Ariel POV

As the boys gathered to prepare for their target practice game, I moved to see what food was leftover. The Lost Boys already devoured most of it and I was going to be lucky if I found any scraps. Picking up a bowl of berries and a strip of bacon that one of the younger boys no doubt forgot on their plate in the middle of the ruckus, I moved away from the crowd. I had seen their archery game before and Peter had even tried putting the apple on my head for his amusement before I yelled at him and threatened to castrate him.

Sitting with my back against a tree with the boys still in my line of sight, I focused on my berries as I observed Peter walk around his circle of followers. Henry looked nervous and although I disagree with Peter's methods, that child needed to toughen up a bit. Picking up a handful of berries I savored their sweet flavor as they melted on my tongue and tried to block out Peter and the Lost Boys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning after her eventful evening in the Tavern, Ariel awoke with a slight headache and fumbled to get up out of bed. She had no idea how she got there. She remembered dancing with the man she had been observing at the card table and she couldn't help but touch the spot on her neck where his lips were hours before. She admitted to herself that he was quite charming but based on the women's reactions to him last night; it showed that he was quite popular there. No doubt he did that with all the women he came across.

She shook her head quickly erasing him out of her thoughts as she focused on the task at hand. Today Prince Eric would arrive back to the kingdom and she would try to…try to what? He was in need of a wife but could she marry a man that she did not love? Would he even like her? What if everything she had done was for nothing?

Ariel bit her lip before standing in front of the silver contraption before her. It revealed to be her reflection. At first it startled her but she had seen a blurry vision of herself before when she was swimming at the surface of the ocean, however, this vision was clear. Staring at the strange person in front of her, she studied her appearance and the toes she was wiggling on the floor. Upon hearing a bell ring in the distance, she jumped out of her thoughts and quickly ran her fingers through her hair trying to ease the mess that she had created while sleeping. Fixing the dress she wore, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as the silver corset she wore made it hard to breath, but she did admit that it complimented her figure quite nicely. Pulling her bosom higher, similar to the ladies she observed last night, she preceded to put on the blue shoes the Crocodile had given her, collected the bag with a few remaining coins, and left the room.

Walking down the stairs of the inn, she saw that the tavern was empty for it being around early afternoon except for a few men and women scattered here and there. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she did not see the man she saw last night. He doesn't matter… she had to remind herself. She was here for Eric. He was the one who was going to change her fate. Outside the tavern she was surprised to see people flocking here and there and had to jump out of the way various of times to avoid being hit by carriages and carts being pulled by large animals. People were selling food, cloth, and various items of use and as her stomach grumbled. Ariel bought a loaf of bread and an apple, which quickly satisfied her hunger. The bread was dry which surprised her but the apple was sweet and juicy.

After wandering up and down the market place, she heard a trumpet sound in the distance announcing "the arrival of Prince Eric and his companions." People at the marketplace began to move to the sides and kneel as she observed Eric—her Eric—come by on a horse, waving with a woman beside him. The patrons tried to advertise their products but to no effect, the Prince had a smile on his face but it was strained and he waved but rode by as fast as possible. Following him, Ariel noticed he un-mounted his horse at a stable near his castle. The woman of the party carried on with the rest of the members and rode straight to castle. Noticing him alone, Ariel decided it was time to make her move.

She noticed at the market place the various glances she received from both men and women—the men with lustful stares and the women with their distaste evident on their faces. It was no secret that she was beautiful; mermaids were known for their strikingly good looks and voices that would seduce any sailor who dared to pass through their waters.

Walking near the stable, Ariel observed the Prince as he unsaddled his horse and put it away. She stepped closer to keep an eye on the man in front of her as she pet one of the horses, running her fingers down its mane. The horse seemed to bend its head towards her in acceptance of her touch. She couldn't help but smile at the horses reaction before she noticed that her presence was noticed and she was being watched as well.

"What a fine creature," said the voice behind her. Ariel didn't have the chance to turn around before she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her as she was pulled to the Prince's chest.

"Yes," she replied breathless as his hands began to roam around her stomach area, "It is quite beautiful."

"I meant you." He said in her ear as he moved her hair and began to kiss down her neck. This was different than last night. Last night her body tingled when the stranger placed his lips to her skin but this…this felt off. Her heart began to beat hard against her chest as she felt the Prince's hands slip lower.

"Steven told me he was getting me a welcome home present," he told her, flipping her around so she was backed up against a post, "I didn't expect to see you. But that old sport always knows when to surprise me."

Ariel was struggling to breath regularly as Eric pushed himself against her, making her back dig into the post making her gasp as it shot a spark of pain up her spine. Ariel looked toward the roof of the stable as she felt the Prince began to bite on her exposed chest area before starting to unbuckle his belt.

"What are you doing?" Ariel asked wide-eyed becoming more alarmed at the second. This is not what she wanted or what she expected. He was supposed to fall in love with her and she was supposed to be his wife. Then she could be a human in this land forever if she wanted to. Ursula had said so. "Shouldn't…shouldn't we be married first?"

The Prince looked at her in disbelief before letting out a dark chuckle and began to drop his trousers and moved towards her once again, "I don't marry whores. Besides, I'm already engaged."

Ariel felt winded as he said those words and soon found herself struggling to push the muscular man off of her as he began to lift up her skirts and situate himself between her legs. Quickly, looking around she spotted a shovel a few feet away from her. With all her strength, she pushed the man away from her, with him ripping one of her skirts in the process. She reached just far enough to grab the shovel and whack him in the face with it. The blow stunned him and the sheer force of it surprised her as well but as he lifted his face she could see the damage. A huge gash was spread across his face beginning to ooze blood as his mouth bled from where a tooth had been knocked out.

The Prince looked at her with pure vengeance in his black eyes as he shouted, "GUARDS!" and that was all Ariel needed before she took off in a run towards safety, attempting to hold up her skirts in the process.

The mermaid had a slight head start since majority of the guards where at the castle but she could hear the loud hooves of the guards' horses pounding the floor as they followed after her. Running through the marketplace, she weaved her way through people as she directed herself to the ocean. It was in sight now, its blue water sparkling with orange and pink hues as the sun began to set. As she neared the docks and was preparing to jump in the water, the Crocodile's words popped in her head.

"Remember dearie, three days!"

Three days! Three days before she could go back to her original form! There was no way she would be able to out run the guards in these legs. Hearing the voices get closer, she quickly jumped onto a ship that was sitting at the far edge of the dock. Since it was sunset, the dock was still full of people buzzing around and she tried to avoid the men at the stern of the ship. As sneaky as possible, she dashed into the room near the steer, which appeared to be empty and tried to find a place to hide.

As she stood in the room trying to find a place to disguise herself, a man came from the further end of the room on the opposite side of the wall. Their eyes met and he looked at her in bewilderment as recognition began to fall on his face.

"I remember you," he started with a grin on his face before they heard a loud noise coming from outside of the door.

"Under Prince Eric's orders, this ship needs to be searched! An outlaw tried to attack the prince and will pay for their crimes. If anyone disobeys the law then they will face the consequences. Where is the captain of this vessel?"

The Royal Guards began to move closer to the cabin that Ariel and the hooked man from last night were standing in. Silently, her eyes pleaded with him to hide her as she looked back and forth from the door in fear.

He stared at her too before beckoning her over and pulling her to the side of the wall he just came from.

"Hide in here," he whispered helping her into the hole, "And whatever you do, don't come out until I tell you."

With that, the captain of the ship closed the door and walked outside of the cabin and to the Royal Guard.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" he asked smugly.

"There is word that you may be hiding a criminal on your ship sir," the guard responded, as he stood tall against the pirate. No doubt he thought he was higher above the filthy scum, "If you stand in our way, I will be forced to turn you into the authorities."

The Captain licked his lips and fixed his jacket before replying, "Well see; there's the problem. This is my ship and I say who or what comes on and what business will be dealt here. May I ask—sir—who this criminal is?"

"Female," the guard replied getting upset that he was being challenged, "with red hair and a blue dress."

"A lass?" the captain grinned before chuckling, "My, my, the prince sure has lost his touch if a wee lass can assault him...on his own land at that!"

The guard quickly stepped up to the captain and lifted him by his shirt collar and glared into the smug captain's eyes, "I can kill you right here...pirate," he said with distaste, "and no one would bat an eye. If I discover that you helped the girl escape then I will have no difficulty coming back here and wiping the floorboards of this ship with your blood. Am I understood?"

The pirate in front of him just smirked in response, "Yes sir." Before the guard roughly dropped him making the captain stagger before regaining his balance.

Captain Hook watched as the guards proceeded to interrogate the other ships on the dock before nodding toward his steward Smee.

"Set sails Mr. Smee, it's time for us to leave."

"Yes, Cap'n!"

Hook went back into the cabin and helped pull the girl he met at the tavern out from the hole he had hidden her in.

She was still in shock but looked relieved as she saw that it was him pulling her out of the enclave and not one of the royal guards. "Thank you," she said looking at him with as much sincerity her eyes could muster.

Observing her now, he noticed that her dress was torn in the front and he could see some bruising on her arms. No doubt that was the reason she tried to assault the Prince. He knew of the Prince's reputation all too well…except that most women gave themselves up to him willingly.

"You're welcome" he nodded, "But now we have a problem…you can't step foot on that dock again or you'll be executed by the morning which leaves me with no choice but to have you come with us. I can drop you off at the nearest town but no doubt our 'beloved prince' will send word of your crime to them and you will then be arrested and sent back to where we just left. Or, you can stay here and become a mate of my crew."

"Your crew?" she inquired with an eyebrow raised, "But you're..."

"I am a pirate," he winked, "Does that scare you love?" he asked as he stared at her intently before removing his jacket and sitting down.

Her response was immediate, "You do not scare me."

"Well, then, it's settled!" he clasped his hand and hook on his knees, "Now, love, would you care to tell me your name?"

"Ariel..." she replied as she stared at him still standing up.

"A name as beautiful as you. Pleasure to meet you, Ariel." He said directing her to sit down on the bed with his hook.

"Now," he began once she tentatively sat on the large bed covered in a red bedspread, "You cannot wear that in front of the men. You may have charmed me last night in it but you're sure to drive them wild and we can't have that." He said shaking his head before standing up and going to a drawer in the corner that held some of Milah's clothes. He rummaged through it before pulling out a pair of black trousers, black corset, and green top.

"This should fit you nicely," he grinned holding it up as if imagining it on her before throwing it on the bed next to her.

Ariel stared at the objects now lying in a ball next to her, "You didn't tell me your name."

"Oh," he said as if surprised at his lack of manners, "I am Killian Jones, Captain of the Jolly Roger. Some people may refer to me as Captain Hook. "

She looked at him before laughing and grabbing the clothing into her hands, "That's a silly name," she said as he stared at her in bewilderment. Instead of responding, he narrowed his eyes at her before brushing past her and slamming the door closed behind him allowing her to change.

"It's a pirate's life for me…" she murmured as she began to remove her gown and change into the clothes Hook had provided her.

Hearing the yelling of boys snapped my attention back and realized their game must have been over. Henry looked defeated as he walked back to his tree but when he threw me a glance, I looked away defiantly. He looked disappointed and confused when Peter put his arm around my waist but why? How had he known about me? His stories were wrong, obviously. How anyone can think that the "outlaw" married Prince Eric is beyond laughable. Still…it unsettled me to know that he may be aware of some knowledge about me. What book was he speaking about?

"Enjoying the show are we?" Peter asked as he plumped down next to me.

Throwing him an exaggerated side glance, the sarcasm was evident in my voice, "Oh yes definitely. My favorite part was when you shot him in the chest and he bled out in the middle of all the other boys."

Peter smirked "I guess you were watching a different show but I like yours more."

I threw him an exasperated look as I put my empty berry bowl down and stretched my legs out from their cris-crossed position letting out a sigh as my muscles ached. One of the newer boys that I had yet to meet gave me a curious glance before swiftly turning away, no doubt when Peter eyeballed him. Simultaneously I could feel him move closer and soon I was resting my head against his shoulder as we watched the boys prance around the campfire with whatever game they were playing now. He was staking his claim.

"Must you do that?" I sighed with my head still resting against him. He could be annoyingly insufferable but he was comfy to lean against.

"Do what?" he asked innocently as I rolled my eyes and turned my head to look up at his face.

"Try to flaunt me in front of them before you show 'ownership' of me—which by the way is something you will never possess."

Peter smirked as he momentarily tightened his grip, silently saying that he would eventually have me as his own. There was no doubt that on the island I was his, fore none of the boys would dare try something with me in fear of facing the wrath of their leader. Peter wasn't one who liked to share his toys and as his favorite, he would most likely severely punish anyone who tried to take me away.

"Never say never," he responded with a devious grin, "Besides, I know you love the attention."

I let out a small chuckle as we watched the boys. I always forget how enticing Neverland is. It's an island oasis, separated from everything where we were untouchable. The only rules are those made by Peter, the King of Neverland, which happens to be that there are no rules.

"You just enjoy showing off."

"You're a prize worth glorifying," he winked as I shook my head and sat up removing myself from his warm body. Grabbing my hand, Peter brought it to his lips while remaining eye contact with me making me feel the shocks of his magic as I always do when touched by him. It vibrated through my skin giving me chills. Oh how easily tempting it would be to stay on this island with him forever.

Staring at Peter I wondered how it would be if my heart skipped a beat for him the way it does when I'm around Killian. While Killian had been away, Peter and I had an arrangement of sorts. We shared a mutual respect and enjoyment of the other's company to the extent that we might even care about one another. Of course "might" being the key word in that sentence. I cared about his well-being and I think he may have cared about mine, at least the way that he cares about his Lost Boys. One could never know of course—Peter Pan cared of no one but himself and his own self-interests. If a Lost Boy truly became lost either by drowning by the hands of my sisters or in some other way, then they would quickly be replaced; which is why I question my own importance to him. I may have power over the ocean but if something were to happen to me then one of my sisters would take my place.

Peter, however, was alone in this world just as I was. He once told me that I was a lost girl…I hated to admit it but I knew that it was true. It didn't mean I danced with the Lost Boys around the fire…only occasionally if he danced with me. He knew how much I loved to dance.

I am one of a kind; the only one that I know of to ever be able to remain fish and still walk on land at will. I'll always be separated from my sisters as we are no longer the same. I'm fine with that, truly I am, as we had never really gotten along that well anyways, but I was alone. Here, on this island, I reveled in being one of a kind. The air, the trees, the earth beneath my feet; they call to me and are always enticing me to stay within its magical compounds. Peter was just as enticing as the island itself as they were one in the same.

Speaking of the boy with the magic coursing through his veins, the mischievous look in his eyes brought me back to reality and I had to force my eyes away from staring at his lips that were forming into his signature smirk.

"What are you doing with the kid?" I asked nodding toward Henry as I tried to draw his attention away to something else.

"That's Neverland business," he responded, cryptic as always, probably upset that I was the one to back off and not him. He liked being the one in control.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I leaned my head back down and closed my eyes taking a deep breath of air. I was too tired today to mock him on his 'Neverland business' for being too secretive for me to know. It's not as if I had anyone to tell. I normally came to visit him when I was bored and wanted someone to talk to, not that I would ever let him know that. We weren't exactly friends as I don't know how to define our relationship but our witty banter and occasional intimacy kept me entertained.

Peter remained still in his position as he watched the boys buzz around the campsite.

"I think it's about time you paid our friends a visit," he murmured as I opened my eyes. He had informed me of the others returning to Neverland and of those on the island, amusingly watching my reaction when he mentioned Hook. At the time I kept my face stoic to avoid any emotions from appearing on my face. I doubt he knew that I was already aware of their presence, and my facial expression must have convinced him that I was still upset with Hook. Which I was. So I suppose that wasn't totally off base.

Following his gaze to the boys roaming around, I couldn't keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"Oh joy."

A/N: I'M BACK! Prince Eric is a scoundrel, isn't he? Bet you weren't expecting that. What did you think about Ariel joining the captain's crew? And are we all still Team Hook or are there any Team Peter's out there? Leave me some love please and tell me your thoughts on how you like the way this story is progressing so far.