Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.

She was going to strangle him.

Damn sisterly affection and familial loyalty, she was really and truly ready to smother her little brother with a pillow. Scowling, Evie stormed her way through the docks. Employees of the cannery and dock hands jumped out of her way with wary, almost fearful expressions. While it was nice to know her reputation proceeded her, Evie was hardly in the mood to relish it just then.

Honestly! Henry was lucky that Evie had been in their mother's office when the call from school came and not Regina. She didn't even want to think about how angry their mother would be once she realized Henry had skipped school again. And this time, Evie doubted their mother would tolerate her attempts to run interference.

Movements fueled by rage, Evie stomped towards Henry's favorite viewpoint. She caught sight of his dark head on the bench but paused at the person sitting beside him. The sight of Harry Jones at her brother's side did little to calm her fury. Tossing her curls, she strode the rest of the way with her head high, hands placed on her hips.

"Henry Daniel Mills."

Evie was only mildly gratified when Henry visibly wilted at the tone of her voice. At his side, the town's resident urchin grinned. It was a struggle to hide how her stomach fluttered at Harry's stormy eyes, but she managed. Her little brother's apologies were an excellent distraction.

"Evie! W-where did you - I thought you were with mom this morning!"

"I was." She retorted sharply, arms crossing across the treated blue leather of her jacket. "Thankfully, for both of us, mom was out on business when the school called her office. Henry, what in the world were you thinking?"

To answer, he looked down at the open storybook on his lap. Despite herself, Evie began to shake in repressed anger at the sight of that damned book! Conscious of her brother's worried expression, she forcibly kept her fists from clenching around the old book and tossing it into the harbor where it belonged.

"Look," she said with some difficulty. "You cannot keep skipping school. I don't give a damn what Ms. Swan does or says, there's no excuse for you missing class."

"Emma has nothing- " Henry began, eyes wide in his little face.

"She has everything to do with this!" Evie shouted over her brother. "Ever since she came here, you've been acting differently! You've been lying - to me, to mom! Henry, I love you, but Emma Swan's presence has made everything change!"

Henry shot to his feet. "She's weakening the Curse!"

"There is no Curse, Henry!"

Aware that she was all but screaming, Evie pulled back and took in a calming breath. It was her turn to flinch when she met Henry's teary-eyed gaze. Horrified by her overreaction, she reached for her little brother - only for him to recoil as if her touch was poison. Snatching up his book, Henry turned and raced off without another word.

"Henry!" Evie made to race after him, only for a hand to clamp around her arm.

Harry hauled her back to him, grip unyielding. "Ah, ah, ah! I don' think ye wanna be doin' that right now, princess. The wee runt is upset and so are ye."

Hiccuping softly, Evie tried miserably to hold in the hot tears that pressed behind her eyelids. Harry wrapped an arm around her, shushing her softly he directed her to sit on the bench with him. Mindful that there were dock and cannery workers who no doubt heard everything, she allowed herself to cry silently in Harry's worn leather coat.

He smelt like the sea, like salt and fish and rum. Evie snuggled closer, uncaring that they were in a public place and to hell with what her mother said about the boy at her side.

"Are ye alright, princess?" Harry asked once her sobs had faded to sniffles. He drew back to look her in the eye, expression uncharacteristically soft. He drew a hand through her dark curls, wincing when his fingers became hopelessly tangled.

Evie smiled despite her own wince and the tears. Harry had an unfortunate habit of getting his fingers caught in her hair, no matter what he was doing with it. "I think so," she sniffed, raising her head to help remove his hand from her curls. "I just… I want everything to go back to the way it was. Before Emma Swan, before that stupid book," she clarified when Harry raised a brow in question. "It's ruining everything. Henry can barely look our mother in the eye and half the time he does the same to me - I want my brother back, dammit!"

"When did this all start?" Harry asked, head tilted curiously. He shifted to the side, prepared to give her space. Evie allowed him to do no such thing and pressed closer. Her actions made a smirk bloom across his lips. "Careful there, princess. People might think ye fancy me."

"Stuff it, Jones," she snapped with no heat. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she cuddled closer, legs tucked beneath her on the bench. "Well, you know mom and I broke it to Henry that he was adopted when Miss Blanchard sent out that stupid family tree project, right?" She wanted for his 'hmm' in acknowledgement before continuing, "things got really tense at home, like really tense. Henry started acting out and getting into trouble. He was actually technically grounded when he ran off to find Swan."

"Well, well, the runt has b- "

Evie elbowed him before he could finish that sentence. With a wheeze, Harry bent at the waist and sent her a dark glare. She fluttered her lashes in response with a teasing smile. Before he could retaliate, she was off the bench and several feet away, still grinning.

Growling under his breath, Harry sprang to his feet and gave chase. Cackling with glee, Evie darted from his hold and down the docks. Several workers stopped to watch the young couple, some wearing indulgent smiles at their carefree behavior.

Harry on her heels, Evie didn't notice the bucket until she'd already tripped over it. Hissing as she skidded across the wood, Evie knelt and examined the damage done to her flesh and clothes. The flesh of her palms was torn and beginning to ooze blood, while her favorite splattered leggings were torn at the knee.

"Evie!" Harry skidded to his knees at her side. He fussed over the scrapes but winced when he saw the state of her leggings. "'M sorry, princess. I'll buy you material for a new pair."

Evie glowered at him hotly, "Damn right, you will," before she yanked his lips down to hers.

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