OMG!

Sorry fellow Descendants! I have been going none stop today helping my sister get ready for her son's 4th birthday tomorrow. February... Such a busy month.

Special shout out to Twisted and her husband who are celebrating their wedding anniversary tomorrow, technically, their 1st. ;)

And back to the story...

Gil brought the lost Treasure back to the ship where the Sea Three reveled in being reunited with her. But what's going to happen when she finally wakes up after that epic crash?

Enjoy

-Dark-

Deez twitches away from the light before she panics. What happened? Where was she? When had she fallen asleep? Was she hidden?

She squeezes her eyes closed tighter when she realizes there were people pressed into either side of her. Touching her. Holding on to her so tightly she could barely move.

The questions tumble around in her mind as she clutches at the shell around her neck, the familiar token bringing her a small sense of relief as she struggles to untangle herself.

Hadn't she been at Yensid's? She takes a deep breath before her heart freezes.

Salt. Leather. Spice. Candles. The light scent of frying oil. Wood.

No.

Her lower lip trembles as she opens her eyes to Uma, Harry, and Gil curled around her. Her chest warms even as her stomach plummets.

Why was she here? Why was she putting them in danger? How had she ended up between them like this?

"Deez?" The three of them greet her in concern, sleep coating their familiar tones.

Gil's arm tightens around her, pulling her closer to his chest in such a familiar way that she reflexively relaxed before she tenses. No. She shouldn't be here. They were going to get hurt.

She could feel Uma follow her warmth, scooting closer to fill the void Gil left.

Harry's hand in her hair scratches her scalp soothingly as he curls behind Uma.

Could they find a way to get closer together? Closer to her? Was there a way their bodies could be more protective around her? Could form a better shield to try and protect her from the rest of the isle? She doubted they even realized they'd done it, had made a safe space for her. That was just how they were.

Her eyes burn as her breath hitches in her throat. She'd missed this so damn much.

"How?" She blinks in confusion as she frees herself enough to turn back and see the pile she'd been under. Her lips curve into a small smile. No wonder she'd felt so warm and comforted. Even waking up in a panic, she'd wanted nothing more than to fall back asleep in the safety of their confining hold. To forget what was haunting her.

Was she dreaming? This certainly felt like a dream. To be safe in their arms. Secure in their bed. Protected. Remembered. Cared for. Loved. And so, so, so much more.

Not snuggling into them and accepting their affection was a fight she was currently losing. One she wanted to lose. But she knew better.

It felt too good to be true. She looks them over, finding herself incapable of using her voice. Her throat was too tight. Too afraid to hurt them with the truth. That she shouldn't be here. That it was dangerous to be near her. But it wouldn't come out.

Dread fills her. This dream could turn into a nightmare at any second. That's why she couldn't- Why she shouldn't let them make it better. Why she should run, run away and keep them safe.

What was she going to do if Maleficent found her here? What would the Mistress of Evil do to her family? Do to the people hiding her? The people she loved? A rock plummets in her gut.

Her chest spasms painfully. No. She shakes her head. No, no. No! She couldn't put them at risk like this.

"Deez!" They suddenly trap her with hugs all over again, holding on to her desperately as if she might disappear.

What would Maleficent do to them? "No!" Her heart thuds painfully in her chest as she tries to make sense of what was happening, to clear her head enough to fight the urge to lay her problems at Uma's feet. She didn't want to forget her desire to keep them safe. Her hands traitorously reach for them, holding them to her as desperately as they were clinging to her.

So when they pull away from her, looking as hurt as she felt she lets out a gasping cry. Her hand slaps over her chest, wrapping around the shell. Her anchor. Made so painstakingly beautiful by their Anchor. Her Anchor.

"What's wrong Baby Girl?" Uma asks as she untangles herself from her reluctantly.

"I- I can't- How did I get here?" It hurt so much to even try and explain when everything in her cried out for their touch, for their comfort. Even now her hand not shaking around the shell was seeking them. Wanting their touch, their reassurance. But she shouldn't be here, shouldn't be putting them in danger like this, "No!" She cries out as she pulls her hand away, fisting it before she holds it to the pain under her ribs at the sudden loss of contact with them, "I don't- I can't- Maleficent! Maleficent is looking-"

"Aye." Harry interrupts with a hard glance. As if warning her not to do what she was about to do.

"Yensid said he took care of it," Gil whispers into her hair after he pulls her to his chest again. His arms as tight as a vice around her as if he were afraid, and rightly so, that she might run.

Deez lets her head fall to his chest. A sigh escapes her lips before she blinks, feeling her lashes brush against his skin, "Wait- What?" She bites her bottom lip. She'd wanted to keep Yensid out of the mess too, and he took care of it? What had she missed? How long had she been asleep?

Gil nuzzles against her hair before he moves her to his lap in the center of the bed. Harry and Uma both crowding them as they joined either side of him. "Yensid said that she owed him favors and he canceled out one of her favors for you like that." He informs her with a grin, "He's pretty sure she wanted you to protect her from T."

She frowns when Harry and Uma tilt their heads towards Gil. As if that had been news to them too.

"Wait! T's still here! Irk told me." Deez rolls to her knees as she stumbles over herself to explain, "He escaped from her dungeon, but I don't know where he went after that. I was trying to find him. Or be where- I was trying to- But then-" she gulps in a breath as she shakes her head. She'd wanted to get to them, but then she'd been afraid of what would happen if she'd been seen. "The past couple of days are so blurry."

Uma pales before she looks to Harry in concern.

"We've been looking for the two of you since the Rottens left." Gil frowns, "You scared the shit out of us Deez, we were so afraid- Afraid that you'd left us. Without sayin' bye." He squeezes her tighter, as she notices for the first time that he was shaking just as much as she was.

She glances from Harry to Uma. They were all shaking.

Tears fall down her cheeks as her grip around the shell tightens and she buries her face, "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean- mean to scare- I tried to get to the chip shop, but I-" She reaches out for Uma's hand, sighing in relief when she immediately takes her hand in hers and laces their fingers together, "I tried, I really tried, and I'm sorry I couldn't- The dock- I tired. And then Irk warned me-"

"Sssh, it's okay Baby Girl." Uma soothes as she pets her cousin's hair, chuckling tightly, "All that matters is that you're back here, safe, with us. Where you belong."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want- I was afraid she'd hurt-" A sob rips from her throat as she looks at each of them, her heart aching at the thought that she, despite her best efforts, had done exactly that, "I never want to hurt you."

"We be ah knowin' that Princess," Harry assures her as he kneels behind her and places a gentle kiss at the top of her head.

"We love you too," Gil assures her softly, his warm breath brushing the top of her head. "Ya didn't hurt us-"

"So much as drive us up the wall with worry, and scare the shit out of us." Uma continues as she plays with her hair absently.

"I saw them leave Uma, and all I could think of was getting to you. That you'd make everything okay." Was it okay? Yensid never lied. Was she okay? Would Maleficent track her down? Hurt her family? "I wanted to get back to you all. I just wanted to come-" Her voice breaks as she pulls Uma closer, hating every inch of space between them. She wraps her arms around the other girl, "I just wanted to come home. But I didn't want to- I started getting so confused. But I didn't want to set her on you guys."

Tears gather in Uma's eyes as she clings back to her just as hard. Her shoulder's shaking as she nuzzles into her neck. Feeling the cool tears roll off her warm skin.

Uma. Her sister. Her mother. Her everything. She melts as the smell of salt, leather, and lavender envelop her. Her fight drains from her as she joins Uma in her tears. Letting loose the emotions she'd held a tight rein on. She sobs as Uma joins her in the safety and comfort of Gil's lap.

"That's right." Gil's heavy hand drops to her head firmly, "You are home. Where you belong. With us. You're family Deez, and it's time you finally got used to it because we're not letting you go again. The last couple of days, while we had no clue where you were was hell. Hell, Deez. I don't think the isle would be able to handle it if you disappear on me- Us. if you did that to us again. You're our Treasure. Ours."

Deez shakes her head against his chest and Uma's shoulder, "I don't want to disappear again. I want to stay." She pulls back enough to look up at Uma, "I don't want to be alone anymore."

"Aye, that be a good lass." Harry nuzzles into her hair.

"That's what I needed to hear." Gil nods in approval as he lets his hand drop before it wraps around her again.

Uma chuckles, "What they're sayin'." She kisses her on the corner of her lips. "You're ours like we're yours."

"Aye, we be ah needin' ya, jus' as much as ya be ah missin' us," Harry whispers into her hair lovingly. His hands rub her arms up and down gently in reassurance.

Deez laughs before she pulls Harry closer, nearly shoving his face into Gil. She was finally starting to forget her fears and the weakness she'd felt before.

The Sea Three still loved her. Her family still loved her. Still wanted her. She was so happy her chest hurt, but it was finally a good kind of hurt.

"Oh, this surge o' affection be ah meanin' we can be ah huggin' ya again then?" Harry chuckles, taking her yank as an invitation.

"I'll take all the hugs I can get," She admits with a blush as she wraps her other arm tightly around Harry.

Gil squeezes the three of them, easily pulling them all into a hug. "Finally." He breathes out in relief.

She'd talk to them about it all later, figure it all out.

For now it sounded like the biggest threat against her was over. Maleficent wasn't summoning her. And though she still had one favor left to cash in on, for now she could stay with her family. At least until she'd figured something else out. If she needed to figure something else out.

But she'd faced down and lived through a brief reality where she truly believed she'd lost everyone, and like Gil, she never wanted to feel like that again.

She'd deal with being uncomfortable or unsure of herself over that any day. They loved her, and she loved them, and even if she messed up, she knew she would always be able to count on that.

She rubs her shoulder over her face before she grimaces. There she went, just smearing the grime around more.

FINALLY!

It only took forever amiright?

For all the dots she can connect, D is kinda clueless when it comes to things concerning herself isn't she?

But fuck yeah, for now and forever, introducing the Sea Four.

Who else is letting out a breath of relief that she didn't run from them? Trusted them. Called them family. Called them home.

We know this was another short chapter, but it was just so powerful we felt like adding anything else to it would just cheapen the poignancy of this scene.

Were you as thrilled to read this as we were to write it? Some light to chase away the darkness that is sure to come?

So, what did you guys think of this chapter?

Let us know

In the comments below

Much love and appreciation

-Twisted-