The next morning, Celia was abruptly awakened by a bucket of water. "Stand up, come on!", said the pirate, opening the cell, "The captain wants to see you!". Celia took her things and he bring her to Captain Hook.
Meanwhile, in James's cabin, he and Facilier had long argued about what had happened the night before. The latter had managed to convince James to spare his daughter, explaining that she, unlike him, had not yet learned well to dominate her shadow. "I hope for both of us that it will never happen again!", James said nervously, "Now she will have to immediately apologize to my son!", "No problem, my daughter is polite and knows when she's wrong! Anyway, she didn't kill him, her was just a warning!", "A warning?! Blast warning! She was choking him with her witchcraft!", "Calm down, I already told you she didn't do it on purpose! Now she will apologize and let's not talk about it anymore! We both have other problems to deal with!", "Yes, I know! As soon as the matter is resolved, we will get busy!". Throughout the night, Facilier and James had been talking about what had happened on Black Island and they were coming up with something so they could both get out of it, so that in the end they could only devote themselves to James's revenge on Peter Pan. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. "Captain, the girl is here", said a voice. "Let her in", James replied. Celia walked in and sat across from James, looking down. "Well", said the latter, "This time it went well for you, my dear. But next time you try to hurt a member of my family, I'll throw you into the sea myself!". Celia, without looking up, replied: "I beg your pardon, captain", "You must apologize to my son, not me!", "I didn't want to hurt him, but he wouldn't leave me alone and I lost control", "I don't care how it went! You attacked my son and I can't tolerate that! Now you will have to apologize to him for what you did to him!", "Yes, captain". That said, James called Charlie. Shortly after, as he entered the cabin, he sat down opposite Celia. He was still offended by her reaction from the night before, but also worried about having to suffer one more outbursts of anger from her. Celia, looking into his eyes, held out her hand and apologized. Charlie hesitantly accepted her apology, shaking her hand. Then, James told Charlie to take her with him and not to lose sight of her. Before they left, Facilier said: "Celia, wait! Did you do everything I asked for?". She, approaching him, replied: "Yes, father. Here you are". She put the two bags in his hand and then she went out, accompanied by Charlie. She still didn't know exactly what her father had made her do, they were Voodoo things that she still did not know, but now she had other problems and she waited to ask questions. Then, Facilier turned to James: "Now that everything is resolved, how about we get back to our business?", "Sure, sure! The sooner we solve this mess and the sooner we can devote ourselves to that Peter Pan brat!", "Well, where were we left, then? Oh, yes! How about making a deal with me?", "A deal?! What deal?", "Quiet, my friend! Now I'll explain to you, don't be afraid".
Meanwhile, Charlie had taken Celia to Bethany's room. Seeing her all wet, she sat her down, gave her a towel to dry and said: "Don't worry, Celia. Nobody here is mad at you anymore. Our mother forgave you too. She'll be here shortly with tea and cookies. There is nothing better than a good breakfast to restore a good mood". Celia smiled at her. Bethany was always so sweet and kind to her. Very few people in her life had treated her sweetly. Shortly thereafter, Scarlett came in with a tray, accompanied by Glenn. She placed it on the table, then turned to Celia: "I forgive you for last night, but that it never happens again", "I'm sorry, I...", "Now let's not talk about it anymore. Charlie is fine and you are sorry. Come, pour tea for everyone, then let's all eat together". Celia obeyed. When she finished pouring the tea, she sat down to breakfast with the others. Meanwhile, Charlie didn't stop staring at her. She noticed it, but she pretended nothing happened, despite her discomfort. She didn't understand why Charlie behaved like this to her. She had never had a boyfriend in her life, but finding such an insistent pirate towards her was not what she expected and it also bothered her a little. She hoped he would leave her alone, not least because she couldn't afford to get angry again, risking hurting him seriously if she lost control. Bethany, noticing how Charlie stared hard at Celia, said: "Listen, big brother: why don't you go see if the crew is doing their duty?". Charlie, absently, replied: "Eh? But, I...", "Please, GO! You're the boatswain!", "Uff! Okay, I'll finish my tea later!". That said, she got up and walked out. Celia understood Bethany's gesture and thanked her under her breath. The latter smiled at her and gave her a caress, giving her a wink. Celia, after this gesture, put her hand to her cheek. That caress of hers had just brightened her day. Bethany was really very good and Celia was very pleased for this. After so much suffering in her life, she finally met someone who showed her affection. She hoped their friendship would remain intact forever. After breakfast, Scarlett told Celia to help her take away the tray and cups. When they were alone, she said to her: "Celia, I know you're not bad. Forgive my ways of last night, but it was an instinctive reaction. You know, if I happen to see one of my children in danger, I act immediately and do everything to protect them", "Scarlett, I...", "Don't worry, no justifications are needed. I confess that not long ago Bethany lost control with her brother too. Charlie is not evil, he just sometimes overdoes his sympathy, but don't take it badly. If he still does this, tell me and I'll stop him immediately", "Thanks, Scarlett. Anyway, I don't know what got into me yesterday. I had no intention of hurting him, it's just that... well... I'm not used to being filled with compliments, the only ones who have given me affection in my life have been my mother and father", "Oh, darling. You didn't have an easy life, did you?", "Unfortunately not. My mother passed away a few years ago and now my father is still mad at me. He was my only point of reference and without him I would be lost. I don't trust anyone, not after what I've been through. When my mother died, my father was always close to me". Celia, as she talked about her past, tried to hold back her tears. Scarlett noticed and hugged her tightly. "I'm very sorry", she told her softly, "Anyway, you will always be welcome here among us. It is true that you are now at our service, but don't worry. You won't have to do anything too strenuous. Maybe later we could also teach you to fight with the sword like we do, if you want", "Thanks, Scarlett. I would be very happy to learn", "That's fine. Now go back to Bethany, I'll finish here", "Okay, see you later". As Celia walked back to Bethany's room, she passed Charlie, and still not taking his eyes off her. She tried to ignore him, hoping that he would soon get bored.
As soon as she arrived, she found Glenn's parrot Jack on her shoulder. "He finds you nice", the latter told her, "Usually he doesn't fly on the shoulders of others in this way". Celia, smiling, stroked Jack's head. She liked Glenn very much and her feeling was mutual. She liked to take care of him when others went around looting, he had become like a little brother to her. "I promise never to make you mad, I don't want you to do to me what you did to Charlie", Glenn continued. Celia, becoming serious, replied: "Don't worry, I would never hurt you. I love you. I love you all, it will never happen again. I'll be much more attentive to my powers". Bethany replied: "We love you too, we are happy to have met you. After years among the pirates, it's nice to talk to someone different. You are very sweet and nice. Anyway, after last night, you proved to have character. I like it", "I thank you", "It's ok. Look, you are the greatest friend I've ever had so far. In fact, I can say you just became my best friend", "Thank you, Bethany. I'm very pleased. You too are a wonderful friend to me. I feel I can trust you", "I trust you too. You are okay". They chatted for a long time. Then, when Glenn returned to his room with Jack, Bethany continued: "What I'm about to tell you I've never told anyone", "Don't worry, I won't open my mouth", "Good. I wanted to tell you that my father is actually my great-great grandfather", "Your... what?!", "Exactly, mine and Charlie's. Only Glenn is the son of him and Scarlett. She adopted me and Charlie when we were little and then we came to this world to meet him personally", "But ... but how is it possible?", "On Neverland it is as if time never went on and therefore my father... that is, my great-great grandfather never got old", "Oh, almost as if for me and my father when we got stuck on the Other Side", "More or less. Anyway, me, Charlie and Scarlett one day decided to go and meet the famous Captain Hook. When we met him, he was a broken man. He had just lost everything after the umpteenth battle against Peter Pan and was about to give up when we came to help him", "Oh... But is this Peter Pan so terrible?", "Of course! It is a bit long to tell, maybe I'll tell you next time what he did when my father was still a boy, soon I have to help Charlie to control the ship and the crew", "Okay, in the meantime I'll fix your room", "Go ahead and take your time, don't get too tired", "Okay. Later I too have something to tell you", "I can't wait. See you later, friend", "Bye". As soon as she was left alone, Celia, cleaning the room, thought back to Bethany's story. She still could not believe it, but above all she didn't expect so much trust in her going to tell her this incredible story. 'Maybe it wasn't a big mistake to practice that spell', she thought, 'I hope my father can find positive sides in this new world too'. She continued to clean, hoping she could finally make too peace with her father.
Meanwhile, Facilier and James had made a deal. "I hope that everything will be fine at the end of this month", the latter said worriedly. "It will be fine", Facilier replied, "In fact, it MUST be fine. You do as I told you and we will be able to get away with it", "I warn you that if only one member of my family loses his skin...", "It will not happen! Now let's think about reaching the end of the month, I will help you as usual to bring the souls to Tata Zulie and when we are there we will be ready". That said, they exited the cabin and James had the crew gathered to prepare for the next boarding.
The end of the month came. James sailed to Black Island to pay off his monthly debt. When they were almost there, he said to Facilier: "Haven't you told your daughter what awaits her yet?", He, sighing, replied: "No, otherwise she would have been agitated", "I could never sacrifice one of my children, they are my treasure". Facilier, grinning, said: "Not even if it were used to permanently eliminate Peter Pan?". James, after this sentence, overturned the table screaming and put Facilier against the wall, pointing his sword at his throat. "Don't you ever dare say such a thing again!" He threatened him, gritting his teeth. Facilier laughed: "I was joking!", "Don't joke about my family!", "Okay, don't get angry, captain! Now lower that weapon, we'll be there soon and I have to call my daughter!". James sheathed his sword and called Charlie to tell him to take Celia to his cabin. Once she arrived, he sat her down. "Celia", Facilier told her, "Now you have to do another thing for me". Not understanding, she replied: "What, father?", "Don't worry". He pulled a strange powder from his jacket pocket and blew it in her face, knocking her unconscious. James carried Celia onto his right shoulder, holding her legs with his hand. "Do you really want to go all the way?", he told to Facilier. "Yes", the latter replied, "I can't go back and we can't mess with Tata Zulie". As soon as they arrived at Black Island, James ordered his crew to stay on guard on the ship while he and Facilier went ashore. Bethany noticed James carrying Celia on his shoulder and she was unconscious. Startled, she started to go ask him about it, but Scarlett stopped her, telling her not to worry. "But what do they want to do to her?", Bethany said. "Don't worry", Scarlett replied, "You stick to the plan. We have to stay safe here to protect the ship, in case something goes wrong", "Mother, I don't want them to hurt her! I've never had a friend like her, I don't want to lose her!", "You won't lose her, trust me! Trust your father, he knows what he's doing!". Bethany nodded, even though she didn't like this thing at all.
A few minutes later, Celia woke up. She was tied to a chair. She looked around and recognized Tata Zulie's house. She tried to break free, but in vain. "Here you are, my dear", said a voice. Celia turned and saw the sorceress watching her with an evil grin. "Your father hasn't pulled back, he cares a lot about his skin", she continued. She, confused, turned away and saw her father in a corner of the room, looking at the floor. "Father!", Celia called him, "What does that mean? What is happening?". Tata Zulie turned to Facilier: "Oh, you haven't told her yet? Didn't you want to scare her too much?". The latter didn't answer, always keeping his gaze down. Celia was frightened, still trying to free herself. "What's going on?", she yelled, "What is it you didn't tell me? Father, please answer me!". Facilier, sighing, replied: "Forgive me, Celia. I had no other choice", "What are you saying? You didn't have a choice for what?", "Or you or me. I'm sorry, but I'm tired of going back and forth from the Other Side", "What?! NO! Father, I beg you! You can't do this to me! I'm sorry if I did that spell without your permission, but please, whatever you plan to do now, I beg you, don't do it!". Celia began to cry in despair. Tata Zulie laughed, moving closer to her. "I really needed a soul like yours", she said, stroking her hair, "Your love for your father is pure and sincere. On the Other Side they will be happy with this sacrifice, not like the other common souls that I have given to them in recent days". Celia didn't stop crying. She was scared and disappointed by it all. Her father was about to sacrifice her to that wicked witch and without batting an eye. Tata Zulie invoked the huge mask of the other time and prepared everything that was needed for the sacrifice. "You know", she said, turning to Facilier, "I expected you to try to find some way out, but I see that you did what I asked you without hesitation", "As you wanted, then you will have to leave me alone!", "I maybe, but Samdi doesn't think like me". Soon after, the sorcerer came out with a bag in his hand. He was identical to one of Facilier's two. "Hi, Kiros", he said to him with a grin, "Did you lose something?". Facilier, frightened, searched his pockets. Unfortunately, however, he found nothing. Samdi had managed to take his things away from him without being discovered. "Did you think we didn't notice?", he continued, "We weren't born yesterday, my boy! We knew you were planning something! Then you care about your daughter, after all! Let's see what we have here!". That said, he opened the bag and looked inside. Suddenly, Facilier's snakes jumped out of it and bit him in the face. Samdi screamed in pain, putting her hands to her face and trying to get the snakes off himself. Facilier laughed: "I knew you suspected something! What you are looking for, however, I have it here with me!". He showed a small talisman that he kept well hidden. "With this, you can't touch me! No spell or anything like that will touch me while I'm wearing it!". While Samdi was still moaning in pain, Tata Zulie interjected: "Maybe not the magic, but somebody else can do it!". She snapped her fingers and someone appeared behind her. He lolled around and gave off a terrible smell. "He is my undead servant", explained the sorceress, "He will be the one to harm you while I give your daughter's soul to the Other Side!". She then she turned to the living corpse and ordered him to kill him. He drew a huge sword and ran towards him. Facilier whistled and immediately James ran in, breaking down the door. He had stood outside waiting for the signal, and as soon as he entered he stood in front of Facilier brandishing his sword. Then, however, he dropped the weapon to the ground and was paralyzed. "Hey, what have you got?", Facilier said worriedly, "Recover you, come on! Our lives are at stake!". James, however, didn't move. He began to tremble. "No...", he groaned, "No, it can't be! I... I killed you many years ago!". The zombie stopped in front of James, eyeing him well. "James...", he whispered. "But well!", laughed Tata Zulie, "What a beautiful reunion, after all these years! You have a chance to take revenge too, Edward!". James backed away. "Great Scott!", he yelled, "Blackbeard! You, you filthy devil!". The latter grinned, showing a row of rotten teeth, with some insects on top. James tried hard not to throw up. "You've aged, James", Blackbeard said, "You've come a long way since we last met", "How can you be here? I killed you!", "This is what you thought! Have you ever wondered why I left the ship in port once a month to come and pick it up days later?". James began to remember. Once a month they landed in one of the many pirate hiding places and he left for a few days with another boat, accompanied by other pirates. "I've never told anyone about it", Blackbeard continued, "The fewer people knew the better. Years ago I made a deal with Tata Zulie, every month I gave her all the souls she wanted in exchange for immortality. Have you ever wondered why I never got old?", "Yes, and so? I thought you used the magic of Neverland!", "Ah, ah! Sure, sure! You are always the same naive! I went to that island just to get the fairy dust to move quickly my ship from one place to another. Every now and then I also tried to take some of those brats with me to have innocent souls to give. Or, as in your case, I was trying to enlist them in my crew. The more we were, the better. A new ship's boy was always useful to me", "But how the hell did you get back?", "Oh, yeah, right. After you killed me, the spell of immortality had not vanished. But there was a side effect: I continued to live, but in the form of an undead. I woke up at the bottom of the sea after hours. I could not drown or die in any other way, but my body, over time, continued to decompose slowly. I managed to get back here to Black Island by walking on the bottom of the sea. After a very long journey, Tata Zulie kept me here with her. I continued to serve her while she rebuilt my body. I lost everything because of you, James! But finally I can take revenge for your betrayal!". That said, Blackbeard ran towards James to stab him with his sword, but the latter, regaining his lucidity, recovered his weapon and parried his blows. "You know? I was almost fond of you!", Blackbeard continued," You were like a son for me! It was great to play the harpsichord together! We could have been a family, but it didn't suit you!". James gritted his teeth and tried to hit him with the sword. "Family?!", he yelled, "You ruined my life! Being with you was a constant struggle for my survival! There was not a day when I didn't look for a way to leave, and when we returned to the Neverland, I took the opportunity to kill you and escape with your ship, abandoning even your men! I killed you once and I can do it again!", "I can't die! You'll never get rid of me! But I grant you this duel! On guard!". While the two dueled relentlessly, Facilier tried to free his daughter, but Samdi and Tata Zulie were performing the ritual in front of the huge mask to sacrifice her. Facilier sent his shadow to stop them to try to buy time. He untied his daughter, but the two sorcerers had completed the ritual and the demon opened his mouth, ready to receive the soul. Facilier stepped in front of her daughter to protect her. But then something tore the talisman off him. It was a snake, bigger than his, and it crawled very fast towards Tata Zulie, handing her the talisman. "This is Shango, my most trusted friend," said the sorceress, "He always helps me at times like this. Now what are you going to do, Kiros? Who will protect you?". The shadows of Tata Zulie and Samdi attacked Facilier's, getting the better of him. The latter tried to push them away, but without success. He fell backwards, while the shadows strangled his, even trying to tear it to pieces. Facilier felt every part of his body tug. He groaned, waiting for the worst. Then, suddenly the shadows left him free, moving away. Something was pushing them back and it seemed very strong. "Leave my father alone!", Celia suddenly screamed. Facilier looked up and saw his daughter advancing towards the two sorcerers. Her shadow seemed to have gone mad and, aided by her father's shadow, they managed to put the shadows of Tata Zulie and Samdi to flight. Those, however, did not give up and called to them other shadow demons from the Other Side. Facilier also called his Friends, those with whom he had made other deals in recent days. It was a furious fight. Even Facilier's snakes fought Shango. Tata Zulie tried to take the Facilier-looking Voodoo doll to pierce his heart, but before she could, Celia's shadow snatched it from her hand, throwing it away. Then, Facilier took his stick and pointed it on the side of the stone towards the two sorcerers, as soon as they were close to the huge mask. "No, stop!", Samdi moaned. A dazzling purple light came out of the stone of the stick, blinding Tata Zulie and Samdi. "Stop it, don't use that magic!", the latter continued to complain, "The more you use it, the more I lose my strength!", "Oh, really? If I had known, I would have learned long time ago to use it this way! Too bad I have only just discovered all the potential of it!", "Please, stop! If you continue to use it, the effect of immortality on me and Tata Zulie will vanish! It's in that stone that all the power that stops time for us is contained!", "Interesting! I should have destroyed it years ago then! So I would never see you again!", "You'll never be able to go back to your home! Think about it, if you waste all that power like this, it will become a simple walking stick! Don't you want to leave this place?". Facilier froze. Only with his stick could he repeat the spell to go home. He thought, however, also of all the time that had passed and that it would probably have been impossible to try again to realize his dream, by going back. He pointed the stick again at the two sorcerers and unleashed all the power from it. Samdi and Tata Zulie screamed as their bodies weakened more and more. The power of the stick, however, was very powerful and Facilier struggled to hold it alone as he unleashed all that magic. Before letting go of it, Celia grabbed the stick to help her father. Facilier smiled, delighted with his daughter's support. Together they managed to push the two sorcerers towards the demon's mouth, which sucked them in as soon as they were close. As they disappeared, Facilier noticed their bodies turning to ashes. The huge mask called all the shadow demons to itself and disappeared into thin air. Subsequently, many souls emerged from the stick, enveloped in the purple light of the stone. As soon as they got out of there, they dissolved. One of them, before disappearing, approached Facilier. "Kiros..." she whispered. He, curious, looked at her well. "Who are you? How do you know me?", he asked. The soul came even closer, touched on him with her hand to give it a caress, but without being able to touch him, then continued: "I'm Aisha, your mother". Facilier widened his eyes, out of breath. He took a step back, incredulous at what he had just heard. "It's not possible!", he said, "Samdi sent you to the Other Side!", "He lied. He kept me in here for a long, long time, along with so many others. To stay alive, he looked for young souls to lock in the stone of his stick, and as long as we were all prisoners in there, he didn't age any longer. But now that you have unleashed all the power of the stone, we are finally free". Facilier listened with rapture. He knew nothing of all this, in none of Samdi's books had he found anything like it, but above all he didn't expect to see his mother. "Now I have to go", Aisha continued, "I'm happy to have seen you one last time. Farewell, Kiros. Thanks for setting me free. Now go, and take care of your daughter. Do what I couldn't do with you". That said, Aisha disappeared into thin air. Facilier fell to his knees, staring blankly. His daughter knelt beside him and hugged him. She too couldn't believe what had just happened. Too many things had happened and they were both dazed. Meanwhile, James had managed to defeat Blackbeard. With Tata Zulie and Samdi gone, their spells were also canceled, and Blackbeard ceased to live. James sighed, pleased with her victory, but also frightened by the return of his former captain. He went to Facilier, patted him on the shoulder and said: "Great Scott, my friend! This was a tough battle!". Facilier, however, said nothing. He was still upset at first. "I guess we can go back to the ship now to celebrate, I'll offer everyone a drink", James continued. Celia got up first and helped her father up. Facilier, after a while, reacted. "Yeah, that's right", he said, "Now it's over, I'd say we deserved a break". Before leaving, he looked around and told James to call his men to help him bring all the things that were there to the ship, because they would come in handy later on for him. James nodded and went to the Jolly Roger to call his crew. Celia, meanwhile, found the two snakes above Shango's body. They had managed to kill him, but were injured. She picked them up and kept them warm. As soon as they got back to the ship, she would have treated them right away.
Once they finished refueling the Jolly Roger, they left immediately, leaving Black Island behind forever. As soon as they were offshore, James proposed a toast with the whole crew, in honor of Facilier and his daughter. Thanks to them and their magic, they would be unbeatable. The pirates cheered, and all night they drank, sang and danced. James took Facilier aside for a moment and said: "Well, back to our deal...". Facilier interrupted him: "Yes, of course. I will help you defeat Peter Pan and in exchange you will become a privateer in my service as soon as I dominate one of the islands of the Neversea", "There is no shortage of places to dominate here", "This is true. It wasn't that bad to end up in this place", "Yeah, now that you're here, Peter has no way out!", "Sure, sure! Now, I'm sorry, I'm going to tell my daughter something", "Go ahead, I'll still have a drink". James got up and grabbed another mug of rum, then invited Scarlett to dance while some pirates played good music. Facilier sat down next to his daughter. "Celia", he told her, "You were terrific on Black Island before. You hit me". Surprised, she replied: "Really, father?", "Sure, darling. Look, I know you didn't have any bad intentions. You wanted to help me by practicing that spell and I am very pleased with this. I'm sorry for how I treated you. I didn't want make you feel bad, only that I was seriously worried at first after what had happened to us. As I had no intention of sacrificing you to those two. Never ever would I did it, you are my treasure. You made a mistake, it's true, but you wanted to give help me. And then, after all, where we are now we have more advantages. Together with these pirates, we will be able to find our own place to make our dream come true", "Our? Not yours?", "No, my dear. Whatever we do, we will do it together. And I'll teach you new Voodoo tricks if you want. Better you practice it". Celia, moved, hugged him tightly. "I love you, father", she told him. Facilier returned her hug, then gave her a kiss on the forehead and continued: "The stick is now unusable. Better this way, I don't want to take any more risks. Maybe one day I will give it to you, as a souvenir of our adventure. Here in this new world we will rebuild a life where we have not succeeded in the real world". They remained embraced for a long time, looking at the sea and the starry sky. Every now and then, Facilier sighed, thinking back to his mother's unexpected meeting on the island. He tried to hide a tear, but Celia noticed it and asked him if something was wrong. He smiled at her, telling her everything was fine and not to worry. "I'm going to have a drink", Facilier then said, "Tonight we have to celebrate, go and have fun you too". He smiled at her, then walked away. Celia was alone for a while, happily watching the pirates celebrating. She finally she had made peace with her father. He had never stopped loving her. Shortly thereafter, Charlie approached. "Hi, Celia", he told her smiling, "How are you?". She, becoming serious again, replied: "I'm fine, thanks", "Are you always so serious?", "Maybe because I'm still a bit shaken after what happened to me today?", "Oh, well, right. Sorry, you are right. Look, I know you don't want to, but I'd love it if we danced together. At least you get distracted". Before Celia answered him, Bethany arrived. "No, Charlie. She dances with me", she said, taking Celia by the hand," Come, dear! Let's go wild!". Celia, without saying anything, followed her. In order not to listen to Charlie, she danced for a long time with Bethany. They danced the quadrille and similar dances, just like the other pirates, and Celia was having a great time. Then, Bethany asked her father if she could show Celia his harpsichord. He gave her permission and Bethany took her to his cabin. She sat down in front of the instrument and began to play and sing, with Celia beside her listening happily. As soon as she finished, she said to her: "You are very good. I, in New Orleans, had just learned to play my father's piano". Bethany, smiling, replied: "If you want, someday, I'll teach you. My father taught me to play the harpsichord years ago", "I would be very happy, thank you", "Now, however, let's go to my room and be quiet. I need to talk". They got up and walked to Bethany's room. As soon as they were there, they sat on the bed and Bethany told her the rest of her family story. Celia listened raptly. "What an incredible story", she said, "Now it's my turn". She told Bethany the story of her life. As soon as she finished, the latter told her: "Damn, you didn't have an easy life either. Anyway, you were right in killing your stepfather. He definitely deserved it", "Yeah. If it hadn't been for my father, however, I would have died", "Even my father, if someone dared to touch me, would make him pay very dearly. Anyway, since you managed to make peace with yours? Everyone in the family quarrels, but in times of need you can see the true affection that comes out for each other", "You're right. My father is made his way, but he always shows he cares about me", "Just like mine", "Yeah. However, I'll never thank you enough. If you hadn't read that book on Voodoo, my father and I would still be on the Other Side", "Well, I'm happy to have helped you, then". They chatted for a long time. Then, Bethany patted Celia and, staring straight into her eyes, brought her face close to hers. Celia, at first pulled back. "What are you doing?", she said. Bethany, without stopping to stare at her, replied: "Celia, I have to confess one thing: talking to you makes me feel an emotion that I have never experienced with any other person, and I have met so many people. I've never met someone like you. You are beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, courageous... You are perfect. When I'm with you, I can't describe the emotion I feel. I don't know if it's the same for you, but this is how I feel about you. I don't want to force you, this is the last thing I would do. But now I want to kiss you. I feel that if I don't, I won't be able to sleep tonight. If you don't want to, I won't oblige you. But know that I now want to kiss you. Let me show you what I feel for you". Bethany walked gently to Celia, but she, still surprised, pulled back again. Bethany didn't insist any more, but continued to look at her sweetly. Unlike Charlie, she wasn't annoying and pushy. She liked her company, but she didn't expect Bethany to even fall in love with her. Seeing how kind she had been, she decided to indulge her. "Okay, but only one", she told her. Bethany, smiling, walked over slowly, closed her eyes and placed her lips on hers. Celia felt the softness of her mouth against hers and found it very pleasant. When Bethany step away, it was Celia who approached her.
She gave her a caress and kissed her. Bethany kissed her back, opening her mouth. Celia, after her initial rejection, let her do it. She loved Bethany very much, she had grown fond of her and in that moment she realized that she was feeling more than just friendship. They hugged and exchanged more kisses, after which they fell asleep hugging on the bed. The following days they would keep their relationship a secret, but soon they would tell their parents about their love, hoping they would accept it.
[to be continued]...