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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

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After they went to countless shops so the Hook boy could pick up the payment for Uma, Rylee and Harry ended up in front of Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye. The Fitzherbert girl's thoughts immediately went to Dizzy before she looked over at the smirking boy next to her. "Can we skip this one?"

Rylee always felt bad going with Harry to steal from Dizzy. The Tremaine girl was always so sweet to the two princesses and did a lot for them when we first got here. Rylee and Morgan always put on an act to convince the pirates that they disliked the sweet girl and Dizzy knew that. A lot of the time the Auradon natives would go back and apologize to the Tremaine girl. They would bring her anything they could find to make up for it and sometimes even helped her run the shop.

"No can do, Ryls. Uma said to hit every shop," Harry responded after he spun around to face her. Before she had a chance to respond, the Hook boy placed his arm around the Fitzherbert girl's shoulders and escorted her into the salon. Rylee stood by the door with her arms crossed over her chest while Harry walked over to Dizzy and blocked her path to the cash register.

"Fork it over, ya runt," the raven-haired boy ordered, making the Tremaine girl hesitate before reluctantly handing him her money. Harry tightly gripped the cash in his hand as he banged on the counter with his hook. "And the rest of it."

Dizzy just stared at him with an unamused look on her face before going behind the counter to open the register. While the young girl collected the rest of her earnings for the pirate, Rylee's eyes wandered across the room until they landed on the familiar purple-haired girl standing on the other side of the shop. The Fitzherbert girl's blood ran cold as she stared at the girl who hadn't seen her yet before her attention was drawn back to Harry when he started speaking.

"Thank you," the Hook boy told her then he turned around and walked toward the door. Harry soon paused his actions and sent Rylee a confused look when she didn't follow. However, before he had a chance to question her actions, a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Still running errands for Uma? Or do you actually get to keep what you steal?" Mal asked, causing the raven-haired boy to slowly turn back around to face the daughter of Maleficent.

"Well, well, well, what a nice surprise," Harry responded in a hushed tone as a smirk slowly appeared on his face.

"Hi, Harry," the Faery girl greeted in a bored tone before her attention finally fell on the blonde girl standing next to him, "Rylee?"

"Just wait until Uma hears you're back," the Hook boy said, drawing Mal's attention back to him as he slowly walked closer to her before stopping a foot away, "she's never gonna give you back your old territory."

The purple-haired girl just stared at the pirate for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face. "Oh. Well. That's okay. Because I will be taking it."

Rylee barely caught the small chuckle that escaped Harry before he reached forward to run his hook through Mal's hair. While he did this, the Faery girl quickly glanced over at her blonde friend. The two of them just started at each other until Mal's attention fell back on the pirate.

"I could hurt you," the son of Captain Hook threatened, only for the daughter of Maleficent to reach forward and grab his wrist. A smirk spread across the purple-haired girl's lips as she placed her gum on the tip of his hook.

"Not without her permission I bet," Mal mocked as they glared at each. It wasn't long after that when Harry placed the gum in his mouth and spun around to face Rylee.

"Let's go," he said before he pushed everything on the counter to the floor and walked out of the salon.

The Fitzherbert girl just stood there for a long moment before turning to follow Harry. Just as Rylee took one step toward the door, Mal called out to her, making the former stop in her tracks. The princess didn't have the heart to meet her friend's eyes, so she kept her back facing the purple-haired girl.

"You know, Ben's been worried sick about you and Morgan!" the daughter of Maleficent shouted at the same time Rylee let out a shaky breath to calm her emotions, "and here you are, working for Uma!"

"We're not working for Uma," the Fitzherbert girl stated after finally turning around to face the purple-haired girl.

"Seriously?" Mal scoffed as she gestured toward the door of the salon, "then why are you with Harry?"

At the sound of his name, Harry reentered the room with a large grin on his face. The Hook boy just stared at Mal for a moment before placing his arm around Rylee's shoulders and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Rylee and Morgan made their own choice to stay. They even have their own little gang."

"Is that true?" the Faery girl questioned after her attention fell back onto her blonde friend.

"Morgan and I didn't fit in back in Auradon. We never did," the Fitzherbert girl responded while doing her best to contain the conflicting emotions inside of her, "you of all people should understand that."

The two girls just stared at each other for a moment longer before Harry forced Rylee to turn around and walk out the door. Silence surrounded them as they walked back down the alley and toward Ursula's Fish and Chips. It wasn't long after that when the Hook boy forced the Fitzherbert girl to stop and face him. His eyes scanned over every inch of her unusually emotionless face before a small smile appeared on his. "Look, why don't you head back to your hangout? I'll be there after I meet with Uma."

Rylee just stared at him for a long moment before sending him a small nod. After they shared a quick kiss, they started heading in opposite directions. As soon as she entered their hideout, Rylee found Gabby, Skyler, and Holly sitting on the couches while Morgan paced back and forth in the small room. The Fitzherbert girl watched her best friend for a minute longer before looking over at the three sitting down. Before she had a chance to ask what was going on, all of them sent her small shrugs. It wasn't long after that when Rylee turned her attention back to Morgan.

Not even a second after that passed when the Macintosh girl's attention landed on her. The redhead instantly walked over to the blonde girl before she pulled her aside. Rylee's eyes slightly widened at the sight of the panic plastered onto Morgan's face. "Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Ben are here."

Rylee's eyes immediately widened in response before her emotions began to run rampant once again. "Did they see you?"

"No, I don't think so," Morgan responded as she thought back to watching Gil's interaction with the four of them, "I ducked behind some crates before they got close."

"Okay," the Fitzherbert girl sighed then finally remembered what she needed to tell the Macintosh girl, "look, don't freak, but Mal's here too."

"What?! Did she see you?!"

All Rylee could do was nod before Morgan started to panic even more. That continued for another moment before the Fitzherbert girl grabbed her friend's shoulders and made the Macintosh girl face her.

"You need to calm down," the blonde girl told her redheaded friend, causing Morgan to take a deep breath before Rylee continued speaking, "we're perfectly fine. We'll just stay here until they leave. Okay?"

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A few hours passed of the five girls lounging around their hideout and looking over everything that they stole that day. Rylee would be the first to admit that she was bored out of her mind, but she couldn't risk her friends from Auradon seeing her. She was the happiest she'd been in a very long time and she wasn't ready to give her new life up just yet. It wasn't long after they placed their new belongings in their treasure chest when the sound of footsteps cut through the air. All of them turned their attention toward the source of the sound to find Harry and Gil walking through the front door. Gabby, Holly, and Skyler's defenses immediately went up as they watched the two boys walk across the room before stopping in front of them.

"Hey, guys!" Gil greeted with a smile as he pulled Morgan in for a tight hug.

"What's going on, Harry?" Rylee asked after seeing the sinister smirk on the Hook boy's face. The only response she received was him placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. The Fitzherbert girl studied him for another moment before continuing to speak. "Why do you have that look that I've grown to hate?"

"Oh, it's nothing really," the raven-haired boy told her while the grin on his face grew even bigger, "we need your help. Well, you, Morgan, and your crew."

The uncertainty within Rylee did nothing but grow as she continued to study the son of Captain Hook. It wasn't long after that when she let out a small sigh. "And why is that?"

"Well, as you know, Skyler is stronger than most of Uma's crew members. Holly is the best with knots. And Gabby...Gabby is tiny...so she can help Holly."

"Okay," the Fitzherbert girl muttered under her breath as she looked over at her redheaded friend, only to find her staring back at her with a slightly concerned look on her face, "what does Uma need Morgan and me for?"

"Morgan will help Gil and the lion girl," Harry stated, earning a slightly annoyed look from Skyler before his full attention fell back on Rylee, "and you'll be with me."

A wave of irritation washed over the Fitzherbert girl as she stared up at the Hook boy. "Again, what do you need us to do?"

"You'll see," the raven-haired boy answered before turning Rylee around and escorting her out of the small building.

It wasn't long after they exited the hideout when the rest of them followed them. They walked through the alleys of the Isle in silence until they ended up somewhere neither Rylee nor Morgan had ever seen before. The Fitzherbert girl looked up at the Hook boy to continue to question him, only for her lips to stay sealed shut when she saw the mischief in his eyes.

"We need Skyler, Morgan, and Gil to grab the boy in blue when he walks down the alley," Harry explained when they came to a stop at the end of the alleyway before turning around to face everyone, "after they knock him out, Holly and Gabby will tie him up and then you'll take him to Uma's."

As soon as he saw them nod in response, the Hook boy turned his attention back to Rylee before gesturing down the alley. Despite wanting nothing more than to escape back to their hideout, the blonde girl followed the raven-haired boy to the other end of the alley and ducked behind some crates. The two of them stayed like this for a long moment before the sound of footsteps cut through the air.

"Who exactly are you kidnapping?" Rylee asked, only to receive a laugh from Harry in response as a boy in blue walked past them.

No matter how hard she tried, the Fitzherbert girl failed to get a clear look at the boy's face. She and the Hook boy stayed in their hiding place as they watched Morgan, Gil, and Skyler take care of the boy before Holly and Gabby tied him up. Rylee couldn't help but feel as if she knew their victim as she watched them take him in the direction of Uma's ship.

"Come on," Harry whispered before forcing Rylee to her feet and placing her directly behind him, "we need to make it look like we're one person."

The two of them began to walk to the other end of the alley. Despite her trying her best to see who they were heading towards, Rylee couldn't see around Harry. The Fitzherbert girl silently cursed her short height before continuing to follow him towards their destination.

"Ben!" a familiar voice called, making the blonde girl's blood run cold, "Ben don't scare us like that."

Before she had a chance to react, Harry pulled Rylee to his side and placed his arm around her shoulders. The two of them took a few more stops before they walked into the light. "Don't scare you? But that's my speciality."

Rylee did her best to keep her emotions in check as her eyes scanned over the shocked expressions of Evie, Jay, and Carlos. The Fitzherbert girl just stood there for a moment before trying to break free from Harry's grasp and escape her current situation. However, the only thing that happened was the Hook boy pulling her closer to him as his grip around her shoulders tightened.

"What did you do with Ben?" Jay demanded after his eyes left Rylee's and landed on the son of Captain Hook.

"Oh, uh, we nicked him, mm-hmm, yeah," the raven-haired boy responded with amusement in his voice as he gestured in the direction they just came, "and if you want to see him again, have Mal come to the chip shop tonight...alone. Uma wants a little visit."

Rylee's eyes fell on Carlos after Harry finished his speech, only to find the son of Cruella De Vil staring at her with no emotion in his eyes. The Fitzherbert girl tried her best to hide it but his expression scared her a little. Carlos was always the one to have a smile on his face.

"Ah, Jay," Harry mocked, causing Rylee to turn her attention toward the boy in question to find him glaring at the son of Captain Hook, "seems like you've lost your touch."

The son of Jafar instantly lunged toward the raven-haired boy, only for Evie to hold him back. While the blue-haired girl whispered something to the long-haired boy, Harry let out a sinister laugh. The son of Captain Hook then turned his attention toward Carlos and barked at him. The two boys just stared at each other for a moment longer before Harry forced Rylee to turn around and walk away from the trio. The two of them barely made it two steps down the alley when someone grabbed Rylee's wrist and pulled her back. Before she could fully register what was happening, the Fitzherbert girl was pushed up against a wall. A shaky breath passed over the blonde girl's lips as she slowly looked up to come face to face with Jay.

"What are you doing?!" the son of Jafar hissed while Rylee continued to stare at him with a blank look on her face, "you and Morgan were sent here to find more kids to bring over, not to join Uma's crew!"

No matter how much she wanted to, the Fitzherbert girl couldn't find the courage within her to respond. Rylee did her best to fight all the emotions boiling up inside her as she stared at one of her closest friends. Someone she started to consider family. That lasted for what felt like an eternity before Harry forced the blonde girl out of Jay's grasp and pushed him back toward Carlos.

"Don't you see, Jay? She's just being herself," the Hook boy said as he placed his arm around Rylee's shoulder once again. The Fitzherbert girl stared at Evie, Jay, and Carlos before Harry placed his lips on hers. Warmth would usually flow through her body when she shared a moment like that, but all she felt was cold at that moment. Once he pulled away from her, Rylee looked back at their shocked expressions, unable to form any words.

"Remember, Mal comes alone," the raven-haired boy told them with a smile before letting out a laugh and forcing Rylee to turn her back to them.

As they walked back to Ursula's Fish and Chips, the Fitzherbert girl couldn't fight all the thoughts running through her head. She couldn't believe that they just helped kidnap Ben and went against their closest friends. Is this who they really wanted to be?

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The first thing Rylee saw when they entered the chip shop was Skyler, Holly, and Gabby gathered around one of the tables. The Fitzherbert girl just watched them for a moment before her attention moved across the room where Morgan and Gil shared some food. Uma continued to serve the customers until her eyes landed on Rylee and Harry standing in the doorway. A smile instantly appeared on her face before she set the food down and called the princess and her pirates over.

"I need you and your crew to guard the King while Harry, Gil, and I talk to Mal," the Cecaelia girl told them after they took a seat at one of the empty tables.

Rylee and Morgan instantly shared a look before turning their attention back to the pirate princess with bored looks on their faces. Skyler, Holly, and Gabby just stared at them with confusion in their eyes before the Macintosh girl let out a small chuckle. "Last time we checked, we don't take orders from you."

"Then why did you help us kidnap your friend?" the daughter of Ursula questioned with a smirk on her face, only for it to falter when she realized her words didn't have an effect on either of the princesses.

"Because that's fun," Rylee lied while trying to avoid the unconvinced look on Harry's face, "but working for you, not so much."

"Been there..."

"Hated that," the Fitzherbert girl finished for Mogan while Harry and Gil exchanged a worried look. The three girls continued their glaring contest for a moment longer before she turned towards the two boys.

"Go watch the King," the daughter of Ursula ordered, causing Harry and Gil to exit the shop before Uma turned back to the two princesses, "I'll call you if we kidnap someone else."

"Or if there's a sword fight," Morgan said as a small smile appeared on Rylee's face, "it's been a while since we joined in one of those."

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