Chapter 34
It took some time to repair the Lost Revenge after the storm that shook the Isle. The dock itself was also so badly damaged that both Uma and Harry had every pirate working double time to return it to its usual state of disrepair – at least how it had been before had been functional. Camilla in the meantime was busy handling her mother back at Hell Hall. The storm had torn off a few loose shingles from the roof and several puddles now littered the floors. It gave Camilla a headache tiptoeing around her mother's frazzled brain - which was finally coming to terms with the fact that Carlos had abandoned them for a life of goodness.Not that it helped Camilla any and the wise part of Cruella's mind, the part that knew her daughter had been absent for far too long, didn't help things. When she wasn't complaining she was viciously interrogating her daughter. "Where had she been?" "What had she been doing?" "Who had she been doing it with?" and of course Camilla told her mother everything but the truth. Her relationship with Harry was still a secret she kept far from her mother's ears along with the fact that she'd turned pirate and had been socializing with a 'gang of ruffians' who the De Vil woman looked at with disgust. Camilla even had to hide her more pirate-ish outfits in the back of her closet to keep that knowledge from her mother. She had been able to quickly put together an outfit that was suitable to wear around Hell Hall, – a skill Evie would have appreciated - a simple black button up with sleeves that she had rolled up to her elbows, the cuffs and collar decorated in Dalmatian fabric. Her pants were her red skinny jeans that had holes patched with black tape that she'd paired with black and white spotted converse and red leather gloves that had been a very old gift from Evie. Her hair had grown out since the storm and now ended at her collarbone the length turning her curls into waves.
She didn't like that she had to share her home now either. Since the damage the storm had caused Horace and Jasper and their sons Harold and Jace had been ordered by Cruella to clean up the mess. Camilla was thankful that even with Carlos gone his chores didn't fall onto her shoulders. The thought of her brother left an odd feeling in Camilla's chest, the last time she'd seen him had been at the battle and Harry had told her that her own flesh and blood hadn't turned back to help her even when he'd seen she was badly wounded. As much as her villainous side wanted to listen to Harry and treat her brother like the turncoat he was there was something new inside her that she just couldn't shake. Ever since she'd seen him in the brig she couldn't help but think about how much more mature he looked since Ben's coronation. Then her mind wandered to cotillion, surely Evie would have made sure he looked his best, but did he bring a date? Did he have fun – until Uma showed up anyway – did he slow dance? Something coiled in pain at the thought that her baby brother was growing up and she was missing it. She remembered their talk when he was behind bars, was their relationship broken beyond repair or could it still be salvaged? Carlos hadn't seemed upset that she'd left him in Auradon to go back to the Isle in fact he seemed understanding. Would he forgive her if she asked? Then she shook her head ridding herself of those thoughts. Villains didn't ask to be forgiven and that's what she was, a villain, her mother was a villain her boyfriend – she still refused to call him her true love it was just too serious of an emotion – was a villain, her crew and every friend she had was a villain. So she pushed the idea of making up with her brother, of her old gang and of Auradon aside and got to work. There were lesser villains to terrorize and she couldn't let her reputation suffer.
- - ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
"Trim that sail!" Harry shouted walking across the deck of the Jolly Roger. Uma had taken charge of repairs for the Lost Revenge so Harry had returned to the Roger to oversee the crew. It was difficult for him, he hadn't been on her decks since that run in with Mad Maddy not to mention it was where his father had his final duel, "Tie down the main mast!"
"Belay that order!" Came another cry, "Raise the jib!"
"Belay that, belay that!" Harry shouted jumping up to the wheel where his baby sister was. "What do ye think yer doin?"
"I'm commanding my ship." CJ said with a hand on her hip and another on the wheel. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and she wore her usual white pirate shirt with her black shorts. Underneath the shorts were tan leggings she'd marked up with a marker she'd found and were now splattered with pieces of their fathers old map of Neverland, something CJ had memorized as a child declaring that she'd be the first of the Hook children to take revenge on Peter Pan, now with father gone she was more determined than ever to accomplish her goal.
"It's my ship." Harry corrected, he was the only son of the great Captain Hook, possession of the Roger fell to him.
"It hasn't been your ship since you accepted a first mate position over on the Lost Revenge with that fish-girlwho reeks of shrimp!" CJ shouted back before another new voice joined the argument.
"Stow it both of ya! Slack windward brace and haul the pennant line! That's an order!" Harriet shouted from her place hanging from the riggingHer dark hair pulled back by only a red bandana as its ends blew in the salty breeze. Harry gave CJ one final glare before he turned and headed to the pennant line as his older sister ordered. None of his siblings had ever spent much time together unless their father had ordered them all to be at the ship for dinner, or work the same shift at the inlet shop. The Hook siblings were never that close, like their father they liked to be in charge and had all ended up going their separate ways. Harriet had a gang she ruled, Harry had his place on the Last Revenge and CJ, being so young, was still trying to make a name for herself. But when push came to shove they all would fight to their last breath for each other. The destruction the storm had caused the Jolly Roger was the only reason they were together now, all of them feeling they owed it to their father's memory to see that the Roger remained in ship shape. Harriet had been off floating between Dragon Hall and Serpent Prep, the two schools on the Isle, causing her own mischief with her respective gang. CJ, who Harry had never gotten along with as well as Harriet, had taken over the inlet shop with Smee and his two children as the beginning of her own crew.
"What happened to the window in the Captain's Quarters?" he heard CJ shout and Harry tried to repress his smirk remembering how he'd come swinging through it to rescue his lady. Harry hadn't told either one of his sisters that he and Camilla DeVil had become a couple, not that he was afraid of how they'd react but because his life was frankly none of their business. He also hadn't given the status of their relationship much thought himself. Uma had said that true love's kiss had saved Camilla's life and as much as Harry was ecstatic that she was okay he also feared being connected to someone in such a serious way. Villains weren't supposed to love and they certainly weren't meant to find true love, it was stuff for heroes, for the princes and princesses, it was something Mal had found. The idea of Mal made Harry angry, she had found love by betraying her people proving that a villain couldn't be a villain and be in love. But if that were true then what was in store for him and Camilla?
- - ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
While everyone else was working on the repairs to the Jolly Roger CJ used the broken window in the Captain's Quarters to her advantage. She snuck out the opening and used some old rope to swing down onto the dock where she took off. She hated being the youngest child, Harriet was the firstborn daughter, Harry was the first born son and she was left as the spare. She had a scowl on her face as she walked through the alleys of the Isle kicking rocks on the ground. She was the one who was always left babysitting Squirmy and Squeaky, Smee's youngest sons. She wanted to do something to prove herself, something that would make her siblings look like sidekicks. But what? She looked down at the doodles of Neverland she'd drawn on her pants, without a way off the Isle she couldn't make it to Pan's island and seek revenge so she'd have to settle for stirring up trouble here.She looked up and saw the sign for Jafar's Junk Shop and stopped to ponder stealing from him. No, then she'd be stuck with the garbage she stole, everyone on the Isle knew the former sorcerer didn't have anything good in his shop, people only went in to buy back what his son had stolen from them which was much less now that Jay was living In Auradon. Stupid, she thought as she kicked another rock and kept walking getting more and more discouraged with each establishment she passed. The Slop Shop – no, everyone knew don't mess with goblins, besides her clothes would reek for months after. Queen of Hearts Salon – no, Harry had gotten into enough trouble with her in the past it would look like she was copycatting. Frollo's Creperie, Facilier's Shop, Curl Up and Dye, and Shere Khan's Pawns – all of them were people that Harry collected from for Uma so she scratched them off her list. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and pouted as she walked down Woeful Way then her spirits rose as she saw one place no villain dared to enter. It was perfect, located in Mal's old turf and guarded only by a pair of buffoons. Not only that but CJ immediately knew exactly what she could do to drive it's inhabitant mad – madder than usual anyway. An evil smirk spread across her face as she approached Hell Hall.
Since Disney released it's video of "It's Good to be Bad" this weekend I figured I'd post a chapter for you guys!