'd attempted to read. A few pages in she'd given up, having nothing interesting enough to capture her attention.

Harry spun around and walked away from the mirror, slowly approaching his Captain. "Q'?" He chuckled, and Uma rolled her eyes. "I didn' know ye were on a nick-name basis with my lass."

"Do you wanna discuss names or talk about a plan?" Uma spat. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Harry's remarks today.

"Oh all right, ye're no fun any more." He mock-pouted, and she narrowed her eyes.

"I need you tell me about Queenie."

Harry's smile dwindled. "What do ye wanna know?" He asked.

"What she likes, what she doesn't like. Favourite colour...I don't know! Anything, tell me anything. Even the little things matter here." She shrugged, leaning back onto her hands and staring up at him.

"I don' know what ta tell ye." Harry sang, pacing about the room slowly. "We didn' talk much." He added, seemingly fascinated with the paintings and pictures on the wall.

"Are you gonna stand there and tell me that, during the five months you 'trained' her, you didn't find out anything about her." Uma raised her brows and gave him an expression that let him know she didn't believe a damn word. "Nothing was said with you two?"

Harry lifted his shoulders and finally stopped moving, his back now resting against the closed bathroom door. His eyes quickly glanced at Gil, who was staring out at the tourney field from his window, and Uma realised what was wrong.

"Gil, go check on the rest of the crew for me." Uma demanded, though she didn't take her eyes away from Harry. Soon enough Gil left the room without a word and she let out a loud, knowing sigh. "Talk to me."

"There's nothin' ta talk about." Harry laughed. "Queenie was a quiet one, ye know that."

"Stop feeding me bullshit." The girl said softly. Uma knew full well why he wouldn't tell her anything, and even though she understood why, she couldn't deal with it now. "I mean, you're doing well, trying to get me to think that you didn't give two shits about her back on the Isle. It'll work on everyone here in Auradon, but not me. You can say it, Harry. I'm not gonna judge you. Why would I? We know each other inside out and you're insane if you think I'm gonna kick you off the crew because she's your-"

"Don't say it!" Harry yelled. It wasn't the first time he'd raised his voice with her, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. However, it certainly was the first time he'd shouted at her like that.

"You're not your dad, Harry. It's okay to say it. He's not gonna know, and he's not gonna take her from you. You wouldn't come here for anybody so until you admit it we're not leaving this room." Uma stated. She wasn't mad he'd yelled at her, she understood how hard it was for him to admit, but his absolute refusal to confirm what she already knew was getting annoying. "Just. Say. It."

Harry let out a shout and swept a few items off the top of a dresser. They clattered to the floor loudly but Uma didn't jump, she didn't even flinch. She'd expected this. "She is not my weakness." Harry gritted, pointing the hook at his Captain. "She's a pathetic little girl. Always runnin' aroun' an' gettin' herself into trouble, always expectin' me to save her. She's sweet an' kind an' always so quick to make new friends, even though they could try an' kill her. She's nothin' but a little pest, an' she's not my weakness." Harry was lashing out in one of his worst ways when confronted. Uma knew it. He knew it. All she had to do was wait it out, and she was more than ready to stay in the room all day.

"Then why did you come here?" Uma countered. "Why don't you just go home, huh? Just go back to the Isle, I won't be mad." She wasn't lying. If Harry gave up and went back now, then no harm would be done. He would just be another Isle kid who couldn't stay in Auradon. It'd happened before, so no one would question his actions and she was sure the core-four would be more than relieved. "Queenie would go back to how she was, with no memory of us or you specifically. She could go on and be happy, she'll probably marry a Prince or something. Why are you here, Harry?"

Harry shook his head and looked away, as if the scene outside was much more interesting than the conversation he was currently having. Uma had made a rather good point. He could leave now, go back home and take over the ship, run it for Uma like he'd been doing while she was gone. Even a temporary Captain was still a captain, and he was at his peak on the Isle. They were doing well with business, and so many were eager to join the crew. He had many girls on the Isle ready and willing to do whatever he asked, and yet he was here in Auradon, eager to chase after someone who had no idea who he was. A voice inside of his head, sounding quite like his father, told him to just go home and rule like he'd always dreamed. It was tempting, but he couldn't.

"Do you think they'll come back?" Queenie asked timidly, hiding her eyes with her forearms.

Harry kept his focus despite her question. "Who?" He muttered, dabbing at the wound. He had an idea of who she was talking about, after all it'd been a month and a half since he'd taken her in, and she hadn't ask once. It was bound to happen eventually.

"T-the Core-Four." She whispered in reply, peeking down at him. Her tone alone let him know how apprehensive she was about asking, and he could understand it. His jealousy did tend to get the best of him sometimes, so her being this way was not a surprise.

"Would ye come back if ye were livin' it up over there in Bore-Adon?" His question was accompanied by a quick eyebrow raise, and she had her answer. "Let's say they did," Harry said lightly, ignoring her 'hiss' as he touched a tender spot. "Would ye go back to 'em?"

Queenie stayed quiet. He pursed his lips and pressed just a little harder, as if a quick surge of pain would make her answer faster. "No." She gasped, her hands clenching and releasing repeatedly. "No I wouldn't."

Harry smirked and nodded, happy with the answer. "An' why not?" He pushed, cleaning away any remnants of blood on her chest.

"Because it means leaving you." She said simply. At his wide-eyed stare, she gave him a small, worried smile. "They were my best friends but...they left. And you're my friend now. You saved me. I would never leave you here on your own."

"I guess I'm stuck with ye then?" Harry attempted to sound just a little aggravated by the idea, but he found himself rather elated with her admission.

"Yup." Queenie huffed as she leaned up slightly, her neck straining from the action. "How does it look?" She asked him, trying to see the hook he'd carved into her a few hours before. She'd passed out while he was doing it, and he'd set on cleaning it while she was asleep. She'd somehow woken up near the end, though for that he was partly grateful. He couldn't deal with her crying and shouting during the hard part.

"Looks like ye're stuck with me too, love."

The look of utter adoration she'd given him when he said that showed clear in his mind even now. Back then his happiness brought out hers. She was willing to do anything for him, even something as painful as 'branding', just to satisfy him in some way. It was a feeling all too easy to get high on. Her reliance on him, the way she listened so intently to whatever he was telling her; All of it. Uma wasn't wrong, it really was the little things that made a difference. Queenie had been the best at the simple things, and in the end they all added up to one large thing. He missed her, and it annoyed him so much that he wanted her back. With his Captain gone, and then Queenie leaving, he'd gone a little mad. Gil was a good friend, but he wasn't too good with understanding. Queenie had been. If he went on a rant while she was in his room, she sat down on the floor and listened. She didn't speak or move, she was just there. More than once he'd forgotten she was even with him, and would fall onto his bed with exhaustion. It wasn't until the door closed did he remember who he'd been talking to. The day after when he saw her she didn't even talk about what he'd told her, all she did was ask if he was okay. If he told her 'yes', then she'd give him a nod and they'd carry on to wherever they had to go in silence. If he said 'no', then she'd talk as much as she could to steer his mind away from whatever had stressed him out. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, it either ended with him listening to her, or finally admitting what was wrong just to get her to shut up. No matter what, though, she was there.

"She has two favourite colours. Red an' white." Harry finally spoke after wetting his lips. He'd been quiet a lot longer than he thought. "She likes watchin' the sun go down. She doesn' like the smell of the sea. She's always wanted a white rose, she don't like the red ones, they remind her too much of her mum. She fiddles with her necklace when she's nervous or thinkin' an' she loves the night more than the day. Happy now?"

Uma's face remained neutral. He wasn't admitting what Queenie was to him, like she'd hoped, but he was telling her in a different way. That in itself was some form of admission. "White roses, huh?" She asked, tongue pressing against the inside of her cheek in thought.

"Yeah."

"I have an idea."

AN

Hi guys! Just me again. First things first, thank you to those who've reviewed, followed and favourited. You'll probably get thanked during every chapter because I'm so grateful so just expect these.

I will apologise that there wasn't any Queenie/Harry in this chapter, but there will be in the next one. I just wanted you guys to have some kind of idea on why Queenie was memory-wiped, and how Harry feels about her. Fairy Godmother isn't a bad person and I don't want her to come off that way, but this is Auradon and anything that isn't good is kind of scary and weird to them. I mean, the way Ben's parents reacted in the first movie to him telling them he was bringing VK's to Auradon was a good enough example. Also, I know in 'S.O.S' the relationship between Queenie and Harry was pretty violent and creepy. I just needed to show that he wasn't always horrible with her. Harry isn't a 'good' person, he has a quite a few issues up in his noggin, and his idea of 'nice' is a little twisted.

Just going to answer a few questions from my latest reviewer. Queenie feeling sick when she first saw Harry was a mix of fear and recognition. Obviously she has no idea who he is, but on the Isle she felt certain things when he appeared, usually her being scared and/or happy. So, after not seeing him for a month, her emotions are a bit heightened. That actually explains the crying as well. The part of her who knows who he is knows exactly what he's capable of. When he told her that he 'forgave' her in the previous chapter, she took that to mean he was forgiving her for going to Auradon, so the crying after that was actually just her being relieved that he wasn't going to kill her.

Queenie will be going through a lot more through the following chapters, her emotions will be everywhere and she has absolutely no idea what's happening, so her head's going to get a bit messy. Also, I'm so glad you liked the Ava/Uma pairing. There will be more with those two through-out this story and more of an insight into how they met, and why Uma doesn't want it getting out. So I hope you guys stick around for that.

Anyway, please leave a review or PM to let me know what you think, and I hope you liked this chapter.

Thanks!