Here is the next chapter. I am getting more people here to read this story, thank goodness. Review please!
I watched my poor kids trembling in fear. James was afraid as I was when I was first captured by Captain Hook. My son had a lot of me inside of him and he didn't even realize it. It had been several hours until I started feeling a bit warmer instead of cooler. This meant that we were close to Neverland. I popped my head quietly out of the barrel and peeked through the crack of the ship. I could see the ocean and the small land where Neverland was. It felt like forever since the last I've been to this place.
I don't know how long I stared at the crack of the ship, but memories started coming back to me. The first time I came to Neverland, the first time I met the other boys, and the first time I met Windy. Childhood memories were sweeping over me. Coming back, I knew I had changed. The last time I was here, I only had one person I couldn't live without and now I have four. The three of the others I loved the most. The most dear to me.
The ship soon landed on the waters and I knew it was time to go. I climbed out of the barrel before locking the trap door. My kids were asleep on their little trip and happen to have woken up by the sound of me walking around. James rubbed his eyes, and then looked at me like he could hardly believe what he was seeing. I took the keys and unlocked the cages my kids were put in. Elizabeth was the first one to get out and wrap her arms around me like I was her lifesaver.
"Kids, I need you to do as I say. Do I make myself clear?" I whispered. Elizabeth nodded, but James looked at me with a glaring expression and folded arms. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but we can talk about that later. You guys need to be safe and Hook is worse than the one in my Play. He will kill you two if he gets the chance. Especially if you two are as brave and stubborn as me."
James still held the same expression, but he nodded. I took out a sword before helping my children through the window I snuck through. They were floating above the water. I also went into the water and swam toward the cave where I saved Tiger Lilly. My kids followed me to the cave and we ran deeper into the cave. There was a ticking sound of a clock.
"Where's that sound coming from?" Elizabeth asked.
"That's Old Crock. He wouldn't hurt a fly, except Hook of coarse," I reassured with a grin. A huge crocodile came tromping through the cave with mysterious looking eyes. I pet the little reptile before James and Elizabeth grew bug-eyed. "Hey Crock. Missed me huh fella?"
"A pet alligator. You don't even let me have a pet snake and you have a pet alligator?" James complained.
"It's a crocodile and this one is more wild than tamed. He lives in the wild, not in the house," I said.
"Daddy, is this a dream or are we really in Neverland?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, since you two just woke up, it's no dream. I was planning on showing you two this place when your sister turned twelve or thirteen, but since you two are here, I might as well spill the beans. My Play is half real, some of it I tweaked a little bit since it was under fiction. Although, the names of the characters like John, Windy, and Micheal were the names of your grandmother and your uncles Sam and Ron in Neverland. Neverland names, you can call it, and my Neverland name is Peter or Pete," I explained to my kids.
"Neverland names? That's stupid. Why would anyone want to change their names?" James asked.
"Because three centuries ago I didn't like that my parents were the ones who named me. Me and the other boys, who didn't want to grow up either, made up our own individual names. Even Captain Hook has his own name. He used to be called Vlad," I told James.
"Cool. So, we have to have Neverland names too?" Elizabeth asked. "I'd like to be called Maria."
"Wait, three centuries? How old are you technically?" James asked me.
"I can't say. You can add twenty years to three hundred and something years to fourteen," I replied.
"That makes three hundred and thirty-four years or over that age," Elizabeth added.
"I have an over three century year old father. I don't know how I'm able to live with myself," James said.
"At least I look young," I teased before hearing a bunch of kids running through the cave with their bows and arrows and spears. They pointed their weapons at us before Tomson came forward with a glare in his eyes. My kids were scared, but I just looked annoyed. These boys didn't recognize me at all. Then again, I probably should've shaved my beard.
"Who are you?" Tomson asked me.
"I'm Captain Hook of the Jolly Roger," I answered sarcastically. "Seriously Tomson, can't you see we come in peace or have you gone mad?"
"I asked you a question. Now tell me who are you?" Tomson asked again.
"Fine. I'm the boogie man," I teased, which really annoyed Tomson. I always enjoyed that.
"Don't make me stab you!" Tomson warned me before I grabbed the back of his shirt and smacked him onto the wall of the cave before taking away his spear. All the boys pulled their arrows farther back while Elizabeth gasped.
"You wouldn't if you tried. Just be glad I'm not fourteen anymore or I'd cut your head open," I smirked before dropping the boy onto the ground. He stared at me in disbelief.
"Pete? Is that you?" Tomson asked in dismay. All the boys put down their arrows.
"It might be a trick," Randell suggested.
Unick threw a spear at me before I caught it and broke it in half. All the boys gave glances, and then nodded.
"That's Pete alright," Unick agreed. "Whoa, have you grown."
"But if that's Pete, then who is he?" Randell asked pointing to my son.
"Huh, he does look like Pete, except for the eyes," Tomson agreed.
"And coordination," Lor added after pushing James into a puddle of water inside the cave. He gave Lor a glare.
"I can't believe Dad hung out with you guys!" James complained.
The kids stood silent after James' comment. They, then looked at Elizabeth or Maria, her new Neverland name. James had my hair, my face, my chin, but his mother's eyes and expressions. Elizabeth, on the other hand, took a lot from her mother. Despite this, she did inherit my smile. The boys saw this when she smiled brightly. They all gasped in complete shock.
"You're a father, literally," Tomson stared at me in disbelief.
"That's so totally awesome," Unick grinned.
"It's good to see you guys again," I said.
"Let's go into our club and celebrate," Tomson suggested as the boys cheered. I shrugged and we all walked to the clubhouse where the boys and I would go to.
The place stood the same like usual. The only problem was that my head almost touched the ceiling. Other than that, there was no problem with me being inside this little hut. I told the boys the things that have been happening that would interest them. I didn't want to mention anything that happened on my job except that I was a Play Director. They thought it was pretty neat. I mostly talked about the twins' baby shower, my wedding, and spending time with my kids in fairs and junk. All of the boys were interested in those things.
"So, you get to have fun, even as a grown up? I thought all they did was work, work, work," Unick asked.
"They do work more than the average kid, but only to make money to have fun. That's how it works. It's no different than living here. You work to get food or in my case, get money to buy food and keep a roof over our heads," I told the boys.
"Do you hate work?" Lor asked.
"The real question is 'who doesn't?'" I answered while rolling my eyes. The boys started bursting out laughing. "You think cleaning your room sucks, try cleaning the whole house and paying the bills, and then tell me that chores suck."
"What are bills?" Tomson asked.
"It's a letter that comes through the mail and tells you how much you owe to live in the house, buy the food, buy clothes, and so forth," I explained.
"Wow. I didn't even know grown ups had to do that," Unick said.
"Bills were called taxes in our days, but it still is basically the same thing," I said.
"Ooooooo," The boys awed while my son sighed deeply.