It came as a surprise to no one when, the evening after Cassie's 'reintroduction' into the crew, the cat herself came storming into Uma's shoppe like someone had stolen her favourite toy. In fact, the majority of Uma's pirates wagered as much. Some had bet that Cassie would come right back for answers after she left for the ship that night, knowing that their first mate would be all too eager to let her know he was taking over her training. When this didn't happen, some wondered if Cassie would be so overcome by anger that she'd come to the shoppe after the sun had come up and ferociously dismantle the place in retaliation for being handed over to Harry. But that didn't happen either. There was a temporary dismay brewing about the crew, since almost all had put a bet down on Cassie's temper getting the best of her. And so, when the little cat did return to Uma's shoppe during the early evening, only half an hour after the sun had gone down, her crewmates huddled together gleefully, exchanging rusty old coins or whatever else they'd put in as currency.

As they watched Cassie burst through the doors and into Uma's shoppe, the little cat's distress became amusingly evident. With flushed cheeks, likely due to the colder weather rather than the haste with which she'd come to the shoppe, Cassie's dark eyes were wide and clouded by an unbearable fury. Her hair, usually tamed down and curling at the edges, was tussled and unbrushed, and a faint glimmer of sweat built along her hairline. To encourage their belief that she'd been rather frantic in her desperation to get to the shoppe, she'd left behind the black leggings they always saw her wearing and simply thrown on the new sweater Starla had gifted her the evening before. In truth, the fact she'd even considered throwing on her boots came as a surprise to most. It was clear their cat was consumed by annoyance, but her presence now meant a form of entertainment for her crewmates.

"Captain!" she yelled, her gaze roaming around the shoppe for the teal-haired VK.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready," moaned Uma from her 'throne'.

The crew had wondered why their captain had decided to settle down on her chair since she usually went about her daily routine of serving the customers. Then, it became obvious. Like the rest of them, Uma had also been expecting a negative reaction from Cassie. So instead of beginning her duties as normal, Uma had first decided to deal with their cat.

Cassie's eyes zeroed in on their captain, and the crew knew right then that they were nothing more than furniture to the little cat.

Since the moment Cassie's upcoming decision to join the crew was announced, they'd been somewhat doubtful of the outsider but incredibly intrigued. There had been plenty of whispers among those in pirate territory where she was involved, even before Uma had told them about her. It wasn't rare for their first mate to set his sights on a pretty Isle-dweller, regardless of which side of the Isle they belonged to, but the lengths he'd gone to to continuously capture Cassie's attention had been astounding. It had honestly baffled most of them. Mainly because no one had known that the Cheshire Cat had been dumped on the Isle, and his daughter had suddenly become an unknown threat to Harry. But the first mate's unwavering fascination with her and how to defeat her time and time again had the entire crew bewildered. At least until they began to trade stories and theories, and they discovered Cassie's determination to seek out Harry every single time he did something to mess with her. If Cassie hadn't known it at the start, she'd grown to find out how merciless and violent the hook-wielding pirate was. And still, she came back. Most would've admitted defeat and slinked back into whatever hole they came from after dealing with him, but not Cassie. The feud between the Cheshire Cat's daughter and the son of Hook had stretched out for months, to the point they'd become the most talked-about subject on pirate territory.

The last 'war' Uma's crew had been actively involved in was their captain's feud with Maleficent's daughter. It had hardly been as intense as Cassie and Harry's ongoing feud, though. Uma's animosity towards Mal had stemmed from betrayal and abandonment. Everyone on the crew knew of Uma's friendship with Mal when they were younglings and that they'd been as thick as thieves, along with Mad Maddy. But Mal had gotten arrogant as they grew older. Suddenly, the sight of Maddy's lilac hair stirred an odd annoyance in Mal, and she'd dumped a pail of toxic substance over Maddy's head and turned it green, thus severing any ties of friendship with Madam Mim's granddaughter. Not long after that, Mal had pushed Uma into a container of bait that the pirate's used for catching fish, plaguing their captain with a faint and displeasing scent that still hovered around to this day. Everyone on the crew knew of Mal's horrendous nickname for Uma, and all refused to speak of it at the risk of their captain hearing it. Gil was absentminded, and as one of the Sea Three, their captain hardly took offence when he was idiotic enough to drop the nickname. It wasn't done with malice or dislike, but purely the routine of hearing it all over the Isle before the Core Four left, so he was occasionally given a pass for his tendencies. Nevertheless, Uma's interactions with Mal hadn't been consistent. The daughter of Maleficent would infiltrate pirate territory every few months and do something to enrage Uma, after which the captain would dispatch her pirates to take revenge. While Uma was, understandably, fueled by anger whenever she found out Mal had been on their territory, her crew knew better. Yes, their captain was irritated, but there was also a sadness in her responses, as if the hurt of being betrayed was still raw in her memory.

There was a very, very big difference between Uma's feud with Mal and Harry's obsession with Cassie. With Mal and Uma, their attacks had been rather bland. It mainly involved Mal spray-painting the word 'shrimpy' all over Uma's ship, to which the pirates would come into the middle of the Isle and dump rotten fish outside of Maleficent's castle—small retaliations. It was easy to see that neither Mal nor Uma truly had any drive for it. Had they truly detested one another as much as they claimed, the attacks would have been far more violent than the child's play they'd settled for. With Harry and Cassie, however, there was a peculiar kind of passion to their attacks. They were relentless and unyielding, never allowing more than a week or two to go by to give each other a break. Cassie running off with Harry's hook had been cruel, as had their first mate been when he decided to scatter dead cats across the inner Isle. Those two had gone beyond simple rivalry and into the realm of the original villains. It was somewhat on par with locking a woman's father up until she had no other choice but to marry you. Or ordering a huntsman to rip out the heart of a young girl just because she was more beautiful than you. Everything Harry and Cassie did to each other came as a great shock to the crew, primarily since, though they claimed to loathe each other, they refused to kill.

And then Starla threw her opinion into the mix.

"You know why, right?" she'd whispered, leaning into the huddle the crew had formed. Her grin had been deviously knowing, and her confidence indicated she knew more than they did. "They like each other. That's why he won't kill her."

Back then, they'd grumbled and disregarded Starla's beliefs. But how could they not? It didn't make any sense. The two had been torturing and harassing each other for months, pushing it past the point of insanity. From an evil perspective, finding a match on the Isle was extremely uncommon, so the crew had simply assumed Cassie and Harry had found it in each other. They'd considered each other and determined the other was worthy of being a rival, and ending each other meant putting a stop to it, which, evidently, neither wanted. The majority of the crew would've killed off their rival without a second thought, but who were they to question the first mate's decisions? If battling it out with Cassie was what he got his kicks from, then so be it.

There had been a short break in between, after Harry had gotten hurt, and the crew had been rather disgruntled to find their new form of enjoyment had come to an end. But not long after that, Uma had announced that Cassie would be joining their crew. This had brought forward a few objections from the crew. Cassie was an outsider who had no knowledge of pirates or their customs. Plus, they'd been hearing about her for a while at that point, all about the horrid things she'd done to the first mate. In their eyes, Cassie was sneaky and used underhanded moves, and she had a sticky finger or two. Some couldn't understand why Uma even wanted Cassie around after what had happened with Harry, but for others, it confirmed what Starla had said to them before. After all, if Cassie did join the crew, it meant Harry wouldn't be able to hurt her in the same way he had. She'd be one of them, and he'd have to accept as much. Their captain wouldn't even consider allowing Cassie into the crew without Harry's say-so, and it all became painfully obvious then. The first mate speaking in Cassie's favour had also been a determining factor.

Standing next to Uma on the podium, the first mate let out a piercing whistle, dismantling the squawks of protest from the crewmates. "Stop ye'r yapping," he groaned, slightly exasperated. "I get it; I do. But she's clever an' fast, an' she knows the inside better than any of us. She's not been a part of another gang, so we'll be her first. I wouldn't be askin' ye' to take her on if I wasn' sure. Give it some time; she'll be fuckin' great with us, I swear."

Plenty had been on the brink of asking for an explanation, some kind of idea as to why Harry was so eager to let Cassie join the crew, but none had the nerve to voice it. As great as Harry was as a first mate, his mood swings were chaotic, and his temper easily sparked. If they asked anything that he didn't think they absolutely deserved to know, he'd have them out of the shoppe and on mop duty for a week, or, worse still, launch them off the plank. So they'd relented.

The first time many of them actually saw Cassie for the first time, she'd come running into the shop and climbed their first mate like he was a crow's nest, pressing a fancy little dagger to his throat. The crew had almost immediately jumped up in preparation to defend him, but a quick wave of Uma's hand had them settling back down. It'd been intriguing to watch Cassie's interactions with the Sea Three. While the little cat had been wary, her hostility had calmed enough for her to at least have a normal conversation with Uma. There was a peculiar familiarity between them, like they knew they had nothing to truly fear from each other. That had been a little disappointing for most of the crew. After only hearing tales of Cassie, they'd expected, well, something more. Short in stature, around the same height as Uma, with big brown eyes and a pretty little face. The cat-ear headband on her head was the only indication as to who her parent was.

After the four had come out from the back, Cassie seemed disgruntled by whatever they'd discussed. She'd headed for the exit, but the first mate had swiftly lunged ahead to catch her before she left. The crew had been watching, only sparing the occasional and hopefully subtle glances to ensure he didn't catch them out. Their first mate had leaned down to put his mouth near Cassie's ear, whispering something the crew couldn't even strain to catch. But that wasn't what had them reeling. As Harry's left side barely brushed against Cassie's as he spoke to her, the hook in his left hand slowly came to rest against her left thigh. In the same moment, he lightly stroked the exposed skin of her waist with the knuckles of his other hand. Having witnessed Harry's flirtatious nature at play on more than one occasion, this hardly phased his crewmates. For him, it was almost an intimidation tactic, something he skilfully utilised whenever the mood struck. It was mainly Cassie's bodily response that kept the crew on the edge of their seats. With Harry invading her personal bubble, she'd stiffened, as expected, but there had been a slight waver afterwards. It seemed having him close set her nerves alight, but after sensing what kind of mood he was in, she relaxed only slightly. Cassie's right hand flexed at her side, almost readying itself for an attack. In the meantime, her other hand's fingers twitched in his direction, as though something was pressuring her to return the touch. The crew wasn't sure if those two acknowledged the way they leaned into each other, but they ventured a guess that the two had no idea.

When Cassie left the shoppe, the first mate stared after her, a demented kind of longing playing on his expression. After that, he'd been in a wonderful mood, pulling out a bottle from under the countertop and beckoning the other crew members to join him. Before they got to the counter, though, Starla had turned to them, looking like a cat who'd caught the biggest mouse on the Isle.

"I told you so."

Not long after seeing that, the betting started. For those who were still doubtful of Harry's unnatural fondness for Cassie, their minds were swayed the very next evening when the little cat returned to the shoppe. Discussing the initiations of the pirates and what would be expected of her, Cassie's chat with Uma was almost consistently disturbed by Harry, who seemed to hate not having the little cat's attention on him for more than five minutes. Almost on routine, he'd take a little walk around the shoppe, whistling a tune, only to come right back to Cassie. Lingering entirely too close, he'd either run his hook along the back of her neck or tug the ends of her hair with his other hand. When Cassie batted him away with her hand or turned to look back over her shoulder and demand that he back off, the crew saw the twinkle of delight in his eyes. Ignoring him would've been her best option, since it would've irritated Harry beyond belief, and he probably would've gone elsewhere if she did. But Cassie struggled to do so. She responded to him every time he did something, which, unbeknownst to Cassie, was what kept him returning.

As time went on, the crew became slightly more accepting of the outsider. On the evening Mad Maddy and her gang had shown up in Uma's shoppe, Cassie had earned a little respect. It was clear the little cat held some fear of Maddy and whatever she was capable of doing, but she'd still walked right into the shoppe, determined to face her. Understandably, the crew had been taken aback to find out that Cassie was responsible for Harry being bedridden a few weeks before. After giving it some more thought, though, they realised it wasn't as startling as it should have been. Harry and Cassie had been fighting for months, so, realistically, they should've known it was Cassie that hurt him, regardless of who they'd been told had been the cause. Even if they disagreed with what'd happened, Uma and Harry seemed eager to have Cassie on the crew, and it wasn't their place to hold grudges on behalf of another. Initially, Cassie's passive behaviour had annoyed the crew. While Maddy fought with Uma and Harry over who got to claim the little cat, she'd been sitting on the other side of the room, watching them without even an ounce of confrontation. Then, when Maddy began offering turf for Cassie, the little cat finally snapped. Defending herself against Maddy's demands and even putting her hands on the mad witch had been a welcome sight. It showed fight and loyalty, whether she knew it or not, and gave them a slight insight into how she'd be as one of them. When Cassie's fury turned to Harry, it'd been rather amusing. The Cheshire Cat's daughter could shout from the rooftops that she'd never belong to Harry, but the crewmates knew it was simply a matter of time.

Finding out about Cassie's curse had certainly explained a lot. The crew never saw her during the daytime, or at least they hadn't known it was her. It made sense how she'd managed to evade their first mate for so long. It also provided a wonderful glimpse into Cassie's time management. Even when burdened by a curse, she'd managed to find the determination to fight with Harry every other night since they'd met. If they could admire nothing else about her, that alone was something to be noted.

Only a month after Cassie's joining, Starla ran around pirate territory to rally the crew and anyone else she deemed worthy of gathering near the ship, which happened to be every single pirate she came across. The time had come for their first mate to prove himself capable of having Cassie to himself. The customs of pursuit on the pirate's side of the Isle were always something worth celebrating, since it was borderline impossible to find someone capable of matching another's energy without killing them first. Cassie had already started the routine, so it came as no surprise when Harry carried on into the next stage. For the crewmates, anyone they took an interest in would have to earn the approval of their captain first, which the little cat had completed wonderfully. But Cassie had also taken it a step further by going as far as to abandon her inner-Isle roots and join them on the outer-Isle, becoming one of the crewmates of the very pirate she wanted. It was the greatest form of devotion for the pirates, and something they hadn't anticipated from an inner-Islander. As predicted, the fight had gone smoothly, and Cassie had accepted him. They'd seen the momentary hesitation, but it was natural given she was still learning their ways.

The next evening, the crew were hardly swayed when Cassie stormed into the shoppe and caught Harry in the face with a tray. Even after Uma had forced them out of the shoppe, they'd barely held much concern for the first mate. If they'd learned anything, it was that Harry and Cassie made an outrageous match that none of them could hope to wrap their minds around. For whatever reason, the duo had made the unhinged decision of transitioning from enemies to, well, whatever it was they'd decided to do now. It was only natural for their old grievances to resurface from time to time as they worked out their current dynamic. So, given everything that had happened between them, a few minor attacks here and there were to be expected.

Then, right before the duel between Harry and Gaston Jr., Cassie got hurt. Badly, according to Kody. In choosing their crew, the little cat had gotten attacked by one of Maddy's, and the crew's respect was hers. It was one thing to argue with Maddy, but another entirely to take a dagger to the side. For the pirates, surviving through something like that was admirable, since there were no reasonably trained doctors on the Isle to heal them. Cassie's loyalty to Uma had gotten her hurt, and still she decided to stay. The sudden appearance of the Queen of Hearts had been quite unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. The crew already knew of her as the mother to Gil's nephew, so having her around hadn't impacted them in any negative way. If her presence was what helped Cassie, then they wouldn't argue.

The backlash from Cassie finding out that Harry would be taking over her training was understandable. With Starla, there was no risk of personal bias where the pirate girl would take it easy on Cassie. As a fighter, Starla was as vicious as the rest of them, despite her gleeful nature. Surely, Cassie was under the impression that Harry would hold back from harming her. Her reluctance, though, would soon be calmed. If anything, Harry was likely to double down since she was his now. In a pirate duo, it was understood that they couldn't be there to protect each other all of the time, so it was essential for their partners to know exactly how to defend themselves. With only three months left until her initiation, Harry would have Cassie turned into a pirate in no time.

Practically jumping onto the platform, Cassie stared up at Uma. "Tell me he's kidding," she pleaded.

Uma leaned her head on her fist and let out a small sigh. "He's not," she replied.

"Oh, c'mon, captain," groaned Cassie, almost childishly. "I thought he was on time out?"

"He was," stressed Uma, her brow twitching upward. "Until you nearly got killed."

Cassie pouted, and her eyes rolled skyward. "What does that matter? I'm here now!"

Uma leaned forward in her chair, her face inching closer to Cassie's as she lowered her voice. "You almost died, pussycat. It might be something you're used to, since you piss off everyone you meet, but we're not good with that shit. Especially with people we care about." The captain shook her head. "He likes you, Cassie, and he doesn't want that to happen again. Let him have this one."

Cassie's eyes softened. There was still a part of her that refused to give in to Harry and doubted him when he told her—on multiple occasions now—where his feelings were in regards to her. She didn't trust him; she didn't know if she was capable of trusting him. But there was a very microscopic chance he was telling her the truth, even though he'd never lied to her before now, and a stupid part of her couldn't let it go. While she could choose to refuse him every time, she couldn't be so arrogant as to ignore what he was blatantly telling her.

"Fine," she acquiesced. "Just this one time."

"Absolutely fucking not."

Cassie's cheeks rounded sheepishly. In truth, she'd expected such a response from her best friend. It made sense, though. Cassie had only woken up from the healing phase of being stabbed a few days before, so Helena was still under the impression that she had more healing to do, but that wasn't the case. The scar along her side was little more than a slight itch to her now. Sure, there was the occasional and peculiar stretch-like sensation when she moved a certain way, but the soreness had worn off a short while ago. In terms of overall health, Cassie was as fit as she had been before she got shanked—Helena and Starla made sure of it. There was no reason for her to put off training with Harry; there was no physical reason anyway.

"Why can't she do it?!" demanded the queen, waving a hand towards Starla, who was playing peek-a-boo with Gilzean.

"He wants to make sure Cassie can take care of herself," sang Starla, without taking her eyes off Gilzean. Her sing-song tone continued, "He just wants to keep her safe." A large smile stretched her lips, her nose wrinkling playfully as the baby clapped his hands.

Helena scowled. "That doesn't mean he has to be the one to teach her."

To this, Starla finally turned her head. "He's the best fighter on the crew, and he taught all of us. If anyone can help her, it's Harry." There was a finality to her voice that Cassie hadn't experienced before. While Starla could agree that Harry had some screws loose, it seemed she wouldn't stand for anyone belittling his fighting abilities.

"D'you know what I wanted to do when I found out you got stabbed?" asked Helena. Cassie shook her head. "I wanted to kill you myself. Like, 'how dare you get hurt' kind of kill you."

Cassie blinked. "That's... nice?"

Helena deadpanned. "How do you think Harry feels?"

Honestly, Cassie didn't want to think about it. But she knew where Helena was coming from. If Harry liked having her around as much as everyone else said he did, then her almost getting killed would've severely irritated him. Going out and killing Ginny was a no-go; at least Cassie assumed as much, but Harry wouldn't spare her a second thought anyway. His fury wasn't at Ginny for hurting Cassie; it was at Cassie for being foolish enough to get caught unaware. So while he'd be training Cassie, she knew full well that he'd be making it as torturous as he could as punishment.

Cassie's pleading gaze moved to Starla. "No way I can get out of it?"

"Nope," replied Starla. At least her expression was somewhat sympathetic. "I don't think it'll be so bad, Wildcat."

It took Cassie less than thirty seconds to decide whether or not going ahead with the training was a good idea.

Getting onto the ship had been easy enough, although she'd had Helena and Starla along for the journey, and they'd done their best to put her concerns to rest. They'd also reassured her that, should anything take a deadly turn, they'd be watching from the side-lines, ready and waiting to jump in when necessary. That had been fine. Had she been a little anxious to know her friends would soon see Harry put her on her ass? Of course. But she was a complete newbie, her beginning duel with Starla aside, and wouldn't judge her for her poor attempts.

When Harry showed up, with Uma and Gil behind him, a twinge of discomfort settled in Cassie's stomach. Still, she remained on the ship. There wasn't any point in questioning Gil's or Uma's presence. Where one went, the other two usually followed, and it wouldn't change anytime soon.

Sometime between Harry handing his coat and hat over to Uma and withdrawing his sword, something in Cassie's already apprehensive thought process flicked a switch.

A second or two after worryingly eyeing the sword in his hand, Cassie shook her head and mumbled, "Nope. Nuh-uh. Not happening." Her hope for a quick exit was swiftly blocked by Uma and, to Cassie's displeasure, Helena.

"Sooner you get it over with the better," offered Uma, her head tilting to the side. "It's happening; doesn't matter if you don't like it."

Cassie cocked her head to look at Helena. "C'mon," she pleaded.

"Nope," replied Helena, though at least she was more understanding. With a twitch of her lips, she said, "And I kind of want to see you fight."

Cassie frowned. "Traitor."

Playfully, Helena blew a raspberry with her tongue. Her gaze then shifted to something behind Cassie, sharpening into a scowl.

"Oh!" exclaimed Gil, fiddling with something around his wrist. "For you," he said to Cassie, holding out his hand.

Curious, Cassie took the offered gift, a sudden warmth spreading through her when she realised it was a hair tie.

"I just thought, you know, 'cause of last time."

"Of course," mumbled Cassie. "Thank you."

Before Cassie had a chance to put her hair up, a sharp sting came to the right side of her neck. Turning to the left, she peered back at Harry.

"First rule for ye', love. Don't turn ye'r back on the enemy." His delight was infuriating. He was going to enjoy this; she had no doubt about it. If he wasn't so composed, he'd likely be running rings around the ship.

Cassie sighed. "You couldn't give me two seconds?"

He shrugged. "Would an attacker give ye' two seconds?"

Putting her back to the others, Cassie pushed the sword away with two fingers. "If I can get them talking, probably," she grumbled.

"Ye' can't talk ye'r way outta everythin', kitty," he pointed out, bringing back the sword to rest near his side.

With a knowing look, Cassie moved the hair tie to her lips. "Worked just fine with you." Holding the tie between her teeth, Cassie gently leaned her head back, gathering her hair with both hands. Fingering her hair up as high as she could manage without it falling back down, she brought the tie from her lips and twisted her shortened strands into a ponytail. A few stray hairs came down against her nape, and her bangs still hung near her face, but it would do nicely.

Lowering her head, Cassie paused, her annoyance taking a short trip in the backseat for, well, whatever was going on with Harry. "You good?" The glint of sadistic glee she'd found in his eyes only a second or two before was clouded by something she couldn't entirely understand—or maybe she was unwilling to. Tongue clasped between his teeth, he ogled the slope of her neck, now exposed since she'd thrown her hair up.

"Aye," he mumbled, seeming reluctant to move his eyes up to meet hers. "But you won't be."

Unaware of exactly what she'd done to piss him off this time, Cassie's brows furrowed as she watched him move back into the centre of the ship, deftly twisting the sword in his hand.

"Good thinking, Wildcat," applauded Starla from behind Cassie, tapping the little cat's shoulder.

Bewildered, Cassie twisted to look back at Starla. "For what?"

Helena leaned forward, a sly kind of knowing in her expression. "I'll explain it to you later."

Shoving that into the back of her mind, Cassie approached the hook-wielding pirate, albeit warily. After all, she still wasn't sure what had brought on his sudden irritation, and he was already itching to catch her with that sword.

"I'm still not getting a sword?" huffed Cassie, crossing her arms.

"Hmm, not tonight," he responded. He then observed her from head to toe. "We're gonna play a little game tonight." The troublesome grin Cassie had grown to loathe over the last few months made a triumphant return, fanning her nerves. "Like the time ye' had a tussle with Starfish over there."

Cassie's lips twitched—only momentarily, of course. She'd certainly be asking Starla about that later. "You and your games," she sighed, though there was a hint of playfulness.

"Our games, kitty," he corrected. "I know ye' like to mix up the tale a bit, but I always make it fun for ye', don't I?"

Ignoring what he was alluding to, since she had neither the patience nor the interest to unpack all of it right now, Cassie asked, "What kind of game?"

"I want ye' to get this sword—" He lifted his arm slightly to raise the weapon. "—away from me. No rules to this game. Ye' just need to get it outta my hand."

Cassie couldn't help but hesitate. "No rules?" she repeated, dubious. He shook his head. "I can do anything I want?"

A deep chuckle escaped his lips. "Anythin' ye' want," he assured. There was a dangerous flicker of something or other in his gaze, and Cassie didn't trust it. "But keep in mind, lovely, that it applies to me too."

It took very little time for Cassie to figure out that evading Harry was much harder than dodging Starla. The pirate girl had been fast with her movements, and her swipes unyielding. Starla hadn't exactly been holding back when they fought before, but there had been a slight sense of security in knowing she was only assessing Cassie's abilities. While she'd given the little cat the occasional nick, there hadn't been any true determination to hurt her. Starla had also kept her attacks focused on Cassie's upper half rather than targeting the lower, consistently backing the little cat into different corners of the ship. Back then, Cassie had also been permitted to fight back in some way. Not that she couldn't now, of course. But at least with Starla, her attacks held some weight. When they'd been duelling before, Starla hadn't had much use for her non-dominant hand, until, at least, she grabbed Cassie's hair towards the end. In a real fight, Cassie knew the pirate girl was likely to involve other manoeuvres, but she hadn't when going at it with Cassie.

Cassie wasn't naïve. Harry was a nasty fighter, even without the aid of a sword. So while Cassie wasn't entirely sure how he fought with the other pirates, she'd ventured a guess and been proven correct. Since he was on the heavier side than herself and Starla, he wasn't as fast, but that didn't make him slow either. What he lacked in speed he made up for in force, which Cassie practically felt every time he swung his sword towards her. It also didn't help when, every time his sword missed her by an inch or so, he'd bring his hook around from a different direction, barely allowing her time to recover from the first attack. He'd already caught her once or twice, the first time by his sword after she avoided the hook, nicking her collarbone, and the second time on her thigh when she jumped up onto a railing to dodge him. She couldn't deny that his ability to strike with both the sword and hook was impressive; It was multitasking on another level. It made it increasingly difficult to side-step his lower attacks, when he decided to go for her legs. He'd drop down onto one knee and twist, his sword striking for her feet while his hook aimed for her knees. If she hadn't been accustomed to hauling ass through the Isle and hopping over whatever was in her way, he'd have rendered her immobile ages ago.

That wasn't to say, though, that he was getting out of this fight without a hitch. Naturally, it hadn't taken long for Cassie's instinctive nature to make an appearance. Yes, she'd spent most of their 'fight' running away from him and avoiding the blows, but she had no trouble hitting him back like she had with Starla. While she didn't have a weapon, her nails were strong enough to claw into his skin every time she caught an opening—rare as they were. They wouldn't sway him entirely, but they certainly caught him by surprise. Astonishing, really, that he'd forgotten how well she could scratch when the situation called for it. When Cassie was fortunate enough, she'd find an opportunity to catch him on the side of the knee and stagger him. That, however, was a wonderful piece of information she'd gained from Helena when they'd been talking earlier.

"If he moves around a lot, it's tricky, but if you get him in the knee, he'll go down like a sack of potatoes. Harder the better. Shins too, actually. Ever cracked your shin on a table? Yeah, that shit hurts like hell." The queen's eyes rolled skyward, a pondering frown twisting her lips. "If you think he's getting too 'Harry', catch him in between the legs. He'll be mad, but you can just make it up to him later."

Cassie had no desire to go with that last option. Partly because she knew he'd well and truly throw her overboard if she tried, but also because it would end the fight before she even had a chance to win. He'd challenged her to get him to lose his grip on the sword, and she was dead set on completing the task.

It would've been a lot easier to think if he kept his damn mouth shut. But he really loved the sound of his own voice.

"Haven't done this in a while, eh, Kitty? Remember last time?"

She'd frowned down at him from atop the nets. "You beat the crap outta me," she spat, catching her breath for a minute.

He'd laughed, irritating her further. "Oh, nothin' more than a love tap, Kitty." Staring up at her, his eyes darkened. "Now get ye'r pretty arse back down here."

It was extremely peculiar, really, that his charming tendencies would demand control in a moment such as this. If she looked deeper into it, though, she suspected it was another means of attack. A way to throw her off. By now, it was incredibly clear that Cassie held no fondness for his enticing words or how eagerly he spoke of their blatant attraction for each other, and he was more than happy to use it to his advantage. Plus, it seemed this fight was nothing more than 'playtime' for him. It'd been a while since he was given free reign to do whatever he pleased to her, and it was painfully obvious he'd missed their old 'game'. If she was being completely honest with herself, though, she also realised that a troubled part of her had become eager for it. Primarily because it was what she was used to when it came to him.

Cassie eventually found herself back up on one of the ship's higher platforms. Cowardly? Perhaps, but very, very necessary. Harry was absolutely relentless. She couldn't catch a moment to even consider her own thoughts down on the ground, so she needed a second or two to come up with a plan.

Looking down over the edge, as she caught her breath, Cassie found him in a similar state. She'd lost count of how long they'd been on the ship, but it'd been quite a while since they'd started. His stamina far surpassed hers, but he'd also been awake all day, so surely the fatigue would be taking its toll now. He'd also been forcing a considerable amount of energy into his attacks, and that couldn't help much.

"Are ye' gonna keep runnin' from me, Cassie?" he shouted up at her, wiping along his hairline with the back of his hand.

"Haven't you figured it out, Harry?" she yelled back, a tired smile stretching her lips. "It's my specialty."

He clucked his tongue. "I'm gonna catch ye' eventually."

Cassie had no doubt he would. He always did, after all. "And I'll keep getting away, like I always do." An abrupt tingle radiated through her stomach as Cassie pondered something he'd said before. "Does this count as our 'one night'?"

That caught his attention. Peering up at the little cat, his head tilted to the side, and he gnawed the inside of his cheek in contemplation. "Depends, is fightin' the only thing ye' wanna do with me?" It was said playfully, but Cassie could sense the sincere inquiry.

It was usually around this point that she'd pull back. Her fight-or-flight, it seemed, applied to every aspect. In truth, it was far easier for her to deny everything he told her and simply believe he was toying with her than to consider the possibility that there was more he wanted from her. On one hand, Cassie knew with certainty that it was due to their horrendous past. After everything they'd put each other through, it was entirely unbelievable for him to have come out on the other side with a peculiar fondness for her. It didn't make any sense. The only thing that drew them to each other was a cruel type of fate that he had to be mistaking for attraction. It was just a case of relying too much on one another. They'd fought for so long, it was only expected that putting it to an end would have its drawbacks. He didn't want her, not really. His initial desire had been to get her under his control, and that seemed to have manifested in a different form when his brutality failed. He would leave her as soon as he realised he had her. Perhaps when she became so engrossed in it that she lost the ability to look past him, his lack of interest would rip the rug out from under her. She'd been around Helena a lot over these last few days, and though she never commented on her friend's puffy red eyes every time Cassie saw her in the morning, it didn't mean she was ignorant of it. The Queen of Hearts was skilled at masking her sadness, but Cassie could see how Gaston Jr.'s betrayal had impacted Helena. If seeing it was painful, then Cassie could barely imagine how it felt, and it wasn't something she desired for herself.

Folding her arms beneath her chin, Cassie wondered, "What is it? What makes you so sure you want me?"

Harry grinned. "Ye' realise ye'r just answerin' my question? If ye' didn't want me, ye' wouldn't need to know."

"Not quite," she countered. "Maybe I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, ye' know."

Her lips twitched. "But I'm still here."

For a moment, the sound of the gentle lapping of the waves was all she could hear. But then he said, "Get the sword from me. Ye' wanna know why I want ye'? Take it from me, then I'll tell ye'."

Cassie pushed up onto her hands, intrigued. "And if I can't?" she asked. "What do you want from me?"

His answer was quick, like he'd given it some thought well before he'd even challenged her. He replied slyly, the corner of one side of his mouth curving upward, "Just a... small, kind'a thing. Ye' wear ye'r hair up more often."

"Huh," mumbled Cassie, unsure. "That's it?" There had to be more. Was it some kind of pirate trick? Something that seemed entirely simple in the middle of the Isle but meant something more on the outer? Surely it had to be. No way could it be that simple.

Harry gave a shrug. "That's it. No tricks." The devious look on his face insinuated otherwise.

Cassie pushed back the unsettling twist in her stomach and started her cautious descent. Holding onto the ropes, she climbed down onto the deck, keeping a close eye on Harry in the meantime. He'd gone straight for her the last time she'd climbed down and managed to slice her across the back of her leg.

Cassie watched him for a moment, lingering close to one of the beams in case he dove forward and she had to put some distance between them. He eyed her from where he stood, probably deciding which angle would take her by surprise next as he shuffled lightly from one foot to the other, his fingers flexing around the sword. Doing her best to remain alert, Cassie looked over the wounds she'd given him during their 'duel'. Most of her scratches had caught him along the waist and upper arms, to the point that anyone else he bumped into tonight would think he'd tried to bathe a cat. She had, though, clawed his cheek after he'd had the nerve to aim for where Ginny had gotten her with the dagger.

"Seriously?" she'd seethed, taking a few steps back.

"Don't be so touchy, Kitty," he'd laughed, pressing his fingers to the wound on his cheek before bringing them back within his sight. "I can always heal it again." He leaped for her again, barely deterred by the scratch.

"Still hurts!" she'd yelled, climbing up onto a higher ledge.

"Good!" he'd retorted, swinging for her legs. "That's the plan."

Cassie sighed. She had to get the sword away from him, but how? He was far too fast for her to attempt grabbing it directly. If he swung with the sword and missed, she'd have only a second before his hook came around to catch her. In addition, his grip on the handle was firm, and it would take a significant amount of effort on her part to get him to let go. Plus, she truly loathed the idea of getting anywhere near him right now. His slashes were quick and powerful, and she didn't particularly fancy the idea of being stuck in her bedroom for the next five days, especially after Helena had just granted her freedom. There had to be a way of getting him to drop it without risking herself in the process.

When Cassie's fingers brushed against the thick wooden beam beside her, an idea struck. All those moments he'd brought his hook down on the counter in Uma's shoppe, he'd needed a hefty tug to get it out again, so who's to say it didn't also apply with his sword? Similar to that, Harry held nothing back when swiping his sword towards her; she could tell from the faint grunt that escaped him whenever he went for her. If she could just get him to swing and hit the beam, the sword would get lodged in the wood, probably harder to remove as well. It would falter him for at least a minute or two, but only where the sword was involved. She still had to deal with the hook, but for the time being, she had some sort of plan.

Cassie jolted back, a swift breeze grazing the tip of her nose and breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Focus, Kitty," he impishly reminded her, twirling the sword in his hand.

Cassie rolled her eyes, but she did pay closer attention this time. She knew going right near the beam would clue him in on her idea, so she had to be very careful. He wasn't an idiot... most of the time, anyway, and he'd upped the stakes, so he had to know she'd be taking it more seriously from this point.

And so began her task. All Cassie really knew with certainty was that, at some point, she'd have to end up with her back to one of the two beams. The railings surrounding the ship wouldn't work, since he was aiming across rather than up or down. Despite the fact that they'd been going for a little while now, avoiding his attacks was still quite finicky. While Cassie had done a lot of running around on the Isle, she hadn't really had to avoid being hit for this long, and it was beginning to take a toll. She'd built up a steady sweat a few tries ago, and her legs were starting to ache from all of the jumping. She knew she would collapse as soon as this "duel" ended, but the adrenaline kept her going for now.

Finally, after leading him around the ship, Cassie found her back against one of the beams, with Harry advancing quickly. Every other moment she'd been in this position, she'd swiftly darted to the side. It was just common sense, after all, to have nothing in the way of your movement when dodging an approaching attack; it was also one of the dumbest things a VK could do. So, for this to go well, she'd have to play an idiot.

When her back pressed against the beam, Cassie forced a flinch, her eyes widening in panic as she tilted her head to the side. The sword glinted under the twinkling lights strung up along the ship, sending her heart into a frantic pace. This, at least, wasn't faked. Overpowered by the momentum of consistently swinging in her direction, Harry hardly gave it a second thought as he stepped in far too close and aimed for her neck. Cassie ducked her head at the last possible moment, just missing the blade.

The audible 'thunk' was almost a lullaby from the gods.

Cassie's head turned, and relief overwhelmed her. Her gaze swiftly darted from the sword to it's wielder, whose face twisted into a grimace as he tugged at the sword but couldn't dislodge it from the wood quite so easily.

Then his eyes met Cassie's.

Almost a second later, the little cat cursed when his other arm came forward, his hook swiping downward. Bringing both of her hands up, she gripped his wrist mid-air, a squeak escaping her lips as she felt the pressure behind the strike.

"What now, Kitty?" he mocked, his eyes alight with a sadistic glee. He had her pinned now between the sword on her right and the hook above her head. There might be enough time to release his arm and dart below and around him, but then he'd be able to get his sword back.

Digging her nails into his forearm, Cassie's mind raced for an answer. She wouldn't be able to hold him off for long, not like this. Then she thought back to her battle with Starla.

Twisting beneath his arm, Cassie's arms loosened, and she put her back to his chest. Holding onto his upper arm, she raised her lower half and bent her legs against the beam in front of them, pushing against it with every ounce of energy she had left. In the same moment, she launched her head back, catching him in the face.

Though Cassie knew he had it far worse than her, there was a sudden, dull ache in her back as he met the deck. She jolted into an upright position, ignoring the slight pain in the back of her head, and laughed incredulously when she realised the sword was still embedded in the wood.

"I won," she exclaimed. Then her voice lowered, almost in disbelief. "Oh shit, I won." In truth, her plan had seemed a little far-fetched, but it'd worked—wonderfully so, in fact.

"Ye' sure 'bout that?"

Cassie's fleeting moment of success was thwarted when the hook-wielding pirate sat up behind her. With one hand firmly grasping her little ponytail, he tugged her head back painfully, and the other pressed the point of his hook to her throat.

Hissing from the back of her throat, Cassie held onto his forearm, which she soon discovered was strangely damp.

"Told ye' earlier, didn' I?" His lips brushed her ear as he laughed. "Don't turn ye'r back on an enemy."

A pinch-like pain came from the side of her neck. "You couldn't give me a second?" Her lips quirked, despite the situation at hand.

"Would an attacker give ye' a second?" he shot back. The rapid movements of his chest slowed with each passing second.

Allowing her head to relax, if only slightly, to give her neck a break, Cassie's head twitched to the side. A brief tingle of discomfort passed through her body when she realised how close they were, but she pushed it into the back seat. "You're not the average attacker, though, are you, Harry?"

Adjusting his head to see her better, Cassie noted the stream of blood coming from his nose. His hook twitched against her neck as he asked, "No? I could kill ye' now, ye' know."

Cassie blew a breath through her lips, doing her best to mask her apprehension. "You could," she agreed with a whisper. "Do you want to?" Her eyes bounced between his, as if she'd find the answer there.

He was quiet for a minute. Tugging his bottom lip between his teeth, his gaze moved around her face like the answer was written down there somewhere. They lingered on her lips for a moment, and Cassie's tongue dipped out to relieve the dryness. "Not right now," he drawled, like his mind was miles away.

Cassie's stomach twisted again, and her brows knitted. She started to feel strange, like she had pins and needles in her feet, and it gradually spread up her body. Realisation dawned when her fingers started to twitch around Harry's forearm and her palms went numb.

Looking over to the other side of the barrier, a whispered curse escaped her. The constant dark and gloomy clouds above the Isle prevented them from knowing exactly what the sky was doing, so they had to look to the other side for a better idea. A beautiful orange merged with the pale-blue of the sky, clueing her in to exactly why she was feeling so strange.

Had they really been fighting for that long? How had she not realised?

"What was it ye' said?" wondered Harry. "Keep 'em talkin'?"

Cassie pressed her lips together. "You sneaky bastard," she snapped, turning back to face him. "You didn't wanna answer that bad?" Suddenly, she didn't feel so bad for cracking him in the nose.

He gave a groan-like chuckle. "Oh, Cassie, let's call it karma, yeah? For bustin' my nose."

Cassie went to move away, only to pause when the hook came down harder. "The fuck are you doing?"

Harry hummed. "Never seen it before; call me curious."

Cassie wasn't too sure she was comfortable with that. The only person to see her transform, other than her dad, was Helena, whom she trusted with her life. While Cassie could admit it was natural for anyone on the Isle to find her transformation intriguing to see, she wasn't a show for their entertainment. It wasn't special, and it wasn't fun. It was a curse. Something that prevented her from properly spending time with her friends or communicating with anyone. It was isolating.

"You hate me that much?" she mumbled. As usual, her body fought against the oncoming change, even though it failed to do so every single time. She couldn't feel her arms or legs anymore, and soon her head would go fuzzy.

"Don' hate ye' enough, actually."

There was a horrendous pressure in the middle of Cassie's stomach, forcing the air from her mouth with a strained gasp. A flash of white, and it was all over.

Moving beneath the weight of her sweater, Cassie came out through the bottom, her paws padding along the deck. Shaking away the tingling aftermath, she faced Harry.

"Fuckin' hell, Kitty, ye' couldn't of warned me?" he demanded, fingers pressed against his eyes.

If she could've laughed, she would have. Since she couldn't, she instead simply blinked at the pirate.

As Harry's eyes recovered from the momentary blindness, he focused on Cassie. "That's how it works, eh?" There was something in his gaze that she couldn't fully recognise. Sympathy, maybe? Surely not. "Does it hurt?"

Unable to reply, a 'meow' came from Cassie. How he interpreted her answer was up to him. Maybe one day she'd tell him how it truly felt.

A long-winded sigh escaped him, his head tilting to the side. "Get some sleep, Kitty. I'll bring ye'r bits down in a bit."

Cassie couldn't quite determine what was going on with him or how he was taking the change, and it stunned her when she realised how much she hated it. If he was genuinely interested in her, like everyone claimed he was, then of course seeing her transformation would stagger him slightly. Whatever interest he had, it would surely turn sour when he acknowledged her limits. She was only human for a few hours every night. The colder months were approaching, so the days would be shorter, but her desire to be normal would continue to be hindered. Anyone who really did want to be with her would have to accept as much.

Saddened somewhat, Cassie didn't reply. Passing the pirate, she didn't spare him a glance as she continued down into her bedroom.

He'd lose interest soon. It was just a matter of time.

AN;

Hello readers!

Short chapter, but I hope you liked it! Also, I've had an awful cold and wrote this during a horrendous brain fog, so please let me know if any of it doesn't make sense or there are typos. And I'm sorry if that's the case.

Reviews;

CallMeDella: Thank you for another wonderful review!

(It's still insane to me that Harry never lied to her.) - I honestly had to look through my past chapters before I wrote this down and it surprised me too 😅 I hope you enjoyed the 'training' in this chapter, I'm not too confident in how I decided to write it but there will be more training in future chapters, so fingers crossed it's a bit more exciting then.

Big thank you to all who've reviewed, favourited, and followed so far! It means a lot that you're enjoying the story.

Thanks!