Hearts Fall Unnexpectedly

Chapter Ten: I Want The Wand

"P-Payton.." Ben mumbles to the girl who stood there in shock, "h-how are you here? Everyone thought you went to Neverland?"

The girl scoffs, "Why in the hell would I go back to the person.." she stops and thinks about her brothers and the other boys, "..the people who abandoned me?"

Uma comes over to the two and smirks, "Beasty boy here decided to pay us a little visit. Wanna guess why?"

Ben goes to answer, but Uma cuts him off to give the girl time to think. After a few moments, Pan looks at the boy and scoffs in disbelief and humor.

"You drove Mal away just like you did me?"

Ben looks down in guilt as Uma explains the night before.

Uma walked out of the kitchen with two trays in her hands, she tossed one to one of the old pirates that hangs around the bar.

"Hey!" The woman shouts at the captain, "I wanted the fried clams!"

"And I wanted a sea-pony, life ain't fair!"

Everyone jumps back at the girl's harsh words and they all look down to avoid eye contact with her. She came over to give the second tray when the doors to her shop were thrown open. Mal struts in making Uma freeze in shock.

"I'm back," Mal's voice came out in a sing-song way.

The teal-haired girl rolls her eyes, "Loser. Party of one. Right this way please."

She points to a table and Mal makes her way over. Uma kicks the chair out at her in hopes of tripping her up, but the purple haired girl catches it. They both snarl at each other before Uma laughs at Mal's uptight attitude.

Mal sits down in the seat and looks around at the restaurant in disgust, "Place still stinks."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Uma snarks out, "we're down a butler today. Princess."

Mal breaks her stare from her rival, "Where is he?"

Uma ignores the girl's question and rips her apron off and throws it on the table, doing everything she can to aggravate Mal and throw her off her game.

"You know, I've dreamed of this," Uma says with a chuckle. "You wanting something from me, and me watching you squirm like a worm on a hook."

"I'm so flattered that you dream of me. I haven't given you a second thought since I left."

Uma slams her hands down on the table angrily at the girl's irking words.

"Obviously," Uma spits out.

The sea-witch thinks for a moment before she smirks. She knows how to get a rise out of her.

"You have your perfect little life, don't you?"

Mal hums in agreement so Uma's face changes into one that's much darker. Uma turns toward her restaurant and shouts, "Doesn't she have the perfect little life?!"

They all start to mumble in agreement and Uma comes back to Mal, slamming her hands on the table once more, "You know, the same life you stole from Payton?"

Everyone starts to laugh at the obvious discomfort on the purple haired girl's face.

"Listen, if you have some kind of score to settle with me, game on," Mal insists. "But I see no need to bring Ben into this."

Uma laughs, "Oh, I bet those were the same words Payton said to you almost eight months ago, weren't they?"

Mal's jaw clenched as Uma continues, "And besides, it may be a little unnecessary, but oh, it is so much fun."

There's a moment of silence between the two girls as they glare at each other.

"Here's the deal."

"Just like your mother, always a catch."

Uma smiles wickedly and slides into the seat across from Mal. She places her arm down on the table with her hand up, "If you win, Ben is free to go."

Mal's glare deepens as she puts her hand up to accept the challenge. Before she can grab her hand, Uma pulls hers back.

"Don't you wanna know what I get if I win?"

"Still dreaming."

"Hmm," Uma clenches her hand onto Mal's hand and continues to antagonize her, "last I checked, your mother thought she had things all sewn up, too, huh? How'd that work out for her again?"

Mal is obviously flustered, "On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

The two girls start the arm wrestle and it's clear that Uma has no qualms about winning by the expression on her face. She giggles and laughs even if her hand is slowly being pushed back.

"You know," Uma eggs on, "that whole princess act? Ugh. Never bought it for a second. You can stick a tiara on a villain, but, you're still a villain."

"And you can slap a pirate hat on, but you're still Shrimpy."

Uma faltered for a second, her anger seeping through and her arm almost getting completely slammed down. Uma's arm was getting pushed down by Mal at a steady rate, which only increased when her eyes started to glow their vibrant green. When Uma's arm is only a few inches off the table, she pulls out her last card.

"If I win, you bring me the wand."

Mal's concentration falters and Uma takes that to her advantage to slam her hand down, effectively winning the match.

Pan turns to Uma after she finishes telling her story with an evil smirk of her own, "Oh, how proud I am, my little sea-urchin."

Uma chuckles and pushes Pan away in a sisterly way. Ben watches the two with a flabbergasted expression as Harry continues to tease him with his hook.

"Coochie-coochie-coo," Harry giggles in his face, turning Ben's attention away from the girls, "how's it feel to be the king now, eh?"

Ben stares at Hook in fear and confusion. He didn't think insanity could be passed from father to son.

"Give it a rest, Harry," Uma says, pulling his hook off of the boy, "give it a rest. We don't want damaged goods."

"You said that I could hook him!"

"I said," Uma angrily corrects, "at noon."

Harry jumps off the railing he was standing on and comes over to Ben, dangling his pocket watch in his face, "20 more minutes."

"That says 11:30."

Pan scoffs at Ben's tone of voice, "Oh, wow, he reads and speaks."

"You better hope your girlfriend comes through," Uma teases the king alongside her friend.

Ben looks down, trying to avoid Pan's eyes, "She's not my girlfriend anymore."

Pan scoffs in disbelief while all three of the other crew members, Uma, Harry, and Royal, all laugh. Uma's eyes light up with a plan.

"Leave us alone, boys."

"Boys?" Ben asks, confused.

"Yeah," Royal says, showing himself to the king for the first time, "boys."

The prince makes his way to Pan, wrapping his arm around her waist before kissing her deeply. This makes Ben look away uncomfortably, and both Harry and Uma double over in laughter at his squirming figure. Breaking away from the kiss, Royal kisses his girl again, this time on her cheek, before walking away with Hook.