Author Note: Back to James' POV, where the real adventure is about to begin! I hope you like it (hope it's not too weird and corny and crappy). I tried to include some back-info from NSG, for those of you who haven't read it, just to keep everyone up-to-date and also to better link the two stories. I'm so excited for what's to come, you have no idea. I know this is short - it's intentionally so - but read and review to let me know what you think!
Chapter Seven
"I have to see her, Smee," James told his guardian, his eyes pleading. "Just this once."
Smee shook his head sadly. "You've got those binoculars to do that, James," he replied. "Aren't they working?"
James crossed his arms. "They work just fine," he said quickly, "but I need to go to her. I need to talk to her."
"And how do you reckon you'll do that?" Smee asked, patting the boy on the shoulder. "You're worlds apart, the both of you. And didn't you tell me she's grown up now?"
James sighed. "She's gotten older, yes. But I would still cross over just to see her one more time."
"You know that's fool's talk, boy!" Smee exclaimed. "It's dangerous, crossin' over like that! You're not Peter Pan… you haven't flown across the stars and back millions of times."
James knew all of this. He had considered it for ages now, ever since his Jenna had left him and Neverland behind, but once he saw that she still thought of him (judging by that "James" pillow in her house, at any rate), he knew he had to take the risks and just go, if only this one time.
"I have a jar of fairy dust in my room," James said finally. "I will take it with me and everything will be all right. I won't stay long, I promise. Will you give me your blessing?"
After a long pause, Smee finally nodded slowly. "It's getting late," he told James, yawning slightly, "so I think I'll go to sleep now. Try to be back at a good hour?"
James smiled gratefully and shook the old man's hand. "You won't regret it, Smee," he told him, running to his cabin for the small jar of fairy dust.
Soaring across the sky, James could not stop thinking of the past. He had loved Jenna for so long, missed her more than anything, and now he was finally going to see her. It didn't matter that he had never flown before - just the reminder that he would soon see her face-to-face was enough to keep him balanced in the air.
Without really knowing what he was doing, James descended slightly so that he could see the land below him. Instinct told him where to turn and when to continue his descent.
He wondered if that same instinct was what led Peter to Jenna in the first place. James had never learned to navigate using the stars, unlike his father and many others in the past. How had Peter done it?
Peter. Oh, how James hoped that the boy who grew up wouldn't be around when he arrived.
It was true that they had somewhat reconciled since Jenna's departure, but James still had a lot to be bitter about. Peter had, after all, been his father's greatest nemesis... he had murdered the great Captain Hook while James was a mere infant, so of course the young pirate never had the chance to meet his father.
When Peter had brought Jenna to Neverland, James immediately knew that the boy would grow attached to her. He had hoped to steal her away from Peter, just as Peter had stolen away his father, but of course once he had truly gotten to know her, he fell hard. In the end, though, as soon as she was within his reach, she chose to leave. Not long after, Peter followed.
Before Jenna's departure, she had asked them to make peace with one another. Reluctantly they had - if only for the love of the girl who was leaving them - but deep down James knew there would always be an unspoken rivalry. He had always known that Peter was the one Jenna loved, but he couldn't bear to witness that - not in person. All he wanted right now was Jenna.
Suddenly, something told James that he was getting close. He descended quickly, hoping his instincts weren't completely spontaneous. When James finally landed, he found himself standing in the middle of an empty street, quiet except for the sounds of crickets chirping in the distance.
Where am I? he asked himself, taking a look around. He saw a long row of houses, each somewhat uniform (at least in the dark they were), and wondered how he would possibly be able to find Jenna in this darkness. Would he have to knock on every door until she answered? Was he even in the right place?
As his eyes scanned for any signs of the girl he loved, James noticed something peculiar - a few houses down from where he was standing, he caught sight of a figure lying down on the ground, curled up in a ball. Curious at this, he approached to find out what was going on.
"Who are you?" he asked, squinting in the dark. He recognized that it was a girl, a dark-haired girl, not particularly large in stature. Her face was somewhat obscured, but James could tell there was something special about this girl.
"It's over," she said sleepily.
James furrowed his brow. She was right - it was over - but how did she know? Who was she?
"Jenna?" he whispered, crouching down beside her to see what was wrong. The girl rolled onto her side, concealing herself even more.
"Over," she repeated softly from her sleep.
"Is it really you?" James asked, his heart racing. There was something different about her, about the way he'd seen her through the binoculars, about the way her voice sounded. But it had to be her - he just knew it. Instinct had brought him this far... surely it would lead him to the right girl. "What is wrong?"
James's voice didn't phase her, as she shifted again in her sleep. "I want out," she murmured to herself. "Away from here."
When James heard this, his eyes widened in surprise. He remembered that fateful day she'd picked up and left Neverland. Was she truly ready to return? Was she planning to leave Peter behind?
"It's all right," he whispered, stroking her hair slowly. "I'm here. Do you wish to return?"
"Return," she repeated groggily, smiling as if it were part of some wonderful dream.
James took this response as an affirmative, lifting the girl up and holding her in his arms. "Then we shall go," he told her, and with that they took off for Neverland.
Acknowledgments: I would like to thank SuperWafer, cam-is-hot, Purple Shamrock 17, AkemixHanako, Miss DnG, Yuki Asao, The Consequences of Love, and EragonPeep for your reviews on Chapter 6. Hope you enjoy Chapter 7!
