Chapter 2

Confused, horrified and surprised faces stared down over the side of the ship, into the swirling water. There was no doubts that something had landed in the water, the splash and ripples circling the target zone confirmed it. Mr Smee, who was Hook's closest companion on the ship, didn't even know what was going on. He just looked gourmlously over the edge like the rest of the pirates.

James backed away from the edge a little his heart pounding inside his chest. How could he have done that? How was that man so unrecognisable...even though it wasn't really a man at all.

"What have I done?"he muttered to himself, his eyes turned hollow with memories of his past, before he became the vilanous pirate captain he was. The times before he gathered his crew and set off in search of Peter Pan. That was when he left her, left the one thing that mattered to him. It was his fault; he had not seen how very much she mattered to him. Then, when he realised, it was too late to go back. Hook was not a coward when it came to epic battles with Neverland's finest hero, yet when it came to emotion he was a coward. When the time came for him to face the music he left her there. How could I have done that? he thought to himself, pulling up his sleeve and staring at the deep set scar on his left forarm. He remembered how he had been given that thick, painful scar like it was yesterday...

\\

"I think you like 'er,"the bartender grinned at the young pirate.

"Everyone likes her,"he replied, rolling his eyes, but they soon returned to those full, red lips from which sweet laughter was emmitted."Anyway, she's the Cpt'n's."

"Ahhh, James'd get angry should any man even look at her funny. 'Magine if someone tried to assassinate 'er. Would be a bit painful for them, wouldn't it?"

"I'd love to see it done though, just t' see what Cpt'n does,"he mused, returning to his ale. But it was true: Hook would do anything for his sweetheart.

So when there was an assissination, he didn't hesitate to do something about it. As soon as he found out someone was getting ready to hurt her, he went to them instead of going straight to her. Slashing open their throats with a threat to anyone else in the room: "If you even dare lay eyes on her I shall hang you until your neck breaks, then slash your throats and spill your guts all over my ship, is that clear!"

Luckily that seemed to get the message through to those, but on his way back he turned a corner and bumped into her. It was obvious she had been running, for she was breathing hard and there was a tear on her sleeve. James grabbed hold of her, pulling her against a wall and holding her closer to him as he inspected a deep cut on her arm.

"How did you get this?"he asked, nuzzling into her hair as she told him of an attack, a pirate trying to hurt her. She had just slipped away in time. But she gave a little scream as that same pirate turned the corner, blade tarnished with her blood. Hook looked to the cutlass in his hand, to his own, which he thrust through his chest.
"There shouldn't have been that much blood from that cut,"he whispered to himself, his eyes darting from the pirate's bloody weapon to the now collapsing body of his fiancee. Quickly, he caught her before she hit the floor, but felt a stinging pain on his arm and realised where some of the blood had come from; a thick slit on his left forarm made it clear he needed bandages and quickly.

But even that shouldn't make that much blood,he thought to himself as he carried her back to their home, settling her on a bed and tending to her arm. Then he continued to search her body, finding more slashes to her arms, thighs and stomach: it was obvious there had been a struggle. Luckily, there was still life left in her as he bandaged her wounds before tending to his own. He let her sleep for a while, laying next to her and watching her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming of, hoping it was him. As he leant down and kissed her, he knew that he wanted to stay with her forever.

/

Why didn't you stay, James? She did nothing to you. There was no reason for you to leave her, no reason. And now you've sent her over the edge. You fool! he cursed himself, tears forming and rolling down his cheeks- but he didn't let any of his crew see. Wiping them away inconspicuously, he stood back straight, walking back to the edge and peering over.

"Ummm...Capt'n,"Smee tugged on his sleeve, alerting him.

"What is it, Smee?"James asked, his voice hollow and emotionless as he stared into the swirling waters below.

"Captain James Hook,"he heard a voice say- a familiar voice. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?"

Hook turned around, staring at the woman on the opposite side of the ship with a great shock. "But how did you...h...h...how?"he stuttered.

"Quite easily actually, swing round and land on the edge, shimmy all the way around the ship without anyone seeing, climb up and jump back on deck. And here I am standing here now. Aren't you happy to see me, James?"

The crew gave a shocked- no-one called the Captain James and lived. But this woman seemed to be getting away with murder. She gave a light smile, tilting her head a little. She had one foot on the side of the ship, leaning on her knee. They had to admit, her apprearance was extremely spectacular, even in the priate clothing she had obviously taken from the port. Mid back length raven black hair was tied up, with two loose strands falling before her eyes. Her pale skin held no appearance of blemish or scratch, save for a deep scar-similar to James'- on her arm. She was tall, but not nearly as tall as the captain, with a slender, hourglass shape and tiny waist. As her smile became clearer, and she stepped down from the ledge of the ship, James smiled too, walking over to her.

"Always, Roxanne,"he replied, almost a whisper and stooped his head to kiss her as his hand rested on her small waist. Giggling a little, she leant an arm on his shoulder, snuggling closer as they shared their first kiss in over 7 years.