SUMMARY: Harry doesn't know how to lift Uma's spirits

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Descendants.

RATING: T

PAIRING: Harry/Uma

BEATEN NOT BROKEN:

Harry kept his eyes on Uma as she sat on the beach, tossing shells into the crashing waves. She had been despondent for days after being brought back to the Isle but the King's guards. He didn't know what to do, and it was killing him. They were the only two on the beach, no need for them to keep of the pretense of Captain and First Mate. Harry went to her, taking a seat on the sand. "You wanna talk to me?" he asked, his accent thick with concern.

Uma pursed her lips as her hand closed around the shell in her hand. The edges bit in her palm, and she was sure she'd drawn blood. "I… failed…" she choked out. Angrily, she tossed the blood soaked shell to the sand in front of her feet. Then she looked at her palm, and sure enough, there was blood. Harry saw it too. He took her hand, wrapping one of his scarves around the wound to staunch the blood. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hated it.

"Look at me, Uma," Harry said, touching her chin, and turning her face so she would look at him. "You didn't fail. They heard you…" He had been hearing reports from his Wharf Rat's that several kids were being offered a place in Auradon. Kids who had a real chance of escaping this life, of having a future. For their crew, he and Uma had to be heartless, hard, and larger than life. When they were alone, they were just scared kids trying to get away from demeaning, abusive parents. The privileged preps in Auradon had no idea what it truly meant to live in fear.

Uma rested her head against Harry's shoulder, her injured hand resting palm up on his thigh. His arm wrapped around her back, holding her closer to his side. She wasn't going to cry. She refused to let the tears fall, but she wasn't in control. The tears fell, leaving streaks down her cheeks. "But… we're still stuck here," Uma lamented. "If I had done what I set out to do, then you and I would be out on the ocean, sailing away from this Isle, and never coming back."

Harry knew what he had to do. He gathered her close, rising to his feet. The shock of the movement had Uma throwing her arms around his shoulders. She even buried her face against the crook of his neck. Harry knew she didn't want anyone to see her cry. Even when she'd been little, hurt over the cruelty Mal visited upon her; she never let anyone see her cry. Not even him. And he was closer to her than any living soul on the Isle. Harry carried Uma out into the surf, wading in until the water was waist high on him.

Uma tightened her hold on Harry, grateful for what he was doing. When she was overly emotional, the cool ocean water always helped to soothe her. She pulled her head back, looking at his beautiful face. Uma knew he was trying to help her, to make her feel better. She feared it wouldn't work this time. They were still trapped on the Isle. After the cotillion, guards had found her, captured her, and returned her to this cursed rock. The only reason she hadn't lost her mind; Harry had been waiting for her.

Harry waded out further, so they could be sway back and forth with the incoming tide. He shifted her to get her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did so without complaint, and without a smile. He could see she was falling deeper into despair. This time Harry buried his face in the crook her of her neck, nuzzling lightly. He would hold her until she told him to let her go.

Uma threaded her fingers into Harry's hair, holding tightly to him. Instinct had her closing her eyes, and holding her breath when the wave crashed into them. She couldn't shake this depression, and it was hurting him to see her like this. They had been a source of strength and motivation for each other. It was different this time. She could have kept on fighting Mal until one of them won, but now, she wasn't so sure that it would have been her. If she had lost, she would have come back to Harry an even bigger failure than she already was. She kept coming back to that. She failed.

Harry angled his head, placing his lips to Uma's pulse, feeling the beat of it against his sensitive flesh. She tasted of the sea they longed to escape to. "Uma, you are not a failure," he said, sensing where her thoughts had taken her. Harry noticed a wave coming towards them. He moved with it, so the swell crashed into his back.

"But we're still trapped behind this barrier. How does that not make me a failure?" Uma asked, sighing heavily.

"They could have imprisoned you for real," Harry pointed out. "The minute the guards caught you, they didn't have to bring you back here. You're lucky you didn't end up in a deep, dark dungeon." Harry would have lost his mind had she been taken away from him. He would have tried to tear down the barrier with his bare hands just to get her back.

"Or they could have killed me," Uma breathed out. She was the child of a villain. To those in Auradon, she wasn't even considered a human.

"Then I would have gone to war to avenge you," Harry stated. The minute he said that, he saw a fire spark in her eyes. It seemed to break her out of her melancholy. Uma kissed him just as a wave crashed into them.

Uma broke the kiss, "Let's go home."

Harry nodded, carrying her out of the water, and towards the beach house they called home.

THAT NIGHT:

Harry stood on the porch of the little run down, beach bungalow he and Uma lived in. When she wasn't working at her mom's restaurant, she wanted to be as far from the wharf town as possible. They actually had rebuilt this hide away together from deck planking belonging to a derelict ship crashed on the rocks near the docks. The bungalow wasn't big, just two rooms. In one there was a big bed. In the other a couch and a TV that barely worked, but it was home to them. They needed to be close to the ocean, to hear the waves as they fell asleep. And being the children of villain's, they learned how to do things for themselves.

Uma shifted under the sheets, rolling over to find Harry gone. Opening her eyes, she saw him on the back porch; the sliding glass door was open letting in the cool night air. Harry was in a simple pair of baggy black sleep pants, and no shirt. She was wearing the matching shirt. It was a bit big on her, and that made it comfortable to sleep in. She got up and went to him, slipping her arms around his waist. "Thank you…"

"I hate to see you hurting," Harry replied. He turned, draping his right arm across her shoulders. He took one of her braids between his fingers, rubbing it back and forth.

"You're the only one who can make it better," Uma reminded him. Harry had been her rock since they were kids. It was them against the VK's when they were little. Now, it was them against the world.

"Because I know you better than anyone," Harry replied as he smirked. Lovingly, he kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, you do," Uma nodded, a smile finally coming to her face.

Harry tensed when he looked up the dark beach. A fire had been started, and a man plopped down, tipping a bottle back. Without getting closer, he knew it was his father, Captain Hook. Shame filled him at the sight. Fear wasn't far behind that.

Uma sensed the shift in Harry, and like he was, she looked up the beach leading away from their haven. She knew the shadow of the legendary Captain when she saw it, even as weathered as it was. "Is he drinking again?" Uma asked silently.

Harry scoffed, "Again? That would imply he ever stopped." When Captain Hook had been banished here, with all the other villain's, he disappeared into a bottle. Harry had learned at a very young age to fend for himself. Uma's mother at least attempted to take care of her. Harry's father never bothered. Gil was the only one of their little trio that didn't have a terrible home life. It boggled the mind some times. Gaston took care of his son, and made sure he survived any way he could.

Uma pushed away from him, "You told me he stopped." It never occurred to her that Harry would lie to her about something like that. Not when they told each other everything.

"I had to," Harry said, deflated. "You were planning your revenge against Mal. You needed me, needed my head in the game."

"Harry, your father drinking, that effects both of us." Uma pointed at him down the beach. This was the closest Hook had come to them in months. The last time the infamous Captain had caused a scene, Ursula had put a stop to it. Not for them. Hook had been irritating her.

Harry cupped Uma's face, his thumbs rubbing back and forth. There was nothing he could say to her, because she was right. Hook was deadly when his wits were intact. Inebriated, he was unpredictably violent. And Harry was always his first victim. When his father was around, Harry was that scared five year hold, covering his hears, trying to tune out his father's drunken rages.

Uma turned her face, kissing the palm of his right hand. "Ok, let's go back inside, keep the lights off, and hope he ignores us." Taking his hands from her face, she pulled him back into the bedroom, and closed the sliding glass door. Before going back to the bed, Uma retrieved her sword from the living room. Unlike Harry, she didn't have a lifetime of fear built. She would defend him if Hook tried anything.

Harry put himself as far from the porch door as he could. He brought the sheets up and over him, waiting for Uma. Finally, she appeared sword in hand, and crawled into the bed with him. She placed her back to his chest, letting him spoon up against her while she watched, and waited. "You're the best," Harry said, kissing the back of her shoulder.

"What's my name?" Uma asked with a smirk.

"Uma…" Harry chuckled. He snuggled closer to her, and then closed his eyes.

Uma held her arm out across the bed, her hand gripping the hilt of her cutlass. Harry had watched out for her many times during the night. This time she could protect him from one of his monsters while he slept.

THE END