That night, I sat up in the cot that had been set up in Harry's room. He was snoring on the other side of his room, and I guessed the coast was clear. I was tired of Harry following me, watching my every move, and trying his best to annoy the heck out of me.

Slipping off of the mattress as stealthily as a cat, I grabbed my knife belt and wrapped it around my waist, leaving the sword behind. Creeping towards the door, I slowly turned the handle. Cracking it open, I smiled, but then froze- Harry's snoring had stopped. As if on cue, two muscled arms wrapped around my hips.

"Running away, Cece?" Harry purred, trailing the tip of his hook up my leg. I groaned and tipped my head back, where it hit his chest.

"Playing with my life, Harry?" I felt his snort resonate through his chest as he said,

"Cece, this is exactly what Uma is going to have you killed for. I knew you were going to run. And if you do this again and somebody else catches you instead of me, you're a goner."

"You weren't supposed to know I was running!" I said angrily. He chuckled,

"It was pretty easy to know that you would try." I tried to pull free, but I (grudgingly) had to admit to myself that Harry was stronger.

"I'm a loner, Harry!" He sighed,

"You can't go your whole life alone. Nobody can, Cece." Spinning me around, he looked into my eyes. "I'll talk to Uma tomorrow, and we'll make you a deal. But you have to be for the team. Okay?" I bit my lip, but I didn't really have a choice.

"Okay."

.....

The next morning, I blinked awake to find Harry gone. There was a note lying on top of my blanket,

Once you're up, come to the central hall.

I slipped out of bed, ever the stealthy one, and changed into my 'pirate' gear. Walking into the hall, I found Uma, Harry, and Gil.

"I hear you're growing impatient," Uma said. I didn't say anything. Uma laughed,

"I'm impressed with you, Cece, I really am. So here's my deal: if you join our crew, when we get the chance, we will help you get back at Carlos. But! If you betray any of my crewmembers, deal's off and on your head. Do we have a deal?" I knew that Uma could help me get my revenge. I could finally show Carlos how it felt to be the mistake, the abandoned, the kid who got left behind.

"Yes, Uma. We have a deal."

.....

"Let's go, Cece!" Harry called. "Time to go looting." I pushed off the wall and walked over to the door, where he stood. A huge whiff of his cologne hit me, and a weird feeling went over me. I looked up at his face, and for some weird reason he looked… handsome. My mind went back to training sessions, his abs pressed against my back, sending shivers down my body.

Snap out of it, the stony girl inside me said. I whipped my head away.

"Something wrong, Cece?" he said, amused. I shook my head, trying to get his cologne out of my senses. Harry was not allowed to fell me, Cecilia De Vil.

But I guess he's good at figuring things out.

He leaned towards me, puckering his lips as he came closer. A whiff of his cologne and my common sense was gone, my lips drawn to his without any resistance. At the last second, he ducked away and I fell into him.

"Oh, Cece," he laughed, "are you crushing on me?" I snarled, sure I was beet red.

"Shut up, Harry." He clucked his tongue.

"Well, I might be able to spare a kiss, Cece." I raised my eyebrow,

"We should probably go." His eyes flicked to the door and then he grabbed my forearms.

"I don't want to go anywhere, Cece. Not yet. What about you?" My breathing was getting heavier as he drew me closer.

"I'm not a toy, Harry." He chuckled,

"I would never dream of playing with you, Cece. I might get burned."

"You can say that again," I breathed. His mouth went down my ear,

"So, should I use up a kiss on you, or are you going to run away?" I smirked,

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Magic lay heavy on the air as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. It set off a chain reaction, and we became a mess of hands pulling each other closer and stroking cheeks and tangling in hair. He lifted me in the air, not breaking our kiss the whole time, my feet dangling as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Our lips clashed hungrily, passionately.

The door creaked open, causing us to startle and fall to the floor in a sweaty heap with me sprawled across Harry's chest.

"Um, okay. Uma wanted me to see why you hadn't left yet…" Gil said. Harry pushed me off him and got in Gil's face.

"Oh my gosh! You can't just come into my room whenever you bloody want to!" He waved his hook in Gil's face, the latter shrinking back and trying to disappear. Harry grabbed his arm and whispered menacingly,

"Uma doesn't hear about what you saw, okay?" Gil nodded and scurried away. I chuckled and walked up to Harry, running a hand over his bicep.

"Was that necessary?" Harry kissed my eyelids,

"If you want to live, yes." I smiled without opening my eyes as he trailed kisses down my face to my neck.

"Is this what we do now?" I asked.

"What?" Harry looked up.

"Kiss. Do couple things," I said, motioning to us. Harry ignored my question at first, taking a lock of my hair between his fingers.

"Did anyone tell you that you are simply ravishing?"

"Nope," I laughed.

"Well you are, Darling."

"Oh, is that where we are now," I asked. Harry smiled.

"Be my girlfriend." The old conscience told me to say no, but I ignored it. Wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing my lips to his, I said,

"Gladly."

.....

We walked down the alley till we got to Curl Up and Dye, Lady Tremaine's shop.

"I'm going to go in, get that Dizzy girl to give me the money, and then we go back to Uma."

"Can't I come and watch the show?" I asked. Harry chuckled and brushed a kiss across my forehead.

"Just peek around the corner. Be ready with a distraction if I need one." I rolled my eyes and watched as he walked in. Dizzy had apparently just finished a customer, though the shop was technically closed. I couldn't see the woman's face. Dizzy was jumping up and down, holding a wad of money.

"Give it here," Harry said. Dizzy trembled and handed him the money.

"And the rest of it?" She emptied the cash register into his palms.

Score, I thought. Then the voice interrupted Harry's departure.

"Do you get to keep what you steal, or do you still have to give it all to Uma, Harry?"

Mal. Back on the Isle?

Harry took his time trying to intimidate her before actually putting her gum in his mouth!

He walked to where I was waiting.

"Spit it out," I said, pointing to the ground.

"But- but it's spearmint!" he whined. I glared and he spat it out with a grin.

"You jealous, Cece?"

"In your dreams," I snorted, looking away. We started to walk back towards Uma's ship, and as we walked, the convo got heavier.

"You think the whole gang is back? Including Carlos?" I asked, already tasting the sweetness of revenge.

"Who knows. I don't think so, though." Harry said. "She seemed to be alone. This'll make Uma happy." He danced a little jig and laced his fingers through mine. I rolled my eyes,

"Calm down. She's one girl."

"Aye, but she called Uma 'shrimpy'. She's Uma's enemy." I laughed.

"Holding grudges is for beginners."

"So then you are a beginner?" Harry smirked. I facepalmed mentally.

"What Carlos did was different!" I snarled. "He got me kicked out of my house, Harry!" Harry grabbed my arms,

"Woah, there. Easy, girl."

"I'm not a horse!" I snapped, shrugging free.

"Oh, so you're going to be mad at me now?" Harry called. I ignored him and kept walking.

"Think about it this way. If you are mad at me, no kisses!" That stopped me in my tracks. I turned slowly.

"That would be punishing yourself, too, Harry."

"Well, if I'm going to have a mad girl in my room, I might as well suffer the full experience. Are you going to cry into your pillow tonight?"

"Haha, funny," I said, walking towards him. "I didn't get a pillow."

"Pirates don't need pillows."

"I'm a street terror, not a pirate," I teased him with a smile.

"You're a pirate now," he laughed, tickling me with the hand not covered in a hook. I squirmed, laughing. Then I stopped abruptly.

"What?" Harry asked. I looked down,

"I don't think I've ever laughed this many times in a row, genuinely."

"Well, I'm a lucky man, then, aren't I?"

I rolled my eyes and walked on the dock to Uma's ship. Harry caught up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Whirlwind romance, eh?" I laughed at that and stood on my tiptoes.

"Kiss, please." Harry wrapped his arms around waist and crushed his lips to mine. I pulled him closer, putting my hands on his cheeks.

"So my first mate's in love with my new recruit? Interesting." We broke apart quickly, turning on the spot.

Uma looked furious.