Harry and Uma are returning to The Jolly Roger and both of their hearts feel like seagrass anchored in the sands of the sea, getting nourishment from an intense healing light above. A healing light whose rays bring both Harry and Uma warmth. A warmth that feels like a love that someone else left behind. A warmth that radiates like heat from a furnace in a home that Harry could only dream of.
This warmth energizes Harry with belief. The belief that he no longer had to search for a home because he could build it all on his own. The belief that Harry will never let fade because he would make it come true.
Harry and Uma get close enough to The Jolly Roger for Harry to spot his sister, Harriet. She stands near the ship, looking like she's standing for a painting. She doesn't sway, like a boat hit by waves in a storm. She's perfectly still like someone is drawing in the background behind her. Like, she feels she finally belongs in the picture.
Harry never understood his sister, Harriet. Growing up, there were many times he assumed he did but then suddenly before his eyes, he saw her become like the jagged rocks that lay at the bottom of a cliff's edge. Jagged rocks that fought against the sea as it hits the side of a cliff.
Now, as Harry approaches his sister, Harriet, he can see parts of the old Harriet have returned. The jagged rocks she transformed into are starting to crumble, sinking deep into the sea, until one day, it'll be no more.
Yet, as Harriet speaks to Harry her words are surrounded by jagged rocks. Jagged rocks which block the flowing river of words she wishes to say. Uma senses this, squeezes Harry's hand in assurance and leaves the Hook siblings to talk alone.
Harry slides his hands down his pant's side, drumming up the composition he has to play for Professor Cadenza. As Harry's mind starts to wander, he realizes that this was becoming a nervous habit of his. Becoming something that reeled him deep into his thoughts.
Harry closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and stops drumming his fingers. His eyes focus on Harriet, who is touching the gold medal hanging around her neck. Unlike Harry's newly acquired nervous tic, Harriet's action seems to ground her to reality.
Her expression is suspended in disbelief, as her thumb brushes the gold medal. It transforms into a prideful expression as the realization settles in once again and confirms that this is her reality. A reality, in which, she won a race that no one thought she was good enough to participate in. A race, in which all who doubted her had ended up putting their belief in her and had even cheered her on.
"It's heavy," Harriet comments, her thumb brushing against the gold medal again. "I never thought it would be this heavy."
"Though, I should've guessed it was because when you first won, you almost fell face first onto the deck below." She continues, recreating the potential scene with the clap of her hands.
"Thankfully, I have that natural balance that all sailors possess." Harry brags before wrinkling his brows in confusion. "Wait, you weren't there. You couldn't have been there, you stopped going to the boat show years before then."
"I did stop going," Harriet admits, her voice becoming bleak with guilt. The waves of her unknown actions seem to make the jagged rocks of her words erode till she takes on the dull tone her boyfriend Anthony is known for." but I went that day and the years after."
Harry finds himself befuddled by Harriet's words. As he lets the anchor of her words drop to the seafloor of his mind, he starts reliving some of those winning moments. He pictures himself, looking into the cheering crowd. The cheers grow louder and Harry would find himself filled with desperation as he listens out for snippets of familiarity.
There was no phoning it in cheerfulness that distinctively belonged to Harriet. There was no haughty booing from the crowd that would indicate the presence of CJ. There wasn't even the prideful apathetic tone of a man boasting about his shop and talking of his son as if he was an unwanted extension of it. There were only strangers in that cheering crowd.
"I went to some of your R.O.A.R. matches too." She confesses.
Harry shakes his head at that, unable to believe her. "If you were there I would've known."
The jagged rocks surrounding Harriet's words are dulled into nothingness as she lets the river of words she wishes to say flow out.
"There was a time, in my life, where I was angry at you. Not for any valid reason, I was just upset that you existed."
"Thanks," Harry replies, feeling hurt by Harriet's confession.
Harriet goes on. "I don't feel that way anymore. I didn't even feel the way back then either. Listen, Harry, I was there, but I hid from your view and I never made myself known. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry for making you think that you were alone."
A random memory came to the forefront of Harry's mind. A memory that for some reason he dwelled on quite a lot when he was younger.
"You threw out Tick-Tock, why?" Harry asks, recounting the memory that always struck him with a feeling of rejection. "It's just, you loved it so much and then you threw it away."
"I realized back then that only I can protect myself. Not, a stuffed crocodile, who never came to life to chase away dad. Me. And only me." Harriet's face becomes deep in thought."But I don't think that anymore."
"What do you mean?" Harry asks, looking for clarification.
"I mean, the way I thought I was protecting myself was hurting the people I care about. Harry, I'm sorry and I'm so proud of you for always going after your dreams despite all of the risks. I, um, never got the chance to tell you that when CJ and I visited you before because I didn't know how to say it without sounding like, well, how I do now."
Harriet's words stumble out, but Harry manages to catch them all, unlike a forever ten-year-old boy who donned a red cap and traveled a long journey with a yellow mouse on his shoulder.
Harry and his sister, Harriet, have had many conversations before: funny conversations, like the ones centered on Harry's nerdy love of the sea; informing conversations, centered around their dad's shop; and casual conversations, so brief Harry had started to believe the lies his father had filled his head with. And yet, all of these conversations were empty or filled with words that held resentment.
Blinded by his resentment toward his belief Harriet had it easy, he had always thought she managed to avoid their father's icy cold stare, failing to ever realize Harriet sailed on the same sinking ship as he.
"Thank you," Harry says in a sincere tone and Harriet responds with one of her rare smiles.
"You're a lot like our mom, Harry." Her voice fills with sadness that felt like the faded edge of an old picture. "You always follow your heart no matter where it takes you."
"I'm so glad you never let our Dad take away that part of you." Harriet continues, her voice softens with each word. As if she's worried that someone can hear her. As if she's worried she can hear herself.
Before Harry has a chance to respond to Harriet's words, her whole demeanor changes.
"Good." Harriet whispers. "Now let's pretend we never spoke of this. I do have a reputation to keep."
"Oh, and if you ever tell anyone I actually care about you I will tell your wharf rats that you and Jonas once thought fairies were real." She adds in a threatening tone.
"We didn't think they were real." Harry lies, remembering how he once thought fireworks were fairies. Of course, his sister Harriet had to remember that too.
"Sure, you didn't." Harriet scoffs.
They both laugh in unison, laughter that blends together like a forgotten scene of two siblings hoisting up a sail on a summer's day. The laughter stops and Harry is left wondering what else he's forgotten. What else he misses.
"We've lost more than her," Harry concludes. "We've lost ourselves too."
Harriet pulls her arms against her chest and takes a deep breath."Maybe we have. But there's a lot of things about the girl that I was that I wouldn't want to return to."
Harry looks a little surprised by Harriet's words, he almost tells her how much he missed the old version of her but then he observes the new. She's a blend of the Harriet that he once knew and a new brand of her that he never bothered to see. The brand covered by their father's words like a sheet covering a piano longing to be played.
Harry smiles a content smile. He would learn this version of his sister and love her just the same as he loved the person she once was. The peacefulness surrounding Harry and his sister suddenly sprouts up angry rain clouds.
Harriet's expression suddenly turns grim as her eyes widen with fear. Harry turns in the direction that Harriet's staring in. As Harry realizes what Harriet's looking at, he feels submerged into the deep sea without a warning. He sees the familiar red coat and the even more familiar cold stare that always burns him to a crisp.
Harry is ashes. Ashes that could easily be picked up by the wind but yet again Harry drums his fingers on the side of his pants. His mind wanders but Harriet shakes his shoulder and Harry regains himself. He regains himself just in time to face the man that he's spent most of his life being afraid of.
A man that at one time Harry had admired. A man that at one time had loved Harry and his sisters. A man who had become an x on the sand. An x that was swept away by the waves when his favorite song had come to an end.
"Leave!" Harriet pleads to Harry but Harry's feet are rooted where he stands.
Harriet roughly pulls Harry to the back of her and stands in front of him as tall as a cliff ascending from the sea. Harriet keeps her voice casual as she greets their dad but their dad doesn't acknowledge her words, he doesn't even acknowledge that she's there.
His cold stare is on Harry. Harry who he's looking at as if he's a stranger.
"You shouldn't be here." Their dad's voice is darkness, darkness ready to snuff out the healing warm light shining above Harry."I told you to never return to this town! You have no home. You have no family here, so get out of this town and go back to that stupid selfish dream you chose over everything!"
Harry sees the healing light above him blink, darkness comes and goes but the light fights to stay shining. Fights to keep Harry nourished with all the things that he's learned. With all the growth that he's had.
Harry looks over to his sister, his sister who he had once thought would throw him away like she did her stuffed crocodile Tick-Tock. Her confidence from earlier hadn't waned and Harry was relieved. He wouldn't let his dad take that away from her. He wouldn't let his dad take anything away from him or his sisters again.
Harry finds strength from within himself and the healing light above stops blinking. The brightness of the light is even more intense than before.
"My stupid dream?" Harry laughs without humor, his words come out pained. He moves from behind his sister Harriet and goes by her side. "You mean, the same one that you and mom also had?"
Their dad looks caught off guard, so Harry decides to use his words to strike again.
"Mr. Smee told me." Harry informs with bitterness in his voice." He told me all about how you and mom both went to my school. It's where you met her, dad and it's where you guys fell in love. You had a dream once, dad, so why can't I have one too?"
Their dad looks taken aback yet anger is still spinning around in his eyes. It spins like a hypnosis wheel that captures Harry in its cold gaze. Yet, this time Harry breaks free.
"And this town is my home whether you like it or not. And Harriet, CJ and I are a family whether you like it or not. And you and I are strangers, so..." Harry's sentence dwindles into non-existence.
"Dad," Harriet starts in a stern tone. "You can't bully Harry into doing your bidding, so stop. Stop with the mind games. Stop always trying to turn us against each other. Just stop! We're your children not members of your crew."
Their dad flinches, his gaze turns to Harriet, finally acknowledging her. "Don't you ever speak of my crew!"
Their dad yells louder than either of them have ever heard him yell before. And the blaring sound of their father's voice brings everyone from inside The Jolly Roger barging outside.
Harry looks over to where they now watch. Shock covers all of their faces and they all look shook up. Uma has conflict in her posture. Harry can see that she wants to go over to him and fight this battle alongside him.
Harry signals for her not to come over and Uma respects his wishes, watching the scene before her with a helpless expression.
While Harry and Uma's silent exchange was going on, Mr. Smee walked over to where Harry, Harriet, and their dad stand. He adjusts his glasses with regrets shining in his eyes. He speaks, his voice, quiet and meek as he says Harry's dad's name.
"James, you can't control everything. Don't you see you're hurting your children?"
Harriet scoffs, declaring that would mean her father actually cared about his kids and to both Harriet and Harry that was as impossible as a shadow coming to life.
"You had no right, Smee." Harry and Harriet's dad says, looking at Mr. Smee with a betrayed expression. "Those stories weren't yours to tell. How dare you-"
"Because someone had to, James. You can't deny these kids the love that their mother left behind. They deserved to know. They needed to know."
Harriet and Harriet's dad pokes a finger in Mr. Smee's chest.
"You had no right. Smee." Harry and Harriet's dad repeats but this time with every word he pokes Mr. Smee's chest hard.
Harriet moves forward and pulls her dad's hand away from Mr. Smee's chest. "Stop it! All you do is hurt, people! All you do is make them want to leave!"
Harry and Harriet's dad recoils at Harriet's words. His next words come out cold.
"Then leave. I want all your stuff gone by the time I get home."
And then he walks away, leaving Harry and Harriet so cold that they both become encased in ice blocks.
Shivering. Harry is shivering. The warmth is gone. The healing light disappears as if it was never found. He feels a hand on his shoulder, he looks to see that it's Mr. Smee who has Harriet wrapped in a one-arm fatherly hug.
He's inviting Harry to join their hug. Harry does and melts just a little but not enough to free himself from the ice block he's encased in.
When the hug is over Mr. Smee turns and speaks to Harriet. "You can stay with me any time, you know that right?"
Harriet's impassive as she replies.
"I know but I won't be needing to. I've made plans for this." Her voice is sad but surprisingly relieved.
Harriet looks over to Harry. "I've made plans for CJ too, so don't worry about her."
"Are you-?" Harry starts but is cut off by Harriet's motion for him to stop speaking.
"I'm fine. I've pictured this scene many times before." She confesses." I don't even have anything at that place. I haven't considered it my home for a long time now."
Harry takes this information in, going back to the memory he's dwelled on too many times before. Ripped off posters. Tick-Tock in the trash. Harriet had always felt like their father would take it away so that's why she got rid of it before he could. It's how she protected herself. It's
how she truly survived under their father's cold gaze.
With this full realization, the ice block encasing Harry melts away. Warmth comes back again and Harry knows that even if the blizzard that was their father came back neither would become encased. In fact, Harry doesn't think Harriet was encased at all. Her expressionless expression morphs into acceptance. Her earlier confidence is still radiating off of her.
Harry feels at ease by this. Harriet and Harry talk for a little longer until they're interrupted by Anthony Tremaine. Chad Charming, Anthony Tremaine's cousin, tows behind looking disinterested. Anthony's face, usually carved with neutrality, is wearing an apologetic expression as he tells Harriet that they need to leave.
Harriet glumly nods and exchanges goodbyes with Harry. They round up their friends though Harry notes that some are missing as he doesn't spot Mal or Ben. His stomach fills up a little with dread when he observes that Uma is also nowhere to be found. He scans the group again, thinking that maybe he miscounted.
His gaze stops at whoever Ginny Gothel is deeply enraptured in conversation with. It takes a millisecond for Harry to recognize the person as Uma's cousin, Melody. Melody who's looking just as enraptured with the conversation as Ginny.
Harry looks away from them and recounts the group once more. Again, Harry sees that two people are missing. The dread in his stomach rises.
Mr. Smee ends up approaching Harry to tell him that he's leaving too. He informs Harry that he's going to find Harry's dad and talk some sense into him. Harry knew that Mr. Smee was his dad's best friend. Well, his only friend. His father's other friendships had dwindled years ago like the love in his father's heart.
A heart that is frozen. A heart that nothing can melt. A heart that Harry had finally given up wanting to find. He voices none of this to Mr. Smee. He just waves goodbye and wishes Mr. Smee luck.
They all leave and Harry is now alone with Melody. Melody still seems entranced by her prior conversation, so Harry waves his hand in front of her face to try to break her out of her trance. It works as Melody quirks her brow in recognition.
"Where's Uma?" He asks, trying to hide the dread and worry in his voice.
Melody looks around as if Uma was right by their sides. "Wasn't she just here?"
If she wasn't here then—Harry looks over to The Jolly Roger, looking up at the upper deck of the ship. There he spots hair like waves hitting the shoreline and finds himself gravitating closer to the familiarness of the sight. He makes his way over to the ship's gangplank, proceeding to walk all the way up towards the upper deck. Melody follows after him, her pace is slower than his.
Once on the upper deck, Harry sees that Uma's leaning back on the railing of the ship, her arms are crossed over her chest and her eyes are as distant as the stars in the sky. She's talking to someone. Someone wearing a dark-blue fitted jacket which Harry instantly recognizes as Ben, Mal's boyfriend.
Harry's dread becomes fury as he rushes over to Uma's side. Ignoring Ben's presence, Harry asks Uma if she's alright. His hands close into fists with knuckles as sharp as a small hook dangling from the line of a fishing rod. He preps himself to swing them in Ben's direction at a moment's notice.
Uma looks too lost in her own thoughts to say a word. Harry glowers at Ben with a face full of suspicion.
As he readies himself to move closer to Ben, he's cut off by Melody who springs herself in the middle of them. She looks over at Ben and gasps in surprise. They both say each other's names with a familiarity that comes from years of knowing someone.
A happy conversation strikes up between the two and they both look as if they were sent back to another time. It all ends once Harry loudly clears his throat and reminds the two old friends that they're not alone.
"Shouldn't you have driven off with your friend Chad?" Harry asks, his voice low and threatening. "Why are you still here?"
Ben looks a little stunned by the threatening tone Harry had taken on. Harry almost laughs because if it wasn't for Melody's intervention his sharpened knuckles would currently be taunting Ben.
Ben stumbles over his words as he tries to explain himself. After a couple of seconds, he finally gets a coherent sentence out.
"That's actually why I was talking to Uma. I really need her help."
"Her help with what?" Harry inquires with suspicion.
"Finding my girlfriend," Ben answers as if his request was the simplest thing to accomplish. As if his girlfriend hadn't spent years spitting fire at Uma.
He doesn't know the truth about Mal. He doesn't see the insecurity in her eyes. He doesn't see the fraud that she is. As much as he hated to admit it, Harry reminds himself that if Ben was aware of all of Mal's lies, then he'd know better than to seek Uma's assistance.
"Your girlfriend?" Melody says, repeating Ben's words with confusion. "I thought you and Audrey broke up? From what Uma's told me, Audrey's made the vocal club sing nothing but breakup songs for weeks."
"Wait, why would you need Uma's help with that?" Melody continues as a wave of confusion dampens her features.
"His girlfriend is Mal," Harry explains while watching Uma for a reaction. She had turned her head to the side probably focusing on the sails of a nearby ship. "And I guess he asked Uma to help him find her because he knows their old friends."
"What?" Melody questions as her mouth twists up in disgust. "Mal? You're dating Mal?"
Ben replies with a blink, contemplating the tumbles of words around him. Harry wonders if Ben is gonna reply to either Melody or him.
"I don't understand. Did something happen? Mal told me that she and Uma had drifted apart but-"
Upon hearing that, Uma's head whips in the direction of Ben with an expression that's a mixture of angry curiosity and frustration.
"Drifted apart? We didn't drift apart." Uma says, interrupting Ben. She starts to talk about the incident, the one that gave her that dreaded nickname, but she stops midway through. "You know what, it doesn't even matter. I'm tired of reliving that moment."
"Why don't you try contacting her actual friends? I'm sure they know where she is." Uma continues.
Ben looks ashamed as he answers. "I have already and they tried contacting her but she won't answer anyone's calls."
Ben's shoulders sag. "I'm sorry for asking this of you. If I had known I wouldn't have-"
Uma lifts her hand up to stop Ben from speaking. "Yeah, I know and I'm over it. Let's just consider it a treasure underneath the sea."
"Want some advice?" Uma offers and Ben nods in response. "Mal's like a storm, so why don't you save yourself before you get swept away."
Harry spots hesitance on Ben's face. Uma does too, so she expands on her advice.
"Trust me, she'll make you think she's falling but she'll always find a way to pull herself up," Uma adds.
The hesitation on Ben's face changes into a frown of acceptance.
"I'll consider your advice." Ben muses. "But it's only right I make sure she gets back home."
"Plus," Ben adds." I think she and I have a lot to talk about."
Uma contemplates Ben's words. She says nothing as she moves closer to Harry and squeezes his hand. Harry feels a warmth that spreads throughout his body, a warmth much different from the warmth he's spent years seeking. It's a familiar warmth that leaves embers twinkling on the exact place of Uma's touches. It's a warmth that Harry hopes to never return.
Uma takes in a deep breath and then speaks with quick words.
"There's a place nearby where a lot of artists tag their pieces. Mal's been obsessed with the idea of doing her own work there ever since I started coming here to visit Melody. She probably isn't there but maybe it's a place you could look at."
"Thank you," Ben says then looks ashamed once again. "I'm sorry again for-"
"Treasure underneath the sea," Uma says, repeating her earlier sentiment. Uma looks over to Harry with an unsure expression. "I'll go with you. It's kind of hard to find."
"Uma, do you think that's a good idea?" Melody says, looking concerned.
"No, I don't," Uma admits, her tone is heavy. Even without her voicing it, Harry could see how her thoughts were crowding her mind. Every thought anchored her brows lower and lower. "But I'm curious to see if she's really there."
Melody sighs, knowing like Harry that something was weighing on Uma's mind. "Call me if you need me."
Uma nods, letting go of Harry's hand to bring Melody into a short hug.
"I'll go with you." Harry offers, preparing himself for the rejection of his offer.
Uma pulls away from Melody, her expression wary but also anxious to get the closure she sought. Uma had spent many years with Mal hovering over her like a dragon. As a result, Uma had always looked behind her back. For those many years, Uma had been constantly pushed back by the powerful force of Mal's flapping wings but throughout those years, she had always managed to shield herself from feeling the burns from Mal's fire through her songs.
Harry wasn't a song but he hopes that his offer is accepted so that he can alleviate some of the pain that Mal was sure to inflict. Harry is ready to stay by Uma's side. To always be her back up. Her first mate in any situation.
Uma comes back over to Harry, taking his hand in hers once again. As she accepts his offer, Harry's greeted by the familiar warmth that left embers twinkling wherever she touched.
A.N. I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating. I will try to get back into the swing of things soon. Anyway, I want to thank you guys for all the reviews and encouragement! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Till next time!
