STORYBROOKE – Now
"Peter Andrew Woolf!" Wendy stepped between the little boy and his intended target to glare at him. "What have I said about making up scary stories?"
The dark-headed boy hung his head and scuffed the toe of his sneaker on the library carpet. "To not tell stories 'cause nobody's going to believe me when I tell the truth."
Wendy wanted to sigh, but she couldn't let Andrew see her exasperation; she walked a fine line between disciplining the boy and breaking his spirit. "That's right. Now tell Gloria that there are no such things as ghosts in this world and apologize for making her cry." She listened to the rote apology that tumbled quickly from the boy's mouth, knowing he'd be right back to his old tricks as soon as her back was turned.
"Why don't you pick out a book for your report?" Wendy suggested, aiming the boy at the table where Belle had organized a lovely display of possible choices for the kids. She loved teaching, really she did, but some days the children were more difficult than others, and this was one of those days. One or two misbehaviors she could handle, but they all seemed to be stirring each other up, seeing which one could outdo the other.
"They are quite a handful today, aren't they?" Belle spoke from beside her. Alina, the new student teacher, was rounding the kids up in the story cave for this week's chapter. Belle had made part of the library into a hideaway; painted boxes, decorated pillows, some old carpet squares – it didn't take much to fire up the children's imagination. They loved to pile inside and listen to a wonderful tale.
"They miss being outside for recess. With last week's early snow, they've been cooped up inside too long. Kids need to expend energy." Cold weather had settled early into Storybrooke this year, and something about the grey skies and leftover shoveled drifts of dirty snow made Wendy uneasy. She probably was like the kids, missing the sun and being outdoors.
"I can understand that." Belle sighed. Sometimes Wendy forgot about the long time Belle had spent locked up by Regina; the woman was so full of smiles and good will that it was easy to think nothing bad had ever happened to her. "But there are good things to do indoors as well. Like watching those moving pictures. Such amazing stories in pictures. I just watched one about pirates."
"Pirates?" Wendy hoped it wasn't one of the many versions of Peter Pan out there. She so disliked the way they always portrayed Peter and Hook.
"Oh, yes. It was about a young man, a blacksmith, who was in love with the Governor's daughter, but turns out he was the son of a pirate. And there's this very funny pirate and they steal a ship to save her. It's all very romantic. And very scary. There are monsters in it." Belle's eyes glowed when she talked about things she loved; Wendy sometimes envied Belle's ability to remain positive no matter what life handed her.
"I've seen that one. I like the part where the pirate asks him if he'd die for the girl and when he says, yes, the pirate says, oh good." The fact that the pirates were the heroes of the story made the movie one of Wendy's favorites. Although, she preferred her own pirate to be a little less drunk and quite a bit sexier.
"Speaking of pirates," Belle segued into the topic she really wanted to talk about. "Your Captain Hook is causing quite a stir in town."
"He's not my captain," Wendy said automatically. It was true; Killian belonged to no one but Killian. She just borrowed him on occasions. "But I did see him in the Marina Store the other day."
"Regina hired him to oversee the Marina. And his ship is anchored in the port. It's all quite mysterious how he got here and why he's here. I'm glad Emma and Snow are back, but don't you think it odd that he arrived at the same time? Him being a pirate and all, doesn't that worry you, what he might be planning?"
"Honestly, Belle, I have no idea what he's up to or what's he doing. I gave up understanding Hook a long time ago. When I was a girl, I thought he was the scariest man I'd ever met. Now? I imagine there are reasons for everything he does." Wendy shook her head. "Just as I imagine Regina and Mr. Gold have theirs."
At Gold's name, Belle brightened; Wendy was certainly the last one to talk about loving a villain – and she had no illusions that Killian would do what he thought he had to in order to reach his goal – but Belle's love for Mr. Gold wasn't easy to understand. Her presence seemed to be making a real difference in Gold's behavior, but Wendy couldn't get past the things he'd done.
"You're right," Belle said. "Maybe what Captain Hook needs is some love in his life. Love is the greatest magic after all."
Belle believed what she said, there was no doubt, and at 12-years-old, Wendy would have wholeheartedly agreed that the love she felt for her parents, her brothers, Peter, and Nana was indeed a magical thing. But grown up Wendy had learned how easily love could fly away, turn its back on her, and disappear. Mature love, the kind she saw with Snow and Charming that took work and luck and sweat.
"Ms. Davies?" one of the children called, a ginger-haired little girl in purple overalls. "I don't feel well." With a cough, the girl proceeded to throw up on the floor, much to the delight and disgust of the other kids.
It really was one of those days.
FAIRYTALE WORLD – Then
Wendy as sure she was going to be sick. The breakneck pace they'd set pushed the horses to their limits and left her feeling nauseous and aching. She'd ridden before, but side saddle at the local stables where the horses had lovely temperaments and trotted sedately around a ring. Riding pinion behind Van, rump of the horse bumping a steady rhythm that set her teeth on edge, was nothing like a sedate Sunday afternoon ride. But she wasn't going to complain; she'd invited herself along on this adventure, and she was damn well not going to mess it up by whining about aching thighs. That was all well and good, but when they halted, finally, Van declaring they were far enough off the beaten path to avoid the Queen's guards, Wendy embarrassed herself by sinking to the ground as soon as Van slid her off the horse.
"Oh, are you alright?" Snow White came to her side, dropping onto her knees. "Not much of a horsewoman?"
"I've ridden before just not at that speed for that length of time." She didn't want to admit her weakness, but Snow was so compassionate that Wendy immediately felt better.
"Of course not. I forget people aren't used to life on the run." She laughed. "I have some liniment in my pack that's just the thing. We'll find you a stream to wash up and then you'll feel much better."
"Here, I'll take you," Red offered her hand to Wendy, who stood up with the women's help. "I could use a splash of water anyway."
"Don't wander off." Van practically barked at them. "We're not safe enough to go traipsing about taking baths and things. There are dangerous monsters out there."
All three of them leveled angry looks back at the man.
"Trust me," Red said. "I can handle myself in the woods. Come on, Wendy, let's go." Wendy suddenly had a new found appreciation for her companions; neither one had blinked in the face of the hunter's orders, and her intuition told Wendy they were formidable foes in their own rights. A quick glance back, and she saw a scowl replace Van's incredulous look as he watched the two women walk into the darkness – and his eyes were following a certain dark-haired, red hooded beauty.
STORYBROOKE – Now
"Tough day at school?" Ruby asked as she sat the brownie sundae down on the counter. It was Wendy's favorite treat, but she rarely let herself indulge.
"You could say. Two fights, all sorts of bad attitude, and one sick child." Wendy took a spoonful of the still warm brownie and let it slide down her throat. Yes. That made her feel better.
"Oh. That's terrible." Ruby brought her soda around and sat on the stool next to Wendy. 2:45 in the afternoon was a quiet time at the dinner. "But as long as you're here …" Ruby wiggled her eyebrows, a sign that she was about to grill Wendy over the whole Killian situation. She knew it had been coming; Ruby had hinted for the last few days that they needed to talk and Wendy had been halfway avoiding it.
"Alright. I know you're dying to." She took another big scoop, brownie and ice cream, to get ready.
"You didn't tell me he was young and sexy. For some reason, I imagined him older, big mustache, all smarmy and gross." Ruby was watching her intently; the woman was far too perceptive and those wolf senses didn't help matters either.
"You've been watching the Disney movie again. I just didn't think his age was important. And you're the one who started talking about sex the minute he walked in the door." Going on the offense. That was a good strategy. Maybe.
"Uh-huh. I didn't spend weeks on his ship, alone with him, sailing from Neverland." Ruby teased. "Blue eyes, that scruffy beard. Ummmm. Could be just my type. If it's okay with you, I might just have to ask him out."
Hell, no, inner pirate Wendy said, wanting to slam her fist on the countertop.
"Sure. Why not? But do remember, he's a pirate and can't be trusted. Made me walk the plank once. And threw me overboard another time." Wendy was surprised she managed to keep her voice even, but the big mouthful of chocolate probably helped mask her reaction.
"Uh-huh." Ruby wasn't buying it, obviously. Lifting up over the counter, she got a second spoon and grabbed a bite for herself. "And you're attacking that poor defenseless brownie for no reason."
"Hey, this one is mine," Wendy good-naturedly joked.
"I made it big enough for both of us." Ruby smiled. They'd shared a food that was a lot worse; Wendy shoved the dish over between them. "Now listen. I'm not usually this blunt …"
"Cough, cough, yeah, right," Wendy interrupted, earning her a stare from those vivid green eyes.
"You gave me some really good advice once," Ruby said. "You may regret chances not taken more than the heartache they cause." Wendy certainly remembered that conversation, the closest she'd come to confiding in her friend. "It was him, wasn't it? Now that I've met him, I can certainly see why."
"Ruby, I …"
The door opened and he walked in. How he managed to do that was a mystery to her, to always turn up where she was, for seemingly unrelated reasons. Today, he wore a dark pea coat over a grey sweater, looking every inch the sailor he was. His eyes immediately settled on the two women, and he strolled over to them.
"Afternoon, ladies." He rested his elbow next to Wendy and leaned against the counter. "That looks like quite an indulgence there." Without asking permission, he swirled his finger through the whipped cream and popped it in his mouth. "Oh, now, that is lovely." He took Wendy's spoon from her hand, scooping up a bit of ice cream and brownie.
"Excuse me," Wendy protested as Killian tasted, turning the spoon over as he pulled it out. Anything she was going to say next died on her lips as he licked the last of the chocolate syrup off the corner of his mouth before he took another bite. Suddenly, all she could manage to do was think of stopping on the way home for a gallon of ice cream.
"Would you like a sundae of your own, Captain?" Ruby asked. She shrugged at Wendy's accusing look. "What? I'm a waitress. It's my job."
"Someone else's food is always sweeter, you know." He winked at Ruby, but when his gaze fell on Wendy, his eyes darkened. "You, um, have some chocolate right here." She felt his thumb along the bottom of her lip, grazing out to the corner and then up her cheek, leaving a tingling trail.
"Still a pirate," she said before she could stop herself. He was pushing it, right here in front of Ruby. "Stealing is always the answer."
"Ah, you wound me, love. I'm a new man. Haven't stolen anything since I got here … unless, of course, kisses count." That damn cocky smile was aimed at both of them at full wattage; Wendy heard Ruby sigh in response. He was good, she'd give him that; determined not to fall prey to his charm, Wendy took the from his hands and slid a bite of ice cream between her lips, making sure to lick the spoon. Let him have a taste of his own medicine.
"Well, be careful. Stealing around here will get you handcuffed, thrown in jail, or worse." Glancing quickly, she saw the memory flicker in his eyes. She could play this game too, baiting him. When he reached for the spoon, he made sure to brush his fingers across the back of her hand.
"Jail, not so much, but handcuffs? That sounds …. interesting." Heat pooled between her legs as he leaned closer to take the last bite; she imagined she could feel his breath on her cheek as he paused, spoon halfway to his mouth, then offered it to her, eyes locked on hers. "I didn't say how lovely you look today in that sweater and skirt; I particularly like those boots."
Ruby coughed and the connection broke; Wendy was embarrassed that she had forgotten her friend was even there, so caught up in their foreplay – and she knew exactly where this was leading.
"So, I hear you're working at the Marina," Wendy tried changing the subject to break the sensual spell between them.
"And that's why I was looking for you," He went along with ease, putting some space between them. "Regina thinks the Jolly Roger should earn it keep. She wants to make something called a tourist attraction out of it, bring school kids out to see a working pirate ship."
Wendy was incredulous. "Tourists in Storybrooke? With all the strangeness?"
"Seems the town could use the money." He shrugged, but she still couldn't believe he would agree to the arrangement.
"Granny certainly wouldn't mind tourists in the diner." Ruby picked up the empty dish and took it behind the counter. "And the kids would love it. You do a whole section on pirates in class, don't you?"
"Kids running all over your beloved ship? You'd hate it." Wendy shook her head.
"I admit it's not my ideal," he said. "But Regina can be quite persuasive. And I like my heart just where it is, so I thought I'd see if you wouldn't mind helping me keep it there. I was hoping we could use your students to do a dry run, let Regina see how it goes."
Had he just asked for her help keeping his heart safe? The man was incorrigible. "I imagine we could do something next week. We're just finishing up with first book of The Brotherband Trilogy, so they'd love to see the ship. Are you sure? They're a handful. The lost boys have nothing on my class on a bad day."
He smiled at her, but it didn't completely reach his eyes, so she could see his reluctance. "Madame Mayor wishes it. Perhaps we should meet and discuss what your students would like. I'd like to hear your ideas."
The door opened and a group of dwarves came in, taking a booth; Ruby went to take their drink orders.
"Tonight?" He murmured. His eyes promised and her body responded.
"I'll pick up some dinner." And some whipped crème, she thought to herself as Ruby came back to the counter.
"Ladies. I look forward to seeing you again. And sharing another sundae with you." He tipped his head and took his leave, passing a group of teenagers coming after school.
"Don't start." Wendy hissed at Ruby when she started to speak; she left her money on the counter and pushed off the stool. "Not here. We'll talk later."
"And just where is his heart, Wendy Darling?" Ruby asked under her breath as Wendy left the diner. "I already know where yours is."