The next evening, Cassie made her way to Helena's salon. Despite the fact she knew Maddie was gunning for her at the moment and that her group might attempt to catnap her at random, Cassie, rather stupidly, could hardly pay much attention to her surroundings as she travelled to Helena's. Understandably, her mind was rather occupied by the oncoming battle for her freedom, along with whatever had actually gone down on Uma's ship the night before.
'This is what ye' get for underminin' me in front of 'em.'
The Cheshire Cat's daughter had wriggled out of the pirate's hold almost immediately after that. While she had endured a sliver of humiliation at having to openly accept Harry in front of the entire population of his side of the Isle, it hadn't been too troubling. Considering their history and his knack for violence, it could've gone much worse. However, not long after the 'fight' had ended, the entire crew had gone back to Uma's shoppe for a little gathering, of sorts.
Like thousands of insects after a rock had been lifted, the pirates had scattered back to Uma's place. Overly excited from the training they'd witnessed, the group hollered and howled with great glee as they spread through the street, only quieting once they were back in the shoppe. Amongst the rowdy bunch, Starla had pulled Cassie with the crowd by her hand, the excitement of the evening clearly having overtaken the pirate girl.
After entering the shoppe, and rather grateful to escape Starla's clutches, Cassie sneaked into a less occupied corner to observe the situation. The pirates seemed unbearably rowdy that evening. It was all rather peculiar, but Cassie assumed the majority simply got their highs from watching other people fight. If this was yet another custom, it was one she'd just have to adjust to.
Large gatherings had never really appealed to the little cat, so she'd hung around for maybe five or ten minutes before heading back to the ship for some rest. Thankfully, none of the others had seen her leave, so she was left unbothered for the remainder of the evening. And, much to Cassie's relief, no one came to wake her up when she slept through the daylight.
When Helena's salon came into sight, Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. With the twins nowhere to be seen, she was free to come in through the door like normal.
Pushing on the door, Cassie entered the salon, making sure to pull the latch across when she was in. Taking a step back to turn and head into the main area, Cassie flinched when something crunched beneath her feet. Peering down, the little cat frowned when she realised shards of glass were scattered across the floor.
With a twist in her stomach, Cassie followed the glass trail into the salon. With her nerves balancing on the edge, the only thing that kept her calm was the lack of blood. After all, Helena had one hell of a temper, and having a breakdown in the salon and destroying whatever she could get her hands on was hardly rare.
Stepping around the shards to avoid alerting a possible intruder, Cassie crept through the empty salon. Her worries were tamed slightly when she noticed the cracks spreading through almost all of the mirrors. So far, all the clues point to Helena being the cause.
Cassie stepped through the salon a little more confidently. Walking into the dimly lit dining room, the little cat was overcome with relief.
"Helena," she mumbled.
The Queen of Hearts looked up, and Cassie paused. Beneath Helena's eyes was a smear of black, worsened by the continuing tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hair, usually so neat and without a hair out of place, was messily tied back into a knot, tussled in multiple areas. Clearly, something had gone down.
"Hey, pussycat," greeted Helena with a whisper, her nose wrinkling as her bottom lip twitched.
Cassie sighed, and came forward to sit in the chair beside Helena's. "What happened?"
Helena sniffled. "I did something very, very stupid."
"Right," muttered Cassie, her brows furrowing. "How stupid?"
A laugh passed through Helena's lips, and she brushed her fingers across her cheeks. "Almost as stupid as joining the crew of a guy who wants to kill me."
Cassie's lips tugged upward. "Doesn't sound like something we can't figure out," she reassured. Her smile wavered as she saw Helena's right hand, covered in a cloth and resting on the queen's lap.
"Oh," whined Helena, another tear escaping her eye. She gave a soft shake of her head as her face twisted painfully. "Something like this can't be fixed."
"C'mon," soothed Cassie, tucking a stray hair behind Helena's ear. "Tell me what's up."
Helena swallowed and tilted back her head in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. "I didn't bleed last month."
The little cat straightened. Her eyes flickered between Helena's face and her right hand, her brain doing its best to put the pieces together. At first, Cassie was baffled and curious to know what getting hurt had to do with Helena's distraught state. Then, after further contemplation, Cassie wondered if Helena meant their monthly rag and, if so, how that also applied to this situation.
Cassie mumbled, "O-kay," her expression bewildered.
Helena's head twisted to the side, dark, watery eyes staring up at Cassie in visible disbelief. "Cassie," she said, her eyes narrowing. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"
The little cat blinked. Her lips parted, but she found herself torn between lying to Helena or telling her she had absolutely no idea what she was saying. In the end, her silence was an answer in itself.
Helena, completely taken aback, giggled, "Oh shit. You don't know?!"
With a twist of embarrassment and curiosity, Cassie rolled her eyes. "What don't I know?" she exclaimed. Naturally, she was rather irritated, but on the other hand, the gleam of amusement in her friend's eyes dulled the annoyance.
"I'll tell you later," assured Helena, laughter peeking through her attempted seriousness. "But I'm kind'a knocked up."
Now, that word Cassie knew. "How can you be kind'a knocked up?"
Helena huffed. "Fine, not kind'a."
For the first time, Cassie's thought process shut down. Her eyes drifted to Helena's stomach, almost as if she were searching for the little rascal hiding in there. "That sucks," she managed to say.
"Tell me about it," mumbled Helena, slouching down in her chair.
There was a moment of silence, which Cassie soon broke. "Have you talked to Gaston?"
At the mention of her boyfriend's name, Helena's eyes began to glisten once more. "No."
Cassie nodded. "Okay. Are you going to tell him?"
"Of course," assured Helena. "I just need some time."
It was understandable. After all, even Cassie could tell there was no easy way to tell your boyfriend you were having his kid again.
"Lemme see," muttered Cassie, gesturing to Helena's wrapped hand. When the Queen of Hearts stretched out her arm, Cassie gently removed the cloth. "What's this about anyway?"
Helena winced. "Maybe I got a little flushed when I realised what was happening to me," she admitted, sheepishly. "Cut myself up."
Once the fabric was unwound, Cassie let out a sympathetic hiss. Helena's knuckles were almost entirely covered by blood, and the skin was heavily grazed and incredibly sore. "Damn, you really didn't want another kid, huh?" remarked Cassie, rolling her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
"I didn't even want Gilzean, not at first," admitted Helena rather casually. "But there's nothing I can do about it now. We don't have anything to fix it here."
Cassie's brows furrowed. "Not even magic man?" Lifting Helena's hand to her lips, she dragged her tongue along the knuckles.
Helena's face twisted, a natural reaction to either the pain or having someone's tongue on her wound. "Nah. I asked him when I found out I was having Gil."
Noting the way Helena's eyes diverted to the floor, Cassie couldn't help but laugh. "If you don't like me doing this, then stop hurting yourself," she gently scolded.
"Yeah," grumbled Helena, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. "So, how're you holding up?"
Cassie's head tilted to the side. "I guess I'm doing okay," she replied. The uncertainty in her voice said otherwise, though. "I had training, the night you guys came to Uma's shoppe."
"How'd it go?" asked Helena.
"It was okay, for a little bit." Cassie frowned, thinking back on what had happened on the ship that night. "But when I was fighting Starla... I don't know; something happened. In my head. For a second, I wasn't on the ship; I was back in the castle, and Harry was kicking the shit out of me." Lowering Helena's hand to the table, Cassie watched as the broken patches of skin began to stitch back together. "Scared the hellfire out of me. Gil had to calm me down after."
Helena hummed. "Yeah, that was bound to happen."
Hopeful, Cassie's eyes lifted to Helena's. "You know what that was?"
"Yes," the queen nodded gently in agreement. "I call it 'the almost'. When you've been out on the Isle as long as we have, you get a few of those, and one day they'll all blend together, and you won't remember which one scared you more." Helena's nonchalance was far from comforting.
"I don't want anything more like that," whined Cassie. "I'm not kidding, Hel', I felt like I was-"
"Dying." Helena finished the sentence for her—a gloomy kind of reassurance for Cassie, now that she knew she wasn't going insane. "It's the very first time you came really close to dying. I know it seems easy for me, but I promise, Cassie, it'll go away one day. Just don't let it control you."
While Helena's reassurance did take a bit of the weight off Cassie's shoulders, it didn't lessen the fear entirely. Though she couldn't vividly recall what had been going through her mind during the fight with Starla, flashes of pain and despair ran wild in her brain. Being one of Uma's crew meant more lessons would come her way, and fighting someone again was inevitable. That moment was going to happen again, whether she liked it or not.
"Besides, maybe hanging around Harry might help," offered Helena. At Cassie's inquiring gaze, she clarified, "I mean, like, being around each other all the time. Think about it, you guys have always been fighting. Your head's still seeing him as a threat. But he can't hurt you for a while, so it might help."
Though incredibly unlikely, Cassie couldn't dismiss Helena's theory all together. In some weird way, it kind of made sense. Right now, Cassie's body is well acquainted with Harry's presence. Whenever he came into the same room as her, the fierce shadow he carried with him never failed to strike against her nerves. She didn't even need to see him most of the time. The second he was within her reach, the hairs along her arms would rise to attention, and an uncomfortable spark of terror would radiate through her spine. It was likely caused by her feline senses tapping in to assist her human side, warning her that she was in extreme danger.
"Maybe," whispered Cassie. Then, she remembered what had happened the night before. "He embarrassed the shit outta me last night."
A smile tugged at Helena's lips. "What happened?" she asked enthusiastically, leaning forward on her chair like an old gossiping witch.
"Well, Harry was training on the ship with some of the other pirates. Something about getting ready for the big fight. I swear, I almost hit the deck; everyone on their side was around to watch. So, Starla drags me onto the ship to watch the fight. He fights two guys at the same time; it was crazy, actually. Anyway, he finishes the fight, and then they're all looking at me." Cassie shook her head in disbelief, like she herself couldn't even comprehend what had gone down. "And Starla said I had to show them I was 'satisfied with my fighter's abilities', or some shit. That if I didn't show the pirates I was happy with Harry fighting, then someone else was gonna have to fight for me."
"Oh pussycat." Helena's sympathetic groan caught Cassie off guard.
Raising her eyes from the table, Cassie straightened. The flicker of pity in her friend's eyes set her nerves alight. "What?"
There was a moment of quiet. Helena, whose face twisted into an expression of overwhelming incredulity, reached forward with her good hand to take hold of Cassie's. "Did you accept?" Her question was almost a whisper, but to Cassie, it felt like she'd shouted it from the rooftop.
'So, Kitty, do ye' accept?'
Something wasn't right. Cassie had felt it last night, too. Something was floating around in the air when Harry asked her if she accepted him—something she wasn't completely aware of. There had to have been more to the fight that night—a tricky little clause the pirates hadn't thought to clue her in on.
Sparing Cassie one more second of hanging on the brink of fright, Helena explained, "I've been around Gil a long time now. Uma's Gil, I mean. Pussycat-" Helena paused, her eyes darting between Cassie's. Whatever it was she was trying to tell her, it caused her no pleasure to be the one to do so. "The captain chooses the fighter, not you. That's never been a thing. You have your fighter, and you deal with it, even if you don't like them."
Cassie's lips twitched. "A-are you sure?" she asked, though it leaned heavily towards a plea. "There's no way it's a pirate thing that maybe outsiders don't know about?" Her leg bounced beneath the table.
Helena shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, pussycat. What you're saying happened; it's a very big rule lots of us on the Isle follow. And it has nothing to do with a fight."
There was a sudden twinge in Cassie's stomach, and her mouth ran dry. Still, she asked, "What did I agree to?"
Helena released a breath and, almost reluctantly, replied, "You didn't accept him as your fighter, Cassie. The fight... he was asking if you accepted his offer. His real offer." The Queen of Hearts ran her thumb along Cassie's hand as a show of comfort. "His offer to have you, Cassie."
Only a little over half an hour later, Cassie returned to the safety and surety of the hideout. Helena was wonderful company, and she was an absolute goddess for revealing the truth of the pirate 'training' to Cassie, but the little cat longed for nothing more than some peace and quiet. She'd known the moment Helena explained everything to her that she wouldn't be returning to Uma's ship tonight. Maybe the following evening, she'd get an earful, but surely the captain would understand.
On the TV, a lively woman from Auradon narrated something they called a 'royal tour'. To celebrate the king's coronation, along with his new girlfriend, the pair would tour all the kingdoms to introduce themselves to their fellow royals. It might not have been great entertainment, but it was enough to distract Cassie from the misery she'd foolishly brought on herself.
'It's a thing we do, when we want someone on the Isle. Gaston did it for me. They go up against any fighter you want them to to prove they're worthy of having you to themselves. It's a big deal, actually. No wonder all the pirates were there to see it. It doesn't count if there aren't witnesses. Everyone needs to see the fight, and everyone needs to see you accept. It stops people backing out after.'
Cassie recalled what Helena had told her, and a flame of refusal and overbearing anger built steadily inside of her. She'd made some questionable decisions on the Isle since meeting Harry, but this had to be her worst. Foolishly, she'd let her guard down for just a second around Uma and the pirates, and it'd come back to bite her in the ass already. Worse still, was the echoing sting in her chest at the fact that Starla had tricked her. Looking back on it now, though, Cassie could only blame herself. Trusting someone after only knowing them for a few days was pathetic. She should have firmly stood by her assumption that Starla had only been loyal to Harry since the moment she'd met her. Instead, Cassie had been idiotic enough to be swayed by the pirate girl's friendly nature and assuring words. Starla had lied to her and allowed her to give herself to Harry without even an inkling of warning.
'I accept'.
Her own voice played over and over again, spurring her shame further. She shouldn't have believed Starla. She should've gotten her ass straight off that ship the second Harry realised she was watching. There were so many things she should've done, and she'd done the exact opposite.
Lifting a cushion from the couch, Cassie launched it to the other side of the room. The entirety of her being refused to allow her rest. The overwhelming mortification of what had happened burned beneath her skin, demanding she run back to Uma's shoppe and claw Harry's eyes out. And, naturally, the longer she lazed around inside the hideout, the stronger that urge became.
"Fuck it."
Cassie had run through the Isle plenty of times before. Usually, she was running away from someone. It was oddly thrilling, really, to now be gunning straight for someone who could very easily put her in the ocean. But anger didn't allow rational thought to even get a word in. Even as she ran, Cassie could acknowledge nothing else except her pestering desire to hurt him. It also should have occurred to her that there were plenty of other cruel ruffians waltzing around the Isle, and a number of them could take her out without a hitch if they caught her unaware. Still, her determination failed to waver. Her heart pounded wildly inside her chest, and any noises the Isle made were all but ocean waves at this point, entirely unworthy of her attention. Whatever it was that caused the insufferable itching of her skin, she knew it would all be satiated as soon as she got to Uma's shoppe.
Bursting through the doors that led into Uma's shoppe, Cassie's eyes darted uncontrollably throughout the room. Since it was quite late, it was normal to find very few pirates inside the place, and the more rational part of Cassie would be grateful for it when she calmed down. After all, she was aware enough to realise this wasn't her greatest moment, and it wouldn't bring her good standing with the rest of the crew.
"Cassie, hi!" Gil waved from his spot near the counter, and Cassie rushed straight for him.
"Where the fuck is Harry?" she demanded, slamming her palm down on the countertop with a hard 'bang'.
Gil might've not been the brightest bulb in the room, but he at least had the good sense to know when a fellow VK was angry. "Uh, well,"
"What happened now?" Uma's drone came before the captain did, but eventually she walked around to stand on the other side of the counter.
Consumed by indignation, Cassie turned her resentment onto Uma. "You didn't tell me the rules!"
Without even a flinch, the captain stood still, withholding whatever reaction Cassie's fury had summoned. Her brow twitched upward, almost in surprise. "You don't get to talk to me like that, pussycat. I'm your captain."
Cassie's eyes dulled, if only for a second. "Exactly," she whined, her shame and hurt having formed a strengthening surge of devastation. "You're my captain too, right?" Was the familiar itch in the corner of her eyes from anger or sadness? Surely both. They seemed to go hand in hand in her current state. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Uma, for the life of her, couldn't even begin to grasp what was going on. Crewmates consumed by anger and frustration? That was effortless to deal with. Cassie's sorrow, however, was something one only came across once in a blue moon. The little cat's distress had obviously been caused by Harry; even if Cassie hadn't barged her way in ready to take on a kraken and demanded to know the first mate's location, only Harry was capable of pulling such an extreme reaction from her. Cassie was angry, but more than that, she was devastated, and the flicker of betrayal wasn't lost on Uma.
"What happened, Cassie?" demanded Uma. Sure, they'd had their problems with the Cheshire Cat's daughter, but the captain had hoped it'd all been put to rest. Clearly not. Harry was her best friend, true, but Cassie was one of hers now, and purposefully harming the newbies before their initiation was not to be tolerated.
If there was ever an incredibly poor time for Harry to enter the shoppe, it was now.
"Gilly, lad!"
Uma's eyes shut tight. Placing her hands on her hips, she stretched backwards, inhaling a deep, soothing breath and releasing. Already, she could feel the intense migraine warning its approach. "They're gonna kill me," she mumbled, inaudible to all but herself. "Gil, grab Cassie."
Unfortunately for Uma, her request came just a moment too late, or maybe the son of Gaston hadn't been paying as close attention as he should've been. Because the moment Uma brought her head down to look at Cassie, the sneaky little thing had already sprinted in Harry's direction.
The scuffle only lasted for a second. To Uma's relief, while Gil hadn't had the initiative to grab Cassie, her remaining crewmates had. Not before Cassie managed to catch Harry in the face with Gil's food tray, however.
"I'm gonna kill you!" screamed the little cat, legs flailing wildly as one of the pirates heaved her up into the air, dragging her away from the first mate.
Though Uma didn't have a very clear view of what had gone down between them this time, she was partly clued in to Harry's involvement when her best friend laughed at Cassie's threat, despite the fact she'd busted him in the nose.
"I'm guessin' someone told ye'." His amusement was almost painful, especially considering Cassie's fragile state. "I fucking told ye', didn' I?" he taunted, using the back of his hand to wipe underneath his nose. It hardly cleared the spill of red, if anything, it spread it across the right side of his face, intensifying the demented look in his eyes when he approached Cassie. "Said ye'd be mine."
Struggling against the pirate's hold on her, Cassie wriggled about in his arms. Tomorrow, she'd feel awful for hurting him, but not tonight.
"I should've killed you when I had the chance!"
Coming around to stand between the two, Uma shoved at Harry's chest with her left hand. Then she turned to face Cassie. It wasn't Harry who needed her tonight.
To say Cassie wasn't in the best frame of mind was putting it lightly. With the captain in front of her, her legs had, thankfully, ceased their furious kicking. On the other hand, the little cat's eyes were faintly swollen around the edges, and her cheeks glittered under the lights. Though Cassie had toned down her temper, the unbridled anger burning brightly in her dark eyes was telling enough. Uma knew with certainty that, if she was put down now, she'd only head straight for Harry again. And, now that the first mate wasn't caught unaware, the Chip Shoppe was sure to become a battleground.
"Jonah." Uma spoke to the pirate holding Cassie. "And Gil. You guys stay. Harry and Cassie too. Everyone else out!"
The remaining crew dispersed, until only five of them were left.
Gently soothing her temples with her fingers, Uma nudged a chair with her foot pointedly. "Harry, sit." Doing the same to the chair directly opposite, Uma jerked her head towards Cassie. "Pussycat, sit."
Cassie was placed lightly on her feet—a great surprise given the fact she'd just been fighting against the pirate. "Thanks," she managed to mutter, somewhat guiltily. Smashing Harry's nose with the tray wasn't particularly satisfying to her violent demands, but it had placated them at least a little.
In truth, Cassie was partly relieved to be sitting down. Either due to the run to the shoppe, the comedown of an adrenaline rush, or swinging her legs through the air, her limbs ached and trembled as she put her weight down. To add to her suffering, her hands shook uncomfortably, as if she'd been out in the cold for far too long. It also didn't help that her foot began to tap against the floor once she was settled in the chair. Her poor feline senses had been triggered to either fight or flee, and they hadn't yet gotten the message that she was in the clear.
"Glove off," ordered Uma, motioning to Harry.
"Are ye' serious?" groaned the first mate.
The look Uma gave him could've killed a dragon. "Now." Begrudgingly, he did as asked, and Uma carried on. "You know the drill."
Cassie, rather bewildered, watched cautiously as Harry put his elbow down on the table between them. And then, when Uma turned her expectant gaze on Cassie, the little cat paled. "Uh." From what she could tell, it seemed the captain wanted the two to partake in a quick arm-wrestle to settle their dispute—something Cassie wasn't exactly eager to begin.
"He's not gonna hurt you," moaned Uma, still carefully stroking the sides of her head. "Just do it."
Reluctantly, Cassie brought the chair closer to the table. Copying the pirate in front of her, she put her own elbow down on the table, her fingers twitching anxiously as her hand hovered near Harry's.
"Stop being an asshole, Harry. You know she doesn't get it," warned Uma, pulling up a chair from another table.
Cassie saw his head sway to the side, his lips parting. The refusal was right there on the tip of his tongue, and yet he bowed down. Bringing his frustrated gaze to Cassie, somewhat accusing, a huff of inconvenience escaped him.
Faster than she was comfortable with, the pirate dragged his chair along the floor with a deafening 'screech'. Cassie flinched as the fingers of his right hand slid through the gaps between hers on her left, coming down on the other side in a tight hold.
"What-"
"Jus' do it," snapped Harry, averting his eyes to the ceiling.
Cassie sighed but did as asked. What Uma was hoping to achieve with this, she wasn't sure. But she could tell they'd pushed the captain far enough at this point, and despite her earlier issues, Cassie didn't want to shove her off the edge.
"Okay," muttered Uma. Placing both arms down on the table, the captain shook her head. "You two have been driving me fucking crazy."
To anyone on the outside, Cassie knew with certainty that this entire situation would seem incredibly hilarious. Between Harry's expression of utter displeasure and Cassie's wide-eyed bafflement, it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. With Uma staring them down from where she was, however, it came close to two misbehaving children being scolded by a parent.
"Not my fault; he's an asshole." The insult fell from Cassie's lips before she even had a chance to prevent it.
Harry finally brought his head back down to face her. "Is this how ye' treat all ye'r boyfriends, love?"
Cassie's backside barely lifted from the chair when a hand grasped her shoulder to push her back down. Looking back, she found the pirate who'd held her earlier standing close behind. Funny, really, that she required guarding when Harry was far more dangerous than she was. "You're not my boyfriend," stated Cassie, fidgeting. The pirate, Jonah, refused to remove his hand from her shoulder.
"Everyone heard ye' accept," the first mate pointed out, his lips curling into a provoking grin. "No backsies."
"I didn't know what you were doing!" yelled Cassie. Then, she lowered her voice. "Did you tell Starla to lie to me?"
A cruel glint passed through his eyes. "Will ye' feel better if I say yeah?"
Cassie lowered her gaze. Would knowing lessen her distrust? Would she be able to hang around with Starla the same way she had before? The answer was no. For however long she was going to stay with the pirates, there would always be a distance between herself and the pirate girl.
Uma, having grown exasperated by their bickering, smacked her hand against the table. "Cassie, tell me what happened."
"Well, Starla took me to the ship the night Harry was training with the crew. When the fighting was done, Starla said I had to accept Harry as my fighter, or something like that. She said if I didn't choose him in front of everyone, then someone else would take his place." As she recalled that night, Cassie felt a burst of discomfort in the pit of her stomach. It was so damn irritating how quickly she'd taken Starla's explanation as truth.
A huff of laughter moved through Uma's lips. It was hardly one of humour, though, to Cassie's consolation. The captain was pissed. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" she hissed, scowling at her first mate.
"I don' see the problem." He shrugged and slouched down, as much as he could, at least, with his hand linked with Cassie's. "How much did ye' win, Uma?" Harry peered knowingly at his captain, his brow flicking upwards.
Cassie tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Didn' ye' know, kitty?" he wondered with feigned astonishment. "They've had a bet goin' since ye' got here." Harry, it seemed, didn't seem to be interested in clearing things up fully.
"What bet?" asked Cassie.
"How long it'll take you guys to stop fighting and admit you want each other," supplied Gil from behind Harry, somewhat thoughtlessly. It was clear that he just wanted to help in some way.
'Hmm, it's just the way things are. Sometimes the line between desire and hate will dance around each other, and things might get a little confusing between them, but the end game is the same. Hades, the things me and Gaston did to each other would scare the shit out of you.'
'You know who you have been playing this game with?'
'You're so obsessed with him, pussycat. You both drive each other crazy, but you pull back at the last minute. Don't deny it; I can see it. It's not just you. I see it with him too.'
'All this hatred, and you still can't stand to be away from each other. I want it'.
'I wanted you back! Cassie doesn't want Maddy; she wants-'.
Cassie's lids fluttered shut, and she lightly shook her head. Everyone was so fucking insistent, and yet none had thought to ask her how she truly felt. It didn't seem to matter how many times she swore there was only hatred between herself and the hook-wielding pirate; no one was listening. It was, though, a crystal clear testament as to how messed up things were on the Isle. The VK's were so screwed up here that romantic interest and murderous desire were confused for each other, and, most of the time, the two intertwined. It might be the way of the Isle, but Cassie wanted no part in it.
"What is it?" implored Cassie. "I don't get what you guys see that we don't." She gestured towards Harry with her other hand. "We can't stand each other." While she didn't agree with their belief, Cassie had to know exactly what it was that caused them all to fixate on this idiotic idea.
A deep sigh left Uma's mouth. "Jonah, Gil, wait outside." The two did as requested, and then there were three. "Don't take the bet personally, pussycat."
Cassie scoffed. "Kind'a hard not to."
Uma rolled her eyes. "You know what I think?"
Neither answered. It was quite obvious that Uma was going to give her opinion regardless of what Harry or Cassie thought about it.
"You two need some... bonding."
Now, that was unexpected.
"But first, you two need to get your shit out on the table," said Uma firmly. "So, Cassie, what's the worst thing he's done to you?"
Cassie recoiled slowly, and her fingers twitched against the back of Harry's hand. There was a part of her that wanted to object, that wanted to let go of him and head back to the hideaway to avoid something like this ever happening again. Another part, however, felt that maybe this was what was required. If they got everything out in the air and finally settled their grudges, he'd finally leave her alone.
It took Cassie a moment or two to figure out which scenario to choose. They had so many, after all. Eventually, one memory surpassed the others, and it stunned her. "That night, in Maleficent's castle," she whispered. The words passed through her lips with great disbelief, like she herself could hardly understand them.
"Aye," groaned Harry, like the conversation had bored him before it even began. "I beat the shite outta ye'."
Cassie shook her head. "No." His wavering focus drifted back to meet Cassie's eyes, and a subtle curiosity cracked through the apathy. "I wonder what your daddy would say if he could see you now." The curiosity was overtaken by astonishment, as miniscule as it was considering it was Harry. "You had to know how scared I was to hurt you. Hell, I think all of you could see it. But you told me to do it—in your own fucked up way." Her nose crinkled in displeasure. "I didn't hate you as much that night."
There was a second of quiet. Cassie kept her eyes on her own hand, partly to avoid the slight humiliation of their reaction. But if this was a night for them to get everything out, then honesty was best.
"Harry, your turn," encouraged Uma, thankfully turning the focus over to him.
"Hmm, I dunno. There's a lot to choose from," he playfully remarked, having quickly recovered from whatever surprise Cassie had drawn from him. "Maybe when ye' took the treasure back from me."
Cassie blinked. "What?"
"Ye' went missin' for a while, didn't ye'? We-" He waved his hook between himself and Uma. "-Thought ye' were dead. And it got me thinkin'. Why did ye' come back for it all? Ye' should'a known I'd track ye' down again. So why?"
Cassie stiffened. "I don't know."
"Liar," he muttered gleefully. He stretched forward in his seat and brought their joined hands beneath his chin, balancing his head on top of them. "It took a little time, but I got the pieces together. I know ye' like to pretend ye' don't enjoy our games, kitty, but I know ye' do. I agree; it's been fun."
"Is there a point with this?" asked Cassie, her eyes narrowing. In truth, she couldn't even tell them why she'd gone to the ship that night. It was partially blurry to her even now. All she could say with certainty was that she'd been so damn angry when she found everything missing from her den, and something inside of her was desperate to get back at him for it.
Harry sighed. "Ye' changed the game that night. I fucking hate ye' for it."
Though unclear, she let his words sit in her head for a moment. They drifted through her mind rather chaotically, like a peculiar puzzle she was desperate to figure out. Then it clicked. Had she not gone back to the ship that night, Harry never would've sought her out. Under the impression she wasn't around anymore, the first mate would've gone about his days as he always had before she showed up. He wouldn't of killed those cats to draw her out of hiding, and he wouldn't have killed that poor boy who was guarding the ship; he would've been out of her life for good. In going back to the ship to retrieve her treasures, Cassie had, unknowingly, started a new 'game' between them. And, somehow, she'd sparked something in his vicious little mind.
Cassie's lips parted. "I don't-"
"Let's just say I didn' hate ye' as much that night." His explanation was as finicky as always. Harry, it seemed, relied heavily on whoever he was speaking to to read between the lines. It wasn't something Cassie struggled to understand, but in this instance in particular, she refused to lean into it.
Uma was the one to cut into the odd tension. "So, the worst thing he did to you was help you out of a tight spot. And the worst thing she did was let you know she wasn't dead." The captain was bewildered, and understandably so. "Hades, you two are batshit."
To that, Cassie couldn't argue. Uma had voiced it in the simplest of terms and made perfectly clear how screwed it was. On the Isle, though, it made perfect sense. The one time both Harry and Cassie could pinpoint their frustration was the one time they didn't absolutely despise each other.
"Fine, weirdos." Uma leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "M'kay, uh, one question you wanna ask the other?"
Cassie gnawed on her lower lip. "I have one," she admitted. "Has anything I've done to you managed to stick?" She dragged her nails up and down her arm anxiously. Part of her had already accepted that nothing she'd ever done to him had rooted itself in his mind—not in the same way his actions had with her. But there was a very small chance something had, and she longed for an answer.
Harry's eyes rolled skyward as he pondered, and his thumb tapped against her hand. "Not particularly." His answer, Cassie found, sparked a flicker of disappointment. "Ye're wonderin' if I can't fall asleep on my back anymore, 'cause I think I'll wake up back there again? Or maybe ye're wonderin' if I can't look down over the side o' the ship, 'cause I won't see waves, jus' a long fuckin' drop."
A breath caught in the back of Cassie's throat. Since Uma had sat them down and forced them to do this, he'd been an odd balance of disinterested and the slightest of intrigue when she'd opened up. Now, though, it seemed the pirate held no interest in holding back his outrage any longer. While his mouth tugged upward on one side, it was easy to see it wasn't from amusement, but a stubborn refusal to allow himself to lose control completely. He was irritated, that much was true, but he still wanted to play it off as best as he could.
"Sorry to disappoint, kitty." It was half-hearted at best, tainted by sarcasm. But the eyes told more than words ever could, and Cassie could see the discomfort loitering in his.
It had been so easy for her to forget that he was just as much a human being as she was. For months, he'd hunted her across the Isle without even a scrap of care for anyone who got in his way. He'd been ruthless in his pursuit, carrying out heinous acts that would scare the absolute shit out of those on the other side of the barrier. He was irritatingly cocky and lacked empathy for anyone who wasn't a part of the crew. And so Cassie's view of him wasn't entirely unfounded. Even so, the little cat had forgotten that, like herself, he'd been born and raised here, and everything he was was caused by his upbringing and environment. Regardless of how insane he was, he wasn't spared from pain. He could feel it, just the same as she could.
It was a startling revelation, really. To find out she'd caused just as much pain to him as he had to her. However, the primary difference between them was that she was capable of guilt for her actions, while he couldn't care less. Then again, was it not the same for her? They'd been playing a rather brutal game of 'they did this, so I have to do that', and still there were no winners.
"Since we started playin', have ye' gone lookin' for pretty things?"
Cassie, though uncertain as to why he was asking, slowly shook her head. "No."
His reply was fast, almost like he'd known what she'd say before she did. "Why?"
Something inside of Cassie already knew the answer, but she was hesitant to admit it to him. And going by the impish expression on his face, it was clear he already knew.
Looking back now on everything that had happened since they'd met, Cassie searched for a comprehensible answer as to why she no longer searched the Isle for beautiful things. Back in Maleficent's attic, her life had been painfully dull. Going out and sneaking around the Isle to find something worth taking had been the most excitement she'd had since her father left. Unsurprisingly, her feud with Harry had pushed those urges into the backseat for a while. Now that she was actually out on the Isle, with friends and enemies of her own, those desires had simply faded. Although, going too long without any sort of stimulation did often push her to do rather foolish things. Returning to her den after healing in Helena's had been one, since that night dragged her right back into the ship. When Cassie thought about those moments that sparked her exhilaration, something became alarmingly clear.
Taking pretty objects that didn't belong to her had always been a sick sort of thrill. There was the anticipation of moving around the Isle without being seen, and then the spark of excitement of finding something she wanted. Finding the right path to follow to ensure success had been quite fun, and the gratification of returning to the den with her newfound treasure kept her going for hours. So it almost killed her, then, to find that her obsession hadn't exactly gone entirely but simply adapted to its surroundings.
Like lightening, it came down on her, burning through her spine and making her skin itch. How she hadn't noticed it before, she had no idea.
"Feels crummy, don' it?"
Oh, how she wanted to hit him right now.
All this time, and she'd been so ignorant of it. In some twisted turn of fate, Harry himself had become the new 'pretty thing'. Sure, he'd terrified her beyond belief, and being at the end of his brutality hadn't exactly been a good time. But the system had played out the same. Running around the Isle without being seen by him had become the new 'search', and anything she desired typically came at his expense. Then there was the puzzle of finding which path she could take to best him and, naturally, the enjoyment of having gotten away from him once more.
'You're obsessed with him'.
Maddy's accusation echoed through Cassie's head, almost like the witch was in the room with them. It was taunting. Cassie had asked Uma earlier what it was everyone could see that she couldn't, wholeheartedly believing Harry was just as lost as she was. Now that she knew, she'd do anything to turn the clock back. Had he known the whole time what he'd become to her? If so, why hadn't he put an end to it before she realised it? This entire time, she'd thought she'd been doing everything in her power to keep him away from her. But that wasn't the case. She'd been so good at running away, and hadn't even taken a moment to wonder why she always managed to run right back into pirate territory.
'Why didn't you kill him, pussycat?'
There had been plenty of moments to do so. Cassie's reply had always been that she didn't know; now she did. If Harry was gone, then the game was over.
'Why didn't you kill her?'
Cassie's eyes snapped up to the pirate sat in front of her. With their hands still held beneath his chin, she found him staring back at her, patiently waiting for something he already knew. "You don't wanna kill me?" It was posed as a question, but they both knew it was the truth.
His head tilted to the side. "Not really."
"Why?" There was a notch of urgency in her tone. Already, the impulse to flee from the shoppe was nagging away in the back of her mind. She wasn't entirely sure what emotion was driving her, but she was certain fear was one.
"C'mon now, kitty," he cooed, with feigned sympathy. "I like playin' with ye' too much." While not his newest pleasure, his enjoyment at her suffering would always spark her irritation. It was a horrendous way to admit his interest—that much she knew with certainty.
"You're lying." It was the only thing she could think of. Her last lifeline, as it were.
He chuckled, "All the time ye've known me, have I ever lied to ye'?"
Cassie's lips parted, a furious example about to fire from her tongue, only for her to close them a second later. Flipping through the pages of her time with Harry, she was baffled to find that he was right. Right now, she couldn't find a single moment where he'd lied to her.
"I don't believe you." Pathetic—that she knew. She was doing her best now to ignore what he was trying to say and to find something substantial to prove him wrong. His animosity was something she could handle, but this... well, this was absurd.
Harry shrugged. "I don' care."
Cassie bristled. She didn't believe for one second that he hadn't reacted in much the same way she did at the realisation. Him, the guy who had tantrums at the slightest inconvenience, would've torn the shoppe apart when he found out he didn't hate her as much anymore. And so she had to wonder how long he'd known about it.
"I don't trust you," she said quietly, hopelessly.
"Hmm, well, 'm not askin' ye' to trust me, am I?" A retort for everything, it seemed.
Cassie swallowed. "Then what are you asking for?"
For a moment, he didn't reply. Bringing their hands out from beneath his head, Harry twisted their joined hands in both directions, like he was searching for the answer in their fingers. Eventually, he responded, "One night."
Cassie mumbled, "One night?"
"Aye, one night. Any night o' ye'r choosin'. Should be enough time for me to figure it out."
The little cat felt her stomach turn. "Figure out what?"
His smile was mischievous. "If I wanna hook ye', or have ye'."
It made sense, of course. Nine times out of ten, when they were in the same room, it was typically because one of them was trying to hurt the other. Understandably, this left very little room to figure out what exactly drove them towards each other time and time again. He was asking for one night—one night where they weren't playing the game.
Cassie could always say no. In fact, it lingered in her mouth in preparation. But her interest had been caught.
"After the fight," she said. "If you win, anyway," she added as an afterthought. He was a great fighter, but there was no guarantee he'd win against Gaston.
His lips brushed against her fingers. "Are ye' doubtin' me, kitty? After everythin' ye' saw last night?"
Cassie rolled her eyes. She'd forgotten how tempting he'd been when they first met. "Can you blame me? All that fight, and you still couldn't catch me." Messing with him was normal, comfortable even. And it helped tame down her nerves.
His eyes flicked up from her hand. "Ye' sure 'bout that?"
A sound of disgust came from the captain beside them. "I hate you both," she groaned, pushing back her chair.
An abrupt sting moved through the back of Cassie's hand, causing her to jolt. Looking down at the hand Harry was holding, she winced at the sight of a deep scratch. She eyed the pirate questioningly.
"For my nose." Was his simple defence.
Snatching her hand back, Cassie dragged her tongue along the scratch. Their game, it seemed, would never end.
Later that evening, Cassie strolled back into Helena's salon. She found her friend kneeling on the floor, hair tied back into a ponytail as she threw up whatever she'd had to eat that day into the 'hair' bucket.
"So, I did something stupid," the little cat announced, moving to sit in the chair directly in front of Helena.
Dragging her head up from the bucket, Helena's eyes narrowed. "There's a kid in my stomach."
Cassie raised her brows challengingly. "I told Harry he could have me for one night."
The Queen of Hearts gaped. Her eyes, lined with tears from the upchuck, searched Cassie's for any trace of dishonesty. "Okay," she breathed. "You win."
AN;
Hello readers!
Anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter. I was a bit on the fence about posting it, because I wasn't sure if it was time for Cassie to have her 'oh shit' moment just yet, but I guess it's not a stretch to put it here. I also wasn't sure if I was taking Harry out of the character I've put him forward as, so if it comes across that way please let me know and I'll do some re-writing. It just felt like the time, yah know? So, I'm kind'a nervous about this chapter. I don't wanna feel like I've rushed anything.
On that note, though, I would like to clarify that Harry and Cassie aren't done with their feud just yet.
So, please let me know what you thought of this. Was it too far, or was it okay? I'd like to know your thoughts. Big thank you to all who've reviewed, followed, and favourited, they mean so much to me.
Thanks!
