Lots of thanks goes to Millenia! C:
I forgot to add where the lyrics came from on the last couple chapters. Should I go back and add that?
Also, please let me know if this story is good or going too far. I won't know whether to continue updating unless I know. So REVIEW!
Convincing Henry before he gave away his own heart had not worked, and Emma, Regina, and Neal had watched helplessly as their son killed himself by giving it to the one person who lied and wanted him dead. Now back at Pan's camp, desperate and broken, all parents were looking for anyway, for any answers, to stop the island's demon before he could do any more harm.
"So," Mary Margaret began, "Gold's in the box, and David can never leave the island..."
"Mary Margaret, that doesn't matter; I've already made peace with that," David tried to reassure her. "What matters is Henry." He turned to Regina, "how much time do we have?"
Regina was knelt beside Henry's still body. She hadn't looked away from the small boy since arriving to camp and it was obvious she was carrying the most pain. "Maybe an hour before the preservation spell wears off...?"
Neal sighed, "if Pan's airborne he could be anywhere on the island."
"An hour's much time," Hook spoke. "I suggest we get started looking."
All were silent as Regina marched over to Felix and grabbed him by the collar. All save for Emma, who grabbed her wrist before it plunged into the teen's chest. While she convinced Regina that violence wasn't their best card to play, David stepped aside near Hook.
"So where's Tinkerbell," he asked, the only one so far to notice the faerie's absence.
Hook shrugged. "Dunno. She flew off seconds before you all got here, pun intended," he added, knowing she had lost her wings.
David nodded. All watched as Emma persuaded Regina to wait to use magic.
"Did you both find out anything?"
Hook shuffled his feet. "Ah, no. Not really. Besides, it was really Tinkerbell who had squeezed out the few, yet, useless pieces of information about Pan from these troublemakers." He made a gesture to indicate The Lost Boys, and one stuck his tongue out at the pirate.
"Oh."
Both men watched in silence as Emma walked over to have her turn with The Boys.
"You know," David began, sounding much like a father coaxing his child, "any bit of information could ultimately help this all."
Hook nodded, agreeing.
"You've been to Neverland plenty of times, Hook. Could there have been any place he'd go or anything he'd might have said in the past...?"
Hook thought for a moment, honestly recalling all experiences here that he could and listening to Emma convince the Lost Boys to betray their leader. He finally sighed. "Nope, sorry. Nothing that I can remember."
"I can see why you like your rum so much, pirate," Pan says slowly from his position on his back. He was lying on the floorboards of the Jolly Roger's deck, looking as disheveled as Hook can remember seeing him.
It was night on Neverland, and Hook's crew had sent up camp somewhere near shore. He had left to retrieve his map, but when he emerged on the deck, he found that he had unexpected company. Hook had tucked away the map quickly, knowing that the children would swipe it as soon as their mischievous and greedy eyes set on it. He instead forced a smile and a bitter greeting.
It had been that flying boy from earlier, he noticed, the one who had revealed the deadly dreamshade to his brother the first time Hook came to Neverland. Alongside him was a tribal-looking girl he had never seen before, who had a stare like a vulture.
The boy had glanced up from leaning against the ship's rail and smirked, followed by a "hello, 'pirate' Jones."
Hook's run-ins with Pan since his brother's death had been neutral—not pleasant, yet not terrible.
The girl, who was seated atop the rail had looked from him to Hook.
"It's Captain now, to you, boy," Hook had answered.
The boy, who he now knew as Peter Pan, had only smiled.
Not much later, Hook had been convinced to open a case of rum while spilling tales about his few travels thru different realms. Pan, on the other hand, had not planned to become so intoxicated. It was altogether a different form to see Pan in such state—Hook's seen the boy cocky, devil-like and even a little helpful—but this, this was something completely new.
The silent girl, who he had been told was the princess of the island, was also unexpected. Hook hadn't knew how long she was able to keep the emotionless façade going, and had now found her breaking point.
"You know, I kinda miss these things back on the mainland." Pan held up his mug and accidentally spilled a bit on the floorboards.
Hook took another sip from his cup, knowing to keep his guard up. He eyed the knives around both young's belts. "Why don't you ever go back then?"
For a moment, Peter Pan stared at him with such an evil look, Hook had froze. "Everyone has their reasons in life."
"Hypocrite," the girl had muttered, and she hadn't really known the meaning of the word then. Hook had held in his snicker.
"Oh I see you're coming along with English just peachy, Tigerlily," Pan remarked, tongue loosened by rum. Hook and the princess watched him stretch his arms in a languid fashion.
The girl—Tigerlily—Hook noticed, was in no better form than Pan. She hiccuped, her legs crossed as she sat atop one of his barrels. She was on her umpteenth bottle, yet she had enough of a mind to not have as much as Pan had.
"There's dirt, I think, on your face," Hook pointed out, raising an eyebrow, and Peter grins back lazily.
"Well, you like to see me all roughed up, now don't you Cap'n," he laughs. "Don't you think, Tigerlily?"
She spoke slowly, her tongue pronouncing almost every letter. "Roughed up is one word for it."
Hook notices she hasn't looked away from him. Her smirk was languid and warm, eyes vaguely unfocused. The expression was all too familiar to Hook, it was halfly of one who was drunk and halfly of one who was aroused.
Hook chuckled. "I'm quite flattered, deary. But I'm much out of your age range."
Tigerlily crossed her knees.
"By the way, pirate," Peter jumped in, completely oblivious, "how old are you? You look about...twenty-eight."
"Twenty-four," he corrected. "And what are you, seventeen..?"
Peter shrugged. "Dunno. Lost count."
"Almost one hundred." Tigerlily rested her chin in her hands, propped on her knees.
Hook blinked, shocked.
"So, I'm the one who is the eldest," she continued, countering Hook's previous comment.
"H-how?" Hook turned to Peter, who was still on his back. When he didn't get an answer, he turned back to the girl, who then shocked him by having already moved to standing beside him.
"You stay here." She ran a hand thru his ponytail, throughly fascinated by his coarse hair. Her voice flowed slowly and sweetly despite slurring slightly, it was hard to resist. "You can have anything you want," she mutters, "rum, forever youth—anything. Endlessly."
This got Peter's attention and he sat up. "Lily," he calls, sounding lost and confused.
"Right, Peter?" Tigerlily ignores him.
Yet, he presses further. "What are you doing?"
"Making a friend," she lies from lack of better words. "Now answer the question, Peter."
She glides her small fingers thru Hook's hair then down his cheek, and for the first time, he sees how beautiful she was as he looks up at her. For at such a young age, Hook figured she must be the heartthrob of her tribe. With a her long, silky hair and red skin, he could understand why she was named after a flower. But he also then saw the look in Peter Pan's eyes that were beyond shocked, and he looked almost...betrayed.
"Neverland is full of sirens, I see," Hook remarks as he removes Tigerlily's fingers from his body.
Both watch as Peter struggles to stand and then stumbles, cursing about rocking boats though it was docked on the shore. "I may be drunk," he pauses, criticism barely noticeable in his voice, "but I can tell I'm a little inequal here. Now, why do you think that is…?"
"Peter—- "
"Pan, it's not what you think—-" Hook interrupts but Peter cuts him off with a yell.
"NO! You—you shut your grimy little mouth!" He extended a finger, eyes still slightly unfocused but angry as clear as day. Hook was torn between defending himself or letting Peter ride out his intoxicated anger. "This is all your fault!"
"What's my fault—-?!"
Without warning, Peter grabbed the air in his fist. He twists his wrist and suddenly the captain's airways closes, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Didn't I say. Be. Quiet." Pan snarled.
Hook grabs at his neck as if he could physically pull away the magic that was chocking him. Glass shattered on the deck and alcohol spilled, but Hook's crew was too far to hear.
Tigerlily remained standing, silent, observing it all. Her eyes flickered from Hook's reddening face to Peter's.
Peter raised his same hand and Hook followed, floating into the air. Gagging and gasps were the only sound that filled the night. Hook kicked the air the more violently as he felt himself grow lightheaded. Peter was slowly squeezing his hand closed when Tigerlily finally spoke:
"His life is useless."
Peter turns to her, not quite focused, still partly preoccupied with the strangling captain.
Tigerlily's deadpan expression had returned. "There would be nothing gained from his death, and there would be dirty pirates left to infect Neverland if you do, Peter, with no way of getting back to their home."
"But it's his fault," Peter pressed on a matter unknown. He then mumbled, more to himself, "he would have surely been my age when…"
"No satisfaction, no gain," Tigerlily insisted. "Stop being a damn fool, Pan."
Peter looked back and forth from Hook's blueing face to Tigerlily's blank stare. After some time, and luckily for Hook, he obeyed and dropped his arm. Hook followed with a loud THUD! to the floor.
"I'd like to object about the 'dirty pirate' bit. I'm actually quite clean for your information." Hook slowly stood, rubbing his throat. His voice came back slowly.
Peter stood for some time looking between the two before him. An empty look about his face now, though his eyes hid something far more...mischievous. ..Hook had mistaken it for cruelty then.
Without further word, Peter jumped overboard, startling Hook at first, until he began to fly away.
Hook watched in silence. After a while, he broke the silence. "Thanks, though...for that," Hook spoke a little nervously.
Tigerlily continued to stare after the wild path of pixie dust. "I didn't do it for you."
Hook raised a brow.
"We have finally reached a time of peace on Neverland. There is no room for unnecessary deaths."
"...Oh, so you're against bloodshed?"
"Do not misunderstand. If you step foot on our territory, me and my people will not hesitate to skin you alive."
Hook swallowed. "Well, I see we've come to an understanding then.."
Your eyes are yet to be clear now
('Cause you wouldn't take me home...)
You were right and I wasn't listening
(I never told you what you were missing...)
Should I keep putting where the lyrics at the end come from? Because I forgot to do it the last time. Should I go back and add that? Please tell
Alerts only say so much: that people notice the story not whether the story has gone too far or not. Please send review to let me know what you think of this. :(
