Hey Descendants,

Sorry again! So I sat down to post this like a hundred or so times today and kept getting called away.

Without any pomp or circumstance...

Lots of love,

-Dark-

He smiles as he continues to carve the piece of wood in his hands.

He wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it sooner. Making Faustina something, but he was happy to have thought about it today.

Even if it had been in the middle of their class while he was supposed to be working on History, but when he saw Deez clutching at her necklace absently, it was hard to get the thought out of his head.

Uma would probably be upset if she knew he'd spent most of the class trying to figure out what to carve for her. But once it was there, he couldn't knock away the thought.

It had taken the whole class, but he was proud of what he'd settled on. It was going to take some time, a lot of detail work, and he'd need to find or figure out a way to make a chain- But he was pretty sure she'd at least appreciate it. If for no other reason than the fact she was the most girly-ish girl he'd ever met. And what type of girl didn't like jewelry? Even Mal wore rings and necklaces.

"Almost finished." Deez smiles as she lifts her head from the pages in front of her, "She explained it so vividly, it was wonderful to listen to her tell it." She taps the top of her pen against the table.

He looks up, "I'm excited to read it, you've been so quiet about what it is you're working on." He chuckles. "All you've said was it's a story she told you." He grins, "I haven't seen you this passionate about something you've written in a while."

Deez bites her lip before her eyes drop back to the story she was writing, "I uh, well, I just um, she-" She looks up at him before she tilts her head, "What ya workin' on? It's been a while since I last saw you working with wood."

Huh.

Usually Deez was a lot more subtle with her deflections.

Or was less dodgy about it.

That was curious.

Odd and curious.

His eyes brighten with amusement. Whatever it was she was working on, being secretive about was bound to be interesting. He just hoped she'd let him read it before she shipped it off to the Prince.

He glances at the hammock, making sure Faustina was still sleeping. When he's satisfied that she was he turns back to Deez with a grin, "A rolled map. A tiny one. I was gonna ask if you wanted to help me with some metal work the next time we went to the cove. But since you asked, I wanna make her some tokens to put on an ankle bracelet. Ones that represent each of us."

"Oh, wow." Deez takes a soft breath, "Gil, that sounds amazing." He smiles when her hand grips her shell, "I- I know it's helped me, having the reminder." Her eyes drift to the hammock, "And I'd love to help."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He grins. "Cause some of the pieces would look a lot better if they were made of metal."

"Think Uma will let us go to the cove later?" Deez asks, hardly able to keep still in her chair as she kicked her legs under the table.

"I don't see why not." He shrugs. "We finished everything we were supposed to get done today."

"I uh, I have one more thing I have to do." She frowns as she looks down.

He tilts his head to the side, "What is it? I can help so we head out quicker."

"I was hoping you'd offer." Deez admits with a small smile, "I wanted to see if having an eraser would help anyways."

He chuckles, "So what are we doing?"

"Uma told me to work on five problems a day." She shrugs before her eyes drop back to the paper in front of her.

"Oh," He frowns, "I can try, but I'm still several chapters behind you." He leans over and kisses her temple. "But I can help distract you if you get overwhelmed again."

"When." Deez sighs.

"If." He corrects her gently.

Deez smiles up at him, "Thanks for the confidence."

"Of course." He places a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Careful, don't want to make me forget the ending of the story, do you?" She smiles, teasing him before she kisses him back.

"Can't be having that," He chuckles as he leans back in his chair and gets back to his own project.

She laughs softly before she bends over the pages and starts writing again. Her pen scratching out across the surface rhythmically.

He sighs contentedly. He wasn't sure when the sound of her writing had started to soothe him, but it did.

Just like the sound of him playing his flute soothed her.

He loved that they could work like this. Close, but on their own projects. He loved Harry and Uma but both of them would have started talking by now.

He frowns when the sound stops, and when he looks up he sees her holding the pages up, her eyes darting over her work as her lips move silently.

He grins. It was always so adorable when she did that. He turns back to the wood, not wanting to interrupt her.

"Okay." She finally speaks up again before she taps the few pages to the table.

He quickly places down his knife and the wood before he reaches out for it, "Finally," He grins, "I've been excited since you told me about it. You've never kept any of your stories away from me this long."

She blinks as his hand before she looks up at him, surprising him when she stands and takes his hand to pull him up too.

He looks down at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I- I only have this copy, and I didn't take any notes-" She bites her lip before she pulls him around the table and to a hammock on the opposite side of the bed from Faustina, "I just wanted you to know I'm giving you the only copy. It's yours."

He tilts his head to the side, "Mine?" He blinks. This was getting even more curious- "I thought you've been working on it for the Prince?" She'd been so excited since she'd started writing this piece. Why was he being given the only copy? He smiles, confused or not it made warmth fill his chest.

"Sorry, I know it doesn't make sense yet." She sighs, "It's a story that has you in it."

"Wait," His brow furrows, "I thought it was a story Faustina told you?" He could feel how fast her heart was beating. How hard.

This was becoming more and more curious by the minute.

"It is."

"Huh." He turns to look at Faustina, trying to think about the time he'd spent with her. It hadn't been much. Was it about the time she pretended to be T? His frown deepens. That didn't make sense, not with how excited Deez was.

How anxious she was.

He couldn't remember ever seeing Deez this flustered before.

It was cute.

Cute, but also very confusing.

"So, I uh," She shoos him to the hammock, "It's probably not a pleasant memory, but I- I think I know you well enough to know you're going to be interested in it anyways." She looks down at the pages in her hand as he settles, "I was wondering if it would be okay if I stay with you while you read it?"

Not a pleasant memory- With Faustina. How? He couldn't name one time he'd spent with Faustina being that bad. Not that there was much to remember. He chews his lip as he watches Deez worriedly shuffle the pages, fingering the edges anxiously.

He couldn't recall a time his Treasure had ever been this uncertain about one of her pieces. Was he missing something? Sea Gods he wanted to know.

His curiosity was beyond piqued.

"Of course," He grins, how could he deny those gorgeous blue guppy eyes. "If you want to, might take me a minute though, it looks like you wrote a lot."

"I do." She nods, "I think it's a beautiful story, and I love how just being you has helped others."

He tilts his head to the side before he glances at Faustina. He'd helped her? When? He returns his gaze to Deez as he smiles. She looked like he was about to give her a gift, or maybe she was giving him one? Either way he couldn't help his excitement.

Deez shakes her head before she hands him the pages and carefully crawls into the hammock with him. "Sorry, I should have just let you read it and just been here." She sighs as she straddles him and folding her arms over his chest before she rests her chin on them.

"I've never seen you this nervous about me reading something before." He chuckles as he wraps one arm around the middle of her back and holds her close before he dips his head to place a chaste kiss on the top of her head.

It was adorable to see her looking so self-conscious over something he just knew was going to be amazing. How couldn't it be with the amount of time she spent on it? With how nervous she was about it?

If nothing else, whatever was hidden in these pages was going to well worth the wait. Of that he was sure

"To be fair, I've never written about something that was so personally important to you." She admits, "So nervous, a little worried about being presumptuous, but mostly just really hoping I don't come across as a bitch for writing about this."

He chokes on his snort, "I really doubt you could come off that way, Treasure." He assures her doing a poor job of hiding his amusement.

"I hope so, but that's why it was important to me that you know this is the only copy. You don't like the story, destroy it. I promise it won't hurt my feelings, but again, I hope I know you well enough that, though it might not be your favorite memory, it's probably one that's stuck with you because of how odd it was," She smiles, "And because you're sweet, and so was she."

Stuck with him because of how odd it was?

His eyes narrow. Sweet, huh? He was a lot of things when he was little. But he doubted Sweet was in the top twenty.

He knew Uma referred to him as her Sweet Boy, but that had come after the hissing and spitting.

So what instance could she possibly be referring? And-

He turns to glance at Faustina. What could T's sister, other half, possibly have to do with it?

How long ago had this incident happened precisely?

He was pretty sure he'd remember- No.

It couldn't be.

That was impossible.

There was no way-

His eyes widen as he pulls Deez to snuggle in the crook of his arm, the anticipation nearly killing him.

He swallows, mouth suddenly dry before he finally pulls the pages close enough to read. His eyes scan over the first few lines before he stops and pulls Deez tighter.

No. Fucking. Way.

He turns to look over at Faustina in shock.

He didn't need to read the rest of the story to know how it ended.

He remembered that day. It was hard to forget.

It plagued him for years. He'd been so afraid that she'd been killed, or something like what happened to Harry happened to her.

No one that kind could survive without being eaten alive.

Especially with her being so pretty.

He'd spent months looking for her after that. Had even asked Uma to help find her. But he didn't even have a name to ask about, ask if anyone had ever heard about her. And since he'd barely been able to look at her at the time it had been hard to remember more than the fact she'd had the softest eyes he'd ever seen. How he had not remembered they were green was just a testament to how upset he'd been. But no name and no description made any kind of search impossible. And on the isle, it wasn't like he could go around asking about the 'kind' girl.

Uma had been kind to him, and had taken to him like a barnacle to a ship. But that was over months of them interacting in school and random run ins. And even then, she was still Uma: hard, and strong, and loud.

But Faustina? He'd never met anyone like her. So shy. So soft and kind out of the blue. She hadn't even said anything about his crying, besides he was too pretty to do so. It had embarrassed the shit out of him at the time.

But after Uma'd started calling Harry Pretty Boy, and continued to for so long, it was hard to think she'd been trying to make fun of him and made the memory an even fonder one.

It had been so long ago.

The fact that she still remembered that day shook him.

She couldn't have spent more than thirty minutes with him, and even then she'd been gone for half of that time, looking for clothes.

Sure it had been hard for him to forget it, but he'd been the one getting the help. The one who'd gotten comforted and soothed.

At least that was how he remembered it. He blinks away the sting in his eyes.

He looks back at the pages, his eyes quickly scanning over the rest of it like he was starving and it was a pile of cheesy eggs.

It was fucking insane.

He'd spent so long looking for her, only for her other half to stumble over him years later. Not that he ever knew.

Did Dag-T? Had he known? Known that he was the kid Faustina had helped?

Sea Gods. She'd been so tall back then. Back when he'd been the runt of the family. Back before he finally got his growth spurt. And then running into T after that, he'd seemed smaller.

Not that he would have thought to compare him to the mysterious girl from his past. T was just, T.

Sure he'd been kind when they met. Defended him. And the undeniable fact, at the time at least, that he was a boy.

How could he ever have equated the two? He never would have imagined they were the same person.

Well, not really the same person. They just shared a body.

When he gets to the last sentence he starts over again in disbelief. Dumb struck.

He looks between the sleeping girl and the pages again, before he rereads it a third time.

How? He'd seriously never thought he'd meet her again. After a while he even started to believe he'd made her up.

He needed to show Uma; show Harry. God knew he'd talked their ears off about her for Sea Gods only knew how long after their meeting.

He looks down at Deez. "You're the best." He leans down to kiss her forehead before he holds her close and rolls out of the hammock.

"So, good story then?" She smiles tentatively up at him.

"The best." He kisses her again. "You have no idea-" He shakes his head as he wipes at his eyes vigorously.

The hand at her throat drops her shell before she wraps her arms around his neck, "I was hoping you'd love it more than be hurt by it. I- I kind of remember Uma telling me a long time ago that you liked searching for angels, and I mean, when Faustina told me the story, it just kind of clicked and I- I wanted to write it down for you."

He squeezes her tightly to his chest. "Thank you. So much!" He kisses her passionately, feeling so grateful for her for knowing him well enough to know that he'd want to know.

He doubted she even remembered him mentioning her- Faustina. She'd been so young, only coming around with Uma. He didn't remember even mentioning the girl to her. But apparently Uma had. His chest bubbles with warmth. He doubted he'd ever have asked the right questions for Faustina to share the story.

But his Treasure had.

He squeezes her harder. "Just thank you."

She smiles as she runs her fingers through his hair, "I doubt I'll ever write a more important story than the one you two share." She looks over to the hammock before she turns her blue eyes back on him, "Because it makes me happy that something I wrote is making you so bouncy, and kissy, and happy. I couldn't wait to share it with you, but then I just wanted so bad to get it perfect, and- well you know how over-thinky I get."

"You did- Get it perfect I mean." He kisses her deeply. "So perfect."

She squeaks happily before she presses back against his lip.

He grins before he moves her to his hip and rushes to the door, exuberant in his desire to share the news with Uma and Harry. He skids to a halt when he gets to where they were sparring.

"Sweet Boy, what's wrong?" Uma furrows her brow before she stows her sword back into its fabric sheath.

"Faustina or T be awakin' up?" Harry asks, his eyes wide as he looks over his shoulder.

"Nuh-ah." He grins brightly. "Even better." He exclaims before he races to Uma, "You're not gonna believe what Deez found out!" He extends the pages, "Look!"

Uma tilts her head as she looks down at the paper, her eyes running back and forth over the lines.

"What our Treasure be ah findin' out?" Harry whines before he moves behind Uma to read over her shoulder.

Gil bounces happily, as he waits for the dots to connect.

Uma was the first to grin. "You're fucking kidding me." She looks up in surprise.

"What?" Harry asks as he looks between the three of them impatiently.

"I found the angel Gil was searching for apparently." Deez grins.

"Seriously?" Uma stares at the two of them in amazement.

He nods emphatically.

"Angel?" Harry questions as he pulls the pages from Uma's hands, "When the Sweet Boy be ah searchin' for angels?"

Uma chuckles, "Long time back, around when I finally got you boys to join me." She explains to Harry before she turns to him, her eyes on Deez. "Sea Gods Baby Girl, I'm surprised you even remember me telling you that."

"Who be the angel then?"

Deez pouts, "Do you ever actually read what I write?"

"Aye, when ya be writin' me my stories." Harry grins as he winks at her.

"Ah." Deez shakes her head, "That sounds right." She giggles before she looks up at him, "Tell him, or he's gonna start crumpling the paper in frustration."

Gil snatches the paper out of Harry's hands at the warning holding it to his chest protectively.

"Come on Pretty Boy," Uma wraps an arm around Harry's waist, "let's finish this story in the cabin."

"Aye." Harry nods as he looks between the three of them, wrapping one arm around Uma's shoulder to urge her to walk quicker while he pushes Gil's shoulder with the other.

Gil grins as he quickly bounds back to the cabin, squeezing his precious Treasure to him, skidding into their room as he turns and looks at the two stragglers with excitement shining in his eyes.

Harry was about to slam the door shut, but Uma snakes her hand out to grab it, ducking out from under Harry to close it quietly, "Seriously Pretty Boy? All that work to get her to sleep and you almost ruin it."

He chuckles as he bounces on his feet, "It was Faustina! She's been under our noses the whole time!"

"Aye?" Harry furrows his brow, "We did'nah be ah knowin' T be ah havin' ah softer side?" He glares, "But angel?"

"Super soft." He chuckles again.

"Gil!" Harry quietly snaps.

"He just told you." Uma grins mischievously.

Harry opens his mouth to argue as he turns to Uma, but instead turns back to him, "Faustina? Faustina be the kind girl ya were ravin' about? The one be gettin' ya clothes?"

Gil nods emphatically continuing to bounce. "Yeah." He grins broadly.

"That be the story she be ah tellin' ya?"

"Part of it." Deez grins as she rests her head against his shoulder.

"Ya be wantin' ta elaborate?" Harry grimaces.

Uma chuckles as she walks over to Faustina, her eyes sweeping over her in amazement before she turns to look back at them as she leans against the post where the hammock was hanging from.

"I didn't know there was more." He states as he looks down at Deez.

Deez smiles up at him and nods, "Not really a complete story, but she explained how she knew who you were. She'd seen you-" She turns to Uma and Harry, "She'd seen all of us. Us, the Rottens, everyone T ever followed. Cause she's the reason he chose us. She's kind of been an angel for all of us for years. She saw you carrying me around Uma, hated it when we stopped walking that way because-"

He frowns before he runs a thumb over her shoulder encouragingly.

Deez blinks before she turns to him again, "She saw you go to church with your father and brothers. Saw Harry when he first started hanging out with you Uma. She's going to tell me all the stories, and she said I could write them."

He turns to look at Faustina again in disbelief. He could barely remember his father bringing them there. He'd been so young. How much older than him was she exactly? Definitely older than the rest of the family.

Harry grins as he watches Faustina, "Do I be ah knowin' how ta be ah pickin' 'em or what?" He preens as he proudly rests his fists on his hips.

Uma turns from Faustina back to Harry, "No fucking kidding…" She shakes her head, her face reflecting his disbelief.

Gil chuckles giddily as he bounces on the balls of his feet. Excited all over again before he turns and kisses Deez passionately, grinning at her surprised squeak before she instantly relaxes into him, returning the kiss.

When he pulls back for air his heart skips a beat at her dazed look. He can't help the satisfied grin over the fact he could kiss her thoughts away.

Deez blinks up at him a few time before she rolls her lips over her teeth, "I had an important question for you." She admits sheepishly.

He tilts his head, waiting for her to continue.

"I said 'had', Eraser." She chuckles as she taps the palm of her hand to her forehead.

His satisfied grin returns with fervor.

"Something about Faustina and Gil's first meeting?" Uma prompts with a snicker.

Deez stares at him for a full five seconds before she blinks again, "Oh! I wanted to know if it was okay for me to share with the Prince? Show how far back some of the goodness here really goes."

"Sure," He nods, "As long as I get to keep mine." He grins down at the pages to his chest protectively.

She smiles before she nods and wraps her arms around his neck, "Mind if I borrow it to make sure I don't miss anything when I rewrite it?"

He shakes his head, "Not at all." He grins down at her. So unbelievably happy that she'd managed to get the story from the shy girl that now belonged to them.

He was so excited to have the chance to talk to Faustina about the incident, and finally get to thank her properly. He looks back to her sleeping form, still in disbelief of how close to her he'd been the whole time. Right under their noses. How crazy was that?

He squeezes Deez to him tighter as he nuzzles into her hair, so grateful to her for finding the missing Angel. Apparently, he smiles, all of their Angels. After all, he couldn't count the number of times T had protected their asses, or even saved them. All thanks to a shy girl who watched over the isle from a window.

Yo,

So what did ya'll think?

Good lead up?

Was it what you were expecting from the title?

Deez was nervous AF to share that story with Gil and can you blame her with our resident big guy? As soft and sweet as Gil is, he really hates anything emasculating and that story pretty much sums up that definition. Were you surprised by his reaction?

Isn't Deez just the cutest when she's excited?

And Uma? She's like fucking shook that the 'angel' actually existed. And Harry, well Harry couldn't be a prouder pirate.

Learn anything new?

Let us know

In the comments below!

Much love and appreciation,

-Twisted