I´m in love with this chapter, so I really hope you enjoy it. I want to say thank you if you have left a review here, because it is really important to me and gives me the motivation to continue. Again, enjoy!

Ben let out a tired sigh. He was exhausted, the honeymoon had been happy, but now he was back in Auradon and he knew that the work had accumulated in those days. Not to mention the concern he had for Uma and Harry.

Ben remembered perfectly the expression on Mal's face that day in the limo, when they returned from the Island after the battle on the dock. All his senses must have told him that he should hate Uma and Harry, or at least wish he would never see them again, but something strange had happened on the ship in the time when Gil and Harry had taken him away until Mal arrived. He could remember Maleficent's daughter when she came to Auradon, how she avoided showing vulnerability or even affection, so he assumed that everyone on the Island did the same. And when they got there, Ben understood that this was a hard place, he felt the subtle change in behavior of his friends, their backs tense, their shoulders back, with no place for hugs, kind words or affection.

But things on the ship seemed to be peculiar, different from what Ben had seen and learned from the Island. He quickly understood a few things. First, Uma was a Pirate Queen, and her relationship with others was based more on respect than fear. He could see a girl (now he knew she was Bonny) struggling sharpening swords to please the captain. He could see Gonzo doing a flawless job with his strings and smile after receiving a curt nod of approval from Uma. He saw Gil give his best, without being distracted, guarding the ship so that Uma was prepared for any attack. But most of all, he saw Harry Hook. And he was a case apart.

The way he looked at Uma, his eyes shining as she spoke, the way his gaze followed her everywhere, and she seemed perfectly comfortable, haughty as ever, touching him more often than anyone else. Simple things: a hit with her hips so that he would move and she could sit up, Uma touching his hook, wrapping her little finger around the metal as she laughed at something he had said, cheeky and dangerous.

But there was a specific gesture that made him keep those two pirates in his mind, that made him feel rage for the life that had been unjustly destined for them. Harry had been teasing him with her hook when Uma arrived and told him to go away. Then the pirate half leaned in, Uma offered him the back of her hand and he took it gently, kissing it. Uma's gaze lifted to meet Harry's eyes and that shared moment suddenly seemed too intimate, vulnerable, and sad at the same time.

Ben knew that for someone in the position Uma seemed to hold on the Island, it was even worse to show vulnerability. Ben was surprised by that, and he couldn't help but think that he had to get them out of there, no matter what. No one deserved to live on that island.

From that moment and despite what happened afterwards, Ben felt a strange weakness for his two friends. He was really happy that they were there in Auradon, that they were together and, from what he had seen thus far, happy.

So now he was worried. Uma and Harry were sitting in the chair in his office while Mal carefully closed the door.

"Would you like some tea?" Ben asked.

Uma raised an incredulous eyebrow. How strange was it to offer a cup of tea to the two people who had used him as a bargaining chip? But again, things were different for all of them.

"No, thank you," she replied, tense.

But Harry smiled.

"I do."

Uma looked at him in surprise, Harry shrugged.

"It reminds me of my dad. He tried to teach me how to drink tea like a good English pirate."

Uma giggled, the tension fading from her face.

"Did he try?"

Harry smirked.

"I found a way to make the experience the most annoying thing in the world, so he left me alone."

Ben raised an eyebrow at the tone of pride in Harry's words, but then again, these were his pirate friends, and he wouldn't want them to be any different. A couple of minutes later, Harry was drinking his tea and Mal and Uma were looking at each other with that expression that they still couldn't quite avoid, as if they were measuring how vulnerable they could be in each other's presence. But, in the end, Uma sighed.

"I think my mother might be up to something. I've had these nightmares since we've been here, sometimes they are memories, sometimes they get mixed up with things that didn't happen, I thought she might be putting them in my mind, although I'm not sure she can really do anything here. But today, on the beach, I heard her voice calling me. And when I swam… I'm sure I saw Flotsam and Jetsam. I would recognize them anywhere," she confessed.

Ben's heart sank. So far, none of the villains had shown any signs of planning or plotting anything. Some had been admitted to medical centers where they were given the necessary care to treat their mental disorders, some even decided to go to therapy on their own, tired from the years. But some others had not shown their faces, Ben did not know if they were hiding or if they had simply fled to other parts of the world. No one had heard from Ursula, but Uma seemed worried and Ben knew that anything that might scare the Pirate Queen was something to take seriously.

"Did she want something from you, did you owe her something?" Mal asked.

Uma made a wry smile.

"I stole her necklace, of course she's looking for it", the smile left, "but… I have a feeling it's something else. I do not know yet. The last time I saw her we had a fight. One of the greats. She was furious. She kept talking nonsense about Auradon."

"Okay," Ben said, "we'll be on the lookout. Don't worry, Uma. I'll bring guards to keep an eye on the sea while we find out what she´s up to. "

"She's not… someone you should underestimate," Uma warned, and Ben was surprised to see fear in her eyes. True fear.

Ben nodded.

"I know."

"Thanks Ben," Harry gave him a nod, all the joy in his eyes suddenly dull. He got up, offered his hand to Uma for her to take and they wished them good night, returning to their rooms.

Mal and Ben waited until they left to speak. She hugged him, resting her head on his chest.

"Did Ursula the same thing your mom did to you?" Ben asked in a whisper. Mal was always reluctant to tell him about her past on the Island, but Ben knew a few things. He knew that Maleficent always pressured Mal to make her the baddest of all. He knew that if she didn't do it right, Maleficent would punish her by starving her or forcing her to spend the night outside, on the street. Either way, she at least had worried about Mal having a status on the Island. But Uma had once told Ben that her mother didn't care about her.

"I don't know," Mal replied, finally, "there were rumors… I don't know, Ben. Maybe we should ask her, but we have to wait. She won't speak if she's so upset. "

The young King nodded. He knew that he could never understand what his favorite people had been through on the Island. Evie, Mal, Carlos, Jay, Uma, Harry, Gil… the feeling of helplessness filled his heart again; though at least they were safe now.

"Shrimpy, Shrimpy!" the voices and laughter were all Uma heard. Her nose was filled with a hideous odor, she felt her stomach churn and the nausea washed over her. No, it wasn't just the smell. The whole market was laughing, pointing at her, and her heart ached with humiliation and betrayal.

Weak. Too small. Too weak. Shrimpy.

"Uma!" Harry's voice calling out to her.

Uma didn't know when her legs had moved on their own, but she was already far away, crouching behind some rotten barrels in some dark alley. She was finding it difficult to breathe. How could she have done that to her? The anger washed over her, almost as strong as her shame. Familiar arms embraced her, and she couldn't bear it. Yes, maybe Mal was right. She was too weak. She wasn't going to survive the Island, was she? She burst into tears. Harry might never respect her again, but Uma didn't care about it. Right now, he was there, and she felt the world collapse beneath her because where to escape? What choice did she have, but to give up?

"Don't worry, Uma. No one will remember this tomorrow, you'll see. Come here, calm down. "

Harry Hook was a blessing in that place. Uma knew him well enough to know. Yes, he was crazy and brought that hook everywhere, but Uma trusted him because she had received him enough nights wounded by his father, she had sewn his wounds and he had not been afraid to cry with her. Crazy, maniac maybe, but Harry had a good heart. He was loyal. He was, actually, a good person. It wasn't that Uma was going to let anyone know. Things like that kill you on the Island, so if anyone asked her, she would tell them that he was dangerous. And Harry knew how to act it too well.

Uma wanted to believe him. She wanted to think that, in a few hours, no one would remember. She hid in the boy's chest, hid in his red coat, and waited for the pain to pass.

She had been too vulnerable. Anyone else would have destroyed her at that moment, taking advantage of the situation. But Harry didn't. He told her that Mal was an idiot and that they would get a pirate ship and a crew and then she would regret what she did to Uma. He swore that she was going to get revenge on her, and he kept looking at her with reverence and loyalty. Thanks to that look, Uma recovered, straightened her back and became the most feared Pirate Queen on the Island.

"Lass?" Harry's voice asked. Uma blinked, coming back to reality. They had just gotten out of one of the few classes they shared, Magical History, but Uma, again, hadn't been paying attention. Harry saw her weariness in her eyes and pulled her into a gentle hug. "It's okay. I think you need to rest a little more, captain."

Uma shook her head, stubborn as always.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking, that's all."

"Oh, I didn't know you could actually do it," said a voice behind them, and Uma turned around, irritated. She was, definitely, not in the mood. "If you had been a little smarter, you would have stayed on the Island, where you belong."

Wasn't this girl annoyed at putting herself in potentially dangerous situations? The students who were going down the hall at that time were watching what Uma was going to do. She could break her pretty mermaid face right there, she could give her a beating she would never forget. She wasn't even a true rival, but Uma thought of how easily Ben believed her when she told him what she suspected, and Uma knew it wasn't worth breaking that trust for this girl. Ben needed them to rise to the occasion and she, as the queen that she was, would. However, she decided, she could have a little fun.

"I'm getting tired of you," she snapped. She felt Harry tense next to her, she also knew, without having to look, that her crew had gathered behind their captain. But Uma could handle this alone. She took a step forward and saw with satisfaction that Melody was retreating. "You know what? I think you forget who you are dealing with. You may be a princess and think that I have to be ashamed of what my mother did to your parents, but you forget one thing, mermaid. I am not just Úrsula's daughter. I am Uma, a Pirate Queen, a title that I earned with the strength of my fists and the edge of my sword. I've done things that would give you nightmares. And if you keep insisting on messing with me, I'll give you what you deserve. Even when it is clearly not worth the effort."

The girl glared at her. Uma turned around, making sure her long turquoise hair hit her face, and she waved for Harry and the crew to get out of there. Then everything happened very fast. She saw Bonny throw herself against her, pulling her against Harry, who grabbed her. And then her pirate was sprawled on the floor, one hand bent at an odd angle. Uma gasped, her gaze crazed. She released herself from Harry's grip and pushed Melody against the wall with all her strength. Ariel's daughter blew out her breath.

"This is all. Mess with me if you want, but no one, no one touches my crew, " she was about to hit her with her fist when a voice stopped the fight.

Fairy Godmother.

Shit.

"What's going on here?" She asked, obviously puzzled. Her gaze went to Uma and Melody. "So?"

Uma looked at Ariel's daughter with narrowed eyes. She had no time for nonsense like going to the principal's office to complain about the incident. She had to see if Bonny was okay, she had to heal her. Fortunately, this time, Melody seemed to see reason.

"A misunderstanding, Fairy Godmother."

The headmistress nodded.

"Everyone to your classes now!"

The crowd dispersed, the Fairy Godmother left, and Uma forgot about the black-haired girl, focusing all her attention on her crew. Bonny had gotten up from the floor and Gonzo and Desiree were assessing the situation. The girl had fallen to the ground with her hand in a strange position and she looked like she had broken her wrist. She obviously was stoically trying to bear the pain without grimacing.

"The wrist is broken, Captain," Desiree informed her.

"Harry," Uma said, "don't lose sight of that girl. Take Gil and make sure she understands that this will have a consequence, but don't do anything too crazy or troublesome. Just… give her a little warning."

Harry smiled with that crazy air that Uma quite liked.

"At your command, Captain. Come on, Gil."

Hurried footsteps were heard in the hall. Uma nearly groaned in exasperation when she saw Mal, Evie, and Ben appear around the corner. They approached the group.

"What happened?" Mal asked, surprised to see Bonny with a broken hand. "We heard a ruckus, Dizzy said Uma was fighting someone and we went looking for Ben, then we came as fast as we could."

Uma snorted.

"I didn't start the fight!" she defended herself proudly. "It was Melody, again."

"I know," Ben said quickly. Uma looked at him, grateful that he trusted her. She knew that in Auradon the children of villains still had everything to lose.

"Uma was walking away when Melody approached to push her. Bonny was hit and when she fell to the ground she broke her hand," Jonas wrote. So that's how everything had happened, Uma hadn't even had time to think about it. The moment she saw Bonny on the floor, her anger blinded her.

"You shouldn't have done it," she chided Bonny, half worry, and half anger.

"She was going to push you, Captain, I had to."

The others nodded in agreement.

"We're not on the Island anymore, Bonny," Uma reminded her.

Bonny looked into her eyes.

"I know, captain. But what you did for me there, I will never find a way to pay you back."

Uma shook her head, knowing how stubborn Bonny could be about it. She looked at Ben, who seemed confused by the exchange. Before he could ask anything about it, she diverted attention.

"Her wrist is broken. I can fix her here, but it´ll hurt. Is there any medicine for that?"

Ben and Mal snapped out of their stupor.

"Let's take her to the infirmary, it will be better if they heal her there," suggested Ben.

"I want Uma to do it," Bonny said.

Mal nodded. "Anyway, there they will give you a medicine to make it hurt less."

"Come on, Bonny." Said Uma. "The rest of you, go to class and don't get distracted."

The crew gave a chorus of "aye, captain" and they all scattered. Mal, Evie, Ben, Bonny and Uma headed towards the infirmary. As he watched Uma walk with Bonny, Ben couldn't help but wonder again how many things he didn't know about the Island. Uma knew how to put broken bones back in their place, which implied that it happened often, Bonny had received a shove just to avoid for Melody to hit Uma. And that comment, "what you did there for me." He had been right all along. Uma was not only a born leader, but her people's loyalty to her was deep and strong. Ben wondered how anyone could earn something like that on the Island.