Harriet smiled as she sat with Sammy, both of them watching the younger kids frolicking by the lake. Ben had told Harriet about the gazebo and CJ had immediately offered to watch Squeaky and Squirmy so she could have time with Sammy; roping Dizzy, Celia, and Ryan in with her so she could have some friends with her.
Harriet wasn't entirely sure she was happy with the knowing look on her little sister's face. Ever since she got out of her denial with Ryan and Harry got out of his with Uma, both of them had been almost determined to end Harriet's single status.
Thank Gods Henry's watching them, she thought with a fond smile as she looked over at her fellow Captain. Well more like CJ's doing the watching with Ryan and Celia and Brooke while Henry sleeps and Dizzy stays with him in the shade. Claudine did say that Henry's been unable to sleep if he's not near water—though when you've spent your life on a ship, sleeping on dry land feels strange.
It was one of the reasons why she liked this gazebo. The feeling of the water of the lake lapping against the foundation of the gazebo reminded Harriet of the Lost Revenge. Being here with Sammy, it was like being home again.
"Auradon's been good to them," Sammy said, her soft voice breaking through Harriet's thoughts.
"Yeah," Harriet nodded, a small smile pulling at her lips. "For all of them. I never thought I'd be hearing my sister squeal in laughter while she enjoyed the sunshine. Though it's the main reason our redheads are hiding in the shade. Henry's still sunburnt from a few days ago after all."
"Not all the redheads," Sammy said, shaking her head slightly. "Celia's with CJ and Ryan. She's keeping Brooke company."
"Oh right. Just another thing Auradon's been good for, Brooke came out of her shell. It's a shame Jade's not here to see this but Brooke's almost back to how she was before Locklyn dragged her to Freddy. Remember? We used to call her a CJ clone. Didn't help that they've both got blonde hair." Harriet said, smiling at the memory.
"Plus CJ finally wound up with Ryan if we're still talking about how Auradon's been good for people," Sammy chuckled as the brunet leaned over over and kissed CJ's cheek. "How many years did we joke that they were going to be the next Harry and Uma?"
Harriet shook her head. "I'd like to not think about my little sister's love life thank you. You know I had to tackle Harry to stop him from interrupting their date?"
Sammy smiled as she looked over at Harriet. "So...while we're on the subject of 'mushy' topics...are we ever going to talk about that kiss we shared during King Ben's coronation?"
Harriet froze, looking over at Sammy. "I...what are you talking about?"
"You forgot?" Sammy asked, her voice soft as she closed the distance between her and Harriet. "Maybe...maybe it's just been too long. Hopefully this can refresh your memory."
Before Harriet could respond, Sammy's lips met hers in a tender kiss that sent a spark up Harriet's spine. It was probably everything she had dreamed about, well minus their younger siblings being almost shouting distance.
Her eyes shut as Harriet eagerly returned the kiss, her brain forgetting the exact reason as to why Sammy was kissing her. All that mattered was that Sammy was kissing her.
Crap! Sammy's kissing me! It's not safe, what if any of the Angels see this?
"Sammy....we can't..." Harriet murmured, her lips barely leaving Sammy's as brown eyes met blue.
"Why can't we?" Sammy whispered. "Cap'n, Freddy's dead. The other Angels are across the bridge. Not to mention Brooke and Claudine are the decent sort."
"...I...I didn't want..."
"Oh," Sammy said softly as she sat back. "Okay...we can just put that in the happened and never talk about it again drawer then."
"No!" Harriet said quickly as she looked at Sammy, her lips still tingling from the kiss. "I meant...I didn't want Freddy jumping you the way he did Dustin. The kiss on Coronation Day was real, Sammy. I...I just never brought it up because I didn't want you or the twins getting hurt because of me."
"Cap'n, we were going to get hurt regardless," Sammy said, gently taking Harriet's hand. "I'm your First Mate. Not Uma's, not Mal's but your's. Being a Rat was putting a target on my back the minute I stepped off the ship but there's nowhere I'd rather be than by your side."
"Why...why didn't you say anything before now?" Harriet asked.
Sammy brushed a strand of her ash blonde hair out of her eyes. "I...I didn't know if you would want to talk about it."
"Of course I would!"
"Oh so you'd be okay if I'd gone up to you and said 'hey cap'n, remember the day you snogged my brains out?' That'd have gone over well."
"I probably would have jumped out of my skin if you'd brought that up around the crew," Harriet sighed and Sammy gave her a sad smile. That was the point she was trying to make.
To the blonde's surprise though, Harriet chuckled lightly. "You know that wasn't exactly how I imagined my first kiss with you would be like?"
"How...you imagined kissing me?"
"Uh huh," Harriet nodded.
Sammy chuckled slightly, trying to tamp down her nerves at such a thought. "And um...how did you imagine kissing me? If you don't mind me asking, Cap'n?"
"Well," Harriet said, scooting so that she was closer to Sammy. "First I'd brush a strand of your beautiful ash blonde hair from your gorgeous blue eyes since we'd have just finished sparring."
"Of course. It'd be almost scandalous if we were doing anything else," Sammy whispered as her breath hitched; Harriet's thumb gently running over her lips. "And then what?"
Harriet smiled, brushing an errant strand of hair from Sammy's face. It was almost as if the strand had heard the captain's words as it'd fallen while Harriet had been speaking. "I'd hold you against the mast and gently place a kiss on your lips in congratulations since you'd have beaten me in a match."
"Impossible cap'n. You're a Hook after all, you don't get beaten in a sparring match."
"Hey, Smees are pretty skilled with a sword. Not to mention I've trained you, it's entirely possible for you to beat me," Harriet whispered before taking the bull by the horns and placing her lips on Sammy's. The spark of electricity ran through her veins once more and Harriet smiled against Sammy's lips.
Unbeknownst to either girl, Harriet's fingers began to run through Sammy's hair though Sammy's fingers had begun to do the same to Harriet's hair.
"We should probably watch the kids," Sammy whispered as they broke, panting slightly from the lack of oxygen and the spark still running through their veins.
"Henry's got them," Harriet whispered back to her. Normally she wouldn't be so derelict in her duty but she was finally kissing her best mate. Sometimes love was the death of duty but she didn't so much care at that point. "He's not that deep of a sleeper that he'd sleep through one of the kids needing something. Plus we can hear them if it's an emergency."
Sammy chuckled as Harriet rested her forehead on her's. "Never knew you to let your duty slide, cap'n."
"Hey I never dreamed that I'd be able to kiss you again," Harriet sighed. "When...when you said you missed your brothers that day you arrived in Auradon, I thought you'd..."
"You thought I didn't feel the same?" Sammy asked. "Cap'n....Harriet, you're my captain. You're my best mate. I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked me. It doesn't matter that I'm not on the Isle even if that's home. I...I look at you and I'm home. You were my lifeline when my mother died, you kept Squeaky and Squirmy safe when you came to Auradon and I was on the Isle. I...I trusted you with my brothers but I wouldn't have trusted you with all my heart if I didn't feel the same."
Harriet smiled as Sammy rested her head on her shoulder. "Sometimes it's hard to believe how much our lives have changed."
"What do you mean?" Sammy asked, looking at Harriet.
"Harry and CJ actually get along, Freddy's gone," Harriet said with a sigh. "CJ's with Ryan, Harry's with Uma. Hell Henry's got a girlfriend...actually he's got a fiancee. Harry's not always trying to kill Gil..."
"I heard Gil got a job," Sammy chuckled.
"Yeah. That was a shock," Harriet nodded. It was definitely not expected when Gil said he'd gotten a job at Evie4Hearts but apparently he was a decent sewer. Decent enough to make clothes that would hold up to the brutal treatment his older brothers put their clothes through. Plus he made a small vest type thing for Dude, the little dog that trailed around DeVil. Er...Carlos.
"Is it as strange for you as it is for me? Referring to Carlos and Evie by their first names?" Harriet asked Sammy.
Sammy nodded. "It's a little strange but you said that Evie stood up against Freddy, armed with only smoke bombs when Freddy had his daggers? She helped keep my brothers safe, that definitely earned my using her first name in my book."
Harriet nodded as her eyes fell back on CJ splashing Ryan with a bit of lake water. The brunet retaliated by wrapping his arms around CJ's torso and holding her close; both of them bursting out in peals of laughter.
"...you look at me and you're home?" Harriet asked after a few minutes, looking back over at Sammy.
Sammy flushed slightly. "It was corny but true. Yes I look at you and I'm home. Doesn't matter if we're off the Isle or on it. And yes I miss my dad and maybe I'm not truly home without him but I've got you and I've got my brothers. I'm as close to being home as I want to be right now."
Harriet smiled and gently grabbed Sammy's hand, lacing her fingers through her's. "It's not corny...and I want you to be able to have your dad too Sammy. Maybe once Ben's finished planning his wedding with Mal, he'll be able to get your dad off the Isle."
"There's a difference between taking the VKs off the Isle and taking adults off," Sammy sighed.
"And what did your dad ever do that was villainous to deserve the Isle?" Harriet asked. "He was a loyal first mate to the Captain, that was it. Your dad deserves to see the sun again and I'll make it happen. You have my word."
Sammy smiled and lightly kissed Harriet on the lips.
"Finally!"
"CJ!" Harriet exclaimed and Sammy looked over at the lake to see the younger girl grinning at them.
"Hey you and Harry interrupted me and Ry Harriet. Turn about's fair play," CJ chuckled, brushing a bit of her own blonde hair out of her eyes.
"What did you mean by 'finally'?" Harriet asked.
Celia chuckled. "Please! We all grew up with you two flirting around one another. I think the only two who were more obvious about how much they liked each other were Harry and Uma."
"Oh? What about CJ's small little crush on Jay?" Ryan said, teasing his best friend and now flirtationship.
"You swore never to talk about that!"
"No, you swore. I did no such thing," Ryan chuckled. She's never going to know that for a year, I swore I'd kill Jay. I mean how in the world could I compete with him? It didn't matter that he's three years older than us anyway.
CJ shook her head. "It was more of a fascination than anything. Sides, I've got you Ry. I don't need anything or anyone else."
"Feeling the love there sis," Harriet teased.
"Oh go kiss your girlfriend," CJ teased back, smiling at the sight of her sister's happiness. Harriet had spent her life making sure that CJ and Harry were okay—it was time she had some happiness too.
Sammy smiled and kissed Harriet's cheek. "I mean if CJ's going to be a captain one day, she's got to get used to giving orders."
"First off, I believe my sister gave me the order," Harriet said as she looked over at her. "And secondly, you missed."
Sammy smiled again as she heard that and the two girls kissed once more, missing CJ's fond eye roll or the others' smiles at the sight.
"Am I dreaming or is Harriet kissing Sammy?" Henry's voice asked, still groggy as he came out of his slumber.
"Not a dream Henry," Celia called over to him.
"Okay," Henry said with a small smile. "Congrats Harriet. I'm happy for you."
Harriet couldn't help the almost face splitting smile she had on her face. "Thanks Henry. Hey, all that's left is to get Dustin to move on from flings to an actual relationship of substance."
"Dustin will never change," Ryan said, shaking his head.
"You never know," Dizzy called. "Get him to Auradon and he might."
She might not have know Dustin personally but she knew enough from the stories Celia and Hadie would tell her back on the Isle.
"You know...why not get all the crew over to Auradon?" Ryan said. "There's not much point in guarding our territory when the Rats basically run the Isle now anyway."
"I'll talk to Mal about that," Henry nodded.
"We'll talk to Mal about that," Harriet corrected him, gesturing to herself and Sammy. "This is a job for captains after all and you've got a wedding to plan mister."
"I never get tired of hearing that," Henry grinned. "My wedding."
"Oh go back to dreaming about Claudine," Ryan shook his head, shooting a teasing smile Henry's way. Henry smirked and stretched out, resting his hands behind his head.
"Why is he dreaming about Claudine?" Squeaky asked.
Sammy shook her head. "Come on Harriet. We should intervene before one of those kids starts giving my brothers the facts of life."
"Hey now, they're not Dustin! They know better!"
"Do they? Do they really?"
"...okay Dizzy knows better!" Harriet said as the two of them dove into the lake, grinning ear to ear.