Hook's Lady-Ch.3

(the waiting is the hardest part)

Wendy finished with all her activities for the day and had already sat through a horribly uncomfortable dinner with her parents as they tried to 'reason' with her over why their newest choice in men was the best for her. She sighed and continued getting ready for bed until Michael came in to tell her goodnight.

"Hi Michael, happy to be home for a bit?" Wendy asked.

Michael came over and sat down in the chair next to her bed and said, "Yeah I guess so, not many adventures at boarding school you know?" Michael laughed a little and then asked, "Wendy, do you think you could tell me the story of how we got to Neverland and how Peter bravely fought Captain Hook?"

Wendy could never deny her littlest brother anything so she began to tell him the story of Peter losing his shadow in the nursery and how that led to their adventure to Neverland. She had gotten to the part about Tinkerbell telling the Lost Boys to shoot down the Wendy bird when she saw that Michael's eyes were getting heavy and he was yawning about every minute.

"I think that's a good stopping place for now, perhaps you can call up Nibs or Tootles tomorrow and they can tell you all about that day and what they did for me, alright? Now off to bed with you! I'll see you in the morning, goodnight." Wendy softly closed the door behind him and shuffled off to her own bed, in search of answers about her dashing James and if she would ever see him again. She fell asleep with the window open and her mind soaring through the skies above Neverland.

Captain James Hook stood at the helm of his ship and allowed the cool ocean mist to spray his face while the rest of his men pulled up the anchor and released the sails to the wind. 'I am curious as to how Ms. Darling will take the news that I am back… and that I wish to speak with her about her behavior towards me those many years ago. Hmmmm, it is an interesting thought that she might regret those ill used words for me then and perhaps she would be willing to issue some means of reparation? I guess we shall see…. Indeed, we shall see very soon.' At that Hook smiled a lethally dashing smile and turned to bark out more commands to his crew as they entered the Channel of Lost Dreams and prepared to enter the real world.

The Channel of Lost Dreams is a special doorway that leads between Neverland and the real world, it is a dangerous piece of sea, where the currents run strong and the rocks line the sides in a deadly fashion. This way is a dangerous entry but for those that do not fly around covered in fairy dust , it is the only way to reach that other place, the place where dreams are still just dreams and are lost to many people. Hook steered the ship through the Channel as only he could do, never having lost any of his abilities in the time he was away and it was only a matter of hours before they reached the calm waters on the other side.

Hook told the crew, "We are here, now we must prepare to make shore and REMEMBER this is not Neverland and only Smee, Mullins, Foggerty and I are heading inland, Gentleman Starkey is in charge until I return."

The crew scrambled to lower the side boat with the Captain aboard and made sure the anchor was secured on the other side of the ship, and there were no other worries because the magic of Neverland kept the ship and its crew invisible to the eyes of adults.

Hook was excited and had not felt this alive in many, many years; even before his disappearance from Neverland. Captain James Matthew Hook was a strong man but since his arrival in Neverland so many years ago he had not been able to fight his feelings of melancholy. He had been a strong willed child and a notorious youth while attending Eton College, but he had left that world and been cast out into the world of dreams and fantasy and adapted his character as needed. Hook had never had many friends and his intelligence had always made him too smart to take orders from others, so it was all these traits that led him to become the captain of the Jolly Roger, with only Smee as his dearest friend. Though too hard to admit it to anyone, Hook craved attention, love and affection and he longed to find it with a woman that would be as demanding and beautiful as the sea.

Wendy had endured a few hours sleep before she had awoke to an anxious feeling, something that told her that her life was about to change. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and walked to the open window, looking out upon the city and the sights she had memorized over many years of looking. There did not appear to be any great changes in the landscape but Wendy could not shake the feeling that something would be changing for her, and very soon. She shook her head and turned back towards her bed hoping that she could return to sleep and to the land of dreams, where she and Captain Hook were together and she was the Captain's Lady.

Hook, meanwhile, had gotten his little band of men ashore and was silently making his way across London, closer towards Wendy and answers he hoped to attain very soon. He was determined to know whether or not she entertained any ideas about him or if she had anything to do with him being allowed a second chance at life.

'She will answer my questions and I will be a gentleman as always… I mustn't frighten her or make her think I would hurt her because I shall not.' Hook thought over and over again about how he was to keep from scaring her, he couldn't very well have her screaming and waking up the whole house, goodness knows what he would do then. Hook and his men had finally made it to the Darling residence and were looking up from the backyard at the open window of Wendy's room.

Smee asked, "What next Captain? Shall one of us climb up or do you want us to break open the door and drag the girl out?"

Hook looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "No Smee, we shall be quiet as mice and as I only intend on speaking with the girl it wouldn't do to destroy the house on the way in and frighten her to death. Foggerty, you will climb that lattice there and sneak in the window, then slowly make your way down and let us in this door here. Understand? Good, now go. We shall wait here."

Hook seemed pleased with his plan and the other two men assisted Foggerty in climbing the lattice to the open window on the second level of the house; watching anxiously as he snuck in the window and disappeared. Shortly the door clicked open and Foggerty stood grinning like an idiot for doing a job so sneakily; Hook merely smirked and told the men to wait there in the back garden for him to return. James Hook made his way quietly up the back stairs to the door of Wendy Darling, thinking he was more nervous than he could ever remember being and wondering if she would scream or faint or possibly, just smile. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door, thinking 'well here goes nothing.'

There are many accounts of the dreaded Captain James Hook but they all would tell you the same things, he was a strong, stern man with the manners of a courtier, the gentleman qualities of a king and the mind of a great thinker. Hook was deserving in many ways of a woman that could match him in intellect, strength and manners; the Fates had seen to it that he would be given a chance to find that woman and they had even made sure she would be ready for him.


**A/N- HI guys. To anyone reading, please review, even short is better than nothing. It lets me know that out of over 50 hits that people are actually staying to read the story! Please! Thanks!**