"Well isn't this a pretty picture?" Uma's teasing voice pulled Melody from the haze of sleep.
She tried to sit up, but the weight of Harry's arm and the wire from his monitor were both somehow tying her down. She couldn't believe they'd fallen asleep together in this tiny bed. Then again, they'd started the day with early classes and ended it with a life-threatening injury, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise.
Harry took his time in releasing his grip around her waist, rolling back over and sitting up. Not a hint of embarrassment showed on his expression at being walked in on while they were tangled up in such an interesting position. At least they were fully clothed, well, she was that is. She wasn't sure Harry's gown counted for much.
Gil's eyes were wide and expectant as he announced to Harry, "I guess if she's spooning with you that means she isn't mad anymore!"
"I guess not, mate," he answered, voice thick from fatigue.
Harry grimaced, trying to reposition his leg as he pushed the button on the remote to lift the bed up again. "What time is it?"
"Eleven," Uma said. "PM," she added for good measure. "You've been here a good five hours."
Melody rubbed her forehead. "I only meant to close my eyes. I can't believe I slept so long."
"You both looked pretty cozy. I told Uma we shouldn't wake you up," Gil said.
Harry's sleep-mussed hair was sticking up in all directions and he gave his friends a lopsided smile. The expression along with the fact that Uma had probably never seen him cuddle with anyone or anything in his life, had her shaking her head. "You are really losing your edge, Harry."
"Never," he promised. "Even the most feared pirates in the land could use a snugglin' now and then."
Uma blew a laugh between her lips and pressed a hand to her forehead. "You're hopeless."
"I don't know, Uma. I have to agree. Things are different over here," Gil said. "I mean, even you and that prince last summer at the beach –"
"Gil?" she warned.
"Let me guess," Gil said. "Shut up?"
They shared a laugh and Uma came to Harry's side, plopping down in the bedside chair. "I'm glad you're alright, though," she said, her voice taking on a serious edge, before twisting back into humor again. "And we won't stay long. Looks like you could use some more rest." She shot Melody a knowing look with the last word.
Her already burning cheeks were now practically blazing.
"We meant to check on you sooner," Uma continued. "But it took forever to convince the University to let us dock The Lost Revenge permanently at the western port."
"The only reason they agreed was because of those Caribbean pirates," Gil added, circling behind Uma and leaning over the back of her chair.
"Ben and Mal were already alerted so they called in a special favor for us at the dock," Uma said.
"Did they know anything more about Sparrow?" Harry asked.
Uma shook her head.
It did not seem right to Melody that it was suddenly Uma's job to worry about a rogue group of pirates who'd somehow managed to break through from a mythical land to torment Auradon. Didn't they have people who dealt with these kinds of things?
"Can't we just have the King and Queen deal with this? Send in the Royal Navy?" Melody suggested.
"They might protect the University, protect Auradon, but the seas are fair game for pirates." Uma was twisting one of her rings around her fingers. "Always have been. And I'm not going to hide under some rock for the next few decades just because Zach Sparrow is out there. The plan was to have our own ships, to travel, to trade and make a good living that way." She looked to Harry, obviously hoping he agreed.
"Yeh know I'm with yeh, Uma. Nae way I'm leavin' the seas to Sparrow," Harry said. "We need more ships though. If we had two, even three we'd be in a lot better shape to run him off."
Melody rubbed her eyes, trying to bring back some level of focus. She was tired. Bone tired and this nightmare was obviously just beginning if they were planning a war. There had to be some way to avoid all of this.
"You guys are seriously considering fighting off The Black Pearl? Haven't you heard the stories? He probably has an entire crew of skeletons and ghosts hiding below decks ready for his next attack. You guys can't really be serious…"
She let her voice trail off when Uma, Harry, and Gil all crossed their arms simultaneously.
"Okay, so you guys are serious…"
Harry turned to her then and his square jaw had that stubborn set that she knew meant he was not budging. "I'm nae goin' to wait for Sparrow to come and steal yeh away. We've got to beat him at his game."
She blew out a breath. "Where are we going to get more ships then?" Melody realized after she'd already said it that she'd used the word, we. Yep, she was already throwing her lot in with these pirates. One snuggle and she was apparently done for. "And a crew, I mean isn't hiring a crew expensive?"
"Nae as bad as yeh might think," Harry said. "There are a lot of pirates back at the Isle needin' work. We could convince some to sail with us if we needed."
"I talked to Mal," Uma said, leaning back and propping her boots up on the edge of the bed. "She's got us covered if we need to call in any monetary favors from the crown. Besides, wouldn't your Mom and Dad help if they knew what was going on?" Uma tilted her head expectantly in Melody's direction.
"If my parents knew what was going on they'd have me locked up in the castle back home until Sparrow was dealt with."
That and maybe more. These were the same parents who built a giant wall around the castle just to keep Melody from going into the ocean, back when Ursula's sister was after her.
Everyone was quiet and she could practically hear the gears spinning as they all worked on a solution.
"Sooo… " Gil said, "what do we do now?"
"We just need a ship," Melody repeated, slower this time as she worked something out in her mind. Then she nudged Harry's shoulder. "Right?"
"Aye, we do," he answered, one lip turning up into a roguish little smirk.
Gil saw the expression and straightened, gripping the back of Uma's chair tighter. "Harry's got a ship?"
"Harry's got an idea," Uma answered. "That's different."
And Uma settled back in her chair and waited for the incoming explanation.
"And yeh know what I just remembered, lass?" Harry said, reaching for the locket at Melody's neck. "Yeh lost the bet. Yeh asked for yer locket back before I asked for me hook. So I win."
"I don't think that should count," Gil said, crossing his arms. "She used the locket so she could save me. I think she should get a pass. Right Uma?"
Uma ignored him, looking instead between Melody and Harry.
And finally, everything clicked into place. Melody knew then, what Harry had been planning all along when he'd first tried to steal her locket that day.
"You won, Harry Hook," Melody admitted. "And now, you get to pick the location we study for our coral reef project."
She let the comment hang in the air. Gil gave Uma a confused glance, but Harry seemed pleased that Melody was onto his train of thought.
He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Sweet victory," he said. "What were me choices for the project again?"
"We're not even in that class," Gil said, still not following the undercurrent of the conversation at all.
And even though Melody knew full well that Harry had already made his choice, she humored him as an illustration for Uma. She told them each of the reefs they could choose to study in oceanography, saving Harry's choice for last. "The choices were, The Eastern or Western Coral Reefs in Triton's Bay, Skull Rock Reef, The Reef along the Straight of Ursula, The Neverland Ridge, or Hook's Bay Reef along the sunken Jolly Roger." She drew out those last two words and looked to Uma.
Uma angled her head wickedly as understanding washed over her, too, and she leaned in closer to Harry. "But I thought your dad docked the Jolly Roger at Hook's Inlet on the Isle."
"That one's just a replica," Harry said. "The real Jolly Roger is still at the bottom of the sea in Neverland. Put there by a giant octopus. 'Course me da' never lets anyone know that. Isnae good for the unsinkable reputation."
"You know Harry Hook, I should be mad at you all over again," Melody said.
"Oh no." Gil said, looking genuinely worried.
"You were playing a long game when you made that bet with me over the locket," she continued. "You knew if you had it long enough, you could not only fix Uma's ship, but you might be able to use it on your father's old ship? To resurrect the real Jolly Roger when even your father couldn't accomplish such a feat."
Poor Harry was already looking very tense. His throat bobbed in a hard swallow and that worry line of his had reappeared between his eyebrows.
"Nae, remember, I didnae actually know the locket would work," he tried to explain. "I'd just heard rumors. I mean I hoped it would, but – "
"It's okay, Harry," she said. Though he probably deserved to sweat it for a little while, Melody didn't have the heart to do that to him right now. "I'm too tired to fight about it right now. Maybe later?"
Harry let out a nervous chuckle, obviously not sure whether she was joking or not.
The honest truth was that she had forgiven him. He had dishonest intentions when they'd met, but as he'd gotten to know her, his feelings for her had grown. It wasn't like she could blame him. She'd hated him back then, too, but now it was clear they had a real connection. And even though he'd lied to her, he did seem honestly sorry.
"Besides," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "This scheme of yours was far too cunning to be mad about."
His eyes widened as if he couldn't quite believe what she was saying. "It was?"
"Yes," she said. "Wicked smart. Finding a ship you already knew inside-out. One that just needed to be raised from the sea."
She lifted an eyebrow in his direction. "So, when do we head to the Jolly Roger?"
Once Harry seemed satisfied this wasn't a ruse and she wasn't about to attack him, the four launched into a discussion about their next move.
It turns out the Jolly Roger is not just a hop, skip, and a jump on The Lost Revenge. It would be a two or three day excursion to Neverland depending on the winds, plus the time it would take to get back. So the voyage would have to wait until Hallow's Eve when the college went into party mode for the Hallow's Eve Masquerade Ball and they'd have the entire week off. It was risky to wait so long, still several weeks out, but they didn't have much of a choice.
Uma, Harry and Gil still had jobs to go to. They'd have to work to earn the money to pay the crew for the voyage. All three pirates were hesitant to ask for so much money from Queen Mal. Besides that, they were all still trying to make it through college and couldn't afford to miss that much class.
So, Uma and her crew would have to stay docked or at least in the bay to avoid Sparrow until they were all ready to travel. They were pretty certain The Black Pearl wouldn't dare come onto Auradon shores, because then the Royal Army or Navy would get involved.
When midnight rolled around, they were still deep in discussion. Unfortunately, the night nurse walked in to check on Harry and discovered that Uma and Gil had snuck in. She stood with her hands on her hips until Uma and Gil got up to leave.
Harry asked Melody if she wanted to stay. She considered it, she really did, but logically, she knew she just needed a few hours away so she could think. Being so close to Harry for so long had completely muddled her normal priorities and she wanted to make sure she was thinking clearly before jumping into anything too crazy.
Uma and Gil both gave Harry sideways hugs and were heading out the door. But Melody had only managed to crawl out of the hospital bed before she stood frozen, trying to figure out what kind of goodbye to give. She was overthinking it like she did everything, a casual wave, a friendly sideways hug, a full embrace, a kiss on the cheek? Seas, there were too many options.
But Harry, as usual, didn't give it a second thought. He gave her the kind of goodbye he wanted to without worrying what anyone else thought. He made a 'come hither' gesture with his finger until she was close enough. Then he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her down to his level to kiss her softly on the forehead.
It was so sweet and so unexpected, and he'd done it in front of his crew which somehow made it even more meaningful. Then he whispered in her ear, "Will I see yeh tomorrow?"
"Someone's got to make sure you don't do something stupid," she said.
He laughed, "I'm nae sure even yeh can stop that, lass." He squeezed her hand one last time and whispered. "Goodnight, Melody."
The moon was at an angle directly overhead, casting light on the pathway back to the dorms as she walked with Uma and Gil. She loved nights like this, when the air was still warm despite the late hour and the stars seemed so much closer and brighter. She would have happily walked herself home, but the two of them had insisted on getting her all the way to her door.
Once there, she turned to thank them, but when Gil faced her, she caught a glimpse of the bump on his head peeking from under his bandana. It had turned a nasty shade of blue around the puncture wound.
She hissed through her teeth. "That looks painful, Gil. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"Thanks to you," he said. "I never got a chance to thank you, you know in quiet like this."
Gil glanced over at Uma, as if this conversation wasn't part of the plan and he was hoping it was going to be allowed.
Uma stayed quiet and Gil continued. "It was pretty cool of you to just dive in after me like that, especially with the Black Pearl right there."
She smiled and squeezed his arm. "I'm just glad you're alright."
"Seriously though," Uma's eyes met hers and the intensity of her gaze was startling. "Thank you. You saved my two best friends today."
Melody shifted from one foot to the other. She got the feeling that compliments from Uma were a rare gem and she should probably cherish it. "You're welcome," she said. "You know, you were pretty great yourself. I was impressed with how you handled the whole thing. I would have completely lost it."
Uma's eyes sparkled with pride under the vast blanket of stars overhead. "You know, I really didn't like you at first."
Melody tried not to react, knowing this was just Uma being brutally honest and she had to admit, she preferred her frankness over the secrecy and fake smiles she'd been used to from her parents' court.
She waited for Uma to continue, knowing that what she was going to say was important.
"It was hard for me to see why Harry kept insisting on talking to you." She was looking down now, twirling her braids around a finger. "I was the one who told him to just forget it and steal the locket from you."
Melody swallowed hard. This was definitely not the conversation she had been expecting.
"He wanted to get to know you. He'd been watching you, said that you were just shy. I'm glad he was persistent, though. Otherwise, we'd all still think you were just some stuck up princess."
"Umm, thanks?" but Melody was smiling, knowing exactly what Uma was trying to say. It was the same conversation she'd had with Harry. First impressions were not always accurate.
Uma broke the tension with a hug, coming in to embrace her and Melody felt her heart swell. Then Gil came in to make it a three-way embrace and it was one of the best feelings in the world. Strong arms around her, the smell of the sea and a hard days work, the stars and moon shining down on them. And for Melody to finally be appreciated for her talents, to finally be understood.
To be in the arms of friends.
And she could not believe it. More friends. More friends of the pirate variety and she was clearly going to have to prepare her mother if she ever came to visit.
"And you know," Uma said, pulling away and giving her a sly half-smile. "I've never seen him like this."
That little tidbit caused her heart to jump, and she hoped she could urge Uma into divulging more Harry secrets since they were so hard to pull from the man himself.
Melody let the first part of a question hang in the air. "When I first saw you and Harry, I just assumed that you two were…"
Uma shook her head. "No, it's never been like that. I might be protective, but that's because these two are my brothers." She put a hand around Gil to prove that point. "We've hugged, we've kissed, we've cried, we've laughed, we've been drunk, we've broken bones, we've even killed together. But it's never been like that."
Uma stopped suddenly, as if weighing how much to tell her.
"Harry is…" she began. "He's got his share of weight he's carrying around, and to see him actually let his guard down." She shook her head. "He went to the doctor for you, you know. There's no way he would have let anyone touch him back on the Isle. And I'm pretty sure the only reason he agreed to stay the night was because you were there."
Uma looked off into the distance, a subtle hint that maybe she'd said too much.
"Thanks for walking me home," Melody said.
"With Sparrow out to get you, Harry would want us to look out for you," Uma said. "We take care of our own."
Uma swung her pack off her shoulder and unzipped the largest pocket, pulling out a black velvety tricorn hat trimmed with red lace accents and gorgeous, black iridescent feathers lining the ridge on top. "Welcome to the crew," she said, placing the hat on top of her head.
Melody smiled and pulled it on, a perfect fit. She thanked them, hugging them both again before slipping inside her room.
Once inside, she leaned against the back of her door and sighed, releasing a long shaky breath, feeling a strange stirring in her chest. She smiled to herself into the dim light, relishing the lightness she felt in her limbs.
She practically floated over to her bed against the far wall. Jane's even breathing meant her roommate was already asleep, but she'd been thoughtful enough to leave the desk lamp on for her.
Melody had wanted to shower to get the salt water off her, but as she sank onto her bed, she realized she was just too tired. She'd cleaned up a bit in health center bathroom when they'd arrived, so at least she wasn't still covered in blood. She would just have to shower in the morning.
She pulled out her phone and sent her mom a text. She'd forgotten to respond earlier in the day. It was late, but she knew her Mom could just read it in the morning.
Making lots of new friends. I think I actually like it here.
She hung her hat from the bedpost, changed into pajamas, and pulled the blankets back.
As she did, she spotted a brown, leather coat that had been carefully draped over the end of her bed. She smiled, recognizing it immediately. Jane must have picked up Harry's jacket from the rowboat.
She flicked off the light and crawled under the covers, lying there in the dark for a while trying not to think of The Black Pearl or Zach Sparrow or skeleton-ghost crews.
She was not successful.
Finally, she released a forceful sigh and sat up, stretching toward the end of the bed to pull Harry's coat toward her. She curled up against it as she burrowed under her blanket. Nuzzling her cheek next to the smooth leather, she smiled, inhaling deeply. There he was, that sweaty, spice and leather pirate. And if she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was still snuggled up next to him in that hospital bed.
