A/N: Many thanks to my wonderful beta, anywhoozles, without whose diligence and prodding, this chapter would not be up to Good Form. Thanks to InsertWordHere for suggesting I pick a quote from Barrie for the story title-I think I found the perfect one! :-) Hope you enjoy!
And Time is Never Planned
"So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!" ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan: Fairy Tales
Chapter 1: A Thousand Pieces
"When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan.
She had caught his eye shortly after he had entered the tavern with his crew—the dark-haired pretty maiden who worked there. She had a weary air about her, and appeared to be slightly older than the typical woman who worked at such establishments. When one of his men had accidentally bumped into her as she walked past carrying a large jug of beer, she had scowled at him with a fierce expression that had the pirate stepping back with a smirk and an, "Apologies!"
He found his attention drifting to her frequently, her dangling earrings brushing against the apple of her cheeks as she served ale and rum to inebriated customers, cleaned up soiled tables, and occasionally disappeared behind a door on some errand. Giving in to curiosity or whatever impulse that was making him fixate on her, Killian Jones sauntered up to the bar with his empty tankard and placed it on the counter with a thud. Her back was turned to him, busy at a chore behind the counter.
"Greetings!" he said. The maiden turned around with an indifferent expression, which immediately morphed into a look of mild interest upon seeing his face. Even though she was not dressed in fine clothes, the woman looked even lovelier up close. Her dark hair had a copper sheen to it, and the burnish was heightened by the metal hairclips she had worn to keep stray locks in place. Her eyelashes were curled to perfection.
"I tend to have that effect," Killian said with a smirk, pointing to his face. Clothed in fine leather and a red velvet vest, and with kohl that accentuated his sparkling blue eyes and dark hair, Killian Jones knew he cut quite the figure. "Most women find my devilishly handsome looks quite irresistible."
"You seem to have an excellent opinion of yourself, sir," she said. "For my part however, I tend not to find random strangers who visit the tavern 'irresistible'." Despite her words, a fine blush tinged her fair countenance, and he felt encouraged to continue.
"I have been remiss. Allow me to introduce myself: Captain Killian Jones of the Jolly Roger at your service!" he said with a flourish. Although it had been less than two years since Captain Jones had commandeered a ship of his kingdom's royal navy and taken to piracy, his ship and his crew had managed to acquire the reputation for reckless dare-devilry and matchless agility. There was a definite intrigued gleam in the maiden's eyes now, but she merely nodded. Captain Jones raised his eyebrows.
"Aren't you going to tell me your name, love? Isn't that only fair, considering you now know mine?"
"Do you ask the name of every tavern wench who serves you strong ale, Captain?" she asked smiling, emphasizing the title as though she did not believe him to be one.
"Not at all—only the most beautiful ones…"
"Beauty is fleeting. Something you are too young to comprehend, perhaps…" There was a slight edge of bitterness to her words which surprised him. His answer seemed to have displeased her, even though he did not understand why, and wanted to learn more about her.
"Come now, darling! You don't seem old enough to be spouting such words any more than myself. Besides, aren't such matters better discussed sitting down? Would you join me over a pint of ale?"
"If you haven't noticed, Captain, I have customers to serve, and very little time to discuss idle philosophy with ha… pirates."
She looked a little flustered, and had caught herself in time, it appeared. What had she been about to say, Killian wondered.
"Time is what we make of it, lass, and that is particularly true of a pirate. I for one would consider it entirely wasted if this conversation is to be our last."
She rolled her eyes at his quip, and smiled reluctantly. "Do such words usually have women swooning at your feet, sir?"
"Does this mean you will have a drink with me?" countered the captain in a hopeful tone.
"I said no such thing," she said laughing and shaking her head, dislodging some strands of her coppery hair from their pins. Holding her gaze, Killian slowly reached over the counter to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. They stood staring at each other for a long moment.
Killian finally opened his mouth to say something and break the silence, when a portly middle-aged man ambled up from behind a doorway. Catching sight of the pair, he immediately said, "Milah! I'm not paying you to gossip with the customers. Get on with your work!" Killian immediately shot her a look of triumph at having found her name out. A hint of a smile and a tinge of red colored her cheeks as she silently refilled his empty tankard with ale, and handed it to him. As the captain took the tankard from the maiden, their fingers brushed lightly. He felt a spark jolt through his fingers where they had briefly touched hers. He looked up to see her gazing back at him with startled eyes, and knew that she had felt it too.
"So, Milah," he said leaning forward and whispering in her ear, "Finish your work, and come join me at my table. If you do not care to discuss philosophy, perhaps we could find other more… interesting matters to converse on."
She turned away with a smile she could not hide, and Captain Killian Jones walked back to his table with a feeling of delighted anticipation in his bones. He felt as excited as on the day he had led the Lord Chancellor's beautiful young daughter Rosie up to the dance-floor as a freshly minted lieutenant of the King's Navy.
Captain Killian Jones was on his way back to the shores of Neverland, where the Jolly Roger was anchored. Still sporting his characteristic black leather outfit and inevitable good looks, the captain had nevertheless undergone quite a bit of transformation from his early days of piracy. For one, he had a sharp metal hook in the place of his left hand. There were other less visible scars that marred his soul.
On this particular evening, he had been to visit Tinker Bell, a petite ex-fairy who lived in a Tree-house within the dark woods of the Island. Tink had arrived on the island fairly recently, and the pirate had taken to visiting her often, finding her company a welcome distraction after too much time spent cooped up with his crew on the ship. As he heard the distant blast of the ship's horn announcing sunset, he quickened his pace—he had dallied longer than usual.
Not that time meant much in this realm. Time stood still in Neverland. While one day inevitably led to another, those who dwelt there never aged. 200 and odd years were marked in the Ship's Log, but a haze about the mind kept people from full awareness of the state of stasis, and going mad in consequence. As he approached the edge of the woods where he could catch glimpses of the sandy stretches of the beach through gaps between the trees, Hook heard an overly bright adolescent voice hailing him.
"Captain Hook!"
The pirate stopped in his tracks and turned around to find Pan leaning against a tree with a condescending grin on his lips. Tall and lean in appearance—the ring-leader of the Lost Boys, and the undisputed power of Neverland—Pan hid his unstable personality behind a beguiling smirk. Pan had referred to Killian Jones as "Captain Hook" ever since the former had returned to Neverland. Over time, its use had spread among the Lost Boys, and taken root to the point where several members of his crew now called him by that moniker. The captain disliked Pan almost as much as he despised the Crocodile.
"What does a pirate need to do to get some privacy around here?" he muttered with irritation.
"Come, come, Captain! Is that how you greet an old pal?" asked Pan, and quirked an eyebrow up. Hook could see that Pan was enjoying himself. In all the time he had spent in Neverland, Killian had come face-to-face with Pan only on rare occasions, and none of those had portended any good.
"Is there anything in particular you wanted to talk to me about? I need to get back at my ship," said Hook.
"Why? Did you dally too long in your new girl friend's twee house? Afraid your men will commandeer your ship and fly away?" Pan taunted in babyish voice that increased the irritation Hook was feeling, despite knowing that the boy hoped to get a rise out of him.
"What do you want?" asked Hook, pulling out a small hip-flask from his coat and taking a swig of rum. Pointing the flagon at Pan, he said, "You are probably not old enough to drink this yet, or I would offer it to you."
Pan glanced at the flask briefly with a half-mocking look, and said, "I didn't come here to discuss your drinking habits. I heard you were looking for a passage off Neverland, and that's what I'm here to talk about."
"What makes you think I am looking for a way off the Island?" Hook asked with feigned casualness.
"For one thing, adults seem to get bored in Neverland; probably their utter lack of imagination has something to do with it. Besides, I was told you were looking to get off the Island. I am quite well-informed on your activities!"
"I know you like to appear all-knowing Pan, but it's not difficult to guess where you got this information: from Tinker Bell. My crew knows better than to talk to you." Hook knew that Tinker Bell was on friendly terms with Pan, and that Pan trusted her. God knew why.
"Yeah, especially as they are normally too busy running away from my gang of boys with their tails between their legs," taunted Pan with a sneer.
Ever since Hook and his crew had arrived on the isolated realm, they had kept to the ship for the most part, with only the occasional shore-visit to hunt game meat, collect fresh fruits, or replenish the ship's fresh water supply. The crew had always been particularly loath to step foot on the Island, considering they never knew what they might encounter: the heart-rending cries of children freshly brought by the Shadow, or seasoned Lost Boys bent on treating their hunting expeditions as an opportunity to engage them in "games." Both were equally disconcerting. The hunters inevitably became the hunted on the latter occasions, and the sailor who managed to snag a wild boar unscathed was granted special respite from duties for a week.
However, Hook was not one to let old grudges stand in the way, if it meant he would finally be able to get back to the Enchanted Forest. Therefore, he asked, "And what if I do want to leave this Island—are you offering to help?"
"Actually, I am offering you a deal. Care to listen?"
"The last time I listened to you, Liam died. Why would I make a deal with you now?"
"If memory serves me right, your brother died precisely because you refused to listen to me. You were unwilling to pay the price the Island demanded." On that occasion, Pan had conveniently disappeared before explaining what the price had been, proving fatal to Liam. The loss of his brother, with the knowledge of their King's betrayal, had pushed Killian into rebellion, and had led him to choose a life of piracy and defiance, over loyalty to a dishonorable sovereign.
"Was it the Island, or was it you, I wonder," said Hook. He had come a long way from being the young lieutenant desperate to pay any price to save his brother's life, but too naïve to understand the power-play and mind-games of corrupt kings and Dark magical beings.
"You wound me, Captain," said Pan, touching his hand to his heart with mock-sorrow.
Hook gave him a hard, speculative look, and said, "You are trying my patience, Pan. Get on with what you were saying."
"I want you to work for me. There are some tasks I need done outside Neverland, and you suit my purposes admirably. If you do, I will give you and your crew safe passage back to your realm."
"If I work for you, you will provide me and my crew passage back to the Enchanted Forest?" repeated Hook slowly, making sure he had heard right.
"See how smart you can be when you are concentrating! That's why I'm choosing you for this job. So, do you agree to my deal?"
"Not so fast! These days, I make it a point not to agree to a deal before fully knowing what it entails. What is it exactly that you want me to do?"
"The first thing I want you to do is go to a certain sea-realm, and retrieve an enchanted Seeing Stone for me."
"What Realm? And what do you need this Seeing Stone for?" asked Hook, raising an eyebrow, and taking another draught of rum.
"I'll tell you all about it if you agree to do the job."
"Why not go yourself, or send one of your lads?"
"Why would I go when I can get someone else to do the job for me? My lads are not particularly sure-footed around enchantments and magical creatures, and whatever your faults, Captain, at least you are resourceful, and adept at taking things that don't belong to you."
Hook's lips curled into a sneer. "That I am. So, in essence, you want me to risk my neck to get you a trinket?"
Pan merely grinned.
"Bloody marvelous!" said Hook, rolling his eyes. "Once I acquire this object for you, will that be all?"
"Not quite. After you get back, I might have another job for you. That depends on the success of your mission. Once you have completed both tasks successfully, I will let you go."
"Hypothetically speaking, what makes you so sure I'll bother coming back to this god-forsaken Island? I could just stay behind in this wonderful sea-realm you are sending me to."
"Stay behind, and give up on your revenge?" asked Pan, raising one eye-brow high on his forehead.
Hook gave a start, but remained silent.
A seagull wailed somewhere.
"Yes, I know all about it, Hook! You crave vengeance almost as desperately as you cling to your ship. After all, that's all you have left of the only two people who ever loved you."
"Bugger off…" said Hook, starting to lose his temper again. "Maybe I'll just find myself a portal to the Enchanted Forest from this sea-realm, and I'll never have to see your sorry face again."
"You'd better calm yourself, and listen to me, if you ever want to leave Neverland. If you try to escape to the Enchanted Forest, I'll personally make sure you don't get your revenge. And, as an added inducement to keep you from playing hooky on me when you're off doing jobs, I'd like to remind you that certain people you care about will be at my mercy while you're gone."
"And you think I'd care about what happens to my crew once I leave?" After such a frustratingly long and futile time spent in Neverland, Hook wasn't even sure anymore that he would care enough about the fate of his men if he had the chance to leave the Island for good. Leaving the Jolly Roger behind was another thing, however.
"I rather think you do care, despite your protestations, Captain. However, I wasn't thinking about them." Pan gave him a sly look, and said, "I was thinking of a certain Lost Boy you left under my care a while ago."
"What have you done with Baelfire?" demanded Hook, with sudden alertness, moving closer to Pan.
"The question you should be asking is what I will do to him if you stay away. Remember Dreamshade, and what happened to your brother…"
Hook had cut him off before Pan could finish the sentence, and he had the boy pinned against the trunk of the nearest tree, with his arm pressing down his wind pipe, and the sharp end of his hook at his throat.
"You manipulative son of a demon-spawn!" said Hook, shaking with rage. Pan simply vanished from Hook's grip, and reappeared behind him.
"Merely a warning, captain," said Pan. Hook turned around to face Pan again, as the boy continued, "If you don't come back, Baelfire dies, and that will be one more death to add to the burden of your conscience." His voice had shifted from its mocking tone to a more serious, angry one.
Hook made an effort to control himself. He could not afford to antagonize Pan, and lose what could be only chance to leave Neverland for good.
"That's better! You want something from me, you learn to play by my rules," said Pan. "So, are you willing to take my deal or not? I won't be repeating the offer!"
"Alright," Hook ground out, "—I'll take your deal, but you better make good on your end of the bargain, do you understand?"
"Don't worry; I'll keep my word, as long as you keep yours. Meet me back here tomorrow, and be ready to leave. I'll give you more details about your journey." Hook merely nodded in reply.
Pan grinned suddenly, his anger seemingly gone, and waved his hand over Hook's flask. It briefly glowed white.
"If you wanted to poison me, you could have at least waited until my back was turned," said Hook, scoffing.
"Just doing you a favor!" said Pan, indicating the flask. "You won't have to worry about running out of your favorite beverage while you are traveling." Hook raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.
"I'll see you tomorrow," said Pan.
Captain Hook walked off to the sound of Pan's farewell shout, and the cries of seagulls. He had not felt this hopeful in a long time. At long last, there was a chance that he would be able leave this cursed Island for good, and return to the Enchanted Forest. He would skin his Crocodile, and finally avenge Milah's death…