Dudes, like dudes-

Thank you so much for supporting us and liking us and most importantly for letting us know your thoughts on shit. It always makes my day to see what ya'll think about this story.

I know we've lost a lot of readers, which breaks my heart but is totes understandable. This is a long series and my joke at the end of the last book was obnoxious and shit and for that I really do apologize. And, not to mention the behemoth this series has become. Not many people have the level of dedication it takes to read a story chapter by chapter like you crazy motherfuckers that are amazingly still with us.

We truly do love and appreciate all of you from the bottom of our hearts and take your feedback and comments seriously.

I'm sorry I don't always reply to all of them, and for that I am sorry. You guys definitely deserve recognition for going that extra mile for us-

It's just difficult with the number of responsibilities I have, and it sucks that I don't give each of you who take the time to let us know your thoughts how much it means to me.

But it does.

A lot.

Much love and appreciation

-Twisted

She sighs as she shuts the door behind her.

Barely a week had passed since Harry and T rescued the boys from Cruella; the blankness in their eyes would haunt her until the day she died. But at least Storm and her friends were making progress with them.

Small victories.

They were starting to put on weight.

Some were even speaking.

It was better than she could have dared to hope.

She wasn't sure how Harry or T, or any of them really, would deal if any of those poor kids didn't make it.

Her guilt weighed heavy enough over their capture-

She lets out a weary sigh as she rubs her temples.

-but she could only be in so many places at once.

None of them could be everywhere.

Even the one who'd earned that reputation.

She grimaces.

T.

What were they going to-

She shakes her head.

Harry was watching him.

And she'd left her Sweet Boy with her Baby Girl-

She closes her eyes.

Her Baby Girl who still hadn't stirred.

Sea Gods, she looks up at the sky, please let her wake up soon.

It was scaring her.

Scaring her more than she wanted to admit.

Why wasn't she up yet?

Why was she so cold?

So unresponsive?

It was taking everything in her not to stay by her side-

Killing her that she couldn't.

Her only solace was the fact she knew Gil would immediately inform her if anything good-

Or Sea God's forbid-

No. She shakes her head.

She couldn't afford to think like that-

She'd never accomplish anything if she let herself spiral into those dark thoughts.

It was fine.

Deez would be okay.

Gil wouldn't give her the choice-

And since she'd justified his vigilant attendance over her by putting him in charge of monitoring the book-

She'd be the second to know.

A fact she was still struggling with.

A few weeks ago nothing would've stopped her from staying by Deez's side-

But now?

Now, it was a luxury she couldn't afford.

She takes a deep breath as she reminds herself everything would work out.

She trusted her Sweet Boy to take care of messaging, and more importantly Deez.

She trusted Beam to let them know if something was wrong.

Trusted Yensid would figure something out about Deez once he got some real rest.

Trusted Harry to see that T slept.

Trusted James to help keep the ship running.

It was fine.

Not perfect by any stretch-

But for now it was the best they had-

And she was okay with that.

What was challenging her was letting anyone go too far inland on the Isle.

The thought sent ice through her veins.

She knew, just knew-

Accepted even-

That it was a pipe dream to think she could keep any of them from the dangers of the Isle.

Not with Harry biting at the bit to go collect herbs with Freddie and those she'd selected to collect herbs with.

And as much as it killed her, she had to agree.

Faustina's medicines were vital now more than ever.

And, with Harry and Freddie went T.

She grimaces at the thought.

Which was the last thing she wanted.

Harry and the others she trusted to come back-

T however…

She'd felt his reactions as Yensid explained what happened.

And she knew him.

Knew that he was holding himself accountable to protect everyone still alive.

And probably bearing the responsibility of not being able to save the others.

It wouldn't be the first time he held himself to an impossible standard.

She shakes her head and sighs.

Not that she had any room to judge what standard he held himself to, impossible or otherwise.

She was the Captain.

She could handle this. All of this.

Because she didn't have a choice.

All she could do was take it one responsibility at a time and delegate accordingly- Like she always had.

Except now she had a respectable crew.

One that appreciated her.

That took her seriously.

A crew that didn't question her.

Or fall silent when she approached.

She sighs.

There had been signs.

So many warnings.

But she'd been too overwhelmed to heed them.

Too exhausted to question it.

Never again.

She shakes her head.

She didn't have time to lament the past.

Or kick herself over it.

There were things to do.

A lot of things actually-

Some of which she'd never had to do before.

It left her scrambling to figure out what the next best step was.

She pauses as a frown tugs at her lips and turns towards the stairs.

Was this how T constantly felt? Sea Gods she hoped not.

"Uma?"

Her heart leaps into her throat as she turns to Gil, but one look told her he wasn't coming out with the news she desperately wanted to hear, "aye?"

"Beam messaged," he spits out quickly, "things ain't lookin' good at the commissary an' he's pullin' everyone back."

Shit.

"Tell'im we'll meet 'em there."

Despite her urge to do so-

She knew better than to tell them to stay hidden.

Or tell them to be smart about things.

She had no doubt Beam already had their people safe, and honestly, she couldn't imagine Beam taking the advice any better than T.

An insult.

"Aye, Uma." Gil nods before he rushes back to the room.

She turns and bellows orders to Sam, waiting for him to acknowledge her.

It didn't take long for her crew to turn the ship.

She takes a few moments to walk among the crew, patting backs and giving praise for their efficiency.

But then her eye travels to the stairs leading below.

T and Harry would want to know about Beam running into trouble.

And depending on what was happening, she might even need them.

As much as T needed rest-

She needed his trust more.

His eyes widen with pain when something slams into his chest-

"No, no, no!"

That voice-

He knew that-

His arms curl around Faustina as he pulls her to his chest; his eyes sweeping the dimly lit room for enemies.

"Off. Shut. Need- No." She thrashes against him as a second round of pain blossoms when she shakes her head violently. "No! Stop!"

Desperation weaved in her plea.

Panic laced in her words.

His chest constricts painfully.

The fear that resonates in them.

"I. You Pay. Morgana."

He holds her tight as he runs his hand over her hair, whispering soothingly in her ear that he was there.

"NO!" She struggles violently.

Sea gods he hated nights like this, even when he knew they were coming.

It hurt to see her so scared.

So… Angry.

"Not- Me go!":

Why couldn't they be there for each other when they were sleeping?

What the hell was the point of magic if they couldn't use it to help fight the monsters?

He hated it.

Hated that all he could do was hold her to keep her from hurting herself.

He'd take the hits.

The pain-

"T!" She cries out in terror.

"It- Hook!"

His eyes narrow.

Was he holding Faustina… or T?

Hook was very much T, but Faustina had called out for T.

What was happening?

"It be okay, ya just be havin' ah night terror," he soothes as he brushes hair from their face, "I be here. Holdin' ya."

"Bitch! Let. Off!"

His vision turns blindingly white as pain and heat claim his nose.

He blinks back tears, but quickly regains his hold.

"It be me, Harry. Hook. Yer Prince. I be havin' ya." He whispers as he scrunches his face to test for a broken nose.

Last thing he needed was one of them waking up to that.

A sob fueled scream echoes around the room.

Before one of them frenzies, hitting him in the nose again.

He instinctively grabs the pain, wincing at the crunch and the slippery heat in his hands before he realizes what he'd done.

"Fuck-"

"Noooo!"

"Hook! Zoom! Cunt pay!"

His heartbeat spikes as T sinks into a familiar stance and he catches a glimpse of metal.

What the-

How!?

When the fuck had T had a chance to arm himself?

"T!" Faustina demands in an outraged hiss. "What. Something! Idiot!"

His eyes narrow again.

What the hell-

Not important right now.

Not when T looked ready to-

Fuck!

He rolls across the room, carefully ducking T's wild swings as he feels for the discarded bag, praying he didn't stab himself with a dart like an idiot.

T would never forgive himself if he woke up to find blood on his hands.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when T stumbles over his leg, growling as he lunges straight into the wall.

"Yensid!" T yells out.

His heart aches at the terror, and even as he searches for the stupid dart he finds himself once again terified of what it was T and Yensid witnessed.

He finally lets himself breathe again when his fingers close around a dart not tucked into the pack.

"Trying! Even!" Faustina growls nastily.

"You. Do? Fuck off!" T growls.

He staggers to his feet, the dart gripped like a makeshift dagger.

He takes a deep breath as he charges.

"Sorry, both o' ya," he whispers as he slams the needle into their arm, grateful he'd caught it before being stabbed.

He swallows hard.

He catches T before he can drop, his eyes widening at a long, thin blade as it falls to the floor.

How the fuck-

No, when the fuck had T gotten a dagger?

He carefully arranges T on the ground before patting him down.

He finds another small dagger in the front pocket of his hoodie.

A bent knife in a thin pocket along one leg.

And then another.

And another.

A knife in his sock.

The lockpicks, though unsurprising that T would carry them, were also a surprise.

When?

How had he missed T loading up this kind of arsenal?

He carefully piles all the weapons in the tub before he looks back at the bag.

What were the chances T could blow a dart in his sleep?

He shakes his head before he grabs the bag, removing the pipe and the darts to hide in the tub as well.

Better safe than sorry, especially now that he knew-

T and Faustina were much harder to handle than the rest of his family during a night terror.

And they seemed to work eachother up.

Or was it that what they faced had been that much more terrifying.

Either way, he was just glad it was over.

For now.

He grimaces before he turns back to T.

He wanted to bath to wash the blood off, but the water was now armed and dangerous.

Armed and dangerous.

He chuckles as he cups his hands together and splashes water over his face.

Only in T's room would a bath be considered lethal.

Well this one definitely went places.

Places you were probably expecting, sure, but still it went places.

Overall it was just some hurt/comfort-

Which seriously? Always makes me super happy to read/write, hope it's the same for you guys.

See, it's not all super depressing.

Well, can't really say that-

But it was sweet too.

Not like hurt your teeth sweet, more like Downey (yeah, the bear fabric softener) because it's more like a soft, warm blanket soothing, ya know?

Sure you do.

The scene with Uma was a bit foreboding though. It would be doing her a disservice though if we didn't show her struggles as a Captain. Cause this is a lot of shit.

Like a lot of it.

And she's just sixteen.

At leeast she's surrounded by competence now, that's something right?

Poor fucking Harry-

Cause c'mon, what's scarier than T?

T thinking your the enemy.

-that was some quick thinking on his part. That really could've ended badly.

Dead.

Harry is well on his way to figuring out how F/T operate when no one can hear them.

Personally, I'm super looking forward to writing that chapter ;)

Much love and appreciation

-Twisted