Chapter Fourteen: Monster
Wendy's POV
Hook's strong hand wrapped around my upper arm as he dragged me down the long hallway lined with doors that we had previously walked through on our way to the kitchen. His fingers dug into my skin painfully. Bruises would undoubtedly be left in their wake. I tried to pull my arm away but his grip was as strong as steel. All I could do was try to get my feet to keep up with his long-legged strides, and not fall flat on my face.
He stopped in front of one of the doors and kicked at it with his foot with more force than necessary. The thin timber door rattled loudly on its hinges. I was shocked that Hook didn't put his foot through it

"Johnathan, what are you doing?!" I exclaimed, panic seeping into my voice.

He gave me a withering, hateful look that had me wanting to cower away. "You can drop that 'Johnathan' shit," he spat venomously. "I know you're not my sister."

Fear, cold and uninviting, crawled up my spine, causing my legs to shake dangerously. "W-what are you talking about?" I stammered, desperately trying to hold onto my facade although I knew it was fading quickly. Hook saw right through me.

He kicked the door again violently. "Get out here, Dawn!" he growled.

Someone swore loudly on the other side of the door, clearly woken up. Heavy footsteps thumped against the timber as they walked across the room. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing a large dark man. His only item of clothing was a loose pair of blue pyjama pants that were covered in white clouds. His wide, muscled chest was bare, showing off the intricate tattoo that crawled up the side of his torso. He towered over my small frame like a giant.

He rubbed his tired eyes with a hand the size of a bear's. "Bloody hell, what -" he broke off as he took in my haggard appearance and Hook's livid face.

"Take her above deck," Hook snapped. He jerked me forward, pushing me into the man. I felt the stranger's hands clamp down on my shoulders, holding me in place. His calloused fingers dug into my skin, firm but not painful.

"What's going on?" the man asked, his gaze flicking rapidly between Hook and I. His eyes - eyes that had been dull with sleep only moments ago - were completely clear now. They studied the scene before him, taking in every aspect.

Hook's bright eyes pierced mine. The amount of hatred and pain that they held took my breath away. "We're getting rid of the liars," he spat out from between clenched teeth. His jaw was so rigid that I thought his teeth were going to shatter under the pressure. He looked at the man who held me in place. "I'll meet you above deck." Without another word, he turned and strode away, his boots thumping against the floor loudly.

"Where are you going?" the other man exclaimed.

"To get the others," Hook replied bitingly without looking back.

His words made my blood run cold as true fear washed over me.

The others…as in Peter and the boys.

"No!" I screamed after him, terror cracking my voice. Hook paused but didn't turn around. I fought against the restraint on my shoulders, shoving desperately. "Don't touch them!"

I kicked and clawed and elbowed the man behind me, desperate to get his hands off me. Curly's young, innocent face flashed behind my eyes. He was a child for god's sake. A child! And this man planned to hurt him.

"Leave them alone!" I shrieked. My voice echoed down the corridor, hurting even my own ears. Strong arms wrapped around my chest, crushing my arms to my side. The man behind me had me pinned. I couldn't move. I could barely breathe.

I was trapped.

For the first time, I saw Hook for what he truly was: a murderous pirate consumed by years of rage and hurt. Gone were all ounces of pity that I had stupidly felt for him. Disgust crawled over my skin. I couldn't believe that only moments ago I had wanted to comfort this man, help ease the pain and grief that he felt. My stomach rolled over in horror. I had been foolish and naive to think that there was another side to him - a human side.

I had been wrong... so terribly wrong.

Hook was too far gone and I ignorant to think otherwise. He wasn't a young man that had had a traumatic upbringing.

He was a monster.

Hook slowly turned around. His face looked like it had been chiselled out of stone. Staring at me with cold, lifeless eyes, he said one word that ripped me apart: "No."

As he strode down the hall away from me, closing the distance between him and the boys with each step, I felt as though an icy hand had reached down my throat into my stomach, ripping it out of me. A scream of absolute hopelessness pierced the air. I didn't realise it was mine until a large hand clamped down over my mouth.

"Get off of me!" I snarled as the pirate in front of me ran his finger down my cheek. I yanked at my bound hands, knowing that it was useless. The rope behind my back only seemed to tighten, biting into my skin painfully. I hissed through my teeth at the sudden sting.

The redheaded man looked at me in a way that had me wanting to throw up. "I wouldn't do that, darlin'," he drawled slowly. A lazy grin spread across his face. The jagged scars that ran down one side of his face made him look like a jigsaw puzzle that had been crudely put back together. "The more you pull, the tighter they'll get."

Behind him, the morning sun was rising over the water. The golden light danced across the water and the sky was a mixture of pinks and yellows. It was beautiful. The only thing tainting the picturesque sight was the dozen pirates the circled me, all with weapons in hand. They wore matching excited expression as they waited for their captain to return. Some of the men looked almost giddy. They were eager for bloodshed - that much I was sure of.

As I looked around them, I couldn't help but wonder how they had ended up aboard this ship. What had turned them into the cruel men that they were now?

I guess it really didn't matter now. Knowing their backstory wasn't going to get me out of this alive.

"It really is a shame," the redheaded, scarred pirate said. He leered down at me and a few of his crewmates chuckled. "You're such a pretty little thing. I was hoping that Captain would let us keep you around. It would have been fun." He leaned in close and his hot breath blew across my face, causing bile rose in the back of my throat.

"He was worried that I would kill you all in your sleep," I spat out. I wasn't a violent person, but in that moment, I wanted to take a sledge hammer and do only God knows what to these vile men.

The horrid pirate stepped away. He threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "Darlin', I doubt you would be able to kill a fly."

"Don't call me that." The irony that he had incidentally used my family's name as a lecherous sneer wasn't lost on me. It made me sick.

"Darlin', I'll call you whatever I want," he sneered, a nasty grin forming on his lips.

His hand reached forward to touch my face again when the hatch to below deck flew open had him pausing. The sudden bang startled me, and I jumped involuntarily. I heard a grunt of pain and a string of curse words that would have scandalised my mother as Peter and two other men burst onto the deck. Hook was only seconds behind them.

The two burly men each held one of Peter's arms and they dragged him forward. Blood gushed from his nose and lips as he fought against them. His knee swung up and nailed one pirate right in the stomach. The man doubled over, groaning in pain. His grip loosened, and Peter was able to rip his arm away. But before Peter even saw it coming, the man on his other side threw a punch that connected with his jaw. I couldn't hold back the scream that escaped my lips as Peter fell, crumbling on the floor like a sack of potatoes. I rushed forwards, only to be grabbed by the men around me.

The pirate stood over him, sneering victoriously. "You had enough yet, boy?"

Peter's arms shook as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Blood dripped onto the deck as he looked downwards, panting. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he suck in each shallow breath. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he turned his head sideways to look at the pirate. I was shocked to see a smirk on his busted, bloodied lips.

"You hit like a little bitch."

The man's face turned red and he reached down and roughly grabbed the front of Peter's shirt, dragging him to his feet. Their faces were only inches apart. Peter stared at the man defiantly, the corners of his cracked lips turned up. It was as though he was daring the pirate to hit him again. My stomach rolled at the thought.

"Enough!" Hook snarled, drawing everyone's attention to him. The pirate gripping Peter stilled, turning his head to look at his captain. "Douglas, I told you to bring him above deck, not beat the shit out of him," Hook said dryly. "Let him go."

Nodding slowly, the pirate begrudgingly unknotted his hands from Peter's shirt, shoving him backwards.

Peter stumbled but thankfully didn't fall. Once he had righted himself, he shot Douglas a shit-eating grin. "Good dog," Peter said mockingly. He swayed slightly, unsteady on his feet. Using the collar of his shirt, Peter wiped at the blood on his face.

Douglas' meaty hands curled into fists and, for a moment, I thought that he was going to attack Peter again. Thankfully, under the stern gaze of his captain, he remained where he was.

Peter's eyes dashed to mine. They held both relief at seeing me unharmed and fear for knowing that there was no way we were getting out of this alive. Not unless the sea opened up and swallowed the men, which was never going to happen.

He didn't say a word but his face spoke volumes: We were screwed.

Hook walked forward with deliberate steps, scanning the people around him. His heavy boots thumped against the wooden deck as he came to stand in front of me. The pirates parted, making way for him. "Care to tell me how you two met?" he asked me, looking over at Peter who was slowly becoming surrounded by his men. Hook's tone made it clear that it wasn't a question; it was an order.

There was no point in lying now. The charade was up. "He flew through my bedroom window one night years ago, chasing after his shadow. I helped him reattach it, and in return, he took me to Neverland," I replied simply, leaving out as much detail as possible.

"And you've been here ever since?"

"No."

"So, you've come back?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"About a week ago."

"Are you lying again?"

"No."

"How do I know that you're telling the truth?"

"You don't," I said. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."

Hook's cold, oceanic eyes studied me for a long moment before he threw his head back and laughed. The harsh, bitting sound made the hairs on my arms stand on end. "I won't make that mistake again," he said once he had composed himself. "Though, I must say, you put on a good performance. You're quiet the storyteller."

"So I've been told," I replied dryly. I somehow managed to keep the panic out of my voice.

My eyes flickered around the deck, desperately searching for anything that would be of help to us. A thick rope was curled up to my left. It was no use to me, though. Even If I was able to reach it, I severely doubted that I would be able to hogtie all of the pirates before getting knifed in the side. And I wouldn't be much help to Peter is I was bleeding out on the deck.

No, the rope wasn't an option.

I decided to try a different option - one that hopefully wouldn't get us killed. "What do you want with us?" I asked, genuinely wanting to know the answer.

Hook's eyes widened slight at my simple question. He had most likely been waiting for me to drop to my knees and beg for my life. I was smart enough to realise that that wouldn't work with him. He wasn't that type of man to let us go after a few tears were spilt. Hook was after blood, and lots of it.

"My grief wasn't with you," he explained. His handsome face twisted into a look of scorn. Deep lines formed around his mouth. "At least no until you pretended to be my long-lost sister." Hook shrugged almost indifferently, stepping forward until he was only about a foot away from me. He lowered his head until we were at eye-level. I fought the urge to shrink away from him. "I guess you're just an innocent casualty caught in the crossfire. Don't take it personally. It's a common thing in war." His aquatic eyes flashed dangerously, giving the pirate a crazed, maniacal expression.

"So this is it," I stated rather than asked. His mind was made up, and there was no changing it now. Instead of feeling terrified, I only felt numb.

Ever since I had been diagnosed, I had known that I would die, and quickly. I just never imagined it to be like this. Coming to Neverland had given me hope, however fleeting it may have been. I had also been positive that Neverland had started to heal me somehow. Less than two weeks ago, I had relied on my mother to carry me to the bathroom, and now look at me. I was standing, walking and talking and I wasn't gasping for air. In fact, I felt the best I had in months.

I turned to look at Peter. Dried blood was speared across his face and his wide, terrified eyes pierced mine. One of his eyes was swelling shut and his bottom lip was split and puffy. He tried to push forwards towards me but as soon as he moved, multiple hands clamped down on his, holding him in place. He shoved against them only to yelp in pain as a pirate twisted his arm behind his back at an unnatural angle.

"Wendy," he called out, his voice sounding broken. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

My throat closed up as tears stung the back of my eyes. It wasn't his fault. None of this was. All Peter had done ever since he brought me to Neverland was try to look after me. He had gotten his throat slit, captured, and beaten since I had arrived. If anyone was to be sorry, it was me.

And trust me, I was - incredibly so.

I turned my head away, unable to stand the guilt in his eyes. My gaze turned back to Hook. The tips of my fingers trembled at my sides. When I spoke, my voice did the same. "So you're just going to kill us…get even with Peter. You'll finally get your sick sense of satisfaction." The words tasted like poison in my mouth as I spat them out. "And then what? What will you do after that?"

Thick, hot tears spilled over, rolling down my cheeks. I wiped them away roughly as Hook stared at me, his face as cold and unforgiving as stone. Only his eyes gave away any hint of emotion. His irises flamed with green fury.

"You say that you won't go back home because your family hurt you, disgraced your last name. That's bullshit!" I yelled at him. My whole being shook with uncontrollable rage and desperation. How could this man be so cruel, so monstrous? "You won't go home because you're scared. You're scared of what your family will do when they find out what you've done, who you've become. You know that they'll be horrified when they find out about all the innocents that you've hurt, killed even. They'll be sick to their stomachs when they look at you!"

"Shut up!" Hook roared.

"Why? 'Cause its true?" I continued, unable to stop. His image swirled as tears clouded my vision. "Who do you see when you look in a mirror? Because all I see in front of me is a man who is going to burn in hell."

Hooks jaw clamped together with a snap as his entire face twisted into one of pure fury. His arms were rigid at his sides, his remaining hand curled into a fist. For a second, I thought that he was going to hit me. A few of the pirates surrounding us stepped forward, glaring hatefully at me as they readied to defend their captain. Hook raised an open hand to the men, signalling for them to stay where they were. All the while, his eyes didn't leave mine.

"Did you ever think that maybe I liked who I've become?" Hook's voice was deceptively calm despite his rigid appearance. "Did it ever cross your mind that I might love my lifestyle? Living without a conscience can be quite rewarding, you know."

I shook my head at him. "A man without integrity is a man with nothing."

My father had once said these exact words to John. It had been years ago, and I hadn't thought of them since. I had never really understood the meaning. How could one literally have nothing? But as I looked at Hook's monstrous face, it finally became clear.

"Nothing," Hook repeated, trying the word out. He swept his arms out, gesturing to the large ship around him. "Look around you. I have a ship, a crew and all the riches I could ever want. Do I look like a man with nothing?"

"You have plenty of material items," I replied evenly, trying my best to mask my fear and hatred for this man. "But other than that, you're completely alone. You have no faith, no family, no one who loves you enough to die for you. Does it make you happy knowing that no one will miss you when you're gone, that no one will cry over the passing of Johnathan Callington?"

The glare of pure hatred that he sent me was crippling. If I wasn't already out of my wits with terror, his look alone would have had me cowering. "And who would die for you?" he spat.

"My mum and dad," I answered honestly. "My brothers. Just as I'd die for them."

Hook stared at me for a long, hard moment. I felt unnerved and exposed under his gaze. Something flickered in his green eyes, making my stomach knot with nerves. His eyes flickered over to Peter "What about your friends? Would you die for them?"

The look he gave Peter had my blood running cold.

Hey, guys, finally updated again. I hope you liked it. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think :D once again, thanks goes to my beta. You rock, Rach!