Once We are Descendants

Chapter 37: Emotional Tides

Mal, Evie, and Carlos go back to their significant others, who sit on some of the nearby picnic tables at the entrance to the docks. Jay and Crystal follow closely behind and so do Emma and Hook. Harry remains on the deck of his father's ship, not really sure what to do next. His mind wants to go with the group, but he can tell that they don't really want him around, especially the girl with the ponytail. He doesn't understand why, but he finds her enchanting and like a real challenge. He could tell that she feels something too, although she won't admit it. He is a little shocked to learn that she actually ended up killing her mother and her father seems to be some kind of all-powerful being, but Harry liked a woman with mystery and some darkness thrown in there too.

Little did he know, that his situation mirrored his father's first encounter with his true love, Emma Swan; although as they climbed the beanstalk to retrieve a golden compass, the smug pirate had told her that she was "something of an open book" to him, while Harry had yet to take this "book" off the shelf and read the title.

"Jane," Carlos says, going to sit next to her. The daughter of Fairy Godmother sits with her head in her hands, battling a nasty headache that causes the blood in her brain and body to pound. It feels like the red fluid is pressing against her skin, trying to find a way out.

She looks up at Carlos with confused and frightened blue eyes. She is close to breaking out into tears. "Oh Carlos!" she whimpers quietly.

The Son of Cruella De Vil holds his girlfriend very close, rubbing circles on the small of her back as a way of comforting her. He can feel her shaking against his body as they hug tightly. He feels as if he's become her anchor, her rock of strength. It appears that the tough and brave personae she had put on at the beach earlier had faded, and the sensitive and vulnerable Jane is back. Inside, he did feel as scared as she did, but he did his best to hide it. He knew the whole reason she was so afraid is that they were sucked through a portal and deposited in a bizarre land filled with strangers who were meant to resemble their parents. He knows that Jane likes to be control of her surroundings, it's one of the reasons he likes her so much, but when things are beyond her comprehension and power, she becomes scared and shy again.

"It's okay Jane," he murmurs quietly. He repeats this over and over to allow her to calm down.

Mal reluctantly approaches Ben, who is lying on one of the seats of a separate picnic table from Jane's. His cuts, while medically treated, are very clearly prominent on his face and body, his clothes are still torn up and worst of all, his neck is black and blue from Uma's tentacles. Ben has Emma's red leather coat tucked under his head and he struggles to remain conscious. His head is also pounding from coming through the portal and the wounds he'd received from Gil and Uma are not helping matters either.

The daughter of Maleficent bites her lip very hard. So far, she'd been distracted enough with Uma, and family drama that she has not been forced to confront her feelings for the King of Auradon. Her mind flashes back to the pain she felt in her chest when Ben was forced to suspend her and the anger that filled her entire body to the point that she felt like she might explode. Her heart still aches heavily over what transpired between them... the feelings of betrayal and misery, very prominent in her mind.

Yet, despite how hurt she had been when they'd broken up, she'd still rushed to his rescue when Harry had captured Ben. She let her anger get the best of her and she became a dragon once Uma had tried to strangle him and she'd stayed by his side until the ambulance took him to the hospital. She feels torn between what she thinks she is feeling right now and what she must be feeling deep down inside. She loved Ben, they were true love, but it doesn't mean that they had to stay together forever, did it? Why was it so hard for her to choose whether to care about Ben or not? She is always drawn to him like a moth to a flame and she cares about him too much... it all feels like the biggest mess that she just can't seem to clean up.