The cold, furious wind of the sea splashed Uma's face. Perhaps sea was not the correct word to name the space of water where they were sailing, but the feeling of freedom calmed her heart and that was enough. The swell in the waters around the Isle was always rough, and that was one of the main reasons why not many ventured out; but Uma loved to feel the boat shake hard, the water rushing in the deck and splashing all over. She couldn't help a happy laugh escaping her when a particularly wild wave crashed against the port side and she could swear the wave had tried to stroke her.

However, she forced herself to pay attention to the ship, because Uma could have been so distracted that she would have jumped just to see if the water was as cold as it looked. The situation was under control for the moment: Harry was the helmsman and Bonny and Jonas were casting off.

Uma walked over to Harry and touched his arm, immediately drawing his attention. Uma had to admit that Harry was incredibly attractive when he concentrated on navigation.

"Let Gil take over from you. I need us to verify the course."

"Yes, Captain," Harry replied.

Uma descended to the lower deck, going to her cabin, and shortly afterwards Harry followed her. They looked for the navigation charts they had made the night before and Uma tried not to look at the unmade bed; because if she did, she would think of the feeling of Harry holding her at night and she needed to focus on that moment.

"Here," Uma said, pointing to a point on the map. "I think we'll get to this point when the sun goes down. And we would be twenty miles from the Isle, right?"

"Yes, if the wind continues in our favor. I think we could stop at this islet to have the hull cleaned." He bit his lip as he examined the chart. "Harriet said these were the islets that our father had managed to mark on a map, but I think there could be more. This region looks like some kind of archipelago."

Uma exhaled.

"At least it's far from the Isle of the Doomed," she said, and Harry laughed.

"I wouldn't go back there for all the tridents in the world, darling."

Uma had to agree with him. Harry stroked her fingers absently while he calculated the distance.

"The course is correct. Later Harriet will probably send Sammy to talk."

"Fine. Then we better get back on deck. " Uma felt her heart flutter and her stomach do a deadly leap as Harry brought her fingers to his lips to leave a reverent kiss there. There was nothing chaste about the kiss, but rather it was suggestive. His blue eyes collided with Uma's chocolate gaze, staring at her with intensity.

But then he seemed to go into his sailor mode again, and he forced himself to look away from her and climb onto the deck. He had to fulfill his duties as first mate and that included checking that everyone was doing their job. However, that didn't stop Harry from taking a few seconds to search for her. Uma was leaning over the railing again: the wind stirring her braids, and a laugh escaping her lips.

It was later and the sea had calmed down a bit when Uma, who had been looking through the spyglass, called for Harry to see a spot that was getting bigger and bigger as they sailed.

"Is that an islet? I don't think I saw it on the map."

"It's because it's not on the map," Harry replied. "I was sure there was more. Wait, is that ...? I think there is a boat moored."

Uma looked through the spyglass again. Harry was right. It was still far away, but a mast could be seen, though it seemed broken. Was it a shipwreck? It was most likely. As far as they knew, it was only in the early years of the island that people had dared to set sail. Not even Harry's father had let go of the dock in years. Maybe people had gotten more reckless after the Lost Revenge adventure a few months ago, but without the necessary knowledge they could easily have run aground on some big rock, period.

"Tell Gil to turn to port," she said to Harry, "I want to see it a little closer."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"We will divert the course."

"And then we'll get back to it," Uma said calmly. She closed the spyglass and gave Harry one of those confident smiles that he loved so much.

"Harriet is not going to like this," the boy warned, but then turned to Gil, "to port!"

Gil pulled the rudder, and the boat began to turn slowly. The Red Tempest followed a moment later. Uma could see Harriet's figure moving across the deck. Also, if she looked to the horizon behind them, where just about twenty minutes ago the Isle of the Lost had disappeared, she could see a ship heading in the same direction as them.

"Did your father tell you who he sold the ships to?" Uma asked Harry, who was looking in the same direction as her.

"He didn't," Harry replied, and he couldn't hide the resentment in his voice. "He didn't even tell me, he told Harriet. But there is not much to worry about. The Revenge and The Tempest are the fastest. They were the main ships in his fleet, along with the Jolly Roger."

Uma looked at the ship. Every part of it was as familiar to her as she was, as Harry was. The black sails caught the wind and the wood creaked with the rocking of the waves. Each piece of wood was so endearing to her that she wondered if she could live without that pile of sticks. The Revenge always meant freedom, regardless of whether it was tied to the dock or not.

"It's beautiful," Harry agreed, without her having said anything. "My mother used to bring me here when I couldn't sleep in the Jolly Roger as a kid. I don't even know what difference it made; maybe that I could be alone with her without Harriet teasing me, or that she sang differently when it was just the two of us. Maybe I was just a cowardly little boy. "

Uma wanted to caress his face. She knew that Harry missed his mother so much, even though sometimes seemed like he wasn't. She and he had a unique complicity and perhaps that was why Harry had been the only child on the Isle of the Lost with a loving mother. Was that why he was not so afraid of feelings? He was reckless, maniacal, and sometimes had that evil glint in his eyes that Uma liked so much, but he always cared for her more than any partner in crime on the island would have cared.

"You have never been a coward," she replied. "Do you think your father expected you to win your own ship in the race?"

Harry laughed, and that dangerousness so familiar to Uma flooded his blue eyes again.

"I suppose," he said. "But I'm happy you won it! I got my hook back, and now I have a home. You never had anything of your own."

It was true. Not even her room above the Fish and Chips was just hers, she shared the space with some boxes of old supplies and a forgotten potions cabinet from his mother. Her necklace had been Ursula's before it was hers, and the few possessions she had had been gifts from Harry or Gil, or things she got herself from bags arriving from Auradon (not that she was going to admit it).

It was not uncommon for them to speak this way. Harry saw Uma at her worst moments in her life: when Mal threw the shrimp over her and when she lost the trident, and Uma had stroked Harry's hair the first time he cried, the day his mother died. What they had was also a special connection, something that only years and years of sharing a life could bestow. For the first time, as she thought about the way she and Harry had stayed together all those years, watching each other's backs, always knowing that if she fell, he would catch her and vice versa, she thought she understood why the villains on the isle were so afraid of the power of love.

She would do everything for Harry, break down the barrier, go to the ends of the world, kill, give her own life for his.

How could someone not fear that?

Fear, hatred, revenge, power. Suddenly it seemed to her that none of those things mattered that much. She would trade it all for Harry in a second.

"Are you okay, Captain?" Harry asked, concerned by her silence. He stroked her braids with his hook, and she took a step back. Not because she didn't want the touch, she yearned for it. She was just scared. She felt that her own heart could catch fire and burn her right there.

The surprise in Harry's eyes when she walked back broke her heart. Harry was so incredibly patient and faithful, and Uma remembered the way he had looked at her in her cabin when she told him that she loved him. "I'll take what you want to give me." But he didn't deserve crumbs, he didn't deserve that, even if he was willing to accept it.

There was a second when something inside Uma made her fight herself. And then she tightly grasped the neck of Harry's red coat, pulled him toward her, and kissed his lips. For a moment, when their mouths collided and the world seemed to vanish, the dice flew into the air without falling at all.

Uma knew that this kiss meant many things. They were on full deck and the crew could see them. She was sure they were doing it. If they felt that their captain had become weak, they might riot and that would be the end.

Harry put a hand around her waist to pull her closer to him. And Uma knew he was thinking the same thing. His grip seemed to tell her that he would fall with her. As they always had. Together. The kiss was fire and tide. When they pulled away, Uma realized that she had her hand buried in Harry's hair, holding it tightly. He didn't complain, his eyes shone, and he exhaled a breath that caressed Uma's skin gently.

Everything on the ship had gone still. The crew, who had been on deck working, were watching them. Uma looked each one directly into the eyes, silently daring them to say anything. She was practically saying openly that, if they were going to betray her, now was the time to do it. But none of them met her gaze, not even Jonas, who was fierce. Gil flashed them a sun-bright smile from his position at the rudder.

No one said anything, and little by little everyone went back to their activities. Uma let out a practically inaudible sigh, and she and Harry looked back through the spyglass. The islet was closer, and they could clearly see the shipwreck.

"I want to go there," Uma said. "I have a hunch."

Harry didn't question her. He relieved Gil at the rudder and steered the ship toward the small island. The Red Tempest followed them.

"It looks old," Uma murmured as they approached shore, examining the ship. She turned to Gil. "Drop anchor and get the boats ready!"

Gil and Desiree dropped the anchor into the water, and a little later the ship began to stop. The Tempest came to a stop just behind the Revenge, and soon five boats, two from Uma and three from Harriet, were heading for the shore of the islet.

"It's beautiful," Bonny said, amazed. And it was true. The islet was probably one of the few truly beautiful things they had ever seen, so different from the Isle of the Lost. The sand was soft and warm and the color of pale earth, and there were palm trees, few, but there were, green. The wreck was about a quarter of a mile from where the boats were left, but no one seemed in a hurry to go exploring. Rather, they stared at the wet sand and the way the water was truly blue when the little waves crashed onto the shore.

"What is this place?" Gil said in surprise.

"I think this is how the islands are supposed to be, Gil. Perhaps even more beautiful," Harry replied. He squatted down, dug his hand into the sand, and pulled out a handful of shells. He laughed, brushing off the sand, and then handed it to Uma. They were brightly colored, shells that Uma had never seen.

"They are so pretty, Harry," Uma said, passing her fingers over them.

It seemed that the rottenness of the Isle of the Lost did not reach there.

"I would stay and live here," Jonas said after giving a shocked hiss.

Harriet and her people disembarked their boats. The captain advanced to Uma with Sammy and CJ behind her. She looked upset, but Uma didn't flinch.

"You can't just alter the course!" She yelled angrily. "We had a plan! There are other ships going in the same direction as us."

"They don't have the navigation charts we have. They are probably just following us." Uma answered calmly.

"You can't know that! If they know the route, they will take advantage of us."

Harry stood next to Uma, his hand resting not so casually on the hilt of his cutlass. Uma knew he wasn't going to attack his sisters, but she was still grateful to see how quickly he got between her and Harriet. Always on her side.

"We have the advantage, there is tailwind and both the Revenge and the Tempest gain speed with it. Relax, Harriet."

She looked at him irritably.

"Shut up, Harry!", she growled.

Harry took a bite into the air, a boastful gesture that he and Uma shared.

"Try to shut me up."

"Enough!" Uma said, putting a hand on his chest, and his eyes quieted when he saw her. Harriet snorted, but she didn't say more.

CJ rolled her eyes, bored. She could pretend that she wasn't impressed with the place, but Uma knew her and could tell from the way her gaze shifted focus very quickly that she was just as impressed as they were.

Finally, Harriet gave in.

"Fine, but we will return to the heading as soon as possible." She warned. Both groups started walking towards the wreck. "What is that, anyway?"

"This place wasn't on the map," Harry growled. "Father didn't mark it, although it's easy to find."

CJ stopped so abruptly that Gil collided with her.

"That's one of father's ships, a caravel; it has its symbol."

They all looked at her with raised eyebrows and surprise written on their faces. CJ looked seriously offended.

"I know things too!" She growled.

But she was right. Captain Hook's fleet had not been small. He had owned at least ten ships: The Jolly Roger was an English galleon, as was the Red Tempest, but the Lost Revenge was an unusual ship. A very beautiful Spanish galleon in her good old days. The wreck had Captain Hook's symbol; a golden hook engraved on the stern.

"It's strange. Why wouldn't he mark the islet on the map if he sailed here?" Sammy asked.

None of them knew.

They agreed to explore. Both crews began to place some branches to make a fire and cook some food that they had brought, because the sun was already moving towards the horizon and the day was losing its vitality. Uma, Harry, Gil, CJ and Harriet got into the wreck, which had run aground in a rock formation. Sure, it was a much smaller boat, and it was easy to see that it had been hit by the waves for many nights and many days, because the wood was cracking, it broke at the slightest push, the smell of humidity was quite strong and there were algae tangled in the railing.

"There is nothing on the deck," Gil reported.

CJ snorted.

"This is just a waste of time," she said.

Harriet pointed to the stairs leading to the lower deck. They went down, half-hopping to avoid putting too much weight on the stairs and causing them to give way. It was dark, only a few rays of outside light that filtered through the broken boards poorly illuminated the place. There were only a couple of stark rooms, with two small beds, a desk, and a few barrels scattered about. There were no cannons, there was no powder keg. Virtually everything was destroyed.

A glow caught Uma's attention. She narrowed her eyes so she could see better in the dark. There was something on the desk, glowing in the dim light outside, and Uma leaned closer to get a better look. The boards creaked as if the ship were going to fall apart at any second, a thunderous sound that made their ears plugged and everyone moved more cautiously and calmly.

When she managed to get to the desk, Uma saw that there were a lot of papers… no, letters, most of them ruined by time and water. However, there was a roll of sheets, tied with a rope, that looked more or less complete; it was sealed with wax and bearing Hook's insignia. Uma took it silently and put it in one of her vest pockets. She turned to meet the others, and the wreck gave way.

Each plank of wood broke into pieces so small they were impossible to count. The wreck had been so flimsy that they hadn't even had a hard time removing the wood and ropes from above to get out from under the wreckage, silently complaining about the pain of the fall. The first to come out was Harry, who helped Uma.

"Are you okay?" He asked, picking her up. Uma nodded. "Gil?"

"Here I am," said the voice of Gaston's son, throwing a board away and standing up. CJ and Harriet brushed off the splinters shortly after, and Bonny and Sammy walked over to where the ship had been before.

"What happened?" Sammy asked. "Everyone is fine?"

"Yes," said Harriet. "A waste of time, as CJ said. There was nothing worthwhile. Anyway, we'll eat here and then we'll go back to the ships, understood?"

Sammy nodded.

Desiree had made soup from the canned vegetables they had brought on the ship and a couple of fish Gonzo caught. Some oranges Harriet had gotten from the Auradon ships that week were also distributed; they were a bit dry and small, but one of Harriet's boys divided them evenly with his knife and they all had a slice.

While everyone finished eating and gathering things to go back to the ships, Uma walked along the shore, kicking off her boots and letting the water caress her feet. She felt so good that she wanted to laugh and sing. She allowed herself a smile.

Harry came to her side. His tousled black hair gleamed in the golden sunlight, a sun that could not reach them on the Isle of the Lost. He looked tired, but happy, just like she always knew he should have looked. A sailor who leaves everything at sea, for the sole reward of spending another day on it.

"I found this," Uma said, pulling the roll of sheets out of her vest and handing it to him. Harry took it with a puzzled expression. "Look at the seal. Does it remind you of something?"

"My mother had a ring with that seal, it is my father's insignia."

Uma nodded as a wave licked at her feet.

"Don't open it until night, in my cabin."

Harry put it in the pocket of his red coat. Then he looked at her and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Uma, what happened on the ship…"

The silent question hung between them for a second. Uma took a couple of steps closer to him, allowing him to take her by her waist, allowing herself to approach the hollow of his neck to smell his essence. No. She did not regret it, nor would she have regretted if another had been the result. The crew of the Lost Revenge already knew that Harry was Uma's, but a dark, possessive desire inside of her made her want everyone to know it, the Isle, Auradon, the world.

Their foreheads touched and she hooked her little finger on Harry's hook. Uma thought that being with him in this way was more than she could have dreamed of. She never had anything, Harry reminded her on the ship, but he forgot that she always had him.

She sought his lips, panting in anticipation. The sky was stained orange, and it was perhaps the first real sunset they had ever seen. The red melted into the turquoise horizon as Harry kissed her; and every kiss he gave her was so intense and different. This was the reaffirmation of a promise. If she sank, Harry sank with her.

"What's wrong?" Asked a boy with a calm voice as a girl moved away from the window of the room. The sunset was certainly beautiful, but young King Ben knew Mal too well to believe that her sudden stillness was due to that.

She turned her back on the window. They were in Ben's office, who had asked her to go through some documents he had forgotten before going to dinner. Mal's eyes shone, very close to the luminous green they took on when she did magic, but then she blinked, and they were like usual again.

"I don't know," she confessed. "It's just… lately, I feel like something's wrong with the isle, do you understand? I couldn't explain it."

Ben walked over to her and stroked her hair. Mal leaned at his touch and closed her eyes.

"Don't worry. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out, okay?"

She nodded, but her gaze was still a little lost, her expression concerned. Mal once had a special connection to the Isle of the Lost. Before she went to Auradon, before she changed. But she couldn't help but think that the connection was trying to reach her again. It was like a whispering voice telling her that she should pay attention, that she should see what was in front of her eyes.

Ben and she left the room and Mal forgot her distress over the nice dinner they had. But at night, she dreamed. And in her dreams, the Isle of the Lost was sinking.

N/A: Hi! As always, I hope you like this chapter and if so, or if you want to tell me something, you can leave a comment. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, because I had to do some research on ships and how they work, and now I have great respect for pirates for understanding all that, because it's too much.
I am also imagining the space between the Isle and the barrier a little bigger than I suppose it is in both the books and the movies, because otherwise there would be no adventure and that would be... detrimental to the story. Anyway! I hope you enjoy Uma in her pirate mode as much as I do. Greetings!

Also I'm having so much problems editing the text here in FF. net. I just can't make separations, so if you know how to do that I'll be grateful if you tell me.