Hey Descendants!

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Lots of Love,

-Dark-

He settles in the rafter, making himself comfortable as he leans against a support beam.

He had no idea what the fuck the bitch was so happy about, but he knew it wasn't going to be good for someone. Still, it seemed it wasn't happening until morning.

He worries his lip between his teeth, debating whether or not he should head back to the ship. He was concerned about Harry after their conversation. And Uma was going to be livid when she found out that Harry let him wander off.

On the other hand, he wasn't sure Uma would let him come back out once he did return home. He lets out a deep sigh.

What a pain in the ass.

He already knew the answer. Knew it would be selfish to stay when Harry was probably getting chewed out after the day he'd had. He frowns, feeling torn as he turns to look out the window.

He grimaces, his nose crinkling in disgust at the grotesque sight. He still couldn't believe Maleficent had legit put the three heads up on display as a warning. It just seemed- He wasn't sure.

She never struck him as that breed of villain before. She was so, prim and proper about a lot of things. So she was either hella pissed, or hella fucking worried about something or someone encroaching on her title as Mistress of the Isle.

His nose twitches. He was just grateful Mal was the fuck away from this shit. That Carlos and E weren't here to see it. Or to see what he'd devolved into. That he would never have to see the look of disappointment in Jay's eyes.

If Harry thought he was a monster for just thinking about torturing, what the fuck did he think about him killing those sick fucks the way he had? He places a hand on his stomach as it starts to turn.

What was wrong with him? He'd meant it when he'd told him, or was it them, that he hadn't felt anything while he'd done it. Or after it was finished.

Had Frollo been right? Was he some sort of demon? Killing was a cardinal sin, and yet…

He takes a deep breath.

And yet he'd done it with ease.

Hadn't felt the slightest bit of regret or remorse.

Wasn't bothered at all by it.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

He shakes his head as he pulls his eyes away from the grotesque trophies.

It wasn't like he was dead inside or emotionless. He felt shame when he'd talked about it, but he knew that was more from the fact he was pretty sure, whether they admitted it out loud or not, that they were concerned. And why shouldn't they be? Even he could tell there was something off about the lack of anything over killing.

Still, he knew he felt shit. For instance, his guilt was making him want to fucking vomit right now. He knocks his hood down as he scratches his head anxiously.

He was such a fucking ass hole. He lets out a low sigh.

Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with him? He should be fucking happy, shouldn't he? He wasn't alone. He had a real family, one that cared about him, too much on the occasion, and he was fucking it up at every turn.

Why? Why the fuck couldn't he just get his fucking shit together.

Why couldn't he just enjoy the fact he was loved? His frown deepens. Probably cause he knew he didn't deserve it, hadn't earned it. Faustina had.

Shockingly, he hadn't been that forthcoming with Harry. He'd barely scratched the surface.

Sure he was still confused about the situation between him and his sister. His literal other half. But he'd never realized how much of him was actually her before. Everything from the map-making to the lock picking, even the ability to do science and math. The one who avidly read. The one who actually fit in with the four of them. While he didn't seem to fit in with anyone- He grimaces, except with the OVs.

He tries to swallow, but his mouth had dried at the thought.

Harry had mentioned he was afraid of becoming one of them, but didn't he realize who he was talking to? Between the two of them, he was the one treading a very tight rope, flirting with darkness.

How close to the edge was he?

Too close. He knew that much at least. His vision begins to blur at the thought. Even in death, Frollo had managed to fuck him up. He wipes at his eyes viciously.

So not the time and place. So not the time and place. So not the fucking time or place. He smacks his cheeks with his hands in a futile attempt to pull himself from his thoughts.

What's wrong?

Oh god. Why was she out? He frowns his eyes sweeping the room in concern. Great. Just what he needed. What the fuck was she thinking? Whispering to him? It was unnerving even to his own ears. Why the fuck was she out now?

That's rude, T.

He blinks. Had he said that out loud, or was she just able to-

As interesting as that would be- No, I'm not a mind reader. You're just thinking very loudly. Or rather, feeling deeply? It's confusing- I just… I'm not sure. I just, felt your anguish and wanted to- see if I could help? And now you can hear me. So… I don't know really, sorry.

Oh. He grimaces. She could feel-

Fuck him.

Was that why they hadn't been able to communicate with each other lately? He thought it was because they'd been avoiding mirrors-

But was it more than that?

Like, cause they'd both made sure they didn't have time to sit and think too much about shit?

I think so…

His eye twitches. Fucking Christ-

T, don't take the Lord's name in vain like that.

Sorry. He drops his head.

Now, can you please tell me what's wrong? I'm worried about you.

He sighs, part of him feeling crazy but the rest of him felt, he wasn't sure, relieved maybe?

I missed you too.

I didn't say that.

Technically you haven't said anything.

Cute. He rolls his eyes.

I like to think so. Not in these clothes obviously, but, it's not like I have anything else to wear.

He grimaces. Sorry. His gut twists as his eyes drop. He could all but feel her longing for her own clothes. Probably for her own life.

He wouldn't want to be sharing a body with him either.

T, I-

His vision blurs before he reaches up with numb fingers to wipe away tears.

At least this time they weren't his.

They were her's.

Wait, why was she crying?

What's wrong? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you? What h-

I'm crying because it hurts to hear you talk to yourself like that. We might not always get along or agree, but I still love you, T, you're my big brother. My protector-

He stifles a self-deprecating snort.

Some fucking protector. How the fuck can you even stand to think that anymore, let alone say it out loud?

T, I'm really worried about you.

Yeah, he shakes his head.

He was talking to her, his sister not sister-

Not sister?

He winces at the shrillness of her agony.

Same body or not I'm still your sister, that hurts T.

He takes a deep breath unsure of what to do.

That's not what I meant.

He frowns, why did it seem like the only thing he was good at was hurting people lately?

You're my sister. Forever and always, but seriously? Even your socially retarded ass should be able to understand this isn't normal.

He wipes away her tears before he looks up in concern when silence stretches between them.

Faustina?

He frowns.

Where'd you go?

He could still feel her. Close to the edge, but still so far away.

Thank you.

He sighs in relief.

You just, you scared me is all. You've been scaring me a lot lately.

He flinches. He was pretty sure that made the whole family then. Wonderful. He chews his lip as he turns his head away from the window and focuses on the floor beneath him.

Not that he hadn't been scaring himself either.

So you are upset then, about what you've been doing?

That was a loaded question. How the fuck was he supposed to explain why he was upset to her? Explain that it wasn't the deaths upsetting him. Wasn't the fact he'd drugged and slit men's throats in their sleep.

How was he supposed to justify it to her? Her, of all people?

A girl that still believed in a fucking god after what their father had done to both of them in the name of that said god?

Fuck. He grimaces when he realizes she heard all of that.

T, I'm not trying to hurt you, But I won't lie, what you did, what you've done, it's scaring me. Did you even try to think of another way to stop them?

He turns away at the question, stinging as if he'd received a slap to the face.

No. I didn't. I just wanted to stop them. Wanted to protect the ones still suffering at their filthy fucking hands. And that, what I did, was the only way to truly end it. End the cycle of hurt and pain and suffering. Don't you remember? How agonizing it was? How helpless we were? They were fucking monsters, Tina. Real living and breathing monsters. What would you have me do instead?

Silence.

Bring them here. Bring them to Hades. Let one of them handle it. Not murder them in cold blood. Not taint yourself with their evil. Not scare our family.

So they were scared.

Fucking wonderful.

Because they care about you T, you're walking a dark path. I mean, what were you thinking? What toll did that take on you?

He winces before he turns to look at the light fixture.

It didn't.

What do you mean it didn't?

I mean it didn't. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant keeping kids from being used like that. From being degraded and humiliated and made to feel powerless, helpless, from that. Every time.

If I'm feeling anything, if it's taking any toll- It's shame from our family knowing and concern for how little it affected me. I don't even feel guilt, Angel. Not from that at least.

Silence.

You think I'm a monster, don't you? A fucking demon just like he accused me of being.

No T, I really don't. I think you're doing what you feel is right. Righteous as you've always been when it's come to your concern. Doing what others can't or won't, to help. I don't agree with your methods, and am disappointed by the path you chose with this- But I'd never think of you as a demon. Or deign to call you a monster.

That made one of them.

I believe you when you say you didn't take pleasure in it, or feel bad for doing it. Because I know you T, but that doesn't mean I condone it either. It's complicated. I just know I'm worried about you. You've withdrawn so much it scares me.

He sighs as he wipes his eyes again.

You need to stop.

Stop blaming yourself for what happened to us.

You didn't fail. You didn't give up. I never would have survived that on my own. I would've succumbed to that pain, that, that agony without you.

You keep beating yourself up, loathing yourself. But what's tearing me apart is feeling you this way.

I don't know how to help you. Our family doesn't know what's wrong with you.

You know they're scared, worried, concerned, but it's not because of what you've done. They're feeling it for you, not of you. They might not approve of everything you're doing, agree with it. But come now T, do you really think Uma would demand you sleep in their room if she was afraid of you? Would put the rest of the family at risk like that? Think stupid, I know you can. Does that make sense to you?

He blinks.

Actually, when she put it that way-

No, Uma would never risk them like that.

Well, she wouldn't risk us either.

Wouldn't risk family.

Exactly. And please T, for the love of, of, Deez, please stop beating yourself up. The family misses you. I miss you. And this, whatever this is, it isn't you.

So please, for me, just stop blaming yourself for things out of your control. It's not doing you any favors. Isn't doing me any favors. Isn't doing the people I know you care deeply about any favors.

Uma told you to talk to her when you feel this way- Please take her up on that offer. Any of them T, they'd all do it for you.

And I need you to know I don't blame you. Not even a little. Am I upset about the scars it left on us? Yes. But that isn't your fault, it was father's.

He closes his eyes as his hand comes up to squeeze his arm in a bruising grip feeling thoroughly reprimanded by his little- Big-

Little. I'll always be your little sister T. Not everything needs to be questioned. I don't care that you came after me, don't take that away from me. I love you being my big brother. I don't mind giving up the reins to someone bigger and stronger than me. Okay? So please, please just stop and just accept for now, that this is what it is and know I'm okay with that, and I hope one day, hopefully soon, you are too. I love you T. So stop okay? Just stop keeping this stuff in. Or, or I'll do it, talk for you.

His eyes narrow, you wouldn't fucking dare.

Try me.

Deez smiles as she adjusts in Gil's arms to stretch. She'd never been very big on touch before. In fact, she avoided it as much as she could, rather than risk a momentary lack of control and a burn.

Looking back now, she wasn't sure how she'd survived without the physical comfort her family gave her.

It wasn't just sex or family time.

It was the physical comfort of jumping into Gil's arms when she was excited.

The way Uma held her tightly when she was sad or scared.

Harry's obsession with keeping her hair brushed out and braided, holding her in his lap while he fussed.

It was the way she reached for Gil when she needed him, and the warmth she felt when she always found him reaching for her as well.

It was Uma absently rubbing her back. Even Harry's tickle fights.

Her family was big on touch. And apparently, she was too.

She can't help lightly trailing her fingers over the planes of Gil's face. She smiles at his grin.

Was he able to tell she was touching him even in his sleep? She leans up to press a soft kiss to his chin.

"Treasu-" He mumbles softly before he hugs her tighter to his chest and nuzzles into her hair.

Her heart beats strangely as bats flap in her stomach.

This was a hug she really enjoyed, and one the three of them did often with her. Hug her like she was a comfort to them. Squeeze her so tight she could imagine never being let go.

She muffles a contented giggle against his chest.

"I be thinkin' ya were still bein' awake."

She smiles, "Yeah. Feel up to taking a walk with me?" He'd agreed to talk with her earlier when he'd showed her what height to put the rebar at so Gil could have a practice target. Was that possibly why he was still awake? Or was he worried about T?

"Aye." She furrows her brow at his soft chuckle, "if ya can be ah gettin' yerself free, I can be ah walkin' with ya."

She smiles. He clearly had no idea how much practice she had with this.

It takes a few minutes, but she manages to wiggle her way out from under Gil's arms, leaving Uma to be pulled to his chest. She bends over Harry and lightly taps his forehead, "Coming?" She asks as she holds out her hand.

"Ya be ah tricky Treasure," Harry grumbles before he lets her pull him up.

"I be a Pirate Treasure, can you blame me for picking up a few tricks?" She grins before she walks over to the closest wall and slowly heats it, wanting to keep Uma and Gil warm while she was gone. "Mind covering them with his jacket?"

Harry smiles, "Ain'nah ya just ah takin' after Uma with yer motherin'." He teases before he takes the jacket and carefully covers the two.

Once the wall is warm she turns, jumping when a shirt is flung in her face.

"I know ya ain'nah be gettin' cold, but seein' ya bare in the chill be makin' me skin prickle," Harry explains as he pulls his jacket on and heads for the entrance.

She shrugs, pulling the shirt on over her head as she follows him.

They walk in silence past the pool to the thin strip of beach clinging to the sheer cliff.

"You're not okay." She breaks the silence as she slips her hand into his, "And you don't have to talk about it, but I'm worried about you."

Harry chuckles as he pulls her hand up, bending slightly to kiss her palm before he lets their joined hands fall back to their sides, "There just ain'nah no gettin' anythin' past ya."

"Nope." She chirps before she wraps her other arm around his and leans against him, "Are you having trouble with the list? Or what you had to do?"

Harry sighs before he pulls her to a stop, "Mind if we be ah sittin'?" He asks.

She bites her bottom lip before she shakes her head. "I know you like your feet in the water."

"Aye." He chuckles stiffly before he plops to the ground and pulls her into his lap, "An' with ya here ta be me heat I can be ah doin' just that."

She smiles at the hug. The hug that meant he needed to be comforted. She instantly heats up as she turns in his lap to face him, "Do you want to talk?"

His blue eyes stare at her before he leans back and stares out across the dark waves to the ship. "Aye, mayhaps I be needin' to. Ya be our lil' compass after all."

"Aye." She leans forward to peck his cheek, "And Harry, you sound a little lost right now."

"Baby Girl, I be ah feelin' lost." He sighs before he nuzzles against her hair, "But ya be me, Baby Girl, an' I don'nah be knowin' if I can be ah handlin' ya lookin' at me different like."

She frowns as she tilts her head, lifting an arm so she could cup his cheek in one hand, "If you're worried that I'd ever stop looking at you like family, like one of my pirate heroes, you shouldn't. You'll always be my big brother." She sighs, "My big brother that sometimes forces me to talk, so should I be taking lessons from that?"

She smiles when he snorts, "No, don'nah be imitatin' me when I be ah doin' that."

"I can't promise that." She giggles, "It's so effective."

Harry sighs as he starts absently running his fingers through her hair, "I suppose I ain'nah havin' no one ta be ah blamin' but meself."

He falls silent as she watches him watch the waves.

"You didn't do anything to lose yourself." That much she could tell because he wouldn't feel like her same Harry if he had.

He slowly shakes his head, "I can be ah livin' with what I be ah doin'."

She tilts her head to the side before she inches closer to lean against his chest, "So, you can live with what you did, but it sounds like you wish you'd done something different."

Harry takes a slow, deep breath before his arms lock around her, pinning her to his chest, "Aye." He nods, "Aye an' also no."

She nods, "The list is done-"

"Aye, we don'nah be havin' ta be worryin' 'bout that." He quickly assures her, "But, yer Da were keepin' the two he were ah keepin'. An' T were ah makin' ah deal ta be lettin' me be ah dealin' with 'em. But…" He drops his head back against the cliff.

"But something happened, and now you're not the one that took care of it?"

"Aye."

She takes a deep breath before she wraps her arms around his waist, "And you had plans."

Harry twitches before he pulls her back to look down at her, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looks her over in surprise, "Aye, but how can ya be ah connectin' them dots?"

She grimaces as she looks up at him, wishing she had her notebook so she could try to write out her thoughts for him. She'd been doing a lot of that lately, trying to get better at not only showing her work in Math but figuring out her patterns and dot-connecting in life as well.

"I, well you always have plans. You make fun of Jay for it, but I think I could always tell it was just something you did. Like pretending to be drunk all the time." She chuckles, "I also know Uma would never have wanted you for her number one if you didn't always have the next step ready."

Harry blinks down at her before he crushes her to his chest again, "Ya be ah seein' more than ya be ah tellin' all these years, Lil' Compass." He sighs.

"If you're not wanting to tell me what your plans were, you don't have to." She offers after a few moments.

"Well, then aye, I were havin' plans, but I ain'nah gettin' ta be doin' me plans. An' I honestly don'nah be knowin' if I be scared o' how pissed that be ah makin' me, or happy I did'nah be ah gettin' the chance ta be doin' it."

"Sounds like you might be both."

"Aye, mayhaps I be both."

She rolls her lip between her teeth, "I think I'm happy you didn't get the chance to do what you were planning'."

"Aye?" He sighs.

"Well, yeah. If you're scared over how pissed you felt and happy you didn't get the chance, then you probably didn't really want to do what you were planning." She falls silent, "Are you afraid it would have made you a monster?"

He nods, but doesn't say anything.

"You're not a monster Harry. A Sweet Boy once told me monsters don't tear themselves up over fearing being a monster."

"Sweet Boy be ah tellin' ya that huh?" Harry chuckles lightly.

"Aye. And after givin' it some thought, I agree." She pulls back to look up into his eyes, "Isn't that the biggest difference? Everyone here is doing what they have to do, or is at least doing what they have to do to survive this place. It took me a while to see that. To see that even I was just doing what I had to do." She runs her hand through his hair, knowing how much it soothed him.

"I know it's different, I know you can argue this hundreds of ways, but I really think it comes down to one simple fact, Monsters don't question what they've done, or what they want to do." She smiles, "So you can't be a monster, no matter what your plans were, because opportunity or not, you're tearing yourself up over what you could have done."

Harry presses her back to his chest, but she catches his contemplative look.

"Thank you." He whispers before he hugs her tightly and nuzzles into her hair, "That, that be ah takin' some sting away."

Deez smiles, "Good. I don't like it when you're hurting, but I understand you have to be the one to change your mind." She sighs, "Good luck, I feel like that took me forever."

Harry chuckles as he continues to rub his cheek through her hair, "Aye Baby Girl, ya be ah stubborn one ta be sure."

"I learned it from all of you." She teases before she yawns.

"I ain'nah bein' so sure we can be ah takin' all the credit for that streak o' yours." Harry grunts as he stands with her in his arms, "Come on, afore Gil be ah comin' ta find ya an' usin' me ta practice weildin' his new scary hammer."

Deez chuckles as she wraps her arms around Harry's neck. Maybe she'd been fighting off sleep because of how worried she was for him, but now that she at least understood what was bothering him, she had to admit she was tired. "I'll always love you, Harry, all of us will. I hope you know that."

"Aye Baby Girl, I be ah spendin' too much time tellin' ya that ta be ah forgettin' it meself." Harry holds her up to nuzzle her again, "But thank you, an' course I be ah lovin' ya too."

Sup Fam!

How bout that convo between T and Faustina?

What did you guys think?

We hope you at least somewhat enjoyed it because book 5 is loaded with the bro/sis shit.

Anyways,

That conversation between Deez and Harry was a long time coming, wasn't it?

It was nice that D was the one giving the advice and encouraging someone else to talk wasn't it?

Lot's of growth in this chapter to be sure.

One more to go! Then a two-week hiatus before we start posting Book Four: Defending the Mask!

Much love and appreciation

-Twisted