Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been having a bit of writer's block lately. And it wasn't fun. But now I'm back with another chapter of 'A Risky Friendship'! We get to see how Blake redeem himself for Stephanie, and how Jake makes up for being too strict to Melanie. Will both boys succeed in impressing their sisters, or will both boys do something they'll regret? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Jake and the Never Land Pirates. They belong to Disney Junior. But I do own Melanie, Stephanie, and the Dark Pirates.

Chapter 7: Two dresden dolls

If there was one thing that Melanie really loved, it was dolls. Of course, most girls loved dolls, but Melanie had a very special connection with them. They made her feel secure whenever Stephanie or Jake wasn't around. They kept her company. Her most favorite was a dresden doll that looked just like her. It was a very pretty doll that she found on the beach. With red hair, rosy cheeks, green eyes, and a blue dress... just like her.

As for Stephanie, she also loved dolls. Yes, she may be a tomboy, she was had a soft spot for dolls as well. But the only special connection she had with them, is that she found comfort in them whenever Blake had abused her in the past. Besides Melanie, the dolls were her only other friends, even if they were nonliving. Much like Melanie, Stephanie had a very special doll that looked just like her.

Unfortunately, both girls forgot to bring their dolls when they traveled to Never Land. But that didn't mean they didn't forget them.

"Melanie... can I talk to you?" Jake asked his sister. It was the day before Valentines Day, and the pirate crew was getting ready for the Valentine's Day Gift Swap. That is when they exchanged caring and loving gifts to each other. Melanie had hid her present from her brother when he came into their room. "Um... sure, Jake." The girl answered.

Jake grinned. "Great!" With that, he closed the door and locked it. As soon as he did that, he started to explain. "Listen, Mellie. I feel really bad about how I've treated you lately. You know, with being strict and yelling at you. I didn't realize how much I hurt and scared you. So again, I'm really sorry for that, and I wanna make it up to you..."

Melanie was rather flattered. Jake didn't really hurt her that much. All he did was separate her from her best friend. "Oh... Jake... you don't have to make it up to me."

"No really, Mel. What can I do to make you happier?" Jake asked.

The girl thought about it. What could make her happy? Then, she smiled and look at her brother.

"Well... you could let me see Stephanie again."

Meanwhile...

"So, Steph. What can I do first to make up for being a jerk to you? Blake asked his sister. Stephanie smirked, as she knew exactly what he could do...

"Well... you could let me see Melanie again."

"No way!"

"Come on!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"Never!"

"If you let me see her, I'll give you ten gold doubloon I found."

"... Fine!"

"Thanks, brother."

With that, Stephanie gave her brother a kiss on the cheek before walking off. At that moment, Blake felt rather good. He rarely ever got a kiss from anybody. The time he ever got a kiss was from his mother... and just thinking about her make him feel sad and upset.

I avenged her death... but I feel as if I hadn't done enough...

Soon, Blake and Stephanie approached Shipwreck Beach, where Jake and Melanie were talking. As soon as they noticed the two bad pirates, Jake stepped in front of Melanie. "Alright! Melanie and I have been talking, and I've decided to let her play with Stephanie again." He told his evil double.

"Same for Stephanie." Blake replied.

Immediately, the girls ran for each other and hugged each other in happiness. Both of them were glad to see each other once again. "I've missed you, Stephy." Melanie whispered.

"I've missed you too, Mel." Stephanie replied.

"Now listen you too. Don't get too uncomfortable, this is only temporary." Jake told them.

Temporary?

TEMPORARY?!

"What do you mean temporary?" Melanie asked in confusion. "We never discussed that!"

Jake sighed. "What I mean is that just because we're letting you girls see each other again, doesn't mean we've fully discussed the situation."

"Yeah. You girls are pretty much still separated, but you'll be together only for a limited time." Blake added.

Both girls could not believe what they were hearing. Their brothers were separated them once again! And they could only see each other for a limited time. Now that was just messed up. But Melanie and Stephanie didn't want to argue with their brothers today, so they just nodded. "Good. Now, why don't you girls run along and have some fun while you can." Jake told them.

With that, both girls ran off into the forest to have some fun. If they could only be together for a limited time, then they might as well make the best of it.

"You know, Stephy. I think we should make the best of having fun today. And since tomorrow's Valentine's Day, hopefully we'll spend even more time together!" Melanie told her friend. Stephanie just nodded. And so the girls did everything they could to have fun like before, until Melanie brought up a very interesting topic...

"Stephanie... do you remember our Dresden dolls?" She asked.

"Our Dresden dolls?" Stephanie asked for reassurance.

"Yeah... I believe we left them back home..."

"Oh yeah. The dolls that look like us, right?"

"Right."

There was a brief between the girls before Stephanie asked. "So what about them?"

"I've been thinking... does your brother know about yours?" Melanie asked.

"Um... I don't think so... does yours?"

"I'm not sure..."

Another brief silence. Only this time it lasted longer than the first. Melanie and Stephanie turned away from each other for a moment. Both of them didn't know what to say about the dolls next. What can I say about the dolls? Melanie thought. Other than the fact that they look like us.

The girls thoughts were interrupted when her friends spoke up. "You know... when I think about the dolls... I think of us as the dolls..."

"You do?" Melanie asked.

Stephanie added. "Yeah. I mean, we look like them. Red hair and and all. Plus we've got rosy cheeks like they do. We're like those two dolls." This was starting to confuse Melanie a little. How were they like the dolls, aside from the appearance? "The dolls may be inanimate, but let's think of them as being in their own little worlds... like we are..."

Now it was making sense to Melanie. The Dresden dolls were like in their own worlds... like the girls themselves. Two dresden dolls... Steph and I are like two dresden dolls...

Melanie kept that thought in mind as the girls continued to spend their time together. It was only a matter of time before their brothers called for them to come home for lunch. Melanie knew that she had to tell her brother about what Stephanie told her about the dolls. At lunch on Pirate Island, Melanie was hoping that Jake would think what Stephanie said was true or at least amusing. But instead he said this...

"Really? Dresden dolls? Oh, Mellie. Do you really have to believe everything she says?" Jake asked almost sarcastically.

Melanie frowned. "But it's true. The dolls we have look like us. Red hair and all." She told him.

"How come I've never seen this 'Dresden doll'?" Jake asked again, using air quotes.

"Because I always forget her. Besides, I could bring her if I remembered."

"Mellie. You're not a doll. Everything Stephanie said is probably a lie."

By now, Melanie was getting angry at he brother. "Are you calling my best friend a liar?!" She demanded. Now Jake was getting rather frustrated. "Well, I ain't calling her a truther." Was his reply. Melanie gasped at such a reply and, before she knew it, started yelling.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" She screamed, startling Jake. "FIRST YOU SEPARATE STEPH AND I, THEN I TELL YOU ABOUT HER PAST, AND YOU STILL SEPARATE US, THEN YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT IT AND TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO ME, BUT YOU STILL ARE KEEPING US SEPARATED, AND WE CAN ONLY SEE EACHOTHER FOR A LIMITED TIME, AND NOW... YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL MY BEST FRIEND A LIAR?! WHAT KIND OF BROTHER ARE YOU, JAKE?! SERIOUSLY, WHAT KIND OF BROTHER ARE-"

Before Melanie could even have the chance to finish her sentence, she felt a hand strike her across the cheek. The girl fell down and rubbed her cheek. She looked up at Jake, who had a cold stare, and his arm raised. So it was him to slapped her.

"Melanie Elizabeth Hutchinson..." Jake began, his voice angry and dark. "You know better than to yell at me like that. And how many times do I have to tell you. Stephanie is evil like her brother. The nonsense about the 'Dresden doll' is complete utter mess and you know it! If I had actually seen the doll, maybe I would've believed you, but I don't see the doll! I'm trying to make up for being too strict, and you're being ungrateful! You're not giving me the chances I need, Melanie. I need you to let me show you how I can change-"

"NO! Just forget it!" Melanie snapped back, slapping Jake across the face. "I know you're trying to make it for it... but you're not trying hard enough..."

With that, Melanie ran off, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jake's anger and frustration was washed away and replaced with guilt. "Mellie. Mellie, sweetheart. Come back! I'm sorry!" He called. But she ignored him and kept on running. The pirate boy groaned and buried his face in his hands, realizing that he truly messed up.

"Aw man... what have I done?" He kept asking over and over.

Meanwhile...

"Dresden dolls? Are you serious?" Blake asked when his sister told him about the dolls. Stephanie nodded, and Blake laughed. "Oh please! You don't have a doll!"

"Yes I do. You've just never seen her!" Stephanie shot back.

" And why haven't I seen her, dear sister?"

"Because I always forget to bring her with me."

"Yeah right."

"I'm telling the truth! Why would you think I'm lying about this? Cause you never saw her?!"

And so, the siblings continued to argue, which led to physical fighting. It was right back to the old thing again. And they were just getting along well, too. But Stephanie knew one thing for sure... her brother had failed in making it up to her for abusing her.

"You know what. Screw you!" Stephanie growled as she ended the fight. "I gave you a chance to be nicer to me, and you blew it!"

Blake raised and eyebrow. "How the heck did I blow my chance?!"

"I asked you to let me see Melanie again, and I was happy. Then you and her brother screwed it up by telling us we could only see each other temporarily! So you still are basically separating us! And now, NOW you don't believe me about the 'Dresden dolls! What the heck is wrong with you?! What is your problem?!"

Blake just glared at his sister, and back away to a nearby duffle bag. Stephanie eyed him carefully as he reached into the bag, and her blood ran cold as he took out the Desert Eagle gun...

"You wanna know what my problem is, Stephanie..." He started slowly, advancing towards his sister. "My problem... is you! I'm trying to redeem myself, but you're not giving me the chance to. Just give me another chance, Stephanie. Seriously, I would shoot anything on this ship just to prove it too you."

"Forget it!" Stephanie snarled, turning away from her brother. "I could give you a million chances, and you would still be the same."

"Stephanie Marie Clark! Get back here-Woah!"

Upon advancing towards his sister, Blake suddenly tripped, and in the process, pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Blake heard a scream. He looked up and his blood ran cold. There was a red dot that was spreading on the upper right side of Stephanie's back. The girl herself was breathing heavily and crouching down. She turned around weakly to glance at her brother.

"Steph... I..." Blake tried to say, but words could not form. Stephanie continued to breath heavily as she took off running off the ship, and into the Never Land forest. She was hold her front, trying to keep the blood from flowing out too badly. Apparently, the bullet went through her back, and out her front. But she didn't care about that, she just wanted to get away from her 'deranged' brother.

As for Blake, he could not believe what he just did. He had shot his own little sister. He hadn't meant to do it. Now he truly messed up. And now he had to find her. After telling Lizzy and Charlie to watch Lucky, Blake took off into the forest, calling for Stephanie.

"Stephanie! Where are you? Please come back! I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Oh shoot! Both Jake and Blake have done something that they deeply regret. But will Stephanie survive? Will Melanie forgive her brother? Will someone treat Stephanie? Will Blake be forgiven? You'll find out soon... I hope. I got the dresden doll thing from the book 'Flowers in the Attic'. I've made a reference to a TV show. Can you find the reference and guess what TV show it's from? Here's a hint. The Tv show it's from is an old show from Nickelodeon. Well, that's it for this chapter. I'll see you guys later. And don't forget to review, please. Thank you.