Chapter 2: Raining on your parade.

Odette looked upon the starlight sky as the melody of Peter's flute carried it's musical notes on the deck. Captain Hook remained at the wheel as several other crewmen ran around making sure the ship's masts were catching the maximum wind. She saw Rumblestiltskin was sat meditating in the Centre of the ship The Swan Queen leaned on the reeling as she saw the clouds float past below as the ship glided across them. It had been nearly two hundred years since she left the Homelands, two hundred years since she had to leave her beloved Prince Siegfried behind. She shook her head, now was not the time. Not yet.

A loud laughter came from below the deck followed by cheers and jeers. The Swan Queen frowned and quickly moved below decks to see what the fuss was about.

Around a small table Mr Smee, Hadgar and Toad were playing a game of cards where the former slum lord of a rundown tenement building at the edge of Fabletown was seemingly winning, guessing by the large amount of green dollar bills and even a few golden bars on his side of the table.

"Pay it up boys, pay it all right up." The Toad said as he held a cigar in his mouth when he reshuffled a deck of cards. "Your contributions will be remembered at the grand opening of Toad Hall."

"Aye aye, quit fookin' around and shuffle the deck." The dwarf grumbled in his beard.

"Whattamatter Dainson, not my fault you cant get your shit together in this here cardgame." Toad dealt each player a new hand.

"I am positive there is shenanigans involved…" Smee took up a few cards.

"Et tu, Smee? Don't worry. We will all be as rich as that wanker Bluebeard was, god spit on his soul."

"Here hopes Hella gives dat wanker a few kicks in ta nuts as well." Hadgar replied as he took his head. His brow furrowed when he spotted Odette." Ah Swan Queen, come to join us?"

She smiled." If you boys don't mind." She walked over and took up a chair from the ground and took a seat by the table.

"Now now missy." Toad began." Poker is a game where you have to buy your way in-"

Odette took out her purse and opened it. She took out a large stack of green dollar bills and smacked them on the table.

"Will this suffice?" she asked. The three other male fables nodded and a new hand was given to each.

"So guessing by the amount of money each of us has…" Odette said." I don't think we're all in on this for the money."

"I am." Toad smirked." Daddy needs a new car and a estate. And unlike Grumpy over here I don't have a bleeding philosopher's stone to keep making gold."

Hadgar glared at his amphibious friend." For the love of Thor say it a bit louder next time! Ah don't think the other half the fookin' ship heard it."

"Oh come on Hadgar, I was just joking for fuck' sake…" Toad muttered.

"Philosopher's stone, eh?" Smee smirked." I thought most Fables were allowed only one magical artifact."

"Any asshat can make a philosopher's stone." Hadgar retorted." Sides ah gotta be careful with the amount of gold ah make. To much gold will draw attention and fook over the economy something fierce. Even that jerk off Rumblestiltskin knows that."

"Competitors?" Odette asked Toad.

"Rivals, aye." The Toad replied." I remember back in the thirties those two had proper beefs to. Gangs of Dwarves vs Goblins kinda shite."

"Making gold out of wool…" Hadgar spat.

"H-hey hey hey, not on the floor!" Smee sprang up." The Captain is very clear about hygiene on the Jolly Roger!"

"Fine fine…so going back to yer question Odette. Aye, most of us got other motives ta be here." The dwarf said." Yers to ah believe."

"I think it's similar for all of us." Odette glared." Revenge."

The table fell silent as if the word dropped was the equivalent of a bomb.

"Revenge, oh aye…" the dwarf was the first to speak." Ta Adversary killed three o' me brothers and took over the mountain kingdoms of my people. Ah had to swear to ma dying brother ah would come back to reclaim ere lost home. "

"The Adversary killed your brothers?" Smee blinked." But I heard Snow White-"

The dwarf held up his hand." What happened between ma family and Snow White's aint no-one's buisiness. There were wrongs on both sides and truth be told it don't matter anymore. That's all I'm saying about it."

"Of course, my apologies." Smee nodded.

"So tell us Smee, is Hook here for the money or for another reason?" Toad raised one eye." Last I checked he and that Pan kid aren't really pals. Why would two people who hate each other that much work together?"

Smee took a drink from his rum first before he answered." I am not privy to divulge the Captain' secrets and I won't know why Pan is here for certain. All I can say is that sooner or later my Captain had to return to Neverland less something bad happens to him." The portly man shook his head." Time was never my Captain's friend…"

"Tell me about it…" Hadgar placed down his cards, the game over before it began." One moment you are married to the loveliest lass you ever laid your eyes on…sixty years later she's dead, yer paying yerself blue fer the mortgage on yer house, a rundown garage and yer grandson's tuition fees whilst he is sleepin' with the bloomin' teacher."

"How many people can brag they slept with Tinkerbelle? None, can tell you that for sure." The former slum lord folded as well.

"Ah could've at least got a bloomin' discount…"

"What about you Miss Odette?" Smee asked." What is your story?"

Odette placed down her cards as she sighed sadly." My prince was captured by the Adversary. Because we are separated the curse that was put on me returned. It allowed me to escape but I could not save my Siegfried. Like all important hostages my Siegfried will be in the capitol so my kingdom will not rebel against him. I only wish to free him and get him back with me to Fabletown." She looked up to them." I just want my happy ending again."

"Well…" Smee scratched his chin." We will be in Toscane for some time. Maybe you will get lucky and find him."

"I hope so…" Odette sighed. " Oh I'm sorry I ruined the game didn't it?"

"Fuck no, we still got hours to kill so we keep playing." Toad replied and shuffled a new hand for the third time.

A few hours later, after both Hadgar and Smee were cleaned out, the four decided to go to bed.

Odette was placing her earnings in her purse when Toad walked over.

"Good poker face you got there." He said.

"Thanks." Odette smiled." I spend some time with Jack in Vegas. He taught me how to play the game and such."

"I wasn't talking about the game." The former slum lord leaned on the wall." Your entire lost love speil was well rehearsed."

This time Odette raised her brow." Excuse me?"

"'I just want my happy ending again'." Toad repeated before he gagged." What a crock of shit."

"I don't like what you are saying Mr Toad." She frowned." And I insists you stop that right now before I lose my temper."

"I spend my whole life surrounded by sycophants and liars, your highness. It took me long enough and a rat and a badger nagging me to sniff them out. You are a top liar. You are not here for this Siegfried are you?" Odette tried to reply but he held up his hands." Look I don't care why you come along, all I want to know is if you are going to fuck us over or not."

"I am not going to screw you over, Mr Toad. If anything I WANT this operation to succeed." She replied before she closed her wallet." And for the record, I am here to find Siegfried."

"Then why were you lying?" the slum lord asked." Why are you really here?"

Odette looked at the Toad before she walked past him.

"I'm keepin' my eye on you!" she heard him shout. She went to her small cabin and closed the door and prepared herself for bed. As she fell asleep her dreams were once more visited by swans, whole flocks of them. But one always drew her attention. A single black one whose wings threw a dark shadow over the others.

A loud crash knocked her to the ground as a siren went off. The sound of weapons fire and a loud roar quickly woke her from her revelry. Bewildered Odette got up as someone opened her door.

"Odette!" Peter cried out." Get dressed, we're under attack!"

"By whom?!" she asked as she held her blanket to cover herself.

"Dragons!"

When she got to the deck she saw the crew firing their machine guns as scores of half man-half deer flew past. Some were gunned down, others managed to land on the ship and tackle a crewmen down. Those did not last long either as Hadgar and his hammer were on them like white on rice and smacked them hard. She heard bones shattering with every blow.

"What's going on?!" she shouted.

"A dragon and her flock of hippogriff's were stationed as guards near the Neverland gate!" Rumblestiltskin held out his cane as soon a large firebolt formed and was launched at one of the flying deers before it erupted into flames." I managed to create a large enough bubble so they can't warn their master's but I got my limits. Get to Hook, he has a plan!"

She quickly steeled herself as Hook walked up to them.

"Rumblestiltskin managed to fight off the dragon for now but he won't be able to defend the ship much longer." The captain said and threw over two bleeping machine to both her and Peter.

"What are these, Hooky?" Peter asked.

"Missile trackers. You smack this on a target, any missile you fire will home in on it. Your job is to smack those on the dragon so we can take the shot. Shoot the flare when you succeeded!"

Both stared wide eyed at the Captain." What?!" they both exclaimed. As if to reply a large red leviathan, easily dwarfing the jolly Roger two times over, flew overhead as Rumpel's fireballs and Hadgar's Doomhammer barely kept it at bay.

"The dragon Is to fast to shoot down, we need the trackers on him!" Hook shouted.

"Her!" Rumble corrected.

"Does it matter?!" The captain glared before he turned his attention back to the flyers." We're giving you two suppressing fire. Unlikely as it seems I need my two flyers for this operation and I don't want to lose them before it even starts. Odette, play it smart and make sure Pan doesn't do anything stupid! Go in, smack the tracker on and shoot the flare!"

"I heard that!" Peter shouted as he strapped a backpack on as a gun toting Toad placed the tracker in it while another pirate handed Peter the flare fun.

"I'll do my best. As far as flying towards a dragon goes." Odette replied as she placed the tracker in her purse before she turned to Peter." Come on Pete! Race ya to it!" she gave the Boy a smirk.

Peter replied with a similar expression." Last one's there is a rotten dragon egg!"

"Good luck." Hook shouted to them before he shouted." SUPPRESSING FIRE!"

The pirates all focused their fire on the winged lizard. As hundreds of bullets impacted on it's scale, glancing off them, the beast turned and breathed a large cloud of fire on them. Rumpel quickly held up a shield which protected the Jolly Roger but he quickly fell to his knees. Odette saw blood began to drip from the old man's nose.

"Rumpel-" she began but Peter pushed her forward.

"Come on!" he shouted." We don't have much time!"

She nodded and ran across the blood spattered deck and jumped over the railing with Peter close behind her. In a blink of a eye white majestic feathers grew from her body and arms as her size increased. Instead of falling down she threw down her wings and flew upward towards the dragon. Peter had his sword drawn out and flew alongside her as he cut his way through the winged deer.

We can't die here, she thought to herself, not yet!

TBC