I should have waited to post until after D3 premiered since right after watching it I got inspiration to add to this chapter, so here's the revised version.
Chapter 36
"Harry!" his sister called from the other side of the ship, now down from the rigging and on solid decks, her dark hair blowing with the salty breeze coming off the water.
"Aye?" he replied as he clapped off the dirt from his hands as he approached her.
"CJ's not inside, did you see where she went?"
"I'm not the runt's babysitter." He replied taking out his father's hook from his jacket.
"Well I can't leave until the ship is repaired and someone needs to find her." Harry was about to snap back that he wasn't going to waste his time with CJ but then he thought that he could use a break from the work and it would give him an excuse to sneak over to Camilla's and visit her.
"Fine, but ye owe me one." He said shaking the tip of the hook at her before taking his leave. Instead of looking for CJ he headed straight to Hell Hall, it had been a while since he'd scaled the mansions walls and he was looking forward to the challenge. He tucked his father's hook away back in his jacket when he'd finally crossed the Isle and made it to Woeful Way. He stopped at the end of one alley to check and make sure he wouldn't be spotted, from what Camilla had told him Cruella was as mad as a hatter in the worst possible way and judging from the bear traps she set up in her closet to protect her furs he knew the last thing he wanted was to get caught by the madwoman. When he was double checking the house something - or rather someone caught his eye and he was overcome by shock. Crawling through one of the first floor windows was a small blonde girl with her hair in a high ponytail– CJ. Dumb runt, he thought, what was she doing here – causing trouble obviously, but out of all the places to loot she had to pick the DeVil place? He sighed and considered walking away leaving her to her own mayhem but something inside him tugged at his heart. She was his baby sister and he should be protecting her, it's what his father would have expected of him and it would be bad form to turn his back on her. If it was anyone but Cruella, he thought, then he'd leave her but he wouldn't be able to bare the shame of leaving CJ to whatever tortures that woman could concoct. Besides, if he left her alone he'd be no better than Carlos who had left his sister behind to bleed to death.
He quickly and quietly made his way across the street, over the black iron gate and into the yard. He was able to hop onto the windowsill easier than little CJ and found himself in the kitchen. It's black and white checkered tile floors, white walls and black countertops would have been impressive if it all wasn't covered in food and crumbs, most likely left over from Cruella's piggish minions. He made his way through the halls as best he could but he was at a disadvantage of not knowing the layout of the house, the only rooms he'd been in before were the kitchen and Camilla's room, the rest was a mystery to him. Then he heard a metallic snap and a high pitched eep! and followed the sound to his sister. She was just inside the door to a huge walk in closet with her two daggers in her hands and several patches of fur at her feet. She looked to be unharmed, her quick dueling reflexes saving her from losing a leg to one of Cruella's bear traps that were scattered across the floor below her precious furs. Hanging –though barely – from their hangers were at least half a dozen of her fur coats that had been slashed to ruins. If Harry hadn't been involved with Camilla he would have congratulated his baby sister on a job well done. However the circumstances were not that ideal and before CJ could slice another fur she turned and saw him coming down the hall. Instead of looking afraid that she'd been caught she looked angry.
"What are you doing here?" she sneered putting her daggers away in her belt.
"What am I doin' here?" he asked amazed, "Are ye out of yer mind runt? If Cruella finds ye –"
"Don't give me that! You don't' care about me, you want to steal my moment! If I can pull this off I'll finally have a name for myself on this Isle that doesn't include being in you or Harriet's shadow."
"That's what this is about? Runt ya can't have a reputation if ye've been keel hauled!"
She scoffed and turned back to the coats before he grabbed her elbow and pulled her back to look at him.
"Listen little girl, I don't want to hear this drama." He sang, "Kindness ain't my brand –"
"Oh, I guess that's why you ran?" CJ sang back hitting low at the mention of choosing Uma and her crew over theirs.
"Being cruel I learned from papa."
"You stink at being bad." She said pulling her arm from his grasp.
"Poor Calista, are you sad?" she replied knowing she hated her full name.
"Not as sad as you without real power. You kneel to a shrimp, you don't have your own ship –"
"I pillage loot. Were you expecting I bring ye flowers?"
"I don't need you, I came here for something."
"I've given you everything – by giving you nothing!"
"By giving me nothing!"
"I did what I had to do."
"No, you only did what's best for you."
"Well you could learn a thing or two. When push comes to shove you do what ya gotta do."
Before he could say another word he heard a loud voice cry. "JASPER! HORACE!" and knew the sound of one of the traps going off had alerted Cruella to their presence.
"Come on!" he whispered urgently as he grabbed CJ by her elbow and took off for the kitchen again.
"You were never there. Guess you don't have a phone. You never called to say I miss you." CJ kept complaining in song as they ran hall to hall.
He chuckled, "Are you kidding? Is this a joke? You need to let it go, you're stronger when you have those issues."
"Thank you." She scoffed.
"Show me some respect. It ain't easy to neglect that attention would have made you softer."
"Should I be proud? Don't turn this thing around."
"I guess you are your father's daughter."
"Don't think I need you I just came here for something."
"I've given you everything – by giving you nothing!"
"By giving me nothing! I did what I had to do. I made it on my own no thanks to you."
"Well you could learn a thing or two. When push comes to shove you do what ya gotta do." He said shoving her into a hall closet while they heard Cruella's minions run past their hiding place.
"You wanna join the crew and we'll spend some time?"
"How 'bout you stay here cause you're out of your mind."
"Let's make new memories, you wanna show me the town?" he asked sarcastically.
"No you can keep your memories now."
"Get over it." He said before opening the door and checking the hall.
"I am over it." CJ sang following him back into the hallway and he turned to her.
"I'm over you being over it!"
"I'm over you being over it!"
"AFTER THEM!" they heard Cruella shout but didn't see her – yet. They continued running until they got to the kitchen. When they reached the window he picked CJ up around her waist and helped her out the ledge and back into the yard.
"I did what I had to do." They said now at the same time.
"No, you only did what's best for you."
"Well you could learn a thing or two. When push comes to shove you do, when push comes to shove you doooo. When push comes to shove you doooooooo what you gotta do."
They made a mad dash for the gate and after they'd climbed it and their feet were back on the ground they raced for the alley. He only looked back once and saw Cruella's two laggies a large round man and a taller man built like a twig. They were looking around, their heads snapping from side to side but didn't seem to see the two Hooks from where they were hidden in the shadows of the alley. The pair of pirates tip-toed away until they were far enough to run back to the wharf. When they'd made to Pain Lane and were once more surrounded by Uma's allies Harry grabbed CJ by her arms and shook her.
"What were ye doin?" he shouted, "Are ye out of yer mind! The DeVil woman! CJ are ye as insane as she is?"
"What do you care?" she shouted back pulling herself out of his grip. "I go off on my own all the time. So I almost got caught who cares? It's the Isle what are they going to do arrest me?"
"Cruella will do worse than that if she ever finds out ye were the one that destroyed her coats." He said no longer yelling but his voice still angry. CJ looked at the ground crossing her arms and looking very angry herself but she didn't say anything. Harry let out a deep breath trying to calm his temper and tapped her shoulder. "Hey." His voice was much softer now, "I know we've never gotten along. But I'd hate for ya to get hurt." She looked up at him with suspicious charcoal lined eyes as if she questioned if this display of emotion was a trick. "With Da gone all we've got is each other."
She hit him in the chest, "Don't get all soft on me now." She said with a small smile and he chuckled, then they made their way back to the Jolly Roger.
- - ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
"You idiots!" Cruella shouted as her henchmen returned empty handed. "You fools! You utter imbeciles!"
"We tried Madame, really we did but –" Jasper tried reasoning with her. That was all Camilla heard as she walked back into Hell Hall with a bag of loot she'd been able to get from that day's shipment from Auradon. Many of the villains who worked on that dock – who were still grateful for her loyal display at the Royal Coronation – had given her the least rotten food that had been sent over.
"Quiet!" Cruella interrupted him, "Someone was able to not only break in but destroy six of my fur coats! My beauties! My true loves!" Camilla rested against the doorframe watching her mother pace the floor angrily as she waved her cigarette around leaving a trail of greenish smoke in the air. She tried to think of anyone who would come into Hell Hall and do something so vile – and certifiably insane as trashing her mother's coats.
"But Madame, we did find one thing." Jasper said as Horace held up a very familiar hook. Camilla's breath caught in her throat and she bit her lip until it bled to keep herself from gasping. Her mother on the other hand became so enraged she snapped her long cigarette holder in half her fist was clenched so tightly.
"Hook!" she spat in disgust.
"We're just not sure which one it was." Horace said but he stopped talking and recoiled when Cruella snatched the hook from his hand.
"His son, that boy. He's the only one who carried his father's hook after the Captain met his end." Cruella said as she glared at the hook in her hands. Then the oddest thing happened – she smiled. It started small but slowly spread from ear to ear, then she started laughing that cold cackling laugh that made Camilla's core turn to ice. "He'll be back. He'll be back once he realizes it's gone and when he comes for it we'll get him and make him pay!"
Camilla looked at the floor as her mother continued her crazed laughter knowing she'd have to warn Harry somehow. Why would he do this? He was smart enough to know it would jeopardize what they had. Or did he not care as much as she thought he did?