Attacked

Emma stumbled off the horse, clutching her stomach, and leaned against the door frame of the stable. "Maybe we should consider lessons," Charming said.

"Ugh, maybe not," Emma replied. "Let's go to Snow White and tell her what we learned. That sounds like a better idea."

"You sure you don't wanna learn how to ride horses?"

"Let me get over this week first."

"Okay. Guess that's fair."

Charming supported Emma until she could walk on her own without stumbling like a drunk after a night out, and they walked up to the couple's chambers. "Charming," Snow said, shooting to her feet and rushing over to him. "I thought you were lost in transit or something."

"I was just with Emma. It took a few days to get to Marshaltown," he replied. Emma sank into a chair by the fire.

"Did you learn anything?"

"Peter Pan really is crazy," Emma said. "And here's something I bet you never learned in your books: he's Captain Hook's son."

"The world has turned upside down."

"Sounds like it," Charming said. "I had no idea Hook even had a girlfriend."

"He never told me who the mother was, but I'd guess by the way he carefully avoided the subject that they didn't part on good terms. But apparently, he has two sons: one is his mate Michael, and the other, Peter Pan."

"So Peter Pan has a brother. Will wonders never cease?"

"Rumpelstiltskin was right. Just when you think you know what's up and what's down, everything changes."

"Wait, you talked to Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Hook did break into his pawn shop, and I'm apparently the only person around qualified to handle the situation."

"So what about the missing children from Pallorwall?" Snow asked.

"They're with Hook, and one of them's learning to fence."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Charming asked.

"The only other options are the crazy twelve-year-old and the couple who hires a dog to be their nanny."

"They do what?" the couple asked simultaneously.

"Apparently they're the only ones that think it's perfectly normal. Everyone I've talked to and heard about has had that reaction, including me."

"A dog as a nanny?" Snow asked.

"Is their groundskeeper a garden snake?" Charming asked.

"I don't know, but I think so," Emma said. "And their cook's probably a rat or something."

"I'd keep those kids on a pirate ship, too," Snow replied. "I wouldn't even trust Emma to people like that."

"Neither would anyone else in the system, thank God."

"So the kids are with the captain, actually learning things and adrift at sea where it will be hard to track them," Charming said.

"Exactly. I think that's our best bet right now."

"And there's a psychotic twelve-year-old involved who wants to take the kids to Neverland...why?"

"I don't know. I'd love to ask the kid, if he weren't crazy to the point of being unable to reason with him. The only sense I can make of this is that Captain Hook operates sensically, and it seems like he's the only one, except possibly us, who have no real idea what's going on."

"So what do we do, exactly?"

"I don't know if there's anything we can do. Hook and the kids are at sea, Peter Pan is God knows where, and we don't know where Neverland is or whether we even need to go there in the first place. Besides, we don't know the Darling family or the Hook family. We don't know how these families interact, function, approach the situation, none of that. The only ones that do are the ones involved. We don't have any authority or information to do anything."

"So you're saying we should let them handle their own affairs? What about Hook's break-in?"

"The guy only stole his hook back, and he didn't want to negotiate with Rumpelstiltskin, for obvious reasons. The rest, can't say what end's what, but that's the only bad thing it seems he's done, unless some lawyer here wants to construe rescuing children from a crazy youth as kidnapping."

"Don't think that's possible," Snow said.

"You know the law here better than I do. It's a job requirement, right?"

"Yep."

"So what do we do? Anything?" Charming asked.

"No idea yet. Suggest we hold off and wait and see if this gets any worse."

The two looked at each other, shrugged, and said in unison, "Fine by us."

OUAT

Tinker Bell peered at the horizon for a moment before glancing down at the children, sitting with a pile of barrels and listening to Smee tell stories and sing sea chanties. The first of the stars were beginning to blink into the sky, and...so was something else.

Tink squinted at the moving light, and then her eyes widened when it took on a humanoid shape. She whistled a series of notes the captain had taught her.

Hook looked around and then at the sky, and then he ordered Smee to send the kids below deck and for the others to arm the ship and prepare for combat. Tink flew down to the deck and perched on Hook's shoulder. "Jas, he found us," she said.

"I know," he replied. "But we're not letting him get much farther without a fight. Train the cannon and fire." A sailor turned a cannon on the flying boy and lit the fuse. The boy dodged the ball, and it landed harmlessly into the ocean.

"Maybe the next one needs a little help."

"Fire again."

The sailor loaded the next ball, which Tink sprinkled with dust, and lit the fuse a second time. This time, the ball flew farther, but again, the boy dodged, allowing it to fall harmlessly. "Dammit," she growled. He just couldn't make this easy. "Jas, we need a new plan," she called over her shoulder.

"Have a recommendation?" Hook replied.

Tink looked up at Peter, and then at the main mast. "Aye, sir," she said. "But I need to borrow one of your men."

"What are you planning?"

"Something dangerous and stupid. Let him get close enough and you'll see."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Do you have another idea?"

"No."

"Then let's get to it."

Hook sent one of his pirates to Tink's bidding, and the fairy in turn sent him to the main mast and the rigging of the main sail. "On my signal," she told the man, "cut the ropes."

"Have you run mad?" he asked.

"Do you know how to take down a flying boy who can disappear at will and mimic any voice he chooses?" He paused and then shook his head. "Good." She turned toward the sea and their enemy. "Now, let's give this kid a proper game of pirates."

Peter swooped low toward the ship but then skipped off into the sky again. The pirate tried to make a pass, but Tink held up her hand and said, "No."

"What? We can take this kid."

"That's not the plan."

"Then what is your plan?"

"Containment."

"You sure he won't escape?"

"I won't let him."

"How?"

"You'll see." Peter swooped down again. "Now." In one swoop, the pirate freed the main sail, which clipped Peter in the shoulder and sent him tumbling onto the deck. Several other pirates caught on and began to tie the dazed boy to the rigging. "Now, let's get the rope from below and fix this thing."

Peter smirked, cut the rope, and slashed the throats of the two nearest pirates. "Shit," Tink said.

"Great, now what?" the pirate asked.

"Give me a minute."

"We don't have a minute."

Peter began his vendetta against the pirates swiftly and violently, adding three other victims to his list. "Jas, engage." Hook drew his sword and clashed with Peter. "Okay," Tink said to herself, "how to stop this kid, since obviously everything else isn't working."

"I say we just kill him."

"Tried that. He's too smart."

"He's going to kill us all."

"No."

"What?"

Tinker Bell sprinkled pixie dust on the pirates. "Smee, Michael, fly them to Starcatcher. Jas, keep engaging." Then she flew below and found the Darling siblings.

"What's happening?" John asked.

"It's time for you to leave," Tink replied, sprinkling them with dust. "Follow the pirates. They're going to Starcatcher Island."

"Why?" Wendy asked.

"He's here."

The kids went above and took off, trailing behind the pirates. Tinker Bell peeked out of the opening to the deck. The seas were beginning to chop, and the Jolly Roger was pitching about at dangerous angles. Peter spotted her and ducked under Hook's rapier, swinging his dagger at her. She ducked and shot out toward the fallen sail. Peter and Hook both moved fo follow her at once, but when Hook made a sudden move, Peter slashed at his throat and then flew after Tinker Bell.

She flew overboard and threw a glance over her shoulder at the Jolly Roger. Hook was huddled among the rigging, his hand on his neck. Dammit, what did Peter do? But she couldn't fly back; Peter might finish him. Unless he had something else to look at.

She duplicated herself, and while the copy flew off into the sky, she turned back toward the Jolly Roger and Hook. "Jas," she said, "you're wounded."

"Are they safe?" he whispered.

"Yes."

"Then let me stay."

"You need help."

"She needs someone at the helm."

"You leave that to me. We're gonna take you somewhere where you can get medical attention."

"He'll kill you."

"He'll kill both of us. We have risks we need to take."

"Tinker Bell, don't."

But Tink sprinkled dust over the ship and began to turn her in the direction of Starcatcher Island. Then she produced a cloth for Hook to press to his wound. She returned to the helm to find her duplicate missing and Peter shooting toward the Jolly Roger. "You can barely fence and he's many times your size, can fly, can mimic voices, and can hypnotize almost anyone," Tink whispered to herself. "He tried to kill James Hook." She looked at where Hook lay. He'd begun to shake, and a pool of blood formed beneath him, soaking what it could reach of his clothing. She could barely see the skin of his hand for the blood.

She needed a weapon and to at least look like she had a plan. Peter was closing in fast. She flew forward and pulled the captain's rapier off the deck, where it had fallen, and then she turned toward Peter, now at the fighting top. "Bring it on," she whispered, hoisting the rapier and flying toward him.

Peter smirked, raised the dagger, and cut off one of Tink's wings before she could raise the sword to counter him. She dropped the rapier and tumbled into the railing.

Upon watching the fairy fall, Hook pulled himself to his feet, fought through the head rush, and turned toward Peter. "You think harming her makes you a man?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter what you think, old man," Peter replied. He slashed at Hook with the dagger, to have it blocked and feel the point of the hook tear through his cheek. Peter straightened and grinned despite the pain he must've been feeling. "Not long now, is it? You're gonna die soon. Let me know how it is. I always figured it would be an awfully great adventure." Hook moved to slash Peter again, but Peter stepped to the side, and Hook stumbled forward and collapsed in a faint.