Chapter Twenty-Three

(Brief song lyrics in this chapter from "Secret" by the Pierces.)

My smile slipped away. Marriage?! "I'm sorry, Hans, but this is going too fast," I said sincerely, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I really do care for you, it's just I'm not ready for marriage yet. Besides we just met less than a week ago!"

"I understand," he said but I could detect a bit of sadness, and - could that be relief? Strange. He suddenly cupped my face and kissed me full on the lips, surprising me. The kiss was sweet, and tasted wonderful, but somehow felt... wrong. Pushing the thought aside, I pulled away and smiled. Hans stood up and helped me to my feet.

"Don't mind us," said Catherine grabbing my attention once more, "We'll just stay here and rest for a while." The sisters were leaning against each other still gasping for air.

"Do you two need anything?" I inquired.

"Dry clothes would be nice," said Alyss twisting her hair to get the water out of it.

"We'll be right back," I said then leaned in and hugged them both, "And thanks for your help!"

Together, Hans and I walked back to his castle.

Danny had gotten steadily worse to the point he couldn't even leave his bed anymore. Despite Sam's best efforts, the medicine she gave him didn't seem to be working and it worried her. As of now she was sitting at the edge of his bed, placing a cool cloth over his sweaty brow. Even under the covers he was shaking. His blue eyes were open swimming in and out of focus as he muttered under his breath.

"Got a secret

Can you keep it?

Swear this one you'll save"

He had been repeating this for the past couple of days on an endless loop when he was awake, which made Sam uneasy. It just seemed foreboding.

"Better lock it in your pocket

Taking this one to the grave"

"Sam?"

She turned to see Danny's parents, sister, and cousin standing in the doorway.

"If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said

'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead"

"How is my baby boy doing?" Maddie Fenton asked, putting on a brave face.

Sam pursed her lips and shook her head. She didn't want to tell them her suspicions. Maddie's lip trembled and she broke down sobbing.

"Why do you smile like you've been told a secret?

Now you're telling lies 'cause you have sworn to keep it"

Jack took his wife away, leaving Jazz and Dani with Sam.

"He's not going to make it, is he?" Jazz said quietly. Again, Sam shook her head.

"But no one keeps a secret

No one keeps a secret"

"I told him," said the Goth girl, "I told him if he allowed his guilt to continue eating away at him, he would get worse. I guess it was just too much."

"Why when we do our darkest deeds do we tell?

They burn in our brains, become a living hell"

Danielle moved forward and leaned over Danny. "Hey, cuz," she said not entirely sure if he heard her, "We need you to get better, okay? If not for us, or yourself, then for Aralyne."

"Because everybody tells

Everybody tells"

Nothing seemed to have clicked with him. With a sigh, Dani turned to leave, but then Danny's mutterings stopped and he latched onto her tiny arm.

"Aralyne," he said hoarsely his gaze focusing on his cousin.

"Danny?" Jazz and Sam said simultaneously, surprised.

"Go get Aralyne," Danny said, "Please."

He suddenly released the twelve-year-old and returned to muttering.

"Got a secret

Can you keep it?

Swear this one you'll save"

"Get Aralyne? But where would we find her?" Dani inquired looking up at the older females.

"Better lock it in your pocket

Taking this one to the grave"

"Mama Odie would know," said Jazz, "Now hurry! Go!"

Dani transformed into Phantom and took off.

"If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said

'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead"

Flying at 112 mph, it didn't take very long for the young girl to get to Mama Odie's boat in a tree in the bayou. "Mama Odie?"

"Come in, child," said Mama Odie who was standing at her tub, stirring gumbo with a large wooden spoon.

"I'm sorry, Mama Odie, but I don't have much time," said the child, "I'm looking for Aralyne and don't know where she might be!"

Turning her head to the young girl, Mama Odie laughed and said, "Aralyne! I haven't seen her in ages! You tell that girl to come visit her Mama!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Dani a bit impatiently.

Mama Odie then faced the tub again and said, "Where is Aralyne? Hmm... Gumbo, gumbo in the pot, we need the savior. What you got?"

The gumbo started glowing and Dani moved closer peering into the tub. There was an image of Aralyne over in a far off country and words flashed below the picture: Southern Isles!

"The Southern Isles?" Dani said in confusion. Why would Aralyne be over there? She shook her head. It didn't matter. "Thanks, Mama Odie!" she exclaimed before flying out of the boat. She didn't care how long it took, but she wasn't going to stop until she got to Aralyne! Danny's life depended on it!

Flynn and Tulio had sailed aimlessly, not knowing where Aralyne had gone to and ended up off the coast of the Southern Isles. Tulio stared out at the kingdom. He couldn't believe he was back here, especially after all these years. He had sworn he would never return. From where he stood, he saw the royal ship docking and many people in elegant clothing leaving the boat.

Flynn knew how he was feeling. Of course he did. He was Tulio's best friend and therefore knew everything about him.

"She might not even be here," Flynn said, "We can just sail over to the next kingdom and begin our search there."

Tulio sighed and said, "We could, but there's a chance she's here."

"I'll go and look. You stay here," said Flynn. Tulio nodded his agreement and continued staring at the kingdom.

Flynn jumped into a rowboat and lowered it into the ocean, before heading off towards shore. After about a half hour he arrived on the beach to find two blonde girls sitting in the sand, soaking wet.

"Hello," he said pulling the boat far from the tide, "I'm looking for someone, and wonder if any of you have seen her?"

Catherine and Alyss eyed him appreciatively, which he ignored. He still had Meg back in Nesidy.

"Maaaaybeee," said Catherine rolling her eyes upward with the hint of a grin.

"What's her name?" Alyss inquired.

"Aralyne Chanson," he said then used his hands to describe her, "She's about this high. Looks no older than sixteen. Has short, curly, dark brown hair. Freckles. Golden brown eyes."

The two sisters exchanged glances. "Yeah, we know her."

Flynn couldn't believe his luck! She was here!

"She just went to the castle with Hans and should return soon," said Alyss.

Again, he couldn't believe his luck. Tulio wasn't going to like this!

"Are you a friend of hers?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah, I'm from Nesidy. My name is Flynn."

"Oooooh!" the girls said in unison.

"So, you're Flynn Rider! She's told us about you," said Catherine.

"She also told us you lied to her. How can we trust you?" Alyss pointed out.

"You just have to," he said and that's when they heard footsteps heading their way.

Hans and I managed to get in and out of the castle before his family returned from the ship and were now walking the beach hand in hand while I held a bag of clothes for Alyss and Catherine. When we arrived, I came to a sudden halt when I saw them talking to Flynn Rider. What was he doing here?

"Aralyne!" he said then stared down at my hand clasped with Hans's. "I'm glad I found you! We have to go!"

"Go where?" Hans inquired with a slight frown.

"Look, I'm sure you're a very nice prince but she's already someone else's true love," Flynn said. I frowned at him, having a feeling of who he was talking about.

"Whose?" Catherine and Alyss said eagerly watching the exchange like it was a soap opera.

"Tulio's," Flynn replied shooting Hans a glance. The girls gasped.

"I am not his true love!" I snapped my face red. How many times were people - especially Tulio - going to insist that this was true?! I looked up to see Hans had become stone-faced. "Look, if you're here to cause trouble, then go away!"

With a cry of frustration, Flynn yelled, "Why won't you believe me?! Since he's known you, he's risked everything for you! This is what Grandpa had erased from your memories! He made sure you forgot about Tulio! If I was here to cause trouble why would I help you?!"

Was he telling me the truth this time? No. This sounded too far-fetched.

"Come on, Aralyne, let's leave," said Hans wrapping an arm around my waist and turning me away from Flynn.

"What about Tulio?!" Flynn shouted out, "You started dating him after he helped you rid yourself of Siren! Siren is causing trouble for everyone right now and if you don't stop her then who will?!"

Hans rounded on him angrily, his face scarlet. "STOP SAYING THAT NAME!"

"She's Tulio's true love!" Flynn yelled at him, "You hear me?! TULIO!"

"No I'm not!" I shouted angrily, "I'm not in love with anyone, especially Tulio! I've never even heard of him until he saved me from Vizzini! Just shut up and go away!"

Still red in the face, Hans snarled, "He's obviously lying, Aralyne! Tulio is an enemy to the kingdom, and since he knows him, he must be one of his thugs!"

With a scowl, Flynn retorted, "You liar! You're angry because I know who he really is, Hans of the Southern Isles!"

"SHUT UP!" Hans roared stomping towards Flynn, "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

I grabbed his arm and held him back. "Come on, let's just go!"

This seemed to calm him as he turned away from Flynn.

"Aralyne, you can't!" Flynn begged, "What about Tulio?!"

Looking at him over my shoulder, I shook my head as I gave the girls the bag of clothes. "I'm sorry, Catherine and Alyss, but I can't be here much longer. I then walked away with a fuming Hans.

When we had returned to the castle, Hans told his guards, the lot of them wearing red coats, "There is a man with brown hair and brown eyes out on the beach harassing Aralyne and me! I want him arrested this instant!" The guards nodded and left. I found it a little harsh to send the guards after him, but didn't say anything.

Flynn was still standing on the beach fuming and muttering curses to this bad luck. Meanwhile, Catherine and Alyss had ducked behind a giant boulder to change into dry clothes.

"You were telling her the truth weren't you?" said Catherine once they were finished, tossing her and her sister's soaked dresses in the bag.

"Yes," he said raking his hair back, "And she's not going to believe me. Not that I blame her."

"Well, logically," said Alyss straightening out her skirt, "If her memory of Tulio was erased, of course she wouldn't remember. If you were lying, you wouldn't be so frustrated in trying to convince her it's the truth. But you could have left out the whole 'true love' bit. That part makes it sound a bit far-fetched."

"We'll help you with Aralyne," said Catherine.

"Aren't you two loyal to Hans and the royal family?" Flynn asked suspiciously.

"Well, we have great sympathy for him based on how he's treated, but Hans was never my favourite Prince," said Catherine tilting her head at him, "My favourite is the one that had the courage to leave."

"Hans is nice and stuff," said Alyss shrugging her shoulders, "but I think he's too perfect, if you get my meaning."

Hearing a bunch of shouting, they looked up to see palace guards heading their way.

"There he is!"

"You there! Stay where you are! You're under arrest!"

"Damn!" Flynn muttered before diving back into the rowboat, "I'll be back. Thanks for your help, ladies!" He took off towards the safety of Captain Amelia's ship.

When he was near enough the ship, Tulio threw a rope ladder over the rail, and Flynn climbed up the side of the ship until he stood on deck.

"She's -"

"I know," said Tulio cutting him off, "I saw her... with him."

"Well, don't worry. I just enlisted the help of two girls loyal to you."

The guards returned to the palace and told Hans that they had lost the man.

"What?!" he snarled in fury, unable to believe he was stuck with a bunch of idiots, "Listen, I don't want anything to happen to Aralyne, do you understand?! I wouldn't put it past the man to try something to get her! If you see him, or anyone that looks like him, I want him arrested and executed!"