Roses and Hooks /// Harry Hook

Chapter 18: Showdown

I spent that night with Harry, not really getting much sleep. We wanted to spend as much time together as possible in case something goes wrong with this deal exchange. I'm worried that Mal will have something up her sleeve, but Harry tells me not to worry. That the plan is fool proof. Yeah, I'm not convinced.

At noon, Harry brings my brother up to the front deck, and ties him up to the mast. Ben glares at him, and I glare at Ben. One word, and I'll cut him. I don't care if he is my brother. Blood doesn't mean family. Ben looks at everyone before his eyes land on me, and I laugh at the double take of shock on his face.

"Rose? Is that you?" I grin as I skip up to him and jump to the space right in front of him. "How did you get here? Why did you leave?"

"Oh, well, I left because clearly, none of you needed me. And I came here because why not?" My grin drops and I turn serious. "I've always wanted to come here. You know that. It should have been the first place you looked, brother."

"What do you mean? Of course, we need you." Ben starts, but I just chuckle before I glare at him.

"No. You don't get to say that now. You left me. You ignored me. You abandoned me, so I left to live with the rest of the people you threw out and left behind." I snap and Ben frowns. "You don't get to change your mind because I've finally decided to do something with my life that doesn't involve you."

"I'm sorry. You were right the whole time, Rose. Mal was drowning and you tried to tell me. You were drowning, and tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. You kept telling me to stop and listen to what was happening around me, but I didn't listen. Now, this is all happening because of me." Ben says and my eyes start to water.

"Oh, now you get it. All the yelling, acting out, fights, and chaos I caused didn't get your attention. Even me running away didn't get your attention. No, what it took was Mal running away. She's your girlfriend! I'm your fucking sister, Ben! Where the hell were you when I needed you?!" I shout at him, and he hangs his head. "You don't get to come here and act like everything is okay because it's not. You completely forgot about me. Your sister! How do you forget an entire being that you've grown up with?!"

"Beasty." I hear Harry say behind me, and I shake my head as a sob makes its way out. Ben looks at the pirate behind me and glares.

"Who are you?" Ben says, and I shake my head.

"He's the one person I know won't leave me. I can count on him and he's always there. He's my whole world, Big Ben. Sad this is how you had to meet him. Funny how things work like that." I say and Harry hugs me from behind. Ben's eyes widen, and he sees just how much he's missed. Harry walks up to Ben and tickles under his chin, grinning and smiling at me. I giggle, my tears slowly coming to a stop.

"Harry, give it a rest." Uma says as she walks over to me. Harry glares at her and pouts, making me chuckle.

"Just trying to cheer my little Rosie up, is all." Harry tells her and goes back to teasing Ben, making me laugh at his antics.

"Harry. We don't want damaged goods." Harry narrows his eyes at her, and his grin drops. Uma's face pales and she starts to fidget nervously. Harry points his hook at her and start to walk over to her, but I put my hands on his chest, stopping him.

"You said I could hook him." He says, arms coming around me as I kiss his neck and lightly bite it. "Rose, we don't have time, or I would. You know I would." I giggle and grin as Uma smiles at us. She loves us being together, mainly because I stop Harry from killing everyone.

"I said at noon, Harry. You can hook him then if they haven't shown." Uma says, more relaxed with me here to keep Harry from feeding people to the sharks in the water. Harry turns back around to Ben and pulls out the famous pocket watch he's father had, swaying it in Ben's face.