Warnings;
. Death.
. Swearing.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Living in the back room of Helena's salon was - for lack of a better word - unusual. Instead of the taunting silence Cassie had grown used to since her father's unexpected departure only three years previous, the little cat would now wake to loud chatter coming from the salon itself. Instead of waking up in a small pile of blankets and scraps of fabric she'd attempted to pass off as a bed, Cassie now came to consciousness in an actual bed, with pillows and a mattress and a wonderfully thick duvet she couldn't help but cocoon herself in when she eventually woke up. And, with her wounded state, she'd never been more grateful than she was now to be living in such luxury.
Dreamy bedding aside, however, there were a few things about the salon that got old very, very fast. The smell, for one thing. The scent Cassie had inhaled the first time she arrived in the salon, a nose-wrinkling odour that left a horrible taste on her tongue, she soon found out was called Hairspray: A hair product that kept an Isle-resident's hair rooted firmly in place while they went about their daily tasks. The salon reeked of it, both day and night, and it was a smell Cassie knew she wouldn't ever get used to.
How Helena did it, she had no idea.
Cassie hadn't been too sure what to expect when the Queen of Hearts asked her to stay. The little cat hadn't ever had any friends, and the only person she'd ever shared a home with had been her father, so she'd tried her best not to panic over the entire thing. Cassie had only thought she'd stay a week, or two at most, and that as soon as her body had healed she'd go back to her den. After all, she didn't necessarily have to live with the Queen to be taught the many ways of the Isle.
Oh, how wrong she'd been.
The little cat had endured many scrapes and bruises, but none to the extent she'd received on that dreadful night, and she'd been utterly dumbfounded the moment Sophie delicately explained to her just how long it took for wounds like hers to fade. Helena had known the same thing - though Cassie ignored the urge to inquire as to how the Queen knew this - and had been quite adamant that the little cat wouldn't be going anywhere until the bruises faded.
It took four weeks for the harsh injuries to begin healing. During that time there hadn't been much Cassie had been 'allowed' to do. Wandering around the Isle at night was, obviously, out of the question; Not that the little cat would've done so even if she'd been given the 'okay' to. She hadn't quite realised just how bad of a state she'd been in until she eventually climbed out of bed. Thankfully, Sophie was quite the carer, and had made sure to bandage Cassie's ribs to avoid further injury. But even with the soft material around her torso, Cassie soon found out that moving around was a lot harder to manage when one had had the shit kicked out of them beforehand. Stretching out her small body was practically unbearable, and even something as small as a flick of the finger could inflict an agonizing twinge of pain in the little cat's sides. Fortunately, and much to the little one's relief, the rest of her had healed faster. The scrapes and cuts on her knees had long-since scabbed over, and the dizziness caused by the bump on her head could be avoided as long as she didn't whip her head around too fast. She was far from perfect, and she knew it'd be a bit more time before her body was back to full-function, but she was getting better, and that was all that mattered.
Despite the awful injuries she'd arrived on Helena's doorstep with, Cassie's curse remained as strong as ever: Maybe stronger considering how tormented she'd been when she first arrived. And since she'd agreed - though with some coaxing from Helena - to live at the salon while she was healing, she'd had to explain to the Queen of Hearts exactly what to expect from her 'little problem'.
Discussing the curse with Helena hadn't been the same as discussing the curse with Harry. When Cassie had given details to Harry about her 'problem', it'd been a rather reluctant chat on the little cat's part. The smaller details had been revealed when she'd been stuck down in the cells on Uma's ship, a few other tid-bits when she'd been playing 'Red Hands' with the hooked pirate, and the last talk they'd had about it she hadn't been in the right frame of mind. Anything she'd told Harry about the curse hadn't been entirely willing, and often it was while she was under the insane pressure to survive or the threat of being tortured. Each moment with him had been nothing short of agonizing, humiliating, and completely devastating. And even now she knew with certainty that telling him anything - even the little details - about her 'problem' had been the worst decision she'd ever made.
The Queen of Hearts, however, was nothing like the son of Hook. Although, Cassie often wondered if Helena took to the idea so easily because she'd seen the transformation with her own eyes while the little cat had been unconscious. Either way, the Queen had approached the topic one night with great caution and reassurance, and Cassie - who'd been rather deprived of human interaction of the non-violent kind - had jumped at the chance to share her story... though it hadn't been without deep thought on her part. After everything she'd been through with Harry it was only natural she'd be somewhat reluctant to talk about her curse again, but she had to remind herself that there was more to Helena than just her temper and beauty. The Queen of Hearts was more than just a V.K.. She was a mother, and a rather wonderful one from everything Cassie had seen from her. Helena was - unlike the majority of the Isle - capable of sympathising, understanding a situation, and even extending friendship if it was needed.
So, with all of that in mind, the little cat had shoved her insecurities and anxious-thoughts to the side, and fully discussed the details of her curse with another.
Unlike the son of Hook, Helena hadn't shown much interest in Cassie's father or his whereabouts. In fact, the subject of her father hadn't even come into the conversation unless Cassie mentioned him. The little cat explained that she'd inherited the curse on her thirteenth birthday, which - much to the little one's annoyance back then - had been around the same time she'd had her first 'gift' from mother nature, and spoke of her assumption that the curse was only subjected to adults rather than children. And even though she hadn't been an adult when she inherited her 'problem', she still didn't know the full details of her curse or the twisted being that'd cast it on her father in the first place, so the entire thing was simple speculation. She'd explained to Helena that the curse turned her human at night, which had been the main punishment for her father, and that it turned her back into a cat when the sun came up. Even the gruesome details of how much it hurt to make a switch from one to the other was discussed, and through it all Helena had listened intently and without a speck of judgment or glint of a threat in her eyes. And when everything had been said, and the entire situation itself thoroughly discussed, Cassie had finally realised what she'd been missing out on all her life.
The Queen of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat's daughter formed a small friendship during the month Cassie lived in the salon. A routine of sorts had developed between them. During the day, Helena would work from the early hours of the morning 'till late in the evening in the salon, occasionally popping into the back room to check on Cassie and little Gil, and would share meals with the two when she could. Meanwhile Cassie, who was trapped in her kitty form during the day, couldn't really do anything except hover around on the bed and keep an eye on baby Gilzean.
Truthfully, Cassie had been rather hesitant to stay anywhere near the one-year-old while she was confined to the back room. It was his room while his mom worked: A statement that became more than obvious once Cassie noticed the numerous toys and raggedy teddy-bears neatly placed in the corner of the room, and the little cat had been worried when she wondered if the little one would think of her as another toy. However, she'd been pleasantly surprised by the little one. He was quite the noisy little thing, often babbling and shouting away as he enjoyed the toys Helena had gotten for him, but other than that he was rather delightful. Understandably, he'd been quite curious and excited by the sight of the cat in his room, but after countless failed attempts at reaching her on the high bed he'd eventually given up the idea. Every now and again he'd make another attempt, but until his little legs grew and his reflexes became swifter, Cassie's tail was more than safe.
The only hindrance Cassie truly had to deal with on a daily basis was Gil. The blonde-haired, and utterly absentminded, pirate came by at least once a day to see if Helena or Gilzean needed anything, and during his visits Cassie had to make sure she stayed hidden somewhere in the room; An act that would be much easier if Helena's son wasn't constantly seeking her out the moment she jumped down from the bed. Gil might not be the smartest of the bunch, but he'd surely run back to Uma's Chip Shoppe and go on about how Helena had gotten herself a pet cat, and Cassie dreaded to think about what might happen if Harry overheard. And while she honestly loathed hiding from Gil, especially knowing how kind he was after their first - and last - meeting, it had to be done. It wasn't just herself she was looking out for this time, after all.
The little cat still wasn't sure if the hook-wielding pirate was seeking her out anymore. Since she'd been on 'house-arrest', and hadn't been outside since she'd come stumbling into Helena's salon, there was no way of knowing. Although, from her late-night chats with Helena - who was quite the gossip, it seemed - Cassie could only assume Harry had his hands full. Many of Helena's customers had been ranting away about the 'riff-raff' coming in from the shoreline, and they hardly sounded pleased by the fact the pirates were taking over the Isle.
The inner-Isle, despite its crumbling buildings and poor decoration, was significantly different than the outer-Isle. Instead of wood and water, it was stone and concrete. Instead of the salty-sea air, it had fumes from nearby buildings. And, for whatever reason, many villains took up residency somewhere within the area. It was where most of the original villains inhabited, and Cassie had to guess that - for that reason alone - the inner-Isle was 'the best place to be', so to speak. The outer-Isle, where the pirates thrived, was pretty much deemed 'the less-desirable' place to live. Both the inner and outer Isle had its own set of rules, and the residents lived very different lives in both areas.
So, realistically, it was no surprise that those living in the inner-Isle had a large issue with someone from the outer-Isle controlling the place. And Cassie was sure that, in due time, a turf-war would be on the rise.
For now, though, the little cat was rather content with the way things were. And for however long it lasted, she wanted to enjoy it.
"Cassie!" Helena's voice was soon followed by a loud knock on the closed bedroom-door. "Come on, girl! You've been in there for an hour!"
The little cat giggled and rolled her eyes, her gaze swiftly drifting back to her reflection in one of Helena's full-length mirrors. She'd barely been fifteen minutes, at most, but there was no dimming the Queen's impatient nature when it came to playing dress-up.
"Okay!" she yelled back, a small frown tugging at her lips as she ran her eyes over Helena's new creation.
During her days with Helena and Gilzean, Cassie had spent the majority of it in nothing but her birthday suit. This was mainly a safety-precaution, of sorts, since the Queen of Hearts hadn't fully trusted the little cat to stick to their agreement and not go running out onto the Isle the minute she had a set of clothes. The first week Cassie had spent in the back room, she'd been familiarizing herself with the blanket she'd been given, tightening it around herself like an oddly-fashioned dress whenever she turned back into a human. The weeks after Helena had, much to Cassie's relief, given her a red night-gown to wear instead of the blanket, the Queen content with the idea that Cassie couldn't even bare the thought of running around the Isle in something so... revealing, as it were. But now it had been a month since her arrival, and now that her wounds were somewhat healed, Helena had gifted Cassie with some brand-new clothes; Or new by Isle-standards, anyway.
After inhaling a deep and soothing breath, Cassie turned and walked toward the door, slowly creaking it open and revealing herself to the Queen of Hearts.
"So," she muttered, self-consciously smoothing out non-existent wrinkles. "How is it?"
The look of astonishment on the older girl's face could mean either good or bad, and so Cassie didn't think too hard on it. Instead, she waited patiently for Helena to finish her scrutiny.
"Well, how does it feel?" the Queen asked instead, adjusting the baby she held firmly against her right hip.
Cassie gave a small shrug and looked down, inspecting her clothes for what had to be the thirteenth time since she put them on. Her legs were covered by a pair of thick, black leggings, though the lace-up effect running up a slit on either leg would ensure she didn't burn up when running through the Isle. The shirt Helena had chosen was long-sleeved, black as well, and ended just above Cassie's stomach: And Cassie assumed the off-shoulder design had been inspired by the dress she wore before. It was made of a cotton-like fabric, and all-in-all rather comfortable. It was painfully obvious that while her outfit had been created with her in mind, Helena had wanted it to be as fashionable as possible, and had done her best to ensure it met her satisfaction. And though Cassie liked her outfit, she absolutely adored her shoes. They were black, just like the rest of her clothes, but instead of the thin, slipper-like shoes she'd worn before, she now donned fur-lined ankle-boots that slid onto her feet just as easy as her other shoes had. She decided not to ask about the fur itself, since she dreaded to think of what the answer would be, and simply enjoyed herself with the new feeling.
"It feels good," the little cat replied, running her hands over the soft material.
"Yeah, well, I knew you'd eventually be going out again, and after everything you've told me I guessed you'd need something with a little wiggle-room," explained Helena, slowly circling the little cat to have a full look-over. "I didn't wanna get anything too tight, since your ribs haven't completely healed yet. How are they?"
To feel a little better in the clothes, and to distract less attention, Cassie had removed the bandages from her ribs. The area was still a little sore, and though the bruising had faded to a light-green it could still be spotted if she stepped under a bright enough light. As long as she didn't get caught tonight, she'd be fine.
"A little tender, but nothing I can't handle." Cassie gave Helena a small, but reassuring, smile, hoping it would ease the Queen's worries.
In return, Helena pursed her lips, a small sigh escaping her mouth. "Pussycat, if you're not ready..." She left the statement hanging, but Cassie grasped it easily enough.
"Helena, it's just a little trip to the den and back, I'll be fine." The little cat stepped forward and lightly stroked Gilzean's cheek, his little eyelids fluttering sleepily at the action. "Seriously, I'll be back before you know it," she added, seeing the hesitant expression on her friend's face.
"Pussycat, I'm not your momma, okay? I can't force you to stay in. But I am going to tell you to be careful. The pirates are hovering around lately and it's got everyone on edge, especially since they're meant to be collecting soon." The Queen of Hearts made a very good point with that one. "If you're not back by sunrise I'm leaving Gilzean with his daddy and I'm coming for you myself, got it?" Helena wasn't one for false threats, and Cassie knew full well her friend would stick to her words.
"Home by sunrise, got it," she assured, lightly bouncing on her feet. "Can I go out now?" An amused smile stretched Helena's lips, and Cassie couldn't help but do the same. It was nice that she had someone looking out for her now, and while she was appreciative of everything Helena had done for her so far, the entire thing had gotten a little annoying. The little cat had spent four years alone, surviving the Isle streets at night, and this night would be no different than the rest.
"Can you at least tell me why you're going back?" the Queen inquired, stepping aside so that Cassie could head toward the door.
"I'm just going to grab my stuff," was Cassie's quick reply, her excitement running high now that she was finally about to go out again. She practically skipped across the chessboard-styled floor, swaying from foot to foot when she stood still. She'd been waiting weeks for this, and she was more than ready.
As amusing as it was to witness a sixteen-year-old girl bursting with delight at the thought of wandering the Isle of all places, Helena decided to end the torture. "Fine. But remember-"
"Back by sunrise," droned Cassie, finishing her 'mentors' sentence. "I swear I'll be careful." She didn't want to somehow insult Helena with her happiness, since there was a small risk the Queen of Hearts would take offence to Cassie's urge to leave the salon, and the little cat hoped Helena understood exactly what this meant for her.
Helena pursed her lips, though the way the corners of her mouth tilted upward in laughter gave Cassie a little reassurance. Of course the Queen understood her enthusiasm. After all, Helena had been - if Cassie was correct in her assumption from all the stories she'd heard - quite the troublemaker on the Isle before she'd fallen pregnant with Gilzean, so she had to relate in some way to Cassie's current joy.
"Go have fun, pussycat."
That was all Cassie needed. After giving Helena a large smile and small wave, the little cat skipped toward the door and yanked it open, closing it gently behind her the second she stepped out onto the Isle streets.
There was something oddly euphoric about being outside again. Her human senses, though not as sharp as her feline's, heightened the moment the cold air swept across her skin. It was just as quiet as it had been the last time she'd been out, although occasional rattles and scattering noises echoed from different directions. She could now - faintly - see that the Isle residents had cleaned up the majority of mess after 'riot night', and aside from a few boarded-up windows and sturdier doors, everything appeared just as it had before Maleficent and the four traitors had disappeared.
As Cassie quietly moved through the street, still drowning in the high of breathing in moderately-clean air, she kept her guard up. The memories of her 'bad night' were still as vivid as ever, and there was a good chance the group she'd walked into were still lingering about somewhere. The risk of running into them was worrying, of course, but there was also a new threat she had to watch out for; One that terrified her more than anything.
The brutality she'd faced that dreaded night hadn't, thankfully, tampered with her mind much. Her feet took the familiar path back to the den just as they had a month ago. This time, though, she stayed on the ground rather than climb the rooftops. Her body was still healing, after all.
On her journey to Bargain Castle, Cassie noted the subtle differences scattered here and there. Before 'riot night' there had been beautiful works of art decorating the walls, portraits of Maleficent, Jafar, Queen Grimhilde, and Cruella De Vil, wonderfully spray-painted around each corner. The words 'Long Live Evil' and 'Core Four' had also been painted in numerous places. Now, however, the artwork had been defiled, so to speak. Someone, most likely the pirates judging by the new paintings, had gone out of their way to spray-paint over the former drawings. Instead of 'Long Live Evil', Cassie now read 'We Ride With The Tide'. And the portraits had been covered up with a teal-blue, and rather large, skull-head with a tentacle wrapped around it. All of this was proof of the new ruler of the Isle, and a stern warning that sent Cassie's stomach turning.
The pirates really were taking over.
Just as she'd promised Helena, Cassie went straight toward Bargain Castle without any stops. She routinely scoured the area for any signs of life, and sprinted across the gap separating the Castle from the alleyway.
The familiar trek up the stairs didn't bother Cassie one bit, though mainly because the last time she'd come down them she'd been in a bit of a self-wallowing daze. However, when she finally came to the top, and just outside of Mal's balcony doors, she faltered.
'Hello kitty, kitty'.
Cassie frantically shook her head, as if the motion would shake Harry's voice from her mind, and her right hand slowly smoothed across her bruised stomach. There was absolutely no reason for Harry to be in that room, and the rational side of her mind knew full well he was elsewhere, but she couldn't quite ignore the nagging voice in her head yelling at her to keep her eyes on the balcony doors, the red flags in her mind flying high as if the hook-wielding pirate were about to pop out anytime soon.
"C'mon, you can do this." The little cat repeated the words of reassurance, hoping to soothe herself into making the last leap toward her beloved den. It didn't work as well as it should've, since she hopped over the railing and onto the wooden beam with maybe too much haste and fear, but it did the trick.
Soon enough, the Cheshire Cat's daughter was perched on her window, her right leg hanging inside the den while the other swayed on the outside. She stayed where she was for a second, taking this moment to drink in the sight of her old home, but the moment of familiarity and ease dropped as soon as she saw the inside of her den.
Before her departure, it hadn't been much of a home to begin with. Aside from her 'bed' and stash of 'special things', there had been no traces of it ever being occupied by a living thing. It'd been her safe space, and where she slept, and she hadn't ever felt the need to decorate the place since all she did was sleep there. But it had been her place, and that in itself meant more to her than anything else.
Now, though, the entire den was empty.
Cassie hurriedly jumped through the window, the floorboards beneath her feet creaking at the weight of her hard drop. She looked to the right, where her nest of blankets had once been, and found every single one gone.
"Oh no," she gasped, a sudden nausea welling up inside her stomach. If the most useless items she'd had inside the den were gone, then the most valuable things she'd kept here would also be missing.
Frantically, Cassie stormed toward the space her 'stash' should've been, her eyes watering when she finally accepted what had happened.
Someone had raided her den.
A wave of overwhelming emotion crashed down on the little cat the second she saw the empty space. Sure, the items hadn't exactly been hers when she obtained them, but they'd been hers the moment she brought them back into her den. Her 'special things' had all been beautiful, gleaming, and individually unique. It didn't matter that she'd hardly put them to any use, and had left them in a pile in the corner of her den. They'd been her things.
And now they were gone.
The little cat sniffled and kneeled down, half-heartedly wiping the teardrops from her eyes before they could escape. Part of her knew she was being a little ridiculous about this. After all, the items she'd collected hadn't truly held any sentimental value for her, they'd only been pretty objects that'd caught her attention at the time. But they'd still been hers. She'd gone out of her way to look for them, risked her life when taking them, and experienced an overwhelming joy when she brought each and every one back to her den.
So, maybe they did hold some sentimental value... in a strange way.
In her distressed and devastated state, it took Cassie a little longer than she was proud to admit to see a small, shiny object only a few inches away. Curiously, she crawled across the floor, and eagerly grasped the object in her small hands when she got close enough. The thief, whoever they were, had somehow left this thing behind by accident.
At least, that's what she first thought. Further inspection of the golden bracelet brought about a strange, breath-stopping moment, in which Cassie realised that she was more familiar with this object in particular.
'That's a pretty bracelet you got there, mind if I take a closer look?'
The little cat gagged and dropped the piece of jewellery, leaning back to put her backside on the floor. She'd worn it on her last night out, and it'd been taken from her sometime during the beating she'd received from the thugs she'd sought out that night. It wasn't the object itself that had her spiralling into madness - although the dreadful and threatening voice echoing inside her head was far from welcome. No, what had her head running laps was the fact that she hadn't seen it since that night, and she had absolutely no idea how it'd made its way back into her den.
Brows furrowed in utter confusion, Cassie lifted her head just slightly, wracking her brain for any reason - or believable thought - the teal and gold coloured bracelet would've wound up inside the den. But, unfortunately, she couldn't think of one.
Cassie wasn't sure how long she stayed in that spot. With her mind in pieces and an unbearable ache in her chest, there was no true way for her to tell just how much time she wasted in her saddened state. Eventually she moved, her actions slower than before since her body seemed to weigh itself down to the floor, and she turned to head back toward the window.
That was when she saw it.
Obviously, the sight of her den having been completely emptied out by someone had been enough to distract her. When she'd first arrived she hadn't thought to look around some more, since the only things she cared about had been her 'bed' and 'special things'. The thought that someone had left a calling-card, of sorts, hadn't even entered her mind.
And yet, there it was. A large, red-painted, and very detailed hook surrounding her window. The point began at the top left corner of the entrance, the body curving over the entire side until it finished just below the perch. It was incredibly obvious who'd put it there: She'd have to be an idiot not to guess who it'd been. And though a swell of rage burned inside her small form, Cassie couldn't quite erase the bewilderment that came with it.
The only other person to ever be inside the den had been Harry. At some point during Cassie's stay with Helena, the evil pirate had come back to the den and stolen her things, and made damn sure that, when Cassie eventually came back, she'd know exactly who cleaned her out. He must've had help, too, since the little cat could fully recall how terrified he'd been when taking the path into the den, and he'd surely made someone else do it instead.
However, the one thing that had her puzzled was the bracelet. The thugs who'd taken it from her had been inner-Islanders, and there were enough pawn-shops in the middle of the Isle for them to go to. But somehow the bracelet they'd taken from her had wound up in Harry's hands, and Cassie couldn't even begin to wonder how that happened.
Confusion aside, the spark of anger inside of her was fanning into a full flame, heating her skin as the true thief became clear. Cassie's hatred for the red pirate hadn't dulled at all during her time with Helena, if anything it'd remained the same, and gave more meaning to the Queen's words when Cassie woke up from her two-day nap.
'He brings out your 'villain'.'
Truer words had never been spoken... at least not to Cassie anyway. Harry, it seemed, hadn't been content with the state he'd left her in the last time they spoke. He'd given her the impression that, as long as she was miserable with her life, it was enough for him. From her current surroundings, though, it hadn't been. Instead of leaving her to the dull and painful life she'd been living before she moved in with Helena, Harry had gone one step further and made the rather cruel decision to take the only two things that'd meant anything to her back then. He'd gotten her back for every bad move on her part, and the little cat fleetingly wondered if there had been a specific motivation for the raid on her den. Realistically, though, she knew there wasn't one. Harry was a true V.K., and as evil and twisted as one expected them to be. He adored the chaos, and the pain he caused, and this was simply another example of that.
The son of Hook had made his move, and now it was Cassie's turn. She knew she should just go straight back to Helena's place, rant away to the older girl and hope that - by the morning - her outrage would calm itself down. But she was so, so angry. The situation between herself and Harry wasn't, as she'd previously thought, as simple as it'd been. He wanted to push her to the edge, to see how much he could get away with before she fought back. He was winning the terrible game they'd started and - as hard as she tried - Cassie couldn't bring herself to let it slide.
And so, with adrenaline pulsating through her veins, and an uncomfortable heat suffocating her body, Cassie made a firm - and possibly suicidal - decision.
She was going back to Uma's ship.
~...~...~
Going back into pirate territory had never crossed the little cat's mind after her last encounter with Harry. Back then, she'd been completely content not to have to see him ever again, and not even her urge to find 'special things' could drag her back into the outer parts of the Isle. Now, though, everything was different. Whether it was due to the month she'd spent in Helena's salon, the amount of suffering she'd endured at the hands - or hook - of the red pirate, or the anger driving her forward, Cassie wasn't sure. Either way, she was pissed, and in desperate need of some retaliation.
Although this reckless decision of hers was rather abrupt, she wasn't going into it completely blind. Cassie knew the risks of being caught by one of Uma's crew, or even Harry himself, and the risk of death only enhanced her caution and safe-movements. She also knew that, should she be questioned, there was no way in Hades she was throwing Helena and Gilzean under the carriage. The Queen of Hearts had gone against all Isle standards and expectations by taking in the little cat, and had even made sure Cassie stayed in bed and healed before wandering back out into the Isle. So even though Cassie's entire life had been based off of self-preservation, she'd sooner bite off her own tongue than give up the only person who'd helped her on the island prison.
Journeying back to pirate territory was a little harder than getting back to Bargain Castle. Cassie knew full well that, if she hadn't climbed up onto the rooftops, there was a slim chance she'd have arrived by morning. But thanks to the very few street lights remaining, and the moonlight illuminating the ocean on the other side of the barrier, the little cat was able to find her way back to the place she loathed so much.
When Cassie eventually found herself in the market place, carefully perched atop one of the many wooden beams, she scanned the area thoroughly. The last thing she needed was someone catching her out and running off to tell Uma or Harry. This was more of a fleeting visit, so to speak. If things went well, and she really prayed they would, she'd be in and out before anyone knew she'd been there.
After safely determining the area was clear, Cassie climbed down from the rooftop. Where she'd once approached the rickety bridge connecting the dock to the pirate ship with hesitation and fear, she now darted straight across without a hint of worry. She hadn't known Harry back then, and that night she'd been focussed only on acquiring a 'special thing'. This time she had a very specific goal in mind.
After all, she remembered Harry's little 'stash' just as well as he'd remembered hers.
Cassie kept her movements quick, her feet silently moving across the deck and down into the hallway inside the ship. She flew past a few doors, and the empty space she knew led down into the cells, until she soon reached the room she'd come here to find.
The little cat was visibly surprised when she was able to enter the room. She'd expected Harry to have learned from the last time and made sure to lock his bedroom door when he wasn't there. Cassie wondered if, with the pirates now making their way through the Isle, he'd gotten a little more arrogant during that time. Maybe he was getting cocky, and under the impression that no one in their right mind would dare enter his personal space the way she was now, at the mere risk of being on the end of his hook.
Unfortunately for Harry, and possibly Cassie herself, she hadn't exactly been in the right frame of mind since her father left.
Unlike last time, where the lantern had been lit, Harry's room was now engulfed in darkness. Everything was the same as it had been the first - and last - time she'd come into his room. The bed was unmade, clothes littered the floor, and - much to Cassie's excitement - his little 'stash' was still there. Although, it'd grown significantly since she'd last saw it.
Cassie hadn't been too sure what Harry had done with her 'special things'. She'd assumed he'd sold them, and used the money for himself or the crew. Now she knew he'd only added her things to his own, creating a rather impressive treasure hoard atop the desk in his room.
With a quick glance toward the bedroom door, which she'd left open to let in the light, Cassie approached the desk. Opening the flap on the shoulder-bag Helena had been kind enough to lend her, Cassie grabbed handfuls of the jewels and 'special things', a wince crossing her features as the items jingled and knocked together every time she shoved them in. It didn't take too long for her to take back what he'd stolen, and after a split-second of thought, she filled the rest of the bag up with Harry's own collection.
This was retaliation, after all, and this was an 'everything or nothing' type of situation.
When her shoulder bag was full, and uncomfortably weighing down her right side, Cassie closed the flap and tied the strings, making sure nothing would fall out when she made the journey back to Helena's salon. Until she was safely back inside Helena's place, she wouldn't get too overconfident with her success, but she couldn't exactly shove away the oncoming pleasure at having done so. There wasn't much she enjoyed in life, but getting one over on Harry had certainly become her favourite obsession.
The little cat smiled and lifted her arm, removing the bracelet from her wrist and slowly lowering it down onto the desk. It looked rather odd amongst the maps scattered across his desk, but if she was right - and he had been the one to leave this in her den - then he'd know exactly what it meant.
As she turned to leave the room, Cassie heard the faint thuds of boots against the flooring of the ship, and her heart jumped in her chest. Whoever it was, they were coming down into the ship, and there was nowhere for her to run this time.
Cassie frowned, her dark eyes darting about the room. It was only a small space, and there wasn't anywhere safe enough for her to hide. Not that she could see at first. But soon enough, when the footsteps grew louder, the little cat's eyes lit up when she noticed the space between the bed and the floor. It wasn't much, and it would be a tight squeeze, but she was small enough.
Getting underneath the bed itself was - she found - rather difficult. Cassie moved fast when shoving infinite amounts of clothes aside, dropping to her stomach and shuffling across the uncomfortable wooden floor until she was hidden from view, along with the bag of trinkets.
Cassie waited patiently underneath the bed frame, her bottom lip clamped firmly between her teeth, while her dark eyes stared through the small gap between the bed frame and clothes. All she could visibly see was the floor, and should anyone enter the bedroom she wouldn't be able to tell exactly who it was, since she'd only see their feet.
The footsteps stopped just outside the open door, and Cassie held her breath for a moment. Everything was eerily silent, and she struggled to calm her erratic heartbeat, inhaling and exhaling deep, slow breaths through her nose until the mystery visitor disappeared.
The silence didn't last too long, though Cassie's sliver of relief was short-lived. Abruptly, the door swung open, colliding against the wall with a loud bang. She flinched at the sound, withholding a squeak of surprise with the back of her hand. Her stomach churned with a sudden sickness, and her ribs ached painfully from her current position. Despite the hurt, she stayed exactly where she was, knowing full well that moving even an inch could get her caught.
Apprehensively, the little cat watched as the pair of thick, black boots pounded against the floorboards as the mystery person moved. She twisted her head to the right, following the shoes until they stopped in front of the desk.
An echoing thud met her ears, and Cassie flinched once more. She hadn't been completely sure who'd come into the room, but from the aggressive sound of a fist meeting the desk, the little cat knew exactly who it was.
"Oh, I'm gonna kill tha little fucker." As soon as the words were growled out into the silence of the room, Harry's feet moved back toward the door and right out of the room, the thuds becoming faint as he hastily made his way up on deck.
The second he was gone, Cassie grasped her opportunity for freedom with much enthusiasm. She attempted to ignore the strain in her stomach and ribs as she slid out from underneath the bed, her hands shakily yanking the shoulder-bag back up into its rightful place. With no way of knowing what Harry was up to, or if he planned on coming back to his bedroom sometime soon, she couldn't waste any time.
After a quick investigation to make sure the hallway was clear, the little cat scurried toward the steps leading up onto the deck. Briefly, she paused, peeking her head out to find any sign of the hook-wielding pirate, but found no trace of him anywhere nearby.
Cassie quietly stepped onto the deck, crouching low as she manoeuvred behind a wooden pillar just behind the entrance. She kept her arms close to her sides, her right arm nervously coming across her bruised stomach, and waited. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she listened for any warning that the pirates were close by.
It was rather difficult to listen for any sounds of oncoming attackers when all she could truly hear was the waves crashing against the sides of the ship, the vessel creaking loudly as it swayed from side to side. The noise wasn't going to ease anytime soon, and Cassie simply had to assume she was alone again.
The little cat peered from behind the beam, fearfully searching the area, and - after mustering the last of her courage - Cassie sprinted across the deck and over the bridge, hiding behind one of the stalls as soon as she was able.
Much to the little cat's relief, the hard part was over. Climbing up onto the rooftop, with a bag full of jewels and other precious items, was a bit of a struggle, but with a rush of adrenaline - caused by the horrifying thoughts of what could happen when Harry came back - she managed just fine.
As soon as she was up on the roof, Cassie allowed herself a small moment of relaxation. With her knees pulled back to her chest, and the bag balancing between her stomach and thighs, she attempted to regulate her breathing and calm her mind. She might not be out of pirate territory yet, but the worst part of the night was over, at least.
"Where tha fuck were ya, eh?!" Harry's voice was loud and full of anger, and easily overpowered the strength of the noisy waves surrounding the Isle.
"Look, I'm sorry, I was gone for five minutes!"
Cassie stayed as still as she could, though she did lean forward a tad to get a better look at the commotion going on below. Just a few yards away, her worst enemy stood with someone she hadn't seen before: A young pirate who, despite being the same height as Harry, was clearly thinner and less muscled than the hook-wielding teenager.
Unlike the inner-Isle, which was illuminated by streetlights at night, the outer-Isle relied on well-placed lanterns to light up the paths and streets. It was good, since it meant Cassie wouldn't be seen from her spot on top of the roof unless someone knew she was there, but also bad, since the flames held within the lanterns hardly shined much light on the area itself. It barely revealed the pirates having a rather heated argument, only allowing a silhouette of the two.
"I don' want yar excuses, lad. Where tha fuck were ya?!" yelled Harry, jamming his fist into the other boy's shoulder.
Whatever was said, Cassie couldn't hear. Unless they were shouting there was no way for her to fully understand their words, and so she merely watched, squinting slightly in the hopes they'd become clearer to her curious gaze.
Unfortunately for her, Harry and the unknown pirate kept their voices to a moderate level. But even though they weren't shouting at each other any more, Cassie could visibly see the growing danger between the two, and her sympathies truly went out to the skinnier pirate dealing with Harry. She'd been on the receiving end of his temper more than once, and she knew exactly how difficult and terrifying it was to deal with someone like that.
As the minutes wore on, Cassie lost interest in the conversation between the two pirates, and she precariously raised to her full height above the wooden roof. All she wanted to do now was go back to the salon, change into the nightgown Helena had given her, and tuck herself into bed.
And maybe she would've done just that, if her eyes hadn't flickered back to the pirates the moment she was on her feet.
Since the two pirates were now stood directly underneath one of the lanterns, Cassie received a perfectly clear view of the heart-wrenching act taking place just a few spaces ahead of where she was. The second it was done, all sounds fled from her ears, replaced with a strange ringing and the unrelenting pounding of her heart beating in her chest. It kept her firmly rooted in her spot, and for some peculiar - and rather disturbing - reason, she couldn't bring herself to look away.
She saw everything. The switch in Harry's expression, simple annoyance turning into a murderous glare in a short second. The way he kept his hook against the other pirate's neck, distracting him with one weapon while his right - and sneakier - hand gripped the handle of his sword. He curved his hook into the pirate boy's shirt, yanking him forward with great speed, and drove his sword through the poor boy's stomach.
Cassie didn't utter a single sound; Not that she could've if she wanted to. Her tongue, it seemed, had securely trapped itself against the bottom of her mouth. She knew she had to run, to get as far away from the shoreline as possible, but she just couldn't. It could've been the horror keeping her in her place. She'd never seen someone get killed before, and the fact that it was being done by someone she'd had numerous violent encounters with made her feel awfully sick. Or it could've been the unexpected guilt she experienced. After all, if she hadn't been stupid enough to go into the ship in the first place, and take back what was rightfully hers, the pirate boy being run through wouldn't be bleeding out on the floor.
By the time Cassie fully acknowledged and accepted what she'd just witnessed, and convinced herself that this wasn't some sort of twisted nightmare, the pirate boy was laying lifeless on the floor. Even from the awkward angle in which she was watching the entire thing, Cassie could still see the wide-eyed expression of complete fear frozen onto his face.
The little cat finally exhaled a shaky breath, the realisation of exactly where she was, and how much danger she was in, giving her the nudge she needed to yank her eyes away from the terrible scene in front of her. Even the knowledge that she was safe as long as she stayed on the rooftop gave her no comfort. As long as people like Harry lived on the Isle, she'd never be truly safe. And she had to start remembering that.
~...~...~
The Cheshire Cat's daughter yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as a strong wave of fatigue washed down over her body. Her eyes itched terribly, and the temptation to let them close was overbearing, but her inner-thoughts just wouldn't slow down long enough for her to even attempt it. It seemed that, even now, hours after she'd witness the brutal killing over in pirate territory, her head just wouldn't - or couldn't - let it go. It played the moment over and over again, smaller details Cassie hadn't even noticed at the time now becoming clear. For whatever reason, the atrocious and unnecessary murder she'd witnessed was having quite the effect on her.
But, of course, Cassie knew exactly why she was unable to sleep so easily tonight.
The little cat knew exactly what kind of person Harry was. He was ruthless, cruel, and more than happy to cause someone a great deal of pain if he thought it was needed. And even though he was the same age as her, Cassie never would've objected the idea of him killing someone. If anything, she expected as much from the son of Captain Hook. Seeing him shove his sword through that poor boy's stomach with a disturbing amount of ease wasn't what taunted her mind. Although, she had to admit that witnessing it first-hand was significantly more terrifying than simply imagining it in her head. The amount of times she could've been the one on the end of his sword, or hook, was understandably upsetting.
However, as the night wore on, Cassie finally came to understand why she was feeling so dreadful about the entire thing. Seeing it had been horrible, yes, and it'd certainly caught her off guard the second it happened. Hell, it'd knocked the air right out of her. But the one fact that had the dreaded moment stuck on a loop inside her head was that she was the one who caused it to happen.
One side of her mind argued that she should've been grateful; Grateful that it wasn't her on the end of that bloody sword. After all, she was rather skilled at keeping herself safe, and not once had she ever worried about throwing someone to the wolves as long as it got her out of trouble. On the other hand, though, she felt immense guilt eating away at her insides. If she hadn't been so stupid, then that boy never would've been caught and killed.
"You alright, pussycat?"
Cassie dragged herself out of her deep thoughts and looked up, meeting Helena's worried gaze. "I'm fine," the little cat whispered in reply, nuzzling her cheek into the pillow separating her head from Helena's thighs.
It'd taken a full hour for Cassie to explain everything to the Queen of Hearts. She'd come back to the salon in quite the state of distress, and Helena had approached her with great caution as soon as she noticed the expression on the little cat's face. It'd taken some gentle coaxing on the Queen's part, and a great deal of frustration on Cassie's, but eventually the story came out.
Cassie hadn't been too detailed with the explanation. All she'd said was that she'd seen someone get killed, and that it'd scared her more than she ever thought it would. There was absolutely no way in Hades she could tell Helena that she'd willingly gone back to Uma's ship to retrieve her stolen items, and that in doing so she'd enraged the hot-tempered pirate fixated on making her life miserable, and thus ended the life of a young man who'd made a small mistake. She'd promised Helena she'd be careful, and she dreaded to think of how angry her 'mentor' would be if she found out the truth, so Cassie kept the majority of the night to herself.
After admitting what she'd been unfortunate enough to see, Cassie had been brought into the back room by the Queen of Hearts, and the older girl had remained silent as she'd helped the little cat prepare for bed. Cassie hadn't questioned Helena's silence; If anything she'd been rather relieved for it. The reality of what she'd seen was still settling in her mind, and being questioned about it wouldn't help her in the slightest. It was something Cassie had to handle herself, and in her own way, and the Queen of Hearts somehow understood that.
"Was it your first?" asked Helena, slowly weaving her fingers through Cassie's long, mousy-brown strands of hair.
The little cat furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Was it the first time you've ever seen someone get killed?"
Wordlessly, Cassie gave a small nod. The fact that Helena even had to ask that question was enough for Cassie to know that the Queen of Hearts had seen her fair share of murders. And from the single conversation they'd had involving Helena's mother, the little cat had a small feeling that her new friend had - at some point - done it herself.
Helena gave a faint hum of understanding. "The first one's always the worst. It's like a reminder, I guess, of how bad things are here."
"I don't know why I can't get it out of my head," the little cat whined, lightly shaking her head. "One minute they were arguing, and the next..." Her words trailed off into a long, shaky sigh. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Well," the Queen of Hearts muttered, absentmindedly staring at her fingers as they untangled Cassie's locks. "Better now than later, right?"
Cassie knew the older girl was doing her best to make her feel better, but her argument in this was slightly worrying. Truthfully, Cassie would've preferred to go the rest of her life without ever seeing what she'd seen tonight, and she'd much rather have been forced to witness it later on than now.
"With all the pirates drifting in and out of town, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a few more bodies on the streets. Everyone's on edge lately, Cassie."
The little cat hadn't truly noticed any substantial differences out on the Isle tonight. Aside from the tags spray-painted all over the walls, the Isle looked exactly the same to her. But the Queen of Hearts ran a salon, and her customers adored chatting away about whatever was going on. The shift of power sweeping through the island prison was catching everyone off guard, maybe more so since the only ruler they'd really had since the villains had been thrown onto the Isle had been Maleficent. There had been a system in place then, and everyone knew exactly where they stood. But ever since 'riot night' the whole Isle had spun into disarray. With the pirates in charge now, it meant new alliances and agreements, and on a place like the Isle, accomplishing something as simple as that wasn't exactly easy.
"I heard this morning that the King over in Auradon is changing the shipments," the Queen admitted.
"How so?" asked Cassie.
"Instead of twice a month, the ships are only gonna be coming in once a month. I dunno, I guess Maleficent busting out scared the shit outta them, and they're trying to make sure no one else gets through the barrier."
The shipments from Auradon came in on the first of each month, and then again two weeks after. Each time closely resembled an all out battle, higher-class villains and street rats all rushing to be the first to dig through the boxes and find the most valuable goods. Cassie had been witness to it once, when she'd gotten curious about the commotion and decided to follow Maleficent and her goons down to Goblin Wharf. The former ruler of the Isle had gotten first pick, and only after her allies had also gotten what they wanted had she allowed the rest of the Isle to dig in themselves. It'd been chaotic and vicious, but it had been controlled by the 'Queen' of the Isle.
If Helena's gossiping customers were right, and the King had truly made the idiotic decision to lessen their shipments, Cassie dreaded the thought of what would happen to the Isle.
"It's gonna be a bloodbath," the little cat pointed out, and the Queen nodded in agreement. "The Isle's barely scraping by as it is, and with Maleficent gone everything's going crazy." Cassie hadn't even liked the horned woman: She'd always been rambling about her former victories, or yelling and berating her daughter for countless reasons Cassie had long-since forgotten. But the former Isle ruler had had a way of running the Island, and there had been some kind of structure then.
"I know. Things are gonna get a lot harder here, pussycat. But I'm trying to make a point here."
Cassie bit down on her bottom lip, an inquiring expression crossing her face. "What do you mean?"
The Queen of Hearts inhaled, seemingly reluctant to explain to Cassie what was going through her mind. "I mean, people are gonna get nastier out there. If you're gonna stick to these night-time walks of yours, you have to know what might happen. Or what you might have to do."
Cassie swallowed down the bile rising in her throat, a sudden pang of dread and disgust welling up inside of her. "I know what you mean," she grumbled.
Truthfully, the very idea of taking someone's life scared the absolute shit out of Cassie. Yes, she always looked out for herself, and when backed into a corner she had no problem fighting back. But killing was something entirely different. The night she'd fought Harry was an obvious example of how much she loathed the idea. He'd gotten stuck on the way into her den, and without her help he surely would've fallen to his death. If she couldn't even take the life of someone as evil as Harry, then how could anyone expect her to do it with a stranger?
"I know you don't like it, pussycat," said Helena, and Cassie looked up once more. "You're not capable of doing something that bad. But it's a 'kill or be killed' world over here, and if you don't think you can handle it then you shouldn't be going out." The Queen's voice was quiet and gentle, but the truth of her statement was as firm as ever.
"I-I don't know if I can," whispered Cassie, somewhat timidly. She didn't want to disappoint her friend by admitting how weak she was when compared to the rest of the Isle, but she couldn't lie to her about this either.
"Cassie, if you knew even half the crap I'd done on the Isle just for the hell of it then you wouldn't even be here. I'm not a good person, pussycat, but I have my moments. I like you, really, but I have to know you can go all the way. If you're gonna stay here with us, I need to know you can do whatever it takes to help protect us. If, Hades forbid, something happens to me in the salon one day, you'll be the one here with Gilzean. You've been running way too long, pussycat. It's not all your fault, it's what your daddy taught you, but that ends here. If it comes down to it, and you have no option, I need to know you can do it."
When it came down to the situation of fight-or-flight, Cassie chose the latter every single time if she could. She knew it, and Helena knew it too. It wasn't that surprising, really. The Queen of Hearts had been nice enough to take in the little cat, help her gain her strength, and give her a safe place to sleep. So, all-in-all, it was only natural for the older girl to want some kind of loyalty in return. She wanted... no, needed, to know that Cassie wouldn't run out on them at the first sign of trouble. She needed to know that, in a dangerous situation, Cassie would fight alongside her if need be. Helena loved her son more than anything in the world, and she needed the reassurance that - should something happen - Cassie would do whatever it took to keep the little one safe.
She had to know if the Cheshire Cat's daughter would kill for them.
Cassie was beginning to see the downsides to a friendship on the Isle. They had to protect each other, and defend the other to the death. It wasn't all late-night talks and shared meals, or playing dress-up whenever they felt like it. Loyalty was hard to come by on the Isle, and protecting someone else also fell into the same group. Cassie had always been rather selfish, what with her nightly routine of 'special thing' finding, and her willingness to hurt others as long as it meant she got home safe. She wasn't evil, she knew that, but she could be rather wicked in her own way.
For four years now, Cassie had only ever looked out for herself. Now, though, she had a friend. Someone who could get hurt if Cassie did, or said, the wrong thing. If she wanted to continue her friendship with Helena, and keep living at the salon, it meant giving up some of her self-preservation. It could get her hurt, or even killed, and it went against everything she knew.
But she already knew her answer.
"If it keeps you guys safe, I'll do it." Her answer was short and simple, but the Queen of Hearts took it with a large, beaming smile.
"Thanks, pussycat."
AN;
Happy New Year everyone! (Bit late, I know, but still.)
First of all, I'm really sorry for the lack of updates lately. Real-life got in the way - again - and I went through a bit of a 'Harry Potter' phase, where I couldn't concentrate on anything but the Weasley Twins, and for that I apologise. But I'm back now, and I really, really hope I can get the next update done sooner than this one.
So, no Harry/Cassie moments in this chapter. The two will be running into each other again soon but, for now at least, I wanted to focus more on Cassie and Helena. I know there wasn't much going on, but I'm slowly throwing myself back into the 'Descendants' universe and I'm being careful about it. I didn't want to give you guys a half-assed chapter that was rushed or anything, but I do hope you liked this one.
Right, review time!
Shipperandfanficer15: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! I don't know why it felt rushed to me, maybe because I was slipping out of the 'Descendants' universe it didn't feel like I'd put as much effort into it as I usually do. Either way, I'm really glad you liked it, and thank you for the lovely review.
mollichine: I'm good, thank you, just went through a period of writers-block is all. Hope you like this chapter! And thank you for the review.
ReaderFreak5000: Thanks for the review! And I'm glad you're enjoying the story. To answer your question... yes, I did use the name of the actress who played the Queen of Hearts in the live-action 'Alice in Wonderland'. I adore the actress, and it just so happened that her name went well with the character for my story. Also, I'm really pleased you enjoy how the characters are portrayed. Obviously this story is a little darker than most, so I was worried some wouldn't take to it so well, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I hope you like this chapter.
bromple: Here is your update, and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story. Thanks for your review!
Guest: I'm very well thank you, and I hope you are too! Thank you so much for your wonderful review, it really brightened my day when I saw it. I wanted to create a moderately-believable story that described how horrible things are on the Isle of the Lost, while at the same time, giving some more detail to characters we didn't really get to delve into as much, and I'm so glad that you're happy with the way I've done it. My main character is going through some personal development, and she does have a long way to go, but the new friendship between herself and Helena will cause some changes in her. I really hope you like this chapter, and again, thank you for the review.
Anyway, please leave me a review or PM to let me know what you thought of this chapter. And much, much love to everyone who've favourited and followed the story as well. There's too many of you for me to put in this A.N. but you guys are all awesome!
(Any typos or misspells will be corrected once I've had another read-through. If you notice any, let me know. Thanks!)