Chapter Fifteen

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.

Lol, okay so full disclosure this chapter, it was not planned in the slightest. Sometimes I just start typing and my brain takes over as opposed to what I thought this chapter would be!

Had my brain behaved, we'd be looking at about one more chapter to go before the end but now? Probably two, maybe three. Like I said, all depends if my brain behaves and there aren't any more 'surprise' chapters lol :D

Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think! :D

Jay sighed as he drove back over the bridge, Lonnie at his side. There was a small part of him that wondered if he was out of his mind for doing this. After all, Uma had kidnapped Mal and Harry would have held her over the water had Estelle not planted himself between Mal and the plank.

But at the same time…his inner ten year old was shouting at him to finally make amends with Harry. After all, he'd dove in after Mal when she went into the water, and Mal knew the truth now; no one had to pretend to hate the other. Even if there was no way on the Gods' green Earth that Uma would believe him now after tricking her with the fake wand.

"You okay?" Lonnie asked, pulling Jay out of his thoughts.

"I just…yeah I'm fine," Jay said with another small sigh.

Lonnie shook her head. "Okay, you want to try that again? Maybe be a bit more convincing? For a VK, you're really bad at lying. In fact I think Ben could give a better lie than that."

"Hey!"

"It's true!" Lonnie chuckled as she rested a hand on Jay's shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, I don't think you're crazy for doing this."

"You…you don't?" Jay asked as he looked over at her.

"Okay so maybe you're a little crazy," Lonnie corrected herself. "But I mean, I'm used to that. Remember who Ben's best friends are after all?"

Jay snorted in amusement. "Someone might want to warn Akiho that there're some extra guests coming from the Isle. Otherwise we're getting a rant about getting the guards for the entirety of Cotillion."

"Eh not really," Lonnie shook her head. "Akiho knows Ben wants to continue the VK initiative. If he sees Uma, Hook Jr., and Gil, he'll probably just assume that Ben invited them off the Isle and just didn't have the time to do a welcoming ceremony. I just hope Evie can work her magic and get the dress and suits made in time."

Jay nodded as he parked the car, having arrived on the Isle. "Okay, so let me do the talking. I…I used to run with these guys with Mal so I know how to speak 'pirate'."

"Aye, avast!" Lonnie nodded with a small smirk as Jay shook his head in amusement. The two of them made their way through the pipe that led to Pirate Cove and Jay stared once more at the Lost Revenge.

His old stomping grounds. His and Mal's back when Uma and Harry made up the other half of their quartet. Sure Jay loved having Carlos around and he knew Mal loved Evie like a sister…but sometimes Jay longed to go off during a spar and knew he couldn't because it'd terrify Carlos.

Or Mal would get frustrated with Evie for not being on the same wavelength as her—case in point, Mal's reaction when Maleficent had told them about going to Auradon and Evie had practically melted into a puddle at the thought of all the Princes.

It'd been why Jay had brought up the uniforms. He'd been around Mal since she was five after all, he knew how to read her. And a frustrated Mal around Maleficent would not be a good idea.

Actually, anyone around Maleficent would not be a good idea.

Okay focus, Jay told himself, fighting the urge to shake his head in order to clear his thoughts. It won't be a good idea to just walk into Uma's territory after handing her what she saw as a defeat without paying attention. She's the Captain, and somewhere, there'll be her First Mate…

"Lost are we Jay?"

"Have to say Hook, took you more time to realize we were here than I thought," Jay said, looking over his shoulder as the sword dug into his back. He slowly raised his hands as if to show Harry that there were no weapons or smoke bombs about to go off. "Easy, okay? We're here on parley. I want an audience with Uma."

"Oho! You think you can just waltz right in here and demand an audience with Uma? After all these years and that stunt with the fake wand Jay?" Harry asked, but sheathed his sword. Parley was part of the pirate code after all. "And what if I say no?"

"Then I'll just go up the gangplank anyway and you can get kicked off the dock by Lonnie," Jay told him. "She's been itching for a fight after all and we did deny her of that earlier."

Harry paused slightly. "Well, far be it from me to deny a ravishing Boreadon woman a fight, but I wouldn't want you to break a nail…princess."

"Not everyone in Auradon is a royal, Hook," Lonnie said, crossing her arms. "And you'd be more likely to break your hook than I would a nail."

Jay snorted at Harry's dumbfounded look. "Yeah, don't you wish you took us to Uma now?"

"I hear my name?" Uma asked, looking at them from the deck. "What's the two bit scarf stealer doing back on the Isle Harry?"

"Apparently, demanding parley," Harry said. "He wants an audience with you."

"Oh so now Jay's down for talking," Uma said, her eyes going wide in mock surprise. "I'd have thought he'd be all happy about Mal being back in Boreadon, living her perfect life—."

"Uma!" Jay said, his voice growing hard as Uma's rant continued. "I…I told her alright. She knows what really happened that day. You were right."

Silence fell on the group, with Lonnie looking between the three of them. Uma looked over at Harry, the two of them having a conversation without any words that seemed to take hours but was more likely mere minutes.

"Well…you heard him Harry," Uma said, breaking the silence. "He wants an audience and he's under parley. Let's hear what he has to say shall we?"

"Yes cap'n," Harry nodded.

"Oh…and bring Gil," Uma said. "After that little stunt with the fake wand, I don't trust Jay not to take advantage of two against two. At least with Gil, we've got more numbers."

"Fair enough, I wanted to include him too," Jay shrugged as he and Lonnie made their way up the gangplank.

"You…why?" Harry asked.

"That's to be discussed in private," Jay said, following Uma into the Captain's Quarters. He couldn't help but smirk slightly as Harry grabbed Gil, the First Mate a bit more forceful with the blond than he needed to be.

Uma went over to the lone chair in the room and sat down. "So…what brings you all the way to darken our doorstep again?"

"I told—."

"I heard you the first time," Uma said, looking at Jay. "So why should I believe it? You had all this time to come clean and yet it took me talking to my cousin through the mind link for you to finally tell her?"

"…your what?"

"I take it you didn't tell Harry about that little discovery of yours?" Jay asked as Harry stared at Uma in shock.

"Believe it or not, no," Uma said. "I haven't had the time. I just finished dealing with Uncle Hades and getting him back to the Underworld and off my ship."

Sighing and shaking her head slightly, she looked over at Harry and Gil. "That doesn't leave this room. Understand?"

"Completely understand Uma," Harry nodded.

"Gil?"

Gil nodded. "Got it. No mentioning that Mal's your cousin."

Jay couldn't help it, he snorted slightly in amusement. How had Harry kept himself from losing his mind all these years with Gil being Gil?

Then again, was Harry ever really sane? Jay thought.

"Well, if that's what you came here to say, you said your piece," Uma said, looking over at Jay. "You can head back to your perfect life now."

Jay sighed. "Actually…we thought you might want to talk to Mal. Face to face. Without her being your hostage I mean."

"Yeah right," Uma scoffed. "Like I'm supposed to believe you just thought of sneaking me, Harry, and Gil into Auradon just to talk to the princess?"

"Yes," Jay said and Uma blinked.

"He's telling the truth," Lonnie spoke up. "It's his idea to bring you guys to Cotillion. Evie's working on a dress and suits and Jane and Carlos are adding you to the guest list so no one gets alarmed."

"Wouldn't Mal get alarmed?" Gil asked. "I mean, I get she's Uma's cousin but we're supposed to be on the Isle."

Jay looked over at him. "Are you turning down going to Auradon Gil?"

"Well…no…but—."

"That's what I thought," Jay chuckled and then looked at Harry. "Hook…Harry? What about you? One night in Auradon, just so Uma and Mal can clear the air."

Harry looked at Jay cautiously, noticing his use of Harry's first name. "One night and that's it? No tricks, no torches and pitchforks?"

"No torches, no pitchforks," Jay nodded.

"You didn't say no tricks."

"You'll have to wear the suit Evie's making but other than that, no tricks," Jay told him.

Lonnie paused. "Hold on."

"Lonnie?"

"If we're bringing people over to Auradon so Uma can talk to Mal, shouldn't we bring Lord Hades' son?" Lonnie asked. "I remember there was a blue haired boy who called Lady Persephone 'mom' when Mal went into the water."

Jay nodded. "Yeah where is Hadie?"

"Back in the Underworld," Harry said, shaking his head. "Little Rat in training was supposed to stay put when Lord Hades arrived but he didn't from what I was able to hear as Lady Steph…Lady Persephone lectured him."

"Any chance he could get here?" Jay asked. It wouldn't make up for not realizing Mal was stressed until she was running back to the Isle…but it was a start.

Uma and Harry looked at each other and Jay knew they were having one of their conversations. No, nothing like what Uma could apparently do with Mal but they always knew what the other was thinking without needing to say a word.

It was why they worked so well as Captain and First Mate…even if for years Jay had to tell himself Harry's devotion was strange and unnerving. Because it was the only way he could keep himself from missing his best friend.

"Alright Jay," Uma said, breaking the silence. "If you think Boreadon won't faint at the sight of someone in leather, we can bring Hadie. Cause there's no way Blueberry can make three suits by tonight."

"You've never seen Evie work then have you?" Jay said with a small chuckle. "Trust me Uma, she'll get it done."

Uma looked over at him. "Trust you? I trusted you'd bring me the real wand too and look where that got me. I trusted that you'd tell Mal the truth at some point and we'd put this mess behind us. You got two strikes Jay…one more and I'll make Harry find a plank and have you walk it for Cotillion."

Jay stiffened, resisting the urge to glare at Uma. Just like Mal, he couldn't swim and knew that if that happened, it'd likely be the last thing he'd ever do.

"Evie will have the stuff ready," Lonnie said, resting a hand on Jay's shoulder as if sensing the change in his mood. "But Ben won't care what you guys wear. All he'll care about is that Mal's having a good time. Since it's her night after all."

"…alright," Uma nodded. "Harry, tell Henry he's in charge for the night. We've got Hadie to pick up and then…we've got a Cotillion to attend."

"Aye cap'n," Harry nodded and Jay sighed in relief. While he thought he'd need to spend more time convincing Uma, he was glad he didn't. It just meant that, deep down, Uma wanted to talk to Mal too.

Well of course she does, Jay thought. She even said she reached out on the mental link…hold on…if Mal and Uma now have a way to talk to each other through their minds...

"Mal's not able to hear this conversation is she?"

Uma scoffed. "Who do you think I am Jay? An idiot? I know how to manage my end of the link, even if Uncle Hades hasn't been talking to me for years. Thanks to someone not telling Mal the truth."

Jay sighed. Yeah…he'd be making up for that stunning bit of idiocy for the rest of his life. But it was worth it if it meant he could make up for this more recent bit of idiocy.

Mal had been hurting and he hadn't noticed. His best friend, someone he went through the formation of two gangs with, someone who had never left his side.

Well…all Jay knew was that this Cotillion was going to be like nothing Auradon had ever seen before.