Notes:

Hey Descendants fam!

Got another chapter for ya! Possibly a second one later today to celebrate Twisted and her husband closing on their house!! Yay new house!! Oh god that means boxes... Welp, nothing to it but to do it right? We probably won't get much writing done this Friday due to moving her in, but I'll be posting new chapters anyway... So excited about all the great changes in our lives! Dark and Twisted sisters, finally closer together again! I can't wait to settle into my new role at work and get back into a schedule. I gone on enough, if you made it this far thanks :)

Enjoy!

Later that same night...

Gil whistles happily as he strolls down the docks towards the chip shop. He'd been doing pretty good this past week at staying on Uma's good side. Fifth night in a row free of the night watch. He was pretty proud of himself.

He turns a corner, hopping over the dilapidated edge of planks before a hand snakes out from behind a building, grabbing him by the collar. He lets out a noise of surprise and grabs the hilt of his sword as he's pulled into the shadows.

"I mean, I haven't been having the best luck with sword fights today, but if you want to spar..." T greets dryly, "I'm down."

"T?" Gil blinks.

"Sup?"

Gil studies the other boy, taking a half step back as he releases his sword. It wasn't like T to touch him in any capacity. So what was going on with him today? "Not much... But sounds like you've had a day..."

"Eh..." T shrugs, "Its had its ups and downs."

"More down than up?" Gil asks as his eyes linger on T's torn and bloody pant cuff.

"Wouldn't be interestin' otherwise." T shrugs, before he turns toward the ship. "S'weird you not bein' on watch, the other crew members don't enjoy my coming and going as much."

Gil's eyes narrow, "I guess not, but Uma don't seem ta mind ya hanging around." He was missing something, T hated small talk.

"Doesn't mean the crew likes it." T frowns, "Not that I give a shit, I just do what I need to and bounce."

"Yeah, probably for the best." Gil rubs the back of his head. What could T have needed with the ship?

T nods in agreement. "So um, you busy right now?"

"Nah, I was just headin' back ta Uma."

"Ah... I- I was thinkin' it might be better ta chill on the beach tonight..."

Gil narrows his eyes suspiciously. Why would T ask him to go to the beach? His eyes widen, "What's wrong with Deez?"

T's head whips up, "Can you just go to the beach? Nothing's wrong. I just don't want her alone right now..."

"You two play that stupid game that leaves her alone for days, but suddenly you want me to make sure she's not alone-" Gil crosses his arms over his opened vest, "-and believe that nothing's wrong?

"One, that game is awesome. Don't be a hater just cause you can't play." T rolls his eyes, "I just- uh," He shifts nervously, careful of his left foot. "Deez needs a break from me, and I figured you wouldn't mind... But if you rather I can ask someone else?"

Gil narrows his eyes at the slight threat, "I have ta go tell Uma where I'm going."

"Thanks, man."

"You ever gonna tell me what's really going on?"

T drops his eyes to the ground. "Not my business to tell." He mumbles.

Gil sighs and drops his arms to his sides, "I guess that's fair." He frowns, but nods. He could understand T's hesitation, even if it frustrated him. T was usually pretty quiet on what he'd collected on the gangs through the years-

T sighs in relief. "Cool." He nods before he turns and walks away.

-But T was in for a rude awakening if he thought those answers were going to fly with Harry and Uma though.

"DEEEEEZ!" Gil calls through his cupped hands as he searches the shoreline for Hyades. He would have felt better looking for her in silence since he still had no idea what T was worried about, but it was the middle of the night and he didn't feel like stumbling around blindly. Besides, the quicker he found her, the quicker he'd get answers. "DEEEEEZ?!" He calls again, his voice blending with the waves.

He couldn't help being on edge. And the only question he kept asking himself was what T warranted as an emergency. "DEEEEEZ?"

Uma and Harry hadn't received the news well either, both demanding answers he couldn't give them because he genuinely didn't have them. "Deez!" He barks out in frustration.

"Gil?"

Gil can't help jumping at the hand on his back. He whips around in surprise, hand already pulling his sword from his belt even though he was trying to tell himself he wasn't being attacked.

"Sorry!" Hyades jumps back, her eyes wide at his quick attempt to arm himself, "I thought I heard you calling for me..." She wraps her arms behind her back, hands grasping nervously at her elbows, "I didn't mean to..."

Gil presses a hand over his chest as his eyes sweep her in concern. "Deez," He lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding now that he'd found her in one piece. "there you are." He grins at her. "Wasn't sure if you were still here or not." He admits as he scratches the back of his head before he lets out a relieved chuckle. "Glad I didn't miss you."

"How did you know I was here?" She asks hesitantly.

"Uh-" Gil looks away. Would T be upset if he told her he sent him? He frowns. Surely not, right? All he said was Hyades was probably sick of him today. He never mentioned not saying anything to Deez, just to Harry and Uma. "T." He finally sighs, not wanting to lie.

Hyades pouts before a small, knowing smile takes its place, "I figured he wasn't going to let this go that easily." She stares up at the sky for a moment before she looks at him and smiles, "I guess you're not on the night watch huh?"

Gil lifts a brow before he purses his lips to the side in disapproval. "Let what go Deez...? Don't leave me hanging, Uma and Harry are gonna expect answers and T ain't exactly handin' those out... He just said you were done with him today."

Hyades frowns as the tension in her shoulders drain. "Right into it... That's not your usual style." She huffs as she drops her arms to her side.

"T usually doesn't seek me out to check on you either."

"I guess that's only fair." She bites at her bottom lip. She slowly reaches out one hand into the space between them, reaching for his hand, "Come on, I'll show you where I was, and we can talk. I'm obviously not getting out of this."

Gil nods as he presses his hand into her's, "Did T do something stupid?" He asks curiously. Deez didn't seem all that upset by whatever had happened. Maybe T was just overreacting because he felt guilty for something?

Hyades rolls her eyes, "Oh all over the fucking place." She shakes her head, "Just everywhere. And I don't know what to do with most of it."

Gil's eyes widen before they narrow, "Ah..." He frowns in concern. "What did he do? I'm not Uma or Harry, but I can try to help you figure it out?" He offers. "T did say he had an interesting day." And what exactly did that entail with T? He was starting to get worried all over again.

"That's such a T understatement." Hyades huffs. Exasperation almost palpable.

"So more than interesting?" Gil asks with a quirked brow

"He just, ughhh..." Hyades stamps her foot in irritation, nearly throwing herself off balance as her foot sinks a foot into the soft sand.

Gil catches her quickly, pulling her tightly to his chest out of reflex. "That's definitely a noise I've come to associate with T." He teases her. "From him too obviously, but mostly from Harry describing him." He smiles down at her.

"I can see that." Hyades returns his smile, "Thanks... for the save." She hated to admit it, but just having Gil here was already making her feel better. Which T probably knew... Which was why he'd gone looking for him.

Dammit , she couldn't even be mad at him anymore.

"I could get used to you falling on me." Gil shrugs, "I like holding you," He gives her his dopey grin." you make me feel big and strong, like a man."

Hyades blushes, but without putting too much thought into it she wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him tightly.

Gil grins as he tightens his hold on her, before he sweeps her off her feet bridal style. "Point out the way?" He offers.

"It's in the small drop off with the driftwood in front of it." Hyades explains as she points him in the right direction.

"Ah, is that where you were hiding?" He nudges her head tenderly with his own, even as he starts walking.

"I've been working on hollowing it out for a few weeks now."

"That's really cool." Gil grins at her. "Nice little space for you to chill in, I get it." He didn't like it much. But he definitely got needing your own space sometimes.

"Better than going home and getting stuck again." She grins up at him.

Gil frowns before he lets out a sigh. "True, it's always so hard to get you back out."

"I know." Hyades shrugs, "I guess I just wanted you to see I listen."

Gil grins at her. "Uma will be happy to hear that, she was starting to wonder if you were hard of hearin' or just stubborn." He continues to tease her, smiling her when he sees the giant piece of driftwood.

"I like to think I'm strong-willed." Hyades sighs as she rests her head against his shoulder.

Gil tilts his head to the side, "That's a much better way to describe it, yeah." He smiles at her. "Knew you weren't deaf."

Hyades sticks her tongue out at him.

Gil playfully leans down and nips his teeth together a hair's breadth away from her tongue. "Wouldn't do that round a pirate." He threatens.

"Noted." Hyades chuckles, "Here, put me down and-"

"Nuh uh, I like you in my lap." Gil shakes his head. "Ya can't run away." He continues lightheartedly as he sits them both down so they were facing the sea.

"Why would I run away?" Hyades asks with a confused frown.

"You tell me." Gil counters surprisingly serious, as he tightens his arms around her tenderly. His face full of concern as he studied her.

Hyades tilts her head back, leaning into his chest as she tries to get a better look at him, "I don't want to right now." She admits after blinking blankly.

"That's okay, we can sit here till you do." Gil offers. He leans them both back, clearly intent on making himself comfortable while he waits contentedly. "Your hair smells sweet, like apples."

"Panic brought a whole bunch in this morning," She explains as she reaches into her bag and pulls a handful of the small, pinched apples. "Want some?"

"Maybe later," He smiles at the offer, "but I like where my hands are right now." He studies the apple for a moment, his mouth watering at the memory of the pastries she'd made in the past before he turns back to her. "So the day started out good?"

"Yeah, I guess it did." Hyades smiles. It then dawns on her what Gil was oh so patiently doing, "Oh..." She really wasn't going to get out of this. She drops the apples back into her bag. If food wasn't going to deter Gil, she was doomed to do this. She looks out over the churning sea, wondering how best to navigate her equally turbulent story.

"Did T hurt you?" Gil finally asks, unable to help himself. He doubted it, but with the way both of them were acting tonight, he wouldn't be surprised. He knew T couldn't hurt her physically, but feelings wise was a completely different story. T had a tendency to step on toes-Or rather crush feet with his bluntness.

"No!" Hyades jerks forward just enough to roll to her knees in front of Gil, staring him dead in his cedar brown eyes, "No, nothing like that." She sighs as she closes her eyes and leans her forehead against his. "Nothing like that." She repeats a little slower.

Gil slowly reaches up to put a finger gently under her jaw before he forces her to look at him. "So what stupid did T get into today?" There that would get the attention off of her while still sating his curiosity to why two of his closest friends were acting so odd.

"We," Hyades furrows her brow, "I'm not supposed to talk about things that happen with Mal's gang..." She sighs looking everywhere but at Gil, "But, we were all, sparring, with swords. Except I just wanted to read with Carlos because he brought me a new book Yensid gave him and it was really good, but I guess T wasn't having a good day with his sword work."

"T never has a good day with a sword," Gil admits with a chuckle.

"Really?" Hyades shifts on her knees before she spins around to sit with her back to Gil's chest, "I thought you guys liked sparring with him."

"We do-" Gil nods, "When he uses his daggers. I'm not good enough at controlling my strength and kept knocking the sword away from him. We tried explaining ta him that he wasn't gripping the blade right, but he wasn't getting it." He explains.

Hyades takes one of Gil's hand in both of hers. "You usually make it look so easy to control your strength."

Gil chuckles as he lays his other hand on her head and tenderly ruffles her hair. "That's cute."

"But it's harder when you spar right?" Hyades asks, her tone bordering on desperation, "Because you have to think of like a billion other things at the same time."

"Uma always says to fight like we mean it, so I don't usually hold back. Harry doesn't mind, he likes the challenge, think T does too." Gil shrugs. "I've broken a couple of Harry's swords."

Hyades leans back as she continues to explore Gil's calloused hand, "I'm afraid of my strength." She admits into the sounds of the waves, "Almost more than I am of my fire."

Gil frowns as he studies her before he drops his eyes to their hands. He slides his hand from hers and covers both of her hands with his, dwarfing hers completely. "I think it's hard to learn how to balance it. Can't tell ya how many times Uma's yelled at me for yanking off our door on the ship. S'lotta of the reasons I get put on night watch." He admits sheepishly, his ears burning with the strength of his blush.

A peal of laughter breaks through Hyades' lips before she clamps her mouth closed on it.

"It's okay Deez," He grins at her, "It's funny. Harry teases me all the time bout it."

"I wish I could see it." She echoes her earlier sentiments to T, "It sounds like you guys never have a dull moment." She admits softly.

"You could almost say every day is interesting ."

"I bet." Hyades nods with a small smile on her lips before she falls silent again.

Gil sits in the silence for a good ten minutes. "So... What was the most interesting thing that happened today?"

A shiver chases itself up and down her spine as an image of T defending himself from Atilla crept into her mind. "You mean besides the fight T and I got into?"

Gil sits up straighter at the notable goosebumps rising over her arms before he meets her gaze with a nod. "Sounds like it." He wasn't really surprised to hear they got into a fight. T could be really careless with words and Hyades was quite literally a hot head.

Hyades bites her lip and watches her fingers as they toy with the fraying hem on her toga. "I-" She could tell Gil, right? Talk to him about what Atilla had said? Her heart sinks. No, she couldn't. He'd have no choice but to tell Uma, and then she'd be right back where she'd been before, standing by the well with all her friends while being told to pick a side. Heat pricks at her eyes and throat until hot tears splash on her wrists.

"Deez." Gil easily scoops Hyades up and pulls her back to his lap, his eyes boring into her. "Are you in danger?"

"Aren't we all?" Hyades asks honestly, her voice thin with panic at the thought of having to face that choice again.

Gil rolls his eyes, his grip tightening, "Immediate." He clarifies with a pout. "You're starting to worry me. I can see the fear-"

"I don't want to choose a side." Hyades spits out as the tears begin to flow freely.

"Who's making you choose a side?" Gil asks in confusion. Certainly couldn't be T could it? "Is Mal being pushy again?"

Hyades shakes her head. "I doubt they even want to see me right now." She drops her face into her open hands.

"Why not?" Gil asks with a concerned look. That couldn't be right. Mal had been fighting Uma for Hyades since he could remember.

"Because I got emotional when T and I were fighting, and I said things and then I ran away and then-" A hiccup interrupts her, leaving her crying into her hands.

Gil shrugs, as he lets out a relieved chuckle. "I doubt that they're never gonna wanna see you again over that Deez." He reassures her kindly as he lifts her head from her hands. "Mal might be cold- But she wouldn't let you go over something like that..." He picks up one of his hands and gently wipes her tears from her face before they got the chance to stain her cheeks. "I think that will work itself out baby- But that doesn't seem to be what's scaring you...Was it the fact you got T good while you were sparring?"

Hyades' eyes fly wide open as she grabs Gil's shoulders, "He got hurt?! He got him! How did I not see that?"

Gil's smile is wiped off his face as confusion replaces it, "Wait- Who hurt who? What didn't you see?"

"I-" Hyades shakes her head as she sits back hard, "I can't-"

Gil's hand shoots out as his hand clasps around her upper arm securely. "Deez..." He studies her carefully, refusing to release her. He could recognize her bolt face. "Who hurt who?"

"I can't-"

"Deez- Who hurt T?" Gil asks again, his voice low and clear, but stern.

Hyades stares at Gil before she drops her eyes, "Atilla." She admits, her voice shaky and barely even a whisper.

Gil drops Hyades arm in surprise. "Atilla?!" He repeats, wincing at the thought of T fighting off Atilla. "What-" He pauses as several pieces suddenly click into place. "Oh." He frowns, "That's why you're afraid of having to pick sides? Because last time Mal freaked out?"

Hyades nods slowly, "If it was that bad before, him cornering me... I just, he was just talking, I knew I needed to get away," She hangs her head limply, but brings one hand up to her hair and tugs on the end, "then he, then he said I don't belong with anyone, and it hurt, like he was listening to our fight, or inside my head- and then T shows up like he has for almost everyone else and started fighting him. And I couldn't even be worried, because T doesn't like when people treat him like he can't do something- he gave me time to get away, but I thought he was fine... How bad was he hurt? Again! Because of me!"

Gil's jaw clenches at the thought of Hyades feeling like she didn't belong with anyone. "Bull shit you don't belong Deez. You're our family- So what that we're pirates and your afraid of water. You're still family. You belong with us. We just respect your right to choose what you want to do- But if you think-" He stops himself- unable to help the anger roaring to life in his chest at the thought of her feeling rejected by them. "No. Fuck this." He says, scooping her back up before he starts walking back home.

"Gil!" Hyades flails in his arms, already dreading what his plans could be.

"No. I don't want to hear it Deez." Gil shakes his head. "If you don't feel like you belong- Then I'm showing you how wrong you are."

"Gil! Please!" Hyades continues to fight against his hold, trying to take him off guard enough to flip out of his grasp, "I can't, please don't do this!"

"Yes, you can." His grips grows more secure. "And your gonna. I'm not gonna let you walk around feeling like you don't belong."

"Gil, please, I'm going to freak out, and I don't-" Her heart lodges in her throat.

"Then you'll freak out around people you belong with- And we'll keep you safe and calm you down because that's what family does."

"I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to burn you! Please put me down."

"You can burn me for all I care. I can't be okay with you feeling this way Deez- I can't go back and tell Uma you feel like you don't belong with us. You're coming home where you belong."

"Please put me down. I'm not going back to the temple-"

"Nuh uh." Gil shakes his head. "Not this time." Not when she had been scared enough to give Atilla's manipulation any credence. He wasn't sure how else to make her understand how much they cared about her, other than to show her all the effort Uma, Harry, T and himself were putting in to make sure Hyades would be comfortable on the ship. Apparently, it was time to show her they cared rather than assume she knew how they felt.

"Gil, put me down, NOW!" She demands, her voice bellowing nearly as well as her father's when he was making declarations.

"No," Gil states simply, not even flinching at her decree. Uma was much scarier.

"Please," Hyades begs as one fist bumps into his shoulder. Then the other. Again and again. Harder and harder.

"No." Gil shakes his head. "Not this time." He repeats ignoring the way she beat against his chest, even though he was sure it would leave bruises if not welts. Still, he continues on without complaint.

"Please, I have to do this. I have to. I'm so worthless if I can't even get over this for you. For Harry and Uma."

"And you will. With me. Right now." He states, " Because it's okay to need other people sometimes. And clearly you need this, right now- Because you seem to be confused by what the term family means."

Hyades slows her fists, letting them come to rest on his hot skin, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please Gil, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are too. But I think you're only sorry that you said it out loud to me- I hope you can understand how ridiculous that thought is." Gil shrugs, "But Uma always says ya shouldn't have to apologize for something ya got no control over, like feelings."

"I didn't know I felt it! I want to keep talking on the beach. Please, Gil, let's go back to the beach."

"No." Gil shakes his head. "This time I'm showing you, what we can't seem to tell you."

Hyades reaches up and wraps her arms around Gil's neck, pulling herself closer to him as her whole body began to shiver.

"Just tuck your head until we're on the ship." Gil offers her softly, "Promise I won't let anything happen to you." He presses his lips to her hair, "I would never let anything happen to you if I could help it."

"I'm not afraid of what you're going to do, I'm afraid of me!" She screams into his neck.

"Well, we're not," Gil responds simply. No one in their family was. Harry was too reckless. Uma loved Hyades too much to let it affect her. He knew he didn't let it affect him. Her burns would never burn as hotly as the humiliations his father put him through. And even T, who he secretly counted as part of their makeshift family, didn't seem afraid of Hyades' fire.

"You should be." Hyades shakes her head as she pulls back enough to look at him, "I'm not fighting you as hard as I can, and I bruised your shoulder. I'm scared of hurting you, but down in the well-" She wraps her fingers into the fabric of his vest, "Please put me down, I don't want to know what will happen when I'm more afraid of the water than I am of hurting you."

"Sorry." Gil stands firm as he shakes his head. "You'd have to knock me out first."

Hyades bites her lip hard as she looks into his eyes. She looks away first.

"That's what I thought." Gil sighs.

"Not the ship." Hyades demands as she wraps back around Gil's neck, "Please, not the first time. It would kill me if I hurt the thing Uma loves so much."

"It won't, I promise," Gil assures her. "Uma would kill me if I left you feeling this way."

"I can't do this yet Gil" Hyades cries.

"Would you rather the Chip Shop?"

Hyades shivers as she shakes her head.

"Mhmm." Gil nods, "So ship it is."

"I won't run Gil, please let me down."

"You're not heavy." Gil shrugs. "And it'd be cruel to make you walk up the plank."

"Plank?"

"Yeah, to get on the ship." Gil nods before he looks down at her for a moment, "If you don't know what it is, I'm not explaining it." He continues, turning back to the road taking his time as he slowly strolled down the familiar path.

Hyades shakes her head, pressing her face painfully between Gil's chest and shoulder. Her breath was fast and short in her panic. She wanted to know where they were, when they got to the docks, but she was so scared she could hardly think. Even with her eyes squeezed shut she felt lightheaded and dizzy.

"Take a deep breath, Deez." He suggests softly, "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you baby girl." His arms tighten around her in reassurance. "Family don't hurt family." Purposefully anyways.

She wanted to listen to him, wanted to believe him. But what did that make her if she burned him in this process? What did that make the bruises already sprouting on his chest? "It's cool. It's cool. Cool-cool-coolcoolcool." She starts her mantra, hoping that, maybe this time, it would work.

"Yes, it is," He assures her softly, his voice even and calm, "Very much even. We had you in mind when setting up our room." He drops his chin and places a chaste kiss to the top of her head. "I promise, everything is very cool, Deez."

" I don't know what that means." Hyades half whimpers half screams as she frantically searches for things to concentrate on.

"You'll see." He places another kiss to the crown of her head. This would hopefully show her in a way that nothing else would how much she belonged with them. He shifts her so that he could easily hold her in one arm. His other hand cups the back of her head and presses it gently towards his shoulder. "Just focus on breathing for me, kay?" He murmurs to her softly before he begins humming an old lullaby he remembered Uma singing to him when he had night terrors.

"That sounds so easy until you actually have to fucking do it." Hyades spits out bitterly. Part of her wanted to trust him, even knew that she could. The rest of her was screaming, begging to get away, to run and hide.

But did she really want to be alone? Did she want to go back to her father right now, knowing what would be in store for her? She wasn't sure, but it felt like a no. So she focuses on her breathing. On her rapidly thudding heart. After a few slow and deep breaths she catches the humming and soon finds herself wrapped comfortably in the sound of his voice. His soothing voice. She could trust Gil... She could always trust Gil.

She focuses on his voice, for now ignoring her sense of dread at the thought of where he was taking her. It wasn't easy, she still felt like a failure for not doing this herself. But if he was willing to face her fear, the least she could do was try.

Gil frowns at the hot tears sliding down his chest, his only thought was to get her back to the ship. And hope she didn't completely hate him after this.

Notes:

Finally! Am I right people?

Who else is thrilled someone is finally forcing Hyades out of her comfort zone? Were you surprised it was Uma's Sweet boy? Did this chapter make you squee? Did it hurt your heart? Are you excited to see what comes next? Was it surprising to see T reach out for help?(*Cough* Reviews refuel us *Cough*) And is everyone else happy to see Gil not portrayed as some idiot? (No offense to other writers intended, we don't really have much free time to read anymore so this is more in reference to the standard set by the movie.)