Hello, It's Mrs. Hyde

✧ Ch.27: Below Deck - Tensions Rise ✧

The soft creak of the ship rocked gently beneath their feet, the sun streaming through the narrow windows cut into the cabin's wood-paneled walls. Jessica leaned back against the plush armrest of the couch, legs curled beneath her, nursing the last of her coffee from Granny's in a Styrofoam cup now half-warm and sweetened with cream. Belle sat nearby, a faint smile on her lips as she gestured animatedly toward the nearby bookshelf, tucked into the back of Killian's surprisingly tidy captain's quarters.
"You know," Belle said, brushing her hair from her shoulder, "when we're finally off this enchanted mess of a ship, you have to come visit the library in town. It's massive—three floors, ancient tomes, magical scrolls. It's practically a sanctuary."
Jessica tilted her head with a grin. "You own it, right? That would explain why it sounds like your idea of paradise."
Belle chuckled softly. "It is. And you're welcome any time. I'll even give you the key to the secret reading nook."
Jessica leaned back with a playful sigh. "Now you're speaking my language."
Their laughter warmed the air—faint, healing. After the days Jessica had just survived, a moment like this felt like a luxury she hadn't earned. But she let herself enjoy it anyway. It was nice. Safe.
A knock echoed from the stairs, three raps against the wood. "Permission to come aboard?" Killian's voice called down.
Jessica glanced up as the trapdoor swung open. "If you've got more coffee or whiskey, absolutely," she called out.
"Better," Killian replied, appearing with a dramatic flourish and a greasy brown paper bag in hand. "Lunch, and I was thoughtful enough to bring rum for the lady of mystery and tea for our bookish queen."
Belle lit up. "You're a lifesaver, Killian."
Killian handed over the bag, setting drinks on the table as he smirked. "I try. Besides, I got your message, Belle. Seashell relay—still weird, by the way. Sorry I didn't come sooner"
Jessica blinked. "Wait—you came because Belle told you?"
Killian nodded, uncorking the bottle of rum and pouring a healthy splash into two mismatched cups. "Aye. Belle told me you were coming to drop off her prenatal vitamins, so I figured you might still be here, stuck in Dark One's domestic prison. Thought I'd at least bring a proper meal."
Jessica let out a dry laugh, sipping the rum with a grateful nod. "Thank you. Turns out I'm just as stuck here as Belle is. Crossed the ship's threshold and now I can't leave."
Killian paused mid-sip. "Wait—seriously? Rumple's spell caught you too?"
Jessica shrugged, brushing hair out of her face. "Apparently it wasn't set to just trap Belle. Pretty sure this whole thing is meant for Hyde, not me, but here I am. Unintended collateral."
Killian shook his head. "Does he know?"
Jessica glanced toward her phone, then back at Killian. "Yeah. I called him earlier. Told him the situation. He said he'd deal with Rumple and settle a new deal. He didn't sound thrilled."
Belle smirked over her tea. "When Hyde isn't thrilled, do buildings collapse or does the ground just shudder a little?"
Jessica chuckled, relaxing again. "Neither. He just gets very still. That's when you know the storm's coming."
They shared a laugh, the warmth of food and friends momentarily restoring the calm.
And then the air shifted.
Jessica's spine went rigid. A dark presence entered the room like a sudden temperature drop. Her cup slipped from her fingers, hitting the table with a sharp clink as she stood up instinctively.
"Ah. There you are," came a voice from the top of the stairs.
Dr. Jekyll.
Belle saw Jessica's shoulders lock, the way she staggered backward and hit the bookshelf with a sharp gasp.
Killian stood immediately, eyes narrowing. "Jekyll? What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the lab?"
Belle took a cautious step forward. "Did you finish the serum?"
Jekyll didn't answer immediately. His eyes were locked on Jessica. There was venom in his stare. When he finally spoke, his voice trembled with rage.
"I did," he snapped. "Not that I had much of a choice. Your monster of a partner beat me half to death—left me bleeding in my own lab. Said he'd come back and finish the job if I didn't complete the serum."
Jessica's hands curled into fists. "Sounds like he gave you a taste of your own medicine. Finally got what you deserve."
Jekyll stepped closer, snarling. "This is all your fault!"
Killian placed himself firmly between them. "Back off. Now."
Jessica glared at Jekyll over Killian's shoulder. "You're right. I'm the one who told him the truth. And I'd do it again."
Belle stepped in, trying to de-escalate. "Jekyll, where's the serum now?"
Jekyll's lips twisted bitterly. "Gone. After I finished it, the Dark One showed up. Took it. Said he'd made a deal with the Evil Queen."
Jessica let out a breath through her nose, turning to Killian. "You need to go. You and Emma—you need to find that serum and make sure it gets to Hyde. Not Rumple. Not the Queen. Hyde."
Jekyll laughed darkly. "You're unbelievable. You'd let him drink that serum? You think he'll stop at one life?"
Jessica's voice rose, fire behind her eyes. "Yes. Because I know what's inside him. Unlike you, he doesn't enjoy destroying people without warrant to. He just looks like a monster. You actually are one."
Killian raised both hands. "Alright. Enough. Both of you."
Jessica turned to him urgently. "Killian, please. You need to find it before they use it for their own gain. If the Queen gets to it first—"
Killian's jaw clenched. He looked at Jekyll, then at the women. "I don't want to leave you two alone with him."
Belle put a reassuring hand on his arm. "We'll be fine. Together."
He gave her a skeptical glance. "Forgive me, love, but a pregnant woman and a witch whose powers don't work on this guy? Not exactly terrifying."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "We'll be fine. But you have to go. This is bigger than our comfort zone. If the Queen gets her hands on that serum, she won't hesitate to kill everyone who's ever stood in her way. Including you and Emma."
Killian studied her for a long moment. He could see the urgency in her eyes, the determination behind the worry. Finally, he nodded.
He turned to Jekyll with a dark look. "If you so much as look at either of them the wrong way, I'll make you wish Hyde got to you first."
And with that, he was gone.
Silence fell.
Jessica and Jekyll locked eyes, neither one blinking. Belle looked nervously between them before offering a bright, brittle smile.
"Tea?" she asked, voice a pitch too high.
Jessica didn't answer. She kept her eyes on the man who had haunted her for years.
But her power wasn't in magic now—it was in truth, and the people finally listening to it.