After Baelfire's departure from the Jolly Roger, Killian Jones was a changed man. Much like Hannah dared not to reveal herself, she felt Killian had done the same and hidden his true nature. His heart had been broken too many times and now it seemed he had hidden it away. Hook headed to his cabin after he watched the row boat with the four boys until it could no longer be seen in the moonlight. He was in no mood to listen to Mr. Smee and his cabin was the only place to offer privacy. He was quite surprised however, to find his cabin was already occupied.
Peter Pan stood at Hook's desk, rifling through the maps and papers.
"Excuse me; I don't recall giving you permission to enter my cabin, much less go through my desk!" Hook had to check himself. As outraged as he might feel, he knew this boy could and would try to kill him with the slightest provocation. Without looking up from the desk, Pan answered.
"Well, since everything in Neverland belongs to me I don't need your permission to be anywhere I like. Nice map. You're really quite accurate."
"Thank you…What is it that brings you to my ship, if I may ask?"
"I wanted to thank you for returning the boy to me. In fact, I was a little surprised to see how eager you are to begin our agreement."
"And what agreement would that be?" Hook flashed his signature grin.
"Our agreement is that you work for me in exchange for fresh water and hunting rights. Returning Baelfire to me pays for the boar originally killed before our agreement."
"What? You keep track?"
Pan nodded. Hook couldn't believe it. "How can you possibly know what we've hunted?"
Pan looked straight into Hook's eyes. "I know everything that happens in Neverland. You still have three wild pigs and two turkeys to pay for. I thought since you were so eager to get started I'd also give you your first assignment."
"No, the deal's off. I want to leave Neverland at once." Hook demanded. He needed to find a way to get his hands on Rumpelstiltskin's dagger.
Pan laughed. "Oh, that's not going to happen. I have some things I want you to do for me. I want you to go where I say go. I want you to do what I tell you to do. You see, in Neverland, I am the Captain, and I give the orders. And anyone who disobeys will be parting ways with his shadow. It snuffs out the light of your life to have your shadow ripped from you… Make no mistake, Hook. I will snuff out the lives of your crew one by one if you do not do as I say. I will make you watch them die. Then you can explain to those left how the death of their shipmate is your fault for not following orders."
There was still enough of Killian Jones left in him to feel miserable and slightly sick at the thought of Pan executing his threat.
Hook sighed in defeat. "What is this assignment you have for me, then?"
Pan's answering smile made Hook want to shiver. "That's more like it. What I want you to do is simple enough. I just want you to deliver a message. That's it."
"Who is to receive this message?"
"Someone my shadow will lead you to."
The corner of Hook's mouth turned up sardonically. "And where is this mysterious person going to be found?"
"In another realm. My shadow will fly your ship to its waters. You will dock the ship, follow my shadow, deliver my message, and then return to Neverland. And everyone is to return to Neverland. You'll leave at once."
Hook rubbed his hand over his eyes. "What is the message?" He felt tired.
"Your beloved son is dead."
Hook opened his eyes, his objection on his lips, but he was alone in his cabin. He was quite surprised to feel the ship already moving and he hurried above deck.
Pan's shadow was flying around the sails of the ship, and when he got to the mainsail he floated in front of it spread eagle before melting into and becoming a part of the mainsail. The entire sail changed color from washed-out white to rain-cloud grey. After the shadow had control of the sail, the ship lifted out of the water, and sailed through the night sky.
They climbed higher and higher into the sky, through the clouds until Nick wondered if they would fly straight to the moon. Above them the inky black sky was illuminated by millions of beautiful stars, glittering like diamonds. They traveled with the clouds as the sea and the stars above for a couple of hours before the shadow began to descend through the clouds to the seas below. Nick was surprised to see the sun dawning on a new day in this land the shadow had brought them to.
Once the ship was again in the water, the shadow emerged from the mainsail, and flew down to the helm. Hook raised an eyebrow at the shadow who responded by crossing his arms and tapping his foot. Hook scoffed a little, but stepped aside and allowed the shadow to steer the ship into port. The shadow expertly guided the Jolly Roger into a slip and then motioned to Hook to follow him.
"No one leaves the ship. That's an order." Hook said before he disembarked and followed the shadow into the town. They weren't out of sight long before there was a scuffle near the gangplank. Smee was holding on to the arm of Harvard who was apparently attempting to leave the ship. Smee was trying to get him to change his mind.
"It's a direct order from the Captain. He said 'no one leaves the ship'. You don't know what kind of realm we're in. What if it's dangerous? What if you're not back before the Captain is?"
"I'm counting on that, mate. I don't intend to return to Neverland. Any place has to be better 'n that place. If you were smart, you'd make your escape, too." Harvard shook off Smee's grasp of his arm, and quickly climbed over the side of the ship to the gang plank. He jogged down the rough planks and never stopped.
Hook returned to the ship within forty minutes, and was visibly shaken. His only response to questions from the crew was to shake his head. He paced back and forth the entire length of the ship several times before Smee finally stopped him.
"Captain, what happened out there? Where is the shadow? Why are we still here?"
The entire crew had formed a circle around the two sailors, all curious to hear the answers to Smee's questions. Hook looked around warily.
"I don't know. I don't know where the shadow has gone, and I don't know why it hasn't taken us back to Neverland."
"Captain," Smee pressed, "what happened? What did it make you do?"
Hook scoffed. "Pan said it would be simple. Just deliver a message. That's all I had to do. Just deliver a message." He looked away, back towards the port town he had just left.
"What message?"
Hook stared off into the distance without really seeing anything. "'Your beloved son is dead.'"
A somber tone fell over the crew. Nick put his hand on Hook's shoulder.
"Who was the message for, Cap'n?" he asked softly.
"I didn't know. I didn't know who she was. Not even after she answered the door the shadow lead me to. Only after I delivered the message and she cried out his name did I know…It was Ollie's mum."
The crew murmured in response, and Hook continued. "She figured out right quick I was his Captain, too. She was crying and blaming me, saying I got him killed and he'd be alive if he hadn't been with me..."
This time the crew protested Ollie's mother's claims. Shouts of 'He's his own man,' and, 'Pan's the one that killed him, not you!' could be heard.
"What happened next?" Nick gently prodded when the crew had quieted a little. This time Hook smiled.
"Well, like any sensible and dashing rapscallion, I quickly parted ways with the lady. No sense in inviting more of her wrath, eh?" The crew chuckled and hollered in approval. Whatever emotion had been plaguing him when he had arrived he had clearly done away with.
"Captain, I have some urgent news." Smee interrupted Hook's triumphant feeling. His smile faded and he rolled his eyes.
"What is it, Smee?"
"Harvard has left the ship, sir."
"What do you mean 'left the ship'?"
"He's gone, sir. And I don't think he intends to return."
Hook wasn't happy to hear that. "He's deserted, you say? That is bad form indeed." Hook produced his spyglass from his coat and scanned the nearby areas.
"Do you think we should send someone after him?" Smee asked.
"No. I don't know when the shadow is going to return and I want to be ready when it does." Hook raised his voice so he would be heard by his entire crew. "No one leaves this ship. That is an order."
The ship spent the entire day docked at this town. By the time the sun had begun to set the bored and tired sailors were becoming surly. The stars were just beginning to show their twinkle in the sky when the shadow returned. He flew around the entire ship, inspecting each part before coming to stand next to Hook at the ship's helm.
With exaggerated gestures Hook stepped back and swept his arm out in front of him towards the ship's wheel. The shadow stepped up to the helm and they sailed away from Ollie's hometown harbor. Once they embarked upon the open waters, the shadow left the helm to again fly up and into the mainsail and flew the ship back to Neverland in the same manner they had left it.
When the Jolly Roger was again in Neverland's waters, the shadow emerged from the sail and left immediately for the island. Hook sailed around to the southern side of the island where he could see the bay the Lost Ones used to enter and leave the water. He expected that Pan would send someone out to the ship for an account of the events but no one came.
Hook went down to his cabin shortly before lunch and was startled to see Pan in his cabin again.
"My shadow tells me you delivered my message. Well done. However my shadow also tells me not all of your crew returned. Whom shall I kill as punishment?"
Hook scoffed. "I can't stop a man from deserting as soon as I am out of sight. Please note the rest of my crew has returned. None of them should have to take on a punishment intended for the deserter himself. To tell you the truth if he would desert that quickly I don't think I want him in my crew anyway."
Pan seemed to consider this. "I suppose you're right. I know what I'll do." He smiled briefly before letting out a low whistle. Before he was done whistling, the shadow emerged from the shadows already on the wall. Pan turned to the shadow that was floating and awaiting instructions.
"Go and find the deserter. Bring him to me." The shadow nodded once then flew under the closed door, leaving to complete his instructions.
Pan turned back to Hook. "Why did you not do any shopping while you there? Did you not replenish any supplies? ...No rum?"
"I had thought we would be returning to Neverland immediately, and so ordered no one to leave the ship until your shadow returned." Hook kept his voice level and calm, but felt that was enough explanation.
Pan waited patiently for Hook to continue, and when he did not Pan explained, "My shadow can only find Neverland by navigating the stars. It's the second star to the right, then straight through until morning… Next time you should use your time more wisely. Are you ready for your next mission?"
"That was a terrible thing to do, sending me to Ollie's mum."
"As his captain, wasn't it your duty to notify his family?"
"We're pirates! We don't notify family! We don't have family."
Pan scoffed. "Well, I need you to deliver the same message to Joey's mum."
"No. Give me something else to do."
Pan's eyes narrowed. "No. I will not give you anything else until you complete this task. And without supplies from another realm, your debt to me will only get bigger. When you're ready to resume payments just give a whistle, and my shadow will take you where you need to go." Pan strolled out of Hook's cabin, leaving him to consider his options.
Hook, of course eventually delivered the message to Joey's mother. She was well into old age, and didn't seem to remember she had ever had a son. While docked, the crew gathered, purchased and traded all the supplies the ship would hold.
Pan chose to deliver a message to the crew of the Jolly Roger and made an example of Harvard, several weeks after his desertion. Pan appeared suddenly on the deck of the Jolly Roger, and was soon followed by his shadow that was carrying Harvard by the hand, dangling him over the water as he flew towards the ship. The pair landed next to Pan, Harvard stumbling and falling to his knees in weakness and exhaustion. He was quite thin, and many of his bones could be seen through his skin. Hook didn't have to wonder long what happened to his former crew member, Pan was eager to share with the crew what he had inflicted.
"Just in case anyone else has any thoughts about escaping or running away, I want you to see what will be your fate. Behold your deserter." Pan put his foot onto Harvard's hunched form, and pushed him over so that he was laying on his side. Harvard was too weak to resist. "My shadow found your deserter the very next day and brought him to me. I've kept him in one of my boxes for a few weeks to give him a taste of the life of solitude he preferred to have over continuing on with you all. And now, I'm done with him." Pan nodded to the shadow who grabbed Harvard and began to tear his shadow away from him. Harvard hardly had the strength to try to resist.
"Stop." Pan ordered. He had effectively commanded the attention of all present. "I don't want a weakling or deserter in my shadow army." Without further explanation, Pan turned to Harvard and sank his hand into his chest, withdrawing Harvard's heart in his hand. Near death already, Harvard's heart did not glow the bright red Hook remembered Milah's heart to be. Instead, Harvard's was dim with no more glow to it than a flame about to expire. Pan crushed the heart in his hand and it turned to dust, blowing away to the Neversea. Harvard's lifeless body crumpled to the deck.
Pan looked around at the Jolly Roger crew. "You all work for me. Anyone who refuses will endure worse than your deserter." Then he turned to Hook. "Bad form, Hook. You should clean up the place." He nudged Harvard's body with the tip of his boot.
Hook ground his teeth and opened his mouth to reply but Pan and his shadow were gone.
After that, no one thought to leave. They decided to muster together and complete their missions in high pirate style. Pan's shadow would take them to other realms, and lead them to a boy. Once the boy was located, the pirates would keep the boy in sight until dusk and spend the day replenishing their own supplies and trading commodities from other realms. Once the stars were about to appear the pirates would attack, marauding, and pillaging the immediate surroundings and kidnapping the boy. They would return to the Jolly Roger led, and frequently helped, by the shadow. Once on board, they would fly-sail off into the night. At first, Hook attempted to at least assuage the fears of the victims. He promised them they were headed for a paradise, and they would be leaving all of their cares and fears behind.
Only, when they returned to Neverland with the newest "catch" the fear did not end. Each boy was collected from the Jolly Roger by Felix and two or three other boys. They would put a burlap sack over the boy's head after loading him into their row boat. After rowing to shore, they would pull the boy along the beach and into the jungle beyond. Hook chose not to wonder what happened after that and each night he sailed the Jolly Roger out to the open sea where the sobbing and crying from the island could not be heard.
Usually at some point in time, Pan would send Hook and his crew back to each kidnapping location to deliver the message to the parents. This was where Hook's heart became hard.
Once, Hook callously pried a young boy right out of his mother's arms. He sliced at her arms with his razor-sharp hook, striking again and again until she finally dropped one protective arm briefly to reposition it, as her grip on her son was slipping from the blood. That was all the opportunity Hook needed. He clamped his hand on the boys arm, and hooked the mother's other arm wrenching the lad from her grasp and cutting her arm deeply.
Pan sent Hook back only two days later to deliver his message of death, and the distraught mother grabbed Hook's left arm and sank his hook into her chest, piercing her heart. Looking back, years later, Hannah would define that as the moment he became Captain Hook.
Hook stared down at her lifeless form in shock for a few moments before he removed her ring from her finger and pocketed it. After that Hook no longer attempted to comfort either the boys he stole or the parents he grieved. He gave them no more consideration than he would a stray dog.
Nick however did the opposite. He would visit each boy aboard the Jolly Roger and offer food and a blanket. Nick explained they were going to a place where no one ever grew old and all the boys played at games all day long. They were always looking to make new friends and the current boy was the one they wanted. Some of the boys thought that it didn't sound so bad. Some boys would ask if they could see their families again, and when Nick told them 'no' they no longer liked the idea of Neverland. However, they all inevitably went to Neverland.
As the years began to pass, Nick started to follow up of some of the boys they brought to Neverland. He started out by just checking to see they were unharmed. Then he would leave behind a small trinket of a toy, or a piece of fresh fruit, or a candy. Eventually some would speak with him and he would volunteer to try to bring in special requests. He smuggled things like books, or teddy bears, or games. Once some of the boys showed up with new prizes, Nick's popularity with the Lost Boys grew exponentially. Nick always remained faithful to Hook, and completed all of his duties and obligations to his 'master', as it were, before he devoted any time to befriending the young boys. Hannah could not help but draw parallels with the Lost Boys to the orphans she cared for in Ashcroft and it made her even more empathetic to the young men and their plight.
Through the years Nick came to know almost all of the Lost Boys, with two exceptions. Felix remained aloof; he showed Nick the same scorn he showed everyone, and Pan, who was seldom ever seen by Nick. Those two aside, Nick was able to meet and become friends with each boy who resided in Neverland – even Baelfire.
Nick was quite surprised to meet at least one other familiar face. One boy about twelve years old looked exactly how Nick imagined Jules would have looked as a young lad, except with blonde hair. Nick was further excited to learn the boy's name was Verne. Could it be? Was it possible? Could both of Emmett and Clara Brown's sons be alive and well? And in Neverland?
While on the ship, Nick devoted additional time to the galley with Jules to ask what he remembered about his lost brother. Jules knew only that his brother had vanished in the night – right from his own room, and his family had been unsuccessful in finding any evidence or clues as to what happened. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. The description Jules gave of his brother's appearance was an exact match to Verne's appearance.
"Jules, I think it might be possible your brother is on th' island…with Pan. There's a lad there matches the description ye gave, and his name is Verne."
Jules sank down onto a nearby stool. "That would explain a lot."
"Why don' you come t' the island with me and maybe you can get a look at 'im to see if he is your brother?"
Jules agreed, and was eager to embark. The next day they both went to the island to tend to Nick's vegetable and herb garden he had started years back and, with the help of some of the boys, had grown into a large garden they all worked and shared together. This was also one of Verne's favorite places to be.
Nick stopped when he spotted Verne, and pointed out the boy to Jules who had turned pale.
"I think I've seen a ghost." Jules whispered, and stared at Verne in disbelief.
"Would you like to meet him?"
Jules could only nod.
"Verne, can you come over here for a moment, please?" Nick called to Verne who was only a couple of rows away. Verne wiped his hands on his pants and carefully stepped over the rows of plants separating them. As he stepped over the last row he looked up, first at Nick, then at Nick's companion.
"Papa?" Verne gasped and then shook his head. "I'm sorry. My name is Verne. It's very nice to make your acquaintance."
Jules grinned. "I'm Jules, Verne. Your brother? You do remember me, don't you?"
"J-Jules…?" Tears welled up in Verne's eyes. He had resigned himself to never seeing anyone from his family again. Jules bent over with his arms outstretched and the two embraced. The tears in Verne's eyes spilled over and ran freely down his cheeks.
"Do Mama and Papa know where I am?" Verne asked.
"No, Verne. We never found any trace of what had happened. We had always hoped you would just come back home one day…Is this what happened to you? Have you been here the whole time?"
Verne nodded sadly. "The shadow brought me. I remember watching him outside. He came to our farm a bunch of times and would play outside of my window. He kept inviting me to play with him, but I wouldn't. Then one night I watched him fly up to the hay-loft and into the barn. So I climbed out of my window to get him out of there and keep him from poking around the locomotive. I had just put my hand on the barn door to open it when he snatched me up and flew us away so quick we were already gone before I could cry out. Then he flew us here." Verne became excited as an idea occurred to him. "Now you're here Jules. You can go back and tell Papa where I am, and we can all get away…" He hesitated when he saw Nick and Jules exchange a look. "What?"
"Verne," Nick put his hand on Verne's shoulder. "We…pirates have been in Neverland for more than a hundred and thirty years…"
Verne just stared at Nick and Jules, not understanding what Nick was trying to lead him to conclude. Nick continued.
"People can't live for a hundred and thirty years without magic."
Verne squared his shoulders and shook his head. "No. Jules, you go and tell Papa where I am. He'll come for me. I'm sure of it."
"Verne, even if Papa and Mama were still alive I am trapped here as sure as you are. Just as soon as I'm missed, that shadow will hunt me down and drag me back here for torture before death. Instead, we should be happy we have found each other at last." Jules was more direct, but Verne conceded. Then the two happily chatted the day away. Jules told of his life on the farm before joining the royal navy to expand the search for Verne. Meanwhile Verne shared much of his knowledge of Neverland, and the Lost Boys.
Several months had passed, and Jules and Verne had restored their brotherly bond. When the crew was in another realm for another "errand" for Pan, and Jules was certain the shadow was busy, he approached Nick with an idea. Jules wanted to smuggle Verne out of Neverland.
"Well, that's a sure way t' get both of you killed," was Nick's reply.
"Nick you'll have to trust me when I say I am certain I can outrun that shadow if I can get to my father's farm."
"I'm sorry Jules, but I don't see how you could ever outrun that shadow. He can travel freely between realms."
"Realms? Where we're going we don't need realms." Jules paused to smile for a moment before becoming serious again. "If my father's barn is untouched, I'm positive I can escape that dreadful Pan and his miserable shadow once and for all."
Nick considered this for a moment and then reasoned with his old friend. "Jules, we've been here a very long time…A hundred and thirty years. That's a long time for a building to remain intact. And, if no one is there to see to its care and maintenance it's likely going to rot. And how would you even hide long enough from the shadow to make it to your father's farm? What if someone else lives there now?"
Jules remained calm and even smiled again. "Ah, that is where I'm going to use Neverland's magic to my advantage. You see, Neverland's magic is activated by your belief in it. And the more sincerely you believe, the stronger the magic. So, if Verne and I both believe our father's farm is unoccupied and undisturbed, it will be."
"Hmm. I guess there would be no harm in that, but how would you even get there? What realm is this? Where are we? Do you think you could find your father's farm from here?"
"No, Nick. None of that matters. It's all in the magic. When we're ready, we'll believe Pan needs us to be at the port of Ricanda. You see, my father's farm is only an hour's walk from Ricanda. The shadow will look for someone in the opposite direction. By the time they return to the ship, we'll be gone."
"You still haven't told me how you plan on escaping from the shadow. What, are you going to live where it's always day time, but also cloudy so there are no shadows? If you know how to get there, let us all go."
"Well, the locomotive is something that has to be seen to be believed, but rest assured it can take you to when the shadow can't get you." Jules was openly grinning now.
Nick scoffed. "Don't you mean where?"
"No. And that's all I will say about it. Now, are you in, or out?"
"In or out of what, exactly? I won't leave the captain. I owe him my life. Maybe I shouldn't know what you're planning…"
"Ah, Nick, it's not like that. The fact is I need your help. I know we brought up Baelfire from the sea, and know he was in the cargo hold enjoyin' a bite. And I know that Pan's henchmen came aboard looking for him. But they didn't find him, because you hid him. I am asking you to do the same for Verne. I'll take care of getting him aboard the ship. Hide him where you hid Baelfire. Please. That's all I ask."
Nick nodded. They didn't speak of it again that day, and had to be very careful to be certain no shadows of any kind were nearby when they did discuss Jules's plan of escape. It was exactly as he had described to Nick, and they were relying heavily on Neverland's magic working in their favor. Verne's enthusiasm was projected at Nick when the subject of magic came up.
"Can you imagine how powerful the magic would be if you believed, too Nick?"
"Perhaps for your sake, I will. It would be devastating to be wrong."