Hey Descendants,

Sorry, I meant to get this out earlier today... Life, am I right... =P

I'll also be posting another chapter tomorrow because, thanks to you amazing readers, we shot up over a hundred reviews!

So, enjoy, and watch for the update tomorrow as well. 3

Meanwhile...

T frowns, pausing when he feels eyes on the back of his neck. What the fuck? Hadn't his luck been shitty enough today? He turns and looks around wearily, before he starts moving again pulling himself back up to the roof tops. Today had been such a fucking mess. And the last thing he needed was Atilla to track him down out of spite.

"Oy, ya damn urchin! I be needin' ah word with ya."

T closes his eyes as he lets out a deep breath. What now? What the fuck would Hook want? He pauses before he lets out a sigh and starts back down. He'd normally just jump, but the last thing he needed was to make his calf more dysfunctional than it already was. Or worse draw attention to it.

"Aye, that be ah good lad." Harry grins as T drops down only a few feet away. "Uma knows I did'nah want ta be followin' ya all over this damned town." He leans one hips against the wall as he rests his opposite hand on his sword.

T looks around ,making sure the alley was empty before stepping further into the shadows with Harry. "Same." He agrees easily. "Whatcha want Hook?"

"Oh, I be ah wantin' it all." Harry shrugs absently as he gives his nails a cursory glance, "Fame an' fortune an' the like."

T blinks before his eyes lighten with mischief. "With that face?"

Harry's face splits into a wide grin, "Aye, me face do be gettin' me far with most… But enough about me past relationships lad-" With a quick motion he pushes off the wall and ends up standing over T, "I be ah needin' ta know what ya be sayin' ta upset our sweet boy. He be sayin' Deez be in trouble, and well, I be figurin' if'in anyone were ta be knowin' the kind, it be you."

T bites back a groan, of course that's what this was about. His eyes narrow, "What kind of trouble?" He asks carefully, had he told Gil Hyades was in trouble? He couldn't remember doing or saying that. And if he did that certainly wasn't what he had intended.

"Aye." Harry nods as he slides closer. "He be insistin' that he had ta go check on her."

T scratches the back of his head roughly, tussling his ratty braids from their bun beneath his hood. Well fuck. Was this his fault? He hadn't meant to worry Gil. Fuck. "Huh. Well sounds like it's being taken care of then." He steps back subconsciously.

Harry narrows his eyes, "Ya might be ah thinkin' so, but here be the thing…" He continues to press further into T's space, "We ain'nah be seein' Gil so concerned 'bout nothin' in ah long time… And we could'nah get ah straight word outta him."

"Weird…" T responds dryly, as he continued backing up."If you were so concerned why didn't you go with Gil?"

"Cause Uma be trustin' Gil ta keep Deez best interest at heart." He smiles as T backs into the wall, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. "And she be trustin' me ta be gettin' answers that she wonna be wantin' ta give." He continues as he presses the hook in his hand into the wall to the left of T.

Fuck. Where the fuck did the wall suddenly come from? T shifts in discomfort, "Sounds like Deez' business ta me." He crosses his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Uh huh…" Harry crowds closer to T, standing over the only slightly shorter boy, "But ya see…" He casually reaches out with his free hand and grips T's shoulder, "I be knowin' that somethin' is goin' on if ya be concerned enough ta scare the wind from Gil's sail."

Well this was new and fucking uncomfortable as fuck. T glares as he presses his back as far into the wall as possible. "Wasn't really the goal."

"Ah… but it be what happened… And now I gotta be reportin' back ta Uma if Deez be in trouble." Harry shrugs, "Unless ya be wantin' that privilege for yerself?"

"I'm good." T spits out quickly, blanching at the thought. The last thing he wanted was to be on the receiving end of an Uma lead interrogation.

"Aye, that be what I thought ya be sayin'." Harry nods as he gently works his fingers into T's shoulder, the motion somewhere between a light massage and a firm warning, "So be ah good lad and be helpin' me out here…" He levels his gaze with T's, waiting for the other boy to make the contact, "Yeah? What be going on with our fire princess?"

T shifts again, trying to shift away from Harry only to have the taller boy block him. He swallows, regretting that he came back down the stupid building. This was the last thing he needed after the day he had. What the fuck had he been thinking, going to Gil? "Wish I could." He finally breathes out. He didn't. It wasn't his fucking place.

"Aye, yer gonna be wishin'. Wishin' ya had been straight with me while we both be havin' the chance." Harry shakes his head, "Look…" He leans in close, the smell of the chip shop still clinging to him like a second skin as his warm breath tickles the side of T's neck, "Ya know we ain'nah bein' forceful in our claims on Deez, an Uma be ah runnin' the shop ta keep her mum off us lesser bein's and all…" He backs up just enough to give T a small pout, "If Deez be in trouble and we can'nah be there ta help, what kin'nah family do that be makin' us?"

T swallows, as his stomach twists into an uncomfortably tight knot. "A normal one..." He mumbles.

Harry's eyes narrow, "Ya be wrong there lad. Family ain'nah what we be born ta, it be what we be ah buildin'," He makes a soft growling noise in the back of his throat, "And I'll be ah damned codfish fucker ah'fore I be lettin' anythin' be hurtin' me family."

And T believed him. The way he talked about family and what it meant almost made him feel envious, almost. The flare made him both angry and annoyed with himself. "Why," He shifts, trying to get as much space between them as possible, his calf burning as it pressed against the rough cement. He was an idiot for not fucking using his damn ointment. He had just figured it would have been a waste. "Are you so sure I know anything? I could've been across the isle all day for all you know..." He continues to deflect.

Harry laughs deeply, crowding even closer as his knees weaken under his laughter, "Oh aye, that be ah good questions lad," His face snaps to serious far too quickly, "But here be the best answer I can ah be givin'..." He leans in closer, his lips nearly brushing T's earlobe, "If ya did'nah be knowin' anythin', ya would'ah said so sooner." He chuckles, "And ya would'nah admited it were'nah yer goal ta scare Gil."

A shiver runs down T's spine as he stiffens at the sensation Harry's closeness sent to his gut. His face was burning with the humiliation, "It wasn't!" He blurts out, trying to put more distance between them despite the wall. "I just didn't want Deez ta be alone an' Gil's good company."

Harry pulls back just enough to watch T, but stays expectantly silent.

T shifts in discomfort. What the fuck was this? "She's fine." He continues with a frown. "I wouldn't have just bounced if I thought she was in trouble." He breathes out as he rolls his shoulders He'd just send Gil to be a sentry. He looks away.

"T…" Harry slowly shakes his head, "Ya've been being squirmier than an inked squid this past month… Ya be showin' up and helpin' out with the ship, makin' it better for Deez when she comes 'round… Encouragin' us ta keep better tabs on her, visit her at the beach… Something's been keepin' ya on high alert, and I don'nah be knowin' what it'll take ta be gettin' yer trust, but I need ta be knowin' what ya know if ya be wantin' us to help her."

T's eye twitches. Fuck. Had he done that? His eyes narrow in thought. He had been more protective of Deez this month- He just hadn't realized the others had noticed or that he had made it that obvious something was wrong. Harry made a really good argument- Or it was just really hard to think with someone standing so fucking close to him. "S'not my shit to tell."

"T… Be comin' on man, ya know we all be trustin' ya, but I be needin' ta know what be threatenin' me family here."

T's eyes widen in surprise. They trusted him? Seriously? After all the shit he'd pulled through the years? The dodging and deflecting? The thought made something in his chest constrict.

"What? Ya did'nah be knowin' that?" Harry furrows his brow, the frown on his lips strange until T realized it was just rare.

T looks away with a shrug. This was manipulation at its finest. "It's…more complicated than that." He squirms.

"It be the isle… It's always gonna be more complicated than it be needin' ta be." Harry rolls his eyes, "But this be need ta know… And I be needin' ta know."

T narrows his eyes. Need to know? No one really needed to know anything about this without Hyades consent. He thought about someone knowing about his homelife and shudders before he even gets to the thought of someone sharing it. "Paranoia and boredom." He shrugs. "That's why I helped with the Deez shit…" He offers dryly.

Harry lifts one brow, "Uh huh… Ya can be ah considerin' me wholly unimpressed by yer tactic." He shakes his head and leans in closer, resting on elbows planted on either side of T's shoulders, "But I be ah havin' all night ta be interigatin' ya-" His lips part and curl into a wicked smile, "-if ah conversation ain'nah good enough for ya."

T's eyes harden at the threat, even as he shirks down away from Harry's elbows. "Look, it's Deez shit to tell- She didn't even want me to know, okay- Fuck."

"Aye, and if ya be wantin' assurances that she won'nah be findin' out we know," Harry tilts his head to the side as he backs up a scant inch, "I can be offering ya that."

T narrows his eyes skeptically. "Just like you wouldn't figure out who tipped off Gil." He snorts despite their closeness, "No thank you."

"Look lad, I be havin' ah wee list of suspects when shit like this be lapin' at me ship." Harry shurgs, "Deez has always believed that Uma knows everything… Uma always keeps her sources."

"Then Uma would have done something years ago." T responds in annoyance.

"T… Who's putting our princess in danger?"

"Seriously, who the fuck isn't putting the bitch in danger?"

Harry huffs and narrows his eyes as he pulls himself closer to T, stepping forward to pin him with one knee to keep him from squirming down further, "T… Look, the last time we be tryin' ta protect her from the other gangs… well, it didn't work out, I don'nah want ta be makin' the same mistakes. I… I know whatever has your riggin' in ah knot be yer knowledge alone, else the baby dragon would be near up our arses with goblins. So I know ya be shoulderin' this alone… Time ta work on this together."

T swallows, his mouth suddenly dry as he looks away with guilt. "S'not-" he pauses as he takes a deep breath. "Do you mind?" He frowns as he shifts again, unable to take the closeness much longer. His chest was starting to hurt.

"Not ah bit-" Harry grins mischievously, "You were ah sayin'?"

"Hook." T glares, but doesn't make a move to push him off. "Seriously, back off." He was starting to feel dizzy.

"No." Harry's eyes harden, he does shift to give T a little more space, but doesn't remove his arms, or knee, from keeping the other boy firmly pinned in place.

T frowns as he looks away. His hands sliding behind his back to twist nervously, his palms cold and clammy as he did his best to ignore the way they shook. What the fuck was this? His stomach twisted further, making him feel nauseous. "Please?" He blurts out, before he can stop himself. "I can't think."

"Then don'nah be thinkin', just be talkin'." Harry growls, but again he gives T a few more inches. His belly was squirming uncomfortably at the look on T's face, but he knew the kid knew something, and he wasn't walking away until he knew what it was.

T swallows hard as he takes a deep breath, "This isn't funny."

"Ya think I be likin' this?" Harry rolls his eyes, "Just talk, then I'll be givin' ya back yer space."

T's whole frame slowly begins to tremble, his eyes drop to Harry's knee in embarrassment. What the fuck? He closes his eyes, resisting the urge to press his knees together finally noticing what was pinning him. Too close. This was the last time he came when Harry called for him. His cheeks burned. "It's senior." He finally breathes out, feeling oddly defeated, just needing Harry to get a fuck away from him. "Space now please?"

"Senior?" Harry asks in confusion as he drops his knee, "Her father?"

T just nods with a pout on his lips. He would have preferred an interrogation. He was pretty sure he could have handled that better. He felt like a bitch. Literally a bitch, and it scared him more than any fight with Atilla ever would.

"So the all mighty god ain'nah better than the rest of our fucked up dads aye?" Harry's jaw tenses for a moment before he sighs, "Did he be ah hurtin' her today?"

T shrugs, "I'm not with her every minute…"

"Then what be ah promptin' ya ta take action today?"

T lets out a disappointed huff as he drops his eyes to his feet. Fuck this.

"Look, I ain'nah gonna be telling her anythin'," Harry sighs, "I can be promisin', she's gonna be doing all the talkin', I just need ta be knowin' what ta be lookin' for."

"It's bad enough I told-" T starts to argue, before he realizes his mistake and clamps his mouth shut.

Harry's eyes narrow, "Ya be tellin'..."

T bites back a groan. "Look, I already told ya bout Senior-"

"Who else be knowin' 'bout senior T?" Harry interrupts with a growl, as he closes the distance between them suddenly.

"The core." T blurts out, shimming away from him so quick he hits his head on the cement behind him. "They already knew that Ursula and Senior worked together back when she drowned Deez- and then they were talking bout Malificients rumor mill and I really didn't mean to but they were talking about how Senior forces Deez to try and take off the stupid fucking cuffs and I blurted out I'd seen him force her to do it. I woke up to her screams. It was fucking awful- If I didn't know better I'd swear it was killing her. I mean fuck man, her skin was being pulled back til there was nothing left but bone. It was the most fucking terrifying shit I've ever seen." He continues without thinking just wanting Harry the fuck away from him before he passed out and furthered this embarrassment.

Harry stagers away from T as if he'd been punched, "Fuck." He shakes his head, wiping one arms across his brow, "Fuck."

T's eyes widen as Harry backs off and instantly turns to take off, but with the speed he goes to take off but skids in the attempt, having completely forgotten about his calf, as he suddenly eats pavement. "Jesus fucking christ!" He growls at himself before he starts to roll over, pulling his knee to his chest protectively.

Harry blinks down at T. "Fuck." He reaches into his vest pockets and starts pulling out bags of gauze and tape. "I did'nah understand why Gil be insistin' on me takin' these, but now I be ah seein'." He pauses for a second, "I don'nah guess ya be feelin' like trustin' me with this…" He asks sternly.

"I already took care of it." T grumbles with annoyance.

"Fuck ya did." Harry rolls his eyes, "Don'nah be ah baby bout this." He chides as he slides to the ground beside T. "I be needin' ah moment ta be collectin' meself. And patchin' wounds be somethin' I got ta be good at."

T looks away, "It's really fine."

"Uh huh… So ya be sayin'." Harry nods absently as he pulls T's leg into his lap, "Just be sitin' still." And he surprisingly does, albeit he was ramrod stiff. "Ya be callin' this ah patch job?" Harry growls as he pulls the dirty rag away from the gash running down the back of T's calf.

T shrugs, "What? It works." He looks away with a pout.

"Who be getting ya this deep?" Harry's brow furrows, "Yer usually to quick ta get hit like this." It also meant that he'd been running, since it was the back of the leg… Most likely climbing since it was so low.

"We all have bad days." T swallows as he looks away. The last thing anyone needed right now was another well incident.

Harry falls silent as he works to clean and bandage the wound. After he finishes, before releasing T's leg he finally speaks up again, "T… I uh, I don'nah be thinkin' I can tell Uma all that… So, I'll just be lettin' Deez tell-"

T's head whips up and he lets out an unmanly squeal of accusation as he glares at Harry, pointing dramatically in the wake of his outrage, "What the fuck?"

"What? I was always gonna be gettin' her ta be talkin'." Harry shrugs, "I were'nah lyin', I just be ah needin' ta know what ta be lookin' for."

"There's nothing to look for though." T scoffs, "She heals instantly."

"Ya said it looked like he were killin' her!" Harry snaps, "That be ah big fuckin' thing ta be lookin' for."

"Yeah if she was like us maybe." T blanches, "If you ever tell her I just said that, I'll slit your throat."

"Why would I tell her we ever be havin' this conversation?" Harry glares, "And what ya be ah meanin' if she were like us anyway?"

T looks away, "Human." He mumbles.

"She be fuckin' half human," Harry points out passionately, "And Uma be seein' her dead once, so-"

"Yeah I fuckin' know that." T snaps back, "I don't know how it works. I just know her hands were fucking bone man, then they fucking weren't. What the fuck are you gonna look for? Best bet is to keep her away from the prick that's why I was helping set up the damn ship."

Harry rolls his eyes, "I be sayin' look for by ways of gettin' her ta talk and knowin' when she's told me all the truth."

"Tch." T snorts, "Good fuckin' luck."

"Worked on you," Harry angrily points out, "And ya be ah bigger claim ta be get anythin' outta."

That shuts T the up, he looks away with a frown.

"Aye," Harry huffs as he pulls himself to his feet and shakes his jacket out, "Put that in yer oil and fry it."

T pulls himself up, "I don't catch on fire." He grumbles.

"Ya do when ya be shovin' her down ah fuckin' well."

"Funny." T rolls his eyes. "You're right. I am quite flammable."

"And if ya be meanin' that Deez be harder ta talk to because she be catching on fire," Harry runs his fingers through his hair, "I be havin' way ta keep that under control."

"Feel like sharing?"

"Bat yer pretty greens at her and make her feel guilty for hidin' shit from you."

T stares at Harry with a look of disgust. "That's fuckin' foul bro."

"In case ya ain'nah knowin," Harry throws his arms wide in a gesture to the world around them, "it be the isle lad, everything be fucked up."

"Well you did call her family." T shrugs as he looks away.

"Better she feel ah wee bit guilty and be safe, knowin' she can be ah trustin' us ta be lookin' after her than the alternatives." Harry shrugs unapologetically.

T's eyes drop, along with something in his gut at the accusation he heard in Harry's words. "Huh... Never thought about it like that…" He admits

"Uma, Gil and me be learnin' long ago that the only way we can be a h survivin' this place is ta be honest with each other." Harry's face darkens, "Deez used ta know that, then Ursula took her away from us."

"And keeps Uma from Hyades to make Deez feel alone." T blinks at the sudden realization. "Because her and Senior are working to break their kids- Or atleast one of them…"

Harry's eyes widen, "Aye. Fuckin' aye!" He looks down at his bloody hands, "Which be meanin' we can'nah be lettin' Ursula in on the fact that we be with Deez as much as we plan on."

T nods, "That would probably be for the best." He rubs his arm awkwardly.

"T…" Harry runs his tongue over his teeth "I need ta be gettin' back ta Uma." He looks over his shoulder into the dark, "But… Can ya be tellin' me…" He sighs, "There's more I need to get out of Deez, isn't there."

T looks away, "What would be worse… Being forced to share your own secrets or being forced to share someone else's?" he asks before turning back to study Harry. Both sounded equally fucking awful to him. He starts itching the back of his arm anxiously, as he waited on bated breath for the response.

"It would be dependin' on the situation." Harry shrugs before he takes a deep breath, "I know I be havin' some secrets from some people, and I be guardin' the secrets of those that be trustin' me with everythin' I be havin'. So yeah, it be dependin' on who and why." He sighs.

"Huh." T pouts, it wasn't the answer he wanted, but it seemed genuine.

"I ain'nah askin' what, I just be havin' the feelin' ya know there's more."

"Isn't there always?" T sighs, as he scratches the back of his head roughly again.

"Aye, I suppose so… Until there ain't." Harry furrows his brow, "What be yer answer?"

"I have no fucking idea. Both are fucking awful..." T admits with a sigh. "That's why I asked you…"

Harry tilts his head to the side as he watches T. He found it odd that T had asked his opinion after being forced to talk about someone else's life.

"Probably share my own." T finally responds, "That seems like the right answer…Since I just spilled hers."

"If it were you askin', I'd share my own too." Harry agrees with a casual shrug. "When ya gonna be comin' back round the ship again?"

T shrugs. "I dunno… Never do." He sighs. "When I miss the cat?"

Harry chuckles, "Aye, when ya be missin' Shrimpy." He turns, "Look, I ain'nah… I be apologizin' if I be makin' ya feel like ya betrayed Deez. It weren't bein' my goal either."

T shrugs, "Learned something from it."

"Aye?" Harry asks skeptically.

T nods. And he did. "I'd rather deal with an interrogative Atilla." He shares dryly. At least he could deflect a blade.

Harry chuckles at the joke, until he sees T's straight face. "Ya be jokin' right?"

"No?"

"And how ya be knowin' that?"

T points down at his calf, and shrugs.

"Ya be havin' ah run in with Atilla?" Harry's eyes widen.

"Ya- Just an FYI, he does not like being ignored."

Harry blinks, "Aye…Good ta know... But what ya be doin' learnin' facts like that?"

"Was busy with something more important." T shrugs, "Just a bonus I learned that in the same breath."

"Can… Can ya just be actually tellin' me the story of how ya be findin' yerself tanglin' with Atilla?" Harry asks after several silent moments.

T's brow furrows together. "Not much of a story. Was lookin' for Deez after I pissed her off earlier and found her talkin' with Atilla… Don't know how the fuck he knew to press her buttons- But it was clearly effectin' her so I dropped in." He shrugs. "Then he demanded to know who I was but I was busy talkin' to Deez. Fucker almost got my ear too." He lets out a low laugh as he rubs his neck.

Harry closes his eyes as he roughly drags a hand down his face. Of course… Of course T tangled with Atilla because the fuckin' big crazy leader himself was talking to Hyades. Why not? It wasn't like Uma was going to lose her shit over that- Oh wait. "Fuck…. Fuck… Fuckin' fucker fuck!"

"Yeah, I know right… Fucker really knows how to goad someone. Deez was already feeling like a fucking freak, then he goes and tacks on the shit bout how she doesn't belong anywhere and shit- Like somehow he has any fucking right to say that when all he wants her for is her power. At least the seven of you actually give a fuck about her- I mean I was skeptical about Mal at first- But after several talks with her I'm pretty sure she's just a cunt- Which is cool, cause it means it ain't personal… But she's probably the last person on the isle that needs to know what happened earlier."

"Her and Uma." Harry takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly, "We don't wan'nah fuckin' repeat o' history."

"Uma wasn't as pushy as Mal...Then again it was Mal, not Atilla… Huh. Yeah I guess Uma-" His eyes widen, as he face palms, "Fuck! Damn it!" He growls at himself. This! This is why he needed to fucking avoid people. What happened to his earlier promise to himself? "Last time I stop when you call." He grumbles. "Big fucking mouth." He face palms again, scolding himself as he turns to walk away.

Harry watches T's escape with a frown on his lips. What the hell had that been about? He looks down at his blood covered hands before he swivels on his heel and starts off towards the docks. Good thing he had a meeting with Jay lined up, he had a lot more questions after that encounter than he had answers.

Like how much did T actually know about them?

His eyes narrow, yeah, tons of questions about T- But when wasn't that the fucking case?

For now though, he had to focus on Hyades. Things were obviously getting serious, and he had to navigate these sandbar infested waters carefully. Or he'd end up with Uma and Mal enraged and looking for a fight.

He nibbles along his bottom lip. He'd swing by the beach to see how Gil was doing with Hyades. At this point, he was going to end up being the bad guy, forcing her to board the ship. He couldn't see any other way around it.

Then he had Uma to worry about. How the fuck was he supposed to tell Uma anything he'd just fucking learned without starting a war?

He sighs. He was starting to spin himself in circles. One thing at a time. Task one. Find Gil and Hyades.

SUUUP, DE-SCEN-DANTS! (Crowd cheers)

How'd you guys like this chapter? Were you as confused by T's responses to Harry as he was? Are any of you starting to connect the dots of T's past? (Padfoot and other OG readers I know I probably don't have to say this but for the sake of my sanity please no spoilers. We need to make sure we're laying out the right context.) Let us know your theories! Also, anyone else love awkward unresolved sexual tension with teenagers that are not only clueless but also terrified of emotions? We know we do ;). But anyways. How are you liking the Harry T dynamic? Do you think Harry pushed too far? Or do you think he didn't push hard enough? Did T crumble too easily? Or is it understandable that he broke? Genuine feedback would be very much appreciated.