Chapter Two: Family

It had been two weeks since Mai had decided to go with Hook out to sea and see the world. She wasn't exactly a good pirate… But even knowing that none of the men approved of their Captain having a woman aboard his ship, she had continued to stay. She would read to Hook in his chambers every night from a silly book she didn't believe. When she brought up the fact that the book was a fairy tale, he would just smile and she would continue reading. He treated the stories as if they were old war tales told by a young man. The book was entitled, "Neverland," and once, she had asked the only other person that treated her well on the ship, about the book.

"Neverland, huh…? So he's still after that damned place is he…"

She gave him an odd look, "But it's just a book… This can't possibly be real."

The man turned and looked at her with a grave expression, "Oh, it's real all right, little girl. You just have to know where to find it. And if it just so happens that you do find it… You run. You run as fast as you can off that island. Because that… Boy, man, whatever you want to call him, will trick and deceive you and you will never get out of that place alive. But the Captain seems determined to get on that island. Even though sometimes the boys and I… We think the Captains' mind isn't on straight. But still, we follow like we have in the past when he seemed a bit out of mind. Neverland though… We all have our doubts about his mind more than ever. Yet, we still follow, as a crew should."

If anything, she was even more confused more than ever. She has been out of her house, the one place she had never even left before, and left with a man she didn't know, for what? He was probably crazy for all she knew. He believed in fairy tales. Even worse, he was going to drag his crew down with him. All for loyalty and honor.

But to believe in such fairy tales… She recalled a time when, she too, believed in such things. Yet it was the beginning of another time. Her first and oldest memory of her mothers' coldness.

"... And then Snow White and her beloved Prince Charming lived happily ever after."

Her mother closed the large book of stories and sat it down beside her rocking chair where she would watch the children until they fell asleep. Her rocker suddenly stopped moving, "... Mai? What are you doing out of bed?" She didn't turn around as Mai slowly stood up from behind the almost closed door, "I… I just wanted to listen, Mother… I'm sorry, but you've never read to me any of these stories before and-"

"I don't care. It's past your bedtime, Mai. Now go back to bed and don't come out until morning."

With tears beginning to form in her eyes, Mai closed the door to her siblings' room and walked back to hers at the end of the hall with her head hung low. It was then when her father had walked up the stairs with concern hitting his face as Mai walked past him.

"Why are you up this late dear? You should be-"

"In my room asleep, not coming out until morning. I'm going right now."

A large hand was placed on her shoulder and she was turned around, "Well, I'm sure you can come out if your mother doesn't know."

She looked up with blurry, watery eyes to see her now smiling father looking down at her. "Father… Why did you marry Mother?" She was then met with a surprised look from her father, "Now, why would you ask somethin' like that? Come on now, down to the kitchen. Has your Mother fixed you anything tonight?"

She looked down and rubbed her arm, "She, um… She saw me eating before everyone else was awake and she said that I couldn't have anything else…"

A large sigh came from her father as he glanced in the cupboards, looking for something edible. "Why does Mother love Violet and Sage more than me?"

Her father immediately froze in his place and after a while he spoke, "Now, Mai. Why would you think something like that?" He turned around to face his daughter, "When she looks at them… It's like she has the look of an angel in her eyes. But then, when she looks at me…"

Her father closed the cupboards and sat down beside Mai, "Your mother… Is a very complex woman… Even when we decided to get married, she didn't like the idea of it very much. It can sometimes take her years to get to truly know someone… But don't worry. She loves the three of you with all her heart."

That was long ago, when her siblings believed such things. But to think a grown man, more than that, the Captain of the Jolly Roger, believed in childrens stories. This now, is what she recalled as "stranger danger," as her mother would say to Sage and Violet when they went outside to play. Don't talk to strangers unless either her mother or father wanted them to. She now realized that she should have been taking that warning seriously, even though it didn't apply to her at the time, seeing as how she never bothered to try and leave the house. She knew what the end result would have been. Being locked in her room. Like in the stories, except a prince in shining armour wasn't going to come and save her.

She heard a knock on her chamber door and sat up with the intention of opening it until they simply let themselves in. "Captain… What are you doing here?"

He gave her a sly little look with his face tilted to the side, "Why Darling, how many times have I told you not to call me 'Captain?' Only those under my leadership call me Captain. You, Darling, may call me Killian."

"Okay, Killian, may I ask what you're doing barging into a woman's chambers without even asking if you could enter? I realize that it is technically your ship, but I could have been undressing or something of the sorts…"

"Well then, I would have been much, much happier if that had been the case. But stepping aside from that direction of this conversation, I came to ask you to read to me again. You usually would've shown up by now and… Well, let's just say I was concerned for the lone woman on a pirate ship with a crew of barbarians."

She glanced over at her clock and let out a small sigh, "I apologize… I was resting my eyes and I get I must've dozed off for a little while…" Killian came and sat next to her on her bed, "It's alright… I myself have been quite tired. This journey is taking a toll on me and the crew more than it usually does. But as soon as we get back on track, we should all feel a bit better."

She put a little distance between her and Killian. She wasn't all too familiar with the Captain quite yet to the point of which they could sit next to each other with their shoulders touching. Just a bit too much for Mai at the current place and time. "When will we get back on track, Killian? Our rations are kind of running low and supplies are… Limited…"

"Oh trust me, Darling, we don't have to remind me. But just one more day until we reach our destination. Once we're there, we can eat and drink our hearts out." His face turned towards her with a smile spread across it, but quickly vanished. "By the way, I know I haven't exactly been much of a friend here, but about your family… I love having you aboard, and the men like to have someone to talk to that isn't covered in gunpowder or dirt, but don't you miss them?" She closed her eyes and thought different thoughts as she felt tears starting to form. "I, um… This is my family now. Of course I miss my old one… My younger brother and sister… But it doesn't matter. Because I have all of you. You're all such good story tellers, and some of you have such manners that I didn't even expect it from you all."

Killian placed a hand on her head in an effort to comfort her, which worked as he saw the tears disappear from her eyes. "I'm glad you think of me and my crew as your family. That is how you know that we have accepted you as one of our own. Some might now show it, but you are a part of our family as well, Mai. And with that said, welcome to the life of being a pirate."

Author's note - Yeeeaaaaah, sorry 'bout the wait… Been a little busy with, ya know, life and shit o.o Chapter 3 should be up in… Sometime this year. I'll try to get it done within the month, but from now on please don't expect me to be realistic on my due dates. I forget o.o