Pirate Ships and Pixie Dust

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. I just come up with crackpot ideas about shows I love and write them.

Chapter Two

Neverland

Princess Emma had been on board Hooks ship with her very distraught governess a whole two days without him telling her anything about anything. The only thing he had done for them had been to give the ladies a change of clothes. Emma didn't mind the pirate's garb she was being forced to wear but poor Margie thought it was indecent.

"It's wretched," said Margie, "a lady shouldn't wear pants."

"My Mother wears pants," said Emma pointedly, "and I do sometimes."

Margie sniffed. "It's still wretched. Besides, why hasn't he contacted your family yet to demand gold and jewels? He should have by now and we should be on our way home. It's all very strange."

Emma frowned. "I suppose you're right. I'll talk to him."

"How? He's forbidden us from going anywhere. He sends that Smee person to tell us things."

Emma grinned. "Are you forgetting who my Mother and Father are? If there's anyone who can get Hook to explain what's going on its me."

Margie groaned. "Oh no, I don't particularly like the sound of that. Whatever are you thinking child?"

"You'll see."

Emma went to the door of the Captain's cabin that they'd been staying in and walked through it. For whatever reason Hook didn't seem to feel that they needed to be locked in. The only reason they hadn't gone outside had been because Margie had been too afraid.

Out on deck she took a deep breath of fresh air. It felt good to be outside after having been cooped up for so long. "Ah, there's a sea lass if I ever saw one." Emma froze at the all too familiar voice. "You'd make a good pirate."

She whirled around to glare at Hook. "I'm a Princess."

He leaned in and said with a grin, "Yes but you'd still make a good Pirate. I can see it in your eyes. You've got a thirst for adventure, for the unknown."

"I would never be a pirate because I would never want to be like you," she snapped.

He laughed. "And what am I like lass?"

"You're a cold, calculating, cruel monster."

His face darkened. "I am plenty of things but I assure you I am no monster. If I were one I would have slit the throat of you and that annoying nanny of yours on day one then sent it back to your parents as a gift."

Emma huffed. "She's not my nanny and the fact that you would even think that proves that you're a monster. What exactly are you doing with us?"

"I told you-"

"I know what you told us but I don't believe you for a second. If you were going to try to get money from my parents you would have already done it. As it is we are nowhere near my kingdom. We're in the middle of the ocean. Tell me what your motives are, Pirate."

He grinned wickedly. "I could tell you, my Charming Princess, but I'm afraid I would have to kill you."

"Do you mean to murder us?"

"If I did you would have been gone already. The nanny would have been first. Gods, I've never heard a woman cry so much. Does she ever stop?"

"She would if she hadn't been taken from everything she knows and loves by a loathsome pirate. Why don't you just give us back? There's no point in keeping us here."

"I'm keeping you here, my Charming Princess, because I am a Pirate who travels the seven seas. Sometimes one gets lonely and desires companionship of the female variety. Who better than a little Princess to keep my cabin warm?"

Her stomach churned a little and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You're a liar. If you were going to do something like that you would have already. As it is you have avoided your cabin since we've been on board."

"Then perhaps I shall come tonight. Would you like that?" He leered at her making her squirm.

"If you do I'll use your sword on you."

Hook laughed. "I should like to see that. Princesses don't use swords."

"You've clearly never met my Mother."

"I can't say I've had that pleasure. Is she as fetching as her daughter?"

"You're repulsive."

"I do believe you're the first woman that's ever said that to me. Bravo. Although give it some time sweet heart. I'll change your mind."

"Not if I have anything to say about it! I demand that you let us go at once. You can have no use for us. You shall be paid handsomely for my return."

"It's not money I'm after, Love. It's well-"he paused and waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her making Emma blush beat red.

"Repulsive."

"So you've said. Now is there anything else or will you be leaving me so that I might get some work done? I do have a ship to run."

"Won't you at least tell me where we're going?"

"Why should I?"

"Because…because…because it'll make Margie stop crying."

Hook ran his hand over his chin as he seemed to debate over answering. "Neverland."

Emma laughed. "You're absurd."

"I most certainly am not. That's where were headed. We have to wait for a certain time of day though in order to cross over into it."

"Neverland can't be real. It's a fairy story told to orphans."

"Can't it? I grew up there."

"You can't grow up in Neverland."

"You can if you travel between realms enough. I've enjoyed several nice long stays in this realm. Now I'm going home again."

"Why?"

"That isn't any of your concern."

She raised an eyebrow. "Does it have anything to do with a crocodile?"

Hook clenched his jaw. "Ah. So you've heard of that tale. That's an awfully inappropriate story for you lass who told it to you?"

"One of the men on my Mothers ship did. He knew someone that used to work for you."

"You shouldn't always believe stories. Sometimes the truth gets confused with fiction."

"Then you're not after a crocodile?"

"Sweetheart, if I were after a crocodile it would make things much simpler. As it is I'm after something far, far, worse."

Emma shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"Why?"

"Because I don't believe there's anything worse than you."

Hook chuckled. He didn't try to tell her that she was wrong though. Instead, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a compass. The needle seemed to be trying to spin but kept on pointing back at Emma. He frowned at it. "Bloody things not working, Oy, Mr. Smee!"

The timid man that Emma remembered from the attack on her ship days before came running up to them. "Y-y-yes Captain?"

"Hold my compass for me will you?"

Smee nodded and took it with trembling hands. Hook looked over his man's shoulder. "Hmmm just as I suspected, we're right on target. Man your posts men! Hoist the couloirs!"

The ship's crew went to work hurriedly at the sound of their Captains commands. Emma was aware that he never seemed to shout yet somehow everyone heard him anyway. He turned to her. "You might want to hold onto something love."

He had started walking away from her but she followed still determined to get some answers from him. "Why?"

They made it to the ships wheel. Hook took hold of it and started steering. There was a loud roar then. Suddenly, Emma felt water spraying up and hitting her in the face. The ship gave a large lurch as it was turned to the side making her crash into him.

He grinned mischievously down at her and held onto her waist tightly. "That's why!" he shouted over the roar of the ocean. Emma let out a scream as the ship went down, down into the swirling hole that had opened up in the sea.

Emma thought that she was going to die of cold. Her entire body seemed to have frozen over and she couldn't move. Hook too felt more than chilled next to her. She pressed up against him trying to feel the warmth of his shirt but to no avail. The place that they were in had no light. It was completely dark. Almost as dark as she remembered Hooks eyes being the first time she had seen them.

"Where are we?" Emma asked.

"The in-between place," Hook explained, "it has no proper name. It is merely a gateway between one world and the next."

"Does that mean we're dead?"

"Not at all," he answered, "one can travel between worlds without dying."

"I thought you travelled to Neverland by following the second star to the right then going straight on until morning."

"That's exactly what we're doing lass. We're in the star."

"But shouldn't the star be warm?"

"One would think given what stars are made out of but no. They're damn cold things. You might want to close your eyes in a second."

"Why?"

As if in answer a blinding white light came from nowhere making Emma put her hands up so she could shield herself from it. "That's why," said Hook once the light was gone.

When Emma removed her hands she found that they were no longer in the dark. Instead, the sun was shining right above them and there was a rainbow overhead.

"And straight on until morning," said Hook, surprising her with the twinkle that had appeared in his eyes.

Emma ran to the side of the ship to get a closer look. Whatever fear she had felt earlier had been replaced with curiosity. As she looked over the ships edge she let out a yelp of surprise. "We're flying!"

Hook chuckled. "Well what did you think we were doing lass?"

"I don't know but certainly not flying."

"Is this truly Neverland?"

"Where else would it be?"

She stared down below at the land spread out before her. At that particular moment the ship was floating over a tropical harbor. The water was a bright, clear blue and she could see dolphins. "It's beautiful."

"It's something," said Hook, "and now lass I'm afraid this is the part where I've got to keep you locked up in the cabin."

"I-but-why? I haven't done anything wrong."

"It's for your own good. I can't have you wandering off in an unknown land. I might never find you again then where would we be?"

"Who said I was going to go anywhere?"

"I've heard things about you lass. I know of your penchant for sneaking off. I shan't have it. You're my captive. Whoever heard of a pirate losing his captive after all? It would ruin my pirate reputation if you were to get lost. Come along now. Back to my cabin."

"You can't be serious!"

"Deadly," he replied, grinning as he grabbed hold of her hand and started to drag her back to his quarters. Emma protested by kicking and punching but to no avail. His grip was too strong so it wasn't long before she found herself tossed back in his room.

Margie was there, looking as though she had been pacing the floor while Emma was gone. "Gods Princess!" Margie exclaimed. "What happened? I thought the ship had sunk! There was that awful storm then notihng."

Emma stared at her governess trying to figure out how best to break it to her that they were in a completely different world from their own. "Well," she said, "I have good news and I have bad news."

"Tell me then."

She sighed. "Well, the good news is that I don't believe he intends to kill us. The bad news is that he's taken us to Neverland."

"Neverwhat?"

"Neverland. You know, where lost children are supposed to go."

"Oh don't be ridiculous. It's a fairy story. It doesn't exist." Emma remained quiet while Margie stared suspiciously at her. "You are being ridiculous aren't you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry."

"Oh Gods," Margie exclaimed, her eyes rolling back into her head as she fainted.

A/N: Oh my gosh you guys! The response to this story has been absolutely amazing. 50 story alerts, 15 reviews, and 17 favorites. I really wasn't expecting anyone to like it. It was such a weird idea to begin with. But the reviews and the follows have just been awesome. I was having trouble coming up with an idea for chapter two but everyone liking it so much was really encouraging. So that made the chapter just come. Thanks everyone.

Love n' Stars,

Cambria

P.S. I should hopefully get the third chapter up sometime next week. Finals are coming up so I really need to be in study mode and that might make things difficult but I'll try.