Chapter Twenty Five
A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else belongs to either Disney or the Greek Myths.
Okay, okay, so I know I've been having an order in which I update (The Last Bridge, Truth or Fiction, Choosing Home) but I've been wanting to write this chapter for a while now! Hence the early update!
Gods, it's hard to believe we've only got twenty chapters to go! And for those keeping track at home, there are eight more chapters to go before Freddy becomes an ex-person. But that's all I'll say on the matter, I don't want to spoil anything!
Tracie Adams: I said back in Choosing Love that Ben and Mal aren't getting married until they're twenty. It'll be a while.
shortanamx: Maybe…maybe not…
InuKagLove22: I'm glad you liked the chapter! And yeah, everything happens for a reason—don't get me wrong, I love writing Audrey the way she is in The Last Bridge but it's also fun writing Audrey as a villain too.
Anonymous Reader: A lot of people have been feeling bad for Audrey so you're not alone! Glad you liked the name!
Flaresouth: Glad you liked the chapter!
Guest: I can't help but feel bad for them too. No matter what, Audrey is their daughter.
CrystalKaouri: With how Audrey is here, I don't think a wake up call would work though it might, you never know. Still it really is better for that baby girl that she never knows either parent. Ooh I need to go check that out!
Snowwhite45: Yeah I could see maybe video conferencing like Fairy Godmother did for the VKs before Family Day.
Marcus Emrys: I agree that the Isle should have never been created in the first place but there would still need to be jails, someplace to put people who break the law. And maybe her parents saw the signs but denied they saw them? But you're right, heroes create their own villains.
Urmimala Hazra: Glad you liked the chapter!
danifan3000: I thought there had been another character named Arabella but I couldn't remember it. It'll be a while before Freddy dies but I think you'll like it!
61394: *coughs awkwardly* about the whole Claudine in Auradon thing…
Katt Kiki: It really is…the one of the chapter just wanted to go all over the place.
OnceUponADream: I've said it before but I'll say it again, I love your oneshots!
OceanBlueSeaEyes: I have a feeling that Aurora and Phil Sr. will tell their granddaughter stories about her mother so at least she doesn't wonder about her.
Gigi18: True but at least the daughter will never know Freddy!
Guest: Agreed on the therapy thing!
Guest: Of course I have it planned out! But will I say what it is? Not until the chapter!
TR Lara Croft: Ah but sometimes people want to blame everyone but themselves for their short comings—I know because I have many family members like this. There will be another story, yes!
AliceCullen3: Oh I'm so glad!
M.v.j.M: Thank you!
TheGirlofManyFloods: It really is, isn't it? :D
AmethystDragon14: Yay! My heart broke for them too but at least they're willing to raise their granddaughter and give her a good life—plus no Leah!
billyandkimfan1994: This is very true, Leah can't get her claws into Arabella.
twilightgirl587: Apparently I'm good at writing the feels!
Rosey: Okay so I had a full multi paragraph thing here detailing my feelings for Audrey as a character but then I realized it took up too much space. I'd be happy to discuss this over PM but in my opinion, I'm treating Audrey the way the writers treated her canonically—there was no depth to her. This is the same girl who threw a coup because her ex proposed to his current girlfriend. But I hope you do keep reading!
Hope you all like the story! Let me know what you think!
Claudine stared at her brother in shock, almost unable to comprehend what he had told her. Granted it'd already been a bit of a shock to come back from Dragon Hall to see a pink wearing blonde haired having cream cake of a Princess sitting where she usually sat. But then to hear that?
"I'm sorry what?! You've lost your damn mind over there in Boreadon if you think I'm going to just sit back and let you gift wrap my position in this gang to…to her! You've got to be joking," she exclaimed once the ability to speak came back to her.
"Does it look like I'm joking Claudine?" Freddy asked with a smirk.
"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot you don't know the meaning of a joke! I was hoping you'd have the common sense God gave a housefly and not do something like this! Of all the ideas you've come up with, Fred, this has got to be the most ridiculous," Claudine growled.
"Whatever do you mean Claudine? I'm tired of how soft you've made the gang while I was gone so I decided that it was time we had a new second in command. Just so happened I knew the perfect person too," Freddy said, the smirk still present.
Claudine grit her teeth, her hands curled into fists. "My 'soft' approach was the reason you had a gang to come back to, Fred! I kept the gang alive! I kept us from getting decimated after you made us the laughing stock of the Isle! And this is how you repay me? You want to give my spot to her?! She won't last one day on the Isle let alone as second in command!"
"You can't get the gang to stop fighting for more than five minutes. You couldn't get Strat to listen to you which resulted in Zevon of all people getting the drop on him and hitting him with a portion. Why should I repay you for doing your job and doing it poorly? And I wouldn't be too quick to judge Audrey. She managed to get a Boreadon royal crying in mere seconds."
"Hmm, I think the fact that we shoved Chad into a closet had something to do with that," Audrey chuckled. If one looked closely, they could see Morgan roll her eyes in the background, trying not to draw attention to herself.
Freddy shook his head and chuckled. "God, the level of weakness in Boreadon will never fail to amaze me."
"Ben tried to claim that I should have known since we were 'friends' for so long. Claustrophobia? Ha! Just another word for weakness."
Claudine stared in shock. So this was the girl who managed to make Fred loyal for nine months. The girl who somehow got him unable to have a fling with an Isle girl. The one who caused him to look out toward Auradon when he thought no one was looking—and therefore missed Claudine noticing it. The one who earned Shayla and Locklyn's ire considering they were still glaring at the girl.
It made sense—he managed to take an Auradon girl and twist her into someone exactly like him. Nothing else would ever compare for Fred. Claudine knew her brother after all. Or at least she thought she did.
There had been no reaction to Audrey coming to the Isle without their kid after all. Though Claudine knew that didn't necessarily mean something. Fred could just be plotting—which was probably the most dangerous thing he could do.
"Fine. If you really want to make that choice Fred, go right ahead. But don't think Miss Pink over there will be able to look to me for pointers on how to keep the girls from tearing each other apart because I am done!" Claudine snarled, marching toward the door.
"You walk out that door, you're dead, Claudine," Freddy warned, causing Claudine to pause. "You're the one who's always trying to cash in on our 'familial bond' and yet you're abandoning your own brother? The mother of your niece? Not very sisterly of you."
"You haven't been my brother since you were nine," Claudine growled as she spun on her heel to face him. "The only reason I stayed as long as I did was to protect the other girls from you. I clung to the thought that one day I'd get the same loyalty from you that I gave every day to this gang. So don't you dare try to pull the family card now! I should have done this years ago but I'm doing it now!"
Angry tears prickled in the corners of her eyes but Claudine continued to glare at Freddy. "I have done everything for you. I've gotten stabbed trying to keep Strat from killing you! I kept our gang alive so you'd have something to come back to! But if you want to just toss me to the side now that your fling is here, I'm done. And I'll tell you what I think of you too—you're a monster! You're sick! I've been ashamed to call you my brother ever since you made that comment about CJ when she was thirteen!"
"Claudine…" Morgan said softly but Claudine held up a hand, indicating she had this.
"The Rats should have let Harry kill you for that! So don't come crying to me when you've got a sword in your gut because you're so busy trying to keep your precious new fling alive. I won't be there to take the fall this time!" Claudine snarled before taking a breath and looking at Morgan.
"I won't blame you if you don't want to leave Morgan," she said, taking in the other girl's wide eyed and scared face. "But I'm leaving. For better or worse, I'm through with calling myself an Angel, especially since all my hard work, all of our hard work to make sure we weren't considered jokes is about to go down the drain with this cream puff as second in command. You can stay if you want but you deserve better than this."
Morgan bit her lip but shook her head, walking toward Claudine and not looking at Freddy or the others.
"I'm with you, you're right. I should have done this years ago as well," she said, her voice soft as she went to Claudine's side both literally and figuratively.
Claudine gave her a small smile before looking Freddy right in the eye. "Enjoy dealing with Shayla, Locklyn, and Strat without me Fred because this will be the last time you see me or Morgan. Unless of course it's to maybe stick some daggers in you or 'Queen' Brat over there," she added with a small smirk before leading Morgan out of the Haven.
She wasn't going to lie, it felt good finally walking out of the Haven and knowing she'd never have to be back. No more sneaking around with Henry, no more holding her tongue when someone said something that was right in describing Freddy…no more using the Frollo name. She could finally be free of him, of the Angels. God it was so tempting to run straight for Henry and throw herself in his arms and give him the biggest kiss she could.
But they had to get Brooke first. No one else in the Angels knew where the younger girl was and she needed to know that Morgan and Claudine had defected.
"You didn't have to do that you know?" Claudine said as they made their way to Brooke's safe house.
"Of course I did," Morgan told her. "Claudine, you are the true leader of the Angels. You kept us safe when Fred…Freddy was in Boreadon. If you needed me to do anything for you, I would have. Just like I know Brooke would too. Because that's what a true leader does. They get people to follow them because they want to, not because they fear the person. I meant what I said…I should have been brave enough to walk out years ago."
Claudine gave her a small smile. "Come on, let's get over to Brooke's safe house and then I'm requesting a parley with Henry to get you girls back where you belong."
"Claudine…Brooke and I left the Rats. They'd never trust us," Morgan said, looking at Claudine in shock. "Besides, we're not leaving you without a gang."
"Brooke never threw a dagger at them and when you did hit, you hit areas where the Rat could survive and I know you aimed for those areas on purpose," Claudine told her, her voice gentle. "The Rats know this, well maybe not the on purpose part. But we can table this conversation for now. We're here."
"Claudine? Morgan? Get in here before you become hyena or big cat chow! You don't know when they might decide to hunt!" Brooke exclaimed, pulling them inside her safe house before Morgan could respond. "What are you two doing here? Scuttlebutt is that Fred's fling from Boreadon came today."
"Yep," Morgan nodded. "Hence why we're getting you duckling. Claudine and I left the Angels."
"Morgan, you know that's Jade's nickname for me—what do you mean you left the Angels?" Brooke asked as a cat hopped up on the bed. Claudine smiled as she went over to pet it.
"Hey Ash, you keeping Brooke company?"
"She's been the best, Claudine," Brooke said with a smile. "I'd go stir crazy without anyone else here."
Claudine smiled as Ash purred at her touch. The grey cat had been the target of the Gaston twins when she was about nine or ten and she stopped them from turning the cat into their dinner. The Isle didn't have a lot of stray animals but it did have a few and Claudine was going to protect this one.
She tried to keep Ash in the Haven but since the cat couldn't stand Shayla, Locklyn, Strat, or Freddy, Claudine thought it was better if the cat kept watch over Brooke when it became necessary to set up a safe house for the younger girl.
After Freddy started showing interest…after Brooke…no, she was not going to think about that.
"Freddy's gone mad," Morgan stated. "His new fling? He made her second in command! And she's not even a VK! She's a Boreadon royal!"
"Wait, a Boreadon royal is now the second in command of the Angels?" Brooke asked, astonished at what she had been told. Claudine nodded.
"Not just any royal. This girl is also the mother of his child," she added and Brooke's jaw dropped.
"Yep," Morgan nodded.
Claudine sighed. "I couldn't take it anymore Brooke. After everything I did and have done, he just…I couldn't. He wants to get himself and the others killed, that's on him."
"But…what are we going to do? Are we joining the LeGume girl gang?" Brooke asked.
"I know they're your cousins but let's get you back to your old stomping grounds," Claudine told her. "How much do you two trust me?"
"With my life Claudine," Morgan told her, Brooke nodding her head. Claudine couldn't help but give those two a sad smile, that wasn't exactly something one heard often on the Isle. In all honesty it was probably only said by the Rats.
"You said we're going to our old stomping grounds…will Henry even take us back?" Brooke asked.
"This is Henry we're talking about though," Morgan pointed out but her voice was hesitant. "Not to mention Jade would probably kill him if he didn't let you come back Brooke."
"But…we were Angels. And after what Fred did to Mal and King Ben, not even Henry would trust us," Brooke said softly and Claudine's heart broke as she saw Morgan nod a little in agreement.
"Girls, trust me okay? I wouldn't suggest something that put you in harms way. In fact, I'll go up the gangplank first and if they shoot us down we can go talk to Piper and see about joining the LeGume girl gang."
"That sounds fair," Morgan nodded and Brooke did too though she bit her lip. The three girls made their way out of the safe house, Brooke holding onto Ash and Claudine on the look out for any big cats or hyenas in the area.
"So plan?" Morgan muttered to Claudine.
"You girls stay at the bottom of the gangplank and wait for my signal," Claudine muttered back. "In fact, hold onto my daggers."
"What? Why?"
Claudine didn't explain as they approached the Lost Revenge. She only handed Morgan her purple handled daggers and sprinted up the gangplank. Thankfully she ran right into Henry's arms. Before the redhead could get out a word, Claudine almost smashed her lips into his. Everything seemed to almost click into place and she didn't even hear the shocked exclamations of the rest of the crew. All she felt was Henry's arms wrapping around her and his lips moving with hers as he registered what was happening.
God this felt so right…being on the deck of the ship, Henry's arms around her, not needing to sneak away to Dragon Hall to get a few hours of alone time. Just him and her, the real world didn't exist. All that mattered was them.
Henry pulled back slowly after a few minutes, slightly shaking his head. "You've just blown years of secrecy to Tartarus you know that?"
"Ahem!"
Claudine gave Henry a small smile before turning to look at the rest of the crew.
"What in the world was that?" Dustin asked as he, Jake, and Nick looked on in shock.
"What shocked you more Dustin? The fact that Henry just kissed a girl or who she is?" Derek asked as he walked up.
"Can I say both? And why aren't you shocked Derek? Henry's your best mate!"
"Because Ryan and I have had our suspicions that something like this has been going on. Oh by the way, as it stands, you and Jake owe the rest of us watch shifts."
Jade grinned as she walked up. "Got to say, us finding out by you kissing your girl on the deck of the ship has got to be something none of us expected Henry. Our innocent boy is growing up!"
"You do remember I'm the Captain right?" Henry asked, shaking his head though one could see a bit of a flush on his cheeks. "I certainly didn't plan this."
"Henry…we've left the Angels. Brooke, Morgan, and me," Claudine said softly. "Fred's gone completely mad. Can..can we talk?"
"Of course," Henry nodded, gently leading her toward the Captain's Quarters and ignoring the knowing smirks on some of his crew's face. He got to the Quarters and closed the door. "What happened? Must have been something pretty big for you to just throw everything out the window like that and flat out kiss me in public. Did…did he hurt you?"
Claudine shook her head. "He…Henry, he made the Brat his second in command! I just…I couldn't stay there. Not after everything I did to make sure he had a gang to come back to, he just up and demoted me! And you know he had the gall to try to pull the 'family' card as I was walking out? Him! The one who's always been quick to point out that we're only half siblings! Like it matters?!"
She took a breath and looked back at Henry. "So I left, like I said out there. Morgan and Brooke, they…they still have a spot with you guys right?"
"Claudine, we never considered Brooke an Angel in the first place. She was always a Rat," Henry said gently. "And Morgan may have joined them but she never killed one of us."
"That's what I thought but both girls were worried because they left…that you wouldn't let them come back."
"…Understandable," Henry sighed and shook his head. "But they've always got a spot here and you do too."
"I think after my little display, the crew might just call you insane if you didn't let me stay," Claudine said with a weak chuckle. "But…if it'll cause problems—."
"It shouldn't cause any problems," Henry said quickly as he shook his head. "Sure, Dustin might call us insane but that might be more because of my having a relationship rather than a fling. You really think I'm letting you walk away from me?"
Claudine smiled and melted into his arms as Henry pulled her into a hug. "You know we were thinking of joining the LeGume girl gang if we couldn't get a spot here."
"They've had trouble establishing food spots," Henry said, a sad note coloring his voice. "We've done what we can but I know the older girls are still having to do Flings for Food."
"I know," Claudine sighed. "It would have been a last resort anyway. How's your back? I didn't hurt you did I?"
Henry shook his head. "I did what you said, told Derek about it. He reached out to Mal who got Lady Persephone to provide this burn cream. It really helped."
"Good," Claudine smiled and kissed his cheek. "The crew seemed to take us being together well."
"Honestly I can't believe they knew or at least had an idea. I mean they bet on me!"
"Yes, how dare they!" Claudine teased. "But we should get out there. Morgan and Brooke are still hiding by the gangplank and I think your friends are going to break down the door to talk to you."
Henry chuckled and the two of them went back onto the deck.
"'Negotiations' finished?" Jake asked, a teasing note to his voice.
"Yeah, you can say that," Henry nodded, grinning ear to ear.
Claudine smiled and kissed his cheek before looking toward the gangplank. "Girls? You can come up now."
"…coming Claudine," Morgan called as she and Brooke slowly made their way up the gangplank, Brooke still holding Ash in her arms. Brooke gave everyone a small, shy smile before scurrying over to Jade.
Claudine had to smile as Morgan went to stand next to Jake. She knew the former Rat turned Angel turned Rat again had had a fling with Jake…of course she never told anyone. If Freddy had found out…
"You just ran up the gangplank and kissed Henry? How'd you know the other Rats wouldn't attack you? That Henry wouldn't shove you off or stab you for the violation of his personal space?"
"You want to tell her or should I?" Henry asked with a small chuckle as he wrapped an arm around Claudine's shoulders. The fact that there wasn't a mutiny as soon as Claudine ran up the gangplank removed probably years of stress from the redhead.
"Wait…don't tell me…how long has this been going on?!" Morgan exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked between them.
"Probably a couple of years by now, right Henry?" Claudine said, looking up at him with a small smile.
"That sounds about right," Henry nodded. "That's how long it's been since the Incident anyway."
"The Incident? Oh you mean…oh," Morgan said, nodding in understanding.
"Explain for the crew members who don't have access to your minds?" Nick asked.
"Strat and Freddy got into one of their many arguments back in the day and Claudine got in the way when Strat was aiming for Fred," Morgan explained.
"Fred patched me up though it was probably because if he didn't, I'd be worthless in face offs and then I went out when I ran into Henry," Claudine added, resting her head on his shoulder.
Henry smiled slightly. "Angel or not, I'm not about to leave an injured person and that wound was dangerously close to being fatal."
"Well, we got to talking as he patched me up in Dragon Hall and…well one thing led to another."
"And no, that does not mean what it usually does,' Henry added.
"Are you sure Henry? Because we thought you'd be marrying your sword," Jake told him.
"That's not possible."
"So you say. If it had happened with anyone, it would have been you. You train for eighteen hours a day after all."
Bonny smirked. "Not necessarily. After all, his 'scouting runs' last for six hours. You know, the nights when Henry didn't come back and he claimed he crashed in an empty building because it was dark makes a lot more sense."
Henry coughed a bit in embarrassment. "Yeah um..I crashed in Dragon Hall. With Claudine. Nothing happened, we just…cuddled is all."
Morgan gave Claudine a small smile. "So…I'm guessing you weren't really trying to make Fred's assignment happen."
"Hey I wasn't lying when I said it was hard. You try to get a guy with a no fling policy to break it. I just wasn't actively encouraging him to break it. Besides I didn't like the idea of pressuring Henry into anything. It should be his position."
"Wait, so you've been together for two years and you never…you know…"
"Why am I not surprised you asked that Dustin? And for the record, watch the topic, there are under fifteens within earshot," Henry said with a fond eye roll.
"Gods, I'll be happy once they don't have to censor themselves around me," Ryan muttered.
"Not just you Ry, Brooke's here too."
Brooke shrugged slightly. "…Fred's said worse."
"Still Dustin knows the rules. No talking about flings or the like in front of under fifteens," Henry said.
"Oh yeah, didn't you tell me once that Uma and Mal strung him up the mast in his underwear after he broke that rule?" Claudine asked, trying not to giggled with Dustin right there.
"You told her about that?!"
"Turn about's fair play mate. You brought up something personal for us, something personal gets brought up for you," Henry told him.
Dustin sighed, knowing Henry had a point. At least he didn't talk about how he had reacted after the jumping the previous year…how it had taken all his willpower not to collapse into a terrified puddle of tears…everything had hurt…and the crew had seen him like that…even though Morgan was just the lookout for the Angels, she had still been there.
Suffice to say Dustin wasn't exactly comfortable with her being there but she was still a crew member.
"I…I have to say…you're all taking this well," Morgan said softly.
"What, three Angels dropping into our crew?" Bonny chuckled. "Helps that one of them was never an Angel to begin with, the other never killed our crew and the third, aka you, are Henry's girl."
Henry chuckled. "You say that like it's the ninth wonder of the world Bonny."
"With you? It practically is Henry."
"Hey Henry, should we…should we get our new members a change of clothes?" Derek asked. "The 'Angel' look doesn't really work on them now."
"Right, right," Henry nodded and looked at Jade. "Jade, you mind getting them set up with some of our stuff in storage? We should still have a few green and orange pieces of clothing. And Claudine? What would you like?"
Jade nodded. "Of course cap'n! The all black look will only be allowed if Blackbeard somehow has a kid!"
"Whatever works…but…if I want to embrace my mom's side, crimson and maybe a bit of purple," Claudine said. After all, her mom had been a pirate captain too. Had the universe been different, she might have been a Hook rather than a Frollo.
Though, maybe now she could call herself Rose since that had been her mom's ship…
Henry smiled as he watched the four girls walked off, Sammy taking the cat from Brooke's arms. "What's with the cat?"
"She's Claudine's," Sammy said, scratching Ash behind the ears.
"…you knew?"
"Claudine's mom was my mom's captain, Henry," Sammy said, her voice soft. "Mom wanted to make sure she got food when she could, plus she would sneak out to help with the twins when they were first born. A few weeks after she started helping, Harriet and I saw she looked exhausted and so followed her to Dragon Hall when we met Ash here. Speaking of which we should get Ash some food."
"Right," Derek nodded. "Think the cat would eat Estelle's kibble?"
"Ash would prefer fish I'm guessing," Sammy said. "I'll get her some food."
Henry smiled. "Thanks Sammy."
"Anything for the captain's girl," Sammy grinned. "Oh speaking of which, Morgan and Brooke are coming back to our crew. You're not swiping them Henry."
"Of course not Captain Smee," Henry said with a grin as Sammy was acting Captain for Harriet's crew with her being in Auradon. "You want Claudine too, to stick with your all girl theme?"
"Nah, the Captianess belongs with you."
"…that's not a word."
Ryan chuckled. "I think it is now…and the Captainess is here!"
"Look who's back and looking so much better!" Nick gave a playful cheer!
Henry turned around and fought to keep his jaw from dropping all the way to the deck. Claudine was wearing one of Mal's old tops and Harriet's old jacket and pants—but looked better in pirate garb than anyone had any right to.
"You alright?" Claudine asked as she walked up to Henry.
"What? Oh! Yeah! I'm fine, you—you look amazing—I mean not that you didn't before but I..I mean—."
"Looks like the cat's got your tongue," Claudine teased as she gently kissed his cheek. Yes she was kissing him a lot, so sue her. She could do that openly now without fear of Freddy finding out and she was going to use that! Every chance she got…as long as Henry wanted it.
"Get a room!"
"Oh shut it, it's cute!" Jade said with a smile on her face. Henry grinned back, looking at the crew. His family was safe…he could be with Claudine openly…Freddy was back on the Isle where he belonged. Life was looking up.