Chapter 3: Making Plans

Fae sat on Harry's bed after getting all the blood, dirt, and kohl that managed to survive the last week. He had had a basin of water in the room and, taking a random scrap of fabric and lye soap, she had managed to give herself a washing that left her both clean and tired. Her soul was weary. It was as if no amount of bathing could undo what she had done. But it was also her mother's will... the faerie sighed and ran a hand through her golden curls. There was no saving her clothes but she was grateful that she found one of Harry's shirts that didn't have quite as many slashes and her undergarments weren't too terrible.

So there she sat, looking at herself in the broken mirror that Harry used to get check how intimidating he looked and put on his kohl. But she wasn't satisfied with what she saw-- a monster that had committed the most heinous of acts. It didn't matter if she had permission... just as she started to cover her face and curl in on herself, the door opened and in walked Uma.

The captain glanced at Fae, a bored look in her eye as she took in the state of undress as well as the reddish water in the basin. "Huh..." The word slipped from her full lips before she leaned against the wardrobe. "I sent Harry to go collect the protection fees... he gave me the run-down but I need more info." The aquatic VK didn't need to confirm that the faerie would be giving that information as it was a given. "What happened?"

"... Mom ran out of magic. Her body shut down..." Tears sprung to her seafoam eyes as she kept them lowered.

Uma nodded, her teal, white, and black braids swinging beneath her captain's hat. "And what's this about a letter? Harry said you found a way to get a letter to the outside?" she asked softly. Though the daughter of Ursula could be harsh as the stormy sea, she was also the only true protector the Isle ever had.

Fae took a deep breath, trying to blink back her tears but that only made them fall faster as she remembered her actions all those months ago. "I... gave Mal a letter..."

"Mal?!" The captain's voice snapped in her anger towards the mere mention of the purple-haired VK.

"Yeah. When they left the Isle... I gave her the letter." She gave a small bitter laugh of shame. "I begged her... to help save Tinkerbell. Said I would owe her big if she would give the letter to the prince or to Fairy Godmother." She turned her red-rimmed eyes to the angry Uma. "It was the best chance I had. She needed magic to live. We... didn't have any way to help without getting her off the Isle. So I took a shot..." Her eyes lowered and her hands clenched into fists. "But then... Coronation... and she..." Her body started to turn red in rage. "I waited for guards to come for Mom, hoped that Fairy Godmother would save her!" Her teeth clenched and she wanted to break something. "... I was a fool..."

"Yeah, you were." Fae flinched at the tone Uma used with her. "But you did what you could." Her tone softened as she twirled her loose braids. "I get it... so... you have half the shipment at maximum strength? Why can't you make more?"

"Mom taught me that with our magic held within, there's only one way to get it out without the barrier cancelling it. The salves are made with blood magic and herbs." She sighed softly, running her hands through her hair, the borrowed shirt raising a bit up her thighs. "I salvaged as much as I could, followed her Will to a T. I belong here much more than she ever did..." Shutting her eyes, she desperately tried to hold back her own self-hatred. "My blood magic isn't nearly as potent as Mom's. I was raised without the abundance of magic that she had been surrounded by. I put some of my salve on Harry's most recent injury to test it out..."

Uma nodded. It was all quiet for a long while until the door opened once more, Harry grinning manically. "Captain... ye'll never guess who I ran inte..." he purred coyly, turning his eyes from the teal-haired VK to Fae. His grin faded as he took in her tears. His blue eyes flashed back to Uma and he answered his own statement, knowing that his captain had very little patience on a good day. "Mal..."

"She's back?" Uma growled, dark brown eyes narrowing.

He opened his mouth to confirm when a set of dainty hands grabbed onto his red coat, distracting him. The faerie had a desperately hopeful look in her eyes as she asked him if Mal had brought guards, a medic, anyone who could have potentially saved Tinkerbell's life if they had arrived on time. It was pathetic and sad how much she wanted the dragon-spawn to have just been delayed in helping. And he hated to break her heart however he would never lie to the girl-- on an Isle of nothing but lying, cheating, and stealing villains; Harry Hook refused to lie to Uma or Fae. He held a deep loyalty and respect for both young women.

"Nay, lass... she got her hair dyed at the Curl Up Dye. Said she was gonna take back her turf..." He gently ran his hook along her cheek. It was a move that he tended to use to intimidate and threaten. But Fae found it strangely comforting and grounding as she shut her eyes and breathed, her skin once again flickering red with rage.

Her eyes opened and seafoam locked with the pale stormy blue of Harry's. "... Evie, Carlos, and Jay will come to get her. Find a way to get them to your ship at noon tomorrow. I can have the rest of the shipment finished and delivered by then."

"Who do you think you're ordering around, Fae?" Uma asked, her words sharp and lips pulled into a snarl.

"Uma, please... I need to know what happened. Did they reject the letter? Did they condemn my mother to die? Or was it just a matter of timing?" She bit her lip and sighed tiredly. "I want to believe... that Mal wouldn't turn her back on my mother. To do that meant that she didn't just turn good at the last minute but she planned to betray the Isle for the good life." It sounded ridiculous to her but she had to know. She had to hope that her mother had at least been given a chance for any length of time. She HAD to know...

Harry looked between both girls before adding his two cents. "Could be fun, Uma. Havin' a throw-down with that 'princess'... findin' her weaknesses and usin' it agains' her? Watchin' her squirm while ye have th' upper han'?" He grinned maliciously.

Uma glared at Harry before looking at Fae. "Fine. But we're doing this our way... the pirate way. I promise you this: Mal did betray you the SECOND she had the chance. But if you wanna go down this path, you got it. Now stay here for a while. You look like shit..." She turned and left the room in a flurry of teal, white, and black braids.

Fae sighed softly and thanked Harry for his support. "I know it doesn't make much sense but..."

"Lass, get some rest. Yer mind's so spinny, ye don't know what yer thinkin'." He ran his hand through his hair before pulling out a small bag from his coat. "Here..." He chucked it onto his bed and when she looked inside, he grinned. "Someone may have broken inte ye home. Best get tha' window patched soon, me fairie princess..."

She snorted. "Yeah. I seem to have a slight pirate problem..." She smiled up at him. "Well, not really a problem, I suppose." Hook cackled softly then ran his hook along her knee and a bit up her thigh before she took hold of it with flushed cheeks. "Then again..."

He pulled away and playfully bowed before heading out. Uma and he had a plan to hash out before Mal's back up arrived. He hated the look of Fae's tears and silently vowed that he would keep them off her face or hook those who put them there.

(I do write these on the mobile app so sometimes the app doesn't keep all my paragraph spacings. Sorry in advanced if this chapter is awkwardly spaced)