XF → Harry Hook [2]✔

Sail Away

Evie couldn't deny that it was an impressive ship. What was even more impressive was how XJ and Harry had managed to steal it without anyone realizing – not even the head of the Auradonian Royal Navy – and their incredible renovations to the hull's design.

It was a small boat, just large enough for two. It bobbed up and down by the coast, where Evie and her friends had ridden enchanted motorcycles to the Isle only months before. The white and royal blue sails had been repainted black and gold, while the jolly roger billowed proudly in the wind up above, the skull grinning slyly. It flipped round, and Evie saw that the other side bore a golden dragon, with bright scales and glinting eyes.

"Surprised at my artistic talent?"

XJ walked out from the captain's quarters, smirking. The soles of her boots fell heavily against the strong wood beneath her feet as she walked down the plank.

Evie smiled. "Not really, knowing your stubbornness and belief that you can do absolutely anything."

"Painting it took a while, but I wanted to get it right." XJ nodded at the flags. "Harry painted the rest of the ship," she tapped the ship's black hull. "He didn't have the patience for detail that the flag's demanded."

"I imagine not," Evie looked around. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Getting the last bag of supplies. It's a pain now that I can't just magic all our equipment on board."

"Do you miss it?"

XJ nodded. "Every day. But it'll get easier as days go by."

"Harry makes it easier, I bet."

A sharp grin. "Of course, he does."

Evie hesitated. XJ noticed, and chuckled.

"The rumors are true – he was going to propose."

Evie gave her an exasperated look. "I'm not even surprised that you managed to guess what I was thinking."

"I'd be sorely disappointed if you were. You're wondering why he didn't."

The daughter of the Evil Queen bit her lip. "It's just...he was thinking about it, and there was no way you would have refused, so why not do it?"

XJ exhaled heavily, though not in an overly patronizing way. "All Auradonians seem to think that without marriage, life is incomplete - "

"I'm not Auradonian." Evie interjected. XJ gave her a skeptical look.

"Yes, you are. You were born on the Isle, but you've become Auradonian from your time in the kingdom. The same will happen to most of the Isle kids that you've opened the bridge to, and that's not a bad thing, I suppose, in some aspects. At any rate, you all believe that marriage is the natural second stage that a successful couple must undergo. It's not."

"If the two of you are going to be together for the rest of your lives anyway..."

"Then there's no point in getting married, because we know that we are." XJ finished. "Marriage simply changes our labels from 'boyfriend' to 'husband' and 'girlfriend' to 'wife'. We don't care about the names – we know who we are to each other. So, we might as well just not bother with the whole thing."

Evie sighed. "I...you know what, I can't argue with that."

"Because I'm right," XJ said bluntly. "Besides, if the two of us ever change our minds, there's nothing stopping us from doing it. We don't have royal obligations weighing us down, like Mal and Ben do. Speaking of, she's probably over the moon that we're leaving, isn't she?"

"You can't blame her, XJ..."

"I don't," XJ reassured Evie. "She has every right after I orchestrated the fall of her kingdom right under her nose, regardless of whether or not that was the goal or a byproduct."

"She blames Audrey too, so it's not just you."

"As she should. Is Audrey repenting, or is she still bitter?"

Evie thought for a moment. "A little bit of both. She's ashamed of what she's done, but I think deep down, she believes she had good reason to."

"She does – Mal stole her life from her."

A pained look flashed across Evie's face. "Please don't start this all over again."

"I won't; I'll sound like a broken record otherwise."

Comfortable silence fell between the two. The pleasant midsummer breeze made the tree leaves dance, and the ship swayed, tethered to the coast by a wooden pole and a knotted rope.

"Where will you go?" Evie asked. "Do you have any places in mind?"

"Not particularly. We're going to just drift about and see where we end up. I've spent enough of my life plotting and planning as it is."

"It's about time you relaxed." Evie nodded approvingly. "Will you come back?"

"I don't think so. There's nothing for us here – the Isle was never our home, and neither is Auradon."

"Everyone has a home, XJ."

"Aye," Harry's voice came from between the trees. He emerged, messy black hair in his eyes and a cheeky grin on his face. "She's mine and I'm hers."

"Aw," Evie cooed. "You guys are so cute!"

"Quit being cheesy, Hook," XJ sniffed teasingly. "Have you got everything?"

Harry nodded, throwing two cloth bags that looked ready to burst over the ship's railing and onto the deck. "That's the last of our food."

"How long is that going to last?" Evie asked, concerned. "If the two of you aren't sailing with a goal in mind..."

"We've got soil plots."

"What?"

"Soil plots on board, so we can plant our own food," XJ explained. "I practiced for a while in the garden of our cottage – it's not awfully hard."

Evie let out a breath, amazed and impressed. XJ was still XJ: smart, prepared and capable. Evie couldn't believe she'd ever think her to be less. "XJ – the XJ – farming?"

"It's a useful skill," XJ argued. "Dull, but useful."

"I suppose." Evie chuckled. Then she gave XJ and Harry a sad smile. "Are you not going to say goodbye to anyone?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't think we'll be missed, truth be told. It's alright; we don't mind."

Evie exhaled. "Okay then. I guess...I'll see you when I see you."

XJ smiled. "Vice versa. Goodbye, Evie."

"Goodbye, XJ, Harry."

The couple walked up the plank onto their ship. Harry nicked the rope keeping them tied to the coast with his hook, and it snapped. The sails immediately blew outward, the ship already floating in time with the waves, slowly distancing itself from Auradon's coastline.

Evie waved at XJ, who held up a hand in response. The afternoon sun shone brightly onto the ocean, causing the water to shimmer like diamonds. Silver surrounded the ship as if it were sailing through jewels, and the wispy clouds overhead blew past, moving across a bright blue canvas.

Between the sea and sky, XJ and Harry Hook – two kids that the world had thrown away, who had found each other and had created love in a life that had been previously deprived of it – sailed away from all that was familiar, towards new and unknown waters.

END

Well, that was certainly a journey. Thank you for everyone who's stuck with XJ, and I'm sorry to say that this will be the last installment of her story for the foreseeable future. It feels right though, having explored her backstory a little bit more to wrap up the end. The first book was more of an introduction, and I suppose this one was more focused development and tying up any loose ends, although it was shorter than the first. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for your incredible support – I love you all.