Half and Half

Chapter Thirty Six

Ben smiled as he leaned against the counter at Hook's fish shop. It was hard to believe how time had flown since that day his parents had told him his dad would be going to the Isle. Four years had flown in fact, if one wanted to be accurate.

"What are you smiling about, Benny?" Harry asked as he leaned against the counter, a teasing note to his voice so Ben would know it was all in jest.

"Just happy," Ben shrugged. It was the truth after all. He was happy. Happy his friendship with Mal had grown, happy that Uma and Harry had let him join the gang, happy that Jay still wanted to be allies even after finding out Ben was best friends with one of the sons of Aladdin, happy Abby got along well with Uma, Harry, Jay, and Mal ever since she started coming along on the six months on the Isle, and happy that the gang had grown significantly since that fateful day where Ben, Mal, Uma, and Harry had helped get Henry's mother to the hospital.

"I vote we pull Henry into the crew," Mal said; the then seven year old brushing a strand of purple hair out of her eyes. Uma and Harry had competed in a race to win one of Captain Hook's old ships that he'd put up for the grand prize; the goal being a place where they could have as their public hang out spot in the event the grown ups needed to locate them. Uma had won though Ben and Mal had a theory that Harry had thrown the race since there was also a wager between the pirate and the squidling.

Whoever won would be the captain to the other. And even though Ben could see that Harry wanted to be a captain like his sister Harriet was, there was also no one more protective of Uma than Harry. And a captain couldn't be the one protecting as much as they needed to be protected for the sake of the crew.

So the Lost Revenge had its captain, had its first mate. Now all it needed was its crew which was what they were deciding at that moment.

"He'd be a good fit," Harry nodded. "He's got enough loyalty, he showed that the day his mom had his sister, that's for sure and we'd want that. We'd be mad not to have it."

Uma nodded and added Henry's name to their list. "So far we've got Harriet, Sammy, CJ, Jade, Ryan, Caspian, Robert, Nick, Jake, Dustin, Peter, Rick, and now Henry."

"So that's...18 members," Ben said, counting the names. "Is there anyone else we want? Wait...Mal didn't you say Gil has sisters? Shouldn't we bring them in?"

Mal nodded and then sighed. "Yeah, he's got a few sisters. We can certainly make the offer, it's a question of if they take it."

"Why wouldn't they? It's a gang run by the niece and daughter of a God."

"Let's just say they've got some stubbornness," Uma said.

Ben shrugged. "Who doesn't on the Isle?"

"Okay true but...Piper...she doesn't like the idea of being seen getting a handout. Just in case Gaston decides to acknowledge her and her sisters," Uma said with a small sigh.

"Yeah well...the less said about Gaston the better," Ben muttered, his fingers brushing over the spot on his arm where the scar from the bullet graze remained. It was a permanent reminder of the day Gaston tried to shoot him.

"I second that," Mal said, a small growl to her voice.

"Surprised you'd be okay with Gaston's daughters in the gang then, Benny," Harry said.

Ben shrugged. "They're not Gaston. Everyone deserves to be safe, no matter who their parents are...and speaking of keeping people safe, Abby starts coming to the Isle next year. Can we include her in the gang/crew/whatever we call ourselves?"